TAU CETI Forgotten Colony

Rodzil LaBraun

© 2021 Rodzil LaBraun

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This is a work of fiction. All characters, names and locations are a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to real people is purely coincidental. Any references to real people or locations are used fictitiously.

Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Chapter Twenty-Four Chapter Twenty-Five Chapter Twenty-Six Chapter Twenty-Seven Chapter Twenty-Eight Chapter Twenty-Nine Chapter Thirty

--Chapter One--

I was a bit uncomfortable with the decision not to bring a breather mask. I had never stepped onto any planet without one. The lovely Doctor Sophia insisted that the air here was well within all parameters for safe breathing. She had taken sufficient time after landing to thoroughly test for micro-organisms that could affect our bodies. A simple vaccine with nanites was created and inserted into our bloodstream to ward off problems and signal alerts to her if something new and unexpected breached our defenses. A small pack of pressurized ship standard air was included in our gear to provide twenty-minutes-worth of comfortable breathing should we hit a problem or even panic unnecessarily.

As any interplanetary traveler knows, the chemical content of the atmosphere was only part of the equation. Scents, moisture levels, and so forth, could have as much of an impact on comfortable breathing. Our landing location was surprisingly arid, virtually a desert. The sand was packed hard as rock in many places. Other areas had deep drifts of loose grains that could suck your leg right in. From the look of things, the wind only blew in one direction, forming the most hazardous footing on the east side of rock formations.

Our faces and hands were unfortunately exposed to the elements. Wearing gloves or any kind of shield would give us away as foreigners quickly. That needed to be avoided for the mission's sake. Ultimately, that was the reason for leaving breathers behind.

Our weatherproof, bulletproof clothes had been adapted to match the fashions of the nearest town, except for the women. From our observance in orbit, nearly all of them wore dresses regularly. The lone female in our landing party dressed like one of the guys for safety reasons, so protocol called for disguising her sex instead. Haisley was not particularly fond of that, despite never having worn a dress in her entire life. Her luscious long blonde hair was pinned up densely behind her head.

Plants along our way would fall over when faced with a stiff breeze. Then, moments later, they would rise again. It was a built-in defense mechanism, apparently. From the look of the sand drifts, the wind speeds could get quite high. Without the ability to seek cover like an animal, the plants survived by adaptation. It was very peculiar to see in action. Thick stalks suggested that they could even rise up through a layer of blown sand.

Crabs of various sizes could be seen scurrying this way and that occasionally. Instead of walking sideways or forward they could move in any direction like a spider. No other life was spotted until we got closer to the city. We had landed three kilometers away to avoid detection, then cloaked the ship. It wouldn't go completely unseen if someone were close enough to see the shimmering field of dow-mirr technology. Cloaking didn't make it entirely invisible. Letting someone on this planet see our ship could be a mission breaker, so we needed to park it significantly away from foot traffic.

Three weeks we had spent in orbit around Tau Ceti Four before choosing an acceptable landing location. Much of that time was used to observe their civilization from above. The largest city was chosen as the target for our mission. That was protocol unless there were other factors involved. Vicious storms had passed through this section of the lone continent a few times since we arrived at our orbiting distance. The next two largest towns had the same weather pattern, though, so that didn't change anything.

We all worked for Sol-Rey Company based on Luna, the lone moon around our home planet, Earth. Though that world was nearly dead now, most of humanity still clung to the area. Mars and Luna combined to hold over ninety percent of known human life. It was difficult to census accurate numbers since colonies had been formed in other star systems a hundred and fifty years ago.

Then came the first Galactic War. That's what they called it at the time anyway. It only involved humans and spanned just a few systems. Intelligent alien life had not been encountered until much later. The vast majority of destruction had taken place in the populated sections of the solar system.

The war managed to deplete resources and destroy so much of mankind's recent accomplishments. It was a huge step backwards for our people. Any colonies established in faraway systems were thereby cut off from supplies for more than a century. It was just over the last decade that any effort was made to reconnect with them.

Unfortunately, most sites did not survive long on their own. Those few that did were often adversarial when confronted with people intent on reclaiming them. With military assets stretched so thin across the vastness of space, individual companies took on the project of reestablishing contact. It was a first come first serve situation. Beat the competition to anything of value and you could claim it.

That was the decree anyway. But it was difficult to get legal support when you reported an infraction. Larger, stronger companies would swoop in and take over without rights to do so. If a colony proved to be substantial, the military would get involved. By then, though, the stronger force had already secured their position.

So, the Sol-Rey company changed their tactics. They invested money on research to get them to distant stars faster than the others. Instead of using force to claim lost colonies, they would negotiate treaties and trade agreements. Company resources were vast but transporting across light years took time. Lopsided deals were easily obtained when colonists had no idea of the true value of their assets.

Much like the Wild West of the United States, people needed to take measures to protect themselves. For that reason, we were officially part of the Sol-Rey private militia. Six of the eight crew members operated on that basis and followed the lead of our commander without hesitation.

Tau Ceti was my third assignment. The first went terribly sour. The company then gave orders to pull out since the targeted colony had truly little value in monetary terms. The second went extremely well and earned me a good bonus. If it hadn't, I might not have been given another chance. Astronomical amounts of funding went into recovering these lost colonies. Positive results were expected whenever possible.

Both of my previous missions were bubble colonies, though. That's what we called them, whether there were actual atmospheric bubbles or not. It meant that they needed a structure to maintain their breathable air. They only expanded their territory when they had resources to build another bubble. Often, their mines and crop fields existed outside of their domes, and unsecured. We had the option of negotiating deals, constantly raiding their facilities, or providing security to prevent others from doing it. In return for security, we received a portion of what we could have just taken to begin with. But it was a better way of doing business and prevented the needless loss of life through revolts.

Tau Ceti was looking to be quite different from the first two in several ways. Humanity had spread out across a continent larger than the size of Australia. They could live and breathe anywhere, so they had the ability to fortify wherever they wanted. No population control either. We were looking at a colony that had grown beyond the term. This was almost like first contact with another species, only they were still human like us. The question was how much had they clung to their past in their new environment?

Our mission was to reestablish contact and forge an amicable relationship that could be grown into whatever the company saw fit. We ourselves didn't do any raiding or negotiating. That wasn't our job. We gave the company a report on what there was to be had and how to get it. Then we stepped back until called upon again, whether to assist or move on to a new project. It paid well due to certain inherent risks. Facing a deadly encounter was considered a low percentage chance. But that varied dramatically depending on the hazards of the planet and the receptiveness of the people.

Revealing our origin and true nature was to be avoided until a full assessment had been done. The goal was to announce who we actually were just before the next Sol-Rey ship arrived to take over. The crew of that vessel had a different mission that did not include blending in with the locals.

In the journey from our small spacecraft to the city by foot we approached a slope that proved to be much too dangerous to ascend. At the peak was a rock mass pointed toward the sky. Strange symbols had been painted on the near side. However, three letters were easily readable from our distance. "G. O. D." They had religion evidently. Walking around the huge hazard added nearly another half kilometer to our trek. But I'd rather be tired than dead. We had witnessed one fear inspiring landslide already.

"I might need to eat something soon," Haisley announced. The extended walk on tricky surfaces burned more energy than we expected. Kind of like trudging through the snow, though I had never had that experience myself. Despite my peak fitness level due to adhering to a strict regimen of mandatory exercise aboard the Brisbane, I could use a rest soon myself.

Haisley was our team’s comm expert. She handled communications aboard our ship, but her primary training was in first contact situations. Not only was she able to speak several languages but she was also well versed in contact protocols. Our company had their own set of instructions for speaking to colonists that have not had contact with other worlds for generations. Learning all the scenarios and how to adjust was reportedly a fulltime job. And it was Haisley’s.

A mutated version of English had become the norm for spacefarers long before interstellar travel was possible. All the colonies would have adhered to that standard for the early years at least. If they veered away later, a good linguist could be immensely helpful in bridging that gap. Interpreting gestures and forms of sign language was part of her training as well.

Haisley was a few years younger than me at age twenty-four. This was her first colony reclaim mission. She studied harder than anyone else in the crew but was still the most nervous once our feet hit the sand. When I told her that I would keep her safe, after all security was my job, she gave me a sideways look that said, "not interested." Before that moment I had thought her reasonably cute and worthy of my attention.

"We'll circle this ridge, reach high ground, then assess the landscape," Miles announced. "If the situation allows it, we'll stop for a break."

Miles was our mission commander. He ruled the ship and the mission. The only person that could actually veto his command was the company representative. And only in extremely limited situations. Miles was just slightly shorter than me, but nearly as bulked. He took his job very seriously. Body conditioning was also a high priority for him. It was something that he had adapted from his true military time. He spent nine years as a squad commander and cruiser captain before retiring and accepting the call to revisit the stars.

Beyond the ridge was civilization, finally. The huge city wall came into view first. Just like the rock formations in the desert, a massive amount of sand was blown against it. The construction was made out of squared off rocks and built vertical but at a wider than ninety-degree angle from each other. Two walls joined at a point facing our direction. Based on how the sand level decreased going down each side, I believed that the wall was designed entirely to deflect the abusive wind blasting at it from the east.

Haisley coughed again. This dry air took some getting used to. I could feel it grating against the inside of my throat and drying out my nasal cavities. It was not my first visit to a desert, though. I had trained in one during my own military time. But Haisley had never stepped foot on a real planet before this mission. I had no idea how she had been selected by the company with no ground experience. Her role was likely essential to our success. If we lost our comm girl, the mission could very well crumble.

People of Tau Ceti Four were visible in the distance along smooth stone roads. Some with wagons pulled by huge crabs that had been adapted for labor. They were similar to the ones that we saw scurrying in the desert, only much larger. Six legs, bulky armored heads, no visible eyes. We had seen them from space, so this was not a big surprise. Still, we gawked at our first experience with the alien life that the locals had trained.

As I sat there on a flat piece of sandstone I longed to be back on our ship, the Brisbane. Soft seat cushions. Recycled air that felt comfortable in my lungs. T- shirt and shorts. No shoes. Proper rations. Not these survival kit meal bars that were difficult to choke down in this dry climate. We brought water bottles, but they had to be small enough to hide in our packs. We could not duplicate local drink containers based on our long-range recon. It was important to make our water last as long as possible. Hopefully, we would have the opportunity to refill them once inside the city. If we could manage to make it that far.

The plan was to return to our ship after a short visit to town. Two to three hours in the city was our goal. Learn about the society and the physical attributes that we had not already classified. Maybe meet a couple people. Then return to the Brisbane for debrief. Everything needed to be done in stages to maintain proper control. We would send reports back to the company, but they wouldn't receive them until we were done here. However, the next ship was already on their way. The intel would help them prepare for how to make best use of this planet and its people before they arrived.

I tugged at my jacket annoyingly. In the seated position its stiffness rubbed against my ribs and into my armpits. I pulled my shoulders back in a natural stretching technique to find it just as rigid between my shoulder blades. Whatever was used to simulate these armored fabrics for this mission had made them incredibly uncomfortable. I would request a refit once we got back to our vessel.

My brown boots were of a good solid construction and comfortable despite appearing as though they had been woven together. The fabrics of our clothes resembled rough sewn wide thread cotton. The blue pants I had on were roomy enough to avoid chaffing. The gray shirt was not. Nor was the matching jacket.

All our attire was made from an advanced hybrid of plastic and metal to block high speed projectiles. The material looked porous for breathability in the desert, but certainly was not. Only the jacket had large enough holes that air and sweat could pass through. It would withstand a strike by blade or spear tip, bit not an arrow or bullet.

"Loving these clothes, aren't you?" Roman asked. He was the company rep. Keeping his distance socially aboard the ship, he still managed to rub us all the wrong way at times. It was mostly a viewpoint issue. Typically, the crew of a ship banded together for self-preservation. Roman had made it clear that we were all expendable components in the giant Sol-Rey machine. That was not a position that got you many friends.

When I avoided eye contact or response, he continued, "Two weeks maximum, I think. Then we'll be back in orbit sending our final reports. And it's only for a few hours each day. Suck it up, soldier."

Yeah, he was not really a likable guy.

"Break is over, kids," Commander Miles Hayvertt announced then. "Let's find our way over to that road with the most direct safe route possible. Kenzo, lead the way."

That was me, Kenzo Jaxson. I had the misfortune of having the same first name as the company that provided the toilets for our ships. Fortunately, those laughs died down after a while, if I ignored the jokesters.

We had learned some valuable things from the tiny probes that we sent to observe the city. Before they were destroyed by the most recent storm, we were able to assemble a map of the town named Nerogron. There were no passages through the easterly sharp angled wall that greeted us. We would have to go around to the south to enter through a guarded gate. The north entry was much farther away. We witnessed hundreds of people coming and going without ever being stopped by the guards. We were banking that it would go the same for us.

Roughly a hundred meters from the road we ascended a small incline to find a rare pool of water in the sand. Despite being clear liquid, it was difficult to judge its depth. Crustaceans could be seen moving around near the bottom, then diving directly into the sand below. There were no footprints near the basin, or any other indications that the liquid was to be consumed. It must be leftover rain from the last storm, which was a few days ago.

Bubbles rising to the surface caught my attention as members of my crew debated on why the water level wasn't lower within the divot. Shiny transparent crabs darted this way and that as the surface began to ripple. It was a signal that I should have reacted to sooner.

Shockingly fast, something erupted from the sand along the edge of the pool where we were standing. I was thrown backwards along with Roman. Miles fell to his hands and knees from the disturbance as a huge six-legged brown shelled crab appeared in front of us, snapping a giant pincher at Haisley's leg. She was the closest to the beast, lying flat on her back from the explosion.

The first attempt to grip her limb missed by mere centimeters. As the thing recoiled to try again, I struggled to get my energy whip from my pocket. It was a small handheld device that needed to be activated to form a weapon. The whip would generate a force field out the one end, to the length of my choosing by use of a slide control near my thumb. Inside that field would be flooded with a plasma that could burn and cut through flesh easily, as well as many materials. The most impressive technology was the smart field, as we called it. Targets could pass through the invisible barrier to take severe damage as I swung it around in a controlled arc. But I could not be injured by mistake, nor could my crew mates.

The weapon was for last resort only since the bright plasma energy would be visible to onlookers and clearly label us as foreigners. Haisley's current situation looked like life or death to me, so I was prepared to activate a two-meter whip as I regained my footing. Before I could do so, another person flew onto the scene. It was a local girl that must have come sprinting our way as we were recovering from the surprise in the sand.

She was considerably shorter than the rest of us. Her hands gripped a long wooden spear above her head. The pointy edge thrust downward between the plating of the giant crab's head and shoulder, then disappeared nearly a half meter into it. The beast made a brief cry in pain, then simply slumped to the ground without another sound or swing of its deadly limbs. It was an impressively perfect kill.

The local girl yanked the spear out of her victim, causing a brown fluid eruption that she knew to dodge. Leaping off of the dead, thick shelled animal, she landed partly in my arms. I steadied her tiny frame as I avoided the goo dripping from her weapon. Quickly, she stepped back from me, but did not become overly defensive.

We should thank her, of course. I was thinking that. But the scene had shocked us into mutes temporarily. She wiped her weapon clean with a towel from her bag as she eyed us. Miles then helped a panicked Haisley to her feet as Roman rested on one knee like he was waiting for a speech from his coach.

The girl before us was petite but did not appear to be a child. Human, for sure, a descendant from the settlers. Tan skin was exposed on her face and limbs as her sleeveless dress did not even reach her knees. Sandals made from some sort of hide or shell were tied onto her feet and ankles. Sandy straight hair shot out from her head as if rubbed against a balloon for static electricity.

Her eyes finally settled on me. Perhaps because I was the only one with something in my hand. Though she couldn't possibly recognize it. The technology was less than twenty years old and forbidden on most ships. Miles made an exception for me due to my stellar prowess with device. She probably understood from the situation in which it was drawn from my pocket that it was a weapon. Otherwise, it was designed not to raise alarm. Smooth and shiny but no features as the button and slide were embedded in the side.

"You scuds aren't from this area, obviously," she said with a wary eye toward our clothes. Apparently, she hadn’t sized us up before coming to our rescue.

"No," I replied. It should be Haisley talking instead of me, but she appeared to still be traumatized by the encounter. There was surely a dialogue sequence to go through with our first conversation on Tau Ceti Four. I had seen it done before. It was also part of my training, though security personnel typically didn't take much interest in those parts. So, I asked, "What is a scud?"

"A traveler," she replied like it was common knowledge.

"Why do you think we are not from here?" Roman asked. That was more of a mission-based question than I was going ask. I was thinking, how old are you? How did you learn to kill these things like that? That was why I was not the person that should be talking. Roman would be second best, should Haisley be unable to speak.

"You walked right up to a cancrae den and asked to be eaten. I couldn't believe it when I first saw you."

"Yes," Roman responded, finally getting to his feet. "We are from the east."

"Argon?" the girl asked with a dubious expression.

"No, farther."

"I've never met anyone from that far away before. You people are tall. Even your woman is more than a hand higher than me," the young woman said. "I'm Ciassi."

We introduced ourselves. Haisley had regained her bearings and was prepared to take over communications. That was good. I wasn't sure how Ciassi had known that Haisley was a woman so quickly. But as I pointed out back in the ship, they were going to know as soon as she started talking anyway. Identifying ourselves as distant travelers seemed to appease Ciassi's curiosity. Hopefully, that would be the case with everyone that we met on the planet.

"Well, welcome to Nerogron," Ciassi told us. "Go around that way to reach the road. Storms be good." Then she was gone.

I stared at the dead cancrae crab and wondered what would become of it. Perhaps locals would descend upon the carcass and carve it up for food and household goods. The shell could probably be cut to use for dishes.

"What was that part about storms being good," Roman asked Haisley after Ciassi was out of earshot.

"It's probably a greeting or a way of saying goodbye," Haisley told us, still looking rattled. "Their society is likely impacted heavily by the weather pattern. It is a shame that she didn't stick around longer to talk. It is always good to interact with an individual at length before becoming immersed in a group setting."

"She was a peculiar one," Roman stated. No one disagreed.

"I like her," I said, without giving it much thought. It got me another sideways look from Haisley, but I didn't mean it like that. "If all the people that we meet today are like Ciassi, our job should be fairly easy."

--Chapter Two--

The road was hard like metal but looked like sand. The most common surface on this planet, the gritty substance must have been mixed with something else to harden it up. Or it had been baked somehow. It widened from the three meters width when we joined it to nearly ten meters as we approached the gate.

I had originally expected something more formidable to block our entrance. Instead, there was merely five posts inserted into the ground with rope strung between them at three heights. Trying to get in past the guards unnoticed could be done. However, this morning only one section had its meager barrier intact. The other sections of rope were wrapped around their posts and tied except at the very top, which was just about my height of two meters.

The two openings on the left apparently were for exiting the city. Both lanes were open as most of the traffic on the road was going the opposite direction as us. Rush hour, it seemed. Morning commute. Some were carrying shovels and pick- axes. Others had spears like Ciassi's. A few had wagons following them, most of which were strapped to harnesses around crabs that were nearly half my height and twice as wide. Their pointed feet made ratta-tat-tat on the road as they went.

Only one guard stood facing inward to watch as the flood of workers left town. Two were watching the lone entry path, though. That made sense. They were more cautious about who and what planned to enter their city than exit it.

The city guardsmen were clad in clothes similar to ours, including the boots. Most of the civilians merely had sandals to protect the bottom of their feet. A black cloth with a round hole cut for the head draped over their chest and back to mark them as sentry. Each held a spear in one hand, its butt end resting on the ground. On their left hip was a leather type sheath that held a knife. I estimated the blade to be a good twenty-five centimeters long. On the other hip was a hook that held something that looked much like a wooden toy gun. It was short with a pistol grip and trigger. Only instead of a barrel for ballistic propulsion, it had a tiny crossbow. A metal-like arrow rested on top, but the bowstring was not engaged.

If we were witnessing their full arsenal, it would be a simple task to force our will on these people. Should we need to do so. But that was not our job.

Our recon probes had revealed already much of what we were taking in visually this morning. Only from a much longer distance. We couldn't let them get spotted. As security officer I always wanted to assume that the probes were missing something. It was my responsibility to know in advance what we would be up against should there be a fight.

I casually glanced around like a tourist trying to see if there were archers or even some sort of snipers above us. Those were the kind of things that I focused on. I only spotted one person high up on top of the wall peering out over the desert from which we came. His job was undoubtedly to spot armed forces and other possible threats to the city before they got close. Or should I say she?

The lookout was clearly female, though not wearing a dress. If she were, everyone on the ground would be able to see up it as she stood near the edge of the wall with one booted foot resting on a slightly higher section. I only stared for a few seconds before she turned to look straight at me. I got the impression that she had already marked us as people of interest. When she saw me looking her way, her body stiffened like she caught me casing the place. I smiled and redirected my attention forward slowly.

I checked the gate guards again to find that they were all male. Less than thirty meters from their position now, their details were coming into view. Two were bearded and all three were lacking the natural curves of a female. Though they stood as tall if not taller than the others passing by, they were certainly not near my height of one point nine three meters.

I glanced around again, this time at the other travelers. They were all significantly shorter than us. Not a single person was as tall as Haisley even. Then another surprising detail came at me. Most of them were women, or teenage girls. There were very few men among them.

I wanted to point that fact out to the others, but I wouldn't be able to do so without being overheard by those passing by us. These close contact situations called for me to keep my mouth shut and let those that had been trained for these occasions do the talking. They probably already noticed the heavy female to male ratio and decided that it did not need to be discussed.

These were the kind of things that probes often missed. Or we missed when we viewed the footage or computer reports. That was why this first contact mission was so fragile. Showing alarm at something that was common knowledge among them would easily announce us as outsiders. Not just from this town, but from this planet. That would be bad. To our knowledge this colony had not had an interplanetary visitor since the first ship arrived. That was a hundred and fifty years ago.

My eyes went back to the guards as we neared the gate. They had been chatting between themselves as most of those entering the city were not worthy of their attention. That was not the case with us, though. I caught them glancing at us periodically, anticipating our approach. Without twisting my head, I tried to see what the lookout woman on the wall was doing. Sure enough, her full attention was on us. Perhaps it was her job to sound the alarm should there be a conflict at the guard station.

I shouldn't have to tell the others in our party that we were gaining unwanted attention. It was everyone's job to pick up on these basic cues. With Miles' military experience I was fairly certain that he had assessed everything that I did already. Roman and Haisley would be focusing on the people, too. But with other priorities.

Two women were ahead of us. We left what appeared to be the customary space between us and them. Roughly four meters. They were dressed very similarly to Ciassi, the nice crab killer from a few moments ago. What did she call that thing again? A cancrae?

One woman held a spear in her right hand while carrying a thick bucket in the other. I couldn’t see anything inside the bucket, but the way that she was carrying it suggested that there was. The other woman had a cage in each hand. They looked like they were made with vines or roots, much like the desert plants that we spotted on the way here. I had noticed dozens of them among the people leaving the city, but theirs were empty. These two were full of sand crabs of a couple different varieties. Most of them were moving, too. These two females were trappers maybe.

The guard ignored them as they passed by, even though they looked a bit dirtier than most. Their attention was squarely on our group, eyes shifting between the four of us. I knew that we would be stopped. I could see it in their eyes, in their shifting stance. Each gripped their spears with two hands, but they remained vertical just a few inches off the ground.

They were not entirely confident in what they needed to do. That is how I would describe them. One perked up a bit when he looked at Haisley for a couple seconds. Then he drew the other guard’s attention to her. I wasn't sure what that was about except that they noticed she was female. They focused mostly on her after that, but not in a way that suggested they found her sexually attractive. With the manner that she was done up, trying not to be recognized as a woman, that would be hard to do in my opinion. No offense intended. Otherwise Haisley was kind of cute.

The two men with spears had been standing three meters apart as others went past them into the city. They narrowed that gap as we stepped toward them cautiously.

"What is your intention, miss?" the guard on the left asked. He had a reddish blonde beard that blocked the view of his neck. No hat or helmet of any kind, just like the others. His eyes were focused only on our lone female as the other guard glanced nervously between the other three of us. He struck me as the younger of the two, probably less experienced. The exit guard was looking over his shoulder at us instead of minding his post. I decided the man addressing us must be the captain in charge.

"Peaceful safe entry into the city," Haisley replied after only a brief pause. She might not have been expecting that she would be the one addressed by the guard, but she was trained for this exact moment in our mission. Her lack of experience made her voice sound a little shaky to me. I wasn't sure if the sentries would pick up on it.

The guards looked at each other and stiffened a bit. "For what purpose?" the captain asked, almost impatiently. I got the impression that there were customary answers and the one that Haisley gave was not one of them. Was she supposed to choose between business and pleasure?

"We are visiting for the first time," Haisley explained. I could tell that she was uncomfortable in the spotlight, as most rookies were. "I am not familiar with your customs."

The man relaxed a bit before asking, "Where do you come from?"

"The far east," she replied more confidently. That was our story. Nerogron was situated on the west side of the land mass, so we chose to be from the farthest point away to explain why we looked and acted like weirdos.

"Argon?" the captain queried, just like Ciassi had done. That must be the name of the only sizable town on the eastern half of the small continent.

"Farther," Haisley answered.

The guards nodded to each other. The one without the beard whistled toward a room that had been built into the wall. I noticed for the first time that a couple other guards were seated in there. They rose at the sound and began exiting the room with spears in hand. When I stiffened slightly the captain noticed. I smiled and tried to relax. Eventually his attention went back to Haisley.

"For markets?" he asked as he noticed that we had nothing in our hands. That probably set us apart more than anything. Everyone else coming and going were carrying things. We only brought slim backpacks that were hidden by our jackets. Most of the items carried clearly indicated their jobs and their intentions. "For temple?"

"Both," Haisley replied. That didn't seem to satisfy the man. "And we are hungry."

The captain nodded and walked toward the two guards that exited the room. The other man focused intently on us in the absence of his partner. He relaxed happily when the captain returned with the other two guards in tow.

"You may enter," the guy said. Since he had begun talking, I could clearly see that he was the eldest among them. When he looked high up on the wall and waved, I followed his eyes to see the female lookout watching us intently. At his signal, though, she returned to gazing out over the desert. "The fish markets are open," the captain told us. "They have bread and fruit, too. Eat there. Most markets are close to the river. Temples are close to the wall, of course. These two men will be around should you get confused."

"Are they our guides?" Haisley asked with a bit of excitement in her voice. She was pleased that she hadn't messed up this first point of contact with the city folk.

The two men that he gestured to laughed. The other guard did so, too. Nervously though. A rookie like Haisley I surmised.

The captain took on an expression of confusion and annoyance. "No," he explained. "Miss. They will follow you."

"Oh," Haisley replied. She wasn't sure what to say after that.

"Keep your men with you at all times," he then instructed her.

"Yes, of course," she answered. When the guards stepped aside, she tentatively moved forward.

Your men? I focused on the captain's statement and how he chose to address Haisley instead of one of us. Was this a female dominant society?

The two men that had been assigned to follow us stepped aside and simply watched us walk into the city. They did not appear to be overly friendly. Haisley looked to each of them questionably before turning back to the captain. He pointed to the left before returning his attention to his duties at the gate. We had caused a bit of a traffic jam apparently.

A wide path on the left led us down toward the river. I couldn't see the water, but I could read all the signals that indicated there should be flowing water down that way. Another wide path led people toward the right. Just as many were choosing it. I assumed that led toward the temples since it was near the massive wind blocking wall. Though there could be other points of interest that way. People were heading down that street carrying live animals. Were they for sacrifice to some god?

Just as the captain explained, the two guards followed us. From a distance. I definitely got the impression that they were curious enough about who we were and what we wanted, but not enough to field questions.

Once inside the city the female to male ratio got even higher. Nearly everyone we saw were women. Most were preparing to open their businesses for the day. Some were cooking or chopping food, but none were ready for customers from the way they ignored us.

There were children running along narrow side streets and occasionally brushing past us as they played their chase games. Almost all of them were girls wearing short dresses like Ciassi. In fact, that was the most popular garment style of this city. I believed it was a mistake not to put Haisley in one, even though it would have put her at more risk. Our clothing was essentially body armor. If Haisley had dressed like the locals both arms would be completely bare, as would more than half of each leg.

Haisley had a somewhat smallish body by our standards, but she towered over most of the women on this planet. She was shapely, but not particularly curvaceous. I would have liked to have the opportunity to see her in a dress. Maybe on our next visit.

Most of the buildings along our way were made of stone or concrete. Baked sand I would have to guess. Some had a bit of a shimmer to them in the morning sun. A few had windows that could close, but many did not. Just open holes in the wall to let in sunlight and fresh air, but none facing east. The windows also came in a variety of shapes. The upside-down triangle provided better privacy. The large circle openings were low enough that I could easily step through them.

"I haven't seen any money exchanging hands yet," Miles whispered to the group. "I don't know how we are supposed to pay for this fish breakfast that we've committed to."

"Fish for breakfast?" I asked. Were we really going to try their food already? We had plenty of the meal bars packed that we didn't need to eat anything else even if we stayed longer than planned.

"Surely the guards won't panic if we decide not to purchase a breakfast," Haisley stated.

"You are the one that told them that we are hungry," Roman replied. "We could try a little without concern. The doctor said that we would be safe. We do have those gold coins if we need them."

"Do not show anyone those coins!" Miles raised his voice. He received the attention of some people close by momentarily. "Revealing currency foreign to this world should be avoided until we view some monetary transactions among their people."

"I know that," Roman answered with a chuckle. I got the impression that he didn't care much about shocking the locals. His attitude leaned more toward the forceful approach when it came to negotiating with these colonies. He had such a reputation from his other missions.

A young woman stepped into the main street from one of the allies. Her red and yellow dress was a few inches shorter and the cut at the top revealed some cleavage, which was unusual. She had a long slender form adorned by bracelets and anklets. Her body swayed with the swagger of a prostitute that matched the expression her face. When she spotted me, her face lit up.

"Hello," she called as she quickened her pace to approach me specifically. "Will you be worshipping today?" she asked me.

"What?"

"I'll be at the temple of Pheletia most of the day," she told me as she slithered around my left arm like a serpent. Her head ended up on my chest as I felt her place my hand on her lower back near the top of her buttocks. "I would love to assist you in your service."

"Uh, yeah," I answered without thinking. She was a skinny little thing but very sexy. Instead of picturing a place of worship I was imagining a strip club. She didn't look or act like she would be very welcome in most churches. Her subtle eye makeup continued down onto her cheeks and her thin lips were bright red. I had not noticed any of the other women wearing makeup so far.

"I'm Rossi," she said with almost a purr to her tongue. "You'll find me in the third room on the right if I'm not in the main sanctuary."

"Okay," I responded as she caressed the thick material of my shirt across my muscular chest. The face she made suggested that she didn't care for the fabric.

"I'll be waiting for you," she said as she batted her eyelashes. Then she turned her attention to the others. "We can help all of you achieve fulfillment in the service of Pheletia. Please miss," she almost begged Haisley. "Bring them with you to the temple. You will enjoy your visit, I promise."

Then she ran off down the street in her red sandals. No high heels. I watched to see if she was going to encourage other men to visit the temple as she went. She ran right past our two stalkers without saying a word.

"Kenzo!" Miles voice brought my attention back to the mission. We weren't supposed to be drawing attention to ourselves, but I was probably the biggest man that they had ever seen. Where I came from, I was considered handsome as well.

"Let's focus on the market situation, shall we?" Miles attempted to get everyone recovered from the incident. I noticed then that Roman was as distracted as I had been. Haisley, though, was staring at me with a scornful look. What was that about?

"Yeah, sure," I answered as I resumed my moderate pace down the street. "But we will be visiting the temples today, right?" --Chapter Three--

There were three fish markets open for breakfast. They had baked goods and a variety of fruit as well. Some recognizable, others not. One such market was huge, serving customers from three sides of their enormous booth. The fourth side bordered the river and had three docks for fisherman to bring their catch ashore. The other two businesses were smaller and specialized in certain fish or styles or preparation techniques. I didn't take much note of details as I had no intention of eating their food. The remaining two seafood places didn't open until lunch. All of them carried a wide variety of crabs, too. Based on the handwritten menu boards crustaceans probably were as popular as the fish.

The few financial transactions that we were able to witness without drawing attention revealed that coins and gems were their primary currency. Flat chunks of unknown metal, shiny stones, smooth rocks that glowed and colorful translucent cubes exchanged hands. How they corresponded to the numbers on the board we couldn't decipher. Our hidden cameras would feed the information into our computer once we returned to the ship to calculate the denominations.

There were so many references to their sea god, Nethrene that buying seafood seemed to be considered a form of worship. The crabbers and fishermen were even bowed to as if they were saints. Common phrases were uttered regularly at the markets. Nethrene provides. Oh god of the sea, how thankful we be.

"These people have religion deeply ingrained into their society," Haisley stated when we were out of earshot of anyone else. I was sure that her training prepared her for all possible scenarios when it came to types of colony societies.

"It's a good reason to visit the temples," I muttered, knowing that I wouldn't be taken seriously.

"We'll finish our tour of the city," Miles said calmly. "That will include passing by some of their temples. From the sound of it they have several. But under no circumstances will we be entering a place of worship on this visit. It is unlikely that we will on future visits, either."

"We'll have plenty of recordings to review during our debrief," Roman added. "Then we can assess what needs to be done on future visits. We will definitely need to acquire some of those coins and gems for study as soon as possible. We’ll need to replicate some if we’re going to do any business here."

"There is no we when it comes to making decisions," Miles said firmly as he halted and turned to face the company representative. "This is not and never will be a democracy. After debrief I'll review the data and we will discuss it for a couple days before I alone form the agenda for the next visit."

"Yes, sir," I replied like a soldier. Haisley murmured her agreement as well. Roman just stared at our commanding officer for a while before finally nodding. Miles gave him another stern look afterwards, then directed us down a new alley. The company rep was the only person that had trouble following the chain of command, and Miles took every opportunity to set him straight.

Many of the buildings close to the river had some erosion on their eastward corners. They were too far from the massive L-shaped wall to escape all damage caused by the storm fronts that passed through regularly. Miles also pointed out evidence that sand build-up on the sides facing the storm winds was being shoveled periodically. It wasn't until we wandered into a poorer section of town where laborers were still in the process of clearing it. It had been a few days since the most recent surge of wind and rain.

"They place a higher importance on their temples than their food supply," Haisley told us as we finally spotted one of the houses of worship. They were lined up on a street very close to the protective wall. Various government buildings shared the cleanest section of town, some of which were built directly into the towering barrier. The pathways there were more like sidewalks than streets, each with precise masonry work. Upon closer examination I noticed that the hard surface that we walked on had lines etched to resemble a brick path. It was certainly the nicest part of town.

Our two followers, the guards assigned to us at the gate, seemed to be less concerned about our activity than at first. They could often be spotted chatting with the women at the gates to the temples. When we approached the massive shrine dedicated to Pheletia, several women were gathered around the entrance to its courtyard encouraging visitors. All were dressed skimpily like Rossi and were luring visitors of both sexes in a similar fashion.

"Hey, its Rossi," I told our small group as we slowly headed down the sidewalk toward the Pheletian temple gate. The girl that practically begged us to come see her was among those recruiting worshippers for midday service.

"Great," Haisley mumbled. Attractive, thin skimpily clad women appeared to be a thorn in her side. So far it was the only thing that threatened her professionalism.

"So it is," Roman chimed in. "Let's see..."

"No," Miles said sternly as he raised his hands just enough to indicate that we needed to stop. "We're turning around. This is a scene that we need to avoid."

"Our objective..." Roman started.

"We have already achieved our objective for the first visit," Miles told him as he stepped closer to the man's chest. It was a military technique of intimidation. A lower ranking officer was much less comfortable being insubordinate with his commander in his face. Of course, Roman was technically outside of the chain of command. He was a citizen whereas we were more like a private militia trained for first contact diplomacy. On our ship and during mission activity he needed to comply as much as any other crew member. Company liaisons notoriously had difficulty with that part of their job.

We quietly made our way back toward the eastern gate where we had entered the city. We lost our armed stalkers somewhere in the temple section. Perhaps they knew that we were leaving and lacked eagerness to report back to their station.

The lone guard watching the exit stared at us as we passed by but said nothing. Foot and wagon traffic had died down considerably since we had entered the city. Rush hour was apparently over.

"Thank you for visiting Nerogron," Roman said in a mocking voice once we were too far to be overheard. "Please come visit again, you tall handsome people..."

"Enough," Miles cut him off once again. The commander was always serious minded, but close association with Roman tended to irritate him.

We journeyed back through the desert to our ship taking a different path for exploration sake. Our navigation devices would lead us to the cloaked space vessel so that we didn't need to retrace our steps. More knowledgeable about this world since we set out in the morning, we were able to avoid poor footing and cancrae traps easily.

I wouldn’t call Tau Ceti Four a beautiful planet, but it had its charm. Ancient Middle East desert life mixed with medieval town communities. Better than a bubble planet for pleasurable visitation, but significantly harder for security reasons. The locals seemed to have retained little or no connection to what life was like back in the solar system before their colony ship had launched. It was almost as if these people had been living here for a millennium.

A craggy rock formation stood before us as the last obstacle to return to the refreshing recycled air of our craft. I was beginning to get a dry cough as my body longed for what it was accustomed. It was during such a cough that I saw movement among the wind ravished boulders.

"Did you see that?" I asked.

"See what?" Haisley replied as she came to a stop beside me. The others halted, too, but said nothing as they glanced around nervously.

"I saw something move over there," I told them as I pointed to what was almost a cave. Maybe more like an alcove.

"Another large crab?" Roman asked.

"No," I replied as I tried to think how best to describe it. It was one of those things that I caught out of the corner of my eye. My mind wanted to classify it by filling in data that it didn't have by using past experiences. Unfortunately, that just made it more difficult.

"There," Haisley pointed off to the right. I turned to see it more clearly this time but remained just as confused.

"What was that?" Roman asked.

"Formation," Miles commanded our group. I immediately stepped in front of Haisley, which I was already inclined to do. And Miles moved forward to get in front of Roman. "Watch the rear, Roman."

The two of us were the security for our squad. Haisley must be protected due to her role on this mission, not because she was a woman. And she understood that. However, she wasn't one to scare easily or feel the need for our protection. I could tell that Roman was staring forward instead of doing what he was told to do. In this scenario I found it unlikely that a threat would approach us from the rear, but then again, this world had gigantic crabs that exploded right out of the ground.

"Roman," Miles grated his voice to show his irritation. Then I heard the company man turning in the sand to watch our flank. He missed it the next time that the creature made an appearance.

It was a shimmer at first, like a mirage. Almost a dehydration hallucination, but we were checking our water levels regularly. The sun was high in the sky, not in our eyes. And there was nothing shiny about the rock formation that we were staring at.

A humanoid shape appeared less than a meter tall, and it hovered well off the ground. But it was difficult to see due to the shimmer in the air around it. The thing had a camouflage similar to the dow-mirr tech that kept our ship hidden in plain view. Only theirs was not near as good. Because we could see it, just not clear enough to figure out what it was.

"It's a girl," Haisley announced in astonishment. And it did look like a girl, sort of. Maybe more like a faerie.

A second one appeared off to our left momentarily to catch our attention and then quickly flew away. When I looked back to the first one it too was gone. There was nothing but rock. No more shimmers.

"A new creature that our probes had not encountered," Miles stated all business like. It was hard for me to maintain my security officer demeanor after seeing it, though. Not only was it a peculiar sight, but the creature also seemed to be calling me to follow it. I heard no voice or sound but felt almost compelled regardless.

"A wide berth," Miles said as we moved to the left to steer well clear of the barrier. If the caves or alcoves among the rocks were their home, we should be able to avoid them by going around.

"I hope that the ship is still there," Haisley said casually. Miles and I both shot her a disapproving glance. That was something that you were not supposed to say. We were not really a superstitious people, but negativity was bad for the brain and must be avoided on these delicate and dangerous missions.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Roman asked, casually as well. Fortunately, we stepped into view of our ship just after that. But we shouldn't have been able to see it.

"What the...?" I muttered. Our ship had the same shimmer as the creatures in the rocks. It was no longer invisible. Nor was it uncloaked. I had never seen a malfunction like it before.

Miles frantically tapped the button on his wristband to uncloak the vessel. He too had been rattled, uncharacteristically. It could be a huge mistake to make the ship visible to all without clearing the area first. The whole mission could be blown. Thankfully, the black metal ship appeared before us intact. The commander then hit the button again to reengage the cloak. It returned to its perfectly hidden state, just like it was when we left it this morning.

"Camari!" Miles called into his wrist communicator, stifling a near panic in his voice. He stared wide eyed to where our ship appeared just a moment ago as we waited for a response.

"Yes, commander," Camari's voice came through the device. "Are you back?"

"Yes," Miles replied as he released a heavy breath. "Is everything okay in there?"

"Of course," Camari answered. She was the pilot and left in charge during our absence. "How about you? Should the doctor be ready?"

It was protocol for the doctor to examine all of us upon reentry to the ship. What the pilot was asking was if we had a medical emergency. That was a completely different scenario. None of us were injured.

Surprisingly, Miles answered, "Yes. Have her ready. And scan the area for lifeforms. Sound waves, too. I'm hearing some kind of nearly silent song in my head. I don't know how to explain it, but it is very unsettling."

I stared at the commander in disbelief until I suddenly realized something. I was hearing it, too.

--Chapter Four--

Our ship's galley doubled as our conference room. However, Commander Hayvertt was adamant that the room did not serve the two distinct functions at the same time. Food on the table during a serious discussion was enough to set him off on a neck vein popping tangent. Drinks were tolerable, but nothing with alcohol or anything similar.

I sat at the far end of the faux wood greenish brown table. Not because I had an elevated status. In this situation the end seat did not mean anything. At least not on my end. The commander chose the end chair closest to the entrance which was his preference. The important people in this discussion all gathered on that end. That included Haisley, our communications and first contact specialist. And Roman, the company representative.

Also included in that mix was the beautiful Camari Sho, the extremely well-liked pilot of the Brisbane. A sexy, petite thirty-one-year-old woman of Asian descent. A gorgeous round face and slender toned body had made her the poster girl for interstellar pilot academies. Why she chose this assignment over more prestigious options was beyond me. But I wasn't complaining.

Miss Sho had been Commander Hayvertt’s pilot on the cruiser that he captained before leaving the military. The two worked well together though their personalities were certainly not identical.

Camari knew full well how attractive that she was. Her confidence bordered on arrogance at times, but mostly she just ignored me. As security guard I didn't rank high on her list of prospects for a lover, even though I considered myself the most handsome man on the ship. Truth was, she probably didn't have a list. She was as professional as they came. That made her a good second in command to the strict commander.

In the early days of our interstellar voyage, I couldn't keep her out of my head. I sought opportunities to speak to her privately during galley breaks and in the exercise room. She was friendly enough at first, but eventually became snobbish as my interest in her became clearer. Lately I avoided even looking in her direction.

Doctor Sofia Chin Walker was an alluring woman in her own right, in a nerdy scientist kind of way. At age thirty-six her knowledge of the science needed for this mission was quite extensive. Her accomplishments in the field before being selected were limited. However, scientists weren’t always eager to spend years on a colony reclaim assignment when there were more exciting advancements being made regularly.

Unlike Sho, the doctor remained polite during our journey. She never got offended or annoyed with any attention she received from her male crew mates. But she also never reciprocated. She would blush often and shrug off any unsolicited advancements. Sometimes she didn't even pick up on the cues. Not necessarily socially awkward. It was more like she was emotionally unavailable, beyond the cordial point. It was well known that she was married to a powerful politician back on Mars. No one would consider going beyond flirting with her anyway.

I liked her. In fact, I liked her so much that I stopped doing anything to make her uncomfortable a long time ago. I even defended her when other men were less considerate, which was something that she repeatedly discouraged me from doing. In that way I completely failed my objective, which could be frustrating at times.

That left only Africa Xanthos and Tanner Tag on my end of the table. Neither of them would be speaking much doing this meeting. Less than me probably, since I was among those that actually visited Nerogron.

Africa was a stocky dark-skinned twenty-two-year-old right out of school. As our tech support specialist, it was her intense focus on our particular model of spacecraft that earned her the position on our team. Upon her return to the solar system, she fully intended to get a good paying job with Bowing-Sauzer, the company that made these interstellar ships.

Tanner was our general laborer. He was about as exciting to talk to as a cold bowl of potato soup. Nearly as big as me he had enough muscle to do his job efficiently. And he was quite good at most of the holo-games in our recreation room. Other than that, he just kind of blended into the scenery. Not being very outspoken was probably a good thing in his position. Reliable and unintrusive.

"There is no medical explanation for what you experienced," Doctor Sophia explained in her kind soft voice. "All scans came back negative on any known causes for hallucinations or even hearing things that did not exist."

"It was definitely not a hallucination," Roman told her in a firmer tone than necessarily. My protective nature almost made me open my mouth. "We all saw it," he added.

"But only Kenzo and I heard the song," Miles told him.

"Perhaps only males could hear it," Haisley attempted an explanation, appearing unsettled. "You described the effect like a siren from Greek mythology."

"I'm a man," Roman quickly responded with a slight cock of his head. "Why didn't I hear it then?"

"She meant manly men," I couldn't help but answer. It earned me a rare chuckle from Camari and outright laughter from Tanner. Then the commander's fierce stare told me that my comment was inappropriate and distracting from the issue. Don't do it again.

On a larger ship I would have been entitled chief of security. An officer worthy of more respect. Sadly, among this lot I was only considered important when their lives were in danger.

"What about the cloaking malfunction?" Miles asked without first removing his gaze from me. He did that we he wanted to make absolutely sure that he got his point across. I gave him the tiniest of nods and lowered my eyes.

"There is no record of a malfunction," Camari answered, quick to regain her composure after my ill-timed humorous comment.

"My findings support that conclusion," Africa's squeaky voice added. It was obviously considered to be an unnecessary comment by some at the table. Questioning our pilot's expertise with the ship's computer was unadvisable. Yet, it was technically the young woman's job to do. As the least experienced of our crew, I thought it showed good character for her to speak up when pertinent.

"Then what happened?" Roman asked. In my opinion he was the most unprofessional of the group. There was emotional fluctuation in his voice with almost every sentence. However, as company liaison his position was unique. It required a tolerance that did not sit well with most of the crew.

"Let's set those issues aside for the moment," Commander Hayvertt regained control of the discussion. "The primary objective for our excursion and debrief is the experience in Nerogron. We need to focus on that. Once this meeting is over, I'll need a full diagnostic run on our sensors to confirm that there is nothing on this planet that is interfering with their function."

"Yes, commander," Camari replied with a sharp nod. It was a military gesture. One that she had learned in his service before and used often to stay on her boss's good side.

The strict professionalism of the top duo on our team instantly put the conference back on track. I sat quietly as they discussed our visit to the Tau Ceti city of Nerogron at great lengths. I even refrained from comment when they brought up Rossi and the temple of Pheletia. The meeting lasted three hours and included dozens of video segments from our hidden recorders. All in all, it wasn't as boring as it could have been. The place and the people were kind of fascinating.

After three weeks in orbit studying this location on the planet it was kind of cool to recap the experience. The daily meetings that we had in this room before landing were more like monotonous classwork. Personally, I was barely able to remain awake during many of those.

Gravity helped, too. It was something that many people took for granted. Anyone that lived on the surface of a planet or in one of the many spinning space stations had little idea of how hard it was to stay focused in zero-G. Some the larger faster- than-light ships were now equipped with an artificial gravity as well. But not our tiny multipurpose vessel.

Faster than light was really an inaccurate term. People only continued to call it that because that is what it was referred to for more than a century as the technology eluded mankind. In our universe, there was no possible way to travel faster than light. Leaving our three-dimensional void was required to transit that fast.

The colony ship that brought these people to this world a hundred and fifty years ago did not have that technology. Those colonists were asleep in cryogenic preservation during their fourteen-year journey. Most of them remained that way until the ship landed on the surface. Only a small crew was awakened before the descent through the atmosphere. The other one hundred and twenty-three people didn't get revived until the colony ship was securely on the ground. They too never had to deal with zero gravity.

We didn’t know for sure how things went for those original colonists. We had no record of their experience since their arrival at Tau Ceti. Just an interstellar transmission that announced that they had made it to their final destination. Our mission was banking on at least some of them surviving on the habitation class planet afterward. It wasn’t until we achieved orbit that we were able to confirm that.

Our ship was equipped with a very basic system to allow us to move about while floating in the void of space. The floor tiles had a grip technology that matched our footwear. Sort of like magnets, but not as strong of a pull. We had to walk all funky to get around, but it was much better than floating through these rooms and hallways. Our kitchenware used a similar feature but had its limitations. Most of us sucked our nutrients through tubes instead of eating from a bowl until after we landed.

HOP Drive. That is what the advanced engine was called that got us to Tau Ceti in weeks instead of years. Hyper-Oswald-Propulsion. It ripped a hole in the invisible fabric of our universe. Sounded dangerous, and it was. Once through the rupture our ship glided along a two-dimensional plane that coincided with our realm of existence. That allowed us to journey light years in just days. Then we had to rip a new hole to get back. The trip to Tau Ceti required seven such jumps.

The explanatory video that had been played for the public for years compared it to skipping rocks across a lake. Pushing a stone through the thick liquid would take forever in comparison to skipping them through the air above. Each time we used the HOP Drive it was referred to as a jump. The term rip-jumping was beginning to get popular before we left the solar system months ago.

"Who is going on the next excursion?" Camari asked with the hint of hope in her eyes. Despite her seasoned professional exterior, she was eager to experience the colony for herself. That was understandable. However, protocol dictated that only key personnel were permitted to go until a certain point. As security, I would be among the group each and every time.

"Same four," Miles told her, not even attempting an apologetic expression. She blinked but otherwise gave no indication that she was disappointed. Noticing crewmate’s gestures and facial expressions had become a hobby of mine to keep me alert when the subject matter didn’t involve me.

"When do we leave?" Roman asked as he glanced around the table at those that wouldn't be with us. His pride could make him a real asshole sometimes.

"Not for a couple days," the commander replied. "There is another storm approaching. Sensors, if they are working properly, are recording wind speeds of over two-hundred kilometers-per-hour. That is comparable with the other storms that we detected from orbit."

"It is the same storm," Sophia said softly.

"Seems like it," the commander muttered in response.

"No, commander," the doctor corrected him. "It is the same exact storm. I have studied its track and consistency. It circles the planet every six days with very little variation. We can expect the effects of this storm to be exactly like the last one."

Everyone stared at the doctor, some with obvious disbelief. The same storm every six days? How did we not know this already? It wasn't incredibly uncommon on uninhabitable planets. I wasn't sure how important that information was. I remembered people talking about the Great Red Spot on Jupiter being a storm that lasted centuries before eventually dying out.

Thinking back to our visit to Nerogron this regular storm theory made sense. The design of their wall and other features of their society. We had even seen a monument that appeared to be dedicated to their storm god. No wonder we heard so many references to the weather during our time there.

"Storms be good," I muttered under my breath. That was something Ciassi said in parting after killing the cancrae sand-crab-beast. I was no scientist or first contact specialist, but it seems like this storm might be more important to this colony than we had realized.

"This storm is anything but good," Miles responded. "Just to be safe, we're going to return to orbit before it hits."

The room went into chaos after that. Not real chaos, just several people speaking all at once. Considering the commander's firm control of our meetings it was alarming to see. I could understand why everyone was upset. We just got there! It was time to relax in some full gravity for a change. This new development meant that we would need to go through launch procedures, hang out in orbit for a day or so, then go through landing again. It was roughly like being called into work on your vacation. It sucked.

--Chapter Five--

I did my best to savor the pull of my buttocks into the seat. It wouldn't be long before the harness would be required to hold me in. However, when we hit double Gs I was ready for some relief. Launching from the planet was the roughest part of our ride in the Brisbane. Not even descending through the atmosphere was as stressful on our bodies. It was due to the amount of sheer force required to break away from the planet's natural attraction.

I personally had gone through it only twice before on the small spacecraft. Those occasions were after completing our first two missions. In both cases there was a sense of relief to put the world behind us. That emotion was certainly lacking on this occasion and noticeably so.

Our mission began at Petter-Riff station orbiting Mars. Departing from a spinning space structure could be a little tricky at times but there was never anything like turbulence. If I were to write a review of my experience trying to reclaim Tau Ceti's colony so far, I would mention that this was the worst part.

Eventually the thrust force faded. We gradually transitioned from ow, my back hurts to oh-oh, here comes my lunch.

The control room had six workstations, each with touch screen monitors and keyboards. The front two belonged to the commander and the pilot. They had plenty of additional apparatus on their desktops. The four seats behind them were all facing their screens against opposite side walls. A row of small rectangular windows circled the room at about eye level. Currently, only empty space was visible through those. High on the front wall however was the main screen which was viewable by everyone in the room. It was currently a display of the atmosphere where we had just left.

The storm was approaching Nerogron at an alarming rate. No wonder wind speeds were so high. Instead of a churning cloud mass like a hurricane, the weather phenomenon resembled a straight wall of water. Like a tidal wave, but on land. How was that even possible? We should have brought a meteorologist with us.

Every six days the doctor/scientist had said. The abrasive attack on the land circled the globe every six days. It maintained a fairly constant speed the entire time apparently. Based on our findings in Nerogron, this must have been going on for quite some time. Maybe even before the original colonists landed.

After weightlessness kicked in and our moment of awe over the storm passed, the routine full analysis of the ship's systems took place. Until that was complete, I was not permitted to free myself from my harness and leave the control room. Sitting beside Tanner Tag in the back of the cramped chamber with no monitors of our own, it was incredibly boring. So, I spent that time staring at the six people in front of me.

Miles and Camari were facing forward so I could only see the back of their heads. That was a bit of a shame. The pilot was easily the most beautiful woman on board. Heck, she was one of the most attractive women that I had ever met.

The other four were facing side walls which gave me a clearer view. Roman's resting face portrayed his typical attitude. Wide ears and long nose didn’t help his appearance. It was funny when he first joined us. Now it was more like a bad odor. I turned my eyes away from him as fast as I could. Africa always looked like she was about to panic from something she saw on her screen. Eyes a little wider, mouth slightly agape. There were even a few beads of sweat on her dark skin.

That left only Doctor Sophia and Haisley. The scientist had perfect posture and studied her screen calmly while making occasional soft taps to proceed through menus and lists of data. Despite being eight years my elder, and married to a politician, I believed that she would be fun for socializing. In a tipsy dinner party kind of way.

When I rotated my gaze toward Haisley, I found her staring right at me. She turned away quickly and didn't look back for the next two minutes. I knew because I watched her the whole time. I could see her discomfort as I did so. She was fidgeting while biting her lip. Occasionally she tried to peek at me out of the corner of her eye without turning her head. She must have been able to see enough to know that I was still looking her way. I had given up on trying to befriend her already. But seeing her staring right at me had me wondering if I had misjudged her.

There was a girl in school that I didn't get along with for years. Shantha. She always had snotty things to say and curled up her lip when I talked. We would bicker in front of our friends at times, which they somehow found humorous. It wasn't until her best friend tipped me off to what was really going on that I began to see things differently. Shantha had a crush on me.

The girl was pretending to not like me to save herself the social embarrassment of chasing after me. When I started chasing her instead, she changed dramatically. We even dated for a few months before the attitude came back on strong. Eventually I got tired of the love-hate relationship and moved on.

Was Haisley pulling a Shantha? Should I try again to break through her snotty barrier?

"Dude," Tanner whispered to me with a tap to my forearm. He was already unfastened and standing. "Are you going to stare at her all day?"

Haisley suddenly turned to face me again. The hint of a smile was accompanied by the tiniest glimmer in her eye. She found me being caught looking at her mildly amusing. Not offensive.

I had zoned out momentarily and missed the unfasten your seatbelts chime. I scurried to correct that and exited the control room without a backwards glance. I was not as graceful as I intended in doing so. Walking in zero gravity on the special floors required patience and a wider stance. I heard Tanner laughing behind me, but I kept going, heading straight to the bathroom as if I was in a hurry to empty my bladder. The wingspan of my muscular arms was more than sufficient to balance myself using the walls as I went. It was something that most people did the first few hours of returning to weightlessness.

After the restroom I headed straight down to the gym on the lower level. Nothing got me thinking straight better than a good workout.

The top level of the ship had seven quarters down one side. Across the hall from those were the commander's quarters, the galley/conference room, medical and science lab, and the restrooms. Connecting those with the lower level were two wide vertical shafts with ladders, one fore, the other aft.

Down below were a variety of facilities. The exercise room received the most attention. Some rooms had barely been visited since our departure from Mars. The sleep chamber was one of them. Only if something happened to our HOP Drive would we need to activate the dormant cryo-pods.

There was a second science lab on the bottom floor, directly beneath the one above which also doubled as our medical bay. Any experiments that Doctor Sofia had going on could be found down there, as well as an overstock on medical supplies.

There were storage rooms aplenty, as well as access to key points in the life support system. The largest chamber was dedicated to manufacturing. We had the ability to produce unbelievably strong fabrics in the design of any colony that we visited. Parts for the ship, too. And weapons. What wasn't already programmed in would need a template created. Technically, that was Africa's job. However, Camari was more experienced with the equipment. I used that as an excuse to go to her whenever I needed something. The side effect of that action was the wedge that formed between me and the twenty-two-year-old tech girl.

"Why did we have to leave the atmosphere?" I asked myself while using programmable bands to do bicep curls. "Couldn't we just get higher than the storm?" I muttered.

"Commander's decision," Camari replied to my rhetorical question as she sauntered into the room wearing her tight workout onesie. There was no doubt that she knew how good she looked in the outfit. Not muscle bound, but super toned in a sleek way. What was amazing was how she could manage to look incredibly sexy while walking in zero-G.

"Oh, hey," was all I could manage to say while averting my eyes. If a woman insisted on turning me away like a hired hand I wasn't going to contribute to her ego.

I thought that maybe she was going to support our boss's decision to return to space with an explanation, but she didn't. Instead, she went straight into her programmed workout routine. I had seen it before, several times to be honest. That didn't make it any less fascinating.

Flat cushioned boards popped out of the wall to rest at pre-determined positions. Mostly at inward angles. Camari had a ritualistic exercise routine that made her appear as a ninja warrior. Using her wiry arms and legs she would propel herself from side to side, adjusting her muscle use as the board positions gradually changed. On the wall the whole program displayed and told the user where each unit would be moving. But, I believed the woman already knew the entire routine by heart.

She started off slow for the first couple minutes. Without a downward pull it was easy to pace yourself. Slowly her rate increased until it looked dangerous. I had tried the routine twice while she wasn't present. The computer adjusted for my bulk easily enough. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to last near as long in the program as our pilot. It was just another method to display her impressiveness.

Keeping in line with my determination not to inflate her already enormous ego, I broke off my workout and left the room. Tanner nearly ran into me in his rush to check out the scene. He couldn't get enough of watching Camari in action. But she wouldn't tolerate it from him. Our second highest ranking officer would make up some task for him to do to get him away from her. I had already witnessed it more than a few times.

As irritating as Roman could be, I had to admit that Tanner was probably the least likable person on the ship. Not offensive usually. Just socially awkward.

I had barely worked up a sweat, but I headed up the vertical shaft toward the showers anyway. In space the ladder rungs were more like guide grips since actual climbing wasn't required. Most of us tended to launch ourselves upward and then catch our toe on the top rung to slow ourselves down. I did just that to find Haisley positioned in the hall waiting for her turn to use the accessway. She was standing with her hands on her hips at the edge of the floor. My momentum with the toe hook sent my upper half right at her. I had to reach for the bulkhead to stop myself just centimeters from her face. She reacted quickly by placing both her hands on my sculptured chest.

"Woah," she said. It wasn't the first near miss between two bodies on this ship. In fact, it was almost a regular occurrence.

"Hey, Haisley. Sorry about that."

She shook her head to indicate that it was no big deal, because it wasn't. Only the lingering memory of our glances in the control room made it feel like anything else.

"I'm surprised that you didn't say more during the debrief," she said as she remained in a position to block my exit from the shaft. I adjusted my stance to try to look more comfortable. Without a floor below me it was a bit challenging.

"I never talk much during those meetings," I shrugged. "Why would that surprise you?"

"You seemed to be having a good time in town is all," she answered, returning her hands to her hips. "I thought that you might have more input regarding the temples. You were pretty focused on visiting one in particular."

"Nah," I chuckled. "I was just joking around, keeping things on the light side. You and Hayvertt were so serious."

"We're supposed to be serious on an excursion," she replied. "All of us. I never thanked you by the way."

"For what?"

"For trying to save me from that giant crab," she answered with a smile. "What did she call it? A cancrae? Well, anyway, you were about to do something. But that little girl stepped in to save me instead."

"Yeah, she did. Quite effectively, too."

"So," she said in a quieter tone while still blocking my exit. This was starting to get awkward. "I was wondering if you could tell me more about that voice that you heard in your head."

"What? Oh, the siren thingy," I responded. "I don't know how to explain it. It was kind of like some girl singing so far in the distance that I could barely hear her."

"It made you want to follow it?"

"Something like that," I answered, being careful with my wording. "Not like being hypnotized. More of a piqued curiosity type of deal. Why do you ask?"

Haisley looked around to make sure no one was listening in. That included checking down below me as well. When she brought her head back up, she was exceptionally close to my face. She gazed into my eyes with those stunning azure ones of her own. I had never seen her behave like this before. Her right hand returned to my strong chest before she answered, in the guise of steadying herself.

"I heard something, too," she whispered. "Only it was a man's voice calling me."

"Really?" I was genuinely surprised. She definitely should have said something at debrief about it. This was an infraction of mission standards to say the least. Once the word got out, she would be chastised by the commander for sure. "Why didn't you say something?"

"Because it wasn't coming from the rocks," she explained in her hushed tone. Then she looked nervous suddenly. I waited patiently for her to continue even though it was clear that what she had to say was a source of embarrassment for her. Finally, with her eyes downward she said, "The voice was coming from you."

--Chapter Six--

I desperately wanted to hear more about that voice in Haisley's head. Was it singing a song like a mythological siren? Did it suddenly make her more attracted to me? That would explain the strange glances in the control room.

Unfortunately, our quiet impromptu conversation in the corridor of the ship was interrupted by Roman heading to the restroom. Our comm expert became even more embarrassed due to our close proximity and her hand on my chest. When the company rep gave her a funny look, it pushed her too far. She darted for her room clumsily and shut the door behind her. We'd have to continue that interesting discussion another time.

Keeping mission intelligence a secret was a big no-no. Haisley chose not to mention it for obvious reasons. That was on her. However, once she revealed that information to me, I became an accomplice. All things considered I wouldn't likely receive as stern of a tongue-lashing if our secret were to be discovered. But if I reported the incident, she would have double trouble. A reprimand for not coming forward sooner and also having to cover the details that she shared with me privately in front of the whole team.

I'm not an asshole. At least, I usually try not to be. Not to good people. Aside from Roman I had a high level of respect for every member of our crew. Just because a female refused to consider a romantic interest in me didn't mean that they should be treated poorly. I would feel the same way with the tables reversed. For example, if Africa began flirting with me, I would likely shut her down before there was any misunderstanding. She simply wasn't my type. Physically or personality-wise. I would hope that she wouldn't start disrespecting me because of it.

My point was this. Haisley had shrugged off my friendly gestures. Feelers, let's call them. Be nice to someone, then decide whether to get closer based on their feedback. This new development reversed that in two ways. First, we now had a secret that needed guarding, for her sake. It was sort of like a shared interest. Something that we had in common. Second, the voice that she heard had apparently caused her to change her viewpoint of me. If I still had any romantic interest in the young woman, which I suddenly realized that I did, this was my renewed opportunity.

The important members of our crew were gathering new data for the next few hours. Then we'd have another meeting. If I didn't get a chance to talk with Haisley again before that, I'd at least try to make eye contact a few times. I didn't feel like she would dodge me forever. After all, she came to me with this information that she chose to hide from the others.

As the one charged with security on this mission, I didn't need to get involved in a lot of important matters in the other fields. That gave me more free time than most of the crew. Still, I had a job to do. And I planned to do it as well as possible. Two successes in a row would be a good trend that could set me up for an exciting and lucrative career.

I pulled up video of our visit to Nerogron starting with the feed from my hidden body-cam. I tried not to focus too much on details that shouldn't concern me, such as the skimpily clad temple worshippers or the city's need for sand sweeping every week. Instead, I paid the most attention to security matters. Guards. Crabs and other wildlife. Escape routes through the city should we experience a problem with the local law enforcement. Weapons visible.

Spears and knives were not unexpected. Any colony left to itself for more than a century was bound to revert back to more primitive methods of protecting themselves. The spaceship they arrived on was only stocked with enough supplies to keep them going until cargo ships arrived. Due to the Galactic War, none ever did. It was the unique little handgun that interested me.

Being able to stop video and analyze the device was extremely helpful. Staring at it while there in person could have caused the guards to get concerned. Though the weapon appeared crude it was definitely worth my attention.

The unusual pistol had a wooden construction with a trigger in front of the handgrip. Only the barrel was solid instead of hollow. On top of it was a bow of unknown material roughly ten centimeters wide. More than twenty centimeters behind it was a hook that fastened to the trigger. A lever on the side cocked the bow string back so a metallic looking rod could be placed in front of it. It was simply a crossbow handgun. I wasn't sure how effective it would be.

I loaded the data for analysis. The results were a bit shocking. Our ship's computer estimated that the bolt could be fired somewhat accurately up to fifty meters. Even at that distance the impact could prove fatal if striking a vital organ. It would have enough velocity to penetrate human skin with the sharp-nosed point on the projectile.

The good news was that it could not pierce our armored clothing. We just needed to avoid getting shot in the face or other exposed skin. The impact of the rod striking us at close range could easily disable us momentarily or possibly knock us off our feet. It was best that we avoid gunfights anyway. Even though our tech was tremendously superior, it could only be used as a last resort.

When we had our next meeting, I proposed taking energy rifles and pistols with us in gear packs. The idea was shot down immediately. I wasn't surprised. Protocol said to only take those kinds of weapons once we experienced hostility. Should something bad happen on our next excursion, I could always say I told you so.

Miles announced that our next landing location would be farther south and almost twice as far from the city of Nerogron. That met with some grumbling from Haisley and Roman since the trek into town was treacherous and burdensome. Our commander stressed the need to avoid any rock formation resembling the one we parked near previously. He made no mention of fearing the siren songs. Instead, his focus was entirely on keeping the ship cloaked. Perhaps there was a substance in the stone that interfered with our ship’s masking technology.

Our new landing location would be closer to the river which had more colonist activity. That was why a spot farther away from town was chosen. I didn't bother to complain since I knew it wouldn't do any good. Miles only accepted input before he made a decision. After that, his mind was set, and the outcome couldn’t be challenged.

Doctor Sophia took the opportunity after that to explain why other options were less desirable. On the opposite side of Nerogron was mostly jungle. Farther north was harsher desert. More southerly put us on the river or in the ocean. When she pointed out that there was a lot of activity on the shoreline, Miles cut her off stating that information wasn't necessary for our meeting. The concerned look on the doctor's face told me that there was a story there. One worth investigating.

I approached her after the meeting adjourned and she returned to her lab. I always got the impression each time I entered her workspace that she seriously had a lot going on. Keeping her crew safe on a strange planet was a fulltime job in and of itself. The additional analysis that she performed for the company was as well.

"Is the lovely doctor in?" I asked as I tapped on the door frame to the medical/science lab.

Sophia Chin Walker blushed at the question, just like she always did. I believed that she was not just a genuinely good woman, but an excellent wife as well. Her husband was lucky to have her, though he probably had his choice of thousands considering his prestigious position back on Mars. I never met the guy personally, but he seemed a bit too arrogant in his interviews for my liking.

"What can I do for you, Kenzo?" she responded with a smile and soft voice. With a wave of her hand, she invited me into her domain even though I was interrupting her work. "Is this a medical visit?"

"No," I answered. Despite how comfortable it was to deal with this elegant woman, I needed to get to the point right away. "I'm curious about the activity along the shoreline that you mentioned earlier."

"I'm sorry, Kenzo," she winced apologetically. "Commander deemed that information irrelevant for group discussion. I'm not sure that I should be sharing that data with you."

"My inquiry is strictly professional," I assured her. "As the person charged with our security you and I share a similar burden, I believe. You keep us safe from disease and contaminants. I keep us safe from physical attacks."

"I guess that is true," Sophia replied. There was a noticeable reduction in her guard against the topic. "I hadn't thought of it that way. Of course, I can answer any questions that you have that pertain to your work."

"You were kind of vague during the meeting."

"I didn't get the chance to go into details," she informed me. "What is it that you would like to know?"

"Activity on the shoreline," I answered. "What does that mean? In a way that pertains to our mission here."

"Well, there are a surprising number of creatures that transition from the sea to dry land."

"Amphibians?"

"Yes, by the strictest definition."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because these creatures are bipedal in form, Kenzo."

"Bipedal?" I asked in shock. Amphibians that walked like us? Were these mermaids turning into humans to blend in?

"Yes. Now please explain your concern so I can provide the specific information that you need," she requested. "As you know, I am quite busy and do my best to comply with the mission's communication policies."

That was the politest manner in which anyone had ever asked me what the heck I wanted.

"Are there any of these creatures, bipedal sea creatures, near Nerogron or our landing site?"

The doctor paused for a few seconds before answering. That concerned me.

"No," she finally answered. "None were spotted within a kilometer of the area where our crew will be traveling."

I waited for her to say more. It certainly looked like she had additional information for me. But that expression eventually faded, and I was faced with a questioning stare instead. A lovely brick wall, communication-wise.

"Okay," I told her. "That is all I really needed to know. I trust that you'll update me with anything else that you deem pertinent."

When I turned to leave, she touched me on the elbow. I barely felt it. I swiveled back to see her debating on whether she should say more.

"These creatures," she then said in a hushed tone. "I believe they are humanoid to a degree. And intelligent."

"Intelligent?" I asked. "Intelligent like monkeys and dolphins, or intelligent like humans?"

Again, with the pause, and the internal debate. Eventually, she said, "All indications at this point is that they may be as intelligent as the colonists. They seem to coexist. Perhaps on your next excursion you can keep an eye and ear out for any details regarding their connection with this society. Any up-close video you can get me will be appreciated."

"Pardon my candor," I said. "But this seems important to our mission. Why was this not discussed at the meeting?"

"The commander," she answered with a dip of her eyes. "Commander Hayvertt believes it to be a distraction from our goal. He wants to wait until our mission is complete before adding it to the report. Simply stated, he doesn't want to deal with it at this time."

She looked severely distressed at sharing that information with me. This subject had undoubtedly been weighing on her mind. She was torn between following Miles' commands and doing what she considered was right for our mission objective. I could clearly see the struggle going on inside of her. As a scientist, the command to ignore this remarkable find had to be challenging, to say the least.

"How do you feel about it?" I asked.

"It is an amazing discovery, Kenzo. I would love to study it full time. Perhaps that is why I'm not permitted to address the issue. In my honest opinion, this new species could be much more important to Sol-Rey company and humanity in general than getting the Tau Ceti colony back. This could be our chance at first contact with real sentient aliens."

--Chapter Seven--

I made extra trips to the restroom and galley that evening, keeping an eye out for Haisley. I even went down to the gym twice to see if she was there. Sadly, there had been no sign of her since the meeting. She tended to do most of her studying in her private quarters. I could easily locate her at all times using the ship's computer. But since that was not a function that I typically needed to perform my job, it would send an alert to the top two officers onboard. I could even tag her, so I got a notification every time that she moved about the spacecraft. That would require authorization from the commander, though. And an explanation. I certainly couldn't do that.

We had synchronized our clocks with Nerogron's daylight cycle within a couple days of establishing orbit around Tau Ceti. When ten in the evening sent a chime to the clock above my bedroom door, I figured it was my last chance to approach the communications officer for the day.

There was only one hallway on each level of our ship. Trying to move about unseen among a crew of eight was a hit-and-miss endeavor. Haisley's quarters were just three spots from mine. Africa and Doctor Sophia resided in the two between.

I made the short walk casually, though I was tempted to tiptoe my way there. The exterior door panel of our personal quarters had a visitor chime button that would make no sound in the hallway. The soundproofing of our ship was excellent. You would practically have to bang a hammer on the wall inside your room for anyone to hear you with the door closed.

I pressed the seldomly used button and waited. Previously, a visit to a woman's quarters at this late hour would not be well received. Had that changed any?

The door slid open to reveal a tentative Haisley in her silk pajamas. Short sleeves, long pants, barefoot. I focused on her eyes when she spotted who had come to see her.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered. Then she stuck her head into the hallway and glanced both ways.

"I thought that maybe we could continue our conversation from earlier today," I replied, feeling much less confident about my decision due to her reaction. If it was a mistake, so be it. Crush my curiosity now and release my brain for other matters. And my heart.

"There is nothing left to say," she whispered with irritation. "Now go away, before someone..."

Just then the door to the shower room opened and the pilot stepped into the hallway. Camari Sho was wearing a tiny piece of blue silk negligee that barely reached mid-thigh and revealed much of her chest and shoulders with the spaghetti strap design. It was not the first time that I had seen her wearing it. Still, it was hard not to give her sexy physique a quick glance. And she noticed.

The two of us smiled politely as she passed. It had to be clear that we were having a private conversation. The blushed expression on Haisley's face was enough to spread rumors like wildfire.

Camari's quarters were just beyond Haisley's, right next to the control room. She hesitated in her doorway for a moment to flash me an ornery grin. Then she gently swung one knee and ankle with her heel raised. Was that a flirt? Was she trying to tease me about visiting a woman this late in the day? Or could she finally be jealous of me giving someone else attention?

When she disappeared into her room and the door swooshed shut, Haisley grabbed me by my t-shirt. "What are you doing to me?" she asked in near panic.

"I'm sorry," I answered, raising my hands in a no harm, no foul gesture. I had no idea that she would respond so poorly. "I'll leave you alone."

When I turned to leave, she tugged on my shirt and told me to wait. Checking the hallway once again, she whispered, "Meet me in storage room number three in two minutes. No, you go there now. I'll be there in a couple of minutes. Try not to let anyone see you."

Okay. That was even more unexpected than her initial response. Maybe this was a good idea after all. Unless of course she was meeting me down there to yell at me without anyone else being able to overhear.

I did as I was told, descending the vertical shaft quietly. The room she indicated was at the rear of the ship, right before the engine room. My ladder placed me right across the hall from it. It was the best place on the ship for a clandestine meeting.

Why did she select that particular room so quickly? Did she have these kinds of rendezvous often? Was she in a relationship with another man onboard? Who could that possibly be? Roman rubbed everyone the wrong way, but I guessed some women probably found his selfish arrogance charming. Tanner was just a simple grunt. Of course, if she just wanted sex with no emotional ties, he would be the best choice. Then there was the commander. Could she?

I was pondering that thought while waiting just inside the closed storage room door. The room was as big as my quarters and only half full. Instead of routine supplies it housed bulk units that needed to be ready in case of emergency repairs. There was also a four-wheeled land vehicle contracted to conserve space. It would only be permitted for use once the locals knew we were from off-world. That probably wasn’t going to get driven anytime soon.

When the door slid open, I wasn't surprised to see Haisley. She was still in her pajamas but had put on a pair of slippers. The look in her eye was unexpected, though. As was what she did next.

Haisley stepped forward and grabbed my face with both of her soft hands. Pulling me downward she quickly smashed her lips against mine. It was an unbridled passionate kiss that was a little bit rough.

I responded a second later by puckering my lips against her force, doing my best to return the passion at a moment's notice. My hands slid around her waist and pulled her to me. This was a wonderful surprise. I decided that continuing our conversation from earlier wouldn't be necessary after all. Let’s just do this, and whatever comes next.

Then she abruptly pushed me away. I resisted out of confusion, causing her to get more forceful. "Stop!" she said too loudly for a secret meeting. "Let me go!"

I did as she requested and stood there in disbelief. What the heck was happening? Every young man learned that women had the right to change their mind, but this was ridiculous.

"I'm sorry..." I started to say.

"Shhhh," was her reply as she stared at the floor. She looked like she was listening for something. At least she didn't bolt for the door. Perhaps this meeting wasn't over.

"I'm confused," I muttered, despite her request for my silence.

"Just wait," she responded, placing her hand against my chest once again. It was a stop what you are doing type of gesture. However, with the memory of her lips against mine, as well as her body, I welcomed the contact. I placed my hand gently on hers and waited as she continued to glare downward.

Seconds ticked by until she finally looked into my eyes again. She did that thing where she glanced back and forth between my two eyeballs in examination, as if one of them might be lying. I caressed her hand softly as she did so.

She then moaned a heavy sigh and pulled her hand away. "It is still there," she complained as she turned away from me.

Was I supposed to go to her? Comfort her? Without knowing what the heck was going on, I hesitated. How would she respond if I stepped up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist, resting my hands on her flat belly? Would that be welcome? Too much, too soon? Or completely uncalled for? With the barrage of mixed signals, I had no idea.

"What is still there?" I asked.

Suddenly I was incredibly attracted to this woman. Though the moment that we shared was painfully brief, it crushed any barrier between us in an instant. Sure, I thought she was pretty and nice and all that before. But never did I foresee this type of experience between us. It triggered a release of something inside that discouraged me from letting this opportunity slip away.

"My attraction to you!" she complained.

"Um," I mumbled. I liked the words that she said, but definitely not how she said them. "Is that not a good thing?"

She turned to face me again, crossing her arms and looking terribly upset. This time when she stared at me there was absolutely no passion.

"I'm attracted to you, too," I said softly, almost reaching for her.

"Stop it, Kenzo! This isn't funny."

"I'm not trying to be funny," I replied. My interest in holding her again was fading quickly. If this was a Shantha-type experience, we had skipped the relationship entirely and went straight to the break-up. "I'm confused. Just tell me what is going on. And how I can help."

"I told you already," she said in mild anger. I could see a pout creeping into her expression.

"Well, tell me again, Haisley. Because I don't understand. How can I help you if..."

"The invisible fairies," she blurted out. "The cupid pixies, or whatever they are. They did this to me. I told you this already. I thought maybe if I kissed you, it would break the spell, but it didn't. Not even close."

I was liking the sound of this so far. I was in the downward motion of the old roller coaster car. She was becoming more attractive again. The only problem was that she didn't kiss me out of her own free will. She was compelled to do it by some strange entity on this planet. A creature that we still weren't sure even existed. The commander had written the experience off as a hallucination.

"So, should I reciprocate or push you away?" I asked, still trying to get my bearings. This girl was sending me confusing signals big time. I needed to navigate the situation like a mine field, not a bumper car ride.

"What?"

"Would it help if I am rude to you?'

"No," she sounded irritated again. "I don't think so. Maybe. I just don't like being forced to feel this way. It isn't real, Kenzo. It is important that you understand that. Even if I look at you longingly from time to time. It is not real. Don't take it as an invitation."

There was a lengthy pause as we both pondered the situation. I just didn't want her to bolt from the room without the chance to talk some more. So, I came up with a plan.

"I'll be understanding," I told her. She looked at me out of the corner of her eye like she seriously doubted that I was being genuine. Exactly what did she think of me before all this happened?

"I won't react to any flirts or teases, or outright passes at me," I continued. "I'll be patient as you work this thing out. If there is another way that I can help, let me know."

"Really?" she asked, doubting me again. Maybe less so this time. "You're not going to tell anyone?"

"No. Of course not."

"Thank you, Kenzo," she smiled. It was perhaps the first time that she genuinely smiled at me since I met her. "We should get back to our rooms now, I think."

"Before you go," I said just as she started to turn toward the door. She looked back with a new expression. She didn't feel threatened or confused. She just waited for what I had to say. "Maybe we could have a hug?"

"What?" she smiled in disbelief. "Why? How will that help?"

"It will help me," I informed her. "You just sent me through a roller coaster ride. Now I've calmed down and I'm committed to help you work through this. We've made an agreement to do so, together. A handshake doesn't feel right in this situation. So, let's have a quick hug instead."

She gazed into my eyes once again with mixed emotions. She was gauging my honesty but also battling the compelling attraction to me. I could totally understand if she wanted to avoid body contact because of that. Maybe the hug was a bad idea after all.

Then she reached for me, arms wide ready for an embrace. She stepped forward but not enough to make contact. I had to go the rest of the way. That was okay. It even seemed appropriate.

I slowly pulled her to me, not sure what to expect. Eventually her arms wrapped around my waist as she laid her head on my chest and released a slow deep breath.

"Thank you, Kenzo," she whispered. "I think I needed this, too."

Then she quickly released and bolted out the door, not giving me a backward glance.

--Chapter Eight--

The trip back down to the planet was anything but routine. Immediately after entering the thermosphere, we suffered a malfunction in our primary engine. Since we no longer needed forward thrust for our descent, the commander quickly dismissed the notion of returning to space. Climbing back out of the upper layers of the planet’s atmosphere could prove to be more challenging than continuing our downward journey. Side and braking thrusters had their own redundant systems, but they weren't designed to carry the load for an extended period of time.

Africa was freaking out. It was her job to monitor each mini-engine and make adjustments to compensate for any variances. That basically meant determining when a thruster was going to shut down soon due to overload and divert the power to give it a break. She would need to maintain a balance around the ship as much as possible. For example, she couldn’t have all right-side maneuvering thrusters off at the same time.

Camari handled the situation like the pro that she was. Every time power shifted, we rocked to one side or the other, but not for long. Our experienced pilot rolled with the flow and kept us more or less on target.

The ship's computer was fully capable of handling the descent without human intervention. There was less than a one percent chance of a critical failure if it was allowed to do so under normal circumstances. However, the main engine's malfunction increased the odds considerably. That was why we had trained pilots at the controls of spaceships. No one wanted to trust their lives solely to a machine when things got rough.

I did get a couple glances from Haisley as our ship dropped through the clouds like a hot knife through butter. With all the frantic chatter, I doubted that anyone noticed except Tanner. I simply ignored him when he tried to draw attention to it.

When a frontward facing thruster buckled under the pressure, Africa nearly lost her shit. Camari didn't say a word. She just rotated the spacecraft to the left, placing our right side down. I could see the ground getting closer at an alarming rate out the windows on that side. The awkward feeling of falling in that position created a bit of a panic among the crew, but I did my best to stay focused. If we survived a crash, I intended to be the first to come to the rescue of my crewmates.

There three quick bumps that knocked us around like bobbleheads. Then the G- force from that side reduced. I thought that was good at first. It was easier to breathe.

"Where's my power?" our petite Asian pilot demanded to know. We were dropping too fast suddenly. The lack of braking lessened the stress on our bodies but sent us plummeting toward our death.

"It was about to go offline!" Africa cried out. "It needs twenty seconds to cool down!"

"We'll hit the ground in fourteen!" Commander Hayvertt informed us.

That didn't sound good at all.

Then something clanged very hard in the back of the ship. We got jerked around so badly I felt like I was going to black out. When the ship steadied again, I saw nothing but sky out of all the windows. And my body was being pulled into the back of my seat.

"You can't power up the main engine like that!" Africa screamed. "It is going to rupture!"

"Shut up!" Camari told her, losing her cool for the first time in my presence. "Your job is done!"

No one said another word. Not even Miles. One minute and twenty-seven intense seconds later he told us all to brace for impact.

Our tail end hit the ground first, then the front of the ship struck forcibly after that. It felt sort of like a crash landing. I had never in my life gone through such an ordeal. Yet it wasn’t nearly as bad as I expected. No flashing lights. No hull breaches. Just us recovering from the jerking round that played havoc with her necks.

"Landing gear status!" Miles shouted as the ship settled on solid ground.

No response. A few seconds later, Haisley informed Africa that he was speaking to her.

"Oh. Landing gear is stable," the young black woman finally responded. "No breaks."

"What about the hull of the ship?"

"The hull is fine," Camari answered, returning to her calm, cool and collected self. "It barely touched the ground."

"Yellow alerts on the rear," Africa answered. "Nothing red."

"I told you," our pilot said with obvious confidence. Her ability to perform under pressure was extremely impressive. Seeing her return to normal so quickly was as well, only it was a bit annoying under the circumstances. She was everything that the media made her out to be. Her cockiness couldn’t be helped.

When Miles eventually turned around, he looked a bit rattled. Not like a civilian. More like a warrior that just went through something exceedingly nasty in battle.

"Emergency systems and stability diagnostics before anyone leaves their seat," he barked out. "Repair list after that. Our performance during the crisis will be analyzed later. But it is safe to say that Pilot Sho just saved our asses. Thank you, Camari."

We all repeated those words, "Thank you, Camari," like school kids thanking the ice cream man in unison.

"My pleasure," our pilot said with a smirk. "I hope that no one shit themselves."

Tanner, still seated beside me in the back row of spectator seats, raised in his hand. "I'd like to use the restroom as soon as possible."

"Stability is good," Africa announced. She sounded like she had regained some control. I couldn't tell if the abundance of moisture on her face was all sweat or if there were some tears in the mix. Excessive blinking told me it was likely the latter.

Tanner unfastened his harness so fast and darted out of the room. I couldn't help but look at his newly vacated seated for evidence of a mishap. Fortunately, it was still clean.

When my eyes went forward again, I found Haisley staring at me. She smiled briefly then turned away. That apparently was how it was going to be. It was an improvement, though I had hoped for more. Perhaps I would need to ready myself for a slowly developing relationship. After the pixie dust wore off, we could retain a connection that might grow into something.

A few minutes later I was asked to do visual checks on the exterior of the ship with Camari. Actually, she was charged with that task. I was simply along to provide protection. Exiting the spacecraft on a planet’s surface was never taken for granted. Miles knew the book of rules inside out and followed it like his career depended on it. I knew that it wasn’t just a matter of his job. He was simply obsessive compulsive regarding doing what his mind considered to be the right thing.

We landed several kilometers from our target location. Farther from Nerogron and closer to the river. There the desert sand was mixed with dark soil. Clumps of tall thick-bladed grass were prevalent. Squatty bushes, too. Not far away was a grove of short trees, with orange and yellow foliage. The ship’s sensors picked up wildlife on our vicinity but nothing larger than a rabbit so far.

"Are we going to have to hoof it from here?" I asked the pilot as she methodically covered the exterior of the ship with video footage.

"Hoof it?"

"Walk it," I clarified.

"No, we'll be able to fly again soon. The engine malfunction is minor. We'll get closer before we cloak and send you guys back to town. Congratulations, by the way."

"What for?" I asked. She had just single-handedly saved our asses from sure death by violent impact with the ground. What had I accomplished, aside from avoiding soiling my pants during the traumatic experience?

"For getting through with Haisley," she said with her signature grin. "You two look good together."

"Oh, thanks," I replied with a chuckle. Then I realized that I needed to set her straight. This wasn’t a locker room where you could claim stuff that was only remotely true. A small crew meant that everyone talked to each other at some point. "But it is not really like that. We were just discussing our experience on the last excursion. She saw some things differently than me."

"I bet she did," Camari answered with another grin. I wasn't sure if she thought that she knew something in particular or if she was just being playful. "I saw the way she was looking at you."

"Yeah, me too. That was a misunderstanding, I'm afraid. A momentary lapse of judgement on her part."

I didn't like how that came out. I made myself sound undesirable to women, like being attracted to me would be a mistake. I certainly couldn't tell her the truth, though. That some cupid pixie, Haisley's words, put a spell on her.

"She's done it a few times while I was watching," the sexy pilot said as she stopped what she was doing to give me her full attention. "I think you are downplaying the situation to maintain some privacy in your relationship. And that's okay. I get it. I didn't mean to pry. I just wanted to let you know that I am happy for you. Both of you."

"Thanks, but..."

"We're picking up something approaching from the southeast," Commander Hayvertt's voice came through our wrist communicators at the same time. "Wrap it up quickly and get back inside."

Camari and I both rotated in the direction indicated to find the tall thin blades of grass swaying in the wind more than fifty meters from our location. A couple seconds later it was clear that some of the blades were moving out of pattern with the others. They were being knocked this way and that by creatures too low to see with the naked eye.

"Copy that," Pilot Sho responded. "We're done here. Give me thirty seconds to get back inside."

She turned off the video mode on her personal tablet that had been feeding the ship's computer footage of exterior damage. Switching to a thermal scanner we could see green and yellow images close to the ground beyond our view. Nothing red to indicate a warm bodied beast. The tablet's capabilities were poor in comparison to the ship's scanners, but it was more than sufficient to light a fire under our feet.

Dozens of separate thermal signatures were approaching our position through the ground vegetation at a slow rate, like a stalking predator. I raised my energy rifle to look through the scope as Camari urged me to return to the ship's entrance. I panned left and right a couple times before the face of a lizard appeared poking through the thick native turf. Then it turned to its left and moved its mouth like it was speaking. Beside it was another that did the same in response. It was as alarming to see as their sheer numbers on the scanner.

Were these the intelligent sea creatures that Doctor Sophia was talking about? Or a completely different species. How many types of sentient life forms were to be found on this planet?

I hurried to the entrance of the ship to reach the door before Camari. The expression on my face put a little pep in her step as well after that. We sealed the door and rushed back to the control room to get a better look at what was out there. Her wiry form climbed the ladder quickly before me, then moved down the hallway in a graceful hurry.

Without a station of my own, I leaned on the back of the pilot's chair. Previously, that would not be tolerated. Considering this was a threat to our security, Miles barely gave me a second glance before returning his eyes to his own monitor.

The ship's sensors picked up hundreds of creatures belonging to the same species. Though down on all fours, they appeared somewhat humanoid in the body shape and joint design. Faces like lizards or turtles, four fingered hands with webbing. They were then confirmed to be the same life forms that our scientist doctor spotted from space.

"Flight control status report!" the commander demanded.

"We can fly if we have to," Camari muttered, lacking her typical confidence.

"No, we can't," Africa corrected her. "I put the system offline for maintenance. You told me to do that. The repair bot has already began removing parts. We definitely cannot fly!"

"How soon?" Miles asked patiently.

I watched the images on Camari's screen and waited for them to launch an attack. That would require them leaving their cover and moving across open ground where they would be completely visible to us. Our ship's defenses would be more than enough to annihilate them, I figured. But that was the kind of action that we were avoiding at all costs. It would essentially end the mission if a single individual witnessed the onslaught.

"How soon what?" Africa responded with irritation. "How soon until it is done? Or how soon can I get it to stop and put everything back?"

"Put what back?" Roman asked as he entered the control room. "What is going on?"

The commander raised his hand to ward off any more questions from the company rep. Then to Africa he said, "Both."

"At least an hour for bot repairs," the tech girl answered. "But we'll need to do some work ourselves to complete the minimum repair list. Pulling out now we can be ready to go in three minutes, but there is no guarantee that we can fly straight or stay in the air for long. I don't recommend that option, commander."

"Brief me now," Roman demanded. "This sounds like something I need to be involved in."

"No," I responded quickly instead of waiting for the commander. I stepped right up to Roman and placed my hand on his chest. "This is a security matter and has nothing to do with you. The commander and I will assess the risk and he will make a decision without your input. You can either sit down and shut up or leave the room."

Our company rep looked frightened at first. I had never seen that look on him before. I suddenly realized that he was one of those guys that would talk a lot of trash but then turn tail when things got real. Then his expression slowly began transitioning to outrage. When he looked over to Miles, so did I. Maybe I was out of line, but this felt like my job to do at the moment.

Commander Hayvertt nodded to me with no disdain in his eyes. We had both snapped into military mode.

"Security Officer Jaxson is correct," he informed the room. "We'll assess the danger, which includes the risk of firing on attackers to avoid more damage to the ship. Continue with maintenance until I say otherwise. Pilot Sho, Tech Officer Xanthos, Support Staff Tag, the three of you get on any manual repairs that need to be done inside the ship. Exterior work will have to wait. Doctor Walker, run an analysis on these creatures and get me a threat report."

"A what?" she asked. She knew how to do the analysis, obviously. The threat report was a military term.

"I'll help with that," I told her. "Can you do that from here in the control room?"

"Yes, Kenzo. I can."

"Good," Miles said, noticeably satisfied with his control of the matter. "The three of us will tackle this. Everyone else make yourselves useful. Mister Bransinn, assist the others with the repairs."

"I will not," Roman refused like a spoiled toddler, folding his arms across his chest and adding a snarl.

"What do I do?" Haisley asked timidly.

I almost told her to sit there a look pretty. That would have gotten me a reprimand for sure. Not with some commanders, but definitely with Miles. Instead, I said, "I saw them talking to each other. Maybe you can start a dialog analysis."

Everyone in the room stopped and stared at me. Then after a gulp, the doctor asked, "They were communicating with each other verbally?"

Then she shared a glare with the commander. These were the creatures that she wanted to study from space. But the commander had said no. Now he had to reconsider his stand. That was a bigger deal than it seemed since it meant rewriting the mission objective. I could absolutely understand his reluctance to do that.

--Chapter Nine--

The peculiar alien creatures never approached as repairs were being completed inside our ship. They lingered just within the concealment of the line of vegetation. There were hundreds of them picked up by our sensors within a three- hundred-meter radius, most of them to the south. Not all were crouched on the ground either. Some were found in the trees.

No claws or sharp teeth, the doctor informed us. Bipedal at times, but mostly they remained on all fours. Joints and muscles were extraordinarily similar to ours. Even their faces were more humanoid than we had originally thought.

The amphibious creatures talked to each other alright. Haisley analyzed their speech patterns but was not yet able to begin a vocabulary list. That required a lot of observation time. The speakers played the moaning method of communication for us when I asked our language expert what they sounded like. I could clearly pick out words in the pattern. More vowels than consonants, but definitely a higher level than the simple grunting of primates.

I wasn't able to locate any weapons used by the creatures, so my threat assessment was low, unless they attacked in great numbers while we were outside. The commander seemed extremely appreciative of my viewpoint on the matter as he declared that our mission objective would not change.

"Please, Miles," the doctor pleaded. "Let me study them."

"I have a job to do," the commander responded with only the slightest irritation visible. "So do you. In your spare time you can study them all you want, but we won't be dedicating any assets to the project at this time. Before our work here is done you will be allowed time to formulate a report and first contact plan. That is assuming that the people of Nerogron are not already communicating with them. In that case, completing our mission will give you a head start on your report."

"What are we going to call them?" Haisley asked.

"Chinwalkers," I offered.

"What? Why chinwalkers? They don't walk with their chins?"

"Because it was Doctor Sophia Chin Walker that discovered them," I replied. That got me a few laughs, though it was not what I was going for. I was being totally serious. If anyone deserved a species named after them it was the mild mannered and professional doctor.

"Thanks, Kenzo," Sophia said with a smile. "But we are definitely not going to name them after me."

"What then?"

"Their most pronounced features are that they are amphibious humanoids," she answered. "Perhaps we should build a name based on that."

"Amphibs," I declared. It couldn't get any more obvious.

"That works for me," Miles responded as it became clear that he was getting tired of the subject. Then he ordered everyone to take their positions. We were about to move the ship again.

The crew completed all possible important repairs that could be done from the inside of the spacecraft. Two tasks on the exterior were handled by the tiny repair bot. It wasn't much bigger than a vac-bot or sweep-bot, but it was programmed to handle thousands of repair tasks. It also did a great job cleaning up after itself.

The amphibs retreated when we fired up the engines and raised our vessel into the air. Perhaps they had only been curious about what had landed in their territory and had no malicious intent all along. I wasn’t a shoot first, ask questions later kind of guy. However, my job required that I assume the worst until we determined otherwise.

Flying low and scanning for life signs we got reasonably close to the city before having to set down again. Camari had no trouble handling the piloting and provided us with a smooth ride. We wobbled a little on touch down as the rear landing gear appeared to have suffered some structural damage after all. Every other part of the ship performed well in the maneuver.

"Requesting permission to pack an energy pistol concealed in a back holster," I said to Commander Hayvertt out of earshot of anyone else. The four of us were on the lower level getting prepared to exit the ship. Haisley and Roman were already standing by the door. As non-tactical members of the excursion team they packed light. Miles referred to them as cargo instead of team mates on more than one occasion.

"Negative, Jaxson," Miles responded professionally. "Our protocol is clear on the matter. Your concealed whip will have to be enough."

I gave a curt nod and headed toward the other two by the door. I had expected as much, but I wanted my request noted. It was funny the kinds of things that came up when your performance was reviewed after the mission. If we hit a snag today, my inquiry would be a good mark on my record. If not, it was simply a protective request.

Each time I followed procedure and accepted his judgement, the commander gained more respect for me. I could see it in his manner. Only my comments last time around about the temples and female worshippers rubbed him the wrong way. I was determined not to make that mistake this time.

The terrain was not nearly as rough as our previous visit. The mix of clumpy dirt in the sand provided better stability. That also reduced the wind-blown effect of the sand dunes. We were able to take a straight path until we got close to the city. There we found a massive mound of loose sand that we had to go around.

I wanted to veer to the south where the footing was better. However, that would put us close to some thick vegetation. Considering our experience at our temporary landing site, that caused some concern. I led us northerly instead, and quickly regretted it.

Every time we attempted to ascend the incline our boots slipped into the fine grains of sand. So, we continued to circle the mound wasting time and energy. When we finally reached the north end, we could see level ground in the distance with foot traffic of local city-dwellers. It was the eastern road out of town that we traversed on our previous visit.

I haphazardly let my guard down for a moment at the sight. Shifting sand just in front of me didn't catch my attention until it was too late. A long-legged spider the exact same color of the ground emerged and leapt at me with its pointed skinny feet. I got one arm up in time, but I could feel needles against my armored clothing.

The thing's leg-span put it at nearly a meter wide. Its body though wasn't much bigger than my fist. Each attempt to punch it was easily dodged as it squirmed for a better grip. So, I swept at its legs with my left arm as my right desperately held it away from my face.

Haisley was screaming behind me, but I couldn't turn around at that time. Hopefully, she was just frightened by the scene and wasn't being attacked as well.

The spider lost its grip on one side due to my vertical swipe. But only my left hand was free. The plasma whip was in my right pocket. Being righthanded that was the natural location for it. I hadn’t considered the advantages of bringing two of the devices.

When the spider grabbed at me again the other legs were unexpectedly knocked aside. I could then see Miles coming to my aid using his sleeved arm as his only weapon. The energy pistol made a hell of a lot of sense right about then.

With my right arm free momentarily I quickly pulled the whip from my pocket. But the giant insect was on me once again, rotating around my body slightly to get away from his second opponent. One of his pointy legs jabbed into my neck while I activated the whip as fast as I could.

An energy field appeared suddenly at one meter long and only two centimeters wide. It filled with volcanic hot plasma to immediately sheer through one of my attacker's eight appendages. I swung it leftward with reckless abandon as if it had been a sword. The tip of the weapon trailed behind, just like a whip. I knew that the forcefield would protect me from being struck by the searing lava. The same was true for any of my crewmates.

The spider didn't know what was coming for it, only that it had lost a leg somehow. When the plasma hit the shell of its central body its innards exploded. I closed my eyes in time but unfortunately got a tiny bit of the bloody goo in my mouth. Spitting profusely, I hocked up as much saliva as possible to eradicate any possible poisonous effect.

"Are you okay?" Haisley said as she rushed to my side.

"Give me the whip," Miles insisted as I eventually let him pry it from my hand. He then stood guard as I wiped spider guts off my face and chest. I never understood why the guy insisted on not bringing one of his own. If protocol allowed me to bring one, why couldn’t he?

When I began scooping up sand to clean my clothes and flesh, Haisley joined me. It was certainly something that she would not have done before our clandestine encounter. She had become more caring and it was easily noticeable by any onlooker.

"Thank you," I muttered as we finished the task.

"You are welcome," she replied as she stood up and took a step backwards. I could see that she finally found her actions to be a bit awkward. Her draw to me was still apparent, but she could catch herself before it got too bad. And that was what she did. With the slightest apologetic glance, she turned away from me.

"We were spotted," Miles then informed me, still facing toward our target location.

"By whom?"

"Three locals," he answered. I could hear the disappointment in his voice. "They watched you kill the spider then they went on their way back toward the city."

"Did they run?" I asked.

"No, they didn't seem alarmed."

"What does this mean for our mission?" Haisley asked as she stared after the unexpected spectators, raising one hand to her brow to shield her eyes from the sun. For a split second the sight of her like that was distracting.

"We can't let this little thing put us off track," Roman forced his way into the conversation. Actually, this discussion did pertain to him. It was a big reason why he was included as part of the team for this outing.

I waited patiently for Miles to reply. The locals that spotted us were not currently a threat to us, so it certainly wasn't my call to make. But I agreed with Roman in my mind. If they didn't get alarmed by my use of the plasma whip, the exposure risk was quite low. We were still foreigners to them, not off-worlders.

"Everything stays the same," the commander eventually responded as he made eye contact with me. He wasn't seeking my approval or gauging my reaction. I knew what those eyes said. He communicated with a facial expression better than any other leader that I had known. I was being told to avoid any more use of our technology that could give us away. I nodded compliance without hesitation.

We climbed through the semi-soft sand to reach the road easily enough. It wasn't a direct route, but there were no more sand dunes to avoid. Just two divots filled with rainwater from the recent storm. Cancrae dens, Ciassi had called them. I could have used her help with the spider. At least her advice helped us avoid more confrontations with the giant crabs.

My neck began to itch. Miles stated that it was a little red but there was no swelling yet. Haisley suggested that I get medical attention instead of continuing into town. That was nice of her, but I refused. If things got worse the commander could order me to return, even though that would end this visit prematurely. So far, he agreed with me.

I had nanites pumping through my bloodstream that were programmed to fight every known attack possible. That included cuts, bruises, punctures, and even poisons. It was highly unlikely that I would get sick from the spider injury. I was committed to announce all changes in my condition for reevaluation. If my health started to suffer, I might not have much time before I went beyond what the doctor could do to save me.

All colonies on other worlds had deadly dangers, but those were mostly due to a lack of breathable air. This planet was full of Earth-type problems. Wild animals. Dangerous people. Misunderstandings. We might have been safer being transported back in time to live among the dinosaurs. At least our technology gave us an advantage, when we were permitted to use it.

Doctor Sophia would have another creature to study now. The video of the sand spider might not have been transmitted to the ship yet, but she'd get to see it after our return. I was fairly sure that she would prefer to stay at Tau Ceti for an extended period of time to study all the new species here. We might have to connect with the next team in transit when we leave to send her over to their ship. I distinctly remembered that being a possible scenario in my lengthy mission briefing.

The traffic pattern was a little different than our previous visit. Less travelers and more scattered. Dozens of men and women were busy sweeping the packed lane to remove loose sand deposited by the recent storm. The activity was even more congested around the entry point to the high-walled city.

The same three guards as last time gave us an agitated glance then waved us on through. Apparently, it was an inconvenience to them for us to visit on this particular day. If this clean-up project was a weekly occurrence, I would have thought this would all be routine by now.

I heard muttering among two of the guards after we passed through the gate. One asked the other, "Where did they stay during the storm? They weren't here and there is nowhere close enough for them to make it back to Nerogron this quickly."

I could see the other members of my team listening carefully as well. The second then responded, "Maybe they slept with the sandweavers." Then they both laughed and returned to their business.

We continued on our way, but I couldn’t help but wonder. What was a sandweaver? Another dangerous creature that we had yet to experience?