Discovery

by Paul Rix

  Chapter 33

  Georgia blinked. A piercing light was shining directly into her face, hurting her eyes. It took a few seconds for her to recognize that she was breathing and that there was no pain from her shattered legs and arm. Maybe I'm paralyzed she briefly thought to herself. But she could feel her fingers and toes wiggling. Her fingers brushed against strange material. More like rubber than cotton and not a sensation she had noticed previously in the medical bay

  She started blinking, trying to get used to the intense light. It was only when she tried to lift her hand in front of her face, she realized she was being held down by restraints. And there was a strange aroma, similar to mouthwash but more metallic.

  Fear began to fill her with dread as she surmised that she wasn't on Endeavour and her efforts to fight against the restraints proved fruitless. Turning her head away from the light source, her eyes focused on a bank of equipment that she had never seen before—she was in some kind of bubble.

  Where the hell am I? And what am I doing here? she thought, trying to remember what had happened. The last thing she could recollect was falling out of the legacy ship. But why? Had her tumors affected her balance and her memory?

  "Hello," she called out. "Megan, are you there? Can you come and let me know what's happening?"

  But she was met with silence. In fact, it was an eerie silence. She couldn't hear any noises other than the sound of her own breathing.

  Georgia gasped as she remembered the alien's face from the Intrepid. What was the creature and why was she now here wherever here was? She wanted to cry at the futility of her position and the fear of the unknown. But then she heard a synthesized voice.

  "Human. We are not here to harm you," it intoned slowly and deliberately. "Please accept my apologies if we startled you on your ship. You nearly died when you fell but we have... repaired you."

  Georgia twisted vigorously around to find the source of the voice but couldn't see anyone or anything. She didn't reply.

  "My name is Falmas. I am responsible for this vessel. My associate is Falment. What may we call you?"

  Thinking it may be better for her to be co-operative, she replied, "My name is Georgia Pyke. Please tell me what I am doing here and why I am strapped to this..." she searched for a word to describe what she was lying on, but the best she could come up with was, "bed?"

  "Again, I apologize for scaring and hurting you. It was not our intention. We saw you and your crew working at your landing site and did not anticipate your presence. A most unforgivable mistake on my part. I brought you to our ship to mend you. Do not be concerned. You will soon be free to return to your own ship."

  Whatever creature Falmas was, his melodic voice was very soothing. Georgia still needed answers though. "How long have I been here and what have you done to me?"

  "You have been mending for two of your Earth hours. We placed you in our recuperation chamber. It is our first time mending a human. We think we have repaired you properly. You must let us know if you are still in any pain. We will release you now."

  The restraints loosened and Georgia could move her limbs. She cautiously flexed and stretched her legs and arms. There was no stiffness and it amazed Georgia that she could not find any sign of the injuries she remembered from falling from Intrepid. That's just not possible, she told herself. I should have bruising, broken bones and many internal injuries from that fall. In fact, I should have died! At the very least, my injuries should have taken months to heal and left me in a wheelchair.

  At that point she saw her clothes on the floor and realized she was also naked. On an alien ship, in front of aliens who could see her. Feeling vulnerable, she reached down to pick her clothes up and put them back on.

  "Thank you for helping me. Can I see you now?"

  The wall at the far end of the room resolved itself into a doorway to reveal her hosts surprising Georgia by how humanoid they were, other than being over seven feet tall and their skin being a pale metallic blue color. The two aliens looked almost identical with dark, almost black, unblinking eyes. Short stubby noses and small blue mouths finished the look. They covered the rest of their heads in tight leather helmets. Their limbs, under their uniforms, were long and thin and they were wearing gloves.

  Before Georgia could count how many fingers they had, the alien on the right spoke. "Let me introduce ourselves properly to you. We are Sentinels and come from what you would call the Centaur Alpha system. It is our mission to monitor your progress and watch from a distance, as we have done for the past five thousand years. We have recently been directed by the Confederacy to report on Earth now that you are becoming a spacefaring species. The Confederacy is observing several planets similar to yours. Our role is passive, and we are not to interfere with your evolution.

  We had not intended for you or any of your crew to discover us. Our observation post sits at the top of the cliff and this ship is cloaked from your equipment and sensors."

  Georgia sensed that Falmas was telling the truth. Despite the situation she found herself in, she sensed she was not in any immediate danger. Maybe they had given her a sedative. Even so, their presence was a revelation that she was struggling to get her mind around. "Five thousand years?" she exclaimed. "There is so much history during that period. Surely you have not been here all of that time. There must be others like you."

  "You are correct. The Confederacy has sent observation teams at regular intervals over that time. Both Falment and myself have been on duty for eight hundred years. We have seen and recorded many changes across your world."

  Georgia was astounded. "How can that be? How old are you?"

  "Sentinels are genetically enhanced to endure space travel and long durations. The bodies you see are cybernetic devices that can last many thousands of years. Our heads and brains are the only organic parts, but we don't grow old in the same way that you do."

  "That sounds terrible," Georgia uttered before she had time to think. She immediately apologized. "I'm sorry, that was thoughtless of me."

  Falmas nodded his head to accept the apology before continuing. "This is normal for our species. The enhancements have made our missions possible. Sentinels derive immense satisfaction from being able to watch and learn as civilizations either flourish or perish."

  Falment stepped forward to join the conversation. "Your species' rate of development in the past three hundred years has been phenomenal. There has been intense speculation among our scientists how you have achieved it. They want to know if it is a natural part of your evolution or if there is an outside influence. We tracked your planet's first manned Mars mission attempt. It saddened us it failed but had no part of that failure. As for you, we have been monitoring your ships since you left Earth orbit. We kept a safe distance but understand from your captain's reports to Earth that our ship may have been spotted on several occasions."

  "That's right. We thought we had some ghost reflections. Not for one moment did we consider aliens. What will you do with me now that I know about you?"

  "That is a minor problem. We are awaiting instruction from the Confederacy. Our actions to repair you have caused some problems. We will let you know shortly. For the time being you shall remain in this isolation bubble."

  And before Georgia could ask any more questions, the Sentinels left the room, and the doorway disappeared, leaving a wall. She sat there, not knowing what to do, but frustrated at being held a prisoner.

  Chapter 34

  Jim Grant was finding the wait for the MEV to collect him almost unbearable and started walking toward Endeavour to meet it. The MEV was visible when it was still two miles out although it appeared to be hardly moving. It was only the huge plume of dust that betrayed that the MEV was barreling across the barren landscape at top speed. By the time it slowed up next to him, the chief was so eager to start the search that he jumped into the airlock without waiting for the MEV to stop completely.

  The cabin was grimly silent during the ten-minute trip toward the search
area. Instead, the chief, Doctor Betts and Mancuso stared out of the front canopy, eagerly looking for any sign of Georgia or her speeder. There were many speeder tracks from the previous days' activities. Any of them could be Georgia's but it was impossible to discern how recent the tracks were.

  Jim slowed the MEV as they arrived at Challenger, to allow each of them a better chance of seeing any clues to help them find Georgia. But there was absolutely nothing.

  As the MEV reached the first of the supply ships, Challenger, Mancuso contacted Captain Winter to inform him they had arrived at the search zone and that there was no immediate sign of Georgia. By now, the chief was struggling to remain calm but knew he and the rest of the team had to focus on finding Georgia alive.

  Nicola broke the silence. "Chief, do you know why she would have come out to these ships? What was she working on?"

  Jim looked briefly across at her before returning to his search. "I was working with Georgia on resolving some power issues at the base. Commander Anders called me away to assist the captain and by the time I returned she was gone. The power spikes are still occurring, so Georgia didn't fix whatever the issue is."

  "She wouldn't have left the job without having found a solution. That's not how she does things. Could she have worked out the problem and required spares or equipment?" Nicola asked.

  The chief thought for a few moments, asking himself what Georgia could have wanted from the supply ships. Maybe Nicola was on to something. Whatever it was, it must be related to the power issues. She must have worked out what was causing the problem. His eyes lit up. "That's it! She came here because she found the solution. She just needed some parts."

  "Most of the electrical spares are on Intrepid," added Mancuso. "If I know where they are then so will Georgia."

  The chief couldn't argue with the logic and Mancuso changed course toward Intrepid at maximum speed. It's our best lead he told himself, before confirming with Captain Winter that they were heading to a new destination. This has to be it, he kept repeating in his head, almost as a mantra.

  Chapter 35

  Georgia could not tell how long she had been alone in the room but guessed it must have been at least thirty minutes. In that time, she had checked her arms and legs for any breaks or sprains. There was no pain or bruising at all. It was unbelievable. But not as unbelievable as being rescued by aliens and held a prisoner on their spaceship. She had tried to absorb what the two Sentinels had told her, but it was like being in an incredible dream. She couldn't believe that here, finally, was proof that mankind was not alone. In fact, she thought, they have observed us as we would observe a native Amazonian tribe, or even insects under a microscope.

  She thought about the billions of dollars spent on SETI and other searches for extra-terrestrial life, only for intelligent alien life to be right on our doorstep all this time. Georgia laughed at the irony of the situation. It's a shame this cancer will prevent me from seeing what happens next. Earth will never be the same. I hope this will be a good thing and bring about peace. We're now a very small fish in an enormous pond!

  Georgia continued to pace around the room until the doorway silently appeared and this time only one Sentinel returned. She thought it was Falmas but couldn't be sure until he spoke. "We have our instructions. The Confederacy are displeased with what has occurred and the actions I have taken. We have been instructed to return you in order to minimize any further unintentional contamination of humankind's progress."

  "What does that mean for me?" Georgia asked nervously.

  "We will return you unharmed to your people. We are not savages."

  "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you were. Aren't you concerned that I will tell my people about you and the Confederacy?"

  "We can remove specific sections of your memory. You will have no recollection of what has occurred, and you will return to your ship as if nothing has happened. I can assure you that the process is risk free and painless, so you need not be concerned. Our predecessors have unfortunately had reason occasionally to use the device. We will ensure there is no evidence to show that we have been here. There are established protocols that we will follow."

  The news disappointed Georgia. She looked up at him and said, "That's such a waste of an opportunity. There is so much I want to find out about you. Mankind needs to know that they are not alone in the universe. We have asked that question for countless generations. I finally have the answer and you're about to take it away from me. You can teach us so much and help us move forward." She knew she was sounding desperate but continued anyway. "Just look at how you've healed my injuries in hours instead of weeks. I can't begin to imagine what other technology you have. You could help so many people. And you could learn far more from us through direct contact."

  Falmas stood, waiting impassively until Georgia took a breath. "We cannot do that. There are rules in place for your own protection. You have to evolve as a species in your own way. Interference by us could lead to unforeseen consequences. You aren't ready for the huge technological leaps we could give you. Humankind must determine its own fate and discover other intelligent life forms in its own time. I understand it is what human parents refer to as tough love."

  Georgia wasn't prepared to give up too easily. "You would sit and watch humanity destroy itself? Why would you do that?"

  As Georgia continued to ask questions, she was aware it was like being back at school, with Falmas acting as the teacher patiently trying to explain a simple concept to the dumbest child in class. It was very disconcerting. "The Confederacy do not see themselves as gods. They do not decide who survives and who doesn't. Over millions of years, they have discovered that less than half of intelligent life develops the technology to discover interplanetary travel. The rest either destroy themselves through war and conflict, or natural disaster. It takes a mature species to understand its place in the universe and truly accept other cultures."

  It started to make sense to Georgia. Listening to Falmas and knowing how some of the world's governments would want to exploit the technology gains, she doubted that mankind was ready for the Sentinels or the Confederacy. A Pandora's box would be opened that could never be closed and she could see as much danger as benefit coming from it. For every life saved through medical advances, others would be lost through advanced weaponry.

  "Okay, I get it," she said. "The Earth isn't ready for you. But you can wipe my mind and trust that I will say nothing. You have my word on that. Who will believe me with no evidence? Or, if you're still not sure, I can stay with you instead. I've read plenty of alien abduction stories so I know I wouldn't be the first person to disappear."

  An odd grunting noise came from Falmas. Georgia wasn't sure if it was laughter or anger, or some other Sentinel emotion. "No Humans have ever been abducted by Sentinels. In addition to research, we are here to prevent any other race from contacting or abducting humans. The stories you have read are false. We do not know why humans lie so much. But you cannot stay with us. It would breach many protocols. And we do not have the food to sustain you."

  Georgia shrugged, accepting that she could not change Falmas' mind. She also knew that her friends must be desperately worried about her. "Are you sure I'll still be myself after you wipe my mind? You won't remove everything, will you?"

  "We do not believe so. Our records do not show any side effects suffered by the several humans to have experienced it."

  Soon, Georgia was laying back down on the platform where she had first awoken. "Before you start, can I thank you for saving me. You could have left me to die, but you didn't. And now I know that there is other intelligent life in the universe. I will be eternally grateful for the time I have left."

  Falmas smiled back before Georgia saw him turn to say something to Falment who was holding a gray device in his hands. She was about to ask what the gadget was for when there was a sudden flash. And then there was nothing.

  Chapter 36

  The chief was more worried about Georgia
than he would have expected, and he wondered about his feelings. He had become closer to her over recent days. But he couldn't be sure if that was due to her being sick and having only weeks to live. He hoped that it wasn't simply pity he had for her. Yet, at the same time, he knew an emotional attachment of any kind would make it very difficult when she died. He had been trying to be there as a friend, as had most of the crew. So why was there a hint of envy whenever he saw her speaking with Mancuso or Redmayne?

  His mind wandered back to two days earlier and the exhilaration of racing Georgia across the plain to visit the legacy supply ships. The sense of freedom after having spent so much time in Endeavour had been intoxicating but had that elation been because he was with Georgia?

  Time to focus on the present, he told himself as Intrepid loomed up in front of them with still no sign of her. It would be difficult to spot her if she'd collapsed but if she could grab their attention with a wave, then they might find her. How much oxygen would she have left?

  They were only a few hundred feet from Intrepid when Mancuso excitedly pointed his finger at one of the landing legs. "Look! There's a speeder. It must be Georgia's."

  Jim saw it and then noticed that the cradle was next to the open cargo door. "She must still be up there," he said to the others as he tried to contact Georgia on the radio, once again receiving no reply.

  He relayed the news back to Endeavour. There was some relief in Winter's voice this time. "At least we now know where she is and why she went there. There's obviously some problem with her radio or her suit. Get up there and bring her home."

  As soon as the MEV rolled to a stop, Jim exited the airlock and ran to the access panel to bring down the cradle. "Nicola, you're with me to search the ship. Joe, can you have a look around just in case Georgia is close by."