Vestige
Chapter 18

Before she scheduled a tribal meeting on the issue, the Councilor of the human colony of Vestige 2 wanted to go to the newly discovered lake found by the Thuall Clan and see for herself the sentient-sand, as they took to calling it. Over the years, Tyra and the other colonists refrained from taking their respective portable devices with them everywhere as they used to. For one, their stored data and intelligence were simply too valuable to risk losing to a clumsy move by a colonist! Also, they may have been super-advanced devices, but they, too, started to show signs of aging. It was not as if the Colonists had a repair shop around on planet cMaj to go to for parts! So, the councilor decided to leave her portable at her hut.

Many years ago, after synthetic laborer Number Four had joined the Tribe, the tribal members asked the synth if he were willing to help the humans by using its built-in jets to transport the humans around in hand-made carts that they had built for themselves as the colony started to have more young children. Number Four agreed without any hesitation.

What helped the synthetic being to agree so quickly in those days was the fact that the colonists had the ethics to approach him just as if he were a biological being. Obvious and logical to some, but it was that very issue of how humans had treated their synthetic labor force during the times of the great Vestige colony within the generational Ship that was at the heart of the Synthetics’ Rebellion. Had there been more humans on that Ship with the same ethos of Vestige 2, cMaj would’ve been colonized by nearly three million people instead of the fifty-plus humans that were inhabiting it then.

All moot…

Just to make sure there weren’t any of the colonists’ old enemy of the rogue synthetic beings nearby—for, like Four, they were all still in fair working condition—Number Four scanned the lake’s region for any kind of tech or movements. Years ago, Number Four used to hear the electronic, encrypted chatter among his fellow synthetic beings from planet cMaj to the others on those three moons. Synthetic Number Four wasn’t sure if it was good news—in that the other synthetics had died out on the moons due to the naked exposure to space since there was no atmosphere on any of the moons. Or, of course, it could’ve also meant that the synths on the moons were keeping comm-silent…There was no practical way for any of the Colonists nor Number Four to know at that point.

Also, there, still, were the Tardigrades to worry about! Though the relatively new settlement was hundreds of miles from the old Ship’s ruins, there was the possibility the proto-animals’ various species could have migrated to the small lake’s vicinity after fifty years since the Ship’s bombing…not likely, but the village of Vestige 2’s Tribe had to think of all scenarios if they wanted the last of the homo sapiens to survive!

Synthetic Number Four finally slowed his aging built-in rockets and set the two, back-wheels of the handcart down on the ground so he could fully roll the cart with Councilor Housenn Sohill in it. It was one of the newest pushcarts that the Colonists had built in the past few years, so it was sturdy and had more room. Indeed, the former maintenance technician from the old Colony brought along some of the last of her working equipment and tools she still had from those old days of the Ship. She didn’t think she’d need them to observe the sentient-sand for herself, but she always preferred to be prepared.

The councilor and the synthetic laborer agreed that they should park the handcart away from the shoreline of the lake. From what Number Four had told Councilor Housenn Sohill, it was not as if the living sand were a prowling animal one had to watch out for. But neither wanted to chance it.

The two slowly walked up to the small shoreline of the small lake…it may have been a tiny body of water, especially compared to lakes of other planets and moons that were on file from the old Colony, but the two humanoid figures were still dwarfed by the scale of the lake’s rimming shore that spanned miles out from them…it was a sight Tyra had not seen since the artificial lakes within the spinning Colony in the old Ship!

“You humans would have to treat the water the best you can before bathing with it, much less drinking it,” synthetic laborer Four volunteered to the elderly woman. For he had noticed his old human friend getting caught up in the moment of seeing such a sight! Synthetic being Number Four knew humans well enough to know what she was likely thinking after fifty years of not seeing a large body of water in person. “At least, until your bodies can adjust to cMaj’s larger sources of water, given its elements would carry different microbes and chemicals…”

“You know, Four,” the councilor finally said after a long moment studying the lake and its environs, “all those years ago when we first landed on cMaj, we were in such a hurry we didn’t take the time to search out the lakes here…I know what you’ll say: We had a mission of scouting out where to settle two-and-a-half million people!” She somberly shook her head. “We should’ve set up camp here, first! You realize how much time we could’ve saved, even as the village of Vestige 2? Instead of relying so much on cMaj’s rains and extracting moister from its air with the few pieces of equipment we still have…”

Again, a regretful shaking of the head of an old woman that, now, saw so many possibilities before her, via the lake…sentient-sands be damned!

“I do understand your sentiments, Councilor…I scanned the lake and its immediate surroundings this time around since we’re here…”

“And…?” She kept her eyes on the ecosystem in front of her.

“It’s odd, Councilor, how the living sand still does not register as a live-signal on my scanning!”

Now her head snapped to the synthetic being. “So, it wasn’t just our ships years ago that had trouble reading them?”

“Indeed, Councilor…I’m wondering if it’s due to the nature of them being sand?”

They were about ten yards from the shoreline. Tyra frowned at the synth’s last statement. “Four…what if they aren’t sand?”

“My scanning indicates it’s a type of silica. Not quite the same as in the old Colony that originated from Earth, but it’s cMaj’s version of it.”

“You’ve visited here since the Thuall clan discovered the lake, right, Number Four?”

There was the slightest of a pause from the computerable. “Yes, and if I’m anticipating where you’re going, Councilor Housenn Sohill, I have not actually been in the sand nor touched it. I pictioned the area for records and, of course, took chemical readings of the area…but, Councilor, you’ve seen Chemist-Salomenes and her family experiment with samples of the sand on my recordings. The Salomenes clan would’ve discovered something acutely alien to us during their experiments.”

Now Tyra’s lined face was locked in concentration while in thought. Synthetic laborer Number Four obliged her; waiting patiently.

“Why aren’t the rogue synthetics here, Number Four? Surely, with their scanning and skimming about cMaj’s surface, I would think they would’ve discovered this lake long before us!”

Again, in an almost human-like fashion, the synthetic humanoid was slow to respond as he thought on her question. “Indeed, you are wise, Councilor Housenn Sohill…I’ve operated under the likely assumption the other synths on cMaj have discovered this lake and most likely would’ve known about the sand’s sentient qualities. We, synthetics beings—like humans—also utilize water as well. But for cleaning and other, more maintenance, purposes. It’s probably why we don’t see any signs of the rogue synthetics here. They most likely utilize it when they need it and move on. Being that we are, yet, enemies of the rogue synthetics, I don’t expect them to inform us on any discoveries they may find.”

More long thoughts from the elderly woman. “No cMaj’s version of fish or other aquatic species in the lake?”

“Unless there are some microscopic species that aren’t registering, similar to how the sand is not registering as life…otherwise, I’ve detected none.” He directed his angular, pitted and aged head toward the calm lake. “I suppose we should venture into the shore and the water to find out for primary investigative purposes?”

“Number Four, isn’t it usual in ecosystems to have more—far more—than one species in them? Predators, preys, and all that…?”

The synthetic being visibly lifted its human-like head and surveyed the lake. “Yes, Councilor. You are correct on that observation…”

“So why is there only, apparently, one species of a living organism in this particular ecosystem that’s not showing up in your scanners, my friend?”

A small pause from Number Four. “Because, Councilor, like the rogue synthetics and myself, the sentient-sand, here, is synthetic!” He said this with almost as much emotion as a human would respond with surprise!

The old woman, Tyra, silently nodded her head; her eyes never leaving the lake before them…by that time, she had noticed the subtle changes of the shoreline since they had arrived there!

“So much for making our direct-solarvoltaic glassware with the sands of cMaj!”

The synthetic’s head swiveled toward the councilor. “The morality of utilizing a living being—even as a synthetic one—for technological pursuits is but one of the major issues facing you and your tribe, Councilor Housenn Sohill…if we are correct about this sand being a synthetic organism, the logical follow-up is: Who made it and placed the organism here!”

Now Tyra began to shake her head and paced a few feet farther away from the shoreline. The tiny Colony was now in a conundrum that was more fitting for an advanced civilization that they were no longer apart of!

“Four, is it possible that a lifeform could evolve on another planet with different rules from our Mother Earth’s so that such species could be synthetic?”

“Possible, but not likely…we are the aliens here, of course. But in regards to your question, if that were the case, why would only one species evolve as synthetic while the few vegetative species that are here are purely organic?”

She hadn’t thought of that! Tyra nodded as she thought further on the issue.

“Probability that another, more advanced lifeform designed, constructed, and placed the sentient-sand here, Number Four?”

“Ninety-eight, point-nine percent, Councilor Housenn Sohill,” came the synth’s response without delay that time!

She looked at him with wide eyes and stopped dead in her pacing. They both silently looked at each other, then back at the very slow-moving shoreline. For they knew what the implications of understanding the synthetic nature of the sands of cMaj meant!

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