by Richard Sosa
“Looks like we have the compounds and materials to enhance our weapon.”
Rik put his hand through his hair. “That’s not possible.”
Doctor Megs turned her attention to both Rik and Iris. “You both must speak candidly to our council leaders and do it soon. Rik, tell your story. Let them see you. I need more resources appropriated to our work or at the very least I need to buy more time. I need the resources to work on the fission reactor using the new compounds without interference while the political parties are positioning to avoid blame or take credit, while not contributing to the effort, they are in the way.”
“What?” Rik frowned confused.
Megs redirected him. “I need both of you to help me. Dask here needs time to divert resources to pilot training routines,” pointing to Iris, “they've seen your crimes on the commons net. But how should they judge? You need to help Rik make this case and show the data source authority.”
Iris shook her head ‘no’. “They won't believe us,” looking at Rik, “it's a trap to stop you. We don't have credits to bribe them. They know we are not part of the right class; you need to be a connected scientist to be entertained by them and I am a grunt. They’ll question you for the camera to make themselves look good, but they probably have this information and are deciding how to profit from it as we speak.”
Rik frowned. “I thought you told me your process was more advanced?”
“I didn’t say anything about politicians. I am not doing this.”
Meg pleaded. “Rik trusts you. He doesn’t trust us. Please, speak for the science community. Demonstrate to them that this information is irrefutable. I know you can do this. I’ll pull all the stops. I have to be there, but I have a lot of enemies.”
Megs looked at Dask. “Release any information or resources to her and let her get this done for us and find this kid's brother.”
“She already has what we have in our database and I’ve searched, no brother in custody. No brother anywhere,” Dask said.
Rik stared at him. “Lies. I don’t believe you.”
“Believe what you want. I don’t give a shit about you,” Dask’s eyes narrowed.
Rik ignored him and focused on the monitor with a map of planet Aoife’s orbit. “Is that the orbit of this planet?”
Megs followed his eye to the monitor. “Yes, our planet passes elliptical between two suns.”
Rik stepped forward and took out his Laptop. “This is my job; I can do the calculations on this right now. What’s the Apsis of this planet from your largest sun?”
Megs calculates in her monitor. “206 million terth-lts. The orbit is not perfectly elliptical. Our closest point to the larger sun has a percenter of 94 million terth-lts. The hottest part of summer and midway is our harvest.”
Rik said without looking up. “Humter?”
“Yes.” Megs was surprised by his knowledge and glanced at Iris.
Rik finished his calculations and said to both Megs and Dask. “I have a theory about your harrowing. This planet was furthest from the primary sun the last time they came here and so without a harrow, your DNA advanced but not sufficiently to prevent a religious war that destroyed your world but enough that your species could pick up after a crisis and move forward rapidly. That event would have been enough to spike your advancement further. Another theory is you came to this small planet and your society was advancing, then you missed your harrow because of this unique orbit, they never saw you.”
Megs showed her IARI to a Technician. “Calculate the apocenter when Aoife crosses the Prime.”
“Yes, mam.” The Tech took the device and entered numbers into his screen and worked through the math, then said confidently. “I have it at 413 million terth-lts, we pass under the Prime at this distance.”
“That’s almost twice the distance of this planet from the sun, the larger sun,” Rik said, “it appears the larger sun gravity pushes this little planet out very far at an increasing speed and if it wasn’t for the smaller sun at the other end this planet would become a block of ice through its return orbit. The speed of the orbit also hides planet Aoife.”
Megs stared at Rik face searching. “Does the data help your theory? I think what you’re saying is that in both distance from the large sun and the primary planet we could be the furthest from Prime whenever the Orbs came by and therefore, we remain undiscovered. Correct?”
Rik rechecked his laptop calculations. “Yes, I believe that’s what I am saying. My theory is that your ancestor survivors already had an overripe seed and they moved this society further in science and technology than any other world, I’ve seen. All the factors have led to your current level five or six level world.”
Megs turned to Dask. “It’s a theory worth exploring. But it means he’s re-directing them back to us.”
Rik looked up from his work with a concerned and apologetic expression. “I am not in control of the path. I followed my brother here and he’s here probably working on this problem also. I am sorry I am not in control of that.”
Everyone was looking at Rik expectantly and suddenly he felt those soldier’s eyes watching him leave the trench. “Damn it, I didn’t bring them here.”
Dask’s expression turned stern and he made a disbelieving, “Umph” sound, then he stood ready to say more but instead finished, “I think we’re all done here. We’ll be in contact.” He handed access badges to Rik and Iris.
“I didn’t bring them here. O.K.” Rik protested to the room, “I didn’t.”
Dask began to herd them out. “We’ll see you back here when we get data and have more questions.” He nodded to a soldier across the room.
Chapter Fifteen
Rik and Iris walked away from the Military Services Bunker silent at first and she stared at him frowning. Rik bowed his head. “Stop riding me, I didn’t bring the Orbs here. I didn’t. I don’t have control over that.”
“I am not riding you. That’s like picking on you, right? I am not doing that. I believe you. Do you want a dol-ve? You didn’t get to finish yours this morning.”
“You’re a true friend,” he smiled, “in my culture, when a girl offers a dol-ve to a man, that shows she’s interested romantically in him.”
“What? No, no. Nothing like that. Geez, I am just trying to be nice,” Iris stepped away from him.
“Just messing with you.”
With their dol-ve and tea respectively in hand, they sat in the center of the outside café. Rik eyed the empty table against the wall and smiled to himself. Before they could settle in, a voice that Rik didn’t know spoke behind him. “About time you came out into suns light. Girl, fresh air is not the enemy.”
Iris lifted her head to see a friend. “Marka-fos. Look who’s talking. You’ve been offline or in jail?”
Marka-fos scrolled through his device for photos and handed his to Iris. “Been on a dig in the Jarpunic region, no stable computer connections, and no comforts, no time, basically out of touch.”
Iris viewed the photos quickly. “Your research grant came through.”
“Yeah,” Marka-fos shifted to Rik and extended his hand, “I am Marka-fos-7, from the Technology Institute, Science and Humanities. I know who you are. Rik Onanes spaceman and ‘F-up extraordinaire’.”
“Marka-fos is a science historian,” Iris said to Rik.
Rik moved his bag to make space for Marka-fos to sit. “Drop the
‘F-up extraordinaire’ part, that’s not part of my real name, no matter what you read on the commons net. You’re a science historian? I think I need to talk to someone like you.”
“What do you want to know?” Marka-fos regarded Rik.
“What has been this planet’s greatest scientific achievement?”
“I thought you were going to ask me about my weekend, but let's just dive in,” Marka-fos sipped his drink and winked at Iris. “The Tri-modal gravitational generator for engineering was developed in 18.5.5360, over a hundred and eighty-three annual suns cycles ago and after that gravit
y well technology took off. The technology initially was used to create a small zero gravity container that could leverage massive weight without the danger of block and tackle. The small containers were attached to larger deployment units such as materials for building construction or transport containers and that eliminated the need for cranes and overland transport. Designers and engineers also enhanced land use and development through the Sharmok Initiative.”
“What’s the Sharmok Initiative?” Rik asked.
“It removed the concept of private property in areas of the planet that are deemed necessary for the utility of humanity and opened space planning and architectural design in a way that benefited society and began moving toward stacking, shifting and rotating of land uses,” Marka-fos sipped his coffee, “by 6.12.5370 the use of a gravity well as a destabilizing blast was in development by the military which eventually allowed military and science to develop a powerful laser. The laser technology transitioned to uses in medicine, science, mathematics, education, logistics, information transfer technology, a growing field called utilitarian metrics, social science, environment - ecology and entertainment. The process of change was adopted rapidly and carried through a network of information which would one day be Aoife’s commons communication net link through various carrier platforms including clothing and soft materials antenna and smart glass.”
“Wait, back up. Did you say this world has laser technology as a weapon?” Rik pondered.
“Yes. That occurred in steps, first in building construction, the gravity well was enhanced to include a larger footprint with greater and greater capacity. A researcher named, Margaret Trimek, used an enhanced metal-polymer compound to house a vertical gavitonic wave and controlled gravity tubes large enough to hold a person in a room, then things took off, the size and weight of something became irrelevant. This evolved into the large vertical and 45-degree extensions on Aoife’s modern architecture, you know the ones that look like tubular trees. Gravity controlled in this manner binds lasers into powerful cutting tools and eventually weapons. We don’t create natural gravity, but we replicate its effects into concentrated forms using this technology.”
Rik glanced at Iris with his mouth open and Iris looked up from Marka-fos’ photos. “Yeah, yeah. Weapons. Tell the spaceman F-up about that part. He needs to know that the most.”
Marka-fos cleared his throat to scold Iris. “By Suns cycle 14.4.5420, the technology was developed from a cutting laser with a stable platform and then in 5458, a weapon that was available in any delivery method was developed. In 2.4.5494 Doctor Johann-jec Savan sponsored and developed the prestigious institute to advance new solutions, including weapons, from the gravity-controlled technology.”
Iris glared at Rik. “And we didn’t convert the weapons technology into toilet paper and kill each other. It didn’t happen. The technology was used in multiple disciplines, not just military.”
“How does it work?” Rik wondered out loud.
Iris put up her hand and Marka-fos was silent. “The laser is a pulse light that travels with all its peaks in the same direction,” Iris said, “the concentrated energy does a number on any surface it strikes. Depending on the compounds converted by the weapon’s energy when it hits them, they usually melt and attach to the laser but it's moving so fast that the melted metal will ricochet. So hardened steel or defense smart glass is penetrated at close range, but they throw out a lot of debris. On fresh and bone, the impact usually kills outright, and the exit-entry is—"
“I know what lasers can do to flesh and bone, damn you,” Rik was annoyed and stared at Iris, “I just didn’t know you people had them already.”
“Usually clean and difficult to repair in the field,” Iris finished her comment and challenged his stare with her glare back at him.
Marka-fos shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Maybe I should leave you two so you can sort this out among yourself.”
Rik contemplated a memory and inspected the bottom of his cup. “I missed something about you people,” Rik looked up at the sky, “maybe we should get moving, it looks like it's going to rain. I don’t want to get wet in the open here.”
Iris looked up, “we won’t get wet we have a clear garavtonic canopy over us,” she pointed to his Laptop, “they’re downloaded on your machine, there are a lot of canopies throughout the city.”
Rik squinted his eyes, “So there’s a clear roof over us now?”
Iris rolled her eyes, “roof is not the correct term. Man, you’re obtuse,” and then she smiled at him, “canopy. This spans the block and all the shops along this avenue. Check your laptop thing, I downloaded maps to your device.”
Chapter Sixteen
The two suns sank into the north horizon casting long shadows of trees and people walking on the urban village street. The City of EpDaaRa bustled with commuters leaving work, reading information on their personal IARI’s and smiling at Rik and Iris. Rik felt welcomed for first the time since he arrived. He gazed over at Iris. “Marka-fos’ information was helpful. I don’t want this world destroyed. I have a sense of hope and growing feelings of guilt. I needed to die on Da-earra and my inability to do that has put this world in jeopardy,” Rik paused and breathed out, “billions of lives will be lost.”
Rik walked back through the city like a zombie. The silence between them bothered Iris and after a while, she spoke, “don’t put that on yourself. Come on where’s the man from this morning?” she bumped into him playfully, “you have a younger brother? I didn’t believe you.”
“Yeah. I've been saying.”
“Is he cuter than you?”
“Leave my brother out of this. No, he’s not cuter than me.”
“Yeah but he’s smarter right, the whole math thing,” Iris hooked her arm in Rik’s and led him in a different direction, “let's take a shortcut,” and they started walking toward the open field. Rik pointed at the skyscrapers in the distance. “Can we take a diversion and look at the tall buildings? I am really curious about them now.”
Iris was confused by the request. “O.K. Why?”
After a longer walk then Iris planned, they turned a corner and Rik saw it. The round glass tower jutted out of the ground and inside there were floors at different angles. The delicate glass ‘branches’ had no engineering support system and gave the structure the appearance of a uniform tree. He saw people walking inside the spired ‘branches’, but they didn’t appear to be struggling to stand straight. They stood straight even though they and the building branches leaned at different angles. The glass-like skyscraper didn’t project a heat island around it or harsh reflective glare. Rik stood in front of the AMTE-Technology building looking up and frowning.
Iris watched people walk up to Rik and follow his gaze to the tower apex. She said. “He doesn’t get out too often. Just ignore him.” Someone stopped and looked up with Rik expecting to see something, Iris spoke louder at the crowd. “Remember he’s visiting from another solar system. Don’t encourage him. There’s nothing to see up there.”
Rik pointed to the large entry doors. “Can I go in there?”
“Yes, we can’t stay long. I’ll wait for you in the lobby. Once we’re inside don’t talk to me. You’re embarrassing.”
They stood in the center of the large lobby space as busy people moved around them. The Technology World Headquarters was alive with people moving through the floors with purpose. Iris admonished Rik again. “You don’t need to talk to all the geeks they are busy people. There are lots of mission-critical tasks occurring here and a lot of invasion operations are here. Don’t get in the way.”
Rik noticed the spires depart from the building core with no structural support and a connecting staircase and the elevator platforms had inviting places where people could sit at tables and enjoy the warm reflection from suns. A café caught Rik’s eye. He pressed the 5th-floor elevator button and the quick ride had him stepping out to a level surface. When he looked out the window, he saw the precarious angle jutti
ng out from the core building. He stood staring at the sight while others attempted to get around him.
Iris came up from behind and grabbed his elbow. “Stop blocking the way. These people have work to get to or they are done for the day and need to get home.”
“What?” Rik fumbled for his palm-size recorder and turned it on.
“What are you doing now?” Iris stamped her foot like a child’s beginning tantrum.
“We are parallel to the ground while the spire of this part of the building is over forty-five degrees. How can that be?”
“Don’t you know about Tri-moto gravitational translation?”
“No.”
“Mister smarty butt doesn’t have all the answers. Care to take a guess? I was wondering why you were looking at these structures. I didn’t realize you had never seen them before. No math word problems are involved. Promise.”
Rik said. “Iris. I have never seen anything like this in a gravity environment. In space plausibly but this is a free-standing structure with a normal foundation. The spires are a challenge to get my head around. I wasn’t expecting this.”
Iris said. “Looks like you have to go back to school and learn a bit more about architecture on Aoife.” She made some keystrokes to open a file and handed him her IARI. He scanned it carefully as he walked to a window and gazed out as if comparing something. Then he turned around and looked up at the ceiling and finally over to Iris with his mouth open. She placed her finger under his chin to close it. “What did you learn scout?”
“A gravity well is not just a centralize unit as I theorized initially but you all have some type of anti-gravity generator in the building foundation and within these ‘arms’ that are somehow converting the weight of the spires to possibly near zero. They are not supported by the core structure and inside each one there’s a redundant gravity well that simulates the horizontal.”
Iris takes back her device. “Something like that,” she checked he time unit, “Marka-fos told you this already, you’re dense. There’s also a redundant system from outer space. Can we go now?”