Emerald

Landing

Over comm, Andrej's calm voice gives clear instructions for the final approach. His chosen landing site lies approximately halfway between the equator and polar region, in the zone where on Earth the temperate latitudes would be found. Yesterday, Mil tried to locate an alternative spot with lower vegetation density. She didn't have much success, and Andrej asked her for reasons. At first, she was reluctant to admit it felt like a sacrilege to burn those trees. But to her surprise, he understood. He went so far to suggest a landing in the barren region near one of the poles.

Koshi listened to their proposal but insisted on another solution. The goal of the mission was to check the suitability of this planet for human colonisation. Landing in permafrost tundra or, worse, in ice and snow wouldn't guarantee the desired results. Finally, Mil consented to burn a landing site out of the forest, if there was no other possibility.

She still hates the thought of disturbing this foreign, promising ecosystem right at their arrival. But Space Corp will want to see tangible results. The big firm is a force to be reckoned with on both an economic and political scale — and not prone to sponsor purely scientific missions.

Now, the screen counts down the remaining distance to the planetary surface. Mil stares fascinated at the fast decreasing numbers. Their velocity is breathtaking. Beside her, Carlos clears his throat. Sudden fear of a crash floods Mil's system. Then, Dray expertly slows the descent and pulls the ship into a smooth curve over the forest. The comm transmits Koshi's voice clear and loud.

"Mil? We are above Andrej's selected zone now. The vegetation cover seems as dense as you predicted. Do you have further input for the landing?"

She stares at the small, inbuilt screen in the armrest of her chair, studying the sensor readouts. The values change fast, and she knows she has to make up her mind. What Koshi nonchalantly calls a vegetation cover reaches an unexpected height. Some of these plants would tower above the largest trees on earth by far, dwarfing them in comparison. She sighs, resignation bitter in her mouth.

"No, sorry, I can't see another way. We must burn part of this forest, as much as I hate it. Would you ask Dray to try and minimise the damage? We should prevent the fire from spreading at all costs. Think of forest fires back home."

"Roger, Mil. I'll remind her. How big is the probability of a bush fire?"

Mil is glad Koshi accepts her concerns. With the left hand, she calls up parameters on her working screen and starts a quick calculation. The results appear almost immediately.

"Probability is minor. Absolute humidity on the ground level is measured at 98 % and the sensors register not much wind. Also, Andrej picked one of the islands, surrounded by waterways and swampland. Nevertheless, we don't know how the local plants react to heat, not speaking about possible wildlife populating the forest."

Koshi confirms and keeps the comm open. In the lab, they can hear him instruct Dray to bring the ship in a position close to the surface. Then he lets her turn the nose of the vessel away from the planet and asks for a short burst of the engine. Right in time, Andrej manages to put the view of the aft sensors on screen. They get to witness how the heat of the rocket boost turns the rich vegetation to cinders in seconds.

"Madre de Dios," whispers Carlos reverently.

Although Mil doesn't know any Spanish, she can guess the sentiment behind the technician's remark. She swallows hard, shocked into silence by witnessing the destructive force unleashed into the forest. Her mouth is dry, and she craves a glass of water. Instead, she is further disturbed by Koshi's emotionless voice.

"Perfect, this was easy. Now, there is enough room for the ship. Set her down, Dray."

The soft hum of the main engine is replaced by the higher pitch of the auxiliary drive as Dray switches back to atmospheric mode. She lazily rotates the ship around its axis to survey the landing site. Mil closes her eyes to the destruction and is glad when the pilot continues the approach.

The burnt area in the forest offers an ideal landing zone, flat, circular, and open. At the rim, where the heat was minor in comparison, multiple giant trees were felled by the air pressure, now hanging helpless in the crowns of their still standing neighbours. They form a bulwark around the landing site, an impenetrable barrier. Mil shivers while she observes the circle of destruction.

With a jolt and a soft, crunching noise, the ship settles in the centre of the burnt area. Moments later, Dray shuts down the auxiliary drive, and for the first time since the start of their voyage, it is quiet on board. The eerie silence is interrupted by Koshi's almost cheerful voice.

"That's it, well done, team! Thanks to all of you and welcome to Emerald."