The Colony Ship Vanguard: The entire eight book series in one bundle

by John Thornton

  “We need her observations.”

  Paul paused for a moment before answering. “Oh, I got those. I thought for a moment you actually cared about her. I guess I was wrong about that,” Paul said in scorn. “Her data stick and sensors are here.” He patted the second gear belt he wore.

  They walked in silence and passed the outer sets of doors exitinf Dome 3. The dead, tan, toxic world outside was unchanged. Paul knew the world would never change.

  Jamie turned to try to power up the exterior door attempting to shut it. Paul just plodded along until he reached the vehicle. He knew they could not speak again now that they were outside.

  Jamie stopped trying to shut the dome’s door, and hustled after Paul. She had no intention of being left behind.

  They climbed into the vehicle, and connected their cables into the machine’s systems. The fusion truck powered up.

  “So tell me what happened?” Jamie said as a question.

  “No,” Paul replied. He punched in the operations to have the vehicle’s data stick maneuver it in the exact reverse course of how they had arrived.

  “What happened to Karen?” Jamie pressed.

  “Like I said, she died.”

  “But how?” Jamie asked. “I know it was bad in there, worst I have ever seen. But what happened?”

  “She is dead,” Paul repeated. He said no more as he monitored the vehicle’s progress through the winds, dust, and toxic atmosphere which had once been Earth.

  Jamie did not ask any more questions as they headed back to Dome 17. It was a long, tense, and dismal ride back.

  The vehicle parked next to Dome 17’s outer entrance. Jamie climbed out, but watched to see what Paul would do. He motioned for her to enter first. She did so.

  Paul waited as the decontamination procedure took place for Jamie. He wondered if he should go in or not, but decided he had to see Gretchen and the other adventurers and tell them personally what had happened to Karen.

  After Jamie completed the decontamination, Paul entered. The entryway dilated and he stepped inward. A gush of air pushed past him as the pressurized system started which would allow him to continue his entry into the dome. The outer entry closed together with a snap. The illumination came on, and a storage bin slid open. He took both the equipment belts off and slid out the data sticks. Those went into a special slot in the bin where they would pass on the information they contained. The physical stick would never be used again, since it had been outside of the dome.

  Taking the goggles off his face and the hat off his head, and peeling the hood down, he thought again of Karen. Tears would have flowed if he had not been so dry. Paul stripped off his coveralls, socks, underwear and shoes. He placed all those things into the storage bin. He pushed the illuminated button over the bin and it shut. The gear was shipped away to the incinerator.

  The next entryway dilated, and he again felt the rush of air come flow from the interior. This chamber was smaller, and Paul stepped in and stood on the expanded metal. As soon as he stood in that chamber, the dilation closed, and he felt the rinse begin. He had the illusion of feeling wet, but he knew it was not water.

  Broad-spectrum lighting came on and he squinted his eyes. It became painful heat, which would leave side effects, but he was sanitized. Naked, hot, and now cleansed, he waited. He ran a hand through his light blond, nearly white hair. It felt as dry as his mouth did. His blue eys felt gritty, and his thin beard bristled. His facial hair was light brown, but considerably darker than the shaggy blonde of his head. He trimmed it off most of his face, his sideburns cut high, but the hair grew across above his lip and down to his chin. He rubbed his face with both hands and pondered again Karen’s death.

  A different bin opened, and some new, neatly stacked, dome clothing was inside. He pulled on the clothes and shoes, and then looked ahead. The final two dilations happen. Again gushing air rushed past him toward the exterior, as he stepped out of the entry passageways and into the dome itself. The dilation sealed itself behind him. The world of Dome 17 was open before him.

  He looked for Jamie’s red hair, but she was not to be seen.

  Marked only by the “Restricted Access” sign, the entry portal was hardly noticeable. Paul again looked for Jamie, but she was nowhere in sight. Paul knew there would be a debriefing, but he was not sure he even wanted to attend. What he needed was to find Gretchen and hug her closely. Nothing else mattered.

  2 home inside dome 17

  “Paul?” A soothing female voice said.

  He turned and saw Gretchen walking quickly toward him. She was smiling but her large brown eyes held an enormous measure of concern. Her thick frizzy black hair framed her beautiful brown, nearly ebony colored skin. Her muscular body tensed as she realized something serious had happened on Paul’s mission. She raced the last few meters to him and hugged him tightly.

  “Gretchen!” Paul said as he wrapped his arms about her. She was a bit taller than he was, and it felt so good to snuggle into her embrace. He silently wept as she held him. Recalling how Karen had clutched the toy, he shuddered with a sob.

  “Paul, what happened?” Gretchen said as she pulled her head back and stared into his blue eyes. She kept her hands holding onto to his shoulders. “I want to know.” Seeing Paul weep was unexpected, so she knew something truly horrible had occurred.

  “Karen died. She just took off her gear,” Paul said. He hugged Gretchen again. They had known each other forever, as they were age mates. “She just gave up. I really cannot blame her. That place was appalling. Worse than anything ever reported before. It was a nightmare come to life.”

  Gretchen hugged him again and together they stood in silence. The steady stream of fresh air recycled past them. The background hum of the atmospheric conditioners was constant. The temperature everywhere in Dome 17 was 24 degrees Celsius with a controlled humidity level of 28%. The artificial light from above was gentle and soothing, but none of that mattered to Paul or Gretchen at the moment. Paul was trying to cope with what he saw, and Gretchen, while relieved he was back, was concerned for him. Few things were able to rock his steadiness and self control.

  After a while, Paul pulled back. “It is great to hold you. I need to tell the other adventurers. Unless Jamie already has done that. I just do not know what to say.”

  “Do you need a food ration? You have several saved up from being on the mission. We could requisition one now if you want?”

  “No, I need to think about how to tell the adventurers. Can we go back to the apartment?” Paul asked.

  “Certainly,” Gretchen said and took his hand as they walked down the halls. Inside of Dome 17 there was not as much of a tan influence, but the clear permalloy still showed the swirling dust of outside. The light coming in still tended to cast that tan stain on everything. It was inescapable.

  They saw several other people, none of them adventurers, as they walked past the cafetorium and down the way to their apartment. The other people stepped to the side of the aisles and showed respect for them as they passed. Several did glance at Paul as they could tell something was wrong. The door to their apartment opened automatically and inside they went. There was the bed, some storage cubbies, the toileting area, and a small shelf.

  “Welcome back Paul!” said a cheerful mechanical voice.

  “Hello Cunda. I am back,” Paul replied to his personal artificial intelligence.

  “I sense there is great tension in your voice. Have you been injured either physically, emotionally, spiritually, or psychologically?” Cunda inquired.

  “Probably. Well, maybe not physically, but then that decontamination process always messes me up. So yes, I am injured. Karen died on the mission,” Paul said bluntly.

  “That is a great tragedy. The adventurer Jamie has reported that to the Committee. Additionally, there are the findings from three data sticks regarding your mission. Those records are being analyzed currently. I expect a briefing to be called with the next few hours,” Cunda said. “Until t
hen I will arrange for some support, unless you object?”

  Paul flopped back onto the bed, but then his memory exploded with the image of Karen falling onto the dust covered bed while holding the toy. He sat up quickly.

  “Attention, Gretchen?” A mechanical voice said. “I do not wish to intrude.”

  “Yes, Delphi, I am here,” Gretchen answered the inquiry of her own personal artificial intelligence system. “Doctor Chambers is available to see you and Paul if either, or both of you, think that would be beneficial. It may be mandated by the Committee after the briefing. I suggest you take the opportunity to visit with him now.”

  “Might as well,” Paul said. “He is a good person. But this is really bad stuff.”

  They left their apartment and walked down toward medical. Paul compared the clean and neat hall with its soft carpeted floor to the dust filled halls of Dome 3. It was hard to image they had been built about the same time, by the same contractors, around a hundred years before.

  They entered the medical department. At the large counter sat a nurse. He looked up, “Paul, you do not look so good. I know you have an appointment with Doctor Chambers, but do you desire to see Doctor Carolyn as well?”

  “Hi Daniel. Not now. I am waiting for the call for the debriefing, so just Doctor Chambers now. Thanks” Paul gave the nurse a smile.

  “Daniel, Karen died on that mission,” Gretchen added.

  “Oh dear,” Daniel replied. “That has not been released to the dome’s public yet. I had not heard it officially, but when reviewing the entrance records, I only saw two decontamination events. I wondered.” He looked puzzled, then went back to being more professional. “Doctor Chambers is expecting you.”

  Paul and Gretchen walked to the office and knocked.

  “Come in Paul and Gretchen,” Doctor Chamber said as the door slid open. “Sit down, please.”

  The office had a mural on one wall which had been done by Doctor Chambers himself. It was colorful, but still tinted by the tan which seemed to mask everything in Dome 17. They sat on a couch against the wall. Doctor Chambers shut down the data stick he was working with and the three dimensional display which had been projected over his desk vanished. He swiveled around in his chair and looked at them,

  “So Paul, you are back from the mission. I have not seen the official reports yet, but Cunda requested an urgent session,” Doctor Chambers stated. His short and curly hair was tight to his head, and his expressively kind light-brown eyes looked at them. Wrinkle lines were in his dark face showing he was someone who smiled often. But now his face was very serious.

  “There is not an official report yet. Not even a debriefing. Karen died,” Paul reported without any emotion. He spoke in the formal and professional manner typical of conversations in the dome.

  Gretchen placed her warm hand on Paul’s knee and reassured him with her presence.

  “Do you want to tell me what happened?” Doctor Chambers asked.

  Paul nodded and began to speak. He related everything in great detail. He had known Doctor Chambers for a very long time, being that he and Gretchen were in the age-mate group, only five years ahead of the one Doctor Chambers was in.

  For a while the three of them just sat in the office in silence after Paul related the events.

  “I hope you are not blaming yourself,” Doctor Chambers said after a while.

  “No,” Paul replied. “But had Jamie stayed when I suggested it, we might have gotten Karen back here.”

  “Perhaps,” Doctor Chambers said. “But you know how many self-terminations have happened in the adventurers?”

  “Too many,” Gretchen interjected.

  “That is so true. And that does not count the teams which have just not returned from a mission to another dome. I believe some of those were suicides as well. So Karen might have made it back here. But then she may have done it here anyway. Seeing those other domes fail has a deep psychologically unsettling effect.” Doctor Chambers stared hard at Paul.

  “I am not going to self-terminate,” Paul replied. “But I am angry at Jamie.”

  “With cause it sounds like,” Doctor Chambers replied. “But we each cope with situations differently. I know I could not deal with the things you have seen. So I suggest…”

  “Excuse me Doctor Chambers,” an artificial intelligence system said. “The Committee has called for the most recent mission’s debriefing. Paul’s presence is requested in Jubal Morris’ quarters.”

  “Thank you,” Doctor Chambers answered. “That must be important to have authorization to interrupt us here. So Paul, you go to the briefing, but know this was not your fault. It is not Jamie’s fault either. Karen did this, and the entire blame is on her.”

  Paul started to stand, and Doctor Chambers reached over and grasped his wrist. He gave a slight tug and repeated, “Karen’s death was not your fault. She took off the mask. She did it to herself.” His eyes were intense as he peered at Paul.

  “Okay,” Paul said and Doctor Chambers let go. Paul and Gretchen then got up and thanked Doctor Chambers. They departed to go to the briefing.

  “Should I make a return appointment?” Daniel asked as they walked past.

  “I will let you know,” Gretchen said and gave Daniel a weak smile.

  They went up a flight of stairs to the level above and then walked around the edge by the clear permalloy. “Do you trust Doctor Chambers?” Gretchen asked.

  “Yes. But he was not there. I should have done something else,” Paul stated. “He and Jamie are age mates, and… well, I know what he said is true, but I trust you a whole lot more than anyone else.”

  “Then trust this. It was not your fault,” Gretchen stressed. She hugged him and turned them both toward the transparent permalloy. Being a bit taller than Paul, Gretchen leaned her head down onto his and looked outside. “Is that dust your fault? Or the radiation? Or the other toxins?”

  Paul tried to pull away, but Gretchen held on. “Paul? Is the dust outside your fault?”

  “No.”

  “The dust is what killed Karen. She knew what would happen when she undid her gear. She knew the RAM seal would be violated. You know that. I know that. So trust me, please. It was Karen’s fault,” Gretchen was firm. “Not yours.”

  “I need to get to that debriefing,” Paul said and used his muscles to physically pull away.

  Gretchen followed. They came around to the Committee member’s quarters and approached the door for Jubal Morris.

  “Hello,” the voice of Artificial Intelligence stated. “How may I help you?”

  Gretchen smiled. She knew Jubal’s artificial intelligence system had chosen its own name and had selected the name Artificial Intelligence. That always struck her as humorous, but today all she could do was smile. No giggles came forth.

  “We are here to see Committee Member Jubal Morris for the debriefing,” Paul responded somberly.

  The door slid open immediately.

  “Come in,” He beckoned. He was seated on a small chair at the side of the room. The room was identical in layout to where Paul and Gretchen lived, the only differences being a few small personal touches here and there.

  “Member Morris? Should we be in the conference meeting room?” Paul asked. “I see Jamie is not here yet, nor are the other Committee members.”

  “No need for formalities,” Jubal said. “Gretchen you are welcome to stay if you desire. Jamie has already been debriefed. No other Committee members will be here for this short debriefing. Relax, please.”

  Paul and Gretchen just stood in the apartment. They were not sure what to expect from this break in protocol.

  Jubal looked at them and stated simply, “The records you brought back on the data sticks make it clear what happened. Paul, you were wise and brave to bring back Karen’s as well as your own. Her death was a terrible tragedy. It is…”

  “I apologize for failing to keep her safe,” Paul interrupted. “I should have taken stronger action to bring her back before
she did what she did.”

  “Paul, that is nearly identical to what Jamie told me not long ago. She explicitly took full responsibility for Karen’s death.” Jubal steepled his fingers as he sat and looked at them both. “However, she is wrong.”

  Paul swallowed and knew what was coming. He was to be blamed for the suicide. “I was with Karen when she did it. I should…”

  “Paul, please be quiet for a moment and listen to me. Please. I am on the Committee after all.” Jubal softened his words with a slight smile. He used just a hint of his positional authority.

  Paul nodded.

  “You also are blaming yourself for what happened. You too are wrong. Jamie is wrong. Neither of you could do anything about what Karen did. You could not have prevented it. Nor could you have saved her after she broke her security seal on her goggles. She was dead then moment she did that. You are not at fault. Not at fault.” Jubal let his words sink into Paul’s mind. “Now, you did keep your wits about you and you did recover her data stick. That is far beyond the call of duty and you are to be commended for doing that. Few adventurers would have been able to do that in those circumstances.”