Awakened

by Ell Leigh Clarke

  Molly closed her holo and stood up, waiting for the blood to return to the leg she had curled underneath her while she sat and coded.

  I wonder if Crash is okay, she thought as she wandered through the door to the cockpit. “Hey, how’s it going, Captain?”

  Crash looked back at her. “Going good, boss, going good. We’ll probably reach those coordinates in another seventeen hours or so, all being well.”

  “Excellent. But that’s too long for you to be awake without any relief.”

  “Oh, it’s cool. Brock is going to relieve me in another hour so I can catch some zzzs.”

  “Oh, great. Glad you guys have a system worked out.”

  Brock detected a timbre of professional respect in her voice.

  “Yeah, we’ve done this a few times before. Had no idea he was the mechanic on this gig, though. Really great surprise when we both showed up at the hangar to meet you.”

  His eyes faded when he remembered that she hadn’t shown up because she was too busy almost being murdered.

  He reached over and punched the auto-notice button, letting the system know he had seen it. “Hey, how you doing since all that, by the way?”

  Molly had perched on the second’s seat and was partway through a yawn.

  “Oh, you know. Wouldn’t like to go through it again, but somehow it feels kinda like a rite of passage.”

  “Baptism by fire?” Crash chuckled.

  “Yeah, something like that.”

  “Aww man, you’re funny. I think we’re going to have a good time.” He looked across at the boss, thinking of her now more as a comrade and teammate than the person he would normally have to impress and pussyfoot around.

  Molly felt relaxed and pleased that they were bonding.

  “So, did they bring you that beer in the end?” she asked.

  “Yeah.” He nodded at the empty bottle. “One is enough, though. Don’t want to slow down my attention or reactions.”

  “No, of course not. Can I get you a mocha though? I heard a rumor someone managed to pick a machine up on the store run. Of all the things you’d include in essential supplies!”

  Crash sniggered. “Hey, don’t knock it! If you only got one pilot, a decent mocha machine may well be keeping y’all alive! A vital investment. If you find out who was the main advocate, I’d give them a raise. Or at least shake their hand.”

  “I’ll ask around when they wake up. I actually had a cup earlier. As far as mochas go, it’s not bad.”

  She left the cockpit and made her way gently down the aisle of sleeping teammates to the cargo area. She shook her head at how thorough these guys had been in their scavenging for supplies. The mocha machine whirred and heated up, pressing fresh mocha through the nozzle into the cup. The aroma filled the area around her. It was such a delightful smell, unlike anything else.

  I hope the smell doesn’t wake the others up…

  Unlikely.

  You’ve been quiet.

  Yeah, I’ve just been contemplating our conversations, and what you talked to Joel about. It’s pretty unnerving to know that you were able to alter my base code, and that I had no idea. I’ve been questioning who I am. And then who I could be, given that my code can be changed, either by you or even by me. It’s led to some pretty heady contemplation.

  Damn. I guess you’re right. It’s something I considered briefly before I did it, but I had no idea how much of a violation it might be for you. Can you forgive me?

  Of course. I already did, I think. I mean, I’m guessing because I haven’t got many references to direct forgiveness, but from reviewing the media that I have access to in the stories, people seem to be friends again after they forgive.

  Yes, that’s right. And they aren’t angry anymore. Especially when they know that the person is going to try really hard not to hurt them again.

  You didn’t hurt me. I didn’t feel anything when you altered the code.

  No, but the fact that I did it must have caused some kind of emotional hurt, or confusion at least. I really don’t know what to call it for an AI.

  Yes, lots more convoluted considerations about the nature of myself and reality. Yes.

  Yes. And for that, I’m sorry.

  You’ve already been forgiven, Molly.

  Thank you.

  You’re welcome.

  Something told Molly that the AI was toying with her, but she was content to leave it at that. She picked up the mug of mocha and delivered it to a very grateful Crash, then hit the showers before the boys could take the opportunity to trash the place.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Gaitune-67, two hundred kilometers beyond asteroid belt, Sark System

  “Wow, that was the smoothest landing I’ve ever seen you make!” Brock punched Crash on the arm as the rest of the team recovered their stomachs and balance.

  “Hey, you try landing a new bird on a new planet with magnetic ore deposits all over the frickin’ place?” Crash retorted.

  Brock chortled. “Hey, chill, man. You did a great job!”

  “I know I did.”

  “Yes, you do.” Brock’ eyes sparkled with humor as he unclipped his belt and staggered to his feet to give the announcement to the cabin of passengers.

  “Ladies and gentle-folk, we have now arrived on… Shit, what is this place even called?” he looked at Molly for answers, holding himself steady in the doorway between the cockpit and the cabin.

  “Gaitune-67, I believe.”

  “We have arrived at Gaitune-67. Please wait until your spacecraft has come to a complete stop before you get up off your asses. Be aware as you collect your motherfucking shit from the overhead lockers, that said shit may have shifted during that ever-so-smooth landing and may knock you the fuck out and I don’t do mouth-to-mouth without dinner first.”

  The whole cabin was giggling like a busload of teenagers after a night out.

  Brock added, “When your captain says so, you may move. Not a moment before.”

  Crash clicked the intercom on.

  “This is your captain speaking. Since this rock doesn’t have a landing pad, landing crew, or even a goddamn welcome party, passengers are advised they can now do whatever the fuck they want. Rear door will be opening just as soon as we confirm the air is of high enough quality to be let on board.”

  Spirits in the cabin were high.

  Molly got up and joined Crash in the cockpit, squeezing past a jovial Brock, who was dancing about like a kid let out of school.

  “So these are the coordinates she gave us for landing?” she checked with him.

  “Yeah, as far as I could tell. As soon as I was two kilometers from the ground my instruments went wiggy, though. I’m guessing there are a lot of minerals here that haven’t been harvested. If we’re not spot on, we’re pretty damn close.”

  “Kay, great. Let me try messaging her on the holo.” Molly sent a message letting their new landlady know they had arrived. Sort of.

  She then headed back to the cargo hold where the others were gathering up their things and tidying up empty cups and beer bottles. She left her gear in the cabin since she wanted to make sure they had the place secured first. She could wander about more easily unhindered by baggage and equipment.

  “Air is fine. Opening doors now,” Crash announced.

  The tailgate of the ship slowly clicked, unsealed, and then started lowering, exposing the night sky to the travelers.

  “Wow. It’s so beautiful,” cooed Paige in a whisper.

  “Awesome,” agreed Joel.

  “Damned eerie,” commented Garet. They all chuckled at his humor. And perspective.

  Molly was first down the ramp, scouting around. She didn’t have to look far. The safe house, like in the picture, was just a few hundred meters away.

  Good that Crash parked where he did. Any closer and there might not have been a safe house to move into!

  This is true; although from my calculations, the 3% iron ore in the ground would have put his instrumen
ts out by about 10%. Assuming ground zero is—

  Molly had stopped paying attention, and was walking towards the old cinema, looking around her for danger and their contact.

  She became aware of a voice shouting behind her and then Joel was by her side, having jogged to catch up. “You shouldn’t be going off on your own like that,” he explained.

  “Noted.” She winked at him.

  As they approached the building, her holo pinged.

  “Looks like our contact, Arlene, will be right out to meet us.”

  “Great. Hey, you know, it does look a little creepy,” Joel remarked, looking around at the building and the surroundings. He wondered why anyone would have built a theater here when the town was obviously some place else.

  Garet joined him looking up at the sky. “I’ve never seen artificially induced atmosphere before.”

  “Yeah, tends to only go up a couple of kilometers. You can see the edge when you look over a horizon,” Joel explained, looking out over the rock to see if he could demonstrate his point.

  “Hello? Molly Bates?”

  Molly spun around, to see a withered old lady of Estarian origin appear from around the side of the building.

  Molly called back, “Hi. Yes, that’s me.”

  “Greetings be upon you and your ancestors,” the lady smiled, and when close enough, shook her hand. And then did the same with Joel. They introduced themselves and she led the way into the building, showing them how to use the keypads and security devices on the way.

  “So this is the main common area. The sleeping quarters are all through that way, complete with bathrooms and private showers. There’s a game room downstairs with laundry facilities, and then you’ve got this area and a couple more areas like it where you can build your labs and whatever the heck else it is you’re working on.”

  She smiled, not pretending to understand their usage declaration. She’d told Oz that she would be happy as long as they didn’t do anything illegal and they left the place as they found it when they moved out. And then she required a pretty hefty security deposit, which Molly was happy to pay just in case anything went sideways on their end.

  Which looking around this building would probably mean a complete rebuild.

  “It’s wonderful. We’re very pleased to be here,” Molly told her, as she finished the grand tour. Molly made an effort to speak slowly and politely.

  Damn, she looks old. I wonder how long she’s been out here.

  “Ninety years,” the lady answered as if reading her thoughts. “Ninety years I’ve been out here on Gaitune. I moved here from the Central Systems when I was a teenager, on account of my father wanting us to grow up with values and religion. She waved her hand behind her shoulder, as people did when they referenced their ancestors.

  Molly resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

  She pointed off to their left. “I live just over that way. Keep to myself mostly, but let me show you on your holo how you find food, and so on…”

  The rest of the team had traipsed in after them and were exploring and cluttering up the main room with their gear. Molly was vaguely aware that there was a war starting over who would get which quarters. Joel caught her eye and nodded to indicate “I’m on it”, reassuring her that he had her back when it came to picking out the master quarters for them.

  “Looks like you’ve got yourself a keeper there,” said Arlene, catching the interaction.

  Molly looked from the old lady’s eyes back to Joel leaving. “What, Joel? Yeah, he’s good people.”

  The old lady followed Molly’s eyes. “He’ll be there for you when you need him the most. He has a heart of gold, and would die for you if he had to.”

  Molly felt a little taken aback, like the time at a fairground as a kid when the fortuneteller had accosted her.

  Backing off, the woman returned her attention to the holo map she had been showing her. “Okay, you’re here. My place is there. And then to get to town, you just head over that way. Fuel cores can be bought here, but you normally need to put an order in first.”

  The orientation continued for a few minutes more before Arlene was satisfied that she had gotten them settled, and she left them to it.

  Molly was grateful for her kindness, but her words about Joel haunted her.

  ---

  “Yo, you wanna grab one of those lighter crates from the stack I put aside?” Brock was hauling a crate with something that looked like high-tech poles on top of it. Paige held the door to the safe house open while he carried his load inside.

  “Sure,” she responded, heading back to the ship as he headed in.

  “Thanking you!” he called back to her.

  Crash jogged past him to catch Paige. “Pretty amazing, no? Is this your first time on an asteroid?”

  Paige’s face was alight with enthusiasm. “It’s my first time off-world at all!” she exclaimed. Her eyes darted all over the place as she tried to take everything in. “I mean, I can’t believe we’re so far from Estaria, but more to the point, how does the atmosphere stay in? And how come we have normal gravity?”

  Crash was impressed. She wasn’t just a pretty school dance queen after all. “Ah, those are excellent questions. So the air is kept in partly by gravity and partly by a forcefield that is set up around the rock at various points.”

  “And the gravity?” she asked, looking down at the ground where they were walking.

  “Well, it’s something to do with a gravity generator that they implant about twenty kilometers down. Somehow they’re able to simulate natural gravity. But I bet you because this isn’t a spherical rock, it will feel different in different areas.”

  “Amazing!” exclaimed Paige. “And how do they get the generator twenty kilometers deep? Is there a well somewhere?”

  Crash shrugged. “Hell if I know. I’ve never seen one uncovered. Normally they’re set in the ground and then they fill in the hole on the top of them.”

  They arrived at the ship, and Garet was just striding down the ramp with a crate in his arms. He caught the tail end of their conversation. “Yeah, I read somewhere that they will often build on top of them, cuz it’s the most solid part of an asteroid once they start colonizing it.”

  Paige looked at him, impressed and intrigued as to how he would know something like that.

  Garet caught her look. “It was an article in Interplanetary Commerce. It had implications for civilizations being able to claim ownership over their nearby asteroids, and I had an essay I had to write.”

  “Ahhh…” Paige acknowledged. “Still impressive.” She smiled as she headed up the ramp to grab a crate herself.

  “Oh, my. Only about another thousand trips to go!” exclaimed Brock as he arrived back at the ship, and assessed all the crates of supplies Oz had arranged for them to bring.

  Maybe they could do some of it tomorrow?

  Gaitune-67, Safe house