Burnt Ice (45 page)

‘I’ll bet,’ said Marko.

‘To be useful to us,’ said Fritz,
‘I would need a few kilos of the basic unit, which Topaz could make, and
I
need to make a better control unit. Just like the nanotech in our bodies, they
still need direction, unless they got to the size of, say, Flint’s brain, in
which case the AI software could be loaded into them. But as soon as they
disperse, the intelligence would as well. Might do some more work on that. I’m
sure I could create a code at the molecular level that each micro unit could
crosslink to its companions with a recognisable coding. However, there’s a
problem creating the need for them to assemble themselves, to re-establish the
AI capability, size-wise. It needs a lot more work. But I’m quite proud of the
micro fuel maker. Tiny cracker, about the size of a pinhead.’

‘Put a proposal together and talk
with the boss.’ said Marko. ‘I’m sure he’ll find it interesting. Jan wants to
know when was the last time you got some exercise? She expects to see you on
the dojo mats this afternoon.’

‘Yeah, yeah.’ said Fritz, ‘I’ll
be there when she sees me there!’

~ * ~

‘Crew,
we’re coming up on the meeting point with
Rick
for the big jumps. Major
Longbow, I suggest that you deploy your specialist astronomicals. This is a
most intriguing system.’

‘Will do. Thanks, Patrick. Harry,
could you send out a couple of my drones? Let’s see what we can find.’

The drones were soft ejected,
powering themselves out from
Basalt,
holding station two kilometres out
with their onboard cameras activated. Working in unison, they recorded
everything around them before focusing down on the frozen planet, hundreds of
thousands of kilometres away. The major, Harry and Marko monitored the
information as it streamed in.

‘Standard star, almost Old Earth
system type. Slightly higher in neutrino output than average. Wonder what
shoved that planet’s orbit so far out of whack? Captured, maybe? Note the three
large gas giants, which must also kick it around a little. But hey, look at the
life signs, Marko!’

‘Yeah, I see them. Some signs in
the atmosphere, but man, the oceans are where it’s at. Right, boss. I’m going
to use one of those thermal drones we spent so much time building — just for
this. I’ll need an atmosphere-capable fast launcher with an intel drone
attached. We can pick them up when we swing past again.’

‘Yeah, I’m good with that. Go for
it.’

Marko prepped one of the
specially built submersible drones, which was covered in heating elements. Once
activated, it could melt its way down through ice into the ocean below while it
was switching itself on and doing its own checks, he also activated an intel
drone, then instructed them to both launch and attach themselves to the fast
launcher.

When he could see that they were
under way, he left his station and started preparations for the evening meal,
switching his board displays to one of the main screens in the galley. As Marko
chopped the vegetables and made a large beef casserole, he watched the drone
begin its journey to the planet, relaying more of what the three integrated
craft were seeing. Stephine walked quietly into the galley and started cutting
up fruit for one of her salads. She mixed it all together with yoghurt, then
opened a bottle and poured a cupful of the contents into the dish. The combined
aroma got Marko’s attention.

‘Amazing smell, Stephine. What is
that?’

‘Hazelnut liqueur, Marko. Here, I’ll
get you a little glass. It’s actually one of Michael’s better results.’

As he sipped it, watching the
drones’ progress, he mused on what an excellent lifestyle
Basalt
now
offered.

‘Well, I would not want to drink
a whole lot of it in one go, but it is delicious!’

~ * ~

Two

‘All
crew.
Rick
has just arrived and will be with us within the hour.’

‘This I have
got
to see.
Not very often that a legend actually comes to meet us mere biological types.’
Marko scrolled through the menus on the side of the screen, using his plate. He
brought the image of the Hauler onto the main screen. From what he could see,
Rick
was a deep cobalt-blue craft of huge proportions, resembling a marine-type
creature.

‘That’s big! That’s really big! I
feel I should know that shape, Stephine.’

‘It is a manta ray of Old Earth,
Marko. An elegant shape for one as big as
Rick.
He certainly has a great
presence about him.’

‘I don’t see any surface details
— a few lumps and bumps, but basically, he is completely smooth! That is a very
serious piece of bio-engineering. He must have taken many years to grow. I
wonder if I’ll ever see the system where the Haulers create themselves. I would
so like to check it out.’

‘I know that you know the rules,
Marko. Only those who are to become Haulers, be they biological or AI, get to
see that place. Stick around for another few hundred years and you never know —
you may be invited yourself.’

Marko turned to look at Veg,
expected to see a beaming smile on the big face, but he looked perfectly
serious.

A beautiful, highly cultured male
voice forestalled Marko’s reply.

‘Hello, my friends! Hello, Harry,
my old chum. And Stephine and Veg! Nice to see you both again. So who else do
we have here? The intriguing Jan, the most interesting Fritz, and of course,
Michael! Hello, Marko and Patrick, Ernst, Topaz and the three ACEs, of whom I
have also heard in conversation. Don’t move, Patrick. I shall take
Basalt
up into one of my forward bays, so we can get under way. I note that you also have
a probe approaching the frozen planet. Good call on your part. It is a most
interesting place and, no doubt, you will find a good many things to occupy
your thoughts upon our return here.’

‘I am still a little in awe that
you would agree to our request,
Rick.
I was expecting to have to take
some Admin ships along, instead.’

‘Nope, can’t have that. This is
of serious interest to the collective, Michael. Only too pleased to come along
— and besides, I treat any request from Harry with considerable importance.’

They watched on the screens as
Basalt
was taken up into
Rick.
After feeling the merest shudder, the crew knew
retaining locks had grasped the ship. Umbilicals were then plugged across, as
all manoeuvring and engine controls were taken over by the giant craft around
them; the nearest crew airlock was also activated.

‘I hope that you have enough for
another individual at your table, Harry?’

‘Always,
Rick.
For you,
always. And knowing how much you like your food, when you are breathing, I
think that you will enjoy this ship.’

Harry and Michael looked at each
other and hurried from the dining room, returning a few moments later with a
tall, dignified man, dressed in a beautiful, pure white, high-collared tob with
kufiya headdress which framed a smiling, hawkish face, sporting a neatly
trimmed jet-black beard — and a pair of pince-nez perched on his nose. Tucked
into the sash around his waist was a long knife.

Some proxy, thought Marko.

Without a word, Rick strode up to
Veg, who embraced him in a bear hug, then Rick formally shook hands with
Stephine and was introduced to the rest of the crew. Marko introduced Flint,
then Nail, and finally Glint.

Marko, realising that no one was
in any great hurry to eat, and seeing on the screens that they were already
under way, quickly mixed a couple of beer breads, layering them with onion
relish, capsicum and dried tomatoes and scattering large amounts of grated
cheese on top. He placed them in the oven but realised that Rick would probably
have an aversion to anything involving alcohol. So he just as quickly mixed a
soda bread as well. Stephine pulled out one of the chopping boards and started
cutting up more fruit for another salad.

Quietly, so only Marko could
hear, she spoke: ‘You are smart, Marko. Rick does not partake of anything
alcoholic; I just hope that you did not add black beer to the casserole, as is
sometimes your wont?’

‘No, I didn’t, which is curious.
So, you know Rick?’

‘Yes. Fascinating individual,
with an all-consuming interest in just about everything. It’s the main reason
that he is the collective’s best forward scout for distant LPs. I have no doubt
that Michael will be very happy to share some of his astronomical information,
as well. Don’t be surprised if he requests one of your creatures, either. My
thoughts are that he will go for another version of Flint, but we shall see
soon enough.’

At the end of the meal while
everyone was still seated around the long table, Rick turned to Marko.

‘That was a delicious meal. Thank
you, Marko — and I appreciated the soda bread. Now — and yes I am serious —
should you ever feel the need for a little extended travel, I should be very
pleased if you joined me as a companion. The offer stands as long as you draw
breath or even should you become an artificial. Harry speaks very highly of you
and I have also taken note of the work that you do. Your ACEs are impressive
and I have a project for you that should not take too long.’

‘Just what are you, Mister Rick?’
Nail looked shrewdly at him.

‘I am a sentient being just like
you are, Nail.’

‘Yes, but you are also a ship. A
big one, at that!’

‘You are quite correct, Glint.
The ship and I are one.’

Rick leant down and allowed Flint
to scramble up his arm and rest on his shoulder.

‘So if you, the Rick in front of
us, is blown to bits, what does the ship do?’

‘Another of me will be grown by
the ship and I shall carry on regardless. Just as you could also be re-created
by Master Marko and Topaz, should the need arise.’

‘So you are a biological proxy of
the ship?’

‘Yes, I suppose that I — as in
this body — am. But I was once born as a human child, a very long time ago, and
was invited to become a member of the Haulers’ Collective as a very old man.
The ship and I were regrown to be a part of each other. I am the ship and the
ship is me.’

‘Yeah, I wondered about that,
Mister Rick. No way you came out of a woman the way you are now. Let me see:
all skin, muscle, bone, hair, connective tissue, most of the mass of your
organs and, I dare say, your genitals, are mostly cognitive material. And you
are transmitting and receiving information on eight different frequencies.’

‘Oh! I see you now, cat! So we
are a pair of intelligence-gathering and -processing machines, you and I! I am
impressed, Nail. I compliment you, Stephine, on his parameters.’

‘Nothing to do with me, Rick.
Marko and Topaz designed and built him. I wanted a cuddly cat — and got him
instead! Shall I tell Rick what I wanted to call you, Nail?’ Stephine smiled.

‘She wanted to call me Petal!’

‘Would have suited you!’

~ * ~

None
of the crew of
Basalt
could discern the jumps that
Rick
made to
transport them to the library system; the huge power available to him made the
transitions entirely smooth. The biological Rick had been with them for four
days as they travelled, taking great interest in everything any of them did. He
spent time with Stephine in the gardens, working on weapons with Jan, training
in stick fighting with Veg, watching his Flint-design ACE being assembled by
Marko and Topaz, playing chess with Ernst, discussing esoteric maths with Fritz
and allowing the major access to his astronomical database.

‘So, Michael. How should we
tackle this mission?’