The Alpha Centauri Expedition

17. The Orange Sky

As Bimasakti descended lower, the true nature of the environment in the oasis belt of Proxima Centauri b began to reveal itself. Days there seemed like eternal twilight. Sunlight perpetually glowed on the horizon, resembling a perpetual sunset on Earth or the moments just before sunrise, even though the sun there would never rise. In the oasis belt, the Proxima Centauri sun was never visible. Only its light could be seen, illuminating the landscape from the horizon. The sky was always tinged with shades of orange, reminiscent of a perpetual sunset or sunrise on Earth. The waters of rivers, lakes, and seas also reflected the orange hue from the sky. The orange sky, purple forests, and foliage in shades of yellow, red, and blue, along with the reflections in the rivers and lakes, made the oasis belt of Proxima Centauri b look like a breathtakingly beautiful painting. All of this made Gayatri even more eager to experience it up close. She wanted to know what it was like to be in a world filled with vibrant colors and devoid of nighttime. However, as Bimasakti approached the surface, the quantum radar detected a group of flying objects below them. That made Gayatri and the rest of the crew wake up from the enchantment of the natural scenery they saw and immediately prepare to face any threats that might occur. The marines quickly deployed the four laser cannons for defense. Bimasakti's AI automatically went to work to identify the objects based on all the sensor data it received. In an instant, the AI completed its analysis and provided a report. It turned out to be the first encounter of humankind with beings from beyond the Sun's solar system. The encounter that happened much sooner than they had anticipated.

"The flying objects are identified as animals or birds within a radius of one hundred kilometers. Population count is 6,342. Maximum physical size is 3.9 meters. Maximum flying speed is 128 kilometers per hour," the AI's report was heard. That meant there were flying animals or birds below them within a one-hundred-kilometer radius around Bimasakti. Among them were some that were very large, almost four meters in size. They were incredibly large flying creatures or birds, capable of flying at high speeds, exceeding one hundred kilometers per hour. Soon, Bimasakti would reach the altitude where these animals were flying. And it would be the first encounter with living beings in Alpha Centauri. Gayatri observed her console screen with tension, waiting for the images of these flying creatures to appear. Shortly afterward, the quantum camera successfully captured the first image of the creatures. What appeared on the console screen left Gayatri and the rest of the crew in awe. The creatures seemed to fly calmly, flapping their wide wings in an organized manner. Unlike Earth's birds, they had no feathers. Their entire bodies were covered in yellowish-white skin. Their long, protruding wings resembled thick, expanding layers of skin. They had a long snout and two yellow eyes on their heads. Unlike Earth's birds, these creatures had four strong legs, as if they were also terrestrial beings. Through the windows of the bridge, some of these creatures were seen flapping their wings in the distance.

"Mashallah...," Mission Commander's voice was heard through the transducer. He too was amazed by what he saw.

"Bimasakti Crew, this is the first encounter of humankind with living beings outside our solar system. This is a historic moment...," Mission Commander said again. Everyone remained silent, unable to speak because of what they were witnessing.

"Science team, please provide an initial analysis of these creatures," Mission Commander ordered. Dr. Paul de Hoop, an astrobiologist, quickly responded.

"Mission Commander, these creatures resemble flying animals from the prehistoric era on Earth. It's possible that these are evolved mammals. Their large legs suggest that they also live on land. From the shape of their snout, it's likely they are herbivores that feed on plants on land. However, it's not ruled out that they could also be predators," he explained.

"Thank you, Doctor Paul. This shows that we need to be very cautious when we land later. There must be many other dangerous creatures down there," said Mission Commander. Captain Bagas continued to lower Bimasakti's altitude. Shortly after, images of other species of flying animals began to appear on the console screen. The closer they got to the surface, the more diverse flying creatures were captured by the quantum camera. All of the crew members were fixated on what they were seeing. Through the windows of the bridge, several different species could be seen flying freely. They varied in size and shape, but almost all of them shared common features, namely featherless, four-legged, and with yellowish-white skin.