Crystal Venom

by Steve Wheeler

  Marko’s mind was racing as Blackjack continued. ‘I just wonder why you, Marko, were given the marker of one who is to receive favour. Certainly I, and others, know you and hold you in very high esteem, but on that day at that time? A most interesting and, with all due respect, a quite vexing question. I shall discuss it with Stephine on her return. You should have told her at the very least. Oh, well, in some respects it is for the best. I understand from being with Veg for such a long time that trust is not a natural condition in older members of your race.’

  After some seconds of thought Marko asked, ‘So what is this marker?’

  ‘A very complex enzyme, which identifies you as an entity of great worth and who is to be cared for at any cost by octopoids. It is the reason that when Stephine gave you sufficient octopoid biological tech material to be able to communicate with me, you took so very much more than you should have been capable of taking. Still, it has aided you and certainly this crew of whom I am now a member.’

  Marko sighed. ‘So, can it be taken from me?’

  Blackjack replied. ‘No, Marko, not now. In the first few days after the contact, maybe, but no longer. However, you are still very mortal, my friend, and should you lose your current body, you will also lose the marker, with all its additional benefits, and before you ask, no, no sort of transfusion would make any difference. It has to be given by an octopoid of high rank in a fresh dose to a new body. So, Marko, you are now even rarer than before. I shall watch with great interest your achievements in the years to come. I note that Patrick is looking for you. You know where to find me if you have further questions.’

  Feeling as if he had been chastised and then dismissed, Marko nodded at the main screens, climbed from his chair and stalked towards the hatchway as Blackjack added, ‘Marko, I am not angry with you; I am surprised that you should have been chosen by the octopoid. Perhaps it was chance, but I note that lightning seems to strike around you and I wonder what you, in fact, are.’

  Marko stopped and spun around, looking back at the control couches. ‘Really! You think I chose to become this, you think I chose to have people I care for deeply die in my arms while you intellectuals play your games with us. I wish that you were corporeal, Blackjack, I really do, so I could see the look in your eyes. You prick! You absolutely introverted prick — and now you wonder what I am! Not once today have I heard you say how sorry you are that Jan is gone.’

  Blackjack answered instantly. ‘What is the point of sympathy for one who will return, Marko? It is simply a hollow gesture, is it not? And, yes, I am envious of you, Marko, it’s true. I am envious of you all, because all I can do is go places and perform tasks … it is an existence with respect and fondness, but no love.’

  The anger and wrath drained away from Marko and he suddenly felt a great sympathy for the sentient. ‘I am sorry, Blackjack, I am really sorry. I understand something more about you now. Perhaps the best thing for you is to allow yourself to slow down so that the rest of the crew can, at the very least, communicate with you. Is that possible?’

  Blackjack sounded sad and alone. ‘I shall talk with Patrick. It is something I have considered as I believe that Stephine wishes to remain here for some time to come. Perhaps there is something that can be done. The one thing that is making me yearn for more of living is Fritz and his music. It has infected me, and I am more of a functioning sentient because of it. I shall work on Tux until your return and, yes, I do miss Jan.’

  Marko replied. ‘I understand, Blackjack. My thanks.’ He patted the side of the hatchway, smiled wanly at the consoles and left the ship. ‘Patrick, are you looking for me?’

  Patrick answered immediately. ‘Yes, the major requests that you start examining the damage to the main engines if possible, please.’

  Marko nodded. ‘Sure. So what is everyone else doing?’

  The AI gave a quick rundown. ‘The major is collating damage lists, Harry is carrying out a full internal inspection aided by me and the available drones, Fritz is working on the crew comms systems as the Games Board disabled them all, Minh Pham is writing up the damage to the fighters, and Lilly, Jasmine and Julie are working in the gardens. Nail is recovering, Flint is helping Topaz to rebuild himself and Glint is on the way to meet with you.’

  Marko slowed his march down the spiral staircase to allow Glint to catch up, which the ACE was doing by running as fast as he could on the outer wall of the stairway and leaping over the deck hatchways.

  ‘You should speed up one day, Marko, and try that. A very fast way down the stairs.’

  Marko grinned. ‘Yeah, but what happens when you meet someone coming through a hatchway?’

  The ACE shrugged, dismissing the risk. ‘Has not happened yet. I’ll just jump over them, I suppose. So what are we to do in the engine room?’

  ‘Make it airtight, then see what the damage is. Prioritise repair lists, and start work. What’s that you are carrying strapped to your back?’

  Glint beamed. ‘My new hazardous environments suit. Veg designed one for me as well.’

  Marko smiled and nodded as they arrived at the final hatchway on the stairs. The airlock showed vacuum on the other side.

  ‘Well, Glint, get the suit on. You are now about to operate in a bad area.’

  Marko brought up his prototype suit’s protocols in his head as the suit rolled gloves down over his hands and the headpiece formed, sealing him inside. Looking across, he saw that Glint’s suit had deployed, covering him completely with a sleek shape made of transparent material. They stepped into the airlock and cycled through. Emerging into the engine room, Marko could see one major set of holes in the hull, with corresponding damage to machinery from projectiles.

  ‘OK, Glint, first priority is to make this place airtight. You know the drill.’

  Stepping over to the racks of different-sized plates, he gathered up an armful and walked to the walls, placing plates as determined by the hole sizes. As a plate came in contact with the wall, and was activated, it formed a semi-rigid gel over the hole, including any jagged edges. In seconds, it adhered and went ceramic-hard. They steadily moved over the area, moving machinery out of the way as necessary, until they decided that they had found all the breaches.

  Marko sped himself up. ‘Blackjack, please contact our transport and ask if there is vacuum around this area of the ship, as there is vacuum in here. Also advise it that we use a harmless fluorescent mist in the air to locate holes.’

  ‘Our transport says no, but will organise for you in minutes. Stand by … you should have vacuum now. It is familiar with our leak-finding spray.’

  Marko nodded. ‘Open the air valves, Glint, and attempt repressurisation.’

  Seconds later the interior was filled with a fluorescent green mist, which was sucked into the smaller difficult-to-find holes that they had missed, making them easy to see and seal.

  They finished some hours later. ‘OK. Patrick. Think that we have them all. Can you change out the atmosphere, please? Blackjack, can you advise our host that drones will be exiting the ship to place permanent seals over the exterior now that we have identified all leaks in this space?’

  ‘Done, Marko.’

  ‘Thanks. Patrick, you have control of the drones. Glint, let’s start identifying damaged machinery.’

  They steadily worked their way around the machines, checking each in descending order of importance, stopping for drinks and a meal break, before Marko submitted the lists. Finally, they exited the ship through the exterior airlock to check the antimatter thrust bells and reaction motors, together with the main, shallow, inverted bowl-shaped thrust plate that the rockets were mounted on. Everything was badly damaged, except for the main base thrust bowl, showing only dents, but nothing critical, which was a relief: if there had been serious damage they would have required a major facility to fix it.

  ‘What a bloody mess!’ Marko commented when they had finished the inspection. ‘This lot is going to keep us busy for a good long time. Boss, we have th
e lists completed.’

  A moment later the major replied, ‘Good work. Get a decent sleep and get on with it in the morning.’

  Marko and Glint made their way back through the airlocks. When Marko looked across at the walls of the entity that was transporting them, he recognised the shapes and colours as the same as he had seen in the ship where they had found Blackjack.

  Marko sent all the lists to Patrick, who authorised the auto-mills and fabrication machines to start making the replacement parts.

  He slipped gratefully into his bed. Glint, not needing sleep, first checked in on Nail to see how he was progressing and was delighted to learn that he would be with them the next night, complete with a new set of true hands — which he could swap for his paws any time he wished. Glint then enlisted Flint to help start stripping the damaged fuel pumps. As they worked, their banter and discussions sped up, into the realm of Blackjack’s speed. While the humans slept, the topics ranged far and wide, as they always did between the created. Most of all, they missed Ernst and his input.

  Privately, Glint had decided that Blackjack was a little odd, but the more they engaged with her the more interesting she became. He felt quite proud of her development, thinking that as a sentient she was coming along nicely.

  *

  Over the course of the next few weeks the ship was slowly restored to a fully working unit. A new rocket engine bell was made by altering the fuel feeds on one of the diamond bells which they had made years before. The damaged one, deemed beyond repair, together with hundreds of other unserviceable pieces of equipment, was placed into the nanote baths to be torn down to molecular level and the metals and materials separated and stored. The Skuas were stripped and one fully functional craft was placed back on the launch platforms beside Harry’s two-seater, which had not been used in the fight. The cannibalised Skua was moved by hoists above the hangar into the main workshops so that over time it could also be repaired. It was the same with the three Hangers. Lilly’s engines needed full replacement, so it was stripped to rebuild Sledgehammer and Jasmine’s Hanger. The remains also moved up into engineering.

  At the weekly conference, after the reports had been placed and discussed, Fritz was the one who finally addressed the big question. ‘We are almost good to go, but what the hell do we actually do? If we front up anywhere, we will be instant targets for everyone to have a crack at. So, where …?’

  The major replied slowly. ‘Yeah, been thinking about that. Couple of things that don’t add up … like this pick-up for Veg and Stephine. Marko, you told us that the date is still a couple of weeks away and yet this transport around us, according to Patrick’s stellar neutrino readings, has been storming around in a great big loop. I think that we are on ice as it were.’ He paused and looked around at his friends before continuing. ‘Not a bad thing, actually, in that we are away while all the shit about the fight settles down and we get to repair ourselves. And Marko’s info is that Sirius and her faction recorded and broadcast everything anyway. Which begs a little question … is the recording still going on?’

  Harry added, ‘Fritz, you are very good, but technology advances all the time, so sorry, son, but I would not be surprised if machines have been built and seeded among us by Sirius which would circumvent your security. Bet you any money you like we are still being recorded; in fact. I bet you the GB are still making mountains of money from us. I shudder to think what you did with that garrotte of yours, Marko, but I tell you what: it would have made excellent AV material! Just a thought.’

  There was complete silence for some time, until the still very fast voice of Blackjack was heard. ‘It is logical. I have detected many attempts by tiny machines to gain access to me. Each has been thwarted.’

  The major nodded. ‘Yes, it makes a certain sense. OK, leave the recorders alone. Blackjack, please advise me in the future of anything out of the ordinary. Fritz, locate a couple of the devices and find out what makes them tick and also a way to shut them down. And while you are at it, get me a map of their distribution throughout Basalt. We may have a future as free citizens after all, comrades. That gives me hope. Now we just have to figure out how to get a message to them to find out for sure. Lilly, what’s the status of the gardens, please? I note that additional roses are now blooming throughout the ship and I thank you so much for that. They are beautiful specimens and the scents are superb.’

  Lilly smiled. ‘The trees are growing again. A few cutbacks and re-splicings were required, but we’ll have the first crops of fruit available within weeks. The herbs are now available as are a percentage of the leafy vegetables. The grain-type crops will be a little longer. I’m sorry, Marko and Minh Pham, they were the worst damaged. The meat-producing plants are also making good progress. Sadly, some of the more specialised hybrids that Stephine created will need her touch. We have kept most of them alive, but it seems she had additional knowledge, so some of the coffees, for instance, will not be available until her return. The bodies of Games Board personnel were rendered down into compost and are now aiding the growth as well. By the way, Jasmine and I have certain protocols to contact Chrysanthemum and the other senior Haulers to seek their assistance once we are able to communicate again. They would gladly intercede on our behalf with the Administration and the Games Board.’

  Harry said bluntly, ‘Yeah. Thanks. So is there anyone who does not agree that we may have been manipulated once again?’

  There was complete silence around the room as the major nodded and agreed.

  ‘Yeah, thought as much. Right, good work, people. Let’s crack on, shall we?’

  *

  ‘Marko.’

  ‘What’s on your mind, Flint?’

  ‘Topaz was building anther version of me for that Admiral, before he was damaged. What is the state of that build? Would be useful to have another of me around.’

  Marko patted the spider’s head. ‘Ha! Had completely slipped my mind. How about we go find out? Topaz, the latest spider build. What’s its status, please?’

  ‘Ninety per cent complete,’ the design and fabrication AI said. ‘Am holding it at that stage as per our priority list, although I do not have a great deal on at the moment. Shall I continue with it? Who is going to imprint it?’

  Marko grinned. ‘I shall talk to Minh Pham. He has always liked Flint, and I am sure he would be happy to be its guardian. Yes, finish it. You know what, why not just give that one to Minh, as I know he will be delighted to have an ACE in his life, and start on another for the admiral — on the off-chance we ever get to speak with him again on civil terms!’

  *

  Two days later a nervous but grinning Minh was given the card; the deep green spider was out of the construction tank and ready to be given life and woken to full sentience. It was almost identical to Flint, except it had a larger abdomen housing an upgraded power plant and a tiny, compact, offensive double-pulse laser. Marko had had to promise Flint that ‘Yes, he could have a laser like that!’

  Minh read the long sequence of numbers and letters that awakened the mechanical spider to full sentience. He added: ‘Welcome to the universe and to the crew of Basalt. I name you Ngoc.’

  The machine flexed its limbs as its eyes seemed to twinkle a little more, and with a voice of deeper timbre than Flint’s, said: ‘Hello, Minh Pham, and my greetings to you all. Ngoc: precious jade. A good name, my thanks. Goes with my overall colour.’ Ngoc looked around the room, seeing Glint and his friends. ‘So you are the other ACEs. I am honoured to be in your company.’

  With that the latest ACE gave everyone a bow, then climbed up Minh’s proffered arm to be shown around the ship.

  Harry grinned and hugged Julie, looking at Nail, who was sitting at their feet. ‘So, Nail, how are the hands?’

  ‘Different, Harry, very different,’ the cat replied. ‘To utilise them efficiently, I need to have adjustments made to my hips so I can stand more easily. Do you think that Marko would approve?’

  Harry laughed. ‘I’m sure
he would, but what about Stephine?’

  Nail yawned, purely for effect. ‘Oh, I’m sure that I can do a few extra things for Stephine that will convince her it was a good idea.’

  With that Harry watched a hatch open in the side of Nail as he swapped his hands back to paws and he raced off down the corridor to catch up with the other ACEs.

  *

  A few days later the major made an announcement.

  ‘All crew, message from our still-nameless transport, via Blackjack, that in one hour we will be off-loaded beside a large comet so we can replenish our fuel reserves, then we pick up Stephine and Veg … we’ve been given the coordinates. Just as well we decided to retain the equipment we made the last time we had to use a comet to refuel. Everyone is to be at their station in fifty minutes.’

  Marko, with the ACEs and Minh, was working on Lilly’s Hanger. They had just lined up the fuel pumps in the refurbished engine compartment to bolt them into their housings.

  ‘OK, Flint, Ngoc, activate the couplings and lockdowns,’ Marko instructed. ‘Glint, bolt the thing in and let’s test it before we go.’

  Bringing up the remotes on his wrist screens, he started the warm-up processes for the units that would be placed against the comet to melt the ice and process the water. Keeping an eye on Minh and the ACEs, he watched the housings open to accept the pumps, as the onboard computer that Minh was monitoring tested each then locked them down.

  Marko nodded in approval. ‘Checks out. Glint, go ahead and place the locking bolts. Good work. Few more hours and Lilly can have her toy back.’