BOOK
FOURTEEN
THE BOOK OF SORROWFUL FOX
(THE BOOK OF THE CONQUEST)
Chapter One
Now, in the 2,287th Season From The Beginning, the exploratory ship
Bright Sword, under the command of Warlock Gray Deer, entered an
uncharted system in the southwest sector of The Union of Spiritist
Planets. The system had only two gaseous giants, and only one of them
had two small moons.
2 They were about to depart, when another ship entered the system
coming from the opposite direction. It took up orbit about the same
planet which they circled and crept steadily nearer. "Full shields."
ordered Gray Deer, "charge defensive
batteries. Communications, are
they trying to contact?"
3 "Yes, sir," the Communications Officer answered, "but our computer
cannot decipher the language. Shall I transmit language
learning
series?"
4 "Affirmative! " ordered Gray Deer.
5 The ship's computer began to send out a series of video pictures
along with spoken words that was designed to teach another computer
their language. The other ship was silent for some time, then they,
too, started transmitting a similiar series. It only took a few minutes
for the two computers to decipher each other's language and the
transmitions stopped.
6 "Give me a hailing frequency," commanded Swift Deer, "Greetings", he
began, "This is Swift Deer, Warlock in command of The Union of
Spiritist Planets, exploration vessel Bright Sword. We are on a
peaceful voyage of exploration. Kindly identify." He repeated the
message a second time and waited.
7 Finally, the speaker came to life. "This is Commander Grey Ocean of
The Holy Godden Empire, exploration ship Lord's Wisdom. Greetings! I
believe, Commander, this is an historic day, if like us, you have not
met any other intelligent beings."
8 "True, Commander" responded Grey Deer, "you are the first aliens we have ever contacted. Do we greet in peace?"
9
"Let our greeting be in peace, in The name of The One True and Almighty
God. I assure you we will commence no hostilities. I turn my weapons
away from you and shut them down, and lower my shields to half force."
10
"In The Name Of The Lords Holy!" responded Grey Deer, "I, too, swear
peace. I shut down my weapons, and turn my shields to half force, aIso.
May I send a shuttle and meet you half way so we may speak face to
face? You transmit no pictures so we cannot see you. Are you receiving
the video we transmit?"
11 "My apologies" continued the other Commander. "I was not
aware that we were not transmitting video. That will now be corrected."
12
The main screen in the front of the command deck lit up, and The
Hashons could see the command deck of the alien vessel. The man
speaking was standing. If their equipment was similar he was almost
their height. His legs and arms looked thin, and his fingers looked
bony. What of his body they could see, was covered with soft, plush fur
except for an area around the face. From his back protruded two large,
leathery wings that were, at the moment, folded back.
13 Those on
the bridge of The Bright Sword looked at each other in stunned
disbelief. "The Winged Ones!" one of them whispered, "The Oneness Of
The Stars!"
14 Grey Deer motioned them to be silent. The Commander of the other ship was in conversation with his crew, and they
had shut off their audio.
15
Finally he pressed a button on the stereo phone he was holding. "No
offense, Commander, " he remarked, "but my medical staff advises
against direct contact at this time. We would like, however, to send
over some small experimental animals and have you send some back in
return,
to see how they survive in our respective
atmospheres. These animals are fully immunized against all our known
diseases. Do you have such animals?"
16 "Affirmative," said Gray Deer, "and my Medical Officer agrees with
your caution. Do you wish us to send a separate remote, or shall we
send OUR animals back in your carrier?"
17 "Our carrier will be sufficient," the other Commander smiled.
18 "Our docking bay awaits." announced Gray Deer.
19 Several minutes later a small object emerged from the stern of the
alien vessel and approached The Bright Sword. The Bright Sword's
docking bay opened. The device entered, the bay closed, and
pressurized, the medical technicians went down and removed six small
creatures that amazingly resembled their own bats. They put in five small
lizards, left the bay, and the capsule returned to the alien ship.
20 The little bats were friendly and playful, and their wings had been
slit so they couldn't fly, so the Technicians handled them easily.
21 For several days the two ships flew side by side, while the two
crews talked with each other. The Hashons learned that the aliens
called themselves Angels, and came from a planet called Haven many
leaps away. They were reluctant to explain what leaps were, but finally
admitted they could travel from star to star in the blink of an eye, by
the use of a crystal burned in their positive/negative matter drive.
The Hashons were surprised. Their drive was matter/anti-matter.
22 "Much too dangerous," remarked the other Commander,
"negative/positive fuel is far safer and gives you far better speeds."
23 "It is information," agreed Gray Deer, "that may well be worth trading for. I am sure we, too, have knowledge that you
will find valuable."