Troubes.odt





I’m a private Xenoarcheologist. I dig up the remains of ancient alien societies and then try to figure out what it is that I had found. 9,999 times out of 10K, it’s garbage, broken, degraded, and unusable. The few gems that I find fund missions like this one to third planet of DM+397-45-83.

DM+397-45-83c.4 is an Earth-like moon, with carbon-based life. My partner, former Science Corps biologist was certain we could leave full enviro suits behind, but until he had a chance to analyze the air samples for harmful pollen and microbes he suggested Bio Seal Suits and filtermasks. Gravity was five percent less than standard.

We had made base camp on DM+397-45-83c’s major continent, near the structures. We had found this planet forty days ago,

Our initial orbital survey found a ton of sites, so we picked the one closest to the equator and landed.

Now I’m standing here in this canal, and I’m looking at the most intact xeno-site I have ever seen on a planet. OK, it’s a large moon around a super Jovian. It’s smaller than Terra, and bigger than Mars.

“Doctor Harlowe,” said Hanson, who was kneeling next to me with his H&K Raketen Gewehr, “it’s just…wow.”

“Yes,” I replied, “and that makes me worried. Something this intact may mean that the previous inhabitants are still around…”

“Well we detected no artifical energy source, so if whoever built this is still around isn't very high up the Tech scale.”

“Building a canal like this with pre industrial tool is quite impressive. Creating something like this must have lasted for centuries using armies of laborers.”

“Well it isn't anything of the Pree or the Seenians, but whever build that must have left artifacts behind, preferably artwork that sells, the junk we dug up at our last site barely paid for the fuel.”

“Oh come on it wasn't that bad either, we made 25,000 credits.”

“And spend 18,000 on repairs on the ship, filled the tanks an had to split the rest three ways. I would have made more money selling ribs at Arthurs swine and dine.”

“So why did you come along this time? “ “Because I am still hoping we hit the motherlode one day and because I love doing it.”

“Besides we could claim this moon and sell it to BoCA, they pay good credits for a garden world like this.”

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0.26cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.64cm;">“Don't hold your breath this isn't Union space and won't be for quite a while. To most this is still Freespace and no one is to eager to move this way.”

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0.26cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.64cm;">“Freespace is history, the Fleet can hunt pirates and other trouble makers just fine. “

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0.26cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.64cm;">“Doesn't mean pirates and trouble makers are gone.

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0.26cm;border-style:none;padding:0cm;line-height:0.64cm;">