Book 7 of The traveler.

by Robin Miller

  I said, "any help you say. Can you teach drums or flute?"

  Muser, "I can teach any instrument made on this planet, and a few others." I said, "well then how about you set up in the back of my music store. There is lots of room not being used, you could work for me. In return for giving lessons to my family and anyone that buys an instrument at my store. I'll give you a room at my hotel plus free breakfast and supper at my club, and 10% of the credits the store makes for lessons for walking around money."

  Muser, "how much walking around money are we talking about?" I said, "let's say at least 10 credits per day and no cap."

  Muser, "that sounds like a good deal, and that there is no way I can lose, that bothers me somehow. I should say yes, but I'm not sure I know what I'm getting into."

  I said, "well here, let me pay you up to date and you can think it over. The offer is open, ask around, check me out. Talk to people that work for me." I paid him and we left to go shopping for furniture. I tried to think of how the building would be used, and the people that would be working in it. There was more room than was needed for the workers that would need a desk. So I decided to just furnish one office on each floor, with the top one just for me. I could use the other rooms as needed. It didn't take us long to pick out what I wanted, and they said they would deliver it tomorrow. We then went to the space station to see how the work on the fighters was coming along. They had 23 done and we're working on five at once as we walked over to them. I asked the Twins if they wanted to help. They said yes and the chief engineer put them to work. I then checked with the dock and cargo masters to see how things were going. I told New-come bee, the cargo master, that I had bought more land and to expect more shipments of crystals from it. I said to him, "I only tell you this because I don't want you to think Owsee is trying to cheat the government. New-come bee said, "Owsee is a banker and knows the tax laws, if anyone should be able to mine their own land without a tax it's you sir."

  I said, "just so you know, I'm not trying to keep it a secret, except from those that might be jealous."

  New-come bee, "I understand sir, and it's not a problem."

  I said, "how goes the flight lessons?"

  He said, "rather well, now I'm not so ashamed of touching the wrong thing it's quite a thrill."

  As I walked to the door I said, "well you keep flying and you'll earn that black hat." He said, "yes sir, thank you sir."

  Then I went to the bridge. Flight control told methere was a CM taker approaching, and I said to clear it for water transfer and tell the cargo master. Then I got on the ships public address and said, "attention, as some of you may know, we are selling water to a CM taker. I do this only because they are supplying stations within a three start gate jump, that have thirsted dockworkers on them. But because of bad feelings towards the CM, or what they have done in the past, I’m charging them a 15 credit per unit screw you tax. And 10 of those credits go into a ship bonus fund. By this time tomorrow each of you will have another 100 credits in your account, so keep up the good work and screw the CM!"

  Someone on the bridge turn on the microphones to the station, and we heard a large cheer from the crew. I just smiled and went to my quarters, as the grateful shouts echoed the hallways. Then I called the bank and told the manager to add 100 credits to the accounts of all the workers on the space station. He said he could take care of that for me, but it would take some time. Perhaps noon tomorrow. I said that would be fine, and to call me if it was going to be much later. Then I went to my replicator and made myself a cup of coffee. I put a pinch of fire-powder in it and a shot of brandy, then drink it slow as I looked out the porthole at the ships that came and went. I couldsee the cargo transfer from the government ships to the Plexon cargo carrier, and the CM tanker beginning to take on water. There were also a few local ships buying water before they left, it was cheaper here than down on the planet, because they could avoid the planet depletion tax. I lit my pipe and sat down to make a list of all the companies I would have talked to about what I would need for all the new clubs and hotels I was going to build. Then the bridge said I had a call from Station E3, it was the information seller.

  He said, "well I have something for you. It's not what I expected, but is still of great concern. You know those metal eating spider robots you try to stay away from, on Spectronem where you get your star light crystals?"

  I said, "yes and I'm not surprised you know about that."

  He said, "well those little robots have a home world, or factory if you like. The aliens that made them to protect their interests, went away a long time ago and left things running. So many little robots were made that the planet was covered with them. Somewhere down the line they started to go beyond their programming, and to become somewhat artificially intelligent. But they are still driven by their original programming to scrap metal. Now this where it gets hard to believe. Apparently the robots made the planet explode, so they could drift in space to get to other planets. This all happened three star-systems away from you, and most of them were destroyed in the explosion. But some still cling to asteroids, and some of them will come this way. This could be a problem for ships, and of course your station if they make it that far. I can tell you little else, except that it may take a week or two for them to drift toward you, less for some of the other planets and stations."

  I said, "sounds like a problem all right, but at least it's not a war."

  He said, "did I mention there are hundreds of millions of them."

  I said, "okay, a big problem, but it's still a question of how many will come close to us. Thanks for the information, let me know if there is anything else of interest coming our way that we should be concerned about."

  He said, "oh I'm sure there will be, it's just a matter of when."

  He ended our conversation on that note and I said to myself, "why did it to be those spiders?"

  They were more of a problem than I wanted to admit. They were only about a foot across, too small to be shot by the fighters, but just one could cripple a ship. And despite saying it was just a matter of how many made it to us, that was not true. I could not let the Stargate stations or theStargate be destroyed, but this would be like trying to fight a sandstorm. How doyou fight a storm? I took a drink of brandy and washed it down with my coffee. Then re-lit my pipe and looked out the porthole at the ships moving containers of crystals. Think think think, I must come up with a good idea of how to deal with this new problem. I noticed that the Plexon ships was using a electromagnetic plate to hold empty containers in place until they could be returned. Perhaps I could do something like that to hold and destroy our new problem. I knew the station would not have the supplies to make what I wanted, so I called the best engineers I new, U1 and U2 on the second moon. I told them what we were up against and my idea of electromagnetic mines with a coating of rubber the spiders could not eat thru. They said they knew a company on the planet that makes rubber coated buoys used for deep-sea fisherman, about 5 feet across. A company that makes electromagnetic generators. A company that makes long-range remote controls, and of course the explosives factory. They said they could organize a joint effort to make what I wanted, and I could get the cooperation of all the companies. I said to them to prepare to devote their time to the project and I would get the companies to cooperate with them by morning. They gave me the list of companies, and I told them I would talk to them in the morning. I then got a beep from my computer. It had a tracking download of where the spiders were, their course and speed. Of which was a slow drift, unless some ship gives them a unknown ride. I put the information in the ship's computer so I could find out just where they would be, and by when. But my astrophysics was not up to the challenge. I would have to ask the Plexon engineering teacher for help. Besides, my best guess put the robots passing right through Plexon space. They may be in this one whether or not they wanted to. So I went down to the landing bay were the chief was, then told him what I knew, then what I wanted to find out. He said he did no
t know astrophysics well, but would call his government and let me know what he finds out. I then asked the Twins if they had read up on astrophysics. They said of course they had, and we went to the dock masters office to use his computer. It took a bit of programming, but before long I had the course the debris with the robots would go. Most of it would hit Plexon, some would pass near Tronex, and some would hit us. That is to say if all the gravitational currents remained the same, a lot of things could change in a week or two. I left a message for Gripper to stop by the house tonight, then the Twins and I went down to my club. After we got settled in at our booth, I called the governor and told him what was coming and what I was planning to do about it. I called each of the companies on my list to get themto work together to make the mines we needed, and each of them said they would work for below cost. I then left a message for Owsee on his computer, saying I now knew what was coming and would tell him at supper. I decided not to let a little thing like a new war get in the way of the other things I was doing, so I started to call all the shops I got things from when I built the club and hotel. If they didn't make enough of what I wanted I got the number of the companies that did and talk to them. During all of this the Twins were on their own computers, trying to figure out how many mines it would take to keep the robot spiders from the planet, and the moons. The numbers were way too high for us to make in time. But they were based on the other planets doing nothing to cut down the numbers. Anything could make a big difference by the time they got here. I was thinking along the lines of hitting them first, while they were still a long ways off. We decided to head home and do our planning there. It was only an hour away from sunset anyway, and I thought about doing an hour of gold mining, but I wanted to be home when Gripper got there so I could brief him on the new war we had on our hands. Although war may not be the right word for it, even if they had become artificially intelligent to some degree. They don't want our lives, our land or property, just some metal to chew on. Yet despite that, it will be war, even if it's just us declaring it on their programming. There will be no negotiation, no thought of living together in peace, they will simply be denied the right to execute their programming. Prowler and kitten called the Twins, U1&U2, to find out what force the electromagnets in the mines would have so we could plan how far away to deploy them. I made some notes for my next book, and wrote down the things we did today. It seemed like another one of those days where I spent a lot of time getting very little done. I then heard a sound in the sky, and looked toward the setting sun to see a silver shape coming down in the field between the House and the mountain. As it touched down I could make it out to be one of the swarm ships Owsee had repaired. It was the first time I had been this close to one, so I called the children and we went over to it. Owsee stood next to the hatch and said, "isn't she a beauty? Well worth the time to fix her up."

  He took us on a tour of the inside, and it was mainly open, with lots of room for many cargo containers.

  Owsee, "been flying it all day, still trying to get the smell of swarm out of it." I didn't notice any smell, and the children didn’t say anything. He showed us the bridge, a small room in the front of the ship, not much to it.

  Owsee, "we changed the controls so a human can fly it, but the engines are still flux driven. Which I’m happy were not damaged, because no one knows how they work."

  I said, "she's a fine ship alright. Not as big as Tubby, but you don't need to move two to three hundred containers at a time."

  Owsee, "I can put 50 in her, if I stacked them right."

  I said, "and now the government has one of these, so they can now start taking 50 at a time up, that will cut down on the traffic."

  Owsee, "they may even stop having you take loads up for them."

  I said, "that's just fine with me. Tubby is not the kind ship that should be making all those landings."

  As we walked out we saw Gripper landing, and Owsee said, "my computer said you have something to talk to me about. Something about what's coming?" I said, "wait until Gripper gets over here, I don't want to repeat myself." So we waited for him on my porch with pipes lit, and as Gripper came to the porch he said, "got a message you wanted to talk about something." I said, "gentlemen, there's a name to our pain, "Arachnid," at least that's what I'm calling it. It don't matter because it's not there anymore, but it was the home for those metal eaten robots, and now they are part of a debris field that is drifting our way in a week or two."

  Gripper, "how many are we talking about sir?"

  I said, "millions of them."

  Owsee, "do you think the other planets will help us this time?"

  I said, "they don't have much of a choice. The robots will drift into Plexon space and their planet for sure, if nothing is done. Then close to Tronex, and may be here, we are not sure. A lot can happen in a week or two. The engineering twins, U1&U2, will be working with some companies to make mines for us to use against this new pest. Word about what we're doing, or getting ready to do, is bound to get out soon. I just thought you two should have a heads up first." Owsee, "what did you mean by saying planet Arachnid is not there anymore?" I said, "it blew up! The thought is that the robots did it, because they had no more metal to eat."

  Owsee, "a extreme way to get someplace else."

  Gripper, "for sure, but they only want to eat metal, not us right?"

  I said, "the space station, and all our ships are made of metal."

  Owsee, "if we get infested we will be quarantined from the rest of the galaxy." I said, "that about sums up the problem."

  I handed Owsee my flask of brandy and he took a drink, then passed it to Gripper who took a drink, then gave it back to me and I took a drink then said, "at least this time we don't need to hide until it's over. The station may need to be moved, and all the ships on the planet may need to take off, but we will not need to hide the people or livestock."

  Owsee, "yes, just everything made of metal."

  I said, "I'm not even sure if they will make it this far, but if they do I want to be ready. That's why we are making the mines. Each one will have an electromagnetic center to pull them to it, then we blow them up." Gripper, "how many will it take to be sure we get them all?"

  I said, "more than we can make, in the time we have, but I'm not out of tricks yet. There are things we can do to stop some of them, and maybe push others away." Owsee, "pushing them into a sun would be my first choice."

  I said, “as well as mine, as soon as you figure out how to do it let me know." Owsee, "then we deploy early, and blow the rest of them up as they get here." I said, "of course we can, but what about the others?"

  Gripper, "begging your pardon sir, but if we blast all the large rocks, will not the small ones and robots burnt up in re-entry?"

  Owsee, "his right, all we have to do is blast all the big rocks the robots may be on, the rest will burn up."

  I said, "our pilots will need to be good shots."

  Gripper, "and we will need to be careful not to let any of those robots get on our ships, that's going to be hard."

  Owsee, "yes, but how can you hit the rocks once they’re surrounded by sand?" I said, "water! We dump water in its path. Small stuff will cling to it while the big things will pass through."

  Owsee, "and if the debris is moving fast enough it may be damaged when it hits the water. Have you ever jumped into the water from a tree? That can be like hitting the ground."

  Gripper, "and if we are lucky the water may short out some of the robots." I said, "you know, I'm starting to feel like we can win this one."

  Just then Kitty walked out of the twilight, on the path to the house, and into the yard. She said to Gripper, "do you or Nursa have any plans for tomorrow night? Because if not I would like you to come over for a barbecue."

  Gripper, "not that I know of. I'll check and get back to you."

  Kitty, "that would be wonderful, thank you," and she went inside.

  Gripper then said, "well Nursa most likely has supper ready for m
e, if we are not going to war tonight I should get home while it's still hot."

  I said, "I don't think we will be doing anything for a day or two. I'll keep you updated, goodnight."

  He said goodnight to each of us, and as he walked off, "if I have any ideas I'll send them to your computer."

  Then as he walked out of sight into the darkness Owsee said, "we will need more water tankers, and it's going to take time to fill them."

  I said, "I'll make some calls. I have already ordered enough ammunition for five turnarounds, with the extra we now can carry. I suppose we could use at least that much more."

  Owsee, "and you'll need to recall pilots or train more new ones."

  I said, "a bit of both I suspect will be the case. We will also need to make a inspection station away from the space station, for when we come back from a long trip, to make sure we don't have anything on our ships."

  Owsee, "we can do inspections with cargo robots."

  I got up and said, "I'm going to make myself a coffee, would you like anything?" Owsee, "a coffee sounds good," and he got up saying, "I'll go in with you, I want to ask Kitty how her day was."

  And we both went in. I got us each a cup of coffee from the replicator as Owsee asked Kitty how her day was.

  She replied, "I had a good day, sold three sets of lightning-crystal earrings, four dresses, five pairs of boots and a number of small things. The books are already half gone and I could use more pens."

  I said, "there is a box in my writing room, take what you need."

  Kitty, "and how was your day," she said from the kitchen.

  I said, "a slow day, but I got the sign for the park up, I think it looks good. The park is almost ready, just needs people to work it, I think we will open in a week or two."

  Kitty, "that's good news, and what did Owsee do all day?"

  Owsee, "a lot of flying around, moving my mining crew from one place to another, and taking loads to the station. I also made deals for land your husband here will build hotels and clubs on, 19 altogether now."