The Lifeboat

by Keith Fenwick

  “Is that it?” General Smith asked, sounding a little underwhelmed. Maybe expecting something far more dramatic without really being able to conceptualise exactly what he expected to see.

  “Yes,” Bruce replied. “The manufacturing units will produce the rockets and the propellant, and once they are ready to go the rockets will fire up and nudge the asteroid on its way.”

  “How long will that take? If we are away for too long, people will notice.”

  Bruce was about to respond with something along the lines of ‘not my problem, mate’ but held his breath for once and prompted by the MPU instead replied, “The units have already kicked into life and have started the mining process. The first stage is to build the manufacturing capability and then they will build the rockets. Robots are already on their way across the asteroid to gather up ice for the propellant.” Bruce paused to let his brain catch up with the MPU’s narrative.

  “The MPU reckons everything should be ready to go and all functionality tested in three or four hours. Hopefully the asteroid will be on its way shortly afterwards, and we can be on our way too.”

  When Bruce stopped to think about it, the capability of the Skidian technology was mind-boggling. Even though he had been exposed to it for some time now, the audacity of the process almost took his breath away. He could understand why the general’s jaw had dropped and the two doctors shook their heads in wonderment as clearly they still couldn’t believe what they were seeing and hearing with their own eyes and ears.

  “Will we be returning straight away so we can begin to monitor the asteroid’s progress and start our programme to put a mission together to visit it?” General Smith asked.

  “I dunno really,” Bruce replied, shrugging his shoulders and fumbling for his smokes. Which he found he had not misplaced after all – he had just failed to pat the right pocket. At the end of the day he found he could not care less what happened to the people around him. He didn’t mean them any harm, but for some reason he intuited that whatever happened, whatever these guys thought they were doing or achieved, none of them were as in control of their own destinies as they believed. Including him, for that matter.

  Even just having a sniff, just knowing some other race had solved some of the seemingly insurmountable challenges that presented themselves to mankind, as they took little baby steps to reach for the stars, meant this group was about to start down a path of developing technology they could never have conceived of even just a few days ago. He sensed their awe at the wonders they were witnessing was coupled with a growing avarice. The general and the old doctor, he could see, were working out the implications of getting their hands on the technological marvels the ship contained.

  For Bruce there was the ongoing issue of Sue and what he was going to do with her. The realisation hit him like a physical punch to the guts. There was no going back now. It might take a bit to untangle their affairs but there was no going back now.

  Bruce glanced across at Sue, who was engaged in an animated conversation with Shelly Shaw. She appeared completely oblivious to the way he felt, which made him a little angry that she appeared totally ignorant of how her behaviour affected the way he felt about her. She probably just thought he was being silly, her stock answer when he raised some point of disagreement with her or anyone else. It was acceptable, it seemed, to be a bit of a hoon at times – before they were married, at least. However, now that they had actually tied the knot Sue seemed to believe he was beholden to some higher force and that was not what he wanted in life, and there was no attempt to compromise by either of them. The very thought of Sue’s high-and-mighty behaviour was enough to make his blood boil.

  But just as quickly – as his face start to tingle – he forced himself to relax and cool down before he did anything he would later regret. “What should we do with them?” he asked the MPU.

  I think we should stay a few hours to monitor the progress of the manufacturing modules and then return to Earth and everyone can get about their business.

  Bruce nodded in agreement. “Makes sense, if this lot is missing for too long someone will notice and start asking questions.” He thought for a moment and then asked, “Is there any way we can shut them up, do the memory thing on them?”

  We can scare them into submission or appeal to their better judgement. Your world isn’t really ready for the arrival of representatives of a sophisticated alien race any more than it is ready for an asteroid impact. Having said, it will be really hard to keep a lid on this. Whatever we do or say, whatever we promise, word of our appearance will get out somehow. The MPU paused for a moment. I can’t do the memory wipe process without a physical technician; besides, too many offworlders know something unusual is going on, even if they don’t know exactly what, and more astronomers your world over are soon going to discover the asteroid headed their way, news of which will be hard to explain and impossible to keep quiet.

  “I think we should talk to Wisneski about this,” Bruce suggested. “He might be the best placed to help us keep a lid on this or advise us how best to go about it.”

  Bruce sidled over to where Wisneski still stood gazing at the monitor, lapping up the view like an awestruck schoolboy.

  “Hey,” Bruce nudged him. “How are we going to keep a lid on this?” Bruce waved his hands expansively, assuming Wisneski would understand what he was talking about.

  Wisneski looked thoughtful for a moment and then pretty much repeated what the MPU had said. “We can get people to sign non-disclosure documents, lock them up, threaten them, coerce them into keeping quiet. But at the end of the day too many people know what’s going on now. We won’t be able to keep Ronald Chump or his pastor quiet for long. Once he finds a way to wriggle out of General Smith’s control, his mouth will be off.”

  “I thought there was pretty good evidence he’s been a naughty boy?”

  “Look, the way these things work is like this. Chump will confess his sins on national television, beg God and his wife for forgiveness and all will be forgiven, if not forgotten. He is confident he’s above the laws and the mores he maintains mere mortals should live by and he is entitled to be forgiven. News of the asteroid may help him in a bizarre way because he will simply ignore any calls for him to resign and in a few days his plight will be replaced by the next sensation. Personally, for what it’s worth,” Wisneski heaved a sigh, “my view is that if you present yourself as some kind of moral crusader and get caught with your pants around your ankles, you should get off the stage with what little dignity you have left intact. But that’s not how these guys who take the moral high ground operate, and when they get found out they tend to try and explain their behaviour as an aberration of some kind. But they’re just a bunch of ignorant, narrow-minded hypocrites in my view.”

  “Yeah right,” Bruce added with more than a little cynicism. “Can’t we just shrug him off as some kind of right-wing conspiracy theorist of low morals who can’t be trusted?”

  “Only until the Russians or the Chinese, or someone else detects the asteroid, and we know they will sooner or later. Then they will wonder how it has come to have a couple of rockets on it. Hey, look at that,” he exclaimed, pointing at the asteroid in the monitor.

  Bruce glanced up as the asteroid started to tumble gently along its axis, and as tethers n ow attached the ship to the rock, he assumed the ship was rotating as well, which gave him a weird sense of vertigo. “Holy fuck!”

  Plumes of dust, of asteroid regolith, were billowing from the surface, and there were now other signs of some kind of industrial activity on the surface. Long, rectangular modules were being stacked on top of the other even as he looked. Bruce never ceased to be amazed at the technology the MPU had at its virtual fingertips as he gazed at the factory growing before his eyes. Here they were, hundreds of millions of miles from anywhere, a distance planners at the various human space agencies could only dream of sending men too with their current capability, watching a robotic factory being built. This was a trul
y impressive example of Skidian capability.

  And you ain’t seen nothing yet, the MPU said rather smugly.

  “What do you mean by that?”

  Nothing, the MPU responded quickly and with a little stutter of a hesitation. If he had been dealing with a human, Bruce would immediately have been suspicious of his or her intention, as the response sounded contrived.

  “The other thing we need to consider,” Wisneski continued, “is putting aside the problem of how do you explain an asteroid with rocket motors attached to it heading Earth’s way, is that people like the general and Dr Roach will see the asteroid as a huge prize, both in terms of economics and technology.” Wisneski looked thoughtful for a moment then continued. “An asteroid out this far is a prize that we simply don’t have the technological capability to capture, and may not have had for generations yet, as far as I know. But an asteroid orbiting not too far away from Earth is something tangible we can grasp and work towards visiting in a few short years – it’s presence will invigorate the space industry, which in many ways will be good for the global economy and technology improvements.”

  “So what’s your advice then?”

  “Swear everyone to secrecy on pain of death and prepare for the worst.”

  “What do you mean prepare for the worst?”

  “You’re the key to unlocking the access to capturing some of this technology – well, I think that’s what General Smith and Dr Roach believe anyway.” Wisneski eyed up the general and the two doctors in a huddle on the other side of the room. “If I were you, I would be working out an escape route because, as sure as I’m standing here, at some point those guys and the people they represent will come after you.”

  “Thanks for that pleasant little nugget of information. It really made my day.”

  Wisneski looked at Bruce for a moment. Bruce guessed correctly he was trying to decide where his real loyalties lay. If Wisneski had been asked earlier in the day – it was still the same day even if it had started on the other side of the solar system – the answer would have been unequivocal. But now. But now Wisneski was not so sure. Something, a twinge of intuition, suggested not all was as it seemed with respect to the asteroid and its sudden appearance. Quite why he felt like this Wisneski couldn’t articulate to himself and he wasn’t about to share it with anyone else. But the whole situation didn’t seem right somehow.

  If there was one thing Wisneski was sure about, it was that if something did not feel right, if there was a hint of doubt about anything he was dealing with, he should listen to what his ancestors were saying.

  “I’d say you have three months, six tops, before they come for you. The United States has a lot on its plate at the moment – the attempted assassination of President Mitchell by someone who closely resembles Myfair, for one, and the fact the President is apparently suffering from a form of dementia or mental illness. Before too long, news is going to break about the possibility of this asteroid slamming into the Earth. Then someone is going to work out its new orbit and start wondering how it got there. Once it gets a bit closer someone will see the rockets, then all hell will be let loose.” Wisneski sighed at the thought of it all and how complicated his life might get. “Yeah, six months’ tops before someone in the establishment decides they want the ultimate prize, and you, my friend, are the conduit to that, whether you like it or not. I wouldn’t be surprised if the general isn’t already putting a scheme in place to mount a mission to the asteroid and to try and take control of this space ship. That’s what he does and why he is here, after all. He’s a fixer.”

  “What scheme?” Sue asked, joining Bruce and Wisneski.

  He’s right, the MPU advised. Not so much about the ship at this stage but certainly about the asteroid.

  “Nothing much. I, er … we have to decide what we’re going to do next. After we get home,” Bruce added lamely.

  “Haven’t we already decided?”

  “Yeah, but the world has changed; our world, that is. Everything’s different now, any long-term plans we had are out the window now.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He means,” Wisneski interrupted helpfully, “that, because you are now in control of this technology, and people know you have access to it, they will want to get their hands on it for themselves, and it looks like the only way for them to achieve control is through you two.”

  “Is there any way you would be willing to share the technology?” Bruce asked the MPU rather hopefully.

  Not on your life. If they suddenly found a way to get to Skid, it would be Eduid’s invasion all over again. Wisneski is right. These people see you as the conduit to getting control of Skidian technology, so unfortunately you will be in their sights as they work out how to encourage you to do what they want, or if that fails make you do what they want. They will convince themselves you have the ability to unlock the technology, no matter what you tell them. These people also have a strong sense of entitlement which they can use to convince themselves they can do anything it takes to get their hands on the ship and its technology.

  “Thanks very much,” Bruce grunted. “How did I come to deserve that?”

  By being in the right place at the right time, or by being in the wrong place at the wrong time, depending on how you want to look at it. This is a random event, you know. Initially Toytoo and the original Skidian team that picked you up had no idea what they were doing. They could quite easily have selected – for want of a better term  someone else. By the way, I think they were lucky to have stumbled on you.

  “What? I don’t believe you.”

  They could have done a lot worse. Look at Mitch, look at Eduid.

  It was a backhanded compliment.

  You showed the Skidians how they could have saved their world and did all you could to encourage them to take up the new technologies and processes you had to offer. That the old Skidian leaders chose not to utilise your advice was not your fault. The MPU was conveniently glossing over the fact it was largely responsible for the disaster that had befallen Skid. Just because it was a machine didn’t mean it didn’t like to present itself in the best light.

  “Bruce, you know it’s rude to ignore people when they’re talking to you,” Sue snapped at him.

  Bruce couldn’t really blame her but he was having trouble keeping up with the multiple conversations going on around him: the real-time verbal discussions and the wireless-like dialogue he was having with the MPU. And all that before dealing with a talking dog which was like talking to a seven-year-old kid.

  “Sorry, just thinking.”

  “What do you think we should do?” Bruce asked.

  Wisneski looked around the spaceship. “I’d say you had a pretty good escape route here if you need one.”

  “I’m not living on a spaceship or going back to Skid,” Sue snapped in no uncertain terms. “And neither is little Bruce.”

  Well, that’s one problem solved, Bruce decided as a new icon popped up in his consciousness.

  Kill switch. So the MPU had been listening, or the devious bastard had created something of a placebo to make him feel better.

  Use this to stop me communicating with you and listening in to your thoughts, to tune me and the dogs out. If I need you I’ll use the telephone icon, the MPU added. And don’t worry about your physical safety, I will look after you and make sure you come to no physical or mental harm, it repeated.

  Bruce wasn’t sure he should be comforted by the last statement, given the MPU’s track record.

  He tapped the kill switch with his virtual finger and all of a sudden the babble of background noise he had never really noticed before stopped immediately. It was the reverse of what Bruce imagined it might be like for a person who had lost their hearing, only to have it reinstated years later, having forgotten what sound was. He wondered why his mind was so tranquil now. Had he just been sharing his thoughts with the MPU and the dogs, or were there others? Could the dogs and the MPU have the impact he felt they ha
d on his consciousness? Bruce was pretty sure he didn’t need an answer to that question.

  All he could hear were the hushed voices of General Smith and the two doctors and the sudden loud sound of his own breathing and Sue’s agitated snorts.

  “Eh?” He’d forgotten Sue’s last question. Wish I had a kill switch for her as well, Bruce thought maliciously.

  “We can talk about that later.” He said, recalling the gist of their conversation. Bruce didn’t want to make a scene right at the moment. He had little concern about what would happen once he did tell Sue what was on his mind. He simply did not want to deal with the aftermath of that discussion while they were cooped up in the close confines of the spaceship.

  Cop looked at him quizzically. Bruce half expected to hear his sneering voice in his head.

  “There’s nothing to talk about. You are so selfish at times, Bruce,” Sue told him unflinchingly, which simply served to harden his resolve against her.

  “It’s always all about you; nothing else matters except what you want.”

  Fuck, she sounds like my mother, Bruce thought, a little uncharitably (regarding his mother – she was a bit of a nagger at times but not this bad).

  “I’m not a child, thank you very much, so don’t fucken well talk to me like one,” Bruce snapped back, much louder and much more forcefully than he meant and completely forgetting his determination not to make an embarrassing scene in the process. The other conversations in the room died away, and the general and the doctors looked at him in some astonishment. He could see in the general’s eyes that his outburst had just confirmed something in his mind, and he saw it repeated in Shelly Shaw’s calculating expression.

  Bruce wanted to stomp off angrily somewhere and cool down but Sue managed to beat him to it. With a sob she made for the wall, and a door opened and the ship swallowed her up.

  “Whew!” Bruce remarked as matter-of-factly as he could and received a knowing look from Wisneski.