Boldly Going - Part 2

Posted on Wed Oct 20th, 2021 @ 10:02am by Captain Abigail Laurens & Lieutenant Commander Evelyn Rozia & Joquer & Lieutenant Commander William Rogers & Commander Ichiko Gail & Lieutenant Commander Calvin Morgan
Edited on on Wed Oct 20th, 2021 @ 2:08pm

Mission: Double Bind
Location: Alien Space Station - Shuttlebay

"The Aliens!" Grayzuk exclaimed. "I think they're trying to gain access to the station..."

“Then get to the airlock and make sure it’s secure on this side! Certainly they have mastered airlocks and how they function if they e gotten this far without getting themselves killed.” Some irritation came through Dessich’s voice, he was tired, hungry and just… Ready for whatever happened to happen. For good or for death.

There came a knock at one of the airlocks on the station. A simple three part knock, as more musical knocking progressions had yet to reach Ts'usu. The airlock opening allowed Ichiko entry. Her suit gave her the appearance of some form of demon: Long, swept back protrusions from her helmet, and a bodily structure slightly different than her companions. Once the room was pressurized and the situation was clear, Ichiko removed her helmet first, giving the scientists a glance at their first alien lifeform.

Her calm glance landed upon the two pioneers, and she offered a soft smile to the two. How unusual this must be for them. She spoke to them softly, "Anata wa watashi o rikai shite imasu ka?" obviously a question, but the words were as alien as the being, "Forstar du mig?" a different dialect, an entirely different phrase. Another question, as cryptic as a riddle. "E te malamalama ia te aʻu?" Three alien dialects, and still nothing but confused faces.

"Bahh weepgranna weep ninnybong?" another dialect, another attempt, another failure. "Do you understand me?" she tried again, slowly going through the list of languages she knew.

"My god;" Grayzuk muttered in shock when the alien finally spoke Caetovan. "The alien knows Caetovan!" Though it seemed evident Caetovan wasn't the alien's first or even third native language. "Please don't kill us, ET!" Grayzuk begged. "If you're summing us up for invasion, you picked a really shitty time to do so, and our planet wouldn't be worth much to you!"

Dessich smacked the back of his hand against Grayzuk’s chest, “Get a hold of yourself, man!” He hissed at him, holding his hand out in a gesture from one of the most stereotypical hand gestures from their best known science fiction series that looked like a gang sign from old Earth, “We hope you come in peace. We are of this world of Caetov, and we need your help.” He spoke slowly, as if to a youngling of four years, to be sure he was clear about their intent.

Calvin floated through the airlock next. Quietly working his way up next to his executive officer. He removed his helmet as well. He listened to the exchange quietly, intently watching the two aliens. He took a deep breath, holding it for a moment as if he could somehow analyze it, before letting it go. "You certainly do need help, I may not know your species, but I know when a person needs a meal."

"We're not here to kill you." Ichiko assured, "Doctor, see to their needs as best you can." then she turned from Calvin back to the two astronauts. "This man is a doctor." a pause, "My name is Ichiko. We've been watching your world for some time. We are explorers." she chose her words carefully, making sure her intention was conveyed. "To those among the stars we trade, we learn, but to those that have yet to reach the stars we have sworn an oath. We do no, cannot, will not interfere." a pause, "To them, we are mere watchers."

She took a breath, looking out of their station port to the world below. The damage looked a lot less from this high up. "The price of watching other suffer is an empty heart. We have chosen to break our oath." she looked at the two of them directly, "We are here to help."

Dessich was stunned, these people must have technology and abilities that were beyond comprehension if they’d been able to learn the Caetovian language fluently already, but then he remembered the size of their ship and his heart sank again, “I am not sure how much help you might be. Your ship might be able to take ten passengers at most? Fourteen if they’re children. Unless you have a wonder machine that can stop what you have seen happening down on our world, saving those paltry few would still doom our species.”

Buck was the last through the airlock. More familiar with zero gravity than the other two, his enhanced reflexes lent his movements a precision bordering on graceful. "You don't need to worry, our craft is a support shuttle for a larger vessel already in the system."

"Dear god; they have a bigger ship??" Grayzuk gasped. "Perhaps there is hope for our species after all: It's just like what the Zihundi believe: That in Caetov's darkest hour, aliens would show up in a massive ark and save our species from extinction! To think I passed those loonies off as a crazy cult out of their minds..." His delirious ramblings seemed an evident side effect of his malnutrition.

It might be born of starvation but it was the sort of thing that could grow out of control if left unchecked. "You shouldn't attach any significance to that. It's just a coincidence." Buck cautioned the Caetovians, although it was more directed towards the more lucid one. "On my world we have a saying that relates to situations like this: 'Even a stopped clock is right twice a day'."

“We have a saying in the medical field, fix now, talk later,” Calvin added. “Or really, just fix now. I need to run some scans on their food intake and them. And I assume you two have some talking with them about a plan for the planet.”

Dessich had been deep in thought about the term ‘larger vessel’ and had lost his transit car of thought, “How much larger a vessel? Large enough for many millions of people?” His heart fell as he didn’t even need an answer. It wouldn’t be large enough for a hundredth of a hundredth of their people unless it was truly massive, besides, “There’s debris in our atmosphere, it would be a hazard for any of your… Shuttles, you called them? And it would take too long unless you had hundreds or thousands of them. That storm is close to combining with the northern front and we can only guess what will happen when it does.” He turned his attention to the doctor finally, “We’ve been on half rations for the last three weeks or so, not even if I’m being honest. Our water supply is almost gone as well.”

Ichiko smirked, and shook her head gently, "I assure you, we're not providence, we're not the fulfillment of a prophecy, and we're certainly not heaven sent. We are where we needed to be. Nothing more." she mulled something over quietly, "Let's get you two sorted first, don't worry about the scale of our craft. It's home to the brightest minds of our academy. I'm confident they'll have ten solutions by the time we get you back on your feet."

"I understand so much is happening so fast." she paused, and took a breath before turning to fully address the two. "In order for us to fully be able to help, we need everything your systems have on these superstorm systems. Tracking, projection, meteorological data. We'll also need information on the planet itself. The more you can offer and share, the better we'll be able to process."

"Of course." Dessich beckoned the long-eared alien over towards the window looking out onto the planet and gestured to it. "I don't mean to be impertinent, but this is most of what we have along with occasional and sporadic radio contact with Central, but mostly static. After debris from the meteor struck the station, most of our radar and other scanning instruments ceased to function. What we can tell you is that there is radiation in the air, a significant amount, attached to vaporized particulates from the meteor as well as other debris."

Dessich then took the few steps to the table that had several notebooks on it, "We've had to hand-map the progress of the storms from observation, but the one with most movement is the electrical storm as you can see. The northern storm is mostly stationary over the pole, but more powerful and has a thermal aspect to it." He flipped a notepad open and pointed at some scribbled notes that were made, "Between us and our colleagues on the ground, we've got several theories as to what will happen when they converge. The theory that has the most support is that the momentum from the electrical storm will dislodge the stationary front and send it moving across the planet while growing in power. Possibly covering the ground it covers with up to a schetze of ice or possibly more." He used his arms to convey the distance, stretched out a bit more than a meter and a half.

Ichiko took a look at the notes. "You're notes are quite thorough." she complimented. She couldn't read his handwriting, but not for his calligraphy, but the words were literally alien to her. She got lucky with the verbal part of the test, but the written part would need some help. She looked from the notes, to the window, to the notes, then back again. "We may need to borrow your notes, and might need you to translate. Hold for a moment, please." and she activated the comm badge through her EVA suit, "This is Ichiko to Naomi and Alexis. You'll be receiving some data soon in regards to the current meteorological events on the world below. I need potential solutions and responses. Nothing is off the table. Ichiko out."

She turned back to the two pioneers, "I have the best minds on our starship about to begin work on this. Rogers, can you align the shuttle to act as a go between for the station to transmit to the Astraea?"

Buck glanced back towards the entry lock. "Copy that. I'll need to move away from the station to get a clear line around the moon. but it's doable." He shrugged. "Might be quicker to take the scientists back to the ship and translate the data on the way over though."

"Oh it most certainly would be, but I'd like to at least entertain the notion of limiting the amount of conceptual contamination. The amount of time saved by bringing them may be put off by the amount of time spent explaining to them or keeping their attention on the matter at hand rather than every square inch of the Astraea."

"No offense." she turned to the pair, "But you're scientists. The moment you see our vessel it will forever, in some way, sculpt your ideas and concepts. Once you guess how systems work, your research will be contaminated by the concepts you see there." a pause, "Just once more, I'd appreciate the Dalacari being wrong about something. Though, as you'll point out, we have precious little time." and another activation of her comm badge, "Ichiko to Laurens. In the interest of time and research, we'll be bringing two experts in the local language and culture."

Abigail responded via ships communications. "I'll see to the arrangements," she said calmly.

Grayzuk turned to Dessich while the alien was distracted.

"Doesn't seem that bad of a concept to me..." He muttered to his colleague in regards to learning more about the aliens.

"If it saves our people... Anything would be good." Dessich muttered back before clearing his throat, "What we see can only be theorized and conceptualized if we and our people survive to do have our research continue. At this time, saving our people, our species, is far more important than anything that may happen afterwards."

"Actually, Mr. Rogers, belay that." Ichiko paused, taking the matter into momentary considering. "Prep the shuttle for guests. You had the better idea." and then she turned to Greyzuk and Dessich. "Pack a change of clothes, you'll be coming with us."

"A change of clothes?" Dessich gave Grayzuk an amused look, "I believe these are our best, unless you have far more relaxed standards on the subject of biohazards."

Buck nodded in Ichiko's direction and turned to address the Caetovean astronauts. "Grab your helmets. You'll have to cross a little bit of void to get to the shuttle. Bring what's left of your food; we'll be able to make you more if we know what it's supposed to be." He donned his own helmet. "Doc, they going to be okay in gravity or should I turn it down a little?"

"Gravity should be introduced slowly in their best interests. I believe the sudden change wasn't always pleasant in our past. I would prefer to keep them bio contained and do some scans on the way back to Astraea," Calvin responded, enjoying the weightlessness for the moment.

Dessich grabbed both his and Grayzuk's helmets, handing the other scientist theirs even as he put his on and listened. They would be prisoners, well treated probably, but prisoners nonetheless. Oh well, it was better than being dead. He reached out for the mesh sack that held the last dozen ration tubes and slung it over his shoulder, "And that means we're ready." He remarked.

Ichiko donned her helmet once again, lengthy ears sliding into their place. The difference in style between her suit, the standard EVA Federation suit, and the suits worn by Dessich and Grayzuk said volumes about the level of technical difference between them.

With that, she gave Rogers and Calvin a nod each, she was ready to take the walk. "Rogers you take point, set the tether, and we'll follow."

Grayzuk secured his helmet and slung a small duffel bag over his shoulder. The bag contained a change of clothes for himself and his colleague that they had stashed near the airlock in the eventuality that they would blast themselves out the airlock they could do so in the clothes they had selected and placed in the bag. If the aliens truly were serious about needing an extra change of clothes, Dessich would be sure to thank him later.