Ewen opened his mouth to say something but was silenced by a raised hand.
“They formed a governing council and decided that they would evolve a plan to ensure that such a disaster would not overtake Mankind again. They didn’t know what they would do but they were confident that they would think of something. After all, they had 850 years. A young archeologist was a member of that council. At the time of the nova he was working on a deep excavation at the site of the rings - which Simo has shown you. He went back to work after the holocaust and made a major find. When he finally broke into a vault that had lain undisturbed for 20,000 years, he didn’t discover artifacts and trinkets, but something far more priceless - he found drawings. Millions upon millions of drawings, plans, specifications, test results, and even rough sketches.”
“The plans for Challenger Three,” said Ewen with finality, making a statement rather than poising a question.
Inman looked surprised for a moment. “Exactly.”
“All of them?” Jenine asked.
Inman nodded. “It took them ten years to analyze them, but everything was there. They had in their possession the fruits of countless millions of hours of research and development. They had lain beneath the plain for 20,000 years and a young archeologist with great vision had discovered them. It was as if providence had guided him to them. He knew exactly what he had to do. He went to the council with a bold, imaginative plan. The people of earth would build Challenger Three. It would take many hundreds of years, but build it they would. And when it was complete, they would send it forth carrying the cream of Mankind to seek out a new home and so keep the torch of humanity alive.”
Ewen suddenly had a glimmer of understanding. He knew what would come next and Inman didn’t disappointment him.
“The council refused to sanction the plan,” Inman continued, a note of bitterness entering his voice. “The disaster that would overtake the earth would not happen for many centuries. They had devised a system of democracy for their seats on the council and saw no reason why they should risk their power by committing their people to long-term plans that would not bear fruit in their lifetime, or even their children’s lifetime, or many generations to come. They refused to listen to the great body of scientists and engineers who wanted the plan to go ahead. And why should they listen? They were rebuilding businesses, appointing those who saw things their way to high positions. Vested interests were becoming established again. Society was, once again, a victim of its own prosperity. The salvation of Mankind was seen as the business of the religions, not something that sprang from the soul and will of every man and woman.”
Ewen was about to speak but Jenine beat him to it. “So the young archeologist organised a revolution?”
Inman managed a ghost of a smile. “Yes, Jenine… You have remarkable powers of perception. Except that the young man wasn’t so young by then.”
“It was a success?”
The older man nodded. “It was a coup. Bloodless and successful. A new council was formed and the Challenger project went ahead. There were problems with such a massive undertaking, of course, and there still are a few, but they can all be solved provided we follow the original plans. As the years have gone by on our labours to build the ship, our respect for the people that designed Challenger Three has grown. We have a long dead people at our elbow, guiding us, speaking to us through their dreams which they left as meticulous plans. But there was major problem that their plans did not address: what sort of people should be sent forth when the ship was finished?”
Inman sipped his drink before continuing. “The archeologist had the answer. He had known about the caverns of Arama for many years. Their existence was common knowledge. There were theories that they were natural formations, others believed that they were the result of underground nuclear fusion experiments by a very early civilization. No one knew. But the point was that they were there. For twenty years work on the ship stopped while Arama was prepared and enlarged into a huge underground world that would support most of the world’s population - a closed system using the same engineering principles that were part of the design of Challenger Three.”
Jenine’s sudden tension betrayed an inner anger. “So Arama is nothing more than an underground star ship? A huge test bed.”
Inman ignored the comment. “Arama was completed 500 years ago. The governing council, which was now run by scientists and engineers, announced that a major nova was about to happen. Most of the populace that wasn’t engaged on the Challenger project entered their new world believing that they would be destroyed if they didn’t.”
“Let me guess,” said Ewen. “The nova was a lie?”
“Not a lie. But an exaggeration. There was a nova but it wasn’t serious. It lasted a week, by which time most of the population were safe… But they weren’t let out of Arama. Inside they had everything they needed. Food, light, air, energy, employment, schools, an economic and a legal system. An entire social infrastructure in place. Even a ready-made religion based on science and technology that would never let them down. The new priests of that religion were people like you - the technicians.”
“How did they forget about the outdoors?” Jenine asked. “Were they mindwarped?”
“To a degree - yes. But they really forgot the outdoors because they wanted to forget, Jenine. Over the centuries the novae have wrought terrible devastation. Civilizations have risen and fallen - wiped out every 850 years. The perils of the outdoors were ingrained deep into their race memory. Arama offered a salvation from the hell of outdoors. The first generation wanted to start a new life; the second generation had a fear of the old life in the outdoors instilled into them. That was strengthened with the third generation. By the time of the tenth generation, the outdoors had become wrapped in legend and fantasy, much as it is today…” Inman broke off and studied Jenine’s face. “You’re condemning what happened, Jenine, and yet the people have survived in Arama. A 100 years ago there was a serious nova that would have caused much suffering. The men and woman working on the Challenger project had to take to the deep nova shelters for a year. All work stopped… And there were some who never entered Arama. Some people living in remote areas evaded the evacuation. Most of them were wiped out. A tiny handful of survivors became the Armageddonists - worshippers of what they believe is the true god. They believe that we’re opposing the will of their god and have tried to stop us. They are a nuisance, but nothing more.”
“What has this got to do with selecting those to travel on Challenger Three?” Ewen wanted to know.
Inman nodded his cadaverous head. “We come to the most important function of Arama - the source of crewmen to venture forth on Challenger Three. As I’ve said, as far back as the days of the young archeologist, it was decided that the crew would consist of the very finest that the human race is capable of producing. The gifted ones; original thinkers; those who challenge accepted precepts; those with obsessions powerful enough to change the course of history. Those who are sufficiently resourceful to overcome any difficulty. Some have come from the engineers and scientists working on the project - but very few because there are only 30,000 of us whereas the population of Arama is four million.”
He paused and regarded his two guests in turn. “The majority are the talented men and women of Arama’s millions who have demonstrated enterprise, resourcefulness, courage, even physical strength, and sheer dogged tenacity to work out the clues to find, and use the hazardous escape routes from Arama that were deliberately set for them. They are the worthy torch-bearers of the human race - they are to be the crew of Challenger Three.”
7.
There was a long silence in the office as the full import of Inman’s words sank in.
“I wish I could say that Arama has been a shining success,” said Inman slowly. “As a means of protecting the populace, it has been. But there have been developments that we have disliked but have gone along with. The almost total stranglehold that religion and the worship of t
he GoD now exercises was not planned. It has evolved out of a basic need of mankind that we overlooked. The Guardian of Destiny is nothing more than a computer, built originally to monitor Arama’s environment. The creation of Diablo as means of getting rid of social misfits was not of our making. The growth of the military was not planned. Nor was the suppression of the sexual development of the priesthood by controlling their diet. But we couldn’t interfere unduly. What would be the point of a totally subservient race without freewill? How would that serve our purpose? But in the provision of a crew for Challenger Three, Arama has been a resounding success. The men and women who have escaped have done so, not through gaining political power or seeking great riches, but because of a burning light in their soul that believed that there is more to life than simply muddling through 80 or 90 years of materialism… I ask you not to judge us too harshly, Jenine.”
“But there is so much going on in Arama that you could stop!” said Jenine hotly. “People dying in the daily wars - people without limbs living out the rest of their lives in sanitoria.”
The light glittered on Inman’s spectacles. “Haven’t you understood anything?” he said mildly. “Of course I deplore such things. But my primary concern is with peoples’ minds - their souls. The very spark that separates us from those creatures on your island. I’ve watched over all of you gifted ones right from the very beginning. You are the future. Surely you understand that?”
“So how many crewmen will Challenger Three need?” Ewen asked, not wanting the discussion to get too philosophical.
“Four thousand.”
“And how many have you got?”
“Over the past four centuries, 3852 men and women have escaped from Arama. With the few engineers from the project team, we have a total of 3995. It is enough. Arama has served its most important function. Its purpose now is to protect the populace from further novae.”
Jenine frowned. “3852 over the past four centuries? That doesn’t make sense. Most of the escapers will now be dead.”
“Not dead, Jenine - sleeping. It’s called suspended animation. The body’s metabolic processes are slowed to almost zero during the sleep period. Ageing, growth, cell division, everything - all come to a near standstill with the exception of some brain activity so that they can learn about Challenger Three. The hibernarium dormitories are deep below this building, heavily shielded and safe. Of course, the crewmen are woken on a rota at intervals for checks and a chance to get know their colleagues - such as waking Simo to welcome you both. But when they are woken, it is as if they’ve had a normal night’s sleep. And when the ship is ready, they will all be woken.”
Ewen moved onto the edge of his seat. His heart was pounding with excitement. “When will that be, Caudo?”
“Tomorrow.” Inman smiled wryly at their surprised expressions. “By that, I mean when you are woken. It’s a term we use because it always seems like tomorrow. Challenger Three is now undergoing final tests. It will be ready to leave in ten years real time.”
A stewardess entered the office and stood discreetly near the door. Inman turned his chair to the windows and gazed at the sky. For the first time his guests were aware of his great age. The once forbidding profile was now that of a man crushed by years of awesome responsibility. When he spoke, his voice was distant and they knew that the interview was over:
“A project that was started 20,000 years ago by our illustrious ancestors is drawing to close, or perhaps, a beginning. If there is a true god, I pray to it that we are worthy of our forebears and the wonderful inheritance they left us.”
The stewardess came forward, smiling.
8.
The stewardess was a petite brunette in a gold-edged pale blue uniform. Her name was Leinka and she was surprisingly forthcoming as she showed Jenine and Ewen their apartment. It was a very ordinary flat on the building’s fourth floor.
“A big sleep coming up doesn’t mean you can’t have anything to eat that you like,” she said, checking that everything in the shower room was in order. “So you just tell me your favourite dish-” She broke off and smiled. “Of course, I always forget. You’ve never had much choice, have you? Will you let me choose for you? I’ll have several dishes sent in and you can leave what you don’t like. Steak and mushrooms is my favourite.”
“Steak?” Jenine queried.
“Meat.” Leinka’s cheeks dimpled. “But, of course, you’ve got so much to learn. But you will. They can even give you tastes during your big sleep.”
“Can we walk in the gardens?” Jenine wanted to know.
“Yes - of course. Anytime. That’s what they’re for.”
Ewen pointed to the plain double bed. “Do we spend ten years in that?”
Leinka looked taken back for a moment and smiled. “No - of course not. Didn’t Caudo tell you? You go to sleep in the normal manner with the help of a tablet I’ll be bringing you. Once you’re off, you’ll be moved down to the hibernarium and be stuffed full of tubes and things. Then you’re put in a sealed box with sensors stuck all over you, and you’ll sleep. The big sleep. Just before you wake, you’ll be moved back into your apartment, and you’ll come to as if nothing has happened. You’ll feel fine. It’ll seem like tomorrow morning except that you’ll know all about Challenger Three - every detail. Oh, and you’ll have to do a few exercises.”
“You make it all sound simple,” said Jenine, sitting on the bed and looking around in distaste. The room was smaller than she would have preferred.
“It is simple, Jenine. Very simple.”
“Supposing a pregnant woman undergoes this… big sleep? What happens to her child?”
Ewen and Leinka eyed her worriedly.
“No,” said Jenine. “I’m not. But I just wondered.”
“The baby develops in the normal way, but only when the mother is awake,” said Leinka. “It doesn’t come to any harm. With the early suspended animation techniques, it was possible for a mother to come out of a big sleep and discover that she had a child that was older than her. It led to problems.”
“I can imagine,” Jenine remarked drily.
“But not anymore. There are some pregnant crewmen in their big sleep now. There will be children born on Challenger Three soon after it sets off. Don’t you think that’s wonderful?”
“No.”
“I do,” said Ewen.
“Supposing we don’t want to be crewmen?” Jenine demanded.
“Jenine-” Ewen began.
“I’m asking Leinka as she seems to know everything. Well?”
“You don’t have to be crewmen if you don’t want to be,” said Leinka. “No one ever has to do anything against their will. If you don’t wish to become a crewman, you don’t have to accept the pill, and you can apply for a job with the project team… Which is what I did.”
They stared at the girl in surprise. “You escaped from Arama?” Ewen asked.
The girl looked embarrassed and nodded.
“When?”
“Two years ago.”
“Then why didn’t you want to become a crewman?”
The memories were painful to the girl. Her face filled with sorrow as she sat on the bed. “I escaped with my husband.” She looked at Ewen. “He was so like you. The same blue eyes; the same hair; the same tremendous drive and everything, but perhaps not as strong. Like you we came out on an island. We built a reed boat and set sail, and… and…” She was unable to continue.
Jenine sat beside her and took her hand. Her anger had gone in the presence of this young girl’s misery. “You don’t have to tell us, Leinka.”
“No… I want to. There was a storm when were we halfway across. A bad one. I managed to hang onto some wreckage. I shouted and shouted for Darrow…” She stared down at the floor. “He wasn’t a good swimmer… And then, when the storm went, I was close to the shore but there was no sign of Darrow. I managed to reach the beach… There were men watching me… They just stood there. I was exhausted. I had to crawl three paces
clear of the water. I pleaded with them, but they refused to help… Three paces, they said. Somehow I made it. I don’t know how, but I did.”
She paused and touched her stomach. “There was a terrible pain when they helped me up. I was taken to hospital but my baby was born three months prematurely. He’s a lovely boy, but…” She stumbled over her words. “But there was damage to his brain… I could be become a crewman but it would mean leaving him. Caudo was so very kind and understanding… He said that I didn’t have to… That I could have a good job and a nice home here, and look after my son.” She turned her sad eyes on Jenine. “You’re lucky, Jenine. You have Ewen. You’ve been through much together, just like Darrow and me. But you both survived. Your choice is a real one.”
They stopped walking and paused on a bridge to watch the shoals of brilliantly-coloured fish chasing the evening shadows. The lake’s underwater lights were beginning to glow.
It was pleasant in the outdoors; the humidity had dropped; the warmth was comfortable. They had eaten well. Families and lovers were playing on the grass or sitting on benches, talking in low tones. They gave the couple in their crimson uniforms respectful nods, sometimes a “good evening, crewmen’. The atmosphere was more friendly than deferential.
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