by Aaron Dennis
“Because Thewls believe we’ll be targeted soon, they want to arrange a meeting in person,” Admiral Lay said with a furrowed brow. A great deal of concern flooded his visage as he spoke. His commanding presence was his saving grace. “I’m sending you and your crew to meet with them. It’s hard to believe, I know, but Thewls can travel much faster through space than we imagined. They’re set to land on Eon some ten, thousand miles southwest of the colony. This will eliminate any chance of the colonists discovering our meeting.”
The captain stepped forward, a frown on his face, and said, “I appreciate the involvement here, Admiral, but shouldn’t you be meeting with them?”
A smile flickered across Lay’s face. “It’s imperative they meet the men and women who discovered their beacons. It’s also imperative that I stay behind the scenes in order to play down suspicions amongst the colony. As far as the colonists are concerned, Phoenix Crew is simply scouting out a second location to colonize. You’re to leave first thing tomorrow morning. They’ll be arriving in less than twenty four hours.”
Nandesrikahl stepped forward, asking, “Sir, if I may?”
“Of course, I expect most of you have questions. I’ll be happy to answer to the best of my ability,” the admiral replied.
“Yes,” Nandesrikahl began. “Can we be sure Thewls aren’t misrepresenting themselves? I mean, ’ow do we know their story’s accurate, truthful?”
“That’s a good question,” Lay breathed. “We’ve been exchanging quite a bit of Intel, and their planetary history is among the exchange as well as their military history. Their main ship isn’t entering the Gemini system. They’re only sending a small shuttle with a select crew and an ambassador.
“While it might be possible they’re lying about that, or for them to attempt an attack, we’ve been given their current location, so we’re tracking them. We’ve also set up a defensive, support unit just in case. We’re calling it a training exercise to down play any suspicions.
“Currently, Earth Air Force has an air strike team mobilized. They’ll be arriving on Eon soon. Our best pilots will be ready for any kind of attack. Men, you’ve all been trained for this day. I’m sure there’s no need for violence, but you’re ready to handle anything,” The admiral stopped speaking, and took a long inhalation. “If there are any more questions, now is the time to ask.”
Becker stepped forward, asking, “Sir, who are we meeting, and what exactly are we expected to find out?”
“You’ll be receiving Ambassador Weh. He wants to discuss the reason for the beacons placement, the Lokians’ modus operandi, and propose a plan for us to work in unison in order to prevent the Lokians from doing to us what they did to them. I’ll be in touch the entire time.”
The soldiers passed glances, but no one else had any questions. Lay nodded, and left the room. O’Hara watched him go; the old man’s usual nimbleness had left his legs.
“Hey Cap? We gotta keep this on the down low from the rest of the crew, ya’ heard,” Martinez said.
O’Hara nodded and responded, “True, we’ll tell them we’re meeting another ship and leave it at that. It shouldn’t rouse any suspicion.”
The crew shifted their weight nervously, or scratched their cheeks, thumbed at their lips. Fitzpatrick fidgeted with her belt. O’Hara took notice and stepped over to her. She looked up to meet his eyes.
“This seems strange doesn’t it? Why would these Thewls, or whatever, be so eager to work with us?”
“I don’t know…they left beacons here, maybe they want to return here. If they lost their home world they might want this planet back.”
“Agreed,” Nandesrikahl added.
Swain scanned everyone’s face. Most of the crew appeared hesitant. Imes cocked his head back a little and spoke up.
“I think we shouldn’t try to expect anything. If we go into this meeting expecting the worst, we might make some misjudgments.”
Becker sighed. “He’s right. We have a defense unit set up and have all day to check the reports. There are reports, right?”
The captain shrugged.
“There’s always a debriefing report. This is the most important mission I’ve ever heard of. Admiral Lay wouldn’t send us in blind,” Zakowski commented.
The crew nodded accordingly. “Alright, then,” O’Hara heaved. “I’ll check my office for the debriefing and send everyone a copy. Remember, no one else onboard can know what we’re doing.”
O’Hara’s team saluted and left for the quarters deck, except for Day, who returned to the helm. At the bridge, she had Roberts plot a course via the AMS to land ten, thousand miles southwest of Eon’s colony. They arrived at their destination by 14:00 hours, allowing the entire crew extra hours of R and R off the ship.
That relaxation allowed the crew enough stimuli to keep any questions regarding new orders subdued. While the Phoenix’s crew camped out in the open expanse of a rocky terrain speckled with bluish trees resembling palms, O’Hara and his team met in the deserted, mess hall. Zakowski rounded up plates. They ate as the captain glossed over details.
“Okay, for starters, reports show Thewls are coming in with a small craft. It says small, but it’s about the size of the Phoenix,” the captain explained.
“Then, we know they can’t be coming with a full, military crew,” Swain added.
“True, but, are we sure they don’t have other ships in orbit?” Nandesrikahl asked.
“We can trust the admiral’s Intel,” Fitzpatrick remarked. “He said he’s tracking them.”
Martinez clicked his tongue attracting Day’s attention. She then looked to O’Hara.
“Marty,” O’Hara inquired.
“Ya’, Cap. These guys can travel half way across the galaxy in no time. We got word on their weaponry? If they can travel better ‘n us, I gotta wonder if they can blow shit up better ‘n us, ya’ heard?”
“Uh, Captain?” Swain interjected with a raised hand. O’Hara looked to him and nodded. “Down here on the report, page seven, it explains Thewls were attacked by this race of creatures. Logically, if those Lokians destroyed the Thewlian, home world, they have the capability to destroy Eon, right?”
“Yes….”
“Uh, what I’m saying is it’s unlikely that Thewls want to set up another home base here if it can be wiped out. I think they are genuinely interested in some kind of Human alliance. I mean, even I have to wonder what the chances are of there being any more intelligent races out here in our vicinity. We have ourselves, Thewls, and Lokians. We’re probably the only ones out here that can help these guys. They won’t want to make enemies out of us.”
“Well said, mon ami,” DeReaux responded.
“Well, that’s not good enough for me,” Becker griped.
“Okay, I see what has you concerned,” O’Hara started.
“Do you? Maybe there are Lokians, maybe there aren’t. This could be a ploy just as much as it could be the truth. Plus, the reports say the Lokians travel around to other civilizations! That means that there are other races, right? The last we thing we need is to place our implicit trust in something we’ve never encountered,” Becker argued.
“Fair enough,” O’Hara consented. “Listen, the best thing for us right now is to prepare for anything. We have air support, and the Phoenix is armed and ready. We also have communications with Presh and the admiral. We can try to imagine all sorts of garbage, or we can stay focused. Stay focused. We meet, we talk; if things get ugly we’re trained. We know the area.”
Day smiled. “You’re right. I’ll stay at the helm in case anything comes up. That should help to keep anyone else from getting suspicious about what’s going on.”
O’Hara nodded, adding, “Nandy and Zak, I want you two to be especially alert in case someone gets hurt. DeReaux and Fitzpatrick, you guys’ll get out there, and find the best place to post up, keep an eye on everything. Swain, check the report for anything that can pose a structural weakness. Their defenses aren’t listed in the repo
rt, but it does say they have some minor weaponry aboard their shuttle. See what you can find.”
Worried glances went around the room. Their food sat half eaten on the plates before them. O’Hara ground his teeth.
“Get a move on, guys,” he ordered.
“Sir.”
As the night wound down, the remaining deckhands returned to the ship. Orders were broadcasted to get a few hours rest and be ready the following morning. The spec ops team also tried their best to get some sleep before the big meeting. Some of them only tossed and turned as the stress of the unknown plagued their minds.
****
At 05:00 hours O’Hara’s crew woke, geared up, and congregated outside. It was a cold and windy morning on Eon, but the twin orbs of orange light cast a glimmer of hope. They chatted about their surroundings; rocky hills, very, little, plant life, apart from the blue palms and some reddish shrubs. No one saw a bird, or bug, or lizard, or whatever Eon had.
The strangest thing was the way everything had an orange hue with red or brown specks throughout. Swain said it was because the area was rich in Iron and Sulfur. No one really cared, but it eased the tension. Finally, Fitzpatrick and DeReaux set up on the highest hill, roughly two hundred yards from the rest of the crew. DeReaux had his rifle drawn and Fitzpatrick scanned the area with her binos.
“You copy, Captain?” her voice came in through O’Hara’s earpiece.
“Copy, Fitzpatrick. Be ready for anything.”
She set up her rifle, too.
****
While the captain’s ground crew readied themselves, Day sat perched in her chair on the bridge. Since she wasn’t specially trained for ground combat, she provided air support, albeit grounded, air support. Roberts snuck up next to her, causing her to jump in her seat. She laughed it off.
“You alright, Day?”
“Fine, why?”
“I can’t help but notice our cameras are off….”
Day scanned the bridge. The service members hadn’t seemed to notice the discrepancy. They were still talking about their previous night.
“Uh…Swain said something about shutting them off for a while, so I just followed orders,” Day answered.
“Uh-huh,” Roberts was skeptical, but Day fired a surreptitious look. “Yes, Ma’am.”
****
“Alright, people,” O’Hara started. “DeReaux and Fitzpatrick have us covered from the hill, and the air strike team is a couple clicks away; they’ll be circling shortly. We shouldn’t have any trouble, but keep your eyes peeled.”
A voice suddenly erupted through his earpiece. “Captain O’Hara? This is Captain Daly, do you copy?”
“Copy, Daly. This is O’Hara.”
“I’m leading the strike team. We have visual contact. One shuttle is approaching from the southeast. You should see this thing. It’s amazing,” Daly gasped.
“They’re coming in,” O’Hara said with a hint of excitement.
“I confirm visual, Sir,” Fitzpatrick responded.
****
Back on the bridge, Day’s face lit up. Only Roberts caught her expression and wondered what was going on; she hadn’t noticed before that the helmsman wore an earpiece, so she inconspicuously checked the radar. It was tracking an air strike team and something else. Day and Roberts locked eyes. The look from Day implied silence on the matter. Roberts winced before looking back at the radar.
****
The ground team watched a streak appear in the purple sky. A silver object was coming in from the southeast. As the crew steeled themselves, it drew closer. A moment later, the silver object was in full view, something shaped like the bottom of a shoe; a large circular area in front, a thinner elliptical center, and a small circular area at the rear. An odd silence prevailed as it drew closer and closer.
The captain thought it large for a shuttle. Maybe, it is a vanguard, he thought. It was possible that they had been misrepresenting themselves as Nandesrikahl suggested. O’Hara wanted to draw his gun and take aim or contact Miss Day and tell her to aim the Phoenix’s weapons. No, he knew jumping the gun had devastating impacts. If they had come in peace, the following, galactic blunder would henceforth be called pulling an O’Hara; he didn’t want that on his head.
The shuttle slowed to a halt in midair. It was like a great whale suspended in the ocean. There were no sounds at all. Then, a puff of wind hit the ground, blowing dust everywhere. The crew covered their eyes momentarily and a deep, droning sound rumbled for a second. A large panel opened from beneath the ship. A loading platform slid out until the edge touched the ground. A strange vehicle rolled out, something like a bulky all-terrain with tracks covering six wheels.
The enormous rover was shiny chrome with several, blue windows. It calmly pulled up a few yards from the crew. Shapes of men showed through the windows, and the windows themselves were the oddest part of the vehicle.
They weren’t made of glass. They weren’t made of any material. They were a force field with a light, blue tint. When doors opened upwards from both sides, like an old DeLorean, O’Hara about wet his britches. The vehicle hummed monotonously, and the strangest beings imaginable stepped out.
First, a tall figure worked its way off a seat. One leg clad in black armor then another protruded. A hand grabbed the side of the doorway, and a creature, this Thewl, pulled itself free. It had two arms, two legs, and a head, and it certainly moved like a bipedal being, but one, major difference in the legs was the extra joint; they were more akin to cat legs or frog legs with, long stocky toes, and the heel of the foot extended at an angle towards the calf.
After exiting, the Thewl extended a massive hand to help out more from the vehicle. Five in total gathered around the rover, looking towards the Humans and their vessel. That’s when O’Hara noticed another, bizarre difference; their skin.
At a distance, Thewls looked to be red, or mishmashed shades of red. Fitzpatrick had a better look through her binos, though; she saw their skin was actually translucent, like jellyfish men. It was their structure beneath the skin that was all shades of red, pink, purple, and orange, and she saw their faces quite clearly.
Their heads were similar to Human heads except they swelled out behind the face. They didn’t have eyelids, either; the eyes were completely covered by the thick membrane, which presumably covered their whole bodies, allowing slits for nostrils, and one for the mouth. Other than their hands and heads, they were all clad in black, armor plated suits, and were all very tall, perhaps eight feet.
As they started marching for the captain, who was flanked by Swain and Martinez, he raised his right hand in peace, before taking a step. The remaining crewmembers were on their guard, awe stricken though they were. Once everyone was within speaking range, O’Hara figured the ambassador was the one in red and black garb. His suit—for lack of a better term—was the only one with any color other than black. It had fewer, armor plates and seemed more comfortable, lighter than the others’.
“Ambassador Weh? I am Captain Riley O’Hara. Admiral Lay has asked us to receive you under a banner of peace. We welcome you,” he said, slowly.
The ambassador raised his right hand as well. The fingers were long, there were five, but with an extra joint. His skeletal structure was evident among a plethora of ligaments, tendons, and muscles. Their veins were shades of purple, pulsating beneath translucent skin. The tendons and ligaments were orange, and the muscles were shades of pink and red, and everything moved with an eerie fashion, not that it was any different from the way Human bodies moved, but no one ever caught a glimpse off the operating table.
“I am Weh, and it is a great honor to meet the men capable of securing their future through travels in space. There is much to discuss,” Weh proclaimed.
O’Hara and the others were taken aback by the guttural droning of his voice. It was monotone, but somehow musical and gurgling like the warble of a bird that sang only one note. During the greeting, several, other beings came walking out of the alien craft.
/>
They carried chairs, and tables, and other objects. The Humans and Thewls worked together. Soon, an outdoor conference was in session.
The crew was shocked to see the size of the tables and chairs. They were much larger in order to accommodate Thewlian anatomy. Once everything settled down, the captain spoke loud enough to drown out the voices of the aliens, who were likely conversing about the oddities of Humans, and the chatter of Humans, who conversed about the aliens.
“Ambassador, I’m impressed you’ve mastered our language in such a short time. I’m also in disbelief that your kind can travel so quickly. I assume this means your people have mastered faster than light speed.”
“As far as language is concerned, we all find it simple to learn. We have existed for over four, million years and have learned many languages. We have also traveled space and time for three, million years, so it is not difficult for us to acclimate to our surrounding, social environment,” the ambassador replied.
The captain was astonished, though his reports had stated incredulous facts about Thewls, it was another thing to see them, hear them in person. He remained flabbergasted a moment, saying nothing. The ambassador’s hue then changed. It was like his face brightened.
“As you well know, Captain,” the ambassador continued. “The beacons you discovered were left behind four, thousand years ago. Their arrangement on this planet was meant to be a signal to any passing travelers, so they might rest or meet on neutral ground. Was there a need, the beacons were also meant to be used in unison to signal for help or relay some sort of message, and there was a need….”
“So…no one has attempted to colonize Eon,” the captain asked.
“Ah, Eon, you say; before your time, many of us were in agreement that this planet remain neutral territory. No one race dared to seize it, not that we blame you or your people for erecting a colony. You could not have known such details.
