KEID: A Lost Civilization

Phoenix Starship Andromeda-In Orbit Around Vulcan, Keid-A

Phoenix Starship Andromeda—In Orbit Around Vulcan, Keid-A

Thorpe called the meeting to order. Flesh-and-blood Humans, Asterians, and Arcans occupied every chair around the conference table. Several upload holoimages floated in the air behind them. Max, Daphne’s gray tabby cat, strolled stiff-tailed across the table, greeting his friends. eMax curled up on the table next to Thorpe taking a mid-morning nap.

“We’ve collected a lot of data,” Thorpe said. “Let’s try to construct a coherent picture.” He turned to Chief Scientist Daphne O’Bryan.

“We commenced our activities on Vulcan with a drone survey,” Daphne said. Then she reviewed what the various teams had accomplished, the data they had collected, and the samples they had retrieved. She discussed the odd we see them from the air, but not on the ground patterns. “The peculiar distribution of lithium and plutonium two-forty-four gave us our first significant clue,” she said, “that led us to the still recognizable ruins on the small continent.”

“We don’t know who lived here,” Thorpe said, “and whether they evolved here or arrived from somewhere else, but here is what we do know.

“Civilization had spread across Vulcan over a hundred million years ago. We think it was advanced, because some of their structures are still visible today, a hundred million years later. I think we can assume they were a spacefaring civilization.

“You all know that Keid is actually a three-star system. Keid-A, where we are now, is an orange Main Sequence star similar to Sol or Ran. Some four hundred AUs distant, Keid-B and C orbit about each other eccentrically at an average of thirty-five AUs. B is a white dwarf, and C is a red dwarf. A hundred million years ago, B was a Main Sequence star similar in size and luminosity to Sol and Ran. It went nova. About two and a half days later, the radiation front hit Vulcan—that’s the first indication of the nova the Vulcan inhabitants had.

“Assuming their spacefaring nature, the Vulcans knew they had about one hundred days to reach safety. Their calculations would have told them that the charged particle front would hit their planet full on. It would strip most of their atmosphere and destroy their civilization.

“One hundred days…that’s all they had.”

Thorpe sat at the head of the conference table in silence, letting each person absorb the awful truth. After a brief interval, he continued.

“We don’t know if they left Vulcan, and if so, how many? We don’t know if they stayed and perished. All we know is they were here, and now they are not here. And the Keid-B nova destroyed their planet.”

The people around the table sat in stunned silence.

After allowing a few moments of quiet discussion among the attendees, Thorpe concluded the meeting. “I think it’s time to turn our attention elsewhere. In several hours, we will depart for Keid-B. Our preliminary indications are that B has several planets. We intend to spend some time learning more about them.”

Five hours later, Jocara, Kenred, and Daphne met Thorpe on the Bridge.

“Kenred,” Thorpe said, “last time you graciously let Jocara take the lead. Will you do the honors this time, please?”