“That does not matter. We must get through that door, find the shuttles, and get the communication systems functioning. Besides, there is no water here, and no toilets.”
“We are in this together,” Jerome shrugged and walked to the opposite door. “Cammarry, there is an access port here. Will you please assess what you can?” He inserted the com-link cable.
Sandie’s presence entered the nonphysicality again. Just seconds later Sandie spoke, “Eureka! I have assessed the nonphysicality from this location. We have indeed found engineering. The department here has the best condition nonphysicality I have yet encountered. It has been sealed off from the rest of the needle ship. I have recorded it into my database. It tells us nothing outside of engineering, but does have detailed plans for this area. While there are no primary artificial intelligence systems operational in engineering, the secondary systems are functioning in what they call ‘servant mode’ at 79% efficiency. Perhaps I should call these system synthetic brains, as per what we have heard about the Conestoga’s naming of things, but they are not sentient or self-aware. They are antiques compared to the level of sophistication of the artificial intelligence systems from Dome 17, and very rudimentary compared to me. Perhaps even synthetic brain is too advanced of a phrase for these limited systems.”
“Well, get the door open and lead us to the shuttles,” Cammarry insisted.
“The control sections of engineering are running on the secondary systems, in servant mode. Unfortunately, all the egress doors, including this door ahead of us have been depowered from the nonphysicality as well as the physical world. I cannot open it. I am sorry,” Sandie answered.
“Then I shall,” Cammarry pulled out the molecular torch and set about cutting the door open. She worked vigorously and nearly recklessly. After just a few moments, she stepped back and kicked the door. It fell into the engineering area with a clang. The thick edge, where Cammarry had severed through the metals was still glowing a bit from the cutting. The red glow from the cooling melted permalloy was washed out by the surprisingly bright lighting that came from engineering.
Jerome put up his hand to shield his eyes, while Cammarry just stepped directly ahead, while squinting her eyes against the brightness.
As their eyes adjusted, they could see the mechanical wonderland around them. They stepped further into engineering and were standing on a runway made from expanded metal which was three levels up from the lowest point they could see. At least two additional levels were above them and stairs led both up to the upper walkways, runways, and catwalks, as well as leading down to the levels below. None of the stairs was nearby to their current location. About three meters in front of them was the guard railing for the runway.
“I smell oils,” Jerome said. “And some kind of trioxygen has been dispersed not long ago.”
“And there is light here! Not that dim mind-numbing glow in the rest of the ship. Now where would the shuttles be?” Cammarry asked as she scanned all around.
The walls were mostly of gray toned permalloy, but there were stripes of yellow along stairs, lift edges, and against places on the walls which looked like they could open. Signs in clear white numbering were on some walls, and numbers were set into the permalloy itself next to hallways that led off away from the central area they were overlooking. High overhead, where one wall met the ceiling, there were square light-emitting fixtures. The beams of light coming from the boxes gave good illumination to the whole large area. The line of squares emitting the light ran the whole length of what they could see. The area was vast, and the view was interrupted by mechanical lifts, large vertical pipes, and platforms slung above or under the walkways. Beneath those platforms were spotlights which shined down on numerous work stations where chairs sat neatly arranged along counters. Monitors, display screens, and gauges all glowed with a green sheen.
“No people here,” Jerome observed. “I wonder why?”
“They would have just ripped up all this beautiful technology like they did in other places. Perhaps there was someone sane on this ship, after all,” Cammarry said rudely. “Good thing too. If this area had been destroyed, the whole ship would have been lost. We never would have been able to correct the orbital trajectories like we did.”
“We have made it to engineering. Perhaps now we can get some food, rest, and then proceed after we sleep. I know I am exhausted,” Jerome said. “Sandie? Do you have deck plans for in here? Perhaps a plumbing diagram showing where toilets and water can be found?”
“I am not tired at all. We must continue,” Cammarry said. “Dome 17 people must be saved.”
“Cammarry, I nearly lost you. Please stay with me, and let us get some rest. Fresh eyes will see fresh solutions to problems. I need you.” His eyes were wide and imploring.
Cammarry considered for a moment. She then walked over and hugged Jerome. “I understand. Yes, we should find a place to camp.”
“He is just slowing you down,” Shadow said to Cammarry.
“I said I understand!” Cammarry snapped.
“Yes, I heard you.” Jerome was surprised by her outburst. “I guess I am even more tired than I thought. Forgive me if I am slow in responding. I was just so worried about you.”
They slowly walked along, observing all the parts they could see from their vantage point.
Sandie spoke next, “I traced the nonphysicality’s plumbing diagram, which by the way was an excellent idea. Two decks down and about one hundred meters to what is now your left, and you will find a room with what on the diagram is labeled a toilet, sink, shower, and soaking tub.”
“Soaking tub?” Jerome asked.
“Perhaps some kind of acid bath for cleaning machine parts,” Cammarry offered.
Jerome and Cammarry walked along until they came to a stairwell that led down. They took that to the next lower level and then had to follow a curving walkway looking for another way down. Their search found a ladder enclosed in a cage, but open to the walkways. Climbing down that ladder they proceeded along, and the lighting got even brighter and a dull throbbing sound echoed about the engineering area.
“Behind the door ahead is where the diagram shows the plumbing is located,” Sandie stated. “I am only reporting what I found in the nonphysicality, so it may or may not be materially present. I conjecture it is likely to be accurate, based upon the conditions we have seen so far here in engineering, but that is not a guarantee.”
“This is labeled, ‘Caretaker Dormitory’ and that is the first door we have seen which had a name, and not just numbers or letters,” Jerome observed.
Cammarry pulled on the green colored handle.
The room beyond was almost as well lit as the walkways. The room was small, about five meters square. Along one side there were cabinets which were unlabeled and closed. There was a soft, green colored couch and small bed along another wall. In a corner were a toilet, sink, and shower. A large oblong vat, about a meter high and two meters long was next to the toilet. A blue hand shaped symbol was illuminated on the far wall.
“Tight quarters, but this is some kind of residence,” Jerome stated. He walked over to the sink and turned a lever. A clear and fresh flow of water came from the nozzle. “This colony ship wastes so much water. It is just astonishing.” Jerome turned to look at the vat and saw controls very much like what were on the sink. He moved one of them, and a roar of water came surging up from the bottom of the vat, filling it rapidly. He quickly turned the control in the other direction, and the water drained out. There was a ring of residue inside the vat where the water had cleaned off the dust from the interior. “I wonder what would have happened if the old world had had enough water. Could all that terrible radiation and deadly dust have been rinsed away?”
“There was never that much water.” Cammarry looked at the walls and discovered a small indentation. Which was illuminated by a soft yellow glow. Pressing on that released a section of the wall, and it folded out. The panel which had opened was about two hand sp
ans wide, and had a gauge, several large switches, and three buttons. They were of various glowing colors. She touched the blue button. A square display screen lit up in the permalloy to the side of the small control box she had found. The screen was dull white color, and black letters scrolled across it.
‘Access denied. Enter verification code. Access denied. Enter verification code.’
The scroll kept repeating. Cammarry adjusted another button and the lights in the room dimmed down to almost blackness. “Now that is helpful. We can have a real day night cycle here.”
“Sandie, can you get us access to this system?” Jerome asked. “There is a port here.” He plugged in the cable form the com-link.
“I have already mapped and assessed the nonphysicality here,” Sandie stated. “The servant mode operational systems are running life support, as well as a limited number of drive motors, rockets, thrusters, and engines. Although those are only remotely perceived and control of them is tentative. There are monitors which are relaying some information from repulsor generators, those are more distantly linked. I will attempt to override the system here, but as I experienced previously, these old-fashioned, vintage mechanisms are much more flimsy, fragile and delicate than I expected.”
“I understand,” Jerome said.
“I do not. It should be easy enough for a modern AI to just open up these systems and get us what we need, but instead we just go sneaking about the corridors in that dim and dank mess.” Cammarry rubbed her arm where she had been injured. “We still need to find the shuttles. Just wasting time here is wrong.” She pressed her lips together and then nearly spit out the words, “We need to finish the mission.”
Sandie responded. “I understand your frustration. I too am frustrated. I have tried all, shall we say, gentle means of coaxing the system to cooperate. Those have all failed. I can force my presence into this system, but I estimate that there is a 64% chance it will crumble and lose its functionality if I force it open.”
“Maybe we should both get some rest now, and….”
“Shut up Jerome. Sandie, force that system open and get what we need,” Cammarry huffed. “Do it now!”
There was a slight pause from Sandie. Jerome said nothing, but then murmured, “Do not force it, just get a bigger hammer.” His try at humor failed to alleviate the tension.
“Attempting to force open the system,” Sandie said.
A moment later the display screen flickered and changed colors in rapid successions. The colors then rolled but finally stabilized to a dull yellow.
‘Access granted. Information transfer completed. Any other routine maintenance?’ the black words scrolled across the display.
Sandie stated with satisfaction, “I have succeeded in entering this system, using an access code identified as Machine Maintenance. It is holding together, for now. This system primarily was used for entertainment purpose of the crew members who resided here. Nonetheless, I was able to unveil some added information. What I have found is that engineering is sealed off from the rest of the needle ship. Therefore, there are no, from this location, direct connections, links, or couplings to any location which may house a shuttle.”
“So we are marooned here in engineering?” Cammarry angrily stated.
“That is not entirely correct,” Sandie replied. “There are ways to leave engineering, we just are not sure what lies beyond those exits. Additionally, I have located a nearby utility shaft, which according to the log entries for waste elimination and reclamation, carries sewage away from engineering. The diagrams show that that shaft passes by an area designated as Pine 1206. Further investigation, from a different source in the nonphysicality, which was found previously, lists Pine 1206 as an auxiliary hanger bay. Combining those bits of information, I conjecture that Pine 1206 is a nearby hanger bay which would be a reasonable place to seek shuttles. Here is the view of that utility shaft.”
A schematic appeared on the display screen. It showed a top down view of engineering with their current location marked with two human symbols. The schematic then morphed into an ever tightening focus until it was showing a circular shaft’s permalloy cover.
“Good, so how do we get to those shuttles?” Cammarry asked. Her eyes were aglow with eagerness, a condition which troubled Jerome. “The builders must have easy routes to and from engineering.”
“It is a valid assumption that originally there were easy passageways from engineering to that hanger bay. However, the sealing of engineering severed those, and there are unknown and possibly damaged areas. Therefore, it is a difficult question to answer. The only deck plans I have that show Pine 1206 are these, and they only show the utility shaft as it interacts with engineering, and then with some labeled places along its course. I have no way of knowing how to get to that location,” Sandie answered.
“Conjecture a way to reach that spot. Do it now!” Cammarry barked.
“Because of the lack of full information, I cannot find any pedestrian ways to reach that location,” Sandie calmly answered. “One would need to exit engineering and search for a course through the needle ship’s corridors to discover a path to Pine 1206. I cannot make an accurate conjecture on how long that search and seeking might take. There are the remains of a sophisticated, by Colony Ship Conestoga standards, transportation system with terminals at two places in engineering, however, that system has been shut down and sealed off. One log states, and I quote, ‘Vacuum entered the transport system when Habitat Beta was jettisoned.’ Even though I have searched, I am unable to find a pathway to that Pine 1206 location.”
“We will just go through that utility shaft you found,” Cammarry suggested with an edge to her voice.
“Is that possible Sandie?” Jerome asked. “You said it was for sewage.”
“Possible? Let me make some conjectures. Computing and processing.”
Sandie was quiet for nearly an entire minute. Cammarry paced around while Jerome watched her with concern.
The display screen showed multiple images that shifted and flashed rapidly. It then stabilized on the circular cover which Sandie had shown before.
The artificial intelligence Sandie then addressed them both. “I have found a complicated, and risky, potential. On the display is a place where the shaft can be entered. Masquerading as Machine Maintenance I have found the controls to have that section of the utility shaft network drained of fluids, residues, and anything else inside it. The maintenance schedule I found states it should have been serviced every three months, but it has not had any upkeep performed for over seventy years. After pumping it out and draining it, I can then have what Machine Maintenance calls a cleaning lozenge sent through the system. There are several of those parked along the system. Assuming the cleaning lozenge activates, it can be sent to work. That lozenge is diamond shaped and will scrape the interior of the shaft system with physical blades, as well as magnetics, harmonics, and laser sterilization. Following that process breathable air will be injected into the shaft system,” Sandie explained. “That method will take six hours and thirteen minutes, at a minimum. I cannot guarantee what the condition of this shaft is like, but will know more after the cleaning lozenge passes through. The shaft’s diameter is only 53 centimeters. That is sufficient, perhaps, for human passage through it. If the process of making it patent is successful, and if you chose, you may then use it as a passageway to reach a position near to the hanger bay called Pine 1206. I can estimate your distance from the entrance and know approximately when you reach the proper position. You will be required to cut your way out of the utility shaft and into Pine 1206. Additionally, I will be unable to assess the situation in Pine 1206 prior to penetration, and cannot I promise any shuttles at that location.”
“So we go now,” Cammarry said. “I can crawl through some tube if it means we succeed.”
“Cammarry, Sandie said the process would take many hours until that is even a possibility,” Jerome said. “Am I correct Sandie?”
“Yes, Jero
me, that is correct. The utility shaft is currently filled with sludge. It will take a minimum of six hours and thirteen minutes, depending upon the success of each step in the process, to make it suitable for you to attempt to use it.”
Jerome reached over and placed his hand carefully and lovingly on Cammarry’s shoulder. “We must wait to try this. We both need to sleep and rest, anyway.”
This time Cammarry relaxed a bit and snuggled into the hug offered by Jerome. “I know. I am sorry.” As Jerome held her, she rubbed the place where her arm had been injured. Outwardly it looked healed.
“Come let us eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we will try a new adventure,” Jerome forced some levity into his voice. He was only partially successful.
“Shall I begin the process I described?” Sandie asked.
“I told you to!” Cammarry grumbled.
“I am beginning the process now,” Sandie answered. “I conjecture a low probability for victory in this endeavor.”
The Colony Ship Conestoga : The Complete Series: All Eight Books Page 37