Escape 1: Escape From Aliens (6 page)

“I do,” the device said in a low hum.

“Please share your name with us.”

Another low hum sounded. “Ship crew and Crèche Master Diligent Taskmaster address me as Device. I choose to label myself as Star Traveler.”

Interesting
, Bill thought. “That is a very nice name. And travel among the stars is what this ship is designed to do. How long have you been doing star travel?”

A low hum came. “On board this ship I have traveled among the stars for 3,124 Earth years.”

Jane signed to him. “
Be careful! This is a self-aware AI! While it responds to us and acts as we request, that is due to its emergency protocol programming. We have to be careful in talking with it!
”

“
Agreed
,” he signed back. “Star Traveler, your time among the stars is longer than any bioform will live. We hope to learn from you about the nature of interstellar space, and the way other bioforms relate to each other. We need to learn more about this society of Buyers, Market worlds and Collector ships. Can you help us learn more?”

“Of course,” the AI replied. “Educating bioforms is one of my primary duties. Do you have a first question?”

Bill began dragging the sausage Alien down the hallway toward the cross hallway that gave access to the Engine Chamber. Jane walked beside him, her weapons in her backpack as she pulled the vulture and praying mantis Aliens behind her. “Yes. What is the star we are heading for? How far is it from Earth, uh, from our star Sol? And how many days will it be before we arrive there?”

A low hum sounded. “Those are three questions. But you bioforms are notorious for being less exact than artificial minds like myself.” A pause happened that lasted a second. “The star this ship is heading for is known to Earth as HD 128311. It is an orange star ranked as a K0V or main sequence star, according to your astronomers. Distance to it from Sol is 54.1 light years. This ship will arrive outside its outermost planet in one Earth day, 23 hours, 17 minutes, 43 seconds—”

“Good enough,” Bill interrupted. “Is there an alternative site where a duplicate of the ship command functions can be carried out?”

“Nice point,” Jane said as she followed him through a hatchway into another hallway segment. “Sounds like we’ve got two days in which to capture the captain.”

“There is an alternative command site,” the ship mind said after a short hum. “It is located in the Engine Chamber section of this ship.”

Which was not far from them. “Can any bioform access this alternate command site?” he probed.

“No, only bioforms identified as ship crewmembers or Crèche Master Diligent Taskmaster may activate the alternate command function site,” Star Traveler said, its voice tone smooth and patient.

“Who,” Jane said quickly, “determines which bioform is a crewmember?”

“Crèche Master Diligent Taskmaster,” the AI said.

Bill reached the cross hallway leading to the Engine Chamber. He turned right into it after a visual check to be sure Diligent was not waiting for them somewhere along the hall. “But if the Crèche Master becomes ill or incapacitated, and other crewmembers are in danger, is there no method for another bioform to activate the alternate command site? So bioform lives may be saved?”

“There is such a protocol,” the AI said. “However, all crew and all bioforms aboard this ship are presently alive and in good health. Although the three crewmembers you are transporting are presently unconscious, as is the crewmember now occupying your former quarters. Is there now a Ship Emergency?”

Jane stopped and signed hurriedly. “
Let me talk!
”

Bill stopped pulling the sausage Alien and lifted his white tube taser weapon to the ready as he scanned up and down the red-lighted hallway. “
Go ahead,
” he signed back.

“Star Traveler,” Jane said aloud. “Please define the term Ship Emergency.”

A low hum echoed through the hallway. “A Ship Emergency is a circumstance whereby the lives of one or more crewmembers, or other bioforms, are in danger of expiration. Alternately, a Ship Emergency also exists whenever any ship function or control station is malfunctioning or may be in danger of doing so.”

“Thank you,” Jane said. “We are transporting these three crewmembers to alternate living quarters in the Containment Unit Chamber. They were unhappy with their prior quarters. There is no Ship Emergency as you have defined it.”

“Understood,” the AI said. “Do either of you have further questions? Providing education is a function I enjoy, in addition to administering all ship systems.”

Bill nodded to Jane to continue as he bent down, grabbed the foreleg of the sausage Alien and continued hauling its lightweight body toward the other long hallway. But he kept the white tube taser aimed forward, just in case Diligent somehow appeared.

Jane grabbed the other two Aliens and followed him. “Star Traveler, how is it that this ship runs so well with only five crewmembers, if we include Crèche Master Diligent Taskmaster?”

A low hum sounded. “This ship was engineered to be automatically functioning in many ship subsystems. Bioform assistance is not needed for recycling of air, water, waste, food and similar life support functions. The Alcubierre space-time modulus stardrive operates under my control once it is activated by the Crèche Master. The normal space Magfield spacedrive also operates under my control once we re-enter normal space-time. While a bioform is required to determine a vector course in a star system, to respond to inquiries from other ships, to dispatch collector pods, to transfer bioform guests from collector pods into containment units, and to authorize repair bots to carry out external hull or internal system repairs, such duties are few. Your own Human species has achieved similar automation of its technological systems.”

Neat
, Bill thought. That answered a question that had been lurking in his mind ever since he’d seen how few people were present on the ship. If you counted weird Aliens as people! “Star Traveler,” he interrupted with a nod to Jane. “Can you again show us the ship interior hologram? It will be helpful in our efforts to reach Crèche Master Diligent Taskmaster.”

“I cannot,” the AI said firmly. “A Command Sequence prevents me from again sharing that hologram.”

Damn
. “Can you tell us if the location of Crèche Master Diligent has changed since we saw the ship hologram?”

A low hum sounded, lasting for several seconds. “The location of Crèche Master Diligent Taskmaster has not changed.”

“Thank you,” Jane said with a look that said she preferred to do the questioning of the AI. “We look forward to meeting with him so we can be added to the crewmember inventory for this ship. We wish to help him and help you in the smooth functioning of this ship.”

“Access to him can be done by use of either hallway,” the AI said.

Bill blinked.
Either
hallway? He had not seen that when the holo floated in front of him. It had looked as if the other door leading out of the containment cell chamber only went so far as the Transport Chamber in the middle of the ship. He looked to Jane. Who had clearly thought the same. She frowned.

“Star Traveler,” Jane said, “our memory of the hologram ship map did not show the Engine access hallway extending beyond the Transport Chamber. Did we not see something important?”

“Your bio-vision needs improvement,” the AI said calmly. “While the Engine hallway does traverse the ship through the Containment Unit Chamber and up to the Transport Exit Chamber, a rampway at the opposite end of the Transport Chamber leads to a lower deck of this ship. On that deck the hallway continues forward until it reaches the Command Bridge Chamber.”

Bill blinked, then recalled his memory of the ship holo. There were many overlapping chambers and boxes, along with the long hallway that ran along the deck they now occupied. But the holo did indicate there were other decks above and below their deck. One above and One below, he recalled. He had been most focused on the deck that showed their location, the containment cells and the approaching crewmembers. He grimaced. Then gave thanks that the tube suit he still wore had not fogged up from the moisture of his breath, or the sweat he’d shed during the hallway battle. Which made him look to Jane. He caught her attention and gestured to the suit he wore.

Jane’s brown eyes opened wide as she understood his concern. She stopped with him before the tall gray metal door that led into the airlock which gave access to the containment cells chamber. “Star Traveler,” she said hurriedly. “How long will the air inside the suits we are wearing last? Do we need to change suits in this airlock we are now entering?”

“Not needed,” the AI said swiftly. “The suit you each wear has adequate power and air regeneration for three Earth days. While there is a water source inside your helmet for short-term rehydration, you will need to exit your suit in order to eat or drink any food.”

“Thank you!” she said loudly with a smile. “Now, for our further education while we transfer these crewmembers to new quarters in the empty containment units, please describe the interstellar society of Collectors, Buyers and Market worlds. How extensive is it? Does it cover the galaxy? How many Market worlds are there? And how many Collector ships exist like the one we are now in?”

“Multiple questions again,” the AI said calmly as Jane used the red cube she’d taken from the vulture Alien to open the airlock room door. In seconds they moved across it and to the far side. Behind them the door ground shut. She pointed the red cube at the door in front of them. It slid to the right slowly, as if the door metal was heavy. Or the motor weak. Their former imprisonment chamber loomed before them, dimly red lit but empty. Bill followed her out onto the elevated walkway and used his own red cube to access the white globe that lay between his cell and the nearby wall. Jane was doing the same at the other module between her cell and the wall. Behind them the airlock door ground shut. “The interstellar society you ask about does not occupy the galaxy. According to my own star travel experience and the Library datafiles of this ship, the Buyer society only exists within the spiral star group which you Humans call the Orion Arm. That star arm is 10,000 light years long and 3,510 light years wide.” The ship mind paused briefly. “Records indicate there are 61 Market worlds, including the one we now travel to.  The number of Buyers is numerous, amounting to at least 840,231 sapients from 411 different star systems, according to my records. The number of Collector ships like this one is 97. However, these numbers may change after we arrive at HD 128311 and obtain a records update from its Market world.”

“Thank you,” Jane said as she stepped into the white globe on her side of the walkway.

Bill finished stuffing the six-legged sausage Alien inside the empty cell globe, while keeping his feet on the door sill. Seeing the Alien’s body was clear of the door, he stepped back. The white metal door whooshed down. He turned and walked back to the central walkway. Jane had deposited the vulture Alien in the empty cell near hers and was now dragging the praying mantis Alien into her former cell. Like him she stood on the entry sill and pushed the Alien’s green body inside. He noticed she had unloosed his belt from the critter’s upper griparms and was frowning at the critter’s lower pair of feet. The feet showed thorn-like protrusions on the bottom of each foot. Clearly she was worried about them penetrating her suit fabric.

“Not to worry,” he said aloud. “When I cinched its griparms those thorny feet hit my tube suit leg several times. No penetration.”

“Thanks.” Jane finished pushing the praying mantis into her old cell, then stepped off the door sill. The white metal door slid down faster than he could blink. She turned and tossed him the leather belt. “Nice belt. Uh, how did you manage to escape from your cell? Been wondering that ever since we began this Hunt Down The Aliens gig.”

Bill caught the belt, then joined her on the central walkway. He pulled off his backpack. “Let’s inventory our supplies, our tools and our new weapons before we head out to visit the good ship captain.”

Jane already had her white tube weapon out and pointed toward the distant metal door that led to another airlock and a hallway leading to the Transport Chamber. She laid her backpack at his feet. Then she leaned against the gray metal rail that kept them and anyone else from falling off the walkway. Such a fall would land them in the mess of tubes, pipes and gray metal machines that handled food, water, air and whatever for the cells in the chamber. “Go ahead, check mine. I’ll stand guard for any intruder.”

Bill blinked. He was not used to relying on anyone else for his personal security. Unless it was a fellow retired SEAL from Jack’s Deep Six saloon. But Jane Yamaguchi had shown herself to be smart, quick-thinking, aware of space stuff he had no clue to, and her warning about the AI and their questions had been spot on, judging by its comments on self-defense programming and the Ship Emergency protocol. Plus she was a captain and he was used to obeying officer’s orders. He opened her backpack and began pulling out everything. “Well, that belt was what I used on the black-furred grizzly crewman who opened my cell door to unblock the oxygen flow so I wouldn’t die on our cockroach captain.”

Jane kept her gaze fixed on the far end of the chamber. “Go on.” Her tone was commanding. “How did you manage to block the air flow into your place? The mountain holo scene blocked any details of my cell, beyond what I could feel by shutting my eyes and palming the cell walls.”