Atrapako on Eden
SciFi Adventure and Romance.
Intrepid scientists solve puzzle of scaly aliens on two remote planets.
Meet the ATRAPAKO and their PLANET VKANI
The alien Atrapako inhabit the planet of Vkani in the outer fringes of the galaxy. Their planet was not discovered until
recently since its sun is obscured by a dust cloud from much of the galaxy.
Thousands of years ago, Atrapako civilization was destroyed when the planet
suffered a catastrophe. The survivors changed. They developed a culture suitable
for the environment on their planet, harsh, hostile and unforgiving.
ATRAPAKO
Physically, the Atrapako are bulky humanoids
because of the heavy gravity on their native planet. They are covered in thick
scales with protective ridges down their noses and along the length of their
torsos. They have crests of stiff spines and curved claws on their hands and feet.
They rarely wear shoes and their toe claws click when they walk on hard
surfaces.
The Atrapako have a rigid class system and their scales are colored according to their class. Blues are the dominating
leaders. They scheme for power and expect instant obedience from the other classes.
THE PLANET OF VKANI
The continents on Vkani have arid deserts and
rugged mountains. Sandstorms scour the dry lands and thunderstorms blast the
mountains. The larger life forms are reptilian, such as the dragon lizards and
pterodactyl-like flying predators described in Book 2 “Dragons of Vkani”.
No life can survive in the lethal Deadlands.
Atrapako life is barbaric and ruled by the
threat of attack by marauders or a major battle. There are few cities, full of
miserable slums, because of the almost constant wars. High ranked Blues live in
fortresses in the mountains or underground.
The history and origin of the Atrapako are
probed in “Dragons of Vkani” when a human spaceship brings a mixed group of
human scientists and Atrapako to rescue the relatives of the Atrapako on Eden.
The Lady is Blue
1 Introduction
The girders of the hold were cracked and
rusty and the surface plates creaked against each other. Sa Kamizan swore. His
ship was shaking to pieces. He strode back to the control room, bracing for
more bad news. The disease was spreading through his crew. He was desperate for
a haven.
In the control room, the newly promoted
science officer, Te Suzzaine, reported sighting a planet within the habitable
zone of a nearby yellow star. It was their best hope. He ordered a course
change towards the planet.
Next day, he sat in the navigator’s
seat, listening to the emissions from the planet. The persistent series of
rhythmic repeats must be a signal from intelligent life. He snarled in rage and
tugged his crest hairs. The only sanctuary they had found was already
inhabited. The alien natives must be dealt with.
“Respond to their signal,” he growled.
2 Aliens Land on Eden
Report
to Terran Space Authority from Lucy Stannis. The aliens land on Eden today. They
are reluctant to answer many questions. I’ll try direct observation.
The huge, black spaceship descended
slowly through the clouds. It dwarfed the small human shuttles escorting it to
the ground. The landing field was so seldom used that grass was sprouting from
cracks in the concrete. Lucy Stannis, covert Terran observer, sat alone,
dangling her legs from the top of the perimeter barrier encircling the field.
On her right, twenty feet below, she saw the official welcoming committee flanked
by armed national guards. A vidicom crew recorded the scene from the opposite
side of the perimeter wall.
The ship’s retroengines shrieked as it
descended slowly. Two of the landing shuttles had tractor beams stabilizing the
alien spacecraft. As they neared the ground, the ship rocked violently, tilting
on one side. Tractor beams shot out from the other two landers and held the
ship steady. The engines roared, and cut out suddenly as it dropped onto the
grassy plain with a shuddering crash. Lucy stared at the black ship. Meteor
scars pitted and discolored its metal surface. No shields, she thought.Their
technology must be too primitive. Who would travel in space without deflector
shields to ward off meteors and high energy cosmic particles? She trained her
lenses expectantly on the side of the ship as it was sprayed with cooling
water.
A hatch opened in the blackened surface
and she held her breath as the tall figures marched out of the ship. The first
two were uniformly red in color. They stepped aside and were followed by others
colored blue and green. Lucy zoomed in on the nearest alien. It was coarsely
humanoid, with reptilian scales and the head bore a raised crest of spines like
a giant, upright lizard.
Everyone was excited. It was the most
thrilling event in the history of Eden. The scientists were ecstatic, since no
one had ever seen non-human intelligent beings. Lucy recalled tales of strange
human variants, but none like the creatures from the black spaceship. There was so much to learn.
Meanwhile, the distant colorful figures
were led away by the welcoming committee and the curious crowd dispersed from
the perimeter wall. The hatch in the ship closed again. There might be many
more aliens inside. How could she learn more about them? Lucy waved at the vidi
crew on the opposite side of the perimeter. She climbed agilely down the
concrete barrier, and raced across the cleared space to the reporters.
A few minutes later, Lucy walked towards
the vidinews offices. One of the editors was a friend and might give her the
latest reports on the aliens. The visit was more productive than she had hoped.
The editor was interested in the scientific viewpoint and enthusiastically
enrolled her as a special correspondent. She was given a coded button to permit
entry to an exclusive conference with the aliens that evening.
“What do I wear to impress an alien?”
Lucy reflected.
Later that evening, Dr. Lucy Stannis,
Chief Scientist in Molecular Research at the Science Institute and temporary
journalist, left her house on the outskirts of the city of Riverside. She wore a blue top closely matching the blue
of some aliens’ scales. Blue was one of her favorite colors. Her long, dark
hair was tied back with a blue ribbon, and she carried the coded button for
entry to the meeting with the aliens. Her flitter bore her swiftly to the Cultural
Center where the conference was to be held. The houses of the residential
district gave way to the central shopping blocks where the streets were
unusually crowded. Groups of people talked excitedly in street corners.
Everyone was discussing the aliens.
The evening conference was scheduled for
the aliens to meet important government officials and a select number of
scientists. Lucy was glad of her
unofficial status as reporter, since she had heard of agitated discussions and
even fist fights among the top scientists for the chance to attend. All were
eager to meet the aliens. Now she could sidestep the scientific selection,
without directly antagonizing her colleagues.
The crowds grew thicker as she
approached the tower of the Cultural Center. Fortunately, a passage was cleared
to the entrance. Lucy realized from the
comments she overheard that the aliens had just entered the building. She
hastened up the stairway and was stopped by the guards at the top. The guards
carefully scrutinized her code button before letting her enter. An attendant
directed her to the conference room where the meeting was being held. Lucy ran
down the corridor, skidding to a halt before the door to gather her breath.
The other reporters were gathered inside
the door with coms in hand. Lucy slipped
in to join them and turned to examine the other side of the room. The senior
Governor, Mossy Fairweather, was making a welcoming speech. Lucy barely glanced
at him. Her attention was focused on the bulky aliens. Her first impression,
from the landing field, of humanoid figures, seemed less valid here where the
aliens stood beside humans. The aliens exuded muscular strength and power beside
the small and puny humans. Their reptilian scales gleamed like colored plates
of armor. Their heads had two eyes and a central mouth. A spiky crest extended
like a Mohawk haircut from a vertical ridge on their faces over the tops of
their scaly heads, giving a bird-like effect. She would not have been surprised
to see tails. Their feet were heavily scaled with dagger-like, hooked claws.
They wore cloaks over short tunics of the same bright color as their scales.
Royal blue scales and cloaks predominated, although there were also red, green
and yellow scales. She wondered if they had different sexes.
The aliens stood very still and appeared
to listen patiently to the speech. Afterwards, they were introduced to the
human officials. Lucy recognized two of the senior scientists in the group that
was being introduced. She was envious because they were able to talk to the
aliens.
A friendly journalist explained the
aliens called themselves “Atrapako”. Language translators had already been set
up. The Atrapako in the room had already taken hypnolessons in the Eden language.
The reporters only expected to interview the humans at this meeting. Lucy was
disappointed, and wondered how she could get closer to the aliens.
After a while, she noticed that not all
the Atrapako were talking with humans, some of them stood watching silently.
She wanted to approach them, but was afraid of giving offense. Lucy decided on
a lateral attack. Opposite the entrance was a glass door leading out onto a
balcony overlooking the botanical garden.
Lucy skirted the edges of the room, partly concealed by her short
height, and skipped to the glass door in her excitement. She glanced back at the aliens and noted a
big blue one staring in her direction.
She hoped it was curious; she sent a challenging look, tossing her hair
provocatively.
The door was propped ajar to let in the
cool night breezes. Lucy pushed it open
and walked over to the edge of the balcony. She leaned over the railing and waited, scarcely
breathing in anticipation. It was dark below, but she could smell the fresh leaves
and night blooming flowers. Her eyes had grown accustomed to the darkness when
she heard a scraping sound behind her and the light from the open door was
obscured briefly as someone passed through.
Lucy tensed in excitement. She hoped it was an alien.
“Why did you come out here?” said a
precise, toneless voice.
Lucy swung around at the sound, and
blinked in the bright light. The alien
loomed as a dark shadow. The dark figure moved onto the balcony and she could
see more clearly.
“I came to look at the gardens,” she
replied, gesturing over the railing.
The alien walked over to stand beside
her and stared out. Little was visible
yet. The alien towered over Lucy. Definitely over six feet, she decided, and
topped with another half foot of crest spines. It wore a dark blue tunic over
blue scales. She checked the time quickly,
then leaned over the railing again.
“Your eyes must be strong. I see little
out there,” the alien said.
“Our second moon, Venus, will rise in a
minute, and it will become brighter,” Lucy explained. “Why did you come
out?”
“I wished to speak with an alien
female,” was the odd reply.
“Oh, good,” said Lucy frankly. “I’m Doctor Lucy Stannis.”
“My name is Sa Kamizan Veedak,” he bowed
slightly.
“You have the advantage of knowing more
about my people than I do about yours,” Lucy commented wryly. “I don’t know if you are male or
female.”
The horizon grew lighter, as they
watched in silence. The white moon, Venus, rose into the sky, flooding the gardens
with pale light. Soon the moon flowers would open in the gardens.
Lucy glanced at the alien to examine its
face in the bright moonlight. Its eyes
were sunk deeply on either side of the bony ridge leading to the raised crest
of stiff hairs on top of the head. The
mouth was a thin line. She was fascinated,
because, in this dim light she could imagine it was a human face in an ugly
mask. The eyes looked very human.
The scaled face stared down at her and
it spoke, “Show me the garden and I will teach you of my people.”
Lucy looked over the balcony. It was about a ten foot drop to the
ground. Not too far, for a short,
athletic woman. The alien did not wait
for her reply. It swung over the railing
and leaped down with surprising ease for such a bulky body.
“Wait for me!” Lucy cried. She stooped,
grasped the posts of the railing and lowered herself gingerly. She dropped
awkwardly to the ground and stumbled, but the alien caught her elbow and
steadied her. She felt the points of its claws through the thin material of her
sleeves. Interesting, Lucy thought. The alien had reached out to help her.
“Is it wrong to walk in the garden?” the
alien asked.
“It is unusual at this time of night.
But the garden is beautiful in the moonlight,” Lucy responded.
“Show me,” the alien commanded.
Lucy led the alien along a narrow path
between flower beds where they could watch the moon flowers open large white
petals and the gray moths fly in to feed.
Meanwhile, Lucy learned about the Atrapako. She learned that Sa Kamizan
Veedak was a mature male. He was to be called Sa Kamizan in public and Veedak
only in private by close friends. He
offered to introduce her to a female for comparison. Their home planet was hot
and arid with harsh winds. He was pleased to find such a fertile planet with
much water and lush vegetation.
They walked to a fountain near the
center of the garden and the alien stooped to peer at the fish swimming among
the water lilies. Lucy would not have been surprised if he had scooped up a fish
and eaten it. He was very curious about the fountain and the fish, staring as
if he could not understand its purpose.
Lucy asked, “What, in your opinion, is
the chief difference between your people and mine?”
“You mean, besides the obvious external
differences?” he said.
“Yes.”
“Your people are more emotional.
Atrapako are logical and do only what is rational,” was his reply.
“I suppose it was rational to walk in
the gardens with me,” she said ruefully.
“It was a good opportunity to learn more
about humans,” he replied.
“Oh! I wasted my time showing you the
beautiful flowers and moths,” Lucy retorted indignantly.
“No,” he said softly. “Your planet is lovely. I am glad to see such
beauty.”
Lucy ran her hand though the water. She
resented being called emotional. She stretched
to the central spout and directed a stream of fountain water towards the alien.
It hit him and he jumped back with crest flaring high. An alarm reaction, Lucy
presumed.
“Why did you do that?” There was a trace
of surprise in his flat voice.
“To see how you would react,” she
replied calmly.
He made a strange choking noise and
tried to splash her.
“Are you laughing?” she asked, as she
dodged the spray of water.
“Yes!
Do you wish to be wet?”
Lucy laughed. “I don’t mind. It’s a warm night. But, we’ll
look silly walking back into the meeting dripping with water.”
“It is cold for me,” said Sa Kamizan
with a slight shiver.
“Oh, I’m sorry!” Lucy said. “I shouldn’t
have dragged you out here and the water will make you colder.”
He laughed again and said coolly, “You
would find it difficult to drag me anywhere.”
They walked on. Lucy was elated; she had met an alien.
They talked less as they approached the
building. Lucy felt embarrassed and unsure of her strange companion. He strode
lightly beside her. The claws on his bare feet clicked against the stones of
the path.
They rounded a corner, and the alien said
quietly. “Someone is hiding in the
bushes ahead.”
Lucy saw a movement among the shrubs.
She stepped forward and called boldly, “Come out here, or I will call the
guards!” It was better to be safe, although she suspected there was no
danger.
There was silence. Then, branches
rustled as someone descended from the bushes.
Lucy felt reassured by the presence of the large Atrapako at her side. A
young boy appeared on the side of the path.
“Come here,” Lucy said. “We won’t harm
you.” On this encouragement the boy
advanced hesitantly. His eyes were fixed on the alien.
“What is your name, and what are you
doing here?” Lucy asked.
The boy stared up with wide eyes. “I’m
Sammy Lee,” he said. “I was only
looking. They dared me.”
“Is anyone else inside the fence,
Sammy?” said Lucy.
“No.
They’re too scared,” Sammy said proudly.
Lucy glanced up at the alien who had
remained silent during this exchange. “Sa Kamizan, let me introduce Sammy Lee,
who has climbed a twelve foot fence to see an alien.”
He flashed a glance at her, and turned
to the boy. “Hello Sammy. I am pleased to meet you,” he spoke in the typical
toneless voice and then showed his pointed teeth.
“Wow!” gasped Sammy. He ran off into the
darkness.
Lucy choked back a laugh as the scaled
face turned to her and asked, “Did I scare the boy?”
“Not very much.” She added helpfully,
“It’s your teeth. They make you look aggressive.”
“Oh.
I thought humans greeted each other that way,” he said.
Lucy tried not to laugh again. Was he
trying to smile? “You should not show all your teeth if you intend to be
friendly.”
“Good,” he said. “I was confused.
Normally, this would mean I was angry.”
He bared a fine set of pointed white teeth.
Lucy leaned closer, peering at his sharp
teeth. She would have liked to examine the unfamiliar dentition more closely.
“It is a sign of aggression among humans too,” she said. “I know it can be
difficult to interpret facial expressions.”
“Especially for an alien,” he
added.
They were now near the building and Lucy
realized that their private conversation must end soon. “I wish I could speak
your language as well as you speak mine,” she said wistfully.
“The hypnotranslator is set up in our
offices in the Conference Center. Tell them I sent you to learn our language,
Kavkani,” he offered.
They reached the building, and Lucy led
the way in by a side door. Soon they
would reach the meeting room.
Lucy turned to her companion. “Forgive
my impertinence,” she said politely. “How may I distinguish you from other
Atrapako?”
“You wish to know me again?” his eyes
twinkled. “I am a Blue, and look here,” he pointed to a jagged line in the scales
on one side of his face. “My enemies call me Scarface.” He showed his teeth. “The scar will
distinguish me.”
He looked at her gravely for a minute.
“What are your distinguishing marks, Dr. Lucy Stannis?”
Lucy blushed at the question. “Well,”
she began slowly, “I am a short female with long, dark hair. Most of my scars
are hidden by clothes. My eyes are blue.” She stared at his eyes curiously,
“Oh, your eyes are very blue. I’ve never seen such an intense color.” She
paused, recalling it was bad manners to stare at a stranger, never mind an
alien. “I think people usually remember the relative size and shape of the
nose, mouth and eyes in a human face.”
He stepped back and ran his eyes over
her face and figure. “I shall remember. You can show me your scars another
time.” Then, he turned away and strode towards the
door to the meeting room.
Lucy paused, puzzled by his words. What
did he mean? She ran after Sa Kamizan,
keeping just behind him, in deference, or apparent deference, she was unsure
which. He walked in openly, while she slipped inside and quickly joined a group
of humans.
Lucy found herself in a group of
scientists. They didn’t comment on her surreptitious entrance and might not
have noticed. She knew one of them and
was able to enter the conversation.
Soon, she was introduced to another alien, a female scientist. Although,
Te Suzzaine was clearly intelligent, Lucy found it more commonplace talking
with her than with Sa Kamizan. Te Suzzaine had a slighter build than the male
and sported shiny green scales and a fine, fringed green crest. Her voice was
colorless. Lucy mentally noted this common alien feature. They were discussing
the more esoteric fringes of physics when Lucy realized that the room was growing
less crowded.
A tall, blue alien came to stand next to
Te Suzzaine. “Come, Te Suzzaine. It is over.”
Lucy recognized Sa Kamizan by his
scar. He was watching her, not Te
Suzzaine. She could have sworn he winked. She was astonished by such a human
gesture.
Sa Kamizan said, “Goodnight, Dr.
Stannis.” He tilted his head slightly.
“Goodnight, Sa Kamizan,” she replied,
while resisting the temptation to make a rude response. Why did she feel
provoked?
The aliens walked away as Lucy watched.
Sa Kamizan Veedak’s clawed fingers clenched and loosened repeatedly behind his
back. Lucy felt exhausted by so many new impressions. She did not know which
were important. That alien, Sa Kamizan, had seemed amused by her. He was quite
clever enough to deliberately mislead her. Why was she suspicious of his
motives?
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