What is this planet, anyway? (Scroll halfway down for story)

NOTE TOREADERS: Anne McCaffrey has recently published the following on her official website:

Dear All,

I know that many of you have enjoyed my works so much that you have written your own fan fiction, created your own fan art, and built your own online role-playing games.

I worked very hard to create my worlds and I am so glad that you like them so much that you have followed the old adage, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."

But I have to be concerned that none of this "imitation" could expose me to the loss of control of those same much-adored works. Along with many of you, I would dearly love to see DRAGONFLIGHT, or any of my books on Pern, turned into a movie. To realize that dream requires that I handle all fan-related material very carefully – sometimes more carefully than I would like.

Now, I believe that – with your help – I can relax some of those restrictions, by establishing some guidelines/rules which I believe will both protect me (and you) and allow you to engage in "fannish" activities.

Rules:

1. Fan Fiction, Fan Art, and online RPGs based on any of my literary works will now be permitted so long as it occurs on a non-commercial basis.

2. With respect to Fan Fiction, Fan Art and transcripts of online RPG activity, care must be taken to ensure that such material displayed on these sites can only be downloaded or accessed for personal, non-commercial purposes. Owners of websites supporting Fan Fiction, Fan Art, and RPGs must take every step possible, including, but not limited to, posting appropriate and prominent notices to ensure compliance with these restrictions. Any reference to the mark "Dragonriders of Pern ®" must be accompanied with a trademark notice indicating registration and my ownership of the mark. You may wish to consult your own attorney about online and Internet law and the rules governing copyright and trademark notices.

3. Mindful that many fans take advantage of "free" web space requiring operators to display banner ads, I will not consider such sites as engaging in "commercial activity," even if the ads contain "click-through" sales features, so long as displaying the ads are a condition of securing the web space and the website creators do not use sites to sell, or assist others in selling, McCaffrey related derivative merchandise. Fan operated sites are not 'licensed' by Anne McCaffrey, are not approved by Anne McCaffrey and do not create an agency or joint venture relationship with Anne McCaffrey, even though they may be maintained with Anne McCaffrey's permission.

4. Participation in any site promoting such Fan Fiction, Fan Art, or online RPGs must be entirely free to participants. No membership fees or other charges may be levied in connection with these sites.

5. Pornographic or "slasher" sites, based on any of my literary works, are expressly forbidden. But I'm sure you know that. I'm a grandmother, after all.

Guidelines:

1. I ask that anyone creating a site for Fan Fiction, Fan Art, or online RPGs endeavour to use good taste. I will not interfere with the internal affairs of fan sites, nor intervene in disputes, or manage them in any way, other than to enforce the rules above.

2. Fans who have read my books know fully well what can and cannot take place on my various worlds and need no reminder. While I would prefer that my well known rules be followed, I will not insist that you conform to such "implicit rules" so long as my explicit rules are observed.

Caveats:

1. I will be creating an online database that will allow fans to register their Fan Fiction, Fan Art, and RPG sites with The Worlds of Anne McCaffrey, Ltd. This database will, in turn, be used to create web pages on the Worlds of Anne McCaffrey website to allow fans the opportunity to share or discover these online resources.

2. In the event rights to any of my literary works are granted or sold for film, television, or other media exploitation, licensees may, at their option, choose to restrict Fan Fiction, Fan Art or RPGs. While I cannot protect fan websites from restrictions my licensees may impose, I will notify my licensees of the registered sites in our database, described in (1) above, that have complied with our reasonable restrictions, and encourage licensees to permit the continued existence of those sites. I wish we could offer more "protection," but quite honestly this is all I can reasonably do.

3. Fans operating sites must understand that they are solely liable for their content and that The Worlds of Anne McCaffrey, Ltd., assumes no responsibility for them, for their administration, operating policies, or activities.

4. I reserve the right to change these rules, guidelines, and caveats at any time without prior notice.

Finally, I hope you continue to enjoy the time you spend in my worlds. Please, as I have told my grandchildren, "play nice."

Yours very sincerely,

Anne McCaffrey

So I hope Anne McCaffrey fans will join me in writing fanfiction, and I hope you all like this story! I've been writing this story in my head ever since I read the short story "Rescue Run", and thought, "Why couldn't someone from the FSP come back to Pern?" I think that AM has said that no one ever will, at least not in canon. But this isn't canon, is it? ;)

The science bits will most likely have many inaccuracies! I'm writing this for the story, not the science. These people are in a future more than 2000 years later than Dragonsdawn, so they have some wacky technology that might not make sense to our puny little 21st century minds. Just don't think about it too much.

Chapter 1: The Exiles

"I don't see anything promising." Vasha scanned the list of "forgotten planets" she had hacked from the FSP mainframe. "Wait, there's something... Pern, it's called, in the Rukbat System. That's close!"

"Is it inhabitable?" asked Yoka.

"Hmm... This report says uninhabitable, but let me look closer. It's a failed colony planet. Ah, familiar story-- colonization successful for several years, but then a hostile organism they didn't know about attacked and they sent for help. It says 'Flesh-eating threads fall from the sky. Only refuge in caves.' The survivors were rescued years later, and the planet was marked inhospitable."

"Sounds like an ideal hideout to me," remarked Kienan. "We'll just stay in the caves the survivors used, repair the damage, stock up on what supplies we can find, and leave."

Yoka looked at her shipmates. "Everyone okay with that? This really is too good a chance to pass up."

Katri looked up from her scanner. "I've got the coordinates of the caves the survivors were living in. I'm also scanning for life readings... Nice! The planet's bursting with flora, that'll be good for our synthesizers... Whoa! this can't be right! Look at the fauna reading."

Yoka leaned over her shoulder. "This place is way more alive than I expected. Much too high a population for a planet where hiding in caves is the only option for survival. What kind of fauna did the original settlers find when they arrived?"

Vasha tapped the entry a few times and found the rescuers' report. "All sorts. It says they found snakes, large avians, and small flying creatures that resembled what they call 'dragons'."

"Dragons were an ancient Earth legend. Huge monsters that could fly and breathe fire. Mostly they were evil and cunning, occasionally considered wise or lucky by different cultures. I believe the legend was partially founded on dinosaurs," Katri informed the others.

"Well, that's all very interesting, but we need more details," Yoka frowned. "What did the settlers bring with them?"

Vasha tapped the entry again. "Everything, I think, but only a few animals succeeded. Horses, cattle, dogs, cats, fish, and mentasynth dolphins are the notable ones."

Katri looked enthralled. "Ooh, I wonder if the dolphins survived! We might still be able to communicate with them."

Kienan looked at his sister indulgently. "Later, Katri. Is there any chance that more humans survived than the group that was rescued? Could they have holed up in a different cave?"

"The reports from the rescue team say not, but that they didn't have the resources to make an extensive search. The team leader did report that he wondered about that, and he didn't find the survivor group very trustworthy." Vasha looked amused.

"Why don't you do a scan for refined metals?" asked Kienan. "If there are still humans by any remote chance, they'll have made tools. It'll also show where the oldest settlements are."

Yoka did the scan and reported, "Okay, the scan shows some refined metals in the landing site, also at the survivor's hideout, and dotted across the Southern hemisphere. Let me check the northern-- Man, that's a lot more concentrated. Look at this point, here by the Northern mountains. It's almost at industrial concentration. Could they have had a successful community here at some point? It's also scattered through the Northern hemisphere, at levels that suggest fair-sized populations."

Kienan looked satisfied. "I say if humans didn't survive, there must be some intelligent life here that uses tools-- perhaps those flying drag-things Katri was so excited about."

"Right." Vasha snorted. "Or the dolphins have mutated and grown fingers."

Katri scowled at them. "Let's just cross the metal scan, okay?"

Yoka tapped the scanner. "Right... look, the same concentrations. Whatever it is, there is definitely a thriving population here! I might even say civilization, but we'll have to see if they have art and music first! You know, if there is a human civilization on this planet, I might even consider staying..."

Katri's scowl disappeared and her eyes widened. "Staying? You mean forever?"

Kienan looked thoughtful. "She has an idea. I mean, how long can we keep running from the FSP? What kind of life would we have as outlaws?"

"We can still prove our innocence--" Katri protested.

"No we can't," Kienan said firmly. "The government has its mind made up, and you know they'll shoot first, forget about asking questions. Face it, sis. We have no life ahead of us in the FSP. And frankly, if there is any chance of a life that doesn't include running and hiding, it's looking pretty good to me."

Yoka smiled at the two siblings. "I'm with you on that, Ki. And whoever ... whatever these beings are, they must be pretty interesting. I admit that I'm intrigued by this planet, and I want to know how they've maintained such a population in the face of this mysterious menace from the skies, yet remained decentralized with so few resources. I think we should make contact with their leaders and ask if we can stay."

"Now wait a minute!" Vasha gave her friend a doubtful look. "What if they're hostile? What if they want to shoot us on sight? Or eat us?"

Katri nodded. "Or what if we totally freak them out? If they've never heard of spaceships or people from other planets?"

Kienan chuckled. "Maybe they'll think we're gods. Remember that holovid about the colonization of Vega V?"

"Right." Yoka nodded decisively. "Those are all things to consider. So we approach with stealth. Cloak the ship, they can't see or track us -- and I doubt they have anything even approaching radar. We evaluate the situation and if they're not hostile, we might go undercover, keep in touch with each other, and figure out how their society works, who the leaders are, and if we can blend in. Then if we decide to stay, we let the leaders know who we are, unless we have a reason to just stay quiet about it."

"Sounds good to me," Kienan said. "Why don't we just go down cloaked and take it from there?"

"Agreed," said Vasha shortly.

"Sounds good to me," Katri shrugged.

"Let's do it then."

About my characters: None of these is a "mary-sue", and I hope you don't find them annoying. The "real" (canon) characters will be coming into the story soon. You will also find out more about the four space travelers, and why they are on the run from the FSP. Please review!