"Thank you for doing this, Harris. I appreciate it."
"Now that was a much better response than the prior needy one. Good tone and expression. I felt as though it was genuine. Be that way around people and you'll earn respect. Oh, and one last thing. Let's do something about that face, it's awful."
"This is your face, Harris."
The Biomarine chuckled. "Exactly. Search through the archives for images of men who were considered attractive. Pattern a face after that. And let's get you some modern clothes so you don't give the impression of walking around naked. You work on those things when we get back and you should be in good shape."
The walk around Tawn's 5K track lasted an hour. Harris sent his bot into the bunker to begin its transformation before joining Tawn and Gabbi in the supply hut.
Tawn sighed. "Finally, someone who isn't boring to talk to. At least not all the time."
Harris sat, "Sounds like you need a makeover."
"A what?"
Harris smirked. "You need to remake that bot into someone you would want to talk to. I have mine in the bunker manning up right now. Will hopefully come out with a completely new look, a new voice, and new mannerisms. I just spent that entire walk talking to him and wasn't bored once. In fact, I think he's already showing promise."
"I would be up for that, Tawn." Gabbi said.
Tawn crossed her arms. "Well maybe I should let you give her a work-over seeing as how you enjoyed it so much."
"Fine. I could do that. But you better be ready for her to come back with one eye and a big green head or something. Kind of the same way I see you." Harris chuckled.
"Never mind. I should have been expecting that."
Tawn stood. "Come on tin one. Let's go for a walk."
— Chapter 19 —
* * *
The following day, Harris' bot emerged from the bunker, entering the supply hut as the group was eating breakfast.
Trish turned. "Whoa. What is that?"
The bot looked at Trish with a wry smile. "Good morning Miss Boleman. I hope you are enjoying the early meal."
Trish returned a half smile. "I am. And who are you?"
Harris said, "Everyone, meet the new Idiot. We had a talk about his physical appearance yesterday. This is the result."
Sharvie said, "He looks like he belongs in the entertainment world. You did good, Mr. Gruberg. Masculine, clean cut, and a dreamy face."
Tawn's bot walked in behind Idiot, tripping it and pushing it to the floor. "Out of my way putz."
Gabbi, newly renamed as Boomer, stood two meters tall with oversize legs, arms and fists. A steel face showed a mean expression. Trish, Gandy, and Sharvie, pulled back with unease.
Harris sighed. "Really? You made your bot big and intimidating?"
Tawn nodded. "And able to beat the crud out your fancy boy."
"I chose a design that would allow him to better interact with people."
Tawn grinned. "I chose a design that would let her dominate people, and sissy robots like yours."
"So that's it then. You declaring war?"
Tawn shook her head. "Your bots on the floor. Looks like the war is already over. And I had her load up everything she could pull from the archives on military tactics, combat, hand-to-hand, and weapons. She should be highly skilled in their makeup and use right out of the box. Boomer, tell us about the Saxon Repeating Plasma Rifle."
The bot went on to extol the rifle's virtues before retrieving one and breaking it into the various pieces that made up the powerful hand-weapon.
Tawn took a bite of her breakfast. "Now that's a bot I could talk to all day long."
Harris said, "Idiot, get up. Go stand outside for a bit.
The bot rose, brushing off the sleeves of its tunic before turning to step outside. Boomer gave an intimidating stare as the bot walked past.
Trish frowned. "I can't say that makes me comfortable."
Tawn smirked. "That's the point. But don't worry. She has commands to protect you and the others at all cost."
"She just pushed his bot to the floor."
"I might have given her a few commands where she is likely to pick on Idiot."
Harris leaned over to Farker, whispering into his ear. The robotic pet trotted over to Boomer, hopping up and humping its leg.
Tawn scowled. "Tell me that's not happening."
The group broke into a laugh. Tawn chuckled as she shook her head in disbelief.
Harris said, "You should already know there are no complete wins around here. There will always be something that someone has on you. And just so you know, so long as Boomer picks on Idiot, Farker is going to hump her leg. And I would guess that bot also has orders to protect that dog at all cost?"
Tawn sighed. "Fine. I'll change her programming."
"Good. And just so you know, you did a great job of making her a badass. I wouldn't want to get in a fight with her."
"As you shouldn't. She's both faster and stronger. And she has a full set of fighting techniques that she's highly skilled at. You'd get pummeled."
Over the course of the day, Trish, Gandy, and Sharvie, each had their bots in the bunker with design orders for remakes. Trish's was the first to emerge. A fashionista with a flare for knowing all things mechanical. Bot was given a new name, Flynn.
Sharvie's was next, a helpful bot with a kind and friendly demeanor. Emily's appearance was fashioned after a waitress or housekeeper, being modest, humble, and helpful. Gandy's bot came out dressed to impress. A tall lanky bot with a face that leaned more toward an intelligent look than handsome.
Harris said, "So we all made our alter egos, except Sharvie, she made herself."
Sharvie stared at her bot for several seconds. "I fashioned her after someone I would want to interact with."
Harris chuckled. "And I guess Tawn made her own likeness too."
Tawn replied, "Careful, or her-own-likeness will give you a beat-down."
Harris opened a comm to the Retreat. "Colonel, we're just checking in. What's the good news?"
"Repairs are still ongoing. Who or what is that standing behind you?"
"Oh. We have bots that are here to assist us. We've been having some fun trying to personalize them. Have you talked to Mr. Morgan? Or is there any news from the DDI about the Earthers?"
"The Earthers are about to lose another colony. Backlus, a small one. They've been evacuating citizens for days. My contact says some may not make it out."
"Is there a Denzee fleet there?"
"No. But numerous scout ships have been in and out of that system. Same thing happened at Jellon a few days before the invasion there. And I talked to Morgan yesterday. When the Hailstorm comes out of repair we should see three Legions right along with it. We have another centurion shield ready now and hope to have six in another three days."
Harris frowned. "Three days could mean another couple colonies overrun."
"Nothing we can do about that, Mr. Gruberg. We're dumping everything we have into that construction as is."
"Oh. We got paid for our work at Jellon. Nine hundred million credits. And the emperor changed up his offer. He'll pay twenty-five million after the main gun is disabled and the remaining seventy-five when the ship is destroyed. We don't have to be the ones who destroy it, but that's the new deal."
Harris rubbed the back of his neck. "One other item. Denzee scouts have been seen at Eden. Baxter Rumford thinks they chased them off before they could scan the system. Let's hope that's so. The Earthers are turning out four new ships per day, but that isn't coming close to keeping up with losses. And they lose those mines and ship construction comes to a halt. How's your sustainability program coming?"
"We're thinking of adding another dome. It's sole purpose would be for agriculture. Basically, we'd be building a giant green-house. Morgan's engineers think we could fully supply our colony needs from there. Of course that would also mean more rail cannons to protect it. Would likely place it between the north and central domes."
"Seventy million for construction and another twenty to outfit it. After that the maintenance is cheap."
Harris nodded. "We have the funds. I'd say get it started as soon as possible. Half of what the emperor just paid us belongs to you."
"I'll pass the word on."
The conversation continued for another ten minutes before the comm closed. Another channel was opened to Bannis Morgan.
"Mr. Gruberg. Good. Have been wanting to talk to you. As you know, I've been funding much of our efforts with my own fortune. My accountants have just informed me that due to the recent spate of budget cuts and my generosity with worker layoffs, that I'm running out of liquid assets. And the tangible assets I have that could be sold off are not in demand at the moment. At all."
Tawn said, "We can send you credits."
Bannis raised a hand. "Not looking for charity. Although I could use a loan to ease our cash-flow problems."
Harris shook his head. "What assets are you sitting on and what would a normal fair value be for them?"
"I suppose the biggest at the moment is my engineering group. Contracts would normally cover all costs and provide a small income, that while they contributed to all of my businesses with intangible advice and design assistance.
"I'm now burning four million credits a month with existing contracts winding down and no new ones coming in. It seems some of my competitors have found their way into the pockets of our politicians, who are in turn forcing procurement to those certain individuals."
"How much would this division normally be worth?"
"In a good year? A hundred fifty million credits. At the moment? Can't be sold."
Harris said, "How about this. We'll give you seventy-five million, you retain management and control, and if anytime in the next five years you want to buy it back for no more than that price, it's yours."
"That's a very generous offer, Mr. Gruberg. I couldn't possibly accept those terms. No legitimate businessman would even offer that."
Tawn said, "Then take it as a no-interest, deferred payment, loan. If in five years you can't pay it back the asset reverts to us."
"Still quite generous."
"Look, Mr. Morgan, much of the research and design you're doing there is needed by us. Let us do this. No other business person, other than you, has been a champion of what we're trying to do. Take it and make best use of it. And you don't even have to waste time on paperwork. Your word is all we need."
"Very well. However, I'll be paying it back as I can all along the way."
Tawn held up her account bracelet. "Wouldn't have it any other way."
The funds were transferred. Several minutes later the conversation slowed and the comm was closed.
Harris said, "You up for a scouting mission to check on the Denzee?"
Tawn nodded. "Sure."
The female Biomarine opened a comm to Alex. "Have you been monitoring the Denzee?"
"I have."
"Please give us a status of their whereabouts and activities."
"The Rumanta colony is again under construction. The Barrier colony appears to have the same, a single large building and a separate building for food. There is also activity on Jellon at a number of the mines. The Backlus colony appears to be the next target. A number of scout ships have been probing the Backlus system."
"Any thoughts on Eden?"
"Eden is a strategic colony for the Earthers. As such, there are three times the number of ships patrolling her perimeters. The Denzee scout that jumped into the system was immediately chased off. It is doubtful, even given the range of the Denzee sensors, that the value of the Eden colony is known. Other than Jellon, the targeted colonies thus far have been those that are in close proximity to Rumanta and least defended."
Harris said, "Good. This will hopefully give us the time we need."
The image of Alex turned to face the others. "I see you have each personalized your assistants. This is good progress. You are all very close to reaching the next level. Continued interaction with your assistants is key."
Tawn nodded. "We'll keep working on it. And while you're here, I have a question. What can you find in the archives or in your own knowledge base about the original wormholes that brought Humans out to these systems? Where'd they come from? Why'd they both go to Earth?"
"Very little is known about the makeup of those original wormholes, although, they did appear to be related to a boson field. That filed was detected at the time, and would be a reason the wormholes were possible."
"So who created the field? Was it natural?"
"That is unknown. The boson field exists all around us naturally, but at a very low level in deep space. It mostly concentrates around matter. And consequently that matter prevents, or a better word would be deters, the formation of a wormhole. The field generated from this complex is a strong field, allowing wormhole creation in free space."
"So there must have been a strong field present when the original wormholes were formed."
"The measurements from the time confirm this."
Gandy nudged into the conversation. "Alex, does a boson field have to be contiguous for a wormhole to form? What I mean is, can you have one boson field over here and another over there and a wormhole could open between them? Even though they are not connected?"
"I am sorry, Gandy. I do not have the data to give a conclusive answer to that question. In theory, it should not matter. And if you are inferring that a boson field opened near Earth and the wormholes were opened from there to here, that is a possibility, in theory."
"Well it would seem it would have to be. And it would also seem that someone was generating a field here and a field there at the same time. And it didn't come from this complex because this complex didn't exist."
Harris asked, "Are the two of you trying to prove something?"
Tawn shook her head. "No. Was just a curiosity. Humans came from there to here through wormholes. Those wormholes would have required boson fields at both ends."
Alex cut in. "Theoretically."
"OK, theoretically. I would say someone had to create those fields for a reason."
Harris chuckled. "Are you suggesting we were brought out here on purpose?"
Tawn shrugged. "Don't know. Maybe someone wanted us out here to do war with the Denzee."
"Not likely. Otherwise that war would have begun about two thousand years ago."
"Just saying. It seems too coincidental that two wormholes would open to this space when we'd never before seen anything like them."
"If you followed Human progression, you'd have to come to the conclusion that maybe they only discovered them then because that's the first they were able to detect something like that."
Tawn frowned. "That's possible too. I guess I just don't like the unexplained. And another thing, if it is possible to jump between two boson fields, doesn't that make us vulnerable to anyone else who has this technology? I mean, who cared before because we didn't know anyone else was out there. Now we do."
The group was silent for several seconds.
Tawn said, "Look. The Denzee have apparently adapted the wormhole generators for use with their fleets. What happens if they figure out how to generate a boson field in their own space? That would place any or all of their fleet here in an instant."
Harris asked, "What are you trying to say?"
Tawn shook her head. "I don't know. What I do know is I'm irritated now thinking about it. Boomer, come on. Let's go for a run."
The slug followed behind her behemoth bot, going into a jog the last two meters before exiting the room.
Harris chuckled. "She got herself spun up in a hurry."
Gandy said, "What if she's right? What if Humans were brought out here for a reason?"
Harris sighed. "Even if that's the case, why let it bother you? We're here. We don't have control of the past. We have enough to deal with without worrying about two-millennia-old conspiracies. Besides,
if we were purposefully brought out here, why have we found no evidence of other sentient life? Aside from the Denzee."
Sharvie said, "There is the Gondol Stone."
"The what?"
"Gondol Stone. It's a thirty-eight meter cube of granite they found on the third planet of the Gondol system."
"Who is they?" Harris asked.
"I don't know, explorers maybe? Anyway, it's almost perfectly square except for weather wear. And there's no other granite nearby for a thousand kilometers. It's just sitting out in a bog by itself. Was discovered when Domer explorers did the first surface scans for minerals or something."
"I've never heard of it."
"Was always one of those spooky alien conspiracies. You'd probably have to travel in those circles to know anything about it. It might not even exist.
"And how do you know about it?"
"That stuff has always been interesting to several of my friends. Some of the explanations for it were that the early Earthers were doing some mining and dropped it from a ship. Or that it was purposefully moved there as a platform to study the bog from, and slowly sank."
"Alex? You have any information in the archives on this?"
"I do. Discovered after the twenty-second year of the boson field coming online. The single note gives the dimensions and says Gondol rock is a mystery."
Harris opened a comm to Tawn. "Hey. I think we're gonna take a short trip."
"To where?"
"A place called Gondol. We're gonna go look at a rock."
"A what?"
"A rock. It's supposed be this mysterious piece of granite sitting out in this bog."
"What would be mysterious about that? And why are you telling me this?"
"Just telling you that we're heading out to explore."
"This have something to do with the wormhole mystery?"
Harris smirked. "Maybe."
"You people are weird."
"You started that whole thing. We're just gonna finish it."
"You know you're stranding me here. I don't have a ship."
"You can call down that comm shuttle and have Alex let you go through the field if necessary. You aren't stranded anywhere."
ARMS Eden Lost: (Book 4) Page 17