Beyond the Event Horizon - Episode Four by Sartison Albert

Author:Sartison, Albert [Sartison, Albert]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: Albert Sartison
Published: 2015-02-02T16:00:00+00:00

9

Steve pedalled furiously, climbing higher and higher uphill along the forest road. After a long separation from his bicycle, his body was longing for some real sport and he could feel the blood pulsate in every cell of his body and his breath break into a gallop as the road suddenly took an upward turn. The trees gave off an intense smell of pine resin.

His tablet, fixed under the frame, made its familiar squeak. Steve continued turning the pedals for a while without changing the tempo, wondering if he should answer it. To take the call would mean he would have to return to that awful base and the sterile air inside.

The trip helped him switch off from the events of recent weeks, so that he could forget for a second that Parliament’s decision was due to be published today. Steve was not a pessimist, and he thought the aliens were quite a peaceful race; nevertheless, once their plans had been discovered, he realised how much was at stake for them in building the sphere in the Solar System.

However peaceful they might be, if Parliament rejected the terraforming and the construction of the sphere, the aliens would go ahead and build it anyway, even against the will of the Earthlings. The president could obviously not fail to respond to this, and the only possible response would be MacQueen’s prerogative. Who knew where such a dialogue would end? Lest the worst befall, he should not miss the opportunity to enjoy the pine forest while it still existed.

Steve lowered himself into the saddle and allowed the bicycle to slow down. Once it had come to a stop, he put a foot to the ground, sensing with satisfaction that it had become immersed in a thick layer of pine needles, covering the whole forest with a soft brown carpet. He got out his sunglasses and activated the link to the tablet and the augmented reality mode. His field of vision was at once filled with all sorts of information: time, cardinal directions, air temperature, humidity, wind velocity, weather forecast for the next 12 hours, latest news headlines, missed calls and messages... In fact, everything capable of returning him to the modern world, totally spoiling the sensation of being close to nature. The incoming call was from Clive. Steve nodded slightly, permitting the tablet to make the connection.

“Steve, are you there? Parliament has taken the decision. The sphere will be built!” reported Clive in a triumphant voice.

“Brilliant. When does construction start, is that known?”

“It’s started already!”

“Wow, they’re not wasting any time! Is any kind of activity visible yet? They said the first job would be to build a temporary hemisphere very close to the Sun.”

“Yes, there’s a whole load of small ships orbiting there, most likely pilotless drones. By the way, where are you? Shelby said we should stay together here on the base to keep an eye on the construction, and call him if anything happens.”

Steve raised his head and looked in the direction from which the Sun was shining.

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