November 13th, 820 A.S.
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Edinburgh System, Bretonia Space
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Planet Gaia, Continent Achaia
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Somewhere deep inside a jungle, close to the oceanic coast
Deep night on Gaia. On the ground, under the lofty tropic trees, between the green bushes and ferns, rules nearly inpenetrable darkness, only interrupted by some pale moonlight beams, when the wind moves the gnarled branches of the big trees.
Though, this is not the romantic moonlight-flooded night in which young couples go taking a hike in the park...this is a night in which you do not want to set a dog outside...it is raining torrentially.
Like it has used to be for the last couple of days since the beginning of the monsoon time on Gaia.
And therefore, the assumed oh so romatic night is turned instantly into a cacophony of heavy rain hitting billions of leafes, drowning every other sound...besides the buff screams of hunting animals and the last sound of their prey.
In the midst of this ancient scenery, which is happening since millions of years on this planet, something strange was added on a glade in the midst of the forest, close to the beach...
Approaching the glade, a small light can be seen...no moonlight; it is something which is emitted from the ground. This small light displays a huge, undefined shadow on the bushes and logs, which is slowly moving around every minute. Fascinated by this phenomen, some ape-like creatures are dancing together with their new, dark buddy.
Tracking down the source of the shadow will lead you to this unusual sight:
A tent.
And a silhoutte staring into the source of the mysterious light.
Let us have a closer look on that figure sitting inside that tent, enjoying this loud night, shall we? This way, we could even get outta this nasty rain...
Opening the entrance zipper of the tent, you instantly recognize a stubble-bearded, thin man with glasses, dressed in a filthy, worn-out laboratory coat...
Looks pretty raggle-taggled, this bloke.
The small light in the middle of the tent is not a camp fire...neither a stove nore a neon light...it is a book with holographic pages on which the man is schmearing like mad. Well, you WOULD notice those two things first, the man and the book, if there were not piles of dirty underwears, fastfood boxes and empty energy drink cans, a couple of small animals running around the tent freely and a compact, futuristic looking laboratory unit which occupies half of the tent.
All those things around him, the loud rain, the smell, the tiny animals in the tent, seems not to distract or disturb him....the book he is busy with must be pretty fascinating, probably. And since we are now trapped in this tent (By now, there are some big, nasty sounding creatures around the tent.), we can let pass time faster by accompaning this guy writing...maybe, morning comes quicker this way.
Looking over his shoulder, you can see that the man has not been busy for a long time since the obvious title of the book can be seen. And the title is...
MY DIARY
Dear diary,
i have decided to write down the happenings of the last couple of days...those days which will have a lasting and fundamental impact on my life, like...well, i do not find any comparison right now. I heard that people who experience such a change in life oftenly begin to write it down...for whatever reason. Maybe to torture their grand-children with those stories someday, sitting in the wheelchair, when they do not remember the experienced events with their stone-old, weakened memory anymore, and just read out of the diary...not like I would ever need a backup like that at any stage for torturing my grand-children...if I had some.
I guess I just do it because it is raining outside in the tropical environment I am in right now and therefore, I am bored to death...there is no one to talk to, my robot has just become a victim of the rain and the animals in the bushes right next to my tent are not the best guests for a coffeeparty. And like said, most people do start diaries in situations like that, with all the things going through their head, those life-changing events in their mind...better than talking to yourself about that in a corner and slowly snapping in the wild nature.
So, i have decided to become part of those people. The one who write instead of snapping, of course.
So, welcome to life, dear diary! And welcome to the green hell of...
Gaia.
Maybe I should start with telling you how I have ended up down here in the everlasting green forests of the tropical paradise we call Gaia...would be a good opportunity to explain a lot of things why I am here...and stating that I am not insane for flying through Gaul Land, bypassing Gaians and running from animals with more teeths than hairs, so I can dive hundreds of meters in an unknown ocean to stare into the cold, dark depth of the said ocean...wait...
Okay, sounds insane anyways, regardless for what reason.
Anyways, the reason, or better, reasons, for such a trip should better be good to justify this madness, eh? True that. And believe me, they ARE good, maybe even the best which have ever happened to me in my life as a Xenologist. Okay, for others, the will seem to be more suicidal than good, but whatev.
So, where to begin...oh, I know!
With lingering around in space, my most favourite thing to do. And always gets me into some kind of trouble.
Having holidays from my anyways relaxing and nice work as a freelancing scientist, I had decided to use the given time to visit old friends of mine. Flying through all corners of Sirius with a good feeling (which was caused by drinking through all of my friends bars) the third day in a row, I had been on my way to a good pal in Hokkaido. Together with him, I was making my first money in the brand-new Freelancer life i have had started about 6 years ago. Since he was the onliest person around who was willed to give a shabby Freelancer who claimed to be a scientist, with more fleas than bucks in the pocket, a credit which had put the Freelancer in the position to obtain his first payed job...
Well, that is another story. To keep things short, I was flying to the station he was living in.
With my newly installed auto-pilot, auto-defence-turrets, brand-new energy emitters for maximum shield power and all kinds of scanners to detect even the atom of a potential threat, i was sleeping in my cockpit while being flown to the said station.
Passing by a station in New Tokyo, a spine-shaking warning signal was waking me up from the comfy delirium. It was the bio-scanner. A nice piece of equicment which was able to, like a cargo scanner, scan all biological and semi-biological objects and subjects onboard a vessel. Flying through all regions of the Outer Worlds, like Omicrons and Taus, has teached me the value of such an fine add-on.
Now, after stopping the alert signal, another, even more intensive shiver went down my spine...it was caused by the discovery of the scanner...a vessel, about five klicks above mine. And by lord, I was absolutely sober again when i was seeing the exact analyse of the pilot in there...
Right above my head, a real "Wild" was flying. Some people do not even know about the existence of those beings, mostly because it was a taboo to speak about anything related to Nomads in House Space...and those pilots have definatly something VERY nomadic about themself...even in them.
I have seen a couple of those personally over the years travelling in space, and in all occasions, it had not been a pleasent meeting. With being a nomadic-human hybrid; the still anthropogenical appearence, they have all the advantages...and also disadvantages...of the Nomad race. Of course, the usual aggressivness as well, which was a disadvantage for everyone else. Oh, and they are perfect in staying undetected...perfect infiltration units, mostly not even noticed by anyone else besides their own race...or by others...but mostly when it is too late.
Now, the second most important rule for staying alive in cosmos is not to play the brave, trigger-happy warrior...you can easily get a glowing hole into your armour...
Neither running away without any plan is suggestable. Mostly, a headless escape ends headless, literally.
So, having this pilot so darn close to my vessel, I squeezed out a short greeting to pretend not having recognized him with my scanners and instantly requested a docking permission on the station nearby.
Ready for initiating the docking procedure, something pretty unusual happened...something i have never seen before.
The incubus greeted me back. In a friendly way.
First sitting there a bit astonished, i decided to stay outside...my curiosity was awoken. Still on guard, of course.
Such an occasion, a still-standing, not-shooting hybrid...it would be a sin to science NOT to use such an opportunity. This way, I could record some information about this species. While trying to pretend the happy Freelancer, I was running some scans...records...
So we both were floating there in space, when the pilot asked me what i was waiting for...cought off-guard now (I was preparing more scans), I told him the truth...I was about to visit a good friend of mine and was resting here for a bit.
And I think i did say this in such a nervous tone, that the incubus got suspicios...
So, after a while of brabbeling, I simply told him that I did scan him...and know what or who he is. I did it for science and personal interest, since I am a Xenologist. But not a dumb one, with a healthy respect for beings like him, and therefore, I will stop my attempt to gather more info about him.
After a very inconvenient silence, he said that it was not very nice of me that i had scanned him without saying anything. Expecting a following laser storm, I was feeling uneasy...
To keep things short, the laser storm did not come. In fact, we began to talk to each other...later in the conversation, he told me that it is the humans' fault that nearly every meeting with his kind would end in a fight. He also commented my statement that i do not shoot anything which is not a direct threat to me and also having a superior firepower, as a wise decision and he would like to see more of my kind around.
So, we kept on talking. It looked like I had drawn his interest...and look at that: By talking about my job and profession, it appeared that we have the same interest in lifeforms. And let me tell you, one of my most favourite thing to do is talking about my job...wait, i think I have already mentioned that. Anyways, at this point, my doubts about staying alive in his presence were not given anymore. Someone who shares this beatiful interest in the creation of life and solving its mysteries was probably not a heartless monster.
In retroperspective, this was also the moment of no return...
So, maybe this sounds very weird for someone who hears about this story...the reader will probably think: "Why is this idiot interacting with a monster? He could get infected, or worse!"
Well, I gotta admit, before meeting this pilot; his name was Otousan, like I was told one day later, I would have reacted the same way. But, you know, magic of the moment...a talk between two species, expected from to shoot each other, arch enemies...and yet, none of us showed any interest in doing so; what society expected us to do. I guess it is just hitting the right topic or speech to prevent chaos...
To be honest though, I was still very suspicous towards him, though it seemed that it was not his intention to shoot me...he could have done that thirteen minutes before, with ease.
Instead, our small talk ended with him asking me for a favour...a favour which could only be done by someone with my qualifications. I would not regret it.
Just imagine this: An offer for cooperation, symbiosis, from such a being! My healthy human mind shouted at me not to accept, but the scientist in me was louder...like using a vuvuzela. A truly unique occasion.
So, I was accepting this offer. My task was to fly to a nebula in Bretonia, collect alien organisms which were located in this cloud and drop a couple of canisters, filled with the organisms, in Chester system.
Piece of cake. Plus, having the opportunity to analyse a yet unknown bacteria was enough incentive for me to do this.
After a boring trip to the nebula, i collected some samples, for my client AND myself, and had kicked a container outside my ship after arriving in Chester...
Happy with new stuff to research AND fullfilling my task given by Otousan, I set off to Kusari, Ainu Depot in Hokkaido to visit this old pal of mine.
A couple of days later; somehow, i was expecting this to happen, I catched a well-known bio scan on my radar while resting at Java Station...it was Otousan again. And finally, we have reached the point where things will get more...Sirius.
He told me that I should follow him; he has to show me something of great importance...something worth travelling a couple of lightyears for.
My first instinct was hesitation...alone out there, with a Wild, in open space, without any chance to dock or find assistance anywhere if...Otousan would get aggressive...made me a bit nervous.
Though, on the other hand...he has had tons of chances to kill me instantly over the last couple of days...in my liner, I would not stand a chance against him...
So, if he wants to kill me, he would have it done already, I was sure of that.
Plus, the last meeting and the mission which was the result of it led me to a cloud full of until this point unknown extremophiles...something of scientifical use. And I was rewarded by someone for it...as soon as I had arrived at the nearest station after leaving Chester, I recieved a partially analysed genome sequence and something like a "thank-you" message...
So, with those logical arguments, I dared to follow him. As I was experiencing later, the destination of this trip was a known place...not something mystical Nomadish, as I was thinking...it was this planet, Gaia.
Looking at the blue-green pearl, Otousan explained me that I was doing well on my last mission...well enough to have the honor of doing a second mission for someone of importance. Great importance.
He proceeded with his explanation that his kind, and the pure Nomads themselve, are interested in this planet. Even that interested that they would like to investigate it closely; means, land on it and research everything what is down there. Unfortunatly, the Nomads themselve are not able to "land" and "walk" down there...everyone who has already seen a Nomad can think why. And on the other hand, sending down Wild expedition teams would draw way too much attention.
And therefore, they need someone who is able to operate alone and discreet, which implies that this person has to have a fundamental knowledge of researching.
Telling Otousan that I know now what he is asking me, he instantly told me the objective of the project: My task was to get ten aquatical species from Gaia...preferable with a great biological and physiological diversity.
Alright, let's some up: A paid week at the beach with some hours of diving, researching yet unknown species on a restricted and therefore interesting exotic and warm planet, further promising, upcoming results for me and my clients...no need to proceed for me any further...we had a deal.
Though, Otousan added, I have to keep in mind that the senseless harming of animals or fauna on Gaia will not be tolerated. THIS is something naturally for me.
When having finished the task, I should enter the Chester System and activate a certain signal...a trace of music...and then, I will meet this "person of great importance" and finish the job.
Six hours later, sitting in a bought Starflea from New London, together with my equicment from the liner which was parked in Newark Station; and kilograms of supplies, I was flying to Gaia...and boy, was I looking forward to this scientifical vacation...foolish past me.