Henri, I find it troublesome that Goravi can enter and probably manipulate our minds. Don't you? If he can influence your mind, as strong minded as you are, who knows what he can do to the rest of us? I prefer that we leave him here after expressing our deepest gratitude for his help. He may try to change our minds about that. I think we should let Felix put us in stasis until we get out of orbit. We can be awakened when it is safe to do so. Of course, we will listen to what Richie has to say first.
First there were only a few. Then there were more and more. Then there were thousands. The number increased day by day until the planet was left battered and torn. Until was nothing left but red dust and giant craters. If there was any life left, it was underground. Eons from then, humanity would wonder if there had ever been life on Mars and if it could possibly still exist underground.
Mars has gone. Perhaps one day we will return and find the advanced species of Inci still in their subterranean home. Captain head Lara towards Earth. Princess Healani has never seen our planet as it is today......
You are wise and right about Goravi Princess Healani. We already have plenty of Aliens! I like Goravi but accept your counsel Princess. I think even your Alha suspected his influence on me. Best if you or the Colonel tell him, I may be compromised with his mind seeds? How could I tell? To Earth and beyond Colonel! ...however... Tempus my watch says 12th October 1753 Earth time? We've yet to do an Eienstienian time burn back to 2053 where I'd like to get off and you 2400 I guess, and it's only one way, forwards only that is, but for our silent 30th C benefactors obviously know how to backwards time travel. They must. We're here. Hence, Princess Healani, off we drop you back to your time, this chance only. Me in 2053, Col Richie 2400, and let the elephant in the room, called Felix, take himself home to 3053 with maybe the Crimsonite ship? But aren't we still in the past, 1753? I'm confused? Also weren't we going to drop off the 13 Aliens we have on board? We can burn time by going just under the speed of light. Warp speeds are up to 10 times the speed of light. ie warp 10. Mars is gone and maybe one day we can return? Our 13 Aliens in Stasis: One Burtheter from Epsilon13, One Creslafy from Pegasus 42 and 11 Crimsonites from Tallus 11. The Burtheter called Drosco from Epsilon13 One Creslafy from Pegasus 42 And 11 Crimsonites from Tallus11 All safely in Stasis. And farewell to the Inci, Ishant and the Krall Forest Apes we never met but witness their demise as the giant Martian Equatorial forests burn uncontrollably. Tempus is recording it all. Even vids of the Southern hemisphere, and parts untouched. Yet the Dark Dust clouds rise high, circulate and mix causing a dark global cloud, for decades due to light gravity, causing the death of 96% of all above ground Species. Not quite theDeath of a Planet indeed as our Earth went through several such dreadful events, the last being 65 million years ago only that wiped out most life, especially the Dinosaurs. Birds and rodents survived, along with Crocs, Sharks,...Cockroaches
Since we can time travel, we can go to Mars in the distant future. If any descendants of our friends have survived underground, maybe we can help them restore their planet. We have specimens of vegetation, insects, birds and mammals. For now, why don't we return the captive aliens to their home planets? But I think we should send domes down first to research local life. If they seem friendly, we can visit. If they are violent, we should just release their native specimens at a remote location ..... and run! I want to see future Earth but I am not in a hurry. I'm having a great adventure with our story.
We seem to have a stalemate over what to do with the Crimsonites. Imagine what NASA and other Earth space agencies will make of an alien race from another universe captain. We in 2400 have barely traveled outside our own universe. This will be history changing. I have not been to Earth for 20 years. I have distant relatives still living there so will welcome a return. NASA will want to talk to me and probably you captain. Princess do you wish to visit my time of 2400 or Henri's time of 2053 or return to your own people in your time?
I reckon we do a Galactic bus run dropping off the Crimsonites last Colonel. We could even do it in a few brief subjective days by warp drive and stasis and be home for the weekend in Healani's time of 1753. Or we could go at sub light speed to drop off the Crimsonites burning up a few centuries, in stasis of course. Drop them off somewhere as Healani suggests. That's a safer option in many ways. The trouble with time travel is that for us it's one way only, forward. Unless we can get Felix, with his 30th century technology, to maybe let us go back in time?? That would cause a few ripples I bet.
Sorry to go on so, but a thought comes to mind. Why did our original 30th Century sponserers not come themselves to deal with the Crimsonite threat, instead sending us mere mortals? Sure they sent domes for Healani and I, and most importantly their super smart AI Felix. Not too smart spotting the Martian Asteroid storm? LoL. So why get us to do their work saving our planet, and other Alien civillizations? All I can think is that the 30Cent folk didn't want direct involvement? If so, why not? I reckon it's the fear of time ripples affecting the status quo, their current reality, their time line being mucked up that I reckon they fear, as so should we too. I'm not mad and the concept of multiple realities branching off from every flap of a Butterfly's wing is beyond Mathematics and Physics. The numbers are almost infinite. Almost. Planck's constant, etc... I confess to being a Paralell Universe sceptic, whilst still embracing the concept of an infinite Multiverse. Maybe I am a bit mad? I got an A in temporal mechanics 20 years ago but now tune, maintain and fix wind turbines. Well, I used to, or will? A lovely worthwhile job that pays better than an academic. Even the battery technology is facinating. I even helped design better ways to keep our dwindling birds from flying into the blades. Simple sonics. Sorry, to remember my old life so. I do miss it but we have to play this time game and do as we promised returning our ship load of Aliens home. I reckon we pressure Felix somehow for more knowledge of what's what. He knows more than he's letting on I reckon. Naval Captain Henri Gariepy, over or out.
Epilogue: And so it came to pass that Colonel Richie, Princess Healani and Captain Henri, along with Healani's 6 sacred warriors travelled at slow sub light speeds up to warp 5 around their spiral arm of the Milky Way galaxy. First we dropped off the two captive Aliens into their race's planets, with gifts of gold, and protective hi-tech bio armour, and mentally controlled invisible stun gloves, as with their bio armour. Then sitting at 13% light speed we took the slow way to Crimsonite Space, dropping off the 11 Crimsonites in one of that race's far flung space outposts. Felix navigated brilliantly and we were very stealthy. We did gain much valuable data as to their current and evolving cultures and it wasn't nice. That was Earth Year 1954. Then pushing into warp 5 speed we hurried back to Earth arriving in 2056 when NASA had sent a third manned mission to Mars, a dry and scorched planet by then with little atmosphere. The Ishant were still there, small in numbers, and mainly inhabitating the Caldeta atop Olympus Mons. Two Astronauts were killed there. We were very discreet about our presence. No mention of the Inci's occurred but we knew they were there, deep in their underworld once again. Off again to deep space between the stars, we settled down into our Stasis pods to burn up time into the future of 2400, Colonel Richie's time. Landing on the moon we created a semi panic with such an advanced Space ship. Colonel Richard talked and they all came to attention quickly knowing Colonel Richie and the Lunar Governor were close friends, with Richie being pushed to be his successor. He'd even inspected the same Lunar space station only 2 days ago, in their time lines.. Colonel Richie took charge explaining only briefly the least he could preferring to tell the Governor at once, as he dialled Governor Stirling. We soon became celebrities in the 25th Century giving interviews and taking out patents on our Alien Crimsonite space ship which Boffins and States drooled over. We became billionaires within 2 months and made our base in Colonel Richie's Lunar space tower. We all ended up buying into Richie let us stay at his initially. What was funny was that the day he returned to his home was only one day after he left. His neighbour scolded him about not feeding his cat Fluffy. Only then did his neighbour Doris see the rest of us, a sight indeed, especially given Princess Healani's six heavily musceled Suvan Warriors in ultratech armoured space suits, carrying big titanium suitcases. That's when Doris became speechless and pointed at Colonel Richie, and waved him over for a quiet word. Colonel Richie then gave her a very truthful and succinct recant of everything that had happened to us. Everything. Doris never blinked, and eventually said, ' anyone fancy a cuppa?' Doris put up 3 or them for a few months and the men paid all her bills, rent, shopping, .... Aunty Doris. Felix stayed on board Lara and integrated himself into the ship's basic AI systems even refining and improving them. He and my Tempus kept in touch remotely on a secure line arguing about Quantum Chemistry. Felix and Tempus often meet solid hologram face to face? His words. Tempus is still on my wrist nagging me about investments and shares. He and Felix! eh? We bought over the whole tower within the year, have numerous lucrative contracts, lovely patents, research facilities, space jets which Healani's Six love to fly. Good income and contracts too, life was sweet for almost a decade, until ....
Some kind of interstellar vortex picked up Henri, Richie and Healani and carried them away! They whirled around and around until they lost consciousness. When they recovered, they looked around and......
I've been looking at the history of North America in the early 1700's. It was a turbulent time with English, French, Spanish and other European powers, big Indian tribes all vying for power, land, resources, furs ...and the start of the Slave trade, ...Alliances like between French and Spanish. Remember the Alamo? The War of Independence was 1776 and the Civil was almost a century later. I think early 1700's (18th Century) would be a very colourful time to play a story, but as before, I'm easy. I love writing. But then there were many Wars, Deseases and Privations .... Lots of chaos to revel in!
Sorry to jump in last post Shirley. I couldn't figure out how to put a map into messages, so I did it here. The map of North America by Colonial governance in the early 18th Century. I like the idea of the search for the North West passage too. A sail to perdition. There were many hardships. Incidentally, I once dated one of Earnest Shackleton's grand daughters some while ago. Whatever, but I love history, especially that of North America. Have you any preferred scenarios Shirley? American I hope but I'm easy. Low tech history maybe, even fleeing Okie farmers from Spinning top Martian craft in 1896.
This story is a work in progress. Stay tuned. But I don't think the Martians invaded Earth in 1896. If they did, we'd all be speaking Martian by now.
That was the decade in which HG Welles set his War of the Worlds novel. Be good to re enact that at a later date dont you think. They were in 1700s colonial America as the famous explorers Lewis & Clarke and their faithful Native American squaw . To be Continued>>>>>
A land east to west exploring North America venture sounds very interesting. Crossing the Great Divide. More possibilities too, I like it. I just read the original venture involved also ornry and rich private citizens..with their best help and wealth and status. A Presedential request too. Meeting unknown Native Indians with the aid of a special translator. Navigating ways through the great divide, what an adventure. Doing as Shirley suggests is most enticing so far says me mr flip/flop. My Achilles heal. Maybe just a refinined choice. I like it. An Overland East to West exploratory venture offers so many more possible adventures. Being overland in a temperate climate zone, with a gigantic mountain divide from Canada to the Spaniards in the south around the southern plains. Finding a path across the Rockies and mapping it. There was no gps in those days. I like it and happy to read up if that is our choice. Weren't there many famous characters of those times? We could play some of them. Happy to play a Surveyor as I once really was in the 1970's and 80's here in outback Western Aus. Theodolites, Star gazing, Sun gazing, recordings, stop watches, radios, calculations, checks, answer, or at least trust the compass and dead reckoning. Now it's all in our smart phones with Eienstein's theories of special realativity all factored in. Going back to my previous map, it seems the grey bits were unclaimed which ties in with this story. Time to land grab! Beware the grisly bears tho, and the Indians, .... Happy to play whatever. .. Kind regards, Terry