There is a golden star
surrounded by five planets and two asteroid belts. In the recent millenia a stray planet had been attracted to the group.
Man had travelled from Earth and settled on the third planet but had failed to take notice of the stray planet and its erratic orbit.
Every so often, the stray planet would pass close to Man's planet and a fungus-type organism would rain down on Man and his lands. It destroyed anything organic.
The first passing lasted 50 years.
Man being innovative in times of crisis, had made enough discoveries on the new planet, and had much knowledge from the old, that they were able to use highly sophisticated bioengineering techniques.
They bioengineered Dragons.
On the new planet, they had discovered small flying lizards and had observed them munching on rocks of phosperous, then burping out fire. When the organism started to fall on the lands, people realised that this was the lizard's defence tactic; By eating the rock and using their two stomachs to grind it down, they could at will, release gas from within, which burned from their mouths. This fire burnt and destroyed the falling organism. These lizards became known as Fire Lizards.
Another discovery came soon after; these Fire Lizards had a kind of empathy which allowed limited understanding with humans. With empathy also came the ability to teleport via in between reality.
The humans used everything they had left to bioengineer big Fire Lizards that could defend the planet from the falling organsim.
The Southern continent was warm and lush, it was where the humans had intended on living. But the organism thrived better in the warm environement, as well as on all the greens of the forrests. So in order to seek long lasting shelter, the settlers moved to the cooler Northern continent where they could build their homes inside the cave systems. Their homes became known as Holds.
The Dragons and their riders moved North too, housing themselves in volcanic craters and bowls. Their homes became known as Weyrs.
Throughout the first 50 year cycle, much was learned about the falling organism. Most importantly, they calculated that the organism will collide with their planet every two hundred and fifty years.
With each interval, the Dragons multiplied. Each successive generation growing a little bigger than the last. Meanwhile the humans spread themselves across the Northern continent, building Holds to live in and halls to learn new skills and professions.
Sometimes folk would even forget that they lived on a threatened planet.
However, in Holds and Weyrs, masses of reports, journals, maps and charts were kept to remind the Lords and Leaders of their problem, and to assist their future generations.
This story is about what happened 257 years later...
Early Autumn
In contrast to the hard storms of last year, it was a beautiful autumn day. Dragons swirled around, filling the skies above the oldest and largest n settlement, Fort Hold.
Below, at the wide roadway, tables and stalls had been set up and were being finalised with candles and bottles of wine, ready for a party.
Almost perfectly chilled, the wine they served was some of the best wine in the land, very similar to a champagne from Earth.
A crowd of people were gasping and cheering as they watched the dragons perform acrobats and dangerous manoeuvres in the sky.
Applause errupted as the show came to an end, followed by the banging of drums to commence the celebration.
Weyrleaders sought their tables on the upper levels alongside Lord Holders and Professionals whilst the riders joined whatever company they preferred at the tables set up across the grounds.
Musicians were playing a sprightly tempo as couples were already making their way to the wooden dancefloor. Beyond the dance square lots of trading was occuring at the stalls and in the tents, after all, this was the last large gathering before Winter.
There were many people who had questions about the future, many people who had forgotten the threat of the organism and who were starting to believe there was another agenda behind the hype. Some of these people felt that the Dragonriders had become too full of themselves with an inflated sense of importance. They were always making demands, or handing out lists of demands for things they expect to be done before this so-called orgasim fell from the skies. But how did they know they weren't being manipulated? Where was the evidence for this organism?
There were reports of volcanoes erupting around an island cluster. 4 had been shown to be currently active. This was unusual but it wasn't a sign of things to come, it wasnt evidence. It was a rumour at best according to the non-believers.
They were being made to pay for all sorts in connection with this future where an organism falls from the sky. They had to deliver harvests to the weyrs, they had to recruit and pay for night watchmen to keep eyes on the sky, looking for a roaming planet. Basically, almost everything anyone did seemed to work in the dragonriders favour as they spend all day swooping around the skies and filling their boots.
The great nephew of the world's first ever Weyrwoman had only been leader of Telgar Weyr for 9 months, after a heart attack killed the previous leader.
He was hoping to restore hope in Dragons, reasons to believe.
But things had gotten tough, times were slow and untrusting.
One of his problems was a shortage of female riders for the weyr. Girls used to be sent in from the Holds but as the decades of peace continued, families were more interested in setting their children up in cotholds for marriage and business development. Fewer girls were being encoraged to stand on the Hatching Grounds and become a fighter. It was becoming difficult to manage.
Anyway, before he could relax and enjoy the music at the Gathering, the Telgar Weyrleader was due to attend a meeting. Entering a cosy room, he seats himself at the big table which was hosting all Lord Holders and Weryleaders for an important discussion about the stray planet.
Three independent calcultions had been made, and there was no doubt that the planet was getting closer. The organism was expected to fall in the Spring.
This started a discussion about protection tactics and what area of the North would likely come into first contact. Dragonriders laid out plans on how to distribute their riders and assist each other with each wave of attack, using notes from the old records to estimate the size, and length each wave might be. The Lord Holders were responsible for supplying the ground crews to find and burn any bits of the organism that might slip past the flames of the dragons.
Everyone was as ready as can be.
Except for the Lord Holder of a place called Bitra. He was one of the disbelievers. He did not believe the organism would fall inthe spring, therefore he did not want to spend his Winter going to the troubles of preparing for such a game. No matter what anyone in the room had to say, he refused to believe. He wanted proof. The proof they were providing just wasn't good enough for him. Even the very plain sight of seeing a stray planet get closer, with his very own eyes he still would not believe it meant anything.
When probed further on what would count as proof, the Bitra Lord suggested that the ancestors a.i machine could be activated and programed to report exactly what was happening. But the machine was based in the Southern continent, the place where everyone lived before the organism chased them away. Since those days, nine expeditions had been made to the South to try and relocate the a.i admin building but volcanic ash had covered the lands for such a long time, it was never found, despite having maps and a photo of where it used to be.
Things were left uneasy. The Bitra Lord, after dismissing yet more evidence about the expected organism, left the room on an understanding that nobody will help him if he comes crying back in a few months because all of his crops have failed and his land is being eaten away by the falling doom.
The only problem with this attitude was, it wasn't just the Bitra Lord who would be affected. The neighboring lands would also meet their doom without his ground maintence and support. Discussion began on how to recify this.
A pact was made to leave a permenant and indestructable record of technology and information for future humans to learn from, in hope that they won't forget and that all the efforts made now will not be for nothing. They had already lost so much.
Late Autumn
At Telgar Weyr, a golden Queen dragon had managed to plop out fifty one eggs! And they were due to hatch some time this day. Throughout the morning dragons and their riders had been conveying guests and candidates.
Two other weyrs had also had hatchings in the past month, it was beginning to put pressure on civilians and their Lord Holders as many of their skilled workers were moving away into the weyrs for a completely different career and way of life.
However, the frequency of these Dragon cluthes was a sure sign to many, that the deadly organism will fall soon.
The hatching started. The big queen Dragon's eyes whirled green with excitment as the male Dragons that surrounded the bowl made deep, vibrating humming noises. Candidates got into their places on the Hatching grounds, gathering around the eggs, excited and hopeful that today was the day they impress a Dragon.
The ancients had left behind many boxes of files containing psycological profiles and the effects of a Hatching on riders, Dragons, and children, who were known as weyrlings if they impressed a Dragon.
Bonding with a Dragon was overwhelmingly deep and complex, nothing can be compared with it. The most intense emotions young candidates have ever experienced, it takes much training before attending a hatching. Sometimes people can become overwhelmed and begin to doubt themselves, it can cause problems when trying to link with the Dragon. A Dragon's bond was so strong; the rider was the Dragon, the Dragon was the rider, that should one of them cess to be, in most cases, the other would result in suicide. In the rare times where suicide did not occur, a man would be left half a man, bereft by loss. Women tended not to commit suicide as much because of their ability to have children and therefore, a mental distraction for love.
Men used to be able to connect with Fire Lizards, this too helped reduce suicide rates. But the orginal Fire Lizards had practically died out. Only three clutches of Fire Lizard eggs had been found in 50 years.
Girls and boys gathered in a circle around the eggs on the hot sands of the Hatching ground. This clutch didn't have a golden egg which meant that no extra Queen Dragons to be born this time. In fact, none of the other weyrs had clutched any Queens either.
But then there were plenty of Queens at the moment, including five juniors.
Only five girls were present on the Hatching ground today, hoping to attract a female Green Dragon. There was another girl who was meant to be there but her family pulled her out last minute.
Green Dragons could impress males or females, but it took a certain type of male. These dragons had less stamina than their big cousins, but they were extremely speedy and agile. Men were prone to being more volatile when bonded with a Green Dragon, they were harder to control due to their excitment and desire to show off their bravery. Females were the preference due to their stable personalities, and also their ability to overcome grief should a loss occur.
The Dragon humming was extremely loud now, making the floors vibrate. The first egg cracked.
Then three more at the same time.
As the fragments of shell rained down on the other eggs, they too started cracking.
Nine dragons so far, six of them were Green.
At this stage, the baby Dragons were dangerous, they were so hungry, the candidates would have been trained on how to move around them and avoid any mishaps, but it was still very nervewracking.
Two Green Dragons walked towards two of the girls. One of the girls, known for her confidence, bravely stepped forward towards one of the Dragons, they instantly Impressed.
Three other Green Dragons made their way over to three of the boys who had demonstrated homesexual preferences in the Holds.
There was one Green left. She just stood there next to her shell, crying pitifully.
A brown haired girl instantly made her way towards the dragon and a sense of relief could be felt as both bonded with that look of instant affection and love.
12 more eggs hatched releasing babies that were screeching like lost souls, running around aimlessly. As each connected to a candiate, their screeches died off and were replaced with croons of hunger. It was a unique noise, always made one feel slightly deafened. Thankfully, it never lasted long.
Most families were glad to have a child chosen for a hatching because of the advantages of having a Dragonrider in the family, as well as the prestige accrued to the Bloodline, and the availabilty of transport.
Winter
The Hatchlings of the last clutch were still too young to fly, but some of the previous clutches were beginning to take on adult duties.
Anyone over the age of twelve and whose Dragon was ready to fly, were given lessons about the organism and how to fight it.
Dragons can fly even if one third of their wings become scorched.
Classes were also being held at Fort Hold in the college assembly room. The Head Medic was giving a seminar for healers from around the world, letting them know the latest First Aid knowledge and how to manage injuries when dealing with Dragons and their riders.
The speed in which the organism can destory organic material was something out the ordinary. If a Dragon become scorched, it could go in between reality during teleport mode, and the cold of this black, airless, nothing state, would be enough to kill the organism.
Meanwhile in Fort's Great Hall, there was a demonstration for every small Hold, every man, woman and child who wished to attend and learn how to use and service HNO3 cylinders. These weapons could spray fire up to 6 metres on a narrow setting. They would be used by the ground crews to blast and burn any strands of the organism that fell onto their lands.
The organism was known to fall at different speeds, and it could be thin, thick, short or long. Should a strand avoid being fired to death, it would begin to burrow under the ground. Some would eat themselves dead, leaving a mark of devastion surrounding the area, but other than that, pose no further problems. Others however, manage to ingest enough matter that it will enter a second life cycle. But that is all anyone had every recorded. The ancestors didn't manage to discover what happens during that process, they only know it existed.
An impeachment was being discussed about the Bitra Holder who was still refusing to accept the organism was going to be falling soon. He had failed to provide the required harvest goods to the local Weyr, he had failed to build structures of defence such as emergency shelters and better roads, and he had failed at training Ground Crews and Holders in how to combat the organism.
The other leaders still faced a problem, who would run the place instead? People were flocking to the borders in fear and confusion. It was freezing, snowing, and these folk had nothing but rags, not all had shoes. They certainly had no food. They had been left to suffer. Time was of the essence.
The local Weyrs had volunteered to take as many folk as they could. They were far more refugees than orginally estimated and the Weyrs resources were soon stretched to their limits. But thankfully, the Lords and Holders were just as quick to react, sending foods and supplies to help with their care and sustainment.
Interviews were soon set up across the Northern continent, allowing Lord Holders to meet and greet with refugees and hopefully find them new homes and suitable jobs.
A blizzard covered most of the Eastern mountain ranges where Bitra and the discussion of impeachment was located.
Dragons didnt seem to mind the snow, they enjoyed watching the humans have snowball fights, and took pleasure in lounging around the cliff tops, letting the sun keep them warm.
The baby Dragons were in their element when they first came into contact with the snow. They enjoyed bathing in the ice lakes.
The Bitra Lord had been impeached after many trials and discussions. Failure to prepare for the fall of the deadly organism and abusing his priviledge as a Lord Holder, and for denying Holders their basic rights, this was plenty enough to impeach and exile the man.
New Year
Before dawn, a dragon announced to his rider that it was time to wake up and head to the South to meet the others in his Wing.
Today was the day that the organism was due to fall for the first time in over 250 years.
They were only going to observe today.
And sure enough, they could see this silvery-grey haze on the upper levels of the blue sky.
Not a dragon wing moved, not a rider recoiled.
It was here!
The realisation seemed to rumble from Dragon to Dragon as their instincts kicked in, and they began lurching towards their ancient enemy.
The riders struggled with their Dragons, they were simply here to observe, they Dragons had no firestone, they could not fight it, but their desire was strong, and they became confused when their riders would not allow fight.
They had no choice but to pull their Dragons back, force them to teleport back to their Weyrs. It took every bit of will-power and moral strength, it proved how much faith the Dragons had in their riders, enough to overcome their deepest defence instinct.
The Queen Dragons signalled a command that all Dragons and Riders should retreat to a training ground, a place called Red Butte.
Every Dragon will listen to its Queen.
The Dragons were still rather aggitated when they arrived, their eyes swirled in oranges and reds. But their riders began to find amusement in their instictual behaviours. It was a relief knowing that they know what they're doing, despite having never seem the organism in their life times. It encouraged the riders and gave them a much needed chuckle.
The dragons started to relax, their eyes resuming a swirly green. The riders started discussing their tactics.
The organism was due to fall every two hours.
It is here
Bitter cold winds blew down from the icy poles of the planet.
Weyrleaders had gathered to discuss the rotation of their teams.
When the organism fell with the snow and sleet, it looked more like a black dust as it can't withstand such temperatures for long.
The first fall of this second pass was due to start across the high mountains, still covered in deep winter snows. The organism would do very little harm here.
The Dragon Riders would not begin intervening until the organism moved down towards habitable lands.
For centuries they had waited for this moment.
Centuries of training and lives lived so that Dragons and their Riders would be here, right now, to defend the planet.
The first time the organism fell, the planet had no Dragons. This was a first.
It Comes! Somebody shouted.
The Dragons scoffed down their fire stones, their stomachs rumbling, vibrating in excitment.
In the air, reds and oranges, of flames and of dragon eyes, were flickering across the skies as they began their fight against the falling strands.
Dragons flew in ranks and in such a beautiful display. The Golden Queens could be seen below them, and their riders gun-blasting flames at any stray strands that had been missed by the top level flyers.
A massive cheer echoed across the lands as the first of five thousand eight hundred and forteen more falls came to an end.
What a time to be alive.
The Second Pass Begins....
This was an overview of a great story, written by Anne McCaffrey.