Chapter 5: Sanctuary

“And ... there I was ... running with my expedition team,” Fengge remarked, strapped to his seat. “I was in the Mongolian Wastes when another dust storm pummeled us. It delayed our trip to the burial site for another day.”

“Were you successful?” a reluctant light female voice replied, sitting next to him. She had also been strapped to her seat.

It had been well over thirty minutes. The Goshawk was quite empty in its interior, consisting of only him and another passenger. However, there was quite a lot of activity that was going on outside. Another pilot, a woman with a thick Oshunian accent, had taken the controls. She would constantly be reporting about different events. By now, the shuttle was nearing the planet’s atmosphere that had been lightly dubbed as ‘Planet Sanctuary.’ Further scans showed no defenses over the supposed village. However, the village was still not responding to any communications, either.

The inside of the interior began to rock a little bit. The atmospheric entry turbulence was pushing upon the underside of the shuttle. By now, this form of events had become mundane for Fengge, and he didn’t mind having a person as a distraction. The paleontologist felt ready for whatever was down there. On his left hip was an M70 Pistol with a holster for anything else that he may need on the surface. His safari hat was appropriately placed and held to his stomach.

The other passenger sitting next to Fengge was an armed Yutilian woman named Oventala, assigned from the Menshe’tat. Her small green-statured state was overtaken by the fact that she was well-equipped for the mission. She was covered in shimmering metal green wrap armor. It covered her from her digitigrade feet, feathery tail, legs, torso, arms, and all the way to her neck. In her hand was a large rifle, most likely an anti-material rifle of some sort. The butt end was parked onto the deck as she held on tightly to it. She also had a small pistol slapped onto her right hip. Her features consisted of a pointed rounded face with dark green scales. In addition, she had dark blue and yellow feathers that ran on top of her head. Fengge was all the more used to operating with Yutilians. Oventala seemed mostly conversational. However, a small part of her was resentful of being a guard to this particular human.

“Were you successful?” Oventala asked again.

“Ah ... right, right,” Fengge said as he was brought back to his conversation. “That dust storm lasted for three days. We waited for it to die down, and finally, I just said, ‘Let’s go. Those bones will still be there, but we won’t’ ... or at least how I remembered it. We braved through it, and we reached the dig site. Eventually, that storm ended, and we got a good haul from our expedition.”

“I see...”

There were red flames that were coming from the side of the shuttle given from the camera’s live feed. There was heavy rocking inside the interior.

“Atmospheric Entry commencing,” the pilot said. “We’ll be out of this in a couple minutes.”

“I’m sorry that I’m boring you already,” Fengge told Oventala.

“No ... it alright,” she replied back with a slight amount of broken English.

“I commend your people in being able to know a completely different language. I work with Itreans, and it’s not easy understanding the language.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to talk ... for you?” she replied back with a couple of clicks in her voice.

“Nah ... that’s what I’m here for. Besides, if the Alara’jal are down there, they’ll see both of us. I prefer that I speak so that way they don’t assume that you’re the leader. Not to mention that your people were at war with them. No, I want them to see that the human race are peaceful.”

“Alara’jal big ... us ... tiny. Make sure to stay with me,” Oventala said.

“Don’t worry. You will be my partner in this expedition.” The paleontologist held his hand outward. “Fengge and Oventala, the great expedition to Planet Sanctuary. I can have you in my documentary for humanity to see back at home.”

Oventala seemed to think about it. “Me on ... show?”

“If you want. Make you a big enough star that the men will come running to you to get your number ... ehm ... if that’s what you’re looking for.”

“Men come running to me? I no understand. Why want human men to chase me?”

“Because ... of the whole disease situation...,” Fengge was gesturing to her. “You would become famous that you would be able to find a husband.”

“Oh...” she smiled a little bit. “I already have a mate. You want me to be happy?”

“I’m trying. I know that things haven’t been easy with the disease.”

“No ... not easy. Ivon, I am,” there were a couple of clicks in her voice. “Not happy, but mate is happy. Humans ... humans help. Thank you.”

Ivon ... that was a word that Fengge knew enough of. In a society of all women, Zilik’s Disease had taken its toll in ridding the population of all Itrean males. In order for a dual-gender society to continue its survival, it was necessary to convert some of the female population into “males.” It violated every rule in human rights. The Itreans must have thought similarly, but it was the only way until they discovered humanity.

“I understand,” Fengge said. “She’s not with you?”

“She is on my ship. She is engineer. I am soldier. You have a mate?” she asked.

“Me? Ehh ... Nah. I’ve been married to my work. Not to say that I’ve been thinking about it from time to time. I admit that when I found out that the very creatures I was studying all my life had survived, it really piqued my interest. I was thinking of settling down with another Yutilian, a fellow paleontologist, but ... that’s when I found out about the Alara’jal.”

“Alara’jal big ... really big. What is the word?... ‘myth.’”

The friction generated from the atmospheric entry had ended. The flames ceased as the rocking in the interior died down to a calm trip. By now, any nerves that Fengge had felt had died down with it. He could see the beauty of the outside environment. It was nothing but forest. Even from the high aerial view, with the broad daylight, it was almost all green. Only a few patches of clear dirt and alien grass hills dotted some sections.

“Atmospheric entry, successful,” the pilot said through the intercom. “Doctor Fengge, we will be reaching the designated landing zone in six minutes.”

“You got it,” Fengge replied with an appropriate two-fingered salute from his brow.

Fengge continued his conversation with Oventala. He decided to engage in small talk.

“So, Oventala,” he asked her. “You come from the Kre Kingdom?”

“My mother is Kre,” she answered. “My father was Gui’optre. I am Kre.”

“And the Kre are a race of warriors?”

“Yes, my ... mother fought in the Emphra War. Her ... descen ... descentry...”

“Ancestors,” he helped correct her.

“Ancestors fought before her. Kre are strong and fight well. Your fighting skills?”

He shook his head. “I’m a digger and not a fighter. Give me a shovel, and I’ll find what you’re looking for, but guns ... not so much.”

“You need to learn to fight,” Oventala said.

“Phew ... if it’s one thing ... after what I’ve seen today ... you’re most certainly right.”

There was a short moment in silence as Fengge looked at the growing scenery. The trees had exhibited a partial alien-like environment. A few large hills could be seen, but it was almost a jungle of pure green.

“Absolutely, marvelous...,” he commented. “There was a time that the planet I was born from ... looked like that.”

“What planet?” she asked.

“Earth ... ehm ... Itrea. I apologize ... still used to calling my world as it was. I know we gave it to you.”

“Doesn’t matter to me what you call it. It’s just another world.”

“You were born on ... Kre?”

“Kre click Uio,” she corrected.

“And how does this compare?”

“Green ... er,” she paused as she made a few more clicks in her voice. “With a shipyard taller than any tree.”

There was another pause for a short while. Perhaps it was another minute. Fengge checked his gear to make sure that he had everything in the correct order. With most of the heavy g-forces over, he started to put his hat on. Oventala was busy checking her rifle thoroughly. She placed her four-digit hand over the scope and silently prayed to herself. Fengge knew what she was doing, but he wondered if she was scared or possibly preparing herself for the possibility of death. When she stopped, she took a deep breath through her nostrils.

“I understand...,” he said to her.

“What?” she asked.

“What you were doing. I think we’ll be just fine.”

“I ... I’m ready for death.”

“I’m not, but ... for science and knowledge ... I wouldn’t hesitate. Even then, for a brief moment today, I understood what you’re past generations fought against.”

“My gun ... not much.”

“What do you mean?” He asked.

“Stories ... Alara’jal ... strong. Big ... Very big.”

“Well ... I’ll tell you what,” Fengge practically took his hand and lightly slapped her armored leg. “If the Alara’jal prove to be hostile, I will put myself in front of harm’s way so that you can escape to safety.”

For a few seconds, the Yutilian woman seemed particularly confused by that comment. Even the feathers on her forehead retracted to the lowest point possible. It was unknown if she fully understood the meaning or had a hard time believing it.

“I ... am responsible for your safety,” She said. “My Lesser Adjuncts ... not happy if I fail ... but ... thank you.”

Fengge put his hand to his chest. “Epit...,” He made a click in his voice and then added, “dinosaur, Kiltra’soda bek eeep.”

The saying only seemed to further confuse the Yutilian woman. Her feathers lightly rose back up as her head lightly retracted back. Fengge sighed.

“What did I say in Itrean?” he asked.

“You said that ‘I promise to wash your feet if you ride my bones.’”

“Oh...,” Fengge put his hand to his mouth and seemed to hold back his embarrassment. “That wasn’t what I was trying to say at all. Please, forgive me. I was trying to say, ‘I promise, after this, to bring you to my museum to see dinosaur bones.’”

“Ah.” For the first time, the seriousness in her personality seemed to fade. She made a series of chirps and clicks followed by cackling. “Maybe, human. My mate could use the washing. Say... ‘Kitra’foda besek eeep.’”

Fengge repeated the words again, trying to mimic the bird-like sounds that resided in the alien language. Oventala didn’t seem to be completely pleased.

“Say again, but ... raise your voice with the last two words.”

Again, the paleontologist said the words following the tones to the exact letter. It was enough that Oventala did a quick nod.

“I know,” Fengge said with a sigh. “The language ... it’s hard. One slight change in tone and it changes the meaning. Even a couple letter differences can alter the entire sentence structure.”

Oventala was doing her best to be polite. “English ... Chinese ... easy to learn. You are a good human to try.”

“Attention, everyone,” the pilot said. “We have arrived at our destination. Prepare for landing. Not picking anything big near us. We’ll be landing in less than a minute. Before we open up the doors, we ask ... ehm ... Oventala to keep her helmet on. We will be decontaminating the interior before we open the doors as per decontamination protocols.”

“Do I need anything?” Fengge asked.

“No, we are doing a Level 1 only. Keep in mind, Doc, that we won’t stay here as per Captain’s wishes. No offense, but if these guys are supposed to be big and powerful, I can’t imagine how quickly they’ll destroy the Goshawk.”

“It’s alright. I know the risks.”

Fengge could see Oventala activate the rest of her wrap armor. It fully stretched over her neck and head, covering and receding her head feathers. Even with acknowledging the risks, the Itreans couldn’t jeopardize bringing a deadly disease that would wipe out the males of the Alara’jal. The people had already suffered horrific losses as it was. No matter how remote the possibility was, there was no need to add to it further. The red-lit eye slits showed that she was fully immersed and ready to go.

The shuttle was slowly gravitating toward the surface. It was like being in a slow-ridding elevator. The vectoring thrusters were working overtime to help ensure that the shuttle didn’t flop to the ground. The camera could see nothing but massive treetops all around them.

“Commencing decontamination,” the pilot said.

A heavy spray of gaseous vapor filled the cabin. While it was nontoxic in its application, the gases were designed to eliminate any air-born bacteria or potential viruses that could filter out into the natural environment. Even if it was done once before, a second time was done just in case. There was a slight tingle in Fengge’s lungs that made him gag slightly.

“Might not need a shower in a long while,” Fengge joked with a cough.

Finally, the Goshawk touched down on the surface. The venting gases stopped, and the main starboard hatch opened up. Oventala undid her straps first and quickly stood up. She put her hand to Fengge’s chest as she lifted up her rifle to ready herself.

“Heh ... don’t worry about me,” Fengge said. “As I was going to say, ‘ladies first.’”

“We’re here. Good luck to you, Doctor Fengge.”

“We will need all the luck we can get. Safe traveling to you.”

“Thanks.”

Oventala was the first to exit the shuttle. She was already scanning the scene. The brightness of the outside filtered into the shuttle. Fengge undid his straps and stood up. He took a deep breath and could smell the unique aroma of the outside coming in. He made his venture and stepped out of the shuttle.

“Oh ... that’s just marvelous!” Fengge said to himself. Upon exiting the shuttle, the brightness of the two stars hit his skin. His hat was the only thing that saved his vision from being momentarily blinded until it adjusted to the natural illumination.

Both Fengge and Oventala were in an open field of grass where the shuttle had landed. The paleontologist’s mouth was agape. For a little while, he was just speechless. The surrounding landscape was a paradise. The thick jungles surrounded them. The trees were as tall as the ancient sequoias of Earth, although not as wide from the base stem to the top. The various flora consisted of purple, red, and yellow flowers. Shrubs would occasionally stretch higher than some of the trees. In some areas of the empty encirclement was nothing but a wall of plants. It was almost impossible to traverse through it. The scent of various flowers and pollen was strong. Was this the middle of spring on this planet? It was unknown.

Fengge began to walk away from the shuttle and through the empty grass field. Oventala followed beside him. Her rifle was holstered to her shoulder as she walked. Interestingly, there were few sounds of wildlife, except for various chirps and buzzing sounds.

“Just ... absolutely incredible,” Fengge said. “It’s nothing like Earth.”

“I know little about your world,” Oventala remarked. Her eyes were scanning the landscape, looking for any type of threats.

“Earth was supposed to be like this long ago ... at least from the environmental, historical documentaries that I saw. Forests, bountiful beaches, pure water, clean ocean salt water, fresh air, life everywhere ... green as this. Now ... I have to crawl through the orange wastes with polluted air.” He took a deep breath admiring the fresh air. “Drink enough of the tainted water, and it can make your hair fall out.”

She momentarily looked up at him to see him tip his hat off, showing his bald hair. It was unknown to her if he was joking or being serious.

“Sounds like your people had no care for your own world,” Oventala said.

“Different time period,” Fengge continued. “Not like it is now ... hmm ... I guess, for the most part. In some ways, it makes my life easier. Changes in weather patterns, and sandstorms over areas where life used to flourish, makes it easier for me to dig up the ancestors of your people. I guess I will have to start calling it Itrea like anyone else from now on.”

“Do you plan on leaving it to another world?”

Fengge seemed to think about it for a few seconds. “I would stay. Earth ... Itrea ... it’s my home. Besides ... I just become a T’rintar citizen under the complete annexation at the end of this year. And ... you guys clean up my home. Why, by the time I finally pass on, my planet will be like this. Can’t go wrong with a deal like that.”

As they continued to walk closer to the wall of plants and trees, the Goshawk’s engines powered up. It quickly lifted off. Its vectoring engines were loud enough to be registered in the surrounding environment. A blast erupted from its rear engine as it angled upward and straight into the sky like a rocket. Both Fengge and Oventala knew that they were going to be alone on this.

“Speaking of which...,” Fengge said as he reached into his pockets. He pulled out his little camera device. “Can I film you?”

There seemed to be a snort from Oventala. “Do what you want, Doctor.”

The paleontologist could easily pin the camera to his chest pocket or hold it outward so that it could record the entire scenery and himself. He held it out as Oventala continued to survey areas of the jungle through her armored eye lenses. Finally, the paleontologist held his camera and turned it to himself, setting it to record.

“We are here on the world that we have called ‘Planet Sanctuary,’” Fengge exclaimed. “Our great expedition in Operation Reliquary has brought us through hell to heaven in a single day. As you can see,” he slowly rotated the camera to get a full view. “It’s a world of beauty and serenity. We are here because we believe that we have found the location of the remaining Alara’jal, survivors from Outpost Zalri’eko.” He turned the camera and started to gesture his hands in excitement. “I ... truly believe that we have found living Alara’jal on this world. This environment possesses everything present for people to live on. I’m joined by my partner, Oventala, who is here to help protect us from the possible dangers of this world and help me as we search for the Alara’jal. We’re getting close, my friends ... so much closer.”

“There...,” Oventala pointed to 20 degrees to their right. “There is a path. It leads in the direction of the Alara’jal village.”

“And that is where we shall go!” Fengge said joyfully, feeling like he was in his element. “Lead us onward, Oventala. History is going to be made today.”

They continued their walk. As they approached the wall of plant life, it was like looking at a giant wall. It reached toward the heavens and seemed taller than any natural building that most lifeforms could ever try to build. However, it was merely an optical illusion of Fengge’s field of view. He could clearly see the opening that Oventala hinted at. It seemed like a carved-out section of the forest. Perhaps this was naturally occurring or something that was caused by something else. Fengge was looking at the foliage, trying to find signs of activity that would indicate the inhabitants of this world.

“Let’s see...,” Fengge said. “About 7 meters wide and 8 meters tall for this passage. I can ... what’s this?”

The paleontologist could mark what looked like tracks. It was at the edge of this wide-open area. He practically ran ahead of the Yutilian woman. He leaned down and investigated the ground.

“Well ... what do we have here?” He remarked. “Looks like ... tracks that you would have if you were using a ground vehicle ... perhaps a wagon?”

Oventala seemed to have a hint of annoyance in her walk as she looked at the paleontologist. She knew she had no control over him. The man was happy, doing his best to keep his excitement in check. She could only hope that if the Alara’jal were here, they wouldn’t crush them like bugs. The passage and road through the forest were obvious signs that somebody was there. Tree limbs and brush had been neatly cut. However, this section of the road might not have been as well maintained as it should have been. Green grass still grew to much higher standards than expected. Even with the tracks, the grass was still threatening to grow over the dirt.

“We must press forward,” Fengge said. “We follow these tracks, and they’ll lead us to the villagers.”

“Doctor, I must warn you that the Alara’jal might be heading to us,” Oventala commented with a couple of clicks in her voice.

“Do you see them?”

“No. I’m not tracking anything, now, but...” she pointed her finger to the sky. “They see shuttle. They will come.”

“Good...,” Fengge said as he continued to walk in the direction of the path. “The sooner that we see them, the sooner we establish contact.”

“Should we hide if I see them?”

“Nope. We walk straight down this path, wide open. Anything we do out of the ordinary will only provoke them to defend themselves.”