The Star Agency (The Star Agency Chronicles)
Page 39
Everybody shuffled round until they had formed a loose circle. Then they reached out until their hands met in the middle.
‘This is so corny,’ whispered Theo. ‘I can’t believe we’re doing this.’
‘No, he’s right,’ said Ruby, suddenly looking serious. ‘This isn’t some bad movie or something. This is real life. We are here now. We’re leading the way for Earth. We are the seven.’
‘Yeh,’ said Weng. ‘That’s it. We are the seven. Everybody repeat after me. We are the Seven.’
‘We are the Seven!’ came the reply from everybody except Theo.
‘Come on Theo, join in,’ said Weng, grinning.
‘We are the Seven!’ they repeated, louder this time.
And Theo couldn’t help but smile. They were the Seven. The first people from Earth on a new world, making a new future, free from the past. Leaving the old ways behind and starting again. Theo looked around at everybody. They were all chanting, even Lara. And suddenly he couldn’t help himself, so he joined in. We are the Seven, he began to chant. We are the Seven, we are the Seven. And suddenly, he didn’t care how silly he looked.
*
Level 1, Observation Deck, Pod 15. Ever since Ruby had introduced it to Theo, it had become one of his favourite spots on Polisium Prime – despite his previous protestations – when he’d wanted time alone, away from his quarters. He’d even been able to summon up the courage to stand on the transparent segment of the floor and look straight down, although it still occasionally made his stomach churn. There was something about just staring at the planet below, wheeling slowly and silently around its axis, which helped Theo to gather his thoughts. Of course, he knew that he could get the same view from his companion if he wanted to. But even though it looked the same, somehow it wasn’t. Somehow, knowing that he was looking at a real world below him made all the difference.
He stared down at the night side of the planet. Then he held out his hand in front of him and blocked out a small portion of the planet’s surface. Hidden below that hand were millions of alien beings going about their business, blissfully unaware that Theo could no longer see them. Then he smiled to himself as he lowered his hand. Like they would even care if they knew.
Then he turned away from the planet and stared out into space. There were still times when he had to remind himself that it had all really happened, and that he wasn’t just dreaming in his bed back on Earth.
Earth! The depth of feeling behind that one simple word still shook Theo every time it came to mind. Quickly, almost instinctively, he selected Quick Start 3 from his companion and stepped back into the centre of the pod. Then slowly, he turned around – spinning through ninety degrees – until a glowing, superimposed circle appeared directly in front of him. In the centre of the circle was a pinpoint of light. It was Earth’s own sun, with seven billion people and everything he had once known orbiting around it. Suddenly, he felt a longing deep within him, and just for a moment he so wanted to be back there. But then he pinched himself. He had to stop doing this to himself. He couldn’t go back now. Instead, he was here, around Polisium: a world just as beautiful and even more amazing. And a world he was slowly but surely beginning to think of as home.
As he stared at the image of the star, dreaming of the distant blue world that had once been his home, his companion suddenly bleeped to tell him that a message had arrived. He opened up the message:
Hyper mind processing complete.
Detailed Report
Summary Report
Previous
The results. He’d almost forgotten about the search he’d requested earlier in the day. Excited, he selected the Detailed Report. But as soon as he started reading it, he wished he hadn’t. It was full of terminology he didn’t understand. Extrapolated dimensional reconstruction, probability factoring. It all meant nothing. So he closed the report and opted for the summary:
Summary of Hyper Mind processing report to determine meaning and origin of designated symbol.
The most relevant and likely explanation for the meaning and origin of the symbol was extrapolated from the following archive recordings:
N:C:P:S:N: 2680.4.13.30.02
The date indicted that the recording was around three hundred standard years old – a fact which seemed to stand out, even though he wasn’t immediately sure why. He continued reading:
Location: Extra Terra Ice Planetisimal 3072
The following recording was taken during the survey of archaeological site 3072:Alpha.
Display annotated recording:
Theo selected the recording and an image expanded to fill his companion screen. It was difficult to make out exactly what he was seeing as the image was quite dark. But he could just about see what looked like a cave, with perhaps six hexagonal, vertical columns in the centre, stretching up to the cave roof. At the exact centre of the image was a red pulsing circle, clearly indicating a point of interest. The circle was centred on the flat edge of one of the columns.
Then at the bottom of the image, he noticed a new option:
Enhance and extrapolate
He selected the option and the main image vanished, replaced by a brighter, magnified version. Initially, he couldn’t make much out as it seemed to be quite blurred and at a sharp angle. Then it began to sharpen, revealing a shape. Another message appeared at the bottom of the screen:
Status: Extrapolating
The viewpoint swung around the column – almost as if he were in the cave walking around it – until he was looking at its flat edge straight on. The shape was still a little blurred, but now unmistakably familiar. Then, it came into sharp focus:
Status: Extrapolated. Symbol matched with ninety four per cent accuracy from specified search criteria.
Then he remembered why three hundred years had seemed so important, and his heart leapt into his mouth. It had been around three hundred years ago that the He’tal outpost, containing their remains, had been discovered on the asteroid. Was he looking at archive footage of that discovery now? It seemed the most likely explanation. He read on:
Interpretation:
Symbolic representation of the Metah Dah.
Theo stared at the message, scarcely able to believe what he was seeing. The Metah Dah, sworn enemy of the Affinity, had somehow left an imprint of their symbol on his hand. How? And more importantly, why? Was it the Metah Dah themselves – were they perhaps claiming responsibility for the attack? Or was it somebody else? And what did it mean? Was it some sort of cryptic message? Or was it perhaps warning – we’re coming for you?
But then had his experience on the mission clouded his judgement? Was everything really a conspiracy? Were the Metah Dah really hiding around every corner, waiting to kill him? He certainly hoped not. Of course, he knew that the future was uncertain. And he knew now, more than ever, that there was danger in the universe. But there was also beauty and wonder. And in his short time living in the Affinity, he had seen them both. Then he thought about whoever had alerted the ships to come to his rescue. For whatever reason, they had saved his life. So as well as having enemies, he also had allies – allies who had perhaps taken great risks to protect him, even if they did want to remain anonymous.
Theo closed down his companion and stared down at the night side of Polisium, lit by the spider webs of light from a hundred huge cities. Then he looked up towards the planet’s horizon. An arc of blue light had appeared around its curved edge. As he watched the arc grow, his vision darkened as his companion reacted automatically protect his eyes. Then the first distant sun burst over the horizon, closely followed by the second.
Even though Theo had seen the same view many times, as he watched the twin suns rising over the dazzling blue/white world, he suddenly had the strangest feeling. It felt like he was looking at the planet for the first time, with new eyes. It was as if he was looking at a new horizon.
Epilogue
Power cuts ‘still a mystery’
Home Counties Power, have yet
to provide a satisfactory reason for recent local power cuts, despite pressure from the MP for Upper & Lower Pinton.
A spokesperson for the electricity distribution company has been forced to admit that they are ‘no further forward’ in finding the cause of two power cuts that took place on the 9th of December 2011 and the 7th January 2012 and that the matter was ‘still a mystery’ to them. This comes despite company’s promise ‘to do better’ following a string of power cuts earlier last year.
Local residents have branded Home Counties Power ‘a disgrace’ and have petitioned their Local MP, Jim Murray, to take up the matter on their behalf. Speaking to the Pinton Chronicle shortly after the power company’s statement, Mr Murray said ‘it is simply unacceptable that, in this day and age, a power distribution company with a turnover approaching £300 million cannot provide a stable power supply to the local residents. Despite their claims to have spent over thirty million pounds on improvements to their network, nothing has changed.’
In response to the complaints levelled at Home Counties Power and the intervention of the local MP, the managing director, David Westcott, agreed to speak to our reporter. He told us that that ‘Home Counties Power apologise un-reservedly to all residents for the recent interruptions to their power supplies. Rest assured, we are working with the national grid to do everything we can to find the cause of the interruptions reported in December and January and provide a ‘robust’ solution for the future.’ He did however go on to say that they could not be held responsible for the alleged reported power failures that occurred in several motor vehicles around the time of the interruptions and that any suggestion that they were in some way involved was ‘fanciful’ and ‘a bizarre conspiracy theory’.
Local residents however, remain un-impressed, branding the director’s comments ‘un-helpful’ and even ‘insulting’. Mr Daniel Cross, an elderly resident of Lower Pinton, told us ‘…they claimed that vandals caused the power cuts earlier last year and that they had taken further measures to protect their network. Yet here we are again with the same problem. What if the lights go out when I’m walking down the stairs? I could fall break my neck in the dark. What are they doing about it? Nothing by the sounds of it. It’s disgusting.’
The Pinton Chronicle, acting on behalf of the local community, will continue to monitor the progress of the investigation and will update its readers in a future edition.
*
Jules stared at the months-old newspaper article taped into her scrapbook. Even though she had read it perhaps fifteen or twenty times, it still unnerved her to think that the power failures were somehow connected with Theo, having coincided, on both occasions, with him leaving Lower Pinton.
Every time she had opened the scrapbook, she had been close to just ripping the article out and then throwing it in the bin so she could finally rid herself of her paranoid suspicions – after all, what could his leaving possibly have to do with a power cut? But then part of her – the same part that had so enjoyed helping him to follow the trail of breadcrumbs – had told her that the scrap of paper in front of her was somehow important. So instead, she closed the scrapbook, put it back under her bed, switched off the light and closed her eyes. And soon she was dreaming of a dark, menacing woodland, with pale, translucent, spindly creatures, hiding behind every tree.
The End
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank all those who have supported me over the long years that it took to bring this story to life, in particular my wonderful wife for her patience and understanding.
I would also like to express my gratitude to all the inspiring writers and filmmakers who started me on this journey many years ago. There are too many to name here.
And finally, I would like to thank Sir Patrick, who forever turned my gaze skyward. You will be sadly missed.
Theopolis James Logan will return.
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1 – Adult Interference
Chapter 2 – A trail of Breadcrumbs
Chapter 3 – A letter of Condolence
Chapter 4 – The Pod
Chapter 5 – Polisium Prime
Chapter 6 – First Contact
Chapter 7 – An Invitation
Chapter 8 – About Christmas
Chapter 9 – The Journal of Alice Logan
Chapter 10 – Attack On Ch’Dath
Chapter 11 – Theo 2.0
Chapter 12 – Fallen Angel
Chapter 13 – Time off for bad behaviour
Chapter 14 – The Redeemer
Chapter 15 – Command Centre
Chapter 16 – The Descent
Chapter 17 – First Mentor
Chapter 18 – The Star Shield
Chapter 19 – De-briefing
Chapter 20 – New Horizons
Epilogue