Gardens of Destruction

Glancing at his watch, Patterson expected the technicians to have completed the installation and connection of the robot for direct linkage to the station. He hoped there wouldn’t be any glitches. The machine was still in its experimental phase, and this would mark its first real test. While he didn’t anticipate issues, it was designed for alien conditions. Who knew what might occur? Seeing the scientists slowly return and head towards the control center, everyone gathered, and the engineers were prepared to establish the connection.

The enormous room was filled with an array of curious technology. A myriad of screens displayed diverse information related to the object. Everything was from the most cutting-edge versions, including strictly confidential technology never utilized before, but the moment demanded leveraging all resources. The control room spanned two levels, with the elevated platform designated for higher-ups and scientists, ensuring they wouldn’t obstruct the operators.

“Activate the feed!” the general commanded.

A visual image appeared on the screen. No one had dared to approach the object this closely before. The video was jumpy, swaying left and right, posing the risk of everyone getting motion sickness.

“The robot isn’t on wheels but legs,” explained Professor Bernstein. “It’s imperative to use such a design, considering the terrain we’re traversing.”

“Increase the camera stabilizer to a higher degree,” he turned to one of the engineers at the console.

The Earth’s layers had bent like plowed fields, only with colossal chunks jutting meters into the air. A large portion of them seemed shiny and black, alluringly reflecting the sunlight.

“This is a reaction to the high temperature and extensive friction. Everything melted, and quartz in the rocks seems to have turned into glass,” continued the scientist.

The robot approached the immense mass of bent earth rapidly. The tension in the room also escalated progressively with its movement. The camera’s stabilizing functions yielded results, and the image no longer swayed as much. Everyone wished the device would reach the object’s base sooner. Those few hundred meters of scorched surface felt like several kilometers. It seemed like an eternity for the machine to get close enough. The object’s size was such that its proximity wasn’t felt; it still appeared just as enormous on the screens. Eventually, it became clear that the robot was close. A slight unpleasant smell began to linger, and one of the scientists seemed to have started sweating due to the tension.

“Here, we’re almost there!” Professor Bernstein unconsciously clenched his fists to the point of drawing blood.

“Calm down, you’ll have a nervous breakdown!” the general tried to joke, displaying concern despite not showing it as evidently as the others.

The robot, swiftly maneuvering across the rough terrain, was just a few meters away from the base when something unexpected occurred. As it moved forward, it was suddenly thrown backward as if it had collided with an invisible wall. The air seemed to expand, returning to its rest, resembling the surface of water. Thanks to its eight legs and the stabilizing system tailored for challenging terrains, the device managed to hold its ground and avoid toppling over. The engineer operating the robot issued a forward command again, but the situation repeated once more.

“What the devil is happening?” the general swore under his breath, looking questioningly at the professor.

The latter shook his head, lips pressed tightly together, scratching his stubble thoughtfully. He started rubbing his sore beard. The robot remained in place, and the operator awaited further commands.

“General, I can’t tell you what’s happening. It seems to be some kind of shield that it can’t penetrate. Wait a moment, let me think!” and he exited.

The uniformed man followed. Outside, construction was in full swing. An entire new city of prefab barracks and other structures was being erected. The professor sat on the steps by the main entrance, observing the bustling activity of the people.

“Berenshtein, what’s happening?” Patterson inquired, following him outside.

However, the professor paced back and forth across the base’s courtyard, oblivious to anyone around. He paused momentarily and then resumed his stride. It took quite a while, and the general started to grow impatient, although he was familiar with the scientist’s active contemplation state. It wasn’t the first time Berenshtein had closed himself off. Patterson sensed that this time it might not last long. He remembered periods when the scientist had remained in this state for days, seemingly unable to extract him. Yet he was willing to wait, as long as necessary, given the professor’s unique intellect that had solved not just one but numerous difficulties during their collaboration over the years. Suddenly, the bearded scientist halted, gazing steadily into Patterson’s eyes, who dared not speak, waiting for the solution, hoping there was one at all.

“General, I believe I know what we can do,” he announced triumphantly.

“What’s the problem, according to you, Professor?”

“I think I know why the nuclear warheads had no effect.”

“What? This, how should I call it... barrier?” the officer still seemed puzzled.

“Exactly! There is indeed a shield. That’s the reason. The missiles detonated before even touching the object. I knew there wasn’t a material that could withstand a nuclear blast! It’s a field!”

“What do we do now?” the general asked, concern in his voice.

“I have an idea, but we need to try it with the robot. Did you see how the air bent when it collided with it?”

“Yes, there was some strange effect, but I’m not entirely sure what I saw. Everything happened too quickly. How do you think we can penetrate it if even a nuclear warhead failed?”

“Come, let’s return to the control room and check if my theory holds true.”

The two hurried back to join the others, eager to test the professor’s theory. As soon as they entered, the scientist headed toward the robot operator, standing behind him and peering at the monitor.

“Tell me, at what minimum speed can the machine move?” he asked.

“Well, I’m not entirely certain about the exact figure...” the young man fretted.

“Relax, I don’t need you to report a specific value. I just want to try something. Is it ready?”

“Whatever you say, Professor!”

“Then try moving the robot at the slowest possible speed you can achieve,” he ordered.

“Yes, right away, Sir, I’ll attempt it!”

The young engineer began executing the professor’s plan. With the joystick, he began to move it step by step toward the object. It seemed like it would take hours to reach the invisible wall. The movement was so slow that people in the room started getting anxious due to the prolonged wait. But the professor didn’t give up on his idea, even though no one understood why it needed to be done this way. Suddenly, the operator shouted:

“I feel resistance in the joystick. I think we’ve reached what threw us back a while ago!”

“Calmly, young man. Continue to guide it slowly forward! We’re getting through!” the professor, excited, couldn’t take his eyes off the screen.

The engineer continued pushing the joystick forward; both he and the robot seemed to be under considerable strain. But despite everything, it appeared they were succeeding; the device kept moving forward despite the resistance. Everyone in the room fell silent, waiting to see what would happen.

At one point, the robot surged forward abruptly, almost colliding with the object. Only the young man’s quick reflexes prevented the collision. Everyone understood that it had successfully breached the invisible barrier and started clapping. Some went to pat the young man on the shoulder, particularly the professor.

“Congratulations!” Patterson couldn’t contain his smile, shaking hands with the scientist, who had turned as red as a tomato.

“I hoped this time I wouldn’t let you down!”

“Anyone else in my place would have figured it out.” the professor modestly replied.

“Now, let’s see what else we can do,” Patterson interrupted the euphoria quickly.

Everyone focused on the monitor screen; the robot was right in front of the object.

“Let’s begin the procedures,” Professor Berenshtein commanded. “First and foremost, we need to explore the surface for microorganisms.”

The robot was well-equipped, containing everything necessary for independent field research on alien planets or asteroids. NASA had intended to send it to the Moon for testing before its primary task: exploring Martian rocks for water. The device housed a miniature laboratory for rapid microorganism analysis. The machine operator immediately ordered samples to be taken from the object’s surface without compromising its integrity and initiated the analysis.

Meanwhile, the camera focused on the shell of the embedded asteroid. Its structure appeared just as smooth as from a distance. The dark matte surface resembled construction material, yet it faintly shimmered, as if embedded with miniature crystals.

A substantial amount of time passed before the results from the samples emerged. Finally, the object began to relay the information received from the analysis. The microbiologist on the team quickly set to interpret the data. After a relatively short analysis, he reported,

“Colleagues, you can rest assured. There’s no cause for concern. It appears that no life has developed on the object’s surface, at least not at a bacterial level. The initial seeding yielded no results. However, before we fully lift the quarantine, I suggest we wait another twenty-four hours.”

“Alright, gentlemen, will the owners of this spacecraft be terribly upset if we breach its integrity?” Professor Berenshtein smiled.

“Whether they like it or not, we’ll take a sample from the surface,” the general raised his eyebrows.

The robotic explorer possessed various tools for taking samples from rocks and various formations. Its mechanical arm pulled out one from its arsenal and attempted to cut a piece from the object. However, the blade left barely a trace on the surface. No one expected this, as the material with its structure seemed somewhat fragile, giving the impression of wood.

“Retrieve the diamond-tipped cutting blade. Let’s try to chip off a very small piece, just enough to familiarize ourselves with the material’s composition before deciding how to cut it if necessary.”

The robot retrieved another tool, specifically for drilling into extremely hard rocks, equipped with a genuine diamond tip. This proved effective, as the camera now clearly showed a small hole left by the drill bit.

“Will we be able to carve out a small piece, even as small as a pea, to bring it back to the base?” the general inquired.

“I suppose,” the professor replied. “If we drill at an angle and then straight in, perhaps it can be done. I’m not a structural engineer, damn it,” he added, visibly irritated.

“Patience, let’s not argue. It’s clear we’re making progress. Bear with it a bit longer,” the officer looked sternly at the scientist.

Despite hopes for quick success, obtaining a small piece cost them immense effort. After about half an hour of drilling from different angles with the diamond-tipped instrument, they finally managed to chip off a small flake, which the robot placed in a hermetically sealed container before receiving the command to return to the base. Everyone was excited, eagerly awaiting the chemical analysis of the material. Only the general noticed that Professor Berenshtein had secluded himself in a corner of the room, resting his head on the desk, staring fixedly at a single point.

***

The military vehicle approached the small barracks in the middle of the field at high speed. The sparse trees could not hide the ugliness of the building, nor the clumsiness with which it had been built. The vehicle braked suddenly, raising dust that made the eyes of everyone inside start to water. Several soldiers quickly jumped out of the vehicle, led by Captain Davidson.“How I want you to stay by me...“, again this annoying song sounded in Mark’s mind. He was already tired of not being able to get rid of it. And it always came out at inappropriate times.

He shook his head and issued his orders.

“Carefully, look around everywhere. We don’t want to take any risks.” Mark looked around tensely, looking for signs of a potential threat.

“Surely it’s just another paranoid who watches too much TV.” one of the soldiers boldly stated.

“Quiet, we have orders to check every signal. Do your job, or I’ll shove your heads up your talkative asses.” the captain hissed in a barely audible but cutting voice.

The silence was nerve-wracking, only the wind reminded them of the presence of something alive. Mark and the rest of the squad cautiously secured the perimeter. Captain Davidson made up his mind and gave the order to enter the building.

The door of the house suddenly opened. Mark quickly deflected the weapon of one of the soldiers, the shot deafened their ears.

“Put the weapon down, clumsy ass!”

Something like a human, or a caricature of a human, jumped out from inside. A scruffy, unwashed farmer with the look of a patient who had just escaped from the asylum. He waved a strange bag in front of their eyes and threw it disgustedly to the ground. Captain Davidson approached the blanket and unfolded it with the tip of his machine gun. He looked shocked at what he saw. His subordinates watched him in fear. Mark whispered barely audibly:

“This is... damn it, the general must be notified immediately!”