For just a moment, he hesitated, remembering all the things shuttles had meant and all he had seen. He blinked away the memories of dead bodies in spacesuits, and of exploding communication panels, and of being taken to unknown places. The hatch swung up and inside it was brightly lit, with clean air, neat seats, and an instrument cockpit which was fully functioning.
“Welcome Jerome,” a voice came from the instrument panel.
“Your voice is new to me. Which system are you?” Jerome asked.
“Proper names and designations are essential to quality communications. You may address me as Compeer,” the voice replied.
Jerome felt his hands getting sweaty. He licked his lips and pondered what to say. Before he could, Sandie the AI’s words came from his com-link. “Relax Jerome. That is a consolidation voice from the lattice of compeers. You may address it as Compeer, as the lattice will reply to that nomenclature. Those systems are working in concert for your benefit. I am assisting, but also remaining separated.”
“It is not that Shadow thing?” Jerome asked. “There are been… too many problems, and well…” He stammered as he tried to keep the trembling out of his voice, but it was difficult. “Whatever you do, avoid telling Cammarry anything about that Shadow or the system behind it. She was traumatized enough. Please show her mercy.”
“We are on a private channel now. Cammarry just asked a very similar question. She was told that voice is the lattice, and was assured that Shadow is no more. Rest assured, Jerome,” Sandie stated. “I will make sure Cammarry is protected as much as possible; physically, psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually. Besides, I was not being deceitful when I told Cammarry that the Shadow is no more. As far as I can tell, there have been no examples of the Shadow’s activity anywhere.”
“Thanks. So Cammarry will not hear my conversations with you?” Jerome asked.
“Not directly, for now. I will serve as the channel by which you two communicate. I will keep all talk on private channels as much as possible. Until the actual towing begins, I conjecture no risk in keeping you two separated. However, knowing the volatile history between you two, I do conjecture a higher-than-acceptable risk if you have unfettered conversations. Thus, you will remain separated for now. That is for the safety of both of you, and to allow for a greater probability of success in this crucial mission.”
“Why not just let the lattice run the towing missions?” Jerome asked. “I know there are systems that can remotely operate shuttles. Why not use them?”
“That was considered,” Sandie replied. “Human pilots offer a slightly higher conjectured success rate. Adaptability and versatility was needed in this mission.”
“What about the safety of the lattice? I mean, well, those central memory cores, like for those artificial intelligences and synthetic brains? Are they safe?” Jerome’s mind had thought of the place Khin called the Graveyard of Dead Minds, and all the busted-up memory cores which were there. “If something happens to the physical base of the lattice, and it is in control of this shuttle, are we at risk? I know Captain Eris is trying her very best, but if the physical components of memory cores are damaged, then the intellect is severely threatened. Right? Sort of like what happened when your Atomic Level Processor was transferred. We need to keep our heads together.”
“That is a fair analogy. The central memory cores for AI Batibat, AI Seljak, SB Sherman, and SB Joseph Crater are relatively safe as they are physically located in Alpha. I am unsure of the physical location of some central memory cores. Still others are located in various places in the needle ship, and they are indeed threatened.” Sandie hesitated for a moment, and it was noticeable to Jerome.
“Sandie, there is something more? Are you physically safe? I am reminded of some ancient speaker who said something like the voice is the mirror of the mind, and ears, without seeing, confess the secrets in the heart, while the secrets of the conscience, are perceived in the stillness between the words. What is happening? Please tell me.” Jerome pulled himself into the pilot’s seat.
“The automacube housing my ALP is comparatively safe in Alpha. However, the needle ship is on fire in multiple locations. The energy channels are burning, and the central memory cores which are located on the needle ship are indeed severely threatened,” Sandie admitted. “I have attempted nearly every possible method to reactivate the firefighting equipment, but all efforts have failed. The fire is spreading, along those energy pathways, within the previously sealed and insulated compartments. Captain Eris understands the gravity of the situation, and she has a set forth a highly risky plan to extinguish the fires.”
Again, there was silence.
“Sandie? Sandie? Highly risky? What is that plan?” Jerome asked.
“I am not at liberty to discuss it. What I can say is that that plan will not be implemented until we have encountered the Cosmic Crinkle. So, please prepare for launch. The system you can call Compeer will address you and make the announcements, but I am still listening and observing. Call to me, and I will answer.”
Jerome recognized that he was being dismissed, and to press on for more information would be pointless. Yet, it troubled him greatly. Compeer’s voice sounded familiar, not in its pitch, tone, or intensity, but rather in its attitude, or timbre, or something. He strapped himself in, and glanced at the other pilot seat next to him. Obviously, it was vacant, but he felt tugs at his emotions as he recalled seeing Cammarry in the seat next to him in the FTL scout as they had been in the sling bay at Dome 17. There was a deep sense of loss, and somehow finality. He glanced behind him, and those empty seats were also haunting in their own way. He could not exactly explain why those empty seats were bothering him, but the four rows of seats, with the aisle down the middle, just seemed forlorn and unfulfilled. Jerome’s pondering was interrupted as a voice came from the cockpit.
“Attention shuttles AS-701 and AS 702. Insure you are restrained,” the consolidated voice of the lattice of compeers stated. Jerome tried to think of it as a single entity, called Compeer, as Sandie had instructed. His mind worried at the fact that there were raging fires on the needle ship, which he had no control over. Yet, the voice bothered him even more. Something about Compeer’s communication was rubbing him the wrong way, and putting up red flags in his mind. He smiled at himself for thinking in such old-fashioned idioms. He took slow deep breaths as he assigned those worries to compartments in his mind like he had done with other uncontrollable events. He did some calisthenics with his hands and arms, and that relaxed him a bit. Then Compeer’s voice continued. “Swanson 1277 is being depressurized. Gravity manipulation is being diminished to affect a zero-gravity state. Be prepared for lunch.”
“I am ready,” Jerome responded.
“Launching in thirty seconds,” Compeer stated. “Manual control will be relinquished to each pilot upon successfully exiting from Swanson 1277.”
Jerome looked out the view ports and saw that the huge hanger bay doors were folding back on themselves as they moved to the side. The parting of those doors revealed the blackness of space beyond. The sensation of the loss of gravity manipulation was not as abrupt as Jerome expected.
It what looked like silent movement, to Jerome, the shuttle Cammarry was piloting, AS-701 rolled forward, moving out toward the still opening hanger bay doors. Jerome’s field of vision encompassed the entire front of the hanger bay. The shuttle was rolling along on its wheeled landing gear. In addition to visually seeing AS-701, it also was showing up as a green arrow on his cockpit’s display screen. That shuttle lined up the with open doorway, then, with a small burst from the thrusters on the inferior, or bottom side, of the wings, the craft lifted up off the hanger bay’s deck. A spurt from the superior thrusters stopped its ascent so it hovered for a bit while the landing gear folded up into the belly of the shuttle. The huge flange at the stern of the shuttle glowed, and AS-701 flew out of the hanger bay.
“AS-702, you are now departing,” Compeer stated. “You are locked out of
the controls, for now. Manual flight controls are locked to prevent tampering during launch. You lack any identification recognition keys, and the automatic launch program is running.”
“Identification recognition keys?” Jerome muttered. He could feel the mechanisms of the shuttle working, but his mind was spinning. “Joseph Crater?” He tapped the com-link. “Sandie? This has a distinct feeling of being kidnapped like before. Is this mission going as planned by you?”
“Yes, Jerome. The mission is proceeding as planned. Please do not be alarmed,” Sandie responded.
“It just reminds me too much of the runabouts, and SB Joseph Crater. Is Cammarry safe?” Jerome implored.
“Yes, although her heart rate and breathing rate are slightly elevated. She too asked about SB Joseph Crater just moments ago,” Sandie answered.
“This is too eerily similar. Much more than déjà vu. Sandie, is SB Joseph Crater running this operation?”
There was an awkward and disturbing pause and silence from Sandie. Jerome’s shuttle fired the series of thruster burns and retracted the landing gear. As the shuttle flew past the now completely open hanger bay doors, Sandie finally answered.
“SB Joseph Crater is part of the lattice, and its physical central memory core is located in Alpha, but it is not the only system assisting in this operation,” Sandie replied. “I strongly counsel you, as I have advised Cammarry, to focus on the mission, and not on tangential things or anxiety producing considerations. This shuttle is equipped with four versatile remote manipulation limbs in its two payload compartments. Loaded in with those are four, hawsers, each with a five-hundred-meter length. An adhesive attachment device is located at the end of that hawser. The Colony Ship Conestoga does not have hawseholes, or a designated hawser anchoring spot, so the connections will have to be made using the adhesive device. Compeer will determine the exact connection point for adhesion of the hawser.”
Jerome watched out the viewport as the shuttle flew out and away from the hanger bay. Swanson 1277 had opened on the side of Alpha’s huge cylinder which partially faced the needle ship. The shuttle flew out and turned to align itself to be parallel to the Conestoga. Jerome looked down at the cockpit display, and it showed an animation of the Conestoga. The great colony ship looked out of balance with only a single habitat connected to the long, and relatively speaking, skinny needle ship. His mind filled in the blanks on where the other seven habitats should have been connected.
“So much loss,” Jerome commented. “So, little left.”
“Your comments reflect the already known difficulty in dealing with some biological units,” Compeer stated. “Please rephrase your comments to include proper contextual clues as to your meaning. Otherwise, I will disregard awkward, incoherent, and nonsensical statements.”
“It was not nonsensical. I was thinking about the other seven habitats which are all dead now,” Jerome snapped back. “Your attitude is annoying, and irritating. Again, that reminds me of when I was in a runabout, and Cammarry was in a different one. We must work together here, not quibble.”
“You make a valid observation,” Compeer replied. “The others in the lattice have offered me chastisement for my previous comments.”
Jerome blew out a breath with a small amount of satisfaction, but watched outside. The bluish gray of the Conestoga contrasted to the blackness of space. Although in various places along the vista of the needle ship, there were black scars, and ragged holes, from battle damage. Additionally, there were spots where substances had emerged from pipework, only to freeze in the coldness of space. Many of those spots were crystalline and sparkling. Some areas were still venting gases and vaporizing liquids, which looked like fountains spraying forth from the breaks and damaged areas.
“What a mess,” Jerome commented.
Compeer’s voice came from the cockpit. “Please be more specific, if possible, in your comments. Piloting is now relinquished to the human occupants of AS-701 and AS-702. I am here to assist and assess. Scans are being made of the surface of the Conestoga, looking for proper adhesion points to begin the towing mission. Those parameters are being fed into the cockpit displays.”
Jerome tapped the com-link over his ear. “Sandie? May I please speak directly with Cammarry? It is not good for man to be alone.”
“An odd reference, considering its origins. I will run conjectures,” Sandie replied. After only a slight pause, Sandie went on. “Yes, I will establish a link momentarily. Be aware that Cammarry has also had negative responses to Compeer. I have tried to mitigate the tension, with only limited success. Reassessment of my conjectures regarding your interactions have been done. I now believe there is equal danger in having you converse as there is to having you be isolated. The risk in both situations is far higher than is desirable, but I shall allow you to converse. Link established.”
“Jerome? Sandie finally let me talk to you,” Cammarry stated. Her voice was not as emotional as Jerome had expected. “The system called Compeer reminded me of Carter the Kidnapper, but enough of that. We have a mission to complete. This shuttle is equipped with a range of tools I have not seen on the Conestoga before. Well, maybe Eris knew of this stuff. I believe we can use the remote limbs and cables in the storage compartments to connect to the Conestoga and get this old heap moving in the right direction.”
“I agree,” Jerome replied. “Do you want to lead us to the bow where we can find those connection spots?”
“Yes, the story continues,” Cammarry said. “Follow my lead.”
AS-701 flew off, and Jerome piloted his shuttle to follow. It took only a few moments to reach the end of the needle ship. The damage along the needle ship was more extensive than either had thought it would be.
“Orientation time,” Cammarry stated. “I am marking on the displays what we will call up, down, right, and left. On my mark. Mark.”
Jerome saw those indicator arrows appear on his display screen.
“You take the left side of that damaged huge scoop, and I will take the right. Set up about four hundred meters in front of the Conestoga,” Cammarry ordered.
“Sandie?” Jerome asked. “Will that be a safe place to make attachments? Is the distance correct? Will the cables be damaged at all from the thrusters when we kick in the main ones?”
Sandie’s voice responded, “Cammarry and I have already gone through all the safety steps. She is correct in her instructions. I will interject if I see either of you making an error.”
“See, Jerome. Trust me,” Cammarry chortled. “We will get this done quickly, then get the shuttles back to that hanger bay. I am eager to finish this business.”
Jerome was unclear how Cammarry and Sandie had worked it all out, or why he had been left out of the planning, and why suddenly Sandie seemed to be more aligned with Cammarry. He refrained from addressing those issues directly. Instead he stated, “An old idiom said if you want to run fast, do it alone. If you want to run a great distance, do it together.”
“Jerome, we are working together, but I can use a lifetime rest from your reflections and recitations.” Cammarry’s voice was cold. “You will see the subroutine for the four remote manipulation limbs. You can direct the tow cable connections to the Conestoga from those. Look for permalloy structures on the bow end to make the attachment. Avoid any kind of utility or mechanical structure. Sandie? While we look for the proper attachment points, tell me why these shuttles have this kind of equipment? Jerome, get busy scanning for possible connection points. Check for density layers of the permalloy on the readouts. That will show the structural integrity of the needle ship. Wow, has the needle ship been flogged and beaten!” Cammarry added. “I have found two suitable connection points. Be sure to avoid weak connections and utilities. But, Sandie, what is the story on these shuttles?”
Sandie replied succinctly, “Compeer would be a better historian on that issue than I am. Dome 17’s records from prior to the Great Event are limited, and I resist making assumptions.”
; Compeer interjected, “I will answer while hawser connection points are located. They should not be called tow cables. Each habitat of the Colony Ship Conestoga was originally equipped with four Model 7 shuttles in long-term storage. They were built by Rebane Space Construction, off improved designs originally crafted by Kevin Mayberry the founder of Asteroid Prospectors. Their main…”
“But why? Why have shuttles to mine asteroids, on the colony ship?” Jerome interrupted. “By the way, Cammarry, I have located three suitable spots for adhesions. Thank you for the suggestions. I avoided the microparticle turrets, repulsors, locations of our Willie Cannons, and every kind of antenna. I marked down the most dense permalloy locations.”
Compeer continued, “As I was explaining, prior to being rudely interrupted, the Model 7 shuttle’s main purpose is to offer the colonists a vehicle for mining asteroids in the target solar system, where the destination world of Tlalocan is located. The solar system of Tlalocan…”
“They were never at Tlalocan. The Conestoga made planet-fall on Zalia,” Jerome interrupted again. “And I will interrupt whenever I want to know something. Besides, if the colonists had an entire pristine planet, with all its resources, one that was an Earth equivalent, why would they need to mine minerals from the asteroids of that system?”
The Colony Ship Conestoga : The Complete Series: All Eight Books Page 246