"Ghost, this is Reaper, come in."

Ethan flicked on the transmitter and watched as the image of Colonel Patterson appeared in the room. "Go ahead, Reaper."

"We're in a second village," Colonel Patterson replied. "This one is full for some harvest they're doing. Their entire village is here, Griff, and there can't be more than eight hundred of these people."

Ethan blinked. "Eight hundred?"

"In a village big enough to hold several thousand," Patterson replied. "There's something going on here. Something has to account for these numbers."

"It was their war," Ethan replied. "But I had no idea they were that decimated." He was having hard time processing it, let alone convey it with any confidence. "They really did come to the brink of extinction, if those numbers are a true indication of the population here."

Colonel Patterson was shaking his head. "It's hard to believe, but everything we're seeing, and hearing, say it's true. Hell, Griff, we could land two fleet ships and outnumber them by a thousand. The entire planet." He let out a short laugh. "It's not bad here, with the sun up and everything, but damn, they don't even use heavy curtains for sleeping rooms. These people like it light, all day and all night." He rubbed his eyes. "I had to cover the window with my vest to sleep."

Ethan refrained from comment. "Captain Marshall's people have put together a transmitter. They're ready to send a signal as soon as you give the word."

Patterson rubbed his chin. "In the morning they're showing us their harvest. It's on some mountainside to the north, and from there I'm told we'll be able to see quite a distance," he said. "I'm taking everyone along for a good look around. The doctors want samples, and I can get Sentinel to scan the landscape. Pyro will stay here if you need to make contact, do it through him first. I want to have a talk with some of these village leaders while the rest of them check out the crops."

"Yes, sir," Ethan replied.

"How do people stay at war long enough to make themselves extinct?"

Before Ethan could comment, Colonel Patterson shook his head and sniffed.

"I'll check in tomorrow. Reaper out."

Ethan was left staring at a blank space in the room. Frustrated, he turned off the transmitter and sat back, staring at the spot Colonel Patterson's image had occupied.

"Still worried?"

Ethan turned as Captain Marshall walked up to the table and sat down. "Captain."

"You know the Colonel better than anyone here, Major," he said quietly. "You should trust yourself as much as he trusts you."

Ethan cleared his throat. "How's the transmitter coming?"

Captain Marshall nodded slowly, smiling. "It's finished," he said. "It just needs to be assembled, then we can send a signal. The council has offered the roof of their large white building. Seems like the perfect spot, actually."

Ethan sat forward, resting his elbows on the table, and considered Colonel Patterson's last transmission.

"Have you seen what these people are capable of, using just polished glass, Griff?" Captain Marshall asked.

"I've seen their binoculars, if that's what you mean. Very impressive."

"Not just that," he said. "Councilman Rella showed me some things today that I can't even fathom how they came to be built."

Ethan looked up, eyebrows raised.

"They have a medical facility here that would blow your mind, Major. These people don't have computers, or holographic displays, or even diagnostic scanners, but they've managed things that would impress any scientist." He leaned forward. "Rella showed me a life-sized human replica made entirely of polished glass slides that are marked with the circulator system, the nervous system, hell, every system there is." He shook his head. "All you had to do was slide these impossibly thin glass layers in or out and you were looking right into a three dimensional human being."

Ethan blinked.

"And they have books," Captain Marshall continued. "An entire room filled with books that detail what their murals look like, and the stories behind them. And they detail this peace accord. It's fragile, the set up they have here, and could easily fall right back into war. But they're trying. And they're doing a damn fine job of it, if you ask me. With a little guidance and the right kind of help, I could see it lasting."

"Colonel Patterson is in a village right now with an estimated population of eight hundred."

"They're decimated," Captain Marshall replied. "Rella admitted to it."

Ethan looked at the table for a moment. "You told them about the fleet ships?" He looked up at the captain.

"This is a better world, Griff. Our people could thrive here, without struggle."

Ethan stood and paced to the window, giving himself a few seconds to think.

"Of course, this is still a Marine operation." Marshall sat back with a shrug.

"Set up the transmitter," Ethan said. "Put it on standby."

Captain Marshall smiled, then stood and nodded slightly. "Major."

Ethan watched him leave and fervently wished he was still sleeping in a cryochamber on a ship speeding through space, heading to 581c and a promise of a new life.

The next day, Ethan was on his own. Ara had met him in the morning on the roof of the council building to watch Captain Marshall's people assemble the transmitter, but had to spend the rest of that day in a council meeting. With so many crops in harvest, the gray city was emptying out as vendors returned to their homes to gather up fresh stock for trade.

With nothing else pressing to do, Ethan decided to give himself a more detailed tour of the gray city. He took the main roadway down the center, passed the larger vendor stalls where building materials and carts were assembled and sold, then found himself in a completely empty city.

There were large buildings, ready to house industry or groups, and many smaller buildings suitable for houses, shops, even rooms for general instruction, but all remained completely empty.

Ethan took several side walkways, spanning the area in a grid, and found a virtual ghost town of empty buildings and vacant homes. He walked through several, searching for any signs of past life or habitation, and found only pristine stone structures sporting several layers of dust.

After a few hours of exploring emptiness, he returned to the shared building to retrieve a scanner and collect Wingman for some detail work.

"It's the same on the other side, Major," Wingman said as they both approached the empty streets beyond the occupied marketplace. "You get much further than the market where they trade the fermented drinks and prepared breads, and it's nothing but empty buildings and open areas, clear to the mountains where the city ends."

Ethan walked into an empty building, long and open like a warehouse waiting to house nonexistent supplies. "Tolen told Colonel Patterson this city has only been occupied since their peace accord. Before that it was just the walls, keeping the sides apart."

"No way they managed to build all this in such a short time," Wingman replied.

"Something else is bothering me," Ethan said as he scanned the stone walls. "The numbers aren't adding up, but I'm not sure what to make of it yet." He examined the results on the scanner's readout and shook his head. "And this isn't helping." He tilted the reader so Wingman could see the results. "According to this, these buildings are six hundred years old."

"Say, you don't suppose that's the life span of these natives, do you?"

"No," Ethan replied. "Doctor Keller scanned them. They're human, with just a few alterations that are probably due to environmental adaptations."

"And the eyes," Wingman added.

Ethan chewed his lower lip and said nothing. He had a few theories about that, as well, but there was no way to prove or disprove them. "What I'd really like to know is, how they got here in the first place."

Wingman blinked. "I thought they've always been here. I mean . . . No, I guess maybe not, depending on your beliefs."

Ethan pocketed the scanner. "Let's get a grid pattern mapped out. I'd like to know just how many people this city could house, if it were full."

"Yes, sir."

They spent the rest of that day mapping out the city's empty buildings and square footage, roughing out an estimate based on the belief that the two halves of the city were nearly identical, then returned to their shared quarters for the evening meal.

Ethan was in the upper room when Colonel Patterson made his evening contact.

"What's the good word, Griff?" Patterson asked as his image solidified in the room.

"This city is more than big enough to house several fleet ship passengers, Colonel," Ethan replied. "In fact, over two thirds of this city are currently unoccupied, and haven't been used in several hundred years."

Patterson frowned. "How can it be that old, if they've only lived there since they stopped fighting?"

"Clearly their people lived here before the war started," Ethan replied. "It's the only explanation."

"But Tolen said during the war, this was only a wall." Patterson crossed his arms. "I don't think we're getting a straight story from either side here, Griff."

"I'm not convinced it's intentional, though, sir," he replied. "I really get the feeling they're ignorant about a lot of their history."

"It's impossible to be that ignorant," Patterson huffed. "This group has finished picking their fruit, and they're leaving the area. Taking it back to the first village. I've asked if there's another village we can see, more of their people I could visit with, but they just keep saying this village isn't needed now, and they're moving to the next one to harvest grains."

"That same group of eight hundred people?"

"Yes," Patterson replied. "I'm starting to believe that's all there are, Griff."

Ethan shook his head. "It can't be that few, sir." He shifted in his seat as he quickly did some mental calculations. "If they built this gray city seven hundred years ago, big enough to house four or five hundred thousand people, then fought each other using their current weapons--"

"To get down to this few on the entire world in that short a span is a stretch," Colonel Patterson agreed. "Assuming they've been breeding, and taking into account how they've managed to continue to live, grow crops, maintain villages. Also assuming this war didn't begin until those buildings were fully occupied. And it doesn't explain why there are only a few villages, spread relatively close to this gray." He shook his head. "I need answers, Griff. I need to know what the hell they're hiding, before I can allow the fleet to land here."

"It might not be a matter of--"

"Keep me informed," Patterson said gruffly. "I'm exploring further into this light side tomorrow. There have to be more villages out there."

Before Griff could reply, the colonel shut off the com.

"Yes, sir." He sighed, then turned off the transmitter and called it a night.

__________________________________

The next morning, Ethan decided it was time to get serious with Ara. She'd met him after breakfast, and agreed to a tour of the expansive empty sections of the gray city. Ethan took her to one of the large, vacant warehouse spaces.

"Ara, in your lifetime, there has been peace, correct?"

"Yes, this is true," Ara replied. "Except that when I was very young, the time of dying was coming to an end. My early childhood enjoyed the peace we have today."

Ethan nodded. "So, in your lifetime, people were creating these buildings, here in the gray?"

Ara shook her head. "No, they were already here."

"But you told me no one lived here during the war, correct?" Ethan watched her expression for any signs of deceit, but saw only a mild confusion. "What I don't understand, Ara, is who made these buildings. And why there are so many, when your people are so few."

"Because the time of dying took so many." Ara's eyebrows furrowed, as if she was just then hearing her own words and putting some thoughts together. "We were told, by our grandfathers, that to look back is to see our shame." She shook her head and walked to a window, looking out at the empty streets. "They taught us never to question what has been."

"You mean your history?" Ethan asked.

Ara nodded and turned back to face him. "Our books teach us the lessons of the murals, and how to bring in the harvest. We have learned many things your doctors called biology. And we work hard to keep our peace, so that we do not have a return to the time of dying." She sighed and looked at her hands. "But our grandfathers forbad us from learning of their shame, to look upon what has been by those who are not here."

"So you don't know where your people really come from?" Ethan asked quietly. "Or how this city was built?"

Ara shook her head.

"Is there anyone who does know? Do you have books? There has to be someone who knows your past, Ara. The oldest among you?"

"Because of the time of dying, there are no elders," she shrugged. "And this, I was not to tell you, Ethan Griff. The council forbad me to share our shame with the newcomers, for fear it would cause harm. Our shame of not knowing our past."

Ethan stepped closer. "We have to trust each other, Ara, if we're to have any hope of living here with your people."

She looked up, meeting his gaze. "And have you been truthful with me?"

Ethan blinked.

"We are both being careful with each other, are we not?" Ara asked with a slight smile. "Careful to dance with the truth, in fear of what it might bring?"

He smiled, then gave a half-shrug. "I suppose you're right. We're being careful, because we are afraid of hurting, or being hurt."

Ara touched Ethan's face lightly. "I would prefer to be truthful with you, Ethan Griff."

Before he could say another word, Ara leaned in and kissed him.

"Major Griff, this is Commander Ellis, come in."

Ethan didn't register the voice over his com at first. He was staring at Ara, too taken aback to make any sort of sense out of what just happened.

"Major Griff, are you there?"

Ethan cleared his throat and realized he must look like a baffled teenager. He hit the com button. "I'm here, go ahead, commander."

"We've made a discovery in the computer systems, Major. Captain Marshall would like you to come back so we can examine them. In private, Major."

Ethan glanced at Ara, who couldn't hear what was being said. "I'll be right there. I'm on the other side of the city, give me twenty minutes."

"Good enough, Major," Ellis replied.

Ethan looked at Ara, who'd been waiting patiently. "I, um, Captain Marshall needs me."

She smiled and took his arm. "I will walk with you. I promised to show your Commander Ellis how to make beastmeat stew, but I will need to gather supplies."

They walked back to the occupied part of the city and Ara pointed out several buildings his people could take over to use as working areas and meeting rooms while Ethan tried to process the day's events.

Before he could arrive at any sort of explanation for his adolescent reaction to Ara's kiss, they'd arrived at the multi-storied building they'd been using as a command center.

"I will leave you to your business," Ara said. "And return for evening meal, if that is all right?"

"Yes, I'm sure that's fine," he replied.

He watched her go, then climbed the stairs to the office Captain Marshall had set up. There he found the captain and the commander studying some printouts. The rest of the technicians were nowhere to be seen, and the computers were all shut down.

"Ah, Major, there you are," Marshall waved him over. "We've made some rather puzzling discoveries."

"Puzzling?" Ethan stepped across the room and set his rifle on the far side of the table.

"The Solaria's onboard computers were a mess, as you know," the captain said as he waved a few printed sheets in the air. "So much a mess, I was beginning to feel hard pressed not to call it sabotage."

"And now you're sure it wasn’t?"

"Now I'm more inclined to label it an attack." Captain Marshall handed Ethan the print out. "A malicious, direct attack."

"By who?" Ethan stared at the data printout. "Certainly not someone on this planet. They don't even have radio technology."

"I realize that," Marshall said. He looked at Commander Ellis. "We haven't been able to narrow anything down."

"Like the Captain said, Major, our systems were completely destroyed," Ellis said. "We were lucky to discover this much. So far, all we can say for certain is that a signal, from somewhere in this system, reached the Solaria the moment we dropped out of light speed."

"How did it get into the ship's computers?" Ethan asked, still confused by the odd data he was looking at. "How did it get past the fail safes, and the backups?"

"By completely destroying everything it touched," the commander replied with a shrug. "It acted like a virus, spreading throughout the Solaria in an instant and, virtually speaking, melted all the logic systems."

Ethan sat down and set the printout on the table. "Computer viruses are antique. How could something that basic and ancient affect a modern ship?"

"By being exactly that," Marshall replied as he took a seat opposite Ethan. "Something that old and insignificant would have been completely ignored by our systems. Wouldn't have even registered."

"It's like stopping up a complicated, delicate motor by simply dropping a hammer into it," Ellis said. "The motor is to the hammer what a human is to a one celled organism, but it has the power to destroy the motor the same way a microbe -- in sufficient numbers -- can kill a person."

Ethan ran a hand through his short hair, still staring at the print out. The code was so basic, so perfectly simple, it was almost beautiful to look at. "And it came from this system? You're absolutely positive about that?"

"As sure as we can be," Captain Marshall replied. "Remember, we're pulling this out of a system that was completely decimated by it."

"What's the likelihood it came from this planet?" Ellis asked.

"Not much," Ethan said. "These natives have no technology. You've seen that. This gray city of theirs is as advanced and populated as they get." He ran a finger over his lower lip as he thought. "If there's another civilization on this planet, with that capability, Ara's people should have seen evidence of them. Hell, we should see evidence of them."

Captain Marshall shook his head. "No, I can't imagine a culture advanced enough to send a transmission into space can be ignorant of what takes place on half its world. And if they brought us here purposefully, why haven't they showed themselves?" He shifted in his seat. "I rather suspect it came from space. Either orbiting this world, or another. It could even be some stray satellite launched from Earth, trapped in orbit somewhere between here and the jump point and simply leaking an old signal."

"If that's true, then it's going to affect every ship that drops out of light speed," Ethan said. "Every Fleet ship heading to 581c is making this stop."

"Exactly why we're going to have to try and locate the source, and program a counteraction," Ellis said. "One that we can transmit to the fleet ships as they arrive, to protect them from the signal, or override it if need be."

"Can you do that?"

"We're not sure yet," Marshall replied. "I've sent the techs out for a break. We have three weeks still before the first Fleet ship arrives, and these computer batteries needed a refresh. But that's our first priority."

"Worst case scenario, the ships land here like we did, and we colonize this planet," Ellis offered. "But we'll need to ensure their safe arrival, and with this rogue program floating around out there, we can't do that."

Ethan sat back and looked at the captain. "Can you use the transmitter to locate the source of the signal, and destroy it?"

"We hope so," Marshall replied. "I believe -- though I can't say for sure -- we could locate the source eventually. But we'll run the risk of that same transmission bouncing back into our computers, destroying our chances of sending a message to the fleet."

"Their protection is our number one priority, of course," Ellis said. "If we have to sacrifice sending them word in order to keep them safely on course, then that's what we'll do."

"Assuming we can." Ethan sighed. "I need to contact Colonel Patterson and bring him up to speed." He pushed himself up and retrieved his rifle. "Thank you, Captain."

"At least we're a half a step closer to some answers," Marshall said.

Ethan went back to his quarters on the top floor and checked his watch, then turned on the receiver and increased the gain to full.

"Reaper, this is Ghost, come in."

Static replied, so he adjusted the transmitter signal.

"Reaper, this is Ghost, come in."

Ethan waited, checking his watch again, but he heard only static over the com.

He unclipped his rifle and laid it down on the table, glancing at the map again.

"Pyro, this is Ghost, come in."

After a few minutes of static, he turned up the volume and went down the hall to the washroom to clean up. When he returned, the com was still echoing static back at him.

"Reaper, come in." He adjusted some knobs. "Sentinel, this is Ghost, report."

Ethan heard footsteps behind him and turned to find Captain Marshall coming into the room.

"What did he have to say?"

He shook his head. "I haven't reached him yet, sir. Still trying."

Marshall frowned. "It's not like Patterson to miss a check in."

"No, it isn't," Ethan replied. "And he's not going to be too happy when he hears what we have to say." Ethan looked at his watch again and fiddled with the transmitter, but heard only static. "Sentinel, this is Ghost, come in."

"At least we can say, without a doubt, that signal is of human origin." Captain Marshall said.

Ethan looked at him. "Did you imagine it might be otherwise?"

"To tell you the truth, I almost wish it was," Marshall replied. "It's easier than believing a piece of space garbage has brought down what's left of the human race."

"Reaper, this is Ghost, do you read me?" Ethan glared at the transmitter, then turned to the captain. "What if it's another ship in the vicinity?"

"What ship? Earth hasn't launched any long range inhabited ships since the first failed missions before the Starlight probes." Marshall shook his head. "Most likely this is some ancient old satellite that left our system when NASA existed. Drawing power from a solar battery, defying all odds. The stuff of legends, if not our epitaphs."

"Something's wrong," Ethan grabbed his rifle and the portable com unit. "Colonel Patterson's not there, and I can't raise Sentinel." Too much new information was demanding his attention, but only one thing had his focus. "I have to get out there."

"Take Ellis with you," Captain Marshall insisted. "I'll take command here."

Ethan looked at the captain for a moment.

"Major, the Colonel is never late," Marshall said. "Something's wrong. Hopefully it's just with the equipment, but in light of this new information, I don't believe we should take that chance."

"No, sir, I have no intention of it." Ethan clenched his teeth and felt the muscles on either side of his jaw tense. "I'll take Ellis, and leave Wingman here with you."

"I've got plenty of men to keep our people safe, Major," Marshall added. "Take a mobile unit. You'll make better time."

Ethan hesitated, the back of his mind searching for a finger hold on what was bothering him. He shook it off and retrieved his vest. "I'll take Ara and Yuri with me. They'll know the region, and the villages."

"I'll inform Commander Ellis to get his gear."

Ethan nodded, but clenched his teeth in frustration. Colonel Patterson was over an hour late for check in. Their position in the gray city was secure, and he had plenty of navy men here to protect the civilians, and Captain

Marshall was capable of battlefield decisions.

He had to find the Colonel.