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Part 1, 2, 3, 4
I must say that the local library was not much different from ours, earthly. Here you could also find both e-books and old manuscripts.
I preferred, of course, the electronic version, so it was easier for me to translate texts into the terrestrial language with the help of the device.After a while, I already had a definite idea of the history and development of this planet.
In particular, I learned that the development of the planet did not differ much from the development of the Earth, maybe, therefore, they were so similar to each other. The development of society as well as on Earth passed several similar stages, so I will not dwell on this. I will only say that modern society seemed to be quite harmonious, where everyone from birth knew to what class he belongs and what he will have to do in life.
Although ... it is unlikely that I myself would want to be in any framework dictated to me by society, yet on Earth, the society is organized more democratically, everyone has the right to achieve more than to him given from birth.
Much more interest, however, for me was information about who such mysterious monsters are, because of which the inhabitants of the planet outside the city can move only at night.
Nothing concrete, unfortunately, I did not find. Only in one document, I found a reference to the fact that these creatures appeared shortly after an alien ship landed on the planet, having suffered an accident. The locals warmly greeted the aliens, helped them with materials to repair the ship and said goodbye, and after a while, the first attack of the mysterious beast occurred, and from that very moment, no one risked a walk in the woods in the daytime. Unfortunately, there was not one eyewitness who could give at least some description of the mysterious predator, who was ready to take a risk for the sake of meeting him face to face, too, was not there. People chose to just try not to get in the way.
I was also interested in everything that concerned the exploration of outer space. As it turned out, interest in space here can be considered passive. No ships were built here, no one was going to fly to other stars. All the study of space was limited only to the construction of an observatory, the compilation of stellar maps and attempts to catch a signal emanating from some remote point of space.
A lot of time I had to spend time studying the maps of the starry sky. Since I'm still not a navigator, but just a biologist, I found the Earth with great difficulty. How far away she was. My hope to return home was ever melting ...
I could only hope that the stranger about whom I was told will turn out to be someone from our team, and together we can, perhaps, come up with something.
A trip to the local observatory also did not please me. Telescopes turned out to be weak, designed for the townsfolk, in general, we had to hope that in the scientific town they would be suitable for viewing the more remote corners of the Universe and reaching for Mother Earth.
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And again in the way ...
Finally, the day came when we set off again. By this point, I already began to yearn for adventure, too quietly and peacefully went live in this town.
This time we walked in the afternoon, and at night rested in the small villages that came along the way. Foreign creatures no longer bothered us, either because before the exit we applied some special ointment to the body, or because this area was more populated.
We will not dwell on our journey in detail, it did not differ much from the previous one. About a week later we came to the right place. It was a small town in the center of which was a research center, and around it was small, neat little houses, in which lived the scientists and staff. The layout of the streets and the architecture of the buildings here were clear, strict forms without any excesses. Even the flower beds were clear geometric shapes. We stopped in a small, but pretty, cozy hotel. Putting ourselves in order and resting, we got to the town to get a better look.
Frankly, we did not find anything super-original, everything was somehow standard.
But they learned how to get to the scientific observatory. It was located on the outskirts, but when we approached it, we were not allowed inside. It turns out that in order to get inside, you need to get a pass in the administration building of the scientific town, which was in the center of the village. I tried to find out something about the stranger that appeared not so long ago, but even politely refused to answer these questions. All only after the presentation of the document on the right to go to the territory of the observatory. Since it was already late, we had no choice but to go back to the hotel and leave all business on the morning of the next day.
In the hotel, I took out my notebook and brought back everything that happened to us during the trip, listening to Iya's chirping in one ear and sometimes nodding in agreement, even though I did not even particularly dig into her story. My thoughts were occupied by another. I was anxiously awaiting the moment when I could finally meet a mysterious stranger, as well as visit the observatory and talk with local scientists.
Even when we went to bed, I for a long time tossed and turned from side to side and could not fall asleep. When, after all, I managed to forget myself by some heavy, restless sleep, it was almost morning, and soon I was already bothering me, trying to wake up.
I had to work hard to get up. I did not get enough sleep, I had a bad headache, but I decided not to give up. In vain, if that we have come so long. So I swallowed the pill, drinking it with a sip of water. Then we quickly snacked, ordered food straight to the room, and went about their business. Get a pass to the observatory was not difficult. I had only to answer a number of questions, and all, one thing was done. We walked along the promenade. The weather was warm, sunny, there were silence and calm around. During the conversation, we did not notice how we got to our goal. Today we have already met much more affable. Checking the pass, we were allowed inside the building and told where to find the main astrologer. It turned out to be quite nice to look at and still quite a young man named York. he took us to his office and inquired about the purpose of our visit.
I told him my story about how I found myself on this planet and that I would like to meet a stranger who not so long ago appeared here. However, as it turned out, today I was not destined to see him, he went on an expedition with one of the scientists of the observatory and had to return in two or three days. Judging by the story of York, this man could well have been one of the crew members of my ship. Before meeting him, I asked York to allow me to get acquainted with the work of the observatory, talk with her other employees, see the maps of the starry sky. I also asked him to tell at least briefly what is being done for them to study the space, what successes and achievements they have achieved, whether they flew to the stars and how far.
York said that flights have been made so far only to nearby planets, but the construction of a spacecraft capable of overcoming hyperspace is planned. By flying on it, a group of astronauts is being prepared in passing, and presumably, my earthly friend advises them and is going to fly with them.
Now he went to inspect the site for a new cosmodrome.
Also, York told that on the planet several times landed alien ships, coming from other, including, and distant galaxies, with whom they established fairly close trade ties. The only pity is that they do not arrive as often as we would like. But there was still a problem in the old cosmodrome, not adapted to receive large ships. With the construction of a new, modern spaceport this problem had to be resolved. During conversations, time passed by unnoticed. It was completely dark outside the window, and York suddenly suggested that I go up to the observation deck, promising to show something extraordinary, something that I could not have seen before and nowhere.
Intrigued, I naturally agreed. Tired of the idleness of Iye, which our scholarly conversations were not very interesting, this proposal was not in the right direction, but, reluctantly, she also agreed to this walk. Lifting up on the elevator took only a few seconds. When we got out of it, a fresh, warm breeze blew in our faces. On the observation platform stood several small telescopes, more like a large telescope. Approaching one of them, York led him to the north-west, looked at him, pointed at something I thought was an object, and suggested that I look into the lens. At first, I saw nothing but a dark sky with stars shining on it, but after a while, I suddenly noticed that a bright fire flower was unfolding in front of me.
Photo by Sebastian Kanczok on Unsplash
It was such an enchanting sight that I was at first surprised and astonished even numb for a while. After a while, I could breathe a little, could whisper: "This is a fantasy!" Yes, I confess that I have never seen anything like this on any planet where I was fortunate enough to visit." Yes, there is something similar on the Earth, and it's called the Northern Lights, but ... what I saw here was many times greater than the beauty and scale of this unique phenomenon. It is difficult even to describe in words all those paints that flowed with precious stones in the night sky. It lasted for about fifteen minutes, then the paints began to gradually fade, until the picture of an unknown artist melted completely.
Do I need to tell what impression I was from what I saw. After I came to, I fell asleep with questions from York, to which he hardly had time to answer. Actually, the nature of this phenomenon was no different from the terrestrial northern lights. Is that there were bright colors in it, and it appeared in the form of a blossoming beautiful flower. It could not be seen often, just twice a month, and today was the day when you could enjoy this fantastically beautiful spectacle.
We returned to the hotel far after midnight, barely parted, took a shower and chopped off in full. This night I dreamed only of color, bizarre dreams. We got up already closer to noon, or had breakfast, or already had dinner right in the room. I went back to the observatory. Iya refused to go with me, referring to the fact that she was absolutely uninteresting there, and she would rather visit her acquaintances than sit in a stuffy office and listen to our incomprehensible conversations. I did not insist, feeling guilty in front of her. Indeed, why should a young girl spend her time on something that is uninteresting to her and never useful in life.
This day I devoted to acquaintance with the stellar maps of that part of the Galaxy, where the solar system of the planet on which I found myself is. On the first of them there was not one of the constellations or planets familiar to me, and it did not represent any value for me. The staff member of the observatory to whom I was attached, something made clear about those planetary systems with which the world's trade relations existed.
"Nasha ..." - with a sad smile I whispered softly. I, that, already resigned to the fact that I'll never go home? No, I will definitely find a way out. It must be, in the end. On the other map, at its furthest point, the star patterns familiar to me were discovered, and my mood began to rise, and it was hoped that I could find a way to Earth. I was quite uplifted when I heard that the person for whom I had come here should return to the town the next morning.
Finally, I'll meet with him, I thought. If only he really was the one I thought about ...
The next morning I got up light, not dawn, quickly put myself in order, ate a light breakfast and almost ran to the observatory. A little breathing from excitement, I crossed the threshold of the cabinet of York and stopped ... My heart was beating so hard that I almost choked on the feelings that flooded me.
Next to York was the same one, the only one I had long loved, waited and hoped that I would see him again.
To be continued...
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