Chapter 27: Uv’ek System

Nearly three days later, our hyper drive went offline as we arrived at the Uv’ek system. Everyone watched the tactical display on the main bridge, including our guest.

“Attention, we have arrived at the Uv’ek system,” said Ship.

The tactical display showed the Uv’ek freighter nearby.

“Ship, deploy cloaked defensive probes and keep them near us. Activate your transponder and advance into the system. Coordinate with the freighter,” I said.

“Confirmed,” replied Ship. On the tactical display, several blue dots emerged from Ship and surrounded our vessel.

Our vessel and the freighter advanced into the system, towards the third planet.

“Any response yet?” I asked.

“Negative, Captain,” replied Ship.

“Hail the freighter. Add subtitles in Ori and Uv’ek,” I said.

“Confirmed,” replied Ship.

On the tactical display appeared an image of Lieutenant Nefi.

“Captain,” she said in Baglogi.

“Did you get any response?” I asked in Baglogi.

“No. We sent hails but no response so far,” she replied.

“We will orbit your home planet,” I said.

“Acknowledged,” she said.

I closed the call.

“Ship, please take us to Uv’ek three. Send probes ahead to scan the system and the planet,” I ordered.

“Confirmed,” replied Ship.

Just then, Zune’s translation device spoke.

“Captain, this was a busy system. Uv’ek system control should have contacted us,” he said.

“I figured as much,” I replied.

On the tactical display, blue dots flew out ahead of us to explore the system.

I turned to Zune.

“We should get answers soon,” I said.

He looked at his translation device and nodded.

As we approached Uv’ek three, we still hadn’t received a hail. The entire system was quiet.

“Ship, what have you discovered about the system?” I asked. I was getting impatient.

“Captain, I found no evidence of an advanced space-faring race in this system. I found no vessels or orbital satellites. I detect no energy signatures, and no trace of cities or roads,” replied Ship.

“Wow!” I said. I’d hoped we’d find a civilization here.

“Perhaps their civilization collapsed a long time ago,” offered Laine.

“And perhaps nature reclaimed the planet,” said Jem.

I nodded. It ruined my plans to offload our guest and the freighter.

“Ship, do you detect trace radiation or signs of a past conflict?” I asked.

“Negative, Captain. I detect plants and animals. The gravity and atmosphere are normal,” replied Ship.

I looked at Jem. She shrugged.

“Ship, please share your findings with the freighter,” I ordered.

“Confirmed,” replied Ship.

I turned to Zune.

“I’m afraid that you don’t have a home to return to,” I said.

He looked at his translation device. Then spoke a response.

“My home is there. My people aren’t,” he replied.

Mina held his arm.

“Attention, we are now in orbit around Uv’ek three,” said Ship.

I looked at the tactical display. The freighter was nearby.

“Hail the freighter again,” I said.

“Confirmed,” replied Ship.

Lieutenant Nefi appeared on the tactical display.

“Captain,” she said in Baglogi.

“We sent you the results of our scans of your home planet,” I said.

“We received them. It makes little sense, though. There were millions of Uv’ek,” she said.

“I suggest we take a shuttle down to explore. Can you send us a map from your time? I want to select a location that corresponds with a former city,” I said.

“Sending it now. May I join you?” she asked.

“I’ll pick you up in our shuttle shortly,” I replied.

I closed the call.

Zune followed the conversation, thanks to the subtitles.

“Captain, perhaps it’s best I remain aboard,” he said via his translator.

I turned to him and smiled.

“Thank you. I’ll need you to remain in your quarters while we’re away,” I said.

He looked at his translation device and nodded.

Ship displayed the ancient map of the planet and overlaid it on the sensor scans. The land masses and contours matched.

Zune pointed at a city, the largest on that continent.

“Thank you. Ship, transfer the coordinates of that city to our shuttle. Saria, escort our guest to his quarters and meet me in decontamination,” I said.

“Confirmed,” replied Ship.

“Wait, Captain!” said Mina. She rushed over and gave me another translation device.

“For Nefi,” she said.

I smiled.

“Thank you, Mina,” I said.

I turned, and we left the main bridge.

Saria met me in decontamination and we kitted out in our away team uniforms. Soon we were in the shuttle, doing our usual pre-flight checks.

The outer door to the shuttle bay opened, and we exited from Ship. A few minutes later we docked with the freighter.

The freighter hailed us.

“Permission to come aboard,” said Nefi.

“Granted. Just yourself, and don’t bring weapons with you,” I replied.

Saria held her laser carbine at the ready.

About three minutes later, the airlock cycled. Nefi stepped through, unarmed.

“Please take a seat,” I said. Saria gestured to a seat and sat nearby. She wasn’t taking any risks.

I undocked from the freighter and programmed a course to the coordinates on the planet’s surface. With the autopilot set, I had time to talk.

I turned in my chair to face Nefi, and I handed her the translation device.

“This device is a gift for you,” I said in Ori. Then I pointed at the device.

She read the display in Uv’ek and smiled.

“Say something to me,” I said.

She spoke in Uv’ek, and a moment later the device spoke in Ori with her voice.

“This is amazing!” she said with a big grin.

“It will help us communicate better,” I said.

While she read the display of her device, I turned around and pulled up the old map of Uv’ek three on the display. I turned back to her.

I pointed to the landing coordinates. “We’re headed to this location. Our goal is to find out what happened,” I said.

“I grew up near there,” she said.

“I doubt it looks the way you remember it,” I said.

She nodded.

A few minutes later, we approached our destination. I cancelled the autopilot and searched for a suitable landing spot.

Once we landed, I checked the atmospheric readings. It matched the ones from our probes earlier. The air was breathable and free of toxins, bacteria or radiation. After that, we exited via the airlock.

“We’ve several hours to explore before we run out of daylight. I recommend we stay close together for safety,” I said.

Nefi looked at her device and spoke.

“This is my home planet, but it looks nothing like the home I left,” she said.

“I know. We’re here to find answers to what happened here,” I said.

She looked at her device and nodded.

I’d parked our shuttle in a flat grassy area, near a wide, slow-moving river. Nearby were bushes and trees. I found no sign of any obvious structures.

“There used to be several bridges crossing the river. This was once a financial district,” said Nefi via her translator.

“Which way should we walk?” I asked.

“Let’s go up river. Perhaps we can find ruins there,” replied Nefi.

I turned to Saria and pointed. She took the lead, and we marched onwards. We passed through plenty of vegetation, suggesting the land was fertile.

In the distance, I heard cries of various birds. I think they were keeping a healthy distance from us. I expect the shuttle landing had scared them away.

Further upstream, Saria stopped and raised her hand for us to stop. She pointed at several tracks in the mud.

“Signs of wild four-legged creatures,” said Saria.

“Large carnivores?” I asked.

“Their size and depth suggests medium size. The closeness suggests short legs,” she replied.

“Try not to shoot unless they attack us,” I said.

She nodded, and we resumed our travel.

After more than an hour’s walk, we didn’t find any ruins.

“It’s shocking to find no trace of our society,” said Nefi.

“What materials did your society use for building their structures?” I asked.

“Various,” she replied.

“Perhaps they lasted centuries, but not millennia. It impresses me how nature has reclaimed everything,” I said.

Nefi was in a state of shock. We turned away from the river, continuing our search for evidence of her civilization.

In most directions we saw lots of vegetation and the terrain was uneven. I wondered if large earthquakes or years of storms could be the cause.

After about three hours, I called a halt to our search.

“Saria, I’ve seen all I need. Take us back to the shuttle,” I ordered.

Without hesitation, she checked her compass and changed course. We followed for about another hour until we returned to the clearing where our shuttle waited for us.

We stood outside the airlock, taking a last look at the surface.

“Do you have any idea what happened?” I asked.

“Perhaps a war. The issues of our time polarized our society into competing factions. That led to a growing unrest. I hoped we’d left it behind when we boarded our freighter. I was wrong,” Nefi replied.

“If it was a war, it was long ago. The planet has since healed itself,” I said.

“And left no trace of our society,” she said sadly.

“Time to go,” I said.

We got into the airlock.

After our pre-flight checks, our shuttle took off and ascended from the planet’s surface. With the shuttle on autopilot, I turned to face Nefi. Saria was sitting nearby, with her weapon in her lap.

“I’d hoped to return you to your people. That’s off the table,” I said.