The Elementals: An Elemental Origins Novel

by A. L. Knorr

  "Ancient cultures ascribed to the idea of a flat-earth, before Aristotle provided empirical evidence for the spherical shape we're familiar with today. What we're left with from this old belief system is some beautiful imagery of how artists of the age thought the Earth might have looked. Consider this one made relatively recently, in 1893, by a fellow named Orland Ferguson."

  The painting changed into another. This one was not familiar to me. It was more map than art. Rendered in black and white, it portrayed a large square slab of land with a circular indentation, like a giant had pressed the bottom of a bowl into the ground. The indentation cradled all of the oceans and the continents. Four angels hovered at each corner, keeping watch over the world.

  "What's the white stripe around the outside?" I asked. A ring of white surrounded the indentation's outer edge. The white ring was smooth around the outside but jagged and crooked around the inside where it met the waters of the world.

  "Ah. Glad you asked." Hiroki grinned and I gathered that he was enjoying this foray into the ridiculous. "That is the ice-wall which the artist proposed kept our oceans and seas from leaking out and falling off the edge."

  "Oh."

  "To be fair, I don't know if the artist was commissioned by a scientist or if he made this piece to satisfy his own desire to illustrate a world lived on-the-flat." Hiroki chuckled. "As ridiculous as it might seem given what we know now, the Flat-earth Society still exists today and contrary to popular belief, it’s not full of loons and crackpots, but includes some startlingly brilliant scientific minds."

  "If they're so scientific," Targa said, "how can they possibly believe in a flat world? I mean…it's preposterous. What's holding the whole thing up? A giant turtle? What makes the seasons if the world isn't round and spinning around a huge central star?"

  "All good questions," Hiroki replied, nodding. "Flat-earth speculation is not the subject of our presentation today but I suggest that should you ever find yourself in a room with one of those who still believe in it, simply ask them. You may be astonished to find—in spite of your fervent investment in our global system and infinite universe—yourself being swayed. I myself—a resolute globalist like the majority of scientists—upon spending some time reading their materials, found myself both reluctantly fascinated and impressed with how they explain the science of this type"—he waved toward the map—"of system. To quote a book I recently read: 'Even the smartest people tend to seek out evidence that confirms what they already think, rather than new information that would give them a more robust view of reality.' I like to consider myself an open-minded person, so I indulged them and left my cynicism and ridicule at the door.

  “This is a difficult thing to do, but the attitude of child-like wonder is what gives birth to discovery. What I came away with," he said, his eyes gleaming, "was an idea so brilliant that it captured the imagination, not to mention the pocketbook, of one of the world's richest and most powerful men." He looked at his watch and added, "A man who is never on time."

  The hologram shifted again, this time to an animated and much more realistic looking flat-earth system, complete with a small rotating sun and moon, chasing each other in eternal orbit over the disc of the world.

  "Modern flat-earth science gave me this," Hiroki explained. "An animation that helped me understand better how they proposed this wildly unbelievable system might work."

  The hologram zoomed in to show its mechanics more clearly. I sat forward in my seat, fascinated.

  "In this structure,” Hiroki said, “the sun is much smaller than our actual sun and the moon even tinier yet. The two rotate over the land, disappearing from view due to perspective rather than curvature. In this way, they still provide night and day, just as we experience it in our universe. The orbits they follow swell in and out, providing us with seasons.”

  The animation showed the orbits moving just as Hiroki said.

  He continued, “The sun, being much closer to us in this system, works more like a giant spotlight. It lights the land below and just beyond, providing the heat and energy which plants need. The moon follows along, reflecting the sun's light and providing the lesser light that rules the night." Hiroki passed behind the hologram and appeared on the other side. "In order to become useful to us, and I might say, truly revolutionary, something is missing in this scenario."

  Akiko said something inaudible. She was furthest from me so I leaned forward and was about to ask her to repeat herself when Hiroki spoke again with genuine surprise on his face.

  "That's right, clever girl. That is what's missing."

  "What did she say?" I whispered to Georjie.

  "A dome."

  As Georjie answered my question, a transparent dome appeared overtop of the earth. A galaxy full of stars, which looked embedded in the walls of the dome, rotated along with the planets, sun, and moon.

  "Or," said Hiroki with an eye on Petra, "a force-field, if you will. Ancient texts referred to it as a firmament."

  I bent forward to catch a glimpse of Petra. She looked a bit stunned. Her lips parted and I strained to hear her whisper. She coughed to clear her throat and repeated herself, but all she'd said was, "A force-field?"

  Hiroki nodded, his look both somber and triumphant. "With such a dome in place," he went on, "the land beneath would be protected from ominous forces such as extreme weather, dangerous radiation and solar flares, and even powerful impacts such as those from missiles and meteors. Such a territory would be safe in a way no land ever has been to our present knowledge, even to the destruction of our planet, in theory. I'll show you how we think it might be possible."

  The hologram began to shrink and spin and morph into something that looked more like a snow-globe with the flat-earth universe going straight across the interior. The dome was now a full sphere. Beside the sphere, planet Earth appeared, rotating slowly, and the green, red and yellow patches reappeared. The sphere containing the flat-earth model shrank while the planet grew larger, part of it disappearing out of the hologram altogether as we zoomed in on Africa.

  There was a sound effect, a heavy boom from the speaker system as the sphere was planted in the middle of a yellow patch on the globe, in the Sahara Desert. The sphere was half buried in the Earth's crust, leaving the flat-earth inside on the same level as the terrain of the planet. Now the visual clearly showed the force-field as a dome which we understood was actually the visible half of the sphere. Apparent through the clear field and protected under the dome, was a place of verdant green life, bodies of water, roaming animals, and small cities complete with the tiny figures of people, all apparently living in harmony. Outside the dome, the sands of the desert and the hot sun raged and baked without mercy.

  A solar flare burst came from off-screen, lighting one side. A meteor hurtled out of space and struck Earth with a terrific explosion of fire, smoke, and a spray of rocks. When the mess cleared, the sphere with the flat-earth system inside it was intact.

  "Obviously, this is a grim picture, and not what we anticipate will happen to Earth. We animated it just to give you the idea of how stable we think this system could be. Ladies," Hiroki said, resting his hands on the edge of the console and looking at each of us in turn, "Elementals. TNC has secured some of this uninhabitable land with the intention of transforming it into safe and habitable territory. We have been doing the math on this project for years, and while we might manage to at least partially realize our vision with technology and pure grit, it will happen much, much faster with your help."

  One could have heard a pin drop.

  "You want…" I began, and then halted, not sure I should voice it for fear I'd misunderstood and would sound completely ridiculous. "You want us to help you make…a dome?"

  Hiroki nodded. "A prototype first, naturally, to study and test. Then a full-scale model once we've worked out any kinks. After that…" He shrugged. "Multiples."

  "Is this for real?" Georjie's voice was pregnant with doubt.

  "I assure you it is." Miss
Marks shifted against the outer console, the first movement she'd made since Hiroki's presentation had begun in earnest. "It is a project you can be proud of. Not only would you be compensated beyond your wildest dreams, you would be helping to make life on this planet better through giving people hope and offering them a place of safety."

  Akiko spoke up. "You don't think it makes more sense to try and reverse the environmental issues we're facing, instead of creating something to hide under?"

  Hiroki said, "We like to approach problems from two sides. TNC has departments whose sole focus and purpose is to alleviate some of the problems I mentioned earlier, most specifically to do with the environment. Cleaning up our oceans, working on the acid and alkaline balance, and studying why weather is becoming more volatile with every passing year are some of the aims of those departments. Believe me, we are working on reversing the current trajectory. But that is not the aim of this particular department. We are tackling world issues from a different angle. Suppose we are not successful in reversing the colossal wheels of destruction already in motion? Suppose we are struck by a meteor? Suppose the poles do reverse? Suppose a solar flare large enough to bake half the planet does occur? Suppose all life in our oceans dies, coral reefs gone, fish gone, seventy percent of our oxygen supply, gone.”

  I raised an eyebrow, waiting to see where he was going with this.

  "Ladies, those are the incidences we are executing this project for. The project's aim is to preserve life, should the planet face destruction. Imagine, even in the event of a meteor strike which sends us spinning out of orbit and away from our sun! With your help, life can go on. Life could even begin on other planets! This possibility is not overreaching."

  His answer impressed me. I eyeballed the little rotating sun in the animation.

  “I have a question,” I put up a finger.

  “Please,” Hiroki gestured to continue.

  “Why do you need a miniature sun and moon if the dome is transparent and will get sunshine anyway?”

  “We don’t, presently,” answered Hiroki, “but we want to test our ability to provide them as an optional extra for the event of, say, a nuclear winter or meteor strike. The impact wouldn’t even have to push the Earth out of orbit for the miniature sun to be helpful, because the dust alone would block out our sun—as happened during the dinosaur extinction—leaving those inside the dome with a need for a new light source.”

  “Oh.” Seemed Hiroki had an answer for everything.

  “Good question, though. Keep them coming.” Hiroki winked at me.

  Miss Marks crossed behind the hologram and stood on the other side, looking from face to face. She clasped her hands behind her back. "What you would be involved in with Project Expansion, we believe, is not unique in the world of space exploration and aeronautic research."

  This statement was contradictory to what Hiroki had implied. I glanced at him but he didn't defend his earlier position.

  "But no one has as yet thought to apply it to our own planet," Miss Marks said. "It is only a matter of time before our competitors come to a similar conclusion and begin work on it, if they haven't already." She stopped walking and turned to face us.

  I stared back at her, conscious of my friends next to me who were also intrigued.

  Miss Marks continued, "But our competitors don't have you. If you agree to work with us, you'll be protected and nurtured by a team of scientists who are already working with supernaturals. Your families will also be protected and provided for." Her expression grew sober. "Walk away, and we cannot protect you. You are very valuable and if we know you exist, believe me, others know you exist too. You are lucky that we happened to get to you first."

  "You can't imagine that they'll give you an answer today?" Akiko said, incredulous. "This is a huge commitment, and if I'm being honest, it seems rife with potential problems."

  "Would you like to speak for yourselves?" Miss Marks asked Targa, Georjie, Petra, and me, while ignoring Akiko.

  "She's right," Targa said, nodding. "Your project looks incredible and in spite of having a million questions about it, I like the idea in theory. But you're asking a lot. We have lives we would have to walk away from. You can't expect us to make a decision right now, or even in the next couple of days."

  Hiroki gave a hearty laugh. "And we don't. Please don't feel pressured. I would very much like the opportunity to answer those questions, and if there are some I haven't got answers to yet, then all the better. I have incredible AI here at the labs which is capable of doing millions of calculations, analyzing millions of outcomes in a moment. If there is something you ask that I haven't yet answered, then I would love the opportunity to do just that." He clapped his hands together once. "I think we've had enough for the moment. Why don't we take a break? Use the facilities, have a snack or a coffee or whatever your hearts' desire. I'd like to begin the second part in an hour. If you're amenable, of course."

  "What's the second part of the day?" Petra asked as we got up from our seats.

  Hiroki flicked a switch on the dashboard and the hologram vanished. "Making the prototype!"

  11

  Saxony

  We entered the boardroom where we'd eaten breakfast. My friends looked dazed, amazed, and doubtful. What my friends were doubtful about, I couldn't say, but I was doubtful both about the viability of the project and the sanity of its creators.

  I barely noticed that a new spread of fragrant food and tasty looking drinks had been laid out on the table. We took our former seats. Hiroki and Miss Marks had followed us into the boardroom, but they didn't sit down. I was hoping they'd leave us alone for a bit.

  As though she could read my mind, Miss Marks said, "You'll be in need of some time to absorb this initial presentation, as well as some privacy to talk. Hiroki and I will leave you and be back in a little less than an hour." They turned to go, but she paused at the door and said, "We may be back sooner if Mr. Nakesh shows up, as I know he'll want to meet you without delay."

  They left and shut the doors.

  "Do you think they've got recording devices in here?" Akiko was scanning the corners and eyeballing the screen at the front of the room dubiously.

  "I can almost guarantee it," Petra replied.

  "Isn't that illegal? To record someone without their permission?" Georjie reached for a jug of water and began to fill glasses for everyone.

  "It is, but you only need consent from one of the people in the conversation and they've already got mine." Petra took a glass from Georjie with a nod of thanks. "Just so you know. I looked it up when I first signed on with TNC. When I signed my contract, I agreed to let them record all of my activities at FS11."

  "FS11?" I asked, taking my glass from Georjie.

  "Field Station Eleven."

  "Oh, right."

  "So, what do you guys think?" Petra reached for an apple from the bowl overflowing with fruit. Seemed she wasn't having the same difficulties with her appetite as I was. Food was the last thing I was interested in.

  "The whole thing sounds a bit nuts," I said, my palms out. "Do they really think it can work?"

  "Why not?" Petra looked at me with surprise. "I mean, it’s ambitious for sure, but a little over a hundred years ago, people thought horseless carriages were an impossibility, same with flying and sending people into space. Those things are all the norm now."

  "It's got its challenges," added Georjie, also not touching the food. "But it's intriguing. I mean, I love the idea of making uninhabitable land viable. That is an awesome objective, don't you think?"

  I nodded. "Yeah, for comic book characters." I turned to Akiko. "What do you think of these loony-tunes?"

  Akiko's mouth was a flat line. "I instinctively don't trust corporations, no matter how prettily they paint their intentions. The idea is amazing, but it’s fraught with potential problems."

  "What potential problems would those be?" said a jovial voice. "Pour them on me!"

  We turned to see a man's face poking
in the door.

  "Can I come in?" He grinned and came in without waiting for an invitation.

  This had to be Mr. Nakesh.

  He was not obviously an extremely rich and successful man, dressed the way he was. Yet, if I had spotted him walking down the street I would have said there was something in his movements and expression that oozed confidence and importance. He wore faded blue jeans and white sneakers combined with a white t-shirt and a violently purple twill blazer overtop. His hair was so blond it was almost white. His features were fine and sharp and his hair cropped short. From beneath a wide brow blazed intelligent eyes of bright blue. They were not ethereal or vibrant the way Targa's and her mother's were, but they were arresting in their own way.

  "I'm so sorry I missed the presentation." He began to shake hands with each of us. "I'm Mr. Nakesh and I am beyond happy to meet you guys.”

  He leaned back a little, bent at the knees, to emphasize just how happy he was.

  He continued, “I've read all your files—"

  I saw Akiko and Targa share a cocked eyebrow at the idea that we had files. This didn't surprise me so much after meeting Basil.

  "-And what an honor, just an absolute honor it is to have supernaturals of your caliber even considering working with us." He gave a laugh that might be better described as a giggle. "Of course, we are the best, so why wouldn't you, but still…"

  There was a frenetic and slightly desperate energy about Mr. Nakesh. He spun out a chair and sat in it backwards, facing us eagerly. He tapped out a rhythm on the wooden back of the seat.

  I got the sense that he was either high on some drug or he was the type of person I labeled a chihuahua–-high-strung, hyperactive, and incapable of sitting still. I knew the type well. There was one in every class. I observed him observing us, feeling faintly amused.