Tantoo

Tantoo

TANTOO

By Bob Blackman

On May 4^th, 2116 the earth exploratory ship, Dialogue, received a communications signal from planet three of 749, a solar system similar to our own. Their last radioed report saying they were entering the planet’s atmosphere reached earth four months later. There was no further communication until the following message arrived this morning, November 13^th, 2117.

This is Medical Officer, Lieutenant Commander William Van Bruen of the Earth Ship, Dialogue. I, Captain George Hawes, and the other two crewmembers, Lieutenant Dale Wisenchtzie and Ensign Juan Santos are being held in quarantine on planet three of 749, which the local inhabitants call Moli. I think Moli roughly translates to Life-Soil. I believe Wisenchzie is dead, as he is never mentioned. The rest, I think, are alive, but their condition is unknown by me. I have not actually seen any of them for over a year. We are each held at medical facilities in different countries.

We landed four hours after our last communication, in an open space 3 miles outside what seemed to be the small community from which the communication was being transmitted. It was in fact a military communications base similar to our SETI installations, except they were sending signals rather than receiving them. Wearing heavy coats because the outside temperature was 35 degrees, and sporting long beards because we hadn’t shaved since leaving Alpha station ten months earlier, we stepped down into a snow covered field. Armed, sentient creatures that stand upright about four feet tall, and resemble giant raccoons met us when we exited our ship. This species has long, dense hair covering their entire body and are usually naked except for chains of gold, silver, or other metal, that indicate rank and social status.

Our initial encounter seemed friendly enough, a squad of about fifty armed soldiers stood about two hundred feet from our ship and one of the Chutz, that’s what they call individuals of their species, cautiously approached us. They had rifle-like firearms. We carried only our holstered side arms. Using pantomime and sign language we convinced them we were not a threat. We, perhaps foolishly, but it seemed right at the time, surrendered our weapons and were escorted, on foot, to their base where they placed us in a tiny uncomfortable room with a ceiling barely 6 feet high. Two, armed Chutz stood guard. The guards did not try to communicate with us, ignored our attempts to talk to them, and seemed afraid to come closer than three or four feet from us.

After about two hours, a Chutz I now know as Makka came into the room. He slowly communicated that he was some kind of doctor and that he wanted us to undress so he could examine us. I removed my coat, then unbuttoned and took off my shirt. Makka’s response was immediate. He jumped backwards as in fear for his life, gave several sharp commands to the two soldiers and backed out the door. The soldiers, who were already outside, closed and secured the door. We were locked in for another four hours. About six hours after our arrival at the base, eight soldiers wearing plastic-like protective clothing and carrying long rifles with bayonets opened the door. Prodding us with their bayonets, they moved us one at a time to separate locations. I have not seen any of the crew since that time.

For the past year, I have been repeatedly observed while standing naked, endured countless medical examinations, minor surgeries, skin tissue removal, blood sampling and a score of other indignities, but I have also become reasonably proficient in using the Chutz language. Tantoo, the naked ones, is how we humans, are known to the Chutz. It is our nakedness, or more specifically our hairlessness, that has so greatly hindered our befriending these beings.

The Chutz are experiencing a highly contagious disease they call Graw that is devastating their planet. Since its first occurrence nearly a decade ago, over fifteen percent of the population has contracted it and died. In some places entire cities have been wiped out and at least one country had death rates approaching fifty percent before they got it under control. The disease begins with a loss of body hair and progresses within one year to deteriorating skin tissue. A painful death generally concludes within four to six months of the onslaught of the skin decay.

Upon our arrival, in was suggested and generally concluded that we, or others of our species, were the original source of their infection. A year of examination and testing, plus my failure to progress past what they called the mela-tanta or advanced naked stage, has caused Doctor Makka to conclude that we, the Tantoo have nothing to do with the spread Graw. Unfortunately, each of the four major countries on this planet received one member of our crew to use for experimental research and among the four, Doctor Makka’s opinion is the minority.

Since learning the language, I have come to understand that Doctor Makka is a highly trained, compassionate being whose sole motive in studying me is the survival of his race. We have become friends and I have become a willing participant in his research. He has allowed me this opportunity to communicate with you because I have convinced him that Earth has many medical facilities staffed by men much brighter than myself, that specialize in rare and unusual diseases. I have also told him of our non-sentient raccoons and that we have doctors who specialize in treating creatures that are similar to the Chutz. My hope is that through inter-space communication we can help them find a cure and thereby establish a friendly relationship with this specie.

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