The Manswell incident
A Mass Effect fanfiction based on a Cerberus News Network newsbit. An asari expedition discovers humans on an uncolonized world. But they are behaving very strange…
This takes place in the expanded universe, no Shepard or original cast appears. The timing is set between ME2 and ME3. I am no native speaker so please bear with me.
Mass Effect is the property on Bioware /EA and this fanfiction is a non-profit effort.
„We are approaching the target, Captain."
The the asari deep space exploration vessel Daria II was already calculating the orbital parameters for their parking position above the planet their catalogue just called 252838-D.
It was the fourth planet in a five-planet system around and between an interesting double star. One bright yellow and the other slightly smaller and more orange in color they had a strange name entry in the asari catalogue, besides their number, Alpha and Beta Centauri. A lot of stars in the Alliance hegemony sphere where officially renamed into their human names after humanity claimed their position in the Council and this system was not only in Alliance territory but actually the closest to their home system! Only 4.3 lightyears away from the Solar System but due to the hostile environment and lack of interesting raw materials on the planets never colonized. Only one cartographic mission was documented and that had been already thirty years ago.
All planets had pretty complex orbits around and between the twin suns and only two, numbers C and D where habitable. On D the original human mission had recorded some primitive life forms, vast forests of fern and small varren-like creatures. They were the reason the asari were here. Varren in their various form where found all over the galaxy and in the most unlikely places and all had some form of relationship. Vermin but widespread, a possible link to a prehistorical connection between all those planets. To find out more about them and their possible connection to the Prothean Empire was the motivation for this mission. Humans where not interested in this at all so the Alliance had no objections about an asari scientific mission so close to their home. Asari were kind of obsessed with all things Prothean and if they could trace prothean trading routes by following the varren DNA it would be a significant discovery the Serrice University could publish about.
Captian Sallya commanded a crew of fourteen. Six for ship operations, six scientists under the leadership of Dr. Mill'a and a pair of commandos. The latter where standard-issue on any asari deep space vessel but their presence was not exactly advertised to the Alliance. In theory, ten of her crew where qualified commandos but those asari veterans who had been military in their youth did not count as the Council required only declaring active forces. The longevity of asari did produce a vast amount of veteran commandos who were not taken into account by the bureaucrats but could count in any confrontation. Sallya herself had about 300 years of Commando life under her belt before switching to ship ops fulltime some 200 years ago.
"Bring the ship around and into a stable orbit."
She knew that her order was only a formality, her crew knew the procedures and this would be a routine observation mission as routine can be. Five days "space vacation" for the operator crew and five days of shore party fun for the scientists. And a lot of card games for the bored commandos.
Dr. Mill'a was a leading asari expert in xenofauna science and head of the mission. At an age of over five hundred she had striking features with a energetic chin and a pointed nose. Her skin was a very light blue and she had no color markings which a lot of sari were sporting lately, naturally or not.
"Dr. Verni and Tyana, you two could accompany me in the first outing with the shuttle. We will be back in eight hours and the rest of you can take over. That okay?"
Mill'a was addressing her scientific team in the large briefing room next to the labs. The daylight on the planet D lasted about 72 hours and was much longer than the night periods due to the multiple suns, so they had plenty of time.
"We will scan the landing zone and try to find a few nests where we will take the samples and observe. From the human mission reports these varren seem to be small and herbivore, which is special but probably explainable by the lack of prey and the dominance of floral lifeforms on the planet. We have no indicator for toxic materials so far but for our first trip we will wear face masks and breathers."
Thianis, the shuttle pilot and one of the two commandos on board leaned in the doorframe, ready to take off, once lectures were done with, already in her flight gear. She was a lot younger then most of the scientists but she could never imagine trading her commando duties for lab works. Although there were much more exciting things to do then hold hands to a bunch of humor-free lab rats who were obsessed with vermin in the middle of exactly nowhere.
"Any questions?"
"Yes, what about sidearms? Maybe the human records where missing some dangerous animals."
Tyana was always cautious but sometimes Mill'a thought, the young scientist was even adventurous. Something that totally did not go with her own scientific seriousness.
"The varren are significantly smaller than the regular ones and seemingly only herbivore, I do not think you will need more than a stunner." She did not mention the biotic abilities of every asari. This was self-evident and usually provided enough protection anyway.
"For anything else we have the commandos." She nodded to Thianis, who smirked and padded her Carnifex.
Tyana seemed slightly disappointed but Mill'a did not even notice and concluded the meeting.
"That is all then. This colony of varren is one of the most secluded in this sector and we can hope for spectacular results, maybe unique genetic traces."
"Tyana, Verni, let's go to the shuttle."
"Hey Babe, fire it up, the white coats are coming." Thianis advised her co pilot Phaeda via omnitool, while heading down the corridor to the small hangar, where the planetary shuttle was docked.
"Roger that, ready to to roll whenever the eggheads are ready", was the sloppy reply. Verni was checking her back but the scientists where a few meters behind her and did not hear that…
The shuttle touched down in a wide clearing. The area was mostly covered with high fern and similar plants of green and light purple hues, some up to five meters high.
The ground was completely covered with a purple moss, only scattered bare rocks were visible. The mountains in the area were only of medium hight and the planet had only two seas, a larger one in the northern hemisphere, a smaller in the south but both where far away from their current location. It was planetary morning, the twin suns barely over the horizon.
As Tyana left the shuttle behind Dr. Mill'a she twinkled into the sunlight and took in the colors of her surrounding before putting on her shades. She was the youngest of the scientific team, only two hundred fifty, not havig received her doctorate yet. Her mom had scolded her for wasting a hundred years doing dancing tours in the attican traverse. She didn't care though, her work on xenoflora in the alliance territory would be enough material to finally submit a dissertation. This world, so close to the solar system, yet unexplored, would even be of interest for human scientists so she already thought about doing a stint at a terranian university on the CRAP, the Council Races Apprentice Program, to achieve a second doctorate.
Her face was slim and her skin was of an azure tone with some remarkable darker blue facial markings that extended into small checkers onto her scalp crests.
"We have two small colonies to the east, about a kilometer or so. Verni and I will scout ahead and look for good observation posts. What would you want to do, stay or come?" Mill'a and Verni where the experts on fauna and the varen in particular while Tyana was to analyze the local flora.
"I could as well start here taking some samples. We should not waste time on the first toxic analysis, I can do a quick first shot here." Tyana answered, "I'll catch up with you later to verify the observation places. Just don't touch anything with bare hands"
"Fine, don't get lost." The two scientists marched off into the woods, melding into the surroundings when they wrapped their camo coats over the combinations. The varren would not be able to detect them as the coats absorbed smell and adapted fluidly to the color of the plants around. A nifty salarian invention.
"Do you have any readings?" Tyana asked the pilot who was doing post-landing checklist with Phaeda but had opened the cockpit window.
"Nah, all quiet on the scanners. Only some small animals about five hundred meters south. No birds either by the way. I wonder if there are insects", Thianis replied.
Tyana wandered off to the edge of the woods and started her work with a few small samples of the purple moss. The breather was not exactly disturbing her but it would of course be easier without it. She really hoped there where no unpleasant surprises and the probe was correct upon indicating no hazardous biological material in the atmosphere. She put her shades back into the breast pocket.
A first test showed all levo based biochemics which was no wonder since so far there were no dextro varren to be found. She opened the small case and put a sample into the quick detector. In five to ten minutes, she would have a toxic scan. Now she needed additional samples from other plants, therefore she had to enter the woods a bit.
Tyana looked up into the sky, where the orange and the yellow suns were climbing slowly. The sky itself was of a perfectly normal blue but completely cloudless as the atmosphere contained only very little humidity. A light wind was blowing and the fern trees rustled softly. A very peaceful world and she liked it.
She took a few leafs of a green fern tree, then a purple leaf of another plant that had larger, fleshy leafs. Tyana discovered that the underbush was some dark green braid that grew thicker deeper into the woods.
She checked the readings of her analyzer. All negative.
"Dr. Mill'a, come in please"
"What is it?"
"Just wanted to report an all negative so far, no immediate toxic danger. I'll look into the underbush braid next."
"Thanks, Tyana. All calm here too. We discovered varren tracks already, still a few minutes to their colonies."
"Okay, Doctor, I'll follow your signal then, once I'm done here."
Tyana was taking a few steps forward and was just about to pick a piece of green when she had a strange feeling… a fraction of a second later she felt a cold gun barrel in her neck and she froze on the spot.
"Hold still and stay calm, alien! – attention, antiquated human dialect, translation inaccuracies may occur!" Her omnitool was delivering the message.
"Hands behind your back!" Tyana followed the order… fuck, what the…
The cold feeling of steel handcuffs brought back her senses. But so far she had no idea who she was facing, so she held her biotics back. Keep calm, get as many information as possible before reacting.
But why didn't the sensors pick up these other visitors? What went wrong here?
"It can understand us!"
"It must be telepathic!"
"Yeah, just like in these old movies!"
"Nah, the language of a gun is just universal."
"But it is blue!"
"Why shouldn't it be blue? It is a freakin' alien"
"I allways thought they where green"…
Her omnitool translated everything but it seemed the group behind her back – she identified at least three male individuals by their voices – seemed not to notice.
"Turn around, slowly!"
Tyana turned and faced… four armed humans in strange overall outfits. Nothing she had seen before, no Alliance or Cerberus emblems, it actually did not look like any regular force at all. The guns where of dark steel and of no make she could identify. As far as her knowledge with humans went, three of them where not young anymore, the hair on their heads was already white or missing. One was significantly younger and he seemed nervous while the others had a repelling expression.
She decided to smile. A big blue asari smile can prevent intergalactic wars so it should be in perfect order here. But the semi transparent breather mask was not exactly helping her cause.
"So what do we do now, you genius?"
"Well, it is not attacking."
"We stick to the plan I say. Take her to the camp as a hostage and make the others leave."
"Does it even understand us?"
"Actually… it was responding to your commands, so it must be able to understand us. They are spacetravelers. They must have advanced technology. Did someone see any weapons on it?"
"Don't you always say IT, she looks like a woman."
"That is not a woman, it is blue and has tentacles. That is an IT in my book."
Tyana was standing still, while her omnitool translated the weird argument between the three older guys. The younger one did say nothing at all.
What was going on here? These were clearly humans, yet it seemed they had no idea about asari or translation tools. Also there was no mentioning and no indication for a human settlement on this planet. And why did they act so hostile? Did someone mess up her homework big time when planning this mission?
"Now let's move away before its companions find us", the leader of the group, the half-bald human said. "We can clarify the rest in town. You!" he waved his gun at Tyana, "Get going, this way – and quiet!" he pointed to a small gap in the underbush, some sort of path that lead away from the clearing.
Now she had to make a decision. She could break free in an instant with a biotic burst, she could even kill at least three of the humans at once as they stood too close. They had really no idea about asari! But that was what made the matter difficult. What was she dealing with here? What was behind all this and why did the Alliance and asari records not show the human settlement?
Her next possibility was to inform the shuttle. A twitch of her finger could activate the alarm function on the omnitool. But what would the commandos do then? She imagined the pair of fully trained asari commandos in black leather suits turning a human colonial settlement into rubble in their effort to free her… not an option actually.
So she decided to be scientifically curious and cooperate for now. She wouldn't be missed for the next hour or so but what would happen when a call came in on the tool? She decided to deal with the situation on the fly as she couldn't influence it anyway. Tyana nodded slightly and started to follow the human that lead the way, the three others behind her, weapons ready. One even picked up her sample analysis case.
After about fifteen minutes of marching quietly, the group reached the outskirts of the settlement. One of the humans went ahead, obviously to inform the inhabitants of the strange visitor. The settlement was small and built into a slightly sloping hillside, partly using natural cavings and blending into the surrounding bushwork. It was a strange mix of technology and prmitiveness, absolutely not standard human colonial affairs.
There where containers repurposed as housing modules next to huts built of wood and plants. This fact added to the camouflage, it would be pretty hard to spot that settlement from the air if one was looking for a technological up-to-date colony only.
A small river was running from the hills into wide planes where the woodland changed into the all present purple moss. There were no major tech installations, no large array discs or antennas or shuttle landing zones either, it looked like a pre-spaceflight village which was adding to the mystery. What tech could be seen in form of a small pumping station or air conditioning equipment seemed old and used.
The inhabitants were all humans, as far as Tyana could see. They mostly stayed back though, in the shades or inside their housings, taking curious glances. Most people where adults but there were also some kids. Tyana always had a hard time judging the age of humans but something about the distribution of kids and adults seemed odd.
Her observations were cut short when she was shoved to a container module that was located right under a rock ledge that was protruding from the hillside. The group of three containers formed a small plaza with an artificial water basin in the middle. A metal plate was attached to it but she was pushed along too fast so she could not make out the text, it was human writing though.
Then the door behind her was shut and Tyana was almost surprised to find artificial lighting. A small desk with a chair and a drawer behind it, signs and pictures on the wall, in the back two cells with barred doors… a regular police station. Not as sophisticated as C-Sec maybe but there was no mistake.
Tyana was pushed into one of the cells. Now it was getting interesting.
"What now, Sheriff?"
"Search it, take everything away that looks like a weapon or could be used as one. Maybe it has hidden radio equipment."
The two other men seemed reluctant.
"What is it? I'll keep it in check!" his gun barrel raised a notch.
"It.. she… this … is odd, I mean, it is woman…. Shouldn't we….!"
"That is a freakin' alien thing, for Pete's sake. Are you a pervert or what? Now get its stuff!"
Tyana was almost amused. This could prove helpful. But why had those humans no idea about asari? The mystery remained.
The two deputies looked at each other, shrugged and went to work. One was carefully, with slow motion as if not to startle the prisoner, to take her stunner and multitool from her belt. He looked at it with no idea what it was. The multitool contained a knife, emergency oxygen, water tablets, food, and a series of tools to fix whatever equipment a planetary shore party was carrying in a package the size of a palm. He also obviously had no clue what the stunner stick was, as he held it upside down. He didn't even notice the very small shield generator on her belt.
He reached for the semi transparent breather mask but the reconsidered. If she needed it to survive…. He couldn't be sure.
"It seems to have no other weapons."
"You can't know… strip it's clothing!" answered the Sheriff
"You can't be serious, Jake, I most certainly will not do that! It is… she has…. And who knows what it looks underneath, I don't do that!"
"You are a chicken, Henry, we can't take a chance with this alien…."
"Maybe we should just ask her." That was the first sentence the younger human said. The three others stared at him in disbelief.
"Well, she cooperated so far and seems peaceful. She seemed to understand what we were saying. So we could ask her."
Mouths opening and closing…. But the two men who searched her stepped back a bit.
"So…", the young guy was addressing Tyana now from outside the barred cell. "Can you understand me? Do you carry any weapons?" He was talking slow now.
She could play dumb or stay true now. She went for true. In case of an emergency the smallest biotic burst would knock all men inside the building out momentarily anyway.
"Yes, I can and no, I do not carry any weapons."
It was sheer luck they had not taken her omnitool away yet. Without the virtual interface extended, it was merely a wristband that was melding into the light explorer combination she wore. Also the steel handcuffs were probably covering part of it. The humans didn't even look for one, it seemed unknown to them too. She decided to take no chance here though and added: "I have a device on my left arm, a small band, which works as a translation tool. So I can understand you and you can understand me. It is not harmful." …that was not the whole truth as it also was a powerful radio and electronics device. But the humans didn't need to know that.
The whole group was now veering between shock and fear.
The man called Henry checked her wrists with a quick glance and nodded to Sheriff Jake.
She decided to be bold and take a small advantage of the odd situation.
"Do you want me to strip my cloths so you can be sure I am no threat?"
It was hilarious to see the jaws virtually touching the floor now.
"Aw… uh… no, that won't be necessary… I think." Sheriff Jake replied after a few very quiet seconds.
Time went on and itf seemed that it began to sink into the humans that Tyana was overhearing their conversation all along. At the moment there was no immediate danger, she waited for the humans to reveal their further plans. She was wondering how long it would take until the omnitool would deliver a call she had to answer.
"Okay, whatever you are, we got you now." Sheriff Jake was rushing his men outside the cell and closed the door. He found his selfconfidence back.
"Yeah, looks like you got me for good. But I have no idea why you did that", Tyana replied.
"You won't take over this world! It is ours now and we will not let you in. You are a hostage and your people will have to leave us in peace. You will deliver that message to them or we will kill you."
A small shock where his last words. His eyes where slits and he looked quite determined. It seemed he took his duty to protect the settlement very seriously and Tyana would not take any chances now. The humans where really expecting an invasion!
"Jake, Mayor Albert wants to see it too, you can't decide that on your own."
"I know, so go get him. But that… thing there should get no funny ideas!" He waved at her with his gun.
Soon after, another male human entered the office. He was tall and looked like a born leader, slightly older then the others but not much. His cloths where cleaner and had a slight resemblance to a spacer uniform.
"So, this is one of them?" was his first remark. "They look a bit like humans, not exactly ugly but… I always though they'd be green." Tyana totally did not get their obsession about green non-humans. Once this here was over, she'd like to find out about that though.
"Can it speak?" Mayor Albert asked the Sheriff.
"Yes, we can communicate. I have a translator tool." Tyana answered before the Sheriff could.
"Interesting." Albert stepped closer to the bars. "We must let your people know that we have taken you prisoner. We demand that they leave this planet and leave us alone. This colony is of humans and we claim our right. This is no offense but only for our protection. I hope you understand that."
The last sentence was spoken like a true politician, Tyana mused.
"Not completely but I get the concept." She replied, "How are you planning to contact the ship? My crew will be missing me in the not too distant future and will start searching. I think I must also inform you that we had no idea or information of a human colony on this planet. So I can also assure you that we have no plans to harm you. We are a scientific mission to observe the native life forms on this planet."
"Whatever you say, why should we believe you?" He pointed to her gear on the desk.
"Is something among these a communication device? Can you call your people and tell them our demands? We just want you to leave and we need security."
"As a matter of fact, my communicator is still here with me, your people didn't take it." That was a nasty surprise for Albert. He looked at his Sheriff angrily. Tyana was in the mood to push it a little further now.
"I will now contact my people and deliver your message. You will be able to understand what I say so don't be surprised." But the real surprise was something else. The steel handcuffs fell to the floor with a heavy metallic sound. The eyes of the humans went wide.
Tyana took of her breather and unfolded the virtual interface of the omnitool without taking her eyes off her guards.
"This is Tyana. Thianis, Dr. Mill'a, please listen. I have encountered a group of humans. There is a colony here, southern direction from the landing zone. There is a problem though. I was advised to deliver a message. Do you copy?"
The voice of Dr. Mill'a could be heard now.
"What by the goddess are you talking about? There is no human colony here and what message?"
"It is a bit complicated I am afraid. First of all, I am in no immediate danger but I am in a hostage situation. The human colony leader is asking our party to leave his planet immediately. I think I will have to stay a bit for his safety considerations. I suggest following this request and taking the ship into orbit again. The humans are a bit unaware of…. the galactic situation it seems." She considered her next words, as she knew it would set in motion quite a bit of diplomatic activity and there where Council rules to follow.
"I declare a code 15, first contact situation."
"What? Did you smoke some plants? You said humans, right? Are they threatening you? Thianis and Phaeda will pick you up in a sec, I will…" Dr. Mill'a was about to ruin some peoples lifes.
"Negative, Doctor, negative! They are humans all right, but they never saw an asari before. This is a code 15. Just lift off and do not send in anybody. The situation is under control. I await your confirmation on this."
After few seconds, she heard Thianis' voice "Understood, we will take off. The Captain will call you once we are on board. She can decide what to do next. Thianis out."
Albert had found his composure back. "Good decision, alien."
The situation was odd. Humans where a part of galactic society for decades now and Tyana even had a few human friends on the citadel but this bunch here acted weird and obviously had no clue about anything. Were they a lost colony? Not something that was unheard of, it had happened to each colonial race at some point but given the young age as a space fairing race and bureaucratic tendencies of humans in general she found it disturbing that they already lost a colony so close to their home. An interesting puzzle to solve. Tyana decided to switch from xenoflora to human sciences for now.
"Jake, Henry, we will have a council session to see how we proceed. Jason, you will watch this thing in the meantime. Do not get too close …" he paused and glanced at Tyana.
"Just have your gun ready, son. Take a walkie-talkie and inform us when a call comes in from them. We are next door in the Senat's Office" Nobody mentioned the handcuffs. Nobody really wanted to know…
"Yes, Sir". The young man seemed not as confident as he wanted to sound.
Once the four other men where gone he sat down behind the chair and put the gun in his lap. He was sitting right vis-à-vis the cell.
Tyana set down in the small bed and pulled up her knees, resting her chin on them. She was taking her time now to take a good look at her counterpart. He looked quite handsome with fine features and light brown hair. His cloths seemed newly made but not by industrial measures, more like with primitive tools. On his chest, he wore a silver emblem in the form of a five pointed star. Nothing she had seen yet but she knew humans in general liked that sign.
She smiled and tilted her head slightly. The boy seemed a bit uneasy. No wonder, she had the impression that the older guys were happy to get out the room and let the boy do the work.
"My name is Tyana. Do you have a name too?"
Introductions. Break the ice.
"I… my name is Jason Markos," He cleared his throat. "I am not sure if we should talk."
"Why not? Talking is a high form of civilization. And we are all civilized here, are we?"
"I…I guess so."
She got him thinking.
"Are you really here to take over the planet?"
"What would make you think that?" Sshe tried to sound soft.
"No, we are not. As I said, we are scientists who are observing. And we had no idea this planet was populated. We would never have landed without contacting you first if we would have known."
This was the longest explanation yet and strangely enough it was directed at the youngest and most unimportant character Tyana had encountered so far. Nobody else seemed interested and she was occupied not letting the situation escalate.
He smiled and shook his head in disbelief. "You look so much like us… I mean besides the…." he made a hand movement over his head. "I always thought alien races must look very different."
"Some do actually, but this form is a very practical one obviously. Evolution is preferring it."
"I heard you calling yourself asari. We call our self human."
She felt a little bit moved about this introduction and bit her lip so the "I know that" didn't slip.
"So, how old is this colony? It doesn't look big." Tyana changed topics to a matter of actual interest.
"I wasn't born yet when the elders came here. It was about fifteen cycles ago. The elders came in a ship from the sky, just like you, from their polluted and overpopulated homeworld to start a new life here. They traveled for a long time in a deep sleep. All the elders still know the homeworld but they rarely speak of it. There is no way back, forward is the only way. Maybe once we can build a spaceship ourselves, we can travel back to see what has become of the homeworld."
Fifteen cycles. That would be well after the Alliance scouting mission, something like twenty five standard years. His description sounded like a pre-FTL colonial vessel with the crew in cryostasis. A lot of space fairing civilizations started that way, especially those with shorter life spans. An asari could well travel for a few hundred years. The legend of the young man presented a possible explanation of the how but not the why. Why were there no records?
The beeping of the omnitool ended their conversation.
"She said code 15? We will have to inform the Council and the Alliance. If they really are humans the Alliance will take over anyway. But I have to verify first." Captain Sallya just debriefed the shore party in the conference room next to the bridge.
"Mill'a, you can look at whatever samples you already have in the meantime. I will call you if we need scientific support here."
The asari scientist seemed disappointed that her mission was cut so short but left for her labs.
"Thianis, Pheada you stay ready. I want the shuttle prepared at all times. If necessary I will call an extraction mission."
"Yes Ma'am." The two commandos saluted and went off to the hangar.
The Captain and her first officer where entering the bridge and approached the com console.
"I want the Omnitool tracked and a close aerial view of this place. I want to see this colony. We need to talk to Tyana. Open a com channel."
The asari radio operator pressed a few virtual buttons on the console.
"We are calling, Captain. Tyanas lifesigns are still all okay, her suit is transmitting."
The operator was adjusting the screen. A close up of a primitive village with scattered container housing modules could be seen. In one of them in a notable three-container formation was a blinking red sign, indicating Tyanas suit and omni tool.
"We have her. This seems to be some settlement indeed. The construction does look really primitive though." She made some adjustments "There are only very little electric emissions. It looks almost like pre spaceflight civilization. No wonder our scans didn't pick it up. No signs of shields or energetic weapons."
Captain Sallya was shaking her head in disbelief. They had made a stupid mistake.
It took almost a minute then the crackling indicated that someone activated the omnitool on the other end.
"…Ssssssrkkkg… mmmmsssgght…. No, look… this… if you would let me do it…. Sshhshstttttrrsst…."
"Tyana, come in, what the heck is going on there, answer immediately or I send the cavalry!"
"… shhreeeek…. Captain, this is Tyana. Please don't do anything, I am well! The human leader insisted in operating the omnitool himself. He wants to deliver another statement."
The face of a human could be seen three quarters. It looked tilted and distorted but Sallya could see him. She did not know if he could see her but most likely Tyana would have turned that feature off.
"I am Mayor Albert, I am head of this human settlement on Nova America. This is our planet and we will not let you take it from us! This is not negotiable. We want to live in peace and therefore you must leave us alone. We have one of your crewmembers as our securtity guarantee. I am afraid we can't let it go soon. You invaded our planet so we want you to leave first. After some time you may get your … crewmate back. If you try anything or approach us be sure that we have arms and we will use them to defend our planet."
Sallya didn't want to get drawn into this. The situation was insane. An asari human standoff.
"I am Captain Sallya. We have no intention to take anything away from you. We want to ensure your safety and that of my crewmember. We will pull back behind the orbit of the sixth planet. I am not planning anything. If you have a suggestion to proceed to return my crewmate, contact me on this channel. Take your time, we do not want to rush things. Sallya out."
She made a cutthroat movement and the operator dropped the channel.
"Now get me the hell the Alliance command on Arcturus. I have no intention of letting Tyana hanging down there."
"Yes Ma'am."
She also would have to inform the Matriarch who was in command of the fleet unit her ship belonged to, but this was Alliance jurisdiction space so Arcturus had priority.
The Mayor and the Sheriff, obviously the second in command, had left again after the exchange was over. The Sheriff mentioned defenses he wanted to check and the two other deputy goons where taking posts outside. Tyana was alone in the room with Jason again.
She just sat there on the small bed, knees pulled up, there was nothing more to do, she just could sit and wait now.
Jason sat there on the small stool, the gun in his lap. He seemed a bit uneasy after a while, probably due to the awkward silence. He took quick glances to the tools and equipment on the table, then his eyes wandered to the handcuffs, that still lay where they had fallen.
"So…" he cleared his throat, "How did you do it?"
If Tyana had eyebrows, she'd have raised one now but asari had none. Their lashes where in fact their only hair.
"You mean the handcuffs?"
"Yes, you dropped them, just like that."
How could she explain the effect of biotic powers without scaring the guy?
"Every asari has abilities to… move things without using their hands. The mechanic lock could be moved that way."
Not the complete truth, as she had just warped the metal to break it internally. But sounding like a mechanical lockpick seemed less intimidating to her.
"And could you do the same with this door then?"
The obvious question.
"Maybe. But I have no intention to try. My people now know what's what and I am sure the situation will get solved. We are a very patient species."
She added "I was actually surprised nobody mentioned it until you did. The Sheriff for example."
"He is scared shitless of you." Jason explained. "When we first noted your spaceship, he saw his old stories coming true. He is one of the elders that founded the colony before my birth. He knows the homeworld and he carries a deep fear that someday aliens like you come to contest our place here. I think he knows that he can't keep you against your will. He has no idea how powerful you or your people are. He probably doesn't want to think about it."
"What is the opinion of the population here? How many humans are there actually?"
"This is the only bigger settlement with some scattered outposts and farming families living farther away. I won't give you any numbers though. Don't get me wrong, I think we started all of this completely wrong but my opinion doesn't count. The Mayor and the Sheriff have the say. If we don't trust them we are all doomed to fail. They are good leaders."
"I didn't want to spy anything. I understand your situation."
The ice was not completely broken and it was obvious to Tyana that Jason was torn between the trust in his leaders and his curiosity in the seemingly peaceful and likable stranger.
"You know, uhm, do you eat or drink? We need to consume food to live and a custom usually let's us offer drinks or food to… guests. Do you want anything?"
"We are alike. Yes, water would be nice, the air is very dry on this planet."
There was a water dispenser in a corner, a large bottle upside down in a machine that spit out little cups. She had seen these in Alliance offices already. From a basket next to it he picked a few fruits… if humans could eat them asari should be able too, she thought. She had never seen otherwise. Jason handed a cup through the bars, it was a perfect fit.
She reached out and took it. She could feel the warmth of his slightly shaking hand. Humans had a little higher body temperature than asari. She brushed his fingertips slightly and he pulled back like a snake bit him, almost spilling the water but Tyana already had the cup.
"S..sorry, I was just…"
"It's okay, nothing happened."
He dropped the fruits behind the bars and Tyana took them. Hard and very round, in red and yellow tones.
She went back to the bed in the corner and took a sip. She smiled at Jason to encourage him.
"What is it like out there in space? I mean, are there many… other peoples, races?"
A small colony that forgot completely about spacetravel and had no technical possibilities to build a spaceship anytime soon. No idea about any other alien race. There where protocols as to what to reveal to any new species. She didn't think, lost colonies should be kept completely dark though, their own governments would fill them in anyway afterwards.
"Yes there are. We have a galaxy wide network of relations."
"Do they all look like you?"
"No, not at all, but most have two arms and two legs… two eyes, but there are notable exceptions."
"Are you a female? I mean, you look like… you have… we, humans…"
Tyana laughed for the first time. "Not exactly in your sense. Asari do not have a gender, we are all the same."
"Oh, and before you ask…" she added, "It works a little different than with your species."
His eyes had gone a little wider and his head was of a bright red now. Did the two suns have an effect on the humans ability to change their skin colors like certain animals?
"But… how do you know how we… I mean, do you already know humans?"
Shit, she hadn't thought about that. She got carried away and made it sound as if she knew all about humanity. But maybe she should not be the one to break the galactic news to him.
"Well, I noticed you have women and children out there. The concept is widespread with other species as well, so I just made a scientific guess."
That was close. Jason seemed relieved.
"Ah, I understand. You know, the Sheriff just used to tell stories about aliens from space that traveled to the homeworld and took people for experiments … and other things."
The way he said it made clear what other things he meant. Obviously this never happened as Earth was not discovered prior to the First Contact War.
"Maybe these are just that, stories. At least I can assure you it wasn't us and no other species we know."
"I am pleased to hear that. You know, I think you mean no harm. If you wanted, you would have defended yourself or your people would have destroyed the village already. But you didn't. The Mayor does not seem to belief so though."
He made a small pause and looked to the door, then back at her.
"You know, we have another custom when we meet someone. We greet each other by shaking hands. A shaking hand can't draw a weapon we say. Would you like to… you know."
Tyana smiled a bit. "Of course, seems like a good custom." She stood up and approached the barred door. Jason also stood up and extended his right hand between the bars.
"I am Jason Markos, nice to meet you, asari."
Tyana took the hand and added "Tyana, a pleasure indeed, human."
Jason whirled around in shock when the door was opened, suddenly and the Sheriff entered the room with his companions. They stared at the two in disbelief.
"Son, what do you think you are doing?" The infuriated Mayor and Sheriff stomped into the Police Station.
"Get away from that thing!" Albert yelled while bringing his gun up.
It now pointed at Tyanas head. "Get back and don't come near my people!" his hand was shivering lightly and the asari could feel a mix of fear and rage. She took a qick step back and raised her hands.
At that moment, the omintool started to beep on the desk behind his back. It unfolded the virtual screen…
The Sheriff whirled around and fired a burst from his sub machine gun in the direction of the startling sound. The omnitool disintegrated into scrap metal and flew about the room, the desk toppled over and the other objects rolled onto the floor, the sample case cracking open.
Tyana stood in disbelief. He had destroyed their communication tool. Now what? She sat down on the bed and the human voices where all blabbering in her ears.
The two other men she already knew entered the office in a hurry to check what had happed and who had been shot… nobody, luckily … yet.
Albert yelled at the Sheriff and pushed him around. It was obvious he wasn't happy about the destruction of the tool. After he was done yelling the Sheriff was still staring at the mess he created. The young deputy slowly started to erect the desk and gather the objects.
The Mayor faced Tyana. He said something she couldn't understand and waved the gun. She thought he meant her to stay put in the back corner of the cell. She shrugged and covered her ears to indicate she could not understand. He grunted and made a discarding gesture.
The two other deputies got the order to stay inside as guards, they moved their chairs as far away from the cell as possible. The Mayor and the Sheriff left, taking Jason with them. His eyes said Sorry and Tyana smiled. The Captain knew what was going on and she would contact the Alliance. Now she just had to wait.
Sallya was getting angry at the dumbstruck com op at Arcturus.
"I won't repeat a third time. My crewmate is captured by humans. Now get me your superior. This is a serious matter, man!"
"I have heard your complaint, Captain. We will provide a complaint number and submit the case to second level support, who will contact you shortly…"
"Okay, this is enough. I've had it with you humans. I will send my commandos in and I can guarantee you a couple of human corpses in a very short time!"
"Ma'am, you have officially anounced a threat against a human. I have to inform you that this is a serious offense and I will have to inform my superior officer immediately."
"Fuck yes, do that. Please." The asari was banging her head angainst the console.
"Captain! The omnitool signal just went dead!"
Captain Sallya turned around from her command console. "What?"
"We stll have her lifesigns from the suit though. All normal. Tyana mentioned that the human was messing with the OT. Maybe he switched it off."
"Okay, monitor the lifesign of the suit. Inform me as soon as anything changes."
The explorer suits did not provide lots of medical data but only a simple status in four grades of seriousness. Tyana was still grade one, all normel, so no reason for immediate concern.
"This is Colonial Administrator Benson. I heard you have problems with human colonists. Please explain your situation, Ma'am." The incoming call from Arcturus took all her attention.
After she had explained the events to the Colonial Admin and sent the vids and pictures, the human Alliance Office of Colonial Affairs was in turmoil. They had their records double checked but found nothing on a colony in Alpha Centauri. In fact there were no records on the system younger than thirty years. So where did these people come from?
Administrator Benson sat in his office on Arcturus Station and was conferring with a data expert who was browsing the files and Commander Hayes, the chief of operations for the Colonial Affairs Office.
"So, we have found nothing. But we can't wait any longer. You all have seen and heard that there are humas on Centauri who have an asari in custody. Their behaviour is very strange and it almost seems they have no idea who they are dealing with. And that fits with the code 15 call from that asari scientist. Technically I am not sure humans can be code 15 by law but this situation is odd enough. Right after this meeting I will have to confront an asari matriarch on this matter." Benson was summarizing the situation. "Hayes, you will go to Centauri. Take a few ships, a full set of linguists, medics, whatever and also a platoon of marines."
"Marines? Are you sure?"
"These folks captured an asari. I sure as hell don't want to take any chances here. Thank god the asari didn't try to solve this on their own so far. Keep the marines back but if these people turn out to be some leftover mercs or pirates I want to have the tools that may be necessary. You have full command over this mission. Clear this up."
"Understood, Sir." Commander John Hayes was a former marine as well. He had worked colonial protection for some years before he took on the job with the AOCA as expert and chief of ops.
"I'll prepare immediately, it will take a day or so to get there and get a clear picture. As soon as we are on the way I will get into direct contact with the asari captain." He stood and nodded to the file crawler, who had a blank expression because the bureaucrats could not answer the questions yet.
Hayes was in the com room of the Alliance corvette Starduster. The second ship of his expedition force was an Alliance transport that carried supplies, medics and scientific gear and additional personal. Their Captain and the chief medic were on vidcom, as well as a representative from the AOCA and the asari captain from the Daria II, while the marine platoon leader, a young Lieutenant, was with him on the corvette.
"We want to get as much information first hand as possible", Hayes opened the meeting. "It will take some time for us to get to you. Do you think the situation is stable enough for a few hours more, Captain?"
The asari captain seemed wary.
"I am not sure as we have no direct contact. Since the omnitool went silent, I do not see any possibility to reach my crewmate. Her lifesigns are stable and in the "rest" range. So we assume, she is kept in one place and is not under immediate stress. We had no biotic activities either. The distance makes it difficult to track details. We are doing orbital recon by a drone. As far as we understand, the colony has no tech to detect these. But our knowledge about their abilities is very limited, mostly conclusions taken from orbital recon photos and the fact that they seemed to be disconnected to galactic society. We have no intention to push the matter or be initiative before you arrive. Our crewmate was also requesting this in her last call in."
"This sounds good. We will hurry, rest assured. So far we have no information about their origin, maybe a crash from a long time ago, at least that is a possibility. We hope direct human approach can produce results that are more cooperative. Our people are browsing all possible files to almost a hundred years back, which takes some time. I have a couple of specific questions though, if you don't mind."
"Fire away." Hayes really hoped it wouldn't come to that.
"Do you have any idea how many people there are or how many settlements there are? And what exactly do you know about their weaponry and have you detected any other form of radio communication?"
The asari looked outside the screen, she got a data pad and read from it.
"I can answer some of that. First of all, we could find no hints for other settlements. The scanning is crude though but this area is the most fertile on the planet and has a larger population of animals, which can be used as food. The infrared scans where misleading at first, we oversaw the settlement because of the herds of these herbivore creatures nearby. Our estimation at this point is something between 200 and 400, it is impossible to get it more exact I am afraid." She made a small pause to think about other possibilities.
"We have no idea about their weapons. They captured an asari biotic, so that might mean something. But we think, Tyana did not resist by biotic defenses, the communication did not imply that, so their arms might as well be crude. But even crude projectiles can kill." Another pause, and Hayes was about to reply something when Captain Sallya added: "There is in fact some simple form of short wave radio. Very weak and… mostly music. At least it sounds like music, I have no big knowledge of human arts. No news or com traffic so far, only one frequency too. I'll send you a sound sample we took just an hour ago. We did not look for something that primitive and weak at first."
She manipulated her pad and the small data package was on route.
"Thank you, we will check this and come back to you as soon as we have something. Please keep us posted when something new happens. We will get you crewmate out of there safe, that is a priority."
"Thanks Commander. Sallya out"
The vidcom went silent and the humans where alone again.
"Soundfile received, Commander. Should I play it?" The com operator was asking Hayes.
"Yes, let's hear it."
With a heavy static crackle the recording started. The melancholic sound of an instrumental could be heard, tunes by human instruments, strings and classic guitars, that was for sure but is sounded nothing like contemporary music, it was as if this was from a classic radio show with the best oldies from a hundred years ago…
The vidcom was interrupting the listening session.
"This is AOCA Arcturus. Sir, the press has gotten wind of this. We have issued a short statement and try to keep it small but you might want to know, Commander."
Corporate News Agency bulletin
Jan. 12th, 2186 CE - Undocumented Human Colony Found in Alpha Centauri System
"Alliance headquarters on Arcturus Station is buzzing about an unusual incident tonight. Information is still sketchy, but it appears asari explorers have alerted Alliance leadership to a previously unknown colony of humans in the Alpha Centauri system. The asari were monitoring a primitive alien species on a planet in the region when a human party approached and ambushed them, taking at least one asari scientist prisoner. Rather than intervene and potentially inflame the situation, the asari contacted Alliance leadership to maintain peace. But as one Alliance source confided, that's easier said than done. The source explained: "The thing is, we can't find any record of these people. None. So what are they doing out there?" Further details will follow as the situation develops."
Still another hour to go. Hayes was sitting in his chair on the bridge, not much to do. The gear was checked numerous times. He envied the marines who could at least do some drill exercises to ease the tension. What would they find down there?
The com op was interrupting his musings: "Commander, AOCA for you on vidcom. They have news about the colonists"
"I'll take it in the com room."
The small room behind the bridge was dimly lit. Hayes activated the vidcom and the face of Administrator Benson appeared in the holographic projector.
"Hayes, we may have found a lead on the origin of those humans and it was quite a surprise."
"So, what have we got here? Rogue pirates or innocent victims?"
"First, let me tell you that the First Contact situation remains intact. And for good reason. The music gave some archivist a hint and he went even further back in time, well pre first contact or mass relays. We have discovered a record for a private deep space endeavor from 2075. It seems, some billionaire named Manswell who was into commercial space business, at one point started a deep space probe with a volunteer crew of three hundred in cryostasis. Very crude technology and not widely advertised it seems. Cryostasis was prone to failure at that time. Obviously there was a bunch of escapists who wanted to leave earth behind and restart human civilization, only better this time. So, long story short, soon after the launch, the contact to the vessel was lost and it was never heard of again." He made small pause "Maybe until today."
This was indeed extreme news.
"So you mean, there are a bunch of hippies in their flower-power colony having been in cryo for… yeah how long? Must have taken them a hundred years or so. That would definitely explain their unawareness of alien races and the lack of interstellar communication."
"Maybe not exactly hippies. We compared the vid recording from the only human the asari had contact with the existing files from the Manswell vessel, scarce as they are. It may be a Sig Albert, a former wall street broker who became a violent environmental activist and if I get the sources correct he was also connected to an organization that investigated alleged alien abductions in the 21st century, you know, freaky stuff. So maybe these people have indeed a strange … image of aliens."
"Would they be violent? What equipment do they have at all weapon wise and how is it possible that out initial recon mission did not detect them? Did they escape the radar back then?"
"No, not exactly violent but they most likely would not trust an alien. A human approach should be treated more positive though but don't scare them too much. We have no records on armament, as said, the records are scarce and when Manswell died and his company went bankrupt, almost everything got lost. We have some flight data, a few photographs. Not even plans for the ship or complete crew lists, only a few key names with this Albert being the most prominent. Fits, if he now acts as a leader. I'll send you what we have." Benson activated the transfer.
"From what we calculated they arrived in the system well after that scouting mission in the fifties. A miss by a few short years I guess."
What a mess, Hayes thought.
"Okay, thanks, I'll take it from there. Whenever you find out anything more, let us know. We will be there in an hour or so and start a cautious recon. The asari scientist seems okay from what we hear, the situation is unchanged after the asari ship left the scene."
"Let's hope this won't get messy. The colonist's safety is the priority, take all the time you need, Hayes, I'll handle the asari matriarch. She seems pretty relaxed so far. Sometimes they still amaze me but within a thousand years of life they must have seen it all I guess." Benson hesitated a bit. "There is one more thing. The press is getting in my hair about this. Could you give them a short statement after your initial scouting? Think about it. I don't want rumors grow out of proportion."
Hayes sighed. This was an unwanted distraction but unavoidable if they didn't want to look like mystery-mongers.
"Yeah, I'll report back to you right after that and I will give them a line or two. Hayes out."
Corporate News Agency bulletin
Jan. 13th, 2186 CE - Alliance Links Lost Colony with Manswell Expedition of 2070
"Surprising details have emerged about recently-discovered human colonists in the Alpha Centauri system who captured an asari scientist. Alliance ships performed a reconnaissance overflight of the planet in question and gathered details about a settlement there. After cross-referencing with Alliance databases, a clearer picture has emerged. An Alliance source explained: "These people are literally a lost colony in every sense of the word. We're 95% certain they originated from the Manswell Expedition of 2070." A background check reveals Victor Manswell was a billionaire who funded his own private spaceflight in the year 2075 after growing frustrated with the pace of official exploration. Pre-dating the use of mass effect relays, some 300 people joined the expedition and were placed in cryogenic freeze for the journey. After a successful launch the colonists were never heard from again... until today, if Alliance suspicions prove true."
Hayes was doing the first recon personally. The shuttle was manned by a crew of four, a pilot, a technician and the marine Lieutenant. The planet was already filling the screens and the windows. HUD was displaying their recon area right into the windows so they could track their course visually.
The recon target was an area of roughly one hundred kilometers diameter on the northern hemisphere. Mildly sloped mountains and a couple of larger lakes mixed with wide open planes and woods, where the natural animals of the planet resided.
The daylight was to last for a considerable amount of time due to the twin suns. The day was significantly longer than the night period. It must be very different from earth. The gravitation was 0.95 and the atmospheric pressure almost the same as earth. That mission was extremely lucky. It could as well have been that they would never find a habitable planet at all. That would have meant death for them. What drove those people into such an adventure? Hayes was a bit curious to meet these people.
Their decent through the atmosphere was in a slow manner, as they tried to avoid creating a massive fiery ionization zone that could irritate a casual observer.
The specialist was tuning in the short wave radio station. Again an oldie, sung by a woman, could be heard. Obviously a French Chanson this time.
"We have a position for that station. It must be in the village", the specialist reported from his station.
"Do a slow passover at thirty thousand." Hays was adjusting the detector screen in front of him. The sky was almost clowdless and the view was excellent.
"Do you have the signal of that asari suit?"
"Yes, sir, I will give you the indicator on your screen."
As Hayes adjusted the magnification, he could already see the village on his screen as they approached. The high-resolution electronically enhanced image was giving him clear details. The mix of wooden buildings and containers looked a little bit like a frontier town in the old days might have looked. Some tech used that was brought along but without big resources to produce new metal the best construction material was wood.
As they neared the village, the viewing angle changed more and more to a vertical one. He could clearly see people walking about – definitely humans – and finally got the indication of the asari signal from a container that was part of a notable arrangement of three, marking something like a courtyard with a fountain in the middle. The computer highlighted a thin, long antenna as the source of the short wave radio signal. An old-fashioned radio station they had there.
This sure was nothing that used post-mass-effect tech. This ruled out a crashsite or any hideaway of pirates. This would be your typical space frontier settlement, as it would have been imagined in the early 21st century. The remains of the Manswell Expedition.
He could not make out any form of defense systems. But in this location all that was needed were some trenches in the underwood anyway.
He shifted his focus to the surrounding. On one side the village opened into the planes. Hayes thought he could make out some people working in what looked like fields. These were obviously agricultural areas next to a small river that was winding its way out of the hills. He had no ideas about the natural circle of growth on the planet but if they arrived at a time where the crops were not that obvious the field would not be much different than the surrounding land with their strange colored plants.
"Okay, we have enough for now, back to the ship" he ordered the pilot
"Aye, Commander". The shuttle pulled up, carefully avoiding a contrail by adjusting the speed and in the higher atmosphere it accelerated until it reached the two Alliance ships in high orbit.
Corporate News Agency bulletin
Jan. 14th, 2186 CE - Alliance to Attempt Contact with Alpha Centauri Colony
"An effort is underway today in the Alpha Centauri system as Alliance specialists work to establish contact with a lost colony of early human explorers who took an asari scientist prisoner. Mission Commander Jon Hayes said: "As near as we can tell, these people slipped through the cracks. They were considered missing when communication was lost with their ship after they left in 2075 and fell off the radar, so to speak. It's entirely possible they have no idea what's happened in the galaxy for the last 110 years. We're treating it as a first contact situation." Accompanying the military will be experts from a variety of fields, including sociologists, anthropologists, linguists, psychologists, geneticists, and a host of supporting medical personnel. One anthropologist commented "It reminds me of those 19th century explorers who discovered tribes deep in the Amazon rainforest. The natives had no idea the wider world existed."
The marines, two groups of ten stood loosely clustered. He was happy their commander didn't go all formal like for an invasion on them. There were a couple of medics and xenbiologists and a few linguists. From all they know, old style English was used by the settlers but one could never know. All in all about thirty five people.
Hayes stood in front of a big vid screen where a computer animation of the larger area of the settlement could be seen. The simulation was created from the recon data. The asari Captain stood beside him. She had decided not to accompany him on the first outing as it was considered a human-only approach could ease any fears the settlers many have.
"Listen everybody. Today we will try to establish a formal contact with the settlement. We will assemble with four shuttles, which is not too big a force, as to not scare them too much. I also want it to be clear that any aggressive approach or any provocation is to be avoided.
We want to decent into the high atmosphere. From there I will try to establish a radio connection at first. So far we only have the old radio station that plays music, so I will try that frequency. Depending on what response we get we will take it from there. Best case is we will go directly to the settlement, second best is landing in some distance and closing in on foot. I want everyone to have sidearm ready. Display and use only on my command or that of Lieutenant El-Masbou." The marine leader stepped forward.
"Your marines will cover the flanks on any ground ops but stay behind the front group. I don't want it to look like an assault."
"Understood, sir, my men are ready."
"Then saddle up everyone, let's see what we have got here."
At an altitude of fifty thousand, the group of shuttles hovered in the atmosphere. Now it was time to try to contact the colonists.
Hayes exchanged glances with the lieutenant and the chief medic. This was a defining moment and he was alone in this. He switched on the emitter.
"Hello, this is human Commander Jon Hayes from SSV Starduster. I call the human colony on Alpha Centauri D on this frequency. If anyone can hear me, please respond. I repeat: I am human, like you, and I come from earth. I want to get into contact with you. Please respond to this call. I am waiting on this frequency."
Everyone that had the radio turned on had heard him now. Now he leaned back and waited. The music was still playing. Every two minutes the emitter would repeat the call.
The Mayor's office was no bigger than the Sheriff's as it was made from the same size container. The Council of Elders where sitting around a table, Albert at the top end, the Sheriff at his right hand side. Five other people where present that formed the Council. One man stood.
"Albert, I am confident you know what you are doing but where should this lead? We can't keep that alien here forever. Either we let it go and they promise to leave us in peace or they will try to free their fellow and then we might have on hand what you fear most."
The others where murmuring. It was obvious that nobody had an immediate solution.
Albert leaned forwad when he replied. "We knew that there are aliens out there and we know that they are not friendly towards humans. I have no idea if it was the people of the thing we have here that came to earth for their experiments but we also can't rule it out. We must show them that we have no fear and we must make it clear that any trespasser must face consequences. That is why I have the posts manned."
"I know that and we have all ammunition dispersed now but if they mean business, how long do you think we could last? They have spaceships, we have a few machine guns and sidearms and crates of old ammunition that we cannot replace easily."
"This makes it even more imperative that we finish the metal production plant upstream soon. We do not need that much at first but it is crucial supply for our safety." Albert replied with a determined face.
Another Council member raised his voice. "I thought that plant should produce metal to get better tools and to repair our failing equipment? I do not think we should prioritize weapons. I would say we should bring that alien here and have a hearing before the Council."
Albert slammed a fist on the table. "You do not understand! They can get to your mind, they can manipulate you. They are dangerous, we must not have too much contact with them, look what happened to Jason! It drew him to the door to open it. It was so close that we could prevent that! Besides, Jake shot the translator, remember? No use talking anyway."
Some nodded, some shook their head.
A knock at the door made their heads turn. A deputy's head poked in. "Sorry to interrupt, Sirs, but you might want to turn on the radio. There is a strange signal on the frequency. Some people out here just reported that in… you really wanna hear that, believe me."
With a grunt, Sheriff Jake flipped the sitch of the radio device on a drawer in the office. When he heard the spanish dance music he was about to make a snappy remark but then… "Hello, this is human Commander Jon Hayes from SSV Starduster. I call the human colony on Alpha Centauri D on this frequency. If anyone can hear me, please respond. I repeat: I am human, like you, and I come from earth. I want to get into contact with you. Please respond to this call. I am waiting on this frequency."
"Those sneaky bastards!" Albert was the first to find his words again. "Now they start playing tricks, what did I tell you?"
"He says he's human. But that is not possible. Or is it?" a councilmember asked in deisbelief
"Of course not! I will give them their reply! Jake, come with me to the station. Old Hawker must plug in the microphone."
The booth from where the music radio was airing was the third container in the courtyard. A small library – with a never changing inventory of a few thousand digital books – and a small cafeteria where also housed there. Old Hawker was the only radio technician of the colony and he was a man of few words but liked to play all his thousands of digital music files for the pleasure of his few listeners. But now someone was interfering with his signal and he was angry about that. Albert cut his rant short though and demanded that the mic was opened. Hawker would not refuse an order from the Mayor and so Albert could answer the call.
"This is Mayor Albert. We know who you are, you want to play psycho wars, don't you? We will never fall for it, so don't waste it. All we want is be left in peace. This is our planet."
He made a very confident face when he was finished. Jake wasn't so sure about the effect of this reply though. He was sure they would be coming again and they would bring guns.
A few kilometers up, the shuttles received the message too. Hayes was disappointed that Albert obviously was so stubborn that he could not think outside his box. He grabbed the microphone.
"Believe me, Mr. Albert, I am really a human. We have come from earth to help you out here. A lot of time has passed, things have changed. Do you hear me? Let us talk face to face and you will believe me."
After some static he could hear Alberts voice again. "I know that you can manipulate minds! You performed all those experiments with human brains and now you think you can manipulate me too. But I won't let you. If you come here again we can't guarantee your mate's safety, consider that. If you leave us alone, he will be safe too."
What a bonehead, Hayes thought. Why was this man in charge down there? He would have expected a more open attitude from an early space pioneer but this whole private funded enterprise was attracting some rich weirdoes obviously who could afford a ticket in contrast to selecting the best suited only. A former wall-street broker, wasn't he? Well, if he knew how insignificant that place was these days with intergalactic economy. Frankfurt was chosen as the Alliance main financial hub and the volus embassy.
But that was idle musings. He had to go there and force the realization on the man.
"This is Hayes," he ordered the other shuttles. "We will land at coordinates 3-17 and proceed on foot. Be cautious, there may be lookout posts."
The shuttles landed on a wide clearing, a wood was preventing direct sight from the village. Right after touchdown, the marines secured the area in all directions then the scientific crew exited the shuttles. Hayes and the Lieutenant where studying the area map on their omnitools.
The Commander was walking at the front of their formation, the marines covering the flanks, as they came around the edge of the woods and had a first view onto the village.
Suddenly a burst of machinegun fire could be heard. The bullets went high by a mile, but everyone dropped on the spot. When no second burst followed, some of the scientists and medics moved to cover in the bushes. The Lieutenant crawled up to Hayes.
"Commander, that was a miss on purpose. I have not seen their position but he must have had a pretty good view on us, so…"
"Yeah, I thought so too. What now?" That was the worst case now. Human-human standoff.
"If we could silence the machine gun, we will have the upper hand. I think if he fires again we can see where he sits. And then he is practically done." When he saw Hayes' face the Lieutenant added "We won't kill anybody." Not if it is avoidable, he added in his thoughts.
"Okay, then take a good look, I'll make him shoot again." Before the Lieutenant knew what was happening, Hayes stood up from the purple weeds and waved his hands and yelled.
"HEY! Here we are. I am a human you id…" he could not finish, as the machinegun now spit fire in his direction. It missed him but went wide and ripped into a bush where two scientists where hiding. He could hear one of them scream and the other wimper while he dropped again on the spot.
"Hey, how is it, are you okay?" he asked, knowing that nothing was okay.
"Hendersons leg is ripped to shreds, we need a medic, fast!" was the hysterical reply of a female voice. Two of the medical crew where already crawling over to the scene. When he shifted his focus to Lieutenant El-Masbou he saw that the marines didn't loose time and where moving in on the machine gun post that was obviously also in an underbush of a wood right next to the village from where it could overlook the planes. The marines where using the smallest covers, crawing in small trenches and using every bush and weed. He could not see everything from where he lay and in the meantime it seemed that the medics had reached the two hurt people. Their screaming had died down.
"What's the status on the injured?" he asked via omnitool.
"Henderson's leg is broken and has severe flesh wounds but nothing we can't fix. Miss Santana has a flesh wound on her arm. I suggest both to be brought back to the shuttles, Sir."
"Not now, after the MG is silenced. Move with cover."
Suddenly short bursts of fire could be heard. The soft sound of the Avengers and the hard hammering of the old mechanical machine gun. Then there was silence. Until the omnitool came to life.
"El-Masbou here, Sir. The machinegun is silent. We had to take one out and two others are wounded. None of our men, Sir."
Hayes knew that the Lieutenant had done what he could. Now he needed to proceed fast, no more dead people here!
When they reached the wood where the machinegun was placed, Hayes saw the unbelieving faces of two human colonists. One had his arm in a sling, the other had a bandaged head and belly. Both sat under a tree in the shadow, next to the hole where the weapon stood. Behind it lay a corpse, covered by a plasic blanket…
"I am Commander Hayes. Do you now believe we are humans? I did not want this to happen, this was completely unnecessary." He pointed towards the corpse. "I need to speak with Sig Albert immediately, can you take me to him?"
The man with the arm in the sling nodded. "Yes, I think I can." He stood and indicated the way, a small trail through bushes and underwood.
"Lieutenant, you stay here. I take two of your men and a few scientists, a linguist and a medic. You can see where we go to, but don't approach the village in force. We keep in touch, let me know if anything happens, you are in command here."
"Understood, Sir." The Lieutenant saluted and the was already busy grouping his remaining men to cover the newly gained stronghold.
Hayes followed the colonist, on his coat tails the two scientists and two marines.
Corporate News Agency bulletin
Jan. 15th, 2186 CE - Alpha Centauri Colony Mission Bears Mixed Results
"The mission to establish contact with a lost human colony from the Manswell Expedition bore mixed results this week. According to Commander Jon Hayes, Alliance ships landed far from the human settlement so as not to exacerbate an already uncertain situation. "We didn't want a whole armada of ships descending from the sky to spook these people." Nevertheless, the colonists feared an attack when Alliance personnel approached on foot. "They put up a spirited defense. A few of our people were wounded, and unfortunately they suffered a few casualties as well." Once the situation was under control, a dialogue with the colonists was opened. "It took some convincing that we were humans from Earth. They suspected an alien plot." Eventually, an Alliance representative was allowed into their camp to make contact with their leader and check on the condition of their asari prisoner. Details are pending."
When they left the small wood on the other side, facing the village, Hayes had a first clear look on the settlement. It was tidy but nonetheless makeshift. The colonists had to use what could be taken from their spaceship or whatever the planet offered. Just like in the old days. Colonization was a big business nowadays and a lot of companies were specializing in providing the equipment any new colony needed. In one way, this contact would make life easier for the colonists but in another way it would be like driving them from paradise.
The man, who's name was Luigi had stopped and waved to signal the guards in the village that friendlies where approaching. At first everyone was surprised to see humans indeed. Most people had heard the message on the open radio frequency but it seemed so impossible…
It took only a few seconds and Hayes could see a group of people with what appeared to be Sig Albert in the lead approaching them. The Mayor stopped a few meters away, the others cluttering around, waiting what would happen next. All the eyes where wandering between Albert and the foreigner who appeared human but …
"I am Commander Jon Hayes, of Earths Space Navy." Hayes opened and extended his hand. "Nice to meet you finally, Mr. Albert."
"You… are really human! If I would have known… It… is impossible." With a slight hesitation, Albert took the hand. A sigh of relieve went through the small crowd. "Come with me Commander. We must talk, but not here."
"One of our concerns is the asari in your custody. I must see her."
"We will do this immediately. Come on."
After the omnitool had been destroyed and Jason was exchanged as her guard by the two other goons, Tyana had nothing else to do and was taking a nap. She woke up when a larger crowd suddenly entered the building. She sat up and was hit with surprise. There where people in Alliance uniforms accompanied by Albert, the Sheriff and a group of elder men! The guards where obviously also taken by surprise but stayed in their corner at the presence of so many high ranking officials. Tyana noted their disbelieving glances at the Alliance people.
A tall Alliance officer came closer and ordered Albert to open the cell, which he did without hesitation now. The omnitool of the Alliance man made communication easy now.
"I am Commander Hayes, Alliance Navy. Good to see you up and well, Ma'am. I hope this has not been too unpleasant."
Tyana left the cell and shook the hand of the Commander. A custom she knew very well of course.
"Not too bad but a little boring towards the end after the omnitool got damaged and I could not talk with my guards anymore."
Now she extended her hand towards Albert. "We weren't formally introduced, Mr. Albert. My name is Tyana Raynco, my pleasure." She smiled an asari smile.
Albert was so embarrassed he didn't even reply but shook her hand in silence and with a sad expression.
The medics where unnecessary here, the only ones that needed attention where the guards at the unlucky MG post. For the next hours, Tyana, Hayes and Albert, together with the elders of the town sat together in the Mayor's office: Hayes was giving a roundup about galactic society today and the more he emphasized on the asari powers and how they where one of the key civilizations of the universe the smaller Albert got in his chair.
Corporate News Agency bulletin
Jan. 16th, 2186 CE - Asari Prisoner Released as Lost Colonists Cooperate with Alliance
"More news today out of the Alpha Centauri system, where an Alliance mission has made contact with a lost colony of human explorers from the Manswell Expedition of 2070. "To say these people are in a state of shock would be an understatement," said Commander Jon Hayes. "Nearly 120 years of history has passed them by. When they left Earth, nobody knew aliens even existed." The colonists' asari prisoner has been released and is in good condition. "They were understandably spooked by the asari. Who wouldn't be, seeing a biotic alien for the first time? In fact, I want to personally thank the asari for her restraint in this matter. She could have fought her way out, but once she understood the situation these people were in, she was patient and let the Alliance resolve the situation." Sociologists are now working with the colonists to decide the best course of action for the future."
The town was now preparing for a small celebration. It had been decided by the psychologists that easing the tension of the last days – in fact, a single day on Nova America – was the best thing to get everyone in positive mood about the new contact with galactic society.
The opening ceremony was an unpleasant one, it was a funeral service for the colonist who died in the firefight.
The Alliance officially welcomed the new colony but still Albert and his council as the elected representatives could determine how to handle extraplanetary connections themselves. A certain amount of time was given to decide what to do next of course and the Alliance scientists where offering their help and opinion on what would be needed most, like extranet connections, radio equipment and up to date medical facilities.
The planetary day was nearing its end, the lights where coming on and the people of Nova America mixed with the Alliance people and chatted and drank and ate the local delis. A big buffet had been arranged in the courtyard in front of the Mayor's and Sheriff's office around the fountain. Colored light bulbs had been attached to the roofs of the containers and now an Alliance flag was waiving under the banner of the colony at the top of the radio mast. Some of the asari crew together with their captain had also joined the party and where one attraction, especially for the kids who seemed absolutely free of prejudice about the nice blue women.
Tyana was wandering off into the shades between the buildings. What an episode in the live of an unimportant exioiologist. Suddenly she saw a familiar lone figure sitting on a porch of a small wooden cabin. She wandered over.
"Hello, Jason."
"Hello Tyana. So this is what it's all about? We are not alone. In fact we where excluded for a hundred years or so."
"Well, not much of a time. I for example am two hundred sixty three years old."
Jason shook is head, his mouth wide open. "Will it ever end? We are so clueless…."
Tyana laughed a bit. "Don't worry, young man. You humans are very fast learners, you will be just fine." She took a sip from the purple syrup she had brought from the buffet. "What will you do, have you thought about that yet?"
"A bit… A lot of the elders will stay here and want to live their lives in peace but a lot of us younger people, those who where born here and had no reason to break with the homewo…. Earth's society may want to explore a whole new universe. We never thought that we could go to space in our lifetime… and now there is a doorway to a whole universe!"
Jason looked into the darkening sky, where the first stars became visible.
"I have heard about the Terra University from the Alliance people. They seem to have special programs for colonists. I may apply for something like that. I can see the ho… Earth with my own eyes. It is almost unbelievable." He chuckled. "We had no high class university here but we know how to survive on a planet without your fancy tech. Maybe that is a useful skill?"
"It is, Jason. A lot of people rely too much on their tech. Natural abilities tend to be neglected these days."
"Now I have heard a bit about your people's abilities. You where not completely honest back then about them I guess…."
"I didn't mean to lie! But I did not want to spook anyone either."
"Actually, I am bit curious about it… about what you can do." He smirked shyly.
Tyana let her glass drop. The split-second he tried to grab it, the glass was enveloped in blue glimmering air and was floating in front of his face. The blue was pulsating slowly and the glass was moving to the handrail of the porch, where the asari sat it down softly, without spilling a drop. Jason watched in fascination as the blue light disappeared. A completely new universe, he thought… full of beautiful blue asari.
Corporate News Agency bulletin
Jan. 17th, 2186 CE - Manswell Expedition Colonists Decide Next Step
"Some closure today in the case of the lost colonists of the Manswell Expedition: after educating the colonists on the state of galactic affairs, Alliance personnel asked the group where they wished to live. Nearly half of them voted to stay on the planet, with one of them saying "Everything has changed so much that I don't see how I could ever go back. Mass relays? The Citadel? Robot wars? I wouldn't know what to make of any of that. I feel like a caveman seeing New York for the first time." Others were eager to rejoin galactic life. "I just discovered one of my descendents is still alive," another colonist explained. "How weird will that be, going back to see him?" An Alliance sociologist said they will help the colonists assimilate into modern life if they choose to return to Earth. "Follow-up interviews and seeing how they adjust should be fascinating," she said."