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** Day Minus 247: The Dying World**

Zeta2 Reticuli IV, known better as Ak’tae, was a near twin of earth. Twenty kilometers from the capital, Ak’tae City, near the town of Glennforest, was the sprawling campus of Ak’tae University. Though catering to a largely human student body, at least ten percent of the students were Chakharan. Other species attended as well, including fifty or so grizzly-like Uushtorians. Two or three Zephenidians also attended, having fled from their Tyrannical government, the Establishment of Prukak.

For seven years, this campus had been my home, through my undergraduate and my master’s programs. Now I was back on campus, after spending nearly a year working at the museum on Ak’Kos.

I was a bit sore from an altercation, last night. A few hours after arriving on campus, I rescued a Zephenidian who was being attacked by three human assailants. The side of my face still throbbed from a punch, I received, while helping the wolf escape his tormentors. Having gotten that poor wolf out of that tight spot, was well worth it.

I pushed through the double-glass doors, into a vast lobby. The ceiling was over nine meters high. On either side, were chairs and tables, providing indoor study space. In the center of the room, roped off, was a large, stuffed, animal, which looked like a cross between a horse-sized wolf and a mangy opossum. Its tail resembled that of a huge scorpion, ending in a long, serrated hook. All four feet were armed with long, dagger-like claws. Along its back was a series of five spines, with the first one being the shortest, about half a meter in length, and the last being nearly two meters long. An appendage, with an elbow-joint, over three meters long, extended from its back, just behind the spines, terminating in blade-like claw. The entire creature resembled a cross between a mangy wild dog from hell, and a swiss army knife. A sign revealed it as a Torresian Mangler, along with its genus and species name. I've heard horror stories about these monsters attacking researches in waves, and being notoriously difficult to kill. They were even known to tear through metal doors, even ripping open escape pods, like termite mounds, to get at the tasty meat, inside. This specimen was on loan from the biology department, which was currently being renovated.

Beyond the giant, stuffed, monster, were four elevators, with offices on either side. Six meters up, was a balcony which provided access to more offices, as well as a great view of the lobby and the stuffed Mangler. Windows, extending from the floor to the ceiling, gave the lobby a near outdoors appearance. Zeta2 Reticuli shone through the window, appearing almost identical to earth’s sun, giving the lobby an almost outdoors appearance.

To the right of the elevators, was a door with a sign above it. The sign read. DEAN OF AK’TAE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF XENOLOGY. I approached the door, and pressed a button next to the door. A beep sounded from within the room, and a voice snorted, “Itch'Cha,” which my mind understood as “Come in!” The door clicked, then slid open.

I stepped into a cozy office. To my left, were shelves loaded with skulls from different species. One skull was obviously human. The others looked like large animal skulls, but with lager, broader braincases. Artifacts, mostly made from stone and bone, covered many of the other shelves. Leaning against the wall, in the corner, was a long pole with a metal scythe-like blade, a weapon commonly used by the wolf-like Zephenidians to gut prey. The right wall was covered with numerous diagrams, a star map, and various photographs of archaeological sites. Behind the desk, was a bookshelf which was well stocked with printed books. Many of the books were well-known, familiar, classics, while others had strings of alien text across their spines. The faux wood desk had three padded seats, with one behind the desk, and the other two, in front. On the desk, near the back, was a monitor on a swivel stand. On the front edge of the desk, was a name plate which read, Zhin Charri. Behind the desk, stood a tall, otter-like, Chakharan, clad in black slacks, and a thin, similarly colored headband, which held a small puck-shaped device to its forehead, and was further secured with a chin strap. The otter paced behind the desk, obviously upset. The Chakharan turned and eyed me. “Obviously I’m not the only one having a bad day.”

He must have been referring to the nasty bruise on the right side of my face. “I saved a Zephenidian student from a couple of thugs, last night.” I pulled my backpack off my arm, and retrieved my tablet, switched it on, and set it down on the desk. “I’m Don McFerran, major, Denitrian Studies. You should have all my records, my master thesis, and Izhara Naraff’s recommendation. Any additional information and a lot of my coursework, is on my Mpad.”

“Where are my manners,” Zhin Charri reached his hand to me. His fingers were webbed to the first knuckles, and were tipped with small, blunt, claws.

I reached my hand to his. “You’re not going to shove your face into mine?” I clasped his hand to shake it.

“I’d love to, but the University’s top brass frowns on this. They want me to stick with human interaction protocols.” He released my hand. “Take a seat.”

As I sat down, I asked, “Is something wrong?”

“I knew all those students.” The Chakharan frowned. “I used to work with the professor, as well.”

“What students?” I asked.

“The story is still breaking.” Zhim tapped the screen, then swiveled the monitor toward me. The video shook badly as people screamed in the background. It was a camp, behind metal barricades, in a rocky desert. Electric pops sounded, as bolts of plasma lit up the screen. A lumbering gray bear-like creature, with a swinging bladed appendage on its back, charged the camera. As its face filled the screen, the view shook, distorted into lines, then broke up into static, with a loud hiss. The view switched to another camera, as students desperately fought, and fled. One of the creatures, a bull Torresian Mangler, tore and shredded at the side of a low, plain-looking building, which was probably a barracks. Several students charged in with pistols blazing, hitting the creature, repeatedly with plasma blasts. A series of thunderous booms sounded, as a man circled in front of the camera, repeatedly firing a drum-fed shotgun into the creatures flank The plasma bolts flashed against the creature, and the shotgun blasts bounced off, as dangerous shrapnel. It was as if the creature’s fur was bullet-proof asbestos. The creature turned away from the building, to face its attackers. A voice yelled, “Go for the eyes!” A shotgun blast cause several of the creature’s jagged teeth to shatter, causing the creature to reel. Plasma weapons fire struck its face, eventually frying its eyes in their sockets, like eggs. The creature shrieked like a banshee, as it lashed out with its scorpion tail. With nearly a dozen people letting lose with everything they had, it still took another twenty seconds for the creature to sag to the ground. The Torresian Mangler convulsed, as smoke issued from its nose, mouth, and eye sockets.

“Last I heard, five students are confirmed dead, as well as one professor. Eight are injured, two critically.”

As the video continued, a shaky view showed a thick metal gate rattle as it closed. Three heavily armored vehicles, with large, deep-treaded tires, rolled away from the gate. Two bodies lay on the rocky, hard-packed soil, one of which was nearly cleaved in two. “Fuck, I’m sorry.” I whispered.

“Torresia II is a treasure trove of science. It’s not just the archaeology sites. There is a geological team studying the changes in the planet, as tectonic processes wind down. There is a large stellar observatory which monitors the system’s aging sun. And of course, there are plenty of biologists studying how pant and animal life adapt to the atmospheric changes as the planet slowly dies.” The Chakharan growled. “Site TORe4967 is run by this very school, this department. It’s a top tier site, with many digs, and a vast structure which we’ve only explored twenty percent or so. We work with the FSA to guard and study an active field crumb. Six are dead, and some of the injured may not survive. Others will undoubtedly leave, having been traumatized by this incident. I knew those people who died. I sent them there.”

“You shouldn’t blame yourself,” I said, trying to reassure him. “Torresia II is definitely not my first choice.”

“Unfortunately you might not have a choice.” Said the Chakharan. “I’ve already received two requests for transfers. Several sites, on other planets, are now prioritizing accommodating students who want to relocate from Torresia.”

“Find me something, ideally not on Torresia.” I urged.

The otter swiveled the screen back toward him, and scrolled with his forefinger. “Nope….negative…nada…. Ah, here’s one. T'Kahtah II has a listing for an expedition.”

“No, no way!” I said. “They’re right on the Zephenidian boarder. It’s like they’re taunting the Zephs. We really shouldn’t settle that far out.”

“Agreed.” Zhim looked up from his screen and thumbed a whisker. “I’d strongly suggest waiting. Maybe you should go home to visit your family, or go back to the museum to work with Izhara. She’d love to have you back.”

“She’d love to jump my bones, too.” I giggled sheepishly.

The Chakharan chortled. “I do need to have a little talk with her.” He looked back down at his screen. “There may be an opening at XLJ87g in the next year.”

“Just a catalog number?” I sighed. “Probably just an airless rock.”

“Worse. Its star is a subgiant, and the planet roasts. Any excursion onto the surface require a special heat-resistant spacesuit, even at night. They need more people, but don’t have the funding to provide enough suits. Maybe you can ask your grant provider to fund the purchase of an appropriate spacesuit for you.”

“I’d probably need training, as well.” I had never worn a spacesuit. The training would probably not be difficult. I’d have to learn to deal with emergencies, such as how to patch leaks, and deal with equipment failures. These special suits might require additional training beyond the standard spacesuits. The wait, and all that training would make going there a major headache.

“Don, I need to level with you,” Zhim said. “We’ve gone a year with only four Zephenidian raids, and only about a hundred people lost. This is the lowest in two decades. I suspect this is the lull before the storm. Infighting has crippled the Wolf Hunters. IF the Zephenidians realize that they can cross into Federation space with impunity, it’s going to get far worse, real fast. In fact, three days ago, the FNA cruiser, stationed in the Torresia system, chased away a Zephenidian vessel, which was attempting to enter the system.”

“Hunter Fleet?” I asked, fearing that the Zephenidians were planning a raid on Torresia II. This would be unprecedented since the Zephenidians had never attempted a raid on a Federation planet, since their failed attack on earth.

“The FNA suspects the ship was Zephenidian black ops, probably attempting to procure a few Manglers for use as biological weapons.” Zhim said. “Two years ago, they had a run-in with some V’Nari. It’s gotten really dangerous, out there.”

“So you’re telling me, that the only place that has any openings is Torresia II?” I asked. “But you’re also telling me not to go.” Even without the nasty wildlife, the planet was a total hell. The average daytime temperature exceeds 40 0C, with temperatues over seventy not being unheard of. With its spectral class F9 IV-V star, and relatively thin atmosphere, sunburns were often severe. Torresia would probably go full red giant within a few hundred million years, maybe a billion, tops. “If I have to go to Torresia, then I have to go.” I sighed. It was going to be far too much of a hassle to find a place with such top notch sites without all the negatives, which didn’t have a five to ten year waiting list.

“I won’t stop you,” said the otter. “The situation, with the Zephenidians will likely blow over in a few years, once the Wolf Hunters stop trying to kill one another.” He paused and thumbed a whisker, again. “What is with you humans. You’re still not used to the concept of regen. Rush, rush rush, like you still think you’re going to die of old age.”

“Regen turns people into complacent pussies,” I blurted, before biting my tongue. “I’m sorry, I’m just frustrated with waiting to get my life started.”

“You might get your death started.” The otter snorted. “Are you really sure about going to the TORe4967 site on Torresia II?”

“Sign me up!” I urged. “Get the ball rolling.”

As the Chakharan reached for the screen, he looked me in the eye. “I hope you don’t live to regret this decision.”