Running With Argentine

by William Lee Gordon

  Back then, the Admiral had ordered Major Jacoby to discreetly but thoroughly search the scientific community for any type of research into this new area of physics.

  For the hundredth time, he reread the original message found lased inside the three thousand year old crystal…

  Directed To: Admiral Federico Sanchez, Terran League Space Navy (or his predecessors or successors)

  We are pleased to report that the T.L.S. Roosevelt has successfully completed her first temporal jump.

  Our biggest challenge so far has been figuring out how to conceal a message to the future.

  Our first jump was only a few thousand years which I think is a result of our nervousness with the new technology. Obviously, this does not take us back far enough along the space-time stream to aid our mission. Initially, I was in a great hurry to correct this and jump again when I realized that spending a little time in this era will in no way 'slow us down' in the pursuit of our mission objective.

  You warned me that I could tie myself up in mental knots trying to think this stuff through – and I almost did it anyway.

  At the end of this report please find a synopsis of our discrete observations of what life was like at this point in Earth's history. I think our historians had gotten most of it right, but there are a few major surprises.

  Our engineers have an idea of how to disguise this message well enough that it should survive and find you in the future. Once we have accomplished that task, we will be taking a much deeper dive into the past.

  We have taken to heart the prohibitions on not disclosing our mission or technology to anyone we encounter. Having said that, one unanticipated lack of discretion that I would like to take full responsibility for is, I hope, an inconsequential offense.

  We have visited a number of different locations on earth during this time period.. We severely restricted any involvement with the locals and any impressions they have of us would have been captured by observation, not interaction.

  Having said that, we belatedly realized that many of them were starting to emulate us. They seem particularly taken with our interface circlets.

  This imitation seems to be restricted to the leaders of the various groups, clans, tribes, or societies that we encountered.

  Our historians assure me that our own earth histories do not include tiaras or circlets used to designate royalty. Hopefully, we haven't altered the timeline by creating a new tradition. I might suggest that you research your own earth histories on the off chance that you might find some fleeting mention of this practice.

  Rest assured, the captain and crew of the Roosevelt hold serving mankind as our highest purpose.

  Captain Jaime Rodriguez, T.L.S. Roosevelt

  The admiral laid the report back down on the table.

  He vividly remembered his reaction the first time he’d read it: He knew damn well there wasn’t a T.L.S. Roosevelt in the Terran Fleet, and Who was this Captain Jaime Ramires?

  CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE

  Manipulation

  Aboard the Roosevelt

  "So the Captain wants us to spend tomorrow figuring out how well we can actually control the ship," Mandi mused.

  "Yep," Sami replied. "I'll get to wear my interface all day long and there isn't anything you can do about it," she said and immediately blew a raspberry at Mandi.

  Mandi laughed… "You've been wearing it all day! I just asked you to take it off so we could talk… You can go without it for an hour, can't you?"

  "I can talk much better with it on," Sami said stubbornly.

  "No you can't. Honestly Sami, you're off in dreamland half the time anyway; when you're wearing that thing you're almost impossible!" she said with a grin.

  Sami threw a pillow at her… "So what did you want to talk about?"

  "Oh, I don't know," Mandi said unconvincingly. "I just wondered what your thoughts were about what we should do after tomorrow…"

  "Doesn't that depend on how well we can control the ship?"

  "Maybe, but Sami you tell me… Are you having any trouble?"

  "No! It's wonderful," she said with a huge smile.

  "Yeah, and I'm willing to bet it will be the same for most everyone else too… So, I'm simply saying we’ll probably have a lot of options."

  "Options? Like what?"

  "Well… There's nothing that says we have to sell the ship…"

  Sami didn't say anything…

  And then, "That's not the plan. We're just trying to get away and earn enough credits that we can settle down to a normal life somewhere."

  "That's their plan, Sami," Mandi said gently. "Are you really telling me that you're willing to give up astrogation? Do you really want to settle down on some remote moonlet and live a normal life?"

  "No! I'm not going to… I mean, I'll still find jobs…"

  Mandi was shaking her head…

  "Sami, I'm sure that Argentine would support you in whatever life you choose, but if you continue astrogating you'll be saying goodbye to him."

  "I could still go see him between gigs," she said defiantly.

  "Of course you could, but it wouldn't be very often and… Is that what you really want? I know you see him kind of as a father… Do you really want to be away from him that much?"

  Sami swallowed hard and didn't say anything.

  "Listen Sami, what if you didn't have to give up either?"

  ΔΔΔ

  "Don't you think it's time we had a conversation?" Mandi asked.

  Doctor Amaya turned around and leaned back against one of the counters in the hospital…

  "Why?"

  "Why what?"

  "You're implying that there is some reason we should want to know each other… Why is that?"

  "No," Mandi said. "I mean, yes… I guess I am. After all, we're two independent women that are relative outsiders to this crew…"

  "So what?"

  "So, maybe we might find it beneficial to stick together…"

  "Stick together against whom?"

  "You're really not going to make this easy, are you?"

  "Nope… Look, I really don't have anything against you," she said as she started fiddling with some medical equipment. "But you're a little bit of a manipulator and a game player; I don't want to have anything to do with that.

  "I'm just glad to have gotten away from Trinity… I'm happy with that and I don't want to rock the boat."

  "It must've been terrible there," Mandi said in an honestly sympathetic voice.

  "You have no idea."

  "Did you leave anyone behind?"

  "No… Yes. You mean the thousands of people like me that the Lords used and abused? Yeah, I left them all behind. I got out and they didn't… But I can't help that."

  "What if you could?"

  "Could what?"

  "Could help them? What if you could make a difference? The Lords can't stay in power forever. Surely there are good people there that could take over if they just had the chance?"

  "No offense, but I've been in blood up to my elbows patching together so-called resistance fighters. As long as the Lords have the weapons, and as long as the Asperian Military protects them, nothing's going to change."

  The silence stretched out until Mandi finally said, "You know, a powerful ship like this could change the equation…"

  "I told you," Doctor Amaya said sternly. "I don't want anything to do with your schemes…"

  ΔΔΔ

  "I had no idea she was hurting so badly," Mandi said.

  "What are you talking about?" the lieutenant asked warily.

  She'd just happened to walk into the mess when he was sitting down for a cup of coffee…

  "The doctor… She's in a lot of pain."

  "What happened?" he said half standing…

  Mandi held her hands out and said, "No, no… Nothing’s happened. I just meant that her experience on Trinity has left her with a lot of pain."

  "What do you know about it?" Lieutenant Stark narrowed his eyes and aske
d.

  "Nothing, really. It's just some of the things she said… I know that leaving all those people behind on Trinity… Not being able to help the resistance… I can just tell it weighs on her.

  "Can't you?"

  The lieutenant didn't respond and Mandi switched the subject…

  "So, what do you plan on doing once you get your nest egg?"

  "Why do you want to know?"

  "No reason; I'm just curious. Everyone seems to have plans of some type or other. The captain wants to settle down in some cabin by a lake and forget the universe. I heard Barry say something about wanting to become a professional light sail racer…

  "What about you, Lieutenant? What are your plans?"

  After a moment he said, "My plans are to keep all my options open. Making definite plans has a way of leading to disappointment."

  "Ouch! So cynical. Don't you have dreams? Things that you want to do?"

  "If I did, do you really think I'd share them with you? We only met not that long ago and the majority of the things that come out of your mouth haven't been true… No offense Mandi, but you're not exactly the type of person I would confide in."

  "Okay, okay…" She said holding her hands up. "Excuse me for trying to be friendly. I’ll go find someone else to talk to."

  She got up and exited the mess. As soon as she turned the corner a confident grin appeared on her face.

  CHAPTER SEVENTY-FOUR

  Virtual VR

  Aboard the Roosevelt

  "Finally!" Argentine heard the voice in his head say. “Now you can actually hear me!”

  Still lying in his bunk he opened his eyes to see the young girl sitting on the bed beside him.

  "No, don't get up," she said. "If you'll keep your mind relaxed we can communicate like this."

  Argentine settled back into his bed.

  "I've been waiting for you to wear the tiara when you sleep," she explained.

  "So you weren’t a dream… You’re Paula Silva," he said softly.

  "You figured it out!" she said with a big smile. "She told me you were smart."

  "Who told you?"

  "Sami. Well, actually… They both did. Mandi mentioned something like that too."

  "She did?"

  "So, have you figured out what you're going to do with our Roosevelt?"

  "Wait a minute… Paula, how are we having this conversation? You’re…"

  "Dead?" she laughed. "Yes Captain, you're technically right… Although I know several philosophers that might argue the point with you. The Roosevelt is a very special ship in a lot of different ways…

  "We have the ability at death to upload our consciousness into the ship. You wouldn't believe the virtual world I live in!"

  Her expression turned somewhat sad…

  "It's a little bit lonely though… There aren't near as many of us in here is were supposed to be. But I've got my father back!" she suddenly said with excitement.

  "Paula, I don't understand," Argentine said, feeling a little overwhelmed.

  "Do you remember when I… Passed away?"

  "Yes…" he said hesitantly.

  "Where was I?"

  "You were sleeping on an examination table in the hospital."

  "In the neural mapping room at the hospital," she reminded him. "The ship's computer detected that my biology was failing and asked me if I wanted to upload my consciousness… What would you do?"

  "So, you're really still alive?"

  "I think that's still technically a point of debate, but since it feels that way to me I choose to believe that yes, I'm alive. I think that's the important thing, don't you?"

  Argentine couldn't argue with that.

  "If you live in the computer, how is it that I can see you?"

  "You're not seeing me, silly. You're seeing a hologram of me. Or rather, a hologram of the way the ship last remembers me.

  "I actually prefer the younger look, don't you?"

  "So the rest of the crew, they’re in there with you?" he asked.

  Her face grew dour again…

  "No, mostly it’s just people like my dad that passed away before we lost the ship. The majority of the crew was brought planet-side when they were hijacked. There was no way for them to upload…"

  "What about the officers that stayed with the ship?" Argentine asked.

  "Some of them are here," she said. "But most of them didn't make it to the neural mapping room."

  Argentine had a sudden thought…

  "Paula, can you run the ship? Will the ship take orders from you or your… Friends?"

  "We're supposed to advise only, but without an official crew… Who knows?"

  "Paula, this is very important… Can they help us run the ship?"

  "That's a complicated question, Captain. Most of the old-timers, the people like my dad… they passed away centuries ago. They've kind of lost interest in your world."

  When Argentine furrowed his brow she hurriedly explained…

  "You have to understand, time in here passes so much faster than it does for you… These people have spent the equivalent of thousands of years here. You just have no idea…"

  That brought Argentine up short. What would it be like to survive for thousands of years? Would his priorities be the same at the end of it? Probably not…

  "What about the officers that died when the ship was lost? Did any of them manage to… Upload themselves?"

  Paula nodded emphatically, like only a sixteen-year-old could…

  "Yes, several of them did. And you're in luck, Captain. They have a very strong sense of purpose. As a matter of fact they know I'm talking with you now."

  "What about the Captain, Paula? I could really use his help!"

  Paula appeared to be choosing her words very carefully…

  "That's… Kind of a problem," she said. "He's here, but…"

  "But what?"

  "He was the very last survivor. By the time he made it to the hospital section he was dying. He managed to crawl into the neural mapping room, but he couldn't really get himself fully onto the table…"

  "And…"

  "And he was only partially uploaded," she said. "So, he's kind of… Insane."

  ΔΔΔ

  Argentine had no idea what to say about that. An insane Captain?

  "Captain, I'm afraid we’re losing the connection. You’re becoming too alert… Too awake."

  "Paula, just tell me… Which other officers might be available to advise us?"

  "We'll need more time," she said with frustration. "Wear the tiara again when you sleep tonight so we can talk more. You need to understand about the mission!"

  "The mission? Paula, right now I need to figure out how to run this ship. Who might be able to advise us?"

  "Commander Entebbe from engineering was able to upload… Along with communications specialists Sanjay and Kiera.

  "Temporal officer Samuelson also made it."

  "Temporal officer?"

  "Oh Captain, …have so… to… about…"

  CHAPTER SEVENTY-FIVE

  Higher Education

  Aboard the Roosevelt

  "Okay, everyone settle down and grab a seat," the chief said loudly to the room. "We've got a lot to go over."

  "Thank you chief," Argentine said as he allowed his eyes to roam over the crew.

  Marco was representing the Petulengro family but except for that, everyone was gathered here in the Officer's Mess.

  Even Gossip had made it; Doctor Amaya had rolled him in on Paula's old wheelchair. Argentine was glad to see him and noticed that he was literally sitting on the chair. He was much too big to fit in it so someone had laid some kind of plank over the armrests and he was sitting on top of that.