Groups formed quickly and began dissecting the information in detail. The First Officer joined Communications and the ship’s senior linguist to tackle the language barrier. Mosis moved from group to group, offering assistance where needed, while Captain Perry listened unobtrusively without interrupting. Just before the hour was up, galley remotes arrived with soup and sandwiches. The smell of food brought everyone out of their small groups and back together for a quick meal. Discussion continued as they ate, ideas bouncing from one side of the table to the other. Perry observed quietly, impressed with the talents of his staff, and finding their thinking very much in line with his own. When the meal was finished, he lifted his hand for attention and resumed the meeting.
Dana McClure, Chief engineer, was the first to report.
“We have been able to verify the alien star system featured in the message is the same one visited by B-271. At top speed, we can be there in ten days. By our estimates, the planet has been uninhabitable for roughly five hundred years – about the time we left from Earth. Except for the difference in size, the object outside our shields matches the ones in orbit around the planet. As to how the object got here - based on the limited information we have, it would seem it was able to track our drone back to Expedition.”
“Its abrupt arrival indicates some sort of ability to jump from one location to another without using traditional propulsion methods. We believe the objects are S.O.S. beacons, sent out to attract some help before it was too late. Their level of technology is beyond anything we have developed, and our recommendation is to proceed to the alien planet and learn everything possible from what they have left behind.”
Perry said nothing, only nodded to Anna Daniels for the report from Life Sciences.
“Except for its size, the alien life form is similar to the butterflies of Earth. Without a body to examine or some other records, there is little more we can deduce about their specific physiology, life cycle or ideal planetary conditions. Their impressive technology and well-planned cities demonstrate a mature culture and advanced intelligence.”
“From the lack of roads on the planet, the tall spire-like architecture, and their muscular wing structures, we must assume they utilized flight as the primary way to travel. Based on the way they have communicated with us, they appear to have been a peaceful race, though this is only conjecture. We also recommend a thorough study of the planet, as it may help answer many of our questions and prepare us for the next sentient species we encounter.”
As the senior linguist aboard, Andre Swanson was the most qualified person to address the issue of how to understand the alien language. Though he was not a member of the senior staff, and certainly not used to addressing a group like this, he set aside his qualms and presented the teams report with confidence.
“The clicks, whistles and hisses we heard on the recording comprise a well-developed language, and is another indication of a mature and intelligent society. If this life form is as similar to butterflies as we suspect, there may also be a pheromone element to the language which we would be unable to understand or duplicate. It could also be heavily influenced by gestures or body language. What I am trying to say is if this effort is confined to audio only, we may end up with a very limited method of communication.”
“We propose to send a series of simple images, along with spoken identification. If the object recognizes what we are trying to do, we are hoping it will send their own set of images and identifiers back to us. Once we can build up a large enough language base, we should be able to understand each other using a simple translation algorithm. All of this depends, however, on the amount of information stored in the orbiting object. We believe if they are indeed S.O.S. buoys, they would have been programmed to find a way to communicate with whatever life form they encountered so their request for help could be understood. Mosis would be the most logical person to oversee the exchange of images, compile the comparison database and design the translator.”
Perry sat up straight and leaned forward as he addressed the assembled staff.
“Very good work, people. I believe the language project is our top priority at the moment. Mosis, I want you to coordinate with Anna, Lynn, and Andre in selecting the images to use. Let’s start by sending a few basics, and see what kind of response we get. If the idea is working, we can speed up the exchange until we have enough to enable a simple question and answer exchange. As for the rest of you, I agree we need to glean as much information as we can from what these creatures have left behind, including their technology. I have already changed course for the alien system, so prepare your teams accordingly. Mosis, awaken the rest of the crew and then let me know when you are ready to send the first message. Dismissed.”
Mosis, able to continuously handle multiple tasks at once, sent the command to begin awakening the remainder of the crew, while he moved his visible presence to the communications station on the bridge. Dr. Crawford would be monitoring the stasis pods from the medical bay, so more of his attention could be diverted to the task at hand. A quick systems check revealed the ship was on course, shields were holding at full power, scans revealed nothing of concern, and the alien object remained quietly anchored in the same location. For the first time among his human friends, Mosis felt excitement over the challenge laid before them, and the possibility of communicating with an alien race, even if they were long dead.
####
Roughly two hours later, Captain Perry and his First Officer were summoned to the bridge by the language team, who were ready to send the first group of images. The Captain spoke as they crossed the threshold.
“Theresa, make sure engineering and weapons are standing by, just in case, since we still don’t know what the object is capable of doing. Mosis, bring me up to speed, please.”
Mosis was seated at the main communications console, with Andre, Lynn and Anna at the support stations nearby. The main view screen was activated, showing a close up of the alien column and the ships’ drone.
“We are ready to begin, Captain. We will hail the object using their own modified signal, followed by the packet we have prepared. There could be a significant delay before we get a response, however.”
“Understood. You may proceed.”
In the instant it took to send the information, the alien object again connected itself to the drone with the same narrow beam, and fired off a response. The beam held steady, apparently waiting for additional images from Expedition. Perry considered the situation, and then directed his next question to the entire team.
“What are we getting from them?”
Andre turned to the Captain with a huge smile on his face.
“They have matched our first set of images with ones of their own, and they correspond exactly! Obviously, they understand what we are trying to do and were prepared for this type of exchange. I recommend we proceed as planned, Captain.”
When the others concurred, Perry instructed them to continue.
The next few minutes became a blur of overlapping, lightning-fast exchanges which left no time for casual perusal. Finally, the furious activity stopped, and for several heartbeats nothing happened. The object then transmitted the following message:
…More information required…
Perry merely arched one eyebrow, and before anyone could formulate a response, a golden ray of enormous power sliced through the shields like butter. In a systematic sweep, it penetrated every level and corner of the ship. With alarms blaring, chaos ensued as attempts were made to protect vital systems and man the weapons systems. Abruptly, the powerful beam disappeared, leaving a stunned and shaken crew. Multiple calls to the bridge blossomed on the communications panel, with panicked voices seeking direction from the bridge.
Perry activated a code red alert, and called for all departments to report their status. While he waited, a glance around the bridge revealed Mosis was missing. Repeated hails were met with silence, and Perry’s stomach clenched with the fear his Mission Coordi
nator was damaged during the incident. A gasp from Commander Arlington grabbed Perry’s attention, and he realized the alien object vanished, taking the communications drone with it. Lynn broke the silence.
“The object transmitted a message just before it disappeared, Captain.”
…Hold position. We will return…
“There’s more, Sir, do you wish to view it?”
Perry inhaled sharply as the realization hit him – the alien message said ‘we’.
“Store the message for now, Lynn, and prepare a ships’ status report for me when I return. Instruct Engineering to hold our position until further notice. Commander Arlington, you are with me.”
The pair quickly exited the bridge to the confused stares of the communications team, heading to the nearest transit tube. Once inside, Perry gave the destination and authorization code.
“Cradle, section zero-zero-one. Authorization: Christopher Perry, zero-nine-charley-vixen. Activate.”
The tube would make no other stops on the way to the Cradle, a destination rarely visited. It was the most secure place on the entire ship, found deep in the core and housing the contents of the ark…as well as the protected vault containing Mosis. Commander Arlington had only visited the Cradle once, at the very beginning of Expedition’s journey, and never expected to see the vault in person. Knowing the Captain as well as she did, she deduced the reason for their hasty visit, but chose to say nothing. Perry was a very private man who held his feelings deeply, and her respect for his quiet, stern leadership earned her the Captain’s confidence and trust.
A soft two-toned warble announced their arrival, and the door slid aside. Lights snapped on as they stepped into the small antechamber and approached a massive hatch. The security panel extended itself from the wall, waiting for a palm print, retinal scan, and a final authorization code. With a short series of beeps, the hatch raised itself so the two could step through, and then closed behind them. They found themselves in a larger chamber, facing more hatches numbered one through three.
Approaching zero-zero-one, Perry punched in the final code on the keypad and waited as the door slid aside. When the lights came on, the pair stepped confidently inside. Whatever Theresa Arlington expected, it was not what she was seeing at this moment. The space resembled a sterile sick room, though somewhat larger, well-lit and cool. A raised circular platform dominated the center of the room, but there was nothing on it. In fact, the entire space was empty. Mosis was gone.
####
…Grazill, twenty romms in the past…
From snout to tail, Goboss was exhausted and merely wished for some rest. Only three cycles earlier, he finally succeeded in partially translating the message locked in the alien device since its capture by his sire so many romms in the past. His entire life, at the Premiers’ command, was dedicated to extracting information from the data storage module, and he finally succeeded. Parts of the brief message were indecipherable, due to the damage the object sustained when it was fired on by Gozorr’s ship. The strange ‘winged ones’ apparently died out when one of their stars went dark. The device appeared to have been sent out as a call for help, but unless the events were very recent, their call would remain unanswered. Even if the Lydokk were willing to seek them out, there was no way to know exactly where they were, and no way to reach them given the slow travel speed of their vessels.
The little information he managed to gather, did not end the tedious assignment as Goboss hoped. Rather, it made the long-lived Premier even more determined to find the winged ones and acquire their technology. It seemed Grazill was being held hostage to his all-consuming desire to plunder the alien planet, assuming they could ever find it and travel there. Personally, he missed the relaxed and enjoyable life which had been the hallmark of his homeworld for countless romms.
It all came to an end with the discovery of the alien object, and Premier Golopp’s obsession. The frantic research was only a part of the monumental changes he introduced. The population, at his insistence, was exploding, and would soon be beyond sustainability. He was convinced Grazill was on the very threshold of conquering the universe, and the increase in population was, therefore, essential.
For his excellent service, the Premier was determined to reward Goboss by sending him one fertile female after another. Spreading his ‘superior’ seed as widely as possible turned into an exhausting chore, and only increased his guilt at making Grazill’s problems worse. It would never end for him until there was no more information to extract from the device, even while other unfortunates were tasked with copying its metallurgy, design, power plant, and method of travel. If it were within his power, he would put an end to this madness once and for all, and even though most Lydokk agreed with him, there didn’t seem to be anything they could do about it.
Chapter 3
The hours since Mosis disappearance became a frantic scramble to run the enormous ship manually, a task only experienced in emergency simulations. Rarely used work stations, consoles, and protocols were dusted off while the crew took over all the tasks previously handled by their Mission Coordinator. Perry and Arlington returned to the bridge, announced the disturbing news to the crew, and then settled in to orchestrate the enormous task ahead of them. The ship and all its systems were thoroughly inspected to see what else may have been damaged in the wake of the alien scan.
Duty rosters were hastily assembled for each department, making sure all essential stations were being properly manned and monitored. Galley remotes delivered food and drink throughout the ship to enable the crew to remain on task for the duration of the shake down. Captain Perry finished his hastily eaten meal from the comfort of his command chair on the bridge. He was just as exhausted as everyone else, and unwilling to show it, carried on as if nothing untoward happened. He captured Arlington’s attention and motioned her closer.
“What’s our status, Commander?”
She looked as tired as he felt, hair uncharacteristically disheveled.
“All departments are secure and staffed, Sir. The ship is holding position as ordered, and all systems are operating normally except for weapons, which are still off-line. All exterior scans report nothing unusual, and there has been no sign of the alien object. Debrief with the senior staff begins in five minutes.”
The main view screen divided itself into eight sections, and began to fill with the faces of the senior staff. Perry glanced up before speaking, and internally winced at the absence of his trusted friend.
“Thank you for attending everyone, and for your hard work. Engineering – what is our status?”
Commander McClure looked briefly down at his datapad before speaking.
“The ship was swept with a type of scan we have never seen before. It was in every way superior to our technology, not only in speed and power, but in what the scan actually did. As far as we can determine, the ship was essentially mined for information. After performing all the available tests, we were astonished to find virtually no damage to the vessel or personnel. All our computer systems are operational and there seems to be no missing or garbled data. Whatever they were looking for was evidently copied, while leaving the original intact.”
“Our shields were unable to prevent the scan from penetrating, but were left intact during the process. There are, of course, the two glaring exceptions of Mosis and our weapons. Rather than copying Mosis, he and his support structures were physically removed from the ship during the scan. We have no idea how this was done, as this type of technology is beyond our current capabilities.”
“The ships’ offensive weapons, on the other hand, were not removed or destroyed, but have all been...neutralized, for want of a better term. The hardware, software and launch systems are all in place and tests indicate they are in perfect working order. The problem is, they don’t work at all! Again, it cannot be logically explained, but our weapons simply will not function. Our only conclusion is the alien object does indeed intend to return, and wants to be certain we do not a
ttempt to fire upon it. Given their superior level of technology, I highly doubt our weapons would pose any threat to them.”
Commander Daniels lifted a finger and was acknowledged.
“Do we have any idea what caused a response like this from the object, or what they might want with Mosis?”
Perry glanced to the side and gave the communications officer a small nod.
“I believe Lynn can answer the question for us.”
She looked directly into the pickup, fingers curled around her datapad to keep them from shaking.
“Our team was in the process of exchanging information with the object to build a comparative language base. Our assumption this was a type of S.O.S. beacon was correct, but we believe it was much more advanced. Mosis was convinced the beacon contained an artificial intelligence, very much like himself. Apparently, when the beacon sensed we may be the help their people were looking for, it required more information. That’s when the scan took place and Mosis was removed from the ship. We infer the alien intelligence recognized Mosis as a similar being, and believed he could assist in understanding us better.”
Expedition (Galactic Neighborhood Book 1) Page 3