Exoplanet Planeteers
Chapter six
During the pursuit of Mer-Man, Duncan was able to trace some debris left over from the destruction of the Rainbow Explorer. Using a vacuum machine on wheels, that he called the Vac-Trek, Duncan directed two of the soldiers to a location where he detected fragmentation with his hawk shaped homing device. The two soldiers operating the Vac-Trek would systematically work on one area at a time. The process was as highly intensive as it was interminable, especially if Duncan was going to collect every fragmentation of the Rainbow Explorer. The Vac-Trek's collection was stored in rectangular cartridge like containers that were easily installed or retrieved from the machine. When a container had to be switched out, other soldiers inspected the previous container for unwanted debris like rocks and sand. Zarek along with Glenn was helping to identify what was rubbish as well as what could be salvageable.
There was larger debris found, though not much, the largest piece of debris discovered was a plate the size of a picture frame. Which Glenn determined was part of the outer hull.
"It must have taken all night for the larger parts of the dilapidated spaceship to be hauled away." Zarek said.
"Machines, like the ones you use must have hauled them off, yet there are no visible tracks left from them." Glenn commented.
"What if they were hauled off by muscle?" Malcome contended.
"That would have taken an army. Yet still no visible tracks of any kind." Zarek concluded.
Duncan stopped what he was doing to come to Malcome's defense," Waite a mon-par, Malcome is on to something."
Duncan then knowingly defers Malcome's theory back to him, so that he can elaborate on it.
"It is quite simple." Malcome started, "Shadow Beasts leave no footprints to follow."
"You are correct in that the beasts might have taken some of the ship but to carry off the wings as well as the body all that excessive weight for what purpose?" Zarek contested.
"I don't pretend to know the motives of the Shadow Beast, though for the most part they are weary of large machines. Though if a large number were to stumble upon the damaged spaceship their pack leader might have been able to put enough fear into them in order to get them to haul the ship away piecemeal." Malcome explained.
Duncan said as if remembering a lost detail," There is only one thing that can uncover a Shadow Beasts trail."
"Magick!" Duncan recalling again, "Which at night is most potent in detecting the beasts shadowy trail."
"For the beast of shadow only roams at nightfall. A magick sight is needed to seek it then, the beast's tracks can be uncovered with great consternation by day, in the same way, though magick is most potent in detecting the bests shadowy trail under the Dark Moon." Malcome finished what sounded to be a poem.
"I have not heard that ancient rhyme in some time." Randor recalled, having not contributed to the conversation in a while.
"Do you believe in all of this...this ...magick?" Glenn asked Randor in disbelief.
"Eternia was founded not only on science but magick as well. That falcon that saved my life was the mystical falcon Zoar." Randor said earnestly.
Randor seeing Glenns arms crossed asked her, "Do you need to be taken back to the palace?"
"No. I will stay." Then Glenn asked," Though what do we do now?"
Duncan affirmed," Well none of us is a wizard, so we cannot use magick. I suggest we proceed further down the valley on foot. The prince along with Marlana and Malcome can stay inside the Sky-Hawk until we get back."
"How will you get back in time if we are attacked by Shadow Beasts? Or what if you get attacked by the beasts? Your logic is foolhardy." Malcome warns.
"If danger is what it takes to lure the beasts out of hiding. Then maybe we can fight them back to where they have stored the remnants of the spaceship. In your case I would simply take off in the Sky-Hawk before you get outnumbered. Use the Hawk-Wind guidance system to warn you of any threats in the area. If nothing turns up, then we will head back here. I have no intention of going all the way towards the dark side of the valley." Duncan concludes.
Prince Randor again asks Glenn," There is enough time before nightfall to take you back to the palace."
"I want to stay here with you." Glenn effusively says, revealing her true emotions for the first time.
"You have met a brave woman my prince." Malcome says with a gleam in his eyes.
At the Royal Banquet Hall of the Royal Palace of Eternia, the time for dining under the stars is set by the undaunted arrival of Captain Powers, Scopes and Consul Ari.
King Miro had previously dined with but one of the Earth astronauts in his residence, that being the amorous LT Glenn, who had noticeably showed favor to his son.
As those in attendance were seated for the evening banquet, Consul Ari was seated near Miro along with the two vacated seats beside him, those being prince Randor and Glenns. Duncans, Malcom's and Zarek's seats had to remain vacated since they were still in the Borderland Valley.
Drusilla kept a distrustful eye on Powers from the other side of Miro. For which Powers was oblivious to as she cozied up to the king.
"I am so sorry for not attending either if your dining invitations your highness." Powers began, "As you know one of our astronauts had gone missing at Borderland Valley. As the captain, it was very hard for me to deal with though fortunately I had Scopes to help pull me through."
Miro became very stern saying," I expected my son to be back along with your Lieutenant Glenn. You have my apologies for that in kind."
A large bell sat near Miros ham sized hand for him to single for the attention of his audience.
"You are so generous as is your Consulate Ari, who has told us all about the Golden Isles, he has even recommended that we visit there." Powers gushed.
As if on cue Ari addresses Miro amidst the cacophony of noise from the crowded room," I would love to introduce these astronauts to my home. They can even stay with me."
Miro asked quizzically, "How soon were you planning the astronauts to visit the Golden Isle? You have only just met them."
"As soon as possible with your permission of course." Ari added.
"I will consider it." Miro said as his think fingers held the handle of the large brass bell. Then no sooner had he rung the bell did the noise of the room abruptly stop.
"I will commence the dining to begin but first I would like to introduce these other two astronauts from Earth. They are my guests along with LT Glenn who could not be here tonight as both she along with my son are on an excursion. Let the power be with every one of us tonight as we cherish this fine feast before us!"
After another ring from his bell, king Miro announces, "Let the dinning commence!"
The two moons Droom and Mung hung over Duncan's troop as they advanced further Eastward along the valley. The only light was from the two moons above them amongst a sea of brightly lit stars.
Malcom watched the monitor on the dashboard that was attune to the Hawk-Wind guidance system. The blips on the screen showed the shapes of visible objects in the vicinity for up to 10 klics. There was a knob to increase the range of the guidance system, but Duncan had informed Malcom that it was not necessary to do so.
Glenn was attracted to the stars as she watched them through the window of the Sky-Hawk.
"They are beautiful are they not?" Randor asked.
Glenn was unsure of what to say, she still had a fiancée back on Earth, but he was billions of Light years away from her.
"Your heart seems heavy." The prince said. Glenn though that if nothing else Randor was very observant of her mood.
"I am stranded on your world, one of my crew is either missing or dead, the other half of my crew seem to be conspirators and my spaceship is both destroyed and missing. So yes, my heart is heavy though when I see the stars above, I am filled with endless wonder. The exact same feeling that I felt when I first became an astronaut. That sense of wonder has never ceased, it may seem like it has but it hasn't. I am still in search of that hidden planet that Scopes saw through the Einstein Rosen Bridge of the Milky Way. The planet that Scopes titled TRK114, the exoplanet TRK114, which is this planet that I can now officially call Eternia."
"The proper name is Eternos." Malcome said from the front seat.
"I know." Glenn said.
"So, are you still an astronaut without a spaceship?" Malcome asked.
"I am." Glenn said.
"Though on this strange new world discovered maybe I should call myself an Exoplanet Pioneer." Glenn stated.
Malcome gave a hearty laugh at Glenns pronouncement!
Then something began to rock the Sky-Hawk!
The scanner on the monitor that Malcome showed no other movement from objects outside of the ship, yet some force was moving it!
A large black object struck the window, leaving a crack in it!
Randor clutched Glenn as Malcom slowly grabbed the steering wheel of the Sky-Hawk to prepare for a launch.
A frightening view was seen above the passengers of the Sky-Hawk as Glenn gasped at the sight of several yellow eyes peering in through the cracked glass window above their heads.
"Shadow Beasts!" Malcom warned.
"