A Spaceman Came Travelling
Side 1, Track 5
This is another in a series of stories drawn from the 1975 Chris de Burgh album, Spanish Train And Other Stories. I have endeavoured to be faithful to the spirit of the stories and in some cases include lyrics relevant to tell the tale. As with any fiction, there will also be cases where some license is taken to create and complete a story line.
The ship's crew existed on the very edge of time and travelled outside the order of the universe.
Their civilization had lived this way for as long as anyone could remember but their history and stories contained warnings to ensure their unique place in the endlessness of space was treated with care and respect. They knew that even one small error came with consequences for the travellers and perhaps for those who lived outside the crew’s own world.
As the ship approached the planet that orbited not too far from its sun, the crew made an error.
After travelling hundreds of light years in less time than this planet had taken to circle its sun, that one error, that seemingly minor mistake, would turn their presence from a dim curiosity to a light that would haunt the people of this world for thousands of years.
As the one responsible for investigating what occurred I need to offer some context to those trapped in the linear nature of time and who must follow the order of their own existence. There was little known about the place as the ship approached a world that had existed for only four billon years of its own timekeeping. The mission was to simply learn more and add it to the catalogue of what inhabited the cosmos. One could call the crew historians of the cosmos. They had only planned to circle the world, collect measurements, and capture a moment in time to preserve for future visits and enable study of the progress of the organisms that lived there.
Here is what was recorded from that time:
"We have come too close."
The Navigator noted the error for several of the planet's minutes and put a correction in place. Too late.
"We can be seen by the people below. They inhabit a very small place, even by the planet's standards. Hills on one side, desert on the other. With so few to observe our presence the difference we make should be negligible."
The ship's Principal noted the facts. "We will wait here then and observe," and he asked for all the data recorders to be engaged. "Send our Traveller closer."
The recording from that time captured and collated the preparations being made. With few inhabitants they felt safe in collecting more detail.
There was a Traveller aboard all of our ships as a specialized member of the crew. Bred, trained, and equipped with unique technology to examine a planet without causing damage, a Traveller could only venture out after receiving specific instructions from the Principal of the ship.
There was one more error for the crew to deal with as was recorded:
The Traveller left the spaceship and sought out the most active site on the ground. It observed a simple setting by the standards of other nearby settlements.
"I have found a seemingly busy area in a stable reserved for animals in an area below rooms where people live. There are more people in the stable area than above it and they are all gathered around an infant of their race. I am maneuvering to a better viewing angle and turning on lights and monitoring equipment."
Before the Principal could stop the Traveller from lighting up the night sky, all the equipment was engaged and a rhythmic electronic hum filled the air. The people below all looked up at the bright light.
"They will be frightened at your presence," warned the Principal. "It is too late to back away. Reassure the inhabitants in any way you can."
The Traveller moved in further and turned on its audio. "Do not fear, I come from a planet a long way from here and I bring a message for mankind to hear. We move in and out of time and can reassure you that we are here only in peace and bearing goodwill toward you."
The voice boomed through the stable and into the surrounding area.
"Patch me through to your audio," ordered the Principal. Once online, the voice carried over a wide area as well. “When two thousand years of your time has gone by, we will return to observe your progress and with the same message of peace will mean no harm to your descendants. Meanwhile we will stay here through your night so we can understand more about who you are."
The following morning the Traveller returned to the ship and they left as promised.
In my subsequent investigation of the matter, I have highlighted the two errors which may have changed the direction for those who witnessed the ship and its Traveller. First there was a navigation error which brought the ship too close to the planet. Even at such an early stage in its history, the ship could have been observed from a distance. Once observed, the error was compounded by the curiosity of the ship's Traveller who made the decision to move in for closer observation. The crew was reprimanded but was allowed to make the follow-up observation mission.
I have added a brief appendix to this report based on the data the crew collected on that trip:
What were generally considered to be minor errors at the time have had serious consequences. The population attributed the sighting of our ship and the contact with the Traveller as some kind of miraculous visit. Consequently, the civilization has broken itself into factions, each with its own interpretation of what the contact meant. The planet is far from peaceful and goodwill is in short supply. Intolerance abounds and the complex relationship between groups has led to endless conflicts.
While we exist on the edge of time, we cannot right past wrongs. We will continue to monitor the planet from a distance but do not expect to see any change or any future for its people.
