By law and tradition, everyone trekking beyond the massive security barrier of Scavenger's outpost - carried a small pouch full of black pearls at all times. Sitting on the fence between folk stories and accurate history, the black pearls symbolize the peace and security period which ended an old, almost forgotten war between the colony and Scavenger’s native inhabitants.
The peace on Scavenger – a small terrestrial planet in a fairly large solar system orbiting Canopus, the brightest star in the southern constellation of Carina, 310 light-years from Earth – was kept for the past millennium carefully to avoid a repeat of the exhausting five hundred years war the colony was engaged in when the first transport ship arrived, and the colony established itself on the shores of a beautiful crystal clear lake surrounded by lush forest as long the eye can see.
The first attack on the colony came shortly after the habitats were built and the transport ship turned back on the long journey back to Earth. Startled by an ambush on a small survey team, the colony built a security fence with automatic heat detector pulse guns around the perimeter. It didn't take long before the war escalated and short on munition - the colony quickly built a massive 20 meters barrier keeping the natives away. Yet, nothing the colony did actually prevented the occasional attack on scouts leaving the colony or the various traps left all around the outpost perimeter. Five hundred years of endless attacks left the outpost exhausted and unable to sustain itself. With no end in sight, It seems the guerilla war tactics the natives wage was winning the war.
Legend says that a young girl somehow sneaked out of the colony and sat at the torched field across the colony barrier playing with a few black pearls her father pulled out of the lake while snorkeling and hunting fish. The black pearls were of no use to the colonists and were usually dumped or be given for kids to play with before cooking the oyster, mussels, or clams found in the lake. To their astonishment, the colonists saw a large tall figure come out of the surrounding forest, walk calmly toward the little girl, kneel down on its knees, and point at the black pearls. The girl, slightly surprised at the gesture, handed over the black pearls and ran back to the outpost. The figure turned back toward the forest to the sound of drumming and cheering coming out of the forest depth.
Ten years passed since the incident and the natives have never been seen again until the same figure wearing an aged cobalt blue long gown with large winged-like sleeves came out of the forest again and stood quietly outside the habitat security barrier. The colonists were ready with a large pouch of black pearls which were handed to the figure in a somewhat ceremonial way while declaring with a clear voice and fervent conviction: No more of this. No more war.
