"After Roswell" by A.H. Roberts (top 100 books to read txt) 📕

out into space. Must return to the ship and salvage more parts. Being outnumbered doesn't make it safe to return. I'll sleep through the rest of the night and make plans during the day cycle to organize myself. Which inturn I'll come back ready next night to salvage more parts from the ship. Hopefully they don't return. Waiting for next cycle I huddle against the side of a tall peak, watching the stars move through the dark. I hardly can sleep as I try to find my homeworld in the mass that forms the night sky. As their satallite orbits the planet, I create images in my mind from the craters and black patches. No rotation from this small body as one side continues to face my direction. Fireballs by the thousands streak across the background vanishing in seconds. Stars change color the longer you view them. Showing the life that breathes when the light retreats behind the planet. My eyelids are tired as I try to fight them to stay open. I try to remain at guard. Because noise from no point of direction is heard all around. Wild sounds have appeared that weren't there earlier. I soon fall asleep, but still I keep an ear out for the unknown threat that lurks in the dark.
I wake up, not getting much sleep last night. Just waiting for the star to come back around. Most of the sounds from the darkness of the desert didn't permit me to fall asleep easily. I'll take the day to prepare myself waiting for the star to recede back into the horizon. I will take a look around but won't wander too far. Have to stock up on useful instruments to put into my pack but at the same time trying to align myself in this foreign place. After all the instruments are packed away I lean up against the rocky formation watching the star move through the sky. I stay there most of the day. Scanning the distance landscape, I don't spot any other structures besides the two I saw the other day. I feel scared not knowing the future outcome that will arise the longer I'm here. Every step must have careful approach and I can only handle one situation at a time. Even the day frightens me because of exposing myself in the open. Soon light fades as I begin the short walk back to the wreckage. When approaching the crash site I hear all types of commotion. On a small hill overlooking the damaged ship I kneel down watching from above. I'm alarm to find more machines at the site. These ones have bleaking lights on the top and are joined by the ones from before. These new lifeforms on site are armed as well. A stander with no danger present in his body is also at the site. Might be the one who occupies the structure I seen earlier? Most of the wreckage had been hauled away with more pieces being put in the back of the machines. It seems any parts that could be salvage have now been stolen. Even the pilots and navigator were taken. If my theories are correct these might be intelligent lifeforms. Especially those with technology. I could take something from them to fix the comm systems. After some time the machines and lifeforms depart from whats left of the site. I scout the area to find a residence of some kind who might have useful resources. This area around me is cover by mountainous terrain with a lifeless background. No color and nothing spectacular about this location. Also it's not a populated zone and I have to figure out the closest populance near here. This lifeform not far from base camp might have the technology I need to repair my transmitter. I have to perform some surveys around the proximity of the base camp to see if any materials might be lying around. When I return to base camp it seems that the environment yields no materials and I continue my search. I move to the unoccupied structure which seems more like a suitable location to use for permanent living quarters. The structure could belong to the lifeform but hasn't gotten much use. While opening the hatch its come to my attention that its in need for repairs, being neglected over the years. I enter getting the smell of other past organisms. Judging by the conditions they must have been "animalistic" lifeforms who called this home. An intelligent being wouldn't live here, there is dried-up material covering the ground and a contaminated water supply. But this structure has lots of space, so the location will do. I head back to the camp to gather equipment and begin the process of setting up quarters. While setting up I look out the glass portal. From this location I can view the other structure and able to keep my eye on the lifeform that occupies the dwelling next to me. If "It" decides to investigate I'll be ready. I can handle one intelligent lifeform.
(next day cycle) My place of operations have been set up and materials lying around proved to be helpful. I look through the glass port and watch the lifeform perform labor duties around his structure. Picking up discarded waste, tending to the landscape, and what looks like feeding some primitive lifeforms. Examining his character and work ethic this lifeform might be a masculone, male of the species. I decide to call him Koiras. After I've noted Koiras's profile I watch as he goes back into his dwelling. I continue on with my work of analyzing some ground samples. I'm still without the much needed parts for the SOS. Hopefully when the star goes down I could slip into the masculone's structure undetected and look through his dwelling. Our people have the knowlegde to use almost anything to work within our equipment. Nothing goes to waste in my world. With the star coming down he leaves the confines of his dwelling and hops into his transportation machine. Trailing dust and dirt as he rolls away. I move to the location and look all around for anything watching me in the open. I turn a knob, pushing the hatch open and as I slowly enter the dwelling. This location looks primitive. Old organic material used on the ceiling, floor, and walls.....doesn't feel I'm in the home of a intelligent lifeform. Some more looking around I view several advance upgrades. Metal enclosed container for drinking water, comm device, and a heating element machine for cooking food. Switches for artificial viewing lights and a time device are located on the wall. Maybe these lifeforms are just starting to explore into new technology? For the first time I've discover a civilization in mid evolution. Yet with this new data about them its hard to phantom the idea of advancement. The planet couldn't evolve such species so quickly? I head into the living area. This were this masculone spends most of his time. Scattered empty containers litter the area containing traces of alcohol. But its distill into something with toxic abilities to eneberate one self. Increases pleasures for the amusement of leaving ones body. Strange new intel about these lifeforms? Heading up next level I've found what I'm looking for. A primitive transmission device. The findings were correct, the faint signals are real and still broadcasting. I turn on the device. No technological response. Could be non-operational? Either way the device is too bulking and Koiras could suspect something if gone missing. I need something more compacted and won't alarm Koiras. So I continue my search up the next level.
Near the top of the next level, I'm standing in some sort of corrider leading to many living quarters. Hatches are closed and I detect no signs of life. All this space and no others dwell with him. Sorry existence for a hardworking individual. Haven't witness any Feminates, or females around the area. I'm still curious about the society they have formed? I choose a hatch and walk through the entrance. I've chosen the right location for possible technology. Its the masculone's living quarters. He spends some great deal of time in here as well. Clothing, flith, and organic decayed matter fill his quarters. Several minutes looking around I found what I was looking for. A small transmission device with tuning knobs and what looks like frequency meter. This might be some use? I put in my utility pack for futher investigation. Numerous tools and other instruments are scatter along the floor and the closet area. I take those as well. While going through his belongings a creature crawls on my arm. I jump at first but settle down to examine the specimen. Its crawling with six appendages and has exoskeletal features. Could be vital for data and place it in qurantine tube. When exploring on top shelf a item falls down and discharges some kind of projectile. It breaks the glass port across the sleeping quarters, making the situation unstable. Looking around frantically I snap out of it, realizing nobody is in the distance to hear it. I pick up the weapon and carefully empty the rest of the projectiles in my hand. They look weird. But by what I have witness, they can do some damage. My crew and I couldn't really imagine any lifeform with such weapons. Smart choice to bring mine on this mission. Before leaving I re-enter the projectiles back into the weapon and return it back onto the shelf. Even though I would disarmed this individual, this could be his only protection out in this part of the region. A vacant stretch of desert with nobody to assist you if something goes wrong. I chose to leave his weapon. I'm just worry if I made the right decision? I don't want a conflict that could result in bad attentions. At this time I don't see the harm of letting this masculone keep his weapon. My hand begins to vibrate. Looking at my wristbrand indicator, I sense the time is up. Koiras might be coming back anytime now. Later I will take a more extended look around the dwelling, but satisfy with my findings. While walking down level I take a quick peek through my utility pack. Taking a brief examination of my findings. These parts I took are odd and some are just useless. Two pieces have some signifant value to making the comm systems stronger in emitting a transmission. Has to be a primitive power supply connecting the masculone's dwelling that I could use? As I make my way outside I notice something about a dozen paces from me. From the top of the dwelling, black wires connect to wooden rods from the ground, lining up forever. The wire and rods get less visible with distance. I'm guessing I could link up with his supply. Ofcourse not to disrupt his power needs, and get the energy I need to run my equipment. From the corner of my eye I view lights coming from the high hill and beam onto the dwelling. I sneek around the corner and realize that Koiras has return. He exits the machine, walking out like a drugged up patient. Near to the entrance, he stops to vomit the disagreement with his solar plexus. He stumbles into the dwelling, hearing him inside as he knocks over objects. Feeling he has gone up to his quarters, I bolt back to my enclosed location. I enter inside and retreat to the bedded I've constructed in the corner. The dried-up material isn't bad but makes my epidermus uncomfortable. In the star's wake I will begin some other mission objectives. Maybe research Koiras's behavioral patterns to get better intel on the individual? As my eye passages close for deep sleep I absorb today's viewing in my collective mind. I hope of sending some kind of telekinetic communication back home.