Tara

by J G Possum

  Lance remarked, “That is really great news. What season are we presently in?”

  “We believe we are soon entering the spring equinox. We suggest a twelve-month year, each month having twenty-five days.”

  Lance agreed, “Makes sense to me.” Lance remarked after talking with Walter, “As I understand, we have a twenty-hour day, compared to Earth time. That equals twelve-hundred minutes. I propose speeding up our clock to equal fifty seconds per minute. We can continue to use a twenty-four-hour day that we always have, except our clock will run faster and each day will equal twelve hundred minutes.”

  The support team agreed and thanked Lance. They would modify the ship’s clocks to run faster. The days would be shorter, but the time would look the same. At noon the next day, Andy flew the shuttle across the ocean to the south continent and with guidance from an Eron navigator assigned by Zor. He located Eron City without a problem.

  As they approached, two Eron aircraft appeared and escorted them to the air field near the palace, where they had previously landed. Lance noticed that the area was peaceful. When they climbed out of the shuttle, a military group saluted them and came to attention. Lance thought, This is far better than the last time we landed.

  Leader Zor was present to meet them and seemed genuinely pleased to see Lance. He shook his hand and was all smiles. When they arrived at the palace, they were treated with great respect by everyone they were introduced to. Lance and his team showed they were also pleased to be visiting Erona. They all were seated at the round table as before, but now it was a lot more relaxing and pleasant with little or no stress. They were given food and drink, while a group of Eron musicians played strange but beautiful music. The food consisted of a variety of vegetables, different from any they had ever seen but very tasty. Apparently the Eron people did not eat meat, or if they did, not much of it.

  The drink they were given was smooth and had a kick to it. Walter and Lance enjoyed the taste--it was not too dry or sweet. They guessed it must have some percentage of alcohol in it. The Erons called it Jolt or life juice and drank it with every meal. Lance was amazed at how quickly the Eron learned the English language; it seemed natural to them. The Eron language was difficult for Lance and Walter to understand. It was based on key sounds that supplemented what they were thinking telepathically. The Eron understood this and used the English language when talking to humans. That evening, Lance, Walter, Zor and his second-in-command, Tron, sat in comfortable chairs in the palace lounge listening to mellow music played on intricate stringed instruments. Tron was fascinated with Andy, who sat quietly, looking around the room taking it all in, without any expression or readable thoughts. Nothing bothered Andy.

  Everyone listened intently while Lance told of the ship’s landing, a description of the terrain, the attack of the large Tarasaurus, and the fact that the creatures might be telepathic. Lance then turned his attention to Zor and said, “Have you seen these creatures?”

  Zor replied, “No, I have never seen them, but our ancestors have encountered them and yes, they are telepathic, just as we are. Our ancestors feared the thoughts they projected; they were very disturbing. They were concerned and worried that if the creatures could read our minds, we could not defend ourselves. So they chose to leave them alone and decided to settle on this land you call the southern continent. Here we have all the room we need, and our land is beautiful and safe.”

  Walter remarked, “If I may speak, I can certainly understand your reasoning; can I assume the creatures do not exist on this continent?”

  Zor replied, “Yes, they do not live on this continent, as far as we know. We have never seen them here.”

  Lance said, “I do not think they can read our minds; that may be why they fear us.” Zor replied “You may have an advantage over them that they have never encountered before.”

  Lance said to Zor, “Can you read our minds?”

  Zor replied, “No, but we can sense your feelings, and that helped us decide to share our planet with you.”

  Lance remarked, “Thank you, Zor.”

  Lance had a lot of respect for Zor, and he felt Zor respected him as well. He said, “I would like to ask you for a special favor. Would you consider sending a representative from Erona to spend some time living with my people on Earthland?”

  Zor sat silent and then said, “Would you have your representative live here on Erona for a while, Commander Roberts?”

  Lance smiled, then replied, “I believe we both can help each other and be better neighbors.” Lance thought, Zor is an intelligent man and a good negotiator.

  Zor motioned to one of his attendants, and she brought a bottle and poured drinks for everyone. Zor held his glass high and said, “To the Alliance of Nations.” Everyone acknowledged the toast and drank.

  Zor said, “My ambassador shall be Tron; he is my trusted second-in- command.

  Tron, who had been looking at Zor, smiled and said, “I am honored, Leader Zor.”

  Lance talked with Walter, then said, “My ambassador shall be my trusted friend and chief engineer, Walter Walker.”

  Walter looked at Lance, smiled, and said, “I will do my best to represent the human people and the nation of Earthland.”

  Lance announced, “Zor, if it’s agreeable with you, the ambassadors shall be stationed as soon as possible and hold positions for an initial period of one month or twenty-five days. We calculate one day to have twenty earth hours. Do you agree?”

  Zor replied, “I agree. It is logical we do not delay. The ambassadors shall report directly to the nation’s leader that they represent.”

  Lance replied, “I agree.” He then gave Zor his gift. He explained how the digital video player worked with the built-in twenty-five-inch screen.

  Walter introduced the special NASA recording to everyone.

  Zor, Tron, and the three council members gathered around and watched the video showing Earth and details of North America, including a brief overview of the national parks and specific NASA space programs. The Eron were impressed with the pictures of Earth. Lance and Walter felt a little nostalgic. They all agreed it looked a lot like Tara. The Eron were impressed with the cities of Los Angeles and New York; also the skyscrapers were hard to believe. Lance explained he had more videos they could watch in the future.

  Zor said to Lance, “I feel we know each other much more, and I have a gift for you, a special communicator phone so you may contact me whenever you wish from Earthland.”

  Lance thanked him. He was pleased with this device. He was delighted; the meeting was all he could have hoped for. He thought, This has been a good day. Ashley will be so happy; however, Lois won’t be.

  Andy was taking in all that he could see, and hoped he was accepted for what he was. He could see that Captain Lance was in a good mood and so was Leader Zor. He knew Tron wanted to talk to him, and he felt comfortable about that; he served a purpose. The evening wound down and Lance, Walter, and Andy were shown their accommodations for the night. They excused themselves and retired to their rooms. Lance was almost too powered up to sleep. Andy didn’t sleep, so he spent the evening looking at artwork.

  The next day, Walter was assigned to a special apartment located in the palace down a hallway leading to the great room. Tron reported to Lance and said, “Captain, I’m at your service.”

  Tron was much younger, about five feet tall, in top physical shape, with a pleasant smile and fine features; he appeared to be very intelligent, as well.

  Lance replied, “I am pleased to have you, Ambassador Tron.”

  Zor said, “Captain, I am pleased we have had this meeting. You and I are both leaders who can make important decisions that will shape the future of our nations. We have the ability to act with consideration for each other. That is true leadership. I consider you a friend.”

  Lance saluted him and said with a smile, “I feel the same, but I guess you already knew that.” They both smiled and walked together toward the ground vehicle. Lance said, �
��Ambassador Walker, keep in touch.”

  Lance, Andy, and Ambassador Tron all boarded the vehicle and were driven back to the airfield where the shuttle was waiting.

  Andy flew back to Earthland and returned the shuttle to its hangar. Lance introduced Ambassador Tron to the operations team. They made him feel welcome. Lois wasn’t pleased about Walter staying in Erona for twenty-five days. She didn’t want him away from her, but she tried hard not to show her feelings. She knew he needed to do what was best for Earthland; duty first.

  Ambassador Tron was shown around the Aquarius. He seemed very impressed with how large the ship really was. He had never seen anything like it, or the level of technology. Tron wore a white uniform and was easy to spot wherever he went. Everyone liked him; he was easy-going and vary polite. He was totally fascinated with Andy. He planned to spend some time talking with him, soon. Lance announced, “At 0800 tomorrow we will meet to discuss the Tarasarus problem.”

  Lance said to Tron, “We work together to resolve issues as they show up and establish action required. We call it a democracy.”

  Tron replied, “I understand, Captain. We also use our council of three on Erona to evaluate all major issues, but our leader, Zor, has the final say.”

  Lance thought, We are more alike than not.

  Tron was assigned to a stateroom located near the operations crew on Deck Three.

  Ashley came over to Lance and said, “We need to talk.”

  Lance knew what was bothering her; she had that look about her. Ashley went to her stateroom with Lance. He held her in his arms. She felt as though he had been away a long time, and she missed him more than he knew. They kissed each other passionately and slowly removed each other’s clothes and ended up in the shower together. Lance thought, She’s as beautiful as ever, and just as soft. That evening, lying in bed, they knew their love would last forever, wherever they were in the galaxy.

  The next morning, while having breakfast, Ashley said, “Did you have to leave Walter on Erona?”

  Lance replied “Walter is the perfect ambassador--he’s excited at the idea, and I know he is in his glory. He can do a lot to help us and the Eron people. The communicator that Zor gave me will help us to be in close contact, and I believe Zor is my friend, as he told me.”

  Ashley replied, “I know, honey, but it’s not fair to Lois.”

  Lance said, “She’s a trooper; she’ll be fine, and I’ll keep her busy. She can help lay out our city, and they can talk every day.”

  Back in the operations control center, everyone gathered around the conference table, including Ambassador Tron. Lance said, “Have we learned anything more about the Tarasaurus?”

  Frank said, “We have improved our map of the area and located where I found them in a clearing. That location is on the south side of the river, where we are. The large group is located on the north side of the river. We believe they are able to cross the river, maybe during the dry season, if there is a dry season?”

  Lance turned to Tron and said, “What do you know of these creatures?”

  Tron replied, “I have been told of them, but I have never seen one. Our ancestors tried to inhabit the northern land mass but decided against it after a great loss of life.”

  Lance showed Tron a picture of the creature. “We have named it Tarasaurus, because it resembles a prehistoric creature that once lived on our planet Earth.”

  Tron studied the picture and said, “It is certainly extremely hostile and dangerous-looking.”

  Lance replied, “One of them killed one of our people. We killed three of them.” He looked directly at Tron and said, “Do you think you could communicate with this creature?”

  Tron answered, “I believe with some effort I could, and I’m willing to try, Captain.”

  “Excellent; I was hoping you would say that,” Lance replied.

  Ashley remarked, “Frank, do you think you could find the small group that you located on your last exploration?”

  Frank answered, “I can follow my original path, and with luck we may find them in the same clearing.”

  Ashley said, “Captain, I propose we send the same team as before, along with Ambassador Tron. We will attempt to communicate with them.” She continued, “If they decide to attack, I want them totally destroyed.”

  Lance replied, “I agree. If our efforts to understand them fail, we will have no other choice. We will not live in fear on the same planet. Frank, prepare for your trip. Ambassador Tron, are you agreeable to this?”

  Tron replied, “I am agreeable, Captain.”

  Frank said, “We can head out at daybreak.”

  Lance announced, “Make sure you are well armed and keep in touch with Ashley; we can’t afford to lose another person on this planet.”

  As the huge sun rose over the ocean, Frank, Tron, and four soldiers rode in the leading ATV. Following them were two more ATV’s with four soldiers in each one. All three ATV’s were equipped with a heavy laser, and each soldier carried a hand laser.

  Frank announced, “I want everyone on high alert. Don’t fire unless we are attacked--in that case, shoot to kill, and be aware that they are fast. If they charge at us, you need to hit them before they can reach you, or they will kill you as they die. Aim for the head; the heavy laser will do the job. You must stand your ground if they do attack.

  “Now remember, our objective is to determine if we can co-exist on this planet with mutual tolerance; that’s what we want. The captain does not want to exterminate them, unless we are attacked. We have two heat sensors that can help locate them. Ambassador Tron, from Erona, will attempt to communicate with them, if we find them. He is telepathic, and we believe they may be telepathic. Does everyone understand the mission?”

  The soldiers responded, “Yes, sir; understood, sir.” They followed the old trail east, along the river as before, but took more time to search.

  Frank thought, Mike could cut a decent road all along this river to the ocean. I’ll have to discuss it with him. He said, “Let’s cut down some of this growth in our path as we proceed. We can use this as our future road. Use your hand lasers only, and don’t hurt the big trees.”

  Tron was impressed how the lasers could cut like a clean knife. Unfortunately a few small animals didn’t get out of the way in time and were killed in the process; it couldn’t be helped. Frank ordered that they slow down to give the creatures a chance to scatter. They followed the river for about three miles, then turned north and headed into the heavy jungle toward the river. They cleared a path through the jungle just large enough to pass through. The monkeylike animals that lived in the trees started making a lot of noise, chattering loudly back and forth. They seemed to be warning other animals that something was coming. When the team finally broke into the clearing, a large Tarasaurus was standing at the far end in the tall grass. Everyone froze.

  Frank waved his hand pointing downward, signaling to stop. He thought, Maybe we were the ones being warned.

  Frank said, “Don’t make any threatening moves.” Everyone froze. The three ATV’s lined up together. Frank stood up and positioned himself behind his heavy laser. He said, “Don’t take your eyes off the creature and watch the edges of the clearing--there are probably more just watching us. Tron, do you sense anything?”

  Tron nodded and said, “They know we are here but seem confused. They are not sure what to do, maybe if I were closer?”

  Frank addressed the driver. “Slowly position us onto the high ground just inside the tall grass. I’ll take the lead. Follow me.” He whispered, “Do not fire.”

  As the ATV’s moved into position, The tarasaurus they were watching backed into the jungle, and a larger Tarasaurus moved into the clearing and faced them. Tron said, “This one seems to be the group leader. There are several others staying out of sight.” Tron whispered, “They seem to be communicating with each other.”

  Frank whispered, “Everyone listen up. Do not fire unless we are attacked, keep alert. Tron, tell them we
are not here to harm them.”

  Tron concentrated, thinking, WE MEAN NO HARM.

  Everyone watched the big Tarasaurus for any signs of understanding. Frank stood up and raised his hands high above his head. The Tarasaurus, seeing Frank, raised himself to his full height, about sixteen feet, and put his huge arms high over his head. Everyone looked in amazement. The creature seemed to acknowledge what was happening.

  Frank smiled, and said, “We have their attention. Tron, tell them we wish to live near the river in peace.”

  Chapter Ten

  Tron nodded and continued to concentrate, thinking WE WILL LEAVE. YOU ALONE. YOU WILL LEAVE US ALONE. Tron kept all other thoughts from his mind. Frank waited for a while, then looking straight at the creature, he lowered his arms. The Tarasaurus, watching Frank, lowered his arms, turned around, and returned to the jungle the way he came.

  Frank waited to make sure it wasn’t coming back, then said, “Slowly back off and head back the way we came. I think we have an understanding or a standoff.” Frank remarked to his men, “We will not drop our guard and I’m sure they will continue to watch us. I’m not ready to trust them, but with time we may build some confidence between us.”

  They followed the same path to return that they had made. They turned west and continued toward the ship on the preliminary main road clearing away any additional growth they missed on the way. Frank felt he wanted to give Mike a hand at constructing the road.

  At this location, they were close to the river. Numerous small animals ran out of their way, and many large and small lizard creatures slid into the water. Flights of large, strange birds flew in flocks low over the river, mostly heading northwest.

  Some smaller birds were roosting in the trees along the riverbanks. Larger, bright-colored birds were flying in looking for their special tree branch to spend the night. The river was full of activity; some large fish were jumping, and others were making swift passes at smaller fish that scattered and tried to get out of the way. The water was crystal-clear and a marvel to look at. You could see it had never been contaminated.