Traveller - L.W. Samuelson (free e books to read online TXT) 📗

Earth's atmosphere. Once there each protector will target a different land mass."
Traveller looked dreamy eyed as he imagined the adventure away from Ship. "So where are the protectors housed. I mean do you guys have separate living quarters or a barracks?"
"We live near the tail end of Ship. Each protector has a private room, but we share toilet facilities."
"So are the other protectors your friends?"
"Of course. Although I've only known one of them a few days."
"I would love to see where you live. I've always wanted to be a protector."
"I would be delighted. It's against protocol, but we're leaving and we are friends. Finish your water and I'll show you."
Traveller tipped his glass straight up to gulp as the liquid rushed down his throat. He slapped the goblet down empty, "Let's go," he said with the excitement evident on his face.
Porter smiled, "Just a centiparse, I'm not going to drown myself." He tipped his glass drinking in long pulls to keep his friend from getting impatient. "Okay, let’s go," he said when his glass emptied.

Porter and Traveller took a corridor shuttle to the aft part of Ship. It stopped at a series of doors each with the name of a protector etched on them. The one before the docking bay was labeled lavatory facilities. Porter stopped the shuttle, got out, cautioned his friend to wait a minute then went inside.
While Porter was gone, Traveller exited the shuttle to look out the gigantic window overlooking the docking bay. Below sat several hovercraft and space shuttles. There was even a space jet for high speed travel. By the universe, I would love to command that he thought as he imagined himself sitting at the controls with black surrounding him, the stars flying by.
Traveller heard the door slide open behind him, but it didn't break his reverie. I'd give anything to get off Ship. He sparkled with excitement as he shifted from foot to foot.
Porter cleared his throat. "Are you ready to meet my friends?" he asked.
"What? Oh . . . sure. I guess. You don't suppose that we could tour the flight deck afterward?"
Porter glanced at his chronotron. "Sure, I have a few parsecs before my briefing," he said. "Let me show you my quarters first."
They walked to the door closest to the bathroom entering when it opened. "There really isn’t much to see. A bed, my communications console, the overhead video screen, my flight simulator . . ."
"Flight simulator?"
"Yes. I'm trained to navigate every sub-ship you saw on the flight deck. I use it to practice."
"Even the space jet?"
"Yes, I've actually flown it twice."
"By the universe, what was it like?"
"Extremely fast. The stars looked like lines in space as they rushed by."
"I would give anything to fly one."
"Maybe you will someday, maybe you will." Porter pressed an icon on his console. "Will the protectors scheduled for the Earth mission come to my quarters? There's someone here I want you to meet."
Traveller evaluated each of the protectors as he shook hands with them. The first, Pelos, was muscular and tall with a strong grip and penetrating eyes. The second, Bashmin was short for a Benwarian but very stout with thick thighs and arms. His eyes were fierce and unwelcoming; they seemed almost vacuous for a Benwarian. The third, Melonious, shook his hand with friendly eyes. The only female of the bunch, she, too, was muscular with long slender legs, arms to match. Her demeanor suggested an intelligence that was intense, quick to discern.
"You envy us. It's in your face," she said after shaking hands.
"That's putting it mildly. I am bored. Life aboard Ship is boring. I want adventure. I want to sail into the unknown."
"We are all sailing into the unknown. You'll just be traveling there slower than us. Be careful what you wish for. From what we've discovered, Earth is a very dangerous place."
"But that's what I want. The only adventure here is provided by holograms."
"Well if you want to tour the flight deck, we'd better get going," Porter interrupted.
Traveller shook hands again with his new acquaintances. He and Porter followed the protectors out. They went left while Porter and he turned right. He watched Porter type his security code into the lock mechanism before they gained access to the stairs.
"Where's the space pod?" Traveller asked as they descended.
"There is a launching bay adjacent to the flight deck. It takes a double security code to gain access. I have to type in the correct number sequence plus put my thumb in the scanner to get into the bay."
"Why is that? I thought all Benwarians could be trusted."
"They can. No one has ever tried to get where their not supposed to be. I guess it's a holdover from the time on Benwar when we had enemies."
Porter and Traveller walked side by side through the flight deck. The protector pointed out the hovercraft explaining that they would be used for transport and clandestine missions. The space shuttles contained weapons systems. They were used for situations requiring speed and the quick reentry or exit of a planet's atmosphere. Developed for war, they contained a bombing bay. When they arrived at the pair of space jets, Traveller’s eyes grew wide with interest.
"You've actually flown in one of these?"
"Twice," Porter bragged, his face lit up with pride.
"What are they used for?"
"They're used for stealth and speed. They have a long distance atomic fuel system so that they can travel hundreds of cycles without exhausting their mobility. These vehicles contain light laser canons for offense along with force field capabilities for defense. The jets can transport up to four people. Their main purpose is to ensure the survival of our race in the event of a battle or catastrophe."
Traveller ran his hand down the side of the silicone surface. Its slick coldness felt like wet steel. "I don't suppose we could see the inside?"
"Ship?"
"You will have a decaparse to examine the interior. Remember Porter, you have a briefing soon. Do not be late. General Battier will be in attendance."
Traveller heard a whir as steps seemingly unfurled form the side of the jet. Porter led the way as the pair bounded upward into the interior. They found themselves inside a small hold with four seats. The walls were made of edible synthowafers. There was a small synthesizer to produce water. Porter moved to the front of the hold. A panel slid sideways to reveal a seat situated in front of a joy stick. There were two pedals on the floor. The front of the cab had an electronic control panel beneath a wide view screen made of transparent composites.
"That's it?" asked Traveller disappointed.
Porter smiled. "Its genius is its simplicity. The joy stick controls forward, sideways movement and elevation. The vehicle can stay parallel to the ground as it moves up and down. It can turn an almost ninety degree angle in any direction. The pedal on the right controls speed, the one on the left controls position. In the weeks I've practiced on it, I have found it to be challenging even with so few controls."
"You didn't practice navigating it on the home planet?"
"It didn't exist on the home planet. Fa Structor and the engineering team developed the space jet in space well after we left Benwar. All of the craft have been developed and improved by three generations of unfrozen Benwarians, with Ship's help of course."
"By the universe, you're lucky," Traveller marveled as they left the jet. “So show me the launch tube. I would love to see it.”
“I don’t have time. See that door over there,” Porter said pointing to the wall on their left. “That’s where we enter.” The outline of small forlorn rectangle could barely be distinguished in the white wall.
“I don’t suppose I can stay here to look around?” Traveller asked.
Ship answered. “No unauthorized personnel are allowed on the flight deck without the supervision of a protector. You are required to exit with Porter who now has five centiparses before his briefing with General Battier.”
“Thanks Ship. Porter was right. You are as kind as a Lizerian.”
“I in no way resemble a Lizerian. I am neither kind nor cruel. I exist to serve the Benwarians traveling inside of me . . .”
“Great. You had to provoke a lecture. He didn’t mean it Ship. It was a joke.”
“What Traveller said is not a joke. It did not provoke laughter from you or me. His words were sarcastic. He said one thing when he meant another. Adult Benwarians say what they mean.”
“You are right Ship. We’re leaving now. Thanks for the lecture, it’s been most helpful,” said Porter. He nudged Traveller, pleased with his undetected sarcasm but even more pleased with Ship’s silence. Chapter 6 - Ship
Porter’s conversation with Ship stimulated Traveller’s curiosity. That night at the dinner table he asked his father, “Porter and I took a tour of the flight deck today. Ship seemed to be spying on us. Does she watch everyone? I mean can she see and listen to us right now?”
“No. Our living complex is set to privacy. Only when I contact her is she able to see inside our quarters.”
“What about everyone else?”
“She monitors the corridors and all other public areas. She also watches the labs and other work areas so that she can offer advice and ensure safety protocols. Only members of the Sanctum Just are allowed to override her. For instance, if for some strange reason I didn’t want her observing one of my experiments, I could put my lab in private mode with this key,” Fa Orgen pulled a flat pendant from under his body suit.
“Oh, so that must be inserted in the slot next to your lab door.”
“Exactly. It also allows me entrance to any place on the spacecraft except for Logis’s or General Battier’s living quarters.”
“Even the flight deck?”
“Yes.”
“What about the space accelerator.”
“Yes, but why would I want to be in there?”
“I don’t know. I’m just curious,” Traveller said.
“What if someone did something harmful? Could Ship do something about it?”
“Yes. She could contact the protectors. At her discretion she could isolate an area of the ship with a force field and detain someone for up to an hour.”
“Could she physically harm someone?”
“No, not without direct orders from the Sanctum Just.”
“So when Porter and I were talking to her could she also carry on a conversation with someone else?”
“Of course. Her actions are not linear but multi-linear. She is partly a supercomputer able to perform hundreds of interactions per milliparse. Her voice is digitally re-mastered with each conversation. She is one of Benwar’s greatest achievements.”
“If only part of her is a supercomputer what is the rest of her?”
“She has a biological brain that thinks, learns, and feels. Her electronic circuitry is integrated into biological subsystems. I guess you could say she’s part Benwarian and part machine, kind of like a cyborg. We were able to give her restricted free will by establishing boundaries within the computer programming. Thus she cannot harm a sentient being without permission. We also included a failsafe mechanism that allows us to manually override her in case of a computer glitch or virus.”
“So where are these controls?”
“On the command panels that we members of the Sanctum Just carry.”
“Is there any way someone can escape detection?”
Fa Orgen laughed, “One time I left the exercise room with a VR suit on, it was activated but set to standby. In the corridors I asked Ship a question, she didn’t answer. I had the transcom off. Not until I removed