Visitor 1

“Well— that’s just great.” He said looking over the smoldering pod. “Just great.”

Gentle wind was pulling the smoke toward the mountain. He was lucky the landing thrusters held up as much as they did (or he’d be part of the twisted pile of metal).

The landscape was more robust than he’d imagined. Not like the planets he’d touched down on during training. Everything in the SOL System is rocks and gas. Some folks find it beautiful. He could take it or leave it.

But this— this was a proper planet.

He saw greens and browns. No tall trees like earth. Smaller plants, more bush-like with soft stalks. Purple tinged grasses blowing in the breeze made the ground look like a rippling pond.

“Command this is Traveler three— do you read?” He let go of the comm button on his suit. He was rewarded with static. “Traveler three to command— Sojourner suffered serious mechanical failure due to asteroid strikes- ship is destroyed,” He closed his eyes and said the next part through gritted teeth. “ Colonel Wahl, Major Nguyen and Lieutenant Koslovich are deceased.”

A noise startled him. He spun around trying to survey the surroundings. His helmet cut off his peripheral vision. He didn’t like that in a strange place like this.

“Major Ng-—,“ his heart burned for her. A lump built in his throat. “ traveler two attempted to send our coordinates before—“

“Before she was ej— before she was ejected into space,” she shoved him onto visitor one and sealed the hatch. She had to stay behind to override the release for the pod.

Go Francis! You have to go! Live, that’s an order!

She died saving his life.

He heard the noise again- this time he heard it more distinctly behind him. Opposite of where it was last time. A bead of sweat rolled off of his nose, plopping down and refocusing his attention.

“I was able to escape on Visitor One— I’ve crash landed on a nearby planetary body. Visitor One is non-functioning. Damage beyond repair.”

He looked at the alien planet. The strange surreal likeness to the life he’d known. It felt like a photo negative of a park he could have visited back home.

“Command— this planet is unbelievable, there’s life, I repeat—

— there’s life.

~

The mountain range was about four clicks north from where he landed. If there was drinkable h2o his best chance of finding it would be there. The two small survival packs he was able to rescue from the wreck would last a few days and he had no idea how long it would take to find him. Certainly longer than two days. He hadn’t seen any animal life yet but he couldn’t discount it. There was too much going on here for there not to be. The foliage was low and gave him a pretty unobstructed view- he couldn’t see any signs of life beyond flora. No birds or ungulates. No flies or spiders. But still— it made little sense to him that there’d only be one type of life (that’s not how life works).

That’s not how life works on earth, colonel, He thought.

He’d been to dozens of planets while resource hunting. They were all barren rocks with little to no atmo. In and out, the company would say. Take everything you can and mark the rest for retrieval. No time for exploration. Not that many who signed up for this kind of job were interested in exploring.

He’d gone about two clicks when he finally saw it. About the size of a possum. Poking above the purple foliage where the grass was lower. Almost the same shade of purple as the grass created a natural camouflage. It had stubby legs and an ant-eater-like nose. It wasn’t running. It was circling him. It shuffled itself along like a caterpillar- the front of its body starting off and waiting for the rest to follow. It looked like a mammal but moved like an insect.

He paused to watch, Kinda cute, I know a couple goths who would love to have one.

He had no frame of reference for whether the animal was scared or angry but it seemed curious. Circling over and over, getting closer from time to time like it was being dared to.

*ping* Atmosphere is within acceptable ranges— no toxins present— proceed with caution, the suit's computer announced.

“So you breathe oxygen, huh?” He said to the little creature. He placed his hand on the helmet release button and paused. “You’re not gonna get me sick are you, little guy?” The animal looked in his direction and sneezed. Shaking its head like it was answering. It slowly backed away. Its eyes were an amber color- huge and oval shaped like a cartoon cat.

After removing the helmet he took a deep breath. Then he waited. Once he was sure he wasn’t dying he started his walk again. The little purple cater-possum followed in his wake. Every so often the creature would stop and appear to dig for a moment; then the little purple alien would bounce to catch up to its preferred distance and continue observing the Colonel.

After another click as the mountain range grew closer the bush trees became taller. Purple-ish puffy topped greenish-black stalks dotted the landscape but little else. He was mesmerized by the seussian dreamscape before him. The cater-possum slunk ahead of him and started to climb one of the trees. It’s poof of fur obscured its legs but he could see small claw marks left behind as the creature ascended.

This is incredible, he thought. “You’re pretty good at that.” He said aloud. The creature’s head turned completely around in an exorcist type fashion then it slowly spun its head back and resumed its activity.

Yikes.

Once at the top the cater-possum- faster than any other movement it had made so far- sliced upward. A stalk of leaves dropped at the colonel's feet. Small pods dotted stems just below the leaves. Is this food? He thought. He gently pulled one of the pods off as a few more branches dropped around him. His new friend skittered down the tree and approached the stalk farthest from him. It started to pull the pods off with its mouth- swallowing them whole.

He opened a small compartment in his sleeve and inserted the strange little greenish black orb inside. Within the hour he would have a complete chemical makeup. It was normally used to test minerals and ore but it was designed to test just about anything.

The cater possum kept its distance while eating its meal. He wondered if the pods were intended for him. Was this a sentient act? Providing food to a stranger?

“If we’re going to be traveling together we should know each other's names- I’m colonel Francis Galkowski,“ he extended his hand. The purple thing looked at it intently and went back to its food.

“Well- I have to call you something, buddy,” he rolled his eyes even thinking about it as it came to him. “how about- Buddy?”

The cater-possum looked up and answered with a sneeze. Bits of plant matter flew from his purple fur covered mouth.

“Okay then- Buddy it is.”

~

It turned out the pods were edible. Highly nutritious in fact. With the exception of a few unknown proteins- that the AI said his body wouldn’t digest anyway- it was a calorie and vitamin dense food. Though it wasn’t the most delicious of choices- the colonel thought they tasted like bitter arugula- he could survive quite nicely off of them if he had to.

He found water at the foot of the mountains. Here the bush trees were at their tallest. Their soft trunks thicker. Not thick enough to make timber but enough for him to construct a small shelter. Buddy did not leave him though it continued to keep as much space as possible between them.

When he placed the final leaf on the makeshift thatch cabin he looked over at his furry friend. “ Looks like this is home, Buddy. You wanna do the honors?” He pointed at the entrance. The creature eyed the colonel but slowly started moving toward the hut.

“Can you understand me?” He asked. Generally wondering if he may get an answer.

Nothing came but Buddy slink-walked into the Cabin.

His new home.

~

Three weeks passed. The best three weeks of his life. He’d explored a few clicks in each direction and found something new every day. More animals like Buddy- they seemed to be socially solitary creatures. Smaller mouse-like animals that he’d considered hunting for food. He put that thought aside after a while.

He was the first human to encounter alien life. It didn’t sit well with him to be the first human to kill it.

In the mornings the two would hike together, Buddy gently behind. Every so often the cater-possum would skitter ahead- this would usually point in the direction of food. The creature's appetite was insatiable. Sometimes it would eat so much it would almost roll home on its enlarged gut. These large meals would always end with with Buddy burying something around the perimeter of the house. He assumed it was waste or leftovers though he never observed the ritual up close.

At night the two would fall asleep on opposite sides of the room. By morning time Buddy would always be closer, skittering away when the colonel woke up.

The temperature was almost perfect though he’d need some sort of heating if there was a winter on the planet. None of the flora or fauna he encountered paid him any mind. It was strange to him how comfortable he was here. So far from his crowded selfish planet.

“Earth was probably a lot like this once- once.” He told Buddy one day while they were out foraging. It was digging again. The colonel had figured out it was digging up little worm-like creatures with bulbous blue heads. Buddy had left one for him that he kindly declined.

It was clear it had some sort of intelligence by this point. Everything Buddy had shown him was completely edible- even the worm. It’s like it knew he didn’t belong here and was actively trying to protect him. All the while keeping a safe space and no contact.

At the end of his third week the call from command came.

~

*ping* long range widespread radio transmission received from SOL system.

Francis sat on his sleeping mat. A pile of leaves gathered and refreshed every few days. He eyed Buddy sleeping in the corner. Still full from what Francis called “pepper melons”

He lowered the volume and activated the message.

“Traveller three. This is Command. We are glad to hear you are safe and sound. All of us want to send our deepest condolences on the loss of your shipmates, they were true heroes everyone. And their sacrifice will not go in vain— as such, we are ready to send immediate rescue. We do however need you to give us your all one more time soldier.”

He flinched at the term. He was hardly a soldier anymore. He didn’t protect anything. He helped rip planets apart for everything they could take.

“In visitor one there’s a long range beacon. Once active we can pinpoint your location. I won’t lie to you, without that it could take us a millennia to find you. Once we have your location we’ll send immediate rescue as well as scientific and extraction teams. This is a historic day Colonel Galkowski. After all of our searching you may have found humanity's second home.”

He looked at Buddy. It was now awake and staring intently at the direction of the noise. Buddy had really good hearing. And sometimes Francis could just swear— but no. Couldn’t be possible.

“Son, you need to activate that beacon, we can’t find you without it. Best of luck Colonel. Command, out.

~

He started packing some things for the trip to activate the beacon. Buddy paced around as he did. Agitated.

“There’s no way you understand me,” he said, not really knowing if he was talking to Buddy or himself.

“Do you understand me?”

The cater-possum stared.

“DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!”

Buddy flinched back to the wall. Curling up until only his eyes poked out.

“I’m sorry— I have to go home— I can’t,”

He slowly started to approach the animal. His friend. He wanted so badly to comfort it. Buddy was yet to let him so much as pat his head.

“I want you to trust me,” he said, his hand outstretched. Beckoning his friend to take it. It did not. It’s big eyes looked at him in a way that said more than words could.

“I’m sorry.”

—

Having finished his quick pack he headed for the door. Buddy started to follow. He had made it as far as buddies poop perimeter when the creature started to frantically circle him. A low growling sound emanating from its tiny mouth. He was nervous for a moment, Buddy had never attacked him before but he knew its claws could do some serious damage.

“Whoa buddy— we’re pals, you and me. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you.”

He thought about that. Could I stop them even if I wanted to?

“It’s out of my hands, I’m sorry!” He continued his walk.

Humanity’s second home. It hung there over him. That never turned out so well for the things whose home it was first. He wanted to go home so bad. To sleep in his bed. To eat a burger. He had no family waiting. But there were faces and voices. Art and music. Buildings and smog. Landfills and strip malls.

Buddy still ran frantically in circles, making little squeak type noises. That’s when Francis noticed it. The perimeter. Where he thought Buddy was doing its business. He could see disturbances in the bare ground. It was moving. Pulsating slightly. Little mounds forming dotted around the hut.

Small animals started to emerge, pushing themselves out of the ground like a bird pushing itself from a shell. They were tiny and purple. The same purple as Buddy. They pulled themselves from the dirt and made their way to it.

“Wait— are those—“ he looked around in astonishment. “Babies?”

The diminutive gathered around their parent. The colonel had no idea if the creatures had a sexuality or if Buddy had simply reproduced on its own. But here they were. A family of cater-possums rolling around together making low growling sounds.

“Well– at least you won’t be alone,” he smiled to himself.

He thought about the planet. This beautiful untouched world. The calmness of the weird little alien animals. He took a deep breath and started walking. “Goodbye, Buddy, best of luck with the family.”

As he said it, the cater-possum started to approach him slowly. Slinking itself across the forest floor while a trail of babies followed it. It stopped about a foot away from him. Its eyes stared at him with intention. He knew it meant something. This wasn’t just curiosity.

He gently reached out his hand again, expecting to be rejected like all the times before. Buddy shuffled forward slow and calculatedly, it cautiously lifted itself on its back legs and bumped his hand with its head. Rubbing it almost like a cat would.

Humanity’s second home…

The colonel's heart warmed over and his eyes began to well up. He looked around at the landscape, the odd purple world should have been frightening.

Landfills and strip malls…..

But it wasn’t. It was so new, so pristine. He had only travelled a few kilometers but all he felt was peace. There was no intentional violence to be found here . Could he resign this place to the theme park they’d make it into?

Scientific and extraction teams….

Buddies head bumped against his hand as the creature let out low purrs. The babies had caught up and were playing and wrestling at his feet. Tumbling over his shoes without fear.

This is a historic day Colonel Galkowski….

He thought of his crew. He thought of Amy, who had died giving him a chance to live. He imagined her holding one of the babies in sheer awe. Tears rolling down her cheeks at the beauty of this place.

Go Francis!

Then he thought of Earth. How it looked like this once. He thought of all the scars it had now. Things they’d done to the planet that could never be erased.

You have to go!

He looked at the young cater-possums. He imagined them growing up and having litters of their own. Teaching them how to get the best pepper melons. He felt the warmth of Buddy on his hand, the gentle hum emanating from the strange creature. His family.

Live! That’s an order!

“Okay Buddy, let’s go home,”

~

In the coming weeks he would return to Visitor 1. Taking and burying all the leftover material. He buried the transmitter farther down than anything else. Maybe millions of years from now some sentient species would uncover his time here.

The children grew and left eventually, forging their own paths through the purple landscape. Colonel Francis Galkowski named the planet “Kim”. Buddy and the colonel would stay together for the rest of their lives.

He was never found.