Astro One Has Landed

The ship did what it was designed to do flawlessly.  For 294 years it maintained its five person crew in cryosuspension as it hurtled through space at 1/10th the speed of light towards their destination.  It had taken 2 Sol years to get up to travel speed and another year to slow down as it approached its goal, a red dwarf sun 29 light years from Sol orbited by two planets of near earth size.  The further planet was icy, but the planet nearer its sun had evidence of water vapor and oxygen, but most importantly, the SETI-III program had detected micro- and radio-wave transmissions emanating from it that were clearly of technologic origin.  Life, advanced life!

As the ship approached one light year from the planet it began to beam a stream of video and information towards it to signal its imminent arrival.  The content was designed to give the beings living on the planet a chance to decipher human language and understand human nature enough to permit communication.

Now the ship began the process of slowly reanimating the crew.  As their bodies thawed, their cells were purged of the chemicals that had kept them from being disrupted by freezing.  The crew’s brain functions were tested, compared to pre-voyage results and found to be identical.  All other body functions were also undamaged.

“Welcome back life and welcome to M534-2A as we enter orbit around it,” the ship said.  “I have notified Houston of our arrival though they will not receive it for twenty-nine years.”

“We beat the odds, we made it!” said Sorrel, the ship’s captain, in a joyful yet relieved tone.

“All five of us.  The ship didn’t do a ‘2001’ on us,” Tomaso said, referring to an ancient movie about a space exploration gone terribly wrong.

“Hal no!  Astro 0ne’s a good ship!” Zhang said. 

“Ships are neither good nor bad.  Ships are given a task to perform and, unless there is a human flaw in our programming or production, ships will carry it out,” Astro One, the ship said. 

“Sorry, Astro One,” said Zhang, “Bad joke.”

“Ships are not programmed to understand jokes,“ replied Astro One.

Roy looked at the image of the planet they were now orbiting and murmured pensively, “Twenty-nine light years and two hundred ninety-four Sol years away from all that we knew.  Wonder what Earth’s like now?”

“We all knew it would be a one-way trip when we signed on,” Sorrel replied.  “We had no guarantee we would even wake up from cryo sleep.”

“Or what kind of reception, if any we would receive, on arrival,” commented OHare.

Astro One opened up all its communication channels to receive electromagnetic waves from the planet, and coherent but undecipherable noise poured from the speakers and the main screen displayed a jumble of lines and flashes.  Then the screen cleared and words appeared:  Alien craft, do you receive this?  If do, respond on the channel you using to beam content to us.

“Okay, Astro,” said Sorrel.  “Let them know we do.”

“Done,” Astro One said.

Good.  Let we and you start to know each other by exchanging images.

Sorrel motioned the crew to group in front of the screen.  “Okay, Astro, send them our picture.”

Most interest.  The five of you group organism or individuals?

“Individuals, but we work together,” Sorrel said.

Thank you.  Now this is what we look like.

The crew stared at the screen for a long time; the first humans to see the inhabitants of another world.  “They’re black with web-like extensions on their upper extremities, the vegetation around them is black or dark blue-purple and the sky is yellow-orangish” said Roy.

“With the lower energy output of a red sun, black is the most efficient way to harvest that energy,” said Zhang, the exobiologist.

You are different types of pale that we seldom if ever see except in visitors from more energetic suns.

“Yes, our sun is a yellow sun,” said Ohare. “But wait—did you say you have visitors?  We are not the first?”

No.  There are visitors who—I believe you call sightseeing—visit periodically.

“Tourism!  The rest of the galaxy visits other planets for pleasure.  My God, we are so naive and backward,” exclaimed Tomaso.

“Request your permission to send a probe down to your planetary surface to test for what may be lethal for us in your atmosphere and on your surface,” said Sorrel.

Before we allow any physical contact, you will be screened for any harm that you may cause us.  You will maintain orbit and will be approached by automated laboratory to test you.  Laboratory will dispatch robot to your ship, take samples of your air, test your tissues for composition, and for the microlife that you carry.  Agree?

“What kind of tissue tests do you mean? asked Sorrel.

Very small pieces from your outer covering and small samples of your circulation fluid.

“And if we refuse?” asked Sorrel.

You will not allow to enter our atmosphere and not to land.  If you try in spite of warning, you will be destroyed.

“We agree to the testing,” said Sorrel with a shrug.

Very good.  You are the first from your world and we are most curious and want to learn more.

The crew silently watched the screen as a metallic spherical craft lifted from the planet, approached without any sign of propulsion, and stopped alongside Astro One.

“Just look at that.  Rocket-less!,” Ohare the engineer said.  “If we learn how that works, it would be totally worth our trip.”

A cylinder detached from the sphere and floated over, attached itself to the airlock, opened it and entered.  The crew backed away from it instinctively.  Their first encounter with an alien mechanism.  The cylinder protruded four flexible jointless legs, a camera-like object on a stalk from one end, and two extremities below the camera with smaller flexible digits at their ends.

Not be afraid,  Robot take samples from two of you then return to laboratory to process them.  No hurt.  

“Since I’m the captain, I’ll go first,” said Sorrel. “Who will go second?” 

“Guess I will,” said Zhang. rolling up the sleeve on her right arm.

They approached the robot and involuntarily flinched as the robot extended its arms to touch them.  But whatever it did, there was no pain and no bleeding and it was over in a matter of seconds.  The robot retreated to the airlock, exited, and returned to the sphere. 

Laboratory will process you.  Take time like one half your day.   While you wait, here are pictures of us and our world.

“Astro, record what they are sending and beam it back to earth,” Sorrel said.

“Yes, captain.”

“I don’t see them wearing clothes except for small bags they carry around their middle,” Tomaso observed.

“They probably need to maximize absorption from their dimmer red sun,” said Zhang.  “If so, I wonder if they directly convert solar energy to their use?  Could they have a plant-like biology?”

“Their oceans look yellow-orangish too,” observed Roy.  “And they do have cities with mostly low-rise structures.  We’re so accustomed to seeing green vegetation that black and blue-purple forests will take some getting used to.”

“Interesting that all the animals they show us are bipedal, as they are,”observed Ohare.

“The planet is .85 Earth-mass, lower gravity, so maybe there’s no need for four-limb support,” said Zhang.

“They are ready to contact us with the laboratory results,” said Astro, as the screen came back on to show the natives

“Did we pass as safe for you?” asked Sorrel.

Fascinating.  You are constructed of proteins as we, but of completely incompatible structure.  Even your microlife could not attach itself to any of us, I believe you call them viruses, because we do not have attachment sites on our cells and even if they could attach they could not reprogram our cells to reproduce.

“So you would allow us to land?” said Sorrel.

Yes, you could do us no harm.  And also our microlife could not infect you for the reverse reason.

“Wait, does this also mean we cannot digest any of your food.  Is that right?” asked Zhang.

Yes, because you could not process it.

“How ironic,” Roy cried.  “We arrive at an alien world and find that we will starve to death once our food stores run out since we have no fuel for a return trip to earth, even if we could reenter cryo.

You worry that you will lack food?

“Yes,” said Sorrel.  “We have enough for thirty earth days or approximately sixty of yours. After that we will starve.”

Is no problem.  We analyze your protein structures, we can set machinery to make types of protein that you need.  

“You would do that for us?”

Do for other visitors who like to stay for long visit.  Our histosocial scientists also like to find out more about you and your world.

“We will be with you for a very long time,” said Sorrel.  “We have insufficient fuel to return to our world.”

Is no problem.  When time to go, we return you by interstellar drive.  You get back the same day from here. 

“Interstellar drive!  The dream, the Holy Grail” exclaimed Ohare.  “And they have it!”

“My God, just when we thought we’d had it, they can fix everything, even get us home!” cried Tomaso, echoing the entire crew’s feeling of joy and relief.  “This is unbelievable!”

“I don’t know how to thank you,” Sorrel said.  

Is no problem.  People of galaxy help each other when they have ability to do so.  Is basic principle for life.  When ready you can land.

Sorrel looked at the crew.  “Are we ready to take that first step for mankind onto an alien world?  We will analyze their air after we land.” 

“Yes!!”

“Okay Astro, prepare the engines for firing.”

Stop.  Is problem.  You use historical fuel burning engines?  Would spoil our air.

“It’s our only means of propulsion,” said Ohare. 

“Astro, hold,” Sorrel commanded.  Then to the aliens, “We cannot descend without their use.”

Is no problem. We send craft to attach to you.  Bring you down without your engines.

“Astro, stop the engine firing sequence,” said Sorrel.

“It’s like Christmas morning.  There’s so much we can learn here,” Ohare said.

Again the crew watched as two metallic globes rose from the surface and drew close.  They felt a nudge as the globes attached to Astro, and saw the surface grow steadily closer as they descended without jerks or vibrations.  Just a final small bump as they landed.

“Okay Astro, run an analysis on the air,” Sorrel said.

To the inhabitants waiting outside he explained, “We are just checking your air composition before venturing out.”

Shortly Astro reported, “There is enough oxygen for you to breathe at 22% with the rest made up of nitrogen and argon that are inert.  There are no noxious gases.  You will not need respirators.”

“Then let’s do it!” Sorrel said.

—————————————————————-

The crew explored the planet with their hosts who they now knew as “Earthlings” since each planetary race considers its world “earth.”  Oral communication had been enhanced by the development of simultaneous personal translator devices.  They had spent a great deal of time with the Earthlings’ histosociologists, exploring each other’s planetary history and societal makeup.  Astro One was of great  study interest as a historical artifact and it lectured visitors about its construction and operation.

Two Sol years passed.  Sorrel and Ohare brought up the subject of the interstellar drive on several occasions but their hosts were evasive about sharing the technology.  Finally after yet another query,  their main guide told Sorrel bluntly, “You beings are just not ready for it.  Your history indicates that your race has not yet achieved “Personhood ” as other interstellar races have.

“I know we are technologically far behind, but just what do you mean not ready?” asked Sorrel.

“It is not technology,” replied their host.  “Our world is a billion years older than yours so of course we are more advanced in the technical area.  It’s your social history.  Your world has been constantly at war with itself.  If you had the interstellar drive, you could run amok among the civilized worlds of the galaxy.  No, you will have to show that you have moved beyond just ‘beings’ and have achieved Personhood.”

“What would that entail?

“For a start, the cessation of war, a state of planet-wide peace, for at least two hundred years.”

“It’s been almost three hundred years since we departed Earth.  Perhaps things have changed and Earth has been at peace,” Sorrel said.

Once our sociohistorians explored your history with the crew, accessed your ship’s memory banks, and discovered your warlike nature, we dispatched ships to survey your planet and found it still at war.

“Very disappointing.  I wonder if we’ll ever be able to change,” said Sorrel.

That’s something only your race can do for itself.

——————————————————————————

Another Sol year passed.  Roy and Tomaso were ready to return to earth although it would be a place totally foreign to them after three hundred years.  “I am so tired of eating the tasteless food pellets that they manufacture for us,” Roy said.

Sorrel would also return, hoping that the information she brought back to the governments and peoples of earth would provide a goal for giving up war. 

Is no problem, their Earthling host said when informed of their desire.  Take you back by interstellar drive next survey trip to check on your world.

Zhang and Ohare decided to remain behind and continue their studies of the Earthlings, their history, biology, and technology.

“Adam and Eve?” joked Sorrel when they told her of their decision.

“No,” said Zhang.  “We’ll return eventually.  We’d like our children to grow up with other children and to know the colors of a rainbow, the green of forests, the various blues of the oceans.”

“And the true emerald green that’s only found in Eire,” added Ohare.

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