V. Captain Jobe Sequels con't

The platinum bright burst of light approaching him did just that- approach. He thought at first impulse, it was a missile. "Odd," he thought, Computer failed to warn me." The approach was nerve wracking in its speed, or lack thereof. It seemed to coast, or float at a speed not suited to its high energy frequency.

    "Computer, you dropped the ball. Define data parameters of approaching object. Intelligent entity or machine?" His telepathic message was instantly interfaced yet was a monologue given Computer failed to respond.

    "I'm screwed. No computer assist. Helpless. Dead in the water." He felt the coppery taste of fear again against the palate of his mouth. "Funny how I'm supposed to be not afraid to die . . .  oh Lord, . . . God help me. Be my Computer now, . . . "

    "The approaching object was now only about 1/2 mile, from him. He missed his helmet's field of vision with it's holographic data screen. He felt utterly human. No machine assist other than his space suit which kept him afloat. Dead in the water- the green atmosphere of this weird planet. Millions of light years from earth. Suspended in a green sky. Vulnerable. Naked, except for a millimeter's thick skin of synthetic insulation between him and asphyxiation from the planet's toxic gases and radiation.

    He sensed the approaching object to be Being, rather than machine or natural event. It exuded intelligence by simple fact that it originated from what obviously appeared to be a large intelligently created complex. Computer, before it's demise, or what he suspected- disablement- Computer had provided data confirmation. There were entities down there and they were highly intelligent, Intels of knowledge far beyond his. An advanced race. Benign or malevolent. Computer had not had time to respond. "I think the occupants of that platinum ball disabled Computer. It's no fluke. But why? Find out soon enough I guess."

    He continued to observe the platinum sphere's approach. "Why so slow? Dare he retreat? No. Don't turn your back on a threatening animal." He instinctively knew that back on earth, years ago. So he and his own race were taught. "Face off a bear, dog, . . ." He vaguely remembered these animals, it'd been so long. "Don't turn your back on this thing. Probably shoot me in the back. Wow. Must I be so distrustful, so human in thinking this way? Well, my species is fully capable of shoot first and ask questions later."

    "Well, here it is. 200 feet below me and I'm still alive. Or am I dead, dreaming having  been vaporized? Why below? Why not above me? Aren't- isn't it a superior being. Aren't it's occupants supposed to show superiority and hover above me? It's large enough to hold 35 or so crew members of my own size."

    The craft appeared as a perfect sphere. No fins or stabilizers of any sort protruding of its aerodynamic form. No nose. No tail. No visible appendages mechanical or otherwise. No reflective transparencies like lenses, observation ports or cockpit. His curiosity erased his fear. His intrigue counterbalanced his logical avenue of potential proactivity. He was caught in the headlights, so to speak, he being the deer.

    Then he felt a wave of electromagnetic energy. Then more waves. Invisible. Powerful. Undulating and pulling. Pulling and pushing and now pulling. He was tethered. He was being towed by a mechanical being. He felt like a literal piece of carrion, a captured animal; the prey. The fact no communication was made by the sphere made it all the worse. His feeling of no worth deprived him of dignity. Not that he didn't deserve it. He was technically an intruder on alien planet. But didn't he deserve an explanation, like a conduct code of ethics involving a visitor- rather a crash landed space sojourner? An explanation? A greeting at least? "Well, I guess this answers my question: malevolence is towing me. An intelligent one. Or is it only a machine. Find out soon."

    They, he and the towing entity, whatever it was, were descending at about the same speed as he while he was still independently making his own approach to this strange spinning structure below.