MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS

IT was still dark, and the mist still swirled thickly, as the Tavona lifted silently into the sky. Conversation lapsed as gravitational pressure built; then, as that pressure eased, Professor Brane looked at Vargo. ‘Presumably we are going straight to Mars?’ he enquired.

‘No,’ Vargo surprised them by saying. ‘You may recall that the Group-Captain discovered another satellite circling your planet Earth. We have no record of such an object, so we are going to see exactly what the situation is.’

Tiger looked astonished. ‘I’d totally forgotten the incident, Vargo. I seem to remember it was the very first time that we went into Space.’

‘The path of this moon must be very unusual,’ explained Borron. ‘Due to the distance at which you saw it, a normal orbit would be impossible.’

‘Perhaps I was mistaken,’ suggested Tiger. ‘After all, I would have expected people on the ground to see this other moon.’

‘It would depend on its size,’ the Professor reminded them. ‘Anyway, this promises to be an interesting diversion.’

It was far more than that; though of course they did not know this at the time. It took several hours for Borron to find the suspected moon; as navigator, it was naturally his job to identify all objects in space. Rex was almost convinced that the task was useless, or that Tiger had indeed been mistaken in his identification, when Borron announced. ‘I see it. Gator, here are the co-ordinates.’

‘That will take us quite a way away from Earth,’ stated Gator. ‘Is that correct?’

Borron seemed pleased at what he had learned. ‘Yes. I have solved this particular mystery. The moon does not orbit the planet at all. Instead, it circles the Sun just like the Earth, and in the same orbit. Every so often, it draws close to your planet. It must have been on such an occasion that you spotted it. Even so, you must have had sharp eyes, since this object is very small.’

‘Really!’ The Professor raised his eyebrows. ‘How small, exactly?’

‘You will soon be able to gauge that for yourselves,’ Gator informed them. ‘We are approaching the object.’

All fell silent, as they saw a small and irregularly shaped asteroid come into view.

‘It’s astonishing to think that part of Kraka can have been thrown this far,’ said Toby thoughtfully. ‘I wonder how many other asteroids are out here, that no-one on Earth suspects?’

‘This is a very small piece of Kraka,’ the Professor observed. ‘It cannot be more than three or four miles across. But wait! What is that, on its surface?’

‘A spaceship,’ returned Borron laconically. ‘A crashed spaceship.’

Rex felt the pressure of Morino’s hand, and smiled nervously at her. He had often seen curious things in space, but they were normally very remote from Earth. This, on the other hand, was very close to home.

Although the asteroid, or moon, was very small, it dwarfed the stricken craft that they could now see on its surface. Rex swallowed, wondering what travellers had met an end in such a strange setting. Everyone was silent, looking at the wreckage.

‘I would not have expected such a thing in the Solar System,’ commented Vargo, staring out of the window at the craft below. ‘There is, of course, no way to know who long this ship has been here.’

‘Could we go closer?’ requested Tiger. ‘I would like to look at the spacecraft more closely.’

The Tavona drew nearer to the tiny world, and Rex could see details of the crashed ship. It was of a saucer shape, much like their own design, but flatter, and with a dark red ring around the upper section. He frowned; for some reason the ruined craft seemed familiar.

‘Is there any point in landing?’ The Professor put the question, and Rex smiled wanly. Professor Brane had almost limitless curiosity, and this was another example of this trait.

Gator shook his head. ‘With such a small world, such a manoeuvre would be dangerous. There would not be much to see, apart from a wrecked spacecraft, and of course bodies.’ He indicated the large crack in the hull of the saucer. ‘Nobody could have survived.’

‘Should we be concerned that this ship is here?’ asked Tiger. ‘By which I mean, could there be other such saucers in the vicinity.’

Vargo looked surprised. ‘You are worried about invasion.’

‘Such a threat would affect all of us,’ rejoined Toby. ‘That is, Mars, and also Mino and Lentos, are no distance from here, astronomically speaking.’

‘Of course.’ Vargo considered for a moment. ‘All I would say is, if there were several spaceships like this in the Solar System, our long-distance scouts would have seen them.’

‘You didn’t spot this one,’ Tiger pointed out.

Vargo shrugged. ‘This particular moon is very close to Earth, which would have made observation difficult. Alternatively, this spaceship may have been here for many years. Nothing decays in an airless environment such as this.’

‘I have a feeling that we’ve seen that particular type of ship before,’ volunteered Toby. ‘I can’t remember where. Most spacecraft seem to conform to just one design, so it’s difficult to identify the differences.’

Tiger was looking closely at the wreck. ‘Something strikes me. That ship can’t have been travelling very quickly when it came to grief.’

‘Why do you say that?’ enquired Gator with interest.

Tiger raised his eyebrows. ‘A crash is a crash, whether on Earth, or here. I’ve had to ditch a kite in the RAF. Even travelling comparatively slowly, the impact causes a lot of damage. That spacecraft is relatively intact.’

The Professor looked dubious. ‘So you are saying that this flying saucer meant to land here?’

‘I would say so, yes.’ Tiger turned to Gator. ‘Could we hover just above the wreck?’

The Tavona descended slowly, finishing only some thirty feet above the roof of the unknown craft.

Tiger pointed. ‘There. Do you see? It looks very much as if the ship tried to touch down, but wasn’t on an even keel, and may also have been moving just a touch too fast. Notice the landing legs on the left side? They’re bent and twisted. I would wager that the pilot did his best, but his craft hit hard, which bent those legs. It then bounced, and came down for the second time, hard enough to break open the hull. Can you see the scuff marks in the dust? That’s where the ship slid at the second impact.’

Everyone looked in silence, trying to replay the scene in their minds. ‘That sounds very likely,’ admitted Vargo after a pause. ‘So now, Group-Captain, can you tell me why the spaceship tried to land here? That, surely, is inexplicable.’

‘You’ve got me there,’ returned Tiger ruefully. He looked around. ‘Does anyone else have any ideas?’

‘Perhaps they were off course,’ suggested Morino.

‘Or ill,’ contributed Rex.

‘Both are possibilities,’ agreed the Professor. ‘This spaceship may be just what it seems – a crash, where some people unfortunately lost their lives.’ He glanced across at Borron, who was busy with one of his instruments. ‘How are your measurements going, Borron?’

‘Almost finished.’ Rex watched with interest as the navigator spun several small counters on the device, and read off a number on a dial. ‘This is certainly a remarkable little world. Again I must congratulate you on finding it just by sight.’

‘Do you think the scientists on Earth will ever discover it?’ asked Morino.

‘Most of our scientists seem to be employed making bigger and better atomic bombs,’ commented Toby sourly.

The Professor nodded soberly. ‘Yet there are excellent astronomers on our planet. Many of them would give almost anything to be here with us, high above the atmosphere.’ He thought for a few seconds. ‘Someone else may find this strange little asteroid in the future; if not by sight, then perhaps through its gravitational attraction on other bodies. I am certainly not going to report its discovery. This does mean, I’m afraid, Group-Captain, that you cannot claim the credit for your discovery. I hope that does not cause you too much distress.’

‘I understand your reasons perfectly,’ said Tiger, smiling. ‘I’m not distressed in the least.’

The Tavona turned away from the lonely little world. For some time, the discussion was of the wreck they had just seen. It was agreed that, in the absence of any further evidence, the discovery should not give any cause for concern. Conversation then lapsed as everyone became busy with their own thoughts.

Finally, however, the Professor looked up from the notes he had been making, and addressed Vargo. 'So, what news from Mars?' he inquired.

'Things are getting busier all the time,' Vargo returned. 'As you know the population is increasing, as families return home. Fortunately our crops are excellent, and now we are getting regular showers of rain, so we do not need to irrigate as much.'

'Rain?' queried Toby. 'I didn't realise there was that much moisture in the Martian atmosphere.'

'There is a lot stored in the Martian soil,' the Professor reminded him. 'Now that Vargo and his friends are cultivating the land again, the water vapour is being released. But do go on, my dear fellow. Presumably the Council is planning ahead for the future?'

Vargo nodded. 'It will take years to return Mars to its former glory,' he asserted, 'but thanks to you and your companions, there are no obstacles to our regrowth. In fact, the Council is planning to erect a monument to you, Professor.'

The Professor looked stunned. 'Goodness me!' he ejaculated. 'I hardly think that's necessary. How embarrassing. I do hope that the Council changes its mind.' He smiled briefly. 'Then again, I was hoping that we would be allowed to carry out some further exploring, and we do need the Council's permission for that.'

'There won't be any trouble about that,' Vargo assured him. 'The Tavona, and its crew, will always be at your disposal.' He paused, then said diffidently, ‘There is something else that you may surprising.’

The Professor looked expectant. ‘Well?’

‘You no doubt remember Rolto. Ever since he and you met, he has persisted in seeing you as a threat.’

Tiger snorted in disgust. ‘And for no reason. In fact, we’ve saved his life a couple of times, yet he’s always gone back to distrusting us.’

‘But no longer,’ Vargo astonished them by saying. ‘Rolto has, at last, decided that you, and Earth, are harmless.’

‘After all this time?’ Rex interjected. ‘But why?’

Vargo smiled faintly. ‘Perhaps he realised the truth.’

‘And perhaps there’s more to it than that,’ Tiger put in cynically. ‘Am I right?’

Vargo nodded. ‘Rolto wished to become a member of the High Council. He was told that was not possible unless he promised never to act or speak against you. He agreed.’

‘And what’s to stop him changing his mind again?’ inquired Toby cynically.

Morino unexpectedly stepped into the conversation. ‘To join the High Council,’ she explained, ‘a person must take an oath, promising to carry out the Council’s wishes at all times. To my knowledge, no-one has ever broken such an oath.’

‘That is correct,’ agreed Borron. ‘It would be considered a very serious offence.’

‘As a result of this,’ continued Vargo, ‘Rolto is now a junior Councillor.’

After a long pause, it was Professor Brane’s turn to speak. ‘Dear-dear. So finally, ambition has made Rolto behave.’

‘I’m still not convinced,’ maintained Tiger stubbornly. ‘We may yet see Rolto as an enemy, as in the past.’

‘I think this may be a genuine change of heart, Group-Captain.’ The Professor smiled briefly. ‘After all, Rolto will soon get used to his position of responsibility. He won’t want to do anything to jeopardise it.’

‘Rolto has many skills,’ Rex admitted grudgingly. ‘If he is on our side now, that could be useful.’

‘We shall see,’ said Vargo simply. ‘Time will tell, as I believe your phrase goes.’

Silence fell.

Although Rex was now well accustomed to space travel, it nevertheless remained true that every space journey remained tedious, purely because of the vast distances to be travelled. This journey was between planets of the solar system, and for that reason, the Tavona could not attain the speeds necessary for travelling through interstellar space. At least this meant that his home planet Earth was in view. He watched as it receded, hoping, as always, that they would return there without mishap.

As time passed, Mars grew in size from a red point to a visible disc. Earth, on the other hand, visibly shrank, until it and the Moon became a beautiful double star, growing ever dimmer. As usual, a feeling of homesickness swept over him. Seeing Morino, however, cheered him considerably.

Eventually Rex tilted his seat, and it obediently formed a comfortable bed. Most of the others were doing the same thing, leaving only the crew at their stations. He soon fell asleep, and when he woke, Mars was looming large.

As the ship descended slowly into the Martian atmosphere, Rex noticed the clouds below him, which of course had already been discussed. He saw that the Tavona was moving across the desert to the west of the capital city they had called Utopia. In places the sand had been replaced by trees and crops, with settlements that were obviously new. He was surprised to see how quickly the work was proceeding. He cast his mind back only a few years to when Mars had looked dead, having been abandoned by its former inhabitants. 'There's a lot of building work,' he observed.

'There is,' replied Gator. 'When we get to the spaceport, you will see that the landing surface is bigger, as well. Now that there are more and more ships, they all need a safe amount of space to manoeuvre in. Our ships may take off and land vertically, but we still have to avoid accidents.'

‘Of course you can build houses very close to the spaceport,’ observed the Professor. ‘Not only do your ships function without a need for a long landing strip, they are also silent.’

‘Almost silent,’ agreed Gator. ‘We discovered the principles on which our spaceships operate many centuries ago. Sooner or later, Earth scientists will do the same.’

'What's that?' said Tiger suddenly. The others followed the direction of his pointing finger. Below was the shape of a crashed flying saucer, some miles from the city boundaries.

‘Good Heavens!’ said the Professor, alarmed. ‘I never expected to see such a spectacle. Your spaceships are so reliable.’

‘It is not one of our ships,’ returned Vargo, staring down. ‘In fact, it looks very like the one we were studying, some hours ago.’

The Professor uttered an exclamation. ‘Dolt that I am. I must confess that I assumed this was one of your spacecraft. It does resemble that ship, I would agree.’

Rex looked down. It was difficult to see from this height, but it seemed as if a fence, or barrier of some sort, had been set up around the crash.

'We ought to take a look at this,' said Tiger. 'Is there any chance of our getting closer?’

‘Would that be possible, please, Gator?’ The Professor looked around. ‘I would like to see exactly what has happened here.'

'I don't think that we should get too close,' advised Vargo. 'If people have thought it necessary to erect a fence, then there may be danger. If we land at the spaceport, no doubt we shall find out what the position is.'

The Professor looked doubtful, but eventually nodded. 'As you say, Vargo. We could perhaps go a little lower, but not land. There may be a good reason for that barrier.'

'This ship is surely identical to the other one,' said Rex in a thoughtful voice.

'That implies that the first one crashed only recently,' suggested Toby.

'Very possibly,' agreed the Professor. 'There is a slight difference, I would say. That ship had a red ring. This one has a green one. And you know, I am sure that we have seen a spaceship like this before today. That is, the shape is very familiar somehow.'

Gator moved a lever, and the ship descended, and then remained motionless, hovering some two hundred feet above the crashed vessel. 'It does seem very familiar', admitted Tiger. 'But where - yes. Of course. Do you remember our adventures on Krona?'

'Krona?' echoed Toby. 'Wasn't that the planet where the inhabitants lived for hundreds of years? '

'That's right,' contributed the Professor. 'We decided it was because of their diet. If I remember, that consisted of beans, in a pretty shade of blue. Dear-dear.' He chuckled. 'I spent some time trying to grow the beans in pots of Earth soil, just to see if the plants would survive in Scotland. It wasn't even as if they tasted very good.'

'It is the same sort of ship', insisted Rex. 'That dark ring around the dome is distinctive. The one that Tiger shot down had a ring like that.' He frowned. 'They were space pirates of a sort, weren't they? They wanted to capture the Kronans to make them slaves. Tiger brought one of the ships down, but by the time we got to it, another ship had picked up all the people on board.'

'I admit, this is somewhat alarming,' said the Professor, looking hard at the crashed spaceship. 'Let us hope that these people have not decided to look for slaves in our Solar System.'

'Alarming is the word,' put in Toby. 'A while ago, we saw one of these ships which had crashed on that asteroid, and now another one has come down on Mars. Something's up, evidently.'

'Let us go down and ask the people at the spaceport', suggested Vargo, practically. 'They will probably have more knowledge of this than we do.'

The Tavona moved away, towards the city of Utopia.