05/08/2014
EXCERPT FROM Solar Quicksand PART II: "OBSCURA SOLDIERS ON"
In the hallucinatory haze of the solar desert beaming against their laminated cloth, the lab-coated scientists attempt to explain their final analysis to the Captain on a new cosmology hitherto unknown to Obscuran science. Shaking with realization, the scientists hold up the shard of revelation they collected from one of the skyscraping black mountains that spiral from the glowing sands.
_“So, you’re saying everything we know is wrong?” the Captain condescended a stare on the two scientists.
_“Essentially, yes…” One of the two brought out a clockwork astrolabe that depicted the Obscuran solar system. Amid much holography, the mechanical model showed in the glimmer of multihues the largely unexplored planet the Obscuran Empire hailed from as well as the great gas giants that lay on the outliers of known space.
_“Hmph, this cosmological model shows the world to be round,” the Captain declared derisively. “I have led many expeditions into the far side where the ice walls of Frigia wail out to know a neighbor. Empirically, all known charts end there and many in the military High Command have concluded—conclusively—that is where the world drops off.”
_“We’re well aware of what the military struggles to understand,” grimaced the scientist whose name tag glistened in the solar sands as Ada. “According to our collected knowledge on star charts, the globular sphere that is our planet, and the recent unraveling of the ancient writings carved out of this mountain’s peak, Project Mirage delivered Odessa from unexplored waters past the Charted Line” —she leveled a finger along the checkered line that lay past the borders of Obscura and followed a course through the ethereal space in between—“to the surface of the Sun.”
_The Captain blinked a few times. Slow understanding began to register across the panels of his face but no new command was returned. After a stretch of silence, the other scientist, Arvo, finally chimed in: “We’ll work on uncovering more information on our situation but so far that’s all we know. We can definitely declare that this is the first time in human history Obscurans set foot on the astral plane. Who knew space travel had a place outside theory?”
_Ada and Arvo looked hesitantly at each other a moment as the fervent hope began that the Captain wouldn’t throw them both in the brig for scientific heresy. Instead, the Captain’s confusion disappeared as a look surfaced in his eyes that spoke volumes of a new strategy. “Bless the Abyss! We know now what we must do to save the Empire from the hive-minded brutes… The saving grace of Project Mirage have continued our path past the pages of history to this new era of prosperity. We will annex the Sun!”
