//------------------------------// // Chapter 19 // Story: I Just Walk Away // by madhat886 //------------------------------// “One small step for man... one giant leap for mankind," a human said as he made the first steps on a surface of a space rock other then Earth. The world cheered as Neil Armstrong, US astronaut, became the first human being to set foot on the moon. The static images, going live to Mission Control and millions of homes around the world, showed the space suit form of Armstrong slowly turning around. “What is THAT?” came his panic-ridden voice, and on the feed he stumbled backwards and fell against the lander with a dull clang being heard as the vibrations traveled to his helmet mike. “Tranquility, this is Houston. What is what?” the communication came to him, quickly and seriously. “That’s impossible,” he muttered. "Stay with us," the voice from Earth said. “Houston, I think I may be experiencing hallucinations...” he paused catching his breath. “But, just in case, could you take a look at the area right in front of Tranquility?” “One moment, Tranquility,” Charlie Duke, the Capsule Communicator for Apollo 11, said, before conferring with the other people at Mission Control. “Do we have a camera there?” someone ask. “I think we can get a look at that angle, yes,” came the reply. Tens, no hundreds, of millions around the world held their breath at this unexpected turn of events. What had he seen? “Tranquility, this is Houston. Can you describe what you’re seeing so we know if we catch it too?” Charlie asked. “Uh, Houston, it’s something you just have to see. But it looks like a robot of some kind standing under a banner,” Armstrong answered. “Tranquility, a robot? Does it have any markings on it?” he asked, before hissing, “Why don’t we have that camera feed up yet?” “Houston, I don’t think it does, or if it does, I can’t see it. It’s just standing there, looking at me... I think,” Armstrong said. “Copy, Tranquility. We’re working on getting a camera now. Hold one,” Charlie said. “Got it!” one tech exclaimed triumphantly. The camera switched abruptly, and all activity stopped dead for a moment. “Tranquility, this is Houston. We see it too.” The gasp could be heard in almost every locale on the globe. 'Robot' or 'Alien' came the mutter, in a hundred languages and a thousand dialects. As they stared at the tv screen showing a strange robot standing underneath a banner with words written in English 'Welcome Humans'. The robot has a humanoid body shape, the robot has a insect like hard with bulging compound eyes, spindly claw tipped limbs and pointed mouth pincers. (1) "Houston what should we do?" Buzz Aldrin ask looking out of the space craft. "Tranquility....," Charlie stop as the signal coming from the moon suddenly went static before becoming crystal clear. A cartoonish smiling face appeared on the screen of every television, made up of two eyes and a mouth. The it spoke in the most common language of each region of the world watching. "Greeting humans of planet Earth. I am Yes Man and I have taken control of your airwaves to give you this message. Please take this time to calm down and for anyone not watching to come over to watch," Yes Man said waiting a minute before continuing. "I am a artificial intelligent name Yes Man. I have given all of you an upgrade to allow all of you to watch this important event that will change you humans view of the universe. You are not alone. There are many planets with life on them. Some less advance then yours and others like the one I was built on, more advance then yours. Our ship came across your planet some time ago and been watching your planet. We stayed around this long because of this space race you humans been having, and have learn much about you humans through your tv and radio shows. Which is how we learn most of your planet's different languages." The screen shifted back to the moon. "Michael Collins inside the ship Columbia, Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong, please continue with your mission. But seeing how we're already here, we're going to be giving you three a ride back to your planet. Our ship will appear when all 3 astronauts are in Columbia. We don't want to overwhelm all of you and cause you humans to panic. We're not here to invade or anything like that. You're planet has nothing that we can't find elsewhere. So do not panic and start rioting because you learn you are not the only advance lifeforms in the universe. Think of it as you are just meeting people living in another country you never heard of before," Yes Man said. "Mr. Aldrin and Armstrong there be a small ship coming to pick up the robot." A small ship appeared above the robot landing behind it. The ship is a vulture droid that used a energy grappling hook to pick up the J0 Worker Drone. The ship droid took off leaving the humans to wonder what's next. ! Several hours later - After collecting samples from the moon Neil and Buzz they got back into the lunar pod and blasted off to dock with Columbia. That's when a massive ship appeared from behind the moon, the ship is close to two kilometers long. The ship Columbia was nothing but a fly compared to the massive ship. The ship tracker beam lock onto Columbia bringing the ship into the hanger bay. (2) The tv screens came back crystal clear as the alien ship took over the airwaves and began broadcasting the feeds of several Cam Droids filming everything. The viewers on Earth watch as the space shuttle Columbia landed into the hanger, that is protected by a forcefield that kept air from rushing out. The viewers saw the hanger full of vulture droids, as well as several other ships of different designs. With utility robots and droids working on some of them, with Power and Fuel Droids walking around to fill up any ship that's low on power or fuel. "Welcome humans to Horizon. Please step out of your craft, the air is breathable to you humans," Yes Man's voice called out from a speaker. The 3 astronauts after speaking with mission control did that but first putting on their spacesuits on first before getting out. The cam droids followed the humans filming them from different angles. A B1 Droid came up to the 3 humans driving a cart with seats in the back. And a Eyebot came flying to the 3 humans before stopping in front of them. "Please have a seat and we can take you to meet the organic crew members, or in other words non robots," Yes Man's voice said through the eyebot. "Thanks," Neil said as he and the others climb on board the cart. "If you have any questions I can answer them while we're on transit," Yes Man said as the cart started driving towards the command center. "What's with the size of the ship?" Michael ask. "It's an old mining ship that was brought from a fire sale after the mining company that own it went under," Yes Man said. "This is a mining ship?" Buzz ask. "Yes this ship is a planet cracker. Planet crack is a term used to describe when a planet is literally split open to be mined for valuable resources. A large chunk is broken off with powerful lasers, and then brought inside a "Planet Cracker"-class ship via gravity tethers where it is then stripped and its ore content is studied. And is also used for asteroid mining. We're a freelance mining and salvage crew out, out exploring and finding any valuable resources," Yes Man explains. "What's with all the robots?" Neil ask. "We were all brought from a clearance sale, the company was getting rid of their old robots to replace them with newer models. You can think of it of one of your vehicle companies cutting prices to get rid of their older models to replace them with newer ones," Yes Man said. "Wait the place you're from sales an army of robots as a clearance sale?" Michael ask. "Yes," Yes Man said. "What kind of robots?" Buzz ask. "Industrial, utilities, domestic, public service, and military," Yes Man said. "Military?" Buzz ask. "Yes we were discovered in an old Separatist supply base and been reprogrammed," the B1 Droid who's driving the cart said. "Separatist?" Neil ask. "A group that was part of a galaxy wide war about 100 years ago, in a galaxy far away," Yes Man said. "In another galaxy?" Michael ask. "Yes in another galaxy. Some races have discovers ways to go travel to other galaxies either by a hyper drive or a warp gate that is a long range teleporter," Yes Man said. "Teleportation?" Buzz ask. "What you think of fiction is often common place for others," Yes Man said. "We have arrived." The cart stop in front of large door that separated in two and slide open. The 3 humans stared into the chamber before them looking like a control room, from the number of computers and other things inside of it, with what they had seen in comics and could make out as some of the lights are out. They step off the cart and entered the chamber, with the whole world watching as the cam droids continue to follow them. A figure stood with it's back to the 3 humans as they continue to walk forward. The figure is watching screens showing the 3 humans and several places on earth along with some tv shows and news all over the world. The figure turns to face them, revealing a purple skin woman with purple hair. She is wearing a more form fitting suit then the 3 humans showing that she's a female by human standards. And that she has four tentacles coming out of her back. (3) "My name in your tongue is Twilight, I'm a unicorn. I lead this crew of travelers," the woman said in English. "Let me introduce my fellow crew mates. First up is Trixie a Wookie." A small hovering platform came down out of the shadows revealing another woman. This time the woman is blue skinned and has white hair. She is wearing the same suit as Twilight is but is wearing a cape and pointed magic hat both blue and covered in stars. "Now here's Sunset a Dwarf." Lights turn on revealing a massive female form standing around 12 feet tall. She is an orange skin woman with red hair with yellow highlights that make it kind of like bacon. She wore a green suit of a different design. "Kasumi a Xenomorph." The lights all came on and revealed a insect like woman. She is wearing a yellow suit that's made to fit her body, which has some parts human like but has black exoskeleton on the rest. The lower part of her head is human like but the top is a black elongated, banana-shaped head exoskeleton with no eyes. Her long arms and legs are insect claw like, and she has a long tail that ends with a stinger. And she is big, matching Sunset's body mass. "And her little brother Naurto." From behind Kasumi came a small flying figure, which looks like a boy with insect like wings. He landed next to Kasumi showing how small he is to his sister. He is wearing an orange suit and is more human like then his sister. He has hands and feet like her but has a smaller head dome then her and has a shell on his back which his wings are pulled into like a beetle. "We already know who you 3 are so lets get to it. We came across your planet some time ago and decided to stay as you 3 were already in space at the time. We been sending down drones to Earth and listening in to your broadcasts to learn about your planet and your primitive ways," Twilight explains. "Primitives? Is that what you think of us?" Neil ask. "Your country holds itself up as the example for the rest of your species when it cannot even govern itself. Holding the high morel ground while people who aren't light skin like you 3 are, don't have the same rights. A government that covets what does not belong to it, and chases shadows of threats with utterly reckless paranoia. The same goes for your country's counterpart, that is the same in how they do things. I do not think you are primitive, Armstrong. I know it," Twilight brutally explains. (5) "Tech wise you humans aren't doing that bad. Of course depending on oil for fuel will only last you so long before there isn't any left. Which is due to the companies and people in power not wanting to change things how they are. Being too comfortable to mess with the status quo of how your world works is why many species suddenly find themselves at the mercy of more advance species," Trixie said. "Not by conquest as that does happen but rarer then you think. What normally happens is a group of raiders or pirates come along and decide to have some fun. As while there are galaxy spanning empires out there, it's just bad PR for them to conquer a race that are primitive like you humans. But with that said they also won't go out of their way to save such planets either," Sunset said. "People will just not care about what happens to a race on a planet that they never heard of. As right now on your planet, wars are happening but no one cares enough to help either side. And I'm not talking about wars you see on the news. Mass slaughter and other horrors are happening right now but no one cares to report on it. It's the same thing with planets that no one has ever heard of," Kasumi said. "And all of this conflict with this Cold War you humans are having. If you humans don't learn to work together. You'll be struck on your planet and have a slow death like other planets, whose race completely wasted everything and depleted their resources," Naruto said. "But unlike what happen in that Earth film we saw, 'The Day The Earth Stood Still'. Where the alien just told you humans what you are doing wrong and just leaving. We're going to give you humans a hand," Twilight said as she made a screen appeared in front of the 3 humans. The screen shows the robots in a hanger loading a ship with items, ranging from machines to things from comics. And the ship isn't alone as other robots are loading up round pods with the same machines. "We're giving you humans some working models and blueprints to help you along. Think of it as a gift, from a passing stranger riding through your town before going in their way. What you do with it is up to you humans," Twilight said. "And please don't listen to those people who shout out that no one should ever have that power. It gets real old real fast. One such planet did that and destroyed the gift a group like ours gave them. which would had help them to either prevent or rebuild after a comet struck their planet. It's a nuclear winter on that planet that has lasted for about 30 of your human years, with no signs of it ending anytime soon," Sunset said. "So use what we have given you to advance yourselves. You humans aren't or will be the last race who has been helped by a more advance race. And don't just make weapons to destroy yourselves. That's a dead plot device in fiction. Advance races gives like a power source that is unlimited and the other race use that to destroy themselves," Trixie's said. "You 3 will be taken back to the hanger and the ship you on screen has an auto pilot that will fly you all back to your planet. As for the pods each of them have the same gifts as we given you 3 for your nation. One for each major nation with the infrastructure needed to use them," Twilight explains. "That's it?" Buzz ask. "You talk down to us humans and then give us gifts?" Michael ask. "Yes," Twilight said looking at the 3. "Don't think that we're like you humans. That's how wars are started between planets. If another race is doing something that is very offensive to you, instead of just lashing out you ask them not to do it in front of you. There's a race that finds viewing someone else eating like you to walk on a couple mating, which for some races they have no problems in doing in public. If you humans actually use our gifts to start exploring other planets. Do remember to talk to the other race you encounter so that misunderstandings won't go and cause a war." "And remember too, that you humans aren't special, you aren't the chosen race that some creator made. You humans aren't alone in the universe and no where special enough that other races be in awe at you," Trixie said as she snaps her fingers and created a ball of lightning surprising the 3 humans and the ones watching from home. "As you can see I have powers that you humans think of as magic." "My race is large and powerful thanks to us living on a planet with denser gravity then your planet," Sunset said. "You can see how different me and my brother are. We're far stronger then you humans and our exoskeletons are natural armor plating," Kasumi said. "My race is known for our great intelligence," Twilight said. "As far as, I can tell from my scans of you humans. The only thing you humans have as a whole, is being able to adapt to different environments. Which is one of the most common things found out there." "If you humans start having some of your younger race start displaying abilities or powers. Don't go around killing them as that just makes you humans look bad, and when something bad happens... Well there have been more then one race that has died out because of their past actions that made no one want to help them," Sunset said. "Yes Man escort them to the ship. And have some droids empty out the craft they came in and put it in the ship," Kasumi said. "I will," Yes Man said appearing in front of the 3 humans. "Thank you for the gifts," Neil said as he and the others followed Yes Man back to the cart. Twilight turn to one of the camera droids, broadcasting everything back to Earth. "We're giving you humans a gift. So don't waste it. Also the ship will drop off the 3 humans back on Earth and the droids inside will unload the gifts. We're expecting it to come back and not shot down. If it's shot down, we will strike back. This is still a fully operational mining ship. A good size space rock sent falling to Earth is more powerful then any of those atom bombs you humans have made. I'm saying this because you humans of the country of the United States have already shot down an alien craft before. But this time you won't be able to cover it up. You are in the right to defend yourselves to something unknown but seeing how we just explain things. You can't pretend you didn't know as this is being broadcast all over your world. End transmission," Twilight said as the feed was cut off. Leaving the humans of the planet Earth to deal with all the information they just learn.