Lemuria by Burt Clinchandhill (most popular novels of all time .txt) 📗

worked a keyboard or touchscreen. The wall-sized video screen was divided into two halves. The left one showed what looked like a huge empty construction hall, except for some large steel towers. The right side of the screen was divided into four smaller screens, each about ten feet tall, displaying changing views of what looked like forest scenes.

“What is it?” De Cremonese whispered.

“It looks like a command center of some kind.”

“Do you recognize anything or anyone?” De Cremonese asked.

Bishop scoured the room. “Not that I can see. But most of the people are sitting with their backs to us, so I can’t be sure.”

“It’s enormous.” De Cremonese sounded admiring. “It kind of reminds me of the control centers used on the Apollo flights. You know, in the sixties and seventies? The one you always see in the old clips about the moon landing. What’s on the screens?”

“I’ve no idea,” Bishop answered. “Some kind of big assembly hall and on the smaller ones, forests, I guess. There’s text above and below each of the smaller screens that I can’t make out.”

De Cremonese put both hands to the porthole, pushed his head against them, and started mumbling. “Pa... paracug... no, Paraguay and Ayo... uh, Ayoreo. Paraguay, Ayoreo, it says above the top left. And top right... Bolivia, Toromona,” he said after a moment. “Bottom left... uh, India, Sentinelese, and the last one—”

“Let me guess,” Bishop said. “Peru, Mashco-Piro.”

“Yes. How did you know?”

“I know what we’re looking at.” Bishop turned his back at the window.

“What is it?”

“The missing tribes. I think we found them all. You know, the Mashco-Piro we found aboveground? I’m convinced the other three tribes are also on the island and are being kept in other parts of the hidden building topside.”

“So, four abducted tribes are held captive here?” De Cremonese asked.

“Without their knowledge,” Bishop added.

“But how? Why don’t they escape? We simply walked in. Why don’t they simply walk out?”

“Why would they?” Bishop stated. “At their original location, they never left their surroundings, thus being the last isolated tribes. Now, here, nothing has changed for them as far as they know, so....”

“Why would they leave,” De Cremonese finished. “That leaves the bigger question: why are they here in the first place?”

“I guess that is, indeed, the bigger question,” Bishop confirmed. “I don’t think it’s solely to study them. They could have just as easily done that at their original location, and it would have been a lot less expensive.”

De Cremonese put his face and hands back up against the porthole.

“What are you doing?” Bishop asked.

“I’m trying to make out what the text below the screens say. They’re values or something like that. Do you have your binoculars on you? I left mine on the bike.”

Bishop handed him his pair.

With a loud clunk, De Cremonese put the binoculars to the window. Realizing his mistake, he immediately sunk to his knees while Bishop rolled away from the window and up against the adjacent wall.

Bishop gawked at De Cremonese.

“Sorry,” De Cremonese mouthed. After a long moment, he slowly stood up again and cautiously looked over the edge of the porthole. “I think we’re okay,” he whispered.

“Don’t ever do that again,” Bishop demanded.

De Cremonese softly put the binoculars just in front of the glass and peered through them. He mumbled, “Pressure... temperature... UV intensity.” He turned away from the porthole. “I think I know what this is.”

“‘What this is?’”

“Why these tribes are here,” De Cremonese replied. “You remember we talked about terraforming Mars, and I suggested it as a possibility for the two rockets?”

Bishop nodded.

“I’m now convinced he’s doing it. He’s using the tribes as guinea pigs to see if sustainable life on Mars is possible.”

“What?”

“Simple. Did you notice anything different above when we were looking at your Peruvian tribe?”

“Different?” Bishop shrugged.

“Or strange? You remember you said you felt a little lightheaded?”

“Yes, and now that you mention it, it’s completely gone.”

“Sure, it is,” De Cremonese remarked. “Mine too. Did you also notice something about the light?”

Bishop squinted his eyes and thought for a second. “Well, I guess it was a very bright day?”

“It was an exceptionally bright day, and yet it wasn’t warm. It was even a bit chilly.”

De Cremonese searched his pockets. “Here.” He took a coaster from his pocket and handed it to Bishop.

“Heineken?” Bishop smirked.

De Cremonese turned the coaster over in Bishop’s hand. Bishop read, “‘Gravity, temperature, pressure, radiation, oxygen.’”

“The big five problems you need to overcome, should you terraform Mars. Gravity on Mars is about a third of Earth’s. Not something you can train for here, but that shouldn’t be the biggest problem. The temperature can be stabilized through terraforming, but the changes will always be much bigger than on Earth. The same goes for atmospheric pressure. Then there’s—”

“I get it,” Bishop interrupted him. “He’s experimenting with the tribes to see what effect terraforming the planet Mars will have on humans. That way, he’s testing if sustainable life is possible on Mars.”

“Hence the lightheadedness from low pressure, the bright light to see the effects of high UV radiation, etcetera.”

“But why the tribes?” Bishop asked.

De Cremonese sighed. “Maybe he’s also experimenting with their physicality? Maybe because the tribes are the least evolved, and the least susceptible to change?”

“Hmm.” Bishop plucked his chin.

“By the way, I also think I have an idea about the construction hall.” De Cremonese sounded cocky as he grabbed the wheel on the door and softly tried to turn it. Nothing happened.

Bishop pointed to a small sign above the door that read, ‘Exit Only.’

De Cremonese shrugged. “Had to try it.”

“And then, Father, what was your plan? To simply walk in?” Bishop shook his head. “What idea did you have about the construction hall?”

De Cremonese opened his mouth to speak but reconsidered when he noticed a man in the control room walking fast-paced toward the door. “We need to go fast.”

Bishop glanced through the porthole and noticed the man.

Both men now ran down the hallway to the other door. De Cremonese arrived first, and without seeing if there