Virtual

by S A Pavli

  “Your torch Leslie,” said Mark. She turned quickly and picked up her torch from the rack by the door. She fumbled with the switch, and the bright beam of light stabbed out, illuminating the legs of the two space suited figures.

  “If we keep the beams together that should give us good illumination,” said Mark.

  “What we need is all around illumination instead of these beams,” said the Major. “Light up the whole area.”

  “Yeah, make a note Jo,” said Mark.

  “All around illumination, check.” Jo’s warm contralto came from the intercom. All three space suited figures stepped forward, their torches lighting up the space ahead of them. The lights from the hover car also pierced the dark, all the way to the far wall, showing low alcoves and assorted furniture.

  “Let’s have a look at that furniture,” said Mark.

  “I wouldn’t buy now though,” muttered the Major. “Wait for the sales.” Leslie marvelled at his capacity to find humour in the situation, if that remark could be considered as even remotely humorous. They entered an alcove, about ten metres by five, with walls about one metre high around it. It had a number of what were obviously desks, with circular stools dotted around them. There were also what appeared to be computer or video screens built into the desks at a forty-five degree angle. They were blackened with age, and the plastic was corroded and peeling.

  “The stools look a bit uncomfortable,” remarked the Major. They were circular, with a peculiar indentation in the seat.

  “No back support,” added Mark. “What would you say about the physiology of something that sat on that Leslie?”

  “I wouldn’t want to meet it in the dark,” said Leslie. The men chuckled, and she thought to herself, they think I’m joking!

  “It would be fair to say that this is some kind of office or workplace,” remarked the Major. “If we find the water cooler, we’ve got it licked.” They wondered further away from the hover car, their torches stabbing the darkness and revealing furtive crouching shapes. Mark reached out to touch a computer screen and it almost crumbled in his hand.

  “Plastic’s been desiccated by vacuum,” he muttered.

  “Christ, how long would that take to happen?” asked the Major. Mark swivelled his torch and a tall silvery shape loomed out of the darkness. Leslie screamed and there was a sudden babble of voices on the intercom. Mark’s voice cut through the hubbub, silencing them.

  “It’s ok. We’re fine. Just another…..” his voice tailed off as he took in the object ten metres ahead of them, glinting metallically in the light from their torches. “Just another…alien…” he finished off. There was another outbreak of questions on the intercom.

  “Guys, one at a time please.” It was Melanie who silenced them this time. “Mark, please direct your helmet cameras at the object so we can see it.” They did as she asked, flooding the object with light at the same time. Tentatively they edged closer. Leslie stayed to the rear, then as the darkness engulfed her decided that was even worse and hastily caught up with the men. The voice of Captain Anja came over the intercom.

  “I don’t think that’s another alien,” she said.

  “It’s a bloody robot,” said the Major.

  “Omigod, is it alive?” asked Leslie tremulously, then instantly regretted it. “Sorry…of course it isn’t,” she added.

  “I’d be very impressed if it was,” said Mark. He stepped closer to the metallic figure, playing his torch over it. It was quite short and squat, barely over five feet in height but broad in the middle. It had a dome like head on a barrel like body, with two arms and four legs. It was a metallic silver, with two huge orbs, on it’s head. It gazed blindly ahead, fixed securely on its four slender legs its metallic body gleaming in the torchlight.

  “Bloody hell, it looks brand new.” The Major was examining the robot closely.

  “Very interesting that,” said Mark thoughtfully. “Notice how everything else is covered in dust from the meteor strike. Except for our friend here.”

  “He must have survived the strike and given himself a little clean. House-proud little fellow,” said the Major.

  “There is a problem with that,” said Mark. “The meteor strike must have occurred some time after this base was abandoned. Otherwise the damage would have been repaired. So what was our friend still doing here?”

  “Was the base abandoned or were the aliens wiped out by the virus?” asked Leslie.

  “It would make more sense if the aliens were wiped out by the virus,” said the Major. “Leaving their trusty robots behind to mind the empty house.” Mark was prodding and poking the robot, trying to move its arms and head.

  “Careful Mark…” said Leslie nervously.

  “Do you know, this guy looks in pristine condition,” said Mark. “If we find its power supply I bet we can bring him back to life.”

  “He looks a bit heavy to move back to the ship,” said the Major. Mark pushed against the robot and it rocked gently.

  “I think four of us could carry it,” he said. “Let’s leave that for the next trip.”

  “Mark, you haven’t deployed the survey robot yet,” said Melanie. “Perhaps he can scan the area and check the robot for signs of life.”

  “Good point Melanie. We’ll do that and get out of here. We need to be sure we are secure before we make other plans.” Mark turned to the Major. “Major, can you return to the car and activate the survey robot?”

  “No problem. Don’t go away.” The Major gave them a wave and scuttled off, his torch waving ahead of him.

  “What can the survey robot do Mark?” asked Leslie. The Major’s absence had shrunk the pool of light and she instinctively moved closer to Mark.

  “The survey robot can detect electro magnetic radiation, radiation of all types actually, heat, noise and the presence of trace elements,” replied Mark.

  “You don’t really expect the robot to show signs of life do you?” she asked.

  “Well no, but remember the reason we’re here is to see if there are any signs of the alien life forms,” said Mark. He was still examining the alien robot closely. He shone the torch into its eyes, keeping it there for some time as if waiting for some response. Leslie felt her nervousness increasing as he stared fixedly into the alien robots eyes.

  “Are you expecting it to do anything?” asked Leslie, her nervousness getting the better of her.

  “Good Lord no,” said Mark. “I was just examining the technology of the eye.” Leslie just wanted to put as much distance as possible between herself and the alien robot.

  “Come on boy, this way, there’s a good dog.” The approach of the Major accompanied by the survey robot helped to ease her nervousness. Safety in numbers she thought. The survey robot was indeed like a large dog. It picked its way between the alien furniture with meticulous care, its head waving this way and that. The Major was walking ahead of it, augmenting its internal lights with his torch. The voice of Josephine came through the intercom.

  “Mark, for the survey robot to operate at maximum sensitivity, it would be better if you extinguished all the lighting.” Leslie’s fought down the terror that welled up inside her. She desperately wanted not to be a burden, but the thought of being in the dark in this terrible place threatened to overwhelm her.

  “Right, let’s return to the car and turn off all the lights,” suggested Mark. A wave of relief washed over Leslie. “The survey robot can be remotely controlled and we can also monitor it from the car,” said Mark. They trudged back to the car, carefully avoiding the obstacles. Back inside the comforting familiarity of the hover car, Mark and the Major occupied the two front seats and patched the telemetry from the robot up to the Bounty Hunter.

  “OK, we’re turning off all the lights now,” said Mark, and an unremitting blackness descended on them. The car had three screens on the front cockpit and figures began scrolling over them. This took some minutes, then the pictures changed and a different set of figures traversed the screens.

/>   “Switching to video now,” said Mark. “Infra red,” he added. The screens remained totally black. “Radio now, scanning through the spectrum.” Still the screens remained blank. “Switching to electrostatic,” said Mark. Suddenly, the screens lit up with a myriad of pale splotches. “We have something, faint but positive,” said Mark. The controls and the screen froze, and then became jerky. Melanie’s voice came from the intercom.

  “We’re just giving it a longer exposure Mark.” The splotches became marginally brighter.

  “What are they?” asked Leslie.

  “I think, probably what we came here to find,” said Mark.

  “The alien organisms?” asked Leslie, her voice shocked.

  “It makes sense that they would have some electrical presence,” said Mark. Leslie looked at the little watery splotches with fascination. Could they be the first signs of advanced alien life? But there was no evidence that the organisms, if they were organic, were intelligent.

  “As a matter of interest,” asked the Major, his head a vague silhouette against the palely glowing screens, “How can an electrical life form exist? I know it’s a favourite of science fiction, but they ignore the problem that electricity needs a medium. Out there it’s a vacuum. How can electrostatic activity exist in a vacuum?”

  “Maybe it’s not a total vacuum,” suggested Mark. “Melanie, what does LeBlanc think?”

  “Ray is, at the moment, about to have a breakdown,” said Leslie.

  “I am not about to have a breakdown, I AM having a breakdown,” came the muffled voice of the wiry physicist.

  “I suppose the positive thing is that we now have a way of detecting them,” said Melanie. “Ray, do you have all the data you need?”

  “Yeah, were not going to get much more from the survey robot. I’m going to have to build some more sensitive equipment.”

  “Then you can pull out Mark. Can the survey robot do a scan of the car’s cabin?” asked Melanie.

  “To see if we have any little visitors? We can try,” said Mark. He fiddled with the switches and the headlights came back on. “Major, do you want to go and retrieve the survey robot. The Major grunted his acceptance and stood to make his way out of the car.

  “You think some life forms have got into the car?” asked Leslie nervously, her eyes darting this way and that. Stupid, she berated herself, you can’t see the wretched things!

  “Well, we know that they did get into the Chameleon’s shuttle. Through the open air lock doors. But they were on the moon for eight hours.”

  The Major returned with the surveyor robot, which daintily stepped into the car and stopped in the middle of the loading bay, its head gently scanning backwards and forwards.”

  “Let’s do a scan of the car’s interior before we reluctantly take our leave of this delightful place,” said Mark.

  “Hmm, speak for yourself,” said Leslie.

  “Lights out,” said Mark, and they were again plunged into darkness. “Begin electrostatic scan,” said Mark. The screen lit up like a Christmas tree.

  “Oh Jesus,” gasped Leslie.

  “Don’t panic,” said Mark. “I think we are just seeing residual electrostatic effects from the cars instruments.”

  “You’re going to have to power down the car’s systems Mark,” said LeBlanc.

  “Should be no problem,” said Mark, operating switches and levers. “In standby… fully shut down,” he said. Leslie heard and felt the remote whine of gyros and generators winding down. All the instrument lights died and the cabin was totally black. The hairs on the back of neck bristled and a cold shiver ran down her spine. I’ve heard about cold shivers down the spine she mused, but never felt one before.

  “As a matter of interest,” she asked. “Since everything is off, how are we going to see what the survey robot is detecting?”

  “Its transmitting the data to the ship,” said Mark.

  “Of course it is,” said Leslie abashed. “I knew that.” Time dragged on and Leslie tried to remain calm in the suffocating darkness. After what seemed an age the intercom crackled.

  “Looks clean Mark,” said Melanie.

  “Let’s go home,” said Mark, beginning to power up the hover car.

  “That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said,” sighed Leslie.

  Back on the ship, they were greeted by their colleagues with enthusiastic cheers and backslaps,. They made their way to the suiting room to divest themselves of their Spacesuits whilst the others made for the ship’s lounge.

  "Something stronger than coffee is called for," said LeBlanc with a parting wave. The Major was quick to remove and stow his suit, his military training evident.

  "Right, I'm off for a shower guys. See you in the lounge.” Mark had just about removed his own suit, whilst Leslie was still struggling with the unfamiliar garment.

  "Yeah, set them up Major. I’ll give Leslie a hand.” as soon as the phrase left his lips, Mark realised his mistake, but it was too late. With a nod, the Major was out of the door, and he was alone with the Doctor. Leslie’s eyes were on him as she struggled with the straps of her backpack. She looked flushed and as Mark helped her undo her straps and remove her suit, the warm female smell of her filled his nostrils. She was wearing very little underneath the suit, a thin tee shirt that did nothing to hide the full swell of her breasts, and black clinging tights that revealed her lush curves. Mark had two voices in his head, one warning him to be careful, and another lecherous wolfish one expressing enthusiastic approval. Whilst helping her put on the spacesuit, he had been too distracted by thoughts of the forthcoming excursion to the moon s surface, and the Majors presence to pay too much notice to her, connecting her up and checking the suit with professional speed and concentration. But now, on their own, the full force of her potent sexuality was impossible to ignore.

  "Um sorry, I'm a bit sweaty,” she whispered, her voice throaty.

  "You smell nice," he said, and the lecherous voice shouted down the cautious one. But it was her that made the first move, as he leaned over her to unclip her sensor vest, she pulled his head down and kissed him. It was a long hot passionate kiss and he did not pull away. Her lush body writhed against him and he found it impossible not to respond. This is not fair! he thought. No man can be expected to resist this!

  Chapter 16

  There was a feeling of elation on board ship when they gathered in the lounge later. Jimmy Petrov greeted them with whoops of delight and the others with slaps on the back and profuse congratulations.

  “How’s it feel to be a hero boss?” Jimmy asked the Major, grinning broadly.

  “Ah, they’ll probably name a school after me,” said the Major with simulated smugness.

  “Yeah, a corrective school for delinquents,” smirked Jimmy.

  “As long as it’s a school for delinquent young ladies,” said the Major. “I could be a visiting ‘letcherer.” This was greeted with groans of derision.

  They were gathered in the ship’s lounge after divesting themselves of space suits and showering. Gratefully cupping their hot coffees, the explorers expanded on their exploits.

  “How about that robot?” said Josephine, shaking her head in a gesture of disbelief. “Can’t wait to get my hands on him.”

  “Do you really think you can bring him back to life?” asked Jimmy.

  “He…it… looks in remarkably good condition,” said Mark. “I think he is well sealed against the vacuum and was not damaged by the meteor strike.”

  “But in the location where you found him, he should have been,” pointed Melanie.

  “Yes, everything else around him was blackened by the heat and covered in dust. But he was clean,” agreed Mark.

  “That implies he was somewhere else when the meteor struck,” said Melanie.

  “There could be more like him then,” mused the Major.

  “How do we bring him on board ship?” asked Melanie.

  “Are we sure that’s wise?” asked Leslie. There was a short silence
, broken by Melanie.

  “What do you mean?” she asked. Leslie looked vague.

  “Nothing specific,” she said. “It’s just…well, it could be a sort of Trojan horse.”

  “Aha,” said Josephine. “So you mean, when we power it up, it runs amuck and kills us all?”

  “Given what’s happened already…” began Leslie, before tailing off into a significant silence. Before anyone could answer, they were shocked by the blaring of the ship’s alarm. Mark leapt up, eyes blazing.

  “Alden, what’s the problem?” he shouted above the hysterical din of the alarm. “Jesus, Alden, shut that alarm off. What is happening?” The alarm continued unabated.

  “After me Andy, Jo,” shouted Mark, as he headed at a run for the Bridge. Andy and Josephine left hard on his heels, leaving the others dumbstruck and shocked.

  “Oh God, it’s happening again,” moaned a tremulous voice. They turned to see a pale Anja Pederson half standing and clutching at the table as if she was about to collapse. The mood of elation evaporated and Melanie suddenly felt exposed and vulnerable. We are in a tin can a billion miles from home she thought, blithely toying with forces we don’t understand.

  “Why isn’t Alden answering?” she asked.

  “Because Alden may be the problem,” said Anja. “That alarm only goes off if the ship has suffered a catastrophic failure. Since Alden isn’t answering, we can deduce that the catastrophic failure is in the ship’s AI.” The others looked at her with horror. She seemed to be recovering herself, because she looked around her, her blue eyes narrowed to intense slits, and suddenly straightened herself.