Starship Armstrong - Season 3

Part 49 - Coincidence and Misunderstanding (VI)

It took the Vostok a while longer to reach its destination, pulling into the atmosphere of the other Terra after about an afternoon's worth of travel, to the extent that one can spend an afternoon in outer space.

This Terra, too, was bereft of space traffic control and so Ensign Takahashi played the landing by ear. The shuttle flew down from the sky straight towards the coordinates it was given. Takahashi took one look at where they were supposed to land and double checked the coordinates.

The Vostok came to a landing in the middle of what was apparently an open-top sports stadium of some kind. The seats were filled with tens of thousands of cheering people. They erupted in cheers as the ship slowly descended. 

Commander Gibson got out hesitantly, and motioned for the others. Ensign Takahashi, Dr. Kang, and Lieutenant Ngige emerged shortly thereafter.

"BEHOLD!" bellowed a voice over some kind of extremely loud sound system. "The lost children of Terra are returned to single out our proud culture as the true homeworld of humanity!"

Tens of thousands of people cheered at once.

A decent-sized band was waiting in a semicircle around where the shuttle landed. They had an assortment of woodwind, brass and percussion instruments apparently unique to this planet, and began to play a song that sounded like an alien rendition of the Martian national anthem.

Commander Gibson made an effort to maintain his composure. Dr. Kang laughed.

The band parted like the sea, and a single man came walking through the path they made. He was dressed in a blue suit-and-tie with a green shirt, his hair was immaculate. He was not President Gibson (or even President Gibson, for that matter). There was a small microphone taped near his mouth.

He approached the group, all smiles.

"Welcome welcome!" he said, "My name is Augustus Samedi, I am the newly appointed Terran Ambassador to the Stars. I promise I will personally see to your every need while you are here."

"Pleased to meet you," said Gibson, extending his hand to shake. Samedi didn't take it. "I'm Commander Gibson of the Huxley Foundation Starship Armstrong."

"You have the same name as the president," said Samedi.

He pointed at Gibson with almost violent enthusiasm.

"That is auspicious!"

"This is-" began Gibson, motioning towards Takahashi.

"Yes, yes, I'm quite honored to meet you all. Now is not the time for minutia, now is the time for celebration!"

Samedi's microphone seemed to turn back on without him doing anything to it.

"To symbolize this final and permanent triumph of the true Terra over the false," he announced, his voice once again booming over the crowd, "we will now enjoy an exhibition game of the greatest kneeball team on the planet, representing true Terra, against a hastily assembled team of untrained children, representing false Terra."

Both teams came running onto the field from opposite directions, in spite of the presence of the shuttle. The members of the false Terra team, in their black-and-brown uniforms, looked terrified and no older than 10.

"What about the shuttle?" Takahashi asked Gibson.

Gibson looked over at Samedi.

"They'll play around it," said Samedi, with a dismissive wave. "It'll be symbolic."

"I'm not so sure about that," said Gibson.

"We don't have any viable alternatives," said Samedi. "Until we have time to construct a starport commemorating this historic moment we will have to make do with what we have. Come, there is a private viewing box set aside for you. I'll show you to it. You'll have a great view of the game which, I have on good authority, is likely to be won by the home team."

Gibson didn't like the idea of leaving the shuttle, but it was locked and these people obviously didn't have the necessary technology to break into it. It wouldn't do to cause a diplomatic incident so early into this already tenuous visit.

"Very well," said the Commander. "Show us the way."

"Well put!" said Samedi. "So very well put!"