Fragment (Chapter three)

Fragment

(Chapter three)

     The fire, the roar and the smoke are raised by a not soft enough landing. That was all Ram Brandon could see and hear as their space shuttle crashed into the surface of the planet Astralis. He was the first to escape from the smoke-filled cabin. The starship lay motionless, like a wounded bird living out its last moments. The sounds of the emergency alarm and the crackle of damaged electronics only increased the feeling of fear. Ram helped his comrades out as soon as he regained consciousness. They were surrounded by the ruins of traces of civilization. It was not clear how old they were because the equipment had burned down, but it was still clear that they were thousands of years old. There is no way back.

     The exoskeletons saved them from critical injuries, but Bob still suffered a broken leg. He put it on at the last moment, then lost his balance and fell on a box with some junk. The suit allowed him to move at a normal pace, so the only thing he had to endure was excruciating pain. It seems that the fact that they shot down "Celestia" was not enough for the space robbers. Ram noticed two scouts circling the atmosphere in search of the crash site.

• Everyone, follow me! - Brandon commanded. - Take everything you need and go there quickly.

     The captain pointed to what seemed to be the ruins of a temple, the entrance of which went rapidly down into the ground. The outer, dilapidated walls were made of an unknown marble-like material. Inserts of an apricot shade sparkled under the rays of Arcturus and added exoticism. Bob held tightly to Ram's shoulder, occasionally letting out a groan of pain. The team quickly set off in the direction of the ruins, leaving the starship behind them, still smoking from its horrific landing. Everyone felt the pressure of time.

     As they approached the entrance to the temple, they felt the pulsations of strange energy waves emanating from this ancient city complex. Its walls glistened with an inexplicable slime, creating an unusual atmosphere. Carefully peeking out from behind the broken slabs at the entrance, Ram watched the enemy's actions. Having made several circles above the starship, the scouts apparently did not find any traces of survivors. To confirm the dead crew, they landed two droids, and they split up to search the area.

• Guys, we need to move on - said Ram Brandon.
• Is the situation getting worse? - Eva asked.
• Do you see it improving? - Dave Smith asked sarcastically.
• I just wanted to... - Eve Nguen did not have time to answer, as Dave interrupted her.
• And so, it can be seen that we are in a complete mess!
• Friends, don't fight! Now is not the time. Collect your thoughts - Zlata begged them.

She helped Bob to fix his leg and applied stimulating plasters. Fortunately, a scan of the exoskeleton system disproved fears about the rupture of ligaments and circulatory systems. Dave waved and began scanning the temple for a map. Eva took air samples and shocked everyone a little with the results.

• Colleagues, in which case we can breathe without masks. The problem is that the air saturation with oxygen is poorer than on Earth. The sensations will be like those of climbers at an altitude of 3500 meters above sea level.

Due to the presence of unknown particles during the analysis, no one was in a hurry to remove the mask. Everyone agreed to bypass the scouts and droids, going deep into the temple.

     They continued on their way. The dim light of their lanterns lit up the vast halls and whimsical forms of architecture. Unintelligible symbols were literally everywhere. The slope of the floor of about 10 degrees indicated that the team was moving deeper and deeper. Scattered among the ruins were fragments of architectural details, evidence of the past greatness and prosperity of this place. The artificially created solid relief of the walls, ceiling and floor created the illusion of being in the middle of a solid sculpture. There was no free flat space. A pulsing purple light could be seen in some of the cracks. The strange domes were turned inside out, probably the main idea was that their past transparency would refract the light and turn it into the lighting of the building, because there were no windows at all.

     The temple seemed to reflect the soul of the planet, its history and mysteries, and every step in its spaces caused excitement. A stream of energy permeated the temple, but it was not only an effect of the architecture. All of the team members could sense outside eyes watching them from the shadows of the temple. Perhaps the spirits of the past who calmly watched the aliens who invaded their sacred place.

     The energy entities that survived the centuries were endowed with observation and intelligence. They sought to understand the nature and purpose of the beings that had so unexpectedly landed on their planet. Pictures of the colored lights began to take shape, giving them faces, but nowhere near the ones they could see on Earth.

• We are not alone here - said Ram, feeling the power of a clear look at himself.

There was no target on the suits' radars, so they were clearly not living objects. There were faint echoes in the depths of the temple. The energetic entities showed their curiosity by trying to communicate through vague forms of light images. Eva decided to address them first.

• We come in peace and respect to your home. We seek understanding and help in this strange world.