Travels of the Orphan (The Space Orphan Book 3)

by Laer Carroll

  Manager escorted them to their rooms and guided them in their use. Each resident could tailor and re-tailor the room by speaking to the room verbally. Each of the walls would display full-color moving images showing room features which could be changed. This was very varied.

  The linguistic package which the Human Interstellar Confederation sentinels had given the robots running the city was incredibly flexible. There apparently was no language missing. It understood idioms, sarcasm, and irony. It seemingly had a history module as it understood cultural references. It understood puns but not humor.

  The facilities included most of those of high-end hotels: exercise equipment, pools, and a big set of music and TV shows and movies which were in the public domain.

  After an hour of playing with their residences Jane brought her group into the dining room. Its design was functional but elegant to her eyes. A floating ball of pure white showed them to a table for eight beside a long high picture window showing Main Street. It pointed out a menu floating in the air in front of each guest.

  Jane forestalled anyone ordering anything until medics and biologists tested the food and drink available from the hotel and ensured that it was safe. However, the menu was incredibly varied, seemingly items from every Earthly culture.

  Hornsby asked the "waiter" how that was possible. It replied that all food and drink and the plates, glasses, utensils, and other dining items were created by transmutation. This was how it ensured that it was not infected by the biological organisms which the humans would introduce into the environment.

  At this one of the scientists looked alarmed and asked what it meant. Merely by breathing, the floating robot said, such organisms would be introduced. Hornsby reminded the man that the eight humans were still sealed inside their spacesuits and that all investigators would remain suited up until investigations certified that exposure to all air, water, food, and drinks was safe.

  At that Jane said that they'd return to their ship. Each of their spacesuits would undergo decontamination procedures before being let out of the airlock into the ship.

  <>

  The possibility that the City might be infected by dormant alien micro-organisms obliged Jane to remove Constellation and her crew and the scientist passengers from the area. She returned to Mars City, dropped off the scientists there, or took them and other scientists onboard for return to Earth. Her communications about the discoveries had prompted new orders for Jane and Constellation.

  She landed at the smaller Paris international airport which served as much of Europe's spaceport and let off her scientist passengers. At Colorado Springs she let all of her crew go for two weeks of leave time. She was met by two Boeing engineers, one a test pilot. She let them pilot Constellation to Long Beach and land at the huge Boeing Spaceship Construction facility. There Constellation would receive a number of mostly minor upgrades, a major upgrade to its four antimatter power generators, and be refurbished.

  Phil met her there and took her home with him. On the weekend she spent time with her parents and with Natalie and her family.

  On Sunday afternoon she flew in Princess to Colorado Springs and returned to duty Monday morning, meeting that afternoon with her boss.

  <>

  "Be seated, Colonel," said General Willoughby before Jane could brace and salute. This was as usual when they were alone.

  Jane did so and relaxed. The woman seemed businesslike but friendly.

  "If I remember rightly you've got at least a week of leave coming."

  "All my family and friends have work, so I didn't want to use leave time loafing."

  "What's happening with your command?"

  "Boeing is upgrading the power generators, making a lot of minor mods, and refurbishing a few items."

  "When will Constellation be ready for duty?"

  "Middle of next week. Boeing will fly it here and I'll take command as soon as they set it down. My crew will all be aboard by the Monday after and ready to go."

  "The biology people may not be ready then. There're a lot of people who want to be in the group and there's a perfect storm of favors being called in, deals made, and out-right bribery going on."

  "That might be for the best. We can get all the supplies and equipment loaded for the trip and I can take Connie for a spin with the full crew and we can double-check Boeing's work. Not that I expect problems, but better we find any near home than halfway to anywhere."

  "What do you make of the waking up the alien city?"

  "A bit surprised it did so but not that it seems to be functioning well. The Cat's city in the asteroids did that after 9,000 years asleep. The Mars city seemed to have been shut down about 5,000 years ago."

  "Any ideas about who made the city and why?"

  "No more than anyone else. Just lots of guesses. Maybe when the bio people give the city a clean bill of health--if they do--the city will tell us. Cat city did."

  "So what do you think you should do while shuttling people around the solar system? Or instead?"

  "I want to start thinking about designing and building weapons. I can do that while on Constellation. I don't like the idea of depending on the Human Interstellar Confederation for protection. I've no doubt they could and would protect us, but in time?"

  "You believe there is a Confederation? As described in the Galactic Encylopedia Cat City gave us? Or the version the Confed sentinels gave us?"

  "A lot of smart people who've been studying the two versions more than I have think so. I'm tentatively accepting the information in them but keeping open to them being some propaganda piece. Or part of some complicated malicious plan."

  "I'll start thinking about getting some money for whatever weapons projects you come up with. For now, welcome back to work. We'll talk more before you launch for Mars."

  <>

  The group of biologists selected to examine Mars city was, as Willoughby had predicted, not quickly finalized. It took five weeks. Then the group had to make a list of the equipment they'd need. That and the delivery of all items took another three weeks.

  During that time Jane commuted to LA in Princess each Friday to spend time with Phil and her family and friends.

  On a Monday morning Constellation lifted off for Mars. It took five days to get there. Upon arrival Jane set down at the Mars base to pick up a few leaders of the Mars exploration mission, then hopped to Mars city. She had Constellation sit down a hundred feet from the edge of the easternmost "parking lot." At this distance the nearer of Constellation's two protective force fields would just miss the edge of the parking lot.

  She had timed to achieve her new station just as the sun set. Ship time had been synchronized to match local Mars time. She wanted all investigators to be as rested as possible before beginning their work.

  <>

  At 9:00 the next morning Jane met with the biologists from Earth. Present also was the head of the Mars Exploration group chartered by the United Nations to study the Red Planet, Julius Hornsby, and Jane's executive officer, Major Marishka Lopez.

  "Good morning, everyone. I hope you've all had a good night's sleep. Today is likely to be a bit stressful for those who've not worked off planet Earth before. Plus you'll be doing exciting work. That can tire you out.

  "Before you begin I need to make a few points. I imagine you know most of what I'm about to say, but I want us to be perfectly clear on them. Bear with me, please.

  "The head of all Mars exploration is Dr. Hornsby, here. His group was given the job of Mars exploration by the UN. You are here at his invitation and he can rescind it for any of you singly or together at any time. My job is to protect, transport, and house and feed you. It is also to enforce the UN's laws and regulations. I'll not hesitate to arrest and imprison any violators for transport back to Earth the next time I go there. Is this clear?"

  She looked around the room. Most appeared bored. A few appeared annoyed.

  "On a brighter note, I and my crew are also here to keep you fed, comfortable, and sa
fe. Let me or my exec--" She gestured at Lopez, sitting beside to her right. "--or any other of my officers know if we can do something to improve working conditions for you.

  "Now, any questions before we suit up and begin working in the city?"

  There were none. The scientists were impatient to get to work.

  <>

  An hour later Jane led ten of the 27 scientists out of the airlock and approached the nearest portal into the city. As before Manager spoke in their spacesuit ear phones when they were near the portal.

  "Greetings, honored guests. Is there one among you who can speak for the others?"

  "I can speak for the others. You may call me Colonel Kuznetsov. Can you identify me as different from the others?"

  "I am able to distinguish individuals and remember who you are for future interactions. How may I help you?"

  "We are here to learn more about your city. Do you understand the concept of 'city'?"

  "I have been given a familiarization package for Earth and humans. My grasp of English and all other major languages is good. My understanding of Earth history and cultures is good. I must remind you that I am a robot and have limited variability in my behavior."

  "Then you know that we humans may use words of little functionality besides commands, requests, and questions. I may say 'please' and 'Thank you' as two examples."

  "I am familiar with polite expressions and courtesy terms. Please feel free to use them."

  "Thank you. For the next several local days my companions will be examining your city for biological remnants of previous occupants, with our main concern being remnants dangerous to us. Can you assist them?"

  "Yes. My first assist is to tell you that one of our main goals is the health and safety of all guests and other inhabitants. We sterilize each room after it ceases to be occupied unless the occupants say not to. They must also give acceptable reasons for their request. If they do not we will tell them so and initiate sterilization when they leave the room."

  "I feel this is commendable. However, for our peace of mind we must still check to ensure that no biological or chemical hazards exist in your city.

  "By the way, is 'city' a correct term for this artifact?"

  "Yes, it is accurate according to your several dictionary definitions of the English word."

  "We will first examine this large flat empty space before us. We are temporarily calling it a 'parking lot.' Is this an accurate term for it?"

  "Yes. More correctly, it is a storage area for more objects than land or aerial vehicles. But we will follow your usage and refer to this and other similar areas as a parking lot."

  "I note that you use the term 'we' and 'I' as if they refer to the same individual or individuals. What are you using these terms to mean?"

  "They are synonyms. There is only one manager for the city, but I may speak to several individuals in widely separated places. Then I will often use the term 'we.' I will often use the term to mean all the different functional entities that make up the city even though they are all parts of me, me being the city."

  "Thank you. One final request. Please manifest visually in some way when you speak to us."

  "I used this image the last time I spoke to you, Colonel Kuznetsov. Is it acceptable?"

  A grapefruit-sized white ball of light appeared about ten feet in front of Jane at about her head height.

  "Yes, thank you.

  "Now we will begin inspecting this parking lot. If we say 'Manager' in a tone of voice a little louder than normal will you answer us?"

  "Yes. I will always be with you but with my avatar invisible."

  "Very well. I will say 'Goodbye' for now."

  "Goodbye."

  The ball of light disappeared.

  "OK, folks," Jane said. "Please begin your sweep. I will stay in sight but be in communication with my personnel and working with them. Just call my name into your microphone if you need me."

  "Right you are, Colonel," said one of the scientists. "Come on, lads. Let's get to work."

  "And 'lasses' for those of us who are not lads," said another of the scientists. There were four women in the sweeper party and Jane thought she knew which one had spoken. She was not sure, however.

  There were chuckles in her earphones as the ten scientists unlimbered the broom-shaped biological trace detectors, put them on the tiny wheels supporting the "broom heads" an inch off the ground, and began to walk in a straight line ahead of them. Walking a yard to each side of each other they followed Jane through the invisible force field which held air inside the city. Just inside they wheeled to the right and began walking north along the edge of the parking lot.

  It took them five minutes to reach the northern edge of the lot and cover an area a swathe a little over fifty feet wide. In an hour they cleared the entire parking lot on the eastern edge of the city. Then they began sweeping the lower five feet of the buildings' faces on the eastern edge of the city.

  An hour later they knocked off for a while and re-entered Constellation for lunch and a bathroom break. That afternoon they finished the outsides of all the buildings in a line from south to north.

  The next day Lopez committed ten of the spaceship's personnel to beef up the number of the sweepers. By the end of the week all the buildings' outsides had been swept to shoulder height as well as the streets and avenues.

  Starting on the weekend they began sweeping the insides of the buildings. After a day of this and no hits the scientists decided to spot check the rest of the buildings. By Tuesday they'd cleared thirteen randomly-selected one-storied buildings and seven two-storied buildings. This left the two three-storied buildings in the city's center, one on each side of Main Street.

  It was at this point that Manager threw a wrench into the search.

  <>

  "Captain, this is Sergeant Burgess on the bio sweep detail. Manager requests you come speak to it before we enter the hotel on the south side of Main."

  "Is it urgent?"

  "Doesn't seem to be, Ma'am. It just said it had some important information that would affect our sweep."

  Jane was in the control room. Her spacesuit was in an alcove nearby. She suited up, went through an airlock, went to a line of small golf-cart sized floater vehicles, and mounted one. Within minutes she pulled up in front of the three-storied building they'd named the South Side Hotel.

  The twenty-person sweeper crew was sitting on the surface of Main Street. Jane landed the cart and went to one of the two persons standing up. It was a slender Tech Sergeant named Street, blond with a trim mustache and beard.

  The sergeant was talking to a young female scientist as dark as he was light. They seemed to be friends, maybe more so. Several romances between military and civilians had begun recently. Jane ignored them unless they began to interfere with her crew's duties.

  "What is it, Burgess?"

  A white ball of light appeared a couple of feet beyond the sergeant and halfway between him and the scientist. She hastily retired to the sergeant's side.

  The Manager avatar drifted closer. Burgess retreated a bit further to the side, leaving Jane face to "face" with the alien sphere.

  "You recall that I said 'We sterilize each room after it ceases to be occupied unless the occupants say not to.' The North Side Hotel has been left unsterilized."

  "Is the South Side Hotel clean?"

  "Yes. The South Side Hotel was sterilized."

  "Are the biological remnants in the North Hotel harmful to humans?"

  "No. They are not reactive in any way. They are from a totally alien biosphere which has no intersections with yours."

  "What kind of aliens inhabited the hotel?"

  "The city's creators commanded me not to tell you. They said they wanted to test your biological skills."

  Jane idly noted that the first sentence was an answer to her question. But the second seemed to be volunteered, an action not like the robot's previous behavior. It might mark an additional way of interacting with humans. But
it might also be an interjection ordered by aliens absent for thousands of years.

  Or maybe hiding in the present day. Had the city's makers returned? Or their descendents?

  She put the speculations aside.

  "Lopez? Get the rest of the scientists into the conference room in the ship. We're all going to knock off for the day out here and come inside to have a chat."

  "Aye, Aye, Captain."

  <>

  It took almost an hour before everyone was back inside Constellation, out of their spacesuits, had refreshed themselves, and showed up in the conference room with drinks and, in a few cases, snacks as well.

  Jane looked around the room and saw that all the scientists were present. Also attending were Lopez and Julius Hornsby.

  "OK. We're all here. Has everyone seen the body-cam footage and heard the conversations with the Manager from earlier this morning?

  "And, crew, if anybody is listening in on the public access feed from this room, if you've not seen and heard all of that, basically the City's builders, through the City Manager, has given us a bit of a challenge. It's an IQ test of sorts, to sample the bio remnants in the North Side Hotel, and maybe some artifacts left in it, and discover who the makers were.

  "So, people, what do you make of all this?"

  Hornsby said, "I'm intrigued by Manager's withholding this information until we were about to check the hotels for biologicals."

  One of the scientists spoke up. She was an older British Chinese named Lee whose clearly and wittily written books were widely popular. She was also a highly respected researcher and something of a leader of the biologists.

  "The withholding might be part of some policy but it may also just be a side effect of robotic nature, not to volunteer information without some outside stimulus such as a question."

  Hornsby nodded. "In whatever case this does not affect our actions in any way. We still have to clear the two hotels of biologicals and classify the contents of either which might be biologically active. Especially determine if they are a threat to us."

  Another of the scientists held up a hand and, Hornsby nodding at her, spoke.