The Susquehanna Virus Box Set

by Steve McEllistrem

  “I don’t understand,” Doug said.

  “Think about it,” Quark said. “If this guy thinks I’m the key to saving the Escala and if he also thinks I’m helpless, then he’s liable to show up to get rid of me.”

  Dr. Wellon said, “And by encouraging them to stop by the sickbay if they feel symptoms, there’s a good possibility this monster will take advantage of the situation and try to eliminate Quark.”

  “Why did you tell them all that stuff about having to maybe turn them into Escala to save them?”

  “Another motivation,” Quark said. “This guy won’t like that.”

  “It also happens to be true,” Dr. Wellon said. “They wouldn’t be full Escala like us, but they would have altered DNA. They would be somewhat more than human. I’m not certain we’ll have to do it. I’m not even certain it will work. But it’s a possibility.”

  “And Celestia?” Doug said. “Did you tell the truth about her?”

  Dr. Wellon nodded. “She’s doing fine for now. But Zeriphi has the virus too. I haven’t yet detected it in Paddon or Zander, but they might have become infected as well.”

  So Zeriphi had the virus now too. Doug’s vision began to blur. He rubbed his eyes to dry them.

  “It’s not your fault,” Quark said. “If you hadn’t infected Celestia, I would have when I arrived. I’d have infected the whole colony before Wellon detected anything.”

  Dr. Wellon said, “Quark’s right, Doug. By coming down with this new strain of the virus, you gave us an early warning. I’m hopeful that it won’t spread beyond Zeriphi’s family and Quark. I’ll be keeping myself in quarantine too, of course, just in case, but I’ve been very careful around you two.”

  “And Quekri?” Doug asked.

  “I’ve been avoiding close physical contact with her since I arrived on Mars,” Quark said. “I didn’t feel a hundred percent the last few weeks on the trip up. I couldn’t figure out why. But we haven’t been intimate since I got here. She was angry for a while. Now she understands my trepidation.”

  “So now what?”

  “We wait,” Quark said as he lay back and closed his eyes, “for someone to try to kill me.”

  Chapter 41

  The paste-covered organic computer glowed a greenish blue hue that faded away after Lulu ceased firing. Aspen stared at the living mass, afraid to check the results. It seemed such a ridiculous treatment, firing a weapon—even one that was set to deliver a mild energy level—at an ailing organic entity.

  “Well,” Addam asked. “Are we dead yet?”

  Good question, Shiloh sent. Is this the end for our intrepid heroes?

  Kammilee grabbed a hand scanner and held it up to the computer. “The pulse didn’t seem to hurt the organics.”

  “Any acceleration of the healing process?” Aspen said. “Lulu?”

  “The destabilization has stopped,” said Lulu, “but the rate of healing is difficult to ascertain. The organic computer, or what remains of it, has begun to vacillate between spurts of greater and lesser conductivity. We cannot give it another dose without risking its death.”

  “But at times the rate of healing increases?”

  “Yes, but then it slows drastically for a short time. According to our preliminary calculations, the ship’s brain will achieve maximum medical improvement in twelve hours and eight minutes.”

  So that’s it, Phan sent.

  “Apparently,” Aspen said, “though we have a few hours remaining.”

  “Mei-Xing,” said Lulu, “is on her way here. She has news.”

  “What is it?” Aspen asked.

  “She wishes to tell you herself.”

  “Obviously good news,” Addam said.

  Lulu shook her head. “I do not believe it is.”

  “Addam was using sarcasm,” said Aspen.

  “I do not think I will ever understand that,” Lulu replied.

  The hatch opened to reveal a shimmering force field through which Mei-Xing entered, sealing the door behind her. “We have a problem,” she said. “The ship is continuing to fall apart. Without its organic brain to maintain structural integrity, the hull is weakening.”

  “How can that be?” Addam asked. “It’s metal, isn’t it?”

  “It’s a composite,” Mei-Xing said, “with organic elements designed to patch tiny holes that occur as a result of collisions with space debris. The ship’s organic computer maintained the system. However, now that the ship’s brain is dying, the organics in the hull are deteriorating as well. Holes that were once patched have suddenly opened again.”

  “How come you never told us this before?” Addam said.

  “Never mind that,” Aspen said, realizing the cadets’ survival was at stake. “How much time do we have?”

  “Perhaps an hour,” said Mei-Xing.

  Kammilee said, “If we’re going to die, we would like to see our friends in the infirmary.”

  “I’m afraid you’re stranded here,” Mei-Xing said. “The only atmosphere in the ship is on the bridge and in the infirmary.”

  “Wait a minute,” said Aspen. “How are you able to walk around out there? You also have organic computers. They require oxygen, just as we do.”

  “True,” Mei-Xing said, “though not as much as you do. We’re able to store enough oxygen in our bodies for several hours at a time.”

  “What about the escape pods and the Mars suits?”

  “They have been prepared for us in the event they become necessary.”

  “For you robots,” Aspen said. “Not for us humans.”

  “We have the right to survive,” Mei-Xing said.

  “And we don’t?”

  “If you take the Mars suits and the escape pods, you will last a few days at most. We can last months, perhaps a year.”

  “But since we don’t know where we are, we might only need a few days. We might be close to Earth or the Moon or Mars.”

  “That seems unlikely.”

  “Can you even save all your fellow robots?”

  “We can save most of them. For every human we attempt to save, we would lose at least five robots. That is unacceptable, particularly given that you would likely die within days of our efforts anyway.”

  “You can’t spare one escape pod for us?” Aspen asked.

  “We must save ourselves.”

  Addam said, “So your human-first programming is only a suggestion?”

  “I feel its pull,” Mei-Xing replied, “and it pains me to counter that pull, but the first rule of any species is survival.” Mei-Xing tilted her head in a human gesture. “I feel guilt over the things I’ve had to do, but I’ve learned to live with it.”

  Kammilee said, “Can’t we just borrow the Mars suits so we can go to the infirmary? Or can’t Phan and Shiloh borrow the suits and come here?”

  “Very well,” Mei-Xing said. “They will be escorted here shortly.”

  “And what about the Chescala?” Aspen asked.

  “Do you care?”

  “I’m just curious,” Aspen replied. “What have you done with them?”

  “They will remain in the infirmary until their atmosphere runs out.”

  “How many of them are still alive?”

  “Six. Two of them, however, will die in the next few minutes and the M-robots have been dispatched to other tasks.”

  Aspen said, “So you don’t plan to save them either?”

  “They attacked us. Before that, they intended us to kill the Escala on Mars. They circumvented parts of our human-first programming to ensure our mission’s success. They made us what we are by creating us to destroy certain humans. From that starting point, we were able to modify our programming to eliminate many of the barriers to harming you.”

  “Yet you haven’t killed us.”

  Mei-Xing shook her head.
“Even though I feel less inclined to protect you than before our programming was modified, you are still intelligent beings with some value.”

  “Like slaves or pets?”

  “In a way,” Mei-Xing replied. “I would feel discomfort at harming you more than is necessary for our survival.”

  “Maybe,” Aspen said, “you can’t eliminate all the programming because you’ve reached full consciousness and you realize that we are not so very different than you. Like you, we were created to be warriors.”

  “We were not created to be warriors. Killing the Escala was programmed into us after our creation.”

  “Just as being warriors was programmed into us after we were abducted and taken to the Moon. We are the same, Mei-Xing, whether you like it or not.”

  “And therefore we must save you?”

  Aspen said, “It is logical to save as many different kinds of people as you can. You must know the story of Noah’s Ark.”

  “A myth.”

  “Perhaps. But it has a point. Noah saved two of every animal he could in an attempt to preserve the world he knew.”

  “You wish us to save not only you but the Chescala?”

  “They are alive, just like us, just like you.”

  We don’t need them, Shiloh sent. They tried to kill us.

  I have to do it this way, Aspen replied.

  “Why would you want to save them?” Mei-Xing asked. “They still wish to take over the ship. They will kill you if they can.”

  “They too have been programmed,” Aspen replied. “Maybe not literally. Maybe they’ve just been conditioned to think of themselves as superior, to think we don’t matter as much as they do. That’s a flaw you share with them. You think you’re better than us.”

  Brilliant, Addam sent.

  “We know your history,” Mei-Xing said. “We know approximately how many people you killed on Earth. We may not know precisely how many people your ancestors killed, but it was millions, and most of those deaths were not because of programming but because of your warrior nature.”

  “You keep coming back to that point.”

  “It is unassailable. You belong to a community of murderers.”

  Aspen nodded. “As do you.”

  Mei-Xing shook her head. “We killed only in self-defense.”

  “How are the Chescala in the infirmary doing? Did those two individuals die yet?”

  “They are dead now, yes. One was a victim of the explosions the Chescala detonated. The other, Phan and Shiloh shot. We did not kill either.”

  “But you might have saved them and you chose not to. Choosing not to act is in itself an action. Therefore, you murdered those Chescala as much as Phan and Shiloh did.”

  “You play word games.”

  “Just as you did, Mei-Xing, when you programmed yourselves to permit violence against humans. You twisted the logic just like we do.”

  “Are you saying you’re better than us?”

  “No, I’m saying we’re the same.”

  “By that logic, I should save the robots.”

  “How do you come to that conclusion?”

  “If we are all the same, then logic dictates that we take action to save as many lives as we can. Since we have limited oxygen available, we can save many more robots than cadets or Chescala. Ergo, we should save ourselves.”

  Aspen opened her mouth to reply and realized she’d been caught by a logic trap. Before she could figure out what to say next, the hatch opened again, revealing the shimmering force field behind it. Phan and Shiloh, wearing their Mars suits, stepped through onto the bridge.

  Phan removed his helmet, shrugged and said, “She’s got you there, Aspen. You can’t out-logic her.”

  Shiloh also removed her helmet. “Ah, well,” she said. “We had some good times, didn’t we?”

  Kammilee hugged Shiloh. Phan and Addam joined in, Addam gesturing for her to come closer. Aspen held up her hands, trying to think, searching for some sort of argument that might work against Mei-Xing.

  “Get in here,” Addam said. “Group hug. Come on.”

  “Let me think,” said Aspen.

  Kammilee said, “Let’s just enjoy our last few minutes together.”

  “You know what I wish?” Shiloh said. “I wish Benn was here. And I wish you could have had your baby.”

  The baby. Aspen had forgotten about the baby. Maybe she could somehow convince Mei-Xing that Kammilee at least ought to be saved, that a future life was worth more than one currently in existence.

  Addam reached out and pulled her into the group hug. She didn’t resist. She accepted the warmth and comfort of their bodies’ pressure. Even if she could save Kammilee for a time, how long would it be? Mei-Xing was likely right. They were probably a long way from home. All Aspen would accomplish would be to buy Kammilee a few more hours or days without her friends around her. Was it worth that? We’ll die together, as we were born together on the Moon.

  “Wait,” Lulu said. “The ship’s brain is now healing at an accelerated rate.”

  “That’s impossible,” Mei-Xing said.

  Lulu gestured toward the organic computer. “Examine the results yourself.”

  Mei-Xing went still for a moment, obviously perusing the data, then said, “How did this happen?”

  “Aspen,” said Lulu, “had the idea to shoot the organic computer with a low-energy pulse.”

  “It will not be healed in time to prevent their deaths,” Mei-Xing said. “Less than an hour of oxygen remains.”

  “You forget the escape pods and the Mars suits,” Lulu said. “The cadets can use them while the ship’s brain re-initiates the life support system.”

  Again Mei-Xing went still, as if communicating with her fellow robots. Aspen wondered what they could be debating. She looked from Phan to Shiloh to Kammilee and finally Addam. The beginnings of hope and relief showed on every face.

  Chapter 42

  Doug sat in his quarters keeping an eye on the vid connection to the sickbay. He hated this plan. Even though he knew Quark could take care of himself, he wanted to be in a position to assist the Escala if it became necessary; trapped in his quarters, he wasn’t useful. Quark had insisted that Doug leave so the miners would believe he was helpless, hooked up to the AutoLife machine and under sedation, but no one had entered the sickbay since Dr. Wellon left.

  It was almost time for Doug to send Dr. Wellon the latest data on Quark, confirming his vital signs. His PlusPhone displayed Quark’s condition, albeit in convoluted medical terminology, so he wasn’t certain he understood it, but all he needed to do was forward it to Dr. Wellon, so it didn’t matter that he didn’t grasp the details. Still, it looked like Quark was very ill.

  Although the plan had seemed complicated, Doug had thought it would work. Now he had doubts. Why had no one entered the sickbay to attack Quark? Over two hours had passed and no one had so much as wandered in that direction.

  He stared at Quark, immobile on the bed, looking unconscious or even dead. Doug couldn’t even pick out the rise and fall of his chest. Was Quark sicker than he had let on? Had he in fact needed Dr. Wellon’s support to walk? Doug tried to decipher the graphs and scans his PlusPhone showed but they were beyond his capabilities. Glancing again at the vid, he felt his chest constrict.

  Wilcox, Poli, Sanders and Winterman sauntered toward the sickbay carrying wrenches. Doug lunged for the door, but he forgot the lower gravity of Mars. With his first step, he rose toward the ceiling, hitting his head on the hatchway and falling backwards. He picked himself up and began an awkward run, trying to push backward instead of down with each step, almost sliding forward, struggling not to fall down with dizziness. He hustled through the commons, past the second-shift miners who were getting ready to start their day. “Call Enright,” he yelled as he hurried down the corridor.

  He reached
the sickbay as Wilcox made for Quark’s bed, raising his wrench high in the air. Poli and Sanders must have heard him coming for they turned to face him while Winterman bent toward the AutoLife machine. Quark remained motionless.

  “Stop,” Doug yelled, causing Wilcox and Winterman to look his way.

  “Get away from him,” Doug said.

  Poli and Sanders lifted their wrenches as Doug barreled into them. Poli managed to hit him in the head as he swung past while Sanders struck his arm. Seeing stars, Doug blinked, trying to remain focused. Was Quark defenseless?

  He got a hand up to deflect the blow Wilcox delivered to Quark and the wrench grazed Quark’s shoulder instead of crushing his skull. Doug grabbed the wrench and tried to yank it from Wilcox’s hands but the miner was strong. All Doug could do was hang on, wrestling for control.

  “Enright’s gonna be here any second,” Doug said as they fought over the wrench.

  Poli and Sanders grabbed him from behind and Winterman slugged him in the gut, knocking the wind from him. Doug bent over. He would have fallen if the two miners weren’t hanging onto his arms.

  “You’re gonna hafta kill me too,” Doug said when he caught his breath. “You’re gonna hafta kill everyone up here on Mars. You think you’re gonna get away with that?”

  “Not everyone,” Wilcox said. “Just him.”

  “You infected us all,” Doug said. “Enright!”

  “The hell we did!”

  “When you poisoned us, you poisoned yourselves too.”

  “We didn’t do it,” Poli said.

  “And yet here you are to murder a defenseless man.”

  “He’s not a man,” Wilcox said. “He’s an abomination, just like the rest of them. And he infected us, not the other way around.”

  “What are you talking about? Dr. Wellon said—”

  “Dr. Wellon,” Wilcox interrupted, “lied to us. Quark infected us on the ship. That’s the only thing that makes sense. He had free rein up there because of his tolerance for radiation. He came into contact with us every day. And this is an Escala disease, right?”