Planet B-17: The Beginnings

Chapter 3: The Crater

You acquire the peace you no longer obscure.

Captain Soo Beran was monitoring the silver vessel as it skewered through the air across a massive, pitch-black crater that had eluded all probing techniques.

"Illuminate the darkness, Mé," he asked.

"Photon emission ready," she announced. "Commencing launching sequence now."

A beam of light issued from the elongated, triangular vessel and pierced through the layers of now-greying black. Then something peculiar was registered: a mirror beam soared from within the unfathomable depths and met it along the way, at which time the two appeared stationary for a moment before vanishing at once.

The Captain observed in silence, then asked the Mái-Ruan pilot to make another test. "Modify the angle of transmission."

"Second emission ready. Launching sequence initiated."

The second trail of light reached the surface obliquely, and an immediate luminous swirl from within formed around it, both dissipating closer to the surface.

"Well done. You may return."

Mé Khn acknowledged and turned back.

The Captain was waiting for the detailed report, aware that the interconnectedness of the area made the understanding of this crater pivotal to their mission's success.

Mé's vessel pierced through the energy field and landed in the spacious Docking Hall, where she descended. A human from Planet Alteor, she had fair skin, dark hair, and a sensitive nature. Soon she was greeted by Meknáni Sto, a pilot himself and humanoid of white tiger ancestry.

"How was the trip?" he asked.

"Interesting," she smiled, "but I don't think it has revealed that much."

"How so?"

She gently shook her head, then described the journey, adding, "There's a source of light within. If we want answers, we have to reach it and explore the pit from the inside out."

"Potentially dangerous," observed Meknáni as they were exiting the Hall. They turned left in the corridor and headed for the elevators. "Umbe's told me that the electromagnetic activity increases the closer you get to the pit."

"I've heard it, too," she replied, stepping in. "However, it might be our only chance. The pit's just–"she paused to search for the right word–"hermetic from the outside. It's like one of those boxes from Luma'N, which are see-through when seen from a specific angle, but opaque from all others. In a way."

Meknáni laughed. "Good. All that remains now is to find the right angle to look at our gigantic box."

Yet however numerous the attempts, the pit remained just as mysterious as before. The limited data they could verify was that the electromagnetic activity wouldn't harm them if the proper individual forcefield were used to counteract it, thus a ground recognition team was shortly assembled.

Mé and Meknáni were among the ten pioneers who would step into that hermetic darkness. Umbe Nasár joined them in the Docking Hall. He was a Boor, a hermaphrodite with subtle traces of amphibian descent, predominantly male by choice.

"Oh, I do not like this," he said. "What if we never come out?"

Meknáni smiled and glanced sideways at his colleague. "Don't cry on my shoulder if that happens."

Sla Malút approached. She was the youngest Savier to ever be accepted on a Recognition Mission of this amplitude beyond the expanse of the Hexor Galaxy and among the three apprentices of the century to graduate from the Architect's Temple with a full M'naar – a title of excellence awarded with the highest rigour. Excitement swelled in her eyes.