Shane Killian

Voyage of the D´Oterian

Expedition Journal: 1826 in 3vT

 

I am slowing my craft at this point, having moved in closer on the Curious System. There have been no journal entries up to this point as there really has been nothing to report. The D’Oterian’s computer has done an incredible job of managing the ship and this voyage, leaving me free to spend time as I wish. I say “free,” but how free can one be in the confines of this ship, with no one but some glowing screens for company? The speed at which I have travelled has made communication with Homeworld impossible, so I have busied myself with the copious scientific media that I have brought with me. I think that just during this tenure I have acquired enough knowledge for a fifth degree, were there any accredited academies here in the vastness between planetary systems to award me one. So over the past year, I have eaten, slept, and studied, which makes for very bromidic reporting.

 

I say the past year, for that is how long it has been for me. But it is not the case that Homeworld has taken only one leisurely circuit around Homestar. Due to the curious machinations of universal physics, over fifty times that amount of time has passed for those who remained home, meaning that everyone I ever knew is very likely gone. So I am both saddened and curiously excited to hear the first transmissions of home—saddened because I cannot talk with anyone I know, but excited because I’m sure there have been many new developments during my absence.

 

INCOMING TRANSMISSION:

 

Local Timestamp: 1829 in 7vU

Time Distort Factor: 12

 

Your activation signal was received here to much cheering and applauding! For whatever reason, your signal was quite a few days overdue, so we have been standing on sharp, tiny points waiting for it. We were all quite young when you set out, but many of us remember the launch of the D’Oterian quite vividly, and some of us were even there to witness it in person. Perhaps you saw some of the children waving banners as you left. Some of those were us.

 

We have included in this transmission all of the news that has happened during your absence. I’m sorry to say that not all of it is good. But your mission forging ahead is giving us new hope. We can look to the future as something that may be better than what we have today, something we have been missing for a great long time.

 

OUTGOING TRANSMISSION:

 

Local Timestamp: 1830 in 7vX

Time Distort Factor: 12

 

It is so great to hear from home, and I am so heartened to learn that there is at least a tenuous connection between us. It makes me feel less alone. I look forward to seeing all that has transpired, despite your warning that all is not well. I have noticed that most tend to see the bad things about the present, yet remember the good things about the past, and think that things are somehow worse off. Usually, I find if you look objectively things aren't all that bad. I would hate to live not thinking the future will be better than what we have now. The very reason I volunteered for this mission is to give people such a hope, and even if our suspicions about the Curious System turn out to be wrong, I still hope to be an inspiration to those who need to realize that it is the voyage itself, not the destination, that is important, and that some things are worth giving your life for.

 

Expedition Journal: 1836 in 9vX

 

I am now more depressed than I have been in a long time. I have read some of the reports and the news from home. I guess it was inevitable to expect a couple of major political upheavals and even a war during that time, but what really bothers me is the overall trend I am seeing. I thought of myself, not only as a scientist, but as an educator, taking every possible opportunity to teach people about science that I could. I tried to make it easy to understand, not bogged down in jargon, and I tried to make it interesting and fun. And I think in many ways I succeeded. It seemed that people less and less were relying on the superstitions of old and coming to realize the truth that science puts us face to face with. Now, I am seeing a trend in the other direction. People are starting to become more and more distrustful of science, and falling back on their backwards and primitive viewpoints. More and more people are coming to view the stars as Gods again, in a pantheon under the watchful eye of a Holy Maker. I must admit to being skeptical of the existence of such a Maker, but if He does exist the answer to what is in His mind lies in the stars to be discovered through science, not through those trying to use a desire for this belief to their own political benefits. So I think, although they had different reasons leading to their conclusion, they were right in that the future may not be so bright after all. I only have to work out now what to say to them.

 

OUTGOING TRANSMISSION:

 

Local Timestamp: 1836 in 12vC

Time Distort Factor: 10

 

I see what you mean about not all the news being good. What you must remember is that good news usually doesn't sell very well. Yes, there are problems that you have had thrust upon you; you enjoy less freedom than I did, and you're facing a world increasingly hostile to what you do. But you don't know how many others there are who support those like us. Far greater than the loss of freedom is the loss of hope, for without hope you lose the ability to regain that which was stolen from you. So never give up hope; in fact, let this mission give you new hope. When the others see what we are doing, I am confident they will rally around us.

 

INCOMING TRANSMISSION:

 

Local Timestamp: 1839 in 1vM

Time Distort Factor: 11

 

We received your kind and thoughtful words. Rest assured, we are all quite willing to fight for our future. We just hope it doesn’t come to that.

 

Expedition Journal: 1839 in 1vP

 

I can hardly blame them for tingeing their hope with despair, as I have done the same thing. I just hope that they don’t feel as powerless as I, sitting in this metal box dozens of light-years from home. I’ve been thinking back to when I was a child, when those superstitious fools tried to subdue science then. They called the scientists “heretics,” and said they were bringing about the moral destruction of our race. Somehow, I could never bring myself to believe them, and as I sit here, as I often do, with the interior lights turned down so I can see the stars, I notice that the star of the Curious System is growing brighter. It is about three factors brighter than Homestar, and already it seems so glowing and warm. Those who worship the stars as Gods have no idea how beautiful and wonderful they really are. The radio transmissions emanating from this system, which we detected and which sent me on this mission in the first place, are just about strong enough for me to try to decode, and see if there is anything there other than just noise. Despite the problems at home, I’m at peace this moment, and excited to see if there are other beings like us.

 

Expedition Journal: 1848 in 4vR

 

I have been recording and working to decode the transmissions for quite some time now. It has been very difficult because of the way they like to combine them together. But the transmissions that have smaller bandwidth I have discovered are simple sound waves encoded through amplitude modulation. I am forwarding those home for the linguists to pour over; perhaps in a dozen or so years we’ll be able to understand what it is that they’re saying. They may have their work cut out for them, because to my admittedly untrained ear it sounds like they have more than one language. Nonetheless, I am cautiously optimistic that these are precisely what we expected: transmissions sent from an intelligent species that has developed radio communication. But before I can make that extraordinary leap, I need to see how the rest of the signals make sense.

 

INCOMING TRANSMISSION:

 

Local Timestamp: 1853 in 4vD

Time Distort Factor: 13

 

I must say, you have a way of causing quite a stir! The recordings of the transmissions you have sent to us do indeed seem to be created by an intelligent species. We know of no way these chattering sounds could be random, so we do think your suspicion that it is a spoken language has merit. But as you so wisely cautioned us, extreme skepticism is warranted, especially since there are those who would shut us down in an instant if we went public with this information. We must be sure. We look forward to further transmissions.

 

Expedition Journal: 1871 in 8vU

 

This is so exciting! I have been sending the recordings of the transmissions back to the scientists on Homeworld, and each time they have reacted with the same exuberance as I. I believe the audio recordings are the key to deciphering the more complex transmissions. I’m going to try isolating similar audio sounds from them and see if I can determine what the rest of the signal is.

 

OUTGOING TRANSMISSION:

 

Local Timestamp: 1884 in 2vW

Time Distort Factor: 15

 

I'm sending you this transmission with a high TDF because I know you will want to receive it as quickly as possible. Attached are some recorded signals, which I can state to a certainty are comprised of audio similar to what we have already heard, and a fast succession of individual pictures that when played out give the illusion of motion. I’m attaching the specifications for how I decoded them. See for yourself.

 

INCOMING TRANSMISSION:

 

Local Timestamp: 1884 in 11vF

Time Distort Factor: 13

 

All we can say is, “wow.” Just “wow.”

 

Expedition Journal: 1884 in 11vJ

 

“Wow” indeed! They must be as flabbergasted as I. All I can do is stare at these pictures, flickering over and over again in front of me in apparent motion. Not only can the transmissions themselves not be a natural phenomenon, but the pictures themselves clearly depict living beings, with an orifice that moves in concert with a significant portion of the audio. These are communicative beings. I thought when this moment came I would be dancing with joy; now, all I can do is sit and stare. This is history. This is the single greatest discovery in the history of our race. I can hardly comprehend it.

 

Expedition Journal: 1884 in 12vA

 

I can tell so much more from the pictures than I can from the audio. These beings are doing a lot of things on their tiny little planet. So many of them focus on the same faces over and over again. These must be the most important of their times; their leaders, perhaps. I wonder what kind of beings they are? How like us are they?

 

I have surmised, based on how the main antenna has had to rotate in order to track the strongest possible signal, that the origins of these signals is the planet orbiting third from their star. It is so close to their star that their year is much shorter than ours. I have made out seven such important bodies (although there is one close to their star that I nearly missed), and a few other bodies circling them the way our moons do. The three outer bodies appear gaseous in nature; the four inner bodies are solid, probably rocky, maybe even with liquid water. Although it is quite different from our home system, it is in perfect accordance with the laws of the universe as we understand them. Even if many choose to remain skeptical about the beings I have seen, the makeup of the Curious System in many other ways vindicates the work we have done.

 

INCOMING TRANSMISSION:

 

Local Timestamp: 1888 in 7vD

Time Distort Factor: 12

 

We have noticed a tendency for these images to repeat in separate and completely unrelated signals. Can you confirm?

 

OUTGOING TRANSMISSION:

 

Local Timestamp: 1888 in 7vG

Time Distort Factor: 12

 

Yes, there are many times the signal contains the same content as other signals that have been previously transmitted. It appears that, like us, they are archiving their history and sending it out for others on their world to see.

 

Expedition Journal: 1889 in 9vD

 

Odd...not only do some of the signals repeat, they do so in the most curious ways. I have been watching a series of broadcasts which, although different in substance, all begin the same way. There is a very ordered harmonic progression being played (their music, perhaps?), while on the video, none of the beings appear. Instead, a shape, consisting of two arcs at the top which turn to straight lines and join in an acute angle at the bottom, appears on the screen, and some curved markings appear like some child trying to make a picture. (Could this be evidence of writing?)

 

But what really puzzles me is the content. When the beings appear, communicating with each other, they do so in a fairly rapid manner with a timing I cannot ascribe to ordinary conversation. Moreover, there is a noise which accompanies certain key phrases spoken. After viewing and listening to many of the transmissions, I have learned that their young speak in higher pitched voices, and certain types of adults (which I’m assuming are the females) speak in a higher voice than the others (who would then be the males). The noise, I believe from listening closely to it, is a cacophony expressed from unseen adult males and females. It seems to occur when one of the visible beings encounters something surprising or embarrassing. It is an even larger reaction when the chief male figure emits a sound which goes something like, “AAAAAA-LOOOOO-SEEEEEEE.” I wonder what it means?

 

Although each segment is broken up by some apparently unrelated transmissions (the purpose of which I cannot decipher), once those are removed there is an apparent structure to each of these transmissions. I shall have to wait to hear if there is a consensus view from the scientists back home, but I believe that these are rehearsed performances, perhaps even works of fiction, and the sounds we’re hearing from the unseen beings are expressions of joy as the main beings deliberately put themselves into surprising and embarrassing situations. That such beings would do so to bring happiness to others is certainly an inspiration!

 

INCOMING TRANSMISSION:

 

Local Timestamp: 1889 in 10vB

Time Distort Factor: 12

 

We cannot confirm that the transmissions you refer to are rehearsed performances to elicit a happy response from beings unseen, however, we can offer no alternative explanation. What we can do is urge caution. Resistance to our work is growing, and we fear rocking the boat at this point may result in the destruction of everything we have worked for. See the attached news item.

 

OUTGOING TRANSMISSION:

 

Local Timestamp: 1889 in 10vE

Time Distort Factor: 12

 

I don't know what to say, other than you have my deepest commiserations. No matter what, make sure the work survives. This revelation is just too important to be buried forever.

 

Expedition Journal: 1891 in 2vU

 

I’ve been thinking that maybe we can learn a lot from these beings. Although it will still be years before the linguists can confirm my hypothesis, I do believe that many of these beings are deliberately putting themselves in embarrassing or unfortunate situations so that many other such beings can find delight in it. How creative! How charitable! If people can have the feeling that the things they experience which are unpleasant happen to others as well, they can find both comfort and camaraderie. They don’t have to be alone.

 

Whereas we have always felt alone. Even though there are billions of us, we don’t seem to share the private matters of our lives the way these beings do. I have seen another such series of transmissions which always begin by the lead male (a different one from the other series mentioned in earlier journal entries) unwittingly encountering a small object, and he falls right over it. I am finding myself admitting that I have done this at home a few times, and I always felt embarrassed and foolish. I thought I was the only one that kind of thing happened to. But seeing this being repeatedly falling forward over the same object somehow makes me very glad; I have even began to emit the same sounds as the unseen beings do. Because I see his embarrassment and I feel to him, and I want to run to him and help him up, as the other beings do, and let him know that he is not alone. Because he has let me know that I am not alone in so many ways that I never predicted when I undertook this mission. It has been a major revelation not only for our species, but for me personally as well.

 

Expedition Journal: 1891 in 2vV

 

After reading my last few journal entries, I see I have neglected to mention something. Not all of the transmissions are as I have described them. Not all of them are happy. In fact, I have seen images of these beings, apparently deceased, twisted and thrown into what I can only conclude are mass graves. Other images don’t seem to be as bad as these, but they are terrible nonetheless. But they never last long, and they always immediately afterwards show one or more beings apparently discussing what they have just seen, and—this is important—in the absence of the joyous noise. I believe that some of them have committed terrible acts, and the beings are discussing what has occurred in the past. Maybe they just want to inform people, maybe they want to try and stop it from happening again. I don’t know.

 

But there are other such images which appear to be more of the staged variety, only the joyful noise is, again, absent. In these cases, it is also made clear which being has committed the atrocity, and seems to end with other beings finding him and taking him away. You get a real sense of both justice and hope. Bad things can happen, but we are not powerless against them. I think I’m coming to like these beings more and more.

 

OUTGOING TRANSMISSION:

 

Local Timestamp: 1894 in 12vS

Time Distort Factor: 12

 

It has been awhile since I have heard from you. Please respond and let me know that everything is functional.

 

INCOMING TRANSMISSION:

 

Local Timestamp: 1897 in 2vG

Time Distort Factor: 15

 

We have received you, will contact later.

 

Expedition Journal: 1897 in 2vG

 

I have just received a very short and uncharacteristic transmission from home. I hope all is well.

 

OUTGOING TRANSMISSION:

 

Local Timestamp: 1901 in 3vJ

Time Distort Factor: 12

 

Have you analyzed the latest recordings I have sent you? You'll notice the same transmission style as before, but with additional data. Enclosed are specifications for decoding it and overlaying it on the existing pictures. You get, I jest not, color! I hadn't even noticed it was missing before. I guess I just figured I wasn’t decoding the pictures properly or didn't have a strong enough signal. But they were broadcasting colorless pictures, and now they have made some sort of advancement to make them more realistic. Aren't these beings amazing?

 

Expedition Journal: 1907 in 9vK

 

These beings are giving me one surprise after another. Not only have they started transmitting their images in color, including new situations of the male tripping and falling, and of another I’ve come to enjoy (as much as I understand it) where seven beings, four males and three females, are apparently stranded in a secluded area surrounded by water and have to try to survive together (that one really shows me how the beings can be simultaneously foolish and clever, just like me I think), they’ve started a new one, at least, one I haven’t seen until now. And the surprise is, they’re travelling through space!

 

I don’t believe they have genuinely achieved this fantastic accomplishment in so short of time, especially as I see no evidence of their space-faring abilities as I more closely approach their system. Moreover, there are things about this transmission that don’t make sense otherwise. The chief male, dressed in a yellow overcloth, is rather pleasant-looking, at least as I’ve become accustomed to these beings’ appearance, but another, apparently his underling and confidant, I believe is meant to be a being from another planet. The extensions on either side of his topmost orb have been drawn to a point somehow, and his outer skin tinted a green color. But in reality, an alien species should be as different from them as they are from us. I believe this is a normal male (well, normal for this species anyway) who has been somehow altered to portray a being from elsewhere in the galaxy. How amazing! They are speculating about their future and what relationships they will have with other beings. I wonder how they will react to us when they find out about us?

 

I also wonder, why haven’t I heard anything else from home recently?

 

OUTGOING TRANSMISSION:

 

Local Timestamp: 1907 in 9vL

Time Distort Factor: 12

 

I am anxious to hear from you. What is the delay?

 

INCOMING TRANSMISSION:

 

Local Timestamp: 1910 in 8vQ

Time Distort Factor: 20

 

I’m very sorry we haven’t been able to contact you. All hell has broken loose here. We’ve been busy, making copies of everything and burying them so that they can’t find them all. They’ve taken several of us; I’m afraid they might be dead. We’re trying to dismantle everything so that we can set it back up in secret later. You may not hear from us again for awhile. But there is something extremely important to let you know. I’m sorry, it’s difficult to compose this with all of this going on. I’m hearing lots of noise outside and I don’t know how much time there is left. But I am warning you most sincerely, my friend and colleague, it is imperative that you

 

OUTGOING TRANSMISSION:

 

Local Timestamp: 1910 in 8vR

Time Distort Factor: 19

 

Your last transmission was truncated. Please resend if possible.

 

Expedition Journal: 1910 in 8vT

 

Not good. Not good at all. When I was growing up, this religious group made noises about taking over and shutting down all scientific research, which they considered heresy and a thread to the “moral fiber of our society” (whatever that means). According to the news reports I had been getting from home until recently, they had grown again and were renewing their old threats. My worst fear is...I don’t even want to say what my worst fear is.

 

But I don’t know that this is happening. It could be a natural disaster, or a number of any other possibilities. I just have to have hope, something I’m learning anew from these beings from the Curious System, who have amazed me again—they have managed to set foot on their moon! I have seen the footage, and it apparently is no staged performance. They actually went there! In a way, I feel like a parent seeing a child walk for the first time. In another way, I see ourselves, reaching out to the universe, wanting to understand. I don’t know what drove them to make that step, but from what I know of these beings I’m sure hope for the future had a lot to do with it.

 

Expedition Journal: 1918 in 4vX

 

I still haven’t heard anything from home, and I’m getting really worried. I think I’ll risk a transmission home.

 

OUTGOING TRANSMISSION:

 

Local Timestamp: 1918 in 4vZ

Time Distort Factor: 12

 

Am eagerly waiting to hear from you. Hope all is well.

 

INCOMING TRANSMISSION:

 

Local Timestamp: 1924 in 11vC

Time Distort Factor: 12

 

Who are you? Identify yourself.

 

Expedition Journal: 1924 in 11vX

 

What could I do? I debated not sending a response at all, given the problems Homeworld has apparently been facing. In the end, I decided to hold out hope that this is someone who could help, and sent them my name and position and the purpose of my mission. I hope I did the right thing.

 

INCOMING TRANSMISSION:

 

Local Timestamp: 1927 in 11vC

Time Distort Factor: 12

 

Your ridiculous story you have told us is blasphemy of the highest order. If you do not respond with the truth about your identity and mission, we will be forced to track you down by your signal and deal with you as we do all heretics.

 

Expedition Journal: 1927 in 12vV

 

Well, I suppose that settles it. I wonder how many of my colleagues back home managed to escape? I don’t hold out much hope for any of them who were captured by these fanatics. Fortunately for myself they’re not very likely to actually track me down; they don’t even understand how far away I really am. And there’s no way they could reach me if they did. I can only continue my mission as best as I can. I find myself thinking more and more of the man in the yellow overcloth on the pretend spaceship, and wondering what he would do.

 

Expedition Journal: 1945 in 2vY

 

I’ve just realized how long it’s been since my last journal entry. I have been continuing my study of the signals emanating from the Curious System, watching them progress much faster than they actually did, as I am travelling at a great speed towards them and catching up with their signals faster than they were sent. I have just altered my speed to slow down upon entry near their system.

 

I have discovered that there are two other planets in their system I hadn’t known about before. The eighth one I discovered as I neared the system, but the ninth I actually learned about in a transmission. I have been getting more transmissions over time that have been educational in nature, and one of them mentioned the planets in their system. It’s a curious planet, small and orbiting off their stellar plane. I really wouldn’t consider it to be a planet at all.

 

Other educational transmissions are apparently for the benefit of their children just learning to read. I have taken advantage of these and have actually learned several of their words. It’s not enough for me to make sense out of their spoken language, certainly not enough to understand the content of the other transmissions, but still, I think the linguists back home would be proud of me. Fortunately, there does seem to be one dominant language that I can learn. Most of the transmissions I’ve been watching are apparently in this language.

 

I wonder if I’ll ever hear from home again? A lot of time will have passed on Homeworld since my last exchange. Dare I risk it?

 

OUTGOING TRANSMISSION:

 

Local Timestamp: 1946 in 7vP

Time Distort Factor: 12

 

Is anyone receiving me? I have much to report.

 

INCOMING TRANSMISSION:

 

Local Timestamp: 1949 in 12vZ

Time Distort Factor: 12

 

Heretic! We have tracked your signal and are now going to take matters against you into our own hands. Your only chance for survival is to recant and embrace the truth of the work of the Holy Maker.

 

OUTGOING TRANSMISSION:

 

Local Timestamp: 1950 in 2vD

Time Distort Factor: 12

 

Whoever this is, I really pity you. Can you really not see the truth, being in control as you are of the equipment that operates this experiment? I wish you could see the Curious System as I do. I am including some of their transmissions that I have been watching. While you will not be able to understand their spoken words, I have selected ones where the meaning comes through in their actions. If you just watch these, then I'm sure you'll see, as I do, the great message these beings have to give.

 

Expedition Journal: 1955 in 10vS

 

I haven’t heard back from my “friends” yet, and it’s been quite a bit longer than it’s normally taken for them to respond. Hopefully this is a good sign.

 

INCOMING TRANSMISSION:

 

Local Timestamp: 1959 in 1vF

Time Distort Factor: 5

 

It is such a pity that you have decided upon the ways of evil and decadence rather than righteousness and enlightenment. We have managed to get confessions out of your colleagues, at least the ones we managed to capture, that your “experiment” is a fraud and a deception instigated by forces determined to sink our culture into the depths of evil. We cannot run the risk of you infecting our culture any more. We are officially letting you know that your life is now forfeit. It is our fondest hope that the Holy Maker will forgive you and welcome you into His fold in the Beyond, but we doubt that He will.

 

Expedition Journal: 1968 in 4vT

 

Stupid! How could I have been so blind and stupid? I completely dismissed their latest transmission as so much folderol. I thought they, in their ignorance, would have no way of getting to me, I who have gone farther away from Homeworld than any of my kind has ever dreamed. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

 

This is what I realized too late: they know the truth perfectly well! Or at least, they did after I told it to them. But the problem with ignorant, superstitious fools is that they would rather destroy all evidence that they are wrong rather than seek out the truth they claim to worship. And that is what they have done with me. I completely forgot about the remote override, which would allow those who remained at home to take over the ship if anything happened to me and the computer went out. They wouldn’t be able to do much because of the time lag, but they could at least point it in the right direction, record what they wanted, and send it back home. I realized that this had been activated when I went to check on our current course and found that it would take me straight into this system’s star. The computer is no longer in control, and I can’t manually override it. And they sent the last transmission at such a low TDF that I wouldn’t find out about it until it was too late. They were right. They’ve forfeited my life. They’re murdering me.

 

OUTGOING TRANSMISSION:

 

Local Timestamp: 1968 in 5vA

Time Distort Factor: 12

 

How could you? Does your religion not preach love? Does your religion not preach forgiveness? Or does that only apply to those who agree with you? You're murderers, nothing more. What kind of monsters are you?

 

INCOMING TRANSMISSION:

 

Local Timestamp: 1971 in 2vE

Time Distort Factor: 12

 

It is truly the most evil who can take the tenets of our faith and try to use them against us. You tried to appeal to us with love and forgiveness, when you do not believe in that yourself, you who forged transmissions and lied about their origin. We feel no remorse at causing your demise. It is for the greater good.

 

OUTGOING TRANSMISSION:

 

Local Timestamp: 1971 in 5vB

Time Distort Factor: 12

 

How dare you say I don't believe in love and forgiveness, when everything I have done my entire life has been motivated by exactly that! And yet, you have taken actions against me and my colleagues which show neither of these two virtues. I am not the one who is evil. You all are hypocrites!

 

Expedition Journal: 1977 in 6vG

 

Well, they’re apparently stewing on that for awhile. I kind of doubt I’ll hear from them again. In fact, I hope I won’t. Then I can live out what remains of my life in peace. I’ll watch the transmissions some more. Maybe I’ll find solace there.

 

Expedition Journal: 1984 in 11vJ

 

I see it now! I see the solution! And it’s all thanks to those strange beings on the third planet. I was watching their transmission and saw one I hadn’t seen before, even though it was apparently older, being colorless. I’ve learned enough of their language and mannerisms to work out what it was. There was a male who was apparently a science teacher, showing how they as beings gradually changed over time, just as we did from beings similar to us. Some other males came in and took him away. They had a proceeding, which I had seen several times before in other transmissions, where they take someone who has apparently offended others. He is given an opportunity to state his case and an advocate who acts on his behalf (a most sensible arrangement, very much unlike what is going on at home now). So an older male becomes his advocate, and this advocate intellectually battles the men trying to have him locked away. In the end, he lost; the panel whom he was supposed to convince ruled against him. But the other men, the ones trying to put him away, lost the support of the people for their superstitious views. Even though he lost, he won because he had managed to get the truth out there. And that is what I must do.

 

Expedition Journal: 1998 in 1vA

 

I’ve been working, in what time remains before I get too close to the Curious System’s star to survive the heat, to compile together what I think are all of the relevant transmissions and journal entries necessary to tell my story. While I don’t have time to include them all, I have found enough to show what went so terribly wrong and why. This whole situation is a despicable atrocity, which has robbed us all of what would have been the greatest revelation of all time.

 

I’m passing close enough to the third planet to see it up close through the ship’s windows. It’s even more staggeringly beautiful than the pictures on the transmissions show. Two thirds of it is covered in beautiful blue liquid water, most of the rest in green vegetation. It must be a paradise down there. I wonder if these beings realize that and appreciate what they have?

 

Expedition Journal: 2003 in 8vM

 

This will be my last entry. My ship moves closer and closer to this system’s star and soon the heat will be too great for me to survive. I have finished compiling the journal entries and transmissions. I have gathered every pod on the ship, and once I finish writing this I will download them all into the pods and send them out in every direction. All I can do is hope that someone somewhere will find one of them, although I know the chances against it are astronomical.

 

But if it is someone from Homeworld, I beseech you to read all of these entries and think about what we have lost. It’s not too late; it’s never to late. You can take it back. Whatever knowledge they’ve destroyed, it’s just laying around again waiting to be rediscovered. This is how the universe works, and they can’t change that. Have courage, and maybe one day there will be enough of you who will overthrow the oppressors and bring a new age of enlightenment. If it’s someone else, then learn from our mistake and don’t let this happen to you. And if you happen to come across us, you might give us a copy of this so that we can learn how we ended up falling into darkness.

 

And if its any of you from the third planet, I want to express my profound gratitude for what you have given me. Your mere existence changed me, changed all of us who found out about you, but I was changed even more by who and what you are. And even though I won’t live to make good use of it, I at least achieved it, more than anyone from Homeworld has ever managed to do. You taught me so much, and I am forever grateful.

 

My world is now in darkness, and may be for a good long time to come. I wonder, you beings of the third planet, did you ever have anything like this happen to you? How did you climb out of it? Do you realize how fortunate and wealthy and special you all are?

 

In case you don’t, then let me give you the simple revelation that changed my life forever, in the hopes that it will change yours: You are not alone, my friends. You have been seen and studied and had a profound effect on at least one other being outside the confines of your stellar system. My name is Captain Otarus Chadoll, scientist of the spaceship D’Oterian, and I am your friend, always.

All rights belong to its author. It was published on e-Stories.org by demand of Shane Killian.
Published on e-Stories.org on 07/09/2009.

 
 

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