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

by John Thornton

  Cammarry showed Alizon to a seat and strapped him in. She then sat next to him and secured herself in place.

  The red automacube rolled into the vehicle and locked its wheels into place on parts of the floor which were designed for that purpose.

  Jerome wondered if what he was doing was going to turn out okay, but thought about his children. That strengthened him and he took a seat opposite where Alizon and Cammarry were seated.

  “Take us to the hanger bay,” Jerome said.

  “Transport commencing,” SB Vamzdis announced.

  There were a series of clicks, clacks, and a slight bump as the vehicle moved away from the hub. It slipped neatly into the transport tube and with a smooth motion set off.

  Alizon’s eyes grew wide as he felt the movements. Cammarry reached over and grabbed his hand and gently squeezed it.

  “Alizon, I am glad you came with me.” Cammarry glanced briefly at Jerome, then turned back to Alizon. “It is good to be with someone I can trust. Do not worry about all this new technology, I will teach you everything you need to know.”

  “There will be much for me to learn. For example, those disembodied voices, like the one called Sandie, and this once in this wagon, are they machines speaking, or people at a great distance away using machines ot project their voices?” Alizon asked.

  Cammarry patted his shoulder, then rubbed it with a soothing caress. She then rested her head down against it. “The voices might be either a machine or a person, but do not fret. Worry not about that, for now. I am here with you, and will not abandon you to some fearful entity. Just ride in quiet and peace, next to me. I will explain it all later when we are alone. I also want to hear your whole story. Where you originated? How you survived in the wilderness? What are your future plans, and how do I fit in them? But all that must wait until we are alone. Thank you again for coming with me. I admire your loyalty and nobleness.”

  Alizon nodded, and held her hand tenderly as the vehicle moved along.

  Jerome was stricken again by the changes in Cammarry. Not only had she lost weight, but she seemed almost like a different person. He wondered how much responsibility he had for that. Monika, and his sons were never far from his mind, and he smiled slightly as he closed his eyes and remembered the touch of his babies as they grabbed at his face. Their smell, even when soiled, reminded him of how much they were dependent on him and on Monika. Then he thought again of Cammarry and how they had only had each other from the moment they climbed into the FTL scout ship and were slung up and away from Dome 17. ‘Did I betray Cammarry?’ he asked himself over and over. “Did I disappoint her?’ and “I must have really hurt her.’ Then an answer came, but it was another question which haunted his mind. ‘If I did betray Cammarry, was I responsible for her actions after that?’ The thoughts, ideas, and ‘what if?’ possibilities raced through his mind like a ricochet ball smacked as hard as possible. Bouncing from angle to angle, never quite scoring a goal, and yet flying from here to there and back again. Jerome rested his head back against the wall of the vehicle, and the slight vibrations of its travel lulled him a bit. He flexed his fingers and hands rhythmically which only incompletely comforted the storm of his emotions.

  Time passed.

  “There will be some instabilities and rough travel as we pass from one tube section into another,” SB Vamzdis stated. “In order to reach the new destination, I must shunt this vehicle around a damaged section. Please forgive the uncomfortable jouncing which you may experience.”

  “How much longer until we get there?” Jerome asked. He looked across the vehicle and saw that Cammarry was asleep with Alizon’s arm around her. He was thankful she was resting, but hoped his question did not disturb her.

  “Estimated time of arrival at Swanson 6101 is fourteen more minutes,” SB Vamzdis replied. “Forgive the slow progress, but repairs are still underway to many sections of the tube transport system.”

  The bumps were more than a minor hindrance as the vehicle bucked up and down, then rocked side to side. There was a complete halt, followed by a backward motion and a series of small, but firm bumps. Jerome saw that Cammarry had awakened, and Alizon was holding her. She was more steady than he was, from the look in their eyes, and she was murmuring words to him, which Jerome could not hear. Again Jerome was reminded of when they had crash landed in a similar kind of vehicle. Then the vehicle glided smoothly along again.

  “We are approaching the destination. Please remain restrained until the vehicle comes to a complete stop. You will be exiting at the transport hub which is located one hundred meters from Swanson 6101. The automacube will guide you the rest of the way,” SB Vamzdis stated.

  The vehicle came to a halt, then backed up. There were some clacking and grinding sounds as the vehicle locked into position. The rear hatch then sprung open with a surprisingly quick motion.

  “Follow me,” SA-381 stated as it unlocked its wheels and rolled out the rear hatch.

  The three people followed, with Jerome taking the end position. The terminal hub was well lit and had nine portal hatches. Only the number five one, where they were exiting, had green lights above it. The others all had either red lights, or no lighting at all on their indicator gauges.

  As the automacube rolled up to the pressure door, it opened, revealing the hallway beyond. Jerome expected that SB Sherman might say something, but again the egress monitoring synthetic brain did not comment. It either was deliberately being silent, or was not linked or coupled to this door. Jerome could not decide which he preferred.

  The hallway had a sign with indicating arrows. Pointing to the left was ‘Rooms 6000-6100 and Swanson 6101’ while pointing the other direction was the label, ‘Rooms 6200-6300.’ The automacube turned left and rolled along toward the hanger bay.

  They walked in silence, which was broken by Captain Eris transmitting via the com-links. It came in as audio only.

  “Jerome and Cammarry? There is another phenomenon, a gravity sink hole, in Swanson 6101. I have had Sandie send another set of instruments to the gravity conduit nearby the hanger bay. Please be advised that the location is where I encountered the Ferryman when I was there previously. It is in room 6009, which is called the ‘Beer Garden Cabaret.’ It was once a tavern of sorts.” Eris paused slightly. Her voice quivered a bit. “There were people killed in that location. I have ordered the automacube to secure it prior to you entering.”

  “If I was allowed some weapon I could defend myself,” Cammarry snapped back. “But instead you trust a red automacube, more than you trust me. How very wise, dear captain. How many slaves did the red automacubes kill? How many?”

  Eris could be heard blowing out her breath. “SA-381 has been reset and repurposed, for proper security use. It is not controlled by the slave traders any longer. I have sent it along for your own protection.”

  “But you did not come to this place yourself, right? What are you hiding?” Cammarry asked.

  Alizon put his hand on her shoulder and she settled down a bit.

  Ignoring Cammarry’s outburst, Jerome asked, “Captain Eris, when did this second gravity sink hole develop?”

  “It was the first to develop, I believe. It is near to where the gravity conduit runs for the hang bay, so that was why I diverted this parcel to that other room.” Eris’ words were loaded with emotions. “The instruments are arriving soon, or should be there. I do not believe any humans are in that room, 6009, but I am not certain.”

  “That Ferryman group used dampening field devices before, so maybe they are doing that again?” Jerome asked.

  “That is a possibility.” Eris sounded distracted and stressed.

  SA-381 rolled toward the double set of doors, green and yellow in color, which were marked with a large 6009. They were set into a corner where the corridor branched off. As it approached those pressure doors, they remained closed.

  Cammarry walked up to the nine-section color control pad, passing several grilles which were blowing out streams of air,
and saw the control pad was illuminated. She tapped in an override code she remembered. The doors failed to open.

  “Well, nuts to waiting.” Cammarry had her satchel open and the molecular torch in hand before anyone could interfere. She turned on a deep cutting blade and jammed it against the door. The permalloy parted quickly with some splashing down in globs to the floor. Cammarry kicked the door in.

  SA-381 rushed past Cammarry, knocking her to the side.

  Blam. Blam.

  Shots came from somewhere inside 6009.

  Cammarry stood up and leaped toward the doorway, but Alizon tackled her and dragged her down, placing himself over her.

  Jerome squatted down against the side wall of the corridor. He tapped the com-link. “Sandie? Anyone? What is happening?” He felt vulnerable and naked being unarmed. The weapon’s fire was loud and echoing from the room. Lights shown out from the cut out door, but from where he squatted he could see nothing.

  Blam. Blam. Blam.

  More shots rang out. Alizon held Cammarry down, against her struggling. “Beautiful woman. Please stay here until that machine and the fighting stops.”

  Piff.

  “What?” Jerome was flabbergasted to hear the sound of a Willie Blaster being discharged in the room. He squat-walked up to the door and peered inside.

  Old-fashioned door on hinges was swing in the one wall. He got just a glimpse of some figure moving away rapidly. The security automacube was on its side, one drive wheel spinning, the other missing. Jerome saw no other people in the room, but there were tables and chairs stacked along one wall. He stood up and darted into the room.

  Cammarry pushed out from under Alizon and also entered the room, her would-be protector following close behind.

  The walls of the room were covered with old-fashioned items and antiques. Posters, photographs, artwork, and items hung as decorations were scattered about. All of them had a common theme of being things, or images, or pictures of equipment, cities, buildings, or people from before the Great Event. Jerome recognized some places he had read about.

  There was a raised platform, about a step high, upon which were many items of technology. All three of them looked around, but despite a close inspection, they could see no people.

  Jerome walked over to the destroyed automacube and saw that its internal fluids were running out holes which had been punched by some high-speed projectile. “It was a Willie Blaster, set on its lowest power.”

  “Great. Someone else gets weapons, my weapons, but I do not.” Cammarry dashed back to where the old-style door had stopped swinging. Without a thought she barged through it. Alizon was following close behind. Cammarry yelled out, “Where are you? Come and get me!” But no one was in the other room. Just several mattresses on the floor and a door which led to a separate hallway and stairs.

  “Jerome, try switching the intercom to channel 9,” Eris said through a private link to him.

  He saw the dials she meant and switched the intercom on. There was only static.

  Cammarry came back into the nightclub area. Her face was red with rage. She was pressing hard against the com-link. “Who have you allowed to use my Willie Blaster? I want an answer now!”

  Sandie the AI replied, “The only two Willie Blasters were both deactivated. The only others weapons like that were made by Willie for the other adventurers going to other colony ships.”

  “You are not seriously suggesting that someone else from Dome 17 came here, are you?” Cammarry recoiled at the thought. “Seven FTL scouts to seven different colony ships, only I came to the Conestoga. Not to mention that Cosmic Crinkle which threw us something like seventeen hundred light years away. So are you lying, or what?”

  “I too want to know what just happened,” Jerome added. “The damage to this automacube looks like the same type inflicted by a Willie Blaster, but I trust Sandie’s comment about both of them being deactivated. I know mine was.”

  “I have no idea where mine even is,” Cammarry said with contempt, although she was thinking it was on the shelf in the Ranger Outlook. She wondered if someone had stolen it while she was gone and found a way to reactivate it. However, she also doubted what Sandie was reporting.

  “Mine is secure with Monika,” Jerome commented and then immediately regretted bringing up her name.

  Cammarry glared at him. “Would she be shooting at us? Perhaps a lover’s quarrel? Some domestic violence? A feud between an old married couple? Did she find out how unreliable…”

  Alizon stepped up and interrupted. “Dear beautiful woman, there has been enough violence here. Anger is like a burning coal. When you hold it tightly to your own breast, it burns only you. Let go of the anger and it will cool off and no one gets hurt.”

  Cammarry looked at him. “You almost sounded like Jerome there for a moment, but you are loyal and true. I do not know what happened here, and that machine did give its life for us.” She looked to Jerome and held up a scolding finger. “Do not say another word. We need to go to that hanger bay and secure a shuttle.”

  Cammarry walked away, heading out the door and into the hallway. In her mind she was thinking, ‘I will just talk to that Colonel Harrison. If he is some military-type leader, he will appreciate my need to have a weapon to defend myself.’ Alizon followed her.

  After they got a suitable distance away, so that Jerome doubted they could hear him, he spoke. “Sandie, could someone have made a weapon like the Willie Blaster? We did have that one data stick which seemed to have been repaired, and was lost. I was able to crack information from a data stick. Could someone have done that as well? Perhaps I am just grasping at hay, but it is an idea.”

  “Grasping at straws is the suitable idiom, I believe,” Sandie replied. “I checked with SB Bodowa and it refuses to make weapons. It also reports that of the items it has reproduced or fabricated, there are insufficient parts to manufacture a Willie Blaster style weapon. However, that does not preclude one from being made. That data stick which is missing does contain all the schematics and designs. It is conceivable that someone with proper engineering skills might be able to hand-make a simpler version of that weapon.”

  “Could Captain Eris do it?” Jerome asked.

  “She has the skills, but she has not done that,” Sandie replied. “Of that I am certain.”

  “The Ferryman?”

  “That is possible. We have seen industrial skills used in dampening fields, as well as other technological areas,” Sandie answered. “Please do not forget to recover the satchel of implements to research this other gravity sink hole. The readings coming in from the one at Alizon’s farm are fascinating. I am collating the data, but have no firm conclusions yet.”

  Jerome walked to the pedestal where the gravity conduit was located. He had to move several tables to clear a path to it. Then he had to turn on the platform. The lights on the pedestal cycled through a series of flashes and then the top dilated open. Slowly and gently the satchel ascended out of the conduit. The top cinched shut and the satchel rested on the cushion. Jerome picked it up and slung it over his shoulder, then marched away, following after Cammarry and Alizon.

  Down the hall, Jerome saw Alizon and Cammarry ambling along. He wondered what was ahead, especially in light of the destruction of the security automacube, but tried to focus on the surroundings. Laboratories, schoolrooms, and a lecture hall were along one side. Various other rooms, many which looked like supply storage areas, were on the other. There was more dust here than he expected, and from the patterns of it, it looked like few of the doors had been opened recently. None of the nine-section color pads were illuminated.

  Cammarry and Alizon were standing by the bulkhead door which was labeled, ‘Swanson 6101: Hanger Bay’ in vivid green lettering. That door looked to have had several different things done to it. There was some obvious damage, but also some welding and repair work.

  “Someone with a vibration saw was here before I got here. I thought I would wait for you before we proceeded into th
e hanger bay. I do not trust just entering somewhere on the advice of Sandie, or anyone else anymore,” Cammarry said. She was flooded with memories, but refused to share them with Jerome. ‘Not like he would care, even if I did talk to him.’ She thought to herself.

  “Sandie? Is it safe behind this door?” Jerome asked. He had considered calling out for SB Sherman, but again he hesitated. SB Sherman did not respond from every undamaged door, and this was not even an undamaged door. Jerome had serious doubts about how Cammarry would respond if SB Sherman spoke. She already had significant trouble with Sandie who was from Dome 17, and the rest of the synthetic brains were from the Conestoga. Jerome thought that Cammarry would respond even less well to them.

  “The environment in Swanson 6101 is safe,” Sandie responded.

  “You said there was a gravity sink hole in that place,” Cammarry snapped. “How can it be safe if a gravity sink hole is inside there?”