Over the next few days, the scientists worked in the laboratory building to determine what had happened. As they cleaned up and examined the holes in the walls, they searched for evidence of what had caused the damage. They analyzed the materials and found no answers.
The Luminary, Sage Elvan, Jal, and Dr. Gyasi searched through the administration building for records of the last days of operation at the Protectorate. As they went through the computer files, Luminary Dev found an audio-visual journal that belonged to the Luminary who had served there centuries before. He pushed the button and an image appeared on the screen.
“Log of Luminary Nolwazi, Northern Shifos Enclave of the Protectorate. Seventh Month, Day 22, 6080. 10:42am. We are going down to the secure area under the enclave. The explosions at the edge of the enclave have been breached by humans who have some sort of weapon aimed at the Enclave dome. The weapon created an initial breach two days ago. Since then, they have made the hole large enough to get through. I have repeatedly sent messages to the other Protectorates, but there has been no acknowledgement. I am presuming that the worldwide communication system has been impacted.”
“I’ve run the pictures obtained from the security cameras through the facial recognition programs to determine what race they are. The database doesn’t have anything like them listed. Here are photos of them. Members of the group attacking us have shiny blue skin with facial markings on the left cheek, similar to the Chutov from Sahiri 4. Their hairline begins even with the ears.”
The recording continued. “We have no idea what their ultimate goal is. We have broadcasted a signal on all frequencies requesting a meeting.”
“That was the final entry,” Luminary Dev said. “I’ll go through the others later. What have you found?”
“The entries are vague,” Sage Elvan said. “The Protectors came together to fight something.”
“To fight it?” Jal asked curiously. “Was it an object? A weapon?”
“I don’t think so,” Sage Elvan muttered. “This person’s account wasn’t clear. It’s a journal entry.” It stood up. “Sit here, Jal. Read this.”
“I was dressing this morning when I thought I saw a person by the window of my room. But it wasn’t really there. I can’t explain it. I thought it was Siza, and that she had put a new cloak on. But she was in the shower. So what was that? I went to the window and there was something that I hadn’t seen there before. It was blue and shaped like an orb. As I watched, it became taller and took on a human shape with two arms and legs and appeared to have long white shaggy hair. It walked away from the building. I could see it move toward the outer edge of the enclave, and when it got there, it reached up its arms. It seemed to be pounding on the dome as it went along it. I watched it until it went out of sight behind the trees.”
"I wonder what it was,” Jal said slowly. “I’ve read several entries like this. Each describes a bluish, translucent, glowing object. It takes the shape of a human, chases people, and emits energy from its hands. The accounts about it begin in 6079.”
"So, something is present on the planet that isn’t always visible?” Dr. Gyasi asked doubtfully. “How would we prove that?”
“I don’t know that we can, but how many accounts will it take to convince us that there is such a thing?”
“What were they trying to accomplish? They killed everyone that was here!”
“Are they still alive?”
They looked at each other, uncertain of what to think.
“I wonder if they give off an unusual energy reading,” Dr. Gyasi said. “I could ask the scientists at the other enclaves to run scans searching for unusual energy readings.”
"What kind of energy?” the Luminary asked curiously.
"I might start with nytiol residue.”
"You said that was used to damage the enclave. It’s been one hundred and fifty years. Would that even show up?”
“It might. We’d scan for a variety of gasses and liquids in the atmosphere.”
"Carry on, Doctor.”
“Luminary?” Jal asked. "What about the other enclave? Do we want everyone to go along? We should probably get on our way.”
The Luminary thought for a moment. “Can you wait another day? I am meeting with the other luminaries today. Once the planetary security and communication grid has been reset, scientists and workers will transport here. They’ll clean up everything and make sure everything here is updated. Once that process is underway, we’ll go to the southern enclave.”
***
“This is like the rainforest of Nobela,” Golsho explained to Jal. “The moisture in the air and the heat from the sun makes great leafy plants. It’s hard to walk through in places because of the vines. Flowers and plants are everywhere.”
“And the birds? Is it so crazy loud with the birds constantly calling?”
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Golsho laughed. Jal had complained about the birds several times, saying that they hurt its earlids.
“Yes. They are screamers. Just like here, so many bright colors.”
The group had started out at a fairly rapid pace and crossed several small streams before the environment had begun to change. They had seen incredibly huge herds of various types of hoofed animals and some huge slow-moving lizards. As they had gone south, the ground cover became thicker and the groupings of trees more frequent.
The expedition had become more physically challenging as the people had to lift their feet higher as they trudged forward through the plants. Eventually the grasses and the busy ground environment with its multitude of small mammals had given way to the rainforest that they were in.
It wasn’t long before the movement forward stopped and the group gathered for a break. Jal and Dr. Gyasi checked in with each person, asking how they were handling the change in the environment and if they had noted any unusual plants or animals.
“There are increasing numbers of beetles and amphibians,” Pira Pibull told Dr. Gyasi. She was an entomologist who knew all about insects. “If we could stop an hour earlier this afternoon it would be helpful. I would use that hour to search for and identify some of them.”
“We could do the same for the plants,” Pari Navid remarked.
Dr. Gyasi, Jal, Verlo Dilas, and Golsho, studied a map and looked for an open area. There were two, about ten kilometers apart. They decided to stop at the first one, and the group set off again.
As the expedition team neared the first site, Jal, who had moved back in the group, began to hear a low-pitched hum. He wondered what it meant. Perhaps there was wildlife ahead that was making it? It told Tomau Lop, the person who was ahead of him and asked him to pass the word up the line, that it was hearing something that had an unusual hum. The word slowly reached the leaders, who studied the trees and ground ahead.
Not able to hear it, or identify where it was coming from, the group stopped, and Jal made its way to the leaders. It stood listening for several minutes. “I believe its coming from the ground.”
The group resumed walking, and as they continued on, the vibration seemed to get louder, then decreased. “I wonder what that was,” Jal commented to Dr. Gyasi as they reached the designated stopping point.
“We could go back that way and investigate while the others are doing their research,” Dr. Gyasi suggested. “Put guards with each of the other groups.”
A short time later, Jal and Dr. Gyasi were retracing their steps through the rainforest. Again, Jal could hear the deep vibration that no one else could hear. “It’s loudest back there,” Jal said, so they went south a short distance.
“Left or right?” The six stood along the path they had made.
“I can’t tell,” Jal muttered. “Let’s go left.” As they pushed forward, the sound faded. “We’re going away from it.” They returned to the main path and went west. “It’s getting louder.”
As the group came down an incline, they saw flashes of silver behind the trees. “You were right, Jal. What is it?” They carefully circled the object, then pulled vines and plants off it.
Mink declared. “Looks like a transport ship.”
"What do you know about space ships?" Jal asked curiously. "Have you flown one? Maybe you can tell us about this one?" Mink hadn't indicated any knowledge like this on his application, but then nobody could have listed all their skills. There simple wasn't enough room on the forms.
“We need to return to our campsite,” Dr. Gyasi said. “I think we should come here in the morning and see if we can uncover more of it.”
“At least to open the door and see if there’s a clue to where it came from,” Golsho added.
The following morning, they returned to the site and worked to clear the greenery from the top of the ship. It was embedded deep in the ground. By midday, the door was cleared, and they wondered how they would open it. Using ropes strung across the top and tied to nearby trees, Golsho and Ladi scaled the ship and walked across the top. They came down the side and hung from the ropes to the side of the door, then used tools that Jal had never seen before. After cutting a hole and pulling the metal off, they slid in through it. Jal stuck his head through the hole and asked if they were okay.
They were, but they were having problems identifying how the door opened. A few minutes later, the door slowly swung down, and they came down a short ramp.
While two fighters stood guard, Golsho and Ladi retrieved their ropes and gear, Dr. Gyasi, Jal, and Mink went inside. A wide control panel stretched in front of two seats and two lights flashed alternately. “I have no idea what those are,” Jal told the scientist.
He studied the panels along the left and front sides of the ship.
“Is that a homing beacon? I guess we'll find out.” He pressed a button and the hum stopped. He studied the panel. “I would think that there was a log that belonged to the operator.”
"I know where it's at!" Mink pushed Dr. Gyasi aside. He began to push buttons, as though he knew what he were doing. "It appears to be damaged, like I thought. Let's try this. Sometimes there's a back-up." Again, he pressed a sequence of buttons.
Mink jumped when a screen turned on. Static and images flashed across the screen for a long minute, then a clear picture came on. The words made no sense to Jal, and it watched Dr. Gyasi and the screen as it played al recording.
“As the pilot descended the passengers on the flight returned to a solid form," Dr. Gyasi translated. "One of them grasped me by the throat and threatened to kill me. The ship is out of control.” The screen went white. Dr. Gyasi pushed a button and another entry began.
“During the flight, she is noting that something or someone changed forms when she pushed the ship to its highest speeds. They became effervescent at that point.” He replayed it and pointed to the images that showed the passengers in the back of the transport. “Here’s what they looked like."
Images of balls of light secured to their seats filled the screen. Four others rolled around on the floor.
Again, Dr. Gyasi pushed a button. “The owner and operator of the ship is a Capisian. She states that her passengers are humans. Their skin is a shiny, almost iridescent blue. She’s never seen similar humans and is well-traveled throughout the galaxy. When asked, they didn’t state their origins and evaded her questions. She has agreed to transport them to Zuphreon at a slower speed than most ships fly, with the proviso that she can pick up higher speeds if they are threatened in any way. They told her that a higher speed and frequency will kill them. Her plan is to kill them and pocket the currency she thinks they are carrying.”
A fourth entry showed a young woman and twelve passengers. “This appears to be another set of people and a different destination.” Dr. Gyasi looked at Jal. “Now you know what the hum was.”
“Yes, a homing signal for this ship.”
They returned to where the rest of the group was. After a meal made from a thick, long snake and low-hanging fruits, the members went to their tents. Several were up early and began to prepare breakfast from the dehydrated food they had brought along.
When the meal was nearly ready Morti and Pira walked through the tents, waking people. Suddenly Pira let out a shriek and raced back to the fire. The team that had been to the transport came down the path at a run. “What’s going on?”