‘We will still need a better solution than looking for black holes in the background noise. Marty Feldman is the best researcher we have for thinking up out of the box solutions. I’ll ask Matt for some of his time.’
Dan looked directly at Paul, a steel gaze fixed him for a few seconds. ‘Unfortunately you will most likely be getting more data. I hope to God I’m wrong.’
‘In the mean time I’ll put more guards on the perimeter. Just pray that these guys don’t decide to invite the rest of their family. We’re having enough trouble with the two of them.’
Dan stood up and finished his glass of water. He looked out to the horizon, ‘This is not a good time for a gaggle of visiting board members to be running around the Station.’
* * * * *
Soft, warm brown grain and textures of simulated walnut angled across the room to meet a satin backdrop filled with pinpoints of light sparkling in the colors of the rainbow. The bow-lit curvature of the sea-blue earth far below the office fills the panels behind a man sitting in a rather plain chair apparently made of Brazilian teak. He stands as his guest enters the cabin and gestures toward another chair situated across from him. An old fashioned Japanese pot of tea steams on a small table between them.
‘Please make yourself comfortable Seth and thank you for coming so quickly.’ Maynard leaned forward as Seth sat in the chair. He flipped a rather archaic switch on the edge of the tabletop. ‘I realize we only have a few minutes but I need to talk with you confidentially. I’ve shielded our conversation here. Even your Hive-Tab is nonfunctional for those operations involving this conversation. If you feel uncomfortable with this then please feel free to leave right now.’
Seth leaned forward and grabbed the pot, helping himself to a cup of tea. ‘Come on Maynard. We’ve known each other too long for that kind of theatrics. How can I help you?’
‘I’ll cut right to the chase. We have a problem and you need to warn Mark.’
‘We already know about the reason for this visit. As I recall, two board members, Robert Taylor and Deboah Esque, have conflicting interests involved with starting an independent colonization company using the data we gather here. Deborah Clinow is pushing for a recreational facility here and Justin … well I don’t know what he wants if anything other than a vacation.’
‘Well, it seems to go quite a bit deeper than that Seth. I’ve had some of the crew come up to me during the trip. They have reported multiple times that Taylor and Esque have been acting strangely. Word snippets like “push out” and “force vote” were overheard but never seem to appear on their recordings or logs. I really didn’t think too much of it until I had a brief visit from Ms Clinow shortly before our arrival here.’
‘At first I thought she was simply going to push her resort plans again but that wasn’t the topic at all. It seems you are wrong about Taylor and Esque. They don’t have a conflict of interest. They have been lobbying the board and major stockholders, using Mark’s absence as an opportunity to call two special meetings. They are pushing the idea to the board that the company will grow faster if they remove Mark from his role as CEO and Chairman.’
‘Mark is the largest shareholder, but if they can get enough shares voting on their side then, with his absence, they can retire Mark and take over control of the company. This is a major takeover attempt and they are here looking for a good excuse. You need to warn Mark about this as soon as possible when you get back.’
Seth sat and looked out at the starscape display around the office for a moment. A rare moment passed as Seth’s smile dropped, ‘Where does Justin Rather sit on this fence?’
‘I don’t know Seth. He hasn’t given us a hint. You can’t place him in your confidence.’
‘All right. I’ve really got to run Maynard. Hopefully we’ll have a chance to sit and talk later, I’d like to show you around a bit.’
‘Good enough.’ Maynard flicked the switch again signaling the end of their secure conversation. ‘Take care. I hear you’ve had some rather unpleasant visitors of late.’
Seth stopped for a second on his way out. ‘Ah, yes. Apparently it’s all coming as a surprise but we’ll handle it. Thank you.’
* * * * *
Sara smiled, after all it was only a short ride down to the Station. Even with the detour for a little sight-seeing, surely she could put up with anything for such a short time period. After all, the question was not that stupid. ‘I’m sorry Ms. Esque, but the Hunter is a reconnaissance and work vessel. While we were able to rig up these two wallscreens for your tour, we cannot provide the full immersion viewpoint like in the cockpit. It’s also obvious that we can’t fit everyone up front.’
‘Oh that’s quite all right Sara. It’s just that the scenery is so beautiful and the wildlife you were so kind to show us so fantastic that it’s a shame we can’t fully immerse ourselves in the experience. I guess I should watch what I’m saying here or I might find myself a convert over to the resort proposal. You’d like that wouldn’t you Deborah?’
‘Naturally Suzan, but we haven’t seen the area around Cretaceous Station yet and I believe that may be it up ahead.’
Sara turned to look at the horizon image behind her, ‘Yes, that is the station coming up. I see you have been reviewing the background material. Spotting the Station at this distance and from this low of an angle is not a small accomplishment.’
‘Seth! Could you please give us a quick swing around the plateau and then up the river valley. I’d like to give our guests a quick view of the spaceport and resort area as well as the land beyond.’
‘I’m sure we’ll see some of the duckbill dinosaur herd in the valley. There’s quite a few of them. If we are lucky we may even spot a T-Rex or a Triceratops. The Triceratops are on the dryer top of the plateau so we’ll probably spot them on the return.’
‘Ok, one last pass and then into port.’ Sara thought to herself. ‘I wonder what Mr. Rather thinks about all this. Except for a friendly greeting, not a word out of him for the whole trip.’
‘All right ladies, gentlemen and children. We are now along an area that will someday be southwest Texas. The river you see ahead ….’
* * * * *
‘Well, you may see it as a distraction but for me it’s a major security issue.’ Dan commented to Matt Zoeller as they walked across the open landing pad. ‘Actually, it does complicate things quite a bit because I don’t have the manpower to fully secure the area and now we also know we can’t trust our AutoSentinel security.’
‘We placed additional sensors along the expected Hype tunnel entrances. I’ve also set a ring of sensors around the living and docking area of the plateau to support the guards I’ve stationed at the high point over there and those two entrances that we already know about.’ Dan nodded in the direction of a higher hillside on the otherwise flat plateau.
‘Ok, I just got an update. They’re here but Seth’s doing a fly-by and they’ll be landing in another fifteen minutes. Sara wants to run a quick jaunt up the river valley before bringing our guests in.’
Matthew had other concerns, ‘I do wish we didn’t have to have the Hypes here. After all, the board members are here to see the research we are working on and not the local wildlife. Can we really trust these dinosaurs? We don’t know them all that well.’
‘Oh come on Matt. How can you think that our guests would want to travel all this way and not see dinosaurs? No, that’s the real reason they’re here, otherwise they would have been happy simply viewing the research journals we sent back. Hold on a moment …’
Dan’s eyes seem to lose focus momentarily as he scans the internal messaging. ‘We just had a sensor trip but it looks like it was a false alarm. I have two men going to look at it right now.’
‘Ok, keep me informed.’ Matt turned to walk back to his offices. ‘I want to go over my presentation one more time before the meeting. Will you be joining us for lunch?’
‘Yes, I was told to be there. We are eating on the Argos so I don
’t really expect any problems.’
‘Brody! Bracken! Come on over and walk Doctor Zoeller back to his office.’
‘Oh Dan. Do you really think this is necessary? After all I’m not walking out in the brushlands and the ship is just over there.’
‘Come on Matt. Let me do my job. Everyone is escorted until we can properly resolve this problem.’
An observer can see the Hunter Recon long before they hear it but even seeing it can be difficult. The vehicle is near soundless except for a slight rush of air. The ship’s engine is not really a drive since the craft doesn’t push through the atmosphere creating bow waves and sonic booms like the aircraft of yesteryear. Similar to the larger starships, the Gravitonic Drive of the Hunter accelerates every molecule within the ship to move it forward along the universal lines of gravity. This includes the molecules of the pilot, passengers and cargo; they never feel acceleration, stops or turns. This is often called a reactionless drive.
A small portion of the drive field extends before the ship as it travels to accelerate particles out of its path. This is a critical feature for a vessel travelling in the near vacuum of space at speeds close to that of light. Even small particles, widely spaced in the vacuum can cause major damage when you are travelling at this velocity.
Atmospheric travel uses this same drive feature. The drive field accelerates air, gas or even liquid molecules out of the path of the Hunter. As soon as they are out of the way, they are quickly released to travel in whatever path they choose. Most of the materials collapse into the small vacuum formed behind the vehicle that forms a small toroidal funnel as they remix. This remix is the only source of sound made by the ship as it travels in an atmosphere. The ship itself travels in the clean vacuum created a scant few millimeters in front of it by the drive field.
The vessel could have flown into the Station at three times the speed of sound to stop and magically appear on the landing pad, but the approach is a matter of style and courtesy. Slowing to a few feet per second as they approached the pad, Seth gently settled the Hunter onto the pad without the ill effects of prop-wash or engine blast. The ship’s skin temperature normalized for a few seconds to the air around them and then the exit door opened and a ramp extruded from the area below the port of the ship.
Mark is already at the edge of the pad as Dan approaches.
‘Ok, welcome to Cretaceous Station but don’t get up out of your seats just yet. Great to see you again and for those family members who may not have met me, my name is Mark Nolen.’
‘I don’t know if you noticed it, but as the Hunter brought you down we adjusted the atmosphere to our local levels. There is a slightly higher level of oxygen in the air here. You should experience a very nice difference as you stay here. You’ll be able to see better and generally feel a little better because of it. I guarantee, you will not have any ill effects from the oxygen.’
‘Those of you who have read the background material won’t be surprised by the fact that there is a dramatic difference in the gravity here. Knowing and actually experiencing the effect can be two very different things.’ Mark smiled and turned to look at Dan. A low chorus of laughter echoed across the hold of the craft as they recalled the images of Dan’s first excursion on the planet that are now so popular across the uptime Hive-Net.
‘Unfortunately your flight down was too short for you to become acclimated to the lower gravity of this timeframe and we don’t want to chance falling with someone perhaps getting hurt. We’ll help you onto the ground starting with this front row. This will give you a few minutes to acclimate yourselves. Please do not try to move quickly until you feel comfortable with the lower gravity. I apologize for the inconvenience but we do not have bus service here on the station.’
A second subdued round of laughter passed through the group.
‘I’m sure you all met Fran before you left the Essex. We’ve asked a few of her clan members to greet you. Please mind your manners, remember we are their guests. Also, do not expect all of the Hypes to be as vocal and articulate as Fran. Fran is rather exceptional in that she has picked up our language much faster than many of the others.’
‘Ok, lets try moving out starting with this row. Please slide or shuffle your feet along until you get the hang of it. Hold onto things until you become accustomed to walking. It’s rather like learning how to ice skate.’
The travelers are greeted by the warm, sea-scent filled air of the Station. Birds and small flying reptiles fill the sky with their antics as they dive and swoop chasing the small insects around them. The blue sea is visible even from the center of the plateau.
The children are the first to notice the Hypes around them. The adults stand as high as a short human and have a broad, almost smiling face Their muzzle is shaped somewhat like a flattened beak and is partially feather covered. Unlike the beak of a bird, the mouth contains some very healthy teeth.
The females sport a down coat that is soft bronze in color, much like that of a Korean pheasant, with a short-crested stripe that runs down their tail that is as long as her body. There’s nothing that could be described as flight-feathers anywhere on their body.
The Hypes are not theropods. They are quite different in behavior and are, in fact, omnivores. They eat vegetables and occasionally some meat. Oddly enough, unlike almost all the other dinosaurs they have articulated hands with five fingers.
A number of small chicks are mixed in with the females. They range in size from that of a small goose to near adult and can be clearly identified by the soft brown down covering most of their bodies.
Only two males are present, clearly identified by their broad face with soft pheasant-colored feathers and a bright orange comb brush running down their back to flare out near the tips of their tail.
All of the Hypes wear a small chain with what looks like an identification tag around their necks. The tags are automated responders for the AutoSentinel security system. Several of the female Hypes are wearing a thinly covered cloak around their upper shoulders. This is an active garment formed of NanoHive robotics that has been developed here on the Station to allow them to interface directly with the Hive-Tab interfaces of the researchers.
Dan moved over to the edge of the clearing to apprehend a lady with two children walking down the path toward the ocean. ‘Madame, I have to ask you to please stay with the group.’
‘Oh, Mister Drake. Surely you remember me, I’m Julia Taylor. Roberts wife. These are our two girls. I won’t be a bother, we just wanted to see the ocean for a few minutes. We won’t be gone for long.’
‘Yes, I remember you Mrs. Taylor, it’s good to see you again but it is important that you do not go off on your own right now.’
‘Oh, we’ll have plenty of time to see those dinosaurs. I however am a collector of jewelry and some of the most beautiful pieces I have are made of fossilized ammonite. They are extinct you know and I’ve always wanted to see a live one. So when I read your project report….’
‘Mrs. Taylor, I’m sorry to interrupt but please walk back with me. Mr. Nolen will be talking to you shortly and I have very strict instructions to keep everyone together. It’s a security issue.’
‘Oh don’t worry about me. We’ve been camping before and we’ve even been on safari in the deepest, darkest parts of Africa. I know all about wild beasts.’
‘Please Mrs. Taylor, I must insist. This is not anything like the Africa that you experienced. We have had some security issues of late that you need to hear. Please, this way.’
‘Oh, ok. I guess we’ll have plenty of time to see the ammonites and the ocean later.’
‘Mrs. Taylor, I will personally have an ammonite brought up for you and we may even find a shell or two for you to return home with if you come with me now.’
Dan can see Mark watching him as they walk back to the group. ‘Good, he’s finally getting the idea. You can’t err too far on the side of safety.’
As Dan and Julia arrive back at the group, Mark walks o
ver to one of the Hypes and picks up a small chick from her arms. This focuses the groups attention on him. ‘Once again, welcome to Cretaceous Station. We have a dinner planned for all of you tonight so that you can relax after your long journey. I believe you will like the entertainment. We’ll be starting the meetings tomorrow morning and a spouses program has been set up for the rest of you. Schedules are being posted to your Hive Tabs right now, and yes we do have full Hive-Tab resources on the Station so please feel free to use them.’
‘First of all, I need to stress a few very important things concerning safety on the plateau. You, of course, are all very welcome here and I’m glad to once again see you one and all. Those of you in the meeting tomorrow will see that our research has been going very well. I believe you are going to be not only pleased but also surprised by a few of the things we have discovered.’
‘However, the timing of your arrival here is a cause of concern. Not because of any inconvenience but rather out of concern for your safety. We have had a problem arise within the last few days that appears to be something new. We are still learning about the problem and, to be frank with you, we do not yet have a solution.’
‘In the last seven months since we arrived here, we lost only two men. The fault was partly theirs and not due to any laxness in our security or methods. For the most part, our security has been successful and we are fortunate to have good relations with the locals.’
‘This has all changed in the last four days. We have had attacks on our work details. Subversion of our security systems and we have lost two more people with a third technician in the hospital recovering from some very serious wounds. In addition to our losses, several members of our host’s clan have been killed as have those of our neighbors the Troondon. The culprits appear to be two dinosaurs, the species of which are unknown according to Sara Wenford our Paleontologist.’
‘We are making progress on the improvements to our automated security systems but if you look around the clearing you will see armed sentries. The sentries are there because we do not have a complete solution to the detection and deterrence of these antagonists. Because of this we cannot allow you to have full freedom of movement around the plateau. Activities and meetings will be held indoors at least until we feel we can properly insure your safety.’
Hunter's Moon (Cretaceous Station Book 2) Page 18