Preliminary observations by the four people on the planet as well as by experts viewing transmitted recordings, likened the creatures to both old European folklore of Trolls, hence their name, and North American native descriptions of a creature known as Sasquatch.
The buried spacecraft had controls marked with symbols similar to ancient Nordic Runes. These same ruins were also found in the Himalayas. That area of the Himalayas was well known as the home of the ancient Yeti, another Troll like creature from local folklore.
It was too early in the investigation to draw any hard conclusions, but these facts led to some wild speculation around the campfire at night. The scientists onboard Lola were chomping at the bit to get down to the planet and meet the Trolls, but they would have to be patient. Dr. Dora Montejano, who knew more than any other person about the creatures after the breakthrough meeting, was concerned about overwhelming the Trolls with too many scientists at once. She decided it should be a gradual process.
Tommy and Jason located a good site for a campground on the other side of the hillside. It would accommodate the landing party as well as the visiting scientists without crowding the Trolls. The crew of the Lola knew how violent and powerful these creatures could be. Chris, Nicky, Julie and I had agreed we didn’t want to anger the creatures.
The scientists agreed. They were still going to be the first in their respective fields to observe. They would get all the credit they deserved and were willing to wait.
Tommy and Jason had begun preparing a pig sty based on recommendations from the Kupp Brothers. It was closer to the mouth of the cavern leading to the tunnels. There they would raise the hogs then butcher and process them into the tasty food the Trolls loved.
I listened in as Andy and Terry Kupp described the sty construction to Tommy and Jason via radio. The security precautions they insisted upon were impressive. I spoke with them later about their concerns. I was unaware how smart pigs can be. They like to escape and live on their own. When free, they revert to a feral stage. Their lower incisors grow into tusks and they become very aggressive. They are omnivores and will eat everything they can. On Earth’s smaller islands where they’ve escaped, they decimated the place. We couldn’t allow that to happen here.
I monitored Tony’s conversation with the ground. I knew he was confident the two troopers had secured the ground defenses. He would never attempt a landing if he wasn’t. Tony gave a play by play as he landed on the hilltop.
Inside the shuttlecraft, were three other men. All troopers, they would unload the supplies the shuttle was carrying and then stay behind as Tony returned to Lola for more supplies. This would give Tommy or Jason a chance to rotate up to Lola. The four that stayed on Chico 7 needed a break to recharge their batteries. Although they each said they had enjoyed their stay on the planet, they were under intense stress the entire time. Always watchful of the heavens, fearing a return of the bandits, they had remained in the cavern and tunnel system 90% of the time. In the cave-dark world, their senses were on guard. Everything was new to them. There was a constant fear of cave in for which they were ill-prepared. When one occurred, the Trolls dug themselves out with a tunneling talent developed over a millennium. Our four personnel hadn’t developed that ability in their short time on the planet. As such, they were accompanied by a Troll whenever they were in a tunnel.
They all needed to shower and get fresh clothes. Power suits can only do so much for them aft weeks living in a cave. I’m sure they would appreciate a few good meals from our galley. It was a surprise to me when I learned they were not anxious to come aboard. Tommy and Jason would come up only if they alternated. Rick wanted to stay with Dora and Dora didn’t want to leave her Trolls for a moment.
Our first few shuttle runs were supplies only and included were two misting booths. At least the four would get clean. We also included new clothing and power suits for Dora and Rick, who weren’t coming up. I headed down on the third shuttle trip. I wanted them to brief me and Chris on what they had learned. Tony was now pulling out of the ship's hangar and would return for us in about ninety minutes. Nicky C. rode down on the first trip and was already on the planet organizing the unload and set up of the new camp.
We were setting up a more permanent camp for our people. I expected some of our people would be staying for an extended time while the Trolls and their culture were studied. We brought along a few creature comforts that bivouacking troops would never consider hauling along. Shower misters, full food prep facilities and hard sided shelters with climate control. Chris added active camo to cover the entire facility to ensure bandits wouldn’t spot them from space. We also included an auto laundry pod which would allow clean clothing without resorting to the time-honored tradition of beating your shirt on a rock in the river.
As I stepped from the shuttle onto the planet, I marveled at the beauty of this world. Lush forests spread out before me looking down from the hilltop. In the distance, I thought I saw a lake. The temperature was very comfortable, though I understand it was much warmer and humid when our people were first here. Best of all, the air was fresh, it had a delightful spiced scent.
Tommy met me at the edge of the hillside. Chris joined us as we shook hands. “Boss, Skipper, Dora wants me to bring you two down to the cavern. She wants to introduce you to our hosts as soon as you get there. Did you bring the welding goggles?”
Chris nodded, “We have a couple cases of them like she asked.”
“Good, let's grab a couple pair and bring them with,” Tommy said.
Tommy led the way downhill. As we walked, he pointed out the defenses he and Jason had emplaced as well as the cache of explosives and unused weapons stored in a small cavern. It wasn’t a long walk and after about ten minutes we arrived in a small clearing. Sitting off to one side was a large cylinder. It was the trap our people set to capture a Troll. In the end, a Troll ripped off the hatch from one end with little effort. There were the two logs where Dora and the Trolls had sat and talked. Across the clearing and under active camo awnings were several tents along with the rest of the team’s supplies.
I tried to see inside the cave opening, but it was too dark inside and my eyes couldn’t make out any details. I turned back to Tommy and was about to speak when Dora came out of the cave with Rick. Both had great smiles on their faces. They welcomed us. It felt as if we were visiting them in their new home.
“I’m so glad you’re here. I’ve so much to show you. First, I have someone I want you to meet. Did you bring the welders goggles? Dora asked.
Tommy handed her four pairs. “The rest will be down in a short time.”
“Okay, wait here. I’ll be right back.” Dora hurried back into the cave.
Rick stayed with us. He was as excited as Dora. “You’re going to love this. Have you been studying the sign language?”
I answered with the sign for yes.
Inside the cave, Dora was talking to Goorow. She helped him adjust the goggles to fit and showed him how to place them over his eyes. She placed them on his forehead for the moment and had him follow her to the cavern opening. Once there was enough light she told him to put the lenses over his eyes.
Dora led Goorow out of the cave and into the bright midday sun. Welders goggles appear opaque except for the bright arc of a welder’s torch. To Goorow it made the daylight comfortable and he liked it. Dora led him to the men standing with Tommy and Rick.
The men of the group stood tall without realizing it. Goorow stood straight to his full height and squared his shoulders. No one could think of a more intimidating sight than Goorow at full height, head held back, and shoulders square. Goorow cleared his throat and in his grunting voice said "Goorow Friend," as he made the same signs for the men in the clearing.
Chris and I repeated the same while signing. We all let out a deep breath. I had no idea how this would go and was a little worried. I’d seen the damage a Troll could do. Goorow seemed to also exhale in relief and took a more relaxed posture. I then understo
od this creature was as aware as we were. He was as nervous about the meeting as us.
Goorow repeated “Goorow – Friend,” several more times. I did too. It was as if the pressure cooker relief valve vented and equalized. I looked around, we were all smiling including this new creature, our friend the Troll, named Goorow.
Chapter 15
We'd been in orbit around Chico 7 for seven days. Julie traveled down to the planet when I returned. She brought Kenny, and our little Troll, Butch with her. There was some concerned about Butch and how his introduction to the rest of the Trolls would go. There needn’t have been. They welcomed him like the lost family member he was.
Dora learned a female Troll had gone missing about three years ago at the same time as there was a landing party of bandits on the hilltop. She must have been in the early stages of her pregnancy. Dora figured the gestation period for the Trolls was about 10 months our time. That would make Butch a little over two years old. That seems about right, I guess.
Butch loved the attention from the adult Trolls as well as playing with the other young Trolls. He had a strong grasp on the sign language from the video training he had gone through with Kenny. The young Trolls were picking up signing from Butch easier than the adults were from Goorow. We expected that. Human children are able to learn a second language easier than adults.
As much as Butch was accepted and blended in, he'd bonded with Kenny and would only leave him for short periods. At night, he returned to Kenny to sleep. Kenny had become his immediate family. The Trolls saw this and took special care to show Kenny favor. He got food first and they reserved special seating for him. The Trolls realized how important Kenny was in saving one of their own.
Julie grew fascinated by this. She spent most of her waking hours with Dora and Goorow. She learned as much as she could about their tunneling and lifestyle.
I'd determined that either Chris, Julie or I should be on board Lola when we’re in orbit, in case the bandits return. We knew the ship best. Chris had a lot to do with the Genus personnel on the planet, and Julie was busy with the Trolls, so that left me on board missing out on most of the planet-side fun.
Lola was pretty empty of people for the moment. She could operate with a small crew. I'd often run her by myself. Chris Williams often signed on as my first mate. I liked that solitude back then. I’d been in the dark about Chris’s life as the head of Genus. He used Lola to covertly travel around the galaxy unnoticed. It worked for me and for him, so I never asked questions. In the last year and a half that had all changed. I’d met Julie, become part of Genus, and expanded Lola.
Lola was still manageable with a small crew. So, most of our people were planet-side enjoying the fresh air and meeting the Trolls. Our scientists were busy learning about the creatures below. The Genus troopers were setting up a more permanent installation away from the Trolls. Even our hogs were down on the planet and living in their state of the art pig sty. Lola was orbiting the planet and keeping watch on the heavens.
Julie told me the two scientists, Dr. James Francis the Cryptozoologist and Dr. Robert Mariano the Linguistic Philologist, were working without a break for several days. She made sure that food was brought to them, so they didn’t get weak. Both had remarked that this find would rewrite the textbooks and the history books.
Dr. Mariano and Jim Thule, our new engineer, were spending most of their days in the buried spacecraft cockpit trying to decipher the cryptic runes on the instruments. Their goal was to salvage any stored computer records and documents that may exist. They started by trying to identify controls and their accompanying runes. If they could develop a key, a sort of Rosetta stone, they might be able to figure it all out. Dr. Mariano had confidence they would.
Dr. Francis had spent his time watching the Trolls interactions between each other and the humans. He sat taking notes and then later sitting with Dora and asking her hundreds of questions.
Julie spent some time in the tunnels with Goorow. She gathered about fifty pounds of lovely green crystals, some embedded in the walls and some loose and laying on the ground. She messaged me that she wanted to get them back on Lola to runs some tests, but she was feeling good about what she saw. In her words, “They’re lying everywhere.”
The more excited she got, the more I realized we’d soon inherit the responsibility for ensuring the Trolls safety and care. Julie hinted at several ideas for managing Chico 7. As the major shareholder and chairman of the board of Hardcore Mining, she’d already filed a claim for the mineral rights on Chico 7. Being uninhabited by humans, it fell under our government to regulate mining. Now that she had a legal claim, it was as if Hardcore owned the planet.
Julie had left me a few articles to read about Carbonado diamonds. I scanned through them and learned that these diamonds were the hardest form of carbon. Even harder than conventional diamonds found on earth. The intense pressures and radiation needed to create them made for a denser crystalline structure that vibrates at a much higher frequency than any other crystals. This meant that they were perfect for use in clocks that were a thousand times more accurate than anything available today.
Accuracy like this means nothing to us for keeping a business appointment. Where it does come into value is quantum computing. Quantum computers have been around a while but had reached a ceiling they couldn’t surpass. They were limited by the crystals they used and the accuracy of their internal clocks. Now with Carbonado diamonds, experts believed they could make quantum computers a thousand times faster than today’s fastest. They were perfect for the two biggest research areas using these computers.
Alcubierre Warp drives have been envisioned for centuries, and in the last 150 years had been used for space travel. It's what made travel to the fringe possible. The problem was the technology had peaked. We were unable to exceed current levels due to hardware limitations. Carbonado diamond powered computers looked to be the next step that would take us past our current limitations.
Carbonado diamond powered computers were also the key to another form of transportation, teleportation. What once was the realm of science fiction, it had become real, although impractical. The computing needs were astronomical. A scanner would first take a complete scan of the object, atom by atom. To do so destroyed the object. This data was then transmitted to a receiver that reconstructed the object, atom by atom. At this point, it was only able to transport very small objects. Live objects didn't survive the process. Carbonado diamond computers had the potential to overcome this limitation. With that in consideration, the value of the diamonds on Chico 7 was too great to calculate.
I sent our main chef and one of the assistants down to run the mess hall on the planet. With as few people as we had on board, our kitchen was fine with one cook. I was spending a good amount of time lending a hand with food preparation. Our Cabin boy Kenny stayed on the planet as Butch’s companion and caretaker. That was more important.
Nicky gave me a call to fill me in on the Genus compound. It was going well. Most everything we brought along was already set up and running. Our living quarters were now laid out like a village, rather than your typical military grid. Everything looked more comfortable. He worked between the trees rather than cut them down. He wanted to blend in and make as little impact on the area as possible. He'd installed a water filtration facility that tapped into the groundwater. Tests showed he was getting safe potable water and plenty of it. They're going to send the misting showers back up to Lola since they could take traditional showers without worry.
“Good food, warm beds, and plentiful showers keep my men happy. The women aren’t complaining either. Dr. Dora mentioned to me she spent thirty minutes under the spray after the weeks on the planet without one.” Nick said.
We still had a well-staffed medical section. Larry Stacey, no longer in an induced coma and recovering surprisingly well, was still in serious condition and needed round the clock care. I stopped in to visit him a couple times a day. He was well sedated but the last visit
he was much more coherent and able to carry on a conversation.
“Sorry I broke the spacecraft, Skipper.” He joked.
“Forget about it. The important thing is you're here and you'll make a full recovery. Chris said we won’t scrap it. Joel will be able to put it back in top shape when we return to Oakdale. He also said don’t worry about the cost. He would work out an easy payment plan for you.” I responded with a chuckle. I added, “Maybe we can get General Mauer to give us another one.”
Larry tried to laugh but I could see it hurt, so I excused myself and let him rest. He’ll be okay, and we expect him to make a full recovery, but there will be a lot of pain along the way.
I made my way forward to the bridge. Iwona was alone. She was at her normal seat monitoring ships sensors. “Good afternoon Skipper. How’s everything going on the ship?”
“Lola is running like a fine-tuned clock. It sure is quiet in the corridors with everyone down below. Why don’t you go take a break, as long as everything is okay up here?” I offered.
Rapparee: The Regeneration (The Journey of the Freighter Lola Book 5) Page 9
