The Blue People of Cloud Planet (34 page)

First Offensive

Martha broke the stunned silence in the command zone.

‘Impossible!’ She held up one of the small black beads, or tried to as it slipped out of her fingers, ‘Are we saying that those black masses down there are millions of these! That can’t be right, how could they control themselves – they’d just keep colliding into one another.’

‘Martha,’ Olivia explained, ‘just think of a huge flock of birds, they fly close together, turn, bank, and swoop – they don’t collide with one another.’

‘Yes! But they’ve got a brain.’

‘But these,’ Pete interjected and pointed to the bead in Martha’s fingers, ‘each have more ‘brain cells’ than a flock of a million birds put together!’

‘Zec-C, what more can you tell us about these beads?’ AJ interjected.

‘Considering their speed and manoeuvrability, they are the most perfect of nano–technology machines. I infer that they take water or moisture in at the front, possibly by simple capillary action, and accelerate this water along the narrowing tube, thus increasing its velocity. However, to achieve the incredible speeds that we have seen, this water is probably atomised and leaves the object as a jet of mist. Further, I have identified four radial channels in the concave end along which the emerging jet could be diverted to achieve directional changes.’

‘But do they control themselves or are they controlled?’ This fundamental observation from Steve made everyone stop and ponder the implications.

But Zec-C wasn’t finished,

‘The body of the object is predominantly a silicon type complex as I have already informed you, but it is, in fact, an impure but rich ore of silicon. It is micro porous, giving the body an overall specific gravity of 1.2 grams per cubic centimetre – slightly heavier than the highly salinated seas of this planet. Furthermore the analytical fingerprint of the silicon ore in the object from Olivia’s necklace is identical to that of the huge deposits of silicon ore beneath the sea beds of Cloud Planet.’

‘Zec-C! Where are you taking us with your analysis?’ AJ cried with concern.

‘The objects from Olivia’s necklace, from Cloud Planet itself, have been fabricated from silicon ore unique to this planet together with unidentifiable substances whose origin is outside our Milky Way galaxy.’

The silence was punctuated by gasps and intakes of breath as Alison tried to put the implications into words.

‘Something has come to Cloud Planet from another galaxy!’ Stunned silence. ‘Something has come to this planet and made these!’ pointing to the beads, ‘These killers as Scott has told us!!’ and, pointing down to the strange world below, ‘And it has made the black masses which know our every move!’

AJ brought matters to a head.

‘Scott’s message is clear, the beads are killers, and, where ever they have come from, they are the Black and must be destroyed. We must vote to confirm a decision to attack.’

With little hesitation the vote was six to zero in favour of an offensive.

‘Command Zec-C! Prepare two ‘D’ warheads for an assault on the outermost black mass adjacent to those in line with Scott’s dwelling. We will launch the missiles at midnight tonight, and search every corner of this planet with a fine toothcomb – there must be something here we’ve missed!’

 ‘LifeSeeker-1 is provisioned with a huge arsenal of weapons, including nuclear warheads, which are carried on a choice of missile delivery systems. The missiles contain the most sophisticated of guidance computers which are controlled by the starship’s on-board computer, Zec-C. ‘D’ warheads are non nuclear and dual purpose, with a huge explosive capability. The first detonation is programmed just before impact for maximum lateral damage to surface objects. This detonation also adds extra thrust to a second explosive charge  to blast it into the depths of the target, where it  explodes a second later causing maximum underground damage.’

At midnight, AJ sat looking around at each of the other astronauts. An offensive strike in space and on another planet was not an action to be taken lightly. But they had all agreed. They had to take offensive action.

‘Command Zec-C, fire first ‘D’ missile!’ and all the astronauts’ hands went forward to confirm the deadly decision.

They watched the missile streak away from the starship quickly disappearing into the night sky and heading for the dark collar of cloud 450 kilometres below. 

The dome LCD displays now showed the missile as it entered the dark cloud collar 50 kilometres above its target - the centre of the black mass adjacent to the outermost dwelling. Moments later the ‘D’ missile exploded and Zec-C’s screen confirmed the double detonation. The black mass expanded to nearly twice its size and then collapsed in on itself. It was now only half the size it had been before the attack and the astronauts cheered confident that they had delivered a decisive blow to the Black.

‘Command Zec-C, fire second ‘D’ missile!’

Again they watched the missile streak away from the starship into the night. On the dome screens they saw the missile enter the cloud collar and then came Zec-C’s urgent warning.

‘Attention! Target black mass increasing in size!’

It had increased to twice its original size!

‘Attention! Target black mass is changing colour at its centre – getting lighter!’

A circle of lighter grey had appeared in the dead centre of the black mass.

‘Emergency! Computer contact with ‘D’ missile lost, repeat lost! No control 2 seconds from detonation!’

But there was no detonation two seconds later and the astronauts looked at one another with growing concern.

‘Zec-C! What’s happening?’ AJ shrieked.

 But before Zec-C could reply and 5 seconds later than planned there was a double detonation.

The astronauts looked at the dome displays. The black mass was unchanged, except that it did not have a lighter ring at the centre any more. The double detonation had occurred at ground level on the planet and adjacent to the black mass. The X marking the coordinates of the strike were slowly and horrifyingly understood by all the astronauts in the dome of LifeSeeker-1 and heads buried themselves in hands.

‘Oh no! Oh my God, no! What have we done!’

‘I am impressed and horrified at the sequence of events that occurred as the second missile is approaching the upper surface of the mass. Two seconds before it is due to detonate, the on-board computer is completely reprogrammed. Its detonation time is increased and new target coordinates replace the originals input by Zec-C. Then, as the missile enters the centre of the lighter grey circle at the top of the black mass, so it changes direction by 20 degrees as it travels through an angled cylindrical void in the mass.

‘On exit and now 2 kilometres above the red plain of Cloud Planet it is accelerating unerringly at its new target – the outermost dwelling below!

‘The first detonation occurs 2 metres above the centre of the structure – just to the right of the open channel and in front of the plinth carrying the screw lift. All the internal structures are obliterated by the force of the explosion in a fraction of a second. The plinth carrying the screw lift and the four triangular pools are smashed into the dwelling walls in a hurricane of red bricks, pulverised clay and water. Walls explode outwards – bricks, dust and crystals fly hundreds of metres into the air. Most of the destructive force is absorbed by the plinth and walls of the dwelling in front of the canal. Despite the onslaught the canal walls hold – for now!

‘Meanwhile below ground!

‘A second later the next detonation occurs in mid air in the underground cavern. The expanding explosive fireball crushes the walls of the huge pits turning the vast volumes of water into superheated steam. Terrible concussive forces in that enclosed space kill the hundred blue workers instantly where they lie. Dramatically the fire and superheated steam adds to the carnage before the roof and walls cave in. The inhabitants know nothing of their fate.

‘But the expanding fireball of gases and superheated steam has to vent its ferocity somewhere. And it did this before the floor of the dwelling collapses.

 ‘And that somewhere is the underground transport tunnel.

‘High-pressure superheated gases explode into the dual tunnel and in the left hand channel where water is flowing away from the dwelling the water is instantly turned into steam. This acts like a piston forcing the water before it. But water is not compressible and a solid rod of water shoots the length of the tunnel.

‘The black boat containing six blue females is over half way on its journey when it suddenly accelerates from its sedate 5 kilometres an hour to over 70 kilometres an hour. It remains surprisingly even-keeled ahead of the monstrous plug of water and 15 minutes later it smashes into the front dock wall at the next dwelling. The heavy black boat punches a hole through the clay wall and twists upside down as it comes to rest with three quarters of its length jutting out of the wall.

‘Leaves and bodies drop from the boat in a grisly tangle and fall to the pit of water below.

‘The other boat is nearly three quarters of the way through its journey carrying its precious cargo of five blue males towards the dwelling. However, the water in the right-hand channel is travelling towards the devastated dwelling. The effect of the explosion of steam is to momentarily stop this flow, blocking the channel with a plug of incompressible water. The high pressure in this channel blows out the central wall and cracks open the ceiling of the tunnel, which then collapses.

‘The craft suddenly rises to the roof and is swamped by the surging wall of water that approaches it from both directions.

‘The cold blue sleeping males drown without even waking up!’

Under the Ice

The mood the following morning in the command dome was sombre. They did not blame or criticise one another. It had been a unanimous decision which left them with an overwhelming feeling of collective guilt.

That feeling deepened as the light shafts fired up through the clouds in consecutive rows. Until, finally, it was the turn of the row of dwellings which had adjacent black masses. There was no surprise when the outermost dwelling failed to produce its light shaft – that confirmed their worst expectation.

‘Take us through it again, Zec-C, what do you think happened?’ AJ asked.

‘We lost computer contact 2 seconds before detonation. If the computer had failed or malfunctioned the missile would have self-destructed, which did not occur. Conclusion – the computer was still working. I was able to track the missile for a short while after it left the edge of the black mass and headed for the dwelling – its trajectory was the dead centre of its new target.’

‘Any chance it was an accidental deflection?’ Steve queried.

‘Most improbable. Not only did it pass through the black mass and exit on the exact trajectory for the dwelling but the 2 seconds to detonation had been extended by 5 seconds.’

‘Are you inferring the black mass reprogrammed the on-board computer?’ Alison asked, not believing her own question.

‘I have insufficient data to confirm your theory but it must be a possibility considering the circuitry we found in the objects comprising the black mass.’

What next? They wondered, but Zec-C was about to give them a lot more to ponder!

Zec-C continued his narrative.

‘Two areas of Cloud Planet had not been analysed until last night. These were the deep underground areas of the red plain and both ice caps.

‘The red plain is predominantly clay and varies between 40 and 70 metres in thickness. Below is a stratum of limestone, very similar to that found on Earth, which contains watercourses, caves and caverns. This is hardly surprising considering the multiple flows of water, both hot and cold, draining through the clay. I could find no structures underground that would suggest intelligent fabrication.’

AJ tapped his fingers on the console impatiently willing Zec-C to get to the interesting stuff which was usually kept until last.

Zec-C did not disappoint.

‘However, there is a remarkable scenario under the ice caps.’

All the astronauts stared intently at the dome screen as it showed one of the ice caps, brilliantly white and edged by the azure blue sea. Zec-C had never used the word ‘remarkable’ before when describing his findings so they held their breath.

‘Both ice caps are very similar in area, each covering about one twentieth of the planet’s surface. At the boundary with the ocean the peripheral circumference is approximately 6000 kilometres. The thickness of the ice is about 5 metres at the boundary with the sea and remains constant for several hundred kilometres then it thickens significantly to 20 kilometres. As I reported before the ice is thinner at the dead centre of the icecap where it is only 2 kilometres thick. Further, this thinner area is a circle approximately 140 kilometres in diameter. I have no explanation for this. The depth of the ocean under the ice is relatively uniform at around 90-100 kilometres.’

The mimic display inside the dome changed to show a side on view of the ice cap, the sea below and the ocean bed. Ten cylinders appeared on the display in a vertical line from just below the ice to just above the sea bed. They were uniformly spaced and, the astronauts saw to their surprise, that they were connected to one another by a pipe structure. The lowest cylinder had a tube which projected from its underside and which appeared to enter the sea bed.

‘Wait a minute!’ shouted Steve, ‘Is this to scale!’ and Zec-C went on in his usual analytical way.

‘Each cylinder is a fraction under 1 kilometre in diameter and a similar height, and is connected to the next one by a pipe 500 metres long and 200 metres diameter. The cylinder’s vertical surface is multi – faceted and very unusual but LifeSeeker-1 is not near enough for a detailed topography. Also both upper and lower surfaces are slightly concave but I cannot be more precise.’

‘One kilometre in diameter and height!’ AJ looked around incredulously at his fellow astronauts, ‘And there’s ten of them!’ But Zec-C would not be hurried.

‘The tube at the base of the lowest cylinder enters the sea bed and continues to a depth of 5 kilometres right into the centre of a 10 kilometre thick stratum of silicon ore identical to that in the objects from Olivia’s necklace.’

‘Those objects are mining the sea bed! Extracting the silicon ore of this planet!’ Olivia cried, ‘I can hardly believe what I’m hearing and seeing!’

Olivia and the rest of the astronauts were stunned into silence. They sat wide eyed as Zec-C added further objects to the mimic display and then more connecting tubes.

‘I started off by describing one vertical array of 10 cylinders but there are 5000 vertical arrays arranged in a perfect circular lattice underneath the ice cap.’

The mimic display rotated to give a three dimensional view of the ice cap and its ring of objects around the periphery.

‘But that’s 50,000 cylinders!’ blurted out Steve, ‘50,000 and all interconnected and, .....are all the lower ones sunk into the sea bed!?’

‘Yes, the highest concentrations of silicon ore on this planet are under the ice cap.’

‘What are they constructed of?’ AJ asked almost knowing the answer.

‘I cannot analyse the material of construction, only see it in a similar way to the black mass.’

‘Zec-C, do you think this is where the black mass is made and where it is controlled from?’ Alison could hardly get her words out she was so taken aback by the enormity of the structure under the ice cap.

‘I concur - that is the only rational conclusion based on the evidence so far.’

Then Zec-C seemed to pause as if to take breath, and added almost as an afterthought,

‘Oh, .....and there is an identical structure under the other ice cap! Another 50,000 identical objects. One hundred thousand in total on Cloud Planet hidden under the ice!’

The silence in the command dome of LifeSeeker-1 went on and on.