Hydra Lab Complex, Novacorps

Planet Hydra, Strolla System

Terra Date: 10-11-2201

As Strolla rose, its heat began evaporating the morning dew from the grassy hills behind the lab complex, sending tiny mists of vapor upward to dissipate into the clear blue sky. The air carried a scent that was a mix of lavender and ginger. It had rained the night before, but now there wasn’t a single cloud in the blue sky, nor any lingering haze. He could see all the way down to the sparkling ocean.

Governor Victor Belter felt that he had been truly blessed to work in the Strolla System and to live on Hydra. He believed that the beauty of Hydra must have been how Terra used to be, and what it would be again. He was a good student of history. The morning light from Strolla made the landscape and shoreline shine like a beautiful paradise.

And he understood, more than two decades after first setting foot here, that Terrans were only guests. He was there not only to oversee Terran operations in the system, but also to enforce the Treaty, to ensure that Terran use of Hydra’s resources would not adversely impact the planet.

The Hydrans had allowed the Terrans to build homes, towns, complexes. The Nova Lab was one such complex, a collection of closely packed utilitarian buildings; a compact state-of-the-art facility nestled on a low plateau, set against the slopes of the imposing coastal mountain range close to where Victor’s first landing party set down all those years ago.

Another beautiful day on Hydra, Victor Belter thought to himself as he exited the complex’s small vehicle hangar and stood outside on the tarmac. He stood for a moment in the warm light of the newly-risen Strolla. His home was near the shore, only about five kilometers away. When he had left, his wife Beatrice and the kids were still sleeping, and Strolla had not yet risen. The news he’d received the night before stirred up old but familiar feelings of wonder and discovery. Dr. Neal and her staff were also expected to arrive early. With the salvaged shuttle arriving within the hour, the lab was full of energy.

It had been twenty-five years since he and Eanex had inadvertently passed through Angel’s Gate and discovered a new Terra, this paradise. Now, the prospect of investigating something new was a thrill. His excitement had made it hard for him to sleep the night before. Discovering such a craft in the system brought back the giddiness of adventure that he’d thought was long past.

Where had it come from? Could it be from another intelligent alien world? Might they have technologies or resources that could help speed up the restoration of Terra’s natural resources?

His anticipation was also mixed with a touch of apprehension. He’d come to realize how fortunate it was that the native Hydrans had been so welcoming to humanity. He and the others with him had been unprepared for such a first contact. If it were not for the Hydrans peaceful nature, things could have turned out much differently.

The Leadership Council had been ready to evacuate Terra en masse and abandon the Solar System, until Hydra’s ocean dwelling residents made themselves known. Initially bad news, it turned out to be a blessing.

The Hydrans welcomed Terrans with open arms and within months, a treaty was signed. It allowed Terran use and transport of portions of Hydra’s natural resources in order to rejuvenate Terra’s ecological systems. Hydra would remain the pristine world it was, and the Leadership Council’s mandate “to become better caretakers of Terra” took on new meaning. Ever since then, the goal was to coordinate efforts to bring Terra back from the brink and return it to the paradise it had been, like Hydra. Terra was to be reclaimed and, twenty-five years later, was now showing signs of recovery. Victor wondered if their luck would hold.

From the time he had discovered Angel’s Gate, Victor felt he belonged here. He had always had faith that mankind would survive, and when the gate led to this beautiful new world, his faith was vindicated. Mankind had a second chance. They could finally put into practice the lessons learned. Meeting the Hydran Leader, Zorag, only confirmed what he already believed.

“You are here for a reason,” Zorag told him on that fateful day, when his people had come up out of the sea to greet him.

Reminiscing, Victor whispered to himself, “You are here for a reason.”

He had seen Zorag only a handful of times since that day, but the Leadership Council also shared Zorag’s opinion. They wanted the man who had discovered the gate to continue leading Terra to recovery. They, too, felt he was there for a reason.

As a result, when the operations he oversaw took on larger proportions and workers numbered into the thousands, he was appointed unanimously as Governor of the Strolla System. It had never crossed anyone’s mind to replace him, though he had held that position for over fifteen years. That was when the Governor felt he should leave exploring to the young, settle down, and raise a family.

Still, there was an extra bounce to his step as he turned away from the main lab structure and moved toward the base of the hill east of the lab. The mysterious shuttle would soon arrive, and he wanted a nice view as it was brought in by the tow barge and loaded onto the massive launch flatbed that was positioned for it on the flight deck.

Being there meant postponing some of his official duties, like his planned trip up to Nova Station to greet the latest volunteer arrivals to the system, but once news of the find was released, they would understand. Besides, staying on two more days allowed him a chance to review his new welcome speech. With each group of volunteers he tried to update his speech and bring out new and exciting aspects of working in the Strolla System. Welcoming new volunteers was a priority, whether they were military, civilian or connected with the many mining operations, but this was an occasion that merited an exception, or at least a postponement.

As he slowly climbed the hill, he was reminded that he was no longer the young astronaut explorer he used to be. He was only forty-nine, and still in good shape, but climbing that hill took more and more effort each time he did it. Now, he would even stop from time to time to catch his breath. Twenty-five years ago, well, that was a different story.

By the time he’d made it halfway up the hill, he’d spotted Colonel Don Hand and a handful of his soldiers, the Space Dogs, as they were commonly known, exit the main lab building. Victor also recognized two of them who accompanied the man, specialists Richardo Lopez and Clark Walters, who were always by his side. Another Space Dog, specialist Rick Felix, was seldom far off either, but it looked like he had been stationed at the base of the hill with several others close to the facilities main hangar, probably to secure the shuttle after it arrived.

It wasn’t necessary for the Colonel to keep soldiers with him at all times, yet it was probably warranted today. Colonel Hand was in his mid-thirties, an imposing figure of six-feet-four-inches, muscular, and his head was shaven. Victor knew that Hand relished his authority and appeared to keep soldiers around him just to satisfy his ego. From what he’d heard, Hand demanded absolute loyalty from the Space Dogs and was not gentle to those who showed the least bit of insubordination. He was an ambitious man, that was sure, and fifteen years his junior.

By the time Victor reached the top of the hill, the Colonel and his men had caught up to him. He did his best to keep Hand from noticing his shortness of breath.

“Good morning, Colonel,” Victor said as soon as his breathing steadied.

“Governor,” Hand replied in his usual clipped tone as he stood beside him.

“This could be a historic day,” Belter continued with excitement.

The Colonel nodded curtly and then glanced up into the sky.

The massive blocky tow barge was now visible and approaching quickly. Suspended below it was a ship unlike any Belter had ever seen. Its most prominent feature was a tall fin on the top of its rectangular hull. The front portion of the ship held a view port and bulged out slightly from the main structure of the craft. There were also several flaps on its rear, probably to assist with atmospheric maneuvers. It had been a long time since Belter had flown a ship himself, but he did like to keep up with trends in the shipbuilding industry as much as his available off time permitted.

He glanced back at Hand, and asked over the loud rumble of the barge’s engines: “Colonel, are you aware of any Terran spacecraft with a design like that?”

The shuttle was being lowered onto a huge flatbed tractor trailer that sat on the landing field. Hand didn’t answer the question immediately; he just continued observing the craft as it settled onto the flatbed. When he turned back, his mustache twitched.

“No, sir, nothing quite like that,” the man replied.

Victor pondered again the implications he had earlier. “Could there be other inhabited alien worlds close by?” He did not realize that he had spoken out loud and that the Colonel was listening. By then, the rumbling sounds had quieted.

Hand responded to his question forcefully, his mustache twitching again.

“If there are, we could be sitting ducks.”

Clearly, he was not too keen on that possibility.

“Hang on, Colonel,” Victor quickly countered. “According to the scans, that ship is abandoned and doesn’t appear to be armed, so let’s not get carried away.”

The Governor realized that his suggestion of other alien worlds close by played into the paranoia he’d seen in the man since he’d been stationed on Hydra. Victor suspected that, given sufficient provocation, the Colonel might even look to turn the entire Strolla System into one huge military camp. It was common knowledge that the Colonel felt the military would do a better job managing the Strolla System than civilians.

“This might be nothing, Governor, or it could be the beginning of something very problematic.”

Hand’s reply was almost a growl.

“I would rather err on the side of caution at this time,” he added.

Belter nodded at the assessment, if not the tone.

“Let’s start with securing the shuttle. We can take a look inside and hopefully learn where it came from and why it’s empty,” the Governor added, trying to calm the Colonel’s visible agitation.

He turned back to observe the operation. The shuttle was being secured onto the flatbed. The barge was still hovering in place and was now retracting its cables.

“Governor, it is my job to secure this star system,” said the Colonel, his gaze level and hard, his tone authoritarian. “Without a strong military presence, you researchers and miners would have no protection. I think it’s best if you follow my lead on this.”

Victor gave Hand a sidelong glance. He didn’t want to minimize the Colonel’s role in the Strolla System. Neither did he want his next remarks to be misinterpreted in a way that would appear to diminish his own authority.

The Colonel was right. Victor could admit readily that he honestly had no idea what was going to be on the shuttle or why it had suddenly appeared near Tibna. It could represent a threat, not only to the colony or Hydrans, but possibly Terra as well. It would be prudent to defer to the Colonel, at least until more was known.

“What would you recommend, Colonel?” he asked.

“I’m requesting General Strickland to assign additional pilots and Space Dogs. I want to make sure we are ready for anything,” Hand spoke with a strong, commanding voice, suggesting he did not need the Governor’s approval or recommendations.

Victor raised an eyebrow and considered reminding Hand that any such request for additional military resources had to be passed through his office. However, he didn’t want to make a big deal and simply said, “Very well.”

The conversation over, The Governor began to head down to the shuttle. Several vehicles were already approaching. He courteously invited the Colonel to join him: “Now, let’s get down there and see what we’ve got.”

Belter suspected that Hand lingered a bit in order to allow him a head start. As Belter reached the midpoint of the hill, the Colonel and his men followed.