Errant Contact

by T. Michael Ford

  “But why?” I was stunned by her request.

  “With the reactors all blazing and the ship being dug out, the Aurora will shine out like a beacon to any concern that happens to pass by. In our weakened state, she would be easy pickings for any group with a mind to capture her.”

  “Kalaya, you’re talking about our military fleet, aren’t you?”

  “Is my assessment so far off the mark?”

  I considered it for a few moments. “No,” I sighed regretfully. “It’s pretty much spot on. Our greed to acquire technology of this level would never allow the military to walk away peacefully from a treasure like this; the stakes would be too high. I’m so sorry. What about you? What will you do?”

  She frowned and sipped more coffee. “I’ll be staying here. If the worst should happen, I’ll trigger the self-destruct and take this whole planet with me.”

  She would sacrifice herself for him like that? I can’t imagine what must be going through her mind right now. “Kalaya, you can’t just give up like this! Nothing is over yet. You wouldn’t let me give up when I was being chased by the wolves, and I won’t quit on you now either!”

  She smiled graciously, then leaned forward and patted me on the hand with that strange tingling touch. “Trust me, Laree, there is still much I have to live for, so don’t think I’ve gone all suicidal or anything. But I also can’t leave the ship anymore, even if I wanted to. I am far too integrated into the Aurora now. But my main reason is Kodo, he has had a difficult life and he deserves better from the universe.”

  “What do you mean?”

  She stopped for a second and looked at the door as it opened. The robot butler-person entered the room again and, this time, his tray contained a pair of perfectly cooked omelets with toast, juice, and two fresh pitchers of coffee. “Looks like it’s time for breakfast already.” He placed the food down with an ungodly amount of silverware before bowing and backing away. “Thank you once again.”

  “Yes, thank you,” I finally chimed in. He nodded stiffly to me and departed. I turned back to the table and to the food now in front of me. “Wow, it looks good.”

  “Indeed, mesquite-grilled chicken, tomatoes, and green peppers, all native to your world. I have to say, I am excited to try it.”

  “No kidding! But where did you get the eggs?”

  “From the chicken.”

  “Where did you get the chicken?”

  “From the egg.”

  “Ok, then…what happened to the chicken?” I demanded.

  She just smiled evilly, stabbed a chunk of meat out of her breakfast, and held it up for my examination. Just when I think she’s beginning to act normal, she pulls crap like this, still nuts! I started to eat, but I wanted her to continue. “So, you were saying?”

  “Right,” she said between mouthfuls, being very careful not to speak and eat at the same time. “I probably was about to say something I shouldn’t have. Just know he is perhaps just as strange to you as you thought I was. I’ll give you a place to start. Ask him about his family; that should get the ball rolling. But be careful, you might not like what you hear.”

  “Do you know about his past?”

  “Just bits and pieces and, believe me, I had to dig deep into some databases that my mother would never have approved of just to find that. I do know that his records before what would approximate your age of nineteen are either non-existent or locked and sealed to a degree I wouldn’t have thought possible. I think something awful must have occurred. The fact that he entered college and wasn’t locked away somewhere indicates he was most likely the victim of whatever took place. As far as I can ascertain, he has no living, breathing relations of any kind.”

  The tone of her voice became wistfully sad at that last part, and I recognized something I have read too much about in books but never experienced. I slid my plate to the side and propped my elbows up on the table, giving her my full attention. “Kalaya, you love him, don’t you?”

  She stammered denials for a few seconds, but I stared her down until her shoulders slumped in resignation and she gave up. “Yes, of course, I do; he’s an enigma to me, the only man whose head I can’t crack. But that’s not all. Throughout the years we’ve worked together, he’s the only one who has never tried to change me, to make me become something I’m not. When you get to know him, he’s supportive, loyal, and kind. It doesn’t hurt that he is totally hot either. I mean, have you seen his abs? Hell, his abs even have abs!”

  I grinned along with her visualization. Yes, I have…mmm…wait, what? Get back on track, Laree. I quickly put on my game face and tried to look detached but supportive.

  “I mean, what more do you want from me?” Kalaya continued on the verge of tears. “I already said it. But the fact is, Kodo and I can never be together, no matter how much I want it to be. It would be cruel for him to be bound to someone he can’t even touch. He might as well be paired to a dishwasher; he would get the same amount of physical interaction out of it.”

  “You’re telling me that, with all your high tech advances, you don’t have a way to make this work?” I offered.

  “Either you’re talking about some weird virtual world stuff or you mean a robot…I’m betting on the robot. Sure, we have them, so do you. But it’s not as if I can stick myself into one; it doesn’t work like that. And don’t even suggest that I hack Kodo’s implants. Not only shouldn’t he have them in the first place, but it is illegal for me to do so. On top of that, it’s just one small slip up from breaking someone’s mind permanently. And despite what you’ve heard, I’m not the kind of girl to risk it.”

  She was plainly warring with her emotions, and strangely, somehow, so was I. I wanted them to be together; they were my friends, after all, and seemed perfect for each other. However, I still couldn’t help but feel a little envy. So what was she really saying? That she wanted me to seduce him and give him the life she couldn’t? Again, I had to revise my estimate of her upward; this was certainly no simple computer program. I looked up from my coffee to see her scowling at me.

  “Don’t give me that look,” she said. “It’s not like I’m trying to thrust the responsibility to take care of him on you. This is just a backup plan. I have absolutely no desire to be separated from him.” She held up her arm and placed her other hand over her heart. “And I swear on my best pixie figurine that if I become mortal by some miracle, my first official act will be to bang him right there on the spot.” I laughed at that, but deep down, I still felt sad for her.

  “You’re a prisoner in our world, aren’t you?”

  She smiled gently once again. “And you’re forever barred from mine.”

  She loves him so much that she values his life over her happiness; I can respect that. “Alright, I will do my best.”

  “Good, now what say we clean this up and go see if the boys are awake yet,” she said as she got up from the table.

  “You know you still haven’t told me why you eat holographic food.”

  “Because I like the taste and everything is diet! How else could I keep this fine figure?”

  “That doesn’t help.”

  “I know, kind of the point, dear.” Oh, she’s evil.

  Chapter 14

  Kodo

  It was good to be back in my room for a change. Sure, it was musty and most of my tools requiring power of any kind didn’t work, but it could all be fixed. In fact, I spent my night thinking and repairing all the damage that time had done to the equipment and gadgets I had accumulated over the years. Believe me, there are many people out there who would kill for this collection of hardware. Just one of the perks of working on a globally-funded project for a change; you want it, you get it, no questions asked. Well, enough down time, I have plenty of work to do today, starting with that first massive hole in my girl’s hull.

  After collecting my personal gear and two large cases filled with needed equipment, I set out down the hall. All the rooms in this wing were nearly identical, even the one a coupl
e doors down designated for Kalaya. As soon as the Aurora had been officially finished in the space dock, we had spent the better part of a month on a shakedown cruise to get all the bugs worked out. That was also when the synthetic girl was removed from her planet-side home, put into her own version of cryosleep, and her personal storage made ready for transfer to the Aurora. Her system was wired into a custom-built setup that I designed just for her and the other three synthetics that the ship was scheduled to receive for planetary use. Although I admit I spent a little more effort on Kalaya’s new digs than the others because I considered her a friend. She would also be the one staying with the Aurora well after the original mission of setting up the colony, so her setup needed to be top notch.

  As for her apartment, which was just like mine? It’s a synthetic thing. She definitely rates her own space on the ship, and it gives her a feeling of belonging to the crew. I couldn’t begrudge her that emotion or comfort. Although in our current situation, I doubt she has had time to visit it much.

  As if to give the lie to my last thought, just as I passed Kalaya’s room, her door swung in and she and Laree stepped out. They were both giggling and smiling happily as if they were the best of friends now. That thought brought me up short…Kalaya made friends with another woman. If I had a better sense of humor, I would say that was a sure sign of the apocalypse; but I guess that already happened.

  “Hello, ladies,” I said, trying to recover from my shock as I joined them walking toward the tram.

  Laree jumped slightly at the sound of my voice, and her cheeks turned a crimson red. Must be a human trait of some kind. “Oh, hello, Kodo; you startled me for a second. What’s in the boxes and what in the world are you wearing?” She looked at me as if I had food stuck to my face or something.

  I apprehensively looked myself over quickly and found nothing wrong; I wasn’t wearing mismatched socks or anything. “What? This is what I usually wear to work.”

  Kalaya snickered, “I think she is referring to the amount of heavy equipment you have festooned all over your body. I must say it does seem a bit excessive, even for you. However, if you recall, Laree, I never claimed Kodo had any fashion sense to speak of.”

  Excessive? I suppose it could be, but I haven’t had a chance to look over the damage thoroughly, so who knows what I might need. And what exactly is wrong with my jumpsuit? It’s clean! “Just covering all possibilities. Besides, I’ll inevitably have to come back anyway for something I didn’t think I would need; I always do.”

  “And what, you just keep piles of tools in your room? Or is there a maintenance shop on this level?” asked Laree.

  “Laree, piles of tools in his room doesn’t adequately describe it; on the dresser, behind the doors, under the bed,” Kalaya chuckled. “Any girl he brings back to his room better have her tetanus vaccinations up to date.”

  “Hey!” I protested. “Is there a point to all this? If I’m going to get the Aurora back to her old self, I need my stuff.”

  “You honestly think you can get this ship back into space?” Laree questioned, still looking dubiously at everything I carried.

  “Getting her space-worthy again isn’t the question. The question is, can I get her fixed before someone else shows up.”

  “Well, then, you better get to work,” Kalaya said with a shooing motion

  “Yes, Mom.”

  “Mom?" she gasped in horror. “Mom! Tell me, oh-great-starship-technician, how many mothers do you know who can pull off this outfit, huh?” Instantly, Kalaya’s clothes changed into another costume; again, probably something pilfered from the Jeff’s database. This time, I started at the floor and worked my way up in astonishment. She was wearing white boots with heels and pointed toes. Next, there was an incredibly long stretch of shapely legs terminating in a pair of white short shorts, held on with a white belt with blue star symbols all around. From there, a lot more creamy skin led up to a blue long-sleeved short shirt tied in the front that only served to accentuate the impressiveness beneath. In each hand, she held a large, flimsy ball of shiny shredded paper that she shook enthusiastically. “Well?” she demanded.

  I stood there in awe for a few seconds, but before I said anything, Laree jumped in front of me and blocked most of my view.

  Laree’s back was to me, but I could still see her face reflected in the glass walls of the railcar. She muttered, “So not helping, Kalaya!” She looked ruefully down at the plain baggy jumpsuit she wore and then back up at Kalaya’s stunning outfit, making an exaggerated eye roll and head shake back in my direction. Apparently, this all meant something to the synthetic, as her face took on a chagrined expression and her apparel instantly changed into an even frumpier version of Laree’s jumpsuit.

  “Hey!” I exclaimed, prying my jaw off the floor. “I wasn’t done examining the cultural relevance of that costume yet.”

  Kalaya arched an eyebrow and countered, “Yeah, well, you keep making rude comments like ‘mom’ to me and that may well be the last you’ll ever see of my pompoms!”

  Hmmm, those two are definitely up to something.

  We got into the railcar and started the trip back to the stern of the ship. That section, where the humans had originally sought refuge, was already exposed to the outside, and Kalaya’s newly-manufactured drones had already cleared out all the dirt, moss, and debris. With all the equipment I was lugging with me, the normally spacious car was actually a bit crowded. Of course, Kalaya was at ease with the situation; she never has to worry about someone stepping on her toes or anything. Laree was still looking flustered from whatever transpired with the costume incident.

  “So, what did you two do all night?” I ventured. I was trying to break the ice, but it didn’t work. Laree just clammed up even more when Kalaya laughed at my question.

  “Oh, you know; girl talk.”

  “Girl talk with Kalaya? And you lived? That’s a switch.”

  Kalaya affixed me with a flinty stare and silently mouthed the words, “No pompoms for you!” Then she smiled broadly at Laree and began to explain, “In case you haven’t figured it out from what you’ve already heard about me, I tend to drive everyone around me insane. But don’t worry, Laree; you and I are besties and you’ll only be here for a short time anyway. Your brother; well, I make no promises.”

  Laree gulped slightly at the thought. “You drive them insane on purpose?”

  “No, well, yes; but mostly no. I had a loving but strict home life as a child; I did explain to you that my mother was an officer of the law, didn’t I? Well, when I hit that inevitable rebellious streak in my teens, I went a wee bit overboard…ok, a lot overboard. Which embarrassed my parents to no end and only served to fuel my unruliness. Finally, at wits end, they sent me to a psychologist, and then another, and several more after that. Their plans and tactics to ‘fix me’ mystified me at first, until I decided to fight fire with fire and started doing my own research into the whole gamut of psychoanalysis. Pretty soon, not only hadn’t they ‘fixed’ me, but I had a new favorite hobby and I was ‘fixing’ the shrinks!

  “Sadly, it wasn’t long before I wasn’t allowed to play with them anymore. Apparently, there was a series of unfortunate coincidences that caused several of them to leave the profession entirely and escape; I mean, journey to one of the mining colonies never to be heard from again. It was all very traumatic for a young girl of my sensitive disposition to accept, I assure you.

  “Finally, I graduated in my chosen field of distribution and management, but I still continued to dabble in psychology on the side, mostly using the people around me as test subjects. It’s possible that I might have gone a bit too far on a couple of occasions; at least, that’s what my superiors claimed. Despite the unfairness of it all, I gained an unfounded reputation as a half-insane troublemaker, and suddenly no one wanted to work with me, despite my sterling pedigree.

  “Then I received an unexpected offer. There was an ancient shipyard orbiting Lythios, one of our smaller moons, that was govern
ment-contracted for one of the new Pioneer-class advance ships. I did some checking and found that they were hopelessly behind schedule, hadn’t even started actually, and they needed me! In fact, specifically asked for me. At first, I wasn’t too keen on the idea; they were so far behind that I didn’t think there was any chance of meeting their timeline for launch. Frankly, with my reputation, if I got involved with a failure of a project as it was shaping up to be; well, I could have ended up working at a food paste factory for the rest of my days. However, the recruiter was insistent, told me that they had just brought on a new project engineer who was going to turn things around. This mystery man was supposedly considered a prodigy of some kind, and he had brought his own handpicked team to work the job. Most telling of all was that he personally guaranteed that we would finish on time. I remember my first thought was, this guy is either already crazy or has balls the size of asteroids to make a claim like that. I like both in a man, so I signed up that very day.”

  “Weren’t the people in charge of the shipyard concerned that you would drive this person insane as well and sink any chances they had of finishing the project?”

  She smiled brightly. “Nope! You can’t drive an insane person insane. When I came on board, I found that everyone on the team had something wrong with them in some way, shape, or form. Regardless, each was an absolutely genius in their trade and you couldn’t ask for a better crew. I fit right in with the misfits.”

  ”And this man with balls the size of asteroids, what happened to him?” Laree queried sheepishly.

  Before she received an answer the ride was over and Drik was waiting for us on the platform when the doors opened.