The remains had been here for cycles, possibly tens of cycles. The bones were clean and dry, with no clues about the cause of death. But when I searched through the decayed uniform, I found something interesting—a data pad, much more modern than the storage cubes that filled the shelves.
I took it back to the stairwell, not wanting to leave Zara alone for too long.
“What did you find?” she asked, looking determinedly away from the records room door.
“A data pad.” I sat down beside her and activated the device, relieved when it powered up despite its age. “And it’s in universal standard script. We can read it.”
Zara leaned closer as I scrolled through the device’s contents. The first entry was dated several cycles ago, and it provided exactly the kind of information we’d been hoping to find.
“‘Personal log of Explorer Thex-Nol, Hol-ta Research Expedition Seven-Seven-Alpha,’” I read aloud. “‘Sun cycle one of unscheduled planetary survey.’”
“Hol-ta,” Zara said, some of her scientific curiosity returning despite her earlier trauma. “I’ve heard of them. They’re a species from the Outer Rim territories. Traders, for the most part, I think.”
“That’s what I know of them, too. They’re about as advanced as our species.” I continued reading, “‘Our ship suffered catastrophic engine failure during routine hyperspace travel. Emergency protocols initiated, but we were caught in this planet’s gravitational field before repairs could be completed. Captain ordered abandon ship. My escape pod landed near this research facility.’”
Zara and I exchanged looks. The parallels to our own situation were unsettling.
“‘Day three,’” I continued reading. “‘Still no contact with other expedition members. This facility appears to have been abandoned, but basic systems are functional. Water and power available. Beginning exploration of the research archives to determine what happened to the previous occupants.’”
The entries continued for several weeks, detailing Explorer Thex-Nol’s attempts to contact his fellow expedition members and his growing understanding of the facility’s history.
“‘Day fifteen,’” I read. “‘Translation of the archive materials has revealed disturbing information. This facility was constructed by a species called the Kythrans as part of a planetary management system. They built multiple towers across the planet to control weather patterns and suppress attacks from a hostile native population when negotiations were unsuccessful.’”
“Weather control,” Zara said. Her brows snapped together. “Thatwould explain the atmospheric anomalies we encountered. If the system is malfunctioning…”
“‘Day twenty-two,’” I continued. “‘Found evidence that the Kythrans lost control of their weather management technology. The system began generating increasingly violent storms, making the planet uninhabitable. At the time these logs are made, only two Kythrans remain in this facility. They avoid me by staying to the upper levels, but show no hostility. They will not communicate with me, despite my repeated attempts. Everything I have learned has been from their records. As far as I can tell, they take shifts at the control stations. Their exact objectives are unknown.’”
“What happened to the Kythrans?” Zara asked.
I scrolled ahead, looking for more information. The entries became shorter and more desperate as Explorer Thex-Nol’s situation deteriorated.
“‘Day forty-one. Food supplies running critically low. Still no contact with other expedition members. Must assume they did not survive landfall. The Kythrans in this facility have disappeared. Found evidence they may have tried to reach one of the other towers, but atmospheric conditions make surface travel extremely dangerous.’”
“‘Day fifty-five. Last of the emergency rations consumed today. Attempting to process local plant matter for nutrition, but most species appear toxic to Hol-ta physiology. Growing weak. If anyone finds this record, know that I tried to warn the galaxy about this place. The weather control system is still active, still generating storms that could spread beyond this planet’s atmosphere if the containment protocols fail.’”
The entries ended there.
I set the data pad aside and looked at Zara. She was staring at the device with an expression of horror.
“He died here,” she said quietly. “Alone, starving, with no hope of rescue. Just like we might.”
“No,” I said firmly, standing up and pulling her to her feet with me. “We’re not going to end up like him.”
“You can’t know that.” There was something fragile in her voice that made my chest ache. “We’re in exactly the same situation. Stranded, no communication with the outside galaxy, limited supplies…”
“I won’t let that happen.” The words came out with more force than I’d intended, but I meant each one. “I didn’t crash-land a ship and lead you through a toxic storm just to watch you waste away in some abandoned tower.”
She looked up at me, and I saw something shift in her expression. The fear was still there, but it was tempered now by something that looked almost like hope.
“You really believe we’ll get out of this?” she asked.
“I know we will.” I took her hand, noting how small and warm it felt in mine. “We have advantages that Explorer Thex-Nol didn’t have. We have water; we know there are other people somewhere on this planet—my crew made it to the surface. And we have more technological knowledge than the Hol-ta, who are more delicate than either of our species. Plus, much has changed in the eighty cycles since he’s been here. Better tech. More advancements in the devices we were able to save from the wrecked ship.” I brought my hand up and, unable to help myself, drew my thumb over her smooth cheek. “And we haveyou. If anyone can figure out how this tower works, it’s Dr. Zara Rivers.”
She leaned into my hand. “This weather control system isfaroutside of my expertise.”
“And that’s not going to stop you. If we can find a way to shut it down, or at least stabilize it, we might be able to create safe conditions for rescue operations.”
I could see her gaze flicking all over the place as her mind worked, processing what we’d learned. “We need to keep climbing,” she said. “Find the main control systems for this tower.”
