The Chronicles of the Samuel Hain Second Series

8/2/2019 The Chronicles of the Samuel Hain Second Series

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The Chronicles of the Samuel Hain

2 nd Series

Unnecessary Baggage

Good morning. It is Thursday; March 23 / 2436 5:38 AM. The voice in my office quietlyannounced the beginning of my day.

There she was at long last. What an idyllic scene: The Wright brothers plane was soaring justabove the field under the starry sky; in the background the UDA Samuel Hain was watching over her. Itreally was a wonderful painting.

Incoming call from Xyza Halverson.

Please route it through my oracle. I made a last m inute adjustment to the picture. Was itleaning too much to the right now?

Do you like it? Xyzas hologram stood beside me.

Honey its beautiful. Its very bold.

But?

Why me? A work like this should be at the exhibition h all in New Oxford. You really shouldexpand your horizons honey. I wanted to put my arm around her, but I remembered that she wasntreally here.

Dad, trust me; I have my stuff in all the major exhibition halls in North America. This one is justfor you.

Thank you honey. This one is really special.

Its ironic, isnt it? Xyza turned to the window. Seeing all those stars, but not being able totouch them?

Actually, Im quite content to be confined to our little solar system. Im confiden t that, whenwere ready, well leave our playpen.


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Ever the optimist. I have to go now. Love you dad.

I love you too honey. I turned off my oracle. I left it on the desk for I knew how often it wouldbeep. Something curled around my leg. I loo ked down and laughed. Lucy! Why is the solar systemsmost uncanny python paying me a visit? She slithered up my body and onto my desk. We looked at

each other. Lucy was a total enigma: she could negate gravity, raise her body temperature to 3,758degrees Fahrenheit or lower it to -547 degrees, absorb light, and emit infrared and ultraviolet light. But,no matter how closely she was examined, she was just an ordinary snake.

Incoming call from Rio de Mars. An image of the second Mars colony flas hed on my desk.

Ill take it on my desk.

Captain Halverson, is Lucy there? Professor Hector Quinteras seemed more nervous thanusual.

Yes, professor. Lucy is present and accounted for.

Can you send her back?

I will see if I can convince her to return home, but for some reason she is always reluctant toleave the Samuel Hain.

Thank you so much captain.

Incoming call from the UDA Minuteman. The words were stiffer, more formal.

Garin I just wanted to apologize for the Samuel Hain get ting last pick in the lottery. Captain

Antonio Salvetti chose not to use his hologram.

I understand. We all agreed to the revised lottery. It doesnt really matter, does it? All thecadets from New Vienna are exemplary things will turn out just fine.

Youre a good sport and a role model. Salvetti out.

Have a good day Captain Salvetti. Bridge: proceed to Camelot. We have some new cadets topick up. The Samuel Hain slowly turned around and put Jupiter behind her.

As she rose upward, I could hear the dark energy accelerator whir to life. It used only enoughenergy to power a small lamp; but when that energy was racing through the tunnel that surrounded theship, it was enough to get us in. Soon we would be in the Jones current and traveling an additional 8million kph. It was always a spectacle, being swept along in a flow of dark energy: the infinite number of black streaks outside the window, with small flashes of light curling around them. If the cadets couldhandle that with poise, maybe they could make it through a whole tour of duty.


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Several days later, we were orbiting the moon. Below, the sprawl of domes and towers thatmade up the lunar colonies lay quietly in the shadow of the earth. There was time enough to make aquick trip to Utopia for Xyzas birthday present. I decided to order it on -line instead. I just didnt likethe lunar sprawl, which put me in the minority. The colonies had doubled in size since I was a cadet;each one was five times bigger than New Paris and people still wanted more room.

Sir, you wanted to be notified when Ms. Maszynowy came on board. Lieutenant Gonzalezinformed me.

Thank you Mr. Gonzalez. How are things on the bridge?

Running well sir.

Good. Direct Ms. Maszynowy to my office.

Cadet Renata Maszynowy reporting for duty sir. Cadet Maszynowy stood before me,confident and somewhat defiant. I couldnt blame her; I think I would be too if I was in her sit uation.

You are here on a probationary basis. There are those on the Joint Chiefs of Staff who thinkthis is unwise.

And what do you think sir?

I have studied the AHID program at length, but have not had personal experience with it. Itstoo early to form an opinion of the program or you.

Thank you sir.

I will be watching you closely however. At the first sign of danger to the ship or crew I willterminate this program immediately.

I understand sir.

That being said, it is tradition for the captain to have lunch with the first cadet to arrive .

This device doesnt require food sir.

Have you had lunch Cadet Maszynowy ?

No sir.

Im sure you could eat lunch at Mercy in New Toronto while your drone sits with me in theStargazer.

Its impolite to put the drone on autopilot while in a restaurant sir.

But you can still communicate and see while the artificial intelligence program is running?


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Yes sir. I dont mean to decline your offer; I just dont want to offend.

You wont offend. Lets have lunch. I took her drone by the arm and led her to the Stargazer.

So, this is the Stargazer. Is it true that this restaurant has hosted more military weddings thanany other? The drone was eerily still.

Yes, more than the UDA Minuteman, UDA Defiance, and UDA Boston put together. Im hopingthats not the reason why you chose to serve on my ship.

No sir. Not at all. I chose the Samuel Hain because it has the proudest history.

I hope you dont mind me saying this -

But the drone looks exactly like me. I get that all the time sir.

And your wishes on that subject?

I would like to be completely honest and open on the subject sir. What will serve aboard thisship is a drone, but there is a flesh and blood person behind the controls .

A drone that is ten times quicker than a human being, both physically and cognitively; not tomention one that can easily lift 700 pounds.

Yes sir that is correct.

And there is also the subject of the artificial intelligence. I looked into the drones eyes.

When the artificial intelligence is running, there are indicators. She switched on a sample

program; a stream of data filled her eyes.

Very clever.

Is this really it sir? She got up and lovingly ran her fingers over the piano.

Yes it is. Do you play?

I have programs that can play the tunes of Neon Conger and Archbishop Muldane Veese. Shesat at the piano and started to play.

Very good Ms. Maszynowy . That is an exact replication of Congers Dont Tell on Me. Butyoure missing something. May I?

Of course sir. She happily beamed.

Have you ever seen Conger play?

No sir. Im not that lucky.


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I saw him in Beijing. It was a rainy day in April. He had just lost his wife. I adjusted the toneand timing of Dont Tell on Me ever so slightly. Do you know how to play the piano Ms. Maszynowy ?

No, but Id like to learn sir.

An hour later, the rest came in. New and excited, unsure yet hopeful, they sat in the lecturehall. For my part, I lectured about things that I hoped they already knew. I welcomed them and Iwarned them; I outlined my expectations and my goals. I went into detail about duty shifts and thecommand hierarchy. When they left, I knew they were still totally unprepared. I just wondered whowould be left at the end of the two years.

Initiate dark energy accelerator. Were late for a rendezvous with the Boston at Mars. Istepped onto the bridge.

Lecture run a little long sir? Lieutenant Gonzalez didnt look up from his console.

This batch seemed a little more nave than most Mr. Gonzalez.

Ill keep an eye on them sir.

Dark energy reaction 100%. The computer informed us.

Proceed to Mars. I was already headed out of the room.

Dark energy reaction 103%.

Really? Show the chamber please. I turned around.

Dark energy reaction 146.98%. Mr. Gonzalez remarked.

Mr. Gonzalez, please override the accelerator program.

Dark energy reaction 398%. The computer warned.

The ship rocked violently. I could hear several sections of the hull popping loose. The lightswent out and the emergency red panels came on.

Bridge report. I walked amongst the consoles and brought up what information I could.

No fatalit ies. Slight injuries reported by 5 personnel. Structural damage decks 1 and 3 sections20 and 24. Repair crews on the way.

Thats good to hear. Why did this happen? I brought up the latest information from theaccelerator as well as the design specifications.


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Unknown sir. Lieutenant Gonzalez was too embarrassed to look at me. H e had serviced theaccelerator for 25 years and didnt have a clue as to what went wrong.

I will be in my office reading and perhaps revising the dark energy accelerator instructionmanual. Please keep me advised. I walked into my office and contacted Archer Industries.

Archer Duboise at your service. A hologram of the CEO appeared before me. He was grippinga golf club. Garin! Good to see you.

Its good to see you too Archer. Unfortunately I have a problem.

Oh its the anniversary isnt it?

No. That isnt for a few weeks. Thank you for remembering though. Its the dark energyaccelerator it just burned out.

No! Cmon, really?

Yes. We dont know why.

Garin! I just upgraded that thing last year personally.

I remember old friend. I was the one who left the coffee and bagels.

I cant come and repair it. Are you sure you cant convince the Joint Chiefs to let me put a fewof my boys on the ship? No no dont even answer that one. I know what theyll say. Just let me havea look.

Archer I really do apologize. I know that accelerator is your pride and joy and we have beenkeeping it in tip top shape honest. Mr. Gonzalez has three Archer training seminars under his belt.

Well, thanks for making me feel better. Now lets have a look. Looks good, looks good, correct,absolutely right wait a minute. This cant happen. No it cant happen. Are you sure this is the re aldeal?

Yes. I dont know much about the accelerator, but I am current on the science underneath it. Ido agree that what just happened is impossible.

Impossible is right. But we can fix it. Archer sighed.

Thanks Archer. I will make sure that your boys get paid before they turn one screw. Yourethe best.

Dont break my accelerator again. Archer pointed his club at me and winked.


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The next morning I walked through the ship. I was uneasy and quiet. I hated to disappoint theBoston. It was so unprofessional. I personally made sure that the crew was performing as efficiently aspossible. Now we would see who would rise to the occasion and who would end up in an accountingfirm.

When I passed by the hospital, I was shocked. It was packed with injured staff. Medicalpersonnel were doing all they could to bandage them up. I strode into the middle of it all, trying tocalculate the probability of so many injuries in one morning.

Mr. Sheng, is there something I should know about? I walke d over to Cadet Tungsten Sheng.

Sir! I have prepared a report on this mornings activities in the hospital while caring for myinjured crew members. Sir! He was too stiff, too formal.

At ease cadet. What happened here?

An unusual number of person al injuries sir. Mostly small burns, sprains, and broken bones.Ive seen more injuries in the past two hours than in a whole semester of med school.

Mr. Sheng, your duty shift ended hour ago.

I understand sir! I am in violation of Regulation-

I know all the regulations. Since this qualifies as an unusual situation you are permitted towork beyond your duty shift. However, I will send down Major Cortez to help.

Thank you sir! Cadet Sheng saluted me.

Good work Mr. Sheng please carry on. I saluted him and left. If he could become morerelaxed, he would make a fine officer one day.

As I continued on, I noticed that many of the crew were distracted. At first, I thought it might bethe recent mishap that was worrying them. Then, when I looked at a digital bulletin board outside therobotics lab, I found out the real reason why.

I didnt take the time to go through the whole list; that wouldve taken all morning. I wasstunned. I had never seen so many postings on the lost and found list in all my years of service.Everything from lockets to laser welders to pets to medical implants were gone.

I sat in my office reviewing the progress on the repairs to the accelerator. When I wasnt doingthat, I was advising Major Singh on shifting duty rosters to keep up with the enormous flow of injuriesinto the hospital. My eyes wandered my office to see if I would by chance find a lost locket or two.

Sir, may I come in? A voice drifted through the doors.


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Enter.

Cadet Orion Alkaev, sir. He was holding something behind his back.

How may I help you cadet?

I think I know whats going on sir.

Youll have to be more specific Mr. Alkaev.

The dark energy accelerator sir. The accidents and the lost items.

You have a unifying theory, eh?

Its this sir. He put a 1950s comic book on my desk; it was titled Tales of the Weird andUnexplained. The cover had an image of an ancient astronaut fighting several bug -eyed aliens. I tookit from a grave in Valhalla.

Although it is officially an archeological site under the UN, this still may violate UDA laws . I gotup and looked down at the unfinished ambition that is Valhalla. It was still haunting me after all theseyears.

I have a permit from the UN archeological commissi on. I am examining it as part of a researchstudy.

But you believe that this is somehow connected to what has been happening aboard theSamuel Hain?

Yes sir. I will return it this afternoon.

Then we shall see if your theory is correct.

Thank you sir. I knew you would understand.

Several weeks later, I came across Cadet Alkaev while he was doing some routine work on thefission engines. I was about to pass by, but I thought I would see how he was doing. After all, CaptainMontrose made my career one of his top priorities. Perhaps I should continue the tradition.

Cadet Alkaev. How are you doing?

Fine sir. Im almost done here.

Good. It seems your theory was correct. The ship is running well, injuries on board are withinexpected norms, and there are only a few items on the lost and found list. It seems that comic bookwas the source of our misfortune.


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I understand sir. I cant explain it.

Welcome to the UDA Samuel Hain cadet Alkaev. Im sure this is only the beginning.

Bfk


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2 nd Series

Black Holes Taste like Chicken

Every graduating class had them the class of 2435 was no exception. There were always a fewJBs just barely. They were the ones who struggled with the basics and needed extra help every step

of the way. Most of them wound up behind desks doing small things and serving quietly. I wascurrently en route to pick one of them up.

However, Ms. Akhila Jain was no ordinary cadet. When I was growing up, we had a child on ourblock that had Zirdottes syndrome. I never saw him because he never left the house. I dont know if itwas the pain or the physical abnormalities or even the culture. I was too busy back then to payattention or get involved; now I was about to come face to face with the issue. I opened the files andbegan to read.

Zirdottes syndrome was discovered in 2223 and treatments began in 2245. It was a raregenetic disorder that was very painful. The treatments caused the skin to turn bright orange; this was

accompanied by a total loss of body hair. But the most unusual feature (or so it seemed to me) were thebony spikes. A patient could have anywhere from 30 to 35 spikes on their head, each one beinganywhere from 1 to 1 inches long. Patients also had two or three bony spikes, from 2 to 3 incheslong, protruding out of the back of their neck. These spinal spikes curved upward toward the back of the skull.

I turned off the computer as the shuttle landed at Tokyo Mars. The greeting board at thedocking bay flashed the time: October 2 nd / 2436 6:11 AM . This isnt how I wanted this tohappen, but Im reasonably sure this isnt how she wanted it to happen either. The normal hustle andbustle of Tokyo swam past the shuttle and the red sky was just coming to life. I thought about that

young gentleman on my block. Would it have been that hard to befriend him?

There she was: standing in the middle of the crowd, just waiting for me. She was dressed in herofficial military uniform with all the insignias and medals. The navy blue of the fabric contrasted sharplywith her skin. She was standing at attention, yet still uncommonly graceful. This was by no means anofficial military function. Was she trying too hard to fit in, or was she proudly representing her kind?

Captain Halverson. She saluted me.


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Cadet Jain. I saluted her back. The shuttle is this way please. I escorted her to the shuttle,watching the reactions of those around us. Even more than a century later, there were someuncomfortable glances.

Awaiting instructions Captain. She stood outside the shuttle door.

If you would pilot the shuttle, I would be most appreciative Cadet Jain. I knew this was one of the courses that she almost failed. Maybe I sh ouldnt have pushed her so fast, but I wanted to knowwhat kind of cadet I was welcoming on board the Samuel Hain.

Sir may I? She opened up her Oracle and showed me a piloting program. It was yearsahead of anything the military or MARI offered.

This is quite impressive cadet. Where did you get this?

I wrote it myself sir.

The se cognitive algorithms and logic differentials have yet to be discovered. I brought up herpersonnel file.

I invented them last month sir; if you would rather have me pilot the shuttle sir.

Third Tier Doctorate in artificial intelligence and a Second Tier Doctorate in robotics; all earnedin the past few months. Most people cant get past a doctorate Ms. J ain. We had better leave quicklybefore MARI kidnaps you. I smiled.

I have tested the program extensively sir. It works perfectly.

Cadet Jain. Please initiate shuttle rendezvous program beta.

Yes sir. And by the way sir there are 34 of them. I have 31 spikes on my head and three onmy neck.

I see.

Everyone asks sooner or later sir. I dont mind Ive gotten used to it.

Garin if you dont want to do this - A hologram of Captain Gloria Sanchez stood before me.

Thats quite alright. The Samuel Hain is the closest ship to earth. We will leave immediately.

Acknowledged. Captain Sanchez of the UDA Defiance out.

I didnt mean to be so formal with Gloria. Or did I? I suppose there were some topics that I stillretreated from. However, I would not let my personal life interfere with my duties. Still, I had severalhours till my duty shift began; so I sat down and just stared.


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She was so beautiful. Nara, in her summer dress standing in front of the ocean, was beckoningme into the sunny day. The photo brought back a lot of memories good ones. Those years werewonderful beyond the human imagination. I still remember the accident. We were sitting in the StarDrifter, orbiting Neptune. A time bubble, no bigger than a softball, hit her heart. It was just all sosurreal; I just stood there while the doctors explained that her heart was now in a time 1/3 of a second

slower than the rest of time. It was like she had no heart at all.

Time was such a basic thing. But it was so wild, untamable it would be centuries before wecould put it on a leash and make it do our bidding. We were so fascinated by time, we had been forthousands of years. Thats what made time so precious and dangerous.

Captai n Halverson youre early. Lieutenant Gonzalez was genuinely surprised to see me.After all these years, he still couldnt get used to my habit of showing up early.

Mr. Gonzalez do you have anything to report?

Sir its all in the news. Nothing new.

You have family living near New Detroit, dont you Mr. Gonzalez?

That I do captain. Im sorry, I wish I could give you some special insights into the situation.Theyre just thrill seekers.

That explanation is quite sufficient Mr. Gonzalez . Ensign Jefferson any word from the NewDetroit Quarantine Authority?

They have stepped up patrols around the city and are looking into revising their security cards.

Ill be in the hospital if anyone needs me. I turned around and walked out. It was about timeto put on my mentors hat.

Welcome to the hospital captain. Mr. Sheng saluted and gave me his best official smile. Iadmired his professionalism, but he was still too stiff.

Mr. Sheng you had written a paper about time distort ion psychosis?

Yes sir! It was a fascinating topic and the field research was very interesting. I just observedthough sir I didnt partake.

I understand cadet. Luckily for you, we are going to New Detroit. It seems the time slippershave had a revival of sorts.

Thats a new one sir. Mr. Sheng laughed. Back in my high school days they called themselvestime surfers. It works like this. You wear a belt that generates an incredible amount of quarks, get thequarks to stop moving, and th en stand at the event horizon. Thats how they do it.


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Well be arriving at earth in about one hour. I would suggest that you brush up on the topicsince you will be accompanying me to New Detroit.

Me sir?

Mr. Sheng, sometimes you have to immers e yourself in the situation personally in order to getthe full effect.

One hour sir. Ill be at the shuttle.

Cadet Alkaev initiate shuttle landing program omega. I sat back in the shuttle.

Yes sir. Permission to speak freely sir?

Of course Mr. Alkaev.

Will we be using artificial intelligence to land the shuttle from now on?

No. Were just testing the program. Dont worry Mr. Alkaev, there will always be somethingfor humans to do.

The shuttle landed just outside of the time surfer camp. There was loud music playing I dobelieve it was the Sleeping Bees. There was dancing and cheering and frolicking. The laserssurrounding New Detroit had been brought down. The police were nowhere to be seen anunfortunate policy of the district. The under staffed, cash strapped quarantine authority was justleaving the sector and wouldnt be back again for a while.

Sir?

Yes Mr. Cheng?

Im just curious how did you manage to obtain a cosmic flowerpot tee shirt?

Im very well connected Mr. Cheng. I laughed. So, dressed to fit in, we waded through thecrowd.

Tungsten Im still a little confused about the whole theory. Mr. Alkaev spoke up.

Its quite simple and very - well tricky. At the event horizon of the time b ubble, theres a spacebetween our time and New Detroits time. If you can get just close enough -

An image of a girl suddenly spread out over the time bubble. The image grew larger and largerand abruptly disappeared. There was a loud cheer.

See! S ee! There it goes! She slipped between our time and theirs its a two dimensionalplane of existence that extends billions of light years.

Fascinating Mr. Cheng. How do we stop it?


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We have to flood the area with quarks sir; the massive flow wil l get the stationary quarksmoving again.

By this time, we had reached the event horizon. The image of the girl once again covered thesurface of the bubble. She then stepped out right in front of us.

Black holes taste like chicken. Her words flo wed like honey from a psychedelic dream.

Good to know. Cadet Alkaev replied.

They wont be happy sir. In fact they might try to storm the event horizon, once they find outwhats going on. Cadet Sheng explained.

Whats the probability of someone going in and not coming back out? I took out the smallblack box that Ms. Maszynowy and Ms. Jain had constructed. I could tell that those two young womenwere going to be a potent combination.

Its exactly 34.454% sir. The probability of someone disappearing permanently under thecurrent conditions is exactly 33.223%.

Exactly Mr. Sheng?

Ive been studying the phenomenon and cross referencing the latest research while we weretalking sir. Im sorry if I was rude.

Not rude at all Mr. Sheng. Thats dedication and wisdom. I turned on the box.

At first, everything was going smoothly. Then, about 4 minutes into the procedure, things went

wild. Revelers started cranking up their quark belts and rushing into the event horizon. I quicklyadjusted the boxs output to compensate. When I looked up it was too late.

Orion was being swept along by the crowd. He struggled to break free, but the momentum andchaos were too much for him to overcome. I saw his image expand over the bubble and my heart raced.I set the box to its maximum output. This was one of those times that I wish I had one of SergeantBergs prayer notes with me.

After the chaos and crowd had dispersed, I looked around the littered campsite. I would notleave one of my cadets behind. I had sent Mr. Sheng back to the Samuel Hain to coordinate a rescueoperation with UDAs lunar and earth command bases. It was quiet, so awfully quiet. I thought aboutNara walking on the beach with the sunset behind her.

Sir? A shaken cadet Alkaev was standing behind me.

Orion! Thank goodness youre alright.

Is it over sir?


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Yes, Mr. Alkaev, it is over. We terminated the activities here. We will leave for the SamuelHain in a few minutes. You are to report straight to th e hospital, do you understand?

Yes sir.

Several weeks later, I sat down with Mr. Alkaev in my office. I had watched him carefully but Ikept my observations to myself. I wanted to talk to him before making an official report to mysuperiors.

How are you doing cadet Alkaev?

Good sir.

Im glad to hear it. Youve had quite an experience youve set a time surfing record.

Yes sir.

Is something bothering you Mr. Alkaev?

When I was in between times sir I saw many things.

Such as?

I really cant describe my experience sir. Perhaps in another 100 years or so, I could explain itin a way that humans would understand.

Unfortunately, I probably wont be around by that time. But Im sure that your report will shed

new light on th e universe.

I can say two things for certain sir. We are not alone and we are not ready for what awaits us.

Bfk


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2 nd Series

Colony of the Dead

The alarm clock rang; it was 4:00 AM. I got up and went to take a shower. At 4:10 AM I had mybreakfast; at 4:30 AM I was dressed for duty. Between 4:31 AM and 5:15 AM I read the UDA Journal of Medicine. At 5 :17 AM I went over the staff notes from yesterdays meeting. At 5:55 AM I checked thebalance on my bank card. It was 6:00 AM and time to report for duty. I only had an hour to get there.

Hawking leapt up on my shoulder. My little monkey playfully nuzzled my ear. I gently caressedhis rabbit head. I set him down on the floor and we played catch for 10 minutes. When my grandfathergave him to me upon graduation, I never understood why. I think I do now.

OK buddy its time to start our day. Ready to go? I scooped him up and out the door wewent. I dropped him off at the old robotics lab which had been converted to a pet day care center.

He was all too eager to join his playmates. OK now be a good boy; live b y the rules and play nice.

In the 45 minutes that I had left I checked in with the hospital. Nothing serious was happeningand there were no trends to worry about. I read the med logs of the hospital administrator and the ERshift supervisor; they were pretty uneventful. I checked the diagnostics report and all the equipmentwas running perfectly. There were no shortages of prescriptions. Today might actually be a nice, quietday whew.

Thirty yards outside the main entrance I heard a scream. I had never heard anything like thatbefore. A chill went down my spine. For the first time in my career, I had second thoughts about goingin. But, I was determined to get over my fear, so I strode right into the middle of chaos.

I want some SRF!! I had it on order before I even got on this ship! Whats the matter with thisstupid hospital?! Akhila was standing in the middle of the ER. Two doctors lay on the floor. Chairs andmed boards were scattered everywhere.

Akhila, can you stay calm for me ? I kept my distance, but I wasnt going to back down either.


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Calm?! Calm?! You want me to -Her body twitched with pain and she fell to her knees.Please.just help me. She weakly muttered.

Dr. Jeffries could you go to the store room and look in the neurotransmitter cabinet?

We we already checked there.

Tungsten.please hurry.Im not feeling so good. Akhila struggled to her feet.

Then get the Regeneration base components. Were obviously going to have to make someSRF right here right now. Go, go!

And how long is this going to take? Akhila growled.

It wont take long I promise. I sat down next to her.

Promises, promises! Im sick of your promises! She swung and I ducked.

Akhila look! See? Theyve got the base components. Now all we need is a little spinal fluid.I took off my shirt.

What are you doing? Dr. Jeffries was shocked.

Donating. I checked my bio stats last night I can spare 2 milliliters of fluid. Do it! He stuckthe needle in me and took out just enough I hoped.

OK now cmon Akhila. This is the last one. I know its going to hurt , but just one more andyoure done for good. I slowly approached her. The other staff were busy preparing the SRF.

Just make it stop! I cant take it anymore! She yelled. She fell to her knees again.

Cadet Sheng could you please report to my office? Captain Halversons voice broke theeerie silence.

Yes captain. I want 15 minute updates on her condition. I walked briskly out of the hospital.

Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule Mr. Sheng, I know the hospital meanseverything to you.

Im here to serve. It was hard not to look at my oracle.

Theres a reason why I specifically called for you. Your dedication and ingenuity a re gainingattention. Your research on balancing microbial and viral ecosystems was revolutionary. Its beingincorporated into the plans for the construction of Olympus colony on Europa.

Thank you sir. Ive always been fascinated by Jupiter and its moons and I am deeply honored tocontribute to the dream of Olympus.


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Well, Ive flattered you long enough. There have been several unusual phenomena at thegraveyards in New Tokyo. Several medical experts are being called in. I volunteered your servic es.

Thank you sir.

As for the other matter, Captain Halverson opened up his oracle, The hospital reports thatMs. Jain is resting comfortably.

Yes sir.

Im changing your duty schedule. You are now relieved from duty Im putting you onadminist rative leave for the next two days.

Sir; that is not necessary. I will study the New Tokyo phenomenon on my off hours.

I know you will cadet. I have no doubts about your dedication.

Yes sir.

Are you familiar with Zirdottes syndrome Mr. Sheng?

Yes sir. When I heard that cadet Jain was coming on board I read the latest research on hercondition.

Do you know anything about the culture surrounding Zirdottes syndrome?

No sir.

Today is her last treatment day. This is usually spent with frien ds and family. However, since

Ms. Jain is new to our ship, she has none.

Yes sir. I would be happy to sir.

Thank you Mr. Sheng.

On my way back to the hospital, I read the initial reports from Mars. Empty graves and outragewere spreading through two of the biggest graveyards. Forensic examinations were being done on theburial plots, but it was too early to come up with any theories. I passed by a market place. I stoppedand turned around. I spent the next twenty minutes looking for some kind of holo-card specific toZirdottes syndrome, but came up empty. There were cards for every imaginable occasion and calamity,

but nothing for Zirdottes. Clearly, society had a ways to go before we treated everyone equally.

How are you? I sat down by Akhilas bed.

Groggy, a little sore , and stiff.

Last treatment day.


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Last day. She smiled.

So what do you want to do? A brunch at the Star Drifter? Or how about a play?

I want to go to Tokyo Mars. She got out of bed.

Akhila, youre supposed to be in bed for another two hours.

If I can make it to my room without help, will you let me go with you?

Yes I will. I sighed. Youre the most stubborn patient I have ever met.

Good. Thats what Zirdottes are known for.

And youre early. I walked up to the shuttle. She was reviewing something on her oracle.

Is that some kind of disease doctor Sheng? She smiled.

An incurable one Ms. Jain.

Dont worry; Ill give you a comfortable ride.

You really shouldnt be piloting a shuttle.

I know. She tapped on the control interface. The message: Initiating Shuttle FlightProgram 2-MXX-G8 flashed on the front window. The shuttle lifted off the ground quicker thana dragonfly, but I didnt feel a thing.

So, what made you go into the field of artificial intelligence?

Something my mother told me once. She said: Akhila, once you stop worrying about thebasics, you can worry about becoming the person you want to be. Artificial intelligence can do thelittle things in life w hile we focus on the big things. The shuttle descended through the thin Martianatmosphere.

Cadet Sheng; Cadet Jain how very pleasant to meet you. Professor Orion Harbinger wasthere to greet us when we exited the shuttle.

Professor Harbinger; it is a pleasure to meet you. I have heard much about you. Akhilastepped forward and shook his hand.

All of it good I hope. He chuckled. Shall we? He motioned to a nearby rover and we wereon our way. The red landscape bounced along and I wondered why I was here. After all, MARI hadbetter minds and equipment.

This seems to be the epicenter of the phenomenon. It began just one week ago and you canalready see that there are several disturbed sites. Dr. Harbinger bent down over an empty grav e. Hiscopper colored space suit glowed in the remaining daylight.


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Microbial analysis indicates a high degree of complex patterns. No one noticed this before? Ishowed both of them the results of my scan.

Not everyone thinks like you Mr. Sheng. That is why Captain Halverson sent you here. Dr.Harbinger replied.

Professor Harbinger, wasnt there an unusual incident involving Martian microbes a few yearsback? Akhila opened up her oracle.

Yes there was. However, that incident and this one might not be related.

I would like to stay and see if there are any changes in these patterns. I went back to therover.

I suppose were here for the night. Professor Harbinger quipped.

I suppose we are. Akhila sighed. Not exactly what I had planned for my special day.

I woke up at 1:00 AM. Akhila and the professor were still asleep. I looked at the patterns, butthere was no change. I reviewed the past 2 hours for microbe metabolism, but there was no change. Iturned the device off and simply waited. Something had to change.

When it hit, we were all startled. The hand slapped on the side of the rover a little before 3:00AM. A gentleman, dressed in his funeral suit, was blindly groping past the rover. He still had clods of soil in his hair. My heart was racing. I fumbled for my oracle but it slipped out of my grasp.

The only way to get to the bottom of this is to take a hands on approach. Akhila whispered.She put on her helmet.

A specimen would be most informative. Dr. Harbinger agreed.

I was never really good at taking patients into custody. I stammered.

Ready? Akhila put my helmet.

How are we going to restrain him? I recovered my oracle.

There are some personnel restraints in back. Dr. Harbinger happily chirped. Was he enjoyingthis?

Hey beautiful! Akhila bounded out of the rover. The zombie turned around.

I was hoping for a more orderly plan. I slowly exited the vehicle.

Ill make this short and sweet for the both of us! Akhila tackled the creature and h eld himon the ground. Restraints! Get me those restraints! In the struggle that ensued, the creature brokethe glass of her helmet.


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Akhila! I raced to the rover to get the emergency oxygen. She had two minutes.

Ill handle our specimen Mr. Sheng. Dr. Harbinger was calm inhumanly calm. Akhila had oneminute and 45 seconds. I ran to her with the emergency kit in my hands. She now had one minuteand 30 seconds.

Hang in there! I fumbled with the mask. She now had one minute and 10 seconds. Istruggled with the valve and finally got it to work. She now had 17 seconds. I could hear thewhoosh !of the air flowing through the tube Akhila had 4 seconds.

Thanks.for the second time. She coughed. I looked over and the zombie was lying on theground, cuffed, with Dr. Harbinger kneeling beside it.

Deep inside MARI, the creature wandered around the quarantine room for hours. Itoccasionally pawed the walls or looked at itself in the mirror. It was slowly, ever so slowly, becomingmore coordinated. It would, from time to time, open its mouth and then close it abruptly.

The patterns in this one are changing. Theyre re -organizing, but into what Im not sure. I gotup and paced back and forth.

How do we keep this thing contained? Akhila was already looking through the medical journals for techniques on microbe disposal.

It appears we have a guest. Dr. Harbinger noticed. The welcome program in MARIs lobbyhad been activated. A neat old gentleman, dressed in a suit, stood waiting to be let in.

Im sure someone can give him the official civilian tour Dr. Harbinger. We have to focus onthis. Akhila was unusually assertive. Then again, after just having conquered one disease she probablydidnt want to battle another.

Excuse me. The gentleman called out. A receptionist stepped up to him. I would like to seeProfessor Harbinger and his colleagues it is most urgent.

Im sorry; we have no one here by that name. She was polite, friendly, yet firm.

If that is the official response, very well. The stranger waved his hand. Both he and thereceptionist appeared in our midst. Thank you young lady. Now Im sure you have more pressing matters at hand. The gentleman waved his hand once more and she re -appeared in the lobby.

Stay where you are! Akhila pulled her K -68 from its holster. The pistol fired paralyzingelectrodes that could bring down a large elephant. Although it only had a range of 50 feet, she wasdefinitely close enough to incapacitate him.

Ms. Jain is it? I was hoping that we could begin with negotiations. The stranger waved hishand and her K-68 became a snow white dove.

Are you here for the specimen? I a sked.


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Yes. Allow me to introduce myself: I am Merlin.

The Merlin? From King Arthurs court? Akhila wasnt going along with this.

The one and the same. Come sit. He waved his hand and a table appeared before us. It hadtea, butter, and bread upon it.

Scans of the table and food reveal nothing unusual. I noted.

Although he could simply be manipulating our sensors. Akhila replied.

I do believe that if Merlin wanted us out of the way, he would have taken a more directapproach. Isnt that true sir? Professor Harbinger helped himself to some tea.

The microbes inhabiting that body over yonder are more intelligent than you give them creditfor. Even as we discuss their fate, they are organizing themselves into a democratic colony.

So, youve done research on this phenomenon? I had to admit, I was fascinated.

Mr. Sheng I am the phenomenon. Merlin poured Akhila some tea and handed it to her.

Are you saying youre dead? Akhila wasnt about to trust him yet.

Thousands of years ago, a meteorite carrying microbes crashed into earth. We meaning thecolony of microbes that currently inhabit this body took possession of this form eons ago.

Is that what is happening here on Mars? Dr. Harbinger asked.

Yes professor it is. Merlin politely nodded in his direction. Although they pretended not to

know each other, I somehow got the feeling that the two of them were very well acquainted.

So, this also happened on earth? I couldnt believe what I was hearing.

Colonies of mic robes have been on your planet longer than homo- sapiens. Were angels,demons, werewolves, witches, shamans, and mystics. To us, there is no need to apologize for takingsomething you can no longer use.

So there really is no such thing as monsters. Akhilas words were slow and thoughtful.

I never said that. Merlin walked over to the quarantine room. I merely offered another

explanation for what you call the supernatural. You may think youre enlightened, but today provesthat you are not ready f or what lies beyond.

Now what? I scanned Merlin. He was indeed a vast collection of incredibly advancedmicrobes.


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2 nd Series

Fear Factor

What are you reading? I looked over Orions shoulder. I admit, it was a bad habit, but one Idecided to keep long ago. We were the only ones left in the Star Drifter. We were slowly passing by

Jupiter.

The Last Ghost Stories of the United States of America. He didnt even look up. I felt like anannoying e-mail.

Really? I havent read that one. I love ghost stories! Is it good?

Yes.

Im bothering you, Im sorry Ill go.

Youre fine.

But youre not.

I apologize. Im not used to this technology yet. He put his book down.

Orion, Im here. Im here in every way that matters.

Have a pleasant evening. He tapped a few buttons on the tabl e between us and the room wassuddenly cut off from the internet. I could see my body slumping over the table and then the screenwent black.

Good night. I sat alone in my room in Mercy Sanitarium in New Toronto. No I wouldnt cry.I knew this would take time; this was only a minor setback. I walked to the window and looked up atthe starry sky. I placed my hand upon the glass. Ill see you tomorrow Orion.


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When I woke up the next morning, I had a new video message from Captain Halverson. He wassitting at the piano and playing While You Were Gone by Archbishop Muldane Veese. My other halfwas plugged in and recharging in a corner.

Good morning Ms. Maszynowy . I took the liberty of recharging your drone. Im truly sorry for

what happened earlier this evening. I have reset the internet controls and bandwidths. You now haveyour own secure link to your device that can only be interrupted by me or whoever is in command atthe time. I thought you would like to know that we will be conducting a survey of Neptunesatmosphere. I would like you to lead the survey team this would be a good opportunity to impressProfessor Jones. Finally, I sent you an e-mail with a little something extra. I look forward to meetingyou in perso n when the Samuel Hain gets back to Earth in a few weeks.

I opened the e- mail message. There was an attachment: Neon Conger for beginners. Ulp! How many weeks did I have to learn this? I set the drone to autopilot and I thanked my lucky starsfor Akhilas artificial intelligence program. It w ould make repairing the dark energy accelerator a breeze.So far, she was my best friend on the Samuel Hain. After I got out of the shower and dressed, I slid thewest wall of my room back.

Hey! Johnnie banged on the glass barrier between our rooms. Hows my favorite gal today?

Still alive and kickin.

You may not have an immune system, but you still have got an attitude. He grinned.

Are you good on the piano?

My old man taught me a thing or two.

Could you help me? I brought up my personal control interface on the glass.

Neon Conger? Wow thats quite a challenge. But, yea h well get through this together.

Later that day, when my duty shift had ended, I went to the Cartography Room. I was the firstone in; I loved that. I brought up all the assigned sensors and ran diagnostics on the probes. I checkedthe team requests.

Orion Alkaev how interesting. Im sorry Orion, not until I can trust you. I denied his request.

This is the Captain. A few stray meteors are heading our way. We will attempt to avoid them,so the journey may become a little unpleasa nt. Please initiate proper safety protocols.

The ship dived down suddenly. I was thrown to the floor. I could hear two loud bangs. The shipshuddered. The lights went out, but the emergency lights didnt come on. I could hear footstepsrunning outside and cursing and screaming.


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Captain Halverson initiating program Renata Rescue 1. The drones left eye had a map of the ship superimposed on it; the drones right eye was running a diagnostic on the ships systems. I setmy internet avatar to unavailable.

Thank you Ms. Maszynowy .

It was so dark. I had a flashlight in my hand, but it seemed that the gloom was constantlythreatening to devour me. I felt a little scared just sitting in my room in the Sanitarium how did thecrew feel? After a few minutes, I found the first person, with a head wound.

Im here to help. The programs greeting was unusually soft and angelic. I could really seeAkhilas personal touch. How bad are you hurt?

She was too frightened to respond. I placed a med marker on her and activated it. Its red lightglowed softly in the overwhelming shadows. Thank goodness the ships med net was working.

Youre going to be OK. Help will be here soon. Then the drone moved on in search of othervictims.

3 fatalities, 17 serious injuries, and 56 minor injuries we were pretty lucky. Tungsten wasbusy bandaging up a bleeding leg.

Is there anything else I can do to help? I put my hand on his shoulder.

Renata you did so much. I cant thank you enough. Tungsten gave me a hug.

Ms. Maszynowy, there is something you could do. The engineers have repaired the rechargingstation in the Primary Environmental Control Center. If you could help with the repairs while the dronerecharges, I would be most appreciative.

Yes sir. It would be a pleasure. How lucky I was to be serving even when I was officially off duty.

The Primary Environmental Control Center was a mess, but not as bad of a mess as other partsof the ship. The glass and debris had been swept from the floor, which was a nice touch. I undid a fewbuttons of my shirt and my belly button glowed in the dim lights. I looked around 30 yards yup Iwould have enough cord to get everywhere I needed to. So, I took out the slender, pink cord from mybelly button and plugged it into the recharging station. I loved the smiley faces on my little umbilicalcable, but I was glad no one else was around to see them. I initiated Renata Repair routine PECC Omega2; the drones eyes filled with data, PECC schematics, and diagnostic status updates. I unplugged thecable from the back of my head and ordered a cup of tea. I sat in front of the window and looked out atthe stars. When I finished my tea, I put my hand on the glass.

Good night guys be safe! I then went to bed.


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The next morning, the survey of Neptunes atmosphere resumed. I felt a little guilty, butCaptain Halverson assured me that repairs were already halfway done. I didnt think that things couldgo that fast, I was really impressed. I was the first one in the Cartography Room. However, after an

hour, I was the only one in the Cartography Room.

Tungsten, Im missing all of my research colleagues. Are they with you? I was sure it wassomething minor.

Im sorry Renata theyre not here.

Hmmm..Ill have to go round them up myself. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw somethingon one of the sensors. I didnt get a good look at it, but it was massive. Before I had a chance to react, itsank down into Neptunes atmosphere.

Mr. Hart are you in there? I knocked o n Mr. David Harts door. All I could hear was sobbingand whimpering. I checked the logs and he wasnt one of those who were hurt in yesterdays incident.It was the same with all my team members; they were too scared to come out.

I was on my way to talk this over with Tungsten when the red medical emergency lights flashedin the hallway. I quickly stood to the side, to allow the paramedics through. One team came by, thentwo, then a third. What was going on?

Is Dr. Sheng in? The hospital was buzzing with activity.

Renata thank goodness we could use an extra body. Do you have an ER program?

Yes. I swi tched on the program Renata Hospital 4. Medical charts and personnel bio dataconsumed the drones eyes. I thought you had cleaned up after yesterdays disaster.

I did. Weve had five heart attacks this morning and thirty nine crew attacks all due to fear.

Post traumatic syndrome is quite common after a disaster.

I wont argue with you there. Lets just try and get through this week.

However, as the week wore on, the fear among the crew increased, despite our psychiatryteams best efforts. Reports of nightmares, panic attacks, neuroses, and heart attacks spread like

wildfire. All the while, the massive thing in Neptunes atmosphere kept bobbing up and down like itwas feeding on something. I started watching it closely.

Tungsten I hope you dont mind, but I was reviewing the brain wave patterns of yourpatients. I approached our dedicated doctor one afternoon.

Renata thats a violation of several military regulations as well as three or four ethical codes.


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I know, I know but I have also been keeping my eye on something in Neptunes atmosphere.Just dont worry about protocol and procedure for a moment and take a look at this.

What is that? Its huge! It must be half the length of the ship. Tungsten man ipulated a threedimensional image of the creature. It was shaped like a moth and had several long tendrils trailing it.

On the tip of each tendril there was a round mass of wriggling nerve endings.

Ive been monitoring this creature in every way possible. I didnt find anything unusual until Ilooked at its brain waves. See? See how its neural activity spikes whenever theres an increase in fearon the ship?

Although its definitely alien, I would say its neural activity slightly resembles intense pleasure.Is this thing getting high off of human fear? Have you told the Captain?

No not yet. I wanted you to help me look into it.

Of course I will -Tungsten spun about wildly, as if he had seen a ghost.

Tungsten, are you OK?

Get away from me! Please dont hurt me! Help! Somebody help!

Medical Emergency on Deck 1 Section 18! There was no reply - only yelling, panic, andconfusion. I brought up the sensors the creature was headed our way.

Everyone please remain calm. Stay at your stations. Captain Halverson was doing his bestto keep order on the bridge.

Captain Halverson, I think I know whats happening. I burst onto the bridge.

Ms. Maszynowy now is not the time Im doing my best to keep things calm! If I dont thecrew will die! Then what? Ill be alone, drifting through space -The captain fell to his knees.

They were helpless all of them. Anyone who was not cowering in a corner or swinging atphantoms that were not there was in cardiac arrest. I activated command protocol Renata Ship in PerilF19-47-HH-JY9987. My eyes glossed over with data, multiple maps of the ship, and security updates.

There was a heavy thud and the ship rocked violently. I brought the sensors on-line anddiscovered that the creature was now wrapped around the hull. I started the dark energy accelerator.

Dark energy reaction 34%. The computer announced.

I dont want to do this. I announced to seemingly no one in particular. Could the creaturehear me? Could it read my thoughts? I looked at the med net 10 people just died.



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This is the Colonel Yamagata of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. We have detected numerous medicalemergencies on board. Do you need assistance? Please respond.

Colone l Yamagata this is Cadet Renata Maszynowy. There is indeed a medical crisis aboardthe Samuel Hain. Im attempting to rectify it now.


Cmon! Cmon! The med net indicated that 18 more people just died.

Cadet Maszynowy, we are detecting an accelerated dark energy reaction.


Im sorry sir its the only solution that popped into my head. I re-routed the fissioncontainment field to the accelerator.


Cadet Maszynowy turn off the dark energy accelerator. You are endangering the ship andyour crew mates!

Theres a 2.5% chance the ship will survive sir. I just have to get the reaction past 500%.

Theres no way to do that. Cadet stand down thats an order!

Dark energy reaction 487%. Shutting down accelerator. Dark energy reaction 412%.

No, no, no! I disabled the safety protocols. A fleet of eight X-4s were on their way.


Cmon! Cmon! I check ed the med net 34 more people had died.


Please, just a little more. Suddenly, I had an idea. It would take the ships chances of survivalbelow 1%, but at this rate, the ship and I would be the only things left. Med net indicated that 80 morepeople had died from heart attacks. I channeled some of the fission reactors output into the darkenergy accelerator.

Dark energy reaction 499%. Fission reactor unstable.

Dark energy reaction 499.7%. Fission reactor overlo ad fission containment field at 34%.

Please hold together ship. I crossed my fingers. The X-4s were closing in fast. They would behere in less than a minute.


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Dark energy reaction 499.9%. Fission reactor overload fission containment field down to12%.

Cmon! I yelled.

Dark energy reaction 500%. Fission reactor critical fission containment field 8.98%

Time seemed to stand still. I could hear the X-4s roaring into the fighter bay, as well as thecrackling from the fission reactor. The hull was moaning under the creatures grip.

Dark energy reaction 500.02% Fission reactor critical fission containment field off line.

I released the dark energy reaction just as a bullet pierced the drones body.

I wanted to thank you Ms. Maszynowy . Captain Halverson stood before me. I was sitting at a

console in the engine room.

I was just doing my duty sir. It was an honor.

Your quick thinking saved the ship and many lives. How did you know that overloading thedark energy accelera tor would drive off the creature?

It was just a theory sir.

A very sound one. I m very impressed, so are the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Thank you sir.

Is something bothering you?

Im just reviewing the ships sensors. When the creature was dr iven off, its neural activity wenton a roller coaster ride and its metabolism increased 300%. I think it died of withdrawal sir.

MARI has sent a team to recover and study the body. It will hopefully reveal more about whatactually happened here.

Sir we didnt even know this creature existed and it became addicted to our fear. Wedestroyed another life form before we discovered it. I just feel so-

Helpless?

No. Guilty.

Captain Halverson left the engine room. Back home at Mercy, I unplugged myself, pulled thecurtains over the window, and tried to sleep.

Bfk


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2 nd Series

Where Did All The Monsters Go?

Akhila.Akhila.Im coming to get you! The voice from the closet was sinister and laced withdeath.

No! I bolted upright in bed. I looked around my quarters bewildered. I hadnt had thisnightmare since I was a child. Why was it coming back now? I looked out the window and saw thedomes and spires of Camelot. It looked so peaceful there, just sitting on the lunar surface. I got out of bed and checked my duty assignment.

Interesting I was to chaperone a delegation from Rio de Mars to the planned site for Olympuscolony on Europa. The delegates included the venerable Professor Strontium Jones, Cardinal VanceCairncross, and George Rum (the lead singer for the Cosmic Flowerpots). It almost sounded like thebeginning of a three men walk into a bar joke. Why me? Was the captain trying to be culturallycorrect? It was the opportunity of a lifetime, so I let the matter pass. Anyways, I didnt take Captain

Halverson for that kind of person.

I touched the wall next to me and the control panel bobbed to the glass surface. I chose redwalls today and vintage 2009 movie posters to grace them. I dimmed the lights and played sounds of aharbor town in the background. A message from Tungsten appeared on the social ticker below thecontrol panel: I want to see Pharmacological Tears at the theater this Saturday, but I dont reallyunderstand 22 nd Century Neo-Humanism. I was hoping we could see it together and you could explainthe blurry parts to me. T.

Sounds good to me T. I had taken several courses on Neo -Humanism in college and graduateschool. I was the resident expert on the subject but Tungsten was the only one who knew it. Thepanel behind me slid open with a quiet hiss.

Good morning Akhila. Do you want me to go to the cafeteria and get some breakfast for you?Pal, my robot, stood there politely - waiting for a command. I turned around and admired him. He wasfive feet, seven inches tall. His body was blue and he had no discernible facial features. He gave off ascent of wild flowers.


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No thanks Pal. I think I will go to the cafeteria personally.

What would you like to wear today? I will pick out your clothing while you are bathing.

Im not really sure what to wear today Pal.

Akhila, you sound sad. May I ask why? Is there anything I can do to help?

I am still adjusting to serving on board the Samuel Hain Pal. I think others are adjusting to metoo. There is nothing you can do to help Pal.

Pedro Rodriguez Yamagata, the famous 23 rd Century Psychiatrist and Sculptor, once said: If youare adjusted to your own soul, there is no need to adjust. I do believe that might apply in thissituation.

Very good Pal.

Thank you Akhila.

Weve reached Rio de Mars, Captain. Lieutenant Gonzalez reported. He was an honorable,dedicated man.

Ive got a problem. Can I see you for a minute? Renata tapped me on the shoulder.

Sure. I smiled. We stepped outside t he bridge.

Its my left hand. Its a little slow.

Can you stop by the robotics lab this afternoon?

Ill be there. Thanks Akhila. Renata then walked back onto the bridge. I was left feeling sortof lonely. The only time she came to me was to get her drone fixed. Then again, I didnt sign up for thisto just chit-chat and make friends.

Ms. Jain, Captain Halverson turned to me, would you pick up our guests?

Aye Sir. Without further ado, I headed for the shuttle bay. I opened up my Oracle. Allen,could you have the drone diagnostics in place by this afternoon?

Yes I can. His three dimensional image answered.

If you could also have Renatas repair kit handy, I would really appreciate it.

No problem. It sounds as if you wont be around to help her.

I have to chaperone the delegation from Rio.


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Every minute? He raised an eyebrow.

Wellits really important and I dont want to mess this up.

OK. When she gets here, Ill patch her up.

Thanks Allen.

Youve got a lot of years ahead of you Akhila. Youre going to have to get comfortable aroundthose who are uncomfortable around you and you re welcome.

I could hear him even before I got out of the shuttle. It was rumored that Cardinal Caincrossonly spoke in hell -fire preacher mode his voice at times grumbling like a volcano and at othersbooming like a thunderstorm. It was all true.

Science has finally caught up to religion Professor Jones! We live in glorious times. TheCardinal slapped Professor Jones on the back and laughed.

Simply acknowledging the existence of parallel universes does not explain the Judeo Christiancreation story. Professor Jones replied. He was doing his best not to get sucked into the spiriteddebate.

And then there was Mr. Rum. He was dressed in a bright green three-piece suit with purpleshoes. He wore a yellow top hat and had a matching yellow tie. His hair had been replaced withthousands of neon fiber optic strands; an ever changing rainbow of color cascaded from his head.

Akhila Akhila Jain? He walked up to me and shook my hand.

At your service sir. I bowed politely.

Your plans for New Vienna stadium are simply inspirational!

Thank you thank you so much sir. I gently escorted my three gues ts to the shuttle. Whenwe got in, I initiated Jain Shuttle Flight Program Whisper 4. The noise dampening would come in handy.

Parallel Universes are simply a theoretical concept we dont even know how to find one.Cardinal, with all due respect, th is was settled with the Scopes Monkey Trial. Those who werent wonover then have been convinced by Time Field Theory.

Time Field Theory? Mr. Rum raised both eyebrows.

Quite simply put Mr. Rum, time flows differently in different places. A field of time mightflow anywhere from 1 second to 100 years faster than the time around it. Furthermore, time fieldscome and go, so that an area of time that flows faster than the time around it today might be gonetomorrow. Professor Jones snapped hi s fingers for emphasis.


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What if I could show you conclusive proof that Adam and Eve were indeed taken from aparallel universe and planted in ours? Cardinal Caincross would not be deterred. I admired hisdetermination.

A genetic or even subatomic evo lutionary retrograde analysis would yield nothing. Even if you

were to analyze the whole Earth for evidence of a rupture in our universe it would be pointless. Anytraces of a cross- universe breach would have faded hundreds of years ago.

Why all the fuss? Mr. Rum took his eyes off the stars and took a renewed interest in theconversation.

For the past four centuries, science has tried to displace God. Its time for mankind to realizethat science is a gift from God it is not a god. The Cardina l warned sternly.

No one is saying that Cardinal. Religion has to fit in with the science of the day and theprevailing culture for it to remain in peoples hearts. Professor Jones explained.

Science and religion sound like a divorced couple who just might kill each other. Mr. Rumchuckled.

Allow me to convince you, Professor Jones at Europa. The Cardinals tone unexpectedlysoftened.

I suppose I have some time to spare. Alright Cardinal, I promise I will be totally open minded inmy obser vations.

Excellent! Excellent! This is why I begged the University of New Toronto to send you! TheCardinal put his hands on Professor Jones shoulders.

The next few days were supposed to be very trying; but they werent. I showed the gentlementhe areas of the ship that were not sensitive. In return, they enriched my thoughts in ways that I neverthought possible. All the while, the equipment that had arrived before they did was being unpacked.There were several tubes and miniature fission globes; but what puzzled me the most were the shinywhite triangles.

Cardinal what do these do? If I was in the presence of any other men, I would have been

loath to confess my ignorance.They manipulate gravitational fields and waves. He picked one up and held it to the light it

was only about four feet on each side.

Gravitational technology? I thought we were a few decades away from that kind of thing. Ihoped I didnt sound like an awe struck 3 rd grader.


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Ms. Jain when you are motivated by faith, you can achieve miracles! The Cardinalsenthusiasm was starting to rub off on me. But I have to admit, I was a bit scared; if this required severalfission globes, it required an incredible amount of power.

So Akhila. Mr. Rum ti pped his hat.

Mr. Rum.

Call me George.

OK George. I almost giggled.

Youre not getting caught up in all of this hocus pocus. Are you?

It really is exciting. Gravitational technology isnt supposed to even exist. Arent you excited?

Theres a difference between exciting and wise. Georges words were philosophical and

serene, but there was a spark of worry in his eyes.

I was actually surprised. There was a lot of symbolism and ceremony involved in the process.All the equipment was blessed, which I expected. There was a mass said before the experiment, which Ialso expected. But, Bibles had been placed around the perimeter of the temporary dome; that I didntexpect. There were also priests chanting in Latin as well as scientific and military personnel. Above thewhole scene, the Samuel Hain orbited Europa like a watchful parent.

Initiating fission globes. One of the technicians announced. They hovered above their silver

platforms and glowed. Initiation successful. Fission globes at 15% power.

Bringing gravitational amplifiers on -line. Another technician announced.

Bring the globes up to 35% power. Cardinal Caincross ordered. The air hummed.

Initiating Quantum Field Separators! The Cardinal called out as he turned them on. Bring thefission globes up to 55% power! The ambient light started to flicker and pop.

Is this supposed to be happening? I asked Professor Jones.

I dont know. This isnt my area of expertise. He replied.

Bring the fission globes up to 90% power. The Cardinals voice was distorted by the throbbingair.

Fission globes at 90%. A technician replied.

Now, Professor Jones! Now see the endless possibilities! Bring the globes up to 100%. TheCardinal was ecstatic.


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The fission globes glowed even brighter. In the center of the experiment, a white lightappeared, surrounded by a black aurora. Everyone stepped back. Suddenly everything was silent, as if the light had somehow sucked all the sound from the dome.

Professor Jones stepped closer to the light. He held his hand out and then smiled. He walked

right into the light and disappeared. A moment later, a faint ghost-like image of the professor appearedbehind me. Another image of the professor appeared above us, another appeared just 10 yards away.Within moments, the whole area was filled with an uncountable number of images. Then, like a candlebeing blown out, they suddenly disappeared. The sound inexplicably returned.

Oh my God! Professor Jones! I was about to follow him when George held me back.

Its too late for him! Now help me shut this thing off before its too late for us! He cried overthe chaos and noise.

Before anyone could do anything, black tentacles emerged from the gap and pulled in several

priests and soldiers. There was a horrible screeching sound. While everyone else was running for cover,George stood in front of the breach and spread his hands out.

Ti-Ti-Ti-Ti-Ti Hufuthu Omsiiiiiiiizzzziiiinarganuuuuuum Jilililililili! Kut- Faaaaaaaaanalalalam!The sounds Mr. Rum made didnt even come close to human. The light disappeared and all was back tonormal.

George? I was too shaken to form a complete sentence.

I suppose this is where I give some enigmatic explanation for what we all saw. He replied.

Any explanation would do. The Cardinal lost his bombastic tone.

To put it scientifically, you just opened a gateway to the Great In -Between a vast spacebetween parallel universes. But all you need to know is thi s: thats where all the monsters go whentheyre driven out from under your beds.

Bfk


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Good morning. I placed the upgrades on a nearby table.

I heard about the incident last month sorry. The drone wouldnt turn around.

Thank you. I was just daydreaming for a second too long.

It must be difficult being different.

It must be. I left the robotics lab.

The extra session with the psychiatrist went off without a hitch. I would have to thank UncleMassoud for lending me his copy of 20 Things Not to Say to Your Shrink. Is this the way it was goingto be? Would my whole career be summed up in one word distracted? It was so frustrating; I didntask for this to happen to me. However, if I had known how far I would travel and what I would see, Iwould have begged for it.

The ship slowly veered to the left. We were headed to a cordoned off area between Neptuneand Uranus. Several small science vessels had reported brief power outages and other unusual phenomenon. N o one would elaborate on what unusual actually meant. Nowadays, I had troublewith that term as well. I walked through the hallway and navigated a careful course through a rockyshore of polite smiles. They were all so nice, polite, fresh and careful. I remember my grandfathertelling me of the old days, when skin color and eye shape were a really big deal. Now we had to copewith cybernetic implants, genetic abnormalities, and even machines. Soon we would all be likesnowflakes no two alike. Would that be the end of bigotry or its triumph?

The science vessels Minas Gerias and Nuuk were waiting for us; but the South Americans andGreenlanders would not go any further. I found it surprising that scientists could be so spooked after allscience had done for us. Yet, here they were, hiding like children on Halloween night. Perhaps wewere nt as advanced as we thought we were.

Lieutenant Gonzalez, please take us into the area of interest. The captain was calm yetinterested.

Aye sir.

Cadet Alkaev are there any anomalies to report? Captain Halverson walked up behind me.

The bridge was full of the usual subdued chatter and background noise.All readings are within normal Captain.

No unusual stress or strain on the ship. Lieutenant Marette added.

No power fluctuation or EM disruptions. Lieutenant Nassif noted.


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Quite interesting. Theories anyone? The captain walked up to the main monitor in the centerof the room. It displayed a hologram of our current location. Superimposed upon the image were EMreadings, quantum field maps, subatomic composition, and time flow measurements.

This area is off limits to scientists? Akhila suggested. There were several muffled laughs

among the cadets who were present.

Very clever Ms. Jain; but lets find out why. There was just the slightest hint of a smile on thecaptain s face. I suppose even he needed humor to get through the day. Well stay here for a few daysand continue to run tests. Please log any observations into the secondary data net. First shift, you arerelieved of duty.

Would you help me carry some flowers to the funeral parlor? The drone was headed my wayand there was nothing I could do about it.

Im on my way to something important. Perhaps Cadet Ortiz could help you?

You know, it would look really good on your resume if you could demonstrat e that you werecomfortable with the latest technology. Im pretty sure that the fleet will be filled with drones in thecoming years.

You have a point.

Good. You take these over here and Ill take those over there theyre my favorite.

Your favorite?

I love the way the roses smell. Its a great way to end ones shift.

I didnt know you could smell. Now why would they allow a drone operator to get directolfactory input from its drone?

Yes I can. Your cologne is absolutely delightful.

The funeral parlor was at the end of a long corridor. Its bright light sliced through the shadows.I could see from here that there were a few people milling about; but whether they were mourners orsimply visitors I couldnt tell. Sever al closed caskets lined the walls, waiting for someone to fill them.

Where would you like these? The drone stepped into the room first. Youre not going to just

stand there, are you? The machine turned around and addressed me.

Im not really comfortable in funeral parlors. Perhaps I should wait outside. I had a feeling Iwould be dragged inside anyway, but perhaps there was a chance of avoiding it.

Oh Orion! What are you 9? Renata yanked me into the room. To avoid any furtherembarrassment, I purposely stepped a few feet further into the room just to prove that I wasnt afraid.


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Ms. Maszynowy , if you could please put the roses over there, I would be most grateful.Chaplain Fayette smiled.

There was a low noise, like a pulsing, with occasional squeaks. The sound was accompanied bya slight oscillating vibration. I could feel a slight tingling in my head and looked around to see if anyone

else was similarly affected. No one else seemed to notice the odd phenomenon, so I stood there.

Thank you for asking me to deliver the flowers Chaplain. It brightened up my day. The dronewas smiling.

I could think of no one better -

The coffin to the right of us slowly floated upwards.

Captain. Could you have someone check the environment in the funeral parlor? ReverendFayettes words were hasty and annoyed. The ship may have belonged to the captain, but the funeralparlor was his territory. He didnt like any deviations from perfection.

All systems are working normally Chaplain . We are not picking up any fluctuations in theenvironment in your area. I will send someone to investigate.

Were here captain. Our readings are the same as yours. Im not sure what is happening. Thedrone replied.

Captain. Permission to evacuate the funeral parlor until further notice. I requested urgently.Another coffin started to float around the room.

Permission granted.

Everyone left the room; as soon as it was empty, the coffins crashed to the floor. Thankfullythere was no one in them. The noise and my headaches also stopped. So there we were, on the outsidelooking in. It felt as if a part of my home had somehow changed its very essence and was no longersomething familiar.

I want to go back in. The drone took a step tow ard the threshold.

You cant do that. You dont know what might happen.

This is one of the advantages of having an expendable body. Before I could stop it, the

machine stepped into the room. See? Theres nothing; no floating coffins, no anomalie s just a quietfuneral parlor. It must have been a temporary phenomenon.

That could be. I replied, stepping into the room to get a closer look at the caskets. Themoment I did so, they took to the air again.

Orion, The drone stepped out of the room, I think its you. Whatever is happening, yourecausing it somehow.


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Over the next hour, that theory was tested. I was the only one who could trigger the oddcircumstances. However, no one else heard the sound I did. And I was the only one who got headaches.Foolishly, I volunteered to stand in the room while the event was measured, analyzed, and diagnosed.The sound changed in rhythm and frequency. It became faster and the pitch became much higher.Without warning, I revisited a place that I only glanced months ago.

I was standing on the shore of a liquid plutonium sea. In the distance, a vast hive composed of white crystal was hovering over the waves. Their sun was too far away to provide any significant light.The sky overhead was dominated by an orange and pink stellar cloud. Behind me, an immense array of floating spheres made of molten metal and gas exchanged packets of light. I felt a hand upon myshoulder. I turned around and saw a tall humanoid; he was well over ten feet. He had gills on his neckand a five foot trunk where his nose should have been. Streaks of light could be seen racing just underhis black skin. His trunk gently touched my forehead. A staggering collection of alien images and soundsfilled my brain; I thought my head would explode. Apparently, so did my host; he abruptly pulled histrunk away.

When I came to, I was lying in a hospital bed. My face felt as if someone had been pounding onit with a sledgehammer all day. Areas of my skin were as black as charcoal. My body felt unusuallysmaller, as if it had been stretched out and then reluctantly returned to its normal size.

Hey, take it easy. Tungsten was sitting by the bed.

What happened? My words were raspy and weak.

Were not sure yet, but I can tell you what they saw if youre up to it.

From the description Tungsten gave me, I was almost transformed into the creature I had metby the shores of the plutonium sea. I wondered: would that thing have changed into me?

What a way to spend the last day of your career. Tungsten scratched his head.

Last day?

I just signed your death certificate. He handed the med board to m e.

Orion, whatever happened out there when you were time surfing, its now affecting our solarsystem. Captain Halverson stepped into the room. It seems that there are others who saw you andthey now want to say hello. Even if nothing else happened, the knowledge you have we arent ready

for. Im sorry - but some secrets are too dangerous.

I understand -

Call me Garin.


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Fallen Log was a little town just an hours drive from New Moscow. The houses were neat, thelawns were trimmed, and the flower beds were meticulously cared for. The sun shone down on my littlehome and I often. Neighbors smiled and waved; when it got warm, you could smell burgers and hearcicadas. It was the perfect place to spend the rest of ones life. I was happy h ere.

But what about all those far away civilizations? Were they happy that I was here, or would theyone day try to whisk me out of the solar system? Only time would tell. So, humming the anthem of aplanet millions of light years away, I turned the hot dogs over on the grill.

Bfk


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2 nd Series

Mixed Signals

Did you ever do something you were told not to do and regret it for the rest of your life? I waseleven at the time; my parents had gone out for the night. They warned me about watching scary

movies they said I wasnt old enough. What did they know? Everything.

I can still remember turning on the TV with rebellious glee. Tonight, I would take my first stepinto adulthood. All the lights were off there were just a few candles around the room. I sat down asthe horrid, gory, and gruesome plot unfolded. What I never understood was, if I was so scared, whydidnt I just turn it off?

I thought I had learned my lesson years ago. I was an adult now, capable of reason and fully incharge of my head. But the nightmares had come back. Like a jack-in-the-box that pops upunexpectedly in a dark corner of your attic, they suddenly sprang into my nights. I tried reading aboutdreams, cognitive therapy, and even aroma therapy. It was all useless I had to live with that jack-in-

the-box.

I thought about talking with mom and dad; dad was especially good at chasing my problemsaway. After all, didnt nightmares represent problems on some weird-abstract painting-psychedeliclevel? I h ad never really felt ashamed of turning to my parents the way other people did. I think thatsbecause they pushed me forward, instead of holding me back. Although, in this case, I wasnt so surewhether I wanted to go forward or retreat.

I definitely didnt want MARI poking around in my head again. The procedure to connect me tomy other half was risky enough. It had already cost me memories of my eighth and sixteenthbirthdays. I still cant taste salty things (the cerebral techs at MARI say tha t will come back) andsometimes I feel cold for no reason. My skull was officially off limits.

That left me with the last option: grin and bear it. After all, they were only silly dreams, right? Ilooked around my room to ground myself in reality. I realized how complex reality was and laughed.Perhaps if my room looked more like the crew quarters on the Samuel Hain I would feel better. In anodd twist of fate, I almost became jealous of the drone almost. Dr. Baako had warned me of this. He


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told me that living one life in two separate places might produce some strange feelings. It was thenthat I gave up and my head hit the pillow.

I was looking out the window at the graveyard. It was cold and grey outside. I was dressed in aflannel nightgown and I was shivering. The yellow paint on the walls around me was peeling. The rugbeneath my bare feet was warm and prickly. The room I was in felt small and confining. It was time toget out and away from all this creepiness. But the faster I walked, the further the door retreated; itwas like I was on some kind of demonic tread mill.

I turned back to the window. I was on the third floor and I simply couldnt jump down. The skyoutside grew darker. The graveyard was still, but I was absolutely sure that something underneath was just about to burst open. I felt trapped. I ran as fast as I could for the door and then jumped. I foundmyself in a dark hallway with a window at the end. There were dozens of doors leading to other roomsor perhaps other dark places that I couldnt even imagine.

Thats when I heard it a humpback whale song floating in the darkness behind me. It wasabsolutely out of place and totally nonsensical. Imagine watching a scary movie and having a weatherbulletin interrupt it. I almost resented this added layer of complexity wasnt a scary house next to agraveyard enough? Before I could follow it, the song simply melted into the shadows.

Whatever boogeyman was orchestrating this hellish symphony must have also gotten irritatedat the unexpected distraction. The doorknobs to the other rooms rattled violently. Was somethingtrying to get out or in? As I turned this way and that, the hallway seemed to get wider and darker; soonthe window at the end would only be a distant point of light.

The floor beneath me was slippery and I fell. It was covered in a slick, pungent, brown goo.There was nothing to hold on to, so it was a struggle to get back on my feet. I could hear muffled voices,punctuated by a sick laughter, in the darkness beyond. Some were calling my name and others weregossiping about my most embarrassing moments.

Im not sure why, but I realized that there was a staircase just a few yards in front of me. Thedarkness didnt relent; perhaps the boogeyman was giving me a break. Or perhaps he had grown boredand this was the latest maneuver in his macabre game of cat and mouse. As I took a few cautious stepsforward, the floor tilted and I slid away from the stairs. I was sliding down the hallway to a groaningabyss with a thousand sharp, nasty little teeth.

Just before I reached that devilish maw, I grabbed hold of the floor. My nails sunk into therotting wood like iron claws. I dangled above the pit screaming for help. The abyss was gibbering andgnashing its teeth. I slowly made my way through the hallway, which was now almos

Documents

The Chronicles of the Samuel Hain Second Series