Broken Soldier (Book One)

by Bruce George

Jo explained, “We have a long walk to the Operation Center. The small craft storage hangar, where we arrived, is near the end of the Mother Ship, just in front of the engine area. Although I can access several systems that I was unable to use before the death of the Saurans, I haven’t tried to use the ship’s transport sleds, or make any changes that could be interpreted as interfering with the ship’s mission. I feel it is wise to use caution, as I discover what I can do and what I cannot do. I fear there might be safety levers within the Sauran’s computer codes that could send out an alarm or even trigger my demise.

  “I am reluctant to do too much, until I have been able to carefully probe the system. You see, the computer operates everything on a Sauran ship. It has been programmed to do what is necessary to comply with the mission. If I do something that it views as detrimental to the completion of that mission, I could be seen as an enemy. The computer would have no trouble eliminating me.”

  Mike saw the obvious threat to them both. “Jo, why didn’t you mention this before we came here?”

  The tall alien stopped and gave him a serious gaze, as he explained. “Mike, you, or someone like you, is my only hope for true freedom. The trip back out to the Mother Ship had to be made, if I was to have any chance of success. I haven’t lied to you about anything. I admit I’ve left out a few details, which will be revealed as we make progress.”

  Angrily Mike challenged, “LIKE WHAT?”

  “Well, one extra reason I chose you was due to your computer training. The women of my race, Thorians, are some of the best programmers in the Galaxy. Unfortunately, I don’t have a Thorian female’s ability with computer codes. It is my hope that a human with an understanding of basic computer functions would work with me to learn the complexities of Sauran computer codes, once he had been upgraded.” Then he projected a satisfied grin at Mike.

  Mike just shook his head, pointed down the passageway, and said, “Lead on, smartass.”

  A small robotic device came scurrying past them. Jo acted as though it was nothing, but Mike nearly leapt out of his skin. Jo noticed his reaction.

  “That’s one of hundreds of tiny robots that perform basic functions on the Mother Ship. They are harmless. As far as I know, they cannot be programmed to harm any creature. It is a safety feature that allows the Saurans to run the ship without fear of attack from within.”

  Mike, ever thinking as a warrior, said, “I wonder if we can change that. It could come in handy, if the Saurans trust them.”

  Jo nodded as he walked and explained, “The programs for the robots are sealed control chips, wrapped in armor protection. To change them, you have to open them and they are set to self destruct if that were to happen.”

  “How do you know that.”

  “Accidents happen, even on a ship like this. I saw one get crushed and when the sealed control unit broke open, it instantly melted.”

  “Well shit.”

  “Do all warriors curse as much as you do?”

  “No Jo, not all of them, although many of the guys do. It’s a way of releasing our frustration, as you said earlier. If we bring more men on board, you’re going to have to get used to it.”

  “How marvelous. I enjoy the diversity of your people’s language. It’s so expressive in so many ways. It reminds me of the Tobinary. They have many phrases to express their emotions.”

  “Would they be a race that can help us?” Would they make good allies?”

  “Most of the races I am familiar with are slaves, as are my people. If they are not slaves, I doubt that the Saurans would allow us to speak with them or even be near them.”

  “You know what, Jo. I’ve never met a Sauran and I already dislike them.”

  “Mike, if you ever cross paths with a Sauran, show him respect and act humble. They are used to it and take offense when they don’t receive it from a race other than their own.”

  “Oh, my friend. It’s so hard for me to be humble.”

  “I have sensed that in you from the very beginning. At first, that concerned me. But now I think perhaps it is the sign of a confident warrior. I don’t know. I’ve never had the luxury of soliciting the aid of a warrior of any race. This is as new for me as it is for you.”

  They walked in silence along most of the length of the huge ship, a little over half a mile. Every now and then, Mike would ask about some part of the ship that grabbed his curiosity. Most of the time, the answer provided Mike with little illumination.

  “We are near the Operation Center now. I must admit I cannot hide my fear as I approach. Although I know we are alone on this vessel, I quake at the thought of seeing a live Sauran about to punish me for what I have done.”

  “Don’t worry. You have me to help you now.”

  “Mike, I mean no offense, but your ability to defend me against a Sauran doesn’t create a sense of relief for me. You will understand when you see the dead Sauran.”

  “Jo, I just had a thought. Wouldn’t one of these robots have cleaned up the dead guy by now.”

  “No. They can only enter the Operation Center if called upon to do so by a master. As I have told you, Saurans are cautious. They don’t take chances with their safety.”

  Mike didn’t respond out loud. But he felt that somehow, the Sauran’s overcautious attitude could be one of their weaknesses. Certainly, there must be a way to exploit it.

  The tall alien announced, “We are here.”

  There was a heavy looking armored hatch that was open and behind it was a closed hatch that had seen a lot of use. Mike saw the wear on the floor where the entrance had opened and closed. It opened like an elevator door, with two opposing panels that slid to the sides. Once open, it must have been ten feet tall and twelve feet wide.

  Jo closed his eyes and the door opened. The stench was overpowering. Something horrible had been rotting in here for a while. Mike waited for Jo to enter, but the Thorian had frozen in place, his fear so great.

  The entrance was very wide compared to anything one would find on a Navy vessel of Earth. Mike was reminded it had been designed for taller wider Saurans. He stepped around Jo and walked in, holding his hand over his nose.

  His senses were alert, as his combat experience kicked in. It had been many years since his Army days and his training had been so thorough that he couldn’t have subdued his instincts if he wanted to.

  As he entered, his eyes began to sweep from left to right. Without conscious thought, he ducked and rolled away, as something went whirling by his head. He came backup to a fighting stance and found himself facing an eight foot tall Sauran warrior.

  The creature must have been the one that Jo had killed, or thought he had killed. He saw the burn wounds on its head and the eye sockets were still empty. With amazing speed, the huge beast launched at him and kicked out at Mike’s new legs. This type of fighting wasn’t new for Mike and he easily sidestepped the alien’s foot, as he parried it with his hand.

  As he pushed the leg aside, it felt like his hand had struck a metal bar and that bar just kept coming at him, kicking out blindly. Mike could almost predict the enemy’s moves; but that didn’t make those moves any less effective.

  Mike called out, “Jo, give me a hand here.”

  There was no answer and Mike wasn’t about to take his eyes off the huge muscle bound Sauran. He assumed that Jo was frozen in place where he last saw him, or he had run away.

  How in the hell was this thing seeing him, if its eyes were gone? The monster was attempting to pin him into the corner, so Mike circled like a boxer.

  The alien didn’t bother with feints or subtle jabs. Every move was designed to land a brutal blow. If this guy ever connected, at the very least, he would brake a few bones, and if he landed a kick or punch to Mike’s head, it would be over.

  The Sauran lunged at him and Mike quickly moved to his left, tripping over an object on the floor. Instinctively he rolled twice, just as fast as he could, and the creatu
re came down knee first, right where Mike would have been.

  Mike scrambled to his feet and gave a quick look around for some sort of weapon, anything that might inflict harm on this beast. That brief glimpse around the Control Center cost him. The Sauran’s hand lashed out, as Mike leaned back away from it at the last second. While the alien didn’t land a fatal blow, he was able to swipe him across the face, leaving three deep gouges in his cheek that hurt like hell.

  He grunted, but held his scream inside. You never let the enemy have any idea how badly you were hurt. The enormous bulk of the Sauran, followed too quickly for Mike to dodge it, as it crashed into him, sending them both to the floor. God must have been with him, because the Sauran didn’t land on him. If it had, he might have been crushed beneath the four hundred pound monster.

  The real trouble was Mike was now in the grasp of this ugly, smelly beast. The smell instantly got worse, as a flood of hot goo came flowing from the creature’s mouth and nostrils. He rolled away from the foul substance and saw Jo standing over the Sauran, holding the very item that he had tripped over, earlier in the fight.

  Mike laid his head back on the floor and tried to catch his breath, as the Thorian apologized.

  “My friend, I’m so sorry. I thought I had killed him the first time and obviously I was wrong.”

  Between rapid breaths, Mike asked, “Well,’ gasp, “is he,” gasp, “dead yet.”

  “I’m afraid not, but that will change in a moment. It never occurred to me that this one had the complete combat package.”

  Jo went to a corner and picked up a strange looking device; twisted something on the handle, and then came back over to the alien, who certainly didn’t seem alive to Mike. Jo let out a weird groan, as he pulled the heavy creature over onto its back.

  He placed the odd instrument against the Sauran’s belly and warned, “This is going to kill his combat mind, when I hit it with this cable torch. You may wish to leave, because I fear the stench in going to get much worse.”

  Mike struggle to his feet; went to the door and said, “OK, go on and hit him with it. I want to watch. I guess it’s just the veteran soldier in me. I want to be absolutely sure the son of a bitch is dead.”

  Jo nodded like a human and fired the torch. There was no flame, just a short ultraviolet light that sounded like a miniature freight train. The force of it shot into the alien’s stomach, passed through his torso and came out beneath the ugly bastard, causing the body to jump around.

  To Mike’s amazement, Jo stuck his hand inside the Sauran’s smoldering belly, felt around, and then produced a distorted blob of something metallic. “The Sauran is dead this time. The combat module has been destroyed.”

  A computer voice announced something, which came out of his shoulder speakers, in English, a half second later. “I have no Sauran Pilot and must send an alert. Signal to be assembled and sent in one hundred and fifty seconds.”

  Jo looked horrified. “I didn’t know this would happen. The computer must be following a preprogrammed command.”

  Mike immediately understood what was going on. He went to Jo and whispered, “Can the computer hear me?”

  The computer answered, “Yes, I can hear you.”

  “Then cancel the alert. You have a Pilot here now.”

  “I am not allowed to follow the guidance of a Thorian. With the last Sauran dead, I must send the alert and request that a new Senior Pilot be delivered to me at the area commanders earliest convenience.”

  Mike thought quickly. This was like some damn computer game, except it was real.

  He said, “The Sauran and I were practicing combat, when he was accidentally damaged. As his partner in the combat exercise, I shall now take command as the Senior Pilot, in his absence.”

  “You are not Sauran.”

  “Of course not. I am from the same genetic source as the humans, but my people left this planet many thousands of years ago. The Saurans have an agreement with my masters. We are to aid them in retrieving humans for research. You know this to be accurate, or did not the Sauran Senior Pilot include that in you program?”

  “This information is doubtful. The Senior Pilot did not add this to my memories.”

  “Did he always make you aware of all his plans? Didn’t he have his own instructions to follow that you were not made aware of?”

  “Yes. A computer is never told everything. The Senior Pilot always functions according to the orders he had been given by his superiors. But you are not Sauran, so I cannot recognize you as the Senior Pilot. Sixty seven seconds, before the message is sent.”

  His mind seemed to be going a million miles an hour. This was like some logic game he had played, when he was in night school. He had to keep the computer from sending that message.

  “I am not a Sauran, yet I have been brought here to facilitate the mission of the Saurans. I have an obligation to our agreement and to the Saurans to complete this mission. I have the information, which you do not. Therefore, you have the ability to follow your program, by temporarily accepting me as the Senior Pilot. Together, we can complete this work.

  “If you waste time, by sending the signal and wait for a new Senior Pilot, you must know the Saurans will be angry for the delay. On my world, when a computer has failed to follow a logical way to complete an assignment, their memories are erased and they are destroyed. How do the Saurans handle that?”

  “It is true that the Saurans will be displeased. But, you are not Sauran, so I cannot acknowledge you as the Senior Pilot.”

  Mike took a slightly different approach. “Very well. Under these circumstances, I must return to my world and report that the Saurans are unreliable partners in this endeavor and that their computers are also unreliable. Once the Thorian has delivered me to my ship, he will return here. But, I must order him not to obey any order you may give. He is superior to you and I recognize him as the Senior Pilot, even if you do not.”

  “But he is not Sauran.”

  Mike was frustrated and could no longer hold his anger. “He is a valued and trusted slave of the Saurans and the only member remaining of the crew on this vessel. He has knowledge of the mission and has done what he must to complete it, whereas you have not. When the Thorian feels it is necessary for him to request a new Senior Pilot then and only then may you send an alert.”

  “But he is not Sauran.”

  He played another idea. “Of course, he’s not. You must have knowledge of other ships that have operated without Saurans on board. This is just another of those episodes.”

  “That is true. But those situations were due to combat losses.”

  “And you have experienced unfortunate losses here, as well. The Thorian shall take command and complete the mission with me at his side.”

  The computer remained silent.

  Mike shouted, “You will acknowledge the Thorian as the Senior Pilot now, or at my command you will self destruct.”

  He had no idea if there was such a possibility, as a self destruct ability.

  “I should not do that as the ship has not been compromised.”

  He pointed out, “The ship has not been compromised, but you obviously have been. You are not functioning properly and you have jeopardized the mission and the agreement between our people. Therefore, you are not fit to continue operating.”

  The computer revealed its vulnerability by asking, “But how will you operate the ship, if I am not joined to the body of the ship to keep all systems going.”

  “Do you really think the Saurans would have brought a new ally to this mission, if he wasn’t able to perform your simple tasks.”

  There was a long pause, and then, to his great relief, the computer weakly said, “I acknowledge the Thorian as the Senior Pilot.”

  Mike shouted angrily, “Say it louder and agree to follow all of his commands.”

  If ever a computer was agitated, this one was. With the sound painfully loud it said, “I ack
nowledge the Thorian as the Senior Pilot and will obey his commands.”

  Mike looked at Jo and calmly said, “Senior Pilot, may I suggest that a robot remove the dead Sauran and clean this stinking mess off the deck?”

  Jo gave a frightened smile and said, “Computer, do as this man has suggested.”

  “Yes Sir.”

  As they waited for a robot to remove the Sauran, Mike gave it a good look. The damn thing must weigh four hundred pounds. He realized why Jo would have such extreme fear of the beast. It had plenty of scales on its arms and they looked thick with muscle. The rest of him was clothed in a black uniform, preventing Mike from seeing anymore of the Sauran’s skin. By the way his shoulders, waist and legs filled out the black suit Mike knew the heavily muscled monster beneath could have easily beaten the crap out of him.

  When he gazed at his alien friend, he felt sympathy for the former slave of these rotten bastards. He wanted to make a special connection with the Thorian, so he used his full first name. He softly said, “Jonelle, isn’t there some way to get this stink out of here.”

  Hearing the use of his full name had a positive effect on Jo. “Yes. Yes, of course. I’m so sorry. I should have thought of that before I left to pick you up.”

  Jo looked away in thought and Mike felt the air begin to move around in the Op Center. He said, “Jo, I thought you told me these guys were lightening fast. He was fast as hell, but not that fast. And how was he able to find me, without any eyes.”

  Jo answered indirectly. “This one had a combat package upgrade. His operational mind had been reproduced and placed in an armored compartment in his stomach. When I burned out his brain, he went into a void state, as the secondary mind began to awake and rebuild what it could. The idea being to keep it alive long enough to get it into a med unit, where it would be completely repaired. Then its memory would be placed into the new brain.

  “When I left it on the floor, it began the process of fundamental salvation. It was only a few hours later, when I departed to find a warrior leader, which was you.”

  The Thorian looked shell shocked, as he spoke in a monotone voice.

  “I did most of my research on the way to Earth, using the information the computer had already placed in the small transport. I was gone so long that the Sauran’s secondary mind actually began to perform significant repairs on the beast. That’s something I never knew could be done, outside of a class one med unit.”

  He looked at Mike and continued in a deadpan way of speaking.

  “When an upgraded warrior loses one of his senses, he relies on all his other senses and the computer, to which he is still in contact. He could not see you with his eyes, but he could see through the computer’s cameras in the Control Center. As for why you are alive…I suspect it is due to your combat experience and the fact that he was obviously not yet up to his normal abilities. My wounding of him slowed him down enough for you to survive. It was most fortunate.”

  Mike let out a chuckle. “That’s the fucking understatement of the decade.”

  Jo was still troubled by the presence of the dead Sauran. Mike thought, the poor guy had been a slave for two hundred years. He was just now beginning to believe in his freedom. His emotions must have been running on fumes when he came to Earth. And then to return here, only to find the damn Sauran was still alive. That would freak out anyone.

  The few weeks Jo had spent with Mike were probably the first he’d ever been able to have a conversation as a free Thorian. It was remarkable really. Jo had held up well, as he dealt with Mike’s concerns and all his endless questions. Mike felt he should cut Jo some slack.

  Mike told him, “I’d like to get a better look at this Control Center, after a robot drags this piece of shit out of here.”

  Jo laughed in his weird way, before saying, “I truly enjoy the colorful way in which you utilize so many odd phrases to say one thing. And I’ll especially enjoy seeing this piece of shit dragged from the Operations Center.”

  They both laughed heartily, which seemed to bring some sense of calm to Jo.

  Finally, Mike took his first close look at the face of evil. The oblong head, with the protuberant eyes near the top, was difficult to appreciate. When Jo attacked the Sauran the first time with the line tester, it had literally boiled the remaining flesh in its skull. The grayish mush had exploded out of his eyes sockets, nostrils, mouth and ears.

  Even in death, the strange being projected a sense of evil. Mike looked at the hands and fingers, which were quite a bit larger than a human’s. He was sure they could easily rip out a man’s throat, or eviscerate his belly. It reminded him of his facial wound, as it began to throb and he put a hand to his cheek.

  Jo noticed and told him, “An hour in a med unit will fix that for you. There won’t be any scar either.”

  “That’s good news. Thanks, by the way. I’m sure I wasn’t going to beat that bastard alone. If you hadn’t put the juice to him, I was as good as dead.”

  Jo laughed at Mike’s colorful way of putting it and said, “I was terrified and you were so very courageous.”

  Mike felt it was time for a little pep talk for the frightened alien.

  “Look, Jo, you did good. I was scarred shitless. It’s normal. I guess my combat training and experience did have something to do with surviving. But, even though you were frightened, you did what was necessary. That’s what good warriors do. You’re a better warrior than you might think. You should be proud.”

  Mike could see Jo stand a little taller, which emphasized his substantial height over the human.

  Jo gave him a nob, before saying, “Thank you, my friend. Coming from a true warrior, I am honored and I am proud. But, as you say, I am still scarred shitless.”

  Mike poked at the dead Sauran’s skin and found it slightly flexible, yet tough. There was little give to it, primarily due to the thick muscle beneath.

  He asked, “If I ever have to fight one of these guys again, where are the vulnerable points?”

  “The eyes, of course. But, if it comes to that, you wouldn’t have a chance. Despite their bulk, they can be surprisingly quick; much quicker than the one you faced. It would be best if you killed it with a weapon as soon as you saw it, because it would certainly do the same if it saw you first.”

  “Yeah, I guess so. In combat, you kill the enemy as quickly as possible, before he does it to you.”

  “Yes Mike, that is basic Sauran martial philosophy. Where combat is concerned, they are killing machines.”

  A robot, unlike any he had seen, showed up and began the task of removing the dead Sauran. As the two armed, four wheeled robot hefted the Sauran carcass onto its flat lower casement, Mike suggested, “Let’s not toss him out into space just yet. I don’t know why, but I think we should hold onto him for now. You never know how he might be able to help us.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Just that sometimes a body can come in handy. We’ll see.”

  “I have no idea how that could be. But, I trust the judgment of a combat veteran. I’ll have the Robot put him in stasis.”

  “Good. Now, I want to change some of the names of things, to better suit the human mind, if that’s all right with you.”

  “Certainly. What do you wish to change?”

  “Humans would normally call the Operations Center the bridge. It will have a positive effect on my fellow warriors, if they hear terminology they already understand.”

  “Very well,” Jo replied, “the Operations Center is now the bridge. What else would you like to change.”

  “Jo, even with upgrades, it will be much easier for humans, if we make all references of measurements in human terms. I have no idea how the other races in the Galaxy calculate distance, or size. You seem to have already made an accommodation for me, regarding the length and weight of the ship. And, you have also provided me with a sense of time, by explaining it to me in years. But what about my
equivalent time measurement of seconds, minutes and hours?”

  Jo nodded, as he watched the robot carry away the hated Sauran. “I could explain the fundamental methods for time and distance to you, by providing comparisons between common human terms and galactic standard. And yes, there must be standard measurements out here. Otherwise, it would be impossible to coordinate movements and communication with other races. However, this is something that you will find easier to grasp, once you have the upgrade.”

  He looked at the human and smiled smugly, or so Mike thought.

  “Jo, you’re not even trying to be subtle now. That’s just insulting.” But he was grinning as well.

  Jo became business like, when he said, “I believe I should show you your quarters. While I was gone, I had the robots create a living space for you, in anticipation of your joining our cause.”

  “Our cause? You mean your cause, don’t you?”

  “No, I mean our cause. Whether you decide to join in the fight or someone else takes your place, the cause of survival for both of our races should be the primary concern for both of us.”

  “Boy, you’re really pushing it hard now, Jo. Give it a rest.”

  Mike looked back up at Jo and said, “Tell me about these preparations you’ve made for me.”

  “I’ll take you to your private quarters. Please follow me.”

  Six steps down the passageway, and Jo stopped in front of a doorway. It opened automatically and Jo led them inside.

  “These will be your living quarters now that the Senior Pilot is dead. It is near the bridge, in case the Senior Pilot is called forward for an emergency; although, in space, that usually means you’re already dead.”

  Mike looked around and was amazed at the luxury. It was quite large, compared to a Human naval ship. The room was at least forty feet long and perhaps thirty feet wide. It had dark gray carpet and a lighter color, thin fabric on the walls and ceiling, which must have been twelve feet high.

  There were two of the large chairs, which would comfortably seat the Thorian; but four more chairs of human size were there, as well as a human style sofa. Even the metal end tables had been sized for human needs.

  Jo explained, “I’ve taken the liberty of setting the computer to perform by your voice commands. If you wish more light, you merely have to say so. Your bedchamber and private hygiene facility are through that door, which will open for you, when you tell it to do so. For the more immediate needs of your guests, there is a hygiene facility through the other door, over there.” Jo pointed to the other side of the room.

  One wall was completely unused, until the alien closed his eyes and it flashed on, like a television screen, showing him thousands of ice bodies, in the Oort cloud.

  “Jo, will the computer obey my commands?”

  “I’ve instructed it to do so. It will not obey your commands to alter the basic mission of the ship, or do anything which would put the ship in danger, but otherwise it will accept your instructions.”

  After weeks together, both had begun to recognize the intent of their respective body languages. They even began to copy each other. As a human would do, Jo held up his hands, palm forward, as if to stop Mike and told him, “I’m not trying to assassinate an already deceased equine, but I should point out that you will be able to have the ship perform for you with ease, once you have the upgrade. You will simply think it and it will be done.”

  Mike began laughing and had trouble stopping, before he asked, “Did you deliberately alter that phrase or was it just you being specifically accurate.”

  Jo smiled, obviously pleased with himself and admitted, “I have noticed that you seem to enjoy my failed attempts to use human colloquialisms. I confess that this time it was a deliberate effort on my part to please you, as I subtly provided impetus to guide you in the direction of joining the rebellion.”

  “Oh, you’re good.”

  “Thank you, Mike. A Thorian who has survived for more than two hundred years, under the heavy heel of Sauran boots, must learn to say the right thing at the right time, if he is going to remain alive.

  “I’ll leave you for now. I’m sure you would like to clean up and probably experience some sleep. When you are ready to examine more of the ship, just tell the computer and it will summon me.”

  “Where are you going to be?”

  “I tire as you do. I’ve taken the Junior Pilot’s quarters, across the passageway from you. I intend to cleanse and rest, and then eat. By the way, if you are hungry, tell the computer.”

  Mike stood and waved his hands back and forth before his face. “Wait a minute. We’ve got to change a few more names here. Instead of Senior Pilot, let’s call him Captain; and instead of Junior Pilot, we’ll call him the Executive Officer, or XO. And we definitely have to come up with a name for this ship and the computer.”

  Jo looked puzzled. “You wish to name a computer. It isn’t alive. Why would you do that?”

  “I guess because we talk to it, as though it was alive. It obeys our commands, doesn’t it, so it’s like a servant or a…a steward in a human Navy. When we bring others on board, before they receive their upgrades, they will interact with the computer. They will accept the entire process much easier, if they can speak to a named intelligence. Oh, and it should be a woman’s name.”

  Jo suggested, “We could name it after your late wife.”

  “No. That would be too emotionally painful for me. I don’t like the idea of all those guys talking to my wife.”

  “Ah yes, of course. I understand and I apologize.”

  “It’s all right. I know you meant well. Perhaps we should give her a name that they can relate to.”

  Mike began laughing and Jo asked, “What?”

  “Well, for some strange reason, I remembered being in a strip joint in Baltimore. There was this one girl there, with huge boobs, named Bambi. Most guys would get a kick out of that, although the brass would probably object.”

  Jo told him, “I don’t know what a strip joint is, but if you feel that is a good choice for a name, then we will call the computer Bambi. You are the Grand Leader of the rebellion and as such, your decisions must prevail. Once the others arrive, they will not know that she was only recently named. They should accept it, I would think.”

  Mike grinned and said, “Ok then. The computer is now Bambi. I assume you will make the necessary change?”

  “Yes. It’s already done. Bambi, say hello to the Grand Leader.”

  A voice came from nowhere. “Hello, Grand Leader. I hope that my name is pleasing to you.”

  Mike cried out, “OK, next change. We will not be calling anyone Grand Leader. It’s too…North Korean. I’ll explain that later. For now, I guess I’m like the Captain and these are the Captain’s quarters.”

  Jo closed his eyes and Mike knew he was implementing the change.

  Bambi said, “Captain, I’ll have new uniforms ready for you in a few minutes.”

  “Thank you, Bambi.”

  Jo told him, “It’s unusual to thank a computer. Saurans would see that as a sign of weakness.”

  “Nonsense. Being polite is never weakness, although it could be misinterpreted that way. Say, how do I get her to change her voice?”

  “Just talk to her and explain to her the subtleties as best you can. When she is wrong, tell her so and she’ll make adjustments. Eventually she will be speaking as a human, if that is what you wish. Saurans would never allow a computer to speak as a sentient being. It would be an insult to them.”

  Mike got an evil grin on his face and said, “Well, it looks as though humans are going to be shaking things up out here.”

  Jo looked concerned and told him, “Sometimes, you frighten me, Mike. You seem to relish turning things inside out, even though there could be negative results. You must be very cautious about altering the balance of conventional wisdom. Most beings will not appreciate it.”

  Mike rea
ched up and patted the tall alien on the shoulder. I know that, Jo. I just get like that when I’m with someone I trust. And now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to wash and get some sleep.”

  “Yes, of course Captain Hurst. We will speak again after an adequate rest period.”

  Mike knew that Jo was more astute about human terminology than he let on. Jo seemed to enjoy prodding Mike by deliberately using alternative phrases for various functions. Sleep for instance, was rest period. The thing was, Mike felt more comfortable with Jo, because he displayed a sense of humor.

  When he entered his bedroom, he was amazed again at the amount of space devoted to it. And the bed…it was enormous. Jo had not bothered to have it sized for human use. It must have been ten feet square. There were murals on the wall of Saurans chasing odd looking animals. The one over the bed showed one of the evil bastards ripping the throat out of some poor creature, while it was still alive.

  “Bambi, can you change the pictures on the walls please. Just leave them blank for now.”

  “I can do that Captain, but a robot will have to remove then. They are not projections and must have the proper chemicals to eliminate those images. I shall have a robot sent to your quarters immediately.”

  “No, hold off on that. Wait until I get some sleep. Once I’m out of the bedroom, you can send in the robot. By the way, how many robots are there on board?”

  “There are currently one hundred and twelve robots actively working, another five hundred on standby and two thousand three hundred eighty eight robots in storage, for a total of three thousand robots, which is the standard number issued to this design of transport.

  “If you would like, I can give you the complete list of which type robots there are on board, by task assignment, or peculiar specialty.”

  Mike told her, “I’m sure I’ll want to review that, but not now. Remind me later.”

  “Yes sir.”

  “Bambi, also remind me to work with you on your voice inflection. I think it needs some improvement.”

  “Yes sir.”

  He removed his clothes and looked in the bathroom. He saw what looked to be a huge shower stall, but there was no showerhead or spigots to turn on the water.

  With a sigh of exasperation, he said, “Bambi, how do I turn on the shower?”

  “Just ask, Captain.”

  “Do it and don’t make it too hot, about one hundred degrees Fahrenheit should be good.”

  There was a brief pause, and then water began falling from the ceiling of the stall. He looked around for soap, but saw none. This was getting frustrating.

  “Bambi, could you get me some soap.”

  “Sir, the cleansing material is in the liquid. When you are clean, say so and I will change it to pure H2O for you to rinse. Also, as you exit the stall, warm air will remove the excess water and your new clothes will be on your bed.”

  “Thank you Bambi. You are very efficient.”

  “I know, sir. I was designed that way.”

  The computer’s responses seemed to possess boarder line sentient intelligence; although Jo had assured him that she was merely a programmed computer. Still, Mike liked speaking with her. It had a calming effect on him and he knew that would be the general response of the men he intended to recruit.

  He stopped for a moment, because he realized that he was thinking seriously about accepting Jo’s offer. He was considering men he would recruit and how they should be brought on board. He mentally scolded himself, because he was falling prey to Jo’s cleverness. He must be wary, as things progressed, and be aware of anything that might suggest Jo was not what he claimed to be.

  After a long shower and dry off, he walked back into the bedroom to see a platform disappearing into the ceiling, above the bed. A new uniform was waiting for him beneath it, neatly folded in the center of the huge sleeping area.

  He placed the uniform on the far side of the bed. Then, naked, he slipped under the sheet-like material, placed his head on an oversized pillow and thought, ‘Damn pillows were meant for a blasted Sauran. I’ll have Bambi change them later.’ Then he quickly dozed off.

  Chapter 7