Initiation Series: Series One Compilation (Terran Chronicles)

by James Jackson

  For every factory brought to this planet, dozens more are needed. There are no facilities capable of manufacturing computer components, combustion engines, or weapons of any kind. In addition, the facility that manufactures Gamin power plants remains idle. The materials and specialized components required by it are manufactured in factories yet to be built. However, having a strong focus on mining and ore refining, means these can be constructed, in time.

  The pair returns to the Capitol Building where Jie dismisses Cheng, then retires to his quarters and ponders a dilemma. The list of facilities needed to manufacture everything required by an advanced civilization is almost incalculable. And even with more than four hundred thousand people, he can see that it is impossible to have everything. He, along with his advisors, took for granted numerous sundry items, which are now simply unavailable. Complex plastics, rubber, and nylon, are just a few of the items beyond their reach.

  Jie sighs, he does not want to punish his advisors, especially as it would not solve their current problems. He walks to his expansive window and watches as the sun sets in the distance. The city’s lights begin to turn on, bathing it in a soft glow. Having brought numerous alien designed power plants, means they will have electricity for hundreds of years. His jaw drops as the obvious answer comes to mind, babies! Some of the people are already having babies, but I need them to have more, a lot more. He rubs his chin as his thoughts continue, I will reward the largest families with additional land! The simple and effective answer makes him smile widely. He has a whole planet to parcel up, and doesn’t care if the people actually think they own what he gives them.

  Chapter Three - Wonders Will Never Cease

  Jie scratches his head and reads the request for a second time. The expected population explosion has the city’s designers in a panic over space. Survey teams have been scouring adjoining areas, especially the hill regions where the city’s walls have yet to be built. He stares at a map on his computer screen, studies the proposed expansion, and feels a chill rise up his back. The new area more than triples the size of the current territories, and even has contingencies that allow for further expansion.

  Jie stares at the projected population figures in awe. Nearly two hundred thousand couples are expected to have an average of four children each, over the next ten years. Once this new generation reaches their twenties, they will begin their own families. Jie frowns when it suddenly dawns on him that he has no heir to his legacy. His distress deepens when he realizes he is nearly forty, and that life is passing him by.

  At that very moment, Cheng rushes into the room, interrupting his thoughts. Gasping for breath he says, “Sir, you have to see this!”

  Jie is initially annoyed at the rude intrusion, but he has come to like, and appreciate, a few of his officers. Cheng is one of them, so instead of chastising him, he replies, “What is it this time? A new beastie?” He reads dull and boring reports of new species being discovered, each and every day.

  Cheng shakes his head, then says, “It’s alien.”

  Jie frowns, then states, “Everything is alien here.” With his curiosity aroused, and Cheng not saying any more, he adds, “Maybe you’d better show me.”

  They head to the roof where Cheng, as usual, pilots Jie’s personal shuttle. Jie watches with interest as they fly away from the city, then over a vast ocean. Jie lifts an eyebrow, and states with increasing alarm, “We’re traveling a long way from the city.”

  Cheng nods excitedly, “Our satellite’s high resolution cameras have been mapping the planet, and they found something the initial survey teams missed.”

  Jie sighs, “And you’re not going to tell me what it is?”

  Cheng glances at Jie, “I mean no disrespect, Sir,” he tilts his head briefly, then adds, “I just want you to see it, without being influenced by my humble opinion.”

  Jie stares at the seemingly never ending ocean as it whisks beneath them. Squinting, Jie begins to discern a distant shoreline, then as they get closer, an enormous mountain range.

  Cheng adjusts their course, which takes them up and over a massive volcano. Lava bubbles and boils from its core, flowing down the steep slopes, toward a burning forest. Jie’s jaw drops as he watches the volcano’s lava flow claim a fresh patch of trees. Dozens of smaller lava flows meander down the mountain side, but the largest seems to conquer the land with its sheer size.

  Jie’s gaze moves beyond the engulfed trees, to a distant plain. He glances back to Cheng in surprise, then stares intently out the window at their destination. The shuttle arrives, then orbits the open plain in a wide circle, affording them both an amazing view of the ground, and what is upon it.

  Six identical craft, each around twice the size of their shuttle, are arrayed in a circle. What appear to be the nose of each, points inward toward the center, while what appears to be engines, face outward. The hull of these craft is a dull brown color, helping them blend into the landscape. Local grass grows in and around the landing gear, while small trees grow between them.

  Cheng points at them, “We would never have noticed them, if someone hadn’t plotted the path of the volcano’s main lava flow.”

  Jie’s mouth still hangs open in surprise. He shuts it with an audible cluck, then says, “They look like small spaceships.” He adds with excitement building, “We have to examine them. We need to know where they’re from, and why they’re still here.”

  Cheng nods on agreement, then says, “There is another strange thing,” he points to the ground a short distance away, and says, “This area also seems to be some sort of dinosaur graveyard.”

  Jie glances down at the mound of dirt. It has bones sticking out. Then he looks back at the half dozen spacecraft, frowns, and says, “Fly us around the ships.”

  After twenty minutes of flying, Jie exclaims in surprise, “This isn’t an animal grave yard, it’s the kill zone of their last stand!” He points at the spacecraft, “Those engines were set up to face outward, so they could slaughter whatever it was that attacked them.”

  Cheng stares at the open plain, then at the hundreds upon hundreds of small dirt mounds, each with bones protruding from them. These mounds radiate outward from the rear of the ships, and look to the casual eye to be nothing more than grass covered rolling plains. He says in awe, “It must have been some battle.”

  Jie indicates the craft below and says, “Take us down.”

  Once on the ground, the two men walk toward the nearest ship. Cheng is a little nervous, and says, “Survey teams have not examined this site yet. We don’t know what we will find.”

  Jie walks around one of the crafts, and examines it carefully. It is larger than their shuttle, boasts curved wings, and has an impressive looking single rear engine. The dull brown color observed from above is actually a thick layer of dirt which covers the entire craft. Grass grows on its weather-beaten hull in a few patches. He crouches, then makes his way under one of the fascinating vehicles. He stops cold when he notices a simple hatchway recessed into the hull. He stares at an ordinary grey handle which occupies the center of the recessed area. Glancing around the edges, he can see where a section of hull plating could slide to cover and protect the panel.

  Jie raises his hand to pull on the handle, then stops. His fingers dance tantalizingly close to it as he hesitates. His mind quickly races through dozens of scenarios. He imagines an assortment of booby traps, each of which kills him gruesomely. He steps away from the craft; his brow is covered in sweat. Looking at Cheng, he says. “Make arrangements for these to be transported to a secure area, for further study.”

  Cheng has observed Jie’s caution, and asks, “Do you want them in a separate facility? One that is away from the Capitol Building.”

  Jie rubs his chin thoughtfully, “Yes, and make the study of these alien ships the highest priority.”

  Cheng glances at the volcano in the distance, then back at the alien ships. He reluctantly shares his thoughts, “I am told that at the present rate of flow, the lava
will overrun this area in a couple of months.”

  Jie nods his head and replies, “Plenty of time then.”

  Cheng gulps, then answers, “Yes, Sir.”

  The pair returns to the Capitol Building where Jie turns his thoughts to more personal matters. While he deliberates over his own future, crews work frantically, racing against time, to extract the alien craft before they are overwhelmed by lava from the active volcano.

  Wedding Bells

  Jie’s wedding is beyond spectacular. His bride, Mei, is one of the youngest, and most beautiful women in the city. The City’s government building hosts the extravagant event. The city planners do everything to try and satisfy Jie’s increasing ego.

  Once the rumors that Jie was seeking a wife began to spread, it did not take long for dozens of opportunistic women to come forward. Jie courted many of these women, until finally selecting the beauty that adorns his arm.

  Though Jie is not an ugly man, he is not overtly appealing either. Yet Mei smiles at him lovingly, as though he were a strong, handsome, young man. Her life of comfort and ease is assured, especially once she bears him an heir. She knows that he courted many women, but she won him over with her beauty and charm.

  Jie smiles back at her, for according to his personal physician, she will make an ideal mother. The fact that she is also adorable, with no family that would require a dowry, is merely an added bonus. His only concern is her keen intellect, for by all accounts, she is an incredibly gifted scientist.

  The city’s streets are filled with virtually every citizen, many of whom respectfully hold native flowers. Jie’s personal motorcade travels a long and winding route to the Capitol Building. The use of the irreplaceable, and slowly diminishing fuel reserves, is deemed an acceptable cost by the city planners.

  Jie is genuinely happy as he holds her hand in the back seat of his limousine. He turns to her and says, “I will permit you to continue your research,” he frowns for a second, then replies indifferently, “whatever it is you do.”

  Mei smiles back and replies submissively. “Thank you my husband, you are too kind.” Her eyes blaze intently at him, while her mind races, oh I will continue my research, of that you can be sure, and you will give me a child.

  He stares back at her, mistaking her gaze for one of adoration. He gently squeezes her hand while his smile expands even more. The couple retires to Jie’s Capitol Building, where he forgets all about the looming population growth, and the derelict alien craft. The days turn into weeks as the couple enjoy every comfort available.

  When Jie wishes to leave the building, Mei reminds him sweetly that he has people to do his bidding, and that he should stay with her. He is so enamored, that her request for laboratory space and a team of scientists, for her hobby, is approved without a second thought.

  Big Bang Theory

  Marshal Young Sun and Cheng begin to sweat. Both from the heat of the encroaching lava, and the increasing stress levels caused by their recent failures over the past few weeks. Their first four attempts to lift the alien craft off the ground failed miserably, and almost cost them one of their own shuttles.

  The Marshal watches intently as a series of molded skid plates are slid beneath one of the alien craft. Each plate is worked into position with ropes, then tied off.

  With nothing else to do, except wait, Cheng studies the approaching lava. A few smaller flows meander through the numerous dirt mounds on either side of where they are working. He sighs as he realizes that within a few days, the main flow will overrun the site completely. The lava flow has increased in both size and speed, reducing the time they thought they had. He glances at the Marshal, then asks, “Are you ready?”

  Young Sun appraises the work of his soldiers, then replies, “Almost.” With a hint of defeat in his voice he adds, “If this doesn’t work, I don’t know what will.”

  Cheng does not reply, and merely stares at the series of antigravity sleds underneath the alien craft. The sleds slowly lift from the ground and make contact with the skid plates, then pushes them firmly against the hull. The flat surface of the sleds proved useless during their last effort, while the attempts before, involving one, and two shuttles proved to be downright dangerous.

  The Marshal stands back, wipes his brow, then says. “Okay, everything’s in place.”

  Cheng enters his shuttle, then once ready, lifts it off the ground. He maneuvers over the alien craft, which allows the men standing on it to attach heavy duty cables to a series of strong points on his shuttle.

  Marshal Young Sun stands back from the shuttle and the anti-gravity sleds. He glances over his shoulder at a small lava flow, then gulps. He hopes there is enough lift to raise the alien craft off the ground. The underside of Cheng’s shuttle shimmers and glows as more energy is applied.

  An unusual sound begins to emanate from the ground around the alien craft. Suddenly it lifts off the ground, taking huge clods of dirt and grass with it. The unexpected lurch almost displaces the sleds, however they hold.

  The Marshal shouts out energetically and punches the air. “YES!”

  Noticing all of the dirt, grass, and roots, dangling from the alien craft, he has an idea. He issues his orders quickly. “Clear the area around the landing gear of all the ships. Now!”

  His soldiers react immediately, grabbing shovels and picks, they quickly clear around the next alien craft.

  Cheng shuttle hovers with the alien craft tethered below. It is light, he realizes with surprise. He flies his cargo to high ground, well away from the path of the lava flows.

  The next four ships are easily lifted off the ground, their wide landing pads having been cleared of grass, dirt, and roots. With only one alien craft to go, Marshal Young examines the area in more detail. He glances warily at the slowly encroaching lava. It already claims the spot where one of the crafts rested. He walks across the open area, and trips. Landing heavily, he shakes his head groggily. Looking up, he quickly shoves himself backward. His heart races as he stares at an alien skull. Its empty, wide spaced sockets, stare at him from its resting place in the grass. The skull’s slightly elongated head has an upper jaw which is filled with pointed teeth. Scrambling around on all fours, he looks for more bones. Pulling grass out of the ground, and brushing dirt away with his hands reveals more.

  Marshal Young stands and stares at the entire skeleton before him. He shakes his head in amazement, then calls out to one of his soldiers, “Collect the bones as carefully as you can.”

  The soldier immediately begins to comply, then stops, “Sir, there is something here, something metallic.”

  Young strides to the soldier, then gazes at the skeleton before them. He blinks in surprise when he notices the small gun-type weapon that rests in the bones of its fingers. He hesitates, then picks it up, keeping its short barrel aimed away from him. While his men attach the last of the alien crafts to Cheng’s shuttle he strides around the area one more time.

  A shrill scream rings out, then cuts off suddenly.

  Young’s head spins at the sound. He looks, blanches, and almost throws up. One of his soldiers has tripped, and fallen face first into the molten lava.

  The last alien craft is not properly secured, but with the main lava flow almost to its landing struts, there is nothing the men can do except step away.

  Cheng gingerly lifts the craft, then precariously moves it a short distance away, where he lowers it back to the ground. The soldiers quickly finish securing the last few cables.

  The Marshal stares at the volcano and shakes his head. He wonders what the odds were of them discovering the craft with just enough time to move them. He and his men make a hasty retreat as the lava continues to overrun the area.

  During the next few days, the alien craft are moved again. This time they are transported to a series of hastily erected buildings. This new complex is being built into the side of a mountain range, one far away from both the city, and the active volcano. Teams of scientists assemble and get to work analyzing t
he amazing find.

  The alien craft have been cleaned of all the dirt, grass, and other debris, revealing a dull grey hull which bears no markings of any kind. There are no obvious windows or view ports, only a single access panel beneath the hull of each one.

  One of the young scientists, Peng, sets up his camera equipment underneath one of them. With trepidation crouches he under it. He grabs the handle, then pushes and pulls, as he tries to figure out which way it functions. Feeling as though is should pull down, he tugs with all his might.

  With a clunk, the handle swings downward, with an audible click, it locks into place. Peng leans on the handle, and pushes the panel open. A gust of ancient air washes over his body. He gulps, then casts his gaze upward, into the dark foreboding confines. He can’t see anything in the pitch black. The tomb-like smell that emanates from the opening is subtle, ancient, and definitely alien. The hair on the back of his neck begins to rise up in fear.

  Peng calls out nervously, “I need a light.”

  Four heavy duty flashlights are wordlessly brought to him, those that hand him the lights quickly retreat.

  Gazing upward once more, Peng swings a beam of light into the overhead blackness. He climbs inside, then gazes around. The craft’s cockpit area is amazing. A single plush chair faces forward, while the rear of the craft houses a bed, a small bathroom, and what appears to be a food preparation area. Ordinary looking cupboards line the side walls, making this craft look more like a space camper, than anything else.

  Peng grabs the back of the chair, and easily swings it around to face him. He sits in it, then slowly swings back to face the front of the craft. Whoever the chair was designed for was quite tall, or had long arms. He has to lean well forward to reach any of the consoles.