“Great. I’m going to work on the radio,” she said. “I’m tired of being the only one who says anything. I need a conversation.”
It would be so good to speak with Charlie.
Later, she jerked awake. She’d fallen asleep working out what to work on next.
She went to the room with the bed and slept. Woke long after daybreak.
The next few days passed with Matti-Jay as busy as she’d ever been. She checked from the roof a couple of times a day, looking for the big robot. Sometimes she would see it in the distance. It didn’t seem much interested, but sometimes it was closer.
Esgee continued to work on the Blue Defender. Matti-Jay wondered if Esgee knew what it was doing. Maybe it was just repairing the little vessel to the damaged state it had been in when it had first crashed on the beach. Would Esgee understand the difference between how it had first seen the vessel and how it was meant to be?
Well, Esgee could duplicate food. Maybe it could duplicate a spaceship. Piece by piece.
Matti-Jay focused on getting the radio working. She ran it through a handheld–destroying another couple along the way. She gave Esgee one of the last handhelds. The robot took the handheld and the next day gave her three back. All the while it kept working on the Blue Defender.
Dub’s body lay up on the dune, only partly assembled. Matti-Jay tried to encourage Esgee to get to work on its friend, but Esgee just focused on the runabout. The vessel now had a fuselage, undercarriage, ultramagnetic system and nacelle. The cockpit was still a work in progress. Esgee worked fast.
One day the big robot passed within a kilometer. Matti-Jay crouched as low as she could on the roof. The big robot slowed for a moment, looking around. After a while it carried on.
The display the microbots had built on Dub’s head started to show figures and letters. Matti-Jay plugged in a handheld and tried to get some sense out of it all. She succeeded only in ruining another handheld.
She tried to give Esgee another one to get a duplicate, but none was forthcoming. Esgee started disappearing for days at a time.
Matti-Jay’s radio gave some crackling responses. Snippets that might have even been Charlie’s voice. Single, broken words.
It was all progress.
Chapter Forty Seven
Four days later Matti-Jay still hadn’t seen Esgee. The Blue Defender stood on the sand outside the building, just about ready to fly.
Matti-Jay ate her lasagna and pumpkin breakfast, just about gagging. Strange how quickly you could get sick of the same meal all the time.
Still, it was keeping her alive. Keeping her energy up.
She had a routine now, of a sort. Eat. Walk to the stream and fill her water bulbs. Scrub in the cool water. Dress in her clothes. She’d been able to get a second set from the Blue Defender’s wreckage, so she could have one set washed and drying, while she wore the other set. Good to have the spare boots that Dub had made her too.
She checked on Dub’s head. Checked on the radio. Checked on the progress on the Blue Defender.
Nothing for a couple of days. The cockpit still had no window or canopy. It did have working consoles and she’d sat in it and checked the systems.
It looked like the thing could just about fly.
She checked in on Dub’s head. Sometimes the words on the display made sense.
Hello.
I Like You.
Looks like rain today.
Sometimes not much sense.
Iteration complication.
Scsckglaard17 Please and word 23.
Code refresh negative, please re-enter.
When she hadn’t even entered anything.
The radio crackled as she worked on it.
She checked the roof, sometimes saw the big robot. Sometimes not.
It was like being in limbo.
On the sixth day since Esgee had disappeared, she saw it from the roof.
On a high dune about a kilometer and a half away. With the big robot following along behind. Esgee was running. Leaping over the gnarly trees and grasses. Leading the big robot away from the building.
Esgee was fast. Agile.
But the big robot had a much bigger stride. It would catch up easily.
Matti-Jay’s breath caught in her throat. Esgee kept moving. The big robot strode along after.
What was its problem?
“Leave it alone!” Matti-Jay screamed. “Just leave it alone.”
Esgee slipped out of sight. A couple of moments later it appeared again, cresting another dune. The big robot still following. Heading away to the south east.
Matti-Jay kept watching. She didn’t see Esgee again. Soon the big robot was lost in the distance and the haze.
Matti-Jay went back downstairs and checked the radio again. Nothing.
She was tracking the satellites better now. She should be able to make contact, but soon. Right now nothing. Out of sync.
She couldn’t shake the image of Esgee running. Leading the big robot off.
Too scary.
Matti-Jay wanted to talk with someone. She just felt too alone. Much too far away from everyone and everything.
It would even be good if the cats showed up. At least she would have something to yell at. Something to interact with.
She just needed to tell Charlie how to fix a jump tech buoy. How to send it. How to get someone from home come rescue him and the others.
That was all.
Matti-Jay didn’t sleep well.
Chapter Forty Eight
Five days later, Matti-Jay watched the sunset from the building’s roof. The roof was slick with rainwater from an afternoon storm, but the skies had just about cleared now. She’d set up a whole bunch of the empty food trays on the roof to catch rainwater. It saved her having to trek to the stream a couple of times a day to fill the bulbs.
The sky was brilliant with streaks of light. Gold and red. The kind of thing tourists would fly in to watch. Maybe it would be clear tomorrow.
Her stomach growled at her. She hadn’t eaten since morning. It was getting harder to eat lasagna, pumpkin and rice all the time. If she could spare the microbots, she would have gotten some of them to make a food processor to convert some of the vegetation into nutritional bars. Dreadful, but at least a change from endless duplicated food packs.
She was grateful to Esgee, of course. She missed it. Probably destroyed now. Just like Dub.
She’d seen the big robot a couple more times since it had chased down Esgee. Just strolling around. At some point the big robot was going to come close to the building. What would happen then? Would it kill her too?
It was nice to have the sunset, but she also had a good window coming up to make contact with Charlie. She had one of the handhelds. The last one still working. Hooked in through the radio. Which was in turn connected through the copper antennas.
It was as good a system as she could hope for.
She’d set the microbots to work on the Blue Defender. Esgee had done a good job–a brilliant job–but there was still work to do. The cockpit was still open, but she needed to get the other systems checked and working.
Enclosing the cockpit was a big job, and not any use if the rest of the vessel wasn’t working.
“Hello?” a voice said from the handheld. Charlie. “Matti-Jay. Are you there? Matti-Jay? It looks like I’ve got a good–”
“I’m here!” she said. “How are you doing? Are you–”
“Don’t worry about us. What about you? We haven’t heard for days. I thought... I thought...” Was he actually choking up?
“I’m okay,” she said. No need to get into how things had been. “Tell me about Delle and Simon. How are they doing?”
“Good. And we’ve found some more survivors. We’re setting up an expedition. To join up. We figure we can even get to the wreck of the Donner. We might be able to find a rescue buoy.”
“That’s great.” Matti-Jay felt buoyed herself by the news.
“We need you, though,�
�� Charlie said. “None of us have those skills. Not to get a buoy up and running.”
“You’ll manage,” she said. She stared at the beautiful sky. If she was going to be stuck somewhere, this was pretty good. If they could get a buoy underway, rescue would come. Maybe she would pull the microbots and build that food processor. She would run out of those meals from Esgee at some point soon.
“None of us have the expertise!” Charlie said. “Those are pretty finely-tuned devices. Who knows what kind of shape they’ll be in after the wreck? Even if we find one. How’s your ship? Can you fly to us?”
Matti-Jay looked over the side of her building, down at the Blue Defender.
“I’m almost there,” she said. “Almost there.”
“Good,” Charlie said. “The sooner the better. We need your expertise.”
Matti-Jay took a breath. How could the whole expedition hinge on her? They would figure it out
From somewhere in the distance came a dull hooting sound.
“Matti-Jay?” Charlie said.
“Maybe I’ll have to talk you through it,” she said.
“I don’t thin... oz if ye... then we’re just stuh... eed...” His voice broke up in crackles.
Matti-Jay looked up. She saw the speck of a satellite, catching the rays of the setting sun.
“Talk again soon, Charlie.” No way of knowing if he’d heard her or not.
Still, it was good to know that they would be all right.
She slept better
Chapter Forty Nine
It happened while she sat at the steam bank eating a piece of lasagna. Slow going, but she was hungry enough.
Birds twittered around her, and fish wriggled in the water. A kind of crane–a bird she hadn’t seen before–strode in the shallows on the other side of the loop. The bird kept its head pointed down, focused on the water. Long bill like a dagger.
It darted down. Came up with one of the fish.
The crane tipped its head back, crest fluttering. The bird jiggled the fish down its gullet. Clever.
“Wish I could do that,” Matti-Jay said. “Swap you for some lasagna?”
The bird ignored her. Returned to stepping gingerly through the shallows.
And something crashed through the trees across the other side of the stream.
Esgee.
Matti-Jay dropped her food pack. She jumped to her feet. Elation flooded through her.
But Esgee was moving too fast. And the bank was too steep. The robot stumbled down. It slammed into the water.
With a loud squawk the crane took flight.
Matti-Jay yelped. She ran over.
Esgee lay there.
Esgee shifted around. Got back on its feet.
From nearby came more more crashing. And a hooting.
“The big robot?” Matti-Jay said.
Esgee ran at her. Grabbed her with the padded hands. Hauled her along across the loop beach. Up the dune. Past the remains of Dub’s half-reconstructed body.
Another loud hoot. The hefty sounds of the big robot coming back.
Esgee carried Matti-Jay down and toward the building. But stopped at the Blue Defender. Esgee put her into the cockpit.
“What?” Matti-Jay said. She looked around. Where was the big robot? Surely she should be able to see it. The hulking thing was the size of a twenty story building.
Esgee pushed Matti-Jay down into the seat. The cockpit was only half-completed. What was Esgee doing?
The padded hands slipped back through the slot. A couple of meal packs popped out and landed on the cockpit floor.
“Sheesh!” Matti-Jay said.
Different appendages came out. The fingers tapped at the console controls.
A droning sound started.
The Blue Defender’s engines.
“But it can’t fly!” Matti-Jay said.
Esgee reached under the console and brought out a helmet. Full head. Full visor.
“That’s your solution!” Matti-Jay yelped.
More crashing from behind. Matti-Jay couldn’t see.
Esgee ran off. Heading for the sound.
Matti-Jay stood. Stepped right up onto the pilot’s seat.
The big robot was right there. Looming. On the other side of her building. Reaching down.
And Esgee was clambering up the building’s side. How was the robot doing that?
The Blue Defender’s engine drone grew. The vessel was winding up for a launch.
But it had no cockpit canopy.
Esgee reached the roof. Launched itself. Right at the big robot.
Matti-Jay swallowed.
Blue Defender was fixed? Ready to fly.
Even without a cockpit canopy.
Matti-Jay took a breath.
The big robot reached down with a long appendage. Esgee grabbed at it. Wrenched. Pulled around.
Esgee was giving her time to get away. Was that the idea?
Matti-Jay sat back down.
She put her hands on the yoke.
But she had no navigation. No runway to launch from.
No wait. If she used the attitude thrusters to lift the nose she could blast the ultramagnetics. Make a vertical launch.
All right. Insane. Just insane.
She looked up at the battle.
Esgee was definitely slowing the big robot down.
Matti-Jay grabbed the seat’s harness. Pulled the straps down.
Esgee was giving her a chance.
Whew.
Wait. She didn’t have any of her stuff.
Dub.
Matti-Jay threw the harness straps away. She stood. Jumped down from the cockpit.
Esgee cooed at her. Loud and piercing.
“It’s all right,” Matti-Jay said. “It’s got to be worth it.”
And she raced into the building.
Chapter Fifty
Matti-Jay raced on instinct. On automatic.
She barely noticed leaping from the lower floor up into the middle floor. Barely registered the stairway.
Next thing she was in the room with the desk and the electrical equipment.
Something crashed above. Something breaking.
Matti-Jay grabbed Dub’s head. Grabbed the microbot incubator.
She should have made a go-bag. With food and handhelds and the radio and a little canister of microbots.
More crashing and breaking. The building shuddered.
Matti-Jay raced out. Onto the stairway.
Another crash. More shuddering.
A huge hole opened in the back wall. One of the giant robot’s leg joints shoving through. Matti-Jay slipped. Fell on her knee.
Dub’s head skipped from her grasp. Heading for the hole.
Matti-Jay scrambled up. She raced on. Grabbed one of the head’s antennas.
The giant leg joint kicked around. Broke the hole bigger. Chunks of wall material fell around her.
Matti-Jay raced on. Headed for the drop off to get back to the lower floor.
The floor behind her crumbled. The giant robot kicking.
Matti-Jay tumbled to the lower floor.
She’d left Dub’s head behind. Lost her grip again.
She cursed.
Set the incubator down. Jumped for the lip again. Pulled herself up. Spotted Dub’s head. Grabbed it.
The big robot’s leg was smashing up the floor now. The thing was strong.
Matti-Jay jumped down. She scooped up the incubator. Ran for the door.
The Blue Defender was still winding up. Matti-Jay raced in. She tossed Dub’s head up. And the incubator.
She jumped. Landed spread-eagled on the cockpit floor. Scrambled again.
Glanced back.
Esgee was ripping at the big robot’s body. Grabbing at tearing.
Matti-Jay tore open the locker. She thrust in Dub’s head and the incubator.
She jumped into the pilot’s seat.
Something heavy screamed down. Right in front of the runabout. Landed with a heavy thud.
&nbs
p; One of the big robot’s arms.
Matti-Jay looked up.
Esgee had cut it off. Now the little robot was working on the next one.
Matti-Jay tapped at the consoles. She pulled the harness on. It grabbed her and locked down. Just like it was supposed to.
This was going to be one hang of a ride.
She pulled on the helmet. It gripped her skull.
A tearing sound. A smashing noise.
The big robot was striding through the building. Like it was made of sand.
Where was Esgee?
There.
Gripped in another of the big robot’s appendage manipulators. And another hand came in. Gripped Esgee’s body.
Esgee’s legs flailed around.
The two big mechanical hands crushed at Esgee’s body. Squeezing and tearing.
“No!” Matti-Jay screamed.
The giant robot tore Esgee in half. Flung the pieces aside.
Matti-Jay blinked back tears.
Esgee had given her a chance. Important to make sure that did not get wasted.
She tapped at the consoles. Waved into the displays.
The Blue Defender shuddered. The nose lifted. The underside retros blasting away.
The big robot hooted. It moved down. One of its appendages came down fast.
The mechanical hand groping for her.
Matti-Jay shunted the throttle hard.
The ship hummed.
The hand kept coming.
“Move,” Matti-Jay whispered. “Move.”
The ultramagnetics kicked in. Thrust her into the sky.
The blast drove her right into the seat’s cushioning.
Air raced around her. Whined. Whipped at her clothes.
But she was up. Up and out of there.
No cockpit protection. Nothing but open air.
But she’d made it. Made it into the sky.
She could hardly breathe.
Chapter Fifty One
The next four hours were the most uncomfortable Matti-Jay had ever endured. The air pounded at her. Freezing. It found every gap in her clothes.
Should have had a flight suit.
The roar of the engines was endless. And somehow she could even smell their smokey stink.
Blue Defender Page 17