Page 17 of Spectral Seas (Spectral Worlds #2)

T HE STERILE CLEANLINESS of the Bah-Moo-Da mine was a stark contrast to the dim, drab prefab village above. With its bright, highly polished surfaces, the mine was uncommonly clean; even the orderly, stacked, syndicate labeled crates and containers were without flaw. Every fifty meters, a shaft shot out to the left side of the main cavern; these too were filled with tram carts and miners—mustard suit workers not at all as gloomy as those in the village appeared to be. They bustled about with huge smiles across their near duplicate faces and not a one showed the slightest of interest in the visiting entourage.

“There don’t seem to be any issues here at all,” said Leta. “Everyone appears to be happy.”

“That is just our way,” said Nahl. “I assure you, all are quite upset now that the phantom has appeared once more.”

“His Highness told us that this phantom is to blame for the disruptions,” said Leta .

“Oh, yes,” said Nahl. “Indeed, the phantom is to blame. The trouble began when he arrived. Once we drive him out, optimized production will resume. Just a little farther.”

At two-hundred and fifty meters in, they reached the fifth shaft, then stopped. Nahl gestured to a pilot waiting beside in an electric tram transport with a Viridian trident insignia decal on the side. The pilot nodded then climbed in. Nahl placed one foot onto the tram after him then, to the group, said, “We’ll take the transport into the garden. Please board.”

The entourage climbed onto the bench seats, Leta and Abby behind the pilot, Ugghwa and his Captain on the next bench, and the two guards on the bench facing the rear.

Once everyone was onboard, Nahl took his seat and the tram launched on its way.

The corridor was a straight shot, and Abby’s ocular put the flickering emerald light at its end a bit less than half a kilometer away. In minutes, they’d neared the opening. The captain gurgled loudly, and the tram stopped short of exiting the tunnel. He and the commandos disembarked and double-timed forward into the larger chamber, this time with their pulse rifles raised and ready to fire. Once secure, the captain waved in the tram.

The corridor opened to a massive natural earth chamber, lined above and below with gardens of bright glowing emerald crystals; and tending to them was a cadre of mustard clad gardeners.

“This is the mine proper?” asked Leta as they stepped out of the tram.

“Yes,” said Nahl. “These are the Viridian Gardens.”

The cave appeared to be parallel with the huge carved tube where they’d entered, running endlessly in one direction and stopping abruptly at an artificial wall in the other—the deep pool lay just beyond. Two massive pipes, coiled with finned heat exchangers, ran from the near pool end, through dangling daggers of emerald stalactites overhead above the where they stood, and into the distance; and on an elevated platform that accordioned up from another small tram was a team of repairmen, hard at work welding a damaged section. The flickering in the corridor, Abby discovered, was not caused by the crystals, but rather from the sparks cascading down onto the floor.

Nahl gestured toward the workmen. “You can see,” he said, “that our response teams are promptly addressing the incident.”

“And what exactly are they repairing?” asked Abby. “I mean, I see it’s the pipe. But what exactly do you think happened?”

“There was a rupture in that section of the coolant pipe. It happens sometimes when the phantom appears.”

“Only sometimes?”

“The coolant pipe, only sometimes. The crystals, every time. Come,” said Nahl. He walked the group around the workmen’s tram and pointed to a section of the emerald garden below the damaged section of the pipe. “The crystals, every time.” In the middle of an emerald garden, where there should have been crystals, was a wide swath of empty rock.

“It’s concave,” Abby chipped. Then aloud, he asked, “Premier, I have to ask. Are you sure that no one in the mine is stealing from the garden?”

Nahl’s thin lips dropped to a frown. “We grow the crystals. We nurture them. We know each one. An emerald is cherished by us. We would know if it was someone here.”

“It’s part of the investigation,” said Abby. “You understand. To ask even the most obvious of questions. ”

Nahl replaced his frown with a less than sincere half smile. “Of course,” he said. “I do understand.”

Leta drooped her head.

“What is it?” Abby chipped.

“I sense something,” she said.

“Something?”

“Someone.”

“Nahl, how often have these incidents been occurring?”

“They were rare at first. Very sporadic. But the phantom comes once, twice a day now. You see that garden there, and that one there, and so many others, harvested before their time.”

“The crystals that disappear are premature?”

“Oh, no,” said Nahl. “They are fully developed crystals, but smaller than the standard we choose to harvest from. You see there is a size growth ratio for opti—"

“I see,” Abby said, his eyes fixed on Leta.

Nahl nodded but his smile was tenuous.

Uhggwa reassured him. “I believe we have an understanding now.” Then to Abby and Leta, he said, “Perhaps we can retreat to the main hall. I’ve asked for Nahl’s people to set up a temporary habitat. You can rest there while you consider next steps.”

Abby stepped away from the group, his focus on the repairmen. “Uhggwa, my good friend,” he said. “Would it be quite possible for Leta and I to stay here?”

Nahl was again upset. “That would be highly unusual. We’ve prepared a space for you. It’s best we—”

“Premier,” interrupted Uhggwa, “the Benediximus is most trusted by the crown. If it is his wish to remain in the gardens, so be it.”

Nahl threw his fist to his chest. “By all means, your Highness.”

~*~