~~~~
It was the best of times and nothing
less. It seemed like this new swingin’ decade was filled with nothing but
color, love, and music. The difficult days and hard trials of yesterday were no
more than a distant memory, peace was here to stay. However, one subject above
all had captured the world’s imagination, outer space.
Space fever had rocked the world,
and dreams of colonizing the stars had crossed everyone’s minds. Of course, the
first step was building the vessels to travel there. They may have gotten a man
on the moon, but that was just the first small step. The world’s eyes turned to
one Dr. Isaac Calu, the most brilliant of men. If there were ever a man who
would touch the stars in his generation, it would be him without a doubt.
~--~
“What do you think, George?” Dr.
Calu displayed his latest prototype spaceship. The unpainted metal vehicle
shined with a pure silver, it was like a small capsule with two fins at its
side. Modern eyes would compare it to a space shuttle, but to them, no such
vessel existed for comparison.
“I’ll reserve my opinions for when I
see it action,” George replied as he brushed back his short black hair. “Tell
me it actually has an interior and isn’t just a big metal tube.”
“Don’t be so quick to judge, my
friend,” the good doctor assured as he whipped back his medium-length, light
blonde hair. In the right light, his hair would almost seem as white as his
crisp lab coat. “This vessel is already set to fly, we could soar into orbit
tonight if we wished.”
“Did you truly build this all by
yourself?” George looked at the other man with a hint of friendly
suspicion.
“Well, it was funded with a generous
grant from the government,” Dr. Calu laughed. “Trust me, I’m a genius.”
“A genius without a willing test
subject?” George caught on.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be right in there
with you,” the blonde patted his friend’s back, “we’re going to make history.”
~--~
It was long before the new
spaceship’s maiden voyage. The two men, the closest of friends, were suited up
in the best protection they had. Dr. Calu’s new spacesuits were quite a bit
less bulky than anything contemporary. However, the downside was that they were
not meant to be exposed to the vacuum of space. For their purposes, that would
be fine, they only intended to go into low orbit and back. Nothing more than an
expensive day trip. The good doctor even reserved a small airstrip for their
landing.
“So, what’s the procedure?” George
inquired over his suits built-in radio. Despite the fact, the two were mere
feet apart, wearing the suits necessitated the method of communication.
“Don’t concern yourself with such
things,” the blonde assured, “we’ll play this fast and loose, don’t worry, I’m
a genius. But if you want, you can do the countdown.”
“If you insist,” the black-haired
man chuckled, “3,2,1 Liftoff.” Despite the fact George only counted so fast as
a joke, Dr. Calu quickly ignited the spacecraft's engines. The vehicle was
launched with extreme haste, much to George’s shock. The prototype vessel flew
faster than any space-worthy vehicle before it. In an instant, the two men were
launched into the upper atmosphere. A sudden jolt seemed to rock the spaceship,
but it all smoothed out quickly.
“See, nothing to worry about.” Dr.
Calu gave a thumbs-up as he piloted the ship further into the sky. Their course
looked smooth; the experimental vessel looked ready to be a complete success,
and the two men’s names would go down in history. Perhaps in one world, it was
as simple as that, but this would not be that world. “Hmm? What’s that up
ahead?” Despite their speed, both men could see something ahead of them, what
it was neither could tell.
Perhaps it was a fluke, a twist of
fate or one-in-a-million cosmic event. Whatever the cause, whatever it was,
this unknown existence collided directly with them. Whether it was an
undiscovered form of energy or some kind of hole in the fabric of space and
time, no one can say for sure. All the two men knew was that one moment they
flying into Earth orbit and the next, they were somewhere else entirely.
~--~
The pair’s landing was less than
ideal, there was a slim hope they could land in some kind of city or open
stretch of land. However, no matter how far Dr. Calu steered his vessel, all
they could see were oceans, thick jungles, and deep canyons. With little
choice, the two crashed down to the planet below, landing right into one of the
strange planet’s jungles.
“Not my first choice for a landing
zone,” George emerged from the wrecked prototype ship. His helmet was cracked,
his suit torn, but overall void of serious injury.
“Not mine either,” Dr. Calu replied,
his own suit in a similar state of disrepair. “I tried to land in one of those
canyons, but the controls fought me the whole way. Almost like we were being
pulled towards this jungle.”
“How, unsettling,” George sighed,
“at least we survived with all our parts intact.”
“You can thank my genius for that,”
Dr. Calu joked, “but that’s as far as this vessel will take us.” The scientist
gestured to their crashed vessel. It had lost one of its wings, and the hull
was severely dented from the landing.
“Lovely,” George took a seat on a
nearby tree.
“At least the atmosphere appears
breathable,” Dr. Calu pointed out. “If it were toxic, that big crack in your
helmet would have been the death of you.”
“I guess I should be thankful,”
George laughed weakly.
~--~
The two were forced to abandon their
craft. The vessel contained nothing aside from some emergency supplies, which
they quickly retrieved. Although the two doubted a box of signal flares and an
inflatable boat would be much use for the time being. At the very least, they
had a flashlight, but they did have to discard their cracked helmets. With
supplies in hand, George and Dr. Calu began their trek into the jungle, what
they hoped to find, not even they were sure.
Their vague hopes were answered when
they heard a commotion nearby. It was not the sound of animals, but of people
chanting and dancing, something like a festival. Despite concerns that the
natives might not be the friendliest, the two men, short of options, approached
the sound.
George and Dr. Calu found themselves
emerge in a small clearing where a small group of stone buildings sat. Between
these buildings was a group of twenty or so people in robes adorned with beads,
circled around a stone with five swords stabbed into it. The largest among them
stood behind the rock, seemingly leading the chant. The two men stared at the
odd sight with confusion, until the native people finally noticed their
visitors.
“What do we do?” George asked his
friend, sensing the weight of over a dozen pairs of eyes.
“It’s doubtful they will understand
our language. Just try to appear non-threatening,” Dr. Calu explained.
(You. Strangers. Why Have You Come
Here?) The large one spoke without speaking.
“W-what?” George was completely
confused, unable to grasp how the mysterious beings spoke to him.
(Confusion. Fear. Uncertainty.
You’re Not From Here, You Did Not Intend To Come Here, You Are Lost.)
“Yes, exactly,” Dr. Calu replied.
(Strangers?) (Outsiders?) (Where Did They Come From?) (Has This Happened
Before?) The group of robed figures “spoke” in unison, like a chorus. The two
men grew uncomfortable from the assault of “voiceless” voices.
(Do Not Fear. If You Are Not Here To
Do Harm. We Shall Do No Harm To You.) The large robed figure, and apparent
leader, assured.
“We just want to go home, really,”
George stated.
“But that’s easier said than done,”
Dr. Calu pointed out, “our vessel was destroyed, so we can’t even leave. But
really, we don’t even know how we got here. Something pulled us here, shot us
across space, and dragged us down right around here. We’re victims of a series
of cosmic coincidences.”
(No. Something Like That Happens For
A Reason. You Are Here Because of Something. Someone. Some Force. Some Power.
Brought You To This Place.) The leader explained.
“As a man of science, I’m not one to
believe in such things,” Dr. Calu stated.
(You May Believe That. It Is Your
Right. But I Shall Insist. You Are Here For A Reason.) The leader repeated.
~--~
The two men found themselves the
guests of the mysterious people who spoke without words. While their hope to
find a path home seemed to dwindle, they were at least safe for the time being.
Dr. Calu investigated the area on the slim chance he’d find evidence of a more
advanced civilization. George, on the other hand, found himself drawn to the
symbol of the people’s worship, the five swords in the stone.
“What is this anyway?” George asked
one of the robed people, “you certainly seem to revere it.”
(Sword Of The Stars. They Have
Rested Here Since Before Our Time. Stories Say Some Greater Force Brought Them.
Each Blade Awaits The Right Person To Wield It. All Else Will Fail To Pull.)
The native revealed.
“Can anyone try to pull the blade?”
George inquired.
(All Are Welcomed To Try.) The robed
individual replied.
‘I’ve always wanted to try something
like this,’ George thought to himself. He spotted one of the blades had a green
gem in its back and the shape of some kind of bird on the front. The man
grabbed the blade’s hilt and pulled with all his might, but the weapon did not
budge from its spot. George felt a surge of rejection through his body, like
the blade itself dismissed him, and quickly let go. “That was interesting.”
George pulled himself away from the
stone, feeling embarrassed he even tried. He was concerned that the local might
mock him for his feeble attempt, but the robed figure showed no reaction.
George told himself he’d try again with a different sword later. His eyes
scanned the four other blades as he considered his options.
‘The yellow one? No. The blue or pink
one? Nah. The red one? Maybe,’ the black-haired man thought to himself as Dr.
Calu returned with a defeated expression. “What’s wrong?” George noticed his
friend’s distress.
“I’m afraid we might have landed in
the most backwater planet this side of the galaxy,” Dr. Calu sighed. “If there
was a greater civilization here at any point, it has long since faded from
memory. The leader over there said at best some stray explorers or traders
might stop by here, but there is no guarantee.”
“That’s...that’s...damn it,” George
cursed under his breath. He had tried his best to maintain an optimistic
outlook, but now he knew they would spend a good chunk of their lives on this
planet. The weight of the situation began to sank in, and George found himself
walking away.
“George, where are you going?” Dr.
Calu asked his friend.
“To be alone,” he replied.
~--~
“What the hell have I gotten myself
into?” George muttered to himself as he behind one of the stone buildings. “Doc
was just trying to show off his fancy new invention to me, and then suddenly
we’re here. I want to be mad at him, it was his ship that got us here, his idea
to bring me along on the test flight. But I know it’s not his fault, but I’m
still so angry, damn it!” The black-haired man slammed his fist again a nearby
wall.
“Who am I supposed to blame than?
Fate? Gravity? God?” George wondered aloud. “Those people, they insisted
nothing happens without reason. Then for what reason must I be stranded on
another planet? My home, my life, my family, my job, my friends, I might never
see them again. And if I do, only God knows when.” George ranted and raved. “I
guess that makes me like Odysseus? But even he needed a lot of help to get
home, and it still took a decade.”
George curled up as he felt his
emotions burn out, and a wave of exhaustion blew over him. The black-haired man
rested his head on the jungle floor and closed his eyes. He laid there for a
moment, resting his eyes and hoping the whole thing was a bad dream.
‘Maybe I’ll be lucky, and some
curious aliens will land today or tomorrow,’ George thought to himself as he
drifted into a daydream. “As if,” he told himself, not noticing the twinkle of
movement in the sky above him.
To
Be Continued...
~~~~
Well this story ballooned out of control. I had hoped to make it short and sweet, but it ended up way longer than expected. As a result, I'm breaking it into two parts, this first part being more set up, the second part next week being more action focused. Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy
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