by S. H. Jucha
“What?” Tobias asked.
“There’s a convenient plate to the right of the doors that’s set in the rock. It’s begging to be pushed.”
“Maybe I should wait out here,” Tobias replied on a private channel. “You know … just in case.”
Nate turned around. He could see the rover’s lights continuing to make progress across the plains. “Thought you were going to play it safe, Tobias.”
“Don’t you dare touch that plate until I get there, you poor excuse for a spacer,” Tobias replied.
When the rover finally reached the ledge face, Tobias checked the doors closely. “Did you see the thin slots along the four sides of the doors?” he asked Nate.
“Yes, they look like the same slots in the ring. You don’t think they emit an energy field, do you?
“That wouldn’t make sense, but, then again, we’re talking about an alien site. Just the same, I’d touch that plate with a tool of some sort, sir.”
“You finally give me credit for my officer position,” Nate said, laughing. He searched through the rear of the rover and came up with a long rod used to plant a beacon. Returning to the doors, he ordered everyone back, extended the rod, and touched the plate.
The crew watched Nate disappear in a cloud of dust. In the low gravity, it took several minutes for their view of him to clear. He was standing in the same spot, the tool at his side, and he was covered in a coat of gray. The twin doors were open.
Nate heard the cheers of his people, as he wiped the faceplate of his helmet, before he could see and understand why they were celebrating.
“Well, now we know what the slots were for. Great design,” Tobias said, patting Nate on the shoulder, as he peered into the tunnel. “Clean the doors before you open them to prevent dust grinding up the works. I approve.”
Nate assigned half the team to stay outside. “If these doors close, you’ll need to keep your hands on them so you’ll feel me pounding with this,” he said, hoisting up his tool. “Shall we go, Tobias?”
“Senior crew members first,” Tobias replied.
“I’ll remember that,” Nate said, ordering his vac suit to turn on the shoulder-mounted light. It would only give him a few hours, but he hoped that would be enough.
Nate and Tobias led two crew members into the metal tunnel. It was perfectly rectangular, the creases of its four edges sharply defined. The symbols were present on every surface.
Ten meters in, the team ran into another set of doors. Inset to the right was another plate, which Nate touched with his tool. Twin beams of light lanced out, scanned him before he could move, and shut off. The crew stood expectantly, but nothing happened. Nate reached out a gloved hand to touch the plate. The beam scan repeated, but that was the only thing that moved.
“This is disappointing,” Tobias commented.
“Any ideas?” Nate asked.
“Not a one. We already know this alien metal is impervious to everything we brought. That means we’re not getting through these doors or digging around them.”
“It’s late, Tobias. We need to get back to the shuttle. I suggest some food, rest, and a rethink. We start again at daylight.”
-30-
Double Helix
At first light, Kasey wolfed down breakfast, used the facilities, donned his vac suit, and hurried out of the shelter, making the climb through the cut. Jessie’s crew was still asleep when he arrived, their heads covered to keep the dome’s light out of their eyes. He recalled what woke Rules before, and he tried to project anxiousness, but it didn’t work. Then he hit on the idea of imagining a break in his air delivery mechanism. The thought of air flooding out of his suit, panicked him and sharply brought Rules’ head up.
Aurelia glanced at her people, trying to determine who might be suffering through a nightmare. They were all lying peacefully. She was still receiving the feeling of anxiousness, although it was segueing to excitement. Kasey, she thought, looking around for him. As before, he was bouncing up and down, waving his arms, and she waved back. Crawling over to Jessie, she gently shook his shoulder, and he awoke with a start.
“Your translator is back,” Aurelia said, indicating Kasey with a finger over her shoulder. “By the tone of his emotions, he has something important to relate to you.”
“Okay,” Jessie mumbled.
Aurelia watched Jessie get to his hands and knees and gather himself before struggling to his feet. Then she hurried to wake the others. None of them exhibited Jessie’s grogginess.
“Something’s wrong with the captain,” Aurelia whispered to Belinda.
“Explain,” Belinda replied.
“I woke him, and he seemed disoriented. It took him a while to stand.”
Belinda checked to ensure Jessie had his back to her before she crawled over to his suit and checked his water supply. The she motioned the others to her side. “Time for a mutiny,” she whispered. “Captain’s not drinking his water. He’s saving it for us.”
“Easy enough to correct,” Darrin replied. “He doesn’t drink; we don’t drink.”
“We’ll have to check his water supply each time to make sure he participates with us,” Tully added, and more than one crew member blanched.
“I’ll do it. Newbie, remember,” Aurelia replied. “Besides, what can he do … exile me to some alien installation?” She grinned, but the crew failed to join her. They were tired, had eaten no food for nearly two days, and were dangerously low on water.
“Here he comes,” whispered Hamoi.
“Kasey says that the underground structure they were tracing turned out to be a tunnel. It has a pair of outer doors with a plate that they pressed, which opened the doors,” Jessie reported. “But they ran into a second set of doors and another access plate. When they pressed on that one, beams scanned them but nothing happened. That’s when they retreated for the night.”
“What are they going to try this morning?” Darrin asked.
“Kasey doesn’t know,” Jessie said, sitting down heavily. “It’s time for our water rations. Everybody get a couple of sips.” Jessie crawled to his suit, and Aurelia met him there. “And what are you doing, spacer?” Jessie growled, but it came out with little force.
“I’m your newly appointed water monitor, sir,” Aurelia replied. “I’m to check your water level before and after you drink. For this morning, you’re required to take three portions of your allowance.”
“Cute, Rules. Now crawl back to your suit before I put you on report.” Jessie watched his crew leave their suits, stand, and gather around him. “You’re treading on dangerous ground, spacers.”
“If we die in this place, Captain, we die together,” Belinda said. “You don’t get to go first because you saved your water for us.”
“I could declare this a mutiny,” Jessie said. He sought to stand and demonstrate his defiance, but his legs wouldn’t support him, his thoughts swam, and dark spots danced in front of his eyes, despite the dome’s glow. Suddenly, arms cradled him, and he was lowered to the ground. Jessie felt a vac suit dragged beside him, and the water tube placed against his mouth. He tried to shove it away, but hands restrained him.
Through Jessie’s confused thoughts came a craving for water. He felt his body was in danger of drying up, and he would blow away like dust. The desire grew until he was desperate to drink, and he did, long drags on his water tube. The cool water energized him, and he took more than he knew he should, but he couldn’t help himself.
It took some time for Jessie to swim back to consciousness. He was lying on his back, his head cradled in Aurelia’s lap. “This is a rather an undignified position for a captain,” Jessie said, pushing up into a sitting position with Aurelia’s help.
“The indignity is having your captain deprive himself of water for our benefit. None us would want that on our conscience,” Aurelia fired back, tears in her eyes.
“Good, Captain, you’re awake,” Darrin called out. He was standing beside the console with everyone else. “Co
me check this out.”
Jessie rolled onto his knees and stopped. “I believe you took unfair advantage of me,” he said to Aurelia.
“You needed persuading. I helped you with that.”
“Yes, you did,” Jessie replied quietly. He stood and gently patted Aurelia’s head. “Yes, you did,” he repeated softly.
“Okay, go ahead Hamoi, this is your crazy idea,” Darrin said when Jessie joined them.
“Take it slow, Hamoi,” Belinda said, tipping her head toward Jessie.
“Captain, you gave me the idea when you explained that our crew found doors, with plates that they used to open them, and, at the second set of doors, a beam scanned them,” Hamoi said. He waited until Jessie nodded. “Well, look here.”
Jessie leaned over the console. Hamoi was pointing to a rectangular plate. On either side of the plate, cut into the console’s metal, were two symbols. On the left was a circle with two lines that formed a wedge. The lines extended from inside the circle’s arc to its center. On the right was a second circle, but its wedge was outside the circle. Coincidentally, the open side of the two wedges faced each other across the plate.
“At first, Captain,” Hamoi rushed on. “I thought these wedges were describing the deck sections, and I couldn’t figure out their meaning. But, what if they aren’t deck sections? What if they’re beams?”
“And, if they are, Hamoi, what do you think that means?” Jessie asked. He knew his thoughts were still a little muddled, which prevented him from making any intuitive leaps.
“I’m not sure, Captain, but my guess is that this left icon represents egress from the dome, and the right one represents ingress, using the tunnel that was discovered.”
“I’m following you, Hamoi, what I’m not seeing are lit icons. Look at the various symbols on this console. Half are lit; half are dark. If this pair is supposed to allow movement through the tunnel, how do we get this section operable?”
“We’ve been talking about that, Captain,” Tully replied. “We think the plate is the answer. Touching it will activate the icons and get us access to the tunnel.”
Jessie regarded the bodies of the aliens on the deck. “You do notice that the aliens are all wearing vac suits. What if there is no airlock mechanism?”
“We discussed that too,” Darrin said. “This place is beautifully constructed. It’s an engineering marvel, alien or not. It’s our best guess that an airlock system is provided.”
“We think the two alien groups were fighting for an extended period of time,” Belinda added. “Destroying this place was one fight, and both sides would have been in vac suits as a matter of safety.”
“Well-thought-out,” Jessie commented. “I take it the plan is to trust to alien intelligence and push the plate?” When everyone nodded or murmured their agreement. “You started this, Hamoi. It’s your honor,” Jessie said.
Hamoi grinned and dug into a belt pouch for a small tool. He regarded his companions for a second, and then touched the plate. Nothing happened. The icons remained dim.
“I was sure I had this figured out, Captain. Stupid alien works,” Hamoi said, angrily striking the plate with the ball of his fist. “Ow, that tingled,” he remarked, shaking his hand.
“Look at that,” said Tully, pointing to the console.
“It’s a double helix, like our DNA,” Darrin exclaimed.
Twin beams erupted from the top edge of the console and scanned the group. Most of the crew jerked nervously but could do no more than that in the time it took the beams to start and stop.
“The icons are lit,” Hamoi said excitedly.
The team turned around in expectation of seeing a wedge open up and grant them an exit from the dome. Nothing moved, and disgruntled comments filled the air.
“Quiet, all of you,” Jessie said. He stepped a couple of meters away from the group, as if the distance would allow his thoughts to clarify. He looked back at the console, and Tully flicked Hamoi’s arm, indicating he should step out of the captain’s view of the plate and its icons.
Then Jessie turned to start in the direction of the identified tunnel. In his head, he replayed the news Kasey had shared about the rescue team’s efforts in the tunnel. One more time, he regarded the double helix projected above the plate. It spun slowly in the air, a gossamer image of blue light.
Jessie started to hurry toward where Kasey stood, but his legs cramped from the lack of water, and he was forced to hobble the remaining distance. In a flurry of sign language, Jessie explained what they’d done on the console and his idea.
When Kasey understood Jessie’s directives, he contacted the team waiting aboard the shuttle on the plains. In frustration, he realized he couldn’t raise the ship, due to his suit’s insufficient comm power and interference from the dome. Rather than bounce a comm call through the ships, Kasey took off around the dome, bounding dangerously over boulders and rocky outcrops. Reaching the demarked path of the underground tunnel, Kasey made for the ledge, signaling the entire way until he reached the shuttle.
“Nate, here. Kasey, go ahead.”
“Captain has an idea. He requests you get your butts over to the tunnel entrance.”
“On our way, Kasey, explain the plan to Tobias and me as we go.”
“They did what?” Tobias exclaimed, when Kasey reported the activation of the icons on the console.
“Sirs, it’s not my place to say, but you haven’t witnessed what I have this morning. The captain was struggling, and he passed out. The crew fed him water. I think they’re about dry, and the captain was saving his for them.”
Both Nate and Tobias swore over the comm.
“While the captain was out, the crew, except for Rules, was huddled over the console. They’re desperate to find a way out. When the captain woke, that’s when they tried the console, and the double helix popped up.”
“And you say beams scanned them,” Nate asked.
“Two beams, really quick.”
Nate and Tobias regarded each other. They were both riding today, tired from the long day yesterday and the short night’s sleep.
“Sounds like the beams above the second pair of doors,” Tobias commented.
Nate grunted in reply and stayed focused on their path, driving the rover at its top speed and slewing around rocks and small craters.
At the tunnel’s entrance, Nate and Tobias joined the crew, who had jogged ahead. The rear of the rover was loaded with spare tanks for the trapped crew.
“You two, with us,” Nate said, picking out some crew members. “The other two of you stay outside. One of you keeps a hand on these doors if they shut. You’ll hear me banging,” Nate added, hefting his tool. “The other one stands near the rover. I want you to be able to communicate with Kasey, in case this tunnel’s metal cuts out our comm.”
Nate looked at Tobias, who nodded and touched the plate. The clean metal doors slid aside.
Tobias bowed and swept his arm toward the tunnel, indicating Nate should again precede him.
“About time you recognized that beauty should go first,” Nate retorted.
At the second pair of doors, Tobias tapped the plate without hesitation. Instantly, the beams scanned them, and they heard a shout over the comm before glowing symbols on the walls, floor, and ceiling lit the tunnel.
“We’ve got air pumping into this section,” Tobias commented, examining a portable environment tester.
“Okay, looks like we’ll be able to experiment with egress,” Nate said. “We’ve obviously entered an airlock and have been granted access by virtue of what they did on the dome’s console, but we’re not carrying any of the tanks they need.”
“Oh, for the love of Pyre,” Tobias lamented.
“Follow me,” Nate said, and reversed course. At the first set of doors, which were now closed, Nate tapped the inner plate. “And now,” he asked Tobias, who was watching his instrument.
“Pressure’s dropping back to zero.”
Soon after, the outer doors
slid aside.
“Everybody grabs spare tanks and water bottles,” Nate ordered. “I think we have the access we need.”
When the team was ready, Tobias tapped the first plate and then, later, the second plate. Once again, the beams scanned them.
“Knock, knock, humans at the gate,” Nate said wryly over the comm, but he didn’t generate any laughter.
“Full atmospheric pressure,” Tobias reported. Immediately after he spoke, the second set of doors opened. The long tunnel shaft was lit by the blue light of the symbols.
“I would love to know what these markings mean,” Tobias asked, as they trekked the length of the tunnel.
“Probably virtuous sayings about giving to one’s fellow aliens,” Nate remarked.
The tunnel ended in a set of steps, which led upward to a flat ceiling.
“Okay, this is disappointing,” Tobias said.
“Look around, everyone, we need another plate,” Nate said. The crew examined every centimeter of walls and ceiling without finding a plate.
“Well, if there isn’t one where you assume it to be, it must be where you don’t,” Tobias commented, dropping to his knees to search the floor, and the crew imitated him.
Moments later, a crew member called out, “I found it.”
Nate and Tobias hurried to her side. The plate was set into the face of the first step and was nearly indistinguishable from the step itself.
“Huh, a kick plate,” Nate quipped, tapping it with his toe. A wedge of the ceiling dropped a half meter toward them and rotated aside. Nate ordered his suit to activate his exterior audio system and helmet mic. Climbing the steps, he announced in a loud voice, “Delivery.” On spotting Jessie, he added “Spare tanks and water, as ordered, Captain. Sorry it took so long. We knocked yesterday, but no one answered the door.”
“I’ll forgive the asinine remarks, Nate. It’s good to see you,” Jessie remarked, clapping his hands on Nate’s shoulders.
The rescuing team dropped the spare tanks and cracked the seal on their helmets, intending to save their air. Then they handed out the spare water bottles.
Jessie’s people consumed much of the water, spilling a great deal of it down the front of their skins.