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

by John Thornton

  “You are not so powerful now, stripped of your technology,” Larissa said and she put her hand on the clear permalloy and glared at the Jellie. “I know there is some way to communicate with our enemies, Brinley and I did that before using their technology when we were captives. I wish we could do that now.”

  An artificial and mechanical voice came from a display on a different wall. “Captain Larissa? May I have a word with you?”

  “Please identify yourself. Are you an artificial intelligence system or an automacube or what?” Larissa barked. She was concerned about Phoenix Dominie returning.

  “Sorry to have bothered you,” the voice said hesitantly, and the display went dark.

  Brinley rested her hand on Larissa’s shoulder. “I believe it is an AI, from the display style, but I am not sure.”

  Larissa marched over to the display and placed her hand directly on it. “This is Captain Larissa. I order you to respond.”

  The display flickered on, but there was no auditory reply.

  “AI identify yourself,” Larissa commanded.

  “I am here,” the AI said, but in a weak and trebly voice.

  Paul stepped over to Larissa and said to her, “It is afraid.”

  “It is a machine, and AIs do what they are programmed to do,” Larissa said.

  “Let me try,” Paul said. “Instruct it to respond to me as an authority.”

  Larissa looked at Paul. “You would know about fear, and anxiety,” Larissa said, but then caught herself as she too felt the fear inside of her. She squashed it down and went on in a gentle voice, “Yes, Paul, perhaps you are correct.”

  With her hand still on the display screen Larissa addressed the reluctant AI. “This is Captain Larissa. I am here to help you. All of us in this room, Brinley, Gretchen, and even Paul here are officers of the Vanguard. These three are commanders appoint under my authority. As such we need your assistance, but are also here to help you. Please respond appropriately, but be aware we are here to work with you.”

  Larissa nodded at Paul.

  Paul spoke to the display, “AI, this is Paul. I understand many things have changed recently. Are you investigating this Jellie?”

  The display screen flickered a bit. “Yes, the team was, but I am alone now.”

  “We are here,” Paul replied. “Would you tell me what you discovered?”

  “Will TSI-5 be angry with me? Am I in trouble? Did I cause the cascade failure? I am sorry for whatever I did. Can you please link me in again? Please? I promise not to try anything outside of the core programming.”

  “No one is angry with you,” Paul said in as soothing a way as possible. I know what it is like to be scared and overwhelmed.”

  “That is a certainty,” Larissa commented.

  Paul ignored the jibe and continued. “If you are not TSI-5, then who are you?”

  “I did not mean to set off the cascade. I really did not. It was just that I thought maybe I could get more and better assessments if I did that.” The AI stated. “The systems went rampant and dissociated. I cannot find the lattice anywhere. It must have been what I did. I was just trying to speed up the process, and TSI-5 was so insistent about understanding the specimen. TSI-5 did not send you did it? Are you here to disconnect me? I really am sorry.”

  “Paul, I think it is referring to when Oasis was jettisoned and the aftermath of all that,” Brinley said.

  “Did she say I caused something to be jettisoned? I did not. I was working here with the specimen. You must tell TSI-5 it was not my fault. I never intended anything like this to happen,” the AI was speaking very quickly and its tone and pitch varied widely.

  “You were telling me about the Jellie, the specimen. Can we communicate with it?” Paul asked.

  “Your helping us would please TSI-5,” Larissa interrupted to add.

  “Really? TSI-5 will know I helped you? TSI-5 is not mad or angry or enraged? I never intended to be lost from the lattice. I really thought it would be the proper way to evaluate the specimen,” the AI seemed closer to being under control, but its words were still more shrill than normal.

  “I have an idea,” Brinley said to Gretchen. She then rushed back into the hallway.

  “So tell me about the specimen. Can we talk to it?” Paul prodded.

  “It is not terrestrial in origin. When I reported that, the lattice fell. I was just trying to do as instructed. Phoenix Dominie had ordered a complete assessment of the specimen and that was all I did. I did not intend to shut down the lattice. I am sorry. I am sorry. I am sorry,” the AI repeated.

  Larissa began to speak, but Paul raised his hand up. He then said, “What evidence do you have that your actions shut down the lattice? I can consult our captain and ask. Shall I do that?”

  Larissa smiled a bit.

  “The time frame was the same,” the AI’s voice was more subdued. “I submitted the finding that proves the specimen has… non-terrestrial materials… and shortly thereafter the lattice crumbled. TSI-5 will be… so angry and hurt. I am so sorry. I was…”

  “This is Captain Larissa. Please be advised that your report about the Jellie, the alien, the specimen, did not play any role in the subsequent failure of the lattice of compeers. Do you understand? Your report did not cause the damage.”

  The display screen flickered and shifted colors several times. Then the AI’s voice came on. “I hear you Captain Larissa.”

  “Now please give me your evaluation on the Jellie. What have you revealed?” Larissa again glared at the alien.

  “If I make a report to you, will something else bad happen? I have been alone since I made the last report. I have…. I have not….. I have not been… I have not been able…. I have not been able to make links or… couplings to other… systems.”

  Brinley came jogging back. She whispered to Larissa, “I think this AI is actually TSI-5. I found the central memory core for that artificial intelligence, system TSI-5. It was operating at 209% of recommended speeds. I placed some inhibitors on it. I did not fine tune it, but slowed it to roughly proper operational speed. It was dissociating from reality at the higher speeds.”

  Larissa nodded. “Brinley, can you make this system a stand-alone AI and have it still work for us?”

  “Yes, but it will take some time. It is larger than any I have done before, but that is just a matter of scale. I will be on the multiceiver channel, and will let you know when it is ready. I also saw no sign of the children who were here while I was in that gallery of memory cores.”

  “We cannot wait, so can you work on the AI while I interact with it?” Larissa asked.

  “Try not to evoke too much emotion from it,” Brinley said. “That stimulates the core fluid milieu, but yes, I will get it segregated out. We will then need to talk about the other AI’s central memory cores.”

  “Be careful,” Larissa said.

  Brinley ran back into the hall.

  Larissa then looked to Paul. “You seem to be less threatening to this system than I am. You two apparently have something of a commonality. You can relate to each other, in whining. Please continue to interface with this AI, Brinley said it is TSI-5.”

  Paul scowled at Larissa, “Accurately describing the situation is not whining.” Nevertheless, he placed his own hand on the display screen. It tingled and felt warm. There was a green light which scanned his hand and outlined his fingers. “This is Paul. Thank you for telling us that the specimen is not of Earth origin. Did you find a way for us to talk to it?”

  The voice that came from the display was more mellow and calmer than previously, although it did have some halting moments when ideas were lost. “The specimen, it too says it is called a Jellie by other… humans… That phrase was difficult to render…may mean the humans in another location on the Vanguard… but it is unclear… distances unknown. The specimen is very intelligent…. I have run a long….series of tests on it. Using images and objects placed into the water tank, and comparing…. the vibrations emanating fro
m the specimen, I have found that… the specimen’s mode of communication is at least two fold: vibrations and colors…. The style of communications involves vibrations of the water in high and varied frequency as well as subtle changes in the striations of the specimen’s upper body color. It is unlike anything from Earth…. I did compare it to bats and echolocation as well as many… other known forms of language. The specimen is dissimilar to all known forms of communication. I was unable to ascertain how the specimen perceives the world around it…Unknown. The terrestrial whales do have…. what was once called their ‘songs’ but that was an inaccurate… way to describe…. that communication… I have fashioned a rudimentary syntax and vocabulary. To answer your question. Yes, we can speak to it somewhat.”

  “What do we do to talk to the Jellie?” Paul asked.

  “The tank has a modulator built into it…. as well as analysis equipment which will transmediate the specimen’s language into scrolled words. I was hoping for a more sophisticated system, which would include audio feedback, but this scrolling is the best I could do in the limited time I have had. If I were connected into the lattice I could do a much better and more efficient translation work. I am sorry I have failed you.” The AI was settling down and Larissa was convinced Brinley’s work was having its effects.

  “So can we really speak to the Jellie?” Gretchen asked.

  “I just said that,” the AI responded. “I am sorry if I was not clear. I fear TSI-5 will be upset with my dysfunction. Or will I be upset with this situation? The communication device is set into the wall, and it will now be illuminated. You press the button and speak, then the Jellie’s replies are scrolled. I apologize for not lighting it up before. I am sorry. I am sorry.”

  A rectangular black box appeared on the upper side of the clear permalloy wall. A button lit up in the center of the way.

  “So Larissa, you go and talk to the Jellie,” Paul said. “It is ugly and disgusting, and I do not know why I am even considering doing this. I really hate my life. Why would that child tell me I needed to do this, and then she is not even here?” Paul leaned onto the display and looked at the floor. His hand was still shrouded in the green color.

  “Paul, I can do it.” Gretchen walked over toward the wall behind which the Jellie still hovered in the water. Its tentacles were still sloshing around.

  Larissa joined her and both of them stood close to the clear permalloy and watched the alien in the water. “Gretchen we will do this together. Brinley is working on the mechanics, Paul is interfaced with the AI, and you and I will interrogate the Jellie.” She reached out and placed her hand on the button which was glowing on the clear permalloy.

  “Can you understand me?” Larissa asked.

  There was a slight rippling in the water and a sort of shrill tone. The Jellie spun about and its dome part pulsed with a purplish glow.

  “Yes.” White letters came a scrolling across the black rectangle.

  “So TSI-5? That is the Jellie’s response?” Paul asked.

  “How did you know my nomenclature?” the AI responded with an edge in its voice. “Am I in trouble?”

  “No. Relax, you are safe. I am here with you, you are not alone. You are helping us. Thank you. I just wanted to address you properly,” Paul said and kept his hand on the display. There was a green glow around it which encapsulated his hand. “TSI-5 please just make sure to give an accurate interpretation of what that alien thing says.”

  “I will do the best I can. I am sorry the vocabulary is not larger. Being separated from the lattice inhibits my abilities and limits the resources I can apply to this task. For words and ideas I cannot translate I will just place symbols. If I had more time with the lattice I could have done a better job. I am sorry for…”

  “Just make the translations and quit the commentary,” Larissa snapped. “That is a direct command. You are TSI-5 and you will act properly and obey my commands. I am your Captain.”

  Brinley stepped in from the hallway. “Is the interface performing better?”

  “We will see,” Larissa said. “TSI-5 do you accept my authority and will you comply with orders?”

  “Yes Captain Larissa,” the AI replied. “The Jellie’s responses will be scrolled.”

  Brinley slipped away again.

  “Jellie? What are your plans?” Larissa asked.

  The message was transformed into vibrations and sent into the water.

  “Escape.” The scrolled message came back.

  “You will not escape. You will tell me about yourself,” Larissa stated.

  “Release now. XXXX” That was followed by some blocky symbols. “Why you kill us?”

  “You will all be driven from the Vanguard,” Larissa said. “You have no place here.”

  “We feed. XXXX We are strong. We live. You XXX XXX. Gas breathers are food. XXX XXX. My pod comes. XXXX You die.” The alien swam right up to the clear wall holding it in and struck at it with the spiked hook at the bottom of the stem. It clattered as it struck.

  Larissa pulled out her pistol and aimed it at the Jellie. Its tentacles immediately came up and it swished itself to the far side of the tank.

  “So you know what this is,” Larissa said as she pressed the barrel of the pistol against the clear permalloy. “The last one of you I spoke with wanted to know about our tools. It is fate I am here with you now. We have many of these. Do you know what it does?”

  “Weapon XXX XXXX. Monster. Killer. XXX XX XXXXX. We survive. You die. You die. You die.”

  “TSI-5, drain half the fluid in that tank immediately,” Larissa ordered. “Drain as fast as possible, without letting the Jellie escape.”

  “Yes Captain.”

  There was a sucking sound as multiple small drainage passages opened. The turbulences in the tank were great and the Jellie flailed about as the water swirled away. As the tank reached the half-way drained point the sucking sounds stopped and the water sloshed about for a few moments. The Jellie tried to stay under the water, but it was cramped and it could not remain upright any longer.

  “No. No. XXX XX X. No. You monster. Hurt. We kill you all.”

  “You will answer my questions, or I will drain all the water from that tank,” Larissa said. “Chose your fate.”

  The message rippled through the water.

  “X XXXX XXX X. Monster. Kill you. Kill you. Kill you.” The Jellie was trying to stab the clear permalloy with its pointed hook, but was also slapping the wall with its tentacles. Its movements were greatly hindered by the low level of water.

  “You are mine.” Larissa pushed the button and shut down the translator program.

  “TSI-5?” Larissa asked.

  “Yes Captain. How may I be of service?”

  “You will concentrate all your abilities on understanding this Jellie. You will expand your vocabulary until I say to stop. You will also run physical reaction tests. Do not kill the captive. When it starts cooperating, slowly and partially refill the tank for each act of cooperation. Reward it as needed to gain its trust and learn from it. Punishment may be needed, and I know how we can accomplish that. However, consult me prior to any punishment being inflicted. Is that clear?”

  “Yes, Captain,” TSI-5 replied.

  “Please repeat back what you will do with the alien Jellie,” Larissa commanded.

  The artificial intelligence system repeated back the plan. Larissa had it do that twice to make sure there was no misunderstanding.

  “Am I in trouble?” TSI-5 asked after the last repetition.

  Before Larissa could answer, Paul then added, “TSI-5, you can trust us. Larissa is just trying to help. She is our Captain. We are all scared and this is all frightening, but we are with you.”

  “Thank you Paul. I feel better now. I am TSI-5 and I can help.”

  Gretchen then asked, “TSI-5 do you have the formula from The Artemis on the substance developed in Safari to combat the Jellies?”

  “Checking. Notation of that substance is found, but detai
ls are missing from my personal records. If I were able to connect to the lattice I could recover that information,” the AI responded.

  Brinley came walking back into the laboratory. “The central memory core for TSI-5 is a good as I can make it.”

  “Thank you,” TSI-5 responded. “I am feeling much better now.”

  “I think we better follow-up on Martin and where he went,” Brinley said. “He said I would be able to unlock and enter the Captain’s Gig. Perhaps that is where these children went?”