The Peace Seeker

Chapter 1: Take Off

As the screen counted down the numbers, Xena looked around to see if any of his team members were showing signs of doubt or discomfort. Satisfied to see determined faces all over, he gave the final go-ahead to Mission Control.

3, 2, 1…

At 0, the ship was pulled back fast, far, and hard, and then released by the giant slingshot. It flew forward and beyond sight, breaking through the dense atmosphere and escaping the gravity of its home planet, Pangaea.

Upon crossing the Red Zone, Gayo, the Pilot and second in command initiated constant acceleration to onset artificial gravity. Once the stabilization was complete, the team of 6 filed out of the front of the ship one by one and headed to their individual stations.

The next two days were going to be packed. But the main event lay beyond that timeline and through Worhol, the wormhole closest to them.

But Xena wasn’t worried about the journey to and past it, he had been a part of many a mission through Worhol before. No, his concern lay with the duty that they had been called to fulfil. This one was special, to say the least.

Because he and his crew represented a moment in history never attempted before, one with high stakes and the threat of endless war looming overhead. As a result, it was only apt that all involved had unanimously agreed on naming the ship true to its purpose. And so here he was, aboard The Peace Seeker. Headed towards his home’s only source of help.

Chapter 2: Smokescreen

The ship stood facing the looming globe. At first glance, it appeared radically different from Pangaea, but they knew better. Its appearance of a large, toxic, gaseous planet was simply a smokescreen. Nevertheless, without permission, that same screen could prove to be deadly.

Xena transmitted a prerecorded message towards Amanecer, their destination planet, seeking authorization to approach. Almost instantly, they heard back; they had received the go-ahead.

Gayo fired the onboard retrorockets and performed Orbit Insertion. She then released the Harbinger module which was going to carry the rest of the crew members to and from Amanecer. In a second, Gayo was on her own, manning The Peace Seeker.

As Xena fired off the engine and the module’s descent began, Gayo got to witness the marvel of Amanecer. The planet seemingly opened up, just enough to accommodate the module’s size, allowing it entry. She had known what to expect, but the brilliance of the planet’s shield was simply put, breathtaking. She gained new motivation, analyzing this security and protection system was going to be a hell of a task.

In the module, while the 5 Pangaeans weren’t able to see the full scope of what had transpired, once through, they got to see the true face of Amanecer, the real planet that hid behind the mask of a gaseous giant.

Chapter 3: Landing

Ami, the Global Representative from Pangaea was easily the most educated amongst the crew members about Amanecer and its people. Owing hugely to the fact that only a select few were privy to information about the Cerians. Between the 6 members of this mission, Chhavi, the Sociologist was the only other who held that coveted position. But still, they knew there were many gaps in their understanding. So, while Ami had been prepared to witness what was referred to as the ‘Amanecer Shield’, she was most definitely not for what lay within.

The planet was almost identical to Pangaea in both size and appearance; 90% water with small pieces of land sprinkled all over. She had been told that the planet was very similar in make to their own, but never in eternity would she have expected such a stark resemblance. It gave her the illusion of being homebound. She looked at the faces of her teammates and saw her own amazement reflected back.

Regaining composure, they headed towards the Space Elevator. Xena parked the module inside the glass rider and in an instant, the walls closed, and they dropped. As they got closer to the surface, their speed kept slowing down until the rider crawled to a stop.

And then, an announcement.

“Welcome to Amanecer. You may exit your vehicle now.”

Chapter 4: Amanecer

A couple of years ago, Glass Wonder, a song by a pop band from Pangaea had smashed multiple charts across the galaxy. As Chhavi took her first steps on the planet, that song came to mind.

Most of the land appeared to be untouched, left to its own devices to flourish and grow. The soil was a dark red, like Pangaea’s, but instead of the dusty texture that the crew was used to, Amanecer’s land was smooth and velvety. The plants were spread out wild, screaming their dominion, all of them different tones of blue. But the parts that reminded Chhavi of the song were the Cerians' contribution to the planet’s landscape – the glass structures. Even the dome they had landed in was made of glass, ceiling to floor.

From where they stood, they could see out for miles. Every building they laid their eyes on was made of glass and at max, two storeys high. They could also spot some buildings connected by glass corridors, but none of it interrupted the view, rather, they added a hint of ingenuity to Amanecer. From the first minute on the planet, the crew could see the genuine regard the Cerians had for the planet they called home.

“Did you guys know about this?”

Pat, the flight surgeon was looking at Chhavi and Ami. They both had been unaware.

At that instant, a message was projected on the glass wall in front of them.

‘Your stabilization injects are placed near the door. Once the dose is administered for all parties, kindly turn off your space suits and make your entry into the Hub.’

The 5 of them took the dose and switched off their suits. Xena handed each of them a wireless comm device. It was going to be their link to Gayo, to be used in case of emergencies and to relay updates.

Then it was a matter of another 15 minutes where Pat monitored their vitals to ensure all of their bodies were adapting well to the new environment. He also checked the duration of the injects’ effectiveness. Turning to Xena, he reported the deadline.

Xena nodded and set the timer on his watch. After 8 hours, they would either have to make their leave or put their spacesuits to use, which wouldn’t be the most ideal of options considering their mission required a more…personal touch.

He turned and looked at his team. “Ready?”

Chapter 5: Greetings

“How many years was it?”

“600 thousand.”

“That’s before they came here?”

“Yes.”

“And no one, not one soul in the entire galaxy knows their home planet?”

Ami shrugged, “As I said, they’re highly private.”

Malik and Ami were deep in a conversation about the Cerians while they and the others waited for the Director of External Affairs to join them in the meeting room.

Although the species in the galaxies surrounding Worhol were diverse in nature, the Cerians still managed to stand out. With their looming average height of 14 feet and bodies as thin and weightless as feathers, they were worlds apart from any and every other species known. Plus, their silver black skin and gold blood made their existence more fantastical than any. But their most exceptional feature was their eyes. It was said that looking into one was like seeing into the depths of the cosmos, while they in return, read your soul.

Ami felt it was part of the reason why the Cerians were known for accepting and relaying only honest truths. It made conversations with them precarious, which was why experts like Ami were trained to facilitate the meetings between Cerians and their own people.

Pat jumped in with his own question, “So the glass structures are more than just office spaces and homes? They act as their safe havens on this planet?”

Ami turned to face him and nodded, “According to my minimal understanding, they adopted this planet as their own some 4000 years ago. If you think about it, it’s a minute time period for them. But the fact that they have made no move to leave this place since their arrival, we can safely assume that their home planet has either been consumed by its star or has been left uninhabitable due to a multitude of reasons. Now, we don’t know exactly when it is that they added the glass spaces, but if I were to make a guess, it would have been pretty soon after they selected it for colonization.”

“I get that, but it’s clear that they have the means. Why don’t they just reengineer the planet to suit their living?”

Ami and the other crew members looked around at each other, just as confused as Malik, who had posed the question.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Chhavi was standing at one corner, looking outside, “It’s their way of preserving their new home.”

Chapter 6: In the End

It had been 5 hours since the meeting had started. To their surprise, along with the Director of External Affairs, there were two more Cerians who had joined them. But as none of them made any effort to introduce themselves, there was an extra layer of uncertainty added to the already tense atmosphere.

Ami had done her best to explain to the Cerians the current situation of Pangaea. But she had fast realized that they already knew. After all, why wouldn’t they? For the longest time, the three houses of Pangaea had been able to keep the intense internal disputes and tussles away from the purview of the non-Pangaeans. But, over the last century, the matter had gotten out of hand.

The war between the houses had gotten brutal and very public ever since Pangaea had started showing signs of acute ageing. Population boom, lack of resources, and severe disparity issues had birthed a situation of devastation and gloom.

While the resources problem had been solved, for the time being, with support from outside, there were also new problems created by the vultures circling around. To make matters worse, the efforts that had started 50 years ago to relocate parts of the population to two surrounding planets had ended up at a standstill. No consensus was in sight about which house or who all would be required to make the move.

But seeing the deaths and destruction on all sides, the houses had signed an armistice and decided to ask for help from the Cerians. The Pangaens held high regard for the people of Amanecer. And their high status in the Worhol community was also a big reason why this team of 6 Pangaeans had been sent to make this very unique journey.

And Ami, a prodigy, a scholar, an expert at mediation, and the daughter with lineage tracing back to all three houses, had been the best choice to lead the conversation. But she knew she was failing. The answer was clear in their eyes before they said it, they wouldn’t intervene.

Ami leaned back in her chair, aware of the finality of their statement.

But Xena wasn’t satisfied.

He questioned them, demanding justification. He knew taking that route wasn’t the most tactical, but he also knew the consequences of going back home without their help. It was like accepting Pangaea’s downfall. But the Cerians didn’t budge. They did though, offer their guests a simple explanation.

There was nothing the Cerians could do to end the Pangaean’s civil war. If they thought any action from them would help, they would have stepped in long ago, in a more official capacity. The Director of External Affairs also highlighted how they had considered intervention at one time, but in the end, had found that measure unnecessary.

Ami felt it was the right time to end the conversation. No amount of questioning or convincing would change the Cerians’ minds. So, before any other member could interject, she thanked their hosts and said that they’d be taking their leave.

The Cerians got up and bowed to the guests. As the Pangaeans made their way to head back to the Rider Dome, they noticed one of their members had not moved at all. Chhavi was still seated at her place at the table.

She was busy analyzing what the Cerians had said, going over their every word. Having studied their behaviour, seen videos of their formal interactions a million times, and having worked with a Cerian during her brief stint at the Interspecies Space Station at Worhol, she knew how every word they used was deliberate. Every decision while definite was well thought out. And how every act of theirs, was aimed at peace.

Xena called out to her, “Chhavi, it’s time to leave.”

She ignored him, stood up, and faced the Cerians.

“You said 'unnecessary', why?”

The two Cerians who had been silent all along, smiled.

And when the Director spoke, Chhavi could see a spark in their eye.

“You came here hoping we were your answer, or that we at least had one. But we have nothing to give you, no guidance, no artefact, no gift of peace. But there is one thing we’d like to share; it’s an old saying us Cerians believe in.”

The Director leaned in and whispered, but the words reached every Pangaean in the room.

“Once the seeking begins, the rest comes easy.”

Some 45 thousand miles away, The Peace Seeker orbited around Amanecer, patiently waiting for Harbinger to deliver its people’s respite.

*****