Page 159 - The Chronicles Ser2 (6-10)

scanner’s field had a remarkable effect on the circuits. They had powered up briefly and had emitted
a pulse that had made a multi-monitor give a weird set of readings. By trial and error the three of
them had established that the device was emitting a highly directional pulse of EM and gravimetric
waves. When it knocked a scalpel and some loose surgical equipment off a rack and hurled them
across the room they aimed it with more care.

“The casing must act as a moderator to limit the power and confine
the beam tighter” T’luha reasoned “I wonder if it does anything
else?” she mused and applied the field from another medical
scanner to the empty casing, and it lit up with a blue, hazy shimmer.
“David did say that there had been a blue flash when the array blew
apart. Maybe the strong scanner field was just too great for the array
to keep cohesion. The thing is induction powered, charging those
storage cells here and here” she pointed to two small cylindrical
units that looked ceramic in nature. Krysta walked in just as Tom and Stenerton fired the beam at
the ECG machine; which promptly spat out a long strip of recording paper that showed a regular
series of spiked pulses. Krysta coughed and they spun around and the beam hit Krysta’s cap badge.
The badge and cap sailed off down the corridor.

“What in the Maker’s name!” Krysta yelled. Tom and Stenerton looked like a couple of schoolboys
that had been caught by the headmaster doing something wrong.

“Sorry about that” Tom said as apologetically as possible. Krysta glared at the two of them and
turned around and set off to retrieve her cap.

“Wait a moment Krysta! Stenerton; try reversing the phase of the scanners’ field and Tom; point the
circuit down the corridor. You may want to stand over here Krysta” T’luha said. Stenerton did as he
was told. Tom held the circuit pointed down the corridor and Stenerton operated the scanner. The
Cap shot back down the corridor and Tom grabbed it in his free hand and handed it back to an
astonished Krysta who noted that the badge, which was Shild Bronze, was warm to the touch. “I
thought that might happen. I think I know what the array might have been doing now!” T’luha
announced. After the other two had explained how they’d managed to get the cylinder open and
noticed what the thing did, “Sorry for the antics, we’re guys after all” Tom offered in excuse, T’luha
explained about the survey team, Tom’s brother David and how the array was discovered. She added
what she thought the array might have been used for.

“It’s possible that whoever made this; had intended to “shepherd” the debris in the asteroid field,
possibly to a collection ship for processing. Whoever they were must have found some mineral or
element they could have use for. We’ve established that it only powers up when there’s a field
applied, but a temporary store of energy keeps it sustained for short periods. That is a very efficient
use of energy; only works when you need it to. Why it was abandoned is any ones guess, perhaps
the owners thought it too trivial to retrieve or intended to return later for it, but the Gantrax
intervened” she concluded.

“It’s definitely not their tech; it may well be Kryst design like the probe.” Tom added. Doc Stenerton;
who was looking over the ECG recording, looked up.

“There’s a definite pattern to the pulses of the field, here, take a look” he said and pointed out what
he meant.

“I’ve seen that pattern before” Krysta announced “It looks identical to the strange pulse emissions
from an area in Keterian space we call the Well of Despair. It’s a particularly dense star cluster that
plays havoc with sensor arrays and gravity slope equipment. We tend to avoid it.” She added. Her
coms unit bleeped and a text message alerted her to get to Hubris’ Lab as soon as possible. “Now