Page 138 - The Chronicles Ser2 (6-10)

though those extra crystalline conduits are not standard for a Polaron cell! Lennie replied. Gio
looked puzzled.
“Polaron Storage Cells? That sort of technology is ancient, used laterly only as emergency power on
Life Pods! What would the Kryst be using them for on this very sophisticated probe?” He quizzed.
Then adding “I do recall our military used to use them as regulators for the early unstable Cold
Fusion Generators that were issued. But the stabilisation matrix soon superceeded them. Have you a
copy of the circuitry of one of the Cells for comparison?” he finished with a question. Jock replied
that there was such a file in the Engineering archive and he set about retrieving it.
“If you’re right Gio; then there should be some kind of circuit breaker or fusible link in case of shorts.
Give me a hand removing that bulkhead that seperated the cylinder from the main drive. We
might…” the two heaved at the catches and Gio nearly injured his head and back as he fell over
when the catches snapped open and the bulkhead cover separated from the main body to reveal
three banks of slim crystal rods.
“Aha! There they are. See how they are designed to part and reform when overloaded” Lennie
pointed to the rods near the middle of the central bank.
“Oh; yes, though what kind of power are they supposed to handle? The ones used on those early
generators were miniscule compared to these. Just what kind of power does the generator on this
probe kick out?” Gio said in amazement. Lennie did a quick calculation and whistled
“Fifty seven million Amperes in total through all the lines! As an estimate!” he said finally
“Good greif Mon; that would power a city the size of Hedebar for a decade. What were the Kryst
thinking the probe might have to do?” Jock said incredulously as he handed Gio a data pad with a
copy of the file from the archive. “I dinnae know whether to admire their expertise or condem them
as fools. They have a particularly crazy sense of logic and proportion” he added.Then others nodding
in agreement.

On arrival in orbit around the world of Shust; where the Keterians discovered the ruins of
Atlantis; Misha and Trok saw first hand the nature of the place they were about to set foot upon. It
was very much like Mars just after the Terraforming process was started then aborted; as it was
more profitable to set up mining colonies etc. there. Plant life was sparse and scrubby, apart from
where the harbours and canal systems had once been. The atmosphere was only just breathable;
thin and dusty like that of the High Atacama of old Earth. Most of the planets water was in vast
underground aquifers.Winds blasted the surface of the lower plains, hence the scrubby vegetation.
But some odd quirk of atmospherics on the plateau that Atlantis now stood on shielded the place
from the violence around. Here course grass-like plants and scrub with stunted dwarf trees were the
principal order of vegetation. Suits were need by most organic lifeforms to avoid dehydration and
breathing difficulties. Trok was unpeturbed by any of this; now that he was here his morose mood
had brightened. Misha was more interested in the various parasitic insects and small fauna that
clung to existence here.

“Watch out for those small rodent-like ones, they have a nasty
temperament. And their teeth can pierce the suits easily. Our first
expedition crews had no end of trouble with them, the seem to like the
smell of the equipment cases, they think they’re edible”Lyris commented.
As if to highlight the point two of the furry creatures descended upon her
knapsack that she had placed upon an outcrop of rock while she rested. It
was a fair hike to the ruins from where they decided was a “safe” landing spot; the pilot had opted
to stay with the ship. Trok waited patiently for his organic companions to recuperate and they
continued on together. Thirty minutes or so later they arrived at what the Keterians called the East
Gate. It was the only part of that defensive outer ring wall that remained intact. It was obvious to
Trok and Misha that the Hagunenon had a hand in its construction. The surface of the walls had the
glass-like sheen of vitrious enamel, that comes from the method the Hagunenon used; manipulating
molten rock into incredible structures.