In addition to the large cigar-shaped object and the one that looked like coral, there was a third that resembled a squat black diamond with poles projecting from the base.
To Lamont’s eye, the landing bay—that almost certainly being its function—was shaped not unlike a wedge of cheese. He estimated that it must have been essentially a one-quarter cross-section of the tower’s cylindrical shape, with two mostly straight walls connected to a long, curved wall following the structure’s circumference. The space, then, was massive, extending over a hundred feet in every direction from where the asteroid pod had set down nearly in the center of it.
Ed pointed a gloved finger toward the long curved wall, indicating a barely visible rectangular seam that, from where they stood, began over fifty feet over their heads. “That’s where we came in,” He said, as if to himself. “So the moon is below our feet, and the tip of the tower is up that way.”
“Which way should we go?” Lamont asked.
“Assuming we can find a way to leave this room, and that we have a choice, I vote for up,” Clifford suggested.
“I agree,” Said Spratt. “We know a little bit about what’s above us. Almost nothing about what’s down below.”
The party started to move slowly in the direction of the wedge where the two straight walls met. Like seemingly every other corner in this room, this one was not a right angle, but rather was joined by a curve. Likewise, the ceiling (and of course the floor) were flat, but were joined to the walls by slopes. Floor, ceilings and walls all seemed to be made of the same material, all but unbroken by seams, rivets, or any other recognizable infrastructure. From a distance, the surface was a pearlescent white. Close up, Lamont noted, it had a definite texture that reminded him of rock salt; a crystalline structure that seemed to combine a transparent base with particles of other jewel-like colors. The huge space was uniformly lit by a soft white glow that emanated from indistinct points somewhere inside the floor and ceiling.
Just as he said he would, Chief Covington stayed at the base of the asteroid pod’s ramp, folding his arms over his chest as the rest of the party added distance between them.
“Can you still hear us, chief?” Abigail asked.
“Loud and clear, lass,” Arthur answered.
“The EM signals are all outside, being directed away from the tower,” Bishop noted. “No interference with our signals in here. In fact, I haven’t found another radio channel being used for anything yet.”
“Check in every ten minutes,” Arthur directed. “If I don’t hear you after thirty, I’ll take action.”
“What are you going to do?” Ed scoffed, turning briefly to look toward the security chief. “Fly out of here yourself?”
There was no audible answer, but Lamont looked over his shoulder to see Arthur shake his head and pat the holster of his pistol meaningfully.
“Let’s hope these walls aren’t too thick,” He muttered.
“Oy, do you think we should check those out?” Rosemary asked, waving a hand to indicate the other objects or vessels that shared the space with the asteroid pod. In addition to the large cigar-shaped object and the one that looked like coral, there was a third that resembled a squat black diamond with poles projecting from the base. Vehicles seemed like the obvious guess as to their function, since the asteroid pod had arrived here from the outside, but Lamont could see nothing on any of them that looked like portholes or rockets.
There was a brief flutter of opinions over the radio. Ed, being the most senior staff member present, summarized them. “We’ll take a closer look before we leave if we can. Let’s focus on the tower itself for now.”
Lamont was in agreement. One mystery at a time.
In the space of about two minutes, they had spanned the distance between the asteroid pod near the center of the space and the curved corner that would place them near the diametrical center of the tower. Their craft looked alarmingly tiny and fragile from this distance.
“What are we looking for?” Rico asked, beginning to trace his gloved hand along the wall.
As if in answer to his question, there was a sudden movement at the center of the concave corner. The security specialist leaped backward, holding out one arm to shield the others while the other reached for the holster at his hip.
“Easy!” Exclaimed Spratt. “It’s just a door.”
So it was. Without any noise at all that could be picked up by their microphones, the seamless center of the curve had slid open to reveal an entrance into a smaller chamber of some kind.
“This place,” Lamont observed, “Is nothing if not accommodating.” The dark tone in his voice betrayed his discomfort.
I can't help but feel that their nearly pure confidence in their safety isn't appropriate. I get that they are here to explore. But the value of exploration is in what is learned. By the living.