The Blue People of Cloud Planet

by Brian Wolfenden

  At the next early morning video conference, information was exchanged between the lander and the starship concerning the previous day’s activity in the dwelling. Everybody was fascinated by the tattoos and octagon shaped markings and all contributed ideas to explain their meaning.

  AJ then informed the astronauts that Zec-C had confirmed the presence of titanium and aluminium of unknown origin at the light shaft at the edge of the plain.

  After they had discussed this, AJ proposed that they move ROL-1 to this new location to investigate the metal source. He also pointed out that this was in the general proximity of the SOS light shaft which was their ultimate goal.

  The decision was confirmed.

  On the third day in the sunshine of the dwelling there were two further deaths and one birth. AJ recommended that Olivia and Scott got some sleep in the afternoon, so reluctantly they retired as it was going to be a long journey that night.

  In their quarters, Olivia noticed that Scott was distracted as he lay on the bed and looked at his palmtop.

  ‘Penny for them,’ she said.

  ‘Oh, it’s nothing, just some old images of my Grandfather and, and Dad.’

  ‘Let me see,’ encouraged Olivia and he passed it over. ‘Is that you? How cute! How old were you?’

  ‘That was taken with Gramps when I was six at the launch, and that’s Dad suited up and raring to go,’ Scott replied, his voice breaking slightly.

  ‘Wow! He’s a looker! How old was he then?’

  ‘Thirty five and there’s a shot of StarGazer-1 just after take-off’

  Olivia squeezed his hand and looked into his eyes, ‘It’s good to relive your memories, thanks for sharing them with me.’

  Zec-1 woke them just as the sun was setting and it was strange coming back into the dome with the dwelling switched off. The rain was falling heavily on the lander and the wind rising. Every now and then a leaf fragment would flop onto the outside of the dome where it was either washed off by the driving rain or dealt with by Zec-1.

  ‘The target light shaft is 1550 kilometres in a direction 30 degrees west of the equator. ETA at a landing point 25 kilometres short of the target is 3 hours and it will take a further 5 hours to traverse to the dwelling. Entry will be 1 hour before sunrise.’

  Confirm command to move lander to new target!’

  Zec-1 took the lander up quickly through the dark cloud mass and it was a shock for Olivia and Scott as they moved into the clear night. At 100 kilometres above Cloud they accelerated quickly to 600 kilometres per hour.

  The cloud mass was as far as the eye could see in all directions and the astronauts found it hard to believe that they had been on the ground in brilliant sunshine a few hours earlier.

  They watched the mimic display intently as they passed over canals and dwellings below them. Slowly the target got closer and Zec-1 announced deceleration in preparation for landing. They had chosen their position well away from the mountain edge where the winds were strongest in the higher clouds. Zec-1 took the lander in a controlled descent into the clouds. It was noticeably very windy and the craft was buffeted far more than on the first landing. However, with excellent control on main engines and careful use of stabilising thrusters, ROL-1 touched down on the rain-sodden clay.

  ‘Proceeding at 5 kilometres per hour to target, ground flat with thick vegetation and no obvious obstacles.’

  It was frustrating sitting in the dome with no visual contact with the ground only 3 metres below them and they glanced at the mimic to monitor their progress.

  After 3 hours and only 10 kilometres from the target, Olivia and Scott were both shaken into full awareness by Zec-1.

  ‘Warning – multiple movements on the plain detected 5 kilometres ahead towards target. Zooming in for detail.’

  The mimic screen suddenly filled with hundreds of small yellow and red shapes.

  ‘What are they Zec-1,’ cried Olivia, ‘where have they come from?’

  ‘The infrared is showing their body heat is about 30 degrees, significantly above ambient, which is just above zero. There are over 100 of them moving, then stopping, then travelling again in the general direction of the forest. Size varies from just under a half to over 2 metres and I am putting one of the larger ones on screen in infrared.’

  ‘It looks like a lizard,’ Scott pointed, ‘but how can a cold-blooded creature be so warm out there?’

  As the lander approached the group of reptiles more closely, additional details appeared on the screen.

  ‘Definitely reptilian and lizard like in appearance with a long tail. They are stopping and eating the vegetation and then moving on. They are moving away from us at about 3 kilometres per hour away from us so we won’t catch them up before the target.’

  AJ cut in from LifeSeeker-1, ‘We’ve got your video but we’re too high to get anything on these creatures but it is a puzzle where they’ve come from and why they are still warm in the middle of this hostile night.’

  They continued to watch the retreating group of lizards and, a short while later, arrived 500 metres in front of the target light shaft position. Zec-1 stopped the lander.

  ‘Reptiles have moved off the plain and into the tree line of the lower slopes. Definite metal detection coming from within the target dwelling and we have a similar clear landing zone to the right of the central channel. This dwelling is smaller at 75 metres diameter. Metal object seems to be located near the ramp wall about 10 metres to the right of the channel.’

  ‘The design of this second dwelling structure is identical to the first both externally and internally. The arrangement of the four pools, ramps and central channel is similar and in proportion to the smaller size. The distinctive black square of the lift connecting with the underground is apparent on the upper level.’

  It was now about 1 hour before sunrise and conditions, as ever, were pretty appalling outside the lander when Zec-1 announced,

  ‘Confirm decision to enter dwelling!’

  The decision was confirmed and Zec-1 took the lander up 100 metres and started moving forward towards the dwelling. They reached their designated position over the landing spot and Zec-1 started the controlled descent.

  AJ’s urgent voice cut in, ‘dark mass moving outwards from the upper forest level towards your position, Zec-C cannot identify as yet.’

  ‘300 metres and decelerating.’ Zec-1 informed them.

  ‘Warning ROL-1, dark mass now descending over your position!’ Zec-C cut in from the starship.

  ‘200 metres and decelerating.’ Zec-1 informed them and then more urgently, ‘huge mass of large flying objects directly overhead and 500 metres above lander – situation getting critical – cannot abort landing with that vast obstruction above us – applying force field!’

  Olivia and Scott could only watch the mimic display with alarm as a huge number of infrared and yellow forms seemed to circle above them.

  ‘100 metres and decelerating.’

  Then red lights started flashing and alarms angrily buzzed.

  ‘Emergency! Emergency!, flying forms descending rapidly downwards – applying maximum force field commensurate with sufficient landing thrust!’

  And then all hell broke loose as the lander was enveloped by the swarm of flying objects. In the slightly increasing light they were visible outside the dome and the mimic display showed that they were huge flying reptiles over 3 metres long and a 4 metre wing span.

  Olivia screamed and ducked as one hurtled straight at her in the dome – its huge head full of teeth as its jaws gaped open. Giant claws flexed and closed as they attempted to grab on. She was relieved that the force field did its job and cushioned the collisions by absorbing the kinetic energy of the hurtling objects. This prevented the creatures from impacting the lander and sent them reeling from the shock. Olivia thought she saw one or two collapse downwards but visibility was too poor to see their fate. Scott, meanwhile, focussed on the display screens anxiously watching their relative position to the ground.r />
  ‘50 metres and decelerating, force field holding – flying reptiles backing off!’

  With relief the astronauts could see that the flock was ascending but still directly above them. Then the caterpillar tracks bit into the wet hard clay of the dwelling and the lander was down.

  ‘Lander safely down in target dwelling!’

  Zec-1 confirmed.

  ‘Flying mass now ascending and heading for forested area.’

  AJ’s concerned voice filled the lander’s dome,

  ‘Thank God, good landing! We’re analysing the video but I can confirm that the mass of flying reptiles have returned to their position high up in the forest at the edge of the plain. But we are very concerned up here that something caused that flock to attack you. Look at our video.’

  Olivia and Scott viewed the scene from above and could see the group detach itself from the forest line and move out directly over the lander’s position. But what caught their attention was a second black mass that had formed a large horse-shoe shape around the reptiles seemingly pushing, or was it shepherding, them into the descending lander.

  ‘What’s that second black mass?’ Scott shouted. ‘It seemed organised.’

  ‘Zec-C cannot analyse it but it seems similar to the black mass identified at the edges of the seas around the coasts. But I agree with you – it was a perfectly regular horse-shoe shape and it seemed to fade and disappear once the lander was down. We’ll carry on analysing up here while you take a look at the metal trace. And now the moment you’ve been waiting for - permission is given for first exit of the lander but under full spacesuit and quarantine conditions. Confirm Zec-1.’

  ‘Conditions for exit understood and confirmed.’

  ‘The flying reptiles have features similar to those observed feeding and scampering over the plain the previous night. However, the front legs are replaced by huge scaly wings and the webbed rear limbs are now opposing sharp claws. Add an enlarged jaw full of razor sharp teeth and the result is a formidable creature perfectly adapted to live and forage in the massive tree canopies. But most striking is the pair of huge green eyes with vertical yellow slits – a common characteristic of all the inhabitants seen so far on Cloud Planet. Interestingly, these creatures bear a resemblance to the pterosaurs, flying dinosaurs from 100 million years ago on Earth.’

  Chapter 27

  A Surprising Discovery

  After the trauma of the landing, Olivia and Scott could now focus on their new surroundings inside the dwelling. Although it was still raining, the light had increased and the familiar geometry was now visible.

  It was a mess!

  The whole area was strewn with huge leaves and stalks brought down by the higher winds near the forest.

  In front of the astronauts and partly covered by leaves was a mass of twisted metal about a metre cube in size.

  ‘Look!’ said Olivia, ‘What do you think it is?’

  ‘Beats me,’ replied Scott. ‘From here it looks like an automobile that’s been through a metal crusher.’

  ‘Analysis confirms predominantly titanium and aluminium with some high grade steel, also evidence of high temperature resistant polymers similar to Teflon but cannot identify structure.

  ‘Also I can confirm the arrival about 1 hour before dawn of a large wooden object underground and to our right but nothing to our left.’

  ‘We’ll have to wait until we get out there,’ Olivia said. ‘Meanwhile let’s watch this place light up.’

  They watched as the sun ignited the dwelling and bathed its leaf covered structures in gorgeous sunshine. On cue, the black lift rose from the clay and the astronauts were again thrilled as black-haired forms emerged and entered the first pool. But, this time, there were only six adult females and Zec-1 reported no further movements below the dwelling.

  The blue females warmed up, fed and set about cleaning up the dwelling. This time, however, the large whole leaves were gathered and placed on the clay floor and smaller fragments of leaf were tossed into the fourth pool.

  ‘Astronauts prepare to exit lander!’

  ‘This is a momentous occasion in the history of space exploration when, for the first time, mankind sets foot on a planet of another star system. It is a coincidence that Cloud Planet has a slightly higher gravity and similar atmosphere to Earth. Even so, it is essential that full protective measures are taken for this first exit.’

  Olivia and Scott ensured their lap restraints were fixed and lowered their helmets securing them to their spacesuits. Inside their helmets, the mimic display confirmed that they were airtight and fully pressurised from their oxygen packs.

  Both astronauts put their hands to the console to confirm readiness and Zec-1 retracted the seat assembly into the air lock where the lander air was sucked out into a pressure cylinder until Zec-1 confirmed that a near perfect vacuum had been attained. Then the compartment was slowly re-pressurised with atmosphere from Cloud Planet. When the pressure inside and outside was the same, the lander’s lower lock door opened and the command seats slowly lowered 3 metres to the clay floor.

  With mounting feelings of expectation, Olivia and Scott took their first steps.

  ‘What a privilege. I’m lost for words. First astronauts to set foot on a planet of another star,’ Scott said triumphantly.

  Then, gloved hand in hand they moved from the lander’s shadow into the dazzling light of the mid-morning sunshine. They marvelled as they looked around at the shimmering light sheath which rose majestically above them. There was not a cloud in sight and the sun poured into the dwelling raising its temperature to 30 degrees with near 100 per cent humidity from the boiling water at the diamonds and the hot pools. Moisture condensed onto the spacesuits but the dome of the helmet remained clear as liquid crystals in the outer layers raised the temperature to match the ambient conditions.

  ‘Look at this gouge in the clay,’ Scott pointed downwards, ‘this structure came down at very high speed.’

  ‘And look here,’ Olivia commented, ‘some pieces of metal which must have broken off on impact.’

  They approached the twisted, shapeless lump of heavily corroded metal.

  ‘It’s box in shape and you can see these jagged struts where other parts have presumably sheared off. I can’t tell which way is up,’ Scott said.

  While they were examining the wreck, the six blue females carried on oblivious to their presence – they were removing the cooked leaves from the fourth pool.

  ‘See this, Scott, there appears to be four sheared bolts and a cleaner rectangle of metal.’ And they bent to peer closer at this section towards the lower part of one of the sides.

  ‘Hold on, wait a minute! What are those marks there?’ said Olivia and she pointed her gloved hand.

  ‘Looks like letters and numbers,’ Scott cried, ‘but I can’t quite make them out because they’re upside down.’

  Olivia crouched down further, ‘I think it’s .... ‘I’ something ‘S’..... then ‘A’.... followed by 872954824 – the numbers are accurate, I think. Zec-1, do you agree and can you run them through your database?’

  They waited only a short while before Zec-1 replied,

  ‘Your identification of the numbers is correct but the letters are ‘NASA’ and that numeric sequence was stamped on the body of Pioneer 10, a satellite launched in 1972 from Cape Canaveral in Florida.’

  ‘You’re kidding me,’ shouted Scott in utter disbelief.

  ‘Impossible!’ Olivia joined in equally stunned.

  ‘I deal only in facts,’ Zec-1 continued, ‘the code I see from your helmet cameras is consistent with information in my database matching Pioneer 10 which was sent to reconnoitre Jupiter which it did in 1974. After this it left our solar system and was last heard of in 2001 heading into outer space in the general direction of the red star Aldebaran in Taurus the Bull.’

  ‘Bloody hell!’ Olivia argued, ‘That’s 90 degrees from our vector. How could it get here?’

  ‘I cannot speculate how
but can only deduce that the remnants of Pioneer 10 are sitting in this dwelling on Cloud Planet of the star Seren.’

  ‘Olivia, I can remember my Grandfather telling me that his great Grandfather, Jack, had watched the launch of Pioneer 10 when he was only six years old – how quirky is that!?’

  Scott paused, a faraway look on his face. ‘And I watched my Dad take off when I was six and he’s been lost in space for over 50 years,’ he thought to himself. Then he quickly refocused on the job ahead.

  There was little more they could learn from the wreck – the fact that it was a satellite from Earth launched about 180 years ago was mind boggling enough.