For the next several days, Ethan spent the majority of his time with the science team, assisting in the set up of their new research facility amid the books and reference materials and keeping Colonel Patterson informed as to their various findings.

By the end of one week, the library no longer resembled the quiet reading respite it had once been. Every table was now a workstation, with scientists paired off to work on projects both holographic and tactile. There were a handful of locals milling about at any given time, being shown equipment and offering over samples or explaining something about their world.

There was a sculpture in the center of the room, a massive bird launching off an intricately detailed globe, with its feet barely touching the base while the wings - arched upward beyond its beak -- touched the ceiling. The globe lacked any details of continents or land masses, but was covered in writing in the native language. Ara had interpreted the words for the group as their story of creation, where the great gray birds had hatched both black and white offspring, separating their peoples.

The statue was where Ethan spent a lot of his time. Ara had confessed no one knew who'd created it. It simply was, when they moved into the gray city after the peace accord was signed. In fact, all of the sculptures and art in the large council building were already in place. Their artists simply copied the designs.

"You keep staring at that thing like you expect it to come to life."

Ethan looked up and shrugged as Kathryn approached. "Maybe I wish it would," he said.

"Maybe it just did." Kathryn handed over a scanner. "Todd finally got into that old ship's database. The codes are so antique, it was hell to decipher."

"Where's Todd, by the way?"

"He'll be right back." She nodded at the small handheld he was holding. "You should take a look at that."

Ethan turned his attention to the small monitor in his hand. "The Gray Bird," he read aloud. "You're serious?"

Kathryn looked at her brother. "We figured as much, though. Didn't we?"

Ethan nodded. "I guess so, yeah, but -- this isn't gonna go over well."

"I don't see how it could." Kathryn sat on a bench beside Ethan. "There was a man on board -- Doctor Donald Hightman. He was a bio-engineer and genetic manipulator."

"Manipulator?"

She nodded. "Apparently it was his idea to alter the DNA of this landing party's offspring, for a better adaptation to the light and dark sides of this planet."

"The white and black eyes."

"Exactly."

"So these people are from Earth."

Ethan looked up as Colonel Patterson strode up, followed by Todd.

He nodded to Ethan, then looked at Kathryn. "Isn't that right, Doctor Griff?"

Kathryn glanced at her brother, then nodded to Patterson. "It would appear so, Colonel." She pointed to the computer Ethan was holding. "The Gray Bird was launched from New Zealand, in January of 2098. It was one of four ships launched from nations participating in the first Starlight program, back when light speed was new and untested."

The colonel nodded. "They were never heard from again."

"Roughly two hundred years later, probes were sent out in the hopes of finding habitable worlds without the same risk to human life," Todd continued. "One of those probes crash landed here, and never transmitted back."

"Exactly," Kathryn agreed. "But the crew of the Gray Bird had no idea their signal wasn't reaching Earth. They landed here fully expecting hundreds of other ships to follow once they heard this planet was able to sustain human life. They happily set about preparing a colony and building this city here in the bowl of these mountains, in order for the new arrivals to have homes."

"It would have taken twenty years for the first ships to come," Todd continued. "So they had plenty of time to build this city and begin DNA manipulation to better prepare the next generation to live in a light and dark world."

"Only those ships never came," Ethan said quietly.

"Until now." Colonel Patterson tugged at his shirt and turned to Ethan. "We're going upstairs to meet with the council, they've asked for a full briefing and explanation. Doctor Griff, Doctor Knott, I'd appreciate if you both could join us."

Ethan looked at his sister, who shrugged and stood. "We'd be happy to, Colonel."

"Sir, you realize this isn't going to be easy for them to take," Ethan cautioned. "I'm sure many of them suspect the truth by now, but to come out and show them proof, it's --"

"I imagine it's akin to having someone land on Earth and show us all proof that Jesus of Nazareth was really Jesus of the planet Ubungu," Patterson said.

"Or that aliens really did build the pyramids," Kathryn added. "A very few would accept it, most would scoff, and a few -- maybe even more than a few -- would reject the information with some hostility."

Ethan nodded. "That's exactly the reaction I'd expect," he said. "These people have a mythology unique to their world. Before we landed here, they'd never even looked to the stars and wondered what's out there. On the light side, you can't even see stars."

"So we'll tread lightly," Patterson said with a shrug. "It's still truth, pretty or not. They deserve to know."

As Kathryn and Todd gathered some printouts of the computer data, Colonel Patterson handed Ethan another side arm.

"I know your sister is armed and can take care of herself. What about her boss?"

"Todd?" Ethan glanced at the man as he shoved some printouts into a file and shrugged. "I got him to carry a small handgun the other day, but he's not too comfortable with it."

Patterson nodded. "Well, that's what they have us for."

When they reached the council meeting room on the top floor, Ethan saw a table on the stage this time, with four seats on the far side, facing the tiered council chairs. Ethan counted only twenty four council members seated now, waiting to talk with them, where there had once been thirty. He found Ara, but couldn't catch her eye as she was deep in conversation with the woman beside her.

As they all sat down, a hush fell over the room and Yuri stood, clearing her throat.

"Much has happened here, since last we met with you, Colonel John Patterson," she said using a formal tone. "We have many questions for you now."

The colonel remained seated as Yuri took her seat. He nodded to them all. "Questions I'm sure will be answered easily enough."

Ethan finally caught Ara's eye, but her expression was impossible to read.

The colonel continued. "The ship out there, in the light, is from our world, Earth. They were an advanced colony, like ours, and when they landed, this world was completely barren of human life."

A murmur spread through the audience, but it seemed they'd already had some time to digest that possibility.

"The ship was called the Gray Bird," Patterson continued. "And explains your stories about a great gray bird that gave birth to your peoples and no longer exists." He glanced at Kathryn. "Doctor Griff and Doctor Knott were able to decipher the information from the old shipwreck, and it explained quite a lot."

Ara stood before the colonel could continue. "But we have been here for generations," she said. "So many, we have markers for the dead too many to count." Another murmur moved through the audience. "How do you explain this? Can one ship have produced so many offspring in a season?"

"No, of course not," Colonel Patterson replied. "We saw a cemetery in the darkside, and right now we can't explain the numbers. But I'd like to send Major Griff and small team to investigate that soon. We're curious, as well."

Ara sat down and the woman beside her nodded in victory.

"However," Patterson continued with a raised hand. "That does not negate the fact that your people are from our world. Your ancestors landed here, in that ship, and built this city to house the rest of the colony they were expecting to arrive," Patterson said. "We can't explain why none of this history was passed down from one generation to the next, unless it was simply lost during your civil war."

Councilman Gorane stood, interrupted the colonel's speech with a raised hand. "But even your own doctors have stated there are differences between your peoples and ours. Differences of the body."

Colonel Patterson looked to Kathryn, who cleared her throat.

"There was a scientist on board the Gray Bird by the name of Donald Hightman. He was a genetic reorganizer. That means he had the expertise to create adaptations that would give future generations advantages on a world with a light and a dark side. It's common practice on our world to alter new generations and exploit adaptations."

"It was not done with the intent of separating your peoples," Todd added. "Simply to advance them in ways that would secure their future on this particular planet."

Councilman Gorane shook his head. "So you are telling us that we are from your world, and you are the other ships that they were expecting?"

"No," Patterson shook his head. "We were not coming here, to this planet. Our ship was pulled off course by a signal, transmitted from here, on this world."

"How is that possible?"

Ethan took a turn then. "We're not sure exactly where the signal source is located," he said calmly. "Just that it does seem to have come from this area." He glanced at Colonel Patterson, who nodded for him to continue. "The ship, the Gray Bird, had equipment onboard that would have been salvaged and transported somewhere. It's our belief that equipment is still functioning somewhere. The signal would be so primitive now, our computers would be unable to interpret it correctly. We're assuming that's why our ships were drawn here, and why they exploded when trying to launch satellites. Some kind of programming in that old signal corrupted the computers."

"The most likely scenario is that this transmitter was set up generations ago, and simply forgotten about," Patterson added. "We're hoping to find it and turn it off."

Ara stood then to address them. "Many of our peoples have expressed a dislike of your theories, John Patterson, even before we knew them to be truths. They've left our gray city to spread the word to the rest of our peoples. Now that we know your answers, more will go and tell the others. Some of our peoples from the darkness are taking great offense to the idea that life on our world began in the light."

"Technically, life here began in the gray," Ethan said. "The ship only landed in the light."

Ara nodded. "But a few do not feel this way."

Colonel Patterson sighed. "Prejudice is a natural byproduct of the human condition, but I assure you it is unfounded. Even on our world, no one cares where life actually began. That ship could just as easily have landed in the darkness, like we did."

Another councilman stood, this one from the darkside, though Ethan hadn't seen his name plate in time to read it.

"Or that ship could easily have landed and been welcomed by our peoples," he said. "They could have found us the same way our Starlight language found us. That vessel fell from the sky, but did not bring our peoples into being."

Agreements and loud mutterings spread through the room as the councilman nodded in triumph and sat back down.

"We admit, there will always been a kernel of doubt," Kathryn offered. "Without any first hand knowledge of the ship, or her crew, and without any written historical record, an argument can always be made for or against any theory."

"Then what you are telling us could well be untrue," Yuri said. She looked pointedly at Ethan. "You have been to the dark side. You have seen the graves. Do you expect to find a way to make that untrue?"

Ethan took a breath and noticed Colonel Patterson watching him, waiting for his reply. He nodded to Yuri. "Yes, I have been there. I saw markers stretching into the darkness. But I have only Eferia's word those were all graves. I could only see those closest to me."

"He'll return and investigate," Patterson offered. "With a team from both sides if you like. We're also curious about the markers ourselves." He looked to Ethan, then back to the council. "But will your people be likely to believe what he finds?"

"You have yet to determine what he will find," Councilman Gorane said with a shrug.

"Regardless of that, and regardless of your history, our people are here now, and have no choice but to become a part of your world." Colonel Patterson replied.

Ara stood as Councilman Gorane sat down.

"As we said before, John Patterson, your people are welcome here. Whatever issues our peoples might have with our past and your news, that has not been altered." She glanced around the group and received more nods than looks of frustration. "You are free to occupy our unused buildings and find ways to become useful within our community."

Ethan noted a shift in the colonel's posture at that statement, but he simply nodded in response.

"In that case, your people may consider themselves free to explore the information we've collected from the Gray Bird. I'll instruct our science and technical staff to offer prints and an explanation of anything they don't understand." He stood then and pointed to Ethan. "In the meantime, Ethan will leave for the dark side, with a small team consisting of Doctors Griff and Knott, as well as anyone you'd like to send along. He'll investigate the grave sight in an effort to determine exactly what, if anything, we can all make of it."

Ethan stood and offered his sister an apologetic shrug.

"None of our peoples can see well in the dark," Ara replied. "But we will trust what Ethan Griff finds. As for the darksiders--" She turned to Councilman Gorane, who stood again.

"I will send word to Tolen and Eferia. They will meet you at the hollowed grounds."

Colonel Patterson smiled. "Good, it's settled, then. They'll start out first thing in the morning."