by John Walker
Which suited Kyle just fine. It meant no one getting underfoot while they worked, no one to bother them as they hunted for relics. Most people, especially colonists, thought he was insane. After all the worlds claimed by humanity, none of them had encountered alien life to that point.
So a couple archaeologists intent on proving the existence of non-human life tended to be the recipients of ridicule and some outward disdain. Kyle didn’t care, and fortunately, his partner shared his attitude. Both had served two tours in the military before going back to school to finish their degrees.
They’d met as a couple of soldiers with similar interests then decided to become partners in their quest for evidence of extraterrestrial life. Partially because they worked so well together but also due to the fact they had precious few allies. Those that did believe in them provided grants for their work.
But those hadn’t been enough to maintain their ship while keeping them fed and in equipment. That came from prospecting and surveying star systems. They sold data on uncharted worlds, making enough to keep going. If they focused solely on gathering what others called practical data, they might’ve made a good living.
The thought of giving up the quest never entered Kyle’s mind. He’d believed in aliens since he’d turned six years old and first looked at the stars. Once he developed an inkling of what they represented, the possibilities beyond his own solar system, he knew he had to answer the question.
Especially when no one else could. Even after being teased in school, by teachers and other students alike, his dedication would not falter. And as the sun cast its blaze down on their dig, he felt eternally grateful he had never given in, never quit because of the doubt in others.
Not when I get to see this kind of thing all the time.
Lysa Vanden stirred in her tent behind him. She didn’t share his affection for the beauty of a world. Not to the same extent. After she saw one sunrise, she didn’t go out of her way to see another. The passion for her came down to the potential of what they might locate. The quest was her drive. Not the destinations.
Which is probably why I’m happier than her.
“Did you make the coffee?” Lysa shouted without leaving her tent. “I don’t smell anything.”
“Shit,” Kyle muttered under his breath. He smirked as he returned to their fire, putting the pot on. They had all manner of modern conveniences in the ship. When they set up their camp though, they tended to rough it as they had while in the military. That meant using field gear instead of returning to the vessel. “Coming right up!”
“Were you just standing there watching the sun again?” Lysa peeked out at him, her dusty blonde hair wild about her face. She kept it above her shoulders but it was thick and unruly, only contained when she brushed it down into a hat. Green eyes squinted at him, narrow from having just woken up. “Seriously?”
“Hey…” Kyle shrugged as he dumped the coffee into the pot along with some purified water. That went on a grill directly over the flames. “What can I say? You know I’m a sucker for pretty.”
“Uh huh.” Lysa joined him, holding a blanket around her as she cuddled up beside the fire. He didn’t find it particularly cold but he had a greater tolerance for temperature than she did. Part of what made her grumpy on their trips came down to environmental discomfort. Anything too hot or cold for her brought out some serious complaining. “You’re crazy.”
“I’m just making the best of our lives.” Kyle winked. He stood a good three inches taller than her at six feet with shaggy, brown hair and blue eyes. He hadn’t shaved in a week so his beard had started to curl, making him look a touch older than thirty-one. She had six months on him age-wise. “I take it all in. You want to think about something?”
“I doubt it.”
“Well, do it anyway.” Kyle leaned toward her. “This planet, this world… no human has ever set foot on it! Not a prospector, not for surveying it for resources or a potential colony. We are the first people to see that sunrise or dig in this quarry. Start a fire with this wood or have breakfast at dawn. You don’t find that amazing? Not even a little?”
“It’s awe-inspiring,” Lysa replied. “I’m not gonna lie. We do cool stuff. But honestly speaking, we’re out here for results. And we haven’t found any. Not on the last seven planets we’ve visited. You want my honest opinion?” She looked away. “I’m starting to have some doubts, Kyle.”
“Don’t be absurd,” Kyle scoffed. “How’s that even possible? You and I both know extraterrestrial life must exist. It’s statistically impossible to believe humanity is the only sentient creature in the universe. We’ve seen other lifeforms on those different worlds we’ve visited, different animals than we have back home. Right there, that’s proof.”
“That evolution may not have caught up,” Lysa replied. “I’m not giving up. You don’t need to give me the sale’s pitch we’ve tossed around a dozen times. All I’m saying is, I’m a little discouraged today. Yesterday, I felt good about what we were doing. The scans of the quarry got me excited. It’s just… I don’t know if we’re going to find anything down there.”
The two of them had modified a prospector’s scanner to get a deep surface look at different planets. Whenever they arrived at a new place, they would skim the area continents looking for likely places to begin their search. This time, the quarry provided what appeared to be a doorway, a square structure that was unlikely to have formed naturally.
They’d both agreed to start their work there and for the last three days, they’d been working their way toward the findings in the scanner. Kyle had come up with a theory that suggested a rockslide hid the entrance, some kind of natural disaster. Their modern tools allowed them to do the work of twenty but that didn’t mean it was fast.
“Come on, we’re only three quarters of the way to the scan data,” Kyle said. “We’ll break through by the middle of the afternoon and we’ll know if we need to move on or not. Besides, I have a good feeling about this one. I really do.” He grinned as he poured two cups of coffee. “You’ll see. This is the one.”
“I’m so glad you don’t say that every time.” Lysa took the mug. She winced as she sipped. “Christ, that’s hot. But seriously, I get the sense you want to belt out that kind of super optimistic nonsense each time we’re on the verge of a discovery. I’m curious if I’m right. Do you nearly say that?”
“No.” Kyle shook his head. “I’m dead serious this time. I’ve got a gut feeling.”
“That’s heartening in this case.” Lysa looked at the opposite horizon, one full of mountains and cliffs stretching up higher than Mount Everest by miles. “I feel like… this would make sense. I wonder why we haven’t colonized this place. My data suggests it would be relatively simple.”
“Plenty of water,” Kyle said, “great soil. Temperate climate in large sections of the continents. I don’t know either. I mean, it took a while to get here but they could just install a warp gate. Especially with the information we gathered about the raw materials. Someone’s going to come out here to mine. I guarantee it. Oh! Did you get the samples?”
“Yeah, the ore deposits are all in the ship. Crane better not give us any shit about them either. They’re pure.”
“Oh, he was just in a bad mood last time.” Monterey Crane worked for the Mining Consortium, a group of merchants with government contracts to pull resources from various places all over the galaxy. He bought scan data and paid a little more with viable samples. Last time they met, he tried to balk on the quality of their find. “He’s a good enough guy.”
“He’s an asshole,” Lysa countered, “and he’s greedy. I wish we had a better contact.”
“We don’t want to pay guild dues,” Kyle reminded her. “So we gotta go with the guy who won’t out us to them.”
Prospectors and surveyors had a union, a specialized group they paid money to in order to not be exploited… much like they almost had been with the poor samples. Their rates were high enough that it wasn’t worth joining. One ha
d to work full time to keep up with them and they were part time at best.
“Maybe we can negotiate with them,” Lysa replied. “Tell them that we’re not planning on cutting into the deals of their full time people. Get a lower percentage. I’m telling you, it would be worth it rather than put up with Crane anymore. You weren’t there the last time I had to negotiate with him.”
Kyle frowned. “What did he do?”
“Offered us fifty-percent more if I…” Lysa shrugged. “You know.”
“Okay, yes. That’s ridiculous. But we can’t approach the guild unless we plan on joining them regardless of their rates. Once they know about us, we’re done. They’ve got a lot of power. Plus, they have no reason to give us some good deal. You know that. As far as they’re concerned, there’s no need for part timers.”
“But…” Lysa held up a finger, “we do have something the rest of those people don’t.”
“What’s that?”
“A reckless disregard for our own safety. You have to admit, none of those cowards would ever come out this far. The miners do when they know there’s a solid find but the prospectors play it safe. They go after asteroid belts and that kind of thing. We’re pioneers. That’s a sellable commodity.”
“Okay, when we get back to civilization, we’ll ask someone about it. But we have to be subtle. We can’t get in debt with those jerks or we won’t have what we need to do this.” He gestured around him, spilling some of his coffee. “Damn it! I’m glad that didn’t get on my pants.”
“Yeah, it’s strong enough to bleach it some horrible color.” Lysa took a bigger drink, wincing again. “God, we need to spend a little more money for better stuff. This tastes like a used waste bladder. And it goes through you in thirty minutes or less. I will be returning to the ship for that, by the way.”
“Too much information.” Kyle shook his head. He brought out his tablet, peering at the planetary data. “Looks like we’re going to have roughly thirteen hours of good light on the site today. If we want to work any later than that, we’ll need to bring out the floods. I don’t look forward to making those work.”
“Thirteen hours is more than enough time.” Lysa chuckled. “Come on, you don’t really intend to put in all that time digging, do you? You’ll pass out.”
“You saying I’m out of shape?”
“I’m saying no one’s that fit.” Lysa stood. “I’m getting cleaned up and we can head down there for a realistic shift of six hours or so. We’ll see how feisty you are after lunch.” She headed off. “Need anything?”
“Nah, I’m good!” Kyle returned to staring at the computer, looking through the photos of what they’d done the day before. I know something’s down there. I know it like I know my name! He rarely felt so confident, so absolutely sure of anything. This felt different… it felt right. And he intended to prove it to everyone.
Especially you, Lysa. This time, your faith will be repaid.
***
One of the benefits of working with a small crew meant not as many people kicking up dust. Kyle had joined bigger teams while at school. It could turn chaotic depending on the site. Either the area turned to mud in some cases or the entire space looked like a sand storm went through.
Dust particles got into everything which is why they put their base camp high above it all and well away from the edge. Unfortunately, that meant walking down a steep hill to get to their location… and back up again after working for hours. If they hadn’t been concerned about the integrity of the site, Kyle would’ve suggested bringing the ship.
They’d been saving up to buy some smaller personal vehicles to make their efforts easier. No one had any good deals the last few times they checked. As Lysa said, walking was free so they hoofed it. On one hand, it meant staying in fantastic shape. On the other, Kyle’s feet felt like lead weights at the end of their excursions.
Sunlight beamed down on them as they worked. Sonic blasters pulverized the rocks, making enough noise that they wore full head protection both to block out the sound and ensure they didn’t breathe dust. The range on the tools could be adjusted out to six feet but they tended to keep them at the lowest setting of one and a half.
They were reasonably safe though one didn’t want their attention to drift. It wouldn’t immediately destroy a limb but Kyle had seen someone shatter their shin using one. Considering they were alone, that meant remaining constantly vigilant, taking every precaution to stave off accidents.
Kyle took the far left while Lysa worked on the opposite side. They were moving at an angle and would eventually meet at what they believed was the entrance to the structure below the surface. In only a few days of work, they managed to clear away over a ton and a half of rock.
With only another half ton or so to go. Kyle tried to remain positive. The good news was they didn’t have to start from the top. The way the rocks had piled up meant they could work from their current location without fear of toppling a landslide… at least not right away. If they didn’t locate anything in the next day, they’d have to re-evaluate their situation.
And that will mean putting up a scaffold, I think. Something to get us high enough up to tear down additional stones. The work sounded grueling and it would be. Getting to something they scanned tended to be the least glamorous part of any job. If not for the excitement of what they might find, he might’ve been disheartened.
“Hey,” Lysa’s voice piped through the speakers in his helmet, “can you stop for a minute?”
Kyle turned off his blaster, turning to her. She leaned over, staring at something intently. “You okay? What’s going on? You didn’t find a dead animal, did you? Cause if so, you’ve got the worst damn luck…”
“Stop,” Lysa interrupted. “I didn’t find anything dead. But I do think I misinterpreted the scan.”
Kyle’s heart sunk. “What’s that mean?”
“Come here and look at this.” Lysa backed away. “I’m… I think I found a hollow section.”
“Under all these rocks?” Kyle stepped over to her. “That’s impossible. This rockslide should’ve settled a long time ago. I can’t imagine how it wouldn’t have crushed…” He paused as he peered into the hole she exposed. “This… what the hell?”
“I ran a close-up scan.” Lysa offered her computer to him. “There’s something preventing the rocks from falling.”
“What do you mean?” Kyle frowned at the readings. The energy readings made it look like a shield of some kind, a perpetual defensive barrier. “How the hell is this even possible? Any sort of reactor would’ve been dead a long time ago.” He hummed. “You don’t think this is some kind of military installation, do you? That we’ve stumbled on.”
They’d found such a bunker in the past. It had been a nightmare to convince them they weren’t scavengers. Fortunately, their military records had helped establish they were patriots and they were let go, having lost five days of work and another three during interrogations. He really hoped they weren’t in for another round of that.
“I doubt it.” Lysa took her computer back. “I’ve been running checks on the fossils we’ve found throughout this dig. They’re thousands of years old. In one case, twenty-thousand. We know from our own work that this rockslide happened a long time ago. Long before humanity took to the stars.”
“Meaning we couldn’t have possibly built anything here.”
Lysa shrugged. “Unless this is the most elaborate ruse in history but why bother? We’re the only two people who have bothered to come this way. Only probes have been out this far.” She drew a deep breath. “Honestly… I know I might be jumping the gun, but I think we genuinely found evidence of alien life.”
Kyle felt a chill run up and down his nerves. He felt faint because he agreed. A hundred percent. “Oh my God!” He shouted, hugging Lysa tightly. He spun her around while laughing. “Holy shit! We did it! We did it! This is incredible. Absolutely…” He stopped himself. “Okay, okay… this shield thing must be protecting somethin
g, right? Something important?”
“Valuable even.” Lysa nodded. “We need to get inside.”
“How do we do that?”
“I have no idea yet. But we need to clear more of the stone away anyway. I think I can map out exactly where the shield is… which means we can get above it and take out those stones that are resting on the top. We can’t turn it off until we know we aren’t essentially burying our find.”
“Yeah, that shield might be protecting something fragile enough that the stones would totally wreck it.” Kyle nodded. “Okay, um… do you think we need the scaffold for that?”
“Sadly, yes.” Lysa shrugged. “And we will want to go up pretty high. I’m calculating what will fall. Anything that shows up on that scan has to go. Hopefully, that won’t be too much.” She huffed. “I’m tempted to use the ship’s lasers to sheer off some of this stuff. Our weapons won’t penetrate this shield. That much I guarantee.”
“Ooh.” Kyle frowned. He hesitated to risk their find by blasting the area but it would save a lot of time. “Can we calibrate them to ensure they do the least amount of damage possible? Why didn’t we get that mounted sonic blaster again?”
“Because it cost a quarter of the value of our ship,” Lysa replied, “and I couldn’t guarantee our reactor had enough power to maintain it. Yes, I can calibrate the ship’s weapons to ensure we don’t obliterate the area. That’s not a problem. If you’re willing to trust me with that, we might not need to build the scaffold.”
“How fast would it be?”
“I’ll give you both scenarios. If we dig the way we are now, we’ll uncover the shield in four days. If we use the ship, we could see it in about three hours.”
“Wow.” Kyle stepped away, head bowed in thought. “Risks?”
“Just that if I screw up my calculations, I could trash the wall. Then we’d have to dig anyway and we’d be looking at a week to uncover it again.”
“Do we have the supplies for that?”
“We can stay here a month,” Lysa replied. “If we’re lean on rationing. And don’t forget how long it takes to get home even at our maximum speed.”
