Fragments 1: Devolution Landing

Site Two

They had been at the new site for two days. A fresh aerial survey had revealed the existence of an old camp which had been established within the loop of the river. There were signs of dry-stone houses, camp fires, and long-term habitation. Doctor Morfier had been particularly excited by the discovery of a few middens where kitchen waste and human excrement had been buried. She took great delight in explaining to Ran Perracheck that these murky finds were really exciting because they revealed a huge amount about the lives of the early settlers.

Professor Androbos had moved into professional mode, and had gone to great pains to organise the Rymerian survey team - and to educate them in proper archaeological procedures. He spent most of his time striding across the site barking orders. Elveren had hardly slept since there were so many things that he wanted to have done. She didn't complain, and was genuinely pleased to see how much he was enjoying himself.

Time was passing quickly however, and she was becoming increasingly concerned about the approaching deadline. The professor was losing himself in the minutiae of the work, and she worried that he would lose track of his responsibilities. On many previous occasions, they had started a dig like this and he had soon been playing for time or simply stayed a little longer than planned because there was always more that could be done. She didn't think the Trucanni would be quite as patient as the average construction team back on Sirius Four.

Mel Moorfier seemed to be equally obsessive, but in a different way. She was an expert on the planetary ecologies of the Terraformation Period and was keen to learn as much as she could about the flora and fauna that the settlers had encountered. She spent hours poring over microscopes, working her way through the waste material that was emerging from the middens, or wandering through the site, inspecting the bushes and grasses.

Marcus Babin had focussed on the various artefacts that began to emerge from their excavations. Some of these were fragments of metal or plastic which had been reshaped to form tools or jewellery. He seemed to think that they might give him clues to the home planet of the colonists. He drifted from trench to trench, muttering to himself as he made notes on a pad.

Only Perracheck seemed able to resist the lure of discovery. He was more than willing to help and always seemed to be busy, but he didn't seem quite as excited as his colleagues. Elveren wondered why he had been picked for the team. What was it that he brought? Why had the Secretary insisted that he come along?

Once the second site had been discovered everything had moved forward in a blur. There was a lot to do and the whole team became incredibly busy. There was little time to think about wider issues. They had set up tents nearby and set to work straightaway. The Rymerians had been happy to help and the excavation had moved forward quickly.

They were learning a huge amount about the life of the early settlers, but each discovery merely raised more questions.