 |
|||
|
|
Chapter 34
On Sol5g, the great telescope of the Percival Lowell II Observatory was the only instrument within 5 light years able to study the corpse of what had been the home of humanity. It was hardly the ideal place from which to observe the dead world. The moon's orbit around Sol5a meant the vast bulk of the Sol system's largest planet, with its boiling clouds and angry red spot, dominated the sky. Only by careful computation of the moon's orbit and that of Sol5a and Sol3a could the astronomers have hoped to gain a short glimpse of the derelict sphere from which the Sol3a women had fled.
As far as most of the inhabitants of Sol5g were concerned, they weren't much interested. Sol3a might have been the home world once but no one on 5g felt they owed them anything and since Sol3a had been evacuated the Sol5g community had been left in peace. No tax collectors, no tourists, no chancers, they had the Sol system all to themselves. They had their hydroponic farms, their atmosphere generators and the same cloning techniques that had enabled Sol3a to prolong its life. They didn't need anything else.
Some of the astronomers, though, still took an interest in the derelict planet. From her seat on the observation platform of the 20 metre reflector Denyes Daforn called down to her colleague. "It's there, Anyara" she said, "but the cloud cover is as complete as ever. The temperature down there must be way off the scale."
"Uuh huh," Anyara called back, "can we swing the mirror back to where its supposed to be pointing, now? You know there's no clearance for in-system observations."
"OK, OK," Denyes responded, pressing the button set the motors twisting the mirror to its new position; training the telescope out into deep space.
"Hey, are we getting some supper tonight? I thought your womb-mother was supposed to be sending something up."
"Doubt it," said Denyes, "she's out with friends. The chances of anything coming from Ma's are a million to one."
Anyara looked up as a shooting star slipped across the heavens above them. She looked again. "Hang on," she said. "That can't be a shooting star." A second one followed it. "Denyes what was that?"
The two of them stared up as more bright lights slipped across the sky. One more, then two then four. Then a pause. Then more. Anyara flipped open her communicator and punched a few buttons. "Hi, Jenna, its me," she said. "Have you seen the light show. Yes, it's quite something. No, we don't know what's causing it either. Sure. Yes. Talk to you later. Bye."
She turned back to Denyes as more bright lights shot across the sky above them. "The whole bunch of them are watching it. They reckon it's the best light show since Shumacher-Levy went in back in '98. Everyone's out in the main plaza. Quite a party they're all watching …. Oh! Oh!"
Anyara's commentary was cut off as the sky above them erupted in a literally blinding flash of white light. "I can't see," she screamed, "Help me, Denyes, help me. I can't see."
"Anyara, I'm blinded too. The lights were so bright. Wait a while, the effects will wear off. Don't move you'll fall from the gantry."
Across each domed settlement on Sol5g the same scene was being played out. A cordon of magnesium flare bombs had detonated simultaneously a few hundred feet above the moon's surface producing a light of such intensity that all those watching, every single inhabitant of Sol5g, were rendered instantly sightless.
Denyes couldn't say how long she clung to the gantry of the telescope, hoping for her sight to return. She heard movement in the observatory below. "Is there anyone in here," she heard a guttural voice call out.
"Up here," she cried, "up here on the observation platform. "There's two of us."
"Yes, up here," Anyara joined in. "We can't see. The lights…"
"We know." The voice was much closer now and Anyara could hear the speaker moving closer to them.
Denyes called out, "Help us please."
"Here," the voice said, "reach out with your hand. Grip on to me and I will lead you out. Both of you."
Anyara reached out and grasped at her rescuer. She was surprised his hand was hard, seemingly armoured. "Oh," she thought to herself, "why don't they take their space suits off?" She spoke out, giving voice to her fears "Is there a problem with the dome?"
"Don't worry," came the reply, "the dome's all right. You'll be taken care of now."
|
|
|