to the left in each room. North's suspicions were
satisfied. He flew up the shaft and checked with his companions.
44 Their findings were almost identical to his, except that the public
area on the second level seemed to hold a theater, with stage and seats
cut out of the living rock. "I'm not surprised," remarked North,
"probably the public facilities on each level served the entire
community, probably shared in shifts. Come on outside. There's
something I'm looking for."
45 It didn't take North long to find them, though who had left had
covered them with stones. "Light shafts " explained North, "their
receivers were here. Probably those two mountain faces were covered
with mirrors. The weak sunlight was reflected to these points in
concentrated form, then sent down the shafts first to be used by the
plants, then whatever was left over shone on solar panels to generate
electricity, providing all the power the colonists needed. We could
probably get the whole system working again in a couple of months. We
could establish a sizeable community here."
46 "This world is not big enough," argued The Voice, "to supply all our
needs."
47 "No," agreed North, ''but our passenger pods are desperately
overcrowded. We cannot continue with so many people on board. The
Goddens have already told us two of their pods are in a bad way. We
drop them here and reactivate this colony. There will be ample living
space to relieve the crowding in the pods, and if the rest of us
establish a better colony someplace else, we can send a ship back to
get those we left behind."
48 "Not a bad plan," agreed The Voice, "and I won't be surprised if The
Goddens agree! We'll leave the same percentages as on the ship, that
will give our people an edge on The Goddens, if they decide to try
their old tricks." North nodded in agreement.
49 The Goddens received the proposal very well! It