“We have never seen a large being like you.”
Julie’s eyes grew big. They were intelligent. Her mind raced what to do next. “Yes, I am large.” As she spoke, she spread her arms wide to indicate her size.
The insect turned to its counterpart. “Do you understand what this thing is trying to communicate?” Julie heard it say.
The other one responded with, “Is it responding to your comments about it being big?”
Julie jumped on the opportunity and nodded her head. “Yes, that’s what I’m trying to say. I understand what you’re saying,” as she pointed to her mouth. “I have a device in my head that allows me to understand any language.” The two insects seemed perplexed by her words. She needed to establish a dialogue with them. Then she remembered that one of the computer terminals in the tent had a micron in it. All she had to do was link her DAT to it.
It took a few seconds for Julie to link her DAT to the computer. The two creatures flew around in circles as a holographic display popped up. Julie motioned for them to come closer. “It’s okay,” she said as she slowly extended her arm out. “Go ahead, say something.”
“The thing said something I could understand,” one of the insects remarked.
“Go ahead, say something,” the other insect reiterated, mimicking Julie’s words.
Julie was excited. “Yes, that’s what I said. You can understand me.”
The insects looked at the captain. “How is this possible?”
“The computer on my arm is linked to another computer that can translate languages. It’s allowing you to hear what I’m saying in your native tongue.”
“It is difficult to accept that you can understand a language you have never heard,” one of the insects said in disbelief.
“We acquired the technology during our travels,” Julie explained. “To be honest, we still don’t fully understand how it works. My name’s Julie. That’s what others like me call me. Do you have names?”
“Names? Yes, we have distinctions to uniquely identify ourselves. I am Yuto, and my cediv is Noa.”
“Are there more of you?” Julie asked. “None of my colleagues have reported seeing any of your kind since our arrival.”
“We only come to the surface as needed,” Yuto replied. “We have been aware of your existence since your arrival from your starship.”
“Waitaminute! How do you know we came on a starship?”
“Yuto, you dongun,” Noa said. “You need to think before speaking.”
“It’s okay,” Julie said calmly. “We’re explorers on a peaceful mission. We only want to learn about other races.”
“Julie speaks the truth,” Yuto said to Noa. “They live on a vessel with many other races. They could only co-exist with each other if they were peaceful.”
Julie was amazed that they already knew so much about PHOENIX and its crew. “Would you please tell me how you know all of this?”
“Yuto was here earlier and looked at one of your terminals,” Noa explained. “He only did it to learn more about you.”
“The others told me to do it, including you,” Yuto clarified. “Do not try to make Julie angry at me.”
“It’s fine,” Julie assured them. “I don’t blame you for doing that. If large aliens showed up on my planet, I’d want to learn more about them.”
“Your understanding is appreciated,” Noa said. “We have already told the other Palmroids about you. They are eager to learn more about you.”
“Palmroids…” Julie assumed it was the name of their race. She was trying to think of what to say next. There was so much she needed to learn about them. Just then, one of her team members emerged from the tent.
“Captain, you’re up early.” He looked at the two insects hovering in front of her. “Do I need to get a swatter?”
“Nelson, pull up a seat,” Julie instructed. “I have some new friends I want you to meet.”
********
Ben asked Limex to meet for breakfast before starting their day on the command deck. The attorney had received a general status report about the planetary survey. Although he couldn’t understand some of the scientific terms, the report was brief enough for him to discern that it was looking like the Cresorians could live there. He was anxious to share the news with Limex.
The two met at the Stardust Café and sat out on the patio. Limex was enjoying the freedom of walking through the ship without a security escort. Her favorite spot was the botanical gardens. She liked sitting among the grass and tree environment. She couldn’t imagine returning to space, living in her tiny vessel. She was jealous that the humans had built this paradise for their enjoyment but reminded herself that they were sharing this remarkable ship with other aliens. The humans only wanted to help her people, but it was hard not to be a little resentful. Humans had only begun to explore the stars, yet their society was far ahead of the Cresorians in almost every respect.
“I’ve got some good news,” Ben started after they ordered their meals. “Looks like the planet’s shaping up to be an ideal home for your people.”
“That is good to hear,” Limex smiled. “I was concerned about what we would do if this planet did not turn out to be suitable for us.”
“You don’t have to worry about that now,” Ben smiled back. “And you won’t have to worry about going back to your homeworld. You’ll be safe and free.”
“My people were free roaming the stars, only having to avoid the Screen. Many of us relished that same freedom back on homeworld. I never thought my own people would be willing to take away that freedom in the name of reconstruction. The others in the alliance must think little of us.”
“No,” Ben insisted. “We’re not here to judge your entire race. Human history is replete with individuals repressing other people’s rights. Unfortunately, bad people get into positions of power sometimes.”
“Perhaps those who are in control now on homeworld will lose their hold,” Limex remarked.
“Roberts to Ravarius and Limex,” came the voice of the captain over their pips.
“Yes, captain?” Ben answered.
“What’s your ETA getting to the command deck?”
“We just sat to have breakfast,” Ben replied. “Do you need us now?”
“No, but I’ll need you and Limex up here as soon as you’re done. Some new developments have come up on the planet.”
“We’ll be up there soon as we can.”
“Thanks. Roberts out.”
“Do you think they found something that would prevent us from settling there?” Limex wondered.
“Let’s hope not.” Ben knew the Cresorians were banking on making a home on the planet. He didn’t want to break the news that they may not be able to stay there. He tried to put such negative thoughts out of his head. It was best to wait to see what the captain had to say.
********
Once Ben and Limex were finished eating, they headed out of Central to the command deck. They found Captain Roberts at the operations table, with an image of Captain Olson over the table.
“They’ve agreed to let a probe into the tunnels,” Ben and Limex heard Julie said as they approached the table. “It’s the only way to explore their environment as the tunnels are too small for anyone from the ship to enter.”
“We’re here, captain,” Ben announced.
“Perfect timing. Julie and I were discussing the current situation on the planet,” John explained.
“Is there a problem?” Limex asked.
“Not with the planet itself,” John replied. “Something unexpected has happened. Julie?”
“Yesterday morning we discovered a sentient life-form here. They live under the planet’s surface in a vast tunnel network. We’ve been engaging them ever since, trying to learn as much as possible.”
“Do they know about the Cresorians looking to settle on the planet?” Ben asked.
“Yes,” Julie replied. “They accessed one of our computer terminals that had a micron and rea
d up on everything they could about us. They know about our mission here.”
“The good news is they’re friendly,” John added. “They also don’t object to the Cresorians settling here. There’s only a few thousand of them, and they pretty much stay underground. There’s plenty of room for both races on the planet.”
“Why have I not heard about any of this from my people on the planet?” Limex asked.
“We’ve kept the information about the Palmroids…that’s the name of the race….to a select few until we could ascertain their intentions,” John explained. “Now that we’ve established diplomatic relations, there’s no need to keep it a secret.”
“Although I do not have any objection to sharing a planet with another race, some of my people may object,” Limex said. “We will need to educate them about this Palmroid race.”
“Let me bring up the data the teams have gathered so far on them.” As John pulled up the information, Jufo was at the navigation station reviewing some data from the bot probe that was launched a couple of days before to the other side of the planet. Something was perplexing about the sensor data it accumulated. The Senfo officer couldn’t pinpoint what exactly about the data was bothering him. As humans called it, he was having a hunch that something was off. The data seemed too clean, too perfect. Nothing about it was a cause for concern.
That was it. The data was too clean. Jufo reviewed the information relating to the atmospheric structure on the side of the planet where the probe was sent. Sure enough, he found something peculiar. After twenty minutes of reviewing all the data, he discovered something else.
“Rudov,” the Senfo navigation officer said as he jumped off his seat and ran over to the communication officer. “I need to show you something.” Jufo brought up the sensor data on the Onixin’s terminal. “I have been examining the data and found several anomalous readings.” He first brought up the information on the planet’s atmosphere. “According to these readings, the atmosphere isn’t as turbulent as it is on this side. But everything we have scanned from the ship shows a consistent pattern of electromagnetic disruption throughout the planetary atmosphere.”
Rudov reviewed the readings. “This shows that we could send transmissions to and from the planet without the need of boosters that we are using now on this side.” The Onixin looked perplexed. “That is not possible. The nature of the atmosphere should be uniform.”
“I discovered something else,” Jufo revealed as he brought up the other data. “I looked at the star patterns the probe picked up from the other side of the planet. It conducted a scan for weku. Yet when I compared the data on the stars from when the probe began scanning the area to when it completed its scans, I found they matched. The probe was locked in an orbit with the planet, traveling along its rotation axis. It is not possible for the star patterns from the vantage point of the probe to be exactly the same.”
Rudov again reviewed the data and easily saw what Jufo was saying. “It is unlikely the probe sensors malfunctioned. A diagnostic test was run on all its systems when it returned. Nothing was identified as anomalous.”
“It is unlikely anything from the planet would cause this sort of unusual reading,” Jufo said.
“The Palmroid race could have altered the data,” Rudov speculated. “However, the planetary team have confirmed only 4,262 of them exist on the planet, and they are all located on this side of the planet underneath the second continent.”
“I believe the data was altered,” Jufo agreed. “But if it was not the Palmroids, then who?”
“It is unlikely any of the crew would do it,” Rudov surmised. “There would be nothing to gain.”
“The Cresorians seem unlikely to make any such modifications as well,” Jufo said. “It would serve them no purpose in their quest to settle on the planet. Should we bring this to the captain?”
“We need another perspective,” Rudov determined. “A human viewpoint may yield a possibility we have not considered. I suggest we inform Bret. He is very good at analyzing a situation. We can approach him together about what you have found.”
“I agree,” a relieved Jufo said.
********
On the planet, Julie revealed to the Cresorians about the existence of the Palmroids. Not surprising to her, several of them were less than thrilled learning that a sentient species was already living on the planet. Wulex and Jumix were vocal that the Palmroid presence would taint rebuilding Cresorian culture. Julie’s diplomatic skills were put to the test as she tried to convince them that coexisting with another race would not mean giving up their identity. Wulex was unconvinced; however, Jumix was willing to keep an open mind and meet with them. Julie jumped on that concession.
A couple of hours later, Julie and Jumix were in the main tent waiting for Yuto and Noa to arrive. Wulex refused to meet with the Palmroids. His mind was already made up. Julie was disappointed, but if she could convince Jumix that the Palmroids’ presence could be beneficial, it would go a long way in getting the other Cresorians to fall in line and accept them.
Right on time, the two Palmroids flew into the tent. “Captain Olson,” Noa greeted. “It is agreeable to see you again.”
Julie nodded at them. “Thank you for coming. I’d like you to meet Jumix, a Cresorian. As I explained, part of our reason for surveying this planet is to see if it’s suitable for his people to settle on.”
“These…these are Palmroids?” Although Jumix learned about them through the survey teams, he was still astonished. They were small creatures, vulnerable looking. He was worried over creatures like these?
“Captain Olson has told us much about your species,” Yuto said.
“Do you speak for your kind?” Jumix asked.
“As I explained, the Palmroids function as a collective group,” Julie reiterated. “They don’t have a set leadership. They let whoever speak for them based on the circumstances. Since Yuto and Noa were the first to encounter us, they’re representing their people.”
“It is odd that any race could function in such a manner,” Jumix remarked. “Do you Palmroids have any problem with my people settling here?”
“The resources on this planet are far more than what our kind need,” Yuto replied. “We would have no issue with sharing the planet with Cresorians. We spend nearly our entire existence underground. We have little interest in the surface, so you may utilize it as you wish.”
Jumix turned to Julie. “There is nothing further to discuss. These Palmroids appear to have little impact on my people living here. They are small, therefore I assume they consume few resources, and would not taint our racial identity. Their presence here is acceptable.”
Julie was taken aback by his response. She was certain she was going to have to do some arguing. Yet in just a few minutes of dialogue, Jumix accepted them. “Will you convince the other Cresorians that they don’t need to worry about them?”
“Convincing them is irrelevant,” Jumix replied. “They will accept the situation as for the benefit of our group. I will work with Limex and discuss plans to relocate here.”
“Then we would like to welcome you here officially,” Yuto offered.
Suddenly, they heard buzzing sounds. It was faint at first but grew in intensity. One of the scientists raced inside the tent. “Captain, you have to come out and see this!”
Julie and Jumix followed him outside, with Yuto and Noa behind them. When they emerged, they saw thousands of Palmroids in the air. It was an amazing sight to see. In front of them was the entire Palmroid race.
“Jumix of the Cresorians,” Yuto stated. “Our entire kind present themselves before you to welcome you. Whatever we can do to assist you, we are ready to do so.”
Julie looked at Jumix. For the first time, she saw his hardened face soften a bit.
“We will flourish here,” was all Jumix said.
********
It was early afternoon, and John had escaped to his office. After learning that the meeting between Jumix and the Pal
mroids went well, he couldn’t hold up the positive demeanor he was maintaining to hide his pain. All he could think about was Andre, and it was getting harder to concentrate on his duties. There was nothing needing his attention, so he took the opportunity to bow out and get some alone time.
He sat at his desk staring out the window. His mind was a blank slate. Any time he started thinking about Andre he started getting emotional. He quickly pushed any thoughts about him out of his head. He wanted to mourn for his friend, he just didn’t want to go through the pain of trying to accept he’s gone.
The office door chime rang. “Who is it?” John managed to say.
“It’s Sally.”
Although he wanted to be alone, he couldn’t turn her away. “Come in,” he said as he got up and made his way around his desk. Although John hadn’t told Julie what happened, he did tell Sally.
His administrator came in, and John could tell she was despondent. He went up and hugged her. “How are you holding up?”
“Doing okay, considering,” Sally said. “How about you, captain?”
“No, no. You don’t ever call me captain,” John insisted. “You knew me when I was a cadet. You and I don’t go on ceremony.” He motioned her over to the couch with him. “I’m just trying to get through the day.”
Sally handed him a DAT. “I just received the investigation report from security. I didn’t know if you wanted to read it.”
John took the DAT and slowly turned it in his hands. “Amie left me a message earlier, so I know what’s in it.”
“I would have liked to have gotten to know him more,” Sally sighed.
“I’m glad I got the time I had with him,” John said. “He had a lot of great stories. I wanted him to be happy here. His depression was just overwhelming.” John shook his head. “But that’s not going to happen now.”
“Have you ever lost a crewmember from suicide?” Sally asked.
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