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However, Tyler and Caroline had other important matters to attend to as well, the development of the native population on Genesis. They used the tracked vehicle to journey into the woodlands of Genesis to visit the natives. On this trip, Peter Collinson accompanied Tyler and Caroline, while Charles Bragg stayed behind to ensure that all of the various gifts that were needed to persuade the natives to deal with them were made available to them. He planned to store them in the ruined city, in the hanger when it was emptied of the space cruiser, because not only was it nearer to all of the native populations, but both the natives and the colonists kept away from it, and both out of fear about what the ancient city might contain.
The trip today was to a village some fifty miles away, and the journey would take the team most of the morning as the going was exceptionally rough. All of the native villages were to the east of the ruined city while the colonist settlements and farms were to the west. This made things simpler for Tyler, for he only had to journey eastwards to visit each of the ten native villages, all that was left of a population of maybe billions. There was also a chance that in time they could have died out completely, especially with the planet entering into a mini ice age. Tyler needed to get the natives to agree to accept his help before this happened. If they did not, then many more would die from the cold, and the shortage of food that was already accompanying the beginnings of the mini ice age, and this was true for both the colonists and the native population alike. Tyler had brought food from Orion for both populations, and he would take Dylithium in return when the mine was in production, Dylithium had gained a monetary status amongst the planets on the spiral arm, as it could be readily traded with Earth for goods not available here.
On this trip into the interior of Genesis, Caroline was their sensor, she knew when they were being watched by the natives, she could see what the others could not see, could feel when the others could not feel. The vehicle was moving quite slowly as it approached the area where they knew the village was located, as with the other villages it was surrounded by a stockade made from small trees that had been kept from growing too high and were grown close together so as to prevent a man or a fierce animal gaining entrance between them.
"They are following us from behind the trees to the right of us; they are armed with bows and with spears, so we should be careful when we leave the protection of the vehicle, else we will provoke an attack should they feel we are just kouvelia, useful for nothing but the cooking pot." Caroline said.
"Caroline we will speak to them through the translator from the relative safety of the vehicle, you have a go, you can relate to them better than the rest of us." Tyler said.
"Here goes then. Warriors we come in peace; we have gifts for you, we have food for you, please let us give it to you to show that we wish to be your friends."
There was no reaction to her words, the natives were obviously worried about their vehicle, having never seen one before, and they obviously did not trust them. Inside the vehicle they were safe, as the windows were made of a clear aluminium, unless of course the natives decided to try to trap it, which they would do Tyler thought, if he did not move things along a little quicker.
"We will have to leave the vehicle, we will put the food and gifts in the clearing before the village gates; you keep a close watch for any violent moves on their part while I get a little bit more protection." Tyler said after thinking about the problem facing them.
The first thing that Tyler did was to take out one of their portable force fields and switch in on, for he did not wish to die young. The force field was almost invisible apart from the four foot long by six-inch square rectangular box, which was the actual machine, and the two-foot long handle that made it portable. The force field now allowed the others to get out without the fear of attack. Tyler moved the force field around to the rear of the vehicle, and the others followed safely behind it. Just then, a warrior came out from behind a tree with a spear in his hand, and threw it straight at him. Tyler ever the showman put out his arm towards it knowing that the spear could not pass the invisible force field, it did not, and it fell to the floor after striking it.
"Warrior don`t do that again or I will be forced to make you fall to the floor." Tyler said through their universal translator.
The warrior was shocked to the core, for he now felt sure that Tyler must have very strong medicine to do such a thing. He stayed only for a second, staring towards Tyler before he turned and ran back into the protection of the trees, all the time he was screaming for mercy. The team now took out all of the gifts and moving forward behind the screen deposited them on the ground. At least this time all of the warriors had kept to one side of them, had they surrounded them it would have been a little trickier.
During the next few days there followed similar visits to other villages; sometimes the villages were empty by the time they got there, so they simply left the gifts and the food. If they were met by a show of arms, they had to either show the power of their weapons or if possible use the force field again. Only in one case were they met as friends.
On this occasion being met as friends worried the team even more, for they were worried in case it was a plot to put them at their ease and then attack them, but it was not. This one tribe had not deteriorated quite so far down the road to savagery, and with these the team was able to explain why the days were cold and why the food was harder to find. The chief then showed a remarkable scientific knowledge.
"We saw that the sun was different, the spots that danced upon its surface were no more, but we didn`t know how to make them return to the sun and warm our houses again."
"There is no way to do that my friend, but after fifteen years have gone by we hope to once again sit here with you and watch the dancing spots." Caroline replied, although how they had managed to see the sunspots against the bright surface of the sun no one knew until Tyler looked closely at a gift given to them by the chieftain. It was a painting by a very gifted artist, and it showed the village set in the early morning mist that arose sometimes. Through the mist, the tribe could see the dancing spots on the sun as the mist thinned and thickened.
Two weeks later to the day that Tyler had been given the Heliot star cruiser, Tyler was standing in the town`s square. He was addressing the populace about the recent events that had occurred upon their world.
"I have some good news for you all, we have managed to rid you of the real threat that the super computer and its energy weapon posed. We have moved the computer to Orion, where with the power of the fusion reactor we can use its knowledge for the betterment of all of the colonists that live along our spiral arm."
The colonists showed their approval of this and cheered his announcement; talk swelled up around Tyler as the people talked about a future without fear. Tyler waited for them to quiet down before continuing.
"There will be a lot that we can learn from the computer and probably a lot that we as Christian people would rather were left unknown until we, the human race, are better able to use it with intelligence and humanity. Anything of use the people of Orion will share with the other planets of the spiral arm of Perseus; any riches that are amassed will also be shared amongst our planets."
The colonists once again cheered only to be quietened with the arrival of the Heliot ship with Paul Johnson at the controls. Tyler then went to explain his second piece of news.
"The computer decided to give the people of Orion the space cruiser that you see landing behind me. It is payment in full for promising to help with the full development of the native population here on Genesis, something that my wife and I feel very strongly about, and mean to continue with until the work is finished." Tyler stressed these last few words, he did not want the colonists thinking that he would not return, he especially did not want them to renege on the treaty.
A hush fell over the crowd as they took in everything that Tyler had said and after he had given the people time to digest the news Tyler contin
ued with his speech.
"This ship means that the security of this sector of space is secured against any space pirate, for it is faster and more powerful than any other starship in the Galaxy. We will be visiting Genesis once a month to continue with our work concerning the native population, and of course, Charles Bragg and Peter Collinson will be based here to see to the day-to-day work. On our monthly visits we will stay for a period of seven days to assist them with this work, and also to ensure that all is well with the people of Genesis."
Thus assured of his good intentions regarding the colonists of Genesis the people once again broke out in cheering, and good humour was felt by most of the people as Tyler turned away and entered the Freedom, the new name given by them to the Heliot space cruiser. The ship then lifted up from the ground and soared away up through the atmosphere of the planet, and out into the blackness of space. It was due to stop at New Earth next on a friendly visit and a shakedown cruise that was to take it back to Orion and their friends and family. The Orion Defender went part of the way with it before turning away from them, as its name implied it was the first line of defence for their home planet and that is where it was returning.
Some of the colonists were silent about the space cruiser as they saw it depart, taking Tyler with it, but in the council rooms later, there was a lot of heated discussion about the matter.
"The computer was a valuable asset, and much could have been taken from its memory banks to enrich this planet and this planet alone, not a motley collection of places that we have only now heard of but not seen. The same could also be said of that space cruiser, we could have sold it to the Government of Earth for an enormous amount of credits, not used as a plaything for Tyler Burrows to cavort through space in." Robert Groves said, trying to raise some degree of righteous anger amongst the councillors, instead he got an angry reply from Peter Collinson who answered this attack on the man so many people now admired.
"It was not long ago that we begged for help from that motley band of planets, and we got that help in spades in the person of Tyler Burrows. He came here to this planet, and without a second to think over the dangers that he might face. He went to see our enemy and he conquered it without the help of any person here, including me. He has now taken the super computer away when we would gladly have seen it destroyed, and he has offered to share any future wealth he derives from it amongst the planets of the Perseus spiral arm. He takes a very powerful gift from that same computer, and instead of cashing it in, as Groves here wants to do; he is going to use it to protect Genesis and all of the other planets in this sector of space. We have been told by our Church that Earth cannot do this, so why are we complaining?"
"Quite right Peter, shut up Robert, you are only embarrassing yourself, we should be thinking up ways to honour our friend not belittle his achievements." Joyce Sanders said in support of Peter Collinson. The meeting broke up when John Anderson asked everyone there to think on the valid points raised by Peter Collinson and Joyce Sanders.
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