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

by John Thornton

  “All I want is Cammarry! Release her to me now!” Jerome yelled and waved the Willie Blaster around. “Stop making excuses! Stop lying to me!”

  Khin stepped forward and peered into the ward. “Wizard Jerome? There are many old people in there.” He looked a second time. “Old and lame and sick people. A whole village of them.”

  Jerome stepped carefully up to the doorway. Looking in he saw that the room was identical, in structure, to the ward where the trap had been sprung against them. This ward, however, was filled with elderly and maimed people. Most of them were sitting in beds, or chairs, but a few were walking about using a variety of canes, walkers, and other assistive devices. One man, near to the doors, had no legs, but was seated in a wheelchair.

  “Close the doors!” the old legless man called out. “The flies and mosquitoes might come in!”

  At his words, many of the old people shook their heads in fear. Some scrambled, as best they could, to get away from the doorway. Others turned over in their beds, and looked away. A few pulled blankets or coverings over their heads.

  The legless man rolled his wheelchair over and peered at Jerome and Khin. His eyes were dull and cloudy. “Why are you arguing? Are you Beta policemen? Or physicians? My eyes are poor, and I cannot tell. You look like some kind of uniformed staff.”

  SB Cotard spoke in a soothing and gentle voice. “Residents, please be aware that we have two guests who are visiting. They are not physicians, nor police officers. As I have told you before, our physicians have been summoned, and will hopefully arrive shortly. In the meantime, the automacube doctors and nurses are here to attend to your every need. We will be having our lunch at the usual time, today is creamed chicken over noodles with peas, carrots, and cranberry walnut bread. Today there is a special dessert of strawberry pudding.”

  “Oh that is good,” the legless man said. “The food here is excellent. I better roll to the cafeteria. Some of the older people need more help than I do and I like to assist as much as I can.”

  “Chicken?” Khin said. “These are from the Chicken People?”

  Before Jerome could answer, a white haired, thin, and frail woman walked up on her own and spoke, “Have you seen my cat? He is around here somewhere, but I cannot find him.”

  SB Cotard spoke, but this time the synthetic brain’s mechanical voice came from a small locket around the woman’s neck. The voice was soft and gentle. “Beverly, your cat is safe. Bagheera is in the solarium and you can pet him there.”

  Jerome heard what was said, and looking out over the crowd of elderly and disabled people, he saw not a single automacube. The name Bagheera also jogged a memory for him. He looked at the old woman. “Is your cat melanistic?”

  “Melons for my cat? No, she does not like melons.” The old woman gave Jerome a perplexed look.

  “Sorry, I meant is your cat black colored?”

  “Yes she is. Bagheera is black. Have you seen her? She likes her food just so, and I am the only one who knows how to prepare it for her.” Beverly was fidgeting with her hands. They had very large and misshapen knuckles each with a twist toward the thumbs.

  “Beverly, all is fine. Do you think you would like to sit in the solarium for a while?” SB Cotard asked in a relaxing way. “Bagheera is there for you to pet.”

  Beverly turned to Jerome again. “Have you seen my cat?”

  The legless man turned a circle with his wheelchair. He rolled back and softly touched Beverly’s arm. “Come with me dear, we will go and find your cat.”

  “Thank you.” Beverly let herself be led away. “That policeman said my cat would like melons. Have you ever heard of such a thing?”

  “No melons today, but we are having strawberry pudding,” the legless man said as he led her down the central aisle.

  Jerome saw that the man also had a locket around his neck. SB Cotard spoke from that locket also. “Thank you Franklin. Beverly’s cat is in the solarium.”

  Jerome was angry, but somewhat mollified as well as confused. The synthetic brain had told the truth about the vulnerable people, but he wondered where Cammarry was located. He looked from patient to patient, and every single one was elderly, or had some significant physical ailment, or what looked like a mental impairment.

  SB Cotard’s voice came over the loudspeakers in the ward. “If it is acceptable to our visitors, I will now shut the doors so as to prevent any unwanted insects from entering the living quarters of the ward. Our visitors, of course are free to depart at any time. They are also invited to join us for lunch in the dining cafeteria.”

  “We are here to visit Cammarry,” Jerome said in a barely controlled voice. “Does anyone here know Cammarry?” He spread his hands out and realized he was still holding the Willie Blaster. A small part of his mind was embarrassed wielding it before the elderly and disabled people. A greater part of his thinking was consumed with anger and thus he kept the weapon at the ready. “Just tell me where Cammarry is located, and we will depart.”

  “What did he say?” an elderly lady with deep brown skin and tight curly hair asked. “The nice policeman said what?”

  A woman next to her leaned over, “Annie, they are looking for someone to marry. It think it is young love. I remember when you and I fell in love. That was so amazing and perfect. Now we have been together, what fifty three years?”

  “Susie, is it that long. Thank you. Remember when we are part of that repair team…” The woman went on with her story, and the other woman was enraptured by her words. She either did not care, or had forgotten what Jerome was saying. Jerome could not help but smile at the elderly couple.

  Jerome walked along the center aisle, asking about Cammarry. Those who comprehended his question did not know, and some replied with answers which had nothing to do with the question.

  “The automacube doctors and nurses will now be assisting residents to the dining cafeteria. That is, if it will not hinder our visitors in their appointment here,” SB Cotard stated through the group loudspeaker. “Dear visitors, may the automacubes assist the residents?”

  “I need to know where Cammarry is located!” Jerome raged in a loud and hostile voice. “No automacubes!”

  Many residents turned, even the ones who had not heard when he had first asked about her. Faces showed a range of emotions. Shock, fear, amusement, and bewilderment. One man crumpled into a chair, and whimpered, “I am sorry. Whatever I did that was wrong, please do not yell at me. I apologize, and will try hard to be good.” He had one thin and spindly arm up over his head as if to fend off some dreaded blows.

  Jerome saw him and was internally conflicted. “I am not going to hurt any person here!” Jerome yelled in a pitch only slightly less aggressive and mean. “I just need to find Cammarry!”

  “That policeman must really be after someone bad. He is so upset,” the elderly lady named Annie stated. Her companion held her hand and replied, “Yes, and we need our policemen.”

  Khin then strode forward. “Cotard? Is that your name? Cotard? Spirit-ghost? Please help us. These nice old people need you, and by delaying our quest….no, our visit here, by slowing us down, by withholding that help, they are not getting to eat their chicken.” He turned to the older people and with a huge smile on his face he waved happily. “They need you Cotard! They are getting hungry! We are all hungry!” then Khin laughed. Between chuckles he went on, “Old people, please ask Cotard to help us so you can go eat your chicken. Chicken is very good food. It is much better than rat!”

  “I ate rat once, way back when I lived out on the farm,” a rather large man said from his bed. “We had an infestation under our barn, it was the darnedest thing. They tasted pretty good, but without onions, they were tough. It is really hard to dig up onions, but we did it, I can tell you.”

  “Yes! Everyone wants chicken!” Khin replied with a laugh. “Yes, we all want chicken. Cotard, please give us the chicken! Please give us the chicken! Come on, and ask Cotard with me. Please give us the chicken!”

&n
bsp; Some of the old people began chanting, in a singsong manner, following Khin’s lead. “Cotard, please give us the chicken!”

  Khin turned again to the crowds as many began to clap their hands as best they could. Some just pounded on the sides of their beds, or chairs, but the chat grew and grew. “Cotard, please give us the chicken!”

  Then the synthetic brain, Cotard, did respond. The mechanical voice came from both the overheard speakers and from each of the lockets around the resident’s necks. “Cammarry is in the Mental Hygiene Clinic, which is on the opposite side of the cafeteria.”

  Jerome looked for the legless man in the wheelchair. He rushed up to him, and leaned down to speak into his ear. “Excuse me, Franklin? Would you please show me where that is?”

  With a nod Franklin answered, “I will get Beverly seated in the solarium, and then I will show you. But I need to be back to help the others get to the cafeteria for lunch. I do not want to miss the strawberry pudding.”

  Jerome stood back up. “SB Cotard?” Jerome yelled above the chanting. “The automacubes can come and help these people when I am with Cammarry. Understood?”

  “Acceptable,” SB Cotard relied. “The luncheon shall be served as soon as our guest joins his friends. Residents, please be assured your meal will be nice and hot and ready to eat.”

  Khin smiled and laughed. “Thank you Cotard! Everyone? Everyone say thank you to our spirit-guide friend Cotard!”

  A chorus of voice said in ragged unity, “Thank you Cotard!”

  “What a nice policeman,” Susie said and nodded to Annie.

  “Everyone, enjoy the chicken! I must help my friend,” Khin laughed and followed Jerome. They both walked after Franklin as he rolled beside Beverly. They exited the opposite side of the ward from where they had entered. The doors looked identical, but beyond was the cafeteria. The room was a large square, with high windows in the walls. Diffuse light came from the semi-transparent windows. It gave the room a bright and cheery appearance. Eight square tables, from some kind of polished brown wood, were arranged around the cafeteria. Jerome caught sight of a silver colored automacube as it rolled away into an area where food smells were originating. He pointed his weapon at the retreating machine, but did not fire.

  “Have you seen my cat?” Beverly asked Franklin as they moved across the cafeteria toward a passage set in one corner.

  “Yes, dear. Bagheera is in there, or so said Cotard,” Franklin replied. “I will have one of the nurses bring your lunch tray in there for you. I wonder why the doctors and nurses are not coming to help us? They must be busy somewhere else. Maybe other visitors are here as well.”

  “No visitors ever comes to see any of us,” Beverly said. “That is why I need my cat. We are all alone here. Have you seen my cat?”

  “Now Beverly, these two policemen are here as visitors. Your cat is right over there.”

  The solarium was a bright and warm room with couches along the walls, and very tall windows. Unlike most of the windows Jerome had seen in the Special Care Unit, these windows were crystal clear transparent permalloy. The view over the grounds was outstanding. The sea was barely visible from the angle of this window, but the river and the valley through which it flowed was below. The green of the living trees contrasted with the browns and tans of the dead clumps and groves. The water had a muddy and rusty color to it, but the light from the sky tube made it shimmer and twinkle. A tendril of smoke curled up from the destroyed red automacube which was on the grounds, and off in the distance. Khin walked up to the window and pressed his hands against it.

  “We were down there,” he said. “This is very high up. I can see forever. Not like when in the flying vehicle, but still high and far. So much to see.”

  “Yes, there is,” Jerome noted the bend in the river and then saw a surprise. The location of the missing durham boat was revealed. It had wedged itself in among a place where the river divided into countless small streams, rivulets, currents, eddies, and flows. That delta or estuary spread out from the river to then emptied into the sea. The durham boat was stuck in among that. It looked small from their position in the building. Jerome was glad he could not see the full expanse of the sea, as that much water was still difficult to comprehend.

  “Now here is your cat,” Franklin said and reached over the side of his wheelchair and lifted a furry black blob of an object out of a chair in the corner. “Beverly, come and sit down and I will place her on your lap. Then I will ask the nurses to serve you your meal in here.

  Jerome studied the black furry object, and when it moved its head, vibrant blue eyes opened and peered at him. “It is a living animal!”

  “Of course it is,” Franklin said. “Pets are therapeutic. Bagheera here has been with Beverly for as long as I can remember.”

  The old woman sat in the chair and the cat gingerly stepped from Franklin’s grasp and onto her lap. It lifted its paws and small claws were seen. It stepped around several times and then settled down into a ball shape again. It made some vibration types of sounds. The old woman’s hands had stroked the long black fur of the cat as it turned around and then lay down between her legs. “There, there, my cat. I will get your food as soon as mine comes. The nurse always brings your meal for me to prepare.”

  The cat’s eyes closed, and it again looked like a furry black blob.

  “Now for you two visitors,” Franklin said. “I will point you toward the Mental Hygiene Clinic. Good thing I have been here so long, otherwise I would not be able to see well enough to show you. I was lucky to find her cat. She does sleep in the same chair most days, and most of the time, so I figured I knew where she was.”

  Jerome, still keeping a firm grip on the Willie Blaster bounced his feelings back and forth. His desperation to find Cammarry was about to be rewarded, yet he was fearful of what her condition might be. None of the residents he had seen so far were fully functional, not by a long shot. He was afraid Cammarry would be in a similar state. Thinking that made him angry, which repressed, but did not supersede his fears.

  They moved away from the solarium along the sidewall of the cafeteria. When they reached a single door, Franklin pointed at it. “They are in there. I hope your visit is pleasant. It was nice to see someone get visitors. You two are the first ones I can remember, but I am sure there have been others. Cotard tells us about things like that, but like my eyesight, my memory is not so good. Better than my legs, though.”

  Khin reached for the door.

  “This might be another trap,” Jerome stated.

  “With all these old and sick people around?” Khin waved his arms and looked at the people who were slowly filing into the cafeteria. “I do not think so. That spirit-guide was not evil to these sick people, maybe it was all a misunderstanding? But who am I, arguing with the Wizard. Not me. Do you want to open the door?”

  Jerome pointed the Willie Blaster at the door, but a small part of his mind said he was being foolish. A greater part was still enraged, but that too was mixed with confusion. “Open it, and I will be ready for whatever is back there.”

  Khin pulled on the door and a buzzer sounded as it clicked open. The door slid only part way into its pocket.

  “Attention, visitors,” SB Cotard stated as the door stopped. “Please do not attack the automacube in the Mental Hygiene Clinic. It cannot be moved.”

  Jerome leveled his weapon at the small space were the door had opened. He could see a counter and just behind it was a white automacube. He considered firing at it, but restrained himself.

  SB Cotard continued, “This automacube has been instructed to remain stationary. I was unable to have it vacate this area because it is directly monitoring the other patients. Two of which may suffer irreversible damage without its constant attention.” SB Cotard’s mechanical voice came now from beyond the door. “Nothing will be attempted against you. There are thirteen patients in this wing. All are in solitary isolation for persistent, intractable delusions and other mental health conditions. Each
is monitored at all times, and I felt very uncomfortable relinquishing the monitoring role which is needed for these patients. That is especially true for two of them. I will not allow any action to be taken against you, even though I disagree with your taking a patient away against medical advice. Cammarry is located in room five.”

  “Just open the door,” Jerome seethed. “If that automacube remains in position, I will not shoot it.”

  “I am trusting you,” SB Cotard stated. “The lives of these people are now in your hands.”

  The door swooshed open. The hallway was only a few paces long, and was paneled with rich and grainy wood which had been polished to a high sheen. The short hall led to a principal monitoring station, where the white automacube sat. It had M-19 stenciled on it. Its manipulation arm was folded flat to its head. Several monitors were located around the automacube, and cables went from those monitors to the automacube and back.

  Jerome had his weapon pointed at the white automacube, but sidled around the principle monitoring station. The doors to the rooms were all numbers beginning with 1 and proceeding up to 15. Three doors were open, and showed dark, and apparently empty, small rooms beyond. The others were all closed.