“Research vessel M4-34-TY06, to CGED. Requesting authorization to land on a previously undocumented planet in M4-56. We are accompanied by one human deathworlder.”
An elderly Ter’un, Byrah, waited patiently for a response from CGED. Static crackled from the receiver, which was unusual for a relatively new ship, and then a voice spoke. “CGED to research vessel M4-34-2106. You are authorized for exploration.”
CGED is the Cirrhan Galactic Exploratory database. Founded during the First Galactic War, the CGED is the highest authority for all exploration of the Cirrhan Galaxy.
Aurrah watched nervously as Byrah guided the vessel to the ground. Landing always made Aurrah worry, even though xe knew Byrah was more than capable. Human Kyle peered out of the viewport. “I could be wrong, but I think these are Colite flats.”
“There’s no way! Colite is the rarest mineral in the galaxy. If there was a planet full of it, our sensors would have detected it.” A different Ter’un, Leirin, chimed in.
“Unless it’s the fabled deathworld Castar. The one from Etollic mythology.”
Aurrah had no idea when Human Kyle found the time to study Etollic mythology. The Etollic people were beings from the planet Etol. They were renowned for their mining and smithing skills. The forges of Etol were, without a doubt, the best in the Cirrhan Galaxy.
“The myths all say Castor has a magical aura around it that keeps it hidden. We know Colite is slightly radioactive. If there’s a planet this size with a significant enough Colite presence, the radiation could be strong enough to interfere with our sensors. It would also explain the static interference when Byrah radioed CGED. If the early Etols didn’t know about radiation, it could easily pass for dark magic. It causes lesions, hair loss, cancerous growths, and all sorts of unpleasant experiences. Exactly what you’d expect from a mystical deathworld with untold fortunes.”
Aurrah looked up in surprise. “Radiation is harmful to humans?”
Human Kyle’s face belied his confusion. “Um, yes. We come from a deathworld. Subatomic particles can kill us. In most cases, it’s a slow, painful death that you don’t notice until years and years in the future. In the most extreme cases, our bodies just fall apart and we cough up pieces of our organs. It’s extremely brutal. As I recall, the Etollic people are also sensitive to radiation. Not as much so as humans, but they would have experienced symptoms similar to what I said.”
“And humanity tried to harvest radioactivity for electrical energy.”
Human Kyle nodded. “Yep. That’s how we learned about the most brutal symptoms of radiation poisoning. If you ever want a true 𝐸𝑎𝑟𝑡ℎ 𝐻𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 𝑆𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦, research the Chernobyl incident of Earth Year 1986 AD.”
“While this is a fascinating history lesson,” Byrah interjected. “We do have a planet to explore.”
Human Kyle nodded. “Right.” Everyone activated their explorer suits in comfortable silence.
Mech suits are mechanical full-body technology. There are a few different types of mech suits: Exosuits, Semisuits, Aerosuits, Aquasuits, and Stealth Suits.
Exosuits are any mech suit that covers the entirety of the being inside. They can be equipped with any weaponry imaginable, and the wearer views the outside world on a large screen where their eyes would normally be. This allows the suit to better protect the entirety of the being.
Semisuits are suits that only cover part of the body. These suits are typically equipped with lighter weaponry, and are more agile than Exosuits.
Explorer suits, Aerosuits, Aquasuits, and Stealth Suits are all specialized suits. Though there are many other specialized suits, these three are the only ones that have been commercially produced. Explorer suits are full Exosuits worn to protect researchers and the unexplored territory. The ecological diversity between different planets means unexplored worlds can be deadly to the wrong species. For this reason, each species’ suit has different capabilities. An aquatic being would need a different breathing apparatus than a land-based Axor would. The suits also protect any native species from foreign illnesses. Explorer suits are also equipped with a computer which maps the territory, records footage of the planet, and analyzes samples of the atmosphere and terrain. The computer then transmits the data to the official Cirrhan Galaxy Exploratory Database (CGED). Aerosuits allow for safe flight and are almost always Exosuits. Aquasuits are Semisuits whose main function is to allow breathing underwater. Stealth suits are Semisuits that project a cloaking field around the wearer, rendering them invisible except for the faintest outline. These are the rarest and most expensive of the mech suits.
Once they were ready, they passed through a decontaminating airlock and on to the mysterious planet. Human Kyle’s explorer suit displayed a warning message on its internal screen: high levels of radiation detected. Do not remove suit until on board vessel. “It’s radioactive,” his voice crackled over the comm system. “Stick together, radiation interference gets worse when there’s more distance.”
This is why CGED requires deathworlders on every research vessel, Aurrah thought. We would have never connected this to Etollic Mythology without Human Kyle’s radiation intolerance.
Leirin’s voice pulled Aurrah out of xir thoughts. “Human Kyle is right. It looks like we’re standing on solid Colite.”
“I don’t envy having to tell the Etol people we found their planet. The legend says that once they find the planet, the galaxy will descend into a chaos that lasts for generations. Bloodshed worse than either of the two Galactic wars.”
Aurrah shuddered. “I hope that part remains a myth.”
