by S A Pavli
“You were amazingly skilful,” I replied, “All of you were actually.”
“I will see you later Captain,” she said looking me in the eyes “Enjoy the party,” I must have looked relieved because Manera looked at me in an odd way.
“Does she bother you?” she asked and before I could answer went on, “She is an exceedingly beautiful female, so tall and strong,” she sighed wistfully, “I wish I was half as attractive.” I gaped at her in disbelief.
“What did you just say?” I asked, “That you wished that you were half as attractive as Farnita?”
“Yes,” replied Manera, “She has a classic face and figure, whereas I am just thin and plain.” I had to pause to collect my thoughts for a second. I grabbed Manera by the shoulders and turned her to face me. I looked into her flawless face and azure eyes that a man could drown in and took a deep breath.
“Are you telling me that, by Hianja standards, Farnita is beautiful and you are plain?” she looked carefully back at me.
“Yes,” she said simply, “Of course, isn’t it obvious?” and then, as she saw the look of disbelief on my face, a slow look of dawning understanding passed across hers.
“Do you mean that by Human standards, it is the other way around?” she whispered.
“I’d say” I said exclaimed, “By Human standards, Farnita is not at all beautiful, quite ugly actually. Her features are too large, her chin too big, her bone structure too heavy.”
“Of Course, I should have realised,” whispered Manera, “I look more Human than any of the others. That is why you think I am attractive.” She suddenly started laughing.
“Oh Paul, I am an Alien just like you.”
“Hey, Hey!” I said in alarm, squeezing her shoulders in support. “Don't say that,” I wanted to say encouraging things but I could not think what to say.
“Oh it’s OK Paul, do not be upset,” she replied, “I am very happy to be considered beautiful by Human standards. Particularly by this human here.”
Chapter 23
We were expected in Mesaroyat of course; numerous hyperspace messages had passed between the Tanu and its destination planet. As the planet filled the view screen I thought of the last couple of days of the journey. They had been filled with discussions on what I would be doing on Mesaroyat. Alfred was transmitting technical information to allow the Hianja engineers to design and build the Lisa Jane’s new Hyperspace drive. We had exited from Hyperspace on the fourth day . In preparation the ship was cleared, all loose objects tidied away and all personnel made their way to their respective security stations. The screen suddenly lit up with the blackness of normal Space with its myriad arrays of stars, swirling like carelessly scattered diamonds on the black velvet of Space. A cheer broke out from the passengers and we all grinned at each other in relief.
“There, there in the centre of the screen,” pointed Manera. I looked carefully, to see a blue dot, shining with a softer light than the surrounding stars.
“Mesaroyat,” said Manera with a smile. We had talked about her home planet at some length and I knew that it was a relatively new world for the Hianja. It had been settled some three thousand years previously so it was quite well developed, with a population about 500 million. By Earth standards, it was a sparsely settled world, but apparently, so were all Hianja worlds. The Hianja liked room to spread, but believed in keeping as much of their planets in their original condition as possible.
Now, the Tanu was being readied to dock with the largest orbiting space station around Mesaroyat, known as ‘Santra Des ’ which loosely translates into ‘Silver Star’. Apart from the crew, who had their normal workstations, passengers were required to assemble in the embarkation area on deck One where they could be ‘checked off’ by a member of the crew. Sitting next to Batsano and Deejana on one side and Manera and Doctor Leanisu on the other, we made desultory conversation while we waited for everyone to take their seats. There was a huge screen in the front of where we were seated which at the moment was showing the vast blue swirling surface of Mesaroyat. It looked so much like Earth, I experienced an intense feeling of nostalgia and homesickness.
The view of the planet changed to a view of the Santra Des and I suppressed a gasp of admiration. It would not do to look like a country hick in front of my companions. The station was at least ten times larger than the Tanu. The main body of the station was a huge silver disc, which I guess was how it got its name. There were two smaller discs, one beneath and one above. The upper disc had a number of cylindrical projections, a hundred or more metres in length extending from its circumference. I asked Manera what these projections were.
“They are the docking platforms,” she replied. “We will travel to the station by Tenseh which will enter the station through the end of one of the cylinders. Starships are not allowed to dock with the station,” she explained. “The bottom disk houses the power generation and control systems, and the AG generators. The main disc is the habitation module and the upper disc is the embarkation and docking module.” She was excited about coming home and looking forward to showing me around, but I had my doubts about the amount of freedom I would be given.
The ship seemed to have come to a standstill and there was an announcement in Hianja which I translated as “Passengers please proceed to shuttles for embarkation.” I was quite pleased with my language lessons with Manera, which had continued during our journey. I could conduct a reasonable conversation in Hianja, and Manera was now quite fluent in English. We stood and followed the others towards the docking airlocks, entering and taking our seats in the large specialist Space Station Shuttle that had docked with the Tanu. There was a murmur of conversation and Manera beamed happily as we sat, squeezing my hand.
“Wait until you see the inside of the Santra Des,” she smiled, “It is used as a hotel and is very luxurious.”
“This is the life,” I said. “Become a Space Scout and see the Universe. Meet beautiful Alien females and stay in luxurious Alien hotels free of charge.”
“Who are these beautiful Alien females you keep talking about?” she said with mock innocence. I shrugged doubtfully as we shuffled onto the spacious shuttle and took our seats. Batsano overheard my comments.
“Paul tell me..,” he asked. “Do all Earth women look like the ones we have seen on your movies?”
“No, as a rule, only the good looking ones get to be film stars,” I replied. Batsano’s face acquired a look of comical horror.
“What, they are the good looking ones?” he exclaimed, “I am better looking than most of them!”
The others around us were grinning in amusement at our banter as the shuttle disconnected and drifted slowly out of the Tanu’s shuttle bay. I could see the Lisa Jane through the big windows and wondered what Alfred was up to. No doubt deep in designs and calculations for the replacement Hyperspace Drive that was going to be fitted. The Lisa Jane was due to be transported to an orbiting Starship maintenance station in another orbit where she would be repaired. I would join the ship there when it was ready in a few weeks.
The shuttle was suddenly swallowed by the mouth of the docking cylinder. The view was blanked out to be replaced by a grey wall around us as we slid inside the Space Station. There was a thump and a rumble as wheels engaged on the shuttles exterior and it ceased to be a spaceship and became a car. An airlock door closed behind us and a minute later we arrived at the open embarkation area and the shuttle came to a halt.
The doors hissed open and we stepped out onto the deck of the Santra Des. There was of course a reception committee, and I squared my shoulders in anticipation of more formalities. My companions melted from around me and I was left with only Manera in attendance. A tall spindly individual, somewhat stooping and with exaggerated Hianja features, looking like an honest to goodness real alien I thought, stepped forward and embraced me in the Hianja greeting. I squeezed his bony shoulders back, looking him cordially in the eyes and smiled in my best engaging manner. Seeing him close-up, I realise
d that he was quite old, indeed he was the first old looking Hianja I had seen. He stepped back and addressed me.
“Welcome to the Santra Des Captain Constantine, I am the Commanding Officer of the station, Saru Marsani at your service.” I nodded my thanks and replied in Hianja.
“Thank you Master Saru, it is kind of you to greet me personally. It is a great pleasure to be here.” Manera had instructed me on the proper way to address the commander of the Santra Des.
He looked startled and taken aback.
“You speak Hianja?” he asked, his long face tilting forwards and his blinking in what I had learnt was a gesture of surprise.
“I have had a good teacher,” I smiled, indicating Manera.
“Aha,” he acknowledged, “Very gratifying. Your stay here will be a short one unfortunately Captain,” he continued. “The Guardian Council of Mesaroyat are waiting to greet you at our Capital City but it is required that you subject yourself to a de-contamination treatment and a full biological examination for potentially harmful viruses or bacteria. I am sure you understand that we must be very careful to ensure there is no possibility of potentially harmful biological agents being released on the planet,” he finished apologetically.
“I have no problem with that of course,” I assured him, “Although as you know I have been in close contact with a number of your people for a long period now with no harmful affects for any of us.” He nodded politely.
“Yes, we are confident there is no problem. You will of course have full access to all the station, although while you are aboard no one will be allowed to arrive or leave until the tests are concluded,” he replied. “Allow me to conduct you to your quarters. The scientific team from the Tanu will work closely with my people on the Station to conduct the tests.” He beckoned me towards a door and Manera and I followed him. He was clearly curious because he kept sneaking looks at me, examining me from top to bottom.
“Forgive me Captain if I stare,” he said eventually, obviously unable to restrain his curiosity. “But I am quite amazed at your physical similarity to us. Is it not quite unbelievable that two alien species should look so alike?”
“That was my feeling precisely when I first saw Hianja,” I replied.
“It seems incredible,“ he replied shaking his head. “Has anyone considered that Human and Hianja may be related?” Manera chose to answer that one.
“It seems not Master Saru. Paul tells me that there is a full evolutionary record on Earth showing that Humans evolved there from indigenous species. Our DNA shows a small percentage match, we are still analysing that but there is no doubt that we are different species. Hianja and Earth are very similar planets and our evolutionary paths have been almost identical.” I agreed with Master Saru that it was an inexplicable mystery, and he was clearly also mystified because he again shook his head in wonderment.
“It’s enough to make you believe in a God,” he muttered, and this was the first time any Hianja had mentioned religious belief of any sort. I wondered whether his age was a factor in his belief.
The Santra Des was certainly well appointed. The fixtures and fittings were natural materials, not plastic pretending to be wood or fabric My apartment was huge, and was adjacent to Manera’s, which was almost as big. The other members of the scientific team were housed in equal splendour, but they seemed to be quite blasé about it. Huge real windows, not view screens, showed a panoramic view of the Planet, with the Tanu and a number of other ships also in view.
Master Saru left us with an invitation to dinner in the evening. There was no rest for us though, because we were immediately visited by the head of the Scientific Team on the Station, who was responsible for carrying out the biological tests and decontamination. Manera and he spent an hour in discussion, asking me a number of questions and describing the indignities that they were about to inflict upon me, then he and Manera went off to a conference with the other scientists to organise their program.
I was left in the hands of a couple of Hianja, two hard looking males, who I was sure were armed, who were allocated to show me around the station. The Santra Des was truly impressive. The closest analogy was to a luxury cruise ship, she was about the same size and had the same facilities, including three pools and innumerable games areas. It was very easy to forget that you were in Space, orbiting a Planet, so insulated were you from reality.
I decided that taking a swim in a space station was something I could not miss. I asked my minders for swimming trunks and they shrugged blankly. I eventually got the message that Hianja swam in the nude! Shrugging I asked them to direct me to the pool. It was down the corridor and I was the only user. My minders left me in peace for my swim and I put in a few energetic lengths.
My exercise was interrupted by a familiar sweet voice.
“Room for one more?” she asked. She was also completely naked and I admired her curvaceous figure.
“You look gorgeous,” I said with a lascivious smirk. “Do come in.” She jumped in immediately, throwing up a huge fountain of water and then tried to make her getaway. I went after her, but I had forgotten what a poor swimmer she was. I caught her and dragged her under quite easily and she desperately waved her surrender.
“You are a Larton,” she gasped as we surfaced and she finished gasping for air.
“OK, I am sure that is insulting.” I said resignedly.
“It is a huge sea predator , very fearsome,” she replied.
“We have a similar creature on Earth. It’s called a shark,” I replied.
“Well, what else are sharks good at?” she asked enticingly.
“They are very strong, very fast, and they can have sex for hours,” I said rather creatively.
“Oh..,” she pretended interest, “For hours you say?”
“Hours and Hours. And they are very well equipped..,” I smirked meaningfully.
“Very well equipped you say...?” she whispered. I tightened my grip around her waist. Fortunately we were at the shallow end of the pool and I could stand. “Oh yes...I see what you mean,” she whispered. “With an extra limb, you aught to be able to swim faster,” she added, clamping long powerful legs around my thighs.
“It’s not for swimming,” I explained grasping her firm round buttocks.
Chapter 24
My stay on the Santra Des was short but busy. The scientific team wanted innumerable samples of skin, hair and all my bodies fluids. I was x-rayed and scanned by every imaginable type of machine. I was interviewed at length by psychologists, psychiatrists, sociologists and innumerable others whose speciality I did not bother to determine. We were all beginning to learn a great deal about each other by now, and the more I learnt the more I understood the gulf that separated our two races, despite the physical similarities. It was easy for me as an individual to socialise with them because I was special, the first alien, and I was treated as special. They tried hard to not be insulting or patronising or to criticise me or my race.
The day arrived when the medical team gave the all clear for my departure to the planet’s surface. Apparently, Earth viruses were completely baffled by the Hianja biology and represented no threat, and indeed the opposite was also true, Hianja viruses faring no better with the Human biology. I prepared to depart the Santra Des and took my leave of Master Saru and his crew, thanking them for their hospitality.
A shuttle had arrived to transport Manera and me to the planet’s surface and I had to bid a fond farewell to Batsano and Deejana and the other members of the Team before boarding the shuttle. We would meet up again on my return, and I asked Batsano to preserve some degree of sobriety during my absence since I would not be around to look after him. He retorted that since he did not have to put up with my terrible jokes anymore, he had no need to drink!
A planetary landing in a Hianja shuttle was a completely different experience from a landing in an Earth shuttle. No roaring rocket engines, straining to fight gravity and kill the shuttles enormous orbital velocity. The Hianja shu
ttles Artificial Gravity engines operated silently and powerfully to slow the craft down while it was still outside the planet’s atmosphere. Once our speed was a gentle one or two thousand miles an hour the shuttle descended gracefully into the atmosphere, slowing down very rapidly and descending like a feather on the gentle breeze to its destination. It was almost like riding a lift to the planet’s surface.
In a few minutes we were cruising over a city and I gaped at the view of the city being displayed on the view screens like a tourist ogling the sights. And it was quite a sight. I was not unused to cities, and Earth had cities just as big and impressive as this one. But this city was different from anything on Earth, different in architecture, different in concept. The problem with Earth’s major cities was of course that all of them were built during pre-technological civilisation, with the technological bits grafted on to the totally unsuitable narrow streets and primitive roads and buildings. During the late 21st Century, serious efforts had been made on Earth to solve the problem of traffic congestion by passing laws restricting the use of private vehicles and making massive investments in public transport. It had stabilised the problem, but at a level which was still unacceptable to most people and continued to cause huge stress and pollution.
Ostinara, the capital city of Mesaroyat which I was now flying over, was older than any Earth city, but was still built by an advanced technological society, more advanced than Earth. There were no road vehicles on Ostinara, except for street cleaning and maintenance vehicles. All transport was via AG vehicles, and the city was built around the concept of aerial travel. The sky was full of Tanseh, of various sizes from small car sized vehicles to larger long distance craft. They cruised at different altitudes, I guessed almost certainly under Computer control, and following pre-set routes.
Beneath the shuttle the buildings were huge monolithic structures, some of them linked by multilevel walkways and bridges. Architectural stiles seemed predominantly modern abstract, with clean swooping lines, but there were intermixed among them curves and domes, octagons and hexagons, polyhedrons and gleaming metallic squares of every conceivable shape, texture and colour. Huge expanses of greenery, parklands rivers and lakes between the buildings, created a contrast of lines and textures. The city was landscaped on a vast scale. The rivers seem to connect up the lakes, and as we came lower I began to see small boats on the rivers and lakes.
