Tara

by J G Possum

  Frank said, “Ambassador Tron, I can’t tell you how much we appreciate what you have done. You may have averted a war between us and these creatures. It seems all they want is to survive. Without you, this could never have happened.” He could see that Tron was visibly worn from his ordeal. It must take a lot of effort.

  Tron replied, “Sir, I am pleased I was able to help.” When they returned to the ship, the sun was starting to set. The western sky was a beautiful mix of blue, red and orange, and the air was warm and fresh- smelling. There were many blossoms in the surrounding trees.

  The area around the ship was cleared and the security fence was reinforced. The ground crew welcomed them back. Frank and Ambassador Tron went directly to the command center. They were eager to tell of their fantastic adventure.

  Ashley, who had been informed they were on their way back with good news, greeted them. They told the ops crew everything that happened in detail, and that they believed the Tarasaurus had agreed to living in this area with mutual tolerance with humans.

  Frank finally added, “Captain, I don’t know if they can be trusted, but they do know we can kill them if we want to, and they have strong survival instincts--this is their land.”

  Lance replied, “I agree that we cannot let our guard down, but this certainly is good news. Ambassador Tron, we all thank you for your part in this. You are to be commended and I will tell your leader, Zor of your bravery.”

  Tron felt very proud of himself. He said, “Thank you, Captain. I was just doing my duty as ambassador. I’m pleased I could help, but I can tell you this--I have never felt so scared and yet so excited.” They all laughed.

  Frank announced, “Captain, we have started to clear a possible road following southeast from here along the river.”

  Lance replied, “Talk with Lois; she is working with Mike and Sue laying out our new city, Phoenix. They are working with the geographic maps we were able to develop--they will welcome your input.”

  Frank grinned and said, “That sounds great, Captain.”

  Terry replied, “Can that wait until tomorrow, Captain? Frank and I have business together.”

  Lance remarked, “Absolutely, Terry.”

  Frank’s face flushed. He couldn’t wait to leave the control center with Terry on his arm. That evening Lance called Zor and told him of the encounter with the Tarasaurus and how pleased he was with Ambassador Tron. Zor thanked him and replied, “I do not trust the hostile creatures, but I believe you need to try. We both realize to destroy life to the point of extinction is a serious business, better avoided if possible.”

  Lance agreed. He thought, It’s a relief, to be able to talk to another race that is intelligent enough to understand how humans think. His admiration for Zor just increased every time they talked together.

  Lance asked to talk to Ambassador Walker, and Zor immediately connected him. Lance said, “Walter, how are you doing?”

  Walter replied, “I’m fine, Captain. I’m getting to know the Eron. They appear to be a kind people and very advanced. I would like to evaluate the power grid they use. I will talk to Zor tomorrow.”

  Lance said, “You need to talk to Lois.”

  Walter replied, “I tried to call her, but the signal on my communicator is too weak.”

  Lance answered, “I have our engineers working on it; they are going to boost the power to the ship’s personnel transceiver; that should help.”

  Walter said, “I have been reviewing the Eron calendar. It agrees with our scientific analysis to the letter. It takes three hundred days for Tara to completely orbit it’s sun. It is an almost perfect orbit. There are four seasons, in twelve months. They don’t use weeks. They don’t need them, so it’s an option for us.”

  Lance remarked, “I guess you have been busy. I suggest we use the Eron calendar for the sake of convenience and to avoid any confusion. Document the specifics of the calendar and send it to Andy. We have decided to have twenty-four hours in our day, but each hour has only fifty minutes. This gives us the equivalent of a twenty-hour day. Talk to Zor; let him know how we track time and ask if you can help him in any way. Try calling Lois this evening--maybe you can get through. Call me if you need anything--and one more thing, Walter; thanks for being the ambassador.”

  Ashley went to Lance. “How is Walter doing? Lance turned around and said, “He’s fine, and I could tell he’s like a kid in a candy store. I just talked with him; he has already set us up with a good calendar.” He explained it to Ashley. “There are twenty-five days in our month and twelve months in our year--the Eron don’t use weeks, but we could If we want.”

  Ashley said, “I’ll think about it.”

  Lance said, “We have four seasons, each three months long; you can name them.”

  Ashley replied, “Winter, spring, summer, autumn.” She continued, “We can just number the days of the month and the months of the year. I realize we really don’t need weeks.”

  Lois overheard and came over. “Captain, when will Walter be able to call me on our personal phone? I really miss him a lot.”

  Lance turned and faced her. “He will call this evening If the transceiver is modified. Let me know if you hear from him. He is doing a good job. How are you coming along with our city layout?”

  Lois smiled; she knew he wanted to change the subject. “I’ll be able to show you a concept soon.”

  Mike called Lance. “Captain, I have a proposed plan for a main road leading from the ship’s complex southeast to the ocean.”

  Lance replied, “Let’s take a look at it. Ask Sue and Lois to join us.”

  Mike’s drawing showed the road following the river. It was located two hundred feet from the river’s south bank, then ran straight to the ocean. Lois looked at it and said, “I can work with this. When you reach the ocean, at this point, you could turn south and follow the ocean shoreline for a few miles. It could tie in with the city streets when we develop the area. The streets can run perpendicular to the main road as planned.”

  Everyone agreed. Lance remarked, “Now that’s what I call teamwork--excellent.”

  Mike replied, “I’ll start on it right away.”

  Sue said to Lois, “I’m working on a design for individual homes, and I thought Walter might be able to evaluate the Eron dwellings and the construction methods and materials they use.”

  Lois replied, “When I talk to him, I will discuss it. I do believe they have domed roofs because of the high winds we get every night.”

  That evening, Walter did call Lois. She was a happy girl--she missed him more than he knew, and he missed her more than she knew. Walter said he would look into the Eron construction methods and get back to her. The next morning, at daybreak, the ship was alive with activity. Mike assembled his construction team and held a meeting outside the ship in the clearing. He explained that the mission was to construct a good main road all the way to the ocean, approximately five miles, following the river. All the heavy equipment was brought out of the ship and lined up ready to go. Each machine was inspected and checked for completely charged batteries.

  The topographic map showed an outcropping of rock located on the edge of the plateau, about two miles southwest. Mike sent a team with excavation equipment to check it out. They would need a stone quarry for gravel; Sue,had been asking for it. He would lead a team to clear and grade the main road. He thought, Maybe I can borrow some help from Jonah.

  In Erona, Ambassador Walker and several Eron dignitaries were seated at the large round table. Walter asked Zor, “What can we do to help the Eron people?”

  Zor replied, “We could use help in the construction of our dam, north of our city.”

  Walter replied, “I will check it out and see what I can do.”

  Zor smiled and nodded approval. Walter said, “What is your basic material for construction?”

  Zor consulted with his council and said, “We have developed a special organic plastic that is lightweight but extremely strong. It can be molded into any
shape needed while in its plastic state, very versatile. We call it Kyrex. When Kyrex solidifies, in one day, it becomes almost impervious to damage, even under super stress. We are starting to use it for all our new structures. We can give you the formula, if you want it? One of the ingredients is the fluid from a special plant that grows on this planet; it takes just a small amount considering volume.”

  Walter replied, “Sir, we would be very appreciative to have this formula. We will certainly consider using it for our construction. I will speak to Captain Roberts. I’m certain he will help with the dam.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Zor nodded and said, “Excellent; we will give you the formula for Kyrex. If there is nothing more, this meeting is concluded.” He turned and left the room with his council following behind.

  Walter called Lance. “Captain, in a meeting with Zor, I asked him what their basic material was for construction. They use an organic bio-based polymer-type plastic they call Kyrex. One of the ingredients for Kyrex is the juice from a specific plant that is common on this planet. He offered the formula to us, and I accepted his offer.

  “The Kyrex material, when mixed, can be shaped or molded into building blocks or panels, any shape you want--it hardens in one day and is almost indestructible. I’m sure Mike and Sue can find many uses for this material. I’ll get a sample for them to evaluate.”

  Lance replied, “That will be a great help to us. When you have the formula, call Mike and give him the information.” Lance continued, “I’ve been told we have all the minerals we need, such as silicates and gypsum. I’m curious about the special plant you mentioned. I’ll ask Mike to look for it when you have a good description.”

  Walter said, “I asked Zor what can we do to help the Eron. He told me they are building a new dam and have a problem. I expect it is a design problem?”

  Lance replied, “Tell Zor we will be happy to assist. Let me know what he needs help with.”

  On Earthland, Mike drove one of the large graders and was cutting the main road. In front of him were two ATV’s with heavy lasers, clearing away any remaining growth. Behind him was another large grader and a leveling scraper followed by a roller.

  Four soldiers that Frank wanted for protection followed them in a third ATV. The main road was taking shape as planned. They were working out a good plan that would speed up progress. They would need a lot of gravel that would need to be compressed and rolled several times to build a good base.

  Sue was working with Lois on the city layout. She had selected several dwelling designs that she obtained from the ship’s library. They all had a round shape with a domed roof. Sue decided that one-level units were best, having a large living area, generous kitchen and dining area, two baths and three bedrooms. This type of structure could be expanded as desired.

  Lois worked on the city layout with a central government center, located in the center of the city on four blocks. All the streets ran east and west, and the avenues ran north and south on a grid pattern. First Avenue followed the ocean shoreline. Each lot was four hundred feet wide and four hundred feet deep. One block consisted of four lots. All water lines, sewer lines, power lines, and communication lines were buried under the streets and avenues.

  Street lamps were located on every corner. There were sidewalks around each block. The plan was to design the city starting with forty-eight blocks, for a total of one hundred ninety-two lots, including the sixteen lots that would be the government center. That allowed for one hundred seventy-six lots. Lois was proud of her design and felt, why build a village when you can have a city? She thought, I hope Lance likes it--maybe it’s overdone?

  Ambassador Walker was introduced to Zor’s Chief Engineer, Ross. He was an older man with a strong build; he wore a neat short-sleeved shirt that was a pullover, and long shorts. He had a pleasing appearance. He was assigned to interface with Walter concerning the construction of the new dam and the formula for Kyrex. Ross gave Walter the formula and explained the ratio of the materials required. Ross took him outside and showed him the specific plant that was used, and Walter took several pictures of it, for identification. Some of the plants grew wild near the city.

  The Kyrex plant was around eight feet tall and could be commercially grown for industrial use. Ross said, “We have large fields of the plant we grow for our use. It’s new to us, and we’re just starting to use it for our construction. We discovered it by accident when we were working on mixing minerals for construction.

  Walter excused himself and called Lance. “Captain, I have the formula. I am transmitting it now. I’ll call Mike and update.”

  Lance was pleased and thanked him for his efficiency. Walter returned to his meeting with Ross. Ross was eager to explain the problem they have with the new dam that is presently under construction. He said, “Come with me.” They climbed into Ross’s transport and he drove through the city. The Eron people were busy with their everyday activities; they looked happy and content and did not seem to be in a hurry. There were a lot of children. The buildings were arranged in order along streets that branched out in a starburst pattern. They left the city and headed into the surrounding country on a winding road, Walter thought it was beautiful; the sky was blue, and he could see the high mountains.

  A flight of huge birds flew over the valley. Walter thought, This continent is even more beautiful than ours--but then, I really haven’t seen much of our continent. The dam was located in a valley about ten miles north of Eron City. Ross said, “We’re almost there; it’s just up ahead.” A river, about one hundred yards wide, ran through the valley from north to south. The dam could be seen in the distance,

  The dam was an impressive structure, rising high against the mountains on both sides. The base of the dam was in place, with a round building on the north side, probably to be used for power generation. They were using a special type of concrete for most of the construction There was equipment everywhere.

  Ross said, “We are having difficulty anchoring the sides of the dam into the rock base. It’s a critical part of the construction process, and I am concerned.

  “When we explode a hole in the existing rock to construct the base, for the side anchor, the hard rock tends to show micro cracks. I’m concerned that when under pressure, it may gradually break down.”

  Walter studied the actual construction site for a long while and examined the existing rock in detail. Satisfied, he said, “Ross, I believe you can cut the holes you need with a laser.”

  Walter explained, “The laser will not leave micro cracks. When you pour your concrete mixture, let it cure, and then add your Kyrex mixture as a final layer.”

  Ross thought about it and said, “We don’t have a laser that can do that.”

  Walter replied, “We do, and we’ll lend it to you.”

  Ross smiled and replied, “Earth people are generous. There are some of us that do not trust you.”

  Walter said, “After all that your people have experienced, I can understand their feelings. It is hard to trust anyone after being deceived. With time, we shall prove ourselves--and we have our alliance.”

  Ross gave some directions to the project engineer, and they headed back to the city the way they came. He said, “Ambassador, I would like to show you my home on the way back to the city, if you agree.”

  Walter said, “Of course.”

  They drove to an area in the foothills at the base of a mountain. Ross had a unique home, set into the side of the mountain. It had rounded walls and a domed roof and lots of windows. It was landscaped with various tropical plants and large palms. He introduced Walter to his wife and daughter. His wife, Sere, looked younger than Ross, who might be in his fifties. His daughter, Cea, was beautiful; she was small and perfectly proportioned. Cea had fine features. He assumed she was around twenty years old but couldn’t tell.

  Seeing the family, Walter realized how much he missed Lois and realized that family really was the most important thing in life. They asked him to share food
with them. Walter graciously accepted. Sere took his hand and led him to a chair in the living area. She had never seen a human before. She thought, He’s pleasant to look at and so big and strong, and his arms are powerful-looking. She tried not to show her feelings. Ross and Walter talked about the dam.

  Ross said, “If I had a laser, I certainly would try your suggestion; it makes sense to me.”

  Cea and her mother prepared their meal. They presented an assortment of vegetables, some similar to what he knew and some he had never seen before. The food smelled good; he tasted some of it and then realized, They are telepathic; they can sense my feelings. After the meal, they all had a drink of something tasting like tea.

  Ross said, “I think we need to get the ambassador back to the palace.”

  Walter nodded and said, “Thank you for your kindness and hospitality. It was a pleasure to meet you.”

  Sere and Cea took his hand, smiled, and bowed. The two men climbed back into the transport and Ross drove back through the foothills. They followed the same route they took before to return to back to the city.

  Walter asked, “Do you think you could have one of your people fly a small aircraft to Earthland, where you could be instructed on the use of one of our lasers and bring one of them back with you?” Walter wished he could go with them, but he had work to do.

  Ross said, “I’ll talk with Zor; I could bring you some Kyrex plant extract and a sample that you could evaluate right away.”

  When they arrived back at the palace, Walter thanked Ross and went straight to his quarters. He was worn out from thinking about everything. It had been a long day and he needed some rest. He called Mike and discussed the Kyrex formula; he told him he might have some plant extract in a few days.

  The next morning, Walter called Lance and updated him on Zor’s dam project. He explained the dam construction, the problem they had, and what he suggested they try. He also told about his visit with Ross and his family, but he didn’t go into details. He mentioned that the Eron people all seemed to be kind and peace loving. He told Lance that he offered to loan Ross a laser if he could visit them in Earthland.