by Arlin Fehr
The door across the room opened up. A humanoid figure, made of metal, walked out. It walked towards the creature and looked at it for a long moment. Sam took a tentative step forward, her gun loose at her side.
'I would remain clear while I check the status of the Rokin.' The figure said.
Sam stopped. The figure held up a hand and placed it against the creature. After a minute, it pulled it's hand away and turned to face the crew.
'The creature is incapacitated for now. I would recommend coming with me before it wakes up.' the figure said.
'What is this place?' Sam asked.
'There will be time enough for that soon. Please follow me.'
The figure turned and walked out the door. Sam looked at her crew, shrugged, and followed after it.
After they all stepped through the door and it slid shut behind them.
***
Ise was unsteady on her feet. Her mind was swimming. Whatever had affected her in the grassy room hadn't quite cleared out yet. She tried to focus on the others, and leaned against the wall. Her systems were still operating, but the parts of her that were still human were in turmoil, and without all of her humanity intact, they were having difficulty adapting.
'Advocate Okoh, your brain scans are erratic.'
'L...lenny? I'm not d...doing so well.'
'Recommend returning to the ship and utilizing medical systems.'
'N...not yet. Mon...itor my brain waves, keep... me informed.'
'Yes Advocate.'
She was pleased to hear the voice of her Guardian. She was happy to know the ship was still in range of their uplink.
She shook her head and looked around the place they were in. Her eyes focused, but her mind struggled to keep up. They were in a long hallway, lights ran the length of it along the roof. The crew was talking to a metallic humanoid figure.
She concentrated on what they were saying.
'The Rokin, or Rock lion as the colonists on it's world called it, is some kind of telepathic predator. It floods those near it with happy memories and clouds their thoughts, luring them towards the centre of it's maw before consuming them.' The robot said.
'What's it doing here?' Sam asked.
'This facility is... a conservatory of sorts.' said the robot.
'Who built it?' Sam asked.
'An assortment of interested parties.'
'How does this place run?' Sam asked.
Ise began to refocus. Something was making her sit up and take notice. Something on the edge of her perceptions.
'The robots and facility itself are administered by a Guardian core.' The robot said.
'A Guardian? These assorted interests must be rather well connected.' Victor commented.
Ise stood up from the wall and walked towards the group. When she reached them, they looked at her.
'Can I talk to your Advocate?' She asked.
The robot looked at her and was silent for a moment, 'That could be difficult. The advocate is off on a supply run at the moment.'
'Is there anyone at all in the facility?' Sam asked.
'Not presently. The facility is mostly automated. I must ask that you leave please. I will escort you to the surface.' The robot said, turning around and walking towards a large set of double doors.
Sam stepped forward, 'Just a moment, we've come here pursuing a Linkal pilot that we believe to be hiding in this facility.'
The robot stopped and turned, 'Linkal?'
'Lobster?' John offered.
'Lobster?' The robot repeated, 'Lobsters aren't pilots.'
Victor was next to speak, 'Do you mean to tell us you've never heard of the Linkal? Humanity is in a state of war with them.'
'I do not know of the Linkal. I have not been informed of them. Our facility doesn't get many visitors. Are these Linkal intelligent?' The robot asked.
'Yes. They are a space faring species. We don't know much about them though.' Sam said.
'Interesting. And you are pursuing one?' The robot asked.
'We are part of the U.P.N. and were looking for hidden Linkal bases in the sector. They're very good at not being seen when they don't want to be.'
'I see,' The robot looked at each of them one after another. When it's eyes rested on Ise, it seemed to linger for a moment longer than the rest. It then turned to the captain, 'Your companion is injured?'
'Yes, Lt. Higgins here was injured fighting the alien fighter craft.'
'Our sensors did detect the skirmish. We were unsure if you were pirates or not. I am relieved to discover you are not. I can offer you some medical attention and some temporary shelter while you search for this alien.' The robot said.
The crew looked at each other, John smiled, 'I wouldn't mind not getting shot at for a bit. What do you say Captain?'
Sam looked to the robot, 'We'd appreciate the medical attention very much.'
'Of course, right this way then.'
CHAPTER 5
Unknown Facility
The crew followed the robot to the double doors. Dan leaned on John for support. He looked intently at the robot. It was unusual in it's construction. He'd seen many Guardian operated robots in his day, but almost none of them had been humanoid. They were fairly rare, most robots taking on more specialized designs for whatever tasks humans either didn't want to do or were unwilling to do. That they had been greeted by a robot and not a human was something else that struck Dan as strange.
A poor step jostled Dan and sent a jab of pain through his body. He winced and grabbed John's shoulder harder.
'Careful there Dan, just focus on walking. We'll have you fixed up pronto.' John said.
'Since when are you a doctor?' Dan asked.
'Call it a hunch.' He said with a smile.
'Stick to piloting John.'
'One of us has to.'
'When we get out of here, I'll let you know what I think of that remark.' Dan said coldly.
'Cheer up, at least you've still got all of your extremities left.'
'Can I just suffer in silence please?' Dan said, wincing again.
John grinned and nodded.
They reached the double doors. The robot stepped forward, and the doors opened without any prompting. They stepped inside and saw it was an elevator. There was a bank of buttons, but the car started moving without the anyone hitting any.
'How much control do you have in this facility?' Ise asked the robot.
'All of the systems are Guardian controlled. The facility can be run by automation alone for an extended period of time, only requiring the occasional supply trip. It is unfortunate that you would arrive during such a trip on the Advocate's part. '
'Who is your Advocate?' Ise asked.
'There will be time enough for questions later, please be patient. We must help your friend first.' The robot said.
Dan didn't like that answer. They weren't exactly doing anything else. They were just riding an elevator. There should be plenty of time for questions, and for some answers to boot.
He pulled himself upright a little and thought of something he wanted to ask. Before he could form the words, the elevator car passed some junction point, and the walls gave to a clear tube, with rings of metal along it at regular intervals. Everyone stopped and stared at what was visible around them.
***
'It's massive!' Jing said.
No one replied. Jing walked up to side of the elevator car a peered out.
The elevator shaft was descending from the top of a massive chamber carved out of the stone of the small planet. He could see other shafts in the distance, stretching from the roof to the ground. The chamber was held up by four massive pillars of stone and steel. They widened near the top and bottom, and there were four of them, spaced in a square around the chamber. The elevator shafts were spaced out between each of the pillars, forming a circle. The very centre of the chamber was taken up by an open body of water. Other, smaller, bodies of water were visible scattered across the ground and around the edges.
The chamber itself, was the cause of everyone's surprise. The size alone would be enough to be noteworthy, but the fact that it was filled with a dazzling collection of flora and fauna was the most striking thing. It was like a garden in the middle of nowhere.
A trio of birdlike creatures flew past the shaft, letting out a piercing cry. Jing jumped back from the side of the car in fright, before stepping forward again in amazement. He saw small rivers along snaking around the chamber, going from pond to pond. A herd of some unknown animal was grazing on the lower slopes of the nearest support pillar. He could see distant animals near the other pillars. The base of the pillars formed hilly terrain, with a valley between them. The edge of the chamber was ringed with a stone facade that looked like mountain cliffs, forming a barrier around the chamber.
The elevator slowed as it approached the chamber floor. It continued for a few more feet before coming to a stop. The doors to the car opened and the robot stepped out. Tentatively, the crew stepped out after him.
'The air is quite breathable, you can remove your helmets if you'd like to conserve oxygen.' The robot said.
The crew reached up and popped the seals on their helmets. As soon as they did, the helmet folded back and collapsed down flat, forming a half ring three inches thick along the back of the their neck.
'Please wait here. I will have another robot meet us here with a medical diagnostic kit. Visitors are not permitted into the lower levels.' The robot said.
The crew looked around in awe. Animals of all kinds and description wandered the enclosure.
Jing looked up towards the roof. He noticed powerful lights inset into alcoves along the roof. They cast an even light around the chamber.
'How big is this chamber?' Jing asked.
The robot turned and regarded him, 'The roof is approximately two kilometres high at the apex. The chamber itself has a radius of four kilometres from the central point. The elevator shafts and support pillars sit at a radius of two kilometres from the centre point.
Jing's eye's widened in surprise, 'Those pillars must be made of stronger stuff than just stone.'
'That is correct. They are heavily reinforced to be able to withstand the forces pressing down on them.'
Jing turned to Ise, 'If the roof is two klicks up, that would explain how we were able to pick up the wireless signal from so far away. There was practically nothing between us and it.'
Ise seemed tight lipped. She just nodded.
Jing realized that they still weren't sure what all this was about, and tipping their hand about anything might not be a good idea. He looked around the chamber again, admiring it's size and vibrancy. There was a breeze coming from somewhere. The chamber had wind currents.
'I feel a breeze, what kind of air ventilation system are you using?' Jing asked curiously.
'That is a difficult question to answer, but it suffices to say that it is adequate for the space here,' the robot answered.
Jing looked up at the upper part of the chamber, and saw what looked like ventilation shafts lining the tops of the stone cliff surrounding the chamber.
'The resources required to build this place must have been immense.' Jing said.
'The interested parties had some resources available. Most notably, a considerable cache of robotic construction machinery.' The robot said.
'Can I see some of it?' Jing asked eagerly.
'That would not be possible. The machinery has already been removed from this facility, as it was no longer required.'
Jing nodded, and started to walk slowly around the base of the elevator shaft. The doors on the elevator closed, and it disappeared below the ground. He could still see it's roof through the clear side of the shaft. The car hadn't gone far.
The rest of the crew looked around nervously. The robot raised it's hands, 'Do not worry, the elevator is merely waiting for the robot with the medical diagnostic kit. Please have a look around, it will only be a moment.'
***
As Jing walked around the base of the shaft, he was joined by Victor. The vegetation near the elevator was a kind of short grass like plant, punctuated by small bushes and shrubs. They followed a worn path in the vegetation towards a nearby water source.
Victor, still looking forward, whispered, 'This place is strange. It reminds me of a zoo, but there aren't any people about.'
'We may have been right about poachers.' Jing commented quietly.
A small animal Jing didn't recognize, scurried out of a bush. It watched them from beside the path, and didn't run when they walked past it. It looked like a small mouse, but had six spindly legs, and a gleam of something metallic on it's head.
The pair looked at the creature as they walked by.
'It didn't run.' Victor said.
'Maybe it's used to people.'
'If every animal in here is domesticated, then I don't think it's poachers.'
'Why not? Animals that don't run away when you want to catch them seems like a pretty good idea.'
'And a lot of work,' Victor pointed out.
They made it to the edge of the water, and stopped. They looked around. Across the small stream, a herd of large quadrupeds with leathery brown hide were walking across their field of view. Jing looked around and said, 'Have you recognized anything yet?'
'One thing. I recognized one of the squat red bushes near the elevator. It's a type of bush that grows on the planet one of my cousins is on.'
Jing nodded, 'I've yet to recognize anything. Maybe we should see if Lenny has anything in the archive on some of these animal types.'
'I think we should keep Lenny dark for now,' Victor said.
Jing nodded and looked around. A flock of winged creatures with bright red feathers flew over head. One of them let out a cry that reminded him of something he'd heard back during his training in one of the U.P.N. training schools. He walked over to Victor and pointed at the birds.
'Don't those remind you of Admiral Tolmin's pet?'
'From Intelligence?' Victor asked.
'Yeah, him.'
Victor watch the creatures as they flew out of sight behind one of the support pillars, 'Jingo the bird? Yeah... they do.'
'Admiral Tolmin said his bird came from his home world. He got it as a gift from his father when he was promoted to Admiral.'
'Maybe we should compare these animals to animals in our database. We could get a notion of the area of operation of this,' Victor looked around, 'conservatory.'
The two heard a noise, they turned around and saw the elevator coming into view again in the shaft.
'Let's get back.' Victor said, heading up the path. Jing followed after him.
***
Sam turned around to see the elevator car come to a stop, another robot standing inside it. This robot was identical to the one that had brought them here. The doors to the car opened and it stepped out, handing a package to the robot they had come with. The second robot got back on the elevator, and the car shifted down out of sight, back the way it had come.
'Which of your party is the injured?' the robot asked.
Sam pointed to Dan, who was leaning against John.
The robot stepped towards him and folded open the package, revealing an array of hand held medical tools. The robot grabbed one that looked like a gun with a screen on it and pointed it towards Dan. A pale light came from the end of the gun, and the screen displayed information relating to his body.
'He has fractured ribs and a broken leg. I am also detecting signs of recent damage to his internal organs. However, they appear to have been stabilized.'
'We had treated him with our ship based medical systems, but they are rudimentary.' Sam said.
'The procedures were very precise in nature, you have a most skilled physician on board.' The robot comment.
'Oh, it was our Guardian, he is linked to our medical systems and has medical programing.' Jing said.
The robot was silent for a moment, 'Guardians are usually not tasked with medical pr
ocedures.'
'Military Guardians can take on extra uh... responsibilities depending on the skills of the crew,' Sam said, 'We are a small ship without a trained medical officer.'
'I see. Most interesting. It has been some time since I have heard of the advancements of Guardians.' The robot said and reached into a compartment on it's side and pulled out several capsules, 'These will help with your pain.'
Dan took the capsule and popped it in his mouth, 'Thanks.'
'What kind of Guardian are you?' Ise asked.
'I am a...' the robot hesitated, 'A PE model Guardian core.'
'A PE? Those are ancient and were only ever used for mining operations and ship based systems, how do you manage all this?' Jing asked, with a note of surprise.
'I have been upgraded by the owners of the facility.'
'That can be dangerous.' Ise commented.
'It has not been without it's trade offs, but considering that I am not in charge of any humans, the risks are minimal. Now I am afraid this robot has duties to attend to and cannot remain here with you.'
'What about our injured crewman?' Sam said.
'He should be alright. I recommend you get him to a proper medical facility soon though.'
'We still have the matter of the alien pilot that we saw come here.' Sam said.
'I have not seen him, but if it is your responsibility to find him, then you may search the facility. You may not go to the lower levels though.' The robot replied.
'That would make a thorough search difficult.'
'If the pilot is spotted in the lower levels, I will inform you. Now this robot really must be on it's way,' the robot said.
Sam frowned, 'Let us know if your owners come back, we'd like to ask them some questions.'