Skye Object 3270a by Nagata Linda

Author:Nagata, Linda [Nagata, Linda]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Life in space, Science Fiction, Nanotechnology, Alien Worlds, Space colonization
ISBN: 9780983110040
Publisher: Book View Cafe
Published: 2010-12-06T05:00:00+00:00

They had just set out when a pattering sound swept across the canopy. Skye looked up, curious and a little concerned. “What—?” Droplets of water splashed on her face and she ducked her head, spluttering.

“Rain,” Buyu said.

Devi held out his hands to feel the fat, cold drops falling off the trees. On his face was a look of wonder. “Rain. This is so wild! Water, just falling out of the sky.”

Skye wiped the water off her face, but more kept falling from the leaves . . . or from the clouds, that was it. Rain. She had seen rain in virtual reality stories, but she had never felt it before. It was cold, and she wasn’t sure she liked it.

They found the mound a minute later. It was small, only about half a meter across and knee-high. It looked like it was made of matted soil, or half-rotted mulch. Nothing grew on its surface. Mounds were nanotech factories, and they were said to be hot. She laid her gloved hand against it. The glove translated the feel of anything she touched; raw heat soaked into her palm. The mound had to be at least fifteen degrees above human body temperature. A light mist steamed off its surface as the rain struck.

Mounds were Chenzeme devices modified by the Well governors. They were supposed to collect data on human beings . . . and the plagues that could affect them? Skye hoped so. “Okay Ord,” she said, stepping back at last. “It’s up to you now. Can you find evidence of the Compassion plague? And can you find a cure?” Among all the long, green, data-bearing molecules that crawled through the Well’s biosphere and colored its water, there had to be some smart molecular machine that could defeat the Chenzeme nanotech weapon she carried in her cells.

“City library agrees it is possible,” Ord said. “Skye is very smart to know this. Good Skye.”

“Now, Ord.”

“Yes.”

She looked at Devi. He smiled encouragement. Then he nudged Buyu. They exchanged a strange look. Then they stepped back several paces. Skye frowned suspiciously, but she was distracted by Ord as it explored the mound, gingerly touching it with the sensitive suction cups at the ends of its tentacles. Finally, it rolled the end of one tentacle into a sharp spear point and pierced the mound. There was a hiss, as a horrible odor erupted from the wound. Skye hadn’t thought anything could smell worse than the stink Ord had released in the tunnel, but this – it was worse. She screamed in disgust and scampered away, crashing into Zia in her haste to escape the stench. “Oh, help me,” Zia moaned, falling dramatically to her knees. “Even Ord’s farts don’t smell that bad.”

Upslope and upwind, Devi was half bent over with laughter, while Buyu wore a twisted smile, as if he were trapped between guilt and amusement. “You knew!” Skye accused. “You both knew Ord would pop open that stink.”

“Sooth,” Devi grinned. “I did some reading on mounds last night.

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