Book 3: Chapter 11: Remains
Bill
March 2223
Epsilon Eridani
I was making some modifications to Bullwinkle when I got a ping from Mario. I gave my roamers instructions that would keep them busy for a while, and rematerialized my VR.
Mario popped in a moment later. He turned to Jeeves, who had appeared at his elbow, and requested a coffee, then sat down and gazed at me.
“Okay, Mario, I know you well enough to realize the inscrutable act always means trouble. What’s up?”
He looked down and smiled, acknowledging the score. “Yeah, okay. Uh, I’m not sure where to begin.” Mario took a sip of his drink, then put it down and laced his fingers together. “You know we’ve been continuing to scout the stars around GL 877, trying to map out the Others’ depredations.”
I nodded. “I’m guessing the dramatic pause isn’t to give me good news.”
“Hah!” Mario shook his head. “If anything, they’ve been more active in the other direction. Probably a combination of luck and proximity of the stars in that area. Anyway, we’ve found five other life-bearing planets that they’ve depopulated, including another civilization. Late industrial, early atomic era. About equivalent to Earth in the mid-twentieth.”