Silargh, seated in the center of the group, raised his arm and gestured the necessary commands to the hovering orb. Soon, the ship was lifting itself off the ground, in the mix of debris and earth falling off its surface, with trees and rocks crashing loudly to the ground behind the alien vessel. Wild animals watched the large foreign object rise slowly above the tree canopy from a distance. The spectacle was the center of attention for the next several minutes, as the ship made its way quietly to the large opening that had just been artificially created in the mountain’s face. Maneuvering the vessel through the dark passage, Silargh eventually brought the ship down to its final resting place. Meanwhile, the gigantic entrance gap was already being resealed by the crew using several Zarfhas to levitate the giant boulders back in place.
The next few weeks would prove to be difficult, to say the least. The breathable atmosphere on Earth was not that different from the one on their home planet. And although Kahnu’s gravity was about one and a half time that of Earth’s, both worlds could have been considered compatible for both species. But without the Flex-pod source of power, making their present location a safe and sustainable home was greatly jeopardized. The real challenge for them now was to survive in the foreign and harsh environment outside. In fact, the castaways would have had a better chance, if they had landed on Earth during one of the planet’s many ice ages. They would have felt right at home when Earth’s temperatures were substantially closer to that of their world, and wild life would have been much less threatening a few million years later. But their present was now, the end of the Jurassic era, and wanted or not, they were here to stay.
For the next few months, the planetary castaways would work diligently at resolving their gravitation engine issues while trying to survive the treacherous wilderness around them, but in vain. Eventually, one by one, they would succumb, either from animal attacks or for some, from sickness contracted on the alien planet. Earth’s numerous viruses had no equal on their planet, an ice world devoid of such pests. The Kahnu immune system did not stand a chance. But that story, Jorh and his companion felt was unwarranted to show to the human group. Instead, they opted to move forward with the rest of their findings.
From Ape to Man
The three-dimensional projection took them back inside Silargh’s abandoned ship and the five explorers that had visited it earlier.
“Jorh said this was the lab,” whispered Dedrick to Vera, when the images got to a room filled with odd looking containers and rows of storage compartments half open or broken. It was obvious the damage had been caused by something else than an earthquake. Not something necessarily more powerful, but of an intelligent doing. Some of the items in the room had most definitely been hung by someone. Countless lines of an unrecognizable material were connecting several pillars and tall objects as if deliberately placed in an intricate order. An intelligent design meant to display something important, or maybe a message. At least, for a moment the idea lingered in Sabrina’s mind until Mahhzee corrected her.
“Actually, we can tell you what those are. The cargo inside the ship was transporting a large sample of our planet’s living library; several dozen species, at least those that could survive the transfer. Along with them, what your people called DNA strands were also gathered in the hope to save what could be. We didn’t know where we would eventually relocate, but Jashi-Da, the moon you call Europa, was our preferred choice. We had, until then, kept from interfering with the evolution of any planet in Alhis-Ta, your solar system. Your planet and ours were not the only ones harboring life. So did Jashi-Da. At the time, the life forms on the small icy moon were still quite primitive, but several large marine creatures, as well as countless small ones, thrived in its iced ocean. When it was certain we had to abandon Kahnu, Garnak, our loyal Keeper, had made sure the two ships had on board everything that could be saved. Kahnu’s rare eco-system had to be preserved at all cost. Each ship had a large cargo, covering not only our culture’s knowledge but also, and most importantly, life; living representatives of our world. Our DNA was also kept safely on the ship’s labs. Let me show you something.”
Mahhzee turned again her attention to the sphere, and with a quick hand gesture, brought another view of the lab. The place was the same but appeared much less messy. The lines were gone and most of the machines, large container columns and display cases seemed fairly intact. The place looked old, obviously abandoned, and covered in dust, but most instruments and containers appeared well organized and orderly laid.
“That’s obviously not what I filmed…” thought Dedrick.
The difference in quality was incomparable. The three-dimensional world they were now in seemed so real, it was hard to believe they were in an artificial projection. The space changed seamlessly to a view of the outside of the cavern, where countless creatures were slowly making their way to the cave, through the same fissure the four visitors had used earlier to reach the cavern. They were so great in number, that a traffic jam was taking place at the crevice’s entrance. Something was attracting the animals by hordes. Several species, including some large birds, had also chosen to enter the passage. Following their progression, they were soon at the cave, where the strangest gathering was taking place. More tortoises than any human had ever seen before in one place were blanketing the ground of the cave, along with countless rodents. Several dozen large saber-tooth cats were grouped to the far left, forming walking circles within circles, pacing behind one another, as if engaged in an elaborate ritual. To the right, along the far wall of the cavern, over fifty giant hyaenas were resting on the floor, all posed like sphinxes, facing the damaged vessel, surprisingly uninterested in the other preys around them. Above, circling slowly the ceiling of the cave, a myriad of birds, some as small as canaries, others larger than eagles, were flying orderly in countless circles and directions around the perimeter of the space. On any other day, an absolute carnage would have taken place in such a situation. Yet, for some unknown reason, the various species were at peace with each other. The predators and the preys, as if gathered in some sanctuary where the laws of nature did not apply, a common ground where some invisible force was countering the natural impulse of their wild instinct, were cohabiting effortlessly.
Only one species seemed at unrest; the chimpanzees. They were getting more and more agitated. Their skittish behavior was as much due to the presence of the other predators as it was to the ship. Somehow, the calming power of the vessel did not seem to have the soothing effect on them it did on the other species. Fearful and hesitant at first, it wasn’t long before several of the chimps found their way through the belly of the ship. Tossing and breaking almost everything they came in contact with, most likely looking for food, some eventually made their way into the Kahnu lab. One of the apes, of a smaller stature than most of his group, approached a small glossy object another chimp had just thrown violently to the floor. He grabbed it with one hand and brought it to his face, taking a deep short sniff from it. Proceeding to turn the artifact upside down above him, he began to drink the liquid running down from it until it was dry. Seconds later, the driven animal was frantically going through every container it could find, drinking everything he came across. He finally found a container he could not break, not easily at least. After several attempts at hitting the jar on the ground, the object finally burst open and the small chimp rushed to collect his prize. Grabbing several of the gelatinous eggs released from the broken container with one swift swoop, he rushed them to his mouth and managed to cut himself in the process, fingers, lips and throat alike. Suddenly feeling the pain caused by the sharp pieces, he dropped everything, and ran out of the room screaming and moaning. But the damage was done, and the animal had forever altered the future of his species. Mahhzee made another movement with her hand, and the surroundings disappeared, as if engulfed slowly by a fog. The sphere glowed a second longer, and then landed quietly to rest in front of the human observers, its three-dimensional light show coming to an end.