Cylindrical Sea

"We shall not cease from exploration and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started…and know the place for the first time."

-T.S. Eliot

DISCLAIMER – Rendezvous with Rama is, and always will be (until Sir. Arthur C. Clarke dies and his books become public domain), the property of Arthur C. Clarke. Therefore I'm not responsible for anything I say! (kind of…)

NOTE – Some notes to put fic in context for non-Rama familiar readers. Biots are biological robots that the Ramans use as crew for Rama. They are not seen often and each type has a specific duty. Spider biots are completely different then octospiders (yes I know, sci-fi books are confusing). Lastly, the "Monsoon Season" that I keep referring to is a huge storm that goes on in Rama for several weeks after Rama ends its traveling through deep space. This storm cleans out Rama, fills the Sea, and does several other tasks that one finds out about in Garden of Rama. The Monsoon Season is incredibly dangerous and can have winds in excess of 300 mph. Enjoy!

May 7, 2205

The wind flew through his hair, as Richard bent over to run his hand through the water. He had uncovered the secret of the Cylindrical Sea long before now but he was still fascinated by it, a band of water running all the way around the inside of Rama ten kilometers across. Richard noted the irony that the Ramans, although advanced beyond human's imagination, still required a source of water. The Sea is the life-blood of Rama, it caused the "Monsoon Season", it created the biots, and regulated several other actives that Richard could only speculate about. He brought his hand up and felt the "water". "It's thicker than any water I've ever seen", he muttered to himself as he peered into its depths and saw the history of the Earth. Billions of years ago the water on Earth had been like this, an organic soup of single celled organisms.

As he pondered the water, his makeshift boat was rocked by swell after swell, until the rocking of his ramshackle dinghy was so fierce that he had to look up at the Sea. He saw something that frightened him more then his first encounter with the octospiders, or the close encounter with Earth's nuke, he saw a line the entire length of the Sea slowly moving down the wall of Rama gaining speed. Just as he realized that that line was a huge tidal wave a precursor to this monster struck his boat, knocking him off his ship.

Richard struggled up to the surface where wave upon wave forced him under again. He search desperately for his boat but only found a few shards and promptly grabbed them, holding on for dear life while he was buffeted in all directions.

May 9, 2205

A particularly large upsurge pushed Richard into the smooth black wall that was the edge of the Cylindrical Sea. The limp form of Richard strapped to some wood was hit against the Sea's wall several times before Richard responded.

He first opened one eye and took in his surroundings. The Sea was significantly calmer, but still choppy. He sat up and scanned the horizon for the tidal wave, nowhere in sight. Soon he realized that the tidal wave was the least of his predicaments, as he had lost all of his food and supplies.

"Now's not the time to despair", he mumbled. "First I've got to get on to dry land."

Richard looked at the 50 foot cliff of smooth black material, the same metal that the entirety of New York was made of, and realized how difficult this would be.

"Damn! How can I scale a 50 foot smooth cliff that ends in the water with just a piece of wood?" He said into the wind, "Oh well, I'm arguably the best engineer in the world, I should be able to figure this out."

First he examined the wall. The wall was perfect. There were no blemishes, no marks, just perfectly smooth black wall as far as the eye could see. Next he felt the wall, cold and hard.

May 10, 2205

Richard was on the remains of his boat not moving. By this time he was too hungry to do anything, let alone attempt to ascend an impossibly difficult cliff. The irony of this situation deprived Richard of as much willpower as lack of food did. He, Richard, who had some of the most impressive credentials on Earth, was one of the most intelligent people on Earth, had braved Rama, Monsoon Season, and the Cylindrical Sea just to die because of a wall. Suddenly, Richard noticed a slight movement at the top of the cliff. He barely had time to open both eyes before a crab biot grabbed him and began to climb the cliff with Richard on his back.

Richard was familiar with two types of biots; Spiders, and Centipedes, and each had their own specific purpose. Centipede biots worked on the mechanical aspect of Rama, while Spiders acted as security. Although this Crab biot was completely new to him, it looked dangerous. He felt new strength return to him as the biot reach the top, and Richard jump free of the biot narrowly grabbing the edge. He pulled himself over and gazed of into the southern hemisphere.

Sorry about how cliché it is to have so much disastrous stuff happened to him, but the tidal wave does happen soon after he leaves in the books. Anyway, please review and let me know what you think about it, how I can improve, and whether or not I'm factual in relation to the books.

-Levenbreech Vor