It was early in the day, and the sun was shining. A light breeze brought with it the smell of flowers, wild grass, and early morning cooking. It was one of those mornings that reminded one of spring and made you glad to be alive. A day full of promise.
Edward was there ahead of them. As a scientist, he was also curious. He and Tiro were discussing something when they walked into the control room at the back of the mountain.
“Is that information not stored in the database?” asked Edward.
“No. The information you require is on the missing data cubes.”
“What’s the problem?” asked Al.
“Tiro says many of the records are missing, misplaced, or damaged. We have no way of knowing if this is the only land on the planet.”
Al thought for a second and asked, “What about the ones that are readable, is there anything there that can help us?”
“I have learned that this control room is intended to gather information in an attempt to predict the next major eruption. If the threat became imminent, and the inhabitants became threatened, they would be relocated. It appears that possibility is coming true.”
“Do you have a more precise estimate of when the next eruption will be?”
“From the data I have gathered thus far, a major eruption will occur sometime within the next ten years.”
“What happens to the island if that happens?” Chris asked.
“The island will most likely be destroyed.”
“And there is nothing we can do?”
Tiro was cryptic with his reply. “Relocate or prepare to die.”
Ten years, to anyone’s thinking, is not a very long time.
The name Thera sounded vaguely familiar to Edward. Something from Earth’s history gnawed at his memory, and he asked, “What does the name Thera stand for?”
“Thera is the name given the planet by my people, and translates to ‘Untamed.’ The island itself is referred to by another name in many of the records.”
The hologram was silent for a moment, appearing uncomfortable, and it prompted Al to ask, “What would that name be?”
“They call the island Atlantis.”
That’s it! Edward thought, Thera is where they believed the doomed island of Atlantis was before it sank into the ocean.
Chapter Eleven
It would do no good to alarm the population over an event that may not happen for years. Life on the island continued. Over the course of the next few months, houses were constructed, both in town and on the outskirts. The development of a separate colony on the other end of the island became unnecessary. The three cultures learned to live and work together; finding no need to isolate one group from another.
Al and Elizabeth chose to stay in the outpost, while Chris and Tammy decided to occupy one of the small houses erected in the outpost’s shadow. It was only a five-minute walk, and it gave their son, Thomas, a proper home. At five years old, he did not need the drama involved with living at the outpost.
Farmers planted crops, and the seeds they saved from Camelot were used to expand the fields. Chris helped to design a tilling machine for breaking up soil that was self-propelled and gained its power from the sun. The fabrication tools inside the mountain shop helped immensely. He used his dune buggy as a model to scan the various parts and have the replicators reproduce them. It was a slow process that included a learning curve and ended with a second buggy.
Several people familiar with the organic replicators on Avalon were assigned shifts to produce unique staples such as sugars, spices, and oils. Others distributed them equally.
Edward helped Tiro restore the outpost to its former state of efficiency. The maintenance drones were reactivated and set loose to clean and maintain the facility they neglected for so long. The floors were polished, and the walls removed of unnecessary decorations. The see-through surfaces were made clear, and the areas designed to shine were made shiny.
Kira was spending more time with Jesse. Their relationship was complicated, but the attraction was hard to ignore. Anyone seeing them together could see the spark. When she wasn’t helping someone, or with Jesse, she was either running or swimming. Kira discovered that not only could she run, but she was amphibious. The girl with legs of metal could swim like a fish.
Al and his men took to policing the population. His deputies handled the small disagreements and the occasional fight, and Al dealt with the rest. In general, the people were excited for their future, hard-working, and friendly. It was an easy job compared to the one they had on Avalon.
Without the danger of man-eating beasts, there was not a lot of security work necessary, and the police work was sporadic, so he spent most of his time on public relations. He established a police station not far from the clinic and walked the town introducing himself and taking the time to talk. He needed everyone to get along and believed that conversation was the key to breaking down barriers. Talking helped to avoid misunderstandings.
Robot Nine stayed on Avalon until the end. Any show of emotion in a robot is not possible, but he appeared happy as he exited the transport cube. Al assigned him to guard duty outside the main mountain entrance, and he gladly complied.
The captain was the last to leave Lookout Mountain and the last to arrive at Vision Peak. Four people stayed behind. One of them was older and lost his wife during the attack on Camelot. Life on a new world no longer interested him. His decision allowed the captain to leave. He disliked leaving people behind, but ultimately, it was not his decision to make.
****
Chris and Al picked a day when neither were busy, and the skies were clear, to begin their search for an alternate land mass. They set up a small table and two chairs on the beach, under a shade tree, and prepared for a day of watching and waiting. The sea was calm, and the sand warm. The scene was a picture from a postcard.
They programmed the Watcher to fly straight north for one hundred and twenty miles, searching for bumps on the horizon. It was to stay twenty feet off the surface and travel at thirty miles an hour. If it found nothing, it was to turn around and return, giving it about an eight-hour round trip. They had no knowledge of what was out there past the natives fishing grounds and opted to play it safe. There were suggestions about sending both Watchers out simultaneously, but Al did not want to risk losing both.
The basketball size silver ball floated from the table, and glided out to sea; steadily gaining speed. It was not cloaked. To save power, they had deactivated the camouflage feature. Still, it was not long before the silver skin of the drone blended into the horizon and the device became impossible to follow.
The journey of the Watcher could be seen on their data pads, with the indistinct break of sea and air before it, and the water sliding by below. The cameras recorded everything, and if an anomaly occurs it will send an alarm.
Elizabeth and Tammy came down for lunch and brought their own chairs. It was time for a break, and they joined their husbands for an afternoon on the beach. They also brought Al’s grandson, Thomas, carried a plastic bucket and immediately plopped down to create his version of a sand castle. Pointing to his crude collection of sand piles, he said proudly, “Look, Grandpa, I made a castle.”
No one had the heart to tell him that castles sometimes represented oppression and war. He was too young to understand. They told him it was a very nice castle.
For a long time, there had been no chance to relax, and they made the best of this opportunity. They spent the afternoon enjoying the experience; grateful for a safe place to relax. The Watcher returned as the sun was setting, recording nothing but a lot of water. They stayed to watch the sunset and were glad they did. It was spectacular.
A week later, they got an opportunity to do it again. This time, they sent the drone to the East.
Somehow word got out about the pleasant day they had planned, and a party sprang up. It started tamely enough, with only Al and Chris launching the drone. Tammy and Elizabeth brought their lunch and Thomas. Soon afte
r, Edward and the captain showed up, followed shortly by Cody, who brought his wife.
By late afternoon, they were roasting a Tamar, the Theran equivalent of a pig. Timothy, joined by other musicians played music that calmed the nerves of all. Darius and Dusty came and brought Falkor with them. The dragon loved rolling in the sand and then diving into the water to remove it.
The Watcher was returning from the one hundred and twenty mile trip out and was thirty miles from shore when the alarm sounded. A quick check of their pads showed the water before the drone churning, and turning over, rising as it got closer to the soaring drone. The alarm became faster and louder until the beeping became a steady wail. The people sitting close to them got up to see the reason for the alarm and were there to witness a large mouth ringed with teeth jump into the camera's view just before the screens went blank. The screaming alarm stopped abruptly and left only the ringing echo.
“What was that?” exclaimed Chris.
“It appears this planet has monsters of its own,” answered Al.
The party was too far along for this discovery to dampen their enthusiasm. After all, it was a sea creature, and they were on dry land. They were down a watcher, and that was disappointing, but there was nothing they could do about it right now. This time spent together was precious. Something they needed. When it got dark enough, they lit oil lanterns, and the celebration continued.
****
A slowed down review of the video showed the Watcher encountered a sea snake. A giant sea creature usually seen from a distance; when fishing out further than was wise. There were stories of encounters with the beasts, but none that could be substantiated. The video led Al to believe the snake mistook the watcher for food.
He and Chris were visiting Edward at the outpost and discussing the beast when Al admitted, “I programmed the watcher to stay too close to the surface. It didn’t have time to react because I was trying to get more range on the sensors with a lower perspective.”
“I would have liked to see the look on its face when it realized the giant bug he just ate was not what he thought. It must have been painfully crunchy,” quipped Edward.
They all grinned at the thought of the beast spitting out the metal morsel.
Al said, “I think the next time we’ll have it fly a little higher. We only have one watcher now, and can’t afford to lose it.”
Chris changed the subject and addressed the alien projection standing next to the scientist. “How are you doing with the database Tiro? Have you found any files concerning this planet?”
“I am still cataloging the data cubes, but many are missing. I have begun to believe the cubes were used for currency at some point in the islands history.
“The records I could access informed me my people were trying to perfect a way to predict a volcano's eruption, and making real progress before the home planet called them back. The humanoids we planted here were supposed to have progressed to the point where they could relocate to the mainland before the destruction of the island. It appears we have failed.”
“You did not fail,” declared Al. “The people you brought here are still alive, and although they are not as advanced as they could be, they are happy and productive.”
“Well said Al,” acknowledged Edward.
Chris looked around the control room and noticed the indicators on the wall had changed. They now registered a twenty-five percent chance of an eruption.
“Tiro—when did the meter change?”
“Early this morning the system registered an increase. It appears the prediction has changed.”
This new information gave them cause for concern, and Al asked the question that popped into all their minds. “How long?”
“The data I have indicates a matter of months.”
“You could have mentioned this earlier,” said Chris.
“I intended to. When you were ready to listen.”
Chris mumbled under his breath, “Wise guy.” Then he asked, “Is there anything else you forgot to mention?”
“I learned my colleagues were working on a propulsion unit for the fishing boats. It is comprised of only four components and can be recharged by a small solar panel. When powered by the proper storage cell, the device can propel a marine craft at full throttle for eight hours. A boat, outfitted with one of these units could conceivably be used to cross the sea.”
Edward asked, “How is it controlled?”
“Control of the unit is accomplished by a simple wireless device that can be mounted wherever is convenient.”
A smile grew on the roboticist’s face, “Now you are talking my language. How far along were they?”
“The prototype is in storage. Would you like to examine it?”
“Yes, I would. The fact that your people were working on adapting a boat to travel farther in less time could mean there is someplace to go. I would be very interested in seeing this prototype.”
The engineer in Chris made him ask, “Can I help?”
They left Al standing in the shop alone. He decided to see if there were any boats on the island worth putting a motor on.
****
That night Al had a dream. He instinctively knew he was inside a small boat on stormy seas. It was similar to the watercraft he had seen earlier in the day, but this one was rocking, and pitch black inside. The movements of the tiny ship were so violent that Al was having a hard time holding on. Water was collecting on the bottom and each time the boat changed direction, the turbulent water washed him to the other side. Thunder exploded outside, and lightning flashed through the open hatch, creating a slow motion effect.
He somehow knew someone needed his help on deck, but he could not seem to get his footing. The storm grew steadily worse. The rocking increased until the boat flipped completely over. He was facing up and looking at the bottom of the upside-down craft when the vibrations began.
It was the shaking that woke him. When he opened his eyes, the bed was rattling, and Elizabeth was sitting straight up with her arm out as if to wake him. The entire house was vibrating, and things were falling from the walls. The tremor lasted only ten seconds but seemed much longer. When it finally stopped, he was wide awake.
Everyone came outside to look towards the mountain, which billowed gray smoke interlaced with bits of fire shooting from its peak. It was daybreak, and the shadows of night were being lit by the dawn, adding bands of color to the sky. No one talked. They stared in disbelief, trying to understand what it meant, and hiding their fear.
Chris came running over and stood next to Al and Elizabeth, and they watched the angry mountain. He asked, “What do we do now, Al?”
“I think we need to see what’s going on up there.”
The captain’s voice came over the radio, “Mister Clark, can we get a look at the top of the mountain?”
Al glanced at Chris and smiled. His reply was, “We are on it, Captain. I was getting ready to send the Watcher up.”
“As soon as you do, meet us outside the sleep chambers and we’ll discuss what we need to do.”
They retrieved the drone, programmed it, and sent it up the side of the mountain, where it disappeared into the cloud. Once inside, the monitor screen went blank until Al changed the sensors to infrared. What they saw was a ribbon of lava sliding down the back side of the mountain, burning everything in its path as it wormed its way down to the sea.
The impromptu meeting was a little chaotic. Everyone was talking at the same time when the captain entered and took control. “Where do we stand Al?”
“The mountain is venting on the back side, and there is lava flowing down the north face. It’s only a small stream so far. Here, I’ll show you the video.”
They gathered around Al’s pad and watched the video feed from the Watcher. What they saw was alarming. When it was over the captain asked, “Tiro—can we speak with you?”
Almost immediately, the hologram materialized next to the captain. “May I be of assistance Captain?”
“The readings currently indicate a fifty percent chance of an event happening within the next three months.”
“Does the event we just had count?”
Tiro hesitated; gathering data. He eventually answered, “This event is only a minor release of pressure. Under the volcano, the lava is still building. I believe this venting may buy you more time, but the mountain is going to erupt, and when it does it will cause a cataclysmic explosion that will destroy the island.”
Tobias Effinger, captain of the Excalibur, mayor of Camelot, and now the leader tasked with the welfare of all who inhabited the island, made some quick decisions.
“We need to find a way to get off the island,” he said. “The risk of staying here grows by the day. Because of the time constraints, I think we must explore the option of finding somewhere to send the population to on this planet. If there is anywhere else to go, then we can figure out how to move everybody.”
Al said, “None of the boats on the island are capable of a long sea voyage, Captain. They are designed for local fishing. Nor do we have enough of them for everyone.”
Tiro interrupted, “You would only need one boat. In storage is a portable transport pad. It is of a different design from the facility teleporters, and can be used to transfer materials and people anywhere on the planet. If you find an alternate site, and can get the pad to that location, the population could be evacuated relatively quickly.”
The captain ran different scenarios through his head, and none of them sounded promising. He was glad for another option. “That is good news Tiro and gives us a chance. Al, I need you to speed up your search with the Watcher. Edward will concentrate on producing a working version of the propulsion system we can install in a boat, presuming you are successful.”
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