Lunar Legends

reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the author.

ISBN: 978-1-4107-0544-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4107-0543-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2002096688

1stBooks - rev. 01/22/03

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

CHAPTER 1

Yeah, Yallum, Anthonie slurred over his communications devices after picking it up from his grimy desk. He had a long day of drilling holes for the future site of solar posts of the planned lunar base for humankind. It was just about five minutes ago that Anthonie had pulled off his gravitationally modified boots and dropped them onto his compartment’s floor.

Hey, uh…what are you doing right now? his co-worker asked with a hint of inconspicuousness to his tone.

Yallum, Anthonie complained as he sighed over the device, look, buddy, we’ll talk later, all right? Do you know how many holes I was scheduled to finish today?…Seven! But do you know how many I got done?

Anthonie left room over the communications link to give Yallum time to answer his question. Uninterested, Yallum arbitrarily threw out a number.

Two?

Six! I blasted six anchoring holesjust from today! Not bad, huh? So far I have been the only one who’s gotten close to reaching the quota. I don’t see what Jaysun’s getting all worked up for doing five. He could—

Hey, I found something weird today, Yallum broke in.

Yallum, it’s the Moon. How weird can whatever you found be?

You’re done for the day, right, Yallum asked.

Anthonie knew exactly what his friend was about to ask. He sighed, again, as he rubbed his forehead out of vexation.

Where are you now, Yallum, Anthonie asked, restraining his anger so he would not offend his fellow labor worker.

Right now I’m at our shelter, but I think it’s best that we meet at the dumping grounds.

Anthonie thought on something for a moment.

Where’s Brooks? I thought he finished early today…because we’re going to need someone to watch the shop while we’re away.

Well, he did leave early, but he and Administrator Richmond are in a teleconference now…something about some changes in the foundation specs forthe base.

Oh…

Neither man said a word as seconds passed on.

Well, all right, Anthonie agreed as he stood up from his cot, his work clothes yet spread over his little room.

Hey…bring your visual recorder, too; would you, Yallum threw out.

Yallum, Anthonie laughed out.

Look, just—please, humor me on this one. See you at the dump site in about fifteen minutes?

I’m virtually there, buddy.

Anthonie’s surface vehicle (sv) fluttered to a stop after he arrived at the dumping area where the lunar crew piled up the excavated Moon dirt (in colloquial terms, mirt as opposed to dirt, which is an Erth element). Thus far in the mission to construct the human outpost, the dumping grounds had two house-sized piles just yards from one another. On certain times of the lunar day rise, the two piles of mirt looked like Egyptian pyramids in an even more desert-like setting than where the originals are.

Anthonie could see Yallum waiting for him at the foot of one of those piles. He stood patiently; the lights from his helmet and shoulder pads flickered whenever he moved around.

Did you bring you recorder? Yallum’s voice cracked over the radio as Anthonie slowly walked his way to him. Instead of verablly affirming his answer to Yallum, Anthonie simply held up the recorder that he clutched in his left hand.

Yallum smiled at his friend when he finally reached him. All that Anthonie did was dish out a polite nod of his head.

Okay, Yallum, let’s see what you’ve got.

Anthonie followed Yallum around the base of the lunar mound to the opposite side of where they had been first standing. Yallum finally stopped and turned around to face Anthonie, even though Anthonie could hear him through the communications link that was installed in their space suites.

I figured I’d better not disturb anything just in case… Yallum began to point to a spot on the lunar pile when Anthonie had cut in.

In case what?

Yallum paused for a few seconds. Well, you know…kind of like a crime scene. You stumble across one, you know not to touch anything.

Yallum’s analogy drove Anthonie to lurch on the spot where his friend stood. He ran as fast as he could in the near-zero gravity environment of the Moon.

Hey, easy, Anthonie…that was just an example so you could be cautious around here! Yallum laughed at his exuberance. I didn’t know that human beings could move so fast on the Moon!

Yeah, yeah…just show me this weird thing you’re making such a spoof about, Anthonie shoved; partially embarrassed by his premature action.

Yallum nodded and patted his friend on the shoulder then made his way a few more yards up the mound. Anthonie, by this time, had engaged his visual recorder.

Why don’t you come up a bit closer, Anthonie. There’s just a small piece of it protruding from the mirt.

It? Anthonie became concerned at this point. He did as his friend suggested and climbed the pile further along the way, taking advantage of the low gravity by skipping up the mirt pile with great ease.

A dull glimmer from a piece of segmented metal greeted Anthonie as he came to a rest next to Yallum.

What is it, Anthonie questioned as he recorded the piece of metal from different angles.

I have no idea.

Please tell me this was not excavated with the rest of the mirt. Anthonie found his question pointless when he saw Yallum silently nodding his head. Anthonie stood for a while then began to shake his head.

Naw…It’s probably just a conduit pipe from one of the dumping vehicles. It’s a pretty rough ride when you’re driving over small craters on the Moon, you know.

Once again, Yallum contradicted him. Yallum gestured to Anthonie to take a closer look at the metal. With the aid of his visual recorder, Anthonie zoomed in on the object so that it filled his field of vision on the recorder.

That thing’s corroded! It must have taken years for it to— Anthonie held up his head from the eye-piece of his recorder as he looked at Yallum, whom was smirking with delight.

It probably took years for that metal to corrode like that, right, Anthonie? His friend nodded quietly with his eyes still on the metal. Okay, let me ask you this…how old are vehicles up here, Anthonie?

I’d say, no more than three or four years…if even that.

And, specifically, how many years do you think it took for that metal to corrode like that?…

Of course, Yallum’s question was rhetorical, and Anthonie understood that. Anthonie nodded his head slightly and once again peered through the recorder. I got your point. You said that you haven’t moved it?

That’s right, but now that you have it recorded, I think it’s okay for us to get it out of the pile.

Say, before you do that, Yallum, why don’t you stand next to it; just for scale and verification.

Good idea, Anthonie.

The two lunar laborers recorded several more seconds of the enigmatic metal and proceeded to remove the mirt that was covering it. The metal was hollow and cylindrical. At around three feet in length, the piece of metal was densely packed with mirt from the inside. Anthonie tapped the side of the metal to see if the material could be dislodged.

Yallum, I’m no archaeologist or anything, but it looks like the mirt in here has gotten wet and hardened up.

Like when mud hardens after it has rained…on Erth, Yallum added. Anthonie stared at his friend after his observation. Maybe we should look around for any more pieces before heading back, Yallum finished.

Well, I think we should head back to the camping ground now. That way we can turn this over to one of those scientists over there …then we could return with some hunting gear. Anthonie gave Yallum time to think it over. How does that sound, buddy?

That’s a good idea, Yallum finally said with a smile.

May I see you for a moment, Dr. Betty Stone asked Justin Goodwell, another scientist appointed for the Moon base project by the Select Board for Lunar Establishment (SBLE). The committee was formed by a group of industrialized nations earlier in the 21st century. The consortium was comprised of six countries, plus two federated bodies, that were strong economically, politically, and, of course, militarily. The nations were: Austrailia, Canada, China, Egypt, the United States of America, the Central-South American Alliance on Scientific and Technological Endeavors (CSA Alliance), the Federation of European States (FES), and Japan. Together, these nations formed what was known as the Erth Industrial Alliance (EIA).

Justin followed his colleague to a secluded area within the camp’s main shelter. After both scientists reached a spot that looked like a good place to discuss things in private, Justin held out both of his hands; indicating he was listening to Dr. Stone.

Did you see that artifact a couple of the workers brought back to the camp?

Artifact, Justin spewed out sarcastically. So, now it’s an artifact. This just shows you how rumors and gossip spreads around here…the last time I heard, Betty, was that it was an old piece of debris left by 20th century astronauts!

Justin, come on, now! You know as well as I do that things don’t corrode on the Moon since there’s no atmosphere up here.

Dr. Goodwell sighed and leaned back on a supporting colunm that was just a couple a feet away from where they were standing. Well, alright, then…so what’s the deal with this thing?

I just finished running some tests on it and the carbon matrix confirms that piece of metal to be of contemporary origins.

Justin looked at Betty before breaking into a condescending laugh.

Look, Justin, I’m not kidding about this! According to one of the workers, the metal had to have been dug up during the initial phase of the base’s construction.

I’m sorry, Betty, but Ijust know where this conversation is going next. The bottom line of what you are saying is that we’re not alone up here…I mean, there are some non-aligned nations who come up here to do some of their own projects, but no other space-powers on Erth are scheduled to be up here now.

Yeah, but this region of the Moon is virgin territory, Justin…so, what about that?

Betty stood quietly, letting her colleague absorb her question for a while. Justin tilted his head as he thought within himself.

Where’s the piece, now, Justin finally asked.

Back in the lab. I just came from there a bit ago…everything’s still running if you want to take a look.

Justin nodded his head and both scientists proceeded to walk to another module of the lunar base.

It had been about an hour since Yallum and Anthonie searched the dumping grounds for any more debris. Even with their scanning equipment—which were able to penetrate the Moon’s ground as well as the two large mirt piles—neither man could find any more metallic objects.

It was well into the lunar night cycle. The two labor workers’ space suits were fitted with computer sensors that were able to detect the shifts in the lunar environment. The space suits’ temperature regulators had kicked on well before the frigid night had canvassed the rocky landscape.

To Yallum, it was somewhat comforting that they could see portions of some of the construction cranes poking above the hills and boulders within the horizon. The flood lights from the camping site smudged the sky with a light blue haze that reminded Yallum of sporting events being held in giant stadiums back on Erth. That same Erth that was now hanging in the black sky. About three-quarters of the blue blot shined. Somehow to Yallum, Erth already seemed like an alien land to him since the crew had landed on the Moon almost a year ago.

He forced himself to remember the simple things on Erth: vegetation, the blue sky—or even gray skies would do, naturally flowing water, the brushing touch of the wind, the constant noise of civilization, people…

Yallum had gotten so lost in his thoughts that Anthonie had to snap him out of it.

You miss it, huh, Anthonie pointed out while resuming scanning just outside one of the looming mirt piles.

Miss what; home? Naw. There’s not much for me down there anymore. Not since Rana and I finally got a divorce.

Listen, buddy, I know it’s not my place to say, but I still think you two had a chance to stay together. All she wanted wasjust a little space.

Huh, Yallum chuckled sarcastically. Well, she’s got it now! Besides, what kind of marriage is it when you have to go home and deal with—

Yallum!

One of Anthonie’s arm was extended in his friend’s direction as he interrupted Yallum. Anthonie stood silently as he stared at the small monitor of his scanning equipment. Yallum skipped across several rocks so he could see what had disturbed Anthonie so much.

What, Yallum expressed through his helmet after peering into Anthonie’s monitor. This can’t be right!

You’re reading it yourself; you explain!

Anthonie, according to this reading, there’s a huge cavity five miles below with a lot of electrical and radio activity going on.

Yes…I know!

The two men continued to gauge the scanning telemetry for nearly a minute. As they did this, Anthonie slowly walked around at different spots on the ground to make sure it was not radio pollution coming from the thousands of satellites that humans had staked out in the cosmological neighborhood. The results were the same. By this time, Yallum had already decided to record Anthonie using the recording device that Anthonie had brought with him.

Did you get a shot of the scanner’s readings, Anthonie checked with Yallum without looking away from the monitor.

Yeah…Say, Anthonie, maybe we should head back and let the emergency crew have a look at this. This can’t be—

That, that crater seems to be emitting…something; I’m not exactly sure what. Whatever those waves are, I suggest we stay clear of them.

Yeah, Yallum pitched in, from those readings it looks like it could melt steel in a matter of minutes!

Much like the old compass system, Anthonie found himself redirecting his position to face a medium-sized crater yards away from the dumping grounds. Each time he did this, the scanning machine chimed louder and displayed graphics to illustrate the positioning of the radio and electrical readings. Without a word being said between them, Yallum and Anthonie looked at each other and quietly, though with haste, skipped their way back to the waiting surface vehicle.

’Did you get a shot of the scanner’s readings?’

’Yeah…Say, Anthonie…’

All of the scientists and the emergency team were watching the recordings that Anthonie and Yallum had done during their excursion. A handful of the labor workers were in the communal room as well. All watched silently as the holographic imagery recorder (HIR) replayed the events the two construction workers experienced just hours previously. Every few seconds whispers were traded in the large, elliptical shelter. In the background of the shelter was the sound of various machinery: fans blowing with a slight undulating patter; recycling systems hummed in solid wavelengths, giving the impression of an audible atmosphere that was uniformed due to the overlapping of sounds; while the crackling sound of human voices was heard from the communications panel. Often, the lunar base support team liked to leave channels open to different radio frequencies just to know that there were others of their own species out there in the universe.

The HIR finally disengaged, leaving in its place a vacant spot of air. Those whispers were now free to develop into matured conversations. It was basically a free-fall. Administrator Micheal Richmond was on Erth in Los Angeles doing what administrators usually do, thereby leaving the immediate decisions to the staff members of the project.

Well, I’d like to hear from the scientists, Peter Tornella, one of the construction workers, shared. It’s right up your guys’ alley. What do you guys think?

Some of the scientists eyeballed each other, waiting to see who would be willing to respond to Peter’s solicitation.

Dr. Stan Pickett cleared his throat and straightened his posture.

Well, first of all, I want to commend Yallum and Anthonie for stumbling across this and recording it. And I’m not just saying that out of intrigue for the metal they’ve found. From a practical standpoint, any of us could have literally been killed from those emissions from that area. I can’t believe I’m actually saying this on the Moon, but… Dr. Pickett sighed. He looked around with a disappointed face. I think we should seriously consider putting up some kind of a barrier around that crater. For our own safety.

It was a virtual wasp nest in the shelter for all the murmuring.

And—and, Stan continued, from what I understand, the Federation of European States has a couple of planned missions on the Moon coming up soon. Am I right about that, James? Stan glanced over to his English counterpart, who was leaning against a wall across the room with arms folded together.

Right, Dr. Wilcox responded with a quick nod of his head. As a matter of fact, next week we’re supposed to be testing one of our new terrestrial rovers before we begin its mission to Mars. For all we know, this phenomenon could be in other areas of the Moon besides the one Yallum and Anthonie had gone to…so, I can see your point about the barrier, Dr. Pickett.

Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, I’d like to know what those emissions are and what’s causing them, Betty voiced from one of the tables located toward the back of the room. Just from what I’ve seen from the recorder there’s no way they could be a natural occurrence!

That’s a good point, John Johnson, the captain of the emergency crew