The Colony Ship Eschaton: The entire ten book series, page 114
Kevin began to answer, but before he could, Brittney Collison interrupted him, “You have been accepted to Engineering School, and are the youngest person to ever be accepted, is that correct?”
“Yes, I am excited…” Kevin tried to answer.
“At age fifteen that is quite an honor. I am sure it is hard to express how influential to your life growing up on an Amalgamated Farm really was. Would you say that was your main inspiration?” Brittney led the conversation.
“No, well, yes, of course it was…” Kevin stammered.
“Kevin I know words just cannot describe how thankful you are to Amalgamated Farms. My understanding is that you will be taking up Astronautical Engineering, is that correct?”
“Yes. I really hope to do some mining of the asteroids and…”
“Oh how wonderful for you. Such a dreamer, and such a smart and handsome young man you are,” Brittney Collison stated.
“Thank you,” Kevin finished.
The scene shifted again. This time Brittney Collison was dressed in a different colored costume, but it too was equally non functional. Her legs were bare, and crossed at the knee. Again the strange footwear was visible. She was sitting next to an older man who had thinning grey hair, and a bit of a set to his jowls. He too was wearing strange clothing, with a colorful cloth hanging from his neck. Behind them were racks of paper books, and antique computer systems.
“Professor Hubert Carvalho is Dean of Engineering and I am here to speak with him about the “Future is Ours Scholarship’ winner Kevin Zyla Mayberry. Professor Carvalho, are you excited to be teaching a young man who has been called a genius? I bet you can’t wait to have him in your classes?”
Professor Hubert Carvalho stated, “Well first of all, at the Engineering School, in my classes, we have a basic motto, ‘If you can’t say cannot, you can’t be an engineer’ because precision is essential in both mathematics and in proper communication.”
Brittney Collison’s face became bright red, and the recording ended.
The record cylinder folded itself up without anyone touching it. Jamie picked up the small folded object and placed it into her backpack next to the previous one.
“Michael, I am not sure what meaning any of these have. So Izzi found some records from before the Great Event. So what? If we could get a working data stick, I imagine we could find the same obscure things.”
“Jamie, I am not sure either. But Izzi put a lot of effort into these record cylinders. She hid them carefully. She used a lot of redundancy to make sure the information was not lost. I think we are only seeing the beginning of what makes this important. Mayberry. Is that the same Mayberry as the Mayberry Mover engine system? I wish Brink were here, I think there was an interplanetary engine system called the Mayberry Mover, before modern system were in place. But I do not recall exactly what that was.”
“So that man was a brilliant engineer, or at least went to school for that. So what? Why is that a big deal to Izzi?”
Meng-Po the artificial intelligence system responded, “It may be that Izzi saw this comedy you have observed as an important form of entertainment? That is my conjecture.”
“Comedy?” Jamie asked. “I saw nothing funny.”
Meng-Po replied, “Comedy and humor are an important aspect to ship’s morale and esprit de corps. This satire of history is perhaps an example of that kind of entertainment.”
“Satire? I took this as real accounts of history,” Jamie said.
“Impossible. It does not conform to historical records, or to established and authorized biographies of Kevin Zyla Mayberry. Therefore it must be satire, or parody, or comedy. It is a fiction. It is not based on reality,” Meng-Po replied.
“How do you know? You said you have no physical materials at this location, so how do you know the record we have just seen does not conform? How do you know?” Michael pressed.
“Thank you for your inquiry. Please wait. It is correct that there are no physical materials at this location; however, my core programming and internal data base are intact. Using that, a comparison with the fiction that was presented from the record cylinder was done. Conclusion confirms that casuistry from record cylinder must be satire, parody, or comedy,” the artificial intelligence sounded almost smug as this was stated.
“Can your internal data base give us floor plans, or maps, or schematic of the locations in the ship?” Michael asked.
“Thank you for your inquiry. Please wait. No.”
“So how can you help us?” Jamie asked. She was frustrated and that showed in her face and tones.
“I am Meng-Po. Thank you for your request. Please wait. While I am processing your request, may I suggest again that you refresh yourselves in the washing facilities? Keeping the library clean and tidy is important for other visitors to the facility. I can assist you in many and various way. My function is to help anyone who comes to Library 14. The Archives are available to all crew members. Our collection has over 250,000 books, periodicals, articles, videos, and news reports. All have been carefully screened for accuracy, reliability, and doctrinal purity. I can assist you in many other ways as well. Some of the services this library offers are: communications, interpersonal relationship counseling, and spiritual development, to name only a few. Please state your request.”
“I would like to know how to get back to Habitat One,” Jamie said in a sarcastic way.
“Thank you for your inquiry. Please wait. Habitat One can be reached by the transport system, or by ambulation. Please consult transport system for further details. Shall I make a connection to the nearest transport terminal for you?”
“Certainly,” Jamie replied.
“Establishing connection to transport terminal. Please wait. I am sorry. I am unable to fulfill your request. We are experiencing a temporary malfunction on the lattice. I have put in a report to Moneta in Main Archives. I can accommodate any research or study with the physical materials I have in this library. You may be seated and wait for the service to be reinitiated. The lattice should be back in full operation shortly. Or you can request something from my physical materials.”
“Meng-Po, can you connect to anything outside of this library? Perhaps the elevator? Can you identify the symbols on the elevator and correlate them to specific locations?” Michael asked. He was getting just as frustrated as Jamie.
“Thank you for your inquiry. Please wait. No.”
“How long have you been unable to connect to anything outside of this library?” Michael probed.
“Thank you for your question. Please wait. Seventy three years, nine days, fourteen hours, three minutes. That period of time is outside of established protocols. I have put in a request to Machine Maintenance for assistance. You are welcome to wait here until this temporary and minor malfunction is corrected.”
Liduma hoped down from the couch and trotted over to the bathroom. She drank deeply from the toilet. Then she walked to the elevator door and scratched at the door with her paws.
“Looks like Liduma has had enough, and so have I,” Jamie said as she stood up.
“But where do we go? There are so many symbols on the elevator. Do we just pick a random one?” Michael asked intending his question for Jamie.
“Thank you for your question. Please wait. You are free to choose to go wherever you wish. Thank you for visiting Library 14. Next time will visit, please consider using the washing and cleaning facilities prior to using the furniture. Have a pleasant day and come back whenever you have need of the services of Library 14 or the Archives,” Meng-Po replied.
“Thanks Meng-Po. Next time someone comes here, try to be more helpful,” Jamie said.
“Thank you for your feedback. We take value in knowing we have been a service to you. Thank you for visiting Library 14.”
Liduma sat back on her rear legs, pulling her front legs up off the floor. She then raised and lowed herself in a bobbing motion in front of the elevator door. The door opened. The lights were on inside and the three of them stepped inside. Liduma turned and sat next to the control panel and its rows of symbols. One of the symbols lit up and started to flash.
“Well I guess we follow the dog some more.” Jamie pushed the flashing symbol. The elevator door closed and the elevator moved away.
In the nonphysicality, Meng-Po had a visitor. The visitor requested all the information on what had just transpired in Library 14. Meng-Po supplied a visual and auditory record of what Jamie, Michael, and Liduma had done, said, and also of the entire recording of what had been displayed by the record cylinder. The nonphysical visitor then erased all traces of Jamie, Michael, and Liduma from Meng-Po’s memory circuits. The materials from the record cylinder were not only erased, but were eradicated along with eight percent of Meng-Po’s core memory. Anything that had to do with the encounter between Jamie, Michael, Liduma, or Izzi was totally gone from Meng-Po. The visitor then retreated out of contact with Library 14, Meng-Po or the nonphysicality. Meng-Po was alone again.
10 ALLUVIAN avenue
“So that AI in that library was worse than Theta Four ever has been,” Michael comments as the elevator whisked them away from Library 14. The movement was so gentle that neither of them could tell if they were proceeding up or down, or even at on a diagonal course.
“But we also learned at least there were records at one time, and lots of resources in this ship. If we can only find a way to tap into that, it would be enormously helpful. If Roxanne had been with us, perhaps that Meng-Po AI would have been encouraged to cooperate more?”
“What is the meaning of these records that Izzi saved? They seem so trivial. Or am I missing something?” Michael asked.
“I agree. From what we have seen, it does look trivial and meaningless. But to Izzi it was important. Maybe there are more pertinent things on other records? So unless we can find a direct way back to Antioch, I guess we are struck following this out.” Jamie did not look pleased. “And I thought this was going to be just a hunt for a feral boar.”
“I know that is right. This is certainly not the forest or farms I expected. The roasted boar is probably all eaten by now.”
A sharp grinding noise came from outside the elevator. Then a sickening ripping sound and the elevator shuddered to a stop. All the symbols were flashing. A red light came on in the upper corner of the elevator. Liduma barked several times.
“This is not good,” Michael said. “I will see if I can get the door to open.” He pulled at the door, but it would not budge.
Jamie pushed the same symbol which she had pushed before, the one that had been illuminated when they entered the elevator. Nothing happened. The rest of the symbols were all flashing.
“So no color button control pad. No hand images on the wall. No response from pushing these symbols. No working controls of any kind.” Jamie even tried to push, pull, or move the red light which had come on, but it did nothing. “You have any ideas Liduma?” Jamie asked.
The dog barked twice again then started to sniff all around the floor. Still the elevator remained unmoving and sealed. Michael and Jamie searched for other controls, panels, or anything. But there was nothing to be found.
“Well, I doubt there is vacuum or toxic gas or radiation behind the door here, since it is not a pressurized door. But who knows? I think I will just cut us a way out.” Jamie pulled out the molecular saw and connected it to the fusion pack. “Where shall I cut?”
“Perhaps along the door? Or better yet, just cut out a small circle and we will look out to see what is there? There could be power conduits, or pipes carrying something nasty behind there.”
“Good point. I will adjust the depth of the cut to minimal. I estimate the permalloy of the door was about this thick,” Jamie adjusted the m-saw. Then she applied it to the edge of the door and under its influence, the permalloy turned bright red and a thin line of separation was cut. Jamie drew the cut in what was nearly a perfect circle; she was able to make very exacting use of tools when the need arose. “At least this time I am not cutting something out of a ruined ship, while wearing an antique spacesuit, all in zero gravity.”
“Not to mention The Voice torturing you along the way,” Michael smiled a hearty smile at Jamie. The circular cut was finished, and with a slight tap and flip, the disk of permalloy dropped out of the newly created hole in the door. It clanged to the floor, and Liduma nimbly stepped out of its way as it spun around on the floor of the elevator.
“There is barely any space here between the elevator and the wall. But I can see light, maybe an opening just below this,” Jamie said, and pointed down and to the side. “I think if I cut off the bottom of the door, we might be able to crawl out there.”
Michael nodded. Jamie extended the cutting depth of the m-saw and quickly severed a section of the door away. This time as it fell, it did reveal a room beyond. The opening was not really very big, not as big as Jamie had hoped it would be. It was poorly illuminated. It was not a doorway or even a ventilation duct, just a small grill covering over an opening where some light came out. Michael was about to shine his light in and see what he could see when Jamie gave the grill a kick and it went flying into the room. There was a slashing sound. Liduma leaped through and into the murky unknown beyond. The cutting edge of the metal had not even completely cooled off, was it was still an orange glow when she leaped.
“That dog takes lots of chances,” Jamie commented as she replaced the molecular saw and fusion pack in her backpack.
“You mean like just kicking a grill in, while the severed metal is still hot? Yes, she fits in great with us!” Michael smiled. He was very pleased to be able to leave the stuck elevator.
Liduma barked several times from somewhere beyond. She apparently was safe. Perhaps they had misunderstood the sound of the grill falling. It had sounded like a splash, but Liduma entering had not. Jamie entered first. She crawled head first into the opening, and while Michael held her legs, she crept forward. “It is safe to let me go,” she called back. Michael did and Jamie’s legs disappeared from view. “Push in the backpacks,” she called.
Michael pushed their backpacks through, and heard them fall only a short distance. He decided to climb through.
“You might want to come feet first. It is about a meter or so to the floor, or ground, or whatever it is I am standing on.” Jamie said as Michael had started to enter. Michael sat down, placed his feet into the opening and slid in and through. He felt something solid under his feet and pulled himself out of the elevator.
“I did not expect this at all,” Michael said as he looked around. Jamie was standing next to him. They were on a small ledge which extended in either direction for some distance. The ledge was about a pace wide and made from some kind of expanded material, similar to grill or mesh. It was not metal, nor wood, but perhaps some old style of plastic or polymer. The openings in the mesh were diamond shaped, and the mesh itself was about as big around as Jamie’s little finger. Beneath the ledge was water. The water stretched across the room and reflected the light from a single fixture on the opposite side of the area. It was a large area, but the light was so poor, it was hard to make out any definite features. There was also a very pungent odor.
“Good thing our backpacks did not fall into that,” Jamie said as she looked down through the spaces in the flooring. She switched on the beam from the fusion pack, and the water revealed something else. Down under the water there were white things moving about. They fled from the light in quick swishing motions.
“Are those fish?” Michael asked. “They move kind of like that, but they have enormous eyes. And they are white, almost translucent.”
“I would say we should ask John, but I doubt he will ever see this place. At least I hope he does not.” Jamie directed the beam of light around the area. “This is no fish farm. Just where are we?”
“There is Liduma.” Michael pointed at the dog that was looking down into the water. She was standing at the end of their ledge. Jamie and Michael put on their backpacks, and walked over to where the dog was looking down into the water. Everywhere the light shined, the white fish fled away quickly. There were steps going off the end of the ledge which led down into the water. The first few steps were out of the water, but the others kept going down and connected onto a submerged ledge.
A loud grinding noise came from behind them, back toward where they had cut into this place. They all three rushed back and looked at the hole in the wall. The elevator was gone, and a black shaft was all the remained. Very cold air was coming from that black shaft. It smelled of oils and grease and something burned. Michael looked in and shined the beam of light inside, but nothing else was visible. The beam was not strong enough to see the bottom or the top of the shaft, and the elevator was nowhere to be seen.
