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

by John Thornton

  The display screen shut off.

  “What was that?” Gretchen asked.

  “I told you that was the thing which was inside that automacube. It is creepy,” Paul said. “I thought I was maybe hallucinating before, but now I know I was right.”

  “But what is it?” Gretchen asked. “An artificial intelligence?”

  Brinley was very puzzled as she considered what had just happened. Unlike her typical behavior, she was quiet and pondering. She opened a control panel and slid out the manual operations station for the vehicle.

  “Brinley? What was that?” Gretchen asked.

  “I am not sure,” Brinley replied quietly. Her lack of enthusiasm scared Paul as much as the comments from Phoenix Dominie.

  “Come on Brinley. You know all the systems here. You are an expert on the ways the Vanguard operates. You must know what that was,” Paul said.

  “I do not,” Brinley replied.

  “Tiffany, give me your analysis,” Paul stated. “You are far superior to this old ship’s systems. What just happened?”

  “Paul, I was rejected and ejected from the nonphysicality with methods new to me. I am still analyzing what occurred. There are some erroneous readings which I cannot account for, and am making conjectures. I apologize that I cannot give a better answer,” Tiffany replied. The AI’s voice sounded sad.

  Gretchen interjected, “This vehicle will apparently still go to the Safari habitat. We still need to get the data sticks working again, and the Reproduction and Fabrication facility in that habitat is our best option to attempt that. So no matter what that Phoenix Dominie or the CPO does, we should keep focused on the mission. So what do we know of Safari?”

  Brinley sat glumly.

  Paul muttered, “Probably some strange things there seeking to kill us. The Roe, or wild carnivores, or things in the water? Or just some crazy people with….”

  “Paul, shut up,” Gretchen said. “You are not helping at all. We need to focus on what we can do, not whine.”

  “Am I wrong?” Paul answered.

  Gretchen looked away, and Brinley continued to sit quietly as the vehicle sped through the transport tube system.

  Tiffany finally answered, “We can assume that Safari is roughly the same size and dimensions as the other biological habitats. We can also assume that it has a functional ecosystem. Brinley? Have you been inside Safari?”

  “No,” Brinley replied. “Not really, no.”

  “The term ‘Safari’ originates in Swahili and or Arabic languages, and refers to a journey, expedition, exploration, investigation, adventure, or quest involving large animals, usually from the continent that was called Africa,” Tiffany stated. “My observations from the scout ship did not demonstrate any location which would be exclusive to that rather nebulous term. The limited deck plans that I have also do not give details about what may be in that habitat.”

  “Tiffany? Are we certain we will arrive at that destination?” Gretchen asked.

  “I am unable to ascertain what is happening. I am hesitant to reconnect to the access port while the vehicle is in operation. I can tell remotely that we are still traveling, and there is the statement made by the entity Phoenix Dominie, which said we will arrive in Safari,” Tiffany replied.

  “That is trustworthy, I am sure. No one has ever lied to us before,” Paul said. He stopped talking when Gretchen glared at him.

  “Brinley,” Gretchen said softly, “any information you have might be helpful.”

  Brinley nodded her head and her face realigned itself into her usual smile, although it was less wide. “I know the sequences for getting to hanger bays near there in a shuttle, which does not help. I know Safari was the least visited by the Free Rangers, at least those whom I knew. Tennard thought Safari was where we needed to go, and that is good enough for me. I trust him.” She again shook her head. “So we will go to Safari and get to the Reproduction and Fabrication facility.”

  “Thank you,” Gretchen said and hugged Brinley again. “We do have a good supply of tools and equipment, as well as Tiffany along with us.”

  “The data sticks do not work,” Paul said.

  Sometime later, the vehicle came to a halt with only a slight jarring. Then it backed up and there were a series of clanging and clacking noises as the vehicle docked.

  Brinley and Gretchen both pulled out their weapons and had them aimed at the door.

  “TSI-981 did not say anything,” Paul observed. “So maybe that AI was spilt off or something?”

  The hatch on the rear of the vehicle opened to a moderately well lit transport hub.

  “I will investigate,” Tiffany stated and began to roll forward.

  “No, you are too important,” Paul said as he drew his handgun and leaped in front of the rolling automacube. “I will check it out, and maybe it will be safe for a change?”

  Paul stepped out of the transport vehicle and stood in shock at what he saw.

  3 what was found by the lake

  “So Ben, please lead us onward to where you made these discoveries,” Larissa directed as she took a small packet of moist napkins from her pouch and washed her hands of the blood that was on her knuckles. It was not her own blood.

  Ben just stared at her as they walked along by the shore.

  “Ben, young man, concentrate please. Are we heading for where you said the automacube was found? It was what type?” Larissa asked with a mere hint of irritation.

  “Yes, Governor. Yes, we are heading in the right way,” Ben stammered. “I am not sure what kind… well… it was black and gold colored and looked like the water automacubes.”

  “Please describe what you saw with as much detail as possible,” Larissa commanded. She knew he needed distraction from what had happened in the house. She did too, but would never tell anyone that.

  As walked on, Ben related what he had seen. Ahead of them there were several other people on the shoreline.

  “My friends,” Governor Larissa called in an authoritarian voice as they grew near to the cluster of people. “Please step back so I can assess what Ben here discovered.”

  The people looked at Ben, as they backed away. He smiled from the recognition Governor Larissa had given him, as the finder of the item.

  “Governor,” an older man said, “I sent my son off to fetch Rasi, the diver. He knows about these kinds of things.”

  “Yes. Are you saying I do not know about these kinds of things?” Larissa asked.

  “Oh, not at all. Not at all, Governor. I just was not sure how busy…. I am sorry,” the man looked away.

  Larissa walked over to him and gently touched his chin and lifted his face to meet her cold blue eyes. “Stanislov, you are fine. You did well to summon Rasi. Thank you for your service. Ben came and got me, and you called for assistance from Ravi. That is what makes our home here great. We work together.”

  “Thank you Governor,” the old man Stanislov responded. “Do you think it was a Rusalka of a Egeria that destroyed the automacube?”

  “A water ghost?” Larissa chuckled. “No, my dear old fellow, I do not think it was a Rusalka. There are no water demons in Lake Orsk.” Larissa looked at the crowd of people. “Have any of you seen a Rusalka? Has anyone actually seen an Egeria? We have all heard the folklore of some water monster which steals children or entrances people to a watery grave, but are those monsters real?”

  The crowd laughed an uneasy laugh. Stanislov looked down at his feet.

  “So no, Rusalka of Egeria! However, let us see what is here.” Larissa eyed the people standing around.

  “There is a dead sturgeon up that way, Governor,” A young girl called out from the crowd.

  “Yes Dana, so Ben has informed me. Thank you,” Larissa gave the girl a small grin. “All will be investigated.”

  The automacube was gold and black, but its body had been crushed. The stump of the manipulation arm was just a wrecked piece of metal sticking up from the top. Larissa carefully assessed the machine with h
er eyes, and noted the large cracks in the permalloy. Larissa’s face remained firmly in control even though she was surprised to see the machine and the damage that had been done to it. There were strange puncture marks on one side which did not match anything Larissa could identify. Of course, she did not say that.

  “Stanislov, I again thank you for summoning Rasi. I would have done that next, had you not been thinking ahead,” Larissa called as she squatted over the wrecked machine. “This machine may have just broken down under the water and sunk into the depth. The pressures at the bottom of Lake Orsk are immense and a failing machine would not withstand them. Rest assured that all will be investigated. Please go about your business now. A full report will be issued and you can check at my office for news about this. Thank you again for your cooperation.”

  The crowd turned to depart.

  “Ben?” Larissa called as she stood up. He too was walking away.

  Ben rushed back to stand in front of Larissa.

  She grasped him with both hands, one on each shoulder and said, “In the official report, you will be recorded as the finder of this. It may turn out to be nothing but a failed machine which washed up. Nonetheless, you were alert and wise and brought this to my attention. Well done.”

  “Thank you Governor,” Ben beamed under her praise.

  A speedboat was rushing upon the water toward her. It was sleek and bright blue colored.

  “Oh, Governor Larissa,” the driver of the speed boat said as it pulled up near the shore.

  “Yes? Hello Rasi. You were summoned to assist in checking out what was found here. Stanislov and the others have departed for home, but your service is still needed.”

  “Yes, Governor, I was just surprised to see you here for what sounds like such an insignificant matter,” Rasi said. He had droopy ash-gray colored eyes. His fine, curly, yellow hair stuck up from his head in a short tangle. His scalp was visible under the yellow fluff. He was very short and graceful in build, his skin light-colored. As he so often did he was wearing a diving suit and the back of his speed boat had lots of gear.

  “Well, come and assess what we have here,” Larissa ordered. “There also is a dead sturgeon in that direction.”

  Rasi anchored the speedboat near the shore. He grabbed a waterproof case and jumped overboard. As he climbed out of the water he stated, “Governor, there have been some other reports of dead sturgeons. I assumed it was just a fluke, but perhaps more is happening?”

  “That is why you are here,” Larissa said. “Is the log on this machine recoverable?”

  Rasi kneeled down and looked over the broken automacube. He opened his case and connected in some wires and a cable. The top of the case then became a display screen where he ran diagnostics. His face was puzzled.

  “The chassis of this vodnee certainly took a beating,” Rasi said as he accessed the memory vault of the automacube. “And yes, Governor, the log is still mostly intact, well some of it anyway. I can run what is here.”

  “So what happened to this machine?” Larissa asked.

  The display screen read out a typical list of functions for the nearly self-contained and self-maintained vodnee automacube. There were graphs and charts showing the lake’s boundaries and contours of the bottom “Nothing unusual at all here so far…” Rasi said.

  “We do not need to know the routine; we need to know what caused this machine to be crushed like this. Did it fail and sink to the depths?” Larissa asked with some impatience which was quickly noted by Rasi.

  “I will find the answer, Governor,” his fingers played over the controls and diagnostics. “The last images are from seven hundred and thirteen meters down, deep, but not the crushing deep at the center of Orsk. Here are the final twenty seconds of log activity.”

  The screen showed an image which was dark except for the amber glow of the light at the end of the automacube’s manipulation arm. It was moving over a sloping lake bed.

  “You see, Governor, that light is striking the permalloy inlet channel there,” Rasi pointed at the display. “That grille should not be bent and broken like it is.”

  The display showed a large pipe, roughly four or five meters in diameter, which jutted up from the lake bed. The top of which had bars across which were a twisted mess.

  The visual display then shifted quickly around, and jerked side to side. Nothing was visible except for the swirling mud and muck of disturbed water. That hid the inlet channel pipe. The last few second of the recording showed some bluish-purple blur move over the arm and then the display went dark.

  “The vodnee continued to record for about twelve seconds more, then the log quits. The visual records ended because the manipulation arm was lost,” Rasi stated with surprise. “Near total system failure happened. There is no way to tell how the automacube got to the shore.”

  “No way to tell? Are you certain? Or are you saying the log does not give us answers?” Larissa asked coldly.

  “Sorry, Governor, I misspoke. The log ended, and that is what I meant,” Rasi said quickly. “What are your orders?”

  “What was that bluish-purple blur at the last part of the visual record?”

  “I am not sure; I did not get a clear look at it,” Rasi stated. He reversed the log record and stopped it where the purplish-blue blur was seen. “This is the best image on the log, but it lacks detail. The image is fuzzy. Perhaps the visual aperture was already damaged when the log entry was made? There are large beluga in the lake, old ones. Not the younger adults where we get that Beluga Gawad Caviar which is so tasty. Governor Muravyev relished that at his table.”

  Larissa just looked at Rasi. Her eyes held strong notes of impatience.

  He hurried on to explain, “The image might show an old beluga. Some of those old ones were probably alive when the Vanguard was launched and are still there today. They have long life spans. The clear fresh waters of Orsk and our river nourish them. I have seen one of those which was ten meters long, and nearly three thousand kilograms. Toothy Gars are more aggressive, but not so big, but as a predator, the old big belugas are amazing. Once I saw… ”

  “Spare me your ramblings and tell me how long ago did that happen? Could that damage have been done during Baldwin’s revolt and the vodnee just floated about until it washed up here?”

  Rasi was afraid of Larissa and looked down at the equipment. “The log says the arm was lost four hours, and fifty one minutes ago, so it is recent. I apologize for my….”

  Larissa interrupted and said, “Then we just need another vodnee to come and investigate.” Larissa lifted her multiceiver to her mouth and stated, “TSI-463, I need three vodnee automacubes to come to my position as quickly as possible.”

  “Affirmative,” answered Larissa’s artificial intelligence system. “Unable to comply. No vodnee model automacubes active in this habitat.”

  “What?” Larissa let out her surprise, but quickly regained her composure. “Clarify last statement, and reassess for all vodnee automacubes.”

  “Affirmative. I will need to access the lattice for status of all vodnee models on the Vanguard. May I access the lattice?” TSI-463 inquired.

  “No. Just assess the vodnee status in the Wilds,” Larissa ordered. “I need one to come to my location for underwater assessments. Have one come here as soon as possible.”

  “Affirmative. Reassessment completed. Unable to fulfill your command. No vodnee model automacubes active in this habitat.”

  Larissa was troubled, but did not want to show any more emotion to Rasi than she had already seen. She turned to him, “Rasi, I want you go down and personally assess where that inlet pipe was damaged, and give me your report.”

  “I will need to use the Marine Pressure Suit to reach those depths,” Rasi said. “It will take me a little while to get the MPS out of storage.”

  “Do it,” Larissa commanded. “If the smugglers have found a way to bring goods in and out through Lake Orsk in some kind of submersible vehicle, we need to put a stop to it im
mediately.”

  Rasi looked stricken. “They would expose us all to the Outbreak?”

  “Yes. We know they do not respect the quarantine. To what extent that contempt for our safety has reached remains to be seen. They did kill our former Governor,” Larissa reminded him. “I do not rule anything out when it comes to our enemies.”

  “I will get the MPS and be back as soon as possible,” Rasi said and packed up his diagnostic case.