Anthimia 10, 230 AC

We still have the nouetic and electronic feed from the Surakosan team on the Plaza at Eridu. Deep into the night, the aftershocks continue. People will not re-enter buildings because they are afraid that another aftershock will cause the broken walls to collapse. They are sitting around on what were streets and parts of the plaza under the starless sky, huddled in blankets or whatever they could find, waiting for something: rescuers, nouergists, relief teams, Aurians.

Tanheu the director has not awakened. It has been about four hours since he was brought in. He is lying on a mat over a pallet, and a makeshift canopy is draped over some wires above him. Barandigi is curled up in a blanket at his feet, asleep. I can't help being reminded of a faithful dog waiting for the master to revive. It sounds peaceful, but it is not.

Ariadne and some of the medics check in on him every hour. This hour the medic is a good friend of Tanheu's, an expert in nouetic physiology named T. I. Nuitnabar. T.I (Ta'Von Ioasaf) is a Surakosai-based Khemaru from the same upper-level caste as Tanheu. While he is checking the pulse at Tanheu's' neck, he notices he is wearing a gold chain and a pendant. This is the semiotikon, or symbolic emblem, which is part of every upper-class Khemaru's daily attire. But this isn't just an ornament. It's an octahedron with a lattice-work inside it, all of gold, and inside the lattice-work is a clear chip of purple amethyst.

Ariadne spots it and asks what it is. She knows about semiotika but this one is different, she has never seen him wearing it before. Dr. Nuitnabar answers softly and cautiously. "It's a.…religious symbol. I always suspected him. That is the sign for a society of scientists, mathematicians, and philosophers called the Uranian Order. They worship mathematics."

"But that's banned in Surakosai," says Ariadne. "Any openly displayed religious worship or symbol is forbidden. He could be blacklisted for this back home."

"Well then, Commander," says Dr. Nuitnabar, "we won't tell anyone, will we." Dr. Nuitnabar tucks the golden octahedron back into Tanheu's dusty black uniform shirt.

We are still missing contact with two of the nouergists who are out on missions. It is getting towards dawn when one of them finally restores his voice network. The voice of Durvan Karaman comes through the static. Where is he? Doesn't know. GPS is broken. Lost his map. Even nouetic remote viewing doesn't get him any useful information. Best guess is that he's about two or three kilometers out toward the edge of the city. Does he want to be guided in? What about a levitation bubble? Sorry, he's out of gas, not enough energy to do tricks.

How did he get there? The Aurians were flying them in a lifter. There was a critically injured woman. Liatris took care of her and they loaded her aboard, but there wasn't room for Karaman so they left him in this relatively clear square. This was just a few minutes ago. There should be a lifter coming your way soon with a casualty.

Karaman is in what was a market square. He hears an odd sound. It is not moaning, it is singing. People are gathered around a campfire in the pre-dawn chill, and they are singing. They have salvaged food and drink from the crushed market stalls and are having a picnic, there in the ruins. Karaman turns his headset so that the others on line can hear what he's hearing. The people in the ruined market wave to him and invite him to join them. There are unbroken bottles of wine to share, and many of the people have been drinking all night.

Then, another sound. A boom in the haze of destruction, more like a bomb than an aftershock. There is no cover to dive for. The sky is now turning deep blue, as dawn approaches. A column of smoke and sparks, lit from below by burning fuel, rises in the distance toward the Library plaza. Durvan knows what it is before anyone else. "LIFTER IS DOWN! LIFTER IS DOWN!" he shouts into his communicator. "Who was in it? Is this the one …" But Durvan can't reply, he is stunned. They are all gone. The two Aurians, and the injured woman, and Ennio Liatris. When a lifter fails, it doesn't glide. It falls like a brick. If he is out of energy, not even a master Nouergist can stop it. They are all gone.

TO BE CONTINUED

Posted at 2:16 am | link

---

Archives:

October 2011 (1)
September 2011 (1)
September 2010 (1)
July 2010 (2)
June 2010 (1)
May 2010 (2)
April 2010 (14)
March 2010 (3)
June 2009 (1)
May 2009 (1)
April 2009 (3)
March 2009 (2)
February 2009 (4)
January 2009 (4)
August 2008 (1)
April 2008 (2)
March 2008 (2)
February 2008 (4)