ARMS Domers Unite: (Book 6)

by Stephen Arseneault

The image replied as it pointed. "Before... after."

  Tawn sighed. "Now you have it screwed up. Shut your pie hole for a few minutes, would you?"

  Harris took a step back. "OK. Have at it."

  Tawn pointed at herself and then Harris, "Humans." She followed by pointing at the image with a questioning gesture.

  "Humans. Burrell."

  Tawn turned with a grin. "Burrell. They're the Burrell."

  Harris chuckled. "That's a big assumption from that short conversation. Burrell... that may be their way of saying 'what?'"

  Tawn pointed down: "Floor;" up, "ceiling;" around, "walls."

  "Hey, ask it where the bathroom is. I gotta go."

  Tawn turned with an angry face. "Really? Can you be more disruptive?"

  The image pointed and again blurted out gibberish.

  Harris grinned as he walked in the direction of the point.

  Tawn yelled, "Don't go too far."

  Harris waved her off as he continued.

  Bax came in from the hall. "Finally. Where's the moron?"

  "Looking for a restroom."

  "Restroom? What is he, five?"

  "I usually say twelve. Five is a better fit."

  "What do we have here?"

  "We pressed the big blue button and this image appeared. We're trying to communicate."

  "Can I give it a shot?"

  Tawn stepped back. "Go right ahead."

  "Yes or no, do you understand Earth English."

  "Yes."

  "Please communicate using Earth English."

  "Language has been modified to reply in Earth English."

  Tawn sat with her mouth dropped open. "How'd you know to do that?"

  "Didn't. Just thought I'd come right out with it." She turned to face the image. "We are Humans. What are you?"

  "We are the Burrell."

  "You build this place?"

  "Yes."

  "Are there any of you around?"

  "There are no living Burrell in this facility or on this planet."

  "Where'd you come from?"

  "I do not have that information. My knowledge is limited to the basics of interacting with others about this facility."

  Tawn asked, "What do you call this place?"

  "In Earth English terms, a terraform complex."

  Bax smirked. "Now that was a quality question. Do you have a name for this avatar?"

  "Sas. Synthetic Assistant."

  "Where did you learn Earth English from?"

  "From my data store."

  Tawn shook her head. "Talk about a wasted question."

  Bax replied, "Hold on. Sas, how many languages are in your data store?"

  "Eighteen."

  "And are those each from unique species? Or are there different languages within a single species?"

  "Fourteen are unique. Two of those fourteen have three each."

  "Can you translate written as well as verbal for those languages?"

  "Yes."

  "Do you have a comm interface that will connect with ours?"

  "Yes."

  Bax held up her arm to enable a transfer.

  Tawn pulled it back down. "Hold on. We don't know if it's safe to do that or not."

  "It's an arm pad. I can take it off and toss it if needed."

  "It's an arm pad that's connected to our arm pads and to the comm probes you dropped, as well as to our ship. I'd really rather not chance an incursion that traps us down here."

  Bax raised her arm pad and typed away for several seconds. "OK. I'm completely isolated from our networks. Sas, connect to my device and send the translations you have available."

  A chime could be heard signifying the transfer was complete.

  Bax smiled. "That wasn't so hard."

  Sas said, "It would appear your comm hardware is of a similar grade, yet with inferior programming. If desired, I can offer an update that will better facilitate our communications."

  Bax began to hold up her arm, to which Tawn shook her head. "Translations are one thing. Getting an operating system from an unknown alien is another. Let's wait on that until we have a chance to get to know them better."

  Harris walked up. "What are you two fighting over?"

  The image replied, "Whether or not to upgrade their external devices to a newer operating system."

  Harris stared for several seconds. "It speaks standard English? When did that happen?"

  Bax said, "It has translations for eighteen alien languages. Of which there are fourteen unique species."

  Tawn asked, "Sas, is there a translation for the Denzee?"

  "Yes."

  "How about the Hoya?"

  "Yes."

  "Are any of the species in the translations extinct?"

  "Yes."

  "How many?"

  "Nine of the fourteen as of last count."

  "Nine? How'd they go extinct and when?"

  "I do not have access to that information. Should I send a query to the main database?"

  "Yes."

  "Done."

  Bax stepped forward. "Sas, is the main database on this planet?"

  "No."

  Bax sighed. "Great. You may have just signaled to the Burrell that we were here."

  Harris asked, "Sas, do the Burrell know we are here?"

  "An alert was sent when this complex came online. It will reach the main database in sixty-two planet days."

  "So no wormhole travel for the Burrell?"

  "I do not have that information. Should I send another query to the main database?"

  Harris held up a hand. "No."

  Tawn said, "I have to wonder, with the dead Burrell here, was this place abandoned?"

  Harris asked, "Sas, was this facility and planet abandoned by the Burrell?"

  "I do not have that information. Should I send another query to the main database?"

  "No."

  Tawn stepped forward. "Sas, how long will this facility run, and how long before this planet can be colonized?"

  "The terraformer will run for one cycle. The planet will be ready for initial colonization in twelve cycles."

  Harris looked at his arm pad. "One-point-one standard years per time around this star, so about thirteen years total."

  Tawn asked, "Were the Burrell planning to occupy this world?"

  "I do not have that information. Should I send another query to the main database?"

  "No. And please don't ask if any more queries should be sent."

  Harris stepped up. "Sas, is your entire database available for download?"

  "Yes."

  "Will it fit on the device you transferred the language translations to?"

  "Yes."

  Harris looked at Bax. "It's already been connected to yours. Load it up."

  The transfer lasted less than a minute.

  Harris said, "Well, there we go. Bax is finally useful. Our first data mule."

  "Yeah, thanks. At least I know I won't be abandoned by you now. I have something of value."

  Tawn asked, "Sas, this facility, how is it maintained?"

  "There is a single automated maintenance robot for each weather generator."

  "We haven't seen one. Where is it now?"

  "In the freeze room."

  "What's the freeze room?"

  "When the weather systems have settled, the generator will open the freeze room for expulsion of the various seeds, plants, and insects needed to promote the oxygenation phase of the terraforming mission. The seeding will happen first, followed by the dispersion of plants that are already in various stages of growth. That in turn will be followed thirty days later with the release of the insects who will be responsible for pollination."

  Tawn looked at the others. "Sounds like they knew what they were doing. Sas, what was the purpose of terraforming this planet?"

  "Colonization."

  "Why terraform? There are a number of other habitable planets in this region."

  "I do not have that information."

>   Harris said, "Looks like questions will have to be limited to being about this facility. Sas, is there a schedule for when the Burrell will return? Maybe since this facility was started up?"

  "I do not have that information."

  "Does the database we downloaded contain the layout of this complex?"

  "Yes."

  "I think we've probably seen enough. We can have Alex analyze the data for us."

  A comm came in from the Hailstorm. "Sir, we have incoming Denzee ships. We are lifting away to safety."

  "What?"

  "I'm sorry, sir. We could not risk being seen at the stone entrance. We're moving to the opposite side of the planet for a run to free space. If in danger of pursuit, we will deploy a boson bomb. And, sir, we took the liberty of positioning a week's worth of provisions for you at the top of the stairwell. We will attempt return when—"

  The comm crackled and faded as the signal level dropped below minimums.

  Bax scowled. "Stranded on an abandoned planet with two morons. This story is not going the way I would have liked."

  Tawn said, "Can I just kill her now so we can stretch out the food?"

  Harris chuckled. "All we really need from her is that arm pad with the data."

  "You two are funny. How about we focus our brainpower on getting off this planet."

  "I thought you had a thick skin. This your sensitive side coming out?"

  Bax shook her head. "No, it's the survival side. I don't like being cornered. We need options."

  Harris asked, "Sas, can your sensors detect how many ships are in orbit and what they're doing?"

  "Yes."

  Harris rolled his eyes. "Great. Another one forcing me to restate my questions. Sas, how many ships are in orbit and what are they doing?"

  "Two hundred forty-six. And they appear to be entering the atmosphere."

  "What? They're coming down here?"

  "The complex entrance does not appear to be a target of their descent."

  Tawn gestured toward the hall. "We should go up and move the food down. If they decide to come in here, we don't want them starving us out."

  Bax said, "Food won't do us much good if we don't have water."

  Harris pointed. "We have water. There are actual restrooms in this facility. Toilets are strange looking, but functional, and there's water available from faucets."

  "Sounds like we're in paradise, then. Why would we ever want to leave?"

  "Because we're trapped here with you, maybe?"

  The trio made the trek back to the main control room and out to the stairwell. The long climb up the steps had them looking at a stack of boxes.

  Harris opened a top and looked in. "Good. Bogler ribs."

  "I thought you were tired of them?" Tawn said.

  "Nope. Just tiring of them. And given the current situation, I could eat them from here on out."

  The boxes were gathered and they began the hike going back down.

  Tawn shook her head. "Wish we had a comm so we could see what's happening out there."

  Harris paused. "We might have an option with that. Sas has sensors. We go back there and we might be able to find out. And with a restroom nearby, we might want to make that our base of operations."

  Bax replied, "Not so sure about that. We'll want to be able to defend these stairs from anyone coming down."

  "Speaking of defending, we each have a single blaster pistol. How are we set for charge cells?"

  Bax looked. "I'm at 96 percent. Should give me about eight hundred rounds."

  Tawn said, "I show 88 percent, so about the same."

  Harris glanced down at the meter on his weapon. "OK, so we have limited ammo. We'll have to make it count."

  Tawn stared. "You low?"

  "Twenty-eight."

  Bax laughed. "Oh great. The Biomarines who are supposed to always be prepared to fight are the ones not paying attention."

  Harris shrugged. "Sorry. Forgot to grab a full charge before we left. Could be this was being used by Sharvie for her warfighting practice."

  "Really? You're blaming one of your monkeys?"

  Tawn cut in: "Doesn't matter. We have what we have. If needed at all, we'll just have to be judicious with our shots."

  The base floor was reached and the trek made back through the halls to the oven room.

  — Chapter 6 —

  * * *

  Harris set his load of boxes down by the console. "Sas, can you give us status as to what the Denzee ships are doing out there?"

  "Yes."

  Tawn chuckled.

  "Sas, please give us status of what the Denzee are doing out there."

  "The ship previously hovering above this site moved to free space and through a wormhole. The Denzee ships are gathered just above generator twenty-six. Seventeen scans have been run since their arrival."

  Tawn gave a look of concern. "So they're evaluating this place. That can't be good."

  "We scanned this entire planet," said Harris. "That entrance up there is the only non-natural thing that can be seen from the surface."

  "Not true anymore. We have the wind makers and the CO2 plumes that have structures that can be scanned. Probably what they are looking at right now."

  A chime began to sound on the console.

  Harris asked, "Sas, is that something we should be concerned about?"

  "I cannot answer that question. I do not have the information needed to know what would constitute concern in a Human."

  Harris shook his head. "Not what I intended. What does that chime sounding signify?"

  "The external interfaces to the ovens and wind generators of generator twenty-six are being destroyed. Three of the wind generators, as well as two of the ovens, are no longer operational. The automated maintenance robot has been dispatched."

  Bax said, "They're trying to shut this place down."

  Over the course of the hour that followed, the remaining interfaces to hurricane generator twenty-six were taken offline. Sas offered an estimate of six Gondol days before the hurricane swirling above that location would lose its winds. The Denzee fleet moved to the next set of plumes and wind vortexes to continue their destruction.

  "They want this planet back," Bax said. "And they have the means to take it."

  Another alert chimed on the console.

  Harris asked, "Sas, what was that alarm for?"

  "Two alerts. Another sixty ships have entered this system. We have a breach at generator twenty-six. Water intrusion has been detected in the oven room. The maintenance robots from the adjacent generators are being dispatched."

  "Those are fifteen hundred kilometers away. How long before they arrive?"

  "Twelve hours."

  Tawn looked back toward the circular hall. "We'll have to watch ourselves out there. Wouldn't be good to get run over by one of those things if they're moving that fast."

  Harris said, "Bax, drop one of those probes here. That will keep us connected to Sas. We'll take a day's worth of food back to the front room. We need to start planning a defense. When those ships settle over our building up there, we should expect visitors."

  Tawn asked, "Sas, when the ships moved to the next generator, was that toward our location or away?"

  "Toward."

  "How many generators between this one and those ships if they continue in a straight line?"

  "Three."

  Tawn scowled. "So we're talking maybe as little as four hours."

  The trio made their way back to the main control room and the bottom of the stairs.

  Bax studied the room. "Other than that loose console, what do we have available to fortify this place?"

  Tawn glanced around. "Over at Beckland we worked the base of the stairs out there to try to keep them from coming down. We do have the advantage of a single entry point. They can't come in from anywhere else."

  "Comforting," Bax replied with a sarcastic expression.

  Harris sat on the floor. "Make yourself at home. We may be here for a wh
ile."

  Tawn opened a comm as she sat. "Sas, give us a quick rundown of the sections in this facility."

  "The facility is divided into ninety-six identical sections. Each section consists of sixteen wind rooms, sixteen oven rooms, a single freeze room, and a single maintenance room.

  Bax said, "The freeze room—"

  Tawn held up a hand. "Whoa. Hold up, tell us about the maintenance room."

  "The maintenance room is equipped with the machinery and supplies needed to keep a section functional."

  "What kind of machinery?"

  Welders, cutters, pipe benders, metal formers, electrical wiring, circuits, and components—"

  Tawn again interrupted. "And the supplies?"

  "The parts and materials required to maintain this section of the facility."

  "That might be worth exploring. Could give us a few good ideas about how to better secure this place."

  Bax asked, "Sas, the freeze room, would any of the items contained there be considered edible by the Burrell?"

  "Yes."

  "I think we just found our food supply if we have to go past a week down here."

  Harris glanced down at the concrete he was sitting on. "A visit to that maintenance room might be warranted just to see if we can find a few chairs and maybe some cots to sleep on. And a table to sit at."

  "Any chance we can build a spaceship and get out of here?" Bax quipped.

  Harris chuckled. "An elevator for that stairwell would be nice."

  Tawn stood. "Let's go, we might as well check it out. Nothing gets done if we just sit here."

  The trek to the maintenance room took thirty-five minutes. The wheeled, automated maintenance bot, a meter square by two meters tall, covered with appendages with various tools and instruments, sat idle in the middle of the room.

  Harris said, "Hard to imagine that thing zipping along at better than a hundred kilometers per hour."

  Bax walked the room. "Benches for just about anything you'd want to do. Presses. Lathes. Stamps."

  "How is it you know about shop machinery?"

  "I did run a ship factory for a while. And we had a similar shop at the mines. Surprising how much crap you have to build just to make things work properly."

  "Our shop at Midelon far exceeds this one," said Tawn.

  "Yeah, well, this is built for the specific purpose of maintaining this facility. Yours is stuffed with just about every bit of machinery you could buy."