[FFML] [Moldiver][Draft 1] Puzzle Pieces Chapter 3

[StudioPC]

Author's Note: I wrote this in a text file. Hopefully, that will keep  
it from being garbled like the last time. C&C always welcome.

> Disclaimer: Moldiver is the property of Pioneer, inc. No money is  
> being made from this and no such intent should be inferred.  
> Additional Material is drawn from and inspired by "Moon With A  
> View" by Richard C. Hoagland, and "Above Top Secret" by Timothy Good.

------------------------------

Teareal listened to Lorin babble gibberish and wondered why she'd  
ever chosen him to be her partner, fingers notwithstanding.

'Because if you don't, a partner will be chosen for you by the  
Council and Lorin is the best choice available,' she reminded  
herself. 'But in order to keep the Council from interfering, you need  
to be bearing his child.'

Not for the first time, she cursed her luck at being born the Chief  
Elder's granddaughter. Life must be renewed. It must continue. It was  
her duty to provide an example.

She cursed her luck again. It wasn't that she didn't want to be a  
mother, but it was too soon. She had plans, things to do before  
settling into motherhood.

Unfortunately, she was of child bearing age, well into it, actually,  
and the Council was determined to take a hand. Grandfather couldn't  
hold them off forever, so she would have to take that option away  
from them. She had no desire to spend her life with some toadie of  
Elder Coitain or even Cotain himself.

So she'd decided to give herself to Lorin. He wasn't bad looking, she  
knew he desired her, and he was of sufficient rank that she wouldn't  
be marrying below her own. Not to mention he was smart enough to  
listen to her when she said something, and understand her when she  
started talking about the computer, or the reactor's efficiency, or  
history. She did care about him somewhat, but unfortunately, caring  
had to be left by the wayside. If she was to have any say in her  
life, she had to take action now and Lorin fit the requirements.

However, fate seemed to have other plans. This was the fifth time  
she'd tried to get Lorin to take her, and every time, they'd been  
interrupted, damn it all.

Stirring herself from her reverie, she realized Lorin was not heading  
for her Grandfather's residence, but rather the Guard house.

"Lorin, stop. We're going the wrong way."

He gave no sign that he heard her.

"Lorin! LORIN!" She swore again, grabbed his hair and pulled.

"Ahhhhhhh!" He braked to a stop and looked at her with large eyes.  
"What was that for?"

"Why are we going to the Guard house?" she asked him patiently.

"That thing creature thing that came through the wall which you can't  
because the wall is solid but it did and --"

He was starting to babble again so she grabbed his hair and he  
immeditly shut up.

"Good," she praised him. "We need to speak to my Grandfather, so  
that's where we'll go."

"But the thing and the wall and--" she tightened her grip. "Chief  
Elder Marin, yes. Right."

-----------

"Humans?" Oshii repeated, shocked. "Are you sure?"

"Well, they looked like humans," Mirai said, "and I saw this show  
once about humans living in low gravity would be taller and they  
looked like that."

Wayne and the ship's Doctor, Bruce Kent, looked at each other.

"Griswold said it was just shy of Luna normal," Kent said.

"A few hundred years would be more than enough," Wayne responded.

"But given the estimated age of the structure, as well as the lunar  
and martian ruins, they could have been here for ten thousand years,  
maybe more," Kent mused. "In fact, I would guess . . . thirty-five  
thousand years?"

"Gentlemen," Jensen said, "while I appreciate the ramifications this  
has for science, my main concern is determining if they pose a threat  
to this ship and my crew, and for that, we need to be able to speak  
to them."

"It would simple to send Ms Mirai back through the wall with a basic  
video player," Kent suggested. "Icons and pictures."

"I'd rather not," Mirai said almost plaintively. "It's . . .  
uncomfortable."

"But you have to," Kent pressed. "How else can we get through?  
Certainly not radio."

"We don't know that," Oshii objected, "she removed her headset before  
she went through." He looked at Mirai accusingly. "Why did you remove  
the headset anyway?"

"I wasn't sure if I could do it," Mirai said, her tone cool. "I felt  
that the records contained within needed to be preserved in case I  
screwed up."

Oshii glowered at her, Mirai stared back with the air of someone who  
had faced down fashion photographers and editors, both infinitely  
worse than someone like Oshii.

At that moment, the viewscreen in the conference room flickered to  
life with the image of Hannalore Star.

"Excuse me," she said cautiously. "I apologize for interrupting, but--"

"If you need to speak to Doctor Oshii," Commander Oshii snapped, "use  
your comlinks. Now clear this screen and consider yourself on  
report." Star stayed on screen and Oshii bristled.

"Easy, Joe," Jensen said. "You know every member of this crew is hand- 
picked for this mission and Star is no exception. I'm sure she has a  
good reason." He looked at the screen. "Go on."

"Thank you, Sir," Star said and the screen split. Star's image on one  
side and a still frame from the hallway in the other. It showed the  
picture of the city in the jungle with the low hill in the  
background. "As you know, the suit recorders, as well as Pilot  
Oshii's headset, record full spectrum sound and video at up to one  
thousand megapixel resolution."

"But to save memory, they only record at twenty-five," Jensen said,  
nodding.

"Yes, sir. I was analyzing the videos for additional information and  
I noticed the light quality of the picture so I looked closer."

"What about the light quality?" Wayne asked.

"It wasn't right for a print," Star replied. "Despite the advances in  
digital photography over the past forty-five years, it's still not  
the same as a film photograph and there are differences in the  
images. With every copy of a film photo, there is a slight dedgration  
in the image quality. Not so much to the human eye, but noticeable to  
a computer, especially a modern one. This is especially true when  
working from a master copy or copies."

"A fascinating sidetrack," Oshii said, "but I've yet to hear anything  
other than a lecture on imaging, which, as I recall from your file,  
was not part of your academy education or your schooling."

"No sir, but my uncle is an imaging specialist who did a lot of work  
for NASA before it was absorbed into the ISC and then continued as a  
consultant as well as running his own studio. I worked for him from  
the time I was fourteen until I joined the navy."

"The point, Crewman," Oshii said.

"Sir, that's not a copy or a print, but an original one of a kind  
film photo. There's some light damage, but it's definitely a film  
photo. From the light damage, I'd estimate that it was only hanging  
there for fifty to a hundred years before that section was exposed to  
vacuum. However, since the glass over it appears to have some light  
protection qualities, it could have hung there longer."

Oshii glowered. "All right, it's an original one of a kind photo of a  
jungle city left behind by our ancestors. This tells us nothing."

"Not really, Joe," Wayne disagreed. "We know that there was a city  
considered special enough that an original photo hangs here on  
Iapetus. Or it could be by their version of Ansel Adams. A celebrity  
photo."

"A cultural artifact of a jungle city somewhere in South America is a  
waste of time," Oshii said.

"I have to agree with the Commander," Jensen said. "It's interesting  
enough to warrant investigation, but there are channels for this sort  
of thing. Clear the screen, please."

"Yes, Sir. But may I ask a question of the Commander first?"

"Very well."

"If this is a jungle city in South America, why is Ayer's Rock in the  
background?"

---------------------------

Elder Marin smiled warmly as they entered. "Lorin, Teareal, did you  
have a nice time?"

"Thing," was all Lorin got out before Teareal grabbed his hair.

Marin's expression didn't change. "Thing?" he asked.

Calmly, Teareal told her grandfather about the being who had come  
through the gate and how she had dealt with the blaster Lorin had  
been carrying.

"Where did you get it and why were you carrying it anyway?" she  
demanded of Lorin.

Lorin looked at Marin, who almost imperceptibly shook his head.

Teareal took a deep breath. "Grandfather, who threatened me?"

"No one," Marin replied with a smile. "Lorin was just nervous about  
the reports of Outriders and wanted to protect himself. And you, of  
course. Am I right, Lorin?"

Lorin nodded, looking for all the world like a puppet on a string.  
Teareal glared at them. She wouldn't have paid a single mirek for a  
story like that.

"I'm not stupid, Grandfather," she said, a note of warning in her voice.

"Of course not," he replied. "But for now," he heaved himself to his  
feet and grasped his cane. "Show me where you saw this creature."

---------------------------

Wayne was the first to speak. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, Sir. I ran a topographical analysis against what high quality  
images that I could find in the ship's library computer. The margin  
of error aside, there's some slight differences, but those could be  
attributed to additional environmental and geological wear and tear."

Kent was shaking his head. "Not possible. Ayers Rock is in the middle  
of the Australian Outback, one of the largest deserts in the world.  
There's no way a jungle could be out there, the weather patterns  
would never support something that lush."

"Maybe it's a painting," Mirai suggested. "Or a photo of a painting."

"It crossed my mind," Star said, "but the light patterns don't fit."

"How could there be a jungle in the middle of the Outback?" Kent  
asked. "Like I said, the weather patterns won't permit it."

"Maybe whatever destroyed the civilization altered the weather  
patterns of the entire world," Hiroshi said quietly. "There's not  
much difference between a desert and a plain, just the climate, really."

"Now we definitely need to get back through that door," Kent said.  
"Captain, I think Mirai is going to have to try to phase through the  
door again."

"Why?" Hiroshi said. "We can open it, I think."

Everyone turned to stare at him. Jensen raised an eyebrow, inviting  
Hiroshi to continue.

"Well, I was just thinking about the tower. I think that the ships  
actually went inside the tower. Like a knife in a sheath. The doors  
closed behind it. The ships went up to the platform, and there was  
probably an extendable docking collar. That platform was built for  
function, not aesthetics. Extend the collar, and no one ever sees the  
tunnel or the platform."

"Like a five star hotel," Wayne said, nodding. "Or a resort."

"Exactly," Hiroshi said. "Never let the guests see what goes on  
behind the scenes." He punched some buttons, and a holographic model  
of the tower and the terminal appeared over the table. With a light  
pen, he highlighted the door that Mirai had gone through. "Whatever  
destroyed the civilization probably hit Iapetus hard. The terminal  
lost pressure, and these doors came down. Hoagland theorized that the  
dark side of Iapetus took damage, either from an internal explosion,  
or an external impact. The loss of air pressure to vacuum in the  
tunnel caused the frost and since the inner doors couldn't close, it  
got into the terminal. But the big door did work. So, we can probably  
assume that these other doors lead only to vacuum and there was a  
systems failure. But this one," he tapped Mirai's door with the pen,  
"this one leads to a fully functional sector, and the entry point is  
deserted."

"What makes you so sure?" Oshii demanded. "For all you know, there's  
an armed force nearby."

"From Mirai's description," Jensen said, smiling, "they were  
teenagers, and when teenagers want to get romantic, they want to be  
sure they'll be undisturbed."

Oshii glowered, but sat back in his chair and crossed his arms.

"My guess is, the doors are environment triggered. When air pressure  
drops, the doors close, sealing off the rest of the installation. So,  
we just need to trick them. We can do that here." He indicated the  
inner hatch.

"The doors were wrecked," Kent pointed out, "Are you suggesting we  
repair them?"

"Nope," Hiroshi replied, "I propose building a field airlock on the  
platform itself. If I'm right, once the life support system detects a  
restoration of pressure, it should begin pumping air and heat back  
into the terminal. At that point, Mirai's door will open."

"What about the other two doors?" Kent asked. "And the outer doors,  
for that matter? If they close once pressure is restored, whoever is  
onboard could be trapped."

"I don't think those will be a problem," Hiroshi said. "My guess is,  
the other two doors lead to dead sectors, with no power for life  
support. The outer doors are just plain broken or they would have  
closed like the others."

"Which could cause the system to not restore life support to the  
terminal," Kent pointed out. "There's no sign of a maintenance entry,  
so work crews either had to come in through the outer doors, or the  
tunnel was pressurized so they came in through the inner one."

"Then I'll try to phase through the door again," Mirai said. "But  
let's try Hiroshi's idea first?"

Jensen nodded. "Do it. We'll leave a sensor pack in the terminal once  
the airlock is set up and see what the system does when it detects  
pressure going back up."

"The airlock should be self-sealing," Hiroshi said. "Mirai is fast  
enough to push the airlock into place and then be out of the tunnel  
before the doors close fully."

"Seconded," Kent said, nodding.

"Then let's be about it, people," Jensen said. "Dismissed."

------------------------

Elder Coitain arrived soon after they did, along with a detachment of  
the Guard. No doubt his spies had told him that Marin was leaving his  
residence at an odd hour and of course, he just had to know what was  
going on.

"Honored Chief," Coitain said, bowing to Marin. "I understand there  
was an . . . incident? Why was I not informed? I am in charge of the  
Guard, after all." His chest swelled up with self-importance.

"My granddaughter witnessed an unusual phenomenon in this chamber,"  
Marin said, kneeling to pick up the crumpled remains of the blaster.  
"As the Elder of the Technology Caste, phenomenon of any kind falls  
under my domain." Were it possible, his glare would have frozen  
Coitain on the spot.

"I meant no disrespect," Coitain quailed, taking a half step back.  
"Were we to be bereft of your leadership, it would be a great loss to  
us all. I was only concerned, forgive me."

Marin gave him a nod and then looked at Teareal and Lorin, hefting  
the sphere, as though judging its weight. "You say this she did this  
with her bare hands?"

Teareal nodded. "One moment, she was by the Gate, the next, in front  
of Lorin. Twelve hetras in the blink of an eye!"

"So, incredibly fast, and quite strong, as well as being capable of  
walking through walls. How interesting." Marin hefted the blaster  
again. "But she didn't do anything until Lorin pointed the blaster at  
her?"

Teareal shook her head. "When she saw us, she raised her hand like  
this, moved her fingers. I suppose it could have been a greeting. I  
don't think she was expecting to see us." Teareal bit her lip as a  
thought came to her. "Grandfather, could she have come from the  
Homeworld? There were always rumors--"

"Absurd!" Coitain interrupted shrilly. "The Homeworld was destroyed.  
As was the cities on Miniota and Nuren was shattered. Were there any  
survivors on the Homeworld, we would have heard from them by now! The  
stories of survivors are fairytales for children! Fairytales!"

"Are they?" Marin mused, hefting the blaster one last time and then  
let it fall from his hand. "I wonder."

"Surely you cannot believe--" Coitain began, but Marin silenced him  
with a sharp gesture.

"What I believe is irrelevant," Marin said. "What is clear is that we  
were visited by a being of great power and I would dare say, of  
peaceful intentions. Summon Gaurd-Leader Racentha, if you would,  
Coitain."

"Of course," Cotain said, and turned away to make the call.

---------------

Mirai pulled up just beyond the outer doors and turned to face the  
tower.

"We already have a rise in pressure and temperature," Hiroshi said  
over the com. "And no sign of the outer doors moving."

"I'm going back in there, Hiroshi," Mirai said. "Once the pressure is  
up, the terminal needs to be secured."

"We're launching Dadelus," Jensen said. "Mirai, secure the terminal  
area. It will take a while to cycle all the marines through the  
airlock, so if the door opens and there's hostiles, you'll be more or  
less on your own."

"Understood," Mirai said and triggered the recorder on her headset  
before flying back down through the tunnel.

At the airlock, she opened the door and once inside, triggered the  
entry cycle. With a woosh of air, the intake vents on the inner side  
opened and allowed the pressure in the lock to equal the pressure  
inside Iapetus.

The door hissed open, and Mirai stepped out. Looking back, she could  
just make out the running lights of the Dadelus as it landed at the  
far end of the tunnel.

Humming to herself, Mirai triggered her flight field and drifted down  
the hallway, pausing in front of the Ayers Rock photo to take a full  
spectrum picture of it at one thousand megapixels for Star, just in  
case there might be something interesting there.

With that done, she moved into the terminal area, where the washing  
machine sized sensor package sat in the middle of the room, analyzing  
the air, the light, and the sounds that were beginning to fill the room.

Moving to the service desk, she perched on it and waited. Nothing  
else to do until Iapetus' systems were finished.

-----------------------

Racentha was a low-born as one could be without being outcast. That  
hadn't stopped him from joining the Guard and clawing his way up to  
the rank of Leader by sheer dint of raw skill. True, he was tall,  
imposing, and had good looks, but the reality was, he'd earned his rank.

Now, he joined Marin and Coitain and saluted.

"As ordered, Chief Elder," he said to Marin, "I am here. I took the  
liberty of bringing twenty-five Guards as well."

Marin nodded in approval. He'd asked for Racentha for one more  
reason; the man was not afraid to think.

"Excellent, Leader, excellent," Marin said. "Now, I --" He broke off  
as a chime rang out and the computer spoke. Not in modern tongues,  
but archaic, as it was Before.

"Notification. Green Terminal now at eighty percent of operational  
standard. Green Terminal Gateways two and three remain offline.  
Maintenance crews report to Green Terminal Gateway One. Green  
Terminal now approaching one hundred percent of environmental  
standards. Be Informed that this message is for Operations, Bio, and  
Guard Personnel only. All other citizens and pilgrims are instructed  
to remain in the Grand Mall, or Red, Blue, Purple, Orange, Yellow,  
and white sectors, or in Green Habitat, Promenade, and Bio. Transit  
to Green Terminal remains off line. You have been informed. May  
Harmony stay with you."

"What does that mean?" Coitain demanded. "I couldn't understand a  
word of that gibberish."

Marin sighed. "It's an automated message from the old days, Coitain.  
It seems our mysterious visitor has been busy." He indicated the  
Gate. "That has been closed for a thousand and a half generations and  
more. It would seem that even a being who can walk through walls,  
cover twelve hetras in the blink of an eye, and crush metal in her  
bare hands still needs air and warmth." He paused. "Of course, we are  
assuming that its just her. She could be a scout." He turned back to  
Racentha. "Arrange your men to cover our retreat, if needed, Guard  
Leader. However, they are not to fire except on my express order, or  
if attacked. And by attacked, I mean by blaster, bullet, fists,  
staff, spear or blade. Anyone who defies this order will pay the  
penalty."

"I obey," Racentha acknowledged and turned away to give orders.

"Are you mad?" Coitain hissed, "that is the Dead Zone. Anything from  
there is unclean. This thing your Granddaughter saw is a tool of what  
befell our ancestors. We cannot greet it, we should kill it."

"We should?" Marin countered. "Your words are misused. CAN we kill  
her? With the powers this being has already displayed, it would not  
do to provoke her, or her people. Especially if their intentions are  
peaceful and her actions so far indicate that they are."

"Or it could be a ruse," Coitain responded. "To lull us into a sense  
of safety and then strike and finish us the way our ancestors were."

The computer chimed again. "Notification. Green Terminal is at one  
hundred percent of environmental standard. Raising Green Gate One.  
You have been informed. May Harmony stay with you."

With the groan of ancient machinery, the gate began to rise. Teareal  
stepped forward, peering with curiosity as the bronze barrier rose,  
revealing three figures just beyond it. One was a construct at least  
nine hetras high, the other was a figure in full armor. The third--  
"That's her!" she exclaimed, pointing.

Marin joined her. The figure was clad in black, white and light  
purple with a blue-visored helmet and long brown hair. She wasn't  
that tall and the tight white tunic she wore showed muscle tone. She  
had large breasts and obscenely wide hips. Not attractive at all.

"Shiee mackin, Angus, mo to, Chase," she said, looking at each  
armored figure. "Lei no udn ulkat." Her head cocked, her eyes slid to  
the left, and she pressed two fingers to her ear, as though listening  
to them.

"Grandfather?" Teareal asked. "What's she doing?"

"A comlink, I believe," Marin said. "It would seem that she is not  
the leader."

"I told you, she's a scout!" Coitain hissed. "We must attack now!"

"Be silent, you fool!" Marin exploded. "Let us at least ascertain  
their intentions first."

The argument had attracted the strangers' attention and then the  
woman pointed at Coitain. "Doach fym," she instructed the one in  
armor. The figure responded with a noise that sounded very much like  
a laugh.

"Aagerne tu."

The woman smiled in response and returned her attention to her  
comlink, pausing occasionally to listen to whoever it was talking to  
her.

"Dunden Kushiel . . . no . . . Ne gaou . . ." she looked at them.  
"Terno foi nanda . . . I . . . Ne Gaou . . . Ne gaou . . . no  
gaou . . . Ne . . . Chies loi faula. Jac lien gat uturge . . . Ne  
gaou, infi un du." The two armored figures took several steps back  
and she stepped forward until she was only a few hetras away.  
"Mirai," she said, pressing a hand to her chest and then showed them  
her palms. When met with a blank stare, she tried again, this time  
tapping herself on the chest. "Mirai," she repeated and showed them  
her palms.

"Elder?" Lorin asked, looking at Marin.

"Unless I'm very much mistaken, Mirai is her name and she is  
demonstrating that she is unarmed and therefore, peaceful," Marin  
said. He stepped forward until only three hetras remained between  
them. "Marin," he said and showed her his palms. She smiled brightly  
and sat on the ground, folding her legs under her. Marin copied her,  
laying his cane across his lap.

"All gaurd, fall back," Rancentha ordered, and he and his men moved  
backwards until they were ten hetras away.

"Go with him, Coitain," Marin ordered. "There's no need for the Guard  
at the moment." He looked back at Mirai, who seemed to be uncertain  
as to what to do next, but something about her manner suggested she  
waiting for something.

Marin was a patient man, he could wait too.

-----------------------

Jensen strode down the hallway, Kent and Wayne in tow, Oshii next to  
him and his yeoman on the other side.

"Sir, you can't go over there, its too risky," Oshii protested.

"He's right, sir," Wayne said, "The sensor pack has picked up some  
odd bacteria in the air over there. No doubt the inhabitants have  
adapted, but we don't have that protection. What if it's harmful to us?"

"What if it isn't?" Jensen responded. "In any case, Mirai is no  
diplomat, and as capable as Griswold is, I've yet to meet a Marine  
who can think more than six steps ahead, the Spider being an  
exception, even if she is Navy now." He nodded, his mind made up.  
"Oshii, get back to the bridge, Wayne, you and Kent pick some of your  
boys and girls who feel like taking a ride. We'll go over suited up  
and get some air samples. Full de-con procedures until we know what  
that bacteria is." The three men hurried off and Jensen looked at his  
yeoman. "We still need to be able to talk to them. Parker, check the  
files and find me someone on this boat who speaks more than two  
languages."

Parker took out his palmtop and as they entered the lift, he made his  
announcement. "Crewman Star speaks four languages, sir," he reported.  
"Fluently, anyway. She can more or less make herself understood in  
three or four more on top of that."

Jensen bounced on the balls of his feet. "An engineer, an imager and  
multi-lingual," he mused. "Does she play the flute and sing?"

"Piano, guitar and cello as well, sir."

"Quite the bundle of surprises, our Hannalore." He paused. "Tell her  
that she's going over to Iapetus on the next shuttle to play  
linguist, and then get on the horn to New Plymouth. Find out if she's  
done any time at Camp Jousen."

"The Spider, sir?" Parker asked.

Jensen laughed mirthlessly. "Who else?"

The lift doors opened and Parker followed Jensen out. Admiral Martha  
Washington was the most politically powerful person on Earth, or so  
rumor claimed. If she'd placed a spy on board, then Parker didn't  
envy Jensen one bit.

------------------------------

By the time Jensen got to the hanger deck, Star was waiting for him.

"Sir!" she said, saluting.

"Crewman," he replied, returning her salute. "At ease."

"Thank you, sir."

"To answer your next question, I have need of a linguist, and since  
there's no way to get one here in any reasonable length of time, I  
have to improvise. You're it."

"Then the rumor is true? There are humans on Iapetus?"

"We don't know for sure that they're humans, but yes. Its inhabited."

"Oh," they began to walk towards the suit lockers.

"Star, you've worked closely with Doctor Oshii, what's he like?"

She hesitated for just a moment, about the time it would be for a  
rating reluctant to criticize a superior, even on order. "Brilliant,  
sir, very brilliant. I'm learning a lot."

Jensen nodded at that. She was either a consummate actress, or she  
really was a rating with some odd talents. If the latter was true,  
what the hell was she doing on the "Boone"?

They split off to suit up and then went into the main hanger.

"So, Star," Jensen said, as they walked towards the shuttle, "I'm  
curious, where did you learn how to speak four languages?"

"My father was a diplomat," Star replied. "I . . . picked it up. He  
wasn't around much. I grew up in boarding schools and then spent  
summers with my uncle."

"So you joined the navy."

"My mother is an officer, but we're . . . not close." She looked up  
at the shuttle and stopped. "Sir, I'd like permission to conduct a  
field test."

"Of?"

"A translator device. It was my senior thesis. I believe I've ironed  
out the bugs and Doctor Oshii says it should work." Jensen hesitated  
and Star looked anxious. "Sir, it's entirely probable that we could  
miss something using traditional methods. Japanese for, example, has  
nuances and subtleties that only a native speaker knows or  
understands. My invention captures them. Perfectly."

"That's a pretty bold claim to make," Jensen observed.

"My senior adviser didn't believe it either. Even when I demonstrated  
it and it provided an accurate, on the fly translation with only a  
second's delay. He almost failed me anyway."

"But Japanese is a fully documented language," he pointed out. "The  
people over there speak a completely . . . ah." He considered.  
"There's an unknown type of bacteria in the air on Iapetus, Star.  
Until we know what it is and how it could affect us, full de-con  
procedures are in place for anyone or anything returning to the  
'Daniel Boone'. Can your device handle that?"

"Yes, sir. It was designed to be used by medical teams in the event  
of epidemic hot zones or natural disasters."

"And you brought it with you?"

"I'm an engineer, sir," she said, as though it explained everything.

Jensen chuckled. "All right, permission granted, but as an auxiliary  
only for now. We'll see how it does."

"Yes, sir!"

----------------------------------

They'd sat in silence for some time. Behind them, Coitain paced and  
muttered to himself, Teareal and Lorin fidgeted, and the Guard, from  
the sound of things, had reached the conclusion that at least for the  
moment, they weren't going to be attacked. Racentha hadn't let them  
relax, but they were talking to each other in low tones, the idle  
chatter of people with nothing to do for the moment.

Behind Mirai, more armored figures had drifted into Green Terminal,  
though their weapons were slung across their backs, and they were  
pointedly trying to convey the appearance of people who were not  
aggressive, but nonetheless were prepared to go into battle at a  
moment's notice.

After a while, Mirai had produced a small device and begun playing a  
game of some kind. Then, with hand gestures, she'd offered to let him  
have a turn. The object was to move gems that were adjacent to each  
other and create a single row of either horizontal or vertical gems  
of the same type. After a certain number of swaps, the game increased  
difficulty, requiring one to be increasingly strategic in their choices.

They now sat almost side by side, taking turns (as the game did allow  
for this) and were well into the hardest portions when the armored  
figures moved, straightening up, heels clanging together as one of  
them bellowed two words. "Makinnoit ut!"

Mirai leapt to her feet as a new group of figures strode into the  
room and Marin slowly stood as well.

The newcomers were not clad in armor save for one and many carried  
cases of equipment, which they then began to set up, while chattering  
excitedly.

"They're setting up weapon emplacements!" Coitain howled. "Guards!  
Attack!"

"Hold your ground!" Marin bellowed. "Anyone who attacks except on my  
command will be punished!" The guards stood down and Marin nodded. Good.

"For the Refuge!" Coitain shrieked, snatching a plasma lance from a  
Guard and charging at Mirai.

One of the newcomers, the one in armor, snapped out orders. "Terines,  
gan toa rewn! Moldiver, duswa fym!"

Mirai's hand snapped out, grabbing the lance as Coitain swung it at  
her head, stopping it cold and Coitain stumbled, bouncing off her  
chest and falling backwards. Mirai gave the glowing end of the lance  
a speculative look, and then glared at Coitain. "Han, gou chi semara,  
crnt gou?" She then tied the lance into a knot and let it drop at  
Cotain's feet, who immeditly scrabbled backwards, eyes wide with fear.

Marin swallowed. The lance was made out of the same metal that formed  
the skin of the Refuge. It was impervious. Just how much power did  
Mirai, or Moldiver, as the armored one had called her, have?

He reminded himself that she'd done nothing to indicate hostility,  
and even her companions seemed peaceful. If Marin was a betting man,  
he would bet every last mirek he had that he was looking at  
explorers. Heavily armed explorers, yes, but still explorers.

"Grandfather?" Teareal asked.

"All is well, my dear," Marin assured her and beckoned to Racentha.  
"Guard Leader. Please escort Elder Coitain back to his residence and  
see to it he gets some rest. Regardless of what he says otherwise, I  
don't think he should leave there until he recovers fully. I will  
assume his duties in the interim."

"I obey," Racentha replied. He didn't smile, but Marin was all too  
aware of what the Guard thought of Coitain. They obeyed him because  
he was the leader, not out of respect.

Coitain's allies would be hearing about this soon enough and Marin  
was all too aware of the battle he would face at the next council  
meeting, but the look on the other Elder's face as the Guard escorted  
him out was worth it.

He turned back to the newcomers and while he couldn't be sure,  
something told Marin that the armored one was giving him an  
expression of sympathy and understanding. Mirai's expression  
suggested that Coitain reminded her of something unpleasant.

Marin took a moment to compose himself and then smiled.

It was time to begin the real work.

-----------------------------------------------

Jensen let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding,  
grateful that the helmet of his suit hid his face.

Mirai's new friend seemed to be the one in charge, but the other one,  
the one who'd attacked Mirai, had some rank as well, apparently. The  
two were probably rivals, and Jensen chuckled to himself. He hoped  
they could start talking soon, he was pretty sure that they had a lot  
in common.

But for now, there was work to do. "Star, get to it. I want a kernel  
of their language by the end of the day."

Lots of work.