Arrival (30 page)

“You don’t pull any punches, do you?”

“Only when I have to,” Maria smiled.

“Anything else?”

“You have to forgive yourself.”

“Maybe you’re right,” Frank sighed.

“And until you do, you’re probably going to continue getting ill.”

“So you think my symptoms are psychosomatic?”

“Maybe.”

“I see.” Frank was a little surprised at her diagnosis. He had never thought himself the type that could become physically ill because of stress. But then, it seemed he was learning a lot about himself during this mission. “I’ll give it my best, Doc. Now, when can I get out of here?” he asked as he pulled the oxygen mask off his face.

“Well, your vitals all appear to be back to normal, and your blood glucose isn’t dangerously low, although I do suggest that you eat something before you go back to sleep. We don’t want to go through this again.”

“Quite right,” he agreed as he sat up.

Maria lowered the rail on his bed so that he could hang his feet over the side. “How do you feel sitting up?”

“Fine. A little weak, maybe.”

“No dizziness?”

“Nope.”

“Okay, then.”

Frank looked at her for a moment. “Thanks, Doc.”

“It was my pleasure,” she smiled.

Frank slowly scooted to the edge of the bed and stood up, pausing to make sure he was steady before heading for the door.

* * *

Jack had noticed that the hair on his arms had become lighter in color, taking on a pale, almost blonde tint over the past few weeks. In fact, after Jack brought the subject up, Will commented that Jack’s own overall hair color had grown a tad paler. After consulting the survival encyclopedia, they decided it was probably due to prolonged exposure to sunlight, something that none of them had ever experienced.

But Jack had noticed something else. He had become leaner and more muscular. He had been in pretty good shape most of his adult life, working out regularly in whatever gym was available to him at the time. But it wasn’t the sort of transformation that one would expect from vigorous exercise. Instead, it was more of a change in definition, leaving his muscles leaner, yet more defined. And he had noticed a similar change in Will as well. He decided that all the physical exercise they had been getting was causing the transformation in both of them.

But there was another change, one that could not be so easily explained. It was mental, and brought him a strange pleasure. He felt more alive, more conscious of his place in the vast world that now surrounded them. Perhaps it was the result of prolonged living in the outdoors, or maybe the fact that he was in better physical shape. Maybe his recently forced change in diet even had something to do with it. Whatever it was, he was enjoying it, as their journey through the jungle was beginning to feel easier.

Jack sat by the fire, watching its amber light dancing amongst the underside of the trees. After their adventure at the river, Jack returned to find that he had successfully snared a small animal he referred to as a rabbit, due to its similarities with the Earth versions that were raised on the Daedalus for consumption. Slaying it had been relatively easy. His mere presence had nearly scared it to death. Will, on the other hand, had expressed considerable remorse at the killing of the defenseless creature. But Jack, in his desire to eat meat once again, had no such compunctions. It had even been rather tasty. Even Will, who had also grown tired of fish and berries, enjoyed his portion of Cetian rabbit meat, and now he too sat by the fire, satisfied by the evening meal they had just finished.

“What are you doing?” Jack asked as he noticed Will carving away at a fat stick.

“I’m whittling.”

“I know you’re whittling, but what are you trying to make?”

“A recorder.”

“A what?”

“It’s a musical instrument. Kind of like a flute.”

“I never heard of it before. Where did you learn about that?”

“I used to read a lot when I was young. Anything I could get my hands on.”

Jack was intrigued. No one had thought to bring any sort of musical instruments on board during their ancestor’s hasty departure so many decades ago. And since there had been far too little resources on board to create them, most of their music was either recorded versions brought from Earth, or digital music created by the computer programmers with too much time on their hands. The idea of creating music manually, using a handheld instrument of some sort, seemed terribly foreign to Jack, even though he knew that music had been one of the few things common amongst all Earth’s cultures throughout human history.

“I didn’t know you could play an instrument.” As far as Jack knew, no one on board the Daedalus knew how to play a musical instrument.

“I can’t,” Will admitted. “But I thought I might give it a try.”

“Oh really? That’s gonna take some time, isn’t it?”

“
Time
, is the
one
thing I seem to have plenty of these days.”

That, Jack decided, was certainly true enough. “So, how does it work?”

“Well, if I remember correctly, it should be a hollow tube with a fipple at one end to create the sound when you blow. And it needs to have several holes spaced at proper intervals to make up a musical scale.”

“How do you know where to put the holes?”

“I’ve seen pictures of them before, and the holes looked like they were fairly evenly spaced. I figure after I make the first two holes, I can measure the change in pitch using the resonance scanner on the data pad, and then calculate the rest of the holes from there.”

“I never would have thought of that,” Jack admitted.

“I imagine hollowing it out is going to be the hard part.”

Jack rose, going over to his backpack. He pulled out the tool roll and produced a long, slender screwdriver and handed it to Will. “Maybe if you can find a way to sharpen up the tip of this, it might work for you.”

Will examined the implement for a moment, weighing its possibilities. “Thanks, Jack. This just might do the trick.”

Jack excused himself and went to his tent to turn in for the night. Will continued to whittle for several hours, turning the fat stick into a near perfect column before retiring to bed.

As he lay in his tent, waiting to fall asleep, he realized that for the first time, he had failed to make an entry into his journal. But he was tired now, and his hands ached from the hours spent carving.

CHAPTER NINE

“Do you have any idea what that stuff is?” Frank asked. He and Tony had spent most of the morning analyzing the last group of scans of the valley, which revealed something of interest along the base of the southern mountains.

“Not a clue,” Tony admitted, scratching the back of his neck. “It looks like rock, maybe with a thin layer of topsoil over it.”

“Maybe, but look here, and here,” Frank noted, pointing at several places on the displayed images. “It looks too porous to be rock, don’t you think?”

“Hmm.” Tony was baffled. Although he had some training in geology in order to deal with excavation requirements during construction of the starter colony, this was beyond his education. “Will would know what it was,” he admitted.

“Probably,” Frank agreed solemnly. He didn’t need anyone to remind him that Jack and Will were still missing.

“Can the computer tell us anything?”

“No, it just keeps spitting out the same response, ‘Insufficient data to speculate’. So much for artificial intelligence,” he quipped.

“Well, do we really need to know at this point? I mean, there’s no way we’re going to build the colony there anyway, not that close to the edge.”

“You’re probably right,” Frank admitted. “But we still need to know before we can build anywhere. It might not be anything to worry about, but then again?”

Tony nodded, knowing that Frank was right. “Guess we’re gonna have to go out and take a look to be sure.”

“Probably, but there’s no hurry right now.” Frank looked at the images again, focusing his attention on the base of the mountains at the far left edge of the monitor. Though most of the mountains were steep, there was one area near the bottom left of the screen that looked like it might provide a navigable path up the ridge. “Do you have any more images over this way?” Frank asked, pointing to the image of the mountain base.

“No, this is the last leg of the search pattern. Why do you ask?”

“Just curious,” Frank lied. “How high were you flying that thing?”

“About five hundred meters.”

“Is that as high as it can go?”

“Not by a long shot. That baby can climb to at least two thousand.” Tony boasted. “I just didn’t want to risk losing signal integrity and control of the aircraft.”

Frank considered their options for a moment. “It has auto-flight capabilities, right?”

“Sure. That’s how we got it to fly a standard search pattern. I doubt that I could have flown it accurately enough to gather these images without it.”

“So, you could load it with pretty much any instructions you wanted, even ones that would take it beyond control range?”

“I guess so, but why?”

“Look here, at this incline. It almost looks like a path up the ridge, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah, kind of.”

“I’d like to get a better view of that area, all the way up to the summit, if possible.”

“Why?”

Frank smiled. “Just humor me, okay?”

“Sure.”

“How long will it take you to write up the flight instructions?”

“An hour maybe?”

“Okay, we’ll work on it tonight. We can put it back up in the air tomorrow morning.”

“I’m gonna have to clear it with Lynn, first.”

“Yeah, I know. Leave that to me.”

* * *

“Okay, people, settle down so we can get this over with.” Lynn had become accustomed to raising her voice to get their attention. The evening meal seemed to be the time when everyone was most raucous. But after a month in command, she no longer needed Frank’s assistance to get them under control, and within seconds of her request, the group was quiet and attentive. “Let’s have a status report. Medical?”

“I’ve completed the fourth weekly review,” Maria reported. “Other than a few of us who have not been working hard enough to get back up to their physical peak after four months of zero gravity, there is nothing significant to report. No biochemical changes have been detected as a result of prolonged exposure to an alien environment.”

“Well, that’s good news,” Lynn agreed.

“So I feel comfortable in reducing the frequency of the physical exams and lab draws,” Maria added.

The room erupted in celebration, drowning her out completely.

“However!” Maria yelled over the cheering. “However! I remind you that we will still be doing them at least weekly until further notice!”

“Is that necessary?” Lynn asked.

“I’m afraid so. We’ve only been here for a month, Lynn. There may be things out there with much longer incubation periods. And there may also be things we simply haven’t been exposed to yet. It’s only once a week, people,” Maria said, casting stern glares at the rest of the group. “Contrary to popular opinion, I am
not
a vampire,” she joked.

“Very well,” Lynn agreed. “Post an exam schedule, and we’ll continue doing the exams in the morning.”

“I’ll have a schedule for you by lunch,” Maria promised.

“Biology?”

Adia cleared her throat. “I’ve finished processing the first batch of samples. I’ve looked at over three hundred different organisms so far. Everything from insects to rodents, and all from within the safe perimeter. Nothing poses a threat to us so far.”

“Excellent,” Lynn nodded. “What’s next?”

“I’m going to concentrate on larger animals and birds.”

“When will you be expanding your sample collecting to outside the perimeter?” She wasn’t pressuring her, she was just curious.

“After I finish with the next group of organisms, maybe two weeks? I don’t expect to find much outside the perimeter that I haven’t already found around here, with the exception of the beach areas.”

“Maybe you can focus your first work outside the perimeter along the coast?” Tony chimed in. “It would be important for us to know the differences between the two environments before we select a building site.”

“Yes, of course,” Adia promised.

“Okay.” Lynn turned her attention to Laura. “Genetics?”

“Well, I‘ve taken a wide variety of samples, a few from each category,” Laura reported. “Bugs, sea life, freshwater life, land animals and birds, along with several plants from each area. As best I can tell, they all use double-helix DNA strands just like on Earth,” she announced proudly. “That discovery alone ought to get my name into the history books.”

“Nothing troublesome?” Lynn asked.

“No, but, I haven’t really looked at their genetic interactions with Earth-based DNA yet. I’ve just been looking for anything at the strand level that might be different than what we already know about DNA,” Laura explained. “It will take years to analyze just the samples I’ve collected so far. Maybe decades to analyze every living organism within this valley.” Laura could tell that this fact troubled Lynn. “However, according to protocol, if any of the other departments find something of concern, I will concentrate my efforts on
that
issue instead of trying to get through as many organisms as possible.”

“Very well.” Lynn didn’t really know the protocols that governed the actions of the scientific members of her team. They were long, complicated algorithms that made her eyes cross. “Ag?” Lynn asked, turning to Sara.

“I should be harvesting the first group of Earth-in-Earth-soil crops within a few days,” Sara announced.

Again, the room erupted with cheers. Other than the fresh bread Laura had baked recently, they had been eating freeze-dried, dehydrated food for months, and they were looking forward to a fresh harvest.

“Thank you,” Sara preened, enjoying their praise. “After that, I should be harvesting something every ten days or so. The Earth-in-Ceti crops seem to be doing fine, although the color of some of the plants doesn’t seem quite right. I may need to add some soil constituents to the next batch.”

“Will they be safe to eat?” Lynn wondered.

“No,” Sara said emphatically, surprised that Lynn would even suggest such a thing. “At least not until Biology, Medical and Genetics have all given their approval.”

“Of course,” Lynn agreed, embarrassed by her error.

“I am going to need to gather more soil samples from all over the valley, if I’m going to complete my soil analysis in time for Tony to recommend a building site.” Sara took every available opportunity to remind everyone that she was more than just a farmer.

“Very well, Sara. We’ll get you out to collect within the next few days.”

“We’re almost finished with our aerial recon,” Tony interjected. “I’m gonna need her soil report soon,” he pointed out.

“Alright, you can take her out tomorrow morning, Tony.”

Sara beamed, satisfied that she had made her point.

“Uh, that’s not going to work,” Frank warned her. “Tony and I have to run one last pass at the southern base line.”

“I thought you finished that yesterday?”

“Well, we found an area near the base where we can’t make out the topography. There’s something strange we can’t identify.”

“Alright, Mac can take her out to gather the samples.”

Sara opened her mouth to object, but Mac beat her to the punch.

“I’ve got my own work to do,” Mac complained. “I don’t have time to babysit dirt-girl.”

“I don’t need anyone to
babysit
me,” Sara protested, fuming.

“Mission protocols, no one leaves the safe perimeter alone. You know that.” Lynn turned to Mac. “What is it that you have to do tomorrow?”

“I’ve gotta move the water intake and clean out the filters. They keep gettin’ clogged up by all that green crap in the river.”

“It’s called algae, moron,” Sara jabbed.

“I don’t care what it’s called. I just don’t wanna drink it.”

“That’s enough. How full are the storage tanks?”

“We’re at about three-quarters capacity,” Mac replied.

“Then I think we can last another day without the water plant. Just shut it down until you get back.”

Mac wasn’t happy, and neither was Sara. She had enjoyed the peace and quiet since Mac had become buried with maintenance work.

“Anything else to add from your department, Tony?”

“Nope.” Tony looked at Frank, wondering why he hadn’t told Lynn everything.

“Mac?”

“Nope,” Mac answered, still pouting.

“How about you, Frank? Everything okay in engineering?”

“Yup. Everything that
can
be repaired
has
been repaired. Everything that can’t, hasn’t.”

It was a rather short response, blunt and direct. And uncharacteristic for Frank. “Alright,” Lynn responded, not wanting to provoke him. “I guess that does it.” Lynn stood up and left the table, heading for the shower.

Frank also rose, heading forward. Tony followed, catching up to him in the forward passageway.

“What the hell was that all about?” Tony demanded.

“What was what about?” Frank responded innocently.

“Why did you lie to Lynn back there?”

“I didn’t lie to her.”

“I thought that you wanted to take a look at the ridgeline?”

“Ridgeline, base line, same thing.”

“Not from two thousand meters, it isn’t.” Tony protested. “Look, Frank. I don’t mind helping you with whatever you’re up to, but I would like to know what I’m getting into.”

“You’re not getting into anything,” Frank defended.

“Bullshit.”

“Look,” Frank said impatiently as he spun around to face Tony. “Are you gonna fly the damned thing or not?”

“Yes, I’m gonna fly it!” Tony exclaimed. If he didn’t fly it, he knew that Frank would. And Frank might crash in the effort.

“Good! Thank you.” Frank turned back around. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”

Tony stood there as Frank walked down the boarding ramp and stepped through the exterior hatch. He knew that Frank was up to something, he just didn’t know what it was yet.

* * *

Will had been successful in sharpening the long screwdriver by rubbing its tip against an unusually hard rock. With its new, sharper tip, it served quite well to hollow out the middle of his piece of wood.

“You’re looking somber this evening, Jack,” Will commented, noticing how quiet Jack had been. “Something on your mind?”

“No, not really.” Jack picked up another piece of wood and tossed it into the fire. “I was just thinking about my family,” he confessed.

“Oh, yes. I know what you mean.”

Jack poked at the fire with a long stick, stirring up its embers. “What do you miss the most?”

Will set down his work for a moment, thinking about the question. “Well, I would have to say that I miss the day-to-day routine the most.”

Will resumed carving out the middle of his recorder. “I know, some people hate the routine of day-to-day life, but I enjoy it. It’s comforting to me, knowing what to expect from one moment to the next.” Will stared at the fire, remembering. “Up in the morning, a cup of tea, a shower, kiss Abby and Kayla goodbye, walk Michael to class, then off to work. Then lunch with Abby at the mid-deck buffet, more work, then meet the family at the cafeteria for dinner. Then it’s home for some family time before the kids go to bed, and then the rest of the evening is for us.” Will stopped whittling again. “That was my life. Boring, yes. But it’s what I miss.”

“I know what you mean.”

“I’m sure your days were not as mundane,” Will said.

“Mundane? No. I’ve been in training for this mission since just after my son’s birth. So my day-to-day routine was never the same. I do miss our Sundays, though. I got a half-day off here and there, but I never trained on Sundays. That was my day to spend with my family.”

“I see.”

“We used to spend the morning playing on the garden deck. Matt and I would play catch. We’d eat lunch under the simulated blue sky. Tanya wanted to get them used to the idea of a sky. She used to make Matthew take the long route to class, forcing him to go through the garden deck, as if he were walking to school on the new world. She even made them watch old documentaries from Earth, thinking that it would help prepare them for their life here.”

“Not a bad idea, really.”

“No, it’s not.” Jack sat silently, watching the fire dance across the glowing woodpile. “She was always thinking about things like that. Always planning ahead.”

“How did you and Tanya get together?” Will asked. He already knew the answer. The population of the Daedalus averaged around two hundred men, women and children, and everyone pretty much knew each other to some extent. But it was a good way to pass the time.

“We used to play together when we were growing up. You remember. Tanya, Frank, Bobby, and me. We all grew up in the same section. We all had a crush on her when we were kids. But she seemed more interested in Bobby than anyone else. I guess when he was killed, she decided to settle for me. But I didn’t care. And any way that I could have her was fine by me,” he admitted. “I remember the day we were joined. Everyone gathered in the garden deck, their uniforms all cleaned and pressed. She was so beautiful, so graceful as she strolled down the aisle. It was like I was watching an angel.”

“I remember that day,” Will recalled. He and his wife had left their son with Will’s mother for the day to attend the joining. Everyone knew that it was a real union, something that didn’t happen very often, and they all wanted to be there to witness the event.