by Kurt Winans
Ross had driven home his point quite concisely, and the young man gulped in shame for casting a negative impression. He replied, “Sir. It appears that I owe you and the Mayans an apology. I simply haven’t given your passion for this new found information, or their civilization, the credit they were due.”
“I thank you for that sentiment sir, and I apologize as well if I was too vehement in my response to your query.”
“No problem from my end sir. I fully understand that I was in need of a reality check.”
With a nod of understanding, Ross calmed himself and continued by adding, “We can only assume that they are correct about the regular occurrence, and duration of the eclipse. As stated, their civilization has obviously been living on this moon significantly longer than we have. I don’t believe they would have built a massive sundial in the center of their city unless it served them a purpose. As to the 2012 prediction of their calendar back on Earth, that specific date of 12-21-12 was determined based on how our modern scientists interpreted the writings of the Mayan civilization. I intend no disrespect to the members of the scientific community who translated that information, but it is possible that they were the ones who were incorrect. We must all admit that modern human arrogance can sometimes get in the way of truthful knowledge.”
A different voice from the crowd could then be heard asking, “What do you mean by that remark?”
“Only that we have a tendency to assume that all of our computations are correct without question. Please remember, that is the type of thinking that created problems for NASA with regard to the Challenger disaster. Everyone assumed that the work done by themselves, or by the person next to them, was beyond reproach, but that collective arrogance helped to cause a catastrophic tragedy. In the case of the Mayan calendar, our people may have simply calculated the message or the math incorrectly. We don’t know if any people or other life on Earth survived the impacts created by the collision of the asteroid into the Moon, but it may have been the end of days as the Mayan calendar predicted. Just think about it. In the really big picture of space and time, the difference between 2012 and 2022 is the blink of an eye. It could be as simple as someone forgetting to carry the one during their computations.”
Most within the assembled crowd acknowledged that Ross was correct in his assessment of the modern human flaw of arrogance, and they could self-reflect on that subject when each felt the desire to do so. As for the current moment, thoughts of how to prepare for the coming eclipse became the number one priority for the colony.
Feeling as if he might have gone a little too far with his attempt to inform those around him, Ross took a deep breath before concluding his remarks. He said, “All of you share the most difficult task of informing the remainder of the colony about the contents of my current message. Many of them will be scared at the thought of four days of complete darkness, and the rationing of their firewood will not help the situation. It is extremely important that all of you set a positive example for them. As always, I will be available to help with whatever you may need so that the colony can make it through this new challenge. Everything that we learn from this eclipse cycle will help us to be better prepared for the next one. I thank you for your time and attentiveness, now let’s all get to work.”
After Ross climbed down to the plateau, Jessica was the first to greet him. She asked quite candidly, “How are we going to ration the firewood?”
“I haven’t worked that out yet, and am completely open to any suggestions that you, or anyone else, might have.”
Janet chimed in and said, “Ross, this is unrelated to the firewood situation, but I have some information for you that you may find disturbing.”
“This seems like the perfect time for it, so tell me what’s on your mind mom.”
“It’s a medical concern more than anything else.”
“Is someone injured or sick beyond the doctors’ ability to treat them?”
“No, we know how to treat this particular epidemic.”
“Did you say epidemic? That sounds rather serious.”
“Poor choice of words on my part, but there has been over two dozen confirmed cases so far.”
“Get on with it mom, cases of what?”
“Our medical staff has recently confirmed that twenty-seven women within the colony are pregnant.”
“Twenty-seven, how did that happen?”
“The usual way I suppose, wouldn’t you?”
“Yes, of course, but the opportunity of privacy for such an activity has not exactly been easy to come by.”
“That’s true, but where there’s a will, there’s a way, if you get my meaning. Besides, most are far enough along that conception took place sometime during the six week voyage on the transport vessels. There are even a handful of the ladies that must have been pregnant before we left Earth.”
“Although I’m very happy for the expectant parents, the peaceful future of the colony depends partly on our minimal population growth.”
Aurora broke into the conversation by pointing out, “There is a good chance that many more will become pregnant in the near future.”
“Ross spun around to ask, “What makes you think so?”
“Come on dad, be realistic. What else are some of the people going to do with four days of complete darkness?”
When the final hint of twilight faded from view, the noises from the surrounding terrain suddenly stopped. From nature’s perspective, the previous few hours had been quite chaotic. Loud howling, and other less familiar audible sounds, could be easily heard from the nearby animal life. The surface of the massive lake appeared to be boiling as it teemed with activity. Thousands of fish, and other strange aquatic species of life that had not previously been witnessed, had been jumping high into the air. Now, as the eclipse cycle officially began, all was eerily still and absent of any sound.
Preparations over the previous few days had gone as well as could be expected, but it was still unknown how the colony would handle four days of complete darkness. Among other concessions, firewood had been rationed. Consequently, the majority of the individual campfires were noticeably smaller than during previous weeks. If not within fifteen feet of one, it was difficult for Ross to see well enough to walk. After speaking with a huddled family or small group, Ross would seek out another dimly lit fire and proceed in the hope of not stumbling over something along the way. In that regard it became somewhat like connecting the dots as he made his way along a portion of the plateau. Before long a helpless feeling swept over him at the thought of rendering minimal assistance, so he returned to the family camp for some much needed sleep.
In what, under normal conditions, would have been yet another typically bright morning, Ross awoke to discover that the surrounding area was darker than during the previous night. At that moment, the true magnitude of what the astronomers had been warning him about became crystal clear. The eclipse was even more complete and awe inspiring than what he had ever expected or imagined.
Cautiously, Ross stood in a futile attempt to survey his surroundings. Nothing could be seen other than a few stubborn embers casting a minimal glow from the dying remains of the family campfire. Fearing that he could trip over a sleeping body if he moved toward the lone source of light, he softly asked the surrounding darkness, “Is anyone else awake?”
The male voice of Colt replied, “I am sir.”
“Good morning Colt. It sounds as if you are somewhere to my left, but I can’t see you.”
Jessica then responded, “We don’t know where either of you are, but Aurora and I are sitting about ten feet away from what’s left of the fire.”
Attempted stealthy footsteps could then be heard from Colt’s general direction, and several seconds later Janet said, “Could somebody please try to get the fire going again? With the added light, we could all safely make our way toward it.”
Jessica offered assistance by saying, “We can probably crawl over there in a few seconds. I don’t think
there is anything between our current position and the fire.”
While waiting patiently for the rebirth of the fire, Ross pondered the origin of the footsteps they had all just heard. To him it seemed rather obvious that Janet had been the culprit. She had attempted to fool everyone in the group by moving away from Colt before she spoke, but Ross felt fairly confident that her actions had been in vain. When a dim light was cast upon them all by the ever increasing intensity of the campfire, Ross could see that Aurora was the one who had revived it. He caught the attention of Jessica, and then nodded in the general direction of their mother. Jessica returned the nod, and both of them set a course toward Janet’s position. The time had come to have a little chat with her.
Jessica began by saying, “Good morning mom, did you sleep well?”
Ross found it to be rather puzzling, but the normally confident and intelligent woman was having a difficult time responding to the question. Finally he said, “It’s alright mom, we know you are interested in Colt.”
With a degree of shock upon her face, Janet stammered out a simple response of, “You do?”
“Yes mom. Apparently I was the last of our immediate group to realize it, but that was my shortcoming.”
“I have no idea what you are talking about!”
“Don’t be silly, there’s no need for you to hide your feelings from us or anybody else. If you and Colt enjoy each other’s company, then by all means spend time with him.”
“I see. Well, just for the sake of conversation, are the two of you giving me permission to see more of Colt?”
“We have no right to grant or deny you permission to do anything along those lines. The choice is up to the two of you if you desire to see more of each other.”
“Well, that is a very open minded approach.”
Jessica jumped in, “It’s not just our approach mom, but thank you just the same. You see, one of the many aspects of American culture that was improved upon since your memory of 1957 was more of an equality between men and women. In our generation, and the ones that have followed, women have attained more of a voice pertaining to their individual rights or actions. That includes their role in a relationship, as women no longer have to play the role of the subservient unless they desire to do so. Not all cultures of Earth have moved forward in such a manner, but that is irrelevant in this particular case.”
“You make it sound as if it’s the woman’s responsibility to make the first move.”
“Not exactly mom. I’m saying that Colt is a gentleman, and he seems like the kind of man who would respect your wishes. In the time on Earth that Colt was raised, it was not considered taboo for a woman to make the first move.”
“I’m not sure I can do that.”
Ross was then quick to point out, “It seems to me as if you already have mom.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I’m saying that you didn’t need to skulk through the darkness a few minutes ago in order to make us believe you had slept in a different location last night.”
With a sigh of relief, Janet confessed, “I feel like such a fool. I have been trying to hide my feelings as if I was still an adolescent school girl. It is true that I slept by Colt’s side last night, but I can assure you that we did not have relations.”
“We never said you did mom, and Jessica’s point is that in the modern time you have more of a choice as to when, and if, that might happen.”
With a nod of acknowledgement, Janet moved toward the group that had gathered around the small campfire. Ross and Jessica stayed behind for a private conversation, centered mainly on what might happen within the colony over the next several days. Although it was true that some people of Earth living in the extreme northern or southern latitudes had learned how to adjust to prolonged periods of darkness and cold, Ross and Jessica were not among them. Having a number of those individuals within the population could have been beneficial in providing comfort and guidance, but it was unknown if any such people were members of the colony.
Pointing toward the sky above, Ross asked, “Have you had a chance to look at that yet?”
Jessica gazed overhead for a long moment, and then replied, “That is truly amazing, and I never imagined that our host planet could block out almost the entire sky.”
“I would like to speak with the group of astronomers if I can locate them in the darkness. Would you like to join me on a little adventure?”
“Yes, of course, but can’t it wait? I thought the plan was to minimize movement and activity by staying close to our campsite for the duration of the eclipse.”
“It was, but now I have some immediate concerns as to the magnitude of this eclipse.”
Returning to the fire, Ross voiced his intent to locate the astronomers with Jessica. Although Colt volunteered to go with them, Ross requested that he stay and help protect those in the immediate area. Colt agreed to do so, but insisted on providing both Ross and Jessica with some sort of defense for their journey. A short time later, he had made each of them a rudimentary torch from two of the longer and stouter pieces of firewood. Using torn bits of tattered clothing, and some of the previously collected tree sap, he had tightly wrapped something around the branches that would burn slowly and provide a light source. If the need arose as they made their way across the plateau toward the peninsula, each branch could also be used to help keep unruly people at bay.
In what took several hours to accomplish, the two torch bearing travelers eventually located the astronomers. Although several other campsites along the way had rekindled their small fires, the group of stargazing scientists had not. They wanted to view and study the eclipse with as little disruptive surrounding light as possible.
Once he had managed to convince the group to gather around, Ross looked upon their torch lit faces. He began with, “Good day to you gentlemen, are you enjoying the most recent phenomenon?”
The outspoken Australian from previous meetings was once again the first to weigh in, “Very much sir, isn’t that a most magnificent sight?”
“I’m not sure I would describe it that way, but it is quite humbling.”
“That’s true sir, but awe inspiring just the same.”
“Agreed, and I must admit that you were all correct when you informed me that an eclipse caused by our host planet would be this consuming.”
“We have been tracking the path of the huge black void. You may not have noticed yet sir, but a few stars have become visible over the far end of the lake.”
“No I hadn’t noticed, but I didn’t realize that it was that close to normal nightfall yet.”
“It isn’t sir. In fact, it’s only about high noon. The stars have become visible much sooner due to the eclipse blocking out all the light from the sun.”
“That’s interesting, but why is that important?”
The American astronomer intervened, “Sir, by tracking the path of the black void, anyone within the colony will be able to know exactly when the sun will return by simply counting how many times they see it. Throughout the entirety of the eclipse, the best way for most people to know when it should be daylight will be when there is an absence of stars. As you are well aware, literally millions of stars become visible when our position on the moon rotates away from the sun into what would normally be nighttime hours. In contrast, the host planet now temporarily blocks out most of the sky when our position rotates toward the sun.”
“I agree that most everyone will be able to follow that simple logic, but I have a larger concern than the darkness.”
“What’s that sir?”
“What is going to happen to the surface temperature of this moon with no radiant light from the sun to warm it?”
“I think you already know the answer to that question sir, or you would have picked an easier time to visit with us.”
“So how far do you think the temperature will drop?”
Another astronomer chimed in, “That’s impossible for us to know at the present tim
e sir, but we are confident that the temperature will continue to drop with each passing day.”
“That’s what I was afraid of. Can you please measure and chart the daily drop? The data could be most helpful as we prepare for future eclipses.”
Shouts of joy could be heard from the far reaches of the colony, as the first trace of daylight cast by the post-eclipse dawn intensified. There were also multiple cries of mourning. It would be unknown for perhaps several hours how many more pilgrims had died from exposure during the eclipse, but a plan to count them was already in place. Per Ross’ request, Gabriela had translated his intent to the group of strong young Peruvian runners many hours before. Their task, as it had been during previous head counts, was to move throughout the population as quickly as possible at first light. Then, via the translators if necessary, they would report the count of those who had died at each campsite to others maintaining tally sheets at various points throughout the colony. That count would be added to the four hundred and forty-two who had already been lost to various challenges during previous weeks. The system wasn’t perfect, with the potential human error of double counting as a factor, but Ross felt confident that an accurate count could be obtained with cooperation and focus.
Meanwhile, events that had been witnessed during the final hours of the pre-eclipse dusk were repeating themselves. Strange wild animal noises could be heard, and the surface of the massive lake once again boiled with activity. That included multiple sightings of a life form that was thought to be myth, but Ross had learned that anything was possible on this moon. A buzz of curious fascination, mixed with pure disbelief, could be heard throughout the colony. Many had claimed to have seen more than one of the mythical creatures during the time just prior to and after the eclipse, but the vast majority of the population held fast to their feelings of denial.
