Athiesism
27-09-2005, 18:19
SPACE, 2032
CHERKASSEN THOUGHT about the moment as the Endeavour ploughed through space, its sleek lines concealing billions of dollars of special sensors. They were just now entering the new star system. It was their duty to explore the new opportunities brought before them. A nation cannot hold on forever to its isolation. No matter how bold, it must eventually go where none has gone before.
Cherkhassen, the lead scientist, was in charge of a government-sponsored expedition to explore the unknown. Standing on the bridge, not the least bit afraid, he wondered what was to await him in this new place. Since the contact with the Eternal aliens 18 years ago, it became clear that many other races were present in the universe, waiting to be known to those brave enough to contact them. All of the crew had been there that day as their strange spaceship emerged from the dark night. City lights illuminated its underside, reavealing it to be miles long. Most of them had not seen it in person, but even watching it on the television screen brought a sense of astonishment. Now, with that day long past, the Merkar Republic had decided to accept the task of being the aliens. Of finding a new race, and sharing knowledge with them. It was to be a great day in history.
One of his fellow scientists behind him was manning a sensor station. "Mr. Cherkhassen, I beleive that we've spotted something. It's bright, but that's all we can detect about it. About two million kilometers in front of us, sir." His fellow adventurer spoke rather casually, this being a science vessel, after all, and not a military one. No need to worry about rank. "Inform them," Cherkhassen replied, referring to his home planet Merkar in third person. "Decelerate to Mark Ten and set course for the contact." Although the message would take days to arrive, millions of Merkaris had been awaiting its arrival for much longer. Not just that, but a chance to glimpse at a new form of intelligent life...
CHERKASSEN THOUGHT about the moment as the Endeavour ploughed through space, its sleek lines concealing billions of dollars of special sensors. They were just now entering the new star system. It was their duty to explore the new opportunities brought before them. A nation cannot hold on forever to its isolation. No matter how bold, it must eventually go where none has gone before.
Cherkhassen, the lead scientist, was in charge of a government-sponsored expedition to explore the unknown. Standing on the bridge, not the least bit afraid, he wondered what was to await him in this new place. Since the contact with the Eternal aliens 18 years ago, it became clear that many other races were present in the universe, waiting to be known to those brave enough to contact them. All of the crew had been there that day as their strange spaceship emerged from the dark night. City lights illuminated its underside, reavealing it to be miles long. Most of them had not seen it in person, but even watching it on the television screen brought a sense of astonishment. Now, with that day long past, the Merkar Republic had decided to accept the task of being the aliens. Of finding a new race, and sharing knowledge with them. It was to be a great day in history.
One of his fellow scientists behind him was manning a sensor station. "Mr. Cherkhassen, I beleive that we've spotted something. It's bright, but that's all we can detect about it. About two million kilometers in front of us, sir." His fellow adventurer spoke rather casually, this being a science vessel, after all, and not a military one. No need to worry about rank. "Inform them," Cherkhassen replied, referring to his home planet Merkar in third person. "Decelerate to Mark Ten and set course for the contact." Although the message would take days to arrive, millions of Merkaris had been awaiting its arrival for much longer. Not just that, but a chance to glimpse at a new form of intelligent life...