Quest for the Conestoga (Colony Ship Conestoga Book 1) (9 page)

Murial broke the silence. “Using the data available, project application of known problems to our dome.”

Immediately, Artificial Intelligence stated, “Failure of Dome 17 is unavoidable. Estimated time to failure is no more than one-hundred-twenty days.”

“Explain your analysis of last statement,” Murial commanded with a bit of a tremble in her words.

Artificial Intelligence replied, “Dome 11 technology level was nearest to this dome’s. Dome 11 failed thirteen point six years ago. All other domes assessed have consistently showed similar patterns of deterioration of systems, progressing from oldest to newest.  The permalloy used in Dome 11 was molecularly very similar to Dome 17’s, with only a 0.0078% difference in strength and composition.  The construction plan of Dome 11 is the most like Dome 17 of any dome yet investigated.  The energy production system is also…..” 

“Jerome, look at Jubal,” Cammarry said and nodded.

Jubal’s face was a mask, but his fingers, under the table, and only visible from where Jerome and Cammarry were seated were twisting and clasping in anxiety. 

“He is terrified,” Jerome replied quietly.  “Not that I blame him, this is horrific.”

Cammarry refocused and heard the final part of what Artificial Intelligence was reporting.  “….added to the social crisis which lead to the Dome 3 failure, it is clear that multiple factors have led to the other dome failures.  The records from Dome 3 show that proper maintenance is only partially effective in slowing the inevitable failure of each dome.”

Michael and Jamie seemed to have little outward reaction.  Paul was looking around at the faces of the adventurers. He placed a hand on Gretchen. 

“One-hundred-twenty days?” Gretchen asked loud enough that everyone heard.  “What do we do?” 

“I am not sure.  But we are all here,” Paul replied.

“We must have another AI confirm this.  May I have Niagara do it?”  Mabel asked. 

“Of course,” Murial replied. 

A few anxious questions came from the crowd.

“How can this happen to us here?” 

“Is this why we were being sent out?  Did you know before hand?”

“Conjecture confirmed,” Mabel stated.  “My AI Niagara concurs with the one-hundred-twenty-day estimate.”

Murial then spoke loudly and firmly, “This means we must implement the PFTL scout missions to the colony ships.”

Jubal, his shaking hands still under the table spoke.  “I agree.”

Lorna immediately added, “Indeed, it is our only option.”

Muttering took place around the room, but overall it was a sense of shock that had hit the adventurers.  None of them were old enough to remember life before the dome, and the terrors of the ear before the dome was built.  The stories they had heard were more like legends and myths than believable history.  The dome was their rock and foundation.  In their deepest thoughts, no one seriously had contemplated that Dome 17 would end up like all the other domes.  That idea was virtually inconceivable.  Now, however, everything was different. 

“The dome has always been here, and it will always be here,” Cammarry said quietly. 

“Can we postpone the end of the world this time?”  Jerome replied. 

Cammarry threw her arms around him and hugged him. 

Across the room, Michael squeezed Jamie’s hand and said something to her and she responded, but that conversation was lost in the sea of other voices.  For the adventurers began to speak all at once.  There were some hesitant questions, but they vanished in the general chatter. 

“The colony ships were lost, decades ago!” Jerome called out loudly.  Cammarry nodded her agreement. 

“How is a dead colony ship any better than a dead dome?” Paul asked in a surprisingly loud voice, which pierced the prattle.

Paul’s partner Gretchen chimed in, “Besides, no one can get to a colony ship, they left long, long ago.”

“Quiet everyone!” Lorna screamed.

Her outburst broke through to everybody, and they all gave her their undivided attention.

Lorna went on. “We have been checking out the status of the colony ships, and there is a good chance of reaching them.  We now have faster than light travel and are building scout ships to go to the colony ships. That along with the teleportation technology gives us some hope.”

“There was a successful orbital flight,” Cammarry said with a smile.

“So how long before we load everyone into one of these super ships?” Jerome asked, with near hysteria in his voice.

Cammarry was surprised at the fear Jerome expressed, but it was matched by many of those in the crowd. 

Lorna looked at Jerome directly.  “We cannot load everyone into a FTL ship. The best we can build are two-person scout ships.  AI please display PFTL mission parameters. Authorization, Lorna 76A69.”

“Authorization accepted” the mechanical voice stated. Another three dimensional display appeared over the table.  It was very detailed and complete.  Lorna looked at Jubal as it was displayed, but he only looked away. The dates proved that the Committee had been investigating this plan for a long while. 

Lorna stood and flung her arm toward the display.  “As you can see, there is a good possibility of recovering a working colony ship. When we do that, we will need to establish a teleportation receiving pad on the colony ship. None of them were anywhere close to that technology. But the raw materials to make the receiving pad should be there, and with the plans and components you take; it will be easy enough to use colony ship stuff to build a receiving pad. So then when that happens, people from here just basically walk through a teleportation system and walk off on the colony ship.” 

Gretchen said with a tone of sarcasm, “So this is why we are all here?”

None of the Committee answered her.  Perhaps they did not hear as other questions came shouting forward. 

“Why not just teleport to another planet? That will be as likely as finding a colony ship,” someone said from the other side of the room.  

Jubal snapped out of his mood.  His hands came up and he gestured wildly.  “Just which planet would that be?  Want to go to Mars? Or Venus?  Or how about Triton or Titan? All the planets, or moons, we know about are as bad, or worse, than outside this dome. The colony ships offer habitats designed and fashioned for human survival. They are our only hope.”

“Some hope.  Sounds like a wild scheme.” Paul snickered.  Both Gretchen and Cammarry looked at him.

Nodding to Jubal, Lorna said, “Yes, the Committee has looked at the possibility of finding another habitable planet, but we know that search, would take far longer than finding the colony ships. Those are seven places we know could support human life, and the plan is workable.”

Michael stood and waved his hands.  Speaking in a slow and controlled manner he said, “That sounds a lot easier than it is.  First, we must find those colony ships, and if they still survive, which no one knows, we have to get there.  And we can send how many?  You say it can only be two? So two people must go to the ship in faster-than-light travel, a new technology that has not been proven over long ranges.  Then on that colony ship, and who knows what shape it is in on that ship, two people build a receiving pad out of one-hundred-year-old spare parts? And what if the humans on those ships are not open to new visitors?”

Cammarry spoke to Jerome trying to calm the fear she saw on his face. “This could be really exciting.”  Her forced enthusiasm missed the mark. 

Michael sat down.

“Yes, basically that is what will be needed, and yes there are large challenges to overcome. But is there really any other choice?”  Murial spoke out. 

Jamie stood up and in a bold, clear voice stated, “Michael and I volunteer for the first mission!”

“Atonement,” Cammarry said to Jerome. 

“What atonement is there for blood spilt upon the earth?”  Jerome said.  “The beginning of atonement is the sense of its necessity.”  He looked over and saw that Paul was holding his head in his hands.  Even Hobart looked ill with the news. 

Jamie and Michael approached the Committee and exchanged a few words.  They then left.  Michael’s body language was vastly different from the bouncy spring in Jamie’s step.

“Jerome, now we know why that information came about the colony ships.  We need to study it and pick one,” Cammarry said. 

“At least we will be together,” Jerome replied and hugged her.  Then he spoke wistfully.  “When we meet real tragedy in life, we can react in one of two ways.  We can lose hope and fall into self-destruction, or the challenge will guide us to find our inner strength.”

“Your old sayings are a comfort,” Cammarry commented with a smile. 

Jerome kissed her head. 

5 picking the conestoga. 

Outside the briefing room, Jerome struggled with his feelings.  He tried to summon Faraday and ask a few questions, but his artificial intelligence system only responded, “Unable to comply.  I am not allowed to answer.” 

“Cammarry?  How can we make a decision of this magnitude with our AIs bound up so tightly?” 

“So you want to volunteer as well?”  Cammarry asked.  “Winchell is also prohibited from helping me.  Can Jubal be as petty as all this?  Especially in light of what we just learned?”  She too was annoyed. 

“Volunteer?  I think we must go, but I want to check on some things first.  Our artificial intelligence systems are not the only intelligence in Dome 17,” Jerome said and grasped Cammarry’s hand.  “Come with me please.”

She nodded and they marched off toward the educational wing.

Looking in on the classroom, they saw that John was again in a discussion with his students.  Jerome led Cammarry right into the room and interrupted it all.

John turned away from the ten-year-old age-mates. “Jerome and Cammarry, what a surprise.  Class, you know these are two of our adventurers.  They are the only people who ever leave the safety of Dome 17.  They go out into the toxic world on missions.”

“Why?” one of the girls in the class asked.  “Why would anyone leave home?  The dome is way big enough for everyone.  There are whole sections which are closed off.  Why go outside?”  She shuddered with the thought.

Cammarry answered before John or Jerome could.  “You are right, Dome 17 is big and has lots of room.  We go out seeking some of the other domes that were built so long ago.  We want to see if we can help those other domes and the people who live in them.  If we can help people, we need to try to do it.”

The bright eyed children nodded in understanding. 

“So how many people have you helped?” the girl asked. 

“Sadly, we have not found any people out there yet,” Cammarry answered.  “However, we are starting a new program and that might help us find thousands of people and help them.  That is why we have come to talk to your teacher, John.  May we borrow him for a few minutes?” 

“Yes John, we hate to interrupt, but can we have a few moments of your time.  It is an urgent matter,” Jerome pressed. 

John could tell by the looks on the adventurer’s faces that something was seriously happening.  He then turned to the class.  “Children, please divide into three person groups.  Then go to the discussion questions on your desks and come up with three solutions to problem number six.  Be sure to have solid rationale behind your proposals.  I will be back after a while and we will discuss your solutions.”

The children did as instructed. 

John led Cammarry and Jerome into a side room where they sat down around John’s own desk.  “What has happened?”

The door shut behind them. 

Cammarry gave a concise and succinct review of what had been learned at the Committee meeting, as well as describing the restrictions on the AIs they both used.  Both she and Jerome confessed to their own parts in what had happened, including Jerome’s clandestine observations from the restricted areas. 

“So what do you think?”  Cammarry asked. 

“I think that you do not have permission to share this information with me.  Yet, here you are.”  John pondered for a moment.  “Time is of the essence in this case, that is clear.”

“Well, we must consult with Murial on this,” John said.  He adjusted a data stick that sat in the reader on his desk.  “Please connect me with Murial.  This is an emergency.”  He then looked to Jerome.  “I must follow the proper procedures.”

Murial’s face appeared on a flat display projected from the data stick.  “John, what kind of emergency are you having?” Her eyes shifted to look at Cammarry and Jerome.  “Oh, no need to explain.  I understand.  You have full access to my records and my own AI, Mishna.  I have entered authorization for you.  Help them all you can.  I know you can keep things to yourself, and trust in your continued discretion.”  A weary smile crossed Murial’s face.

The image of Murial faded out.

“Murial and I knew each other….. well when she was just a young woman.  If not for my partner Amber….”  John’s voice trailed off. 

Cammarry was astounded.  She knew that John’s life partner, Amber, had been a teacher as well, who was widely admired.  Since she had died, John had poured more of his time into his students and into personal reflection.  Cammarry never knew about the connection between John and Murial.  She had to suppress her urge to ask more about what sounded like a juicy bit of previously hidden information. 

John pushed the side of the data stick. He then got up and walked back to his classroom.  “Children?  This will take longer than I anticipated.  You may all go out to the playground for an extended time of fun.”

The children’s faces showed a mix of surprise and joy.  Then came elation. 

John smiled and laughed with them.  “Yes, I am serious.  Head over there and make some happiness!  I will come and get you when I am finished here.”

There was a rustle and a babbling of exultant voices as the children departed.

John returned and sat down.  He initiated the data stick which displayed a two dimensional image.  John quickly reviewed the information on the colony ships, and on the proposed faster-than-light quests.  When he read the report showing only one-hundred and twenty days left for the Dome 17 systems his face turned ashen. 

“Oh my, what a development.  Well, I will help in whatever way I can.  I am no adventurer, and everything I know comes from my teaching or from data sticks, books, or records from the Old World.”

“Should we volunteer?”  Jerome asked. 

“It looks like the missions are essential,” John replied.  “But your involvement is totally up to you.”

“Which ship should we chose?”  Cammarry asked bluntly. 

“Alas, that is an immense decision.  I hesitate to direct you one way or the other,” John said.  He stroked his chin and looked at the ceiling.  “However, I do notice one striking difference between the seven colony ships.”

“What is that?”  Cammarry asked. 

“The planet.  See here in the report on the Colony Ship Conestoga,” John quoted off the display.  “Received from unlabeled AI as having made planet fall.  This would be at least a century prior to when the ship was scheduled to arrive.  No human messages from Conestoga.  Trajectory plotted and robotic FTL contact estimated at greater than 90%.”  John turned and looked at Jerome and then at Cammarry. 

“A planet?”  Jerome asked. “The report is dubious, and how do we know anything about it?”

“Indeed, how do you know anything about any of these seven old colony ships?  What I am pointing out, and this is entirely your decision, but I am pointing out that only the Conestoga has the potential for you to set up the teleportation system on an actual planet.  None of the other colony ships have that potential.”

“Why is that important?”  Cammarry asked. 

“A planet has had millions or billions of years to evolve and sustain biological systems.  I admit there is no direct evidence of a planetary biosphere in this very limited report, but I think there are hints.  Why would the crew of the Conestoga ‘make planet fall’ unless it was a place where they could survive?  If it were like Mercury, or Saturn, or any of the other solar bodies in their current status in our system, a colony ship crew would pass them by.  But if the planet were like Earth before the Great Event, they might very well cut short their sojourn and make planet fall.  I know that is all supposition on just a few words, but I think the planet must have a biological ecosystem.  Additionally, the Conestoga has a high percentage chance of contact.”

“So you would suggest we volunteer and make our request for the Conestoga?”  Jerome asked. 

“The destination of your quest is entirely up to you.  I am just pointing out what seems to be a unique feature of only one of the ships,” John answered.  “The decision is all yours.  But remember, these colony ships are over a hundred years old.  The biological habitats they have will all be artificially created, not naturally occurring.  Like our apparently now ill-fated dome, every mechanical system will eventually fail.  A natural biosphere is designed to last for millennia upon millennia.  To be simplistic, a planet is designed, if you want to use that term, to last far longer than the best system humans have ever designed.”

“The Earth did not outlast us,” Cammarry said. 

“You are so right,” John concurred.  “Had humans not worked so hard to destroy the Earth, it would still be a near paradise for us.  We and the Earth’s old biosphere evolved together to benefit each other.  Tragically, humans forgot that lesson, and here were are today.  Just one-hundred and twenty days left here at the dome.”

“So you believe going to the Conestoga is a good choice?”  Cammarry asked. 

“Good choice?  I will not say that.  This quest looks to be fraught with dangers, many we cannot imagine.  You two are the adventurers.  I am just a teacher.  It does seem remarkable that teleportation and faster-than-light travel are feasible now.  Brink and his teams must be so very pleased.  Technological breakthroughs are amazing, but from what little I grasp of the situation, much falls on you adventurers. Oh and the things you will see. Oh the places you will go!  Imagine a planet which has not been ruined by radiation, toxins, and degradation.  Now that would be remarkable.  Perhaps even more so than teleportation or faster-than-light travel.  Nature is so lovely, at least from the records I have studied. Oh to see living animals on land and in the water.”

Jerome said, “I recall many odd sayings and idioms about animals, but they often make no sense.”

“You always did enjoy reading arcane materials.”  John grinned in joy at Jerome.  “You were a star pupil.”

“When reading, do not let a single word escape your attention; one word may be worth a thousand pieces of gold,” Jerome recited a saying he had learned from John.  “I remember you modifying that and saying, ‘When reading, do not let a single word escape your attention; one word may be worth a thousand drinks of water.’ and that stayed with me to this day.”

John sat back and smiled.  “Your love for knowledge as well as your disciple on physical fitness make you a perfect candidate to save us all.  To your point about animals, yes, the old sayings can be odd, especially since we do not have immediate firsthand experience with animals.  You may very well change all that with this mission.  Just imagine, to see real animals in a real biological system.  Be it a planet or in a manufactured habitat, it would be amazing.”

“So you think the ‘planet fall’ statement makes the Conestoga the right choice?”  Cammarry asked. 

“Cammarry, the decision is yours and Jerome’s.”  John’s face grew very somber.  “I understand the ramification of this mission are huge.  I will not make the decision for you.  Your life, and the life of everyone in Dome 17 rests on the outcome of these seven missions, but the decision to undertake this quest is yours.”

“Thank you John,” Jerome said.  He looked at Cammarry. 

“We will request the Conestoga,” Cammarry answered as she read the same information on Jerome’s expression. 

“Yes, a quest for the Conestoga,” Jerome replied.  “Our last and greatest mission.”

Cammarry hugged John and then she and Jerome left his office.

“One-hundred and twenty days?”  John muttered.  “And seven teams of adventurers.  The class will enjoy their free time.  I better hone my biology skills.  I doubt those two will be the only ones who come and see me.  Now where should I start?  Oh yes, ‘The Outdoor Handbook’ I will start there.  The chapter on fishing…”

All the rest of the day, Jerome and Cammarry discussed the situation.  When they went to sleep, they had reached an agreement.  In the morning they would volunteer and make the Conestoga their target.  They slept in each other’s arms.