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Gov. Bright approved of Mita Morgan’s curiosity and interest in some of the older buildings of Sparkle City. "With all the problems caused by that house church, it is a delightful diversion to find a newcomer concerned with our past." He prepared to give her a quick history of what seemed the distant past, right there in the hallway. True, the city wasn't much more older than a decade old, but already some of the early structures had been abandoned and fallen into unsightly disrepair. "I wish my niece showed more

interest in our historical sites. I know she appreciates our parks and memorials, but it's good to know our whole past, even about sagging buildings, and what they had once been.”

Osmo Martin and the Security Leader politely waited in the hall as Gov. Bright launched into a discourse of the old, delapidated building's significance. He turned out to be a fairly good story-teller. Mita Morgan could almost see, as he told her about them- the first people settling on this world, unsure if their stay would be temporary or permanent, in order to explore more of the planet. This had happened shortly after the rescue team for Dr. Hope Martin had found the space station lab which had been sucked through the wormhole. The settlers/explorers set up hasty camps of pre-fabricated houses and labs, sponsored and supplied by Martinology, and then they set off to find anything that could be useful and helpful for those on the Earth.

The mineralogist of the team found the nearby hills and mountains- nearby the future site of Sparkle City- to be practically nothing but rock. Instead, he wanted to explore that blue-gray mountain in the distance, and he led a group of like-minded men and women to the place. The team found on the surface of the side of the mountain, halfway up, a few fascinating reddish, sparkly rocks, and they decided to dig further, to find out how much of this stuff was in the mountain. (It turned out, those back on Earth later discovered, that the planet seemed to contain many veins of the strange red sparkly rock.)

When initially the rocks had been found, the team puzzled as to any value their find might have, besides possibly for use in decoration. Then, the mineralogist excitedly discovered that, digging only by hand, he had uncovered larger, similar rocks. But a few of these uncovered stones were almost solid red. They sparkled much more brilliantly. These rocks appeared to be purely one substance, one element, not mixed with impurities like those they had found on the surface.

The mineralogist took a shovel to dig out the rest of the whole pure stones from the soil for testing back at the lab.

One of his team ran over to where they had earlier set down their supplies when arriving at the mountain, nearly fifty yards downhill, to get the recorder and make archive the event. It could be something historical. He called to the mineralogist to wait for the camera to be ready, before digging out more rocks.

So, setting the recorder on a tripod, the historian angled it upward to the spot on the mountain where the others leaned over to watch the mineralogist dig out his find. The recorder operator double-checked his settings, and prepared to dash back up the slope to rejoin them (and thus to be sure to be immortalized on the recording their discovery, if it turned out to be important). Before he reached them, however, suddenly, a bright flash wiped out the whole group above, leaving only the filmer behind, and he with much scorching and burns. It turned out that they had found a rock of pure energy fuel, with very little of the normal impurities in the rock which made power fuel ore reasonably stable.

Immediately, the rocks were recognized as being a potential fuel, a powerful energy!

And so, Earth sent some more people to conduct tests (cautiously, now) on the reddish, sparkly rocks of the blue-grey mountain, and they soon realized how the ore, when mixed with impurities, became an impressive and much-needed- and controllable- energy resource. And because of that, Earth sent lots of cheap building materials and supplies to the settlers, to encourage them to stay long and to mine the fuel ore. (This was before the Leaders became so tight-fisted, Gov. Bright made sure to point out to Mita Morgan.)

A crude barracks for human miners was swiftly constructed near the site of the explorers' first encampment by the sea. They kept far enough from the mountain, just in case any more pure fuel rocks exploded, perhaps with an even larger blast, which could possibly blow up the whole mining mountain. Since the pay was good, they took the job and the dangers that went with it, digging out the ore from under the mountain. After working hours, they went back to their barracks, where they could rest and relax, and at least know that during their off-hours they were far enough from the mountain so as to be safe.

And then more people arrived, looking for work, and becoming miners. And others followed them to the World of Hope- merchants and builders of semi-private houses and masons and food-preparers, setting up a sort of civilization. What was a camp for earlier explorers became a boom town, and that was how Sparkle City began, and that old claptrap building about which Mita Morgan asked had at one time housed the original miners.

"Many of our houses at that time were constructed with native rocks, not the fuel ore kind, of course, which are in abundance in this area, until a steady flow of cheaper building materials from Earth proved more cost-effective. And experimental Enviro-Gens were set up in the zone, as well, and not only here, but also in other parts of the globe," said the Governor. “Step by step, the World of Hope’s environment became more people-friendly over the years. However, the dust from the ore, slightly radioactive, accumulated in the human miners' bodies, and took its toll. It was worse than expected. So the humans stopped mining the ore and abandoned their barracks. Their old living quarters, full of dust, went unused. Nobody tore it down, because, by this point in time, there was almost a whole town here, and if the barracks were demolished, all that ore dust would be stirred up and possibly contaminate everything, perhaps causing health difficulties. The townspeople didn't want to take that chance, so they just left the abandoned building stand there all these years and mostly forgot about it. It wasn't a structure that was built very well, and yet, there it is, still standing.

"Earth didn't know what to do, meanwhile, because mining the ore proved bad for the health of the human miners. The Leaders tried to get the mining done with robots, but, well, robots aren't that good at such tasks requiring problem solving, especially not the robots back then. Nobody wanted to mine the ore anymore- too risky health-wise. An accidental explosion was always a possibility, but degenerative health was a certainty, if one stayed mining the fuel ore. Radiation poisoning treatments in those days were not as good as these days, of course. And using hazmat suits would be impractical."

The Governor rubbed his cheek, recalling those days. "I had been appointed Governor at that time, and I saw Sparkle City became less and less important before my very eyes, because the ore was no longer being gotten. But yet Earth wanted and needed the ore. I suggested sending hardened criminal to the World of Hope to do the mining, and we found a way to enhance their bodies so they could dig much, much ore, and not be affected by the accumulation of the dust. We used robot guards and human guards for the criminals, and the human guards were rotated to other duty outside the mines on a steady basis so as not to develop health problems. And so, we were back in business, you might say, digging out the ore. All in all, I'd say the mining operations work fairly well now, except Earth won't send us what we deserve in help and supplies- but I am sure everyone present already knows that.”

Gov. Bright noticed her expression, that she had something she wanted to tell him about that building. "But you didn't ask me about the place because you were concerned about its history, did you? Why do you want to know about it, then?"

Mita Morgan answered, "I think people are using it again, and not miners. Bad people."

"Who?" asked Gov. Bright, having an inkling whom she meant.

She told Gov. Bright and Security Leader Clyden how she had spotted that woman Francis, probably from the house church, in the vicinity of the old miners' barracks, and how she and Sheila had lost her very close to the building. Mita Morgan said, “I am more than willing to make a bet that that is where the house church people are meeting for their illegal practices!”

"But that would be foolish of them, with all that dust-" Sec. Ldr. Clyden began.

Osmo Martin, meanwhile, listened silently. Inwardly, he fretted for his friends, if Mita's hunch proved correct.

Gov. Bright, however, suddenly realized Mita Morgan must be right. "Of course! As a temporary place, it is safe enough to hide out there! And nobody would expect anyone to make their headquarters there- No wonder we haven't been able to hunt them down. Why didn't you think of this, Sec. Ldr. Clyden?

"My Security Agents are systematically hunting for their hiding spot, Gov. Xavier. We will find them eventually, no matter where they are.”

"It is better that we find them immediately, rather than eventually, before they can do more mischief,” the Governor replied. “Anyway, you gather all your Security Agents ASAP for a raid on the old miners' barracks. I think we may finally have them!"

Before Sec. Ldr. Clyden could respond, Mita Morgan asked, "What about Osmo, Gov. Bright?"

"What about him? His ankle is still mending," said Clyden.

Mita Morgan replied, "Oh, but you must bring him along! I am sure he will want to be in on the action. Besides, I know for a fact Sheila worries about where Osmo's loyalties lie, considering how some of his friends have joined up with the house church. Well, now he can prove to her how loyal he is to Gov. Bright. Right, Osmo?"

"Um-"

"An excellent idea," the Governor agreed. "Security Leader Clyden, please be sure to bring along Osmo."

Clearly annoyed, Sec. Ldr. Clyden agreed. "Okay, Gov. Xavier. Well, c'mon, Punk, get into uniform. We got us some drug-dealing dissidents to catch!"

Uh oh, now what can I do to help Albert and Jane? worried Osmo Martin. He didn't know what to do. He had looked into whether the drugs were planted at the Grametz raid or not while his ankle repaired itself (as Jane Ashton had suggested when he was hanging over the edge of the bridge), but he had found nothing. And no wonder, since, if those drugs really were planted there at the raid, how would Osmo be able to prove that? Security Leader Clyden had many more years of experience hiding things than Osmo Martin had of searching and finding things. And now this- would the Security Agents plant evidence there at the first miners’ barracks, as well, if the house church was there?

Osmo Martin silently growled, Oh, why can't Mita mind her own business?

And, just out of sight, X-9, having carried upstairs to Sheila her shopping spree prizes, had quietly snuck back down the steps to eavesdrop. Uh oh, what to do? he wondered. He yanked his robot tracking device from his head port and tossed it aside into an unnoticed corner of the foyer while the people talked in the hall. Then the robot hurried out the door.

(c) 2012 drk