The Characters I introduce here were created by myself many years ago, a once wrote about an alien healer and her companions. It seemed natural at the time this was first writen - and belive me it bears little resembalnce to that original form now - so I've kept them in for a reason.
I don't own the Tracy's, I wish I did - I would be one happy lass.
Thank you for reading.
Slowly her eyes opened and took in the dim emergency lighting, the console before her blinked in colours she knew meant her two companions were also alive, if somewhat dazed but recovering quickly. Secure within the flight harness, she closed her eyes again briefly and checked herself over for any damage. Finding none, she relaxed until something banged against the ships hull, and suddenly the sensation of floating without realising it, stopped. A dull groan echoed round the chamber and she looked up towards the ceiling.
"Report Skara; any damage?" The reply seemed to come from all around.
"Minor, thankfully. The collision knocked out the guidance system briefly, and we lost total control…"
"Tell me about it…" Another voice muttered from the darkness and there was the faint sound of liquid moving.
"I was able to make adjustment for entering the planetary atmosphere, and we seem to have landed into …" there was a pause while data was being checked. "Salt water. Readings indicate an almost normal gravity level, nitrogen rich atmosphere, but with a breathable oxygen content"
"So, some good news at least" She unlocked her harness and stood up slowly, easing the kinks out of her tail.
"You okay Fe'la?" The voice in the darkness snorted.
"I'd like to know what hit us, and get back to it"
"We went too close to an Oort cloud I think, I'm afraid my data is a little vague at that point"
"The important thing now is to check for damage, locate where we are and do what we need to do"
"Ktara… it would seem we haven't arrived unnoticed" An image floated in the air before the woman, and she watched as a number of humanoid beings, two of which were coiling what looked like a rope, stood well back from the beached craft. At the centre of the group was an grey-haired elder, they just seemed to be waiting.
"Not what I was planning on"
"What now?"
"No visable weapons, they also don't seem that afraid of what they see. What's the tech level of this world?"
"Space flight achieved, but only within their system. Numerous probes have been sent out into the void, though I can't access any data to tell me if any have been found in the federation "
She nodded, looking once more at the group she saw no fear in what they looked at, more interest than anything else.
"Guess it's time to meet the natives. I hope their friendly"
There was a growl in the darkness.
"We know the drill"
Ktara walked to the airlock and activated the shielding device on her belt, in a moment her body was covered in a mirror-like effect, which would give her enough protection to get back inside if things turned nasty.
"Here goes nothing" and she stepped into the airlock, the inner door cycled shut behind her.
The craft had been landed as best they could, it seemed there was more to it, then the crested section. John's data had indicated something almost 30 feet in length, and it sure looked like that was true. Nothing happened for some time; though they did get the impression that something was watching them, that sixth sense all humans shared at times was screaming fit to burst. Finally their waiting was rewarded when a small portal opened to one side and a figure – it was humanoid, as in having two arms, two legs and a central torso and head – stepped out. It was covered in a silver glow, so no details were visible, and didn't move from the portal.
Jeff kept his voice low.
"First contact boys… John would give his eye-teeth to be here for this"
He raised his voice slightly and took a step forward; hands out to his sides showing they held nothing.
"We mean you no harm. Can you understand?"
{Ktara watched the group, noting where each one stood in relation to the elder. She assumed the tall dark-haired one next to him was his second or guard from the way he stood ready to rush in and protect the elder. Taking a small breath, she opened the channels in her mind, emotions started to come in. There was Concern; also curiosity; a little fear that was to be understood, after all. There was also a link here, a family link. These humanoids – these males - were all related to each other, they looked to the grey-haired one as their father.
She sensed no malice from any of them; it was almost as if they had been waiting for something like this to happen. The elder's spoken words were just gibberish to her ears, but this was always the case when new races were first encountered. Perhaps that was why the Healers had developed that other ability they were so renowned for: The ability to absorb a language from touch. Though it did come with a price}
Jeff could tell from the small movements, that the visitor was watching them all. He had no idea what to really do, and had decided to rely on common sense. The being reached back with one hand and touched the side of the craft briefly, then it walked towards them. Scott – without thought – pushed himself a little in front of his father. Jeff smiled slightly at his son's devotion, they were all the same.
It stopped a few feet in front of Alan and Gordon; Alan took a small step backwards without thinking about it. This close up, they could see that the being was smaller then they were, being roughly five and a half feet in height, it also seemed to have something hanging down behind it. Its hand moved to what must have been a belt and the silver glow faded away, revealing their visitor for the first time.
She, for it was female, just regarded the two men calmly with purple eyes. Her features were human looking, though more pointed and her skin was very pale. White hair hung to her shoulders, and they couldn't help but notice the tail that waved slightly. She smiled slightly, pointed first to Alan then Gordon and held up one hand palm outwards and waited.
{She knew she was taking a risk here, new species and everything, but being able to communicate fully out weighted the disadvantages. They seemed much like any other humanoid race she'd come across, every second she was building up a better understanding of their people – though she would have to come into contact with a female of the species to get full knowledge. Now all she had to do was wait until one of the two younger males understood she wanted them to touch her hand}
Gordon swallowed slightly and couldn't stop himself from looking at the visitor's eyes. They were such a vivid colour, golden scalia surrounding a purple centre, it was a shade he'd seen many times in the ocean depths, and almost without thinking about it, he started to raise his hand to join hers.
"Gordon. Be careful!"
He jumped slightly, but she never stopped looking at him, just tilted her head slightly as if in encouragement.
"I don't think she'll hurt me Dad" and their flesh touched.
To Gordon, it felt like he was rushing through a tunnel, images passed, words, things he'd never thought possible. Cities floating miles high in the sky, the land below lush and green. Oceans covering whole planets, people – he couldn't call them aliens, after all that would mean everyone was an alien to someone – going about their lives, living and breathing different gases or substances. And as all this went pass, inside his brain a language base was building.
"Oh…"
He knew or understood that the same was happening for her, and for the other two minds that seemed to also ride her own. So why didn't he feel afraid?
Jeff was stunned slightly by the speed at which things had happened. Gordon, acting on his own – or so he hoped, if he'd been forced into this, it didn't bode well for First Contact – and now they both stood like statues staring into each others eyes. He noticed a film of sweat starting to form on his son's forehead, and Gordon trembled slightly.
So tired… why was he feeling so tired? He'd just gotten up, hadn't done much the day before and now this?
~I'm sorry~
And contact was broken.