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Published:

January 28, 2025

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“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”

 

The ancient quote was inscribed on the clunky iron shell of a message delivery bot affectionately called Newman, the words a tongue-in-cheek commemoration of the Old World mail delivery workers who inspired the bot’s design. Newman was neither sleek nor high tech, but that was precisely what made him right for this job.

 

As Newman approached the volatile atmosphere of Vestoria, a warning message flashed across his display screen:

 

HIGH HEAT DETECTED!

 

Newman deployed a carbon fabric heat shield to protect his body from melting. He’d been specifically engineered to withstand the temperatures and elemental composition of Vestoria after several failed attempts to land on the planet. Modern materials simply corroded upon entry, yet Newman — made of metals like aluminum and iron, which had long since been considered obsolete — was making more progress than any of the previous prototypes.

 

Newman’s mission was to make first contact with the alien species on Vestoria, and so far his journey seemed promising.

 

The carbon shield ensured his body remained intact, but the additional drag pulled Newman off course by a few more degrees than anticipated. The change in direction was enough to send him hurtling toward a large lake rather than the rocky surface his team had expected. Newman’s AI system kicked in, recalculating the new trajectory and prepping the appropriate landing gear.

 

The lake had an unusual hue, reflecting the bright yellow sky and purple clouds above; but Newman’s long-range scanners confirmed this was simply a body of water; its high concentration of chlorine meant it’d be non-potable for humans, but it would do no harm to Newman’s body.

 

Upon impact, Newman sank far below the waves before slowing. Another message appeared:

 

DEPLOYING FLOTATION DEVICES!

 

A series of inflatable buoys shot out of Newman’s lower half, righting the bot and bringing him back to the surface. A quick calculation confirmed the direction of the alien colony, and two small jets acting as motors moved Newman towards the shore.

 

Before reaching the lake’s edge, he sensed a disturbance in the water. An unidentified creature emerged from the depths; Newman’s AI was unable to find any Earthen equivalent as a reference; the closest known results were “giant jellyfish” and the mythical “Cthulhu”.

 

Newman’s programming gave him very clear instructions: he was not to harm any creatures encountered on the planet, intelligent or otherwise. As an ambassador of the humans trying to deliver a message of peace, it did no good to spoil the first impression by killing any native species. So when a large vermilion tentacle covered in what appeared to be a combination of stingers and teeth wrapped around Newman’s body, the robot’s only choice was to scare away the creature.

 

SELF-DEFENSE MECHANISMS ACTIVATING!

 

A high-pitched tone played through one of Newman’s speakers, and a strong vibration followed by a low-level shock coursed through his body. It wasn’t enough to cause damage to the hostile creature, but it did surprise it. It loosened its hold, allowing Newman to make a swift break for the shoreline.

 

Dropping the buoys and activating his all-terrain wheels, Newman then navigated across rocky plains towards the location of the colony. The landscape was mostly flat, with foliage in shapes and colors unlike anything that grew on Earth. Up above, the purple clouds had thickened and darkened, and large lilac drops of liquid began to fall. A quick composition scan indicated this was acid rain, a possibility Newman’s design team had accounted for. Newman activated an aluminum shield to protect his body once more and continued undeterred in the direction of the colony.

 

When Newman arrived at the coordinates, there was a series of structures that appeared to be dwellings, though there were no apparent doors or windows in the buildings. Within moments, he was surrounded by what had to be the inhabitants, only the beings were unlike any creatures Newman could compare to.

 

The aliens had distinctly individual bodies in varying translucent colors, diffusing light similarly to stained glass. They seemed to be in a state somewhere between a solid and a liquid; though they had tangible mass, their bodies were constantly changing shape as they examined Newman from all angles. Over the course of a few minutes, the creatures began to join together, morphing into one single being that now loomed over the small robot.

 

The alien emitted a series of vibrations in lieu of an audible language, attempting to communicate rather than fight the intruder. While Newman wasn’t equipped to translate, he initiated his protocol, beginning with a recorded audio message:

 

GREETINGS. I HAVE A DELIVERY FOR YOU.

 

Newman presented a series of items: written texts, math equations, video recordings, and a plethora of other tools assembled by the human explorers in hopes of initiating the first ever contact with an alien species. As programmed, Newman patiently awaited a response.

 

* * *

 

Despite the confidence of Newman’s inventors, the team was still amazed when he appeared back aboard the SS Webb eighteen hours after its initial departure.

 

Not only had Newman delivered their message, he had returned one from the creatures as well.

 

It was a recording of a series of patterned sounds that would likely take weeks to decipher — but that was beside the point. This robot, made of ancient materials and technology, had done what no other modern machine could: it'd made first contact with an alien species.

 

One of the scientists lamented that the robot’s inscription ought to be changed:

 

“Neither atmosphere, nor acid rain, nor hostile creatures could keep this courier from the swift completion of its appointed rounds.”

Copyright 2024 - SFS Publishing LLC

Neither Snow Nor Rain

Newman delivers

Katie Dee

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