Page 6 - The Chronicles Ser2 (6-10)

Preparations were underway for this expedition when Humerus turned up with his arm in a
sling. Lana had found a break in his right arm and had set it. The blemish was indeed some form of
radiation scarring, but the type of radiation was still unclear.

“Looks like I’m going to have to sit this one out” he said “I’ll correlate the data from you and the
Orbiters; they’re going to train scanners on the sphere too. Safe journey” he said leaving for the
Comms on the Terra’s Bridge. The others continued with getting ready for the trip. Georg was having
difficulty getting his encounter suit onto his large human frame. His cursing was making the Flutvarn
gurgle loudly. The Female Flutvarn, Stthhhrff, who had opted for an easier human name – Chloe –,
came over to assist.

“Although these suits expand or contract to fit all sizes, they can still be…
fiddly, for other races to put on… There is that better?” her wide froglike
face beamed a very broad smile.

“Yes; much better” was Georg’s soft reply. He had, since being a young
boy, always been awkward around females. He realised he was blushing.
“Thank you Chloe”.

“I think it would be better for the comms personnel if we use my
adopted name” KKtrrrfft said “it would prevent too much sibilance and
feedback” he continued “You should call me Kelvin” He too beamed a
broad smile. One of the Mechanoids made ready the Venusian Globes
for transit and the crew of the shuttle took their launch positions.

All was quiet as the shuttle flew out to the sphere. Their craft approached the “docking
port”. Close up; the size of the sphere and the port dwarfed the tiny shuttle.

“Something’s happening” Kelvin said and pointed at the lower right quadrant of the docking port.
“Its tilting back into the sphere!” he added. “It would appear we are invited in”

“Come into my parlour said the spider to the fly” Georg mumbled adding “An ancient Earth proverb I
was taught in childhood. It means we had best be wary!”

The Mechanoid Pilot manoeuvred the shuttle into a flight path that would take them into the large
aperture. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Suddenly the craft shook “We’ve been
caught by some sort of traction beam” the Pilot said as the controls jerked out of his grip. Over the
local coms came a series of garbled clicks, beeps and whistles.

“Let them take over Pilot” Georg said adding “I doubt very much that they would crash us into the
bay walls” then turning to Kelvin “Automatics, must be very sophisticated. Did the translator rings
get any of that stuff from the coms?” he asked

“Negative here” Kelvin replied

“I got some electronic message, sir, landing coordinates” said the other Mechanoid.

The tiny craft was expertly landed on a wide ledge about half way up one side of a vast illuminated
docking bay. Glyphs and other markings could be seen through the shuttles windows.

“Those aren’t Krall Glyphs, they look more like a form of Cuneiform, but they don’t form characters
as such?” said the Achenazi coms officer, Bria Star Flower, “just varied strings of three symbols.
Those larger Glyphs are similar to ancient Minoan forms!?” she added