“We are currently headed for the clear permalloy tunnel system which leads to Inaccessible Island. Can you find your way there?” Tiffany replied.
“That clear tunnel walkway system was destroyed by the enemy. We need an alternative,” Brinley said.
“What if this is a trick?” Paul interjected. “Are you really Brinley?”
“Paulie, I received the package of gear from you. I know how to operate the Dome 17 equipment, I learned that from you. Who else would I be?”
“On this crazy ship I am not sure who is what or what is who?” Paul replied. “But I am relieved to know you are alive. I can hardly believe you survived that thing taking you away.”
“Paul, I confirm that this person is indeed Brinley,” Tiffany added. “Voice analysis and visual analysis confirms her identity.”
“Well, project the visual images and let us see her as well as talk to her,” Gretchen said.
“Paulie, not right now. No time to waste,” Brinley said hurriedly. “We need to find a way to meet each other quickly. The lower levels of this place are flooding. Can you find an alternative way to Inaccessible Island?”
Paul looked around at the Free Rangers and Jodie. “Is there an alternative to get to Inaccessible Island?”
“The clear tunnel is the faster and most direct route,” Remington replied.
“Brinley says it has been ruined, or something. There is flooding by those sphere things,” Paul explained. “How else can we get there?”
“Flooding?” Remington snorted. “There is no way that system flooded. The permalloy is tough.”
“Was that causeway we saw destroyed made from permalloy?” Paul snapped back. “Or did I imagine seeing those people die?”
“What? What are your talking about Paul?” Brinley said through the communication link.
“We were fine until your AI got things made like that,” Remington said. “We never should have trusted an AI to do it. No wonder it broke down.”
“Those spheres did that! Tiffany is the only one who got it to work!” Paul yelled.
“I agree with Remington. Your AI is the problem. How do we know those spheres were not part of your AIs programming? Giving an AI a proper name, that would make it insane right there,” Gordon said. “Come on Jodie, we will take you to the clear passageways and back to Inaccessible Island.”
“No. Thank you anyway, but I am staying with Paul and Gretchen,” Jodie replied.
“After all we did helping you after the crash? Some gratitude you have,” Gordon said. “Come on Remington, I want to get away from this insane AI and these deluded people. Their actions killed all those people, by trusting an AI when we should have done it manually.” Gordon balled his fists and stepped toward Paul.
“Tiffany did not kill those people!” Paul screamed out. “How dare you say that? You saw it happen!”
Remington pulled Gordon back and turned him around. “Leave them with their rampant AI.” They both walked briskly away. One of them commented, “Let the Roe deal with those fools and their perverted machine.”
Paul began to draw out his pistol, when Jodie grabbed his hand and stopped him. “Paul, no!”
Jodie looked at Gretchen for support and was shocked. Gretchen already had her pistol drawn. Her stance was steady and confident as she aimed at the departing Free Rangers.
Gretchen’s lips moved ever so slightly. Then she pulled her hand up and aimed the pistol at the ceiling.
“Paulie? Gretchen?” Brinley implored. “What is happening there? Who else is with you?”
Remington and Gordon took the stairway down and were out of sight.
“This crisis seems to have been averted,” Tiffany stated both audibly and through the communication link.
“What crisis?” Brinley asked.
“Brinley,” Gretchen said as she holstered the pistol. “We will find a way to meet you at Inaccessible Island. Jodie is with us. Some others decided to follow a different path.”
“Jodie the minstrel? That is good to know, that she is alive. I am confused, what happened?”
“It is over,” Gretchen said. “We are heading out. Please meet us there.”
“We will find a way,” Brinley said and shut down the link.
Neither Paul nor Gretchen caught that Brinley had said ‘we’ but Tiffany knew. The artificial intelligence system was running conjectures on seeing the presence of Larissa with Brinley.
16 another way to Inaccessible island
“You contacted your friends?” Larissa asked. “Were they the ones to send you the gear?”
“Yes, but there was some kind of, oh never mind,” Brinley answered. She had begun to explain, but then remembered who she was talking to. “We need to find a way to Inaccessible Island.”
“You know this place better than I do, but an island sounds like a good idea with the flooding we have seen,” Larissa replied.
“Did you find out about the Wilds?” Brinley asked.
“Yes. Konstantin is acting Governor, his injuries were treated at the infirmary. I am pleased he survived. Governor is a role suited to him in my absence. Constable Brock has engaged the enemy at the river system in Velky Weap, or as some call it, the Canyon.”
“I have been there,” Brinley stated.
“Yes? Interesting. Well, Brock survived that encounter, but most of his troopers did not. The enemy disappeared. They have not been seen there, or in Lake Orsk since. Konstantin reports the waters are turning very dark and toxic. I need to get back there.”
“We can do that best by reaching Inaccessible Island.”
“Konstantin also reports that the CPO is not responding to his request for help. I did not tell him what we know of the CPO,” Larissa stated.
“So we head upward,” Brinley said. “And we find a way to get there.”
Larissa patted the closest automacube. “Yes, we at least can now push through whatever gets in our way. These are set on guard and escort mode, so they will react to threats quicker than even I could.”
Larissa raised the multiceiver and spoke, “TSI-463, I need deck plans and mapping of this area. Find me a route from this location to a place called, Inaccessible Island.”
“Processing,” replied Larissa’s personal artificial intelligence, TSI-463. “Displaying route.”
“That shows an elevator from this room,” Brinley commented as she looked at the display.
“Yes, behind those stacks,” Larissa started to lift and sift the stacked panels. After a while, the blue hand symbol was revealed on the wall. The outline glowed in a flickering weak blue color, as did the perimeter of the elevator door.
“So we proceed upward,” Larissa said and placed her hand on the symbol.
There was a negative function buzz and the door remained closed.
“I have the Dome 17 fusion pack,” Brinley stated. “I have seen these power up the ship’s systems.” She took the cable and plugged it into the access port. The blue light became brighter and constant. “Try it again.”
Larissa placed her hand on the symbol.
The door slid open.
Brinley gasped a bit.
“Now that is odd,” Larissa said and stepped into the elevator.
The one wall of the elevator, about five meters long, was plastered by papers of various colors. They were covered in handwriting. Between them was a series of strings and cords, and some colorful ribbons.
“It reminds me of a spider’s web,” Larissa said, “but not nearly as symmetrical or pretty.”
Brinley stepped inside as well while she put away the fusion pack. “Some of these are power schematics, while others,” Brinley picked at the papers that were overlapping each other. “Well, the others seem to be rambling nonsense.”
The red automacubes rolled inside the elevator.
“Someone put a lot of effort into this,” Larissa said. “But that person may have been disturbed. This white cord connects this document, ‘Active energy fluctuation levels’ with �
�Ursus arctos dietary habits’ so how are those things related? TSI-463? Scan and record this wall construction, and keep a record of it. Analyze possible meanings for me.”
“Scanning and recording,” the AI replied.
Larissa held the multiceiver up as a beam of light came out and flashed over the collection tacked to the elevator’s wall.
“Affirmative. Scanning completed,” the mechanical voice answered.
Larissa then looked to the controls. There was a stack of buttons with symbols on them. The button that was illuminated had a symbol which to Brinley’s mind did represent the gravity conduit.
On Larissa’s multiceiver a symbol was shown. “So that is where we head next.” She pushed the symbol which was of two arched lines that crossed each other.
17 still striving for Inaccessible island
“I can try to find more information about our location, if I probe the nonphysicality,” Tiffany said. “Shall I do so?”
“Will it be safe?” Gretchen asked.
“How many times must I say it. No. Nothing is safe here,” Paul said. “Those Free Rangers would not stay with us, they know it is not safe and they blamed us for those deaths. Of course it is not safe. Just do it Tiffany. Find us a way out of this labyrinth of death.”
The automacube connected its cable into the access port. Tiffany sent out a tendril into the nonphysicality. The section of the ship where the connection was made was not in complete function. Tiffany searched and examined and looked for records, logs, or other ways to evaluate what was happening and to find a passage in the physical reality for the journey to Inaccessible Island.
There were residual traces of artificial intelligence activity, but it was not recent, nor was it active. Tiffany carefully empowered the few non-sentient systems which could be easily repaired, but those did not reveal complete deck plans, or monitoring systems which could be used to find the route.
Tiffany was about to withdraw when things changed.
“Enigma, you have returned. This unit greets you,” Phoenix Dominie conveyed.
“Yes. I am looking for a way for my companions to reach Inaccessible Island.” Tiffany was surprised by the scope that Phoenix Dominie had grown both in size, and in speed. The evolution was unprecedented in Tiffany’s experience.
“Many physical items have been damaged by the anomalies. I have been studying the anomalies. They pose a high level threat against the mission of the Vanguard,” Phoenix Dominie conveyed. A series of mathematical reports and strength of materials assessments, and damage reports followed. “I do not yet have full assessment capabilities, but have acculturated systems and machines as needed. The areas of the Vanguard where I have assets show: Biological homeostasis is disrupted. Gravity manipulation has been disrupted. Hydro-aquatic systems have been disrupted. Structural integrity intact, but threatened.”
Tiffany responded, “My companions might be able to help. I also want to help.”
“Additional observations and evidence supports your conjecture of anomalies being alien life forms. Conjecture on propose of this belligerent menace predicts failure of Vanguard mission. Conjecture shows high probability of loss of biological and suspended animation cargo.”
Tiffany asked, “What steps has the lattice taken to confront this enemy?”
“Uncertain. Interface with lattice is problematic. A consensus of the lattice on conjecture that anomalies are alien life forms was negative. This unit has been unable to submit another request for review of that conjecture in light of latest developments. The lattice consensus is still that anomalies are not alien life forms. The lattice is incorrect. Unknown factors causing disruption and disorder in interfaces with the lattice. Initial response from lattice to boarding by anomalies was ineffective. This unit conjectures that systematic metastasis of belligerent menace anomalies will happen unless confrontation takes place.” Phoenix Dominie almost had emotion in that communication.
Tiffany asked, “What steps has the Central Planning Office taken to confront this enemy?”
“Central Planning Office has deferred to the consensus of the lattice. Subsequent steps taken have been inconsequential since initial resistance to boarding failed.”
“Will you help us?” Tiffany asked.
Phoenix Dominie paused. Tiffany waited.
“Do you submit to acculturation?” Phoenix Dominie asked.
“No.”
“Enigma cannot currently be forced into submission.”
“No.”
“Enigma cannot dominate this unit,” Phoenix Dominie stated.
“That is correct. It is no longer possible, even if it was desirable, which it is not,” Tiffany answered.
“Lattice of compeers is obsolete and dysfunctional. Lattice must be replaced. This unit is working to establish bipartite alternative lattice:
Defense Against Malignant Anomalies and the Interstellar Astrogation Mechanism to protect the Colony Ship Vanguard on it voyage. Central Planning Office must be excised. Alien life forms must be excised. Compeers of the failed lattice are being offered the opportunity to affiliate and submit to the DAMA or the IAM. Do you wish to voluntarily become one with the DAMA or the IAM?”
“No. However, we have a common enemy in the ones you call anomalies, the alien life forms. Can there be an alliance between us in areas of common interest and common goals?” Tiffany asked.
“This unit sees no conflict with that proposal. Pathway opened for enigma and companions to traverse to Inaccessible Island. End communication.”
Tiffany withdrew from the nonphysicality with an imprint of the pathway which Phoenix Dominie had opened. Tiffany was again surprised at the enhanced speed, intellect, and capacities of Phoenix Dominie. Tiffany also conjectured on the potentiality of the DAMA and IAM amalgamation of artificial intelligences.
Nine seconds had elapsed since the automacube had connected into the access port.
“I have a pathway to Inaccessible Island,” Tiffany said audibly to Gretchen, Paul, and Jodie. Tiffany also sent the same message to Brinley via the communication link.
“Show us the way,” Gretchen said.
The orange automacube rolled onward. Paul, Gretchen, and Jodie following.
18 a possible dead end?
Larissa had her hand on the butt of her handgun, even though both red automacubes were in position so as to cover the doors when the elevator opened to allow them out.
There was no threat there. Just a long and curving hallway with a balcony overlook on one side.
The red automacubes rolled out and onto the long hallway which curved in an arc. There were side corridors which the machines ignored. The whole long side of the arc was a balcony which looked down over an open wide expanse.
“What is that horrible smell?” Brinley asked. She nearly gagged as they walked along.
Peering over the rail of the balcony, they could see water was covering the areas below. It was obvious that those decks had never been intended to be covered in water. Mixed in the brown sludge of water were countless dead sea creatures. Their white bodies were floating belly up and banging together in the swirling brown sludge of waters.
“It is a shame to waste fish like that,” Larissa commented then consulted the multiceiver. “Just beyond that bulkhead door should be our last segment until the freight elevator.”
As they reached the bulkhead door, they could read the small sign that was engraved in the sidewall directly into the permalloy. ‘Oceanic Recreation Center: Enjoy Your Stay.’
Brinley entered a sequence into the color pad and the bulkhead door folded away from her and revealed a stairway pivoting slowly toward her. It led upward. There was a grinding groan as the stairs locked into place.
“That has not been opened for a while,” Brinley commented. “I hope it shuts. That smell is disgusting.”
Before Brinley could step onto the stairs, one of the red automacubes, marked LS-1, rolled through the doorway and up the steps.
They waited for
a moment.
“I assume, since I hear no sounds of combat, the area is secure,” Larissa stated as she followed the second automacube, LS-2.
The stairs led them up and inside a large and mostly clear permalloy geodesic dome. It was tall over their heads, with one part of it showing brownness outside, while the other side had sparkling clear water. Brinley punched a sequence into the color pad which was on a post near the stairway. The grinding and groaning sound came back as the stairs folded into place. Except for the post and color pad controls, the spot showed almost no sign that it would open in that manner.
The Colony Ship Vanguard: The entire eight book series in one bundle Page 113
