Culture Shock - 7. Clarity

Robbie had watched the crew with fascination as they approached the planet. Each day seemed to bring more confusion and more excitement. The scientists were living on caffeine pills and sugar now, sleep had been totally forgotten as the Argos approached the planet. The heliopause was some 18 days behind them now although Robbie knew that the Argos was crawling compared to the speeds it had reached before his brain shut down each time he attempted to understand how fast the ship was travelling now.

He reamed his mind, trying to put some meaning to the distances involved: 8 billion kilometres between the heliopause and the star at the centre, Jester-b orbiting at just over 230,000 kilometres from the sun, a distance of almost 7 billion kilometres to travel in from the heliopause. He shook his head, still unable to grasp how 8 billion minus 230,000 could equal 7 billion, but he was afraid to ask a scientist for clarification again. Compression, magnetic distortion, elliptical orbits, it was enough to send him crying to his quarters in pain.

He particularly liked watching the scientists struggling to make sense of the data streaming back from the various probes that had been launched. Soon the Argos would be able to ready the satellites for placement around the planet. So far no-one was able to explain how the planet could have localized high-temperature points without apparent electromagnetic emanations.

The feverish activity from all of the scientists actually wore Robbie out if he watched them too often or for too long. He had already worked out the rotations for the Marine security teams and now was just making a nuisance of himself in the various labs.

Twice a week Robbie would meet up with Corporal William Yuzima and the two of them would attempt to beat the stuffing out of each other. After the first week when the met to “spar” in the work-out room they began to draw a fairly large audience. Both men were pretty much equally skilled in hand to hand combat so the matches became an outlet for the men and tidy sums of money sometimes changed hands.

At first, Yuzima was worried about the audience, but Robbie didn't give him the luxury of being distracted. The first time the younger man allowed his eyes to roam around the room Robbie took the initiative and slammed him in to the padded floor so hard he had to gasp to get air back into his lungs. Now, the two men just blocked out the crowd and tried to seriously hurt the other one.

Dr McCraken summoned Robbie to her office the day after the first “fight” to determine if there was going to be continual interpersonal conflicts. “Lieutenant, is there a problem between you and Corporal Yuzima that you'd like to discuss?” she asked with a concern that revealed the tension she was under.

Robbie looked at her for a full 30 seconds before he broke out laughing. He laughed so hard that the Doctor was worried he was having some sort of hysterical break-down. By the time he was able to regain enough control to gasp out words he said “No.... we're.... just.... letting.... off.... some.... steam!”

The Doctor watched him, trying to read the truth in his face. Finally she shook her head and threw up her hands in resignation. “I will NEVER understand bloody fucking Marines!” That was enough to set Robbie off again.

Lately, Robbie looked forward to these sparring matches. The younger man ended up getting all of the frustrations Robbie dealt with on a daily basis. Without the pressure relief Robbie was certain that he would start snapping the necks of the scientists as they argued about how important a .001 degree fluctuation in the temperature at a specific site could be significant.

Robbie was in the telemetry lab when the Argos neared the planet enough to start launching the ultra-high-orbit satellites. His curiosity was engaged enough to keep him around until the first data linkage was made. He spent the next 12 hours watching the screens until he realized that the string of numbers and letters meant absolutely nothing to him, numbers that caused all sorts of heated debates amongst the scientists.

For the next two days, the Argos slowed to almost zero forward motion to allow the UHO satellites time to send back information on the planet itself. From this data the principle landing site would be determined. The scientists were still trying to win the chance of picking the first two people of the team to land on the planet by determining how the planet's inhabitants were able to mask the electro-magnetic radiation that should have been lighting up the spectral sky. The planet was inhabited by humanoid people and based on the estimated planetary population they had to be fairly civilized, therefore they should have been emitting EM radiation like crazy.

Karma reared its ugly head and the first actual recognizable pattern in the data came from a totally unexpected source, Sargent Christopher Clark. Robbie was watching the data on a spare terminal in one of the science labs when the Sargent approached Robbie with a report that needed the Lieutenant's signature.

While Robbie was reviewing the report, Chris started watching the data stream past. Long after Robbie had finished the report and signed off on it Chris still watched the data stream past. Robbie didn't even notice that Chris was still watching the data, he had returned his attention to the unending string of numbers.

Chris reached over to the terminal beside the one that he and Robbie were watching. He typed in a few strings of commands and entered some numbers from the screen that kept appearing over and over again. Within a minute or so the results of his commands were listed on the terminal.

It was several minutes later before Chris wrenched his eyes away from the data stream to check to see if he had any positive results. “Hmm,” he said.

Robbie was familiar with that sound and shivered. He knew that something has almost taken Chris by surprise. He looked over to see what was so shocking. Not believing his eyes, he leaned closer to the monitor and squinted his eyes to focus solely on the single line of text that Chris was staring at.

Robbie sat back in his chair and turned to look at Chris in amusement. “I knew something looked familiar in all that, but it just wasn't registering,” Robbie said in an undertone to Chris.

“I thought I saw something that looked a bit off and I guess I was right,” Chris said with a big smile on his face. “Takes a Marine to recognize the patterns, we're all taught those as recruits during desert deployment strategy training.”

Robbie started to laugh, loud enough and long enough to attract attention. When Chris joined in the laughter one of the number crunchers came over to tell the two men to either shut up or leave.

Just as he opened his mouth to berate the two men the terminal screen caught his attention. Almost every other monitor in the room was displaying the data stream so when one wasn't it was worth looking at. His eyes bugged out in shock and looked at the two men, his expression was enough to incite louder and more raucous the howls of laughter.

The statistician scrubbed at his tired face with hands that were trembling slightly. He started to shake his head as a groan escaped his lips. “No, no, no, no,” he kept saying over and over again. Other members of the science team started to gather around the terminal and soon everyone was looking at the two Marines with envy and disgust.

Robbie shrugged and simply said “Well, if you weren't looking for high-tech answers you might have been able to detect the heat patterns of a good old fashioned cooking oven in a low tech agrarian society.” Realizing that both himself and Chris were in danger of being lynched, Robbie grabbed his aide by the shirt and hauled him out of the room.

Two hours later it flew through the ship like wildfire, a MARINE had found the answer. The scientists had been trying to figure out what sort of shielding would hide electro-magnetic radiation and not be detectable itself. There was no data to support the theory because there was no shielding in place!

Chris grinned evilly when he was told that he would be picking the first two members of the primary landing team. He took great delight in naming Second Lieutenant Robert Blake and Corporal William Yuzima.

Robbie was shocked at the choices and confronted the Sargent in the privacy of his quarters. Chris smiled and said “The good scientists with all their doctorate degrees needed to be reminded that sometimes the simplest answer to a question IS the right one!”

A lot of shuffling took place among the landing team after the site was chosen for first contact. An average sized village with an approximate population of 3,000 was chosen on the eastern side of the largest land mass. The area just outside the village was large enough to land the shuttle without having to worry about destroying the homes of the natives. By this point, there were approximately 150 satellites in low orbit around the planet, doing minutely detailed surveys of the areas around the concentrated heat sources, the immense communal ovens each village maintained.

Robbie and Yuzima were already equipped with haz-mat landing suits that were of better quality than those the scientists were going to be wearing. Privately Robbie was glad that Chris had picked him, he was afraid that he would go stark raving mad being up in the Argos while the team that he was supposed to protect was facing things he could not anticipate. And, he wanted to set foot on the planet too.

The decision on the landing site and time of day was made by an almost unheard of unanimous decision. The village they would dub Village #1 would see the shuttle craft touch down at approximately high noon.

- - -

The Seer Kla-por'o'a'o was sitting with the Eldest, enjoying a leisurely game of kfara when the next vision hit her. She screamed in shock as the pictures flowed through her mind. By the time the vision was over, several people had arrived. The Seer found herself being held by Elder Ol-ya-trin, who had been visiting the Eldest with a report on the food stores of the village.

The Seer was shaking, the visions had become more and more powerful in the past few days. This time the visions terrified her. 'I see.... people coming,' she said hesitantly and with a fair amount of doubt mixed in. 'I see people coming in a skin that is not their skin.' She scrunched up her brow as she said that. 'I see great bags surrounding these new people. I see them getting out of a craft that's similar to the large transports that the Wind Dancers use to carry large shipments. The craft sparkles in the sun's rays like a pool of water on a bright and sunny day.'

While the Seer paused in her telling of the visions she had just experience, the Eldest passed a tumbler full of cold water to help calm and relax the strained vocal cords that the Seer over-worked lately with the intensity of the visions she was having. The Seer smiled as she took a long drink, swallowing slowly to help ease her vocal cords. She coughed lightly to clear her throat before handing the tumbler back to the Eldest.

She took a deep breath and continued her telling of the visions. 'I watch the new people remove the bubbles that surround their heads. The smell coming from them is disgusting. And when they open their mouths to speak, gibberish comes out.'

Everyone that was crowded into the Eldest's home waited quietly for the Seer to continue. 'I see this village playing host to the new people that come from beyond the everything. They wish to meet with us and discuss our lives and learn from us. I see death following them around. Death with short stubby fingers and a terrible stench.'

The Eldest just stated off into space as the vision anded and the Seer and insisted that she was ok. With a huge sigh, the Eldest pulled herself off of the floor and dusted off her butt. With a quick look around ad the mass of people that were standing around her home she realized that she wouldn't be able to feed this many people.

'Eldest, I humbly wish to point out that the evening meal was long past so you are not obligated feed us anything,' one of her erstwhile neighbours said.

'Am I that transparent?' the Eldest asked.

'Yes, you most certainly are. Besides, we all know how good your cooking is not.'

A few groans passed through the crowded room, with all eyes being fixed on the Eldest to see what her reaction would be. Instead of anger, the Eldest started to laugh. She was laughing so hard that several of the men in the small room just stared, trying to figure out if the Eldest was truly pleased or truly pissed.

The Eldest walked over to the sassy neighbour and lightly slapped him across the cheek before pulling him in for a hug. 'My dear boy, I truly expect you to remind me when my ego gets too big to leave my home through the front door!'

The Eldest scanned the faces around her and motioned for Elder Ho-mah-sed to join her. Before the Eldest could say anything someone in the back said in a very loud whisper 'I think that as Elder in charge of communications you should expect visitors.' The Eldest couldn't hold back the grin that spread across her face.

- - -

Robbie and Yuzima worried they would end up being in the way of the landing party so they decided to reduce the Marine complement in the landing crew by two. This way they would not be forcing the landing party to be short two vital scientists and they would have something to do once the landed dirt-side.

Over the course of several days the ship-board time was synchronized with the diurnal pattern of the village they would be visiting. That way the scientists not on the planet would have the same sleep-cycle to allow better communication with the ship.

Robbie was amazed when the landing shuttle began loading a full day before their planned planet fall. He watched with a morbid fascination that bordered on amusement as the various boxes, chests and crates were loading into the shuttle and packed so tightly that there was no need for the protective webbing that would prevent shifting during the landing sequence. He made sure that his Marines would be ready to deploy as soon as the shuttle was loaded and ready to launch. Even with the arms they were taking with them, the Marines were much more efficient at packing and stowing their gear. Each man was responsible for his own gear and carried it all in a large pack they would sling over their shoulders.

The trip down was estimated to take just over 2 hours, a slow entry and time for a fly-by of the village before landing. Exactly one hour before the launch of the shuttle Robbie heard the unique sounds of military feet in boots walking in complete unison toward the shuttle bay.

- - -

The Seer was weak and shaking all of the time now. Kla-por'o'a'o was afflicted with visions that tormented her with every breath she took into her slender body. Between the most intense of the visions the Seer was able to warn the villagers to vacate the field where she saw the ship land. Once the majority of the area was vacated, people were dispatched to rake the entire field and get ready for the landing of the ship.

Elder Ho-mah-sed visited all of the Elders individually, asking them for their thoughts on how to deal with the possibility of meeting people from a new planet. The older ones of the Elders remembered the last time that a Seer had foretold gloom and doom. The younger Elders didn't have a clue as to what might be about to unfold.

The Elders found themselves a comfortable place just under the edges of the trees so that they could sit in the shade while waiting for the ship to land. Geh-tril-pah'o and Dancer Bah't were waiting with the Elders as well. As a sign of honour and respect, Bah't had his entire support crew on the field waiting to assist the craft after it landed.

Kla-por'o'a'o insisted on being present at the time that her visions were focusing on. She was so exhausted that she was stretched out on a blanket hastily spread on the ground beside the place where most of the Elders were waiting for the new craft to arrive. She tossed and turned, thrashing her head on the pillows that surrounded her frail body. She was desperately hoping that once the craft had landed that she'd have the time to eat something before the next vision ravaged her body.

Mo-teh-von-way was kept busy providing food for all of the assembled people. Even though he griped and complained about the extra work everyone knew that he was delighted to help in whatever small manner possible. He served up so much food that the pantry cupboards in his workshop were horrifically bare.

In one last burst of vision-fueled energy the Seer begin to shake her head from side to side. As the vision took control of her body the Seer went rigid. 'Today is the day. Today you will see me in my grief and trepidation. Today the craft will blot out the sun for a very brief time before it makes its way to kiss the field.' As she uttered the last syllable the Seer collapsed and finally seemed to be sleeping for the first time in almost two weeks.

The Eldest smiled tenderly at the sleeping form of the Seer. Because the prostrate woman on the blanket had been living with her, the Eldest knew that she was not sleeping much at all. The Eldest sent out her most subtle and reliable messenger to ask a handful of people to meet with her in that solitary place called her back garden.

By the time that the Eldest hobbled back to her home she had figured out what she intended to say. 'My friends,' she began warmly, 'I fear that this old body will not measure up to this task. I plan to see through as much as my failing strength will allow, but I think that it would be prudent for you to start to consider a successor for my position as Eldest. Besides, whatever is going to happen out there on that field might just need someone with a younger point of view.'

The only response to the Eldest's comment was complete and absolute silence. The Elders and advisers that were gathered in her back garden watched her face, hoping that she would smile and threaten to kick their collective asses if they didn't shape up. No smile came.

Il-gat-fed was the first one to speak up. 'Eldest, surely you realize that your experience, wisdom and brutal honesty are much loved in the village. We respect you and care for you deeply. I have been thinking and meditating on the day when you would no longer grace us with your presence. Today is not that day.'

Every person in the small group nodded in agreement. Some were shuffling from foot to foot nervously while Elder Va-ar-lat closed his eyes and began humming a simple tune under his breath. One single drop of moisture escaped his closed eye and traced a path down his cheek. 'Eldest,' he began without opening his eyes. 'We understand your plight. You feel worried that your strength will fail you during this trial of our village. We, and I mean myself and just about every other person present in your wonderful garden, have discussed this scenario.'

Elder Ho-mah-sed coughed gently, trying to loosen the bands of grief and fear that were constricting his throat. 'We are all in unanimous agreement today, as we were when we elevated you to the position of Eldest. YOU are the one that will see us through whatever will happen today, and for as long as you are able to continue. We will arrange a palanquin for you, if needed, to get you from place to place and I will personally be one of the ones to bear you around. We need your wisdom, your insight, your irreverence. We even need your less than hypothetical kicks in the ass.'

Eldest Syn-dra-val'i regarded each face carefully. By the time she reached the last face, tears were running down her face and she was forced to lean heavily on her cane. 'I don't know what to say except to repeat my words when you elevated me to Eldest: I will try my best, with all of my strength and abilities, to not disappoint you but beware for I have no qualms about kicking some ass when I think it's needed!'

Chuckles filled the garden as Eldest Syn-dra-val'i smiled at each and every one of the dear people that were surrounding her. She wiped the tears with the back of her hand and took a deep breath before adding 'Ok people, in that case standing around my garden won't accomplish a thing. Either get your asses back to the field or I WILL start kicking.'

- - -

Robbie looked over the squad of Marines with pride filling his chest. He walked down the line of men standing at attention awaiting his review. By the time Robbie made it to the end of the line he turned to face the open hatch to the shuttle and barked out “Marines, on the shuttle now!”

As one body, the Marines turned, picked up their kit bags that had been sitting behind them on the floor and smartly marched up the shallow ramp into the shuttle. Robbie looked over his shoulder and gave Chris a smile. “Keep up discipline on the ship while I'm dirt-side Sargent.”

Chris smiled at his commanding officer and replied “You just keep your ass safe, sir. I'm NOT about to try and take command of these apes!” Before either man could say anything else Chris snapped a smart salute at Robbie, turned on his heals without waiting for the return salute and made his way quickly out of the shuttle bay.

- - -

Ot-val'o'o was talking to Bah't, facing the field while the Dancer watched the group of Elders seated further in the shade of the trees. 'Honestly, I'm hoping that for once the Seers are all wrong, I -' and he fell silent in mid sentence. Bah't looked at his friend and ex-lover, trying to determine what had finally been able to shut him up. He turned just in time to see the distant speck grow in the sky, sunlight reflecting off of the forward view ports and almost blinding him.

He turned to give the approaching craft his full attention and started to slowing walk onto the field. Before he managed to take ten steps the waves of heat and air that preceded the shuttle kicked up enough dust to force the Dancer to cover his face with his arms in an attempt to avoid being hurt.

- - -

“Ladies and gentlemen, we have touched down on the planet designated Hester-b. Please prepare for preliminary environmental assessment,” the pilot's voice rang through the speakers on the shuttle as grinding and metallic groans were heard throughout the ship. Probes were extended and samples were taken for analysis.

Now that they were finally on the planet, no-one seemed overly eager or willing to be the first to step on to the new world.