Greener Green I: Where Does the Circle Begin

by Peter Sowatskey

  “Oh, he’s absorbing history and culture, and medical theory in between his other duties.”

  “Other duties? Explain”

  “When I showed him to his quarters the first night, he raped me.”

  Everybody present, including me, burst out laughing. Some had trouble keeping themselves in their chairs. I finally managed to put a lid on it and waved them silent. “Let her continue.”

  “Thank you. He did so rape me. When he was finished I raped him. I’ve been raping him every day since then.”

  Everybody else but me, interrupted her again with applause.

  She bowed and went on, “In the last couple of days he’s waking up on time for his activity. So I think the process has run its course. Naturally he’ll follow me around forever, but this evening I’m not going to tie him to his bed. Damn it, don’t laugh so. The theory works.”

  I said, “I have no doubt about the theory, or your efficiency in applying it. Just remember to be gentle with us when we’re next in the combat room.”

  “Of course I will.”

  We all knew she was lying but we let it go.

  “One last thing before you go. I’m releasing LRDIA file to all of you. It deals with regression theory. See what your charges have been doing down through the ages. Record the sessions. I’ve set up a special device which will give pictures from descriptions. You can ask questions if the pictures aren’t immediately clear. The program will fill in the whole picture from varying percentages of completeness. The data is all there in minute detail. Go to it. See you in two weeks. Nerre’ remain please.”

  When they were gone I said, “The file I mentioned is but an excerpt from a larger file. I’m clearing only you for access to that complete file. The code is ABZLRDIAEXTN. I’m doing this because of the progress Rafe is having. You’ll need to be totally aware of this file before you start regression on Rafe. Call me if you think I need to be involved, as I have extensive experience in application of this knowledge. Sometimes the results of its application go beyond the contained theory. You’ll see.”

  “Understood. If Rafe has questions about the overall mission how much should I explain?”

  “No more than absolutely necessary to gain his cooperation. No more than he can find real in any case. Again, call me if you have any uncertainty beyond twenty percent.”

  “I will.”

  “Then go and be your own student.”

  Chapter 10

  Thelma

  Satisfied with progress made I felt I deserved a treat so I mentally started my bath water running as I entered my quarters next to the control room. Actually the quarters were in a two mile long luxury yacht, which nicely hid more armament than most battleships and was faster than any ship of its size I’d come across. Who said Elders didn’t have a sense of humor? But who said anything about Elders. I’d never met anyone who knew they existed. I’m sure that was fine with them. I undressed and got in the bath, after grabbing a carafe of wine from the dispenser as I went by. I slowly settled down into the water and started my favorite past time, remembering men who I’d shared a bed with, and putting them in order of last to first. I never got the list complete. The minute I thought I’d remembered them all, someone, not on the list would pop up. The water jets bubbled and I grew horny so I turned the force up and drank wine and was hornier than ever.

  Later than usual the next day, I stirred myself, and got through breakfast and into my uniform before I allowed the first glimmer of thought about my next problem to filter into my mind.

  I needed to increase the effectiveness of our combat suits one hundred percent. Oh well, better get to it. I walked to my own projection theater and took a seat, center/back, and said in my mind ‘show our present combat suit to me’. The ship computer complied and there it was, all 3 times life size and exploded in its three thousand twenty six components. ‘Problem is, increase effectiveness 100%’. Fortunately this program didn’t talk back to me. Some of them did but not this one.

  By 2100, at the end of my caring quotient, the program, despite my best input had only achieved 9% increase and that had been three hours ago. My last instruction was, ‘disregard present size, and get 100% increase, time span to complete ten hours, factor in ANNU KI as enemy’. Then I went to bed thinking I should have taken up gardening as a career. It would have been less tiring.

  I woke up the next morning, thinking, I must get to Med Deck and show Marilyn around. But first I would see what the computer had come up with. So I told Derek, my trusty aide, to set up breakfast in the theater. A couple slices of crisp bacon into my meal and I could face the task again.

  ‘Let’s see what you’ve came up with’.

  A twenty foot high creature appeared on the stage. It had so many servo joints on it I lost count. It had two arms and two legs on it but where the head should have been there was a turret with four 50MM cannon pointed out at every compass direction. The arms ended in rocket launchers fed from a container carried on the back between the booster rockets for long jumps. I overcame my initial automatic rejection; ‘it simply didn’t look nice’, and let the specifics of the design flow into my mind. At the conclusion of the data I had to agree the computer had done what it was tasked to do so I thought ‘make two prototypes, completion parameter 24 hours, use time compaction if necessary’.

  Breakfast finished I sent “STAN-EVE, MEET ME WITH MARILYN ON MED DECK IN THIRTY MINUTES.”

  They acknowledged and I went to put on my Medical Service uniform, always impress whenever you can, old motto of some school I’d attended.

  When I entered the Med Deck, Stan, Eve, and Marilyn were absorbed in an exam cubicle. I stood unnoticed and listened to Eve’s explanation, “The patient enters on a life suspension stretcher which is guided to location A. Then the life support suspension force field takes over and the stretcher is removed from the area. The patient is examined by the Medical Computer and whatever necessary for the patient's recovery is done automatically. Then the patient is sent, automatically, to the appropriate recovery area. No matter how devastating the injury, it can be treated successfully.”

  I tuned them out and looked along the walls of the vast room. During a battle it would be full, of auto stretchers, space suits with holes in them, their occupants kept alive by the built in systems, and the walking wounded, or, as I’d seen, the crawling wounded, all needing attention. We had three hundred such rooms, each could treat eighty people at a time. Fortunately the Ship Born could heal minor wounds themselves or we’d need even more bays.

  Eve was saying, “---and we are necessary to show a face and form for the ones who can see, and a comforting voice to—“

  I interjected, "make their travail easier.”

  They all started, surprised at my abrupt appearance.

  Marilyn said, “Oh, nice uniform, do I get one?”

  “I think we can find something appropriate. Eve, why don’t you see to that? I want to discuss something on another vein about recoveries. You’ve gone back time in regression sessions and I don’t know what experience you’ve had but it’s been noticed that some ‘essences’ conclude that a body is damaged beyond recuperation and separate from the body to a distant location. When the unit realizes that this has occurred, it will do nothing but stabilize the patient. Then, as the supervising physician, you must get the ‘essence’ to rejoin the body. When you’ve accomplished that the unit will continue recovery procedures. If you can’t accomplish rejoining in the allotted time you push the red button here on the wall in a coded sequence, which will be given to you, and the body will go to Disposal. Clear?”

  “And I’ll get this training next week I suppose?”

  “Exactly.”

  “And what does this ‘essence’ do after I push the red button?”

  “It will be recovered. That’s Energy Level’s concern. We have people specially trained for that. If you want to be so trained, continue your regression sessions and when you’ve stabilized in relation to Long Lives
theory, we’ll discuss it.”

  “Agreed. What other surprises do you have in store?”

  “Well, if you’re ready for other revelations, let’s go look at where the ‘essence’ comes back to when it’s stabilized.’

  Stan and Eve didn’t voice any objection so we went to the Birth Chamber and showed Marilyn the bodies in suspension, especially hers. She took it all in stride. Three hours later I excused myself and went back to my quarters. I had the first magnetic clasp undone when Nerre’ called, THELMA, ATTEND, NOW.

  Oh damn, what now? COMING. I took the Express to the Mess Hall and Rafe and Nerre’s work station. Nerre’ just pointed to the display screen where a balled space station showed. I didn’t have any immediate frame of reference but I just knew it was immense. The picture didn’t change much as Rafe projected it on the screen in his regression session but then I caught a glance of a planet in the background. I hit the H/C button and out popped a print of Earth when it had been a single land mass. That was a lot of zeros ago. Continuing to observe, I saw an occasional beam generated toward the surface. Rafe’s observation point seemed to be a vessel a short distance from the space station. The beam went on and off intermittently. The cycle seemed to be 30 minutes on every thirty days. Gradually I realized I was seeing an elevator. I comprehended the theory behind such but when I tried to calculate what amount of power it would need the attempt boggled my mind.

  I shifted to ship computer link up and inputted the calculations. The answer came back, ‘too much, way too much, forget it’.

  Not for the first time I thought, I should have made the computer interface a bit more sociable, but if it said the power requirements would be too much what the hell was the station using for a power source? A feed directly through Negative Space from the sun would be enough, but---. I turned back to the screen because the view shifted to inside now. There was lots of activity, people marching here and there, basically human types, a variety of sizes, colors, and shapes, maybe more single males, but also male/female pairs in identical uniforms. Maybe they had long periods on duty stations? ‘Rafe’ though seemed to be unattached. Sleeping quarters came up, Rafe still alone, social hall, alone, and then a superiors office, or a medical/psych person. Maybe ‘Rafe’ had lost his mate and was being consoled. An audio track was being recorded and as I was about to access that I heard Nerre’ end the session. The screen went blank and Nerre’ looked at me questionably,

  I sent, YOU DID GOOD, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.

  Rafe swiveled his seat, “Well hello good to see you.” He stood, and came over to kiss me.”

  I warmed inside, making a note to inform him to not kiss his commanding officer in public. Well, maybe this wasn’t 'public', and Nerre’ had seen me in more compromising situations.

  Rafe continued, “Seem I was on a space station. There were four stations. I’d pulled duty on three. We’d been terra-forming Earth for a very long time. My name was Tildore Secallo. I was a trouble repair person. Nerre’ is good at helping me recall.”

  I casually, asked, “What happened to them?”

  “What them, the stations?”

  “Yes.”

  “They’re still where they were, I’m sure. Only four people, one on each station, knew the code to start the propulsion systems. They, all four, had to agree before start up engaged. Failing that, they would remain tied to the system matrix. But the one we presently call the moon is damaged, cover gone, turned down to only core support systems. When the revolt happened the person who had the start up code committed suicide and consequently the other stations went out of phase. Who knows what’s happened on them since?”

  Nerre’ chimed in, ”Rafe was from the planet, which created the station. When the revolt occurred he was stranded. He’s been on Earth since."

  “You have a lot of stories to tell of many lives lived.”

  Rafe pointed to the recorder, “It’s all there. I’ll share if you will.”

  “Not much to my story. I got bumped off ship when a slave raid was too successful. The Med Bay Chief figured he would have more fun training a younger assistant rather than look at my wrinkled face. They gave me a solar rechargeable blaster and food for two weeks. Didn’t need much clothing, tropics. Wore out three husbands, before I died, at one hundred and two. I’d stolen some extenders before being dumped. Had seven children, good kids, trained them well. Not a bad life but several were terrible afterwards. Nerre’ can access the record. Nerre’, he has my permission to access.”

  Nerre’ said, “When Rafe has time. We’re looking forward to researching lives before the Terra Forming episode, before this solar system. There must be some reason why Rafe was chosen over other Techs to go on the Earth mission.”

  He interrupted, “About the tech, we used a different basic power source.”

  “Was it a solar feed through Negative Space?”

  “Damn, you’re bright, Thelma. You got all of that from a picture?”

  “I’ll tell you about kenning some time but, yes. The question is, do the elevators on the remaining stations still work?”

  Rafe studied me sort of like I’d seen some people look at a Voodoo practitioner, “I don’t know why they shouldn’t”

  “You may have made a long term problem less than impossible to solve. Another week, we’ll have a history/strategy session where I’ll lay it all on the table. Meanwhile, keep on going. I’m very pleased with both of you. Now I’m going to abscond with some pie and some milk, and call it a day.”

  I kissed Rafe, patted Nerre’ on the back, got my treat and went.

  Over the next days I alternated between my fighter squadron plans and the anti ANNU KI suit improvement. I conferred with Tina who had a lot of helpful input. With most improvements incorporated I ordered a test of the two prototype suits scheduling a remote control fight to the death between Tina and me. In person I stood no chance against Tina. She had a better sense of spatial placement.

  Chapter 11

  Thelma

  The evening before the test and the briefing I was in my quarters preparing when the intrusion alarm sounded.

  ‘Intruder alert, alien life form, annu-ki ally - intruder alert, alien life form, annu-ki ally,- defenses have held,- defenses have held,- standard protocol successful,- standard protocol successful’.

  That was a lot of unnecessary information, and I resolved once again to make Computer less long winded. If the intruders hadn’t been handled no one would have been conscious, nor had a body any more, to care about the rest of the message. These thoughts ran through my mind while sending, “INSTRUCTORS, GATHER SURFACE TEAM AT ELEVATOR, NOW.”

  I threw off my robe and put on my surface dress, not stopping for under garments and took the Express to the lift station in the Mess Hall. Everyone was assembled. “Emergency problems in the Habitat, I’ll fill you instructors in later. We have to get above.”

  Several attempted to worm info out of me, but I just kept repeating later, later.

  Once through the woodshed and into the kitchen I put on a fresh pot of coffee, “We’ll need it.”

  The pot had just started percolating when someone rode up and rushed into the kitchen shouting, “It fell in. I was on guard. The canyon all fell in. It buried a covered wagon, at the outer end of the straight stretch. What are we going to do?”

  From the momentary empathic meetings of our minds, I knew that everyone had immediately grasped the problem, the incoming settlers that were underway to us. But handle the canyon occurrence first.

  “Put up a grave stone.” Ike proffered.

  “What?”

  “Think about it, kid. The walls are how high?”

  “Maybe a hundred feet.”

  Ike continued, “Sit down kid. You need a drink?”

  The kid gestured to himself and Louise poured from a Bourbon bottle.

  “Have a sip. What’s your name?”

  “Paul Turner, sir.”

  “I’m not being heartless Paul, just calling on my ex
perience in the mines. When that much rock falls on someone they’re dead. Whether in a wagon or not they’re dead. We can mourn them being dead but we can’t do anything further about them, understand?”

  “Yes sir.”

  “So, if Louise pours us all a drink, and we drink to them, we will have done all humanly possible. Do you see that Paul?”

  Louise poured and Paul said, “Yes.” They drank and sat their glasses down and Louise poured again. Paul made tiny sips and gathered himself with a shudder.

  Rafe said, “We’ll take care of seeing the Reverend is notified. You up to doing something with the rest of your night. I expect no one will sleep much. Can you write Paul?”

  “Oh sure, I’m good with my writing and reading.”

  “You got folks Paul?”

  “No, it’s just me and my horse. Consumption took my folks and my little sister.”

  We all murmured our 'sorries' and Rafe continued, “I’m going to give you a tablet, Paul, you go round to everyone and write down their names and ask them if they’re expecting anyone to arrive. No matter how distant in the future they’re expected to arrive, you write down the information. You may take some days to do that. When you have a bunch, bring the pages to us here. If we’re out just lay them on the table. No more sleeping under the stars for you. There are two rooms over the store, which aren’t being used. Put up in them. Understand?”

  “That’s white of you, many thanks. I’ll just ride back to the canyon and pass on what you said, and pick up my bedroll. I don’t have much else.”

  Rafe went on, “Later on, go get what you need from the store. Eat at the Rest. I’ll tell them. We’ll figure out your pay later. Anyone give you any trouble; say to them, it’s the same as them giving me trouble. Everybody knows I don’t take kindly to sassing. But I don’t expect you’ll have any problem.”

  “I won’t. I have good manners. Maw taught me that. I’ll be gone now.”

  When he was gone Marilyn said, “Such a shame for his losses.”