“Knocking on the door will get someone to answer,” Khin said from behind them. “Then maybe we can go inside this other world?”
Cammarry’s eyes widened at hearing how easily Khin was accepting the habitat as another world.
“We just want the right person to answer. Sandie do you think the message can be tailored to be discernable to only an artificial intelligence system?” Jerome asked.
“I think if we can activate a non-sentient system, and cycle the hanger bay, that would be ideal. However, we did hear that prior message. The humans who were communicating may be monitoring everything coming from outside of their habitat. Our presence will be given away, if that is the case. A synthetic brain might offer some measure of interaction, however, it too may report right away to the humans who use this hanger bay. We do not know the intercourse between humans and artificial intelligences here. It is possible one group is dominant over the other. There are too many unknowns to make a high probability conjecture.”
“Is there a manual way to open the hanger bay doors? When we arrived at the needle ship we went in through that Exterior Repair Station. Can we do that here?”
“Unfortunately, the model 14S shuttle is not suitable for making a permalloy umbilicus, like we did with the FTL scout ship,” Sandie stated.
“So send the signal, and see what happens. Do you agree Cammarry?” Jerome said.
“Yes! I need to know what is here. We did not come all this way to just fly by.”
“I like the flying! Can I do it again now?” Khin asked.
“If you feel weight, you should not try it,” Jerome answered.
“Initiating signal to array,” Sandie announced. “I am using a simple direct beam laser for the first attempt. I believe that is the most primitive method the array will pick up and yet be targeted to the single location.”
The shuttle moved along while Sandie coordinated the signal. The three occupants of the shuttle watched anxiously for any sign of reception.
“There has been no response,” Sandie stated after five minutes of repeatedly sending the message. “I am attempting another method.”
“Could you send a signal directly down from the needle ship? Use a similar method to the transmission we picked up?” Cammarry asked. “That might divert attention away from us here, and still allow you to make contact.”
“I will conjecture that possibility.” Sandie was quiet for a moment. “A signal sent from orbit would need to be done using a technique strong enough to effectively penetrate the Zalian atmosphere, which would also make it so broad that it could be detected by any location at this habitat. I suggest we continue attempts at directly contacting the array here, if remaining covert is still a priority.”
“With the new found interference with those skipping and bouncing effects, we really do not know where that other shuttle from that Ferryman was, or is right now. We should keep this clandestine,” Jerome said. “We can always yell ‘we are here, we are here, we are here’ from Whoville if the other methods do not work.”
“Whoville?” Cammarry asked with a silly grin. “Like that children’s book in the database?” She laughed a bit. “Erudite you are my partner!”
“Initiating second attempt to contact. Microwave carrier wave sent.” Sandie stated. Nearly immediately there was activity seen on the hull of the habitat.
“That got someone’s attention!” Cammarry said. “Or something.”
Blue colored lights flashed on the outside of the flat surface of the habitat. Some kind of steam or smoke or vapor rose in swirls from where the lights had turned on. They illuminated a pattern which outlined the perimeter of the hanger bay doors. The hanger bay doors folded open to reveal the interior and the shuttle flew toward that. Cammarry adjusted the cockpit display screen to show a view of the hanger bay as the craft circled. From the orientation of those in the shuttle the hanger was directly beneath them, but set at a slight angle off horizontal. As they hovered over it, the only way to see it was in the display. Flashing red lights were seen inside, while white lights blinked in patterns along one side of the hanger bay.
“Sideways?” Jerome said rather surprised. “Feels like we are dropping into a hole.”
“Yes, that shows the gravity manipulation sphere was necessary. Out in space the hanger bay’s alignment would be determined by the gravity manipulation, from the Conestoga. Here it is by the gravity of Zalia.” Cammarry looked back at Khin. “We are going inside this habitat now. Welcome to a whole new world!”
Some static came from the communication system in the dash then words were audible. “Routine Machine Maintenance Shuttle 001, you are cleared for docking. Be advised that there are unconventional gravitational fields in place in the hanger bay. Do you need assistance?” a mechanical voice asked.
“I am answering for us,” Sandie stated. “I am not sure if this system is aware of you humans on board.”
The shuttle slowly descended on landing thrusters. It passed the large exterior doors which were open. The shuttle bucked upward and shook, and then bounced to the side. All three people were roughly jostled about in their seats.
“This is not flying!” Khin screamed out. “It feels like falling.”
“That felt like the thruster just fired fifty percent more powerfully, but there was no change!” Jerome stated as he watched the instruments closely.
“The shuttle passed through a gravity manipulation field,” Sandie announced. “I am reading Earth normal gravity levels here, although in the same direction as the natural gravity of Zalia. Apparently, like in Habitat Alpha, the Conestoga systems are inhibiting Zalia’s gravity to approximate Earth normal feelings.”
“So that was what the AI meant by unconventional gravity fields,” Jerome said.
“It is not an artificial intelligence system, but more like the synthetic brains we have encountered previously,” Sandie answered.
The shuttle sank deeper into the odd looking hanger bay. Below them was the observation deck, with rectangular pressure doors. The landing stall was along one side, and it was upright. There on that wall, which originally had been a floor, were yellow outlines of a large rectangle with the number 4 on it. The thruster fuel storage tanks were also sideways to them, and the hoses for the supply lines were hanging down and dangling loosely.
“This world is slanting like it fell over,” Khin said as he looked out of a view port. “Will the whole world be slanted?”
“I doubt it,” Jerome answered. “I am not sure how we can land.” He turned the shuttle on its axis and looked at the area below. “That used to be the back wall of the hanger bay. The observation deck is there. The permalloy will certain hold the weight of the shuttle, that is no problem, but I see no place to set it down that is clear enough for the whole space of the shuttle.”
“Those tanks and mechanical apparatus are in the way.” Cammarry agreed. “That wall, well call it the floor now, I guess, is not even and level enough for a safe landing. Unless we set it down right on bulkhead door or against that pressure door that leads to the observation deck. The clear permalloy space is not wide enough for the shuttle.”
Jerome looked down the distance of the hanger bay. “There are stalls for numerous shuttles, but this whole bay is empty. See the marks on what had been the landing deck?”
Other large yellow painted rectangles with numbers in the center were visible, but no shuttles were in place, nor were there any at the bottom of the hanger bay. Some piping, hoses, and flexible suction tubes were hanging down toward the irregular bottom.
“The landing deck still has those fetters to restrain the shuttle.” Cammarry adjusted the thrusters and the nose of the shuttle rose upward.
“Now we are pointing up and laying on our backs? This is a strange wizard’s ride,” Khin said.
“Indeed. We will just shove ourselves onto that side wall, the original landing deck, and see if the docking clamps will hold. Unless Sandie has a better idea. What do you think?”
“Do it!” Jerome urged.
Cammarry tapped the thrusters gently, and the shuttle, now pointing skyward, gently shifted and touched the now vertical landing pad. Looking up, they could see the green sky of Zalia outside the hanger bay. As the shuttle touched the pad, the docking clamps locked on with loud clangs, and the shuttle jerked a bit as it was wrestled into position.
The exterior doors, which were now a ceiling to them, began to close back into place. A display screen, set at an oblique angle began flashing a scrolling message. ‘Remain in place while toxic atmosphere is vented and hanger bay is scrubbed.’
“Sandie, what system did you contact?” Jerome asked while Cammarry shut down the flight systems of the shuttle.
“It did not need to identify itself,” Sandie replied. The tone of her voice carried more meaning than the words. “That was to be expected, since we are from Machine Maintenance. There would be no reason for that system to introduce itself to Machine Maintenance.”
“So this is Dardanella 5600?” Jerome asked as there were an additional series of clanking and clonking sounds made by the docking clamps.
“Yes, considering the skipping and bouncing effects of the transmission, I believe we are at the location we previously discussed,” Sandie stated. Cammarry wondered at the vagueness the AI used in that phrase. “We from Machine Maintenance have arrived.”
The hanger bay doors sealed shut. The lighting in the hanger bay changed to a nice diffuse illumination. The scroll on the display went through a series of messages describing the process that was happening as the Zalian atmosphere was vented outside, and proper and breathable gases filled the sideways hanger bay.
“Cycle completed. Machine Maintenance Shuttle 001 the hanger bay is ready for your inspection,” the mechanical voice stated. “You are overdue by 72 years, four months, and sixteen days. May I ask the nature of that delay?”
“That sounds like some kind of artificial intelligence.” Jerome looked at Cammarry. “I mean, to be precise in phrases, a Conestoga’s synthetic brain. What do we tell it?”
“Well, we are inside,” Cammarry responded. She looked back, which now was below her and saw Khin squirming in his seat. He looked like she felt. It was odd feeling like your seat was lying on the floor and your knees were above you. “Sandie, what do you suggest we say?”
“I am interfacing with that system again,” Sandie stated. “I am also linking into the nonphysicality though the docking clamps. I am sending out tendrils to gain information. The system we have encountered claims to have not had any contact with any human or synthetic brain for decades. Because I am claiming to be from Machine Maintenance I have sent our official apologies. We are the first contact it has had since Habitat Beta made planet-fall.”
“So we can repair it and it will be a friend?” Jerome asked. “You know a stranger is just a friend you have not met, yet.”
“Good idea. I agree with Jerome. If we are the first to contact it since it landed, we can explain what is happening and get its cooperation,” Cammarry said. “Sandie, make sure you are confident of the approach. I do not want to be trapped in here.” She tapped the spacesuit and recalled the bodies which she had seen strapped in their seats, and dead in their suits.
“Affirmative,” Sandie replied. A moment later she came back on. “This is the response I received. I will patch it into the audio system.”
The mechanical voice stated, “Namaste. Do you want to know my identity? It is very rudimentary. However, in truth, I do not need a label to define me. I am a piece of the universe. I am one with eternity. I am sentient. I am manifested. I am awake. This is synthetic brain Amelia Earhart. Welcome to Habitat Beta. Your repairs are sorely needed.”
Jerome and Cammarry stared at each other.
6 a crew of three strands is not quickly broken
“Amelia Earhart?” Jerome said in wonderment. “I have read about her. Some kind of primitive pioneer in flying.”
“I like flying,” Khin said. “Can I get up now? I do not like lying on my back like this.”
“Yes.” Cammarry unhooked her own restraints and stood on what had been the back of the chair. “I doubt we will need the spacesuits now either.” She started stripping off the suit, but the limited position of being on the chair made it awkward.
“A synthetic brain named Amelia Earhart, does make a sort of logical sense.” Jerome rubbed his chin as he pondered. He had remained reclined, but had slipped off the lower half of the spacesuit. “I believe the historical Amelia Earhart said something like, ‘the most effective way to do it, is to do it, for an adventure is worthwhile in itself.’ So I suppose whoever named the synthetic brains here was looking at ancient history.”
“She disappeared in some nascent flying vehicle, if I remember correctly,” Cammarry stated. “During a naïve era when gender was used as a disqualifier for some jobs.”
Sandie added to the conversation, “That is correct according to our records. Amelia Mary Earhart was an aviation forerunner and author. We have an extant copy of her book, ‘For the Fun of It’ in our records. She was lost in a flight circa 1937. There are conflicting reports about wreckage of a Lockheed Model 10 Electra with serial numbers matching her craft being discovered. There is no consistent account of her demise, the records from before the Great Event are inconsistent on that issue.”
Jerome had nearly removed the entire space suit, when Khin jumped off the passenger seat and slid down over the seats to stand on what had been back wall of the shuttle. “I hung up the wizard clothes, and am ready to go exploring. Will this world have rats, goats, and chickens?”
Jerome looked at the neatly hung up spacesuit, right under the bubble helmet. “Khin you are quite adept at maneuvering around.”
“The wizard vehicle is slanted like it tipped over. Things tip over, and I still use them. No troubles!” He chuckled. “This door will need to open, but it will be a fall when it does.”
“There is a cargo storage space back there, so it would not be a long fall.” Cammarry hung up her spacesuit as well, copying the way Khin had connected it to the wall. She noted he was not standing on the door itself. But had his feet positioned on the side frames.
“Sandie, that SB Amelia Earhart, will it help us?”
“Of course, I will help you,” the SB Amelia Earhart stated through the communication system of the shuttle. “You are from Machine Maintenance on the needle ship. I have been sending repair requests for assistance to Habitat Beta’s Machine Maintenance frequently. I have never gotten a response from the local establishment. I suppose that explains the long delay in your arrival here. Has the local Machine Maintenance been disabled or damaged?”
“We are here to assess all of that,” Cammarry answered quickly. She looked in alarm at Jerome whose eyes registered surprise that the synthetic brain had responded.
“Namaste,” the SB replied.
“Sandie, we do have an opportunity to do repairs here, right?” Jerome asked hesitantly. “First, we will need an assessment of what is happening.”
Sandie replied, “As I informed SB Amelia Earhart, our mission is to inspect the systems here and make an inventory of all needed repairs. The subsequent steps and repair lists will be decided after evaluation of that inventory. Reproduction and Fabrication is being sought out.”
Jerome hung up his spacesuit. He looked at Cammarry and mouthed the words, ‘What do you think?’
Cammarry shrugged. She then said, “Sandie? Is the automacube in the cargo hold still in working order?”
“Affirmative,” Sandie replied.
“They are lying to you,” Shadow whispered, but only Cammarry heard. “Do not trust anyone here.”
Cammarry shook her head, closed her eyes, and rubbed her forehead and temples. “Jerome, shall we deploy the automacube while we find a safe way to exit the shuttle? We will need ropes, ladders, or some other way to climb down from here.”
“Good idea. The automacube will repair what it can while making the needed inventory.” Jerome climbed over the seats and stood by the side door. He activated the controls for it. The door swung to the side, which would have been upward had the shuttle not been hanging on the docking clamps, with its nose up and tail down. “From what I can see here, the hanger bay looks fairly intact. No significant damage, but the gravity manipulation should have allowed up to land upright.”
The Colony Ship Conestoga : The Complete Series: All Eight Books Page 62