by Linn Schwab
“I guess I’d better try to get some sleep tonight, then. Sounds like we’ve got another long trek ahead of us.” He lay down in a patch of grass on the terrace, and dozed off to the chirping of crickets and frogs. Frogs with wings, he reminded himself. And somewhere there are voices that control the weather.
In the morning he awoke to a gentle breeze rustling through the overgrown grass on the terrace. JoEllen was sitting cross legged on the ground, tenderly cuddling a duckling in her arms.
“Good morning,” he said. “I see you’ve found another friend.”
“He’s not for breakfast.”
“I wasn’t even going to ask. Is his family nearby?”
“Yes. They’re in that pond with the frogs.” She got to her feet and took a few steps toward the pond.
“Just a minute,” Karl said. “Before you let him go, I’d like to see if waterfowl have evolved here as well.” As he walked to her side, she cupped her hands around the duckling and held it out to him so he could get a closer look.
“Well?” she asked. “Does he look wrong to you?”
“I’m not exactly an expert on aquatic birds, but he looks like an ordinary duckling to me.” He waved his hand overtop of the duckling’s head and said, “I give you a clean bill of health, my friend.”
JoEllen giggled and headed for the pond. He followed her, taking in one last glimpse of the marketplace and its slumbering buildings with their unique architecture. Perhaps if there was time he’d return here someday. But he already knew time was not on his side.
They left Base Camp Two the same way they’d entered, and set out across a patch of open field to the north. As they crossed the clearing, they snacked on wild peas and tied some in bundles to carry with them for later. Around mid morning they entered a forest with towering trees, sparse undergrowth, babbling brooks, and hilly terrain. Karl made a point of observing any animals they encountered for signs of abnormalities. But all the birds seemed unchanged, squirrels looked like squirrels, and crayfish still resembled alien lifeforms from other worlds. They found frogs with wings and frogs without wings, which proved that not all of them had been affected.
Toward evening he heard the roar of engines overhead, though the treetops prevented him from identifying the source. JoEllen informed him it was a shuttle.
“We’re getting close to the academy now,” she said. “That shuttle is taking more girls into space.”
“Only girls?” he asked. “Can they not hatch boys here as well?”
She shook her head then shushed him and quickly pulled him behind a fallen tree trunk. As he listened, he heard the sound of voices nearby. A group of young girls following a path through the woods passed within twenty meters of their hiding place.
So that’s it! he mused as he waited for them to pass. Their forces are all female because they aren’t hatching males! He smiled and let out a quiet sigh of accomplishment. Even if he never learned another thing from his time here, at least he finally had an answer to one enduring question.
After waiting a few minutes for the girls to move off, JoEllen crept forward, then signaled him to follow. She led him along the same path the girls had been following until the forest opened up to a broad grassy lawn. The girls were now well out beyond the tree line, traipsing across the grass toward a structure in the distance. Though the building’s design was of more modern influence, its color resembled that of an ancient greek temple — an impressive sight when viewed against the ocean in the distance.
“ECHO academy,” JoEllen informed him. “We’ll have to wait here until the girls are all asleep.”
“So this is ECHO academy. This is where you’re from?”
“Yes,” she confirmed. “I don’t come here very often because someone might remember me.”
He pointed to the name embroidered on her shirt. “And what happens if someone sees that?”
She folded her arms across her chest, and the embroidered “Charlie” was no longer a problem.
He grinned and said, “I keep forgetting how resourceful you are. The next time I ask you a stupid question, feel free to give me a jab with your elbow. So, tell me about this interface you mentioned. I assume it’s some sort of wireless device?”
“Yes.”
“Will it function this far away from the building?”
“I don’t know. I guess we’ll find out later.”
She looked around and found a bed of ferns to lie down in while waiting for the evening light to fade.
“Good thinking,” Karl said. “After that trek, I’m sure we could both use a little recovery time.” He sat down with his back against the base of a tree, closed his eyes and quickly faded off to sleep. When he opened his eyes it was morning already. JoEllen was awake and sitting upright in her ferns.
“Uh–oh,” he said. “We slept too long, didn’t we.”
She grinned and handed him a couple of wheat rolls.
“You’d have made a formidable cat burglar,” he told her. “The invisible thief who comes in the night.” He took a bite out of one of the rolls and said, “You were right. The wilderness definitely needs more bread. Veggies and fruits tend to wear thin in short order. Did you happen get the interface as well?”
She reached to her left and pulled a slim book–like device from the ferns.
“Fantastic!” he said. “Does it work out here?”
She moved to his side and switched the power on. “The search key is here at the bottom,” she said. “Type in what you want, then touch the search key.” She entered the word “Cat,” and a list of entries appeared. “Do cats make good burglars?” she asked him.
“The best!” he assured her. “Only second to you.”
She handed the device to him and leaned against his side so she could observe what he was typing in.
“Now let’s see,” he said. “Where should I start? I should probably go straight to the very beginning, when your ancestors first arrived on this planet. What were the names of the Livingstone’s crew?” He thought back to some articles he’d read in his youth and tried to recall some of the names involved. “A–ha!” he said, then started typing:
J — U — E —
“What are you searching for?” JoEllen asked.
“I’m looking for the writings of Jüergens Allers.”
“Why do you want to see those?”
“Because Jüergens Allers was a scientist,” he explained. “And scientists — due to some mysterious quirk of nature — feel compelled to keep meticulous notes on everything. It’s a behavior that’s somehow wired into them from birth.”
She gave him a deeply skeptical look.
He laughed and clued her in with a wink, then began to scroll through the results on the screen. As he delved into the first of Allers’ entries, JoEllen lost interest in reading along and gradually dozed off to sleep for a while. When she awoke, she asked him if he’d learned anything.
“Oh yes,” he replied. “These records contain a wealth of information. You were right about the planet being barren when they found it. In his notes, Jüergens describes it as being completely sterile. But it also had a breathable atmosphere, which is something his fellow scientists couldn’t explain.
“Anyway, according to Jüergens’ accounts, when his team began populating the planet with lifeforms, some mysterious phenomenon kept killing off the plankton. And even though the planet had a breathable atmosphere, they couldn’t be sure it would remain that way without assistance. So in a desperate bid to establish phytoplankton, they introduced a catalyst to spur evolution.”
“What’s a catalyst?”
“A catalyst is something that speeds up a process. In this case it was a biological compound which was specifically targeted at microscopic organisms.”
JoEllen looked at him in confusion. “Frogs aren’t microscopic,” she insisted.
“No, they aren’t,” he agreed. “But they are amphibians. And amphibians, due to their permeable skin, are highly sensitive
to waterborne biological disrupters. So the catalyst may have affected them indirectly be altering microorganisms in their habitat.”
“Frogs don’t live in the ocean, though. They only live in creeks and ponds.”
“There are all kinds of ways for microscopic ocean critters to find their way into freshwater bodies. They can cling to the feathers of seagulls or pelicans, or to the skin of young Sentinels swimming with dolphins. And remember how the buildings at Base Camp Two were elevated to protect them from ocean swells? That catalyst may have been seeded in the oceans, but it would have been impossible to keep it confined there. Especially since it was designed to be self replicating. They took a huge gamble when they opted to try this. But, if the only unintended consequence was frogs with wings, I’d say it’s a gamble that turned out quite well for them.”
He went back to reading as JoEllen stood up and stretched.
“I’ll go find us some apples,” she said.
Karl’s jaw suddenly dropped.
“What is it?” she asked.
“This next entry,” he said, staring at the screen. “Jüergens and his team. It says they were searching for evidence of alien technology.”
“Space aliens, you mean?”
“Yes, extraterrestrials. Or extra–Valhallans, or whatever your people might call them here. Apparently at some point your founders became convinced that the atmosphere they discovered when they landed here could only have been created through artificial means. So they set out to explore every land mass on this planet. But they never found any proof to support their suspicions.”
“What about the oceans?” JoEllen pleaded.
“Yes,” he said, slowly nodding in agreement. “What about the oceans.”
He continued reading and soon came across the answer. “It says here they only made preliminary searches. The oceans were too vast for them to cover completely. So they decided to leave that task for future generations. And as far as I can tell, it still hasn’t been completed.”
JoEllen turned her eyes toward the ocean, uncertain, and fearful, and curious all at once. “What’s out there?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” he answered. “But I’m guessing you might be the one who finds out.”
LEGENDS 110
The cafeteria on Centaurus seemed huge to Robin. It was larger and noisier than the one on Volaris. At times when there were very few people in the room, sounds bounced off the walls and seemed to echo forever. And though the echoes died more quickly when the room was full of diners, the sheer amount of noise they made was always enough to make up the difference.
At the moment the room was largely empty, since the station was currently in between meal periods. But Robin hadn’t come here because she was hungry. She was hoping to have a private conversation with Virginia, though in truth this would not have been her first choice of location, for fear of being overheard.
She found Virginia sitting alone at one of the tables, with a sorrowful, far off look in her eyes. She sat down across from her and clasped her hands together on the tabletop. For a moment neither of them said a word.
“What’s wrong?” Robin asked.
“You first,” she replied.
This drew a tentative smile from both of them.
“Alright,” Robin said. “I’ll go first. Do you suppose we’ll ever see them again?”
“I’d like to think so. But who can really say? It won’t be easy for them to find a cure for this virus. And trying to do so on a battleship in the middle of nowhere? I don’t see how it could possibly be any more challenging for them.”
“They have the ark, Virginia. It’s in orbit around Fólkvangr. There are laboratories and equipment on board that they can use.”
“I didn’t know that. It certainly can’t hurt. But I still don’t think it’s wise to get our hopes up just yet. Don’t forget, this virus stumped every scientist on our planet.”
“I know,” Robin said. “But I’ve been thinking about something. Stories I heard about the ship of the ancestors. The founders believed there was something on board. Something intelligent that tried to help them.”
“That’s an intriguing thought. I’d forgotten all about Benevolent Friend. If the legend is true, maybe there’s a chance for us yet — assuming it’s willing to help the Triton’s crew. And of course we need to do our part by winning this war. They were fortunate to sneak past the enemy this time. But I wouldn’t count on that happening again in the future. Not unless you’re there to clear the way for them of course. The legendary Captain Starling and her crew.”
“Ugh,” Robin said. “Please don’t remind me. That’s all we’ve heard about since we docked at this station. Everyone keeps asking us about our christening flight, and that stupid attack run where I nearly got us all killed. And of course we can’t say a word about the two ships we actually destroyed. It’s very frustrating. Just makes me want to scream.”
“Yeah, I imagine it would. But I saw you girls blow those heavy cruisers to pieces. And I promise you it’s something I’ll never forget. So someone is proud of you for all the right reasons. And she’s struggling to keep quiet about it, just like you are.”
Robin felt her skin beginning to flush and decided to deflect to a different topic before her face turned completely red.
“Alright,” she said, “now it’s your turn.”
Virginia seemed to stare off into space for a moment.
“You’re thinking about Jason, aren’t you?” Robin said.
“Yeah, I guess I am, in a way.”
“He really likes you, Virginia. He told me that himself.”
“Then obviously he had both of us fooled.”
“What do you mean?”
“What he told you really doesn’t matter any more. He chose loyalty to his own people over me.”
“Why? What happened?”
Virginia struggled to contain her emotions. “He managed to escape in one of our fighters, and I had no choice but to track him down. I pleaded with him to come back with me, but he wouldn’t listen, no matter what I said. He kept insisting the only way to end the war was for us to surrender, which we both know won’t happen unless they defeat us. And if I would’ve let him get away, they would have known exactly where Volaris is. I couldn’t allow that to happen, Robin. Especially since it was my fault that he escaped. So I … had to kill him. I didn’t want to. But he gave me no choice.”
Robin struggled to think of something to say, but gave up and just reached for Virginia’s hands. For the next few moments they spoke in tears rather than words — a language that was far less complicated, but every bit as nuanced as it needed to be.
JoEllen and Karl climbed the back side of a dune and found a sandy perch overlooking the coastline. A cool breeze rolled in off the ocean to greet them, accompanied by a parade of gently breaking waves. The academy was far to the north of them now. Far enough away that no one was likely to see them.
“Why are we here?” JoEllen asked.
“Have a seat and look out toward the water,” Karl told her. “I want to see if some light meditation can help you to communicate with these voices.”
She lowered herself to the ground beside him.
“Cross your legs,” he said, “and try to keep your back straight. Now take a long, slow, deep breath like this.” He drew in a breath to demonstrate the technique. “Close your eyes and try to focus on the voices in your head. Relax and see if you can hear what they’re saying. Breathe in and out while you’re concentrating.” He started to pull in another deep breath in an effort to coax her to follow along. The scent of ocean air was agreeable to him, reminding him of trips to the seaside in his youth. But this time it caught in the back of his throat like a barb getting snagged on a piece of clothing. He coughed. And then he coughed again.
JoEllen gave him a worried look.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, seeing the concern in her eyes.
“We’re too close,” she said. “They’re too
strong for me here. We need to be farther away from the ocean.”
“Alright. Should we try it inland a ways?”
She stood up and led him back toward the forest.
“I’m curious,” Karl said. “These voices you keep hearing. Do you know if anyone else has ever heard them in the past?”
“I don’t know. I remember hearing there were some people in the past who used to believe the planet was alive.”
“That’s interesting. Do you know why they believed that?”
“No. I don’t remember that part. I know there’s a hill they used to visit sometimes.”
“Do you know where it is?”
“Yes. I’ve been there before.”
“Is it far?”
“A day and a half from here.”
“Well, if these people were hearing the same voices you are, it may be worth taking a look at this hill. I’d ask you to take us in that direction, but something tells me we’re already on our way there.”
“Yes,” she said. “I thought you’d want to see it. Maybe it’s far enough away from the ocean.”
“Lead on then, my tireless tour guide. You certainly haven’t let me down thus far.”
They headed north through the woods until they neared the academy, then west until they entered what appeared to be an orchard. Concealed beneath the trees near the edge of the woods stood several warehouses with arched metal roofs.
“What’s in there?” Karl asked.
“Machines,” JoEllen told him. “Like the shuttle, except they only stay on the ground.”
He managed to catch a glimpse through a large opening, and recognized the telltale silhouette of a combine.
“Harvesting equipment. There must be fields nearby. I suppose the wheat for those rolls you brought me had to come from somewhere.”
“Yes,” she said. “This is where they grow the food for the academy.” She led him through acres of fruit trees and garden rows, then turned northward at the edge of a vast wheat field. By midday they entered another forest. By evening they arrived at a familiar location — the wildlife observation post they’d slept in once before.
“You certainly know your way around,” Karl said. “I had no idea we were anywhere near this area. Do you suppose the manager reserved the same suite for us this time?”