by John Coon
Calandra slung a small ebutoka leather pouch over her shoulder that rested on her chest. It held her arca vox and holocaster. She also placed the golden disc and thumb-sized device recovered from the Earth probe inside, hoping to present them to the probe builders when they finally made contact. Calandra donned a small belt to complete her uniform.
Many smaller individual pouches dotted her belt along with twin holsters. One held an eliminator, a long-barreled pulse pistol that fired concentrated laser bolts. The other holster carried a melter, a short-barreled weapon that shot acid pellets. While she let Xttra talk her into wielding an eliminator, Calandra drew a line at using a melter. She worried about accidentally discharging a pellet and suffering a crippling or lethal injury.
When Calandra entered the cargo bay again all decked out in her required gear, Xttra greeted her with a warm smile.
“Let's go explore an alien city.”
They boarded an aerorover and he steered it down the ramp. When the vehicle cleared enough distance from the outer hull, Xttra powered the engines. Their aerorover climbed above the scout ship until it hovered over the entire meadow. He threw the engine control knob forward and ignited the thrusters. The aerorover also shot forward and soared over treetops from the surrounding forest.
Calandra kept her eyes glued to the scenery below their vehicle as they flew above a narrow, winding canyon. A small mountain stream sloshed and churned down the length of the canyon. It plunged over a precipice to create an impressive waterfall at one point. A walking trail ran parallel to the stream only a short distance away.
“I wish I had enough time to explore this entire mountain range,” she said. “Everything looks so beautiful.”
Xttra clasped her hand inside his own.
“Seeing it all with you makes it more special.”
Calandra raised his hand and pressed her lips to it. She flashed a warm smile.
“I feel the same about being here with you.”
Expansive swaths of trees soon yielded to buildings and roads near the benches. Ancient lake shorelines had been converted into roads. How ingenious of these aliens, Calandra thought. Metallic vehicles traveled along these roads at fast speeds, even while making full contact with the ground. She leaned forward and let her eyes trail over one vehicle after another. Calandra wondered who drove these machines and where they were traveling. None had visible weapons systems. Simple transports.
An insatiable curiosity sprouted inside of her with each new thing she spotted as they drew closer to the heart of the alien city. Calandra wanted to learn everything she could learn about this city and its inhabitants. Gathering all that knowledge would take a lifetime. A small part of her relished the thought of being able to do it.
“Where do you think we should go first to seek out the probe builders?”
Calandra turned and answered Xttra with a blank stare. The idea of exploring an alien city filled her with so much excitement that she gave little thought concerning where they should go or who they should communicate with once they reached the city. His question needed an answer. Calandra leaned back and closed her eyes. Images of the Earth probe, along with transmissions they intercepted earlier, re-emerged in her mind.
A light flickered on when she recalled harvest festivals back home. Their chief sovereign and his ministers always attended Luma's annual harvest festival celebration. So did the Council of Oracles and other key leaders within the Order of Ahm. Maybe Earth held similar cultural celebrations where the probe builders would be present.
Calandra opened her eyes again and her lips curled into an optimistic smile.
“I wonder if the Earthians are holding any public festivals or celebrations. That could be our best bet for direct contact.”
Xttra piloted their aerorover north over the sprawling alien city. Buildings, roads, and trees covered an expansive valley floor. The vast, flat lake they flew over earlier glimmered to the northwest. Vehicles dotted the roads in increased numbers as they flew north. Calandra noticed dozens heading in the same northeast direction.
“I wonder where all those vehicles are going,” She said, pointing at the road below the aerorover.
“Let's find out,” Xttra replied.
They followed the road to a large stadium. Crowds of aliens strolled toward the structure. Others gathered in smaller groups around assorted vehicles parked on the other side of a wide road running past the stadium. Many of these Earthians wore clothing matching the coloring and letters on both ends of the field inside the stadium.
“Do you see that?” Calandra clasped her hands together. Her green eyes reflected an enthusiastic energy bubbling up inside her. “I think we found an alien festival to visit.”
Xttra peered at the same sights as her. He smiled and nodded in agreement.
“Looks promising. We'll blend into the crowd, see what we can find out.”
Their aerorover circled high above the stadium, while Xttra searched for an inconspicuous landing spot. Calandra studied the stadium's unusual structural design with great interest. It resembled an uneven bowl with pieces carved out from each end. A giant tower loomed over rows of seats on the west side. Inside the stadium, she noted a green field with white dashes and lines painted up and down the field. At each end, the field turned crimson behind a long horizontal line. White lettering stretched across the crimson sections. She recognized the letters from the written language of the probe builders.
Xttra settled on a paved area near a small open field that lay south of the stadium. It remained within walking distance. Several trees clustered along the border of the grassy field. These ones did not own thin needle-shaped leaves like trees near the scout ship. Their leaves were long and narrow and shaped like an arrow. Calandra thought they resembled senosa trees back on Lathos, except for green coloring instead of a scarlet hue.
Xttra landed a short distance away from a pair of Earth vehicles already occupying the paved area. As she opened her door, Calandra spotted an alien approaching their aerorover. The Earthian, a woman with short blonde hair, walked at a brisk pace on a paved path winding past the front of their vehicle.
She looked strikingly human.
Calandra expected to encounter a humanoid species after seeing the transmissions from Earth. Still, it startled her to discover how much the first alien they met resembled a typical person on Lathos — outside of her unusual clothing. She wore skin-tight gray pants and a matching long-sleeved shirt with a hood attached at the collar. Calandra had never seen an outfit like it before.
A small, long animal with triangle-shaped ears trotted ahead of the Earthian woman. It wore a harness connected to a leash. The little animal had orange fur that turned white on its chin and throat and long white whiskers on either side of its face. Thin tufts of fur tipped each ear.
Both the Earthian woman and her pet stopped in front of the aerorover. She gawked at their vehicle.
“What in the world is that thing?” she said. “Is it some sort of flying car?”
Calandra exchanged confused glances with Xttra as he stepped out of their aerorover. Neither understood how to answer the second question. Car was an unfamiliar Earthian term.
“A car?” he repeated.
“OMG!” her tone grew exasperated. “A car. Like right over there.”
Xttra glanced at the spot where she pointed and laid his eyes on a vehicle parked nearest to their aerorover. He responded with a half-shrug.
“This is an aerorover. I don't know if it's like your car. Does your car fly?”
“I wish. That would be so chill.”
Calandra looked at her with a half-frown. Even with a translator, she already started to feel lost trying to communicate with this alien.
The small alien animal sauntered over to Calandra. It plowed into her leg and rubbed its face against her calf, almost knocking her to the ground.
“Loki! No. Leave her alone.”
The Earthian woman tugged on the leash. Her pet turned and answered w
ith a defiant meow — a curious sound Calandra never heard before. He did not move.
“Sorry,” she said. “Loki is a friendly cat. He just gets a little vigorous showing affection at times.”
“I don't mind. He seems like a cute animal.”
Calandra crouched down and rubbed Loki on his head. He closed his eyes and bumped his nose against her wrist. This cat reminded her of Bella in some ways. Bella had a narrower face, a smaller body with longer limbs, and a bushier tail. Still, her cala possessed similar triangular ears and whiskers. Soft fur also covered her body. Both animals also had friendly personalities.
“We're searching for probe builders who sent a probe to our planet.” Xttra said, cutting through the small talk. “Do you know where we can find them around here?”
The Earthian woman shot him a puzzled look. Her eyes trailed up and down Xttra's uniform. She finally shook her head and pointed at the city skyline stretching along the western horizon.
“Sci-fi convention is that way.”
Before Xttra or Calandra could respond, the Earthian mumbled the word “weirdos” under her breath and turned away. She tugged on the leash again and her cat trotted to catch up to her as they continued their walk down the same path.
“That wasn't particularly helpful,” Xttra said, once the Earthian walked out of earshot.
Calandra shrugged. “We're bound to find someone else who can answer our questions at this festival.”
Xttra magnetically sealed the aerorover doors and they crossed the sun kissed grassy field. Leaves fluttered as a breeze caressed the trees. Crisp air skimmed Calandra's face. They must have arrived on Earth during a season that mirrored harvest time back on Lathos.
Perfect timing to be here, she thought.
They turned north, following a path made from flat gray stone blocks. Random cracks appeared on the surface of several blocks. The path ran parallel to a road and led past other buildings and cars. Eventually, they came upon a square lot filled with many vehicles and canopies. Earthians strolled around talking, eating, and drinking. Some prepared food near their vehicles. A distinct aroma of charred meat filled the air. Calandra licked her lips and her belly rumbled with hunger pangs. A virtual eternity passed since she ate a satisfying meal. Calandra had almost forgotten what real food smelled and tasted like after consuming only dried food and nutrition pellets since coming out of hibernation. She wandered over to a large vehicle where a pair of Earthians were dishing up generous portions of cooked meat onto multiple plates.
“What is this festival?” she asked. “What are we celebrating today?”
The first Earthian – a man sporting a scraggly red beard and a red hat with two interlocking Earthian letters on it – raised his brows at Calandra and greeted her with a hearty laugh.
“You're pulling my leg, right?”
Her lips twisted into a confused expression.
“Pulling your leg? I didn't even touch you.”
The second one – a bald man dressed in a red t-shirt and tan shorts with abundant pockets that revealed hairy legs – answered her with a combined laugh and snort.
“Are you a BYU fan? Must be one. You act like you've never been tailgating before.”
“BYU fan?” Xttra shot the bald Earthian a puzzled look when he caught up to Calandra. “What do you mean by that?”
Both Earthians pinched their eyes shut and showered them with vigorous laughter. Xttra and Calandra exchanged confused glances again. Even after studying many transmissions from Earth, Calandra realized their knowledge about the aliens dwelling on this planet and their culture remained scant at best.
“Yeah, I'd be ashamed to admit it if I were a BYU fan,” The bearded Earthian shook his head as he opened his eyes again. “Utah owns them in everything that matters.”
A light flickered on inside Calandra's head. She thought back to the stadium they saw earlier. These aliens must be watching or taking part in a sport. That explained the gathering crowds moving toward the stadium. She glanced over at Xttra. The same recognition registered on his face.
“Are this BYU and Utah engaging in some sort of competition today?” Xttra said.
His eyes darted about as he took note of other Earthians gathering around them. Some newcomers also laughed and added their own verbal jabs at BYU. The bald Earthian smirked in disbelief and shook his head.
“How do you show up at a tailgate and not know a football game is going on? You two must be dumber than a sack of rocks.”
Xttra scowled and gave him a dismissive wave.
“I should have known you're nothing more than a worthless dung eater.”
The bald Earthian slammed down a plate of food. Shredded meat smothered in sauce and pieces of bread toppled off the plate onto the pavement. He marched up to Xttra and puffed out his chest.
“You want a piece of me, asshole? Let's go right now. I'll beat you to a damn pulp.”
Calandra swallowed hard as her throat tightened. Xttra did not blink while he stared the bald Earthian down. He coolly raised his right armored sleeve and pressed a button near the elbow. A long blade sprang out from the slot above his wrist. It stopped a couple of inches shy of reaching the bald man's nose.
Dark and smooth volcanic glass composing the blade made it razor sharp to the touch. Xttra trailed the flat side across the tip of the man's nose. His adversary went cross eyed while peering at the weapon and his lips trembled.
“I can slice your nose right off your face with a simple flick of my wrist.” Xttra's tone remained calm, but forceful. “I suggest you act friendlier toward us.”
The bald Earthian answered him with a vigorous nod. Xttra let his eyes drift over to their bearded friend. He mimicked the other Earthian's actions and then thrust out a small plate filled with food.
“Here you go. It's on me. Enjoy.”
Xttra cast his eyes down at the plate. Calandra pressed her hand gently on his shoulder. Concern flashed through his eyes when he turned and saw her equally worried expression.
“Please don't do this,” she whispered to him. “This isn't you.”
Xttra retracted the arm saber and backed up a couple of steps. Then, he reached out and accepted the food as a peace offering.
“Thank you for the meal.”
Both Earthians remained frozen in place. Unbroken stares from others gathered around the two men fell on Xttra and Calandra. One female Earthian pulled out a rectangular gadget from her pocket and held it up. They backed away, never breaking eye contact with the crowd, and retraced their steps out of the lot. Once outside the lot, Xttra and Calandra turned west and walked at a brisk pace. They blended into a different crowd of Earthians crossing the road.
Calandra dared not look back.
“Are they following us?”
Xttra glanced over his shoulder and shook his head.
“I think I inspired enough fear to make them think twice about tangling with us.”
Xttra handed the plate to Calandra. They both devoured ribs from an unidentified animal. A spicy seasoning coated the ribs and the meat had been seared in a tangy sauce. Calandra could not remember the last meal she ate that tasted as delicious as this one. She tossed the empty plate and utensils in a can filled with similar garbage as they neared the stadium.
A stout iron fence enclosed an elevated plaza on the south side. This plaza surrounded a building filled with many windows. On the roof, a huge square wall loomed over the field. A giant block U with white and black trim adorned the center bricks. Two Earthian words in white lettering — Utah Utes — repeated across red trim covering the perimeter of the roof.
“Do you suppose the probe builders are inside that building?”
Calandra reflected on the most recent slotball match she watched with Xttra as she posed her question. Many dignitaries associated with their chief sovereign also attended the match at the central Luma Stadium. It only made sense if some leaders among the probe builders were also on hand to watch this “football game” as the Eart
hians called it earlier.
“It feels like a promising place to search.”
Xttra clasped her hand as they approached an open gate in the iron fence. Beyond the fence, a covered portal led down to the field. Two Earthians stood next to long gray tables on either side of the gate. Another one stood at the gate itself and held a gadget Calandra thought resembled a scanning device. As they passed the tables, he stepped in front of Xttra and Calandra and blocked them from passing through the gate.
“Can I see your ticket?”
Xttra answered him with a blank stare.
“Ticket?”
“You can't get into the game without a ticket.”
His eyes darted over to Calandra like he expected her to solve this dilemma. She could only shrug at him. Learning all the Earthian customs would take more time than either of them expected.
“Ticket office is that way.” The Earthian guard thrust a finger at a building to her left.
Xttra frowned. He took Calandra's hand again and they marched over to the building in question. Lines of Earthians stood at multiple windows. A few wore thin cloth masks covering only their noses and mouths. Many buried their faces in handheld rectangular gadgets, moving fingers up and down on a screen or furiously typing with their thumbs. Calandra watched with fascination as each person at the front of the line passed a small rectangular card under the window, or their palm, and received one or more long, narrow strips. An occasional person in line gawked at Calandra and Xttra. They averted their eyes whenever she made eye contact.
Soon, Xttra reached the front of the line. A rotund blonde-haired Earthian standing on the other side of the window looked him up and down and snickered.
“Did you get lost on your way to the sci-fi convention? This isn't the Salt Palace.”
