Siblings of Sol: Destruction of a Planet

Chapter 38

Adam looks up at the wall, and again he does not know what the numbers mean that are above the bright spots that indicate the planets. He moves the image of Earth toward them before making it larger, trying to determine what time it might be set on. He makes it as large as it can go, and all it shows is a large landmass surrounded by blue ocean.

He turns to Evian. "Did Jard move the time when you were in here with him?"

"Yes, he said that he could not go to the point in time that we are in, because it could affect the outcome of the Shrils and Mole's development, so he traveled back farther in time to a point that they were just starting to work together as a group to hunt the Moles who were still using the trees for protection.

He continues to stare at the image, but it does not give him a clear idea of when it might be. "The question is whether the Sphere senses the timeline of the inhabitant, or if it stays on the last time period entered," muses Adam, more to himself than anybody else.

Evian looks at the image. "I don't know enough about your planet to judge the time."

He stares hard at the symbols above the glowing planet to help him remember them, before turning back to her. "Was there a pyramid shaped structure above the Sphere Chamber when you exited with Jard?"

Evian turns to look up at him. "A what shaped structure?"

He nods his head at her question. "A pyramid is a four-sided building with each side sloped inward till they meet in a single point at the top."

Evian thinks back to the traumatic time. "No, there was just a chamber like the one on Ver, or here, without the lava of course."

"Ok, we need some way to determine what the symbols mean above the planets and how to read them, so let's make a quick trip to the time period already in the system and see if we can determine the time we arrive in. Then we can renter and move the symbols slowly to judge the ratio of the difference between the symbols and the actual time.

He is about to reach out and touch the wall in front of them but turns to Evian instead. "Would you like to do the honors of getting us going, my dear?"

She looks back and up to him. "Are you sure? The last time did not work out so good for us, if you remember?"

He smiles at her apprehension. "Don't worry. We have the device now and can renter the Sphere whenever we want. We are just going to stop for a moment and have a quick look around."

She somewhat reluctantly reaches out and touches the wall in front of them and the inside of The Sphere goes dark again, as the side opens.

Adam moves out first to find a wooden set of steps set against the side of the Sphere, so he can easily step down to the bottom of the oval shaped chamber. He looks across the space to see another set of steps built from smooth pieces of wood sitting up against the far side, leading to the same exit from the chamber that he remembers from his very first visit to the Sphere under the thick ice at the South Pole.

He moves down the steps that seem to be too far apart for him to step down comfortably, as Evian follows, having even more trouble stepping down the awkwardly spaced steps.

He crosses to the next set of steps and waits for her to reach him before making his way to the exit. He is looking intently at the workmanship when she stops beside him. "These steps are new and look at the smoothness of the wood. They have been planed and set with a precision that reminds me of specialized cutting tools and high technology."

She looks at the steps and nods her head. "I agree, but who could have done it. The Shrils I saw were primitive and could not have done such a thing."