the Runner

by Peter Ponzo

CHAPTER 5

  Afria

  Lori had just started to clear the table in the small galley. Runr had left the table to sit on the floor, watching Lori carefully with head cocked to one side.

  "Why does Lori clean up after we eat?" There was no answer.

  "That was great Lori," said Gry. "I ... uh, hope that old man Crud left us enough food -"

  "Why does Lori always clean the table?" said Runr, more loudly.

  They all stopped talking and stared at Runr, then at Lori. Finally, Kevn rose and took Lori by the hand. "Lori, have a seat. Now you will witness a miracle." Lori sat down, smiling. Sal got up and gathered the platters. Gry looked about, confused.

  "Gry," said Kevn, "get up. Don't you ever clean up at Home? Does Lori do all the work in your rooms?"

  "Kevn," said Lori, "I don't mind, really. I expect to -"

  "No. Runr is quite right," said Kevn. "Now we will teach Gry how to clean platters." He paused and looked at the platters in his hand, then at the kitchen instruments in the galley. "Sal, do you know how to use the washer?"

  "No," said Sal. "I have a housekeeper at Home. She -"

  "Aha! She you say! Are there any he housekeepers in the Dome?" said Kevn.

  "Look," whined Gry, "Lori said she didn't mind. I think that we should just -"

  Sal pulled Gry to his feet. "C'mon Gry. We're going to learn some galley engineering. Get the manual for the washer."

  Lori giggled and Runr stretched out on the floor, his white teeth gleaming.

  "Wait a minute!" cried Gry. "This is a woman's work!" The lights on the console flashed wildly.

  Kevn laughed. "Tell me Gry, how many hours do you work at the algae ponds?"

  "Five hours a day ... uh, that's standard."

  "And Lori? How many hours does she work a day?"

  "I said ... uh, it's standard ... five hours a day."

  "You mean her work is done when she gets to your rooms? Or does she start again - at another job?" Lori giggled. Gry grunted, rose from the table and grabbed a platter.

  "Okay! Okay! I'll ... uh, get the washer manual." He turned to Runr and glowered. "Okay kid. You're going learn to wash platters!" Runr stopped smiling.

  Gry left the room in search of the manual and Lori walked to the washer and opened the lid. They each, in turn, placed their platters on the racks. They watched as Lori rearranged them. "The air jets must have no obstruction," she said quietly, "and we can't block the vacuum tube ... it's important to stabilize the arrangement because of the sonic waves."

  "It says here, " said Gry, walking into the galley, poring over a large manual in his hand, "that the sonic wave generator, located at the base of the vacuum chamber, provides sonic ... uh, I think they mean ... uh, well -" He looked up. They all laughed. Lori ran to Gry and put her arms about his neck and gave him a kiss. There was cheering. Runr jumped up and down.

  "Well," grunted Gry, "I'm not a technical person. I ... uh, I'm just an algae farmer."

  TOM was standing stiffly in the corner, looking quite confused. He noticed the lights dancing on the console. He must remember to ask LIZ what was happening here.

  ______________________________________________________

  They were all asleep when the shipcomp announced that C-phon1 was on the televiewer. Gry rolled over and went back to sleep, but the others gathered in the command room.

  "That's C-phon1, all right," said Kevn.

  "What now?" said Sal. "Do you want to send down a probe first?"

  "LIZ, how far are we from the planet?" asked Kevn.

  "Five hundred kilometers, master Kevn."

  "LIZ, please put us into orbit around the planet and please prepare a video probe. Set the coordinates for the plains where we last landed on C-phon1. Do you remember?"

  "Of course, master Kevn. The probe will be ready in three minutes."

  "You can launch the probe when you're ready, and keep the camera running. Put the display on the televiewer, please."

  They all watched the televiewer. The image changed abruptly as the probe ejected from the vessel. They could see the surface of the planet growing to fill the screen. Within minutes the probe had landed and the rolling plains were clearly visible. The scene changed slowly as the cameras panned the horizon.

  "Looks pretty peaceful," said Kevn.

  "Hmm, the calm before the storm?" said Sal. "Let's wait. I'm in no hurry to -"

  The image shuddered. They saw what looked like ripples on the surface of the plain, rolling in from a distance. They all held their breath as the swells approached, then, as suddenly as it had begun, the ground was still again.

  "Did you see that?" asked Sal. "The ground was moving - toward the probe, then it stopped."

  Kevn looked at Sal. "Looks like we're friends. I think we should go down. For some reason, the planet likes us."

  "How can ... uh, a planet like us?" asked Gry, just entering the room and rubbing his eyes.

  "Good morning Gry," said Kevn. "Recognize that plain?"

  "Yeah ... it used to be covered in chunks of phonarite. How can a planet like us?"

  "I don't know, but let's go down and find out!"

  Kevn turned quickly and left for the module stall. The others followed.

  ______________________________________________________

  The ground module landed a short distance from the probe and the belly door opened. Gry, Sal and Kevn jumped out and detached the ground-car.

  "Over there is one of the canyons with the rock towers. Let's look," said Kevn.

  "But ... uh, we've already been there, the last time we were here," complained Gry.

  "But we were looking for phonarite," said Kevn. "Now we're looking for some evidence of an Afrian society. Let's go!"

  They climbed into the g-car which began to hum, rising several meters then heading for the canyon in the distance. When they reached the edge of the canyon they stopped, jumped out and stood on the lip staring down into the enormous cavity. From the base rose a myriad of rocky spires, reaching almost to the lip of the canyon. Although the sides of the cavity were not steep, they were covered in loose rock. The trio stumbled and slid to the bottom, some thirty meters down from the lip. In front of them stood about forty spires of rock, separated by a rock strewn plain.

  "Okay, look around. Shout if you see something interesting," said Kevn, and they went off in different directions. They turned over rocks, poked at the towers, stroked the boulders and found nothing. After thirty minutes they sat down together.

  "These rock towers," grunted Sal. "They don't look natural. Look at that one for example, the tower with the split down its side. That looks more like a doorway at the bottom than a crack in the rock."

  "Don't look like an entrance to me," mumbled Gry. "I ... uh, think that -"

  Kevn jumped up and walked to the tower. "I think you're right," he said peering into the small opening. "Sal! Look at this!" he shouted. "I'm sure this is an entrance - not just a hole in the rock!"

  Kevn poked at the opening. "It's too small to get in. Let's see ... Gry, have you got the communicator?"

  Gry pulled a small flat metal rectangle from his tunic and handed it to Kevn.

  "TOM, do you have us on the televiewer?"

  "Yes, master Kevn," answered the android. "You are standing before a tower of rock, investigating its base. Can I be of assistance?"

  "TOM, there seems to be an opening at the base. I'd like you to direct a laser beam at the base ... low power. See if you can vaporize a portion of the base. We'd like to get inside, if possible. We'll move away - wait until I give you the word."

  "What word will you give me master Kevn?" replied the android.

  "TOM, wait until I tell you to launch the laser beam. Okay?"

  "Yes, master Kevn."

  Kevn, Sal and Gry moved some distance and stood behind another rock tower. "Okay TOM. Fire away."

  A pink beam of light immediately appeared, seem
ing to join the base of the tower to the sky. They watched as the opening began to glow, then melt, then vaporize. "Okay TOM. That should be enough." The beam vanished and the base cooled quickly to a slate grey. "That's not rock," said Kevn, "... looks more like metal." They approached cautiously and inspected the enlarged opening.

  Sal stuck his head inside. "I can see some sort of stairway ... goes right down into the ground. Let's go in," he said excitedly.

  "Don't you think we ... uh, should send TOM in?" said Gry. "Maybe the air ain't worth breathing."

  Sal ignored the warning and stepped inside. Kevn followed and Gry waited for a moment, grunted then stepped inside. They carefully descended the stairway covered in dirt and small rocks. Soon it became too dark to see clearly but they continued to descend, cautiously.

  "I can't ... uh, see anything," said Gry.

  "Wait!" cried Sal. "Over there ... I can see some light! It's coming our way, isn't it?"

  As they looked, the light increased in intensity and they found themselves in an enormous cavern now completely illuminated in a dim blue light.

  "The light ... must be from a crack in the ceiling," said Gry

  "No, it's the planet," said Kevn. "See? It's blue, phonarite blue. I told you, Afria likes us, somehow, for some reason."

  "Let's go down," said Sal. "I can see some graphics on that wall. Looks like a picture, a mural."

  They continued down the stairway and walked out across a broad plaza to the mural. It showed giant black figures running and jumping. Some rode animals which looked like deer. There was a black rectangle with star-like points of light. There were mountains and fields of green and sparkling rocks.

  "Look here!" shouted Sal. "This must be an Afrian city - maybe this very place, before the planet destroyed it."

  The scene was a series of tall spires standing on a featureless plain. There were ramps which joined the structures and several vessels, perhaps space vessels, parked on a rectangle just outside the complex. In the background were mountains and sky.

  "Their city was on the plains ... uh, before the planet ate it," said Gry pulling a ring at his ear.

  "Come over here!" they heard Kevn shout. "There's a passageway - maybe to a different structure."

  Kevn disappeared into the passage. When Sal and Gry entered they noticed that blue light glowed all along the walls. They emerged into a smaller plaza with hundreds of cubes, like some giant honeycomb. Kevn entered a cube and they followed. Once inside, it was dark. They could see nothing.

  "Looks like old Afria has abandoned us," said Kevn. At once the walls glowed and they saw the debris scattered on the floor. In a corner was a pile of bones, clearly humanoid. Gry coughed and looked around.

  "Afrians," whispered Sal. "Not a friendly planet, this Afria."

  "Why ain't it ... uh, piling rocks on us," said Gry. "Maybe we've been lucky. Maybe we should -"

  "Kevn, look at this," said Sal. He was standing before a portrait of a tall black Afrian. Rolling curls fell to his shoulders and his eyes seemed to glow in the blue light.

  "I bet those eyes are green," said Gry.

  "We'll never know, not in this light," said Kevn.

  Gry reached up and carefully took the painting from the wall. "I want to bring it back to Runr."

  Kevn smiled. Sal searched the rest of the room and they left. For an hour they wandered in and out of the rooms, each a cube much like rooms in the Dome. In fact they were surprised to see that the inhabitants lived very much like the citizens of the Dome. They stopped and sat on a long bench, gazing at the maze of passageways and ramps which lead from the plaza.

  "You know," said Kevn, "this could take years to go through all these ... these ..."

  "We ain't got time," said Gry. "We have to go back to the Dome. You're First Citizen ... "

  They heard TOM on the communicator. "Master Kevn?"

  "Yes, TOM?" answered Kevn.

  "LIZ reports a meteor shower. The meteorites will not reach the planet surface but we must move K-47. We are directly in its path."

  "Okay TOM. Move out of orbit and wait for it to pass. Let us know when you return to orbit."

  "Yes, master Kevn," answered the android.

  "I'm hungry," said Gry. "These Afrians must have eaten ... uh, something. I'm going to look around."

  Sal laughed. "How about one hundred year old eggs?"

  They watched as Gry wandered in and out of the cubic rooms. Then the ground shuddered and Gry ran back. "Did you feel that?"

  Kevn looked around. "Just a tremor. Nothing to worry -"

  Another shudder and rocks began to fall from the vaulted ceiling. Soon the walls were shaking and pieces fell onto the plaza floor with a deafening, ringing echo.

  "Let's get out of here!" shouted Kevn. They ran to the passageway which lead back to the entrance. Gry paused and peered into the passageway. It was dark. The blue lights had gone out.

  "We'll have to feel our way," said Kevn. They walked cautiously into the passageway, clinging to the walls. The ground continued to vibrate and they could hear cracks forming in the walls. They began to run, slowly at first then more and more quickly. Gry tripped but held tightly to his picture. When they emerged into the larger plaza, it was black.

  "Afria has deserted us," whispered Kevn. "Why?"

  They could barely see the narrow shaft of light at the entrance. They all ran at once in that direction. Just before they reached it, the ground heaved and the passageway they had just left crumbled and the light at the entrance was gone. In the dark they could hear the rocks falling about them.

  "Over here!" shouted Kevn. They followed his voice and found themselves in a narrow cubicle. "Let's wait here. This looks solid enough. At least we won't get hit by a falling rock."

  Kevn reached into his tunic. "Great Mother Earth!" he groaned. "I've lost the communicator. Well, we'll just wait out this earthquake and then pull the rocks away from the entrance. Have a seat. This quake may take a few minutes."

  "What if ... uh, we can't get out?" cried Gry.

  "We'll just have to live here," said Sal. "Did you find anything to eat Gry?"

  "This ain't funny! We could starve to death!"

  They all sat, listening. The earth groaned noisily, the ground shuddered and they could hear tearing sounds as though cracks were running along all the walls of the plaza. Then it stopped and there was silence. They looked out of the cubicle and the rock strewn plaza was illuminated by a blue glow.

  "Hmm, Afria is back to normal again," said Kevn.

  "How do you know this is ... uh, normal?" said Gry. "Maybe falling rocks is normal!"

  They emerged from the cubicle and started across the plaza to the pile of rocks which covered the entrance. Kevn pushed on a large rock but it didn't move. Sal joined him but the rock didn't budge. Gry carefully set down his painting and helped. Still no movement. Then, as though they had rehearsed it, they all sat on the rock, simultaneously, and looked at each other.

  "We're stuck!" mumbled Gry. Kevn stared at Gry. Why did he always state the obvious?

  "Well, First Citizen," said Sal, leaning back. "Do you have any ideas?"

  "If we wait, TOM will try to contact us. We can't answer because we don't have the communicator. He'll get worried - you know TOM. Then he'll come down looking for us. He knows we went into this tower. Just wait, relax."

  Gry grunted and clutched his picture with one hand and pulled a ring with the other. They looked about. The plaza was bathed in a blue glow which seemed to come from within the walls. Kevn walked to a glowing wall and rubbed it. It was smooth. Sal joined him, poking and rubbing the walls. Gry looked on without interest.

  "It seems they built these towers from some kind of plastic," said Kevn.

  "And the rock cover we see from the outside," said Sal, "must be what the planet did - covering the towers in rock. If it were molten rock, like a volcanic eruption ... then that must be some plastic to withs
tand those temperatures."

  "The Dome ports, they're a kind of transparent polychain which could, I think, withstand very high temperatures," said Kevn. "I'm amazed at the similarity in technology. From what I can make of this place, the Afrian lifestyle wasn't very different from Home."

  "Great minds think alike," said Gry, feeling that he should contribute to the conversation.

  ______________________________________________________

  Runr was walking slowly through the shimmering white stars - no, they were crystals. Occasionally there was an arc of intense blue light which erupted from one of the crystals, causing the neighboring crystals to glow and vibrate. In the distance, along an infinite hallway, he could see a dark shape approaching. As it passed it seemed to devour the glowing crystals; to either side they flickered momentarily then went black as the dark shape passed. When it was closer Runr saw that it was the beast of C-phon3. He ran to the beast, heart beating wildly, shouting with joy. The beast rose on its hind legs, towering above the black crystals, snarling. Runr stopped and looked up at the giant creature. Then it fell upon the boy, crushing him. The crystals shuddered and hummed and fell into pieces about the great beast which took the boy's body in its teeth, bleeding and twisted. The crystals enlarged, the hallway closed, the beast was trapped between converging walls. A blue flame shot out from between two dark crystals and struck the creature. It howled with pain and dropped the small black body. Two more blue flames struck the beast and it turned to run, but there was now no exit. The crystals closed in, crushing the beast. It howled, screamed, ran its claws over its own face creating huge rivers of blood which fell on the boy. The floor opened and the beast vanished into the gaping hole. The beast was dead. Runr stood, raised his arms and screamed as the beast had done.

  Lori pushed Runr to a sitting position and held him close. Runr opened his eyes and stared at the small cabin. TOM entered.

  "May I be of assistance?" he asked.

  "No TOM, thank you," said Lori. "Runr was having a bad dream."

  The boy stood and looked at Lori, then at the android.

  "We must return to Afria. They are in danger."

  "Who is in danger?" asked Lori.

  "Gry ..." came the halting reply. "The planet is angry ... it ... it ..."

  "Master Runr," said TOM gently, "we have left Afria only until the asteroid shower has passed. We shall certainly return then. Do not fear. Master Kevn is quite safe. The planet seems not to -"

  "We must get back now!" shouted Runr. "The walls are falling in ... they are -"

  "TOM," cried Lori, "can we go back now? Can we at least get near the planet, so you could talk to them, just to check?"

  TOM paused only for a moment. "LIZ, please put in a comlink to master Kevn. We wish to speak to him."

  "Yes TOM," said the shipcomp. They waited quietly. "TOM? There is no response," said LIZ.

  "LIZ, can you put us on a course to Afria, please?" said TOM.

  "Yes TOM," answered the shipcomp, "but the asteroid shower is -"

  "Then please return to a position at the outer edge of the shower envelope. I wish to contact master Kevn and obtain an image on the televiewer."

  TOM left the cabin and walked to the command room. Lori and Runr followed close behind. When they entered the room the televiewer showed the base of the tower into which Kevn and the others had entered. Now, however, the entrance was moving violently and rocks were falling from higher up on the tower. Lori gasped.

  "Master Kevn, can you hear me?" said TOM. There was no answer.

  "The planet is angry," whispered Runr. They both stared at the boy.

  "Then I must go down to rescue them," said TOM and he turned and walked to the portal.

  "TOM! Look!" cried Lori. "The shaking has stopped! The rocks have stopped falling -"

  "The planet is happy," whispered Runr. Lights flashed slowly on the console.

  TOM stopped to look back at the televiewer then continued out the portal. Lori and Runr continued to stare at the image on the large screen.

  "Do not worry," said LIZ. "TOM is quite capable. He will release master Kevn and the others. Please do not worry."

  ______________________________________________________

  While Kevn and Sal continued their investigation of the large plaza within which they were trapped, Gry sat by the entrance clutching his painting. Then he heard the hissing and jumped away from the rock pile just as it began to smoke and redden. Kevn and Sal came running and watched the rocks vaporize and a small hole enlarge to a door-size opening. They waited until the vapors cleared and saw the android standing at the doorway.

  "Master Kevn ?" he said, leaning into the doorway. "May I invite you and your friends to a chalice of hot brandy?"

  Kevn and Sal laughed heartily. Gry looked in amazement at both of them. "What's this? An android ... uh, who jokes while we come just that close to dying in this, this - "

  "C'mon Gry," said Kevn, stooping through the entrance. "At a time like this a lighthearted comment is just what we need - and TOM has apparently learned just that. TOM, have you been talking to LIZ?"

  "No master Kevn. I am quite capable of light hearted comments. My data banks are replete with idiosyncrasies of humanoids, including those events which elicit humor, those which elicit compassion, those which -"

  "TOM," said Kevn, "we'd like to take you up on that offer of a brandy."

  "Take me up? Master Kevn, I am of the opinion that I should return to the ship in the minimodule and you in the surface shuttle."

  "Quite right TOM," said Kevn with a grin. "You can take yourself up and I'll take us up."

  ______________________________________________________

  When they entered the shuttle bay, Lori and Runr were waiting in the anteroom. Gry was the first to leave the shuttle, holding his picture so that it could not be seen. He had a smile that lit up his face. Lori and Runr jumped with glee to see that he was not hurt.

  "Lori, take Runr to the galley. I have a surprise for him," shouted Gry through the thick window.

  When they had all gathered in the galley TOM asked Lori to stay seated; he would serve the hot brandy. The lights on the console winked. Lori refused a brandy but waited patiently for the others to finish their first gulp. Runr was standing as close to Gry as he could, also waiting.

  "Okay Gry," said Lori. "Runr and I are waiting."

  Gry left the room briefly and returned holding the picture before him. Lori gasped. Runr walked slowly to the picture and ran his hand across the features of the tall black man portrayed.

  "Afrian," whispered Runr.

  "Look at those eyes!" cried Sal. "Green ... as green as -"

  "- as Runr's," said Lori.

  Gry lowered the picture and smiled. "I saw it in a cavern ... uh, on a wall of a room. Maybe it's the master of the house, the room. Looks just like Runr. Am I right?" Gry stroked Runr's rusty locks. "That's what you'll look like one day." He handed it to the boy who couldn't take his eyes from the portrait. "It's yours, Runr. The picture is yours. I brought it for you. It's one of your race - an Afrian - and a mighty fine lookin' specimen at that, don't you think? Just look at those eyes and that hair - just like yours Runr, don't you think?" Runr held the picture close to his chest, speechless. "You can take it back to your cabin if you like," said Gry.

  Runr left, still clinging to the picture. Gry sat at the table and took a long gulp of brandy. Lori walked to his chair and gave him a kiss. Kevn and Sal slid back in their chairs and watched the scene, smiling. TOM stood in a corner. It looked like he was making mental notes of the event. Lights danced on the console.

  ______________________________________________________

  The transworld vessel continued to orbit Afria. Kevn had asked for a meeting later in the evening, after they had eaten and rested. At the appointed time they all gathered there. Kevn spoke first.

  "The planet accepted us - then rejected us - then accep
ted us again. I can't understand why. It's pointless to search for scientific data left by the Afrians, on genetics, at least until we know why, or under what circumstances, we are accepted, tolerated, by the planet. Any ideas?"

  They all remained silent, looking at Kevn.

  "Maybe it's a cyclic phenomenon," suggested Sal. "Maybe the planet has its good and bad moments - depending perhaps upon the orientation of -"

  "Can't be," said Gry, "We stayed for weeks on C-phon1 ... uh, Afria. It didn't even shiver, let alone quake."

  They were quiet for a long time. Lori turned to Runr. "Runr, you knew that the planet was angry. You made us return, to rescue Gry and the others. How did you know? Have you spoken to it, talked to the planet?"

  The boy was sitting in a corner. He looked up at Lori and opened his mouth to speak. They all leaned in his direction.

  "Please Runr," said Gry. "I didn't hear what you said."

  "It's LIZ," said the boy quietly. "The planet talks to LIZ."

  TOM backed into the wall, clumsily.

  "The planet does not speak to me!" said the shipcomp, lights flashing wildly on the console.

  The android walked to the console. They all watched.

  "LIZ," said TOM very quietly. "I have noticed the lights on the console while we are in orbit about Afria. They often appear as a rhythmic, periodic shimmer. That is something I have noticed before while in orbit about the C-phon planets."

  They all looked at TOM, then waited for a response from the shipcomp. The lights dimmed on the console. They all stared at the lights.

  "LIZ?" said Kevn. "Do you communicate with the planet, the C-phon planets?"

  "They sing," said LIZ softly.

  "Sing?" said Gry. "What on Earth does that mean? Answer the question! Do you ... uh, communicate with -"

  "Gry, be quiet," said Lori. Gry stopped talking. They waited.

  "The C-phon planets sing. I do not talk to them. There is no communication, they just sing. I cannot provide a more lucid explanation than that." LIZ seemed upset. TOM put his hand on the console.

  "LIZ," said TOM slowly, "are you in communication, can you hear Afria singing, now?"

  "Yes, it sings constantly while we are in orbit."

  Sal raised his hand and they looked at him. "Kevn, that's why Afria gave us that trouble down there. LIZ was gone. This vessel had left because of the asteroids."

  "... and the planet became angry!" cried Gry. "The last time we were here, years ago, it was LIZ who kept the ... uh, planet quiet."

  "Is the planet in love with LIZ?" asked Lori.

  "That's pretty silly," said Gry. "It's more like, well, the phonarite planet and the phonarite computer; the planet thinks we are friends when LIZ is around ... and, uh, when LIZ leaves, well -"

  "Afria spoke to my people," whispered Runr. "C-phon3 spoke to me. I cannot hear Afria now. I think LIZ can hear Afria ... singing. If I were on the planet, if LIZ were on the planet, we could hear Afria speak - it would communicate with us."

  "I have a great idea!" cried Kevn.

  "Don't tell me," said Sal. "We go down again, this time with Runr. He talks to Afria. LIZ sings to Afria. We're all friends. We all sing to each other, and Afria tells us where to find the reports on the Afrian genetic experiments."

  Sal was on his feet, smiling with delight. Kevn laughed at the sight of his brother, the Chief of Research, dancing in the command room. Gry grunted. Lori took Sal by the hand and joined his dance. Runr was enthralled and the lights danced on the console. TOM was intrigued and made several mental notes.

  ______________________________________________________

  The entrance to the tower was as they had left it the previous day. Kevn entered first, followed by Sal and TOM. Runr waited outside. Gry had remained in K-47 and was watching on the televiewer with Lori.

  "Runr, come on in!" shouted Kevn from inside the tower.

  "Master Kevn," said the boy placing his hands firmly against the rocky entrance, "this is a meeting place - for the Afrians." Blue lights danced about the boy's hands.

  Kevn stuck out his head. "Oh ... I see. Please ask Afria where the genetic records are," he said.

  The boy closed his eyes and moaned, keeping his eyes closed. "Afria does not know of genetic ... genetic things."

  "Runr, ask Afria if there is some sort of laboratory, a place where experiments are performed." Kevn was now outside, standing by Runr who continued to lean against the rock, eyes closed.

  "No," said Sal emerging from the entrance, "ask if there is a library, with videobooks or some other records."

  "Yes, that's good!" said Kevn.

  The boy moaned and opened his eyes, straightening and looking at Kevn. "Afria says there is a place, under one of these towers, which has books. I can take you to it." Runr started to walk around the tower toward the other rocky spires.

  "Wait," said Kevn. "TOM! Where on Earth are you?" The android was still inside. They waited, then Sal went inside. The android was standing at the mural on the far wall of the plaza. Sal ran down the stairs and across the plaza.

  "TOM ..." began Sal.

  "Look! This mural depicts the Afrians at work and play," said TOM.

  "Yes, it's quite entertaining and informative. Now, we must go -"

  "Many of the Afrians wear no clothes."

  "That's artistic license. C'mon Tom."

  "They are a strange race. That couple ... look what they do."

  "TOM, you're a dirty old man. Let's go. Kevn and the others are waiting for us."

  TOM turned reluctantly, still staring at the mural, then he followed Sal who was running up the stairs.

  A dirty old man? What did that mean?

  ______________________________________________________

  When Runr stopped, they were standing beside a short spire, barely two meters high, rising from a hollow. It looked more like a hill, rounded and smooth.

  "This hardly looks big enough to house a library," said Kevn.

  "I think that the other towers were originally above ground," said Sal. "After the quake when Afria gobbled up the city the towers sank into this canyon. Maybe the library was originally underground and didn't have a tall -"

  "Yes... you must be right, " said Kevn. "I guess it makes sense to stick a library underground, for simpler climate control. Maybe it was under a hill, with some sort of skylight. Let's see if we can find an entrance."

  Runr was sitting on a rock. The others walked about the library hill looking for signs of a doorway. Kevn and Sal turned and kicked rocks. TOM pushed small pebbles, gingerly, with outstretched toe.

  "I don't think there is an entrance," said Runr quietly. They all stopped and looked back at the boy.

  "What did you say Runr?" asked Kevn.

  The boy stood and walked to the nearest spire. "I think the entrance is from this tower."

  The android was nearest the spire and kicked cautiously, almost absentmindedly, at the pebbles at his feet. They rolled down a small incline and clanged against something.

  "That sounded metallic!" cried Sal. "Maybe a door!"

  "Quite so," said TOM with some surprise, straightening to his full height. "I suspected an entrance at that location. It was then a matter of deduction -"

  "TOM, ask LIZ to direct a laserbeam at this location, low power, just like the last time." Kevn was stooping to inspect a metal sheet partly hidden by rocks and stones.

  They all stood back and waited. The beam appeared, right on target. A portion of the ground began to smoke, then melt, then vaporize. The beam stopped and they all approached cautiously. TOM stepped immediately into the hole.

  "Wait, it's still hot!" cried Kevn. TOM stepped out again, staring at his feet. They were smoking, with an acrid smell.

  "TOM, don't you ever change your socks?" Sal said with a grin.

  "Master Kevn," said the android, still staring at his feet, "I'm afraid my lower extremity has been damaged."

/>   "Can you walk, TOM?" asked Kevn.

  TOM took a small step forward, swayed and stopped. "With some difficulty," he said.

  "Then wait here," said Kevn. "We'll go inside and investigate. When we get back to the ship you can fix your foot."

  TOM nodded and stood stiffly as they carefully entered the hole. He waited until they had all entered then looked about furtively. Then he walked back to the first tower that lead to the mural and stepped into the entrance.

  ______________________________________________________

  The space beneath library hill was vast. Although illuminated by the ever-present blue light, the remote regions of the library were dark. The floor was covered in rubble but the walls were lined with shelves which extended beyond the area of illumination. The shelves were filled with books.

  "I think we've found the library," said Sal. "This is going to be great fun." He ran to the nearest shelf and removed a book. It immediately collapsed in a cloud of dust. "Oops ... got to be more careful."

  "That pile of dust probably held the secrets of Afrian genetic science," said Kevn with a grin. "Now we should figure out how to read it without destroying it."

  Runr had walked toward the far end of the library. The blue glow followed him, lighting the way. He stopped before a long, low array of cabinets. They contained two rows of drawers. On top of the cabinets were dust-covered machines of some sort. He stared at the machines. Kevn joined him.

  "Video projectors," mumbled Kevn. "Sal! Come over here! I think the Afrians have videobooks!" He pulled a drawer but it squeaked and held. He pulled harder but it didn't budge. Sal tried pulling a drawer and the handle came off in his hand. "That drawer probably held the secrets -"

  "Yes, I know, the secrets of Afrian genetic science," grumbled Sal.

  Runr placed his hand on a drawer handle and pushed lightly. Blue lights danced about his hands and the drawer slid open.

  "Great!" said Sal delightedly. "Let's see what's inside!"

  He peered into the drawer and carefully removed a videodisk. "Look at them all in there! If every drawer has a hundred of these disks ... and there are hundreds of drawers ... I'll bet there are, let's see ..."

  "Several jillion I'd say," said Kevn. He pushed another drawer handle and the drawer slid open. "I doubt if we can use these projectors but we may be able to view the disks back at the ship."

  "But it would take weeks just carting them to the ship. Which ones should we take? We might learn all about Afrian culinary science but little about genetics."

  "Runr," said Kevn. "can you help? Do you know, does Afria know which disks, which drawers, contain information on genetic engineering?"

  The boy stared at Kevn for a long time as though he were thinking. He closed his eyes. In the dark beyond the end of the cabinets a blue glow grew in intensity. It illuminated a door. Kevn looked at Sal and they both hurried to the door. It was shiny, as though it had avoided the worst of the Afrian destruction. There was a sign on the door: KEEP OUT .

  Kevn touched the door, then pushed. It didn't move. Sal placed his hand on the shiny plate by the side of the door and pushed. The door didn't move. "Okay Runr, do you know how to get in?" he asked.

  The boy placed his hands on the door and closed his eyes. They waited, staring at Runr. The door didn't move.

  "I cannot open the door. Afria cannot open the door. It is not supposed to be opened."

  "Stand aside Runr," said Kevn. "We'll see about that." Kevn attacked the door, bashing his shoulder against the shiny surface, then cried out in pain.

  "Listen brother," said Sal, "you're not doing this very scientifically. There must clearly be a way, a magic button, a subtle command."

  Kevn rubbed his shoulder. "Why is this door so shiny? Everything else down here is covered in dust, rocks, rubble."

  They both sat on a bench nearby, staring at the shiny door. Runr sat on the floor.

  "That's not a door, " Sal finally said, almost in a whisper. "It only looks like a door."

  "Right!" said Kevn. "It's a fake, a dissolving door, just like some of the doors in the Dome."

  "But dissolving doors, they're controlled by a comtab. Where will we find a comtab?"

  "Suppose you were an Afrian and you wanted to get into that room," said Kevn. "You'd ask the librarian, or some library official. He would check your identity - see what permissions you had."

  "You'd go to the library desk. Where is the desk?" said Sal, looking about.

  They both jumped up and began walking around the library.

  "Look at this, Sal!" shouted Kevn. "This might have been a desk, once." Kevn stood at a long pile of rubble, kicking the stones and pulling at the rocks. Sal joined him and they both began to pull away the rocks. A smooth table slowly emerged from beneath the grime and debris. "This must be it," said Kevn.

  Sal walked to the other side and crawled under the desk, groping. "There's something here. I can't see it, but if feels like -"

  There was a humming and they turned to see a door dissolve at the end of a row of shelves.

  "Aha! They do have dissolving doors," cried Kevn. "Keep goin' brother. Try for the KEEP OUT door." Sal continued to grope. Another door dissolved behind the desk, its interior immediately bathed in a blue light. "You're getting closer, keep trying." Sal grunted and reached farther under the desk. Another hum and the KEEP OUT door dissolved. "That's it! Let's go!"

  They walked quickly to the open door. It was dark inside. "What's wrong with Afria? Why is she keeping us in the dark?" said Sal.

  "She? Why do you say she? " asked Kevn, smiling and walking cautiously through the opening.

  "Don't know ... just slipped out."

  They were both inside but could see nothing. They felt for a wall and followed it, bumping into objects and tripping over rocks. "I think I can see something," said Kevn.

  "That's because the lights are coming on," said Sal. Slowly the room glowed with an eerie blue light. They looked around and saw Runr at the door. "Runr, that's why the lights came on."

  "Look at these video disks; there are hundreds of them," said Kevn. "Let's take a few and bring them back to the ship. If they have any worthwhile data we can come back down."

  Sal and Kevn each grabbed disks, stuffing them into the wide pockets of their tunics. "Take a few from each area of the room. Maybe there's some organization here," said Kevn.

  "Yeah, and all we have to do is remember where they came from."

  "I can do that," came a voice from the door. They jumped and stared at the silhouette in the doorway.

  "TOM," said Kevn, "is that you?"

  "Yes, master Kevn. I will mark the disks as you take them, then recall their coordinates relative to this door."

  "TOM, come here," said Kevn. "Sal, put the disks back and we'll start again. TOM can keep track. By the way TOM, how's the foot?"

  "The foot, master Kevn? What do you - oh, my foot ... yes, it's much better. Thank you for your concern."

  The android shook his foot, blue lights danced on the floor and Runr smiled.