Descending Road - THE WITCH'S FIELD by Dana W. Paxson

THE WITCH’S FIELD

0 NC, Day 0, Hour 14

“Beyond all hope?” Miriam asked.

Susan said, “Long after you left, we matched your trajectory data with more-recent findings of the regions of space through which you were traveling. You were headed for an almost-certain collision with debris in a cold system that was mapped out in four point four four oh HC by some automated surveys. It was named Baba Yaga’s Field: a complex multi-body system, radiating no significant energy, containing many millions of small asteroid-like bodies of all types orbiting several small black-dwarf stellar masses. Your path took you through it.”

“But we made it.”

“Only barely, and only because of much work. The architects of my flight found your records in five point nine nine nine HC. We launched from Earth in six point oh eight oh, and found you in six point one six three HC, well into your trip. A few of you had been awakened to repair the damage from Baba Yaga’s Field; only one survived the awakening to perform repairs, and there was much work he could not do.

“This ship grew my bio-womb in this cylinder, and my bio-womb birthed the little Nains that boarded your big old vessel. They got the surviving repair worker back into cold sleep, and repaired the remaining damage. I re-accelerated, and arrived here to fulfill the original mission.

“I estimated that you might not complete your journey. My ships could not carry people, only genes for people, along with the machinery needed to bootstrap the first few human beings and their essentials. As much as I wanted to, I could not evacuate you.”

“Not many of us survived the Sleep,” Miriam said. “Who were these Nains?”

“Little mechanics. They checked your cryogenics, and everything should have worked. What happened?”

“We think a virus got in as we went into Sleep,” Miriam said, remembering Allan, swallowing to choke back a lump in her own throat. “There’s only six hundred of us left alive.”

“We expected some losses, but not that much. We did all we could do. Now listen, about the lander—“

“But why…" Why didn’t you just go on and let us die together, instead of slowly like this? Miriam stopped the words in her throat. Her vision reddened slightly.

“My power is running out. I’ve been talking too long. Please listen.” The woman’s voice grew urgent, and her words came rapidly. “You still have a potentially-lethal problem. Your lander needs reprogramming; the planetary atmosphere has aerodynamic characteristics that will destroy the lander if it is used as it is.”

Story List	SURPRISE ME	Author Page
USER SURVEY	PUZZLE ME	MAKE ELM MARK

HOVER Lucida Bright BARE	HOVER Lucida Bright FULL	HOVER Palatino Linotype BARE
HOVER Palatino Linotype FULL	HOVER Times New Roman BARE	HOVER Times New Roman FULL
PAD Arial BARE	PAD Arial FULL	PAD Lucida Bright BARE
PAD Lucida Bright FULL	PAD Times New Roman BARE	PAD Times New Roman FULL


	THE WITCH’S FIELD 0 NC, Day 0, Hour 14 “Beyond all hope?” Miriam asked. Susan said, “Long after you left, we matched your trajectory data with more-recent findings of the regions of space through which you were traveling. You were headed for an almost-certain collision with debris in a cold system that was mapped out in four point four four oh HC by some automated surveys. It was named Baba Yaga’s Field: a complex multi-body system, radiating no significant energy, containing many millions of small asteroid-like bodies of all types orbiting several small black-dwarf stellar masses. Your path took you through it.” “But we made it.” “Only barely, and only because of much work. The architects of my flight found your records in five point nine nine nine HC. We launched from Earth in six point oh eight oh, and found you in six point one six three HC, well into your trip. A few of you had been awakened to repair the damage from Baba Yaga’s Field; only one survived the awakening to perform repairs, and there was much work he could not do. “This ship grew my bio-womb in this cylinder, and my bio-womb birthed the little Nains that boarded your big old vessel. They got the surviving repair worker back into cold sleep, and repaired the remaining damage. I re-accelerated, and arrived here to fulfill the original mission. “I estimated that you might not complete your journey. My ships could not carry people, only genes for people, along with the machinery needed to bootstrap the first few human beings and their essentials. As much as I wanted to, I could not evacuate you.” “Not many of us survived the Sleep,” Miriam said. “Who were these Nains?” “Little mechanics. They checked your cryogenics, and everything should have worked. What happened?” “We think a virus got in as we went into Sleep,” Miriam said, remembering Allan, swallowing to choke back a lump in her own throat. “There’s only six hundred of us left alive.” “We expected some losses, but not that much. We did all we could do. Now listen, about the lander—“ “But why…" Why didn’t you just go on and let us die together, instead of slowly like this? Miriam stopped the words in her throat. Her vision reddened slightly. “My power is running out. I’ve been talking too long. Please listen.” The woman’s voice grew urgent, and her words came rapidly. “You still have a potentially-lethal problem. Your lander needs reprogramming; the planetary atmosphere has aerodynamic characteristics that will destroy the lander if it is used as it is.”