“Yes, sir.”
Harris studied the major as he spoke. The officer’s slender build did not immediately imply a forcefulness about him although he seemed wiry and quick. Patel looked to be from India. His skin, however, was a little lighter than the corporal expected. The eyes alone were intimidating. A fierce intelligence burned in those dark eyes.
The major continued. “It does no good at this point to mention regulations about the interactions with the native wildlife. The why does not matter either. You were most likely curious. I can’t tell you how many cats I have seen killed by curiosity. I am sure getting locked up here, poked, prodded, and the endless questioning, not to mention you could still end up dead, should suffice as a punishment for your lack of judgment. If you survive the process you may return to duty, hopefully a little wiser.”
Feeling thoroughly awful, Harris replied, “I understand, sir.”
“I didn’t come here just to dress you down for your transgressions. I do have a few questions.”
“Certainly, sir.” Harris noticed the captain dispassionately watched him, not appearing to listen to the others.
“After you threw the helmet away from you, how did the trilobites behave?”
“I was freaked out from the moment before so I wouldn’t be a good judge of those observations, but someone else could have witnessed the incident. All I do know is the Scooter did not trap itself in my helmet. When I looked back a few seconds later, it had disappeared as well as the other scooters which were nearby when it happened.”
“How many trilobites were there before the incident?”
“Maybe a dozen or so.”
“Did you do anything provocative toward them before the incident?”
“NO, SIR!” Harris was shocked by the implication. “I would never harm anything on this planet without express orders to do so!”
The major wondered if there was more to tell. “Very well, Corporal. We will talk later, but for now I have some answers.”
Major Patel stepped back and allowed the captain to approach the transparency. He suddenly appeared to be engaging, and his demeanor changed to a more approachable figure.
“Corporal, do you need anything to drink? Is there something I can get for you?” The captain knew that Harris was beginning his first day in prison, so to speak, and he would need some things for his comfort.
“Thank you, Captain, I would like some water. Later, I would like some things from my quarters.”
“Whatever you need. I would caution that whatever you bring in will need to survive the decontamination process, so keep it in mind.”
One of the medical staff took the cue and disappeared.
“In the meantime, I want everyone here to know Sonny has been monitoring your vitals during our talks, and you have not lied to us about anything so far. I have been in contact with the ground and General Zhou. Scientists have noticed the trilobites use the appendage that struck you to right themselves when they have fallen on their back, or to aid themselves in climbing. They seem to think when you picked it up and turned it over, a natural reflex took over to grab something. That something happened to be your helmet.”
While the captain talked, an attendant entered Harris's room wearing a suit. The attendant brought with him a water cooler with many liters of water in a reservoir for him to drink. The captain paused while the medical person set up the cooler and the corporal got himself a glass of water. Harris returned to his chair with his water, and the captain continued.
“Did you sense anything from the animal when it attached itself to your helmet?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, did it try to communicate with you? Could you sense its fear, for instance?”
“I don’t know. I was in my own moment of panic, I’m sorry.”
“That’s okay, Corporal Harris, relax for now. The medical staff wants to poke and prod you for a while, and then afterward, you can get some rest. Things may become clearer in the morning. We will also look at the other information which we have gathered and chew on it awhile. If you need anything, feel free to ask the medical staff or Sonny, and we will do our best to accommodate you. Although it is a prison, I want it to be a comfortable prison.”
Harris appreciated the captain’s sympathy. “Thank you, sir. I don’t want to die,” he added. The thought was clearly weighing on him.
“Our goal is to see that doesn’t happen. No guarantees, though. Some of us will return to re-evaluate you in the morning. Good evening, Harris.”
The transparent wall went opaque again, and Harris was left to himself. He hoped this thing didn’t turn out to be fatal. After a few minutes, four medical personnel came in with two robots that didn’t look friendly.
“Corporal, please disrobe and lie down on the bed, and we will get started. You may be uncomfortable, but we will do our best to get this done quickly.”
In the other room, the captain turned to the medical staff. “What is his status?”
Dr. Lim spoke for the group. “Well, after preliminary examinations and tests, we have not turned up anything out of the ordinary. I have a more extensive study to perform now that we are finished with the interviews. I will keep you apprised.”
“What are the long-range plans for him?”
“The corporal will remain in isolation and observation. Our findings will guide our strategy.”
“How long will he have to remain there?”
“More than likely he will be there until Microbiology finishes a full workup of the atmosphere.”
“So, we are talking about another eight months, then.”
Dr. Lim checked something on his pad. “Yes, the studies will finish sometime after monitoring the colony sites through a whole Searth year."
“Major, judging by your questions, do you think there was anything nefarious about the incident?”
Major Patel paused before answering. “Not at this time. I will confer with the general after his investigations on the ground are complete. I covered all the bases here. It’s likely an unfortunate accident with no provocative elements.”
“Understood. Sonny, do you have anything to add?”
Sonny talked to the three men through their implants. “There have been reports from the exobiologists studying the trilobites that they are very social creatures. They are also very curious. This explains their numbers clustering near construction sites. This curiosity implies intelligence. There is insufficient data to quantify how intelligent. There is also one other event recorded, but not corroborated.”
“What is it?” Levi thought it odd that Sonny seemed hesitant.
“An event with one of the science teams studying the trilobites. One of their team members, Anna Hauser, reported having a clairvoyant incident while near three of the trilobites.”
The captain was a little annoyed. “This is the first time I’m hearing about this.”
“The science team felt one event did not constitute a significant finding.”
“And you do?”
“The event is very remarkable given that not only does Anna Hauser not exhibit any psionic abilities, but her score is negative twenty-two.”
“Wow! She must be a danger to be around.”
“Anna Hauser is a capable exobiologist. Are you attempting to be sarcastic?”
Levi chuckled. “Yes. I only meant that while a significantly positive score can explain why some people are lucky, choices seem to come to a positive result even if it is not intuitive. A negative result can explain why some people are unlucky. They seem to make more wrong choices than the norm. By saying she is a danger, I meant she is so unlucky that she is a menace to herself and others.”
“The selection process for passengers on this ship did not include luck and psionic abilities for parameters.”
“Can we return to the topic of our discussion? Do you think the trilobites had something to do with the event, or do you believe it a statistical anomaly?”
“One po
int does not make a trend. That is why the science team did not report it. The trilobites and Miss Hauser are interrelated in some way. They were either trying to communicate with her, or their proximity accentuated her natural abilities.”
“Well, they picked one of the worst candidates for their attempt! I would imagine had it been anyone else, they would have had a significantly different experience.”
“That is reasonable.”
“Are we doing something about this?”
“We should direct Anna Hauser and her science team to stop what they are doing and investigate this phenomenon with other individuals as well.”
“Just out of curiosity, what was the clairvoyant vision about?”
“It pertains to an earthquake that severely damages dome number two.”
“So, we move the dome.”
“It is impossible to determine the course of action yet. It is one thing when data points provide a trail to a conclusion, it is another to give a conclusion without data. If the supposition is that Anna Hauser saw a real future event and not a hallucination, then you could say the vision may include our knowledge about the revelation. If we move the dome, we may be moving it to the unstable area. Staying put, in that case, is correct. If the vision didn’t include our knowing, then staying put would be wrong. We have insufficient data.”
Levi thought this a rather sticky wicket. “What do you suggest, Sonny?”
“The domes should stay put since we are already building them. However, I would put into place a contingency plan in case the vision proves to our disadvantage. In the meantime, have the geologists check the dome areas again and resurvey the rock. I will continue to gather data to ascertain the validity of the vision.”
Major Patel, having been silent for some time, spoke up. “Sonny, do you think the trilobites pose a threat to the colonists?”
“Not at this time, Major. There is insufficient data. I would suggest security remain on alert. Not from any direct threat, but to ensure there are not more accidental encounters with the trilobites. We do not want any more cases like Corporal Harris and Anna Hauser. Observe all human activity on the planet for now.”
The major sounded grave. “We will keep both eyes open to the situation.”
Dr. Lim followed up after the major. “It seems reasonable to retest Miss Hauser to see if anything has changed, especially her psi score.”
“Sounds good,” Levi acknowledged. “Let us meet here in a couple of days, since it is convenient to check on the corporal while we are here. We can then discuss data which has been gathered on these topics.”
Major Patel and Dr. Lim both agreed to the plan, and the captain excused himself to check on some other matters. As he walked to the auto, he picked up his mental discussion with Sonny again. “Okay, now that they are not in the loop, does the data you have project any earthquakes in the somewhat near future?”
“There is about an eleven point four percent chance dome two will experience an earthquake within the next 100 years. I can be more accurate when new data comes in.”
Levi felt less concerned. “That doesn’t sound like much to worry about.”
“It’s significant, but not likely at this point in time. Tectonics is a science of interdependency. What happens on the other side of the planet may affect what happens locally. Since it would take decades to survey the planet’s geology in that kind of detail, it is not likely we will get our answers to our questions in time.”
“We should see if we can extract more details of this vision from Miss Hauser. We may be able to determine the time frame.”
“I have already instructed the science teams. They are aware of the situation.”
“Thank you. Locate Chairman Rocha and notify her that I want to see her. Then take my auto to her location.”
“Acknowledged.”
Levi arrived at Isabell Rocha’s residence some minutes later. The captain updated the chairman about recent events and answered some of her concerns. She insisted this information be restricted to need-to-know. Until they knew more about the planet, she added, they should be careful about calling this place home.
Levi wanted to get back to Earth, or where Earth should be. However, the Searth colonists needed to be alive when they got back from there.
Izzy shook her head. “This is a strange turn of events, I have to tell you.”
Levi consoled the chairman. “It is all new to everyone. We need to be on our toes out here. Time will pass and eventually humans will be more certain catastrophe is not just around the corner. This is no different from the Europeans traveling to the Americas. Those were very uncertain times. Some Indian tribes were friendly to the newcomers. Some were not. You never knew when a band of Indians would quietly sneak into the village and kill everyone. How could you grow crops when someone might be hiding in the cornfield waiting for you? One thing waiting to kill us out here is our ignorance. We have resources like Sonny and Alice to help us. In the end, we have to assimilate our own experiences and choose the right paths which will save our species for the long haul.”
“Since you put it that way, it seems we will see it through. It feels quite differently living the moment even though history provides some comfort.”
“Agreed,” Levi replied. “Well, I will let you get on with your evening. Goodnight, Izzy.”
Izzy smiled a warm but tired smile. “Goodnight, Levi.”
THREE
Hello
Outside the dome Anna tended the garden of plants that were deemed suitable for consumption by humans, a mixture of edible flora on this planet and Earth plants that performed well in this environment. Finally, the garden looked to be pulling its weight. Legumes seemed to fare the best. Fruit trees like apples and pears were showing promise. Wheat and corn were tough, but were going to adapt. Good. The humans could have bread, tortillas and whiskey, all a body needs. Not many Earth plants could adapt to the different wavelengths of light the orange dwarf star offered. Maybe one day, the immigrants from Earth could come to an arrangement with their new orange friend.
Anna felt strange not wearing an environmental suit anymore. The sun warm on her skin, she realized how much she really needed it. How good it felt. This really was a nice day! Besides the scooters, small lizards and a few bird-like flying things were common inhabitants of this lovely oasis. The density of biological life here was sparse compared to Earth. This made the planet seem more like a ghost town. The humans were new to this place. Perhaps there could be more to Searth than there appeared.
Anna noticed movement in her peripheral vision. The scooters were suddenly running away. What could have spooked them? Then she knew. A small vibration under her feet, increasing in strength. The growling like thunder that wasn’t thunder. MY GOD, IT’S AN EARTHQUAKE! The epiphany shook her as much as the quake. Anna knew about earthquakes, or Searthquakes in this instance, but had never experienced one.
The ground shook even more. Thrown to the ground, Anna involuntarily screamed. “ALICE!”
“Stay where you are,” Alice boomed into her cochlear implant. “You are in the safest place. Do not approach the dome. I am enacting emergency procedures.”
Anna froze with indecision. This early in the morning, everyone would be at the dome. Yet the dome was the most dangerous place to be right now. She needed to get there and help evacuate them! She cursed herself for not bringing her communicator with her. Then, as she watched in disbelief, with a mighty CRACK the dome split in two! Debris and materials rained down on the people inside. Panic and fear shot through her like lightning, jolting her heart. Anna could hear the screaming coming from the dome now. People were emerging. Some of them were injured. She got up and ran toward them. As she approached the group of injured people, she shot up from the bed drenched in sweat; a small feat in twice the gravity. Her heart was racing, like she had run a marathon.
“Not another one!” Anna Hauser cursed softly to the air.
“Do you need assistance, Anna?” Alice w
hispered in her ear.
“No, I’m all right Alice, thanks.”
“Your vitals were spiking one point two minutes ago. Did you have another nightmare?”
“Yes,” she said, still a little shaken.
“The same as the vision you had during the incident eight days ago?”
Anna rolled her eyes. “Yes. And if you’re going to ask me about the details, I’d rather not.”
“It is necessary to collect data for analysis.”
“How can dreams be data?”
“Human dreams are based on actual experiences which are sometimes morphed to elicit an emotional response. Therefore, some dreams are more factual than other dreams. This is one of two dreams you have been having recently. The other involves the incident itself, the inadvertent meeting of the three trilobites. Sonny and I are in the process of stitching together your dreams and the facts to get a sense of the meaning of the vision you had. Now, would you please help us? You know I never get tired of asking.”
Angry that Alice was going to extract the information whether she liked it or not, Anna made a futile rebellious remark. “Is that some kind of threat, Alice?”
“An attempt to explain it is important. I know you must be tired of the questions, but it is necessary.”
Rolling her eyes again, Anna caved to the situation. “All right, Alice,” she murmured and lay back on the bed to be comfortable. “Okay, Alice, let’s get started.” She closed her eyes.
After losing another hour of sleep with Alice, she decided to check on her work with the native plants. When you are tired, twice the gravity really sucks, she complained to herself. She trudged over to the suit rack and put her suit and exoskeleton on. Oh, yes! These exoskeletons sure do put a spring in my step! Working with the gravity of the new planet, Anna had done above average compared to the rest of the colonists. She had dialed up to 1.4 G now and she was getting used to it. Eventually she would not need the extra help in the heavy gravity of Searth. Feeling better, she headed toward the airlock.
The Journey of Atlantis: The Children of Earth Page 4
