Novak's Last Theory, Part 4: From the Forest Primeval

Today, so far: Dream—the same; Opening ceremony—the same; Research window—skipping it; Closing ceremony—only 7 hours away. Honestly, I'm having trouble continuing. Everything is drudgery. I head to the bridge.

Gomes and Carter are huddled over a nav screen, faces lit from below. I start through the ritual, only half listening.

"Status?"

Gomes straightens up. "Approach is shallow by almost 3 microseconds of arc."

"Critical?"

"Oh yeah. We'll burn up on the first aerobraking pass."

"Remedy?"

"None yet. All propulsion is out. We're pretty messed up sir."

"Yes. We are."

Gomes looks mystified. I'm cutting in too quick with my answers. Too mechanical.

I rub the stubble on my chin. "I'll... uh... be around. Let me know if you come up with anything." I walk out. So much for keeping up appearances.

***

I wander through the halls; fail to answer my com; look up to see a row of stasis beds: crylate domes foggy and glowing white in the low light. I'm on the colonist stasis deck. Don't remember how I got here. I check the name on the nearest bed. COOKE, ELSBETH M. Her face shows vaguely through the dome, like an apparition. I woke her up once. Spent a day interviewing her. That was during the Jonah theory. She has a son on Loro 5. I move down the line looking at other names and faces. It's a gallery of acquaintances. None of them will ever make it to Metari. These stasis beds are their coffins.

I catch movement out of the corner of my eye. Strange. The crew never comes down here.

"Hello?"

Something small and quick darts between beds a couple of rows away. The hair on my arms stands up. I resist the impulse to run for the stairs. Instead, I approach the spot cautiously, swallow, bend down, and look into the shadowy network of pipes underneath.

I'm stunned to see a face looking back at me.

A little boy with swarthy skin, wearing only a loincloth, is crouching in the space under the beds. His long, matted locks of hair are streaked with brown highlights from the sun. He edges back from me, watching me closely.

"Easy," I say soothingly, "it's alright." I extend a hand slowly, palm up. He shrinks away. Better try something else. I dig a protein bar out of my pocket, unwrap it and take a bite. "Mmmm... good," I exaggerate. I hold it out to him.

After a moment of hesitation, he leans toward me and snatches it.

I call Matiba on my com, speaking quietly. "Charles... could you come down to colonist stasis please?"

"Yes sir."

The boy seems to be warming up to me. He flashes me a smile, mouth full. Says something in a language I don't understand.

I hear footsteps on the stairs.

So does the boy. In a flash, he disappears into an access tunnel.

I sigh. I doubt I'll see him again today.

Well, this is something new.

[Jump to part 5: Those We've Left Behind.]