Ethan Mercer's Arc

Chapter 2 of 3

Morning light filled the glass dome. Ethan sat up on the padded crates and his head brushed the curved panels again. He tapped the data pad. Seven feet, three inches. One inch in five days, not seven. The rate was climbing. His stomach growled like an engine. He reached for the small metal sphere on the crate beside him. He had repurposed a med scanner meant for bloodstream bots into a calorie counter. He shook it, watched the lights pulse, and read the number. He needed twice yesterday's intake. Twice. A work crew dragged in a desk built from stacked cargo crates. They set it under the dome's tallest point. Ethan stood to thank them and the crew leader took a step back without meaning to. Ethan saw it. He sat down fast. He walked outside to clear his head. Past the dome stood the old stone sentinel the colony had found half-buried near the ridge. Ten feet of carved rock, arms crossed, beard down to its belt. Ethan stopped beside it. He lined up his shoulder with its shoulder. He was only a head shorter now. Last month he had stood at its chest. He went back inside and opened the data pad. He plotted the new curve against the old one. The line bent up sharp. He ran the math three times. At this rate, he would pass the stone sentinel in nine days. The dome would fail in twelve. Ethan set the pad down. His hands were shaking. He typed one line under the morning log. The growth is accelerating. Three weeks was wrong. I have twelve days.