Startled, the crew members began to step backwards.
They had been frightened by the image that was coming toward them.
They saw the outline of a woman wearing a gown. She had very long black hair and a beautiful face. She looked very radiant, like a woman from Earth, except that she was taller and bigger than them all. In height, she must have been standing at least thirty feet tall. Both her face and gown were radiant and beautiful.
“Please, don’t run,” the woman said when she had come out in full view.
“What?” Richard asked.
All the crew members just stood transfixed as they watched her approach them. She was not wearing any mask or breathing apparatus. Her voice was very clear and audible. Even from that distance she could see them very clearly, and they could also see her as well.
She was a giant.
As the realization sank deeper into Richard’s mind, Andrews touched his arm. “Maybe we should hear her out,” Andrews whispered.
“Do you think so?” Richard whispered back as the giant approached them. “I am just thinking something is wrong with the coordinates. Maybe, just maybe, the tablet got it wrong.”
“Your tablet did not get anything wrong,” the female giant said.
They all looked up at her. She must have been at least thirty feet tall and was towering above them like a skyscraper.
“Are we on Tendroa?” Richard asked.
The giant nodded. “Yes. This is Tendroa. And I want to assume that you are here in peace.”
“Yes, we are,” Richard said.
The giant knelt down close to them. “Pardon my kneeling down, but I think this will reduce the level of awkwardness and discomfort that I am sure you are all feeling. It usually does whenever we have visitors who are not as tall and as big as we are on Tendroa.”
Richard relaxed, and as he did, he saw his crew members also feeling more at ease. “You will have to pardon us. We are still in shock by what happened on our planet by people of your height.”
The woman frowned. “People of my height? You mean the Tarvians? Did they attack you?”
Richard nodded. “How did you know that it was the Tarvians? Considering the fact that you all seem to have the same height, I would have said that perhaps it was you and maybe your people who attacked us.”
The woman smiled. “I can understand the way you are feeling, but the truth is that we Tendroatians do not deliberately attack any planet for any reason. No, it is not possible. The only thing we have in common with the Tarvians is the fact that we have the same stature, height, and build. That is all. And then you can add the fact that we have engaged them in battle countless times in the past.”
Richard’s eyes brightened at her remark. “You say you have engaged them before?”
The woman nodded. “Yes. On several occasions. By now you should realize that the Tarvians are well known all over the universe for their insatiable appetite for forcefully taking over planets that do not belong to them. And the more they take over those planets, the more we keep on getting called to take back the planets to the original owners and inhabitants.” “How do you normally do that?” Richard asked.
“You mean engaging with the Tarvians? Of course, we have the necessary weapons and machinery for combating them. And they know this. Even though they might be able to match us in strength and size, they cannot stand our sophisticated firepower and ammunition,” the giant replied.
“I see. On the average, how long does it take you to get rid of the Tarvians from any planet they colonize?” Richard asked.
“Well, I am just a sales representative, so I cannot give you specifics about our battle techniques and strategies. All I can say is that we have a well-known and verifiable history of dealing with the Tarvians. They cannot defeat us because we are superior to them in terms of out firepower, tactical knowledge, and ammunition,” the giant replied.
Richard nodded. “I know. You have been saying that over and over again. But I really need some specific details in order to enable me to make a decision on your expertise. Okay, when was the last time your people had a battle with them?”
“Is it almost on a weekly basis.” the giant stated.
“On a weekly basis?” Richard repeated.
The giant nodded. “That is, if it is not almost every other day. Two teams of our elite squad just returned a couple of hours before you arrived. And on my roster in the office, I have three lined up to go on different missions within the next seven to nine hours from now. We are always engaging them, and I assure you that we do not have any problems with dealing with marauders who are of our height.”
“I see. I really would like to see some of the things that your people can do while they are attacking the Tarvians. You know, like their battle techniques and strategies,” Richard said.
“I can imagine your concern and interest, but it will not be possible for me to take you to where we are presently engaged in an operation on a planet. Besides, the recordings of such battles are always classified, and are not used by sales representatives like us for marketing purposes. You know, I think it is because it is not everyone who can stand scenes of live, full-scale wars, with all the death, killing, and destruction that would be going on for that period of time,” the giant said.
“Death and destruction?” Richard repeated.
The giant nodded. “Yes, of course. It is a war, remember? There are bound to be casualties in people and destruction of properties when we undergo our missions to force them out of any planet. Even though we do eventually eradicate them, I must confess that the Tarvians are a very determined and resilient race of warriors. They surely know how to hold onto their stolen goods and not easily let them go.”
“If that is the case, this means that your wars with them will not just be a quick fix kind of scenario. Rather, it might take a couple of days, or maybe weeks?” Richard asked.
“Of course, some time will be required to prosecute the war. Don’t all wars take time? Ours with the Tarvians is no different. But I am sure that within two weeks of constant onslaught from our Tendroatians it will completely obliterate them and you can have your planet back,” the giant said.
Richard was shaking his head. “I cannot visualize the extent of damage that will have been brought upon my planet after the two weeks of constant onslaught that you talk about.”
“I don’t understand. Are you not interested in getting rid of the Tarvians? Two weeks should not really be a problem when you consider that after that time you will have gotten your planet back from those invaders.”
“And in what condition will my planet be when I do get it back?” Richard asked.
“Of course, there will not be any more Tarvians. Your planet will be free of them all completely,” the giant said.
“Free of them, I agree. But what about the planet itself. What will be the condition of my planet?” Richard asked again.
“I am really not with you, please. What are you trying to say?” the giant asked.
“Okay. Back on my planet, there is a saying that when two elephants fight, it is always the grass that suffers. In this case, the elephants are going to be your people and the Tarvians, while the grass will be my precious planet. I am just imagining the scale of destruction and devastation that will occur to the environment, the ecosystems, and even the atmosphere after two giant races, who are equally matched in strength, ammunition, and military capabilities, finish battling and dueling non-stop for about two weeks. Did you hear that? Two weeks of progressive, unrelenting, and intensive onslaught from both sides.”
“Look, the devastation is something that cannot be avoided. There must be some form of collateral damage. But normally the planet’s inhabitants can take care of it. In fact, they always do so. They are always more than grateful to have their planet back after we have finished eradicating the Tarvians,” the giant continued.
“I cannot argue with you about that. But I have to be honest with you, I am not ready to
start rebuilding my planet after such a devastation. I mean, where will I begin from?” Richard asked.
“Then you might seriously reconsider what you intend to do with the Tarvians on your planet. I assure you that there is no other way that you are going to get rid of them that will not involve some form of destruction and collateral damage,” the giant said.
“Maybe you are right, but I am sure that there will be some other way which will not lead to as much damage that would be caused as when two giant races clash on my planet. That scenario will be totally brutal and devastating compared to other alternatives that must be available,” Richard insisted.
The giant stood up and was now towering above them once more. “It seems like I cannot convince you to patronize our services here at Tendroa. I can only wish you well as you search for other alternatives you might find more suitable and appealing.”
“Thank you for your time. It was really nice discussing this with you. It is just unfortunate that your solution just does not meet my requirements,” Richard said.
“It’s all right. Maybe you might find a better alternative. Or who knows? Perhaps you might just have a rethink and come back to Tendroa. If you do, you are always welcome,” the giant said, and turned.
As she walked away, the crew members watched as she moved. Eventually, when she had gotten to some distance, she disappeared into the darkness.
“I think it is a kind of chameleon technique that she was using,” Andrews said.
“Chameleon?” Richard repeated. “Professor, she is a giant.”
“I know, Mr. Daniels. What I was referring to was how she seemed to blend in with the environment. I would have loved to ask her how she was able to do that. Obviously, it cannot be a mechanical or electronic system because she has living tissue. So it must be mimicking the attributes of a chameleon,” Andrews said.
“Well, mimicking or not, we are leaving this place right away,” Richard said.
“It’s a shame, really. It appears that intelligence and advancements in science and technology do not correspond with the size of a race,” Andrews said.
“I am glad you share my sentiment as well, Professor. I mean, I really thought that they would have a more efficient way of handling the Tarvians. But engaging in continuous onslaught and battering on Dan-X34 for up to two weeks? That is totally out of the question. We cannot permit such a thing to happen,” Richard said.
They were soon on board the shuttle.
“I guess that makes it three out of four planets, right?” Richard asked.
“Yes, Mr. Daniels. The fourth planet is going to be Mendetl,” Katrina said. “The tablet is already configuring our systems for the next flight.”
Michael pointed out, “You do realize that we don’t even know what Planet Tendroa is like, right? I mean, we don’t even know whether it was round, or what?”
“What else do you want to know, Michael? It is inhabited by giants, isn’t it? Besides, we are not on an exploration mission. We are on a voyage to seek mercenaries, not answers to mysteries,” Katrina said.
“Please tell him again, Katrina. I wonder what he wants to do with the knowledge of Tendroa’s attributes,” Andrews said.
“I know, Katrina. But even at that I cannot help being inquisitive. After all, we are scientists by our nature,” Michael said.
“Agreed, Michael. Bur for now we are going to have to remain hunters, seekers, and voyagers, looking for the perfect and most ideal mercenaries to solve our giant problem,” Katrina said.
“Let us leave these discussions and be on our way. We can always ponder on these things later,” Andrews said.
“Yes, Professor. Understood. The tablet is still recalibrating the coordinates for the next destination, Mendetl,” Katrina replied.
It was not long before the shuttle’s engines had powered up. They flew into the dark skies and were soon lost on their journey to their next destination.
CHAPTER SIX
Everywhere was quiet within the shuttle. Richard looked around at his crew members and saw them all asleep.
“Have you also woken up, Mr. Daniels?” Andrews asked.
“Yes, Professor. I didn’t realize you were up already,” Richard replied.
“I woke up not too long ago. Our able pilots are still fast asleep,” Andrews said.
“They really need the rest, Professor. It is a good thing that our shuttles and other vehicles which are built for long distance travels have autopilot features and devices. That way, pilots can always get the much needed rest that their bodies require,” Richard said.
“I agree with you, Mr. Daniels. There is really only so much prolonged stress that the human body can handle, which makes the need for rest inevitable,” Andrews said.
“The wonders of nature, and the ingenuity of technology at work,” Richard said.
“How do you feel?” Andrews asked.
“Me? I am okay, I guess. I was just reflecting on our mission so far. You know, the experiences we have gone through up to this point,” Richard replied.
“I agree that there have been so many experiences, Mr. Daniels. But in the final analysis, they were all not a perfect fit for what we are looking for.”
“You are right about that, Professor. Those other three planets all had their various merits and demerits, as well as strengths and weaknesses. However, in spite of that, their demerits and weaknesses were overwhelmingly not in our favor.”
Andrews nodded. “Sometimes, it takes several trials before one is able to succeed at finding a perfect solution to a lingering problem. This is a fact of life, Mr. Daniels.”
“Yeah, you are very right, Professor. I mean, look at how far we have come after all these years. For me personally, I sometimes wonder at the extent we have gone through to build GEI into what it has now become. I didn’t think that any setbacks could deter me. And now we have to contend with giants who are bent on taking Dan-X34 away from us.”
“It’s all part of the struggle, Mr. Daniels. But it will not endure forever.”
“Forever? I agree, struggles cannot last forever, Professor."
“I hope that this last planet will just hold the key to what we need to rescue Dan-X34.”
Richard nodded. “I hope so too, Professor. But whatever happens, even if it doesn’t, we will just have to make a judgment call and make a selection from one of them.”
“Or you could go back to the three aliens. Surely, they will be able to get you more alternatives.”
“You are right, Professor. But if it has to come to that, I will need to insist that they give me referrals for solutions that are both environmentally and pocket friendly. I really do not want GEI to be worse off because of any decisions we take with regards to DanX34.”
“Let us just see how it goes on Planet Mendetl. Hopefully, we will find what we are looking for here this time,” Andrews said.
As the tablet started to beep, both Katrina and Michael stirred and woke up from their sleep. They both checked their monitors and systems while the tablet displayed a message on the screen.
…proximity to Mendetl in view…
…changing speed from supersonic to cruise…
…engaging in communication with Mendetl surveillance satellites and towers…
…seeking for approvals and coordinates for approach and landing ports…
…requests for approvals and coordinates sent and dispatched…
…requests for approvals and coordinates received…
…waiting for approvals and coordinates from Mendetl…
…waiting for approvals…
…waiting for approvals…
…incoming messages from Mendetl…
…confirmation of incoming messages from Mendetl…
…embedded within incoming messages from Mendetl are approvals and coordinates sought…
…status of approvals and coordinates: accepted…
…calibrating shuttle’s systems with coordinates…
…cha
nging course of shuttle to approved coordinates…
…Mendetl porting and debarkation point in close proximity…
…all crew should prepare for debarkation within four minutes minus and counting…
“There. We have confirmation that Mendetl is close by. We should get ready for debarkation in four minutes,” Katrina said.
“Four minutes is quite close,” Michael said.
“Quite close or quite far? You do realize that we have been on supersonic speed for quite a long time now, don’t you?” Katrina asked.
“Definitely, Katrina. What I was trying to say is that we are to soon disembark, yet I cannot seem to find anywhere that this shuttle is supposed to be put down on,” Michael said.
“You are still trying to work ahead of this tablet, Michael. When will you realize that it is an exercise in futility? You saw what happened back there on Tendroa. That should have been enough to convince you of the highly advanced nature of this tablet,” Katrina said.
“I agree. But it does no harm to still keep trying. I just hope that when these missions are over, we will be able to study it more closely,” Michael said.
“That is if we will be permitted to keep it,” Andrews added. “Don’t forget that it was given to Mr. Daniels for this mission and nothing else. I believe that the aliens will want their device returned to them. What do you think, Mr. Daniels?”
Richard nodded. “Yes, I think so too.”
“I can see the planet already,” Michael said. “See? Over there? It’s Mendetl, isn’t it?”
They all looked in the direction to which Michael was pointing and saw the rapidly approaching planet in front of them.
“It looks like a ball of clay floating in space,” Richard said.
“That means that it will probably have a lot of sand, and maybe water as well,” Andrews said.
“We will soon be landing. I advise us all to ready our headgear and oxygen systems,” Katrina said.
The shuttle soon decelerated its speed. After touching down, it began to taxi. After a while it stopped.
They all looked outside.
“It is such a very clear environment,” Michael said.
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