The Chronicles of Amon book 1 LINK

  Chapter 16.

  “He really is an amazing man, isn’t he?” Catriona moved closer to Zuri, affectionately placing a hand on her shoulder.

  “Yes. I see now why you hold him in such high regard. He has a way about him that draws people to him, doesn’t he?”

  “He reminds me of my grandfather.” Catriona lowered her head slightly, wiping away a tear. Zuri heard the strain in her voice as she spoke.

  “He’s been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. When I was just a child in school I remember him coming to visit our class. Everyone was excited, and a little afraid. We had all heard stories about Procurators. Most of the stories weren’t true. You know how kids are. They always exaggerate. We thought he would come to us dressed in a scary long, black robe, and that he would freeze us with his eyes if we misbehaved.”

  “I can see how kids could believe that. He has very penetrating eyes, doesn’t he?”

  “Yes. But they’re not scary, are they?” Zuri looked up into the tall woman’s face. A glow seemed to emanate from her as she spoke.

  “I’ve never felt so loved as when he looked into my eyes that day so many years ago. I remember how unusually quiet the classroom was. None of us kids knew quite what to expect, so each of us was on our best behavior. Everyone had heard of Procurators before, but none of us had ever seen one.”

  “Why is that?” Zuri asked. “From what I gather, there are lots of them.”

  “That’s true. But they’re spread pretty thin. Only rarely is there more than one Procurator in any given galaxy.”

  “Any given galaxy?!” Zuri was stunned. “How many are we talking about?”

  “No one knows for sure. The number keeps growing. Our best estimate is several hundred thousand.”

  Zuri’s mouth opened to respond, but she could say nothing. Hundred thousand?! For her and everyone she had ever known, traveling among the stars had been as much a dream as a reality. True, she had been born onboard a spacecraft and had never set foot on her own world. Her entire life had revolved around space travel. She had never known anything else. But in all those years and generations her kind had been in space, they had covered less than one light year. The distance traveled by the five races combined totalled less than four.

  Now, here she was, orbiting a planet over 50,000 light years from her home onboard the Wasswa, and still she remained within the confines of this galaxy! The fact that there were several hundred thousand ‘Seeded’ galaxies like this one was almost more than she could comprehend.

  In her entire lifetime on board the Wasswa

  she had traveled less than a light year. Now, in only a few seconds, she had covered a distance over 50,000 times larger. Then add to that the fact that there were thousands of inhabited galaxies like this one. . . . She was having a hard time grasping the concept.

  Catriona recognized the consternation on Zuri’s face.

  “I know this is a lot to take in.” Placing a hand gently on the young commander’s shoulder, she urged her away from the window.

  “Come, let’s walk for a while, shall we? I always find it’s easier to work through things if I can just keep my body active. I think it helps circulate more blood through my brain, or something. Helps me think more clearly.”

  “Yeh, me too.” Zuri smiled up into the tall woman’s eyes and fell into a relaxed, easy pace beside her.

  “Let me take you to my office for just a minute. I need to show you something. It might help you put things in perspective. Then maybe after that we can go get something to eat, OK? I’m starving!”

  “I remember the first time I traveled via LINK. I was just a kid, still in grade school.” Her eyes seemed to light up as she began.

  “Our fourth grade Environmental Biology class was invited to go on a field trip to Cygnus 12. It had recently been selected for seeding, and the powers that be thought it would be a good idea for us kids to see the process first hand.

  “Forth grade Environmental Biology?” Zuri marveled to herself. “We didn’t get that class until second year college! Wow! These people must really be advanced compared to us.”

  Catriona continued, excitedly.

  “I remember the teacher showed us a map of the Cygnus arm of this galaxy. She pointed out where we were, and where Cygnus 12 was. It didn’t mean much to me.” She chuckled to herself. “They were just two points on a piece of paper. None of us was very impressed.

  “Then came the day when we boarded the spacecraft and began the trip up to the LINK. It was a two-day trip and all us kids were excited that we were going to get to spend the night in zero G. The first night we all had a chance to view Cygnus 12 through the onboard telescope. It looked a lot like the point on the map back in class. I wasn’t impressed.

  “The next morning we arrived at the LINK. Before our ship entered, we all could see Cygnus 12 again on the big monitors spaced around the perimeter of the room. It still looked like just another star . . . nothing special. Then the monitor switched to a view of the LINK. We were in a formation of several other ships, all seeming to move in slow motion toward what appeared to be a huge cylinder filled with nothing but a strange, greyish haze.

  “The ships in front of us vanished, and then reappeared in the blink of an eye!” She began gesturing excitedly, stretching her arms wide, out in front of her.

  “A few seconds later the view on the monitor switched again. This time the dot in the center of a map was replaced by a view of a planet; one I’d never seen before. I remember hearing the ship’s intercom say, ‘Welcome to Cygnus 12.’ It was a different voice than the one I had heard only seconds before.”

  They came to a door, one of several closely spaced, maybe 20 feet apart. Each door had a different symbol on it, apparently etched directly into the smooth metallic surface.

  The symbol on this door was familiar to Zuri. It was a profile view of a chess piece . . . the white queen.

  “Of course!” Zuri thought to herself. “What else could it be? Chess is a game of strategy . . . and intellect! One maneuvered and watches; gauging ones opponent, learning how she thinks, what her priorities are, what she’s willing to risk in order to achieve an objective.”

  Her choice revealed much about her. Zuri felt she understood her a bit better now. She identified with the image the symbol suggested.

  She viewed chess as a game of strategy, but also as a game of life. Consciously or otherwise, everyone is continuously strategizing. Whether it be about something mundane and trivial, like deciding what color uniform to wear; or something much more crucial, like deciding how to react to a totally alien situation, such as the one she was in now.

  Catriona raised a hand close to a small panel at the edge of the door. The door retracted noiselessly into the wall as a quiet mechanical-sounding voice said. ‘Enter.’

  “Make yourself at home,” she said over her shoulder as she moved quickly across the small room toward another door. “Take a look around if you like. I’ll be right back.”

  Zuri thought she smelled the faintest hint of Rosemary. But Catriona had said this was her office. How could it be that an office smelled more like a kitchen? And the furnishings didn’t look like anything she had ever seen in any office. If there was a desk, it wasn’t to be seen anywhere. Instead, there were comfortable looking divans all around the perimeter of the room. All except the wall to the right of the entrance they had just come through. It was a flat gray plane of some unrecognizable material; not metallic, but not opaque like paint. The roughly 15 foot span was framed on each side by shelving at various heights and lengths. Most of these contained ancient-looking books, judging from the condition of the bindings. Others held what looked like highly detailed miniature statuary.

  She walked over to the one that held the bust of an old man. The shelf was a little over a foot long and was made of something different from the others. At first glance it looked like ancient, petrified wood. The intricate grain was clearly there. There was even
discoloration in some the grains, like was frequently the case with most petrified specimens she had ever seen.

  But this clearly wasn’t wood. It looked to be metallic, like heat-treated metal, fresh from the furnace, glowing like an infernal rainbow, but not symmetrical like a real rainbow. Instead, the color was interwoven among the swirling, metallic grains. As Zuri moved closer, the colors seemed to follow her.

  The statue which rested on it cast no shadow that she could see. It was like she was the only light source in the room. Where she moved, its radiance seemed to follow.

  The statue itself looked to be made of brass. The features of the face were intricately detailed, so much so it seemed to be almost alive. The detail was that good!

  Who was the sculptor of such a magnificent piece? Zuri wondered, and then started as she recognized the familiar face. Is this who I think it is? She moved closer.

  “It looks just like him . . . only in miniature!” She spoke in quiet wonderment.

  Yes! It was Ardghal! There were the glasses; and the scraggly, thinning hair. Even the tiny crow’s feet at the corners of his bright, smiling eyes. She felt a chill pass quickly down the back of her neck.

  Just then the image began to dissolve. The red rainbow of color which a moment ago was the shelf, also began to dissolve. In it’s place a longer shelf began to materialize. It looked to be of the same material as the other. Upon it, what began to take shape were three miniature, highly detailed human figures, all sitting in a semi-circle. These figures too seemed to be alive, like the bust which had just disappeared.

  Zuri recognized the figures in the hologram! She was one of them! And there was Ardghal sitting comfortably in the middle, with Catriona to his left.

  How in the world is this possible? He hasn’t been gone ten minutes and she already has a sculpture of the occasion?! But wait. It’s not a real sculpture, is it? It’s a hologram! Oh, man! That means. . . .

  She was getting carried away here. Sure, they had holograms in her world too. But they were primitive compared to these! In Zuri’s world holograms could only be generated within the boundaries of individual field generators.

  They were relatively small, due to the limitations of their equipment. Filtering out unwanted magnetic fields, such as gravity, or electricity, or fields generated by objects or individuals in the vicinity; all were recognized by their recording devices.

  But the discretionary abilities of their software was limited. It could be easily overwhelmed by having to contend with an ever-moving, fluid environment which was three-dimensional reality. It was one thing to record in two dimensions. Data, whether static, or moving, was only recorded in two directions. And, depending on the desired levels of resolution chosen, the amount of data was relatively limited.

  The same could be said of recording in three dimensions too, so long as the boundaries of the environment could be clearly defined. Static data, such as furniture or walls and floors was easy enough for their software to keep track of.

  Movement within that space was easily detected, but not so easily recorded. The data added by that third dimension increased by orders of magnitude, once again depending on the level of resolution one wished to keep track of. Therefore, the smaller the space being recorded, the smaller the amount of data.

  A high-resolution hologram with a volume of 60 cubic feet contained about as much data as an individual computer could handle. The resolution used in the typical holograms in use in Zuri’s world yielded enough data for general facial recognition, but very little in the way of minute detail.

  Networking was in common use, though still not as commonplace as MCD’s (Mobile Communication Devices). Almost everyone owned or had ready access to a holo-booth. But it was cumbersome, stationary, and uncomfortable to sit in one for more than a few minutes at a time. Infra-red saturation, though invisible, did tend to cause one to feel physically more tired than normal.

  It was obvious then that a holo-recording had been taken, but Zuri had seen nothing to indicate any recording equipment was present. The implication was that the technology of this new race was incredibly advanced. She knew she had to learn more.

  She was so engrossed, marvelling at the tiny sculpture, her mind swooning as the questions began to unfold, that she didn’t notice the swooshing of bare feet on carpet, moving toward her from behind. Her nose caught the faint, warm scent of lilac close beside her. . . .

  “Beautiful, aren’t they? They’re my prized possessions.” Catriona spoke quietly, her voice barely more than a whisper.

  Zuri felt warm breath on her cheek. She turned to see the same woman, but now looking completely different. While she was out of the room she had changed clothes.

  Her other outfit, though hardly what Zuri would call a uniform, was somewhat rigid in design. The straight sharp creases in the pant legs and the angular cut of the shoulders suggested rigid authority. The subtle mixing of greys and blacks reinforced the image.

  One was immediately taken aback when seeing the auburn-tressed Catriona for the first time. Her skin was not pale, but creamy, accentuating her dark, almond-shaped eyes. When in uniform her hair was pulled back slightly, emphasizing the high collar with her rank insignia on each small lapel. The rigidness conveyed by the uniform was softened considerably by her femininity. Yet still there was an air of power and authority about her.

  Now Catriona was covered from her neck to her ankles in a single piece of shimmering dark green fabric. It was gathered loosely in small ruffles around her neck. Then it cascaded in gentle folds downward, sweeping the contours of her body, finally to gather again, forming loose cuffs at her slender ankles.

  Zuri was taken aback by the sleek and sensuous design of Catriona’s dress.

  “My, that’s beautiful!” she exclaimed. “What kind of fabric is that? I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  “I’m so glad you like it.” Catriona smiled. “I just got it for this occasion. Actually, it’s not really a fabric at all. We reserve the use of actual woven fabric for very special garments. The uniform you saw me in? That was actually woven from an ancient material called cotton. It’s almost never used in everyday clothing. Here. Come feel. Look more closely.”

  Zuri moved closer, brushing Catriona’s bare shoulder as she took the material between her fingers. It was extremely smooth to the touch. It slipped between her fingers more smoothly than silk. It seemed to weigh almost nothing. She looked closer, trying to find some indication of how it was made. She couldn’t see any sort of weave pattern. Nor could she see any seams where pieces of the material had been joined.

  “We like to call it cloth, mostly out of tradition.” Catriona stepped back and did a quick turn-about, causing the material to spiral gently around her body.

  “It’s actually ‘grown’ in many of the shops down on the surface. The material comes out of a machine and is wound onto big rollers. Then it’s shaped and colored as necessary.”

  “It’s amazing stuff. I can’t seem to see any indication of what it’s made of or how it’s put together.”

  “It’s sort of a chemical bonding process as I understand it. It’s been around for such a long time that I guess I take it for granted. Anyway, there’s a chemical equation or recipe or something that you program into the machine, depending on what you want to come out.”

  “What’s the raw material?” Zuri stepped back and found a seat close by. She sat down absently.

  “Air.” Catriona responded deadpan. Zuri just sat there with her mouth open, saying nothing.

  “Sorry. I guess this is all coming at you pretty fast. I’ll just give you the facts as I know them and you can sort them out however you need to. What the ‘cloth’ machine actually does is filter the air. Its filter system pulls out all the particulates in the air, down to a molecular level. It cleans and sorts the particles by type, and then assembles them on demand into whatever molecular pattern has been loaded into its memory.”

  “You mean your clothes are mad
e of dust?”

  “Yes. And lint and almost everything that floats around in the air we breathe.”

  Zuri sat quietly for a few moments, digesting what she had learned.

  “You mean like airborne pathogens and microbes. . . .”

  “Yes. They’re all filtered by type and each is thoroughly cleaned. In the case of harmful materials, they’re either cleaned or disassembled on a sub-atomic level, where they can be diffused and rendered harmless.”

  “Does that work for biological as well as chemical or radiological materials?”

  “Yup. It’s pretty complete. And that’s just for the clothes we wear. Those collectors are small compared to the industrial size ones. We have huge collectors in all the major population centers. They’re much more efficient than the small ones. They can discriminate which particles they collect. Some are programmed to collect only organics. Others may be programmed to collect only minerals.

  “But why discriminate? Aren’t all materials essentially the same when you get down to the atomic level?” Zuri’s analytical penchant was now fully engaged. Her intellectual curiosity had now over-ridden her emotional response.

  Catriona picked up one of the smaller items displayed along the back edge of the shelf. Zuri hadn’t even noticed that they were there; she had been so engrossed in the amazing hologram. The object was a small wooden carving of a misshapen face. Though it was very crude,it closely resembled Ardghal.

  “Here. Take a look at this.” She handed the carving to Zuri and gestured toward two chairs across the room.

  “Come. Let sit for a while. Isn’t that a cute little carving?”

  Zuri turned the small object over and over in her hand, examining it closely. The carving was light in color, like birch, or maybe maple. She could see fine, dark lines running through the material.

  “This is really beautiful. I’ve never seen a wood quite like this before.”

  “Isn’t it beautiful?” A friend of mine gave it to me as a present when I graduated from the academy. It’s actually real wood! We almost never see real wood any more. We still grow trees down on the surface, but they’re pretty rare. We use them mostly for ornamental purposes now. Plus they’re great oxygen factories.

  We used to harvest trees for use in construction of houses and other buildings. But now our collectors can fabricate them much more efficiently.

  “You mean to tell me your collectors can actually build houses?”

  “No, no! They’re good, but not that good.” Catriona chuckled as she leaned back in her chair. “Our collectors can only fabricate elements, and sometimes compounds, if they’re not too complex. We still have to build our structures ourselves. We just use the collectors to supply the materials we want to use.”

  “Do the collectors supply everything?”

  “Well, not quite everything. Just the common materials we use from day to day.” Catriona gestured toward the carving Zuri held in her hand.

  “That piece you’re holding in your hand is actually one of the last actual wooden carvings ever made. Our planet-side resources are very limited, so we don’t use them unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

  “ We have similar issues with resource conservation.” Zuri placed the carving on the small table sitting between their chairs. “But we don’t have the technology to build collectors like the ones you describe. We’ve had to collect resources from uninhabited planets we’ve encountered during our journey.”

  “ We did the same thing for a long, long time. Our resources were getting pretty slim too, and we knew they’d eventually run out. Besides, it just wasn’t cost effective to harvest materials from other planets. Even after the era of the LINKS began, we maintained our frugal ways. It just didn’t make sense for us to exploit our resources when it wasn’t really necessary.”

  “Not necessary?”

  “Uh-huh.” Catriona leaned forward. “ When the LINKS came, they brought with them technology which was beyond our comprehension. We had already become a space-faring culture, but we were on a very limited budget, resource-wise. Even with pulse drive, it was incredibly expensive to operate in space.”

  “We’re still there.” Zuri nodded her head in understanding. “Even with five ships, we have to be very careful how we use the resources we have. We recycle everything we can, but there are still lots of waste products we simply don’t know what to do with. We store everything we can, so our coffers are getting pretty full. From time to time we have to dump some of the stuff overboard.”

  “In the early days that’s the way we did it too. We told ourselves that since space was such a big place, a little extra space debris wouldn’t make any difference. But in reality we really didn’t have any other choice.

  “It wasn’t very long after the LINKS made contact that we learned about collectors. Our history books tell us that within only one or two generations collectors had been fabricated and distributed planet wide. When that happened our entire planet’s economic situation improved to the point that we could funnel more resources into the space program.”

  “This is amazing!” said Zuri. “I take it you don’t have much problem with air pollution.”

  Catriona chucked as she responded. “Not really, which is one reason why our illness rates dropped so dramatically after contact with the LINKS.”

  “The five cultures represented in our fleet haven’t been ‘home’ for generations.” said Zuri. “Our records show we lost contact with our home worlds within a year of our departures. I often wonder what became of them.”

  “Well, there’s an added bonus to becoming ‘seeders.’ All the technology which the LINKS provide your fleet will also be made available to your home worlds, assuming their cultures haven’t deteriorated. Also, LINKS will be stationed in close proximity to them so you can return for visits.”

  “What an amazing opportunity!” Zuri hadn’t considered that possibility. “I’m sure the others will be as excited about this as I am.”

  “Excellent! Are there other issues you’d like to discuss before we rejoin your friends? You don’t have to feel pressured. You can all take as much time as you feel you need.”

  Zuri was a bit hesitant, but didn’t want to hold anything back.

  “Ardghal seems to be such an sweet man; and he’s very persuasive. But I’m still not completely comfortable with everything he said.”

  “That’s completely understandable. It’s a lot to absorb in one sitting. But I assure you; the more you contemplate what he said, the more you will come to agree with him.”

  Catriona stood and walked over to the shelves where they had been standing. She placed the palm of her hand on the shelf next to the holograms, and then raised her hand slightly. A miniature keyboard materialized where her hand had been. She tapped it several times and then waited a few moments. A panel just above the shelf slid open. Catriona reached inside and pulled out two small objects which Zuri couldn’t quite make out. Catriona covered them with her other hand, then turned and came back to her seat.

  “Here. These are for you, so you can remember.”

  She extended her hands and gestured for Zuri to do the same. Catriona placed the two miniature sculptures in Zuri’s hand.

  “Oh, my!” Zuri’s eyes teared up as she recognized them. “But I thought they were holo-grams.”

  “The ones you saw before were. But I just programmed my room ‘collector’ to make reproductions. Now you’ll always have them as a reminder.”