Unwilling From Earth

by Andrew Maclure

“What? My Back? Why?”

  “Does it feel sore?”

  “Yes, now you come to mention it. Actually, it’s quite painful.”

  “I’ll put something on it before you get dressed.”

  Mark walked to the bathroom, wondering what Sally was talking about. Maybe he had got some kind of rash. He moved over to the mirror above the basin and turned his back to it, looking at it over his shoulder. “Bloody hell.” He shouted. “What happened to my back!” He ran back into the bedroom where Sally sat up in the bed with her knees up, the pale grey sheet pulled up to her chin.

  “What happened? Have you got knives laying in your bed?”

  “I might have scratched you a little bit.” She said with a small smile.

  “You might have scratched me a little bit! Have you seen my back? I look like I’ve been given a hundred lashes! Have you got steel tipped fingernails?”

  “If you’d paid a bit more attention to me, you might have noticed that I don’t exactly have fingernails.”

  “So what exactly did you do this with? Very sharp skin?”

  Sally pulled one hand out from under the sheet and extended her fingers towards him. “No, with my claws.”

  Mark sat on the bed and took her outstretched hand, examining her fingers. What looked superficially like fingernails, probably because that was what he expected to see, were flattened but sharp claws.

  “You have fingernails because your species is descended from primates. My species ancestors were cat-like creatures, a bit like your lions on Earth. That’s why I can run so fast and leap onto things from a distance, it’s my legacy from the origins of my species. I expect with your primate ancestry you are great at climbing trees.”

  “No I’m not great at climbing trees!” He snapped back. “I’ve got to go and get my ship in a few minutes! My back is probably still bleeding!”

  “No, it's stopped now, almost, but the bed is a bit of a mess. Stop making a fuss. I’ll put something on it that will stop it hurting and make it heal quickly. You didn’t make this much of a fuss when Tk'ng Dach Rrn almost killed you.” Sally said with a sweet smile.

  “Yes but he was trying to kill me. You were just trying to, you were… I’m going for a shower!”

  The hot water stung Mark’s back, which didn’t improve his mood, so good a few minutes ago, now hovering between ‘grumpy’ and ‘really cross’. “Why didn’t you protect me from that?” He demanded from his AI.

  “For three reasons Mark. First, my research of the human archive and on your Internet shows that it is not unusual for the human male to sustain light scratching of the back while mating…”

  “This is not light scratching. And we weren’t mating, we were, well, whatever it was, we weren’t mating!”

  “Really? You were certainly going through the motions with a lot of commitment. Second, if I had adjusted your phase shift protection to the point where no damage had been inflicted on your skin then you would have lost a considerable amount of sensitivity.”

  “Well, we need to find a solution to this. Next time she’ll expose my spine and ribs. What was the third reason?”

  “You seemed to be enjoying yourself so I didn’t want to interrupt.”

  Mark burst out laughing. “OK, that’s a good point. But still, we need to find a way to prevent Sally from flaying me.”

  “Perhaps you could ask her to retract her claws.”

  “She can retract her claws?”

  “Obviously, otherwise I wouldn’t have suggested it. The Aarnth can partially retract their claws. Enough, I believe, to prevent significant damage to your skin in future. By the way, did you know that your back has the thickest skin on your body?”

  “No, I didn’t know, and now I’ll have to make a bit of an effort to forget it.”

  Mark finished showering and walked back into the bedroom towelling his hair.

  “Sorry.” Sally said, though the smile and the look on her face didn’t seem like she meant it.

  “How about next time, you retract your claws?”

  “How did you know I can retract them? Anyway, who says there will be a next time?” She said with a grin.

  “My AI told me. About the claws, I mean, not about whether there will be a next time. The look on your face tells me there will be.”

  “Your AI told you? That shows it's cleverer than you. That’s a relief.”

  “Fuck off. What were you going to put on my back?”

  Sally got out of bed and walked over to the synthesiser.

  ”Shit, she looks good. I’ll forgive the gods that made the rest of my life so shitty for bringing her into my life.” Mark thought, as he watched her walk naked across the room.

  Sally walked back with a tub of transparent gel. “Turn round and I’ll put this on your back.”

  “I’d rather be facing you. The view is much better.”

  Sally grasped his shoulders and turned him round. “There will be plenty of time for that later. Forever if you want. Let’s get you sorted out now though, you’ve got a ship to collect!”

  Sally applied the gel to Mark’s back. It was cooling and the pain went away quickly. The gel dried almost instantly to form a protective layer over the torn skin. “It’s time to go to the command centre.” Mark's AI told him. He hurriedly pulled on a fresh jumpsuit and boots, gave Sally a quick kiss and blinked out.

  Sean The Shipbuilder Hands Over The Keys

  Alan looked up as Mark appeared in the command centre. “You’re early. Couldn’t you find anything useful to do to pass the time?”

  “I found something very useful to do thanks. In fact, I was reluctant to have to stop to come to see you, but I wanted a few minutes with you before it arrived. You said that I didn’t need any training to pilot my craft, but do you have any advice for me?”

  “I am flattered that you came to me to ask. The best advice I can give you is to form a good relationship with the Main AI. You can leave the day to day stuff for your AI to arrange with the Main AI, but talk to it, let it get to know you. Treat it like a sentient, self-aware and highly intelligent entity, because that is exactly what it is. It will act in your best interest in any case, but if you befriend it, you will find everything runs much more smoothly. The same goes for your own AI. Treat all AI’s with respect, they are much more intelligent than you - and that’s not to disparage you, they are much more intelligent than me too.”

  “I hadn’t looked at it like that. I hadn’t thought about making friends with my own AI, but it has been pretty good to me.”

  “Ask the AI’s for advice. They will help you to make difficult decisions, and will make sure that you have the best information available. They will give you advice based on knowledge, experience inherited from other AI’s and a level of unbiased analysis that organic intelligences aren’t capable of.”

  “That’s something to think about. Thanks Alan, I can see that could make my life better. Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

  “You haven’t previously asked me for any advice, all you have shown an interest in is how to make basic use of technology and weapons.”

  “There is so much about the galaxy that I don’t know and don’t understand, I sometimes feel like I am swimming in a sea full of fish but I can’t tell which ones are the sharks. I need all the advice that you can give me. Oops. That metaphor probably didn’t make much sense to you, with the People not having a seafaring background.”

  Alan nodded. “You forget that our AI’s give culturally contextual translations of idioms, I understand what you mean. You are right to be wary. The whole universe is full of people with bad motives. However, you will be travelling with Mike and later on Sally. Mike is wise enough to steer you clear of most trouble, though she has a reputation for finding it, and Sally is the best judge of character that I know, second only to me. You will be safe in their hands. I have just received a message that Sean is about to leave with your craft, so he will be here with it in a few moments. Let us go to the docking
bay and take the shuttle over.”

  They blinked directly to Alan’s shuttle and immediately launched towards the huge new ship that had just appeared two hundred kilometres from Mother.

  Even though Mark’s new ship was considerably smaller than Mother, it still looked massive on the view screen as they approached it. “Let me see, twenty-eight point six kilometres, that’s, er… Kate?” He asked his AI. “How many miles is twenty-eight point six kilometres?”

  “That’s just over seventeen point seven seven miles Mark. And the height at the centre is just over one point four three miles. At the edge, the height is just over one mile.”

  “Thank you Kate, that was very helpful.” Mark said, mindful of Alan’s advice to treat AI’s with respect and to make friends with them.

  The shuttle entered a small landing bay, Mark and Alan disembarked.

  “Wow, I’m standing on my own starship!” Mark exclaimed.

  “Now you are not only the first human to have travelled on a starcraft, but you are also the first to own one.” Alan said. “It will be centuries before another human will have the same privilege, and that will only be able to travel through wormholes.”

  “Can we go and see Sean now for the handover?” Mark asked eagerly.

  Alan nodded. “It is refreshing to see such enthusiasm to get a new craft. We, the People, have become blase over such things. We forget the value of our technology. Come, let’s go to meet Sean.”

  They blinked and Mark found himself in the command centre of the ship. One of the People was sitting at an oval table near the wall opposite the entrance. “Must be a standard feature.” Mark thought.

  He walked up to the table and held out his hand. “You must be Sean.” He said. “I’m Mark.” Sean looked at Mark’s outstretched hand and then looked at Alan.

  “It’s a human greeting ritual.” Alan said. “You respond by grasping his hand in yours and shaking it.”

  Sean stood up and grasped Mark’s hand with his upper right hand and shook it vigorously, like a dog drying itself.

  Alan provided Sean with further instruction on human greeting rituals. “You can let go now.”

  Mark retrieved his hand, surreptitiously checking that it was still functioning properly following such a thorough agitation. “Thank you so much for bringing my craft, Sean. Have you come far?”

  Sean looked at Alan for guidance again.

  “Mark, the question of how far, is meaningless to the people. Sean arrived here as soon as he left. I am used to this type of question though, so if you allow me Sean, I’ll answer for you. In your civilisations method of measuring astronomical distances Mark, the People’s craft assembly facility is approximately eight billion light years away.”

  “I see. I understand your question now Mark.” Sean said. “Now that you have your own craft, you will get used to travelling from one place to another instantaneously and distances will become irrelevant to you. It was no trouble at all to bring your craft here. I am glad to be of assistance to you. You have already gained a reputation within the People. It is unusual for a citizen of a pre-emergent civilisation to become a Friend of the People, but Alan has proven his wisdom and good judgement again. I look forward to meeting you again in the future when you bring your craft back for upgrades and maintenance.”

  “I hadn’t thought about having it serviced. How often will I need to bring it back?”

  “Not frequently. The Main AI will let you know.” Sean answered.

  “Mark, I suggest you acquaint yourself with your Main AI and arrange living quarters for yourself and your travelling companions. Tell your AI to get whatever synthesiser patterns you want from my craft loaded onto your Main AI. Sean and I are going to return to my craft now. Will you return to my craft before you leave?”

  “Yes. If you recall, Mike is going to travel with me, Sally will be joining me later.”

  “Good.” Alan said. “Sean, we’ll go to the landing bay where my shuttle is. Goodbye Mark.” They blinked out together.

  “Sean’s not much of a one for small talk. And I thought there might be a form to sign or keys to hand over.” Mark thought.

  ”Well Kate, we’ve got our own starship now!” Mark addressed his AI. “I’m going to make as much of a change of it now as Alan did to Mother in god knows how many years. Can you change the table top to look like wood, the same as the one on Mother?”

  As Mark stood by the table looking at it, its appearance changed to resemble wood. “That’s great thanks.”

  Mark’s AI responded with “I have ordered you a mug of tea which is in the synthesiser. Why don’t you sit down with it and you can tell me what other changes you would like made.”

  Not Farewell, But Au Revoir

  Mark stepped into his newly made shuttle and sat in the armchair against the wall to the left of the door. Under his AI’s instruction, the shuttle exited the landing bay and made the short journey across to Mother. He blinked to the corridor outside Mike’s quarters and his AI announced him.

  The door slid open and Mike’s voice called out “Come in.”

  Mark stepped into the hot, dry air. Mike was lying on her side on a cushion by the low table. “Have you finished packing?” He asked.

  “Yes.” She replied, pulling her robe up to show a sheath holding a fifteen centimetre bladed knife strapped to her calf, and then, turning her back, she slipped her robe off her shoulders to show a sheath holding a short, narrow-bladed sword strapped across her back.

  “Is that it?” Mark asked, he was expecting her to have a trunk, or at least a rucksack with some possessions.

  Mike stood up and shrugged her shoulders. “What else do I need? Have you got much to bring with you?”

  “No, I haven’t. Everything I brought with me got accidentally recycled just after I came on board, except my mobile phone and I haven’t seen that for ages.”

  “When do we leave?” Mike asked.

  “What’s going to happen to all of this stuff in here?” Mark said waving at the wall hangings and cushions.

  “My AI has told the ship’s Main AI that I’m leaving. When I’m gone, the ship will clear up and recycle it all.” Mike told him.

  “Is that right?” Mark asked his AI.

  “Yes Mark. The Main AI will send bots to recover most of it. The remnants will be absorbed for recycling by the smart materials that the structure is made from.”

  “OK Mike, I need to see Alan briefly before we go and I must speak to Sally too. Do you want to go on ahead by yourself? The Main AI knows you’re coming.”

  Mike thought for a moment, then said “I think I may go on ahead. Do you have a shuttle?”

  “Yes. I’ve sent the location to your AI. Get on board and it will take you to my ship. It will come back for me when you get off. When you get there, the Main AI will tell your AI where your quarters are. You can start customising them or just have a look around the ship and let me know what changes you think we should make.”

  “OK, I’ll leave a cupboard for your quarters, I’ll need the rest of the space for me.”

  “Of course, First Born of the First Family. I bow to your wishes.”

  “Fuck off.” She grinned. “I’ll see you later. Have you eaten lately?”

  “No. Why?”

  “We ought to live like civilised people on your ship, not like army grunts. I’ll prepare a dining area and when you get there, we can eat together.”

  “OK but remember that I am used to sitting in a chair, at a table. Not sprawled across a cushion eating off a plank on the floor.”

  “You may be, but you don’t have to deal with getting your tail comfortable on a chair. Don’t worry, I’ll get it sorted.” With that, she blinked out.

  Mark blinked to Mother’s Command Centre to meet Alan. When he arrived, he found Sean there too.

  “I’m leaving now, but I guess you’ll still get reports on my activities from my AI.” Mark said to Alan.

  “I will indeed Mark, but if you need any
advice at any time and it is not convenient for you to come to meet me, you can meet me in a virtual reality environment anytime you like.”

  “I can? A virtual reality, meeting? How do I arrange that?”

  “Your AI does it. Tell it that you want a virtual reality meeting and it will do it. Didn’t I tell you about that?”

  Mark sighed. “No, of course not. Why haven’t we had any VR meetings before?”

  “We’ve always been close enough that it wasn’t necessary. Why have a virtual reality meeting when you can have a real reality meeting?”

  “Yeah, OK. Anyway, I’m leaving now. Goodbye Sean, thanks again for delivering my craft. Goodbye Alan.”

  “Goodbye Mark. One final piece of advice. Never let a pre-emergent civilisation know that you are a visitor. That includes Earth.”

  “OK.” Mark blinked to the corridor outside Sally’s quarters. The door slid open as he approached it and he walked in.

  Sally looked up. “Grab a drink Mark, we’re almost finished.” She was sitting with what looked like a human male, except his skin was a dark, dusky blue colour. “This is Greth Dak. He was a Major, I’ve promoted him to Lieutenant Colonel.”

  Mark stepped over to him and Greth Dak stood up. Mark held out his hand and after a momentary pause, Greth Dak took Mark’s hand and shook it.

  “Congratulations on your promotion. I confess that I don’t know about you, but I know Sally well enough to know that if she has confidence in you, you’ll do well.” Mark said.

  “It is an honour to meet you Mark. I hope that you will find time to pass on some of your legendary fighting skills to my unit.”

  Mark smiled. “My fighting skills are much exaggerated. I’ve just been a bit lucky.”

  Greth Dak smiled back. “Your modesty is as well known as your prowess.”

  Mark rolled his eyes. “I’ll get a drink.”

  He took a mug of tea from the synthesiser and sat at the table, sipping it while Sally and Greth Dak finished off. Greth Dak took his leave and Sally joined him at the table.

  “How is your back?” She asked him.

  “It’s absolutely fine thanks. Well, apart from having been ripped to shreds by a clawed alien.”