PROLOGUE: UFO

International Space Station, Present day.

The Earth looked beautiful through the circular windows of the International Space Station; Astronaut Bill Sanders were up there for three months now and never had bored with the view. Occasionally he looked towards the moon and wondered when mankind will set feet there again. He had heard from his grandfather and his father about the day Neil Armstrong was the first man who walked on the moon, so he became an astronaut because, being a kid, he wanted to be the first human in Mars.

The moon was full, a bright pearl shining in a dark sea, and beyond, nothing but stars. Then something called Bill's attention, at first it looked like a distant star, but it was getting brighter –or closer? The star didn't twinkle, meaning it hadn't light by itself.

-"A meteor?" Sanders wondered. "But it's coming too fast."

The object was approaching, now it seemed it wasn't spherical. Tiny protruding wings each side was visible. "A ship?" He thought. But there wasn't any re-supply mission scheduled, and the ship was coming from outer space, not from Earth.

-"Houston, Come in. This is ISS reporting an object moving in a vector inbound to Earth. Over" Sanders informed.

-"Negative ISS, Radar didn't show anything. Maybe it's too small. Can you confirm over?" Houston mission control responded.

-"I can see it. But you not gonna believe me, that's not a meteor and isn't small." Sanders said.

-"Radar contact negative. We're blind. Make sure you're not reporting any Chinese spy satellite or the conspiracy theorists will become crazy if there are rumors of UFOs." Houston control tech commented.

Now the object was so close that Sanders could see it clearly. It was a ship, but none like the ships built by humans. First it wasn't cylindrical like all the rockets built by NASA or another human space agency, but it was fish-like shaped.

Second, all over the hull the ship had strange markings, like hieroglyphs or cuneiform writing but more stylized. And third, before Sanders could take a photo, the ship disappeared from sight. Not like it was out of reach, but disappeared, turned it invisible. Some sparks crossed the hull and then, it wasn´t there anymore.

Sanders just hope the external cameras of the space station had recorded the object. He turned on the screen, but it showed only static.

- o -

The Creature looked through the triangular window. The green and blue planet shone as the ship passed. There has been time since it has been on this planet. It seems the inhabitants had advance into space exploration, the habitat floating in orbit is the proof of that. It was a new sight.

Their ships were invisible to radar but active camouflage was used only on atmosphere were the ship could be seen with the naked eye. But when the Creature approached, it detected the habitat and at the risk of being discovered activated the ship's camouflage.

The creature's race was nomadic. They evolved in a planet like the one it was in orbit, long time ago. From a group of mammal reptiles dwelling in a hot jungle, a parallel evolution developed a biped humanoid which soon developed a primitive civilization.

As soon as they became a spacefaring culture, some of they developed a "return to nature" philosophy. The wiser and strong individuals who are to guide the clans must prove themselves by hunting dangerous prey. Just as primitive humans clan leaders hunted a Cave bear, an Uroch or a sabertooth tiger.

They hunted dangerous creatures all around their home world, and when they eventually discovered alien life in other planets, they hunted them.

Some centuries ago, one of the clan ships came across this green blue planet, so similar to their home. And what was their surprise when the planet was inhabited by humanoids which used fire and simple weapons. At last, a species which could match their own, but not yet.

As the inhabitants developed the use of metals, the Hunters noticed they also developed war, and with War, warriors. These warriors could've a match in a young's rite of passage; so the Hunters came here every season for a young to be tested and became an adult.

Sometimes, the Prey had proven itself worthy and shown philosophies similar to the moral code of the Hunters, so they adapted those customs into their own. The Hunter remembers his own Rite of passage, long time ago in the volcanic Island arch where the creatures had developed a warrior culture and wooden buildings. Their weapons were sharp and deadly, but it was their philosophy, something called "bushido".

The Hunter stalked his prey for a time, and finally revealed himself to the warrior. In a blade combat the Hunter had defeated his opponent, and the fallen Warrior had prayed something, stabbed himself with his own weapon and died.

Such a show of honor impressed the elders and adapted the custom for a defeated warrior. Each time a hunter was defeated by a worthy opponent, the warrior has to kill himself and or his comrades gave the victorious an offering, this being the fallen warrior weapon or a clan marking.