by L M Lacee
Maikonia Prime had a mountain range that seemed to encircle the entire planet and was eggplant purple, either due to the soil or the rocks at the higher reaches. All the mountains had a dusting of lilac snow, amusing and delighting just about everyone. Plans had been submitted within days for ski fields and lodges to be built. It was possible, the Warriors said, that the lower mountain ranges had caves but until explored, that theory remained a possibility only. Because there were many things to survey on the planets and a cave system on Prime was low on the geologists list. While they would be fun for the females and children to discover, the scientists had far too many other wonders to explore.
Prime had several reasonably sized forests with trees never seen by the Warriors before. For some females the trees were comforting familiar, reminding them of the Sequoia trees of the Americas. Although it was almost as though whoever developed and planted the forests were unsure what color the trees should be. Or rainbows had touched them, as the children said on seeing them for the first time. It was quickly discovered that the trees were impossible to cut, Nina Jones and her sister Fern and their teams along with the Warriors tried with varying implements to no success. After much debate, they hypothesized a plasma cutter would be the only device with the ability to bring the trees down. But no one had the heart to try. It was hard to look upon their bright cheerful leaves and colorful trunks and be unhappy, or so the children along with Helen, Brenda and Esther stated. This basically made the exercise moot as far as the Warriors were concerned. There wasn’t a Warrior who would cause the ladies or the children to become distressed.
When an enormous lake was discovered, Darby assigned an Ichthyologist and Marine biologist to work out the feasibility of it becoming home to fish. Especially after the Warriors and some females had asked if it was possible. Apparently fishing was a sport they all enjoyed partaking of.
A day or so after arriving there had been some heated discussions on when to allocate sunrise and sunset. Until Hawk advised them sunrise was the rising of the first sun, known as first-rising. This was when the night sky went from wine to amethyst. The rising of the second sun lit the sky from amethyst to periwinkle, and the rising of the third sun was the daylight color of soft lavender. Sunset was when the last sunset just before the first moon rose. The suns and moons made for some spectacular sunrises and sunsets, and not just on Maikonia Prime. It had taken time for the humans to adjust, not only to the colors of the planets but to the rising and setting of so many suns and moons.
The last three luneras had been a steep learning curve for everyone and still was in many respects, because not one planet had the same number of suns or moons. Which gave everyone pause because obviously time differences would occur. Thankfully, by consensus they had embraced the Warrior’s time keeping, which they had assured them was with minor fluctuations the same on most planets throughout the Universe. Rose assured them traders used the same time keeping, so a version of Earth’s twenty-four-hour clock became the standard way to tell time.
SIX:
Darby watched Peyton’s lights go out from her apartment; she had been standing by her window watching the world, her world now, start the early morning ritual of waking up. She had not long arrived back from working on the new Warship they had discovered when they first arrived on Prime. It was housed in a massive complex halfway across the planet.
She rubbed her tried eyes, thankful she was not responsible for the designing and building of the new ships or any ship. Her job was supervising the tech that went in them, which she could cope with. All the building and finishing of the ships and subsequent departments were now the new Commanders problem. After they had discovered the huge, almost empty compounds on the opposite side of the planet. Peyton had appointed Warrior Kolin Matewe as Commander of engineering, designing and anything else to do with building Hawk’s Warships.
She had been mildly surprised when Peyton had appointed Kolin as Commander until she had seen him and his teams at work. It appeared Kolin was a good leader, and his people responded well to his work ethics.
Today when she had been there, they seemed more relaxed and more comfortable with the environment they were working in. She thought they may be further along with the Warship than even a weken ago. Kolin told her the morning meetings she and Hawk had suggested, had stabilized the teams and united them into an adhesive group. She loved how he expressed himself at times.
She yawned and stretched. It appeared the reports she had of Heather’s condition were accurate. She would bet her last credit Peyton had been to see her tonight. Rolling her shoulders to release the tension she’d been carrying since reading about Heather, she had the nagging feeling that something was going to change. It was similar to the feelings she experienced in the past, right before her world crashed around her. Dayam it, change was just so unfair.
Looking out over the landscape, she sighed. Fair or not life moved on, just like she knew it would with or without her liking what was to happen. Darby was the first to admit she disliked change, although as she thought about that statement she decided, change so far since arriving on Prime, had not been too bad. She had changed from being a scientist that remained inside four walls, to someone who oversaw the scientific development on the nine worlds of Maikonia.
Now she was everywhere, consulting on things she would never have imagined doing on Earth, shuttle rides were as common to her as traveling in a land vehicle had been. Some days she was so busy she did not have time to stop and see the changes going on around her. But as she watched Peyton flash back to her place alone. She knew it was time to pull back and find out what was happening to her family.
They had been on Prime for just over three months or in Coalition terms three luneras; she thought about how the Coalition and English languages were similar in structure and sound. So much so, the two were intermingling more every day, even the Warriors and traders were saying the odd word or phrase in English now. As time went on, she could see it was going to become a unique language, specific to Maikonia. That, she thought, was a good start to having their own identity.
She sipped her tea as she looked across at the dwellings. Maikonia had a unique style all of its own, the buildings on all the worlds were very different to what the humans or Warriors were used to. Even Rose and her family had been stunned when they had seen them for the first time. Which, she thought, went a long way in reassuring the females they were not alone in thinking the buildings were strange. If even the people who came from this Universe found the homes exotic.
The buildings were designed in the form of Hexagons. No one understood why they were shaped that way. There did not seem to be any logic for the design. People were putting it down to just another unique aspect of the solar system known as Maikonia.
If one viewed the town on Prime from the air, which they had all done on arrival. It was easy to see the streets spread out from the principal building in the shape of a Hexagon. None of the other worlds were patterned this way. Darby had heard several scientists commenting that it was a geometers dream or nightmare.
She was not sure which way she felt about it and refused to look any deeper for a meaning or reason for the designs or patterns. The mathematicians and geometers saw so much more in the designs, and she was happy for them and pleased they wanted to explore what it all meant. She, like most of the other scientist, had enough to do without sitting around and wondering why the streets on Prime were shaped as they were. Although she had been amused to learn someone had gone to the trouble of measuring all the buildings and declaring the central dwelling was the largest of any world.
Netta had asked her. ‘Why did it take a bunch of scientists to work that out? All anyone had to do was open their eyes. The furin thing was enormous.’
She of course had no answer for the obvious statement. Seriously, the building was three stories high and over a hundred thousand square feet in size, as Netta said it was enormous. Darby smiled when she remembered that Peyton had hoped so
meone would contest her living in the home, which no one did. Even though she argued against taking it over. They finally persuaded her to call it her home when they promised to turn the ground floor into offices and conference rooms. And then the fun had begun when Peyton was asked repeatedly after she moved in, what she wanted her home to reflect. Eventually, after her patience had been severally tested, she had moaned loudly to her and Netta.
‘What the hayda do I know about decorating?’
Darby had felt, as Peyton seemed stressed about this vital decision, she needed to advise the ladies of her concerns. So the three ladies had taken over remodeling their residence. Which was just as well, because it would be better than anything she or Peyton would come up with.
She had been told by Brenda that they had vetoed all of Peyton’s boring ideas on style for the ground floor. Which comprised plain utilitarian cubicles and offices. Darby had been hard pressed not to laugh when Brenda told Peyton firmly the ground floor welcomed people to the Star Daughter’s residence. Therefore, it must reflect warmth and friendship.
When Peyton had flippantly remarked within the hearing of the three ladies, that her home sort of resembled a palace. They had explained in detail why her home was not a palace and she was not a queen. Peyton had apologized and retreated quickly from that discussion. She told Darby later that some things did not need talking about for hours and hours.
Peyton had excitedly told her the previous morning her office was to be completed today. She hoped it was. Maybe then she would have somewhere to go, rather than following people around all day and impeding them doing actual work.
Jean at second-meal a few days ago had said with a touch of concern and a lot of amazement. That it was intriguing how much trouble Peyton could not only cause but get herself into. When she was not confined somewhere. Three days ago several Commanders had wondered loudly in Darby’s hearing. If Madam Peyton had no work to keep her busy in her office, or on other worlds, anything other than helping them. She had heard Peyton had been asked not to go to the Warship anymore. Apparently there had been a fire.
At first- meal today, Brenda assured her that the conference and meeting rooms Peyton wanted. Would be finished over the next few days. And her office was definitely on schedule, which Darby had relayed to Jean at second-meal today, within hearing of many of the Commanders.
SEVEN:
She missed living with Melody, Netta and Heather, who had elected to live in Hexes dedicated to their professions. Why it ended up like that Darby did not understand but the people who lived on Prime seemed happier living with like-minded people around them.
She smiled as she thought that the others should really just move in with them. Because more often than not, the five of them ended up together at mealtimes or whenever time permitted, anyway. It was almost like they all; herself included, could not bear to be too far away from each other. She supposed that was what a family was like, not having any experience of one until recently, she thought maybe she was right.
The realization that the old Darby was gone suddenly hit her. She looked out her window and knew she was no longer that timid, frightened female, who balanced on the blade of insanity. These wonderful females had given her the confidence and security to grow. Now she understood why she was upset about the change she knew was coming. It had the possibility of unbalancing the stability and family they were creating. Again she thought it was unfair. Dressing for bed, she turned her mind from those thoughts and instead wondered about Jean, who lived at the techie Hex. She had wanted to speak to her today, but other than a quick meal she had no time.
Darby admitted she missed talking with someone who could actually follow what she was saying. And did not ask so many questions or act bored or look at her like she was talking in a foreign language. Pouting a little, which was a habit she had developed since associating with Peyton, she growled out loud. ‘I do not always talk about science or almost not always, regardless of what that female says.’
She frowned as she thought about the Hexes, most were two stories. Peyton’s being the exception. They were amazing structures but she and Jean did have a concern. It seemed like the Hexes almost had a life of their own, or Artificial Intelligence that operated them. Even though she and Jean assured everyone, which meant Peyton, that there was not an A.I. on the planet. At times, especially when her mind was not occupied with other stuff. She wondered if maybe they had been too quick to discount the idea of an A.I. Because there were a few unexplained systems. Which neither of them could find any reason for and were unable to eradicate or purge from the planets. This, of course, was intriguing and a little scary. They had decided not to mention the anomalies to anyone until they had traced the reason for the unexplained systems. And especially not to Peyton who had a tendency to dismantle anything she did not understand or thought she could make better or just because she could.
The horror of what she would do, if told of the unexplained systems did not bear thinking about. This thought had kept Darby and Jean up for a few nights when they first discovered the systems. It was bad enough that Peyton had dismantled a bot after discovering one cleaning her apartment; she had sworn she would put it back together. Darby was sure it was still in pieces and hidden somewhere. No doubt she would end up fixing it for her.
Peyton had been banned by Helen and the other two ladies from touching the automated systems or any other bot in the Hex. Especially after they found her with a laser screwdriver in one hand and the side cover off a recently installed dispenser. Jean was quickly called, and Peyton had vowed she would not touch anymore dispensers or bots, if she could keep her screwdriver. Agreements had been reached. No one expected the agreement to last though.
Darby brushed her hair as she thought about the list of things she had to investigate or arrange to be investigated over the next few luneras. It had only been wekens since they had finished researching and making operational the airlifts. She laughed when she thought of how Jean had been checking the lifts in their Hex and had kept finding faults. Until she realized Netta and Peyton were playing on them. She scolded both of them and they contritely whisked themselves away from the annoyed Jean.
When the transfer circles had been found, she had placed a sign. Specifically telling Netta and Peyton to stay off them until she had run her trials and made sure they were safe. She and Jean had left the signs up days longer than necessary, because it was just plain hilarious watching Netta and Peyton trying to avoid the circles. As it was, Darby knew Peyton did not like them. She knew the three ladies adored them, which was the only reason Peyton had not closed them down completely. She had spent days trying to convince people to use the moving walkways.
When Jean and several engineers had voiced the opinion that the walkways were redundant, it was to no avail, Peyton insisted they stay. Darby agreed that the walkways had probably been very convenient when first placed on the worlds but were out dated and high maintenance now.
Peyton would not agree for them to be dismantled, so she assured her; she would keep the walkways operational if Peyton allowed the transfer circles to remain. They had struck a deal and both forms of transport stayed. And now the planets were coming to life slowly and in harmony.
She rubbed her face and yawned. Thankfully they had shifted items on the lists around at the meeting today. So the construction of the Hexes was now one of the last items to be investigated.
At the meeting Jean had wondered loudly and with annoyance what there was to find out? The walls were made from some kind of thin stone in the shape of large Hexagon panels that overlapped and locked together. On Prime they were a dark blue with a purple sheen. It seemed that the buildings on the other planets were all tinted to compliment the landscape. Although all the roofs were constructed with interlocking silver tiles that were in fact some kind of solar panel, unlike anything they had seen before.
They had placed the roofs and buildings low down on the, to do lists. Because knowing what substance the buildings
were made from made absolutely no difference to the running of the planet and could wait to be investigated by them or another scientist. What was more fascinating was that every floor of the Hexagons had glass doors or in some buildings the ground floor had whole walls that were only glass. Which could retract to open completely. That in of itself was not unusual, what was unusual were the windowpanes, they were not actually glass at all, but some kind of clear material that simulated glass. It was hard, durable, and most of all unbreakable.
Not long after they had moved into the homes, there had been several near accidents from overzealous Warriors. When it was noticed that every window possessed a small bot that crawled over the inside and outside of the windows cleaning them several times a day.
Jean had reset all the window bots in Peyton’s Hex for cleaning only at night or on demand after one had crawled across the window in her office. Peyton and Brenda happened to be in there at the time. Brenda had screamed, and Peyton had fried it with starfire thinking it was a huge spider. Because of that incident they found the windows were indestructible, as only the bot fried while the window remained intact. Peyton had been shaken and very remorseful for scaring Brenda even more than she was by the bot.
To make Peyton feel better, Jean had gifted her the fried bot to play with. She did not phase it like that, because as she told Darby, that would have been rude.
Each Hex had lawn bots that were a flat thin disk Darby had seen Peyton studying them, trying to see what they did with the grass and how they cut the lawn without blades. She could have told her it was laser cut, and the grass was turned into ash then mulched or so Nina had assured her. But as Peyton never asked, she decided to see how long it took before she was caught finding out for herself, and breaking the agreement. That very thought made her laugh quietly to herself at odd moments of the day.
