Gus, after giving Perry a puzzled expression, did as told. Hesitantly, he tapped lightly on the four-inch-square pad. Immediately, the back hatch cover began to descend as the ship’s outer gangway retracted.
“That did it,” Perry said, feeling more confident.
“Bio-form human detected … prior function complete … you may enter a new start access code …”
The announcement seemed to blare from all around them: a woman’s voice, and not a particularly pleasant one at that. Perry and Gus stared at each other.
“What the hell did you do?” Perry asked.
“I did exactly what you told me to do, I closed the fucking door!”
“Bio-form human detected … prior function complete … you may enter a new start access code …”
“Let’s just try to ignore it,” Perry said.
Gus shrugged. “Looks like another hatch-thingy up ahead.”
“We need to find the ship’s bridge. Maybe we can shut her up from there.”
They moved foreword, until they reached the next hatch.
“That’s not a hatch … or is it?” Gus asked, tucking his flashlight back into his pocket.
Perry stared at the undulating, light-blue energy field—the size of a normal doorway—then reached out a hand and touched it. He smiled and looked over at Gus. “It tingles, but I think it’s okay. Maybe you should get a good grip on my shoulder, though, and we’ll go in together.”
Gus’s usual self-confidence appeared to be waning. Perry gave him a reassuring smile and said, “It’ll be all right.” He waited for Gus to grab on to his shoulder before stepping through the energy field and exiting directly into a corridor.
Looking back at the energy-field hatchway behind them, Perry exclaimed, “That is cool … really, really cool!” Gus, though wide-eyed, didn’t seem nearly as excited.
The corridor, like most of the entire vessel, was softly lit. The walls, or bulkheads, were a far cry from what Perry was accustomed to seeing on Navy vessels. These were padded, their edges rounded; there was a certain symmetry—an artistic blend of function and form—that seemed almost Zen.
“Bio-form human detected … prior function complete … you may enter a new start access code …”
“This way,” Perry said. “There’s a wide entrance into another compartment up ahead.”
They hurried past a number of energy-field doorways different than the portal they’d just emerged through. These were narrower and far less bright. A small virtual panel, head-level, hovered on the left of each. Perry surmised that behind those energy hatchways were crew quarters, though he wasn’t entirely sure he was correct.
They slowed when they entered into the large compartment at the end of the corridor. Obviously the control center—the bridge—Perry’s mouth dropped open while he took it all in. The compartment, approximately twenty-five feet wide, and twice that size lengthwise, was spherical in shape. The first thing to fully grab his attention was the overhead display. The upper domed portion of the compartment was transparent—revealing more of the dirt and rocks outside that covered a portion of the ship.
“Bio-form human detected … prior function complete … you may enter a new start access code …”
“We’ve got to find a way to turn that God-awful voice off,” Gus said.
Perry turned to study his father—standing there in his dirty, wife-beater shirt—a stark contrast to their ultra-modern surroundings. “I’m open to suggestions, Gus.”
The older man glanced toward the myriad of consoles situated around the compartment then over at more rows toward the front. “There’s something blinking over there.”
Jason moved in the direction of Gus’s pointing finger.
“Bio-form human detected … prior function complete … you may enter a new start access code …”
Another touchpad—this one blinking—resided in the center of a complex-looking array of controls. A virtual screen hovered nearby. Perry tapped on the blinking touchpad.
“Bio-form human detected—prior function complete—you may enter a new start access code …”
“What code should I enter?” Perry asked.
“I have no idea!” Perry was worried that inputting the wrong code would cause something terrible to happen. Hell, the damn ship could self-destruct or something.
Finally, Perry rambled off nine numbers.
“Bio-form human detected … prior function complete … you have entered a new start access code.” She repeated back the same nine numbers: “Affirm the entered start code.”
“Affirm,” Perry said loudly.
“Initiate biomechanical sub-routines.”
“Initiate biomechanical sub-routines.”
“Initiate biomechanical sub-routines.”
“Damn thing’s worse than before!” Gus said.
Chapter 25
Sol System
Planet Earth, Central Valley Scrapyard, San Bernardino, CA
__________________________
Present day …
“Hold on a second,” Jason said. “What were those nine numbers?”
“Nine numbers?” the admiral repeated, looking annoyed at the interruption.
“Yeah, that set of numbers you used to quiet The Lilly’s AI?”
“Oh … that … it was my social security number.”
“That’s right! I think you told me that once before,” Jason said. “Okay, keep going … what happened next?”
“You sure you don’t want me to jump ahead with the storytelling … to the part about the Caldurians? Isn’t that what you need to help save the girls?”
“Don’t skip anything! I don’t know yet what’s important or not important. I’ve never heard the entire story before … not like this. I’ve already learned some things I didn’t know before.”
Dira said, “Hold on … so it was you who entered in the new code? Not Gus, Admiral?”
The admiral nodded and shrugged yes back. “Can I go on now?”
* * *
Summer, 1995 …
“Initiate biomechanical sub-routines.”
“Initiate biomechanical sub-routines.”
Perry, standing still—hands on hips—turned and took in their surroundings. “I suggest we don’t touch anything else, at least not for now. Maybe we should call it a day. That voice is really starting to annoy me. Come back in the morning, when we’re feeling fresh?”
Ol’ Gus nodded, still perplexed by the alien environment all around him. “Lead on … not sure I’m up to finding the way back out myself.”
They retraced their steps, heading back—first through the wide corridor then toward the portal. Standing quite still, Perry contemplated on what had happened for them to end up exactly where they were now. Undoubtedly, there were many similar portals throughout such a large vessel. The only thing he could come up with, irrational or not, was once he’d decided his goal was to reach the bridge, then the portal, somehow and inexplicably, read his mind … his very thoughts. How utterly unnerving!
“Go ahead, place your hand back on my shoulder, Gus. Let’s not break with what worked before.” Feeling his father’s firm handhold, they stepped forward and into the shimmering energy. As before, similar to walking through a hidden doorway, they emerged once again into the confines of the stern section’s airlock. A smile crossed Perry’s lips. “You can take your hand off my shoulder now, Dad.”
Together, they proceeded toward the rear of the compartment. Perry turned around to face Ol’ Gus: “That portal we just walked through, and I suspect others like it within this vessel, work something like this, I believe: You need to maintain a very clear intention, in your mind and in your thoughts, of exactly where on the ship you wish to go.”
Gus narrowed his eyes at him. “I don’t like the idea of some alien contraption rooting around in my brain.”
“Yes … well … you better get used to it. I don’t want you getting lost in here in the future … so remember what I said
. This is one huge vessel.” Perry turned back and pushed gently on the touchpad. He next heard sounds of the gangway extending, and a moment later the rear hatch began to lift.
* * *
The next morning, even before the sun crested over the distant San Bernardino Mountains, Perry was wide awake. He quickly showered and dressed, realizing he was more excited than he’d been about anything in years, perhaps ever. Entering the small family room, he found Ol’ Gus sitting at the small breakfast table, nursing a cup of coffee.
“I knew you were an early riser, Gus, but not this early. I figured I’d be waiting a while for you to get up.”
“I brewed a fresh pot,” Gus said, looking more somber than Perry had seen him since returning back to the scrapyard. Finding a mug he poured out coffee. “What’s going on?”
Ol’ Gus waited until Perry was seated across from him. “I’m reevaluating my position. Son, this is too big … too scary, to be honest with you. We should contact the appropriate authorities … maybe NASA … like you said.”
“I thought about that, too. Hell, I barely slept. But the more I thought about it … about the sheer, unprecedented level of power this alien vessel represents, for the nation possessing it, I’ve revised my viewpoint. I’m a U. S. Naval officer and I know how big governments think. Full disclosure, regarding our alien ship, won’t be shared with other countries. Yet, even with that said, eventually word will leak out. The potential power imbalance, in today’s world of contesting super nations, could lead to an all-out war. I’ve no doubt about that. So, no, Gus, at least for right now, let’s keep your remarkable discovery between the two of us.”
Ol’ Gus, staring into his coffee cup, slowly nodded. “I hope you know what you’re doing. What we’re doing.” He suddenly stood: “Okay … let’s get back down there and see what else we can discover.”
Perry gestured toward his barely-sipped cup of coffee.
“I’ve packed a thermos of the stuff … let’s get cracking.”
* * *
By the time they climbed down the rickety scaffolding, wound their way through the feeder tunnel, and entered the aquifer, they found the once-raging bonfire reduced now to softly glowing red embers.
Gus relit the cold oil lantern as they headed toward the far side of the cavern. Perry waited while he relit several other lanterns—positioned strategically around the ship—which he’d undoubtedly lighted recently. “We need to bring electricity down here, perhaps a generator,” Gus said.
Moving together toward the excavated clearing at the back of the ship, Gus went first, followed by Perry. The tilted gangway, along with the leaning—mostly buried—space vessel was exactly as they’d left it.
“Any thoughts on how we should proceed once inside?” Gus asked.
“I’d like to spend some time talking to that … whatever it is … talking computer,” Perry said to Ol’ Gus’s back.
Instead of proceeding up the gangway, Gus hesitated before veering off to the right. Looking around him, he found a shovel.
“What are you doing, Gus? C’mon, let’s head inside.”
“Hold up … there’s something over here.” Gus began shoveling—quickly clearing away dirt and rocks—near the right side of the gangway. “The ramp’s motion, moving up and down, must have uncovered …” His words suddenly cut off. He stopped shoveling, instead peering down at something Perry couldn’t make out in the shadows.
“What have you found over there?”
“Um, what I mentioned before to you, about not finding anything alive …”
“What did you find?” Perry hurried across, hearing a tone in his father’s voice he didn’t like. He lifted his father’s lantern from where he’d set it down, then held it out, his arm extended.
“Bring it down lower!” Gus barked, then took it away from him.
As the lantern’s flickering flame settled down, Perry and Gus simply stared, their mouths agape, at what lay partially uncovered before them.
“What the blazes is that?” Gus asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe … a robot?”
“But it has skin. Skin and robot parts,” Gus said, bringing the lantern closer.
“I wouldn’t get too close to that thing, Dad. It’s kinda freaking me out.”
Perry and Ol’ Gus continued to look down at the odd-looking robot. Perry realized they had crossed another potential point of ‘no return.’ An empty spacecraft was one thing … but an actual alien … even if it was a robot? Perhaps they should step aside—inform the appropriate authorities and/or organizations of their discovery. But he shook his head. Without a doubt, the result henceforth would be the entire area’s quarantine, including the scrapyard and the old house. Perry, unsure what to do, decided to hold off calling anyone until he and Gus knew more. He rubbed his chin in concentration.
Gus, waiting for some kind of decision to be made by his son, used the toe of his boot to push aside several of the larger rocks still covering the right side of the robot.
“It’s actually kinda cute, in a homely, alien sort of way.” Kneeling, Gus continued with, “I think it’s called a cyborg … part organic and part machine.”
Perry arched his brows at his father, maintaining some distance apart. “And you know this … how?”
The old man shrugged and clucked his tongue. “I watch a lot of TV. Hey, look at the shape of its … his … head. Like in one of those old Area 51 Roswell photographs, he’s got the same triangular-shaped noggin, don’t you think?”
Perry shrugged. His father’s self-assurance was back. It occurred to Perry that it was only inside the ship that Ol’ Gus seemed insecure … perhaps he’s claustrophobic.
“Well, I’m not waiting for you to make a decision,” Ol’ Gus said. “I like to fix things … maybe I can fix this thing.”
“Are you out of your mind? What do you know about robots, or cyborgs, if that’s what it actually is? Not exactly something an old set of Craftsman tools will be much help with.”
Gus chuckled. “Help me clear away the rest of the rubble.”
Perry knelt down and lifted a large rock off the robot’s mid-abdomen area, while Gus scooped dirt and smaller rocks off both legs. It took several moments to get it unburied enough for Perry and Gus to pull the body closer to the bonfire.
“Heavier than I thought it’d be,” Perry said, taking a step back—again becoming aware of their too-close proximity.
“You’ve already touched the damn thing so we’re already infected, if that’s what you’re worried about. Might as well relax and enjoy the moment.”
Perry continued to stare down at the robot’s curiously proportioned head and body. It seemed to be highly advanced, yet strangely archaic at the same time. Leaning forward, he saw tiny gears and micro-pistons barely visible beneath a thin layer of skin. Skin?
“Dad, how could this cyborg-thing maintain what appears to be living flesh? It should have decomposed eons ago … wouldn’t you think?”
“You’d think. But you’re thinking in terms of Earth humans. Who knows what type of skin Martians, aliens, have?”
Gus suddenly turned his head, intently listening to something. “Hear that?”
“No, what?”
“A ticking sound … ever so faint.”
Perry leaned forward, his head inches from Gus. “I think it’s coming from the head area,” Perry said whispering, as though afraid of its waking up. “Almost looks like some of the little gears are … spinning. Must be the firelight … the shadows.”
The cyborg’s eyes opened.
Chapter 26
Sol System
Planet Earth, Subterranean Aquifer, San Bernardino, CA
__________________________
Summer, 1995 …
Both Perry and Gus jumped backwards.
Gus, stumbling, fell back onto his rear. “Good mother of God!” he exclaimed.
Perry crouched low, his palms held out in front of him, turned, and found the handle of Gus’s shove
l and quickly brought it up—like Mickey Mantle ready to bat.
“It’s alive … the damn thing’s alive,” Perry exclaimed, his eyes flashing back and forth from his father to the robot.
“Who … who … are you?” Perry asked, realizing that it was stupid to expect the thing to understand him.
“I … I am not sure … I am Reechet … yes, I am Reechet.”
The robot looked up, at the poised, ready to strike shovel. “I present no danger to you. I will not harm you.”
“You … you speak English, um … what did you say … Ricket?” Gus asked, talking louder than necessary.
“Yes, I believe I speak many languages, although I am not entirely sure,” he said, looking about his surroundings. “It seems I have both of you to thank for extricating me from confinement beneath the rocks and dirt. My name is Reechet …”
“Uh huh,” Gus said. “Ricket.”
The being blinked twice.
Perry was fascinated—transfixed—by the alien robot. Was this truly happening?
“How did you get here? When did you get here, Ricket?” he asked, lowering the business end of the shovel several inches.
“It is Reechet. And my internal clock tells me the date is … referencing your current Earth calendar … August 1995. I have been buried here approximately one hundred and seventy-five years.”
“That’s impossible. You have … skin … flesh. It would have decomposed by this time.”
“Perhaps, if I were deceased. Although I am uncertain who I am … I do know I did not die. I had placed myself into what you would call a suspended state of being: near death, yet alive just the same. I remember arriving here. Leaving the ship. When that far cavern wall became dislodged, I was buried alive. After several days of unsuccessfully trying to move free of the rubble, I decided to bring all energetic systems down to their barest minimum operating level.”
“So Ricket … you’re some kind of robot?” Gus asked.
Glory for Sea and Space (Star Watch Book 4) Page 14