For the past hour, rediscovery had been a major theme in his life. Having a major theme for an hour doesnt seem like much, but Artemis had a catalogue of memories all clamouring to be acknowledged. The memories themselves were startling enough: boarding a radioactive train near Murmansk, or flying across the ocean, concealed beneath LEP cam foil. But it was the cumulative effect of these memories that interested Artemis. He could literally feel himself becoming a different person. Not exactly the way he used to be, but closer to that individual. Before the fairies had mind-wiped him as part of the Jon Spiro deal, his personality had been undergoing what could be seen as positive change. So much so that he had decided to go completely legitimate and donate ninety per cent of Spiros massive fortune to Amnesty International. Since his mind wipe, he had reverted to his old ways, indulging his passion for criminal acts. Now he was somewhere in the middle. He had no desire to hurt or steal from the innocent, but he was having difficulty giving up his criminal ways. Some people just needed to be stolen from.
Perhaps the biggest surprise was the desire he felt to help his fairy friends, and the real sadness he felt at the loss of Julius Root. Artemis was no stranger to loss; at one time or another he had lost and found everyone close to him. Juliuss death cut him just as deeply as any of these. His drive to avenge the commander and stop Opal Koboi was more powerful than any criminal urge he had ever felt.
Artemis smiled to himself. It seemed as though good was a more powerful motivation than bad. Who would have thought it?
The rest of the group gathered round the central holographic projector. Holly had parked the shuttle on the floor of a secondary chute, close to the surface.
Butler was forced to squat on his hunkers in the fairy-sized ship.
Well, Artemis, what did you find out? asked the bodyguard, trying to fold his massive arms without knocking someone smaller over.
Artemis activated a holographic animation, which rotated slowly in the middle of the chamber. The animation showed a cutaway of the Earth from crust to core. Artemis switched on a laser pointer and began his briefing.
As you can see, there is a distance of approximately one thousand eight hundred miles from the Earths surface to the outer core.
The projections liquid outer core swirled and bubbled with molten magma.
However, humankind has never managed to penetrate more than nine miles through the crust. To go any deeper would necessitate the use of nuclear warheads, or huge amounts of dynamite. An explosion of this magnitude could generate huge shifts in the Earths tectonic plates, causing earthquakes and tidal waves around the globe.
Mulch was, as usual, eating something. Nobody knew what, as he had emptied the food locker over an hour ago. Nobody really wanted to ask either. That doesnt sound like a good thing.
No, it isnt, agreed Artemis. Which is why the ironclad probe theory has never been put into practice, until now. The original idea belongs to a New Zealander, Professor David Stevenson. It is quite brilliant actually, if impractical. Encase a reinforced probe in a hundred million tonnes of molten iron. The iron will sink through the crack generated by the explosive, even closing the crack behind it. Within a week the probe will reach the core. The iron will be consumed by the outer core, and the probe will gradually disintegrate. The entire process is even environmentally sound.
The projection put Artemiss words into pictures.
How come the iron doesnt un-melt? asked Mulch.
Artemis raised a long thin eyebrow. Un-melt? The orebodys sheer size stops it from solidifying.
Holly stood and stepped into the projection itself, studying the orebody. Foaly must know all about this. Humans couldnt keep something so big a secret.
Indeed, said Artemis, opening a second holographic projection. I ran a search on the on-board database and found this: Foaly ran several computer simulations, more than eighty years ago. He concluded that the best way to deal with the threat was simply to broadcast misinformation to whichever probe was being sent down. As far as the humans were concerned, their probe would simply sink through a few hundred miles of various low-grade ores, and then the orebody would solidify. A resounding and very expensive failure.
The computer simulation showed the information being broadcast from Haven to the metal-encased probe. Above ground, cartoon human scientists scratched their heads and tore up their notes.
Most amusing, said Artemis.
Butler was studying the hologram. Ive been on enough campaigns to know that there is a big hole in that strategy, Artemis, he said.
Yes?
Butler struggled to his knees, tracing the probes path with a finger. Well, what if the probes journey brought it into contact with one of the Peoples chutes? Once that metal punctures a chute, its on an express ride to Haven.
Artemis was delighted at his bodyguards astuteness. Yes, of course. Which is why there is a supersonic attack shuttle on standby twenty-four hours a day, to divert the molten mass if the need should arise. All human probe projects are monitored, and if any are judged to pose a threat they are quietly sabotaged. If that doesnt work, the LEP geological unit drill in under the molten mass and divert it with some shaped charges. The orebody follows the new path blown for it, and Haven is safe. Of course, the mining shuttle has never been used.
Theres another problem, added Holly. We have to factor in Opals involvement. She has obviously helped Giovanni Zito drill through the crust, possibly with a fairy laser. We can presume that she has upgraded the probe itself, so that Foalys false signals will not be accepted. So her plan must be to bring that probe into contact with the People. But how?