The Colony Ship Conestoga : The Complete Series: All Eight Books

by John Thornton

  “That secures a water source for us,” Jerome said as they finished. “And a waste disposal place.”

  “It is far better than what we were using in the corner of the goat room, where the water made those small channels across the growth medium and empties out through the vents in the floor. That was smelly and nasty. This is much more sanitary, and I think that will be important in the future,” Cammarry replied.

  Each morning, Cammarry and Jerome turned on the teleportation system and manually scanned for the signal from Dome 17, but it was never located.

  “Sandie, any more information about where we are or how to contact Dome 17?” Cammarry asked yet again.

  “I am afraid not. The situation remains the same. I can conjecture no method of contacting Dome 17,” the AI replied. “I am still taking readings on this solar system and its planetary bodies. There are a high number of asteroids and comets, more than I expected. The oort cloud for this solar system is especially dense. I am tracking and cataloging them.”

  “Sandie, it puzzles me how the message about ‘making planet fall’ was sent. It seems that that first Conestoga, the mirage one, or ghost one, before he incident, well that ship’s location could contact Earth. The probe proved that. Yet, we understand that somehow the probe was duplicated and ended up here. But how did the message about ‘planet fall’ get back to that mirage Conestoga and then back to Dome 17? Do you understand what I am asking?”

  “Yes, Jerome, I understand very well that conundrum. I have run a multitude of speculations attempting to answer that very question. I have no answer for you. It is clear that the tiny message did make it from here to there, and then back to Dome 17, but I have no idea how. I cannot even locate where that first Conestoga contact took place. The Cosmic Crinkle incident is unexplainable by my current knowledge and understandings. I apologize, but will continue to work on solving that problem.”

  “Sandie, I empathize. I have tried every data stick we brought along with every reader and combination thereof, yet none of them work,” Cammarry stated. “I was hoping to evolve several new artificial intelligence systems and set them to work in tandem on these issues, and put at least one into exploration of the Conestoga’s nonphysicality. However, I cannot even get the data sticks to activate. Any idea why all, every one, of them failed?”

  “Again, I am not able to provide an answer,” Sandie replied. “The data stick failures are another mystery.”

  Several days passed, and their camp was further developed. One fusion pack was set to automatically establish a cycle of illumination for their days and nights. That covered the area of the airlock, the chair room, and the storage room where they had placed the acceleration couches and made them into a bed. They had secured the bedroom and made the doors operate manually by a lever which shut the door easily and consistently without any power. Their living quarters were much larger than what they had had back in Dome 17, and they had previously scraped those three rooms clean of the fungus and growth medium. They had also deactivated the dim lighting system in the ceiling of those rooms. It was dark at night and light during the day, a more normal pattern for them.

  They went on and did force open the few single action doors that led from the goat room, but they did not venture past the broken double doors where they knew the goats had retreated. That corridor was left alone. The other doors from the goat room were single doors, and all led to small rooms without other exits. Plant growth was especially thick in those rooms and it covered over the horizontal surfaces. Beneath the plants and the growth medium, the small rooms had stacks of cargo crates or hexagonal containers. Opening every cargo crate and container they found nothing of much use. There were various gears, disassembled machinery of unknown operation, and several crates full of smaller boxes marked, ‘Micro-organism Enhancement Component’. Those smaller boxes all had dust inside of them.

  “Well Cammarry we have done our best. I know how hard this is. I too will deeply miss all the people from Dome 17, except perhaps for Jubal,” Jerome said.

  “I would even be glad to see his face, if it was through the teleporter’s orifice,” Cammarry replied with a weak smile. “But we will never see any of them again. We are all alone. It is almost like we found a survivable dome, but have no way to tell anyone.”

  “We are in this together. This challenge is a time to build and prosper. Our base camp has a source of fresh water and a place for waste. It is fairly secure. We have seen no animal life lately, and none has been threatening. The doors that can be repaired are functional. The door to the goat room can be secured in case of emergency. Those doorways where we harvested the permalloy used for the receiving pad, will never shut again, but that is not a major concern. Overall, the camp is safe, secure, and moderately comfortable,” Jerome observed. “We have a home, even though it is not what we expected or wanted. Perhaps Sandie will still figure out a way to locate the dome’s signal.”

  “Our mission has failed,” Cammarry said. “Nothing we do allows us to connect the teleportation receiving pad back to Dome 17. I have only you to talk to about what we have found, and I feel pretty alone. What will happen to all those people? We will never find out. I know I should be thankful we have established this base of operations, yet what have we accomplished?”

  Jerome held her and again they cried together.

  One morning, after they had once more failed to connect with the receiving pad, they were sitting in the goat room. The dim light was constantly the same in that room, but the brighter light from their living quarters spilled into where they sat.

  “Hello wizards?” A voice asked from somewhere out in the room. “Greetings and solicitations to you both!” The accent was strange, but the words were clear enough.

  Cammarry leaped to her feet, “Who is there?”

  “Will you share your magic with me? I can trade. I have two cheeses and a full bladder of wine,” the voice answered.

  “Come out where we can see you,” Jerome called. “We mean you no harm.”

  “I know. I have been watching you and your machines. You are very interesting wizards. Do you wish to trade knowledge for food? My cheeses are of excellent quality. My wine is well fermented and in a quality well-tanned bladder.”

  Cammarry looked at Jerome. She bowed her head and spoke softly into the com-link, “Sandie, can you tell where that voice is coming from?”

  “Your spirit-ghost Sandie cannot frighten me,” the voice called back. “I have protection.”

  Responding through the ear piece Sandie said, “The voice is in the far corner of the goat room, lying prone under the bushes near where the water exits. It belongs to a human, male, roughly fifteen years old.”

  Jerome, whose ear piece had also relayed Sandie’s response, waved his hand to Cammarry. She started to walk along the edge of the room toward the doorway to the toileting room. “I do not know what you mean by calling us wizards. Please come and explain that to me. Maybe we can trade and help each other.”

  Jerome crawled stealthily around the other side of the central hedge.

  “I will give you the two cheeses if you show me how to make wizard things,” the voice called back. “I want to learn to make that bright light. Can we trade?”

  “That sounds fair,” Cammarry answered. “You say two cheeses?” She had no idea what a cheese was, but she was trying to keep the stranger’s attention while Jerome circled around. “I am called Cammarry. What is your name?”

  A person stepped out from the back side of the hedge. “I am Khin.”

  Cammarry was shocked at what she saw. The term ‘troll’ raced through her mind. Khin was very thin, with medium to dark colored skin and large, bright brown eyes. His eyes twinkled in the dim light. His black hair was cropped fairly short, but ragged. He had some kind of garment on which extended from chest to knees, but reminded her of the goat animals which she had seen. The clothing was of similar colors and patterns to the animals and looked to be furry. He also had some kind of p
ouch slung over his shoulder and a brown belt around his waist. A small scabbard or holster was dangling from the belt. The handle of something was sticking up from that scabbard. His hands were extended forward and in them were two blocks of something which was a dark, faded yellowish color.

  “Hello,” Cammarry said. “It is nice to see you.”

  “Cammarry, Jerome is in position behind this new person,” Sandie said. “He is next to the broken double doors where this person must have entered the goat room.”

  “Thank you,” Cammarry said to Sandie.

  Khin thought she was referring to him. “You like the cheeses? So you will teach me to make the bright light that you are using? I would like to learn the ways of wizards.”

  “I would like to learn your ways as well.” Cammarry stepped forward. “I am always looking to learn new things.”

  Khin walked forward. “Wizard Cammarry, you will teach me now?”

  Cammarry sat down on the floor. “Yes, let us talk.”

  Khin’s eyes grew a bit suspicious, but he came very close to Cammarry. “Where is your mate?”

  “I am back here,” Jerome said from behind Khin.

  The youth turned rapidly and stared at Jerome. “I see that now. Will you also teach me your ways? I have the two cheeses, one for the male wizard, and one for the female wizard. Will you teach me now?”

  “You are not very afraid of us, yet we are strangers. Why is that?” Cammarry asked. She patted the floor next to where she was sitting.

  “Why are you strangers?” Khin asked in reply. “I have not met you before, that makes you a stranger. However, I have watched you for several days. You have wizard tools, and do wizard things. Should a wizard be feared?” He stepped toward Cammarry and cautiously sat down. “Wizards are elusive, but not abusive. Everyone knows that.”

  A bitter aroma struck Cammarry. She resisted making a face or commenting, yet it was quite pungent. Jerome stepped up near as well, and he scrunched his face at the odor. Neither could tell if the foul smell was from Khin or from the yellowish items he was holding.

  “Here is your cheese.” He handed one yellow lump to Cammarry and the other to Jerome. “Now you take and eat! Then you teach me to make wizard lights like you can do!”

  It was definitely the cheese which had most of the strong smell.

  “What is this?” Cammarry asked.

  Khin laughed. “It is a cheese. Now take and eat.” His face was a broad smile.

  Through the privacy of the ear pieces, Sandie the artificial intelligence system began an explanation. “Cheese is a product that is made from….”

  “Your spirit-ghost is very smart,” Khin said. “Sandie knows many things. It must be an advantage to have such a spirit-ghost.”

  “You can hear Sandie?” Cammarry asked. She was shocked that the tiny voice from the com-link was audible to the youth.

  “Oh yes. I listen carefully and your spirit-ghost Sandie can be heard. It was easier before she started to whisper through the wizard tools, but I can still hear. Hearing is a great way to learn. I listen, I look, I learn.”

  “Sandie, our new friend hears you so just use standard audio responses,” Jerome said. He was still standing and holding the lump of cheese. On closer inspection it had a hard yellowish exterior, but there were some cracks where a more off-white colored interior could be seen. Jerome tried to imagine eating the cheese, but his stomach lurched at the thought.

  “Hello Khin,” Sandie said. “It is a pleasure to meet you. I was just explaining that cheese is a food derived from the lactate produced by the mammary glands of mammals. Historically cheese was produced in a wide range of flavors, textures, and forms often utilizing the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep.”

  “Is this from those goat animals?” Cammarry asked.

  “Of course!” Khin laughed and laughed. “No goats, no cheeses.”

  “Khin, we have seen goats and we have seen rats. What other animals are here on the Conestoga?” Jerome asked.

  Khin looked at him in wonder while continuing to chuckle. He then replied. “Oh a test. I see. All four kinds of animals are here: rats, goats, chickens, and cavies. The cheeses are good, yes? I make it in a pot over heat. I heat up the fresh milk, then let it cool a bit. Then I put my bag of cheesecloth over the pot and ladle the milk into it. I ladle it many times. After it drips through, I set the bag on a cooler and wait. I make a good cheese. Try it. Did I pass your test?”

  “What about these little animals?” Cammarry said as she swatted at a flying thing which came toward her face.

  “Not animals!” Khin laughed and laughed again. “Bugs are not animals. You are testing me again! Thousands of kinds of bugs, four kinds or animals.”

  Jerome handed Cammarry the cheese he was holding. She set it on the other one and held both. He then pulled out a fusion pack. “You asked about the bright light. This is how we make it.” He fingered the switch and the beam shot out from the end.

  The light revealed that Khin was even more unkempt and disheveled than they thought. His clothing was roughly sewn and his bare, dirty feet had thick heavy calluses on them. The toenails, like his fingernails were dirty, but looked well-manicured. He averted his eyes from the light. “It is a marvel of a wizard’s tool.”

  Jerome switched it off as it was uncomfortable for Khin. “Sorry if it was too bright.”

  “Wizard places are always bright. You have proven to be the wizards I thought you were. You have shown me the wizard light, will you now bless me and my ways so that I may prosper. Please bless me?”

  “Khin, I am not sure what you mean by bless you. How can we bless you?” Cammarry asked. “I wish you well and hope that you do prosper.”

  “Wizards routinely bless people who are lucky and brave enough to find them. The wizards will bless those of noble heart who seek and find them. Everyone knows that. I found you two when the goats avoided this place. You are the first wizards I have ever found. I have seen wizard works, of course, but never up close or in person. Thank you for the blessing,” Khin replied.

  “Khin? What can you tell us about the Conestoga?” Jerome asked. He finally sat down.

  “You use an old word for the world. The Conestoga,” he pronounced it using very long draw out vowels, “is the world, and the world is the Conestoga. I just call it the world.”

  “So tell me about the world. How many people are there? Where are they? When can we meet them? How do they live?” Cammarry was curious for the first time since the failure of the teleportation receiving pad.

  “People are all over the world, but there are not many of them. There are fewer wizards than people. There are more goats than people, and lots more rats than people. Depending on where in the world you are searching or traveling, there may be more chickens in that part of the world than people. And cavies, well, all clans have cavies.”

  “How many people in the world?” Cammarry asked. “How many people are still on the Conestoga?” She was about to ask how many were on the planet, but realized that she was not sure Khin even knew about the planet, since he called the ship the world.

  “You test me about numbers of people, but who can count so high, except a wizard?” Khin answered with a chuckle. “Wizard machines might know such high numbers. Wizards are rarest, people are next, then chickens, then cavies, then goats, and finally rats. Rats are highest number in the world.” He paused for a moment. “Except for bugs. Bugs highest number of all things in the world.”

  “Can you take us to some of these people?” Cammarry asked.

  Jerome looked at her with a puzzled expression.

  “This is our new home, we must meet the neighbors,” Cammarry stated and turned back to Khin. “Will you take us to meet them?”

  “Me? Me? Am I to be on a wizard’s quest?” Khin asked. His face was almost swallowed by the wide open gape of his mouth. “Are you really asking me to be on a quest with wizards?”

  Jerome nodded yes at Cammarry, but she already was an
swering, “Yes, we want to meet your people.”

  “Well then,” Khin said and stood up. He marched around Jerome and headed away. At the broken doors he stopped and turned back. “Are you coming?”

  “We will need to pack our….wizard tools,” Cammarry stated.

  “It should only take a short while. Please wait for us, and will you carry the cheeses?” Jerome asked. “We will be bringing food rations.”

  “You do not like my cheeses,” Khin said with scorn. “You have not taken and eaten. Have I failed in some way? To return my gift of trade brings me shame and sorrow.”

  Cammarry took a bite of the cheese. The taste nearly gagged her. The flavor exploded in her mouth and she felt odor come pouring out her nose as she chewed. After a moment she was able to swallow, but it took a herculean effort to do so. “Thank you… for the cheese.” She took both of the cheeses and held onto them. “We will keep them. Thank you.”