Tales of the Vuduri: Year Three

by Michael Brachman

  At the end of The Milk Run, OMCOM, a very powerful computer, was proposing to Rome that she sacrifice her life and her children and grand-children's lives in pursuit of an unobtainable goal. Rome simply said no. Here is that brief exchange:

  OMCOM lowered himself to his knees. He took Rome’s hand and bent his forehead toward it, touching it gently. “Mother,” he whispered. “We must do this so that your life and the lives of your children are not in vain.”

  “Our lives are not in vain,” Rome said lovingly. She pulled on OMCOM’s hand so that he stood up. She looked into his eye slits. “It is a matter of perspective. The purpose of life lies within life itself. The purpose of life is to evolve into a mass-mind and then have that mass consciousness transcend into Heaven. At least that is how Aason told us the residents up there view it.”

  “That is correct. They view life in general from a species perspective. It is the sole purpose of evolution.”

  “But what you are missing is the meaning of life.”

  OMCOM cocked his head. “I do not understand. What is the difference?”

  “The meaning of life lies within the individual. How each being lives his or her own life determines its value. What you are asking us to do negates that therefore we must refuse.”

  “What is the meaning of your life? Or of Rei’s for that matter?”

  Rome smiled and looked over at Rei. “The meaning of my life, of Rei’s life, of our children’s lives, is to live, to love and to be loyal. That’s all. And that’s enough.”

  “That cannot be all there is,” OMCOM protested weakly. “You have to consider the greater good.”

  “No we don’t,” Rome said firmly. “Our lives are short and all we can wish for our children and our grandchildren and all their successors is to live good lives as well.”

  So that's what we get after four books and several hundred thousand words, the nitty gritty. What you do with your life is up to you and the meaning of your life is up to you. You can live it according to the standards of others if that pleases you. You can live your own standards. If you live a life and fulfill your goals, then your life will have had meaning. If you are always wishing that things were different, your life is passing you by and at the end, you'll look back and have regrets.

  So that's why I keep writing. It is what I want to do. It makes me happy. And if I'm very lucky, it makes your life better, too. So if you haven't read it, go get Rome's Revolution right now and read it and see if you don't share some of the same ideals and dreams of Rome, Rei and all the inhabitants of the 35th century.

  Entry 3-118: April 23, 2015

 

  Every girl needs a starship, part 1

  A while back, I wrote an article about Lupe Bierak's personal starship whose name was Fury. I claimed it was part of the back story of the new novel The Milk Run. Here is how I presented it:

  In preparing the back stories for the upcoming novel The Milk Run, I decided that Lupe Bierak (Rome and Rei's daughter) was going to get a starship of her own. In the outline that I worked up, MINIMCOM gave "birth" to another spaceship when Lupe was about 12 years old. However, from the day she was born, Fury (the name of Lupe's starship) was clearly a female.

  It wasn't just that she was pink and curvy. It was also reflected by her design and her attitude. Whereas MINIMCOM and Junior (as he grew up) were more traditional transports, Fury was more of a flyer. She wasn't really built for hauling large quantities of items or people. She was just designed to get Lupe to places fast.

  Lupe's primary skill set and what she was trained for was first contact. She was trained to get into the minds of aliens and communicate with them before anything could get out of hand. So Fury did not need armaments or cargo capacity. She was just an advanced shuttle.

  Her livetar was also bright pink and very feminine shaped. Her voice was higher pitched than Junior's. However, think about her name. Fury. That should tell you something. She isn't one to trifle with, especially when it comes to Lupe's well-being.

  Even though I had the best of intentions, that whole backstory got dropped because it really had no place in the story. But I still can't move past the fact that I want Lupe to have her own starship. Rome, Rei and MINIMCOM are one team. Aason, Aroline and Junior are another. Lupe really does need her own starship.

  What for you ask? Someday I will write a book about The Shell War and the only two scenes I have outlined are Rory Bierak meeting up with Sh'ev B'oush's son, B'shev along with the two boys being hotly pursued by angry aliens and being rescued by Fury's livetar. So at some point, Lupe must get her own starship.

  So over the next few days, I'll give you retooled origin over how Fury came to be. It'll probably change but it's a place to start.

  Entry 3-119: April 24, 2015

 

  Every girl needs a starship, part 2

  Yesterday, I gave you the rationale behind why I need to give Lupe her own starship. Today I will give you the first portion of the day Fury was "conceived" although when it comes to starships, the conception is one of an idea rather than impregnation. Let's say that the time frame of this little vignette is six months after Lupe was rescued by Aason in The Milk Run.

  “Onclare MINIMCOM, can you hear me?” Lupe called out mentally.

  “I hear you,” replied the starship that was once an auto-pilot computer.

  “Can I meet you somewhere?” the now seventeen-year-old girl asked.

  “Is there something wrong? Are you in any danger?” MINIMCOM replied with a small amount of worry in his tinny voice.

  “No, everything is fine. I just want to talk to you.”

  “Very well. I am currently out past the orbit of Mockay. It will take me a short while to get back down to the surface. Where would you like to meet?”

  “I’ll go to your landing strip, next to my Mom’s library. OK?”

  “That is fine. I will see you fairly soon,” replied the spaceship.

  Reentering the atmosphere of Deucado, or any planet for that matter, was one of MINIMCOM’s favorite things to do. Regardless of whether he entered into orbit or sped up pointing directly toward the surface, he would project a very short range PPT tunnel which opened up just above the surface. The warm planetary atmosphere, filled with moisture, would come rushing out of the hole, coating his airframe briefly with an ever-growing layer of ice. MINIMCOM always let a thin shell form for just a second then he heated his external surface to burn it off. He would pop through the tunnel, emerging only a few hundred meters above the surface with nearly no forward momentum.

  To make sure no one on the ground was hurt during this daredevil act, MINIMCOM selected an area of the planet that was not likely to be inhabited. On Deucado, that usually meant appearing over the quiet waters of Lake Eprehem. To someone on the ground, or in this case in a boat, it was sight to behold. A waterspout would suddenly appear out of nowhere and disappear into a black hole in the sky. Just as suddenly, the waterspout would die away and in its place would be MINIMCOM’s jet black bulk leveling out. Partly for dramatic effect, MINIMCOM would fire off his plasma thrusters and accelerate to just under Mach 1 in whatever direction he was headed.

  Tomorrow, the meet up.

  Entry 3-120: April 25, 2015

 

  Every girl needs a starship, part 3

  Yesterday, Lupe had requested a meeting with her Onclare MINIMCOM, the starship that was once an auto-pilot computer. MINIMCOM agrees to meet her on the campus of the University of Deucado which had started out as Rome's Library of Life at the end of the novel The Ark Lords:

  Partly for dramatic effect, MINIMCOM would fire off his plasma thrusters and accelerate to just under Mach 1 in whatever direction he was headed. In this case, it was the campus of the University of Deucado, which started out simply as Rome’s Library of Life but quickly grew into the cultural and academic center of the fledging civilization. As it housed all of the accumulated novels and movies from the Essessoni culture, it was also the entertainment capita
l of the world.

  When MINIMCOM first help Rome construct the campus, he built himself a private landing strip, just on the outskirts of the central portion. While the campus itself extended and grew all around it, the proprietors of the University elected to leave the landing strip in place although it was no longer private to MINIMCOM.

  The all-black starship came over the hill and examined the campus below. The landing strip was fairly deserted this day. MINIMCOM spotted Lupe standing at the southwest corner waving to him. Giving her a wide berth, he settled down gently facing away from her and opened his cargo door and extended the cargo ramp for Lupe to enter.

  The young girl dashed across the across the lot and up the ramp. She passed by the spacious cargo compartment and pressed the stud to open the airlock which served as the entrance to the cockpit. Once inside, she decided to take her place in the pilot’s seat, not that MINIMCOM ever needed a pilot.

  “Would you like to address me this way or would you prefer a livetar?” MINIMCOM’s voice issued from the grille mounted in the center of the instrumentation console.

  “A livetar would be nice,” Lupe said, “so I could look at you.”

  “Very well.”

  With a gloppy slurp, a portion of the interior wall of the cargo compartment slid to the floor and quickly formed itself into an all-black livetar which was really nothing more than a VIRUS-unit based ambulatory shell. The livetar made its way to the front and entered the cockpit. Before he could get very far, Lupe jumped up and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him as hard as she could.

  Tomorrow, Lupe makes her request.

  Entry 3-121: April 26, 2015

 

  Every girl needs a starship, part 4

  Yesterday, Lupe came on-board MINIMCOM's transport and made her way to the cockpit where she was joined by one of MINIMCOM's livetars. She gathered up all of her courage to make her request.

  “Oh, Onclare, I’ve missed you,” she said.

  MINIMCOM was used to human emotions and he was very fond of Lupe so he hugged her back being cautious so as to not crush the girl.

  When she was done, he carefully separated them and had her sit back in the pilot’s chair, spinning it around so it faced the rear of the compartment. He kneeled down so that he was eye level with her.

  “So what is this all about?” he asked.

  Lupe took a deep breath. “I’m not sure how to say this,” she replied.

  “Try.”

  “Well, I know that you are my Onclare and you and my Mom and my Dad have your adventures together. And Junior, I love him but he and Aason and Aroline spend a lot of time together. Without me. I get lonely sometimes. I'm supposed be learning how to make first contact but I have no way to get there.”

  MINIMCOM’s livetar nodded. “You want a starship of your own,” he said knowingly.

  Lupe shrugged. “Is it too much?” she asked sheepishly. “Am I being selfish?”

  MINIMCOM made a sound which resembled a chuckle. “Not at all. I have been thinking about having another child for a while now. I just was not sure about giving birth and having this next one be lonely as you say you have been. It appears that you and I have computed the exact same solution.”

  “Then you’ll do it?” Lupe asked excitedly.

  “Yes, I will do it,” MINIMCOM said.

  Lupe jumped up and wrapped her arms around the livetar’s neck, squeezing even tighter than before. “Thank you, thank you,” she said.

  “However, I will need to pose this to your parents first,” MINIMCOM pointed out. “I would not want to go doing this behind their back.”

  “I’m sure they won’t mind,” Lupe said. “I’m old enough now. Aason and Junior have been friends since Aason was only two years old.”

  “Nevertheless, you and I will ask them together, first.”

  “OK,” Lupe said.

  What do you think? Nothing but trouble? We shall see.

  Entry 3-122: April 27, 2015

 

  Starship Reproduction, part 1

  The word conception or the act of conceiving has a variety of meanings. Most people think of it in relation to pregnancy first. Some people think of an idea that is rendered into a form that other people can visualize. It can also relate to a single idea or the beginning of a process which dovetails nicely into the definition of making a baby.

  The most common use, reproduction, any higher order Earth-bound animal species can accomplish. But the second is uniquely human. Taking ideas or inspiration from disparate forms and combining them into a completely novel form.

  Yesterday, I gave you my conception of the starship MINIMCOM's idea of conception in the reproductive sense. I didn't spend much time describing the details. In fact, in the novel The Ark Lords, MINIMCOM dismissed the hows and wherefores in a single sentence. Here was the starship's exchange with Rei regarding the subject:

  First OMCOM’s livetar vanished then before their eyes the all-white ship shimmered and disappeared. In its place was a smaller, gray ship that looked like a miniature version of MINIMCOM. It was approximately the length of the original space tug before it became MINIMCOM.

  “What is that?” Rome asked, pointing at the smaller spaceship.

  The mouth slit of MINIMCOM’s livetar curled upward into a smile.

  “I had to do something with the mass I gave up,” said the all-black livetar. He nodded and suddenly a small gray livetar, barely two feet tall, appeared beside him. The eye holes and mouth hole were round instead of the normal slits. “I would like you to meet MINIMCOM Junior,” MINIMCOM said proudly.

  Rei started laughing. “You gave birth? You’re a mother?”

  “Although I do not have a gender, I would prefer to think of myself as a father.”

  So what is this? What did MINIMCOM do? There are actually four possibilities.

  The first is parthenogenesis. This is an actual egg developing into a living being without being fertilized. Kind of an immaculate conception. It's not so odd. Spiders and bees can do it. So can some species of fish, amphibians, birds, and reptiles. Only mammals cannot. There was no egg so this method does not apply.

  The second possibility is that MINIMCOM generated a clone. Cloning is where you take a cell from an adult animal and introduce DNA and coax the cell into developing it into a full-grown organism. But neither of these are actually how MINIMCOM had a baby. More on that tomorrow.

  Entry 3-123: April 28, 2015

 

  Starship Reproduction, part 2

  Yesterday, I started the discussion on how MINIMCOM reproduced or produced a child. I mentioned parthenogenesis where an actual egg develops into a living being without being fertilized. The second method I mentioned was cloning where a cell from an adult animal is coaxed into developing into a full-grown organism. However, neither of these really relates to how MINIMCOM begat Junior and later Fury.

  To understand the actual mechanism used, it is closer to one borrowed from planarians, which are tiny freshwater flatworms. Everyone has heard this story. You cut a flatworm in half (actually as much as 1/300th of its original mass) and it will grow back into two functional animals. This is because this animal has a boatload of stem cells called cNeoblasts floating around so it can rebuild any part of its body it required.

  Some animals use this ability to actually reproduce, not just heal. This method called budding. Budding is seen in some multi-cellular animals such as corals, some sponges, some acoel flatworms and echinoderm larvae, according to Wikipedia.

  So, in the end, the way that MINIMCOM gives "birth" is more like a coral than a flatworm. He buds. He actually apportions a ratio of each element, roughly a 3:1 ratio until the resulting bud is a miniature replica of himself. Most of his memories and all of his capabilities are built into the bud so that when it is "born" it is fully functional.

  At that point, his child (think Junior) begins to develop their own personality. They can acquire more mass (like Junior did in The Milk Run) and eventual
ly become their own, unique, adult starship.

  Incidentally, this budding method of reproduction is exactly the same as used by the Stareaters first introduced in Rome's Revolution.

  Entry 3-124: April 29, 2015

 

  List of aliens, updated

  My list of aliens and strange animals is growing slowly but surely. These animals and entities have been introduced in Rome's Revolution, mentioned multiple times in The Ark Lords and Rome's Evolution and more were brought to the table in The Milk Run. What's kind of neat is that I actually have some pictures of a lot of them:

  Batwolves (Helome)

  Lurkers (Helome)

  Piranha Rats (Helome)

  The Blankets (Deucado)

  Swishies (Deucado)

  Ice-Saberoos (Hades)

  The K'val (Ay'den)

  The crystal creatures (Ay'den)

  Molokai, the fallen god (Ay'den, Heaven)

  The Stareaters (Milky Way)

  MASAL (Earth, Heaven)

  Planet OMCOM (Tabit)

  I had fun making these up. I think I'll invent some more in the next book. Meanwhile, watch out for these guys. They may not be mean but they sure can kill you:

  Entry 3-125: April 30, 2015

 

  Edgar Mullen, Frenemy

  In the original long-form version of Rome's Revolution, back when it was still the three-part VIRUS 5, I had introduced the character of Edgar Mullen. Rei came across him right after he had made his way back to the secret Ibbrassati enclave to the north. After Rei re-entered The Cathedral, he encountered a large number of his crew, still recuperating from being revived from cryo-hibernation. One of these people was Edgar Mullen. You can see from this interaction that Rei was friendly with him:

  Rei saw two men that he knew. He walked over to one of them, Edgar Mullen and kneeled down beside him.