rogue_3

Maryam returned to Rhine Lab HQ a few months ago. His appearance in Trimounts is such a rare occurrence that when he walks through the corridor to Control's office, most people only recognize him through the characteristic sound of his cane tapping the ground. In this regard, electronic equipment has an advantage. The ID card that had travelled the entire length of Terra immediately identifies its bearer as Mr. Andenate Maryam, who has an appointment with Control.

As usual, Rhine Lab's Control sits before her console, eyes fixated on a model on the monitor and hardly reacting to her visitor. With one hand she gestures for Maryam to sit down, while with the other hand she flicks across the panel, causing the ideas of countless Rhine Lab scholars to flash across her display. Maryam wordlessly puts down the application files for the survey project and remains standing before her desk. He prefers the feeling of standing on real terra firma to any futuristic aesthetics or ergonomic designs.

'The Infy Icefield?' Kristen finally picks up the application. 'Fifteen members. The largest polar survey to date.'

'Our accumulated experience and the facilities at the base station are sufficient to support an expansion in our survey activities. Many mysteries still lie hidden in the endless icefield, and it's time we discovered them.'

Getting a meeting with Control was not an easy thing these days. Maryam knew that her trips away from HQ have become more frequent and longer in duration. Maintenance staff at the Scientific Investigation Section reported that she had quietly visited many remote survey locations before spending long periods at the location of the underground signal near Trimounts. He had a hunch that she had already found what she asked him to look for, back at that party.

But her ambition was not his concern. He was here because every survey project in the Scientific Investigation Section had Control's signature on it.

'Would you not go if no one agreed with you?' Kristen suddenly asked.

The Kuranta, never one to be verbose, snorted.

The answer was obvious. Even if there were no mission, no recognition, Maryam the explorer would continue to walk towards the unknown horizon on his own, cane in hand. 'I believe we can get closer to the end of the Infy Icefield,' he said, pointing to the application.

'Infy Icefield... yes, Infy Icefield.

'The continuation of one of your survey projects, a partial answer to your spirit of exploration—I met God, you know. As close to omniscient as you can get, Maryam.

'He told me things about the end of the icefield that I thought I should share with you.'

Jon frantically jots down notes, while Sophie compares previous data on the icefields to the visitor's statements. The research station's life support system runs without a hitch, providing heat and clean water to this rare glut of visitors. After a few hours of conversation, the members of the research team begin to accept that the Sarkaz visitor was who she claimed to be—a Cyclops who lived in seclusion in the northern mountains of Sami. One with the gift of foresight. Prophet or not, her information was detailed and accurate. She would make a good guide.

'On behalf of Rhine Lab's Scientific Investigation Section, I hereby express our interest in working with you,' said Maryam, who had remained silent up to this point. 'I have just one question.'

'Go ahead.'

'You claim you need to work with outsiders because you saw what lay deep within the icefields. Have you ever reached the end of the icefields?'

'I can tell you of the dangers I have foreseen.'

Foreseen. Maryam mused upon the word. Prophet. Omniscient.

He laughed, something that was decidedly out of character for him.

'This isn't the first time someone's tried to tell me what the end of the endless icefield looks like.

'But don't bother. Let's see it for ourselves.'