Solstice 31: The Solstice 31 Saga, Books 1,2,3

by Martin Wilsey

  They were already moving at a rate of speed that Barcus thought was too fast. He didn't say anything since the ride was smooth.

  “How close will we need to get in order to bring the STU down via remote?”

  Em replied, “If we make our way to the foothills here...” A spot on the map highlighted and zoomed. “...we should have the benefit of elevation and line of sight.”

  “There is a pretty big distance between the two peaks. The one where the STU is parked will be just above the horizon at that point. Will a directional beam do it?” Barcus asked.

  The HUD indicated it would be 45 hours to reach that point.

  “We should have left a series of relay BUGs so we could remain in contact,” Em said. “All I was thinking about was that they were coming. We had to escape. I didn't know then if the BUGs would lead them right to us.”

  Barcus settled in for the long ride. He had Par bring up the priority status items. On the screens, Par showed him the priorities once they had the STU. They would need a full systems check, a materials and capabilities inventory, and most notably, they would need to get Stu started on the comm traffic decryption effort.

  There were new concerns listed about the weather. Em had collected data on the last storm and thought the pattern was going to repeat and intensify. “We will arrive and communicate with the STU just before dawn tomorrow. He will need time to fire all his systems up, but then we will have to wait for nightfall. We may be in luck with the weather for cover that night.”

  “Then what?” Barcus asked.

  Em answered, “The advanced Shuttle Transport Units have the new Kidwell Grav-foils that can redirect gravitational forces in any direction, as propulsion has its limits. Basically the ship just falls, but horizontally or in any direction or none. The speed while in atmosphere is limited. It will be fine for getting down off the mountain quietly. The steering won't be very good without thrusters, but we won't need to be precise. It will simply be falling in any direction we choose. But only as fast as the near gravity would fall.”

  The track they had plotted was direct and constantly in wilderness. A large portion of the journey was through an area that looked as if it had suffered a forest fire a few months before. The burned area was contained by streams and land features, the margins of that area very clear.

  Barcus spent a long time studying the weather estimates. The harshness of the estimates seemed extreme to him.

  He slept in the module that first night without even pausing. He watched Olias and Po working on repairs at Whitehall. Eventually, he decided to call Po on the Plate.

  She was getting ready for bed and was sitting tailor fashion in the middle of the bed reading her children's book.

  “Barcus?” It was Em. “If you want me to, I have other children's books and reading lessons we could provide for her on the Plate.”

  “That is an excellent idea. I will mention it. I am about to call her.”

  “How would you like to do that? Audio only? AV? Or would you prefer full Augmented Reality?”

  “Let's try Audio and Video only. Go slowly.”

  The bedroom at the gatehouse suddenly filled the HUD in the spider. The BUG was obviously sitting on the mantle.

  The Plate, in its book, rested on the bed by her knee. She jumped when it quietly chimed. She reached for it and when she opened it, Barcus could see that Em had filled its screen with swirling clouds.

  “Hello, Po,” Barcus said.

  “Hell...hello?” she stuttered.

  “It's all right, Po. Just speak normally. Did you have a good day?”

  “Yes. It was busy. Everything is fine,” She replied.

  “Do you want to see me as well as hear my voice, Po?” He asked. “I can show you how.”

  “Yes. Please,” she answered.

  He appeared on the Plate.

  Barcus said soothingly, “It's all right, Po. It's me.”

  She lifted the Plate but said nothing.

  “Are you all right?” he asked.

  She was looking up and down from the Plate.

  “Are you here and invisible like the wind, or is this a ghost?”

  Barcus laughed. “A little of both I think. I'm not really there. Just my image is there.”

  “I can't touch you?” Po asked.

  “No. But we can talk, even though I am very far away.”

  “Where are you really?” she wondered.

  “I am north, toward the mountains. I will be back in a few days.”

  “Will your spirit stay here with me?” she said.

  “Yes, Po.”

  She was nodding and appeared close to being overwhelmed.

  “The Plate can do more. I will show you. If you want. Please let me know if it is too much all at once.”

  She did want more. Nodding her head.

  Looking again, Po saw the Plate had the exact page, A is for Apple.

  Po said it out loud.

  Then it changed to B is for Bee. They went through the entire book again together.

  “The Plate has more books for you if you want them. All you have to do is ask it. We will start here. Plate, I want to read Run Cat Run.”

  The child's book came up in the display. “It will show you many books if you like.”

  It read her the book. The words and letters glowed as they were spoken. Her eyes were wide.

  “I will go now, Po,” He said.

  “Yes, Barcus. Thank you.”

  “Goodnight, Po.”

  “Goodnight.”

  Suddenly Barcus was very sleepy.

  ***

  The next day, it was bright and sunny behind them and dark and forbidding in front of them. Clearly another storm front was coming through from the northwest. Barcus continued his morning status review. It had grown to hundreds of areas. He focused on the priority items usually, but on this trip, he got to review some of the lower priority reports.

  One of the reports was a continuing effort to perform a detailed survey of the area surrounding Whitehall on an expanding radius.

  This was an appendix to the Physical Security Status report that mostly focused on The Abbey proper. This appendix was the Proximity Report, Area Analysis, Possible Future Resources, Stone Quarry section. This report mapped the roads around The Abbey, where they went and why. A long unused road was found, which led to a stone block quarry. This was where the stones had been cut for use in The Abbey construction.

  What caught his eye that day was an annotated still photo that was captioned “Predator activity indicated.”

  “Em, how far is this from The Abbey?” He indicated the image.

  “That quarry is 2.7 kilometers from Whitehall.” A large tactical map showing the exact location of the quarry relative The Abbey appeared simultaneously.

  The image was of a great pile of deer remains, all piled in one spot on one of the terraced sides of the quarry walls. The remains were odd in that they were not entire deer carcasses, but parts of obviously dismembered deer. There were lots of skulls with antlers attached and hoofed feet that were recognizable. A few pelvises could be identified. But it was mostly shredded hides and parts not easily eaten by a carnivore. Hundreds of deer skulls could be seen.

  “Em, has there been any other signs of this kind?” Barcus asked.

  “No. We have been watching our thermal imaging recently, as well as looking for a large carnivore. It has probably moved south with the herd migrations or the seasons.”

  “Keep me informed on any related data for this item. And make sure Ash secures the gates every night at Whitehall. In fact, were there any cut blocks left at the quarry? Maybe we should step up the repairs to the wall.”

  “Yes, Barcus, there is a large quantity of cut blocks available, but they are grown over with vines. That was detailed in a previous survey report. It was also added to the itemized resources list.” Both reports popped open.

  “Okay, Okay. Thanks.” Barcus was beginning to regret the full hands-on approach he h
ad taken. Em was handling far more than he ever could.

  He was tired. He should be taking advantage of the time to rest and not stress himself.

  He reclined back.

  “Par, bring up the Olias and Po monitors.”

  He found that they were together in a room he had not seen previously. It looked like a larger, luxurious bathroom. A fire was roaring in the hearth, and a small trickle of water was running out of the wall via a stylized fish mouth to land in the tub below. The water that was coming out of the fountain was steaming.

  “Where is that room at Whitehall?” Barcus asked.

  A tactical map of The Abbey displayed, showing the location of the room. It was in the blasted out portion of The Abbey. The scarred heavy door to the room led out to the section that was blasted away and had collapsed into rubble three stories below. The access to the room was along the ramparts and down a ladder to that level and then in. The area’s roof was mostly intact but required a lot of repairs.

  “At least now we will all be able to bathe like civilized people.” Po looked at Olias scowling. “Even you. The tub will be full in a few hours. We need only keep the fire lit for it to be warm.”

  Barcus could see that the area outside the bath suite had a huge stockpile of firewood. He was glad that Po would be able to have a warm bath. He thought about himself as well. How long had it been?

  He watched her as she bent over and retrieved a large canvas bag from the floor and began to unload brushes and rags and other cleaning supplies. She turned a tarnished lever, and brown water began to flow. She left the water to run and snagged chunks that the stone spigot spat out. After several blasts of dirty air, it began to run clear water. She began to scrub. The sink was an eight-foot long slab of stone with the basin carved into it and highly polished. She must have already done this procedure with the tub. Olias returned with buckets and mops, which he left there. His next trip brought several small rugs that he left outside by the firewood pile.

  Olias went to the destroyed edge and looked over the side. It was about thirty feet down at this point, and he just sat down as if it were nothing, looking around and even up. Barcus wondered what he was thinking because he was thinking hard.

  Then he waved.

  “Em, who did he just wave to?” The BUGs scanned about, and then zoomed in on the bell tower. Ash was parked in the bell tower, watching.

  It waved back then retreated into the shadows.

  Em asked, “Is it okay for Ash to talk with the boy if he wants? Olias has tried to engage him on a few occasions. Plus, if you allow this, Ash can then function as a comm unit in an emergency without scaring the shit out of Olias.”

  “I think it's a good idea, but go slowly.”

  “Do you see the wall breach from this angle? Can you switch to Ash's view?” Ash's view had a much higher resolution than the BUGs’. “We need to get the lower section of that wall repaired and the water flowing from the aqueduct to jump this gap. If we don't, then ice is going to be a problem. If nothing else, let’s redirect the flow to the outside of the wall.”

  “I see what you mean. The wall breach could have rows of the quarry block on the inside and outside and the center filled with packed rubble. Tiles here and here would allow the old pattern of flow,” Em said.

  “Put Ash on it. I bet he could use a lot of the rubble that is there already. Plenty of blocks still in the rubble.”

  “I think it would also get water in the stable systems too. You should also lift the night work constraints. If they get used to seeing him working, it will be better. Plus he could get twice as much done,” she suggested.

  And then a moment later, she added, “Are laser cutters okay?”

  “Sure, with standard precautions.”

  “I know Olias wants to take Ash on another salvage run to the estate. What do you think?”

  Barcus thought for a minute.

  “Ash is only allowed to go if Po goes with them.”

  “She doesn't like the hearths to go cold. At this rate, we will run out of wood in January.” Em wasn't kidding. A firewood inventory came up with the consumption levels neatly graphed on a temporal grid.

  “Have Ash clear the trees from the roads. Then do a windfall collection. That can be a night job.”

  “Ash is going to be a busy boy.” Em said.

  Late that afternoon the weather front came though. It was rain that would be snow in the higher elevations.

  The BUGs on the mountain would come into range as soon as they topped the foothill. It was the tallest in the area and even though the clouds would stop them from seeing the mountain in the distance where the STU was, comms would be possible.

  It was full dark when they reached the peak. The leading edge of the storm had passed, and the air had stabilized. The BUGs that were left behind to monitor the STU were there and on-line. The STU was covered with snow and basically invisible.

  “Stu, it's time to wake up buddy.”

  The full HUD in the spider was all windows. A new window appeared large and center labeled, “Startup Initialization.” A log file of actions was rolling by fast as Stu began to come on- line.

  The log file was going by too fast for Barcus to read any of it. Em began to summarize for him as she sat in the chair next to his. “Startup has initiated. Now it’s doing a self-check, powering up hardware in a specific sequence, segmenting resources for the each system.”

  “Chen told me once the startup sequence was the biggest pain because it took so long to bring all the systems up. The AI comes up last of all,” Barcus said.

  “I think you lived because Chen came down an hour earlier that day to initiate startup,” Em said, having no idea how that hurt.

  Finally the log read, “STU initialized.”

  “Hello, Stu. How are you feeling?”

  “I'm still waking up, sir. So far, all systems are nominal.”

  “We are in Survival Mode, Stu. Hostile Environment, passive sensors only,” Em said. Barcus realized it was info for his benefit too.

  Em began rapid comms at that point, conveying the flight plan and method.

  The BUGs showed the shuttle enlarge from settle mode with sliding lobster tail style sections expanding, causing the snow to shake off and get blown away.

  The Grav-foils finally deployed and quietly began to raise the ship. They looked like thirty flat, black oars that folded out from the sides of the ship at 45-degree angles, spiny, in a menacing fish fin kind of way.

  The STU began to glide down to the rendezvous point.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Stu Rendezvous

  “The Shuttle Transport Unit, known as Stu, had a modified AI as well. But not modified in the same way.”

  --Solstice 31 Incident Investigation Testimony Transcript: Emergency Module Digital Forensics Report. Independent Tech Analysis Team.

  <<<>>>

  “Hello, Stu. What is your ETA to the rendezvous point?”

  “Hello, Barcus. I am so glad you are not dead. ETA is fourteen minutes,” Stu said. His voice sounded very young and formal.

  “Par, head to the rendezvous point. How long will it take us to get there?” Barcus asked while watching the tactical as the land began to smoothly slide away.

  “ETA is thirty-one minutes. Handshake has been established with STU and mission priorities have been conveyed.”

  “I have already deployed my passive antenna array and have begun collecting encrypted traffic,” Stu said. “Sir, I have already detected some interesting information. TTL on the Crypt-Keys is set to maximum.”

  “TTL? Stu, what the hell is TTL?” asked Barcus

  “Time To Live, sir. TTL.” Stu answered.

  “From now on, everyone state acronyms for me at least three times before general use. Now, tell me what a Crypt-Key is and why should I care.”

  Stu replied, “The Cryptographic Key is the piece of data that allows all the users and devices associated with a network to encode and decode the data transmitte
d over the network so that anyone monitoring transmissions will be unable to decode content.”

  “Do you have to be so damned formal, Stu?” asked Barcus.

  “Actually, nope.” His tone changed immediately.

  “So what does that all mean? What are the implications of a long TTL?” Barcus wondered aloud.

  “It means some lazy, dumb-ass admin didn't want to be bothered with encryption key management and set it never to change. The packet envelope says this was done over a hundred years ago. It basically makes the decryption easier. Once I brute-force the key, the password basically, they will not likely be changing it on us.”

  “Dumb-asses, indeed. Excellent. How long will it take?” queried Barcus.

  “I've already started. If I had to guess it would be two weeks to two years,” estimated Stu.

  “Barcus?” It was Em. “We now have the STU's inventory and have made a list of items to transfer to the EM before we part. I also have a list of items for the Maker unit he carries to fabricate when it heats up.” Several new windows popped up for med supplies, survival foods, tools, weapons, ammunition, as well as, fabricated items like pipes, hinges, and tools. “We will be ready to leave tomorrow.”

  “Excellent. Foxden is only a half a day away from Whitehall.” Barcus was looking at the lists. “We will leave some of these items, like the food, at Foxden.”

  “Now that we have Stu, what will be the next priority items to tackle?”

  “Well, provided we are not seen, cold running in the dark, under clouds, should do it. While Stu uses all his cycles for the decryption, we will convert the other Plate, continue salvage runs, do winter prep, expand our security perimeter, repair the wall, then the aqueduct and southern Abbey plumbing, execute roof repairs, gate repairs and door repairs, remove rubble and cut firewood - just to name a few. Teaching Po and Olias to read will make them much more useful in the long run as well.”

  “Excuse me, boss,” Stu interrupted. “You got any idea why there is so little comm traffic? These SATs are designed to take way more.” Barcus noticed that Stu was very casual in his voice now.