by Drew Wagar
‘We still don’t understand, Caesar. Simple words, please.’
‘The Obelisk is malfunctioning,’ Caesar replied. ‘Failure of primary capability appears to be accelerating. The initial impact will be intermittent loss of electro-magnetic induction power distribution. Upon Obelisk failure, power distribution will halt and atmospheric erosion will reach critical values. Flare generated ultraviolet, x-ray and microwave radiation exposure will rapidly increase to fatal levels as ozone layer depletion rises exponentially.’
Meru was listening intently.
‘I’m still not clear,’ Mel whispered. ‘But that sounds very bad.’
‘If I’m right,’ Meru said, his face going white as he thought it through. ‘First we’re going to lose all the ’tricity …’
‘Like when the Mobilis was adrift?’ Coran asked.
Meru nodded. ‘But for good.’
‘And what else?’ Mel demanded.
Meru swallowed.
‘And the next flare that goes off is going to kill everyone.’
Silence greeted his comment, interrupted only after a moment by Caesar’s toneless voice.
‘Imprecise,’ it said. ‘But essentially correct. Precise arrival time of flare intensity of fatal levels is unknown.’
‘How long do we have?’ Zoella asked.
‘Available data is insufficient to make a precise determination,’ Caesar replied. ‘However the Obelisk was designed to be self-regulating and only to contact the Administrators in the case of irresolvable systemic failure.’
‘It was calling to me,’ Zoella replied. ‘It needs me to go to it. It’s urgent, I know it is.’
‘This unit concurs with your conclusion,’ Caesar replied. ‘Obelisk failure is likely within a short interval of passes. Its repair must be prioritised or all human life on Esurio will be in peril.’
‘We’ve got to go to the Obelisk,’ Meru said.
‘Now wait just a snuttin’ minute,’ Fitch interrupted. ‘We’ve got to get back to Amar. Remember that plan? Saving ourselves from the crazy magic women with the death wish? What about that?’
‘If we don’t fix the Obelisk we’ll all be dead,’ Meru shot back. ‘He’s right. We’ve got to go,’ Zoella added. ‘I know we have …’
‘And you know how to fix it do you?’ Fitch argued. ‘We’ve already had this conversation. You don’t know nothing! No offence to your new found administrator powers young lady, but a couple of dreams isn’t exactly going to qualify you to fix some ancient machine from thousands of rounds ago is it?’
Zoella swallowed. Fitch shook his head.
‘I thought as much. And how are you going to get there? Look at that map, there’s a massive storm between here and there. Even if you did know what you were doing, I don’t see how you can get there.’
‘Environmental conditions at the substellar pole are dangerous,’ Caesar said. ‘Penetrating the substellar cyclone will be fraught with difficulty due to wind intensity, static discharge and high levels of precipitation. The personnel shuttles have insufficient maximum altitude to avoid the cyclone but are certified for storm conditions and should be able to make the transit. However, caution is advised.’
‘So, we can fly there,’ Meru said. ‘See? It is possible.’
‘It’s madness, that’s what it is,’ Fitch replied.
‘Caesar,’ Coran said. ‘Is there another way to fix to the Obelisk?’
‘Without precise data on the current issues with the Obelisk facility it is impossible to make a determination,’ Caesar replied. ‘Fault simulation indicates the most likely problem scenario is a failure of sensor inputs and auxiliary systems. This will require on site repairs.’
‘Which you won’t be able to do,’ Fitch argued. ‘Because we don’t know how the damn thing works.’
‘The Obelisk has a similar audio prompted interactive facility as I do,’ Caesar replied. ‘If members of this group are able to arrive at the Obelisk facility, it should be able to guide you through the necessary diagnostic and repair procedures.’
‘There you go,’ Meru said, glaring at Fitch. ‘It can tell us how to fix it.’
Fitch straightened and folded his arms, looking over to Coran.
‘It’s your call then, Captain,’ Fitch said. ‘Another crazy quest, or doing something practical to save Amar.’
Coran sighed.
‘We could try both,’ Mel said. ‘Split up …’
‘Yeah, like that’s worked really well in the past,’ Fitch said.
‘Enough, Fitch,’ Coran said. ‘Mel’s right. We’ve got to defend Amar, but this Obelisk thing … If what I’m hearing is true then if we don’t fix that then there won’t be an Amar to save. The question is who …’
‘I have to go to the Obelisk,’ Zoella said. ‘I’m the administrator. It needs me.’
‘And I can fly her there,’ Meru said. ‘I know these machines better than anyone.’
‘We need her in Amar,’ Fitch countered. ‘She’s got the same power as the witches. She’s got to fight with us!’
‘That’s a good point,’ Mel admitted.
‘Then we have to fly to the Obelisk, fix it and get back to Amar as soon as we can,’ Meru said, looking at Zoella. She nodded.
‘We’ve got to get to it,’ Zoella said. ‘If it fails we all die, your people and the priestesses … everyone!’
‘What about getting the other machines to Amar?’ Coran asked.
‘Caesar said they can fly themselves, or they can follow the Mobilis,’ Meru said.
‘This statement is correct,’ Caesar added.
‘We can’t let you two go off alone,’ Mel said.
‘What choice is there?’ Meru asked. ‘Coran is needed to organise Amar since the senate is so useless. Fitch knows all about the weapons we have and how to make them better and you need to keep the Mobilis running. You need Daf and Creg to man the ship. There’s no other choice, Zoella and I have to go. We’ve done it before, we can do it again.’
‘Meru, you know what happened last time,’ Mel said.
‘But we know so much more now,’ Meru said. ‘More about the world, more about flying, more about the people … and I’ll have Zoella to keep me safe.’
She looked at him and smiled. ‘I’ll try.’
Coran looked around at the crew.
‘I don’t like it,’ he said. ‘But I don’t see an alternative. Zoella and Meru will go to the Obelisk and try to fix it before returning to Amar. The rest of us are heading back to Amar right now before those priestesses find a way to invade. Let’s not waste any more time. Jump to it.’
Zoella and Meru were sitting at Caesar’s table. There was little more they could do whilst the machines in the hangar were prepared. The crew of the Mobilis watched as a series of small vehicles had emerged from recessed compartments in the hangar walls to check and adjust the machines. Caesar had indicated it would take two or three chimes for everything to be ready.
Zoella was looking at the various maps and readouts he was able to provide for them. The huge spiral of cloud over the Obelisk’s position was hard to grasp in her mind. It was as big, if not bigger, than an entire continent; a storm that had raged forever.
‘Cyclonic forces are significant,’ Caesar said in summary.
‘Bad weather then,’ Zoella said.
‘Imprecise, but essentially correct,’ Caesar replied.
‘Very bad,’ Meru said. ‘Hundreds of marks of thunderstorms and high winds.’
‘And … what did you mean by should be able to make the transit?’ Zoella asked, jabbing Caesar’s table with her finger.
‘As I indicated before, personnel shuttles are certified for storm-laden flight paths,’ Caesar replied. ‘However, conditions are perilous. Caution is advised.’
‘Do you think you can fly us there, through the storm?’ Zoella asked Meru. ‘And not crash this time?’
Meru pulled a face at her.
‘I think so. We broke an engine last time beca
use an arrow got stuck in it. Hopefully we won’t run into that sort of problem.’
The comment made Zoella think for a moment. Meru was watching her as a frown crossed her face.
‘What is it?’
‘If I can hear the Obelisk calling me because of this … power … this gift,’ she began. ‘What if others have too? Maybe some of the priestesses have heard this as well? Maybe she has …’
‘Kiri,’ Meru whispered. ‘But they’re determined to attack Amar. They won’t understand what the Obelisk is asking. They don’t have Caesar to explain it.’
‘But they might have the same vision, they might figure it out. Who’s to say what other knowledge they have that could lead them there?’
Meru nodded. ‘It’s a risk, but they don’t have flying machines. I doubt you could ride a dach through a thunderstorm. They can’t get there like we can.’
‘We should be on our guard all the same,’ Zoella said. ‘I’m going to see about food and water for the trip.’
She got up and left Meru with Caesar.
He sat still for a moment before turning around in his chair and leaning over Caesar’s table.
‘Can I ask you a question Caesar?’
‘You may,’ Caesar’s voice intoned.
‘When we were in Nireus,’ Meru began. ‘We saw this light in the sky. It was high up, beyond the clouds. I could see it in Coran’s ’scope, it was an object. I did the maths on it and it doesn’t make sense …’
‘You are enquiring into the nature of this object?’ Caesar asked.
‘I guess so,’ Meru said.
‘That information is restricted based on a classification index. Only level two administrators and above can access restricted information. Emergency protective protocols are in operation. You do not have sufficient administrative privilege.’
‘So you keep telling me,’ Meru said. ‘I think I’ve worked it out anyway. It’s a ship isn’t it? A ship in an orbit, just like this world Esurio orbits Lacaille.’
Caesar didn’t respond for a moment.
‘How did you come by this conclusion?’
Meru grinned. ‘I landed at this place on my way to Drayden, found out a bunch of stuff. You will know it as waymarker thirty five, sixty four.’
There was another pause.
‘That facility is listed as the Holroyd Radio Telescope,’ Caesar replied.
‘Yes, and the screens there told me that the last telemetry received before the telescope stopped working was a message from a vessel. It was called the Du Maurier. It was in a stable orbit. That’s the light in the sky, isn’t it?’
This time the pause was lengthy.
‘Your determination is correct,’ Caesar said. Meru fancied his voice was almost reluctant. ‘Will you share your calculations with me?’
Meru took the scribbled notes from his pocket.
‘Please place them face down on the table,’ Caesar instructed.
Meru did so and saw a quick flash of light illuminate the paper.
‘Your calculations are correct,’ Caesar said. ‘But your input data is in error.’
‘How so?’
‘You are correct in determining that the Du Maurier is in a stable orbit around Esurio. However your determination of altitude is in error. Fifty marks would be an insufficient height to clear the denser portion of Esurio’s atmosphere.’
‘So how high is it?’ Meru asked.
‘The vessel is orbiting at a mean height of seven hundred marks, to avoid interactions with the Esurio thermosphere.’
‘Seven hundred! But that means …’
‘Your determination of angular diameter is crude, but is the correct method of determining size based on the angle subtended at the point of observation. The actual length of the Du Maurier is twenty six point eight marks.’
Meru blinked.
‘Twenty six!’ Meru leaned back on the chair for a moment before moving forwards. ‘Caesar, what sort of ship is the Du Maurier?’
‘That information is restricted based on a …’
‘Stop that,’ Meru snapped. ‘I worked it all out without your help. Before you said that the emergency protocols could be cancelled if an assessment of the current culture indicates that it has sufficient technological …’
‘And social and economic capability to assimilate the data,’ Caesar finished.
‘I worked this out on my own,’ Meru said. ‘I can understand it. Cancel the emergency protocols.’
Again there was a pause.
‘Not all criteria have been satisfied,’ Caesar replied. ‘Technological understanding alone is insufficient.’
‘Then give me level two administrative access,’ Meru snapped.
‘You are not entitled to level two administrative access,’ Caesar replied. ‘You are not an administrator.’
Meru glowered at the table top, but the machine was implacable.
A laugh came from behind him. He turned to see Zoella was watching him.
‘Sounds like you need my help again.’
‘How long have you been there?’
‘Not long, just long enough to see you getting impatient.’
‘No need to be smug just because …’
Her smile faded. ‘And no need for you to be rude. I offered to help you before and you turned me down, seems to be a habit of yours. We’re supposed to be working together on this.’
Meru sighed. ‘I’m sorry, I just …’
‘You want some answers,’ Zoella interrupted. ‘I get it. Provisions for the trip are ready by the way. Mel’s already organised it.’
‘I thought she might have,’ Meru replied. ‘Now, if I could just get …’
Zoella leant across him.
‘Caesar, tell Meru what he wants to know, or he’s going to be sulking for the rest of the stretch.’
‘Administrator Zoella, are you granting a temporary override of emergency protocols on behalf of Meru?’ Caesar asked.
Zoella rolled her eyes. ‘Yes Caesar, I am granting a temporary override of emergency protocols on behalf of Meru.’
‘Override exception noted,’ Caesar replied. ‘Please be aware that detailed interrogation of historical records is not recommended at your current cultural level. Please confirm you wish to proceed.’
Zoella and Meru exchanged a glance.
‘Maybe we shouldn’t ask,’ Zoella said. ‘The more we know …’
‘The better we understand,’ Meru countered.
‘Or the more trouble we’ll get ourselves into.’
‘Please!’
Zoella shrugged. ‘All right. Caesar, confirmed.’
‘Meru, state your request.’
‘Tell me what the Du Maurier is. Tell me all about it.’
‘The ICS Du Maurier is a third generation self-contained hybrid embryo space colonisation and sleeper vessel. It was constructed in orbit about the Earth, in the Sol system, between Earth calendar dates 2245 and 2288. It was launched in 2289, the last such vessel to leave, under the command of Admiral Gregory Drayden …’
‘Drayden was a person?’ Zoella said.
‘Shhhh!’ Meru hissed.
‘… embarking on a 632 year long voyage to the Lacaille 9352 system, arriving in orbit of planet Lacaille 9352B, later named Esurio, in Earth calendar date 2921. Initial colonisation of Esurio took place 22 years later and served as the basis for the start of the Esurio calendar. It is now 2307 rounds since the initial colonisation event. Continue?’
Meru swallowed, his throat dry. He looked at Zoella. She nodded.
‘Continue.’
‘The ICS Du Maurier remains in a stable orbit about Esurio with a mean altitude of 700 marks. Last communication from the vessel was received in round 232 indicating the ship had entered hibernation mode, on board life support had been terminated, but orbital elements remained within tolerance. Esurio-based observations appear to indicate that the station-keeping capabilities of the ICS Du Maurier are still operating effectively, however it is not
currently possible to contact the vessel without operational ground based transmission capability. Summary report ends.’
‘This Earth, is this another planet? We came from there?’ Meru asked.
‘That is correct. Earth is the third planet in the Sol system. The Sol system is 10.74 light years away from the Lacaille 9352 system. Humanity originated on the planet Earth.’
‘Wait … a light year?’ Meru asked. ‘What is a light year? Come to think of it, what is a year?’
‘A light year is the distance travelled by light in a single year,’ Caesar replied. ‘A year represents a single orbit of Earth around Sol. In Esurian measurements a year is approximately seven eighths of a round. Thus a light year is approximately nine million million marks.’
Meru blinked, trying to assimilate what Caesar was saying.
‘Million million?’ he said, his voice hushed.
‘Then why did we come here from so far away?’ This time it was Zoella’s question.
‘Due to a major environmental catastrophe Earth became uninhabitable. The ICS Du Maurier and her sister ships carried human embryos to nearby habitable systems within a 20 light year radius of the Sol system with the stated purpose to colonise worlds in those systems and preserve the existence of humanity.’
‘Sister ships?’ Meru asked. ‘How many were there?’
‘Records indicate that a total of 36 ships were dispatched from the Sol system.’
Meru looked across at Zoella. ‘More ships, more systems …’
‘So we didn’t even come from here,’ Zoella whispered. ‘We travelled here from far away thousands of rounds ago. Our ancestors wanted to make this place a home. But what happened? What went wrong?’
‘Colonisation was successful for the first 341 rounds,’ Caesar replied. ‘However the flare nature of the M2V class red dwarf Lacaille 9352 was not understood at the time. The first flare was unanticipated and caused widespread destruction and loss of life.’
‘Sandra Morino,’ Meru whispered.
‘Who?’
‘The remains of a woman we found here,’ Meru said, his voice hushed. ‘She’d recorded a message from that time, warning folks to avoid the flares. We found her body in this hangar, she was alone.’
‘No detailed historical data is available post round 341,’ Caesar continued. ‘There was no access to this system between Sandra Morino’s input and your access. In the interim time, communications with all facilities were impaired and continue to degrade. However, it should be noted that humanity was able to survive and prosper on Esurio despite the devastation, as your presence and the widespread human habitation of the planet indicates.’