The Terran Cycle Boxset

by Philip C. Quaintrell

  Kalian imagined them appearing from nowhere like their ship had above San Francisco. It wouldn’t be a wild stretch to assume they had that technology.

  Kalian’s questions were answered as a craft broke through the invisible film to the hangar bay. At first glance, it was obvious the ship was bigger than the Fathom. Just like its parent ship, this one was seamless as well, though it didn’t have the ever-shifting light over its hull. It certainly wasn’t dull in appearance, however. The surface was so shiny Kalian could see all of their reflections in its purple exterior.

  The ship emitted a low humming noise as it came to a stop two feet above the floor. Kalian expected some form of landing gear to present itself but it never did. Instead, the low humming noise became distant, eventually leaving the hangar in silence until the ship was just hanging in the air. Like the bigger ship, it had pointed pillars extending from the back all the way to the front. Rather than an intricate pattern it only had the four with two on each side. It was oval in shape with no corners or flat edges; it reminded Kalian of a smaller simplified version of the parent ship.

  Like the Fathom, it appeared to have no windows of any kind. The Commander and Li’ara were frozen in place, every muscle ready to react to the ship’s occupants. Both of them had stepped closer to Kalian and the Ambassador, he was sure Arlek’s hands were shaking under the robes of his sleeves.

  The tension was becoming unbearable; the ship was just hovering in silence. Kalian could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins, his fight or flight responses battling each other. The hair on his arms stood on end under his jacket. He could feel it, the build-up of energy just under his skin. He instinctively reached out to Li’ara’s hand only centimetres away. She felt like an anchor in the room, something to hold onto and take control of the situation, something to keep him in place. Just the contact seemed to distract him, it took him a second to realise he was actually holding her hand. Her hand was smaller than his but it felt strong through the glove. Li’ara briefly glanced at the hand holding hers and tightened her grip. Was it possible she was feeling the same about these new visitors? Or was she just comforting the frightened civilian?

  They were about to experience a moment in history humans had only ever imagined. All of the questions in Kalian’s mind hushed to a whisper as the ship suddenly came to life. The tip of the elongated craft released a loud hissing noise as a blinding white line appeared down its centre. All four of them raised a hand to shield their eyes. The two halves separated and slowly retracted towards the back of the ship. Out of the bright light, Kalian could just make out a small ramp descending to the floor. The light dimmed as four silhouettes stood at the top of the ramp. The sight of the shadowy figures made them lower their hands despite the light. Kalian couldn’t form a single coherent thought as he just stood full of wonder. Li’ara had let go of his hand now, she was preparing for anything.

  The light emanating from the ship quickly faded, revealing their true forms. Kalian couldn’t believe his eyes, he was both awed and intimidated by them. Time seemed to stand still as he took in their extraordinary appearance.

  They stood upright, regal in their posture. He couldn’t help but look at their arms, all four of them. Where he expected to see the ribs on a human they each had an extra pair of shoulder sockets. It was hard to tell their height from inside the ship but Kalian guessed they were much taller than humans.

  Their skin was a beautiful mixture of white and purple with speckles of blue interlaced throughout. Their physique was hard to deny, they had muscle groups similar to humans and very defined. Their biceps and triceps were easy to see on their arms but with every movement new muscles became apparent. Their forearms were hidden beneath shining bracers made of a metal that was hard to make out; it seemed to reflect every colour in the spectrum. The same material covered their abdomen extending to their sternum with ridges accentuating the different muscles beneath. It was attached to the aliens via a series of rings that stretched over their chest and shoulders, though the rings appeared more like bone than metal.

  Kalian was reminded of the ancient Native Americans, who exposed a lot of skin in their dress wear.

  As one, they all began to descend the ramp. Overlapping material flowed from their waist at the front and back, almost reaching the floor. The material left their legs exposed as it only covered their groin; they had more of the armoured plating encasing their outer thighs. Their legs were truly alien-like. The upper halves were all muscle but their shape was unlike those of any creature Kalian had ever seen. Their thighs protruded forwards until the knee joint at which point their calves extended the other way creating a zigzag shape. The feet then protruded the same way as their thighs. To a human, it would be like walking on the balls of their feet.

  As they stepped onto the smooth black floor their two thick toes spread out taking the weight. Kalian was fascinated to see that they didn’t wear any shoes. He assumed their skin must be stronger than his own to wear so little. They approached in a pointed formation. The only notable difference was the colour of the material that fell from their waist. The one in the lead had a deep blue material lined with silver; the rest all wore the same shade of purple. He must be the leader, Kalian decided.

  They stopped directly in front of them and spread into a line. Up close Kalian could see every feature on their face. His eyes were darting all over trying to take in every unbelievable detail. They had strong elongated necks that were hidden behind a sloping head that almost reached down to their chest.

  To Kalian, the most obvious features were their lack of features. They had no chin or nose to speak of. Their head sloped down into a mouth that appeared to reach from one side of their narrow jaw to the other. Two small fangs peered out from either side of their bottom lip and rested against a lipless ridge. Above the mouth, their face curved inwards leading to six small holes opposite one another. If basic physiology was anything to go by, these had to be their nostrils. Either side of this was a small line of what resembled hair and each strand appeared sharp and tough in texture. At first glance they could be missed; they were colourless on the surface with a milky white transparency. This was the only sign of hair on their entire body, if it was indeed hair.

  Kalian’s breath was taken as he gazed into their eyes. They were twice the size of any humans, predominantly black in appearance. The centre of each eye was like a spiralling galaxy made of every colour with a golden pupil - they were hypnotic to look into. The creature in the blue robe stood opposite Kalian, it turned its head on the side as if to better examine him. It reminded Kalian of the way a dog would tilt its head at something new. As it moved, Kalian saw giant pointed strands flowing from its head down to its waist; they were made of the same translucent hair that surrounded their nose.

  The Ambassador cleared his throat getting everyone’s attention.

  “Welcome,” he said the word slowly as he bowed his head. “I am Ambassador Sebastian Arlek... of Earth.”

  The last part sounded strange. No human ever had cause to use such an introduction regarding their planet. There was a long pause and Kalian realised the Ambassador had no intention of introducing the others.

  Arrogant son of a bitch.

  The alien in front of Kalian raised one of his upper hands displaying the palm. Again Kalian was struck by how different and truly alien it was. There were four digits in total; the most recognisable was an opposable thumb. The middle finger was about two inches longer than the rest and thicker too. The fingers either side were more delicate. They all had an extra joint than human fingers and he noticed the ends were all slightly bulbous. That very human part of him wanted to reach out and place his own hand against it.

  The alien raised its head as it spoke in some unintelligible language. There appeared to be no audible breaks in between what Kalian assumed were words. The sound was guttural as it resonated from somewhere deep in its throat. The one standing in front of Li’ara reacted to whatever had been said by reachi
ng round to a rectangular pouch on its belt, using one of its lower limbs. It produced a small disc-shaped object in its large hand. Using its other lower limb, it passed the object to the leader in front of Kalian.

  The leader presented the object in front of them, making it easy to examine. It was about the size of a human palm. The metal casing appeared dull in comparison with the armoured plating they were wearing. It didn’t reflect all the colours or even have a particular shine. On top of the disc was an intricate design Kalian had never seen before. It reminded him of the writing style used in ancient Japan and China before the conversion to the Central language. Kalian had seen, first-hand, scrolls and parchments inscribed with the beautiful language in museums. The symbol was split in half as the top layer of the disc parted in the middle.

  The sudden movement of the alien object gave Commander Hawkins cause for alarm. He had half drawn his sidearm, almost completely removing it from the holster. If it hadn’t been for the Ambassador placing an arm in front of him, he would probably be levelling a gun in their face by now.

  “Wait, Commander...” Arlek never took his eyes off them, trying to gauge any offence.

  The Commander’s movement had caught their attention but it didn’t appear to faze them in the least. He readjusted his weapon back into its holster but Kalian noted he hadn’t released the handle. Li’ara hadn’t reacted the same way but subtly placed the flat of her hand against her own weapon. The tension was increasing between the four of them; the aliens, however, appeared as calm as before. Maybe they had done this before. From what he suspected of the original ship found on Charon, they might not be the only two species in the galaxy. If that were true, this might not be the aliens’ first encounter. He didn’t have time to hypothesise about other life in the galaxy - there was other life right in front of him.

  They all peered into the newly opened object to see what they were being presented with. Inside were four smaller discs of the same composition as the container. Judging from their size Kalian guessed he could fit one on the tip of his finger. The leader stood back allowing its companions to reach the interior using their upper limbs. They each, including the leader, picked out one of the small discs on the tip of their fingers and held it out to each of the humans.

  “What the hell are they supposed to be?” The Commander was instinctively suspicious.

  “A gift perhaps?” countered the Ambassador.

  The apparent leader of the group raised its hand and tapped its own throat, lifting its head as it did so. It then turned to point at a spot a few inches behind its golden eye. Evident to the group was a series of holes similar to the ones above its mouth, except these holes were in a circular pattern. As it removed its hand they all saw a small metallic disc placed just behind the holes, identical to the discs in front of them.

  “I think that’s its ear...” The Ambassador’s sharp look reminded Kalian he wasn’t supposed to speak.

  The leader lifted his head almost imitating a nod while making a small grunt. It tapped the side of its head again and flexed the finger presenting the disc.

  “I think it might be a way for us to communicate, that’s why they have one as well.” Li’ara looked to the Ambassador, then the Commander.

  The Commander appeared to be chewing it over, assessing any possible risks.

  “I believe she’s right, Commander. I think this may be the only way we proceed.” Arlek turned to Commander Hawkins. “Unless you can think of a better way to communicate.” He raised a questioning eyebrow.

  “So be it.” The Commander released the grip of his weapon but kept his hand close by.

  The aliens showed a measure of understanding as they reached towards the humans in unison.

  “Wait!” Li’ara raised a hand in front of Kalian. She looked up at her partnered alien. “Do it to me first.”

  “Li’ara...” Kalian began to protest but Li’ara shot him a steely look.

  This turn of events seemed to please the Ambassador as he stood in silence.

  “She’s doing her job, Kalian.” The Commander interjected.

  Kalian noticed he hadn’t volunteered. Again the aliens appeared to understand what had transpired. It slowly extended its hand towards Li’ara’s face, the thicker middle finger pressing against her neck while the smaller digit disappeared behind her ear. There was a quiet hiss while Li’ara’s cheek twitched as the disc made contact. The alien retracted its hand and continued to stand patiently. Li’ara blinked very slowly, turning her head in every direction as if she were looking for some hidden object. It eventually passed and she stood at ease again as if nothing had happened.

  “That felt weird...” She reached behind her ear to explore the new device with her finger. The leader uttered a few sharp grunts that increased in pitch. “Say that again.” Her focus was entirely on the alien as it repeated the same sounds as before. Li’ara’s eyes widened. “Can you understand that?” Her question was aimed at the others, who all stood in silence, shaking their heads.

  “Can you?” Kalian knew he wasn’t meant to speak but he couldn’t stop himself.

  The leader said something more complex than before.

  “Yes, you need to let them do it.” She faced the Commander knowing he was the one to convince.

  “Well then...” The Ambassador cleared his throat again. “Proceed.” He turned his own head to the side allowing access to his ear.

  The Commander’s lack of action was his only invitation.

  The remaining devices were placed behind their ears and Kalian experienced the same sensations as Li’ara. The pain was over in an instant as it attached to the hard skull behind his ear. He could have sworn there were whispers coming from all over the hangar causing him to instinctively search them out. As quickly as the whispering started, it ceased altogether and he was left with a strange metallic taste in his mouth. With quizzical looks on their faces, the other men appeared to have experienced the same sensations.

  “Greetings of peace, Kalian Gaines...”

  Kalian raised his head to the source of the deep gravelly voice. He couldn’t believe it - an alien had just said his name, and he understood it. He couldn’t form the response; his experience with the disc had left his throat dry. The sound of the voice was extraordinary, the leader clearly hadn’t enunciated those words but he had heard a distinct voice with tone and emotion.

  The Ambassador had also understood the alien words and did not seem pleased that he wasn’t the first to be addressed. “I am the Ambassador for Earth, Sebastian Arl-”

  “We know who you are Ambassador Arlek, and who you represent.” The leader spread out both pairs of arms. “You are humans...”

  As he uttered the word, all four aliens bowed on one knee making them all equal in height. The Ambassador looked shocked at the display; he nudged the others and attempted to imitate the bow thinking it a mutual sign of respect. Before they reached the floor, all four aliens had risen to their greater height. The result was an awkward half bow from the humans.

  “Perhaps we should continue this on the command bridge?” the Ambassador suggested quickly. “I think it better suited than the current surroundings.” He aimed his question at the leader.

  “As you wish, Ambassador.” The leader bowed his head submitting to Arlek’s suggestion.

  They all entered through the door behind them that led to an access corridor. Li’ara had told Kalian it was designed so higher ranking officers and generals could gain access to the bridge as quickly as possible.

  The corridor had sloping curved walls on each side covered in black square panels. The panels were outlined in fluorescent white light giving a harsh reality to their surroundings. Fortunately, it left a good foot of space above the towering aliens. They walked in silence for a minute until they reached the security blast door to the command bridge. Kalian had glanced back once to see all four pairs of golden eyes watching him. The sight would have unnerved him if it hadn’t been for the hypnotic nature of their eye
s.

  Commander Hawkins placed the palm of his hand over a blank screen next to the door. Green circles lit up around his fingertips while a small scanner above his hand ran a fine laser over his eye. The whole screen flashed green and the heavy blast door slowly opened, disappearing into the wall. Standing in the doorway Kalian could see the corridor was actually a T-junction branching off either side to other parts of the station.

  The command bridge was situated at the top of the central sphere allowing for a glass viewport at the head of the room. The viewport curved into the ceiling to give an even wider spectacle of the vast space beyond. Kalian found himself drawn to the vista walking across the bridge. From the orbit of the station, he could see the moon on his left, the size of his fist, with Earth on the right taking almost half the viewport. In the centre of both was the distant Sun illuminating the solar system.

  He turned back realising that he had left the group behind in the centre of the bridge, except for Li’ara who had remained a few feet behind him. In their brief look at one another Kalian felt an understanding pass between them, don’t leave my side. He quickly remembered what Commander Barnes had said about sticking with her. Together they returned to the rest of the party. The four aliens stood in silence as if waiting for the humans to make the next move. The Ambassador acted on their silence.

  “Let me start by saying that on behalf of Central Parliament and all humankind, we welcome you.” His hands shifted with every word like a true politician.

  His words hung in the air as the aliens stood watching Kalian. The Ambassador hadn’t expected the silence to follow; it put him off for a moment. His experience shone through as he pushed on as if the awkwardness had never happened.

  “You have me at a disadvantage,” the Ambassador said. “You know who I am and who we are, but we know nothing about you...” He trailed off hoping for a reply.

  “Forgive us, Ambassador, we are the first of our kind to meet a human in the flesh. It is a... humbling experience.”