NanoSymbionts

by Joseph Philbrook

  “Yeah...” Cindy replied. “And there I was feeling proud of myself for being good enough to join the Sisterhood of Rebirth. If Al and Stephanie hadn't come running to help me, I wouldn't be here anymore.”

  “Oh stop it!” Sandra retorted. “You have every right to be proud of that. I've had a few dealings with Kernislarn. And believe me she isn't easy to impress. Now as far as being caught and overpowered by a whiffer beast goes, you did well to keep ahead of it as long as you did. Ask Kernislarn about whiffer beasts sometime. I expect she'll tell you the same thing.”

  “OK,” Cindy conceded. “Maybe I didn't do as bad as it feels like. But one thing is for sure, Jake's new world is even more dangerous than I thought. If I'm going to be anything more than just a liability, I need to get stronger, faster or at least smarter... So I guess I'm thinking I'd like you to dust off one of your VR chambers, and set me up with some aggressive training sessions.”

  “If your sure, how about first thing in the morning?” Sandra asked.

  “What's wrong with tonight?” was Cindy's immediate reply.

  “Nothing!” Sandra replied. “It'll take me a couple hours to set it up though. Do you want to come back, or...”

  “No!” Cindy exclaimed. “I'll wait right here. I can spend the time working with that tutor program you set me up with. I think my next lesson is on guild space ship designs.”

  Even as she spoke Cindy produced her current pocketbook terminal and activated the tutor. Sandra watched her for a moment with a look of concern on her face. She hoped her new friend wasn't biting off more than she could chew but there was only one way to find out. So she returned to her desk and began setting up a training session.

  “Are you ready Cindy?” Sandra suddenly asked.

  Cindy looked up from the desktop terminal. To which she had eventually transferred her tutor session because of the higher graphics resolution of it's bigger screen.

  “I guess I am Sandra,” she said. “But first, would you mind telling me something?”

  “If I can,” Sandra replied looking at the screen full of space ship design schematics that Cindy had been studying. “But that looks more like Jess's field of expertise than mine.”

  “Yeah, but Jess is off planet with Jake and Sam,” Cindy said with a smile. “And this isn't exactly part of the official lesson. So my tutor program doesn't seem to understand my question.

  I was looking at several guild designs for both short and long range space ships, when I noticed something about some of the really long range ones. You know the ones with the so called guild stardrive that simulate a wormhole by inverting the effect of the time dilation imposed by approaching the speed of light.” Cindy paused for a moment.

  “Yes, I know the type you mean,” Sandra prompted. “Like Steve's personal shuttle. What did you notice?”

  “Well first of all, virtually all of them use gravitational-optimizers for their primary drive systems,” Cindy explained. “Something about it being the most efficient method. Yet many of the short range designs use a variant of it to power a particle based transduction thruster system.”

  “That's because the linear thrust provided by the particle thrusters, is easier to control under certain circumstances like the critical insertion phase of a fringe effect drive like the one used by the shuttle Jake's training on,” Sandra interrupted.

  “Yeah,” Cindy continued. “That's what the tutor said about it. But it didn't seem to understand me when I asked why it is that, all the really big long range ships seem to be equipped with really big particle transduction thruster systems.

  It just spouts technical details on how the gravitational-optimizer systems are more efficient...”

  Sandra looked amused as she considered her reply.

  “Well I'm not really surprised that I didn't think to include ‘that’ in the tutor program's database,”Sandra explained. “But if you think about the sheer mass of the bigger ships, I'm betting you can work it out.”

  “The mass?” Cindy sputtered. “But you'd have to overcome that either way.” Suddenly, a smug look of satisfaction crossed Cindy's face. “Wait a minute. Those ships are so big that they would have to be using their optimizers to reduce their own gravitational pull's effect on the local star system to avoid disrupting the orbital stability of it's planets.

  So I'm thinking they would have to use nothing but very long range gravitational optimizations for thrust. And that just wouldn't be very efficient for rapid changes in velocity now would it?”

  “See, I told you that you'd work it out,” Sandra said with a smile. “But now it's time to head for my new VR lab. That is if your still up for this.” Cindy quickly logged out of her tutor's database, and stood up.

  “Let's go then!” was all she said.

  Chapter 27 A Call For Help & A Frantic Reunion

  Two days after he had seen the strange light in the sky, Darg reached the peak of Sailbird mountain. Then with the help of his crystal disk he saw that some of the fishermen's villages along the big lake's shores, were in smoking ruins. What villages he could see that hadn't burned down, looked abandoned.

  Now, Darg was more frightened than he had ever been in his life. So he began a journey to a certain river valley further to the north. It wasn't until the third day that he found sign of a wild fleetfoot. It took another day, to catch and master it. Then it took him four exhausting days of hard riding, to reach the beginning of a little known trail that lead up the side of Thunderhead mountain. From which trail he turned onto a seemingly dead end path. Which in turn would lead to an overview of the Risp. Which was a small mountainside lake on the eastern side of the mountain.

  This path was too steep and irregular, to make riding a fleetfoot up it a wise thing to do. So he let the fleetfoot get away and spent half a day reaching a point somewhat short of the overview.

  Here he had to search carefully to find the hidden entrance to the cave where the old mage had given him his crystal disk. Then it took some more searching within the cave to find the loose rock in the wall. Which when pushed and twisted caused a large section of the wall to slowly swing inwards. Revealing a hidden tunnel that was obviously not natural. He lit the first of several grease smeared grass torches, that he had made during his journey. He shouldered his pack and pushed the door closed behind him. Then he descended down the long stair filled tunnel until he eventually reached the large damp cave. Which was hidden behind one of the waterfalls, that poured out of the Risp.

  In the middle of this room there was a small stone pedestal with a round depression, into which his crystal disk fit snugly. Once the disk was seated Darg settled down to wait. He wasn't quite sure how long he would have to wait but the old mage had said something about a long journey. So he laid out his sleeping fur and made himself as comfortable as possible. While he waited he tried to decide if he still believed in any deity enough to pray. By the time the crystal disk had begun to glow with a faint blue light he had decided that he truly didn't. Nonetheless he had prayed anyway.

  ***

  Sue had suggested that everyone get some sleep. Though nobody expected that to happen until after some serious sex. Still before long the only ones still awake were Jake, who's nanites could keep him awake and fatigue free for weeks at a time, Sam and Sue herself.

  She was really enjoying the quiet conversation she'd been having with Sam as they cuddled for warmth under their still somewhat damp blanket but she eventually put her finger up to Sam's mouth and whispered.

  “Shsssh, I hate to say this,” Sue explained. “But we need to shut up and get some sleep.”

  Sam had also been enjoying the conversation more than he had realized until he feared it might be over. So he quickly whispered back.

  “Actually we don't really need to.” Sam alleged.

  “I said we can't afford to be groggy on the trail tomorrow and I meant it,” Sue insisted.

  “Trust me,” Sam said as he produced two nano-med packets. “With these we could stay fre
sh and alert for three or four days without sleep. And I really don't want this to stop. I don't know when or if we'll ever get another chance to talk.”

  Sue was puzzled for a moment. Then she realized what they must be.

  “Nano-meds?” she asked. Sam just nodded. “Well I suppose they could do that alright,” she continued. “But if they're of sufficient quality to do that, then they're much too expensive to...”

  Sam held his finger up to her mouth.

  “Trust me,” Sam repeated.

  Sue was flabbergasted. As a prime, she could get high quality nano-meds if she really needed them. Though one dose of anything so ‘high grade’ as to be capable of letting them skip a couple of nights sleep without getting fatigued, would have cost her the equivalent of nearly a third of the livestock on her ranch. Yet this man was willing to spend two doses just to talk with her a little longer. She was about to categorically refuse when she remembered that Sam worked for Jake who was practically a questor of the Cosmic Sailors Guild. So maybe he was actually rich enough to afford it. Besides she really didn't want the conversation to end either.

  “How?” Sue asked.

  Sam smiled and popped one of the small pouches into his mouth. A moment later he opened his mouth and showed her that it was empty. Sue opened her mouth, and Sam gently put the packet inside. She closed her mouth expecting to have to swallow or maybe even chew the dang thing but to her surprise, she felt it dissolve and disappear. For the next several seconds she felt several strange sensations. All of them felt good.

  She suddenly felt warm and refreshed. Then she realized that she was once again horny but Sam wouldn't have it.

  “We can do more of that later,” he said. “Like while Ellen is fixing breakfast. What I really want is more of this private conversation.”

  “You do realize that I've been listening, right Sam?” Jake's voice suddenly spoke from a nano-pod in Sam's ear.”

  “Though of course I suppose technically somebody ‘could’ be listening even now,” Sam admitted as he continued to talk for Sue's benefit. “But somehow, if everyone was awake, we wouldn't get to say the same things... Am I making sense?”

  “It kinda makes sense to me,” Sue said. “At least I don't want to stop talking with you.”

  “OK I'll enhance everyone else's slumber for a short while,” Jake's voice promised. “Will that do?”

  Sam answered them both with an emphatic, “Works for me!”

  Sue however suggested that they would have a little more privacy in the cave itself. Sam didn't argue, so she led the way inside the cramped passage. Soon Sam noticed that the floor was a combination of solid stone and fine gravel. With the gravel in an unusually straight narrow path. Sue anticipated the question Sam was about to ask and told him that the gravel strip had in fact been manually installed. She said that it concealed the pipes that ran from the pump outside to a small underground stream below. The air in the cramped passageway was damp and a little chilly but they cuddled close, keeping each other warm, while they spent the rest of the night talking.

  The rain had stopped a little before sunrise. So since the morning air felt pleasantly warm nobody bothered to get dressed right away. Jake used his lighter to ignite the morning cookfire. Then as Ellen began fixing some flatbread with a batter she cajoled into existence from the soggy mess the rain had made of the flour, Sam gently pushed Sue up against a small boulder near the fire so that she was bent over. Then he proceeded to take her from behind.

  “Ah your all welcome to enjoy the show,” Sam proclaimed loudly as he drove his snake home. “In fact I'd like Sue here to learn how exciting it can be to actually make a show out of having sex. So please, do stare.”

  Which of course they did. Before long everyone else was putting on shows of their own. In fact the flatbread would have been burned to a crisp if Sam and Sue, who had started first, hadn't finished. Because then they noticed the bread and pulled it off the fire.

  Later as they were getting the horses ready to travel, Jake found a moment to talk privately with Sue.

  “You know Sue,” he said. “Sam seems quite taken with you.”

  “Well it's certain he enjoys having sex with me,” Sue replied.

  “True enough,” said Jake. “But believe me that's not it. He gets more opportunities for sex than you might imagine. But not even for a chance to get it on with my Cindy, would Sam have spent two whole packets of his precious nano-meds.”

  Sue just looked thoughtful for a moment. Which was long enough for Jake to resume speaking.

  “Don't get me wrong,” Jake informed her. “He can get more. But he prides himself on not using much of them. For Sam to spend two packets in the same week, would be remarkable. To spend them in the same hour, just to keep the conversation going, well...”

  Sue began to blush as she realized how much of last night's conversation Jake had probably listened to. Jake shrugged and walked away.

  Their trail continued to climb uphill for most of the morning. The landscape had also become progressively more baron. The combination of sparse rainfall and the poor quality of the shallow soil eventually made it difficult for even itchweed plants to prosper. That all changed when they crested a ridge at the edge of a wide deep valley. It was immediately obvious that this valley got more rain and had much better soil than the other side of the ridge. Their path now led downhill. It was at first rather steep and so treacherous in places that they had to dismount and lead the horses. Before long though, their path became wider and less steep as it wound it's way down into the heavily wooded valley.

  It was midafternoon when the trail merged with a gravel road. Half an hour later they reached a crossroads with a paved roadway. Sue called a halt. She pointed to the left, where a bridge could be seen a short distance away. The bridge looked fairly new. It was of a sufficiently advanced design, that it looked out of place in this rustic setting. From their vantage point they could see that there were two levels of bridge spanning the river. There were three pylons holding the bridge up. The most massive of these was in the middle, and rested on a small island in the middle of a wide river. The upper level was stoutly built, paved and wide enough for a wagon or motor car to cross in opposite directions at the same time. It was also level with the paved road. Just below the main level there was another. It was neither as wide, nor as stoutly built.

  “A short distance from the bridge there is a path leading to the lower pedestrian level,” Sue explained. “There's a pedestrian pathway and two bicycle lanes. Since you'll be on foot, you want the middle path. Now if you look closely at the central pylon, you will see a stairway leading down to prime Miller's island estate. Or rather to the public picnic area there. But there is a gateway in the fence right next to the pylon. There you will find a pull rope. It rings a bell that let's the Millers know they have company.”

  Jake held up his hand to stop Sue from explaining further.

  “Are you sure,” he asked. “That you don't want us to help you bring the horses the rest of the way?” Sue shook her head and pointed down the gravel way. “It's not much more than an hours easy ride that way. And on a road like this, we won't have any trouble leading three horses each. I'd rather that the four tired horses we're gonna ride on the way back this evening, didn't have to carry double back to the bridge. Besides if we've no reason to come all the way back here, there's another trail that'll save us half an hour.”

  “OK,” Jake replied. “You win. May I assume, by the way, that we'd be welcome to drop in on you at the ranch the next time we're in the neighborhood?”

  “Certainly,” Sue replied. “Especially if you bring Sam.” she added with a smile. “Speaking of which...”

  She stepped up to Sam and gave him a big hug.

  “I guess this really is goodbye Sam,” Sue whispered in his ear. “I don't know if we will get to see each other again or not. I sure hope we do. But in case we don't, here's something to remember me by.”

  That said, she gave Sam a kiss
so intense that after a while Jess couldn't contain himself.

  “I think that's about enough of that now,” Jess butted in. “Or would you be wanting me to spread out a blanket on the side of the road here?” Sue giggled as she came up for air.

  “Actually I think I would probably like that Jess,” she admitted. “Unfortunately I haven't the time for it right now... Don't forget me Sam.”

  “Never would I forget you my dear Sue,” Sam replied. “Of that you can be sure.” Less than half an hour later they were walking across the bridge.

  “So Jess”, Sam asked. “Is the bridge the same as you remember it?”

  “Actually Sam,” Jess replied. “The bridge is new to me. Last time I was here we had to take a ferry.”

  The pedestrian path was 4 feet wide. It's surface consisted of a metal grillwork through which you could see the water below. The bicycle lanes on either side of them were each only 3 and a half feet wide. There were handrails separating the three lanes of the bridges underdeck. They were composed of 12 foot sections with a 3 foot gap in between them. The hand rail sections were aligned in an alternating pattern that resulted in each gap occurring at the midpoint of the opposite handrail. The far side of the bicycle pathways each had a continuous tall fence that was obviously designed to prevent anyone from falling over the edge. Jess pointed at the grillwork they were walking on.

  “You noticed, didn't you,” Jess said to no one in particular. “That the grillwork under our feet has rectangular openings aligned in the direction of the walkway.” Then he pointed at one of the bicycle lanes. “While the grillwork beside us,” he continued, “is aligned in a diamond grid pattern.”

  “Of course it is,” Mary tittered. “The bicycle grid is engineered to cause the bicycle tires to roll smoothly in just one direction. If you look close you can see a slight angle to the metalwork of the gridwork.”

  “Well that explains why the one on the left looks slightly different from the one on the right,” Jess replied. “I take it that was to discourage bicyclists from going the wrong way?”