They still had their earpieces and so, were in contact with the rest of the ground crew. Neil, Albert and Lena were still ensconced in their hotel suite, venturing out most evenings getting the lay of the land in case they needed immediate extraction. Chuck still thought that being mixed in with a crowd was the best camouflage, and they had Lucius’ remaining cash. Neil worried about the rented van in the hotel’s garage that still contained their underwater gear, but whenever he called to renew the lease the credit card Lucius had provided went through and the agency was more than satisfied.
At night, Lucius and Julius slipped their earpieces under their pillowcases and were able to converse with the concealed members of the ground team, but Lucius pretty much just listened to Chuck report the latest news, with Sondra whispering words of encouragement into Julius’ ear in the dark. That little bit of contact helped their mood immensely. But when they got word of Christopher’s imminent arrival, their feelings were mixed. They knew that he wasn’t going to leave Earth without all of them accounted for, but they worried about how he was going to accomplish the task.
The countdown had started and no one was the least bit hopeful that everything was going to be resolved peacefully.
Chapter 33
WAY BACK HOME
“Knock, knock,” Bianca said outside John’s compartment.
“Come in.”
She slid open the door and floated in. “You have a few minutes to chat?” she asked.
“Sure, I was just looking over the engine shutdown procedures we’re supposed to do once we make orbit,” he explained.
“I was too, but I needed a break. I wanted to talk to you about your conversations with Sydney. Not so much about the things between the two of you, but your impressions about her life in the colony, if that’s okay. I’m not trying to pry, but I’m trying to get a better picture of their lives. Are you sure you don’t mind?” she asked
“No, I don’t mind at all. It’ll probably do me good to talk it out,” he said with unaccustomed candor. “What would you like to know?”
“First of all, what was in the room with her? Could you tell? I haven’t reviewed the video yet, I wanted to ask your permission to do so first,” she began.
“No problem, go ahead. As for whether I could tell what was in the room she was in, it was easy to tell, the resolution of the picture was excellent. The first time we spoke she was in what looked like a regular kitchen. I could see a counter behind her with containers, a stove and she was sitting at what looked like a regular ol’ kitchen table. She was comfortable. My impression was that she was at home and looked like she was under normal gravity, maybe using something like a laptop camera.”
“How did she look?”
“She looked just like the day she left. She looked healthy, maybe a little sad but that was probably because she was talking to me. But it was all so normal there’s not much I could tell about their lives. I’m sorry, that doesn’t help much,” John said with regret.
“Not at all. So far it sounds like their lives are probably indistinguishable from life on Earth. You said her kitchen looked just like back home, that says a lot. It says that their lives are still probably governed by the same values, services and features that they grew up with. And, since she was able to talk to you in her home, their communications and maybe their entertainment systems are more fully integrated into their lives than ours. May I ask an extremely personal question, John?”
“Sure, I guess.”
“How did your daughter look?”
“Like this,” he said, turning to his computer and clicking on an icon on the screen opening up a window showing Bianca the photo Sydney had transmitted to him.
“She’s beautiful! I can see both of you in her. She looks happy too. I know this is all kinds of right, wrong, happy and sad all at once for you. How are you handling all of it?”
“I’m over the shock, and of course there’s a mountain of regret. But I fully understand the big picture. She’s been growing up without me there all her life, she couldn’t come with me, it wouldn’t be right. And I fully supported Sydney’s decision not to introduce us, it wouldn’t be good or right for either of us. I’m sad, but only for the lost opportunity, I know she’s being raised well. Oh, before I forget, Sydney also was in what she called her office for one of the calls. She must have been using her computer to talk to me. I didn’t see much other than a credenza thing behind her. She didn’t have any papers or books in sight, either. There was some kind of flower in a pot and the lights were bright and kind of looked like regular sunshine. I didn’t hear any background noises or see anyone other than Syd. When she was talking to the three of us, that looked like a conference room,” he said.
“Yes, I saw. It was pretty plain. We’ll have someone go over the video when we get back, maybe there will be some forensic information that we missed. But it sounds to me like they have video conference capability everywhere in the colony. And judging by the lack of paper, maybe everything they do is electronic. It’s hard to imagine that they would devote time and space to paper production, where would they get the raw materials? I doubt they’re growing trees to pulp for paper. And as sophisticated as they are, I’m thinking that recycling would only take them so far,” she said a little distractedly. “Let’s talk a little more about Sydney, if you don’t mind.”
“Okay.”
“You said she looked like she did the last time you saw her. The FBI reports said that it appears the separatists have some means of retarding aging based on the condition of a limb recovered from the crash of one of their ships in the Middle East. Do you think Sydney had such a treatment? She looked an awful lot like she did in her Steddman ID photo.”
“It was like no time had passed at all. Maybe her eyes were older, wiser. But that’s probably just a subjective observation on my part. She could be aging slower, but I can’t say for sure.”
Bianca reached out and laid her hand on his shoulder and asked, “How are you doing after all of this? It’s been a roller coaster ride, I’m sure.”
“Yes, but it’s exactly why GST made me come. Don’t you see? They got what they wanted, except for one of the ships,” he said with a sharp laugh. “I got to talk to one of the separatist community, something no one else has done since they were discovered on the moon. I know Syd said we’d never have the chance to speak again, but you never know.”
“Do you still love her?” she asked.
“Of course. But I’m realistic. There’s no chance we’ll be together. I’ll always love her for the time we did get to spend together, and for her love of our daughter. But I had emotionally moved on a decade ago.”
John was quiet, having run out of steam. He felt empty, tired, alone.
Bianca sensed some of what he was feeling and moved to give him a gentle hug. “Some really trite person said, ‘This too shall pass,’ and it does, but it takes time. Thank you for sharing your daughter with me, she’s very special, as are you.”
John reached over his head to pull her closer in thanks. When he eased up she turned his head and kissed him gently on the lips. When she let him go she softly said, “I don’t make promises I don’t keep, John.” Then she turned around, slid open his door and closed it behind her without a backward glance.
* * *
The Earth-bound colonial mission crew was tired but amazed at the flight capabilities of the modified jumpers. Their speed was faster than any human beings had ever traveled. Both jumpers were constantly sending telemetry back to Peanut’s engineering crew, standing twenty-four hour watches on the data coming in. Both Genesis clones were monitoring every sensor the jumpers possessed, even those that had been installed strictly for the Jupiter missions. Radar, ranging ahead to keep the ships from plowing into anything big enough to show, was being monitored by the A.I. clones, which for the first time were directly connected to the flight controls. Atmosph
eric sensors were measuring the density of dust and debris in the emptiness between the orbits of Mars and Earth in a way and at a level of accuracy never before performed.
In between his examining the data being recorded by the jumpers, Peanut continued his work on the interdimensional probe. He and TJ were installing enough processing power in the probe to hold a clone of Genesis, now that the procedure to do so was well established.
The goal was to have the probe leave their known dimension of the universe and test the physics of interdimensional space, the space theorized between different universes, to see if the speed of light was at the same limit as in this universe. And if that space between dimensions wasn’t going to allow FTL travel, then one of the other ten postulated dimensions would have to be explored; maybe all of them, if possible.
With a Genesis clone aboard the probe there would be an intelligence controlling it capable of running experiments and making detailed observations that were far too risky for a human to undertake. TJ and Peanut’s work on the probe was their way of keeping busy and trying not to worry about whatever Christopher had planned in recovering the ground crew. While they working on the procedures for Genesis to follow, Sydney stopped by.
“Hey, guys, heard anything from Chris yet?” she asked as she walked into the lab.
“Yes and no,” Peanut replied, earning a snort from TJ. “Yes I heard from him, and no, the stubborn son of a bitch won’t tell me what he has planned. Max says we should just cool out, Chris isn’t going to do something that puts Lucius or the others at risk. But his temper can be epic.”
“No shit,” TJ added.
“Whatever he’s going to do is probably going to get Julius and Lucius loose. But for damn sure I wouldn’t want to be the authority holding them,” Peanut finished.
“Peanut, I had no idea that our jumpers could travel that fast. Do you know what this means?” Sydney asked.
“Well, sort of. But what are you thinking?”
“For one thing, the whole solar system is ours for the exploring. If Chris hadn’t made up his mind to do whatever he’s thinking about doing, we would still be playing it safe, speed-wise that is,” she pointed out. “According to my quick research, we can travel at relativistic speeds, even within the solar system. Do either of you have any idea what the gravitational potential is outside a planetary system? I mean, could we travel even faster between the stars than what Chris and the others are currently doing? Like to Alpha Centares?” she asked.
“That’s Peanut and Christopher’s department. I have no idea,” TJ confessed.
“Chris’ G-waves focus the gravitational effect in whatever direction the operator chooses. So far we use that other-dimensional effect for travel, focusing it to squeeze and push stuff in construction, and I use a trick of the effect to provide shields for the habitat and the ships. I think the effect will work just as well outside the gravity well of a star, but that’s a good experiment to run when we have time. If this thing works,” he said pointing at the probe, “then we won’t be needing G-waves for interstellar travel at all.”
“How soon are you guys going to test it out?” she asked.
“With TJ’s recent additions, it’s looking like any time now. But definitely not before Chris gets back, whenever that is,” replied Peanut.
“You’re worried about him, too,” she said to them both.
“Sort of. He’s pretty good at staying out of trouble. I mean, look where we live! But if the authorities cross him, it’s going to get ugly,” TJ promised.
“I saw him really angry twice,” Peanut began. “The first time was during our initial visit to the moon. You heard that story, right?” he asked Sydney.
She laughed, “Yes I did, both Pat and Lucius told me.”
“The second time was when Riley passed away. At first he thought one of us had done something to him. The navy had given Chuck something to inject into Riley to stop his heart because he was brain dead. But Riley’s body just gave up on its own. After that happened Chris was different.”
“Different how?”
“After Riley passed away and we buried him on the moon, it seemed that Chris was—it was like all the fun was sucked out of him. He was still like my brother, and we still had a great time building this place, making new stuff and all. He really liked TJ coming up with the beginnings of Genesis and all the other advancements we cooked up. But there was a sadness to him. The four of us were closer than brothers. We went from talking about building our own community while we were camping out under the stars as boys, to actually living on the moon. TJ wasn’t far behind us in joining the gang, but by the time TJ met Chris, he was already different. He’s so worried about something bad happening that he’s almost unable to relax and enjoy himself,” Peanut said sadly.
“That can’t be the whole story about him, he married Patricia and they had Ben.”
“You’re right. We thought he was kind of loosening up a little, until he found out about Lucius being nabbed. He’s known Lucius longer than everyone here. If I thought we could get away with it, I would have had the whole colony moved closer to Earth to support whatever he has planned. But they’ll have five ships there backing up a guy with one of the worst tempers in the solar system. Because if he declares war on the United States, the country’s going to lose,” Peanut stated with finality. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure,” she said.
“What was it like seeing Joy’s dad again?”
Sydney smiled. “As you can imagine, it was bittersweet. It may have done more harm than good, emotionally I mean. He’s still the same man I fell in love with. And the council was very kind to allow me to talk to him. For that I’m eternally grateful. When she’s older, I get to tell Joy that her father was an astronaut in addition to being a police officer who helped find lost children. It’s all been for the best.”
“Too bad there’s just no way he can come here. I mean I wouldn’t have a problem with it, but talk about turning shit on its ear!” said TJ.
“I would never ask it,” Sydney said. “This place exists for a reason, and there’s no place for John here. Besides, we have much bigger issues to face.”
“In any case, you don’t have long to wait, Syd. Christopher is going to arrive in Earth orbit in just over two days,” Peanut said.
Sydney patted the seated men on the shoulder, and said, “Didn’t want to intrude, or hold you guys up. I was passing by and wondered what the latest was. Carry on!”
“All the best, Sydney. Say hello to Joy from us,” TJ asked.
“Will do! Later, gentlemen … ” she said as she left the lab.
“Holy man! Could you imagine going through what she just did?” Peanut asked.
“Sort of, if I was in love with a white woman when I came here. Fortunately for me I joined up right out of school, you remember, right?” TJ asked.
“No kidding. I remember you cussing all of us out because you thought our first ship was bullshit!”
“Can you blame me? It had no rockets, no propellers, nothing that looked like it could power the thing. Who in their right mind would have thought about a gravity drive? But I admit I was pissed thinking you all were shining me on! I packed up my life and came to Chicago, I had nowhere else to go. Lucius had paid off my school loans before I got on the train, so I was definitely committed. But when you kept telling me story after unbelievable story, I had a good head of steam up. The whole bit about using a computer to play the ponies, as fantastic as that was, was the only thing that sounded even remotely plausible,” TJ confessed.
“Same goes for you, buddy! Every time someone new showed up and we introduced them to Genesis, they couldn’t believe it was possible. And now look at you! You have a self-replicating, artificial intelligence. Your creation is able to reproduce!”
“Only temporarily. I don’t think the old girl is ever going to let
one of the clones live past their usefulness,” TJ cautioned.
“Dude! Is Genesis a real person to you?” Peanut asked.
“Of course she is. She may not really be a she, but for damn sure it’s real. It’s self-programming, and if you put a person at a keyboard and have them chat, Genesis definitely passes every rigorous application of the Turing test, but takes it a step further and can pass the test conversationally! So yeah, she’s real to me,” TJ replied.
“No biggie. It’s the coolest advancement in information technology history, and I, for one, am glad the A.I. is along for the ride with Chris,” he said, pausing. “Now where were we?” Peanut said as they returned their attention to the probe.
* * *
Since it was no secret that the separatists were escorting Jove back to Earth, America’s military’s heightened state of readiness didn’t have to be explained to its allies. As both Dr. Roscoe and Ambassador Ortega had sent the colony-supplied video of Colonel Levkov’s attack on the habitat, including showing the two missiles aimed at Jove, Russia and the European Union received universal condemnation for having armed Svoboda in violation of every space treaty ever written and ratified. European leaders were scrambling to distance themselves from the entire affair, even going so far to blame the fact that Russia insisted on basing the mission and mission control in their country for the subterfuge.
President Laughlin’s press secretary read a statement condemning Colonel Levkov and the unprovoked attack in the strongest words possible, promising a comprehensive investigation. The statement also questioned the integrity of Russia, France, Britain, Nigeria and England for their astronauts’ roles in, setting off a firestorm of diplomatic accusations and counter accusations.
The United Nations’ condemnation was equally harsh and talk was being floated of sanctions against Russia and the EU countries that participated in the planning of the Svoboda mission. So far, those who were responsible for originally arming Svoboda had not been discovered.
Confrontation Page 55
