LAKE OF SOULS — AFRICAN UNION
2:19 PM
The ground rumbled beneath Stella's feet as she descended from the solar-powered disk. She quickly found her footing and darted along the edge of the Lake of Souls. Its obsidian shimmer hinted at the lurking dangers ahead. In the horizon, Mount Nyiragongo spewed a fiery plume, painting the darkened sky with shades of apocalypse. With the encroaching lava and the lake's precarious location, time was of the essence. The looming threat of a methane explosion was unpredictable, but she chose to focus rather than fear.
Weighed down by her protective gear, each step Stella took felt like wading through quicksand. The helmet and respirator, cumbersome as they were, were her lifeline.
Defiantly, she matched the Nyiragongo's thunderous roar with a fierce cry of her own. “You will not claim my Bibi, you stinking…stinking pimple!”
Drawing closer to the Devil's Bridge, her mind swirled with doubt. Was this act of rebellion against her father's wishes worth it? Christian's unwavering faith seemed misguided, yet some part of her feared the consequences of playing God. Crossing the Earth’s Council wasn't a mere trifle; they'd retaliate. How would she lobby for Graviz as humanity’s final sanctuary after directly defying their decisions?
She steeled her nerves as she stepped onto the bridge. The lake, though tranquil, bore witness to countless minkisi dancing beneath the surface, represented by ephemeral teal light formations. These lights embodied the collective memory and legacy of an entire culture. She was determined not to lose a single one, especially not Bibi.
“We've got to act quickly,” Stella said, hoping the eruption wouldn't scramble her message to the airborne cargo plane. With a blink, a swarm of drones buzzed forth from the aircraft, converging on the lake's surface.
This audacious rescue, including the old plane and the drones, would probably cost her at least 30 pollution points. Her public standing, her council seat, even her relationship with her father, all were at stake. Yet, today, that wasn't her priority. The love for Bibi, and that feeling she felt when she was singing and dancing for those girls—that mattered. Shadow's terrible influence made her see things…differently, and while it might lead her to danger, she was willing to embrace the risks, for now.
She pondered the paradox: what was the point of saving millions of minkisi, if by doing so, she’d lose the opportunity to bring them and billions of others back to life. It was emotional, short-termist thinking. She shrugged, committing to her faults.
Stella started her briefing with conviction, “These drones boast advanced cryo-suction tech. Once they hover over a minkisi cluster, they'll seamlessly extract and safely encapsulate them within the onboard cryogenic chamber. This cold environment is crucial to maintain minkisi stability during transit.”
Her retina display highlighted Dr. Kasali, the team’s hydro-engineer. He maneuvered a sizeable metallic storage unit perched on wheels to the open maw of the cargo door. “Post-extraction, we’ll transition the minkisi into these specialized refrigerated containers. Their superior insulation is our best defense against the sweltering external temperatures.” Like Stella, he was also swathed in protective gear.
Stella surveyed the daunting challenge ahead: 4.4 million minkisi, 32 advanced drones, and a single cargo plane equipped with 20 cooling containers. With each drone having a capacity of only 5000 capsules, the math indicated about 30 back-and-forth trips to secure all the minkisi successfully.
Refocusing, Stella declared, “I’ve integrated the drones with our tracking matrix. Our immediate priority is pinpointing the densest pockets of minkisi.”
Dr. Kasali interjected with a note of caution, “We must distribute our drones methodically. Excessive water agitation in a localized area might lead to a potentially fatal CO2 release, or worse, a catastrophic explosion.”
Stella sighed in frustration. “Sure, but that’s going to slow us down.”
Moments later, drones took to the skies, their luminescence harmonizing with the shimmer below. As each drone stabilized, its cryo-suction feature sprung to life, emitting beams of icy-blue tendrils that tethered them to the lake, magnetically drawing minkisi to safety.
Suddenly, a cataclysmic roar echoed. All eyes darted to the now-erupting volcano. Lava, like molten fury, cascaded down its flanks, advancing menacingly. As the drones accelerated their operations, the molten tide drew perilously close, its oppressive heat an ever-looming threat.
“Stella, get up here! You're risking too much being down there,” Sparrow's commanding voice echoed through the comm system. The pilot, known by her call sign, was a seasoned flyer in her fifties, and she addressed Stella with an assertiveness rarely heard by the latter.
“Just a few more moments,” Stella countered. She’d designed the tiny human-shaped capsules to change color when close kin approached. On the weekends, when families rushed to the lake, a coral pink glow would emerge from a sea of bluish green shimmering. A nudge to remind them it was time to bring the souls back from the ku mpèmba, the spirit world. It was a strategic ruse Stella had cleverly devised to further her cause. She couldn’t bring them to the physical world, ku nseke, but another world awaited the soul of the dead—Graviz.
Over time, amidst the vast lake housing millions of minkisi, bereaved families invariably felt a personal connection. Alone in the stillness, many reported glimpsing a uniquely glowing nkisi nearby, leading to whispers that the bisimbi, the water spirits, were guiding the deceased to their kin. Although Stella had been skeptical initially, tonight she was desperate for a simbi to lead Bibi’s nkisi to her. The numbers of rescued minkisi climbed steadily on her retina display—439,243, 591,029… But where was Bibi?
The ominous glow on the horizon grew larger, casting an eerie light on their frantic efforts. Time was running out.
“We've secured a quarter of them,” Sparrow's voice rang out. “We need to leave, now!”
But Stella, determination evident on her perspiring face, responded defiantly, “Keep going! Every soul counts.”
From the forest's edge, she noticed them approaching the lake: families wrapped in damp towels, clutching fishnets and carrying buckets. “Get away from here! It's too dangerous!” Ignoring her warning, they greeted her with jubilant cheers and waves, while the lake seemingly blushed in response to their love.
“They're willing to die here…” A realization struck Stella, and she immediately directed the drones toward the blushing minkisi. These were the dearly loved souls, for whom their families were willing to disobey governmental orders and endanger their lives.
Stella staggered under the strain. She was no Goddess—just a woman defying nature itself. “Are you scanning the codes?” Stella asked.
“Stella, get to the disk, now!” Sparrow's voice was sharp with urgency.
Stella stood her ground, perspiration accumulating within her flame-retardant suit. “Did you get her? Did you retrieve Gentille Mboma?”
“I’m not sure,” replied Dr. Kasali, sounding frantic. “Many of the codes have corroded. We'll only know for certain once we plug them in.”
“I’ll just pull out the last coral capsules,” Stella said.
As the last drone completed its task, the ground rumbled violently, signaling the lava's imminent arrival.
“Holy ship!” Stella dashed toward her disk; her eyes drawn to the ominous, fiery tendrils emerging from the woods. With an urgent wave, she signaled the drones toward the desperate families gathered at the lake's edge. “Grab onto the pouches! They'll lift you to safety!” she cried out.
“Everyone, on the plane, NOW!” Dr. Kasali's voice resonated with urgency, as people hurriedly clung to drones, their deactivated cryo-pouches doubling as makeshift harnesses. “Drop your nets!” he shouted. “The drones can't bear the extra weight!” Yet, they all clung to their nets, each laden with thousands of minkisi.
Stella, drones in tow, flew toward the hovering cargo plane. Mustering her final ounce of strength, Stella adjusted the cryo-pouches of the airborne drones to ten percent to keep people cool. She waited, ensuring the drones boarded sequentially, releasing their precious human cargo. People were handed compressed oxygen respirators and rushed into the empty refrigerated containers.
As they neared safety, a sudden, immense eruption from the Lake of Souls cast a fiery brilliance over the landscape, accompanied by a deafening roar that shook the very air.
“Was that the Lake?” Stella asked, panic evident in her voice.
“It's worse,” Dr. Kasali warned. “That's a pyroclastic flow from the Nyiragongo. It'll catch up with us rapidly. We need to move faster!”
Overwhelming fatigue, exacerbated by the scorching heat, threatened to overcome her. Yet, before a moment of relief could be grasped, a thunderous explosion echoed, spewing forth a massive cloud of steam from the lake. Gone! Millions of souls gone forever. Bibi. The molten mist swiftly engulfed them, hissing violently against Stella's protective suit. Feeling the searing burn, she cried out, and with a desperate final effort, hurled her disk into the awaiting cargo plane.
* * *
Amidst the thick steam, the plane's engines roared louder. Stirred by the soft murmurs of the rescued families, Stella slowly regained consciousness. Dr. Kasali crouched before her, a tender smile on his lips. Cradled in his hand was a nkisi, emanating that unmistakable coral pink glow. “I believe this one belongs to you,” he murmured, passing it to her. Whether the Bisimbi had guided Bibi to her or it was sheer luck, at that moment, none of that mattered. With Bibi and several cherished souls rescued, Stella experienced a brief moment of tranquility amidst the turmoil.
Dr. Kasali gently squeezed her shoulder. “The odds were against us, Stella. But today, we defied them.”
She struggled to unzip her suit, her skin burning all over. The pain so intense, she almost lost her bearing. “Baba’s going to kill me,” she sighed.
He glanced at her red arms, covered with fluid-filled blisters. “Come, let’s take care of those burns. We’ll get you back on your feet in a couple of hours.”
“I don’t have hours to spare…” she complained, before everything went dark again.