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Andrew reporting.
Al-Qahira, confirm reception of Inbound Transmissions dated 1-1-98 through 23-3-98. Please
continue daily uploads.
JASE, I have safely reached the end of the ramp. I reached a platform at water level. There
are several objects which are actually floating in the water. They are approximately
the same size and appearance as the flying vehicles, but it is most improbable that they have
a similar function. There is also an entrance going back into the building. I think this
is my best choice. Thank you for the message from Enoch. I have not heard from him since we
left Mars. Things have certainly been busy!
"Enoch, if you can hear me, congratulations! We will have to call you Hot Pilot Enoch now.
But please be very slow to trust this Elder Brother and the C-probes. Don't let yourself get
in a situation where you have to depend on them."
The ball had words on it today and I didn't ask the terminal anything. It asked me a
question this time. It asked if Isaac was all right. I don't think the ball has ever
lied to us, unlike Burn who said we'd be safe here. I went to the terminal and tried
answering the question in the same place as I asked a question earlier. I hope this works.
Isaac is doing better but he isn't back to normal yet. He's been playing with toys and
looking at the tree and all kinds of things, but there is something different about
him. He reminds me of Daniel, before Gail brought him back. It is funny to remember
what Daniel was like all that time ago. We were all so scared of him, we thought
he was mean. Now we know the truth. He is just weird. I wish Andrew would get back.
Daniel keeps saying that we need him but he won't say why. I think Daniel likes being
mysterious, it makes us pay attention to him.
I followed Burn to the dome again, where the Ipsolstai constructed a shooting gallery simulation.
I'm eager to continue my training. I'm a good pilot. Soon I will be as good as Burn. He is
introducing me to the Amphibian radar now. It's a round black instrument mounted on my
control panel.
"Delemreck black armor wearing. Jumping black box into.
Totally vanishing. Location changing and jumping out black box.
Radar showing jumping out black box prior two seconds.
Three seconds more and Delemreck shooting mini groove.
You getting nose to Delemreck shooting beam.
Projectiles too slow.
Delemreck shooting mini groove can next every second.
You whirling.
Always nose at target.
We start one target, then more."
I entered the flying vehicle. I feel familiar with it. I can see Gail and Theresa below.
Suddenly I hear that vibrating sound again that I heard during the Amphibian attack at
the Big Canyon. Burn says that it's part of the simulation. That sound comes from gathering
the energy that the Amphibians need for their mini grooves. It makes me nervous. Burn
tells me to get the vehicle ready and to turn the radar on. I lift the vehicle to an altitude
of 30 feet.
"I you showing target. Not shoot yet."
A purple dot appears on the radar. It reminds me of the clock game that Zachary played
once, when me met our friends on Earth the first time. The dot is at four o'clock.
"Color meanings you know.
Pale color is you below. Dark color is you above.
You getting target in center and color pink."
I turn the vehicle around and pull the globe. The dot is changing color and wanders
to twelve o'clock. Now I can see a black object in front of me. Burn tells me to shoot
the dummy when the dot turns pink and becomes more intense. I shoot. The dummy topples
back. It's only a training beam that I'm using.
"Next target. Real time."
It's a light blue dot at seven o'clock. I descend and turn around. It hits me. I whirl. I
remember Burn's advice to hold the nose. It hits me again and another five times. Then
I got it. It's a mess. I land the vehicle and open its clear dome. I feel depressed. Then
I see Burn is coming.
"Good job, Enoch. You good pilot.
I you showing trick with whirling better.
You sure making it. You big talent."
There's Enoch! I can see him! He waved at me!
Doesn't he look brave in his flying vehicle? He is hovering right in front of me.
Theresa and I went along to the training area where Enoch is learning to fly. I was too
worried to get left behind again.
"Theresa, behave yourself. Don't get in the way. Maybe later Enoch will teach you
how these vehicles work , but don't bother him now."
Theresa says she wants to fly, too. If Enoch learns the correct operation now,
he could transmit that programming to another probe. Not me! I have no interest in
flitting around and fighting those Amphibians. They'll never get me up in one of
those things!
Burn is still strange. He seems slow and tired and looks somehow, well, lumpy.
I collected a bunch of the salvaged sunsails, and mounted them on top of a warrior. I
went over to Elder Brother. He was busy constructing the laser. I watched him, but finally
I couldn't resist showing him how I build my laser tube. He was quite interested in my
version, but seemed amused when he saw all the crystals that I cut to cover the inner wall of
my laser tube.
"Good work, Zachary. Do you know what I'm trying to do? I'm trying to build a laser
that needs only one crystal. Maybe that's a hopeless ambition, but that way we can
build quite a lot of them. Look here. This s a prototype."
It's a small cylindrical metal box, pretty heavy with a short tube in front that can be
moved in an up and down angle. Elder Brother says that the box is mainly to shield
the plutonium. I listened carefully, when he slowly turned the laser to point it at the
armor of a destroyed warrior nearby. He looked at me. Then he pushed a button on
top of the box. It took about two seconds until the laser cut through.
It's a nice hole with a diameter of about half an inch.
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