weapons. It communicated as a living entity with audile, verbal, and visual recognition.
“After centuries of travel in the MERS, we arrived at a hyperspatial exit point beyond a mass previously charted as a star system. Thus did we come to Sol. Several of its planets held promise. The one most conducive to immediate habitation was your birth planet which we named Er’ath, which means ‘green valley’, now known as Earth. As I prepared to transmit our intent for further investigation back to Hakilam via hyperspace relays, my colleague advised against, intuitively requesting a delay until more information could be gathered.”
Siddhartha sat on the grass before Sateron, his legs in that uncompromising position the Anorasian had never been able to master. Sateron had tried to place his left foot on his right thigh, his right foot on his left thigh—and had promptly rolled onto his back, his legs locked in that position, looking like a beetle lying on its shell! Laughing as heartily as the others, he waited while Aleris untangled him with a stern warning never to attempt that while alone for fear he might die of starvation.
Emmanuel sat with his back against another rock, the breeze that tickled his beard bringing with it nostalgic smells and sounds. Aleris shared his rock, the two enjoying the warmth of the sun on their skin. No one wore a self-regulating garment: this was considered their backyard where they could pretend they were above ground.
Sateron grinned, watching al-Amin try to find a comfortable spot. In less than five minutes, the human had gone from lying on his side, his head propped on his fist; to kneeling, heels against his spine, palms flat against his thighs; to lying flat on his stomach, his chin resting on both closed fists. This one was so like himself: restless, physical, competitive, needing movement just as others needed stillness.
Returning to his subject, he said, “We collected samples and were mystified. Eighty percent of the accumulated specimens had an above average DNA match to similar species on Hakilam. Further, the DNA of the sentient life forms matched Anorasian DNA code by nearly ninety-eight percent .”
The humans watched Sateron intently. He remained stationary, curious for one who usually paced while talking. Even al-Amin stopped fidgeting. The information just received astonished them no less than it had the Anorasians twelve thousand years previously.
“Even with these puzzlements, we were treated to one having equally more disturbing consequence,” he said. “We began an intensive scan of the planet, finding something compelling in the equatorial region. How terrified were the humans when we teleported into their territory! We attempted communication, but they disappeared into the trees, presumably due to our physical appearance so unlike their own. They watched, but would not approach.
“Unerringly, Aleris made directly toward that which had acted as magnet. I thought it only moss clinging to a tree; nevertheless, as we neared the moss, it shivered and drew back ! It curled in an arc then moved slightly forward as if finally deciding we would do it no harm. My colleague gently removed several to bring back to the MERS and began the wearisome search through our extensive data to see if this plant had been acknowledged prior. It was found in obscure documentation, only a brief description. It was named Eocene dicit’ledoni, seemingly to have been on Earth sixty-five million years in our past.
“’Tis an entity that is currently manufactured in laboratories throughout the Empire.” Sateron sighed in remembrance.
“Further disclosure revealed that, while having no specific intelligence or communication skills, it did possess some psychic recognition. It acknowledged us when first we came upon it, but not you three until you had sufficient amount of dicit in your system.” His eyes, alight with suppressed excitement, the Anorasian began to pace, unable to remain
“After centuries of travel in the MERS, we arrived at a hyperspatial exit point beyond a mass previously charted as a star system. Thus did we come to Sol. Several of its planets held promise. The one most conducive to immediate habitation was your birth planet which we named Er’ath, which means ‘green valley’, now known as Earth. As I prepared to transmit our intent for further investigation back to Hakilam via hyperspace relays, my colleague advised against, intuitively requesting a delay until more information could be gathered.”
Siddhartha sat on the grass before Sateron, his legs in that uncompromising position the Anorasian had never been able to master. Sateron had tried to place his left foot on his right thigh, his right foot on his left thigh—and had promptly rolled onto his back, his legs locked in that position, looking like a beetle lying on its shell! Laughing as heartily as the others, he waited while Aleris untangled him with a stern warning never to attempt that while alone for fear he might die of starvation.
Emmanuel sat with his back against another rock, the breeze that tickled his beard bringing with it nostalgic smells and sounds. Aleris shared his rock, the two enjoying the warmth of the sun on their skin. No one wore a self-regulating garment: this was considered their backyard where they could pretend they were above ground.
Sateron grinned, watching al-Amin try to find a comfortable spot. In less than five minutes, the human had gone from lying on his side, his head propped on his fist; to kneeling, heels against his spine, palms flat against his thighs; to lying flat on his stomach, his chin resting on both closed fists. This one was so like himself: restless, physical, competitive, needing movement just as others needed stillness.
Returning to his subject, he said, “We collected samples and were mystified. Eighty percent of the accumulated specimens had an above average DNA match to similar species on Hakilam. Further, the DNA of the sentient life forms matched Anorasian DNA code by nearly ninety-eight percent .”
The humans watched Sateron intently. He remained stationary, curious for one who usually paced while talking. Even al-Amin stopped fidgeting. The information just received astonished them no less than it had the Anorasians twelve thousand years previously.
“Even with these puzzlements, we were treated to one having equally more disturbing consequence,” he said. “We began an intensive scan of the planet, finding something compelling in the equatorial region. How terrified were the humans when we teleported into their territory! We attempted communication, but they disappeared into the trees, presumably due to our physical appearance so unlike their own. They watched, but would not approach.
“Unerringly, Aleris made directly toward that which had acted as magnet. I thought it only moss clinging to a tree; nevertheless, as we neared the moss, it shivered and drew back ! It curled in an arc then moved slightly forward as if finally deciding we would do it no harm. My colleague gently removed several to bring back to the MERS and began the wearisome search through our extensive data to see if this plant had been acknowledged prior. It was found in obscure documentation, only a brief description. It was named Eocene dicit’ledoni, seemingly to have been on Earth sixty-five million years in our past.
“’Tis an entity that is currently manufactured in laboratories throughout the Empire.” Sateron sighed in remembrance.
“Further disclosure revealed that, while having no specific intelligence or communication skills, it did possess some psychic recognition. It acknowledged us when first we came upon it, but not you three until you had sufficient amount of dicit in your system.” His eyes, alight with suppressed excitement, the Anorasian began to pace, unable to remain
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