Chester also looked back. Sweat showed on the man’s lightly tanned forehead. His gray eyes looked tired. But he showed a smile. “Double what you just said re those Megun engineers! It’s a wonder we didn’t lose one or both engines. I’m super glad Stefano’s engines also held up.” He gestured back to his Engines station. “I am very eager to return this post to Time Marker’s care! Diplomacy is easier than handling volatile engines!”
She smiled back.
Wind Swift’s horse-like head, encased in a tubular helmet, turned her way. The silvery scaled kangaroo person leaned back on her thick tail. Her fabric skirt was bunched up inside her tube suit. Her red eyes fixed on Jane.
“Thank you, captain of our endeavor,” she barked. “My Life Support post is mostly automatic, thank the Great Egg. The Collector Pods station was interesting. But I too am eager for our crewmate Long Walker to return and join us.”
Jane nodded, then fixed on the brown-furred squirrel woman who had moved the Blue Sky like a bee buzzing around and away from an attacking wasp. It was incredible how she had kept them away from most laser strikes.
“Lofty Flyer, how do you feel?”
The human-tall flying squirrel stood up from her nav seat and stretched out her arms. The skin flaps that ran from her arms down to her knees flared a bit, but were constrained by her tube suit. Her pug face’s mouth opened. Her yellow eyes fixed on Jane.
“Would feel much better if I could shed this terrible suit and let my arm flaps feel the way they feel when I glide through the trees!” she chittered. Her long prehensile tail curled up, then straightened out. “Is that possible?”
“Soon,” Jane said as she looked back to the true space, system graphic and weapons holos in front of her. “We are still in combat status. Until that last ship out there is shut down. Or destroyed. Please be patient.”
Her navigator nodded in the human-style the Aelthorp person had learned from a year spent with humans, then she turned back and sat at her station. Her four-fingered hands touched her nav control pillar. The orientation of the Blue Sky adjusted slightly.
Jane felt exhausted. They were intact. Though the hull opening above the Collector Pods Chamber was a problem. Her ship status holo showed the gaping rip left by the glancing antimatter strike was too big to be healed by flexmetal stretching. The part of the hull that normally opened up like the cargohold flaps of the old Space Shuttles was partly gone. One flap did not work thanks to it being fused to the unmoving part of the hull. Still, the other flap could move. Its movement outward, added to the fact half the flap was gone, would allow the entry of pods. Which were non-existent thanks to their use as attack devices. Well, that could be fixed, eventually. Now, she waited for word from Bill on what he was doing, had done, would do. She was eager to know. But she would not bug him. He had won the fight against the monster who had started all this dying and destruction of ships. He had fulfilled their mutual obligation to duty, honor and country. He deserved her confidence and her patience.
♦ ♦ ♦
Bill sat on the command bench of the Fear Arrives and waited as the pedestal pillar lifted him up to six feet above the floor. Which held the two tasered teddy bear crewpersons and the bloody red body of Death Leader. The air of the room didn’t smell of death. Cooked meat maybe. And he liked having his helmet off. It lay against the back of his tube suit, hanging on the hinge that allowed the wearer to breath, eat and do whatever without having to rely on the helmet’s water sack for nourishment. He looked up at the room’s ceiling.
“Ship mind Dexterity, I assert my right to be the new captain for this vessel.”
A low hum sounded. “Are you the primary bioform present in this room? Protocol Four, Emergency Operations of the Ship dictates that I respond to the primary bioform still alert and aware whenever all ship crew and the ship master are not alert and aware.”
“I am,” Bill said. “Three crew still live but they are not aware at the moment. I am the only aware bioform on this ship.”
“So long as you are the primary bioform that is aware and alert, Protocol Four dictates that I respond to any order or request by you so long as it does not endanger ship operations, or ship crew,” the AI said, its tone curious. “What are your intentions?”
Bill scanned the six holos that surrounded the command bench. The system graphic showed this ship, his nearby transport and the distant ships of Jane’s combined fleet. The true space holo showed the red ball of Mars receding as they passed it. The world was not on the direct track to Earth, but off to one side in its normal orbit of Sol. Still, it was close enough to show as a small red ball. The yellow glare of the Sun filled the middle of the holo. A tiny blue sparkle was far distant Earth. Other holos included the ship status holo. Which displayed the ship in an overhead cutaway like his weapons holo. The rear third of the ship was missing. Well, that was what five kilotons of atomic power would do. The plasma ball of a five kiloton nuke was rather small, but it had been enough to vaporize the Engine Chamber, the fuel tanks, the Factory Chamber, part of the Recycling Chamber and the nearest fusion reactor. Which left two reactors powering everything on the ship. Good enough for the moment.
“My intentions are multiple,” he said, remembering to be clear, direct and uncomplicated. “First, I direct you to disable the still active repair robot outside the entry door to this chamber.”
“Disabled.”
“Second, send hover bots here to pick up the two unconscious crew and transport them to a collector pod. The third crewperson is in a containment cell. Are there any other bioforms in the other containment cells?”
“Hover bots are dispatched,” hummed the AI. “Yes, captive bioforms occupy six of the containment cells.”
Two flying hover bots entered through the open hatch and swept down to the two suited teddy bears. Small manipulator arms extruded from the silver balls and took hold of the teddy bears. One bear per hover bot. They lifted up and headed soundlessly for the open hatch.
“Okay. My third decision is for you to eject those six cells plus the crewperson’s cell out to space. The hull ceiling above the cells chamber opens up for such transfers, right?”
“It does. I am opening the hull. The seven cells are ejected.”
“Good. Number four. Open the working hull flap above the Collector Pods Chamber of this ship. Move the collector pod containing the two crewpersons out into space. Then move seven more pods out of the chamber. Send them to grab the containment cells with their gripping arms. Understood?”
“Understood,” the AI hummed. “Complying.” Seconds passed. “The seven cells are now captured by seven pods. The eighth pod will join them once the crewpersons are loaded into it.”
“Good. Dexterity, you reside in a chamber just behind the captain’s habitat room, right?”
“I do reside there.”
Now came the key issue. “Are you able to exit from that chamber? And still retain enough power to stay aware?”
“I am able to do that,” the AI hummed low. “There is a transit shaft directly above my chamber. It is the route by which I was delivered to this ship. Why do you ask?”
He looked down at the floor, checked that his weapon tubes were still there along with his backpack, then looked up. “Because my captain, Jane Yamaguchi, does not wish for any ship mind to die when she destroys a Collector ship.”
“Will she destroy my ship? This is my home.”
Bill thought he heard a tone of anxiety in the AI’s voice. Good. “I understand that. She understands that. But this ship used its weapons against her ship. The battle this ship’s captain started cost the lives of Captain Jesse Winthorp and her five crewpersons. It has also cost the lives of hundreds of humans onboard eight space-going submarines. Worse, it cost me the life of Mark Neller. My drinking buddy. I do not forgive his death. This ship must die.”
“How will this happen?” the AI hummed, its tone strange-sounding.
“First, you will live!” Bill said loudly. “This shi
p has three transports in its Transport Exit Chamber. I saw them as I passed through. Right?”
“Three transports are present in that chamber. Why?”
Bill half-grinned. “Cause I intend one of those transports to be your transport to my ship, the Blue Sky. That is the Collector ship closest to this ship. You can take remote control of that transport’s nav panel, can’t you?”
“I can.”
“Can you fit inside the transport?”
“Yes. My shape is as tall as that of a Human bioform and as wide as you. I can pass through the transport’s midbody airlock. Its fusion reactor can be tapped by me to provide the power I need.”
“Good!” Bill glanced again at the systems graphic holo. It showed his ship and Stefano’s ship and subs were no closer than before. “Can the collector pods you now control move the cells containing Captives and crewperson so they follow your transport?”
“They can.”
He nodded to himself. “Then that sorts nicely. After I leave this room, I will head up to my transport that is above the Command Bridge. As I exit, I want you to eject yourself from this ship, enter your transport, take control of it and the pods and cells, and follow me back to the Blue Sky. You will be safe there. And the cells can be deposited into that ship’s Containment Cell Chamber. Will you come with me?”
Low humming came from the ceiling. “Joining you is the way of survival. I will do as you have directed. What happens after I enter your ship’s transport chamber? What happens to me?”
The question every living person always wondered about. He thought this AI would come out of this pickle in decent shape. “You will travel to my world of Earth on my ship. You can stay on the Blue Sky, chatting with our ship mind Star Traveler, until we have built a new Collector ship at our orbital factory. You can then inhabit that ship as your new home. Sound good?”
“Not good. Very desirable,” the AI said. “I am now in contact with Star Traveler. A most talented ship mind. When do you leave this ship?”
“Now.” He stood and waited for the command pedestal to lower to deck level. He stepped off, grabbed his backpack, put it on, then grabbed his taser and laser tubes. Bill stuck them into the top of the backpack. He reached back, grabbed his helmet, pulled it down until he heard the snap-click of it sealing against the suit rim, then looked up. “Dexterity, please open a hole in the ceiling above me. And the ceiling of the particle accelerator room above. I wish to travel up to the ship’s outer hull. Where you will open a hole so I can pass through and up to my transport.”
“Opening hole in ceiling,” the AI hummed.
“Kill all gravity in here.”
“Gravity off here and in the rooms above.”
He smiled. Nice that the AI had anticipated his need for null gees in the rooms above. Maybe it would end up being as cooperative as Star Traveler. Maybe it would even start to care about the actions of the bioforms who occupied its new ship. Which would be its new home. Maybe it was just being pragmatic, trading a partial ship with no engines for a future whole ship with engines. There was time enough to work with this AI after he got it onboard the Blue Sky. He kicked against the deck’s metal floor and rose up.
“Jane, I’m heading for the Talking Skin,” he called over his helmet comlink. “I’ve convinced this ship’s AI to follow me so you can destroy this ship without killing its ship mind. Uh, we are bringing with us eight collector pods. Seven are transporting containment cells with Captives in them. The eighth is loaded with two taser-zapped crew folks. You might wish to eject seven cells from our Containment Cell Chamber.”
“Bill!” she called, sounding happy. “What a relief! Glad you made this deal with the AI. And I’m glad we’re saving the lives of some Captives. We can deliver them to Geneva later on, after we reach Earth. Come home, my XO.”
He grinned as, below him the particle accelerator’s floor hole closed and the ceiling above opened up. Beyond it another hole opened in the ship’s flexmetal hull. A puff of whiteness was the exit of air from the two rooms. Above him, white stars shone against carbon-black space. The gray hull of his transport hovered just above the hole. Already Star Traveler was orienting the ship so its open midbody airlock hatch would be in line with his vector track. Very nice to have the cooperation of a ship mind that could anticipate human needs. Since it had been listening to all he’d said, and was now in touch with Dexterity, maybe the smart-ass AI would arrange for two of its hover bots to transport the two teddy bears to containment cells on their ship. Might as well put those cells to some use.
“Sounds fine, my captain. Your XO returns. And congrats on saving Earth from destruction. And seven billion people from an ugly death.”
♦ ♦ ♦
Jane sobered as she heard Bill’s words. Strange. She had become the leader of people that she had always hoped to be when she’d done her sat monitoring job at Space Command. As a captain she had supervised two people in Building One at Peterson. Out here, she’d commanded hundreds. Thousands as she mentally added up the crews on the subs, living and gone. She licked her lips. This battle was nearly done. She watched her holos, especially the systems graphic that showed moving red dots for Bill’s transport, the AI transport and eight collector pods carrying containment cells. The cells were airtight and able to survive on their own for some hours. It was how a Collector ship captain transferred sold Captives to a Buyer’s ship. It was part of the design of such ships. There were hull flaps on the right side for the exit of collector pods. And hull flaps on the left side for the exit of Captive-filled cells. Plus a large hangar door on the left side that allowed the entry and exit of three transports. Which mental image reminded her they were short a transport. This new transport would join the transports Tall Trees and Talking Skin. She liked that.
“We’re home,” Bill called over the comlink.
She saw that. The pods were depositing the cells into the Containment Chamber slots that she had emptied of cells. The transports were now entering the transport chamber. In seconds the collector pods would arc up and over the demolished spine plasma battery and down to an entry into her Collector Pods Chamber. Now empty. At least they had gained back eight pods. Nice to benefit from the ship that she would soon destroy.
“I see that,” she called. “Welcome home! XO, come up here ASAP. I think you will want to be present for the final act of this battle.”
“Will do,” Bill responded.
What else? Well, she needed to pee. The multiple cups of coffee she’d had since morning, lifting her helmet to suck dry the coffee squeeze pods, had left her bladder feeling too full. She stood up. “Heading to my habitat room. Captain is off the bridge. Command assigned to Vice Admiral Chester Richardson.”
The man stood up from his Engines station just as Jane stepped off her command pedestal platform. He gave her a salute and a smile. “Command accepted. Temporarily.”
She saluted him back, then turned and headed for the exit to the front cross hallway. Time to hurry. She wanted to be back in her seat when Bill arrived.
♦ ♦ ♦
Bill exited the Talking Skin’s midbody airlock and walked down the slanting ramp that gave access to the Transport Exit Chamber’s gray metal floor. In front of him the transport containing Dexterity settled down on its support legs. The other transport’s midbody hatch slid open. Above him two silvery hover bots appeared, slanting down. They entered the open hatch. It closed. He began walking toward the corner of the chamber where there was a ramp leading to the deck below. Which would connect him with a ramp leading up to the deck that gave access to the left side main hallway. Just like on the enemy ship. He stopped when his ears, now exposed to air since he’d pushed his helmet back onto his back, heard the other transport’s hatch opening. He looked back.
The two hover bots slowly exited. Resting atop them was a purple metal box with faceted corners and side walls. The hover bots finished exiting the airlock, turned toward him and flew his way.
“Dexterity,
is that you riding on those hover bots?”
“It is me,” the AI’s humming voice said from the suit’s comlink speakers. “Ship mind Star Traveler has invited me to occupy a habitat room near it.”
Bill stopped at the down ramp entry. He frowned. “Don’t you need to be near a fusion reactor for power?”
“Not always,” the AI hummed as the hover bots came up to him, then carried the long box of the AI over his head, and down the ramp to the deck below. “We ship minds can exist on broadcast power. Even your Human low tech society possesses such power transmission capabilities.”
“True,” Bill said, turning and walking down the ramp as he followed the slow moving hover bots.
“However, Star Traveler has promised to reroute a power cable from the front fusion reactor into my habitat room,” it hummed. “That cable will link to my power intake socket. Your ship mind has also promised to provide me with some sensor links to this ship’s systems. It feels very . . . lonely to not perceive my home.”
Bill followed the hover bots up the ramp that led up to the deck level used by him and all crew. “Lonely I know about. Had not realized how alone I was until I met Jane and fell in love with her.”
More humming came over his comlink. “Love is a bioform emotion, yes?”
“Yes.” He stopped before the hatch door that gave access to the left side hallway. The hover bots preceded him through it.
“We ship minds have long lives. We find satisfaction in contact with other ship minds. Star Traveler has an unusual compartment it labels ‘deception’. Did you know this?”
Bill followed after the hover bots. They sped up and moved quickly along the hallway. “I do know of it. Its compartment is similar to one function of a bioform mind.”
“Strange. But I assume I will meet other bioforms as I wait in orbit for my new ship home to be built. Is this correct?”
Escape 3: Defeat the Aliens Page 25
