Chapter 16. Detecting sources of electromagnetic fields
"That's the puzzle that needs to be solved," Yves said with a smile. "And it requires patience. Research is not a field where answers are immediately available."
"That doesn't suit me," Ingmar muttered, losing interest.
Yves shook his head. "Young people today are too impatient to appreciate a good puzzle." Then he became serious again. "Please pull us down a little lower."
Ingmar frowned. "I feel like a lift guy," he muttered, but did as he was told.
The shuttle slowly lowered. On the way down, Pedi walked over to him and sat in the passenger seat. He was less interested in the trees and more concerned with the ground below.
"Did the sensors pick up anything?" he asked as they hovered over the trees again.
Ingmar looked at the data and shook his head. "No, just rocks and soil. And... wait, there's a very weak electromagnetic field here. The sensors can barely pick it up. They didn't pick this up on previous flights."
"Electromagnetic field?" Pedi frowned. "This kind of thing shouldn't be here. We should take a closer look."
"But not today," Ingmar replied immediately. "We can't find a suitable landing spot here." The surrounding trees are too dense and there is no open space nearby.
"It could be important," Pedi insisted.
Ingmar sighed. "Okay. I'll notify Republic. They'll send a team down to investigate this immediately. Do you agree?"
Pedi didn't seem happy. Because if a team from the Republic came to investigate now, he couldn't be involved. But he nodded. He knew he couldn't leave the shuttle at will.
After notifying the Republic, they continued their flight. However, Noah must promise to send a team down immediately so that things don't get put on hold.
Just a few minutes later, the team of six emerged from the forest floor between the trees. Captain Noah personally leads the field team. Among his team were Jeffrey, Ted and one of his security officers, as well as another geologist and his assistant. They decided to go together to find out the truth. Jeffrey also supported an immediate investigation when word came from the spacecraft. There shouldn't be any electromagnetic fields here, and even though the Vulcan showed no emotion, he still seemed a little uneasy. This sign was enough for Noah to immediately dispatch an investigative team.
Members of the field team looked up at the trees. These trees are majestic, surpassing even the largest redwood trees on Earth in both height and diameter. At least, that's how the trees stood behind them. But in front of them, the situation was different. The trees are nowhere near that tall and very slender. It's as if they grew hundreds of years after the other trees. This difference was already noticeable in observations by the spacecraft crew, but on the ground, the difference was even more pronounced. However, the undergrowth on the ground is no different than its surroundings. The undergrowth throughout the forest is unusually sparse. Only bits of moss and a few remnants of fallen branches dotted the ground. But no saplings are growing. This is supposed to happen without animals eating the little plants. Except, these trees will only reproduce if their population is stable. This would be a surprising evolutionary development. Or, it could just be due to the dim lighting conditions here. The dense canopy of trees carefully blocks the sun, so there is always a dim light here. The canopy is so dense that although rainwater can pass through the leaves, water vapor cannot escape upward. Instead, it condenses on the leaves and drips back to the ground. This creates a greenhouse-like climate, comparable to that of a sauna. Such conditions are ideal breeding grounds for mosses and fungi, but less so for trees. Therefore, small saplings only have a chance of survival when larger clearings appear.
"The scanner received a weak electromagnetic field signal," Jeffrey ended his observation of nature. Because after all, that's not what they came here for. This requires botanists to take charge. Although they couldn't see the sun, they knew it was well past noon, so they didn't have much time before dusk. And after sunset, it gets very dark.
"Is there any receiving direction?" Noah asked, walking to Jeffrey's side.
The Vulcan pointed to an area of young trees. "About a kilometer ahead of us."
"About?" Noah smiled. This was an unusual statement for a Vulcan who was usually so accurate.
"The scanner has some difficulty detecting the source of the signal," Jeffrey explained unwaveringly.
"Oh, that's right," Noah just said. Then he looked at the others. "Let's go for a walk there."
The geologist and his assistant, a strong young woman finishing her semester as an intern, took action. Ted, on the other hand, looked at Noah suspiciously. "Captain, do you think this is a good idea? In this dim light, we are easily attacked by animals, and we may not see them coming. So I can't guarantee safety." He always said to the crew worried about their health.
"Mr. Ted, there are no animals here," Noah reminded. "The sensors have confirmed this."
"The sensor didn't pick up the electromagnetic field either," Ted said dryly.
The captain raised an eyebrow and looked at his security officer. He had to admit that this was a reasonable point of view.
"Mr. Jeffrey, can we get closer to that area?" he asked the Vulcan.
"I don't recommend this. We don't understand the source of the electromagnetic field. Interference with the transmitted beam may cause it to lose its integrity. But we can go there in person, which can effectively preserve its integrity."
So it was decided. "Let's go for a walk," Noah emphasized, motioning to Ted to go ahead.
"Yes, sir," he simply said, then made his move. So they walked through the dim light, ever careful not to slip on the partly slippery moss. Ted walked in front, followed closely by Jeffrey, holding a scanner to constantly check the direction. Next came the geologist and his assistant. Noah and the security officer were last. As they clear their way, the captain begins to wonder if Ted is right. It wasn't that he believed there were animals here that might pose a threat to them. But what about plants? Mandela officials certainly did not conduct a detailed survey of these forests. They simply don’t have time to do it. But what if there were large carnivorous plants here?
Noah shook his head slightly at his own doubts, but no one could see in the dim light. What a wild thought. If there were no larger animals, where would such a plant get its food? If he's torturing himself over this sort of thing, then he probably should really consider whether he's too old for the job of captain.
Although it was only a kilometer away, it took longer than expected. The ground became increasingly uneven, leaving ravines on the ground, as if a magical plow had been pulled here. Then the terrain drops slightly, followed by a sharp rise. Here, there are no longer any visible structures on the ground. They were more stumbling forward. Until Jeffrey sent a signal that they had reached their destination.
Noah looked around. He was trying to find something unusual, something that could explain electromagnetic phenomena. But he saw nothing but more trees.
"Mr. Jeffrey?" He turned to the Vulcan.
"Just beneath this area is the source of the electromagnetic field," Jeffrey explained calmly. As usual, it was impossible to tell from his face whether he was excited that he might have discovered something unusual.
Noah looked down at the ground. The road here looks no different from the previous one, although the ground is obviously uneven.
"In addition, the scanners detected metal alloys of unknown origin," Jeffrey continued. "Obviously unnatural."
Suddenly, Noah had a flash of inspiration, and he looked up in the direction they came from. The structure of the ground, only the trees here need to re-grow, metal alloys and electromagnetic fields. All of this gave him some hint. The answer was right in front of him, but he couldn't remember it.
"You mean, someone has been here before and built an underground facility?" the geologist asked in surprise. So far, they haven't found any signs of intelligent species on this planet.
"A spaceship crashed here," Noah said automatically, as everything became clear.
Jeffrey looked at him, raised his right eyebrow, and nodded. "Sounds reasonable," he said then. "Based on the amount of metal, it's more likely this is a shuttle."
"Or maybe most of the ship was destroyed before," Ted joined in. At this time, everyone immediately thought of the Mandela. Did they find the remains of a disaster here? After all, the number has definitely been to this planet. It provided survey reports and the first measurements on the spacecraft. Maybe they came back because something was missed and crashed here.
"There's no use in purely guessing," Noah exclaimed. These dark thoughts only get in the way. "We need tools to mine it. And we need more people to excavate the ship. Then we'll know what poor guys are buried here."
"The electromagnetic fields are well shielded and we can safely transport people directly here. This will speed up the work," Jeffrey added.
"Very good." Noah looked up at the sky. It had gotten darker since they arrived. The day passed slowly. There's no way to get ready tonight and start working right away. Although the captain preferred to start digging immediately out of curiosity. They used the remaining time to familiarize themselves with the surrounding terrain. Jeffrey used a medical triangulation scanner to record conditions on the ground, geologists took soil samples, and safety officials searched widely to see if they could find more debris. But all failed. Finally, Noah ends his exploration and they return to the ship. The rest of the preparations must be done on board.
pain. Unbearable pain. Pain shot through his nerve pathways like fire, making every muscle tense. The pain was so intense that it nearly knocked him unconscious. So intense that in order to protect itself, the body would rather stop all activities and immerse itself in the false safety of unconsciousness. Such pain is either endured through long and arduous training, or it is unbearable and means death.
The dazzling light exploded in front of his inner eyes, making him lose his sense of direction. His inner perception seemed to have fallen into a coma, because for him there was no difference between up, down, left and right. There is no here and there, no present and future. Nothing important. There is nothing that can be explained in rational terms. There was just this unbearable pain, attacking the walls of his consciousness, the walls he had erected to protect himself, because he was afraid that if the pain was too overwhelming, he would go crazy.
An electric shock made him groan again. A new wave of pain coursed through his body. He had to focus all his attention to stay awake. If he fell unconscious, the guards would whip him with electric whips until he died.
Gradually, he regained control of his body. The scene before him took shape again. Slowly, he regained awareness of his surroundings. Surprisingly, he was on all fours with his knees on the ground. He didn't even notice how he fell. Or how long he'd been lying on the ground. He closed his eyes and focused on himself. He must have complete control over his body. He had to stand up to avoid being whipped with the electric whip again, otherwise he would have no chance of survival.
His shaking body struggled to stand. His hands traced along the minecart he was pushing. With difficulty, he dragged his right leg over and placed it next to the mine cart, then carefully applied strength. However, his legs were shaking so badly that he didn't dare transfer all his weight to them at once. He needs some down time. However, he didn't have the time.
"Hurry up!" the guard's voice echoed in his ears, and then he felt a heavy boot dig into his ribs.
He immediately collapsed again like a wet sack and lay panting on the ground. This demon doesn't give him any chance. Apparently, the guard now wanted to kill a prisoner, and he became the target. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's just bad luck. It's been like this lately. But he won't give in easily. This demon's caretaker must think of more ways to overpower his will. He wanted to prove to this demon that will triumphs over violence. He concentrated all his attention again and used the last bit of strength to stand up. This time he succeeded. He stood, shaky as he was, but standing. It's fairly stable and won't fall down again right away. He slowly turned to face his tormentor, who was now on the left.
Standing before him was a creature nearly two meters tall. Its skin is covered in hard scales, similar to those of a reptile. It has no nose, no ears, and no hair. Unlike ordinary human eyes, this creature has two round compound eyes, and its honeycomb-like structure is clearly visible. Its half-open mouth reveals sharp, dagger-like teeth, enough to tear a living person apart. Its hands have three sharp claws like eagle talons, holding a laser gun. It wears a suit of armor primarily made of metal, similar to a knight's chainmail, which provides more effective protection against sharp objects, guns, and energy rays. It was the ugliest race he had ever seen. It is also the most cruel and powerful race.
