Welcome to the Planet URoCS
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by: Anomaly
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Word Count: 3179
Welcome to the Planet Urocs
Ward C. Tipton
“Welcome to the planet Urocs. We have great food, fair accommodations, a friendly and hospitable manner and we openly welcome travelers and traders of all manners.”
Captain Migsan had to suppress the urge to laugh aloud. A part of him could not help but wonder if some of his peers may be playing a grand practical joke on him. They were extremely rare among the mostly serious captains of the Scientific Observatory Fleet, though they did happen on occasion. The captain had a duty to check everything out and he would. He would do just that, but to say that he was skeptical would not even come close. It was the first time Captain Migsan ever actually heard an advertisement being broadcast into relatively empty space.
That in itself was what made him so skeptical. Here, out in relatively deep space as far as he was concerned, was a relatively low-level signal being sent out to nobody in particular. Given the vast number of frequencies, waves and bands that the signal was being broadcast on, it was certain that anyone going by would hear it ... but ... it just did not make any sense at all.
Captain Migsan gave orders for the communications officer to try to establish radio contact. A short time later, she assured the captain that their signal was getting through but there had as of yet, been no response. She was still attempting to establish communications as the SOF Antagon got close enough to the planet to begin a more detailed scanning effort. If anything, the surface scans only served to reinforce the doubts of the captain and crew of the ship.
There were a very small number of social groupings amid a series of fortified cities on the major landmasses. There was no sign of any vehicular activity in the atmosphere of the planet and none of the seafaring traffic appeared to have any type of motorized propulsion systems. The only motorized transportation seemed to be a series of small electrically powered vehicles on a very large and isolated island. There were no indications at all of any type of formalized or advanced society. The signal itself appeared to be broadcast from the same island where the few motor vehicles were. There was something wrong with just about every aspect of the whole scenario. Still, under standing orders, the captain had an obligation and he would fulfill it. The interruption actually came as something of a relief.
“Captain, I have established bi-directional communications with the inhabitants of the planet's surface.” This bit of news was quite welcome as now he thought he could reveal the joke and get on about the more serious work he had to do. “Switch it to the bridge intercom Ms. Matar” he replied. He would share this little joke with all of his officers since it would likely be recalled and changed by just about everyone else who ever told the story. A static-filled transmission filled the bridge causing all of the officers to grimace noticeably. Much to their dismay, the static remained as the voice on the other end began to speak.
“Hello? Hello? Can you hear me? Are you there?” This was followed by a much softer “Oh bother!” all before the captain was able to even key his microphone. As he spoke, the faceless voice on the other end uttered an audible exclamation of relief. “This is Captain Migsan of the SOF Antagon. With whom am I speaking?” There was a brief pause caused by the signal delays inherent in the ancient technology that was being used to broadcast the signal but in after a brief moment, the transmission began again. All that the captain was able to understand over the gaggle of voices in the background was “Yes it's really working!” and one other voice that seemed to be attempting, somewhat unsuccessfully to silence the other voices in the background. After a few moments, the original voice came back over the intercom.
“Yes, yes, we do hope that you will be able to come by for a visit while you are so close. Huh? Huh? Oh yes! Who am I? Of course! My name is Odem captain, Torun Odem of the planet Urocs. While our facilities may be rather primitive by your standards, we do have a large field that you can land in. We do hope you will come by for a visit. We do not get many visitors you know. In fact, you would actually be the first.” Even the normally serious captain had to smile as he noticed his crew fighting to hold back their laughter. Nonetheless, arrangements were made to pay a visit to the inhabitants of the planet Urocs. After all of the necessary preliminaries were complete, the Captain invited the better portion of his executive staff, certain that this was going to reveal a practical joker on the other end of the “field”.
They actually did have to land the shuttle in what was a large field beside the station where the limited electrical supply was being generated. As the captain and his officers exited the shuttle, they were greeted warmly by a large contingency made up mostly of older men. While there were a few isolated family units, the entire crowd was led by a man who could only have been Torun Odem.
Torun Odem approached the captain directly. He welcomed him as if he were an old friend finally coming home after too many years away. Torun Odem was a very strange caricature of a man. He was small in stature and always seemed to be darting about both physically and mentally. Still, the captain surmised that his eyes betrayed a keen intelligence and understanding. They also revealed an irrepressible sadness that could only been the result of someone having seen entirely too much in one short lifespan.
To say that their facilities were primitive would have been giving them an extreme benefit of the doubt. The main structure was actually made out of the remnants of the calcium shells of old ocean-based crustacean life mixed with sand and mortar. The walls were so thick that they could and did contain entire rooms within their vast expanse. The construction or what remained of it at least, was reminiscent only of what the captain had read long ago in some long-forgotten history book. After a brief tour of the main facility, the picture only got worse.
Two old and well-worn geothermal generators supplied what there was of the electrical power. Further inspection however, revealed that there was not much need for electricity. The current was only used to run the broadcaster and power a small local radar facility as well as for charging up ancient batteries that they used to run the half-dozen or so electrical cars. Most of the “new” construction consisted of the remnants of what could be found and what appeared to be mixed pieces of older buildings. As they made their way back to the dining hall, the captain and his crew wondered what this place had been and what had become of it. They politely refused an offered meal and instead, asked Torun Odem if he would mind being interviewed for the sociological and anthropological records. Mr. Odem happily complied with the offer.
Authors Note: At this point I will include the actual transcription of the interview. It has been edited only so far as to remove the countless “Uh” and “Ah” uttering and a few redundancies. His words speak with a passion and a volume that would certainly be lost otherwise. His words are both instrumental and crucial to anyone who wishes to know about the sociological evolution of his race. In addition, given the situation on Urocs, it seems only fair that their own words be used to explain it more fully. Transcriptions of the Captain's comments are notated as “CM” and those of Mr. Odem as “TO”.
Interview with Torun Odem of the planet Urocs
Conducted by Captain Migsan of the SOF Antagon
CM: “This is Captain Migsan of the Scientific Observatory Fleet ship Antagon. I am here with Torun Odem of the Urocs. This interview is to serve as the basis for the sociological and anthropological evaluations of the planet Urocs and its Society and inhabitants. Who are you?”
TO: “I am Urocs captain. We all are here. Me in particular? I am a researcher, a scientist and something of a physicist. Though, in all actuality, I am a very simple man. I only wish to make life better where I am able. I am also a realist captain. I am not blinded by political ideology, delusions of power or driven by any ambitions of fame and glory. It is probably safe to say that all Urocs are simple people who only wish to try to retain what they are able to of their honor and dignity.”
CM: “Are you originally from Urocs?”
TO: “Oh no captain, we are all originally from Kaito. Kaito was a wonderful place to be. It teemed with all manner of life. The arts were an especially prominent part of our society. We had sculptors and painters that made incredible works. We had great halls and emporiums. We had marvelous composers of music and literature ... and we had science. Nature has so many wonders captain, that it can easily be said that no Kaitoan artist ever had to look at anything more than the surrounding environment to find a source of inspiration. And we had politics.” (Here Mr. Odem pauses to sigh deeply, likely in reflection) “We had politicians blinded by greed and power. They were trapped by their own pride. Each one of them was blinded by a lust and desire to have what other people already possessed. If not for politics captain, Kaito would have been a paradise.”
CM: “What is Urocs?”
TO: “Urocs is a dump captain. It started out as a dump and it will end its days as a dump. It is a place to put the unwanted refuse. It is true that the Kaitoans put a research facility here. We had an observatory, labs, all manner and means of scientific research of every kind captain. But the research was never done with an appreciation or love for the art of science. That is why it failed. It was driven by politics, by ideas that the Kaitoans did not want or need. The research was never a labor of love. It was always driven by a lust for power and personal ambitions and greed. That is why it had to fail. And when it failed, those in power blamed us captain. We told them the truth but they were blinded and could not see it. When they closed the research facility, they turned Urocs back into a dump captain ... and they built a prison. Their theory was that the isolation of this island made it an ideal location for those who did not agree with their politics ... and so it was it seems.”
CM: “How did you personally come to be on Urocs Mr. Odem?”
TO: “I was a researcher captain. Like a mindless animal, I did what the politicians told me to do. Day and night I worked. I researched and I created. I thought maybe that when they had what they wanted, they would let me go back to doing real work. Oh how wrong I was. They never allowed me to do real work captain. They only wanted their work done, so that is what I did. Their whole concept was flawed from the very beginning. They never sought knowledge, wisdom or even discipline. They sought only the power captain. They only wanted the power so that is what I gave them.”
CM: “Why did you not return to Kaito when the research facility was closed?”
TO: “I was not allowed to return to Kaito captain. In fact” (Here, Mr. Odem laughs a very strange sounding laugh before he continues) “In fact, I was the very first prisoner in their new prison.”
CM: “What were you incarcerated for Mr. Odem?”
TO: “I committed the most unforgivable crime captain. I told the politicians and the bureaucrats the truth.”
CM: “Please explain your answer; I am not certain that I understand your exact meaning.”
TO: “I told them that great power requires a great sense of responsibility. I told them that great power often begets great evil. I told them that they had to control their greed and ambitions. They had to be very careful how they wielded a force much too great to control. I told them the truth captain and for that, I could never be forgiven.”
CM: “What were the conditions like in the prison here Mr. Odem?”
TO: “There were many factors that made it more than sufficient for my needs; not the least of which was the guards. Most of them were independent thinkers. They were all Kaitoan soldiers but not the ones who would blindly follow unjust orders. They were either too rich or too well known to be executed, so they were effectively sent here for the same reasons that I was.”
“Before the other prisoners began arriving, we used to share our meals together. We had many a discussion about politics but mostly about art. After the others began arriving, the meals stopped, but I still had some privileges. The research facilities had a few things left in them and I visited the observatory frequently.”
“After a great deal of bartering, I was even allowed to recover what was left of the music we had on our computers to broadcast in the prison itself. Back then, we only broadcast the music. That was difficult you see. For the politicians, they tried to kill the art. They burned down all of the great halls. They tore down all of the statues. They burned books in public.”
“Art was personal expression you see. They did not want people expressing anything but an unfettered belief in their twisted political designs. They even tried to kill the music. So, as you can imagine, it was quite difficult and I could never have done it without the help of my friends. While they could not openly admit it at the time, even the guards liked the music. Since this spot was so isolated, we could broadcast at very low frequencies and not have to worry about being caught.”
“The music and the art always remained in our heads and in our hearts captain. They could burn the evidence but they could not destroy the idea. We loved our little broadcaster back then. Looking back, prison life was not so bad ... not as bad as life now anyhow.”
CM: “Why did you not return to Kaito after you were released from prison?”
TO: (It is difficult to be certain whether Mr. Odem is laughing or crying here. The first portion of his answer is unintelligible) “Released? We were all released I suppose … if you look at it that way? It would probably be more accurate to say we were all confined ... perhaps condemned is an even more suitable word, to an irrevocable life sentence here on Urocs captain.”
CM: “Please clarify your answer Mr. Odem.”
TO: “Oh, the politicians got their way captain. They always did. One cannot defeat oppressive power and control with love captain. One can only endure with love and perhaps a great deal of sadness until that power is extinguished. Just as I warned them, so it came to pass. They got their power and then they only wanted more power.”
“They became even more envious of what others already possessed. Then they had their war. It was a fantastic and horrible sight to behold captain. The skies glowed magnificently for weeks in horribly beautiful shades of red, yellow and orange. Every hue imaginable filtered out sunlight to create a surrealistic appearance only a true artist could ever hope to capture. When they unleashed that power captain, they unleashed the end of Kaitoan society and a complete destruction of our civilization.”
“We were fortunate here on Urocs that we survived, though some of us heavily debate even that point. We banned together out of necessity. Even though we lost everything that we had ever loved, some of us still had hope. We sought to share that hope with others who had none.”
“When we put up the beacon ... the advertisement, we never really expected it to work. It was more of a symbol. It was a hope for something better. We could not bring back the past, we could not undo the damage we had done but we could perhaps give a little bit of hope. For the youngsters among us, it is the only hope that they have ever had captain. It is a hope of something better.”
CM: “So the war was fought entirely here on Urocs or was it fought here and on Kaito?”
TO: (Mr. Odem is audibly crying and some of his answer is unintelligible but his words still speak in volumes about his civilization) “Oh no captain, the war was all fought right here. We search for survivors as best as we are able to but most of the ones we have found still carry the evil learned from the politicians. They foolishly battle each other for land, which is now plentiful and readily available for the taking without any need for the horrors of war.”
“This planet captain, was once a wondrous marvel filled with all manner of life and art and everything that was beautiful. This planet was once Kaito. Now? Now all that is left are the URoCS. Now, all that is left are the Unwanted Remnants of Civilized Society. Welcome to the planet URoCS Captain Migsan.“
End of transcription
Epilogue: The captain finished his section of the reports quickly. They would all eventually have to be signed, filed, categorized and submitted by him personally. He looked around at his crew as he waited for their reports and recommendations. As he scanned the faces of the executive officers of the SOF-Antagon seated at the conference table, he noticed that none of the crew was laughing at the commercial still playing softly in the background. “Welcome to the planet Urocs. We have great food, fair accommodations, a friendly and hospitable manner and we openly welcome travelers and traders of all manners.”
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