Science camera: only surviving frame

This is the final image that survives.  This was almost certainly the first image on the roll: the remainder of the film appears to be unexposed.  As my readers will know, the science camera was stowed with the excursion vehicle but was hand-held.  It was equipped with a film using high-speed, fine-grain bespoke B/W emulsion closely related to, if not identical, to the original Ilford FP4.  Processing in standard B/W chemistry was conventional.

This image is remarkable in at least two respects.

Firstly that it exists at all confirms that the excursion vehicle was successfully deployed, and that someone, or something, was able to use the camera stowed with it, together with its light meter, to make this well-exposed image.

Secondly the traces of organic matter – apparently mostly the remains of vegetation – in this image are incontrovertible.   Note particularly the large fragments of what seems to be woody material in the lower left, but also the very many smaller fragments which litter the surface.  The planet where this image was made clearly harboured – or, dare I say – harbours, life.

Indeed, based on the previous two images it must be clear that the planet has, or had in the geologically recent past, intelligent life: creatures capable of constructing what we must construe as a landing site for spacecraft.

This final image from the programme shows that it succeeded beyond the wildest hopes of those who worked on it.  A small, northerly nation has achieved what great England, wallowing in its sloth and conceit, did not even attempt.  We do not know what if anything was discovered by the Americans, and will probably never know what was done by the Soviet Union, but we do know what was done here.  And what may still be done here, if the johnsonites can be held out.

But there seems little hope of that.  There was considerable disturbance last night, culminating in a confused skirmish in the dark.  Those who I now know as my friends, or at least allies, struggled against mostly unseen opponents.  In the brief flashes from my service revolver I saw little: figures in camouflage clothing, wearing, I think night-vision equipment, and armed with weapons that looked like AK-47s.  More through luck than skill or weaponry we managed to deter them: by about 03:00 they were gone.

This morning there were bodies: I do not know how many of us died as my friends have removed the remains of their fallen for, I suppose, burial or whatever is their custom.  But there were ten of the attackers: clearly mercenaries I think.  I wish I could say we treated them with respect, but we stripped them of weapons, ammunition and night-vision equipment and tipped them over the cliff.  One was still living: I am sure that he expected something worse than the bullet  bullet in the head, but it was the kindest way.  Afterwards he too went over the cliff.

Today has been ominously quiet.  I cannot be certain they will return tonight, although I am sure they, or their replacements, will, and in force.  We have distributed the weapons – AK-47s as I suspected, but modified to fire what seem to be depleted uranium rounds – amongst us.  I have two, and my revolver for which I still have some little ammunition.  I am not sure: if it comes to the end should I use it on myself?  Better that, perhaps, than to fall into the hands of the johnsonists.

We shared a meal in the strange silence that surrounds these small people: they are excellent cooks.  I fear it will be our last on this Earth, and I no longer hope to reach that distant other Earth from which these images come.  The future is lost.