The Colony Ship Conestoga : The Complete Series: All Eight Books

by John Thornton

  “Sandie? We are here!” Jerome called out.

  “Are you able to hear me?” Cammarry added.

  From the external speakers of the shuttle NS-99 the AI Sandie spoke. “Yes! Faithful Lightning is a success! It is good to reconnect!”

  “Faithful Lightning?” Jerome asked.

  “That was the name of this successful rescue mission,” Sandie answered. Her mechanical voice echoed a bit through the hanger bay.

  As Jerome and Cammarry walked out from behind the thruster fuel storage tanks, they got a better view of the line of shuttles. “Which one are you using?”

  “The one in stall 4. It is a Model 14S shuttle marked NS-99,” Sandie replied.

  They looked around at the labeling of the stalls, and saw which shuttle Sandie had indicated. That was facilitated because Sandie had its exterior lights wink on and off. Jerome and Cammarry rushed over to it. The rear hatch opened. Sandie spoke again. “I have a full complement of equipment ready for your use. It is excellent to see you both again. I suggest linking in with the newly fabricated com-links. They are on the top of the supply cache. There is also processed foods and water supplies.”

  Jerome patted the dull white side of the Model 14S shuttle as he walked toward the back. “Sandie, I cannot tell you how good this is.”

  Cammarry sprinted to the back and looked inside. She unpacked one of the com-link, kissed it, and then set it in place on her ear. “This is outstanding. I have so much to report. We encountered Zalian life!”

  “Cammarry, sorry to interrupt,” Jerome said as he also grabbed his com-link and slipped it in place. “Sandie, there are a lot of problems in this habitat with gravity manipulation. The risks are significant. We have observed gravity sink holes which are tearing places apart. What is our status here? Are we safe? We need an escape plan.”

  “I will immediately reassess the surrounding area.” Sandie was elated to have the com-links operating. That thrill was in her mechanical voice. She briefly wondered what kind of expression she would have put on her simulation’s face for Doctor Chambers, but then dismissed that consideration for another time. “Everywhere where I can measure gravity via the links and couplings through the nonphysicality, the gravity manipulation is near Earth normal. I also observed some biological life on Zalia while this shuttle was in flight here. I will compare your account to my own observations.”

  “They are intelligent. Jerome is calling them Crocks because of their sharp teeth and big mouths, but they are sentient,” Cammarry enthused. “Tool using, communicative, and social. They already know our language!”

  “We do not know their intent, nor why or how those gravity sink holes are occurring,” Jerome added. “I think we should fly out of here until we can fully assess what is happening.”

  Sandie replied, “I would advise that you immediately set up the teleportation system. That will be faster and more reliable than the shuttle. The teleportation system I brought here is very similar to the one in use now in Habitat Alpha. It was fabricated in Alpha with the help of a small lattice of synthetic brains I have established. The compact sending and receiving units are in the cargo hold. They are permanently programed for direct use back and forth to the needle ship’s Goat Room.”

  “So we can just step back and be received near the FTL scout, and your Atomic Level Processor. Excellent!” Cammarry exclaimed. “Oh, and Khin did not die. Wait? There is a long and convoluted story there, which I will relate later. Jerome is right. We do need to have a plan of escape. Those gravity sink holes are a distinct threat. We saw the capability and status of Beta’s gravity manipulation oscillators, and they could fail at any time.”

  Working diligently, Cammarry and Jerome unloaded the four jumbo fusion boxes to power the teleportation system. Those power sources were built into the frames of the compact teleporter.

  “Jerome? This is nearly what our original mission was to do. Come to the Conestoga and build a receiving pad. This is probably the easiest task we have had to do for a long time. That antechamber off the hanger bay might be the best place to locate this.” Cammarry tapped the components of the teleporters. “That place was in good shape and we will need to connect the jumbo fusion boxes into the power sources of the Conestoga to recharge after use.”

  “I agree. I thought maybe putting it into a shuttle would be better, but your idea is more practical, and secure.” Jerome was recalling the dead bodies he had seen locked into a shuttle. “Since the command console is set and tuned to the receiving pad back on the needle ship, that antechamber will be ideal. Far better than that apartment in Habitat Alpha. And we can build this now without crazed slave-traders trying to kill us.”

  “Agreed,” Cammarry smiled widely as she lifted the components and together with Jerome carried them back to the antechamber. The frame, console, and built-in jumbo fusion boxes were not so much heavy as a bit bulky to move.

  “Sandie, how do we secure a link here to make sure you are not alone again?” Jerome asked. “I missed you very much, and feel like I am finally back to being whole again. It was not good for this man to be alone.”

  Sandie gave detailed instructions, and the connections were made in the antechamber. Sandie made sure the room was secured and locked against intruders. “It is nice to work with some of the Conestoga’s systems which have not been butchered. This hanger bay and the antechamber are in good repair, but there is no synthetic brain anywhere in the vicinity with which I can connect.”

  “Oh that reminds me. There is a place called the Special Care unit. That location does have a synthetic brain, Cotard,” Jerome said. “It needs a security automacube badly. Khin, Vesna, and her people are there, but so are many elderly, disabled, and ill people. Can you send one to that SCU?”

  “I have not been able to locate any automacubes in this sector. I have sent in a request to Reproduction and Fabrication in Alpha for a security automacube to be produced. SB Bodowa stated it will take eighteen hours to fabricate. I will then have it teleported to the needle ship and then to here. By then perhaps you can inform me on the location of that Special Care Unit?”

  “Oh, I have a paper map!” Jerome pulled it out and held it up so Sandie could import the information on it. “It is not super detailed but will be some help.”

  “Interesting. Those deck plans and habitat details are not in my database, but I will integrate them into what we already know. I am building a clearer picture of Habitat Beta all the time.”

  Jerome pulled at his lips for a moment. “I did make a promise, although she did not really fulfill her end of the deal, but I did promise something for Colleen at the Listening Ear. Sandie? Will you have an additional medical kit fabricated and shipped to Beta along with that security automacube? It will need to go to the town of Seron to an establishment called the Listening Ear. Along with an instruction manual.”

  The AI Sandie replied, “That would necessitate a fusion pack, as well as some vehicle to transport the medical kit and fusion pack, unless you want the security automacube to do that.”

  “No, the Special Care Unit needs the security automacube as soon as possible, and the Listening Ear is much further away than that.”

  The AI Sandie replied, “A yellow transport automacube could serve that function, and do an ongoing survey and reconnaissance with mapping for us. Yes, I can set that in que for Alpha’s Reproduction and Fabrication.”

  “Thank you. I will live up to my promises,” Jerome stated. “I only hope it does not give us unforeseen problems.”

  Snapping the last pieces of the compact teleporter into place, and making the wired-in connections secure, Cammarry gave an instruction. “Sandie, connect this sending unit to the receiving pad. Open an orifice and assess its functionality.”

  The AI Sandie replied, “Signals connected. Pre-ignition check list is completed. All systems are ready for initiation. Just to confirm, I can only hold the orifice open for 90 seconds then the jumbo fusion packs will need to recharge. I conjecture tha
t recharging from the Conestoga’s power base will only take seventy-one minutes, but we will not know for certain until we make the test run. Shall I continue?”

  “Yes,” Jerome and Cammarry both said at the same time.

  “Initiating,” the AI Sandie stated. “All systems look optimal for test run.”

  The jumbo fusion boxes hummed rhythmically. The teleportation sending unit’s grid glowed and shimmered. Some minor sparks came up from each corner as the energy field stabilized. Hovering a small distance above the grid were two small circles of energy. Occasional leaps of magnetics and electricity arced between the circles of energy and down to the grid. There was a smell of burnt dust in the air.

  The energy circles continued to hover some distance apart over the gird. The glow from the grid and the fusion boxes shone about the antechamber. The two small globes of light approached each other from opposite sides of the sending unit.

  Sandie described what was happening, “Synchronizing and harmonization of matter transmission established. Calculations confirm link and channel. Modulating for expansion.”

  The two globes of energy swirled around each other momentarily. Then they merged and elongated upward and outward. A brilliant oval was formed. It shimmied fleetingly then snapped with a crack into an upright rectangular shape.

  “The system is fully functional,” Sandie reported. “Orifice established.”

  The opening was about three meters high and two meters wide. A white boundary of light encircled the newly formed tunnel from one location to another. Through the orifice they could see the Goat Room. It looked very welcoming, even with its dim light and growth medium covering everything. They stood watching, pondering, and considering. Jerome interlaced his fingers with Cammarry as they watched.

  “The system is fully operational. Safety checks confirmed and locked,” Sandie announced. “It will be recharged in fifty-seven minutes. There is a slight variable in the Conestoga’s power relays which makes for exact charging times impossible to estimate until charging is initiated. For this instance, Teleporter B will be fully recharged in fifty-seven minutes.”

  “Teleporter B?” Cammarry asked.

  “Yes, I have given the teleportation systems designations. The one established in Habitat Alpha is Teleporter A. This one is Teleporter B. The one in the needle ship is the Primary Teleporter,” Sandie stated with a slight giggle in her voice. “Not too original, but we needed names. The way the teleportation network is now built, it is like spokes on a wheel. The Primary Teleporter is the hub, and each spoke goes to a specific habitat. I have plans to make a teleporter for each of the eight habitats, if we can locate them.”

  “Sandie, in Alpha there is a slave rebellion and civil war. Here in Beta there are gravity sink holes, violent people slaughtering animals, and rumors of youngsters killing their parents.” Jerome went on and explained about what they had heard about Dewi and Nabila, and how the roustabouts were pursuing them. He concluded by saying, “I also owe a boat and a boatload of goods, some type of valuable cargo to that elderly couple Lloyd and Erma. I have no idea how I will repay that debt.”

  “We also met a sad boy named Adeilson,” Cammarry added. “He says the Ferryman is behind those murders, and he was the most hopeless and alone person I have ever met. Just a child, but he feels alone in the word. Alone, unwanted, and hopeless.”

  “The social situation here is complex and twisted,” Sandie stated. “From what you have reported it is clear that a lack of police or security has contributed to this anarchy and chaos.”

  “Will we be able to help?” Cammarry asked. “I mean, there must be some way to alter what is happening here? Prevent the murders? Help Khin? Work with the roustabouts? Or halt those gravity sink holes. Something?”

  “We will need to have time to make plans. We must survey all the resources we have. Survey and gather more information. We have just reconnected to Sandie, and we need more information.” Jerome flexed his muscles. “But yes, we will find some way to help.”

  “I agree!” Cammarry replied vigorously. “I am all for learning as many stories as possible. A survey of the Conestoga is imperative if we are to help these people, and ourselves. In light of those Zalian intelligent beings, we need all the information we can gather.”

  “For all we know those Crocks might be causing the gravity sink holes. To them we are invaders.” Jerome was emphatic. “Back on the needle ship is the most stable place we have found thus far, and that is where Sandie’s ALP and the scout ship are. It is now the hub of our operations. A place to start a comprehensive survey and see what needs to be done. Sandie can run conjectures, make assessments, and continue monitoring the situation in the three parts of the Conestoga we have found: the needle ship, Alpha, and Beta. Nonetheless, I must get you away from here. So together we go home now.”

  “Home? Yes, time to go home,” Cammarry said.

  Jerome smiled and nodded. “I never thought I would consider that needle ship and the Goat Room home, but you are correct. I am so glad not to be alone any longer.”

  They gathered their belongings while Teleporter B recharged. When they had everything assembled, and the system was ready, they activated the teleporter.

  “Sandie, take us home please,” Jerome said.

  “Yes, together, we go home,” Cammarry rubbed some tears from her eyes. “But we will come back and make this better. We must do that. We will not abandon these people.”

  “I agree. But now we go home.”

  Together, hand in hand, they stepped through the teleporter orifice.

  The end.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  John Thornton spends a lot of alone time writing these novels. When he is not slaving away at the keyboard, he enjoys reading, taking walks with his silly dogs, wondering how his ancient cat has survived so long, and spending time with his amazing wife. The best times are when their grown daughters and sons-in-law get together with them. When one is loved, one is never really alone.

  .

  Reconnoiter of the Conestoga

  (Book 5, Colony Ship Conestoga)

  John Thornton

  Copyright © 2016 Automacube Enterprises LLC

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN-13: 978-1523947829

  ISBN-10: 1523947829

  DEDICATION

  This book is for my wonderful children and the amazing lady who shares my life. I can never express enough thanks to my wife and our daughters. You are all awesome! You fly me to the stars!

  If you like this book, check out the Colony Ship Eschaton series (completed with ten books) as well as the Colony Ship Vanguard series (completed with eight books). Happy reading!

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Cover art by Jon Hrubesch

  1 rat’s mess

  Two adventurers set out on the Colony Ship Conestoga. They blinked their black and beady eyes in the ever present, but dim light, and peered about. Where they sat it was shadowy, but not dark. Power hummed in the conduit just above their bald ears, and radiated enough heat to make the small space comfortable. That sound had been constant for all of their lives. For this outing, finding heat was not the goal, so they stayed there for only a moment. Walking along, still under the energy mechanism, across the growth medium, their four feet left tiny impressions in that ubiquitous substance. The growth medium was where the vegetation rooted and grew and it covered over almost all the horizontal surfaces in their world. Their long hairless tails dangled ever so gently behind and above the footprints, yet occasionally did dip into that growth medium which coated the old machinery.

  Whiskers twitching, nostrils flaring, they each sniffed at various places. They were searching, doing a reconnaissance of their territory. The metals smelled of slight rust, on the softer metals anyway, and of oils, and in places of copper. The coppery smells were more rare, but occasionally did float up from where some plants had been torn up or where some lighter weight materials had been ripped open. The best smell was of undisturbed in
sulation, well one of the best smells anyway. Water smelled good when thirsty. Flesh was better for hunger. Neither hunger nor thirst was the driving factor of this reconnoiter. A different ambition was pushing these two adventurers.

  The smaller one, squeezing into a tight space, found a smell of some insulation. The light blue aerogels were riddled with holes where previous visitors had already masticated out most of the reachable chunks. All the best chewable parts had been gnawed away generations ago, leaving only carbon nanofiber, steel, or the even harder permalloy exposed. The adventurer was determined to try anyway. Finding with his teeth just a bit of aerogel stuck behind a flange, and then ripping it out along with a length of wire, gave the little one some hope. But after just a few moments and bites, it did not satisfy the need to whittle down his incisors. His tiny brain thought there had to be more of something to chew. Bruxing came from both of them, signaling their displeasure.