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

by John Thornton

  “So those animals are afraid of the gravity sink holes?”

  “Or the violent humans, or the Crock invasion.” Jerome stood back up. He gestured toward the path which led into the woods.

  That small hilly area rose up in the very corner of the habitat, and the pathway followed roughly parallel to a small stream. They walked toward it and came to the low bridge where the roadway passed over that same stream.

  “What is that smell?” Jerome wrinkled up his nose.

  “That is very foul. Death, decay, putrefaction,” Cammarry replied.

  Looking down over the bridge into the stream, they found the source of the smells. Dozens of white oblong objects were floating in the stream. They were of various sizes and lengths, the largest being about twenty centimeters long, others much smaller. They were caught in the weeds and grasses at the edge of the stream, but some floated gently on the waters as they swirled around. A fallen pine tree had made an effective barrier to the things washing out into the sea.

  “Fish?” Cammarry said as she realized what she was looking at. “Dead fish? All white and gray with decomposition.” She held her hand over her nose, and then actually pulled up the mask of the RAM suit to cover her face. “Horrible smell. Why are they all dead?”

  Jerome shook his head. He pointed to swirls of colors in the water. Those eddies were like prisms of color, but looked wrong in the water. “There is no aroma so bad as that which arises from good things which have been tainted. That water is toxic.” He too pulled up the RAM mask from out of his shirt.

  “Jerome is correct,” Sandie stated through the com-links. “Those colorful elements in the water are contaminants. Visual evaluation shows them to be heavy metals, petroleum compounds, and a mix of other substances. Do not drink or touch that water,”

  “Are there airborne threats? The smell is horrible,” Jerome asked. “Our RAM masks should protect us, but do we need to cover our entire bodies?”

  “The com-link has only limited sensors, however, I believe if you stay away from the water, the risk will be minimized. Be sure to pull on the gloves and hood should any irritation of your skin develop.”

  “Understood. These toxins are flowing into the sea, but where did they originate?” Cammarry asked. “Upstream it would appear, but from what and where and how? There is a story here.” Her voice was slightly muffled from her mask, but the com-link picked it up clearly and Jerome and Sandie heard her.

  “Another reason to check out this place. It is more suspicious all the time. That motorcyclist was a murderer, and could have been part of this water animal slaughter. To be suspicious is not a fault, but is warranted in our situation. To be suspicious without finding the solution is a defect I am not willing to endure.” Jerome patted his Willie Blaster in its holster.

  They stepped away from the stream and followed the dirt path through the forest. As they got some distance from the stream, the smell lessened and they took off the RAM masks. The path was winding and surrounded by forest and overhead was a canopy of tree branches. It led up the hilly slope until they reached the very corner of the habitat. As they turned a corner in the twisty path, they could see brighter light just ahead. They stepped to the sides and concealed themselves among some of the trees.

  Around the corner of the habitat was a glen in the trees. As far as they could tell, looking the other directions, except for the glen, the forest grew right to the very sidewall of the habitat. That glen, or meadow, sat before a structure of sorts which was nestled into the very corner where the walls came together. It was a building of sorts, made from permalloy, and fused into the walls. About twenty meters on its facing side, the building’s foundation formed a rough isosceles right triangle. Its facing wall was diagonally across from the habitat’s sidewall to end-wall. Its roof sloped upward and merged with the walls themselves. The single story structure was slightly different color permalloy from the walls, and its surface was not as dull. Three rows of windows were on each side of a central door. A small plaque was hanging over the door. It read, ‘Home of the Ferryman.’

  When Jerome saw that, he drew out the Willie Blaster and steading it on a tree branch aimed at the structure’s door. “It was too easy to come here. No guards, no security, no barriers.”

  Cammarry also drew her weapon, but said with a sly grin, “You said there was no security in Beta. Maybe that applies to the Home of the Ferryman as well?”

  “Not funny at all,” Jerome said seriously. “That man on the motorcycle was very dangerous, as were the people in the tunnel. We need to reconnoiter this area carefully.”

  “Yes, and the Ferryman did abduct Khin,” Cammarry replied. “I apologize. I did not mean to sound flippant. I just am not sure anyone is here. The door is standing open, and there are no sounds of anything in the forest. It is spookily quiet.”

  “Perhaps too quiet. Although now I do sound like some old detective novel. We are on a stakeout or something?” Jerome touched the com-link over his ear. “Sandie? Can you detect anyone in that building?”

  Jerome peered out over the glen. The dirt path meandered up to the front door, and passed a few low benches which were arrayed on the grass. Nothing else was visible. The windows were all dark, and the door was retracted about two-thirds of the way into its pocket. Beyond it was darkness.

  “I have used the limited scanning abilities, but detect no human presence in the immediate vicinity. Unless there is a dampening field inside that building, it should be clear. Additionally, I have observed no evidence of living animal life on your journey. I have watched for threats to your own health, but besides the toxic water, there have been none identified. Air and atmospheric conditions, outside of the gravity sink holes, are adequately safe. I have no conjecture for why the animal and human life is missing. Warning. It is possible this place is defended by some kind of mechanical system,” Sandie answered. “I feel the urge to remind you of the hoodlums Khin and Vesna encountered at the Special Care Unit. They used explosives. Please be cautious.”

  “So we sidle around the edge of the forest, and then sneak up along the front side of that structure. Peek in the windows, and watch out for people. If we assume everyone here is gone, we could be surprised. I am not in the mood for surprises,” Jerome said. He then began carefully picking his way along the edge of the forest. He moved cautiously from behind one tree to another.

  “I will move the opposite way,” Cammarry related. “That way we get two different viewpoints. But we will not be separated.” She tapped the com-link. “No more being alone on the Conestoga.” With that comment she wondered about Eris and where she was and what was happening to her. Eris had taken off all alone, except for the connections with the artificial intelligence system and the synthetic brains. Cammarry shook her head slightly, then took careful steps, also moving from one place of cover to another, keeping herself concealed as best she could.

  They reached the opposite sides of the triangular shaped building at about the same time. They were speaking in low voices, transmitted via the com-links. Neither had seen any movement in the Home of the Ferryman.

  Jerome looked into the first window, and inside he saw several rows of desks, and chairs. It was neat and tidy, although dimly lit. The dimness reminded him of the needle ship, and he glanced overhead at the light from the sky tube. He liked its warmth and its soothing yellow light. Even here in the reflected habitat corner, the light was a comfort.

  “All I see is an abandoned classroom. Only one door, set toward the center of the building. Your turn,” Jerome stated in a quiet and low voice.

  Cammarry heard it in her com-link. She stepped up and looked into the first window. Inside was very dim, but all she saw were shelves stacked with various sized boxes. Nothing else.

  “Storage room. No people.”

  Jerome moved to the next window, and it too was another empty classroom. A monitor display was on one wall. It was lit up with some graphics and diagrams, but at a low power setting. The display cast
a dull green glow over the desks and chairs.

  “Another empty classroom.”

  Cammarry approached the next window on her side of the building. As she looked into the window, she gasped.

  “What?” Jerome asked. His weapon was aimed at the front door.

  “Thought it was a person at first. It is a spacesuit. Bubble helmet and all. No head in the helmet, so I am assuming it is empty. It is also hanging on the wall. Racks of rifle type weapons, maybe twenty in all. Looks like more supplies. No people.”

  “So the violence was probably inspired here. The weapons and that plaque over the door are evidence of that,” Jerome said.

  The last window on Jerome’s side showed a view of the large entryway. Light from the window on Cammarry’ side shined in. There were several couches, and a countertop along the back wall, but no people.

  “The whole rest is one open foyer. We can proceed inside. There are some closed doors at the back of the foyer. They must open to inside the walls. Looks like about the right depth to be at or under the habitat wall.

  Cammarry relaxed a bit and walked toward the front door. “That was all for naught.”

  Jerome joined her. “With Crock vehicles, hoodlums, gravity sink holes, and missing animals, I think being cautious is being smart.”

  Together they stepped into the building. As soon as they both passed the partially open front door, it slammed shut behind them. Lights came on, and an overhead voice stated, “Welcome recruits! You have chosen to join with the Ferryman. Our self-paced study will allow you to become well acquainted with the important role you will play in the coming resurgence of Beta’s prosperity. Please step into Classroom One for your first lesson.”

  “Who are you?” Cammarry asked.

  There was no response.

  Jerome walked over to the front door. It was locked. “I can cut us out of here easy enough. If this was a trap, I think we would already be dead.”

  Cammarry walked back to the far side of the room. There was a bulkhead door set into the wall, right where the corner would be. A nine section color control pad was illuminated on the wall next to the door. “You have the key finder, right?”

  “In my supplies. We can cut though there if we need to as well.” Jerome walked around. Without passing the threshold, he looked into the supply room on the side and saw the empty spacesuit, and the rifles. The lights had come on in that room as well. He could see that there had once been a dozen hangers for spacesuits, but only one was occupied. There were also boxes on shelved marked ‘ammunition’ and ‘cleaning kits’ and ‘field edict banners.’

  “Sandie? Give me an analysis on that voice we heard,” Cammarry ordered.

  “It was a prerecorded message, and not the speech of a synthetic brain, artificial intelligence, or a human,” Sandie replied. “That conjecture is near one-hundred percent accurate.”

  “I say we see what that lesson is about,” Cammarry said. “This is the most we have uncovered about the Ferryman so far.”

  “Agreed.”

  Together they stepped into the nearby classroom. The lights came on, and the door from the foyer remained open.

  “Welcome recruits! Please take a seat at the desk of your choice. The instruction will begin momentarily.”

  Jerome and Cammarry sat down at desks in the front row. The display at the front of the classroom lit up. The diagrams which had been there were now far better illuminated. A short bit of music played, and then a two-dimensional image of a man came on.

  “I am Mister Tate Willman. You have arrived. Oh, how I envy you space pioneers. You have fulfilled a dream of humanity to journey though interstellar space and make a home on another world. Several centuries have passed since I recorded this. It was made just prior to the launch of the Conestoga, from your vantage point, generations ago. I am the lead designer of the ship’s boats, and it is my honor to speak to you on this glorious day. You are to become ferry operators! I am here to instruct on the basic, proper, and safe use of the Conestoga’s tenders, ferries, and shuttles to go from your parking orbit to the new settlements your companions have built on the surface of Tlalocan. This instructional video is for general audiences who are not specifically trained in engineering or mechanics. For those with advanced skills, please ask your personal instructor to reassign you to a different class. None from this class will be doing repairs or maintenance. This class is only to train basic operational skills so you can be a member of a tender, ferry, or shuttle crew. You will be operating under the direct supervision of highly trained individual members of the flight crew, so sit back and relax. This lesson will begin with the basics. Now if you will open your briefing manual to page…”

  “This is the Ferryman?” Cammarry laughed. “A general purpose teaching aid for the habitat people to learn about flights? That message does not even apply. The habitat has already made planet-fall.”

  “No,” Jerome laughed as well. “That is Mister Tate Willman who has arrived. I think this is where those roustabout children were heading. Dewi and Nabila ran off to meet Mister Tate Willman. I wonder if and when they ever got here? Is there any way to know?”

  “It is doubtful,” Sandie answered, “I have observed no records of attendees. There might be some logs, but I conjecture a low potential for individual attendee names to have been stored somewhere. Had this place been used as it was originally designed, there probably would be lists of those who graduated from these classes. However, the Ferryman was misapplying this educational tools to advance a violent, corrupt, and wicked agenda. Trainers of terrorists and other violent groups do not often keep comprehensive records, although historically it does vary from group to group.”

  The video droned on, the cheerful voice and happy attitude of Mister Tate Willman totally out of place for the weapons which were in the next room, as well as the things they knew the Ferryman had been doing, and the teaching that was spread in the name of the Ferryman.

  “… with due diligence. AI Sidney Pressey is overseer of Population Education, so you can be assured these instructional lessons are of the highest quality. Now as to the basic shuttle. The most….”

  Jerome stood up and approached the wall display. He took the cable from his com-link and jacked it into the access port. “Sandie, analyze anything you can from this location. If those lost children were here, maybe we can know where they went. If that Ferryman hurt them, I will personally make him and anyone else who hurt them suffer greatly.” Jerome glared at the wall. “Ferryman, if you pricked them, I will make you bleed. If you tricked them I will make you groan. If you poisoned their minds, I will make you writhe in agony. And if you wronged them you shall know my revenge.”

  “The bard might have trouble with your modification of his sayings,” Sandie stated while she sent a probing tendril into the nonphysicality. The AI then quickly assessed all that was available from that location.

  “As I conjectured, there are no recorded names of any attendees. There are not even records of how many people went through this place. I have made a reconnoiter of the systems here, but it was not greatly successful. There are fourteen basic educational recordings which have been watched a total of twenty-seven times. The recording you saw was the most often watched. I have added whatever additional new information there was to my database, as well as making copies of these recordings should you wish to review them in the future. Of interest to your mission is a log between several people at this location in communication with some of the Conestoga’s synthetic brains. Shall I display that log record?”

  “Yes!” Cammarry enthused.

  The log scrolled across the display, replacing the image of Mister Tate Willman. It consisted of line by line messages, green ones from someone labeled as ‘User 1’ at a place designated ‘home’ and followed by purple responses made by SB Amelia Earhart.

  Cammarry read the beginning lines out loud,

  “User 1: I need power. Teach me?”

  “SB Amelia Earhart: Namaste. E
nter code 547-009-RFT2”

  “User 1: That worked. Some man talking.”

  “SB Amelia Earhart: Namaste. After education, you will initiate repairs.”

  “User 1: Yes. Whatever you say.”

  “SB Amelia Earhart: Namaste. Continue education. Repairs are essential to this system as well as SB Hecate. Expedite elucidation.”

  “User 1: What? I do not understand.”

  “SB Amelia Earhart. Hurry with your learning.”

  “The liar!” Cammarry snapped. “That SB Amelia Earhart told us it had not had contact with any humans, or other systems,” Cammarry said as she was reading the messages.

  “Obviously it was lying,” Jerome stated. “Sandie, there is a lot of conversations here. Summarize it for us.”

  “Yes, there are 1,965 lines of conversation, spanning a number of years. A general summary shows that there have been people at this location, who on the log are recorded as ‘User 1’ but by style and context are most probably two separate individuals, conversing with SB Amelia Earhart, SB Hecate, and SB Premenit,” Sandie stated. “The nature….”