Exiled to the Stars

by Zellmann, William

  Finally, though, it became apparent that as long as the flitter maintained an altitude near the ceiling, the dust of the cavern would only stir occasionally, and not billow into obscuring clouds. With a sigh of relief, the pilot began to pursue their assigned course, while dodging the massive pillars.

  It took less than half an hour for the flight to become dull routine. The city did, indeed, cover nearly five hectares, and flying a systematic grid pattern soon became a monotonous view of identical octagonal buildings in a honeycomb of identical octagonal blocks.

  It wasn't until they reached the center of the city that variations began to appear, culminating in an amazing structure. It shared the octagonal shape of the rest of the city's buildings, but this one towered over the others, and became a spire that was a definite attention-getter in the expanse of identical, low buildings.

  "Finally!" Denis shouted over the noise of the open canopy, "Something worth looking at!"

  ******

  "But it will take over a day to walk there," Denis said, in his report to Ron after completing the long, boring overflight. "The place is definitely deserted. As you can see from our footage, the dust is deep and undisturbed."

  "Can you get to it in the flitter?" Ron asked.

  Denis shook his head. "We barely made it back out through the tunnel before dust choked the air inlets. Marco says it'll have to be carried back to the colony and the engines completely gone over before we try to fly it again. And from the looks of it, we're going to have to wait a full day before the dust settles enough for us to go back in. The stuff's as fine as flour. We should have sprayed stabilizer in the tunnel. I just never thought of it."

  Ron shook his head. "You can't think of everything. But we are going to have to think of something, if you're going to use any kind of vehicle in there. Wheels might not kick up as much, but they'll certainly kick up enough to be a problem."

  Denis's frown cleared. "You can get us vehicles?"

  Ron shook his head again. "Lee and I have been talking to the Tepes brothers, and Ken has begun talking to the Council about announcing something called a 'bid'. He says it's something governments on Earth used to buy things. The Tepes brothers are working on the design of a special exploration vehicle, just for this purpose. But they haven't given us a price yet, and Ken says we'll probably have to wait for others to 'bid', so don't get your hopes up. You might just end up on bicycles."

  Denis' frown reappeared. "You know, bicycles might work. Cheap, no air pollution to build up in the cavern, and easy on kicking up the dust, if we don't try to hurry." He grinned. "And if we get some three-wheelers, we can even haul stuff."

  Ron's eyebrows rose. "And to think, that idea came from a man whose IQ is lower than his age. I'll look into it."

  "A lot of the kids on campus rode bikes," Susan said, at dinner with the Credings that evening. "I'd say it's a good idea. It'll even help some of the scientists with their growing problems of weight control." She looked significantly at Vlad.

  "Hey," he protested, "I'm in shape. Round is a shape!"

  Susan rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Anyway, if I may continue, the city is flat, so there are no hills to climb, and the kids had all kinds of baskets and bags to carry things. Even lightweight trailers. And they'd be cheap and quick to manufacture, and easy to transport. I'd say you've got a win-win situation there."

  Ken and Lee agreed, and they began talking to some of the myriad small manufacturing companies that had sprung up since Ken's 'revolution'. Meanwhile, the Tepes brothers came up with an electric powered exploration vehicle. It was mounted on four large, wide, metal-mesh wheels, to permit it to maneuver over rough terrain, and seated four on two bench seats. The seats could be easily removed to haul cargo, with a small single seat for the driver. A flat, removable canopy over the top protected the passengers from the sun, and embedded solar cells would extend its range. Provided it wasn't in a cavern, of course.

  "It's overkill for this mission," Ron said when it was shown to him, Ken and Lee. "And I imagine those metal mesh wheels would kick up a lot of dust."

  "True," Ken said. "But not all of your missions will be in dust-filled caverns." He paused, looked thoughtful. "You know, I think I'll talk to Jack Brooks. A vehicle like that would be just about perfect for things like the Seaport Project. Maybe I can con him into paying to have a sample built, that we could offer to test for him."

  Lee laughed and shook his head. "First, I'd be amazed if the Tepes Brothers haven't already talked to him, and second, I'll bet he'll want to do his own testing."

  Ken shrugged. "It was a thought. I think I'll still talk to him, though. If he buys one, maybe I can get him to let me look at his test results. It could save us some time and money."

  Lee and Ron exchanged wide-eyed looks. A year ago, Jack Brooks had been Public Enemy Number One, according to Ken. And now, he was talking about working with him!

  "Well," Ken continued, "it'll take time to get even bicycles approved, bid out, bought, and built. In the meantime, you're afoot. Now, since the city is so big, I have an excuse to keep the scientists out for a while. For now, I want their attention concentrated on Site One. Meanwhile, I want your Explorers to, well, explore the place on foot. They won't have to enter every building, of course, but they should patrol, and look for things that are odd, out of the ordinary." He chuckled. "I can't believe I'm describing an alien city as 'ordinary', but you know what I mean. Look for anything you think will interest the scientists, once we let them in. And, yes, that includes that tower, or spire, or whatever it is. It's so obviously out of place that we need to look at it first.

  "You can rotate your teams up there, Colonel, but it's so far, you probably won't want to rotate them often. Oh, by the way, as soon as they start coming back, they're going to be mobbed by people wanting to know what they saw."

  "Including my wife," Lee said, grinning.

  Ken nodded. "Right. So, tell your people that anything they see up there is classified until further notice. We don't need wild theories flying around, and I'm already fighting off stray scientists demanding to go up there.

  "And finally, Colonel, I think we'd better send up some of those emergency dome kits. When the scientists do manage to get up there, they're going to be there for a long time. I've got a feeling we're going to end up with a village up there."

  Chapter 27

  Thirdmonth 7, Year 40 A.L.

  Ken was surprised when the door to his office opened, and admitted not only Angel Koh, but Frank Wong and Wen Ho Jackson.

  He grinned. "Now, this looks like trouble! When the scientists start to gang up on me, I get worried."

  The scientists exchanges glances and nervous smiles. Angel, who was quickly becoming the spokesman for the colony's scientific community, spoke. "Yar, well, it's hard for a scientist to admit when he's getting beyond his depth. We needed some moral support."

  Ken frowned as he waved the scientists to seats. "It must be important to drag you all back from Site One," he prompted.

  Angel nodded soberly. "It is. Sire, we think you'd better begin recruiting some more scientists. Especially physicists. We think we've found the main power module, or generator, or whatever it is. It's an octagon, about three meters across, and almost two high." He shrugged. "We only found it because it's the only thing up there that has any energy leakage, and it has very little.

  "But we're almost at a dead stop." He frowned. "Our people are still fighting over the type of energy it's producing, much less anything else. It appears to have some sort of broadcast capability, because there is certainly nothing resembling wires.

  "The trouble is, we can't even identify what kind of energy the thing is producing! Whatever it is, it's on the very edge of our detectability, and we're not even sure it's using the electromagnetic spectrum." He shook his head. "We know there's something going on, because the lights are on, and we can hear the damned thing hum. But we're like children investigating a high-tension power distribution center on
Earth. We're scared to poke anything, for fear it will bite us. We need experts in electromagnetics, and maybe even gravitics."

  Ken was frowning. "That power generation system is our top priority. Humans are technological people, and technology relies on power. We can't expand on solar power. Are you accomplishing anything?"

  "Oh, yes, of course," Angel answered hurriedly. "We think we know what it is. We think it's a core tap, but we don't know how they're doing it."

  Ken took a deep breath. "And what, pray tell, is a 'core tap'?"

  "Eh? Oh," Wen Ho replied. "Sorry. We think it draws energy from the planet's core. It's the only explanation that seems to fit all the facts."

  Ken's eyebrows rose. "The planet's core? You mean the molten center of the planet? But that's hundreds of miles down, isn't it? How could they drill that deep?"

  Wen Ho nodded. "And how did they keep their holes from becoming volcanos? And how did they keep solidifying magma and continental drift from closing their holes?" He looked at the other two scientists, whose expressions had turned disapproving. "I don't think they drilled holes," he said defiantly. "Almost no one agrees with me, but my theory is that they discovered some form of matter transmission. Or energy transmission, if you prefer. A way to reach into the heart of this world, and capture some of the incredible energy available there."

  Ken's mouth dropped open. Angel hurriedly said, "Yes, well, there is really no scientific evidence to support such a wild supposition, but I suppose it does account for the known facts, after a fashion. Of course, one could as easily postulate that invisible creatures are transporting the energy from the stars in buckets. It's pure science fiction.

  "That's why we need physicists, Ken," he continued earnestly. "If it is a core tap, the amount of energy available is for all practical purposes infinite. We can work around the edges. For instance, we're trying to use those tablet things in the main building to establish control over the thing. But even if we learn to control it, we'll have almost no idea what it is we're controlling.

  Ken nodded. "I understand. But you know, of course, that it will take years to train physicists, even using EarthGov's computer practice of straight-line education, with no courses not directly related to the goal."

  Angel nodded. "Of course we understand. That's why we're here now. We do have years of work ahead of us. Even learning to use those tablet things. We can't read their script, of course, and we don't even know whether Ethan Jao is right, and their mathematics is base eight. We're not even sure how they manipulated the controls, or even which things are controls and which are just indicators." He shrugged. "We'll probably find we need mathematicians and even philologists some day, to work on deciphering their language."

  Ken nodded. "I agree. You get your heads together and decide how many and what kinds of specialists we need, and I'll brace the Council.

  "I'm not joking; I consider that energy the most important research in the colony, now. For instance, I want you to keep working on those tablet things, and anything else you think might be controls. Whatever it is, if we can manage to control it, and convert it to a form we can transmit and use, like microwaves, we could use that power plant ourselves.

  He turned to Angel and the silent Frank. "Gentlemen, thank you for bringing this to me, and rest assured I will do anything necessary to ensure that you have the necessary skills as quickly as possible. Now, I'd like the two of you to begin working on that list. I'll need it as soon as possible. I'm afraid I'll have to keep Dr. Jackson for a bit."

  An angry-looking Angel and an impassive Frank nodded and hurried from the room.

  Ken turned a smile on Wen Ho. Angel would get over it, and it wasn't his area of expertise, anyway. "Now. Wen," he said as the door closed behind them, "have you seen the vids from the big city?"

  Wen Ho nodded. "The ones you've made public, of course, sire. Fascinating. Especially that tower thing."

  Ken echoed his nod. "Exactly. I've been thinking. The power building is the highest building at Site One, but it only has to supply a small installation. I wonder if perhaps they needed a tower to provide power for a large city, or perhaps to receive some sort of broadcast or something from Site One."

  Wen Ho's eyes narrowed in concentration. "Hmm. Possibly, I suppose. Have your Explorers been inside?"

  Ken nodded. "Yes. I'll send the vids and images to your tablet. But please remember they are classified, and not to be shared with your colleagues, or even your wife. The building is twelve stories tall. The top six stories seem to be similar to the upper floors of the power building at Site One. But the other six! The walls are honeycombs, with thousands of small niches, and there are similar racks or shelves arranged throughout. Nearly all of them contain small octohedrons, almost balls, about two cems in diameter. We think it's a library!

  "Not only that, but the building has a basement. I guess they needed more of a foundation to support that tower. The walls are lined with those niches, and the floor is nearly covered with the cubicles. There's a large octagon in the center, that runs all the way to the ceiling. It seems monolithic; at least the Explorers have been unable to find an opening, and sonar and radar show little." He shrugged. "It may be similar to what you've discovered at Site One, Perhaps the receiver for the power, or the generator for the city, of course. But, well, I have no real evidence for it, but it looks to me like a library computer. If it is, and if we can make it work…" He shrugged.

  "Wen," he continued, "If you hadn't come back on your own, I'd have called you back; It's on my 'to-do' list. I want you to go up to the city. Do you know how to ride a bicycle?"

  Wen's eyes were wide, and he seemed stunned. "Uh…No, sire."

  Ken shrugged. "You'll learn. You'll have to, unless you want to spend a day each way hiking in to the tower."

  "Now, how long will it take you to gather enough equipment to go up to the city and start investigating that power installation?" Wen started to answer, and Ken waved a dismissal. "Don't bother going back to Site One to gather your stuff; just buy more here. If there is anything up there that you absolutely can't do without, I'll have it brought back here and sent on to you."

  Wen was still looking stunned. He wasn't used to things moving this fast. "Uh, a day, sire. Maybe two. There are a couple of thing's I'll need to have made…"

  Ken nodded. "Alright, be ready to go after breakfast, day after tomorrow. You'll go in a heli, along with some supplies and personnel for the Explorers. Be prepared for a long trip."

  He paused. "No. On second thought, it's not that urgent. Take a week to get to know your wife and kids again, and have your stuff sent down from Site One. Meanwhile, get with Angel and Frank on that list I mentioned. But remember, I think there might be a library up there, and a library computer. If you can get power up there, we're going to want philologists, mathematicians, and even computer scientists, so don't leave them off the list. Right now, there's a lot of excitement about the city, and I can probably get anything I ask for that's related to it. But that won't always be the case. So, even if you think we won't need a certain specialty for years, list it."

  Wen Ho grew a relieved smile. He'd been wondering what he was going to tell his wife. And he'd even have time to find out what a bicycle was.

  Wen Ho's kids just couldn't believe their super-smart father didn't know what a bicycle was. They were all the rage in the colony now, and Wen Ho had wondered what those things he'd been busy dodging were.

  Donna Jackson's sister agreed to take the kids for a few days, so once they got tired of watching their father wobbling down the street and frequently falling, the kids let themselves be taken to visit their aunt and uncle.

  "The kids can't believe I didn't know about bicycles," Wen Ho complained. "I can't believe my father came here on a starship, and I'm bruising my butt on a kid's toy!"

  "My mom says they used them a lot back on Earth," Donna replied. "Not everything useful has to be high-tech, you know. Did Ken explain why you needed to know how to ride one?"<
br />
  Wen Ho shook his head, scowling. "Only that I'd have a long walk without one." He brightened. "Maybe I'll go pick Ron Creding's brain. He's the big shot Explorer. I'll bet he knows what's what up there!" He started to rise, but Donna grabbed his arm.

  "Not so fast, Wen Ho Jackson! You've been gone for weeks, the kids are at my sister's and you have plenty to do right here!" She pulled him back down on the couch beside her. He didn't get to Ron Creding's office for two days.

  ******

  "Vlad, you need a vacation."

  Vlad threw Ken a skeptical glance. "I do, huh?"

  Ken nodded, suppressing a grin. "Definitely. A nice, restful place in the mountains, where you can relax, admire the scenery, putter around, even ride a bike. You can even take Susan along, if you can pry her out of her lab."

  Now Vlad was the one struggling to avoid grinning. "And I'll bet you just happen to know the perfect vacation spot."

  "Well, now that you mention it…"

  White teeth gleamed in the mahogany face. "All right, let's hear the sales pitch. I'm retired, you know."

  Ken no longer tried to prevent his wide grin. "Of course you are. That's why a nice, restful, quiet place like this would be perfect. And that's not all!" he suddenly boomed in the voice of a trivid pitchman "This incredible offer is available, all expenses paid, at no cost to you!"

  Vlad chuckled and shook his head. "And all I have to pay is shipping and a 'small' handling fee, right?"

  The grin faded to a genuine smile as Ken shook his head. "Not even that. I'd like you to go up to the city, Vlad. I suspect that thing in the basement of the tower is a computer. Maybe even a library computer. I'd like you to see if you can do anything with it."

  Vlad sobered. "I'm not a computerman, Ken, you know that."

  Ken shrugged. "You're the closest thing we've got, Vlad. I had a visit today from Angel Koh, Frank Wong and Wen Ho Jackson. They were begging for more scientific minds, and they even mentioned other specialists, including philologists. Wen Ho will be going up to the city next week, to look at the power system. And I suddenly realized I'd been overlooking an incredible resource all this time. You may not be a computerman, but as a roboticist, you had to know a lot about state-of-the-art computers."