Book 1: The Planet
Part 4
4.0 HPN Day2 PT AC 4061
The communications screen buzzed to life, supplying an image of a young Chinese man hovering in zero gravity. Shoulder-length black hair was pulled back tight to the base of his neck, safely out of serious black eyes.
"Greetings, Trowa. How are things progressing?" He paused for a moment, frowning. "You look tired . . . and red."
"Hello, Wufei." Trowa smiled ruefully and brushed limp bangs away from his rosy forehead. "The instrument tent is up and all the equipment is secure. I plan to erect my own tent this evening." He chuckled. "I've also discovered some hazards of working during the hottest hours of daylight: heatstroke and sunburn."
"Ah." Wufei couldn't help the slight upward twitch of his lip at the visible consequences of that remark, but his expression quickly sobered. "Be careful down there, Trowa. Don't get yourself killed before we've even begun. You know our project wouldn't have a chance without you." A conspiratorial smile softened his words and told Trowa everything his friend's reserve wouldn't allow him to say.
He returned the smile and nodded in acquiescence as a mop of unruly dark hair floated into view.
"Any readings yet?"
"No, Heero, but there is something I wanted to ask you."
"Yes?" Wufei moved off to other duties as the blue-eyed Japanese man pulled himself into full view.
"You've made a complete orbit by now. Have you scanned the planet's entire surface for life?"
"Affirmative," Heero sighed. "It's just as deserted as everyone thought. Earth is entirely barren. Except for you, of course."
"I'm the only life that showed up on the scans?"
"Yes, why?"
Trowa was gazing out the door to the empty desert. "Nothing . . . I just . . . thought maybe we had been wrong."
Heero looked as disappointed as Trowa felt, but each knew the equipment couldn't be wrong. He was truly alone down here.
"Trowa?" Heero seemed to be hesitating over something, but finally found the words he was looking for. "We're doing all we can from orbit, but you're down there. You've seen it. . . . Do you think it's possible?"
Trowa sighed. "I'm really not sure. It's hard to believe there was ever life here, but if this planet was once covered with life I see no reason why it couldn't be again."
Heero nodded, a small determined smile lighting his eyes. "Then we've got work to do. You'll be all right for the night?"
"Yeah. I'll call again when I've made some progress. Trowa out."
"Night, Trowa. Heero out."
As the screen flickered to black Trowa headed back outside to set up his tent in the few remaining hours of daylight. The sun was hanging low over the horizon and he was suddenly assaulted by a pang of loneliness. He knew Heero's results shouldn't make a difference, nothing had changed from this afternoon, but in the short time since his dream he'd nearly come to believe that he might not be alone on this planet, that maybe they'd missed something due to distance. There was no doubting it now, though, he was the only living creature in this desert. His dream had been just that, a dream. He was a scientist. He had no time for dreams, anyway. All that lay before him was the project, and the hope that somewhere in these mountains of sand lay the key they needed to bring them back from the dead.
4.0 HPN Day2 PT AC 4061
The communications screen buzzed to life, supplying an image of a young Chinese man hovering in zero gravity. Shoulder-length black hair was pulled back tight to the base of his neck, safely out of serious black eyes.
"Greetings, Trowa. How are things progressing?" He paused for a moment, frowning. "You look tired . . . and red."
"Hello, Wufei." Trowa smiled ruefully and brushed limp bangs away from his rosy forehead. "The instrument tent is up and all the equipment is secure. I plan to erect my own tent this evening." He chuckled. "I've also discovered some hazards of working during the hottest hours of daylight: heatstroke and sunburn."
"Ah." Wufei couldn't help the slight upward twitch of his lip at the visible consequences of that remark, but his expression quickly sobered. "Be careful down there, Trowa. Don't get yourself killed before we've even begun. You know our project wouldn't have a chance without you." A conspiratorial smile softened his words and told Trowa everything his friend's reserve wouldn't allow him to say.
He returned the smile and nodded in acquiescence as a mop of unruly dark hair floated into view.
"Any readings yet?"
"No, Heero, but there is something I wanted to ask you."
"Yes?" Wufei moved off to other duties as the blue-eyed Japanese man pulled himself into full view.
"You've made a complete orbit by now. Have you scanned the planet's entire surface for life?"
"Affirmative," Heero sighed. "It's just as deserted as everyone thought. Earth is entirely barren. Except for you, of course."
"I'm the only life that showed up on the scans?"
"Yes, why?"
Trowa was gazing out the door to the empty desert. "Nothing . . . I just . . . thought maybe we had been wrong."
Heero looked as disappointed as Trowa felt, but each knew the equipment couldn't be wrong. He was truly alone down here.
"Trowa?" Heero seemed to be hesitating over something, but finally found the words he was looking for. "We're doing all we can from orbit, but you're down there. You've seen it. . . . Do you think it's possible?"
Trowa sighed. "I'm really not sure. It's hard to believe there was ever life here, but if this planet was once covered with life I see no reason why it couldn't be again."
Heero nodded, a small determined smile lighting his eyes. "Then we've got work to do. You'll be all right for the night?"
"Yeah. I'll call again when I've made some progress. Trowa out."
"Night, Trowa. Heero out."
As the screen flickered to black Trowa headed back outside to set up his tent in the few remaining hours of daylight. The sun was hanging low over the horizon and he was suddenly assaulted by a pang of loneliness. He knew Heero's results shouldn't make a difference, nothing had changed from this afternoon, but in the short time since his dream he'd nearly come to believe that he might not be alone on this planet, that maybe they'd missed something due to distance. There was no doubting it now, though, he was the only living creature in this desert. His dream had been just that, a dream. He was a scientist. He had no time for dreams, anyway. All that lay before him was the project, and the hope that somewhere in these mountains of sand lay the key they needed to bring them back from the dead.