Uvania

Prof. Anuat

It was the sudden change of pressure that I woke, slumbering in my awakened state, the rattling was the first thing I heard. The pod seemed to have gone into orbit, as it did, memories flooded from before I went into a deep, artificial sleep.

We had been preparing for weeks, Professor Anuat had lead the team to put man beyond the Milky Way on a planet that they assumed could support life. I had reluctantly put my hand, it wasn't that I was the best choice, but the other volunteers were family people, I had made a philosophical choice that I would never have children. So it was quickly decided, that I would lose 12 years of my life in the name of science and exploration.

"This is a super heavy sedative, you won't wake for the next four years" I remembered the gentlemen voice of Anuat. "You will be kept feed through these tubes, there is enough to get you there and back again only if you remain asleep the whole trip," he explained. "So what do I do to get back?" I asked, curiously staring at the pod, as it was delicately being put together by the engineers. "Easy, instead of making a separate dose like the way there, I have administered it in your fluids, so you don't have to risk losing it," he explained. I sighed, "Well don't you think you should tell me where I'm going?" I demanded. "But that's top secret! You will know when you get there..." he said, dismissively.

Suddenly I felt the impact, the sudden slam from metal onto harden ground. It was a minute before I could recover from the shock of being waken so violently. I had made it, to this unknown world, the computer beside me did an automatic scan, the yellow text then turned green, with the words; "Adequate for human life," it said in DS digital. Moving my hands for the first time, I felt the blood rushing to it quickly, like I had been leaning on it for too long. Pushing the latch forwards and pulling it down, I heard the hiss of the change of pressure, the sudden drop in temperature and then a familiar feeling. It was wind! Something that I seemed to have forgotten but now cherish it like a child who lost their puppy and found it.

Suddenly there was a buzz in my ears as I tried to get up, suddenly the computer screen turned on; there was Professor Anuat, he had his glasses and wore a brown suit. "Ah yes, if you are hearing this, you probably had made it to your destination. As you know, you are no longer on Earth and are now four years into the future. For my research I have provided you with drills and plastic sleeve bags. I need several samples of dirt and if you can some of the flora. You have six months to catalog and provide information in your journal, which I again, have provided. And to fuel your curiosity, you are on Uvania, half a galaxy away that has been kept top secret by astronomers for years," explained Anuat. "Oh yes I almost forgot, just in case the local fauna are hostile, I have provided a hand gun, with six magazines, good luck!" he said smartly, his gave half a smile, then the screen went black.

A New World

Standing uneasily, I ducked my head out of the pod. The bright sun hit me hard, it was almost like our sun, but much less potent. Looking around I had landed in an open field, with long plains of grass. No alien lifeforms seemed to be in the vicinity. Turning back to the pod, I pulled out a suit and awkwardly put it on. Pulling out the small drill and several drill parts, I began to assemble them. Suddenly, I felt something crawl up my arm. "Uh," I said to myself against the wind. There it was, the strangest invertebrate (or I assumed) with seven legs and eyes that shot out like antennae. I shivered, wondering what the hell this thing was that had crawled up my arm.

*CLICK* *CLICK* I heard it make, then one of it's legs tensed up and it shot off my arm. Wiping the sweat and the strange feeling like I had arachnophobia aside, I pulled out the small scanner. Putting the drill down, I quickly found where this creature went. Pressing the laser light on, I got on my knees to scan, passing it over the creature which currently munched on the silvery green grass tips. With a quick beep, the scan was complete.

Turning back to my pod, I suddenly saw something quickly jump behind it, as if it was avoiding me. Realising the gun was in the pod, I slapped my head and then got almost as anxious as when the strange bug crawled up my arm. Walking cautiously towards the pod, I quickly walked around it to give a wide space to whatever was near the pod.

I walked around it twice, not seeing anything, I frowned, then went to pick up the drill bits when something violently grabbed me and threw me to the ground. Rolling onto my back, I saw a blur and a humanoid like figure run at me with a large pole-like weapon, screaming like an eagle. It swung hitting my torso, knocking the wind out of me, it went for another, but I quickly grabbed the crude weapon and lifted the creature in a vaulting, suplex. It was surprisingly light for the visual size of the alien. I heard a crunch as it hit the grass and let go of the stick.

Realising my advantage, I got to my feet, despite the pain in my stomach from the hard blow. I raising for a strike, suddenly it turned it's eyes upon me. It was a light, aqua green face. It's eyes seemed like mirrors, as I could stare a perfect reflection of myself back at me, I froze, not understanding exactly what I was witnessing. Suddenly from within my mind a voice sounded out. Stop! I surrender! it said.

I dropped the stick from behind my head, I was transfixed at this new, alien species. "Who are you? How do you speak without talking?" I asked. "Dammit, how do you understand English?"
Getting up from it's slunk state, the creature looked away, I am sorry, but I was sent to see what the fire from the sky had sent, I got scared when I saw you and believed you were an enemy, came the voice. I quickly realised that whatever this creature was, it communicates telepathically. "Okay, that's understandable, still, ow," I said, wincing from the strike from it's stick. Can I have that back? it asked. Looking where it was staring, I looked back at the stick. "Oh, yes," I said, grabbing the stick and handing it to it.

You are a strange creature, like myself, but not, it said. Looking at me with those mirror eyes made me uncomfortable, it didn't even look like eyes. So what do you call yourself? "What?" I said dumbly. Well I call myself a Ka'lar, and I call my brothers and sisters a Ka'lar it explained. I sighed, "Oh, I call myself a human, and I guess the rest of my kind are called humans as well. Hang on, did you make sex distinguishable between your species?" I asked, suddenly catching that piece of information. Yes, I did, so did you it said. If you want I can show you my tribe.

I looked back at the pod and back at this alien, A Ka'lar it reminded. "Yes I know, I was listening," I said irritated. "Okay, but I have to bring a few things," Like what? "A recorder" I added.

The Ka'lar

"So what do you call you?" I asked, walking along side this alien. I call myself Masla, pronoun she, daughter of Numi the Ka'lar replied. I nodded, "My name is Sam, pronoun he, son of Andrew" I replied. Her eyes turned to me once more, You have such a foreign name, nothing I have ever heard she said. I shrugged, "I can say the same with your name. I was surprised I would find a similar species like my own when I got here. I expected some parthenogenesis creature, seven times the size of myself," I said. Masla nodded, I guess we expected too much of each other she replied.

It went back and forth, I exchanged something about Earth and she would explain something about Uvania, however she had called it Futu a Ka'lar word meaning ground or flat. All while I had the recorder going, it was going to be a Noble Prize, I could smell it, along side Professor Anuat and the rest of the Guava Project. I had smiled the first time I heard the Guava Project, Anuat had put it simply, he had named it after he ate a banquet with exotic fruit. He had never tried guava, and so the rest of it was history. I got a slight bit teary at the memory of Anuat, I felt home-sick.

Quickly popping back into reality, I realised it was too short to be home-sick, so sucking in the air (which I suspected was slightly thinner than our own), I prepared myself mentally how to greet this new alien race. When you say hello, as a guest it's customary you bow as well, like this Masla said. She stopped then bowed like a human would, I smiled, "Coincidentally we have this tradition on Earth" I said. With a quick bow, making like I was imitating Masla, I quickly returned to my proper posture. Very good, I believe you should work out fine, most of us are relatively peaceful she said. I sighed, "Well if it was the other way around, I would be fearful what our kind would do to you," What do you mean? "Well, some of us have the tendency to overreact, much more violently than yourself," Oh Masla replied. It seemed awkward explaining how crude humans were, it seemed like I was making the wrong impression.

Saved by finally reaching the destination, I looked from the top of the hill to a smaller valley. Only unlike the plains I had saw before, I could see several tents. Smoke rose from within one of these tents, my first thought was a nomadic tribe from the Himalayas, stopping for a rest. But the tents were hexagons, instead of tall cones. And unlike a leathery plain colour, these tents were glowing all sorts of colours of the spectrum. "How does that work?" I said, shivering not in anxiety, but pure excitement. Not now Masla said grabbing my hand and pulling me with her, down the slope of the hill.

The excitement then changed again to anxiety, as I was dragged through towards the glowing tents. Ka'lar, I assumed were all stopping their tasks, staring at me as I was being dragged through the village. Nothing had prepared me for this kind of encounter, it reminded me of Tarzan, being in England for the first time. Only this was without a suit and wearing his loin cloth. Suddenly Masla stopped, she bowed, with a quick look forwards, I saw a more greyer than greenish Ka'lar, he leaned on a large, dried stick. Masla kicked me, I quickly realised my folly, then bowed.

The silence seemed to drag out in my mind, the range of thoughts going through my heads finally slowed down and the rational side was returning. Masla, what have you brought here? came a new voice, this one sounded much deeper than Masla. Chief Rhuvas, I have returned from my scouting of the fire in the sky. A...human he calls himself. Masla replied. I looked up, to see Masla had finished her bow, I felt like a total idiot realising I had bowed too long. Very well, why did you bring him here? Have you any idea of the consequences of your actions and are willing to embrace the punishment if those consequences break our society's code? Chief Rhuvas said. I saw as they were almost locked in a staring contest, Masla's mirror eyes were staring into milky white eyes of their chief's. Yes, my chief she said. With a close of his eyes, Rhuvas quickly picked up the stick and striked the ground twice.

"What was that?" I asked Masla. That, foreigner is the custom of greeting a new member, our tribe survives by not accepting people readily in our camp so easily. If someone brings an outside, than that someone is responsible for any of the actions that can be considered criminal in our camp Rhuvas answered me. I shivered, However I believe you are not a threat and I will now offer you some of our customs and perhaps share wisdom between each other he added.

Planets Away

As I walked into the tent, I brushed my hand over the strange materials it was made of, Masla, followed me, prodding me to go faster as I felt the warmer micro-sphere of the tent. "This material is amazing, what do you call it?" I asked, curiously. The Ka'lar chief looked at me, then gave a strange expression, which I quickly realised was a smile. That is Hudva he replied. "Amazing..." I repeated myself, I restrained from pulling out the scanner and seeing what exact compounds it was made of. Rhuvas sat down, in front of the lighted fire. Or at least what I assumed was a fire, it smelt like roses and the metallic taste of blood at the same time. So what is it are you doing on Futu, human? he suddenly asked. Another Ka'lar walked around us, carrying a crude cup and bowing as she passed us one each. "I am an explorer as you may have guessed. I was chosen to do a six month data collection expedition from a team dedicated in discovering new life and record them. Right now I am recording our conversation and documenting it to present it home." I explained. Rhuvas nodded, he seemed to have missed a few points of my explanation. Interesting, so you are interested in our Futu?

I nodded, I pulled out a scanner, pressing the button to turn it on. "This is a scanner, it scans the surface of an object, living or dead, and reports back the molecular structure. Like this-" I said, with a quick demonstration, I scanned the cup, with the small red laser, pulling it up and down over it. Looking at the screen, I saw the results -"and now I can determine if it's safe enough for me to drink," I said, pressing a button, it beeped loudly. Within seconds it beeped again, with green letters. Taking a mouthful of the beverage, I closed my eyes and took a small sniff. "Tastes like mulberries from back home," I said.

Rhuvas gave another smile, You bring a very foreign object with you, that many of us would benefit greatly in having. But I must be frank with you, this isn't as peaceful as it may seem he said. Another quick sip, I put the cup down, "I would be surprised if it was," I said shortly. "I was prepared to encounter much more primitive species" I explained. Listen, Sam Masla said quickly. I looked from her to Rhuvas You see us in a flighted state, much of our brothers and sisters are not like us. They lived stationary in the trees and mountains. We were much smaller then, but now they were forced to come under our protection. The dreaded Dritith are to blame.

"Dritith," I said under my breath. Yes, these creatures are intelligent like us, however they are cruel and naturally armed. I advise you to stay clear of them as you continue your exploration he said. I sat, looking at the cup and contents. It looked like a tea with milk, "This isn't unheard of in my planet. However we do this to our own species," I said gravely. "It seems we are much similar in our worlds, yet so different,"
Well, human, I only can advise you, if you need help you can come here to this camp, we haven't moved for months and the food here is plentiful, but don't forget of our warning of the Dritith he explained.

After that, the new species I was being familarised with was never brought up, as if Chief Rhuvas was reluctant to even speak of an enemy so dangerous. We had discussed the making of Hudva and how it's white with a strange compound that absorbs light like a spectrum and spews out different wave lengths. It was a fascinating subject, however I was determined to go back to the pod and set up the tent I was given to sleep in. Masla will escort you back he had said as we left. I was relieved a little, I had learned so much from the Ka'lar in less than five hours being here. I had enough information to document several new papers and spawn half a guide to Ka'lar culture.

But what got me curious was the Dritith, a new species, that were just as intelligent as the Ka'lar? The warning seemed to have seeped from my mind as Masla and I went back up the hill from where the camp can be seen from. "So, what do the Dritith look like?" I asked as I walked in step with Masla. You will know what they look like when you spot them, slick, scaled creatures she said. "Scaled?" I said with even more interest. Well they don't wear untreated Hudvas like us, they run naked she added. "Wow, really-" No more questions about them, ask me something else, I don't wish to talk about the...Dritith banuth again.

From then I realised the refusal was directed and although I couldn't explain it from just the telepathic voice, I also sensed an emotion distress from mentioning the Dritith. It felt too much like an old veteran when asked about the war he fought in. It wasn't long until we reached the pod....