Earth Star

15

That night I had dreams where images of the alien sphere mingled with ancient vid scenes of the glowing city of Eden, and woke feeling eagerly expectant. Today I’d finally see the ruins of Earth’s last city, built just before Exodus century when human technology and knowledge were at a peak that we were still struggling to regain. We’d overtaken its builders in portal and medical technology, but in everything else they were still beyond us, and we scavenged for scraps of their knowledge left behind in the ruins of their cities.

We all ate breakfast, changed into impact suits, and gathered at the dome exit. I was at fever pitch, impatiently waiting for my first view of Eden, greatest creation of the magicians of the past, while Playdon did his usual count of the class before we left the dome.

He frowned. ‘We’re missing someone.’ He tapped his lookup, and checked suited figures against his list. ‘Joth’s not here.’

Playdon vanished off down the corridor, while I groaned with frustration that Joth had to choose this morning to oversleep. Playdon was back inside a minute. ‘Joth’s lookup and his impact suit are in his room, but he isn’t. Everyone check your own room please and then gather in the hall.’

We all opened our impact suit hoods, tugged them down, and went to search for Joth. Other than our rooms and bathrooms, the dome only had a storage room, portal room, and the hall. It took less than two minutes to establish Joth wasn’t in any of them.

‘Joth was here late yesterday evening,’ said Playdon, ‘I saw him myself. If he portalled out after that, he didn’t check out.’ He turned to look at the remaining members of team 4. ‘Petra, you’re Twoing with him. What happened last night?’

Petra faced him defiantly. ‘That’s personal and not your business.’

‘I have a student missing on one of the highest hazard rated dig sites,’ said Playdon. ‘It’s my business.’

Another of team 4 spoke up. ‘They had a huge fight just after midnight. Something about Fian and Jarra coming back. Our rooms are close together, so the yelling woke us all up.’

‘Yes, if you must know, we had a fight,’ said Petra. ‘Joth yelled at me, I yelled at him, and Joth went off in a sulk. He must have portalled off somewhere, and he was so busy feeling sorry for himself that he forgot to stick his stupid hand on the check-out plate before leaving. There’s no need to make a huge fuss and nose into our private affairs like this.’

Playdon’s lookup chimed and he glanced down at it. ‘Portal Network Administration says our portal hasn’t been used since Jarra and Fian returned yesterday. Joth isn’t here, and he didn’t leave by portal, so he must be outside without a suit.’

I saw Petra’s face go pale with shock. After Playdon’s safety lectures, we all knew exactly why you didn’t set foot outside an Eden Dig Site dome without an impact suit.

‘Team 1, seal suits and come with me,’ said Playdon. ‘Everyone else, stay in the hall and don’t even think of leaving this dome.’

He turned and went out of the room. I hastily followed him, pulling up my impact suit hood and sealing the front.

‘Chaos take it,’ said Playdon as we arrived back at the dome door. ‘Joth’s turned off the safety monitors. No wonder we didn’t know he’d gone out. Jarra, Fian, Amalie, Krath, Dalmora, out you go.’

I could tell Playdon was frantic with worry by the way he actually recited our names as he sent us through the door and the sonic insect screens beyond it. He’d lost one student already, and obviously didn’t intend to lose another.

Once outside, I cast a hasty look around. The early morning rainfall must have only just finished, because the ground was sopping wet and the air was still misty with water vapour. Over to my left, stretched the glorious ruins of Eden. These weren’t just skeletal remains, blackened by ancient fires, like those in New York. Eden had been abandoned for centuries, but it still had the echoes of former greatness. The famous aerial walkways had long since fallen to the ground, but many of the buildings were virtually intact, and they shone with the inner light of the glowplas from which they were built.

Surrounding the dig site was a vast expanse of towering trees. Most of them had the distinctive silvery trunks and reddish leaves of the Griffith hybrid, a fast growing, genetically modified tree that was specially created centuries ago to help the rainforest recover from the era of deforestation. The Griffith hybrid did a great job back then, but now it’s a chaos nuisance around dig sites and settlements, as it takes the rainforest far beyond its original territory. At least two dozen settlements have been defeated by the Griffith hybrid and relocated, and Eden Dig Site Command had to fight a constant war with the trees to defend the ruins of Eden.

I could only spare that one look at our surroundings, because Playdon was already unlocking the huge doors of the sled storage dome.

‘These doors were still locked, so Joth can’t be in there.’

Playdon’s voice had the distinctive echo that meant I was within earshot but also hearing him on my suit’s team circuit. I pictured the rest of the class back in the dining hall, eavesdropping on the conversations on the team circuit to find out what was happening. Petra must be frantic with worry for Joth. If I was in her situation, with Fian missing, I’d …

‘We’ve no suit-tracking signal to show Joth’s location,’ said Playdon, ‘so I need Jarra and Fian to prepare a survey plane for an aerial search. The Eden professional pilot is currently on loan to Cairo Dig Site and getting him back would waste precious time. The rest of you check the area immediately around the domes, while I break the news to Dig Site Command.’

I helped Fian open the sled dome doors and turned on the glows inside. ‘I hope there’s a survey plane here,’ I muttered, as I looked around at the ranks of specialist hover sleds. ‘Most domes have one but …’

‘Behind the dumper sleds.’ Fian pointed out the plane.

‘Right at the back.’ I sighed, but wasn’t surprised. The Dig Site Federation employed professional pilots to fly the vital aerial surveys of the dig sites, but they all had their own planes assigned to them. The survey planes in dig site domes would only be used by the amateur pilots on dig teams, and there weren’t very many of us. I’d coaxed one of the professional pilots into helping me get my pilot’s licence when my school history club spent last summer on New York Fringe, but most people preferred to keep their feet safely on the ground.

‘You start running the diagnostics and power checks,’ said Fian. ‘I’ll shuffle the other sleds out of the way.’

I climbed into the plane and started the diagnostic sequence. A red light flashed.

‘Nuke it!’ I jumped out of the plane.

‘What’s wrong?’ asked Fian.

‘Power’s below critical. This plane can’t have been used in years. You keep shuffling sleds, I can handle this.’ I pulled out a cable from the dome wall, and dragged it across to plug in the plane.

Five minutes later, I heard Playdon on the team circuit. ‘Jarra, Fian, how are you getting on?’

‘Fian’s moved the last sled out of the way,’ I replied, ‘and I’m running a power recharge on emergency boost. I’m afraid I have to run in depth diagnostics as well, because the log says this plane hasn’t launched in three years.’

‘Not your fault, Jarra. Make perfectly sure that plane is safe, because crashing won’t help anyone. Joth’s lucky you have your pilot’s licence, because a ground level search would be hopeless in rainforest.’

Fian and I put on the hover tunics that would slow our fall if we had to jump out of the plane in midair. In theory, our impact suits would then protect us when we hit the ground. I’d never had to try that out. I hoped I never would.

We sat in the plane for another frustrating five minutes before it was recharged and the diagnostics had finished. I moved the survey plane forward on its hovers, out of the dome and into position facing the edge of the ruins, then opened broadcast channel on my suit. I spoke in my best professional voice since dozens of dig teams working on Eden Dig Site would be able to hear me.

‘This is Asgard 6 survey plane, requesting launch clearance for search flight.’

‘This is Dig Site Command. Asgard 6, you are clear to launch survey plane. Good luck.’

I hit the thrusters and pulled back on the stick. There was a mad thrilling moment as acceleration slammed me back into my seat and the plane shot upwards into the sky. Usually, I yelled out in pure joy at this point, but I was too worried this time. I levelled off the plane, checked the instruments were all on green, and banked to fly across the edge of the dig site.

‘This is Asgard 6 survey plane. Starting sensor data transmission and beginning search pattern over dig site. I’m thinking there won’t be many large animals there, so it’ll be faster than checking rainforest.’

‘This is Dig Site Command. Data reception is green. Please adjust your sensor settings since they’re currently in mapping mode and excluding life signs.’

Oh chaos, I hadn’t thought of that. I was barely capable of using the survey plane sensors, let alone changing their settings. ‘Fian do you know …?’

‘I don’t know anything about plane sensors,’ said Fian.

Landing to get help would waste time, and Playdon probably didn’t know how to do this either. He was scared of heights, and had never been in a plane. I’d have to do my best and hope for Joth’s sake that I didn’t mess up. Fortunately, I’d been giving Fian some flying lessons, so …

‘This is Asgard 6 pilot, Jarra Tell Morrath, handing control to co-pilot,’ I said on broadcast channel. ‘Fian Eklund, you have control.’

I stabbed a finger towards Fian’s control panel. He hit the unlock switch for the co-pilot controls, and gave his usual embarrassed sigh as he completed the required procedure to report a change of pilot. ‘This is Asgard 6 co-pilot, Fian Eklund. I have control.’

I hit my own switch to lock off the main pilot controls, and spoke on broadcast channel again. ‘This is Jarra Tell Morrath, please talk me through the changes to survey plane sensor settings. I know nothing at all about them.’

Dig Site Command gave me a whole set of instructions. I think I was shutting down some of the usual sensor checks for lethal hazards, like radiation which could damage body cells, and high magnetic fields that could play havoc with impact suit material and lift beams, and setting those sensors to check for major life signs instead.

I finished following the instructions, and tried engaging sensors, but a warning light flashed red at me. I was starting to panic when Fian reached across and changed one of the settings. The warning light went out and the sensors engaged.

‘You said you didn’t know about plane sensors.’

‘I don’t,’ he said. ‘I just know that when Dig Site Command told you to set something to 5, you set that one to 55.’

‘I did?’ I shook my head. ‘I’m not sure if I misheard, or the impact suit gloves made …’

‘This is Dig Site Command,’ said the broadcast channel. ‘Asgard 6 survey plane, your sensors are now green. Move to survey start point.’

Whatever I’d done wrong, the sensors were obviously working now. I sat back in relief to watch Fian flying his search pattern.

‘You see what a good idea it was to let me give you flying lessons.’

‘Yes, it’s useful that I can help at a time like this,’ said Fian, ‘but I still don’t have any ambitions to learn to take off, or land, or get my own pilot’s licence.’

‘I’m not pushing you into it. I just wanted to give you the chance.’

‘I know you worked hard to get your pilot’s licence. I can just imagine you on trips with your school history club, nagging the professional pilots into giving you trips in planes, and teaching you to fly. How did your history teacher feel about it?’

‘Well, when he found out he was a bit … startled.’

Fian made an odd choking noise. ‘When he found out? You mean, he didn’t know? You didn’t ask his permission first?’

‘He’d never said we had to ask permission before going up in a plane.’

‘Jarra! You’re impossible.’

I giggled. ‘I suppose I am. My teacher always said I’d give him a nervous breakdown one day. After we dug up Solar 5, he sent me a mail saying he’d seen the coverage on the newzies and asking me to give my current lecturer his deepest sympathies. Playdon seemed to find that really funny.’ I paused. ‘I hope Joth’s all right, but if he is then I’ll strangle him for scaring us like this.’

‘You’ll have to queue in line behind Playdon,’ said Fian. ‘He’s not only worried sick, but this is embarrassing him and every other dig team from University Asgard. When this is over, the Dig Site Federation is going to want to know how the chaos a Foundation course student walked out of an Eden dome without an impact suit. Accidents are one thing, but criminal stupidity is very different.’

‘It’s not Playdon’s fault if Joth deliberately turned off the safety monitors. We’re supposed to be responsible adults.’

I gazed out of my window at the ruins below. The neat, flat, glowing line of a clearway ran beneath us, a path of crushed rubble heading from our dome straight into the heart of Eden. There was no sign of any human being on it.

Fian was looking down too. ‘The main clearways are laid out very neatly here. One clearway running into the site from each dome, and them all meeting the central Eden Ring clearway. Nothing like the mess in New York.’

‘When they made the New York clearways, they had huge problems with all the high hazard areas and waterways. That’s why the New York Grand Circle clearway isn’t a proper circle, and the Loop is like a mad tangle of string. Eden is inland with no river, no flooding issues, and …’

A voice suddenly spoke on broadcast channel. ‘This is Dig Site Command. Asgard 6 survey plane, you’ve now covered all the dig site area that could possibly have been reached on foot in the time available. Please move to search rainforest.’

‘This is Asgard 6 survey plane,’ Fian responded on the broadcast channel. ‘Moving to rainforest.’

He put the plane into a sharp turn to take it back towards our dome and the nearest edge of the rainforest. Joth wasn’t anywhere else, so he must be somewhere among those trees, and that was bad, very bad.

We were flying over the forest now, and I looked down at the thick mist hovering above the tree canopy. ‘Even if Joth was powered, he should have known going into the rainforest was suicidal. Playdon sent us the same safety vids he showed to the class. Insects, snakes, poisonous plants, dangerous predators. Was Joth trying to kill himself?’

I’d said the last sentence casually, without thinking, but Fian answered in a harsh voice. ‘That’s the obvious answer.’

I felt sick. ‘Please no. It’s hard for us Earth kids when we hit the Year Day that makes us 18. Hospital Earth does their best to prepare us for it, but it’s still frightening leaving Next Step forever and knowing we’re totally on our own. Some go a bit wild. Some panic. There’s the occasional one who can’t cope and … But why would Joth do that? He’s got a real family. If he’s not happy here, he could go home, or portal to any one of hundreds of worlds.’

Fian didn’t reply, because a voice spoke on the broadcast channel, finally telling us the news we’d been waiting for. ‘This is Dig Site Command. We’ve pinpointed a definite human life sign in the rainforest. Asgard 6 survey plane, you can return to base.’

I took over control of the plane and flew back towards our dome. On the way, I spotted a transport sled driving along the edge of the rainforest, and made the instant decision to rapidly sideslip off some height and land by it. As soon as we were on the ground, I opened the cockpit and Fian and I jumped down and chased after the sled. It stopped for a second to let us climb aboard. I saw Krath was driving, while Playdon, Amalie and Dalmora were sitting on the bench behind him.

‘Joth’s somewhere southeast of our dome,’ said Playdon. ‘We’re driving east along the rainforest edge, and then we’ll have to leave the sled and go due south into the forest on foot with Dig Site Command guiding us.’

Fian and I swapped our hover tunics for hover belts, while Playdon turned to unlock a box that was sitting on the seat next to him.

‘There are original African animals in the rainforest, as well as some deadly genetically salvaged species,’ he said. ‘We’ve got impact suits to protect us, but Joth doesn’t. I’m carrying a gun, and Jarra and Fian can have guns as well. Amalie, Dalmora and Krath, you’ll bring the hover stretcher and a cover.’

‘Guns.’ Dalmora’s voice sounded grazzed.

I wasn’t surprised that Dalmora was shocked. As a tag leader, I routinely used tag guns to fire electronic tags at rubble that needed shifting, I’d even been trusted to use the dangerous laser guns to cut ancient girders into pieces, but those were just the standard tools used in archaeological excavations. Playdon had never given any of us actual weapons before.

I was Military now, and any fighting was my job, so I took the gun Playdon handed me and attached it to my impact suit. If Playdon thought Fian and I had been trained to use weapons, he was wrong, but I’d only fire the gun if I had to, and I’d make totally sure that no one was between me and my target. I knew Fian would be equally careful.

Krath stopped the transport sled, and Playdon did some checks with a small hand sensor before leading the way into the trees. We were all using hover belts set to maximum height, floating above the tangle of undergrowth and fallen branches. I gave one quick look upwards, at the dizzyingly tall trunks of forest giants and the canopy of leaves high overhead. Where the occasional patch of sunlight found its way through the foliage, it seemed startlingly bright in contrast to the dimmer light below, and I hastily dropped my eyes to concentrate on the obstacles ahead.

‘If an extinct species was dangerous, why was anyone idiot enough to genetically salvage it, let alone let it loose in Earth Africa?’ asked Fian.

‘They did it before Exodus, as part of the Primeval project,’ I said. ‘There were zoos you could visit and see extinct species. They didn’t have enough people to keep them running at the end of Exodus century, so the keepers released the animals. I understand they didn’t want to leave the poor things to starve, but it caused a few problems.’

‘I bet it did,’ said Fian.

Progress became easier as we went deeper into the rainforest. It was darker here and I realized the thick mass of leaves above was blocking the light and starving the new growth on the forest floor. The massive silvery trunks told me these trees were almost all Griffith hybrids, but occasionally we passed a spot where one of them had fallen and true rainforest species were growing to take its place.

The forest seemed almost as safe as the tropical bird dome back in Zoo Europe, but that was an illusion. Our hover belts kept us above the occasional pools of stagnant water. Our impact suits made us immune to insect bites, stinging plants and thorns. Joth would have been blundering through here on foot, an easy target for dire wolves or scimitar cats.

A sudden swaying of leaves overhead had me looking up and reaching for my gun. There was something big up there, but it seemed to be running from us rather than planning to attack. I turned to watch the shaking branches as it moved away, and noticed a distinctive turquoise patch high up on one of the silvery tree trunks.

‘What’s a Tuan creeper doing here?’

‘That thing was a Tuan creeper?’ asked Krath. ‘Are they savage?’

‘I didn’t mean whatever was moving through the tree tops,’ I said. ‘I just noticed an unusual plant. It doesn’t matter.’

We continued through the trees in silence for a few minutes, before Playdon checked his hand sensor and spoke again. ‘We’re nearly there. I don’t know how Joth managed to make it this far from the dome, especially if he came the direct route through the forest, but it looks like he’s been perfectly still since Jarra and Fian located him.’

I didn’t like the sound of that, but I reassured myself that the sensors would have warned us if Joth was dead. A moment later, I saw a limp figure propped against the trunk of a Griffith hybrid. We dropped down to the ground beside him, and I saw he was unconscious, with an angry red rash on his hands and face, and one arm dripping blood from a long gash.

I heard Playdon report back to Dig Site Command on a private channel, before taking out a medical kit and giving Joth a couple of shots. ‘Hospital Earth Africa Casualty said we should give him some broad spectrum treatments.’

‘Why is he unconscious?’ asked Dalmora.

Playdon set up the hover stretcher next to Joth. ‘My hand sensor is showing lots of anomalies on his body readings. His temperature is too high and his pulse too fast, so I think he’s ill.’

I watched anxiously as Playdon and Fian carefully lifted Joth on to a stretcher. I couldn’t remember ever seeing anyone as ill as this. People had accidents of course, but they didn’t get ill.

Just as we fitted the cover over the hover stretcher, it started to rain, the water suddenly pouring down in torrents that forced their way through the tree canopy overhead. It was a long, slow struggle to get the hover stretcher through the trees to our sled, and then we had to drive back to the dome. I sighed with relief when we finally sent Joth through the portal to hospital. He would be all right now.