1 Ceres

by Takemoto, D. J.

  “It was when the doctor visited the rabbit hutches over on the east side of town in the animal growing areas. It was that time the rabbits all got sick from a virus. The doctor thought humans could get it…that the virus was contagious. He said the rabbit workers had to be evacuated and even quarantined for several weeks just to be safe. He meant that the workers had to be kept away from others, Dirk,” Eve finished.

  “So, Miggly and Blakeley plan to evacuate, and the evacuation could start soon. Then we have to find out what’s inside this building…even if we do run into those things.” Dirk stood aside, waiting for Eve to insert the key and turn it. He then asked, “How would they decide who gets to evacuate? I mean, we have over six-hundred people in the city. Do you suppose they will hold a lottery? And why would they want to evacuate people…and to where?”

  “I don’t think they will hold a lottery, Dirk. I think that is why Miggly and Blakeley are hoarding food and supplies and keeping everything secret. They must be planning to take select citizens inside this building for a future evacuation, and the others, the rest of us, will die from a lack of food once the selected are evacuated to wherever they are going. I have no idea where they would go, but I have an idea who will go,” Eve whispered. “Who?” Dirk asked.

  “The entire Committee and their staff. They plan to evacuate the rulers,” Eve replied. She turned the key, and when the keyboard came out from the invisible space in the wall, she keyed in the word orchid and the numbers 77567. The disembodied voice then said,

  The password and code match for the calendar month and home base year. Please place your left eye to the scanner and right index finger on the pad.

  Eve waited. They had agreed upon this beforehand. If they did not submit for scans, they thought the voice would ask for the stone or a biosample, like the note on the wall instructed.

  Please step forward for biosample delivery and DNA analyses. Alternatively the ΩD stone may be used.

  Eve held onto the touch pad while she inserted the strand of auburn red hair carefully into the tube she’d found inside the now-open slot; they watched as it closed and went back into the wall. After several minutes, during which the com continued to make soft whirring sounds, the voice said,

  Welcome, Lightfighter. Please step inside the door. The console has logged an attempted entry by two individuals with claims of your identification. You are genetically validated. Do you wish me to initiate a sealing protocol keyed to the ΩD stone?

  “No, thank you…please maintain the current protocol.” Eve answered before she even thought about it. Dirk glanced at her and asked, “Are you sure?” “Yes…I think so.”

  Dirk and Eve held hands, simultaneously sucked in their breaths, and stepped inside the door. It slid shut immediately, enclosing them in a giant, see-through tube. Bright red lights flashed and green goo splashed over them, causing Eve and Dirk to jump. But they instinctively kept their mouths closed and eyes squeezed shut. Both tried not to make any undue noise or seem like they were not familiar with whatever was happening to them. After the green goo, a warm breeze blew over them, drying them in several minutes; the flashing red light stopped and turned green. The voice then said,

  You have been sterilized and are now free to enter the vessel. Please proceed immediately to the control room. Your presence is requested by AI-97763.

  Eve glanced at Dirk and shook her head no. She guessed that AI-97763 was one of those things because no decent parent would ever name a child that. So instead, once they stepped out of the sterilization room, they walked to the door at the end of the hallway, pushed it open, and then immediately stopped and walked through a door marked exit, not bothering to listen to the com voice telling them they were going the wrong way.

  The exit door opened to a steep stairwell leading down. They descended three steps at a time without any idea of where they were going, until they’d reached the end and the only door out. Dirk whispered he’d counted twenty-seven levels. The door clicked open when Eve and Dirk approached it. He looked at Eve with a questioning look; she shrugged her shoulders. They had no idea why the door had opened for them. They were now facing a vast room filled with silver, tube-like containers, each tied to wires and having blinking lights.

  “What are these?” Dirk asked. “I think they’re stasis pods,” Eve answered. “How do you know? Have you seen these before in your dreams? Are they dangerous” What’s inside?” “I’m guessing, but yes, I’ve dreamed about something like this before. I think people are inside sleeping,” Eve answered. She reached out and touched one pod. It looked like hard metal, but was more like a liquid when she touched it.

  “We have to be careful. Miggly said the things guard the pods. You watch out for anything that looks like a thing, and I’ll check out this first pod,” Dirk said, walking towards a silver tube marked #1. He started to punch some of the red and green buttons, but Eve grabbed his hand and stopped him. “Don’t, we don’t know how they work. You could kill someone inside.” Dirk drew back his hand, tilted his head, bent down, and examined the control console, trying to make sense of it.

  Eve’s heart was pounding so hard and she was so scared that she could not speak as she looked out over the room of pods; they were in rows for as far as she could see. She scanned the room, and then told Dirk it was all clear of things. She finally crouched behind what looked like a table, except with a bunch of wires and lights all over it. Like the other mechanicals in the room, this one made those funny whirring noises, and warm air blew out of a side vent in the table.

  Dirk stood up cautiously from the immaculate white floor in front of the shiny, silver metal tube…the one marked #1. Eve noticed Dirk’s boots…he was wearing those strange soft-soled work boots again, and they were perfect for gliding across the slippery floor without falling. “I need to get a pair of those boots,” she mumbled.

  Dirk reached out one hand and pushed a green button on the side of pod #1…but at first, nothing happened. “Use the keyboard. Punch in the word and numbers, Dirk,” Eve whispered. “What if it needs a biosample or stone?” “I think that’s just for the front door.” Eve thought the door DNA analyses thing took half of the hair strand and that it would only be required for front door entry. But by her quick estimation, the strand of hair could be used two more times before they ran out. So she knew they had to find out as much as possible on their first trip inside this building.

  Dirk keyed in the word and code numbers with one hand, while lightly touching the green button with his other. Instantly, a drawer just under the control console slid open. It contained a round container, like the ones used to send letters from one part of their city to the next. The Mail Workers called them letter tubes. Dirk put the letter tube in his pocket and stood to leave. Then he froze; his eyes like saucers of terror. A door had just opened to the pod room and Dirk saw what he absolutely knew was a thing. Eve didn’t even need to turn to look. It was a thing… she knew that for certain by the look on Dirk’s face.

  Chapter Eight

  Gerta

  The thing glided soundlessly across the floor, appearing almost to float just above the shiny, immaculate silver surface of the stasis pod room floor. But Eve, who was crouched down under the table, could see what had to pass as its feet…and legs.

  It was not human; she knew that for certain because its body was shiny and made of the same type of liquid metal as the stasis pods all around the room. But other than having a body made of shiny silver metal, the thing was shaped like a human, with arms and legs, a neck, and a human-shaped head.

  It was dressed in a short, silky black dress, with a white apron tied around its waist; the apron had AI-97763 embossed on the front left pocket in bright red cursive lettering. The thing also had something resembling black slippers on its feet, Eve noticed, as the non-human glided right past where she was hidden, apparently not seeing her.

  Eve sucked in her breath and held it, not daring to move…remembering what Miggly and Blakeley had said about th
e things guarding the tubes, and especially about how they were dangerous to humans. She withdrew her shock gun and set it to maximum. Eve would not miss. She had won the target contest in her district. If she had to fry this thing to save Dirk, she would not hesitate.

  Meanwhile, Dirk had only just managed to slide unnoticed into a thin space between two of the shiny stasis pods. But his was not a good hiding place, and both could see the thing was passing from row to row, and would soon get to Dirk’s row. It was examining the blinking lights and numbers on each of the pods, while punching in information onto a small, thin device that had the shape of a book. From time to time, it appeared to speak into the hand-held device, but used a long series of numbers rather than words. Eve wondered how she could possibly communicate with it, if it only spoke in numbers. She also noticed that the thing was now starting down Dirk’s row. She aimed her shock gun, her finger on the ignition button.

  They might have been safe, except Dirk had not closed the drawer to stasis pod #1, and the thing would most certainly notice and think someone had illegally accessed the pod…like they had. It was now approaching his hiding spot, and had just turned to face pod #1, when the drawer automatically slid shut, causing Dirk and Eve to simultaneously let out their breath. Unfortunately the thing stopped, very rapidly turned its head, and Eve could see it had a face. Eve almost panicked. She could hear it speaking in words she did not understand, math words. Finally taking a leap of faith…or unmitigated stupidity, she stored her shock gun in her jacket pocket, setting it to standby, and started to stand.

  Dirk frantically signaled to her to stay down while he took off running; but Eve shook her head no. It was too much like in her dream…the dream where something that looked very much like this almost human came towards her and spoke. In her dream, it was not unfriendly…so Eve thought…why not? What did she have to lose? Because obviously this creature was way more advanced than anything they had ever seen and could therefore probably outrun them. And if Dirk took off running the thing might think they were trespassers. So Eve made a decision…she would see if her dream was a premonition. She signaled for Dirk to read the note inside the capsule and copy it down if necessary.

  Then slowly, Eve stood up, one hand in the air and the other in her pocket holding her shock gun, facing the non-human thing, while trying to look as innocent as possible. She hummed a tune, maybe to show she was not a danger, or maybe because she was scared out of her wits. The thing turned its head, spotted her, looked directly into her eyes with its own golden, glowing eyes, and smiled…or at least Eve thought it smiled.

  I see you have removed yourself from your hiding spot. Were you playing a game? My files indicate young humans participate in a game called “Hide and Seek.” Is it now my turn to hide?

  “Uh, no, I mean, I just wanted to see if you could find me. Do you know who I am?” Eve asked, only because she could not think of anything else to say. She’d never had to partake in polite chit-chat with a metallic non-human thing. Eve took her hand off the shock gun and out of her pocket. She glanced at Dirk, who was squatted down behind one of the stasis tubes, copying what was on the note.

  Of course…you are Eve Overhearder, previous student, currently assigned to Steam Machine Worker class. We…I have observed you. Welcome to IGS Vessel 22876. It is a Lightfighter Starship of the most advanced line. You are humming the City Spring Harvest Song. It is my favorite. Is it my turn to hide, Eve?

  “No…I mean I have some questions to ask you first. Are you going to kill us?” Eve blurted out. At first, she had not even realize the thing said her name…or that it seemed friendly…but how would she know with something that was not human? “And what is IGS?”

  Killing humans is forbidden unless they pose a threat to the life of those in the stasis pods. IGS is the abbreviation for intergalactic starship, of course. I see you are testing me, Eve Overhearder. What is the next test question?

  “Is it alright for me to be here?” Eve asked.

  Affirmative, you have legal access to this room, but you have removed a capsule from stasis pod #1. As you are aware, you must not tamper with the stasis pods, especially pod #1. If you return the capsule, no harm will come to you. If you do not, you will be confined to the vessel’s brig pending an intergalactic investigation.

  “Is the capsule dangerous to me or to the stasis pods? What’s a stasis pod…and who or what are you?” Eve asked. She’d had no idea she had the courage to ask this non-human anything. Every wire in her brain told her to run like a shinlee on fire. Dirk was still in his hiding place, frantically signaling for her to run. Eve knew if she did not get some answers now, she never would. And besides, she had to stall long enough for Dirk to copy the message he’d found in that capsule, and then he could escape.

  The capsule is the property of Commander Robin Lightfighter, Chief Mission Commander of this vessel. It is not dangerous to humans…but the information inside the capsule could be dangerous to AIs and to those remaining in the stasis pods. It holds a specific set of instructions for the future Commanders…for the Lightfighters. The instructions have already been carried out…mostly. But additional instructions will be applied when or if necessary.

  “I understand. But I was only going to read them, not steal them,” Eve interrupted, wondering at her own courage. “I believe I have the authority to read them.” She had no idea why she’d added the last part because she knew she had no such authority.

  Yes you have the authority, but the message still remains the property of Commander Robin Lightfighter; please return the capsule with the instructions. A stasis pod is a biological containment device to allow long-term hibernation for extensive intergalactic space travel. I am an AI, designed to protect the vessel and oversee all operations in the absence of the commander. You may call me Gerta.

  Eve noted Gerta had answered everything in the order of her questions…it (she?) had linear logic….like Eve had studied in her mathematics class at school. It explained the thing’s…Gerta’s apparent preference for using a math language. Eve glanced at Dirk. He signaled to keep asking questions while he continued to copy the note from the capsule. She saw it was a single piece of real paper with ancient handwriting on it. She turned back before Gerta noticed where she was staring, and asked, “Are you the only AI, Gerta? And you still have not told me what you are…what exactly are you?”

  I am the only AI on duty. I am a robotic artificial intelligence, an AI. I am the most advanced model currently on the market…produced by CLOCK, Inc. in 2175. I am designed specifically for long-term flights in intergalactic space, to and from the home planet from the belt. I am quite unique. I hope I have answered your test question fully this time.

  Gerta seemed proud of itself/herself/whatever-self.

  “How many stasis pods are there, and are they all full? Is Robin Lightfighter in one of them? Are they all humans, or like you? And are you the only functional AI on this vessel?” Eve asked, trying to pose linearly logical questions. She noted Dirk was still trying to copy the message with his ink-filled quill onto a piece of cloth. Eve knew it would take him quite a while, because she could see from across the room it was written in cursive. He would have to translate it first. Eve’s mind had wandered. Gerta might get impatient with her, if AIs got impatient. Luckily, Gerta had not yet noticed Dirk in his hiding place….at least Eve hoped she had not.

  There are one million stasis pods on this vessel. However, not all are currently occupied. One-hundred organic units, humans from our first set, were originally awakened to support the colony. The remaining humans remain in stasis. They are of biological origin, not AI. I am currently the only functional on-mode AI on this vessel. I am not permitted to answer questions regarding Commander Lightfighter for obvious security reasons. Now you must return the capsule or I will be required to confine you to our brig, Eve Overhearder.

  Eve glanced over at Dirk, who had closed the capsule and now rolled it carefully across the floor to a spot near stasis pod #1. Eve p
ointed to the capsule and told Gerta, “It’s right there, Gerta. I dropped it. I’m sorry I took it. Please take it back. I meant no harm to you or anyone on the vessel. Please tell all the other AIs I said hello and that I wish them all a happy day.” Eve winced, thinking she’d probably overdone it. Gerta smiled, picked up the capsule, deposited it back into the drawer, and said,

  Thank you for your cooperation, Eve Overhearder. I cannot convey your kind salutations to the other AIs because they are currently in off-mode. However, I am pleased you could visit. Please come again, but do not attempt further access of the stasis pods. It is forbidden and further attempts will be dealt with as per the intergalactic vessel visitor codes. Protection of human life is the prime directive.

  Eve nodded, said thank you and that she would not disobey the codes again. But then another thought occurred to her. “Did you know there are two other humans trying to get into this vessel, Gerta?” she asked. But then, she was immediately sorry because she really did not want bad things to happen to Miggly or Blakeley, even though they were not especially nice people.

  We are aware of their attempted entry, Eve Overhearder. Citizens Miggly and Blakeley seek further supplies for the city…and for themselves. They are seeking supplies that are not kept on this vessel.

  “You don’t have supplies? Where are the supplies? I thought they were here.” Eve was sorely disappointed.

  The supplies are in the bunkers. Citizens must refer to the map provided to the city manager if they wish to obtain specific items. They must refer to the Book of Rules for supply distribution procedures. I see my test questions continue. I hope I have satisfied your concerns. I have followed all security protocols.