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Weird Science
The mindworm caught me totally by surprise.
I was resting some clicks from the Base, making my way to a landmark I had spotted when returning from the excursion with the artifacts. Although not exhausted by the trek, I was weary and even mercs have to recharge and recuperate. I had chosen a somewhat rocky spot on a hill, and as it was a warm evening was relaxing against a rock outcrop looking back over the valley I had traversed during the day. In the distance I could see the spires of New Jerusalem and closer to me were the emerging forests planted by our formers as they sought to remake this corner of Planet into the Eden of their dreams.
I reflected on the events of the past few years. It wasn’t a bad life, although the pace was somewhat slow. I recalled the early meeting of the original settlers when we were discussing expanding over the planet. Sister Miriam was adamant that her vision prevailed, and that vision was of a single city, New Jerusalem, rising from our base to the heavens, with its cathedral spires beckoning to all that here The Lord had chosen to reside.
There had been a proselytizing group who wanted to aggressively expand. Led by one or two younger clerics, they argued strongly that the fervor for The Cause among the acolytes gave The Believers a natural advantage as they soldiered in The Lord’s work, and that this would be dissipated if cooped up in a single city. They had attracted some support, but also some opposition.
Sister Miriam rose, and swept the gathering with that look of hers that quelled discussion and dissent. The crowd hushed, and she spoke:
“Although forty years have elapsed since the great Earth battles, we have spent much of that time in cryosleep, so the events seem like yesterday. We were hunted and persecuted for our beliefs as the ungodly rampaged throughout the land. We had no sanctuary and those of us here today were truly blessed to have obtained berths in the Unity.
“We vowed ‘never again’ and now we have the opportunity to make this vow a reality. This is the end of the journey for us. We will build here our New Jerusalem, and let it be a beacon for all who want to come and join us. We have no need for a multiplicity of cities or empires. We will live in peace and peaceably proclaim our message to the others who have escaped to this planet, through the edifice that we build and the lives that we live to the glory of The Lord.”
At the time I thought “The poor misguided fools.” The base was founded on a flat plain with dominating hills to the north and south and an ocean to the west. Almost indefensible. But the land was arable and fertile, and the ocean provided nutrients and would someday support a Believer navy, so it might yet prosper.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
These were the thoughts and reminiscences I pondered when the mindworm struck. The pain was excruciating as it launched out of the fungal patch on to me, hundreds of larvae some ten centimeters long intertwined and clumped together into a formidable mass that went for my head. Paralyzed by fear, with a primal screaming inside my head, I felt the sensor nodes being ripped off as the larval mass attached itself to me and individual units attempted to enter my brain through eyes, ears, nose and mouth.
I had enough discipline to flood my system with analgesic overload, that momentarily dissipated the strength of the psi-attack, and was able to clench my fist and make the neural link to my embedded weapons pod. The nerve gas missile pods had been converted by Believer technicians to flame guns; these sprang into life in my hands. Activating them, I beat off the attack, singeing my own flesh in the attempt. Successful, I swept the blackened husks into my backpack for future examination, and took stock of the situation.
My internal check showed me that I was some 30% operative. All sensor nodes were destroyed, along with one eye. Large parts of my face and neck had suffered second degree burns, and I had lost the use of one leg when an errant flame had severed the muscles, and deadening the implant. Looking around, I realized that I had to make my way to safety, to effect some emergency field repairs, and that sitting in the open waiting for the mindworm’s mate to appear was not an option. But I felt inwardly strengthened by the encounter, my first battle experience, albeit against a native lifeform. I had entered the contest as a green rookie, but I now believed that I would be more disciplined in how I conducted myself in these skirmishes in the future.
Looking north, about two clicks away, I could see the tip of the obelisk that was my objective, so I resolved to make my way there and effect my field repairs in its shadow.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
I forced myself across the tundra, slowly and painfully, dragging my useless leg behind me and inwardly cursing my lapse in readiness that had caught me by surprise.
As I neared, I saw that it was much larger than it had seemed from afar. It could more correctly be described as a monolith than a mere obelisk. It towered above me, and in the faint light of Chiron’s twin moons I could see that its surface was metallic, reflecting a dull gold color.
Approaching closer, I was surprised to feel a slight tremor, and became aware, through my one good ear, of a low humming sound. I could also see that the reflection I thought of as coming from Chiron’s moons was actually a dull glow emanating from the monolith itself. There was an aperture on one side, and I sensed a beckoning that generated a longing in my heart to enter and lie down and rest.
I entered, and a bottomless feeling of calm and wellbeing filled my senses. A soft glow emanated from one corner, and I turned my good eye to examine it. I froze, suddenly realizing that I was looking at what seemed to be an advanced operating table right out of some science fiction movie I’d seen on old Earth. There was a reclining couch with an apparatus that could encase the head, and a mechanical arm that looked like it could swivel and perform a sweep of the body in one motion. An instrument panel stood to one side, and standing out like a lighthouse in a storm was a button on the console, flashing green.
I moved over, and eased myself on the couch. If nothing else, at least I might get some sleep. The green pulsing button was hypnotic. I reached out and pressed it.
The arcane technology hummed into life. The headpiece moved down of its own accord, and clamped over my skull. Tentacles snaked out and fastened themselves to he torn flesh where my sensor nodes had been implanted. I felt a serene peace come over me, and relaxed totally. The arm swiveled, and commenced a slow sweep of my body from head to toe, beeping rhythmically. As it passed over the various damaged parts of my anatomy the beeping intensified and I could discern the console screens flickering with life. The arm finished its sweep, then returned to my skull. A skeletal metallic finger extended with a socket device at the end and positioned itself over my damaged eye. The machinery hummed, and suddenly I was aware of the full color spectrum again with restored enhanced vision.
I realized with a start that my sensors, both night optic, infrared and 360 degree perimeter had returned, and that my hearing acuity was restored. Finally, as the arm completed its second sweep down my body, and over my right leg, clamps appeared and encased my thigh, and again the arcane machinery hummed to life. I experienced an incredible energy burst through my leg, and was immediately aware of my muscle implants powering up and assuming control. I sensed a knitting of the muscle, and gingerly tested it through a neural command to the implant. Absolute recovery. The machinery completed its secondary sweep, and the arm retracted as did the headgear. The screens were blank, and the green button had dulled to a matte green. I noticed too that the glow had disappeared, and the humming and pulsing of the diagnostic and repair machinery had quieted. I slept.
The journey back was uneventful, the six or so clicks being covered routinely in my enhanced state. I was eager to report my find to our leader, as the implications were enormous for repair and recovery of our scout brigades.
As I approached the base, I sensed unhappiness. Drones were muttering among themselves, and citizens were talking in hushed voices. Even the librarian just gave me a curt nod as I approached Sister Miriam’s quarters. I mounted the stairs with a growing sense of foreboding. Sister Miriam was at her desk, and she looked around as I was ushered into her office by an assistant. She looked haggard. This was ominous. I gave my report, and she brightened slightly at my tale, concerned about the attack of the mindworm, and smiling gently at my excitement regarding my discovery.
Then she dropped the bombshell.
“Sven’, she said, “while you were away we were visited by one of Provost Zakharov’s naval units. He has declared vendetta against us. We are at war.”
…….to be continued
The mindworm caught me totally by surprise.
I was resting some clicks from the Base, making my way to a landmark I had spotted when returning from the excursion with the artifacts. Although not exhausted by the trek, I was weary and even mercs have to recharge and recuperate. I had chosen a somewhat rocky spot on a hill, and as it was a warm evening was relaxing against a rock outcrop looking back over the valley I had traversed during the day. In the distance I could see the spires of New Jerusalem and closer to me were the emerging forests planted by our formers as they sought to remake this corner of Planet into the Eden of their dreams.
I reflected on the events of the past few years. It wasn’t a bad life, although the pace was somewhat slow. I recalled the early meeting of the original settlers when we were discussing expanding over the planet. Sister Miriam was adamant that her vision prevailed, and that vision was of a single city, New Jerusalem, rising from our base to the heavens, with its cathedral spires beckoning to all that here The Lord had chosen to reside.
There had been a proselytizing group who wanted to aggressively expand. Led by one or two younger clerics, they argued strongly that the fervor for The Cause among the acolytes gave The Believers a natural advantage as they soldiered in The Lord’s work, and that this would be dissipated if cooped up in a single city. They had attracted some support, but also some opposition.
Sister Miriam rose, and swept the gathering with that look of hers that quelled discussion and dissent. The crowd hushed, and she spoke:
“Although forty years have elapsed since the great Earth battles, we have spent much of that time in cryosleep, so the events seem like yesterday. We were hunted and persecuted for our beliefs as the ungodly rampaged throughout the land. We had no sanctuary and those of us here today were truly blessed to have obtained berths in the Unity.
“We vowed ‘never again’ and now we have the opportunity to make this vow a reality. This is the end of the journey for us. We will build here our New Jerusalem, and let it be a beacon for all who want to come and join us. We have no need for a multiplicity of cities or empires. We will live in peace and peaceably proclaim our message to the others who have escaped to this planet, through the edifice that we build and the lives that we live to the glory of The Lord.”
At the time I thought “The poor misguided fools.” The base was founded on a flat plain with dominating hills to the north and south and an ocean to the west. Almost indefensible. But the land was arable and fertile, and the ocean provided nutrients and would someday support a Believer navy, so it might yet prosper.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
These were the thoughts and reminiscences I pondered when the mindworm struck. The pain was excruciating as it launched out of the fungal patch on to me, hundreds of larvae some ten centimeters long intertwined and clumped together into a formidable mass that went for my head. Paralyzed by fear, with a primal screaming inside my head, I felt the sensor nodes being ripped off as the larval mass attached itself to me and individual units attempted to enter my brain through eyes, ears, nose and mouth.
I had enough discipline to flood my system with analgesic overload, that momentarily dissipated the strength of the psi-attack, and was able to clench my fist and make the neural link to my embedded weapons pod. The nerve gas missile pods had been converted by Believer technicians to flame guns; these sprang into life in my hands. Activating them, I beat off the attack, singeing my own flesh in the attempt. Successful, I swept the blackened husks into my backpack for future examination, and took stock of the situation.
My internal check showed me that I was some 30% operative. All sensor nodes were destroyed, along with one eye. Large parts of my face and neck had suffered second degree burns, and I had lost the use of one leg when an errant flame had severed the muscles, and deadening the implant. Looking around, I realized that I had to make my way to safety, to effect some emergency field repairs, and that sitting in the open waiting for the mindworm’s mate to appear was not an option. But I felt inwardly strengthened by the encounter, my first battle experience, albeit against a native lifeform. I had entered the contest as a green rookie, but I now believed that I would be more disciplined in how I conducted myself in these skirmishes in the future.
Looking north, about two clicks away, I could see the tip of the obelisk that was my objective, so I resolved to make my way there and effect my field repairs in its shadow.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
I forced myself across the tundra, slowly and painfully, dragging my useless leg behind me and inwardly cursing my lapse in readiness that had caught me by surprise.
As I neared, I saw that it was much larger than it had seemed from afar. It could more correctly be described as a monolith than a mere obelisk. It towered above me, and in the faint light of Chiron’s twin moons I could see that its surface was metallic, reflecting a dull gold color.
Approaching closer, I was surprised to feel a slight tremor, and became aware, through my one good ear, of a low humming sound. I could also see that the reflection I thought of as coming from Chiron’s moons was actually a dull glow emanating from the monolith itself. There was an aperture on one side, and I sensed a beckoning that generated a longing in my heart to enter and lie down and rest.
I entered, and a bottomless feeling of calm and wellbeing filled my senses. A soft glow emanated from one corner, and I turned my good eye to examine it. I froze, suddenly realizing that I was looking at what seemed to be an advanced operating table right out of some science fiction movie I’d seen on old Earth. There was a reclining couch with an apparatus that could encase the head, and a mechanical arm that looked like it could swivel and perform a sweep of the body in one motion. An instrument panel stood to one side, and standing out like a lighthouse in a storm was a button on the console, flashing green.
I moved over, and eased myself on the couch. If nothing else, at least I might get some sleep. The green pulsing button was hypnotic. I reached out and pressed it.
The arcane technology hummed into life. The headpiece moved down of its own accord, and clamped over my skull. Tentacles snaked out and fastened themselves to he torn flesh where my sensor nodes had been implanted. I felt a serene peace come over me, and relaxed totally. The arm swiveled, and commenced a slow sweep of my body from head to toe, beeping rhythmically. As it passed over the various damaged parts of my anatomy the beeping intensified and I could discern the console screens flickering with life. The arm finished its sweep, then returned to my skull. A skeletal metallic finger extended with a socket device at the end and positioned itself over my damaged eye. The machinery hummed, and suddenly I was aware of the full color spectrum again with restored enhanced vision.
I realized with a start that my sensors, both night optic, infrared and 360 degree perimeter had returned, and that my hearing acuity was restored. Finally, as the arm completed its second sweep down my body, and over my right leg, clamps appeared and encased my thigh, and again the arcane machinery hummed to life. I experienced an incredible energy burst through my leg, and was immediately aware of my muscle implants powering up and assuming control. I sensed a knitting of the muscle, and gingerly tested it through a neural command to the implant. Absolute recovery. The machinery completed its secondary sweep, and the arm retracted as did the headgear. The screens were blank, and the green button had dulled to a matte green. I noticed too that the glow had disappeared, and the humming and pulsing of the diagnostic and repair machinery had quieted. I slept.
The journey back was uneventful, the six or so clicks being covered routinely in my enhanced state. I was eager to report my find to our leader, as the implications were enormous for repair and recovery of our scout brigades.
As I approached the base, I sensed unhappiness. Drones were muttering among themselves, and citizens were talking in hushed voices. Even the librarian just gave me a curt nod as I approached Sister Miriam’s quarters. I mounted the stairs with a growing sense of foreboding. Sister Miriam was at her desk, and she looked around as I was ushered into her office by an assistant. She looked haggard. This was ominous. I gave my report, and she brightened slightly at my tale, concerned about the attack of the mindworm, and smiling gently at my excitement regarding my discovery.
Then she dropped the bombshell.
“Sven’, she said, “while you were away we were visited by one of Provost Zakharov’s naval units. He has declared vendetta against us. We are at war.”
…….to be continued