The gliding starship cut silently through the dark space. The ship was halfway between stars, one of the quietest places for a ship to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The spaceship was a dark, muted blue. Built chiefly for long-distance travel, over half of the ship was composed of engines and reactors. On the other side of the enormous lead radiation shield, the only habitable area was in the nose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The faster-than-light engines were rumbling quietly, their reverberations barely felt in the conference room where the three humans sat. Trent, the commander, was waiting as the other two officers discussed the results of a sporting competition back on Earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The conversation ended when Vix, the lead science officer, hobbled in with a metallic cart. On the top shelf sat a sizeable cube-shaped contraption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOnce Vix got that outer shell to open, Vix found this device,\u201d the giant reptile said. It vaguely unnerved Trent to hear Vix talk. It reminded him of some cheesy cartoon figure watching Vix\u2019s frog-like jaw wiggle about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The two officers helped Vix move the device from the cart to the metallic conference table. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s extremely light,\u201d said Kitt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vix nodded, blinking its bulging eyes several times. \u201cYes. Made from unusual metal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIs it from Savalon?\u201d asked Trent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMost definitely,\u201d Vix said, clapping its webbed hands together. \u201cTests show it is a probe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIncredible,\u201d said Kitt, sitting down next to Trent. \u201cWhat else do we know about it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cVery advanced technology needed to manufacture,\u201d Vix continued. \u201cProbe\u2019s protective outer shell almost frictionless. Vix and Kcheshi had to use magnets to keep it from sliding around the lab.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSo, what do you know about Savalon, gentleman?\u201d Trent finally asked, calling the meeting to order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSavalon is an enigma,\u201d said Kitt. \u201cA Cepheid variable is usually about as bright as our sun, but because it expands and contracts, its brightness changes radically. You would think that life wouldn\u2019t evolve there due to variations of temperature brought on by this oscillation of light, but,\u201d he added, pointing to the probe. \u201cHere we sit, with their technology on our desk.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDon\u2019t forget their structure,\u201d said the junior officer. \u201cThey look exactly like us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vix snorted, nostrils contracting to pinpricks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, like humans anyway,\u201d the officer quickly added. \u201cIt\u2019s uncanny.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey look like you, but they probably are not going to be like you at all,\u201d Vix said. \u201cHumans. Your species always trying to \u2018humanize\u2019 everything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHow did we find out about these guys? They never transmitted any radio, television, pulses, anything,\u201d asked the junior officer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was an accident, actually,\u201d said Kitt. \u201cA survey team had gone in to do readings on the star. They happened to spot civilization on one of the planets. They had gained access to a large computer database when something happened. We only got part of their transmission.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s incredible what we\u2019ve learned, too. A little more advanced than we are in so many areas, but lagging in so many others and, what\u2019s more, no attempts to expand to their other planets, let alone star travel. A pity we didn\u2019t get more information before the ship malfunctioned,\u201d the junior officer added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t entirely believe it was a malfunction,\u201d Trent said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy is that?\u201d asked Kitt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBecause the follow-up craft I sent in was intentionally destroyed,\u201d Trent said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vix cocked its head and made a sound like a clicking chirp. \u201cSo that\u2019s why you wanted this craft fitted with ablative shielding,\u201d it finally said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes. We\u2019re going in to investigate. Nobody knows we\u2019re doing this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kitt looked at Trent. \u201cIt\u2019s not like you to cloak and dagger. Are you sure we\u2019re going in to just look? What, with all those non-interference laws and the like.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Closing his eyes, Trent let out a sigh and nodded. \u201cIt\u2019s a safe bet we\u2019re dealing with a xenophobic culture. The Fleet has already ordered the area off-limits due to the variable star’s \u2018unspecified hazards\u2019 and wiped what we knew from Galactic Center and stored it on this ship. But my brother was on that science vessel I sent in. I want to know what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou said they don\u2019t have star travel, Vix,\u201d said the junior officer. \u201cWe are nearly sixteen light-years away. How did this probe get here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vix cocked its head again, ignoring the question for the moment. There was a high-pitched noise. \u201cCan\u2019t you humans hear that?\u201d the lizard asked, twirling a webbed finger towards the probe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trent looked at Kitt and the junior officer. \u201cHear what?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
[Commander,] chimed the ship\u2019s computer. [The alien probe has started a detailed scan of the four of you. However, you are being scanned the most, Commander.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s all right,\u201d said Kitt, quickly raising his hand to Trent to calm him. \u201cFrom what I learned, they do this sort of scanning as a handshake. It\u2019s routine to them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRoutine for you, Vix leaving. Hurts my ears.\u201d The giant lizard hobbled away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The cube split open on one side, revealing a screen. On the screen were two hazel eyes, computer-generated. \u201cCommander Trent,\u201d the cube said, glancing in the commander\u2019s direction. \u201cIf you would.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trent walked around until he was standing in front of the opening, looking at the generated eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy name is Michael, and I am the guardian of the people of Savalon. It is in my nature to eavesdrop, and I make no apologies for that. However, am I correct in believing you intend to visit us?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trent looked at Kitt, who wore an expression of both panic and curiosity, then back to the device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes, but we are not hostile to you or your people. We only seek your friendship and knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Trent. I cannot allow that. Outside interference is intolerable to the masterpiece society I have spent eons sculpting. Their confidence in me must be maintained, and I\u2019m afraid your presence will jeopardize everything I have worked so hard to build. You will not be permitted this visit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m sure we could find some middle\u2026\u201d Trent said, trailing off. His arms fell loosely to his sides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLet us save some valuable time, Commander Trent,\u201d Michael continued, those hazel eyes turning a deep red color. \u201cIs your space-going vessel equipped with some form of self-destruct mechanism?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes,\u201d Trent replied. His own eyes had glazed over, and he was rocking his head left, then right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDo you have the authority to order the destruction of this vessel, or does it require consensus?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kitt, with any bit of curiosity now gone, looked at his friend across the table. \u201cTrent, are you ok?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes, Michael, I can. I, alone, just have to give the proper order codes for self-destruct.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cClap your hands together, Commander Trent,\u201d Michael asked. Trent obeyed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSecurity, we\u2019ve got a problem!\u201d Kitt said, starting to run towards the door. He fell to the ground, dead, from Trent\u2019s sidearm. The junior officer joined Kitt on the floor a half-heartbeat later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThank you, Commander Trent,\u201d Michael said. \u201cNow, while it was nice to meet all of you, I must ask that you immediately destroy your vessel and, with it, all knowledge that Savalon even exists.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The broken ship scattered silently through the dark space. It was halfway between stars, one of the quietest places for a grave to be.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The gliding starship cut silently through the dark space. The ship was halfway between stars, one of the quietest places for a ship…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":708,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[50,51,48],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/serioustangents.com\/SeriousBlog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/707"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/serioustangents.com\/SeriousBlog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/serioustangents.com\/SeriousBlog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/serioustangents.com\/SeriousBlog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/serioustangents.com\/SeriousBlog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=707"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/serioustangents.com\/SeriousBlog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/707\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":709,"href":"http:\/\/serioustangents.com\/SeriousBlog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/707\/revisions\/709"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/serioustangents.com\/SeriousBlog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/708"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/serioustangents.com\/SeriousBlog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=707"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/serioustangents.com\/SeriousBlog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=707"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/serioustangents.com\/SeriousBlog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=707"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}