The Stranded Heart - The Story of the Mattinau

By Scott Anderson

This is a science fiction story of abandonment and survival.

Three races meet on an isolated blue-water planet and form a union to survive. Nothing has prepared them for the challenges of living and surviving in space.

Will Wyatt, our main character, will try to solidify three groups of people who each need to find a way back home.

As with all of my books, swearing has been held to a minimum.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jun 29, 2023
• ISBN: 9781312395008

Scott Anderson

Scott Anderson is a veteran war correspondent who has reported from Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Northern Ireland, Chechnya, Sudan, Bosnia, El Salvador and many other war-torn countries. His previous book, Lawrence in Arabia, was a New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller, and was shortlisted for the US National Book Critics Circle Award for Biography.

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The Stranded Heart – The Story of the Mattinau

Second Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher.

© 2023 by Scott C. Anderson. All rights reserved.

ISBN 978-1-312-39500-8

Winter Comes

Will Wyatt stood in the cold on a blue-water planet that had no name.  Winter was coming.  This would be the second winter while stranded on this uninhabited world.

A prototype interstellar ship, known simply as a scientific explorer with a twelve-character designation, had never been this far from the Mattinau homeworld.  The passengers were mostly scientists and in desperate need of finding a helpful, and advanced, civilization.  The captain had been able to successfully fend off an attack in space from an unknown and aggressive race.  The ship had been heavily damaged by the attack, and the captain was able to safely land on the surface.  For all intents and purposes, their search was over.

To the Mattinau, this was an uncharted sector of the galaxy.  Unfortunately, the captain was too preoccupied with saving his ship to map the wonders of space travel.

A little over a year ago Captain Simon Kono was able to safely land the explorer during what he believed to be the summer months of the northern hemisphere.  This planet was unknown and, after a controlled but hard landing, his ship had been deemed unsalvageable.  That determination was not a secret, and openly shared with the crew and scientists. 

The winters on this planet will kill you.  Will Wyatt had taken to talking to himself.  Freezing in the dark, Will stood outside the ship, which had also become their settlement.  The man was thirty-two, young and strong, but unable to shake the feelings of abandonment. 

He believed that he had thought through his decision and stood at the mouth of an unfamiliar cave.  Hidden under a rocky ledge and located beneath the makeshift compound of their damaged transport, the entrance had been overlooked.  It was the start of winter and the hills and valley were covered in snow.

Standing in the light snow, Will understood that he and his people may be stranded on an uninhabited planet for the rest of their lives.  This flight from the Mattinau homeworld was only their civilization’s third attempt at space travel. 

Staring straight into the night sky offered little solace to the young man.  Will had been many things during his career, but lost and alone was not what he had expected out of life.  The never-ending starfield, one of the few things that the man could depend upon, drifted slowly across the night sky and hopelessly out of reach.

It was late in the evening when Will finished his daily chores.  For the past year, after the forced landing on the uninhabited blue-water world, it seemed that all Will could remember was working to secure his people.  Forty-seven were alive and in reasonably good condition.

Will had originally signed on as a mechanic and maintenance worker.  For the past year he had been pressed into keeping the captain and passengers dry and safe.  He performed a lot of tasks that he knew little about, but he also found that he was talented and effective in keeping the passengers, mostly scientists, alive. 

The people of Will’s homeworld had recently moved into the interstellar age.  Too many innocent attempts at communication would eventually place his world in jeopardy.  Faced with a credible threat to their civilization, this transport and these people set out to find and enlist the help of a friendly and advanced race.

During their first few weeks in space, their explorer encountered an aggressive and nomadic people.  Captain Simon Kono was able to break free of the attempted takeover of his ship, but not without extensive damage.  The transport barely outran the unknown pirates and eventually had to land on this uninhabited blue-water world.  That event was a year and four months ago.

Will and his best friend, Justin Tenn, had been pressed into a number of duties meant for those older, wiser, and much more experienced.  The days were long, but both young men found comfort in providing service. 

Justin and Will found that many of the scientists were well versed in the natural sciences of a natural blue-water world.  Unfortunately, the practical experience of surviving the forced isolation of the very short summer and long cold winter was taking its toll on the crew and passengers.

Captain Simon Kono was not a man to accept defeat.  He and his bridge officers would cautiously scan the few lanes of communication detected from this isolated solar system.  The last thing that Simon wanted to do was advertise his group of stranded and defenseless humans. 

Before winter set in, and in an attempt to improve their situation, the captain and a few of the bridge officers had set out to find a more suitable shelter.  They also planned to search for supplies or signs of civilization.  The captain and his party had been gone for one month, and were presumed dead.  Currently, the survivors were without leadership and would be experiencing their second winter. 

It was understandable that grief, responsibility, and a sense of despair had pushed the captain out of the compound.  No one openly criticized the man, though many believed that he was responsible for his actions during the attack, and for the decision to land. 

Of the fifty-six original crew and scientists, only forty-seven were still alive.  There were two new births, as the isolated world also held hope for those who would still believe in a rescue.

Through the long months, Will carried the load the best that he could.  Through his efforts, and those of his fellow survivors, they persevered.  Unfortunately, Will had had enough of his situation, and this cold and isolated world.

The captain had set out to survey at least fifty to eighty-five miles of land in one direction.  During their initial approach, the onboard systems, still in their infancy, indicated that there were no detected humanoid life forms.  The seas teemed with fish, and on land, animal life was detected in the temperate parts of the planet. 

Weeks had passed and the captain, along with his team of bridge officers and crew, seemed to have disappeared.  Radio calls went unanswered and there was no emergency beacon.  Will and his very small support group of ship workers continued to carry the load.  Without a leader, a few of the scientists stepped forward to provide guidance.

The cave that Will entered had been discovered over two months ago but had not been explored.  Will, trying to push his depression aside, believed this to be as good a place as any to lay down and die.

As a citizen of the Mattinau, Will wore a necklace that contained the written history of his family.  Built within the silver piece of jewelry was a chip containing his personal information and medical history.  This simple device was worn by every citizen, but was not sophisticated enough to summon a medical response.  If he were to die in this cave, and if or when he was found, his cause of death would be recorded as either freezing to death, or loss of blood due to a creature attack.

This wasn’t an easy decision for the young man, but Will had a hard time accepting so many new responsibilities with no apparent hope of rescue.  Calls and offworld communications were rare and erratic.  Fearful of those offworld, the earlier attack haunted the efforts of those trying to communicate with the Mattinau homeworld. 

The loneliness and isolation after so many months pushed Will to a new mindset.  He decided to walk into the cave and, if he encountered a dangerous animal, would accept a quick and violent death.  At the very least, he could lay down in the snow and simply fall asleep forever.  Anything was better than wasting away in the compound.

As night approached, Will carried a flashlight but no weapons.  Considered a last resort, the man carried a vial of toxin capable of killing him with a single gulp of the liquid.  Will knew that he lacked the courage to drink the concoction, but it somehow gave him courage to walk out of the crash site.

The few lights from the compound began to fade.  Will turned the flashlight on as he entered the cave.  If he couldn’t see something dangerous or lethal, at lease it would find him.  Walking farther into the cavern, the rocky floor began to clear, as if maintained as a pathway.  Shining the light at the floor, the path appeared to be made of concrete.  The path then widened to about six feet and included geometric patterns inlaid into the surface, possibly to safeguard a sure footing.

Will continued on until he stopped at the sound of clicking claws.  The sound was distant but sharp, and Will froze to listen for more. 

Pausing for several minutes, Will then pushed on.  The pathway appeared to grow wider and more distinct.  Rough rock walls began to appear as though they had been dug by the current mining equipment back on the Mattinau homeworld.  Will again heard clicking claws, this time moving closer and more pronounced.

Is someone there?  Will didn’t expect an answer, but said the words with conviction.

We are.  Three pairs of cat eyes glowed through the darkness. 

Will instantly began to rethink his idea of killing himself.  He stood his ground but was prepared to run.  Before deciding, Will asked, Who are you?

Soft interior lighting began to increase in stages.  Three robots, spider-shaped with eight legs each, stood low in the dim light of the cave.  A small head with two distinct lenses focused on the human male.  The eyes then altered to a cobalt blue and followed Will’s movements as he stepped closer.

The first bot, the closest one, spoke in a manner that Will could feel in his head.  We are of the Peahman.  This is our section of this world.

Excuse me?  Will apologized, as he had no idea how to respond.  He asked, How long have you been here?  Will could somehow tell by the speech of the bot that this was not their original homeworld.

Four-hundred and seventy of your years.  That is how long we have been alone on this planet.

Will distinctly heard the spoken words, but also felt as though more information was being communicated at a subconscious level.  He vaguely understood that the people of this world had died out, leaving the machine race alone to fend for themselves.

Cautiously, Will asked for clarity, Your people, the humanoids, are they no longer on this world?  Is that correct?

Yes.  The first bot continued to speak, creating only one focal point for the man.  We did not make our presence known, as you and your people only appear to be temporarily on this world. 

The honesty of the bot appeared genuine, though Will was having a hard time understanding the full ramifications.  Had he known of their existence, he could have used their help a long time ago.

Standing in the cold and shivering for the first time, Will listened to the three bots.  The three bots, 3408, 7244, and 1227 were part of a colony of thirty-seven.  At this time, these three would stand watch.  Thirty-four of the bots were in stasis and would rotate duties throughout the year.  As no services were required, there was no need for the entire group to be active.

Will began to feel the temperature rise within the cavern.  A temporary protective field created a wind block at the opening of the labyrinth.  Will did not voice his concern, but was assured that fresh air would continue to circulate during his stay.

For the next six hours, Will listened to the three bots as they explained their creation, service, relationship, and then abandonment during the final days of the Peahman settlement.  Will was not given specifics, as the details of the highly-advanced people were none of his business.  But, the three bots indicated that the last of the Peahman died alone of natural causes at a very old age.

Left alone, the machine race would wait, as this outpost had been established by only a small group of isolated Peahman humanoids.  The Peahman people were still very much alive and spread throughout this galaxy.  They had also settled in other distinct parts of the universe.  Each summer, during optimal planetary alignments, the bots would setup a communication beacon and attempt to connect with a Peahman-friendly contact.  The thirty-seven bots were waiting to be discovered and then return to their people.

Suddenly, Will couldn’t believe how he had missed finding the bots.  Extensive searches of the area were conducted by the captain and transport crew.  Will was told that the bots believed that the captain and crew appeared to be too arrogant and aggressive, and thus avoided contact with the Mattinau.  Will continued to sit and listen in amazement. 

During his conversations, Will disclosed their survival issues regarding power and light.  Upon their initial landing, solar power was used during the short summer.  But the cold winter months were a challenge and had depleted their power reserves.  He fully expected the coming winter to be no different. 

Minutes turned to hours and daylight began to filter through the cave entrance.  As the morning light illuminated the mouth of the cave, Will suddenly stood.  The cave was warm but the rock he sat on was hard.  Will’s bones ached as he stood and stretched. 

I need to return with several of my people.  Will was tired and needed sleep.  He intended to return in a few hours with Justin and several representatives of his group.

3408 turned to face Will.  The bot spoke clearly, Bring Justin, your coworker.  We will start with him.

Will found that 3408 projected a sense of caution within the language imagery of the Peahman bot.  The sense of caution and need to slowly break the news to the group would be a prudent move. 

Will brushed the dust from his trousers and agreed, That’s acceptable.  I’ll be back at 2:00 p.m.  Will nodded, the three bots nodded, and then Will walked from the cave.

At 2:00 p.m., Justin Tenn stood in the cave for the first time.  He followed Will and trusted the man.  When he was told of the alien bots living under the compound in a cave, Justin laughed for a moment or two.  The reality of working with Will meant that Justin had placed his life, and the lives of others, in his hands.  No matter what happened, Justin would trust his friend during this contact.

Walking into the cave, Will began his monologue.  Will spoke in a way that Justin found comfortable and familiar.  The bots were created to work with the humans of the Peahman homeworld.  These bots always want to be ‘of service’ to enhance and protect the lives of each citizen.

The floor of the cave turned smooth.  Lighting, placed throughout the cave and visible for the first time, grew brighter in stages.  Justin wasn’t afraid, as he had been told what to expect. 

Will continued, The Peahman people on this world died out a few hundred years ago.  The bots can and will support us, asking nothing in return other than to be treated as equals.

They’re sentient?  Justin’s question begged for confirmation.

Yes.  They see no need to teach us all of the Peahman advancements.  We, meaning us, will learn to progress within our knowledge base, leaving the bots to care and repair the advanced technology they bring to us.  The bots are fully capable of taking on the difficult, dangerous, and potentially hazardous work to help keep us alive.  Will paused before finishing, And, remove us from this planet.

Justin was sure that he heard Will correctly, but was interrupted by the initial clicking of mechanical feet against stone.  As several of the bots appeared from deep within the cave, their feet turned silent, as though they used this sound to announce their presence.

3408, 1227, and 7244 were walking in front of a dozen similar bots.  Justin froze at the alienness of the machine race.  He had also been on this planet long enough to know that he should have had some sense of their existence. 

For the next four hours Justin listened to the machine race describe an alien world and their travels to this planet.  The coldness and isolation were conditions that Justin could understand, as he felt the same way about this world.

One week later, Will was surprised at the ease of acceptance from the band of scientists.  Justin also had to admit that this group took the sudden appearance of the bots with relative ease.

A crystal-clear light tube had been created by 1227 and installed at a specific location on the hull, above the damaged section open to the atmosphere.  The light tube then broke into six similar lines that would run along the ceiling of each hallway.  The seventh was a separate line that would snake through the service and drive sections, located at the very bottom of the transport.

The tube, crystal-clear and eight and a half inches in diameter, provided natural light during daylight hours throughout the ship.  A single attached light source was all that was needed to provide light at night. 

During the day, the section of the light tube that ran along the outside hull would be exposed to the bright sunshine.  The single adjustable light at night allowed clean clear light to brighten the dim interior of the transport.  This single improvement alone helped bolster morale.

A second tube, solid and light grey, would carry heat.  This tube ran from the hull breach to a new opening dug into the ground.  This thermal tube kept the damaged transport warm while using none of the ship’s power. 

Will, Justin, and 1227 were very proud of this enhancement, and presented this as the first step towards a positive relationship with the bots.

A small group of scientists then presented Will and the bots with a request.

Where is the captain?

Will had little faith in actually finding anything of Captain Simon Kono and the three bridge officers that had accompanied him.  Striking out on their own, the four were attempting to discover anything that would aid their survival, or offer an opportunity to repair the ship and head home.  The captain, and his dog Tucker, had been gone one month.

Because the bots were communicating with Will on a regular basis, Will agreed that a team should be sent out to find the captain.  As expected, Will had been given the route that would possibly lead him to the captain and his party.  For this mission, Will felt that the ratio of three humans to one bot would help build trust within the stranded.

The bots provided Will with a large rectangular floating sled for this operation.  The sled was roughly eight feet wide, twelve feet long, and almost three feet thick.  The multipurpose sled had been sized to fit through their network of underground tunnels. 

The air was still cold, even with the midmorning sun rising high in the sky.  Will sat on the flat surface next to 3408.  There were no chairs on the floating load carrier, as the bots had no need for them.  Handholds and tiedowns were installed along the leading edge of the left and rear, leaving the other two edges clear for the loading and unloading of bulky items.

Peahman bot 3408 would accompany Will, along with Dr. Patty Lauter and Dr. Harold Pinter.  Patty Lauter was caustic and critical, while Harold Pinter was generally quiet and the most respected member of the group.  The two scientists would be the eyes and ears of the expedition, as Will did not want the responsibility of reporting any form of success or failure.

The Mattinau ship had landed on what was a large and expansive plateau.  Will had never surveyed the surrounding terrain from the sky, as the scanners depicted the nearby ocean, hills, and countryside as a lifeless graphic.  After leaving the compound, the sled initiated a wide circle of the plateau, before heading southwest and the direction chosen by the captain.

The cold winter winds blew across the snow of the plateau.  Lifeless, the bushes and trees were starting their dormant period, and only added to the sense of isolation.

Dr. Lauter, constantly vocal and irritated, complained about the simple blanket provided as padding for her seat.  3408 had fully shielded the sled, which provided a constant warm environment with no wind.  The woman’s attitude actually entertained Harold, but had little effect on 3408.

The southwest route stepped down to a valley that would be easily accessible by the wheeled vehicle that had been cobbled together by the mechanics of the crew.  Four large-diameter solid wheels were placed at each corner, and the wide body of the cart had been colored red and white due to the salvaged materials.

After surveying the immediate area, 3408 turned the sled and followed the faint wheel tracks of the captain’s vehicle.  The run was smooth and only a few patches of green grass appeared from time to time.  The captain had been gone for approximately four weeks.  Most of the tracks were still visible, though 3408 had little need for them.

The Peahman bot had communicated with Will that the captain and his party were no longer alive and would be found during this expedition.  Will did not share this information with the others, as he was still protective of the abilities of the alien bots.

During a stretch of silence, Harold Pinter asked, Will, tell me this.  If the robots are so advanced, why couldn’t they scan the area at a much faster rate and with better accuracy.

Patty was also curious, He’s right.  They could have covered twice the area in half the time.

Will didn’t have a prepared answer, as he didn’t need one.  He replied, The Peahman bots are in the process of building a relationship with us; you, me, the Mattinau humans.  They wanted witnesses to see the evidence of their discoveries firsthand.

Harold calmly stated, They could have photographed the evidence, or videorecorded the findings?

You’re absolutely right.  Will replied with ease, But photos and images can be faked.  Besides, if they are going to bring anyone back, then they need a known or friendly face to meet them.  We are here for more than one reason.

And why was I dragged out here?  Patty knew that she required Will’s respect, whether he personally liked her or not.

With consideration to Will’s background, he always tried to tell the complete truth, no matter the consequences.  He stated, The bots wanted two dedicated scientists who could view the evidence and analyze their findings.  The bots requested Doctor Pinter because he may become our leader.  They also requested a skeptical technologist who would question and either argue or confirm the findings of this mission.  I suggested you.  It’s just that simple. 

Whether the two felt that they had been complimented or not, they nodded in response.  The sled once again fell silent.

The sled followed the captain’s route at what was considered a slow and measured pace.  The captains’ cart had actually traveled a distance of a hundred miles.  Scanning and mapping the terrain, the bot-constructed sled covered the same distance in an hour and a half. 

As the sun began to lower on the horizon, the first signs of civilization appeared.  A series of concrete ruins, covered by dirt and grasses, appeared as an ancient industrial complex or community center. 

Will and 3408 continued to communicate as the sled began to slow.  The two scientists were deep in discussion.  Will then pointed to the remnants of the wheeled vehicle.

The small hybrid cart had been clean before the expedition, but was now dirty, dented, and half dug into the mud.  Will then pointed to the shimmering reflections coming from the ground.  The bot had the onboard systems of the cart illuminate the proteins found within the four crewmembers.

As the sun began to set on the horizon, the visible blood splatter of the four bridge-crew was a grotesque sight, highlighted by the projections of the sleds’ technology. 

Patty was shocked into silence.  Harold understood the realization that the captain and his officers were literally everywhere.  Preliminary observations by the two scientists concluded that the crew had been killed and eaten by animals with powerful claws and jaws. 

The silence on the sled was broken only by a single harsh light initiated by 3408.  Aimed at one of the open concrete doorways, four pairs of eyes shown clearly through the darkness. 

A total of nine beasts, Will would describe them as a mixture of a black grizzly bear with a black tiger, lunged from the darkness of the ruin.  3408 instantly tinted the sled shielding to black.  The nine beasts slowed and stalked as they continued to advance on the sled.  They slowed even further at the sudden alteration of the tinted shield. 

Will understood that 3408 had realigned the shielding, but from the inside, they could still clearly see the events begin to unfold.  Four of the beasts lunged at the black bubble covering the sled.  At a safe distance, the impact with the shield could be heard as they hit hard against the solid protection. 

3408 had altered the shielding to a non-lethal variant, allowing the beasts to charge at the sled without serious harm.  The four recoiled and then crouched to gauge and prepare a second strike.

The sled slowly began to back away.  The platform then rose into the air, gaining the attention of all.  The numbers of black beasts increased as all walked or jumped into the open.  The sled suddenly disappeared from sight.

Will was in constant communication with 3408, and agreed with the next series of actions.  The captain’s dog, Tucker, had been found several miles from the entrance to the ruin.  Will agreed to cloak the sled, thus ending the stalemate with the beasts at the ruins. 

The captain’s personal effects, a few personal items and electronics needed to be retrieved, but without the expected audience and altercation.  Will had 3408 cloak the sled and move to Tucker’s location.

The dog, a larger off-white breed, was cowering under fallen trees and brush.  Will was heartbroken, as he knew how much Tucker meant to the captain, crew, and scientists. 

As expected, 3408 kept the sled cloaked and moving.  At this time Harold had kept his recording devices busy with the detection of the captain, and their encounter with the aggressive creatures of this world.  Patty Lauter, speaking clearly and providing oral details of the site, assisted Harold with the investigation.

3408 lowered the sled to a stand of fallen trees that was far from the ruins.  Swinging the floating vehicle around, Will and the sled’s backend would be the first visual for the last surviving member of the captain’s expedition. 

Dirty, shaking, and hungry, Tucker continued to hide within a safe place that was too small for the beasts to reach. 

3408 provided Will with a clear graphic of Tucker’s location.  3408 then moved the sled as close as possible, and then retracted only the rear section of shielding. 

The scan graphic of all living things in the area indicated that it was safe for Will to exit the sled, but only for a brief time.  Will would need to step in and persuade the dog to meet him half way.  Will knew that this was necessary, though it wasn’t a safe thing to do.

Tucker, muddy and starved, saw the man he knew so well.  But Tucker was tired, injured, and not out of danger.  Crawling on his stomach, Tucker carefully made his way to Will. 

On the sled, 3408 created a popup screen with the current scan of the immediate area.  An animal, similar to a coyote, was approaching in a silent manner.  The two scientists were glancing in Will’s direction, yet engrossed in conversation. 

Learning the ways of the Mattinau, 3408 ignored the two distracted humans and concentrated on the task at hand.  3408 created a protective field that would separate Will and Tucker from the approaching danger.  The bot was unable to detect if Tucker had noticed the field generation spread over and behind him, and ensured that the field would impact the ground with enough force to create a completely new and exotic scent.

The predator, now far outside of the protective field, appeared to have lost the scent of the dog and nearby human.  The smell of burnt wood and electric wiring was all that the stalking beast could detect. 

Will approached Tucker through the fallen brush and trees, and reached out for the injured dog.  Tucker didn’t jump, but he did crawl and then begin to climb into Wills open arms.

Shaking and shivering, Tucker let out a series of whimpers as