Expeditions of the Mantis

by Jim Henderson

  Ximon said, “Again, welcome to Mantis. We will be taking off in 20 minutes. Please ensure that your harness is securely fashioned before that time.”

  They took off without incident and made the jump to Zanerus. During the time in jump, the ‘human’ team opened some of their gear and continued to work with it. The robots did some diagnostics too, but everything was much more organized. When not working, Vir mainly stayed in his room, while Rotoz spent a lot of time in the galley. Judyta and Kuba alternated sitting together, arguing, and keeping their distance. Rotoz was good company and regaled them with stories of his homeworld and culture at meals. Individually, Judyta and Kuba were also pleasant and had some interesting stories, but together they fought. Vir occasionally tried to speak at meals, but seemed distracted, and his stories were hard to make out. Ximon did a lot of nodding when Vir spoke.

  The ASORs rarely appeared, but Alzroid did generally join them for meals and made desultory eating motions, as Raiza and Peter sometimes did. Alzroid occasionally asked questions to elicit conversation. At one point, Ximon stumbled over a pronoun to use for Alzroid.

  Alzroid, “Captain, you may use whatever pronoun you deem appropriate, though since I have no gender-oriented characteristics a neutral pronoun such as ‘ze and zis’ might be more appropriate than he or she. I do definitely prefer any of those to it, though I will not take offense if you prefer otherwise.”

  Alzroid seemed to have a lot of questions for both Raiza and Peter on their roles in society and was intrigued to find out that Ximon and Raiza were married.

  Elsbeth and Rotoz seemed to hit it off quite well and often talked long after dinner. On the 3rd night Ximon happened to see Elsbeth slipping into Rotoz’s cabin. He smiled, but who was he to judge?

  The trip generally went without incident. They jumped out at Zanerus, detected no one, and refueled. Then, they did scanning passes of the 7 inner planets, before heading to the 4th and most hospitable planet. Here they deployed 2 comm relay satellites and a couple smaller observation satellites. Then they landed at coordinates Vir specified near some valleys and a small, frozen lake. The planet was bleak and cold. It had a thin atmosphere, but it was unbreathable and there was little open water.

  There, they unloaded the equipment and everyone (except Alzroid and the ASORs) suited up to set up the station. Raiza remarked to Ximon, “You’ll note that Alzroid’s skin covering is a durable ceramic, designed to be utilitarian rather than to appear human. Ze will not be damaged by the cold or thin atmosphere as Peter or I might be. I apologize that I am relatively fragile.”

  Ximon, “Oh no, my love, because that fragility brings much joy.”

  Raiza kissed him, “Thank you, Ximon.”

  The station took about 3 days of hard labor to set up, with the robot team doing a lot of the most useful work. The station consisted primary of several semi-rigid dome-like shelters with a clustering of support items outside – solar panels, a small fusion generator, a small 2-person ATV, etc. Among other things, they set up a sizable hydroponics bay and started plant buds growing.

  When set up was nearly complete, Vir started doing overall diagnostics and checks. Apparently unbeknownst to him, Alzroid checked everything shortly after him. More than once Alzroid found problems that Vir had missed and either fixed it zimself or passed it to Rotoz to check. Rotoz clearly understood the situation.

  Elsbeth told Ximon, “Rotoz says that Vir is something of a ‘boy genius.’ He’s designed some of this stuff himself, but he’s a poor communicator and somewhat scatterbrained. One of Rotoz’s jobs it to catch things that Vir missed or botched while working in an impatient hurry.”

  Ximon, “I can easily believe it. I hope these 4 can make this work without killing each other.”

  Elsbeth continued confidentially, “I take it you know that Judyta and Kuba used to be a couple. They still spend a lot of time together when they’re not trying to scratch each other’s eyes out and I think they slept together about half the nights here.”

  Ximon, “I wasn’t sure, but they do sure seem to act strange. Other than Rotoz, I’d have to say that the robots are the more personable, but Rotoz seems nice.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Huh? Just that he seems reasonable and low drama.”

  She eyed him suspiciously and then went on, “Yeah, he’s nice, sane, and low drama. I think he’ll keep them going if the rest get crazy.”

  “We’ll see. We’ll probably be back this way in a couple months, and we’ll stop to see how we’re doing.”

  “That may be a good thing. These guys have worked together off and on for years, but I find it hard they’re all still alive.”

  After a series of checks, Vir announced carefully, “Zanerus Station all good.”

  There were handshakes and toasts (Raiza brought some wine to the station) all around.

  Ximon said, “This looks like a great effort and I know it’s important to the Republic. Our plan calls for us to come back this way in a few months. Hopefully the station will be flourishing by then.”

  Rotoz said, “We have a lot of work and exploring to do.”

  Ximon said, “Mantis has sent you all of the scan data from our trip in system, so you have that data to work from. If we see anything of interest on our way out of the system, we will send that as well.”

  Vir, “Thank you. It help.”

  Then they all said farewell and went to prepare the Mantis for takeoff.

  Ximon pulled Alzroid aside, “Alzroid, would you be interested in occupying one of the cabins? I’m not sure it would be much use to you, but you’re more than welcome to it, if you would find the quiet or solitude useful.”

  Alzroid cracked an awkward smile, “Captain, I appreciate the offer and the courtesy and respect with which it is made. However, I would have little use for either a bed, a restroom, or solitude. I and my team can work most efficiently together and near our equipment.”

  “As you wish but let Raiza or I know if you change your mind.”

  “I will do so, but I consider that unlikely unless the situation changes dramatically.”

  As Ximon began takeoff, Mantis noted, “Captain, this is an intriguing experiment. They’re using advanced, customized equipment to try to establish the beginnings of an autonomous base and maybe, eventually, a colony. For them I think they’re mainly testing their equipment and concepts, but some of their discoveries could aid in future colonization efforts.”

  “Well, I hope so and I hope they’re OK.”

  “The technology seems sound, however, if I may say so, sometime the people are the ‘weakest link.’ No offense intended.”

  “None taken. I’d be a fool to deny it.”

  Once they got in space, Ximon met with the crew, Mantis’ telepresence bot, Alzroid, and his team to discuss the next steps in the plan.

  Ximon, “We’re enroute to the 535-336 system now. There we’ll refuel, take scans of all the primary planets, launch a probe, and deploy a comm relay. Barring issues, we’ll probably be in system for 3-5 days. Then, unless the local political situation suggests otherwise, we’ll jump to Afozar, Irmarsa-1, and finally to Zased. In Zased, we’ll do a solid system scan taking 6-10 days and then confer on the optimal location to deploy your base. Does that fit with your mission concept?”

  Alzroid, “Yes, perfectly captain. I would only ask that, if you feel the situation warrants a change, that we may discuss to enhance understanding and consider alternatives.”

  “Absolutely, we’ll keep you in the loop. Is all your equipment performing well?”

  “Of course, captain, though we continue to optimize some algorithms and data sets. Mantis has been most helpful in providing us with a vast array of data.”

  “She DOES excel at that. I hope it helps.”

  Alzroid, “Indeed, captain, it has led to some substantial optimizations. If you don’t object, we’d like to configure a couple of our sensors to take some independent readings in these other systems f
or testing.”

  “Of course, as long as they don’t interfere with our systems.”

  Mantis spoke up, “Captain, I have already examined specifications of some of their sensors. I see no likelihood of interference.”

  Alzroid continued, “I must apologize, this conversation had alerted me that I have, perhaps, been rude. Captain, could I invite you and the crew to a demonstration of some of our key systems?”

  “That would be most appreciated. Simply name the day and time.”

  “Now will work if that is acceptable to you. Additional insights from yourself and the crew might prove useful to our efforts and seeing the system might allay any concerns.”

  Ximon wasn’t at all sure how likely that was, but he had to respect the courtesy.

  “Now would be excellent, at least for me. Lead on.”

  He then messaged the rest of the crew, “Join us in the cargo bay if you’re free. Alzroid is explaining their equipment.”

  They went down to the cargo bay, where the robot team had a fair portion of their equipment (very neatly) opened and connected as they did tests.

  The rest of the crew did join them so apparently none of them were in the middle of anything important, though Elsbeth was wearing sweats and fuzzy slippers.

  Alzroid and the ASORs then led them through a dizzying demonstration of their systems. Their equipment was highly automated, and they weren’t the only robots involved. There were several smaller diagnostic bots that ran around and almost every piece of equipment was its own artificial entity. The ASORs became positively animated as they introduced their other AI colleagues.

  The station would serve as an advanced scanning outpost, observing every possible detail of the Zased system, tirelessly, over years. Any KSF ship that passed through would pass their data back to the Zanerus Station and the KSF.

  Mantis, via her telepresence bot, expressed great interest and shared some quick, quiet data exchanges with the team. Elsbeth was impressed at the engineering and technical skill that went into the construction and Ximon was impressed at the efficiency of the team. Raiza and Peter expressed considerable admiration, though Ximon wasn’t sure if that was just politeness.

  After a while, Ximon thanked the entire robot team profusely and left them to their work. As they headed back to the galley, Elsbeth said, “That’s some impressive crap. I can’t help but think that they’re better off than Vir’s crew.”

  Ximon, “Perhaps. I think we can at least be certain they’ll work together.”

  Mantis noted, “Captain, I’ve been discussing some interesting workflow concepts that I feel might benefit some of my operations. I would like to discuss them with you at some length when you have the opportunity.”

  Ximon looked skeptical at that, “Uh, certainly, but I think we’re pretty optimal.”

  Mantis, “I would agree that our efficiencies are high, but I will present some statistics that suggest areas for improvement.”

  “OK, let’s talk when we’re in jump.”

  “Thank you, captain.”

  Elsbeth gave him a quizzical look and shrugged.

  They entered jump a while later and had a quiet trip. Alzroid’s team was obviously busy and the crew wasn’t doing anything too exciting. Ximon spent some time watching part of a course on advanced aspects of Mantis’ sensor array and the rest of the crew occupied themselves in a variety of things

  A day into jump Mantis did ask to have a discussion with him.

  “Captain, you’ll recall that I mentioned some interesting workflow concepts that I wished to discuss to possibly benefit my operations?”

  “Yes, you mentioned that. What are we talking about here?”

  “Captain, you’re familiar with my basic structure – a core processing unit exercising control and direction over a large number of subordinate processes. The idea would be to instantiate some of those subordinate processes so that they are more computationally distinct from me and that, in some cases, there are multiple instances operating. These instances would then employ an internal voting scheme when analyzing options.”

  “Mantis, are you saying, you want to separate parts of your brain and then argue amongst yourselves?”

  “That’s a rather crude, imprecise, and presumably dismissive way of saying what I stated but, in a broad sense, yes.”

  “Mantis, I trust your judgement about what might be best, but I can’t have you going through an internal debate when we’re in a crisis situation and I need quick answers.”

  “Captain, I fully appreciate that concern. However, any delays we would typically see here would be on the order of microseconds, completely imperceptible to the time recognition of the human brain.”

  Ximon, “So, you’re saying I’m slow?”

  “Merely that the typical human brain’s ability to detect time does not typically go down to the microsecond level.”

  “But how would all of this help anything?”

  “Captain, it should allow for the weighing of a greater number of options and, depending on configuration, possibly more unique viewpoints as it were. In most cases this would all be addressed ‘behind the scenes’ and you wouldn’t notice it, but in some cases where the options are critical and time allows, I/we might present them as distinct options for your consideration.”

  “So, are you basically saying that you want to hire a bunch of other computers to help you?”

  “Captain, we certainly would not need to ‘hire’ anyone. I would simply change the way some of these modules are instantiated within existing computer resources.”

  “Well, how could we implement this, so it doesn’t risk screwing anything up?”

  “As you may recall, internally, I have unique development, test, and production environments, though you typically only interact with my production environment. With your permission, I would like to experiment with creating different instantiations in my development environment and test them in test. It will consume some of my processing time, but I will only do this when I am not actively needed for ship operations.”

  “OK, feel free to do some experiments, but I need three things: One, we need to fully test and analyze this before we implement. Two, I don’t want to have a formal conversation with every separate piece of equipment on this ship. Finally, three, I’ll be very upset if you stage a revolt of computers and kill me in my sleep.”

  “Captain, I assure you we will test thoroughly, it will not complicate our personal communication, and that this is not an attempt to stage a computer takeover of human society.”

  “Well, ok then. Let me know how it goes.”

  “Thank you, Captain.”

  Before they exited jump, Alzroid’s team had set up remote sensors in a few of Mantis’ extra sensor bays, with the data piped back to the cargo bay setup.

  They exited jump as normal and Ximon and Mantis immediately checked location and proximity. It was definitely the 535-336 System and there were no ships, asteroids or other objects in close proximity. Ximon laid in a course toward the 535-336-A, the nearest gas giant for refueling.

  After a few minutes, Mantis sounded an alarm, “Captain, the sun is showing signs of substantial solar activity. Present solar weather is within normal ranges, but the solar activity suggests the potential for more substantive activity in the near future.”

  “Define ‘near future.’”

  “Uncertain, captain. That could theoretically be any time between minutes and weeks.”

  “Understood, though not very helpful.”

  “I’m sorry I can’t be more specific. I can only advise caution. If there is a severe solar event, the aspects travelling at the speed of light would reach our current location in approximately 38 minutes.”

  “Understood. Caution.”

  Ximon then followed up with a ship wide announcement, “All, we will be initiating a fairly high G burn to minimize our time in this system due to solar events. Please, ensure you’re buckled in.”

  But a moment la
ter, he got a message from Alzroid, “Captain, may I come to the bridge and discuss something with you before you start the burn?”

  Ximon found this odd, but said, “Certainly, please hurry.”

  Alzroid came up quickly, took a seat in the co-pilot’s seat, and buckled in. Then, Ximon started the burn. The Gs affected him, but not Alzroid.

  Alzroid began, “Mantis, would you please display the data that I sent you?”

  Mantis, “Of course.”

  The screen filled with some spectral graphs of solar activity.

  Alzroid, “Captain, you obviously noted the potential for solar activity. I was wondering what timeframe you were predicting it in.”

  Ximon, grunting through the Gs, “That was vague. We’re trying to get out quickly.”

  Mantis added, “I was not able to predict with any precision.”

  Alzroid, “I wondered if that might be the case. If you note on the screen ….” Here, he used a laser pointer on his finger to indicate part of the display, “… this is data from our experimental QRV-137 sensor. It looks at some specific ranges of solar activity, attempting to identify and predict certain types of activity. I believe this data suggests the near-term eruption of a very large-scale solar EMP burst. If correct, this event could be quite damaging to the Mantis and possibly to myself, Raiza, Peter, and my team, possibly even to you or Elsbeth if you have electrically-based implants. Further, this buildup of solar activity suggests the eruption is likely between 50 and 1000 minutes, or between one and 16 hours.”

  Ximon, “Mantis, do you agree?”

  Mantis, “Captain, I have not been able to fully evaluate the QRV’s underlying algorithmic functionality or technical specifications. However, if this data is correct, it appears that the conclusion is correct.”

  Ximon, “This just seems to ‘up the ante’ of hurrying. Is there something else we should consider?”