Stuck in the Middle

Graham Heights 

MayFlower

Wikimedia Commons
Chapter 57
Stuck In The Middle

Journal Entry - October 10th 2095
Lieutenant Knorack

This place is sterile and cold.  I knew it would be different, but not like this.  The white walls and steel deck plates just sound hollow and empty.  It’s no wonder that Lorin is having trouble adjusting.  You can’t escape where we are. And the knowledge that we will be here so long.  We may even die here.  I know that sooner or later I will adjust and the kids seemed to have already adjusted, but Lorin is getting worse.  She’s been having nightmares and does little to keep the compartment clean.  I’ve tried to get her out with others and even joined a group that paints.  It’s an interesting hobby, but I’m not very good.  Everything I paint comes out distorted and its colors are hideous.  

Lorin on the other hand, has a knack for color and shapes, but she just looks at the white canvass and does nothing.  I tried to get her to paint some of the incredible sunset that we had back in Rainier, but she said that that would make her miss it all the more.

We visited one of the zoological pods two days ago and that seemed to help.  They had a goat that insisted on following her around and wanted her to pet him.  She finally complied and that changed her demeanor for a while.  I would have to arrange more visits there.

The kids on the other hand, need to spend a little more time at home.  They disappear for hours and sometimes we have to send out an alert to get them to come home.  They both have made so many friends and between school, the zoological pod and just plain exploring, they find it hard to return home.

As for my chip problem, I have found out a few things.  There were six models made from the “mold” (for lack of a better word) for the Tiffany AI.  She was one of the last models.  The others consist of designations such as Alpha, Delta, Gama, Lima, Romeo and finally Tango.  The ship’s AIs use these designations as opposed to human names.  Up here we outnumber the AIs as opposed to the One World organization where AIs augmented the human population.  

So, since I never memorized Tiffany’s actual designation, I had to try an look her up.  However, since she was assigned to a secure vault and I no longer have the security clearance to know what happens their, my requests were denied.  My next inquiry was successful, but knowing that there are sixty seven Tango models on this ship does not narrow down my prospects by much.  Not to mention, where they might be located and if they are even operable, as more than half the AIs will be shut down for future use.  My only hope was to try and access the chip and see if she left her designation on it.  At first I tried the pad, but the chip did not respond, so I tried the computer at my station.

As soon as I inserted the chip into my computer…

The monitor went blank and an irritating noise started emanating from the machine. Jason tried to remove the micro disk, but it would not come back out.  There was something very wrong here and he was now implicated.  Finally, Jason just pushed the power button on the computer to shut it down.  Maybe then it would give him the chip, but again it refused to do as he needed it to do.  He was about to unplug the computer when two men entered his cubicle.  

The first commanded, “You need to come with us.”

The second reached over and cut the cords to the computer and picked it up.  

“Okay, what is this about?” Jason asked as if I didn’t know.

“It will be explained when we reach the command module.” The first man said.

“Do I even get to know why I’m being hauled out like a cow to slaughter?” Jason asked again, hoping that the commission would bring attention to his being forcibly removed.

No one came to his rescue.  Jason was ushered out of the office area and then to an air lock that separated his compartment from the next.  Once there, they made for the forward part of the ship.  As they descended the gravity got lighter.  Eventually they were floating.

The second airlock brought them to the center of the ship.  Once past it they started feeling the gravity slowly come back.  “Gravity plates in the central compartments.” One of the escorts told the confused Jason.

“We have artificial gravity?” Jason asked

His escorts did not respond.  They just kept moving forward.  

Once past a third airlock they came to an open area with stations in more of a sphere that defied gravity and even the mind’s eye.  No matter one’s position to the center of the ship, they all had gravity the kept them in place, even the ones that appeared upside down from his current position.  They continued forward as they walked up the sphere and then entered the aft section of the bridge.  It was at this point the Jason realized that one of his escorts had departed and the second did not have his computer.  Jason resigned himself to the fact that he had lost Tiffany’s chip.

Once on the bridge they stopped just short of the back of the captain’s chair.  The chair swung around the Captain Hanson looked down on him.  “Lieutenant Knorack.” He said it as a father disappointed in his son.  “You..” he paused.  “You seemed to enjoy bringing me pain.”

Jason did not understand, what pain had he caused this man?

Captain Hanson saw the look of understanding and put his finger to his lips as to say, “Don’t speak.” Out loud the captain said, “Let’s take a walk” and he got up from his chair. “Alone.” He said to the guard.

At first they just walked.  There was a door to the starboard side of the bridge that led to a large domed room.  At the center was a pillar with some instruments on it.  The captain guided them to it.  “You know what this is?” he ask Jason.

“No, Sir.” Jason responded.

“Its and old world sexton, a navigation device used long before computers.”  The captain touched it lovingly. Then looked at Jason. “Who do you work for?”

Jason heard the question and was not sure how to answer.  He looked forward, out of the front of the dome.  You could see planet Earth spread out below and all the star in the Milky Way.  This was such a breathtaking view and he could not even enjoy it.  “I’m assigned to the MayFlower, so I guess...you. Sir.”

“Are you sure?” the captain pressed.

“Who else could I be serving?” Jason asked.

“Lieutenant Knorack, let’s not play games.” The Captain said in a very cold voice.

Jason knew this conversation was going to get ugly.  He was facing off with the most powerful man on this ship and his life as well as the lives of his family depended on what he said next. “I’m not playing any games.”  He paused to see if the captain was going to jump down his throat.  When he didn’t, Jason continued. “I’m simply a pawn in whatever is going on.”

“If that’s true, you’ve got to be the most unlucky guy on this ship.” The captain spat back.  

“I know I’m new to all this military shit, but this is deeper than that.”  If Jason was going to get this pile dumped on him, he might as well know what it’s all about. “I’m use to being able to speak freely and express my opinions or advice.”  Jason looked at the captain and he did not object. To himself, why the hell do I get myself into these situation?  I didn’t ask for this.  I was assigned to it.  Out loud, “Is she still alive?”

The captain did not respond.  He did however turn away to look at the stars. Then as if to the skies, “Yes.”

The hair on the back of Jason’s neck stood. Son of a…

“I need to know who you work for?” The captain repeated the question.

“I can say whatever you want hear.  How would you know?” Jason said to the back of the man that was going to end him if he didn’t like the answer.

“You could.” The captain said.

Jason thought long and hard about his next statement.  “I guess, in a way…” Jason paused, “I’m still working for her.”

Next Chapter

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If you like Graham Heights, please share the link with friends www.rogeratlarge.com.

As you know this blog contains two books of the Remnant Series. Graham Heights is book 3 of the series. Below is more.

Book 4: Obsidian Arrows

Book 1 is now available in paperback or kindle The Grey Abyss

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Thank-you
R. A. Legg

Learn about the individual heroes of Graham Heights. 

R.A. Legg © 2016. All Rights Reserved.

Decompress

Graham Heights 

MayFlower

Wikimedia Commons

Chapter 56

Decompress

Journal Entry - September 26th 2095
Julia Scott

I have been working with Oocha for three weeks now and she’s a quick study.  After the first day of learning the alphabet she sent two runners to the lake and they brought back a dozen live fish.  They made the trek in just six hours and yet somehow managed to keep the fish from feeling shocked or stressed.  It was amazing.  The next week they brought another dozen and the hydroponics system was starting to flourish…

Oocha was amazed at how fast the plants were growing.

We had lettuce, well a sort of lettuce.  It was a wild plant sometimes referred to as miners lettuce.  Oocha provided dried fish and Tommy was lucky enough to use his bow to hunt down a few rabbits.  

All the while the AIs were busy refurbishing the rockets and equipment that was needed to produce the fuel that they would need to blast off.  It took them almost two weeks of working twenty four seven to clean off the solar cells that we needed for powering the plant.  Then another week trying to coax some life out of the battery system.  Once that was done the compressors could run about two hours a day.  This process was slow, but it was working.  Water from the well was used to extract hydrogen, again a very slow process.  

All in all, things were progressing.  Mano only stopped by once to see how things were going then talked with Oocha privately.  Julia was still disgusted that this man would take a child as a bride.  The idea of a harem was so barbaric, but that one would be a child was just unthinkable.  Oocha tried to explain that she was lucky.  That as the leader of the three rivers tribe, she was spared his bed until she became a woman.  He was obligated to observe the special rights of child who would become a woman.  And as such he had to wait until she had her first bleed.  

The whole thing seems so archaic, but it was their custom and she could do nothing to change it.  This was their world and they had their way of doing things.  She was the intruder and as such, had to be careful of her opinions and preconceptions.  Oocha was, by all measures was happy and well balanced.  She knew how to play the system and was determined to be a force in it, not just a pawn.  

She was actually spelling words by now and could make simple sentences.  She was quite pleased with herself.  The problems was that they had no paper, so even if she was able to learn how to write, what would she write on.  The few scraps that were left behind by the previous occupants only had one side to write on and that would only confuse people if they should be mixed up.  Julia had spent several days looking in every nook and cranny for a storage place where the previous occupants kept their office supplies, but came up empty.  

As for Jordy, he made himself scarce when Oocha was around. He knew that her preconceived ideas were from another time, but it didn’t matter. Oocha would not talk to him and basically would go around the entire camp to avoid him.  It bothered him as his programming was designed to find common ground in which to make contact and possibly new friends. However these people were entrenched in their bias and we're not willing to budge.

So Jordy busied himself with the preparations. The rocket was going to require seven engines running simultaneously on the first stage.  But they may be able to get away with six engines if they could reprogram the rocket to burn all of its fuel before it disengaged from the upper half. You see the booster half of the rocket was designed to return to Earth for reuse.  In our case there will be no need to reuse the machine.  So if they omitted one engine it would lighten the load both in machinery and fuel.  The idea sounded good, but getting into the encrypted code proved to be very difficult.  And then understanding the code was just short of circuits blowing. Some of the code was from an older system and was not being used, other parts just didn't make sense until it was added to a file from another segment.  After six days of trying to make it work Jordy gave up and started his own sequence. He was still working on his first draft as I write.  

Two worker AIs were still busy testing the components of the Rockets that were found in the test stands. Each of these machines had the required number of engines, however four of the engines had to be cannibalized to get enough functioning parts for at least one rocket to obtain orbit.   Now all they needed was an enormous amount of fuel.  

During the evening meal Jordy expressed his concerns for a test that he wanted to conduct.  As the second stage rocket had not been finished when the occupants left.  So, this BE three rocket thing was still in pieces and due to parts being lost or not on site, Jordy made a few modifications that he wanted to test before he put it in the rocket.  They had a test stand in the back, it was well rusted, but seemed sturdy enough to fire off the rocket and take it to full thrust.  Plus this would give him a chance to test his code.  He wanted the rocked to remain on until all but five percent of the fuel had been expended.  

To date we barely had enough to get the machine lit and going at full capacity.  WIth any luck they would be ready to test by the first week of November.  It just took so long to get enough fuel.  If all went well they could protect the engines that were ready and just concentrate of fuel production, much like with the plane.  Hopefully the end of the ride will have a happier ending.  

Julia put down her pad and thought about Freyja.  She suddenly realized that she was crying.  With all that was going on, she just put the young lady out of her mind and refused to deal with the fact that all this effort to get her off the planet had a cost.  For one, Freyja died in the desert and was buried in the middle of nowhere.  Her family may never know what happened to her and would certainly not be able to visit her grave.  And then there was Jordy; certainly missed by now and if Mr. Monroe ever discovered what he did, well.  Most likely Jordy would be disassembled.  Nothing worse than a robot that would disobey the orders or intent of its master.  

A tear rolled down Julia cheek and hit her pad.  And then another.  Sorrow started to swell as the emotional tide that was pressing against her consciousness.  She sobbed and cried for an hour.  She had to let it out. Once that was done, she needed to find Bartholomew.  She needed to finish the conversations they had in the desert.   She was so reluctant to hear it then, but now she was ready.  He knew something.  He knew that this venture was right, but why?  Why was is so important for her to get on the Mayflower?  /What made her more important than his family, than a young woman’s life?  

Julia put the pad on the box beside the bed she had commandeered and set out to find Bartholomew.

Next Chapter

Please add a comment.

If you like Graham Heights, please share the link with friends www.rogeratlarge.com.

As you know this blog contains two books of the Remnant Series. Graham Heights is book 3 of the series. Below is more.

Book 4: Obsidian Arrows

Book 1 is now available in paperback or kindle The Grey Abyss

You can Leave a comment.  

Or follow us on Facebook.  

Or hit the subscribe button to get updates on new chapters or books.

Thank-you
R. A. Legg

Learn about the individual heroes of Graham Heights. 

R.A. Legg © 2016. All Rights Reserved.