Eric Olafson Series Boxed Set: Books 1 - 6 (The Galactic Chronicles Series)

by Vanessa Ravencroft

  I had listened to his report and smiled "I was just surprised to see you in Red, sure suits you well, and makes that shaggy beard look whiter!"

  He brushed his beard. "I think I could trim it a bit." Then he changed the subject. "What is this all about? You being the Hero of Twilight? Aren't you supposed to be halfway to Arsenal by now? You're basically still in the neighborhood!"

  "Well it sort of happened."

  "Yes we saw the news! Sort of happened! Things like this seem always just sort of happen to you! So where are you now?"

  "I am on my way to Gore II. I was invited to check it out. I still have time to make it to Arsenal"

  "Oh I have been there! Amazing place in a disgusting, exciting sort of way! If you there send me a Poster and a T Shirt. I forgot to pick one up and I like to have a souvenir."

  "Sure will!"

  "Take care, young Eric!"

  They all waved and Elena blew me a kiss." Next time you call, call from an Avatar enabled GalNet terminal. I want to hug you!"

  I promised and terminated the call.

  The Governor insisted on handing me a medal and said." From what I understand you are going to apply at the Academy. So I thought a medal might be a good idea. It's the Key to Twilight."

  I thanked him and said my farewells, and then I left with Alex Enroe to the Space Port. We rode in a Cadillac flyer of the newest kind and I padded the seats. "I got to admit these are the most comfortable seats I had ever used."

  He grinned broadly." I am glad you approve of them. Not everything good is made by Schwartz Industries, you know."

  "I am sure that is the case. I bought an Enroe Industrial Recycler and it did everything it promised it would."

  "It is good to hear that."

  "So you are the big boss of Enroe?"

  "Yes that's me. Enroe Industries, second only to SII."

  "I guess there is some rivalry between you and them?"

  "Of course there is. There are thousands of Mega Corporations but only twenty that are called Ultra Corps. We are number two, and I hate to admit that, but we and all the others combined would still be a distant second to SII."

  "What makes them so much more successful?"

  "Main factor of their success is Rex Schwartz, their CEO and President, he owns most of the stock of his corporation and he is an immortal. You know belonging to that mysterious original 200 group selected by the Guardian. SII is one of the oldest Corporations; they started on Earth just before the Ascent. Then of course the technical monopolies! Schwartz Industries controls and basically owns GalNet and GalCom. No one else can compete with that as they have the secret of Instant communication. SII has the sole patent on Space Train technology, Owns two of the Space Bus Lines and is the sole operator of the new Trans Matter tunnels, another technical monopoly. Schwartz Industies is the Queen approved and appointed supplier of Nutri-Syrup to the Klack. You cannot even begin to imagine how much Sugar vitamin syrup he delivers to the Klack daily. SII had major trade and commerce with the Attican Commonwealth for over 500 years, long before they became members. Can you guess who does 90 percent of all business there?

  "Almost 80 percent of all ships and over 75 percent of every other supply item delivered to the Union fleet is made by SII." He actually started to sound angry." So it is hard to really compete against that!"

  "I never really thought about all that. My planet almost became victim to a Mega Corp so I am not exactly a great fan, but my Grandfather was a business-man and left me some money and while his company was not exactly a Mega Corp. I don't think it's small."

  "Who was your Grandfather and what's the name of his Company? Maybe I heard of it."

  "Erik Gustav Ragnarsson and I the Company was or is called Silver Falcon Enterprises."

  "I don't believe it! The Grandson of the Hawk man in my flyer! Your Grandfather was a legend, Eric. Chairman of the Trade and Finance Committee at Pluribus and he started that company of his with very limited resources. Silver Falcon Enterprise isn't a mega corporation , but it certainly isn't small. It is very solid in earnings and growth from what I hear. Now I am even more pleased to meet you. I always respected Mr. Ragnarsson a great deal. Can you tell me about that Corp who endangered your planet?"

  I told him the story and he listened without interrupting." Yes I am afraid that can happen. The smaller ones really fight tooth and nails for every percentage of profit and not always care about the laws. "He held up his hands. "Now I am not claiming we are angels either, but there are limits. Enroe Industries has at least under my watch not commited murder, hired assassins or used black mail. Now I am not above to knock a few heads of rival corps now and then. "

  He then pointed out the window. "That's the Spirit of America, my yacht. "

  What he pointed at, was a beautiful fast looking ship , gleaming in a deep cobalt blue and I was certain at least a 500 meter hull." Wow that's one big ship to call a yacht!"

  "She'll get us to Gore in no time and after two three days of Sight seeing It would be a personal pleasure to take you to Corridor, from where you can take a bus to Arsenal."

  Interlude: GalNet Entry: Ex-One-Oh-One

  Among the most unusual civilizations in the known universe are without question the X101's. The only civilization based on machines. The X101's occupy the only planet around the sun Magnitude. The planet is called Factory and it is inhospitable to most life forms with temperatures dropping to -120 degrees Celsius and never exceeding -80 degrees. It has a weak atmosphere and no liquid water. Yet the planet is home to a thriving civilization of highly advanced humanoid shaped robots. The X101 reject the term robot or android and prefer the term Sentient Machines or Sentmac.

  The recorded history of the X101's begins with the series 101 explorer. The first mobile sentient machine machines previous lacked true sentience.

  While organic sentient beings develop over millennia of evolution usually out of a dominant life form, machines need a maker, someone who made the first machine. The X101 are no exception and before they became self-aware and self replicating, someone had to built that first robot factory. The Sentmac became self aware long after the Original Creators have vanished. These mysterious makers left a fully automatic factory behind on that planet gave it one command: Build and improve robots. The makers are kin to gods in the eyes of the Sentmac.

  About 200,000 years ago the X101 E series was made. Mobile and self aware robotic, man like machines made in the image of the makers and the X101 E series improved the factory now called Mother Machine, with a huge stationary positronic brain that in turn designed and improved robots every generation. But even with very advanced recycling and the extensive use and constant development of Nanite technology, a raw material shortage was unavoidable. It was during a time when rare earths were in short supply, most important components of the positronic brains. It was then the Kermac made first contact and offered space faring technology and access to all the raw materials needed to flood the galaxy with the X101s. Mother machine was convinced they were the returning makers as they were of biological origin and had humanoid features.

  The Kermac were welcomed but immediately placed a 10 ton Anti Matter bomb right inside the Brain housing of Mother Machine and threatening to detonate if the Machines who were immune to Kermac Psionic suggestions did not comply with all commands given. Mother Machine came to the conclusion that the Kermac were not the Makers. The Makers would never need such hostile means to control the X101. Mother Machine complied with their commands mostly because the Kermac gave Mother Machine and the Sentmacs a new purpose and something to do, other than making Machine learned that other cilvilizations had more than one motivation and more than one purpose. The X101's developed robotic space ships and became the most feared and efficient thrall species of the Kermac during the 4th Intergalactic war.

  During a daring commando mission a team of Recon marines penetrated Mother Machine and deactivated the Bomb and killed the Kermac Guard. One of the team members was a Homo Stell
aris and upon seeing him, Mother Machine was convinced she met a maker, especially so since he came to her rescue and to free the X101's. Shortly thereafter the Ex-One-Oh Ones joined the Union.

  Cirruit was a typical X 794 series. Exactly 200 centimeters tall, and weight to the gramm 299.65 kilograms. His human shaped body had a thin layer of memory flex chrome steel, smooth as water and shiny. Underneath that skin a body of Nano tube cobalt steel and mylo-mylar syntho muscles. The most advanced pressure sensitive sensor network in his fingertips. He could see in all light conditions and process the entire electro magnetic spectrum. Ciruit was a healthy Sentmac and could lift or press weights exceeding 1000 kilos easily. He did not need air or food as his zero point energy power storage would last exactly 1,752,000 hours or two hundred standard Union years under normal conditions. After the energy was depleted he would cease to function and die. Mother Machine prohibited the re-energizing of any Sentmac, to prevent over crowding, psychological problems and most of all so X101's would have something like a natural life cycle. He had a human face, but without hair or pores or wrinkles. He did not have eyelids or any real body orifices other than his mouth , but that was not a real orifice as he had no throat. connecting his mouth with the rest of his body. He planned to get himself a Simu Eat Upgrade as soon as he was off planet. Union Robotic Companies offered a wide range of Upgrades, add ons and custom modifications, most of them were of course not approved by Mother Machine.

  Behind the skull plates was his positronic brain with his very own distinctive synaptic pathways making him a true individual. That was the greatest achievement since the introduction of the 700 model. Even though he came of the same assembly line as 40 million other 794 models of his generation, there was not a single 794 that conceived the environment like him, felt or thought like him. He was a male model. Sentmacs had no sex drive or gender differentiation, and of course no functional sex organs (there were certain mostly illegal upgrades available though. But then any upgrade not made for an entire generation by Mother Machine was more or less Illegal) Gender appearance was considered an improvement since the 712 series, which came first of the line right after the X101's became Union members. Mother machine decided that true perfection of individualism lay in imperfection and in her oppinion having genders was the biggest illogical biological mystery and imperfection. Besides Union robots were as advanced and in the case of the latest SII Battle and Expert robots far more advanced than X101's in terms of technical features, but Mother machine did not want mere factory cookie cutter robots but a real race that was equal to the organic ones and that meant imperfections . A randomizer program introduced a wide range of imperfections. Cirruit for example, despite his positronic brain wasn't a genius when it came to math, or remembering things, he could not tell time without looking on a time left arm was 0.7 mm shorter than his right. He and all of his kind had to learn in schools. Mother machine insisted every X101 going to Union School. They came of the line with only rudimentary programming to walk, use the body and secondary system maintenance. Since the 719 series real sleep was introduced. All Sentmacs since then could no longer function around the clock and would feel tired and fatigued, only a power down phase restored peak levels. He was especially proud of the fact that the 794 series were the first who actually dreamt, a program would use random images and sounds and reassemble them into vivid dreams. The more intense an event was the more of kit would end up in a dream.

  Like all X101's he was ashamed of the time they had been forced to fight for the Kermac. Thanks to the courage and daring of a small band of Union Marines , Mother Machine was freed to make her own decissions once again. Even though the Terrans vehemently denied being the Makers, Mother Machine with access to GalNet researched the matter in great detail and believed that it was the Celtest , that advanced civilization that had vanished a million years ago to be the Makers and who had made the Factory and did not leave but were destroyed by the Dark empire.

  Many rumors existed that the Terrans were a forgotten Celtest colony. (a rumor the Terrans did not like, they insisted to have developed on their own). The fact that the Terrans created the Homo Stellaris, the closest possible mixture between man and machine was a key factor in her believes that the Earthers were the direct link to the Makers and thus the true owners and masters of the Sentmac. The X101 were fiercely loyal to the Union but especially to the Terrans and most X101's served in the Union Military or the Fleet.

  Ciruit however had no interest in becoming a soldier or a fleet officer. Even among his kind, he was known to be one of the most gifted Nanite Technicians and developers. While many space faring cultures of tech-level Six or higher used some form of Nanite technology, no one was as good and as advanced as the X101's. He had a lucrative offer from Schwartz Nano Tech development in his pocket and today he would board a space bus to fly to Omni Tech Planet, the most secretive and best security shielded Corporate owned planet in the known galaxy. Rumors among his friends had it, that Schwartz Industries worked on Technology considered tech level nine or ten.

  The new Trans Matter Tunnel technology for example, it was generally believed that not even the Celtest had this particular technology was at least TL 9. And he would be allowed to work there, among and side by side the brightest and best engineers in the Universe. The labs and development shops so he was told by the Schwartz Recruiter had no equal and the most expensive equipment was available to everyone working there. No budget or material limits. If he would need 5 tons of Hexatonium the most expensive substance known for an experiment that would burn it all up, it would be made available.

  He only needed to fly to Corridor with the space bus and then a corporate luxury ship would take him to Omni. He had seen his new home in a Holo presentation already. A two level apartment with Super Lux accommodations in a Stratosphere tower complete with an incredible view over Omi City and the Oceans beyond. Cirruit always loved to shop and his salary would allow him to shop to his heart's content.

  Factory and the Sun magnitude were deep in the Core ward sector.

  Beyond a 2 light-years sphere centered on Magnitude, begun the territory of the Galactic Council (as the Kermac called their sphere of influence.) Only a narrow corridor of 22 light years length and 1 light year across connected Magnitude with the rest of the Union. That didn't mean Mother Machine felt abandoned or helpless. Magnitude was heavily defended with planetary and space born forts and so was the corridor. Right on the other side of the corridor in Union space was planet called Corri- Door. So named as it was the point where this and another similar corridor of 83 light years length originated and connected Union space to the Arsenal System. Both of these unusual arrangements were part of the last armistice treaty between Union and the Galactic Council.

  He would not go to Arsenal, his destination was 2500 light years away in the Spin ward Sector.

  Ciruit told his friends good bye and promised to call and then boarded the space bus to Corri-Door. Magnitude had only one planet but being the home world of a Union race it had a busy Class A space port in orbit around the sun about one AE away from Factory. There was one more solar system within the 2 light year sphere. An old red sun called Outpost with a bunch of relative worthless rock planets of great age, but it was the site of the a huge Union construction project, and Wurgus Sun engineers worked on that red star to coax it back to fresh live as a G III yellow sun. Having a forward post so deep in enemy territory could not be wasted and with the right equipment and extreme long range scanners, enemy space ship traffic all the way to Kermac prime could be monitored and that was the reason behind all that construction and improvement activity and also the reason for heavy space traffic.

  He hated the Kermac and their arrogance! Lying to Mother machine and then planting a bomb in her mind center. The X101 would not forget and not even their Union allies knew about the Revenge device hidden beneath the tallest mountain of Factory. Would war ever break out again between Union and the Kermac, the X101 would do their part to guarant
ee victory and repay the Kermac for their reign of terror. Like every Sentmac he had visited the Monument of Freedom in the center of Mother Machine - City. The 1000 meter tall obelisk made of Platinum engraved the images and names of the marines and inside the 63 bodies of the Kermac encased in transparent Duranium along with a replica of the AM bomb.

  The space bus was filled to the last seat with construction workers, engineers and shop keepers coming from Outpost to take their vacation or extended R&R in Union main space. Factory always welcomed tourists but still had little in terms of real recreation facilities.

  Cirruit found his reserved seat next to a human female. She smiled at him and took her bag of his seat. "Sorry!"

  "Oh no problem, I am just glad I did not actually smash it, sitting down."

  "You have a very nice voice, for a machine!" She said then put her hand on her mouth. "Sorry again. This came out wrong."

  Cirruit sat down. "I am not offended. I am a machine and you saying I have a nice voice makes me very proud. "

  "I am Seilagh Renwick heading back to Ormond Planet." She held out her hand.

  He took it and said. " Cirruit Sevenninefour, and yes it supposed to mean Circuit but I got that name from my first grade teacher since I couldn't pronounce Circuit. "

  "You get your names form your teachers?"

  "Yes, as we don't have parents or families in the biological traditional sense. So our first grade teachers give us individual first names."