I didn’t make the scuppers, but it was a close thing. The pilot was threatened with the scuppers too, but we had only followed orders and taken evasive action. The damage to our craft was dents, not penetration, so whatever was fired at us was closer to arrows than bullets.
We could not go back, so whatever life was there we could no longer investigate. Perhaps now they will worship imaginary flying gods, make scratchings of things in the sky, puzzling future archeologists.
Or perhaps it was nothing at all, an intermittently erupting geyser tossing some pebbles at us, while scaring some primitive fauna into scuttling away. A case of bad timing on our part.
Without returning we will never know.
I wonder if this was how Earth’s original seaborne explorers felt. Sailing up some unexplored coastline, mapping the hills and bays, headlands and reefs, seeing smoke in the distance, movement on the distant shore, and wondering.
We are granted a last trip, somewhere safe, before our mapping expedition moves to another planetary system. Some mountains are reflecting rainbows, go and have a quick look before we up anchor and sail away.
The pilot and I are extra attentive, making the most of the chance before three months in stasis, a semi drugged sleep preserving our lives as our ship pushes the limits of physics, chemistry and biology travelling to the next star on our list of interesting objects. Amazing that they can photograph exo-planets from Earth, get basic spectrographic information, but up close it’s always beautifully different.
When we arrive it is dazzling. Sparkles of every colour. Jewelled crystals reflecting the sunlight, polished surfaces gleaming.
I have no idea how this could have formed, but just to see it is enough. If there is life on this planet then they will pray to the gods who live here, make offerings.
The pilot turns away, reluctantly.
We know we must come back.
We too are mesmerised, and wish to pay homage.
Technique: #digital
Theme: #landscape #space
Highlight: #ochre #yellow
Series: #horizon #mini-sci-fi
Published on #Medium