I paused. No one was saying a word. Were they thinking me a complete nardle? ‘We never found the device, the power cells eventually died, but then we had a solar super storm. It induced electrical currents in wiring and equipment on Earth’s surface, and gave the alien device a freak moment of power which sent a message to the sphere. That responded by heading to Earth, and now it’s up in orbit waiting for another message. It won’t get one because the solar super storm is over.’
Colonel Torrek spoke at last. ‘So the sphere is waiting for us to communicate, but not with random messages, with the specific one from an alien device that we never found. Where would that device be, Jarra?’
He wasn’t yelling at me for waking him up. He was taking this seriously. ‘The sphere is in geostationary orbit, sir, holding position over Earth Africa. Logically, the first place to look would be directly beneath it.’
‘We checked there already,’ said Colonel Torrek, ‘but not for this reason. We were looking for signs of an attack, but everything appeared perfectly normal and the sphere’s orbit was so far out from Earth that …’
‘The device would be underground,’ said Leveque. ‘Hidden and protected from damage. There would probably be a signal to attract our attention, but the power has run out. If it was buried thousands of years ago, any surface indications would be long gone.’
He paused. ‘When the portals are back, I’d recommend investigating this, sir.’
‘It’s the best idea we have at the moment,’ said Colonel Torrek. ‘How would we do this, Jarra? Military excavation methods involve blasting techniques, and we don’t want to damage anything.’
‘Archaeologists often blow things up when they’re working in the old cities abandoned in Exodus century, but with older, rarer remains, they do very delicate excavations. I’ve done very little of that, they don’t let school kids play around with irreplaceable ancient relics, but there are plenty of experts on the dig teams.’
‘We’ll want to keep this very quiet,’ said Colonel Torrek. ‘Your lecturer is Stasis Q, so he’s already taken the Security Oath and appreciates the need for secrecy in some areas. It would be simplest to call in people like him to help you with your excavation. If we get the sphere talking to us, it changes everything, but if we find nothing at all … ’
‘My excavation?’ I was grazzed.
‘They’ll expect the Military to be in charge,’ said Colonel Torrek. ‘This is your idea, and only you and Fian have the appropriate knowledge. The Military Academy sometimes sends cadets to the amateur dig sites for a week of practical experience working in impact suits and using lifting equipment, but that wouldn’t qualify anyone to lead this.’
‘Yes, sir, but I’m not qualified either. I’d be giving orders to experts who know far more than I do.’
Colonel Torrek laughed. ‘I do that all the time, Jarra. Do you think I have the faintest idea how Mason comes up with the numbers he tells me, or could match Nia’s scores in a flight simulator? The answer is no, but I don’t need to do their job, I need to do mine.’
He paused. ‘You know what needs doing, Jarra. You get the real experts to do it for you. If they hit a problem, or give you conflicting opinions, you listen and assess their reliability. You then decide whether to do something, to do nothing, to call in extra specialists, or refer the decision further up your chain of command. Simple.’
I was sure it wasn’t that easy, but I comforted myself with the thought that I’d only have to play the part for a few hours in front of some archaeologists, and I could depend on Lecturer Playdon to help me. ‘Yes, sir.’
‘We’ve got plenty of time before Earth is out of portal lockdown. We’ll send you a list of possible personnel and the data we’ve got on your excavation site before then. You can brief your lecturer now if you wish.’
‘Thank you, sir. He’s about to play drums in a music group, so I think I’ll wait until after that.’
Colonel Torrek smiled. ‘I’d heard there were huge parties going on all over Ark. We may have to let your recruits sober up before you start your excavation.’
‘Possibly, sir. Things are fairly quiet and well-behaved here, but I don’t know what’s going on at the other dig site evacuation areas.’
The call ended, and Fian looked at me thoughtfully for a moment before speaking. ‘Jarra, you’re going to be in charge of this excavation.’
‘Apparently, yes. I’ll need you to help me of course.’
‘It’s just …’
‘Yes?’
‘Surely everyone will expect you to wear an impact suit.’
I stared at him. ‘Oh chaos!’
28
As we headed down to the main hall, I did some urgent thinking. ‘We have two options. First option, you lead the excavation.’
‘Me? Oh no!’ Fian shook his head. ‘Me Captain, you Major.’
‘You know as much about excavations as I do.’
‘I don’t know nearly as much about the Military.’
‘I scanned a lot of texts, watched a lot of vids, that’s all. I don’t really know what I’m doing.’
‘If you don’t know what you’re doing, then you’ve been giving a chaos good impersonation of it, Jarra.’
He had that stubborn look on his face. I sighed and gave in. ‘Second option, I call the Colonel back and tell him I’ve talked him into following up my theory, but totally forgotten I couldn’t wear an impact suit.’
‘How about a third option?’ said Fian. ‘You give instructions from inside a dome. You can watch everything by using vid bees. If something needs a closer inspection, I can go and take a look.’
‘People will think it really peculiar.’
‘So explain it to them,’ said Fian. ‘Remember what Playdon said earlier. It isn’t unusual to have a problem after a serious accident.’
‘It would be horribly embarrassing, but …’ I sighed again. ‘One way or another, I’m going to look a complete nardle. I’ll watch the band and then talk to Colonel Torrek. He’ll have to decide if he’s happy with me telling people about the problem, or if he prefers to put someone else in charge.’
‘So long as it isn’t me.’
‘He could draft Playdon.’
Fian gave a choke of laughter. ‘I don’t think Playdon wants to be Military. If he did, he could have signed up himself years ago.’
We reached the main hall, and saw the band already in position, floating in midair at the far end.
‘What? How?’ Fian stared at them.
Despite my problems, I giggled. ‘They’ve borrowed a few hover belts. Much easier than setting up a stage.’
‘Dalmora looks amaz!’
I looked gloomily at Dalmora. Her black, waist-long hair hung loose, with silver flashes of light flickering in it. The classic beauty of her delicate, dark face was subtly emphasized with makeup. She was dressed in trailing lengths of deepest red material shot through with strands of silver. She was far more than just amaz, she was totally zan, and I knew I would never, ever, look that lovely.
‘Hmmm.’
Fian frowned at me. ‘Jarra! You’re surely not jealous just because I said Dalmora is looking nice.’
‘Of course not. It’s just that when Dalmora dresses up like a vid star, I feel a bit … ordinary.’
Fian grinned. ‘Jarra, trust me, you’re far from ordinary.’
‘I meant … Oh, never mind.’
Krath and Amalie waved at us from the crowd, and we went to join them. A magnified voice echoed around the hall.
‘This is Dig Site Command. Last chance to take refuge up in the corridors everyone. We’re about to go code black, with Rono and the Replays!’
‘Hit it!’ yelled Rono.
The band went wild, and the music rolled over us. I’d heard plenty of music on vids and recordings of course, and heard people playing guitars, but nothing like this. I could almost physically feel the rhythm of the drum beats.
‘Zan!’ said Krath.
‘
It’s … not that bad.’ Fian stared wide-eyed at the floating band.
I was struggling with the words. I didn’t know how much sense there was in them to start with, and archaisms sometimes didn’t translate well into Language, but the music was fun. Rono did most of the singing, but Playdon and Stephan joined in for choruses. Dalmora didn’t seem to be singing. She’d probably been too busy learning her guitar part to worry about the words.
The first song finished, and the audience applauded. There were obviously some long-term fans here, because some of the people at the front had been singing along with the incomprehensible choruses. They now started yelling requests. Rono leaned forward to listen and then turned to Playdon. ‘Shall we?’
‘Why not.’ Playdon gave his evil smile. ‘Some of my class are here. Listen closely, Asgard 6. There are a lot of twentieth-century pre-history references in this. I’ll test you later on how many you recognize.’
‘A test?’ Krath said. ‘He can’t be serious.’
Fian laughed. ‘I bet he is.’
The band started playing something about how they didn’t start a fire. I caught enough of the words Rono was hammering out to realize Playdon was right about the pre-history references, but they were coming far too fast for me to follow them. By now, the front ranks of the audience were making vague dancing motions, and by song three Krath and Fian had joined in.
Amalie watched Krath with a frown. ‘I suppose he thinks he’s dancing, but he has no sense of rhythm. Not surprising given he has no sense.’
I glanced at Krath, giggled, and turned my eyes back to the more appealing sight of Fian. ‘Are Deltans allowed to dance like that? It doesn’t look respectable to me.’
The song ended, Fian turned to me and laughed. ‘I told you, I’m a very bad Deltan, and anyway I’m just copying Rono. Come and dance too.’
I gave a theatrical sigh. ‘I’m getting corrupted by a Deltan.’
Fian took my hand, pulled me close, and whispered in my ear. ‘I’ve always wanted to corrupt a Betan.’
‘I thought you were still nervous of Betans.’
‘I was, but now I’ve got used to the idea of you being one, I think it could be quite exciting.’
The music started up again with song number four, and we danced. Krath stopped jiggling around to stare at us. ‘Amaz! Jarra can really dance.’
I laughed. ‘They teach us Earth kids to dance in Home. The idea is it wears us out without wrecking the place.’
After about an hour, the band took a break, which was followed by a set of quieter, romantic songs. My lookup picked this moment to chime and I hastily muted it. I glanced at who was calling, frowned, and disentangled myself from Fian to head to the portal end of the hall where I wouldn’t disturb anyone. Fian followed me, with an expression of frustrated disapproval.
‘Sorry, but it’s Keon,’ I said. ‘I have to answer in case …’ I broke off because two familiar figures were walking towards me.
‘Hello, Jarra,’ said Keon. ‘I thought I’d call you. Less effort than searching through the crowd.’
Issette just gave me a hazy smile. I looked at her sternly. ‘Are you powered?’
Keon sighed. ‘Medical students! They mixed up a bowl of their own special drink. I dread to think what they put in it.’
‘It doesn’t seem to have affected you.’
‘I wasn’t stupid enough to drink it.’ He gazed across the hall at the band, which had just started a louder number. ‘I brought Issette here because I thought archaeologists were more respectable than medical students. Perhaps I was wrong.’
‘You see the one going mad on the drums? That’s my lecturer.’
Keon shook his head sadly. ‘Norms.’
‘He’s got great legs,’ said Issette.
There was a moment of pure horror before I realized she wasn’t looking at Playdon but at Rono. I sagged with relief. Rono wouldn’t be embarrassed to get drunken compliments, he’d just laugh and tell Issette he was flattered but extremely happily married. I decided Rono did look a bit like Issette’s favourite singer, Zen Arrath, though Issette was right. Rono had much better legs.
Issette was dancing now, and drifting inexorably towards the crowd watching the band. Keon sighed, took her hands, and they swung into the dance routine that won them first prize in our last year at school.
‘Could we do that?’ asked Fian.
I giggled. ‘I could do that. I don’t think you could.’
‘Oh really? Just let me try!’
He tried. I was right. He couldn’t. We returned to our previous, closely entwined dance style, with Fian murmuring startlingly suggestive remarks in my ear. I swear I actually heard him use not only the butt word, but the breast word as well. Rock and roll music seemed to have a shockingly bad effect on innocent Deltans. I made a mental note to do detailed research on this later when we were somewhere more private.
The band wound up for the big finish, and did an encore before packing away their instruments and sound system. I introduced Keon and Issette to Amalie and Krath, though I doubted whether Issette was in any state to remember names. The six of us got drinks of Fizzup and went over to chat to Playdon and Dalmora.
‘That was amaz!’ said Krath. ‘You can actually play those drums.’
Playdon laughed. ‘There’s no need to sound so surprised, Krath.’
I noticed Dalmora was staring at the floor, looking depressed. Had she been trying to look as beautiful as possible, hoping to win a response from Playdon? I could have told her that would never work. Growing up as a ward of Hospital Earth, I’d learned to recognize the type of adult who’d abuse a position of trust. Playdon definitely wasn’t one of them. I hoped Dalmora would forget about him now, maybe even get interested in one of the class.
I handed a glass of Fizzup to Playdon. ‘Sir, a couple of my friends are here. They’ve brought their bags, and we have several spare rooms, so I wondered if …’
‘I remember Keon and Issette,’ said Playdon. ‘We’ve run into each other a couple of times in hospital waiting rooms. If they’d like to stay, I don’t see any problem.’
‘Thank you,’ said Keon. ‘We’re refugees from a party that started seven hours before portal lockdown and is now totally out of control. Two hundred and seventy University Earth medical students, all going wild trying out the things that were forbidden when they were living in a Next Step. I thought it best to quietly leave.’
Playdon looked at the way he was holding up a sagging Issette, and nodded. ‘Very sensible.’
A lookup chimed, and a wail from Krath attracted the attention of everyone in the area. ‘I don’t believe this!’
‘Something wrong, Krath?’ Playdon sounded amused.
‘It’s my nardle dad. He’s just mailed me with some stupid story about the Military sending us into Ark because Earth is being attacked by aliens. He really is …’
I missed what Krath said after that, because a chorus of other lookups chimed around the hall. The vid feed from Earth Rolling News appeared on the wall, showing a fancy dress party, but someone instantly changed channel. A scrolling banner told me we were now watching Gamma Sector News.
‘So far there is no comment from the Military about the truth of the allegations, or the authenticity of the vid sequences showing the alien craft. Given the academic record of …’
It was a man speaking, but you couldn’t see him. The whole screen was taken up with a familiar vid sequence of an alien sphere approaching Earth.
29
Everyone in the hall was staring at the picture of the alien sphere. I saw Issette’s face slowly change from confusion to terror, and imagined this scene being duplicated all through Ark. Drunk and powered people at parties, looking at these pictures, laughing at first and then starting to panic. Someone had talked. If it was one of my History team, I would personally murder them.
Fian whispered into my ear. ‘Will they deny it?’
I gave a gesture of ignorance and despair.
br /> The vid sequence ended, and was replaced by an image of a face. I stared at it for a second, before turning to look at Fian.
‘Gaius nuking Devon,’ he muttered. ‘Well, of course …’
A news presenter was speaking. ‘Eminent portal physicist Gaius Devon stated he was forced to break his oath of secrecy due to the criminal negligence of the Military in not destroying the alien sphere. It was, he said, his duty to risk arrest to warn the public. The sphere has completely unknown capabilities, and poses a threat not just to Earth but to sector planets.’
He paused. ‘Professor Gaius Devon holds the Wallam-Crane Portal Physics Chair at University Alcestis, which is still declining to make any comment.’
‘I bet they are,’ said Playdon.
Someone changed the vid channel back to Earth Rolling News. They’d left the party and were back with a presenter at their Ark centre. Her shocked face was a dramatic contrast to her frivolous party dress.
‘… stay with Earth Rolling News for a statement from Colonel Riak Torrek, commanding officer of the Alien Contact programme. Stay with Earth Rolling News for …’
I ignored the repeat of her words, and pulled a face at Fian. The Military had admitted Alien Contact was active, which meant they were going public. Where did that leave us? Should we still hide our Military ranks or …?
Lookups were still chiming around me. I realized I’d left mine on mute after Keon’s call, and checked it. A dozen personal mails had just arrived, probably telling me to watch the newzies, and there was a mail forwarded from my Military lookup. I scanned it rapidly. This was a general bulletin to all Military personnel, warning them the Alien Contact programme was active and they should be prepared to reassure concerned civilians. Colonel Torrek’s statement would be going out not only on Earth Rolling News but as emergency override on every vid channel in every sector.
Krath was glaring at his lookup, cursing fluently. ‘I can’t believe my nuking dad was actually right about the nuking aliens.’
Amalie hit him. ‘Don’t be a nardle. Your dad just saw it on the Gamma sector newzies like everyone else.’