Trapped on Venus

by Carl Conrad

  Marty had opened the tool case when he couldn’t get the door to open on the HRT so that he could reset it. Then, suddenly Marty hit the cabinet with the hammer hard on the door of the unit several times to see if that would loosen it up. It was stuck or may have had some of the Venusian sand jammed in it after it tipped over because it wouldn’t open. But the reaction of the creatures in the pool was instantaneous. They quickly disappeared deeper into the liquid and the pool began to recede a small amount all around the edges.

  “Did you see that, Marty?” Scott asked in astonishment. “You banged on the HRT unit, and the creatures quickly retreated down into the liquid of their pool.”

  “That’s incredible, Scott,” Stimson reacted. “You mean the sound was transmitted through the atmosphere?”

  “Yes. It had to be that,” Scott concluded. “It was at the first sound of Marty’s banging that they vanished. I wonder if...”

  “Yesss, it is possible,” Professor Andrus interrupted. “From our analysis of the atmos-fere, eet es entire-ly possible. Da atmos-fere es dense enuf to transmit zound.”

  “Even I thought I heard it,” Scott replied. “And I’ve got this helmet on!”

  Marty had recalibrated the equipment with just a few turns of some dials once he got the door of the unit open. Then he closed the door, flipped a switch, and a green light went on, indicating that the unit was now operational.

  Marty hefted the hammer in his right hand for a minute. “You know... maybe I should keep this handy. Those things have probably never heard anything like that before!”

  Scott had reached the SAM unit by now. “Let’s see if I can get into this unit as easily as you did yours,” he said as he opened the door of the equipment. He swung the door open, then removed a small screwdriver from the handle of his extractor rod so that he could make the necessary changes to the settings of the SAM. “There,” he said as he closed the door again.

  “We’re getting signals from both units, guys,” Stimson confirmed. “Looks great. Now we just need you to get a sample of that liquid in the pool. Marty, you’ve got two containers in the Collection Kit that we’d like you to fill up. You should be able to attach the jars, one at a time, to the extractor rod and scoop some liquid into them.”

  Wondering whether he could get that close to the pool of liquid, Marty asked: “Stimson? Are you sure I can get that close without the ground breaking through?”

  Before Stimson could even respond, Scott added: “That might not be our biggest concern, Marty. Look... They’ve returned.”

  Marty looked up from the open tool kit he was putting the hammer back into. He saw the pool start to darken in places again, then the appearance of the shapes that had appeared in it before. “I see what you mean,” he answered. “Should I get the hammer out again?” he asked.

  “No! Don’t frighten them,” Scott cautioned him. “Let’s see if we can make contact with them.”

  “Are you kidding!” Marty admonished. “They were trying to kill you, Scott!”

  “I don’t think that’s what they were doing,” he replied calmly. “I think that big dark one was just trying to get closer to me... probably trying to see who, or what, I am.”

  “Even that could be dangerous, you know,” Marty reminded him. “If they get too close, we’re going to end up in that pool! Even if they are friendly, it’s too dangerous for us!”

  “I know what you’re saying, Marty,” Scott said carefully as he shuffled closer to the pool. “But, if we don’t try something, we’re not going to find out.”

  Stimson interrupted. “Don’t take any unnecessary chances, Scott. If we can get a sample of that liquid, we’ll have exceeded our expectations. Let’s see if they appear hostile. Maybe you can even try communicating with them.”

  “What do you have in mind, John – a picnic?” Scott asked with some sarcasm.

  “No, of course not. But maybe you can indicate that you come in peace.” Stimson was going to suggest something further when Dr. Betty Passatole, a biologist from the University of Michigan, interrupted.

  “An open hand is a kind of universal gesture of peace, Scott.” She had known Scott since their early days at NASA together. She had actually been a teacher in one of the classes that the astronauts took about biology and alternative life forms. She knew he would trust her and her judgment.

  “What do you mean, Dr. Passatole? Just hold up my hand?” Scott asked.

  “Yes. Don’t walk toward them or make any quick gestures. Just hold your hands up in the air to let them see that you don’t mean them any harm.”

  “Yes. Go ahead, Scott,” Stimson concurred. “Set down your extractor rod and put your hands up over your head.”

  It certainly sounded like an odd idea, and Scott could only surmise what it must have looked like to the creatures in the pool of liquid, but he dropped the extractor rod from his hand and did exactly as they had instructed him to do. Marty understood the significance of what they were trying to do and did the same thing on the other side of the pool although he added one additional quality as he said “We come in peace” several times as he looked at them – motionless, except for this gesture

  Chapter 15 – A Strange Turn of Events

  “Do you notice any reaction?” Stimson asked.

  “Not yet,” Scott reacted. “But they seem to be crowding together again the way they were before. Here comes that big black one,” he noticed as it grew larger in front of him. The pool itself grew a little as the creatures emerged, too. It had shrunk a little when they left, but was now back to its larger size.

  “You know,” Stimson advised them. “Now that the equipment is reset, maybe it would be safer if you two were closer together. Why don’t you both go back to the point where you were when you came out of the crater.”

  “Roger that,” Scott said. But Marty thought more about it before he spoke. “What about the sample, Stimson? he asked. “You still want us to get it, don’t you?

  “Yes, of course I do. But, I thought it might be safer if the two of you were closer together so that you could help each other if you needed to. Plus, I think you might have to duct tape the extractor rods together to make them long enough to reach the pool from a safer distance. By the way, what can you conclude about that pool they’re in? Do you think the edges are firm enough to hold your weight, or do you think you’ll have to keep back away from it?”

  “Well... I’m about twenty or twenty-five feet from one edge right now,” Scott conjectured. “When the pool was expanding and that creature was coming at me, I might have been only about ten or twelve feet from the edge. But the ground seemed solid enough to hold me. I didn’t feel any sagging or cracking.”

  “Same with me, Stimson,” Marty added. “I haven’t noticed any cracking or sagging. In fact, let me move a little closer and I’ll see what happens.”

  “No! I don’t think that’s a good idea, Marty,” Stimson cautioned him. “Wait until you two are closer together so that you can help each other in case something happens. Plus, you’ve got that tool kit with you. For now, let’s just have you meet up at that opening in the crater.”

  “Roger. Will do,” Marty answered. “Affirmative,” Scott agreed.

  So the astronauts started retracing their paths back to a common point where they had first split up. However, this caused some agitation in the creatures in the pool. Their undulations seemed to increase, and there was more movement in the identifiable bumps that Scott and Marty had come to assume were individual creatures.

  As he continued to shuffle forward, Scott asked: “Marty? Do you think there are more of them?”

  “Either that or they’re changing their shape in some way,” Marty replied. “And they look like they’re more active. I’m not sure if they like us moving around like this.”

  “What are they doing?” Stimson asked.

  “They’re definitely more active, John,” Scott answered. “I can’t tell if there are more of them, or if they’re just moving
around. “There’s a kind of cluster of them near the edge on Marty’s side.”

  “Yes, I see that,” Marty agreed. “I think the pool is expanding in my direction, too.”

  Just at that moment, three of those flying creatures circled over the pool.

  “Marty! Look! Those creatures are overhead. They’re circling over the pool,” Scott said as he reached the point where he was to meet up with Marty.

  But, Marty was otherwise occupied. The pool was expanding in his direction quite fast, forcing him to move wider and wider until he was almost pressed against the wall of the rim of the crater. He couldn’t retreat any farther.

  “Scott! I’m up against the wall. I don’t know what else I can do. I can’t move out any farther. If they keep coming in this direction, I’m...”

  Marty tried to hurry ahead, but the way was blocked by the pool and the creatures that were in it. But then, two of the flying creatures swooped down at the creatures in the pool and sort of skipped off them. It was a glancing blow, like they were attacking the shapes in the pool, but the creatures quickly lowered themselves under the liquid.

  “The flying creatures are... well, I think they’re attacking the creatures in the pool,” Stimson. “There are three of them flying around overhead. Two swooped down at the creatures in the pool. They kind of smacked right off of them. I couldn’t see what was happening, but those things in the pool went under the liquid. At least they stopped going after Marty.”

  “Yeah, but I can’t move, Scott,” Marty replied. “They’ve blocked the way for me to get to you. There’s a little gap – maybe five feet or so – but I can’t risk it. I can’t tell how solid the ground is. But... wait. It’s crusting over a little. Not much, but the opening is getting wider.”

  “Some of the scientists here think that if the liquid isn’t kept moving, it forms a crust,” Stimson responded. “But, if you’re that close, is it possible to get a sample of the liquid, Marty?”

  Stimson knew what an incredible effort he was asking of Marty, but he also knew that if the astronauts didn’t move quickly and decisively they might miss an opportunity to fulfill the mission. Maybe in this unexpected confusion Marty could get a scoop of some of the liquid.

  “I don’t know. I’ll give it a try,” Marty answered. He was so concerned with the approach of the creatures and the way the pool was cutting him off from Scott that he didn’t even see the opportunity. But, Stimson was right. He might be able to get a sample of the liquid if he acted quickly.

  Marty fidgeted to open the collection case, then took out one of the two collection jars that were in it. It was obvious to him that he wouldn’t have time to elaborately tape it to his extractor rod, so he just grabbed the jar with the scissor-like fingers at the end of the rod and moved closer to the pool to see if he could reach it.

  Because the creatures were still circling overhead, there didn’t seem to be any activity in the pool. At least, there didn’t appear to be any of the large globs of liquid near the edge of the pool where Marty was getting closer. He didn’t feel as if the collection jar was very stable in the prongs of the extractor rod, but he knew if he didn’t do it fast, he might not get another chance. He was also trying to move closer to the pool without causing the ground to crack or break away, so he was especially careful.

  Marty extended the extractor rod as far out as it would go, but it was barely more than four feet long. It was not meant to be used for this kind of reaching. The shaft itself was not as rigid as he would have liked it to be, either. Still, he inched his way toward the edge of the pool, and felt no sagging or cracking.

  Just as he reached out with the jar that was held in the prongs of the extractor rod, Marty was able to dip it into the liquid and feel the rather heavy, sludge-like consistency of the pool. He carefully dragged the jar through the liquid, but felt as if it might be too heavy or slippery to pull it back. But, at the same time, one of the creatures – a large, rapidly-undulating, dark and ominous looking bubble of sludge – rose from the pool right in front of Marty and knocked the sample jar out of his grip of the extractor rod.

  Marty was so startled by the sudden appearance of the creature that he fell over backward as he leaned back to get out of the way. The sample jar was washed up on the ground around the edge of the pool as the creature loomed over both of them. Then, one of the flying creatures swept down into the creature that had appeared from out of the pool and took a snatch out of it with two, short, talon-like feet, or appendages, that extended from the creature’s body.

  “Marty? Marty? Are you alright?” Stimson asked.

  Marty was only able to quickly gasp. “I’m in trouble, Earth. Scott? Can you see what’s going on?”

  Scott was occupied by his own problems. Two other flying creatures, slightly smaller in size but thicker – almost like floating jellyfish with short, thin tentacles hanging from their bodies – were hovering over Scott. They bobbed up and down slightly, as if caught by the Venusian winds, but maintained their positions by seeming to adjust their body size.

  “I can’t see you, Marty,” Scott answered abruptly while he tried to move out of the way of the creatures that were attempting to land on him. He ducked one way, then backpedaled to avoid another one.

  “What’s happening?” Stimson insisted. “Are you in trouble?”

  But, both astronauts were too busily engaged with the creatures to take time to explain. Scott merely said: “Stimson... two more flying creatures... I’m avoiding them... Don’t know if they’re dangerous or not.”

  Marty, on the other hand, made a lunge for the container of pool liquid and grabbed it with his extractor rod. Some of it spilled out, but there was still half a container full of it. He dragged it along with him as he tried to scramble back from the pool and the creature in it as two more of the stingray creatures swooped down from overhead and took chunks out of the creature in the pool with the talons that extended from their undersides.

  Marty was able to move far enough back from the edge of the pool so that he wasn’t directly in the path of the creatures in the pool or those that were attacking from overhead. He pulled the jar closer to him, then reached into the collection case to get a lid for the liquid. He quickly pressed it on, then attempted to get to his feet to try and make a hasty retreat to a less combative area. But, as he started to stand up, one of the flying creatures slammed into his back hard enough so that both he and the creature were quickly sprawled on the ground.

  One of the creatures Scott was trying to evade had landed on Scott’s shoulders and wrapped its tentacles around his helmet. “Stimson... it’s got me!” Marty acknowledged.

  “What’s got you, Scott?” the Mission Commander asked urgently. “Scott, what is it?”

  Scott lost his balance as he struggled to get the creature off of him, and fell to the ground as he lost his footing. With the force of desperation, he peeled the creature off him, then rolled away from it so that he could get to his feet again. The creature continued to lay on the ground for a moment, then began to move again before it flew up out of reach.

  Scott hadn’t noticed it at the time, but he had torn off one of the tentacles of the creature that had landed on him in his struggle to get it off. He was still clutching it in his gloved hand as he spoke.

  “Marty, I’m free from that thing! Can you get over here, or do you need some help?” Scott was trying to see where Marty was, but from his angle, he couldn’t see much because the creature in the pool had risen high enough to obscure him. Then, Scott saw two, three... there was even a fourth flying creature that dove at the huge creature in the pool.

  With a curl of part of its upper body, the creature in the pool rolled a wave of liquid at the attacking creatures that knocked two of them out of the air and into the pool. Immediately they were covered over by liquid and could no longer be seen. The other two attacking creatures swooped into the creature in the pool and tore off handfuls of the creature’s shape. The creature in the pool recoiled from the
attack, then appeared to splash down into the pool and was no longer visible.

  This, however, gave Marty the opportunity he needed to attempt an escape. He grabbed the handle of the tool case and dragged it behind him as he quickly shuffled around the edge of the pool toward where Scott was waiting.

  “Marty!” Scott said in relief. “Watch out for these new things overhead. They seem to think we look like something good to eat!”

  “Let’s leave this area, Scott,” Marty answered as he reached a point where he could see Scott again. But he continued to hurry. His breathing was labored both from the exertion of what he had been through and from the heat and atmospheric pressure of Venus.

  “Roger that,” Scott replied as he hurried over to where he met up with Marty.

  Both of the astronauts were incredibly exhausted from their ordeals. Their arms and legs felt heavy and nearly limp from the strains of what they had been through.

  “I got a sample of the pool, Scott,” Marty said with a small measure of pride. “Look what I got,” Scott responded as he held up the tentacle of the creature he had wrestled with.

  “What is that?” Marty asked.

  “I think it’s a tentacle of one of those new creatures I saw,” Scott replied. “I had a fight with it. Can you give me one of those collection bags? I’ll put it in there for safe keeping.”

  “You got a sample of one of the creatures, Scott? That’s magnificent!” Stimson interjected. “But, are you safe where you are?”

  “I don’t know if we’re safe anywhere on this planet, Stimson,” Scott answered with a sense of uncertainty in his voice. Marty handed Scott a plastic collection bag in which he placed the tentacle of the creature. Scott sealed it, then handed it back to Marty who put it in the collection case with the jar of liquid he had been able to get.

  “What I mean is, have things settled down enough for you to tell us what’s been going on?” Stimson asked.