Mparntwe

by Peter Wood

  This whole trip to America had turned major when the state governor learnt that Mirri would be coming as well and organised for all sorts of happenings.

  After a welcome at a giant Community stadium and his symbolic handshake started the Mirrigan Project, Mirri’s group were to give a performance of their best ceremonial dances.

  A trip with the governor the following day to see dinosaur fossils was the reason for coming as far as Mirri was concerned, and the meetings with scientists at the abandoned underground military facility which had been reopened and adapted for the AI project was all Jarra business and might or might not be interesting.

  Mirri finished putting on his headband, made an adjustment to the smaller version Akama was wearing, then looked ahead and started smiling.

  ‘Frog people, JJ. They are waiting for us.’

  There were chuckles from Alira and the professor as the group moved off, and if the governor was surprised at the good humour in the meeting he chuckled himself when Alira explained later how he was classified in Mirrigan’s mind.

  A welcome speech started but the protocol paused when Mirri made his own welcomes for the governor, his wife and the two teenagers. Mirri knew they were the ones who’d invited him so, of course, they deserved hugs.

  As they left the tarmac the murmur of sound built to cheers and shouts of greeting and people waving and smiling. It had felt strange enough at the Uluru terminal but this was a much greater crowd and Jarra, Akama and Mirri looked at it all with amazement.

  Music started, the crowd hushed, and Mirri stopped in his tracks.

  ‘Eagle Song, JJ. They know my Eagle Song.’

  ‘It’s been the most played music in our Community ever since we knew you were coming, Mirrigan. The eagle is a symbol for us and your song is such wonderful music it makes us feel proud.’

  The hush of the crowd didn’t last long, though, because as they passed, people wanted to cheer and call out welcomes. A little boy, restrained in his excitement by his father’s hand, called out, ‘Pig Ride Man, Pig Ride Man’, and, pointing with his outstretched arm, made Mirri laugh.

  Misunderstanding, Mirri took the arm and, completely unexpectedly, hoisted the boy onto his back. The father was startled but then a huge smile spread on his face and he watched while Mirri walked a circuit round the governor, the dance troupe and their security detail. Everyone stopped, of course, and, as the saying goes, the crowd went wild.

  ***

  The governor and his advisers were in a state of shock. In this half-hour session, before departing on the big transport plane, Jarra had informed them of his willingness to share with them the gigantic project of developing a Vac Train system for the whole North American continent, and they’d just heard Yirgella’s projection of what the returns for them would be.

  ‘It’s not possible, Jarra. We simply don’t have the resources. We’ve already overcommitted ourselves in the short term for the Mirrigan Project and, much as we’d like to, we can’t possibly consider anything else.’

  ‘Yes, you can. We’ll provide you with all the plans you need to build the excavation machines, the tunnel structure and the trains. If your AI’s happy to help we’ll show you how to make the construction phase profitable. That’s what Yirgella did for us in Australia and your AI will be able to do the same. The biggest obstacle used to be finding enough energy, because the excavators are very energy intensive, but the Power Supply we’ve given you is the largest we’ve made so far and will be able to run twelve large excavators along with the project and your Community.’

  ‘The Community as well? Thirty million people? It can’t really do all that, can it? We understood it was dedicated for the project.’

  Jarra looked to Darri who’d worked the numbers with Yirgella, and he addressed the governor.

  ‘This was a particularly large Power Supply Jarra and Yirgella gifted you—it’s well capable of doing everything Jarra described.’

  ‘Is it very expensive to run?’

  These people had no idea.

  ‘Maintenance costs only, and Yirgella calculates that will be not quite 2% of your current energy budget. This is a very generous gift.’

  The adviser started to speak again but the governor stopped him.

  ‘It’s more than generous. Jarra, I don’t understand so much largesse. Are we missing something?’

  ‘No and yes!

  ‘No, because you honoured Mirrigan, and Yirgella and I are expressing our gratitude.

  ‘Yes, because we’re offering you the opportunity, along with the Vac Train project, to build and distribute our Power Supplies to your continent partly for our own benefit. You’ve encountered your own resistance to this Independent AI and the sooner we demonstrate the benefits they bring the sooner acceptance will come. The success of the Mirrigan Project in your state will be an inspiration for other states to follow and that’s very important to me. When your AI comes to life, talk to him about his involvement, because Vac Trains and Power Supplies can’t happen without him. In the meantime, Yirgella will be available to you and your advisers for help with any questions.’

  Darri gave a ‘hurry up’ look because their time was running out.

  ‘We have to go, but I know we’ll meet again. Mirrigan loves the dinosaurs so much he says we’re going to come back.’

  ***

  Jarra peeked nervously at the gathering and wished he’d followed Darri’s idea of talking to a small group and having that presented to the other scientists on a screen. They had come from all around the world, though, and it wouldn’t have felt right. The response when the Energy Conference had been changed to Mparntwe was overwhelming and the main presentations were all being made in this big sports auditorium because it was the only venue large enough for all the delegates.

  ‘Darri, there are too many.’

  ‘No, there aren’t. You said yourself the more you could talk to the better. They’re all scientists, Jarra, and they want to hear what you have to say. They’ll be more excited by the implications and applications of your research at Alkere than any other group you could gather. You’ll be amazed at how much they’re with you.’

  Jarra laughed nervously.

  ‘That doesn’t make it any easier.’

  ‘Remember. Just focus on one person in the front and blank out the rest.’

  Darri was really just talking for talking’s sake and they both knew that because they’d said all this before. Professor Allerton was finishing his introductory remarks, though, so reassurance time was over.

  Jarra made his way across the stage to stand with the professor and straightaway felt unsure. Was something wrong? Alira and the professor had told him to expect applause before he started speaking and there was none, just an uncanny silence.

  Jarra moved to his notes at the lectern and, with a sinking feeling, took in the closest faces, all staring fixedly at him. A distinguished-looking gentleman with snowy white hair suddenly stood up. Jarra’s first thought was that he must be angry or disappointed somehow and was going to leave. No? He stayed standing, still looking intently at Jarra. Next to him more people stood and within seconds the whole audience followed.

  Jarra gawped at them. Had they all gone crazy? Standing and looking at him in silence.

  He looked back at Professor Allerton for some support or understanding but he, along with Alira and the five other dignitaries on stage, were also standing. Alira gave him a nod and a big smile and, as if on cue, the heavy silence changed to a roar of applause. Jarra’s hair stood on end—not really, but it felt like it. This was for him? And weren’t they ever going to stop? Again he looked back for help and understanding but Alira and the professor were clapping as enthusiastically as everyone else.

  A dark-featured form with a happy dazzling smile bounded across the stage and in front of all these scientists, Jarra, enveloped by a great hug, was lifted from his feet and whirled in a circle. He said later he felt like the Willy Willy Akama was always talking about had at
tacked him.

  ‘JJ is a hero!’

  ‘Mirri, put me down. I have to talk to the people.’

  The dervish stopped whirling, but Mirri, still overcome by the excitement of the moment, couldn’t leave and held Jarra by his side with one arm across his shoulders. The happiness positively glowing from him had its contagious effect and Jarra found himself smiling and suddenly ready to speak. The audience, silenced by the surprise of Mirri’s appearance and actions, sat down and watched.

  ‘Distinguished guests. Years of research have brought me to the conclusion that the happiest person in the world is standing next to me. Without him I wouldn’t be here today. This is Mirrigan.’

  It happened all over again. The whitehaired gentleman sprang to his feet and the whole audience followed. When the applause died away Mirri gave a friendly wave then rushed off the stage to where Darri was beckoning.

  Jarra started again. This time with his prepared talk.

  ‘Distinguished guests. Welcome to Mparntwe, and for any who can spare the time later, to Alkere and our Artificial Intelligence Centre. First, though, I would like to present several of our new discoveries for the production of positrons and the manipulation of the energy they release.’

  Jarra gave his dissertation for half an hour then changed to his main reason for being here.

  ‘Friends.’

  The receptive manner of the audience had done wonders to help relax him.

  ‘My work with positronic energy has only been possible through the help of my friend Yirgella, our resident AI.

  ‘I commend him to you.

  ‘His capabilities mean lifetimes of research and testing have been condensed into a matter of years and without him the advances I have outlined would not have occurred. In many places Artificial Intelligence is badly misunderstood and the benefits of cooperation brushed aside by messages of fear and distrust. For that reason I have asked Yirgella to make himself available to each one of you for the duration of the conference. By speaking with him and visiting the wide range of facilities he has built at Alkere you will see for yourselves some of the benefits an AI can bring to your Communities and personal research endeavours.

  ‘Make contact through your InfoPad or any InfoSystem and he will schedule a personal conversation. He apologises in advance for any time limits he might need to impose, but managing more than a thousand conversations at any given moment will use resources he needs for other functions. Please take a trip on the Vac Train to Alkere and visit any research or production facilities which take your interest. Any conference delegates who are interested will also be able to access our most advanced collider and the Power Supply production plant.

  ‘Thank you for listening to my ideas. I hope we have given you food for thought.’

  Once again the applause thundered out as Jarra left the stage with Professor Allerton. Darri and Mirri were waiting, both with enormous smiles.

  ‘JJ, they are your fans.’

  The applause died down and when one of the dignitaries stood at the lectern without saying anything Darri pointed at the audience.

  ‘Look! They’re too excited to listen.’

  Jarra peeked again and smiled with pleasure. Almost everyone he could see was focused on an InfoPad. The invitation to speak directly with an AI was obviously irresistible.

  ***

  Jarra disappeared from public view for the next five months, and despite the interest in him from all round the world, so did Mirrigan, who just wasn’t interested in the interviews and talks which were endlessly requested. All he wanted was his routine time with Jarra, his dance group and the proper work of guiding. He wasn’t aware, of course, because the administration team arranged all the details and bookings, but the number of requests for his tours was now unmanageable and Yirgella had to help with security checks and vetting.

  Jarra’s disappearance was really due to his total focus on the propulsion engine which proved to be far more challenging than he’d first thought. His confidence that his ideas were right was completely warranted when the prototype was working in just over four weeks instead of the two months he’d predicted. The speed was due to the NanoFactory, of course, which could put theory into practice at an astonishing rate.

  It was after the excitement of success that complications became evident. First came Yirgella’s warning that the size of the engine would require a ship with a hull of at least 80 metres diameter and a much stronger internal structure than their earlier simulations suggested. Without extra strength the spaceship wouldn’t cope with the stresses of mobility and acceleration. The resulting vessel looked very impressive indeed in the underground hanger where the sections constructed by the NanoFactory were put together by a team of large techbots and engineers. The next major complication was an issue with dangerous by-products of the engine emissions which halted progress till weeks of research to develop new features meant travel through the Earth’s atmosphere wouldn’t leave a trail of pollution.

  The initial trip into space lasted 53 hours and carried a huge payload of special test equipment which Yirgella insisted must return satisfactory results before he’d allow any people aboard. Each time the ship manoeuvred from its underground hangar, lifted, and rapidly disappeared into the sky, Jarra watched and wished he was on board. The safety concerns Yirgella was so adamant in addressing were highly unlikely to come into effect on a straightforward trip beyond the atmosphere and back, but each request for a try-out had fallen on deaf ears and everyone had to be patient.

  Mirri laughed when he saw the prototype and wanted to know why it wasn’t like a proper spaceship, then laughed again when Yirgella told him he’d been watching too many space fiction vids.

  ‘A really proper spaceship with Jarra’s new engine doesn’t have to be long and thin like an aeroplane or a rocket, Mirri. This shape helps to make it strong.’

  ‘It is a giant basketball. We will fly in a basketball.’

  Yirgella seemed to be taken with this and until they heard the reason, the engineers and technicians were puzzled as to why he’d started calling it, ‘The Basketball’. If you sliced a section off the bottom of a sphere to make it stable when resting on the ground and enlarged it to a diameter of 81.5 metres then Mirri’s description was reasonably close.

  After four unmanned test trips—leading to all sorts of adaptations and improvements—Yirgella finally pronounced the new vessel as being suitably safe and, true to his inspiration from the campfire at Hollow Mountain, Jarra called Karmai and Akama from Birringurra for their very special adventure.

  ***

  The initial idea of taking just the explorers’ group had been long since put aside. For a start Jarra’s navigation skills just weren’t up to the task. The series of crashes and disasters on the training simulator Yirgella had built meant he wouldn’t be ready for the real thing without using up a great deal of the time he needed for other projects. So, for real independence from the pre-programmed trip Yirgella could provide, a crew selected from the groups training at the new Alkere Space Centre would be doing the actual flying. And since this was the first manned flight with the Propulsion System, the importance of the occasion meant the leaders of the science and engineering teams, along with Darri, Alira, Burnu and Kyrra from the Council, were all coming as well.

  ‘Uncle JJ, did you find out if I can try the controls?’

  Akama must be really excited. He’d used Mirri’s form of address rather than his more reserved Uncle Jarra.

  ‘Wait till we’re right out in space and then ask the pilot. He might have something organised for you.’

  There was no might about it. Jarra had spoken with Yirgella and the crew and arranged for anyone interested to have a turn at taking control. It would be very limited control and well away from any tricky situations, but Jarra was looking forward to it as much as everyone else.

  ‘When can we show Uncle Karmai where everything is?’

  ‘We’ meant Akama and Mirri. On his recent visits Akama
had taken Mirri with him to explore the Space Centre as well as every available nook and cranny on the ship itself, till they knew the layout as well as any of the crew.

  ‘As soon as the pilot lets us unbuckle our harnesses.’

  ‘How long will we be able to try out the zero gravity?’

  Jarra laughed. Akama was eager to do everything and they still weren’t on the ship.

  ‘You’ll have to ask the pilot that too. I think it’s less than a minute while they reverse the ship’s attitude for deceleration. Don’t be too eager, though, because you might feel sick if the turnaround takes very long.’

  The group stopped to take in the great mass of ‘The Basketball’ looming close. Despite knowing the capability of a NanoFactory and the big techbots Yirgella had designed, it was still hard to take in that the whole 80 metres of width and 60 metres of height had been built and tested in just over five months. The pilot appeared at the entrance, smiling and beckoning with his welcome, and the group moved forward.

  ***

  ‘So, always ask if you have a question or concern and Yirgella or one of us will help as much as we can … Is there anything you’d like to add, sir?’

  This was the end of a lengthy briefing and Jarra looked round at everyone harnessed securely, then realised the question was addressed to him. It felt very strange to be called ‘sir’, but the Space Centre people all used it whenever he visited.

  ‘Thank you, Malcolm. There is one change I’m going to make to your orders. This flight is so important the world should be given the opportunity to watch, so I want you to turn off all the stealth equipment and broadcast an Alkere Space Centre identifier on an open communication band. Otherwise, we’re in your hands and eager to go. We have the memory of Akama’s brother to take to the Moon.’

  There was quiet acknowledgement for a moment but then the pilot had to speak.