‘All right, let’s have a chat,’ Ivanov said and got off his chair, following the scientist into the corridor.
‘I want you to tell me what happened to you when you were alone in the woods. Be specific about the details,’ Roman said impatiently.
‘To tell you the truth, it was scary. Not because it was my first dangerous encounter with a native organism, that’s not it. The way everything happened made me think. At first something like a snake or a worm attacked me, I can’t say what it was, you saw it on the footage from day one. I had to kill the thing, then the other creature that we still haven’t named appeared. After I took care of it, a few more like it popped out of the water. There’s no way they have seen or heard me. They must’ve been waiting in the water. It looked like they came out to avenge their brother, to eliminate the threat which kills not only their kind but the local fauna in general. Something similar occurred when we first arrived here. Those two creatures that assaulted each other were interrupted by the water demon,’ Thomas summarized.
‘You’ve got no idea how right you are!’ Roman said and looked the Colonel in the eye as though he had lost all hopes not just for himself, but for everyone else, too. But that could not stop him from delving deeper into the mysteries of that puzzle. ‘Did the others tell you what happened to us when we were down there?’
Yes, they did. I went through the footage after that. It must’ve been horrific,’ Thomas replied.
‘We also had to kill one of them, they’re total monsters,’ Zanev said, a terrible flashback crossing his mind. It was as though the bottom of the ocean staved in and all hell broke loose. Thousands of them went after us and we were forced to run like we were victims. I don’t think it is a coincidence. I believe those critters communicate on some level very different than the human one, they have a different channel for conveying information. My guess is we’re dealing with a form of collective consciousness that is rather dangerous and that also has the advantage of forming a unity with the entire water resource of the Menoetian ocean.
‘Do you have any proof for that?’ the Colonel asked astonished.
‘It’s just a hypothesis for now. We have to touch down tomorrow and make sure I’m right, we have no other choice,’ Roman concluded.
‘We’ll go down there again, but if something of that sort follows us again, we’ll have no other choice, but go back to Earth,’ Ivanov said.
‘That’s right, but first let’s see what the mapping will show,’ the scientist uttered listlessly. His hopes were wearing thinner and thinner with no harbinger of a new dawn. The two men headed back for the bridge with their heads bowed and with helplessness sinking in their hearts–their mission might be facing failure. The crew was ready and waiting in the control room, even Mila was there.
‘Professor,’ Hiroshi turned to the scientist, ’we ran into something quite bizarre,’ the Japanese informed and Zanev took the pilot’s seat. He observed a simulation of the spread of the Menoetian magnetic lines on the main screen. The primary magnetic fluxes run from one pole to the other, but there were some horrible electromagnetic anomalies emitted from specific points on the surface. There are almost a thousand of these points all over the planet–their emission reminds of the transfer of signal by antennae.‘
‘Incredible!’ the Professor exclaimed. ‘I want to know the specific locations.’
‘We have the coordinates, but the spots are nearly inaccessible,’ Mila said. ‘They’re located on the highest points of those almost vertical mountain formations.’
‘Now that we ‘have the surface mapped and we entered the magnetic fluxes in the simulation, those tall rock mountains are beginning to look like enormous transmitters,’ Thomas said.
The Professor got immersed in his thoughts, almost distraught by the extraterrestrial complexity of that gigantic ecosystem in which the physical laws of electromagnetism and the quantum theory crossed paths. After two minutes of serious ruminations about what could possibly be awaiting them on the planet, Roman spoke up.
‘Tom, I want you to prepare the team, in six hours we’ll land on the planet. We have to take a closer look at one of those anomalies. We also need to capture one of those creatures and see if we get attacked again by the numerous army of the grayish white ones.’
‘You want us to catch one of the beasts?! I don’t think that’s a good idea,’ Alan piped up.
‘Yes, they’re way too dangerous, we’d better try our luck with some of the other species,’ Scott suggested in support of his cousin.
‘As a matter of fact, I expect us to get the same result,’ Zanev shared his concerns aloud.
‘That’s not going to happen!’ Thomas said decidedly. ‘I won’t risk the lives of my men, it’s too dangerous. We won’t make any attempts to catch animals, we’ll kill one and see what happens. Once we land, we’ll divide into teams and each one will have a specific task to complete.’ His colleagues gave him weird looks as none of the crew felt like killing any of the organisms on the planet, yet that sounded better than capturing one of them alive. No one objected, including the Professor.
The team broke away–some headed for the dormitory, others for the cockpit to contemplate the incredible cosmic view, only the Russian scientist stood alone in the main corridor in front of one of the portholes and observed the planet itself. Just what peacefulness the titan exuded! Its beauty and might set against the two suns and the moons were incomparable to those our Earth had. The big blue “cousin” of our home planet, of our roots. How could one believe that any deity is capable of creating something like this? The Earth, Menoetius, this inexplicable stellar system we are in, the billions of stars twinkling against the dark background, gazing at us like superintendents in the cosmic infinity. It is now that I realize how minute and nonessential we are. But the fact we’ve reached this distant place makes me feel proud. And even if that turns into a colossal failure, it will immortalize the triumph of the human genius even if there aren’t people who remember this. We’ll do our best despite the threat of nonsuccess, despite the fact that our bodies may remain here stiff and blue. Hope will continue its fragile, flickering existence even in the face of our death… Such thoughts occupied the Professor’s mind as he stared out the window, trying to maintain a positive outlook–something rather difficult for a realist as great as himself. Maybe faith was all he needed at the moment, faith so deep that very few knew. But it was not faith in God or in the supernatural, nor the one invented by men for men, but rather faith in oneself, and his. The belief that the minute nonessential tiny human beings were capable of greatness. The Professor was torn between his titanic body of knowledge and the grimness of the future events that led to the same thing–the end of the human civilization. With these thoughts circulating his mind he slipped down onto the floor and dozed off in the corridor as the shuttle floated in the Menoetian orbit . . .
A while before the shuttle had completed its last full circle around the massive planet, the engines were switched on and the machine headed down towards the solid ground for the second time. They felt another strong quiver. The high temperature nearly brought the thermal insulating steel to a state of evaporation. But the metal bird overcame the thick atmospheric layer for a few minutes. The air created pressure that was twenty-five per cent stronger than that of the Earth. Maybe that was the cause of all the massive storms that raged on the planet and encompassed its entire surface. Iris 1 touched down on coordinates different than the initial ones–the team had chosen a spot close by one of the high geological formations. The threat of a possible attack in the place they had landed first was no longer an issue, or at least for now, because the torrential rains and thunders had forced all living things to find refuge.
‘I’m extending the landing gear,’ Liu informed shortly before the little interstellar spaceship had come to rest on alien turf in a stable and safe fashion.
‘All right, we arrived in one piece. We’re having a good Menoetian morning. The weather today wil
l be mostly sunny with anticipated temporary increase in cloudiness this afternoon and evening, especially for those who manage to survive,’ Hiroshi said with his peculiar bizarre black humor. The other shared a look and no one laughed at his joke which was markedly inappropriate considering the circumstances.
‘Prepare for leaving the shuttle. We’ll be out in ten minutes!’ Thomas commanded and went to suit up. ‘Professor, you should stay here. It’s too dangerous out there!’ the Colonel advised at the moment Roman started slipping on his bulletproof vest.
‘I need to come with you, I have to see it with my own eyes!’ the Russian scientist said excitedly.
‘If you come with us, this might be the last walk in your life. It’s rather risky for us, but it could be lethal for you. We’ll send you live feeds of everything we stumble upon.’ His compatriot tried to talk him into staying in a friendly manner, but he was ready to stop him at all costs if he had to.
‘I see,’ Roman heaved a sigh, he wanted to help, but, alas, his strengths differed from the physical supremacy of the six. ‘Good luck to all of you!’ he said aloud so that the entire crew could hear him and moved to the sidelines.
‘We’ll split in two teams. I’ll go inspect the black mountain and the five of you will go a few miles away. It’s up to you to decide what the safe distance from the shuttle is. I want you to injure or kill some animal from afar so you have time to escape in case something goes wrong. Take with you a .50 sniper rifle and do it without getting seen by the animal. Observe what happens after that,’ Ivanov instructed.
‘Why do you want to be alone?’ Mila asked him, standing right behind his back.
‘Because you’ll be holding me down,’ the commander replied.
‘I’m coming with you. I won’t let you go alone, I saw what happened the last time,’ the blonde said curtly.
Tom was not in the mood for altercations with anyone, least of all with his compatriot, especially given the attention bestowed on him. He took her womanly concern as a gesture on her part, he was far from indifferent to her. In the end the tough Russian nodded in agreement and allowed the lady to escort him.
‘Does anyone have anything to say before we leave?’ Thomas turned to the group who were about to go out.
‘I do,’ Scott said. I don’t think we should kill any of the animals. I don’t think it’s right. Isn’t it better to just catch one of those things?’ the American asked.
‘No, we’ve already discussed that. We don’t know what could happen after we catch it. Another wave of those demons may come on to us, besides where will we hold it? On board? Are you trying to put the mission at risk?’ The Russian got a bit nervous with all the liberties his subordinates were taking. ‘You have a problem with my orders? If you do, my advice is for you is to keep quiet and listen to what you’re being told!’ The Russian stood right in front him with eyes fixed on his. He was literally looking down on him due to his tall stature and the even large fighting suit.
Scott did not utter a word, he only looked away. He knew the Colonel was right, but he did not wish things to be taken that far. The American was not the only one who wanted to avoid the premeditated murder of anything, be that one of the alien forms of life.
‘Are you ready?’ Tom called after he took a few steps away from Scott.
‘Yes!’ the young explorers said one by one. Mila pressed the button of the huge cargo bay door and the sunlight dazzled them for a second as it slid open.
‘If you still haven’t figured out how important the success of this mission is, now is the time to do it. We need to get home with clear data, everything else equals failure. For this reason it is essential not to get engaged in anything risky and if you have to, sacrifice your life for the sake of everyone else. Good luck!’ Having said that, the Colonel jumped down on the ground, followed by Mila who headed for the nearby colossus with a heavy step. The other four men took the opposite direction. The plan was to walk until they find the perfect firing spot and remain unnoticed. Only the Professor walked back in into the shuttle. He settled in the control room saddened that he could not be out in the open along with his colleagues . . .
During the first few hours Liu, Hiroshi, Scott and Alan just strode ahead. The thick woodland vegetation seemed to have no end. They needed a large and open patch with good visibility, but they were still a far cry from any opportunity to put their plan into operation. Tom and Mila, on the other hand, were walking down a wide path that cut the plane crosswise.
‘Tell me, how does the professor feel? I found out what the two of you have discovered,’ the Spetsnaz officer started.
‘He’s a little disheartened and shaken. I can see the sadness and sense of failure in his eyes. The responsibility he’s carrying is quite a heavy load although none of us has any right or reason to expect more from him,’ Lieutenant Nikolaevna said.
‘You’re right, he’s done enough, but we haven’t shown anything in return. With his help we’ll manage the situation. The riddle has been almost solved, all we need to do is hand him the info we collect today so he can study it in detail. Then we’ll be able to go back to Earth and bring the hope everyone anticipates. But if we don’t get a clear idea as to what’s going on here, many, if not everyone, will die with the first wave. We’re responsible for many people, for the entire human kind.’
‘I’m well aware of everything. Zanev has done quite a lot. It’s a good thing he came with us. Now we have to protect both him and his work,’ the lady added.
Thomas did not say a thing and just strode on. Suddenly they got to an upland with short vegetation. Everything around was covered in thornbushes and thistle as far as the eye could see and the black rocky colossus rose up majestically in the distance. They stopped for a moment to rejoice at the magnificence of the Menoetian landmark. Up close it looked even more fearsome and infinite. No one could see the top of the mile-long natural masterpiece for it merged with the heavens above. The foundation of the structure was surrounded by water. That same bluish liquid that ran in the river beds around sprang from the peak which was shrouded in clouds. At first glance it was a chemical compound composed of hydrogen and oxygen which behaved in such an odd way on this planet, it fell down from quite some height, lavishly bathing the vertical slopes. The rest of the water poured down on the river bed and from that place on everything started its path through the forest and went all the way up to the ocean.
‘We need to climb up the steep slope and to get a report of the electromagnetic anomaly,’ Tom commanded and they marched up into the unknown. They had a rough passage through the thistle shrubbery with sharp long spear-like thorns. Cutting them up was not much of a problem for the suits’ blades, but took them quite some time. The closer they got to the titanic creation of nature, the more it rained and the moister it got. At first that moist was a thick and cool fog which later on transformed into a drizzle that turned into a torrential rain, hammering down profusely right around the ring of circumambient water.
‘Now what? We reached the shore and there’s more than three hundred feet to the colossus,’ his compatriot asked, all soaked.
‘Professor, do you read us?’ the Colonel tried to contact the ship. There was no answer. ‘Thomas to Zanev, do you read us? Thomas to Zanev, do you roger?’ he repeated a few times before they heard quiet and almost indistinct speech.
‘I can barely read you!’ Roman finally replied on the other end.
‘Do you have our coordinates? I repeat, do you have our coordinates?’ The Spetsnaz officer made various attempts to get in touch with the base.
‘Yes, I managed to pinpoint your location. The visual signal is breaking up all the time. Is there a problem?’ the scientist asked. Mila and Ivanov barely made out what they were told.
‘Are animals or other living things lurking around us? I repeat, does anything here know we’re infiltrating the area?’ The Colonel communicated the last words as clearly as he could to the shuttle’s command center. The planet’s discov
erer got the message and tried to gather as much data about the condition of the ecosystem around them as he could. He scanned the surface, but the results came back with no movement whatsoever. Obviously nothing was moving there, at least not the species that typically inhabited that part of the forest. Only the water did not give away its true essence, no one managed to see through the blanket of fog and raindrops–neither the human eye, nor the satellite’s scanner managed to penetrate it. It seemed to be keeping secrets that no one had to reveal.
‘The scanners aren’t detecting anything around you on the surface level.’ Zanev said this time more pronouncedly. The communications alternated between working just fine to becoming muffled, depending on how far they were. ‘I don’t know what pops up in front of you, I can’t tell you what’s hiding under the surface or behind the slopes in front of you,’ he said and the communications died again.
‘What do we do?’ Mila asked scared.
‘It looks like we’ll have to get soaked even more.’
‘You mean swimming? We’ll both die, the distance is too great, besides we’re fairly heavy. I’m sure that the creatures underneath could feel us,’ the woman said in a clearly stressed voice.
‘I can’t make you come with me. You said it yourself–it’s really dangerous, you’d better stay here.’
‘No, I’m not leaving you alone, you might not get as lucky as you did last time,’ Lieutenant Nikolaevna said, decidedly as ever, not giving up in the face of a deathly challenge.
‘Good, that’s what I wanted to hear, a little courage won’t hurt. Now try to get to the lower part of your back. Under the big bulge where the battery of the suit is placed you’ll find a small handle. Pull it down,’ the Colonel explained briefly and then showed her what to do–he extended his arm backwards and pulled a short tube with a two-inch diameter. His compatriot followed him.
Dawn of Hope- Exodus Page 34
