To the charge of a star

[Not Ordo]

Region: Tingle Arm
Sector: Unknown
System: Unknown
Planet: Alpha-6062.53-1
Scout: Honus J. Teach Sr.
Pathfinder: Honus J. Teach Sr.
Time: 0430 GST

Report:
"This is Honus J. Teach reporting from the Okyaab-class Freighter "Dig Deep". While mapping a sector in the Tingle arm, I have happend upon a world that as yet is not on any current star maps. I have given the planet the designation 'Alpha-6062.53-1' for the moment but have not noted anything for the sector or system."

He paused his typing to adjust a pair of old black framed reading glasses.

"Current scans show the planet has a 32 hour rotation and a 385 local day rotation around a blue giant sun. Due to the heat and radiation the first five planets in orbit seem to have no life. I will make further reports on those worlds at a later time. The sixth planet however has myriad plant growth visible from orbit. The planet has ice masses on it's north and south poles with four large water masses that separate 5 continent sized land masses. One land mass has a large mountain range that divides the continent in half almost perfectly. More on that after further investigation.

Two continents in what I am designating as the western hemisphere connect to both the north and south poles and contain heavy vegetation near the equator and extending approximately 8800 kilometers north and 9800 kilometres south, heavy life signs detected on both continents. Possible, structures are present in 5 locations but with minimal lifesigns at present, but demand further inspection. No current signs of space traffic in or out of the system, proceeding with extreme caution until further notice to avoid possible interference with indigenous life."

He checked his scanners and made one last note.

"Heavy silicone readings around one coastal structure and some energy readings. Possible, signs of advanced civilization in a minor or fledgling industrial age. Will report again in twelve standard hours. Teach out"

 

[Not Ordo]

Region: Tingle Arm
Sector: Unknown
System: Unknown
Planet: Alpha-6062.53-1
Scout: Honus J. Teach Sr.
Pathfinder: Honus J. Teach Sr.
Time: 1030 GST

"Out, out, brief candle!" He said to himself as he turned off his running lights and sublight drive to guide the ship with landing repulsors only, "Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."

He moved his hands from switches to knobs and handles as the ship slowly landed on a small island off the coast of one of the clusters of possible structures. He had planned to set down at a great distance and observe the site for a full 24 hours until he decided to send a probe in. Then 24 hours after the probe scans and explores, he'd move in to make a first hand documentation. It was his personal protocol when dealing with the possibility of developing civilizations. If there was no evidence of life, he could be in and out in a day or so, if there was signs of active life he'd stay away and maybe deploy a small observation satellite to relay images periodically. It was all too soon to tell really.

He sat the ship down and put it in cooldown mode before he activated long range imaging scopes. The projected images were superimposed on the cockpit viewport and free to expand or zoom from his seat. At 4x enhancement he could make out definite structures, all geometrically identical except being various sizes. No movement was observable.

The man stood from his seat and took out his reading glasses again before leaning close to the view port. He could just about see something but it was just not clear enough.

"Shall I enhance the image, sir?" came a overly formal and female voice.

He jumped and looked back as his hand clawed for a blaster that wasn't there. It was Nora, the ship's protocol droid, who'd he had forgotten even existed in her week long silence. The possibility of civilization must have automatically activated its systems.

"Damn it, Nora." He said with unmasked irritation, "I just about jumped outta my skin."

"Such would be a physical impossibility, sir." Nora replied as she slowly hovered into the room.

"Its a figure of speech, Nora." He said plainly, "Can you focus and enhance this area right here?" He made a circle around the area where he believed he saw movement.

"Of course, Sir." The droid replied, "Its a simple matter of...."

"Just do it, Nora." He said with mild annoyance.

"Yes, sir." the droid responded.

The image cleared and enlarged then cleared again to show a disc shaped object laying in the sand near one of the smaller structures. The object was motionless however, but Honus had been sure the movement was in that area. A moment passed, then a few more until he was ready to move on and simply record and review later. When he was sbout to turn away the disc rose from the ground on two small leg like structures and began moving through a blackened entryway on the nearest structure.

"Did you just see what I just saw?" He asked the droid.

"A bipedal lifeform, sir?" The droid responded.

"A bipedal lifeform with no biological readings whatsoever." Honus responded deep in thought, "In an area high in silicates. This could be a silicone base lifeform or remnants of an advanced society with still active artificial automatons."

"You mean droids, sir?" The droid asked trying to clarify.

"Yes." Honus said simply taking off his glasses and putting them in his breast pocket, "I damn sure do."

He walked to the comm station and began loading his current findings into his next report and turned to Nora.

"Follow my SOP, Nora." He said putting on his black jacket, "Record scans and images for twenty-four hours and we'll see where we go from there. Alert me of any possible threats to our position."

"Of course, Sir." The droid replied.

 

[Not Ordo]

Region: Tingle Arm
Sector: Unknown
System: Unknown
Planet: Alpha-6062.53-1
Scout: Honus J. Teach Sr.
Pathfinder: Honus J. Teach Sr.
Time: 1430 GST

He sat with his hat pulled down over his face and his feet propped up under a fold down table on the bench acrossed from him. His datapad sat on the table top and emitted a soft low music he had come to enjoy. It was Tapani, if he remembered correctly, and had tje distinction of being played on an actual percussion piano and not those synthesized jobs that had become so popular. He liked they way the sounds resonated in the piano's wood casing and seemed to echo in your chest. It was like that first kiss from your sweetheart or that first heartbreak, there was just nothing quite like it.

"Sir?" The droid said over the intercom "What if these entities are disinclined toward humans? Is it wise to remain within the atmosphere during daylight?"

"You know, I met these heathen beings, native savages to some world near the backside of the outer rim, human's by broad classification. They would kill enemy warriors and eat their hearts and brains to absorb their power." He folded his hands over his abdomen, "There ain't a thing in this galaxy more disinclined to humans than humans...but you're right, I should've done something to keep the reflection from the hull down and break up the outline. Too, late now, can't risk being seen taking off."

He lifted his hat to reveal his wrinkle laden face.

"What brought that question up?" He asked as he suddenly realized the droid was not given to silent mussings.

"Four of the beings have been to the beach where the first was observed. All seem to focus in our direction and then disappear into the structures."

"Well chit," he said sitting up, "send my report early and add the portion about possibly being observed by a non-spacefaring entity of unknown origin and classification. I'm sure they'll have my backside but at least it'll be catalogued."

"Of course, sir." Nora replied, "Shall we cease sensor sweeps?"

"Yeah, go ahead." He said taking a can of cold caff from the refrigerator beside the table, "Just visual for now and short range sersors. We'll get soil, atmosphere and water samples tonight and prepare to relocate."

He sipped the caff and thought hard about his wife and kids. He missed them and there was only so much he could do to keep that out of his mind.

"No voice divine the storm allay'd, No light propitious shone; When, snatch'd from all effectual aid...We perish'd, each alone: But I beneath a rougher sea, And whelm'd in deeper gulfs than he." He sighed.

"What was that, sir?" Nora asked with mechanical confusion.

"Nothing, Nora." He said before leaning back and dipping his hat brim low once more, "Just keep me posted as to the activity on the beach."

"....Yes, Sir." Nora said finally.

 

[Odelia Starchaser]

Odie had been thrown from her bunk to the floor she laid there for a few moments making sure she was still in once piece. "Gud grief what is the old man doing?' She asked no one but the dimly lit darkness slowly she rolled over to get to her knees and push up,.

She shook off the rest of the sleep that hung on her to bring herself to full awake.

She headed toward where [member="Honus Teach"] would be There were a few things on the floor had something happened to the ship? "Honus what the feth is happening," she started calling out the closer she got, "I've been tossed out of my bunk"

Odie was at home out there she was a Starchaser and out here among the stars was where she and her brothers, sisters, and extended family lived.

 

[Not Ordo]

Region: Tingle Arm
Sector: Unknown
System: Unknown
Planet: Alpha-6062.53-1
Scout: None
Pathfinder: Honus J. Teach Sr.
Time: 1500 GST

Honus pulled his feet down from the bench and sat up slowly. His back and hips reminded him of his age and the years of hard work he thought nothing of in his youth. He pushed up his hat as he heard the girl bellow through the corridor. She was a good kid and a good worker but he just couldn't bring himself to admit that out loud.

He sat and waited until she came into the room and pointed an crooked finger, bad break that never healed quite right, at her.

"Watch your language." He said although he didn't much care. He just was sure he'd make a decent girl of her. "That wasn't me. It was the planet, we started reading earthquakes about 10 minutes ago. They are pretty minor right now though."

He took a sip of his can of caff and then rubbed an ache out of his shoulder.

"And if you hadn't been sleeping yet again, you'd have known that already."

He gave her a sideways look and pretended to be annoyed but he didn't feel it half as much as he wanted her to think he did.

..........................

Nora hovered near the sensor suite with her s-comp-link inserted into the ship's systems. She couldn't help but think of what those beings or entities were. Was it truly a self replicating silicone based civilization or just droids like her left behind to follow some ancient programming.

Like her....she thought about that for a moment. Were other droids like her. She certainly wasn't the same as she had been 40 years ago when Honus first built her. She was different somehow...she had changed along the way developed ideas that were very different from her core programming. It was odd, but, she had grown fond of the old human. Fond, was that even possible? A droid with feelings? Perhaps she was malfunctioning. She just didn't know, but she knew she had sensations that she couldn't explain. What was happening to her.

Another tremor rocked the ship and she did a quick scan. The tremors were very shallow for earthquakes. Perhaps too shallow. And activity on the beach had grown less and less in the last hour.

"Honus, sir, we may have a situation!" She called over the comms, "These quakes are not quite right."

She had a bad feeling and that in itself was troubling but it would be worse if she was right.

https://www.buyourobot.com/file/edd/2016/07/1030_pr-bot_reflection_thumb-548x548.jpg- Nora

 

[Odelia Starchaser]

Region: Tingle Arm
Sector: Unknown
System: Unknown
Planet: Alpha-6062.53-1
Scout: None
Pathfinder: Honus J. Teach Sr.
Time: 1500 GST

"My language, a single curse is not a complete fall into the realms of evil Honus." Odie moved to where she could see instrument readings, "the planet you say." Umm that wasn't good.

"If I don't sleep once in a while I might begin to act a lot like you and then where would be huh" Odie slid into a seat and began moving a few dials and flipping levers to get additional readings.

"Odd it doesn't read as unstable, just spikes of activity. I wonder how old, because it could be still in the throws of development, have you sent any probes out to see about readings"

Odie ran her fingers through her hair to push it back out off her face, she didn't always like that dog eared look her hair took when she first got up

[member="Honus Teach"]

 

[Not Ordo]

Region: Tingle Arm, Sector: Unknown, System: Unknown, Planet: Alpha-6062.53-1; Scout: None, Pathfinder: Honus J. Teach Sr.
Time: 1500 GST

The old man pushed out of his seat by the back bulkhead and came to look at the readings.

"What in world are you squawking about?" He said as he looked over her shoulder, "We have signs of a possible local civilization. I didn't want to risk probes being seen. Thought I'd send some out come nightfall."

He looked at the readings then to Nora and finally to the enhanced image of the supposed village area.

"You don't think those structures are entrances to a subterranean system do you?" He said almost afraid of the answer he might get. The ground shook again the epicenter was closer this time, almost right underneath the ship and shallower.

"Odie, get us off the ground!" He said as he rushed to the scanners and hit record. "Now! They're coming under us."

[member="Odelia Starchaser"]

 

[Odelia Starchaser]

Region: Tingle Arm Sector, Unknown System
Unknown Planet Alpha-6062.53-1, Scout: None
Pathfinder - Honus J Teach Sr.
Time...1515 GST

Sometimes the old man was a bitter pill to swallow and then other times you just wanted to outright reach out and smack him.

She looked at the spikes as they intensified, she looked at the village, "well damn, what if it is a subterraen culture...oooo"

When the ship began to shudder, and shake the readings went off the charters, "holy feth" She got up and dashed to get into the pilots seat. She never flipped switches so fast in her entire life as she prayed and willed the engines to ready light.

"green, go green" she bore holes into the console waiting an eternity passed until it glowed emerald. Odie pushed the lift and the thrusters getting them off the ground and giving them some height, then she moved to get them out of the way.

She got the ship to an assumed safe distance then turned to look back, what she saw was frightening, and amazing. "well kark it all that.. look there [member="Honus Teach"] what do you make of that?"

On the surface the ground was slowly chipping away falling down into the golden glow of lamplights below where their ship had once set.

 

[Not Ordo]

[member="Odelia Starchaser"]

Honus jumped up and looked out the view port as the girl lifted off in record time. A hole had opened up right where the ship had sat. He took off his black wide brimmed hat and wipeda calloused hand across his bald head.

"I'll be damned." He said not even bothering to correct her language this time. He opened his mouth then closed it to chew his next words carefully before he looked at Odie. "Good job kid."

He placed his hat back on his head and pretended he hadn't just offered her some deserved praise. In the hole a quartet of meter and a half diameter disc shaped beings milled about. The beings wasted only a moment before retracting their small legs and hovered up to circle the ship. A high pitched series of beeps and buzzes emanated from the beings and Nora looked at Odie and Honus.

"They are speaking binary, sir." The droid said, "They appear to be asking the ship for forgiveness and asking its name?"

 

[Odelia Starchaser]

[member="Honus Teach"]

He paid her a compliment the galaxy was going to end yes it was, "thanks" she said not wanting to make a big deal out of it, cause if there was one thing she learned about the old geezer, geezer...she was older than he was years wise..anyhow. She knew he didn't like a lot of fuss, and sometimes that was great like right now, other times...more would be better.

"Now isn't that just a kicker." Odie laughed, "So Honus what do you want the ship to do?" Odie held it steady making sure not to do anything too quickly, cause if that little things didn't decide to attack...what could they do now? They circled the ship, there were more of them, but she had a feeling they had fire power on their side.

yes, that they might have but this was all unknown all untried so...caution was needed to a degree at least.

She tried not to rock the ship, "I hope they don't think we are their mommy" Oh now that would be....bad...

"if its binary, the droid can rely whatever we want to them...right?" She looked at the droid...for confirmation.