Chapter 16. Flight from Scienocropolis
Nar’Allia, Solvienne and Amndo decided to stay on board the Leviathan, at least for the time being and so they each took a cabin within the machine. Nar’Allia took the same one she had before, when she travelled within this same machine across the Sea of Beadreas, she didn’t know why, just habit she guessed, an act perhaps of comfort and familiarity amongst all the uncertainty of what lay ahead.
Once they had settled into their cabins, Nar’Allia suggested she take Solvienne on a guided tour of the Leviathan. Once this was done they made their way back to the control room. They were pleased to see that JDC had been joined by Amndo and the two of them were talking. The Pnook and the keeper turned and greeted the women as they entered.
JDC was quick to speak, “You remember your suggestion Narny, concerning the possible aid of the Grûndén to help us to tunnel below Scienocropolis? Well the king has agreed with the idea. We will send an emissary, to Gwéldølĩn, to negotiate a pact with the mining guilds. See if we can gain the agreement of the Grûndén to return here to Scienocropolis and advise us in mining beneath the city to create caverns suitable for the cultivation of Trotteen. As part of the emissary’s delegation the King has requested that one of you two might also travel to the Grûndén realm, for they believe that the T’Iea have a longer and better relationship with the Grûndén and can help smooth the process.
Nar’Allia was immediately excited by the prospect. Long had she wanted to go and see the city of the Grûndén. Ever since the Grûndén soldiers had befriended her and had told her about their fare city when she was young and living in Tent Town. It had always seemed such a romantic notion to travel to the mountains, to the Tolle’ Ambrunista and to the city of Gwéldølĩn. She recalled the tapestries that hung in the suite of rooms that Solin had in her house in Amentura. How the vistas depicted seemed so mythical, as near perfect a romantic place that could be found anywhere in the world. She also knew of the beauty of the Grûndén city from Minervar’s stories.
Amndo broke the silence, “by your thoughtful look Nar’Allia and the smile upon your face I am guessing that you would like to accept this task. I also would prefer you to be the one to take on this thing, forgive me Solvienne for perhaps talking out of turn, but I know your sister has a historical association with the Grûndén. You lady Solvienne I suspect you may be open to undertaking something a little more challenging, follow in the footsteps of the lady Solin perhaps? Something more akin to your mentor’s undertakings maybe?”
Solvienne looked up expectantly also with the hint of a smile on her face.
Amndo nodded in satisfaction. “I thought as much. It is fortunate then that there is another task to accomplish. I think that it would be worth going north to see what the ognod’s know of any Rift in the northern lands. Much of the rest of the world is known to us and no Rift or anything like it has been reported, at least not within the knowledge of my people. The northern wastes however remain even to this day largely unexplored and there may be an argument for going there to seek such a thing?”
Solvienne couldn’t contain herself and in an excited tone said she would gladly accept this task.
So it was decided that Solvienne and JDC along with Amndo would take on the potentially more dangerous task and taking the Leviathan fly north to the ognod’s and seek information from them. Nar’Allia would travel to the Grûndén realm with the appointed Pnook emissary to aid the Pnook where she could, but also use this visit as cover and see if any further information on the whereabouts of a Rift vent could be gleamed from the Grûndén.
JDC then explained how the Pnook having assigned the emissary, had also assigned an airship to use to expedite travel to the city of Gwéldølĩn. The airship would return as soon as possible hopefully along with any Grûndén surveyors and miners that would be persuaded to return and advise and even perhaps dig out the necessary cave system required to grow the necessary amounts of Trotteen.
Solvienne voiced a question. “But why then can’t we drop you off in the Grûndén lands if you come with us in the Leviathan, after all we will be roughly heading in that direction to get to the lands of the ognod’s?”
Nar’Allia replied, “no Solvienne, as you know we have discussed this many times, it has always been the decision that to fly the Leviathan over Dahl’Ambronis will risk too much, rather you go directly to the northern lands across the Trad Ocean without the risk of causing great suspicion and anxiety to others. Besides the Pnook have sufficient flow of food at the moment and with Citac continuing to make the supply runs they should be sustained for the near future. No, better we travel as Pnook in a Pnook airship especially as the trip is unannounced. Hopefully that way the Grûndén will not be too suspicious or feel threatened.” Then as if she could no longer contain her own excitement and almost jumping up and down on the spot she said, “I have always wanted to see Gwéldølĩn since I was very young and the Grûndén from the citadel in Tent Town first told me stories and descriptions concerning their wonderful city. If there is indeed any knowledge of another Rift vent there in Gwéldølĩn, I will seek those that I know of old and may give me a sympathetic ear, then If such a thing exists I will ask for aid in searching for it and hopefully be successful.”
So it was that the time for departure came. The assembled company stood at the foot of the gantry that led up to the entrance to the Leviathan machine. Solvienne found herself thinking back over the past few days in the Pnook city as she waited for her sister to arrive.
Much had been discussed concerning the way to gain access into the great machine hall and from there to other places, those sanctuaries that Amndo mentioned. Nar’Allia couldn’t help thinking about these mysterious places, a secret place where the T’Iea lived at one time when they first arrived here with the ancient father’s. She herself secretly hoped that Minervar might be there in that secret place as long as it was still there. Serinae had told them she had detected Minervar, that meant presumably that she was safe somewhere. Nar’Allia was obviously pleased, happy that she was going to start the search for her mother once again, happy that positive action was being taken at last. Solvienne was unsure whether or not the keepers would be able to help, as the Grand Master had ordered the destruction of the portal that led into the machine hall from TeraT’Inu’Itil. She remembered Amndo’s reticence about going to the realm of the keepers, he seemed suspicious of something, what he would not say, but he was definitely bothered about something in TeraT’Inu’Itil. But in her mind that didn’t explain why he flatly refused to go to TeraT’Inu’Itil. She spent some minutes thinking over this but eventually she gave up, no obvious answers came to her so she pushed these thoughts to the back of her mind.
The other task then, was to see if the race of giant men, the ognod people could help, for they are reputed to have been more closely associated with the ancient fathers at one time long ago, if the ognod’s boastful stories were to be believed. Minervar had told many times of Retta, an ognod they had journeyed with. Retta was the leader of the ognod clan they wished to meet, they hoped that Retta would still hold a more liberal view towards the other races and would welcome them as once she had welcomed Minervar and her companions long ago. Nar’Allia’s only fear was that the ognod’s had been, maybe still were, a warring race, lovers of violence of the worst kind. Now she hoped they would be received as friends and not as a threat. Solvienne felt herself being turned; slender hands had grasped her around the shoulders.
Nar’Allia hugged Solvienne a tear in her eye. “Be careful little sister, many dangers lie ahead. Use the skills you have and you will prevail, of that I have no doubt.” She then withdrew something quite large from her robes and handed it to Solvienne. “Here Solvi, take this, it is Serinae’s quiver, the one she uses to communicate from the place where she is. I think it is better with you as you are continuing the task in less than friendly lands perhaps. I’m sure Serinae will have something to say about all of this and if she can commun
icate with you as she has been able to with me, she will offer advice and protection before the end. Of this I am sure.”
Solvienne stared at the bundle and stretched out her hand and took what was offered from Nar’Allia. “But how will I use it? How will I know?”
“Solvi, you of all people will find a way. You have always had an open mind, you have always loved romantic adventure, you never disbelieve in anything unless you are sure without doubt. You of all people little sister will be able to find a way to use it.”
Solvienne held eye contact with her older sister until she reached the first step that led up to the Leviathan. Her last view of Nar’Allia was of her sister smiling at her encouragingly. She then followed Amndo and JDC up the steps, across the gantry and into the machine. She couldn’t help feeling that she was following in her sister’s footsteps, repeating what Nar’Allia had already done. But then her journey was for different reasons than that of Nar’Allia, wasn’t it?
The first thing that Amndo did was to use Solvienne’s palm to allow her access to the machine without either himself or JDC having to be there. Once this was done the three moved into the corridor and JDC led them up to the control room. He danced from one control desk to another, the Leviathan came to life. He pressed a dial and turned it slowly, as he did so the blank hull of the machine that surrounded them seemed to shimmer and slowly as if through a fog they could view what surrounded them outside the vessel and above and below it. The whole of the control room section in which they stood became a viewing platform. As another button was depressed sunlight fell upon them from above, looking up Solvienne could see two panels in the roof of the building in which the Leviathan was housed were sliding open revealing a blue cloudless sky above. A movement under her feet made her grab for the nearest hand rail. She felt the Leviathan move upwards. The great beast stirred, it seemed to shiver as if awakening from a nights rest. Then as she watched through the viewing windows around her, silently the machine rose upwards, through the roof and out into the open sky. As it cleared the confines of the building it increased its rate of ascent and very soon they could see the Pnook city spread out below them like a map. Solvienne walked forward she looked over JDC’s shoulder. There lit up in detail upon one of the glass control panels of the navigation desk was a detailed plan of Scienocropolis.
JDC explained. “The Leviathan has the capability of mapping great areas below it and storing the information for future use. I have just scanned the map of Scienocropolis into the memory banks.” He then started to press buttons and turn dials. The map they were looking at seemed to reduce rapidly in size and a lot more of the area of the rust desert surrounding the city came into view. Soon they looked down on a map of the whole of the eastern seaboard of the continent of the Rust Desert. They could see the coastline where the land met the great Trad Ocean, but this appeared to be farther to the east than what she would have expected. Solvienne made a comment of this nature.
JDC laughed and said she should wait and see. About an hour later they seemed to be no nearer the coastline as it appeared on the map, yet out of the front windows of the craft Solvienne could clearly see the Trad Ocean, a deep blue against the red of the desert sands. She looked once more at the map on the console under her nose. They would very soon fly over the coast yet on the map this same coastline was yet still far off. The whole continent looked vastly bigger on the map than it actually did in reality.
JDC was smiling obviously enjoying the confused look upon Solvienne’s face. When he could contain himself no longer ha said, “you see milady the mapping data banks of the Leviathan were created a long time ago now. The machine was built in an age past where the continents were not the same size and shape as they appear now. Sea levels were much lower due to the demands for water that were placed on the world by the overpopulation of the people that built the machine.”
“So Scienocropolis was not there either?”
“No, but it is now,” JDC winked at Solvienne. “The Leviathan is learning, updating itself with new data, the machine never ceases to amaze.”
Solvienne then asked, “so what about Dahl’Ambronis, is that known to the Leviathan?”
JDC turned back to the controls and swiping his hand over the display, Solvienne saw that the map moved beneath his hand, she got the impression that they flew at an unbelievable speed across the rust desert then out over the slopes of a great mountain range that dropped onto the open planes that were now in the present day the sea bed of the great expanse of water now called the Trad Ocean. This lowland area was not without water though, for massively large lakes appeared to be dotted across the expanse of land. In the central lowlands a vast lake appeared running from the far north right across the globe to the south, the remains of the Trad Ocean itself no doubt. Then the land started to rise once more until a high plateau of land appeared below them on the map. “Here it is Milady,” JDC swept his upturned palm over the map that had stopped moving below them on the screen.
Solvienne scrutinised the map. As with the rust desert the continent that was now called Dahl’Ambronis was an entirely different shape. She saw in the relief the towering mountains of the great spine, that range of mountains the T’Iea called the Tolle’Fornosse’Veetri. Then beyond the low plains of the eastern part of the continent. But these plains were far wider than any map she had seen. Then as the map neared the eastern shore where the continent should have met the Sea of Beadreas, instead there was another mountain range, lower than the Tolle’Fornosse’Veetri but this mountain range was right on the coast and neatly divided the eastern plains from the Sea of Beadreas itself. These mountains seemed to form a land of deep fjords and large sea lochs. Inland lakes of enormous size lay long and narrow, filling the valleys between the mountains.
“That high land milady is a mountain range that is now mostly submerged, the mountain peaks still show above the water of the sea of Beadreas and form the many islands that your sister and myself visited long ago.”
“It appears master Pnook that the geographical data held here within the machine is badly in need of updating?”
JDC laughed, “that it is milady. That it is. I planned to go on a world tour, a sort of mapping tour to update these charts.”
Solvienne thought for a while and said, “these charts give a unique insight into what the world was like at the time these machines were built. We ought to find a way of preserving that information before updating it. What we need master Pnook is a biplextor device, one that you could save a copy of the data into so that it could be preserved for all time.”
JDC fished around in his pocket and pulled out a leather pouch. He opened it and showed Solvienne with a knowing smile. It seemed to contain several biplextor devices, the little controlling devices that the Pnook nicknamed ‘chips’. JDC smiled and said, “you know milady Solvienne, I think we are going to get along just fine, just fine.”
They both laughed.
JDC and Solvienne sat chatting for much of the time during the trip, now they were high over the Trad Ocean they headed north remaining well out of sight of any land and above any cloud cover they could find. JDC showed her how at first he did not believe that the machine required any chips on which to run. But quite by accident when he had more time to study the inner secrets of the machine once it was safely hidden in Scienocropolis he had come across a small compartment. Here he said was a device that held many such biplextor devices. He recalled how he had wondered at this, for although he always understood the original idea of the chip devices not having originated with the Pnook he also did not know whom it was the Pnook had gotten the idea from.
Solvienne had a thought. “But JDC what if the Pnook did invent the biplextor chips, what if the Pnook knew of them all along. It may just be that …..”
JDC cut her off a faraway look on his face as he whispered, “the Pnook, my people, they may have designed and built the Leviathan machines.” He shook his head as if trying to shake such thoughts from his mind but he
noticed the smile on Solvienne’s face that told of her thoughts of agreement. “No, no milady that’s impossible. We are not a warring race; we would never invent such a thing.”
“Then explain why the security device, the door lock is similar to those used within the Pnook city and how it is only the Pnook who have the knowledge of how to build flying machines?”
JDC looked stunned, as if he fought some internal turmoil within his mind. “It does not prove anything milady, there is no way of knowing if the inventions of what you speak originated from the Pnook, or if the Pnook in fact learnt such things from another source.” He changed the subject preferring to explain how he had already made copies of all the biplextor chips and taken them all into Scienocropolis to the specialist chip manufacturers and spent some time looking at the data that the chips held. As a result he had made his own set of chips with modifications. She also found out that the mapping data she had seen in the control room was in fact data held in the machines memory within the navigation console. He had already inserted a chip that he had made and was intending to update as they flew along; the original mapping biplextor chip with all its historical data intact was safely stored away in his leather wallet. When asked about the intended accuracy of the navigation to find the northern wastes and the ognod’s, JDC had said that they would have to do this the old fashioned way and fly reasonably close to the ground so that landmarks could be picked out. This was another reason that he had agreed with Amndo and Nar’Allia why they should keep the Leviathan away from prying eyes for they would have to fly low, well within the visibility of anyone looking up. So the less flying over land they did the better.
So it was, they were to fly up to the northern reaches of the Trad Ocean until they came upon the coast of the western continent. They would then fly north-east keeping the coast in view on their right until they came to a vast bay that was nearly always full of sea ice, icebergs broken off from great glaciers that ran down from the northern lands. This bay was to the north of the isthmus that joined the northern lands to the western continent of Dahl’Ambronis, it was called the Bådøûen nah Grûnden in the Grûndén tongue, or the Bay of Dwarves in the tongue of man. So named because it was reputed to have been Grûndén explorers who had first discovered these lands long ago. But even they had not penetrated far north, only the southern shores of the Bådøûen nah Grûnden had ever been mapped by the Grûndén. Once there they would have to fly lower and slowly to traverse the lands and look for signs of the ognod’s, thus hopefully finding their city in the process, the same place hopefully that Minervar and her companions had visited long ago. They could then decide on how to approach the ognod’s and what their next move would be.