“They haven’t shot us down yet,” Rev told Randigold.
She opened one eye, said, “We won’t know it if they do,” and then closed the eye again.
Rev was high on adrenaline. Normally, he’d be stressed to the gills now. He hated to not be in control of his fate, and landing on a potential enemy’s home turf in an AI-controlled shuttle was that in a nutshell.
But maybe the excitement overcame the stress this time.
“I’m going to watch,” he said, not able to sit in his seat for any longer.
Randigold didn’t stir.
Rev unbuckled and went to jack in. They were coming in to land, still more than 7,000 meters above the ground. But that was low enough to see much of the surface below. Their destination was a large, mountainous island about 175 klicks long by 110 klicks wide. But at the moment, they were descending over a much larger continent between two mountain ranges following along an eighty-klick-wide valley. A slow, winding river cut through the verdant valley. The range on the planetary south was white-capped; the range to the north had only a dusting of snow. A few fluffy clouds drifted over the valley, which was heavily forested with dark green trees, and numerous squares had been cut checkerboard-style out of the forest for what he assumed to be farms.
From a natural standpoint, “Dragonland” could be any of a thousand human worlds.
It doesn’t look to be that advanced.
Which assumed the dragons followed most of the parallel paths to civilization—something Rev knew was a dangerous thing to do.
One example was that on human worlds—Uauii worlds, too, for that matter—the more advanced a civilization, the more agriculture was consolidated for efficiency. But looking below the shuttle, the squares cut in the forest were pretty small, resembling subsistence farming more than anything else.
And as the shuttle kept descending, more of what must be villages were becoming clearer. The mud-colored buildings were small, with none of the height-reaching spires they’d seen in the alien transmission. Once again, he was assuming that the image they’d received was an accurate depiction. But if it was, then the low huts they were flying over were of a different style. He doubted that any of them were over two stories.
Maybe they’re a back-to-nature civilization. Or maybe they just like mud huts. Who the heck knows?
Rev watched as the river formed a delta before the shuttle crossed the beach and over an impossibly turquoise ocean. He adjusted the nose camera to the front and zoomed in. Thirty-nine klicks offshore, the volcanic island rose from the sea. Tall green mountains with ridged cliffs reached for the heavens. A large, half-moon coastal plain stretched from the beach across steadily rising slopes until they hit the base of the cliffs. Unlike the mainland they’d just overflown, most of the plains looked to be more on the natural side, with only a few agricultural fields cut out. In the center, a single snow-covered volcano dominated the island.
The AI had been programmed to land the shuttle at the spot indicated in the alien’s message. But their hosts had made it easier with a bright, flashing light to bring them in. The light had to be powerful, given how strong it had been even from well outside orbit.
The shuttle kept descending, and they were given the ten-minute warning.
Rev unjacked, walked to Randigold, and nudged her awake. She looked at him, screwed up her face, and stretched.
“Ten minutes. Get ready. And if you have to use the head, better do it now, ’cause we don’t know when we’ll have another chance.”
She scowled, but she got up and went to do that.
The strap-in light went on, but Rev ignored it. They were still over the water, but he wanted the lay of the land, so he jacked back in. Using the zoom, he scanned the broad coastal plain. Unlike the many settlements on the mainland, there were only two villages in sight. There seemed to be mostly the single-story mud huts, but here and there were larger, what looked like wood buildings. They still didn’t look like anything that would be used by a race that could hack into a Navy’ combat projection platform.
He adjusted his view up toward their guiding light.
I guess it was real.
The castle-like structure was ahead, soaring delicately into the sky at the base of the cliff. A waterfall fell from the highlands, landing somewhere to the right of the structure. Only now that he was getting close, it looked less like a fairy-tale castle and more like something born from an artist on acid.
When Rev was a child, one of the fads that swept the planet were “Elf Crystals.” The programmable pellets would grow into variously shaped buildings, most with an ethereal flavor.
Instead of a human medieval castle of hewn rock, the alien structure looked more like it had been built from giant Elf Crystals.
Rev was impressed. The white building, against the high, fluted cliffs with the green on top, looked beautiful.
But he also knew that beauty could be hiding a serious bite. Rev had to keep on his toes and not let awe bring his guard down.
The shuttle passed over the beach and continued to the castle. Their route took them over the adjacent village, beyond which were a few more of the open patches.
A figure started running from one of the fields as the shuttle passed over. Rev didn’t get a good look at it, but he didn’t think it was a dragon.
The local version of livestock? Wildlife?
It disappeared into the forest as the shuttle came in high over their destination. The image they’d seen on the ship was pretty much exactly what Rev was seeing now. And a too-bright light was in the middle of what might be a courtyard.
A shuttle’s exhaust was run through the dispersion lattice, and even in VTOL mode, it was manageable. But some of the more artistic-looking embellishments to the structure looked fragile, and Rev hoped they wouldn’t try to make FC after trashing the place.
That wasn’t the way to make a good first impression.
He was tempted to land outside the structure, but the message had been pretty clear, and he told the AI to land the craft at the designated position.
The AI was smooth, as expected. Rev could barely feel it as it descended into the courtyard and touched down with barely a bump.
“We’re down,” he passed to Clyburn, who was perched on the far side of the system, her engines barely powered.
“Roger that. Good luck, Sergeant Major. And keep me informed.”
“Will do.”
Rev removed his pad from the case. He powered it up and looked at the first pictogram. The experts had created the interactive, intuitive teaching program, which they said should be able to bridge language gaps and initiate communications through the loaded images. Rev, along with all the others, had been trained in its usage.
I’ll find out soon enough, I guess.
It was time. Rev ordered, “Lower the ramp,” then unjacked.
He quickly patted the unicorn in his thigh pocket, then joined Randigold at the edge of the ramp, ready to step foot on the alien planet.
She held out her right arm. He clicked it with his left, and they said, “Sibs in steel.”
That was the second time they’d given the IBHU greeting since getting on the shuttle, but as far as Rev was concerned, they could never say it too much.
Rev unconsciously adjusted his mask as the ramp cracked open—the air on the planet was breathable, but they didn’t know what pathogens or trace gasses might be there that would be dangerous. The mask both filtered out particulates and irradiated the air as Rev and Randigold inhaled.
This wasn’t the full environmental suit that the SOP called for, but they’d both decided that in their simple utilities, they presented a friendlier appearance.
Rev patted the unicorn in his pocket. “You ready to meet us some aliens, Tina?” he whispered.
“Who’s Tina?” Randigold asked.
“Nobody, Eth.”
The top of the ramp hit the ground, and Rev said, “Let’s go meet our hosts.”
They stepped in unison down the ramp and onto Dragonland’s ground . . . and there was no one to meet them.
“Now what?” Randigold asked. “Pack up and go home?”
“Let’s step away from the shuttle and wait.”
They moved closer to what Rev thought might be an entrance into the structure and then stopped and waited for the aliens to make an appearance. The wait dragged on, and some of Rev’s excitement started to wane in his confusion. He looked at the heights surrounding the courtyard and began to envision guns opening up on them.
But the wait also allowed him to take in the structure. The feel was of uncontrolled construction, of crystals gone wild. But the disorganization was not the same as the city on Clickerland, the first alien planet Rev had been on. And as he studied the place, the order started to reveal itself. Before long, Rev thought there was a very logical and practical construction, with the disorder being a façade.
“This is a fantasy novel,” Randigold said quietly.
“A fantasy novel? What do you mean?”
“A castle. Dragons. All we need now is a fair maiden needing to be rescued.”
“You’re the only maiden here, I’m afraid,” Rev said. “And no one’s called you fair, to the best of my knowledge.”
“Thank the mother that I’m not. You’re not really a Saint George, either.”
“Good point,” Rev said when part of the wall to their left seemed to open.
They both spun around just in time to see one of the aliens step out into the sunshine. It was essentially the same as what they’d seen in the image, but now they had an idea of its size. Its body was not as tall as the humans, but with the long neck, the head was on a level with Rev’s. The size was not the most arresting feature, though. The three red eyes, which seemed fierce enough in the image, seemed to glow with evil intent in person.
Rev took an involuntary step backward, and he half raised Pashu before he remembered his IBHU was back on the ship.
The alien showed no sign that it had noticed Rev’s action. It approached with the smoothness of a waitbot at a high-end restaurant, a dozen or more small legs propelling it over the ground.
Its skin writhed as if maggots infested the flesh.
Randigold let out a huff of air and whispered, “Disgusting.”
“Steady,” Rev whispered back.
He glanced at his pad. The initial image of a male and female human was loaded and ready to go. But Rev needed some action from the alien to know how to prompt the pad next.
The dragon came to a halt three meters from them. Slowly, two of the arms clasped in front unfurled into demonic wings and spread about five meters behind it.
Rev tensed, half-expecting fire to spout from the thing’s teeth and immolating the two of them.
The wide mouth opened, but instead of fire, passable Standard emerged.
“Welcome to Tylydina.”