The Blue People of Cloud Planet by Brian Wolfenden Page B

zero.
     
    ‘Thirty metres from touchdown, descent 10 metres per minute.’
     
    And 3 minutes later, the 4 caterpillar tracks bit into the slushy clay surface, sinking half a metre before coming to rest.
     
    ‘ROL 1 touchdown confirmed, all systems good’.
     
    There was a moment of silence in both the lander and the starship 500 kilometres above and then there were shouts and claps from all the astronauts. Then AJ’s voice could be heard over the celebrations.
     
    ‘Congratulations Olivia and Scott, first astronauts to land on a planet of another star system. What a momentous occasion.’
     
    Olivia turned and high-fived Scott and both gave thumbs-up gestures to the smiling faces on the dome display. Then they looked out. The rain was torrential and they could just distinguish the surface for about 15 metres in front of the lander. There were huge strange leaves strewn about and stalks sticking out of a water surface drilled with the bucketing rain. They felt like they had landed in a paddy field.
     
    ‘It’s not exactly a holiday camp out there,’ joked Olivia, as pictures of their surroundings appeared on the dome and were simultaneously shown in the starship.
     
    ‘Terrain flat and level with no major obstructions. Confirm decision to traverse to designated light shaft.’
     
     All astronauts confirmed and the lander’s wide tracks started turning and found purchase on the surprisingly firmer clay under the muddy surface.
     
    ‘Speed 5 kilometres per hour and steady on course.’
     
    It was now the equivalent of midnight and it would take 4 hours to reach their goal.
     
    Conditions did not change. All they could see were leaves, some huge, maybe 2 metres across, and stalks with leaves on them presumably growing in the slushy clay. Some of these ‘plants’ were up to 2 metres high and grew in thick plantations. The lander seemed to glide through this vegetation, crushing and brushing it aside.
     
    ‘Target 100 metres ahead. There is definitely a large structure made of the same clay as the ground. I’m analysing data so I can put it on dome. Proceeding to a point 15 metres from the front edge.’
     
    ‘I can’t wait. What do you think we’ll find?’ said Olivia excitedly as she craned forward as far as her seat clamp would allow.
     
    ‘Patience Olivia, all will be revealed soon enough by Zec-1’, countered Scott in his usual controlled fashion but he was also leaning forward in fevered anticipation.
     
    Although it was just after four in the morning, it would soon be dawn on this planet with its 20 hour rotation and already it had lightened somewhat and the rain had decreased in intensity. Visibility was now much improved and the outside ‘world’ was about to reveal itself.
     

Chapter 19
     
    Intelligent Design
     
     
     
    Olivia and Scott strained forward as far as their command seats would let them and pointed as, out of the gloom, a red wall materialised in front of them. From their vantage point about 3.5 metres above ground, they could see that the wall was about 3 metres high, 25 metres wide and a couple of metres deep. Then at each extremity it turned and disappeared into the gloom.
     
    ‘What have we got here, Zec-1?’ Scott queried and in answer Zec-1 started drawing the structure in plain view on the dome.
     
    ‘What you are seeing is the front wall of a regular octagon, 100 metres in ‘diameter’, 3 metres high and 2 thick. It is constructed entirely of the same clay as the ground. Inside, to our left, are four large triangular shapes each filled with water. The structure is sitting at the edge of one of the lateral canals which is situated on the far side from our lander position.’
     
    The mimic display showed the plan view, and then rotated to 3 dimensional mode to give the same aspect that they were looking at. Visibility had increased further and they could see half the octagon and two of the triangular structures – these seemed to be at different heights