The Blue People of Cloud Planet

by Brian Wolfenden

  After a short time, five columns of female workers came through the wide door into the pyramid. Scott thought they looked like an army of Zulu warriors. They stamped on the ground and smacked together short wooden shafts as they jigged across the floor and made their way into the amphitheatre. Finally, all 300 females assembled on the lower floor in front of their leader, Hotenka. They continued to dance in perfect concentric triangles which moved in opposite directions.

  Seren and Scott sat entranced from their perfect viewing position which overlooked the floor. Although they had experienced these dance rituals before, the sheer scale and number of participants heightened the performance. In particular, the heavy drum beat interspersed with the high-pitched note of the reeds which culminated in a cacophony of sound that seemed to rock the whole pyramid – and then silence. This was the ultimate spectacle.

  Then, in unison, the young Serenite dancers slowly turned towards the central plinth and slowly bowed in homage to their leader.

  Hotenka stood, raised his arms aloft and all the Blue People, including Scott, responded in the same manner. The complete silence in the huge pyramid was filled with hope and expectation. Scott’s head hurt as he received this powerful feeling and he looked at Seren who said,

  >> keep showing us our past > we need to understand what happened to our people > then you must help us > and save our world >>

  Chapter 51

  The First Disaster

  The following morning Scott and Seren returned to the dark pyramid and he selected diamonds from higher rows. Each time they journeyed in 3D hologram further into the red plain towards the equator. Their first location was a farming dwelling where they experienced a farming group which formed around them. Then, armed with their black shafts and bundles of seeds, the procession marched through the huge black door; their crystals ignited as they disappeared into the mist and rain outside. Next, they viewed a structure containing a single pyramid, similar to the ‘home’ of Seren.

  Scott finally selected the uppermost diamond, which located them on the open ground outside a huge pyramid in a dwelling of truly massive proportions that was bathed in sunshine. He looked towards the light shaft which emanated from the far two walls by the canal. His eye followed the row of smaller pyramids and rested on the final one which had no crystals in the walls.

  ‘My God!’ Scott exclaimed, ‘We’re actually looking at this dwelling, the very one we’re standing in. This is the ‘capital city’ of the Blue People! I wonder when it looked like this?’

  They moved to the ledge and looked down onto a pattern of canals and green plantations which stretched in every direction to the horizon. This outer area thronged with thousands of blue workers. Inside the dwelling were multitudes of Blue People. Scott was shocked as he registered the fact that there were equal numbers of male and female Serenites who thronged around the dwellings and open pools.

  At this point in time it was not a Cloud Planet but a sun drenched world populated by an innovative species.

  ‘What happened to these people? What changed their planet?’ He said aloud.

  Seren buried her head in his chest and sobbed with emotion. Scott felt anguish at her sorrow and then saw.

  >> you must find the reason > i know you can do it >>

  ‘The arrangement of the red diamonds on the walls of the dark pyramid is very precise. Position on Cloud Planet from the coast to the equator is determined vertically whilst time changes around the walls. It is very difficult to calculate timescale as there are no seasons on this planet and all the ‘recordings’ are spread a couple of hours either side of midday.

  ‘These red diamonds are a combination of recording camera and a transmitter of video data. The raw crystal from the mines is red because of hundreds of millions of spherical clay particles symmetrically distributed throughout the crystalline structure. However, a ‘recorded’ crystal from the dark pyramid shows precise and varied changes in hue of the red particles. This is how the video data is stored waiting to be unlocked by the sun’s rays in the form of a hologram. It was not too dissimilar to early 21st century technology. Here data was burned [recorded] onto the blue layer of DVD discs by a laser and subsequently read when the disc was played back. ’

  Thinking back, Scott recalled that the very first diamond had filled the space with mist and rain. So he returned to this one and, as expected, they shuddered in the cold, unpleasant atmosphere. Visibility was poor at ground level so they moved up and could just make out the outline of the estuary and coast.

  The diamond from the highest row took them to a position at the equator. The crystal ignited and they leapt back in alarm as they were enveloped in bright blinding light. They scrambled to the ledge to avoid the glare and entered mist and rain.

  They were standing outside an enormous light sheath – it was so wide it filled most of their forward view and shot to the roof of the dark pyramid.

  ‘Of course!’ Scott said, comprehending, ‘The recording crystal must have been located outside the walls of the dwelling. But the earlier recordings had a clear and unhindered view.’

  Although it was not reality, it was a frightening feeling walking down into the ‘light shaft’ to shut off the crystal. Scott sat down to gather his thoughts together, determined to find the missing links. He knew that somewhere among the thousands of crystals in front of him were the answers. So he methodically chose crystals from the bottom row.

  He moved a few metres at a time but the scene was the same beach at the edge of the broad estuary thronging with Serenites and their blue workers. He sat on the ledge for each recording crystal trying to determine something different or some measure of time.

  It was fascinating watching Seren. She stayed on the floor of the dark pyramid and ‘played’ with her people in the hologram. She would run with the young Serenite children as they dashed back and forth to the edge of the sea to paddle. He could sense her fun and happiness. Then she was flirting with a group of Serenite males and her eyes blazed lasciviously as she admired their strong bodies.

  Scott was daydreaming and enjoying the scene below when he looked up and out to sea. Something across the far horizon had caught his attention but then it was gone. He wondered if he had imagined it and made a mental note to ‘replay’ the scene later. To stretch his legs he walked around the ledge of the dark pyramid taking in the full panorama. He was now about a quarter of the way around the perimeter and could see up the coast. Zec-C’s survey had identified rivers and estuaries every 50 kilometres around the whole length of both coastlines. Was this scene being repeated at every estuary? He must have idled away an hour as he contemplated and daydreamed.

  Then his thoughts sprang back to Seren and the beach because she had radiated her extreme puzzlement that something was very wrong. She stood with a group of blond Serenites and they were all pointing out to sea. Then he saw in his mind,

  >> what has happened to the sea > why has it vanished >>

  He stood up astonished,

  ‘What’s happened to the sea?’ He shouted, ‘It’s gone! It’s disappeared as if the tide had suddenly gone out! What’s going on?’

  But there are no tides on Cloud Planet, Scott thought. Mouth agape, he stared at the huge expanse of wet red clay and the strange small creatures which floundered on the surface. Everybody on the beach continued to stare and frantically inclined their heads in silent telepathic conversation. Seren turned and her eyes blazed at him,

  >> what has happened > when will the sea return >>

  Then he recalled seeing video footage taken well over a hundred and fifty years ago on a beach in Indonesia. Holiday makers were staring and pointing out to sea in similar fashion – only the sea wasn’t there any more – only stranded fish which flapped on the wet sands – and then!

  His stomach churned and, chilled to the bone with anxiety, he stood up to full height to look out to sea.

  ‘Oh no!’ he groaned, ‘Oh no, surely not, surely not a tsunami!’

  >>
what is that > is something bad going to happen >>

  She had read his mind and felt his terror.

  Then, from his higher vantage point, he saw it – across the horizon there was a line of darker blue which increased in height. He stood transfixed. What phenomenon had caused it? Earthquake? But there had been no apparent tremor. He realised the futility of this last thought - he was standing in a holographic video. How could he feel a tremor?

  The wave grew in height and filled the width of his vision. It looked gigantic with its white-flecked top, even though it must be many kilometres out to sea. How fast was it travelling? How long before it hit the shore with terrible consequences for the Blue People on the beach? How far inland would it wreak havoc? All these thoughts raced through his mind and Seren read them, her fears multiplied.

  >> what is going to happen > WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN >>

  The monster wave was clearly visible and travelling at incredible speed. He realised with horror that it must be 20-30 metres high and was rushing towards the crowded beach at over 100 kilometres per hour. It was now no more than a kilometre from where Seren stood with her people and it started toppling and crashing down onto the red beach. It was now a 30 metre wall of white boiling surf.

  Suddenly the Serenites and Seren saw it and her telepathic screams of terror not only filled his head but seemed to fill the whole dark pyramid. Blond males and females rushed to protect their young. They gathered them up and fled up the beach right through an immobile, shaking Seren. Only the blue female workers seemed oblivious to the unstoppable forces which charged up the wet red clay towards them.

  It was so realistic to him that he screamed at Seren to turn and run! He watched in absolute dread as the boiling mass of turbulent water crashed up the beach and pounded onto the floor of the dark pyramid. Then it crashed over the unseeing blue females, swept over Seren and smashed into the hundreds of fleeing blond Serenites.

  Most disappeared under the intense volume of water but others were flung forward onto the beach with their limbs cart-wheeling like limp rag dolls only to be consumed moments later by the advancing monster. Many were tossed high in the air, turning in uncoordinated movements, before they splashed back down onto the crest of the wave. Broken males, females, children and infants were carried by the force of the wave as it engulfed a petrified Scott. Strangely, the dark pyramid flipped through ninety degrees and he was bizarrely staring up at the sky - water then boiled over him and suddenly the pyramid was dark and empty.

  Now abject screams of terror assaulted his mind and he looked down at Seren who was scrambling on all fours towards the ramp and her head lifted. Agony was etched across her beautiful face and her eyes blazed,

  >> what happened to my people > what happened to my beautiful people >>

  Scott held on tightly to Seren’s shaking body. She had read his mind and knew that her people had not stood a chance in that racing wall of water.

  >> and what about my people in their dwellings > what of them >>

  Without question the six dwellings and their pyramids would have felt the full force of the tsunami wave – he tried not to think about their fate – he knew it would be recorded on the next diamond – but hesitated before selecting it. She looked at him and braced herself for what was to come and her eyes blazed,

  >> i must see everything > i must show it to our leader >>

  The next crystal burst into life and they stood on the ledge and looked at the six dwellings and surrounding plantations which bustled with hundreds of blue workers and blond Serenites. They could see the red beach, teeming with Blue People, and the calm sea which stretched away to Cloudless sky.

  But all that was about to change!

  Scott saw it first and he tightened his grip on Seren’s hand and pointed to a band of blue, flecked with white, across the horizon. It grew rapidly in size and rushed towards this perfect oasis - their hearts and minds reeled in torment as they realised the inevitable consequences.

  Seconds later the sea raced out at ferocious speed!

  Even though they knew what was coming, it was worse this time, much worse.

  From their elevated viewpoint the monstrous boiling wave smashed down onto the wet clay beach as far as the eyes could see in both directions. In front of them the doomed Blue People turned and fled but they were quickly consumed and pulverised by the tumbling weight of water. Bodies flew into the air, the sight of which caused Seren to wince with pain and anguish. The wall of water rushed up the estuary, engulfing everything in its path – plantations, workers, boats - and doubled in height as it was constricted by the sides of the estuary.

  The gigantic wave roared towards the six dwellings which blazed in the sunshine with their light shafts streaking upwards. Their occupants scurried frantically to escape – they had received the terrible warning from their fellow people – and heard the explosive sound of the oncoming threat.

  The wave struck the first dwelling and for a moment the top of the pyramid stuck out of the raging surf. Following this, the dwelling exploded and a mass of red bricks, glinting crystals together with dismembered torsos, crashed into the second dwelling. The streaks of light went out one by one as, like a pack of cards, all the dwellings collapsed under the relentless force of the water.

  Scott and Seren gasped in horror as the huge wave, with its seething mass of bricks, crystals and lifeless bodies spinning in its turbulence, appeared to rush straight at them. They instinctively backed away as the recorded scene in the dark pyramid shook, tilted upwards and returned to its previous view.

  This recording crystal must have survived the wave, remained in place, and continued to capture subsequent images of the catastrophe. They looked down. The wave had continued up the estuary but here the water level was still high. Lower slopes on both sides were stripped bare of plantations and all that remained was a swathe of broken stumps in front of the tree line. Then the water level fell and rushed back towards them carrying with it debris, trees and bodies.

  The bank where the dwellings had stood was almost unrecognisable. Parts of the bases of the structures had survived but none was intact. The canal feeding them was completely gone. Gaping holes appeared inside the dwellings where the floor had collapsed into the underground chambers. These were filled with water and bodies.

  Everywhere there was devastation and carnage. There seemed to be little possibility that anyone had survived – or had they?

  Surprisingly some bodies stirred, but they could hardly rise from the ground such were the extent of their injuries. About half a dozen Serenite males had struggled to their feet and looked around in bewilderment. Seren stiffened beside Scott,

  >> where will they go > their dwellings are destroyed >>

  Scott’s mind was racing ahead – what goes up must come down! The wall of water that had raced past them would be slowed by the rising slopes and narrowing of the valley. How far would its destructive force travel? He walked around the ledge to the other side and looked up the valley. The sides were stripped clean of vegetation and trees as far as he could see!

  He could not see the next set of light shafts!

  After a while and in the distance he could see a boiling white mass and knew that the wave was returning. It grew in volume as it surged back towards them carrying uprooted trees, leaves and bodies before it. Suddenly the river doubled in size as the returning swell raced past them. They watched, with hearts torn, as the few survivors turned to face their last moments on Cloud Planet. Then the wave crashed over them and they were pulverised between the crushing weight of tree trunks and debris. Finally, they were swept out to sea.

  Seren had her head inclined for some while before Scott asked what her leader had said,

  >> this must be the first disaster > when we lost a lot of our blond people > our blue workers > and our lands and dwellings by the sea >>

  and Scott remembered those poignant words spoken by Hotenka.

  The next crystal took them 50 kilometres inland and abov
e the row of dwelling structures. There must have been some telepathic warning as Serenites and blue workers were fleeing from the dwellings and up the slopes of plantations. Some were paddling furiously in their boats.

  The river here was about 50 metres wide – but that was to change.

  In the distance Scott could already see the oncoming wave. Now it looked really ugly and menacing. It was 150 metres wide, 20 metres high and still moving with incredible speed. Its front was a seething mass of torn tree trunks, branches and leaves. It was red in colour from the churned up clay bed. It rose up the slopes for 50 metres on either side destroying plantations and trees.

  Then it hit the three farming dwellings. The wall of water crashed over them, swallowing them up and, one by one, their light shafts extinguished. The broiling tumult hurled itself at the fleeing Blue People on the slopes. Some of the stronger Serenities had made sufficient ground but the blue workers seemed to flounder and then they disappeared into the tangled mass of wood and clay bricks from their dwellings. The wave quickly reached the boats and they rose and capsized as they were consumed by the seething wall of water.