by S. H. Jucha
“I must have one of these,” Famgore whispered in awe.
When Z swiveled, the other eight SADEs did too. Famgore admired the efficiency with which the digital entities moved. He wondered if Vyztram was enamored of the SADEs too.
The SADEs entered another dance hall. This one was crowded with Elvian engineers and techs dressed in uniform work suits.
Z slowly shifted the arm carrying Famgore to allow the Elvian to stand. The engineer stepped onto the palm and wrist, while leaning against Z’s shoulder.
Unfortunately, Famgore’s thin, reedy voice couldn’t blanket the huge space. After Famgore first addressed the throng, he heard his statement repeated from Othello’s mouth. His voice drove across the dance hall.
Famgore was energized by the sound of his voice echoing across the space. It urged him to eagerly communicate the project’s importance and the hope that actions like this by the Omnians might mean a new future for the core’s citizens.
At this time, the SADEs couldn’t reach the traveler by comm. Therefore, the crowd’s reaction was recorded for the fleet’s leaders. It took a little while for Famgore’s enthusiasm to penetrate his audience. When it did, the assembled Elvians raised left hands high in the air and delivered complex flourishes.
Famgore turned to Z, his lips stretched across his face. “They approve,” he said excitedly. “Please display a section of the ship’s construction details.”
Z lit the display and held it high. The eight other SADEs imitated Z, but each displayed a different section of the ship.
“The SADEs will guide you and eliminate the places you definitively know and the places that you’re required to search,” Famgore announced.
“What if we can’t gain access to a space?” an engineer asked.
Famgore glanced at Z, who said, “We’ll request access from Vyztram. If your AI doesn’t have access, then we might have found what we seek. In that case, your SADE will open the space for you. This might require repairs afterward.”
Z’s last comment generated breathless wheezing, which the SADEs supposed was laughter. It also brought hands into the air and more gestures.
When Famgore finished explaining the work required, he instructed the engineers and techs to form nine lines of fifty each in front of a SADE.
It took only moments for the engineers and the techs to organize themselves.
The SADEs divided the core’s upper level into nine parts and began their search. It went quickly. The engineers and techs knew many of these spaces well, and they were checked off. The unknown places turned out to give access to the ship’s infrastructure places — ductwork, cable runs, and mechanical systems.
As the SADEs moved down levels, two things happened. The levels grew in total square meters, slowing progress, and the Elvians tired, which required their replacements.
Vyztram supplied more support, increasing the number of Elvians that each SADE managed.
While the SADEs could work tirelessly, Famgore, who rode, felt for those who hurried from one space to another and back to their SADEs to report.
When the project passed through the core’s center, the levels began to shrink in square area and the pace increased.
Vyztram was able to cross off the bays that housed the drones, the transports, and resource manufacturing. The bays held no offices or additional closed spaces. They were empty bulkhead to bulkhead and overhead to the deck.
Nearly a full cycle later, the core of the Arcus had been searched without success.
Famgore and the other Elvians who were present at the end of the search were dejected.
On the other hand, the SADEs were deep in conference, examining their assumptions. When they completed their discussion, they had formulated possible avenues of investigations that produced questions for the Elvians.
“What if the databanks aren’t in a formal space?” Othello asked.
“What do you mean?” Famgore inquired.
“The AI’s hosting services might lie within a bulkhead,” Othello replied.
“That’s an interesting idea,” Famgore replied, “but how could we search the ship’s bulkheads or decks and overheads for that matter?”
the AI replied.
The SADEs convened again and created a means of tracking Vyztram’s repository.
Z directed Othello and his companions to spread out to form the eight points demarking a cube. Z remained in the center to allow the other SADEs to spread as far as possible across the deck they’d just searched and up several levels.
When the SADEs were in position, Z sent,
The SADEs were synchronized to chronometers that registered time as only SADEs required it. On Z’s cue, the pulses were sent.
Vyztram shared the data with Z, indicating that the reception of four SADEs were essentially the same.
The Elvians continued to follow the SADEs, whom they’d supported. At this point, tired as they were, they weren’t about to miss out on what could possibly be the successful conclusion to a long hunt.
Vyztram reported again, and the SADEs moved the cube upward several more levels.
On the fourth attempt, Z learned that the cube needed to continue to move upward, but now toward the bow.
Famgore observed Z’s display, which tracked the cube’s previous positions. A thought formed in his mind, but he kept it to himself.
Vyztram’s data from the ninth set of pulses halted the cube’s upward movement.
When Othello and three other SADEs had descended two levels, the tenth pulse group was sent.
After reviewing the data, Othello sent,
Z’s laughter was heard by Vyztram and the other SADEs.
The SADEs moved, as best as possible, to accommodate Z’s directive. Bulkheads, offices, and other spaces prevented them making a well-formed cube.
Z had the SADEs perform a series of exercises, delivering bursts, repositioning, and moving again.
Dafine and Yemerth had watched Z and Famgore through the view plates of his office. Yemerth pointed toward Famgore and beckoned.
Famgore knew what she wanted but he refused to interrupt the process. Instead, his swirling hand motion indicated his apology.
After the final set of bursts that Z required, he called the SADEs to him and strode into Dafine’s office. Z displayed the engineering details surrounding the central hub.
“Dafine, your hub’s power, cabling, and ductwork run behind that bulkhead,” Z remarked, pointing at the far wall.
“Correct. We access it from a service room on the other side of the bulkhead,” Dafine replied.
“I was in that service room,” Othello said, striding into the office.
Dafin
e and Yemerth watched in amazement as the other SADEs entered the office.
“Colorful, aren’t they?” Famgore inquired enthusiastically of his other reps.
The affirmative replies were no more than whispers.
“And these aren’t masks,” Famgore added. “What you see are their personal choices. Great stories!”
“To continue,” Othello said to gain Dafine’s and Yemerth’s attention, “the engineering plans’ measurements don’t match the distance from where I stood to that bulkhead.” He’d indicated the same bulkhead Z had pointed out.
“A hidden space,” Famgore said breathlessly.
“Precisely,” Z replied, pivoted, and marched out of the office. He navigated the reverse of Othello’s path to arrive at the service room. Within the room, there was an access door in the right corner, which Vyztram opened for the SADEs. However, Z was prevented from entering the narrow corridor.
“Made for Elvians,” Famgore apologized.
Othello slid past Z, turned sidewise, and edged along the corridor.
Vyztram triggered a second door, which was set in the left bulkhead, and Othello ducked his head into the workspace to examine the infrastructure that serviced the core’s central hub.
“One point six meters of space between bulkhead walls,” Othello announced. He edged along the corridor to stare at the smooth wall that hid the unmarked space. Hands explored the wall, searching for electronic triggers underneath the surface.
“Nothing,” Othello remarked. “This space was never meant to be accessed.”
Vyztram knew that without the Omnians’ help, the AI would probably never stride the decks of the Arcus and enjoy the company of Elvians. This was a singular opportunity. the AI said.
A SADE borrowed a laser torch from an engineer and passed it to Othello.
Z admonished, and Othello nodded.
Othello tested the torch, modulated its output, and carefully cut a thin rectangle in the wall. Its decorative surface hid a metal barrier, which took the SADE a while to penetrate.
When the cut was completed, Othello snatched the rectangle of hot material into the corridor to prevent it from falling into the space. He peered into the long, thin room and provided a view to the SADEs.
Holo-vids lit, and the engineers and techs crowded around to view the discovery.
Z sent the images to Vyztram, with the message,
Shiny metal spheres measuring about a third of a meter hung by supports from their tops. They lined the walls.
Othello didn’t have a complete view of the room, but he estimated the number of spheres to be over two hundred.
Power cables ran along the supports and entered the spheres from the tops too, and signal cables linked the spheres together.
Othello shifted to infrared. Only a portion of the spheres glowed from heat emission. The others were cold.
“With the type of memory that Vyztram indicated, there’s enough active memory here to power a hundred SADEs,” Othello remarked.
“Redundancy,” Z replied. “This memory bank would supply Vyztram for many centuries. I would think the creators didn’t envision the Arcus needing to travel for millennia to find a new home world.”
Othello backed out of the narrow corridor, and a tech retrieved the rectangular cutout.
Z lowered a disappointed Famgore to the deck, thanked him for his assistance, and led the SADEs out of the service room.
14: Conversations
Killian, Bethley, and Trium unlocked their avatars and went in search of the mandator.
Trium located the mandator first, sent a message, and Killian and Bethley merged on their companion’s position.
Trium pointed at a door and replied,
Renée spoke with Julien and others. Then she retired for the evening. Crawling into bed, she linked to Miranda.
Merely hours into Renée’s sleep, she was woken by Cordelia.
Initiating the link provided by Cordelia, Renée heard,
Killian activated the portable holo-vid for the mandator, who saw Renée’s image appear.
Scarlet Mandator’s petals curled and uncurled rapidly, a sign of heightened emotion. In this case, it was humor. “Mist Monitor will be displeased to have missed this sharing,” the mandator beamed.
“I’m listening,” the mandator replied.
“Are you saying it was a mistake on our part to attack their mining sites?” Scarlet Mandator asked. This time, the movement of bloom petals wasn’t for humor.
“But you’re here now,” the mandator pointed out. “You can prevent these invaders from proceeding inward.”
“Are you proposing your fleet remains within the Worlds of Light?” Scarlet Mandator inquired.
“This conversation is confusing,” Scarlet Mandator objected.
With a sigh, Renée chose to drop the subtle approach in favor of bluntness.
The mandator’s petals shimmered rapidly. It was a reaction that Renée hadn’t seen before.
“This question I understand, thank you,” the mandator beamed. “Why does Alex ask this?”
“For what purpose?” the mandator inquired.
“A most gentle animal,” Scarlet Mandator commented. Then the mandator asked, “Why would the Elvians choose to help us?”
“How can your partner force the Elvians to make this choice?” the mandator beamed.
“Then the Elvians would help us willingly?” the mandator clarified.
“Do you have imagery of these animals?” Scarlet Mandator inquired.
Renée could tell by the mandator’s language that acceptance of the concept of cooperation wouldn’t be easily forthcoming. She sorted through the vids that Miranda had shared with her and sent one that she thought would help the mandator to accept the idea.