Джек Макдевитт - Windrider

“It makes me wonder,” said Marty, “whether each box generates its own image. Or whether it's created at a central site. Maybe we're looking at something through field glasses. Of a sort.”

The word 'menu' appeared often. “I don't understand it,” said George. “A list of dinners?”

Marty shrugged. “Don't know.”

“Magic,” George said. “How did they do such things?”

And how could they let it all slip away? “They were good craftsmen,” Marty said. “Wizards, in their way. But it did not help them.”

George shrugged. “The sun became dangerous. Not much anyone could do about that.”

So Iris raced ahead, beyond the sea, to find a cooler land.

The blue and brown sphere continued to grow. In fact, by sundown, one could literally watch it expand.

During dinner, while Marty admitted his bewilderment at what they were seeing, George began thinking he'd like to start for home. They hadn't been harmed, but he was spooked anyhow. And suddenly a message blinked on, superimposed over the globe. They were white block characters:

IRIS: YEAR 372, DAY 212 // ALPHA CENTAURI III

Orbit:

SIDEREAL PERIOD: 0.87 Standard Yr

PERIHELION: 0.93 AU's

APHELION: 0.96 AU'S

A/C III:

EQUATORIAL DIAMETER: 15,300 km

OBLATENESS: 0.004

MASS (EARTH = 1): 1.06

DENSITY (WATER = 1): 5.3

ALBEDO: 0.44

AXIS TILT (DEG): 18.7

PERIOD (D/H/M): 1/1/17

ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION (ARTIFICIAL): None Noted

MEAN EQUATORIAL NOON TEMPERATURE (EST): 28 C.

George stared. “What does it say?”

Marty's jaw dropped. “My God,” he said. His voice was choked. “Look at the first word.”

Iris.

Marty copied the message down and puzzled over it through much of the evening. George took the horses out for water and a walk. He rarely noticed that he could not read, seldom had reason to regret the deficiency. But today he felt his limitations. He promised himself that he would make time to learn.

When he returned, he found Marty in a state of exhilaration. He was hunched in front of the panel, glowing with pleasure.

The image had changed dramatically. The sphere was gone, and they seemed to be looking deep into a patch of blue sky. But they were falling. White clouds swept upward, from the bottom of the picture. A new legend had appeared:

SEPARATION COMPLETED 031143Z.

“What's happening, Marty?”

“I'm not sure. But I think we're seeing the Windrider.”

“How could that be? Where is it coming from?”

“Beyond the sea, I suspect.” He wiped the back of his hand across his lips. He looked drained. “George, she is speaking to us. To us. To you and me.”

George, obeying some deep, primitive reflex, fell to his knees. Elation and awe washed through him. His entire life, all the things he had known during his thirty-odd years, every moment, seemed to point to this instant. As if he had been given sudden sharp purpose, as if everything he had ever done had been intended to bring him here.

“She's found Eden. Somewhere out there, she's found a land where the sun is cool and the rivers are full. And she is using the technology of her time to show us. And to urge us to follow.”

“Follow the Windrider?”

“Why not? The Navigators have shown us the way. All we need do is set our compass to the southwest.”

“But she travels through the sky. We cannot go there. ” White clouds billowed, brilliant in the sunshine. “How could we possibly do it?”

“A stout boat,” said Marty. “There is nowhere we cannot go with a stout boat. And faith.”

Another message blinked on:

ATMOSPHERIC ANALYSIS:

NITROGEN.....................79.114%

CARBON DIOXIDE...............16.308%

OXYGEN....................... 2.395%

ARGON........................ 0.744%

HELIUM....................... 0.431%

NEON......................... 0.41%

METHANE...................... 0.261%

KRYPTON...................... 0.227%

NITROUS OXIDE................ 0.082%

XENON........................ 0.028%

BIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS: NEGATIVE

Marty had no idea what it meant. But he understood he had been given hope.