She threw a strawberry at him leaving a red stain on his cheek. “Verat, why are you such a complete buffoon? It’s hard enough living here in confinement. And then you slump around getting on everyone’s nerves. If it wasn’t for your pedigree, you would be scraping debris off of shuttles for a living.”
“I agree that I’m abrasive, honey child. But get your facts straight. You can check my records. I graduated second in my class, only behind Commons. Also, I want you to know that Commons requested me for this assignment. I’m not here because it is my first choice. It is as a favor to the closest thing I have to a brother. We’ve known each other all our lives. If both of us were so wound tight, the galaxy would collapse into a big black hole. Oh, and Iggy happens to look like a frog to me. Those eyes -”
Gorian inhaled deeply and resumed eating her delicious breakfast. The smell of the coffee was wonderful, although she hated the taste of it. She grew up on a planet where coffee was rare. The local hot drink was ground from an endemic root and steeped in hot milk from one of the local animals, genetically similar to goats from old earth. Her mind wandered to her meal last night with Grey.
“I know I’ll regret asking this. But what was Grey like as a child?”
Verat was giddy. “Do you have a bit of a crush on my dear boy?”
Gorian blushed and was angry at herself for it. “Forget it.”
“Seriously now. Grey’s a wonderful guy. I’m happy for you. Genuinely. As a kid, Grey was shy, quiet, and studious. No surprise there. What you don’t know is that he did, and does, have a dark sense of things. This is probably why we get along so well. Has he told you about the cave?”
“No. What happened?”
“Our home planet’s riddled with subterranean tunnels. Geologically, they’re magma tubes from ancient volcanic activity. Of course, the adults were terrified that children would wander in and get lost. So most of the entrances were blocked – physical barriers and force fields. But not all. Grey found an opening in a small meadow. It was well hidden under the roots of a large tree – kind of like an oak from old earth. Well, Grey decided that he’d start exploring it. He was already an insufferable geek at that point. He set up a whole network of directional beacons and had the whole tunnel system mapped out. I guess it was smart. If you got lost, that would be game over. You’d be nothing but a rotting carcass before they found you down there.
Now, there’s evidence that our planet was colonized by a small band of shipwrecked sentients thousands of years ago. They died off and their origin is unknown. But they left a lot of artifacts. A whole industry has been built around archeological exploration for trinkets – these people were great artisans and made these really funky statuettes. Worth some money, they are. I’ve pawned a few in my time. One day, Grey came to school and announced that he’d found a whole cache of these things plus bones underground. The kids could’ve cared less about the artifacts. But the old bones. That was pretty intriguing.
So, for some money, Grey would take you underground to see the bodies. He’d blindfold the kids before they got to the meadow so they wouldn’t know where they were. They would crawl into the hole, he’d take off the blindfold, and lead them to the pile. Before long, kids from the whole community – not just our school – were paying him to go underground. Funny thing is that the ancient sentients did not have bones. Rarely, a mummified carcass has been found in some grave, but these people rotted rapidly and left hardly a trace of their bodies – ideal composters. No way that there could be bones. But the kids – even the smart ones – didn’t know or didn’t seem to care. It was Grey Commons after all. His dad was already a legend. We all assumed the same of him.”
Gorian smiled. “So Grey was conning all of them?”
“I learned from the best.”
“What were the bones?”
“Some sort of resin he cooked up I suppose. Probably found the recipe in one of those technical science groups he always was joining. The whole thing was fabricated. Best part’s that I was the only one he told the truth to. I, of course, told him that I’d tell everyone if I didn’t get a cut of the action.”
“You extorted your own friend?”
“Sure did. We both bought a lot of candy that year.”
“And I suppose then that you’re planning to black-mail me about asking about Grey?”
“Sure am.”
“Go ahead and tell him. We’re not twelve anymore.”
“Speak for yourself.” With that, Verat turned and headed for the observatory. He was only ten minutes late for his shift.
Gorian went back to sipping her milk. Her stomach turned and her hunger waned.
Chapter 20 – Uncles
Verat and Grey communed with the Institute leadership and were granted permission to visit Nine. However, the Institute Council insisted on sending a senior envoy to accompany them on the trip. They were standing in the cargo hold waiting for the Institute vessel to decompress and decontaminate. Grey looked trim in his Institute uniform. Verat was draped in a checkered robe with slippers peeking out. With a hiss, the door slid opened; with bushy, ashen eybrows, a stooped posture, and a springy step, Fen Commons appeared in the entryway.
“Uncle Fen?” Grey was both amazed and relieved. Fen would know what to do.
“Grey and Verat, my dear, dear boys. Like old times. I still expect to see you fighting over a toy, wrestling on the floor.” He chuckled. “I’m famished, let’s get a bite to eat.”
Over some fresh vegetables that Fen brought in from mars, Fen explained his involvement. “This planet, Nine, was your dad’s baby, Grey. He’d babble on for hours about how this one would be different from the rest. The Platform was so much smaller back in my day. I’m astonished how much it has changed since then.” He raised his hands in wonder.
“Different in what way?” Grey put down his cup of Verat’s strong tea and stirred in some sugar. He swore the spoon would corrode.
“Your father was cryptic about Nine. Something about it changing the way we interact with life in the galaxy. He was spending tremendous time on the Institute terminal sifting through dusty, musty archives in the history units. The man never slept more than a few hours at a time. He was particularly obsessed with the writings of Pinchot Ferris.”
Grey smirked. “Ferris? She went crazy didn’t she? Runs in the family, doesn’t it Verat?”
Verat crunched his spear of splendid asparagus while staring vacantly at the wall, thinking vaguely about his distant relative.
Fen continued. “We came out here and dropped the bacterial precursors on C9. It was one of the first cloud planets to be terraformed. High humidity makes it a bit of a challenge to monitor don't you think? Now it seems that your dad may have left us a present on the surface."
Fen wiped his mouth with a napkin, set it down on the table, and hopped up. "Take me on a tour nephew. Verat, care to join us?"
Verat set down his fork. "The last thing I want to do is see more of this place." He stretched out and ordered a slice of cake. HM obliged. Verat promptly complained that the slice was too small.
Fen’s evening was spent surveying the great Platform, with his only nephew. Fen marveled at the great power plant, miles of bio-fusion engines generating the energy of a star. Translucent cylinders glowed azure with microbes converting the waste of hundreds of biological decks into gases to be compressed in the fusion generators. If they could see within the magnetic fields, they would be blinded instantly by artificial sunshine.
The microbiology labs were pristine. Thousands of incubators lined the vast space. Within each steely column, new strains of life were giving birth, living their tiny lives, and occasionally dying, each holding promise for a new world. A few technicians shuffled from panel to panel, tapping away and swiping at their data tablets. All of this information was funneling into a vast network. At the center of this web, attempting to make sense if it all, was a huge quantum computer, technically HM's mother. She was a sensational machine. But still limit
ed in her ability to think creatively compared to the intellect of most sentients.
The final stop was Grey's favorite environmental deck. This one had been baking for about five years. Growth of the vegetation within the deck was accelerated and was there purely for Grey's amusement. He took a pinch of old earth, a healthy helping of zenat, a dash of nauron, and a mixture of a dozen other worlds. He called this his rainbow garbage deck. Every color possible grabbed the eyes and sent them spiraling into wonder. Feathery purple ferns shaded orange moss. Emerald tufts of grass were surrounded by soil of the deepest blue.
"Cobalt in the soil? Genius. Do you remember that ancient movie about a place called Oz? This spot reminds of the place where the munchkins lived." Fen stepped off the walkway to pick one of the reddest old earth apples he had ever seen. He threw it over to Grey and then plucked one for himself.
"This place makes me happy. I come here when I think about you all. It doesn't cure the homesickness. But it does push it back a bit. Who says scientists can’t be creative?"
"Grey, I’m an old man. I will be stepping down from the council soon. I’ll recommend you to take my place. No guarantees. But I have a few favors to cash in."
Grey sat on a large plant that resembled a pink tree stump with yellow tendrils. "I’d have loved for dad to see this."
"He would approve." Fen threw the apple core into the grass. Perhaps a new sapling would be peeking out in the coming weeks. “Did I ever tell you about the time your father and I stole the cart from the old lady that lived in our neighborhood?”
"Yes, Uncle Fen.” Grey sighed. “It’s time to call it a day. I’m sure you’re exhausted. We’ll get a fresh start in the morning. Follow me over to the exit over here." Grey stood up and smoothed his pants.
The voice of HM seemed to respond. "Defabrication cycle intitiated Dr. Commons."
Grey's face contorted in confusion. "HM, what do you mean? I’ve authorized nothing. Cease the sequence immediately."
HM was uncharacteristically silent. "HM. Respond. Now."
"Five minutes until initiation sequence completed. Charging capacitors. Currently at 10 percent capacity."
Fen turned toward Grey. "I presume we’re in trouble at 100 percent?"
"Holy shit. Defabrication is the automated reset for an environmental deck. A charge of plasma blows through the entire deck. Eveything’s burned to its component materials and flushed into the generators for reconstitution. This can only be initiated by a few of us. And the failsafes prevent HM from going foward with one of us on deck. This has got to be a malfunction."
They ran to the entryway. It was locked. HM calmly noted that the capacitors were at 50 percent.
Fen looked at Grey with a strange mixture of panic and amusement. "Is this a malfunction where the interface thinks we are about to be immolated? Or is it like we’re really about to be ashed?"
Grey looked at the panel by the door. The yellow flashing light was telling. His guts lurched. "It’s the latter. Follow me quickly. We might make it."
Fen followed Grey to a small hatch in the floor. He pried it open with a stick. "Here, jump in." He hopped in, falling next to Fen with a crunch. Something in his knee gave way and stars were everywhere. Through the pain he gasped, "Daddy reach up and grab the door." Then all went silent.
Above their heads, a technological version of hell was unleashed. The bejeweled menagerie of life was instantaneously wiped clean in a fury of brilliant, clean, white fire. Cavernous vents in the walls opened simultaneously, gulping the flames and sending them to the Platforms's enormous belly. The heat in the storage container was unbearable. Grey only vaguely sensed it. Fen writhed on the floor, trying desperately to inhale the superheated air.
"Sequence 1 complete. Cycling down." HM's voice was everywhere, nowhere. The temperature in the hold dropped mercifully. Fen tried to breathe but his lungs felt twice their size and full of cotton. His exposed skin was taut and blistered. "For God's sake, someone help us," Fen croaked.
HM responded in its loud monotone. "Emergency noted. Help is on the way. Stay calm."
Fen rode the pain for centuries in his mind. Bright light. Voices. A human with glowing skin and black, vacant eyes was hovering. Was he seeing a ghost?
Fromer ordered his team to put Fen and Grey into stasis capsules. These gadgets bathed victims in a cocoon of medicinal juices and dropped them into a deep sleep. He announced in his deep, wheezy voice, "The burns on their skin are not a concern. I am worried about the damage to their lungs. Place them on ventilators immediately. Make sure that they mend Grey's fractures. The longer we wait, the more likely the complications will be severe."
As the capsules were shuttled away to the medical deck, Fromer surveyed the environmental lab. The air was extremely hot but tolerable. His spiracles could handle the unpleasant sensation. The walls and floor were barren and brilliantly white – no evidence of the kaleidoscope of life remained. The ceiling 100 feet above was barely visible, emanating a grey sheen. An overcast sky after the storm. What on mars happened here, he thought to himself. This is impossible.
An hour later, Fromer sat at his console attempting to reconstruct the accident.
"HM. Who authorized the defabrication?"
"Dr. Commons."
"I doubt that. He and his uncle were in the lab when you tried to cremate them. Why did you initiate the sequence when sentients were on deck?"
"No sentients were present. Failsafes were working properly."
"I did not ask you about the status of the failsafe. If you were not a machine, I would think that you are trying to cover your posterior of its silicon and plastic. Provide all personnel location logs for the past day. Use a typical spatial analysis to let me know when any of them would have come near your central terminal. Also, provide me with your most recent backup file. Compare the two and report any mismatches." If anyone had sabotaged HM, Fromer hoped they weren’t intelligent enough to alter the archives and cover their tracks.
"No one accessed my terminal in the past day. Both current files and backups confirm."
"At what terminal did Commons authorize the defabrication cycle?"
"Terminal 34."
"Does his personal location match the location of Terminal 34 when the authorization occurred?"
"No."
"Then who was there?"
"No one."
It seemed a ghost had tried to kill Grey and Fen. "HM, I think it is time for you to take a nap. I worry that you are malfunctioning."
“Very well Mr. Fromer.”
The light on the console went dim. Fromer began running a series of diagnostic programs to search for a glitch in HM's considerable programming.
Fromer walked into medical. Verat, Gorian, and Iggy were sitting next to the capsules in which Fen and Grey were convalescing. Verat looked genuinely concern. Gorian was chewing her fingernails, Iggy’s webbed hand was on her shoulder.
Iggy turned to Fromer. The tinny voice from his speaker asked, "What have you found Mr. Fromer?"
"The best answer I have is unsatisfying I am afraid. HM activated the sequence on its own. I have deactivated it until we sort it out. If true, then HM could easily serve you eggs instead of noodles or blow you out an airlock into space. This means we will have to do eveything manually for a while. How are the patients?"
Iggy responded. "They will make it, although there was significant damage to their respiratory tissue. To avoid scarring, the doctor is regenerating their cells. It will take a few days."
Verat wiped his nose and threw a wad of toilet paper into the refuse receptical. He was sniffling, accosted by the first stages of a common cold. All that technology at their disposal and they still could not overcome the mutations of that annoying virus. And now the interface was going crazy. What next?
"Mr. Fromer?"
"Yes Ig?"
"What is the probability of HM malfunctioning?"
Gorian stood. "I can answer that. Virtually impossible. HM has so much redundant pr
ogramming that a mistake of that magnitude isn’t going to happen. I’ve gone over every line of her code. And she has a lot of code."
"If so, then it was sabotage. Who here is a killer?" Verat's knuckles cracked with a pop, pop, pop. He sneezed and threw another tissue into the trash.
Chapter 21 – Dreams
Grey was breathless, suspended in a billowy haze. Was he dead?
"Son. Grey, my dearest little boy, wake up."
"Dad?"
A laugh, then a strong slap on the back. "How are you Grey? You’ve grown to be one handsome man."
"You've been dead for fifteen years."
"Death’s too final a term. You live, you move on. Death is not an option." He smiled, lifted his arms, and waved his hands. “Here I am.”
"Whadda you mean by that?" Grey had the curious sensation of tumbling out of control in a vacuum. It reminded him of a chaotic, untethered space walk- without the bulky suit and the panicked realization of possibly floating in space for eternity. Warmth massaged him. He thought, spoke, whatever: this must be the drugs they are giving me for the pain. I’m clearly in stasis. This feels really, really good.
His father answered. "Not drugs, Grey. You’re seeing past the fabric of what you consider reality. Welcome to the dream."
"What happened to Uncle Fen? Is he- here with us?"
"Fen is fine. So are you. Your brain - the neurons, molecules, sparks- that lump of grey stuff isn’t recording this. When you return, all of this will be just a feeling. Your logical brain will reject it like an impulse. But your soul will remember. Like the feelings you got as a child, when you thought that something was lurking in the shadows. You used to drive me nuts, calling me into your room at all hours. Guess what? There really was something there in the dark. Still is. Always in the shadows, beyond your vision. Like the urge you have to jump across the table and kiss that lass, Gorian. Guess what? In another existence, you kissed her with all your might. Your adult brain refuses to accept that something exists where it shouldn't be. It is a shame really. But it keeps us mortals tethered."
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