Talosian Chronicles 1: Olympus (30 page)

I
an tried not to run back to his ready room so he could call Elias to see how things are going. He didn’t want to admit, even to himself, how worried he was about the people on the planet. He didn’t notice Jenny trying hard not to giggle at him as he walked as fast as he could across the bridge.

When he got to his ready room, he asked to be connected to Luke, Elias or Ty at Talos. He was once again surprised to see all three men in Luke’s office.

“Okay, now this is getting scary. I can understand you guys knowing I’m going to call, but how’d you know when I’d call?” Ian asked, smiling at the three grinning men.

“Simple sir, we have a spy on the ship!” Ty joked.

“I take it no one told you that you have no privacy today? I must say, I about fell off my chair when you and George teamed up on Gabriel. That idiot has been a pain in the ass since he got here. He’s been leading the drive to get a church built.  I’d be happy to oblige him, except that there are only three families that are interested. I’ll be happy to build one later, but right now we have more immediate needs,” Elias explained while Luke just nodded in agreement.

“Okay, I’ll get back to my lack of privacy in a minute, but for now, how did our people take the news?” Ian asked.

“Pretty much exactly the way we thought they would, except we way under-estimated the interest level,” Luke reported. “The parents of the kids that have been spending every day over at the arcades have rightly figured out those games are actually flight simulators. They cornered me first thing this morning to question me about it. I had to explain that you wouldn’t actually accept them as pilots until the age of sixteen. They were still a bit upset until I played some of the mission vids the simulators record. Once they saw how good their kids were, they calmed down and asked me to pass along a formal request for a couple more Flight Instructors. They also asked that the kids accepted as pilots be stationed here, if possible. I tried to explain the whole ‘take your family with you’ concept, but I don’t think it’s sunk in yet.”

“Ty and his crew are patrolling just to make sure no one actually makes a run for it, but so far, they’ve only been approached by a few of the men, asking about infantry and other positions available for them. I could really use Oly’s help down here, Ian, He’s a lot better at fielding these types of questions and can help us keep track of people down below,” Elias said.

“I’m really sorry, guys, but Oly’s gone. The new AI will go online during the Change of Command and Re-Christening Ceremony this afternoon,” Ian explained, and held up a hand before the shocked men started asking what’d happened to the old AI.

“When a new Commander takes charge of a ship, it’s customary to rename it, and redefine the visible profile of the AI. Oly told me it was like a rebirth for him. So, when the new AI gets here tonight, try to remember, it’s still Oly’s core, but he will look and act completely different,” Ian finished.

“I’d have thought the old guy would’ve at least said good-bye,” Elias said sadly.

“Elias, our friend will still be here, and in fact, is only on stand-by right now. Just remember that when the new persona comes online, under that exterior will still be the heart of our friend,” Ty tried to explain. “Sir, I heard a rumor that we might be gettin’ our own AI?”

“That’s the plan at the moment, but Chief Laskar’s had some difficulty with understanding the core programming, so he’s taking it slow for now,” Ian said.

“I’m sorry Ian, I guess I just don’t understand. I thought you said Oly was gone?” Elias asked.

Ian took a deep breath while he thought of a better way to describe what was happening with the AI. “In terms of AI programming, there are a couple different layers of what could be called the personality profile. The first layer deals with appearance, speech patterns, mannerisms, things like that. The second layer is much deeper, and deals with the core of the personality. You need to have like five PhD’s just to apply for access to that. That level is the part of Oly that we know as our friend. Now, the first layer has been rewritten, and cannot appear as the avatar of the ship until the ship is commissioned.

“So though neither the name nor the appearance will be the same, it’ll still be our friend deep inside. The new avatar will still remember, and interact with you, as if it was still Oly, but it clearly won’t be,” Ian explained. Seeing Elias was still confused, he added, “Try to imagine someone getting downloaded into a new body.”

“Now, THAT I can understand. Why didn’t you guys just say that to begin with?”

After the four men finished laughing, Ian asked a question. “So, what’s next for you folks?”

“I get to ride herd on the eggs while Dr. Punjab goes up to see you to get the moon base started. That out to be... interesting, at the least,” Luke said with a straight face, while Elias and Ty tried hard not to laugh.

“The eggheads came up with something like a shield for the town. My team and I are going to be supervising the placement and installation of ‘receiver posts’. If it makes our job easier, I’m all for it,” Ty answered.

Elias was nodding in agreement with Ty. “I have surveyors out figuring out where to place these posts as not to confine us too much. The Eggs say we could just put them around the perimeter of the whole property, but I can’t even imagine that. Anyway, they should be done later tonight or tomorrow, and then I’ll send out four-three man teams to plant the posts. In actuality, the drones will be planting most of them, but our teams will make enough of a show that they should be ignored. We’re getting more and more of the permanent housing finished now that we have the utility and paving folks. Personally, I don’t know how they can pave in this heat.”

“Speaking of medical issues,” Ian grinned. “How’s your new wife taking to her new duties, Elias?”

“She’s booked solid, and spends about half her time consulting with Beth. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her happier,” Elias replied.

“I hope no one minds, but I’m reassigning the young Johnson family back to Talos to help with training their younger friends. Talena reported to me that there had been a marked difference in their behavior since your kids left. Perhaps returning them will help re-establish their old behavior patterns,” Ian said. “Hmm, which reminds me, how are the adults taking the relationship thing?”

“A whole lot better than I thought they would. No one is rushing out to find more lovers, but they don’t seem to be too repulsed by the thought, maybe it just hasn’t really sunk in yet,” Luke replied.

“The boys and I, as well as Tasha, Sam, and Tommy, are getting asked a lot of questions...” Ty grinned at Elias who was nodding vigorously in agreement. “...about our situations. I’m pretty sure the down-siders get asked a lot too. By the way, the Friday night party has gotten a lot bigger. One of the first things that the folks top-side did was invite the down-siders to the cook-out.”

“Jees! All this since last night?” Ian shook his head. “Well, at least you guys have reassured me. I was really worried about what would happen. Whose idea was it to make a production of the history? I actually thought the folks at the history channel got hold of this.”

“That was Ty’s suggestion actually. He pointed out that while your original vid was good, it was too sterile; no one would believe it was real as much as they would believe you were trying to make them believe it was real. So we snagged Saunders, and he called a friend, who called a friend, and well... this just... happened, and we got two more super-smart recruits in the deal,” Luke said.

“That was very good work guys. Hell, it even convinced me, and I was already convinced!” Ian’s smile dimmed somewhat. “Are you and Lara still coming up for the ceremony Luke?”

“You can bet you ass we are. I think Lara’s a little anxious to see the ship. I just wish I could bring my partners in crime here. But we do understand; we can’t leave the town totally without leadership. Ty was going to let Tabitha take over for tonight, but he seems to think we’re being watched, Elias and I have discussed it, and we agree that one of us should be here all the time in case of emergency. Elias gets to go up there for the Graduation Ceremony.”

Ian nodded his agreement. “We gotta get the old girl off the moon first, but we’re working on it.”

“Speaking of work,” Lara’s voice broke into the call. “You boys need to quit yakkin’ and get back to it! I swear I’ve got everyone out here wanting a tour of down-side.”

“Ahh the dulcet tones of our taskmaster! We’ll be right there sweetheart.” Luke replied amid chuckles from the other three men.

“Good luck guys. We can talk more later. I’ll see you at the ceremony Luke and Lara,” Ian replied.

“Not if that giggling gaggle of school girls doesn’t get busy! We should be getting ready to leave on the shuttle in forty minutes, but Luke promised to talk to these folks first,” Lara said sarcastically, but with humor.

“Remember dear, I can ask Ty to take you out!” Luke said in a mock-stern voice.

“I don’t think his husbands would allow that, but if they did, I hope it’s someplace nice. You know I don’t care for that fast food you always treat me too!”

Laughing, Ian waved to his friends. “Get to work ya bums!”

“Talk to ya later, Ol’ Son.” Elias said for the other men as Ty and Lara started making outrageous plans for dinner which had put Luke in stitches. The screen went dark as Ian heard them start a fake argument over after dinner sex.

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I
an shook his head at the antics of his friends, and went to see Jenny on the bridge. “XO, what’s this I hear about my not having any privacy today?”

“My apologies, sir; I thought you knew. Oly set it up before his day off,” Jenny replied.

“He didn’t say anything to me, I guess he must have simply forgotten,” Ian said.

“Sir? Computers can’t forget things.”

“Radically overloaded ones can. Look, I asked Chief Laskar to give him a check-up. Perhaps we’ll know more when he’s finished,” Ian said.

Although Jenny looked skeptical, she let the issue go. “Traditionally, you’re supposed to be in our quarters, ‘meditating’. Since you’ve still got three hours before the Ceremony, what are you going to do?” Jenny asked.

“Go to our quarters and meditate of course. I need to try to calm down or I’ll give myself a headache from high blood pressure,” Ian replied.

“I’m sure Beth can give you something to help with that. Why don’t you give her a call to find out?” Jen asked.

“Well, I don’t want to be drugged up for the Ceremony, but I’ll ask her,” Ian said. “Did you ask Chekov to take over for you early?” One of the navigator/helmsman was named Ensign Coryov Shostakovich, and even had a slight Russian accent. He very quickly got the nickname ‘Chekov’ after the helmsman on the old TV show, Star Trek.

“Yeah, I offered to trade a half-shift with him. Corrine is getting close to her due date, and Cory’s a nervous father,” Jenny replied as her eyes twinkled.

“I can sympathize.” Ian caressed Jenny’s belly. “I’ve got three of you, and your dates aren’t all that far off.”

Jenny laid her head on her husband’s shoulder while he held her. “You know, Oly’d be giving you a very disapproving look for this if he were here.” Jenny all but purred.

“He’d get over it. I love you, Jen,” Ian replied.

“I love you, too. You’d better get going if you need to relax. If you stay here, I’m liable to relax you in a different way!”

“Oly would blow a processor! But, I think you’re right. I better call Beth as well; just touching one of you gets me really going.” He sighed, kissed her cheek, and stepped back. “You have the Con, XO.”

Jenny smiled. “I have the Con. Rest well, sir.”

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I
an opened his eyes at the soft chimes of the alarm he’d set. He hadn’t been napping, though it would seem so to an observer. It was the best way he’d found to calm and center his mind.

Cindy and Talena were on shuttle duty, so he’d had the place to himself. The time alone had really helped him calm the chaos of his mind. He would have taken a hornet out, but he was still a little nervous about firing up the super-high performance warbirds.

He knew he would eventually have to assign patrol flights, and put the small ships to work, but he was determined to make sure that his command was space borne before he did something that could attract the attention of the Enemy.

The Ceremony today was one more step; once he was the official Commander of the ship, he’d have full control, and the full responsibility for the survival of the Human and Talosian races would fall on his and his crew’s shoulders.

During these thought’s Ian had taken a shower, and was drying off before asking the replicator for his formal dress uniform.

The Ceremony itself was scheduled to begin on the main hangar deck of Alpha bay in an hour and a half. Ian had people to greet and a VIP tour to conduct. Beth and Jenny would take care of the crowd in the hanger while he gave the tour.

It was bound to be an interesting afternoon and evening, since most of these people had never been around same sex, or multiple partner relationships. Yep, an interesting evening indeed.

“Commander to Bridge, what’s the ETA on the last of the guests?”

“Cadet Williams is due to land in twenty minutes on Beta, Cadet Talena should be thirty minutes later. Both shuttles are fully loaded, sir,” Shostakovich answered.

“I take it the XO is on her way here then?” Ian asked.

“Aye sir, she’s just leaving.”

“Thank you, Mr. Chekov. Carry on,” Ian said breaking the contact.

A moment later he heard Jenny getting off the private elevator. When she stepped off, she had her shipsuit draped over one arm, and was carrying her boots. Ian admired her gloriously naked body and her pregnant belly. Like the old saying goes, she glowed.

“You better get dressed, or we’re going to be very late,” Ian said as he felt himself react by just looking at her.

“Behave! I will not show up to your Ceremony smelling like sex. Now scoot! Beth and I’ll meet you in Alpha bay in a few minutes,” Jenny said as the front door slid open for Beth.