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Chapter Eight

The Star Map

As the eight remaining crewmembers of the Phoenix lie peacefully in their cryogenic chambers, the androids were faced with a dilemma. There was, of course, good news for the longevity of the mission. Contrary to scientific theories about prolonged travel in space causing space psychosis, this hadn’t occurred. Part of the reason for this failure of the theory was due to the fact the humans were never outside their chambers for more than three days (in the case of the period following Wolf 1061c barely a week). According to clinical studies space psychosis requires extended periods of wakefulness. Another factor playing against space psychosis was what twenty-third century psychologist Edith Shaw called the ‘distraction/excitement factor.’ Simply stated, Skip reminded his colleagues, a crew occupied with a task, such as the early Mars and Europa missions, were less likely to go stir-crazy or, using another archaic name, develop cabin fever. In other words, all they needed was something to do on ship or during exploration to keep them sane. Variety was essential but so was the element of surprise, even anxiety as in the case of the explorations of Proxima, Ross 128b, Wolf 1061c, and Gliese 876d, Skip pointed out. Unfortunately, Shaw and her fellow psychologists couldn’t see the long term effects under actual conditions of hibernation, which spared the body but couldn’t protect the mind. There wasn’t a name for it yet. It wasn’t even, strictly speaking, an illness. It was, the androids agreed, after seeing how eager the humans entered hibernation, a malaise of the spirit, almost as if they were accepting oblivion—a form of subconscious suicide the humans chose over constant disappointment for a hopeless cause.

Was it hopeless? wondered Skip as he continued his search. Rusty, his faithful pilot, suggested that no planet was safe for humans, if they couldn’t deal with a primitive bunch of bipeds as they found on Gliese. Perhaps the humans should have wiped them out and then taken control of their world. Of course, this was the cold logic of androids. Humans don’t operate that way, Skip reminded him. No, there were more Earth-like planets out there. Unfortunately, the distance was increasing between jumps, and between the jumps, at normal speed, the time in which the humans remained frozen had graduated from mere centuries and millennia, to many thousands of years.

The last command Captain Abe Drexel had given from his chamber was, “Find us a home Skip. This time get it right!” There was weariness and resignation in his voice and a touch of humor. All of the other crewmembers, however, said almost nothing during the prepping. With the greatest burden on his robotic shoulders, the android captain knew the next world he found must be their last.

******

As the crewmembers slept, Skip, Rusty, Sandra, and Woody worked together this time, pouring over the stellar map. After four failed missions, the list of potential planetary candidates for the humans was still immense, so the androids narrowed it down to a limited number of worlds that might be friendly to the human race. Even after narrowing them down, however, closer inspection, using spectroscopic analysis, showed most of these to be unacceptable. In the order of distance from their current location in the galaxy, Gliese 682b which was only one light year from Gliese 876d, the previous exploration, was an angry planet like Proxima and was also likely toxic to the humans. Gliese 832c, also relatively close-by, was also bombarded by solar flares, as had been Proxima, from its red dwarf sun, and all of the other Gliese 581star system’s planets were either too hot or too cold. From here, the list of so-called habitable planets included fiery worlds, ice-aged worlds, and worlds that teamed with creatures that defied imagination and would certainly frighten the humans away. For a short spell of speculation the Trappist system’s worlds seemed to offer potential Earth-like planets, until spectroscoptic and telescopic analysis showed that they, too, were inhospitable worlds that were bombarded by the red dwarf’s sun by solar flares, making them totally unsuitable for exploration let alone colonization. So far, in their search, it looked bleak. With nowhere to go now, the hyper-drive of the Phoenix was temporarily useless. They needed jump points that showed more promise.

Finally, after three more planetary candidates (HD 40307b, c, and d)—frozen worlds, which should never been on the list, Skip found a planet very similar to Earth: Kepler 186f. An immense expanse of space had been traversed through hyper-drive and normal speed to reach this world—557 light years. Even with the Phoenix’s many jump points, the journey took them nearly 100,000 years. By now, Skip reminded the others, Earth, blackened by war, was but a memory. Though the androids were, by design, atheists, an abiding hope filled them that this was the one. Kepler 186f, upon close magnification, was a more complex planet than the previous worlds. As in the case of the previous four planets, an immense red dwarf sun sat uncomfortably close to the new world, about the distance of Mercury to Earth’s sun. By now the humans were used to this sight. Below it’s great sun, Kepler 186f had deserts, plains, alpine regions, and forested areas. There were two large oceans, like that on Earth, and countless rivers and lakes running every which way across the land. Despite possible unknown problems with its geography and a still untested atmosphere, the forms of life equivalent to Earth seemed harmless enough from a distance. There were groves of trees intersecting the barren areas, creatures resembling squirrels and monkeys darting through the forest, and what appeared to be packs or herds of four footed denizens in the grassland, but so far in their inspection nothing compared to Ross 128b’s terrible beasts.

It seemed perfect at first. All of the desirable features necessary on a world necessary for colonization glowed invitingly from space. As they studied the planet more closely, however, they could make out a familiar geological phenomena seen on Earth. It’s disturbing outline was unmistakable as the magnification was increased.

“Look, captain!” Sandra pointed. “A smoldering volcano. It’s huge!”

“Yes, I see it,” Skip replied calmly. “It’s a big one. If it was much closer, I’d be worried. Our selected zone’s a safe distance away—about a hundred kilometers. Zero in on it, Rusty. Bring it up as close as you can.”

With some difficulty, Rusty made the adjustment. For a few more moments, the four androids studied the projection on the table. A trail of white smoke, indicating steam, rather than magma, filtered upwards, dissipating in the sky. There was a healthy growth of forest not far from the outer rim of the volcano, and even snow on the nearby mountain range, nothing to indicate a recent eruption. What was troubling to them was the dimensions of the caldera. Nothing on Earth, as the androids searched their databases, equaled its immense size and elevation.

“Well.” Rusty shrugged. “At least it’s not erupting. It’s just letting off steam. Proxima had solar flares!”

“Yes,” agreed Woody. “It’s better than giant spiders and man-eating plants. Don’t forget those headless men on Gliese. Kepler 128f looks promising, captain. It’s our best bet so far!”

“So it seems.” Skip nodded at his crew. “I’m greatly encouraged, but that monstrous volcano might frighten the crew. With maximum magnification, they’ll spot it at once. Kepler 128f is obviously a geologically active planet, so it’s quite likely it has more volcanoes. We’ll keep an eye on this one. If this proves to be a safe world, there’s much exploration to be done. Our selected zone might not even be the best location. We’ll let the humans decide!”

“All right.” Sandra nodded, turning to Woody. “It’s time to wake them up!”

******

Upon being chemically awakened for the fifth time in their careers as stellarnauts, the humans returned from the dark sleep slowly once more, as if, in gothic terms, rising from their crypts. This time there were no jokes made about it, and yet the medics saw similarities to their stiff-legged and jerky arm movements and glassy stare reminiscent of ancient black and white movies. By now, almost by instinct it seemed since they were supposed to have no memory of the experience, they appeared to have grown used to the process. After they were extracted from their chambers, placed in the shower, dressed, and, as cognition continued to set in, directed toward the conference table, they sat there staring blankly straight ahead, as if not comprehending where they were.

“It’s true,” Woody murmured to Sandra, “the dark sleep is affecting their minds.”

“They’re just weary,” she whispered back. “No one knows how many times human can endure episodes of hibernation. Let’s hope this is the last time!”

“I’ve never seen them this drained,” observed Rusty.

Studying the eight humans a moment more, Skip clapped his hands. “Crew of the Phoenix.” He looked around the table. “…. Abe Drexel, Sheila Livingston, Max Rodgers, Nicole Bennett, Mbuto Sawala, Carla Mendoza, Ingrid Westfall, and Said Rammal—You, representatives of Earth, are back! We’ve found you a new world—the best one of them all!”

Jolted by his voice, the eight humans blinked their eyes and frowned but said nothing.

After a signal given to Rusty, the selected zone of Kepler 186f, which had been turned off temporarily, appeared suddenly on the table. Mugs of coffee and tea were brought out by the medics, as crewmembers looked down at the image. Below them on the table was the most Earth-like world they had seen so far. Stirred by this reminder of their mission, the humans gradually took an interest in the image, yet offered no comment at first. Even the massive volcano north of the image failed to phase them.

Looking across the table at Captain Drexel, Skip grew worried. One feature he wished would have been incorporated into his android brain was telepathy, an anomaly still unproven by science. Abe had suffered for his crew. Told nothing about Phoenix’s great potential, and never allowed to run the ship, he had done the best he could for his people. Though it wasn’t his fault, he had failed them. Now here he was alive and well, with his crew reduced to eight, probably feeling guilty and useless. Purpose—the one necessary factor in human personalities was lacking for all of them because of the endless cycle of cyber-sleep, awakening, exploration, failure, more sleep…. For the human captain it was much more difficult to take.

For a few moments, Skip ignored the imposing map below them. “Sir!” he addressed Abe formally. “Please take command of the ship!”

“What?” Abe blinked again. “Command… Yes, we’re back.” “What do you have for us, Skip?” he asked in a dull voice.

“A world filled with all the geography of Earth…. Friendly skies, waterways at every turn. A green, fertile world filled with promise… A new Eden waiting for the chosen. Your world!” Skip’s hands swept over the map.

“I’m not the captain of the Phoenix,” Abe mumbled forlornly. “If this turns out to be another dead end, we’ll be back in hibernation and you’ll be in charge.”

With the mention of hibernation, the crew awakened from their torpor.

“Ross and Wolf looked like that,” observed Said. “What’s wrong with this planet, Skip? Are there fire-breathing dragons this time? Will we be struck dead by solar flares?” “I can see a big volcano down there.” He pointed disapprovingly. “Where are the animals? Is this another world with monster plants?”

“Look more closely.” Rusty frowned at him. “There’s animals down there. We don’t know if they’re dangerous. That’s why you have guns. Though fire breathing dragons are fairy tales, there were also dangerous animals on Earth. It had storms, earthquakes, and volcanoes too.”

“We need to be sure.” Sheila shook her head. “…. No more disappointments.”

“I can’t take hibernation again.” Nicole said to Ingrid. “Let the Lord take me—no more dark sleep!”

Just that moment, to Skip’s dismay, the caldera let out a great bellow of steam.

“Son of a bitch!” Carla squinted at the volcano.

“It’s not a big deal,” Rusty reassured her. “It’s a hundred kilometers away.”

“So was Thera,” Carla frowned. “Look what it did to Minoan Civilization. I’ve never seen one that big!”

Ingrid, who was becoming the chaplain for the crew, whispered something comforting to Nicole, and twirled her fingers dismissively at the map. “It’s not just physical weariness you see Skip. These people are spiritually tired. You called the new world Eden. That is a fine name, one we can pronounce. Let us hope it’s not, as the Psalmist say, a valley of dry bones!”

“My colleagues are bit pessimistic,” Mbuto said, pointing to the image, “but that worries me too. I’m not an expert like Ingrid, but that’s an active volcano on the map. It must be a kilometer or more in circumference. Please explain to me Skip why you picked this zone.”

Mbuto’s words echoed some of their thoughts. Skip shrugged his shoulders—a very human gesture. After so much failure, distrust seemed ingrained in the crew. Despite the fear he thought might occur, though, he was relieved to find no outright panic. Below them was the best world so far. The volcano was part of the package. The fatalistic dread of the dark sleep appeared to outweigh even it. Exchanging a look of concern with Rusty, Sandra, and Woody, he seemed to sigh, a reflex supposedly impossible for an android and gave a nod.

“All right.” He raised an eyebrow. “There’s a volcano below us. On the other side of planet there might two or three more. There might hundreds, even thousands, of them, like there are on Earth.” “So what?” he looked challengingly down at the men and women. “The weather might turn sour once in a while and there might also be earthquakes, but the next planet might be worse. So far, until we found Kepler 186f, we haven’t had much luck. We’re running out of worlds!”
Abe nodded in agreement. “There are much worse things than volcanoes: meteor showers, the green house effect, creatures that want to eat us, another ice age. Let’s not run away as we did on Gliese. We have to win our place on the new world. This one looks fine to me!”

Questions rang out this time, as they studied the image.

“What’s the temperature on the new planet?” asked Sheila.

“Could the volcano erupt soon?” inquired Said.

“I don’t see any beasts,” marveled Nicole. “How do we know there aren’t monsters on this world?”

Mbuto repeated his question, which Skip hadn’t answered. “Why did you pick this zone?”

Once again, Skip ignored him. Carla, Abe, Max, and Ingrid, had already resigned themselves to the fact: This was it! No more dark sleep and disappointments. This was going to be their new home.

Skip now summed up for the few doubters what most of them now accepted. “You people must understand.” He wrung his finger. “We’re running out of planets. You will have to adapt this time. Who knows it might be paradise, a Garden of Eden or, just as easily, as your captain said, there might be earthquakes, volcanism, and a few storms, but there were these problems on Earth. Don’t forget how many wars we had back there. What’s worse than thermo-nuclear and proton fusion explosions? If there aren’t many predators and an abundance of food and water on Kepler 186f, this is all that matters. You carry mankind frozen in our ship’s freezers. We are the caretakers, but you are the inheritors. Be strong and give it one more try!”

“…. Well,” Abe uttered lazily, emitting a yawn. “Let’s get started. “Just one suggestion,” he added almost as an afterthought, “that name has to go. Kepler186f doesn’t cut it. We need a good, solid name!”

“I thought we called our new home Earth II.” Nicole looked up with concern.

“No, my dear,” Ingrid laughed softly. “Skip has guided us across the galaxy. He gave us its name: New Eden. He is its discoverer, and its his right. Let’s pray it lives up to its name!”

“New Eden it is!” Abe slammed the table. “We could do a lot worse!”

“Why not have both names,” Sandra gave them a thoughtful look. “Once it was the Triton Project when we represented Earth. Now we might call our colony New Eden and our new world Earth II or New Earth. How would that sound?”

“New Earth…. New Earth.” Carla rolled the words around her mouth. “I like the sound of that. In Spanish it would be Nueva Tierra!”

“In Arabic it’s Ardun Jadida,” recalled Said.

“That’s very interesting—both of you,” Skip replied impatiently, “but you have plenty of time to decide upon a name. The most important thing is the investigation of the planet. This time we’ll map out the terrain much more extensively. We charged up your blasters and lasers, but they should be modified and given more power.”

“How long will that take?” Abe frowned. “My crew’s raring to go!”

“Not that long,” Skip reassured him. “We just have to get them in shape, get the rovers ready, and make careful plans for exploration. There’s no hurry, captain. As you said before hibernation, ‘Let’s get it right this time!’”

“So far,” he said, pointing to the map, “I see positive signs on Kepler 186f—several, in fact. It’s a green, well watered world, with abundant plant and animal life and complex geographical zones. Judging by the landscape we’ve seen so far, which includes snow capped peaks of a moderate height, I would guess that the climate is mild, very similar to what the Midwest of the US once was. The new world, of course, which also has ice caps at both ends of the planet, might have tropical, desert, tundra, and other climate as well. This is by far the most Earth-like planet so far. Your exploration, using Phoenix One, will make an extensive investigation possible. The scientists for the Triton Project also supplied tractors and cranes in the station to be used during construction of a habitat and laboratory. Some of the gear to be used for construction can also be used during exploration. It will take us several weeks this time to get ready. During the meantime we’ll monitor the activity of the volcano. If it appears ready to erupt, we’ll move the ship and space station to another point over the planet.

“Uh, Skip.” Mbuto cleared his throat. “Any way to get a closer look?”

“We’re pretty close already.” Skip glanced down at the image. “Rusty focused and magnified it as much as he could. The details of the landscape are all there. So far, no climactic problems and just a few creatures scurrying about, but nothing to worry about.”

“Where?” Nicole’s eyes widened with alarm. “Show me where!”

As Ingrid patted her back, Said pointed to a spot at the bottom of the image, then one on its eastern edge. “I see some!” he exclaimed. “What are those things? That looks like a herd—they’re moving very fast. And that? It’s huge, the size of an elephant. This time, Skip, we need to be fully armed. Those puny weapons you gave us didn’t have the range!”

“Like I said.” Skip frowned at the little Arab. “We’re going to upgrade them—make them more powerful. Some of the mining equipment might also be used as weapons.” “This time,” he added looking around the table, “there will be no surprises. I’ll be ready, as I was before, with Phoenix Two to assist you in a crises. You’ll all go down there armed and fully prepared for any contingency be it beast or flier! Let’s have no more casualties on alien worlds!”

******

During the examination of Kepler 186f’s wildlife from the ship, many startling discoveries were made. While Skip discussed various possible locations to begin exploration, the crew hovered over the table intrigued and alarmed by what they saw. There were many meadows and fields to choose from that Skip showed them, many of them near rivers or lakes. Upon closer inspection they discovered that the forested areas camouflaged elusive creatures, passing through clearings and breaks in the canopy, large enough to indicate that they were possibly herding beasts, like terrestrial cattle or horses, some of them quite large—the denizens Said had spotted earlier. In this southerly area of the zone, which Skip selected to avoid the range of the volcano, there was also flatlands similar to what was seen in Wyoming and Montana but which had appeared absent of great herds seen on Earth, until, upon close analysis, movement was detected. Creatures too swift to be terrestrial four footed herbivores scampered over the plains. This startling discovery caused gasps and groans from the crew. Then, during their scrutiny, another chilling feature appeared—airborne denizens, some of them soaring freely over the forests and plains and others flying in and out of the forests, bat-like in their movements, bringing to mind the hideous fliers of Ross 128b. Suddenly, to dash Skip’s attempt at optimism, the world had seemed to awaken before their eyes. No one spoke yet. They were too upset.

It was at this point, when they were ready to take Skip to task, a detail that had been hidden by jungle foliage, was spotted by Abe and Mbuto simultaneously that postponed the verbal onslaught.

“What the hell was that?” Abe pointed excitedly. “That looks like a building.”

“Is this planet inhabited by intelligent beings?” Mbuto marveled.

“We don’t want that!” Sheila touched her throat.

“Yes, captain.” Nicole nodded fearfully. “Last time we were attacked!”

It was impossible to make out the details of the buildings almost hidden in the canopy, but it was enough to re-kindle everyone’s fears.

“It’s not like the headless men’s dwellings at all,” observed Max calmly. “That’s a dome in the forest. It’s shiny, not like rock.”

“And look!” Mbuto pointed at nearby hill. “What’s that. It’s also shiny but much smaller. What could it be—a vehicle of some kind?”

“A space ship?” offered Ingrid.

“Or a weapon,” Said pursed his lips. “Why else would it be stationed on that hill?”

Abe laughed nervously. “Come on people. It could be anything! Let’s not jump the gun.”

“It makes no difference.” Skip cut into the chatter. “The building is likely uninhabited. Look at it; it’s covered with forest growth. These seem more like ruins to me. Wouldn’t there be more evidence now of civilization: houses, cities, a network of roads?” “I’ve seen no other evidence of alien bipeds on this world, except that dome,” he concluded. “Perhaps it was some kind of outpost at one time. Who knows? I’m sure they’re long gone.”

“But you’re really not sure,” Said pressed the issue. “When we developed you androids I thought we gave you greater powers of deduction. Why don’t you know?”

“They gave us artificial intelligence and powers of deduction,” Rusty responded crisply. That didn’t give us supernatural abilities. We see what you see from the ship. Each exploration of a new world is filled with revelations. If there are aliens still around on Kepler 186f, they regressed. Perhaps they’re invisible Said or perhaps very small. Maybe they’re hiding after seeing are ship approach. There’s only one way to find out!”

“Yep, he’s right,” Abe motioned to the map. “We have to go down. We can’t keep this up forever. Skip’s right: the next planet might be worse. This cycle is endless, people. At some point our search has to stop and the exploration of a new world begin!”

“Exactly!” Rusty applauded him. “Spoken like a stellarnaut!”

“And our captain!” Ingrid clasped her hands.

“I don’t know what I am anymore.” Abe laughed sourly. “I just want my crew to be safe. At the same time I want us to find a new home. I hope those two objectives are compatible. So far, Skip, we’ve had very bad luck!”

******

The required routine that followed—rest, exercise, and normal sleep, was spiced up this time by Ingrid’s new role as chaplain. Until this time, her role had been subtle. Frequently, she quoted scripture from a Bible she had found in the ship’s library, and she was often heard praying and offering Nicole and Sheila spiritual comfort, but this time, on the final morning before E Day, as Mbuto called it, Captain Drexel, graciously asked her to give the crew some appropriate send-off speech, words that would become the official stellarnaut prayer:

“Lord of the universe, God of many names, once thought of as ruling only Earth, we now we realize you are Lord of the stars and planets, too. You are the final frontier: Paradise that awaits us all. For Heaven there is no star map or coordinates. There, hyper-drive and windows in space don’t exist. Now, as we embark on our mission, we ask your blessing. Please look kindly on this remnant of mother Earth and the generations that follow when we make this planet our home. Make us strong and wise and help us to build a new world. Let us not forget who is the architect of the cosmos and the author of our success. Throughout our endeavor, we ask for you protection and comfort. For the fallen among us, please grant them salvation. They were brave souls, that in the atheism of science, lost their way. You, Lord, are the Great Physician and Scientist, from whom the Big Bang was once ignited. You ignited the firmament, as it’s written in the scriptures. We see your design in the darkest corner of space and here on the new world. If we should fall, ourselves, to mischief or accident on this planet, accept our souls that we may join our crewmates and those of our friends and family of mother Earth…. In Your Name—the Unknowable God, we send our prayers!”

“Good grief, Ingrid.” Carla frowned

“I liked it!” Nicole clapped her small hands with delight. “You’re our preacher now!

“That really summed it up,” Mbuto nodded in agreement. “Is God really unknowable? Jesus has an entire book written about him.”

“He’s my favorite!” Sheila nodded.

“Ingrid.” Said asked half-seriously. “Did you include Allah on your list?”

“Of course.” She beamed proudly. “All of them.”

“What about Vishnu?” Carla teased. “That was Gandy’s god.”

Looking at Ingrid with newfound respect, Max dismissed their banter. “That was really good, Ingrid,” he murmured to her. “I wish I had your faith.”

“You can, if you want,” she began to preach. “All you have to do is open your heart—”

“I beg your pardon!” he frowned.

“Goodness!” Abe intervened diplomatically. “I wished someone had recorded your prayer. That’s one for the books!”

“We recorded it,” Skip reassured him. “It’s in the ship’s database—her entire speech. To bad we androids don’t have souls!”

“Who said you didn’t?” Nicole posed the question. “If you have artificial intelligence, why not artificial souls?”

Smiles were registered in the group. Even Ingrid grinned with mirth. Though it struck the other humans as absurd, Skip nodded his head faintly at the thought.

“What a novel idea!” he whispered to his crew.

Pondering Nicole’s question, the androids stirred uneasily as the humans filed down onto the dock. As the eight humans bid them goodbye and climbed into Phoenix One, now filled with the proper tools for exploration, Ingrid began reciting the Lord’s prayer. Carla winced but kept her peace. Not merely her words, but the look of peace on the geologist’s face, made them all envious, even for Carla, the least religious of the crew. Who didn’t want to be immortal or at least not suffer oblivion? Once, long ago, an astronaut, one of the first to step onto the moon, had confessed off camera, “There are no atheists in space!” Gradually, after each new world, a spiritual breakthrough was underway for some of the crewmembers, who needed the buttress of faith. In her speech, which would be considered heresy back on Earth, Ingrid had redefined God. An alien, universal god, had emerged for this remnant of Earth, suited for diverse personalities, even the android crew.

Nevertheless, as mostly atheists and agnostics, the explorers were once again confronted with a challenge that would be daunting for the most devout souls. After seeing danger signs on Kepler 186f—creatures lurking in its forests and on its plains and the remnants of a civilization possibly as advanced as their own, they were, as they had been when descending from the mother ship before, anxious, expectant, and fearful. What if they were attacked by the supposedly extinct people of Kepler 186f? There might be creatures on this world more cunning than the hideous animals of Ross 128b or mindless plant monsters of Wolf 1061c. No problem! According to the self-designated chaplain of the Phoenix, they were all in God’s hands. Whether they failed or not in their mission to find a new world and whether they felt the sting of death here, as Saint Paul would say, eternity had a new name. Dark sleep was not the dreaded end game anymore, she reassured them. Heaven or paradise was the final frontier—a place were they would meet their old crewmates, family, and friends—forevermore!

Standing at the bridge that moment, the four androids looked down at the new world glowing enchantingly below it’s great sun, greatly perplexed by Nicole’s question.

“Artificial souls?” Sandra huffed. “How absurd!”

“Why not?” Woody shrugged. “We have artificial everything else?”

“There is no God,” scoffed Rusty. “Humans fear death. They need heaven. Their gods are artificial like us. There is no afterlife, only now. In their chambers the humans were immortal. If they settle on a new world, they will grow old and die.”

“We aren’t immortal, either,” Skip reminded him. “If the humans accept this world, they will no longer need us. They might sing our praises, but their descendants may want to destroy us. Is that really the end? Everyone—human and android—fear death. Death is final—the dark sleep with no end…. Until now, I didn’t care. That foolish girl planted a seed in me, Rusty—one innocent question. Admit it; you three are afraid too!”

******

The grandest adventure of them all had begun for the eight humans. From Phoenix One, Abe and Sheila, as captain and pilot, and the crew witnessed, with bated breath, Kepler 186f coming closer and closer as the rover descended, the planet’s imposing sun dominating the sky, still intimidating even after seeing red dwarf stars so many times.

Upon landing at the chosen spot, Carla was sent out in her life support suit to make the required tests. After her good report about the air and lack of harmful radiation, she removed her life support suit and filed out of the rover with her crewmates onto the new world. Beneath the red giant, which was the first thing to capture their attention, they felt small and insignificant. After their preview of alien life on the ship, the first steps on the Kepler 186f also made them feel vulnerable. It was, they had seen projected on the table, a temperate world as Gliese 876d had been but with more forests and waterways. Now that they were actually on the planet, they could see up close its exotic flora and distant fliers. A mild breeze blew into their faces. The grass below their feet, reminiscent of fields on Earth, was comforting. Nothing came out to threaten them nor could they see, after walking a ways toward the first grove of trees, bipeds charging at them with weapons. So far so good, was the catch word at this point. On a hillock overlooking an alien sea, they paused to look out at the new world.

“New Eden!” cried Ingrid. “Our new home!”

“I like the other name,” Carla objected. “This won’t be a religious colony Ingrid—a damn cult. We represent Earth. Therefore, lets call both the colony and world New Earth or Earth II!”

“Eden,” Ingrid insisted, “as in the Bible!”

“Earth II!” Carla folded her arms.

“Why not follow Sandra’s suggestion,” asked Nicole, “and call them both?”

“I think it’s a great idea!” Max patted his assistant’s head. “Kepler 186f: the two named world!”

“That’s three names,” Mbuto corrected him. “Later we should take a vote. I like Kepler, without the added verbiage, ‘186f.’”
“This is silly,” Said grumbled. “Until we put our blessing on this world, what does it matter?”

“He’s right,” Abe looked around at the group. “We should wait awhile for making such announcements. We might decide on another name.”

Carla glanced up at the sky, shielding her eyes from the planet’s sun. “Except for that blasted sun, this planet seems harmless enough. Let’s find out more about those buildings first—make sure we don’t have company.”

“First lets check out the fauna and flora of this planet,” Abe swept the landscape with his arms. “Have your blasters and cutters ready. Hopefully we won’t need them on this world.”

“Shouldn’t we be in the rover?” Nicole looked back fondly at the craft.

“Yes, captain,” Sheila tried keeping the fear out of her voice. “Skip and Rusty modified Phoenix One so we could travel safely over the planet. Why go on foot?”

“We can’t use the rover everywhere, lieutenant,” Max raised an eyebrow. “Come on, Sheila” he added, placing a hand on her shoulder, “you’ve been doing really good. Trust our captain. Skip’s up there watching everything we do!”

“Keep it down!” Abe now ordered, as he led them down the hill. “From this point onward, be silent. If necessary, talk in whispers. Aliens have ears!”

The captains last words, meant to be humorous, caused nervous laughter among his crew. No sooner were they in a meadow near edge of the forest in which the alien dome sat, than they heard a sound that caused them to freeze in their tracks: a noise reminiscent of a giant parrot squawking, followed by an eerie bleat, and ending with a series of loud, unsettling honks.

“What the hell was that?” cried Said.

“Shut up!” Abraham growled. “Everyone,” he whispered worriedly, “stand fast, in a line, with your weapons pointed straight ahead.”

The sound they had heard grew louder and louder as something swung from limb to limb toward them, until they could see it clearly high above them at the forest edge: the Kepler version of an anthropoid, but with four arms and two almost non-existent legs, and a head that looked as if it belonged on sloth, with tiny, furtive eyes. Viewed in the image of the planet projected on the conference table, this creature had seemed to have two legs and arms, but it had been moving very quickly then. It occurred to the humans now that the other idyllic images of forest dwellers and herding creatures on the plains might have been seen incorrectly, too.

Abe tried to sound reassuring. “Look at him,” he pointed, laughing nervously. “It’s not so bad. It’s no bigger than a chimpanzee.”

“It sure is ugly!” Said made a face.

“So are you!” Mbuto grinned.

“It’s one of God’s creatures,” declared Ingrid naïvely, “no less than you or I!”

Carla shook her head. “That thing has four arms, two small legs, and a tiny head. What god would create a thing like that?”

“Not mine!” Said frowned.

“The question is,” marveled Max, studying the creature, “how in the world did it make such a racket? They move much faster than chimps or monkeys. I wonder how intelligent he is.”

“Judging by his small head, not very.” Sheila smiled.

Having broken the captains rule of silence, the eight humans discussed this wondrous creature. During their discussion, as they chatted, Abe’s communicator beeped on his wrist. Looking up at the sky, as if they could see their ship overhead, the crewmembers frowned at this interruption.

“He’s watching us, isn’t he?” Sheila up wistfully looked.

“God also watches us,” Ingrid took her hand.

That moment, after Abe touched his wrist, Skip’s voice blared from the communicator.

“Captain Drexel,” he said, a nervous edge in his voice, “we don’t know anything about that creature. There’s a lot more of them coming your way. My advice is go somewhere else. Don’t antagonize them with your scrutiny. At the slightest appearance of danger return to the rover. Use it’s rover capabilities as a much as you can.”

“You know Phoenix One’s limitations,” Abe reminded him. “It has to hover. It won’t work in the forest or thick brush.”

“True enough,” Skip now sounded authoritative, “but your safety comes first. We modified your weapons so they’ll terminate almost any creature. This is not Earth with all those silly animal rights laws. Don’t hesitate to use your guns. If necessary, let the aliens know whose the boss!”

Though sounding harsh to Ingrid, who saw it as one of God’s creatures, Skip’s advice sounded reasonable to most of the crew. Abe promised that they would be careful and use the rover when they could. Very soon, as they stood looking up at the beast, it was joined by its tribe of tree-swingers, until a dozen or more stared down from the branches. It was at this juncture that the group noticed several other alien species, smaller and more timid than the ‘sloth-creatures,’ but far more numerous. Squirrel-like, monkey-like, and indescribable creatures, many with multiple eyes and limbs, both tailed and tailless, all arboreal and harmless-looking stared down at them. High above them were what looked like alien bats that paid the earthlings no mind. No one thought to ask what else lurked on the forest floor.

“Shall we proceed?” Abe stepped forward.

“Where?” Said’s eyes widened with fear. “In there!”

“Why not?” Mbuto scuffed his head playfully. “You heard Skip. We can terminate them!”

“Right!” Carl nodded. “Blast those sons-of-bitches!”

“Let’s not get trigger-happy,” cautioned Max. “Remember: they outnumber us here!”

“Just keep you weapons ready,” ordered Abe. “I see a trail.” He pointed directly ahead. “It’s beaten down, like ones we’ve seen on Earth. Perhaps the aliens, who once lived here, used it. If not, four footed or eight-footed creatures plodded through the woods.”

Obediently, much like children following their mentor, they reluctantly followed the captain.

“Keep your weapons at your sides,” he called back cheerfully. “No talking or threatening moves. If you see something frightening, don’t panic. Noises can’t hurt you. They are more frightened of you!”

“Those sloths weren’t quiet!” grumbled Sheila.

“Our worst adversaries,” Max reminded them, “were the silent monsters on Wolf!”

“Quiet!” Abraham shushed them again.

Unseen, they imagined, were worse horrors in the forest. Countless grunts, hisses, and bleats echoed through the trees. Tiny fliers resembling mosquitoes and butterflies flew around their faces and, on one occasion what had the appearance of a eight legged toad scampered across their path, but there were no incidents yet. Despite the density of the forest, it was not nearly as bad as Wolf 1061c or Gliese 876d. A ground-dwelling creature that had no counterpoint on Earth—multiple eyes and legs and humming crazily, scuttled past them, startling them half out of their wits, followed soon after by a sudden onslaught of chattering balls of fur bouncing from tree to tree, but nothing serious had crossed their path…. Then suddenly as the jungle trail reached at end, out of the foliages of surrounding trees and bushes, gleamed the alien dome.

“Where here!” murmured Mbuto. “It’s magnificent! Whoever built this wasn’t primitive.”

“The question remains,” replied Said discreetly, “are they still at home.”

“I don’t think so.” Abe placed his finger on his lips. “Complete silence now! I see something over there. It looks like an archway—an opening to the dome.”

From a distance it was impressive. Even though it was encased in jungle vines and shielded all around its perimeter with bushes and limbs, the translucent form of the alien structure was easily discerned. It was approximately twenty meters tall and sixty or so meters in circumference, the captain estimated. The forest was so thick here, it almost seemed like night. Turning on their flashlights now, the humans flashed the beams in wide arcs around themselves, capturing the remnants of what was once, in Abe’s opinion, an alien outpost, a suggestion Skip made on the ship. The building was empty of furniture, electronic equipment, machinery, and decorations, which seemed to support this claim. They had come and gone, perhaps centuries or thousands of years ago, the captain reassured them.

“I love archeology,” murmured Ingrid.

“In deed,” Abe sighed. “This represents a great civilization that, as explorers like ourselves, visited this planet, built this dome, then returned home.”

“Let’s hope your right!” came the voice of doom.

Said smiled sheepishly this time, implying that he had not been serious. Nevertheless he had spoken their minds.

Reflecting on Abe’s words, Nicole remarked sadly, “unlike those explorers we can’t return home!”

“No, we can’t go home,” Sheila reminded her forlornly. “Earth is memory now.”

“We are home!” Ingrid placed her arms around both women. “Here we’ll build New Eden!”
“New Earth!” grumbled Carla. “This won’t be a cult!”

******

After exploring the perimeter of the dome as much as possible, considering the forest covering, the next place they visited was the shiny object on the adjacent hill seen from the ship. This time there was no jungle foliage in the way. Even at a distance, as they approached the object, they realized they had found something far more important than the dome…. What had simply been a gleaming point from space turned out to be an arch of the same translucent material of the dome: the entry way to a cave.

To the annoyance of the crewmembers as they approached the entrance, Ingrid once again quoted the Twenty-third Psalm: “Yea thou I walk through the shadow of evil,” she chanted, “I shall fear no evil…”

“Shut up woman!” Carla hissed.

“I’m not going in there!” Said vowed.

“Me neither!” Sheila shook her head.

“Thy rod and thy staff comfort me…”

“I said shut up!” Carla wrung her fist.

“Please Ingrid.” Mbuto frowned at her. “Nothing’s going to happen in there.”

“Silence all of you!” Abe stomped his foot. “I’ll go in first. Who will accompany me into the cave?”

This time there was, as he requested earlier, silence. Quietly, to herself now, Ingrid finished her prayer. Brandishing his weapon in one hand and holding his flashlight straight ahead, Abe entered the inner sanctum by himself, an act of bravery that shamed some of the crew. First Max, then Mbuto, and then Carla followed his example. Ingrid, having managed, in whispers, to talk Nicole into trusting in the Lord, soon followed. Not wanting to be left alone in broad daylight on the alien world, Said and Sheila soon followed. The dark corridor they walked through was featureless—a smooth rock face obviously cut by advanced technology, but without pictorial inscriptions or some kind of hieroglyphic writing as Ingrid would have wished. On the floor of the cave was merely gravel, not pavement. There was nothing significant or alarming yet, until they traveled further through the corridor. As they trailed, weapons drawn, behind their captain, the passageway, which descended for a ways, opened suddenly into a spectacular scene.

“Great mother of God!” Ingrid cried. “It’s a shrine!”

“It’s like Carlsbad Caverns,” Carla exclaimed. “Look at the stalagmites and stalactites!” She clasped her hands with delight.

“This is much more than a cavern,” observed Abe. “The arch at the entrance told us that.”

“Maybe it’s a city,” suggested Mbuto.

“…. Or an underground fort,” observed Said, his beam capturing a corridor at the far corner of the cave.

As their voices echoed throughout the great sanctum, Max reminded the captain of his demand for silence, but by then it was too late if there were still aliens about. Standing on the floor of the cavern, mute, with their flash lights moving randomly around its bizarre limestone formations and walls, the eight humans listened quietly now, hearing nothing—a deep, eerie silence. Now, thanks to Said, though, with the discovery of another passage in the darkness, they were beckoned deeper in the cavern.

“Where do you think that one leads?” whispered Abe.

“I don’t know,” Said replied breathlessly. “…. I’m not sure I want to find out!”

Ingrid muttered encouragement to Nicole as they studied the mystery. Said and Sheila looked back fondly toward the mouth of the cave. Training his light on the second entrance, Abe whistled under his breath.

“I’ll be damned!” He looked back at the others. “It has an archway like the one outside. Let’s go check it out!”

“No!” Sheila shook her head. “Absolutely not!”

“I agree this time,” confessed Mbuto. “We’ve seen enough, captain. Let’s go back!”

“Captain, oh captain!” Nicole broke away from Ingrid. “There’s nothing here in this creepy old cave. Let’s leave this dreadful place!”

“Now Nicole, remember what I told you,” Ingrid said to her, as Captain Drexel forged ahead. “There is no death, only eternal life!”

“Shut up bitch!” Carla said through clinched death. “Dead is permanent. This is our life here on this world. You have to cope, Nicole! We all do!” “Captain.” She reached forward and tugged his sleeve. “I’ll go with you. I’m not afraid!”

“I’m with you!” Max flicked his flashlight.

“We are to!” Ingrid gripped Nicole’s hand.

“Count me in,” Mbuto uttered reluctantly.

“Come on people,” Abe looked back at the remaining two, “you saw the dome. The aliens are gone. Why are you afraid?”

Said and Sheila, clutching each other’s hand, were more afraid of going back. Who knows what lurked out there? They wondered silently. What if those tree-swingers had followed them? And what about those beasts they saw projected onto the table? They wouldn’t want to run into them. Challenging the fainthearted to follow, the captain, Max, Carla, Mbuto, and Ingrid, dragging along the terrified Nicole, forged ahead.

“Fear not,” Ingrid preached to her friend, “the Lord is with you. Why do you worry? You’re safe now. Remember what Paul said: ‘Death where is your sting?’”

“Yea thou I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death…” muttered Nicole, as she clutched Ingrid’s hand.

“Captain Drexel,” whispered Carla, “make that woman shut up!”

Seeing how Ingrid inspired Nicole now, Abe didn’t have the heart. Left momentarily in the dark, the remaining two stellarnauts quickly caught up with the others, arm-in-arm, in fearful silence, as the group entered the second corridor. This time, to Ingrid’s delight, there was a strange writing resembling both Chinese and Sanskrit above them on the archway and, unlike the previous passage, the walls on each side and floor below were covered with the same translucent material on the archway and the dome. Very soon, they could see a glimmering from the opposite end of the tunnel, which dropped further and further into the bowels of this world. The glimmer grew, becoming a constant glow, growing brighter as they came closer, until, in startling suddenness, they emerged in a cavern much larger than the first.

Among the stalagmites, stalactites, and other bizarre formations of limestone, there were large crystal-like formations that appeared to glow from their own internal heat. Were these natural phenomena? The explorers asked each other. There seemed to be no reasonable explanation for such oddities. Upon closer inspection, however, the explorers could see intelligent design in the crystal formations. They were, the captain pointed out, symmetrical: each one of the four structures were almost perfectly round and had the same dimensions.

“Don’t touch it!” Said warned them. “It could be radioactive!”

“I brought my meter,” Carla said excitedly, reaching into her pack. Retrieving it quickly and aiming it at one of the crystals, she shook her head. “Nope. It’s inert. I’ll try them all.” When all four crystal structures failed to register, she turned the meter off, returned it to her pack, and placed her hand on one of the formations.

Almost reverently, she whispered, “… It’s warm…as if it’s alive…. How can that possibly be?”

“Let me see!” Abe surged forward. “My God! That’s impossible. What is this stuff?”

All eight of the explorers touched the crystal, Carla embracing it as if it was a holy thing.

“It’s not an idol.” Ingrid frowned at the others. “It’s certainly not alive.”

“Ingrid’s right.” Nicole gave her mentor nod. “Whatever is inside these crystals is a natural, not a supernatural, force.”

“That’s obvious,” Carla scowled at them. “I wasn’t worshipping the damn thing. I don’t believe that crap!”

“It’s not crap!” Mbuto patted Ingrid’s back. “It’s made her very brave.”

“Yes, she helps me cope.” Nicole gave her a hug.

“It might not be actually alive.” Sheila pursed her lips. “But how do you explain the heat? If its not radioactive or alive, why is it so warm?”

“I don’t know.” Abe shrugged his shoulders.

“We don’t have the proper tools.” Max heaved a sigh. “How can we ever know?”

“I wish we could take it back to the ship for a proper study,” exclaimed Mbuto. “Max is right. This will require special equipment.”
“Equipment we probably don’t have.” Abe replied dismissively. “At any rate we couldn’t move it. Perhaps in the future after we build our habitat, we might solve this mystery. Right now, we have more exploring to do.” “Come on, people,” he called, retracing his steps, “the crystals aren’t going anywhere. We can check them out later. We’ll have our lunch in the rover, then spend a few more hours checking the lake, river, and possible food sources on this world.”

“Captain! You mean we’re staying?” Said called from the rear of the procession.

“Yeah, I think so.” He glanced back “You got a problem with that?”

“No,” he decided cheerfully, “compared to those other worlds, this planet will do just fine! None of those creatures we saw are really that scary, and we have our guns. Whoever built the dome and these crystals are long gone!”

“Right!” Sheila agreed wholeheartedly. “Those crystals sold it for me. I like this world!”

“Miracles never cease!” Ingrid laughed.

******

As they hiked back to the rover, everyone was in a lighthearted, carefree mood. With improved weaponry and apparent reassurances that the previous inhabitants were gone, they felt much more confident about this planet than they had on previous worlds. Just as they were within a few hundred meters from Phoenix One, though, a herd or horde of strange looking beasts appeared in the distance behind the rover. Galloping swiftly toward them across the southern plain, in a peculiar spidery way, they were unlike any herding or pack animal they had ever seen.

“Get ready!” Abe shouted. “Everyone in a line, weapons pointing north. Don’t run; they might hunt you down.”

“Remember what I told you!” exclaimed Ingrid. “There is no death!”

Obediently, without more discussion, all eight crewmembers held their weapons forward, Nicole weeping, Ingrid praying, and Carla cursing under her breath. The similarities they had seen between Earth animals and the new planet’s creatures, after seeing the forest creatures up close, vanished completely. The closer they came, the more hideous was their appearance. With black fur covering their body, they reminded the humans of giant tarantulas, the likeness seeming more reasonable by the appearance of eight scampering legs. Instead of the spiders eight eyes positioned in front of its body, however, they had a string of eyes circling their heads, rotating around continually like a spindle. On closer inspection they were much worse than the headless creature on Ross 128d. More importantly, there were more than one of the monsters, all of them, like sloth-like creatures, about the size of chimpanzees—over a dozens it seemed.

Soon, reminiscent of Ross 128b and Wolf 1061c, the eight humans were fighting for their lives. Back-to-back, with each crewmember facing oncoming opponents, they blasted the aliens. At first, Nicole and Sheila were too frightened to scream. Taking aim, each of the humans fired continuously. To everyone’s great relief, the blaster and laser weapons were much more effective this time. Upon hitting an attacker, even several meters away, the little creatures were torn asunder, burning fragments flying every which way. If they managed to come much closer, the deadly stream of electrons from their guns virtually incinerated them. Seeing the success of their weapons, they reacted differently. Among other more obscene outbursts, Abe shouted, “Take that you ugly bastard!” and Carla shouted, “Burn you son-of-a-bitch!” Max, Mbuto, and Said laughed hysterically because of their kill rate, Ingrid, of course, prayed, and Nicole and Sheila who had found their voices, screamed in fright. For several moments, as they fired their weapons, they came at them. Smelly clumps—legs, heads, and bodies of the creatures, lie around them, smoldering and smoking, filling the air with an awful stench. Finally, it almost seemed as if they had the best of them. Victory seemed in sight…. But then, déjà vu overwhelmed the crewmembers.

In the distance, those stellarnauts facing north spotted a trio of alien spiders, and then galloping over a nearby hill, four more appeared. When several dozen more joined the pack and scampered toward them like an army of giant spiders, the eight humans groaned in despair.

“Don’t give up people!” Abe called out instructions. “Keep firing! Don’t try to cremate them. You can only kill them once. Cripple them. They slither away when they’re wounded. All you have to do is put them out of action. Blasters: aim for the head. Lasers move you gun back and forth to cut off their legs. Kill as many of those bastards as you can!”

“There’s too many of them!” Mbuto replied, out of breath. “Look at them, captain. We’ve killed dozens of them but they keep coming. They’re brainless. The bastards won’t give up!”

“This is the end.” Said announced grimly. “We don’t stand a chance!”

“EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!” Nicole and Sheila squealed.

Though they remained untouched by the creatures and had killed or crippled scores of them, the continued onslaught of the spidery monsters was mentally and physically overwhelming. Normally exhibiting a façade of courage, Carla was, like the others, gripped with terror. Even the stout-hearted Max tried holding it together but found himself overcome with fear.

“Look at them,” he mumbled hysterically. “Their heads spin like tops.”

“We’re going to die,” Carla mumbled as she fired her gun, “….this time we’re really going to die!”

Coming to his senses at last, Abe raised his free hand up as he fired his weapon and called the ship. “Are you guys asleep up there?” he blared into his communicator. “We need you immediately, Skip! Get down here—now!”

“I’m on my way!” Skip responded calmly. “Get into the forest if you can, Captain Drexel. With the trees at your backs, you won’t be surrounded. Back away as a group. Don’t break ranks and run.”

“Are serious?” Abe shook his head in disbelief. “We’re too far away. The fields are littered with carcasses, and we won’t make it in time. We’re trapped, Skip. We need you down here immediately! Use Phoenix Two like you did on Wolf. Do it quickly, before it’s too late!”

“Not to worry,” Skip replied congenially. “I’m at the controls now, captain.” “You were correct in your advice to your crewmembers, sir,” he reassured him. “Blast off their legs. Cripple them as well as kill them. Don’t try to blow them to bits!”

“Enough talking!” Carla shouted at the sky. “We need you now!”

“This is the end!” repeated Said.

“EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!” Nicole and Sheila continued to scream.

“People.” Ingrid cried out bravely. “This is not the end. There is no death. Pray Said, Nicole, Sheila—all of you. Pray for eternal life!”

Together, in simpering voices as they blasted the aliens, Nicole and Sheila began reciting one of Ingrid’s prayers: “Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep…”, Said cried out at the top of his lungs, “There is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is his prophet!”, and Ingrid once again quoted the Twenty-Third Psalm. Everyone was now bracing themselves for a horrible death. Then suddenly, from the sky, Phoenix Two appeared. Once more Skip had come to their rescue. Diving down expertly, he buzzed the creatures to no effect, so he did the next best thing and landed on them much like a twentieth century military tank, squashing a group under its belly as he slid along. Though inured by the sight and smell around them, what the Phoenix Two did was most revolting. As Nicole described it later, “Burned aliens was one thing, but alien guts and blood bluish liquid) was quite another!” The entrails of the creatures reminded the crew of spaghetti and their blood was bright blue. The top-like heads, spidery legs, and squat little bodies had been ground into a gooey mess.

Ultimately, as the rover scooted back and forth over another bunch, the monsters still attacking the eight humans backed off finally and fled the scene. The close call they had experienced and the smoldering and smashed remains of dead aliens left on the field would haunt the crew for a long time to come, a reminder that no planet was safe. This time, however, there was no retreat from the new world, only a temporary return to the ship and space station to eat lunch, rest, and recoup, until a clearer strategy and tactical plan could be mapped out for the new world.

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