The Chamber of the Seven Giants Pt IIIb



It was late at night as the vehicle arrived at Downstairs.

The settlement consisted of pre fab housing containers and re purporsed ruins of an ancient primitive civilization.

The Rumble Crawler terminal consisted of a row of stacked prefab modular containers.

The passengers that arrived with me dispersed while a small crowd of new passengers boarded the vehicle. I had learned that the Crawler Service was operated by Hellmans Inc. A local company that

also owned a few hotels and tourist service businesses.

A man in the gray cmpany uniform had noticed me still standing on the platform and said.”You look lost Sir, may I be of assistance?”

“Well not totally lost, but I could certainly use some local guidance to find my way to the Peak Hotel.”

“Mister, that hotel is all the way on top of the Stairs at the peak of White Mountain and that is another 12 kilometers of stairs going straight up. The regular stair bus to Upstairs won't leave unitl Fourth Hour, tomorrow. “

“Stairs? There are actual stairs?I thought Downstairs was just a funny name for a settlement close to a mountain.”

“Yes there are actual stairs.”

He rubbed his chin. “All the guest rooms at Downstairs are most likley taken, and I don't recommend the Pilgrim bunkhouse to anyone. Why don't you come with me?My wife and I are occationally taking in guests, sort of a Bed and breakfast. Burt can take you up the mountain first thing in the morning.”

“If you dont mind. I am prepared to sleep outside if neccesary,but your taking advantage of your hospitality would be preferrable.

Sleeping outside on Tomb World is not exactly recommended, just likeit is a good idea to wait till daylight to up the stairs. Even though Burt could problably take you right now.”

I shouldered my bag. “Dangerous life forms?”

“Dangerous yes, not sure about the lifeform thing.” He pointed into the night.”This is a big grave yard, a planet sized tomb and those who live here are convinced there are things going on at night that isn't done by anything alive, at least not in the corpporal way.”

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">I was not sure if I should laugh and dismiss it,he had a stern face while he said it.

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">“Are you talking about ghosts?”

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">“I am taking about aparitions, about foggy things that move against the wind on a world that is too dry to have fog. I am running this crawler station now for almost fourteen years, and when the last crawler has left, in the wee hours I have seen things that isn't in any Union science book.”

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">I still wanted to dismiss the notion of ghosts, but out here in the cold desert wind, and the light of the crawler platfrom extening only a few meters,I could not help to get an eerie feeling down my spine.

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">“And whatever you say exists out there has attacked or caused harm to anyone?” People have vanished over the years, only to be found dead, but without any apparent reason,but with pure fright frozen on their faces.”

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">He gestured to a metal door.”I am closing the place,it be just a minute. You can go to the other side of the platform, the one facing town and wait for me.”

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">He vanished behind the door.

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">“Ghosts, no such thing existed.That was superstion of primitive societies that had no explanations for natural phenomenon. Many of the Pre Astro ghost stories could easily be explained with psionics. Things the Saresii, the Ledeii and certainly the Narth could accomplish with psionics were more or less explainable but little understood magic to a non gifted person.

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">But there all on my own on that deserted platform, I really had to put an effort into my own thoughts to convince me. My imagination went so far that I even believed I had seen a greenish shimmer in the form of a being. It was not there when I conciously stared into the night, but I went to the other side just short of running.

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">From here I could see the settlement Perhaps two or three hundred structures clustered against the steep incline of the mountain base.

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">The buildings were an odd mix of stacked module containers and structures and ruins of stacked rocks and rough hewn boulders.

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">The gaps between the buildings appeared to be unpaved, smoothened ground. What seemed the core street actually featured an open modular two way slide belt on stilts.

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">The street and paths were lit by light elements attached to poles or the side of walls. Several colorful signs advertised bars, a hotel, stores and restaurants.

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">The crawler cat station employee appeared from a door and keyed in a lock code. “Well that's that for tonight, Next Crawler isn't due till Fifth Hour. My name is Oswald Dillon by the way.”

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">“Alex Cunningham.”

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">“What you see before you is Downstairs. About five thousand souls, but we are slowly growing.”

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">“They told me that permanent construction was prohibited, but I see stone structures.”

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">“They prohibited construction because the Belac were afraid construction could be used to mask an aerchological dig. Using existing ruins however, and refurbishing them was permitted. No one, not even the Belmac know who exactly build these houses and buildings that are nothing more than fancy stacked piles of rock and clay bricks, but everyone suspects this was some sort of base camp for the workers or whoever carved the steps and perhaps built the tombs and the Necropolis.”

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">While he talked he walked along am unpaved path and I was following him.

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">He continued. “I doubt the no-construction rule will apply for very much longer, the Nul are alowed to built, and I am certain they going to be Union memers soon.”

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">“Maybe that was the reason, the Belmac I met was not to fond of the Union.”

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">“You most likley ran ino Grump. Now this is not his real name,but then no one knows how he is really called. Not all the Belmac are like him, their lead priest is and many of them are much friendlier and have nothing against the Union.”

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">Oswald stopped at a rough wall of stacked rocks with a modern dura plast door and a Lumi Plate. The doors slid to the side and we entered the hall of a modern furnished typical Union home.

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">A woman in a long dress, came down a half spiral ramp from an upper floor.

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">She welcomed me and showed me to a guest room and told me that there would be a late night snack if I wanted one.

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">I took a short shower and made a few notes for my article and went over the raw footage of my Occular Implant camera. I nearly froze as I noticed the greenish vapor thing. Almost invisible, insubstantial but clearly it outlined a bein with a head and two arms.

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">I had fotographic evidence of the existence of a ghost! Maybe the Belmac did indeed speak to the Dead, and this world was way more than just a grave site. Maybe I was on the verge of my greatest story. Ghost stories had been with man ever since the he started to walk upright, and many other civilizations had stories and legends of this nature.

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">The headline “Alex Cunningham, Interview with a Ghost already formed before my inner eye. However if Oswald was correct, these spooks weren't harmless at all.

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">The Dillions had actually laid out a table with traditional china,bowls and silver ware. The woman said. ”I hope you like pork roast potatoes and brussle sprouts. If not the Rock and Dust Hotel restaurant is open and they deliver too.”

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">“It smells delicious and I am rather fond of Terran food.”

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">I could not believe how much I ate. I had completely devoured a second plate, it was that good. “Ms Dillon, that dinner alone was worth the trip.”

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">“My wife is a talented cook and does it the traditional way from scratch and on a stove. We don't even have a printer.” He said deeply smiling at his proud looking woman.

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">She poured coffee and said .”Cunningham, the name sounds somhow familiar. As if I heard it before.”

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">“I am with the Union Galactic Magazine. Maybe you have seen one of my features.”

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">“Of course. Now I remember where I know your name. We knew you weren't a regular tourist. Oswald was convinced you were on some official Union business and not the science kind.”

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">He sipped at his coffee. “Well ever so often they come and now that the Nul seem to become friendlier every day and there is talk of the Nul actually joining the Union, there are all sorts of Union officials frequenting this world. I served my 2 month and another four years in the Army and while I was just a Corporal, I can usually spot them.”

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">“Oh Oswald wouldn't it be nice if this planet would become an Union planet. I am sure once the Kathk are full members, tourist traffic will pick up, and with you writing something about Tomb World, many will want to come.”

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">“From what I gathered so far, this might not be all to far off, but what about those ghosts you talked about?”

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">She laughed. “Did he try to scare you too? It's a local past time. Ghost stories that is. I live here as long as he does and I have never seen one. Before started to run the local Post Office and became a house wife, I too served the Union. Science Corps. Our Universe is more fascinating than any could imagine, we don't need ghost stories.”

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">He crossed his arms before his chest. “I saw what I saw. Only six month ago they found Demr Fux a good fifty klicks from here. Simply dead.”

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">She waved her hand and places a piece of Apple pie before me. “He most likley was drunk and got lost, out there is nothing.No water,no food and nothing alive. The poor fool got baked in the sun and died of dehydration. The next real doctor is at the space port, all we have is a Terrix Seven Med Bot and all the machine did, declare the poor bastard for dead. “

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">I had to admit the medical oppinion of a 400 year old civilian Med assist bot was perhaps not the most accurate, but I had seen the green vapour.

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">For now I decided to keep my discovery quiet, maybe it was just some reflection and I would make a fool out of myself.

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">–

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">Oswald was in bed, resting for his next shift.But Ms.Dillon said she would show me where Burt's Stair Express Corporation Inc was, on her way to the local post office.

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">“How can a business be a corporation and an Inc. at the same time?”

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">“Well Burt who runs one of the two Stair Bus companies loves the word Corporation, he thinks it makes his business important. Don't worry he is reliable when he is sober and he usually is on a SecondDay, when new tourists have arrived.”

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">She took 50 credits for the bed and breakfast and I added a twenty credit tip.

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">The morning was crisp, the sky blue and the air dry and cold.

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">Downstairs was bigger than it appeared during the night and had an unique character. The blend of crumbling ruins and distinctive modern Union tech, somehow underlined just how far I was from the core.

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">Bigger did not mean big however, and I would have found Burts Stair Express even without directions.

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">The little town was just waking up,so to speak. There were tourists and locals and clearly distinquishble. I saw a Purple Throat Shiss stacking boxes of produce in front of a grocery store. A Klack and a Belanorm were clearly tourists, as the Belanorm engaged in the ageold practice of taking pictures or a video while the Klack posed before a crumbling rock wall.

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">A wide shouldered Sauron and two humans accompanied by two robots, were installing a metal pathway between buildings,while an old man was watching them. Another robot collected litter.

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">Out of the open door of a business wafted the wonderful smell of fresh baked bread, and a sign proclaimed that this bakery did real baking. Judging by the busy crowd, it was quite popular.

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">A quite frightfully looking Demonhead was greeted friendly and I overheard he was one of the local Union School teachers.

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">I had to correct my earlier thoughts, this didn't feel far from the Union Core at all.

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">Burt's Stair Express turned out to be two container modules stacked and a strange tracked vehicle in front of it.The contraption consisted of tracked frame and a passenger compartment on a articulated arm. A small crowd of tourists and passengers were already assembled. I also noticed a Belmarc approaching.

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">A Terran human in a blue coverall greeted me.” Going up?”

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">“Yes I like to get to the Peak Hotel.”

<p align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">“That be twelve credits and we are leaving in about ten minutes.”