Fragments 1: Devolution Landing

First Steps

The shuttle settled gently onto the ground in a rough landing field towards the edge of town. The landing field was little more than a patch of dirt and the vehicle rested unevenly on its three well-sprung legs, bouncing slightly as the engines cut out.

The Trucanni traders were first to leave through the raised hatch. They descended the metal steps onto the dusty soil with a confident and proprietorial swagger. The air was dry and hot even though the sun was beginning to set and they were soon sweating in their furs. They ignored any discomfort and marched to the small terminal building like new tenants inspecting a property, chatting to each other in their own guttural language. The Rymerian officials were polite but looked a little nervous, keeping their distance from the Trucanni. They obviously wanted to avoid trouble and slipped through the gate without looking up. 

Professor Androbos hated to travel but he loved arriving somewhere new. It always surprised him how different each planet felt. He liked experiencing new smells and the distinct sense of light or space that each world seemed to have. He stood at the top of the metal steps and took in a deep breath.

The air was warm and dry, smelling of pollen, excrement and something faintly herbal. The sun was setting and the sky was beginning to turn purple, with deep banks of blue and ochre. The faint light of the descending star was reflected on the wispy edges of clouds far above them high up in the jet stream, and he could already see the outline of two small moons as they moved slowly across the heavens.

He sighed and stepped down onto the ground, enjoying his first view of this new world. The town wasn't particularly impressive, but it was a relatively recent development in archeological terms. From the landing field he could see a random cluster of simple mud-brick buildings which were slowly beginning to spread out into the surrounding countryside. This had been a fairly minor trading post for many years and it looked as shabby as he had expected.

He signed with contentment, experiencing the familiar thrill that he often felt at the beginning of a dig, although he would have liked a little longer to savour this moment.

There was a metallic clang as his research assistant appeared in the shuttle doorway. He reached up and took her by the hand as she clambered down carefully. Elveren Middlemein had been working with the professor for two years and he was pleased to have her with him on this particular trip. She certainly worked hard, and he knew he could trust her to get a job done. She was young, enthusiastic, keen to please, and remarkably intelligent. He knew he should probably tell her that from time to time, but had never got round to it. There were always more exciting projects to think about...

She took a few steps onto Dorian's Planet and dropped two heavy black kitbags onto the ground. She was short, dark-haired but unusually pale. She tended to be observant and quiet, watching and listening rather than talking too much. On this occasion, her deep green eyes were open wide as she consumed the scene around her.

The professor smiled at her in a kindly way.

"What do you think?"

Eleveren had not travelled as widely as he had and this was a new experience for her.

"It's... different," she said finally.

He grinned in amusement. That would do for now...