Alien Strain

ALIEN STRAIN

Michael Cole

Published by Foremost Press at Smashwords

Copyright 2016 Michael Cole

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David Crane, a published author in his own right, inspired me to write this novel. Our writing styles may be different, but we both have a passion for science fiction. David convinced me that this particular genre enables a writer to concoct characters and plots that virtually have no boundaries. Some of David’s books have dealt with the theme of immortality. Alien Strain touches upon just such a concept. Of all the books I’ve written, this novel proved to be the most difficult to write.

CHAPTER 1

Rodin was lying on his back in a clump of Parthanian weeds looking at three glowing, red moons. The iridescent light emanating from them was so bright that he could clearly see Lymphora lying beside him. He glimpsed at her profile: the well-formed pointed breasts, the green hue of her reptilian-like skin, the amber eyes ablaze in a set of fiery yellow pupils that glowed with such intensity it simply defied description. Then there was the feature he liked best. Her snake-like golden hair, each strand so alive that her tresses reminded him of a goddess, a deity that the ancient people of Phanus had once worshipped.

He rubbed his nose against the sandpaper coarseness of her cheek, but she brushed him aside. You should have never told them you’d go! It’s much too dangerous.

Please, Lymphora. Don’t pout. You know this is something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time. Besides, it’s not like we’d be apart. I’d never go without you. My hope is that I’d be able to convince you to come with me.

Phanus is our home. This is where we live and this is where we belong! Our kind has lived here for a thousand generations. Why go to a planet that’s most likely uninhabited? Besides, it is so far away.

By cosmological standards Earth is quite near. It’s eight hundred sixty light years from here. In fact, it’s so close that with the warp drive mechanism powering our ship, it would only take us four years to get there and back.

It makes no sense, Lymphora whined. You aren’t the only metallurgist on the payroll. Let someone else go. We’d be away from our family, our friends.

Rodin sighed in exasperation. I’m the only scientist who has had experience in handling a spaceship that’s capable of reaching other stars. Eons ago, Earth contained rich mineral deposits. Monocot wants to send me there in the hope of finding platinum, perhaps even gold. As you know, such metals are essential to our technology. Scientists have already made a prediction that in a few short years our supply here on Phanus will be exhausted. Currently these metals are extremely scarce, but once they become nonexistent, the technological progress that’s been made by companies like Monocot will come to a virtual standstill. In all good conscience, I can’t stand in the way of progress. As you know, my uncle is the company’s founder. He offered me a big promotion if I volunteered to go. This is an opportunity I simply cannot afford to pass up.

Lymphora punctuated her words by stamping one of her web-like feet. You’d get the promotion whether you went or not and you know it! Eventually you’ll end up owning the company. He has no one else to leave it to. I just don’t understand why you are so dead set on wanting to go to a planet located in the far reaches of space. There is more to this than you are willing to admit. Lymphora leaned over and took his face in her hands, staring directly into his eyes. Please, tell me the truth.

I won’t deny it. There is another reason. Earth is where our ancestors came from. We wouldn’t even be here had it not been for them. Rodin wrapped her in his arms and held her close. Aren’t you in the least bit curious what we might find on a planet that had once been home to our ancestors? The trip would not only be an exciting adventure for us to share, but it would also be something we could tell our children and grandchildren.

Lymphora pulled away from him. There was reservation in her voice. For you perhaps, but not for me. Excitement is one thing, but danger I can do without. I was told that three ancient generational starships left Earth. The one that reached Phanus was plagued with all sorts of problems. History books tell us the ship searched the cosmos for hundreds of generations looking for a planet conducive to life. It was just a stroke of luck that they stumbled upon this place, our home. And you want to go back! I just don’t understand it.

You are wrong about it being a stroke of luck. Coincidence wasn’t part of the equation. Scientifically speaking, the people of Earth were thousands of years behind us. However, they must have had access to some sophisticated technology or else they would have never landed on Phanus. To think they had the ability to determine the habitability of a planet from hundreds of light years away simply boggles my mind.

What makes you think it was that difficult? Lymphora asked.

You probably know that Phanus and its three moons make up our entire solar system. Our sun is fifty thousand times brighter than Earth. The only reason it hasn’t burned us to a crisp is because we are so far away. Like Earth, Phanus revolves around its own axis. As a result, we have a burnished autumn in the northern hemisphere while in the southern hemisphere there’s a burgeoning spring. The west to east rotation produces days as well as nights, which, as you probably know, is essential to life.

Don’t get technical on me, Lymphora warned. Whether luck had anything to do with it or not, what’s important is that out of the trillions of planets that exist in the universe, our forefathers found one capable of harboring life.

Rodin softened his voice. Think about it for a minute. We owe so much to our ancestors. They risked everything by venturing into deep space. The ship that finally reached Phanus carried one hundred thousand souls and was a city in and of itself. Picture this. Those who weren’t chosen to fly in that ship were doomed to die a fiery death on Earth. If the ship hadn’t found Phanus, you and I wouldn’t have been born.

What’s your point?

Phanus is eight hundred sixty light years from Earth. Do you realize it took that generational starship over sixteen hundred years to reach our planet? Now that we have developed a faster than light propulsion system, we can get there and back in less than four years. Once we are in hyperspace, we’ll enter a sleep chamber. The two years it will take us to reach Earth will go by in the twinkling of an eye.

You make it sound as easy as crossing a street. I love you, and I know this is important to you, but it is frightening to think about. When you first brought up the idea, I ran it by my father.

I suppose he’s against us going.

He thinks it’s too dangerous.

Rodin took her hand. Come, let’s go inside, and I’ll explain it a little more.

Once seated at the table, Rodin continued, You must remember that the science of cryonics hadn’t been perfected in those days, so there were no sleep chambers. Also, the interstellar ship the earthlings used was considerably slower. I admit there would be an element of risk. There always is when people venture out into space. But the expanse of the universe is not nearly as daunting as it once was.

Tears formed in Lymphora’s eyes. Four years is still a long time.

Please don’t cry. I can’t stand the thought of you crying.

Lymphora took a deep breath and let it out slowly. What happens if something goes wrong?

You worry too much. If something were to happen, I’ve taken the precaution of scanning and mapping the features of our biological brains.

Where did you place the neural networks? Lymphora asked.

Just give me a minute. He walked into his study and returned with a canister. He unlocked it and carefully removed two spheres, placing one of them in Lymphora’s hands. This one is yours. Before we leave, I’ll place them in a couple of bezels, so we’ll be able to wear them around our necks.

Lymphora looked at the brilliantly colored orb. You mean to tell me that you placed a copy of my brain in . . . in this?

Yes. These particular spheres are state of the art. Before we leave, they’ll contain a carbon copy of our entire neurological networks—everything that we are and will ever be. If something were to happen to either one of us, the wearer of the life-giving sphere will automatically receive our conscious thoughts, which will include our memories as well as all of our sensations. In other words, that special quality of mind that permits us to know that we exist and that things around us exist.

Lymphora turned the brilliantly colored object over in her hands. So what you’re saying is if we were to die, all of our thoughts would end up residing in some other life form.

It beats the alternative.

That’s all well and good, Lymphora said. But it’s not something I’d like to see happen.

Nor I. It’s just a precautionary measure. After all, life in any biological organism is better than no life at all.

Lymphora twitched her nose. It was more a reflex action than anything else. Please, Rodin, this is nothing to joke about. You need to be serious. What makes you think we’d find a suitable biological entity on Earth? If history serves me correctly, the reason our ancestors came here in the first place was to avoid a massive asteroid that was about to hit their world. The scientists of Earth were convinced that the impact would destroy the planet, and it would become little more than a cosmic shell.

Rodin stood his ground. What you say is true. At one time, Earth was a sterile world, but what you have to realize is that the cataclysmic event happened over a million years ago. Nature has a way of bouncing back. Our scientists have recently launched a series of highly sensitive unmanned probes toward Earth. The devices have conclusively shown that the planet has acquired the essential biomarkers for life there to exist. To be sure, the comet that struck Earth had done extensive damage, but apparently it didn’t devastate it completely.

Perhaps you’ll find gold, Lymphora said. But life, particularly intelligent life? That I doubt seriously.

I didn’t really want to get into specifics, but spectroscopic analysis has revealed that Earth contains an ozone layer, a temperate climate, water, as well as oxygen. It also has chloroplast. That means photosynthesis is taking place.

Then why hasn’t anyone gone back?

Probably because of the expense, Rodin countered. That’s another reason why I think we should go. The trip wouldn’t cost us any money. Monocot would be paying for the entire journey. Just think about it for a minute, will you? What if there is life on Earth? Wouldn’t it be fantastic to meet up with some of our ancestors?

Oh, you can be such a dreamer, Lymphora said softly, shaking her head. There may be life there, but I seriously doubt if it would be intelligent. Perhaps you’d find some plants and animals . . . but people? I don’t think so. And even if intelligent life does exist, I doubt if the people there would look anything like us. We’ve interbred with a completely different species, . . . or have you forgotten? I’ve seen photographs of human beings at the Ekli museum. We don’t look anything like them. Our cheekbones are much higher, our pupils are bright yellow. There are other differences as well.

Such as?

Lymphora sighed. You know all this. Most humans have chalk-white skin . . . unlike ours that has a beautiful greenish hue to it. Our skin is made up of scales that overlap into folds, much like the reptiles that had lived on Earth eons ago. Not only is it tougher, but I’ve been told it is more resilient than human skin. Nature has also provided us with six fingers on each hand instead of five. We have web-like feet and—

All right. You’ve made your point. Rodin thought if he were to remain silent perhaps Lymphora would change the subject, but she continued:

"You’re right about one thing. An apocalyptic event did occur. Several