The Tool

Malmus, the chief Archaeologist of the Terra expedition took out the strange metal object he had found at the dig from the box and placed it upon the desk of the mission supervisor Sanek.

“What is it?”, asked Sanek, “Some kind of tool or a toy?”.

“I don’t know”, said Malmus, “It’s not like anything we have on our world. It seems designed to propel small metal capsules by igniting chemicals in the capsules by striking them when you pull a lever”.

“Well perhaps it is some kind of firework or noisemaker”, suggested Sanek.

“It certainly does make a loud noise”, said Malmus, “But it doesn’t make pretty colours like fireworks do and it seems, well, awfully dangerous”.

“Dangerous?”, asked Sanek, “How so?”.

“Well, pointing the implement at someone and pressing the lever would propel the metal capsules and cause injury to whoever you were pointing it at”, said Malmus.

“Yes that does seem dangerous”, said Sanek, “But why do you suppose the species that lived on this planet would need such an implement?”.

“I have a theory, although it may seem a bit far fetched”, said Malmus.

“Go on”, said Sanek.

“Well, I have a theory that it is designed for causing injury and perhaps even for killing”, said Malmus.

“But why would anyone make a tool to injure and kill with”, asked Sanek, “What were these people, monsters?”.

“Well, I’m assuming they were carnivores. Perhaps they used it to kill animals with to eat. We don’t have such tools on our planet because we’re plant eaters and only fight during mating season”, said Malmus.

But then, suddenly, as Malmus looked at the tool, Sanek saw an odd expression come over his face.

Then, picking it up, he pointed it at the mission supervisor.

“What are you doing?”, asked Sanek, “I thought you said that thing was dangerous. Don’t point it at me”.

“Well, I also have another theory… that they used the object to have power over each other”, said Malmus, his voice becoming suddenly cold and menacing, “It’s quite frightening, isn’t it?”.

“Yes”, said Sanek, trembling, “So stop pointing it at me”.

“But if I were to kill you with this, as your second in command, I would become the Missions supervisor. I would have your government salary and pension and who would suspect me. Killing for such things is unheard of to our peaceful species”, said Malmus.

“But Malmus”, said Sanek, a look of terror in his eyes, “What have I ever done to you? Why would you even think of killing me and…and remember that I have a Mate and three children to support”.

“I don’t know”, said Malmus, “It’s just something about the power of holding this alien killing tool in my hand. I have never wielded such power before. Power of life and death. All I need to do is press the lever with my finger and..”, said Malmus.

Then suddenly, grinning, the Archaeologist pressed the lever.

But nothing happened.

“Strange”, he said, looking at the tool, irritated, “It worked earlier. Somehow it must be jammed”.

Sanek picked up the table lamp from his desk and brought it down upon Malmus’s head, smashing it and knocking him unconscious.

“What happened?”, asked another of the expeditions members, Dr Sarregon, the Botanist, running into Sanek’s office after hearing the commotion.

“Dr Malmus went crazy. He tried to kill me with the alien artefact he found at the excavation site”, said Sanek, “The violence of the people who ruled over this planet is somehow contagious. I suggest that, while Dr Malmus is unconscious we should lock him in one of the secure rooms and that we should tell no one about the artefact in case it makes other members of our expedition become similarly violent”.

“Understood”, said Sarregon, nodding.

But then the Botanist noticed something else within Malmus’s box that, at first glance, resembled some species of pineapple but which he then saw was a metal canister.

“What about this?”, he said, picking the canister up.

“What is it?”, asked Sanek.

“Some kind of container”, said Sarregon, “I’m not sure but I think you pull the pin out to open it”.

“Well pull the pin out and see what happens”, said Sanek.