Forbidden Refuge by Stan C. Smith

Author:Stan C. Smith [Smith, Stan C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-01-09T00:00:00+00:00

By the time Herilia rose to its highest point, Ember was starting to believe the boat would actually be completed before dark. Based on an agreed-upon catamaran design, the team had already constructed a platform three meters wide and twice as long, which they would eventually fasten atop four torpedo-shaped pontoons. For the platform’s framework, they used the solid rods Ember had seen Presence maneuvering through the ship. Presence explained that these were made of strong, but lightweight, composite material used as structural supports throughout Tenoth’s colony base. A sturdy platform was constructed upon the frame with straight pieces of dry driftwood, which had been collected above the waterline along the shore. The team fastened everything together securely with lengths of old wiring.

Making the platform had proven to be fairly easy. The pontoons, on the other hand, were more technically challenging. No one was willing to risk making them open on top, like canoes. In that scenario, if the canoes got swamped, the entire boat might sink. Instead, they decided to make true pontoons—sealed metal cylinders that wouldn’t fill with water. Presence was in charge of this effort and seemed to have a detailed plan in mind.

Having finished the platform, the team gathered around to watch Presence and offer assistance. Using only its modular robotic hands, a hammer, and a few of the other simple tools, Presence had already formed sheets of metal to fit together into two hollow cylinders about three quarters of a meter in diameter and three meters long. With the metal pieces being various shapes and sizes, the cylinders resembled three-dimensional jigsaw puzzles. At the seams where the pieces met, Presence had roughly folded the edges over so the pieces would hook on to each other. Ember could see two obvious problems: there was nothing securely locking the folded edges together, and the seams were not waterproof. Even if the pontoons didn’t come apart, which they probably would, they would quickly fill with water.

Presence spoke to the group. “As you can see, I have constructed the first two of the four necessary pontoons. Before I construct the other two, I would like to properly seal these and test them for seaworthiness. Your assistance will be valuable.”

Presence clomped over to the assembled atmosphere suit, carried it back, and set it down, arranging it in a sitting position with its back against an unused roll of sheet metal. From the way the suit flopped sluggishly when being moved, Ember got the impression it was heavier than an empty suit should be.

“I guess this is when we learn why in the heck you brought one of our suits here,” Seven said.

“Indeed you shall,” Presence replied. “As you can clearly see, the pontoon seams require a waterproofing substance. Also, as you should remember, an ideally suited substance exists naturally on Tenoth, prodigiously produced by native bubblebutts.”

Ember absolutely remembered bubblebutt secretions, though she had hoped to never again have to think about the creatures that produced the substance. Bubblebutts were raccoon-sized, spider-like creatures native to Tenoth.

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