upwards. "These other objects swirling about it are balls of rock and gas called 'planets.' We live on the surface of such a planet—Venus, the second orb out. It's the green one. You'll notice Venus turns on its axis, even as it moves around the Sun. This causes the cycle of day and night. Do you understand so far?"
"I think so."
"Good. For several centuries this rotation has been slowing down. Likely, it will become much slower still. This lack of motion has been rendering our planet vulnerable to certain emanations from the sun. Vital substances called 'volatiles,' among which water is one, float up into the atmosphere and are torn away by solar radiation."
"This process alone would destroy all Venusian life. But there is another threat, even more imminent. The volcanoes that created both the northern and southern continents will erupt again soon, spewing heavy gasses into our already thick atmosphere. Heat radiating from the sun will pass down through these gasses, but not be able to escape. Temperature and pressure will soar."
I did not understand his predictions completely, but the general message was clear. "You're saying we're doomed."
"Our planet is doomed, yes." Siroth pointed to the third orb out, colored blue and swirling white. "This crude world, however, shows promise. It has water, in abundance. Breathable gasses. And interestingly, the same celestial wanderers that struck our world and seeded it with life have struck there as well. Ice covers most of the surface now, but my calculations show it will be quite comfortable in a couple millennia."
"What do you call this world?"
Siroth paused for effect. "'Dirt.'"
I frowned. "Even if it were possible to somehow reach this Dirt ... a couple millennia? Do we have that long to wait, here on Venus?"
"No."
"Then we
are
doomed."
"Not quite. In the chambers below I have preserved certain examples of ancient technology. One of them is a tunnel that penetrates both space and time. I have yet to thoroughly test the mechanism, but in theory it should allow travel to Dirt several thousand years into the future."
"How many people can this tunnel accommodate?"
"One person at a time."
My thoughts flashed to Rhadma and our unborn child.
"You're wondering if I intend to save anyone from Venus," Siroth said. "Besides myself, of course. The answer is: perhaps. I suspect you would have some suggestions, along those lines."
I nodded.
"Ah, but would you be willing to perform a task for me in return? You seem able-bodied and competent. Your successful journey here proves that."
"What do you ask?"
Siroth reached up and slid the bronze helm from his head. I had a moment of shock, for in many ways the visage staring at me was like my own. Hairless. Similar features, though on a larger scale. His broad mouth stretched into a smile.
"I want you to test out my tunnel."
PART III
Vin set the paperback with the cracked and yellowed spine down.
His heart pounded. The walls of Dr. Muroc's small but comfortable living room seemed to recede into the distance.
Revelation.
Hours before, he'd stretched out with a blanket and a cup of tea. Marta had just brought all his worldly possessions over from his Kensington flat. They fit into a cardboard box: electric kettle, socks and underwear, the black sweat-suit Dr. Krol had given him, raincoat, brown envelope stuffed with his Warsaw reward money, and two slim paperbacks.
Scion of the Evening Star
and
Blades of the Evening Star
. Marta had bought them from a used bookstore in Croydon. On a whim, he'd cracked
Scion
and started reading.
Now, with his eyes blurred and a mild headache, he'd just finished
Blades
.
Every vision he'd had about Venus was described in the flaking pages of those two books. Even the parts in the story he hadn't remembered seemed familiar. And the hero was a hairless man named Vin. With a ruby bracelet that warned him of danger.
What did it mean?
The lantern carriage clock above the mantle
"I think so."
"Good. For several centuries this rotation has been slowing down. Likely, it will become much slower still. This lack of motion has been rendering our planet vulnerable to certain emanations from the sun. Vital substances called 'volatiles,' among which water is one, float up into the atmosphere and are torn away by solar radiation."
"This process alone would destroy all Venusian life. But there is another threat, even more imminent. The volcanoes that created both the northern and southern continents will erupt again soon, spewing heavy gasses into our already thick atmosphere. Heat radiating from the sun will pass down through these gasses, but not be able to escape. Temperature and pressure will soar."
I did not understand his predictions completely, but the general message was clear. "You're saying we're doomed."
"Our planet is doomed, yes." Siroth pointed to the third orb out, colored blue and swirling white. "This crude world, however, shows promise. It has water, in abundance. Breathable gasses. And interestingly, the same celestial wanderers that struck our world and seeded it with life have struck there as well. Ice covers most of the surface now, but my calculations show it will be quite comfortable in a couple millennia."
"What do you call this world?"
Siroth paused for effect. "'Dirt.'"
I frowned. "Even if it were possible to somehow reach this Dirt ... a couple millennia? Do we have that long to wait, here on Venus?"
"No."
"Then we
are
doomed."
"Not quite. In the chambers below I have preserved certain examples of ancient technology. One of them is a tunnel that penetrates both space and time. I have yet to thoroughly test the mechanism, but in theory it should allow travel to Dirt several thousand years into the future."
"How many people can this tunnel accommodate?"
"One person at a time."
My thoughts flashed to Rhadma and our unborn child.
"You're wondering if I intend to save anyone from Venus," Siroth said. "Besides myself, of course. The answer is: perhaps. I suspect you would have some suggestions, along those lines."
I nodded.
"Ah, but would you be willing to perform a task for me in return? You seem able-bodied and competent. Your successful journey here proves that."
"What do you ask?"
Siroth reached up and slid the bronze helm from his head. I had a moment of shock, for in many ways the visage staring at me was like my own. Hairless. Similar features, though on a larger scale. His broad mouth stretched into a smile.
"I want you to test out my tunnel."
PART III
Vin set the paperback with the cracked and yellowed spine down.
His heart pounded. The walls of Dr. Muroc's small but comfortable living room seemed to recede into the distance.
Revelation.
Hours before, he'd stretched out with a blanket and a cup of tea. Marta had just brought all his worldly possessions over from his Kensington flat. They fit into a cardboard box: electric kettle, socks and underwear, the black sweat-suit Dr. Krol had given him, raincoat, brown envelope stuffed with his Warsaw reward money, and two slim paperbacks.
Scion of the Evening Star
and
Blades of the Evening Star
. Marta had bought them from a used bookstore in Croydon. On a whim, he'd cracked
Scion
and started reading.
Now, with his eyes blurred and a mild headache, he'd just finished
Blades
.
Every vision he'd had about Venus was described in the flaking pages of those two books. Even the parts in the story he hadn't remembered seemed familiar. And the hero was a hairless man named Vin. With a ruby bracelet that warned him of danger.
What did it mean?
The lantern carriage clock above the mantle
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