New Nauru

By Alan Barney

This sequel to the author's Gliese 4 depicts mankind's first exploration of an extra-solar planet, the fourth one orbiting Gliese 876, and its surprising ecology. The novel also follows the efforts of the stranded human colony to confront its own mental and physical problems, and to repair its crippled ship for a return to Earth. Then hostile representatives of an alien master race arrive!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Oct 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9781312486126

Book preview

New Nauru

New Nauru A NovelBy Alan Barney Also by Alan Barney: Gliese 4 ISBN 978-1-312-48612-6 Published by Lulu.comSecond ebook Edition Copyright © 20014 by Alan Barney All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal.  For our sons: Ross, Adam, and John

Chapter 1.

Roger Krebs waded into Gliese 4’s warm seas wishing he could feel the water against his skin.  Instead, both he and Steven Weinberg wore full diving regalia which completely isolated their bodies from the alien environment.  He had no doubts legions of nanobots would sterilize him – in more ways than one – if he were free of his heavy gear, but he did not give much of a damn anymore.  How long can our stranded colony survive the close confines and the stale stink of base when it’s a paradise outside? he asked himself.

Roger checked on his buddy; Steven gave a thumbs-up. It would be their fifth dive this first fall, as reckoned by Earth’s calendar for 2077.  They needed a breakthrough this time or they would have to find another way to conduct their research into the strange biology on this fourth planet orbiting the star Gliese 876.

Two gargantuan eel-like creatures approached at breakneck speed as they neared the familiar ledge surrounding their base island they named New Nauru.  Razor-like teeth flashed as mouths opened wide and came within inches of the two humans.  Then the creatures stopped abruptly.  Roger and Steven lumbered directly toward them, arms wide open.

Jake and Joe accepted their accustomed hugs.

Same old stuff, Roger said.

You’d rather they took a bite?  Horace Driscoll, Captain of the starship Centaur II which had brought them here, was monitoring them from shore.

Actually, I wouldn’t mind seeing them eat something, Steven said.  Just not me.

They assumed their usual positions behind the beasts, and the odd foursome swam downward toward the network of tubes and hubs covering the Gliesian ocean floors.  As usual, they were accompanied by multicolored waves of other creatures, apparently not threatened at all by what Roger thought the least beautiful examples of wildlife nearby – the eels and themselves.  Most of the smaller denizens were fish-like, but they had yet to collect any specimens for closer examination.  Protocol allowed only their recording activities, taking samples, and collecting dead organisms.  They had yet to find any of the latter.

Jake and Joe halted above one of the large nodes on the ocean floor.  As usual, two smaller companions appeared seemingly out of nowhere.  Nan and Nell were perhaps two-thirds the size of the larger specimens, but still at least twice Roger’s length – and he was tall by human standards.  There was no other detectable morphological difference between the two sets of beasts, and Roger, the exobiologist, and his colleagues were increasingly certain sex was a non-issue on Gliese 4.  Nevertheless, they gave the big ones boy and the small ones girl names.

The humans broke company from their larger escorts as the smaller pair approached for their usual hugs.  Now six neared a hemispherical node; its hatch opened as expected.  Again, Roger could see the faint iridescence within the structure and the assemblage of artifacts on its floor.  Scrutiny of earlier images verified that one was indeed the first probe humankind had unintentionally landed in the sea over twenty years ago.

Shall we give it a try? Roger asked.

That’s why we're here.  Steven did not sound very enthused though.

Instead of hovering over the opening with their companions as before, they made gestures to the Gliesians that they wanted to enter.  Their companions did not seem to understand as the humans headed straight for the orifice.  The mouths on their four hosts opened wide, and Roger’s stomach took a turn for the worse.  Still he continued.

How’re you holding up? he asked Steven.

Just barely.

What’s happening out there?  Horace’s alarmed voice interrupted.

I don’t think they’ll eat us, Roger said, but if I hadn’t been around them before, I’d not be so sure.

Maybe they fear for us.  Steven’s tone registered measured caution.

Besides, why did they accompany us to this spot if they didn’t want us to know more about it? Roger repeated his earlier rationale for this dive, more to reassure himself than Steven or Horace.

Report, Horace commanded.

The eels' mouths were wide open a few seconds ago, but now they’re back to normal and following us as we’re just about to enter.  Steven sounded almost calm.

He waved to their companions to follow as he and Roger crossed the dome’s threshold.  But the monsters stopped, mouths open again, expressions otherwise unreadable.

Great progress on communication.  Roger intended irony.

What’s happening? Driscoll asked.

Sorry, sir, Steven said.  We’re inside the dome and our friends don’t want to join us.

You’re not going in without them, are you?  Now there was nervousness in Horace’s voice.  Remember what we decided.

Aye, Cap’n, Roger said, knowing they must turn around and head out.

But without warning the dome began to close.

We better hurry up.  Steven’s previous calm vanished instantly.

It was too late.  They could not clear the dome in time – thanks to their cumbersome apparatus – without risking getting caught in a vice and being crushed.  Roger thought he saw the eels’ mouths open again, but the hatch shut before he could be sure.

Captain, we’re inside and alone.  Roger struggled to hold onto his own fear.

There was no response from Horace on land.  Their sliced tether to the outside world dangled uselessly inside the closed alien structure.

*     *     *

We must remain calm and breathe normally, Roger said, as much to himself as to Steven.

His companion’s rapid respiration slowed down almost immediately.

What do you read? Steven asked.

I should be good for at least 30 minutes.  He had no idea how they would get out in that amount of time.  His stomach reeled, and he forced himself to focus again on efficient breathing.

I vote for trying to figure a way out of here instead of exploring, Steven said.

Agreed.  Roger knew Driscoll had begun emergency procedures and might resort to blasting the place open if need be.  He wanted to avoid that at all cost.

Oddly, they did not need their dive lights: inside, the dome was lit well enough to clearly make out its construction and contents.  The two were in its approximate center, hovering midway between floor and ceiling.  Five tubes emanated from the structure’s base, and their iridescent glow was more impressive from inside than out.  Rainbows of color moved within their walls, and Roger wished he could examine them in more detail.

There don’t seem to be any mechanical gears or switches in this place.  Steven’s words brought him back to the reality of their situation.  There's got to be a way to activate the damn thing.

Maybe it’s just automatic from the outside, Roger said.

So this place is only for inbound garbage? Steven asked.

Maybe the Captain’s approach will get us out of here in time.  Roger said this, trying to convince himself that would be the case.  But in the meantime, we should try to find another way out.

Steven headed toward the top center of the structure.  I can’t even find a seam to pry open.  What about below?

Roger swam to a side where he could see the dome emerge from basal walls.  Steven had to leave the top as the remaining tether between them tugged him downward.

There’s an opaque seal between the dome and base.  He was not sure it would be wise to tamper with it.

Steven joined him and pointed to the seal.  You go thata way, he said as he unsnapped the tether.

They met up on the other side and Steven reconnected them.  Neither had anything to report: there was no apparent beginning or end to the seal.

Do we dare try to break it? Roger’s gauge showed they had just a little over twenty minutes before they would have to take drastic action.  He turned to Steven, who already had a knife extended.

Might as well, Steven said.

Steven forced the tool between dome and seal.  Roger was surprised that it gave way easily.  They began to tear it out, and Steven disconnected them again so they could head in opposite directions toward the other side of the dome.  Once there, they hooked up again, and Roger gave the structure a wrap with both hands, not really convinced that he would produce any results.  Instead of coming undone, the seal was being rapidly replaced from the other side toward them apparently out of thin water.

So much for that theory.  There was almost a note of humor in Steven’s voice, but Roger’s stomach soured again.

They were down to fifteen minutes on air.  Again, Roger willed himself to breathe regularly and slowly.

I wish we could find something that looks like instructions, or any kind of information, or…  Roger stopped, wondering suddenly if there might be a solution, but not inside the domes.  Let’s try the corridors.

Steven nodded ascent, and they swan to the closest outlet.

If he was not near panic, Roger was sure he would have been awestruck.  The tube’s walls were composed of smaller horizontal tubes; there was a steady pulsing of colors inside each, first going one way then other, but in no apparent synchronized fashion.  He could not tell whether the content of the smaller tubes was liquid or gas, but was sure it could not be a solid.

Are you seeing what I am? he asked Steven, who had remained silent except for his own attempt at regular breathing.

More tubes, some kind of color coding I‘d guess.

Interesting.  Roger reached the same conclusion practically the instant Steven mentioned it.

There’s no way we’ll figure this out before time’s up, Roger said.  Let’s look for any other exits, controls, whatever.

They found no interruptions in the dome's walls between the tubes, and no apparent seals where they intersected with the walls.

What happens if we bust one of these little tubes?  Roger was running out of options and had no idea what results such an action would produce.

I’d guess some kind of automatic emergency repair service might come.  Steven was probably right, Roger thought.  Remember, we weren’t supposed to do any harm, Steven continued.

What’s worse, that or Driscoll blowing up the dome?  Roger asked.

I vote we wait until we’re down to five minutes left, in hopes of the Captain’s rescue, Steven said.

Roger checked his gauge: Steven’s suggestion gave them less than five minutes to find an alternative.  He back paddled out of his corridor.  May as well check the other tubes, then.

Steven uncoupled them again, as he went to the next tube to his left and Roger proceeded to the right.  The next two corridors seemed identical to the first.  They met at the fifth and last with less than a minute to go and reconnected.

They all look alike to me, Steven said.

Roger agreed, and then got his laser cutter out; Steven did likewise.  They counted down the seconds.

There was still no activity from the Captain on the dome mechanism when their five minutes was up.

You start at the bottom on your side and work to the top.  I’ll start at the top and work to the bottom on my side.  Roger engaged his cutter.

At first, Roger’s laser did not seem to have any effect on the smaller tube at top center where he began.  But within fifteen seconds the procession of color codes ceased and the tube turned entirely opaque.  He could see through it to the ocean outside, albeit with distortion.

I’m getting the same thing, Steven said, looking up to Roger.  Should we keep at it until they blow?

Before Roger could reply, the tube he worked on burst, releasing a gelatinous current toward him as the hose-like structure whipped away into the sea.  Steven’s work resulted in a like explosion.  Both men were thrown back into the dome.

Now they were down to less than three minutes of air.

Let’s do the two adjacent ones at the top.  Roger righted himself and pulled Steven up.  As soon as they turn opaque, keep going but brace yourself!

They began again.  Roger hoped that two more tries each would yield enough space for them to squeeze through to the outside.  They had only a minute or so for each pass, and he hoped Driscoll had seen their efforts and was preparing for them outside.  Otherwise they would not have enough air.

They were better prepared for the next explosions, recovering almost instantly.  They immediately returned to their work.

The last two tubes were at the opaque stage when something overhead caught Roger’s eye.

The dome was opening.  He nudged Steven and cut his laser off.  He pointed above them, where two human figures, accompanied by their four monster friends hovered.

Let’s get the hell out of here, Steven said.

They wasted no time.  Roger signaled to their rescuers they needed air, but noticed as soon as he did that each was carrying an extra tank.

The two men went to their rescuers, then took a last breath from their own tanks.

The Captain and Bill Edgerton rapidly removed their near-empty tanks and connected the fresh ones.  Then Bill reconnected their tether to the network.

Roger tried to remain calm while looking for any reaction from the eels.  Their mouths were closed, and he took that as a welcome greeting of calm, even though he did not have the faintest idea if he was correct.

Whew, he said when oxygen was re-established.  I apologize for all this.

I don’t.  Steven sounded perturbed.  We’re not going to make any progress on our research unless we take more aggressive action from now on.

We’ll discuss that later, Horace said.  Be thankful you’re still alive.

The four humans and four monsters swam to five meters below the ocean’s surface and hovered as the group stopped to look below.  The dome was closed again, and the tubes they had cut waved gently in the sea.  Roger bet himself that the next time they returned the damaged tubes would be entirely restored.  Still, he had no better idea now than he did before as to the functioning of the Gliese 4 sea structures.

After several minutes, they paddled toward shore at the same depth.  Their Gliesian friends accompanied them to the usual ledge and departed, mouths remaining closed.

They walked out of the water and continued on to the silver, haphazardly-formed habitat they called home.  It was the only thing, man-made or otherwise, that occupied the circular island except for some lichen-like creatures that tinged the pale golden sand green near shore.

Roger could barely stand his own smell as they undressed and headed for the showers once inside the habitat.

I’m getting tired of this crap, he said to no one in particular.

You’re not alone.  Steven quickly turned his eyes away from the other men, but Roger caught his usual examination of their nudity.  I don’t envy him being gay in this place, Roger thought, but realized he had no idea what he meant by that either.

*     *     *

We can’t risk more cross contamination yet, Karen Framer repeated at their debriefing.  The doctor tapped her stylus in apparent frustration, and Roger guessed she was running out of options.

Isn’t it just matter of time before we’ll all be infected with nanobots anyway? he asked.  They were at a standstill on eliminating them from Gracie’s body, and he was not sure it would be a good idea to do so anyway.  No doubt his wife’s cancer would return, then she would either die or Steven would have to place her in a cryogenic chamber again until some cure was found.

So far our water filtering systems are working, and the little buggers don’t seem to like our air, Horace said.

Roger got up from the conference table and paced in the confined quarters.  While he still felt some guilt for their earlier mishap, his mental state was tipping more toward the belligerence Steven showed.

There you have it, Steven said.  Our water filters are fine.  So I say we go bag some live fish and see how their biology really works.  If we do everything in Gliesian water, with ourselves adequately isolated from it in the lab –

But we’re not supposed to kill a living thing.  The doctor’s tone did not register total conviction, though.

Can’t we collect a few specimens and see what we can find out by non-invasive, non-lethal techniques? 

Horace is learning to be a scientist fast, but he obviously doesn't know how we found out most about life on Earth, Roger thought.  Death and dissection.

How long until we have an accident?  Even a minor breach could be disastrous.  Karen's frustration echoed Roger's.

Another thing we need to consider, Bill Edgerton said, is how will the natives interpret our taking one of their kind?  Even if we brought it back unharmed?

You think the eels and the fish – or whatever the hell they are – can talk to each other and send out the police to arrest us?  Now Steven’s tone was contentious and Roger wished he would shut up.

We know there’s more going on here than fish and eels, Bill said.  The communications expert always seemed to be quietly deliberating possibilities and Roger bet himself that he had arrived at several sensible conclusions regarding the workings on their new host planet.

But did the dome open because some living intelligent process is at work, or is it on autopilot? Roger asked, returning to his seat.

I’m not sure we’ll ever figure that out without doing something more invasive, Karen said.  Roger was surprised at her apparent reversal.

I’m not entirely opposed to that, Bill said.  Still, I wish we could discover an alternative.  What about you Captain?

Horace, will do.  Anyway, we'd have heard from any higher intelligence living on the planet by now, don’t you think?   I doubt they're still around.  So our actions should be based on that premise: whatever exists to keep things going here is on autopilot.

We can’t upset the ecology, Roger said.  But I’m not sure we'll get an understanding of it without risking some harm to a few of the locals.

So you agree with Steven, that we should go collect some samples? Karen asked.

What else can we do?  Captain?

How many times do I have to remind you folks this is not the ship?  But I'd agree.  Doesn’t seem we’re going to find anything dead to examine.  Still, we’ve got to keep any killing to an absolute minimum.

Perhaps we can, if we try to patch things up in the Gliesian waters when we’re done, Steven said.

Roger wondered what the cryobiologist had in mind, but did not ask.

You think the nanobots can do reconstructive surgery, too? Bill asked instead.

That’s doubtful, Steven said.  But I wouldn’t be surprised if they could pull off a near miracle with a little help from us.

He looked to Karen, but the doctor said nothing, and continued to write on her compad.

We should take this to committee, then.  But Horace did not sound convinced that total democracy was the way to make such a decision.

Perhaps a benign dictatorship would work better than what we have, Roger thought.

The group unanimously decided to recommend a more invasive approach to their biological research, and to call a conclave of the whole the next day to decide.  Roger left feeling of two minds: one worried about causing harm to the residents or the ecology of the planet, one was excited about getting on with the research they had come to do.

What do you think of the idea? he asked Gracie later.

I don’t like it.  Her sudden contrariness surprised Roger.

What else can we do?

I don’t mean to sound discouraging.  It’s just that I have a bad feeling about the biology outside.

It cured you, didn’t it?  What can be so bad about that?

Cured me of one thing so I can’t have another? she asked.

We’ll fix that.  He tried to convey reassurance even though he had his own doubts.

We're far from understanding the workings of the nanobots, which seemed to have stopped evolution and frozen the ecology, he thought to himself.  Will we ever be able to live out there?  Go about our business as human beings, have our families?  Really understand the workings of the nanobots?  Although his mind was full of such questions, Roger kept silent, not wanting to upset Gracie any further.

*     *     *

Roger did not regard himself a religious man.  Yet he found himself wandering by the chapel again after the unsettling conversation with his wife.  Unsettling not because of any disagreement they had, but of his doubts about what they should do next.

This time he walked in, convincing himself he was there to find a place to meditate in uninterrupted quiet.  The chapel was tiny like all things in the habitat – barely enough room for a service for a dozen or so attendees, and some of those standing.

Father Romeo LaBelle sat in the leftmost of four front row chairs.  Roger had hoped he would be the only one there, and was not prepared for an encounter with the Chaplain.  Nevertheless, he decided to continue on, having taken this long to get up the courage to go in.

If you need me, just say so.  Fr. Romeo did not stand or offer his hand, and Roger took that as a good sign.

Thanks.  Roger sat in the second row on the right side, almost as far away as he could get, and said no more.  The priest did likewise, apparently returning to his own thoughts.

Where to begin? Roger asked himself.  He decided to try the