The Blue People of Cloud Planet (46 page)

Farewell to Hotenka

Twenty planet days later, Olivia docked ROL-1 with the starship and AJ joined her in the lander. They took off and travelled nearly one third the way around Cloud Planet arriving at night above the dwelling at the equator where Martha and Pete were currently based.

Zec-1 took ROL-1 down through the cloud and landed in the open space in front of the pyramids.  They waited for sunrise.

‘I never tire of seeing a dwelling light up,’ AJ said and Olivia nodded in agreement.

‘I love the moment when the sun shines and casts the deep red shadows across the ground,’ continued Olivia. ‘But I still remember the thrill of that first black dome rising from the floor and the Blue People emerging – it was magical.’

‘I have deep concerns, Olivia, for these people. This planet has untold riches and we must not let it be exploited. Unfortunately we can hardly keep these diamonds a secret forever and just think how much energy could be generated by them. Why, I think these crystals could replace nuclear plants – think how beneficial to the environment that would be for Earth!’

‘You’re right; this must be handled very carefully. We mustn’t let it get into the wrong hands!’

‘Olivia, that may well be your responsibility if you decide to return to Earth on LifeSeeker-2.’

That evening, Martha and Pete joined Olivia and AJ in the lander and they took off for their journey to a very special meeting on the coast.

At about the same time in the ‘capital city’ a very strange and unique event in Serenite history was about to unfold. In the late afternoon sun, ROL-2 was sitting in the centre of the open space in front of the huge pyramid dwelling. Thousands of Serenites and blue workers had crowded around the lander occupying every available space in the dwelling structure.

They waited in anticipation as Hotenka emerged from the huge pyramid followed by Scott, Seren and Zac. Two blue females helped their frail leader as the group walked slowly towards the centre of the open space. Just before they reached the lander, the leader turned and raised up his arms and everyone in the dwelling responded likewise. Suddenly the drums started and Hotenka, supported by Seren, moved under the lander and sat in the control seats. Scott ensured that they were both securely strapped in.

Alison and Steve instructed Zec-2 to raise the control seats and two Blue People from Cloud Planet entered a spacecraft from another star system. Scott and Zac followed a short while later and slowly the dwelling structure cleared of the thronging masses as they moved underground.

Whilst they waited for the light sheath to shut down, Hotenka again protested that he should be allowed to travel the Serenite way but Seren put her hands on his shoulders and looked into his eyes,

>> twenty days and nights used to be an easy journey for you > hotenka > but now > now you must be certain to reach your destiny >>

One hour later, ROL-2, piloted by Alison and Steve lifted from the red clay of the ‘capital city’ and took their unique passengers to the very special event on the coast.

Meanwhile Olivia had instructed Zec-1 to fly the lander across the red plain and then turn and follow the edge of the mountain range until they reached the outer dwellings opposite the ‘capital city’. This journey took the remainder of the night and they were now positioned above the lake near the edge of the plain. Although there was cloud below them it was only thin and wispy.

They waited for sunrise and watched as dwelling sheaths broke through the clouds getting closer and closer to their position,

‘Olivia!’ Martha said with alarm, ‘We’re too near the dwelling below!’

‘It’s OK.’ said Olivia and AJ nodded reassuringly at Martha.

Below them was the dwelling obliterated by the missile from LifeSeeker-1 that had been redirected by the black. Alison and Steve had not deforested this valley because the devastated dwelling had effectively severed the transport system for the Blue People from the plain to the valley. The astronauts had decided not to visit this dwelling until the cloud thinned sufficiently to allow a daytime inspection.

‘Command Zec-1, descend to landing coordinates.’ Olivia instructed.

They left the lander and walked across the red clay under a thin watery sun. Fifty metres away was the dwelling, or what remained of it.

‘My God!’ said a shocked Olivia.

The front and side walls and lower triangular pools were completely gone. Part of the rear wall and upper plinth had survived and had probably protected the canal behind from the worst of the blast. But it, too, was damaged and water gushed from a breach in its near side.

‘We must repair that!’ AJ pointed.

They scrambled over the front wall and looked aghast at the collapsed central area, the clay blackened from the fireball of the explosion. They could hear water flowing somewhere underneath.

‘We’ll never fix this!’ Pete said dejectedly.

‘That’s a job for the future. We have other priorities first,’ replied AJ.

Then in deference to the Blue People who had perished from their missile, they formed a circle. They held hands and, with heads bowed, stood in silent vigil for 1 minute of this incredible planet’s time.

‘OK!’ said AJ, finally looking up, ‘We’ve got a meeting to get to!’

There were hundreds of Serenites and blue workers on the red beach in front of the six restored dwellings. It was midday and the brilliant sunshine flooded down from the cloudless blue sky onto the coast and the blue waters of the estuary. Blond Serenite children darted back and forth at the edge of the sea watched carefully by the attentive blue females. It was a beautiful day, fit for a very special occasion.

Suddenly, the Blue People on the beach all stopped as one and turned to look into the sky across the estuary. They had heard the deafening roar first, but now they saw the two strange objects dropping from the sky. Although they could not understand how he travelled through the sky, they knew their leader was coming.

ROL-1 and ROL-2 descended in perfect synchronisation, 75 metres apart, onto the red beach across the estuary that faced the waiting crowd. In a whirl of dust the two landers touched down simultaneously and waited for the air to clear before they disgorged their passengers. Boats were drawn onto the nearby edge of the estuary and blue females waited beside them. When Hotenka emerged from under ROL-2, two came forward to assist him to the boat. All the astronauts, the leader, Seren and Zac were then paddled across the estuary and moved into a space on the beach surrounded by the crowds of Blue People.

The leader turned and saw the restored dwellings and the pyramids, saw the triangular plantations and enchanting valley which stretched away to the mountains topped with white cloud.

He grew in stature and he smiled! The proud face of the Serenite leader with his strong square jaw line looked at his people and his eyes blazed,

>> this is what i know > we were once a proud and beautiful people and we lived in paradise >>

Paradise thought Scott, how right you were.

>> we > the serenites and our revered workers > then a disaster occurred and we lost a lot of our people and our sea >>

The tsunamis, Scott thought when you lost your coast and valleys.

the serenites did not know why >> then our world changed >>

The cloud collar formed.

>> and >our blue workers started dying >>

The planet started cooling.

>> we > the serenites did not know why > then >>

The Black attacked.

>> we lost nearly all our male serenites > we did not know why or how >>

The Black killed them.

>> then our blue workers were dying faster than they were birthing >we > the serenites could not birth enough males > all our people were doomed > our world was dying >>

The planet continued to cool.

Hotenka then looked directly at the astronauts, his eyes continuing to blaze.

>> then came a sign through the clouds > we called your name and you came > you fought our enemy and they are gone >>

Then the leader fell to his knees and raised his arms to the group of astronauts, and all the Blue People on that beach on Cloud Planet saluted in unison.

>> you repaired our dwellings > restored our valleys >gave us back our sea > you have stopped our people dying and given us more males > you are all respected among my people >>

 The leader pointed at Seren and Zac.

>> you have given my daughter many males > and now you >>

Hotenka then gestured with both hands to Scott.

>> are our new leader > the leader of the serenites and our blue workers > you must take us forward into a new future >>

Then the leader closed his eyes, lowered his arms and remained perfectly still. The sun beat down on that silent scene and no-one moved. Suddenly he clutched his chest and collapsed forward onto the red clay. Seren, distraught, ran to him and cradled him in her arms, tears streaming down her face. Scott knelt beside her and looked into her eyes.

>> his work is done > our leader is no more >>

Hotenka was dead. 

He had fulfilled his destiny and secured hope and a better future for his people.

The blue females lovingly wrapped their leader in large leaves and placed him in a black boat at the edge of the estuary.

Seren asked Scott and Zac to join her and then beckoned to a surprised Olivia. Together they assisted the boat out into the slow current of the estuary. They stood silently in the cold water and looked at the wrapped form for the last time.

Suddenly Olivia thought of the leader as he had just knelt on the beach and she remembered the boy who knelt on a similar beach in the holographic image in the dark pyramid - the proud face and the strong jaw line.

‘Surely not!’ she said aloud to Scott. And Seren’s eyes blazed,

>> you are right > that boy > in the dark pyramid > was our leaders ancestor >>

Then under the blazing sun of Cloud Planet the black boat drifted quietly out to sea.

‘It is very difficult to be precise about the timescale of events on Cloud Planet. I research this quite deeply and arrive at a surprising coincidence.