The Engines of Dawn by Paul Cook

Author:Paul Cook [Cook, Paul]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Science Fiction; American, Science Fiction, General, High Tech, Fiction
ISBN: 9781604501902
Google: VY9LZ-Bd5KcC
Amazon: 1604501901
Publisher: Phoenix Pick
Published: 1999-01-01T23:00:00+00:00

24

Through the phalanx of the magnificent flesh-colored trees, Julia saw a Mound to the north of their position. It was easily within walking distance, so she set out for it. Its flattened pyramid shape seemed to beckon her, reminding her of the jungle-covered ruins the Maya had left behind in old Mexico. Even in their desolation, those stone edifices still had power to evoke forgotten eras. So, too, did the Mound in the distance.

Julia recognized quickly that it was artificial, not just another hill rising above the ivy-covered plain. Its walls were too steep, too angular not to have been constructed.

Holcombe brought the other students to Julia's position at her call, and everyone paused to examine the distinctive structure.

Bobby Gessner took out his high-powered field binoculars and zeroed in on it. "It looks like there's a series of low buildings just to the west of that Mound," he announced. "They're covered with the same ivy or grass or whatever it is. It looks like there might be hundreds of buildings underneath the stuff."

"Dr. Holcombe," one of the students asked, "is this the city we saw on the landsats?"

Holcombe was just catching his breath from the brisk walk. "I believe so."

The Mound itself wouldn't have shown up on any of the landsats. The green ivy-grass was everywhere and Kiilmist had been close to the zenith when the landsat photos had been taken two days ago, so the Mound would have cast only the barest of noon shadows. Only the strange, crumbling roads and long-abandoned agricultural fields and drainage ditches pointed to a civilization of moderate evolution in this region.

"It looks like one of the Wessex burrows near Stonehenge," Julia said. "The way it's shaped, it looks like it could be a burial mound of some kind. Maybe it's a ceremonial pyramid."

"We'll make our base camp near that Mound," Holcombe told them as he wiped his brow with a handkerchief, "The way the buildings and the fields have been organized around it, I'd say it's the geographical center of the town."

Julia had turned off her personal shield. She wanted to feel the wind on her face and smell the aromas of this new world.

But the very air smelled of death, and she frowned.

"Your thoughts," Professor Holcombe asked, coming up to her.

Julia felt slightly embarrassed to answer with so many undergraduates looking on. "We talked earlier about flowers and insects or their equivalents being missing from this Gaia-system."

"We did," Holcombe said.

"The air should be filled with odors of all sorts of riving things," Julia said. "Especially microorganisms, pollens, and spores. There would be by-products of both plant and animal life. But I don't smell a thing."

"And our biohazard scanner back in the gondola registered nothing," Bobby Gessner chimed in. "Remember?"

Holcombe faced the Ainge boy. "Our scanner only indicated that there was nothing in the air that was hostile to us. It didn't say there was nothing in the air. It's not even programmed to do that."

Marji Koczan came over. "You mean there's only air in the air?"

"What would be wrong with that?" a young female asked.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.