-6-

 

 

 

Before him a huge cavern stretched out for an incredible distance. Perhaps hundreds of meters! A gently domed ceiling spread over many colorful structures made of ceramic, steel, and glass. Several of the structures rose three stories high and were intricately connected by wide balconies and arching walkways. Below him to the right, Grey saw a small amphitheater with a stage and an orchestra pit. To the left was a long promenade with fascinating electric signs. Up at the far end of the promenade was a blue fountain made of delicate crystal spires.

The promenade appeared to be a junction for other corridors and ramps. The slightly inclined floor area, flanked on both sides by layered structures rising to the low ends of the roof, gave an illusion of immense open space. Only at the lower end, where the promenade butted into the amphitheater, did the structures step down to expose the heat sealed cavern walls. The apex of the dome seemed very high indeed, and cleverly designed lighting fixtures made everything bright.

Grey's position on the narrow balcony offered a panoramic view from the cavern's lower end. He made mental notes of the numerous doors, and the open spaces were much larger than he thought theoretically possible. Suddenly he recalled that Earth humans lived in structures enclosed only by an atmosphere, and for the first time in his life, he had an inkling of what that might be like.

Walking down the ramp toward the center of the cavern, Grey experienced no fear of entering the vast open space despite his years of confinement. He wasn't permitted useless phobias.

Many retail establishments lined the promenade, each with a big window displaying all sorts of odd and interesting things. Some of the shops offered clothing, others contained exotic equipment. Before long, the new shapes and sensations were coming faster than Grey could correlate them, the experience taking on a dreamlike quality.

He paused to look back at the entrance to the Old Section, the hatch hardly more than a sparse decoration overlooking the amphitheater. How small and insignificant it seemed! He recalled the Library Computer's nature program about baby birds being pushed from their nest and visualized how the young birds fluttered at first, then spread their wings and flew away.

Now I'm a little bird, too! he thought, a rare grin appearing on his face. With a burst of joy, he raced up the promenade in rapid, skipping bounces, dancing gaily in the weak gravity.

"I can fly!" he shouted, flapping his arms as he picked up speed.

Soon he was making great, bounding leaps with far more speed than he ever could have attempted in the Old Section. Indeed, the momentum proved greater than he was prepared for. When he tried to stop at the upper end of the promenade, he lost his balance and tumbled before crashing into a checkered wall support. Fortunately, the lower portion of the wall was cushioned, so no injury occurred. Grey looked around, saw other checkered walls in strategic locations, and realized he wasn't the first to need one. Any lingering doubts he'd retained about the existence of humans disappeared.

"That must be my first lesson," he thought, rubbing his elbows.

"Grey Waters, please report to the information desk immediately," the public address system said.

Grey saw a place labeled INFORMATION in the upper neck of the quad right next to a transition area full of lockers and benches. The long counter was easy to find.

"Reporting," Grey gasped, out of breath from the rapid bouncing.

"Your afternoon study sessions are temporarily suspended," the Life Support Computer announced from one of several monitors. Then Grey watched the signature patterns change from instruction mode to the highest function level, the one that often gave advice. "There's an important note of caution, Grey. This complex was constructed for persons of mature judgment. Please don't allow your enthusiasm to interfere with the primary functions now in progress. You are dismissed."

As Grey turned away eager to begin his explorations, the Life Support Computer switched to an internal communications link, focusing attention on a far more important problem.

"Security Computer," Life Support summoned. "The child Waters has been granted access to approved portions of the base as per prime programming orders. Note his presence and refrain from attack."

"Acknowledged," the Security Computer responded, black signature patterns registering harshly. "Notation: This system objects to the prime programming order but will comply. Keep the child out of my sections and no harm will come to him."

Green signature patterns registered a sigh. Why must Security always be so difficult?

Happy and free in his new world, Grey returned to the promenade looking into the various shops and staring down the wide corridors. Before one large window, he paused to look at manufactured clothing. There were many fine work suits, a weighted suit, and some fashionable day clothes. He also noticed other forms of apparel that seemed completely absurd, such as hoods that couldn't possibly seal up. Grey fingered his own clumsy costume, thinking it poor by comparison, but didn't go inside to search for better clothes. The idea didn't occur to him.

At the mouth of a rather wide corridor, Grey found a very curious room called TOURIST SHOP. There were short sleeve shirts with symbols on them, bins full of strange objects called moon rocks, and some of the oddest things he could ever imagine, but the most interesting discovery of all was a rotating rack containing cards with holographic images, some of which featured the community level.

Grey drew a card from the slot and studied it carefully. Yes, the image was certainly the same place. On the reverse side, he found words that read, "Community Center, Tranquility Lunar Colony, Sea of Tranquility. Largest permanent colony on the Moon. Founded 2025. Average annual population 6500. Official Moongram ©2047 Tranquility Tourist Bureau."

He looked at some of the other cards and could barely believe the variety of subjects. Surface structures, industrial centers, craters, specialized vehicles, landmarks, and even public events. One of the cards showed thousands of humans watching a performance in the amphitheater, some from the ground floor, others crowded on the balconies. Collecting one of each card, Grey stuffed them into his pockets for later study.

Leaving the promenade, Grey entered a big corridor that accessed many strange rooms. One was LUCKY CLOVER, a place with nothing but tables and chairs, a long carved wood counter, and several large monitor screens. The room seemed purposely dark and had no useful function.

Farther down the hall he found WOMEN, a large but repetitive hygiene compartment. Grey didn't understand why the room was equipped in such a wasteful fashion, not realizing more than one person at a time may need the facilities.

Next he found FIRST AID, a remarkably efficient area much like the Medical Computer's portable lab. Grey scooped up some fabric tape, which he always found useful, and stuffed some cotton balls into his pocket. They were fun to moisten and shoot at targets.

Just beyond another repetitive hygiene area called MEN, Grey found a big compartment called POOL ROOM. He thought this room especially ridiculous because he realized right away there was no pool, just a bunch of green tables with holes in them. But beyond the Pool Room he found something quite different. Something that would change his life forever.

– End Chapter Six –