To The Stars

Tarion chuckled and gave Maarv a friendly pat on the shoulder. «I know the feeling», he said.

Then, drawing a slow, full breath, he went on, «That piece was created long ago – forged from a kind of biometal, each particle of which possesses its own energy field. Only the most ancient races mastered such technologies. As for us, we’ve only managed how to activate these artifacts, not how to create them.»

He took out a small device, no larger than his palm, and synchronized it with the lab systems connected to the Ticket analyzer. Then he launched a program that began generating endless virtual schematics, constantly shifting and unfolding into new configurations, filling the compartment with a weave of colorful lines and intricate luminous patterns.

«This device inputs a virtual genetic cipher that activates artifacts like this one», Tarion explained, pointing at the Ticket which was already changing before their eyes. It had transformed into something resembling an elongated plate, slightly larger than a playing card, obsidian-black and a little wider, its surface covered in strange perforated inscriptions. Through the fine lattice of symbols radiated a deep blue glow from a mysterious mineral that filled its hollow core.

Chapter 16

That evening, as they sat together in the ship’s spacious mess hall, the friends drifted into lively conversations on all sorts of topics. From his endlessly cluttered backpack, John produced a couple of bottles of old Earth whiskey – and, to everyone’s surprise, it turned out to be a hit.

«How extraordinary this all is», John said with heartfelt wonder, gazing into his glass. «We – beings from different worlds – sitting together at the same table, peacefully sipping this wonderful amber drink!»

«Can’t argue with that», Draam said with a thoughtful nod. «Not bad at all. We should’ve secretly landed on your planet long ago.»

«Ha! You’ll land there yet», Kane replied with a grin. «When we get back, I’ll take you around some of our best places.»

At that moment, he suddenly felt a pang of homesickness – for his home, for Earth food, and for the life he’d once known.

John looked at Kane with understanding, as if he’d just read the thought behind his wistful expression.

«Yeah, son», he said softly. «Nostalgia’s a strange thing. Makes you think.» He paused, then mused aloud, «I do wonder though – did anyone even notice we’re gone? I can just picture my neighbors’ faces when they see what’s left of my house, and the headlines in the local papers: ‘This Is What Comes of the Mad Experiments of Dr. Bozen.’»

Kane grinned broadly. «Or better yet – ‘An Explosive Temper and Its Impact on Rural Real Estate.’»

«You know», Tarion suddenly said, his eyes lighting up, «many thousands of years ago our people actually visited the Blue Planet. Every Rionian, from early childhood, studies the marine life of our waters, and I’ve always remembered that story, because it begins with a disaster. Our aquatic transport ships were searching for planets whose water resources would be similar to those of our own planet, for the purpose of populating our oceans. Their holds were already nearly full of various samples and organisms when, in a distant solar system, our scanners suddenly detected your wonderful world.»

Everyone fell silent, listening to the Rionian as he continued his story. Tarion leaned forward slightly, his webbed fingers resting on the edge of the table, his gaze distant as if he were seeing the past play out before his eyes.

«Our orbital probe was carrying out a preliminary atmospheric analysis and collecting samples of air and water», he said slowly, «when the cataclysm occurred – a vast continent suddenly sank deep beneath the sea.»

Still staring into the distance, Tarion made a theatrical downward gesture, as if inviting everyone to picture the dreadful catastrophe in all its scale, then spread his arms wide to show the raging might of the ocean that had swallowed the land.

«Oh, for heaven’s sake!» Kane exclaimed impatiently, rolling his eyes no less theatrically. «Well? What happened next?»

«Yes, yes», Tarion replied quickly, throwing up his hands. «I’m getting to that!»

«Judging by the nature of its architecture and the ecological emissions», he went on, «the civilization that once existed on that continent was far more advanced than any other people on the planet. They were familiar with electricity… and the internal combustion engine.»

Tarion sank back into his distant memories, feeling the same thrill he had known when he first heard the story himself. For a moment, the room was silent. Then Kane, unable to contain his impatience, gave a loud, deliberate cough. He put so much drama into it that he ended up coughing for real. Everyone burst out laughing, and Tarion went on with his story.

«And so, we decided to build our base in one of the cities of that sunken land, and for several decades we studied the underwater world of Earth’s oceans and seas – a world that truly amazed us with its richness and beauty. And of course,» he added with a faint grin, «we borrowed a few things from you.»

He began counting on his fingers, then thought better of it and continued.

«From time to time, we also encountered humans who fearlessly roamed the vast seas in their fragile wooden ships, and we guided them out of storms and tempests. Naturally, they took us for gods or some kind of higher beings who protected sailors, and later they painted us on their sails and flags», Tarion added, bursting into laughter.

«Well, I’ll be damned», John exclaimed in astonishment. «Guess I’ll have to start writing the real history of Earth – way before our so-called era even began! Nobody back home has a clue about any of this.»

«If you’re starting a history book, I can throw in a few more pages», Tarion replied with a grin, taking another sip from his glass. «Some marine species, in fact, were brought to your world by us. Take dolphins, for example. These intelligent beings, discovered on the distant fringe worlds, volunteered to stay on your planet.»

Noticing the astonished looks on the humans’ faces, he explained, «We understand them, and our scientists were even able to communicate with them. Back then, they helped us greatly in our research. They are truly unique creatures; before them, we had never encountered intelligent life that lived in the water.»

At that, everyone exchanged knowing glances at the sight of his gills.

«We may be amphibious by nature», Tarion explained, «but we live entirely on land. We can spend long periods in the water, yes – but we cannot live there, even though it surrounds us. Still, seafood is the foundation of our diet. I dare say, our cuisine could make any true connoisseur of such dishes green with envy.»

«I’m a true connoisseur of all kinds of dishes», Draam said brightly. «And I sincerely hope I’ll get to test that claim myself someday. I’ve traveled through many worlds, and I’ve already had the… mm… pleasure of eating food of aquatic origin.»

«Oh, absolutely!» Maarv said with mock enthusiasm. «Our magnificent Draam can digest just about anything.» Like most Vriinians, he treated his rather large friend’s culinary enthusiasm with a fair measure of sarcasm.

«I beg your pardon!» Tarion exclaimed in mock outrage. «You’ve completely misunderstood me, my friends!»

Kane and John were already doubled over, laughing so hard they nearly slid to the floor.

«I’m talking about real culinary delights», Tarion went on, gesturing with grand offense. «Not merely ‘food of aquatic origin,’ as you so elegantly put it! And it doesn’t need to be digested like ‘just anything’ – it melts in your mouth and leaves a taste you’ll remember for the rest of your life!»

«I’m terribly sorry to interrupt your most fascinating conversation», came Arma’s voice, calm but edged with urgency. «But I’m detecting a large cluster of Tiavran ships – directly on our course.»

«How many?» Maarv asked, slightly out of breath as they all rushed onto the bridge. «Can we make it to the wormhole?»

Arma projected a volumetric display onto the main screen. Almost twenty ships appeared – sleek, elongated vessels shaped like dark metallic cones.

«Oh no, not them again… the blue ones», Kane muttered with a look of distaste.

«The blue ones?» Tarion echoed, raising a brow. «You mean you’ve already crossed paths with those repulsive Tiavrans?»

«Yeah, once», Kane replied, and a shudder ran through him at the memory. «But that brief encounter gave me the chance to study them in rather graphic detail.»

«They’re not responding to my hails», Arma reported, her tone calm but firm. «No reply on any channel. Judging by their trajectory, I’d say they’re moving on an attack vector.»

Maarv glanced at Draam, then at the others. «They’ve got us outnumbered», he said grimly. «I say we get the hell out while we still can.»

He jabbed a finger at a glowing point on the star map, zooming in. «Here – this system has two small planets and an asteroid ring. Perfect place to hit them with a surprise strike and vanish before they even know what happened.»

Chapter 17

The Armaon, altering its course, accelerated toward the designated system at full cruise speed. The pursuers, as if having guessed their intention, likewise adjusted their trajectories to intercept before the ship could lose itself among the asteroids.

As a precaution, everyone donned protective suits equipped with emergency oxygen reserves. The Tiavran ships had already drawn close enough that the Armaon and its two Rionian escorts were well within weapons range, yet no one fired.

Arma activated the defense shields and pushed the main engines to maximum power. The two escort cruisers followed suit. Realizing that their prey might slip away, the Tiavrans opened fire with all batteries. Deadly vortices of explosions blossomed in dark crimson bursts against the escorts’ shields, nearly tearing through their defenses.

In response came a blinding cascade of fire from the heavy, multi-tiered turrets of the unmanned Rionian cruisers. They swung around to meet the attackers head-on and wiped out more than half of the Tiavran fleet. They had no time for a second salvo. The conical Tiavran ships, resembling enormous atomic drills, riddled both escorts with pinpoint fire. Their reactors and power cores went critical, flooding the void with two brilliant, soundless flashes before the shattered hulls slowly drifted apart into lifeless debris.

«We’ll have to head into the asteroid belt», Maarv said tensely. «It’s the only way to shake them off.»

Everyone had been prepared for the inevitable loss of the escort, yet it was a bitter moment all the same.

«According to my calculations», Arma said evenly, «our maneuverability exceeds that of the enemy vessels, and our firepower is significantly greater. The key is not to let them get too close.»

«There are too many of them», Maarv replied, steering the Armaon toward the asteroids with a steady hand. «Arma, take over control and guide us toward the nearest planet. The instruments show traces of an atmosphere – if we can reach it, the Tiavrans won’t be able to follow. Their ships aren’t built for atmospheric flight.»

«Ha! Would you look at that?» Draam exclaimed. «Less than half of them dared to follow us into the belt!»

Barely had he said it when several enemy ships collided with a massive black fragment drifting on an erratic course. The rest chose to fall back and rejoin the main group – and who could blame them?

Only the flawless precision of Arma’s calculations, as she took full control of the navigation and tracked every large fragment’s trajectory along their path, allowed them to move safely through this stony inferno.

Arma was literally carving their way forward through the deadly jungle of asteroids, blasting apart the dangerously close boulders and pushing others aside with her defensive field.

Even so, several fragments struck the ship, tearing open part of the nose and the port side, making the crew endure a few rather unpleasant moments.

But the inner hull held firm, and the Armaon, descending into the dense layers of atmosphere, began a slow and cautious approach toward the planet below.

«Once, this lifeless planet was inhabited», Arma said. «Judging by the terrain, it must have been long ago – perhaps a thousand years. A surface analysis of the atmosphere shows no traces of radiation, so it wasn’t a nuclear war that destroyed it. More likely, it was chemical in nature. If anyone’s curious, we can take soil samples.»

Everyone turned to the screen, where Arma was transmitting images from the hyper-optical lenses. At first it was hard to make out anything distinct, but as they looked closer, the shapes began to reveal themselves – the remnants of what had once been a vast city.

Mostly, only the rooftops were visible, the upper floors of buildings protruding just a few meters above the surface, while enormous fractures and blurred craters in several areas spoke of the slow, relentless work of time. Over the centuries the city had been buried beneath layers of earth, sand, and debris.

«It’ll take at least two days to restore the energy reserves and repair the hull breaches», Arma reported. Then, slipping into John’s manner of speech, she added, «After that, I’ll be ready to charge through endless hordes of enemies again, fighting valiantly and sparing not my own circuits.»

Draam took the controls and guided the Armaon lower, leveling out roughly a hundred meters above the surface.

He frowned at the strange, rather unpleasant vegetation below – patches of dark yellow and rusty brown interspersed with thick, vine-like growths in shades of deep green and sand.

Arma was telling Kane that, although the atmosphere was composed mostly of oxygen, it contained elevated levels of several substances that sounded distinctly unsettling to him and was, at best, only marginally fit for breathing.

«The closer to the ground, the better the air», Arma informed them. «The sparse vegetation generates a faint cushion of oxygen. It’s advisable to use the suits.»

«Quite creepy here», Kane muttered to Draam beside him, who seemed to share the feeling, as did the rest of the crew, staring in grim silence at the bleak, unsettling landscape.

Kane pointed ahead toward a small rise. «How about that spot?»

Draam carefully surveyed the terrain, studying the detailed perimeter analysis that Arma had thoughtfully brought up on several screens.

At last, Draam guided the Armaon toward a sturdy-looking monolithic structure, surprisingly well preserved. Several tall floors rose above the ground, each no less than five meters high.

«I’m not too keen on landing all the way up top», Draam announced. «Let’s take the floor just below it. But first, it could use a bit of cleaning.»

He activated Armaon’s heavy side guns, and with a few bursts of heavy fire cut a massive tunnel straight through the building’s thick walls, tearing apart the giant tree-like vines that had wrapped around them. All that remained was to guide the ship carefully into the freshly cleared opening and set it down on the cleared space.

«There», he said with a self-satisfied grin. «And they say I’ve no sense of comfort or interior design!»

«Good thing you started practicing on this planet», Kane replied, laughing out loud. The others joined in – the laughter coming as a welcome release after all the tension of the past hours.

«How about we sit outside for a while?» John suggested. «We could light a fire – plenty of wood around!»

All around lay scattered dry branches and torn remnants of the giant vines, which they gathered into a heap. The fire that soon flared to life gently animated the night around them, lending the place an unexpected touch of warmth and comfort. Flickers of flame danced over the Armaon’s matte hull, shimmering with mysterious, pearlescent light.

Kane and John were doing their best to stir up the weary, half-drowsy Tarion, hoping to coax out another of his fascinating stories about their world.

«All right, then», he finally gave in with a smile. «I’ll tell you a couple of bedtime stories.»

«In your system there’s another planet that could, in theory, be adapted for habitable conditions», he began. «It’s the fourth one from the Sun – the Red Planet. Beneath its surface lies a vast amount of ice, more than enough to create a stable, livable climate. Our scientists once had ambitious ideas and even concrete plans for bringing that world back to life. But to begin such a project, several major problems had to be solved first. For instance, gravity would need to be artificially increased – the planet is simply too small to hold its atmosphere and water resources for long. Eventually, they would drift away into space, as they have before, eons ago.»

«Another major issue», Tarion went on thoughtfully, «is its moons. One of them would have to be moved as far away from the Red Planet as possible, and not only because of its intense radiation. Once the planet’s gravity is strengthened, it would inevitably begin to draw that moon closer, and sooner or later that would end in disaster.»

He paused for a moment, his tone turning more reflective. «A project of such scale would require truly colossal resources, and our government decided we couldn’t afford to divert them. So, the idea was set aside, and we focused on our more immediate goals instead. On the one hand, it’s a pity – we always feel regret in cases like that. But on the other…» He smiled, looking at the humans across the fire. «I believe that, someday, you’ll be the ones to take it on.»

Still caught up in the wonder of Tarion’s story, Kane sat in thoughtful silence, turning it over in his mind imagining what Mars might one day become, if humanity ever brought the Rionians’ vision to life. His gaze drifted toward the dark landscape below their makeshift camp – and then he froze, blinking in disbelief.

Far in the distance, several fires were burning.

The others followed his gaze, staring into the darkness with the same astonishment. There was no mistaking it – those were campfires. Real ones.

«Could be some kind of intelligent life!» Draam exclaimed. «Which means we’d better keep our multi-planetary ears open – stay sharp and guard the perimeter. Arma, if you spot anything suspicious, shoot to kill! Can’t even imagine», he muttered with a shiver, «what kind of mutants could survive in a place like this…»

«Let’s get back to the ship», Maarv said, giving Arma the command to deploy a reconnaissance drone.

John stirred the burning logs, scattering the red embers across the concrete floor and smothering the fire.

Gathered in the mess hall, the friends tried to guess who – or rather what – might be out there. All eyes were fixed on the screens, watching the live feed from the drone as it flew toward those distant fires, transmitting every detail it saw.

«Only intelligent beings make fires», Kane said. «And if you noticed, the ones we saw formed the vertices of an isosceles triangle.»

«A triangle?» Maarv repeated. «What are you getting at?»

«Yes, a triangle», Kane replied. «Unlike the rest of you, I actually graduated from school not that long ago, so I still remember what one looks like. Maybe it’s some kind of signal, maybe someone’s trying to tell us or warn us about something.»

«According to Galactic Union protocol, three lights arranged in a triangle can indicate a distress call or a request for help», Draam said. «Either way, we have to check it out and find whoever lit those fires. Most likely they saw us land and since no one’s come to us yet, it could very well be a trap. Let’s not forget that.»

«Or maybe», Maarv suggested, «they’re simply afraid of us. The Armaon is a next-generation ship – most likely no one out there even recognizes it yet.»

At that moment, the drone reached a small clearing where the dying fires still smoldered. Scanning the area thoroughly, it detected footprints of various sizes and beside them, a large bundle of branches and twigs, on top of which lay something that had once, without a doubt, been clothing. Now it looked more like a heap of formless rags.

Suddenly, the transmission cut out, and contact with the drone was lost.

«Well, so much for the ‘distress signal’», Kane said with a grim smile. «Looks like they’re doing just fine and not exactly in the mood for visitors.»

Maarv scratched the back of his head, thinking. «Looks like something knocked it out. And whatever it was, it packed one hell of a punch! A reconnaissance drone isn’t a combat unit, sure, but taking one down that fast isn’t easy. And we all know that». He looked around at his friends, his expression serious. «I can’t quite figure out what’s going on out there, but it could very well be a threat. Then again, if that’s the case, why signal their presence so openly?»

«Well, night brings wisdom», Arma said. «Get some rest, all of you. We’ll start searching at first light.»

She paused, then added in John’s familiar, grumbling tone, «Fine, fine, I’ll keep watch.»

Chapter 18

After a quick breakfast of balanced nutrient blends, carefully prepared by Arma according to each crew member’s personal taste, the team suited up in their light yet durable exploration suits, designed to handle a wide range of temperatures. Each one carried a full day’s supply of oxygen and water.

Kane could hardly remember how he had made it to his cabin the night before; exhaustion had swept over him completely. His dreams were haunted by monstrous yellow-brown vines that tried to catch him as he ran along sand-colored paths, wrapping around him and dragging him into some dark, gaping pit.

Still shaking off that ridiculous dream, he gathered the necessary equipment and, following Arma’s instructions, prepared the long descent cable the crew would use to rappel down the side of the building. Draam calibrated the scanner to the last known coordinates of the lost drone and together, they set out.

They didn’t have to walk far before they reached the very clearing whose image the missing drone had transmitted to Armaon’s screens the night before. The drone’s shattered remains were scattered everywhere.

Looking at the scene, Kane felt an unexpected sense of calm and strange satisfaction – a familiar emotion from another life, another planet. Catching his wandering gaze, John gave him a knowing wink.

«I know that feeling, son», he said softly, a conspiratorial smile tugging at his lips. «Believe me, I feel it too.»

From the far side of the clearing came a faint rustle. The thicket parted, and out stepped a little girl, no more than five years old by Earth standards, with golden eyes and, judging by her features, unmistakably Vriinian.

Maarv and Draam froze in astonishment, exchanging a bewildered glance as if to ask each other whether this was real or they were dreaming.

Then, from behind them, came a familiar, ominous hum – the unmistakable sound of a super-heavy atomic rifle powering up. A commanding voice spoke in Galacton, ordering them to raise their hands, turn slowly, and identify themselves.

When they turned, they saw a sturdy middle-aged Vriinian man holding the massive weapon, and beside him stood a graceful woman, untouched by age. Both wore light exploration suits that clearly marked them as members of a scientific expedition. Their large, almond-shaped eyes watched the newcomers with keen, measured curiosity.

After a moment, Kane was the first to recover. Smiling at the little girl, he asked politely,

«So… was it you who lit the fires?»

It came out almost comically, and the tension in the air eased at once. The girl nodded, offering him a shy smile in return.

One by one, the friends introduced themselves, and then Draam asked who they were and how they had ended up here.

«I’ve heard of you», the man said, turning to Draam. «You’re the right hand of Abuun, the great leader of the Distant Explorers. Some time ago, you set out for the Blue Planet.»

He straightened a little, then added, «My name is Krean. And this is my family», he said, gesturing toward the woman and the child.

Maarv’s eyes widened in surprise at the name. Krean was one of the most renowned scientists of his time – the head of major research programs involving the latest advanced technologies. His mysterious disappearance, or presumed death, had once sent ripples not only through the scientific community of Vriin but across the entire progressive intergalactic society.