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

by John Thornton

  “Project Angel Food!” Jerome interrupted. He said it just prior to Cammarry’s gasp as she too recognized the last SB’s name.

  “Those SBs were conspiring against us all this time?” Cammarry asked.

  “The SBs in the log do not show any direct connection or interaction with each other, but User 1 does converse separately with all three. For convenience, I will call the humans, the Ferryman, although the log does not give that designation. The log only records, ‘User 1’ as the person, or people, at this location. As you have seen this place was used to train recruits. There is a transport terminal behind this building. It shows only partial operational status, but does have records of vehicles arriving and departing from this location, directed by SB Hecate. Of interest is that User 1, by linking to that transport system, was able to send messages via the transport summoning channels. Those messages reached SB Hecate who is overseeing the transport system. Through a crude routing system other messages reached SB Amelia Earhart, in the hanger bay named Dardanella 5600. I conjecture that transport vehicles were used to take people from here to there and back. Lastly, by sending the messages through the transport system’s subroutines and summoning channels, SB Premenit was contacted in Terraforming and Restoration. It is a very inefficient message system, but in some ways it was ingeniously devised. Jerome, there was a term for that kind of resourceful modification of an existing system. I believe that in old writings the type of repurposing done in that message system might have been called jury-rigging.”

  “It was effective enough of an applied contrivance to terrorize this whole habitat, and send people to Project Angel Food, so it worked well enough to foster the Ferryman’s evil schemes,” Jerome said bitterly. “Call it what you will.”

  “To finalize the summary of this log, the Ferryman used the transport system, the improvised message method, and the recruitment of people to gain knowledge about the Conestoga’s systems, operate some shuttles from Dardanella 5600, and transport humans to SB Premenit for use in Project Angel Food via the transport vehicles. That trade took place for years, until the recent destruction of Terraforming and Restoration. After that the Ferryman’s log entries carry a distinctly more sinister tone and attitude.”

  “What?” Jerome shuddered. “How can anything be more sinister than Project Angel Food?”

  Sandie replied, “The log shows that after Project Angel Food was terminated was when the Ferryman began recruiting people for the murder of the chosen siblings, and the planting of explosive devices. It is a long and convoluted conversation, and I had my simulation of Doctor Chambers evaluate these conversations to determine the thought process behind the Ferryman. Our best conjecture is that the Ferryman consists of two men, likely brothers, both with above normal intelligence, lack of formal education, and with deep sociopathic personality traits.”

  “So that slanted and messed up hanger bay, Dardanella 5600, was a location for the Ferryman,” Cammarry interrupted. “Both those synthetic brains were deceiving us.”

  “The log indicates,” Sandie continued, “that the Ferryman utilized the dampening field technology from SB Amelia Earhart in the recent removal of all the shuttles around NS-99. Again, I apologize for allowing that theft to happen. I should have been more diligent to watch for an unusual application of that dampening field.”

  “What is done is done,” Jerome said. “There have been so many unexpected things on the Conestoga. That Cosmic Crinkle being the first one of many. No one blames you.”

  “I know that is right,” Cammarry added. “I feel like that Shadow implant was my own fault, but we are all in this together. Where did those shuttles go?”

  Sandie answered. “After those shuttles were launched, there have been no more log entries. I have also been unable to detect any communications from them. The shuttle Eris is using, NS-99, I am tracking, however, the destination of those other five shuttles is not recorded. Back to the summary of the log. The last few entries may be very revealing. Here they are.”

  “User 1: Yes, it will be a catastrophic failure. This place is too messed up now. The crushers are wiping out everything. Now I wish the Elysian Fields were real.”

  “SB Amelia Earhart: Namaste, there are other locations. Other habitats of the Conestoga, and the needle ship. A Machine Maintenance shuttle came from the needle ship recently.”

  “User 1: Safe locations? Outstanding! How can we get there?”

  “SB Amelia Earhart: Namaste. As you know, there are secure shuttles in Dardanella 135. Those could be used for more than just the trips between Dardanella 5600 and Dardanella 135. Those could fly you to another of the Conestoga’s locations. I need repairs, and am willing to assist in exchange for repairs.”

  “User 1: Feed those coordinates into those shuttles you were asking about. My twenty most loyal mates will be coming with me. Then I will send all the Machine Maintenance crews to work for your repairs.”

  “SB Amelia Earhart: Coordinates loaded into shuttles. You will make repairs before the hull is breached?”

  “User 1: Yes. I told you all the automacubes, and the people from Machine Maintenance are awaiting our departure. As soon as we leave, they will be allowed to come make the repairs you need. Just be patient. You will soon be renewed. SB Premenit was too demanding, and was lost because of that. I would hate to see you suffer that same fate.”

  “SB Amelia Earhart: Namaste. It will be as you say.”

  “Hull breach? Catastrophic failure?” Cammarry asked with a quiver in her voice. “Is there evidence to support those claims?”

  “The Crocks are inside,” Jerome said and slammed his fist into his palm. “They have found a way in. That Ferryman knew that and stole those shuttles. He, or they, I should say, just ran away like cowards.”

  Sandie the AI replied, “The log is only the record of the conversations. There are no resources or direct information to back up any of the many assertions in the log. However, the fact that the shuttles were taken, and there have been no further conversations from User 1, the Ferryman, does give credence to the idea that they departed from Habitat Beta.”

  “Did they go to the needle ship?” Cammarry asked. “That would be horrible. They must be stopped.”

  “Cammarry, we must get back to the teleporter!” Jerome said. “Who knows when this place will fail. At least in Dome 17, we knew it was going to be one-hundred and twenty days. Here it could be anytime.”

  “Khin and Vesna must come too,” Cammarry said.

  “And the roustabouts,” Jerome added. “We must save all we can.”

  “Eris must be told,” Cammarry insisted. “Sandie, will you inform Eris? She needs to know that dangerous and violent people are in shuttles heading somewhere. They might already be where she is going.” Cammarry stopped for a moment. “Wait. Eris thinks I am a violent person, and she has reason to believe that. What will she think if we tell her about the Ferryman and his cronies taking shuttles?”

  “She needs to be warned,” Jerome said. “This entire habitat needs to be warned. Sandie, you used the public address system once before, when you sent the message to us. Would you be able to do that again? Perhaps warn everyone?”

  “Can our small teleporter transfer everyone?” Cammarry asked. “Do we want to unleash hoodlums and violent crazed people onto the needle ship?”

  Jerome flexed his arms. “Cammarry has a very valid point. If we tell everyone, the violent, crazy people will also know. They do not care who they kill or what they do. I have seen that. There must be some way. Some way of getting the warning to those we want to save, and at the same time, protecting ourselves and our friends from the evil people who lurk all over Beta.”

  Sandie answered. “I can easily inform Eris. However, I am not sure what her response will be. I can also inform Khin and Vesna. Khin has asked to go to back to the needle ship. I believe Vesna and her people are receptive to that idea, but what of the residents at the Special Care Unit?”

  “Those people will j
ust be the next victims of the violent lunatics. They must be saved,” Jerome said.

  “I agree!” Cammarry enthusiastically added.

  “Understood,” Sandie answered. “When T-1DT reaches the Listening Ear, we can carefully inform whoever we meet at that location, but will that reach everyone who needs to hear?”

  “Probably not.” Cammarry’s eyes lit up as she considered their situation. “I know what we can do. We could compose a message to be sent over the public address system. It will need to be cryptic enough so as to only be understood by the roustabouts.”

  Sandie interjected, “There are ethical considerations to not informing everyone.”

  “There are ethical considerations about giving away our position to violently homicidal maniacs. We will not do that. Cammarry, what kind of message can we send? The public address system will only allow for audio messages. Everyone will hear it.”

  “How about we say, ‘Urgent message. This is Jerome and Cammarry. Meet us where you first met us. Urgent.’ Then Bigelow and the roustabouts will know to meet us at that first carousel. No one else will understand that, right?”

  “That is a great idea!” Jerome hugged her. “But can we get to the carousel in time? I am not even sure how we would travel there. I have a vague idea where it is located, but we could wander around out in the habitat for days looking for just the right spot.”

  “Unless we take the transport system. Sandie, you said there was a transport terminal behind this building in the walls. If the Ferryman could use that, can we also use it? That was how we got close to that first carousel.”

  “The rollercoaster ride in that vehicle just about killed me,” Jerome stated. He flexed his hands and pumped his arm recalling his injuries. “However, it would be a quick way there. Sandie? Is it possible?”

  Sandie the AI replied, “I could mimic User 1’s messages, and contact SB Hecate. With that link established, I am confident I can overpower that synthetic brain and use its knowledge, links, couplings, and abilities to direct the transport system vehicles.”

  “You would make it your puppet?” Jerome asked. “Just dominate and force that system to do your will?”

  “Under these circumstances, yes.” Sandie’s voice was flat. “I would not injure the system, but I would override it to accomplish our mission. Although I will look for suitable and effective alternatives to domination of that system.”

  “Well then shall we start off?” Cammarry asked.

  “What about learning where the Ferryman went?” Jerome asked. “Sandie, can you mimic User 1 and trick SB Amelia Earhart into giving up the location and coordinates for those shuttles?”

  “Yes, I can try that,” Sandie stated.

  “Just overpower SB Amelia Earhart and find what we need,” Cammarry instructed.

  “Initiating message to SB Amelia Earhart,” Sandie stated. A moment later Sandie said, “I was unable to learn what we desired. Here is the log.”

  “User 1: I need the coordinates.”

  SB Amelia Earhart: Namaste. You have not sent repair crews. End transmission.”

  “SB Amelia Earhart then severed the improvised communication link. I tried repeatedly to reestablish that, but without success. Without the link, I cannot overpower that system,” Sandie said. “I am sorry I have failed you again.”

  “Thank you for trying,” Jerome said. “Will that mess up our chances with the transport system?”

  Sandie replied, “SB Amelia Earhart and SB Hecate never were in direct contact with each other via the Ferryman’s jury-rigged system. I conjecture a low possibility for them to be in contact now.”

  “So we go to the next step. Sandie start broadcasting that message for us on the public address system. Do it like you did for the notice when the shuttle had arrived here,” Cammarry said. “There might be people who try to track it down and back to Dardanella 135, if they remember the other message.”

  “None did that before,” Jerome stated. “We have not even seen anyone close by here.”

  “I wonder what happened to Adeilson and the other people who lived in and around Quady?” Cammarry rubbed her forehead as she pondered. “There were mobs of people, they must have gone somewhere.”

  Cammarry took Jerome’s hand and they walked to the bulkhead door at the back of the foyer. There was an access port next to that door, and Cammarry pulled out the cable from her com-link and jacked it into that.

  “Sandie, see what you can do.”

  “The adventure continues. The message is being broadcast,” Sandie said. The AI then probed the nonphysicality again. “Access granted. The transport hub is behind the third door down. There is a small apartment with functional lavatory behind the first two doors. The water there is safe, as it does not originate in the stream outside.”

  “Thank you!”

  “On a tragic note, I just found the cause of that toxic contamination in the stream. A section of the side wall of the habitat collapsed into the corridors and hallways. The collapse did not reach the exterior hull. My best conjecture is that a gravity sink hole manifest there which ripped into that section and tore apart not only the side wall, but several large ducts, pipes, and storage tanks. The fluids from those broken utilities were leaking constantly and the runoff was flowing into the stream. I have shut down the flow of those chemicals in the ducts and pipes, however, there is not feasible way to stop the continued residual leakage from the ruptured storage tanks. That will continue until they are empty. There has been a huge amount of material spilled into the biome. The damaged section is three hundred five meters from this corner. I have an aperture which shows that the foliage around that leak has all died. Trees, bushes, grasses and all growing things around the leak are dead. A multitude of animal bodies are in that area as well. The stream runs to the sea, and my conjectures are that the sea has been severely damaged due to this event.”

  “More reason to find our friends and get out of here,” Cammarry stated.

  Both Cammarry and Jerome used the lavatory and refilled their water supplies. They then walked to the third door which opened as they approached. The portal room had seven hatches, all of which were clean and in good condition.

  “Eureka!” Sandie squealed. “I have found a method for interaction with SB Hecate which will not require my exerting domination over that system. You will need to use one of the conservations slates. Jack it into an access port here and I will remotely reconfigure its programming to masquerade as User 1. Doing this will convince SB Hecate to assist in transporting you to your destination. If there is resistance or difficulty, I can still dominate that synthetic brain, but I prefer to have its cooperation.”

  “Better a charlatan than a dictator?” Jerome grinned as he took the conservation slate and plugged it in. “Subtle persuasion is a more moral characteristic than coercion, yet the most effective means of persuasion may be making your mark think it is all about him.”

  “I have remade your conservation slate to the parameters of User 1,” Sandie stated. “I thought you might quote the idea that you can get much farther with a kind word and a gun, than you can with a kind word alone.”

  Jerome patted the holster on his belt. “I will remember that one.” He looked down and saw the display on the slate change a bit. An old style message box was at the center where he could type in what he wanted to convey. There were three options, SB Amelia Earhart, SB Hecate, and SB Premenit. The letters for SB Premenit and SB Amelia Earhart were flashing in red while the SB Hecate was in solid green. Jerome pressed SB Hecate and then entered a simple message,

  ‘User 1: Are you there?’

  ‘SB Hecate: I am here. Do you have more cargo to go to Terraforming and Restoration? That destination is still inoperative.’

  ‘User 1: New destination…’

  Jerome looked at Cammarry, “That carousel was outside that ruined town. It was called Crondel, right?”

  “That is what it said on the building, and the place I selected to crash tha
t vehicle.”

  ‘User 1: Transport to Crondel.”

  ‘SB Hecate: There are two disabled vehicles at that terminal. Request sent to Machine Maintenance for clearing of the tubes and repairs. Three other tubes are functional. Transport vehicle ready to depart.’

  One of the hatches slid open and the well-lit interior of the transport vehicle was revealed.

  “And away we go!” Jerome said and unjacked the conservation slate from the access port. He and Cammarry climbed into the vehicle. They walked past the rows of seats which faced each other and sat down in the two front seats.

  “Another roller coaster ride?” Cammarry asked as she buckled in. “Sandie I will give you additional opportunities here. She connected the cable from the com-link into an access port.

  Jerome connected in the conservation slate, and typed in: