Chapter Sixteen: Gort’s rude awakening!
Eerie darkness rules the turbulent dream. Opaque clouds of mist, slowly move through the subconscious, obscuring clarity that might have been garnered from such confusion. A flitter of movement over there.... then emptiness. A wisp of something that way.... then evaporation into misty apparition. Something pulling the mind ever downwards into the nightmarish abyss. Try as he might, Gort can’t break the dream-state! It paralyzes his efforts to break the bonds that grip so tightly. He fights, like he’s never fought before! Clawing his way towards understanding, to no avail. Everything happening in slow motion. He tries to run, but his feet are like cement! Not one to wail.... he wails, like he’s never wailed.... nothing comes out! This battle has raged, seemingly forever, but perhaps for only a few seconds. Time, has no meaning in a dream .... it has no teeth! .... “Help!” His mind bellows! But, nobody responds.... So cold! .... So cold! Hard to breathe! .... Hard to breathe! Somebody close by .... calling his name .... Can’t breathe! .... Can’t breathe!
“How’s it going, ladies?” Nyla asks, as she, Wil and Esty, approach the landing-gear installation site. Cooper and Toby continue with the gear installation on the grounded saucer. Max and Shirley offer moral support, and elbow-grease when needed. Earlier in the day, they had returned from a visit with their Zenarawan friends, where they celebrated the dirty-dozen’s birthdays. Now, at 18, they feel ready to challenge the universes. Cooper leads the repair job. While Toby is just as qualified to be chief engineer, Cooper always seems to have a slight edge, when polished technical expertise is desired. Whereas, Toby always seemed to have the edge, when converting the technical expertise into physical labor. She loves working with her hands, and it shows!
“Hello there!” Cooper greets, as she hands Toby a torque wrench. “We’re making good progress. We’ll be ready for a retraction test after we torque the hardware on these leg-braces.” At her side, watching and learning, are Raznalli, Linmari, and their now older offspring’s Razzi and Surri. Lately, they spend more time with the gang in the mountain, than they do at home.
Toby sticks her head out of the gear-well, where she had climbed into for the last procedure. “Hi everyone! .... Coop, hand me the safety-wire and pliers. Now, don’t you folks go anywhere, we’re almost done.” Then, she disappears once again into the dark recess, applying steel wire on the bolt she had just torqued, so it won’t loosen. Alien flying saucer or not, maintenance of such conveyances, requires similar techniques of any aircraft, to ensure prolonged airworthiness or spaceworthiness.
“We’re just making the rounds, but we’ll wait.” Wil responds happily. The trio of supervisors have been traveling the complex, checking on the day’s progress among the many work crews. There’s still plenty of details to work out, concerning critical aspects of bringing the base, back to its former glory. And one of those details, is to make Esty’s flagship, spaceworthy once again. She protested back in the day, when cannibalization of the proud machine had started, but to no avail. Now, she’s helping to restore her baby, back to showroom specs.
“Are you sure there’s nothing I can help with?” Esty inquires of the young ladies. “I feel so lazy lately.” The mechanical commander sits on the ground next to Cooper, each gazing into the hell-hole where Toby finishes the last task. Above, the flying saucer looms large. Using specialized twist-pliers, Toby installs the strand of steel wire just right, to prevent loosening of the fastener.
“Esty, I’m going to need somebody upstairs to swing the gear, when Toby’s finished. Would you like to do that for us?” Cooper offers a meager task, for the eager commander.
“I was hoping you would ask me that!” Esty replies happily.
Just then, Toby climbs out of the gear-well with an armful of tools and dirty rags, looking excited to see if their hard work will rise to the task. “Well, she’s ready. Whenever you want, Esty.” She informs, as everyone backs away from the danger zone. The flying saucer is held aloft by anti-magnetic jacks that hold her suspended just high enough, so the landing gear can be exercised without hitting the ground. Up close and personal, its quite a site to see....
As everyone waits for Esty to leave for the flight-deck, where the landing-gear handle is located, she looks around with a devious glance and laugh. “Wil, remember when I mentioned that my wrist-band has other functions? Well, of the many other uses, this band allows me to remotely-control many features of this fine ship.” After noticing a shocked look of curiosity on Wil’s face, she inputs a series of commands into the sleek wristband. “Okay, let’s hope for the best.... its been a while.” She pushes the last command, and the big saucers four landing-gears are quickly sucked into the belly of the beast by use of electric actuators and priority switches. Now, with gear doors closed, she’s as clean as a whistle underneath.
“Oh my!” Nyla responds with real shock. “It all happened so quickly, I nearly missed it!”
Now, the underbelly of the saucer is smooth and unbroken by the required landing appendages. She seems to hover in place, just a few feet off the ground. Esty, exercises the landing system a dozen times, just to be sure. They extend and retract with only a whisper of noise, as the electric actuators work their magic. Everyone, including herself, marvels at how the mechanism operates so smoothly. So seamlessly, when retracted and hull plating closed and sealed. Finally satisfied, she allows the gear to remain down and locked. “Good work!” She praises of the human engineer-mechanics and many helpers, who’ve made her day.
“Yes, good work, ladies.” Nyla and Wil, praise in unison.
Just then, the lights go out! .... The monstrously huge cavern goes black for several long moments. The only illumination.... a soft bluish-glow coming off the saucer, as its internal reactor once again has a heartbeat. Then, the lights come back on once again. Flickering now and again as Braxton, Magnus and Jax work out a problem with the fortresses main-reactor voltage-regulation system.
“Well ladies, we better go see what Braxton and his crew are doing in the reactor room.” Nyla excuses herself and companions, leaving the saucer crew to clean up the area and bring the old girl back down off the jacks. It’ll be her first time on four legs, since many thousands of years. With a little more TLC, she’ll be back to showroom quality, once again.
Esty shows grave concern on her usually peaceful looking mug. The power fluctuations can’t be good for the cryo-chambers, that still need attention. The re-animation circuitry was inspected before any attempts were made, and found wanting. Electronics engineers are close to duplicating the necessary mother-boards, that long ago deteriorated. But if the chambers keep losing power, they might not react well, when called upon to release their sleeping beauties.
“Now don’t worry, Esty.” Nyla correctly surmises her friend’s angst. “Trust in the power back-up we designed. They’ll absorb these power outages. Gort and the others will be just fine, until we can bring them back.” She puts her hand on the diminutive android’s shoulder, in a show of sympathy. Lately, Esty has become lonely without somebody of her own kind to share thoughts and desires with. At first, she was afraid that Gort and the others might look down upon her for becoming a machine, but as time draws close for an attempt at re-animation, she grows bold. No longer caring what anybody thinks of her new body. She has learned to love what she has become, and that’s what really counts. Besides, all survivors from the cryo-chambers, if any, will eventually have to become like her, or soon die and rot into the dust of time.
“I know, Nyla. Thanks for reminding me.” Esty responds. “It’s just that I’m getting so anxious to see if they’ll live once again.... or not.”
“Well, let’s go check on the boys. Hopefully, the electronics we need will arrive soon. I recall Cody saying that they’re near a solution.” She offers her friend hope.
Upon entering the reactor cavern, they see three sets of legs extending from an opened control-console access panel. Braxton and his accomplices, lay on their backs trying to
reach the problem, which is of course deep within, and a difficult to access part of the console. Muffled voices beyond the legs, tell the visitors that the three boys are still alive.
“Hello in there!” Wil announces their presence. “How’s it going?”
Jax scooches out of the tight quarters. “Hey everyone! It’s going pretty good, just not much room in there.” He informs. “Thanks for dropping by.”
“We’re a little concerned about the power outages.” Nyla informs.
“Oh, we’re done replacing the new regulator. So, there won’t be any more blackouts.”
A look of relief flows down Esty’s face. “Thank you, Jax.” She moves to the railing that protects the pit. Looking down, she sees the main reactor bathed in a bluish haze of light. An electronic-fog of sorts. It draws much of its power from within the slipstream that exists between universes. It has one foot in this universe, and another foot .... not so much. It has dutifully maintained power to the complex, and is now ready to continue doing so for much longer, now that maintenance can be performed regularly.
Wil’s radio chirps to life with a familiar voice. “Hey Wil, this is Cody. Do you copy?”
“Go ahead, Cody. Where are you?”
“I’m inbound with Atara, Omari and Talia. We’ll be there in 15-minutes. Tell Esty, we have the new and improved mother-boards she’s been waiting for.” He announces with pride.
The news hits Esty like a speeding comet! The day has finally arrived! Her mind races with the possibilities. A chance to interact with another of her kind might be nigh .... she swoons!
“Copy that, Cody!” Wil exclaims. “That’s great news! I’m looking at her now, and if you could only see her face!” He laughs, before realizing the possible implications.
Esty reaches, taking Wil’s radio. “Thank you, Cody. Thank you Atara. We’ll meet you in the cryo-compartment.” Handing the radio back, she adds. “Right, Wil?” She laughs with delight.... knowing Wil isn’t looking forward to interacting with his old nemesis again.
On the way to the cryo-compartment, they step into the computer room to see how things are going. “Hey Max.” Nyla greets. “How are you kids doing in here?”
“Awe, you don’t have to insult us, Nyla.” The young man says with feigned hurt in his tone. “Since like a week ago, we’re now adults. Same as you.” A chorus of agreements from the other five in the room.
“Sorry.... force of habit.” Mother android relents, adding. “But you’ll always be my little darlings, no matter what the age.” She pinches him on the cheek, condescendingly.
“Thanks Mom!” Shirley responds, moving in and offering a warm hug. “Now, don’t you worry about a thing. We’re making progress here, and things are looking pretty good.” The young electrical engineer reports. The group has been systematically inspecting everything in the room for deterioration. And so far, they’re finding everything in pretty good condition. Relatively speaking of course. All, in thanks to a better door seal and a new, dedicated air-system.
“That’s good to hear, Shirley.” And with a glance through the room, she informs. “We’re heading to the cryo-chambers. Cody and Atara are arriving with the boards. Feel free to come visit when you catch a break in the action.”
It’s been a long time since Esty has visited the cryo-chamber compartment. The feeling in the air, chills her circuits to the core. Being in such close-proximity to her other self, offers a sensation that’s truly indescribable. But, now she moves through the crypt-like room with renewed determination. Past humming chambers, she shuffles. Some with possible viable-life still within, and many that hadn’t been so lucky. She approaches her own chamber. Reaching deep into her well of courage, she dares to gaze upon her remains. It’s the first time such bravery has gripped her.
Stepping onto the framework of the chamber, she lifts herself, peering into the viewing-window. The spectacle within, takes her breath away! And that isn’t easy for an android! Dim lighting shows the pile of dust that used to be her head at the end of a thin trail of dust that was once her long, lovely neck. The body, lays flattened.... deflated. Her blankie is pulled up, and rotted to fragments just below the rank and insignias on the deteriorated jumpsuit. Placing her long-fingered hand on the glass, she says goodbye to her carbon-self. She will never look upon the sight again....
“Are you okay, Esty?” Nyla offers concern, where concern is due.
“Yes. I’m okay.” Then looking to her new friends. “Thank you once again for giving me a second chance at life. I’m not sure I deserve it.”
“You’re welcome my dear.” Nyla responds. “But you should never think that you don’t deserve it. Your life matters.” She puts her arm around the smaller android’s shoulder, as they make their way further back into the compartment where Gort waits so patiently. Re-animation of this individual has caused great dread within the earthling-android community. But, they know that Esty would never agree to leave him in limbo, or any others that might still live. They can only hope that the long sleep has mellowed the fierce warrior, and second-lieutenant of Esty’s command.
Arriving at Gorts bedside, Esty steps up and peers into his chamber. Unlike the pile of dust she just witnessed, this old friend lays peacefully, in all his scar-faced glory! She knew those scars well. Some of which she had inflicted herself, during passionate play and or disagreements. She has a place in her heart, and now in her circuits, for his company once again. Her excitement grows, as the thought of holding somebody of her own kind once again, heats her CPU. To her knowledge, these few crewmates might just be the last of her breed. It would take a monstrous disaster at home worlds, for them to be abandoned like they were, she ponders.
Just then, Cody and Atara arrive at the compartment.... bright eyed and bushy tailed. “Hello in there!” Atara calls into the long room. “We’re heerrrreeeeee!” She calls again.
“We’re back here!” Wil calls.
Arriving at the cryo-chamber, Cody and Atara busy themselves with removing the skirt around the chamber and accessing the computer-controller. The mother-board isn’t a total rebuild, but a restoration of the electronics and pathways. Cody finds the empty spot where the board connects into, and pushes the refurbished part back into place. All, is now set. The creature within, will soon know consciousness, or wake up dead! .... Cody and Atara have given the repair their best effort, and are happy the board brought no sparks. They hope for the best....
“Well, we’re ready to try.” Cody informs Esty. “Are you prepared if things go south?” He asks, but notices a confused look. “I mean, are you ready, if this procedure fails?”
“I’m ready. I know you’ve done everything possible, and a lot of time has passed. Perhaps too much.... But I’m ready. Thank you, Cody. Thank you Atara, for helping me.”
“You’re very welcome, my dear.” Then, after several commands are entered into the systems controller, Cody reaches for Esty’s hand. “Won’t you please push the enter key? I trust your word Esty, that this guy will behave. But, if he turns into a little gray Frankenstein, I don’t wish to be the one who let him loose on the planet.” He jokes, seriously.
Esty didn’t know this Frankenstein that Cody had mentioned, but she gets the point. “I understand, Cody.” Her finger hovers over the key. She revels in the moment, hoping she still has some lucky stars to call upon. Taking a deep breath, she pushes the button good.... Concern about the behavior of any cryo-survivors had been the topic of many meetings about reanimation. Especially, the behavior of Gort, the most dominant of the group, is a worrisome thing for the earthlings. Scratching out an existence on an alien world is hard enough, without an unyielding creature causing problems.... or worse.
The sound emanating from within the cryo-chamber changes noticeably. The long, steady hum that once dominated, has become a series of ever-changing pitch-tones as the hibernation system begins to purge the gasses from within. Increasing temperature gradually. It’s a slow process. Everyone knew it would take time, so th
ey get comfortable and wait. Humans, come and go. Offering Esty hope that all will be fine. Six-hours into reanimation, Jax announces movement within the chamber! A facial twitch here, a muscle movement there. Esty is beside herself with nervous joy! She’s no cryo-engineer, but she gets the feeling that things are going smoothly, so far.
“We’re almost there, Esty.” Atara informs, putting an arm around her shoulder.
Esty, and others, are totally fascinated at this point. Soon, more movement, as an eyelid twitches! Long fingers begin to flex, sending the rotten blanket crumbling to dust. Chest movement tells Omari that the time has come for action on his part. “Cody, it’s time.”
Cody enters a command, and the chamber cover unlocks with a clank as electromagnets release. Time is of an essence now. Opening the lid of the coffin-like chamber, Omari places an oxygen mask over Gort’s mouth and nose. More chest movement, as the life-giving gas is inhaled. Soon, great lungful’s are being consumed! His thin gray hand, moves to hold the mask on tighter, while the other shades his eyes from the lighted room. Large black eye’s, blink open and closed. Everything, still a blur....
Esty moves in, helping to shade his eyes. “Gort, can you hear me?” She asks with a voice that he didn’t recognize. But when he attempts to focus on her face, a sigh of relief escapes. At least it was one of his own species, he thinks.
A weak, hoarse response falls past his thin lips. “I hear you .... I hear you.” The weak alien replies in his own squeaky and chirpy language. “Am I dreaming?” He wonders aloud, not recognizing the face through the fog of reanimation.
“Welcome back, Gort!” She brushes her hand lovingly along his face. “This is no dream. You might be emerging from a bad nightmare, but this is no dream.” Esty informs, lovingly. “You don’t recognize me, but that’s okay. For now, you just lay still and relax. I have a long story to tell you later.” She promises, hoping to not excite him with her name just yet.
“Commander Esty .... where’s Commander Esty?” The patient inquires weakly.
Esty, knows he won’t be fooled by some nefarious answer, so she decides to spill the beans, then and there. “Gort, calm yourself and listen .... I am Commander Esty.” She shrinks inside, not wishing to spill too many beans all at once. She would rather die than have him reject her outright. “A lot has happened since you went under. Now, please relax, and don’t become alarmed by what you see next.... Okay?” She still shades his eyes from the rest of the room.
“What’s going on? You’re not the commander!” His voice becoming heated, as he peers into her face through squinting eyes. “Where’s that beautiful scar? Tell me that.”
Esty, now knows she has a tiger by the tail. It will either have a viable answer, or sink in its fangs of violent disobedience. Thinking fast, she whispers into his ear, something that only she and he would mutually know. Sleeping beauty, seems to relax. The rising anger, subsides. Urge to kill, lessening.... “Now, I order you to relax. We are not alone here. We have new friends that are helping us. It is they, who brought us both back to life.... Now, don’t become alarmed, Gort.... they’re human.” She didn’t have the heart to tell him that many of them are only ‘human-looking’. One step at a time.... With Gort, sometimes baby steps work best.
“Human? That can’t be....” His voice trails off. Exhaustion, setting in. A critical time for his survival, fast approaching.
“Yes, and I order that you to let one of them touch you.... Help you.” The grizzled-one, has no choice, but to acquiesce. He’s as weak as a newborn gray. He nods his head, and closes his eyes. Only in this way, can he accept the waking-nightmare to come.
Esty steps away from the chamber, as Omari steps up to the plate. He looks in upon a lonely and dehydrated gray alien warrior. It wears only the dust of time, that was once his jumpsuit. Reaching, he gently takes the nearest arm and wipes a spot with an alcohol swab where Esty had previously told him he might find a vein. As he accepts the intravenous fluid needle from Talia, he notices one eye of the little fellow peaking a spy on his new doctors. They sure seem to fit the memory he had for the species, so he relaxes once again. Esty said they were friendly. But, the jab from the needle, which felt more like a sharpened tree-branch, causes him to wonder is she wasn’t mistaken!
“Well, I think I found a vein.” Omari announces, as the saline-fluid drips and disappears into his patient’s arm. “It’s flowing.”
“Good work, Omari.” Esty knows Gort has passed a milestone by not only waking, but accepting fluids from an alien doctor. She hope for a fast recovery....
“My pleasure, Esty.” He responds, kindly. “He’s not out of the woods just yet, but I’m thinking he will be soon.”
Nyla moves in to assist Talia. After vacuuming away the disintegrated dust, they give the poor fellow a thorough sponge bath. He takes it like a champ, offering no disobedience against his standing order. However, he crooks open an eye now and again, when things get a bit too personal. A new jumpsuit is gently brought up his legs and torso. Gort, can now lay there with a modicum of dignity. Rest.... Rest.... After so long in hibernation, who would have thought a body would need more rest, he ponders silently. But, he realizes that muscle degradation and dehydration, play a significant role against just jumping out and prancing about.
Esty, inadvertently blows her cover, as she without thinking, takes his warm hand into her own not so warm hand. From his reaction, she knows the jig is up! Opening his eyes, he gets a much clearer view of his old friend. An old friend, that might not be so old after all. “Why is your hand so cold, commander?” A simple question; but, one without a simple answer. “Again commander, I ask what happened to your lovely scar?” An even worse question! But, in Gort’s opinion, it really was a scar to be proud of! He often complimented her about it in the past.
“Oh, my dear Gort!” .... Esty, holds back tears that could never drop. “My body didn’t fare as well as yours!” .... Baby steps .... don’t tell him all at once, she thinks.
“Your.... body?” Then, his memory kicks in. It comes back to him in sharp focus. He remembers now! Those ‘humans’ he saw.... the ones that just touched him, were on the earth ship they pirated! And they weren’t human at all! They only looked human! .... Copies! .... Malignant machines! .... “Are you trying to tell me, that you’ve somehow become.... one of them? .... A machine?” He tries to shrink away, but is trapped within the chamber.
“Oh, Gort! .... If only you could understand! I had no choice! It was either this, or remain locked inside a computer forever. Yes, I’m still a computer, but I’m a mobile computer. We all knew going into this, what those memory-boxes were for. You scoffed at them, but it saved my life to be stored in such a way! With help from these earthlings, I was able to cash in on that insurance policy that our own species couldn’t completely provide us. Please try to understand.... Pleaseeeeeee!” She begs, venomously.... Exhaustion sets in.... Esty feels drained after such a divulgence. Her circuits, nearly glowing with heat. The next few moments will be crucial for their new relationship. She knows full well the hatred her people have against the intelligent machines that hunt their worlds without mercy. Not an easy thing to get past....
Gort lays there unmoving. Shock, bewildering his senses. Eyes closed against the bad dream he thought he had awoken from. But apparently, he’s still under the spell of the demented cryo-dreams. However .... this dream has continuity! It has substance! It has a damn needle in his arm! He can probably even open his eyes, without seeing some unexpected monster, as in a tricky dream. He tries. Opening one eye slightly, so not to lose both at once, he gazes on the saddest face he’s ever seen. Esty gazes back, offering the most pitiful-look she had in her arsenal. She has to somehow win his heart, or lose her own. She knows a response couldn’t possibly come as fast as hoped. But, the longer he takes to form a complaint, the better her chances....
After several moments, Gort’s other eye cracks opens, and he gazes into the saddest face imaginable. His stony heart, melts.
He isn’t exactly a rocket scientist, but he quickly understands that things have changed. Something horrible has happened to home-worlds, and the effect has trickled down to the trouble here. He had better get with the program, instead of complaining about details. He reaches, taking Esty’s hand into his own. Squeezing gently, he offers golden words. “Esty, you are my commander, and you always shall be. No matter what....” With that said, he closes his eyes once again and sleeps the peaceful sleep of one who’s content with the universe. Infinite joy, runs through Esty’s circuits! Because that’s the best response she could have hoped for, from her old friend!
Esty, Omari and Talia stay with Gort, while Nyla, Wil and Cody’s team, head off to the hanger where three lovely spacecraft, soak up much TLC. They are so close to flight-readiness, the gang of humans and androids can almost taste it. Except for one significant problem; fuel quantity.... The saucers were parked with enough fuel to keep themselves idling almost indefinitely. However, their quantum-interface reactors are in need of more juice, if they’re to ever fly again. And with the facilities main reactor requiring what fuel is truly available, there isn’t much left for the saucers thirsty star-drives.
“Bring up those symbols once again.” Nyla request of Cooper. They’re researching the fuel’s atomic make-up, looking for an answer to the dilemma. “See that symbol? That’s very similar to the substance Doctor Sawyer and his team were working on back at Grand Ledge, when we left Earth. He and his team had developed a star-fuel, before inventing an engine with which to burn it.”
“Do you think it’s possible he was able to store any significant quantities?” Cooper inquires.
Wil answers this one. “I wouldn’t be surprised. I mean, that was the entire function of the science institutes mission. To develop a star-fuel that could be accumulated and stored, while researching an engine that could handle it.” He states, matter of factly. “Good eye, Nyla.” For his effort.... a loving peck on the cheek.... always better than an elbow in the side.
“We’ll need to get Esty in here. She’s been making calculation about how far the saucers can travel, with what fuel we can scrape up.” Cooper informs, adding. “Are you guys suggesting we might travel to Earth, if possible?” Wide eyes, hoping for an affirmative response.
“I can’t think of any other place where we could possibly hope to find the right stuff.” Nyla responds dubiously. “This base just isn’t equipped to distill such a fuel.”
Esty arrives back with the gang the next morning. Refreshed and full of vigor. “Hello everyone.” She greets with a smile that would hurt a regular gray. “Gort’s making good progress according to Omari. Hopefully he can join us soon. He wishes to thank you for not destroying him.” She chuckles. “He realizes that you could have.”
Wil breaks away from his task. “Good morning, Esty. That’s good news. When you see Gort again, tell him it was my pleasure to not destroy him, and that we can hopefully become friends.”
“Here, here!” A chorus of agreements from the peanut gallery.
“Thank you, all.” Esty notices the type of task being performed. “Are you trying to figure out how to transfer fuel?”
“Yes.” This from Cooper, who with Toby, Braxton and Magnus, attempt to understand the physics involved with manipulating the portable magnetic confinement-vessels. “But of course, we won’t actually try, until you have time to supervise.”
“Well, I seem to have plenty of time now. Let’s begin by inventorying what fuel we have. There’s only four locations where we’ll find it. The main reactor, and these three ships.”
Braxton steps in. “Well Esty, we’ve already done that. We need you to review our findings and see if there’s enough to get us to Earth and back.” He informs her of the possibility of finding new fuel there.
“Earth, eh?” She ponders, wistfully .... She had never been there. It might be fun! “Well, let’s just see what we have.” She scrolls through the data, inputs the 100-lightyear round-trip to Earth. After crunching in pi, and carrying the infinity, she adds an extra 10-percent for good measure. Then, checking where and how much fuel is distributed around the base, she comes to a dire conclusion. “If we take the fuel out of two ships, leaving enough to keep them idling of course, we might have enough for a one-way trip. And I do mean.... might!”
The steam goes out of the group of earthlings. Just before Esty arrived, they were fully inflated with hopefulness. Now, their world comes crashing down around their ears. What terrible news! If the fuel at the other end is not compatible, or not there at all, they will be marooned, far from home. An untenable situation at best.... a pure disaster at worst.
“Are you sure about those numbers, Esty?” Nyla, peeks over her shoulder. “I mean just look there,” She points jokingly, “you forgot to carry the one!” She wants to cry.
“I’m sure. I’ve checked the calculation three times. But, feel free to go over them again.” She hands the tablet to Magnus, who then huddles with his siblings to see how she had come to that conclusion.
“Oh, this is terrible!” Nyla exclaims. “We have a big decision to make!”
“Are you serious?” Wil is shocked that she might even consider, but wonders of the possibilities.
“Well, if we’re going to live this extravagant lifestyle, “Cooper inputs boldly, “it just won’t due, to have three beautiful flying saucers in the hanger, and not be able to go anywhere. Without the fuel from Grand Ledge, we’re back to square one.” Truer words, have never been spoken.
“These calculations are good, Esty.” Magnus informs. “But then, you already knew that.” He hands her the data-pad. The once happy young man, looking like somebody had just knocked the wind out of his sails.
“Okay, let’s do this.” Nyla has a plan. “I say we make the fuel transfer, while we consider our next move. We need to make at least one ship space-worthy anyway, and that will give us time to think.” There. She beams inside at such a wise idea. “Besides, there should be at least enough fuel to visit Titania Alpha!” Looking around at all the smiling faces, she knows they like the way she thinks, too. Esty, gives a rare wink....
The next several days, show substantial progress towards the refueling of one ship. It’s the one with a new leg, and the one that’s served as Esty’s flagship in the past. The fact that it’s also the very same one that was used to attack the SPS Einstein back in the day, is not lost on the androids. But time heals most wounds, and so the earthlings learn to love the little ship that could. But of course, at 200-feet-in-diameter, the multi-leveled spacecraft, is not so little! It consists mainly of the bridge, and crew quarters. The personnel-capacity-rating is numbered at 30, but it rarely carries such a load. There’s a world-class medical-bay, where many operations have taken place. Not all of them performed on the gray’s anatomy, of course. It’s a well-known fact, that to know one’s competition from the inside out, is the first step towards dominance of said competition. And the gray alien species, has been striving to fill their medical data-base with as much information at possible.
Below main deck, is where the reactor lives. It’s the heartbeat of the ship. It’s like nothing earthlings have ever seen. Not fission, not fusion, but something in between. It derives much of its energy from the quantum-slipstream that exists between all universes. Its output feeds the warp-coils that form 95-percent of the ships mass. When they’re fully energized, faster-than-light speed becomes possible. Often, the drive is described simply as an FTL-drive. A byproduct of this de-phasing from our universe and into the slipstream, is inertial-dampening. The mathematics involved, would have given Steven Hawking a nose-bleed, and a regular human-being, a brain-hemorrhage, just to ponder its design. Fortunately, the headband-eleven, suffers neither calamity. And Harper and Ling.... well, let’s just say, they don’t go anywhere near the thing.... at least not up close and personal.
“Toby, hand me the bottle.” Esty asks of the young engineer, who relays the portable magnetic-confinement bottle from Cooper,
who stands on the main deck. Esty is below deck in the hell-hole. She’s in the depths of the ships reactor-pit, elbow deep and personal with the reactors fuel-manifold. The commander visually inspects the bottle, and finding no obvious defects, she plugs it into place. With a push, twist and a snap, the bottle mates with the manifold, just like downtown! Like that, the fuel transfer is completed. A complicated process made simple, due to the magic of brevity.
On the bridge, Cooper and Toby calibrate the new fuel-load into the navigation-astrogator console. With Esty’s guidance, they see that the ship had accepted the exotic-matter, and is displaying a slightly higher level than anticipated. “Jeez, Esty. It worked just like you said!” Toby praises.
“Of course, my dear child. Stick with me, and I’ll teach you other magical secrets that the headband couldn’t.” The commander promises. Looking around, she informs. “All of you. Learn as much as possible, I might not be around forever.”
“Oh, go on....” Comes a chorus of sympathetic replies from the peanut gallery.
Across the bridge, Gort sits quietly; observing and convalescing. He’s amazed at how well Esty gets on with the earthlings. She fits in equally well with the humans and the machines, as if she’s known them all her life. His days are mostly filled with physical rehabilitation at the hands of the merciless Omari and Talia. The androids are the only alien species he has known, who can speak his language. Perfectly. They taught him one phrase he hopes to someday forget.... ‘no pain, no gain’. And usually with a laugh, they issue pain while using that phrase as license. He can’t stop their tortures! They are monstrously strong, and determined!
Slowly, Gort gains strength in long disused muscles. He also gains respect for his new friends, finding unexpected solace in their companionship. Perhaps all sentient machines aren’t enemies after all, he ponders with hope. And, even the Zenarawan’s seem to give him an even-chance to become friendly. He can’t communicate directly with them, but the Zenarawan’s easily enter his mind. They also act as go-betweens when communicating with the young humans. Raznalli, has taken a shining to the gray warrior, who once scared him half to death the first time he saw him inside the sleep-chamber.
The gnarly old warrior still pines for more interaction with those of his own kind. However, the others that still sleep, must wait their turn. Each reanimation, taxes the resources of Omari and Talia, who have other responsibilities also. Time moves rapidly. Seemingly, faster inside of the mountain. Perhaps the close-proximity to the space-time warping machines, creates this phenomenon, but soon the spacecraft is ready, and the crowd of explorers, ripe for adventure.
“So, it’s settled then!” Esty, announces with a wide smile. “We leave for earth next week!” She’s glad that the spirit of adventure is still strong within the earthling’s psyches. From her first announcement of the critical fuel-supply, she knew the group would eventually vote in favor of risking everything, for the chance to win it all. Her people had similar attitudes. Her people.... she ponders the fact that she is ‘her people’. She’s the only gray android in the universe, as far as she knows. Seeking out the one whom she most closely relates with, she moves to sit with Gort at the back of the bridge. He notices her angst; pulling her down to sit, he holds her close. Of all, it is she whom he relates with most closely.... her circuits heat! .... his blood grows hot!
Breaking Interstellar: Cosmic Lives Matter Page 17