by Karl Morgan
“That’s a phenomenal story, Wendo,” Dave gasped. “I guess we’ll see in a few hours. Can I ask you one last question?”
“Certainly, Dave,” Wendo smiled.
“I heard it first from Antar last night and now you said it too,” Dave said. “I’ve heard fifty or fifty-one human species. Which is it?”
“There are fifty types of terrestrial planets and fifty-one species of humans in the Society,” he responded. “I’m glad you noticed that. The last planet we’ll visit before returning to Earth Prime is Nan, the home world and only planet of the Nan culture. Since they have only one planet, they don’t count to the Society. But that is not the end of their story. Their story is something most humans know almost nothing about, and it is perhaps the greatest tragedy and miracle of the Society of Humanity. Outside their home world, the Nan are known as the invisible people. You will love their planet, I guarantee that. We will discuss them at length when we return to Earth Prime. In my heart, the Nan are the reason for the Free Society. I must leave you now,” Wendo said as he stood up. Dave stood as well and they shook hands. “Thank you so much for taking this journey with Antar and me. I spoke to him recently and we compared ages. Then, I thought I had ten or twenty years left in my life. Now, with the opportunities in front of us, I feel like a young man. Thank you Dave and I will see you later.”
Chapter 33
“Captain, Lagamar Opa Central Command is hailing us,” Lia said.
“Put them on the screen, Lia,” Jon Lake replied. The right side of the view screen was filled with a bright blue man with large black eyes. “Lagamar Opa Central, this is Captain Jon Lake of the Nightsky. We request permission to establish an orbit over your planet.”
“Permission granted, Nightsky,” the Opa said. “Lord Wendo Balak advised us you would be coming a few hours ago. I am Major Ulan Makwee, and I’ve been asked to schedule your dignitaries to meet with some members of our council. I am now transmitting coordinates for your orbit. I will pilot a shuttle to your ship in two hours to escort our guests.”
“Thank you, Major,” Jon smiled. “We have received the coordinates and will lay in a course to match.”
“Very good, Captain,” Ulan replied. “We don’t get many visitors in the Lagamar system. It’s amazing that both Lord Balak and Antar Arrak are coming here. Thank you for fulfilling this dream for all of us.”
“It’s our pleasure, Major,” Jon said. “By the way, we are also carrying a delegation from the Kalidean Federation in our galaxy. The Kalideans are descendants of Opa settlers in our galaxy millions of years ago. They certainly will be joining the group, I trust.”
“Absolutely,” Ulan smiled. “Frankly, I wasn’t aware of them, but that is wonderful news. I will forward that information to our Council immediately. Thank you, Jon. Lagamar Opa out.” The screen switched back to a full view of the planet.
Nightsky settled into a high orbit. The vast expanse of the planet lay below the ship. Lagamar Opa was twelve thousand miles in diameter. Only twenty percent of the surface was covered by oceans. The large continents were covered by hundreds of tall mountain ranges with permanent snow caps. Narrow bands of forested hills separated the mountains from the wide grass plains that stretched to the coastlines. The plains were marred by giant pit mines which were partially obscured by clouds of sand and dust. Very few cities could be seen, and those mostly clung to the coastlines, far from the mines.
Dave and Darlene Brewster were waiting for the rest of the guests in the pressurized section of the shuttle bay. The doors had already been opened for the shuttle. Through the open doors, they could clearly see a large sandstorm moving across the plains, rapidly approaching a large pit mine. As they watched, the large shuttle flew slowly into the bay and landed. The shuttle was more than twice the size of the shuttles used by the Nightsky. Its surface and windows were badly scarred as though it had been through too many sandstorms. The bay doors closed and flashing lights indicated the area was being repressurized. After five minutes, the lights stopped flashing and the shuttle opened her doors. Five Opa walked off the ship. Two wore military uniforms, while the three others wore suits, not unlike those of twenty-first century Earth.
Dave and Darlene left the antechamber and joined the group. “Good day, I am Ambassador Darlene Brewster from Earth 47, and this is my husband, Admiral Dave Brewster,” Darlene said as she shook hands with the Opa. “Welcome aboard the Nightsky.”
“Ambassador, welcome to Lagamar Opa. I am Orlo Vance, the President of the High Council. These are my associates, Aon Falon, President of Lagamar Opa Minerals, and Baty Makal, Ambassador to the Regional Council. This is General Mali Nook, head of our Armed Forces, and Major Ulan Makwee, who is acting as our shuttle pilot today.”
After the introductions, Dave said, “We’re just waiting for the rest of the party. They should arrive any minute.”
“Dave, Major Makwee advises you have a group of Opa from your galaxy on board. Is that true?” Aon asked.
“That is what I’m told,” said a voice from behind them. They turned to see Mencius of Kalidus with two assistants entering the bay. “This is amazing for me,” Mencius continued. “When I was told there were people like us in another galaxy, I didn’t believe it. We always believed we originated on Kalidus. I guess I know how you felt when you met Loni Arrak now, Dave.”
After a few minutes, they were joined by Zee Gongaleg, Jake Benomafolays, Antar and Zina Arrak, Wendo Balak and Serena Vanatee. Major Makwee led everyone back onto the shuttle. As Dave entered, he saw another man cleaning the seats. When the dignitaries started to enter, he slipped behind a small door. The man was quite short with light brown skin, narrow blue eyes and white hair above his tall forehead. He had seen people like that before, but couldn’t quite remember where.
Wendo and Serena were sitting in front of Dave. After they were strapped in, Dave tapped Wendo on the shoulder. He whispered, “Wendo, did you see that other person cleaning the shuttle a minute ago?”
“Yes, Dave,” Wendo whispered back. “You have seen an invisible human. We should not talk of this here.” He turned his head to the front.
General Nook touched a button and his chair turned to face the guests. “As soon as the bay is depressurized, we will descend to the planet. Lord Balak sent us a list of places he wanted you to see. President Vance has added a small dinner celebration at his home afterward where we can show you our gratitude for your visit. It is uncommon for us to entertain visitors, especially of your stature. I personally am very interested in learning more about the Opa culture in the Ulagong Galaxy. For now, just sit back and enjoy the trip. We are very informal here, so you may call us by our first names if you so wish.” The bay doors opened and the shuttle lifted off the deck. “Ah, here we go now.”
The shuttle left the Nightsky, which shone like a giant silver bird above them. As they slipped down into the atmosphere, the shuttle creaked and shook. “Sorry about that, everyone,” Ulan said. “We don’t get replacement shuttles very often. This is actually our best one at the moment.” After a few moments of shaking, the shuttle ride softened and they flew down toward the surface. They leveled off at around five hundred feet over an expansive plain. The land rolled very slightly with grassland stretching to the horizons. Where the rolling hills met, a few tufts of scrub trees often stood. They flew over grain farms covering tens of thousands of acres. Massive combines moved across the land harvesting the grain. Every few minutes they would pass over reservoirs full of water to irrigate the land. Finally, they began to approach a cliff that stretched beyond the horizon. It reminded Dave of the huge cliff he flew over on Tak-Makla. The shuttle slowed quickly as it approached the edge. A number of buildings were huddled a mile in front of the cliff. The shuttle landed on a pad near those buildings and the engines shut down.
“Okay everyone, you can call me Aon from now on,” the Opa said as he stood. “This is our first stop. Outside you will see the Alcala Strip Mine. It is the second largest strip mine
on Lagamar Opa. As President of the Lagamar Opa Mineral Consortium, it is my job to make sure all the mines on the planet are operating at top efficiency. We have recently replaced our mining equipment to gain a twenty-two percent efficiency gain, which we are all very proud of. It’s a bit warm today, but not too bad. I think we can walk for a while without a problem. Major Makwee will give each of you a respirator mask in case we encounter too much dust. Please follow me.” He stood and walked to the open door where the Major handed him a mask. The others quickly followed and stepped into the warm Lagamar Opa afternoon.
Dave was the last to exit. As Ulan handed him a mask, he glanced back. The small man was adjusting the bolts securing the seats to the floor. When the man saw Dave looking at him, he smiled meekly and rushed back behind the small door at the back of the ship. Dave Brewster stepped onto Lagamar Opa. This part of the planet reminded Dave of Kansas. Slightly rolling hills stretching as far as the eye could see. The group had already moved off toward the buildings and he rushed to catch up to them. As he went ahead to catch up to Darlene, Wendo grabbed his arm and pulled him aside.
“Dave, please do me a favor,” Wendo whispered. “I know how you are, but do not try to make contact with the Nan. You have a good heart, son, but the rest of our Society will not understand. If anything, you will make it worse for the man on the shuttle.”
“I don’t understand, Wendo,” Dave whispered back. “But I will do as you ask. It just doesn’t make sense to pretend a whole race of people doesn’t exist.”
“You’re right, Dave. It doesn’t make sense, but that is the way it is here right now. The Free Society can fix this. But we can’t be so obvious. When Antar or I make reference to the fifty-one races of humanity, everyone knows what we’re talking about. But neither of us would ever demand equal rights for the Nan. They are humanity’s dirty little secret. All we can do is talk about equality and justice for all races. Once people accept that, the Nan win by default.”
“Are they slaves, Wendo?” Dave asked.
“Of course not! That would be barbaric,” Wendo replied. “And don’t feel sorry for that man on the shuttle. The people on the three Lagamar worlds treat the Nan almost as equals. Everyone here is poor compared to the other planets. Come on now before we raise more suspicions.” They hurried to catch up again.
The buildings that looked so small from the shuttle were gigantic. Aon opened the doors of one building to reveal an earth-moving machine that rose more than one hundred feet above them. They stepped out of the sun and into the shadow of the truck. “This is one of our new loaders. These are built on Lagamar Ulu. It has three times the capacity of our earlier version and travels almost twice as fast. It looks like the crew is coming now.” Three gray men came toward them through the doors. They heads and bodies were coated in heavy sand and dust. Their blue faces could be seen through the glass of their helmets. They walked right past the group and entered a small lift that carried them upward to the cab. Two minutes later, the giant machine began to move toward the doors. Aon hurried his guests out of the way and it rolled by them very slowly and out into the bright sunlight. It turned and moved out of their line of sight.
The group left the building and headed toward a smaller one nearby with two metal doors piercing an otherwise blank wall. “This is one of the dormitories,” Aon began. “These doors are for the workers after their shifts. They led to showers and their rooms. We’ll go around front for the visitor entrance.” After five minutes, they arrived at two large glass doors, which opened automatically as they approached. Aon led them inside and the doors slid closed behind them.
The air conditioning was a relief. The lobby was very large with dozens of couches and small tables scattered about. Many workers were sitting and talking together before their shifts or on their days off. Their uniforms were neat and clean, totally unlike the three who took the loader. Mencius walked away from the group and began introducing himself to the miners. They were amazed to meet an Opa from another galaxy. Four Nan workers moved quickly through the room cleaning tables and collecting glasses. Dave had to focus to even see them. It was no wonder there were called invisible people. Dave tried not to look for them and maintain the ruse that they were not even there. Aon sent Ulan to keep tabs on Mencius and led the rest deeper into the building.
The left the lobby and walked down a short hallway. At the end, other hallways led both left and right, while in front of them was a large dining hall. Hundreds of miners were enjoying a meal before or after their shifts. Laughter filled the air. The far wall of the dining hall was all glass with many doors. Aon led the group through the dining area. Dave could feel his mouth water from the aroma of the food. They walked through a glass door and into a huge garden. A large glass dome separated them from the heat of the afternoon. A variety of exotic plants filled plots of land representing many of the Opa planets. The largest was in the center, representing Lagamar Opa. A pair of hundred foot evergreen trees filled the center, reaching almost to the dome.
President Orlo Vance said, “We are very proud of our dormitories. Our miners travel long distances to find work here, leaving their families behind for weeks at a time. Providing decent food, lodging and diversion is the very least we can do. Can I answer any questions?”
“Are all Opa planets filled with mines?” Mencius asked.
“Well, that’s who we are, Mencius. In the Society of Humanity, we Opa carry the load for finding and harvesting natural resources,” Orlo responded. “When a new planet is found with rich resources, we are the first to be selected. This is where we excel.”
“But what about science and the arts?” Mencius added. “In my galaxy, we lead in many disciplines. I’m just a bit surprised.”
“Really? I just learned today that there are Opa in your galaxy,” Orlo said. “What else can you tell us?”
“We are the largest civilization in the galaxy that we are aware of,” Mencius began. “We have ten thousand worlds. I believe Greater Gallia and the Kalidean Federation are the leading societies there.”
“I would agree with Mencius,” Dave said. “Without him, I would still be in the twenty-first century looking for work. The Kalideans also helped humanity when we were at our worst.”
“This is a startling revelation, I just tell you, Mencius,” Orlo replied. “We will speak more of this at dinner, I assure you. Aon, you can continue the tour now.”
“Thank you, Orlo,” Aon said. “I too am at a loss for words. I wish we were off to dinner now to find out more. I think we should return to the shuttle now. We will fly over the pit to give you more perspective of the scope of this operation. Then we will head to the Mount Naglamar Deep Mine.”
As they headed back to the shuttle, Antar and Wendo held Dave back a bit so they could talk to him in private as they walked. “Wendo, I think today is going to be a resounding victory for us,” Antar said quietly.
“Yes, it will,” Wendo replied. “Bringing Mencius to an Opa planet was brilliant. For millions of years, the Opa have worked the mines for the Society. Now they see a glimmer of hope that there are other possibilities. I had no idea how advanced the Kalidean Federation was. I can hardly wait for dinner either. It will be an amazing conversation among the Opa. What do you think, Dave?”
“I must be stupid,” he replied. “I still don’t understand completely. I understand why the Zu like cold planets and the Pa like warm ones. But mining is not a state to be adapted to, it is an occupation. Don’t all planets have mines?”
Wendo put his hand on Dave’s shoulder. “I think you understand more than you realize, Dave Brewster. The five hundred Opa planets are incredibly rich in mineral resources. It will take millions of years to extract them all. When they are finished, the planets will either be abandoned or given to other races. This planet would make a wonderful Pa planet then, for example. But you never visited any mines on another planet, did you?”
“You’re telling me those mines are filled with Opa?” Dave asked.
“That’s very likely, Dave,” Antar responded. “In some cases, the dominant race will do their own mining, although most will hire Opa teams to extract the minerals and then leave.”
“So, in those cases, the Opa are just like the Nan,” Dave whispered.
“That’s close, Dave,” Wendo replied as they approached the shuttle. “The Nan are a unique case, but essentially you are correct.”
After they were strapped in, the shuttle lifted off and headed for the edge of the mine pit. As it crossed over the edge, the ground dropped a thousand feet below them to the bottom of the pit. The pit was so large the other edges disappeared over the horizon. “The Alcala Strip Mine is approximately two hundred miles in diameter,” Aon said. “The veins we are working are quite deep here, so we expect to keep mining here for another one hundred and fifty years. Fortunately for us, most of the land in this area has similar veins, so we will be in this region for a very long time. Now we are going to head to the mountains to see our richest mine. Please enjoy the ride.”
The shuttle climbed out of the pit and headed back toward the mountains. After ten minutes, the snowy peak of Mount Naglamar dominated the view. Smaller mountains formed a range that ran beyond the horizon. The shuttle flew over a small mountain covered with tall trees like the ones in the dormitory they had just visited. A large river rushed through the valley below carrying snowmelt to the plains and thirsty crops there. A few hundred feet above the river, a large landing area had been cut from the lower levels of the mountain. Ulan leveled off and landed the shuttle near ten others stationed nearby. New fallen snow had been cleared and formed mounds around the pad.
“It’s going to be cold outside,” Aon said. “But we only have to cross over to those doors.” He pointed to two glass doors a hundred yards away. “Let’s keep together this time.” The shuttle door opened and the brisk air rushed in. Dave could feel himself shiver as it washed over his thin uniform. They moved quickly and arrived in the heated terminal building after only a minute or two.