This add-on was originally posted on twitter on 12/14/2020 @theGiftOfLife19 and @NuttlyR both contributed to the original post. The colored text is the Twitter story, what follows is where I took it. All of the story starts are available if anyone is interested. You can contact me through my website, or my email.
In the farthest reaches of outer space, a planet unlike any other circles a dying sun. The sky is green, the ground is blue, and the water is red. Searching the deepest parts of this world I stop. I take a deep breath and absorb its beauty. What will this planet reveal to me? What wonders lay inside? I must investigate!
Within that planet lies the key element to reviving the sun. "She's not going to help you. Not after what you did" he says.
"It wasn't my fault," the beefy man replied, "a pipsqueak like you wouldn't understand." The largely muscled man moves past the skinny stick figure guarding the hallway. "She'll listen to me, I know she will."
The moment my hand touches the door, the lights go out. Red emergency lighting begins to glow, bathing our feet in a crimson hue. We stare at each other, our animosity forgotten. If this is an attack, we must work together to protect what hides behind this door.
We wait, in the blood tinted darkness, silently, our backs to the treasure. The only sound to be heard is our muffled breathing and the faint electric hum of the emergency lights. The hall curves 50 meters ahead of us. Our eyes are glued to the junction.
Finally, movement. Flickering lights and dancing shadows fling themselves against the curved walls of our tiny outpost. The young guard beside me draws his laser gun, and takes aim. My hands hover over the handles of my weapons. The shadows grow with every moment. Our breathing increases in pace, as the tension heightens. Who is coming around the corner? Is it friend or foe?
The young man charges his gun, and the laser point waivers on the far wall.
“Where is the key?” I grumble in a low tone.
“H… H… Here.” He stammers as he pulls a thin chain from under his shirt. The key glimmers crimson in the harsh glow of the emergency lighting. “Will you t… t… take it?” The red lights give him a ghastly cast, and underneath I can see the raw recruit, desperate for leadership.
I reached out and held the key between my fingers. I could feel the words “FONS VITAE” embossed on the head. This was the key to the source of life behind us. I nod, and the guard pulls the chain over his neck, and releases it.
Noises echo down the corridor toward us. I swiftly loop the cord over my neck, and tuck the key behind my shirt. The point of my companion’s gun steadies as the shadows get bigger and the din increases.
When the figures turn the corner, I am surprised to see a huddle of small, knee high, natives. We were told that the planet was as dead as the star it circled, no one said anything about this planet still being capable of supporting life.
I knew these beings were native to this planet, I saw etchings of them on cave walls while searching for the source of life.
My companion shifted his aim down, the laser point now aimed at the leader's head.
The rising din we couldn't make out before resolved itself into a chant. "Tg Thih Avete Iibfsa Tochu Kerli Sffe", as the natives crept closer to our position. The laser sight wavered as the young guard tightened his finger on the trigger.
The small grey and brown mottled natives clustered at the end of the hall. I rested a reassuring hand on my companion’s shoulder. “Stand down.” I said in a whisper. Moving toward the natives, I held my empty hands out to them and tried to remember the cave engravings. I cleared my throat a few times before trying to communicate with these beings. “Wbhe Rehi Lrnp Egshl Vein Lfpe?”
The natives muttered my words repeatedly, adding different tones and rearranging my words until the leader held up his hand to silence the crowd. He spoke to his own people too fast for me to make out more than one or two jumbled tones. I waited patiently while the natives talked.
Eventually the leader approached, his empty hands stretched out to me. He stood before me, his large glassy eyes studied me. I went to my knees, and mimicked his pose. His hands moved to make contact with mine.
Are you saviors or killers? The words were gravelly in my mind.
We want to save the sun. I thought at him.
Then why do you cut off Life?
How did we cut off Life?
You removed Life from the source, you block Life with walls. Life cannot return if Life is not free.
I don’t understand, how does the sun get power from Life?
That is sacred knowledge! Not for intruders and thieves!
We didn’t know we were intruding, or stealing. Our scans showed that this planet was dead, and the sun was dying. We just want to help.
You help? Then give back Life! The angry native stepped away as his people began a new chant “Gggi Iivvve Eebbba Aaccck Kkll Liiiff Feee!” Even the young guard understood them this time.
I turned around and stared at the young bewildered man guarding the native’s ‘Life’, “We’re all good.” I said as I headed toward him and the blast doors behind him.
“What do they mean ‘Give back life’?” He whispered, “and who are they?”
I was confused for a moment, before I realized the guard would not have been privy to the conversation in my head. “Oh, right.” I thought fast. “This is a native delegation here to escort their Princess’s cocoon back to the palace.” I chose this lie with great deliberation. If there’s anything that raw recruits are trained in, it’s leaving native civilizations alone. So it was no surprise that he holstered his gun, and kneeled on the floor.
Unsure of what exactly he was up to, I continued past him, removing the key from behind my shirt, and smoothly inserting it into the lock. The first of three lights turned green, and a blue glow appeared on the door next to my thumb. A slight shift of my hand, and the second light shone green. On the wall next to the door, a hooded display emerged. Keeping the pressure on the key, and my thumb on the scanner, I called over my shoulder to the guard. “Hey, a little help over here?”
“Oh, sorry,” I could hear him rise, and the clomps of his boots as he approached and ducked under the hooded display.
For a moment, the third light flickered green, before going out. He looked at me in disbelief. “Do, um, do you think it didn’t work because of not having power?” The guard asked.
“I’m sure that’s what it is. I will explain to the natives, and we’ll see about getting power restored. I’m sure they’ll understand the delay.” I struggled, but kept a straight face, as the guard nodded in agreement with my plan. I released the key, and watched smugly as it slowly rotated in the lock to the open position. We heard the hiss of the hydraulic lock releasing.
“But, power?!?!” The guard was so dumbstruck he couldn’t string a sentence together.
“Inside this room is a power source beyond all others. And it belongs to them.” I said pointing at the natives who had crowded closer to the door while we were distracted.
“Aren’t you going to open it?” He asked. Everything I said to this kid seemed to go over his head. I’m not even sure if he understood sarcasm.
“Yeah, I’ll get it.” I said, shaking my head in silent amusement as I pulled the door open.
The thick heavy door took time to open. The door was made of solid metal, half a meter thick. With the aid of the light gravity, and door hydraulics I was finally able to open it far enough for the light to shoot out of the closed room. With every minute that passed, I wrenched the door open wider. The light illuminated our alien visitors, turning their dull gray and brown skin into a glittery purple and gold radiance.
They crowded around the opening of the door, pushing and shoving as I wrestled with it. I got enough leverage and finally shoved the door completely open. After the dim emergency lighting, the pure yellow glow emitting from the room felt like a supernova exploded in front of my eyes.
The guard and I covered our eyes and turned our backs on the brightness. I heard the soft steps of the native people rushing into the room.
“Should we help them?” The guard asked.
“I don’t think that’s necessary,” I replied as I heard the natives start chanting.
“Lsmi Uofno Ewnbe Rerefe Trnueer Ewn”
Though our eyes were closed and covered by our hands, I could tell the “Life Source” was approaching our position. I waited until the radiant glow had faded , before carefully peering through my lashes.
Most of the natives had left with the life source, I could see the ambient light fading down the corridor. Only the leader and two other aliens remained. Their skin was slowly losing the radiance supplied by the light. The leader was waiting patiently with his hands held out. I quickly kneeled and matched his stance. Once more the leader reached out to touch my hands.
You returned Life. We will fix now.
We are sorry for interfering. We didn’t know.
This we realize. You have shown respect to us and to Life. We will not forget.
The leader abruptly turned around and headed down the corridor, the other two natives followed him closely.
I got back to my feet, and turned to the guard. “How did you like your first encounter with Xenoarchaeology?”
“It was unsettling to be honest.”
“Yes, meeting emissaries from a dead civilization on a dying planet can be a little disconcerting.”
The guard turned and looked at the open door. Now that the light was gone, the space beyond the door yawned with a black inky darkness.
“What are we going to tell Captain Annabelle?” The guard squeaked.
“We could tell her the truth, but do you think she would believe us?”
“I can barely believe it happened, there’s no way she will believe us, unless we have video proof. Do you think the cameras caught anything?” I could hear the plea in his question.
“The power is still out. The cameras can’t work without power.” A memory popped into my head. A picture of us standing, arguing, near the door. Right before the power went out. When power returns, the door will be open, and the source will be missing. We will be the only ones to blame. I began backing down the corridor, away from the open door.
“Um, where are you going?” The young guard asked, his eyes narrowing in confusion.
“When the power comes on, the door you are supposed to be guarding will be open, and the source will be missing. Who do you think she will blame?” I explained.
The blood drained from his face as the realization hit.
“I’m out of here,” I continued. “You can do what you want, but like you said earlier, I’m already on her bad side. When she finds out about this, I will be facing the business end of a blaster.” I turned my back on the guard and the empty room.
I increased my pace down the corridor. I wanted to be out of the complex before the power was restored. It would be my only chance to get out of the system alive. With Captain Annabelle’s reach, I would need all the help I could get.
I hurried along the dimly lit corridors, finding my way up through the complex towards the surface. As I reached the final exit, I heard heavy footfalls echoing, coming my way. I quickly turned down a side corridor and around a corner. My heart pounding in my chest. The group continued past my position, heading for the treasure room. I felt a momentary pang of regret for the young recruit I left behind. I hope they don’t go too hard on him. As soon as the lights faded from the passage of the group, I rushed to the exit.
On the surface of the planet, the blue dust swirled around my feet. To the right was the landing pad, and my ship. To the left was a fading trail of dying flowers heading to the mountains in the distance.
I glance at my ship ruefully. Fully aware this could be the last time I see her. “Godspeed home Asteria. If I die, we will meet again.” I whisper as I turn away and follow the flowers.
The path twisted behind some boulders. As I turned behind them, movement back at the complex caught my eye. A group of soldiers rushed towards my ship. Hoping they won't damage Asteria too much, I hurry away.
The trail of flowers leads me into a deep cave. Pass the threshold, the flowers radiate a violet glow. They provide enough light to allow me to see where I am going. I continue along the path, walking over a rocky bridge spanning a deep crevice.
The trail brings me to a hidden tower deep within the cave. I can make out engravings of odd looking animals. One looked like a turtle with wings, and there was a four footed animal with a carapace. I wondered if these were true representations of this planet’s animal life, or something the natives imagined. The only way to find out, would be to catch up to them.
I circle the tower looking for a way in. The flowers were growing against the tower wall, but I couldn’t see a door. I put my hands on the wall over the flowers. It seems to move under my hands. I push on the wall.
A door, half my height, opens in the wall. Dropping to my hands and knees, I crawled through the opening. I barely fit. Beyond the entry was a long hall lit by the flowery path. I continue crawling until I reach the end of the hall. Going through another half sized door, I enter a large cathedral like room.
The walls were etched with pictures of all kinds. Natives, animals, and a beautiful rendering of this planet and its solar system. The flower trail that led me to this room expanded, filling the entire floor, except the middle. The Life Source was displayed on a dais in the middle of the room.
Looking up I realize this room has no ceiling. I was standing at the base of an extinct volcano. The tower I entered was actually the main vent. As I watched, I saw the dying sun crest over the rim of the volcano. The light around me increased, and a beam shot out of the Life Source, filling the tube with a bright yellow radiance.
Fearing my eyes would be burned out of my head by the brightness, I tore them away from the sight. Looking down, I realized I was now surrounded by a mass of natives. None of them looked happy to see a human in their midst.
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