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

  “Hello, Janae and Ken,” Daniel the nurse stated with a big smile. “We just received orders for you. Doctor Carolyn is just returning from an urgent errand, but…”

  “I am here Daniel. Schedule a follow-up assessment for Agnes in ten days,” she stated. “She will probably demand I go back there before then, but schedule it anyway.”

  “While you were gone, Paul and Gretchen came by, and I gave them the supplies and equipment, just like Cammarry and Jerome, and Michael and Jamie received,” Daniel stated. His face grew a bit somber, “I hope I am not violating some privacy issues, or things about classified missions.”

  Doctor Carolyn laughed a bit, brushed some of her blonde hair back out of her face, and said, “A bit late for all that. The seniors were talking about these missions, the solo missions, and something about spaceflights. I am always amazed at the speed by which news travels in Dome 17.”

  Janae wanted to blurt out what she knew about Jubal and Doctor Larson, but held her tongue. She knew Doctor Carolyn had done the autopsies on the recent suicides. Janae wondered if Doctor Carolyn was in on that conspiracy to commit murder. Therefore, Janae said nothing.

  Doctor Carolyn turned and stepped toward her office. “Come along, we will dispense all that you need. There are other teams coming after you.” Gesturing to Daniel, she said, “Nice work with the others, but set up for the rest. A total of seven teams will be leaving.”

  “Yes, Doctor.”

  “Now, Ken and Janae, here are broad pathogen prophylactics which will prepare you for those ancient colony ships.” She gave them each a glass of liquid and a purple gel capsule.

  “I thought our genetics already protect us,” Ken stated as he quaffed down the drink, along with swallowing the capsule. “Gamete compatibility ensures the best possible human being, and we are nurtured in this safe, clean place.”

  “Yes, biologically, you two are in peak performance. Unlike, the seniors, like Agnes who broke her hip, you two are in excellent condition. You are not in the same age-mate group—I do not need to tell you that—but each of your age-mate groups were designed to our highest standards. Again, and I do not mean to demean Agnes, but her genetic profile is only about 78% as efficient as our newest group of age-mates. All because of gamete compatibility prior to conception in the extracorporeal wombs. Alas, I digress, sorry.”

  “Just what will we need then?” Ken asked.

  “The exact needs you have are tough to anticipate. However, what is certain is you are facing a lot of unknowns, so what you just consumed—Janae, drink it down—is to give you an additional boost. Pathogens are notoriously rapid evolvers, humanity not nearly so quickly. I have designed those prophylactics to treat all the known diseases in the medical data base. That includes old and what we consider extinct threats like Smallpox, various cancers, and even Bubonic Plague, as well as about five hundred or so more. None of us know what pathogens—virus, bacterial, fungal, prion, or others—which will be lurking where you are going. I have given you the best Dome 17 can offer. What I, and the rest of the medical team have done, is to make your body as immune to mutations of pathogens, as much as possible.”

  Janae finally drank it down and swallowed the capsule.

  Doctor Carolyn looked down and away as Janae was swallowing the capsule. Janae wondered about that, and again questioned in her mind how involved, or not, Doctor Carolyn was in the murders which were passed off as suicides.

  “That was easy,” Ken stated. “Come on Janae, we need to keep moving to get to all our appointments.”

  Doctor Carolyn interrupted, “I am not quite finished. Prevention is very important, but it will not be one hundred percent effective for diseases, and while your bodies are maximized for disease resistance, quite efficient in use of water and nutrition, and for self-repair after injuries, I have also designed a medical kit for each of you.” She picked up one of the small rectangular boxes sitting on the countertop. It was about two fingers thick and roughly the size of her hand.

  “This is your medical kit. It is efficient and simple in use. Its processors are not quite as sophisticated as an artificial intelligence system, but it is impressive. It has diagnostic and treatment data stored on everything medically related in our database. Use the assessment wires for diagnostics. Connect them to the part of your body which has an issue, and the readout will give you a diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. The medical kit manufactures the treatments internally, and they are expelled here.”

  Both Janae and Ken watched as she pointed to various small places on the medical kit.

  “Treatments will often consist of an injection, which comes out in the recyclable syringe. Other treatments might be gels, aromatized elements, physical manipulations, and trauma stimulants.”

  She pointed to the small compartment on the side of the medical kit. Return spent syringes here, they are sterilized and refilled as needed. Thousands of uses on those, and the compartment here contains the trace elements of all our treatment options. Those should last for a long while.”

  “Is there a big risk of injury or illness?” Ken asked.

  “Yes, but the vast majority of them will be treatable. Unless, you run into extreme situations—like Willie’s arm—for example. No medical device is perfect in absolutely all situations. Well, these two medical kits are yours as well. Oh, in case of emergent situations, there are a supply of multipurpose medical gel packets in here. Those can be used in emergencies, and can easily be self-administered. Rip one open and eat it.”

  Daniel the nurse returned, “The next team is here, should I start with them?”

  “Thank you, Daniel. I am finished here. Good luck to you both,” Doctor Carolyn said, but there were a few tears in her eyes. “Pardon me, I am just emotional about all this. It has been a hectic day. Again, good luck, and all my best wishes.” She did not meet their eyes as she turned and went away.

  As they were leaving, Janae was standing next to a ventilation grille, Daniel’s faint voice came echoing up from that. He was somewhere back in the medical unit. Janae stopped to listen. “They deserve the truth!”

  Doctor Carolyn—barely audible—replied, “I promised to keep silent, and you will keep silent about it as well.”

  “Easy for me, I do not even know all the details, but I would…” Daniel’s voice was cut off as some distant door slid closed. Janae pressed against the wall and strained to hear more, but the only sound was the soft hum of the air recycling system.

  “Janae? Is something wrong?” Ken asked, he had not heard them.

  Janae shrugged and looked at the medical kit. She had so many doubts that puzzlement must have been emanating from her face.

  “Janae, I want to see John. His office is not far,” Ken said as he looked at her. “I think we have time, but not much. I want to ask John about biology. The idea of mutated pathogens is serious, but will it happen to animals too?” Ken stated. “Hate to have that get in the way of romantic opportunities.”

  “And there it is,” Janae smirked. “Is all this your pathetic attempt to seduce me before I leave? You get your conquest in before I go, and then dump me in the sling bay?”

  Ken’s countenance fell. “I was trying to lighten the moment with humor. Sorry I tried.”

  “Whatever you say.”

  “I am in this all the way to the Trailblazer,” Ken assured her. “And afterward.”

  “Whatever you say.”

  Walking briskly to the educational extension, Janae’s mind raced. She doubted Ken’s sincerity, and pondered that perhaps he was working with Jubal to make sure she got into the FTL scout ship and was sent away. Her emotions were a mixed jumble, and she kept staring at the medical kit, and replaying the ever-so-brief conversation she had overheard between the nurse and the doctor, as well as the enigmatic presence of Ken.

  “Oh, good, I see John is in his office,” Ken said and hurried his pace.

  “Nice to see you Ken,” John said, but did not rise from the chair at his desk.
He had some displays projected in front of him, and he was adjusting one of the simulations. It was some kind of plant. “Oh, and you too Janae. How can I help?”

  “John, what do you know about biological preserves?” Ken asked.

  “You mean historically, or on one of those colony ship places?” John asked. His light blue eyes twinkled as he spoke, while his face was greatly animated. “Oh, I do envy those who are going on that great adventure. My late wife, Amber, she used to listen to me talking and babbling on about biology, when all we have living here are us humans and the fungal matter we use for producing food. I wish she could see me now that I know it is a possibility that biology still exists somewhere. Oh, to think of it all! Sorry, I digress, to what are you referring? History or those missions to colony ships that some adventurers are taking?”

  “You know?” Janae asked. She was seeing a pattern of the secrets not being very secret.

  “I do, but not too much. A few adventurers have visited me, and I got rather excited thinking they might actually see real biological ecosystems, and perhaps even observe live fish in some aquatic milieu.”

  “I am going to one of those colony ship,” Ken said, “and I wondered about mutations. Doctor Carolyn says that pathogens can mutate quickly. What should I be concerned about?”

  John rubbed his temple. “You are going? Really, Ken? I am surprised.”

  “I am going as well,” Janae added.

  “To the same destination?” John asked as he looked at Janae and then at Ken. He was clearly bewildered. “When Ken asked, I thought perhaps it was for one of his, shall we say, connections? I never thought it might be you, Janae. I will need to re-orient my thinking here.”

  “Janae and I are a team, not a connection. The question was for me, and, well, will humans and animals evolve as well? I know you talked a lot, back when I was in your classes, about how interrelated everything is. From tiny microbes, to large animals, it is all connected together into a network of life. Network of life, I believe you called it, but what about mutations?”

  John’s voice took on his teacher persona, “Mutation is an old word, with an imprecise history. It has meant many different, but related things, over the centuries. A plethora of environmental things will influence mutations. Radiation—another rather poorly defined term—is a prime instigator of mutations, but it is hardly the only culprit, or catalyst. Generally, I think of a mutation as a permanent alteration in the genetic sequence which makes up a gene. Mutations range in size; they can affect anywhere from a single section of a single DNA building block, to large segments of a chromosome. Of course, the different mutations will result in various outcomes. The term has also sometimes—in history—meant a variation in a species, but that is more an aberration, than what I consider a mutation. Although, scholars are divided on that subject.” John paused and looked at Ken and Janae, seeing that they were paying close attention, he continued. “Think of genetic mutations in two ways, group and individual. Group mutations are those mutations which will be passed down from a parent to offspring. Those mutations will affect an entire species. In Dome 17, we have virtually eliminated these kinds of mutations by our age-mate procreation program. Individual mutations, sometimes called somatic mutations, occur at some time during a person’s life. It is a mutation that is present only in certain cells, or subcellular structures. Those can have significant impact on that individual, but do not get passed on to subsequent generations. Well, those are very broad categories, and do apply to anything from microorganisms to the biggest creatures that ever lived. Those would be whales, they lived in water, but were not technically fish. Now, come to think of it, some species of what the ancients called dinosaurs were really large as well. Amphicoelias, I think was the name, was thought to be truly enormous, and it may have lived in water as well. Records are sketchy, and especially since so much was lost in the 90 Hour War, we will never know.” He looked at Ken and Janae again. “Oh, sorry, I am rambling, and you are about to head off and see real biology. Oh, how I envy you!”

  “Do not envy me,” Janae snapped, but then covered her mouth with her hand.

  “Dear, I am sorry. I know the adventurers have lost people recently, and these new expeditions are certainly risky. As to the mutation risk, evolution does move more quickly in those species with shorter life spans. Hence, the ability of pathogens to evolve, or mutate—to use the term very loosely—more quickly than other species. I would say, though, that if a biological preserve is stable, the mutation rate is low.”

  “What if there was a micro-singularity involved?” Ken asked.

  “Micro-singularity? Hum… I am a biologist, not an astrophysicist. I would suggest you go and speak to Riley. She is not as aloof as rumors have it, and she has a curious and engaging mind. She could better address anything about a micro-singularity. All I can add, is that you two be careful, and be sure to talk to each other. Human communication is one of our greatest strengths, and when our ancestors learned to effectively communicate, that was a turning point, an evolutionary milestone, a positive mutation, toward civilization.”

  “And yet, the Earth still died, and people are still prone to evil,” Janae said with more bitterness seeping into her voice than she intended. She caught herself, “John, I offer my apologies, I just have a lot on my mind.”

  John’s smile showed he had taken no offense. “Go and speak to Riley, if a micro-singularity is a concern. Your basic biology will be easy to learn, but the mysteries of a micro-singularity, for that, you need a real specialist. It is another term with a nebulous definition, if I recall correctly. Good luck on your adventure! I wish I was young, able, and trained to be in your positions.”

  Janae again wanted to shout out what was happening with Jubal and Doctor Larson, but she refrained.

  After thanking John, they each gave their former teacher a hug. Then they stepped back into the hallway.

  “Where now?” Janae asked.

  “Let me see if we can see that astronomer, Riley,” Ken replied. “Rubirosa? Where is Riley?”

  Ken’s AI replied, “Riley is in the science lab. Would you like me to contact her?”

  “Tell her I have an urgent question which cannot wait. I am on my way to see her, along with Janae,” Ken said.

  “Do we have time?” Janae asked. Her mind was still trying to sort out who was in on what scheme. It seemed like just a few days ago everything was pretty straight forward. Now, she was seeing real conspiracies, actual murders, and—in effect—banishment for herself. “Maybe we should just go to the sling bay?”

  “I want to succeed, and I think we can do that best with knowledge and information,” Ken responded. He reached out and gently grasped Janae’s hand. “Come on, teammate.”

  Janae yanked her hand back. “Lead on, but no touching. Understand?”

  He held up his hands and stepped back. “Yes, I understand. Forgive me. I will respect your private space, absolutely. I still think it is important we learn as much as possible about the micro-singularity.”

  “Our AIs could…” Janae started to say, but remembered her own personal AI was now dead, or as Jubal had callously called it, disbanded. Janae considered it murder, just as much as the murder of Constance. Biological sentience, or machine sentience, both were valuable to Janae, and deserving of respect and protection. Janae almost began to cry. She had been unable to protect the two most important people to her, Constance and Kovalevsky.

  “Janae, you have endured much,” Ken said. “I will make it brief with the astronomer, and then we will hurry to get the rest of our supplies.”

  She followed him as they walked quickly around several corners, and along a seldom-used corridor. The door opened for them as they approached. There were various workstations, and across the far way was an interactive screen which was ten meters wide and three meters high. It was showing the Earth and the solar system around it. Several clear permalloy viewports were on the sides of the large screen. Outside was the dead, tan, an
d depressing world. The science lab was tucked into a section of the dome where it rested against an outside wall. Few rooms, with the major exception of the cafetorium, had walls which were directly adjacent to the exterior of the dome. As they walked in, Ken called out a greeting, “Riley? We need some information, and our time is very short.”

  From behind a stack of equipment, the astronomer stepped out. Janae vaguely recalled seeing Riley around, but not often, and not for extended periods. Hers was one of the roughly fifteen hundred other faces in the sea of humanity residing in Dome 17. Riley was wearing a puffy shirt, white in color, and black pants. Her hair was parted down the middle dividing her forehead by her bangs. The rest of her hair hung to her waist, and was restrained in a few places by ribbons of a light blue color. Her hair was the longest hair that either Ken or Janae had seen.

  “Yes, Ken, I received word about your request. Come in, you and Janae. I suspect you have a question about a colony ship?” Riley’s voice was soft, meek, and airy.

  “Uh, well, yes,” Ken answered. “I thought I would have to explain, but you appear to already know about it.”