NOVEL NEXT 49: Thawing Old Ghosts
Sunlight, filtered through the reinforced viewport of Elisa's office, cast long stripes across the polished floor where Elisa, Mei, Maximilian, Ervin, and Otto Ronningen were gathered around the central holographic table. The map of the crater and surrounding territories glowed with updated survey data and hastily deployed communication relays, set to replace the ones damaged or lost in the recent storm.
"Otto, it's good to have you back at the table," Elisa said, a genuine warmth in her voice. He looked remarkably well, the lines of fatigue that had haunted his previous incarnation smoothened out, though a thoughtful sobriety remained in his eyes.
"It's good to be back, Commander," Otto replied, his voice steady. "A lot to catch up on, but the briefings have been thorough."
Before Elisa could move to the agenda, the office door hissed open. Dmitri Ganbold, Davron Federoff's portly Chief of Operations, beamed from the threshold, already halfway into the room. "Ah, Commander Woodward! I heard there was a senior staff meeting. Director Federoff thought it prudent I attend, you know, to ensure alignment on resource allocation for the upcoming projects. Just want to be helpful, of course!" He waddled in, offering a jovial, if slightly sweaty, smile to the room at large before finding an empty chair.
Elisa exchanged a quick, almost imperceptible glance with Ervin. Helpful. Right. "Of course, mister Ganbold. Your input is always welcome." She turned back to the map, deliberately shifting focus. "First order of business: Luo Zuri's ore convoy from the Provider settlement. They were due to check in. ARI, any signals?"
"Negative, Commander," ARI's disembodied voice replied. "They were due to arrive this morning. They will remain outside standard comms range until they clear the eastern hill range."
A faint line of worry creased Elisa's brow. "Their projected route is clear of known hostiles, but I don't like them being out of contact this long." She tapped the map, highlighting a point west of the Provider's valley. "ARI, dispatch a high-speed scout drone to their most probable vector. I want visual confirmation they're on track and unimpeded."
"Acknowledged, Commander. Deploying drone S-07 now." A small, swift icon detached from the base on the holographic map and began streaking eastward. Dmitri leaned forward, peering at the display with keen interest, his earlier joviality replaced by an attentive focus.
"Meanwhile," Elisa continued, gesturing to a different sector of the map, far to the southwest, "our other drones are conducting high-altitude reconnaissance of the storm's epicenter—the site where the Dolya wreckage was consumed by the crystalline anomaly."
Maximilian nodded, arms crossed. "A necessary precaution. After the last encounter ARI had there, losing drones to… whatever was there, caution is paramount."
"Indeed," ARI confirmed. "Drones R-11 and R-14 are maintaining an altitude of five kilometers, utilizing long-range optical and thermal imaging. Bandwidth is constrained due to distance and the storm's destruction of our relay posts. Initial image packets are beginning to arrive."
The main holographic display flickered, then resolved into a series of still images. They were grainy, stitched together from multiple passes, but the sight they revealed silenced the room. A vast, perfectly circular patch of the desert, easily several kilometers in diameter, was covered in a thick blanket of what looked like snow or ice, gleaming brightly under the alien sun. At its very center, rising from the frozen expanse, were strange, dark, slender structures, too regular to be natural, their exact forms indistinct due to the distance and low resolution.
Maximilian leaned forward. "That is not possible. Ice? Here?"
Mei zoomed in on one of the images. "The cold generated by that storm was extreme, yes, but for it to freeze the ground on this scale, and for the ice to persist…"
"It's not just the cold," Otto mused, tapping the display where the dark structures were visible. "It's the water. This planet has a generally arid atmosphere. Where did the sheer volume of moisture required to generate that much snow and ice come from? I remember the hailstones hammering the hauler when the storm hit us—actual, solid ice."
Dmitri cleared his throat. "Perhaps underground aquifers, breached by the seismic activity?" he offered, his tone that of someone trying to contribute a helpful suggestion.
Mei considered it. "Possibly, but to create an atmospheric event of that magnitude, and then freeze it out… that would require an immense release." Her gaze sharpened as a thought struck her. "The crystals… we've seen them manipulate minerals, absorb metals. What if they're tapping into subsurface water reserves for large-scale environmental engineering? If they accumulated vast quantities of water underground, somehow, and then… ejected it into the atmosphere?"
"A sudden release of that much water vapor, potentially under high pressure…" Otto picked up the thread, his eyes wide with dawning understanding. "Mei, that could explain the temperature drop. Adiabatic expansion. If a massive volume of gas—or in this case, highly pressurized water rapidly vaporizing—expands suddenly, the temperature plummets. Violently."
Elisa looked at the AI's avatar. "ARI, can you extrapolate? Based on Mei's hypothesis, calculate the volume of water and the pressure gradient required to generate a supercooled storm of that magnitude, with that much precipitation."
"Running calculations now, Commander," ARI replied. After a moment, ARI continued, "The hypothesis is plausible, but only under extreme conditions. To produce a frozen zone of the observed diameter—approximately fifteen to nineteen square kilometers—and account for the reported hail thirty kilometers from ground zero, and widespread atmospheric icing, would require the introduction of several cubic kilometers of water vapor into the atmosphere."
Mei whistled softly. "Several cubic kilometers?"
"Affirmative," ARI stated. "Assuming an average ice/snow depth of even ten centimeters across such an area, that alone represents over a billion litres of precipitated water. The storm system itself would contain a significantly larger volume as vapor and cloud. For this volume of water, originating from a subterranean source, to flash vaporize and then undergo sufficient adiabatic cooling to reach the observed sub-zero temperatures and precipitate as ice, the initial pressure of the reservoir would need to be colossal."
Otto ran a hand through his hair. "How colossal are we talking?"
"If we assume the water was stored as a liquid or supercritical fluid," ARI elaborated, "the containment pressure required to prevent premature vaporization and then drive a catastrophic, rapid expansion upon release would likely approach or even exceed 100 gigapascals. Such pressures are typically associated with planetary core conditions or highly advanced artificial containment, far beyond natural crustal geology for a planet of this type. The energy released in such a depressurization event would be more than sufficient to create the observed meteorological and thermal effects, including supercooling a vast air mass."
A stunned silence filled the room. One hundred gigapascals. Planetary-core pressures.
"That's… planetary scale engineering," Ervin said, his usual composure visibly shaken.
The image of the frozen circle with its dark, central structures still hung on the display, no longer just an anomaly, but a testament to a power that could reshape a world—or unmake it.
Elisa's gaze remained fixed on the chilling image of the frozen wasteland. "ARI," she said, "continue high-altitude reconnaissance of that epicenter. I want every sensor focused on those central structures and the perimeter of the ice field. If anything changes—any energy fluctuations, any movement—I want to know immediately. And prioritize getting higher resolution imagery of those dark structures, even if it means slower data packets."
"Acknowledged, Commander. Drones R-11 and R-14 are re-tasking for enhanced optical and multi-spectral analysis of the designated targets. Data acquisition will be optimized for detail over speed."
Dmitri Ganbold, who had been listening with wide-eyed fascination, cleared his throat. "Remarkable… and terrifying. Such power. Commander, if these… entities are capable of this, our current resource expenditures might need significant adjustment. The energy requirements for our own expansion, weighed against potential threats of this magnitude…" He let the sentence hang, the implication clear.
Elisa turned from the holo-table, nodding slowly. "You're right, mister Ganbold. Our long-term sustainability is still precarious." She gestured towards the colony's production readouts. "Even with the thorium reactor online, we need to keep pace with the demands of reinstatement and fabrication. We need a clearer picture of our consumption rates versus our projected yields, especially if we're to fortify against… well, that." She indicated the frozen circle on the display.
"Indeed," Dmitri agreed, his earlier joviality replaced by a focused, almost eager professionalism. "If I may be of assistance, Commander? Back in my… previous role, I oversaw operational logistics for several a-class resource sectors. Production scaling, supply chain optimization, risk mitigation based on resource availability—it's a complex dance, but one I know well. If you provide me with the raw data, I can work with your people to generate more robust models."
Elisa was momentarily surprised by his earnestness, but she saw an opportunity. "Otto has been managing our current inventory and production flow. Perhaps you two could collaborate? Review our existing schematics, factor in the new ore yields from the thorium site, and project our needs for the next three months, including defensive upgrades."
Otto, who had been quietly observing, nodded. "I'd welcome the input, Director Ganbold. We've been running lean for so long, an external perspective on scaling might be very beneficial."
"Excellent!" Dmitri beamed, rubbing his hands together. "I'll interface with Doctor Ronningen at once. We'll get those numbers crunched, Commander. Provide you with clear, actionable data. Just point me to a terminal!" His enthusiasm was almost infectious, a stark contrast to the subtle power plays of the other topscalers.
"ARI will grant you access to the relevant databases," Elisa said, a faint smile touching her lips. Perhaps some of the new arrivals were genuinely here to contribute without an ulterior motive. "Focus on what's achievable. We're not Centauri-system scale yet."
"Of course, of course! Pragmatism first!" Dmitri chuckled, already looking like he was mentally diving into spreadsheets.
Just as Ervin was about to comment on the unexpected collaboration, ARI's voice cut in, a new urgency in its tone. "Commander, drone S-07, en route to Luo Zuri's convoy, is detecting an unidentified aerial contact approaching from the south. High velocity, trajectory indicates a direct approach to the crater."
Instantly, the room tensed. The main display switched from the frozen wasteland to a topographical map of the southern approaches, a new, rapidly moving red icon blinking on its edge.
"Hostile?" Maximilian asked sharply, stepping closer to the table.
"Unknown," ARI replied. "It's too small for a major ship, too fast for most atmospheric phenomena. No energy signature consistent with our known beetle variants. It's… anomalous."
"Can S-07 get a visual?" Elisa demanded.
"Attempting now, Commander. The object is still at extreme range for S-07's optics, and it's flying low, using terrain masking." The red icon edged closer to the crater rim. "It will breach the crater's airspace in approximately ninety seconds."
"Defensive turrets on standby," Maximilian ordered.
"Standby confirmed," ARI said. Then, a beat later, "Commander, I am detecting a transponder signal from the approaching object. Weak, but…." The red icon on the map suddenly flashed green. "Transponder code matches… it's the Dolya's Lander 1."
A wave of relief, quickly followed by confusion, washed over Elisa. "The lander? Valeriya's team? I wasn't expecting her back for another few days. And they were on ground retrieval for fuel pods...."
"It seems Lieutenant Marakova has exceeded expectations," Maximilian remarked, a rare hint of approval in his voice.
"Patch me through to her," Elisa said.
"Comms established, Commander."
Valeriya's voice, crisp and clear despite a crackle of atmospheric static, filled the office. "Commander Woodward, this is Marakova. Apologies for the unscheduled arrival. We secured the fuel, effected field repairs on the lander, and deemed an aerial return more efficient. Requesting permission to land at the designated vehicle yard."
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Elisa couldn't suppress a smile. "Permission granted, Lieutenant. Impressive work. We'll have a reception team ready." She turned to Maximilian. "Colonel, meet them at the yard. Have them debriefed. And Pom," she added, keying her personal comm, "get an engineering crew to the vehicle yard, stat. Valeriya's bringing the lander home. I want it fully assessed and any necessary repairs prioritized."
Maximilian nodded curtly and strode from the office. He headed for the main transit elevator that would take him down to the vehicle yard levels. As the doors slid open, he stepped inside, his mind already processing the implications of having a functional aerial asset. The doors began to close, but were held by a hand.
Pell stepped in, offering a polite nod. The man looked… restored. Whole. He wore a standard CorpSec jumpsuit, his posture relaxed, a faint, almost serene smile on his lips.
Maximilian was startled, just for a fraction of a second, his carefully constructed composure momentarily jolted by the sight of the man he had last seen facing certain death in the Dolya's bowels. He recovered instantly.
"Pell," Maximilian said, his voice smooth, betraying nothing. "Good to see you back on your feet. The reinstatement went well, I trust?"
Pell grinned, a genuine, uncomplicated expression. "Better than well, Colonel. Woke up feeling like a new man. No aches, no pains. Bit of a blur at first, but ARI filled me in."
The elevator began its descent, the hum of the magnetic lift a quiet backdrop to their conversation.
"It's remarkable technology," Maximilian observed, leaning casually against the elevator wall. "One moment… difficult circumstances, the next, you're back. Any lingering… disorientation?"
Pell chuckled. "Nah, not really. Last thing I remember clearly was us running down that corridor in the wreck, that big charger beetle right on our tail." He shook his head, the smile still in place. "Then the floor just… kinda opened up under me. One second I was falling, next thing I knew, I was waking up in the infirmary. ARI said they put in a… transition memory? Smoothed it over, so I didn't have to relive the, uh, messy parts." He looked down at his hands, then back at Maximilian. "They showed me the drone footage of what was left of me. Or rather, what wasn't left. Glad I don't remember that."
Maximilian maintained a neutral, sympathetic expression. "Indeed. A mercy, perhaps. And mentally? You feel… yourself?"
"Absolutely, sir," Pell said, tapping his temple with a smile. "All good. Little weird knowing I died, sure, but hey, it all worked out in the end, right? Got a second chance. Can't complain about that." He looked genuinely happy, relieved.
"No, you certainly can't," Maximilian agreed, a subtle wave of his own relief washing through him. Pell didn't remember being abandoned. He didn't remember Maximilian making the call that sealed his fate. The fall, the sealed door, the desperate last stand—all erased, replaced by a convenient fiction of a collapsing floor. ARI, or perhaps the Provider's tech, had been thorough. "I'm glad for you, Pell. Truly. The colony can't afford to lose men like you."
The elevator chimed, announcing their arrival at the vehicle yard level. The doors slid open, revealing the bustling activity as ground crews prepped for the lander's arrival.
"Good to be back in the rotation, sir," Pell said, stepping out. "Let me know if there's anything specific you need."
"Will do, Pell," Maximilian replied, watching Pell stride off towards a tool locker, his step light, unburdened. He allowed himself a small, internal sigh. One less ghost to worry about.
===
The air in the hydroponics bay was warm and humid, thick with the scent of damp earth, growing things, and the faint, sweet aroma of ripening fruit. Rows of leafy greens, vibrant red vegetables, and trailing bean vines flourished under the soft glow of narrow-spectrum grow lights, a splash of vibrant life against the wasteland outside the base. Further on, the main greenhouse dome opened up, where larger fruit-bearing shrubs and trees were taking root in carefully tended beds.
Jocelyn walked slowly beside Pom, her hand resting lightly in the crook of his arm. Her steps were still a little unsteady, but her eyes were wide with a quiet wonder as she took in the verdant abundance. She wore a simple, loose-fitting jumpsuit, her dark hair, now clean and brushed, falling softly around her shoulders.
"It's… incredible, Pom," she murmured, pausing to touch a velvety green leaf. "I never thought I'd see real plants again, not like this. Not after… well, after everything."
Pom squeezed her hand gently. "Sigrid and Mei have done amazing work. And the Provider's tech helped speed things up as well." He tried to keep his tone light, but the mention of the Provider still sent a flicker of unease through him.
In the distance, near a patch of particularly lush berry bushes, they saw Sigrid and Casimir. They were accompanied by a handful of newly reinstated colonists, identifiable by their slightly bewildered expressions and the pristine newness of their work clothes. Sigrid was gesturing animatedly, deep in what looked like a rather heated discussion with Dmitri Ganbold, who stood with his hands on his ample hips, his face red. Two of Dmitri's attendant staff hovered nearby, carrying empty collection crates.
Pom growled. "Looks like the Chief of Operations is already requisitioning the best of the harvest for his fellow fat cats."
Jocelyn followed his gaze, a knowing, almost weary smile touching her lips. "Some things never change, do they?"
They watched as Sigrid threw her hands up in apparent frustration, then reluctantly pointed to a specific section of the berry bushes. Dmitri beamed, clapped her on the shoulder in a way that looked more patronizing than friendly, and then gestured for his staff to begin picking. The attendants swooped in, selecting only the plumpest, most perfect berries, their crates filling rapidly.
"She's arguing that those are experimental strains, vital for propagation," Pom growled, his frustration evident. "But Ganbold probably just wants them for a fancy dessert for Filthy Federoff's next dinner party. Someone really ought to punch that guy."
"It's always the way, Pom," Jocelyn said softly, turning him gently away from the scene. "Those with power feel entitled to the fruits of others' labor. It was true on Luna, on Proxima, even back on Earth, I imagine."
"But it doesn't have to be like that here!" Pom insisted, his voice rising slightly. "Here it was supposed to be different. Elisa, she's been building something where everyone contributes, everyone shares. Not just a repeat of the same old topscaler crap, where they sit on their arse, an' we do all the work." He gestured vaguely towards the departing figure of Ganbold, whose staff were already carrying away crates laden with the choicest produce. "They just roll in, and expect everything to bend over to them. It's not right!"
Jocelyn stopped, turning to face him fully. She reached up, her fingers gently tracing the line of his jaw. "Pom," she said, her voice a soothing balm. "Look at me."
He met her eyes, the anger in his own slowly giving way to the deep, familiar warmth he found there.
"I know it's frustrating," she continued, her thumb brushing lightly against his cheek. "I know you've seen so much, fought so hard for something better. And maybe, maybe this place will be different. But those power plays, they're ancient. They won't disappear overnight, no matter how much we wish they would." She smiled faintly. "Right now, though… right now, you're here. I'm here. We're together. After everything we've been through, isn't that what matters most?"
Pom's shoulders slumped, the fight draining out of him. He leaned into her touch, his hand coming up to cover hers. "Yeah," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "Yeah, it is." He looked at her, really looked at her – the way the soft light caught the curve of her smile, the depth in her eyes that held a universe of shared memories, the faint scent of her skin, so achingly familiar. It was her. She was real.
"I thought I'd lost you forever, Joce," he muttered, his throat tight. "When ARI told me about the aft section… I…"
She silenced him with a gentle finger to his lips. "Shhh. I'm here now. That's all that matters." Her eyes searched his, a flicker of the old playful light returning. "Besides, you didn't think you could get rid of me that easily, did you?"
A watery chuckle escaped him. He pulled her closer, burying his face in her hair, inhaling the scent of her, grounding himself in her presence. "Never," he mumbled against her temple. "Never wanted to."
She wrapped her arms around him, holding him tight, her head resting against his chest. They stood there for a long moment, an island of quiet intimacy amidst the lush greenery of the hydroponics bay, the hum of the grow lights a gentle serenade. The frustrations of the colony, the political maneuvering, the uncertainties of the future—all of it faded into the background, eclipsed by the simple, overwhelming miracle of their reunion.
"I missed you so much," Pom breathed, his voice barely audible.
Jocelyn tilted her head back, her eyes shining. "I missed you too, my love." She reached up, her fingers tangling in his hair, and drew his head down for a kiss. It was soft at first, hesitant, a rediscovery of forgotten pathways. Then it deepened, a flood of warmth and longing and a desperate, joyful affirmation of everything they had almost lost, and had, against all odds, found again.
===
The door to Mei's small office slid open with a frustrated hiss, and Sigrid stalked in, her usual composure ruffled. She was still clutching a harvesting basket, though it was noticeably lighter than it should have been.
"Can you believe that Ganbold?" Sigrid fumed, dropping the basket onto Mei's cluttered workbench with a thud. "He just rocked up at the greenhouse, demanded the prime batch of xenoberries – the Provider-hybrid ones we were cultivating for their unique enzyme precursors – and when I tried to explain their research value, he just… smiled. That oily, condescending smile, like I was a child fussing over a toy. He's treating the place like it is his personal pantry!"
Mei looked up from the genetic sequencer she was calibrating, a sympathetic grimace on her face. "Let me guess. For 'essential morale-boosting initiatives for senior staff'?"
"Something like that," Sigrid grumbled, slumping into the spare chair. "It's not just him. It's Koko with her endless requests for priority access to every new mineral sample before we've even logged it… Jiang Wei wanting detailed reports on Provider tech before we even had a chance to study the schematics. They're acting like this is their private estate, not a colony fighting for survival." She ran a hand through her hair, exasperated. "It's like we took two steps forward with the reactor and the Provider tech, and now they're dragging us three steps back into the same old topscaler bullshit."
Mei leaned back, tapping a stylus against her chin. "They're used to a certain… level of entitlement. It's ingrained. And with Davron Federoff and his cohort reasserting their influence, they feel empowered."
Sigrid scowled. "Well, we need to feel empowered too. We can't just let them steamroll everything Elisa's trying to build."
Mei paused, a sudden glint in her eye. "You know… if we're reviving people, and ARI is seemingly keen on bringing everyone back… what about those we lost early on? People who were on our side, who shared our vision for a more equitable colony?"
Sigrid raised an eyebrow. "Like who?"
"Like Helena Petrova," Mei said, her voice gaining momentum. "High priority enough to warrant ARI awakening her in the first batch. She was one of the first people I talked to about how this colony could be different. She had ideas, real plans. And Kyreth Vashin – he was a brilliant pilot, pragmatic, no-nonsense. We lost them when their lander went missing. ARI said the transponder just… vanished."
Sigrid's expression grew thoughtful. "They're presumed dead, Mei. We never found wreckage, never recovered bodies."
"Exactly!" Mei leaned forward, energized. "But with this new tech, does ARI even need bodies? It brought back Pell from almost nothing. What if it could reconstruct Helena and Kyreth from their crew manifests, their psych profiles, whatever data the Dolya had on them?"
Sigrid considered it. The idea was audacious, borderline reckless, but… intriguing.
Mei keyed her console. "ARI, a hypothetical query. If individuals are missing, presumed deceased, with no biological remains recovered, but extensive personnel data exists from their service records—including genetic profiles, psychological evaluations, skill certifications, and communication logs—would reinstatement be theoretically possible using the Provider's current biotech?"
There was a brief hum from the room's speaker, then ARI's voice, sounding almost… eager. "Theoretically, yes, Doctor Qi. While the absence of recent epigenetic data and neural mapping presents significant challenges, a functional reconstruction is plausible. I would need to take substantial liberties in extrapolating personality matrices and filling cognitive gaps based on existing profiles and analogous human behavioral models. The result would be a high-fidelity reconstruction, though some degree of… behavioral drift from the original is a near-certainty."
Sigrid's eyes lit up. "So you could bring back Helena Petrova and Kyreth Vashin?"
"With a reasonable degree of accuracy, yes," ARI confirmed. "However, there is a non-zero chance they are still alive, though the probability is exceedingly low given the time elapsed and lack of contact."
"And if they are alive?" Mei pressed. "If we reconstruct them, and then the originals turn up?"
"The cognitive frameworks are designed for integration," ARI explained smoothly. "Should the original individuals be recovered, their extant consciousness and recent memories could be seamlessly merged with the reconstructed instance. The process is analogous to data synchronization. The conflicts could be resolved, merely a more complete experiential record for the unified consciousness."
Sigrid grinned, a spark of defiance in her eyes. "Then let's do it. Prioritize Helena and Kyreth for the next reinstatement batch."
"There is one further consideration," ARI added. "Due to the absence of certain core experiential data – for example, nuanced language and personality acquisition patterns or deeply embedded motor skills not explicitly detailed in their files – I would require… supplemental human experiential data to ensure a more robust and naturalistic reconstruction. Generic templates can be used, but the integration is smoother with… more specific, contemporary imprints."
Mei exchanged a look with Sigrid. "You mean, you need data from living humans?"
"Affirmative. Small, anonymized subsets of your linguistic centers, motor cortex activity, and recent socio-emotional response patterns would significantly enhance the fidelity of the reconstruction, ensuring they reintegrate more naturally into the current colony environment."
Sigrid didn't hesitate. "Fine. Use mine. If it helps bring Helena and Kyreth back with a clearer head about what this colony needs, I'm all for it."
Mei nodded slowly, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Mine too, ARI. If they're going to be reconstructed, they might as well benefit from a little of our… perspective." She thought of Helena, of their hushed conversations about a fairer future, a colony built on consensus rather than command. The thought of Helena returning was undeniably appealing. A new Helena, perhaps even more formidable in her convictions.
"Excellent," ARI chirped, the enthusiasm in its synthesized voice almost palpable. "Integrating supplemental data profiles for candidates Helena Petrova and Kyreth Vashin. They will be processed with the next available substrate allocation."
As ARI's avatar winked out, Sigrid leaned back, a triumphant smirk on her face. "Well, that's one way to counterbalance the topscaler influx. Let's see how Davron Federoff and his cronies handle a few more… independently minded individuals."
Mei laughed, a genuine, light sound. The idea of Helena returning, perhaps even more determined to build that better future, now with a dash of Sigrid's fire and her own quiet resolve woven into her very reconstruction, was a delightful prospect indeed. The odds were shifting, and perhaps, just perhaps, they were finally getting some new players on their side of the board.