Dragon's Destiny
Disclaimer: I do not own the Dragonrider saga or any of its characters. I view the writings of Anne McCaffrey and Todd McCaffrey with the utmost respect and wish only to honor the stories that have been a part of my life since I was very young.
T'mas began life as an outcast in his own home, loved only by his own sister. By an unexpected twist of fate he impresses Tarneth, a brown dragon who may hold the key to the future for all the dragons and dragonriders of Pern.
Chapter 10 – Debris
Authors note: As much as I love the depth of technical detail in The Skies of Pern, I am not able to duplicate it in this story. I will try to make this story as plausible as possible (as far as the asteroid is concerned) but my understanding in this area is limited. Please enjoy the story such as it is. If, however, there is a glaring technical mistake which damages the impact (forgive the pun) of the story, please let me know.
Landing, first day of Wansor Astoroid near-miss; beginning of countdown Wansor -5 turns
Every resident of Landing, and quite a few besides, were gathered in the auditorium to view the asteroid as it began its passage uncomfortably near Pern. Unlike a meteor, which is composed of ice and a conglomeration of other debris, an asteroid is a solid mass of rock. Whereas a meteor will create a brilliant display in space as it passes a planet-sized object, an asteroid will often remain invisible. Yet asteroids can collect ice and dust as they pass through space; this may result in a certain amount of gaseous expulsion as these asteroids pass close enough to feel the gravity and subsequent friction of a larger terrestrial body.
Thus, as the Wansor Asteroid drew near, it began to glow. This was not visible to the naked eye at that distance, but it was easily visible to the high-powered telescopes that Wansor, Erragon, and many others had been distributing throughout the planet. The feeds from the Landing telescope and from the Yoko, the sole surviving colony ship, were being projected continuously in the great hall. The imagery from the Yoko was by far the sharpest, and the people of Pern were able to marvel at the detail of this misshapen chunk of rock. On the first day it looked harmless.
Even though the asteroid would miss this time, it was not harmless. As the asteroid passed through space it also attracted other space debris. This debris, mainly tiny asteroids, was pulled along by the mass and velocity of the larger object. These objects were pulled along in a tail which was mostly invisible, even to telescopes. But the professional and volunteer stargazers had been studying, and they knew to expect these objects. Pern's gravity was so much greater than the asteroid that much of the debris tail would be sucked into Pern's atmosphere.
The Wansor asteroid was travelling through space at five times the speed of Pern, but it was travelling in the same direction. This meant that the asteroid would be "close" to the planet for five days until the difference in speed and trajectory would draw it away from Pern. The trained astronomers knew that they could expect a debris cloud for an additional thirty-two days. Most of this debris, if it hit Pern's atmosphere, would burn up quickly as shooting stars. But they expected that a certain amount of debris, hopefully no more than 5 percent, would be large enough to impact the planet's surface.
In the last nine sevendays the skywatchers, along with Sebell's harpers, had been warning the people of Pern about this. Many people were bracing themselves for what might happen, but many more had chosen to disregard the warnings. After all, they thought, it's the dragonrider's responsibility to keep us safe from threats in the sky.
The first day of the near-miss was interesting, but uneventful. In the early morning of the second day the space particles began impacting Pern's atmosphere. As the planet rotated people across Pern were treated to a brilliant display of shooting stars. There were three known impacts, all of them quite small. On the second day there were more impacts, the majority of which struck near the poles and in unsettled areas. Nevertheless, people began to be alarmed. The third and fourth day were surprisingly uneventful, and people began to relax again.
Then the true deluge began. The first recorded impact struck on the northern tip of Ista Island. The next known impact struck sixty kilometers south of Monaco Bay. The next impact smashed into the foothills north of Crom Hold; it caused a landslide that buried seven miners in the Lockan Firestone Mine; these would be the first recorded deaths. The numerous impacts continued throughout the next three days, with different degrees of intensity, before it finally began to abate. It was another three sevendays before the Starsmith Crafthall declared the skies to be safe again. By then there had been three-hundred and seventy-three known impacts. Five hundred and twenty-eight people had been killed, most of those fatalities resulting from a single strike.
Despite all of the warnings and the clear declarations that the dragonfolk were not yet capable of stopping such assaults, many people were vocally angry. They began to question whether the dragonriders would ever be able to divert an object larger than those which had caused such havoc.
Throughout the deluge thread continued to fall on schedule, and dragons continued to fight it. But they had to watch helplessly as impact after impact dotted the landscapes of Pern. Two particular impacts were to have a profound influence on the future of Pern. The first impact was significantly personal for Master Harper Menolly. An Asteroid the size of large cart screamed through the atmosphere and slammed almost dead-center on the shore of Half-Circle Seahold. Only those who were out fishing the seas survived. Menolly spent tearful, anxious hours waiting for the news of her family. Beauty, responding to her person's anxiety, went between and returned several hours later with a note from Menolly's brother, Alemi.
"I am safe, my dear sister, but our family is gone. Half-Circle Seahold was destroyed entirely. The only comfort I can offer is that it was quick. My crew on the Evening Star and the nineteen on the Wavedancer live. We go on to Tillek Hold for now. I will write again soon."
Menolly was surprised at the depth of feeling that the loss of her family produced. With the exception of her brother Alemi, they had essentially disowned her after she ran away. Even when she became famous throughout Pern for her music, her own family would not acknowledge her. But they had been her family and somehow their loss made her feel like an orphan. Sebell was away more than he was at the Harper Hall. Her younger children, Olos and Lemsia, couldn't understand her tears. Robse was usually to be found with the apprentices, but he sensed her need now and would appear at random moments to give her an affectionate hug.
The second impact of the two would have a profound effect in an entirely different way. F'lessan and Tai, astride their dragons, were high above Honshu when a gout of flame cut through the sky to the southwest. Without any conscious decision the two riders and their dragons began flying in that direction. The object had almost completely burned itself out before impact, but it struck in a forested area and started a fire that sent a column of smoke back into the sky. "Golanth, can you…" The two dragons went between, spanning the vast distance in eight seconds.
They came out of between over the backdrop of the vast western range. The smoke from the fire was intense, but the object had struck in a ravine and the fire would burn itself out before it could reach the much larger forest that stretched northwest-ward. F'lessan and Tai were struck by the beauty of the area, with green forests and tall canyons.
There is a pretty lake in that canyon by the white mountain. Can we swim after we look for the impact?
Tai says that it will take many hours before it is safe to land by the impact crater. She would like to look at the lake too.
Tai directed Zaranth toward the lake without waiting for F'lessan to respond. Golanth followed. They flew over a craggy ridgeline and they were struck by the incredible beauty of the landscape in front of them.
Golanth, please take us down on the eastern end of the lake.
Instead of flying straight, the two dragons descended in a wide sweeping circle. Both riders just sat for a moment when the dragons had settled. Can we swim now?
Zaranth must have made the same request, because F'lessan saw Tai working at her safety harness. They came together silently as the dragons launched themselves up and then dived into the deepest part of the lake. F'lessan reached out a hand and Tai moved close to him but neither spoke. Together they began to walk around the lake as they drank in the beauty of the place.
Tai spoke first, "It's obvious that the grubs are well-spread here. There's no sign of burrows anywhere."
F'lessan pointed to the cliff face that barricaded the southern side of the canyon valley. "I can see openings. I can't tell from here how deep they are, but I would wager that they are large enough, Tai."
"There's plenty of grazing land for a large herd. There's a river feeding the lake, so there's plenty of cool, clear water. The weather here would be warm in the summer and tolerable in the winter, F'lessan. It's perfect! They'll never find a place better than this."
F'lessan took one more long look, breathing in the crisp, fresh morning air before he spoke, "I'll have Golanth bespeak Ramoth. Lessa can decide if she wants to collect Timiny on her way here."
F'lar had been sick repeatedly during the cold winter. Even though spring had thawed the last snows, he had still missed five of the last eight threadfalls. The other dragonriders and many of the leaders of Pern were deeply concerned. F'lar and Lessa were the heart of Pern to many people. The people of pern, including many of its leaders, saw the couple as the talism for continued survival. Several people had pleaded with the weyrleader to step down and assume an advisory role.
F'lessan and Tai had urged, almost begged the Benden Weyrleaders to make their home in Honshu, but the Benden Weyrleader was were reluctant to intrude on F'lessan and Tai's domain. Lessa had confided in Tai that the only way she would ever move her stubborn husband south would be for her to find the perfect place to make their own.
Ramoth brings Lessa. She was visiting Ruatha. Jaxom and Ruth come as well.
F'lessan smiled. Whenever Lessa felt depressed, she visited Ruatha, her childhood home. Even though Lord Jaxom was the son of the man who had murdered her family, Lessa had become close to him, and later to his wife. F'lessan had befriended Jaxom when they were young and they had remained close ever since. It seemed somehow appropriate that he should be here now.
The huge golden dragon popped into the sky far above, near where Golanth and Zaranth had begun their descent. The dragon flew the far end of the canyon valley, wheeled and flew along the southern cliffline. Then Lessa waved at the pair on the ground and began her descent by the cliffline.
Lessa asks if you would join her by the cliff. She wants to investigate a cave.
Hearing this, F'lessan sprang into action. Ask her to wait, Golanth! We haven't checked for felines!
Golanth and Zaranth launched themselves out of the water and flew low, sweeping circuits throughout the area. It is safe, Zaranth declared. There are wherries in the forest. There are no felines in the valley.
They couple reached the little weyrwoman as she was taking off her weyrhide jacket, "It's beautiful here. You know, I just might be able to drag that stubborn old dragonman to a place like this. Jaxom is collecting Master Timiny."
As if on cue, Ruth appeared overhead. Just as Ramoth had done, the white dragon overflew the valley from end-to-end. Then he rose up and disappeared over the ridge. Rather than wait for them, the three riders began walking to the opening that Lessa had noticed from the air. They stepped past the trees and were pleasantly surprised to see that the opening was large. The dust was suddenly raised around them as Ruth backwinged and settled close behind.
The Dragonriders were alert by nature, so it was only natural that belt knives were in-hand before they stepped into the cavern. The men fanned out while the two ladies looked at the crystalline ceiling.
"There were animals living over here, wherries, probably," Master Timiny said as he kicked the dried bones and droppings. "I'd say more than a turn ago."
"Same here," Jaxom called out.
"This cave keeps going back here," F'lessan called out. "Did anyone think to bring glows?"
Lessa frowned, "I wasn't expecting this. We'll wait on the cave for now. I'll ask Canth and F'nor to discreetly gather glows and come here. I want to wait to spring this on F'lar. Meanwhile, I would like to examine the other openings I saw on the cliff face. Jaxom, do you thing Ruth would take Tai and I on a tour?"
"That would make Ruth's day, Lessa. Master Timiny, what would we have to do to lock down this stretch of land?"
Timiny looked out toward the cave opening. "Well, it depends upon the number of people involved. According to the rules we agreed upon in the last meeting, no person can claim more than one parsal, as defined in the Charter. Now, if the dragonfolk, say fifty, combined together, they could hold this valley from end-to-end."
Lessa nodded, "Fifty dragons could spread out evenly in this valley and barely see each other."
"What about the sulfur springs?" Jaxom spoke up.
"Sulfur springs," F'lessan interjected, clearly confused.
Jaxom smiled, "That's why I flew over the cliff. I thought I caught a whiff of something and I wanted to check. There is a string of hot pools descending down a ravine system on the south of this ridge. Unless I miss my guess, Nicat's miners could drill pipes through the hills and we could run a continuous hot water supply in here."
Lessa stretched dramatically, even past fifty turns she was still trim and fit, but her bones felt the cold much more readily lately. "I could use a hotsprings close at-hand. So could F'lar for that matter. Jaxom, ask Sharra if the Healer Hall could make use of such a place."
Jaxom grimaced, "She's probably going to want to be here more than she is at Ruatha. You know, now that I think about it, they could build a convalescent center here."
Timiny spoke up, "That would solve the problem of claims on the south ridge hot springs. We will want to find out where the hot springs flow out to: it will most likely be a swamp of sorts. Tai, could you have Zaranth pace out the valley for me?"
He pulled the tube off of his back and extracted a map of the southern continent. He walked over to a flat rock and brushed if off with his palms. "I wish that we had a little more light here."
F'lessan grinned at Tai, "Golanth, Zaranth, we need you."
The two dragons stood at the entrance, blocking most of the light. "We need this rock out where there's some light available."
Timiny gave a start when the huge flat-topped boulder lifted easily off of the cave floor and started moving toward the entrance, "I've seen it at Honshu a hundred times now, but I'll never get used to that."
Lessa watched the spectacle thoughtfully, "We'll need to teach every dragon on Pern how to do that if we have any hope of stopping the Wansor Asteroid."
Tai nodded in acknowledgement, "With the help of T'mas and Tarneth, we might just make it."
While Timiny began making notations, Zaranth flew the length and breadth of the canyon valley. The green had done this for Timiny several times in the last month as he fulfilled his land assayer duties. Zaranth relayed her paces to Tai, and Tai relayed to Timiny. Since Tai was occupied, Lessa and Jaxom explored the other openings on the ridge. F'lessan mounted Golanth to explore the hot springs and the other features around the area surrounding the valley. He saw several other canyon valleys and resolved to explore these on another day. He spotted the smoking forest to the north and remembered the impact that had originally brought them here. They overflew the spot to fix it in the location in his mind.
I will remember, F'lessan. Golanth said, slightly indignant.
I know, Golanth, but I want to have Timiny mark it down so that nobody can grab it. That piece of rock might be worth enough marks to pay for a lot of the work over there.
Mollified, Golanth began to rise again. Canth is here with F'nor and Brekke. They bring glows.
The group reassembled and distributed the glows. They followed F'lessan to the inner opening that he had discovered. Although Lessa had relaxed her stance on fire-lizards, Brekke and F'nor ordered theirs to go and swim with the dragons. There was a collective gasp as the group stepped out of a narrow corridor and into a second opening. This second cavern was vast, extending beyond the power of the glows to illuminate. There were several cracks of light far up on the nearest side."
Lessa looked at Jaxom, "It's as I thought." She saw the others looking confused. "When we explored the other openings we found seven medium sized ledge-caverns. Two of those had cracks in the back walls and there was a considerable draft flowing through."
Tai smiled, "I bet that Nicat could open those up easily enough. Are they big enough for a full-sized dragon to fly through?"
"Yes. Even Ramoth."
Timiny spoke up again, "Well, I've noted your claim, based on what we've discussed. What should I put for a name?"
Lessa thought for a long minute before her face broke into a smile even though her eyes looked sad, "I'll have to wait to talk to F'lar to finalize it, but I think that it should be named Robinton Weyrhold."
Everyone else's faces mirrored Lessa's as they declared, "Agreed!"
The explorers returned to weyr and hold early in the afternoon. Lessa declared her intention to prepare the weyrhold before surprising F'lar. Everyone knew that the Benden Weyrleader had wanted to remain in place until the end of thread, but this would be impossible given his current health. Each person had been assigned specific contacts to make. These contacts were made discreetly. Within a week as many as one-hundred and seventy craftsmen were swarming over the newly discovered weyrhold.
Just as F'lessan had surmised, the asteroid was almost pure metal and worth a considerable sum. But when he tried to use it to pay for the work, he was rebuffed. Nobody would accept payment for work done for the Weyrleader and Weyrwoman of Pern.
Bendon Weyr, eight sevendays after Near-Miss, late afternoon following threadfall
Lessa tried not to appear too concerned as she watched F'lar release his safety harness and let himself carefully down, first to Mnementh's bent foreleg and then to the weyr floor. Lessa knew he would try to hide it, but his dragon had reported his condition faithfully to her for two turns now and she knew that the cold north air was working on old joints and old wounds. "Klah or Benden wine, F'lar?"
"The wine sounds more appealing, but I better start with the klah. I have to debrief the wingleaders. How badly scored were N'cort and Mitarneth?"
"N'cort has a score across his shoulder, and another to spoil his pretty jawline. Mitarneth was wingscored severely on the right main sail. Brekke spent hours stitching the skin back together and thinks she can save it. I'm afraid that they won't be flying thread for a long time, maybe ever."
F'lar grimaced, "All due to one moment of carelessness. Any other serious injuries?"
"None, F'lar, you have a well-trained weyr and superb wingleaders." She stepped forward with the klah, but had to set it down to help him out of his gear.
F'lar took the opportunity to embrace his diminutive weyrmate. Once again he felt a tinge of concern. Lately she had been acting secretive, disappearing unexpectedly and then acting distracted when she was there. He knew that she loved him, but his recent incapacity made him feel insecure, and after all, she was still a very beautiful and desirable woman. "Lessa, is there something you want to tell me?"
Lessa stepped back and met his eyes. He saw a twinkle of… amusement perhaps, but no guilt. He suddenly realized that she looked unusually tan for this time of the season. She smiled up at him, "You go and have your meeting, F'lar. And then I want you to come back here and put your gear back on. Don't bother to bathe first, there'll be time for that later."
F'lar looked at her, trying to extract more information from her eyes, but could discover nothing.