Expedition (Galactic Neighborhood Book 1)

by Alexander Elliott

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  Moving three hundred stasis pods presented its own set of challenges, but the thought of transferring a million eggs seemed daunting. This precious collection represented the future of the Vingah race, and great care was taken in designing and building the stasis chambers which housed them. Like the Sentinels, they were octagon shaped pillars, roughly ten feet high and five feet in diameter. Each was a stand-alone unit, containing its own power supply, computer controls, monitoring equipment, and twenty thousand fertilized eggs. While it was true there were only fifty of them to be transferred, they were heavy, bulky, and would be hard to maneuver once inside the ship.

  Mosis and his cavern crew were busy long before the others started for the day. With all the extra space now available, the squat pillars were rearranged to give each one clear space all around. The weight and bulk of the egg units required the use of the strongest powered sleds, and unfortunately, there were only a dozen available. To save time, and reduce the chances for damage, it was decided to load the pillars onto the sleds while they were still in the caverns.

  While one Sentinel was tasked with transferring from the planet to the ship, an additional Sentinel would be ferrying the sleds from the ship back to the planet to be used again. Portable tractor units were installed in the caverns to lift and place the pillars onto the sleds as they arrived. The target time for each transfer was just under five minutes apiece, and if the crews at both ends could keep things moving along smoothly, they should be finished in less than five hours.

  With the Sentinels standing by, Mosis acknowledged Perry’s signal the shipside crew was ready to begin. A ten second warning chimed in both work areas, and the first pillar disappeared from the cavern and reappeared onboard the ship. The crew sprang into action, maneuvering the unwieldly unit across the bay and into the transit tube for its journey below decks. The sled operator was forced to move backwards through the ship, as the unit was so large it blocked a forward view. Other crew members were stationed along the entire route, armed with handheld pressers which would prevent the pillar from being bumped or scraped along the way.

  This first unit would be the most difficult, as they learned where the tight spots and difficult corners were located. Once the unit cleared the connecting corridor, the sizable storage bay opened wide to provide much simpler handling. While it still hovered quietly above the deck, internal tractor beams lifted and held the pillar in place while the sled was shunted off to the side for pickup. The pillar was then gently placed in its protected alcove and locked into position. Meanwhile, the next unit was already en route, with another waiting in the cargo bay.

  Transit time steadily shrank from almost seven minutes down to the four-and-a-half-minute mark as the crew hit their stride. No one was in any particular hurry, given the importance of the cargo, but the same concerns of fatigue applied to today’s work also. At the halfway mark, the crew took an extended break, excited that the tedious job was nearing completion.

  With another signal from Mosis, the transfer process resumed with little fanfare, carefully monitored and observed by Thriss and Perry from their console in the cargo bay blister. More than two hours later, the last pillar was delivered and locked into place below deck. When it was secured, the crew erupted in cheers and applause, both relieved and satisfied the job was finished.

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  The following day was filled with various tasks which needed to be completed before their journey resumed. The primary one involved the mountain caverns on Khrusos, which were being given a thorough going-over, despite the fact everything there was hundreds of years out of date. If it was still in working order and could be put to good use, it was salvaged and placed in storage on the new ship. Power generators, computer equipment, tractors, environmental plants, communications panels, and even furnishings filled numerous storage crates. Establishing a new colony was difficult enough, so having ready-made equipment on hand could end up saving a great deal of time and effort.

  The second task was discarding the now-quiet orbital smelter. When the crew finished creating the new Sentinels, Thriss requested they manufacture the pieces for a more efficient replacement which would be towed to the new colony when they left the system. With its usefulness at an end, it was time to dispose of it permanently.

  Two Sentinels approached the old workhorse, tractored it between them, and disappeared into fold space. The operation was being watched carefully onboard both ships, as a similar technique would be used to dispatch the planet very shortly. The Sentinels and their unlucky burden reappeared just outside the black holes’ event horizon. Using their powerful tractor beams, the smelter was flung over the threshold and summarily swallowed up by the black hole.

  Meanwhile, on board Expedition, Mosis was overseeing the final preparations for Captain Perry’s upcoming white glove inspection. Departure day was imminent, and the ship needed to be in top notch condition when the time came. The last several months of activity taxed ship and crew alike, so equipment and systems were being tested, cabins cleaned, and departments inventoried. Traditional work rosters were re-established for the crew, who now resumed their normal posts. The ship was alive with busy work and a healthy dose of anticipation regarding their future. Perry and Arlington began the inspection in Engineering, as was the custom, and ended it with the bridge.

  The vessel was in excellent condition, with every department boasting a one hundred percent readiness state, and Perry was quietly pleased. He relaxed into his command chair and gestured to Lynn for an open channel.

  “It has come to my attention this crew has been working above and beyond the call of duty for some time. Your sacrifice and determination have not gone unnoticed, and you have made your Captain proud. What we have accomplished here will benefit Humanity and Vingah for generations to come. I wish to reward you in a tangible fashion by inviting you to a celebration on the recreation deck. The senior officers and I will meet you there before joining the Vingah Council in the crystal forest. Enjoy yourselves – you have earned it.”

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  It was time. Months of hard work, wonderful discoveries, and new relationships culminated in changes which would guide the future of three intelligent species – yes, including the now-restrained Lydokk. For the Vingah, this was a bittersweet day of setting aside the old and embracing the new. For the Humans, it was a celebration of future discoveries and the promise of a new home.

  The Vingah vessel, tucked into the shadow of Expedition, maneuvered the group of original Sentinels into a low orbit of Khrusos. With a final, silent command, they opened a fold space entry large enough for the planet to pass. In a blaze of golden light, it slipped through and reappeared on the cusp of the event horizon. The hungry black hole broke the dead planet in pieces and left nothing behind to note its passing. Khrusos was gone, and with it, all evidence the Vingah ever existed in this system.

  The new Sentinels encircled both ships, opened fold space, and quietly disappeared into the void.

  Chapter 8

  Many months later.

  The silver globe which was Expedition continued its lazy orbit around planet ‘D’, having finished all the scans and sampling which were required. While the data was being analyzed, the crew lapsed into a strange disquiet. It was an odd feeling after all this time, to be free to pursue their own goals instead of the Vingah’s agenda. Not that it wasn’t worth every moment, but after working together for so long to address the needs of their treaty partner, the Expedition crew felt almost guilty. Lynn Tuttle said it best.

  “It’s as though I were skipping school, and just waiting for my parents to find out!”

  There were five human-suitable planets which the Vingah found while searching for their own new world. Dubbed A-E for simplicity, the crew spent the last several days examining each of them in turn. Their locations, and the secret of the fold space drive, were the Vingah’s parting gifts to their human benefactors. Their new home, christened Khrusallis, was a perfect location for t
he gentle and intelligent race to reestablish themselves. There were a few minor differences in weather, topography, and gravity which would require some adjustments, but overall it was ideal and ready to receive its new inhabitants.

  Eighteen long months passed, filled with construction of the new capital city, the planting and first harvest of crops, and the introduction of compatible flora and fauna. Once there was enough housing and food available, the other adults were released from their stasis chambers. A limited number of eggs were also allowed to develop, and the very first larva in over five hundred years emerged just before Expedition resumed its journey.

  Currently, Perry and his senior staff were gathered to discuss the data gleaned from planet ‘D’, and compare it to the other three already visited. While all of them were technically habitable for humans, there were other issues to be considered. Planet ‘A’ boasted adequate gravity and land to water ratio, but it was very cold, being a little too distant from its star.

  Planet ‘B’, on the other hand, enjoyed a tropical climate and thick vegetation. The native life forms, however, were numerous, aggressive, and determined to make a quick snack of the landing party. Planet ‘C’ was basically a great sandbox in space, sporting two harsh suns and lacking adequate water and nutrients to support a large population. While planet ‘D’ looked promising initially, it was determined to be tectonically unstable and entirely too volcanically active.

  Discouraged by what they found so far, the team pinned their hopes on planet ‘E’. The information provided by the Vingah was somewhat sketchy, so they would have to wait until they got a close look themselves. Before the conversation went too far, Perry called for attention.

  “I believe we have been working under the false assumption one of these five planets would reveal itself as a perfect fit, and our search would be over. I must remind you our original journey was predicated on a generations-long search. The information given to us by the Vingah is simply a starting point, and we may yet find uses for the worlds we have already seen. I am as eager as the next person to find and establish the colony, but realistically, our mission may continue for a very long time. We will examine planet ‘E’ tomorrow and determine if it is compatible with our needs. If not, we will discuss our options and create a plan of action to continue the search into the future.”

  Though everyone agreed with the Captains’ comments, there were some, including Perry, who secretly hoped he was wrong.

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  As first impressions went, ‘E’ was a beautiful planet. The ship emerged from fold space two hours earlier, and the crew was pleasantly shocked by what they found. Initially labeled as a water world by the Vingah, the actual land mass was substantial, though scattered across the globe like a great rash in islands large and small. The mostly mountainous planet evidently passed through an extreme volcanic phase in its past.

  Some of the islands were nothing more than huge lava domes rising high into the violet sky from beneath the sea. Other land masses were enormous and included mountainous terrain, plains, valleys, and rolling hills. Temperatures were moderate all over the planet, though the poles were cold enough to produce snowcapped peaks and some glacier activity. Initial scans revealed the crust to be tectonically stable, with little recent or current volcanic activity.

  ‘E’ also boasted two smallish moons which danced in orbit, creating a unique double tide and what would probably be a beautiful show after dark. Gravity, always a major concern, measured at slightly less than Earth standard – another pleasant surprise. Landing parties were sent down to the surface as soon as the atmosphere was declared safe. Tests were being conducted on the soil, water, flora and fauna to see if they were compatible with human life.

  Sentinels were gathering data on worldwide weather patterns, radiation levels, and the makeup of the atmosphere. Others were sent to investigate the galactic neighborhood and determine if there were any signs of intelligent life nearby. The information was being funneled through Mosis, who was correlating the data as fast as it came in. So far, the emerging picture was positive, and the excitement of the crew was rising by the hour.

  At the end of the day, the senior staff was scheduled to meet and pore over the first comprehensive report. With only a few minutes to go, Mosis received the latest Sentinel scans of the planet’s oceans. The waters were teeming with life, some of it quite strange, but it wasn’t what got his attention. One distinct deep-water region showed signs of what appeared to be artificial structures on the sea floor. Out of time, and needing more detailed scans, he instructed a Sentinel to focus closely and specifically on the area. If anything of interest existed, he wanted to know about it as soon as possible.

  Mosis was the last to arrive, and with apologies to Captain Perry, began his report. By the time he finished, every eye was glittering with excitement. Unless further tests revealed something unusual, planet ‘E’ was uniquely suited for human colonization. The room erupted in excited chatter as the implications of his report hit home. Perry, lost in thought, was about to call for order when he noticed Mosis was very still, a look of astonishment on his face. Their eyes met, and Perry simply raised an eyebrow and waited for him to report. When Mosis stood unexpectedly, the others around the table grew quiet, looking at him curiously. With a nod from Perry, he addressed the staff.

  “Just before this meeting began, I sent one of the Sentinels back out to take a closer look at an anomaly on the ocean floor. This is what they found.”

  The data screens all around the room came to life with images of low, oddly shaped structures, assembled in concentric circles and covering a vast area. It was obvious they were old and deteriorated, covered with various forms of sea life. While jaws dropped around the room, Mosis resumed his commentary.

  “What we are seeing appears to be the remnants of an underwater city. Clearly the structures are artificial, and their intelligent design and placement indicate a sophisticated society. Based on the sediment and condition of the remains, I would estimate they were last inhabited several thousand years ago – perhaps more. I have instructed the Sentinels to look for any other signs of the inhabitants, but so far nothing else has been found. If there is no intelligent life remaining here, I do not believe this discovery should impact our plans to colonize.”

  Perry looked down briefly as he collected his thoughts, but there was only one option, and everyone knew it.

  “Mosis, please route all the information to both Life Sciences and Planetary Systems for further study. Our priority must be to determine if any native sentient life remains on this planet. Until that question has been answered, we will continue to study this world as unobtrusively as possible. I realize this is something of a setback, people, but let’s work the problem and stay focused. Dismissed.”

  The days passed quickly as multiple teams studied the oceans with a fine-tooth comb. Anything uncovered by the Sentinels which seemed to be related to the original discovery was followed up in person by one of the teams. The search was hampered because very little of their equipment was suited to underwater work and few were properly trained. On a hunch, Mosis ordered core samples of the nearby seabed along with tectonic and thermic scans of the entire city. Only then was the secret of the mysterious sea dwellers revealed, and a meeting was called to share the results.

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  “…the scans revealed the city was built on top of a series of hydrothermal vents. The heat, bacteria, and dissolved chemicals would have created a unique biological ecosystem. At some point in the past, the tectonic plates shifted, closing off the vents and ending the special conditions which allowed the inhabitants to survive. Our studies of the current ocean life forms reveal nothing which would indicate sentience or even a biological connection to the body type the sea dwellers must have possessed. It is very likely these creatures were brought here from outside the system, rather than being endemic to it. It is also possible they were rescued or removed from the planet, but again, there is no way to be certain.” />
  The room was quiet as the staff pondered Mosis’ report, with faces showing both excitement and concern. Anna Daniels shifted in her seat and leaned forward over the table.

  “Could these beings have merely relocated to another part of the sea? Could they be hiding from us?”

  Mosis shook his head with a smile.

  “Those questions were foremost in my mind also, Anna. We have conducted scans of the entire seabed, and located several areas which have in the past, or currently have, hydrothermal vents. None of them were ever as extensive as the ones below the city, and there is no evidence of created structures anywhere else on the planet. It would be extremely difficult to hide from our scans, and even if they could, the unique conditions they need to survive no longer exist.”

  Jet raised his hand and voiced a concern shared by many in the room.

  “If they were brought here, how do we know they will not return? We would certainly be considered trespassers, which could endanger the colony. Apparently, there are more intelligent life forms out there than we anticipated. Not all of them, as we have already seen, will be as peaceful and cooperative as the Vingah.”

  Discussion blossomed all around the table, which Perry soon put to an end with a quiet rap on the tabletop.