[size=2]The various sensors being used by the scout picked up curious differences in the formation and composition of a number of the isolated peaks, while closer inspection suggested that they might be artificial constructions. In addition, the mountains displaying these phenomena appeared to be the focal point of what could only be described as roads of some kind. The vessel remained in a tight orbit for several days, maintaining a constant observation, but there was no sign of life among these odd sites. Eventually it was decided to move into the thin atmosphere of the planet, and selecting one of the peaks, the ship moved in. As it approached it became obvious that these were indeed the handiwork of a highly skilled intelligence.
Composed of a variety of materials, an interlinked complex of structures had been built covering most of the steep rock, but of its occupants there was no sign. As the ship closed it became apparent that the settlement had not been maintained for a long time, and the elements had taken their toll. Some structures had collapsed entirely and others would soon follow despite the massiveness of their construction. There were few apertures in the surfaces of the many buildings, the overall impression being of a fortification of some kind. The roads that radiated out from the base were being reclaimed by the thick forests and their surfaces were dotted with sprouting vegetation.
During one of the early treks in this terrain they stumbled across an area containing a number of large cobweb-like structures. They were composed of an immensely strong material which defied analysis, and in places, were so thickly distributed that it was impossible to pass. They seemed to be concentrated in specific areas with clear ground between. After circumventing several of these remarkable phenomena, the team saw another ahead of them. They were reluctant to make yet another detour, and were on the point of retracing their steps when one of the parties noticed an unusual rock structure in the heart of the webby mass. Whereas the terrain had always been jagged and angular, this outcrop was smoother and stood apart from the jumble of stone surrounding it. They decided to get as close as possible in order to take a holovid record before returning to base, and clambered over the crags towards it. The closer they approached, the more unnatural the object looked, until they suddenly realized that this was no rock formation.
As they stood at the edge of the web-field, they stared in bewilderment at the unmistakable outline of a spacecraft. It was even possible to identify the ship as belonging to a type that had been developed during the earlier years of planetary settlement. Although the ship had obviously made a crash landing, it had not been destroyed, but time and the elements had taken their toll and the portion that was visible was in very poor condition. Whether the webs that enmeshed it were more recent was impossible to tell, but the team decided to return and report their find.
The next day the survey team flew directly to the spot and landed as near to the wreck as the web permitted. Using lasers, they cut their way with difficulty through the tough strands until they were beside the corroded and collapsing ruin. Items of old-fashioned equipment could be seen scattered among the rocks, but only the most durable objects had survived the centuries. The unfortunate passengers had probably died during the forced landing, and those that survived would probably have perished soon after, if not from radiation exposure from the reactor, then from lack of food or water.
No other fauna had been seen in the region and it was supposed that it was devoid of animal life, but bones found near the wreck demonstrated otherwise, as they did not belong to any species that the colonists would have carried. It was later learned that there were a few nocturnal creatures living among the crags in deep caves and fissures. The idea that one of them was responsible for the curious cobwebs was later disproved as analysis found them to be a plant form which drew nourishment from airborne moisture and particles of organic matter.
This information was relayed back to the rest of the group and the scout was instructed to move further south. Two familiar formations were seen before the jungle began to thin out, but both were in the same condition as the first, and the original inhabitants once again seemed to have disappeared. The carpet of green gradually gave way to the tough, yellowish vegetation of the scrubland. The landscape here was formed of a series of plateaus and ridges among which infrequent rivers wound their way. At this altitude several other constructions could be seen which would have been barely discernible from the surrounding land, all being of low and massive build, suggestive of a defensive purpose.
The captain decided to risk a landing and set the ship down near one of these formidable artifacts. While the rest of the crew trained the vessel's light armament on the target, the captain and two men set out in a land scooter. Settling on the ground beside the building, the men noted that there were no seams or joints in the smooth surface of its walls. Spotting a small aperture in the side wall, they dismounted and walked over to what was clearly a weapons slit, from which projected the snout of a barreled weapon in an advanced state of corrosion. Large flakes of material fell away when the barrel was touched, but was impossible to determine the nature of the weapon.
One side of the building was found to be almost entirely filled by a large metal plate recessed into the stone-like material. The captain spoke into his communicator, the scout ship lifted off and swung round to the side where they stood, and after the three men moved clear, a vivid streak of laser lashed out, vaporizing an area of the plate. The men peered into the darkness beyond as they waited for the metal to cool, but nothing could be seen except for the fading glow of the opposite wall where the laser had hit. Once inside, however, they found a large chamber filled with decayed and corroded equipment and a huge machine resembling a projectile launcher of some kind. Several circular doors led off into smaller rooms all as empty and derelict as the first. Whoever had been responsible for creating this grim structure had made it for creatures of considerable size, to judge by the doorways and passages.
They returned to the ship to make their report and were told to await the arrival of the other scout ship, which arrived overhead eight hours later. Together the ships moved off further south towards the great desert plains, searching for any sign of movement on the ground beneath. Suddenly a scanner operator shouted. In the lee of a ridge ahead stood a group of extraordinary structures unlike any they had seen so far. Each one was different but shared a common style, the general impression being of a clump of huge plants. One of the scouts landed nearby as the other hovered above, and while some of the crew remained to handle the weapons systems, the rest set out in the scooters towards the gaunt, dark towers ahead. As they approached they saw the entire complex was made of a metal, with the slender stems of the structures supporting a much larger mass of domes and spheres. Despite the general air of desolation lights gleamed from many of the hundreds of tiny apertures, and a thin plume of smoke issued from a gash torn in the side of one of the larger domes. The men spread out as the ship above them ran through a series of signals in an attempt to make contact with any occupants there might be. If anything was in there, it did not respond, and nothing could be seen moving behind the many windows.
Cautiously, the men on the ground moved in among the high pillars, trying to discover a way into the strange buildings, which were in a far greater state of derelictions than they had seemed to be from a distance. One of the team eventually found a place where a section of wall had fallen away completely, and clutching their beamers, a party clambered into the interior. A spiral ramp ran in stages up the circular shaft, vanishing through a floor far above. They made their way upwards, covering each other as they moved until they arrived on the first level. Here the structure divided into a number of passages and compartments. Although there were quite a few lights operating it began to seem likely that these were energized by a self-replenishing power source, for the general air was one of emptiness and neglect. Nearly all the compartments were devoid of any signs of habitation and contained no fittings or equipment of any description. Some, however, were filled with banks of equipment, but their functions were obscure, particularly in view of their advanced state of decay...
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