"Through the Roof of the World" | |
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Author | Harry Turtledove |
First Appearance | Clarkesworld #200 |
Illustrator | Arthur Haas |
Genre(s) | Science Fiction |
Publication date | May 2023 |
"Through the Roof of the World" is a short story by Harry Turtledove, published in issue 200 of Clarkesworld Magazine, May, 2023. It may be found online here.
The story is primarily told from the POV of Scog, a female of a sentient aquatic species called the Quorn. She and two other Quorn, Ib and Lund, live underwater in perpetual darkness. The Quorn are sightless, and communicate through odor, sound, and electric pulses. The Quorn are a social species with basic religious beliefs. They are hunters, and have domesticated other animals to assist in their predation. However, the Quorn are not the apex predator of their world. Their world has a Roof that they cannot penetrate, nor do they care to. There is also a Bottom, which they cannot safely reach. It is also inhabited with sentient aquatic creatures who can interact with the Quorn.
The plot follows Scog, Ib, and Lund, along with other Quorn, as they try to solve the mystery of a loud noise coming from the Roof of the World. When an unknown object finally breaks through the roof, the Quorn interact with it, trying to determine what it is. Ultimately, Scog receives an electrical shock when she bites into a part of it, and the strange object seems to stop reacting.
The story then shifts POV to human scientist Darius Heydari as he gives a press conference, confirming that Sarpedon, a space probe, successfully landed on Europa, drilled through a layer of ice, and discovered life forms beneath. The story ends on an open note, as Earth does not have another probe ready to launch, or FTL capability, though Heydari is optimistic.
Notes[]
The time-frame of the story is ambiguous. Descriptions of the press conference and references to the social activities of the scientists suggest that the earliest it can take place is at the end of the 21st century.
The Quorm characters' names form "Ib Scoglund," one of the identities used by the POV character Allister Park in L. Sprague de Camp's "The Wheels of If" and Turtledove's approved sequel "The Pugnacious Peacemaker".
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