Page 12 - The Chronicles Ser2 (6-10)

“Where the dead lie sleeping”

With Fenton, Hermes and Meorr away to Terra Prime, work on the sphere was taken over by
Dr Galena Fry and a specialist study crew from Lunaris Colony. The sphere had been landed in Mare
Imbrium (Sea of Rains) near to Sinus Iridium escarpment. A former site for a Lunaris mining
operation, it represented the safest place for further study. The Spheres’ Computer had been very
cooperative, surrendering vast amounts of accumulated data. It had also opened up more of the
ships internal structures to the exploration crews. Apart from the Sphere’s bridge…

“I’m at a loss as to why my unlock commands are failing to unseal and re-atmosphere the bridge” it
exclaimed “It’s as if a second A.I. unit has taken complete control” it added.

“Have you tried changing the translation index?” asked one of the Techs, Rupert Fire Star an
Achenazi from Mira. “The Elders could simply have used a colloquial dialect change” he continued

“I’d thought of that, but I have no incite as to what colloquial language they could have used. I
wonder if I tie-in your hive-Net if together we could crack it” Computer responded

“Well; at this late stage, I can’t see why it shouldn’t, but we have only a limited amount of time
before some Demolition expert decides to blow the doors open” Rupert said despairingly

“OK! here goes nothing” the Computer said then made a strange creaking sound as it linked the
Hive-Net into its systems and set about the task. Some three hours later a faint click came from the
seal on the door.

“Mission accomplished” the Computer said in a way that suggested relief “Atmosphere normal for
Human habitation! A strange choice of local dialect, Mexican-Spanish from the mid-west?” it added
somewhat puzzled.

The huge doors slid open silently, like all the doors inside the Sphere. The room was well lit
and huge. Inset into three of the walls were large frosted glass fronted chambers, twelve in total,
with vague forms recumbent inside. The control panels appeared dead. Twelve consoles on an arc,
and a smaller console to one side, with requisite chairs formed in front of a huge oval, slightly
curved, display. The Glyphs were of the Cuneiform type on all but one of the consoles, the smaller
one. The latter had a different form of glyph. It was almost pictorial in form, but unlike any seen
before. This panel was active. And a small display was flashing two lines of glyphs. They formed
groups of three and four glyphs separated by a single block of solid colour. The Computer had not
seen this script either, so could not help translate. At one side of the huge room were a series of
alcoves with ledges in and a strange sort of head gear in the ceiling of each. On the ledge of each
alcove were padded seats and a swing down bracket with what looked like a keyboard inset into the
bracket.

“The Elders appear to have been about ten feet in height judging
by the proportions of the “furniture”, and roughly humanoid in
form” Rupert said into his wrist recorder. He went over to one of
the Frosted enclaves. And pressed what appeared to be a door
locking mechanism. The door, much to his surprise, didn’t open
but slowly unfrosted revealing an impossible sight.

“Great Maker!” he exclaimed as he looked upon the form of one
of the Elders “Now YOU are a long time dead indeed!” In front of
him was a being of tall slim build, with hands terminating in three
long digits and a long bony thumb, long thin limbs and grey-blue