Chapter 19. Exploring Kuafu IV’s legacy spaceship
"Everything supports this conclusion," Noah confirmed. On the one hand, it's an exciting idea. They have a chance to meet a new life form. It's almost an exciting thing. However, this may not seem enough compared to actually making first contact. They don't even know what rituals this race has for their dead. If they enter this spaceship, will they violate any taboos? In the eyes of this alien, will this disturb the peace of the deceased, make an unforgivable mistake, or even trigger a war? Of course, this is no reason to give up exploring. If humans were constrained by such concerns, their progress might be severely limited. Curiosity is the basic quality that drives human progress.
"Captain, we did it!" shouted the technician holding a cutting gun. Two colleagues carefully took out the cut part of the shell and let it fall slowly to the ground. Ted and his security officers stood by with fusion guns, ready to fire at any threat that emerged from within the ship, no matter what it was.
However, what they faced was a musty smell that hit their faces, causing everyone present to take a step back. Over the years, the air in this wreckage has been trapped inside without being exchanged with the outside world. This proves that the outer shell of the spacecraft was not damaged when it hit the planet. Although it looks deformed and completely useless, it still performs its function, protecting the occupants inside from everything. Whoever these builders were, their shipbuilding skills were quite impressive. .
"Mr. Jeffrey, what are the results of the prism analysis?" Noah asked, taking a few deep breaths to drive the smell away from his nose.
The Vulcan picked up the prism and pointed the sensor directly at the cut-out opening of the spacecraft. The thick casing has previously hindered more accurate measurements. But now, that barrier no longer exists.
The prism is a portable measuring instrument that allows surveys to be carried out in almost all directions. Data is recorded via the built-in scanner. A microcomputer inside the instrument stores data on almost any subject through technology. Therefore, depending on the program settings called, the information collected on site can be immediately evaluated and analyzed. Further decisions can be made immediately. The amount of data is limited due to the size limitations of the instrument. Therefore, in addition to general-purpose prisms, there are also instruments specialized in specific fields, such as technology, science, or medicine. The information stored by these instruments is not as extensive as general-purpose instruments, but more focused on specific topics, allowing for more complex analyses. Of course, there are still some investigations that cannot be completed on site. For some complex analyses, greater computing power is still required and can only be done on board. In special cases, even this may not be enough. At this time, computer systems from large research institutions must be introduced and used.
The results obtained by Jeffrey through the prism were sufficient for preliminary analysis. "No signs of life were detected," he reported.
"What a surprise," Ingmar muttered sarcastically. The looks he received from the crowd showed that his voice was no small one.
Jeffrey continued nonchalantly, "The atmosphere inside the ship contains 25% oxygen, 73% nitrogen, 1% argon, and other trace gases. It is very similar to the atmosphere of the Earth, and is now similar to the atmosphere of this planet Mixed together. The ship's energy systems did not activate, except for a weak electromagnetic field. It is unclear whether the systems were simply shut down or stopped working due to a lack of energy."
"Okay," Noah nodded. "We should go in and take a look." He walked towards the opening of the hull again, preparing to climb in.
"Wait," Ted stood firmly in front of him. "Despite Mr. Jeffrey's analysis, we don't yet know if there is any danger inside. Therefore, I have to go ahead."
Noah was about to argue, but then realized there was no point in arguing with his security chief. Ted would never budge on this issue. So he stepped back and gave him more space. Ted turned on the light on his laser gun and shined it into the hull opening. But he didn't see much in the spotlight's cone. The hull is leaning against the ground because the hull is leaning in the soil. Some fragments of the ship's interior cladding and equipment were scattered on the ground. But Ted didn't see anything dangerous.
"I'll go in and take a look," Ted said, then squeezed his muscular body inside. There he swung his flashlight in a semicircle in front of him. However, even from the inside, the situation is no different than from the outside. A light layer of dust covered everything, the remnants of the destruction that had accumulated over the years. In a sealed hull, external dust does not enter. Otherwise, they now have to travel through several centimeters of fine particles.
Ted walked cautiously inside, watching his steps. He definitely didn't want to step on debris. When he was convinced that there was indeed no danger here, he turned back to face the opening in the hull. "No problem, you can come in."
Noah immediately appeared and got inside. He also carried a flashlight, which he used to illuminate the interior of the ship. Jeffrey then came in, and the rest of the people stayed outside waiting.
They examined the remains and wall finishes. Jeffrey was fascinated to discover that the ship's propulsion system and related technology were housed entirely beneath a double floor. They are much smaller than the corresponding facilities on the Republic ship. This is an amazing technical achievement, but it certainly has its shortcomings. It's up to Daisy and her team to find out, though.
"Captain, there's another door here," Ted said, spotting an inconspicuous section of wall and upon carefully illuminating it, discovered that it was actually a door. However, the structure of the entire hull was so twisted by the impact that it could no longer be opened. After several failed attempts, they gave up.
"We have to get through," Noah stressed. "I hope we can find some of the ship's crew back there."
So they brought the welding gun. Ted takes over the task and he burns a huge hole in the door. As he worked, the temperature inside the ship grew hotter and the oxygen levels dwindled due to the glare of the welding gun. Although new oxygen was flowing in through the opening, Noah felt his breathing become increasingly difficult. However, Ted finally completed the mission before it became unbearable. The severed part fell with a loud crash into another chamber inside. It made a dull thud in the darkness, then fell still.
Ted shrugged and apologized, then looked through the opening to light up the room inside. Ted let out an audible gasp as the room lit up. After a brief shock, he calmed down. "That's the missing crew," he said, pointing to the room.
Noah walked to the door and looked inside. The first thing that caught his attention was the steep slope of the hull. On impact, the hull completely buckled. The front part curves downward as it dives into the ground. Surprisingly, the hull did not break in the process.
Then he saw them too. crew. They were lying on the floor. There are four people in total. The fifth person sat in front on something like a seat. His upper body slumped impassively onto the console in front of him. At first glance, it's not obvious how they died, but the way they lay side by side suggests they didn't appear to have died in the crash.
Noah was the first to enter through the opening. He had to grab a thick bundle of cables protruding from the cracked siding. Approach these creatures with caution. Jeffrey followed him. The dead are almost intact. The insulated hull protected them from any putrefactive processes. This is a fortunate fact for the crew of the Republic, as they now have a clear understanding of the species. They are reptiles. A reptile that walks upright and has two strong hind legs and two forearms. Their hands are made up of three claws, distributed at almost perfect angles at the end of the arm. Underneath the dark gray uniform, a huge body can be seen, indicating its great strength. However they look a little thin. Their heads are hairless and covered with a thick, tough skin that resembles scale-like armor. No nose or ears. The mouth is huge, occupying the entire lower half of the cheek. Their teeth are sharp. They look as if they evolved from carnivorous reptiles. This is quite unusual for a species in the known universe. Only a few species of intelligent reptiles have been recorded. But the most unusual thing are their eyes. These creatures have two round compound eyes. Completely unusual for a reptile. An interesting evolution must have occurred on their home planet to give these creatures the characteristics of insects.
"Have you ever known such a race?" The captain turned to Jeffrey, who was standing beside him.
"No," the Martian said simply.
Slowly and carefully, Noah crouched down on the slope. "Who might they be?" he asked in a low voice, awe-struck. "And how did they die?"
"Dr. Celia will confirm it during the autopsy." Jeffrey remained calm and objective. The whole environment seemed to have no effect on him.
"Yes, she should." Noah said absently. "I want to know more about this tribe." He seemed to be talking to himself. "Where did they come from? What determined their actions? What were they trying to do here?" He looked thoughtfully at the dead. "Someone was here laying them out," he then said in a firm tone, as if he had witnessed it.
"But no one has been here yet." Jeffrey had to answer.
Noah stood up again. The beam of the flashlight in his hand circled around the front of the boat, shining toward where the fifth deceased person sat. "Maybe we can also find some records. Through them, we might be able to understand what happened here."
Ted looked at him suspiciously. "We don't even understand their language, let alone their technology."
"Daisy will figure it out." Noah replied simply. "After all we still have a few weeks here and she has more time than usual."
Ted just nodded, glad he wasn't an engineer.
"Have you been able to locate the source of the electromagnetic waves?" Noah turned to his science officer.
The latter nodded briefly. "That's true. There are also technological systems in the substructure here. Measurements show that antimatter is also stored here for energy production."
"Now these particles are escaping," Noah added. This is a logical assumption. Because when antimatter meets normal matter, the two particles annihilate each other, releasing the energy stored in the particles. This process is called an annihilation reaction. During controlled collisions, such as in Republic's hyperdrive, this radiation is shielded so as not to interfere with the system. The energy gained drives all systems on the ship. Almost all space races use this energy for power. Only in this way can they drive the hyperdrive, which consumes a lot of energy.
However, if large numbers of particles collide uncontrollably, energy can also be released all at once. The result would be a massive explosion that, depending on the number of colliding particles, could even destroy an entire planet or entire galaxy. But since that didn't happen here, it suggests there might have been only a small vulnerability, and the chance of something going wrong might have been as little as one in a million.
"Okay," Noah finally nodded. "We take these dead aboard the ship. Then let Ms. Daisy investigate the antimatter leak. If she can seal it, let her do it. Then do a detailed inspection of the ship. I want to know what else the system can provide. "
A few hours later, Daisy and her team confirmed that the antimatter leak was safe, assuming no one sabotaged it. As a result, deeper research into the craft's technology was temporarily put on hold while other work continued under Captain Noah's instructions.
Captain Noah walked out of his cabin and into the hallway. Just a few minutes ago, he had been dozing on the couch. After returning from Kuafu IV, he needed some rest. The excitement there consumed much of his energy. He might still be lying on the sofa if his second-in-command, Gabriel Caro, hadn't suddenly called him to the bridge. She sounded excited, obviously they had discovered something interesting.
He hurried down the corridor to the nearest turbolift. On his way to the bridge, he wondered what his discovery would be. Obviously, this has something to do with the unknown starship they are investigating. Or are there remains of other hulls?
When the elevator door opened in front of him, his eyes fell on the bridge. He saw that Carol was not sitting in the commander's chair, which was rare for her. He walked into the bridge and looked to the right. She stood next to Science Officer Jeffrey at the science station, looking at the screen over his shoulder.
When Carol saw Captain Noah, she immediately stood up. "Captain, we received a distress signal. Bearing 186.42, identity cannot be confirmed," she reported immediately.
