Blink Of An Eye : Episode 132 Part B :: EPISODE GUIDES

episode title
Part B

On the planet, several eras have passed and society has advanced somewhat from the tribal huts seen earlier. On the same spot that the shaman first inaugurated worship of the new deity, Ground-shaker, there is now no sign of the altar of Tahal. At this moment the Protector, ruler of this region, stands waiting for the Cleric who hurries up to meet him. A castle is nearby, and in the distance another large stone castle and town buildings can be seen.

On his way to meet the Protector, the Cleric passes servants preparing a small balloon.

The Cleric is out of breath as he reaches the Protector: "Ah, oh, Protector," he pants.
Protector: "You're late."
Cleric: "Well, the hill is steep and I'm not as young as I used to be."
Protector: "More heat."
One of the men working on the balloon answers: "Yes, Protector."
Protector: "There are grave matters of state here that cannot be delayed."
Cleric: "Oh, Protector, what exactly are you doing?"
Protector: "I'm sending him a letter."
Cleric: "Him? Sending who a letter?"
Protector: "The Ground-Shaker, the Light-bringer."
Cleric: "Had you been more attentive to my lessons when you were a boy you would not be so gullible as a man."
Protector: "On the contrary, you taught me well. Our ignorant ancestors believed every star was a deity. You taught me how foolish that was. Superstition you called it."
Cleric: "And that's exactly what it is."
The Protector holds out a fire fruit to the Cleric: "Hungry?"
Cleric: "It's er bad fortune to eat the fire fruit."
Protector: "According to whom? Our ancestors? Don't tell me you believe that old superstition?" He tosses away the fire fruit. "Perhaps we shouldn't completely ignore the old beliefs no matter how strange they seem today. Ground-shaker - ground...shaker... Isn't it possible the name was not given arbitrarily? that this star is indeed responsible for knocking down our walls or making us stumble as we walk?"
Cleric: "Oh yes, I heard about that. My condolences."
At this mention of a moment in which the Protector lost his dignity, the Protector is feeling a bit less tolerant towards the Cleric. "You heard what?" he asks, a little sharply.
Cleric: "Well, that you stumbled in front of several important people during the last groundshake. Very embarrassing, I'm sure."
The Protector is not pleased. He says firmly: "I did nothing of the sort."
The Cleric says diplomatically: "Well, erm, my hearing is not as good as it used to be, nor my memory either. Now, er, what were we talking about?"
Protector: "We were talking about ancient superstitions. Now I don't believe for a moment that the stars are gods but then what are they?"
Cleric: "A great mystery to which there is no answer."
Protector: "I believe the Sky is full of people, like ourselves."
Cleric: "Oh nonsense."
Protector: "Prove me wrong. I say each star encompasses a city, and the Ground-shaker rules one of these cities: a fellow-Protector. If I'm correct, he'll listen to me, one Protector to another. Your pen."

The Cleric sets out his writing kit. The Protector dictates the letter: "'I Kelomane, son of Kelomane, ruler of the good people of the land below you, demand that you stop-'"
Cleric: "'Demand'?"
Protector: "'Would hope'?"
Cleric: "Ah, better, much better."
Protector: "'...Would hope that you might consider putting an end to whatever it is you're doing that shakes our ground. If this causes you inconvenience, I'm willing to offer a recompense. I await your reply.'"

The Cleric finishes the letter.

The Protector takes the letter, rolls it up and hurries down to the balloon. He inserts it into a specially designed letter-holder and the balloon is launched.

Voyager's modified class-5 in planetary orbit.

In Main Engineering, Torres and Chakotay are looking at an LCARS monitor display.
Torres: "The next series of scans is coming through. I'm downloading them into the display buffer."
Chakotay: "No doubt about it. There's a city down there."
Torres: "Elevated levels of carbon monoxide, ammonium - that's 'progress' alright."

Chakotay: "They've developed internal combustion technology since the last few scans. Look at those radial lines: it looks like a system of roads."
Torres: "Well, one thing hasn't changed - the geological disturbances that Voyager seems to be causing. The probe recorded half a dozen each month. Still no way to tell how severe they are."

Chakotay: "Look at the amount of iron being used in that city. That's ten times what you'd expect to see in a culture at this stage of development."
Torres: "Do you think they're using it to support their buildings?"
Chakotay: "If you lived on a planet that wouldn't stop shaking, you might be doing the same thing. If they're reached this stage of industrial development, they must be observing us."
An alert sounds and flashes a red light on the LCARS interface.
Torres: "The probe's impulse thrusters are starting to fail. At its present altitude, it's been operating for over two hundred years. Its orbit is becoming decayed."
Chakotay: "Initiate self-destruct."
Torres does so. "It disintegrated in the upper thermosphere. If they saw anything it just looked like a shooting star."

On the planet, at night, in the same place that Tahal's altar once stood so long ago, and where the Protector tried to contact the Ground-shaker but received no response, an observatory stands. The old town of that past era is now a big city. Industry and technology have advanced. Lights are on in buildings throughout the city.

Inside the observatory, an astronomer looks through the telescope at the Ground-shaker. Thanks to the magnifying powers of the telescope its image is bigger and brighter than to the naked eye, but the unclear details are tantalising.

The astronomer's technician transmits a radio message to the celestial object (Voyager) in the hope of establishing contact.
Astronomer: "Any response to our transmission?"
Technician: "Nothing."
Astronomer: "No visual change either."
Technician: "Surprised?"
Astronomer: "Send it again."
Technician: "The entire sequence? How about just the prime numbers?"
Astronomer: "You're tired."
Technician: "So are you."
Astronomer: "The prime numbers and the elemental constants. Then we'll stop."
Technician: "An acceptable compromise. It's not as if they're going anywhere." He starts the transmission. "...If they even exist in the first place."
Astronomer: "Do you doubt that?"
Technician: "I doubt everything."
Astronomer: "So you weren't one of those children that had the entire series of Skyship Friends?"
Technician: "Actually I had them all, even the duplicates. You couldn't walk into my home without tripping over a Friend or two."
Astronomer: "Not in our home. My grandfather wouldn't allow it. He told us that the Skyship was a palace where an evil Protector lived. He said that bad children were sent there to be punished. At this point I'd be happy to see anything, evil or not. Can you boost the signal?"
Technician: "We're already at maximum."
Astronomer: "Maybe if we switch to a different carrier wave-"
Suddenly the ground shakes. The two rush to hold onto things to stop themselves being knocked over. The tremors continue for a short time.
Technician: "If there is somebody up there, they don't like us very much!"
Astronomer: "Any beings capable of building that Skyship could have destroyed our world long ago. They're not causing the tremors on purpose."
Technician: "What if they're all dead?"
Astronomer: "If you truly believe that, why did you join this project?"
Technician: "Oh, I doubt everything, remember?, even my doubts. I hope someone is up there."
Astronomer: "So do I."
The Technician has an idea. He returns to the radio. "If they won't respond to mathematics, perhaps we should try a more personal approach." He holds the microphone towards the Astronomer. "Here, say 'hello'."
Astronomer: "How could they possibly speak our language?"
Technician: "There's only one way to find out."
Astronomer: "What, what should I say?"
Technician: "Oh, 'Glad to meet you. Where are you from? Please stop shaking our planet.'"

The Astronomer holds the microphone and considers his message. If it reaches the Skyship, he knows his will be a message of momentous significance and he is understandably hesitant.

Voyager's Astrometrics Lab.
Seven: "An ultra-high frequency signal is being transmitted from the surface. The modulation is unfamiliar. Its Doppler component is-"
Chakotay: "The signal from the surface will be accelerated. When it reached our time frame the frequency will be thousands of times higher than normal."
Seven: "I'll attempt to slow it down."
Chakotay: "Again. Amplitude modulation. It's a radio transmission."

Seven: "It's a numerical sequence."
Chakotay: "Prime numbers. They're sending a list of prime numbers."
Seven: "Followed by a sequence of mathematical constants and what appears to be a vocal modulation."
Chakotay: "Slow it down again." Seven does so. "A little more."
They start hearing the Astronomer's message!

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	In Main Engineering, Torres and Chakotay are looking at an LCARS monitor display. Torres: "The next series of scans is coming through. I'm downloading them into the display buffer." Chakotay: "No doubt about it. There's a city down there." Torres: "Elevated levels of carbon monoxide, ammonium - that's 'progress' alright."
	Chakotay: "They've developed internal combustion technology since the last few scans. Look at those radial lines: it looks like a system of roads." Torres: "Well, one thing hasn't changed - the geological disturbances that Voyager seems to be causing. The probe recorded half a dozen each month. Still no way to tell how severe they are."
	Chakotay: "Look at the amount of iron being used in that city. That's ten times what you'd expect to see in a culture at this stage of development." Torres: "Do you think they're using it to support their buildings?" Chakotay: "If you lived on a planet that wouldn't stop shaking, you might be doing the same thing. If they're reached this stage of industrial development, they must be observing us." An alert sounds and flashes a red light on the LCARS interface. Torres: "The probe's impulse thrusters are starting to fail. At its present altitude, it's been operating for over two hundred years. Its orbit is becoming decayed." Chakotay: "Initiate self-destruct." Torres does so. "It disintegrated in the upper thermosphere. If they saw anything it just looked like a shooting star."

	On the planet, at night, in the same place that Tahal's altar once stood so long ago, and where the Protector tried to contact the Ground-shaker but received no response, an observatory stands. The old town of that past era is now a big city. Industry and technology have advanced. Lights are on in buildings throughout the city.
	Inside the observatory, an astronomer looks through the telescope at the Ground-shaker. Thanks to the magnifying powers of the telescope its image is bigger and brighter than to the naked eye, but the unclear details are tantalising.