The Colony Ship Eschaton: The entire ten book series, page 45
“I wish the boys were here to tell us what kinds of trees these are,” Michael said. He thought a lot about the boys and how they had helped in the last adventure. Michael still felt remorse for the injuries they had received.
“I am sure they would be running ahead, playing race or something. Or climbing straight to the top of those kills,” Jamie said. “It looks like the road takes us up these hills and maybe over them, but what is making the tops white?” The road did run up along the hill, cutting back and forth into the granite in a series of zigzags. It was quite a winding road. And indeed, the tops of the hills were colored white. The road wandered through the hills as they were getting near the tops. The wind was much stronger here, and the temperature had dropped significantly. “Do you see it moving?” Jamie asked as they wound around the road as it climbed.
“The white things are animals!” Regina exclaimed.
The animals were hoping from rocky spot to rocky spot. They looked somewhat like the sheep back on the farms around Antioch, but had short little horns, which stood out straight from their heads.
“Acrobatic animals," Jamie said in admiration. “I am surprised they do not fall off these rocks."
The road reached a place where the top of the hill suddenly flattened out, and they could see how high they actually were. Looking back they could see the winding road as it led down the hillside around the granite slabs of rock, and beyond that the sea in the distance.
The flat top of the hill was not very wide, perhaps twenty paces of so, but was so high from sea level that the sky tubes literally looked much closer. The flat area had sharp, jagged rocks on either side which were the peaks of the hills. Located almost in the middle of that plateau was a building. As they walked up to the building, they could see past it and were again in awe.
For beyond the building was the other side of the line of hills, and the road descended in a manner very similar to what they had just climbed. But looking out, they could see another huge body of water. It was a second sea, which looked to be very much like the first.
They returned to the building. Above the doors the words “Weather Monitor” were molded into the permalloy. The automacube had stopped right in front of the doors. After a while, an appendage folded out from the top of the automacube and jacked into a port next to the door.
The door opened, and the automacube entered the building. Jamie, Michael and Regina followed. There were lights on inside, and the temperature was comfortable. There were active display banks along one entire side of the main room with numerous chairs located before each display. A series of controls was located on each desk in front of the displays.
“The technology is working here,” Michael said, taking off his backpack and sitting before one of the display screens. “They are set on default mode, but they seem to be functional.” Michael was genuinely surprised at what was working. “It uses an ancient menu system but seems straight forward enough.” He began experimenting with the switches and controls. “Yes! I think I can operate some of this!”
Regina also unloaded and sat at another terminal, looking at the displays. They all were showing information about Secondary Aquatic, with details about wind speeds, air pressures and water levels.
Jamie pushed the ‘HALT’ button on the automacube and sat down at a terminal. She, too, started to assess all the functioning that was before her on the old style display screens.
“The menus do not seem to go anywhere but this facility, and they just run scans for this habitat. It looks like it is a closed system, and I can find no AIs of any kind, even though it is pretty complicated for the functioning of this habitat. From what I can read here, this habitat is a central replenishing center for water. Not really a lot of controls, more a monitoring and reporting place.” Michael said. “This should be run by an AI.”
Jamie got up and walked about. “Do you think this system can repair the data sticks? It looks like it’s too primitive. I am going to look in the other rooms.”
There were three rooms in all that made up the Weather Monitor building. The operations room, an empty room and a room which seemed to have been used by people at some not too distant time. There were several cots, some woolen blankets and even a functioning toilet system. The toilet system was different than Jamie had used in Dome 17 but was a vast improvement over the methods she had grown accustomed to since coming onboard the Eschaton. While Jamie was using that functioning toilet she heard noises and voices.
“Are you the operators?” A voice asked in a rough dialect.
“Greetings,” Michael said as he turned to look at the man who had just entered the building. The man was carrying a large book under his arm and was dressed in a manufactured utility jump suit. Regina immediately thought of the clothing on the skeleton she had seen in engineering.
The man did not look frightened in any way, more surprised. His shaved head and thick mustache were well groomed. “Are you the operators?” He asked again.
Thinking quickly Michael responded, “We are operating these machines.”
“Then they are still serviceable for you?” The man’s smile was enormous. “We have followed the sacred Procedure Manual in every detail. We knew you would return.”
“My name is Michael, and this is Regina,” Michael said. He looked around and Jamie was walking back into the room. “And this is Jamie.”
“So you are all the operators? This is a glorious day. I am brother Sihnesto. It is my day to perform the rites and rituals of maintenance.”
“Sihnesto, please tell us more about what you are doing,” Michael said.
“I am doing the rites and rituals of maintenance as dictated in the Procedure Manual.” He held an old paper book in his hands. He held it with obvious reverence. “It is my sacred day to do so. Every day, one of the brothers or sisters comes and do our duty here. We have been waiting very long for the return of the operators. It is so good that you came! Let me complete the rites and rituals, and then we shall talk more. If that is allowed?” He bowed deeply to each of them.
“Yes, go ahead,” Michael said. He looked to both Regina and Jamie and was unsure if what he was doing was the right choice, but Sihnesto seemed to be welcoming and pleased to see them.
“Thank you Operator Michael. The Procedure Manual says that we are to maintain the machines as we await your return.” He then walked over to the first display. He bowed before the display three times, and then opened the book he held. It had a faded orange cover and well worn pages. He turned the pages with care and reverence. He then gently entered a series of numbers and letters. The display changed and read out: “Daily maintenance running.” He precisely repeated this exact thing with each display until all were showing that same message.
“Now I wait for the machines to complete the ritual. If any machine displays an error code, I look it up in the Procedure Manuel and enter the proper responses. It is a great honor to be the one selected. It is an exceptional honor that you have come when it was my turn to represent the Fellowship of Maintenance.”
Regina, Michael and Jamie pondered what this all meant.
Sihnesto folded his legs under him and sat on the floor looking up at the displays. As time passed and each display went back to the settings they had when Regina, Michael and Jamie had entered; he stood up and turned to them.
“Again a good day! No error codes, so I have done the rituals properly. I am unworthy of this honor,” Sihnesto proclaimed and bowed to each display in turn. “You may continue your operations, and please pardon my unworthy self.” Sihnesto stood, tucked the faded orange book under his arm and began to depart.
“Sihnesto, can you help us?” Regina blurted out.
17 Oh no, not again.
The boys soon settled down, and their dreams were forgotten for the moment. Brink, however, was immersed in his mind with the images of Dome 17 and the tan mist of death. So he just stumbled along without really watching where they were going. He was following the boys, but his thoughts were elsewhere. Perhaps had he been paying more attention he would have realized that they were being followed.
The boys soon saw the doorway, which had the lower half of it cut away.
“I will get there first!” Joel yelled and off he raced. His feet barely touching the ground as he ran to beat his brother.
“No way!” Jacob called and took off.
The boys were soon out of the trees and onto the weeds and grass which stretched out before the door. Brink was walking along when he was saved by a root. He was still thinking about his dream, and his mind was in Dome 17 running from the tan mist when his toe caught a root sticking up from the ground, which made him fall forward. Just as he fell, the rock whizzed by barely missing his left ear. The ground was fairly soft. Brink’s mind was instantly back in tune with what was happening around him as he felt the grass in his face.
The rock thudded into the tree just beyond him. That noise alerted the boys, who looked back and saw Brink on the ground. Then they saw the man who was reloading his sling and starting it to swing again. “Brink look out! Shammai is here!” Joel yelled.
Far off to the side was, in fact, Shammai. He was standing there with his sling slowly twirling about, another rock loaded into its pouch. “You go away!” Jacob yelled and ran toward Brink.
Shammai looked back at the boys with his piercing blue eyes from under the ragged brown hair of his head. “I have not forgotten what you did to me. You devil possessed children will be dealt with next. You will be disciplined severely soon enough.” Shammai then turned back toward Brink. “After I smite this abomination!” He let fly another stone.
Brink rolled over just in time, and the stone struck into his backpack spilling the contents out onto the grass. The fusion pack landed first.
“No! You stop that!” Joel cried out again, and began digging into his canvass bag for his knife.
Jacob had nearly reached Shammai when it dawned on him that he had no idea why he was charging toward him. The rage in Jacob’s heart was thoughtlessly propelling him forward. The memory of Shammai breaking his arm was fresh in his mind, and he was just enraged. Shammai was trying to load another rock into his sling when Jacob crashed into him at full speed. They both went tumbling down onto the grass.
“You accursed spawn of demons!” Shammai yelled out as he fell onto his butt. “You cannot touch me; I am from the Clan of Tobit, and no RC dares to touch an adult!” His voice was nearly hysterical as he glared at Jacob. He tried to pull the short club which hung from his belt, but it was tangled under him.
Brink grabbed up the fusion pack and ran toward Shammai. He saw Jacob crawling away quickly; his rage spent with the impact. “Why do you attack me?” Brink yelled as he held the fusion pack out before him.
“What is that?” Shammai asked, his hysteria turning to panic as he saw the high tech apparatus in Brink’s hands. “Is that another of those weapons that kill?”
“It will turn you into a pillar of salt!” Joel yelled. He had no idea exactly why he said that, but maybe it was a combination of the pranks he and his brother had pulled on people before, as well as his memory of what Shammai had done and said before.
“No please...” Shammai cried as his eyes looked down at the fusion pack with its strange buttons, plugs and jacks. “Not that... please!” He put out his hands in front of him as if to ward off whatever was coming.
Brink knew that somehow the man sitting in the grass believed what Joel had said. Brink was puzzled, but he did recall Michael and Jamie saying that there were primitive superstitions in some of the people. Just as Brink started to say something, Jacob interrupted. “It is the same machine that killed Sinclair!” Jacob yelled out.
Shammai’s eyes went wide with terror. The black pupils shrank to mere pinpoint in the center of blue. His lips quivered, and his composure was lost. He fell on his face in the ground. “No, do not kill me... please...” He whimpered.
“Pass that rock throwing strap over here,” Brink commanded. “And that stick you are carrying.” Without looking up Shammai did as he was told, still sniveling in fright. The boys retrieved the items. They were both now holding their knives. “Now sit up and answer all my questions,” Brink said, still holding the fusion pack out in front of him. Shammai sat up, but kept his head bowed low. He was shaking in fear. “Why did you attack me?” Brink asked.
“If you lie, the machine will work,” Jacob added quickly.
“I saw you in Gath. I wanted revenge on these RCs who cut me. I still have the pains when I walk from where they hurt me. It is an offense, and they should be punished,” Shammai explained. He had regained a bit of control over himself when he spoke from the anger of revenge. It was not enough to allow him to look up at Brink however.
“So you thought that by killing me you would be able to hurt these children?” Brink was astonished.
“Yes, but I have failed. Your demonic magic is too powerful for me,” he started to cry again.
Brink was at a loss for words. Being attacked by the crazed man was not in his equations but neither was the nightmare in Gath. He considered what to do. Finally, he came to the conclusion that it was best to get back to the calculated actions of going to where Jamie and Michael had first docked their scout ship. He needed Roxanne, the modern AI, to solve the data stick problem. He could not figure out how to account for Shammai’s superstitious ideas.
“Get up,” Brink commanded. Shammai stood, his knees almost buckled, but he remained on his feet. “Where is this Clan of Tobit you speak about?” Brink asked.
“The Clan of Tobit lives in and around Media. I do trading and foraging.”
“If I release you, will you go back to them and leave me and all my friends alone. Never come and bother people again?” Brink asked.
“Yes... just please do not curse me... please!” Shammai fell to his knees again and was weeping.
“Leave now,” Brink said.
Shammai did not need to be told more than once. He jumped up and raced off as fast as he could. He did limp somewhat as he ran.
“Will he bother us again?” Brink asked the boys.
“Probably. He's a scary man,” Jacob said as he put his knife away.
“Yeah, and he does not mind lying about anything,” Joel said sounding very superior and smug.
“A pillar of salt?” Brink said and looked at the boy. His ego deflated. He did not say anything. “Well boys, this is where I had planned to leave you, and go on my own, but with that crazy guy out here, I can’t do that. I need to go on into the inside. Will you come with me? Then I will take you back home,” Brink could not just abandon the boys, yet he felt guilty forcing them to do something they did not want to do.
“Last time Michael and Jamie sent us home alone we got attacked by Shammai. I think we would rather go with you,” Jacob said, and Joel nodded his head in agreement.
“Let’s go in!” Brink declared. He turned on the light on the fusion pack and crawled through the bottom half where the door had been cut away. He had to slide his backpack in first in order to enter. The boys followed. They stood on the landing of a circular stairway leading downward. There was a dull orange glow to the area.
“Down we go,” Brink said and they started walking down the stairs. At each landing Brink tried the doors, but none of them would open. He could see no obvious access panels or controls either. As they walked the boys got surprisingly more excited. In part, it was leaving Shammai behind and, in part, the excitement of exploring the unknown.
As they descended, the orange lights came less frequently, until at the bottom of the flights of circular stairs, the orange lights were just a distant glow far overhead. Brink’s light from the fusion pack was all that shined along the long hallway which went in both directions. Darkness was down each direction, and Brink pondered which way to go. Ahead, in either direction, was a just a dull flat grey color. Where the beam of light struck, the walls were whitish, but they seemed dull and lifeless.
Brink thought about his choice and finally decided that he would head down one direction. It did not come from a mathematical calculation but rather from some inner instinct. Overhead, large pipes were now suspended, and there were smaller tubes and wiring all over above their heads, most lost in shadows. Brink and the boys walked onward. They tried to open several doors, without success. The hallway branched several times and twisted around in several tight corners. Brink tried to keep to the right but was unsure if he actually did that. Finally the hallway ended in a closed door. There was no handle. There were no visible controls on the door.
“Is this the end?” Joel asked. His eyes shined in the light from the fusion pack.
“We got lots of places to explore, other turns to try. Who knows what we will find down here, right Brink?”
