THE FIRST FIRE STARTER

By this time our civilization, as we knew it, no longer exists. Each solar system has revealed itself to the Krkl’aan in an effort to draw them into a trap. The trap was that after the Krkl’aan exterminated the last of our people and settled in to assimilate our technologies, the bombs concealed in the sun of each solar system caused each sun to instantly go Nova. The NOVA bombs were synchronized to detonate at exactly the same time. We and the children we will have can expect to see the NOVA event in our lifetimes.  It was hoped by our leaders that this would so damage the Krkl’aan that they would either go extinct or take so long to recover that we, the few survivors and our soon to be progeny would be able to finally defeat them.

MORE LAKE SHIPP PICTURES

THE FIRST FIRE STARTER

The Captain makes his decision and calls a ship’s meeting to reveal the secret orders he had received prior to their voyage to this remote section of the galaxy. He starts the briefing by stating that the war against the Krkl’aan is nearly over and the Krkl’aans will or have already won. As is well known, the Krkl’aan exterminates all races they conquer and assimilate all technologies into their society. Society as we knew it is gone, as are all of our families. In losing and dying, the leadership chose the best and the brightest personnel to man five separate ships just like this one. Each was sent out with orders like the ones I received. I am going announce those orders now. We have been ordered to find and colonize an appropriate planet in order that our race may continue. 

MORE LAKE SHIPP PICTURES

THE FIRST FIRE STARTER

The Captain is now reasonably convinced that no technologically intelligent life exists in this system and orders a long duration probe to be sent to the planet to search for signs any technological constructions. The probe is programmed to make a three level search for technological artifacts. Each level is programmed to make seven passes around the planet from different angles and compare all images in tridimensional form. The scan starts from a high altitude level and proceeds to a low altitude level for scanning. No recognizable technological forms are discovered. The captain and crew have a built in bias about technology that causes them to not consider how low the threshold of technology actually is. When spaceflight is common, the spear is not recognizable as a technological asset. The captain is convinced that no intelligent life is present on the planet. 

MORE LAKE SHIPP PICTURES

THE FIRST FIRE STARTER

This planet is considered likely to have some type of life form existing on it because of its complex atmosphere. All passive scanners are focused on it in a search for any signs of technology for three full solar orbits. No visible or detectable signs of a technology base are found. At the beginning of the fourth solar orbit the Captain orders the first probe to be launched into the upper atmosphere of the planet. The probe safely returns and the gaseous atmosphere is found to contain: 78.09% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, 0.93% argon, 0.039% carbon dioxide, and trace amounts of other not easily discerned gases. It is also found that traces of the lower liquid atmosphere can and do attach to the upper atmosphere as a vapor. Initial analysis of the trace amounts of the lower atmosphere show that it is composed primarily by molecules of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. 

PICTURES FROM LAKE SHIPP PARK

THE FIRST FIRE STARTER

  The continuous passive scan reveals twelve full planets and one large planetoid at the outer edge of the system. There are only two planets with a measurable atmosphere surrounding them. One of the atmospheric planets is so close to the sun that it is inconceivable to the crew that it could support any type of life and is subsequently ignored by the scout ships crew. The third planet out draws all of the attention of the scout ship’s crew due to a unique dual atmosphere system contained on it. This is the first such planet they have discovered. The outer atmosphere is gaseous and the inner atmosphere is liquid. The inner, liquid atmosphere covers nearly three fourths of the planet’s surface. Of equal interest to the scout ship’s crew is the fact that the planet is just large enough to hold a large, non-rotating, satellite moon in a stable orbit around itself. Most planets with satellites are far larger and maintain a gravitational hold on several small satellites.