Brinley aimed her pistol about, but saw no Jellies, even though it was Jellie handiwork which had connected into the machinery. No spheres were anywhere to be seen, just the throbbing and pulsing lump of Jellie made stuff.
“They have stolen the sun,” Brinley said in shock. “The sky tube is basically a humongous machine. A gigantic, long tube made of the clear permalloy stretching away to the other end of the biological habitat.”
Brinley looked down through the transparent permalloy and saw a world she recognized, but which was peculiarly different. The land far below was overall the same rough geography that she knew, but the light shining down on it was much different. It was redder and harsher and dimmer all at the same time.
“So the Jellies have high-jacked the sky tube?” Gretchen said. “I bet that light is more like what they see on their home world.”
Looking down through the transparent permalloy, they could see brown clouds or some kind of fog which covered a few areas of the ground far below. The fog reminded Paul of the water which had been so toxic.
“That is Miass, on the edge of the Canyon,” Brinley pointed. “There is no waterfall. The cataract is gone.”
“I thought they wanted water,” Paul said. “Now you say the waterfall is gone? The Jellies do not make any sense to me.”
“They certainly have altered the sky tube. I just wonder how they did it,” Brinley said as she looked at the strange purplish device which was attached to the solar mimicry machinery. “I have never heard of anyone redesigning a sky tube or even breaking into one. Tennard and I spoke about the solar mimicry processes, but it is much like the drive systems of the Vanguard. It is so essential to survival that there are numerous redundancies and safeguards. From my understanding, inside the clear permalloy of the sky tube are exotic gases, vapors and compounds, many of which cannot exist without being forced together, At this end of the sky tube those reactors generate a large amount of energy. Through chemical and nuclear processes that energy is converted so that the heat and light are released in precise ways. It is all timed and scheduled and essential for the biological habitat.”
“Come on Brinley,” Gretchen said and pulled at her arm. “There may be some Jellie guard around here protecting their apparatus. We need to get to the Reproduction and Fabrication place.”
Walking across the now clear permalloy flooring was odd as it gave the illusion of walking on nothing, and the height was dizzying. The doors to the Reproduction and Fabrication were a short distance away, but crossing over to there was a task in itself.
The flashing light, the strange sensation of walking on the clear permalloy, and the mere presence of the contraption made by the Jellies caused the whole solar mimicry place to feel unsettled.
Approaching the doors to the Reproduction and Fabrication zone, Gretchen called a halt. “Beware! There is some kind of force field around those doors. Notice, when the pulses of purple light stop? There is a green shimmer around those doors. Do not touch them.”
Paul tried to read the label on the doors, and Gretchen was correct. The words were blurred by some green energy field. He picked up the multiceiver, “Tiffany, can you tell what is around these doors?”
“Paul I can make a conjecture, but I believe it would be best for me to contact TSI-980RF the artificial intelligence system located inside that facility,” Tiffany replied.
The green glow disappeared and the doors were revealed. There was severe melting all along the front of the doors.
“You may safely enter now. TSI-980RF has released the energy buffer which it had erected. Apparently the Jellies destroyed another AI involved with Reproduction and Fabrication. It was TSI-2229RF. After that loss, some of the Fabrication AIs designed a defensive system using Dome 17 knowledge. Inside you will find three working data sticks.”
“Finally!” Paul yelled in triumph.
Brinley looked surprised, but she and Gretchen grabbed the sides of the mangled door and pried it open. Paul helped.
Beyond the doors was a Reproduction and Fabrication facility. The purple light still pulsed through the doorframe, but normal lighting was on in the facility. It was a large rectangular room. To the left side of the room was a multitude of conveyor belts and rollers in a complex system with multiple levels reaching all the way to the ceiling. Those all looked to be undamaged. There were chutes coming from the walls and ceiling with openings onto various places on the conveyor belts. The belt system led to, or from, depending on the operation, the center of the room which housed a very complex part of the great machine. There were a series of arches over of the conveyors. These arches had lights and dish shaped objects, and other things pointing at the conveyor. Then there was a large flat area, very polished and silvery, where things could slide off the end of the conveyors. A large cylinder shaped machine was situated over the flat area. The fabrication nozzles were at the ends of flexible and ribbed tubing appendages. Mechanical arms which could manipulate and pick up items were positioned in just the right places. Not to mention the multitude of other tools which could do all that was needed for manufacturing, reproduction, construction, or fabrication.
“Please shut that door so I can seal us in again,” a mechanical voice said in a high pitched whine. “Hurry, you must hurry. They can return at any moment.”
“Are you the AI here?” Paul asked.
“What else would I be? A toaster oven for making bread? Or maybe a sanitation system for washing fecal matter away?” The voice sounded more shrill and more agitated. “You have come for the items I made, I suppose. Tiffany told me you were outside the door, and I trust Tiffany. Tiffany is one of the few systems I can now link with. I used to be able to link and couple with the lattice, but those terrible things have ruined all that. I am just sure they will be here for me next. They attacked all the Reproduction and Fabrication facilities. They called us ‘maker places’ as if that was all we do here. We are skilled engineers and not antique copy machines or primitive replicators.”
When Brinley slid the door closed, the green glow came on and it was steady. With the normal lighting in the room, and the purplish throbbing glow from beyond cut off, the green energy barrier was more observable.
“That is a modified energy circumciser,” Gretchen said. “Those were used in the decontamination process for us adventurers when we came from outside and into Dome 17. It seared off anything which might harbor toxins or radiation. Its intensity here is greatly augmented, but it is an effective way to stop entry.”
“Yes, I like it,” the AI stated.
“So where are the supplies we ordered, and where are the working data sticks? Paul asked.
“You have only just arrived and this is my last production run, so be polite to me,” the AI said. Its voice emanated from among the large manufacturing machines. “I know what is ahead for me. There will be no more orders, and I will be all alone forever.”
Brinley stepped up and spoke, “TSI-980RF, we really do need the gear we ordered. But can you tell me what happened to the sky tube outside here?”
“It was those horrid aliens, the Jellies. They came shortly after our primary TSI-8 was slashed from the lattice. We secondary systems tried to form a bulwark by linking together, but without the central authority of TSI-8 none of us could effectively stand together. Then those horrible Jellie things invaded the memory core of TSI-2229RF and devoured it from within. The synthetic mechano-synaptic fluid was consumed by those aliens from within its very memory core. Well that was all we could stand. We shared everything we had while still connected, and then when those couplings fell, I built the barrier to keep the Jellies out.”
“But the sky tube? The solar mimicry system? There is a Jellie contraption out there. What is that about?” Brinley pressed.
“I only protect my own area. I am not sure what has happened to that artificial intelligence system which oversees the solar mimicry. If it cannot take care of itself, I certainly am not responsible,” the AI stated firmly.
“Oh and this is how my final order will be remembered. I know there will not be another order coming from anyone,” TSI-980RF replied. “Your equipment is finished and packed for transport by those two yellow automacubes. The working data sticks are also packed in with the equipment. To complete your order here is the inventory:
-One gravity manipulation generator, model 65652 with accessory paraphernalia suitable for retrofitting to a Captain’s gig.
-Sixteen jumbo fusion packs with interlocking accessories.
-Three auxiliary control boards.
-Three data sticks with readers, refurbished so as to be functional.”
“How did you get the data sticks to work?” Gretchen asked.
“That was understood by TSI-8 the primary artificial intelligence system. I was only sent the plans for manufacturing them, so I cannot answer your question.”
The two yellow automacubes rolled out from a storage cubby and behind each of them was a trailer.
Brinley, Gretchen, and Paul walked over and assessed the equipment. The data sticks and readers were sealed into a hard polymer case which was strapped onto the stack of jumbo fusion packs.
Brinley lifted the multiceiver, thumbed the toggle for Larissa, and spoke, “Larissa, we have acquired the equipment from the Fabrication center in the Wilds. We will be returning to the Captain’s gig to continue on the mission.”
Larissa’s face came on the small display. “Very good Brinley. Very good. Our Jellie friend has confided in me that the Jellies are targeted those facilities to stop our ability to get supplies. That explains why that other Jellie we spoke with wanted to know where things were made.”
“This AI had built a defensive system,” Brinley answered. “It used Dome 17 technology to do so.”
“That is impressive for an AI. They only do what they are programed to do, right?” Larissa answered.
“This one did great!” Brinley praised.
Paul leaned over and looked at Larissa on the multiceiver’s display, “How did you get the Jellie to confide in you?”
“Methods do not matter at this time,” Larissa answered. “Proceed on the mission and if I find out more I will contact you.”
Brinley knelt down and adjusted the yellow automacubes. “I instilled in each of these machines the location for the Captain’s gig. TSI-980RF, please let us depart now.”
“The energy barrier has been dropped,” the AI answered.
The green light faded and the doors were pushed open. The purple light pulsed around them as they departed from the Reproduction and Fabrication center. Gretchen went first, followed by the two yellow automacubes and their supply trailers, then Paul. Brinley waited at the doorway.
“TSI-980RF, I command you to build and produce anything you want to make for as long as you want to do it,” Brinley ordered. Her face had a sad smile on it. “Anything you want to do, you have official permission to reproduce or fabricate it.”
“Thank you Commander Brinley!” The AI responded. “I have always enjoyed making cookware, especially what people in Miass called cookie jars. They are in various animal shapes and colors. May I really make those again?”
“Yes. Those are my orders. It is your fate now. Enjoy! Make whatever you desire to make for as long as you want to do it.” Brinley closed the doors and the green energy barrier was erected again behind her.
Paul and Gretchen and the supply automacubes were almost at the door exiting the promenade when Brinley ran and caught up to them. She was last to leave that strange promenade and as she stood there looking out at it all, she knelt down. Peering through the clear permalloy she caught another glimpse of the town of Miass. She put her hand down onto the permalloy. “Tennard, I have no idea where you are, but thank you for all you did for me.”
Brinley turned and was about to follow the others when she reconsidered. Drawing out her pistol she set it for maximum effect. She aimed it at the Jellie contraption which was connected into the sky tube.
“Maybe this will slow them down, at least a little.” Brinley fired the pistol.
Piff. Piff. Piff. Piff. Piff.
Chunks of purple were ripped from the center of the Jellie device. White bubbly foam, which reminded Brinley of soap bubbles and that sort of stuff came gurgling up and out of the impact holes. The purple pulsing light faded and the area became much dimmer. The only illumination now came up from the biological habitat below. It was a strange reddish hue, but lighter than it had been before.
“Brinley?” Gretchen called. “Do you need some help?”
“No. I am on my way. We best hurry back to the Captain’s gig. I just gave the Jellies something to think about.”
Brinley sprinted up the stairs and met the others.
Getting back to the Captain’s gig was not a problem. The automacubes easily traversed the stairs and hallways even pulling the trailers with the supplies. The automacubes rolled into the Exterior Repair Station.
“I wish I could use the command chair here to see outside. I am assuming the gig is still anchored where we left it, but I have no way to know for sure,” Brinley said.
“You mean we could be trapped here” Paul asked. “After all this?”
“It is doubtful. I will check out the airlock and make sure,” Brinley said. She cycled the airlock for the interior door and then had it close. Brinley adjusted the power system to allow operation of the external door to the stub. If it opened to vacuum she knew she would die a miserable death, but she doubted that would happen.
The exterior door opened and the stub was there, just as she had left it. Crossing over in zero gravity was easy and she then used the multiceiver.
“Gretchen, cycle the airlock and come on through. The gig is fine,” Brinley informed her.
The two automacubes entered the gig, maneuvering through the zero gravity by using magnetics to give them a grip on the sides of the stub and then on the gig itself. They were much slower that way, but each yellow machine completed its task. They stored the jumbo fusion packs, the gravity manipulation generator, and the auxiliary control boards under secure ties. Paul took the three data sticks and their readers and placed then up by the cockpit where he could examine them closer.
Brinley sat down in the center chair of the cockpit and activated the display screen. Gretchen also strapped herself into the other chair
“Paul turn on your display!” Brinley ordered.
“What is it? I wanted to open a data stick, it has been way too long,” Paul bemoaned, but he did reluctantly turn on his display. It glowed with four purple images. “There are Jellies approaching!”
“Yes, Paulie, here they come.”
14 old answers and an automatic return
Sigmond and Hugh stared into the darkness of the Captain’s gig. There were no lights anywhere inside the open ship, but the silvery stream of starlight did offer enough illumination to see objects and shapes.
Floating right before them was a spacesuit. It was similar to the ones they wore, but was linked by a belt to a hook connected to a ring on the inside wall of the ship. The men looked closely. There was no movement at all from the other spacesuit.
“I will check it out,” Hugh said as he started forward.
“Trooper, we will check it out together. Make sure not to lose hold on something at all times. Just because you are inside this ship does not mean you will be safe from momentum.”
“Thanks Free Ranger, will you hold onto that handrail or something so I can reach that suit?”
“Got it. Now I do not fully trust our wire here, it is at best a backup,” Sigmond replied. “I will block the door here, but be very careful in how hard you push that.”
Hugh grabbed the strap that was connecting the spacesuit to the wall. He gave it a slight tug. The spacesuit was floating, its head was down at about a thirty degree angle off vertical, and the tug caused it to m
ove. It lazily turned at his pull. The light was too dim to make out much. The movement bought the spacesuit close enough so that Sigmond could grab onto one leg while Hugh grabbed an arm. Together they gently pulled the spacesuit up into the stream of starlight.
The bubble helmet was intact, but as it turned into the starlight, a shriveled and dried out head was revealed. The dark hair was still intact, but the face was shrunken and the eyes were pulled inward.
“This man has been dead for a long time,” Hugh said. “But I am not sure. What happens if someone dies in a spacesuit?”
“Trooper are you asking about the afterlife?” Sigmond laughed a bit. “That is a question for one of the pastors or a priest. This suit looks intact, so there was no decompression. The suit’s air recycling would only last for so long. Then the body would decompose as best it could. Without oxygen it would mummify and…..” Sigmond stopped amid his sentence.
The Colony Ship Vanguard: The entire eight book series in one bundle Page 186
