A Planet Called Eden
Chapter 3: The Gate

Dominic grabbed an overhead bar and pulledhimself onto the flight deck. Jack was strapped into the pilot’s seat; Angelasat at the co-pilot’s station to his right. Neither of them looked back; bothwere laser-focused on their control panels.

Maazin hovered behind, monitoring — mostlikely everything, ready to propel himself back to the engine module at thefirst hint of trouble.

Kim was strapped into the seat at theportside science cluster. Data flashed across her instrument panels, but Kimignored it. Her eyes, wide with stunned disbelief, were locked on the forwardwindow. If Dominic hadn’t known better, he would have sworn she was trembling.

Dominic followed her gaze and felt hisjaw drop.

He glanced quickly down at the telescopeand spectrograph readings, just to be sure his eyes weren’t playing tricks, orthat he wasn’t still dreaming, and then looked back at the window. A massivering crafted from strange alien material — it seemed to be spun from metal andcrystal rather than shaped or manufactured — dominated the view. A vast triangleof the same strange substance was mounted within.

Dominic pulled himself to the starboardinstrument cluster and strapped himself in without peeling his eyes away fromthe window. “I … I didn’t realize we’d be so close!” he managed.

“Easy, Specialist.” Angela suppressed asmile. “We’re still a long way away.”

Dominic turned his gaze back to hisinstruments. Angela was right. They weren’t close at all, at least not by thescale he was used to. That meant — holy Christ, the gateway was massive. The Collins was a dust speck approaching a mountain.

“We’re closing fast though,” said Jack.“Want me to ease off?” His fingers hovered over the retro thruster controls.

“Not yet,” Angela said slowly, shakingher head. “This is what we came for.”

Dominic shook his head. “How … how big is that thing?” Intellectually, he’dknown the thing was big. They’d been briefed; he could quote the precisedimensions from memory without a tick of hesitation. Knowledge, though, mereknowledge hadn’t prepared him for the sheer and overwhelming awe of reality.

“We could fly a skyscraper through it,” Maazinsaid.

“I could fly Texas through that thing,”Jack returned.

The Collinsstill moved with speed, and the alien artifact was growing larger on theirscreens, until Dominic felt a wave of vertigo churning in his head and gut, asthough the scale of the thing pulled him like a tide. Emotion surged throughhis veins like wine, a strange vintage too complex to distill or analyze — aweand wonder, certainly, joy, and fear, icy and trembling. He found himselfthinking, unexpectedly of small, lost, inconsequential things — a toy spaceshiphe’d loved as a child, the white lace pattern on his mother’s favorite kitchentable cloth, the narrow lower bunk where he’d slept at the Academy, the slopeof Anna’s hip and the gentle and warm curve of her back as she slept. More thanthe size of the artifact, it was the age of it that overwhelmed and shook him,as though the very weight of time could crush him like a firefly into thedarkness of insignificance.

Dominic took a deep breath and let it outslowly.

Focuson your sodding training, Vance,he admonished himself.

He was a scientist, one of the best; itwas time to start acting like one. Heshookhis head once and forced his attention to the monitor that showed the view fromthe forward telescope. The stars beyond were distorted.

Dominic nodded to himself. That’ll be the plasma energy field. “Arethose markings on the surface?”

“Yes,” said Kim. “Symbols, like on theSaturn artifact.” She was moving symbols around in the equations on her displayalmost faster than Dominic could follow. “I’m working on deciphering them.”

Dominic looked at another monitor andnodded. “The materials and construction — they’re like the Saturn artifact,too.”

“Meaning we don’t know what they are,”said Jack. “Is that thing … generating the wormhole?”

“No,” said Kim. “I mean, we believe thewormhole is artificial, given its size and stability. But as near as we cantell, the technology here is just a seal, a gate.”

“Like a giant manhole cover,” saidDominic, “or a stopper in a drain.”

“Thenlet’s knock on the front door, shall we?” Angela turned in her seat. “Kim?”

Dominic turned to watch Kim’s monitor.Rows of pictographic symbols flashed across her screen. “Transmitting,” she said.

Ahead, symbols on the triangle within thegreat circle began to flash. The circle itself began to turn slowly, andDominic thought of the pins and tumblers moving in some giant cosmic lock. Hisheart raced and his palms were damp. He concentrated on slowing his breathingand his pulse.

“Wow, Kim,” said Maazin. The excitementmade his Pakistani accent thicker. “Looks like you did crack it.”

“It’s a pictographic code,” said Kim.“Just like on the Saturn artifact. Each one represents a series of E8mathematical formulae. The most complicated I’ve ever seen. The correctsequence opens the gate.” She shrugged. “It worked for the probes, anyway.”

“Remind me again what happened to them?”Jack said. A wry smile curled the corner of his lip.

“We don’t know what happened to them,” Angela returned sharply.

The ship drifted closer to the gate. Thebubble of energy that covered it still seemed to distort the field of spacebeyond, like a film of oil.

Dominic glanced at his instruments and shookhis head again. The unimaginable energy was obvious even in the silence ofspace. The readings were inconclusive; if they had to turn around now, he couldmake a career out of analyzing them.

Whatin the name of all the flaming levels of hell is generating that kind of power?

Kim transmitted another set of symbols. Beyondthe gate, space and time seemed to bend — that’s the only way Dominic couldthink of to describe it — as the very fabric of reality warped into animpossible new shape, a tunnel.

Dominic looked around. Everyone was fidgeting,clenching their fists, holding their breaths — tense, afraid, excited. The lastsymbols vanished from Kim’s screen.

Ahead, the great circle turned faster,flowing like ice, and the bubble of energy vanished like a soap bubble popped.

“Go, Jack,” said Angela. Jack touched hiscontrols, and Dominic felt the subtle vibrations in the deck plate as the mainsfired. The Collins gained velocity.

The Gate was close, closer, and then itwas all around them. And then, stars, the gate — everything — vanished utterlyas the universe went dark.

“We’re in the wormhole!” said Kim. Hervoice trembled with excitement.

“Can you make the exit, Mister Vance?”said Angela.

Dominic didn’t look up from his screen. “Nothingon telescopes or spectrographs—”

“How fast are we moving?” Angela asked.

“I can’t tell,” said Jack.

“Tell!” Angela demanded.

Jack turned in his seat to face her. Hiseyes were wide. “Our instruments weren’t meant for this kind of speed.”

“It’s like a … gravity current,” saidKim. “It’s pushing us along like flotsam.”

An alarm chimed and new data flashedacross Dominic’s screens. “I’ve got something ahead.”

“The other end?” asked Angela.

“Maybe,” said Dominic. “Could be … light,maybe stars. I’m not certain.”

“How far?” said Angela.

“Twenty-six … no, wait….” He shook his head, trying to makesense of data that seemed to twist the laws of physics into a new shape, andthen defy them all over again. “These readings don’t make any sense.”

“Space and time….” said Kim. “They … theymean something … different here.”

Dominic nodded once. “Yes. That’s exactlyit. Or the best way to put it, anyway.”

“That’s not telling me as much as the twoof you probably think,” said Jack.

“I’m with Mr. O’Brien,” said Angela.

“I’m not sure the hull can handle thiskind of stress,” said Maazin. His eyes darted from instrument cluster toinstrument cluster.

Angela turned to look back at him. “Maazin—”

“On it.” Maazin launched himself back,hurrying aft.

Another chime sounded on Dominic’sinstrument panel. His eyes darted to the spectrograph display. “I’ve gotsomething else….” The chime sounded again, louder, an alarm clarion. Dominicspun in his chair. “Wait! There’s something in here! An object. In thewormhole! With us!”

Angela spun in her seat, turning back tothe flight controls. “Full stop!”

Jack glared at her. “You’re joking,right?”

Maazin called back from the enginemodule. “We’re not stopping with forward retro thrusters. Not at this speed.”

“The gravity stream’s too strong,” saidKim.

“I don’t think we could stop even if wecould somehow spin around and use the mains,” said Jack. “Which, for therecord, we can’t.”

The alarm clarion sounded again, blaringso loud that Dominic thought his ears must be bleeding. “I’ve got a visual.”Dominic adjusted the view on the telescope monitor. The object ahead was a pieceof space junk. As it tumbled, Dominic caught a brief glimpse of the ISA logo onthe hull. “It’s one of our probes!”

“Where?” said Jack.

Before Dominic could answer, the Collins shook and lurched violently. Metalscreamed and tore. From somewhere aft, Dominic heard a sound that have might beenan explosion. The deck reeled and alarms blared.

“Never mind,” said Jack. “I think I foundit.”

Maazin shouted from the engineeringmodule. His voice was frantic. “I’ve got massive damage! Mains are down. We’relosing life support!”

Dominic’s stomach heaved. The ship spunwildly. He tried to turn one of the telescope cameras back on the Collins itself, and immediately wishedhe hadn’t. A gaping hole had been ripped in its side and the communicationantenna dish had been torn away completely.

Another alarm sounded. Dominic lookeddown at his screen. Uh oh. “We’ve gotanother probe ahead!”

Jack and Angela worked frantically,trying to regain control. No good. The Collins reeled again, spinning like awindmill in a hurricane.

The second collision was even harder. Theship lurched again, and Dominic heard the sickening sound of metal on metal,tearing.

“Found that one, too,” said Jack.

Dominic heard more sounds — definitely explosions.The fire suppression systems were working overtime.

“Massivedamage!” Maazin called. “Massive!”

Angela turned around in her seat. “Theprobes didn’t get through….”

She didn’t finish the thought. She didn’thave to. If the probes didn’t get though the wormhole, something must beblocking the far end. The Collins washeading toward that something at unimaginable speed.

Dominic peered at his instruments again.“We’re coming up on the exit….”

“How soon?” said Angela.

Dominic shook his head. He couldn’t get adefinitive reading. “Fast,” he said.

Ahead, the instruments showed anothergate, a triangle in a circle. Impossibly huge, and growing with every heartbeat.They were getting closer, and quickly. Beyond, the telescopes showed stars —distorted. The energy field was in place.

“Looks like trouble,” said Jack.

“Specialist Chang—” Angela began.

Dominic turned to watch Kim work. Thesymbols and equations appeared again on her monitor. She was transmitting.

Dominic looked back at the monitor he’dtrained on the Collins. The severely damaged ship was still spinning wildly. How the hell is this thing holding together?

The gate was close, and still coveredwith its energy bubble.

Jack worked frantically. “I can’t getcontrol!”

Dominic had to swallow twice before hefound his voice. “We’re going to hit that gate.”

Kim looked up. Her eyes were wild. “Itshould be off!”

Angela looked back at Dominic. Dominicglanced at his scope. He shook his head.

“Transmit again,” said Angela.

Kim did. “It’s not working!”

The gate was visible from the spinningcockpit, and growing larger with every wild turn, with every desperateheartbeat. The energy gate was in place. The Collins shuddered again. They ship felt very small and fragile.

“O’Brien,” said Angela, “can you turn?”

Jack shook his head without looking upfrom the controls. “I don’t think I could do that even if anything was working—”

“I’m trying!” Maazin shouted from theengineering module.

Dominic looked back at the main forwardwindow. He could see symbols on the crystal-metal surface of the gate. “Look,”he said. “Are those the same?”

Kim shook her head. “Close, but reversed.They’re—”

They were close, closer.

Then, Dominic heard Kim muttering toherself. “Wait, we’re on the other side of the door….”

“What?” Angela demanded.

Kim didn’t answer. She worked frantically.Dominic saw her pull a delicate silver chain out from under her flight suit andclutch the pendants for a split second — he recognized sacred symbols from adozen or so different religions. It was the jewelry equivalent of those coexistbumper stickers from the old movies.

Maazin called out again. “You’ve gotmaneuvering thrusters!” After a moment, he added, “Maybe.”

Jack worked the controls. Dominic feltthe hull vibrate again as the thrusters fired. The Collins stabilized. But the ship was still speeding toward thegate.

The gate filled the window. They’d be onit in seconds. The energy bubble was still in place.

Ifwe hit it at this speed….Dominic didn’t finish the thought.

Kim looked up from her instruments. “Transmitting….”

They reached the shield. Dominic closedhis eyes and braced himself.

Nothing.

Nothing.

When he opened his eyes at last, he sawstars. An infinite field of shining stars, impossible to name or count.

They were through.

Dominic checked his monitors. The Collins was still moving at tremendousspeed, mostly in one piece, leaving a trail of drifting space junk behind themlike the tail of a comet. Behind them, the energy shield re-engaged.

Everyone was limp, too stunned andexhausted to move or speak. A long moment passed before Angela broke thesilence. “Kim, what the hell happened?”

Kim shrugged. “I transmitted the codebackwards. A mirror image. ’Cause, you know, we were on the other side of thedoor. See, the symbols were reversed and—” Her voice was almost a whisper. “Itwas all I could think of.”

Dominic felt a grin widening across hisface. “It was bloody fricking brilliant!”

Angela nodded, smiling. Kim beamed.

Jack checked his instruments. “We’restill moving fast. We haven’t lost any velocity from the gravity stream….”

Kim’s face went pale and her eyes werewide. “We’ll lose our fix on the gate!”

Dominic swallowed. If that happened, theywould drift forever, lost.

“Full stop!” said Angela.

“No way,” said Jack. “Not without themains.”

Dominic looked up at the window. Theywere in a stellar system. Ahead, a sun was bright, close. Yellow, like Earth’s.The Collins was heading for it. Helooked back down at the monitor that showed the camera he’d focused aft. Behind,the gate was dwindling. It would soon be lost to sight. He widened the view andstarted working on getting their bearings. Wherethe hell are we?

“Can we slingshot around that star?” saidAngela.

“Do we have enough life support?” askedKim.

“Maybe.” Jack frowned. “It’d take a hellof a shot to hit that gate again with only thrusters.”

“If we miss by even a fraction….” Dominicbegan. There was no need to finish that grim thought.

Angela hit a comm button. “Maazin?”

“I’ve got a mess that my three languagesdon’t give me enough nearly enough expletives to describe,” said Maazin. “I’mpicking up the pieces back here!”

Angela’s frown deepened. “I need options.What’s here?”

Kim looked at her instruments. “A g-typemain sequence yellow dwarf. Almost a twin for the sun. One planet, fairly closeto us, and … wow.”

Ahead the sun went dark abruptly,eclipsed by something large.

Angela gaped. “What the hell is that?”

“That’s the planet,” said Kim.

Angela turned. “Nick, where the hell arewe?”

Dominic turned his attention back to hisinstruments. “Working on it.”

“Dammit, use the computer!” said Angela.“Identify star patterns—”

Dominic looked up at her. He was way pastlooking for familiar star patterns; it was time to look farther. Way farther. “I’mworking on patterns of galaxies.”

Everyone stared at him, slack-jawed. Jackwhistled. “We’re a long way from home, folks.”

Angela turned back to the window. “Can weorbit that planet?”

Jack shrugged. “We’ve got the momentum.”

“Do it,” said Angela.

“Yes Ma’am,” said Jack. Dominic felt thebroken Collins shudder as Jackadjusted the maneuvering thrusters. Maazin was going to have his hands full.

“That planet’s big,” said Kim. She shookher head again. “Bigger than Jupiter. But it’s rocky! It’s not a gas giant.”

Dominic looked up from his instrumentsand shook his head. “It’s huge, but … where’s the mass?”

“What do you mean?” said Angela.

Kim looked back over her shoulder atDominic. “The orbit of its moon?”

Dominic nodded. “There’s not nearlyenough mass for a rock that size. That’s about Earth gravity.”

He watched the window, still gaping. Theplanet was growing larger. He looked down at the spectrographs and rubbed histemples. “This planet … it doesn’t make any kind of sense.”

“How so?” said Angela.

“Oxygen nitrogen atmosphere,” saidDominic. “Like Earth. Well, like Earth minus the pollution. Rapid rotation …close to a twenty-four hour day.”

“Any signs of technology?” asked Angela.

“Nothing in space,” said Jack. “Not evena satellite.”

“No city lights on the night side,” Kimpointed out.

“We’re getting close to orbit,” saidJack.

Dominic adjusted his instruments, andthen shook his head and adjusted them again, almost hoping for the comfort ofan error to explain the incongruities below. “There’s a lot of ground tosurvey, but from what I’ve seen of the topography….” Dominic shook his headagain. “Like I said, it just doesn’t make any kind of sense.”

Ahead, the sun moved from behind theplanet as they crossed the terminator to the dayside.

“Explain,” said Angela.

“Massive continents,” said Dominic, “but theclimate … I’m seeing … look, here. Jungle, right next to glaciers, right nextto desert. Regardless of longitude or latitude.”

“It’s like someone tore up a map and justpatch-worked it all back together at random,” said Kim.

“That doesn’t make sense!” said Angela.

“I’m trying to tell you,” said Dominic.

Kim adjusted the controls on herinstruments. “Wait! I’m seeing some kind of … I don’t know. Energy flows. Ican’t get a reading….”

Dominic looked back at his own panel. “It’slike the energy over the wormhole gate. That tells us precisely nothing mind,but there you go. It’s almost like a grid, but the lines are irregular, notstraight.”

“Artificial?” asked Angela.

“It must be,” said Kim. “Look, the flowsrun along the borders of the topographic zones … and they meet at nexus points.”She tapped another control. “I’m putting them on the main screen … there.”

“Where two or more of the patchwork zonesmeet,” said Dominic.

“There’s a large one … a main junction, Ithink,” said Kim. “I’m sending you coordinates. It’s right at the point wherefive of those climate zones meet. Maybe that’s a source?”

“Possible,” said Dominic. He shrugged. “Makesas much sense as anything.”

“What could be generating that kind ofpower?” said Angela.

“Unknown,” said Dominic. “Nothing I canread from orbit, anyway.”

“Give me your best hypothesis,” saidAngela.

Dominic looked back at Kim. She shrugged.“Advanced technology,” said Dominic. “Something we’re not equipped to read.”

“Could those energy flows cause theclimate anomalies?” said Angela.

Kim took a deep breath and let it outbefore answering. “Like Dominic said. It makes as much sense as anything, Iguess.”

“Which is, again, to say precisely none,”said Dominic. “I’m trying to replace it with the telescopes….”

“If that nexus is artificial, thenwhoever built the wormhole gate….” Angela began.

“That’s where we’ll replace them,” Kimfinished. “That’s my best guess, anyway. Dominic?”

He didn’t answer. Something on thetelescope monitor had caught his attention. He blinked, shook his head, andblinked again. “Wait … what the hell?”

Angela turned to Dominic and raised hereyebrows.

“You simply must see this,” said Dominic. He tapped his control, and an imageappeared on the large monitor above the window. It showed a jungle, magnified,from directly above. “This is two climate zones away from that nexus, but rightnear the borders. Still pretty close.”

“That vegetation doesn’t look … alien,”said Kim.

“Just wait,” said Dominic. “Here.”

Dominic watched Angela as her jaw fellopen.

The image showed a very clear image of acluster of Egyptian-style stone Pyramids in the ruins of a lost city, alongwith a Sphinx, its bold nose still intact, rising high above the jungle canopy.

“Oh—” said Angela. “Oh my God!”