Those Left Behind

by Alan Davenport

  The entire bridge crew stood staring at the image on the viewscreen. Jane was the first to break out of the spell. She tapped Kelly on her shoulder and said, “Kelly. Will you interface with the ship’s sensors and scan the surface please?”

  Kelly jumped a bit. “Oh, certainly Jane. Give me a second.” With a little grin she added, “There are some advantages to having started life as a ships avatar program.” Kelly sat down in one of the bridge chairs, flipped her long hair back over the seat and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath, held it and slowly let it out. When she spoke, her voice held a distant, distracted quality. “Wow Jane. This starship has much better sensors than the old exploration ship Nathan and I piloted so long ago.”

  Nathan stroked her hair. “Yes, those days on the Silent Running seem like an eternity ago. The ships are so much more advanced now.”

  They all said nothing for a minute or so until Jane asked Kelly, “How about it Kelly. Can you give us a run-down of what you have found?”

  Kelly, her voice still distant, said, “Yes. Radiation levels, except for in the hardest hit areas, have fallen down well into the safe zone. The atmosphere is 23% oxygen and 76% nitrogen with the remaining 1% made up by other gasses. This is actually 2% more oxygen than existed before humans caused the environmental disaster.”

  Nathan nodded, although Kelly could not see him with her eyes closed. “With no animal life to consume the oxygen, it makes sense that the plants have replenished it all.”

  “Agreed,” said Jane. She tapped Kelly on the shoulder. “What about signals. Do you detect any electromagnetic emissions from the surface?”

  Kelly’s eyes darted back and forth under her closed eyelids. “No, nothing,” she said. “The only radio signals I am detecting in the entire solar system are coming from the old solar system database satellite that is in orbit around the sun.”

  Jane glanced towards the viewscreen. “We should replace that with an updated model while we are here.” Turning her attention back to Kelly she asked, “Really. Nothing at all? Have you run a deep scan?”

  Kelly inhaled deeply and said, “Hold on. Scanning.” She remained silent for several minutes before she finally said, “Nothing. I detect no radio emissions whatsoever. It’s hard to tell but I think I detect some weak power emanations on the North American and Australian continents. Although I find it hard to believe that they could possibly be still functional after all these years, I am fairly certain that they are the underground reactors from a Colony for the Continuation of Humanity power plant.”

  Jane’s face instantly lit up. “Really?” she asked, equally amazed that the reactors were still functional. “Use the optical telescope. Is there any sign of surface activity? Do you think anybody has survived all these years?”

  Kelly said, “Hold on. We are over North America at the moment. Scanning.” After a few seconds she shook her head. “I’m sorry. There is no evidence of anything at the colony site other than a crumbling highway that nature has mostly reclaimed.” Kelly shuddered a bit and then she stood up. Her voice returned to a normal tone. “What did we expect, Jane? The radiation killed off the remaining animal life. Nobody could have survived on the surface.” With a trembling voice she added, “The only way any people could have survived would be if they all stayed underground for over three-hundred years.”

  Nathan’s face registered shock. He hugged his trembling wife and said in a near whisper, “Can you imagine staying underground for that many generations? They didn’t even have body replacement technology back then!”

  Kelly buried her face in Nathan’s shoulder. “No way. They will have all perished ages ago. Those remaining reactors just kept on going by themselves.”

  Jane nodded. “Perhaps some repair bots have remained functional and kept them in good repair.”

  “That makes the most sense but there is no way to know for certain,” Kelly said, glancing towards the viewscreen. With a little nod of her head she said, “I have just instructed the computer to perform an optical full surface scan. It will take some time.” She flipped her hands out from her side and said, “I don’t expect the avatar to find anything though.”

  Jane said, “Agreed.”

  Nathan shrugged. “Can’t hurt though.”

  They stood side-by-side for many minutes, saying nothing until Jane said, “We should investigate those power plant emissions but first let’s take a shuttle down to the one of the least damaged metro areas. Perhaps we can find an old computer and download some updates for our historical databases.” She smiled at Lane, Kelly and Nathan and said, “What about it? Field trip?”

  “Sure,” Nathan said. “It’s been too long since I have had the pleasure of piloting a shuttle.”

  Mary carefully drove the dune buggy through the corridors leading to the door to the outside. Tiny sat by her side grinning with excitement. Sally and Max followed behind the driving a utility cart. 12 followed behind Max and Sally. At a narrow section of the tunnel, Sally called out to Mary, “Watch out!”

  Mary stopped short, almost causing a three-way accident. Too happy with her new toy to be truly annoyed, Mary said, “Really Sally. We are only going three miles per hour.”

  Max however DID look annoyed. Not at Mary or Sally, but at the equipment clogging the tunnel. “I’m going to have to make a rule that these corridors must be kept clear. This is nuts!”

  Mary looked back over her shoulder at him. “It’s okay Max. When I am done with it I am going to leave it just inside the door.”

  Max shook his head, “Well, that will put it in the way of the door.”

  Mary nodded. “Yes, but it would only have to be moved a few feet if someone needs to get out.” She contemplated the problem for a few seconds. “Perhaps we could have 12 build a small shelter outside to store it in. He could run electricity out there too for recharging.”

  “I like that idea,” Max said, “Although poor 12 is already overworked with 41 being away on the Australian trip. 1105 can’t help since he is working with James and Ryan on the remaining reactors.”

  “You are correct,” she conceded. “He is busy. Perhaps it is time to have 12 repair the remaining mothballed bots.”

  “Agreed,” said Max. “When he is done installing the outside 2-way radio antenna, I will assign him to that task.”

  They arrived at the door without further incident. 12 immediately began drilling a six-inch hole into the rock wall alongside the door. “What’s he doing?” Mary asked Max.

  “He is making a hole to pass the antenna cable through. We can’t just run it through the open door. It would cut the cable in two when the door closes.”

  Mary nodded, “Good idea. I see it is big enough for additional cables too. Good thinking.”

  While Max and Sally installed a cabinet to hold the radio, Mary drove the dune buggy outside. Mary pointed to Tiny and said, “Put on your safety harness, Tiny.”

  “What is safety harness?” Tiny said in confusion. Mary reached over and helped him. “Why does Tiny need this?” he asked, not understanding.

  Mary smiled at him and said, “The dune buggy is supposed to be fast. The harness will keep you safe so you don’t fall out.” With a mischievous grin she added, “We might not get any fishing done today.” When she saw the sad look that appeared on her friend’s face she said, “Oh, don’t worry Tiny. Trust me. This will be even more fun!”

  Mary set up the radio like she was taught and then said under her breath, “Let’s see what this beast can do.” She pointed the front of the buggy down the road and then pushed the pedal all the way to the floor. It felt as if a giant hand pushed her back into her seat, the front wheels lifted off the ground and the buggy took off like a shot. “Holy SHIT!” she cried and quickly lifted her foot off the accelerator. The front wheels returned to the ground and the dune buggy rolled to a stop. With a laugh deep in her gut she turned to Tiny, who sat motionless with a look of shock upon his face and said, “Well, maybe I should not use full power.” />
  Nathan sat at the controls of the landing shuttle. A small arrowhead shaped craft, twenty meters in length, it was designed in-system travel and for landing upon planets. The shuttle’s hull, painted pure white, had only its identifying numbers and running lights as adornment. Powered by anti-gravity engines, it was capable of near light-speed travel and over 25Gs of acceleration. The internal inertial management system, powered by gravity generators, negated all feelings of acceleration. The result was that it felt as if you were not moving at all while accelerating so hard that without the IMS you would have been squashed into a grease spot on the back of your seat. Some pilots like to dial the IMS back a percentage point or two so that they could feel the ship.

  Nathan expertly piloted the shuttle out from the landing bay, swung the nose towards the planet and began his descent. Kelly, seated beside him, used her wireless computer implant to monitor the shuttle’s sensors. “I am reading almost total destruction of the Boston to Washington, DC metroplex,” she intoned in a distant voice. “The city nearest to the metroplex that escaped the bombs is Buffalo, New York. I recommend that as our initial destination.”

  Nathan nodded to her and said, “Buffalo it is.” He pushed a button on the console on his chair and spoke clearly into a speaker and microphone grill. “This is shuttle 2347 to starship Curiosity. Please come in.”

  A split second later the response came through clearly. “Curiosity copies you loud and clear 2347.”

  Nathan pressed the transmit button again. “Our initial destination is Buffalo, New York. Please confirm reception.”

  “Curiosity copies Buffalo, NY as your initial destination. Good hunting.”

  Nathan clicked the button on final time. “Thank you, Curiosity. Speak to you again soon.” He pressed on a joystick on the console and the shuttle took off like a shot towards the surface. “Still got it,” he said with a smile as the city of Buffalo rapidly filled the viewscreen.

  Tiny squealed with glee as Mary raced over the grassy surface of the plains. At first, she drove cautiously, however as she gained confidence in the dune buggy’s capabilities, she pushed it harder and harder. Crossing the raised bed of the ancient roadway at a ninety-degree angle, all four wheels of the buggy left the ground and the vehicle flew a good twenty feet before the long throw suspension softly absorbed the landing. “More!” shouted Tiny. “Tiny wants more flying!”

  “Me too!” shouted Mary, having as much fun as Tiny. After several more jumps, Mary drove towards a small hill. It was a couple hundred feet high and had a flat top. The dune buggy easily scaled the steep slope and Mary pulled to a stop at the apex. “Look!” she said, pointing at the vista that their added elevation exposed. She reached over and squeezed Tiny’s hand. “We owe Max and Sally big time for this, huh Tiny?”

  “Yes, Tiny likes the buggy!” he said with a grin from ear-to-ear. “Drive more, friend Mary. Drive more!”

  Mary shook her head no. “I need a break Tiny. My arms are sore from fighting the steering wheel. Let’s eat lunch and then we can ride some more.”

  “Okay!” he said enthusiastically. “Tiny likes food.”

  Just then, a burst of noise came from the radio’s speaker. Mary looked at the radio and frowned. With a twist, she turned the squelch control up a little bit higher.

  Nathan slowly flew over the ruins of Buffalo, New York. He circled over the city for many minutes before selecting a landing spot in Lasalle Park beside Lake Erie. He let out a sigh, turned to Jane and said, “I cannot believe how much the city has deteriorated.” With a shrug of his shoulders he asked, “Is it even worth going outside?”

  Jane frowned and said, “Well, we are here. We may as well go take a look.” She tapped Kelly on the shoulder and asked, “Readings. Is it safe to go outside?”

  Kelly nodded. “I already scanned the environment. Radiation is well into the safe zone. Temperature is twenty-three degrees Celsius. The prevailing winds off of Lake Erie are under five kilometers per hour.” She got up out of her chair and walked towards the hatch. “The weather is pleasant; the environment is safe. I want to go outside,” she declared.

  Jane got up and followed Kelly to the ramp. “I almost forgot that you have never actually been on Earth before.”

  Kelly nodded, “Yes, I was made into a human on the exploration trip to Eden. My initial ship’s avatar program was installed in Earth’s orbit just before we left for our explorations. However, at the time I was only that, a sophisticated computer program on the starship Silent Running’s main computer.”

  Nathan laid his hand upon her shoulder. “Well, let’s go then. I wish to feel the planet of my birth under my feet again.” He beckoned to Lane and said, “Come on Lane. You too. Let’s go.”

  Lane held back. “Are you sure it is safe. What if there are surviving humans and they have descended into barbarism?”

  Jane looked at him in disgust. “Really Lane, don’t be a scaredy-cat. You saw the screens on the fly over. There is nothing left alive in the remains of the city but plants and insects.”

  All four walked down the ramp and gaped at the view. Nathan’s gaze was drawn to the city. Most buildings had fallen in upon themselves. On the few surviving buildings, a thick coating of plant life obscured most of their structure. “I can’t believe how little has remained standing and how much nature has reclaimed the city,” he said in wonder.

  Lane looked out over Lake Erie and said, “I had family who lived here back before the collapse. They told me that sometimes some really fierce storms come in off the lake. That will have contributed to the buildings’ deterioration.”

  Kelly walked over to the water’s edge. Good sized waves lapped at the shore line. “Are you sure that this is a lake?” she asked in awe. “I cannot see the far shore!”

  Nathan picked up a stone and tossed it out into the water. “Yes, this is definitely a lake.” He cupped a handful of water and took a sip. “It is fresh water. Oceans and seas have salty water.”

  Kelly laughed and said, “Well, this is one big-assed lake then!”

  Nathan laughed in return. “Actually, there are five great lakes here. Lake Erie is actually the second smallest.” He pointed vaguely west and added, “The largest one, Lake Superior, could easily hold all of Lake Erie with plenty of room to spare.”

  Kelly walked over to Nathan and put her arm around his waist. “This is a wonderous planet. How could humans have let it be destroyed?”

  Nathan hugged his wife to him and said, “Not destroyed. Wounded perhaps, but not destroyed. Mother Earth is a tough old girl. She’s recovering.”

  Jane frowned, shook her head and said, “We were quite immature as a species back then. We’ve grown up a lot since then.”

  Lane, standing beside her said, “Yes, we have. Even I can see that and I am not an intellectual like you all are.”

  Jane chuckled and patted him upon his shoulder. “Don’t sell yourself short, Lane.”

  Kelly closed her eyes, took a deep breath and said, “The air smells so clean here.” She opened her eyes and faced Nathan. “Perhaps we could help the planet recover. We still have the genetic blueprints of a large number of Earth’s species. We could 3D print a seed population of core species and begin a repopulation.”

  Jane looked at her in surprise. “That is an excellent idea Kelly! As usual you have had another brilliant idea. When we get back to the ship and I have had time to plan it thoroughly, I will send a hyper-probe back to Eden and request a recolonization expedition be launched.”

  Kelly blushed at the praise. “Thanks Jane,” she said, half averting her gaze in her embarrassment. “For now, I’d like to see Lake Superior. Do you think we could divert there before returning to the ship?”

  Jane smiled and said, “Absolutely.”

  Nathan turned back to the shuttle and said, “One ticket to Lake Superior, coming right up!”

  Mary stared off at the green valley as tiny devoured his lunch. She turned her gaze to Tiny, who had not yet finished
his large lunch, smiled and said, “You eat enough for three people, Tiny.” Tiny, his mouth full of food, said nothing, smiled and patted his tummy. While waiting for him to finish, she began to fiddle with the radio. When she readjusted the squelch control, she was surprised at how far she had turned it up before. She reset it to just past the point where the background hiss was silenced and leaned back in her seat.

  Nathan slowly flew over the shoreline of Lake Superior. Everyone on the shuttle stared in awe at the beauty of the tree-lined islands, coves and the white capped waves which would have been at home in any of the world’s oceans. Nathan turned to Kelly and said, “This is the largest fresh water lake by area on the planet.” She smiled and nodded to him for a second and then returned her gaze to the viewscreen.

  They flew on for another hour and then Jane said, “Let’s get back to the ship. I want to get something to eat and rest up. We can come back tomorrow.”

  Nathan nodded and then reluctantly angled the shuttle towards space. He picked up the microphone and said, “Curiosity, this is shuttle 2347. We are returning to the ship.”

  A second later the reply came through his radio’s speaker. “Understood 2347. We’ll put the lights on for you.” Nathan laughed and double-clicked the transmit button in response.

  On top of the hill, Mary jumped when the buggy’s radio came to life. She reached over and turned up the volume. “It must be Sally,” she thought. “I’m surprised she isn’t coming in more clearly. We are not that far away!” She stared at the radio for a second and then, coming to a decision, she picked up the microphone and said, “Sally? Is that you?”

  With the volume turned up she was nearly blasted out of her seat when Sally responded, coming in loud and clear, “I didn’t say anything Mary. We only just connected the antenna this very second.”

  “Well, I heard voices Sally,” she said. “Are you sure that wasn’t you?”

  Sally, sounding annoyed said, “I am not in the habit of lying, Mary.”