Help

by Arturo F. Campo

  * * *

  The dialogue was between two aliens. The only survivors of the thirty-six passengers of a gigantic pyramid-shaped spaceship forced to land on our planet Earth 2.3 million years ago. It lies hidden within a cavern of a barren basalt island amidst the many within a shoal between Siberia and Alaska - the Bering Straits. Though they came from a distant planet called Ria, 579 million light years from planet Earth, they could walk among earthlings and would merely turn heads much like seeing the Bushmen of Kalahari, short and lean. But unlike the Bushmen, they were bald-headed with almond shaped eyes, brow-less, lighter in complexion, small ears, and slit-like lips on their mouth.

  Amo Obib was no ordinary Rian citizen. He was the ‘Amo’, the Supreme Head for both Rian Church and State---his power absolute. His attire was no different from the rest: off-white in color, Nero-type collar, long sleeves, and a pocket-less pants. It was the gold-chained triangular medallion, with an eye deeply engraved, that distinguished him from the rest. It represented his supreme authority over all Rian citizens.

  Ningning said on seeing a group appear at the fringed of the lighted area, “Here they come,” then composed herself as she and Amo Obib stood.

  Five young women, humans in all respect in their early twenty’s, walked towards them. Everyone had long straight hairs parted off-center that fell over their shoulders. They wore plain white dress, collared, and long sleeves. Two have Caucasian features; two with Asians; and a Negress. Ningning expected each to have a suitcase in their hand but had none and wondered. She remained calm and held her husband’s left hand - her face bore a welcome smile.

  Of the five women, Lulu, a Caucasian, had beautiful blue almond-shaped eyes and a sweet looking face. A natural born leader, a trait she inherited from her father and the rest of her, sweet, much like her mother. She stood in front of her sisters. Apprehensive in manner said, “My Father, we humbly request your permission to stay here with Mama and you till the end.”

  Ningning, on seeing Amo Obib, looked away pressed for words, intervened, “Please, do not make it harder for us,” then hid her face on Amo’s chest and whimpered.

  Heavy hearted, close to tears, Amo Obib addressed their children, “You will never realize how hard it is for your Mama and I see you all go until you become parents.” He paused; looked at Lulu and saw her posture in submission. He concluded, “Our time together has ended.”

  Ningning looked at her children. She managed a broken smile amidst tears. Lapped with sadness, her voice quivered, “We love you all so dearly.”

  Amo Obib heard Ningning sob and saw their children whimper at their place. He stayed silent, consolation he had none. Eyes moistened, he waited for them to gain their composure then reminded their children, “Never forget you are Rians by heart though you are biologically human. Never forget your mission---help humankind without ever revealing your real nature. Work hard to make this beautiful planet a wonderful world to live in. Be a good wife, a mother, and an exceptional citizen of this planet.”

  One of the five women broke in desperation, “What if I found a way to save you?” as she wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. “What if . . .”

  “Say no more,” Amo Obib interrupted. “Again, I stress . . . do nothing to save your mother and I. Do not take any risk that may reveal your true nature. You are a by-product of genetic engineering. If this be known, your children and their children will suffer the consequences. Freak is a harsh word some humans might use. Think no longer of us. Take strength that God loves and be with you, as your Mama and I, always.” He turned to Ningning and asked nicely, “Do you have anything to add, Ningning?”

  Flooded with mixed emotions, Ningning’s lips quivered, a tear fell but no words came out of her mouth.

  Amo Obib sadly looked at Ningning then to their children, said, “Please get your suitcase."

  In sadness, Amo Obib and Ningning watched their children go back to get their suitcase. They watched them walked away beyond their sight in the shadow of darkness then sat again on the wooden bench.

  Ningning held on to Amo Obib’s arm and sadly leaned her head on his shoulder.

  Amo Obib gently stroked her hands on his arm and, as he did, a question flashed in his mind, ‘Where did all these begin?’ then drifted back in time, 2.3 million years ago, and half-a-billion light years away from Earth.

  Force Landing

  A solitary pyramid-shaped spaceship zoomed through deep space. It did not have door bays, portholes nor any signs of structural seams leaving but a perfectly smooth metallic gray colored surface that mirrored the millions of galaxies around. It had skirted many galaxies, and in some through its maze of billions of stars. Straight ahead, the last galaxy within a galaxy cluster loomed. At its course, it would pass thru its spiral arm, through a solar system, and from there, head to another abyss of black space.

  Not apparent, the pyramid ship was composed of two modules seamlessly attached together. The top portion of the ship was the mother ship. It housed the Command Center, all the laboratories, and the power generator that drove the entire vessel. Directly under, was the gigantic Colonizing Module it ferried.

  The Colonizing Module was but a gargantuan storehouse. The entire top level had half-a-million honeycomb of hexagonal hibernating capsules. A little over half were filled with Rians in deep-sleep, oblivious to time. The balance was eerily empty. The levels underneath, and there were over a thousand, resembled a warehouse of things needed to start a technologically advanced colony on a habitable planet within their galaxy or, if they had to, in another galaxy. A number of these levels were filled with knockdown shells of houses and factories, office and house furnishings, several levels full of light and heavy industrial machineries, and equipment. The succeeding levels were huge storage spaces of assembled trucks, buses, cars, aircrafts, and boats of different sizes.

  Noticeable to all levels were the utilization of spaces between odd-shape cargoes and even within the cargo themselves - all crammed with packed items, some squeezed in small crevices. Conspicuous were the wear and tear marks on the things they brought - mostly used, and hurriedly packaged and stored. To the end of bringing as much as they could, it was excellently done.

  In partially filled compartments, where stocking activities must have occurred, lifeless bodies of aliens littered the floor. Passageways showed signs of a calamity striking suddenly and all over. Wreck vehicles, mostly transports of various kinds, remained motionless and, others, smashed up against walls, embedded to crates, or to each other. At most exit and entrance bays, and there were thousands all over the Colonizing Module, a number of vehicles were pinned and cut in two underneath shut bay doors. Fire extinguishers lay about near smoke marked walls, ceilings, and sites of wreckage. Some still clutched by someone on the floor. The sights of death and chaotic scenes created a picture of a hurried endeavor to fully load the ship that abruptly and catastrophically ended.

  Oddly, for a ship of this immense size and its complement of over 250,000 passengers, there were no sleeping quarters, no mess halls or kitchens anywhere! Such may reveal itself if the cargoes were removed but not at its present state.

  Within the Mother Ship, the stocked scene was repeated but no dead Alien anywhere. Except for one room, the Command Center, all other rooms were packed full of crates and boxes that spilled over all the hallways. The elevators were not spared – it had but a small space for one occupant, if at all.

  The Command Center was circular in shape and the only room devoid of cargoes. It was dimly lighted by the soft glow from thirty-six hibernating capsules that stood upright and half-embedded on the side walls. The room’s flight information screen occupied the front and the back wall, a closed door.

  An arch flight control console with three swivel seats fronted a large main screen followed by a slightly raised Flight Commander’s chair. Behind the Commander’s chair was a podium that elevated an arched armchair for two for the Amo and his wife. Rows of seats occupied the gallery a
t the rear.

  Within the hibernating capsules, a milky white cloud circulated. Every now and then, a silhouette of the alien, frozen in time, was revealed. Everyone wore identical skin-tight and silk-white uniforms that outlined their lean statured body - the women had raffled collar and at the ends of each sleeve while the men merely had a slit on them. One had a triangular granite medallion that hanged on his neck with an eye heavily engraved.

  A soft hum from the ship’s propulsion unit permeated the room. On the flight information screen, in Alien writing, were the flight summaries. One in bold letters read in translation, ‘All systems: NORMAL’.

  Suddenly, the ship’s siren broke the silence and the ceiling lighted up. Simultaneously, the milky cloud within the hibernating capsules got sucked to its side. The main screen redrew itself, adding detailed flight status data. Flashing on the screen’s top, in red, was the bold warning: “IMMEDIATE DECISION REQUIRED”. Seconds later, the aliens within the capsules began to breathe.

  The piercing sound of wailing siren jarred Nerus, the Ship Commander and Expedition Head, to consciousness. He had experienced these things in simulations but it was now for real. He felt his heart pound---eager to act but helpless as the acclimation cycle must take its course. A minute later, the sound of the siren abruptly stopped and, simultaneously, all the capsule doors slid sideways. Primed for action, everyone rushed out of their capsule. Three of the ship’s flight engineers dashed for their work station at the front of the room and, in urgency, did a system check; Amo Obib lead Ningning by her hand and walked briskly for the arched chair; and thirty, Ria’s youngest and brightest in the field of medicine and biological sciences, ran towards the gallery at the rear. Tense bodies and anxious faces prevailed.

  Commander Nerus left his capsule with eyes in search for a red warning light on the main screen. There was no red flashing light! Clueless to the danger heightened his concerns. He raced towards the command chair, the only place he could execute ship functions, and, the moment he sat, commanded, “Goopersh, shut off propulsion!”

  “Propulsion off,” Goopersh, the ship’s master computer, responded in a lifeless monotone.

  Commander Nerus was lost and confused. Goopersh message should have pointed directly the problem but did not and all operating system status indicated ‘NORMAL’ His eyes strained through the list of ship status in the order of importance on the main screen. His breath held momentarily to a non-critical line that read: Flight Mode: MANUAL. ‘It should read, ‘AUTOMATIC’, he thought. Questions of its implications flashed rapidly through his mind. He knew the speed limit maxed at the speed of light yet the speed indicator read, ‘BEYOND RANGE.’ ‘Beyond range?’ he questioned himself. He shifted focus to the fuel and found temporary relief - it showed one-fifth full. He deduced a possible abnormality in the new propulsion units powered by an untested fuel. The new fuel was theoretically plausible for space exploration that covered distances between galaxies and compact. It harbored tremendous energy, capable of destroying their solar system and was never put into use until they knew their planet was doomed.

  His attention was diverted to the Flight Engineers successive verbal reports. It confirmed his hunch and quickly questioned, “Goopersh, there is nothing wrong with the ship. What triggered the alarm?”

  “I did,” Goopersh replied laconically.

  Commander Nerus’s body lurched on Goopersh’s laconic reply. Confused to what Goopersh meant, he snapped in urgency, “Your recommendation?”

  “Eject the Colonizing Module and land on the only habitable planet along the flight path.”

  Attention focused on the hundreds of thousands Rians in hibernation within the Colonizing Module, the commander asked, “What will happen to the Colonizing Module?”

  “It will disintegrate,” Goopersh replied devoid of emotion.

  In desperation, he asked, “It is imperative we increase the survivability for all. Do I have an option?”

  “One. Success probability, nil.”

  “How?”

  “Release Colonizing Module at galactic orbital speed. Lighten the Mother Ship before engaging the propulsion unit for landing. Window to implement: twelve seconds.”

  Without hesitation, commanded, “Goopersh, activate the Colonizing Module’s distress signal. Implement the option, now!”

  “Implementing,” Goopersh reacted. “Please be seated firmly.” And simultaneously, the safety harness enveloped each like a cocoon securely to their seat.

  The pyramid ship rotated 180-degrees from its axis then the propulsion unit went on-line with a pulsating hum that crescendo to a deafening roar as the ship wobbled violently. The Rian’s body strained as each got tossed side to side at random within the harness that secured each tightly to their seat. In Commander Nerus’ mind, he cheered, ‘Slow down, slow down!’---their lives depended on the ship’s structural integrity to overcome the stress exerted to rapidly decelerate the ship’s speed down to sub-light level. At its worst, the intense wobbling stopped; their harness slid to the seat’s side; then silence followed by a loud thud together with a sharp jolt.

 

  The tense atmosphere in the room was replaced by relief then awe as they viewed their ship on the main screen detached itself from the colonizing module it ferried then floated sideways. Huge by itself, the Mother Ship was very small compared to the humongous Colonizing Module. On clearing it, the propulsion unit restarted and, instantly, the module disappeared from view on the screen as the spaceship rapidly decelerated. The ship hummed as it aligned itself to its destination then silence triggered a sense of gloom within the room. The Rians knew the Colonizing Module housed everything they needed to build a colony, more so, the thought of knowing hundreds of thousands of their shipmates in hibernation were within its walls.

  Goopersh announced, “Colonizing Module in galactic orbit. Cruising on ship's inertia. Travel time to target planet: 1,272 years. Danger, over,” and the warning light on the screen went blank.

  With heightened concern, Commander Nerus asked, “How long will the batteries powering the hibernating capsules last?”

  “Hibernating capsules on both this ship and Colonizing Module will last approximately two point three million years.”

  “How many are in the Colonizing Module?”

  “Last report: 254,351.”

  The words and number caught his attention. The module could accommodate half a million Rians in hibernation and the term ‘Last report’ bothered him. “Download ship status for review,” he commanded then convened a Flight Staff meeting at the adjoining room.

  The Predicament

  Rians, in small groups, chatted in low voice within the Command Center. Wary of their uncertain fate, an uneasy hush followed the moment Commander Nerus and his staff returned to the room. The Rians along the Commander’s direct path to the amo moved aside.

  The commander addressed the amo with reverend, “My Amo, I will brief you on our situation.”

  “Good,” Amo Obib reacted eagerly.

 

  Commander Nerus led the amo to the room he came from. It was small, claustrophobic---the rectangular table with four chairs on its sides occupied most of the floor space; its walls were bare. It represented the ship’s design criteria---maximum use of space.

  Commander Nerus courteously led the amo to sit close to the door for ease of access. The adjacent chair he sat on was but an inch from the wall. Aware of their problem and with no solid solution, he said with concern, “My Amo, when Goopersh said our chance of landing safely was nil, it computed the things to dispose from the ship prior to landing. Saving time on the twelve seconds left us the safe margin to land but not much more.”

  “Not much more?” Amo Obib responded with surprise then apprehension. It was open knowledge that the fuel the ship carried was sufficient for their purpose---enough to explore thousands of planets in dozens of galaxies and still provide power to the new colony’s need for a thousand years. To run out of it seemed
unbelievable.

  “Unfortunately, we were launched on manual mode at maximum power that we depleted our fuel just cruising thru the vastness of outer space and slowing down the ship.”

  Worriedly, the amo asked, “Where do we stand?”

  “Once on the planet and at minimal use of the ship's remaining fuel, two-years maximum and we living within the confines of the ship---the radiation that streams out of the planet’s core is high, high enough to confine us to the ship.”

  Amo Obib, a biochemist and genetic engineer before he became an amo, knew its adverse effects on their health. He pondered not on the danger it posed on them but on the viability of colonizing the planet. “Can we go to another planet?”

  “The planet is the only one we can land on with living conditions close to ours. Missing it will mean either the ship or the hibernating capsules running out of power before we can come near another galaxy.”

  “You said two years maximum?”

  “Yes. My Amo, all of the ship’s operating systems and its structural integrity are dependent on the energy converter. If we turn on the converter just to power basic systems, we have no more than two years of fuel. At depletion, the ship will explode. Fortunately, Goopersh left out the ship’s redundant systems. If we disposed the redundant systems, we have twenty-three years’ worth of fuel utilizing all of the ships facilities. We can add more if we strip the ship of its non-essential elements and dispose of supplies we can live without or make once on the planet. It’s worth the inconvenience and risk,” the commander stressed.

  Amo Obib was uneasy. His face, a worried look, as he considered the commander's proposal. Shortly after, he said, “As you aptly put it, we will throw anything we can live without. We will take the risk on the removal of all redundant systems and discuss what we will do with the added time once on the planet.” He curiously asked, “Are there intelligent beings on the planet?”

  “There are no unnatural features on the planet’s surface to indicate intelligent form of life. If it is at its infancy, we can shut off the energy converter and hibernate for 2.3 million years. Hopefully, by then, intelligent beings would have evolved,” the commander answered.

  Amo Obib understood its implications and replied, “I pray it will be so. Your decision on the matter is my decision. I give you leave to preside the meeting to inform every one of our predicament and plan.”

  Strip the Ship

  At the command center, Commander Nerus stood before the seated amo and his wife. He asked the three flight engineers, seated behind the podium, to sit on the floor in front of the gallery for visibility. When the engineers sat, the sight of the thirty-five other living souls in the entire ship overwhelmed him. It made him realize the enormity, the gravity of his responsibility to those before him and to those stranded in outer space. He started their first meeting with a short prayer then explained their predicament using as much layman's terms to an assembly that consisted of Rians whose expertise lay mostly on the biological fields---the expertise needed to evaluate a planet for habitability had things went as planned. He concluded his report, “. . . We can land safely on the planet but for a price. We have to strip the ship of non-essentials down to our personal belongings. We will hold on to our biological and medical equipment and supplies, essential testers and meters, and all exploratory airships. I am open to questions.”

  Eager hands rose from the gallery. The commander pointed to one who asked, “Why did Goopersh not override the system before warning us?”

  Commander Nerus answered, “Our master computer, Goopersh, is programmed never to override manual settings. It can warn should it sense imminent danger to our safety and that was what it did.”

  Analytical, a flight engineer seated on the floor asked, “The ship was launched on manual mode during the unmanned flight. Do you know why?”

  Commander Nerus knew the answer required explanation to the non-technically oriented passengers and explained, “On Automated Mode, Goopersh was programmed to find and explore a habitable planet within our galaxy first then nearby galaxies, if needed. It would evaluate the planet for habitability. Once found, Goopersh would wake everyone here to conduct in-depth analysis to ascertain our adaptability to the new living environment. Once ascertained, colonizing the planet begins. As it was, we left our planet, our solar system, our galaxy and crossed thousands more, and forced to leave the Colonizing Module in deep space with over two-hundred-fifty thousand of our brothers and sisters in hibernation to orbit this galaxy indefinitely. We will only know why if we reviewed events prior to liftoff and will do so after all your questions are answered.”

  The session continued then, eager as well to know why they were launched on ‘manual mode’, Commander Nerus commanded, “Goopersh, display the external audiovisual record ten minutes prior to ship launch.”

  Goopersh responded, “No record in memory bank.”

  The response was unexpected. He considered the possibilities then asked, “Was the ship prematurely launched during power switchover?”

  “Affirmative.”

  Commander Nerus understood its implications and explained, “During power switchover, that is, from external to internal power source, the entire ship's systems and its computer programs are checked one by one in sequence as it is powered up by an external computer. During the process, our internal computer, that is Goopersh, is on ‘Standby Mode’ and unable to receive communications. Bypassing the switchover process, for any reason, will launch the ship in manual mode. Something catastrophic must have happened as the ship was prematurely launched. Goopersh, show video at startup.”

  Goopersh refreshed the screen.

  Thick black smoke, jutting flames, and flying debris were all they could see from all camera locations within the enormous assembly building. Between deafening explosions were the sounds of sirens. The ship rose amid smoke and flames then smashed through the building’s roof. On clearing it, the cameras showed a fiery inferno had engulfed the launch site and the panorama of conflagration beyond. Pockets of fire peppered the immediate scenery, and the city, at the distance, in infernal flames. As the spaceship accelerated away from their planet, the devastation became clear and frightening. Thousands of meteor impact craters and bright flashes of explosions pockmarked their planet Ria. As the cameras scanned sideways, a gargantuan cluster of molten mass spewed by their sun 159 days earlier, headed directly at their planet. Then, in a fraction of a second, the planet disappeared from the screen as the spaceship sped exponentially to a course away from their planet; of its sun; their solar system; and their galaxy.

  Amo Obib sensed the gloom in the room and his own. He saw tears from Ningning’s eyes and from the rest. He held back his own tears as from the scenes of devastations, fresh thoughts of loved ones left behind, overcame the excitement of their adventure. He offered a prayer to their dear departed; their safety and those in the Colonizing Module then asked Commander Nerus, “Can we view our new home?”

  Commander Nerus ordered in response, “Goopersh, magnify target planet,”

  On the main screen, a spiral galaxy (the Milky Way Galaxy) loomed directly ahead. A whirlpool of billions of stars bond together tightly at its core then narrowed as it spread outward as spiral arms that shown brightly against the backdrop of black space. It was sight to behold, hard to put in words. Goopersh zoomed progressively on a particular spot near the fringe of one of the galaxy's spiral arms. From a haze of white clouds, it became specks of hundreds of thousands individual lights; then thousands of stars; then a lone star; a solar system; and, finally, a blue planet laced with white clouds and a white polar cap filled the screen. The whole of North America, the Artic Pole, and the northern part of South America were discernible. The Americas, as it looked over two million years ago!

  They marveled at their new home that was differently beautiful compared to the planet they once lived and could never return. Commander Nerus explained its features and after said, “We will focus now on the things
that needs doing---strip the ship.”