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

by John Thornton

  The manipulation arm on the automacube swung into action and connected to the end of the nearest suspended animation cocoon. The other automacube joined in and together they lifted the two meter long and half meter wide rectangle. It was mostly composed of clear permalloy, but the corners were opaque and grey colored. One side was slightly arched while the other sides were all flat.

  “The headboards will take some trips as well,” Paul commented.

  “I think each trailer can hold two cocoons and two headboards,” Gretchen said as she estimated the space in her mind. “The automacubes can easily handle this simple transport job.”

  “Unless some Roe attacks them,” Paul said and rubbed some of the dried blood from his blonde hair.

  “We have seen animals and Jellies attack automacubes, but I am not sure Roe would,” Gretchen stated. “But we cannot waste any more time. We need to recover Tiffany’s ALP and then get back.”

  TSI-1008RF added, “I have a security automacube at my disposal. It is not really efficient in transporting materials, but may be useful in guarding the equipment I have produced for you. Do you desire me to dispatch it to help ensure safe delivery of your products?”

  “That would be outstanding!” Gretchen said. “Yes, please have it accompany the transporters as they work.”

  “Commands have been given.”

  A red automacube came rolling up from behind the conveyor belts. It had a black stipe diagonally on its side with the designation DS-447 painted in white on the black. The AI then continued, “I have no other requests for Reproduction and Fabrication, so I can allow you to use this security automacube for this task. It will need to remain with me after the transportation is finished so that it is available for the next order.”

  “Like there will ever be a next order,” Paul mumbled.

  “It is good to know that you believe these twenty suspended animation cocoons will be satisfactory for your needs,” the AI went on in a cheerful manner. “However, in the future should you need any additional work done by this Reproduction and Fabrication facility, I will be very happy to assist in whatever project you are doing. I am eager for the reconnection and reconstitution of the lattice.”

  “Thank you,” Gretchen said and gave Paul a look before he could make another rude comment. “We greatly appreciate your efforts.”

  The yellow automacubes had loaded the two trailers and, with the escort of the red DS-447, they departed for the hanger bay.

  Paul and Gretchen walked out of the facility. Gretchen turned to Paul. Her face was stern. “You need to focus on this mission. That AI was being helpful and cooperative. Now we just need to track down the ALP.”

  Paul was angry. “That Roe beat on me, I am sorry I am not bubbling with enthusiasm. My head is healing, but I am covered in dried blood, and junk from that Roe. I also need to find a place to use the toilet,” Paul said.

  Gretchen held up the multiceiver and consulted the deck plans. “It looks like there is a lavatory over by the elevator. I will come with you in case there is a threat.”

  “Do not bother with that. I will do it myself. I can decide to use red or blue paper without any help.” Paul replied and stormed away. The elevator was standing open with the blue hand shaped symbol blinking.

  “But Paul, we need to work together,” Gretchen started after him.

  “I can do this myself!” Paul snapped back.

  Gretchen stopped and let Paul go on. She doubted the wisdom of being separated, but the door to the lavatory was directly in her line of sight.

  Paul drew out his pistol as he approached the door. He pulled the lever open and the lights inside came on. It was a small toileting area with sinks. There was nothing else inside of it. He turned around and yelled back to Gretchen, “It is safe. Thanks for the offer. I am sorry I was rude.”

  Gretchen waved back. She pulled off her backpack and got out some food and water. As she was eating, a child’s voice came from behind her.

  “You must get the baby animals.”

  Gretchen turned and saw Bennie. He was not holding the cat like he had been on previous encounters. His large grayish-blue eyes were slightly moist and imploring as they twinkled from his dark face. “The baby animals must go with you.”

  “Bennie! Please stay with me this time. I am not sure how you are moving around like you are. Did you children find a teleportation system or method?” Gretchen could think of no other way that Bennie could be here.

  “The way to the baby animals is nearby. You must collect them and take them with you. Bernie and Freckles are waiting back by where you are going to build the lifeboat.” Bennie looked sad and pleaded with his looks and words, “You really must take then along.”

  “Bennie I will take care of those small predator cats, patrol cats, whatever you call them. Just tell me how we can find the other children so you all can come with us,” Gretchen said and stepped toward Bennie.

  Bennie stepped back quickly. “The heart of the machine, Tiffany, is near the baby animals. Paul will need to carry some too. Will you tell him?”

  “Bennie, you stay and tell him. Please.”

  “I will talk to Paul when the time is right. We all will. I promise we will all be with Paul when you leave. I have to go now,” Bennie said and turned and darted away. His thick, wavy, brown hair bounced as he ran. Gretchen saw him duck into a small doorway at the end of the promenade.

  “Bennie! Bennie come back!” Gretchen yelled as she chased after him.

  Paul came bursting out of the lavatory, rubbing his head with a towel. “Gretchen, are you okay! What is happening?”

  Gretchen turned into the doorway where Bennie went, but it was only a small alcove. There was an unusual, but pleasant odor of flowers.

  Paul came running over to her, his pistol drawn. “What was here? Another Roe?”

  “Bennie was here!”

  “Where did he go?”

  “I think they must be using teleportation of some kind,” Gretchen said. “He just was gone.”

  “I do not see any grid or sending pad,” Paul stated as he looked around. He reached out and felt the walls. “There could be a secret door here somewhere. We have seen those things on the Vanguard before. If Brinley were here she could open it up.”

  “Maybe that was it. They must have a sending and receiving pad system set up somewhere.” Gretchen sounded doubtful.

  “What did he say?”

  “Bennie said we must take the baby animal with us.”

  “Okay, and where do we find those?”

  “He basically said they were close to Tiffany’s ALP. I know where that is. I do not think we will be able to find a secret door or figure out where he went from here. So we should go get the ALP and watch for the baby animals he wants us to take along,” Gretchen said.

  “Lead on,” Paul said.

  They walked back along the promenade and past the control boards for the solar mimicry machinery. “I wonder what Safari looks like from up here?” Gretchen asked.

  “I am glad the floor here is not clear. That was too strange for me. Besides, we will not be even getting close to the biological habitat’s ground right?”

  “That is correct. The ALP is two level inward, or gravitationally down from this level. Paul, this level seems to have shifted or changed. I believe there is usually a wall separating the elevators from the solar mimicry controls, but here it is all open.”

  “These walls apparently can rotate and shift around,” Paul answered. “Look at how Bennie just disappeared. He must have used a moving wall to escape. There was no sign of a teleportation pad of any kind. Remember how the rocky face under the waterfall on Inaccessible Island would move? Or like we saw with that other Fabrication center, the floor there was clear permalloy. The deck plans here on the Vanguard are more flexible than I expected.”

  The elevator door was open. The light still irregularly flashing around the hand symbol. “Do we dare trust the elevator?” Paul asked.

  �
�See if it come when we activate it,” Gretchen suggested.

  Paul placed his hand against the symbol. The light became solid color and the doors closed. There was a deep rumbling and grinding sound.

  “That is not good,” Paul said as he pulled his hand away. “Maybe the doors will just stay closed?”

  They did not. A moment later the door opened, but the elevator car was not accurately aligned with the doorframe. The car was shifted about a half meter to the side, and a quarter meter above where the frame was. The light was on the elevator car.

  “Come on Paul. We need to descend two levels, and the elevator will make that happen.” Gretchen climbed into the car even though she had to turn sideways and step up to enter.

  “It is already not working correctly. Why not try another route? We could climb down an air vent or use a stairway,” Paul offered.

  “The deck plans show the elevator leads to the level we need. I do not want to waste time seeking out something that might or might not work,” Gretchen answered. “The control board here shows that two levels down the light is lit up. I imagine that means it is functional.”

  “You and I were together in that elevator when we almost froze to death, right?” Paul asked “And how many other times have we been trapped and nearly killed when we squirmed into some spot?”

  Gretchen reached out and grabbed Paul’s shirt. She gently pulled him inside the elevator car. She tapped the button which was third down from the top. She hoped that would mean the car would move two levels down, but she was not sure.

  The doors closed with a squeal and the elevator dropped. It jerked as it moved and then abruptly came to a halt. The light indicated it had only descended one level. The doors popped open and a purplish-blue glow flooded into the car.

  “Jellies!” Paul yelled as he squatted down to look out at the hall. The car’s door opening was about half way above the wall frame opening as the elevator car and shaft had not aligned properly.

  The Jellie sphere rotated around suddenly and a tendril snapped out from it in a whip-like fashion. The tip of the tendril struck Gretchen’s hand just as she drew out her pistol. The pistol went flying and struck the side of the elevator door frame. It clattered to the deck outside the elevator.

  Piff. Piff. Piff.

  Paul fired his pistol.

  The Jellie sphere was struck a glancing blow on its side and it staggered a bit. A white blob swelled on its other side.

  “Get out!” Gretchen yelled and shoved Paul forward.

  They tumbled down onto the deck just as the white ball impacted inside the elevator car. A blast of cold and icy shrapnel rained over them, as they scrambled to get away. The elevator doors were melting from the inside and fusing with the shaft of the elevator.

  Paul fired again.

  Piff. Piff

  The shots struck the ceiling over the Jellie sphere. A tendril thickened up and came down like a club right onto Gretchen’s pistol as she reached for it on the floor. That appendages then flattened out and drew back toward the sphere, dragging the weapon with it.

  “Run!” Gretchen yelled as she staggered to her feet. Her ears were ringing from the concussion of the white ball exploding.

  Paul grabbed her and they darted down a hallway away from the Jellie sphere. The hallway was partially lit by lights on the ceiling, and there was horizontal pipework on both sides.

  The Jellie rushed at them, and numerous tendrils came lashing out. One very tight tentacle, about the size of Paul’s finger thrashed down and struck onto Paul’s backpack. The material of the backpack was slicing apart. His gear spilled out as he ran.

  There was severe damage to the side wall and the horizontal pipe work was slashed open as the Jellie pressed its attack. Brown foul-smelling liquids came gushing out of the broken pipes. It flooded onto the floor in a pouring vile spout.

  A stairway was just ahead, and splashing through the flooding hall they rushed to make it there as the tendrils continued to whip down on them. Paul turned to fire the pistol, and got off one shot just before a thick and extremely condensed appendage rapidly jabbed straight out of the sphere at him. His shot smashed into tip of the appendage plowing a hole through it and out the other side. The sphere shook, but the appendage sloughed off that tip and then just sealed over itself as it swatted again at where Paul was standing. He was forced to jump out of the way, slipping and falling in the growing water on the floor.

  A different tentacle snaked out and wrapped around Gretchen. It twirled her around, tiny prickly things poking into her clothing and pack. Like tiny sharp teeth they pierced as the tentacle wound tighter. She shot her arms up over her head and kicked out her legs to fall away into the slippery waters on the floor. She was only barely able to escape by scooting down and out of her backpack. Her shirt tore, and her skin underneath it was scratched and bruised as she squirted herself out of the squeezing death of the tentacle. The constricting tentacle crushed the backpack and everything inside of it.

  “Go down the stairs!” Paul yelled as he grabbed her and again tried to fire the pistol. He just kept yanking the trigger as fast as he could.

  Piff. Piff. Piff.

  His wild shots landed all around the corridor. Geysers of water came up from one impact. Another one burrowed a hole in the permalloy sidewall. A third shattered a ceiling light. For a moment the Jellie sphere backed away a bit. Gretchen reached for the pistol, but two tentacles came up from each side and clapped together violently right onto where Paul’s hand had been holding the pistol. Both he and Gretchen snatched their hands away just in the nick of time. The pistol was absorbed into one tentacle and then pulled back into the sphere’s body.

  Turning and fleeing in panic, Gretchen and Paul rushed down the stairs which were covered in the brown foul water. The Jellie was not far behind. At the base of the stairs the landing turned and there was a set of vertical bars with horizontal cross braces. The portcullis was open in the center and Paul and Gretchen dove through trying to get away from the Jellie. Paul fell face first into the brown muck, but Gretchen remained on her feet. She reached down and helped him to his feet as the Jellie reached the base of the stairs and the permalloy bars.

  “The color pad!” Gretchen yelled as she looked down the hallway.

  Paul was on his feet now and together then rushed toward the far end where there was a bulkhead door by the color pad control.

  “This better open!” Paul screamed as he hit green, green, green on the color pad.

  There was a negative function sound.

  “I hate my life!” Paul moaned but was drowned out by a shrill metallic sound and a shuddering wallop from behind him.

  Turning from the still sealed door, Paul and Gretchen looked back at the Jellie. The sphere had been squeezing through the bars at the side of the hall, when the permalloy bars above had shot downward with such force that the Jellie sphere was pinned beneath them. The tentacles were flailing about trying to pull the bars off of itself. The Jellie was shaking and squirming as the rack of bars kept pushing down. It tentacles pulled and yanked but the bars only sank further downward.

  The pressure built up and the heavy grille of bars pressed further against the Jellie sphere. The Jellie sphere became elongated as the crushing force pushed down more. The ends of what had been a sphere swelled and thinned. The tentacles frantically slapped at the portcullis as it mashed down.

  Splat!

  The purplish-blue glow was gone as the sphere burst under the pressure of the portcullis. Chunks of Jellie sphere suit sprayed all around as the fluids which had been inside the sphere splattered and poured out and into the flood of brown water. The Jellie itself was brutally cleaved in half. Its bell shaped top was obliterated and its squirming limbs only jerked and made spasmodic motions for a moment longer. They then faded out and just gently swayed in the rushing brown waters as the two halves of the Jellie drifted apart.

  “Yay!” Paul said as he looked at the pulverized alien and the cracked and burst open
shell that had been its Jellie suit. The permalloy bars were solidly locked down into the floor.

  Gretchen watched as the brown water continued to fill the corridor.

  “Paul, unless we get this door open, we have nowhere to go,” Gretchen said. She then entered a sequence of colors into the control pad. “This water is flooding and getting deeper.”

  The bulkhead door slid to the side, and Paul and Gretchen lurched in. The water sloshed after them, but the bulkhead door slammed shut.

  “Where are we? Paul said as he looked around.

  The walls consisted of a myriad of small containers all stacked together and reaching up to the four meter high ceiling. There were white tables set in the center to the room, around which were chairs. Numerous devices were on the tables. Gretchen recognized antique microscopes, stereoscopes, gravitronic modulators, bosum-neiberg counters and other old fashioned equipment. On the far wall was a stainless steel door which sat opposite from the bulkhead door they had entered. Looking back at that bulkhead door, Paul saw that it was labeled ‘Diagnostic Animal Confinement’ in faded white lettering.