Algodon took one look at the data and just knew this was bigger than anything that he ever imagined. He had hoped to find traces, just traces of the obelisk, not the whole thing right underneath his feet! This meant more than anything, and here he was in a den of unbelievers! He supposed it was to be expected. The last time an obelisk was found was two-thousand years ago. The true astérthan died with Jericho of Rai Jura. If what the homonae said was true, this clan was victim to a false astérthan before like so many other tribes. Yes, Algodon could understand their doubt. But Sio heard the singing too. That was not a coincidence. He knew it just as he knew his very mineral structure. He had to find this obelisk.
It was a good thing he snuck in a micro-analyzer while the homonae were not looking. He should have a holo-copy of the data as soon as it's done compiling. As soon as these people were done yapping about whatever nonsense they had, he would make for the mines, he had to.
"Algodon." said Tomak. "Do you understand?"
"Ah–what?" he said. Had they been talking to him this whole time?
"We cannot allow you to roam so freely after this last incident." Dr. Tausidi said. "Not only because of your health, but because you have proven to be a security risk."
Algodon sighed heavily. He felt this was coming.
"What security have I breached? Surely that research station was abandoned, and to my knowledge any abandoned area is under the Galactic Resettlement Initiative which supersedes any local law."
"How often have you used that one, I wonder?" Dr. Tausidi muttered under her breath. "While true the GRI does not supersede the GFFPA. The Galactic Flora and Fauna Preservation Act. Or did you forget that one?"
Dissonance be damned! Algodon thought. Space Preservation Society at its finest!
"What then are the consequences of my behavior under the GFFPA?" he asked regrettably.
"Volunteer labor. And from the state which you left that research station, it would have to be light community labor. I do hope you're into crafts, dear Algodon." Tomak replied amusedly, stroking his beard. "And, of course, you'd be under watch by our own Auburn seeing as he too will have to carry out this sentence."
Crafts. He was to be a crafter? Of what exactly?
—
It had been several hours since Algodon made his statement about Sio and all Sio could feel was dread. Astérthan. That is what he called her. The same title as her grandmother. She didn't know what to think. But she knew one thing was true, Algodon was more than a scientist if he were preaching about the obelisk and astérthan. It was suspicious, and surely the adults in the room knew that to be true enough. Or perhaps it was just gemenidi culture to be versed in the ways of the Symphony. They were, afterall, the chosen people of the Great Composer.
Auburn had gone to his cot. Dr. Tausidi had pulled Otheyo, Algodon, and Tomak aside to discuss further the data they uncovered from the research station. They had said very little about what occurred. All were content to silence. Sio was not.
She had half a mind to eavesdrop on the conversation, but with so many people it was clear she would get caught. No, she had to wait. Perhaps she could question Algodon at length about what he meant. What 'new dawn' could he be talking about?
She saw from the window Dr. Tausidi walked Otheyo and Tomak out the front door. Algodon must have been in the room alone, now was her chance.
She moved quickly to the next room making sure Auburn was still in his cot, it looked like he was asleep which was a good thing, noted Sio, he did need the rest. But it served a dual purpose. She walked down the hall to where she spied Algodon through the window sitting looking at the data from the core he and Auburn recovered from the station. She entered.
Algodon rose from his seat and appraised Sio. It was evident he knew not how to behave around her. He managed a small bow which she returned out of politeness. He returned to his seat watching her carefully like at any time she would start spouting in tongues.
"I just wanted to know…" She said timidly. "What did you mean? About the obelisk?"
"Ah, that–" he turned to the data he was reading and stopped at the very part which mentions the obelisk, again Sio heard a light singing in the back of her mind, but this time it was not as strong. "You hear it too don't you?"
"Yes. Where is it coming from?" she asked, afraid to get closer. Algodon scrolled away from the word and the singing subsided.
"Would it come to a surprise that what you're seeing is not a word at all?" Algodon posed the question to Sio and watched her carefully. But Sio was too stunned to say anything, she was sure she had read the word, sure there was nothing in the data except that word. "Rather, it is an image, an impression of the very thing you are hearing. The people who got this data captured almost perfectly the make of the obelisk. To others, it's just a fuzzy image, to my kind it is a song, to you, it seems, it is a word and a song. Fascinating." He continued after adjusting in his seat. "After some time, the impression on the mind of the viewer fades as does the song, but for some… Well, I take it now you are not as surprised as before, it has become clearer."
It was true; the impression it left in her mind made the singing more distinct when she saw it for the second time. The word, too, felt somehow carved in her head. But it still didn't answer her question. She asked once more. "But what does it all mean?"
Algodon was silent for a moment, leaning back into the chair and putting a hand to what looked like his chin in thought. He answered. "Everything."
It was then that Dr. Tausidi entered the room, and the sudden sound of an interlock opening surprised both occupants. Sio stepped aside from the entrance and turned around to see the reptilian towering over her, but to her surprise, she did not look mad. If anything, she looked pleased.
"I take it your guest is inquiring about the obelisk."
"You would be correct, dear doctor."
"Unfortunately, it is late, Sio. Laura must be worried about you. I'll escort you out."
"Yes, Dr. Tausidi." She said. With a slight bow toward Algodon, Sio turned to face Dr. Tausidi at the entrance to the room and followed her strides out into the night.
—
Algodon had spent the entire night searching through the holo-copy of the data he had. It was difficult to say the least. He had the creeping suspicion that someone had tampered with the device beforehand, but he had no proof. There were only redacted files with frazzled images for the majority of the content, and nothing on the location of where the obelisk could be. He would go to the mines himself, but the blasted doctor was keen on keeping an eye on him. He didn't want a fight with the reptilian; the last time he did something like that he had to stay in a resonance chamber for three days straight while it built back his missing limbs. So here he sat studying information that could very well be outdated.
But there was something there, he was sure of it. Maybe if… Algodon searched through the data to find the image that he had shown Sio earlier. The singing had to mean something. He sifted through the technical data to where he was before and immediately felt his being resonate. He decided to simply sit there, taking it all in.
It had been quite some time since he had let himself contemplate. It felt…relieving. His mind wandered through the vastness of the universe while his being listened to the melody being produced in his head. His thoughts drifted to his crew, his family, and the scarcity of his friends. In truth, his very life had been a lonely existence, but somehow sitting there felt like the world was a lot more connected than he previously imagined. Then, like a wave, his thoughts felt like they were traveling toward something.
His mind drifted to a cave, where he did not know. But it was a beautiful cave. There was a stream of water flowing from the bottom of a wall, caressing ice and brush that was greener than anything that he had ever seen, and he had seen many worlds. Rocks and salt formation littered the landscape and encircled the center as though protecting something. He imagined himself walking further in. He traversed the rocks and inclines that led him toward a clearing and awe struck him once more.
There in the cave was an entire ecosystem! There was foliage, bushes, trees! He spied birds and other small animals feasting on fruit from vines. Surely this could not be on Helix-One, the desolate homonae world of salt and ice. But he had the distinct feeling it was there, on this forsaken planet, in a cavern not too far from the mines. His mind retreated to himself and the singing had stopped. He opened his eyes and searched for it again in the data, but upon finding the image, nothing seemed to resonate from it.
Something else caught his eye in the window; he thought he had seen another person, another geminidi, but it couldn't be possible. He searched for something reflective and found a tray. He caught his gaze looking back at him, but somehow he was changed. The place where he had lost a portion of his forehead was now filled with a distinct, clear crystal and so too he saw his arm, where there was exposed inner magma, was now replaced with a pure glistening mineral he couldn't identify. He felt renewed, different yet the same.
His entire being knew this had something to do with the obelisk, and it was leading him to it. He cleared the parameters of his search in the holo-data. He entered new search information and waited while it compiled. Then a location popped up in his viewer.
He knew it. It was where his ship had crashed. He had a location. He had a motive.
Now he just had to slip past the doctor.