Chapter Ten
THERE WAS A DOME AROUND THE SHIP.
It had taken two hours to get there from where they stopped for the storm. Though Rachel had figured on forty, to forty-five minutes more of travel, about ten minutes after they started out, they found themselves walking through mud that rapidly changed to slushy muck and a few feet farther became a murky, swampy pond that stretched ahead for acres.
Tally climbed on board the hover-cart at the first sign of dampness. He was not about to get wet. The hover-cart would hold them all but wasn’t made to carry its cargo and that many people at once. If they tried to ride it across it would slow down to a crawl so they detoured around since that would be faster.
Now, they stood there staring at the starship surrounded by what appeared to be a smaller version of the Dome they had lived under all their lives. There was no door visible, at least not from this side.
Maggie wasn’t dismayed. She was mad. She stalked over to the wall, her muddy boots crunching on the small white stones littering the ground, and glowered up at the sky-high ship inside. They had not come out here just to be blocked like this! They were getting in if she had to rip the damned thing down with her bare hands. She glared at it for a moment, then balled up her fist and punched the wall.
The response was immediate. They heard a dull throb, like the ones that had sounded when they opened the door at the Dome. Starting at a point directly in front of Maggie, the wall began to vanish rapidly. The familiar smell of almonds assailed their noses. In minutes, the entire dome was gone.
There was a moment of stunned silence, then Morgan, with admiration in his eyes, began clapping. Alex, wearing a huge grin on his face, joined in, and then everyone was applauding and cheering.
They joined Maggie. Still grinning, Alex caught one of her hands, Jade the other.
“Wow, Mom!” exclaimed Jade, “That was amazing!”
Rachel, laughing gleefully, said, “I’ll bet that’s the first time a wall was intimidated away!”
Maggie shook her head slowly, wearing a slight smile. “It wasn’t anything I did that made that happen. I think any one of us could have just touched the wall with the same results.”
“Maybe, but none of the rest of us thought to march right up to it and give it a good whack,” said Morgan, smiling.
“Okay, now we see if we can get it open,” said Maggie. She went over and climbed onto the hover-cart and opened up her personal pack. She pulled out a small, round, silver device, and headed back to the group.
“This has been in stasis in central storage with all of the artifacts from the ships that weren’t destroyed during the Turmoils.”
They gathered around to inspect the device.
“It was listed as a remote for opening this ship’s main hatch,” said Rachel. “We don’t know if it’s still operational but if it wasn’t already damaged when it was placed in stasis, it should work.”
“Try it, Maggie,” urged Morgan. “Not much sense in waiting to set up camp first. It’ll either work or it won’t. If it does, we can set up camp before going in. If it doesn’t, we set up camp and figure out another way to get in.”
There were murmurs of agreement from everyone.
Maggie studied the face of the remote. It was pretty simple: three buttons above a standard looking keypad. The button on the left was marked “Open”, the one on the right, “Close”. The button in the middle was marked “Reset”. Maggie pushed the “Open” button.
They watched the ship. After a moment they heard a creaking, rumbling noise but couldn’t see anything happening. Maggie stared at the ship, brow furrowed. Then Jade tugged at her arm.
“Um, Mom? Perhaps if we stepped around to the side…?” She pointed to the right where she could see the edge of a ladder sliding down.
All eyes turned in that direction. “Hah! Good idea,” chuckled Maggie with relief.
They trooped around to the ladder. They could see an opening in the side, about sixty feet up.
“Hoo! Tha’s gonna be some clim’,” remarked Ro. She looked around at everyone. She rubbed her hands together. “Well, I’m game! Who’s comin’ with me?” She was getting excited.
“Hold it, Ro,” said Kendis. “Let’s see what the Leader wants to do, first.”
Maggie smiled. “The plan was for me, Sparrow, and Dots to go in first. However, I didn’t realize we’d have to climb sixty feet straight up. We thought there would be some kind of lift, or at least a ramp.”
She contemplated the ladder. “I’m not sure I can make it up that thing without passing out. And Dots will have to make herself small enough to be carried.” She shook her head and puffed out a breath. “Okay, let’s set up camp first. I don’t know about anyone else but I could use a rest and a snack first.”
Jade peered around for Tally and Dots and realized she hadn’t seen them since coming around to the ladder. She concentrated, mentally casting out and sensed them on the other side of the ship.
she asked, puzzled.
he responded.
sent Jade in surprise. she added nervously. Aloud, she told the others what Tally and Dots were doing.
“Huh? Predators?” sputtered Ro. “Nobody has ever spotted any animal movement out here! I know they couldn’t git that close, but wouldn’t it’ve been noticeable if they wuz somethin’ out here that could be dangerous?”
Tally and Dots came around from the left side of the ship, heading back.
“Look under yer feet, Ro,” said Dots. “Those li’l white stones?” she shook her head sadly. “They’s not stones, they’s bones, and some of’em’re not that old.” The “stones” were spread around outside where the little dome had been. None were in the space inside.
Jade and Ro stared down in horror. Alex squatted down and picked up one of the “stones”, examining it closely. Kendis peered over his shoulder.
“It’s bone, all right,” said Kendis. “I’m not sure, but I think it’s a mouse skull. It’s about the right size and shape.”
Maggie, and the other adults, didn’t seem too surprised.
“Do you remember the mouse that was hiding in the cottage?” asked Maggie. “He was hiding from a predator but I couldn’t make out just what kind it was. Sparrow and it’s enclave Leader, scanned the mouse and learned more.” She looked at Sparrow.
Sparrow said, with a sigh, “I had hoped to discuss this later, after we visited the ship. Let us set up camp first and I will tell you what we learned.”