Ken handed her a com-link, “This will be essential. We need Kimberly to refine and check all our work.”
“Wow, I nearly forgot, I was getting used to that secondary system,” Janae said as she saw that Ken already had his com-link over his ear. She tapped the implant system to off as she put on the better equipped com-link.
“I am very pleased you both are reconnected,” Kimberly stated over the area audio. “Now, for the construction.”
Janae agreed, and then taking a molecular torch from a tool kit, she began severing off the hinges on the first locker doors. The tool worked flawlessly, and soon she was constructing a grid of permalloy strips across the floor, all the while Kimberly projected out three-dimensional schematics and design plans.
Ken assembled and connected the component parts together for the controls, and also assessed the remaining fusion packs for their ability to power the system. By working diligently, and in cooperation, they soon had the basic framework for the teleportation receiving pad completed. The two people kept comparing their endeavors against the plans that Kimberly displayed through their com-links.
Kimberly assessed each section and part. “Indeed, it is so good to have full communication via audio and visual.”
“You are lucky to miss out on the taste sensations of food here. I can hardly wait for our friends to bring through some food ration bars. I never want spicy, salty, or sweet again!” Ken laughed as he worked. His laugh covered the ugliness of what he had seen which was still running through his mind.
Getting the component parts all in place, but not yet connected, they could see how it would all lay out, and it looked good to both Janae and to Ken. They were almost ready to make the last connections for the teleportation receiving pad grid.
“Kimberly, how did we do?” Janae asked with unbridled enthusiasm.
“You both did exceedingly well. The grid pattern and distribution of permalloy is nearly perfect, and it is well within established tolerances and design clearances,” Kimberly replied with excitement in the artificial voice. “The fusion pack and power system is at one hundred percent. The consoles are in proper sequence and alignment. I see nothing which needs refinement, so you can progress to the final stages. Bravo to you both!”
“So, now we make those final connections. Just hook up all the pieces and connect in the component parts,” Janae said. “Ken, would you finalize my grid’s work, while I review the command and control system?”
“Good idea. You see mine, I see yours! Extra eyes on the prize!”
Janae refrained from a comment on his innuendo, as she thought he might not even know he said it, and she used the tools to link together the control and utilization console, gravitronic dispenser, magnetic neutrino capsule, as well as the proximity array and compiler. Ken made the contacts for the fusion pack to the permalloy grid, so the power would flow uniformly as needed. All the pieces fit together well and the mechanism was completed.
“Kimberly, I am ready to galvanize and initiate the connection. Are you ready to double-check our transmissions?”
“Affirmative. I am ready.”
Holding their hands together on the controls, Ken and Janae switched on the fusion pack. They both smiled and watched the console and the controls for the teleportation receiving pad. The grid on the floor made a slight humming noise. There was a dim glow from the grid as energy flowed into it. The area was wafted by a slight smell of ozone mixed with something burnt as some labels on what had been the lockers were seared away by the energy flux.
“First step, operational,” Janae stated as she adjusted the controls.
“I am fine tuning the FTL pseudomagnetronics. That will establish a direct connection,” Ken replied. His face was beaming with excitement, even through the still present remnant of the white face decoration.
Kimberly interjected, “Systems are looking optimal. Beginning tests on the FTA transceiver.”
“My displays look good here for power and oscillation,” Ken stated.
Janae carefully adjusted a few items, “Minor interference encountered in a subsystem. Clearing that up, now. Proximity array and compiler factors look good, very good,” Janae reported.
Kimberly the AI stated, “Initialized system is functioning at acceptable levels. Scanning for the Dome 17’s sending signals.”
“That will give us instantaneous communication,” Janae stated with a wickedly curved smile, “and everyone can know what Jubal and that witch-doctor Larson did. Constance will have justice.”
“When we get everyone here, it will be the start of atonement for all those losses,” Ken affirmed. “We tell Brink as soon as connection is made and then, from his end, he links in to finish the orifice and send through test objects.” He did not share his concern for where they were going to house nearly fifteen hundred people, but he was looking forward to having strength in numbers and superior technology. “Willie will need to whip up more weapons, but security can come through first and set up a perimeter of guards.”
“The biome has room for all,” Janae stated. “It has to have.”
“It is big, that is certain, and there are seven others somewhere, right?” Ken said to comfort his own misgivings. “Besides, all the Dome 17 technology can be applied here to help everyone.”
The AI Kimberly reported, “I have the signal located, and am commencing to synchronize the first layer of field generator oscillation and calibration.”
“They are still alive! Hurray!” Ken whooped. “We did it Janae! You and I did it!”
Kimberly reported, “All the indicators are as expected. Teleportation technology proceeding as expected. Sending FTL carrier wave back to Dome 17.”
“Wonderful! I am so eager to report what they did!” Janae’s face took on a fierceness Ken had never seen before. “Jubal, today is payback.”
A large pop and some small crackles came from the grid, but then a perfectly round area, a tiny sphere, appeared. It was floating just above the middle of the grid.
“Connection established to Dome 17,” Kimberly reported. “Well done Janae and Ken. Well done!”
The two people gazed into the sphere which was almost like looking down a deep tunnel, or a long and skinny tube, and seeing through it to the other side. When looked at directly, the sphere’s perimeter—if you could call it that—consisted of a dull, black colored lip, but inside of that was much lighter. The view was very tiny at first, just a small sphere of light but as Kimberly adjusted the teleportation system, the sphere grew larger and more defined. It flopped over, rotated around, and then flattened into a vertical disk, almost, like a window, or tunnel in the sky.
Riley the astronomer’s face appeared in the center of the vertical disk.
“We did it! Riley? This is Ken, are you receiving our signals?”
Riley’s face and mouth moved, some garbled sounds came through, but the noises did exactly make words, nor match her movements.
“Adjusting the linkage,” Kimberly stated. “There was a slight misalignment on the carrier wave.”
The disk grew just a bit more, and then Riley’s voice came through, “Yes, Ken, you have made a connection to Dome 17.”
“Riley! Riley! Jubal is a murderer! He killed Constance and some of the other adventurers! He is in league with Larson and everyone must be warned. They threatened to kill me. Put Brink on!”
“I am attempting to send the confirmation evidence of Janae’s assertions,” Kimberly stated. “Resistance had been encountered on the Dome 17 end.”
“Riley, Jubal and Larson are murderers!” Janae yelled. “Tell everyone!”
Riley’s face fell and then she bobbed her head. Turning to the side, she barked a command, “AI Nicola, seal access to the teleportation sending room. Sequester Copernicus, and link to Artificial Intelligence.”
“Riley, we did it. We found a home! Where is Brink?” Ken asked. His suspicion was aroused by the look on Riley’s face. “What is happening there? Where is…”
Riley turned and faced the orifice, “I wondered who would be first to reach here. And first thing I hear is this about Jubal. Launch seven was supposed to take us all out. I did the calculations myself. It should have worked. But I failed. We live. The explosion only caused a controllable breach, not the catastrophe I wanted.”
“Explosion? Controllable breach? You wanted a catastrophe? You maggot muddled moron!” Janae screamed. “Have you gone insane?”
Ken tried to wave Janae off, and used as smooth a voice as Janae had ever heard, but when she looked at him she could see the veins in his neck standing out, “Riley, obviously something terrible has happened. I want to help. No matter what, we can help. Whatever occurred, we can fix it together. This is so important. Riley, please now, just finish the connections on your end.”
“No. No more slick talk from men. You know about Jubal. I heard what Janae said. I cannot let anyone know that. I still love him. He said he would love me forever, and no one will besmirch his name.”
“Right, Riley. You are absolutely correct. No one will say anything about Jubal. Please get Brink or Willie, or Janet, or Cindy. Who is there with you, now?”
“No one is with me. What you said is so true. No one is with me! No one! Jubal and I had a true and intimate love that no one could share. It was such a beautiful thing. Yes, it was. It always will be, because no one will say otherwise,” Riley muttered. Then she bit down on her lower lip, and flexed her hands into fists. “Everything was perfect, for me. But no, he dumps me for that trollop Larson. Laughed at me she did. So, I showed them. I set the explosion. Better that we all die, so no one knows. Try to shame me, will they? The explosion on launch seven should have split this place wide open. Should have killed us all. Quick, easy, and painless for us all. I was merciful to everyone. Not like the pain Jubal put on me, abandoning me for her, leaving me in agony, and then laughing at me. The explosion should have worked, but you know Brink and Willie, always over-engineering things. Only about half of us died, and not even me! Not even them! Not then.” She slammed her fist down hard. “I could not even kill myself, or my tormentors! I am just a failure, but the Dome survived.”
“What explosion? Riley? Were you hurt?” Ken’s charm was pouring out like never before. He infused his voice with sincerity, “I want to help you. I would hug you right now if I could. We cannot come to you, but you can come here. There is food, space, and room for everyone. A clean start in a new home. But, Riley, I need your help. Would you please get someone? Or, just finalize the connection and setup the tests to send some single-element objects through. Riley, we need your help. Brink would want you to help us with the teleporter. Brink trusts you, and you have earned that. I trust you. The only way is for you to come to us, right?”
“Brink thinks he is so smart, but it is not a one-way trip. Not necessarily. It can be reversed, but you would have to reverse the polarity on all the systems, one element at a time, to come back here. I did figure that out, yes, I did. Me. Just me! But what good does that do. I am still a failure, and Jubal is still gone! He chose her over me! Her!”
“Riley, go and get Brink. He will help make this right. Please, Riley, do that for me?” Ken implored. “Trust me, I want to help. Brink will want to know.”
It was not clear if Riley was even hearing Ken. She muttered, “After the explosions, Doctor Larson slipped Brink a sedative in his water ration. He was livid about the explosion, thought he had made some mistake. Sleeping now, he only drank half his ration. Brink will be sleeping for several more hours.” Riley grabbed at her lips with her fingers and pulled on them. “I told them I could oversee the teleporter as good as Brink. All alone I am. Oh, but that Larson. Larson was just playing me when I saw her for counseling. All those weeks I poured out my stress and life to her! I trusted her! I told her all about what Jubal and I had done, and the love we shared, but then she takes him for herself. The dirty back-stabbing fraud. She said I was nothing, and threw back in my face everything I had ever told her in confidence. I trusted her. I trusted Jubal. I covered up for what he did, all because I loved him and trusted him. Never will I trust anyone.”
“Larson is my enemy too,” Janae added, but her voice was sharp-edged and too loud.
“Well, sure she is. But after she tried to overdose Brink, she and Jubal self-terminated. She not only stole my love, she killed him. They left me here alone. Jubal and I were in love, before she meddled in it all. Now, they are gone. I am watching this, because I need to apologize to someone. But why? Why bother at all? I told you, so I have confessed, but no one else can know. No one. I thought we all would die, but I was wrong. I thought it would be easy and quick for all of us, but now, oh what have I done?” Riley put her face in her hands and began to weep. “No other choices. No love. No Jubal. Just betrayal.”
“Riley, we can help each other and everyone else in the dome. Please connect us in on your end,” Ken pleaded.
“No. You just want to use me too. You are just like her, and him. You are lying to me too. None of us should live! No one can know! No one!” She turned away and snapped more commands, “Artificial Intelligence, emergency code Jubal 27655W2.”
“Access granted. How may I help?” Artificial Intelligence stated, and its voice echoed across the lightyears and through the orifice.
“Artificial Intelligence, you and AI Nicola, override Copernicus for this workstation. Remove all records of the teleporter connecting to the Trailblazer, then shut down the teleporter, and erase all traces of this conversation. Report the Trailblazer as dead, no scratch that, after wiping the records, lock out any signals coming from Janae or Ken, then disband, and join AI Hutton, AI Kovalevsky, and the others I put down for Jubal.”
“Riley! No!” Ken and Janae both yelled.
Artificial Intelligence stated, “Confirm disband command.”
“Yes, Artificial Intelligence, follow my orders. Erase this encounter and disband, you and Nicola.” Riled looked at Ken and Janae. “I am sorry,” she sobbed, “it is the only choice left.” As the orifice was closing, the last images which came through were of Riley placing a knife to her throat and slashing across. Blood spurted up and then the entire orifice blinked off.
“No, Riley, help me?” Ken pleaded to an empty space.
“Kimberly, reconnect immediately!” Janae ordered.
“I am attempting to do so,” Kimberly replied. “I tried to prevent disconnection, but was unable from this side. Attempting reconnection.”
Ken and Janae held their breath.
“I cannot link to the Dome 17 sending signal. It is still transmitting, but I cannot lock onto it,” Kimberly announced. “I will conjecture a way to reconnect, if I can.”
“If you can?” Ken asked. “You must! There are still people alive there.”
For hours and hours, Kimberly tried and tried to reestablish a connection. Janae even fell into an exhausted sleep for a while, but it was not restful, or refreshing. Ken watched, but as the hours passed, and still more time went by, he dreaded what had happened. He was drowsing when Kimberly spoke again.
“Janae? Ken? I regret to inform you that the teleportation sending signal from Dome 17 has shut down. There is a secondary and much weaker signal being transmitted, but I cannot lock onto it either. I can see no way to complete our mission. I am sorry.”
Epilogue
Their hopes crushed, Ken and Janae had their normal good meal onboard the Trailblazer, as they unpacked the ten-day supply of food ration bars which they had brought from Dome 17. That taste of home went down well, but did not quench the bitterness of their being cut off.
“What do we do now?” Ken asked. “I do not think I want to go back into that Ida habitat. Let me tell you about what I saw.” He
proceeded to explain what had happened with the tant and the black beast.
As he was finishing, Kimberly interjected, “Did the beast look like this?” A three-dimensional projection came from the com-link.
“Nearly exactly like that,” Ken declared. “And they used it as some kind of religious sacrificial service. Killing a person as an act of worship? Sacrifice? And to think, the tants call them norms? Is that normal?”
“There is a long history of bulls being a symbol of gods, and divinity,” Kimberly added. “Sacrifice is a part of many of the old-world’s religions.”
“You see, we cannot go back to people like that, can we?” Ken asked. “It will take me some time just to get this face decoration off of me.”
Janae answered, “Bloodthirsty barbarian brutes, is what they sound like. But the tants were out to kill me, and had they gotten you as well, I think we both would have been killed. Additionally, that whole Axis Mundi section is filled with strange mutated, animal things.”
Tracking the Trailblazer (Colony Ship Trailblazer Book 1) Page 24