This post started off as a one-off response to a writing prompt in the Freewriters Community. Then I wrote a part 2 (with the outcome literally determined by a coin toss).
But that naturally leads to a part 3, which is where this short series comes in. I felt that doing it in just one post really wouldn't give enough time to build up a bit of suspense 😀 Enjoy !
Image created by AI in NightCafe Studio
"I'm calling this emergency meeting to order."
Governor Dafang spoke with a clear, authoritative tone. It was met with an immediate response from Ribbin Garnes, the Chief Administrator, who was also his deputy for the Meranda IV colony.
"I have a formal objection, Governor. What is he doing here ? The inclusion of low ranking staff is clearly outside standard protocol." Garnes indicated with a backhand wave the seated figure of Beyl Wardek, the pilot.
Wardek, tidier than earlier, now in the full dress uniform of the Colonial Gendarmerie nodded his grey-haired head slightly. "Well, I'm happy to leave you gents to it, if you prefer."
"No. Stay." Governor Dafang fixed Garnes with a cool look.
"Mr Garnes, I appreciate your care for normal protocols, but these are not normal events. Pilot Wardek is here not just as a witness to what we saw at Greenfields, but also because he's the nearest thing to a military officer on the planet. We should seek the benefit of such experience. Or did you have a career in the military before joining the Colonial Administrative Service that wasn't mentioned in your personnel file, Mr Garnes ?"
The Chief Administrator didn't reply, he just harumphed slightly and clicked open a dataslate.
After a brief pause to see if there were any other immediate objections, Dafang looked around the spartan conference room at the half dozen assembled experts and asked the question that was on everyone's mind.
"So, are we under attack ? Are these the first moves of a Confed infiltration force preliminary to an invasion ?"
Terik Halfmann, the colony's astro-physicist, was the first to speak up. "If we are, Governor, I don't believe it's the Confederacy. Mr Wardek, would you agree that it's not their style, that they'd aim for maximum terror rather than just creating a mystery ?"
Wardek nodded. "Yes. If it was the Slavers we'd have burning villages and evidence of abduction. It's clinical enough to be the Einheriar, but then we'd have evidence of weapon-fire and bodies everywhere. Could there be some kind of geological explanation ? After all, we've only been here for four years, it's a brand new colony. Do we know everything about the place yet ?"
This time the colony's geologist responded. "I doubt it. Before the first colony ship landed there were extensive surveys. They highlighted how cold and dry the planet was, but gave Meranda a clean bill of health when it came to astrological, geological or other hazards."
Garnes sat up straighter in his plastic chair. The look of mild disgust in his expression was clear, despite his alien features. "It's clear no-one has any idea whatsoever what is going on. I propose we submit a request to Colony Central for an Investigative Supervision Team."
Dafang knew what that meant; he'd have to step aside as an interim Governor conducted the investigation.
He'd only resume his role if the investigation both solved the problem and was convinced he personally had done everything by the book while doing everything possible to solve the issue. He noted mentally that Garnes had gone straight to an Investigative Supervision Team rather than an Investigative Assistance Team.
Not for the first time, he wondered how much influence Garnes had in the higher echelons.
It was Wardek who interrupted his train of thought. "With respect, Chief Administrator, I think we should gather more information. Then we can go to Colony Central with something more than a few missing goats and a mystery."
Dafang saw Garnes gearing himself up to a carefully calculated outburst of outrage at being contradicted by what he saw as a mere taxi driver. He chuckled inwardly, then rendered judgement.
"Exactly right, Mr Wardek. I appreciate your insight. Before we speak to Colony Central, let's see what we can find out."
He paused, and waved a hand over his desk to activate a command switch.
"This is an urgent directive to all settlements. By order of the Governor within twenty four hours every settlement will establish a minimum of two stations watching over them from a distance of at least two kilometres and have a stealth drone airborne, all submitting live data to ColonyCloud. Greenfields settlement was subject to an incident, and although we believe a repeat is unlikely we want to be in a position to gather more data if it is repeated."
Five hundred miles away, the administrator of Merry Hollow was just locking up his office for the day when the directive appeared onscreen. He looked at it and shrugged.
"More bureaucracy but no supply of the septic tanks we requested. I'll deal with it tomorrow...."
Previous posts in this series;
- @alonicus/24-january-2025-mariannewests-freewrite-writing-prompt-day-2626-mother-love - the post that started it all, and introduced the spine-spiders
- @alonicus/escape-from-the-caves-of-meranda-iv - the sequel, where the science team escapes back to base and recommends the planet not be colonised. They were too late.
- @alonicus/the-colony-on-meranda-iv-part-1 - we meet the Governor Dafang and get the first hints that the colony isn't going to plan
- @alonicus/the-colony-on-meranda-iv-part-2 - Governor Dafang takes a trip to the Greenfields settlement, only to find it is not there any more