Outcasts of Gideon

Kishan Saanvi : Part 3

The two men made their way back to the hover. Mihr unloaded several boxes from the storage compartment. He pulled out a small device, then activated it, igniting the light at one end. The entire device was little more than the size of a man's pinkie. He handed it to Kishan who planted it near the furthest extent of the luminescent field. The two men then took as many of the markers as they could. Each worked their way in opposite directions along the edge of the glowing ground.

"They tried creating this stuff in the laboratory. It just disintegrated," said Mihr. Whether he was looking for a response or not, Kishan did not offer one.

Silence fell between the two men again. Kishan continued to work, placing markers along the edge of the glowing metal ore. After a short silence, Mihr started singing softly to himself. Kishan wished he could shut down the comm. He knew better.

This continued for over an hour. Each man returned again and again to resupply their markers. From Mihr's hover, the field stretched a kilometer. As it appeared to narrow again, they moved the hover closer to that end. When they finished, the phaethonium was completely outlined in small lights.

They walked along the edge of the marked plain. Kishan was looking for the optimal location to place the projector. The field's irregularities meant several places were wider than others. The projector would impact a roughly circular area. "Any idea how much material you're carrying?" he asked.

"The power source? They told me it was enough to do the job is all."

Kishan wondered how Mihr could talk so much and offer so little. "How will we know where to place this if we don't know how much it will cover?"

"We put it in the center of the field is what I think."

"If the effect will reach the length of the field, that makes sense. But if it will only cover a portion, we should find the widest spot. That all depends on how much power we have."

Kishan held his hand out. Mihr reached for the parcel hanging from his neck. When Kishan opened the package, it's light blinded him. He hadn't expected that. The simulations all involved a light, but none had this intensity. He pulled it out, finding it encased in a clear container. "I thought you said it was dark matter."

"They said it was dark matter. I don't know what dark matter is. They also said it had something to do with gravity, and it was very powerful."

"Well, how much is it? How far will it project?"

"I told you, I have no idea." Mihr turned away from the light.

"They didn't tell you? I spent weeks preparing for this mission and they didn't give you the most important detail?"

"No."

"You were probably babbling when they told you." Kishan placed the bright light back into the parcel. He set it down and scanned the immense field.

"What if we use the hover?" asked Mihr.

"What for?"

"We could get above it. Get above the field. See it better."

Kishan wondered why he hadn't thought of it himself. He nodded, turning to get into the hover. Mihr piled into the pilot seat and activated it. Within moments they were several meters off the ground. The glow of the metal faded as they rose, but the markers made clear the scope of the find. Kishan pointed toward the widest section. Mihr piloted them toward it, sweeping low when they'd reached the center. He settled the hover on the ground and the two men stepped out.

Kishan set the Apeiria Projector on the soft dirt. Around them was the luminescent glow of the metal. He opened the package containing the power cell, then inserted it into the opening at one end of the device. The projector lit up, its buttons and gauges glowing in the darkness.

Kishan pressed two buttons on the side, then read the meters beside them. "We'll need to get some distance after I activate this."

"How far away?"

"I could tell that if we knew how much power you brought. I'd say at least a few kilometers away."

The Apeiria device appeared straightforward. It wasn't. Kishan had had to learn a complex series of steps. He started the process, monitoring gauges and adjusting settings. He twice had to start over, backing out the mysterious material due to a lack of purity.

"You've done this before?"

"I told you, I trained for weeks. All sims. This is my first real run."

After the third reset, Kishan was finally satisfied that he had the right purity. He finalized the process and set the projector on the ground. He had only one opportunity to make this work. Success meant more wealth than he had ever imagined. Maybe not for him, but at least because of him. He looked up at Mihr. "We have ten minutes to get some distance."

"I'll take you to your hover."

Inside Mihr's vehicle, they swept over the area of phaethonium. As they approached the end of the field, Kishan pointed. This was where they'd started. They'd been careless with packages and materials. "We can't leave any evidence or garbage. The projector will replicate everything, including our mess."

Mihr landed the hover nearby. Working together, they rounded up all materials. Within a few minutes, the two again climbed into the hover. Mihr sped the vehicle low across the barren landscape, placing it within a meter of the other hover. Five minutes had passed, leaving them as long to get some distance.