The Colony Ship Vanguard: The entire eight book series in one bundle

by John Thornton

  “Maybe we will not go anywhere?” Gretchen said as she continued to attempt to initiate movement of the elevator. She repeated that process until she reached the bottom most symbol. When she pushed that symbol the double doors to the elevator shut and with a slight rumbling, the elevator descended.

  “The least we are finally going somewhere,” Paul stated. He rubbed the short hair over his chin as he wondered where they were heading.

  15 cold as ice

  The elevator came or a rough stop. Then the doors opened. Immediately Paul and Gretchen were struck by frigid cold air slamming into their faces. But what they saw with their eyes was even more of a shock then the cold. They were overlooking an enormous vista, mostly white colored, but interspersed with deep greens. For as far as they could see there were cone-shaped green things coming up from the rolling white floor or deck. Gretchen squatted down and grabbed some of the white stuff in front of her. It was very cold, very wet, and very much made from water.

  The AI Tiffany related, “You have found a biological habitat. Comparing with the historical records, the green things you see are conifers. Sometimes referred to by other names such as: pinophyta, coniferophyta, coniferae, and evergreens. They are living cone-bearing flora with vascular tissue and considered as woody plants.”

  “Trees?” Paul asked.

  “Yes Paul, there are hundreds of trees ahead of you,” Tiffany replied.

  “But it is so cold. And this is snow, right? Everything is so very cold, how do the trees survive that?” Gretchen asked as she stepped into the ankle-deep cold wet snow which covered the ground. Turning around, Gretchen looked at the elevator doors. They were set into an enormous wall that reached as far overhead as she could see. Far above her was a bright band of light, yellowish in color, which extended away from her position as far she could see.

  “This is amazing!” Paul said with on in his voice. “That light in the ceiling, way up there, is that what they called solar mimicry? Is that what illuminates this entire biological habitat?”

  “Yes, Paul,” the AI Tiffany replied through the communication system. “It appears that solar mimicry here in this biological habitat takes the form of a large tube which stretches the entire length of the habitat. It functions in a manner to take the place of the sun. The biologicals here are dependent on that solar mimicry for photosynthesis, heat, and light.”

  “Paul, it is very cold here, but there is a vast amount of water. If I recall correctly, snow can easily be melted and he becomes fresh drinking water. So we have found a home for our people! The people in Dome 17 can come here and live. We need to set up the teleportation pad immediately,” Gretchen insisted. She shrugged off her backpack and started to unpack all the supplies.

  There was a rustling in some of the closest trees. Several dark shapes emerge from the green of the trees, flapped their wings, and soared into the sky.

  “There are animals here too! That proves life can exist here,” Gretchen stated.

  “Yes! If animals can survive here, so can us,” Paul replied.

  The AI Tiffany interrupted, “This biological habitat certainly needs further evaluation and has great potential. However, the present temperature in this habitat is not suitable for unassisted human occupation. The historical records says humans can survive in this type of environment, but need adequate shelter, proper clothing, and consistent means of producing heat. You have none of those things. I strongly advise returning to the elevator at this time. Hypothermia is a direct threat to both of you.”

  “It is cold. But Gretchen is correct, waiting is wrong,” Paul stated as he to unpacked his backpack. “Gretchen, we need permalloy for the teleportation pad. I am going to cut the elevator doors off and begin laying out the grid that is necessary. Can you begin the assembly of the receiving system?”

  “I already have the control and utilization console in place. I will need to connect the FTL communication system and search for the signal back on earth. That might take me a while, but we can get this done!” Gretchen said. Her teeth were chattering with the cold but she was working diligently. She was a bit startled to see her breath frosting in front of her as she spoke.

  Paul connected the molecular torch to the fusion pack and brought it up to the edge of the elevator door. Just as he was about to cut into the door Tiffany interrupted again, “Paul, it is very likely that removal of the elevator door will inhibit its function. We do not know of another way to exit this biological habitat. Again I warn that hypothermia is a distinct danger working in this climate. I conjecture that you do not have enough time to complete the teleportation pad, prior to sustaining injuries from this cold.”

  “Thank you for your concern Tiffany, but we need to get this done as quickly as possible. The people in Dome 17 are depending upon us. The molecular torch will generate some heat and that will be enough to see us through to get this finished. Once the teleportation system is up and running, all the supplies from Dome 17 can come through and we can set up shelter for everyone. All the resources of Dome 17 will more than make up for this cold. So I am cutting off the doors now,” Paul said sternly. He did not till Tiffany that his hands were already numb with the cold. His toes were even more numb and he had lost some feeling in the toes entirely. The molecular torch bit into the door severing it neatly and smoothly. The interior lights of the elevator died, despite the fusion pack still being connected into the control panel.

  There were four layers of permalloy which made up door. Paul had the four layers divided and had moved them over to the area for the teleportation receiving pad. We laid them on top of the snow, but they sank in and were unlevel. He had to clear the snow away in order to get them fairly level. His hands were red from the cold and the pain was getting worse. By this time he had lost all the feeling in his feet from the cold. But he could still walk, squat, and work, so he ignored the numbness, pain, and loss of sensation. He dedicated all his efforts to the work of building the receiving pad.

  “Paul I am having trouble with some of the small components. They are generating heat, which is melting the snow, which is causing water to get into the mechanisms. I have had to replace several of the components in order to dry off the ones that have gotten wet. I never expected to do this job with so much water around,” Gretchen said. She could not hide the chattering of her teeth, nor the trembling of her fingers as she spoke. Her dark skin was starting to look blotchy in places and her lips were a deep purple color.

  Paul turned to reply to her when he saw how she looked. Compassion flooded his heart for her. “Gretchen, you look terrible.”

  “You look pretty bad yourself, your skin is even whiter than the snow around us and your fingers are bright pink and red,” Gretchen replied. “How must longer on the receiving pad?”

  “I have the perimeter grid laid out. The second door of the elevator will give me enough supplies to lay out the rest of the grid, but I am having trouble using the molecular torch. I burned through one section of permalloy because I fumbled the torch. Had to re-cut that one. But I think I can finish this, no, I must finish this.”

  Tiffany interjected, “Gretchen, please get the medical kit and give Paul treatment for hypothermia immediately. Then have Paul treat you. Both of you are in serious danger. The solar mimicry is decreasing. I conjecture that nightfall is coming quickly. That will mean even lower temperatures. You must cease operations now and seek treatment.”

  “No! We can get treated by the people from Dome 17… Doctor Carolyn will easily take care of this; we just need to make the connection. We will… get these completed…for that now, we must finish,” Gretchen stated. Her words were blurred by the slow actions of her cheeks and lips. She had nearly all of the console completely assembled and was just connecting in the FTL communication system. “I am about to start scanning for the Earth’s signal. Then I can help Paul finished the grid.”

  Paul had walked back to elevator door and managed to cut the second door way. He was making them into the s
trips necessary for the grid when he again dropped the molecular torch into the snow. There was a loud hissing sound as the snow melted and the brownish green plants below were charred by the cutting blade of the torch. Paul squatted down and tried to pick up the lost torch, but his hands and fingers were so numb and stiff that he had trouble telling if he was touching the ground, the snow, or his tools. He fell onto his side and was not even sure which direction was up or down.

  Gretchen saw him fall. She moved to go towards him, stumbled against the FTL communication system. It fell over. The jacks and cables disconnected from the console she had worked so hard to assemble. With numb legs and numb hands Gretchen crawled over the Paul. “Paul? Paul? We must get this finished…. There is no other way.”

  “I cannot find the torch,” Paul mumbled. “We must get the orifice opened, they are depending upon us. It is our mission.” The light was fading around them as the sky tube decreased in brightness.

  “I am here Paul… I will help you,” Gretchen said as she pulled him to her side. Gretchen tried to pull Paul toward the now ruined elevator, but as darkness was settling in she could not tell for sure which direction to go. “Paul help me find the… elevator. We will take shelter… Paul? Paul?”

  Paul no longer responded to her, so she held him tightly. The cold continued to descend upon them. “I have you Paul… I am here…”

  The last thing Gretchen heard was the voice of Tiffany yelling through the communication link as it slid from her frozen ear and dropped into the now. In Gretchen’s mind she agreed with Tiffany, but she could not get her body to respond.

  16 grandpa gari

  The flickering of a fire was the first thing Gretchen recognized as she awoke. Her mind was fuzzy. Her eyes drifted shut again.

  The next time she awoke, she took in more of her surroundings. She was bundled heavily and her arms and legs were difficult to move. The flickering lights continued to draw her attention. As she struggled to turn her head to look toward the light she realized she was in some kind of a bed. There were heavy materials covering her, and some kind of garment was over her head covering and coming down the sides to embrace her ears. By straining to the right she could see the fireplace in the corner of the room. The dancing orange and yellow flames were fascinating to her sluggish mind. Her eyes drifted shut yet again.

  The next moment of awareness, was of a warm liquid. The warm liquid was gently being placed between her parched, painful, and cracked lips. The liquid had an odd yet pleasant taste but was difficult to swallow. Gretchen opened her eyes. In front of her was the face of someone she had never ever seen before.

  “Just a little gentle broth, it will soothe your mouth,” the person said to her. Gretchen squinted her eyes to see more clearly, but focus was difficult. “Yes, keep fighting to come awake. You are a strong woman, and we have all the time needed for your healing.”

  Gretchen finally remembered what she and Paul had been doing. She tried to speak but her lips hurt. As she tried to form words her tongue felt thick and heavy. She struggled and with great effort said the word, “Paul?”

  Another spoon a warm liquid made it to her lips and a dribble of nutrition settled into her mouth. “I am afraid my dear, your words are too weak for me to hear. But I imagine you are concerned about your companion. He is in another bed across the way. He has not aroused yet, but our doctor has been here. He has an excellent chance of recovery, as do you.”

  Gretchen got her eyes to focus and looked at the person speaking to her. He was an elderly man with steel gray hair, full beard, large kindly brown eyes, and a crooked smile. His smile widened as he recognized that Gretchen was observing him.

  “I am Gari Onomskynov, but many call me Grandpa Gari. You are safe with us. You are on my ranch outside the town of Orsk. But you rest now, we will speak again later,” Grandpa Gari said.

  Paul was listening. The voices he heard were coming from far, far away. The foggy place his mind occupied was too thick to slice through. He tried to open his eyes but his eyelids were much too heavy and he lacked any strength at all. He heard Grandpa Gari and thought he must be speaking to Gretchen. He was not sure how he knew Grandpa Gari’s name, but he did, and did not question how he knew that. The thought of Gretchen was soothing, comforting, and it warmed Paul’s heart. Warmth. Somehow that concept meant much more to Paul now than it ever had before in his life. He drifted back into the mists of deep sleep.

  Time passed. The adventurers slept. Grandpa Gari attended to them. On occasion there were other voices, both male and female. They spoke with Grandpa Gari. None of those voices were familiar to Gretchen or to Paul. And the dreamy quality of the conversations made understanding elusive. It did not matter to Gretchen what was said, as she was content with the warm, dry, bedding around her. The weakness sapped her physical, emotion, and spiritual energies. Even her thoughts were tired.

  “Please wake up, I have more broth for you,” Grandpa Gari said to Gretchen.

  “Hello,” Gretchen replied. Her voice was weak but much stronger than previously. Her lips were no longer cracked nor were they sore. She ran a dry tongue over the lips and was surprised by the sensations. The bundles of covers across her body did not seem quite as heavy, nor as thick, but they were still warm. Instinctively, Gretchen accepted the warm broth and swallowed it easily this time. She had vague memories of doing that numerous times before, but the details were fleeting and nebulous.

  “Hello yourself. You seem stronger this day, are you feeling better?” Grandpa Gari asked. His words were heavily accented yet understandable. “May I know your name? Or is that against the Free Ranger code?”

  Gretchen blinked a few times, again licked her lips, and stated “I am Gretchen. Where is Paul?”

  “Gretchen? An unusual name. Your companion is named Paul?”

  Gretchen nodded in reply. She then was able to visually examine the room she was in. The fireplace was in the corner, and still had a roaring fire. The walls of the room had an irregular banded appearance. There were large stripes of medium brown color separated by thinner stripes of an off-white color. From what Gretchen could see, this striped effect, was due to the building materials used in assembling the walls. She could not identify what type of materials had been used. It was not permalloy. Looking overhead she could see the vaulted ceiling was made from strips of a similar kind of material while rectangular beams spanned the entire room. There were windows in several of the walls, but outside was darkness.

  “Your companion, Paul, is in the bed on the other side of the room. Do not be alarmed, no one here has reported your presence. Our doctor is a trusted confidant. You are safe,” Grandpa Gari said.

  “Gretchen?” Paul said in a weak voice. “Are you hurt badly? I am very weak. How long have we been here?”

  Gretchen was thrilled hearing Paul’s voice. She struggled to sit up, and that was when she noticed she was naked under the covers. She glanced around. Just to the side of the fireplace she could see their clothing hanging on some kind of hooks on the wall. There was also a small sack of their equipment, but she could not tell exactly what was there. Obviously much of it was missing. She felt behind her ear and the communication system was gone.

  “Paul, I too am very weak, but I am intact. How are you?” Gretchen asked.

  “I believe I can sit up,” Paul replied. “From the growth of my beard, we have been here for some time.”

  Grandpa Gari walked over to Paul’s bed and assisted him to sit up. “May I call you Paul? And yes, you have been under my care for just over twenty three days. You both are very fortunate that the trapper Ferdinand found you. You were both nearly dead from exposure, but we have made you whole. In can provide you will things to cut your facial hair if that is your desire. I was uncertain how Free Rangers are to look.”

  “Over three weeks? Three weeks? How have we survived here for three weeks?” Paul said as Grandpa Gari assisted him in sitting up at the side of the bed. Paul too was naked, but the room itself was st
ill warm.

  “Yes, my new friend Paul, the healing from winter’s touched took many days and you are weak. Forgive me if I do not comprehend all you say. Your dialect is hard for me. In olden times you probably would not have survived. Our doctor had to regenerate many parts of your bodies.” Grandpa Gari held on to Paul’s shoulder while he sat there.

  Paul noticed a tattoo on Grandpa Gari’s forearm. It was a dark green letter E.

  Grandpa Gari saw Paul looking and said, “Unlike you Free Rangers, I am a native to this habitat. As you can tell from my marking.”

  “It really has been three weeks?” Paul said. His mind was still somewhat fuzzy. He was flexing his fingers and rubbing his hands together there seemed to be no injuries from the cold. “Is something wrong with your habitat? Is the heating system broken?”

  “So many questions,” Grandpa Gari chuckled. “Yes, a bit over three weeks, counting weeks by that seven days system some places use. Trapper Ferdinand brought you in from the cold. The regeneration treatments took most of that time. You have been here in my cabin for recovery. The doctor was last here three days ago and pronounced you nearly cured from winter’s touch. The doctor is scheduled to return tomorrow. As to the cold, it is winter. Winter is always cold. May I get you your clothing?”