Anthimia 20, 230 A.C.

Continuing nouetic and electronic image and word stream from the Surakosan relief team in earthquake-stricken Eridu. This text has been edited for delayed release at this time, more than three weeks after the actual earthquake event.

After this first long night, the nouergists who are still available are resting. They cannot resume their activities until they have spent hours asleep. Ennio Liatris is dead in a lifter crash, and Barandigi is under sedation. She is considered an escape risk and is under surveillance at all times. Tanheu is still unconscious, with no sign of awakening as the day begins.

Around noontime, Mereth Kahn emerges from his geodesic dome retreat, clean and dressed in fresh clothing, as if he had never struggled through the ruins of a city. He's holding a cup of hot tea. What is this, a luxury expedition? Ariadne says nothing, she's tired from a morning of rescue and recovery among the fallen walls and roofs. She is bent over a GPS unit on the table, coordinating reports of people who are trapped and nouergically tracking them.

Mereth is reporting for duty. He has an idea as to how he can reach those people more quickly than a ground-based force, even when there is no place for a lifter to land. He can provide a levitation bubble that can ferry a powerful nouergist directly to the area of need, and then remove the victim to the nearest help station, whether Aurian or Eridanian. He uses levitation bubbles on the job, to impress a client with a ride over his or her building. Superheroics, of course, excessive nouergic dazzle most of the time. But now it can save lives. The bubble flies quite low, much lower than lifters or rotocraft, so it won't be in their airspace. Mereth can prolong the use of bubbles with a set of nouergic "batteries," retained effects he can borrow power from. They're in his messenger bag, he shows Ariadne. Small heavy iron cylinders, with a carbon core. They get hot when used, as hot as an iron pot in the oven, so they have to be handled and stored carefully.

Who among the nouergists is ready to work? The first day has taken a deep toll. Liatris is dead, Tanheu unconscious. Noshir has been designated as the Gateholder to open a gate back to Surakosai to evacuate the most serious injuries. Durvan is hung over, and Barandigi is under sedation. That leaves Kuklian, who was not so pleased when Mereth left him at the collapsed front wall of the Library. But Kuklian is rested, so Ariadne requests that he continue the mission with Mereth. Kuklian complains that the movement of the levitation bubble makes him queasy, but people's lives are at stake. Ariadne hands Kuklian a GPS plak with the coordinates of those most in need of rescuing.

Mereth crafts the bubble, a shining semi-transparent sphere of golden pseudomatter. Kuklian climbs in cautiously, passing through the side without a door, sitting beside Mereth on a seat crafted of the same stuff. Mereth places one of his "batteries" in a specially insulated sleeve pouch, and off they go, moving as fast as they can without Kuklian losing his lunch. The bubble disappears into the sunlight; some of the airborne dust is starting to settle and the sky is blue again.

TO BE CONTINUED

Posted at 2:01 am | link

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