Oliver was torn as to which way to look.
On one side of their shuttle, he could see the looming presence that was the Ark, Star's Hope. At first, all he could see was the bay doors closing behind them. But, as the distance between them grew, he could see more and more of its sleek curves... Until, after a few minutes and several miles of flight, the entire ship was framed by the small window he peered through.
“Fuck me...” He whispered to himself. “That thing must be ten or fifteen miles long..”
“A little less than nineteen, actually.” Umi spoke softly from the seat beside him with a disinterested shrug. “And about half that in width and height. That's what my uncle told me, at least.”
Oliver briefly wondered if the Rach measured things the same way he did or if it was the system translation at work, but he pushed aside those thoughts to focus on the moment. Their ship was bigger than Manhattan Island, more like several Manhattans stacked on top of each other- not that he had ever been there, having only heard stories of the place...
And, the little bit of the Ark he had seen was nothing more than one small corner of it.
Turning away from the marvel that was the Ark, Oliver was presented with another breath taking sight- The planet they were descending towards.
“We're not in Kansas anymore..” Oliver snickered at his own joke.
“What was that, friend Silk?”
He simply shook his head at Umi's questions as he focused on the planet. It was at least a little similar to Earth, as oceans covered a large amount of its surface- though instead of the bright blue he had seen in the images of Earth taken from space, this planet's oceans had a greenish tinge like algae that he found a bit put off by... Until, after staring for a moment he understood why.
The oceans probably were blue... but the atmosphere had a yellow tinge to it, giving the whole planet a strange sickly look.
He didn't dwell on it long, as he knew he wouldn't really understand the exact reasons for any of it- though he imagined there were scientists that would kill to switch places with him right then. Instead, he shifted his gaze to the landmass that they were slowly heading towards.
It was one of the smaller continents on the planet, though he had no idea how it compared in size to anything from Earth. Shaped roughly like a hatchet with an overly large head, it was one of the more southern landmasses on the planet. From the information Umi had provided him, he knew it was deep in this planet's version of winter, and specifically chosen because of that- the average temperature of the planet being higher due to some atmospheric condition that Oliver couldn't follow.
Though he understood perfectly that even the winters on this planet saw temperatures reach nearly a hundred degrees Fahrenheit during the day... And he was suddenly glad that he stored several gallons of drinking water in the system warehouse.
He studied their destination carefully, though there wasn't much to see. Like the other continents, it appeared yellowish-brown from a distance with stretches of green in several places... And splashes of other, more vibrant colors scattered about that Oliver initially mistook for a trick of the light. They weren't large enough, or close enough, for him to make out any detail of those spots though...
And everything was layered by the sickly yellow tinged atmosphere, giving the whole planet an unhealthy look.
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After watching the planet grow larger in view for a bit, Oliver carefully made his way to the seat next to Vadrin, the nominal leader of the group. Aside from Umi, Vadrin was the smallest of the Rach on the shuttle- though, according to Omi, he was also the smartest and was slated for promotion if he performed well in the salvage operation.
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
“Vadrin, how about we run through how you want to do things when we land?”
Vadrin looked up from the tablet covered in data and readings that Oliver couldn't makes heads or tails out of and stared blankly at Oliver for a moment. When he finally spoke, his voice had a nasally quality that confused Oliver, as the Rach didn't have noses at all... “Run through-? Ah, you wish to discuss our plans upon arrival?”
At Oliver's nod, he gently set the tablet in his lap and folded his four hands over it. “Yes, that is a good idea. My intention was to implement the same strategy that Omi had guided us in before. While the previous salvage attempt went poorly, I do not believe it was due to our planning.”
Picking his tablet back up, Vadrin pulled up an aerial image of the continent that was their target and gestured to it as he spoke. “First, we will circle at a higher altitude while on watch for any complications- primarily any form of attack, though hopefully that will not be an issues. While doing so, we will also do a visual search of the area, looking for potential locations.”
“Once we have identified our options, we will select the one we feel is most promising and move closer for a detailed scan- both visual and using the shuttles sensors, though their range is only a few miles and will only present us with some limited information... Though the presence, or absence, of living creatures should be among that information... As well as many forms of signals or communication equipment, but we aren't certain if they will pick up all such signals. There are many unknowns in the Universe, after all...”
“Oh, and it is possible the sensors can pick up some electronic equipment... And a few other things... We are still working on mapping the full scope, as things have been quite different than we originally expected.”
Vadrin paused before clearing his throat. “Ah, but I am getting side tracked...”
“If the location looks promising, we will circle closer until we find a suitable landing site. Once we land, the crew will be on high alert while they keep watch from within the ship- only the security team will be permitted to disembark initially, at which point you will take over and ensure that the area is safe for the rest of us... Ah, if I may... I mean, I wouldn't wish to offend...”
“Just say it, Vadrin. As long as you aren't intentionally insulting me, I won't take offense.” Oliver interrupted with a reassuring smile.
Vadrin nodded, clearly relieved at his open and friendly response. “Very well. I merely wanted to suggest that you do as Omi did and keep a pair of your people near the ship in case of problems, while the other pair does a sweep of the area. And naturally you all should stay in constant communication using the hazard suits radios, in case anything happens. I believe that to be the best course of action...”
Oliver nodded along, a thoughtful look on his face. It was a decent enough plan, considering their numbers and general lack of experience. Probably the safest option they had, really...
“Ok, I like the plan. I would like to make one small adjustment, if you don't mind.” At Vadrin's curious look, he explained. “I'll leave the other three security people to secure the area immediately around the shuttle while I push out in a wider sweep alone.”
“That...” Vadrin hesitated. “That doesn't sound very safe for you, friend Silk.”
A small smile teased at the corners of Oliver's mouth. “Maybe. But, while most of you do not have experience with fighting or violence... I do.”
“Experience? How do you mean?”
Oliver shrugged indifferently as he though of some of the things he had done- many of them in just the past year. “Eh, I've killed some dangerous monsters... And a few people. I should be fine.”
“People!” Vadrin choked out with a horrified look on his face.
“Well, they were all bad people. You and the crew have nothing to worry about from me- I mean, unless one of you tries to kill me, but I doubt anyone will.”
Vadrin sputtered and stuttered for a moment before slowly collecting himself. “Uh... No. No! We would never, friend Silk!”
Oliver patted him on the shoulder, a bright smile on his face. “Ah, relax. And, hey, look at it this way... When going into an unknown and potentially dangerous situation, wouldn't you rather the have the crazy killer on your side?”
With a soft chuckle, Oliver returned to his seat... And, slowly, the look of horror and fear on Vadrin turned to one of contemplation.
“I suppose it is better that he is on our side... Though, hopefully it won't be needed...”