Frontier's Crusade: A Space Opera Adventure (Frontiers Book 6) by Robert C. James

Author:Robert C. James [James, Robert C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-10-16T23:00:00+00:00

Twenty-Four

Planet Zero

The trek from the Brielaro to the surface of the Kalceni world drew comparisons to the first time Javier had landed on Orion V. From above, Planet Zero appeared a lot like the mining world where the Retebu sphere had been discovered. It was brown. It was rocky. And it was lifeless. At least the ride wasn’t as treacherous, which was lucky because he’d just eaten lunch. When the transport pod touched down, barren plains of sand surrounded them. But there was something that broke up the very alien landscape.

Onlor pointed at the spire. “Are you coming, Professor?”

Javier broke his gaze from the viewport to find Onlor inviting him through the airlock. He followed the Ulvekan into the newly discovered environment, and its warmth immediately filled his bones. A swirling breeze rippled by and whipped up some of the sand, forcing everyone on the expedition to cover their eyes. The surface was quite soft. So soft, their boots left prints in the fine grains. But just as quickly as they were planted, the wind blew them away.

Onlor set off, leading the dozen other scientists and soldiers along with him. When they reached the alien object, Javier pulled out his handheld scanner. He almost expected it to be marble or some kind of granite, as if he were examining a lost Egyptian dig. But it was as far from the pyramids as could be possible. The long spike, at least twenty meters in length, was metallic and black.

“It’s constructed of the same material found on the Kalceni base and their ships,” he said.

“So, we’ve come to the right place.” Onlor put his hands on his hips. “Widen the scope of your scanner. Let’s see what else is here.”

Javier did so, extending the device’s range beyond a kilometer. At first all he detected were the surrounding sands, but then he calibrated it to scan the subterranean layer. “It would seem these ruins extend beneath us in every direction.”

“Could we be standing on the top of what was once a Kalceni city?”

“If we are, this might have been one of the tallest buildings. Over time, what remained here was likely buried.”

“The question is, is there a way in?”

Javier returned his attention to the scanner and examined the structure underneath their feet. He walked in the opposite direction and froze on a deep layer of sand. Onlor stopped behind him, and Javier pointed down. “Beneath here.”

Onlor waved the rest of the expedition over to them, and shovels started appearing out of nowhere. Javier stood back while they went to work, unearthing the remains of the ancient civilization.

After what felt like hours of the Company team breaking their backs, an enormous hole was excavated before them. Below the sand, the same black smooth alloy of the spire appeared. Onlor got on his hands and knees, a little unbecoming of his position, and pushed aside the lingering grains. Javier approached as he uncovered a sealed hatch with a tiny control panel beside it.

“It doesn’t look functional.

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