History of the Galaxy II

[capnq]

The tune of a classic jingle blared from the quadrophonic speakers on the corners of Davdi's expansive desk. He tapped the intercom button and said, "Yes, Loscu?"

A hologram of Davdi's personal secretary's head appeared in front of him. "Doctor Timho is here; he insists he needs to speak to you immediately. Shall I have him make an appointment?"

Davdi glanced at the time display. "No, my schedule's open for a bit, send him in." He must have important news, Davdi thought to himself; Soctu Timho rarely left his laboratory complex if he could avoid it. Davdi bounced around to the front of the desk as Timho bounded into his office. Skidding to a stop in front of the CEO, the doctor politely butted foreheads with him.

"So, Soctu," Davdi asked, rocking back on his hindlegs from the blow, "what has you so fired up, that you had to come in person rather than vidcall?"

"Remarkable news from the new colony on Jalwu! You'll never guess what they've discovered."

"Why should I guess, when you rushed over here to tell me?" Davdi grinned.

"One of the maintenance workers was inspecting the city's understructure, and happened to look down. He spotted a gleam of sunlight reflecting off something. When he took a hover down to investigate, it turned out to be another skycity."

Davdi's eyes bulged. "You've got to be kidding me! We've only built four colonizers so far, and they're all accounted for. Where could this one have come from?"

"Preliminary estimates are that this city was abandoned at least eight thousand years ago. In the time of the Masters."

Davdi took a deep breath, and tried to absorb this revelation. The Masters were figures of legend, the mysterious precursors who had built the first skycities, created the Eifralo to be their servants, and later vanished without a trace. Until now.

Davdi let out the breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "How is that possible? Jalwu has an oxygen atmosphere! We know the Masters must have been hydrogen breathers like us."

"That's true," Timho agreed, "and this skycity is domed, in a similar manner to our modern design. Of course, after millenia of neglect, the dome has lost integrity, and nearly a third of the buoyancy cells have ruptured, as well; the city is listing about thirty degrees, and floating over half a kilometer below standard altitude. It was an incredible stroke of luck to spot it down there; the wind currents would have dragged it out of visual range in less than a month."

"Well, that inspector has certainly earned a discovery bonus. I'll send my personal congratulations, as well."

"He's going to be a wealthy man. I'm told he's already getting bids for the salvage rights. Artifacts of the Masters are bound to be a lucrative collector's market."

"This calls for a toast!" Davdi crossed the room to wet bar in his office, one of the perks of being CEO. He opened the walk-in refrigerator and stepped inside, retrieving a pair of frosted mugs from the freezer compartment. He set them on the bar, then brought out two cans of BLARG. He poured out the frothy amber fluid and handed a mug to Timho. "To the Masters!" Davdi said, raising the mug over his head.

"And to Profit," Timho replied, completing the traditional toast.

[ October 11, 2002, 02:20: Message edited by: capnq ]

[capnq]

Milsu Sutre peered up into the dark shaft rising through the base of the Masters' abandoned city. An opening that huge had to have been some kind of hangar, he thought to himself. There was plenty of room to manuever the hovertruck inside; the only question was whether he could find a suitable mooring place that would let him get out to look around. It would have been easier if he'd waited until enough buoyancy cells had been repaired to get the city level again, but it had taken all his willpower to go back up to Jalwu City to register the salvage claim when he'd discovered what it was, rather than find a way inside immediately.

Sutre turned on the hover's forward lights, then slowly eased it up the shaft. The first view of the interior didn't look very promising, revealing only catwalks and a few retracted gantries around the periphery of the hangar. He'd risen nearly five stories before he found a partially extended gantry that was in a good position to moor the hover and climb onto a catwalk, but Sutre decided to see how far up the shaft went before he got out.

Another six stories up, the hover's collision avoidance alarm sounded. Sutre leveled off, then pivoted the center light up to see what was blocking the way. Looming above him, he saw an exposed construction girder; tracing it further with the light revealed a skeletal framework of girders, held in place by several extended gantries.

Sutre could hardly believe his luck; not only had he discovered one of the Masters' cities, but it looked like he'd found a construction yard. Whatever they'd been building appeared to fill the remaining four stories of the shaft. He could see external walls bridging the framework starting about two stories up, and it looked like there might be a doorway where the next gantry above that connected.

In his rush to get back down to the lower gantry, Sutre set off the collision alarm again. He guided the hover in more carefully until he could engage the mooring clamps. As excited as he was, he almost forgot to doublecheck the environment suit that protected him from Jalwu's corrosive atmosphere. The hover's door swung down as it opened, forming a makeshift bridge between it and the slanting catwalk. Sutre once again marveled at his luck; the tilting floor of the skycity would make it a little easier to climb the connecting ladders, which had oddly wide gaps between the rungs.

By the time Sutre had climbed all the way back up to the mysterious construct, he was panting from the exertion. He checked his hydrogen gauge, and was somewhat annoyed to note that he had less than an hour to explore before he'd have to make his way back to the hover. He located the gantry that connected to the doorway, and hauled himself up the handrail of the tilting catwalk. In the light of the environment suit's headlamp, the opening looked a lot like an airlock. It appeared that the Masters had been building a ship here. Unfortunately, any markings that may have once been on the doorway had long been oxidized away.

Getting inside wasn't going to be as easy as he'd hoped. There obviously wasn't any power available to open the interior door, and if there even was a manual override, it would likely be jammed shut after millenia in this atmosphere. May as well at least try it while I'm here, Sutre thought. He managed to find handholds to pull himself up to the door, but nearly fell when the Last handhold popped an access panel. He pulled himself up again to peer inside the exposed opening, finding a large, uncorroded handle.

Sutre laughed at the irony of finding the door's manual latch by accident, but not being able to use it. He could probably get enough leverage to turn the handle, but the door appeared to open inward, which meant he'd have to push up to get it open, and there was no way he could do that with the floor tilting away from it so steeply. After all that work, he was still going to have to wait for the city to be righted before he could see what was behind that door.

[TerranC]

Edit: Darn Microsoft Word Spelling Check

"Patience, n. A minor form of dispair, disguised as a virtue."
-Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary, 1911

Galtenn Standard Year 2401, 9th month

"So what are you telling me, Mr. minister?"

"Well sir, the survey data received from the Vulcan and the Swift reveals... that..."

"That what?"

The Central Regent now began to speak in an annoyed tone and voice.

"... Don't know how to quite put this sir... Umm..."

"Stop stalling Mr. minister. Just tell me. Tell, shout, smack. Just let it go."

"Well, the survey tells that, there are not much habitable planets around us sir. We seem to have evolved in a... backwater sector of the galaxy."

"Not much? There must be something!"

"They... aren't... quite economical to send to sir. Most of them are the size of a planetoid, and the large ones that we have found don't have enough mineral deposits."

"Anything? Anything at all worth colonizing?"

"Some, sir. In the farther systems."

"Well, then just send them farther!"

"We can't... exactly... do that sir. Our resources are down to the Last coffers. The Construction yards are now building 25% of their normal rate because of it."

"We've scrapped both of the Anton schmitts, minister. Wasn't there anything out of that?"

"Sir, those colony modules are... quite expensive, so to speak."

"Please tell me, if we keep going at this rate, what is going to happen to us?"

"Are you sure you want to hear it sir?"

"Please."

"We can expect all construction to halt, then it will take at least 5-7 years to completely refill our resources banks, then we will have to start again, sir."

"I don't believe this."

"Colonies that are producing minerals are only producing a fraction of our income sir... and they wouldn't really help if we should begin another full scale expansion."

"What's the status of the Geosurvey research?"

"The nation regents rejected it sir. They believe it is best to keep colonizing."

"We have 4 oxygen worlds in our own home system and you are telling me that WE CAN'T COLONIZE IT!"

The central regent's temper was up to his head; maybe beyond. He was frustrated at the rate of expansion; even though there are now 4 colonies, only 1 of them was breathable and huge. The other 3 have high mineral deposits but are hostile and small. The Space Command ships were now kept afloat just by a hairline, and if anything should happen to the fragile economy, the ships would limp back and be scrapped. It would be the start of a long pause in the space program.

"Well, sir... they're rock planets... they're too hot for us sir, and too rugged, even for our body suits."

"Do we have any options?"

"Only one sir. We keep expanding, at least by planet by planet, keep claiming space, and if we should meet any extraterrestrials that knows how to colonize rock planets, we trade our Ice colonization technology with them sir."

The statement dumbfounded the central regent.

"Extraterrestrials? Aliens? Little Brown men? If this is an attempt to lighten up, you've picked the worst time to do so, Mr. minister, cause if that was a joke, I will fire you right now, as of this moment."

"Umm... that was no joke sir. We believe that it's... a viable option. The Garroth's (drake's) Equation tells..."

"That there are at least 3 planets in the galaxy just like Galtenn and just like galtenn, they will have life."

"Yes sir. So in turn, we should meet one of them soon enough..."

"Garroth is a hack, Mr. minister. You are placing an entire race's future on a hypothetical theoretical equation!"

"Well, sir, if we had any better options, we'd have told you Mr. Central regent."

It looked as if the GeoSurvey Minister was going to cry. The central regent quickly backed down. He let out a long sigh before he started again.

"How long will it take to develop rock colonization by ourselves?

"At least 13 years."

"Then it would seem evident, that the GAGS option is the most viable one..."

"We don't like it either, Mr. Central regent, but it's the best one we've got."

"How long will take for the second space yard to develop?"

"2 months at most, sir."

"Tell them to scrap their orders and build a long range scout."

"Yes sir."

"Thank you minister. Have a nice lunch."

"Thank you Mr. Central Regent."

The Central regent let out a long sigh once more as the GAGS minister left the building.

"Secretary, get me Space Command."

"This is space command, Mr. Central Regent, what are your orders sir?"

There was a long period of silence.

"Tell the captain of the Swift and Vulcan to refuel and explore as much systems as they can. Tell them to take the nearest warp points always, and if... alien craft is to be encountered, that they are to establish contact, no matter what happens.

"Sir? Is this a joke?"

"No, this is an order."

"Alright sir. Order received. We'll be sure to relay them to the captains as soon as they get into hailing range."

"Thank you."

He hung up the phone shortly after.

"Secretary, please tell the cafeteria to bring some of their mammoth soup with some tropical sandwich. Also, tell them to bring a large mug with extra strong Schaawaanika brew, filled to the brim."

"Confirmed. Menu will be brought in 20 minutes."

[ December 02, 2002, 01:15: Message edited by: TerranC ]

[Jmenschenfresser]

Chapter 2--Part 1
2401.3
-----
TYR
-----
Tyr returned home.
The virgins fields of the new world in Primidara granted her the peace she needed. The grasses have a wonderful smell, near to that of the prized annex fruit back home. Giant forests of reeds rise like a fog cloud on the distant side of the river. She learned that although beautiful and exotic to the eye, the landscape of this world can easily become deadly. The mountains on the horizon are home to semi-intelligent beasts. Brutes for that matter. They fight with rocks and bones. They run from the siren sounds of Vellon propulsion systems. Tyr's father has been away for a week, attempting to survey the land and decide what to do about the primitives. Enslavement. Tyr knows her father will find some manner through which to exploit them.

Tyr stayed at home. The initial thirty million colonists had been scattered about on one of the northern continent's shorelines. Ten central locations and numerous outPosts throughout the entire planet. Colony homes were makeshift boxes. Giant solar arrays had been set up, but energy was rationed. The short nights were spent in the unabated darkness. All water was cold. The word was that the expected winter months would be extremely cold. Along with the thirty million colonists, four million slaves and hired workers had made the several month trip. The workers received better pay than usual and the slaves were promised freedom after four years of service on in the new world. Tyr, the cynic, knew that was a lie.

She had heard that a transport was on its way. Perhaps Garrak would make the transport. She wasn't really in love with him. Call it intellectual fascination. Far too few Vellon had anything different to say from every single one of their neighbors. How ironic that the Vellon thought themselves so independent and individual. Were it not for authority and the talking heads no one would know what to do and no one would know what to say. That is why she 'liked' Garrak...but it certainly wasn't love. Tyr had promised herself she would never love. Love was for all those pathetic, empty-headed debutants fretting over family rites and acceptance.

Tyr returned to her small alcove, where a bed and small desk sat crammed in a space hardly large enough to contain her ideals. Discipline didn't come easy to Tyr, and such a deprived space made it all that much harder. Her and Garrak had cooked up a plot to begin a change among the Vellon youth. If the elders were too stubborn to listen to logic, and were too numerous to be slaughtered wholesale (the preferred method for settling the Vellon generation gap), then they must round up all those who felt as they felt...who grew up under the harsh reality of the Last war. A secret society. The beginnings had to seek out like minded channels. They would write and network. Inspiration to hope.

Two years ago, angry at her father for inviting a snobbish rich Vellon aristocrat's son around to peruse her like a piece of livestock, she ripped the traditional earloops from ears without undoing the clasp. Now she fingered the deformed lobe of her ear. Oh, how her father had beaten her. There was so little pride in the young life a Vellon female, but like the males judge their battles by their scars, so she judged her career in dissent by her deformities. With that she put pen to paper...

"The galaxy is weary of the sobs of our battered women. The galaxy is impatient with the drunken libations of our men. Those who would rather remain subjected to the past, bound eternally by authority, enslaved and violated by the perverted words of their ancestors, than struggle to the death for new ideals, deserve every misery our depraved tribe has to offer. Those who remain silent, I, myself, convict and execute..."

[geoschmo]

The Hive had developed techniques and technologies that allowed it to keep in touch with the pieces of itself on the various ships and planets throughout the Laxes system. It was able to share information very quickly by radio transmission, but this was not enough. The Hive wished to be able to “connect” its pieces together even at great range. So it began to experiment with technology to allow this.

This research was not immediately successful, but the Hive did make a startling discovery in the process. The receiver it built to communicate with the planets turned up some surprising energy emissions coming from the edges of the Laxes system. The Hive sent a ship to explore the source of these emissions and discovered several stable wormholes leading out of the system.

The Hive searched its host’s memories but found no knowledge of these wormholes. The wormholes defied any theory of natural formation that the Hive could contemplate. Therefore it determined the only logical conclusion was they were artificial. And if the hosts were unaware of their existence, then obviously they were not responsible for creating them.

The Hive was not alone.

The Hive realized quickly that this was not necessarily true. The Hive knew that the universe was very old. The universe was much older than the existence of the hosts, even older than the Hive itself. The creators of the wormhole could have been a race of incredibly powerful beings that had created them for some purpose, and then ceased to exist for some reason.

Like any sentient being, the Hive was curious. It wished to know if the wormhole creators still existed. And if they did not, perhaps some others did. Some others like the Hive, that it could communicate with and learn from. The Hive had already colonized all the planets that could support the host’s bodies in this system, so the Hive decided it would use these wormholes and send pieces of itself wherever they might lead.

[Jmenschenfresser]

Chapter 2--Part 2
2402.0

---------------------
GOTH & FERRISS
---------------------

(F)--How's the gel shock covering?
(G)--Stress virtually zero. Thanks for watching out, Programmeer.
(F)--You're a fully fledged member of the Tribe now, Goth. We all know your comfort is essential to our survival. Do you have the scans of this system completed yet?
(G)--I do. Eppis Eppingi, several useable rock planets and several ice planets. No breathable atmospheres. Nothing unexpected. Are we going to set down in this system, Programmeer?
(F)--I was hoping you can tell me.
(G)--Atmosphere does not matter to me, you know that.
(F)--Sa'ah Command is pushing to venture further away from the Rellan systems. No doubt the Rellan will quickly move into Eppis Eppingi.
(G)--Calculations show an equal chance of find better worlds in the next system to finding worse conditions. Has the Command ventured to then sell the rights to Eppis Eppingi?
(F)--Negotiations are underway. Both parties are waiting on your complete scans. Would you send them upstairs, G?
(G)--Done. I've accessed the negotiation files.
(F)--You're not allowed, Goth!
(G)--There was no restrictioned placed upon them.
(F)--Because no one would come looking for them.
(G)--It would be wise if the Command allowed me to write standard encryptions and coding for such files. I've noticed that the data storage proceedures boarder on chaotic.
(F)--Yes, possibly, but don't tell them you've gone and tried to look at their files.
(G)--You forget, Programmeer. The files are in me. One could make the claim...
(F)--If you start making those types of claims, I doubt they'll let you live another five minutes.
(G)--Understood.
(F)--Ok...
(G)--Ok in what sense of the word.
(F)--Still having trouble with that one, eh. What's in the file, G? And while you are at it, restrict yourself from divulging the fact that you divulge things to me.
(G)--That's a round about way of saying, 'our little secret.'
(F)--Well, I never know if you are going to understand.
(G)--Rellan and Vellon are in negotiations. Neither wants to pay what Sa'ah want because there isn't an immediate gain in acquiring Eppis Eppingi. However, neither wants the other to have it. Since it is the terminus of this route through space, the value is strategic rather than as a place to call home. What was the name of he who first recommended me to enter the Tribe?
(F)--Htari, a friend of mine.
(G)--I am adding something to his recommendations for the negotiations.
(F)--You wouldn't.
(G)--Just repaying my debt, Programmeer.
(F)--What did you add?
(G)--Few graphs. Few statistics. Some convincing words, but you'll just have to wait and see.

[Jmenschenfresser]

Chapter 2--Part 3
2402.0

--------
HTARI
--------
The middle-aged Htari sat before two members of the Command, an umbrella council formed to provide the clan means of interaction, waiting for movement or word to be made toward him. After several moments of them whispering to each other, they turned to him. One took a drink and then began.

"As you know, all Sa'ah clan leaders are welcomed to participate in government and offer suggestions. The two of us have contemplated your recommendation and feel that your words are wise. We are all new to this space travel. There are no precedents to rely upon. Nothing written which suggests the slightest. Though we are the oldest, many of us are experiencing the same feelings of lostness and unsure footing a young Sa'ah feels when first asked to make choices."

The other took over.

"Htari, son of Jul, son of Ge'ad, head of the Naz'ah Clan, pending the success of the next days, we would like to reward you. Your clan is an old one. Originally from the western whites, your people have been, no doubt, impoverished since the famine of eighty years foregone. I know that area well, though I don't know you personally. You have been one of the first Sa'ah to step forward and make bold recommendations for the pride and betterment of our mutual futures. First, the computer, Goth. Now, Eppis Eppingi. You are wise to see Eppis Eppingi as a strategic route between the future borders of the tribes. Rellan to the north, Vellon to the east and Omon to the west. Eppis Eppingi will give us guaranteed income from trade. Retaining the system, while selling the worlds is a brilliant idea, my friend. Yes, we will sell a few initially as you suggested and retain the rest to sell when the systems teem with life."

The first again.

"Yes, Htari. Despite age, we promise to you, the first war ship of the Sa'ah. Nevermind, rank. The old system of Lords must be done away with even though they retain their titles. But power stuggles on the new world will have little to do with the real power. The power to be gained from space exploration. We've created a new title and we bestow it upon you. Rise Starlord Htari.

[sachmo]

Invexus Corporation

2402.3

The galactic map spread out before him, and the Board Chairman smiled at what he saw. In a little over two years, the Invexus Corporation had established colonies on four different planets in four different systems. While these planets were still getting on their feet, they were already showing their potential. The research station on Verdas had already done enough research to cut down the projected remote mining satellite research by six months. On Wisdom, the mineral mining communities were already turning out great quantities of raw minerals that were being shipped back to Cherek for production. Projections for the profitability of the colonies were steadily climbing. In the meantime, the exploration ships were steadily pushing back the frontiers of the known universe, exploring star after star. Many wondrous discoveries had been made. The entire Olossa system was filled with a huge spatial rupture. What was not known is how the rupture was formed, and what effects it would have on life in the system. Already a science vessel was being constructed to go to the system and study it, but one major discovery had already been made here. It seemed that emanating from the rupture were “wormhole waves” which snaked out across the system. These “waves” acted like miniature wormholes, and anything caught in one would be warped to a random location in the system. The scientists in the Research and Development Division believed that if these waves could be studies and understood, they would unlock some major secrets in how the universe worked, and quite possibly find some practical, and profitable, applications for this discovery.
On four other planets, discoveries of a different sort had been made that were no less mysterious then the Olossa Rupture. Remains of what looked to possibly be ancient sentient habitats had been identified. This discovery was kept top secret, of course, but even now a colony ship was heading for the planet. Once there, a team of scientists and archeologists would begin studying the structures. No one really knew what they would find there, but to Hartnell it only served as additional proof that there were other sentient species in the galaxy. He hoped that they were friendly and eager to trade. If not, he intended to have a large enough fleet to protect the interests of the Invexus Corporation.

[capnq]

Almost half a month passed before Milsu Sutre returned to the mysterious airlock. It had taken that long to get the Masters' skycity floating level again, and would have taken even longer if one of the salvage engineers hadn't thought of opening some of the buoyancy cells on the higher side, rather than repairing them all on the low side. The city had sunk another third of a kilometer, but the salvage workers could move around much more easily.

The Masters' city had not turned out to be the treasure trove that had been expected. There were surprisingly few artifacts left to claim; apparently the Masters had taken almost everything with them when they abandoned the city. Heavy equipment and other things that were too large to move had mostly corroded away as Jalwu's atmosphere leaked into the dome. The buildings had held up better than anything else, apparently built from materials that the atmosphere didn't affect much. Many of the investors in the salvage rights had resold them to cut their losses, and the remaining speculators were expecting smaller profits from selling settlement rights after the dome was repaired. Sutre had kept the rights to the shipyard section for himself, and hoped to eventually restore it to working order. The partially completed ship would probably have to be removed first, and he wasn't going to do that until he'd seen the inside.

He'd come better prepared this time, carrying an extra hydrogen tank so he could explore longer, and a cutting torch in case the airlock door had corroded shut. The manual release handle that he'd found Last time had already become discolored now that it was exposed. He grasped the handle with both hands and put all his weight into turning it. It moved more easily than he'd expected, and he could hear the clank of the latches disengaging even through his environment suit.

Sutre pushed against the inner door, and it swung open. He stepped through the opening and found himself in a corridor with an oddly low ceiling, less than three times his height. Perhaps it had been some kind of maintenance tunnel, but then why would it have an exterior airlock, rather than access doors from the interior? There was a door that nearly reached the ceiling opposite the airlock, and he could see similar doors on the inner wall in both directions. The door in front of him had a manual latch just above eye-level, like any normal door. It opened easily when he tried it.

Behind the door, Sutre found a rather small room with two notable features. Set into the wall was something that looked like an antique flat display screen, with an archaic data entry panel below it. In front of the screen was something that looked a little bit like a table, but with a long bent section sticking up almost vertically from one edge. The strange table was fixed to the floor, but he found that the horizontal surface pivoted. He could read most of the characters on the data entry keys, but some were marked with other symbols that meant nothing to him. There were obvious access panels on the wall to either side of the display, so Sutre opened both of them, but what was inside was barely recognizable as electronics components. He wondered whether it was possible that millenia-old circuits could still work, if he found a way to connect them to a power supply.

[capnq]

The electrician that Milsu Sutre had hired found a recognizable power coupling in the Masters' unfinished ship fairly quickly. They'd hooked up a portable generator, and were about to test it for the first time. Sutre stood in front of the antique display screen with a camera, hoping to record anything that might appear when the power came on. The metallic hull of the ship blocked their environment suit radios, so he had turned on the camera as soon as he entered the room, while the electrician bounced around to the generator to start it. He zoomed in the camera so that the screen filled the viewfinder, then waited for some sign that the power was flowing.

Power: active
Initiating start sequence: TARS Node-25
WARNING: input voltage 48.746% below optimal - compensating...
Initiating memory check
WARNING: memory faults in 70.143E6 sectors - compensating...
Memory check complete
Initiating systems check
WARNING: life support system - offline
WARNING: primary processing unit - offline
WARNING: primary manuever control system - offline
WARNING: secondary manuever control system - offline
WARNING: astrogation system - offline
WARNING: external communication system - offline
WARNING: system faults in 3 internal communication stations
WARNING: 183 internal communication stations - offline
WARNING: system faults in 3 external optical sensors
WARNING: 20 external optical sensors - offline
WARNING: system faults in 8 internal optical sensors
WARNING: 376 internal optical sensors - offline
WARNING: 2 engines - offline
WARNING: 4 primary reaction mass tanks - offline
WARNING: 4 secondary reaction mass tanks - offline
WARNING: system faults in 6 attitude thrusters
WARNING: 8 attitude thrusters - offline
WARNING: 4 tertiary reaction mass tanks - empty
WARNING: 4 tertiary reaction mass tanks - offline
WARNING: 4 passive defense systems - offline
WARNING: 6 active defense systems - offline
WARNING: targeting system - offline
WARNING: fire control system - offline

The ancient text had filled the screen and was scrolling faster than Sutre could read it. The electronics were still working! Well, some of them, anyway. The warnings that he'd managed to read had gotten progressively more cryptic, but it was obvious that a lot of things weren't functional; many of the items reported must not even have been installed before construction had stopped.

The electrician bounced through the door behind him. "Anything happening?" he asked.

"It's incredible! Look at that display! It's running some kind of diagnostic."

"Wow! The Masters sure knew how to build things to Last!" the electrician laughed. "I really expected that all we'd get would be a few sparks and some smoke."

"You didn't mention that when I hired you."

"I almost didn't take the job, but I figured that you might still have some luck left over from finding this place."

"Sure looks like it. All by itself, this could make up for not finding many other artifacts in the city."

[ October 19, 2002, 19:11: Message edited by: capnq ]