MYLEA: the journey begins (Mylean Universe Chronicles Book 1)

by Philip Elrod

  Tom awoke feeling like a new man. He had no idea of the time, but that wasn’t important. He stretched and pulled back the soft bed covers. Now, he would get dressed and prepare, mentally, for that long awaited meeting with Maxx.

  He looked around, but his clothes were not where he had left them. They had disappeared during the night. He smiled at what he thought might be another trick from Maxx. Then, he went to the closet and picked out a casual outfit that would be comfortable throughout the long day of negotiations.

  Just then, a section of the wall slid open, and Mister T appeared, carrying the clothing that he had worn the previous day. “Master, I have cleaned and prepared your garments so that they will be in readiness for your trip home. I must admit that your human clothes are rather strange to me and certainly not of the quality that you deserve. I almost wish that Maxx had provided you with Mylean garments.

  “Our clothing was created from special fabrics that do not wrinkle or become soiled. In fact, the material is sensitive to your temperature requirements and adjusts itself accordingly. You would never need one of your jackets or coats on Mylea. We prefer brilliant colors and would never consider going about wearing something as bland as these clothes of yours. I think you’d enjoy trying Mylean clothing. Maybe, on another trip, we’ll dress you up as one of us.”

  “Thanks, my mechanical friend. I’d love to try Mylean clothing. I must say that human attire is not always comfortable, and I agree that our men go about in the most boring of colors. But, that will be the subject of another conversation. Now I’m ready to meet Maxx.”

  The robot bowed slightly. “Sir, I am your direct link to Maxx. When you speak to me, you are speaking to him. Maxx controls every function of our craft and all the components within it, including me. When you met me, you effectively met Maxx.”

  “OK, I can deal with that. Just give me a few minutes to take a shower and get dressed. Maybe you could come up with some breakfast for me. I won’t bother to tell you what I’d like to have because I know that you already know my preferences.”

  “Yes, master," the robot replied and turned to leave. Tom did not notice that he had a small smile on his face.

  Tom shook his finger, feigning anger. “I told you, just call me Tom. I am not going to be your master. We are associates and maybe even friends. Have you been programmed for that sort of relationship? If not, I’ll certainly speak to Maxx and have you reprogrammed immediately.”

  After a quick shower, Tom put on a robe and went back to the lounge area of his suite. Mister T entered silently, as always, and motioned toward a table and chair that had been set up with a delightful breakfast.

  As he finished his breakfast, Tom called Mister T and asked him to sit down with him. “Mister T, you say that when I talk to you I am talking directly to Maxx. Well, I can accept that, but I am going to continue to address you as Mister T. I am just not comfortable with talking to you as Maxx. When I want to talk to Maxx, I will address you as such. Okay?”

  “Your wish is my command.” Mister T smiled as he replied.

  Smiling, and sipping his coffee, Tom continued. “I have been thinking about how I want to do my visit. It would take me many lifetimes to see everything on this colossal spaceship, which I understand contains the planet Mylea, as well a virtual city of factories, laboratories, and other facilities. But I want to see enough to get a feeling of what it is all about.

  “So I want to do the following: First, I want to see the planet Mylea. I want to visit the planet itself and get a feel for what Mylean life was like before their extinction. I want to visit the home of Tanaka Tainaikai. I want enough time for a flight over enough of the countryside to see what the whole place might be like. We need to do all this in about one-half a day.

  “Then I want to get an overview of the interstellar transporter craft. I want it condensed into no more than a half a day.

  “After we have done all that we will return here and I will be prepared to discuss my real reason for being here with Maxx. That should provide us a full day of activity.”

  Mister T replied, “As you wish sir, but Max is very anxious to get your work here done.”

  “Maxx has kept me waiting for more than sixty-seven years. He can certainly wait a few hours more.” Tom’s answer was stern and indicated that the conservation was over.

  “As soon as you are dressed and ready we will begin, sir.”

  Rising from the table, Tom said, “Thank you Mister T. I will be ready to go in ten minutes.

  Chapter 8

  Visiting Mylea

  “Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads.”

  - Henry David Thoreau, Walden

  Tom and Mister T hopped into the same brightly colored little shuttle, and they sped away. Again, they traveled through the tube-like passageways bathed in ever-changing soft lights. Soon, they arrived at a rather large open area that seemed to be a hub. Other passageways could be seen branching off from the central area, and the entire configuration reminded Tom of a giant wheel with many spokes.

  They continued across the open area and approached the opposite wall rapidly. This time, Tom didn’t shut his eyes and only clenched his teeth tightly until the wall opened, and they zipped through into a huge warehouse-type area. Again, there were many shuttle vehicles arranged in rows throughout the area.

  They approached the nearest brightly colored vehicle. It reminded Tom of a subway train without individual cars. Mister T was quick to explain, “They were originally designed to transport Myleans back and forth to their work or to visit on the interstellar transporter.

  “These transport craft were constructed without seams or visible entrance doors. Each vehicle has the appearance of a single unit, but they are multiple cars joined seamlessly. The technology involved provided flexibility that allowed the cars to move effortlessly through the tunnels that you see on the sides of the storage facility.

  “You are probably curious about how passengers boarded the cars since there are no visible doors. There are doors located at the front and rear of each car. They only open when at the station to allow passengers to enter or exit.

  “Crews are not required as everything is controlled by a vast transport computer system. They are, obviously, no longer in use, but Maxx continues to maintain the transportation system just as when the Myleans were alive. It seems like a waste of time to me since, by the time Maxx clones new Myleans, this transportation system will be very much outdated. Oh well, I am but a simple servant.”

  Mister T led the way to a much smaller terminal area that Tom hadn’t noticed before. A single car awaited them. This new craft reminded Tom of a gondola. The upper walls and top of the vehicle were clear and seamless.

  The bottom was a brilliant shade of blue. Inside, there were two rows of seats with a central aisle dividing them. As soon as they seated themselves at the front of the craft, the robot commanded the craft to move. It rose straight up in the air and entered a small chamber where it stopped. The door closed behind them, and in front, another door slid open.

  The craft shot out through the opening, and they seemed to be going straight up for many long seconds. Then, Mister T spoke another command, and the ship came to a halt.

  To Tom, the sight was rather confusing. They were within the outer shell of the interstellar transporter’s geodesic structure holding Mylea. Below he could see the planet, with its land masses and blue oceans.

  Mister T smiled indulgently. “I can understand your confusion. You feel like you are in outer space, but we are within the framework of the transporter. From this vantage point, I think that you can appreciate the monumental task that Tanaka faced in designing and constructing the transporter. Descriptions are all well and good, but I don’t think that you could ever have imagined the size of the transporter without seeing it for yourself.”

  Tom raised his hand to indicate that he would like to stop for a few minutes and look carefully at the planet below them. It was an amazing and awe-ins
piring sight.

  “Mister T, you’re right, my brain would have never comprehended the magnitude of Tanaka’s project. Here we are, looking down at a planet housed in a protective framework and we’re within that framework. My eyes tell me that I see something real, but my mind says it’s impossible. I just needed a minute to adjust. Thanks for stopping.”

  The craft continued to hover motionlessly. Tom thought that this planet below him was even more beautiful than he had imagined. He had seen NASA films and photographs of Earth, but nothing could compare with seeing a planet with your own eyes. He had always been curious as to why astronauts would brave the dangers of outer space, but now, he could understand completely. Such a sight as this was worth all the training, sacrifices, and dangers that they experienced.

  The deep blue of the oceans contrasted with the land mass encircling the planet. Right then, Tom felt that he understood how God must have felt on the seventh day of creation.

  After several minutes, the robot glanced at Tom for approval and then commanded the ship to continue their journey.

  As they neared the surface of the planet, they passed through a layer of white clouds that had temporarily obscured their vision. Suddenly, they were out of the clouds, and a dazzling scene appeared before them.

  Beneath them lay a great metropolis with buildings that reflected the sunlight. The buildings were not a hodgepodge of styles, height, and size as on the Earth. These buildings were of a simple design, all quite similar in construction and appearance that seemed to come from a master plan.

  The structures appeared to be a natural part of their surroundings. There wasn’t a single street anywhere, much to Tom’s surprise. There were walkways and large esplanades, but they were irregular and often winding. There was no gridwork of streets and walkways as we have on Earth.

  At last, their craft came to a gentle landing on a large rooftop and the robot spoke, “We have arrived in our capital city of Norakai. We will visit the home of Tanaka, which should be most interesting to you.”

  Tom was awed. “Mylean cities are quite beautiful. They were so carefully designed and built, but they are so lonely with no one alive to make them buzz with activity. I can only imagine what they must have been like before the interstellar transporter. The city is ghostly and silent. Somehow, I expected to see a few robots running around maintaining things.”

  They stepped from the craft and Mister T signaled for a small transporter that they would be using for the trip around the city. He shook his head sadly and said, “Nothing on Mylea has been changed since the last Mylean died. Maxx constructed a fleet of robots to maintain the cities, but we won’t see any working today. Maxx wanted you to see things exactly as it was when the people were alive. He felt that the robots would distract you from enjoying the city itself.”

  Their local transport craft was very similar to the little red craft that they had used originally back on the interstellar transporter. It was a little larger and would seat four comfortably. Also, there was some a cargo area in the rear. Most surprisingly, it was a blinding shade of neon-like magenta.

  “You probably noticed that this craft does not use voice commands. It is an older model, and it has what you might call a control panel. I prefer this old-timer because I’m still a little nervous with voice commands. Maxx cautioned me, in no uncertain terms, that I would have to be very careful not to speak something that the ship might interpret as a command.

  “He warned me that if I made a mistake, the craft would respond with some very interesting and unexpected maneuvers. But, I know better. The designers of all Mylean transport ships devised programs that would not allow such a thing to happen. If an erroneous command is spoken, the craft would just come to a gentle stop and wait for a corrective action.”

  With that, he touched the small control panel screen in several places and the craft began to move.

  “I entered our destination and that’s all that I have to do. Quite simple. The ship will take care of everything else. Just relax and enjoy the trip. By the way, we call this little ship a PTV, a personal transport vehicle. This one is very special, and Maxx has preserved it and maintained it lovingly for many years.”

  He patted the console reverently, “This ship was designed and owned by Tanaka. He was a brilliant scientist, but, he also was what you might call eccentric. I understand that he was quite a flamboyant dresser and was famous for his rather exotic color combinations.

  “This little ship is unique. As for the color, Tanaka came up with the formula himself and no one ever knew exactly how he created it, so this ship is the only one in the universe with this particular hue.

  “How do you like the seats? Tanaka also designed them. They are far more comfortable than anything you will find elsewhere.” Mister T continued to chatter on proudly about Tanaka’s craft.

  Tom was overwhelmed and lost in thought. He could imagine Tanaka buzzing about in his sporty little craft, probably wearing an outfit of matching color.

  Surely Maxx must have known that this would happen. He could imagine Maxx, smugly smiling at his little joke. The original Tanaka had passed into history long ago, but here were two people that could have been his twins, riding around in that funny little car. Someday, maybe he’d ask the computer to give him the car, but he doubted such a request would be granted. Surely, he would clone Tanaka eventually, and he would probably want his PTV back.

  That thought made Tom wonder, If a person is cloned, does the new version have any recall of the past? Hmm. He would have to ask Maxx about that.

  They continued their tour of the city, flying at a height just above the rooftops. Mister T acted as tour guide and gave a running commentary.

  “I’m sure that you have noticed the buildings don’t exceed a certain height. Our cities were designed by master planners and engineers so that our transporters could travel at a specified height using designated grid lines. You might think of them as invisible roadways and streets. There are very specific flight paths. All craft are programmed to follow these flight paths at all times.

  “On Mylea, we don’t have streets and roadways that scar the landscape. Our vehicles do not pollute the atmosphere in any way. They travel silently and smoothly along the flight paths.

  “In the days when the people still lived, these paths were always crowded with transporters speeding here and there. It must have been quite a sight. In your world, with your two-dimensional transportation system, you have many accidents leading to injuries and fatalities. But, our engineers were very clever.

  “They designed built-in systems that would avoid collisions, and even if your ship lost power, you would not crash to the ground. Each vehicle has an emergency anti-gravity mechanism that would automatically engage if power is lost. The craft would merely settle down softly to the nearest cleared area or rooftop.

  “I’ll tell you more about Mylea later. Right now, we’re almost to Tanaka’s home, and we’ll land on the rooftop. I guess that you’ve already noticed that rooftops are our preferred landing sites.”

  They hovered over the building, and a section of roofing opened for them to enter and immediately closed behind them.

  Tom mused, “Now that is an interesting take on a garage for your vehicle.”

  Mister T instructed Tom to walk toward the nearest wall. A small symbol was emblazoned approximately five feet above the floor. He placed his hand on the symbol and a door slid open allowing them to enter the house.

  The robot led Tom down a short flight of stairs where they passed through another door and entered the main living area of the home. Tom stood silently for several moments trying to comprehend that he was inside the home of Tanaka, the person with whom he shared a common DNA profile.

  The quarters were far, far different from his earthly quarters on the transporter. Tom was more than impressed at how much effort Maxx had put into making his suite familiar and comfortable.

  In Tanaka’s home, the exterior walls were made from some transpare
nt material that Tom could only compare to glass. That was a surprise, as, while they prepared to land, he had seen that the exterior walls seemed windowless and quite solid. This mysterious construction material must allow for seeing out but not for seeing in. Quite impressive.

  Below him, lay a perfectly maintained garden where strange and colorful flowers bloomed in profusion. In the center was a large pool where brightly colored aquatic fish-like creatures glided about beneath the water’s surface.

  Mister T spoke softly to Tom, “Maxx has instructed me to allow you to tour the home in private. Everything is as it was when Tanaka was alive. You will be entering his world, and you may even feel his spirit. Spend as much time as you need here. Maxx feels that this visit is very important. In fact, I understand that you are the first person that he has ever allowed into Tanaka’s home since his death. It is quite an exceptional honor.”

  Tom walked silently through the rooms. Indeed, he did feel a special presence here. Perhaps Tanaka’s spirit did still roam these halls. What would he be thinking about the frustrating demise of the Myleans? Would he be angry with himself for creating the password for the Master Control Module that could not be broken?

  After a few minutes, Tom felt completely at home. These strange surrounds seemed to be almost comforting in some strange way. Perhaps it was the DNA that he shared with Tanaka. He would never know.

  He examined the interior walls carefully. It appeared that they were configurable; perhaps they were even capable of forming different sizes, or even different shapes, as the need might require. He could only wonder how such was possible.

  The first room that he entered appeared to be the kitchen, but there were no appliances visible. Tom decided that they were concealed except when in use. He reached out and touched a tiny panel set on the wall, and it slid back to reveal a cooking device. He examined it closely but could not determine how it worked. After some thought, he decided that this must be some a kind of technology that utilized molecular rearrangements to cause a “cooked” state. Maybe, it was even some flash cooking system. He would ask Mister T later.