by John Lane
David’s body stiffly walked back to bed and lay down. The eyes remained open and blank, staring at nothing external, but everything internal.
Tears rolled down his face.
*****
They’d been in port a week, and Tommy was still in jail. The Swift had been impounded, and the MOM was to be decommissioned. Tommy paced his cell. The twelve by five space left little room to stretch, but the confined space suited his mood. Tommy felt trapped, not by the cell walls, but by his circumstances. He had a responsibility to the patients on the MOM to get them to a system where they could recover and the MOM could be repaired. It had taken a week to do that with the MOM in tow behind the Swift.
Agnes continued her regimen of treatment, and Tommy, under the ministrations of his mother’s Ai, contributed his DNA to the effort. Repairs had continued on the MOM en route, all for naught. Upon arriving in the Nu2 Lupi system, where the edge of the Frontier meets the Fringe, the standing order to apprehend them had been waiting for him. At least the Nu2 Lupi system security hadn’t shot them out of the sky.
Tommy still wasn’t sure whether that was because they were towing the MOM or that the sheriff in this system seemed to have her head screwed on the right way. Maybe it was both. It still meant that the trail to finding his mother was growing cold. Tommy hadn’t given up, but there was nothing he could do in this cell. He was cut off from Alfred, who was impounded with the ship. He had no access to the nets in the system to follow the leads he did have, those damned tattoos.
Tommy sat down on his bunk and propped his feet up. He knew that he’d be pacing again soon, but this would break up the monotony of his thoughts. He was about to start pacing again when Sheriff Weltha Jane Johnson entered the detention block.
“Thomas Judson,” she stated. There wasn’t much question as to who he was. Tommy was the only detainee in the facility. It only took two days for the pirates to be moved to military detention and extradited out of the system. He stood to meet her. She strode to the edge of his cell. Weltha was a not a beautiful girl. She was a handsome woman. Standing about five six, she wore her shoulder length curly hair back in an easily maintained ponytail. Although she did not appear muscular, she did look like she stayed in shape from the way her station’s coveralls fit her. Her square face held dark brown almond shaped eyes with a distinct epicanthic fold common in people of Asian descent. She looked younger than her thirty-two years. Weltha carried herself with confidence. Tommy recognized another soldier when he first met her.
They shared several one sided conversations about their military service. Not one sided because Tommy was being rude. He was, as usual, conservative in his conversation. There wasn’t mush else to do while they waited for communiqués to reach the core systems and for the Postal Service to respond. Tommy just wasn’t sure what to expect.
He found the sheriff to be a congenial companion. They shared their stories about the last major battle of the Wars. Tommy had been air support to her squad on the ground. For this, and many reasons, he felt he was in no personal danger. He just wished he could continue the pursuit of his mother.
“Tommy,” Weltha rephrased to the less formal address. “You’re being released to the station.” She unlocked the door to Tommy’s cell.
“The PS response came in?” he asked.
“No, not yet. It may be awhile before we get any response. The network is a mess and it may take quite a while to untangle. No, upon an independent inquiry, the evidence is not sufficient to hold you in this cell.” She winked at Tommy.
“Independent inquiry?” Tommy looked at her quizzically.
“Yup. I’ve been looking over all the data recordings and evidence that your Nav Ai had as well as independent interviews with staff, patients, and a few of your pirates. This detention order from the central systems stinks of bureaucratic bull. There’s nothing to support it,” she announced with satisfaction.
“Thanks,” said Tommy.
But as Tommy stepped out of his cell, she stopped him. “Sorry, Tommy. You’re free under my authority, but I do need to restrict you to the station. You cannot return to your ship.” She knelt down and put a ring on his ankle. “I need you to wear this tracking anklet until we can clear up this mess with bigger pay scales than mine.”
“Thanks,” Tommy said again with resignation. “I understand the risk you’re taking. I appreciate it.”
“I’ve made arrangements for you to bunk at our hotel. It isn’t fancy, but the PS is getting the bill,” again there was a twinkle of mischief in her eyes as she shared this. “The regulations state that a PS courier cannot carry passengers, but as you are aware, they can carry family as companions on their routes. Your ‘aunt’ Agnes requested to stay on your ship for now?” she said.
“Long story,” was Tommy’s response. “She really is my aunt.”
“Yes, well. There were also some personal items that your ‘aunt’ requested moved from the MOM to your ship. I understand they are some of your mother’s belongings.” Weltha continued, sensing Tommy’s anxiety about finding his mother, “I’ve sent out word to the regional marshals and the governor’s office. They both needed to be informed about piracy in the Frontier. If I hear anything at all, I’ll let you know.”
“That’s good.”
“Tommy, we’ll get it straightened out.” Weltha tried to be positive.
Tommy was positive when he said, “Yes, I will.” And he left the sheriff’s office.
*****
Back aboard the Swift, Agnes supervised the transfer of Christine’s casket from the MOM and made sure that Annie’s personal media player was included. Where most media units acted only as a storage device and needed an interface unit to access the data stored in it, Alfred and Annie’s unit looked and acted like a media player with access to data. This was Arnold Judson’s design for disguising the true nature and capacity of the units.
It took some sneaking around the station deputies to do it, but Agnes had managed to transfer several of the decommissioned humanoid avatars over as well. She reasoned that they used Dr. Judson’s image to tend to patients. So, they had to have been very personal to Annie and should be included with her personal belongings. She also included several of the MOM’s holo-projectors. The ship was the oldest in the MOM fleet and since it was being decommissioned and replaced, they didn’t need them as much as the Dr. Judson’s Ai did on the Swift.
Agnes was in Tommy’s workshop working on an interface for Annie’s media player. The little devices stored a deceptive amount of data. Besides her Ai seemed to run much more smoothly, you might even say naturally, with it installed in the system of the MOM. Agnes salvaged as many parts as she could from that interface. She still seemed to be missing some pieces.
“May I help?” She jumped when Alfred’s voice came from the speaker on the workbench. “I didn’t mean to startle you, Agnes,” he said.
“No, I was so focused on this interface… You just surprised me, that’s all. I don’t have a lot of personal memories, but I do know my way around these designs.” She stooped down to pick up the micro welder she had dropped on the floor.
“I do apologize. Tommy is much the same way. Unless I surprise him he might go on with a project and not eat or sleep,” Alfred Ingram explained. “Again, may I be of any help?”
“I don’t know. I’ve hit a dead end. I don’t have the parts I need, and I don’t have time to print them.” She confessed, “It’s making me mad.” She threw down the same tool she had just picked up., Agnes crossed her arms let out a frustrated growl and hugged herself.
“If I were a human, I would console you with a pat or a hug as appropriate,” Alfred spoke formally trying not to offend. He had little interaction with female humans. His model for human interaction had primarily been Tommy. Somewhere in his code, he understood that Tommy was a sullen and quiet example of humanity.
“Alfred, I’m glad you’re here just as you are,” Agnes said as tears trickled down her cheeks. She wiped them away and one of A
lfred’s smaller spider avatars crawled across the workbench and extended a leg to touch her hand. “Sorry, sometimes my emotions act up. It’s frustrating to know so much about engineering, design, science, and still not ‘KNOW’ anything really about ME.” Agnes squeezed the spider’s arm like it was Alfred’s hand, gaining some comfort from the contact of another intellect. “I’ve got information, my full name, I had… I have a sister. You’ll eventually find all kinds of facts about my life. And that will be great. But I won’t have them as memories. My own memories.” She stared off at a wall, but her thoughts were searching further than the bulkhead in front of her. “Well, back to work,” she sighed several minutes later. “I’m generating a list of parts I will need to complete integrating the Dr. Judson Ai into your systems.”
“Not my systems,” Alfred corrected. “I am separate from the Swift. I interface with its systems and it functions as a body for me, but I was not this ship’s original Navigational Ai.”
“That’s right, thanks Alfred. The parts will let me fully integrate the doctor into the ship’s systems, and then she can complete work on an antivirus for Christine.”
“Many of these are available on the station. Agnes, I can make inquiries as to availability,” Alfred offered.
“Please do. I’ll pick them up myself.” She began listing the parts on her tablet. “I want to inspect any parts I use. Quality control is important.” She completed the list and hit send. Then she glanced at Annie’s media player. She picking it up and turning it over in her hands examined it admiringly. “I wish I knew more about how this works,” she mused. “I understand the interface, but the functioning is something I’d really like to understand better. Can’t do that right now without taking these apart, and I don’t want to do that. I might lose her.”
“I’m sure she appreciates your care in the matter of her continued functioning,” Alfred chuckled. “Have you had much chance to examine the caskets, both your own and Christine’s? If you designed the second, it stands to reason that you did the first. There may be some clues there,” Alfred suggested.
“Yeah, we’ll take a look,” Agnes hopped off her work stool, “as soon as we check on Tommy and get this shopping done.” She strode out the hatch followed by Alfred’s avatar.
*****
Despite himself, Tommy was enjoying being out of that cell. As Weltha escorted him down one of the main walkways on New Paris station, he noted the Frontier design. Unlike on the Fringe where building was fast and cheap, here they had built an orbiting complex meant to last. They walked down one of several large drums that rotated around a common central axis in opposing directions. The rotation not only provided the effect of gravity, they balanced the rotational forces along the kilometers of spine that connected the complex. The design accounted for safety as well as industry. Each drum could be adjusted for atmosphere and rotation to allow various gravities that might affect crystal growth or manufacturing considerations. The docks were built parallel to the drum and had access to all the drums through the access corridors. Unlike Make-Haste station, this Frontier station was a well planned mid size city.
Weltha and Tommy had walked through two of the drums and were coming to the end of the tour. “Thanks for letting me brag about our system. I had to get out of that office. I am sorry about the anklet. It’s just a precaution. We’ve all got our little battles, and I can’t give any ammo to my opposition in system,” Weltha explained.
Tommy had ended up liking this sheriff. They both realized they were kindred spirits caught in a bureaucratic vice. “It’s okay. Glad for the company,” Tommy responded politely. They walked on in silence for a few minutes through this part of the last drum closest to the manufacturing district and dock areas. Weltha had explained where Tommy was allowed to go and where he had to avoid. Although close to his ship, he could not venture to the docks. They also had their largest market and shopping district in this drum. His freedom extended to the parkland and habitat drums on the other end of the spine, near city hall.
As they approached the hotel, Weltha turned to Tommy to shake his hand and wish him well. “Well, rest up. I’m sure we’ll have this all cleared up in a few days,” she said loudly. And in almost a whisper she added, “You see them don’t you?”
“Yup.” Tommy responded loudly with a smile. And just as quietly, “Two behind, three waiting at the side.”
“Smile big, go on in. I’ll circle back and recon.” Weltha instructed him, “Stay put in your room till I contact you.” Tommy nodded and walked into the hotel to register. Weltha returned the way they had come. As soon as she was sure they weren’t following her through to the next drum, she circled back through access tunnels along the walls of the drum. She climbed up to a skywalk that paralleled the hotel street. There, she took out a small scope and used it to track the five tails’ movements. They had stationed themselves around the hotel, covering all the apparent access points. Weltha watched for several minutes, confirming some of her suspicions. She took a ladder higher into the support struts of the drum, keeping an eye on her suspects. Once clear of them, she worked her way down to the level beneath the hotel and came up through a cargo hatch in the kitchen.
“Hey, Sally,” she greeted the hotel owner who prided herself on being the best chef on the station as well. “Can we send some scrambled eggs, fake’n bacon, and hash browns, up to my guest?”
Sally who was no stranger to greeting the sheriff coming and going through odd places at odd times simply replied nonplused, “No problem.” And she got to work. It gave her a safe feeling, knowing Weltha would do the grunt work to keep the station safe.
Weltha knocked on Tommy’s door and quietly identified herself. She gave him the ‘shush’ sign with her finger to her mouth as he closed the door. She held out a small jamming device and activated it. “That will be better,” she said. “This has come in handy a lot.”
“What gives,” Tommy asked, and Weltha filled him in on her recon. She sent a text back to her office, requesting deputies for back up. It didn’t take the deputies long to signal they were in position. Two of the tails had already headed into the hotel and tracked down Tommy’s room. There was a knock at the door. Tommy moved to answer while Weltha covered him with her gun. He touched the hatch release and Sally stood there with a tray of food.
“What???” she got out as Tommy pulled her into the room.
“Thanks, Sally. Just put the tray down and sit tight for two minutes.” Sally started to sit on the bed in the cabin. “Maybe you should take a spot in the toilet, Sally. Safer,” Weltha answered to Sally’s questioning look.
Enough time passed for all three to get anxious. Another knock finally sounded on the door and the announcement, “Room service.” Tommy positioned himself next to the hatch with Weltha off to the other side, weapon raised and ready. Tommy punched the hatch open button. Reaper Pirates, they both had the tattoo on their necks and arms, a reaper with identical scythes. The first one fired a dart weapon as soon as the hatch opened. Tommy grabbed this pirate’s outstretched arms, spun him around disarming him and put him in a headlock. From there, he applied pressure points to the back of his skull rendering him unconscious.
Weltha was more direct with the second pirate. She fired her goo gun and hit the pirate in her face. She dropped before her dart gun was halfway to firing position. Weltha dragged her into the cabin, checked the hall and shut the hatch. “Now,” she spoke aloud knowing that the pickups in her earbud would broadcast her order to the rest of her team.
“Are your deputies as good as you?” Tommy asked.
Before Weltha could reply, Sally proudly stated, “Darn toot’n. Weltha drills them to distraction. So we’ve the safest system around. Ask anybody.”
“Thanks, Sally,” Weltha didn’t blush. She took it as it was meant, just the facts.
“I’ll see you folks later. I’ve got a hotel to run.” Sally walked out of the cabin, but not before checking both ways down the corridor.
�
�Good, I’ll meet you there. We need a couple of stretchers up here,” Weltha responded to her earbud. Her team gathered up all five of the attackers. The three on the street had put up resistance, so the deputies had plenty of ‘assaulting an officer’ charges. These other two could be charged with that and attempted murder. As they carried them out, Weltha made to leave also, when she stopped and turned to Tommy. “I doubt these are all of them. I’ve only got that anklet to keep tabs on you. Watch your back.”
“I will,” Tommy nodded and locked the hatch once she left.
Not too much later when Tommy was stepping out of a shower. The admit buzzer sounded from the cabin hatch. He came into the cabin dripping and wiping himself down with a towel. Tommy activated the hatch security monitor and on the screen appeared Agnes. “Tommy, open up. It’s us.” That’s when Tommy noticed she had a shoulder bag hanging across her and the legs of a spider avatar hung out. He wrapped the towel around his waist and activated the hatch to let them in.
“Hey, nicer than that cell, that’s for sure,” commented Agnes as she pounced down on the bunk. “We brought you some stuff, change of clothes, razor, toothpaste. You know stuff we thought you’d need. And this.” She handed Tommy his media player and two earbuds.
“Thanks.” Tommy accepted the player and put one small earbud com unit in his ear. “Hello, Alfred.” The other earbud he handed back to Agnes. “This is for you. You may need Alfred. And you are family, Aunt Agnes.”
“OK that’s weird. The name, not the earbud.” She immediately put the earbud in her ear. “This could come in handy.” She leaned back against the wall of the cabin as Tommy took his change of clothes back into the shower unit and dressed. “So, we heard you had some excitement with the lady sheriff?” Agnes said loud enough for Tommy to hear in the next room. He also noted the teasing tone in her voice. She may be his aunt, but she was acting like a little sister.