[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
her eyes in the harsh light.
"Those buildings don't look so tall now."
Ewen stared at the faint markings on the horizon. The haze was clearing
and clouds were gathering. "I think you're right."
"I know I'm right. See that one on the extreme left? It's half the height
it was. Do you suppose they've sunk into the ground?"
"Why?"
"Well I don't know, Ewen. Maybe it's to shelter from the zargon?"
"Surely it would be easier to reduce the power of the light?"
Page 136
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Discussing the problem seemed unlikely to solve it so they continued
walking, glad to be in the shade of the trees again.
"Do you remember that technician-scholar we talked about with Calen?"
said Ewen. "The one who had a theory about a negative universe?"
"Blader Zallen?"
"That's him."
"Branded a heretic," said Jenine, brushing angrily at a mosquito. "What
about him?"
"I wonder if he was right? I mean, we've always known that rock is
infinite and is filled with a finite number of spaces - spaces like the domes
of Arama. Whereas Blader Zallen theorized about a negative universe in which
space was infinite and rock was finite."
"It was only a theory," Jenine pointed out.
Ewen stumbled on a root and caught at a vine to prevent himself falling.
"This place makes me think that maybe it's more than a theory," he said when
he had recovered his balance.
"Because it's so large?"
"Yes."
"Why should scale be grounds for invalidating what we know about the
universe? We're in a dome. We have to be. It may be vast, but it's still a
dome."
"With no visible means of support?"
"Air pressure," said Jenine.
"What?"
"You're not the only one capable of lateral thinking, Ewen. Air pressure
holds this dome up. We have to live in air under pressure, correct?"
Ewen thought about the laboratory work he had done on vacuums and agreed
that she was right.
"This is an enormous dome with a colossal surface area. I wouldn't like
to calculate the total pressure that must be acting on the inside of this
dome. And that leads to something else that puts your negative universe theory
back in its box. We need air to live, and so do the trees and grass need air,
and I daresay the flies do as well. Air under pressure has to be contained.
How could a negative universe contain air? It would escape and disperse
throughout space."
It was a good point and Ewen could not think of an explanation to counter
it. "That reminds me of something," he said. "You're right about us needing
air under pressure in order to survive, but where in Arama is the machinery to
maintain the air under pressure? To compress it into the domes? We're serviced
plant to filter the air, to remove carbon dioxide, to humidify it, or
dehumidify it - to do everything to the air except pressurise it."
Jenine gave a muffled cry as a giant leaf settled over her face and
moulded itself to her features like a second skin. The leaf's material was so
thin and it all happened so quickly that at first Ewen though that Jenine's
face had turned green. The fine membrane had even fastened over her lips and
teeth, and was forming a lining in her mouth as she struggled ineffectually to
pull it free.
"Keep still!" Ewen yelled, forcing her hands away from her face. "Just
keep still!"
Jenine stopped plucking at the hideous stuff. The real horror was that it
was even clinging to her eyeballs. Ewen pushed her head back and found the
boundary between her skin and the leaf. He tried getting a purchase with his
nails but it was like trying to prise up a coating of dye. He managed to get a
finger under the leaf by forcing his fingers into her hair and along her
scalp. Once he had a good grip, he was able to peel the membrane away in one
piece without difficulty, and without it tearing. Jenine sucked air gratefully
into her lungs once her mouth and nose were clear.
"What is that thing?" she gasped, rubbing her eyes.
Ewen studied her face carefully. "Are you all right?"
"I am now, but it gave me a fright. Thanks, Ewen - I nearly panicked."
Page 137
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
They looked up. Hanging from strange, gnarled branches, were countless
hundreds of the gossamer-like leaves, many even larger than the one that had [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl wyciskamy.pev.pl
her eyes in the harsh light.
"Those buildings don't look so tall now."
Ewen stared at the faint markings on the horizon. The haze was clearing
and clouds were gathering. "I think you're right."
"I know I'm right. See that one on the extreme left? It's half the height
it was. Do you suppose they've sunk into the ground?"
"Why?"
"Well I don't know, Ewen. Maybe it's to shelter from the zargon?"
"Surely it would be easier to reduce the power of the light?"
Page 136
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Discussing the problem seemed unlikely to solve it so they continued
walking, glad to be in the shade of the trees again.
"Do you remember that technician-scholar we talked about with Calen?"
said Ewen. "The one who had a theory about a negative universe?"
"Blader Zallen?"
"That's him."
"Branded a heretic," said Jenine, brushing angrily at a mosquito. "What
about him?"
"I wonder if he was right? I mean, we've always known that rock is
infinite and is filled with a finite number of spaces - spaces like the domes
of Arama. Whereas Blader Zallen theorized about a negative universe in which
space was infinite and rock was finite."
"It was only a theory," Jenine pointed out.
Ewen stumbled on a root and caught at a vine to prevent himself falling.
"This place makes me think that maybe it's more than a theory," he said when
he had recovered his balance.
"Because it's so large?"
"Yes."
"Why should scale be grounds for invalidating what we know about the
universe? We're in a dome. We have to be. It may be vast, but it's still a
dome."
"With no visible means of support?"
"Air pressure," said Jenine.
"What?"
"You're not the only one capable of lateral thinking, Ewen. Air pressure
holds this dome up. We have to live in air under pressure, correct?"
Ewen thought about the laboratory work he had done on vacuums and agreed
that she was right.
"This is an enormous dome with a colossal surface area. I wouldn't like
to calculate the total pressure that must be acting on the inside of this
dome. And that leads to something else that puts your negative universe theory
back in its box. We need air to live, and so do the trees and grass need air,
and I daresay the flies do as well. Air under pressure has to be contained.
How could a negative universe contain air? It would escape and disperse
throughout space."
It was a good point and Ewen could not think of an explanation to counter
it. "That reminds me of something," he said. "You're right about us needing
air under pressure in order to survive, but where in Arama is the machinery to
maintain the air under pressure? To compress it into the domes? We're serviced
plant to filter the air, to remove carbon dioxide, to humidify it, or
dehumidify it - to do everything to the air except pressurise it."
Jenine gave a muffled cry as a giant leaf settled over her face and
moulded itself to her features like a second skin. The leaf's material was so
thin and it all happened so quickly that at first Ewen though that Jenine's
face had turned green. The fine membrane had even fastened over her lips and
teeth, and was forming a lining in her mouth as she struggled ineffectually to
pull it free.
"Keep still!" Ewen yelled, forcing her hands away from her face. "Just
keep still!"
Jenine stopped plucking at the hideous stuff. The real horror was that it
was even clinging to her eyeballs. Ewen pushed her head back and found the
boundary between her skin and the leaf. He tried getting a purchase with his
nails but it was like trying to prise up a coating of dye. He managed to get a
finger under the leaf by forcing his fingers into her hair and along her
scalp. Once he had a good grip, he was able to peel the membrane away in one
piece without difficulty, and without it tearing. Jenine sucked air gratefully
into her lungs once her mouth and nose were clear.
"What is that thing?" she gasped, rubbing her eyes.
Ewen studied her face carefully. "Are you all right?"
"I am now, but it gave me a fright. Thanks, Ewen - I nearly panicked."
Page 137
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
They looked up. Hanging from strange, gnarled branches, were countless
hundreds of the gossamer-like leaves, many even larger than the one that had [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]