A FLIGHT TO HELL ;

A FLIGHT TO HELL AND EXPLORATION

THERE WERE FOUR ON THIS TEAM THEY HAD TRAINED FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS FOR THIS FLIGHT AND NOW IT WAS SHOW TIME . THE ROCKET WAS READY TO GO AND THEY WERE AS READY TO GO AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE . GEORGE ARMIST , BILL RIGGLY , PAUL BARNES AND SEAN FITZ . FITZ HAD SHORTENED HIS NAME FROM FITZGEARLD FOR SIMPLICITY AND HE WAS CONSIDERED THE LOW MAN ON THE LIST . HE ALWAYS SEEMED TO BE JUST BEHIND THE OTHERS , PASSING BUT OF ALL THE MEN HE WAS CONSIDERED MARGINAL ON TILL THE LAST . HE SEEMED MORE THAN COMPETENT , IN DEED HE WAS THE LIFE OF THE GROUP. ALWAYS A GOOD WORD AND PUSHING THE OTHERS AND THEY ALL WANTED HIM ON THE FLIGHT . IN DEED HE SEEMED TO HAVE NO FEAR . HE WASN’T RECKLESS , OH NO , IN FACT HE WAS VERY CAREFUL BUT UNDER PRESSURE HE SHOWED THE LEAST MENTAL OR PHYSICAL STRESS OF ALL THE CREW . NONE OF THE CREW WAS MARRIED THAT’S WHY THEY HAD BEEN PICKED FOR THIS FLIGHT . THEN AT THE LAST MINUTE ,YOU MIGHT SAY , SOME ONE IN THE COMMAND AREA DECIDED THAT A WOMAN SHOULD BE ON THE FLIGHT . THIS CREATED QUITE A PROBLEM ? SOME WOMAN HAD TRAINED WITH THEM BUT THEY HAD BEEN DROPPED AT SOME TIME ALONG THE TRAINING TIME . SO WHO TO PICK ? THE LAST WOMAN TO DROP OUT HAD COMPLETED ALL THE TESTS AND THE CREW THOUGHT SHE WAS COMPETENT SO SHE WAS IT . MARY ANN RILEY HAD BEEN IN TRAINING LONGER THAN THE MEN BUT THIS WAS HER FIRST ASSIGNMENT AND SHE WAS THRILLED TO GO . NOW FOR THE FLIGHT IT WAS TO TAKE OFF FROM THE FLORIDA LAUNCHING STATION IN TWO WEEKS AND FLY TO MARS . THIS WAS THE FIRST ATTEMPT AT LANDING HUMANS ON MARS AND THE COMMITTEE FELT IT HAD MADE ALL PREPARATIONS TO INSURE A SAFE FLIGHT . THE FLIGHT WAS TO TAKE SIX MONTHS . THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN SPECIALLY BUILT FOR THIS AND THE LATEST THINGS HAD ALL BEEN INSTILLED , THE GRAVITY INVENTION WAS THE NEWEST , IT WAS WELL TESTED BUT IT HAD NEVER BEEN USED BEFORE . IT WAS FELT BY THE COMMITTEE THAT THIS GRAVITY THING WOULD LESSEN THE PROBLEMS OF LONG FLIGHT? THE CREW SPENT THE TWO WEEKS FORMULARIZING THEM SELVES WITH ALL THE OPERATIONS OF THE VEHICLE.

TODAY WAS THE DAY AND ALL WERE IN THEIR SEATS AT FIVE A.M. THEY CONTINUED RUNNING TEST UNTIL FIVE MINUTES BEFORE BLAST OFF . THE BLAST OFF WAS THRILLING AND UNEVENTFUL . THE CREW WAS HAPPY TO BE ON THEIR WAY . COMMUTATIONS WAS WORKING PERFECTLY AND THE CREW SETTLED INTO THE ROUTINE THAT THEY HAD BEEN TRAINED TO DO . THERE WAS A LOT TO DO TO , THIS WAS NOT GOING TO BE A LAZY FLIGHT ALL HAD THEIR JOBS AND FROM THE BEGINNING EVERYTHING WAS WORKING AS PLANED . THE FIRST MONTH WENT WITH OUT INCIDENT AND THEY HAD SENT A GREAT DEAL OF INFORMATION BACK TO EARTH OR HOME BASE AS THEY CALLED IT . THE NEXT TWO MONTHS WAS PRETTY MUCH ROUTINE OH THEY HAD A LITTLE TROUBLE WITH NAVIGATION BUT THAT WAS CORRECTED AND ON THEY SAILED . MARS WAS GETTING LARGER AND LARGER AND BY PUTTING A TELESCOPE ON IT THEY BEGAN STUDYING IT . THE LANDING PLACE HAD BEEN DETERMINED BEFORE HAND AND THEY LOCATED IT AND PLANED THEIR DECENT , ALL OF WHICH HAD BEEN PREDETERMINED AND PUT INTO THE COMPUTERS BUT IN THIS BUSINESS IT WAS CHECK AND CHECK AND DOUBLE CHECK .

HERE THEY WERE ORBITING MARS , SLOWING DOWN SO THEY COULD LAND AND AS I SAID IT WAS ALREADY IN THE COMPUTERS SO THEY REALLY HAD LITTLE TO DO BUT AGAIN IT WAS CHECK AND CHECK . AS THEY FELT THE SHIP SETTLE DOWN IN THE PREDETERMINED SPOT ALL LET OUT A BIG CHEER AND TOLD HOME BASE THAT THEY HAD REACHED DESTINATION . WELL NOTHING GOES WELL ALL THE TIME AND JUST AS THEY SETTLED DOWN THE GRAVITY THING FAILED AND THEY FOUND THEM SELVES MOVING AROUND AT ABOUT HALF THE WEIGHT THEY HAD FELT . THEY INFORMED HOME BASE ABOUT THIS AND THEN WENT THRU A SERIES OF CHECKS WHICH TURNED UP NOTHING SO THEY DECIDED O LET IT GO . FOR THE FIRST THREE DAYS THEY CONDUCTED A SERIES OF TEST FROM THE SHIP . ONE OF THEM WAS THAT THERE WAS A LOT MORE OXYGEN THERE THAN HAD BEEN THOUGHT . A PERSON COULD SURVIVE FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS ON THE AIR BUT IT WAS VERY COLD . THIS WAS THE SPRING ON MARS AND THEY HOPED TO SEE THE ICE CAP MELTING BUT IT WAS TO COLD YET . THE PLACE THEY LANDED WAS AN OPEN PLAIN THAT WAS CLOSE TO WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS AN AREA WHERE THE ICE CAP WOULD MELT AN RUN IN TO . IN THE THREE DAYS THEY WAITED THE TEMPERATURE WARMED UP TO ABOUT FIVE DEGREES ABOVE FREEZING . IT WAS TIME TO TEST THEIR NOON SUITS , OF COURSE THEY WERE MUCH IMPROVED OVER WHAT WAS WARN ON THE NOON LANDING BUT THEY WERE STILL CALLED NOON SUITS . SEAN SAID HE WOULD GO FIRST THEN MARY SAID I WANT TO GO TO SO THEY SUITED UP AND WENT TO THE AIR LOCK CHAMBER . SEAN TOUCHED THE GROUND FIRST THEN MARY . IT WAS SO EASY TO WALK BECAUSE OF THE GRAVITY . THEY TOOK TURNS JUMPING TO SEE HOW HIGH THEY COULD GO , THEN SETTLED DOWN TO BUSINESS GATHERING ROCKS AN SAMPLES AND JUST EXPLORING . THEY WALKED TO A SMALL HILL AND FROM THERE THEY COULD SEE THE AREA WHERE THE WATER SHOULD BE RUNNING FROM THE GLACIER ,IT WAS DRY . THEY NOTICED A CAVE IN THE SIDE OF THE HILL THEY WERE ON AND LOOKED IN , SHINNING A LIGHT INTO IT THEY COULD NOT SEE HOW FAR IT WENT SO THEY WALKED IN FOR A WAYS AND IT SEEMED TO JUST GO ON AND ON . BUT THERE WAS ONE ODD THING , THE FARTHER IN THEY WENT THE WARMER IS WAS . GEORGE AS CAPTAIN TOLD THEM THEY HAD GONE FAR ENOUGH FOR TODAY AND TO COME BACK TO SEE WHAT ELSE WAS ON THE SURFACE AROUND THEM . SEAN AND MARY LEFT THE CAVE AN STARTED WALKING IN A CIRCLE AROUND THE SHIP GETTING BIGGER AS THEY MADE EACH CIRCLE . AT ONE POINT MARY ‘S FOOT WENT INTO A HOLE AND SEAN HAD TO PULL HER OUT . THEY LOOKED IN TO THE HOLE AND IT WAS SMALL BUT IT WENT DOWN A LONG WAY . SEAN NOTED THIS AND REPORTED TO CAPT. GEORGE THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO WATCH OUT FOR THEM . AS THEY WALKED THEY FOUND STRANGE ROCK FORMATIONS AND CHIPPED OFF SOME PIECE'S AND SAVED THEM TO STUDY . WHILE THEY WERE DOING THIS BILL WHO WAS THE ENGINEER OF THE GROUP WAS FINDING HE COULD EXTRACT OXYGEN FROM THE ATMOSPHERE AND THAT WAS SURE A BREAK NOW THEY DID NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THEIR SUPPLY . AS ALL THIS WAS GOING ON THEY WERE IN CONSTANT CONTACT WITH HOME BASE SO HOME BASE WAS SEEING IT AS THE CREW WAS DOING IT . EVERY ONE WAS DELIGHTED .THEN AS THE SUN WENT DOWN AROUND THEM THE CREW DECIDED IT WAS SLEEP TIME . SHOUTING DOWN MOST THINGS THEY ALL CLIMBED INTO BED . IT WAS DURING THE NIGHT THEY GOT THEIR FIRST SURPRISE , FIRST GEORGE WOKE UP AND SEEING MARY SITTING UP HE SAID DID YOU HEAR THAT ?? I HEARD SOME THING BUT WHAT WAS IT ? I DON’T KNOW SAID GEO. BUT I’M GOING TO LOOK AND HE WENT TO THE CAMERAS AN CHECKED IN ALL DIRECTIONS AND UNDER THE SHIP . NOTHING THERE HE SAID , YOU KNOW IT SOUNDED LIKE IRON HITTING THE SHIP . THEN HE CHECKED THE WIND AN SAID THE WIND IS UP AND IT COULD BE BLOWING ROCKS AROUND ? I’LL STAY UP FOR A WHILE YOU GO BACK TO SLEEP . IT DID NOT TAKE LONG FOR MARY TO BE BACK IN DREAM LAND . THE EXCITEMENT OF THE DAY BEFORE HAD LEFT ALL VERY TIRED AND SO THEY SLEPT LONGER THAN THEY PLANED . HOME BASE WAS ON THE AIR SAYING HELLO IS ANY ONE UP PLEASE ANSWER ? SEAN TOOK THE SPEAKER AND SAID SEAN HERE , SORRY WE SLEPT LATER THAN PLANED . LET ME SPEAK TO CAPT. GEORGE SAID H/B . SEAN YELLED OUT GEORGE UP FRONT ON THE SPEAKER , THERE WAS NO ANSWER . THEY LOOKED AROUND GEORGE WAS NOT IN THE SHIP . SEAN TURNED ON THE EXTERIOR CAMERAS AND LOOKED AROUND , NO ONE IN SIGHT ? SEAN TOLD H/B GEORGE MUST HAVE GONE OUT SIDE AND TURNED ON THE RADIO TO THEIR SUITS , STILL HE GOT NO ANSWER ? O.K. SEAN SAID THREE OF US ARE GOING OUT AND SOME ONE HAS TO STAY WITH THE SHIP I’LL STAY SAID BILL SO ALL THE REST SUITED UP AND WENT OUT SIDE . FIRST SAID SEAN LOOK FOR TRACKS ? HOW CAN WE SAID PAUL YOU AND MARY WALKED ALL OVER THE PLACE YESTERDAY ? LOOKS TO ME LIKE THE WIND COVERED MOST OF OUR TRACKS BUT HERE ARE SOME FRESH ONE’S . FRESH ONE’S SAID A SURPRISED PAUL , GEORGE WOULD NOT GO OUT ALONE WOULD HE ?? NO ONE IS SUPPOSED TO SAID MARY THEY FOLLOWED THE TRACKS TO THE CAVE AND THEY WENT RIGHT IN . SEAN TOLD BILL WE ARE GOING IN TO THE CAVE . THEY WALKED WHAT SEEMED LIKE A LONG TIME FINALLY COMING TO A LARGE ROOM AND THERE WAS GEORGE SETTING THERE WITH HIS NOON SUIT OFF JUST AS BIG AS LIFE . SEAN TOLD BILL WE HAVE FOUND GEO. I’LL LEAVE THE RADIO TURNED ON WHILE WE TALK TO HIM .MARY GOT TO HIM FIRST AND SAID GEO. WHAT IS GOING ON ? GEO. SMILED AT THEM AND SAID YOU CAN TAKE YOUR SUITS OFF IT’S WARM IN HERE AND THERE IS PLENTY OF OXYGEN . ARE YOU ALL RIGHT SAID MARY ?

I’M FINE SAID GEO. THEN WHY DID YOU LEAVE THE SHIP WITH OUT TELLING ANY ONE SAID MARY ? GEO. GAVE HER A FUNNY LOOK AND SAID I DID ?? YES YOU DID SAID MARY AND YOU OF ALL PEOPLE KNOW WE SHOULD ONLY GO IN PAIRS . GEO. THOUGHT ABOUT THIS FOR A MINUTE AND SAID I REALLY DON’T REMEMBER LEAVING THE SHIP , I GUESS I HAD BETTER GO BACK ? MARY DO YOU WANT TO TAKE HIM SAID SEAN , PAUL AND I WANT TO LOOK AROUND . THE ROOM WAS 100 FEET LONG AND 25 FEET WIDE AND ABOUT 25 FEET HIGH AND IN THE FAR END WAS ANOTHER OUTLET SO THEY WALKED TO THE OUTLET AND WENT IN ABOUT 100 FEET . IT WAS HERE THEY REALIZED THEY HAD BEEN GOING DOWN HILL ALL THE TIME AND RIGHT NOW THEY MUST BE CLOSE TO 100 FEET UNDER GROUND . IT WAS STILL WARM BUT NO WARMER THAN AT THE BIG ROOM . SEAN SAID CAN YOU STILL HEAR ME BILL , OH YES BILL SAID . SEAN SAID I DON’T KNOW IF WE SHOULD GO ANY FARTHER , THERE IS NO SIGN OF ANY HABITATION AND I CAN SEE NO TRACKS ? BILL SAID GEO. AND MARY ARE BACK AND SHE IS TRYING TO GET SOME SENSE OUT OF GEO., HE CAN’T SEEM TO UNDER STAND WHAT HAS HAPPENED . O.K. SAID SEAN KEEP TRYING AND I THINK WE WILL GO IN DEEPER . SEAN AND PAUL CAME TO A SHARP TURN , LOOKING AROUND THE CORNER THEY SAW A MUCH LARGER ROOM BEYOND THEM . STILL THEY DID NOT SEE ANY ONE OR ANY THING . PAUL SAID DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD GO ON ? SEAN LOOKED ALL AROUND THEN TRIED TO CONTACT THE SHIP ON HIS RADIO , ALL HE GOT WAS STATIC . LETS JUST WALK IN A LITTLE WAY SAID SEAN . WALKING IN THEY COULD SEE THE OTHER END OF THE BIG ROOM AND THERE WAS A TONAL GOING OUT THE OTHER END .THEY STOPPED AN SEAN SAID I DON’T KNOW IT SURE SEEMS ALRIGHT BUT WHAT DO YOU THINK PAUL ? WELL WE HAVE PLENTY OF OXYGEN IN OUR SUITS SAID PAUL AND I’D RATHER KEEP THEM ON AND WE HAVE ALREADY GONE THIS FAR SO WHY NOT ? THEY WALKED ACROSS THE BIG ROOM ABOUT THREE HUNDRED FEET AND ENTERED THE TONAL . ABOUT A THOUSAND YARDS IN THEY HEARD SOME THING , A LOW RUMBLING LIKE A MOTOR OR SOMETHING , THEN THEY COULD SEE AN OTHER BIG ROOM . SEAN STILL COULD NOT CONTACT THE SHIP AND THIS WORRIED HIM . THERE THEY WERE IN THE BIG VERY BIG OPEN ROOM IN FACT THEY COULD NOT SEE THE OTHER END OR THE SIDES AND THE CEILING WAS AT LEAST 100 FEET UP . THERE BUILT INTO THE SIDES WERE LIKE LIVING AREAS LITTLE HOMES IF YOU WILL ? AND IT WAS ALL LIGHT UP WITH NO APPARENT LIGHTS . I DON’T KNOW ABOUT THIS SAID PAUL I DON’T SEE ANY ONE OR ANY THING AND LOOK ON THE FLOOR THERE ARE NO TRACKS . I DON’T THINK THERE IS ANY ONE HERE SAID SEAN MAY BE THEY HAVE ALL GONE ? WELL IF THEY ALL DIED THERE WOULD BE SOME THING LEFT , BONES OR OR SOMETHING SAID PAUL ? SEAN LOOKED IN ONE OF THE LIVING AREAS AN SAID LOOK HERE THIS IS BEING LIVED IN .

THEN WHERE ARE THEY SAID PAUL ? I WISH SOME ONE OR SOMETHING WOULD SHOW THEN SELVES . THEY LOOKED AROUND SOME MORE AND SEAN SAID I THINK WE HAD BETTER RETURN TO THE SHIP MAYBE WE WILL GO DEEPER AN OTHER TIME . WHY DO YOU SAY THAT SAID PAUL ? SEAN LOOKED AT HIM AND SAID DON’T YOU FEEL THAT ? WHAT SAID PAUL ? I DON’T KNOW SAID SEAN IT’S JUST A FEELING LIKE WE ARE BEING WATCHED . YES I THINK YOUR RIGHT SAID PAUL AND WITH OUT AN OTHER WORD TURNED AND STARTED WALKING OUT . SEAN FELL IN BEHIND HIM BUT KEEP LOOKING BACK . THEY WALKED OUT OF THE TONAL AND RETURNED TO THE SHIP . MARY WAS STILL TALKING TO GEO. WHEN THEY GOT IN AN SEAN SAID HAVE YOU LEARNED ANY THING YET ? NOT REALLY SAID MARY , HE’S PERFECTLY LUCID IT’S JUST FROM THE TIME HE PUT HIS SUIT ON AND WHEN WE FOUND HIM THAT IS A BLANK TO HIM . DID YOU FIND ANY THING FARTHER IN THE TONAL ? WELL WE FOUND MORE TONAL AND TWO BIG ROOMS THE LAST ONE LOOKED TO ME LIKE IT HAD BEEN LIVED IN BUT BY WHAT I HAVE NO IDEA BUT I FEEL WE SHOULD INVESTIGATE THAT TONAL SOME MORE ? BILL SPOKE UP AND SAID WELL WE HAD BETTER GET STARTED ON OUR PLANED MISSION OR HOME BASE IS GOING TO BE UP SET , IT IS LATE IN THIS DAY SO TOMORROW WE ALL GO HUNTING . THE REST KNEW WHAT HE MEANT AND BURIED THEM SELVES WITH EXPERIMENTS THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO DO . THE NEXT DAY OR RATHER EARLY MORNING MARY HEARD A LOUD CLANG AN JUMPED OUT OF BED TO SEE GEO. ALL SUITED UP AN TRYING TO OPEN THE AIR HATCH . RIGHT BEHIND HER CAME SEAN , THEY GRABBED GEO. WHO APPEARED TO BE IN A DAZE . WHAT WAS THAT NOISE SAID MARY ? OH I LAID A WENCH ON TOP OF THE DOOR SO IF ANY ONE TRIED TO OPEN IT THE WRENCH WOULD FALL SAID SEAN , I WONDER WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO GEO. ANY WAY . THEY GOT GEO SETTLED DOWN AND WERE TRYING TO TALK TO HIM WHEN HOME BASE CAME ON THE SPEAKER . HOME BASE TO SHIP WHAT IS YOUR STATUS THERE ? SEAN GRABBED THE SPEAKER AND SAID WE ARE HAVING TROUBLE WITH GEO WHY DO YOU ASK ? WE HAVE BEEN MONITORING YOU AND WE GOT SOME STRANGE NOISES , WE HEARD THE CLANG AND YOU AND MARY TALKING WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH GEO. WE ARE NOT SURE SAID SEAN YESTERDAY HE SUITED UP AND LEFT THE SHIP BEFORE ANY ONE ELSE WAS UP AND SO I SET THE THING YOU HEARD AND WE FOUND HIM ALL SUITED UP AGAIN ? PUT GEO. ON SAID HOME BASE . THIS IS GEO HE ANSWERED I’M AFRAID I CAN’T EXPLAIN MY ACTIONS ANY MORE THAN THE OTHER’S , I DON’T REMEMBER ANY OF IT , DO YOU HAVE ANY HELP FOR ME . JUST A MINUTE WE WILL ASK THE DOCTOR , INA FEW MINUTES HOME BASE CAME BACK ON AND SAID THE DOCTOR SAYS TO TRY EFFEXORETE IN THE MEDICAL BOX TAKE TWO RIGHT NOW AN ONE EACH DAY IT IS SUPPOSED TO COME YOU DOWN . O.K. SAID GEO. WE ARE GOING HUNTING TODAY AS PLANED SEE YOU LATER . TO DAY WAS MARY’S TURN TO STAY AT THE SHIP AND MONITOR EVERY THING SO EVERY ONE ELSE SUITED UP AND STARTED OFF . THEY STARTED OFF TO THE AREA WHERE THE ICE CAP WAS SUPPOSED TO MELT INTO AND WHEN THEY GOT THERE THE WATER WAS RUNNING IN A SMALL BUT SWIFT STREAM . THEY TOOK SAMPLES AND HEADED OFF TO THE HILLS BEYOND . THE HILLS WERE BARRON AN UNINTERESTING , THEY GOT SOME ROCK SAMPLES AN LOOKED AROUND . THERE IN THE SIDE OF ONE OF THE HILLS WAS AN OTHER TONAL AN SEAN AND PAUL WALKED IN . IT WAS THE SAME AS THE OTHER ONE WHEN WALKING IN THEY REALIZED THE WERE GOING DOWN HILL ALL THE TIME . THEY ONLY WENT IN COUPLE HUNDRED YARDS AN SEEING NOTHING THEY LEFT . BACK AT THE WHAT WAS NOW RIVER THEY DECIDED TO FOLLOW IT TO FIND A NARROW PLACE TO JUMP ACROSS IT . AS THEY WALKED THE RIVER SPREAD OUT AN BECAME SHALLOWER SO THEY COULD WALK ACROSS IT BUT UP A HEAD THEY SAW SOME THING DARKER AND WENT TO SEE , IT WAS A TYPE OF GRASS OR SOMETHING SPRINGING UP WHEN THE WATER HIT IT . THEY TOOK SAMPLES AND HEADED BACK TO THE SHIP . AT THE SHIP PAUL WHO WAS THE AGRONOMIST STARTED TESTING THE GRASS . THIS IS NOT GRASS SAID PAUL IN FACT I THINK IT HAS JUST STARTED GROWING AND IT’S HARD TO TELL WHAT IT WILL BE BUT IF MY TESTS MEAN ANY THING IT’S EDIBLE . YOU TRY IT FIRST SAID SEAN ? SEAN WAS CRACKING OPEN SOME ROCKS AND STUDYING THEM WITH A MICROSCOPE , THESE ROCKS LOOK JUST LIKE EARTH ROCKS HE SAID ,FUNNY I THOUGHT THEY WOULD BE DIFFERENT BUT THEIR NOT .. WE SHOULD HAVE CHECKED THE TEMPERATURE SAID MARY IT WENT UP YESTERDAY THAT’S WHY THE ICE CAP IS MELTING . HOW'S THAT WATER SAID GEO ? YOU KNOW IT HAS A HIGHER HYDROGEN CONTENT THAN OURS BUT I THINK WE COULD DRINK IT , NOT UNTIL I DO A LOT MORE TESTS ON IT THOUGH ? THAT EVENING MARY AND GEO WERE THE LAST TO TURN IN AND MARY SAID GEO HOW ARE YOU FEELING ? GEO SAID I DO FEEL MORE RELAXED BUT I DON’T TRUST MY SELF ANY MORE , YOU HAD BETTER KEEP AN EYE ON ME . OH I HAVE ALREADY THOUGHT OF THAT SAID MARY AND SHE CLIMBED IN TO BED . THEY WERE NO SOONER ASLEEP WHEN MARY YELLED GET GEO ? BILL JUMPED UP AN FOUND GEO TRYING TO PUT ON HIS MOON SUIT

IN A COMPLETE DAZE . THEY RESTRAINED HIM AND WENT BACK TO BED . THE NEXT MORNING AS THEY WERE DISCUSSING GEO AND THE FACT THAT THEY COULD NOT STOP HIM SEAN SAID I THINK WE ARE GOING ABOUT THIS THE WRONG WAY . TONIGHT LETS LET HIM GO AND FOLLOW HIM ? YES SAID MARY THAT WAY MAYBE HE WILL LEAD US TO WHAT EVER IS CALLING HIM . FINE WITH ME SAID GEO I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS GOING ON ?

SO THAT WAS IT AND SURE ENOUGH GEO GOT UP THAT NIGHT AND SUITED UP AND OUT HE WENT AND SEAN ,MARY AND PAUL WERE RIGHT BEHIND HIM . THEY FOLLOWED HIM INTO THE TUNNEL AND ON DOWN TO THE BIG ROOM . THERE GEO TOOK OFF HIS SUIT AND WALKED TO THE OTHER END AND ENTERED THE TUNNEL THERE . ALL FOLLOWED GEO TO AN OTHER ROOM . GEO STOOD THERE AS THOUGH HE WAS COMMUNICATING WITH SOME ONE BUT HE WAS NOT SPEAKING .THEY WATCHED THIS FOR SOME TIME AND THEN WALKED UP AND AROUND GEO STILL NOT SEEING ANY ONE OR ANYTHING . SEAN WAS THE FIRST TO SPEAK AN SAID GEO WHO ARE YOU TALKING TO ? GEO LOOKED STRAIGHT AHEAD THE PEOPLE OF THIS AREA . SEAN SAID ARE THEY HERE ? GEO SAID NO ? HOW CAN YOU TALK TO THEM THEN SAID SEAN ? OH THEY ARE ALL AROUND US SAID GEO . THEY ALL LOOKED AROUND AND BILL SAID I DON’T SEE ANY ONE ? GEO SAID OH THEY LEFT HERE EONS AGO BUT THEY LEFT THIS COMMUNICATION FOR US TO HEAR AND KNOW WHO AND WHAT THEY WERE . WELL YOU REMEMBER THIS WHEN WE GET BACK TO THE SHIP SAID SEAN ? I WILL NOW BEFORE YOU WOULD NOT LET ME COME HERE AND THIS IS THE COMMUNICATION ROOM . WHY DON’T YOU TRY TO TUNE IN TO IT AND THEN MAYBE YOU CAN UNDERSTAND TO ? ALL LOOKED AROUND AND TRIED TO LISTEN FINALLY MARY SAID YES I CAN NOW JUST TRY AND IT WILL COME TO YOU . BILL SAID YES I CAN UNDERSTAND TOO . SEAN JUST STOOD THERE AND LOOKED AT THEN SAYING I DON’T HEAR A DAM THING WHAT ARE YOU ALL TALKING ABOUT ? AS THE THREE STOOD THERE MESMERIZED SEAN WENT LOOKING AROUND HE WENT INTO ONE OF THE AREA’S THAT LOOKED LIKE A LIVING AREA ,SEARCHED AROUND AN DUG UP A PIECE OF MATERIAL THAT LOOKED LIKE IT HAD WRITING ON IT . THEN WENT INTO AN OTHER AND FOUND THE SAME MATERIAL HANGING ON THE WALL . AFTER COLLECTING SEVERAL OF THESE SEAN WENT BACK TO THE GROUP AND SAID COME ON LETS GO . TO THIS ALL ANSWERED WE ARE STILL COMMUNICATING IN SORT OF A DRUGGED VOICE . SEAN DECIDED TO INVESTIGATED MORE AND WENT TO THE OTHER END WHERE THERE WAS AN OTHER TONAL . WALKING IN FOR SOME DISTANCE SEAN COULD FEEL THE NOISE OF WHAT SEEMED LIKE A MACHINE TO HIM EVEN LOUDER SO ON HE WENT . THEN HE CAME TO IT A HUGE CAVERN WITH SOME SORT OF MACHINE RUNNING IN SIDE BUT WHAT DOES THAT MACHINE DO ?? THERE HE FOUND A PLATE OF THE SAME MATERIAL HE FOUND IN THE LIVING AREA BUT THIS HAD LETTERING OR MARKING LIKE HE FOUND ON FIRST PLATES . ALL THIS MADE NO SINCE TO HIM THERE SO AFTER LOOKING AROUND SOME MORE HE DECIDED TO GO BACK STILL WONDERING WHAT THOSE MACHINES DID ? WHEN SEAN GOT BACK TO THE OTHERS THEY WERE SITTING ON THE FLOOR STILL IN A DAZE SO SEAN GAVE EACH ONE A HARD SLAP ON THE BACK AND SAID LETS GO BACK TO THE SHIP AND THEY GOT UP AND WENT WITH HIM . BY THE TIME THEY GOT TO THE SHIP THEY WERE ALL TALKING ABOUT WHAT THEY HAD LEARNED . GEO SAID THE PEOPLE THAT WERE HERE LEFT EONS AGO I DID NOT UNDERSTAND THEIR TIMING BECAUSE I DID NOT KNOW WHAT THEY MEAN FOR A YEAR BUT THEY SAID IT WOULD ALL BE REVELED TO US DID YOU HEAR THAT SEAN SAID GEO ? NOT A WORD I HEARD NOTHING BUT I DID FIND THESE AND MARY GRABBED THE ONE SEAN HAD FOUND BY THE BIG MACHINE . THIS IS IT SHE SAID THIS IS THEIR ALPHABET . WELL I HOPE IT MEANS MORE TO YOU THAN IT DOES TO ME SAID SEAN? GEO AND BILL LOOKED AT IT AND SAID YES THAT’S IT . WELL SAID SEAN CAN YOU TELL ME IF THEY WERE HUMAN OR WHAT ? NO WE DID NOT GET THAT INFORMATION I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY WERE BUT THEY HAD INTELLIGENCE FAR BEYOND OURS . DID THEY TELL YOU WHAT THOSE MOTORS THAT ARE RUNNING FARTHER IN ARE FOR ? GEO , MARY AN BILL LOOKED AT SEAN IN BEWILDERMENT , WHAT DO YOU MEAN SAID GEO ? WELL YOU GO IN TO THAT OTHER TUNNEL AND YOU WILL SEE SAID SEAN . MARY SAID THIS IS STRANGE THE THREE OF US CAN COMMUNICATE BUT SEAN CAN’T , I WONDER WHY ? OH HE’S JUST AN IRISHMAN SAID PAUL AND YOU KNOW ALL IRISHMEN HAVE THICK BRAINS NOTHING CAN PENETRATE THEM . THEY ALL LAUGHED EVEN SEAN . GEO AFTER TALKING TO HOME BASE SAID OUR ROUTINE IS CHANGED THEY WANT US TO THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATE THE CAVE AND THOSE MACHINE’S

SO TOMORROW IT’S BACK TO THE CAVE . THAT WON’T DO US ANY GOOD IF YOU ALL GET MESMERIZED AGAIN SAID SEAN . I THINK I KNOW HOW TO STOP THAT SAID GEO IF WE PLAY SOME MUSIC ALL THE TIME MAYBE IT WILL OVER RIDE IT . IT’S WORTH A TRY SAID PAUL

THE NEXT MORNING AS THEY STARTED FOR THE CAVE GEO CLIMBED UP ON TOP OF THE HILL AND SAID I SEE THE WATER HAS RISEN TOMORROW WE SHOULD GO AN SEE IF THE GRASS IS GROWING . AS THEY WALKED MARY SAID AS FAR AS I CAN TELL THAT GRASS OR WHAT EVER IT IS IS FIT FOR US TO EAT BUT BEFORE WE TRY IT I WANT TO DO MORE TESTS .

YEA IT COULD MAKE US DISAPPEAR TO SAID GEO . IN THE ROOM WITH THE MOTORS GEO AND BILL WENT ALL OVER THEN WHILE MARY AN SEAN LOOKED AROUND THEY FOUND AN OTHER TONAL AN WALKED IN A WAYS ONLY TO FIND AN OTHER BIG ROOM AND THIS ONE DID LOOK LIVED IN AND RECENTLY TO . MARY SAID I HAVE THE FEELING WE ARE NOT ALONE ? ME TO SAID SEAN CAN YOU THINK ANY WAY WE COULD GET THEM TO SHOW THEM SELVES ? NO SAID MARY AND AS SHE SAID IT THEY HEARD A NOISE AND OUT WALKED TWO HUMANOID TYPE PEOPLE . THEY WERE ABOUT FOUR FEET TALL AND REAL SKINNY .AS THEY STOOD THERE LOOKING AT THEN MARY WALKED OVER AND STOOD NEXT TO SEAN . THEY STOOD THERE FOR A FEW MINUTES THEN THEY CAME FORWARD UNTIL THEY WERE JUST A FEW FEET FROM SEAN AN MARY . THEY WERE TALKING TO EACH OTHER IN A STRANGE LANGUAGE AND POINTING TO FIRST SEAN THEN MARY . MARY SPOKE FIRST SAYING CAN YOU UNDERSTAND US ? THEY NODDED THEIR HEADS YES . MARY SAID WE KNOW NOTHING ABOUT YOU OR YOUR WORLD WE COME FROM EARTH IF YOU KNOW WHERE THAT IS , THEY NODDED THEIR HEADS AGAIN . CAN YOU TALK SAID SEAN ? THEY NODDED THEIR HEADS NO AND MARY SAID THEIR TALKING TO ME , MENTAL TELEPATHY I GUESS BUT THEY SAY THEY CAN NOT GET THROUGH TO YOU . WELL THEY SURE AS HELL HEARD ME SAID SEAN AND THEY NODDED YES . THEY SAY THEY HAVE NOT USED THEIR VOICES FOR SO MANY YEARS THAT IT IS HARD FOR THEM BUT THEY CAN HEAR . ABOUT THIS TIME GEO AN BILL WALKED INTO THE ROOM SAYING WE CAN’T FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT MACHINE DOES OR HOW IT WORKS ? THEN THEY SAW THE TWO LITTLE MEN AND STOPPED IN THEIR TRACKS. SEAN SAW GEO AN BILL MENTALLY TALKING TO THE MARS MEN . WELL ARE THEY TELLING YOU WHAT THE MACHINE IS SAID SEAN? THEY SAY IT PROVIDES THEM WITH POWER TO RUN THINGS AND WE WILL LEARN WHAT LATER ON ? ARE THEIR MORE OF THEM SAID SEAN ? THEY SAY NO SAID MARY THAT THEY ARE THE LAST OF THEIR KIND . HOW OLD ARE YOU SAID GEO , CAN YOU TRANSLATE THAT INTO OUR YEARS ? FIVE HUNDRED SAID BILL MY GOD , WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL THE OTHERS ?? THEY DIED AND WE HAD NO MORE CHILDREN SO WHEN WE GO IT WILL BE THE END OF US . DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW OLD YOU CIVILIZATION IS SAID GEO ? WE GO BACK OVER TEN MILLION OF YOUR YEARS WAS THEIR ANSWER . DID YOU USED TO LIVE ON THE SURFACE SAID GEO ? THAT WAS OVER A MILLION YEARS AGO THEY SAID THEN WE DESTROYED THE SURFACE AND HAD TO MOVE UNDERGROUND . HOW DID YOU DESTROY THE SURFACE SAID SEAN THEN MARY REPEATED WHAT THEY SAID TO HER , THERE WERE TWO GROUPS OF PEOPLE LIVING ON THE SURFACE , ONE LIKE US AND ONE MORE LIKE YOU . TENSION BUILT UP BETWEEN US AND THERE WAS A WAR AND WE ANILAITTED THEM BUT IN DOING SO WE BOTH DESTROYED THE SURFACE OF OUR PLANT SO WE HAD TO MOVE UNDERGROUND . WHAT WE DID NOT REALIZE AT THE TIME WAS THAT WE REALLY DESTROYED OUR SELVES TOO IT JUST TOOK A LITTLE LONGER FOR US . AFTER THE WAR WE STARTED HAVING FEWER AND FEWER CHILDREN AND AS THE ELDERS DIED OFF IT IS NOW DOWN TO US . HOW OLD ARE YOU SAID GEO , FIVE HUNDRED YEARS IS THAT TRUE SAID MARY WE FIND THAT HARD TO BELIEVE , ONE HUNDRED YEARS FOR US IS VERY OLD . THEN BILL SAID WHAT IS THAT GRASS OR WHAT EVER IT IS GROWING AT THE END OF THE SPRING WATER ? IT IS THEIR FOOD THE ONLY THING THAT WILL GROW ON THE SURFACE .SAID MARY FOR SEAN’S INFORMATION . BUT THEY DROUGHT IF WE COULD EAT IT ? WE ARE MUCH LIKE YOU PHYSICALLY THEY SAID THE OTHER PEOPLE WERE JUST LIKE YOU AN THAT’S WHY THEY WERE SO EASILY DESTROYED , IT’S A SHAME TO THAT ONLY NOW DO WE REALIZE WHAT WE DID . IS THE GRASS ALL YOU HAVE TO EAT SAID BILL ? OH NO THEY SAID WE HAVE A GARDEN FOR OTHER FOOD , THAT’S PART OF WHAT THE MACHINE TAKE’S CARE OF . DO YOU HAVE ANIMALS ASK SEAN ? ON THE SURFACE WE DID AND SOME FOR MEAT TO , BUT WE HAVE NEVER TASTED MEAT , JUST READ ABOUT . IT MUST BE A LONELY LIFE SAID MARY ? YES THEY SAID BY YOUR STANDARDS I GUESS IT IS BUT THIS IS THE WAY WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED SO TO US IT’S NOT REALLY AS YOU THINK . DO YOU BELIEVE IN A GOD SAID SEAN ? A GOD THEY SAID ? OH A DEITIE YOU MEAN , NO THE OTHER PEOPLE DID , THAT WAS PART OF THE CAUSE OF THE WAR . SENCE THE WAR WE HAVE FIGURED THEY WERE RIGHT AND WISHED WE HAD SOME THING TO PRAY TO BUT NOTHING HAS COME FORWARD FOR US . ARE YOU RESPONCEABLE FOR GEO TRYING TO COME DOWN HERE ASK MARY ? YES HE WAS THE EASEST FOR US TO CONTACT , WE JUST WANTED TO STUDY YOU . AND THAT’S WHAT WE WANT TO DO SAID BILL . THE TWO MARSHION MEN LOOKED AT EACH OTHER AND SAID IT IS TIME FOR US TO EAT . THE DIET WE ARE ON REQUIRES US TO EAT SIX TIMES A DAY , WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN US ? MARY SAID WE HAVE OUR OWN FOOD AND WE WOULD HATE TO EAT WHAT YOU NEED AND LIKE YOU SAY MAYBE WE CAN’T STOMICK IT . THE FOOD FROM OUR GARDEN YOU COULD EAT THEY SAID , WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN US ANY WAY ? SURE THEY ALL SAID AND FOLLOWED THEM INTO A ROOM WITH A TABLE AN CHAIRS ALL TO SMALL FOR THEN OF COURSE . THE ROOM WAS BIG ENOUGH BUT VERY SPARTIN . WHERE DO YOU SLEEP SAID SEAN ? SLEEP THEY LOOKED AT SEAN IN MILD SUPPRISE , OH REST TIME YES WE JUST SET IN OUR CHAIRS AND CLOSE OUR EYES . ONE OF THE MARS MEN OPENED A DOOR IN THE SIDE OF THE ROOM AN WALKED IN ALL FROM THE SHIP LOOKED IN AN SAW A VAST GARDEN WITH FRUIT TREES GROWING THERE IT WAS WARNER AND THER SEEMED TO BE A GROW LIGHT OVER IT ALL . DO THE MACHINE’S KEEP THAT GOING SAID GEO . YES THAT IS ONE OFF IT’S JOBS THEY SAID . WHAT FUEL DOES IT USE ASK BILL ? WE DON’T KNOW THEY SAID T HAS BEEN RUNNING SO LONG THAT WE HAVE LOST THAT INFORMATION ? WHAT HAPPEN IF IT STOPS SAID SEAN ? IT NEVER HAS THEY ANSWERED . DID YOU OR BILL FIGURE OUT WHAT IT IS FUELED BY GEO ASK SEAN? NO WE COULD NOT FIGURE HOW TO GET INTO IT ? BUT IT SURE IS A SMOOTH RUNNING MACHINE . THAT GARDEN IS ALL LIT UP AND IT IS WARMER IN THERE SAID MARY BUT I SEE NO LIGHTS OR SOURSE OF HEAT , I WONDER HOW THEY DO IT ? WE DO NOT KNOW EATHER SAID THE MARSHIONS THE PEOPLE LONG AGO WHO OPERATED IT DIED WITHOUT TELLING US BUT WE KNOW IT HAS RUN LIKE THAT FOR OVER A THOUSAND YEARS . IT’S GETTING LATE SAID GEO AND I THINK WE HAD BETTER RETURN TO OUR SHIP ? SO SOON THEY SAID BUT WE WANTED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT YOU ? GEO SAID TOMORROW WE WILL RETURN AND WE WILL TALK SOME MORE AND TELL YOU ABOUT US . BACK AT THE SHIP SEAN SAID I DON’T KNOW WHY BUT I DON’T TRUST THEM AT ALL , IT’S NOTHING THEY SAID IN FACT THEY WERE QUIET CANDAD WITH US BUT THERE IS SOME THING THAT I CAN’T PUT MY FINGER ON , IT’S JUST A FEELING ? GEO SAID THEY SEEMED STRAIGHT FORWARD TO ME AND ME TO SAID BILL . MARY THOUGHT FOR A FEW MINUTES THEN SAID I HAVE TO AGREE WITH SEAN ALL THE TIME I WAS THERE I HAD THE FEELING THEY WERE GOING OVER MY BODY , THEY KNOW I’M FEMALE AND WE KNOW THEY ARE MALE , I HATE TO BE THE ONE TO BRING UP SEX BUT I FELT UNCOMFORTABLE THERE . I’M INCLINED TO AGREE WITH SEAN AND MARY SAID PAUL I DON’T THINK THEY ARE AS SIMPLE AS THEY PORTEND . THAT’S THREE AGENST TWO SAID GEO SO I GUESS WE HAD BETTER BE ON OUR GUARD . THE NEXT DAY THEY SENT UP A FOUR BALLOON’S MONITUREING DEVICE THAT HAD A SMALL BUT POWERFUL TV HANGEING FROM , THE FOUR BALLOONS WERE FOR STABILITY SO THEY COULD CONTROL AND TURN THE T.V. THEY SPENT A GOOD DEAL OF TIME WATCHING THE T.V. AND FINDING THE SURRONDING AREA WAS MUCH THE SAME AS WHERE THEY WERE . THEY LOCATED THE MARS CAR THAT HAD BEEN SENT UP YEARS BEFORE AND GOT HUNGE UP ON A ROCK AND DECIDED TO GET IT AND USE IT TO TRAVEL , THIS OF COURSE HAD BEEN THE PLAN ALL ALONG BUT HEY HAD NO IDEA IF IT WOULD RUN . WE WILL GET TO THAT LATER SAID GEO , NOW LETS GO DOWN IN THE TONNAL . GETTING TO THE MARS MENS ROOM THERE THEY WERE WAITING FOR THEM . DID YOU KNOW WE WERE COMEING SAID GEO ? OH YES THEY ANSWERED . HOW SAID GEO ? WE CAN FOLLOW YOU MENTALITY WAS THEIR ANSWER . RIGHT IN TO OUR SHIP SAD PAUL ? OH YES ANY WHERE , EXCEPT HIM POINTING TO SEAN AND WE DON’T UNDERSTAND THAT ? SEAN JUST SHRUGED HIS SHOLDERS AND WINKED AT MARY . THEY SPENT THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON TALKING AND LEARNED A LOT ABOUT THE PEOPLE OF MARS AND WERE TOLD ABOUT A DEEP CANYAN SOME DISTANCE FROM WHERE THEY WERE . THE MARSHINS SAID THEY NEVER HAD VISITED IT . THIS SEAN FOUND HARD TO BELIVE , WHY NOT ?? THEY ALL INSPECTED THE MOTOR AND BILL DECIDED IT HAD TO BE SOME KIND OF FUSION POWERED ENGINE BUT IT WAS WAY BEYOUND HIS KNOWLADGE . MARY HAD RECORDED ALL THE CONVERSATION FOR SENDING BACK TO HOMEBASE . BACK AT THE SHIP MARY TRANSSCRIBED ALL THE TAPES BACK TO EARTH .

THIS DONE HOMEBASE SAID WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT , ALL WE GOT WAS YOU FIVE TALKING LIKE YOU WERE TALKING TO SOME ONE ELSE ?? GEO GRABED THE SPEAKER AN SAID YOU DID NOT GET MARY SAYING WHAT THE MARSMEN WERE SAYING ? NO SAID HOMEBASE ? BOY THAT’S STRANGE SAID GEO NEXT TIME WE WILL DO IT DIGATILY SO IT IS WRITTEN OUT . SEAN SPOKE UP SAYING I HEARD NOTHING SO I THINK YOU WILL HAVE TO WRITE IT OUT . PAUL SAID WHY DON’T WE ALL WRITE DOWN ALL THAT WE REMEMBER OF TODAY ANY WAY . GEO SAID TOMORROW WE GET THAT CAR AND SEE IF IT RUNS , I’D SURE LIKE TO SEE THAT CANYON . THE NEXT DAY SEAN AND PAUL TOOK OFF FOR THE CAR AND IT WAS ABOUT A TWO HOUR WALK . THE BATTRES HAD SOME POWER LEFT SO THEY STARTED TO THE SHIP ALMOST THERE THE BATTRES GAVE OUT SO THEY HAD TO PUSH IT THE REST OF THE WAY . BACK AT THE SHIP SEAN PLUGED IT IN AND MADE SURE IT WAS CHARGEING THEN HE CHECKED IT ALL OVER AND FIGURED IT WAS IN GOOD SHAPE . GOING BACK IN THE SHIP THE CALCULATED THE DISTANCE TO THE CANYON AN FIGURED THE CAR WOULD HANDLE TWO TO IT AND BACK . SEAN SAID GEO I THINK YOU AND PAUL SHOULD GO , NOW TAKE THESE INSTRUMENTS SO YOU TELL HOW DEEP IT IS AND ALL AND TAKE THIS LISSIONING DEVISE TO SEE IF YOU CAN HEAR ANY THING . THEN THE DAY BEING OVER THEY ALL RETIRED . AGAIN THAT NIGHT GEO WAS COUGHT TRYNG TO GET OUT IN HIS SUIT . MARY WONDERED ALLOWED I WONDER WHY THEY TRY TO GET GEO AT NIGHT ? THEY ALL WONDERED AT THIS EVEN GEO . THE NEXT MORNING GEO SAID SEAN YOU AND BILL TAKE THE CAR AND GO TO THE CANYON , THE REST OF US WILL DO OUR EXPARAMENTS HERE ON THE SHIP , KEEP IN CONTACT AT ALL TIMES . SEAN AND BILL TRAVELED ACROSS MARS ON THE FLAT PLAIN , DOGGING ROCKS HERE AND THERE UNTIL THEY GOT TO THE CANYON . THERE THEY FOUND THE CANYON TO BE NOT OVER ONE HUNDRED FEET WIDE BUT IT WAS SOME TWO HUNDRED FEET DEEP SO FIRST THEY LET DOWN THE LISSIONING AND DEPTH PROBE . AT TWO HUNDRED FEET THEY HEARD VOICE’S ? LETING IT DOWN TWENTY FEET MORE THEY ASK CAN ANY ONE UNDERSTAND US . THERE WAS SILIENCE AT FIRST THEN SOME ONE SAID SOME THING LIKE “ WHO IS THIS ? “ IT WAS UNDERSTANDABLE BUT STILL VERY DIFFERENT FRON OUR ENGLISH . SEAN SAID WE ARE FROM EARTH AND WE CAME HERE TO STUDY MARS OR YOUR PLANIT . WELL SOME ONE SAID I GUESS IT’S WELCOME TO MARS BUT THAT’S NOT WHAT WE CALL OUR PLAINET . IS THERE A WAY TO GET TO YOU SAID SEAN ? YES THEY SAID ABOUT A HALF OF ONE OF YOUR MILES TO YOUR LEFT IS A DOOR WE CAN LET YOU IN BUT HAVE YOU MET THE OTHER MARS PEOPLE YET . YES SAID SEAN OUR SHIP IS RIGHT NEAR A CAVE TO THEIR ROOMS . AND THEY LET YOU IN ? YES SAID SEAN WE HAVE TALKED TO THEM WHY ? COME TO THE DOOR AN AND WE WILL LOOK AT YOU SAID THE VOICE ? SEAN AN PAUL WENT AN STANDING THERE A THING LIKE A PEARASCOPE CAME UP OUT OF THE GROUND AND LOOKED AROUND THEN SETTLED ON THEM . SEAN SAID I CAN ASSUNE YOU ARE LOOKING US OVER SO WHAT DO YOU THINK ?

YOU LOOK JUST LIKE US WAS THEIR ANSWER BUT A LOT BIGGER . WE ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF WE CAN TRUST YOU ? OUR MISSION IS STRICKLY FOR EXPLORATION AND WE ARE PEASEFUL ,WE HAVE NO WEAPONS WITH US , ALL WE WANT TO DO IS STUDIE THIS PLANIT . THE DOOR OPENED AND SEAN AND PAUL COULD SEE AN ELEVATOR INSIDE SO THEY GOT IN AFTER GOING DOWN FOR SOME TIME THE DOOR OPENED AND THEY WERE IN A BIG HALL AND PEOPLE WERE STANDING THERE LOOKING AT THEM . THE PEOPLE WERE ABOUT THE SAME HIGTH AS THE OTHERS OR ABOUT FOUR FEET TALL OTHER WISE THEY LOOKED JUST LIKE EARTH HUMANS . AFTER SHAKING HANDS AND SOME SMALL TALK THE HUMANS AS THEY WERE TO BE KNOWN AFTER WARDS . AGAIN ASK DID THE OTHERS INVITE YOU IN TO THEIR CAVE ? NO SAID SEAN WE SORT OF WALKED IN ON THEM BUT THEY SEEMED FRIENDLY . WELL THEY AREN’T SAID ONE WHO APPIERED TO BE THE LEADER , THAT’S WHY THERE ARE SO FEW LEFT . FEW SAID SEAN THERE WERE ONLY TWO THAT WE SAW ? AND WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY AREN’T FRIENDLY ? AFTER THE BIG WAR THAT KIND DUG HOLES IN THE GROUND AND WE CAME DOWN HERE TO LIVE , HERE WE WERE ABLE TO SET UP A LIFE MUCH LIKE WE HAD ON THE SURFACE BUT WE CAN ONLY SUPPORT A SMALL NUMBER OF HUMANS SO WE HAVE TO LIMIT OUR NUMBERS WE USED TO HAVE AN OPEN TRAIL TO THE SURFACE BUT THEY THE RUGS AS THEY HAVE BEEN CALLED FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS STARTED SNEEKING DOWN HERE AND TAKEING SOME OF US , AND WE NEVER SAW THEM AGAIN , WE ASSUME THEY HAVE TURNED TO CANABLEISEM , MEAT IS HARD TO GET EVEN FOR US BUT OVER THE YEARS WE HAVE ADAPTED TO A VEGATAIRN DIET AND WE SUPPOSE THAT THEY COULD NOT . YOU SAY THERE ARE ONLY TWO LEFT THAT MEANS THEY HAVE EATEN THEIR OWN . YOU MUST NEVER GO DOWN THERE AGAIN . SEAN SAID I HAVE TO WARN MY COMRADES AND TRIED HIS RADIO AND IT WORKED . ALL WERE STILL IN THE SHIP BUT READY TO LEAVE FOR THE TONAL ,SEAN WARNED THEM TELLING THEM WHAT THE HUMANS HAD SAID . SEAN AN BILL WALKED AROUND WITH THE HUMANS AS THEY SHOWED THEM THEIR LIVING AREA AND THEIR GARDENS . THE PEOPLE WERE BUSY DOING MANY THINGS THAT SHOWED AN ORGANIZED SOCIALITY . ALL THAT SAW THEM WERE SUPPRISED AND A BIT FIERFUL BUT WHEN TOLD THEY WERE FRIENDLY ENOUGH . THEN BILL SAID YOU AND YOUR PEOPLE SEEMED TO HAVE NO FIER OF US ? THAT IS TRUE SAID THE LEADER AND I SUPPOSE I SHOULD TELL YOU THAT WE ARE NOT EXACTLY LIKE YOU , WE HAVE DEVELOPED THE ABILITY TO CONTROL THINGS WITH OUR MINDS , NOT LIKE THE RUGS THEIRS IS STRONGER THAN OURS IN SOME WAYS SO WE ARE STILL NOT A MATCH FOR THEM.

YOU SAY THERE ARE ONLY TWO LEFT , THAT IS INTERESTING WE HAVE NOT HAD CONTACT WITH THEM FOR ABOUT ONE HUNDRED YEARS AND WERE HOPEING THEY WOULD DIE OFF BUT WE HAD NO WAY OF KNOWING . SEAN ASK DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT MOTOR THAT’S RUNNING DOWN IN THERE CAVE . OH YES THE LEADER SAID THAT WAS BUILT BEFORE THE BIG WAR IT WAS TO SUPPLY US WITH ALL THE POWER WE WOULD EVER NEED . WHAT POWERS IT SAID BILL ? I DO NOT KNOW SAID THE LEADER WE NEVER FOUND THE BOOKS ON IT . AND HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO GET TO IT SENCE THE WAR . SEAN ASK HOW OLD ARE YOU ? WE AVERAGE ABOUT THREE HUNDRED YEARS NOT AS LONG AS THE RUGS , THAT WE UNDERSTAND IS WHAT CAUSED THE WAR , THEY WERE OVER POPULATING THE PLANIT . SEAN SAID THEY TOLD US THAT THEIR REPRODUCTION , AFTER THE WAR ,WAS GREATLY REDUCED SO THAT IS WHY THEY ARE DOWN TO JUST THE TWO OF THEM . STRANGE SAID THE LEADER IT DID NOT AFFECT US THAT’S WHY WE HAVE TO PRACTICE CONTROL HERE OR WE WOULD SOON HAVE MORE THAN WE CAN FEED . THE LEADER SAID HOW DOES IT LOOK UP ON THE SURFACE ,STILL JUST AS BLEAK , WE HAVE NOT VENTURED UP FOR A HUNDRED YEARS . YES SAID SEAN BUT CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT THE GREEN STUFF GROWING AT THE END OF THE GLACER MELT , IT LOOKS LIKE GRASS TO US ? IT’S A PLANT THAT THE RUGS ATE , WE NEVER TRYED IT SAID THE LEADER I’M SUPPRISE TO HEAR IT’S STILL GROWING ON THE SURFACE . I’M SUPPRISED TO HEAR YOU SPEAK OUR LANGUAGE SAID BILL ? OH YOU HAVE BEEN TALKING AND WE CAN UNDERSTAND YOU BUT WE HAVE BEEN USING OUR MENTAL POWERS TO MAKE YOU UNDERSTAND AS I SAID WE HAVE THE POWER ALMOST THE SAME AS THE RUGS BUT NOT AS STRONG . THAT REMINDS ME SAID BILL WE HAD BETTER GET BACK TO THE SHIP .THOSE RUGS MAY BE TRYING TO GET OUR FRIENDS TO GO DOWN INTO THE CAVE . YOUR RIGHT SAID SEAN . WELL MR. LEADER WE HAVE TO GO BUT WE WILL ALL COME BACK TOMORROW . BACK AT THE SHIP SEAN AN BILL FOUND ALL THE OTHERS SUITED UP AND READY TO GO INTO THE CAVE ,.IT TOOK SOME TALKING TO BREAK THEIR THOUGHT PROSSES AND FINALLY BILL TURNED ON THE RADIO LOUD , THIS SEEMED TO REALLY HELP . WERE WE GOING AGAIN SAID GEO ? YES SAID BILL AND LUCKY WE COUGHT YOU . FROM WHAT THE HUMANS TOLD US YOU CAN NOT TRUST THE RUGS . WHO SAID MARY ? THE RUGS IS WHAT THE HUMANS WE MET CALL THOSE THINGS IN THE CAVES AND THEY TOLD US THAT THEY TURNED TO CANABALISM AFTER THE WAR , THEY WOULD SNEAK IN ON THEM AND TAKE PEOPLE AND THEY WOULD NEVER SEE THEM AGAIN , THEY PUT IN AN ELEVATOR A HUNDRED YEARS AGO AND DISTORYED THE WALK PATH TO THEIR VALLY SO THEY HAVE NOT HAD CONTACT WITH THE RUGS SENCE THEN AND WERE SUPPRISED THAT THERE WERE ONLY TWO LEFT . MY GOD MY HEAD SAID GEO AND PUT HIS HANDS TO IT IN OBIVIOUS PAIN , BILL , PAUL AND MARY DID THE SAME.

SEN LOOKED AT THE EXTERIOR CAMRA ‘S . THERE ARE A DOZEN OUT THERE HE SAID AND THEY ARE STANDING AROUND THE SHIP AND LOOKING AT IT . SEAN GRABED THE ZAP GUN THAT SHOOTS AN ELECTRIC CHARGE THAT IS MOUNTED ON THE OUT SIDE OF THE SHIP AND CAN BE MOVED AROUND IT . HE THEN SPRADED A CHARGE OF ELECTRICISITY AT EACH ONE OF THEM WHICH KNOKED THEM DOWN AND RELIVED THE PRESSURE ON THE OTHERS .GETTING UP OFF THE FLOOR GEO LOOKED OUT SIDE IN THE VIEWER AND SAID THEY ARE ALL GOING BACK TO THEIR CAVE ? TO GET SOME SORT OF WEAPON I WOULD SUPPOSE SO I GUESS WE BETTER GET PREPAIRD FOR AN ATTACK ? BREAK OUT THE LAZER GUN SEAN , RIGHT NOW YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE I TRUST TO USE IT . AFTER AN HOUR OR SO THE RUGS CAME OUT WITH SOME SORT OF WEAPON AND WERE SETTING IT UP WHEN GEO SAID BETTER TO GET THEM FIRST SEAN SHOOT AND SEAN DID . ONE BLAST AND THERE WAS NOTHING THERE , THREE RUGS AND THEIR WEAPON . GEO SAID THAT OUGHT TO SHOW THEM . IT WAS MUCH LATER WHEN THEY FELT THEIR SHIP VIBRATING AND GEO SAID IS THAT SOME KIND OF WEAPON OR WHAT ? NO SAID BILL IT’S BENETH US I THINK THEY ARE TRYING TO UNDER MINED US O.K. SAID GEO HIT THE BLASTERS AND LETS MOVE THIS SHIP . ALL TOOK THEIR STATIONS TURNED ON THE BLASTERS AND LIFTED UP 100 FEET HANGEING THERE GEO LOOKED BACK A SAW A BIG HOLE WHERE THEY HAD BEEN . BACK HER DOWN TO TWENTY FEET OFF THE GROUND AND LET THE BLASTERS COOK THEM . THEY STAYED AT THIS POSITION FOR TEN MINUTES THEN PULLED OFF TO THE RIGHT . THERE THEY COULD SEE SMOKE POURING OUT OF THE HOLE . GOING OVER TO WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS RIGHT OVER THE BIG MOTOR THEY SAT THE SHIP DOWN AGAIN AND WAITED . I DON’T THINK THEY WILL DO ANY THING HERE , IT MIGHT DAMAGE THE BIG MOTOR SAID GEO , LETS TAKE TURNS SLEEPING AND WE WILL HAVE TO LEAVE THE RADIO ON LOUD . NO PROBLIM ALL NIGHT , THEN IN THE MORNING SEAN SAID HERE THEY COME AND THEIR CARRYING SOME THING ? THEIR WITH IN RANGE SAID GEO LET THEM HAVE IT . SEAN BLASTED ABOUT FOUR OF THEM AND THE REST WERE RUNNING FOR THEIR CAVE . WHEN SEAN SAW .SOME THING OUT OF THE CORNER OF HIS EYE IT WAS COMEING OUT OF THE GROUND . SEAN BLASTED IT AND THERE WAS A TREMENDIUS EXPLOSION ALMOST BLOWING THE SHIP OVER . WHAT WAS THAT SAID BILL ? I DON’T KNOW SAID GEO CHECK FOR RADIEATION . BILL SAID I CAN DETECT NO RADIATION OUT SIDE BUT I SURE WONDER WHAT THAT WAS , IT’S JUST A BIG HOLE IN THE GROUND NOW .GEO SAID WE WILL JUST SIT TIGHT FOR NOW AND SEE WHAT THEY TRY NEXT ? SCANNING THE AREA ALL AROUND THEM WITH THEIR CAMERAS THEY COULD DETECT NO MOVEMEMT FOR A LONG TIME THEN BILL SAID I THINK I SEE SOME THING BUT I DON’T KNOW ?? NO I GUESS THERE’S NOHING THERE . LET ME SEE SAID SEAN AND WHEN HE DID HE YELLED , THEIR COMEING IN FORCE MUST BE A HUNDRED OF THEM AND I THINK THEIR CLOUDING YOU MIND’S . I DON’T SEE ANY THING SAID GEO. SEAN GRABED THE LAZER GUN AND STARTED FIRERING . I CAN SEE THEM NOW SAID BILL AS SEAN VAPORIZED MOST OF THEM AND THE REST TURNED AND RAN LEAVEING SOME THING THAT LOOKED LIKE A WEAPON . AS SEAN TURNED HIS LAZOR ON IT THERE WAS A TREMENDOUS

EXPLOSION AND THE SHIP ACTUALLY MOVED A COUPLE OF FEET BUT DID NOT FALL OVER .

WHAT WAS THAT SAID MARY ?? SEAN SAID I THINK IT WAS THEIR BIG GUN BUT THEY HAVEN’T HAD A WAR FOR SO LONG I DON’T THINK THEY KNOW HOW TO USE IT . THEN GEO SAID SOME ONE IS TRYING TO TALK TO ME ? HE SAY’S HE IS OF THE HUMANS AND THEY FELT THE EXPLOSEN AND WERE WONDERING WHAT HAPPONED ? GO AHEAD AN TELL THEM WHAT HAPPENED SAID BILL . I CAN DETECT NO RADIATION OR ANY THING OUT SIDE SAID PAUL , SO I GUESS IT’S SAFE TO GO OUT NOW . AS SEAN KEP AN EYE OUT FOR THE RUGS THE REST WENT TO THERE STUDIES AND ROCKS AND SUCH . THERE SEEMED TO BE NO MORE PROBLIM WITH THE RUGS THAT DAY AND GEO SPENT A GREAT DEAL OF TIME TALKING TO THE HUMANS AND RECORDING EVERY THING HE LEARNED . THE NEXT DAY NOTHING FROM THE RUGS EATHER , DO YOU SUPPOSE WE SCARED THEM OFF SAID PAUL ? WITH SUCH A LOSS OF THE POPULATION I BET WE DID SAID SEAN AND I SURE WOULD LIKE TO GO SEE THE HUMANS AGAIN AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THEM AND THE RUGS FROM THEM TOO . O.K. SAID GEO SENCE SEAN IS THE ONLY ONE IMUNE TO THEIR MENTAL POWERS I GUESS HE HAD BETTER STAY HERE AND KEEP GUARD . GEO, MARY AND BILL TOOK OFF FOR THE HUMANS AND SEAN AND PAUL STAYED BEHIND . THIS TIME GEO, MARY AND BILL WERE ARMED WITH LAZOR GUNS . AS THEY GOT TO THE ELEVATOR THE SPEAKER CAME UP AND GEO TOLD THEM THAT THAY WERE ARMED THIS TIME BUT THEY WOULD LEAVE THEIR ARMS IN THE ELEVATOR . AS THEY ENTERED THE UNDERGROUND AGAIN THEY WERE AMAZED AT THE LIGHT THAT SEEMED TO BE EVERYWHERE BUT THEY COULD SEE NO SORCE . GEO ASK WHERE DOES THE LIGHT COME FROM AND THE LEADER WHO IDENIFIED HIMSELF AS NO. 1

SAID IT WAS PIPED IN FROM THE SURFACE WITH REFLECTORS . WE JUST AS YOU NEED SOME SUN LIGHT SAID NO. 1 AND THIS IS WHAT MAKES OUR GARDENS GROW . WE CAN CONTROL HOW MUCH LIGHT BY AUTOMATICLY TILTING THE REFLECTORS SO WE HAVE DAY AND NIGHT HERE TO . I SEE SAID NO. 1 YOU HAVE A FEMALE WITH YOU THIS TIME SO I WILL CALL SOME OF OUR WOMEN TO BE WITH US AS WE TALK . WOMEN IN OUR SUCITITY DO NOT HAVE QUITE THE SAME EQUAL STATIS AS YOUR’S BUT AS YOUR’S DO THEY HAVE POWER IN THEIR OWN QUITE WAY .THERE IS NO DISCREMANITION , HERE WE ALL NEED EACH OTHER TO SURVIVE . GEO ASK HAVE YOU EVER , SENCE THE GREAT WAR , TRIED TO FIGHT THE RUGS ?

YES SAID NO.1 FOR A TIME AFTER THE WAR WE WOULD SEND OUT WAR PARTIES BUT ONLY A FEW EVER RETURNED AND THE RUGS SEEMED CONTENT TO LEAVE US ALONE , WITH THE EXCEPTION OF TAKEING ONE OR TWO OF US UNTIL WE PUT IN THE ELEVATOR AND DISTORYED THE WALK WAY . THEN YOU HAVE NOT ADVANCED MUCH SENCE YOU CAME DOWN HERE . THAT’S NOT TRUE SAID NO. 1 WE WILL SHOW YOU THINGS YOU HAVE NOT DREAMED OF YET . AS FAR AS THE RUGS GO WE TIRED OF KILLING THEM YEARS AGO, WE ARE NOT A KILLING RACE , BAD AS THE RUGS ARE WE STILL FIND IT HARD TO KILL THEM . OF COURSE THEY HAVE NO SUCH RESTRUCTION IN THEIR SOCITITY AND WOULD KILL US ON SIGHT AND THIS IS WHAT PUT US ABOVE THEM AND WHY WE CALL OUR SELVES HUMAN .

WE WORSHIP A DEITY A GOD AS YOU DO , THEY NEVER DID AND WE FEEL THEY NEVER HAD A GOD . YES SAID GEO THEY TOLD US AS SUCH , EVEN ENVYED YOU FOR HAVING ONE . YES SAID NO. 1 THEY HAVE INTELAGENCE BUT NO CONSCIENCES . THAT WAS PART OF THE REASON FOR THE GREAT WAR , THEY WOULD NOT OBEY THE LAWS . THAT WEAPON THEY HAD AND WE DISTORYED SAID BILL DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT WAS ? OH YES SAID NO.1 WE HAD ONE TO BUT THEY ARE DANGERS AND AS YOU FOUND OUT VERY POWERFUL .SEAN SPECULATED THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW HOW TO USE IT SAID GEO ? I THINK HE MIGHT BE ACCURATE ON THAT BECAUSE NONE HAS BEEN FIRED SENCE THE GREAT WAR THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO SAID NO. 1 WE THINK WE HAVE KILLED A COUPLE OF HUNDRED IN THE LAST TWO DAYS SAID GEO AND AFTER THEY TOLD US ONLY TWO WERE LEFT ? THAT’S WHY I TOLD YOU NOT TO TRUST THEM SAID NO. 1 NOW IT’S VERY HARD TO SAY HOW MANY ARE LEFT ? ALL THESE HUNDRED’S OF YEARS NO THOUSANDS OF YEARS WE HAVE FEARED THEM. WONDERING IF THEY WERE BUILDING UP TO COME AFTER US AGAIN . AND NOW WE HAVE LOST THE DESIRE TO FIGHT AND TO KILL , I JUST WISH YOU WOULD WIPE THEM ALL OUT .GEO SAID WE HAVE NO DESIRE TO KILL EATHER BUT WE CAN DEFEND OUR SELVES . I WOULD RATHER STUDY THEM THAN KILL THEM BUT SO FAR THEY HAVE GIVEN US NO CHOICE . NOW WHAT KIND OF WEAPON DID YOU DISTORY YOUR WORLD WITH ? WE ARE NOT SURE SAID NO. 1 WE THOUGHT WE HAD THEM BEATEN THEN THEY CAME UP WITH THIS HUGE GUN , I DON’T REALLY THINK THEY KNOW WHAT IT WOULD DO BUT IT KILLED EVERY THING ON THE SURFACE . ONLY THOSE OF US UNDER GROUND SURVIVED . IT WAS A THOUSAND YEARS BEFORE WE COULD VENTURE UP THERE AND WHAT WE SAW IS WHAT YOU SEE . WE HAD ALREADY BUILT A LIFE DOWN HERE SO WE NEVER TRIED TO MOVE BACK TO THE SURFACE . THOSE RUGS HARRESED US AND STARTED CAPTUREING SOME OF US SO WE HAD TO DISTORY THE TRAIL DOWN HERE , WONCE WE HAD OUR SUN REFLECTORS IN PLACE WE NO LONGER NEEDED IT ANY WAY . THANK GOODNESS THEY DID NOT VENTURE OUT MUCH SO THEY NEVER FOUND THE REFLECTORS , OF COURSE THEY ARE WELL HIDDEN .

BILL ASK THEN YOU HAVE NO WEAPONS AT ALL ? NO SAID NO. 1 , WE HAD NO USE FOR THEM DOWN HERE . SUDDENLY OVER THE RADIO SEAN WAS YELLING THE RUGS ARE COMEING AGAIN WITH AN OTHER WEAPON , IT’S NOT LIKE THE OTHERS AND THEY ARE ALMOST IN RANGE . THE VISITING GROPE COULD HEAR THE LAZER GUN GO OFF AND SEAN SAID OH MY GOD THAT EXPLOSEN WAS A LOT BIGGER THAN THE OTHER ONE THEIRS A HUGE HOLE IN THE GROUND BUT OUR SHIP SEEMS UNHURT AND I DON’T SEE ANY RUGS RUNNING . I HOPE THAT WAS THEIR LAST TRY SAID BILL . MARY SAID DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD GET BACK TO THE SHIP ? HOW ABOUT IT SEAN SAID GEO CAN WE MAKE IT TO THE SHIP ? PAUL SAID I WOULDN’T TRY IT NOW I HAVE SOME RAIDITATION READINGS REGERESTING , THAT GUN MUST HAVE BEEN SOME KIND OF ATOMIC WEAPON ? I GUESS THAT EXPLAINS WHAT DISTORYED THE SURFACE SAID GEO . COME ON SAID NO 1 IT’S OUR MEAL TIME AND LEAD THEM TO A BIG ROOM WITH A LARGE GROUP ALREADY SEATED EACH OF THE PARTY WAS LEAD TO A CHAIR AND NO. 1 TOLD THEM THAT ANY THING SURVED HERE WAS EATABLE TO THEM TOO . SO THEY TIMIDLY STARTED TO EAT , FINDING THE FOOD NOT STRONGLY FLAVERED MARY ASK IF THE FLAVERED THEIR FOOD WITH ANY THING TO WHICH NO. 1 HANDED THEM SOME BOTTLES AND SAID TRY A LITTLE AT FIRST UNTIL YOU FIND A TASTE TO YOU LIKEING . THE WOMAN SITTING NEXT TO MARY SAID YOU WILL FIND THE FOOD VERY FILLING WE DO THAT SO WE WON’T GAIN TO MUCH WEIGHT . THE ASTRONOUGHTS EAT THEIR FILL AND HAD TO ADMIT IS WAS FILLING AND WITH THEIR FLAVORING TASTE .

AFTER THE MEAL THEY ALL SAT AND TAKED FOR A WHILE THEN SEAN CALLED THEM AN SAID THAT THE RAIDITION WAS FADING FAST AND THEY COULD COME ANY TIME THEY WANTED . GEO , BILL AN MARY SAID GOODBY FOR NOW AND HEADED BACK TO THE SHIP .

ONCE ON BOARD GEO ASK SEAN IF HE THOUGHT HE GOT THEM ALL ? SEAN SAID NO BUT I GOT A LOT OF THEM , NOW HOW MANY ARE LEFT IS ANY ONES GUESS ? YOU KNOW SAID BILL THEY DON’T SEEM TO COME OUT AT NIGHT ? YOUR RIGHT SAID GEO EXCEPT FOR THE FIRST NIGHT WHEN MARY AND I HEARD A SOUND LIKE KNOKING ON THE SHIP ? SEAN HIS EYE’S ON THE VIEWER SAID I SUPPOSE NOW THAT WE HAVE MADE CONTACT WITH THE HUMANS THAT THE RUGS REALIZE WE ARE ON TO THEM AND VIEW US AS AN ENEMY . MARY SAID WHEN WE WERE TALKING TO THE RUGS I THOUGHT THEY WERE LOOKING AT ME BECAUSE I WAS A WOMAN BUT NOW I THINK THEY VIEWED ME AS A TASTY MORSEL . WELL YOU DO LOOK GOOD TO ME SAID SEAN AND LAUGHED . O.K. SAID GEO LETS GET SERIOUS ,

WE HAVE GOT TO HAVE A PLAN ! WE CAME HERE TO EXPLORE AND GET SININTIFIC DATA ,

AND WITH THE RUGS ATTACHING US WE CAN’T DO MUCH BUT DEFIEND OURSELVES . ONE OF THE TRIPS WE WERE TO MAKE WAS TO THE ICE POLE AND WE DON’T KNOW WEATHER TO GO NOW OR IN THE WINTER TIME WHEN IT’S ALL FROZEN ? SOME HOW THOUGH WE HAVE GOT TO ELIMANATE THIS RUGS PROBLIM AND I REALLY DON’T WANT TO BE THE ONE’S TO KILL OFF A WHOLE POPULATION HERE BUT I CAN’T SEE ANY OTHER WAY TO GET OUR JOB DOWN .THEY ALL SAT AND EACH TO HIMSELF GAVE THIS A LOT OF THOUGHT FOR SOME TIME . MARY WAS THE FIRST TO BREAK THE SILIENCE WHEN SHE SAID DO YOU THINK THERE IS ANY WAY WE COULD REACH AN AGREEMENT WITH THE RUGS ? SEAN SAID I WOULDN’T TRUST A WORD THEY SAID . GEO SAID WELL I FOR ONE AN AFRAID TO TRY THEY HAVE TO MUCH CONTROL OVER ME BUT SEAN DO YOU THINK YOU COULD TALK TO THEM ? SURE SAID SEAN BUT I STILL DON’T TRUST THEM AND HOW DO I DO IT ? THROW ONE OF US SAID PAUL . BUT HOW CAN I BE SURE THEY ARE NOT CONTROLING YOU AND YOUR ANSWERS SAID SEAN ? GEO SAID SEAN IS RIGHT I CAN’T SEE ANY WAY TO DO IT , WE HAVE KILLED SO MANY OF THEM THAT I’M SURE ALL THEY WANT TO DO IS KILL US . AFTER THAT LAST STATEMENT ALL BECAME QUITE AN SAT WITH THEIR OWN THOUGHTS . FINALLY GEO SAID WELL IT'’ BED TIME NOW SO WE’LL TALK ABOUT THIS TOMORROW . WHEN THEY GOT UP THE NEXT DAY GEO WAS ON THE RADIO TALKING TO HOMEBASE AND TELLING THEM ABOUT THEIR PREDICTAMENT . H.B. SAID OUR INTENT WAS NOT TO DISTURBE ANY POPULATION THERE BUT THIS IS A PROBLIM AND WE WILL TALK IT OVER HERE AND LET YOU KNOW . SUDDENLY SEAN YELLED THERE ARE SOME RUGS OUT THERE WITH A WHITE FLAG. YES SAID GEO THEY ARE TRYING TO CONTACT ME , TURN DOWN THE RADIO BUT WATCH ME ? AFTER A FEW MINUTES GEO SAID THEY WANT A TRUCE . SEAN SAID BUT HOW CAN WE TRUST THEM ? GEO SAID I TOLD THEM ALL WE WANTED TO DO WAS EXPLORE THIS PLANIT AND LEAVE AND THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD STAY UNDER GROUND AND LEAVE US ALONE IF WE WOULD NOT BOTHER THEM . WE DID NOT BOTHER THEM BEFORE SAID SEAN THEY ATTACHED US .MAY BE WE PUT THE FEAR OF GOD IN THEM SAID MARY AND NOW THEY REALIZE WE CAN DISTORY THEM ? I STILL DON’T TRUST THEM SAID SEAN . WELL SAID GEO I THINK WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO TRY , ARE ALL OF US IN AGREEMENT THEN I’LL TELL THEM O.K. JUST THEN H.B. CAME ON AN SAID WE HAVE BEEN MONITERING YOU AND WE THINK THAT IS THE BEST ANSWER . THE AGREEMENT WAS MADE AN THE RUGS LEFT SO THE CREW CONTINUED WITH THEIR WORK . GEO AND BILL DECIDED TO HEAD FOR THE NORTH POLE OR AS CLOSE AS THEY COULD GET AND OFF THEY WENT . MARY AND PAUL WENT TO THE HUMAN VALLY FOR MORE TALK WITH THEM AND SEAN STAYED WITH THE SHIP . THE TRIP TO THE POLE WAS TO TAKE SOME FOUR DAYS AND THEY HAD A POWER SLED TO HAUL THE THINGS THEY NEEDED . A DAYS WALK TO THE POLE AND THE LANDSCAPE CHANGED , THERE WAS MORE OF THE GRASS LIKE STUFF GROWING AS THEY GOT CLOSER TO IT AND THERE SEEMED TO BE MORE OXYGEN IN THE ATMOSPHERE . IS THIS GRASS PRODUCEING OXYGEN ASK GEO ? BILL CHECKED AND SAID I’M SURE IT IS BUT IT CAN ONLY PRODUCE SO MUCH AND I DOUGHT IF IT WILL EVER PRODUCE ENOUGH TO LIVE ABOVE GROUND , THIS PLANIT NEEDS MORE WATER TO EVER SUPPORT MUCH AGAIN . GETTING CLOSE TO THE POLE GEO SAID IT LOOKS A LOT LIKE OUR POLER REGION , JUST FROZEN LAND . LOOK HERE SAID BILL , THERE’S SOME THING UNDER THE SNOW HERE AND THEY DUG IN FINDING A DOOR . DO YOU SUPPOSE IT’S THE RUGS OUT LET SAID BILL ? I WOULD THINK NO SAID GEO THOSE RUGS DID NOT LIKE TO GO OUT AT NIGHT AND I’LL BET IT WAS THE COLD THAT BOTHERED THEM , THEY HAVE NO MEAT ON THEIR BONES SO I’LL BET THEY CAN’T TAKE THE COLD . GETTING THE DOOR OPEN WAS A REAL PROBLIM BUT FINSLLY IT WAS OPEN AND DOWN SOME STAIRS THEY WENT INTO A ROOM THAT WAS HEATED ,AT LEAST WARMER THAN OUT SIDE . THERE THEY FOUND TABLETS OF A STRANGE METAL WITH SOME SORT OF WRITING ON IT . BILL LOOKED AT ONE AND SAID THIS IS ALMOST LIKE THE ALPHABIT I’LL BET OUT COMPUTERS COULD DECIPHER IT TO ? LETS TAKE THEM TO THE HUMANS MAY BE THEY CAN READ IT SAID GEO . THE ROOM WAS FULL OF THESE PLATES SO THEY TOOK ALL THEY COULD AND HEADED BACK TO THE SHIP FIGUREING TO EXPLORE THE POLE AREA AN OTHER TIME . BACK AT THE SHIP THEY SHOWED THE PLATS TO THE OTHERS AND SEAN TOOK A PARTICULER INTEREST IN THEM FINALLY SAYING THIS IS ANCHANT GALLIC BUT I HAVE TO ADDMENT I’M NOT VERY GOOD AT READING IT , I LEARNED AS A CHILD BUT THAT WAS A LONG TIME AGO . O.K. SAID GEO WE WILL TAKE IT TO THE HUMANS AN SEE IF THEY CAN . IN THE MEAN TIME BILL YOU SEND COPY’S TO H.B. THE NEXT DAY GEO AND BILL TOOK THE PLATES TO THE HUMANS AND WHEN THEY SAW THEM THEY GOT REAL EXCITED SAYING THIS IS OUR ANCHANT LANGUAGE BUT WE CAN STILL READ IT . THIS PLATE SAYS THESE PLATES ARE BEARED HERE TO PRESURVE THEN FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS AND THE DATE IS JUST BEFORE THE GREAT EXPLOSION , MY GOD THERE TEN THOUSAND YEARS OLD SAID BILL AND LOOK HOW CLEAR THEY ARE , WHAT KIND OF METAL IS THAT . WE HAVE NO IDEA SAID NO. 1 WE DON’T MAKE METAL ANY MORE . DO YOU KNOW IF YOUR ANCESTORS TRAVELED IN SPACE SAID GEO ?

WE ARE NOT SURE SAID NO. 1 WE KNOW THAT THEY WERE FLYING SOME SORT OF MACHINE

BUT WE HAVE NO RECORDS OF IT. SAY MAYBE THESE PLATES WILL TELL US ? WE ARE GOING TO START READING THEM RIGHT AWAY . GEO AND BILL WENT BACK TO THE SHIP AND COMTINUED WITH THEIR EXPERIMENTS , TELLING THE OTHERS THAT THEY HAD TO PLAN AN OTHER TRIP TO THE POLER REAGIN AN GET THE REST OF THE PLATES . LATER NO. 1 CONTACTED GEO AN TOLD HIM THAT THE PLATES TALKED OF A FLYING SHIP AND THEY SURE WOULD LKE TO GET THE REST OF THEM . THEN H.B. CALLED AND SAID THOSE PLATES YOU SENT US COPYS OF ARE ANCHENT GALIC BUT WE HAVE NO ONE HERE TO READ THEM . SEAN SPOKE UP AND SAID TRY PROF. ENION O’BRYON AT DUBLIN UNIVERSITY . THANK YOU SAID H.B. . THEN GEO SAID MAYBE WE HAD BETTER GET TO THE POLE AS SOON AS WE CAN , SO LETS GO TOMORROW . THIS TIME IT WAS GEO AN BILL AN MARY . I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE SEAN SAID GEO BUT WE NEED HIM HERE TO GUARD THE SHIP . IT WAS OF TO THE NORTH POLE IN THE MORNING , THIS TIME IT TOOK THEM JUST TWO DAYS BECAUSE THEY KNOW WHERE THEY WERE GOING . DOWN INTO THE STORE ROOM AND THEY LOADED ALL THE PLATES THEY COULD FIND . THEN ON THE FLOOR UNDER ALL THE OTHER PLATES WAS A GOLD PLATE WITH SOMETHING WRITEN ON IT . I REALLY WISH I COULD READ THIS SAID GEO BUT WE WILL FIND OUT SOON ENOUGH . AS THE LEFT THE WIND WAS BLOWING MUCH HARDER THAN IT HAD BEEN AND MARY SAID I HOPE THE WIND DOESEN’T GIVE US A BAD TIME ? GEE SAID BILL MAY BE WE SHULD STAY IN THAT STORE ROOM FOR A WHILE , AT LEAST IT ‘S WARMER THERE . NO SAID GEO WE HAVE TO GE BACK AS SOON AS WE CAN I DON’T LIKE TO LEAVE THE SHIP THIS LONG . THEY HAD A ROUGH TIME OF IT BUT THEY WERE BACK IN TWO AND ½ DAYS .. THEY TRANSMITED ALL THE PLATES TO H.B. AND H.B. SAID THEY HAD THE PROFESSOR TRANSLATEING THE OTHERS . I WOULD SURE LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THE GOLD PLATE SAYS SAID GEO ? O.K. SAID H.B. WE WILL PUT HIM RIGHT ON IT . IT WAS AN HOUR LATER WHEN H.B. CALLED AN SAID THEY HAD THE TRANSLATION OR PRETTY CLOSE AND IT SAID TO WHO EVER FINDS THIS , THE’S PLATES ARE A RECORD OF OUR CIVILELIZATION AN THEY ARE DATED SOME TEN THOUSAND YEARS AGO BUT ALSO THERE ARE SOME SIMBLES THAT MEAN NOTHING TO US MAY BE THE HUMANS CAN TELL YOU WHAT THEY MEAN ? LATER AS THE CREW ATE THERE MEAL SEAN SAID WE DID SEE SOME ACTIVEITY WHILE YOU WERE GONE BUT NOTHING CAME OF IT . WELL SAID BILL I GUESS THE RUGS ARE STICKING TO THEIR WORD . TOMORROW SAID GEO WE WILL TAKE THESE PLATES TO THE HUMANS AND SEE WHAT WE CAN FIND OUT ABOUT THEM .YEA SAID PAUL BY NOW THEY SHOULD HAVE READ THE FIRST BUNCH WE GAVE THEM . YOU KNOW SAID SEAN IT SEEMS STRANGE THAT IN TEN THOUSAND YEARS THE HUMANS DID NOT FIND THESE PLATE’S THEM SELVES . MARY LOOKED UP AN SAID YOU HEARD THEM SAY THAT THEY HAD LOST WILL TO KILL THE RUGS AND THEY NO LONGER HAD ANY WEAPONS ? YES I HEARD IT SAID SEAN BUT IF THEY ARE LIKE US IT JUST DON’T SOUND BELIVEABLE . WELL WE WILL KNOW MORE TOMORROW SAID GEO AND WITH THAT THEY ALL TURNED IN .

THE NEXT MORNING GEO SAID SEAN I SUPPOSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET OFF THIS SHIP SO WHY DON’T YOU AND BILL AND I GO SEE THE HUMANS AN TAKE THESE PLATES TO THEM . DOWN THE ELEVATOR AND MEETING WITH NO. 1 AND SOME OF THEIR SCHOLERS THEY WENT TO THE BIG ROOM TO GO OVER THE NEW PLATES . WHAT DID YOU FIND ON THE OTHER PLATES ASK GEO ? OH WE HAVE LEARNED SO MUCH SAID NO. 1 , OF COURSE MUCH OF IT IS USELESS TO US , IT JUST TELLS OF THERE LIFE BACK THEN AND ALL ABOUT THEIR WEAPONS AND HOW TO MAKE THEM . THE FLYING SHIP I SPOKE OF IS DISCRIBED IN DETAIL BUT WE HAVE NO WAY TO MAKE IT AND THE POWER MOTOR TO MAKE IT FLY IS UNKNOWN

TO US . WELL SAID GEO WE HAVE SENT ALL THIS BACK TO EARTH TO HOME BASE AND THEY KNOW WHAT LANGUAGE IT IS SO MAY BE THEY CAN FIGURE IT OUT . THIS SEEMED TO UP SET THE HUMANS AND NO.1 SID YOU KNOW THIS LANGUAGE?? OH YES SAID SEAN IT’S THE LANGUAGE MY ANCESESTERS USED ,EVEN I CAN UNDERSTAND SOME OF IT . THIS SEEMED TO UP SET THE HUMANS EVEN MORE AND THEY SAID BUT THIS IS OUR PRIVETE HISTORY , IT BELONGS TO US YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO JUST COPY IT !! SEAN TOOK OFFENCE AT THIS AN SAID THOSE PLATES BELONG TO WHO EVER FINDS THEM , YOUR LUCKY THE RUGS DID NOT FIND THEM FIRST . WELL SAID NO. 1 WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO ASK YOU TO RETURN TO US ALL YOUR COPY’S ? OH SAID GEO WE CAN’T DO THAT H.B. ALREADY HAS THEM AND THEY HAVE A MAN TO READ THEM . NO.1 MULDED THIS OVER AN TALKED TO THE OTHERS THERE,

THEN TURNED TO SEAN AN SAID YOU CAN READ THIS ? SOME WORDS SAID SEAN , I STUDIED IT AS A CHILD . THEN SEAN PICKED UP A PLATE AND READ A FEW WORDS . I CAN’T HELP BUT THINK THAT THE FLYING SHIP YOU READ ABOUT MADE IT TO EARTH AND I COULD BE ONE OF YOUR RELITIVES. THIS SEEMED TO UPSET THE HUMANS AGAIN . NO.1 SAID THAT MAY BE WHY THE RUGS CAN’T CONTROL YOU ? I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW SAID GEO WHY IT UP SET YOU SO MUCH WHEN WE TOLD YOU WE COULD READ THE PLATES ? OH IT’S NOTHING NOW SAID NO. 1 AND MADE LIGHT OF IT THEM GEO ASK WE WERE WONDERING WHAT THESE MARKINGS ON THIS GOLD PLATE MEAN ? HARDLY LOOKING AT IT NO.1 SAID OH THERE JUST EMBLISHMENTS THEY MEAN NOTHING . SOME HOW THIS BOTHERED GEO TOO . AFTER SPENDING THE DAY GOING OVER THE PLATES WITH THE HUMANS GEO SAID IT’S GETTING LATE AND I THINK WE SHOULD GET BACK TO THE SHIP . BACK IN THE CONFINES OF THE SHIP SEAN SAID I WONDER WHAT HAS GOTTEN INTO THOSE HUMANS , AT FIRST THEY WERE REAL FRIENDLY BUT AFTER WE FOUND THOSE PLATES FOR SOME REASON I DON’T THINK THEY ARE BEING FRIENDLY ANY MORE ? I GET THE SAME FEELING SAID GEO AND I WISH I KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON ? PAUL THEM REMARKED THAT WHILE THEY WERE GONE HE HAD SOME STRANGE READING’S ON THE SIZEMOGRAPH THAT INDACATED SUBTERRAINING DRILLING OF SOME SORTS . DO YOU SUPPOSE THE RUGS ARE AT IT AGAIN SAID BILL , I STILL DON’T TRUST THEM . IT’S HARD TO SAY WHAT THEY ARE DOING SAID GEO BUT WE HAD BETTER KEEP CHECK ON THEM AROUND THE CLOCK . SEAN AT THIS TIME WAS GOING OVER ALL THE GAGES AN CHECKING EVERY THING HE COULD , WHEN HE YELLED HOW COULD YOU NOT HAVE SEEN THIS AND POINTED AT THE CERVALINCE CAMRA , THERE YOU COULD CLEARLY SEE SOME RUGS HAULING SOME THING TOWARDS THE SHIP ? PAUL LOOKED AND SAID I DON’T REMEMBER THAT ? NO I NEVER SAW IT ? WELL SAID SEAN WHAT DO YOU SUPPOSE THAT IS THEIR HAULING . GEO AND BILL LOOKED AT IT AN SAID IT HAS TO BE SOME SORT OF WEAPON ? WELL SAID GEO THE RUGS MUST HAVE CLOUDED PAUL’S MIND ? DURING THIS TIME BUT WHAT DID THEY DO WITH THAT THING ? ABOUT THAT TIME THE WIND STARTED BLOWING AND THE GROUND OUT SIDE WAS REALLY MOVEING AROUND . SEAN SAID LOOK AT THAT SPOT OVER THERE ABOUT 100 FEET OUT FROM THE SHIP . YES I SEE IT SAID GEO BUT WHAT IS WRONG WITH IT ? SEAN SAID WATCH AND WITH THE LAZER GUN SHOT AT IT AND THERE WAS A SMALL EXPLOSION AND THEN YOU CLOUD SEE THE GUN THE RUGS HAD BROUGHT . THEY HAD A MIRROR SET IN FRONT OF IT SO WE COULD NOT SEE IT SAID SEAN BUT I NOTICED THE SAND MOVEING THE WRONG WAY IN THAT ONE SPOT . SHALL I BLAST IT ? YES I THINK YOU SHOULD SAID GEO . MARY SPOKE UP AND SAID JUST A MINUTE , THE RUGS MUST REALIZE WE WOULD DISCOVER IT , THEY ARE NOT THAT DUMB . YES SAID GEO MARY’S RIGHT , WHAT IS GOING ON HERE ? LOOK UNDER THE SHIP ? THEY TURNED THE T.V. VIEWER DOWN AND LOOKED ALL OVER UNDER THE SHIP . I DON’T SEE ANY THING WRONG SAID GEO AND I DIDN’T SEE ANY THING WRONG WHEN WE CLIMBED ABOARD. WELL I’M GOING DOWN THERE TO FIND OUT SAID SEAN AND PUT ON HIS SUIT . TEN MINUTES LATER SEAN WAS STANDING ON THE GROUND , HE HAD A LONG STICK AND STUCK IT INTO THE GROUND IN SEVERAL PLACES , THEN SAID DROP ME A SHOVEL . SEAN STARTED DIGING AND SOON UNCOVERED WHAT LOOKED LIKE A BIG BOX ? THIS MUST BE WHAT THE RUGS LEFT FOR US SAID SEAN ? THEY DID NOT WANT TO RISK KILLING ANY MORE OF THEMSELVES SO THEY SET THIS UP AND THAT GUN OR WHAT EVER IT IS MUST BE THE TRIGGERING DEVISE . IF WE BLASTED IT IT PROBLY WOULD ACTIVATE THIS THING , EVEN IF WE TRIED TO TAKE OFF I’LL BET IT WOULD SET THIS OFF . HOW BIG IS IT ASK GEO ? I’LL DIG IT OUT SAID SEAN THEN WE WILL KNOW . AS SEAN EXPOSIED IT HE SAID OH IT’S NOT THAT HEAVY . THEN CAN YOU PUT IT ON THE SLED SAID GEO AND WE WILL SEND IT BACK TO THEM . HAVING DONE THIS SEAN TURNED ON THE SLED AND IT’S HEAD LIGHT . NOW SAID GEO WE CAN OPERATE IT FRON HERE AND WE WILL TAKE IT RIGHT BACK TO THE RUGS AND THEN BLAST THE GUN THEY HAVE HERE . GUIDEING THE SLED BY THE T.V. VIEWER GEO TOOK IT RIGHT INTO THE RUGS TONAL . IT’S DOWN IN THE SECONDIT BIG ROOM SAID GEO NOW BLAST THE GUN OUT THERE . BILL DID AND THEY HEARD A TREMENDOUS EXPLOSION AND THE GROUND SHOOK . GOOD LORD SAID PAUL THAT DID SOMETHING . SOON AFTER THE HUMANS CONTACTED GEO AND ASK WHAT DID YOU DO ,WE FELT THAT ? GEO TOLD THEM JUST WHAT THEY HAD DONE AND NO. 1 SAID GOOD I HOPE YOU GOT THEM ALL ! GEO THEN REMARKED THAT IT WAS TIME TO REST AND SAID SEAN I GUESS YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN BE TRUSTED NOW AND MUCH AS I HATE TO ASK YOU AFTER THE DAY YOU HAVE PUT IN . THAT’S O.K. SAID SEAN I KNOW YOU ARE RIGHT .

THE NIGHT WENT BY WITH NOTHING HAPPENING SO THE NEXT MORNING GEO SAID MAY BE WE SHOULD CHECK ON THE RUGS AND SEE WHAT HAPPENED ? SEAN SAID WELL I’M DONE IN SO I HAVE TO SLEEP FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS ANY WAY , IF YOU GO YOU HAD BETTER KEEP THE MUSIC TURNED ON HIGH AND TURNED IN . JUST AS SEAN WAS TURNING IN H.B. CALLED ; WE DETECTED A LARGE EXPLOSION LAST NIGHT ? SO GEO GAVE H.B. A FULL REPORT . DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE ELIMANATED THEM SAID H.B. . WE DON’T KNOW YET SAID GEO BUT TODAY WE ARE GOING TO CHECK . AFTER GOING OVER ALL THEIR INSTRUMENTS AND FILLING OUT THEIR REPORTS FOR THE MORNING GEO SAID YOU KNOW I DON’T FEEL COMPETENT TO GO INTO THAT CAVE MYSELF , SEAN HAS HAD A COUPLE OF HOURS SLEEP NOW SO I THINK I’LL WAKE HIM AND HAVE HIM GO WITH US . IT WAS OVER AN HOUR’S WALK TO THE CAVE AND WHEN THEY GOT THERE THE HILL THAT THE CAVE WENT INTO WAS GONE , JUST FLAT GROUND BUT OVER WHERE THE SECONDIT BIG ROOM SHOULD HAVE BEEN WAS A BIG DEPRESSION . STANDING THERE LOOKING AT IT GEO SAID WELL WE DID SOME THING , I WONDER IF THAT BLAST AFFECTED THE BIG MACHINE THEY HAD RUNNING DOWN THERE PAUL STICK YOUR MOTON DETECTOR IN THE GROUND AND SEE IF YOU HAVE ANY VIBRATION ? PAUL JABED IT IN SEVERAL PLACES’S AND SAID I GET NOTHING HERE ?

OH’BOY SAID SEAN I WONDER WHAT THAT MEANS ? IT MEANS THE MOTOR HAS STOPED SAID GEO ? YES BUT WHAT MADE IT RUN SAID SEAN NOW IF IT IS STOPED WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO IT , WILL IT BUILD UP AND REALLY BLOW ? YES YOUR RIGHT SAID BILL WE REALLY NEVER DID FIND OUT WHAT MADE IT RUN , IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF FUSSION NOW THAT IT IS STOPED IT COULD BE BUILDING RIGHT NOW TO REALLY EXPLODED ? THEY ALL STOOD THERE AND EACH WITH HIS OWN THOUGHTS UNTIL GEO SAID IF IT WAS SOME SORT OF FUSSION AND IT WAS GETTING READY TO BLOW THERE WOULD BE SOME VIBRATION GOING ON NOW ? YES YOUR RIGHT SAID BILL . I FEEL WE SHOULD GO IN TO THE CAVE AND SEE WHAT WE DID SAID SEAN , THERE WAS AN OTHER CAVE OVER THERE IN THE MOUNTAIN AFTER WE CROSED THE RIVER , LETS SEE IF WE CAN GET IN THAT WAY ? THE WATER WAS REALLY FLOWING THIS TIME AND THEY HAD TO WALK AROUND TO THE SHALLOW AREA TO GET THROUGH . AT THE CAVE ,IT WAS STILL THERE BUT THERE WAS DEBREE THAT HAD BLOWN OUT OF IT MEANING THAT THE BLAST HAD COME THIS WAY TOO . GEO LOOKED AT THIS AND SAID BOY THIS DON’T LOOK GOOD FOR THE RUGS . THEY WALKED INTO THE CAVE ND TRAVELED SOME DISTANCE BEFORE THEY CAME TO THE AREA WHERE THE RUGS HAD MET THEM AND THE MOTOR WAS . IT WAS DEAD SILIENCE , NO RUGS AROUND AND THE MOTOR WAS NOT RUNNING EATHER . WELL SAID PAUL I GUES WE GOT THEM ALL ? YES SAID GEO BUT WHY HAVEN’T WE SEEN ANY BODY’S . SEAN WENT TO THEIR GARDEN AREA AND LOOKED IN THERE WERE A DOZEN RUGS LAYING ON THE GROUND AND SEAN HAD TO GIVE THEM A KICK TO SEE IF THEY WERE ALIVE , NO THEY WERE ALL DEAD . I SURE HOPE THAT IS ALL OF THEM SAID BILL ? THEIR DOES NOT SEEM TO BE ANY THING ELSE WE CAN DO HERE SAID GEO , BUT LETS LOOK AROUND AN SEE IF WE CAN FIND ANY THING ? THEY SURCHED ALL THEY COULD AND FOUND SOME PLATES WITH WRITING ON THEM SO THEY TOOK THEM AND HEADED BACK TO THE SHIP . AT THE SHIP SEAN WAS LOOKING AT THE PLATES AND REMARKED THAT THESE PLATES HAVE DIFFERENT WRITING ON THEM . O.K. SAID GEO LETS SEND PICTURES OF THEM TO H.B. , THEN WE WILL TAKE THEM OVER TO THE HUMANS AN SEE IF THEY CAN FIGURE THEM OUT . DOWN IN THE HUMANS VALLY NO. 1 LOOKED THE PLATES OVER AND REMARKED WE KNOW THAT THE RUGS HAD THEIR OWN WRITING AS WELL AS LANGUAGE BUT THAT IS ALL WE HAVE NO RECORD OF IT IN OUR ARCHIVES AND SO NO WAY OF READING THIS . WELL SAID GEO I HOPE THEY CAN FIGURE THEM OUT AT H.B.?

SEAN AND GEO LEFT THE PLATES WITH THE HUMANS AND WENT BACK TO THE SHIP . FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS THEY SPENT THEIR TIME WITH THE EXPARAMENTS AND TESTING THEY HAD PLANED TO DO SO THEY SAW LITTLE OF THE HUMANS . AS THEY WERE WORKING SEAN SAID HAS IT EVER OCCERED TO YOU THAT THE HUMANS HAVE NEVER ASKED TO SEE OUR SHIP ? YES SAID BILL THAT DOES SEEM ODD ? GEO THOUGHT ABOUT THIS FOR A MINUTE AND SAID LETS ASK THEM TOMORROW . THE NEXT DSAYN GEO, SEN AND PAUL WENT DOWN TO THE HUMANS VALY AND GEO ASK NO. 1 IF HE WOULD LOKE TO SEE THEIR SHIP ? NO. 1

DAVE GEO A FUNNY LOOK AND SAID I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO BUT IT HAS BEEN SO LONG SENCE I HAVE BEEN ABOVE GROUND THAT I DON’T KNOW IF I CAN , ONE OF THE OTHERS ASK TO SEE YOUR SHIP , BUT I DON’T KNOW ? WELL YOU ARE WELCOME ANY TIME SAID GEO . THEN PAUL SPOKE UP SAYING IF THAT PLATE OF THE RUGS IS NO GOOD TO YOU I WOULD LIKE TO STUDY IT AND SEE WHAT THE METAL IS IF I CAN ? OH SAID NO. 1 WE ARE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT BUT WE WILL LET YOU KNOW . THEY SPENT THERE TIME STUDING THE HUMANS WAY OF LIFE AND TALKING TO THEM , LEARNING AS MUCH AS THEY COULD FROM THEM . THEY SEENED TO HAVE A SIMPLE WAY OF LIFE AN SEAN WONDERED WHAT THEY DID FOR EXCITEMENT OR FUN . IN TALKING TO ONE OF THE FEMALES SEAN

GOT HER TO OPEN UP A BIT EVEN TO LAUGH BUT AS SHE DID THE OTHER’S FROUND AT HER AND SHE QUIET . SEAN THOUGHT ABOUT THIS AND WONDERED WHAT WAS GOING ON ? HE THEN WENT TO NO. 1 AND ASK HIM WHY ? HE SAID OH LAUGHING IS FROUND ON HERE . SEAN ASK AGAIN WHY , I KNOW SHE CAN LAUGH SO WHY WON’T THE OTHERS LET HER . THERE HAS BEEN SO LITTLE TO LAUGH ABOUT HERE FOR SO LONG THAT WE GOT OUT OF THE HABIT SAID NO. 1 . WHERE ARE YOUR LITTLE ONES ASK GEO , I SHOULD THINK THEY WOULD GIVE YOU SOME THING TO LAUGH ABOUT . WE HAVE NO LITTLE ONE’S AS YOU SAY SAID NO. 1 , WE ARE ALL CLONES THE GREAT WAR LEFT US ALL STERILE , SO THE ONLY THING WE COULD DO WAS TO CLONE OUR SELVES , SO WE ARE THE SAME TODAY AS WE WERE 10,000 YEARS AGO . YOU COULD CLONE 10,000 YES AGO ? SAID PAUL ? OH YES SAID NO. 1 , THERE WERE A LOT OF THINGS WE COULD DO THEN AND CAN STILL DO BUT WE HAVE LOST SO MUCH OVER THE YEARS . LIKE THAT METAL PLATE YOU FOUND WE HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF IT NOW . CAN YOUR WOMEN GET PREGENT IF THEY HAD A SPERM DONER ?

ASK GEO ? I DON’T KNOW SAID NO. 1 ? WANT TO TRY ASK SEAN ? YES SAID NO. 1 AND THAT WOMAN YOU GOT TO LAUGH IS THE RIGHT AGE BUT WE HAVE NO IDEA IF IT WILL WORK ?

GEO LAUGHED AND SAID SENCE YOU BROUGHT IT UP SEAN AND YOU MIGHT BE A LITTLE RELATED I GUESS YOU’RE THE ONE TO DO IT ? DO YOU HAVE SEX ASK SEAN ? NO. 1 SAID

SAID YES BUT WITH US IT’S JUST FOR , AS YOU SAY FUN , IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE A REAL BABY THOUGH . O.K. SAID SEAN I’LL BE A DONER . NOT SO FAST SAID GEO WE HAVE TO RUN THIS THROUGH H. B. FIRST . SEAN GAVE THEM A BIG GRIN AND WENT BACK TO SEE THE WOMAN . IT WAS A FEW HOURS LATER WHEN SEAN CAME BACK JUST AS THE REST WERE GETTING READY TO LEAVE SO THEY ALL LEFT TOGATHER . ALL THE WAY TO THE SHIP SEAN WAS UNCHARRACTERISTLY QUIET AN FINALLY GEO REALIZED IT AND ASK HIM WHY ?

SEAN JUST LOOKED AT HIM AND SMILED ? PAUL BURST OUT WITH , YOU DIDN’T ?? GEO SAID SEAN YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU MAY HAVE DONE ?

I KNOW WHAT I DID SAID SEAN AN KEP ON SMILEING . BACK AT THE SHIP IT DID NOT TAKE LONG FOR THE OTHERS TO HEAR THE NEWS AND MARY JUST LAUGHED AND SAID WILL IF THAT DON’T TAKE MAYBE I COULD DONATE AN EGG AND WE COULD JUMP START THESE MARSHINS ? NO MORE OF THAT TALK SAID GEO . BILL PULLED SEAN OVER TO A CORNER AND ASK HOW WAS IT . BEST I HAVE EVER HAD SAID SEAN . IT WAS BUSINESS AS USUAL

FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS . GEO AND BILL MADE EXCURSIONS BACK TO THE POLER AREA

TOOK SAMPLES OF THE SNOW , FOUND CAVES AND SOME HAD THINGS IN THEM BUT THEY FELT THEY COULD BE EXPLORED ON AN OTHER TRIP . WHEN THEY GOT BACK TO THE SHIP SEAN WAS ALL EXCITED HE HAD HEARD SOME ACTIVITY IN THE RUGS AREA AND WANTED TO GO OVER AND CHECK IT OUT . O.K. SAID GEO YOU AND MARY GO AHEAD , SEE WHAT YOU CAN FIND ? THE NEXT DAY SEAN AND MARY HEADED OVER TO THE RUGS AREA AND THIS TIME THEY WERE ARMED . THEY HAD TO WALK TO THE FAR AREA TUNNL AS THEY HAD EXPLODED THE TUNNL CLOSEST . THEY WALKED DOWN IN , THE LIGHTS , OR WHAT EVER IT WS THAT LIGHT UP THE TUNNL , STILL BEING ON AND PROCEDED TO THE BIG ROOM WHERE THE MOTOR WAS . IT WAS STILL RUNNING AS SMOOTH AS EVER . AS THEY LOOKED AROUND MARY SAID I DON’T SEE ANY THING THAT LOOKS LIKE THEY HAVE BEEN HERE AND I DON’T FEEL THEM TRYING TO GET CONTROL OF MY MIND AS THEY HAVE . WE MUST HAVE KILLED THEM ALL ? I KNOW WE SHOULD NOT HAVE SAID SEAN BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THEM OR US IT’S GOING TO BE US IF I HAVE ANY THING TO DO WITH IT . SEAN LOOKED IN THE AREA WHERE THEY RAISED THEIR VEGTABLES AND SAID NOTHING DISTURBED HERE , LETS GO A LITTLE DEEPER . WE HAVEN’T GONE ANY DEEPER THAN THIS SAID MARY BUT I AGREE WITH YOU WE SHOULD CHECK . IN THEY WENT FOR ABOUT HALF MILE , FINDING AN OTHER BIG ROOM AND IT LOOKED LIKE THE RUGS HAD LIVED HERE . SEAN SAID THEY SURE LIVED SIMPLELY DIDN'T’ THEY ? MARY SAID JUST A MINUTE ISN’T THAT A DOOR OVER THERE ? IT SURE LOOKS LIKE ONE SAID SEAN AND HE HEADED FOR IT . OPENING THE DOOR THEY SAW A HUGE ROOM FILLED WITH MANY THINGS SO THE LOOKED AROUND . SUDDENLY MARY SAID LOOKOUT AN SEAN SAW SOME RUGS COMEING AT HIM SO HE TURNED HIS LASER GUN ON THEM AND GOT MOST OF THEM BEFORE ONE OF THEM SAID PLEAS STOP WE WANT NO MORE WAR . SEAN STOPED AND ASK HOW MANY OF YOU ARE LEFT ? THE RUG SAID WHAT YOU SEE HERE AND SEAN COUNTED TWELVE . IS THAT ALL SAID MARY ? YES HE SAID THERE WEREN’T OVER TWO HUNDRED OF US LEFT WHEN YOU GOT HERE , NOW WE ARE ALL THAT’S LEFT . WHAT WERE YOU DOING UP ON THE SURFACE YESTERDAY SAID SEAN ? OH WE WERE TRYING TO GET SOME OF WHAT YOU CALL GRASS , THAT’S GROWING WHERE THE WATER FLOWS , WE NEED IT FOR FOOD . I THOUGHT WE HAD ANEEMENT SAID SEAN BUT YOU BROKE IT SO WE SENT IT BACK TO YOU . YES I KNOW SAID THE RUG OUR LEADERS WANTED TO CAPTURE YOU SHIP AND TRY TO GET OF THIS WORLD , THERE IS NO FUTURE FOR US HERE WE ARE SLOWLY DIEING AND WE ARE STERLE , WE HOPED THAT BY GETTING TO AN OTHER WORLD WE MIGHT BECOME FERTILE AGAIN BUT YOU SHOWED US HOW FUTILE THAT WAS SO IF WE COULD BE LEFT IN PEACE WE WOULD BE VERY GREATFUL . WILL YOU LEAVE THE HUMANS IN PEACE THEN TOO ASK SEAN ? YES SAID THE RUG WE ARE ALL THAT IS LEFT SO WE WILL LIVE OUT OUR YEARS HERE , WITH AN OCASANAL TRIP UP FOR GRASS IF THAT’S ALL RIGHT . WOULD YOU LIKE TO MEET WITH THE HUMANS AND DECLAIR YOUR PEASEFUL INTENTIONS ASK SEAN . IF YOU INSIST SAID THE RUG BUT AFTER ALL THESE YEARS I DOUGHT IF THE HUMANS WOULD WANT TO MEET US . I SUPPOSE YOU ARE RIGHT SAID SEAN , BUT REMEMBER WE HAVE MACHINE’S THAT CAN DETECT WHEN YOU ARE ABOVE GROUND SO WE WILL BE WATCHING YOU ,THAT’S HOW I KNOW YOU UP YESTERDAY . SEAN AND MARY LEFT AND MADE THEIR WAY OUT OF THE TUNNL AND BACK TO THE SHIP ,THERE THEY TOLD THE OTHERS WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND GEO SAID WE WILL ASK NO. 1 IF HE WANTS TO MEET WITH THE RUGS BUT I DOUGHT IT .

SEAN ,GEO AND BILL WENT TO SEE THE HUMANS THE NEXT DAY AND WHEN GEO TOLD THEM ABOUT THE GUGS OFFER TO MEET THEY SAID ABSOLUTELY NO , WE HAVE NEVER SEEN THEM AND WE DON’T WANT TO NOW , SO THAT WAS THAT . THE THREE SPENT THE DAY WITH THE HUMANS LEARNING ALL THEY COULD ABOUT THEM . IT IS MOST INTERESTING HOW MUCH ALIKE WE ARE SAID SEAN EVEN IN LANGUAGE . AT THIS A HUMAN WHO ADDRESSED HIMSELF AS NO. 2 SIDE WE HAVE BEEN STUDYING THAT TO AND YOU ARE RIGHT WE SEEM TO BE MORE ALIKE THAN WE ARE DIFFERENT , EXCEPT FOR OUR ABILITY TO COMMUICATE MENTALY . WELL SAID SEAN THERE HAVE BEEN PEOPLE ON EARTH WHO HAVE HAD SOME ABILITY TO TO DO IT ALSO , NOTHING LIKE YOU BUT THE LATENT ABILITY SEEMS TO BE IN US TO , I’M STILL CURIOUS WHY I AN NOT AFFECTED BY THE RUGS AND MY FRIENDS ARE . THERE COULD BE ONE EXPLAINATION SAID NO. 2 WE ARE ABLE TO BLOCK OUT THEY MIND CONTROL AND IF YOU ARE RELATED TO US MAY BE YOU CAN TOO WITH OUT EVEN KNOWING IT . YES SAID SEAN THAT COULD EXPLAIN IT . NOW TELL ME SOME THING SAID SEAN CAN YOU MOVE OBJECTS WITH YOUR MIND ? OH YES THAT IS ONE OF OUR FEW FUN THINGS WE DO IT ALL THE TIME SAID NO. 2 AND HE MADE THE PAPERS ON THE DESK OR TABLE MOVE UP WARD AND DOWN AGAIN . ANY THING HEAVER ASK SEAN AND THEN HE LIFTED THE TABLE UP . AFTER THAT NO. 2 SAID I HAVEN’T DONE THAT FOR A LONG TIME AND IT TOOK A BIT OF EFFERT THIS TIME . WELL SAID SEAN THERE ARE SOME ON RTH THAT CAN MOVE VERY SMALL OBJECTS BILL SAID . BUT THAT’S ALL . O.K. GEO SAID NOW LETS GET DOWN TO BUSINESS WE ARE GOING TO BE LEAVING HERE IN A FEW DAYS SO WE WANT TO TEACH YOU HOW TO USE OUR RADIO SO WE CAN KEEP IN TOUCH WITH EACH OTHER . AS THEY WENT OVER THE RADIO , THE HUMANS SEEMED TO CATCH ON REAL FAST . NOW SAID GEO WHAT KIND OF ELECTRICITY DO YOU HAVE ? THE HUMANS LOOKED PUZZLED AND GEO SAID POWER , HOW DO YOU LIGHT THIS TUNNL ? NO. 2 SAID WE HAVE A MACHINE THAT HAS BEEN RUNNING AS LONG AS WE HAVE BEEN HERE BUT WE KNOW VERY LITTLE ABOUT IT . HOW DO YOU TRANSMIT POWER FROM THE MACHINE TO YOU LIGHTS SAID GEO ? OH WE HAVE WIRES FOR THAT . DO YOU EVER GET A SHOCK FROM IT ASK SEAN . NO SAID NO.1 BUT WE HANDLE IT VERY CAREFULLY . O.K. SAID GEO WHERE IS A PLUG IN ? RIGHT HERE SAID NO. 1 . GEO HAD A SMALL TESTER WITH HIM AND PUT IT IN TO TEST THE POWER , IT BLOW UP IN HIS HAND AND GEO JUMPED . AFTER THAT IT TOOK AWHILE FOR THEN TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO CONVERT TO 110 VOLTS BUT THEY FINALLY GOT IT AND SHOWED THE HUMANS HOW TO USE THE RADIO AND ALSO A T.V. WHICH DID FASINATE THE HUMANS TOGATHER THEY SET UP AN ANTENNA AND TRANSMITED PICTURES BACK TO EARTH AND EARTH SENT PICTURES BACK WHICH REALY INTREGED THE HUMANS .

THEY HAD A SMALL X-RAY MACHINE AN TALKED THE HUMANS INTO LETTING THEM TAKE PICTURES OF THEM OF VARIES PARTS OF THEIR BODYS . A FEW MORE DAYS AND GEO SAID IT IS TIME FOR US TO GO SO THEY ALL WENT OVER TO THE HUMANS TO SAY GOOD BY . NO. 1 TOLD THEM THAT AT FIRST THEY DID NOT TRUST THEM BUT AFTER WORKING AND TALKING WITH THEM AND OF COURSE READING THEIR MINDS THAT THE HUMANS REALISED THAT THEY WERE SENCER . ALSO THE HUMANS THANKED THEM FOR REDUCEING THE RUG PROBLIM . SEAN FOUND THE WOMAN HE HAD BEFRIENDED AND SHE WAS SAD TO SEE HIM GO AND THIS WAS AN EMOTION SHE HAD NEVER HAD BEFORE AN SHE DID NOT UNDERSTAND IT EATHER THEY KISSED AND SAID THEIR GOOD BY’S AND THE FIVE OF THEM RETURNED TO THEIR SHIP AND MADE PREPORATIONS TO LEAVE .