Tracking the Trailblazer (Colony Ship Trailblazer Book 1) Read online

  “Janae? Hey, sweetheart?” Willie prodded. “Are you there? You had a dreamy, but rather scary look on your face. These weapons are not hard to learn, and will stop most any threat I could think up that you might face.”

  Janae shook her head. “Right. Out there, somewhere, on some old colony ship.”

  Ken asked with careful tones in his voice, “Do you have a name for these weapons? Jamie’s and Jerome’s suggestions, just do not seem to fit. What do you think?”

  “A revenger. We will call them our revengers,” Janae stated flatly.

  Willie was flustered a bit, but covered it over. “I have spoken to so many people today, I wonder if I have forgotten anything.” He pulled both weapons away and set them with the fusion packs. “Oh yes, the fusion packs will allow you to charge or energize most any old power system. I will send the fusion packs, weapons, and your gear over to the sling bay to be loaded up. I designed everything to fit into the backpack satchels, and that will fit in the scout and keep you under the mass limits. Now, you two just change into the RAM flight suits. There is a lavatory off the hallway.”

  Ken and Janae took turns using the small lavatory, and suited up in the new RAM flight suits.

  “Here are our clothes,” Ken said as he gave the two piles of their prior clothing to Willie.

  “Changed clothing alone?” Willie joked. “Is that a first for you my dear Ken?”

  “No, but in this case, it felt like the right thing to do. Willie, I wish I could take your brain along with us,” Ken commented. “The Trailblazer is said to have massive systems failures, and your skills with machines would come in very handy.”

  Willie gave him a half-grin. “If you find me a home, just get Brink’s teleportation system set up, and I will be the first to come through it. Then I will work on whatever systems are in need of repairs. I do like challenges.”

  Ken waved, and walked away.

  “Willie, I will try my best,” Janae whispered to him. “I so appreciate your compassion.”

  Willie whispered back, “You are a sweetheart, and going to the least desirable colony ship is a very brave thing. Oh, do not look so shocked. I know all about what is happening here.”

  “I seriously doubt that,” Janae said under her breath.

  “Janae, if I do not see you again, remember one thing. It was not your fault that Constance died, not at all. Others are responsible for that, yes, they are, but not you. I know the truth, and I never forget. Janae, you remember that I said that. You are not responsible for Constance’s death. You were good for her, yes, you were.”

  “Thank you, Willie.”

  Janae turned and walked away. A few moments later, she caught up to Ken and in quiet self-reflection they walked toward the sling bay. Both were thinking about all that was about to happen, yet, neither felt comfortable sharing such private and intimate thoughts with the other.

  The door to the sling bay opened as they approached. The sling bay crews were finalizing all that was required for launch. There was a mechanical smell in the air, not quite oil or fuel, but some other, more intangible odor. Hoses were being retracted from the faster-than-light scout ship which sat on magnetic sling anchors. Chief Engineer Brink looked up at them from his control station. A wave of relief washed over his face.

  “You made it,” Brink said as he walked over to them. “I tried contacting you through Kovalevsky and Rubirosa, but for some unknown reason, those messages went unanswered.”

  “I spoke to my AI not long ago,” Ken replied.

  Janae said nothing.

  “Well, there is not much time to indoctrinate you. Your sling launch window begins in five minutes. There is only a twenty-nine minute period to get you launched,” Brink said. He was a tall, lean, and trimly muscular man with a quiet voice. Even in the middle of what was obviously a stressful time, Brink was in quiet control. “I was just having Copernicus run some estimates on aborting this sling launch. Copernicus? You may cancel those alternatives.”

  A mechanical voce came from overhead, “I already have, Brink. This launch is still in progress. Kimberly is ready for introduction.”

  “Kimberly?” Janae asked.

  “Kimberly is the third member of your team. Kimberly is one of the seven newest generation artificial intelligences I have designed. These missions must succeed, so these are the most advanced artificial intelligences ever created. They are masterpieces, and each is unique and suited to the human teammates.”

  Brink led them over to the scout ship itself. “All your equipment is packed inside, mostly beneath the pilot seats, and your combined mass is acceptable. Faster-than-light travel has a mass limit, which I have not been able to crack, no matter what I have tried. We do not have time to get into the mathematics, and Kimberly can explain them to you while your travel.”

  A nearly human-sounding voice came from within the scout ship. “Master Engineer Brink? You have yet to introduce me.”

  “Yes, sorry Kimberly. This is Ken,” Brink gestured, “and this is Janae. You three will be going to the Colony Ship Trailblazer.”

  “It is exceedingly good to meet you both,” Kimberly stated.

  “Hello, Kimberly,” Ken said with a smile. “I see that on this mission I will be going with two beautiful and intelligent women.”

  “Ken,” Kimberly retorted, “your conversational style is well attested in the records. I am the most advanced artificial intelligence system ever designed, and am immune to obsequiousness, sycophancy, flattery, or romantic innuendo.”

  Janae laughed.

  Ken just smiled and said, “That leaves my good looks and charming personality, not to mention my skills as an adventurer. Kimberly, I look forward to working with you as an equal partner.”

  The AI Kimberly replied, “We are teammates, but we are not equal. Each of the three of us has unique and valuable characteristics which, when integrated, will be aimed toward completing our mission and rescuing the people of Dome 17. That is the utmost and overriding concern of this mission.”

  “I agree,” Janae said.

  From behind them, Committee member Murial spoke, “You did arrive. We checked a few moments ago and thought perhaps you had changed your minds.”

  Turned around Janae saw Murial as she walked into the sling bay. Behind her were Lorna and Jubal. Janae crossed her arms and wondered if now she would find out it was all really a trick and she would be sent out alone. Glancing over at Ken, she noted that he also looked surprised to see the entire Committee.

  Murial went on, “We are here to offer you our best wishes and hopes for success.”

  Lorna added, “Also, this mission is entirely voluntary, and you can change your mind right now. No one is forcing you to go, and no one will think less of you, if you should change your mind.”

  Janae glared at Jubal, her eyes piercing into him with the intensity of her hatred. She wished she had kept hold of Willie’s revenger. She would have shot Jubal on the spot, and then laughed as he died.

  Jubal avoid her gaze, and instead glanced at Brink.

  “There is little time for speeches, or other talk,” Brink cautioned. “This team needs to be loaded in, almost immediately.”

  “Yes, Master Engineer, I understand. I just wanted to say that should these adventurers changes their minds, as Lorna said, and she is correct, however, as we all know, if you did that—which would be perfectly understandable—there would be consequences. Dire consequences to all of us.” Only then did Jubal meet Janae’s glaring eyes, but he could not stand their intensity for long. It was just long enough for Janae to know he would certainly have her killed.

  Lorna caught the tension, and her face was a mix of emotions. Murial remained unreadable. Janae wondered if Murial was part of the conspiracy or not.

  “I am going to the Trailblazer, and I will find us all a new home,” Janae said as she glared at Jubal. “Doing that is our only hope of survival.” Turning to Brink she said, “That is correct, is it not Master Engineer?”


  Brink nodded and answered with a simple, “Yes.”

  “I am going as well,” Ken stated. “I thank the three of you for your seeing us off, but I think we need to get into the scout ship now.”

  Kimberly the AI interjected, “The hatch is open, please climb inside. I will orient you to the operations prior to engaging in the FTL drive systems. It is not ideal, but the best we can do under these circumstances.”

  “May you fare very well in this undertaking,” Murial stated.

  “There are consequences for all our actions,” Janae snapped as she gave Jubal a final harsh look. “I know that, and I am sure you too will discover that in the days ahead. I hope to see the three of you again.”

  Lorna’s face was puzzled, and she said, “It will be a good day when we find a safer home. Thank you for your bravery.”

  Janae turned away, and as she did she heard Jubal mutter under his breath, “She is still grieving for her friend Constance. Suicide is such a tragedy.”

  Janae paused, but both Ken’s and Brink’s hands guided her toward the small hatch.

  “Clear the sling bay of nonessential personnel,” Brink ordered. Then he firmly, yet tenderly shoved Janae into the hatchway.

  Ken got close to her and said, “The pretty lady enters first, followed by the crusading knight. We are in this together, and I am not backing out.” His humor fell flat, but did cause Janae to redouble her mental planning. A small part of her was truly surprised and grateful that Ken was actually going along. It would not be a solo mission, or solitary banishment.

  Like most things in Dome 17, the scout ship was made from spun permalloy, and had a tan colored cast to it all. Janae looked for the stored weapons, but did not really expect to see them. Besides, she had a plan, and so—despite her burning anger at Jubal—she crawled into the tiny cabin. The crew space on the FTL scout was very limited. The ship was roughly cone shaped, two-thirds of it was opaque permalloy and the final third, which served as a viewing window, was clear. The cabin’s two seats were designed so the pilots could see outside the scout. This clear permalloy was as tough as the rest of the craft.

  Brink’s voice resonated up the small passage into the cabin, “Kimberly will manage your sling and transition into FTL. Then your scout ship will drop from FTL at the Trailblazer. That target destination is three hundred meters away from the beacon, away from the mass of the colony ship. With the reported massive systems failures, and subsequent repairs, I thought it safer to give you a wide margin of maneuverability upon arrival. Carefully assess where you, the condition of the colony ship, and evaluate the situation. I am confident of the target location, but the details about the space around that location is unknown. You will be tracking the Trailblazer from its stern, moving at an equivalent speed and trajectory. Kimberly will fill you in on the rest of what we know.”

  “Brink,” Janae said urgently, “do not trust Jubal or Doctor Larson.”

  “Understood,” Brink whispered back. “My mathematics are sound. Despite losing the beacon’s signal, I factored in every possible vector. You will arrive there safely.” Brink tapped twice on the side of the FTL scout.

  The hatch sealed shut with a hiss and a snap.

  “Launch in two minutes,” Kimberly stated. The AI’s voice came from the center console which was between the two pilot seats. “Secure yourselves with the restraints. Inertia suppression will be at maximum, so you should feel no excessive sensations of movement. However, it is possible that there will still be unforeseen incidents which you might perceive as turbulences, jolts, or other motions. I doubt that will happen, but I want you to be safe and secure. I will direct the scout as it is slung from Dome 17, and into Earth orbit.”

  Ken started to assist Janae with the light-weight harness, but she batted his hands away. “Tend to your own needs first. I will fend for myself.”

  “I mean no disrespect,” Ken answered. “I am here, and we are going together. I hope to earn your trust.”

  “Being here is at least a start,” Janae replied, but it sounded mean.

  The scout ship made a slight adjustment as its magnetics altered. It began to move along the track and into the ejection tube. The ship gently moved along until it reached that ejection tube, but the two human occupants felt nothing. Brink was standing at his control station, and gave a slight wave as the scout slipped into the ejection tube. Looking out revealed only the tube’s super-slick walls. They looked to be almost touching the clear permalloy of the viewport.

  “Kimberly, you have passed final checkpoints,” Brink’s voice came through some speakers. “You may launch when ready.”

  “I concur with assessments. All systems operating as expected. Launching now,” Kimberly’s mechanical voice replied.

  A slight hum resonated through the cabin as the gravitonic apparatus, which was an affiliated technology to inertia suppression and gravity manipulation, placed a field between the ejection tube’s walls and the scout ship. That provided a nearly perfectly friction free interface between the scout ship and the ejection tube. The magnetic anchors, which held then in place, disengaged.

  There was a blur of motion through the viewport, but it was so sudden, and did not accompany any other sensations, so Janae and Ken just watched.

  “We have cleared the dome, and are soon to leave the toxic atmosphere,” Kimberly announced. “All systems operating as expected.”

  Without warning, bright light filled the cabin from outside. A tan arc of the planet was seen as the scout moved into orbit.

  “You will now be able to look at the ruins of planet Earth,” Kimberly stated. “I am placing the scout into the proper trajectory to reach the initiation stage for our faster-than-light transition. Before that happens, you may wish to observe…”

  “Kimberly, make a connection to Dome 17,” Janae ordered. Her voice was overly loud, and cracked a bit. “I must tell them all something, now that I am away.”

  “That is impossible,” Kimberly replied. “The atmospheric conditions are such that communication from us to the dome are not possible.”

  “Nonsense! Utterly ridiculous! I know you can communicate to the dome. Moments ago, you spoke to Brink. Do not lie to me. Make the connection! Sickeningly sanctimonious stupidity!” Janae barked out.

  “I repeat,” Kimberly said with utterly no emotion, “that is currently impossible. The conditions…”

  Ken interrupted, “I know the mission says we can connect to Earth after we build the teleportation receiving pad. Use that same method for Janae.”

  “That too is impossible,” Kimberly answered. “That mode of communication is only possible via the carriers and the signals from the teleportation sending pad. Without the receiving pad, I cannot connect into, nor even search for those signals.”

  “You spoke to Brink just moments ago! Stop lying to me! Why is everyone lying to me!” Janae screamed out.

  “I am not lying. Prior to the sling launch, we were inside Dome 17. Within the confines of Dome 17 communication was possible. However, just as you both experienced on your missions to investigate other domes, the interference from the toxic atmosphere is too intense to penetrate using conventional means. Teleportation is one method of penetrating that interference. Faster-than-light signals are another method of penetrating that interference.”

  “Use the FTL signals then,” Janae stated. Her eyes were wide, and her voice was loud. “Call them on the FTL radio!”

  “The FTL signaling devices, which you aptly are calling FTL radio, were indeed installed in the prototype spacecraft. Those test flight spacecraft were able to use tight beams of communication to get messages back to the dome. Unfortunately, due to the mass limits, we do not have that FTL radio capability. We do have several different modes of conventional communication, which I plan on using when we track down the Trailblazer, as we attempt to make contact with people or systems on that colony ship. Unfortunately, none of those conventional communication methods have the capability to penetrate
the toxic residue of Earth’s atmosphere. They just cannot reach Dome 17.”

  “Just another failed plan,” Janae said in a low voice. She smacked her hand against the seat. The she hit it again, and again, and again, “There is truly no way to contact the dome? None at all?”

  Kimberly responded, “Not at this time. The prototypes were operated either robotically or with only a single test-pilot. Therefore, they had room within the mass limits for the equipment necessary for tight beam transmissions, and, or, FTL radio. This scout ship does not have that equipment. There is nothing the people in Dome 17 can offer us at this point.”

  “They could know the truth.” Janae began to cry softly. Her plan was falling apart. “I thought communication would be essential, and I just figured it would be here. After all, the robotic probes which went to those colony ships made reports back to Dome 17, right?”