“We’re going to need more guidance,” the CO said. “In the meantime, let’s get cracking. Drop two satellites in a ball-and-twine orbit and get started on mapping this planet to a fare-thee-well.”
“Yes, sir,” Dr. Beach replied.
“You’re aware, sir, that we might have already made contact,” Bill interjected. “Depending upon their tech level, they could have telescopes capable of detecting the ship in orbit.”
“Oh,” the CO said. “How very… glorious.”
“There,” Journeyman Agoul said, stepping back. “It’s against Sumar. The shadow moving across the Belly.”
“I see it,” Master Jadum replied, his hands rubbing together rapidly. “Fascinating! Do my old eyes deceive me, or does it appear to be made of metal?”
“I believe the same, Master,” Agoul said, wrinkling his nose. “It does appear to be made of metal. And I believe I can see some formations on it that are very strange. I hate to even suggest this, but I believe that it may be… made.”
“I cannot believe that such a thing could be made without it being heretical,” Jadum said, stepping back and working his hands again. He rubbed at his nose, rapidly, then shivered. “I must take this finding to the queen, but if it is a made thing, the priests will be most unhappy.”
“My fears as well, Master,” Agoul replied. “Do you wish me to take the word to the Court? Better my head than yours, Master.”
“No,” Jadum said, twitching his ears in negation. “I doubt that the queen would allow the priests to kill me simply for finding such a thing. You, on the other hand, they might and think nothing of it.”
“There is another question, Master,” Agoul said. “Could it be the Demons returning?”
“I’m sure many will think that,” Jadum said. “We can only hope that it is not so. It has been centuries since the last Demon attack. Let us hope it is not they.”
“Or that they bring them, Master.”
“How we doing on comestibles, XO?” the CO asked.
“We’re getting low on water and O2 again,” the XO said. “But if we can get down to the planet any time soon, that’s not an issue. And we’re getting hot. But same thing.”
“Miss Moon?” the CO asked. “Have you completed the cultural survey?”
“I’m not sure that it’ll be done any time soon,” Miriam replied. “Probably not in my lifetime. But I’ve identified several civilizations. I can’t get much of an idea of borders, if this society even has those, but there are basically five large civilizations on the planet. Two of them seem to be about the same technology level and might be in contact. But there are large gaps that look undeveloped between them. The other three are separated from those two, and each other, by big oceans. We’ve gotten some looks at their boats and the COB said he didn’t think they could go across oceans. Based on Earth history, I’d say we should contact one of the two groups that is close to each other on the big main continent.”
“After initial survey and limited communications group contact,” the XO pointed out.
“Agreed,” the CO said. “Commander Weaver, recommendations on initial survey?”
“There is a group of islands in the temperate zone of the planet,” Bill replied. “One of them is quite extensive and has what appears to be a stable zone near both a river and an ocean. That is on the southeastern tip of the island. While a scan of the island did show some fires on the northern portions, the southeast appears clear of natives. There is one anomaly, though.”
“What’s that?” the XO asked.
“There is a high level of neutrino emission on the planet,” Bill said. “And it’s concentrated in the ‘civilized’ areas. But the emissions are all over the place. I’m not sure what’s causing it, but it seems as if something down there is a neutrino emitter.”
“Neutrinos are what drive the warp,” the CO said, puzzled. “They’re only generated by a nuclear reaction normally, right?”
“Yes, sir,” Bill said. “Fission or fusion. We get them from generating mesons out of the boson particle in the cannon. But in nature they’re fairly rare and only generated by stars or nuclear reactors. Slippery suckers, too. Until the Adar came along the only detectors we had were massive. But you don’t even get this sort of emission with really massive radioactive ores. As I said, sir, I’m not sure what’s causing the emissions.”
“But there’s no apparent hazard?” the CO asked.
“It may indicate a high local radioactive background, sir,” Bill said, shrugging. “But my guess is that the only way we’re going to find out what’s causing it is to go down there and find the emitters.”
“Very well,” the CO said. “Let’s get cracking.”
“I’m going to let Chief Miller handle the brief on this one,” the first sergeant said. The reduced company had gathered on level two, missile compartment, at word of a new habitable planet. “Mister Miller?”
“It’s another moon,” Miller said. “Pretty much Earth size, gravity a bit higher ’cause it’s denser than Earth. Tectonically active, deep oceans. Cold but not frozen solid. Earth standard biology type, so there might even be stuff we can eat, sort of. And it’s inhabited.”
“What?” Guppy asked.
“At ease!” Staff Sergeant Driscoll snapped. “Warrant officer is speaking!”
Golupski had definitely drawn the short straw on the cruise. Not only had the rest of his team been wiped out but in the reorganization he’d gotten Driscoll, who after all had nothing better to do, as his team leader. The XO’s RTO, Charles “Chuckie” Seeley had been brought in to round out what was now Second Bravo.
The CO had reorganized by combining the remains of First and Second into one platoon, designated Second. The company was based on teams and the only team that had been only partially wiped out was Guppy’s when Summerlin and Chandler were eaten by the ship-eating crabpus. All the other teams had lost all three members or been unscathed. Gunny Frandsen had been moved to Ops sergeant, Lieutenant Berisford and Gunny Hocieniec had absorbed the survivors, Alpha Team from First, and the unit moved on.
But it meant, among other things, that Driscoll was now a team leader and Guppy had to put up with him.
“Sorry, Staff Sergeant,” Guppy said balefully.
“We don’t have much of a read on the inhabitants,” Miller continued as if there had been no interruption. “We don’t have that resolution. But they’re down there. Most of the indicators say that they are very low-tech but there are a large number of strange particle emissions from the planet. They may simply seem low-tech. The command group is working on a plan for survey and contact. That’s all I’ve got.”
“Basically, sit tight, do your missions and wait for the word,” Top said. “That’s all. Get back to work. Staff Sergeant Driscoll, if I could have a moment of your time…”
“Jacks locked,” the COB said.
“Initial scans show no major life-forms in the area,” Tactical reported.
“Deploy the security team.”
“So how come we always have to be first?” Hattelstad asked.
“Just lucky,” Jaenisch replied as the elevator reached ground level. “Now shut up and watch your sector.”
“Got nothing, so far,” Bergstresser said as the trio moved forward from the elevator, weapons swinging from side to side. “Small life-forms. Lots of those. Nothing big.”