Then he entered his private chapel for a meeting with the gods.
He collapsed onto one knee and began going through the usual ritual of greeting the gods. Then he stood and raised his head, waiting for the hologram to appear. Almost at once, he saw the old wizened figure of Kingirow standing before him.
“Barrow, you look troubled,” Kingirow said. “Do you have some important news?”
“Yes, oh, great and mighty Kingirow, leader of the gods, creator of the Karavec and of the Council, I have very important news. The Council has met today.”
“That is indeed news that I did not expect, or hope for. The consequences of this meeting do not bode well.”
Barrow went on to describe the reasons for the meeting, and the decisions made by the Council.
“The decisions are the right ones,” said Kingirow. “A huge burden is placed on your shoulders and those of Lord Lolena. The gods give their approval for this endeavour, and will protect you and your company as you perform this difficult task.”
The hologram faded, and Barrow rose to his feet. He slowly made his way to his bedroom. The day’s events, especially the ritual of ‘The Melding of Gnaris’, had left him exhausted. It wasn’t long before he slept.
Chapter 8 – ‘The Loop’
“Hikon is a planet full of wonder. ‘The Loop’ unravels that wonder, and fills the soul with glee.”
The Book of Karavec (95, 89)
“What do we know about the planet Ziemia?” The Great Savant met in his private quarters with Forster, Elena and Lolena.
Forster typed out some keywords on his laptop, and brought up a page of information about the planet.
“It has a diameter of 14,874 kilometers, surface gravity is about 1.1g, average surface temperature is 15o Celsius, and the average pressure at sea level is 96 kilopascals.”
“Minerals?”
“Well it’s about 67 percent covered with water in the form of oceans. There are ice caps at both poles. The most abundant elements in the planet’s crust are silicon and oxygen, and the core is mostly made up of compounds of iron. The atmosphere is 71 percent nitrogen and 26 percent oxygen, with some other gases and water vapour.
“Its orbit is an average 160 million kilometres from Ogien. It takes 307 days to orbit the sun, and spins once on its axis every 22 hours and 36 minutes. It also has two large moons with diameters of 1,100 kilometres and 1,600 kilometres.”
“It sounds very similar to the human planet you come from, captain.”
“I see. Yes, you are right; it does share many of the features and qualities of the Earth.”
Barrow looked Forster in the eye. “Now, captain, would you care to share with the others exactly why you are interested in the planet Ziemia, and your real reason for coming here?”
Forster cleared his throat. “A few months ago, we intercepted an audio signal from a satellite orbiting Ziemia, the fourth planet of this solar system.”
“They have satellites?” Elena found it difficult to conceal her excitement.
“Yes, at least some of the inhabitants of Ziemia have developed a rudimentary knowledge of rocketry and satellite communication; who knows, maybe even space travel.”
“What did the audio say?” Elena asked. “Were you able to decipher any of it?”
“Take a listen.”
Forster connected a recording device to his computer, and they listened intently to the recorded message.
“I can recognise some of the words,” said Elena. “It’s English!”
Forster’s face broke out into a broad smile. “I think you will be able to understand most of it if I play the recording a few times.”
“Let’s play it right through,” said Elena.
After she had heard it three times, Elena said, “I recognise the words ‘faithfully’, ‘president’ and ‘united’,” she said. “Can you explain the message to me in simple English; then I can translate for the others using the Karavec language?”
Forster read and then simplified the following words: “‘I, Piotr Wojciech Kowalski, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.’”
“What does it mean?” asked Elena. “What is the United States?”
“I don’t exactly understand myself,” said Forster. “That’s why I am going to Ziemia to find out. The United States was once a very powerful nation on Earth. But what that has to do with Ziemia is a mystery.”
Lolena spoke. “Try searching the cosmoweb for Kow… what was the name.”
“Kowalski.” Forster searched and came up with an answer. “Piotr Wojciech Kowalski was the fifty fifth president of the United States of America on the planet Earth. He was the first president of Polish descent.”
“Polish?”
“From Poland. Poland was another nation on the Earth. There were many immigrants from Poland to the United States in the twentieth century.”
“Tell us more about the history of the Earth,” said Elena.
“Well this is what I know. The Earth had a healthy environment and was able to sustain a growing human population until near the end of the twentieth century. But things began to change with an exploding population that became increasingly difficult to feed, and a polluted environment due to emissions of carbon-based gases.”
“How careless,” said Elena. “Why did they produce those gases?”
“They were largely the waste product from the burning of fossil fuels that were used in the generation of energy.”
“What a crude system,” said Barrow.
“Well that’s not all,” said Forster with a grimace. “In order to cut down on the production of these gases, the people of Earth also developed alternative ways of generating energy using nuclear fission.”
There was a stunned silence.
“Did you say fission?” Barrow could not disguise his disgust.
“Yes, I said fission. The citizens of Earth never mastered the enhancement of nuclear fusion for the production of energy. Well, I expect you can guess the final outcome of experimenting with nuclear fission . . .”
“A meltdown?”
“A meltdown on a colossal scale. They practically contaminated the entire planet in just a matter of days. The result of the environmental pollution was an increase in ultra violet radiation, and the consequence of the nuclear meltdown was a fatal increase in gamma radiation. They basically fried themselves. A population of eleven billion frazzled like sausages on a barbecue; and that’s not to mention the countless other species of animals and plants that were annihilated.”
“So how did the ancestors of the humans survive?” Lolena asked.
“A colony of humans had settled on the Earth’s neighbouring planet called Mars. The inhabitants of Mars lived in a hostile environment, so they took precautions to protect themselves against harmful radiation. They had water, but otherwise had to provide their own life support air to breathe and food to eat so they were better prepared for survival than the people living on Earth. After nearly five thousand years, the Earth had recovered, and people from the Mars colony returned there. It is now a thriving planet once again, and is much more technologically advanced. The human race didn’t make the same mistakes again, but we had achieved the desire to travel, and to explore, and eventually to conquer the universe. After many centuries, we developed the technology to travel at eighty percent of the speed of light, so we were able to travel to other solar systems and to colonise planets. Even so, it took nearly twenty years to travel to the nearest star with an Earth-like planet.”
“Did the humans also colonise Ziemia?” asked Elena.
“No, that is impossible. That is why I am baffled by these signals, and that is the real reason why I am here. It is too much of a coincidence for the civilization of the inhabitants of Ziemia to have developed in a similar way to that of Earth . . .”
“A
nd to have done so in a matter of just a few years,” added Barrow.
Forster shrugged and scratched his head. “Yet I cannot find any other explanation,” he said.
“Well,” said Barrow, “Ziemia is certainly providing us with many questions. The sooner we get there and find some answers the better.”
* * * * *
It took three days for them to make all the arrangements for the voyage to Ziemia.
The Great Savant summoned Kuthrow, his chief and most trusted commander. He filled him in on everything that they had managed to learn about Ziemia, and ordered him to choose the platoon of thirty-four soldiers from his most elite and faithful warriors.
“Sergeant Wardrow will be my deputy,” said Kuthrow.
“Why do you choose him?”
“Apart from his impeccable military record, he has spent some time on Earth when he was much younger, and has some knowledge of the Earth language known as English. Since the messages we have received are in English, this may prove invaluable.”
“Excellent.”
The warriors spent the next three days in isolation, training and planning for the assault on Ziemia.
Barrow also sent for Sirrow, the pilot of the ferry Gnaris Voyager, and instructed him to prepare the ship to be fuelled and equipped for the journey. Then he retired to the seclusion of his private chapel where he communed with the gods, offering up prayers and libations, and asking their blessing for a safe and successful trip.
Elena decided on another way to pass the time. “I’ll take you on a circuit of Hikon,” she said to Forster.
“A circuit?”
“Yes, as I told you Hikon is split into three zones: the Hot Zone, the side facing the sun which is a perpetual desert, the Cold Zone which is a permanent ice sheet, and the Home Band, the narrow strip of land in between where we live. The Home Band, as the name suggests, is a band of land that encircles the planet. We have constructed a railway that circumnavigates the entire Home Band, tracks that makes a complete circuit, with trains that run continuously in both directions around the loop. Indeed it is called ‘The Loop’. This is the most economical and enjoyable way to travel around the globe. It also offers the ideal way for a visitor like you to see and experience all the wonders of our home planet.”
“That sounds like a wonderful idea,” said Forster, “but will I be safe? There may be another attempt on my life.”
“I think you will be in no danger away from the city; but, nevertheless, I will ask Barrow to provide bodyguards.”
“How long does a circuit of the planet take?”
“It takes just two days. We will not have time to stop and visit any of the places we see, but the wagon-lits accommodation on the train is first class.”
“Splendid,” said Forster. “When can we leave?”
“We must go first thing in the morning if we are to arrive back in time for the scheduled departure for Ziemia.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
The trip around Hikon proved more fabulous than Forster could have imagined, and more magnificent than Elena could ever have described. During his tour of the Milky Way he had visited many planets; he had seen deserts and ice caps before; he had observed high mountain ranges and vast lakes; he had beheld many wonders, both natural and made by the inhabitants of the planets; but nothing compared to the stark beauty of Hikon.
During the first day, the train wound its way up a mountain range that straddled the Home Band. The first thing Forster noticed was the haunting silence.
“What powers the engines of this train so there is no noise at all?” he asked.
“The fuel is hydrogen, which is strictly controlled so that it cannot explode, but is converted by a nuclear reaction to helium producing more than enough energy to propel the train; and the train sits on a magnetic cushion, so it hovers above the track. Hence there is no friction, and no noise.”
“Amazing! This technology exceeds our own.”
“Don’t get any ideas, Jim, I mean Captain Forster. This technology is not for sale, and certainly not for the taking.”
“I didn’t mean . . .”
She laughed. “I know. I was just teasing. The Karavec and the humans are allies. I am sure the Great Savant would share this technology with you, if and when he deems it appropriate.”
When the train reached the highest point of the mountain pass, Forster was awestruck by the beauty and contrast of the various shades of light reflecting from the sunlight pouring down from the Hot Zone, and the myriads of reflected rays of light from the ice crystals at the edge of the Cold Zone. He pondered that it must have been impossible for the native Karavec population to fully experience the beauty since their light-sensitive eyes had to be protected against the glare. But he gloried in his own ability to revel in this feast.
“That is quite the most magical sight I have ever experienced,” he said to Elena. “It is a shame that you are unable to share the experience.”
“Of course we can share and even exceed your experience,” said Elena “We do not use our eyes as you do, but we experience the wonder with our gnaris.”
Forster turned red with embarrassment. “I should have realised,” he said.
The descent on the far side of the mountain range brought a new set of wondrous vistas. Several lakes huddled into the folds of the mountains, each one a different hue.
“Why are these lakes all different colours?” he asked
“The water in the lakes is full of minerals,” she said, “and each one has a different composition. These minerals, such as yellow sulphur and bluestone, and other compounds of copper and aluminium, cause the lakes to change their hue according to the light and time of day.”
“Truly beautiful,” he said.
Every two or three hours, the train stopped at towns along the route to allow Karavec to embark or disembark. At some of the stops, Forster took the opportunity to buy some food, for there was no food for sale and no restaurant car on the train. Whenever he got off the train, he received stares from Karavec. The news had spread of the arrival on Hikon of the strange alien, but they had never before witnessed beings with a pale pink complexion and facial hair.
When they reached the valley, the next object that caught Forster’s eye was not a natural phenomenon, but a huge building that appeared to be enveloped in gold.”
“Yes,” she said, as if reading his mind, “that is gold . . . solid gold.”
Forster whistled. “It must be worth a fortune.”
“Indeed it is very valuable, but gold is not such a scarce commodity here on Hikon as it is on other planets. Nevertheless the builders used a lot of gold. Many years were required to mine and refine the gold, and to mould it into the bricks and pieces of various shapes that have been used in the building’s construction.”
“What is the building?”
“It is the Karavec Temple, the centre of the Karavec religion in the Milky Way. There are more than one thousand monks living and working within the confines of the temple. It is the place where every Karavec on Hikon must visit at least once in his or her lifetime to pay homage to the gods; and many come from other planets like Arion also. The Great Savant himself spends many weeks here every year.”
When the train had almost completed the circuit of ‘The Loop’, and they approached the capital of Hikon once again, Forster witnessed another amazing feat of engineering. The track passed across a narrow bridge spanning a large dry valley. Traversing the valley was an enormous conveyor belt moving from the Cold Zone towards the Hot Zone. The conveyor belt carried a series of huge blocks of ice.
“The ice has been cut by machines on the periphery of the Cold Zone,” she said. “Do you remember I told you that we have to transport ice to the Hot Zone so that it can melt; otherwise we would never have enough water to live.”
“Yes, I remember. So this is how you do it?”
“Yes, otherwise all the water on the planet would eventually freeze and we would die.”
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The train pulled into the station and came to a silent halt. Forster emerged from the carriage in a daze. He had never before beheld such wonders, and he speculated on what other surprises there might be in store for him.
Chapter 9 – Ziemia
“Other worlds are a mystery to me, and other cultures are an enigma; as for other civilizations, I see them only as a threat.”
The Book of Karavec (38, 17)
Sirrow eased the ferry Gnaris Voyager out of Ziemia orbit, and began the descent to the planet’s surface.
“There is no place for us to dock,” he said to Barrow, “so we will make a controlled descent onto an uninhabited part of the planet. The scan of the planet’s surface indicates that there is an area of semi-desert several kilometres to the west of the biggest city. It will allow us to land without being observed, and give us time to get organised before we move in on the city.”
“Excellent,” said Barrow.
“How will we land undetected?” asked Forster.
“The ship has a magnetic shield that makes it invisible to the detection systems of all known aliens. I am counting on the belief that the Ziemians have not developed the technology to penetrate our shields.”
“You are probably right,” said Forster. “The message we intercepted suggests that the civilization has not yet progressed beyond that of Earth in the mid twenty-first century.”
A few minutes later, Sirrow engaged the reverse thrust rockets on the underside of his ship, and manoeuvred the craft until it sat motionless on the planet’s surface. With the flick of a switch, he cut the engines off, but kept the magnetic shield in place.
Through an observation portal, Forster could see the terrain in the immediate vicinity of the ship. The ground appeared to be quite flat, except for several outcroppings of rocks that dotted the landscape. The only vegetation he could see consisted of a number of tall plants that he thought resembled a cross between a tree and a cactus.
After about an hour observing the terrain and not seeing anything that might be a threat, Barrow gave the all-clear for the soldiers to disembark. When the hatch opened, Forster felt a waft of warm air enter the cabin, but he was glad to receive confirmation that the atmosphere was conducive to human life.
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