Nightfall BY Isaac Asimov
Nightfall takes place on the planet Kalgash, a planet full of mysteries. Although it is a world much like ours, it is in no way related to planet Earth. We are used to experiencing 1 sun. As the sun rises, we experience daytime, and when it sets: night. On Kalgash however, they have 6 suns, Dovim, Trey, Patru, Tano, Sitha, and Onos. They do not experience nighttime on Kalgash. The closest they ever come to darkness is when their least bright sun, Dovim, casts its dim red light on the planet. Even Dovim-only days are rare.
At the beginning of the story, you meet Siferra 89, an beautiful archaeologist from Saro University. She is conducting an excavation at a site known as Beklimot. Bekilmot was noce thought to be the oldest site on the planet; archaeologists have yet to find an older dig site. That is, until now.
A violent sandstorm erupts around the site, and Siferra decides to take cover in a cave-like structure with some of her other co-workers. It is the most violent sandstorm she has ever experienced, but it is soon over. As she emerges, she sees that most of the top soil and sand has been carried away by the violent force of the wind. Then she sees a stunning sight; the Hill of Thombo is cracked right down the middle.
The Hill of Thombo was thought of as an insignificant dig site; a place where the ancient civilizations might have piled their waste materials. Taking a closer look, Siferra discovers something amazing. There are charcoal lines in the layers of the hill, and they go back several thousand years. Each layer almost seems as if it flourished for a time, and then was destroyed by a catastrophic fire. What could this possibly mean?
Meanwhile, a psychologist named Sheerin is on his way to visit a patient at a mental institution. This man went on a ride through a new attraction, called "The Tunnel of Mystery." This tunnel puts its riders through 15 straight minutes of darkness. This man was terribly affected by the darkness, along with some other people. One person even died on the ride. As Sheerin speaks to the man, he almost seems afraid to even look out of the window, fearing that there will be darkness out there. Sheerin studies him carefully, and then moves on to some other patients.
After meeting with a few patients who went crazy from their ride in the tunnel, Sheerin feels that he must experience the tunnel for himself. So he heads up North with two other workers. By the time he gets there, people stare at him, thinking "Why does he get to go on the ride and not us?" The ride was temporarily closed until further examination. Sheerin proceeds into the mouth of the tunnel. Before he climbs into the car, he is given a button that will cancel the ride, turning all the lights on. He feels that he probably wont need it, but takes it anyway.
Beginning his ride into the void of darkness, he feels calm at first. but after a while, he begins to feel uneasy. The darkness gives him a sort of claustrophobic feeling, like the walls are closing in on him. He almost wants to press the button, but then hesitates. Sheerin feels that he is a storng-minded man with enough will to overcome this darkness alone, and without the help of the button. So he hurls the button into the darkness, refusing to use it. The remainder of time goes roughly for him. He spends the time counting the seconds until the ride is over. He thinks to himself, "Is the ride over yet. How much time do I have left, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, or maybe 10 minutes. What if the ride has stopped, why did I throw that button?"
Soon, the intense ride is over. Sheerin's eyes adjust to the light, and although he is shaken, he is alright. He tells the two men that the ride is definetly frightening, and he could see how it could possibly cause some harmful effects. "The ride must be closed." He says. So the ride is closed under his order.
Saro University: A young scientist named Beenay 25 is experimenting with the school's new computer systems. They are designed for simulating various planetary movements. So just to test it out, he punches in the Law of Universal Gravitation, a well respected law created the Athor, head of the University Science Department. But then, to Beenay's dismay, the model doesn't work. He figures that he must have typed in something worng, or that there is a flaw in the computer. So he checks his calculations, and tries some other laws, but everything seems to be right. Could Athor's famous law really be wrong after all? Beenay decides to get some assistance from 2 university students named Faro and Yimot. They are very bright, and he figures that if he gives them the data without telling them what it is, they will probably use different methods of calculation. That way, he could be sure that he is wrong. He wants to be wrong in a way, because breaking the Law of Universal Gravitation could destroy Athor's confidence. It would also cause some strange effects on Kalgash.
Beenay then proceeds to go to a meeting at the University Observatory. He would much rather spend time with his partner, Raissta, but he feels that he needs to figure out what he has stumbled upon. However, he does agree to come back to her right after he is finished.
It is very late, and Beenay is just arriving at the Observatory. Faro and Yimot are already there, and they show them their calculations. They are the same as Beenay's! He asks them if they are sure that they checked every step thoroughly, and they were sure. Beenay looked at the data and the calculations, and everything seemed to be right. This is something amazing! Beenay then calls his friend from the Saro City Chronicle, and sets up a meeting at the Six Suns, which is a local bar. He tells his friend, Theremon 762, that he needs to meet with him right away.
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