“Really? A maintenance automacube?” Sebastian asked. “We already have an engineering one.”
Jodie’s piercing blue eyes softened as she gazed at him in earnest. “You are looking at the outside, inside is someone who can truly help us. Now go and get everyone, but keep the guards in place.”
“Yes, Jodie,” Sebastian responded. “Hector, you go to the far hallway and tell those people, I will get the others.”
“It will take a bit of time for everyone to gather,” Jillian stated. “If we go to the muster station, we can have this automacube, do I call it Tiffany?”
“Yes, the name is Tiffany,” Jodie replied. “She is quite remarkable.”
“Okay,” Jillian said. “I can have Tiffany access the control ports there. Perhaps it will have more luck with the extension than I have had.”
“For a minstrel and singer, you have adapted well to becoming a mechanic and a guard,” Jodie praised her.
“I just keep telling myself, I began as a Free Ranger. So now I ask myself, ‘How would a mechanic act?’ and that is what I do. Singing a solo is far easier,” Jillian gave Jodie a weary smile.
They proceeded to the muster station. There were a couple of people there working on the system. A bulkhead door was set in the sidewall. A bank of controls was in an alcove, as was an engineering automacube.
“May I interface with the automacube?” Tiffany stated.
“It is segregated away from the lattice and CPO, so it should be safe,” Jodie explained. “It was in the shuttle when we were hit, and fortunately it was able to seal the locks, and get us connected into the hanger bay after the crash. Many of the minstrels died in the crash or the fighting with the Roe. I was bitten several times, but your immunity has saved me.”
Paul looked up in hope, “We have two medical kits now. We can protect everyone here from that infection.”
“All the others will need to receive the prophylaxis. If we had only had it before.” Jodie stifled her own tears. “You said Brinley was taken. Then it is even more urgent to get back to Oasis to help her.”
“What of that Constable Herric?” Paul asked.
“We are hoping his raid is finished now. He was unusually aggressive this time and probably did a lot of damage, people did die. Despite that Herric has never stayed long at Inaccessible Island before. So we can go back and see if he and his troopers have left.. The shuttle crashes have killed so many, and we need to rebuild a safe zone for others to come home to,” Jodie said. “This place is just not safe, and no one would even know to look for us here. We have no infirmary, or hydroponics, or much of anything. The hanger bay where we crashed was not even on any of the known routes.”
Tiffany plugged a cable into the access port near the causeway controls, and another into the blue automacube.
Free Rangers came into the muster station and soon nine people were there. They were a motley bunch. One had his arm in a sling and was clearly in pain.
Jodie stood to address the gathering, “I have asked you here because…”
Gretchen interrupted Jodie and turned to the injured man. “May I help to heal your arm?”
“Not much any of us can do about my arm,” the man said gruffly. “It got mangled when we crash landed and I was thrown into the seats. We are lucky we did not die in that cabin from decompression. But my arm, well it will take finding a working medical automacube or an infirmary with an isolated AI to get this arm healed. The sling keeps it in place for now.”
“May I try my medical kit?” Gretchen asked.
The man looked with uncertainty at Jodie.
“Haiden, it is a good thing,” Jodie said. “They used it on me before when I needed help.”
“No harm in trying, I suppose,” Haiden said. His pudgy face was contorted with pain, but he still looked skeptical. “I have heard rumors about you two. I suppose you will also tell me I will be made immune to the Outbreak, and that I can never become a Roe.”
“Yes, that can be done as well,” Gretchen said.
“Do not tease with me. I do not think it is funny,” Haiden said. “I know several people who have died from being attacked by a Roe, even after they killed it. The Outbreak infection is a terrible thing. Save one for yourself, I say.”
“I am not teasing. Paul and I are immune as are others we know who have been treated,” Gretchen glanced discretely at Jodie. She then carefully unwrapped the sling from Haiden’s arm. He groaned but did not resist otherwise. She pulled out the medical kit and connected two wires. One above the injury and one below.
She activated the medical kit, and directed it to do a full assessment and vaccination.
The diagnosis was made, ‘Patient has a closed, but complicated compound fracture of the humorous, radius, and ulna. Prognosis acceptable. Bone alignment initiated, and bone stimulation begun. Fractures will be stable in twenty seven minutes, completely healed in sixty eight hours.’
Haiden’s arm twitched a bit as the medical kit directed the arm muscles to relax or contract and thus the alignment of the fractures took place.
“It is an odd sensation. Not too different than the treatment tables at an infirmary,” Haiden said. “The pain is gone already.”
‘Administer orally to patient’ the medical kit displayed. Two wafers slid out of the side of the kit.
Gretchen handed them to Haiden. “This is what will protect you from becoming infected.”
“Two cookies, prevent me from being a Roe?” Haiden joked.
“I am serious,” Gretchen said. “Paul has another medical kit and while this one heals this man’s arm, Paul will use his to give you all immunity.”
Paul pulled out the medical kit and prepared to use it.
“I have seen this before,” Hector said. “I am not sure what they are doing, but until Haiden’s arm is healed, I will not let that machine touch me.”
“We all know that the Outbreak is fatal if you catch it,” Sebastian added. “Or better said, when a Roe catches you. We have always known that. No one is immune.”
“How do you explain me?” Paul said. “I have been hurt by the Roe many times. Or Brinley? She was a Roe. Or Tennard? He was also infected.”
“Hector, you were there for Tennard,” Jodie said. “You saw it.”
“I will wait to see Haiden’s arm healed,” he replied. He shook his head in a negative fashion but said no more.
Others did line up and Paul attached the medical kit’s wires. Each wafer or tablet that came out looked slightly different from the previous one as they were specifically made for each individual. Soon all but Hector and Sebastian had consumed their immunizations.
After the treatments were finished, Jodie addressed the small gathering. “Now as to why you are here. I am not doing a performance, nor will Jillian sing, we have important news to share. These people have reported that there are more enemies than just the Roe in the cylinder.”
“The CPO?” someone asked. “Are they trying to kill us here too?”
“No, well, perhaps the CPO is seeking us as smugglers. The greater threat is something strange,” Jodie said. Even though Paul and Gretchen had both shared that Tiffany considered the spheres ‘alien life forms’ Jodie was uncomfortable using that term. “There are new things which have been seen killing and kidnapping people. They look like large purple, glowing spheres…..”
Paul watched the people’s faces as Jodie described what they had encountered. When the gathered people heard Brinley had been kidnapped, there was an audible gasp.
“So you see,” Jodie continued. “It is even more imperative to return to the safe zone around Oasis. Not just to try to help Brinley, one of our own, but to also escape these new things which have proven very mean and hard to fight off. We cannot fly back. Not by shuttle. Not until we are certain how to protect our flights. And we have not located a working transport terminal. So the plan is to make this extension causeway work. Tiffany, an advanced artificial intelligence is working on making that happen.
”
Tiffany spoke, “I believe this can work. The extension causeway is made from clear permalloy and…”
“We know what it is made from. We are not stupid. Do we really need this automacube to tell us how to work as Free Rangers?” Sebastian argued.
Jillian responded, “We have failed every time we have tried to deploy the causeway. So I certainly am open to the new ideas this AI can offer.”
Tiffany using the connections to the access port and through the blue engineering automacube had quickly analyzed the complete workings of the extension causeway. Including a solution to the problems.
“The causeway is not working as you have suggested because of a safety protocol which prevents its deployment while in transit,” Tiffany stated. “I can override that in the nonphysicality. It will then extend to the A cylinder habitat. I have also located Exterior Repair Station V-1877, which is on A cylinder and can be made as the junction point for the terminus of the causeway. I conjecture an 87% success in making a suitable connection.”
“It is all just talk, AIs can only do what they are programmed to do,” Sebastian said. “We all know that.”
“I say we let Tiffany try to make the connection,” Jillian suggested.
The people standing around nodded or voiced their support. Only Hector and Sebastian objected.
“Make it work, Tiffany,” Gretchen said. “This is important.”
“Initiating extension of causeway,” Tiffany said. “Security, safety, engineering, and administrative protocols shunted and superseded.”
On the exterior of the Colony Ship Vanguard, at the end of the huge cylinder, a narrow set of doors opened, and a hundred meter long rectangular tube shifted ninety degrees and began its extension. Against the immense bulk of the cylinder it looked very small, but was wide and tall enough on the inside for several people to walk through. The cantilevers, supports, and seals were all intricately built into the extension causeway. It had both an exoskeleton and an endoskeleton for support. It was designed to telescope outward with each permalloy section being just slightly narrower than the previous one. It also could flex at each section joint in order to get into proper position.
On the end of A cylinder, Exterior Repair Station V-1877 came to life. The large display screen in the control room, which was in front of the operations chair lit up. It was remotely operated by Tiffany in the longest tendril that the artificial intelligence had ever extended into the nonphysicality. The airlock cycled, and the outer doors were readied for the connection with the causeway.
While Tiffany worked, Jodie and Paul went out to visit the Free Rangers who were guarding the hallways. Each of them accepted the immunization Paul offered, but only after Jodie confirmed that what was being done actually was legitimate.
When Jodie and Paul returned to the muster station, Tiffany was just completing the connections and the causeway was being locked into place.
“There is a successful connection with Exterior Repair Station V-1877. The angle of approach necessitated several twists in the causeway, but none extreme enough to prevent attachment. The causeway is now being flooded with atmosphere,” Tiffany reported.
“Excellent!” Jillian exclaimed. “Now we can get back to the safe zone.”
“If that Constable Herric is gone,” Paul commented. “And if no Roe attacks us in the causeway or in the corridors where we go.”
“But Paul, it also means we can look for Brinley. She is over there somewhere,” Gretchen reminded him.
“Well, I will go first,” Paul said. “Tiffany, open the bulkhead door when you are ready. If someone has to die trying this, it might as well be me.”
“Paul, I have tested the causeway, and the lighting, atmosphere, and temperature are stable and acceptable. I do warn you, since this causeway was designed for use on a planet, there is no gravity manipulation in the causeway,” Tiffany stated. “Otherwise, it should be no problem at all.”
“Well open it up,” Paul said.
The bulkhead door opened.
Paul gasped.
“You never said it was clear permalloy!” Gretchen commented as she looked out over Paul’s shoulder.”
“I attempted to explain, but Sebastian objected to a detailed description,” Tiffany answered. “Forgive me for omitting necessary details.”
“Just overwhelm me with details next time,” Paul muttered. “Ignore what others tell you and listen to me. Oh, and Gretchen too.”
Paul looked out at the vast blackness of space which was around them, but the clear rectangular tube extended away in the distance. He could see the other cylinder, but it looked like it was a giant void between where he stood and that other part of the ship. The black space above, beneath, and to all sides, was speckled with stars of varying brightness and concentration. Space was vast, the colony ship huge, and Paul felt small.
There were two small dotted lines of green light running with the causeway on opposite corners of the tube. From where Paul stood one light was to his upper left, and the other to his lower right. He knew the moment he entered the tube and there was no longer any gravity manipulation, he would lose the sense of up and down. He took a couple deep breaths and leaned forward and launched himself into the causeway.
“Wow!” He shouted as he passed from being pulled down by gravity manipulation to having no pull at all. He was floating and moving and hustling along the causeway. Except for the two lines of dotted green lights, he felt alone in space. His momentum carried him along more than he thought it would. His trajectory was not in prefect alignment with the causeway, so he put up his hand and touched the side of the causeway. He bounded away, but continued onward. “Come one Gretchen, this might be the only safe place on all the Vanguard. It is new so no Roe can have gotten in here.”
“Tiffany?” Gretchen asked, “Can you maneuver through the causeway, or do you need to stay here to keep it in place?”
“The causeway is secure, and this engineering automacube can monitor for any changes. I suggest you follow Paul. I will be along shortly. I just received another image from Brinley’s communication link, but it shows nothing that is helpful. I am still tracking it location.”
Gretchen stepped through the bulkhead door and leaped into the causeway where the gravity manipulation was missing. She swam through the air, and followed Paul.
Jodie and Jillian followed, along with most of the other Free Rangers.
Haiden looked at the causeway and commented, “I like space much better from inside a shuttle. This openness is too much for me. I hope my arm can take the stress.” He stepped carefully into the zero gravity, but moved slowly and methodically.
Hector and Sebastian waited and pondered what they wanted to do.
As Paul approached the far end of the causeway, he saw how it was connected to the airlock of Exterior Repair Station V-1877. It was a different and more antique method of attachment. It alone frightened him a bit as he wondered about its security. He pivoted around and looked at Gretchen. That was when he saw the bluish purple glow coming along the hull of the Vanguard. It was on the opposite side of what he could see, but the glow was increasing as he watched.
“Gretchen, that color!” Paul yelled and communicated on the link at the same time. “That is the sphere color! Over that horizon, or hull, or whatever. Just look!”
Gretchen could see where Paul was pointing, and it was at the edge of where the D cylinder’s flat end met its arched side.
“I see something Paul. The color does remind me of what attacked us,” Gretchen said.
It was then that the first sphere, just a tiny dot, crossed over the edge and headed for the causeway. It was near the hull, but moving.
“Tiffany they are coming!” Paul screamed. “They are outside on the hull coming this way. Get yourself across as fast as possible!” Paul fumbled for his Willie designed pistol, but then realized that it would be less than worthless in the clear permalloy causeway. If he fired at the sphere, the projectile would nev
er penetrate the causeway, at least not unless he used sustained fire. If the causeway was penetrated, they would all die from decompression. “Gretchen we must flee quickly.”
“I see them. They are fast,” Gretchen called back. “Everyone get across as fast as possible. Enemies are coming!”
“The Roe? Where?” Some of the Free Rangers stopped and looked back the way they had come.
“No! Outside!” Paul yelled. “Those things are outside?”
The first sphere was rapidly moving along the hull toward where the causeway jutted out from the cylinder. There were three more spheres that had crossed over the edge and were also headed toward the causeway. One was moving directly toward Paul, across the openness of space.
The Colony Ship Vanguard: The entire eight book series in one bundle Page 110