labs of the floor. It is their source.
Nearby, behind the glassy eye of an observatory, a group of four is watching with great interest.
They all wear their special insignia of infinity, in ethereal necklaces that make
quite a contrast with their grey uniforms.
On of them is dressed slightly differently from the others.
A three-fingered hand with a dark sun on its center is placed close to his left upper limb,
indicating a higher rank. Big spiral symbols are carved on the bracelet that embraces his tiny hand:

PROJECT ATOM TRAVELLER
ADMITTANCE TO ALL CODES AND AREAS
PRIMUS SCIENCE COUNSELOR - CENDOR SYAN


2. An Electric Storm Of Thoughts


The facial muscles of the bracelet's owner are asymmetrically scretched.
His mouth is closed, compressed from the weight of anxiety.
As for his black optic sensors, they are casting sparks
in the dim luminosity of the room.
An electric storm of thoughts is raging inside them.
For a long moment, his contact with the external environment is broken.
The kind face of his procreator managed to sneak
through the unguarded gates
of his mind, gradually changing, turning into
a frozen mask of illness and horror. She is not alone.
She
has brought along a company of loathsome statues and deformities!
Moments of agony pass before he manages to escape
the grasp of the nightmare.
Fortunately, there are more comfortable memories to hold.
His first meeting with Gaia for example...


3. No Gravity


[Mayon O:] "I feel no Gravity. We cannot move at all"!

[Gaia:] "Relax, probably this is a temporary condition...
Else we will just have to get use to it! When I lost
my sight I learned to feel the night, depending
on the senses that remained available.
In the beginning, I felt like I was inside a different world,
although I wasn't. But this world of sounds, smells, temperatures
and material objects was not as frightening as I thought."

[Mayon O:] "You never cease to amaze me Gaia.
You have so much strength inside you. I must apologize.
It has been a long time since I did something exciting
in my life and I don't know how to handle it.
In addition it is the first time I experience
this kind of symbiosis and I am a little bit nervous.
So please don't be a harsh judge".

[Gaia:] "Anyway, our symbiosis will not last for long.
Cendor will bring us back to base as soon as we'll pass to phase VI.
Then we will have all the time for discussions. So now let's focus on the mission.
I am sure the people of Ahrem will have a lot of questions to ask us.
I don't think they are going to be happy if we tell them
that we spent all our time communicating instead of exploring".

[Mayon O:] "I have an idea! Let's split our responsibilities assuming specific roles.
It is less complicating to concentrate on one thing a time."

[Gaya:] "You are right! I will leave you in charge of our movement.
I will concentrate on the observation and analysis of the situation.
I am really skilled on this field".


4. The Field Of Ante Cun


The tone of high-pitched sound, that was lashing mercilessly the air from the beginning of experiment, changed.
There was something cold on this sterile song, a kind of warning for an unknown anger. There was no turning back.
The glassy doors were shut, so the two travellers tried to hide their fears from their minds.
A complex web of wires and plastic started to move, uniting the strange couple in a ceremonial parody.
Machine hands engulfed their warm delicate bodies from all sides. Dizzy from the chemical shock Mayon O
had the impression that he was trapped from the numerous legs of the deadly Felma creature. Then he passed out...

[Mayon O:] "Where we are? I feel like I am floating on some kind of vaporous liquid!"
[Gaia:] "Stop thinking so intensely. Your ideas confuse mine. Keep in mind that from now on,
we share the same spatial point of reference. We are bonded."
[Mayon O:] "So Cendor was right, it can be done!"
[Gaia:] "Yes, but don't get over-excited. We haven't reached our destination yet.
And then, we must be brought back safely and intact."
[Mayon O:] "Let's hope that the scientist on the laboratory will align the positions as soon as possible. I can't wait too..."

A flash of light interrupted the sentence.

[Gaia:] "I can see! But it is something more than that. In fact I feel like we became the sky...
Can you feel the stars dancing around us? Look! The crystal field of Ante Cun...
It seems to me like the face of an old friend. I was studying this field for years.
I wish we were able to move closer and reveal its mysteries.
Maybe it is better to do something while we are waiting for the next phase".
[Mayon O:] "Please stay calm. Your idea sounds like danger to me. Remember our training and everything is going to be fine..."
[Gaia:] "Ha! For the first time you sound afraid. Perhaps you are beginning to realise the truth.
This is something more than a game that relieves boredom.
Like it or not, everything is possible my friend and a happy ending is not guaranteed..."


5. The Accident In Ambere


[A hooded one:] "Primus, we have passed to phase V.
The mind of the subjects is projected somewhere near the field of Ante Cun."
[Cendor:] "Well done. Everything is going according to plan"!

Cendor felt so pleased with himself. It was pity that his procreator wasn't alive to witness his triumph.
He strived so hard to become what he was, Primus. It wasn't easy. As Fulgor, he had no chance to gain
the trust of the others and become what he was now, a publicity approved figure.
His family name was echoing tragedy, so he had to change it. His inheritance was a heavy burden in many ways...

Aline Fulgor was also a scientist. She spent her life trying to restore the ecological balance of Ahrem.
But instead of gratitude all she gained was disgrace. The after-effects of her intelligent genetic parasites,
the Thermo-devourers, were frightening indeed. Fortunately they could not interbreed,
as they were programmed to spread only inside the range of a selecetd target.
Of course, when the accident happened, nobody menthioned that.
All were so panicked with what happened to Ambere "The Frozen city".
Aline Fulgor was there, trapped in her lab with her biological creations.
And she died. But first, she had to watch her destiny for hundreds times,
unfolding in front of her in the optic sensors of her trapped colleagues.
And she waited for her turn to fall down the floor, trembling from the sudden loss of body heat.
Until her parts stopped all violent movements and her body remained still, captivated in its final pose.


6. Time Was Running Out


[A hooded one:] "These are the most promising
planetary systems according to Drail's equation.
Do you have a specific preference Primus?"
[Cendor:] "Tell me about this solar system".
[A hooded one:] "It has twelve planets and its position is I/IV/V"
[Cendor:] "Perfect! Of course we will have to wait several circles
if we want also to transport matter from Ahrem, in order
to implant it on its system.
However this is not our prime concern for the time being".

Indeed the need for drastic measures was eminent.
Time was running out, and the people knew it.
Their number was growing beyond control.
This once vast place was overpopulated.
The ethereal dome was not visible anymore from
the surface of the planet. The shape of the stars
was in disguise, distorted from the billions of lights
that were beamed from the flying architectonic mazes.
There, in close orbit, were the quarters of the elite
hovering on the waves of their poisonous gas clouds.
A lot of suggestions were expressed on the last 100 circles.
Almost all, concerned the colonisation of the nearest planets.
But there was a big problem to solve. The inhabitants of
Ahrem were not completely autonomous entities,
but body parts of the planet. In a sense They, were the planet!
Any attempt to send away the secure perimeter a sole organism,
would mean its certain death.
As the accident in Ambere revealed, there were also some
other suggestions for the problem, less complicated...
But they didn't worked out as planed. Then came Cendor,
with a more ethical and discreet solution.

[Cendor:] "Let's send them there, on the blue planet"!


7. The First Meeting


[Gaia:] "Greetings, my name is Gaia.
I suppose I am looking to the right direction. Excuse me if I am not!"
The tone of her voice was sarcastic and confident.
Once she had a high rank in this society.
She was an expert on the Observation of the planetary rotations.
Until a rare illness ended her ascension on the scientific pyramid,
trapping her in a dark, colorless world. Project Atom Traveller
was an opportunity for her to be back on the field. But of course,
it was also her best chance to retrieve her vision. Cendor had discovered
a revolutionary technique, which made possible the sharing of the same
images and thoughts between two different minds. It was something
never done before in Ahrem, except maybe from Hermites.
There were some strange rumors about this ancient tribe.
They had their own secret rules and practices.
They usually meditated, sitting patiently in front of large rectangular transmission sets.
That's why they were also called "The Receivers".
The rumors suggested that Cendor took the basic idea of project Atom Traveller directly from them.
Yet, there was no solid proof for that, just words. And none could ask The Receivers.
They vanished as mysteriously as they appeared, leaving no trace behind them.

[Cendor:] "I am pleased to meet you Gaia. Without individuals like you science would never
transcend from theory to practice."
[Gaia:] "Yes, thanks. I am crazy enough to risk my life for a stinking experiment!"

She definitely knew how to make someone feel uncomfortable. But he didn't criticize her.
He knew damn well this reaction. It was natural for someone deeply "wounded".
Mayon O was clearly a different case. Although he was an elder he carried the aura of a child.
The impression was enhanced, from the innocent gaze of his wide optic sensors as they examined
everything with childish curiosity. Optimist and calm tempered, he was the perfect candidate.
He would focus the spirit of the team on the right direction.


8. Finale


[A hooded one:] "We are passing now to phase VI. The sequence is complete."

Cendor looked at the screen making a strange grimace as he pushed the button.

[Cendor:] "Farewell my friends. Your path is cleared now".

[Mayon O:] "At last we can move"!
[Gaia:] "This planet seems so wild and primitive. I suspect life has already manifested here, before us.
I wonder how we are going to appear in the optic sensors of a creature from this place"?

[Cendor thought:] "Soon Mayon O and Gaia will realize that we won't bring them back,
at least as soon as they were expecting to.
Maybe they will think that we had a problem on the laboratory.
Anyway, they won't remain alone. Soon millions will follow, to keep company
to the frozen stars while a new Ahrem will be rebuilt from its ashes"...