Tales of the Vuduri: Year Two

by Michael Brachman

  There was plenty of drama and suspense within the main plot line, the love story and other character interactions went just a little too smoothly to be believable.

  So as I was revising the novel and crushing it down into a single novel, I tried to up the action and make life more difficult at each stage. For example, Rome and Rei had survived Rome's being cast out of the Overmind (Cesdiud), the discovery and arrival of the Stareaters and a year-long journey cooped up in The Flying House.

  I tried to imagine their relief at finally arriving at Deucado and I wanted to take away that relief right off the bat. Here is how it went:

  “Well, it looks good to me,” Rei said. “There and there,” he pointed down, “there’s a ton of bright yellow and green coloration. That has to be vegetation.”

  “Oh yes, there is much vegetation,” Rome replied.

  “Well, no sense in just sitting here. MINIMCOM, have you been able to contact their OMCOM or AI yet?”

  “I have been listening, not transmitting,” MINIMCOM said.

  “Why?”

  “There is something wrong here. I am analyzing the situation.”

  “What do you mean something wrong?” Rome asked with a small amount of trepidation in her voice.

  “The Vuduri are aware of your presence and it would appear that they have been for some time. They know who you are. They know that your Ark contains Garecei Ti Essessoni. They are very agitated. They are discussing possible outcomes. Oh!”

  “What do you mean oh?” Rei asked.

  “They are contacting me to confirm our identity. I have described the tugs and told them that Rei is mandasurte. They are demanding that Rome contact them directly. They are saying that failure to connect is… OH!”

  Tomorrow, what kind of computer says Oh?

  Entry 2-239: August 22, 2014

 

  All this and now that

  Yesterday we looked at the first scene in Part 2 of Rome's Revolution after Rome and Rei had just arrived at Deucado. MINIMCOM had been attempting to contact the inhabitants of that planet to begin the process of transporting the frozen colonists to the planet.

  It didn't go so well. Sometime in the past, the Vuduri living there had decided that no mandasurte (mind-deaf) could have access to Vuduri technology. Of course The Flying House was pure Vuduri technology. Here is when they get the bad news:

  “The punishment for illegal access to Vuduri technology by mandasurte is death. They are coming to kill you!” said the little computer.

  “Oh no, they cannot,” said Rome. “That is not the Vuduri way.”

  “These are not ordinary Vuduri,” said MINIMCOM. “There is something not right about this samanda.”

  “What do we do?” Rei asked. “MINIMCOM, can we outrun them?”

  “Not with your cargo craft,” said MINIMCOM.

  “And if we left it here?”

  “They mean to destroy it as well. They know it contains many Essessoni. They fear the Erklirte have returned.”

  “What are we going to do?” Rome said, in anguish.

  “Is there any way we can talk to them?” Rei asked, desperately.

  “There is no time to develop an adequate technology. You should determine a course of action and quickly,” MINIMCOM said. “They have launched multiple craft to intercept you.”

  “Can’t you explain what has happened?” Rei asked. “Tell them who we are. Their rules shouldn’t apply to us. We’re supposed to be here.”

  “I will try,” replied MINIMCOM, “but I would not count on the outcome. They seem very determined. They have scrambled eleven armed ships.”

  “What kind of arms?” Rei asked.

  “The Vuduri do not use weapons,” Rome insisted.

  “These Vuduri do,” countered MINIMCOM. “They are armed with magnetic pulse cannons, electrostatic charge disrupters and PPT throwers.”

  Rome gasped. All the color left her face.

  “What? Say again.” Rei said.

  “PPT throwers.”

  “What are those?” Rei asked, panicked.

  MINIMCOM replied, “They are normally used in mining and salvage operations. They create a moving PPT tunnel, a very small one, even within a gravity well, which sweeps across an area and separates atoms that encounter it from their immediately adjacent atoms by sending them elsewhere. They can cut through any material known to man. However, in space, they can extend over a much greater distance.”

  “So you’re saying…” Rei sputtered.

  “What he is saying,” interjected Rome in a hushed tone, “is that they are for slicing up very large objects into very tiny pieces.”

  PPT Throwers are just plain bad news. It sounds pretty ominous to me. How will they ever escape? More on that tomorrow.

  Entry 2-240: August 23, 2014

 

  Necessity is the mother of invention

  Yesterday, we saw that Rome and Rei appeared doomed just as they arrived at Deucado at the beginning of Part 2 of Rome's Revolution. To tell you the truth, I was so intent on ratcheting up the action that I truly did not have a way for them to get out. Obviously I could not have them die because that would be the end of the novel. It took me about two days and I had to go back and reread the entire Part 1 to make sure that the solution they came up with wouldn't violate any rules I had set out before. Rei actually came up with the idea, not me. It went like this:

  “I’ve got it,” Rei said. He tried to snap his fingers but the gloves from the pressure suit prevented it from sounding effective.

  “What?” Rome asked.

  “We go to the planet.”

  “We cannot do that, Rei,” Rome answered back. “We are using the EG lifters to hold onto your Ark. We would not survive reentry without the lifters. We would burn up.”

  “No, no, no. Let me explain.” Rei said. “MINIMCOM, what would happen if we open up a PPT tunnel to the surface of the planet?”

  Rome interrupted. “You cannot form a large enough PPT tunnel on the surface of a planet.”

  “I know that. We’d start the tunnel up here. We’d just end up there.”

  “There is too much gravitational stress. The tunnel would collapse immediately,” Rome protested.

  “Not exactly,” said MINIMCOM. “For such a short distance, 160 kilometers, the tunnel would actually be stable for sufficient time. However, once the tunnel was formed, the atmosphere of the planet would begin venting out. We would face a formidable wind.”

  “Nothing that the plasma thrusters couldn’t push against, right?” Rei asked.

  “You are correct. We would be able to enter the tunnel. But when we emerge, you must still consider Rome’s original point. Once we passed through the tunnel, the tugs would have no lift since the EG pods are currently used to secure your crew compartment. We would fall to the surface.”

  “So we let the Ark go. Once it starts through the tunnel, wouldn’t gravity pull the rest through?”

  “What purpose would it serve to take the Ark through, just to let it fall to earth and be destroyed?” Rome asked.

  “Not if we work it just right…MINIMCOM, can you make the tunnel open up exactly the length of the Ark above the surface?”

  MINIMCOM did not answer right away. Finally, he said, “Yes.”

  So how did it turn out? More tomorrow.

  Entry 2-241: August 24, 2014

 

  Ice

  Yesterday, we reviewed Rei's plan to punch a hole through the atmosphere of Deucado at the beginning of Part 2 of Rome's Revolution. His idea was to open up a PPT tunnel with the exit point exactly the height of the Ark II so that as it made it through, it would touch down on the planet's surface as softly as possible. One thing Rei did not count on was that the Ark was sitting at the temperature of space and any moisture in the atmosphere would freeze instantly upon contact. As if there weren't enough anxiety to be had, this jumped the stress-o-meter up even higher:

  “You can’t…” Rei stopped speaking. Their no
se was entering the tunnel and they were looking straight down into the trees. Rocks and branches were banging off them right and left. The powerful wind buffeted their ship and the tinted windshield was starting to ice up.

  “What is that? Rome, what’s going on? What’s happening?” Rei asked. “Are we dead?”

  Rome looked at the instrument panel. “The tug is sitting at minus 80 degrees Celsius, the temperature of space this close to the star Tau Ceti. That must be atmospheric moisture condensing on the ship,” Rome called out.

  As soon as their tail was clear of the tunnel, Rome pulled back savagely on both sticks and they could feel the nose beginning to rotate as the trim-jets fired and tug struggled to right itself. The windshield was now covered with frost so thick that they could not make out anything. Rome slammed the throttle forward to force the repulsor field to push them away from the rapidly approaching canopy of trees and try and get level. She fired the plasma thrusters briefly, jolting them back in their seats then cut them out. Even though they could not see, it felt like they were level to Rei but his pilot’s instincts told him not to trust his senses.

  Rei leaned forward and wiped at the windshield in front him, ineffectively, because the ice was on the outside.

  “Can you see where the Ark is coming down?” Rei shouted.

  “No. I must move off a safe distance then we will come back around when we can see again,” Rome replied in a level voice. “Can you activate the MIDAR?”

  “I don’t know,” Rei said. He leaned forward to press a few icons but had to stop as Rome pulled back on both sticks and the tug lurched ahead, gaining altitude. They could hear branches and other debris striking the underside of their craft but they could feel themselves going up. Soon, the scraping noises subsided and though they were flying blind, Rei knew they were in clear air. Rome studied the displays, trying to get herself oriented. Just then they heard a tremendous crash.

  Sadly, MINIMCOM had already made up his mind to sacrifice himself. More on that tomorrow.

  Entry 2-242: August 25, 2014

 

  MINIMCOM dies

  Yesterday, we saw the scene at the beginning of Part 2 of Rome's Revolution whereupon Rome and Rei punched through the atmosphere and flew off to a safe distance. The scene ended with a "tremendous crash" which we later find out is the Ark toppling over and squashing MINIMCOM underneath. We know that MINIMCOM's final act as a sentient computer was to angle his tug so that Captain Keller's sarcophagus would not be crushed.

  MINIMCOM knew he was going to do this. But as we have seen many times before and will see many times later, the computers are not always completely forthcoming. MINIMCOM waited until the last second to reveal his plan to Rome and Rei when there was absolutely nothing they could do about it:

  “Initiating jump,” said MINIMCOM.

  Rei and Rome heard the high-pitched whine of their PPT generators revving up. In front of them, a brightly lit hole appeared. Leaves, branches, dirt and dust started shooting out from it. The wind began to buffet the conjoined mass but the trim-jets were sufficient to keep them stable long enough. As the hole widened, they could see the bright yellow-green forest beckoning to them through the onrushing gale. They were looking down, right at it.

  MINIMCOM fired the plasma thrusters on their tug, forcing the leading edge of the Ark forward into the tunnel. After a very short time, the little computer shut their thrusters off but they could feel the ship accelerating, which meant gravity was taking over. There was a click and a thump which meant MINIMCOM had rotated around again.

  “Release your clamps,” MINIMCOM said, above the howling which was the wind against their hull. “The magnets should begin spinning immediately.”

  Rome punched some buttons on the control panel and even though the motion was slight, they began to move off, away from the Ark.

  “Your EG lifters are coming to speed,” said MINIMCOM. “I would suggest manual control from here on in. I will be busy.”

  “What do you mean? What are you going to do, MINIMCOM?” Rei asked.

  “I must remain attached until the Ark clears the tunnel. I am going to use my plasma thrusters to brake. I cannot let the ship hit the ground too quickly. In addition, I must make sure it maintains the proper orientation or it will be damaged.”

  “Will you have enough time to break loose?” Rome asked.

  “I do not know,” MINIMCOM said. “I do not think so.”

  “MINIMCOM!” Rei shouted. “What did you do? Why didn’t you tell us?”

  Quietly, MINIMCOM said, “I did not trust you to allow me to do what I had to do. This was the only way to save your Ark.”

  “You can’t…” Rei stopped speaking.

  At the end of this scene we come to find out that MINIMCOM is crushed, seemingly beyond repair. Sad. It is possible that the crash scene reminds you of something. It certainly did me. More on that tomorrow.

  Entry 2-243: August 26, 2014

 

  Great minds

  As I have explained many times before, I started writing the precursor to Rome's Revolution in 1973. At that time, the novel was entitled VIRUS 5 to accentuate the creation of the VIRUS units. It wasn't until late in 2004 that I started what was then VIRUS 5, Book 2 which eventually became Part 2 of Rome's Revolution.

  Over the last few days, we have been reviewing the crash scene when the Ark punched through the atmosphere of Deucado and fell over into a stand of trees. In my mind, it was a great and dramatic action sequence. It is important to note that I finished the complete first draft of Part 2 on 6/13/2005 which included this sequence.

  Imagine my surprise when one year later, almost to the day (6/24/2006), the movie Superman Returns came out. The opening action scene was an airliner launching a next generation space shuttle. The plane is going to crash and Superman gently lowers it to the ground. While the methods, participants and resolution were different, I can say without hesitation that it was truly the embodiment of my crash landing scene which was "in the books" a full year earlier.

  I felt a little like Stephen King in that people wouldn't stumble across my scene for another six years and would assume I copied it from the movie. But, I guess great minds think alike. I just want it out there that I thought of it first!

  Entry 2-244: August 27, 2014

 

  The pills kick in

  The yellow pill that Rei took at the end of Part 1 of Rome's Revolution had a number of effects on Rei. He acquired a kind of sonar-vision, a "cell-phone in the head" and it gave him remarkable recuperative powers, especially for his back. We saw how remarkable this was at the beginning of Rome's Evolution.

  What I have not discussed much was how and when the pill affected Rome. In both the original long form and the modern version of Rome's Revolution, we know that Rome took a yellow pill as well. The fact is, she acquired most of the same capabilities as Rei.

  The first effect, noticed almost immediately, was that it helped with Rome's back pain due to her pregnancy. Other than that, she noticed nothing for another month or so. However, when they arrived at Deucado and were forced to crash land, Rome noticed another effect of the pill at the most inopportune time:

  “We’ll have to figure out something when we get there. We’ll hide the ship under some leaves or something. OK?” Rei looked at her. “Are you ready, Romey? You have to fly. I’m not ready for this,” he asked less than authoritatively.

  Rome closed her eyes. She frowned. She slapped her temple three times, as if trying to jar something loose.

  “What’s the matter?” Rei asked.

  “My bloco and stilo, they have stopped working,” Rome replied.

  “Can you fly without them?” Rei asked.

  “Of course,” Rome said. “It makes no difference.” She held her arm and hand out to where Rei could reach it. Rei reached out to take it. Even though they were wearing gloves, they held each other’s hand tightly.

  Her "cell-phone in the head" did not kick in for another
few days and at first, she rejected the notion. In the end, the only new power that was denied to Rome was the sonar-vision. This is because the Vuduri visual cortex is wired differently than us, the Essessoni, and there was literally no room in her head for the rewiring necessary to gain that new sense.

  Entry 2-245: August 28, 2014

 

  Could Rome have a conniption?

  According to Webster's Dictionary, the definition of conniption is 'a fit of rage, hysteria, or alarm'. The other day I presented to you Rei's first encounter with MINIMCOM at the beginning of Part 2 of Rome's Revolution. I left off a little bit of the conversation so I am including it here:

  “Impressive, am I not?” MINIMCOM said regally.

  Rei laughed. This was the first time that Rei had ever heard him crack a joke. Maybe spending this much time with humans was beginning to rub off on him.

  “Yes, you are,” he said. “Before we do anything, can you patch me through to Rome? I think she was going to have a conniption about me leaving.”

  “What is a conniption?” MINIMCOM asked.

  “You don’t want to know,” Rei replied. “Just patch me through.”

  “Connected,” MINIMCOM said.

  “Romey?” Rei asked tentatively.

  “Yes, mau emir. I am here,” came her beautiful voice through the very same grille that MINIMCOM used.

  One of my reviewers felt Rome was incapable of such a reaction. Here is what he said:

  I also had some difficulty with Rei and Rome, who both felt somewhat... I dunno... caricatured to me. I've never really known people to act as they do, so it was hard to buy into them. Conversely, OMCOM and MINIMCOM were very engaging... largely, they were the most interesting to me.