A sporadic signal came to still another area. As efficient and obedient as ever, the Legion released the Swarm to their deadly task.

[Gan]

Mora left early in the morning to more closely inspect the latest blight along the east coast, while I stayed behind to scrutinize the satellite data, hoping to define the timing and make sense of it — anything to help us find an answer.

First, I examined solar events, radiation data, weather patterns, and whatever else I could think of. But nothing correlated, and I was no closer to a solution.

I met up with Samir for lunch, hoping he found something.

"Nothing." Samir said, shaking his head. "No sign of any known pathogen. No toxin. No sign of ionizing radiation, no thermal event. We still have more tests to do, though. What have you found?"

"Nothing definitive," I answered, putting a spoon down. "The blights started just after the Ark Hope arrived. Can't say that was a cause — correlation does not necessarily mean causation. And too many other things happened around the same time, so it could be completely random. Still worth looking into it, though." I paused in thought. "Something else bothers me. Based on the images, the first blight took several days to kill a small patch. Each time, though, it seemed to get better at killing, more efficient. With the most recent incident, it took less than a day to wipe out over a hundred square kilometers. It is as if the blight is learning by experience."

Samir wrinkled his forehead. "An intelligence? That would be particularly disturbing."

I shook my head. "We need more information."

I made no further progress that afternoon as my mind dulled, so I took a walk around the city on what otherwise was a pleasant afternoon, allowing my mind wander as I ambled about.

Being with Mora has been wonderful. I had fallen hard for her, and I think she had for me. Although, I can be clueless about such concepts.

But there were some things I did not understand about her. Like, why were her feet so cold at night? Why did she act so serious all the time? How could one person generate so much loose dark hair?

And why would she choose me?

Once we figured out this blight, I would look into these questions.

As I continued to walk past a row of storage buildings toward a public recreation area. Deep in thought, I almost ran headlong into another walker, who seemed equally distracted.

"Oh, sorry Liz."

"Gan? So are you looking for answers, too?"

I nodded. "I was hoping some inspiration would find me."

Liz let out a sigh. "Well, if you get some, share it with me. I am at a loss what to say to the public about this blight without making the situation worse. People are getting anxious and I don't blame them. Walk with me."

We continued our walk, mostly silent in our own thoughts, but sometimes making random comments. The recreation area, unofficially named Paradise Park, nearly lived up to its name, featuring open green fields between sprawling tree groves, a round amphitheater within a natural hollow designed for concerts and events, picnic pavilions, and pleasant walking paths that followed a winding clear river, eventually connecting all parts of the town. It was a popular place to gather. But up ahead, someone wearing dark athletic shorts and t-shirt laid lines of white tape against a smooth, high wall beside the amphitheater..

"Eric!" I called out.

He turned and grinned. "Gan! Heard you've shaken things up a bit."

I shook my head, then said, "What are you up to?"

He smiled as he opened a duffle bag and pulled out our two aluminum racquets and a ball. "Space Pong! Care to play for the Tau Ceti Four championship?"

Maybe this was the distraction I needed. "You're on!"

I motioned Liz over. "Eric, have you met Governor Liz Quay? Liz, this is Eric Grange, Ark Hope flight engineer and, more importantly, co-founder of Space Pong."

Eric extended his hand. "Governor, pleased to formally meet you. We crossed paths briefly on the ark."

She nodded as she shook his hand. "Eric, yes. But call me Liz outside of official functions."

Eric extended a thumb my way. "Well then, Liz, you should be careful associating with this low life."

She laughed. "Too late for that. Now, show me what this game is all about."

We finished taping the playing field and took a few practice shots. The game played differently at normal gravity, very similar to the old game of squash.

Let the games begin!

Eric served first. This time I was ready for his soft serve and made a hard return just out of his reach. I did not score a point, though, but I prevented him from taking it. Per the official unwritten rules, you only scored on your own serve. My turn. I served hard, but he returned it to the wall equally hard. I ran back and was only just able to put my racquet to the ball and put it low to the corner of the front wall, just in-bounds and just out of his reach. The first point was mine! I picked up the chalk piece and tallied a mark next to my name on the wall.

Eric took his serve. This time, after several volleys, he scored. As I chased the ball into the grass, I noticed a gathering of onlookers. But then, after all, this was the first ever game of Space Pong on Tau Ceti Four — truly a historic event.

I asked Eric as I tossed him the ball. "What's going up on the Ark Hope?"

"Refueling."

"Huh?"

"We separate deuterium from the water we bring up. The fusion thrusters run in electrical generation mode to power the extractors."

As Eric took his position, I served. He made the return and then I muffed the follow-up. No point scored this time. But now it was his serve again.

I asked, "I thought the reactors used helium-three fusion? Much more efficient thrust, I understand."

He served. After a long rally, I forced a miss from him, but gained no game point since it was on his serve. The score remained tied, one to one. My heart raced — this game was harder work at full gravity.

He spoke while we caught our breath. "Yeah. Helium-three and deuterium fusion avoids the neutron generation, which is near impossible to utilize for thrust."

I tried the soft serve he tried on me earlier, placing the ball perfectly so that he could not make a return. That will teach him to stand so far back. The score was now two to one in my favor.

Eric grinned at me as he retrieved the ball. "Good one, Gan, but you are going to pay for that."

I changed subjects, hoping to distract him from his quest for vengeance. "Then where do you get the Helium-three?"

"We make it from the deuterium. The reactors have a helium-three generation mode and we can extract it before the fusion reaction sequence continues to helium-four. We run in this mode periodically when we get enough deuterium. It really is a cool method."

Something clicked in my mind. I stood upright, frozen as Eric served, and the ball bounced past me.

"Gan?" Eric said, wrinkling his forehead.

"Eric, are there any radiation emissions with the process, gamma rays, or high-energy particles?"

"Very little. The reactors are heavily shielded and we monitor it. Why do you ask?"

"Something I'm investigating. Can I get that data?"

"Sure," Eric replied, shrugging. "You should have access to the whole data historian, but let's finish the game first. I'll serve again."

The crowd of onlookers grew as we played on, eventually taking sides and cheering us on. I never led again, although I kept it fairly close, and we had some spectacular rallies making for a good show, but in the end, he beat me. Yet again. We made exaggerated bows to the crowd applause afterward. Many came up afterward to ask more about the game.

Liz glowed as she pulled Eric aside. "Eric, you're a genius. This is exactly what the people need, some way to blow off the stress of recent events. Would you be willing to teach Space Pong here? Perhaps set up tournaments? I ask you officially as governor."

"Umm, sure Governor," he answered, "but I have duties on the Ark Hope."

"I will clear it with Captain Greer. And I will direct that more courts and equipment be constructed per your specifications. This means a lot, Eric. Thank you."

As Liz walked off, Eric came up to me with brow furrowed. "Looks like Space Pong will become the official sport of Tau Ceti Four."

I replied. "Awesome! You are really coming through for us, buddy."

Eric shrugged, apparently still confused about the turn of events.. "Sure, I guess?"

With spirit renewed by Eric and Space Pong, I returned to the astrophysics center within the dome. But my mood dropped at the grim expression on the satellite operator's face. I knew what it meant. The blight had struck again.