“Start here,” Bukky replied. He reached into his pocket and brought out a thin metallic stick, one half inch wide and maybe two inches long. He set it down on the table and slid it toward Rome.
You will notice that I took a jab at ebooks even though I am diligent in publishing not only Rome’s Revolution but all my books in ebook form. I just feel in my heart that there will always be a place for real books with real pages and I wanted to put that into the book. Tomorrow, Rome wonders why Bukky brought her down here when she really didn’t need to come.
Entry 4-243: August 26, 2016
The Underground City, Part 6
The Deucadon underground city is a fascinating place. Over the next few days we will cover all the concepts required to construct such a fabulous vista as presented in The Ark Lords. Today’s article explains that during Bukky’s preparation of the Deucadon history for Rome, he stumbled across something that never caught his attention before. Something that would eventually prove to be deadly merely by making Rome aware of this fact.
“What is this?” Rome asked.
“We call it a memory stick. It is a solid state data storage device.”
“So it is like our data-cubes?”
“I suppose,” Bukky said. “This stick contains every one of the volumes on the shelves out there in electronic format.” He gestured toward the door.
Rome picked up the stick, weighing it in her hand. It was much lighter and more compact than a standard Vuduri data-cube.
“Is this your only one?” she asked, setting it down again.
“Oh naw,” Bukky said, laughing. “It took me a little while to compile but this one is just for ya. We appreciate the fact that ya care about our history and want to explore it. This’ll make it easier.”
“Well thank you,” Rome said. “This is invaluable.” She cocked her head at the memory stick. “Not to be rude,” she said, “but if you already had your records summarized, why did you have me come down here to get it? I mean, I am amazed at all that I’ve seen but it is a long way down here.”
“Yar right,” Bukky said. “I did not have ya come down here just to get the stick. It is what ya said.”
“What did I say?” Rome asked.
“I thought that ya really needed to see where we lived to get a true sense of our history. Naw words can really do it justice.”
“You’re right about that,” Rome said looking up at the ceiling. “I know I could not.” Just trying to think about the unimaginable amount of rock over her head stretched her senses to the limit.
“That’s the reason I brought ya down here to our city. The reason I brought ya to this particular room is different though.”
“What reason would that be?” Rome asked, looking around at the shelves and their ancient books.
“As I was preparin’ the stick, I realized none of the books in this room were contained on it,” Bukky pointed at the small device sitting on the table. “I checked ‘em for a while to see if they described anythin’ important that was nawt summarized out there and I came across one thing.”
The mystery deepens. Tomorrow, Bukky’s discovery.
Entry 4-244: August 27, 2016
The Underground City, Part 7
The Deucadon underground city is a fascinating place. Over the next few days we will cover all the concepts required to construct such a fabulous vista as presented in The Ark Lords. Today’s article reveals a startling and perhaps deadly fact. Bukky has stumbled across something and he tells Rome. Unfortunately, this could be a fact that maybe she shouldn’t have ever known.
“What?” Rome asked, leaning forward.
“Ya know that our forefathers crashed down on this world and we had to start from nawt a thing.”
“Yes, I know that,” Rome said. “It must have been so hard.”
“It was, at first,” said Bukky. “And I am nawt just talkin’ about their constant back pain or how difficult it was to start with nothin’ but the clothes on their back. It was even harder than it had to be.”
“Why was that? How could it be any harder?” Rome asked.
“There are no books or written records from those early days. Nawt even here. Everythin’ that we know was handed down usin’ songs and memorization. It was several generations until we were settled enough to begin recordin’ our history in writin’. When we started, the oral history has already been muddied by the passage of time.”
“That’s to be expected,” Rome said. “But no matter what you have, it will be valuable insight into the early days of your people.”
“Even so, there is somethin’ I think ya need to know. To our people, it was almost forgotten. I know I forgot about it myself. Let me show ya.”
Bukky stood up and walked over to the farthest set of bookcases. Very carefully, he removed a large book, rather thick, from the top shelf. He carried it over and set it down on the table in front of Rome.
“What is this?” Rome asked, looking down at the book.
“This is the very first book ever written by our people. We call it our “Bible” although I am nawt sure what that word means.”
Bukky sat down next to Rome and opened the book. He reverently turned a few pages until he got to the second chapter. “Ya know that our original settlement was right in the middle of where Lake Eprehem sits today. That many of our people were killed by the stroid.”
“Yes,” answered Rome sadly. “But that will not happen again. We have a protection shield now.”
“I know,” Bukky said. “But what I am sayin’ is that it was strange that only some of our people were killed, but nawt all of ‘em. Ya’ll be able to read a summary of it in the volumes contained on the stick. But there is one passage I want to read to ya that did nawt make it in there.”
Bukky wants Rome to read one passage. I bet you her life would have been a whole less complicated if she did not. Who ever heard of a deadly sentence? Tomorrow...
Entry 4-245: August 28, 2016
The Underground City, Part 8
The Deucadon underground city is a fascinating place. Over the next few days we will cover all the concepts required to construct such a fabulous vista as presented in The Ark Lords. Today’s article reveals the fact that there may be a correlation between the colonists transported in the gray sarcophagi in the front versus the white sarcophagi in the back of the Ark II.
“Which passage?” Rome asked.
“Here,” he said. He pointed to the second paragraph of the chapter. The handwriting was cursive but neat. He read aloud:
“After a time, a great difference arose between the goals of the Whites and the Grays.”
“What are whites and grays?” Rome asked. “Are they talking about skin color?”
“I do nawt know,” Bukky replied. “It was never explained but let me go on.”
“Please do,” Rome said.
“The Grays sacrificed everythin’ to mine ore. The Whites wanted to live in a place where they could thrive. It was Darwin and all that it represented that eventually drove ‘em apart. The Whites packed up all their belongin’s and migrated north, to the edge of the mountains, to be near the river. There was food and shelter there along with the water. It was there that they began to build the first real settlement...”
“What is darwin?” Rome asked. “The thing that drove them apart?”
“I do nawt think anybody knows,” Bukky replied. “This is the only reference to it in the entire Bible.”
“All right,” Rome said. “Continue.”
“The two camps never mixed again. Once in a great while, the Whites would send a scout to check on the Grays but they never deviated from their mission. Until they died.”
“Oh,” Rome said, putting her hand up to her mouth. “That is so sad.”
“Yes, it is,” said Bukky. He sat back in his chair. “But I think this fact is important. It is only because this schism arose between the two groups, forcin’ ou
r people to migrate north; that is why we survived at all. The other group, the Grays, were right where the stroid hit. That was the end of ‘em.”
Bukky leaned forward. “On the day that ya and I stopped the war, I looked into Captain Keller’s eyes. He was so filled with bloodlust that he did nawt look human. I have spent enough time with Rei’s people to determine there are two distinct groups. Most of the people are like Rei but there are quite a few that seem a bit off, like Keller.”
“I’ve noticed this as well,” Rome said. “The Captain and his people are so different from Rei and the other Essessoni I have come to know.”
“And Keller’s group…all they want to do is mine for metal, yes?” Bukky asked. “Like the Grays described in this book?”
There is it. It is now "out there" and it is a fact that Rome can never unlearn. Simply possessing this fact puts Rome's life in danger as well as her family and every other living human being in the galaxy! Tomorrow, Bukky explains the context and gives Rome an important gift.
Entry 4-246: August 29, 2016
The Underground City, Part 9
The Deucadon underground city is a fascinating place. Over the next few days we will cover all the concepts required to construct such a fabulous vista as presented in The Ark Lords. Today’s article shows Rome’s confirmation that there may a hidden group within the Essessoni which a different agenda from Rei’s group. It also reveals a present from the Deucadons which will come in handy later on.
“There is a lot of that, yes,” Rome replied. “But they gratefully accept help with food, shelter and the like. Rei has mentioned this to me several times.”
“It cannawt be coincidence,” Bukky said grimly. “I’m just makin’ a suggestion here but I think ya should remember this passage and keep yar eyes open.” He closed the book, got up and very carefully replaced it on the shelf. He walked down to the far end of the table where he picked up a pile of neatly folded cloth that was sitting there. He brought it over to Rome.
“What is this?” she asked.
“These are two invisibility cloaks,” Bukky said. “They are a gift for ya and Rei. We never got a chance to properly thank ya for what ya did. Stoppin’ the killin’ and all. Lettin’ us go topside.”
“You don’t need to thank me or Rei,” Rome replied. “We all just did what we had to. Your contribution was vital.”
“I had a small part but ya were the one that brought sense to the Overmind. Ya tamed Keller and the Ibbrassati. It was all ya, Rome, just accept that.”
“All right,” Rome said, modestly. “But you’ve already given me the memory stick. That is a gift beyond measure.”
“Naw, you are doin’ us a great honor by takin’ it and lettin’ everyone learn about our history. These cloaks are the only thing we have which are a true gift. Ya created the peace. We do nawt need ‘em anymore. Please take ‘em.”
“Why would we need them?” Rome asked. “There is no conflict here. There would be no reason to hide.”
“Ya can play hide and seek with your son. It really does nawt matter. They are our present to ya. Isn’t that enough?”
“Yes, of course,” Rome said. She stood up, reached for the memory stick and placed it in the pocket of her jumpsuit. She looked down at the cloaks then shrugged and gathered them up. “I do not think we’ll ever need these but thank you anyway. And for your memory stick. I will remember what you told me. Promise me that you will come and see my library after I have all the data compiled.”
“Absolutely,” Bukky said, “I very much look forward to it. Just keep the stick close until ya have a chance to download it. It did take me a bit o’ time to put it together.”
Rome turned toward the door and waited for Bukky to open it.
He reached for the knob then stopped. “One more word of advice,” he said, smiling, “make sure ya do nawt turn the cloaks on without wearin’ ‘em. Otherwise ya may never find ‘em again.”
Rome laughed. “I’ll be sure I store them some place safe.”
You can credit my brother Bruce with that last joke. Those invisibility cloaks came in quite handy time and again as the saga progressed. They figured into the plot of Rome’s Evolution as well as The Milk Run. You’ll see that down the road.
Entry 4-247: August 30, 2016
Free Will vs Predestination
Do you believe in fate or predestination? Do you believe that life is all free will? Personally, I think that while there might be some general parameters set up by the universe, most all of our actions and situations are due to free will. I will present my argument as to why this must be the case, in order for us to feel like our life has any value at all.
Think about it. If everything was all plotted out for us by some invisible wizard in sky and we were just going through the motions, what would be the point of life? If it is all fate, we would just be actors on a stage, reciting lines written by some cruel playwright and there is nothing we could do about it. While there have been uncounted good things happen in my life, I have also seen some terrible things. If we were predestined to experience heartache and pain and suffer, wouldn't that playwright be rather sadistic?
I prefer to think that the stage has been set and it is up to us, the universe's version of an improv troupe, playing out life as best we can. When bad things happen, we cannot shake our fists at the heavens and cry out why? It's just the way it goes. Why do bad things happen to good people? They just do. No architect or god or mysterious force. Just luck of the draw.
Why do I write this? Because I try to give my characters free will but as the author, they really have none. Their fate is sealed before the get-go. Oh sure, they contribute to the dialog once in a while and sometimes they guide me down a plot twist that I had not foreseen. But in the end, the book has to come to the conclusion I charted out before I write the first word. So even though during the latter part of The Milk Run when MASAL told Aason that the idea of judgment and eternal damnation was silly, I made him say that. He had no free will. He was predestined to say exactly that.
It gets confusing, doesn't it?
Entry 4-248: August 31, 2016
Sore Legs
I feel that part of my job as a writer of hard science fiction is to make everything as realistic as possible, given the fantastic background of the story. There are certain things you can take liberties with. Rarely do my characters go to the bathroom. They eat when it is important for dramatic reasons. Same goes for sleeping. I mean what could be more boring than writing about someone who is simply asleep?
Over the past few days, I showed you Rome's visit to the Deucadons' underground city in the beginning of The Ark Lords which was over a mile underground. They didn't have an elevator. She had to walk down a mile's worth of steps. Even that might not be so terrible but then she had to walk back up a mile's worth of steps. This is not something we do every day nor was it something Rome did every day. So when I started the next chapter, I had to acknowledge this, even if it was brief:
Rome's spirits were lifted by the scrumptious smell of pancakes and fresh brewed coffee wafting in the air. She dragged her aching body out of bed and straightened out her loose-fitting pajamas. She made her way into the kitchen, trying to rub the sleep out of her eyes. She was pleasantly surprised to see Rei had already made breakfast. However, there was something different about him. At first, Rome thought it was because she wasn’t fully awake. Then she realized it wasn’t her imagination. Rei looked scruffy. She couldn’t remember the last time he had skipped shaving. She assumed it had something to do with trying to keep up with Aason but it didn’t matter. Scruffy or not, he seemed to be in a wonderful mood.
“Good morning, my intrepid explorer,” Rei said cheerfully, holding out a cup of coffee he had prepared for her. “How did it go?”
She stood up on her toes and kissed him on his scratchy cheek. She started to stretch and an “ooh” escaped from her lips. “It went well,” she
said, frowning. She accepted the coffee from him and took a sip of the magical dark liquid.
“What’s the matter?”
“My legs are sore. So many stairs. The Deucadon city is so far underground!” she said, rubbing the back of one thigh. She switched the coffee to her free hand then rubbed the other leg.
Concerned, Rei asked her, “Do you need to rest?” Rome shook her head. “How about a massage? You don’t want to cramp up.”
“Oh no,” Rome replied, shaking her head again. “I’ll be fine.” She took another sip of coffee. “I have much to tell you.”
So there you have it. I didn't ignore the issue but now we are done with it. It was a nice little scene but we need to move on to the action and adventure. Don't forget, a mini-nuke is coming!
Entry 4-249: September 1, 2016
Making sense of Darwin
In the beginning of The Ark Lords, Rome and Rei were quite innocent and had absolutely no suspicions about The Great Dying and who was behind it. The very first element of doubt came when Bukky mentioned Darwin to Rome. At the time, neither of them knew its significance. Rome did not lose sight of this fact. She figured she would ask Rei when the opportunity came:
In a borrowed Vuduri flying cart, Rei flew himself, Rome and Aason toward the south and east in the direction of the site of Rome’s library. Along the way, Rome described to Rei her adventure within the Deucadon underground city. She also told him about the memory stick and the invisibility cloaks.
“Why did they think we might need them?” Rei asked, a puzzled look on his face.
“Bukky didn’t actually say we would need them,” replied Rome. “He said they were the only things they had to give as a gift. So I just accepted them in the spirit offered. But there is something else I need to ask you which is even more confusing.”