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

by John Thornton

  Marooned on the Conestoga

  Book 2 Colony Ship Conestoga

  John Thornton

  Copyright © 2015 Automacube Enterprises LLC

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN-13: 978-1511893312

  ISBN-10: 1511893311

  DEDICATION

  This book is for my wife who is the most patient, loving, and compassionate person I have ever known. She passed those fine traits onto our daughters, and I am eternally grateful for having the honor to be part of their family.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Cover art by Jon Hrubesch

  Disclaimer

  This is a work of fiction from my imagination. Well duh? Unless, what we write becomes real somewhere. I have heard from someone, somewhere, ‘every story that is written becomes a new reality in an alternate universe’. Now how cool is that?

  Well, in our reality, this work is fiction and any resemblance to people, places, events, animals, or things that truly exist is a coincidence.

  If you like the Colony Ship Conestoga series, check out the completed, Colony Ship Vanguard, and the Colony Ship Eschaton.

  Happy reading.

  1 a special soup

  The hallway was dimly lit and smelled of the plants which grew on the floor and other flat horizontal surfaces. Their dull greenish color contrasted with the gray of the permalloy out of which the walls, ceiling, and floor had been manufactured. Air pushed past Jerome and Cammarry as it blew gently from the ducts set high on the walls along one side. Water dribbled out of one of the ducts and caused a dark stain down the wall where it had been dripping for decades. The rhythmic patter of the drips marched off time by sounding throughout the hallway.

  “Tell me again why we are collecting these plants,” Cammarry asked. She was squatting down and her medium complexion matched the dimness of the lighting. Her oval face, with its narrow brown eyes, and tight lipped mouth, radiated cheerfulness she spoke. Her long, straight, silky, and dark-brown hair was parted down the middle. She was slender and fit wearing a blue and gray coverall made from radiation absorbing materials.

  “We are collecting them because Khin, our guide, told us to do so. It reminds me of a quote, ‘Here we go gathering nuts in May, nuts in May, nuts in May, Here we go gathering nuts in May, on a cold and frosty morning’,” Jerome replied with a singsong voice. He too was wearing one of the RAM suits, and also, like Cammarry, he had a full backpack, belt with tools, and a holstered weapon. His short and curly dark-brown hair was tousled a bit, but his hazel eyes were bright and alert. “I once saw a rather entertaining old style, two-dimensional recording of a gray colored animal. It was a hand-drawn set of images put together to give the illusion of motion. The animal was singing that song and dancing.”

  “I am not sure what we may or may not do, but I could use some fun singing and dancing,” Cammarry laughed. “Besides, it is not really cold or frosty here marooned on the Conestoga. Is there anything at all, Jerome, that does not remind you of an obsolete quote or obscure idiom?”

  Jerome scrunched up his face in a mock look of puzzlement. “No. I cannot think of anything which would free you from my fine recitation of all those old quotes. So may we keep gathering more nuts?”

  A disembodied voice came from the communication links each person had on their ears. “The quote Jerome recited is from a song of the genre called a nursery rhyme. Jerome the term ‘may’ is used in various ways in the old literature. It could be a verbal auxiliary, however, I conjecture it is used in your quote as a noun. The term May is a reference to an old calendar month falling in the springtime of the annual Earth cycle. Additionally the items Khin has asked you to pluck up are not nuts, which were a hard-shelled dry fruit or seed with a separable rind or shell and an interior kernel. What you are gathering are types of modified mushrooms. Mushrooms were a different food source that comes from….”

  Jerome interrupted. “Sandie, I am not sure we need a lesson on obsolete calendars, mushrooms, nuts, or berries, or other plants unless they are things we will actually find here on the Conestoga.”

  Sandie, the artificial intelligence system replied, “You are gathering mushrooms. We have explored less than one percent of what I estimate to be the capacity of the Colony Ship Conestoga, and therefore, it is unclear what we will discover as we investigate further.”

  “Khin says we are to gather these plants because he is preparing some kind of a food ration for us,” Cammarry interjected. “I know we will need to eat it. I am down to half of my last food ration bar from Dome 17, but I still am not looking forward to this. I remember the taste of that cheese food of his, and it lingered in my mouth for a long time.”

  “Those cheese things also lingered in my nose,” Jerome laughed. “At least you still have half of a ration bar. I am completely out.”

  “I must congratulate you! You both made the food rations from Dome 17 last longer than anticipated,” Sandie replied. “Fortunately for me, I do not need to consume food in the manner that you both do. I will assist you as much as I can in identifying and learning about potential food sources on the colony ship.”

  Cammarry stepped over a bit and pulled apart some of the low vegetation which was covering the permalloy decking and growing on nearly every horizontal surface. She plucked a small plant’s top and placed it into a pouch she carried. She looked carefully at the root system that was left behind. It was spread wide to the sides, but was very skinny with an intricate tangle of tiny, hair-like roots all stretched around in the thin layer of growth medium.

  “This aeroponics system sure covered everything. When we first arrived, I could only tell the difference between the plants and the permalloy or other metal parts. The biologically alive things looked all the same to me. Now, thanks to hunger and to our guide Khin, I can tell that the plants are of various kinds.”

  Jerome did a few stretching exercises as he straightened up from picking some of the plants. “This hallway, and all of the Conestoga, would look far different if we could see it as it was originally designed, and without the plant life.”

  “And if it was in a normal light, rather than this dimly lit glow that never changes,” Cammarry said. “I am tempted to turn up the fusion pack lights just to get some real illumination. This blend of machinery and biology is just so unusual. I never expected to find this old ship in this truly weird condition.”

  Sandie chimed in, “As we have discussed, my best conjecture from the evidence is that the growth medium was a hastily applied crisis reaction measure to ensure, vegetation would have a way to survive in this section, the needle ship, of the Conestoga. The light source is suitable for what we are assuming is the genetically modified and adapted plant life. What was done provided a bottom level for a very simple, but apparently effective, food chain. The animal life we have seen would not be possible without the plants. The human population on the needle ship would not be possible without the animals and plants. Therefore, the aeroponics growth medium is essential to human survival.”

  “It all goes back to the loss of the biological habitats, right?” Cammarry asked. “If those were still connected to the needle ship, the people could get all the food they needed from those eight giant cylinders.”

  “Yes, Cammarry, that is our working assumption,” Sandie replied. “Based on the limited information we recovered from the body and records of Captain Lance Lechner. However, we really have no idea what the biological habitats contained, nor where they are presently.”

  “Here comes Khin now,” Jerome said as he heard footsteps coming from the stairway at the end of the hall. “I wonder if he was able to find that goat animal he talked about.”

  Khin climbed the stairs and came into view. He was smaller and younger than either Jerome or Cammarry. He was very thin, with a more brownish hue to his skin, although it was difficult to tell from the grime that covered him. His very large, bright-brown eyes twinkled in the dim light. Jerome knew Khin could see him much better than Jerome could see Kh
in. He had surprised them numerous times with his superb low-light vision.

  “My dear wizard friends!” Khin called out. “I was successful in my hunt!” His black hair was cropped fairly short, but ragged. His handmade garment extended from chest to knees. He had a pouch slung over his shoulder and a brown belt around his waist. A small scabbard was dangling from the belt.

  “What is that?” Jerome asked as he looked at Khin’s hands.

  Khin laughed. “A wizard does not know about a good meat?”

  Cammarry rose and walked over to where the two men stood. “That is an animal?”

  “It was a rat, actually three rats. They have given their life for us to live,” Khin replied. In his hands was a bundle. Wrapped inside that furry exterior were three bodies. Each was a dappled shade of brownish-gray and about twenty to thirty centimeters long, not including the skinny and hairless tails. “These will be very good!”

  Jerome held his words back, but Cammarry spoke out. “You killed those animals?”

  “Yes!” Khin smiled. “We need to make some food for our trip to see my people. You wizards are out of food, and my dried supplies are gone. Today we feast!”

  “Well, show me how,” Cammarry said dubiously.

  “Enough with your strange tests, I fetched these rats, and now we will prepare them. I found a place with a working kitchen just two decks down. You have found the mushrooms and other plants I showed you?”

  Cammarry gestured to the pile she and Jerome had gathered.

  “Very good. Soup for us all. Fresh meat and mushrooms are so very good. Now if only I had some of the fruits. After we eat, then a good sleep and we can proceed. We will be with my people tomorrow!” Khin was very happy.

  They picked up the plucked plants, and loaded them into pockets and backpacks. Then they followed Khin as he led them down the stairway. The stairs were excessively overgrown, and the footing was not secure. Fortunately, the builders of the colony ship had installed double rows of handrails along the sides of the stairs. As Cammarry was proceeding down the stairway, she thought of what Khin had said.

  “Did you say fruits? Are those a different kind of food?” She asked.

  Khin laughed. “Yes. They come from the Fruit People, as if you did not know that. I have not had any since, well, since I last had some. I guess it was before I left my people.”

  “I thought your people were the only people on the needle ship. Who are the Fruit People?” Jerome asked.

  “They are just other people. Like how the wizards are other people. They are not my people, but I like the Fruit people. They are honest traders and give good for good. Trade fair today, and live that way!” Khin chuckled.

  “Jerome you can add another idiom to your collection of profound sayings,” Cammarry said.

  “I will need to start memorizing Khin’s phrases, since the data sticks do not work and I cannot read up on more of the words of antiquity.”

  “I can supply visual reproductions of a wide range of literary works,” Sandie stated. “Just let me know and I will display it for you. I am here to help!”

  “Thanks Sandie.”

  Cammarry then addressed the moving figure of Khin. “How many groups of people are there on the Conestoga?”

  “All of them,” Khin answered as he nimbly stepped from the slippery foliage covered stairs and out onto a landing that was not quite as densely covered. “It depends on how you count. I am a group of one. We are a group of three, or we are two groups. A male group and a female group. Or we are two groups, a wizard group and me. It all depends, but, well, with all the groups of people that are in the world, who can count so high as all that?”

  “Khin, are there clans or tribes, or other organized groups of people?” Sandie the AI asked. “You mentioned the Fruit People, and that seems to be a special group. Perhaps a family? Please help me understand.”

  “A spirit-ghost asks me questions. That is so funny!” Khin nearly dropped the three dead rats he was holding. “You already know.”

  “Please tell us,” Cammarry implored. “What are the major groups of people? If you were to decide how to count them, how would you divide up the people? What are the major people groups?”

  “Well, I see what you mean. For trading? Well, my people are ‘one major group’.” Khin used his voice to sort of mock Cammarry’s own tones. “Then there are the Fruit people. That would be ‘two major groups’ and then there are the Chicken People, and that would be ‘three major groups’ if that is what you mean.” Khin laughed as he considered what he had said. “One group for each rat! But how to divide one rat among so many? There are wizards, thieves, and hermits too, but they are not ‘major groups’ of people. Come now, the room with a working kitchen is just ahead, and we need to feed our own ‘major people group’ right?”

  Khin led them to the room. The door was inscribed with the words ‘Ensign Marguerite Abana’ in white letters. It also had a small green lever. Khin pulled on the lever and the door slid, with a bit of a screech, to the side. He stepped in.

  “This was someone’s home, or apartment once,” Jerome stated.

  “Yes, I read that on the door,” Khin said proudly. “Symbols like that always mean a living place.”

  “Khin, show me which symbols you mean,” Cammarry asked.

  Khin walked back and shifted the three rats to one hand and pointed with the other hand to the word ‘Ensign.’ “That symbol always means a place someone used to live. Not all those places still work, but this one does.”

  “What about these symbols?” Cammarry asked as she pointed to the name ‘Marguerite Abana’.

  “Those mean nothing,” Khin snapped back. He then smiled and remembered previous times when Jerome or Cammarry had surprised him with their ability to decode the strange symbols which were scattered around in various places on the doors or walls. “Or do they? What do they mean to a wizard? This symbol stays the same, but the symbols on this side are always different from place to place.”

  “I believe the first symbol you point to is a title, while the others are a name for a person,” Cammarry replied.

  Khin looked at her with a bewildered expression.

  “Khin,” Jerome added. “It is like when you call us wizards. That is the title, while my name is Jerome. Those symbols are something like that.”

  “What does it matter?” Khin laughed. “No one is ever inside actually living in these rooms. Sometimes I find a few bones, but not very much or very often. Mostly the places do not work, but sometimes they do. This one works, so what does it matter if it is a title or a name? Will the person who lived here ever come back?” He chortled with glee as he walked through the small apartment’s front room which had several chairs, covered in vegetation, a monitor on the wall that was shattered, and a pile of musty clothing in the corner.

  Khin passed the pile of clothing and entered a different room. It then lit up in a brighter illumination than the typical dull glow elsewhere on the needle ship. He set the rat bodies on the countertop in the corner of the kitchen. The countertop was free from the fungal growth common everywhere else. There was a sink to one side which was also free from plant growth. Cabinets lined the walls. Another broken monitor was in one corner.

  As Jerome looked closely he could tell that the air ducts which led to the kitchen were still sealed and closed over by intact grilles. Looking around, Jerome could imagine what the kitchen looked like when it was inhabited. It was not too vastly different from the apartment he shared with Cammarry back in Dome 17. He then looked back again at the front room and saw that in there the duct grilles were missing, and thus the plants were growing in the medium of material which had been spewed through the duct system.

  “Now see, I found a good place!” Khin called with a giggle. “Almost as bright as a wizard’s place.” He squinted his eyes a bit as he reached up and pulled open a cabinet door. Inside were some utensils and a small pot. “Now we make the food for us! A fine and hot soup!”

&nb
sp; Khin pulled a knife from the sheath on his belt. It was fashioned from permalloy and was about a hand breath long. Then with a very smooth and controlled motion he took the first rat’s body and placed it into position on the permalloy countertop. His other hand brought the blade down and cleaved off the rat’s head. A quick twist of the rat’s body and he made another slice so that the front legs were removed. Two more twists and two quick chops and the tail and rear legs were also severed. Khin used the blade to push them into a small pile as he placed the body into the pot.

  “You have done that before,” Jerome said. He was amazed at the speed and accuracy of the cutting motions Khin had done.

  “Yes! Rat, goat, chicken, cavy, all good meats. The first time that I prepared soup, was with my mother. I was a wee little one then, but had brought home a big rat,” Khin explained. “Even then I said a prayer of thanks for the animal whose life I had just received. I hope you do not mind, but I gave thanks for these rats for all three of us. Do you have a special wizard’s prayer or blessing you want to recite?” His hands repeated the motions for the two other rats while he spoke. “My mother taught me to use their skins to make soft leather. Fur is valuable, or the pelt is used for lining of garments. I will store these skins for now. Grease is squeezed from the pelt and has many uses! The rat has given up his life for me, so I will not waste anything. The best needles come from tiny rat bones. Mother always said, ‘Use all the carcass of the dead. Always remember what I said.’ What did your mother teach you about animals?”