“So it was a good thing we went and secured some food, as it sounds like the fabrication of the food ration bar equipment will not be completed as expected,” Jerome said. He lifted up a sack of dried food supplies. “Khin would be proud we even have several cheeses. I will send one of those with that automacube S-1DT”
“I had hoped to have normal food ration bars soon,” Cammarry lamented, “but I understand getting the automacubes built and positioned is more important than soothing my stomach with normal and quality foods.”
Sandie continued her report, “Regarding the ration bar processors, it will be at least several more days before the manufacture of them will begin. After they arrive here, there will be a small amount of time to germinate and grow the fungal mixture for making into ration bricks. I have analyzed the local fungi for the best candidate for that use, and those instructions will come with the processors. I again apologize that I could not get Reproduction and Fabrication to actually make the food ration bars. Unfortunately, that system is having difficulty with organic fabrications.”
“We have goat, rat, some cheeses, and some of the dried fruits,” Jerome commented. “As well as the local mushrooms. We will not starve, even though it all tastes so strong.”
Sandie continued, “The second new automacube, a modified yellow transport model, T-1DT with the additional items you requested: the medical it, fusion pack, and instruction manual, is estimated to be completed in 73 hours. Those estimates are approximate and might be longer if there is more interference from the slave trader patrolmen. That second automacube, T-1DT, will then be teleported here to be dispatched to Habitat Beta to travel to the Listening Ear as you requested. Both of these new automacubes are hybridized with Dome 17 technology. They will have the best communication links back to me and that will allow for ongoing reconnaissance of Beta.”
“What about Beta do we know now?”
“Using the shuttle, NS-99’s sensors, I can tell you that Habitat Beta’s hanger bay, Dardanella 135, and the Beta teleporters have been undisturbed since you departed there,” Sandie answered. “No detection of intruders or of those gravity sink holes you described. Like Habitat Alpha, we have limited ways to reconnoiter Beta. The two new automacubes will help in that matter.”
Jerome walked back to the modified room they used as a bedroom, and stored his gear. He called out to Sandie, “So no word on the status of those missing children? Dewi and Nabila? Or the roustabouts?”
“No updated information.”
Cammarry walked over and touched his shoulder. “When we get the equipment built we will learn more, and know how to help them. Sandie? We will need additional communication links to include with the automacubes we dispatch. If Jenna or those other roustabouts can be located, we can give them the com-links and not lose contact with them again.”
“Even Bigelow?” Jerome asked under his breath. Then he said it firmly, “I have concerns about Bigelow, but I agree we need better contact. Knowledge is a power we need to possess and increase. Speaking of which, any word on fixing the data sticks?”
Sandie’s mechanical voice registered despair. “Sadly, no. I cannot unravel that mystery, and the single data stick which was repaired is still missing.”
Cammarry put her items away and stretched out on the bed. “Does it even make sense to ask about Dome 17 personnel or any of the other adventurer teams?”
“Asking questions is always an excellent thing,” Sandie stated. “The automacube EA-270 is still working in Navigation and Astrogation seeking to find a more exact location for our position, in relation to the Earth, and the last known position of the other six colony ships. The Cosmic Crinkle is also being studied, but progress in both those areas has been very slow. Tediously slow. Periodically, I have also activated the main receiving pad here to monitor for messages. No detection of any FTL messages, has been found. We are at extreme range for our receiving pad, and the scanning abilities of the Conestoga are very limited, even with my enhancements. I will continue overseeing that quest, however, I conjecture a low possibility for any success.”
Jerome sat down next to Cammarry. “Should we have that old automacube join in the repair work around here? Or perhaps dispatch it to one of the known habitats? Or have it help some of the needle ship people?”
“No,” Cammarry answered. “Leave it where it is. That yellow one did well enough cleaning out the Goat Room, and we do owe it to the other adventures to at least have our ears open to their reports.” She rolled over and looked deeply at Jerome. “Do you wonder what would have happened had we gotten the population of Dome 17 here? Along with all the dome technology? Oh, what a story that would have been!”
“I certainly do,” Jerome replied. “I think about ‘what ifs?’ often. From what I read of the times before the Great Event, or the other turning points where history could have been different, I do wonder many time ‘what if?’. Of course I do. I hope the survivors of Dome 17 are somewhere safe and well fed, without crazy, drug-addled slave traders, or gravity sink holes, and the insane and evil Ferryman. If we had brought all fifteen hundred of them to the needle ship here, would there have been enough food? Or which of those two habitats would you want them to try to live within?”
“Maybe we could have found one of the other six habitats and it would be that nirvana heaven you spoke about?” Cammarry smiled.
Jerome swept his arms around. “Well, our four room mansion here is in order. We have the FTL scout ship, the lavatory, the bedroom, and the newly cleaned out Goat Room which we should probably call the teleportation hub, or terminals. Now we just wait for the new equipment so we can do a better reconnaissance of the Conestoga.”
“But what will we find?” Cammarry asked. “I really wonder, who and what will we find?”
3 Eris searches
Eris staggered away from the horrors of the suspended animation chamber. Her golden-brown eyes would not even tear anymore, as she felt dried out from crying for her parents.
“This is not right,” she stated as she looked at the corridor before her.
In her memories, which felt like just yesterday, she recalled walking down that same corridor. The walls were highly shined, and gleamed with newness. The deck plating felt solid and firm under her feet, unlike any other spacecraft she had ever been on. Admittedly, she had only been on two actual spacecraft, the trans-orbital shuttle which had brought them to the Colony Ship Conestoga, and the trainer shuttle which she had flown only a single time during her qualification certification test. The Conestoga felt much like walking on Earth. It was solid and firm and big. But now, the deck was covered in growth medium which made walking feel spongy. The walls were streaked with water which had come from the air ventilation ducts. ‘Why was that?’ Eris could conceive of no reason water would ever come from the air ducts, but beneath every air duct she saw, there were long streaks of sediment.
“Maybe I just have not been revived? Perhaps this is a suspended animation time nightmare?” Eris said, but then felt her face with her hands and knew it was reality.
“Cahook!” Something darted across a companionway down the corridor. It was nearly waist high, but just a blur of movement.
Eris pushed herself up against the slimy sidewall. The dampness seeped through her thin suspended animation uniform. Her back was wet, and her feet were a mess from walking in the fungi-filled growth medium. Her nose wrinkled at the bad smells. Her eyes strained to see in the dim light.
“Now, am I imagining things?” Eris said. But then she pushed off from the wall. “No. I have not gone insane. I am not mentally ill, or dead, or dreaming. This is a problem and it has a solution. I just need to find out what has happened and make adjustments.”
Eris walked on. Her first priority now was to find appropriate clothing. Her mind knew the deck plans well, and so she walked toward where the armory was, as it was the closest place which would have suitable gear. As she walked, she raised her hand whenever she came upon the nine-section colo
r control pads, and they cycled through their color sequences automatically and opened for her. She did not even miss a stride.
“Chaos is here now,” she said quietly, almost as a prayer. Her mind completed the thoughts, ‘but both chaos and order are imposed on the universe by the human nervous system. Neither apparent order nor disorder will prevail to an extreme degree. What is sought is homeostasis and equilibrium.’
As had all the previous doors, the bulkhead door to the armory opened to Eris’ presence and she walked in. “Any artificial intelligence system or synthetic brain that can hear me, respond immediately!”
There was no response.
“Chaos reigns here as well,” Eris commented.
Looking over the armory, she again smirked at the growth medium which was covering all the horizontal surfaces. The ducts here too were dripping water, and in one corner duct she could tell the growth medium had been sprayed from the ductwork, as it had dented and stained the softer metal of a cabinet door.
“So all these biologicals were deliberately injected. Interesting, but totally weird.”
Eris walked over to the cabinets and opened the first one which was labeled ‘Heavy Duty’. A retractable closet rolled into view with shelves and a fold-down table. Eris scanned her options and thought about each one, ‘Not a vacuum space suit. The air smells terrible, but I have not died from breathing it yet.’ She looked to the next hanger where a set of power armor was stored. ‘I have seen no violent threats, so far, so this is not what I need.’ Next was a spacesuit.
“I just need clothing!” Eris cried out. But then caught herself. “No, not just clothing, I need an engineering suit.”
She pushed the spacesuit with its bubble helmet, the thickly armored combat suit, and the vacuum suit to the rear. ‘Way too be bulky and heavy, but where is the personal engineering suits?’ She looked at several empty slots and compartments, but all that was in the first cabinet was unsuitable. She shut that cabinet and stepped to the next one.
Opening that door, which was labeled, ‘Various’ she again withdrew the interior mechanism. It folded out revealing racks, cubbies, and a small dressing table. “Yes! Reinforced, waterproof, insulated work shoes. These are essential!” She placed those high-topped white shoes on the folded down table. She then sorted through the other uniforms which were stacked or hanging. Undershirt, underwear, socks, and some basic towels and sheets, but she did not see what she wanted.
“Where are the engineering suits? I need to run diagnostics, assessments, and have some tools!” She jumped up and sat down on the table. It was the first flat surface she had found not covered by the fungi and growth medium. She put her face in her hands and wept. “Oh mother, and father!”
Her mind raced with the dreams they had shared. Gently she rubbed a spot on her forehead. It was where her mother had kissing her just before she reclined in the suspended animation cocoon. Seeing her parents standing there, smiling at her, as she slid inside felt like just moments ago. Everything was all well-lit, so clean, nice, and ready to go. Her father’s final words echoed in her mind. “See you honey, on Tlalocan!” His big goofy grin stuck to his face. “We will have a world to build, and you are essential to that!”
She could not recall what she had said, if anything in reply. Now they were both dead, and the Conestoga was a huge mess, a wreck, and she was wearing thin, useless, medial wraps, with bare and sullied feet.
“I need the proper tools. With the proper tools, any job can be tackled!” Eris said aloud. She grabbed a small pair of men’s underwear and wiped her feet with them. The muck and gunk came off easily enough. She then remained seated and looked through the piles of basic clothing. “Start with the shoes.” She pulled socks on and started to put on the shoes. She then sorted through the underwear, found roughly appropriate sizes and slipped them on. Then she placed the shoes on and made the adjustments so they fit her perfectly. She felt better as she stepped down and closed that cabinet.
The third cabinet was labeled ‘Weapons’ and she stepped past it. The fourth had no label at all. She opened it, and again the closet inside expanded out toward her. “Fatigues, but at least I have my color choice.” She pulled on some fatigue pants, and sealed the legs. The pouches and pockets were all empty. She then put on a shirt and sealed the arm seams. “General duty fatigues. Not exactly what I need, but better. Well, I will need to find tools now.”
She shut the cabinets and then pulled open the door marked ‘Weapons’ and was a bit surprised to hear a negative function sound. When that happened, she placed her palm against the door and said, “Junior Engineer Lorelei Eris Concordia. Unlock.”
The door snapped and slid open. The inside was empty.
“Well that is evidence of something. Laser rifles missing, hand energy weapons gone, even stun batons gone. What did happen here?”
She tapped a small display screen just inside the weapons cabinet, but it only would show power readings and error messages. She could find no logs, messages, commands, or any link to the lattice of compeers.
Eris diligently searched through the armory again, but found nothing else that would help her. ‘No need for full hazardous material garb, I hope. Odd that no engineering jumpsuits are here.’ That gave her pause. She stepped back and reopened the first cabinet. She pulled out the armored suit again. She flipped it around and popped open a small door on its back. “Lu-fi amalgam batteries are drained. This has been here a long time.” She checked the spacesuit and it too was drained of all power. She assessed the connections inside the cabinet, and found there was only limited energy flowing into the compartment.
“So no powered suits right now. There is enough energy to power the doors and locks, but not enough to recharge the suits. I have seen no automacubes either.” Eris pulled at her lips, but then shut the first cabinet. “I have to figure out what has happened here. If I had some engineering tools. Well I suppose I will have to find them.”
Stepping out of the armory, Eris was again struck by memories of the happy crowds as they walked down that corridor toward the Suspended Animation Repository 217K. She could almost hear the giggling of her youthful friends. The gentle encouragement of the group’s leaders, and the constant hum of machinery. All the dreams of the colonists were awash in the faces of the fifty people who would be sleepers here in this repository on the needle ship. She had watched the thousands of people line up and walk into the large chambers, but she and her parents, along with the other crucial technological and engineering staff, were in that small repository. She smiled to herself as she remembered them all, but then the horror of their deaths stuck her as hard as a fist. She doubled over, coughed, and then vomited up some of the bile churning in her stomach. The emesis landed across the decks which no longer looked like the Conestoga of her mind and memories. What she saw now was some perversion, some strange and foreign derelict. A thing of nightmares, and panic attacks. The once bright and shining colony ship was gone, replaced by this husk of horror. She spit, then wiped her mouth, and straightened up. She looked away from the direction of the repository. Nothing was back there for her, she knew that.
“I can never let that happen again. Not to anyone. Not ever!” Eris made a vow as she spoke and also as she prayed.
She looked and pondered. All around her there was just the dim light, the spongy growth medium, and the ubiquitous fungal growth.
“The Command Bridge will give me the answers I need,” Eris said as she again spit the last of the vomit from her mouth. It landed on a wall already streaked by dripping water. “I will uncover why the ship is like this, and where the survivors are located.”
Eris walked purposefully along. While the eerie light and strange materials around her tried to camouflage the ship, she still knew where the decks lead, and what the layout of the ship was. That had been taught to her in the many weeks of preparation and training. As she walked, she sometimes closed her eyes for a moment, and just imagined how it had looked before. At every doorway,
she hoped the automatic doors would open up and reveal the Conestoga as she remembered it.
None did.
Reaching a bank of elevators, Eris placed her palm against the spot on the wall where she knew the control mechanism was located. A weakly glowing blue light outlined a hand shaped symbol. Eris pressed against it again. The blue light flickered, and then faded out.
“No power suits, and now no elevators,” Eris commented. “Energy levels must be just above minimum safe operating points.” She tapped on her lips a tiny bit. “The funicular is least energy hungry.”
She turned away from the bank of minimally responsive elevators, and walked along. Again, the doors she came to opened for her as she neared them, and closed behind her. The only exception to that was one pressure door which only half way closed. It made a grinding and snapping noise as it tried to shut. Eris looked back at it. “No maintenance on that for how long?”
The Colony Ship Conestoga : The Complete Series: All Eight Books Page 113
