The fruits, grubs, and mushrooms of only three planets were offered to the eleven youth and two adults of the special group. Unlike the main group, these thirteen knew what was happening.
Kerloran, in his bright-green lizard form, divided them into four groups, three reptiles at each of the three trays of food, the other two receiving the grubs and cactus fruit from their original home.
They knew the same foods had already been consumed, with no ill effects, by the main group. They looked at each other, sensed the importance of the moment, and started eating.
The scientists and specialists took another Satamia day to make sure no biochemical surprises lurked in the complex molecules of lizards, insect grubs, jungle fruits, or rain forest mushrooms. Even on the three planets that looked best, there were many things the reptiles could not eat. The scientists just had to be sure there were many things they could eat.
The Great Transformation briefing team, the crew of the Manessa Kwi, and the crew of the Palantia Lisa, a large passenger transport ship, were all summoned to a conference room. Visiting students squeezed in wherever they could.
With neither Kerloran nor Melorania present, Silmula Sorafax trembled inside, knowing the huge responsibility she bore. After a slow, deep breath, she leapt onto a table at the front of the room. Everyone fell silent.
“Our beloved Kerloran is very pleased with the course of events that have brought us to this point . . . as am I.”
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The room erupted with cheering and clapping, then respectful silence returned.
“Our reptilian charges, whom we know much better now after the mischief of a certain monkey-mammal pilot . . .”
Mati grinned with embarrassment as others chuckled or honked.
“. . . will be re-settled on all three of the planets that can sustain them. On one, a sapient equine race lives in the temperate zone, and they will someday interact. On another, a global avian race is already highly sapient. The reptiles will grow in their shadow, and hopefully someday learn wisdom from them.”
Many heads nodded and sounds of approval rippled through the room.
“The planet with no sapient life will be given to the small group who befriended our dear monkey mammals, and have seen a star station. They will, most likely, become the dominant form of life on the planet, and we will watch over them closely as they grow.”
The room broke into cheering again as wings flapped and feet stomped.
“Captain
Kam’rrral-ta?”
A large bird stood.
“Two hundred and thirty-one sleeping reptiles, and their meager belongings, will be delivered to the Palantia Lisa later today. Please prepare your ship. You will have two destinations, and a Local Universe Guardian will accompany you to protect your passengers from the effects of star transit.”
The captain nodded and reached for the knowledge pad at her side.
“Captain
Imni?”
Ilika
stood.
“You have the honor — or problem, I’m not sure which — of transporting two adults and eleven youth, with their eyes wide open and their claws itching to touch everything.”
The room filled with laughter and Ilika smiled. “I think we can handle it.”
“Just remember,” the large cat warned, “even the children have tail spikes.”
Boro grinned knowingly.
Kibi was relieved when Kerloran stepped into the Manessa Kwi with the
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thirteen passengers following behind. She knew that if anyone could keep them in line, he could.
But she quickly frowned when one of the youngest reptiles hopped into the steward’s chair and began pounding on her console. She glanced at Kerloran, but he only returned her glance with smiling eyes.
She sighed, tapped the sleep code into her bracelet, and gathered the limp lizard child into her arms. “Please translate for me, Kerloran. If anyone wants to be awake during the journey to your new home, you will sit in your seats calmly, unless you are using the toilet.”
The master of Satamia Star Station nodded his approval, then repeated the gist of Kibi’s warning in sounds the passengers could understand.
They settled a little, but still wiggled with excitement. Then Kibi brought out her secret weapon.
As soon as the video of jungle sights and sounds began on the large screen over the steward’s station, all twelve reptiles who were still awake, from the youngest to the two adults, sat completely still and stared. Somehow, their dreams were playing before their very eyes.
Kerloran smiled, and Kibi went through the passenger area securing inertia straps, even though the flight was expected to be completely smooth.
With all his crew members at their primary stations, Ilika hardly had to say a word.
“Flight plan is on channel five. Satamia Control, Manessa Kwi at dock C-Eleven requests station departure.”
“Manessa Kwi, you are cleared on the orange path to inner marker B.”
“I need anti-mass one and maneuvering thrusters, please.”
“All engines green. Plenty of fuel.”
“Hatch closed, boarding tunnel away, ship and passengers secured for flight.”
“Sensors active. No unusual energy signatures. Visuals on channel four.”
As the crew fell silent and Mati piloted the ship through the docking tunnel, she had a moment of fright. Something was missing — something that had always been near, leaning on the console beside her, ready whenever she needed it.
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It’s in your cabin. I could go get it for you if you want . . . Rini silently offered.
Mati, still guiding the ship along the orange line, took some deep breaths to settle her nerves. That would be pretty silly.
The freckled young man at the watch station smiled.
A quarter hour later, Kerloran protected all thirteen reptiles from the effects of star transit. None of them noticed the twenty-second nap they took while gazing at dripping leaves, buzzing insects, and sprouting mushrooms.
The crew of the Manessa Kwi had to take care of themselves.
Once back in space and time, Kerloran asked Kibi to switch to a view of the planet they were approaching.
Most of the young reptiles gasped and hissed.
“This is what a world looks like,” Kerloran began in the reptilian tongue.
“You will not see it again, from a distance, for many long ages. It has everything you need, but it is also very much alone. We place it in your hands, as there are no other creatures here who can grow in knowledge and power, as you can. You will make many mistakes. They are yours to make, and yours to fix. We will watch over you, but not help you solve the problems you create.
“Someday, if your children of many hatchings become noble and wise, they will visit star stations again, walk and talk with us, and help with the work of the universe. Until then, you must follow your hearts.”
Kerloran, however, would not allow the passengers to see the ship’s planetary approach. Kibi switched the big screen back to the jungle video, but happened to glance at her console just as the surface zoomed toward them.
Suddenly the view froze as Mati stopped the ship at four thousand meters.
Kibi swallowed and remembered how frightening that had once seemed, not so very long ago.
“Finished with ion drive,” the pilot said calmly. “Maneuvering thrusters, please.”
A few minutes later, the Manessa Kwi settled into a small clearing in the jungle. Mists lurked about in the trees, birds called to each other in curious voices, and a small waterfall splashed into a crystal-clear pool. Two dark cave entrances stood nearby.
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As soon as Kibi opened the hatch and extended the ramp, Kerloran strode out and the thirteen passengers followed. They looked around with wide eyes and open mouths, anxious to explore, reluctant to leave the safety of the ship.
The crew watched from the top of the ramp.
“Although you do not really need them anymore,” the tall, bright-green lizard declared with throaty sounds, “we knew you would find comfort in caves. But unlike the dry, dusty, desert caves of your recent memories, these caves already contain other creatures, some of whom may not want to share.”
Eyes swirled with determination, mouths snapped, and spiked tails swung back and forth to show Kerloran they were up to the challenge.
“I will remain here for seven days, so that you may share, if you wish, your stories as you begin to explore your new home.”
After speaking those words, the master of Satamia Star Station curled up at the foot of the ramp as if to take a nap.
For the remainder of that day, the youngest reptiles hardly dared leave the clearing, until the two adults and the older youth returned with stories of tasty fruit and juicy grubs. But by nightfall, all thirteen were back to tell Kerloran their stories, ask questions, gaze up at the passing moons, and eventually sleep.
On the second day, the caves were carefully explored, and indeed many spiders and snakes already dwelled within. The spiders were shy and willing to share. The snakes retreated to smaller caves after learning their fangs could not penetrate lizard hides, and after feeling tail spikes that easily pierced snakeskin. The thirteen returned to the clearing, as evening fell, to tell Kerloran of their adventures and ask him questions about spiders and snakes.
During the third day, Kerloran saw his charges often, and heard of fruits that made them sick and mushrooms that made their heads spin. As evening gathered once again, only the children returned to the clearing to sleep near him.
The following day, with no real reptiles in sight, Ilika allowed the crew to stretch their legs and gather tropical fruit. About noon, Kerloran shooed them all back into the ship, and soon the reptiles appeared, telling of a cave with
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fingers of rock on the floor and ceiling, pools of delicious water, and dry nooks for sleeping. After another visit from his charges as the sun prepared to set, Kerloran slept alone that night.
The fifth day brought a few scattered visitors, sharing that the older youth had dared to climb high into trees where they found insect nests with huge, tasty grubs, and all the fruit they could ever want. But the evening was quiet, with only monkey mammals to keep Kerloran company.
Only two reptiles visited the clearing on the sixth day. The two adults announced shyly but proudly that soon eggs would be laid and babies hatched. After sharing their news, the pair returned to the edge of the jungle, but glanced back at the bright-green lizard of great power and wisdom who had brought them to their new home, and the mammals behind who did his bidding. Then they scampered away in search of grubs.
All during the seventh day, the tropical mists lurked through the trees, insects buzzed, and birds called. No one came to tell him stories or ask him questions, so Kerloran rested.
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Deep Learning Notes
When the foods of 3 planets were finally offered to the special group of mostly-young reptiles, they were divided into 4 groups because any experiment needs a “control” group, a group that does not experience anything different from normal, to have something to compare the other groups to.
How might the results of the “experiment” be changed because they “knew what was happening”? If this is a weakness in the “experiment,” why do you think Kerloran told them?
How could 3 + 3 + 3 + 2 = 13?
What qualities did Silmula Sorafax have that allowed her to lead the final meeting before the re-settlement (without Kerloran or Melorania present)?
The “temperate zone” is the band of latitudes, both north and south of the equator, between the wet and warm tropics, and the boreal forests and tundras that approach the artic regions. The continental USA and most of Europe lie in the temperate zone, and in the southern hemisphere, Argentina, South Africa, and Australia.
If you were one of the homeless reptiles, which would you prefer: sapient horses on another part of the planet, sapient birds everywhere, or the planet to yourselves?
Kibi’s use of a jungle video to calm her passengers is based on an Earth tradition that began in the 1950s: one of the first nicknames for television was
“electronic babysitter.”
Can you tell which crew member is saying what as they begin the flight?
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Do you have anything you would “freak out” without? Eye glasses?
Medicine? Mobile phone? How long could you live without each thing?
We have many images on Earth, made by people from our distant past, that appear to be of things we shouldn’t have been able to see or know about until much later. Some can only be seen from high above the ground. Others are of ships in the air, or people operating ships, or people wearing suits that we use today only in space or deep-sea diving. What purpose do you think these
“anomalies” (things that don’t fit) serve in our society? What do you think the lizards in the story will do with their memories of their new planet as seen from space?
Kerloran tells the reptiles that they will make many mistakes, and that those mistakes are theirs to make, and theirs to fix. Today, our problems are larger and more complex than ever before, and include a trembling economy, wars and other political conflicts, and climate changes that could overshadow all else. Many people believe science, God, or aliens will save us. What do you think?
Why did Kerloran not allow the lizards to see the planetary approach? What tends to happen to humans when they witness a rapid approach to a solid surface?
What myth (story to explain what we do not fully understand) do you think will be told (and someday written) by the reptiles about the first seven days on their new planet?
