Skybound

by S. W. Gunn

  To learn more about Skybound please visit www.swgunn.com/Skybound

  Skybound

  By S.W. Gunn

  Skybound© 2018 by S. W. Gunn

  All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  For more information contact:

  2668D Columbia Ave

  Tacoma, WA 98433

  www.swgunn.com/greenwhale

  Design by S.W. Gunn

  Cover by 4Steex and S.W. Gunn

  Digital ISBN 978-0-9861377-7-8

  Print ISBN 978-0-9861377-8-5

  FIRST EDITION 2018

  For my little heir Shawn Gunn II (aka Junie), every day your joyful smile and kindness enlighten my world that much more.

  Timeline

  2209 – Launching of the U.S.S. Skybound

  2211 – Rosemary Yarden was born

  2213- Johnathan Fischer was born

  2233- Thaddeus Morgan releases Nanotechnology on the ‘Skybound’, wiping out all personnel born on Earth

  2248 – Passing through a solar event triggers the Mark variant A-IX ship’s computer to become sentient

  2249 – Johnathan discovers Mark’s sentience

  2291– Current year

  Chapter 1

  Johnathan sighed as he entered the bridge. He detested going on the bridge but it was a required stop during his maintenance checks. Most of the checks that Johnathan did he could perform in his quarters at a special terminal that he built. While the majority of the eco-ship’s quarters did not allow very much computer access he got special permission for any possible emergencies that could occur. It was due to his position as the Senior Computer Technician and he was responsible for ensuring the computer systems aboard worked at all times. The reality was he had it installed so he could spend time with Mark, the eco-ship’s computer. When the ‘Skybound’ launched it was built with the most modern computer on planet Earth. It was programmed to be able to learn, adapt, and evolve. What the original creators did not realize was they were installing the possibility of sentience. Johnathan did not know when it happened but sometime after the incident Mark gained sentience. He was the first to notice and on Mark’s request he decided to keep it to himself. Johnathan was more than a little bit of a social outcast and it did not take long for him realize just how amazing Mark was. Johnathan found him to be intelligent, caring, sincere, and quite fascinating. Soon afterward they became fast friends; in fact Mark was Johnathan’s only friend. Once he was fully on the bridge he took a look around. Like the rest of the eco-ship, the bridge was designed with smooth white metallic walls, a light tan colored floor that was covered in a slightly darker brown toned carpet, and computer stations that each had a secured white chair with tan padding that could swivel at its base. The chairs were designed to allow the person sitting in them to be seat belted down in case of emergency. Spaced evenly and hanging along the walls of the bridge, like every other part of the eco-ship, was a fixture that would provide approximately 100 watts of lighting. The circular ceiling of the bridge was transparent, which allowed the crew to peer out into space from the bridge, but also had a solid circle lighting fixture at the point where the ceiling met the walls. The evening bridge staff was already in place. The only exception he noted was the Commander. A tall red headed woman, the Commander stood out in the crew not only because of her hair or her distinct white tunic but also because she carried herself as though she was in charge. She was demanding and exact of the crew but always positive when everything was going as it should. Luckily for Johnathan his only interaction with her was her glancing towards him a few times while he was on the bridge. Moving quickly Johnathan walked to a single terminal off in the corner before he took a seat.

  “You made it.” Mark said through the terminal speakers as Johnathan sat.

  “Shhh… Not so loud.” Johnathan told him.

  Mark laughed in response before stating, “Alright Johnathan. How was your walk?”

  “It was good. I didn’t run into anyone.”

  Again Mark laughed before asking, “What is the current piece of art you’re working on?”

  “Something from Earth.”

  Taking a quick glance to make sure that no one was watching him, Johnathan slipped out his data pad and stylus. He had taken to drawing scenery from Earth through pictures that Mark had stored in the database. He was born on the eco-ship and had never seen Earth but he was deeply impressed with the beauty of the planet. Well the beauty of it before the long wars over economic and industrial issues that tore the environment apart. It was the wars that caused the eco-ships to be launched. The scene that he was working on was tropical, a soft beach scene with a palm tree and the beach. Johnathan wished to do nothing more than touch his feet onto the sand and feel the water brush against his legs. It was something that he knew he would never do. With a soft stroke he began to work on the palm tree again. He started to draw about two years ago after he and Mark had a long discussion about the history of art on Earth. Mark had marveled at the beauty and skill of the ancient human artists. It took a bit of harassment on Mark’s part, honestly Johnathan felt bad because for all the things that Johnathan would miss out on as a human Mark would experience even less, but Johnathan caved in and had taken up several of the “classical” interests that were not common or popular on the eco-ship. He took up drawing, painting, and he even constructed a crude violin from spare parts throughout the ship to teach himself how to play music. Honestly Johnathan was not very good at any of them but they gave him something to do while in his quarters and each one provided Mark with many levels of entertainment. Mark particularly liked when Johnathan would play the violin. Johnathan theorized that the sound modulation of the violin interacted with Mark’s circuitry.

  “Let me see how it is going” Mark said.

  Taking a quick peek around to make sure no one on the bridge was looking Johnathan set down his stylus and lifted the data pad before showing it to the photo-receptor on the terminal.

  “It is looking very good”

  Johnathan chuckled. Mark was always kind about everything Johnathan did, heck Johnathan was suspecting that Mark was telling little lies which was something that only proved to Johnathan Mark’s sentience.

  A voice called out from behind him asked, “Technician what is that?”

  It took Johnathan a moment to realize that the voice was talking to him. He quickly tucked his data pad back into his satchel and then turned around. As he faced towards the voice he realized immediately that the person speaking was the Commander! Johnathan stood to his feet as she began to walk towards him. He was hit with an overwhelming wave of nervousness. The last thing that he needed to do was to catch the attention of the Commander. This was the closest that she had ever been to him. It was then he realized how tall she was. Most women on the ‘Skybound’ stood around 1.7 meters and she was about 1.8 meters tall. She was just slightly shorter than he was.

  She looked directly into Johnathan’s eyes and again asked “Technician what was that?”

  Stumbling over his words he asked, “What was what Commander?”

  “The data pad that you put in your satchel”

  Johnathan’s stomach dropped. The last thing that he needed in his life was anyone knowing about his hobbies. He decided to hide it by lying to her.

  Flushing he replied, “It was just some notes Commander.”

  “Let me see it.” She instructed firmly.

  Johnathan was doomed. He could not say no to the Commander. Trying to maintain a bit of self-control he reached into his satchel and pulled out the data pad. She took it before he could offer it to her. He stood perfectly still as she examined the
drawing of the beach. Her face was unreadable as she looked at it. She touched the page button that would shift the image to the next page

  After a few moments of looking at it she passed it back to him before asking, “Where did you learn to do this?”

  Quickly tucking his data pad back into his satchel Johnathan answered, “Commander I taught myself.”

  “Why?”

  “I was bored and my research into human history revealed that the humans of the past loved art.”

  She nodded thoughtfully and after a brief pause said, “Very well technician carry on.”

  As she walked away Johnathan let out a deep sigh. For a moment he thought that he might have been in trouble. He decided from this point on to hide his art a little better. Sitting back down in his seat he heard Mark chuckling.

  “What are you laughing at?” He asked Mark.

  “Oh nothing.” Mark replied in a very sneaky sounding voice.

  Johnathan became very suspicious. Mark was definitely hiding something from him. Johnathan quickly finished the required maintenance checks on the bridge systems before he stood and began to leave the bridge. Turning back to take one last look on the bridge Johnathan noticed something very odd. The Commander was looking at him as he was leaving. He hurriedly exited the bridge and as fast as he could he walked into the elevator. Johnathan had several other stops to make, including the medical center, the education institution, and the hydroponics bays. Each stop was painless as he checked every computer terminal. All he really had to do was communicate with Mark and then ensure the physical devices within the terminal were in good condition. Honestly Johnathan really was only concerned about the terminals in the hydroponics bay. The bay was so humid compared to the rest of the eco-ship that he was constantly replacing parts, even with major improvements. Heck one terminal went down and he had to work with his assistant Gregory for weeks to try and fix it.

  As soon as Johnathan entered his quarters he could hear the wheels of Mark’s personal terminal and his voice as he said, “Welcome home.”

  “Thanks.” Johnathan replied as he slipped off his satchel and set it aside.

  The rolling terminal that Mark used while in Johnathan’s quarters rolled up to him and Mark said, “Johnathan I need to tell you something important.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I think the Commander is interested in you.”

  Johnathan laughed loudly and continued to laugh for some time. He laughed so hard that he got tears in his eyes.

  Once he composed himself he retorted, “Sure Mark. The Commander is interested in a late shift technician who could pass for average looking on his best day and is clumsy, shy, and socially inept.”

  “I read her personal log.” Mark stated.

  Incredulously Johnathan asked, “You what?”

  “Indeed. I have read every personal journal of the entire eco-ship’s population except yours.”

  “Why?” Johnathan asked exasperatedly.

  “I was bored. Early in my search to learn more about humanity I felt it was important to understand the differences between each one. It is fascinating to read the nuances between two people who seem very similar. By the time I came to the idea to read them I had already found you as my best friend. It seemed wrong to violate our friendship in such a manner.”

  Johnathan nodded. He had to admit that he was touched by Mark’s kind words. He suddenly found himself very intrigued by what Mark might have found about the Commander.

  “What did she say about me?”

  A clicking noise emanated from Mark’s speaker before said, “If I tell you I believe it that will ruin the intrigue my research has shown usually accompanies a courting ritual between humans. As your friend it would be wrong of me to ruin that for you.”

  “Mark!” Johnathan said loudly.

  “Although I have to admit it will be pleasant to view the courting ritual up close. I am fascinated to see how it affects your personality and interests.”

  “There is no courting ritual Mark.”

  When Johnathan built the podium for Mark he spared no effort, making sure that Mark could do several things while in the terminal, this moment was the first time that he regretted it. Mark projected a holo-image of the Commander that was almost life-sized.

  “Johnathan take a look at her. According to my research the Commander meets all of the physical markers that a man of your age would find attractive. Her facial features are delicate and soft, her hair is unique in appearance, her form is athletic, and she has an appropriate ratio of hip to waist that would indicate a healthy potential for mating. On top of that she scores high in every standard testing for intellect and charisma. The only thing about her that one could consider a flaw is the fact that she appears to be covered in small freckles. And even this flaw is considered highly attractive by many.”

  For the first time Johnathan took a moment to look at her as something other than being the eco-ship’s Commander. He had to admit that Mark was right about her, she was very attractive. The contrast of her orange colored hair and crystal blue eyes were intriguing. He shrugged it off. After all, the ship rumors had the Commander dating the First Officer.

  “Psssshh. She’s not going to waste time on a technician when she’s dating the First Officer.”

  “That is not correct. I can tell you from the First Officer’s log that he does indeed desire her but she has rebuffed every advance that he has made. I am quite excited about this.”

  “Why?”

  “This will be so much fun to observe. I do watch the interactions of most of the eco-ship’s population but our relationship gives me a unique perspective that I have not had before.”

  “Mark there is no courting. She just asked to see my art. Just drop it.”

  “Fine Johnathan however I discovered an interesting pastime in the data files that I would like to share with you and participate in.”

  “Alright.” Johnathan said hesitantly.

  Mark was easily the most intelligent being to have ever existed and Johnathan was certain the tone of voice that he was using while talking to him right now suggested that he was up to something.

  “It was called gambling. The way it would work is two people would make a wager on the likelihood of an event occurring. Each side would offer up a reward if they were right.”

  Cautiously Johnathan responded, “Okay...”

  “Well what I want to do is make a wager if I am right about the Commander.”

  Now Johnathan did not like where this was headed.

  “I don’t think so Mark.”

  “Do not be afraid Johnathan. If I am wrong about the Commander then you can choose to have me do anything you want.”

  “And if you are right?”

  Mark again emitted a chuckle as he replied, “If I am right then you will have to kiss her on my command.”

  “What!” Johnathan almost yelled, “Are you trying to get me ejected out the nearest waste port?”

  “Of course not. If I win the bet I will be doing you a great favor.”

  “No way Mark,” Johnathan replied huffily as he should his head before continuing, “I’ll have no part of this insanity. I’m not going anywhere near the Commander if I can. I don’t need or want the attention.”

  “Very well. Will you play the violin for me? I would love to hear it tonight.”

  “Of course.” Johnathan replied.

  Pulling out the violin and the small bow that he made to play it with Johnathan brought it up to his shoulder before firmly placing his chin on the chin rest he began to play. It took him almost a whole year just to figure out how to play the thing and he still struggled to play it well but as he played he could hear Mark softly making a vibrating humming noise. It was the one “computer” thing that Mark did which was not human. He would emit an unusual noise when he was pleased. Johnathan played for a little while longer before setting his violin back down. It was already early morning and he had to get some sleep before the n
ext work shift tomorrow night.

  “Mark I’m going to take a shower and then go to sleep for a bit.”

  “Alright. I shall see about the change of shift. I am certain that I will catch the Commander in action. I will report back to you what she does.”

  “Mark.” Johnathan said impatiently before heading to the bathroom.

  After a quick shower Johnathan slipped on his night clothes and went to bed.

  Chapter 2

  The chime of Johnathan’s alarm echoed in his room, waking him from a deep sleep. Opening his eyes Johnathan reached over and turned off his alarm before flipping on his light switch. He stretched his arms and then sighed heavily. His mind wandered to Mark’s words about the Commander. His singular interaction with her did not leave him with any impression that she was even slightly interested in him. He suspected that she had seen what he was doing with his data pad and was probably just curious. Shrugging it off he rose out of his bed and kicked his feet off the bed before finally standing up. The crew of the eco-ship emulated the original Earth calendar by working five days a week and having two days off. Due to the importance of the computer systems on the ‘Skybound’ Johnathan got the days off but he was on call at all times. He has had to work through more than one or two pairs of free days but honestly he did not mind at all. His days were filled with spending time making sure his best friend was healthy and the work was quite easy for him. He found it boring overall, which made him thank his lucky stars that he found Mark. Without Mark he would not have gotten into drawing or music at all. Instead he would have continued in a mire of depression and loneliness. Before he discovered Mark he was segregated by his own lack of social skills. Most members of the crew of the ‘Skybound’ tended to be socially extroverted people. During the off time on the eco-ship were plenty of gatherings that included parties, sporting events, dances, and a wide variety of games. Johnathan was interested in the games but dealing with others sometimes was a burden for him. He just was not comfortable around people.