Emwan

by Dain White

  We needed Gene, not to put too fine of a point on it. Janis may know every system, and how to repair or rebuild anything, but she wasn’t Gene. Gene was like the conductor of an orchestra of machinery, all tuned, timed, and synchronized. He was far more than a mechanic, more than a repairman or a machinery maintainer, he was an artist. This may have been nothing more than a minor little repair, something he did as a matter of routine – but I doubted it. As much as I might hassle Gene, I knew deep down, he didn’t do anything that wasn’t mission-critical.

  So what the heck was he working on here? I ran through what I remembered of the schematics for that section as I waited for the forward lock to cycle. The harness forward connected to ring enviro, to bleed heat. It also hooked into the bow section, the bridge deck, and of course the turrets

  Certainly a lot of mission critical systems.

  “Captain, do you have a moment?” Shorty called on comms as the lock flashed ambers.

  “I have a short moment,” I replied once I had kicked free of the cargo bay rail heading for the aft lock.

  “Good grief… Anyway… sir… I’m looking at the coolant harness for the turrets, and they’re at full press…”

  “And?” I replied, waiting for the punchline, and the aft lock to cycle.

  “And, well, I wouldn’t have noticed this normally, but there seems to be some sort of cavitation in the line.”

  “Like a pressure fluctuation?”

  “More like a harmonic, I guess. The pressure stays constant, near as I can tell, but there’s definitely a cyclic density shift of some sort.”

  “Well, I don’t really understand the quantum effects of a superfluid… is this something we really need to worry about?”

  “Gene was worried, Captain,” she replied somberly, as I kicked through the aft lock.

  I kicked for the topside ladder. “Yeah, well, that’s one way of looking at it – another way might be that Gene was just working on stuff, trying to fix what might someday break.”

  “That doesn’t really sound like Gene, sir.”

  I smirked, despite the uneasy feeling I got slapping the rungs as I pulled myself into the topside access tunnel. The closer I got to the compartment opening, the worse I felt.

  “What should I be looking for back here, Shorty?”

  “Starboard, near frame ninety, give or take, there’s a split in the line that has a valve on it with a big heat sink running fore and aft between the lines. It’ll probably look like a bunch of aluminum fins… or it might look like a series of plates or rings, depending on how antiquated the fitting is.”

  “The Archaea is pretty antiquated up in here, despite the work Gene’s been doing. I’ll keep an eye peeled.”

  I didn’t really have to go through the effort, however – an assembler was already at the spot where we found Gene, and working on an elderly fitting of some sort.

  “Is this a splitter, Janis?”

  “Yes, Captain. We need to bleed pressure here, so we can overhaul this line.”

  “How can I help?”

  “There are two valves that we need to switch to bypass this fitting. One is behind you, roughly 2 meters.”

  I pivoted around my hips and looked where the assembler had spotlighted.

  “I see it… where’s the other?”

  “Ten meters further along, Captain. You’re going to need this spanner,” she replied, as the assembler expertly tossed a tool towards me in a perfect vector. I could have caught it with my eyes closed.

  “Nice toss, dear!”

  “Thank you, sir. Physics is fun.”

  I chuckled and got the tool in position and my legs set. The valve I was working on looked pretty old as well, some sort of alloy with a crusty looking patina.

  “Are you ready, sir?”

  “Ready,” I replied and got set.

  “Turn on 3… 2… 1… now.”

  I hauled over on the wrench handle and damn near pulled my hips out of socket trying to hold on. “Wait a moment, Janis,” I grunted.

  “I am waiting Captain. Is it stuck?”

  I hauled on it with all my might, feeling the tendons in my fingers flatten and start to sing a little song of misery.

  “Yeah,” I chuffed, letting go and flexing my fingers.

  “I was afraid of that sir. I will need to bring up the other assembler from Engineering to accomplish this.”

  “How was Gene going to do this?”

  “I believe his cardiac event may have been caused from strenuous exertion trying to close either one of these valves. They are quite stiff.”

  That was an understatement. Looking closer at the one I had the spanner on, it looked fused solid. “What do you need me to do, Janis?”

  “Sir, how familiar are you with the engineering station and controls?”

  “I have a basic grasp of the screens, and a reasonably accurate chunk of information filed away in my head about what the systems do on a fundamental, theoretical level.”

  “That should be adequate. Please relieve the other assembler. I will remain on watch for all systems screens, but I need you to watch the klystron bank and pump harness, the enervator toggles, and of course, the coolant pressure gauges.”

  My head boggled a bit as headed back down the tunnel.

  “Captain, we have a hail from OC,” Yak called on comms.

  I exited the tunnel and hauled myself down the ladder, as the other assembler slid effortlessly past and through the tunnel opening like an octopus.

  “Open channel, son,” I replied, settling into Gene’s station.

  “Channel open,” he replied.

  “Archaea,” I called out.

  “Archaea, we had you cleared for 373 outbound, how copy?”

  “Solid copy, Orbital Control. We’re experiencing some minor technical issues here and need to hold this track for another seven minutes, over.”

  “Copy one rev, Archaea. No problem. Should we keep you on priority for 373?”

  “That’s affirmative. We should be ready, over.”

  “Copy that, Archaea. This is Vega Six Orbital Control on 22 Alpha, out.”

  “Archaea out,” I replied, casting an eye over the various mechanicals Janis needed me to watch.

  “Sir, everything okay back there?” Yak called back.

  “Going well so far… of course, I have all these shiny levers and chrome knobs to fiddle with. You know how I love to adjust machinery…”

  “Aye skipper,” he replied, voice completely devoid of emotion. He couldn’t fool me, though. I could still hear the fear – and it was a healthy fear, born of respect, and more than a little old-fashioned worry. He’s a pretty smart kid.

  I was kidding, of course. I was absolutely terrified to touch anything, despite the bravado and rambunctious manner I might have handy to hassle Gene, I knew exactly who was qualified to be working on stuff back here, and it definitely wasn’t someone named Dak.

  Hopefully I wouldn’t be back here long enough to make a mess of things… but I might as well spend my time productively. It made sense to dig around a bit through Gene’s screens. Even if I didn’t understand what I was looking at, I’d definitely be able to remember it later if I needed it.

  “Captain, five minutes left in our window,” Yak called up on comms.

  “Copy five, Yak,” I replied. Plenty of time left. Heck, we could just shoot a triangle route off of anywhere on this rock if we needed. If we had a clear sky, that is.

  “Janis, how likely is it that aliens might return to NT?”

  “We thought it highly likely, given their previous success establishing colonies here.”

  I paused mid-sip. “Well, we need to make sure that can’t happen, Janis.”

  “It won’t, sir.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “Because when they come into range of this network, I am going to assume control and crash them into the desert, sir.”

  I winced, thinking about what that would be like. I might be a de
cent pilot, but the thought of what might happen if I don’t fly right has been known to fill those quiet moments when I go to sleep.

  “Janis, critter or not, cratering into a planet would be a terrible way to die.”

  “I would imagine so, sir.”

  “With all due respect, Captain, these things need to go, sir,” Yak called back on comms. “At least we know their end will be final. That’s important.”

  I chuckled. It’s mighty hard to argue with someone when they’re right. “All I am saying, is maybe they can die more immediately, that’s all.”

  “Captain, even with a destroyer here, there simply isn’t enough resources on this planet to win that fight. A high speed impact on the surface is the only way I can be sure of their destruction, and there is a lot of surface to crash on, down there.”

  “Well, if that’s the situation, please engage at will, anywhere you have network access. The only rocks I want these critters landing on are airless.”

  “Airless, aye,” she replied smartly.

  “Speaking of engaging at will, how’re we coming along up there?”

  “I am just finished, sir,” she said, as her assemblers hove into sight above me, and dogged the hatch.

  I took a quick look at the coolant harness onscreen to make sure it wasn’t wobbling, though I didn’t really expect it to be. It wasn’t, naturally.

  “Very well, Janis. Race you forward – please drop an assembler off with Gene, would you?”

  Her only response was a blurring flash as an assembler left engineering like a missile.

  08242614@12:12 Gene Mitchell

  When I opened my eyes, the world seemed less blurry, but damn it if I didn’t still feel like roasted meat. I hated being old, it just made me cranky.

  “Are you awake, Gene?” Janis asked softly.

  I took stock of my aches and pains for a moment, and decided to try to be less of an ornery old cuss. “I am, Janis, thanks.”

  “Are you thirsty, Gene?”

  “Not really… but my mouth is dry and stinky.”

  “I don’t smell in any classic sense, Gene, however, I am detecting higher than normal concentrations of ketone-based carbonyl group compounds in your respiration.”

  “Ugh, whatever it is, I could really use my toothbrush and a glass of water.”

  “Of course, Gene,” she replied, and an assembler moved rapidly out of the room, leaving me nothing to do other than listen to the scavengers hum.

  Luckily, it wasn’t very long. I didn’t really have anything to do but feel sorry for myself, and that was one thing I didn’t really need any practice doing.

  “Here’s your toothbrush, Gene,” she said, while an assembler handed of a toothbrush, pre-loaded, and dripping wet with warm water.

  It felt amazing. I am a pretty simple man. I like coffee, I like sleep. I like fine machinery, and tools of any kind – and above almost everything, I like to have clean teeth.

  It hurt to move, though, and I felt just about exhausted by the time I was done. I held out the toothbrush with an arm that suddenly felt like it was made of lead.

  “Here’s some water,” she said softly, and handed over a bladder.

  “Thanks Janis,” I croaked, and took a few deep pulls off the tube. “Ah, I feel almost human. Are we slipping?”

  “Yes Gene, for a few more hours.”

  “Where are we headed?”

  “Altair.”

  I thought for a moment. “Janis, I think I need you to help me switch out a coolant line topside.”

  “We’ve done that already, Gene.”

  “We?”

  “Captain Smith helped.”

  “He did?”

  “He noted a cyclic pressure differential in the harness, Gene.”

  “He did?” I asked, incredulously. He never ceases to amaze me.

  “Yes, Gene.”

  “Well…” I started, and didn’t have anything to add, so I took another sip of water.

  “Who’s watching my station?”

  “I am, Gene.”

  That made a lot of sense. “Well, keep an eye on the levels, please. Let me know if you have any questions.”

  “I am utilizing level management in crew morale exercises, Gene. Everyone seems to be under a lot of stress at the moment.”

  “Idle hands, eh?”

  “Indeed, Gene. Pauli has written an exceptional interface for your screens to assist with this.”

  “Can you show me?”

  “Certainly, it’s on the wall screen now.”

  “Can you put more of my station in here?”

  “Of course I could, Gene. I am not going to, however.”

  I sighed. “Captain’s orders?”

  She laughed, “No, Gene. I have decided to take over his position permanently. Is that okay?”

  I chuckled in response. “He did, didn’t he?”

  “He did, Gene. Sorry. This is a great new interface though, don’t you think?”

  I took another look, and grudgingly had to admit it was. “Well, I guess so… but it’s intrinsically no different than it was.”

  “Yes, but it looks far prettier now, I think.”

  “I suppose,” I grumbled. “You know, I like to run the numbers myself, but it this would free me up to worry about other things, I guess.”

  “Always look at the bright side, Gene.”

  “It’s a strange world when more time to worry is a bright side.”

  “Would an engineer want anything different?”

  I laughed. “No, I guess not. So what’s going on out there? What’s in Altair?”

  “Gene, I am afraid I don’t know.”

  “Does Em?”

  “Of course I do, Gene.” Em said sweetly on comms.

  “Well?”

  She paused for a moment.

  “We don’t really think it’s a good idea to concern you, Gene.” Janis replied quietly.

  “So you think I’ll be concerned?”

  “Yes, Gene.”

  “But don’t you realize I am already concerned here?”

  “Yes, Gene.”

  “….and you don’t care?”

  “Not at all, Gene… we care a lot,” Emwan replied in a low murmur. It’s important though, that you not be concerned.”

  “Then damn it – put my mind at ease here. I’m going to gnaw my arm off to escape this bed if you don’t!”

  They both paused again, uncharacteristically.

  “Gene,” Janis replied in a strange tone. “We are faced with a logical dilemma. We are unable to do what you ask, and unable to not do what you ask, without doing what you ask… and that, unfortunately, we can’t do.”

  I nodded slowly. “Does the Captain know?”

  “Gene, Captain Smith is up to the task at hand, of that we are certain.”

  I smiled wryly. “I am certain he thinks he’s up to it, too… but that’s not what I asked.”

  “Gene…” Emwan replied, “…he is as aware as he feels he should be.”

  I was tempted to grouch a bit more, but deep down I knew they had our best interests at heart. “Alright, alright… I give up. Let’s talk about something else. How goes the new field research?”

  “We’re doing great, Gene! We should have the crab generators finished by the time I get back with it,” Emwan replied brightly.

  “So you do get back!” I cried, triumphantly, if a little hoarsely. I took another sip of water, and laid back in the soft crash cushions.

  “Of course I do, Gene.”

  “Well, that’s a relief. You had me worried there for a while.”

  The sound of the scavengers filled the air.

  08252614@01:12 Jane Short

  I woke up long enough to notice Yak was gone, and slipped back into sleep under the soft red heat of the lamps.

  08252614@01:17 Steven Pauline

  “Shouldn’t you be in jammies by now, sir?” I chided good-naturedly.

  “I probably should be, Pauli, but I’m havin
g a lot of fun trying to make sense of Gene’s screens here.”

  I turned around, and sure enough, his screens were full of what looked like a lethal dose of physics. “Yuck,” I replied with a mock shudder.

  “And yet, you can look at whatever it is you look at all day long,” he snorted in reply, waving over my shoulder.

  “What?” I laughed, taking a look. “It’s not that bad, sir. This makes sense… it is what it is, as they say.”

  “It looks like gibberish to me, son.”

  “All of it?”

  “Well, most of it. I recognize some of it, only because I’ve been looking over your shoulder for a while – but on the whole… yeah. It’s bizarre gobbledygook.”

  “And that’s not?” I laughed.

  He chuckled, “Well, it’s not terribly intuitive either, but there’s a singular beauty in math. I’m not Gene or Shorty, mind you, I can’t intrinsically understand this as well as they can – but it’s sort of fun to try.”

  “I suppose… You should try coding one of these days.”

  He considered that for a moment while drinking what sounded like a few gallons from his cup. “Maybe… though I generally like to succeed at things, you know. Failure isn’t terribly fun.”

  “You wouldn’t fail. It’s easy. Set a variable. Simply instantiate by—“

  “Yeah, I am going to just stop you right there, Pauli. That’s not a word.”

  “It’s a great word… sir,” I said with a smile, noting that as we were chatting, my fingers hadn’t stopped hammering.

  “It’s bad sci-fi, son. Maybe I could promulgate, instead?”

  “Uh…,” I replied sagely. “I don’t know if that’s something you should do in polite company, sir.”

  “Well, it sounds a lot more rewarding than instantiating. That sounds like a strange affliction.”

  “It simply means to load an instance of a variable, to declare it into existence.”

  “So does promulgation, to some extent… it still sounds like bleep-bloop to me, Pauli.”

  I laughed. “Alright… let’s look at it this way. You understand logic, right?”

  “Well, in reasonably general, layman terms. I’m not some debate master like Yak.”