Beyond the End of the World, Lokians 1

Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

O'Hara and crew marched to the loading zone where they piled into multiple rovers. Rather than keeping Humans and Thewls separate, everyone shared seats. O'Hara was stuck with the agents, who stared at the ceiling while a Thewlish countdown ensued.

****

In the far reaches of space, against a backdrop of distant stars and the hazy light of a glowing gas giant, the Carrier employed stabilizers, reducing speed to a standstill. As immense panels released hydraulic pressure, rotated, and slid beside the enormous sphere, Explorers and various fighters took formation. One Explorer took point, locking onto Sahagun, a tiny speck of white like a snowball floating amidst the interminable void.

One-by-one, the space crafts pierced the thin atmosphere. Zooming over crags, mountains, smooth webs of ice, and numerous depressions formed from millennia of crashing comets, the Explorers finally touched down; their hatches opened to release eight rovers. Swain occupied the driver seat of one carrying Martinez, DeReaux, Fitzpatrick, Zakowski, and three Thewls. Another vehicle carried O'Hara, Nandesrikahl, the agents, and four Thewls. The squadron of surveyors barreled over bumpy, frosty terrain.

****

All were awestruck by the glowing gas giant; it resembled a pulsating, reddish moon. Flares of pinkish fire gushed out in all directions, giving the impression of a beating heart. Though the planetary body was too far to fully light Sahagun's surface, it provided a degree of luminescence.

High hills and deep valleys of crystal reflected dazzling patterns. Bright flashes shone back inside the vehicles; headlights bounced off the shining environment, forcing everyone to squint.

"Did we get any signs of civilization," Nandesrikahl asked.

"Not that I heard of. I assume they landed here, though. Maybe, they left their ships or something. What are we looking for, anyway," O'Hara inquired.

One of the Thewls answered him. "A sign of a sign, I suppose. There was nothing specific, so we're just systematically scanning on the ground while the air crew surveys overhead."

"If traveler technology advanced, a sign of their existence here may be more difficult to find," Franklin commented.

"Meaning," O'Hara asked.

"Meaning they very well could be or have been here, but easily covered their tracks. They were underground on Marduk. Logically, they dwelled underground here, too," Adams explained.

"We had readings and energy signatures on Marduk," Nandesrikahl added.

The agents shrugged.

"Oh, that's reassuring," O'Hara snipped.

****

Back on the Carrier, Lam-Yung picked up an energetic anomaly. A harmonic distortion was working its way through the surrounding subspace, but data revealed nothing in their vicinity. After reviewing heat and magnetic resonances, her scans indicated a mass collapse of a section of nearby subatomic particles.

"Admiral, we may have a problem!"

Glossing over the readings, he first ordered his men check for a miscalculated jump. A tear in subspace was not an impossible result of such, but everything turned up fine. Then, readings spiked; six enormous objects of incalculable mass were coming from nowhere; they literally appeared from dark space, and headed straight for the Carrier at an alarming speed. Scanning for material composition revealed alloys often found in Lokian construction.