What a contrast between evolution, which supports slavery and moral relativism, and the beliefs of a woman who, one could argue, wasted her life serving the poor! Mother Teresa could have been very successful in life, but because of her beliefs, she lived a life of poverty. Yet I must admit her beliefs, at least, provide a foundation for the value of life and for an unchanging right and wrong. For if there is a God, then he or she, being the creator of humans, would also hold the position of determining morals.
Even the idea of liberty and freedom depends upon a moral foundation. The framers of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution understood this. "All men are created equal," and "endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights" are foolish statements from the standpoint of evolution. If evolution is our worldview, then it should read, "All men are not equal, some are more highly evolved," and "You have no rights other than what you can take for yourselves."
It almost makes me wish I believed God exists.
One other thing puzzles me about this issue: why do humans seem to have an innate sense of morality? Why did the ideas or feelings of morality evolve? What possible survivability advantage did it offer to our ancestors? I've always been told that it was because of our desire to see the human race survive and continue to be the dominant species. But where did that desire come from? The beings on this planet don't even care about their own offspring, much less the common good of others. Evolution, at its core, is a selfish philosophy. It seems difficult to think how morality could have ever evolved. Of course, maybe the real question is not how it evolved, but rather, if it even evolved at all?
Prin has presented me with a very interesting and somewhat frightening explanation about the origin of life on Earth. While its theory at first seems farfetched, it makes more and more sense to me as time goes by. Prin believes that life on Earth was created by extraterrestrials.
While this isn't the first time I've heard of the theory of directed panspermia, I must say it has become much more plausible since I arrived on this planet. I always ridiculed those who held this belief, but that was because I never believed in aliens. Obviously, I was wrong about that. Is it possible then that I was wrong about the origin of life on Earth as well?
And Prin's reasoning is very intriguing. It came up with this theory because of the many physical differences between me and the inhabitants of this planet as well as the "odd" things I have told it about Earth (which I have related in this journal).
Now that the idea has had time to sink in, I find that it answers many questions. And after getting a really close look at the evolved life on this planet, I'm starting to agree with Prin.
If its theory is right, it would seem that some...thing or things created, at least, the basic species of animals, fully formed with male and female. This would account for the symmetry of life on Earth, and the stark differences between humans and all other animal life. I'm certain that natural selection has changed things somewhat since the beginning, but obviously not enough time has passed to allow for many mutations to alter the original design too much.
The biggest question that remains, though, is who is the creator or creators? Prin's answer to that question brings with it more questions. It believes that Sikaris is somehow connected. According to Prin, Sikaris isn't from any clan it has ever seen, its body is symmetrical, it has no visible mutations, and, as I well know, it speaks English.
Furthermore, Sikaris acts differently. It has defended and saved me several times, it was immune to the Modir gas, and there have been a couple of instances when I could have sworn I saw emotions in its eyes. And now that I think of it, it didn't join in the torture of the Lidrilian.
Prin guesses that either Sikaris or its people are the creators, or that Sikaris was created by the same intelligent beings that formed life on Earth. But where are they now? For what purpose did they create us? Are we just some great biology experiment? Or did they have other more sinister designs for us? How long ago were we created? What do they want from us?
I may never find the answer to these questions, as I don't intend to stick around to chat once we find the ship, but I know that I'll never look at life the same way again.
There is also the question of—
Rebecca instantly stopped recording, her mouth suddenly gone dry and her pulse quickening. Had she heard correctly? She waited silently for a moment longer when she heard it again, her translator unmistakable this time.
"Sikaris, I found it. Nix and I found the ship!"
18
The Vanguard
REBECCA NEARLY leapt with excitement. Her friends were still there! Hope of escaping this horrible planet, which had at times been fleeting, broke into full bloom within her. I can make it! The thought revitalized her.
"Very good, Ch'ran," Sikaris said into its intercom. "Are there any signs of other clans?"
"No," came the terse reply. "There is not even any sign of Rebecca's clan."
With her spirit deflating like a punctured balloon, she drew in a sharp breath. "What?" she said quietly to herself.
"Ch'ran, give us your location."
After a brief pause, her translator relayed the distant creature's reply. "I am about a quarter of a mile east of the cave. Just follow the curve of the mountain. Nix and I will contact you when we see you and guide you to our location."
Sikaris nodded. "Good. Stay there and watch. Let us know if you see anything. We are on our way. Tarrsk, did you hear?"
"Yes. I am turning back," came the slightly distorted response.
As Sikaris turned off its commlink, Rysth-nuul tilted its sinewy neck in Rebecca's direction. "Well, I will be a V'skir's gribok. He was telling a non-lie after all." Moving its four-eyed gaze to the cat alien, it nodded once. "You are a lucky being, Sikaris." With that, it slithered over to its belongings and began preparations to leave.
With her thoughts focused on creating possible scenarios to explain the absence of her crewmates, Rebecca's mind barely registered the creature's comment. Where are they? Could they've gone out looking for me? Were they captured also? If they're gone, then Rysth-nuul and the others are sure to take the ship. They'll probably force me to show them how to get inside and operate it. Then once my usefulness is gone... I have to find the others.
Seeing that the rest of the group was preparing to leave, she reigned in her thoughts and focused on the present. As she looked around the cave, her eyes fell upon Sikaris. Her skin crawled as she locked gazes with the large alien, its features revealing nothing of its thoughts yet leaving her with the odd impression that Sikaris somehow knew what they would find when they reached the ship.
Unnerved, she broke its gaze and turned away to retrieve her pack. Just as she was about to place her journal inside, she remembered Prin's unexplained interest in it. Glancing around to make certain the others were not looking, she deftly slid the small, handheld instrument into the inside pocket of her jumpsuit. Shouldering her pack, she strode purposefully toward the cave entrance.
The side of the mountain upon which they now stood was littered with large gray boulders and enormous rock formations scattered haphazardly around the area, as if deposited there from some giant avalanche a millennium ago. Although the topography made travel difficult, it brought with it the added benefit of providing the group ample cover and protection from prying eyes.
Rebecca grew more and more anxious with each step, her mind frantically developing and discarding possible means of escape. As time passed, the pressure of her impending flight weighed upon her mind, further inhibiting her ability to focus. With her mind in frantic disarray, she was startled when her intercom translator came to life. "I see you. You are almost here. Follow the line of rocks to your right. I am behind the large boulder on the ledge."
Immediately, Rebecca's eyes looked out over the terrain, seeking for any sign of the Vanguard. As she and the others traversed the last short distance to where Ch'ran was hidden, Rebecca couldn't take her eyes off of the horizon
so much so that she stumbled several times over the uneven ground.
Then finally, as they neared the rocky outcropping on which sat an enormous rectangular boulder, she saw it. The hazy light of the late afternoon sun reflected brilliantly off of the pristine silver hull of the T-shaped ship. Nearly collapsing in relief at the sight of it, Rebecca reached out to a nearby rock for support, her eyes moist with brimming tears. Her joy quickly vanished only to be replaced by astonishment as the rock beneath her hand suddenly sprouted a lopsided grin.
"Oooh, oooh! A little to the left. I have an itch!"
Leaping back, she watched as Ch'ran's wicked-looking tail came from out of nowhere and began scratching gently between its shoulder blades where Rebecca's hand had rested moments before.
Rising from its disguised posture, Ch'ran stretched and yawned, revealing a mouth full of brown crooked teeth in various stages of decay.
"Nix, you won again," the insane creature said, its mismatched eyes focused on an empty patch of ground on Rebecca's left. "I was sure they would take longer to get here. When we get back to the base, the first round of krizzle juice is on me."
If any of the others had even heard the little alien's ramblings, they showed no sign of it, for before them, not more than a mile away, sat a ship unlike anything native to the planet.
"Yes, yes," purred Prin. "Very interesting. Look at how clean it is. I could probably spend half of my life studying it," it said as it looked over at Sikaris.
"I wonder what kinds of weapons it has," Rysth-nuul remarked, its tail twitching involuntarily. "Do you think the V'skir found the ship when they captured Rebecca? Maybe they murdered the rest of Rebecca's clan but could not get inside the ship."
Sikaris scanned the area and then nodded in agreement. "Yes, we must be careful. They may have left a hunting party here to protect it until they could return with more clan mates."
Rebecca listened numbly to the conversation around her. The sight of the Vanguard and the rolling hills and rocks surrounding it brought with it the sense that this was indeed really happening. Since her abduction, it had seemed that she was merely drifting along in some hellish nightmare. But to see an Earth-made ship resting in the center of this alien landscape that she had become so familiar with made her shudder.
From their vantage point, she could see that they were southwest of the ship, with the dark waters of the lake to the north of them and the peaks of the mountain to the south. To the east, she recognized the area where she and Lisa had set up the MDU amid the maze of rolling gray hills.
"Rysth-nuul, move down the slope to the left and position yourself there," Sikaris said. "Prin, you do the same to the right. Ch'ran, climb up the slope a little higher and make sure no one is heading our way. All of you, be alert. When Tarrsk arrives, I will decide what our next move will be."
"What about Rebecca?" Rysth-nuul said. As it spoke, its eyes slowly moved toward her, and its tail twitched slightly, giving its simple question a sinister air.
Sikaris looked over at her, then back to its companion. "He stays here with me. Now get into position and be careful. We do not know who may be out there."
As Prin, Rysth-nuul, and Ch'ran moved silently away, Rebecca's mind worked furiously. She couldn't believe her sudden good fortune. Her chances of slipping away unnoticed with an entire team of seasoned alien hunters standing next to her would have been nearly impossible. But with only Sikaris around, her chances were improved markedly.
If she could somehow get away from it, she might be able to lose them in the little valleys created by the small hills. The most dangerous part would be crossing the open clearing between the end of the hills and the ship. But if I could contact the others, they might be able to lay down some cover fire long enough for me to... if they are even inside the ship, that is. But how can I get away from Sikaris without it seeing me? It doesn't miss anything. Well, Becky, whatever you are going to do, you had better do it quick.
Trying to appear casual, she walked around the rocky outcropping upon which they stood, her roving eyes searching for the best route of escape. As she walked, her calm demeanor was betrayed by her incessant cracking of knuckles. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the piercingly violet eyes watching her every move.
Forget it, Becky. There's no way. I might as well just—She stopped mid-thought. Several feet away, on the other side of a medium-sized boulder, the final slope of the mountain gave way to the hilly area below. But this particular little path was hidden between two rows of boulders and looked just wide enough for her to fit between comfortably. If she could manage to climb over the one boulder and into the hidden path, she might just make it.
She had found her escape route, but she still hadn't figured out how to avoid being seen by Sikaris. Barring some miracle, it seemed impossible that she could escape from a creature whose whole existence was dependent on its ability to be alert. If only she could find a way to...
Sudden movement from her left caught her attention, bringing her thoughts of escape to a temporary halt. Tarrsk came rushing up the path to the rocky shelf, its body heaving from the exertion of a long-distance run. As it drew nearer, it slowed its pace and began to relax noticeably.
Turning toward the newcomer, Sikaris regarded the alien with interest. "Is something wrong?"
Tarrsk seemed slightly caught off guard by the question. "No. I...it is just that I did not want to be left behind," it stammered, its arm unconsciously scratching flaky white scales from its neck. Then as its gaze fell upon the Vanguard, it paused mid-scratch. At the sight of the craft, the alligator creature's abdominal mouth fell open in awe and wonder. "I have never seen anything like it. Have you, Sikaris?" When the Grinathian leader failed to respond, Tarrsk continued, "So what are we waiting for? Let us go take the ship and get out of here."
"No," Sikaris said finally. "We wait and watch."
"What?" Tarrsk said anxiously. "But the longer we wait, the more chance there is of somebody else finding it."
"Yes, but it is also not smart to just run into unknown territory without first scouting the area," Sikaris retorted. "Remember the mistake Cl'ingar made with the Bkor?"
What was said next, Rebecca didn't hear, for all sound was drowned out by the sudden drumming of her heart in her ears as she realized that her miracle had come. Since Tarrsk's arrival, Sikaris had not given her the slightest glance. And the way things were escalating, hopefully Sikaris would be too occupied to notice her absence.
Realizing that her window of opportunity would be very narrow, she moved slowly toward the hidden path. Tarrsk wasstill deep in its heated conversation with Sikaris by the time Rebecca had reached the rock. Keeping her eyes fixed upon the two aliens, she climbed up onto the rock.
Slowly, so as not to draw the attention of either of the aliens, she swung her legs over the rock and down into the crevasse, all the while keeping her eyes fixed upon the disputing creatures. Finally, she inhaled deeply, as if preparing to dive underwater, and slid off the rock. As she landed on the hard sloping ground between the two giant boulders, she froze as several small pebbles went skipping down the incline. Her terror of discovery mingled with adrenaline, causing her to shake and breathe rapidly.
"I do not want to just sit out here and wait to be captured!" she heard Tarrsk whisper loudly.
They're still arguing! she thought, relief washing over her. There's no turning back now. Half sliding, half running, she made her way down the path using the boulders on each side of her for support.
Before long, she was out of earshot of the two arguing creatures. She knew that it was now a race. The only question was how much of a head start she would have before the others set off in search for her.
In a matter of moments, she had reached the end of her narrow escape route. Although there were plenty of large rocks to use for cover, she would still be vulnerable as she moved from rock to rock, especially since any sudden movements in the dead and dormant landscape would surely alert the wary hunters.
Pausing at the end of the crevasse, she pulled out her commlink from her pack and fastened it to her wrist. Even with all of the atmospheric distortion, surely she was close enough for anyone aboard the ship to hear her. "Vanguard, come in... This is...Rebecca," she said brokenly between nervous gulps of air. "Do you copy?"
Static.
"Do you copy? Anyone? Lisa? Captain Coffner?" she whispered forcefully into the device.
Static.
Growling in frustration, she closed down the commlink. Slowly, she peered around the corner of the rock she was hiding behind and glanced up the slope toward the rocky shelf where Sikaris and Tarrsk were stationed.
The hidden path had taken her down the skirt of the mountain about sixty feet and a dozen more to the east. Just as she was about to risk a sprint to the nearest rock, Sikaris and Tarrsk suddenly appeared above her on the rocky shelf, both staring hard at each other, neither speaking. At first, this struck her as odd until she remembered the location of Tarrsk's mouth.
So far so good. She watched them closely, waiting to time her dash to the next rock. Suddenly and inexplicably, Sikaris turned and looked out toward the ship. Flattening herself back against the rock, she held her breath in fear. For the briefest of seconds, she was almost certain that Sikaris had looked directly at her, its eyes alert. She clung to the cold surface of the rock, afraid to move, her heart beating painfully beneath her breast.
After several excruciatingly long moments with no sign of discovery forthcoming, she ventured to look up once more toward their location. To her immense relief, Sikaris and Tarrsk were still visible, and both were still seemingly engrossed in their argument.
Logic's End Page 23
