Science Fiction:

Soar

by Sajitha Prematunge

They thought it would be impossible. But the Fotans were able to pull it off. Fotan, being a colony of a former overcrowded mother nation of the biggest empire the universe has ever seen, was over populated for decades itself.

Most of the Fotans moved out in great intergalactic star ships in search of inhabitable uncharted territory. The Fotans, in spite of all the wars their mother nation raged, were a peace loving nation. However despite their determination, no one thought they would be able to conquer the great comet - Icera.

When the first ships of Fotans landed on Icera, over three centuries ago, it was an arid iceland. It was obvious that the surface of Icera was uninhabitable. But the Fotans technology was unsurpassed. They drilled their way in to the heart of the comet and made their home inside it. It wasn't paradise, but it would have to do for the time being. Over 100,000 Fotans started streaming in to the comet.

The civilization was powered by the uninterrupted power source of Helium 3 that would last for thousands of decades to come. Being in a comet they were eternally on the move and were thrown in to unimaginably diverse territory. Their powerful gadgetry helped them to identify planets they were approaching, over two light months ahead.

We are approaching an unidentified star - coordinance 923488. Data imply it's capable of containing planets which could support life. A wave of relief washed through Icera as the chief navigations officer, a dark muscular man, as many other Icerans, announced the good news over the microphone, from the Bridge - control module of the comet.

The next few weeks were dedicated to an in-depth study of the star's solar system. It was a fairly small star and consisted of only five planets. The inhabitants of Icera was elated to find one planet not only capable of supporting life but indeed possessing it and the Icerans were already making plans for landing on it. But as always there was a hitch.

The inhabitants of this planet possessed technology; being a primitive nation their technology was much inferior to that of the Icerans, but still evolved enough to cause damage if required.

In fact at the end of a few days study, even with a distance of one light month between Icera and the alien planet, enough evidence were gathered to support the fact that a war was already raging in the planet.

All the hopes of the Icerans were shattered by the news. The comet would pass by the only planet they found which could support life, in centuries, in a month.

And in roughly three more months their star ships would be unable to make the return flight to Icera. Icerans didn't want to get stuck in an unknown planet and the comet wouldn't pass this way again for another 150,000 years.

The Icerans might never get another chance. After much debate the rulers of Icerans decided not to land on the alien planet. But they would send a convoy of communicator robots.

As soon as the phere-of-a robot came in through the atmosphere of the planet, a panoramic view of a magnificent, lush grass land exploded in to the view of the screen running the length of a wall in the Bridge of Icera.

With the help of the camera stealthily installed in the phere the Icerans were able to scan the whole grass land to their hearts content; a real treat for the comet bound Icerans.

A sudden unexpected whiz thundered over the speakers, breaching the peacefulness of the scene and the phere was almost toppled to the ground.

When the officer incharge of the remote control of the phere was able to regain control of the phere, the screen displayed a sky with spaceships criss crossing the sky, firing in all directions and magnificent flying beings running and firing at the ships at the same time.

To be Continued next week...

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