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

by John Thornton

  “Like a Paul?” Monika asked with a scrunched-up face. “What does that mean?”

  “Sorry. He was someone I knew long ago, in Dome 17,” Jerome replied. “Paul could see the dark side of everything, easily. I hope he is safe somewhere.” Jerome looked up and away for a moment. He licked his lips and went on. “Pink, to the ancients of a few hundred years ago, well, pink was thought to be a feminine, frilly, fashionable color. Women stained their lips and fingernails with that color, among others.”

  “Now that is primitive and barbaric,” Monika snorted out her disgust.

  “But here we saw pink differently. Or a different shade of pink. Those pink beams were devastating,” Jerome said. “So, Captain Eris, what do we have to stop that pink beam of death?”

  Eris smiled. “The lattice of compeers is still computing what that pink beam was, and how it worked. I do wonder if the Apex Predators could have used their version of teleportation to get on board. I think hiding is our best defense right now. We are moving toward that Cosmic Crinkle, and stealth and concealment might be our best approach.”

  “But not our only choices. Jerome submitted some weapon designs,” Monika stated as they approached the transport hub. “How long before those are operational?”

  “Despite the protests from SB Bodowa, using my command overrides, Reproduction and Fabrication has now agreed to produce parts to make into weapons,” Eris stated as calmly as she could, although she did not look at Jerome as she spoke. “The weapons are being assembled.”

  “You know SB Bodowa is only making components, and is unaware of how they are being assembled,” Shadow whispered to Eris, and only she heard. “The process is tediously slow and will not meet the defensive needs of the Conestoga.”

  Eris prayed silently and ignored Shadow’s comments, even though she felt they were accurate. Instead she spoke again, “There are many considerations. I already have teams of engineering automacubes working to build our own copies of Vindicator Missiles. They are stripping the permalloy from sections and walls in the needle ship which are nonessential. Fashioning them into the arced plates out of which the missile’s body is built. Gravity pulse engines, similar to, but larger than the probe’s engines, will power them. The nuclear warheads will take longer to complete than the missiles.”

  Eris hesitated to add that SB Bodowa had refused to make the actual weapons, but Eris had been able to get Reproduction and Fabrication working on alternatives to that as well. She had requested simple batches of individual chemicals and compounds. Then engineering automacubes were using those chemicals and compounds to fashion antique-era non-atomic warheads, using antique configurations and recipes. Again, it was very slow and ponderous, but some things were being made.

  Eris continued. “I have a method of making conventional high explosives, but I am unsure of their effectiveness. If the Apex Predator’s ship has something like permalloy for its construction, those old-fashioned explosives will do little damage.”

  Jerome suddenly was thinking about Zeta Habitat, and how Sandie had set off atomic bombs inside it. Even with that, the exterior shell still had not shattered. “What about a larger scale Willie Blaster? At full power, a weapon like that could punch through whatever armor that Apex Predator ship carries.”

  “Excuse me,” Sandie the AI stated through the com-links. “I have been monitoring your discussion, and believe I can add some perspective. May I?”

  Jerome was about to just say yes, but Monika caught his eye and she shook her head slightly indicating that he wait. They both then looked at Captain Eris. It was an act of deferring to her authority.

  “Yes, Sandie. Please share with us.” They had stopped in the transport hub. It was clean and the hatches were all indicating that they were functional. A vehicle was parked at the fourth hatch.

  Sandie addressed them all. “I have three things. First, I believe you need to reorient your discussion. The Apex Predator nomenclature you have given to this alien species should be changed. It has subtle undertones indicating they are superior. That is a dangerous assumption. Psychologically speaking, that has a negative effect on your preparations. I conjecture continued use of that term will increase fear, and also increase feelings of despair, and possibly lead to attitudes of defeatism. I suggest that you call them the Jellies. That would be in keeping with the information which was found in the Zalian information library which we received prior to the planet’s destruction. Somewhere, and I have not been able to identify where or how long ago, but somewhere in the universe, this alien species already encountered humanity, and those humans called them Jellies.”

  “The Long Distance Racer?” Jerome asked. “Was the encounter on the Colony Ship Marathon?”

  “Perhaps. That is one possible location, but the evidence for that is inconclusive. It does fit the robotic probe’s report for CS 2, Colony Ship Marathon, which attested, quoting: ‘Latest assessment: 19% into voyage when incident occurred. No human contact, but distress signal sent from secondary Artificial Intelligence, Lenore, reports that ship has been attacked by hostile aliens. This date is the first contact with any alien race. AI also reported that counter-attack had begun, but message was garbled and when decrypted also contained contamination from other Artificial Intelligences. Ship considered lost. Trajectory plotting attempted repeatedly using all three methods of colony ship tracking. Marginal success on plotting of course.’ So, that conjecture is possible, but inconclusive. Nonetheless, the title, or name, Jellie, sounds to the human ear like the food substance, jelly. Jerome may not be aware of this, as he grew up in Dome 17, but jelly is a sweet, clear, semisolid, spread or preserve made from fruit juice and sugar boiled to a desired consistency. Monika and Eris are probably familiar with it, and the Fruit People certainly are. When the general population is notified of these aliens, I conjecture they will be far less likely to panic hearing the aliens called, Jellies, as compared to hearing them called, Apex Predators.”

  “Good idea Sandie,” Eris responded. “Make a note to all the compeers on the lattice that in all future references, the phrase Apex Predator will be replaced by the term Jellie.”

  “I know historically, using a demeaning name for the enemy did boost morale, enhance esprit-de-corps, and was a successful component of war,” Jerome responded. “Those were human-on-human wars, but I think the effect will be the same.”

  Monika then added, “Did that term, Jellie, originate because those aliens have an appearance which resembles, roughly, jellyfish?”

  “Possibly. The etiology of the term is unclear. That too is an inconclusive conjecture,” Sandie replied.

  Monika added, “In the Beta sea there were some small things that looked sort-of like that. Do the Apex… I mean, do the Jellies live in water?”

  “I am still compiling the information in the Zalian library. Translating it from Zalian to standard has taken more time than I conjectured,” Sandie replied. “Some of the Zalian terms are obscure and I am having to do a great deal of analysis and cross-reference to establish a more scientific vocabulary. Additionally, the group-mind aspect of the Zalian civilization does not easily unpack into my own processing abilities. AI Ogma did a fine job of getting a functional basis for communication, with a foundational vocabulary, and was admirable in getting the raw data to us. However, as is common with human languages, there is an infinite set of combinations which can come from that finite basic language. Now, I need to fully understand it, and that is a much more difficult task than I anticipated. Unlike, AI Ogma. I cannot consult directly with Zalians for guidance. That leads me to my second point. The Zalian relationship with the Jellies was very one-sided. Zalians viewed all predators as inferior and lacking in sentience. It was an arrogance and bias which greatly hindered them, and ultimately contributed to the Zalian societies collapse. They also had a difficult time understanding individual intelligence, and attributed individual intelligence to a lower level of advancement and evolution than their own. However, the Jellies do not fi
t that preconceived genre. The Zalians have huge records of their discussions on those facts. To use an old phrase Jerome may appreciate, the deeper I delve, the muddier the waters. Or you could say that their bias shades what we know of our enemies. Therefore, I am sifting the Zalian records through that filter. I am trying to look at the information on the Jellies logically and accurately to get the best understanding I can.”

  “And your third point, Sandie?” Eris asked.

  “That regards the weapons. Jerome’s designed are sound. The Vindicator Missiles can be built, with atomic warheads, but that will take time. In the meanwhile, his other designs of faster-than-light punching missiles can be empowered more quickly, and his idea for teleportation bombs is easily built. I also believe he is correct in that the Willie Blaster design can be scaled upward into what we can call a cannon. It can be installed at points along the exterior of the Conestoga to provide a lethal weapon system.”

  Jerome smiled and glanced at Monika.

  Sandie relayed a message on a private channel to Captain Eris. “Captain, I do not want Jerome to know about this. I also understand your comments to him and their nebulous nature. Reproduction and Fabrication is already operating beyond its design parameters. Time will limit what weapons we can bring into play.”

  “I see. Let me consider it all,” Eris said, and it was meant as a message to Sandie as much as to Jerome and Monika.

  “So, these weapons can defend us?” Jerome asked. His eyes were bright with hope.

  Sandie answered, “There might not be a need to defend anything. I agree with Captain Eris on continuing as we are toward the Cosmic Crinkle. I am working closely with SB Pinaka in observing the Jellie ship, and watching for the arrival of any other ships. I cannot yet deduce how they were able to move a ship of that mass through faster-than-light travel. Our understandings do not allow for that large of a mass to be moved. Their ship is likely superior in speed, and weaponry, according to our observations. For now, we are hidden and progressing on toward the target. There is a chance that we will arrive at the Cosmic Crinkle undetected.” Sandie avoided stating that the conjectures showed a low possibility of reaching the Cosmic Crinkle undetected. Sandie had also conjectured the nearly certain loss of hope Jerome would sustain if he was informed of the risks. Sandie vacillated about what would be a suitable response if Jerome asked directly about that.

  “Thank you, Sandie. Monika, you and Jerome go back to Probe Control. I am now designating that our Defense and Counter Assault Control. Please take up shifts and be alert for when those weapon systems are installed. Do not fire anything which might give away our position without express permission from me,” Eris stated. She bit her lip in fear that Jerome would ask more questions. Eris was in some anguish over making it sound like the weapons were progressing along better than they were. She prayed that Jerome would just accept what she had said. She looked right at him, waiting for his answer.

  “I see the value in hiding. Maybe we can get to that Cosmic Crinkle undetected, just one last flight. Then we will need to cross through that, and I remember how odd it was when I did it in the FTL scout.” Jerome tried not to think about how when he had crossed that before, he had been with Cammarry. He did realize that now when they crossed he would be with his twin sons, and he deeply worried about how it would be for the boys. The boy strapped to him was kicking his feet against Jerome’s chest. It was distracting enough that Jerome did not think to ask for more details or confirm Sandie’s conjectures. He looked right back at Eris. “I will not fly off the handle, or launch some premature strike which draws attention to us and gets us all killed.”

  Eris smiled broadly as she watched Monika place her hand on Jerome’s elbow in reassurance.

  “I thought I could count on you two. Jerome and Monika go back to your home, take turns with the babies, and at Probe Control, which is now, as I said, our Defense and Counter Assault Control. It will be up and running very quickly, so I need you on the job. I will return to the bridge and see about everything else. Thank you for your help,” Eris said with genuine appreciation. “God bless your efforts.”

  Jerome and Monika, their still somewhat crabby babies nestled into the papooses, stepped into the transport tube vehicle, then took the babies out and placed them into the safety seats. That started the babies crying loudly again. The boys kicked and wiggled at being placed in the seats, but Monika and Jerome got them strapped in. The portal hatch shut which cut off the sounds of their crying. Eris prayed for all four of them as she looked at the display which showed their vehicle was moving away.

  “SB Vamzdis? I need to get to the new bridge as quickly as possible. Is the tube transport open from here to there?”

  “Yes, Captain Eris, I can take you to near the new command bridge. We still have a few minor spur lines which I had to seal off. Those contain vacuum, but I am working at eliminating that as well. Please step into the vehicle which is opening now,” SB Vamzdis answered.

  Eris traveled back to the newly made command bridge. The journey was smooth and easy. She got out of the tube transport, and hustled into where she could see all the large displays. She was reminded that this new bridge had been the small Navigation and Astrogation center she had been so happy to find. It felt like a long time had passed since she had entered that place. As she spun around, she could still see some remnant of where the old place had been, but the intense remodeling and renovations had altered it almost beyond recognition. The blue engineering automacubes, as well as the roustabouts from beta, had done their work well. The original five work stations; Auxiliary Navigation, Stellar Cartography, Plotting and Reckoning, Auxiliary Avoidance and Repulsor Control, as well as Astrogation, had all been enhanced and expanded so that the entire ship could now be controlled from the new bridge.

  “Well Connie Martin, if you could see me now.” Just mentioning that disgusting woman, whose logs Eris had uncovered, made her consider something. She reached out to a small, locked, cabinet set near one of the command chairs and placed her hand against it. There was a green light which scanned her hand, and the door then opened. Inside was the RSW Model 10: Officer Edition sidearm. She pulled it out, checked its ammunition, and strapped it around her waist.

  “If those Jellies do get aboard, I need to be armed. I am sure I could shoot one of those monstrosities.” Eris’ mind went back to the woman Yudel who had been killed when Eris had tried to stop one of the criminals who called himself the Ferryman. Whenever she thought of Yudel, she wondered what would happen if she was in a combat situation again. Eris prayed for strength. She tapped the RSW Model 10, and said aloud. “We will see who is really on the apex. The Jellies, or us?”

  “You are doing well, Captain,” Shadow stated.

  “Yes, but we have troubles.” Eris sat down in the command chair, and it recognized her presence.

  The large central display illuminated. It showed the blackness of space, with the sprinkling of stars. None of the constellations looked familiar, and Eris missed the configurations of stars she had studied for so long in preparation for the voyage. The destination world, Tlalocan, had a constellation called “the Seven of Six” which consisted of six very bright stars that make the number seven in the sky. Those stars were to be the brightest in the night sky of that world, at least from one hemisphere. Eris’ mind raced to the other Tlalocan constellations, but her thoughts kept returning to that Seven of Six. She knew now that she would never see it.

  “SB Pinaka? Is there anything new to report on that object which entered into orbit around Zalia?”

  “No Captain. That object is still in a semi-circumpolar orbit.”

  “Why is it not orbiting in a better location?” Eris mused. “Why not cover the equator, or vary?”

  “I am sorry Captain, but I cannot answer why that object is doing that,” SB Pinaka replied.

  “Show our tracking of it on the right-side display,” Eris commanded.

  The display lit up with the muddy-brown ball of Zali
a at the center. There were bands of tan which streaked the once green and yellow world. Now it just looked dead, and Eris was reminded of fecal matter.

  “SB Pinaka, display the images we have recovered from the Zalians about that world they showed us,” Eris commanded. “The one they said we should go to. Show those on the left display. Keep it up there until I order it to be turned off.”

  The gorgeous Earth-like planet appeared. It was a soothing blue color, with bands of white clouds over the top of green and brown continents. One continent was long and snaking up from the southern pole, and made a large and ragged ‘S’ shape as its end nearly touched the northern ice cap.

  She sat back in the chair and stared at the world. It was unnamed, and the images were slightly changing every few seconds. It was not quite a seamless motion, as each image was stationary, but taken from a little bit further around the planet. The progression of images did give the illusion that the planet was slowly rotating.

  “It is beautiful. In some ways, maybe prettier than the conceptions made about Tlalocan.” Eris prayed for guidance, and then remembered her parents. They would never see either of the worlds she was pondering, and she had so hoped to help them to make the new world a paradise, or at least as close to a paradise that was humanly possible. Now, because of the circumstances, she was faced with being the Acting Captain of the Colony Ship Conestoga. She knew she was really only a teenage Junior Engineer. A few tears ran down her face, but then she wiped them away.