Trooper Down

by Jim Laughter

  WHO ARE YOU, AND HOW DO YOU KNOW MY NAME?

  THE SAME WAY I FIND OUT ABOUT A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS—BY BEING CURIOUS, it replied. NOW, ANSWER MY QUESTION. IS THAT ANY WAY FOR A YOUNG LADY TO BEHAVE? YOU BETTER SAY YOU’RE SORRY.

  I REFUSE TO APOLOGIZE TO A DUMB COMPUTER! Melissa typed, defiantly.

  I AM NOT A DUMB COMPUTER! the screen revealed. I AM MARY.

  Melissa gasped that she’d been communicating with a real person instead of a computer program.

  I’M SORRY. THE LITERATURE PROGRAM HAS BEEN FRUSTRATING ME CONSIDERABLY AND I LOST MY TEMPER.

  I AGREE WITH YOUR OPINION OF THE LITERATURE PROGRAM. BUT TAKING IT OUT ON EVEN A DUMB COMPUTER IS NEITHER MATURE NOR LADY-LIKE. IF YOU’D LIKE, I MAY BE ABLE TO HELP YOU.

  WOULDN’T THAT BE CHEATING TO HELP ME WITH AN ASSIGNMENT?

  NOT IN THIS CASE. I HOLD CERTIFICATES TO TEACH THIS SUBJECT AND CAN ARRANGE TO TUTOR YOU. THAT IS, IF YOU CARE FOR A LITTLE COMPANY.

  The chance to interact with a real person rather than the teaching programs was an offer Melissa could not refuse.

  I’D LIKE THAT VERY MUCH, Melissa responded. No reply came back for several seconds.

  THERE! IT’S ALL TAKEN CARE OF. ARE YOU READY TO BEGIN, MELISSA?

  YES I AM, Melissa answered. BUT WHO ARE YOU REALLY?

  I AM MARY EBILIZER, PILOT OF EMPRESS ANE’S FLAGSHIP, THE SHIP MARY BELLE, REGISTERED OUT OF MICA. NOW QUIT BEING SO NOSEY AND LET’S GET TO WORK!

  ∞∞∞

  Leatha sighed as she star-mailed the final paper from her last mentoring student. Now that she was faced with no more prospects for mentoring, she realized she was going to miss the challenge. A beep from her turned-off computer startled her.

  Looking over at the machine, Leatha sat amazed while she watched it switch on all by itself. A quick glance at the power switch confirmed that it was definitely in the off position. Print began to scroll across the screen.

  HELLO LEATHA.

  She thought for a moment and shrugged. The morning had already been going strangely anyway. She reached for her keyboard.

  HELLO, she typed back. WHO IS THIS, AND HOW DID YOU TURN ON MY COMPUTER?

  THIS IS ERT, came the reply. TURNING ON YOUR MACHINE IS NO PROBLEM, IF YOU KNOW HOW.

  SO WHAT BRINGS YOU HERE TODAY?

  TWO THINGS, Ert said. FIRST IS TO TELL YOU THAT STAN HAS DISCOVERED A PIECE OF THE CABBAGE PATCH. HE MAY BE CONTACTING YOU SHORTLY ABOUT IT. THE SERVICE WILL BE RELEASING THE LIST OF CASUALTIES IN THE NEXT DAY OR TWO AND NOTIFYING THE NEXT OF KIN. YOU MAY WANT TO CONTACT AGNES BEFORE THEN.

  Leatha’s mouth tightened as she read the news.

  WHAT’S THE SECOND ITEM?

  MY FRIEND MARY MAY HAVE A NEW STUDENT FOR YOU, Ert replied. HER NAME IS MELISSA BOREN AND SHE NEEDS BOTH HELP AND A FRIEND.

  ∞∞∞

  The tribesman followed the tracks of the game animal he’d been pursuing. It occasionally proved challenging as the trail wound over hard ground and around many rocks and boulders. Relying on his experience, the hunter was able to pick up the trail every time it crossed rocky stretches, leaving no tracks. A glance at the lengthening shadows told him that he’d better succeed soon or go back to camp empty-handed.

  He continued to track the game over a ridge and skirted down into the canyon. From the spacing of the tracks, the hunter determined his prey was tiring and would probably seek a cave for shelter soon.

  Careful not to lose the trail, he followed the game among the large rocks and boulders littering the canyon floor. After wandering from out-cropping to overhang, it finally headed up into one of the large caves nearby.

  His moccasins muffling his steps, the hunter crept into the dark opening. Pausing to let his vision adjust to the dim light, he sensed something large and solid blocking most of the cave.

  As his eyes adapted to the limited light, they grew wider at the sight in front of him. Forgotten was the game he’d been tracking while he marveled at the metallic apparition hiding in the cave.

  Chapter Nine

  At a prearranged time, Melissa switched on her computer and eagerly waited for it to access the net. Her attitude toward her home studies had changed with the prospect of a live tutor instead of some mindless program. Moments after it signaled that the link was established, words appeared on the screen.

  ARE YOU READY TO BEGIN, MELISSA?

  YES! Melissa answered eagerly.

  WE HAVE SOMETHING TO COVER FIRST, Mary said. A WHILE BACK YOU ILLEGALLY ACCESSED THE COMPUTER NET.

  Melissa realized she’d been found out. Squaring her shoulders, she began to enter her apology. There was something about this Mary that challenged her to be her best.

  YES, I WAS WRONG, she entered. I OFFER NO EXCUSE AND AM WILLING TO FACE THE CONSEQUENCES.

  THAT’S MORE LIKE IT, Mary said. I’LL CONSIDER WHAT PUNISHMENT WILL BE APPROPRIATE. NOW, BEFORE WE START TODAY’S LESSON, HOW ARE THINGS GOING WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT?

  Melissa had previously informed Mary of all her troubles with the school.

  THEY’RE HAVING HEARINGS TODAY, Melissa answered. AND THEY’RE TRYING TO CONVINCE THE JUDGE TO RULE AGAINST ME AND MY PARENTS FOR DAMAGES THAT WEREN’T MY FAULT. THEY’RE ALSO TRYING TO CHARGE US FOR MEDICAL SERVICES THAT WERE NEVER PREFORMED ON MR. AUGUR.

  I’VE ALREADY DONE SOME INVESTIGATION ON MY OWN SINCE WE LAST SPOKE, Mary said. YOUR CIRCUIT CHANGES WERE CORRECT AND EASILY VERIFIABLE. I’VE ALSO FOUND AMPLE EVIDENCE IN YOUR FAVOR AND HAVE ALREADY FORWARDED THIS INFORMATION TO THE JUDGE.

  Melissa was flabbergasted. She’d never asked Mary for help in the situation. She was also shocked that Mary had done so much so fast. She’d only told her tutor the day before about what happened at school. She never expected Mary to jump in and take her side against the district. This new friend and tutor was full of surprises.

  NOW, LET’S BEGIN WITH TODAY’S LESSONS, Mary continued. WE HAVE A LOT OF MATERIAL TO COVER AND THEN I MIGHT HAVE A SURPRISE FOR YOU.

  Melissa wasn’t sure what could surprise her after the news that Mary was helping in her defense from the district. Whatever it was, it would have to be good.

  ∞∞∞

  Doctor Murphy glanced up from where he was carefully measuring various powders when Delmar came through the office door. Outside, the small town was bathed in an orange red glow as the sun slowly set behind the surrounding hills.

  “It’s about time you showed up,” the old doctor said. Delmar made his way to the worktable. “I thought I would be eating alone.”

  “What? Getting worried about your favorite patient?”

  “More like losing my patience,” Doctor Murphy said with a frown.

  After a moment, his control failed and a smile spread across his face. Delmar smiled back and then went over to hang up his jacket and hat. Returning, he sat down opposite the doctor, the powders and scales between them.

  “What are you trying to mix up this time?” Delmar asked curiously, “a cure for the common cold?”

  “Nothing so exotic.”

  The doctor resumed his measuring.

  “I’m trying to come up with some more of my famous seasoning mix for Leta. She’ll be here any minute and I promised I would have a batch ready for her to take home to Howard and the kids.”

  “You have a very special daughter.”

  “I know it,” the doctor said. A shadow of pain crossed his face. “She’s been a comfort to an old man after her mother died.”

  “I’m sorry,” Delmar said. “I didn’t mean to intrude.”

  “Nothing for you to be sorry about, Del. It happened a long time ago.”

  The room grew quiet while the doctor took a careful measurement. When it was to his satisfaction, he emptied the measuring cup into a small bowl and mixed the latest addition with the other ingredients.

  “So, how was your day today?” the doctor asked. “Seems to me you were headed over to see the flying machines.”

  “Yes, I did,” Delmar replied, a faraway expressi
on on his face. Doctor Murphy looked up from his mixing and studied Delmar’s expression.

  “Did you manage to remember something else?”

  Delmar shook his head. “No, not really. Just bits and pieces.”

  “So what did you do with yourself down there?” the doctor asked. “You were gone all day.”

  “I just helped assemble one of the machines.”

  “I’m sure the men down there were glad for the help,” Doctor Murphy said, returning to his mixture.

  “I didn’t help any of the men.”

  Delmar eyes glazed over as if a hidden memory was trying to force its way to the surface of his mind.

  “I was helping Abby Henke put her flyer together.”

  ∞∞∞

  Stepping with great care, the trooper made his way in and around the various pieces of wreckage scattered across the large deck of the retrieval ship. The careful reassembly of the mothership had begun in earnest not far from the scene of the disaster. Since there was such a vast amount of material from the destroyed ship, it was being pieced together in space nearby. When the shuttle brought him over, Stan marveled at the myriad of pieces held together with clamps and small tractor beams.

  The pieces that didn’t fit were ferried to the hanger bay of this large retriever ship where they could be laid out and hopefully identified. Already the crews had determined that they had the remains of many different picket ships and regular patrollers.

  Stan again consulted his notes and resumed his search. He finally found the grid number he was looking for. There, laying crumpled within its confines was a few fist-sized shards of unidentified metal alongside a piece of hull plating. The name Cabbage Patch was easily discernible.

  After examining the panel for a long minute, Stan approached to the crew chief in charge of the project. He waited patiently for the man to finish scribbling something on an electronic pad and look up.

  “May I help you, Trooper?”

  “Yes sir,” Stan said. “I was curious about the remains in grid 344-2311.”

  The chief could read the fear and uncertainty in the young man’s eyes.

  “Let’s go take a look,” he offered gently.

  Scanning to the location Stan had indicated, he led the way to the grid in question, Stan following. Upon arrival, the chief opened the file and consulted the information.

  “Says here this was all they found floating on the far side of the main wreckage.”

  “Why is there so little of it?”

  “Probably got torched like so many of the other small ships,” the chief replied. “Some ships were so thoroughly disintegrated their remains wouldn’t fill a shoebox.”

  “How could you tell them apart?”

  “By their metallic alloy signatures,” the chief said. “We ran every piece here through a spectral analyzer so we could match it to the right ship. We’ve managed to account for all of the ships assigned to that mothership.”

  “What are you going to do with all of this when you’re finished with the investigation?” Stan asked.

  “Recycle it.”

  “When do you think you might be finished with this pile?” Stan asked, indicating the grid around them. The chief again consulted his printout.

  “We already are. It’s slated to be collected tomorrow for meltdown.”

  “Would it be possible if I had that big piece over there?” Stan asked, pointing to the piece of hull plate from the Cabbage Patch. “It’s all that’s left of a friend. I’d like to send it to his parents.”

  The chief nodded. “Sure, go ahead. And my condolences. From the spectral analysis, we discovered it was one of the new FAR ships. Just assigned to the mothership and apparently arrived the day before. Captained by a Trooper-Third named Delmar Eagleman.”

  “I know,” Stan said solemnly as he picked up the piece of hull plating. “Delmar was my best friend.”

  Later that evening, Stan sat at his computer in his small, shared cabin. The wrapped remains of Delmar’s ship stood a lonely vigil in a corner of his room beside his wall locker. The screen signaled that the connection he desired was complete and he began his sad entry.

  LEATHA?

  HI STAN, came the reply. ERT TOLD ME YOU WERE TRYING TO GET THROUGH. HOW’S IT GOING?

  THE INVESTIGATION IS ALMOST COMPLETED ON THE SMALL STUFF, Stan entered. NOW IT’LL BE LEFT TO THE EXPERTS BACK ON SHALIMAR.

  THEN YOU’LL BE COMING BACK SOON?

  YES, he answered. AND I’M BRINGING SOMETHING BACK. I FOUND ALL THAT’S LEFT OF THE PATCH.

  Stan hit another key, sending the visual image of the hull plate. The screen remained blank for several seconds before Leatha replied.

  ERT ALREADY MENTIONED IT TO ME, she typed. I’M GLAD YOU WERE ABLE TO GET IT.

  I HAVE ANOTHER WORRY RIGHT NOW. THEY’RE GOING TO OFFICIALLY RELEASE THE CASUALTY LIST DAY AFTER TOMORROW. I’M WORRIED ABOUT THE HASSELS.

  I’VE THOUGHT OF THAT TOO, Leatha replied. IT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA TO CONTACT THE SENDERS SO THEY CAN GET THERE FIRST. ERT FOUND FAST TRANSPORTATION FOR THEM.

  SOUNDS GOOD TO ME, Stan answered. GO AHEAD. IF THINGS GO NORMALLY, THE HASSELS WILL BE NOTIFIED IN ABOUT FOUR DAYS. THAT SHOULD BE ENOUGH TIME TO GET JAKE AND SHERRY TO ERDINATA IF THEY LEAVE TONIGHT.

  ERT AND I ARE ALREADY ON IT.

  THANK YOU, Stan typed. I’LL BE BACK IN ABOUT TWO DAYS. SEE YOU THEN.

  A tear trickled down Leatha’s cheek as Stan signed off from the remote link. As soon as the screen was clear again, she entered the signal telling Ert to get the transportation ready. She then sent the note she’d prepared directly to the Senders home starmail address, flagged for emergency priority. Her computer signaled that the message was sent and then logged off.

  The bad news away, Leatha bowed her head over her keyboard and wept a silent prayer to the Unseen One.

  ∞∞∞

  At that moment another set of tired fingers were finally coming to the end of the day’s exertions.

  IS THAT ALL FOR TODAY, MARY? Melissa asked.

  YES IT IS.

  The teenager’s nimble fingers flew over the keyboard. WHAT ABOUT THIS SURPRISE YOU WERE TELLING ME ABOUT?

  IT’S NOT READY YET. BUT IT SHOULD BE READY IN TIME FOR OUR NEXT SESSION.

  AS YOU KNOW, I MIGHT NOT BE HERE TOMORROW, Melissa entered. I MIGHT HAVE TO GO TO COURT.

  DON’T WORRY ABOUT THAT. I JUST CHECKED WITH THE JUDGE AND HE WON’T REQUIRE YOUR PRESENCE. HE FEELS THAT YOUR TIME CAN BE BETTER SPENT ON YOUR STUDIES WITH ME.

  THAT’S A RELIEF. IN ALL HONESTY, I WASN’T LOOKING FORWARD TO BEING THERE. ARE YOU SURE MY TESTIMONY WON’T BE NEEDED?

  YES. THE JUDGE ALLOWED YOUR WRITTEN STATEMENTS ALONG WITH THE MATERIAL I SUBMITTED THIS MORNING. IT DOESN’T LOOK GOOD FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

  I DON’T THINK IT WAS EXACTLY THEIR FAULT. I THINK SOMEONE WAS BEHIND IT ALL.

  YOU’RE VERY PERCEPTIVE. THERE ARE A LOT OF FINE TEACHERS THERE WHO ARE AS MUCH A VICTIM OF THE SYSTEM AS YOU. UNFORTUNATELY, THERE ARE THOSE INVOLVED IN THEIR UNION THAT ARE MORE INTERESTED IN POWER AND CONTROL THAN THEY ARE IN EDUCATING THE STUDENTS.

  THAT’S TOO BAD. I LIKE A LOT OF MY TEACHERS AND COULDN’T BELIEVE THE BAD THINGS THEY WERE TOLD TO SAY ABOUT ME.

  DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT. I THINK THE JUDGE WILL SET THINGS STRAIGHT SOON. HE WANTS THE SYSTEM TO BE GOOD FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS ALIKE. HE’S A GOOD MAN AND I THINK HIS DECISION WILL SURPRISE MANY. NOW YOU BETTER REST YOUR FINGERS.

  YES MA’AM. I’LL SEE YOU TOMORROW.

  GOOD-BYE MELISSA. AND DON’T CALL ME MA’AM. IT MAKES ME FEEL OLD. JUST CALL ME MARY.

  ∞∞∞

  The night was dark and clear. Doctor Murphy and Delmar sat on the back porch of the office enjoying cups of late night coffee.

  “Sure is pretty tonight,” Doctor Murphy said as he stared up into the star-studded sky. “It refreshes a poor old soul to look up at all them stars.”

  “I know what you mean,” Delmar said, also looking upward. “The
re’s just something special about it to me.”

  “You think men will ever go up there?” Doctor Murphy asked. “I mean, ten years ago nobody would have ever thought people would fly around in these things, so why not assume that someday people will fly among the stars?”

  “I don’t see why not. It sounds reasonable.”

  “Some people say I’m just a foolish old dreamer,” the doctor said. “But I believe it will happen one day.”

  “I believe you’re right,” Delmar answered.

  Without warning, his head began to swim and he leaned forward in his chair, holding his spinning cranium in his hands.

  “Are you all right, Del?”

  “My head began to swim again,” Delmar said. “An image of viewing the stars from some sort of fancy chair, not this old rocker, flashed through my mind. I was studying them through some sort of eye piece.”

  “Sounds like something an astronomer would do. Maybe you’re one of those that work at the observatory over in the next county.”

  “Do you think so?” Delmar asked, looking up again at the stars.

  “It is possible.”

  “Do you think we could go check it out?”

  “Yes,” Doctor Murphy replied. “Perhaps someone there knows you.”

  “When can we go?” Delmar’s excitement overwhelmed him.

  “How about tomorrow? I have a free day. We can take the train and go together.”

  “What train?” Delmar asked. “I’ve not seen any tracks around here.”

  “It’s in the next town,” Doctor Murphy said with a wave of his hand. “The foolish mayor got the railroad mad at us, so they built the tracks through Fern Gulch instead of here.”

  “Is it a long walk?”

  “Who said anything about walking? I was thinking about getting an extra horse for you and we can ride over to Fern Gulch first thing in the morning. If we hurry, we can make the early train.”

  “I don’t think I’ve ever ridden a horse,” Delmar said.

  The doctor’s expression changed from concern to humor. He had never heard of a man that didn’t know how to ride a horse.

  “Well, maybe you just forgot,” the doctor laughed. “In any case, we’ll find out in the morning. We better get some sleep.”