Communion of Dreams, page 25
“Ghost?”
“I don’t mean like a person. But like a ghost image, a slight discoloration of the space there where the artifact should be. I couldn’t see it if I looked directly at it, only with my peripheral vision.”
“Huh.”
“Why?” asked Jackie. “What do you see?”
Jon looked over at Chu Ling, who had stayed silent through both trials. “Why don’t you tell them what you saw, Chu Ling?”
Quietly, she said “Saw angel.”
Jackie looked really confused, but before she could say anything, Jon spoke. “An angel like Mr. Darnell is an angel, right?”
The girl nodded.
Jon turned and looked to Duc and Jackie. “I think that she sees much the same thing that I see.”
“You’re seeing angels?”
“No, no more than Duc is seeing ghosts. I think that Ling is using the term to mean a ‘spirit’. For me, it actually looks more like a large, brilliant blue flower bud just starting to open. Oblong, more or less oval, not quite as big as the artifact.”
“What is it?”
“I think that’s what we’re here to find out.” He gestured down into the pit. “Let’s get everyone together and talk about it.”
* * *
“The key is the gravity generator,” said the short, somewhat plump scientist. “It is disrupting the artifact’s ability to hide itself.”
“Then why can Jon and the girl see something when the AG field is off?” asked Bradsen.
“Wait a second, what does the girl see?” asked Harold Kanagawa, the scanning expert. “I mean, Jon makes some kind of sense, since we know he touched the thing the other day. But why her?”
All eyes turned to look at Chu Ling. Jon stood, looked around at everyone. “We’re not really sure. It could just be that children are somehow better able to see it.”
“Yeah, maybe. But why did you even think to bring her down here?” asked Kanagawa. “It’s like you expected her to see something.”
Gish looked nervous at this, bit his lip. Jon shrugged, tried to be nonchalant. “Chu Ling had noticed something . . . odd . . . about Jackie after Jackie had been in touch with the artifact. Thought she saw some kind of aura around Jackie. I thought maybe she’d see something when she looked at the artifact itself. Since we were having no real luck with any of our equipment, I thought why not give that a try.”
Kanagawa nodded, but several others in the crowd were still looking at Ling with questions on their faces. He thought it best to get the discussion back on track. “To answer the original question, I think that since I have been in contact with the artifact, I’m more sensitive to it somehow. The important thing, however, is that the artifact still seems to be there, even when we can’t see it.”
“As I said, the AG field seems to disrupt the stealth technology of the artifact, at least somewhat.”
“Which is why we were trying to use the AG generator as a means to attempt communication the last couple of days,” said Bradsen. “But I don’t understand what you’re trying to do now.”
“Well, once Jon had seen the artifact when it was invisible to the rest of us, that made me wonder whether we should try looking for it when we can’t see it.”
“What?” asked Arthur Bailey. “That’s crazy.”
“Perhaps not,” said George Faris, the projected-energy engineer. “If the artifact is somehow reacting to the AG field, then maybe we can attune our instruments to use the AG phenomenon to detect it.”
“Exactly!” said Gish. “We know how the field works. So if we account for the generator’s effect, perhaps that’ll show us at what point the field intersects with the artifact to cause the disruption of whatever it is doing to camouflage itself. Like using iron filings to detect a magnetic field.”
Bradsen still looked skeptical. “I still don’t see how that will give you much insight into understanding what the thing is or does.”
Gish smiled. “Oh, that isn’t the issue. That will still take much time. The issue is how many more of these things are out there, waiting to be revealed by an AG field. Once we calibrate our equipment, once we have our ‘iron filings’, who knows how many of these we may find.”
* * *
“Jon?”
Jon turned from watching Chu Ling play a game with Seth to see Theo Crane standing a little ways away. “Yeah, Theo, what’s up?”
“I, uh, thought maybe this would be a good time to talk with you. About your comm rig.”
“Sure. But I thought you’d be busy helping with the equipment.”
Crane shook his head. “Gish is like a madman down there as he reconfigures equipment. He got over to my station, I thought it best just to get out of the way.”
“Yeah. Here,” Jon gestured to a nearby chair. “Have a seat.”
With a slight hesitation, he came over and sat. Crane was watching Chu Ling with the miniature Seth, watching her keep pace with the expert in the complex, three-dimensional game they were playing. Crane looked up at Jon with a slightly quizzical face.
“Don’t ask me. I’ve never seen that game before. It’s something that Klee cooked up for her.”
“Oh, I know it,” said Crane, looking at the girl very intently, sizing her up. He looked up at Jon, impressed. “It’s like three-dimensional ‘Go’. You have to be planning layers of moves well ahead. Much more complex than chess.”
“You play?” asked Jon.
“Played some in college. I’ve never seen a child play it.”
“Ling is . . . special,” said Jon. Ling glanced up and smiled at him.
“I’ll say.”
“Kind of a prodigy, I guess.” Jon shrugged. “So, what thoughts do you have for the communications set-up?”
“Well, I discussed it with Mallory, and he thinks that he can put something together pretty easily, using a standard pc, contact lenses.” Crane nodded. “Phone and earpiece should be simple, too. Trick’ll be the controls and a palmkey. Glove idea is good, but there aren’t a lot of those here.”
“But you think he can do it?”
“Oh yeah. He’ll sort it out.”
Just then Seth’s voice cut in from the holo projector Ling had been using. “Sorry to disturb you, Jon, but Gregor Soukup would like to speak with you.”
Jon looked at Crane. Theo nodded, said as he left “We’ll get started, check with you if we have any questions.”
Jon turned to Chu Ling. “Sorry, but it looks like I need the projector again for a while.”
Lips tight, she nodded obediently.
“It’s OK, Ling, you can have it back when I am done, to finish your game.”
She looked at him for a while. “They no like Ling.”
“Who?”
She said nothing, but her eyes darted toward the far side of the pit, where Crane was now talking with Mallory.
“Ah. Well, they just don’t understand, Ling. Don’t worry about it.”
Her eyes were calm, much calmer than normal for a child her age. “Ling not worried. Many people not like Ling. Ling knows this.”
Jon just reached across to her, and again felt that slight electric moment when their hands touched. She looked at him and smiled, but it was a sad smile. He returned it. Finally, he looked to the holo image. “OK, Seth, put him through.”
Seth was replaced instantly by the face of the Russian. “Jon, good. Want to let you know, ASA was good idea!”
“You’ve found the ship, then?”
“Yes. We can see it. We just can’t hear it.”
“So it still looks OK, not damaged? Can you tell anything about what happened?”
Gregor shook his head. “Nothing. It looks to be whole. It is decelerating, so drive must still be good. If so, Stepan can bring them back.”
“Then perhaps there’s nothing but a bit of radio trouble to worry about.”
“Not just a ‘bit’. Data stream was very big, multiple phased transmitters. One of their experts did nothing but handle communications, so we always know what is going on. This more like they disappeared *poof*. But we can still see them.”
Jon nodded. “Well, I’m sure that you’ll . . . wait, did you say Stepan? I thought the captain’s name was Worley . . . yeah, Jack Worley.”
“Da. I was talking about expert. One who runs drive.”
“Stepan? You have an ‘S’-series expert on board? How is that possible?”
Soukup smiled. “We needed additional capabilities of ‘S’-series, to handle problems with drive system. Works fine while under drive, since drive itself creates relative inertial field that sustains gel matrix, like gravity. So long as moving in straight line, we can maintain effect. When need to change course, is like space station, just shut expert off for little while. Other two experts thin-film.”
“Huh. I should’ve been paying closer attention to those reports Owen Roberts made about the Hawking, I guess.” He shrugged. “Anyway, how long until they start back?”
“Based on deceleration, probably already have. They are light-hours away from us, though, so we won’t see it until tonight.”
“Right, well, I’ll keep my fingers crossed, and you keep me posted on what develops, OK?”
“OK. Be good, my friend.”
“Yeah.”
The image disappeared, to be replaced again by Seth. The expert looked at Jon, studied him for a moment. “Anything I can do for you, Jon?”
Jon frowned, shook his head slightly. “No, I don’t think so. I just feel a little . . . I don’t know . . . overwhelmed? Like so many things are all happening at once. It’s hard to keep them all straight.”
“I understand that is a normal emotional reaction for people under a great deal of stress. Perhaps with the changes to your system, you’re now more subject to that than you were.”
Jon looked at the expert. “Yeah, you’re probably right. It’s probably nothing, but make note of it for Tops.”
“Done. And, if I may suggest it, perhaps getting away from the artifact for a bit would do you good.”
“Nah, Gish will be ready to test the equipment within an hour or so. There isn’t time to come back up to the station.”
“Well, there is another place you could go down there.”
“Indeed, there is.” Jon smiled. “Please inform Mr. Sidwell that we’re going to be paying him a visit.”
Jon looked at Chu Ling, who had been quietly watching him the whole time that he had been talking with first Soukup then Seth. “Want to go for a walk?”
* * *
“C’mon in,” said the aged voice. “I was jus’ makin’ some lunch. You ‘n th’ girl wanna join me?”
Jon had popped his helmet, and was helping Chu Ling get out of her suit. He glanced over at Darnell and nodded. “Yeah, thanks. It is a little late, and we haven’t eaten.”
Sidwell busied himself in the area that served as a galley, as Jon and the girl peeled off their suits and hung them next to the airlock. Finishing that task, they went over to the table and sat. Darnell glanced over his shoulder as he popped the meal trays into the warmer and cycled it. “Hope you don’ mind. I don’ have much use f’ cookin’ anymore.”
“Whatever is fine. Right, Ling?”
She just nodded. She looked at Darnell for a long moment, watching him blow smoke after a long draw on his pipe. “You see angel?”
Darnell smiled broadly. “Oh yeah. I seen it. Didn’ know if'n you would.”
Jon was about to ask him about this, when the timer on the warmer sounded. Darnell was up and to the counter where it sat before Jon even got out of his chair. The old man grabbed the first tray and sat it in front of Chu Ling, then quickly and deftly peeled back the cover, letting the steam billow up as he turned and got Jon’s. Placing it in front of Jon, he said “I reck’n you can open yer own.”
Then he reached back and grabbed the last of the trays. Sitting, he started to peel off the cover, but this time there was a hitch and his thumb was caught in the blast of steam. “Damn!”
Darnell let go of the tray and shook his hand, standing and turning to the nearby sink. Jon, by instinct, got up to see if he could help. Coming together at the sink just as the old man flipped on the faucet, Jon reached over to take the scalded hand, the thumb bright red under the stream of water. And when his hand touched the old man’s, under the jet of cold water, Jon felt — and saw — something happen.
There was a flash, like a single strobe, of brilliant blue-white light, and the hair on the back of his neck, and along both of his arms, stood on end. It was like what he felt when he made contact with the girl, but at the same time more intense and somehow more profound.
Darnell looked at him, not bothering to pull his hand away from Jon’s grasp. In those eyes Jon saw assessment, almost judgment. “I think it’ll be fine.”
Jon looked down at Sidwell’s hand, which he was still holding. The thumb, just moments before clearly scalded, was now normal and healthy looking, though old. Jon turned the hand over, looked closely at it. There was no evidence that it had been hurt at all. “Well, I’ll be . . . ”
“Lunch’s gettin’ cold,” said Sidwell simply, going back to his seat.
“But . . . ”
Darnell looked up at him. “Like I said, it’ll be fine.”
Jon sat and started to eat, watching the old prospector, thinking. After a while he said, “You did that on purpose. You burned your hand to see what would happen.”
Sidwell didn’t look up. “Yep. Had t’ know.”
“Had to know what?”
Now Sidwell did look up, and looked Jon straight in the eye. “You’re not th’ first, ya know.”
“First what? First one to come into contact with the artifact? You mean . . .
“Th’ first healer, fool. History’s full of’m.”
“What do you mean?”
“Jus’ what I said. But keep ‘n mind, most of ’m come t’ a bad end.” Darnell looked away, like he was looking far off into the distance. “Seen it before.”
“Darnell, just what the hell are you talking about?”
At this point Chu Ling, who had been quietly eating, watching the two men, spoke. “Ling see it before, too.”
Both men stopped, turned to look at her. “What did you say, Ling?”
“Ling see healer. Fix little hurt like Mr. Darnell have.”
“I’ll be damn’,” said Darnell.
“Where did you see this, Ling?”
She frowned. “At the other place. Where Ling come from.”
“You mean in China?”
She nodded. “Yes. Many people there can do this healing. But Ling cannot.”
“Were they,” Jon paused for just a moment, wondering how much to say in front of Darnell. “Were they like you, Chu Ling? Little girls?”
“Some were. Some older.”
Jon glanced at Darnell. The old man had sat back in his chair, having pretty much forgotten all about his food, and was taking in all that Ling said.
“Ling,” said Jon. “Listen, this is important. Did the other people there . . . the other girls . . . did they do other things like that? Things that you haven’t seen people do since you left there?”
She thought about this for a little while, eating in the meantime. “Yes. They do things that Ling cannot do. Maybe Ling can when she older, like other girls.” She finished her meal, sat the spoon down. “Can Ling talk with Seth?”
“Uh, sure. Help yourself.”
The girl took the holo projector and went over to the floor in front of the couch, sat there and switched the projector on, called up the game she had been playing previously.
Jon looked at Sidwell, who was now tamping his pipe absently, still watching the girl. “She’s . . . ”
“Yes, indeed.” The prospector looked at Jon, eyes squinting. “How many others are there?”
“We . . . we don’t know.”
“Some kind of special breedin’ program? Genetic manipulation?”
Jon took a deep breath, nodded. “And cloning.”
“Well, well. Somebody’s gotten ambitious.”
“We’re not sure of the details. At least not that I’ve heard.”
Sidwell nodded, lit his pipe, took a long draw on it. “You know what’ll happen if word gets out.”
“Yeah.” Jon glanced at the girl. “But you don’t seem too bothered by it.”
The old man smiled slightly, smoke curling around his face. “Nah. Been there.”
Jon was confused. “Sorry, what?”
“Know how it feels, bein’ a scapegoat. Like I said, seen it before.”
“What do you mean?”
Darnell puffed on his pipe. “People don’t like bein’ woke up. An’ they like even less bein’ disappointed after they are awake.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
Sidwell just brushed the question aside. “Mebbe later. Best you be gettin’ back t’ th’ dome, it seems.”
“Oh?” asked Jon, and just then he heard Seth address him from Ling’s game.
* * *
Jon and Chu Ling entered the dome, to find Gish waiting impatiently just inside the airlock door. The little man was almost bouncing in excitement.
“It works!”
“So I gathered from your message. Congrats,” replied Jon.
“Here, sit.” Gish waved at the benches, “but keep your suits on. I think we’ll want to go up to the station as soon as possible.”
Jon parked himself on the bench, as did Chu Ling. The girl stayed quiet, just watching Gish. Gish reached over and took the holo projector out of its environment case, turned it on with a pass of his hand. Seth appeared.
“I thought this would be easier with all of us here.”
“What would be easier?”
“Persuading you that we need to bring Seth down here.”
“To Titan?” Jon shook his head. “I didn’t like the idea of his coming down here earlier, I like it even less now.”
“But I need him,” said the scientist.
“Then uplink and use him where he’s at.”
The expert spoke. “Dr. Gish has already discussed with me what he wants to do, Jon, and I believe that his analysis is correct: I need to be there at the dome in order to hook directly into the equipment he has modified. A relay will have too great a time lag.”
