by Marc Neuffer
While each of the libraries had the same general information, there were bits that were not common to them all. Hidden, even from the sentient AI, in those compacted library cubes The AIs didn’t know those chunks were there. The Bears speculated that it would take over two-hundred years before they had pealed back all those layers.
It appeared the Surrons had not died out like we’d thought. Facing some natural, or unnatural, universal extinction effect, the Surrons had not gone gently into becoming wispy, smoky memories. They’d fought tooth and nail, trying to halt the cause of their pending racial disaster. Failing that, they left. We didn’t have all the facts yet, but what we did know, indicated the entire Surron race had simply gone elsewhere, and slammed the door on the Zees.
“I’m going to find them,” I told Sandy.
“Why? Can’t you take on some smaller challenges?”
“I don’t trust the Zees. They’ve been tinkering around the edges of our four dimensions, unrestricted for too long. I don’t want to wait to see what they might do next. If the Surrons know how to keep them on the other side of the fence, I want to know how. They could be sympathetic allies if the need ever arises.”
“Well, good luck with that.”
We rode down the lift in silence, then emerged on the cavern floor, just a bit away from the land entrance. Through the wide opening, I could see green vegetation and glimpses of the ranch buildings.
I spoke again, “Well, speaking of smaller challenges, there is one we’re developing, a sort of Universal Congress of Species. As it stands, the Bears envision it as a consensus conclave rather than a voting body, passing laws.
I’m surprised and pleased to find that the large majority of advanced species are very reasonable sorts and most support non-interference with technologically emerging races. I guess, if you’re not reasonable and pragmatic, you don’t get very high on the ladder before you wipe yourself out. In most instances, nature filters out the bad actors. The Bears are still working on the basic procedures and protocols.
I stopped at the cave entrance, familiar sights and smells enveloped me: home. Sandy mistook my halt for anxiety.
“Don’t worry, I showed everyone your new face from our holo-com talk. You know, aside from a darker complexion, and a straighter nose, you don’t really look that much different.” She elbowed me, adding, “Except the ears. Neither one of the kids got your originals.”
Walking the two-hundred yards to the huge ranch house, I learned that each of my children had completed their initial higher education at universities on Satchel. Sarah had pursued a degree in engineering, while Noah earned his in advanced bio-forms.
“Don’t be too disappointed that they’re well-adjusted, highly capable and intelligent, they only got your looks, the rest was from me.”
“So, where did the ‘well-adjusted’ part come from?” That earned me a sharp punch to the kidneys. I remembered that had been her signature move for reminding me to behave. In the past it had been issued as warnings about women she felt had less than honorable plans. She hadn’t been jealous those times, but she had been right in her warning. Years ago, one of those ladies had tried to kill me.
As we got closer, I saw the veranda and lawn was littered with children of all ages, doing things kids do.
“Mica’s kids, and a few grandchildren,” was Sandy’s explanation.
Coming down the porch steps, Mica and Abby, accompanied by Sarah and Noah, were on a course and speed to intercept us halfway. Both Sarah and Noah had long, confident strides, heads up, relaxed stides. This might be easier than I thought. At ten feet separation the group stopped.
Sarah stepped forward, stopping within an arm’s length of us. Looking me in the eye, with a serious, sober, and somber face, she curtseyed, saying, “Father, you look quite well. We hope you find your stay at the ranch a pleasant one.”
Sandy jumped in, “Knock it off Sarah, you’re gonna give him a heart attack.”
With that, Sarah’s eyes lit with mischief, a grin spreading from cheek to cheek. She rushed me, giving me a warm embrace. “Well, I was trained by you, mother.”
Hugging her back, I glanced at Sandy, “Yeah, that’s you, through and through, a little more finesse, but you.” Both women laughed. A dual, sparkling laugh. I hadn’t heard laughter in over twenty years.
After breaking contact, Sandy and Sarah accompanied me to meet the remainder of the group. Mica was smiling broadly. Abby had a bit of tension showing through.
Grasping my hand in a firm, friendly grip, Noah said, “I told her not to do that, but she insisted. She’s more stubborn than Mom when she gets her teeth in the bit. Beware her pranks.”
Mica was next with a bear hug and slap on the back. “Couldn’t stay away, huh. I knew you’d be back. I never believed that hokum about you dying.” I knew that he had, but it didn’t matter now.
I stood before Abby, fully human now, she’d been part of the Zee in Traveler’s AI core before taking a human body, as had part of Ranger’s persona. She took my hands in hers, looking, questioning. “Welcome home, Gene.” It was a simple and heartfelt expression of family. Gene had been my real first name. Gene Bonner. But Bonner was dead now.
I’d brought presents for my adult children. An alien artifact, some sort of gadget, from the library for Sarah and a cultured mini-tree for Noah, from the library planet. Dr. Fount had recommended I come bearing gifts.
Sarah hooked my arm in hers, escorting me to the house, her steps a bouncy and athletic rhythm. She chatted with her mother as we walked. Noah took his place on my other side.
5 Endothermic
Endothermic: a chemical process involving absorption of environmental heat in which one or more substances are changed into different states. Melting ice is endothermic.
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Being around so many humans again was a distinct difference from the much more sedate Bear cultures. I’d forgotten how noisy and active small children could be. Abby and the other mothers tried to keep them corralled, but they sensed excitement and unusual activity. They wanted to be included. I found I wanted the same.
I had planned to sleep aboard Ranger, but Abby was insistent I stay at the house. She had made up my old bedroom. Nothing much had changed in there. Even with so many people in residence, the huge house was more than enough to absorb them. Some of Abby’s children had built family homes of their own on the ranch, not far from the main house. A new wing had been added as a nursery and inside play area. The entertainment section had also been expanded to include learning pods. There were no servants here, only bots with simple AIs.
After slinging my pack on the bed, I went back down to the communal living area. The commons had been redesigned with a more rustic look, incorporating exposed timber beams, carved from the ranch property. It was warm and inviting. There were corners where you could feel secluded. Abby was the matron here. She’d always had a close affinity with, and appreciation for, nature. Live plants, a natural stone fireplace and a quiet indoor watercourse over a wall of jutting flat rock completed the effect. This area of the house had also been expanded.
Mica was waiting for me. “Well, old man. Besides visiting Sandy and the kids, do you have any other plans?”
“Not really, I would like to avoid being around strangers though. It’s been a long time for me.”
“Well, I think you’ll find we have just about everything and anything you might want to experience right here, except the extra people.”
“I did notice some new out buildings and large garden towards the fields.”
“Yeah, years ago, Abby wanted to start processing our own foods. That turned from a hobby into a going concern. We have a creamery and cheese production facility. It took ten years before she proclaimed her first batch of cheese properly aged. We’ll have some for dinner. Would you like a drink? We don’t have any alcohol. You remember I lost my taste for the stuff after I was reconstituted. Before that, I could really sop that stuff up. Now, it’s just not something we keep
around. I suppose we could lay in a few bottles for guests, but it’s only the older kid’s friends who come around.”
“Thanks, perhaps some sparkling water with some lemon … and ice?”
“Oh, and you’ve got to visit the olive orchards and coffee plantation. Abby practically picketed the government until they relented and gave her permits for those tracts. The middle slopes of the mountains are good for both species. Down here we have fruit trees as well as a substantial vegetable garden. One of the buildings you saw is used to process and can most of it.
“As soon as the children could walk, she took them to the fields and orchards to hand cultivate and pick the harvest. When Sandy came back, she included Sarah and Noah in the mix. Gave them a real hands-on education in agronomy.
“Now she grows so much, she’s created her own organic brand. Lots of demand for her stuff in the cities, some is even shipped off planet. She calls her brand Traveler’s Own.”
That brought a smile and chuckle out of me. Then, the realization that I had missed so much.
“When she’s in the roasting process, you walk around in a constant state of coffee-aroma intoxication. There’s a real science and art underlying that process.”
“Mica, it sounds like you and Abby have created a personal paradise here. How much do the kids know about the past? The Surrons and the Zees? The capabilities of your ship?”
“Well, that depends. The older ones, those that are adults now, have been read-in to almost everything. After that they were given the choice whether or not to have a S-implant to replace their civilian Q-insert. All but one took them. Our son, who didn’t get one, had plans to join the space force after college. Couldn’t have the military medics finding that in his head. He’s doing quite well in his career now, should have command of a frigate soon.”
“Sarah and Noah?”
“They know the entire story. Sandy didn’t keep anything from them. Yes, before you ask, even the Raptor thing. They’ve been bugging her to bring you home for a year, ever since she let slip you were still alive. Sarah threatened to take Snake out to look for you. That’s what Sandy named her ship. I named my ship Dawn, new beginning, that sort of thing.” He paused, leaning in, “She’s raised two fine children, Hornblower.”
As if on cue, Sarah came in, Noah trailing. I could easily see Noah’s resemblance to me, not only in appearance, but also in his speech and body language, the way he moved, a younger me—reserved and cautious. Good for him.
Sarah, on the other hand, while having a strong resemblance to her twin, was an unrestrained, energized and open version of Sandy. Where Sandy had been abrasive and dismissive, or verbally combative, in a play-with-me way, Sarah had shucked all that off, if she’d even ever had that trait.
She bounced into a room, never content to glide in. I could see that any man who attempted to tame her would lose that contest of wills. She plopped down beside me. Noah took a chair nearby.
“So! When are we going? I want to see all the trails and lookouts you used to haunt with the Bears. I want to hear all about it as we go. I’ve got the gear ready. And that artifact you brought me. Do you know what it does?”
I blinked. Before I could respond or ask a question, Mica saved me. “I think Abby would appreciate you sticking around for dinner. She and Sandy have cooked up a family feast. An early start in the morning would be better.” Noah sat there, shaking his head, a small smile on his lips. I guess he’d seen this show a few times.
I never got around to answering her artifact question. I knew exactly what it was and what it did. I’d let her tinker with it, using her engineering skills to figure it out
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The evening dinner was excellent. Sandy had supplied several bottles of local wine to go with the dishes. Unlike Mica, I still enjoyed a drink every now and then. With age, my tastes had mellowed and become more refined in my beverage selections. Mellow is what I was feeling.
I met all of Mica’s children and grandchildren, except the boy in the space force. He was involved in some joint exercises away from Satchel. Mica and Abby had started their family soon after getting married. A set of twin girls, then twin boys. Four more single births followed through the years. The youngest was ten. Abby was an excellent mother. Mica was wise enough to follow her lead.
After dinner, I pushed away from the long table. I needed to go for a walk. The wine and crowd had gone to my head. I needed air and space, lots of space. On my way out, Sandy joined me. Sarah and Noah were sitting on the porch as we walked into the night.
I hope they weren’t thinking about Sandy and I getting back together. We had never been together, in the first place. Just strong friends and trusting crewmates. Each with our own occasional dalliances. My genetic material had been unfrozen and uncorked in a clinic where Sandy had conceived.
We walked, pausing occasionally to engage in the more serious talk, both of us clearing our minds and the air, attempting to make a start at reclaiming what we’d had before, with each other. It was easier for her than for me.
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The next morning, Sarah was ready to go. Too early. She’d rousted Noah from his bed to make sure he’d be ready to go along. I got the feeling that Noah frequently attended her, not because he saw her as the leader, but more from a feeling he needed to be a protector, ready to engage if a hazard reared its head. That was me too.
I looked at the pile of gear by the vehicle compound. “What, no kitchen sink? Where do you think we’re going, and for how long?”
“I thought we’d go up and over the mountain, then camp for a day at Mom’s favorite spot, the one with the waterfall.” I walked back inside to pack a bag.
We took a large ATV up the mountain as far as it would go, then foot-trekked the rest of the way. The mountain lift would have been quicker, but would not have afforded the time and interaction with my children. On that trip, I started thinking of them that way—my children. I liked how that rolled around in my head, how they’d turned out.
Sarah was like a sure-footed mountain goat, never losing her grip, no matter how steep the incline. Noah and I kept a more regular, sedate pace. I started noticing, when she got far ahead, she would pause for a snack. After seeing her go through that routine a half-dozen times, I gave Noah a questioning look.
“She over-clocks to much, but won’t listen to me.”
Noah and Sarah had inherited the fast twitch package from their parents. I wondered if Sandy had given them any training at the ranch dojo, and if it was even still there.
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I was enjoying their company. Too soon we were driving around the upper mountain trails to get to the downslope on the other side. Noah and I took turns at the wheel. It’s really, really hard to overturn one of these, but they can still take a nasty sideways slip into a ravine if you’re not careful.
Noah refused to let Sarah drive. “She needs lots of flat open ground, or lots of space up there. He was pointing to the sky. He meant space in the void. I learned that both of them were more than competent pilots.
By noon we had made it to our proposed campsite. I knew that Sandy had brought Abby here often, to tutor her in the wily ways of being a woman, and living as a human. For the first year of Abby’s human life, everything was new and sparkling. Abby had been born into an adult body. Sandy had counseled her repeatedly, to use a good measure of caution in new places, especially when dealing with people outside our family group.
Camp was set up and lunch finished—leftovers from our meal the evening before. I found a soft shady spot near the waterfall, perfect for a nap. I like naps. It’s like getting a new, second start on the day. After an hour I woke to the sounds of swimming. Noah was enjoying the semi-chilled mountain water of the arm of the lake that reached in towards the waterfall. Sara was sunning on a rock, reading from a tablet. I wandered over.
I sat next to her, quietly, not wanting to intrude on her study. After a few minutes she put her tablet down. “Are the Bea
r doctors still around, Fount and Forest?”
“Yes, they run the library. As far as I know, everyone from our group is still either here or out there.”
“We’re going with you to Shangri La.”
Blunt, to the point. A statement not a question. In her mind it was a future fact. Continuing, she added, “I want to do a bit of a study in Bear engineering, sort of a comparative analysis of parallel development. Noah would like to study the fauna of the planet too.”
While the idea was a mix of emotions for me, I knew that I wouldn’t, couldn’t take them without Sandy’s agreement. While they were adults in their own right, I needed Sandy’s view about this first.
I spent the remainder of the day and evening, telling them about the library, answering questions about Shangri La, the Bears and the pending work of the foundation.
Sandy knew her daughter, knew why she wanted to get me alone with her and Noah. She said she was prepared and had expected this. I stayed another five days, then we boarded Ranger and left Satchel.
6 Exothermic
Exothermic: chemical reaction process which releases heat or light. A catalyst, or other reactant, is required to initiate the process. Respiration is exothermic.
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After we returned from our camping excursion, I called back to Shangri La to let Martin and the Bears know I was bringing guests. I asked Martin to expedite having a home built for my little family.
My bachelor quarters there wouldn’t have been able to serve that purpose. Too small, too spartan. I told Sandy, anytime she wanted to visit, just whistle. I’d have to pick her up in the cold dark, berthing her ship, Snake, inside one of the big ships. Hers didn’t have phase-shift capability.
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Ranger was familiar territory for Sarah and Noah. Before Sandy had returned to Satchel, she had raised them aboard her cloned ship—leading a vagabond life. Her ship’s sentient AI had become a favored uncle to them. When the twins turned five, she returned to the ranch to give them a more normal life, including socialization, with Micas family.