Drachcirn couldn’t wait to tell Ecurben what he had discovered. He had improved his method for making maps and finding their way across the vast land around them.
“Ecurben! Wait up,” He yelled, spotting his boss walking towards the river.
Ecurben stopped, and Drachcirn quickly caught up to him. “I figured it out, the navigator said breathlessly.
“Great. Let's sit over there.”
Drachcirn explained how he enjoyed sitting outside after dark gazing at the canopy of stars.
“I can see distinct patterns made by certain stars --shapes made by connecting lines between them. We use these patterns in space navigation since they depend upon our position. As I watched, the stars slowly moved across the sky. I took a time-lapse picture that showed their circular path. And then I saw it! There was one star that didn’t move.”
“That's interesting, but how does it help us?”
“The stars aren’t moving. We are moving relative to them as the planet rotates. The fixed star is above our planet on its axis of rotation. It tells us one of the four fundamental directions. When you face this stationary star, your hands and back point to the other three directions.” Drachcirn grinned.
“But how do our people know which star is the one?”
“Oh, I forgot. There is an obvious star pattern with two stars making a line that points to this polar star. It's easy to spot.”
“That's good, but how do we make maps knowing this?” Ecurben asked, still skeptical.
“There is more, “ he continued excitedly. “The angle this star makes with horizontal increases as you move away from the equator. At the pole, it is straight above you. That provides another position indicator, and we have instruments for measuring this angle. Finally, we need to measure distance, but that's easy!”
“I understand, but isn’t that angle indicator the same all around the hemisphere?”
“It is, but let me cover the measurement of distance. This part is so obvious I felt stupid for not recognizing it immediately. Remember, we all have a common ingrained frequency. So when we run, everyone's natural gait is the same. That's why we measure distance by the time it takes to run from one point to another.”
“Now I see. Direction is the angle from one of the four universal directions. Distance is how long it takes.“
“Yes, our scouts spot a landmark, note the angle, and keep track of the time to go there. Our laser range-finders give accurate measurements but only work for short distances – up to one hour. Maps mark the places, distances, and directions. Geometry can fill in missing details. And the polar star angle provides a cross-check and gives us the base directions at night.”
“Good job, Drachcirn. When our patrols return, show them how to start mapping.”
Ecurben was anxious for the patrols to return but didn’t expect them until later that afternoon. So he strolled toward the cluster of half-domes, hoping to run into Ecinajee. He was very confident when he was in a command situation, but personal relationships made him uncomfortable. He was preoccupied with how to engage with her without some official reason.
An outdoor gathering place had formed around the fire pit and tables where they prepared most of the food. These tables were Ecurben's first stop. There, he saw a group of Amilikut women plucking feathers from several large birds. A curious audience surrounded the women. One brave Ribizut lady was trying to help.
The firepit had a glowing bed of coals, and two birds were on a metal sheet taken from the descent vehicle. Ecurben complimented the women and started to leave when he saw Ecinajee in the group of onlookers.
Walking over, he said, “Looks like we’ll have meat for the evening meal.”
“Two young men got the birds this morning. The preparation is a little hard to watch. But once roasted, the meat will be popular,” she said without looking at him.
“I see there are several new plant foods.”
“Those black ball-shaped ones are roasted and have a flavorful pulp inside.”
“We need names for these new foods,” he laughed.
“Yes, we need food names. I think cooking is going to be popular. I am trying to learn,” she smiled, head tilted toward him.
“I agree. Eating those mass-produced food bars doesn’t compare.” His communicator sounded, and he got word one of the patrols had returned.
“I have to go. Would you like to eat together later? We can try out the new food,” he suggested, surprised at the words he blurted out.
“I’d like that,” Ecinajee answered.
“Great. See you later.” Ecurben left feeling his heart beating faster. For a man who seldom experienced much emotion, he sensed it now.
The patrol that had gone upriver had returned to the main structure in the center of the half-dome habitats. When Ecurben arrived, he saw the group of men enjoying cold drinks. It was apparent their physical condition had improved significantly.
“Good to see everyone returned safely,” Ecurben greeted them.
“Beautiful scenery, lots of wildlife, but nothing dangerous,” their leader replied.
“Were you able to bring back any meat?”
“Sir, we brought a lot! Everyone was double-loaded. ”
“What kind?” Ecurben asked excitedly, pleased with their success.
“Water birds and those woodland animals with the branched horns, the kind that bounces when they run.”
“Good work, men! Any luck finding a place to cross?”
“Above the falls, we found a place where the land made the river narrower. Just beyond the narrows, the river widens out and becomes shallow. We could wade across. There was a short, deep stretch where the water was chest high.”
“That gives us a place to cross.”
“Where the river narrows, some rusted metal stuck out of one bank.”
“Any idea what it is?”
“No, there wasn’t much left. It looked like the corroded metal had been there forever.”
“Did you see any sign of life?”
“No. Well, the river is teeming with fish. We need a way to catch them.”
“Thanks again. Get some rest.” Ecurben was intrigued by the rusty pieces. They might be something made by intelligent beings. He was about to leave when he saw Cariden.
“Cariden, Got a minute?”
“Sure, what's up?”
“Just talked with the upriver patrol. The men did a great job and returned loaded with meat.”
“Good to hear. Those guys are excellent hunters.”
“Do you know anyone who could build a boat?” Ecurben asked.
“I know two men who are skilled carpenters. I don’t know if they ever made a boat. How big were you thinking?”
“Well, we can start small. See how it works. Someone who used a boat on Tridon might be able to give them some ideas.”
“I’ll check around. Some men have skills but don’t talk about them.”
“Let's put them to work. Find out what they can do.” He understood the Tridon culture discouraged initiative.
He had finished dinner with Ecinajee and was thinking about how nice it had been. He had been nervous when he sat down with her but found it was like something they had done many times. She shared his interest in the settlement and his desire for everyone to be a part of its success.
Then his communicator startled him, bringing word the other patrol was returning. It was time to greet the men who had gone downriver.
Nearing the river, he saw the down-river group jogging along in step with each other. Their rhythmic gait left no doubt they were his men. He sat on a large rock protruding from the sandy shore.
Waving, he shouted, “Over here!” They saw him and soon were finding places to get off their feet. He noticed their packs had bulging bags clipped on them.
After waiting for everyone to catch their breath, he said,” Your radio message sounded like you’ve had a very successful mission. I am anxious to hear how it went.”
“Better than I expected. We located a place to cross. A narrow stretch of deep water requires a strong swimmer to fix a rope. And you can see we returned loaded down with fruit. But what we saw is more important,” the patrol leader reported.
“Well, don’t keep me in suspense. I sensed you had news you didn’t want to talk about over the radio.”
“Maybe I was being too cautious, but we don’t know if anyone can hear us. We found a recently used campsite on the far side of the river. The fire still had warm coals. Our guess is only one or two spent the night there. We never saw anyone. They had left before we arrived. We found some footprints but nothing more.”
“Where was this?”
“Roughly a third of a day, downriver from the crossing.”
“Could they have been from the other settlement?”
“No. Their footprints are different from ours.”
“Could they have seen smoke from your fire?” Ecurben pressed.
“I don’t know. Their campsite was down between two ridges.”
“Anything else?”
“We traveled an entire day further down the river on this side. I saw several herds of those massive animals. We found where one had been killed and butchered. Mainly bones and guts left behind. It had to be a recent kill.”
“Crocit! We’re not alone here. Any other clues?” Ecurben's worst fear returned.
“Only some footprints similar to what we found at the deserted campsite.”
“OK. Great job! All that fruit you hauled back will make you heroes. Get some food and rest.”
Ecurben trudged slowly back to his half-domed habitat, deep in thought. Whoever was out there could kill the largest animals his people had ever seen. But the kill made them seem to be very primitive.
On Tridon, they killed animals in a processing plant and raised them under controlled conditions. They didn’t go out in the wild hunting them for food. He made a mental note to have his scouts search out these natives and observe them.
Walking back, he looked upward, wondering which point of light was the polar star Drachcirn had described.