Riddles of Nifiter

Noono ventured out of the dark caves of Silver Mountain at the beginning of the Silver Season. In the dark depths of intergalactic space, he existed on the silver world of Nifiter, far beyond Pluto and the outer realms of the Cygnus Constellations. His world was cold and frosty with white-capped mountains, frozen valleys, and barren foothills lit by the blue beams of six moons. When Nifiter’s orbit carried it into the path of UV rays, it warmed and thawed. This was the life-threatening Season of the Sun. Protection was found deep within the caves of Silver Mountain.

High above the planet, an Earth station is making plans to terraform and colonize it. Centuries have passed since the colony was launched as a command post and military surveillance mission. It has been stumbling under a change of command and purpose. Vladimir now controls the elders who lead society. Necessity has forced adaptations including population control via sperm and egg banks, scientific repair of aging body parts, and individualized education according to a child’s intelligence and the Earth-colony’s needs.

Years ago a shuttle was sent down to Nifiter’s surface to bring back specimens of life forms for study. They exhibited a high order of intelligence, and a willingness to coexist. Unknown to the Nifiterians, but known to Vladimir, terraforming would produce enough oxygen to kill the Nifiterians. The planet would become Earth II. The planned shuttle would be making final calculations determining the current temper and the size of the popu-lation to be destroyed.

Noono on Nifiter and 13-year-old John on the space station are young, paralleled characters searching for knowledge. Both are peaceable, highly intelligent and imaginative and experiencing the pressure of growing up. Noono wants to find out what is beyond the ice — over the horizon. He learns about his planet’s wonders, his family history, and humans’ ways and words from old, “crazy” Jute, who had been their specimen many years before. Noono himself travels far to continue discovering, learning. John begins his search as a research project and stumbles onto astounding revelations about Vladimir and the station. Both Noono and John save their respective civilizations with enlightened actions.