Northern Ruse

Clarabel Tomlinson was one of the original avatars, she had been the astronomer at Hell's Gate and after the eviction of the RDA company the secretary and office assistant of Owen MacGregor, administration clerk of the Augustine Research Station. When the station was abandoned she joined sea warriors and became the navigation expert of Derek Lester Gill, grand fishing eyktan of the and the "admiral of the Na'vi navy". His special affair was advanced fishing stock management, her was reading positions and setting courses with help from the skies. She however wasn't named srung pirogue eyktan, "vice admiral", for political reasons that had to be a na'vi. So until a good candidate for the job showed up, Deke let the job be vacant.

One navigational tool "Bella" soon learned to do without was the compass. The unobtanium mineral had very strong magnetic properties, all the strong magnets around made an instrument relying on geomagnetism useless. But Pandora did have a geomagnetic force field, a strong one too, if not overwhelming all the local mineral deposits. The outcropping of mineral at the Iknimaya Mountains was a freak of nature, the similar outcropping at the geomagnetic north pole was less of a coincidence and much larger. She had never been there but she had studied satellite images of the area. A similar image of the geomagnetic south pole had shown something of the same kind there, the geomagnetic south pole was in open sea but there was some skerries floating in the air above the water there.

The geomagnetic poles were the areas where the geomagnetism of Pandora was at its strongest, she knew. When going up north at Namana Land she had seen northern lights, low in the horizon but even at that southern latitude, meaning that above Northern Land the northern lights had to be much stronger. She did calculations and her eyes became big with astonishment when her computations were ready. The numbers her computations gave meant that the geomagnetic force field was so strong that alpha particles from cosmic radiation were drawn right down to ground level in a tiny zone around the geomagnetic north pole. Bombarding materials in the ground with this alpha particle radiation would produce other isotopes too, also with radioactive properties, the ground itself should become radioactive. Ozone production in the atmosphere at ground level would be so strong that it would stink in the noses… This corrosive gas would even ravage the exopack sets and air scrubbers in habitation modules…

This rain of cosmic radiation would be strong all the time but at its strongest during the night, when background radiation would be supplemented by the radioactivity captured by the geomagnetic force of Pandora and drawn down. And she worked out a table showing during which nights the radiation would be peaking, it depended on how the stars and other celestial bodies of this solar system arranged themselves.

This discovery explained why a good chunk of Northern Land was uninhabited, it was uninhabitable even to na'vi, not to speak about humans with less tolerance for radiation. She showed these results to Shawn O'Leary, the geophysicist now working as "computer wizard" and technician at the na'vi propaganda broadcasting station, and he was as astonished as her to see her results. "No wonder we sometimes have lots of noise from cosmic interference up north!" he said.

Yes humans. Jake had after a almost a year of guerrilla war in the jungle at Namana Land managed to put the RDA forces to a virtual stalemate, while the RDA were apparently loosing ground in the islands out west. But the struggle had been a bloody one. Somebody had to come up with some ploy to make this tragedy shorter, she thought to herself.

Suddenly the idea struck her – very strong cosmic radiation in this area, plus an atmosphere even more poisonous that most other areas of Pandora – humans with little tolerance to this… Her idea might be rather evil but if it could weaken human presence at Pandora then after all why not. She went to Neytiri, who Jake had named head of secret services against the humans, and presented her idea in details. She had the same reservations as "Bella", this plan was cruel to put it delicately... But this was war and, as the saying goes, everything goes in love and war. A scout was picked for the task, explained what to do and the risks there was to his mission, he was drilled in English language and Northern Land customs – their habitual garment, their no-nonsense and matter-of-fact speaking, and their traditional avoidance of the area around the rocks floating in the air – now they knew why.

Dushan Shishmanovich was resident mining engineer at Northern Land. He was under standing order from Perry Henson, mining director in the Alpha Centaury solar system, always to try to increase the unobtanium ore output. The pits in the Kozto clan's land gave good output but order had been so given, anyhow. So he was all ears when a na'vi in the common garment of the Northerners one day knocked at his doors and upon allowed into his office, gave him interesting informations.

"I am Tomeyti, a hunter from the Teteu'uz clan, northern neighbours of the Ice Hunter clan. I have heard that you take an interest in digging out much more of those grey rocks you ask us to dig for you. I can point out to you an area of huge blocks of grey rocks floating in the air, you may have heard about the Hallelujah Mountains at Namana Land, I can tell you that this area is full of blocks – even more and even larger mountains floating in the air, chock full of grey stone! And there are nobody living in the area you need to be afraid of disturbing. This region is called Keruseymaya."

Tomeyti fervently hoped that this tawtute man wouldn't ask himself precisely why nobody was living in this area… But he felt that this tawtute came close to it, he revealed that he understood at least some Na'vi by asking: "Dead rocks? Why this name?"

Tomeyti answered truthfully – however not all the truth: "For some reason the area is barren. No vegetation, no wildlife in the area. No food for catching means no way of living there for us. But it might be interesting to you who take an interest in grey rocks…"

Having baited his hook Tomeyti left the office. On his way out he was seen by Ngizino, olo'eyktan of the Ice Hunter clan. "Who was that guy I saw walking out?" he asked.

"Tomeyti te Teteu'uz. He told me about a huge motherlode of ore in the area named Keruseymaya. It might be useful to check out so I'll send a geologist party to investigate one of the coming days."

"You should realize what that location name means: 'Dead Rocks'."

Dushan nodded and smiled knowingly.

"Oh so you know that already? Then I should also tell you why the area has been so named. So I hereby warn you that we Northerners have a traditional taboo on entering the area, it is strictly forbidden to come closer to the area than first glimpse in the far distance of those rocks floating in the sky. It is said that those who violate the taboo will be cursed with a serious disease."

"What sort of disease?"

"I never saw anyone struck by it, the taboo is respected by everyone you see, but they say that the trespassers get weak and often get headache, nausea and vomits, then they may sometimes survive but they hardly ever have kids afterwards, they often get very depressed and express how rueful they are for breaking the taboo. The more serious cases get burns in the skin and coughing, and they loose all hair on their bodies – even the tswin (hair queue) become naked. The most serious cases are incurable and lethal. Even those who survive the disease at first will often succumb to some else serious disease a few years later. I find it very remarkable that any Northerner would even think about proposing to you that you go even close to this area!"

Tomeyti was meanwhile standing with his ear to the outer wall, listening. "Let's hope that he won't understand which disease Ngizino is talking about!" he thought to himself. Then he saw that people at the mining site was starting to notice his eavesdropping by the wall to the office. "I have done what I am able to, I better get away before someone start to inquire about me…" He "went to sleep", waiting for an opportunity for more active duty.

Tomeyti was right about manager Shishmanovich not understanding which disease he courted. Dushan mentioned his idea of a visit at Kerusaymaya to Tutxo, olo'eyktan of the Teteu'uz clan, Tutxo doffed his head and became thoughtful in his eyes. "Tomeyti? Can't say I have heard the name before… And are you quite serious about going to Keruseymaya of all places? Are you quite in your right mind? Haven't Ngizino warned you about that? I won't allow any of my clan to follow you in there and I can't imagine that any other northern olo'eyktan will either."

Dushan took in all the insisting tips about staying clear of the area around the geomagnetic pole. He had a chat with a mining foreman and a geologist. "I have had tips telling me that the floating rock at the geomagnetic north pole is a hefty motherlode of ore, even better than the Hallelujah Mountains down in the jungle. Your comments?"

Ogbuwy Jenkins, the big and muscular geologist of partly African heritage, gave his comment: "I can understand that, the geomagnetism attract this magnetic rock like a – yes like a magnet."

"But the chieftains seem to be unanimous in declaring this area off limits even though it is totally devoid of any settlement, any vegetation or any wildlife. They say that those who violate this ban are likely to be struck by a serious disease. Sounds like some sort of Pandoran malaria to me. What do you think?"

The mining foreman, didn't see that as a problem. "Taking proper precautions – i.e. staying indoors during nights, observing strict hygiena, monitoring vital statistics like blood pressure, blood samples and stamina – should keep that problem at bay. We can bring in a mobile lodging by helicopter, complete with sanitary amenities and a good stock of food, for the exploring team. That should handle the problem."

So four days later a big dragon helicopter hauled the exploration team of five into the area. Teteu'uz clanspeople on the ground shook their heads in disbelief when they saw the helicopters on a course due north with the habitation module suspended below its belly. Tomeyiti checked the calendar he had brought along and found that tomorrow would be a day of very strong sunshine of that variant the humans were even more vulnerable to than most na'vi. The trap was set.

The helicopter cruised around above the floating mountains for a while, looking for some place to alight. Finally they found a large rock with a suitably flat top and landed. The team quickly disembarked and set out to rig the module ready for living in for some days, the pilot Rex Lennier took a stroll outside to straighten out his muscles too.

It really was an eerie environment up at the top of the floating mountain. Windy and rather cold, even given the Northern Land climate which was much like England or northern Germany at Earth. No animals chirping, no plants rustling in the wind, no green in sight anywhere – only grey stone as far as the eye could see. Jenkins, head geologist of the team, asked his cook–cum–nurse: "Can you sense that funny smell in the air, I can feel it straight through my exo-pack?"

One of the geologists walked to an outcrop, hacked a stone fragment loose and studied it with his magnifying glass. "Very fine ore, out of what I can see. Looks like Shishmanovich' source was right, this really looks like a huge motherload of unobtanium ore. We better give it a study the next days."

Jenkins turned to the pilot and said: "Well, the voyage here has been long and arduous, so we now walk into our lodging to settle in. We'll be in contact, not by radio for the interference from the northern lights should be too powerful for that. Please call in with us in a week, then we'll have ready a report. You better start your voyage down to the main mining station at once, so that you are back before nightfall."

Rex took off soon after, from the air he could see the five geologists left at the station walk into the habitation module. He struck course south and landed just after the sundown of the Alpha sun. Walking in doors he reported to station manager Shishmanovich: "Mission accomplished. Exploration party landed and installed." "Well done, Rex. Go have a supper and a deserved downtime."

The day after started like most days for Rex, breakfast and then helicopter maintenance duty. Lunchtime. Hauling some loads of ore for shipment to the common loading ground. A light dinner. Scouting for big predators to frighten them away. But in the afternoon a funny feeling set in. He became so very exhausted and resting wouldn't do any more. He had no appetite when it was suppertime either. The morning after he woke early and with a splitting headache, so he walked over to the resident medic to report sick. The medic couldn't find any apparent cause but when he took a look at the blood sample he took he made big eyes – an abnormally low red blood body count. What on all of Pandora? This was so funny that Rex was taken up to the hospital at the moon of Svarog soon after. There they could after lengthy investigation tell that he had taken a powerful dose of radiation, it looked like the dose had not been so brutal that he shouldn't survive but he would be incapacitated for a long time to come. The doctor treating him sent this message down to head station at Northern Land.

Dushan read the report with astonishment. Rex had radiation disease like he had been in the zone struck by a small atomic bomb. How had he absorbed that dosage? Dushan went through his mission list, only one likely event stood out – his brief visit to Keruseymaya, he had been outside there for about an hour, helping Jenkins and his party with unloading stuff they would need. An hour of exposure had made him this ill? He had not eaten or touched anything with his bare hands while down there, according to his report.

And suddenly the chilling thought struck him: If an hour of presence at Keruseymaya had made Rex this ill, then what about Jenkins and his team?

Dushan rose abruptly from his table. He called up his backup pilot Ashley Cooper and asked her to take Big Dragon into Keruseymaya, latch her hook on to the habitation module from air without landing and then haul it out of there, back to main base at Northern Land. On the double and don't waste any time in there! And he made sure to tell her to bring a Geiger counter along.

Back at main base after the mission, pilot Cooper gave report. Nobody in sight at the site, she didn't waste time but did as she was told, she hooked the module up and then hurried back home with it. Afterwards she took a look at the Geiger counter and it very correctly showed a heavy radiation level. The doctor at the site opened the module and found five geologists in very serious condition, suffering not only from radiation injury but also from lung injury – the high level of ozone in the area had wrecked the air purifying system and poisonous Pandoran air had started to seep in. They were brought to hospital all of them but it was too late, they all died some days later. Out of what they said during their last days alive a timeline was made. They had awoke the day after arrival, set about working and collecting stones they brought in for analysis – but had fallen ill all of them, one by one, in the afternoon. And given the constant northern lights activity they couldn't radio for assistance either, so they had been lying sickening ever more until they were hauled out after five days at Keruseymaya.

And the day after their arrival back at main station pilot Cooper fell ill too – not nearly as severely as anyone else of them though, but…

Northern na'vi got to hear about the event and took it as a demonstrable case of Eywa's rage against the sawtute breaking the taboo on going to Keruseymaya. Tomeyti heard the rumour too and at once ran away, he mounted his ikran to get over to the northernmost island in the Western Islander federation, now fully aligned with Jake's Namana federation. He knew that manager Shishmanovitch would be besides himself with anger at him for fooling the exploration team into that death zone.

End of the story was that five hardly replaceable geologists were dead, one helicopter pilot was unfit for duty for quite some time to come and another one was incapacitated for some months to come too. The resident geophysicist at the headquarter at Svarog added salt to the burning wound on the self confidence of Dushan: "I could have told you about this if you had asked me! And what have you got to show for those five lives – about ten kilograms of very fine unobtanium ore!" But director Henson gave him solace: "It is evident that you ended up in this mess because you did your best with meeting my expectations. The whole affair is probably a ploy by Jake Sully and his drabants, to weaken our presence at Pandora a bit. You will not be sacked."

Rumour about the tragedy made it over to Namana Land too, how the Namana agent had enticed the witless sawtute into a killing zone. Tomeyti was lauded with a brown-tasseled helmet for his spy bravery and there was one for Bella too. Not a very big victory but a successful skirmish, some highly qualified tawtute put out of action for very little investment for the Namana side. Jake made sure to ask everyone struck with smart ideas like this to come to him with them, thus they could shorten the time of the tawtute a good deal.