“You okay, Dan? Looking a little serious there,” said Patton.
“Oh, just thinking of times past. So where you taking us?”
“The lodging house isn’t far. It’s where all the out of town guests stay.”
“They come here by boat from the other islands?”
“Yes, and from the outlying settlements here on Oahu.”
We passed through the narrow streets with all of their greenery, flanked by three to five story-high apartments. Onlookers sat eating on their little balconies. Some of them waved or called a friendly hello.
“Do you get much crime?”
“Nah—the odd petty theft or the occasional fight, but nothing too bad. Valdus’s trial is the first murder trial for more than a decade,” said Kale.
“You serious? How do you…?”
“Like I said before—small place, no drugs—except for caffeine. Controlled alcohol allowances. You don’t last long here if you’re a criminal.”
We reached the town square with the school and the town hall. People sat by the fountain and chatted. Some kids played a game of impromptu soccer over in the far corner. The Silicon Life Works building was straight ahead, a short walk behind the town hall. Instead, we took a right.
“So when do you want to take our statements?”
“Oh, you mean about Valdus’s crimes?”
“Yes.”
“Whenever you’re ready. But you don’t need to worry, we’ve got our ways of finding the truth.”
I stopped and gave him a stare.
“You’re not talking about torture I hope.”
He chuckled and placed his hand on my shoulder.
“Dan, I promise you. No torture. We’re not barbarians; we’ve just developed effective questioning techniques, that’s all. I’ll show you sometime if you’re interested.”
Satisfied—temporarily at least—we continued on our way passing a little restaurant with tables extending onto the street. Patton seemed to know the patrons and the waiter, nodding a hello.
“I am curious about the Forever World, Mr. Patton,” said Laetitia.
“Oh yeah?”
“Yes. Can an android’s mind be uploaded like a human’s can?”
He smiled and eyed her knowingly.
“Wouldn’t happen to know one would you?”
“So is it possible?”
“Yeah, it should be with the right connections and some programming of the upload software. There are already millions of AI beings in the Forever World, so it’s possible to exist in there. But you’d better ask one of our techs that if you want the right answer,” he said, laughing.
We continued for two more minutes, passing a general store, still busy with shoppers. It was basic by twenty-first century standards, with none of the modern fittings and profusions of signs touting special offers. Patton explained it was run by the administration along with another small store in the northeast sector.
“Here we are,” he announced as we reached a five-story apartment that looked similar to the rest.
A sign over the front double doors read Lodgings with a small reception desk to the right of the narrow lobby.
“We don’t have money,” I said.
“It’s okay, we don’t expect you to—it’s on us, stay as long as you need. We run what used to be called a socialized system of capitalism here. We help those who need it, but weed out the slackers pretty effectively I’d like to think. Go on,” he said, holding the door for us but remaining outside. “Oliver’ll sort you out from here on in.”
And when I turned, a rotund innkeeper with a mustache had arrived behind the little reception desk.
“Hey thanks, Kale. Guess we’ll catch up tomorrow then,” I said.
“Sure, you have a good rest now.”
“Goodbye Mr. Patton,” said Laetitia with a smile.
Oliver the innkeeper just asked our names, checked us in, giving us each a key attached to a piece of carved wood. Mine had a carving of a fish, Laetitia’s of some kind of a pine tree. He showed us upstairs and Laetitia disappeared into her room before we reached mine. I thanked Oliver and closed the pine wood door to the tiny, plain room. It held just a single bed, a small wooden nightstand and a rail protruding from the wall with four hangers on it. On one of them hung some fresh clothes—extra-large shirt and pants.
Guess they’re not into walk-in wardrobes around here, I thought
A window above the headboard looked down onto the quiet pedestrian street below. If I’d scrunched up my eyes, it could’ve been some ancient Mediterranean backstreet, roughhewn stone buildings of the opposite block almost within touching distance.
A white towel lay on the white sheets and atop the white towel some underwear and socks. Below these was a wooden toothbrush and some toothpaste in a glass jar. These guys had thought of everything but the bathrobe. I’d definitely be leaving a good review on TripAdvisor.
I spent the next ten minutes taking a shower after finding it down the hall. The feeling of being clean after so long felt unbelievably good. I climbed into bed and switched off the lamp on the nightstand. Within seconds, I felt drowsy, knowing this sleep was going to be a good one. Then it came. Visions of the Mojave Air & Spaceport flickered in and out of my consciousness. Vivid pictures of Mom and Nikki there in 2070. What had become of them?
6
Monday, 2 June 2070, Mojave Air & Spaceport, CA
Luker sat at the Terminal 3 cafe with his mom and sister waiting for their drinks. Wave after wave of colonists washed through the crowded spaceport, catching their shuttles to the orbiting leviathan. Luker had picked the cafe closest to his departure gate, which he could see through the glass across the busy walkway. Just a security check and a short walk to the shuttle and his new life would begin. He checked his watch again.
“That’s the third time in the last five minutes, Danny. Anyone’d think you can’t wait to leave us,” Nikki said, trying to make light of it, but only managing a tight smile.
“We’ll miss you more than you know, Daniel,” said Mom, tears welling in her eyes.
He hugged her and pecked her cheek.
“Mom, please, you’re going to make me cry again. I’ve got my own life now; have for a long time.”
Before the murder of Juliet and Ryan, Luker had vowed never to leave Earth on the Juno. But their murders had changed everything. It had changed him deep inside. Now, he wanted to start afresh and fulfill his boyhood dream that had lain dormant for so long. A dream of traveling to the stars that he thought would never come, but did. The development of single-stage to orbit had been the catalyst for humankind to take to space to a degree previously unseen. No longer constrained by the economic penalties of Earth’s gravity well, single-stage spaceplanes slashed costs and led to great economies of scale. The Helios space-telescope array had been the other precondition, finding the target system just sixteen light years away. Aura-c was habitable—of that, there was no doubt. Now they’d just need the fast-recon probe intercept en route to confirm the details—landing sites, biological species, weather patterns and the like. Luker wouldn’t be going without sacrifice—his family, his career at the LAPD and his friends. But nothing great came without sacrifice and within the next half an hour he’d feel it more than ever.
“I’m sorry. I know. We’ve had this discussion a thousand times. It’s just... It’s just so far away, so final,” she said.
“Don’t be so melodramatic, mom,” said Nikki, trying to be positive, “We’re down to the final draw for the Janus. You’re still fit and healthy. We’ll see Danny again one day.”
“But it leaves in eight years’ time. Eight years of lost time with my boy...”
“Mom,” said Luker. “You’re forgetting what I told you—the Juno will take a hundred and twenty years, but the Janus has more advanced engines, so will take only a hundred and fifteen. So we’re talking three years, not eight.”
“Sorry, how absent-minded of me. Yes, you did explain, but I just can�
��t think clearly with all the stress.”
“Let’s just make this time one of fond memories. Besides, once we arrive we get a weekly text allowance of a hundred twenty characters via the quantum transceiver,” he said, referring to the low bitrate technology, which could communicate with Earth instantaneously.
The only alternative was sending things electromagnetically with a delay of over sixteen years.
The server arrived with their coffees.
“I’ve got a long black and two cappuccinos, one with cinnamon, one with chocolate.”
She laid them on the table, but all the while glanced furtively at Nikki.
“Do I recognize you from somewhere?” said the waitress with a toothy smile.
“I don’t know. Do you?” said Nikki, pleasantly.
“Yeah...”
Luker cut in, putting them all out of their misery. “Webflix, The Colonist?” he said rolling his eyes at the number of times Nikki had this happen.
“Yes, yes, that’s it. You’re Angelica aren’t you!?” said the waitress, almost jumping up and down with excitement.
“Yes, that’s my character’s name. I’m Nikki Luker. Nice to meet you,” she said, holding out her hand.
The waitress dropped her tray and shook it with both hands.
“I’m such a fan. Can we have a picture together?”
“Sure.”
And they spent three valuable minutes before she took Luker’s watch-checking and throat-clearing as hints to leave.
“Juno Ark Shuttle-212 is ready for pre-boarding security checks. Please make your way to Gate 15,” said the PA system.
“That’s me,” said Luker, his stomach a churning swarm of butterflies.
This was it. Goodbye to mom and Nikki. Goodbye to Earth. He’d be leaving with without knowing if they’d make the colonist list for the Janus, without knowing for sure if he’d ever see them again. The possibility left him numb and stirred up the doubts he’d so far suppressed.
He finished his coffee as did Nikki. Mom had hardly touched hers as they all got up and walked over to the departure gate entrance.
He wrapped his big arms around both his mom and sister and held them tight. All three of them wept without restraint until the final call came.
He held his sister at arm’s length and seared her face into his mind forever before hugging and kissing her goodbye then did the same with his mom. As he did, the years of growing up flashed through his mind. Sunny afternoons in the backyard having water fights with Nikki. Playing chess with dad after dinner. Walking in the local park holding hands with mom on one side and dad on the other. He reimagined her aged face as she was back then. Where had all the years gone? They parted physically before he walked through the sliding glass doors and past the scanning screens.
They hadn’t yet made it onto the Janus Ark, but somewhere inside he knew he’d see them again.
7
Present Day, Earth
The time was 6 a.m. when I awoke from a deep, long sleep. I put on the new clothes and tied my fleece around my waist in case I needed to venture outside. To be honest, I didn’t really know what the day would bring but I had some ideas. After making my way downstairs, I found Oliver the innkeeper talking with Laetitia in the compact little dining room, complete with four tables with four chairs at each. Oliver took our breakfast order and we sat down to a pot of coffee. It’d all be mine, of course—news not having reached our host about my companion’s android nature. According to Oliver, it was a great privilege having a pot of coffee. They could only grow it inside the dome, where space and, therefore, cost would be at a premium. I hoped Laetitia’s lack of interest wouldn’t offend him. It wouldn’t offend me. The coffee was drinkable but weak, making me wonder how Laetitia would feel about a grocery run to the Juno stores to get a few of my favorites. I didn’t ask. She’d probably disapprove, but only after explaining the relative merits of saving fuel versus getting luxury foods. Easy for her to say.
“How did you sleep Laetitia?” I said jokingly.
“I climbed out of the window and went to the shuttle to recharge,” she said. “I arrived back before anyone noticed.”
“Patton knows you’re android.”
“I know he does, but I am still not supposed to advertise the fact, Mr. Luker. Those are my orders from Arnie.”
“Of course. Don’t you do anything against his wishes? Don’t you have a mind of your own?”
“As I have explained to you, Mr. Luker, I do have my own mind, but I must stay within the boundaries he gives me.”
I polished off breakfast and coffee for two, but only because I hadn’t had enough of late. Tomorrow we’d need to come clean. I couldn’t keep taking these people’s food when they may need it themselves. I hadn’t seen any signs of poverty but who knew?
We got up, and as we did, Patton and Aulani entered the dining room.
“Hey, Dan, Laetitia, how’d you sleep?” said Patton.
“Fine thanks,” I said.
“Fine,” said Laetitia.
“Laetitia, you were asking to see the fabricators and I’ve lined up our expert for seven over at the Silicon Life Works building,” said Aulani, her large brown eyes smiling as much as the rest of her face.
“I appreciate you fulfilling my request. Thank you, Ms. Ito.”
“My pleasure.”
“And for you, Dan,” said Patton with palpable excitement, “I’ve secured you a two-hour slot in the Hive. Officer Mike Lawrence of the Chicago PD has some news you’re gonna wanna hear.”
“Wow, that was fast! When’s the slot start?” I said, my face lighting up instantly.
“Seven also.”
***
The black screen surrounded my avatar as I awaited my second trip into the Forever World.
“Oh, your insertion point isn’t Chicago, by the way. It’s LA. South Beverly Park. You know it?” said Patton.
“Huh! Know it? Sure I know it. We used to—”
The bright sunshine of LA in 2074 overwhelmed my eyes. I heard birds singing and a bee buzzing around nearby as my eyes adjusted, bringing the quiet residential street into view. Right there, before my eyes stood the Spanish colonial style home belonging to Nikki, the place she’d bought with her Webflix paychecks.
I heard someone clear their throat and turned around to see Mike Lawrence, wearing jeans and tee-shirt topped off with a Bulls hat.
“There you are,” I said in surprise, shaking my friend’s hand.
“Glad you could make it,” he said.
“So...?” I said, excitedly.
“So, I work fast, man. When I like a brother that is. And you’re kind of okay,” he said in jest.
“Are they in there?”
“Now I don’t want you goin’ round saying I’m staking them out, but yeah, they’re in.”
“Hey, thank you so much, Mike,” I said, pumping his hand once more. “How’d you find them?”
“I just asked a few of your old buddies in the LAPD. Said he didn’t know you, but my badge was good enough. Listen, man, I’d love to hang with you, but you gotta be with your family and do this thing right.”
I nodded, we shook, and bear-hugged before he hopped in a taxi pod he must’ve pre-arranged. After waving goodbye, I turned to face the path to the front door electricity coursing through my soul. The moment I’d dreamt of ever since leaving on the shuttle from Mojave. I chuckled slightly, shaking my head. To think, this wasn’t really the biological mom and Nikki inside my sister’s brick and tile home. It was all a super-smart facsimile of the world as it was before a trillion tons of space rock changed it forever. But what did it matter as far as this moment was concerned? To my senses, it was no less real than had I been there in the flesh. After all, there’s no way of knowing we’re in a simulation. Ever.
After taking a deep breath of Hawaiian air, I walked up the terracotta pathway to the big wooden front door. I drew back the knocker, pounded twice and stepped back.
“It’s oka
y mom, I’ll get it,” said the familiar voice, blowing away all doubt.
It was Nikki, the little sister I’d known since before she could crawl.
The door flew open and there she was in front of my very eyes, just a few years older than when I’d left. But it was Nikki alright. She smiled pleasantly, partially dispelling the vague frown, which lingered.
“Yes, can I help you?” she said, holding the door.
Her lack of recognition took me aback. I said nothing.
She began to look at me strangely, as the smile waned slightly.
“Nikki, it’s me, Danny.”
And I waited for her reaction.
“Danny? My brother, Danny?” she said confused. “Say something again,” she said, turning her head slightly as if to improve her hearing.
“I said, it’s me, Danny. Daniel T. Luker born November 10, 2038, in Meridian, Idaho to James and Marleen. Colonist JA-01015 on the Juno Ark which never made it to Aura.”
My sister’s face looked up at me, tears welling in her eyes. But something in her remained on guard.
“It sounds like you, Danny, but it doesn’t look like you. I... I just don’t want it to be wrong. You can’t raise our hopes like that and it not be you, Danny. I need it to be you. Mom needs it. Tell me the name of your favorite blue teddy bear growing up.”
I beamed at the memory of that scruffy little bear. “Wilbur. His name was Wilbur!”
And fireworks of joy exploded all over her face as she leapt on me and held me tight, kisses all over me.
“It’s you! You’re alive! Do you know how much we missed you, Danny? Do you have any idea?” she cried.
Then she put her feet on the ground and broke into tears, her head on my shoulder.
I couldn’t speak. I choked up with my own tears of a thousand other emotions all at once. Sadness that the biological Nikki had died over five centuries ago. Joy that I’d found her mind. That was all we had left, so we had to make it work.
“Nikki,” came the voice of my mom. “What’s all this noise?”
Then she stopped and stared at her daughter hugging the large man on the doorstep.
Home Planet: Arcadia (Part 3) Page 5