Just Another Scout

Chapter 2

As we traveled through the system toward the second planet, we made a few scientific observations. System 47 was a very typical system-a few gas planets with lots of moons and a couple of rock planets. There were also a bunch of comets and a couple of asteroid belts, so the system was nothing special. Our scientists would, of course, want to know everything, so we recorded quite a lot of data before we even arrived at the second planet.

We saw a very nice sunrise and sunset as we passed one of the outer planets, and we got some great photographs. Unfortunately, after we returned home everything would be classified. Even after the Revelation, secrecy and classification was a norm on our world, but now secrecy related to what really-and I do mean really-was a threat to our security.

"We are approaching the second planet," Lea informed me.

The planet seemed to be an Earth-like world. About half of the surface was water, and there was just one major continent in the southern hemisphere. The ship's computer was still decoding the signals and had nothing definitive yet. The current computer estimate was that they were primitive radio signals, so it seemed that the inhabitants had only recently discovered electromagnetism.

As we entered orbit, my other android companions, Susan, Michael and Harry, joined Lea and me on the bridge. Each of them knew what to do, and each had all the necessary skills for this mission. I tried to give them specific tasks like a navigation officer, a main engineer and so on, but they declined, since every one of them basically knew everything about how to operate the ship.

"Weapons systems are operational," Harry said.

"Good. Do you think we'll need them?" I asked.

"You never know," he answered, but I hoped we wouldn't have to use them now or at any time in the future.

"Starting scanners," Susan said as we established orbit high above the planet.

"Lots of humanoid life forms, lots of population centers, but only a few radio signal transmissions from a single location. No electricity network, no heavy industrial activity," Michael informed us.

"It seems that we have an inventor who just discovered radio," Susan said.

"Yes, so it seems," I commented. I was relieved that there was nothing more than that.

"But since this is first contact, let's stay in orbit for the next few days and gather as much data as we can. People back home are interested in any new life forms," I said.

"Yes, Alex," all four androids said in unison, making me smile.

"I'm glad you agree." I grinned at the androids, who smiled back. It was a good thing the current generation of androids had some sense of humor. What I heard about the early models was that they were just barely better than industrial robots. But, of course, early models were decades ago, and only a handful of people had ever used them.

"You have the bridge," I said and left the androids to it.

I went to our exercise room and decided to have a run of about ten kilometers in a nice forest setting. I could even smell the forest here; I didn't feel at all like I was confined to a relatively small room. While I was running, I had time to think. I thought about our mission, which was normal, about my androids, and about the Revelation. I ran for about an hour and then went to the sauna and shower room before returning to the bridge.

"Anything new?" I asked.

"We have gathered some interesting information about the society below," Harry replied.

"Their evolution seems to be extremely slow. The population centers we've seen are very old-hundreds of thousands of years old in fact," Lea informed me.