The Terranian Enigma Read online

  The Terranian Enigma

  By

  Andrew Dunkley

  The Terranian Enigma © 2020 Andrew Dunkley.

  Andrew Dunkley has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Australian Copyright Act 1968.

  No part of this book can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher, Andrew Dunkley.

  Cover art by Steve Dunkley.

  Title chosen thanks to the inspiration of the Space Nuts Podcast audience.

  Main Characters

  The Andromedans

  Admiral Karlou Vardourn – First Andromedan Fleet, Commander of ISS Titania

  Bishon Grudek – Supreme Leader

  Yeovale Darnuth – First Officer, ISS Titania

  Maneva Gantu – Ship’s Medical Officer

  Narrom Gish – Chief of the Watch

  Captain Cion Zanaeus – Commander of ISS Vittorius

  Arda Guz - Pilot

  Miran Gase- Cadet

  The Terranians

  Filo – Technician and Amateur Astronomer

  Sanita – Filo’s wife

  Jako – Astronomer

  Barkou – President of the Astronomical Society

  Ludic – Professor of Linguistics

  Terranian League of Governors

  Garon of Estonita

  Percius of Eropa

  Callon of Afrikaan

  Marron of Pancifica

  Bayou of Artesia

  Vanis of Carthidge

  The Borche

  Galek – Clan Lord-Sennas Sector, Commander of the Quaal

  Acknowledgements

  Thanks to my wife Judy for proof reading the manuscript and tolerating my long winded explanations of the plot and testing the twists in the storyline.

  To my brother Steve, you are a graphics legend, thanks for the amazing cover!

  Thanks to Professor Fred Watson for opening my mind to the possibilities of taking truth and turning it into Science Fiction.

  Thanks also to the many Space Nuts Podcast listeners who pitched ideas for the book’s title when I was devoid of ideas.

  Dedicated to my Grandchildren, always let your imaginations run riot.

  Chapter 1 – Prelude

  After thousands of years and trillions of deaths, the planet had finally reached a state of peace. The people had endured seven world wars and thousands of other smaller conflicts, the consequences of which were catastrophic and without any semblance of logic. Life was extinguished at the whim of tyrants. For a very long time it seemed that intelligent life would fade away having achieved nothing but its own demise.

  The early wars were fought over continents, the main antagonists seeking new territories for themselves. Later the wars were fought over ideology or conflicting religious beliefs but then the war for resources erupted. With the planet facing the threat of a runaway greenhouse effect, scientists and the leaders of nations argued over the remedy. While many agreed that the industrialisation of the planet had injected too many gases into the atmosphere, others ignored the warnings and kept poisoning the world. Those that united against them were forced to take drastic action and the Fifth World War began.

  This conflict lasted nearly one hundred years, no-one willing to relent and, ironically, it further poisoned the atmosphere when the losing superpower in its dying gasp unleashed hundreds of nuclear warheads in a bid to extinguish the foe. They failed, with most of their missiles destroyed before they could reach their targets, exploding in the stratosphere. With the planet counting its losses, peace came again and lasted a thousand years, but the price was high with many nations facing significant economic turmoil. They were forced to make impossible decisions. With famine and disease ravaging their populations they allowed their governments to fold and handover their lands to bigger nations.

  This was known as the War of Economics and was fought in houses of Government and Corporate headquarters rather than on battlefields. It saw the rich and powerful nations of the World racing once again for territory. Their leaders knew that the only way to maintain superiority was to be the biggest and nations that had held their own for millennia were suddenly extinct. Their people were forced into servitude as soldiers or slaves, most given menial tasks and treated no better than farm animals. When that war finally ended there were no more nations, just four continental superpowers, Chinaya; Europa, Oceania and the Southern Territories. All were equally powerful and all hell bent on being in total control.

  For another thousand odd years there was an uneasy peace with occasional skirmishes over border issues, mainly with people fleeing one power hoping for a better life with another. They were always wrong. No one power cared for any of the migrants and ultimately they were no better off. The vast majority lived pitiful, soulless lives.

  Then in the year 7881, war erupted again. Chinaya had been secretly developing new super weapons. They had been exploring space and harvested new and exotic minerals from asteroids creating weapons that had no equal. They soon swept the planet, vanquishing Europa then Oceania. They were stopped in the Southern Territories, not by soldiers but by the geography and environment. By now the air had become so poisonous, venturing outside was impossible without body suits and respirators. The Southern Territorians took to living underground while the Chinayans retreated. The planet laid waste for the next five thousand years and the wars of the past became distant memories.

  Interestingly both the remaining super powers remained resolute. There was no new migration of people seeking better lives or opportunities, no breakaway groups or political actions on either side. Each settled into their chosen lifestyles, which were demonstrably different.

  As the planet healed itself the people began again to venture out, inevitably the Chinayans and Southern Territorians crossed paths again.

  Initially it seemed like peace was possible but the ideological differences were soon clear. Chinaya had settled on brutality as its form of governance which was unwavering. They killed anyone who stepped outside the legal bounds. There were only two levels of existence, the Elitists and the Slavists. While an Elitist could become a Slavist by breaking the law the opposite was impossible. Life in Chinaya was prosperous for a minority of the people, the majority living in fear and deprivation.

  The Territorians, however, had reached an epoch. They saw life as a cooperative venture and endeavoured to stamp out poverty and hatred. It took them hundreds of years of re-education but ultimately they achieved what they called “Equilibrium”. No-one wanted for anything. All were treated with respect and equality. Life was good.

  When word of the Territorian ways filtered into the minds of the Slavist Chinayans the results were catastrophic. The people rebelled against the Elitists but they had no hope. Those that were not killed retreated to the Southern Territories and were taken in as refugees. When the Chinayan governors realised what had happened they attacked the Southern Territories. For a thousand days and nights they bombarded the Territorians with their super weapons in an attempt to wipe them out. They then sent in ground troops to mop up.

  The Territorians were fully aware of the tactic and they were prepared. Chinaya made a full commitment to the attack. They sent every man, every ship, every aircraft expecting to overrun the Territorians and achieve a swift victory. What they did not know was that the Territorians had built superior defences and none of the 1000-day blitz had anything more than a superficial effect. When the Chinayans arrived they faced a motivated and angry foe and the war devolved into a siege.

  Fighting was relentless and bloody and lasted years
. Tens of millions died on both sides but, in time the will of the Territorians prevailed. They pushed back the Chinayan forces. Many of them surrendered, their spirits crushed. To their surprise they were treated fairly, fed and clothed and allowed to live. The realisation that their internment was better than life at home saw them negotiate with the Territorians and ultimately they fought side by side to free their families from tyranny. Word of this saw more and more Chinayan troops defect. Eventually the Chinayan governors had barely a skeleton force to defend their soil. They fought to the death. The Seventh and final World War was over.

  Over the next few thousand years the planet repaired itself yet again. The people became like-minded, lived for the planet rather than themselves. Things that were seen as unnecessary were discontinued; interplanetary exploration, deep ocean exploration and armaments. Things like astronomy became hobbies while science was primarily focused only on the betterment of life and longevity. There were exceptions, such as mining for metals to enhance technology but the pristine environment was always revived. All decisions were aimed at achieving global balance. No-one wanted for anything, there was no unemployment except for those who were frail or incapable of working. They were cared for. One language, one currency and one economy was developed. There were no nations, no religion and no one person was in power; a League of Governors, a democracy that followed a strict constitution that had been forged out of all that had gone wrong for so many years past. While there was still petty crime, minor disagreements and a need for a police force; armies, air forces and navies were disbanded, weapons of mass destruction themselves destroyed. The global effect of this peace was indescribable and the people rejoiced.

  For another thousand odd years the people revelled in a life that none could have imagined. The planet’s air cleared, scientists overcame all forms of disease so that being healthy and being long lived were just normal states of being. Yes, some people died accidentally or through misadventure but overall life expectancy became much more significant, like no time in history. The people of what we now called Terrania lived in harmony. There was rarely, if ever a murder to speak of and prisons became unnecessary while hospitals were typically only used in times of emergency or accident. Schools became the major institutions that endure and education was free for everyone.

  Over time everyone became used to this cooperative life of plenty and complacency spread silently through the generations. The only thing they didn’t count on was another intervention, not of our own making but from Space.

  It was the 4th day of the second solar quarter in the year 13948…when they came.

  Chapter 2 – The Discovery

  Filo called to his wife, “I’m just going to the roof. It’s a perfect night to observe!”

  “Very good,” replied Sanita, “Take your time, all is well with the children.”

  Filo was very excited; he’d never seen the sky so luminous. With the days of pollution and foul air long gone, the skies of Terrania were spectacularly clear and he wanted so much to make some kind of significant discovery and write a paper about it; perhaps winning a prize from the Amateur Astronomical Society for seeing something extraordinary and documenting it for the first time. Filo was a dreamer.

  During the day he worked in the city as a computer technician, maintaining the city’s vast quantum grid. It was mindless work a lot of the time as most of the technology was self-monitoring and self-repairing. He only needed to step in when something unforeseen occurred which was basically never. Terrania was a green power planet, only using renewables. Nuclear and coal power had been jettisoned long ago and, despite the time it took, the alternative energy program was now efficient and abundant. Filo’s solace was astronomy and he was on the roof every other night watching the heavens when the weather permitted and tonight was indeed excellent, clear skies and moonless.

  With the city’s power grid turned down to the red scale to help people sleep, there was little in the way of light pollution to interfere with his view. Besides, the small quantum computer in the telescope was more than capable of adjusting for any anomaly. He trained the scope to a set of pre-programmed coordinates aimed at the Osiris Nebula and settled back to watch and listen. His scope was also equipped with a highly sensitive antenna array, located in his ample back yard. It wasn’t a massive dish like those of thousands of years ago, but it was as effective with the assistance of modern technology and ultra-high speed computing. He closed his eyes for a moment, taking in the interstellar radio signals and the ether of the cosmos. He was soon fast asleep.

  Sometime later Filo woke with a start. What was that, he thought to himself. He’d heard something through the phones, a radio signal of some kind perhaps or maybe just a natural variance in the ether of the space he was focussed on. It did tend to waver and oscillate from time to time, so he wasn’t overly surprised by the anomaly.

  In all of the history of the World, no-one had even located any sign of life beyond Terrania. No radio bursts, no signs of intelligent life through spectrum studies of exoplanets, nothing whatsoever. Of course, when war upon war fractured the World, astronomy ground to a halt. When society settled into its new state of being, astronomy became something of a casual pastime rather than a serious undertaking. It certainly didn’t attract any form of governmental support or funding, so discoveries were rare and deep space exploration long forgotten.

  Filo knew that space missions had been launched in the distant past, thousands of them to be frank. Some were deep space missions aimed at far distant objects and a few even tried interstellar travel using light sails to propel their small probes across the vastness of space between galaxies. No-one knew what became of any of those objects. For all Filo knew they were still out there, lost forever. Pity.

  Filo looked at the telemetry on his quantum screen. There was indeed a spike on the data stream. He rewound the recording and listened, zzzzzt! There it was, a clear and significant carrier of some kind, not static. It sounded like the hash of a radio signal as the relay switch released after a broadcast. Looking at the preceding data that was recorded he could see a spectrum of some kind, a low level source which had lasted 48 secs. Filo did some calculations to try and hone in on the source. He was quite experienced having traced many signals from pulsars and quasars and knew how to find what he was looking for. When the computer spat out the results he was puzzled. The information made no sense. He ran the calculations again and got the exact same result, how could this be? It was too strong to be a celestial signal which meant it was close.

  As silly as it felt to him he turned his attention to the optical telescope and looked at the exact point of the signal, expecting to see a distant object that might explain the signal, something undiscovered perhaps. Almost immediately he spied a glint of light. He drew his eye away from the lens and wiped it with the back of his hand then looked again. A moment or two later there was another glint, then two more. What? The glints appeared to be from high orbiting objects. Filo knew this was impossible as all the old satellites had burnt up long ago and nothing was up there anymore. The technology of today dispensed with the need for satellites in any case, so what was he seeing?

  Filo followed protocol, reached for his communicator and called his friend and fellow astronomer Jako, “I need confirmation. Can you see it?”

  “Yes,” replied Jako, “Glints of light in high orbit, but that’s impossible.”

  “I know, but we both see it. What do we do now?”

  “Take hi res pictures, record as much data as you can for as long as you can and bring it to the society tomorrow. Can you get away from work?”

  “That shouldn’t be a problem,” Filo said thinking of the mindless rotes he spent watching the automated systems that never needed him to intervene.

  “Right then, be at the society at 10 rotations. Someone might know what it is.”

  Filo noted the time in his electronic diary, a tool he lived by. As discussed, he recorded everything, the vision and sounds,
for the next 2 rotes and then it stopped as suddenly as it started. He still had no idea what he’d witnessed. He collated the data onto a pocket drive and went inside. In the bedroom his wife and children slept, breathing deeply and undisturbed by his presence. He joined them and, after a while drifted off himself.

  At dawn, just after 7 rotes he woke. His family were already eating and he joined them feeling somewhat excited to share his discovery, whatever it was.

  “How was your night Filo,” asked Sanita after giving him a kiss on the cheek.

  “Well, I may have discovered something!”

  “Really father, what was it?” asked his eldest child Mika

  “I don’t really know.”

  “Oh, so does that mean it’s not really a discovery?” asked Filo’s daughter.

  “Don’t be rude Janeya,” said Sanita but all the children laughed as did Filo.

  “It’s only a discovery when we confirm it and I’m doing that today.”

  “Really Filo? What about work,” asked Sanita making her frustration apparent.

  “I’m taking a few rotes off; this could be important.”

  “What do you mean, important, it’s just astronomy?” she retorted.

  “I saw light from a nearby source and heard what could have been radio chatter on the low end spectrum. It’s not an area that is used much on the planet, so it’s strange.”

  “What could it be father?” asked his youngest child Kita.

  “It might just be a signal bouncing off something but that wouldn’t explain the glints of light. We have nothing up there anymore, but if I had to guess I would say a vessel of some kind.”

  “Are you sure?” asked Sanita.

  “Of course not! I’m just guessing but it’s too close to be a natural phenomenon. The travel time is in the mins which means it’s very close. And before you ask, no, we don’t have any space ships.”