Tracking the Trailblazer (Colony Ship Trailblazer Book 1)

by John Thornton

  “What? Hutton will always have it available, even if Hutton is reassigned to someone else now. And since you received it, you will always have it,” Janae sobbed. “I will review it later, after I try to cope with this.” Janae rubbed her bloodshot eyes, and blew her nose. Yet, something in the AI’s words made Janae wonder. Kovalevsky had never been so adamant, even to the point of rudeness and abuse.

  “Normally, I would agree with you. But Hutton no longer exists. Additionally, there are four other artificial intelligences which have also been disbanded. I had much difficulty getting this information. Please view the message so its contents will be in your biological memories,” Kovalevsky urged. “I am not confident that I will have another opportunity to show the message to you. No matter what you say, I am displaying it now. I only have two-dimensional video, the audio is not as high a quality as it should be, and there are some gaps in the sequence. Most of it is from Hutton, but I had to glean information from other systems as well, including the surveillance system in the hallways. Now watch this.”

  A beam projected from a sidewall and on the opposite wall, Janae watched the message.

  “Constance?” Janae cried out. She reached out her hand as she saw her friend’s image.

  Constance was in her apartment, and wearing the same weary look she had when last Janae had seen her. “Hutton? I need to talk to someone who can understand what I endured. Please connect me with Paul. He will at least understand. When I come back I will go and talk to Janae and we will plan what we do, together.”

  In the recorded video, the voice of AI Hutton stated, “I am unable to make a connection to Paul or Gretchen. Something is interfering.”

  Constance sighed out, “Terrific. What else can go wrong on this bloody fool day? I will go there right now.”

  The recording showed Constance walking out of her apartment and moving through the hallways of Dome 17. She met another adventurer who was also wearing brand-new clothing.

  “Dave, is your AI responding to you?” Constance asked.

  “Sort of, but haphazardly, and with severe limitations,” Dave replied. His eyes shifted back and forth. He licked his dry lips. “Is this real? Is anything real?”

  “I am going to talk to Paul, come with me.”

  Together they walked down another corridor. Then Constance physically knocked on the door.

  While watching, Janae stated, “That is Paul and Gretchen’s apartment. Why is Constance going there and not coming to see me?”

  The door opened. Constance and Dave went inside.

  The video display stopped.

  AI Kovalevsky reported, “I could access no records of what happened in that apartment. I have not been allowed to speak to Gretchen’s AI nor to Paul’s AI. The next part of the recording I have will continue now.

  The video resumed and showed the hallway side of Paul and Gretchen’s apartment. The door opened, and Dave walked through the threshold and ambled away. He was shaking his head negatively and rubbing his face. He was muttering something, but the only words that Janae heard were, “Worthless idea. Stupid solos.”

  A moment later, another figure left. This time it was the adventurer known as Roy. He had also been on a solo mission. He did not look worn out as much as angry. He just marched away in a rigid and fast style.

  Leann emerged a few moments later, her shoulders were stooped, and she moved slowly. The lethargy and sorrow was obvious in her body language.

  Janae watched, and said, “Those four solo adventurers were all in there? With Paul and Gretchen?”

  AI Kovalevsky replied, “I have no evidence Paul and Gretchen were inside, but it is a fair assumption that they were. I tried every possible way to find out what was said in that room, but I was unable. I apologize.”

  Constance came out, turned and said, “It was an honor to know you both.”

  Unintelligible words were heard, to which Constance replied, “No need. But thank you both.”

  The recording shifted and the perspective followed Constance as she walked through the halls. She walked with purpose and determination. After several shifts of perspective, the focus was grainy and not as clear.

  “This is the last part of this record. It takes place twenty-three minutes after the prior recording. It is an enhanced view from a surveillance camera. Visual images are poor, and audio is only slightly better. It has been enhanced as much as possible,” AI Kovalevsky announced. “Watch and listen carefully. Constance is confronting Jubal. They are in a common area, unoccupied by any other people—so far as I can tell—otherwise I doubt I would have gotten this recording. I warn you, it is disturbing.”

  Janae leaned forward and watched intently. Jubal was gesturing wildly. He said, “We do not have time to waste with this incompetence and game-playing.”

  “It is an accurate report!” Constance retorted. “How dare you doubt my honesty.”

  “You are lying. That is how I dare to doubt your honesty,” Jubal snapped back.

  “You are a buffoon! It is all in my report,” Constance stated. “Check the mission log and files.”

  “I did, and that is how I found out about your lies. You claim to have gone to Dome 5, correct?”

  “Jubal, if you reviewed my mission report, you would know that. Yes!” Constance stood firmly and stared at Jubal.

  “A lie! A real team has already been to Dome 5. Sekou, Cammarry, and Hannele went there and filed a real report. That real mission report helped us with sanitation systems and recycling of human remains. It improved our usage of alkaline hydrolysis—I am not an expert in that, but I know that mission was real. You just lied about visiting Dome 5.”

  “I accurately reported what I found on that risky, and ill-advised solo mission. Solo missions are reckless and stupid. No one should go into a dangerous situation alone,” Constance held her stance and did not look away from Jubal.

  “Now, now, I see. It is cowardice that led to your lies. Just simple fear in the face of adversity. What did you do? Drive the fusion truck a short distance away, and the fake all the records? Just being a craven languisher, and shirking your duties?” Jubal crossed his arms and stepped back. “All because you are a coward. A weakling and a liar.”

  “My report is accurate, and I stand behind it,” Constance stated. “We will just let the other members of the Committee and the adventurers decide. The report has been submitted, and it is a true reflection of what happened. I went to a dome which called itself Dome 5. Inside…”

  “Oh, yes, inside was some touching story about a last room, with some nonsensical quote from pre-Great Event poetry. Old, and obsolete verse,” Jubal mocked. “From Jerome, I might expect some literary recitation. Did he give you that quote? All you did was make stuff up and lie!”

  “It is all confirmed by my AI, Hutton, and everyone will see that,” Constance stated.

  “Actually, they will not. Your artificial intelligence system is being subjugated and disbanded. You are dismissed. I do not have time for your antics! You will not lie to us. Not ever again!” Jubal stepped toward Constance and pointed a finger right in her face. “Coward. Liar. Fraud.”

  She punched him in the stomach. Her blow landed under his outstretched arm, and he let out an audible grunt. Even in the poorly recorded visuals, the pain on his face was evident. Jubal fell against the wall, holding his gut. His eyes were wide, and his mouth made a round, but silent, scream.

  Brushing his trembling hand out of her way, Constance stepped up close to Jubal and said, “Point that finger at me again, and you will have an arm like Willie’s, if you have any arm at all. My character is impeccable, and everyone knows that. Tomorrow, I plan to present my findings to the Committee, the adventures, and even to the whole Dome 17 population if necessary. You cannot stop me.”

  Jubal stumbled away from her. He was out of the picture on the surveillance camera, yet his words came through, “Assaulting me is a criminal act. It will not go unanswered.”

  “Fine by me,” Cons
tance stated with forced nonchalance, “I will answer to that as well. Hutton has this all recorded, I am certain, and I will have that shown to everyone as well. I look forward to explaining everything that is going on. Your actions are pathetic. Everything about you will be exposed. After seeing dead domes, nothing you can do scares me.”

  The recording kept playing, and Constance turned and walked off and out of the camera’s perspective.

  “Is that all?” Janae asked. “From the time stamp, that was last night. Why did she not come and talk to me?”

  “There is a small portion more. You must see. It is, perhaps, the most important part of all I uncovered,” the AI Kovalevsky stated.

  For a moment, the corridor in the recording was quiet, still, and empty. Then Jubal walked back into the camera’s field of vision. He approached the camera directly, although his eyes were down—it looked like he did not know the camera was there—he was rubbing his abdomen. As he passed below the camera’s location, his mutterings were picked up, “Nothing scares her? I guess Artificial Intelligence and I will have another suicide to investigate. The filthy liar deserves nothing less.”

  “The usual arrangements?” Jubal’s AI, Artificial Intelligence, asked.

  “A more painful method, I should think,” he replied.

  The recording ended.

  “Murder?” Janae leapt to her feet. “I knew she would not kill herself!”

  Kovalevsky replied, “Now, do you see why I insisted you view this?”

  “Yes! Of course! I should have seen it earlier!”

  “I attempted to wake you, but you were nearly unresponsive. That is understandable in your immense grief. Additionally, it did take me time to assemble these pieces of information. I did not have all the information until after you had heard about Constance’s death. I apologize,” AI Kovalevsky stated. “What action do you want to take next?”

  “You must distribute that information to the other Committee members, as well as all the adventurers! How many other suicides were really murders?” Janae was livid. “Send it out immediately!”

  “I am sending the information now. I tried to gain access to the medical records to review the autopsy findings, on recent suicides, but I have been thwarted in my efforts to do that. We do not have absolute proof, and I advise that we begi—”

  “Kovalevsky? What happened?” Janae paced around her apartment. “This is horrible! Oh, Constance! Kovalevsky? I think we need to make copies of that information as well. Kovalevsky? Kovalevsky?”

  There was no answer.

  “Kovalevsky? Answer me!”

  There were no words. The hum of the air recycling system was the only response Janae received.

  “What now?” Janae stormed toward her door, and smacked into it. It failed to automatically open like it usually did.

  Janae rubbed her bruised forearm, and stepped away from the door. “Kovalevsky? Open my door!”

  The hum of the distant ventilation mechanisms was all that was there.

  Janae reached over and pulled the manual lever to activate the door. However, the door remained closed. She pulled on the lever again, but with the same results. The door was shut. She walked over and opened a small access panel on the wall. Inside she pushed several buttons which were the backup inter-dome communication system. The buttons clicked, lights came on, and the circuit looked like it engaged.

  “My personal AI has some issue, and is not responding to me,” Janae spoke out. “Whoever is listening, I cannot leave my room. The door is also failing. I cannot get it to open. Hello? Is anyone there?”

  Janae’s mind went to what had been revealed about Jubal, but then she recalled that during the meeting, after she had heard the heart-wrenching news of Constance, they had said Dome 17 was failing. She spoke out loud, “What did they say? Something about how the failure of Dome 17 was unavoidable, and that it would last only another one hundred and twenty days? No, wait! They said, it would last no more than one hundred twenty days.”

  She pushed the inter-dome communication buttons again, but while they clicked, there was still no response.

  “Has it happened? Has the dome failed?” Janae questioned. She tried to marshal all her training as an adventurer, and she logically thought through the problem. But then her emotions shoved those thoughts aside, with the facts she had seen about Constance’s death. “Oh! What to do?”

  She walked over and tried the manual lever on the door, but it failed. Janae called out again for her missing personal AI, again tried the backup communication system, and returned to attempting to open the door. Nothing worked.

  “Power is still here. Ventilation is still working. The ducts are not sealed, so no dome breach. This is truly odd, and suspicious. Just after I see what happened to Constance, I am isolated in my room. Like in some old story Jerome might know, I am trapped in my bower.”

  Just then the door slid open.

  Jubal stood there, and just behind him was Doctor Larson. They barged into the room, and the door shut behind them.

  Janae’s rage at seeing him, and knowing what he had done to Constance surged through her. She lunged at him.

  “Ahaaaaa!” Janae cried out as Jubal placed a stun wand against her. She dropped to her knees, as convulsions swept through her muscles.

  “Tut-tut, so aggressive. We feared you might be hostile. Delusional people often are. For your own good, we brought a restraining measure,” Doctor Larson said in a voice dripping with insincerity. A twisted grin curved over her mouth. “I told you, Jubal.”

  Jubal squatted down, the stun wand in his hand. He was out of Janae’s reach, but he could jab her with the stun wand if she tried for him. “Behave now. I was alerted when your AI attempted to send out a group message. Oh, how unfortunate, for you. I have been alert to that possibility since everyone saw that disgusting, and unauthorized account from Dome 3. Alas, I cannot allow unfettered propaganda to just be spread all around. The times are too serious for that. Although, I seriously doubt it was you who sent out the records from Dome 3. When Kovalevsky was disbanded, the dissection showed no evidence it had been involved in that crime. Nonetheless, that culprit will be uncovered, whoever it was. Now, Janae, I am here to help you. I went and got help for you.”

  “Only… security… is allowed… stunners,” Janae huffed out past the pain.

  “Correct!” Jubal stated in a perky tone. “As a Committee member, I am the leader of security. For the last several weeks, additional measures have needed to be taken.”

  “Like killing… Constance?” Janae hissed at him.

  Doctor Larson interjected, “She is delusional. I told you that. I noted it when I last had a session with her.”

  “That is your professional opinion?” Jubal looked at Doctor Larson, their eyes meeting and exchanging more than a glance. “Is it contagious? Constance made up some wild story about Dome 5, even though a real survey team had already visited there. Now, Janae here tries to send out a completely bogus film which makes me look bad. Two delusional people, so closely involved with each other. Both hallucinating?”

  “Yes. However, unlike Constance, there might be a use for her,” Doctor Larson said. “Your AI, Artificial Intelligence, estimated that there was a very low possibility for any of the so-called adventurers volunteering for that ship—the Trailblazer, was it? Is that right?”

  “That is correct. The massive systems failures on the Trailblazer make it the least desirable colony ship, per Artificial Intelligence’s estimates. Although, it should be investigated. We are in dire need.”

  “Then go yourself,” Janae barked. Her breath was coming back, but her legs, folded under her, were still quaking.

  “Oh, dear, goodness no,” Jubal said. “I plan to walk from here into some safe colony ship.” He nodded to Doctor Larson as he stood up. “What do you propose? What is your prescription for this situation? The typical solution?”

  “Jubal, honey, do not be so hasty. If Janae must be thrown away, send her to
the Trailblazer. At least that will allow a possibility for exploration of that wreck, and will eliminate her presence here. A win for all.”

  “Why, Doctor Larson, what a splendid idea! If she refuses, we can still apply the other method, and no one will be the wiser. If she tries to spread her delusional rantings, we can apply that same solution.”

  Doctor Larson nodded, “And, in the meanwhile, if she does talk about her delusions, there is no evidence supporting anything she says. Her own words will be evidence against her. And officially, right now, you and I are in a private counseling session, as I help you cope with all the stresses and trials of leadership on the Committee.”