Bootstrap Colony

by Hechtl, Chris

  He arrived at the park and got a report that the Rexes had been sighted down river. He checked the area carefully with the binoculars, but didn’t spot them until one came out of the river on the opposite embankment. It paused, shaking its feathers and preening them for a moment, and then stepped into the brush.

  The juvenile swam to the shore and stepped out, dripping water. It preened a bit, not noticing the shape in the water behind it. Mitch bit his lip, watching to see if he was right about what was going to happen. Suddenly with a burst of speed the giant croc attacked, latching onto the rear of the juvenile and tossing it to the side and back into the river. With a screech of terror the baby flew through the air and landed with a splash. The parents returned to the embankment, cawing and thrashing at the croc as it latched onto the juvenile and then sank into the dark depths of the river. The parents thrashed around for a bit, snuffling at the embankment, and then moved off back into the brush.

  “Computer log giant crocs as amphibious predators. Threat level red,” Mitch noted, and then turned to the first tractor. “Showed over, back to work,” he muttered, and noted that, wonder of wonders the tractor had backed into and hitched up perfectly. He made the connections, banged on the side, and then sent it on its way. The second tractor wasn’t so lucky, almost getting caught under the front lip. He had to drop the back of the tractor to compensate for the trailers front sinking in the mud, but got it hooked with only a little scraping.

  When the final tractor was sent off he checked the embankment once more. The body of the juvenile was on the surface; the croc tore into it, and then sank it again. Another croc swam up, and he muttered about missing the show just as it started while he got into the hummer. Dark foreboding clouds have been gathering overhead all day, the distant sky was ominously dark, definitely not a good sign. Vowing to get everything in tonight damn it! He quickly headed out.

  When he arrived he did a quick turn over and then press ganged the farm tractors and additional hummers into the convoy to help. Over the next several hours he managed to get three more loads in. The robots were now on borrowed time; their last solar panel and charging station were now packed.

  He rushed the last unload, chancing speed against the coming storm. He made it to the park a half hour before sunset, and swore as he hooked up the trailers one by one. When the last was off and running he ordered the security robots onto the back of each hummer. He got in the hummer, felt the thump and weight in the rear as the robot climbed on and docked. The truck gave him a green light so they head off.

  The night drive was scary; he quickly passed the tractors one by one. With night and a blanket of full darkness falling around him the vehicle KITT AI programming was severely hampered. He set them to follow the leader, then took the lead and drove manually just as the first flash of lightning and peal of thunder echoed across the field they were crossing. “Perfect, just perfect,” he sighed in exasperation.

  The first fat dropped of rain spatter his windshield half way home. The wipers came on, clearing them away, but more followed. He felt the urge to pause and wait it out, but the lure of nearby safety was just too powerful. Besides, he needed to be at camp in case of lightning strike damage. The turbines were protected, but there were no surge protectors on the solar panels. Some of the animals were out in this too; it would be a good idea to check on things.

  He made it to the gully, noted that it was beginning to fill. He splashed across it carefully, and then pulled to the side and let each vehicle trundle across and beyond without him. He nervously watched as each passed. Ten to go... five.... The last one got stuck however; digging into the churned up muddy embankment and it was up to its rims in mud and muck. Sighing in frustration he sent the robot out to secure the area. When it gave him the all clear he pulled the hummer nose to a tree and got out.

  The wind and rain were brutal, making it hard to get to the front of the truck and to the winch. He flipped the winch on and then to neutral with one hand as the other unhitched the clasp and pulled on it. Cable uncoiled, he pulled it around the tree and then down the slippery embankment to the floundering truck. He reached up to the Bluetooth. “Computer tractor six pause program. New program. Rescue mode in progress,” he ordered through the thunder, and had to repeat it until the computer AI acknowledged.

  The flash of lightning and sudden peal of thunder let him know the storm was directly overhead. The water was rising fast, so he flicked the clasp around the frame, and then clasped it to itself.

  He flicked the Bluetooth back on. “Computer hummer five winch on forward,” he ordered. The winch whined, slack was taken out of the line, and then slowly it began to tug insistently at the trapped vehicle. He pulled himself up and out of the way, and then over to the truck as it began to slide forward. He quickly shut it down, then reaching the back bumper; he unlocked the rear winch and then uncoiled some of the line to wind the end around a nearby tree. He locked it shut, and then used the hand controller to winch it tight.

  “All right try again.” Mitch watched as the winch line twanged tight once more, the crackle of rain and splintering bark, then flash of lightning and peal of thunder. The truck tottered a bit, making him nervous. This was the last load, Textile machinery, but not something he really wanted to risk, but then again not something worth his life. But with a sucking sound the tractor pulled free of the mud and reengaged its drive. When it got off the embankment he stopped the winch and truck, and then unhooked everything.

  The robot returned on command, and together they got back to the hummer. “Great now I have two cars to clean,” he muttered as the lurch into motion. He checked the log. The first tractor had reached the base gate, so he sighed in relief. He led his wayward charge across the remaining field and through the gate a half hour later.

  Chapter 3

  The next morning he did his morning stretches as the sun came up, still blocked by some of the scattering clouds. The rain had washed away some of the dirt, but left its own mess of now drying marks. According to the stats one lightning strike had hit the solar panels; it had fried three panels before popping a breaker. The cables were superconductors, they handled the load, and the resetting breakers at the power station did as well.

  He wasn’t sure about the panels though, that sort of juice probably melted the fine wiring in the panels. He decided he would need to set up the lightning tower soon to prevent a repeat performance.

  First thing on the agenda were chores of course. The animals were okay; the dogs were a bit muddy, and very frisky. He hosed a pair off, and then led them out to the field he had designated for the first temporary greenhouses. The robots had set up the metal piping into the ground, he watched as the dogs frolicked and bounced around. He pulled a ball from his pocket, tossed it out to them. They bounced around happily, tossing it and growling with pleasure. He smiled a little. Sometimes it was the simplest of things to make one's day.

  The first strings of greenhouses were triangular tent affairs, no more than a sheet of clear plastic hanging over a couple poles in the center. Racks of flats would hang from these poles at angles slopping down. Drip lines watered the plants. These greenhouses were seed starters, allowing the seeds a leg up to germinate before he put them into the ground. The racks were easy to hook on, but fitting the seeds into the tiny holes was a tedious annoyance. He regretted not getting the vacuum system; it would have made it all quicker and easier.

  Once he had the first greenhouse up the others went much easier and faster. There were a dozen small tent ones to set up; he managed to keep pace just one behind the robots. One of the robots ran a hose out from the fire truck, he had set it up as a temporary pumping station until a more permanent affair could be unpacked and set up. The greenhouses were set up in a line, with their slopping sides facing north and south. This would allow each of the sides a compromise of light, but would allow them as much light as possible for as long as possible. A small square foot solar panel would provide power to the pumps and led lights. Hop
efully it would all work, he knew his limitations, and one of them was a distinct lack of a green thumb.

  When the greenhouses were completed he returned the dogs to the pen, called out a pair of border collies, and led them to the sheep pasture. He let them range out, testing their skills to keep them and his own memory sharp. The sheep bah’ed a bit but complied with the two dogs, packing in and moving along as the dogs instructed. He debated keeping the dogs out here, it would be a good idea to protect the sheep, but could be hindrance too. They had a tendency to run a flock a little too hard when not constantly supervised. It wasn’t like they would be much protection against a raptor or Rex either. He decided to leave them with the flock; they flopped down to pant in the shade as he moved off to the next chore.

  Setting up the pasteurization plant was a bit of a pain, having the instructions read to him by a nearby robot made it a little easier. The robot acted as a third hand sometimes, allowing his to be freed to tighten things or get tools. When he had set it up he ran the first batch, and then cursed when a loose valve popped and milk sprayed out over the area. He frantically shut it down, watched as the escaping milk ebbed, then bubbled down to a dribble.

  “Great,” He eyed the mess in disgust and then stepped over the puddle to the valve. The joint was sticking, and with it being a bit loose, it had popped the seal and made the spray. Replacing it was tedious, but he got it done.

  With the pasteurizer finally up and running he hooked in the homogenization tank, and then moved to the spider silk protein extractor. He had to do a bit of tugging with the power cable, before he gave up and called for the machine to be moved over so he could hook it up. This time he double checked all the seals, making sure all the connections were tight. The milk pumped in; warily he watched to make sure there were no further problems. He hooked a hose up to the way waste line; it would dump into the composting area. It would be a couple weeks before he would need to change the protein collection tank.

  With that handled he watched the milk levels slowly sink in the dairy area. He turned to the regular dairy. He really needed to make something to keep all that milk. Cheese was his best option, it stored the best, and he could use it to feed some of the animals. Even the cats could eat cheese in small amounts. Butter was easier to make, but he wasn’t sure how well animals could eat it, and besides, it required refrigeration. Cheese just needed a cool area; he had that in spades with the cargo pods and caves. It was a pain to make though, he had plenty of rennet and casein in his stores, but the making was labor intensive.

  Making a decision he decided to set up the butter churner, taking the easy way out, at least for now. It hooked in beautifully, but he was a bit concerned about power demand. Setting it for delayed start, it would have to wait until the spider silk processor was finished before the computer turned it on. He would have to come back in an hour to make sure there were no problems.

  He thought about the cheese maker, it was tempting to set it up alongside the other pieces of dairy equipment, but he really needed to get it under cover. He could use one of the empty cargo pods he mused, then shrugged and headed off to lunch. He took his time with the MRE, flipping through the cheese making manual as he ate. He reluctantly decided to set up in the cargo pod close to the cave complex. It would be a bit dark, but he could rig a string of LED lights.

  Set up was annoying, the robots could handle the grunt work, but hooking up the plumbing was a pain. He set a robot to tow a small tank to the dairy. Finishing the connections he walked back to the dairy, swearing as he tripped over a cable. He really needed to do something about all these cables; they were everywhere, along with a growing amount of hoses. The robots had bridges to cross over them, but routing around the damn things took up time. Traffic over them could damage them. He decided to set up the substation near the windmills and solar farms, that would cut the power lines down and he could run lines direct to equipment near them from the substation instead of across the base.

  Of course if he had wind turbines in different locations around the perimeter they could each power machinery near them. Funny how that hadn't been considered before he thought wryly.

  The moody sky made him look up and around as he patiently waited for the tank to fill. It could hold nearly a thousand gallons, enough for a lot of cheese. The cheese would come in handy, not only to supplement his rations, but also as a great trade item. From his estimate it was early spring on this planet, the animals should be drying up soon as they enter the last trimesters of pregnancy. Bob had suggested stringing the births apart over several months to give him a steady supply of milk, now he was glad he didn’t go that route. The months without milk would give him some more free time to get other projects off the ground.

  He had been lucky, only two still birth rabbits, and one still birth raccoon. He had even managed to resuscitate a pup. He was quite pleased by that. The Cheetah had eaten the still births with only a few bites.

  The tank was filled; he shut the valves, let the hose drain, then unhooked it and coiled it. The robot trundled the tank off to the cheese factory. He turned and pulled out his Bluetooth, ordering a donk to relocate one of the three sub stations to the center of the field between the windmills and solar farm. One of the donks moved from their park into action. He nodded then smacked his hat against his thigh as he trotted to catch up to the milk truck.

  The first steps with the cheese making were mostly automated, so once he got the ball rolling with the heaters and renate he headed off to the substation. A pair of GP robots were there already, stringing new cables to the solar farm and the wind generators. He disconnected the line connectors, and then reconnected the new ones. A donk trundled up with a trio of replacement panels for the burned out solar cells, the burned wiring and melted plastic was enough to tell him they weren’t worth trying to salvage. He disconnected them then had them sent to the recycling pile. He ordered the donk to return with a lightning tower, he was damned if he was going to allow a second occurrence. He didn’t have the power or equipment to spare.

  With the base perimeter mostly secured he no longer had the added power drain of a second perimeter to maintain, nor did he have to constantly recharge the tractors and donks to move the trailers to and fro. The tractors had required hydrogen, draining his reserves each night. Now the reserve tank was finally beginning to fill. When it was topped off he would be able to shut the compressor down and power more equipment.

  A security alert made his Bluetooth beep insistently. He fumbled it out of his breast pocket and placed it in his ear, catching the tail end of the message. “Repeat message,” he ordered.

  “Perimeter alert. Human, quadrant three, five kilometers North by North west.” Amazed he instinctively turned around until he oriented in the correct direction. He shaded his eyes but couldn't see anything; the distant tree line were cluttering his vision.

  He walked over to the hummer. “Command. Shunt visual to car...” he ordered. He looked for its number and then grimaced. “Car five,” he finished with a sigh. He sighed in annoyance as he got in and squished down into the still wet seat. The laptop sprang to life; he could see the outline of a person, possibly a male staggering out of the tree line. Concern etched Mitch's brow. “Command. Launch UAV two circle unknown.” He pointed to the human on the screen, and then circled it with his finger.

  “Acknowledged,” the AI voice confirmed. He drove to the gate, then along the line of boxes. The UAV launched, then banked and reoriented toward the north.

  “Command, magnify and enhance,” Mitch ordered. He watched as the visual jumped forward and blurred, then settled into a visual of a wounded terrified man running for his life. He was a brunette, sun burnt, with a beard. His clothes were ripped and torn, but he clutched at a makeshift spear. His look over his shoulder and terrified expression was all Mitch needed to know. “Damn, Command, Security Alert. Visual search the unknown’s back trail.” He watched, but the computer balked at the command.

  “Unknown parameter s
et. Redirect please,” the AI responded, beeping angrily.

  Mitch accelerated. “COMMAND! Security Alert!” He pursed his lips in thought. The man suddenly looked over his shoulder, and then tried to run faster. Blurry shapes could be seen behind him. The depth of field matrix was tuning them out.

  “Command, visual pull back. Reorient one hundred meters around unknown,” Mitch ordered. The screen blurred then focused again. He could see the distant shapes of raptors, raptors moving at cheetah speed.

  “Go, go go!” he said to the guy, pushing the accelerator pedal to the floor, watching as the ran for his life, instinctively knowing it won’t be enough. The man looked over his shoulder and stumbled over a rock, he went down flaying. “DAMN!” Mitch screamed, pounding the horn. “Get up get up!” The horn blared again, but the raptors weren’t dissuaded. One got within striking range and leapt. The spear lanced up, catching the raptor in the abdomen and spearing it before breaking under the weight. The raptor fell beside the man, cawing and coughing. He scrambled to get up, but with his back turned a second raptor broke through the grass close enough and leapt, toe talons gleaming. The man went down with a muted cry as the raptor tore into him.

  Frustrated tears well in Mitch's eyes as he pounded the steering wheel. “Damn damn damn!” He was so close, but so far. A kilometer to go. The rest of the pack surrounded the kill, sickened he watched as one tore into the man and ran off with a hand flopping in its mouth. Cold rage washed through him. He pulled out the Barrett and flipped the safety off.

  He pulled up three hundred meters away, deployed the robot for local defense and then popped the top hatch and set up. Coldly he watched through the scope, fingering the trigger gently until he had a good bead. He let out his breath and squeezed as he was taught, the loud bark of the rifle was a surprise to him as much as the animal the poison dart hit. The raptor went down thrashing. Cursing he fumbled the earplugs into his ears then lined up for a second shot.