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same. God had nothing to do with it, or with their arrival in the Elysium
system. Gail was absolutely certain of that, though she knew her class-mates
would disagree with her en masse.
Putting aside her somewhat disturbing train of thought, Gail began to study
the Artifact more closely. She noted every surface detail she could see, com-
paring each to the diagrams displayed on the screen on her infopack. The
subtle curves of the spiral shell winding together at the centre, the veins of
lighter colour running through the surface giving it the rough appearance of
unpolished marble, the impact crater where a meteorite collision had blasted
a billion tons of surface rock into vapour a billion tons, but even so a fraction
of the Artifact s total mass too insignificant to bother calculating.
As the scalloped edges of the artifact began to rise past the observation blis-
ter Gail wondered at the similarity between the Artifact s shape and that of
the ocean-dwelling ammonites of her home world, Neirad. She found herself
trying to visualize the creature capable of constructing it: a living organism
as big as a moon. Then she laughed: such a thought was ludicrous, a ro-
mantic nonsense: the Artifact was simply a helical accretion of stellar matter
containing a complex ecological system. A world turned inside out.
Yet even as Gail berated herself for her non-scientific view of her destina-
tion, she knew the Artifact was more than merely a world. For a start its
internal surface area was bigger than all the habitable planets and moons in
the rest of the Elysium system put together. Secondly she knew there were
mysteries here; secrets which had eluded the Founding Families efforts to
fathom them since the Artifact s discovery more than a century ago. Where
did the ocean that ran through the first chamber come from? Where did it
flow to? What lay beyond the first interchamber membrane? How were the
areas where gravity changed value and direction generated and maintained?
Where was the intelligent species that evolution dictated should fill the niche
available for it?
Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice from behind her: Yo Gail. She
felt someone tap the top of her head. Anybody in there, or are we jetting on
36
empty again today?
Gail sighed, twisting her gaze away from the hypnotic bulk of the Artifact
to the e-suited figure that now moved alongside her. Rhiannon.
The very same. Rhiannon was the same age as Gail, but there the sim-
ilarities ended: physically she was a couple of centimetres taller than Gail s
one metre twenty-five, and a few kilos lighter. Her friendly smile and mess of
spiky red hair contrasted with Gail s invariably distant expression and flat-top.
Where Gail was thoughtful, Rhiannon fairly exploded with opinions. Never
internalize, she said now to Gail. It ll give you a rash.
I m not internalizing. I m observing, Gail sat up on one end of the couch to
make room for her friend.
Rhiannon sat cross-legged on the end of the bunk. Hm. That ll give you a
rash too. Observing what?
As if you need to ask. Gail pointed out of the observation bubble. By now
the shuttles had entered the open chamber and were surrounded on all sides
by vast, ribbed walls of rock. Directly overhead the ragged circle that was
open space shrank steadily.
Gail watched Rhiannon watch the Artifact. It s a big bunch of rock, so
what? she said, affecting disinterest.
Not everyone s been here before like you, Gail said, finding herself mildly
irritated with her friend.
Not everyone s obsessed about it like you.
Right. Sure. Anyway, I m not obsessed. I m interested.
Whatever.
Gail sighed. How come you re in such a wretched mood anyway? Drew not
responding to our feminine wiles is he?
Rhiannon hesitated. On the contrary. She looked at Gail as if unsure
whether to continue. He said he loves me, she said finally, with a look of
disgust.
There was a momentary silence. Gail became aware the other conversations
in the observation lounge had conveniently flagged. One or two students were
casually looking their way, trying not to look too interested. And what are you
lot staring at? Gail s voice could be intimidating at times and she used it now
to good effect. When the conversational level had reached its previous norm,
she scrunched closer to Rhiannon and said in a whisper, You mean love as
in . . . She screwed up her face in revulsion. Monogamy?
Rhiannon swallowed hard and nodded. And he seemed so . . . normal. We
were getting on like a ship on fire. She stuck two fingers in her mouth and
pretended to gag. It s enough to make you sick.
Gail clucked her tongue sympathetically. Perhaps now you ll listen to your
best friend when she gives you some advice about men.
37
Mmn. Rhiannon returned her gaze to the walls of the Artifact sliding past.
Thanks a bunch, aunty.
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