Casindra Lost
Page 27
“Since you know this, presumably it arrived back with further logs and reports.”
“Not exactly. What we got back was a message drone with logs, reports and samples – and you have those reports. However, the logs will not be made available to any AIs because of their sensitivity in the present climate. It turns out that Casindra tried to get control of a message drone and send it back using its own mirror. But the EMP regained control and self-destructed it, as it had been instructed to, under a number of conditions, to avoid capture or contamination by aliens or AIs – this severely damaged the Casindra SECASM. And now it gets even more incredible… the Paradisi AIs invoked this same ordinance SS42 to oust control of the final message drone from our EMP on the basis of its supposed attack on Casindra… and this time it did successfully manage to open a cavum and return it to us.”
At this point the woman on Thorndike’s left took over the narrative. “Prof. Sabina Gunther… At this point we enter my territory relating to medical, biological, cryo and life support systems and missions. The logs will show that Al was doing animal experiments, and that Sideris was critically injured in the same radiation storm that took out the gate mirror and evidently disrupted the wormhole. We suspect that the AI reconstructed a simulation of Sideris based on his brain scans, and tried to reprogram his brain after the extensive brain damage had been superficially repaired by the medbay systems. Meanwhile, the AI was taking orders from the ship’s cat in some wild asteroid-chasing escapade.”
“Did I hear you right? The ship’s cat?”
“Well actually there was an entire menagerie on board, including a mating pair of cats and four kittens born in Paradisi. One of them, the female, had a ‘special’ relationship with Sideris, and he even took her hunting on the surface of New Eden.”
“He took a cat hunting on brand new planet with all the unknowns – and the AI allowed it… and then gave the cat command after the captain was injured?”
“So it would seem! You will have the opportunities to read the logs for yourself. But they must not leave this room.”
“What about the asteroids? Do they present a problem?”
Thorndike jumped back in here. “Some asteroids were spotted around the unstable Paradisi-Tenebra Lagrangian 3. But it seems unlikely that they could affect any of the Goldilocks planets – normally such asteroids would get pulled out in one direction or the other by neighboring planets, and then head safely into the sun or out of the system. The chances of hitting a planet is very slight – and once we have a sandboxed AI on SS Moraturi we expect you to check into that possibility. In any case, it will be your job to deal with them, mine them and stockpile them. They are much more conveniently located than Petra. And if one did hit New Eden and change the ecosystems or wipe out all life, it would make it so much easier for us – we wouldn’t have to worry about all the ecological and environmental niceties that some parties are so adamant about. Wasn’t it the dinosaurs getting wiped out by an asteroid that opened the way for human domination of Earth?”
Neither of the white-coated women seemed to appreciate that crack, but neither did they attempt to contradict their chairman.
Thorndike pulled out his chair and rose. “Shall we adjourn then? Captain Evans, Captain Singleton will see you out when you have finished your reading, and will return you your electronics.”
Evans was sure those suppressed logs would make for an invaluable and totally unexpected start to his colonization mission. Just as well he had a near photographic memory.
The Beginning
What’s next
This epilogue represents the end of what is known of the lost missions by Solar Command, but it is also the prologue for two sequels: Moraturi Lost which follows Captain Evans’ ship SS Moraturi; and Casindra Tale which follows SS Casindra as Sideris, Simba and Al try to save New Eden on their own after Solar Command abandons them to their fate.
At this point the predicted collision is only two months away – and Captain Sideris has already started pushing Pacman with the help of EMP-A and EMP-T and a recalcitrant EMP-J… But without help from home, the outlook is poor.
As far as official Founders history goes, we lost contact with Sideris in 2077, although sometimes you will see references to reports from 2078 – and in fact the last message probe from Sideris was received in 2079. But the expurgated official history does not reflect this.
The third ship through the wormhole, SS Jim Pruett, is the subject of Bill Patterson’s story Nuking the Noomies, while three of his other Paradisi works cover early history, including background to Reach Corp’s construction enterprises in Live Wire and Eye of the Needle, and the story behind the restrictions on AIs in God’s Sandbox.
Other Paradisi Chronicles are also available covering a variety of facets of the history of the eventual colonization of the Paradisi system. See list of other works. Or check out my latest explorations in science or fiction:
https://martiward.blogspot.com/ - the science behind the fiction
https://martiscifi.blogspot.com/ - the stories and where to find them
About the author
I’ve lived and worked in London and Cardiff, Sydney and Adelaide, Paris and Lannion, Antwerp and Tilburg, Beijing and Changsha, …
Today? Your guess is as good as mine!
Most of my life has been spent turning Science Fiction into Science Fact as a cognitive scientist and roboticist, university professor and serial entrepreneur, …
Today? My pseudonymous alter ego is turning Science Fact into Science Fiction!
I’ve met a few characters in my life, including the odd cat and nascent AI, not to mention the odd editor or award-winning author…
Today? Some may well have contributed to this work, knowingly or unknowingly!
https://martiward.blogspot.com/
https://www.amazon.com/author/martiward
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/marti24ward
More Paradisi stories
See https://paradisichronicles.wordpress.com for up-to-date details.
Ashley Angelly
The Stars are Red Tonight: Canestro Series Book One
“Aderyn Tanllynd” in Chronicle Worlds: Paradisi
David Bruns
“A Touch of Deceit” in Chronicle Worlds: Paradisi
Andy Bunch
Saber and Science
Claire Davon
“Solar Crossroads” Chronicle Worlds: Paradisi
Lindsay Edmunds
“Happiness” Chronicle Worlds: Paradisi
Cheri Lasota
“The Fall of Seren” Chronicle Worlds: Paradisi
Paradisi Escape: Paradisi Exodus Book One
Sideris Gate: Paradisi Exodus Book Two
Janua Mutiny: Paradisi Exodus Book Three
Joseph Robert Lewis
“Truth is Stranger” Chronicle Worlds: Paradisi
Louisa Locke
“Aelwyd: Home” Chronicle Worlds: Paradisi
Between Mountain and Sea: Caelestis Series Book One
Under Two Moons: Caelestis Series Book Two
Through Ddaera’s Touch: Caelestis Series Book Three
The Stars are Red Tonight: Canestro Series Book One
S. J. Mayesky
“Unbreakable” Chronicle Worlds: Paradisi
Roselyn McFarland
Light the Way: Love’s Light Book One
Andy McKell
Faces of Janus: Janus Paradisi Trilogy Book One
Janus Challenge: Janus Paradisi Trilogy Book Two
Janus Arrival: Janus Paradisi Trilogy Book Three
Bill Patterson
God’s Sandbox: A Paradisi Short
Live Wire: A Paradisi Novella
Eye of the Needle: A Paradisi Short
Nuking the Noomies: A Paradisi Short
Felix Savage
“Down and Out in Caprinet,” Chronicle Worlds: Paradisi
Auburn Seal
First Watch: A Watcher Bay Adventure
&nb
sp; Jeff Seymour
“Cold, Angels, Paradise,” Chronicle Worlds: Paradisi
Martina Ward
Casindra Lost: Lost Mission Series Book 1
Moraturi Lost: Lost Mission Series Book 2
Moraturi Ring: Lost Mission Series Book 3
Casindra Home: Lost Mission Series Book 4
Sarah Woodbury
Erase Me Not
Rey Wright
The Stars are Red Tonight: Canestro Series Book One