New Light

by Ben Johnston

  They hailed a tram and took it down a central boulevard, a long avenue that cut straight across the entire floor, past the administrative buildings, cafes and diners, all the way to the edge of the plain, where the grass and trees and the hills ended at a sheer, mountainous slope that climbed all the way to the sky-ceiling. The far wall.

  There at the far wall, they climbed some low stone stairs to stand before a giant wooden door set in the steep side of the mountain wall. Taller than a great tree, the dark door looming over them looked wide enough to fly a small ship through.

  The great wooden door vanished silently, becoming a cave entrance into a great, dark space. Stepping out of the School floor’s fresh, sunny day, they moved forward into the still, quiet darkness ahead of them. The giant wooden door phased back.

  Mounted on the room’s great stone pillars, faintly-glowing crystals cast a mild illumination as Jonathan, Christopher, and Tom walked forward through the gigantic, dim space. The tops of the massive pillars disappeared into the darkness above, while at the pillars’ bases Piled-up around their bases were mounds of artifacts, big stacks of cases and crates and creations. Stone pillar after pillar, artifact pile after pile, they walked forward, towards a cluster of lights.

  Finally they reached the back of the enormous room. Christopher and Tom waited as Jonathan took a few more steps forward, then turned. A huge desk and some padded chairs phased into existence before him and between them. Jonathan motioned for Tom and Christopher to take a seat in the chairs on their side. He then did the same on his side.

  The older man let out a sigh, looking at Christopher with a sad smile. “I’m sorry about the expedition, Chris. I’m glad you’re OK.”

  Christopher held up his hand like it hurt. “I had it in my hands, Jon!” Christopher shook his hand, then let out a sigh. “I had it, Jon. Your goldenlight sunstone.” The hand fell limply into his lap, his head fell forward.

  Eye’s closed, Jonathan nodded with a frown. The old director then turned his tired, but lively eyes away from the drained archeologist to his young nephew. “Tom.”

  The young scholar met the director’s gaze. “Yes, Uncle J?”

  “We’ve deciphered more from the Phoenix galaxy artifact. It mentions another goldenlight source.”

  Tom’s eyebrows drew together. “Uncle Jon, that’s not possible.”

  Christopher looked up at Tom, smiling. “See, Sparky! I told you there had to be another goldenlight sunstone.” Then Christopher’s smile vanished as his eyes narrowed to lines. “Wait. Is this the Phoenix galaxy? That belongs to Vectus, Jon.”

  The old director sighed. “Yes, Chris, it’s Vectan territory, but no, I don’t think the records are talking about another goldenlight sunstone. It’s referred to as a ‘goldenlight seed’ or ‘source’.”

  Tom made a pained face. “Another source of goldenlight?” He shook his head. “The engraving in the School library from the Builders themselves tells us that in the first age the Builders infused the Towers from the one source.”

  Jonathan nodded. “I know the engraving, Nephew, but this is a legitimate find. The Vectans are so excited about it that they have reached out to us on this matter. It’s an amazing opportunity for the Union and Vectus to forge some goodwill, and even if it’s a narrow chance, it’s a chance for us to discover something about goldenlight. Vectus is so eager that they’ve asked for us to send a School archeologist.” Jonathan smiled at Christopher. “They’ve asked for you, Chris.”

  Christopher jumped to his feet. “What!? The Vectans!? The slavemakers? What makes them think I would help the Union’s biggest threat, the Vectan Empire, uncover goldenlight, the very substance that protects the Union?!”

  Jonathan sighed. “They are a threat, but threats have become friends throughout history, Chris.”

  Christopher shook his head, pacing back and forth. “Not this time, Jon. I fought against Vectus in the last Republic war. Remember? Send someone else. I’m not going to help the slavemakers.”

  Jonathan motioned for Christopher to sit. “Chris, they’ve asked specifically for you. The Republic is gone, you’re not fighting Vectus anymore. The Union’s ancient nebulous relationship with Vectus is improving. You’re a famous Union hero now, at least for the moment. And after all my efforts reaching out to Vectus, they’re finally reaching out to us. This is unprecedented. We have to reciprocate.”

  Christopher shook his head and drew in a breath. He sliced his hand through the air. “I’m sorry, Jon, but I am taking no part in helping Vectus - even if I think the thing is hopeless.” He gave Jonathan a sad smile, placing his hands down onto the desk. He looked the old director in the eye. “Find someone else, Jon.” He looked down at his wrinkled long coat. “I’m going to go home, take a shower, and a week-long nap.” He winked. “You’ll figure something out, Jon. Good luck.”

  The tired archeologist turned from the director, looking down at the young scholar. “And thanks for your help, Sparky.”

  Christopher turned to leave.

  Jonathan looked at Tom. “Nephew, I think it’s time we tell Doctor Cernon.”

  The dusty archeologist stopped. He turned, and looked back and forth from Jonathan to Tom. “Tell me what?”

  Tom looked up at Christopher. “My uncle had the School send you into the Ruin to find the goldenlight sunstone. You were told this was because,” Tom held up a single finger, “One. I had invented a device that can detect goldenlight sources, and we needed to test it.”

  Tom nodded, still holding the one finger in the air. “That is obviously true. That was the compass.” He held up a second finger. “But two, when we told you that we needed to get the goldenlight sunstone in order to keep it out of the hands of others.” Tom dropped his hand and looked away from Christopher. “That was only partially true. The real reason is much more pressing.”

  Christopher narrowed his eyes.

  Tom looked at his Uncle.

  Jonathan's face wrinkled with a pained expression as he turned from Tom to address Christopher. “Because, Chris, without the goldenlight sunstone, all Twelve towers will fall.”

  Chapter 17

  Christopher nodded slowly, then paused, his mouth agape. “Wait. Did you say fall? The School Towers, fall?” He blew out a guffaw, looking back and forth from the young scholar to the old director. They were not smiling, so his own smile quickly dissolved. “You guys can’t be serious.”

  They said nothing.

  The dusty archeologist put his head in his hands. “The Towers are supposed to be eternal. They’re made of indestructible goldenlight materials. Goldenlight is forever! It’s like gravity. It’s a law of nature.” He looked to Tom. “Right, Tom? You’re a master photist.”

  Tom stood and walked past Christopher to a large cabinet in a nearby stack of artifacts and cases. He opened the cabinet and took out a sheer black sword. The blade appeared as an opaque, matte shadow in Tom’s hands. The young scholar held the sword upright for Christopher to see. “This is a nulllight sword.”

  Christopher’s eyes bulged. “Nulllight? What’s nulllight do?”

  “Here’s one thing it can do.” Tom swept the empty blackness down at the smooth stone floor of the office. When the blade met the floor, a butterscotch splash of light like a bright sunset seen through water, sprayed out, causing a momentary golden flash to light the entire cavernous office.

  “What in the Ruin was that!?” Christopher stared at the glowing gash in the smooth stone floor. Inside the groove left by the sword sparkled a vivid, golden light, fading slowly. Christopher’s eyes glimmered as he moved moved his hand to his mouth.

  Jonathan smiled and spoke for Christopher. “Yes, Chris. That is goldenlight. That floor has been walked on by millions, and never has it shown a scratch. But here you see, we have not discovered how to make goldenlight, we have instead discovered how it can be destroyed.”

  Christopher threw his hand to point at the shadow sword. "Where did you get it?”

  The old dir
ector spoke. “It was found in the middle of the Ruin. The Phoenix galaxy. It is the only artifact of its light type ever found. But while it is impressive and… disconcerting that we have found something that can destroy goldenlight-imbued materials, we have discovered something far worse. Tom, please explain to the doctor.”

  Tom put the shadow sword back in the cabinet, then returned. “After discovering that the nullight sword could destroy golden light-timbued materials and reveal the goldenlight. I used this thing I invented. A goldenlight photometer.” He offered Christopher a straight object. “This photometer cost over a billion light units to make.” He handed the object to Christopher. “Here, doctor Cernon. You take the measurement.”

  Christopher took the colorful photometer then looked back to Tom. “A billion light units. You know, you could feed a union world for a year with a billion light units.”

  Tom looked away. “Can we please talk about that later, doctor Cernon. Please, just take a photic measurement before the groove in the floor seals up and the escaping goldenlight vanishes.”

  Christopher took the amazingly expensive photometer and pressed one end of the long object against the edge of the groove in the ground. The last of the fading goldenlight seemed to be sucked into the photometer. Christopher held the object up to examine it. His face went white. “It’s on E. This thing reads E? Does this goldenlight photometer work just like any other regular photometer? Am I reading this correctly? Does E mean what I think it means?”

  Tom nodded gravely. “It’s a standard gauge, Doctor Cernon. E means empty.”

  “So the Towers are empty.” Christopher collapsed back into his seat. “Like a flecking fuel car on a long trip. The eternal Towers of the School are almost out of goldenlight. How is this possible? How did no one know this would happen?”

  Jonathan sighed with a weak nod. “The School doesn’t know everything, we’re not omniscient. And apparently we are not eternal either. Goldenlight appears to take a very long time to run out, but yes. Yes, goldenlight is not forever. And without the strength of the goldenlight, the structure of the Towers will fail, and the Towers will fall.”

  They were all silent for a few moments in the dim light of the great space.

  Christopher leaned back in his seat, placed three fingers on his forehead and took in a deep breath. “How long do we have?”

  Tom sighed. “I estimate five years.”

  All was again silent. Then Christopher stood from his seat, walked around behind it, paced back and forth, then burst out in a violent rant. “Five years!? The School of the Union that has lasted through eleven Ruins, the great preserver of humanity that has persisted for billions of years.” Christopher held his arms wide for emphasis. “Billions and billions!”

  He dropped his hands. “The School has just five years left?”

  Tom and Jonathan looked at him impassively.

  Christopher threw his hands into the air, looking skyward as he smiled wildly. “What a time to be alive! In just my lifetime I’ve gotten to see the great Republic of free Nations collapse, the greatest slave nation ever recorded rise to heights unknown, and now, lucky me, I get to watch the School itself, crumble and fall.” Christopher was quiet for a moment.

  He blinked then narrowed his eyes at Jonathan and Tom. “And so now I see why you wanted that goldenlight sunstone. You guys think you can learn its goldenlight.”

  Tom spoke. “Doctor Cernon, we need to get that goldenlight sunstone. Or some source of goldenlight. If we can get a source, then I’m certain we can decipher the goldenlight. And if we can decipher goldenlight, then we can re-imbue the towers. Save the School. Save the Union. And save humanity from the next Ruin. After all, without the Towers and the School, the next Ruin war may be the last.”

  Jonathan nodded slowly. “Yes, Chris. It’s not just for the defense of the School that we want to understand the goldenlight.” He sighed. “It’s for the School’s very survival.”

  He looked at Christopher, then at Tom. “And perhaps the survival of us all.”

  The older man stood and walked away from his desk a few steps, his back to Tom and Christopher. “Which is why you both must take this one last desperate chance to see if we can unlock the secret of goldenlight. And why we have to try to work with the very force that would be the end of us all, the Vectan Empire.”

  Tom tilted his head. “Uncle J, what do you mean, ‘you both’?”

  The old director, back still turned, took in a deep breath. “Nephew, I’m sending you along with Christopher. You’re both going to planet Spose in the something system of the Phoenix galaxy. It’s where they found evidence of the goldenlight source. By sending my nephew, I’m showing Vectus trust. And since you’re one of the School’s finest scholars, you’ll stand the best chance of helping Christopher find something.”

  Tom jumped to his feet. “What! You’re sending me off the planet! Into space!?”

  Jonathan looked at Tom. The young man was holding his head in his hands. “Tom? Are you alright?”

  Tom looked at the old director with wide fearful eyes. “Uncle J, you want me to go to space? You want me to leave Administra?”

  Jonathan looked levelly at Tom. “Tom. We have an extraordinarily rare opportunity here to create a glimmer of goodwill between the Union and Vectus. And this wasn’t easy to get. This took some serious dealings.”

  Tom’s eyebrows drew together. “But I’ve never been off world. I’ve never even left this continent.

  Jonathan smiled at the concerned-looking Tom. “You’ll be fine, nephew. I know you’ve done a lot for the School in the past, but this time it really is for the School.” He looked back and forth between Christopher and Tom.

  Christopher grunted. “So, how big of a company am I getting for this?”

  Jonathan shook his head. “No company. It’s just you two.”

  Christopher leaped again to his feet. “Just me and this kid!?” His mouth fell open in an unbelieving grin. “Is this a joke, Jon?”

  Jonathan stared levelly at Tom and Christopher.

  Christopher’s sarcastic grin shifted into a look of disbelief. “Jon, you can’t expect me to operate without a company.”

  Jonathan smiled. “You can’t expect the great Vectan Empire to graciously take an extra hundred students and School technicians into their country and onto their sensitive sites.”

  Christopher shook his head. “I understand that this sounds like an amazing opportunity, you know, to grow relations between the Union and the Vectan Empire, but what do you really expect a single archaeologist and a…” He looked at Tom who was staring ahead with big blank eyes.

  Christopher sighed. “What do you expect a single archaeologist and a kid scholar to do? Unlock the secrets of goldenlight from this one trip? You do realize this whole idea, this whole trip is unrealistic. It’s not practical.”

  Jonathan took in a deep breath, closed his eyes and nodded his head.“ Yes, you’re right, It’s not practical.”

  The old director turned to Christopher with a half-smile. “It’s political.”

  Chapter 18

  The stars and galaxies around them vanished as their gleaming white star yacht dove into the great intergalactic cloud of the dark, dead, remains of countless exploded galaxies that was the Ruin. Tom clutched his head in his hands. A sheen of cold sweat gleamed on his brow. “Intergalactic ruinspace. I never thought I’d be going through this.”

  Christopher raised his eyebrows, looking at Tom. “Just be thankful that we’re on a guarded lightline. ”

  Christopher piloted their star yacht through the dark space, following the bright lightline until they finally emerged from the darkness to behold the Phoenix galaxy.

  “There you go, Sparky. Relax!” Christopher held out his hand at the big front window of their yacht. “We’re right on course.”

  Tom leaned forward in his seat, craning his neck as he gazed out the window ahead. “Doctor Cernon, What’s that?”

  Christopher put
his hand over his face and shook his head. “No, no, no. We don’t have time for this!

  The young scholar looked at Christopher. “Is that a fleet at the linelight junction station?”

  Christopher ran his hand down his face. “Yes. It’s a Vectan blockade.” He blinked hard, looking out the window at the Vectan ships as they flashed light signals at them. “They’re detouring us. Diverting us away from our destination.”

  Tom stared out the window. “So we’re not going to Spose? We’re not going to the archaeological dig?” He looked back at Christopher. “Then where are we going?”

  Their space yacht coasted through the fresh upper-atmosphere of Namoon as Christopher piloted them high above the endless, hot jungle. Soaring over the lush green trees and the sprawling, tan-colored city, they flew towards a grassy landing field that was a flat, open area covered with thousands upon thousands of spacecraft, all glinting in the sunlight like a collection of jewels laid out on a summer lawn.

  After landing their yacht, Christopher looked out the window, unimpressed. “Did you see all those ships parked out there? I think the Vectans are detouring everybody to this planet on purpose.”

  The young scholar looked out the window and threw up his hands. “So what, now? Just spend the next few days here in the ship. What a waste of time.” He grabbed a bag. “We need to get to Spose and find out about that goldenlight source.” Tom unzipped the bag and began pulling out various items, throwing them onto a nearby table. Then, staring into the bag, he froze.

  Noticing Tom’s sudden change, the scruffy archeologist tilted his head. “Whats bright, Sparky?”

  Tom reached into the bag and withdrew a coppery, cylindrical device.

  Christopher blinked, looking at the object in Tom’s hand. “Is something wrong with the compass?”

  With wide eyes, Tom shook his head. “No, there's nothing wrong with it.” He looked at Christopher. “Doctor Cernon. Look.” He handed the compass to Christopher.