Ecurben and Drachcirn trotted in unison to the half-dome to check on the repairs of lightning strike damage. It had been two days since the storm.
“Odraciron. Any luck restoring power?”
“Sorry, sir. The damage to the lander is more extensive than I estimated. All the wireless charging stations in the lander are beyond repair. We are slowly testing each power cable, section by section, to find pieces that can conduct current.”
“What about the reactor that generated the electrical power?”
“We’ve checked all 16 reactor modules. Each has an electronic control box. We could only find one box that works. The lightning bolt melted the rest.”
“Do we have power to the lander's radio?” asked Drachcirn.
“Not yet. Working in the lander is difficult. It's still hot and filled with toxic fumes. The guys have protective masks, but getting access to anything there is exhausting.”
“I know the men are doing their best. How much longer will it take?” Ecurben asked quietly.
“We have some of the power cabling done. By late today, we will have power and be able to restart the reactor module.”
“What about power to the lab instruments?”
“We will set up a sharing arrangement – powering one or the other.”
“Thanks, Odraciron. Tell your men I’m proud of the job they are doing.” Ecurben and Drachcirn left the half-dome.
Outside, Drachcirn said, “Halopez! One lightning bolt changed everything!”
“It's a brutal reminder of our fragile existence,” Ecurben said.
“You told the Council it was likely we couldn’t charge our eyepieces. But reality makes it harder to accept.”
“I know Drachcirn. It's another lost technology.” They jogged in silence back to the village.
Samohtin's Patrol, Day Four
The search team had run for three days, interrupting their travel only with periodic rest breaks. They followed the known route of the missing patrol, staying close to the river that flowed past their hillside community toward the setting sun.
Creeks and streams flowing into the river had nearly doubled the flow. They were now into the wide bend and noticed the land gradually descended. The lazy flow had become rapids dancing around boulders and gushing through narrows. Looking back, the patrol leader could see the bluff where they had camped the previous night now dominating the horizon.
Around midday, Samohtin gave the parol a rest break. He wanted to check their radio connection from below the intervening hill. The radio operator in his cubical received a strong signal. The transmission came through clear of static.
Nevetsin passed on the news that the colonists had decided to call their settlement Ak^Ladian, a Tridon colloquialism meaning “New Beginning.”
Samohtin then had the radio operator try reception using his communicator. It lacked the power of the lander's receiver. The reception was weaker, but communication was still possible. Finally, he tried calling the missing patrol, hoping they were close enough to hear his signal. That try failed.
“Everything looks different,” one member observed.
“Yeah. There are fewer hills and valleys and a lot more rocks.”
Patches of prairie grass and clumps of brush were everywhere. It lacked the lush, fertile look that characterized the area near their settlement.
“See those funny birds flying in short bursts and mostly running through the ground cover,” one of the hunters said. That's all it took to make them a popular evening meal.
One patrol member commented that the area looked like something had ironed the hilly terrain, leaving only gentle undulations. And from the rapids in the river, it was clear they were still losing elevation.
Each morning, the patrol leader carefully measured the direction to where the river crossed the horizon and noted it was meandering around a reasonably straight line. When they saw a landmark, they documented it on their map. In camp, Samohtin used an instrument each night to record the polar star's elevation above the horizon.
On the fifth day, the patrol took their first core sample by driving the hollow tube through shallow water into the river bottom. And they started collecting rock samples even though nothing appeared unusual. The patrol spread out to cover a wider path and look for signs left by their missing friends. Frequent calls to the lost patrol received no response. Samohtin's nightly report to Nevetsin added to the Commander's growing concern.
On the sixth day, there was a change. The men saw the land gradually rise to a ridgeline that defined the horizon ahead. Boulders poked through the rocky soil. Near the ridge, the river had eroded a deep cut to continue its advance. By late morning, the patrol reached the top of the high ground and could see out ahead a vast bowl-like depression.
Samohtin studied the terrain and decided to call Nevetsin before going farther. He realized climbing down into the bowl might impair radio communications. His call would alert Nevetsin and the Commander to that possibility. The depth of the bowl might explain their loss of contact with the first patrol.
The initial part of the descent was a cliff and demanding, but midway down, it became a gradual, gravel slope. The depth was more than it had first appeared. Samohtin's men anchored a rope to a convenient boulder and used it to rappel down the steep rocky face. They left the rope for use on their return. Once down, they could walk down the long incline to the bottom. Even for these hardened men, the descent was strenuous.
Once down, they fully appreciated the bowl's size. A haze obscured features on the far horizon. The rise to the rim behind them looked like a towering obstacle. One patrol member who had served on the New Dawn said it reminded him of craters he had seen on space missions.
The river they had followed plummeted into the bowel in a waterfall, landing in a large pool. They camped near the pool on higher ground, away from the perpetual mist from the cascading water. As Samohtin feared, they could not make radio contact with their settlement.
Meeting the Up-River Patrol
Ecurben's and Drachcirn's walked over to the river bank. They anticipated the return of the patrol sent to search for sulfur and take more core samples. They arrived first at the river, where it passed closest to their village. Ecurben noticed the water was higher and the current stronger.
Not far downstream, he saw three men working on the bank. Seeing them reminded Ecurben of the boat he wanted. What was that carpenter's name? He thought. Then it came to him. “Ebaggon,” he muttered. As he walked closer, he saw material piled near the water's edge and the craft's ribs nearly assembled.
“Ebaggon. Seeing the river reminded me of your project,” he shouted.
The carpenter looked up, surprised by the visit. “Sir. We’ve almost completed the tricky part. She’ll be a fine boat for this water. Some paint would be nice, but I don’t suppose we have any.”
“Sorry. We don’t. But the boat will be helpful. Let me know when it's finished.”
The carpenter nodded and returned to his work.
Drachcirn had wandered along the river bank looking into the shallows. After several minutes, he bent down and picked up something that caught his eye.
“What did you find?” Ecurben asked.
“Just an unusual stone. It's shiny black and very round.”
“Have you taken up stone collecting?”
“No. Just curious.”
Then, they saw the patrol jogging along the shoreline. Nerolnin led the group. Two men held the ends of long tubes containing cylindrical cores. Their heavy breathing belied the appearance of effortless motion. They must have maintained this pace for most of the morning.
The packs, filled with sample bags, would keep the scientists busy. Ecurben hoped they had found iron and sulfur, both critical to preserving their diminishing supply of ammunition.
“It looks like you had a successful trip. Anything new to report?”
“Yes, sir! We found deposits similar to the material Nourami wanted. And we pulled cores from several creek beds,” Nerolnin reported, grinning.
“How far did you go?” Ecurben pressed.
“We worked our way about halfway up the long slope leading to the high ridgeline. Glossy black stones litter the stream beds up there, and we brought samples from different locations. Overall, we went about a day farther than the last trip.”
“Any signs of life?”
“No, sir. Well, there are small dark-colored animals everywhere up there. There isn’t much grass, and the soil has rocks everywhere.”
“Show the scientists what you found. They only have electricity haft time, so they will be slower completing their tests.”
“Will do.”
“Anything else to report?
“Only that the landscape up there is very different,” Nerolnin replied.
“Good work, men. Ecurben said. He wondered if the black stones the patrol found were identical to the one Drachcirn had picked up in the river.
Ecurben and Drachirn walked back to N^Wotvor. The name didn’t mean as much to the two astronauts, but then the time they spent on Tridon's surface hadn’t allowed vacationing at resorts.
“Any reactions to Nerolnin's report? Ecurben asked.
“The change in landscape seemed unusual. Maybe the samples will hold a clue.”
“I just want their collection to include plenty of iron and sulfur. That's what we need,” the senior officer grumbled.
As they approached the intersection of the two broad public ways in the center of their community, they saw Curiden talking with a friend.
“Curiden! Nerolnin's patrol is back. They are hauling the material they found up to the lab,” Ecurben reported.
“Thanks. Their call last night said they wouldn’t get back until later today. I’ll catch them there.”
“Tell Nourami we want to find out if they found sulfur first. Those scientists get sidetracked easily.”
“Will do!”
“Thanks, Curiden.”
The two left Curiden and headed down the public area between the shelters toward the distant forest. People were out everywhere enjoying the pleasant weather. Gardens were flourishing, some with plants blooming. The sounds of construction filled the air. Drachcirn noticed more “name signs” on the log huts.
On the way, they saw Ecinajee talking with two women. The men waved, and she came over.
“Any progress making yarn or thread?” Ecurben asked. They talked every night, but he still loved hearing her voice.
“This morning, we made our first yarn,” she beamed.
“How?”Drachcirn asked, surprised.
“One of the women remembered her mother had made yarn. She trimmed fur off a T^Nesiwa hide. It isn’t straightforward to explain the steps, but she made a long strand. It's not my favorite color, but it's a start. We still have to make much more and find fiber for string and thread. “
“What about tall grass?” Drachcirn asked. He knew many plants have long fibers to enable them to stand up.
“We are collecting several types.”
“I am impressed. Let me know if the women need anything.”