by John Bluck
"Let's go," said Raven. The three put their dirty dishes on their trays and carried them to a conveyor belt.
"Excuse me, gentlemen," said Lena. "I have to meet with some soldiers."
"See you later," said Raven as Lena left. He turned to Wilson and said, "Now that you're almost mended, let's go on a full tour of the ship."
"It'll be fascinating," Wilson said. "I can't wait to see how the ship works and how it goes from one dimension to another."
Chapter 6 – Dimension Ship Tour
Raven showed Wilson a scale model of the alien vessel, the Planet Explorer.
"This ship is a large, flattened geodesic dome made of carbon nanotube materials," Raven explained. "It's 350 feet in diameter inside, but it can grow larger."
Wilson turned his gaze to the tall, thin alien. "You mean you can add to the ship?"
"It is an intelligent machine, which can plan and grow to change itself," Raven replied. "I'll explain more as we walk through the ship. Let's go."
Wilson was stunned. "Okay," he said.
Raven led Wilson along one of the ship's many halls. The inside of the huge alien vessel reminded Wilson of a modern U.S. Navy vessel.
Raven waved his hand in the air, "Let's look at how the Planet Explorer is built." He pointed to the structure of the hallway. "The interior framework of the ship is made of microscopic carbon nanotubes, which also are part of the ship's computer circuitry," he continued as he slid his hand along the nearby wall. "The ship's computer runs with neural net-based software."
"What's that?" Wilson asked.
"Neural net software operates like a human brain works," said Raven. "This software can learn and make decisions."
"So, it's a big brain?" Wilson asked.
Raven paced forward. "Yes, it's a brain that's part electronic, and part organic," he said. "The computer re-organizes its circuitry as it learns, and it can repair damage to itself."
He and Wilson walked under countless pipes, which ran along the passageway's ceiling.
Raven pointed up. "These pipes, from as large as household water pipes to as small as human capillaries, are the ship's blood vessels," Raven explained. "This ship is a living cyborg computer that can fix itself, if it's damaged. Nano tonic travels through tubes to where repairs need to take place or where new parts are to grow. The ship can even breed new rooms and compartments. In time, it could double or even triple in size."
"How do you start to construct a ship like this?" Wilson asked.
"I'll take you to the egg room," said Raven.
"Does this ship have eggs?"
"Not exactly. You'll see when you get there." Raven led Wilson to a small, locked room. As the thick, steel door closed behind them, Wilson's eyes adjusted to the dim lighting.
"I don't see anything unusual," Wilson said. He peered at numerous rack-mounted computers and their flashing, colored lights.
"That's because you don't know where to look," Raven said. He opened a large trap door, and below it was a pool of clear, thick liquid, similar to corn syrup. What seemed like a flat, dome-shaped ship model floated in the fluid.
"That's a model of this ship, right?" Wilson asked.
"It's a tiny clone of this ship," said Raven. "It's a baby ship. As we speak, it grows, little by little. See those bottles that hang on the wall with tubes that drain into the clear liquid?"
"Yeah."
"They contain raw materials such as molecules of steel, gold, copper, and all the stuff that a ship is made of. The ship is assembled atom-by-atom and molecule-by-molecule."
"How long does it take to grow a ship?"
"Years, but we think we can speed up the process."
"Won't it get too big for this bath pretty soon?"
"Yes," said Raven. "Then it will be born. We'll take it out of this small tub and put it in a vat as big as a large swimming pool. Soon, the fledgling ship will get big enough to fly. We'll continue to feed it, and it'll grow as big as it needs to be."
"How does it start out in this tiny bath?"
"Our mother ship's computers contain general plans for a ship, sort of like each of your cells has DNA and genes with plans for your entire body."
"This is far beyond what we're capable of on Earth."
"Someday, earthlings will do similar things. By the way, many of our machines are born in the same way. Let's see some more of the ship." They left the egg room.
Wilson focused on the details of the ship as he walked. "I've been inside of a live ship, and I didn't even know it," he said.
"The computer can ask crewmembers to put nano fluid on damaged parts when a repair is urgent," Raven explained as the two men entered the computer control room. It was crowded with racks of components that lit thousands of colored status lights. There were so many hues that the room looked like a Christmas tree.
"It's colorful," Wilson said as his eyes took in the scene.
"Crewmembers in computer control can take command of the ship's computer, if they don't like what it has decided to do," Raven revealed.
Next, the two men walked through a passageway that looked like an ordinary hotel hallway until they reached a big double entry. Raven opened one of its doors. The carpeted room inside was lavish. "This is the transfer room," he said.
"What's it for?" Wilson questioned.
"This chamber is where crewmembers get off the ship most of the time. They also return to the ship here," Raven said.
"But in the battle at my hospital you scrambled in through a door," Wilson observed.
"That was an emergency," Raven said. "It was much quicker for us to go through the portal. When we went in that way, several lives including yours were likely saved. The ship had to jump completely into Earth's dimension, too, so we could fire its weapons."
"It's a good thing you have more than one way to get inside if there's a crisis," Wilson commented.
"Normally, travelers use the transfer room to leave the ship. They can jump from here directly into a nearby dimension," said Raven. "This keeps the entire ship out of reach of our enemies."
"How can you send somebody from the ship into an adjacent dimension?" Wilson asked.
Raven walked towards a few flight chairs that were bolted to the floor in the plush transfer room. "People don't dematerialize during a jump," he explained. "Each person's body, clothes, and equipment transfer to the intended dimension while the ship remains away from that place, just on its edge," the skinny alien continued, as he sat in one of the chairs.
"Do you have any special equipment you carry when you go on a mission?" Wilson asked as he, too, sat in a flight chair that had a neck rest and a seat belt.
"Every voyager carries a poncho, really a shield made of a thin material like cellophane," Raven said. "It folds to be as compact as a large handkerchief. When we drape it over ourselves, we can't be seen once it activates, which takes a few seconds. Most, but not all, travelers also carry small TV cameras and microphones pinned to their clothes," Raven said.
"How many dimensions did your scientists find?"
"We have found that there are at least three nearby dimensions, which include Sunev, Earth, and Triod, a third world. Each of the three worlds overlays twin worlds in other dimensions," Raven answered. "Our scientists imagine that there are many dimensions, perhaps an infinite number of them."
"If worlds cover each other, we don't have to travel a long distance in outer space to get from one world to the next," Wilson said.
"That's right. If our ship is in the correct location on our world, we can jump to the same location on another planet in a neighboring dimension," Raven replied. "This ship can fly through air and space to put us in the right spot before we jump into a different dimension."
"That makes sense," Wilson said.
Raven moved to the double door exit of the transfer room. "Let's go see the ship's master control center," he said.
The men reached master control, a big glassed-in area. Raven placed his large, thin hand within a
hand-shaped outline on a small screen, and a big glass door unlocked with a metallic click. As the men went in, a lieutenant in uniform stepped forward.
"Lieutenant Tim Landor," said Raven, "This is Dr. Bill Wilson."
"How do you do, sir?" asked Landor. He shook Wilson's hand.
"I'm glad to be alive, thanks to your medicine and kindness," Wilson answered.
The Central Control Room door swung open again, and Lena came in. "Hello," she said.
"Hi," Raven replied. "What's up?"
"I wondered what time you plan to drop the doctor off at the hospital on Earth."
"I've arranged for us to jump there tomorrow morning at eight our time," Raven answered.
"That would be about four in the morning California time because of the dimension gap, right?" she asked.
"Yes."
"Why not wait a bit longer before you send him back?" Lena questioned. "What difference will a few hours make?" Her face glowed.
"What do you think, Bill?" Raven asked.
"I don't see any reason to get there early. Most people I know don't arrive until normal business hours."
Lena glanced at Wilson.
"Lena's right," said Raven. "We could leave for Earth at about three tomorrow afternoon, which would mean you'd get to your office around eleven in the morning."
"Sounds good," said Wilson. "It won't take me long to let my secretary know that I need to change my travel plans."
"Okay," Raven said. "Our lawyer sent me a text message, which says that he's already drafted a short nondisclosure agreement for you to sign." Raven looked happy and smiled warmly. He stood, and then Wilson got up from his chair, too.
Lena said, "When you return to Sunev, Bill, I'll show you around our capital, First City, which surrounds the spaceport." Her cheeks reddened.
Raven smiled and glimpsed back and forth at Lena and Wilson.
"I'd enjoy a tour," Wilson stammered. He didn't know if Lena could tell that he had a frog in his throat. He wondered, why does she want to delay my departure?
Raven stood, arched his back, and stretched. "Let's go to the dayroom for some beer and games," he said.
Raven, Lena, Lt. Landor, and Wilson walked to the dayroom, chatting as they went.
Chapter 7 – The Dayroom
After Raven, Lena, and Wilson reached the dayroom, they drank beer and crystal clear Sunevian wine.
As Wilson looked at Lena, he pondered, Why does she want me to leave a little later for Earth?
The crewmembers played ping pong, billiards, and darts. They also enjoyed a Sunevian game in which they threw knives at a man-sized cork target. Points were awarded based on where a knife hit the shape of an enemy soldier.
In another alien game, players rolled metal balls on a wavy carpeted surface the size of a small dance floor. The objective was to strike different colored fixed pins. When a ball hit a pin, it sent an impulse to a computer which tallied scores.
"It's like I'm back home at Tony's Tavern in San Ramon," commented Wilson, "except this place is bigger."
"We've been to Earth so many times that we've not only acquired a taste for your foods, but we also like your games," said Raven.
"I'm glad that you enjoy our games and food," Wilson replied. "I could be a lot more homesick."
"Soon, you'll return to your world," said Raven.
Lena set aside her cue stick. "I'll be right back," she said. "Don't skip my turn," she added, as she headed for the ladies' room. Like everybody in the dayroom, she had already consumed a few beers.
Raven sipped frothy brew from a big, clear mug. In a slur he said. "You know, Bill, you're lucky to be alive. A big explosion from a Claymore mine or an improvised explosive device would have destroyed your body. I should tell you that the National Dimensional Travel Agency is part of our military." Raven paused as he tumbled into an easy chair. "And so, I'll give you a tip, but don't tell Lena."
"Okay," Wilson said.
"Lena is a great shot, but in combat she almost never hits an enemy," said Raven. "She's wounded a few clones and cyborgs, but she hasn't killed any. I think she doesn't want to kill anything. That's understandable because she is a gentle woman, even though she's technically a soldier like the rest of us on this ship."
Wilson was silent. He wondered, why did Raven say that? Wilson forced a smile. "She's a sweet lady," he said to fill the gap of silence.
"She's sweet," Raven repeated. "But she sometimes tells little lies. She might even steal a few small things. That doesn't mean much here because everything's free anyway. However, the main thing to remember is that if you ever are in combat again, and she's with you, be mindful that she may not hit the enemy. Her ray fire will scare your enemies. You'll be the person who must shoot to kill."
"I understand," Wilson said. He felt drunk. Lena returned from the ladies' room. Raven picked up his cue stick, teetered to the pool table, and took dead aim at the cue ball. He intended to scatter the balls grouped at the table's center, but due to his drunken state he slipped as he struck the cue ball. It glanced off the rest of the balls, which did not scatter well. Wilson and his companions played three more games of slop pool.
They laughed and had a great time. For a moment Wilson's thoughts returned to what Raven had told him about Lena and how she had reacted in combat.
Maybe Raven just wanted to caution Wilson, but there was something else about the revelations that Wilson couldn't put his finger on. Soon he forgot about the whole thing. He had a good time, got drunker, and enjoyed it.
"Let's dine together, Bill," Lena mumbled in a slurred voice as she winked. Her offer surprised him, so he decided that the alcohol that she had consumed had made her less shy in public.
"I'd enjoy that," he replied.
Out of Lena's sight, Lieutenant Landor grinned at Raven, who returned a smile. Then he winked at Wilson from behind Lena.
She snatched Wilson's hand and led him away from the two men, out the door and along a thick carpet down a hallway to his guest quarters. His cabin and the hallway were so much like a hotel that for an instant Bill thought he was in a deluxe vacation resort. Some sections of the large ship were practical and looked like a battleship while other areas were akin to a holiday cruise ship.
Wilson turned the cabin's doorknob and pulled open the door. He and Lena entered the cabin – a comfortable apartment with a large bathroom, a sitting room, and a big bedroom.
"I'll get some menus from the mess sergeant," Lena said in her rich, Scandinavian-like accent. "They're illustrated so you can see what you'd like," she explained.
"Thanks," Wilson replied.
She gave him a warm hug. "See you soon," she said as she left.
While Lena was away, he had time to take a fresh look at his living quarters. As he scanned his surroundings, it struck him that the ship and the objects around him were earthlike, but seemed to be from another time.
He glanced in the bathroom. The sink was square and had hot and cold taps, and there was a brass framed mirror on the wall. The bathtub was round with a seat on one end, and the showerhead hung from a pipe over the middle of the tub. The shower looked like an emergency shower in a chemistry laboratory.
In the bedroom a big cabinet that snapped onto brackets on the wall served as a closet. Wilson felt as if he had traveled to a foreign country where many of the everyday objects were clunky, heavy, tough, and practical rather than beautiful.
There was a light knock at the door, and he opened it. Lena entered carrying menus.
"Thank you for getting those," he said.
"You're welcome," she answered, her slurred alien accent charming him. She handed him one of the two menus illustrated in vivid color. The pair sat down at a round, light-colored walnut dining table.
"These pictures are great," Wilson said, as he opened his menu. He pointed to an entrée that looked like broccoli, beef, and fried rice with egg rolls on the side. "This looks good," he said.
"I agree," she said. "If you think this is a
Chinese dish, you're right. I'll have the same."
"So, you Sunevians like Chinese food, too?"
"I don't know about the rest of the crew, but I do," she replied. "I'll be back in a jiffy with the meals," she said, as she gracefully stood up and left the cabin.
As Wilson watched her leave, he was struck by her beautiful figure, as if he had just seen her for the first time. She was perfect. While she was gone, he daydreamed about dancing with her again.
Before long, she returned to the cabin with a tray of food. His mouth watered.
"Here you are, dear," she said in a rich, soft voice. She took the plates of food from the tray, arranging them on the table. He was amazed by the foreign splendor of the tableware. The plates were square and yellow with brown stripes.
"What's the polite way to eat with these utensils?" Wilson asked. He had used their "silverware" for most of the past week, but no one had educated him about the proper way to eat in this alien world.
"I'll be glad to help you," Lena said. "I've noticed that you handle the utensils well most of the time. Just do as I do," she said.
Sunevians use two eating utensils. One is a stick, almost like a single chopstick. The other, an 'eater,' looks like a modified spoon, but it is a spoon-knife-fork mix.
Lena picked up a stick with one hand and the spoon-knife-fork with her other hand.
"One thing I've noticed is that you don't use the stick at all," she said. "We hold food in place with it while we cut with the eater, like this." She sliced a piece of poultry.
Wilson copied her, pressing a piece of chicken down with the stick and dissecting it with the knife edge of his "eater."
"You did it well, Bill," she said. "That's all I noticed that you did contrary to custom."
"I'm glad I didn't embarrass myself too much," he said as he scooped up some creamy noodles.
"As far as beverages go, make sure you always sip them with the straw," she said. Lena sipped some tea from a plastic cup through a straw.
"What's your life like here?" Wilson asked. He sipped punch which tasted like a tropical fruit.
"I own a small flower shop," she said in a nectar sweet voice. "I'm there, or I travel. I look for new kinds of flowers and herbs."