Cody III, Chapter 7 Cody's fingers drummed on the armrest of the Captain's chair, his crimson eyes transfixed by the view screen. Fang piloted the ship through the swirling clouds above planet Tarragon. The landscape below was a strange mix of lush forests and vast prairies – but no roads or cities marred the pristine surface. "They’ve been here for three-hundred years, shouldn't there be signs of the colony by now?" Cody mused aloud, a note of frustration creeping into his voice. As he scanned the view screen, four distinct tribes of humans appeared before him. Despite the centuries that had passed since their arrival, they seemed to exist without even the most basic technology. Three tribes huddled within the dense foliage of the forests, while one wandered across the seemingly endless grasslands. "Any clues, Mom?" he asked, glancing at Dr. Amelia Branson. She paused before answering, her blue eyes flickering with intelligence as she studied the tribes. "Not yet, other than to say the colonists appear to have devolved to a pre-industrial society," she replied softly, her melodic voice soothing despite the uncertainty they faced. "We need more time." “Pre-industrial is being generous, they’re pre-stone age,” Cody murmured. Dr. Samuel Branson, his weathered features etched with concern looked up from the console he was tapping on, recording data from each tribe with meticulous precision. “They’re above the Stone Age, Cody, they’re verbal, and they had metal tips on their spears. I would place them post-Neolithic at an early bronze age.” Cody gave Sam a side-glance and shifted in his seat, his restless energy causing him to fidget slightly. When his parents got into their ‘science’ mode, subtle sarcasm was lost on them; they were probably having the time of their lives being able to observe post-neosomething tribes. Cody wasn’t into such things, he preferred engineering. The feel of a machine beneath his fingers is what thrilled him. "Alright," Cody conceded, directing his gaze back to the view screen. Cody's eyes, faintly luminescent under the fluorescent lights as he studied the primitive tribes below flicked between the view screen and his parents, who continued poring over the data they had collected. "Any clues, Mom?" Cody repeated, hoping for some insight that might hasten their progress. Amelia looked up from her console, her blue eyes sparkling with amusement. She shook her head, red hair framing her face as she spoke. "Not since you asked two minutes ago, dear, it will take a while to analyze their behavior and arrive at any conclusions. We would have to observe them for several years to learn anything useful." "We don't have several years," Cody said, frustration lacing his voice. He needed something – anything – a clue, a hint, something that could tell him what happened here, and if The First Light might be on this planet. Turning to Fang, whose tall, lithe frame exuded restless energy, he made a decision. "Fang, we've been at this for hours, we need rest, food, and time to think. Put us in orbit; it's safer there for now than on the planet." Sam’s eyes flicked back to Cody. “A Captain never shows frustration, fear, or anxiety. It makes the crew nervous. You must be a rock of confidence.” Cody tried to stop his leg from bouncing with nervous energy. “Yes, Sir.” Fang hesitated for a moment, glancing at Cody’s parents. They clearly had more experience captaining a ship, and could have exerted their parental authority, but were content with letting Cody learn by doing. Human’s taught their children far differently than Ara who expected their children to observe silently until they were ready to do. He nodded, his emerald-green glow pulsing as he prepared to comply with Cody's request. As the ship began to ascend, Cody leaned back in the Captain's chair, his mind racing with thoughts of the mysterious events on Tarragon and the secrets that lay hidden beneath its surface. "That is an excellent idea, dear," Amelia mused, watching her son closely, "a change of perspective will help us see things more clearly." Cody considered his mother's words, knowing that her measured and thoughtful approach often served them well. Yet his adventurous spirit yearned for action. "I’m going to do a systems check on the engines,” he said jumping up from the Captain’s chair. “Don’t stay up too late, you need to be rested for tomorrow.” After Cody left the Bridge, Sam reached out and placed a comforting hand on Amelia's arm. "Did he just tell us it was bedtime?" Amelia nodded, her eyes filled with concern. "He's growing up to be a strong young man, but I still get anxious when he goes outside alone." "His uncles gave him built-in armor and an advanced weapon," Sam reassured her. "I have no doubt he will be fine." Amelia squeezed his hand tightly. "I suspect those tattoos are a biologically engineered organism that responds to his neurological system. I'm dying to put him under a microscope and examine them. But despite his strength, every person has a weakness, and I fear we won't find his in time." "That's where Fang comes in, right Fang?" Sam turned to the large, imposing figure standing behind them. "Yes, Dr. Branson," Fang replied with unwavering loyalty. "I will do everything in my power to protect him." A veil of stars glittered in the darkness outside the ship's viewport. Cody's eyes remained fixed on the planet below, a swirling mass of blues and greens that felt both familiar and alien all at once. "From up here," he murmured, watching the tribes' movements with a mixture of fascination and frustration, "it's like they're ants, going about their lives without knowing what's really happening." "Or who's watching," Tara added, her voice soft yet tinged with determination. "We'll find the answers we need, Cody. I just know it." Days passed in a tense, silent standoff. Amelia and Samuel Branson poured over endless streams of data, analyzing the tribes' behavior and searching for any clues about what happened to the colonists. Despite their efforts, the truth remained elusive, locked away in the past. Cody's impatience grew with each passing day, his fingers drumming against the armrests of the Captain's chair as he studied the landscape for anything out of the ordinary. The prairie tribe seemed more stable than the others, building shelters and hunting for food, while the forest tribes waged war upon one another. But nothing stood out as an obvious sign about what happened. "Another day, another mystery," he muttered, slumping deeper into his seat as exhaustion tugged at his mind. "Hey, look at this!" Tara suddenly exclaimed, her eyes widening as she stared at a series of images on the monitor. "Did you find something?" Cody asked hopefully, sitting up straighter in his chair. "Maybe," she replied, her voice cautious but excited. "I spotted the outline of what could be a manmade object, lying at the bottom of a mountain lake. It's hard to say for sure, but there's definitely something there." "Finally, a lead!" Cody grinned, feeling a spark of hope ignite within him. The ship's soft hum filled the air as Cody leaned closer to the view screen, his eyes scanning the terrain below. Tara's fingers danced across the console, refining the image of the mysterious object at the bottom of the mountain lake. Her luminescent eyes widened with excitement as the picture became clearer. “There’s a big storm down there right now, so I switched over to infra-red, that’s how I found it. I think it looks like a spaceship,” Tara exclaimed, her voice ringing with conviction and hope. Dr. Samuel Branson peered at the screen, his furrowed brow reflecting his analytical mind at work. “It’s certainly possible,” he agreed, nodding thoughtfully. Amelia joined her husband's side, her piercing blue eyes studying the landscape surrounding the lake. She pointed at a nearly ten-mile scar in the forest leading up to the water's edge. “This swath of tree growth looks newer than the surrounding area. This could indicate that the ship crash-landed and slid into the lake.” "The only problem with that is there are records that the colonists landed safely on the planet." added Sam, his brow furrowing in thought. “This would indicate that the ship didn't crash on landing, but during an attempted take-off. I would theorize that the colonists were attempting to leave, but never made it." Amelia held up a tablet with the colonists landing report to Earth. “They didn’t have enough fuel left to make it back into orbit. When they landed, it was a one way trip.” Cody traced his fingers along the path on the screen from the lake where the ship must have slid. His heart hammered in his chest as the implications of Sam’s words sank in. "What were they doing?” Whiskers was carefully inspecting the image of the object. “They had limited fuel, only enough for one short flight. They were trying to escape from something, and the lake offered their only protection.” “They crashed into the lake on purpose?” Cody asked. “That means their original landing spot was back this way. Let's go down to the lake, look around, and then follow this path back to where they came from." "Agreed," said Amelia, her voice steady but lined with concern. "But we must exercise caution. We don't know what else we might encounter down there." “We can make a good guess,” added Sam. “If they wanted to be in the lake… the threat was something big enough to warrant a desperate move; something that can’t swim.” Cody nodded, the weight of responsibility heavy on his young shoulders. He knew the stakes were high, and the answers they sought could change everything. But he couldn't turn back now; he was driven by a need to understand, to make sense of the mysteries that surrounded him. "Prepare for descent," he ordered, his voice firm despite the turmoil raging within him. "Fang, guide us to the lake and keep an eye out for any signs of danger." "Understood, Captain," Fang replied, his emerald glow pulsing with renewed focus. As the ship began its descent, Cody's thoughts churned like the turbulent waters of the lake below. He clenched his fists, his resolve unwavering. They were on the brink of a discovery that might lead him to The First Light’s whereabouts, and he was determined to see it through, no matter what obstacles lay ahead. Rain pelted the ship's hull, an insistent drumbeat accompanying their descent through the storm-wracked skies. The wind howled, a wild symphony that drowned out all but the most determined thoughts. "Almost there, Captain," Fang called out, his fingers dancing across the controls, guiding the ship with a grace born of both instinct and training. Cody gripped the armrests of the Captain's chair, his knuckles white with tension. As they descended, he couldn't help but wonder what the threat was that made the colonists attempt such a desperate escape. And what did it mean for those who remained on Tarragon? "Prepare for landing," he ordered, swallowing hard as the ship bucked and swayed beneath them. He could feel the force of the wind battering against them, and the thought of what might await them on the planet's surface sent shivers crawling down his spine. Fang nodded, his emerald glow flickering like a beacon amidst the chaos. "Brace yourselves," he warned, his voice low and urgent. "This won't be the smoothest touchdown." "Ready when you are, Fang," he said, his voice steady despite the turmoil within. And as the ship plunged through the tempest towards the unknown, he knew that they were one step closer to the truth they sought. "Here we go," muttered Tara, her eyes locked on the view screen, flickers of concern sparking in their luminescent depths. The ship’s landing gear absorbed much of the shock as the ship thudded down in the mud along the shore of the lake. "Touchdown complete," Fang announced, his voice a welcome anchor in the storm outside. "Good job, Fang," Cody replied, tearing his gaze away from the tempest to meet the eyes of his companions. "We'll wait until morning. Let's do a thorough scan for lifeforms until then, and everyone get some rest." Cody settled into a chair near the view window, watching the darkness outside, watching for the threat that had driven the colonists to crash their ship into a lake. The distant sound of the rain offered a strange comfort, a steady rhythm that seemed to echo the pulse of the planet itself.