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Zetan Dead
Ponk Vonsydow
Copyright © Ponk Vonsydow 2015
Ponk Vonsydow asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, and incidents portrayed are based solely on the author's imagination.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopied, recorded or otherwise, without the prior permission of the author.
CHAPTER 1

Try as they might humanity has never completely eradicated the common cockroach. So it was a big one that managed to scurry inside Questor III, the latest light speed capable deep space exploration vehicle already 40 lightyears from Earth. This cockroach decided to step where he shouldn't have inside one of the many the consoles, not only frying himself to death in the process, but also frying the proximity compensator. An integral component of the light speed navigation system meant to prevent Questor III from colliding with space-borne objects, such as orphaned asteroids for example. Thus, while traveling at light speed, Questor III struck a micro-asteroid about the size of the head of a pin, but at such a great velocity that tiny object blew a hole directly through the ion drive completely ruining the craft's single engine. Now Questor III was merely coasting on its own inertia dropping out of light speed, but still traveling at an unfathomable speed. Meanwhile Max, the ships robot was activated after the disaster in the engine room and it immediately brought the ship's pilot, Captain Robert Lindros out of cryo-sleep.

Lindros was groggy when the robot handed him a jug full of vitamin water also laced with amphetamine. The drug went to work shortly and Lindros' perked up, but his arms and legs felt heavy and he was still moving slow. Now the robot was talking.

"I had to wake you sir. There's been an unfortunate accident. I have yet to determine how it became possible, but we evidently collided with a foreign object and at full velocity, possibly a micro-asteroid. Whatever it was it punched a clean hole straight through the ion drive and the engine is ruined beyond hope of repair as we do not have the spare parts to fix it. We're coasting on inertia at sub light speed. But I am sure I don't need to explain we're stranded out here and possible relief is some 40 years distant. The good news is there is a planet with human compatible atmosphere in the Zeta Reticula binary star system we are near to. It is possible with maneuvering thrusters we can align Questor III to bring us to this habitable planet and we can land there to make the best of it. If we use sub-space radio to message Earth Command and they send help, you might live to see help arrive, or possible descendants of yours would get rescued if the men elect to breed with with Lieutenant Foster, or Lieutenant Hendrix or if you procreate with your wife Commander Lindros and children are produced.

Lindros thought the robot was being a little presumptuous.

"Yeah about that Max, we'll come to shit like that later I guess. Go ahead and plot a course to this habitable planet and fire thrusters to bring us into alignment. While your busy doing that I'll get the rest of the crew out of bed."

Max departed headed towards the bridge while Robert walked to each cryogenic chamber thumbing the release buttons. He came to Lieutenant Kirk Foster first, Commander Stanley Hendrix second, then he roused Kirk's wife, Lieutenant Jillian Foster third, his own wife, Commander Karla Lindros fourth, and Stanley's wife, Lieutenant Christy Hendrix fifth. Now the five astronauts were trying to shake off the sleep as Lindros handed out the jugs of vitamin water. Soon enough the amphetamine in the drinks hit the crew and they too perked up, but still moving lethargically. Kirk spoke for the group.

"Have we arrived at the colony?"

Lindros had to tell it like it was.

"Not exactly Kirk. There's been a serious incident. Something went wrong with our proximity compensator and we struck something in space at full speed. Max told me the ion drive is completely wrecked so were drifting on inertia. But there's good news. We're not going to end up stranded in deep space because there's a habitable planet close by and we've got the inertia and thruster power to get on course for it and that's where we headed. We're going to the Zeta Reticula system, a binary solar system."

Stanley spoke up.

"Are we close enough to her to run a scan to check for lifeforms?"

Robert replied:

"That's going to be the next order of business. Max is getting us on course if he hasn't already. When we get into orbit around this planet he'll do the standard procedures before we try to land on this new world and he'll scan for signs of life. It should be interesting what he comes up with."

Jillian posed the obvious question.

"How far out are we Robert?"

"We've gone some 40 light years according to Max."

Jillian continued.

"Earth Command will send us relief, but they'll be 40 years out. We'll all be elderly by the time they get where we're going. I guess we'll have to settle in for the long-term and get comfortable with each other. Now I know why Earth Command assigned three married couples to go on this mission. I guess our children and maybe even our grandchildren will be around to get rescued. Things could be worse. We're damn lucky there was a habitable planet we could coast to, otherwise we'd die in space right here, stuck in Questor III."

Now the three couples paired off sitting around the mess hall table ready to eat their compact meals. Today's offering was Nutraloaf with synthetic brown gravy, artificial mashed potatoes with the same gravy, hydroponically grown, reconstituted freeze dried carrots, and another serving of the vitamin water, but without a second dose of amphetamine. Everyone was feeling starved after having survived by intravenous feeding the past 40 years in cryo-sleep. The single meal would have to do because at that time food supplies would have to be strictly rationed until non-poisonous edible plant life could be found where they would be stranded. Lindros commented about the rationing.

"Sorry we can't have seconds, folks, but we have to conserve all we have to eat until we find other sources of food, as I am sure all of you know. Who knows, alien fruit might be just as sweet and taste completely different than the varieties on earth."

Just then Max the robot arrived with his report. Lindros spoke for the group.

"Well Max, what did you come up with?"

Max replied in his monotone mechanical voice.

"We're now in orbit. The planet appears to be a mostly a desert environment with denser vegetation near the equator. I recommend we touch down in the equatorial regions because that's going to be where the crew will have its best chances to find food. But there's something else. I found evidence of various lifeforms ranging from the form of small animals to larger beasts. There are also many signs of a technologically advanced civilization there, but I did not find evidence of higher lifeforms capable of creating such a civilization. It may be whoever built these cities and all that's left behind, died out for unknown reasons or they left their planet behind and what's here was also left behind entirely. Unless of course the people there are so alien they don't show up as lifeforms we can identify. We'll have to wait and find out when we get there. I have selected a good landing place near such one of these possibly abandoned cities seeming to be overgrown with vegetation."

Captain Lindros was pleased.

"You guys, it might actually be better for us if this planet isn't populated with higher lifeforms who may very well be xenophobic and might seek to kill us as soon as we appear. I'm a little concerned about the presence of beasts. Some of them might be predators and we'll have to watch out for them. I do like the idea of knowing there' a supposedly abandoned city we'll come to soon enough, because it means we should be able to find shelter and various things left behind that may prove useful to us. If we're lucky we might even find viable alien spacecraft that can get us back home with a few modifications or maybe some alien spare parts to fix Questor III with. This is definitely not a worst case scenario."

Lindros wife Karla spoke next:

"Our mission was to seek out extraterrestrial life. I guess exploring a dead alien civilization is close enough for now. I know were actually going to be stranded there, but we need to stay focused on our mission and do our work while we're here. Agreed?"

Everyone agreed with Karla. By then everyone was finished eating and the wives collected the refuse and sent it into the disposal unit. Captain Lindros had something to say.

"What do you guys say we all head up to the bridge and get out first look of our new planet?"

Everyone agreed that was a good idea as well. Now, everyone was assembled on the bridge while Max piloted Questor III. Looking down from orbit the planet was mostly brown being as Max described, a desert environment, but there were vast oceans, and a green belt near the equator. Everyone strapped in tight for their descent through the atmosphere and for touchdown. The heat shields had to go up for a time, but at lower altitudes and at slower velocity the heat shields were set in the down position. Everyone watched as they thrusted downwards until Max expertly landed Questor III in the clearing he selected. Everyone unstrapped and exited the bridge headed below decks to get to the hatch. Max lowered the ramp and opened the hatch. A rush of hot air blasted inside causing everyone to realize this planet was hot, or at least it felt like summer there, but the air was fresh and scented with alien smells they couldn't identify.

As the group got down to the bottom of the ramp to have their first look they discovered the alien trees looked nothing like the trees on earth and that went for the alien flowers as well. The grass was familiar looking enough even if it was purple. Looking towards the sky it was green with yellow clouds which was attractive anyway. Over the top of Questor III and past the lush vegetation the group could make out the remnants of the alien city, with several tall towers and the alien architecture was pleasing to the eye. Captain Lindros asked Max the obvious question.

"Any of those beasts in the immediate area?"

Max replied:

"Only small insects and handfuls of possible rodents. Nothing dangerous I presume."

Lindros wasn't taking any chances. He opened the excursion locker and then passed out the hand blasters and proximity scanners.

"Keep your heads up everyone and be ready with your blasters just in case anything dangerous shows itself. I suggest we head for the city and take a first look around, agreed?"

Everyone fell in behind Lindros.
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