June
15 years after the event.
Colored lights from the liquid crystal displays of the monitors provide most of the light for the bridge of the battle cruiser. The bridge crew watches the monitors. The huge near-spherical shape of a planet dominates the view from the bridge.
"It's really hot down there," says a crewman, looking at the monitor screen. "About 180 Fahrenheit in the equatorial regions."
"So much for shore leave down there," says United Nations Spacy Commander Aaron Leibowitz. He strokes his short-cropped beard with his index finger.
"Sir, ma'am, spectral analysis indicates that the planet has a nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere," says another crewman. "Maybe we could walk around on the surface near the polar regions at night."
"There seem to be radio transmissions from the planet," says a third crewman. "I wonder if there are survivors down there."
"Captain," says a radarman watching the radar screens. "We're detecting six objects rising up from the atmosphere. Their velocity is increasing."
"Keep an eye on those signals," replies the captain.
It is not surprising that there are people down there, if the intelligence reports were accurate, although it would not have not been surprising if there was no one left- or at least no one left to broadcast radio waves or launch rockets. The people on the bridge wonder what will happen. Are those blips, speeding towards the battle cruiser, a welcoming flight? Or missiles?
Captain Lisa Hayes looks at the planet, preparing to make a decision.
Ooooooo
Somewhere beneath the planet, there is a network of hardened underground shelters. The shelters had been constructed long ago, in the event of a massive thermonuclear war. They consist of huge underground buildings connected by tunnels made of reinforced concrete. The shelters had served the descendants of its builders on a day that would live in infamy. The shelters have huge stockpiles of food and water, and even hydroponic rooms where fresh vegetables can be grown.
People watch the monitor screens. The monitor screens are similar in function to the monitor screens of the battle cruise high above the planet, if not in style.
"Contact is in six minutes*," says someone watching the radar screen. "I wonder, sir, if they are really the rawb'tok people."
"Who else could it be?" says another person.
*This section of dialogue is, of course, translated from the original. Measurements are translated into earthly measurements.