Chapter Four: Tracing the Origins

Page 1 of 3

At midday on the planet Quartpa, the dark red rays of its parent star bathed the surface in a crimson glow. The mantis-folk and native Quartpans descended one after another from their lofty aerial dwellings to the ground plaza, gathering to witness the grand military review orchestrated by the planetary chief, Abbot. In a vast square, the Quartpa army stood in formidable formation—interstellar warriors brandishing an array of weapons, arrayed in perfect ranks, awaiting the chief’s inspection.

Chief Abbot addressed them: “Esteemed generals, valiant warriors, distinguished scientists, beloved compatriots, greetings! Today marks the anniversary of our liberation from the Celtan colonial yoke. Our ancestors won their freedom through might, and for this we owe everything to our courageous soldiers, visionary scientists, and brilliant strategists. Quartpans shall never again suffer at the hands of alien civilizations. Today, for all to see, we unveil the latest marvels from our great military scientists—a new weapon, both for defense and offense.”

Hovering above the plaza, a small disc-shaped craft descended to the center. An interstellar warrior emerged from the vessel, waving the antennae atop his head to transmit waves of speech to the crowd, introducing the weapon he was about to demonstrate. The audience, brimming with curiosity, murmured excitedly, eager for a glimpse of the army’s new arsenal.

The warrior produced a transparent bullet, no larger than a pigeon’s egg. The onlookers observed in amazement as the bullet passed through objects, even living bodies, without any physical effect. The warrior, swaying his two antennae, explained, “This is only a demonstration; the bullet is currently inert. Its main component is a mononeutrino, extracted from dark matter—the smallest unit of the dark realm. It can endlessly accelerate gravitons of normal matter, in effect amplifying gravity. In theory, it could cause this entire planet beneath our feet to collapse instantly into a neutron star. We call this a fusion-type black hole bullet.”

The assembled Quartpans and mantis-folk gasped and marveled at the display.

The interstellar warrior continued, “Now, let me introduce another weapon, and give you a live demonstration of its power. By coincidence, a small asteroid with a diameter of twenty kilometers is approaching Quartpa at great speed. It is now only 150 million kilometers away, posing a grave threat to our safety. At the direction of Military Director Sade, we shall use this new weapon to destroy the incoming asteroid. Please turn your attention to the plaza’s large screen.”

All eyes were fixed on the stage. The warrior placed a bullet, similar in shape and size to a sniper round, onto a small launch rack and pressed the firing button. The bullet traveled so swiftly that it was invisible to the naked eye. The warrior urged everyone to watch the large screen. The audience, antennae quivering with tension, saw on the screen an asteroid hurtling toward Quartpa. Like a bolt of lightning, the bullet struck the asteroid, which exploded in a brilliant burst of light and heat, dispersing in all directions. The entire plaza shook their antennae in salute to the warrior, who reciprocated with his own sweeping gestures and the undulation of his four tentacle-like arms.

He then explained, “The core function of this bullet is that the special energy released upon detonation alters the direction of all gravitons within a certain radius, turning attraction into repulsion. Thus, mass is instantly transformed into energy, radiating outward. We call this a fission-type black hole bullet.”

He also informed the public that these weapons had been widely deployed in Quartpa’s outer space to counter the frequent asteroid and meteor strikes that plagued the planet due to its lack of an atmosphere. The public watched on the plaza’s screen as countless meteoroids and asteroids were obliterated by the army’s fission-type black hole bullets as they crossed the planet’s orbit.

The crowd, overjoyed and beside themselves with pride, watched as a mantis-folk individual flew onto the stage, apparently with urgent news for the chief.

“What business do you have with the chief? May I convey your message?” inquired one of the chief’s guards.

The mantis-folk replied, “Director Yanan of the Space Administration requests the chief’s immediate presence.”

The guard relayed the message at once, and Chief Abbot, with his attendants and guards, proceeded to the place of Yanan’s invitation.

Yanan came straight to the point. “Honored chief, thank you for coming. I am perplexed. The Koss team, upon completing their survey, unexpectedly recovered an artifact—created by some form of life—on their return journey. (It was Voyager 1, launched by the Earthlings.) The device is exceedingly primitive, yet curiously, it bears biological traces almost identical to those of the Tarl race.”

Chief Abbot first instructed all attendants, including Yanan’s mantis-folk assistant, to wait outside, leaving only himself, Yanan, and Koss to confer. Previously, all participating scientists had recommended discarding the device as rubbish, so it had never been reassembled; its components still lay neatly arranged. The earlier batch of scientists and technicians was absent, so the chief requested a summary of their conclusions.

Yanan said, “Honored chief, the scientists and technicians I invited showed no interest in the artifact and have all departed. However, I can download and reconstruct my memory of their discussions for your reference.”

Page 2 of 3

Chief Abbot replied, “That would be splendid. I am eager to hear the experts’ judgments.”

Yanan promptly composed himself, closed his eyes, and, swaying his antennae atop his head, sent a faint bioelectric wave to a conical screen. The screen began to rotate, projecting a three-dimensional holographic replay of the scientists’ debate around Voyager 1. Chief Abbot watched attentively as the experts shared their findings, especially the biologists’ discovery of traces nearly identical to the Tarl. The chief, his resolve firm, made a decisive directive: the device must not be treated lightly. The Tarl had twice invaded Quartpa, once deploying biological weapons that had long terrorized the populace, and they had also engaged in the large-scale artificial modification and creation of unnatural life forms, actions condemned by many interstellar civilizations. Though the artifact was technically primitive and posed no real threat to Quartpa, the traces it bore—so closely resembling the Tarl—warranted utmost caution. As the supreme leader of Quartpa, Chief Abbot ordered Director Yanan to identify the device’s creator and clarify the matter thoroughly. Yanan, in turn, instructed Koss to begin a provenance investigation at once.

Koss said, “We must reflect on my own negligence—your caution is wise, chief. Very well, I shall gladly cooperate with Director Yanan and initiate a full provenance inquiry, and will provide you both with a satisfactory answer.”

Koss reconvened the recently returned survey team to discuss the artifact’s origins. After the meeting, he assigned the provenance investigation to the young, innovative, and highly responsible Conden, providing him with three mantis-folk assistants for support. Thus commenced the investigation into Voyager 1.

Conden instructed one of the mantis-folk, “Please restore the artifact and bring it to my office.”

Thanks to advanced technology, the assistants were equipped with antigravity modules. Unburdened by gravity, the three mantis-folk floated gracefully, like feathers, into the secret chamber where the artifact was stored. Their cooperation was seamless, and they soon reassembled the artifact and delivered it to Conden’s office.

Koss said, “Please extract and provide the data on the time, speed, and trajectory of the artifact’s capture.”

Conden replied, “All such data are recorded in my work journal. According to the biologists, since the creators strongly resemble the Tarl, they must rely on planets with atmospheres and require water and oxygen for survival. Therefore, I plan to prioritize our search in star systems similar to the Tarl’s, in hopes of more easily finding the source planet.”

Koss said, “Proceed as you see fit. I care little for process, but I demand results. Begin immediately, and report any developments at once.”

Conden instructed the mantis-folk assistants to prepare an optical telescope and commenced the search in the designated regions. Quartpan optical telescopes were highly advanced, combining gravitational waves, light waves, and microwave background radiation—capable of precisely detecting the composition, temperature, spectra, and gravitational properties of luminous sources.

The mantis-folk assistant’s keen eyes scanned the edge of the Milky Way, as directed by Conden, reviewing numerous star systems. When the telescope swept past a yellow dwarf, the assistant took note—a planetary transit was causing a solar eclipse. As the planet crossed the star’s face, changes in the starlight’s spectrum revealed the presence of an atmosphere—just what Conden sought. After careful observation, the assistant reported the find to Conden.

In a fully transparent office, Koss had just finished a cup of Quartpan nutrient (M-liquid) and was basking in the light of the parent star to aid digestion when Conden, elated, floated to him. Koss sensed Conden’s excitement.

Koss asked, “Have you found the origin of the artifact?”

Conden replied, “At the Milky Way’s edge, orbiting a medium-sized yellow dwarf, is a planet remarkably similar to the Tarl homeworld. This blue planet has an atmosphere rich in methane, oxygen, water, and other elements essential to Tarl survival. Moreover, it is broadcasting physical waves of many wavelengths into space. What excites me most is that the planet features structures resembling the Tarl’s hallmark architecture—pyramids. Their characteristics suggest an understanding of the Pythagorean theorem.” Koss was astonished and resolved to investigate personally.

After careful study, Koss reported to Yanan, “After multiple surveys, we have narrowed the search to the Milky Way’s edge. The creators of the artifact are most likely on a planet orbiting a yellow dwarf there.”

Yanan said, “If that is confirmed, the situation is indeed peculiar. Are the Tarl involved? Or are they intending to exploit this system, and for what purpose? Could they pose a threat to Quartpa?”

Page 3 of 3

Koss said, “We must not take this lightly. The unknown is the gravest of dangers. Should we dispatch astronauts to conduct a field investigation? Director, you might wish to consult Chief Abbot for his opinion.”

As ever cautious and serious, Director Yanan instructed Koss to continue observing the planet and, as a next step, prepared to report to Chief Abbot.

After further observations, Koss returned to Yanan’s office. “My latest analysis confirms that the artifact does indeed originate from that blue planet. Its emissions and surface spectra match the Tarl habitat almost exactly, especially the magnetic field and methane-rich atmosphere. Most astonishingly, the few triangular structures are likely the work of the Tarl, or constructions guided by them.”

Yanan replied, “I have already held substantive discussions with the chief. He is launching a new initiative. Prepare yourself: you may be tasked with leading a team to land on and investigate the blue planet. This mission is of immense importance—perhaps it concerns the fate of our civilization, or perhaps it is of no consequence at all.”

As expected, the chief ordered a scientific expedition to the suspect planet for investigation.

At the chief’s invitation, Yanan led the Koss team to an audience with him. In a chamber unbound by gravity, the imposing Chief Abbot floated at the center while Director Yanan led Koss and the team in a stately, well-ordered procession into the room.

Yanan declared, “The great Quartpa Space Administration team salutes the chief.” The team members, following Quartpan protocol, performed a ceremonial dance—octopus-like limbs and bee-like antennae moving in perfect synchrony. The ritual soon concluded.

Chief Abbot spoke, “Thank you all for coming. I have summoned you for a mission of great consequence. I trust in your ability to deliver satisfactory results. It has been many years since Quartpa suffered an alien incursion, and I fear many of our people have grown complacent. This is a dangerous state of affairs. Today, I must warn you: our enemies may be watching, danger may be drawing near. Our ignorance is our greatest peril. It falls to you to uncover the truth.”

With that, Chief Abbot used his laser pointer to project the artifact before the assembly. Yanan’s team seemed well prepared, understanding the chief’s deep concern regarding the artifact’s provenance, its creators, and the purpose behind its journey (Voyager 1) to the Quartpa system.

Chief Abbot said, “If you are not ignorant of history, you know well the trials our civilization has endured, and the crisis we now face.”

Yanan answered, “Our present peace rests upon the twin pillars of advanced science and formidable military power. Our present danger is our fading vigilance.”

The chief agreed, “Yanan is correct. I require strict discipline from you all. Your mission to the Solar System must be carried out with utmost diligence and secrecy.”

Yanan replied, “As you command.”

With that, Yanan and his team departed the chief’s chamber in perfect order, returning to their offices to further discuss the journey to the Milky Way’s edge, the planned visit to the Solar System, and the impending landing on Earth.