The Antarcticans (23 page)

“He made it.” Addie looked satisfied. “Do you understand what’s happening here with the data?”

“Yes, I think so. We’re setting up the cells to experience mutations as a result of quantum tunneling. The DNA in the cells hold the mutated state and the original state because the hydrogen atoms are in superposition or they can be in two places at the same time. If we can look at the bond in the state where both are held, we might be able to discover what the catalyst is for the tunneling of the single hydrogen atom.”

“Bravo. I underestimated how quickly you picked this up. Maybe there’s a little superposition going on in your brain. We have to discover the mechanism. If we do, we’ll be able to design mutations in the DNA of my people to allow them to survive the new temperatures while maintaining their current characteristics. Right now we’re susceptible to warm temperatures. Pretty much anything over zero is harmful to us. This work also will have huge effects on Ruftan’s work on viruses. If this doesn’t work, however, we’re back to plan A: finding another species to mate with. But I think we’ve pretty much exhausted that route.”

“And the team has been working on this for how long?”

“Twenty years.”

“So why does anyone think I can do this?”

“Because you believe what you can’t see.”

“That’s it?” She looked concerned.

“That’s part of it. The other part is we’ve made tremendous progress in those twenty years. But there’s another piece missing. Lucifer has held it closely. He said that when we get to a point where we can use his information, he’ll reveal it to us. Lately, everyone here thinks it has something to do with you. But I think there’s a bigger question in play here, something we don’t have access to.” When Addie said that, it was the first time Noila saw him flinch at his own words, as though they were dangerous.

When the workday was over, the Ptah hadn’t returned. When Addie reached to transform the lab back into a bathroom, Noila motioned to stop him. “We can’t close the entrance,” she said. The Ptah hasn’t returned.”

“He’ll be fine. They were designed to live in the depths. It’s more natural for them to be down there than up here.”

“But what about the other one?” She pointed up.

“Ah, you think they live in your ceiling?” He laughed.

Noila was confused, and she felt like he was mocking her. “Your little guy lives with you, right? Like in your pocket or something?”

“Some of the time he’s with me, yes. But remember, they’re the ones who made our home here. They know their way in and out of the tunnels and buildings. They can be nearly anywhere.” He looked thoughtfully out the window. “I have some time before my mah-jongg match starts, and we’re done here. Do you have a little time? I’d love to show you something.”

“Sure. Now?” She looked down at the lab coat and slippers she was wearing.

“Yes, now. I’ll wait outside.” He pulled the door closed and left her to change.

Noila came out of the bathroom in her thermal suit, complete with headgear, which included a mask to warm the air before it entered her lungs. Depending on where they were going, the air temperatures could freeze the moisture in a human’s lungs. Addie wasn’t in the main room of the cottage; Noila looked around the corner into the kitchenette and up to the bunk above her desk. He wasn’t there either. She saw a shadow move across the front window next to the door. He must have meant he would wait outside the cottage. She strode out the front door and turned to her left to greet him, as if she knew he’d been waiting for her there all along. They walked through the village of Chimeruth, with its usual hustle and daily shopping. Christmas-colored lights lined the roofs and building edges, giving a warm glow to the white landscape.

“There must be a ship heading back tomorrow,” Addie said. “You can always tell when the humans are buying souvenirs and things they won’t be able to find in their countries.”

Noila tugged on his arm. “Are you sure? About the ship?”

“It’s my best guess. I’ve watched it happen many times.” He shook his head. “I know what you’re thinking: you can get on that ship to get back to the
Dragon
. Do you see these people? They’re not Americans. They’re heading to the Far East. Their ship will go nowhere near the US.”

Noila put her head down and held tightly to his arm; her hope was detonated as soon as it rose. They walked out of the village to the transport area where Noila and the other scientists had first arrived. When they were on top of one of the glowing green disks, Addie said something in Antarctican, and they began to descend.

Noila had been listening to the language since she’d gotten here, and it finally dawned on her what it reminded her of. The low, understated, rapid clicks in successive bursts sounded like someone typing rapidly on a computer keyboard.

The ice tunnels they moved through were disorienting—Noila felt the change in directions as they went; at one point she was sure they were ascending. They passed through areas where the opaque ice walls became clear and she could look down into common areas where Antarcticans were gathered, playing games and spending time with their families. The ride through the tunnels made her feel like she was at Disney World. The pang of guilt and grief pulled on her again, as she remembered Joshua so happy to see Mickey and the gang on their first trip to Orlando. Suddenly the tunnel walls went white, and they emerged into a large antechamber. The walls rose a hundred feet to meet a domed ceiling that was lit from behind. On the walls on every side of the chamber, hanging one on top of another, were framed paintings and pictures of landscapes and buildings Noila had never seen before; they reached the dome’s ceiling. The framed art at the top looked small due to the distance. The talent of the artists was magnificent, the frames priceless. Ahead of them were double slabs of carved ice, as tall as two Antarcticans stacked on top of each other. The carvings were of two heroes who looked like Antarcticans with Ptahs winding around them. The carvings completely covered the doors, interspersed with small circles, inside of which were symbols from the Antarcticans’ language.

“This is our history, all epic scenes from our sojourn on earth,” Addie said, gesturing around him. “The paintings here at the bottom are the beginning. Then, as they go up, they display our history as it rises up through time, to the top of the dome, which symbolizes our limitless and brilliant future. These pictures are imprinted on the heart of every Antarctican. We learn, memorize, and internalize them from a very early age.”

“It’s…” Noila was still looking around her; she couldn’t find words. “My God, how long have you been here?”

“Millions of years. We saw the evolution of Homo sapiens. There’s more.” Addie walked toward the two doors, which exhaled great clouds of gas as they opened.

Noila took a step then cried out in pain. Addie ran to her. “What’s wrong?”

She tried to reach for her legs, but sharp pain cut through all her limbs. “It hurts so much.”

Addie looked at her suit; the cross over her chest wasn’t illuminated. “You didn’t activate your suit,” he shouted. He pressed the cross three times, and it turned red. “Your blood was beginning to freeze. Just wait…the suit will warm you. It’ll take a few minutes. You must have gotten overwhelmed by the experience of taking everything in and forgotten to turn your suit on.” He was talking fast, trying to distract her. The Antarcticans knew humans experienced extreme pain in this condition. “Tell me about your son again, about Joshua. Why are you so worried about him? You know the
Dragon
can survive anything. Your husband and son are safer there than anywhere.” He pointed toward the dome’s ceiling. “At the top, way up there, is a picture of the
Dragon
when it was first completed. It must be almost two decades now.”

Noila was crying. The pain was nearly unbearable—it was clouding her mind. She glanced up, looking for an escape from the sharp jabs. In the next second, the pain vanished. She inhaled cautiously; still there was no pain. She moved her left leg, which flexed and extended normally.

“You’re fine now.” Addie exhaled. “Make sure your suit is always on red when you’re out here.” He helped her stand up and led the way through a set of doors.

This room was many times larger than the previous chamber and also circular. The floor glowed with hot blue light from beneath; the walls shimmered like opals. In the center of the room was a large, round, metallic disk, similar to the one Florencia had shown Noila at the edge of the village. Addie walked toward the center. Impressions in the floor encircled the metal disk. As Noila moved closer, she saw they were footprints. Addie stepped into a pair, and the floor moved around him, forming to his feet. He clasped his hands over his head and said a few words in Antarctican. The floor buzzed, vibrating through Noila’s feet and into her body. The disk at the center rose from the floor; as it did so, strings of water poured from the perimeter of the top of the disk. In the center of the metal disk, an Antarctican, wearing a robe identical to Addie’s, sat in a chair. He nodded to Addie, who acknowledged him with a nod and a bow.

“What do you have for me?” The Antartican’s voice was metallic and punctuated.

“The latest results from our research.” Addie extended his hand, and a Ptah moved forward from the disk and took something from him. Noila couldn’t see what it was, so she moved closer. The Antarctican seated between the two disks was in motion. His hands and head shimmered and quivered, his skin vacillating through a spectrum of colors. His presence faded in and out of the space.

“Received, and it appears there is something else?”

“I’m sorry, my lord,” Addie said. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“This young human you have here is in distress about the situation with the
Dragon
. Can I help?”

Addie turned around and looked at Noila. “Come forward,” he told her.

When she was by his side, the Antarctican seated in front of her came into full focus. He was composed entirely of different-colored Ptahs that moved together to create the shape of a male Antarctican. Hundreds of the creatures had formed together and were writhing, constantly animating his face, arms, and every part of him.

Noila jumped back, scared at the sinister-looking mechanical formation.

“Go ahead,” Addie said to Noila.

“My son and husband are on board the
Dragon
. Do…do you know if they’re okay?” she stammered.

Although the creatures spun wildly, the edges of the Antarctican remained distinct.

“Joshua Thomas Pennings, born November third, and Gavin Thomas Pennings, born March tenth, are alive with stable vital signs and mild cutaneous abrasions.”

A layer of calm settled over her. Noila looked at Addie. “Can I ask other questions?”

He shook his head fiercely before turning back to face the metal disk platform. “Thank you, my lord.”

The Ptahs that formed the Antarctican exploded into a prism of light that formed a vortex. The top disk lowered to the ground, and the chamber was quiet again.

Addie knelt, kissed his fingers, then laid them on the floor with his eyes closed.

Noila walked over to him and waited for him to finish his ritual.

“Who was that?” Noila asked.

Addie stood up. “Amun, but he’s not someone—I mean, he’s not an individual. He’s the collective of all the Ptahs. I thought he might be able to help you. He knows many things we don’t have access to individually.” His tone was unusually calm.

“Thank you for that, Addie. I really appreciate it. It was so kind of you.” Noila looked up at him. “Is it okay if I touch the disk?”

He nodded.

She squatted beside it to touch it. The metal was polished so brilliantly that it reflected the ice around them like a mirror. “I still need to get back to the
Dragon
, though,” she said, standing back up and facing him.

Addie sighed. “I was hoping you wouldn’t say that. We need you here; your work is important. I know you’re worried about your family, but they’re fine. You heard what Amun said.”

“I know, and I’m grateful for it, but I need to get back to my family. My son is in real trouble.”

Addie sighed. “But there’s nothing you can do. You said yourself that the technology they’re using to treat him is far beyond anything you know.”

“I know that—I know that intellectually, where my mind spins in knots regretting decisions and thanking itself for others. But when I go a little bit lower, when I ignore everything running around in my brain and feel deep, deep into my heart, that’s when I know I need to be there for him. He’s had a very hard road, unfair, like you can’t imagine.”

Addie nodded. “I understand. We all have our struggles.”

“Yeah, but not like this kid. He’s tortured, tortured by his own biology, and I’m hoping Lucifer makes good on his promise and carries him through to the other side.”

“Amun knows every move aboard that ship, but now isn’t the right time to ask. He always poses the questions you need the answers to. Sometimes when I come here, I’m hoping for an answer, and he doesn’t appear. He just stays locked away in his icy cavern and ponders. He knows I’m here; he knows I’m searching for something, but he lets me continue. I can’t describe the frustration of it. To know the answer is just a few feet away, yet you can’t have access to it. That is torture.” He put a gentle hand on Noila’s shoulder. “C’mon. There’s more I want to show you. This wasn’t our only destination.”