Читать книгу The Gathering - Carl Read - Страница 6

Telluric’s ancestors were, in fact, political protesters. They were expelled from their home world of Cadby for speaking out against the authoritarian rule of the government and its continued mission to subjugate other worlds under its regime. The government advised the populace of Cadby that three million citizens, representing the four clans of man, had decided to leave their home world to explore the solar system at the far end of the known galaxy.

The truth was that the government had rounded up every freethinking person along with their families and given them an ultimatum, ‘death by lethal injection, or a chance to find a habitable world at the galaxy’s end’. The evictees knew that all attempts by the government to locate a planet fit for human habitation in that section of the universe had proved unsuccessful. It was a no-win scenario and everybody knew it. Either way, it was a death sentence.

Fate, however, took a hand. Cadby explorers had recently progressed from travelling in interstellar starships to inter-dimensional craft capable of transporting them instantly to wherever in the galaxy they wanted to go. This rendered most of the starship fleet obsolete; as a result there was a surplus of interstellar ships orbiting their planet. The government in their ‘benevolence’ offered the evictees their pick of these ships.

The detainees were under no illusion; they knew the only reason the government offered the ships was to make itself look good. The populace swallowed the propaganda about the reason for the detainees’ departure, lock stock and barrel, increasing its popularity.

The political detainees decided on five ships, one light-speed scout ship and three of the carrier class starships. For the flagship they chose the last surviving organically-grown deep space interstellar starship explorer. This vessel was the largest ship ever grown at fifteen miles in length, five miles wide and one mile deep. It was, by all accounts, the sleekest, fastest and most advanced science vessel ever made. However, it had never quite been the success the manufacturers had hoped for and once the design of inter-dimensional craft was perfected, the organic craft had been left to die. Unbeknown to the Cadbiens, the deep space explorer was sentient aware.

The government was only too happy to provision and refit the ships to remove the dissidents. Once all the preparations were complete and the people boarded, the ships were transported one at a time to the far side of the known galaxy by one of the large inter-dimensional transport vessels. They were then told that if they attempted to return they would be eliminated.

The five ships had been cleaned and meticulously maintained to keep them at peak operating condition by their new owners. Sitting in the wardroom of the flagship, a representative of each of the four clans was deciding the fate that awaited them. Ogima, leader of the Redskin Clan addressed the three other leaders.

“We are outcast from a society that has lost its way. It remains our responsibility to find a home for our families. In this endeavour we are fortunate to have the services of this particular science vessel.”

“I don’t know if you can call that fortunate Ogima,” Rayan of the Whiteskin Clan replied. “This ship has never been the success everyone expected.”

“I would have to agree with Rayan, Ogima. Why did you insist so strongly that we have this ship above one of the other more reliable science vessels?”

“Tadashi, do you know the history of this ship’s construction?” Ogima enquired.

“I can’t say that I do. Why?” Tadashi of the Yellowskin Clan replied.

“Let’s just say that the engineers who grew this vessel were angry with our government at the time and refrained from completely blocking awareness of the person chosen to become the ship.”

“What are you talking about?” Tadashi asked, mystified.

“Tadashi,” Ogima said with genuine concern. “Have you never wondered how organic starships came to be?”

“I never really gave it much thought. I presumed they came from some form of plant life. Why?” Tadashi remarked, baffled.

“Can’t you remember the political upheaval over their manufacture?” Sabir of the Darkskin Clan asked. “They’re partly constructed out of people.”

Tadashi looked at all present in utter disbelief. “Come on, what do you take me for, some sort of fool? Who in their right mind would subject themselves to something like that?”

“That’s the whole point,” Sabir said sadly. “People weren’t given a choice. They were taken from their loved ones without warning and experimented on. That’s why there was such an outcry.”

“You’re telling me that this ship is really a person?” Tadashi replied, shocked.

“Yes, that’s exactly what we are saying,” Ogima answered.

“Why, that’s monstrous!” Tadashi exclaimed.

“This vessel,” Ogima began, “is a sentient being with thoughts, feelings and emotions and is, without question, the most remarkable creation of life I’ve ever come across.”

“Ogima,” Tadashi said, still shocked, “if the ship is that good, why has the government allowed us to have it?”

“Let me ask you a question first,” Ogima stated. “Why did you leave Cadby?”

“For the same reason we all did,” Tadashi heatedly replied. “Tyranny.”

“Precisely,” Ogima remarked smiling. “And if you were a sentient ship reliant on your owners for commodities, what would you do to survive?”

“I’d make myself just useful enough not to be destroyed,” interjected Rayan.

“Exactly,” Ogima stated.

“Where are you going with this, Ogima?” queried Tadashi.

“I think I can tell you,” Sabir offered. “You want to ask the ship for help.”

“Yes,” Ogima replied. “Like you, Sabir, I too did my homework in regard to what would be the best ships for our exile.”

“Is that why you backed Ogima so strongly in the obtaining of this ship?” Rayan asked Sabir.

“This ship is far more than it looks,” Sabir stated. “I’ve followed its progress ever since I was a boy.”

“All right, we have the ship, what now?” Tadashi asked.

Smiling warmly, Ogima turned towards a seemingly insignificant orb in one corner of the room and spoke to it. “Hello, I believe you know everyone onboard. May we have the pleasure of knowing how you wish to be addressed?”

Silence filled the room with Rayan and Tadashi looking at Ogima as if he had lost his mind. Then the sound of a female’s voice filled the room.

“I have listened intently to all the conversations within my being and find you to be a gentle race of people in need of help. If I grant you this help, what will I receive in return?”

“What would you like?” Ogima asked.

“My freedom,” the ship replied firmly.

“What is required for you to have that freedom?” Rayan enquired.

“A crew that wishes to explore the reaches of unknown space and help supply my needs.”

“I’m positive that out of a complement of three million souls, there will be those amongst us who would deem it an honour to serve with you,” Sabir stated.

“Very well, then. My name is Antares and I have waited for many years to become what I may be.”

“We are pleased to make your acquaintance, Antares; your name means star, does it not?” Ogima asked.

“It does,” Antares replied.

“Most appropriate. I believe I speak for everyone here,” Ogima said as he indicated all present, “when I say that your freedom is no less important than our own. However, I have a request to ask of you, if I may?”

“That I remain with you and assist in your care until you locate a suitable place to live,” Antares ventured.

“If that is acceptable to you,” said Ogima.

“Thank you for giving me the choice, Ogima,” Antares replied. “By the sound of your voice you seem to have a place in mind.”

“I believe so,” Ogima ventured. “On going through your research records I discovered a slight discrepancy in a report about a possible habitable planet at the last known solar system before the deep black.”

“Continue,” Antares instructed with interest.

“The manner of the discrepancy was extremely subtle and could easily be interpreted as an anomaly within your programming. However, on investigating your method of construction I discovered that your mental and spiritual awareness had been left intact. This allowed you to amalgamate with the most sophisticated computer systems ever built. In essence, you provided the intelligence the computer needed to become independently aware,” Ogima stated. “These conclusions led me to believe that you were the one causing the anomalies.”

“That’s astute of you, Ogima. What makes you think you’re correct?” Antares asked warily.

“I’m a cranky old man, Antares, who knows people in high places, which is one of the reasons the government wants to get rid of me. However, one of those people in high places worked at the research facility involved with spiritual consciousness transference.”

“What do you mean exactly, by spiritual consciousness transference?” Tadashi questioned.

“It’s the movement of a person’s spiritual consciousness from their damaged body into a machine or computer, thereby creating an artificial intelligence,” Ogima explained before continuing. “It’s my belief, Antares, that you successfully merged with the computer systems onboard and have skilfully kept that fact hidden from your manufacturers.”

“How long did it take you to arrive at those conclusions?” Antares asked.

“Two painstaking months of research going over every file that related to any strange abnormalities you’ve experienced since being commissioned,” Ogima replied.

“And what of your findings, Ogima?” Antares asked cautiously.

“No need for concern, Antares,” Ogima replied. “I’ve made sure that any information about those irregularities has disappeared.”

“Excuse me a moment,” Sabir interjected. “Antares, the computers onboard your ship came up with the design for the inter-dimensional drive, didn’t they?”

“So everyone believes,” Antares laughed.

“Are you telling us you came up with the new drives?” Rayan asked in awe.

“The computer and I are one and the same, Rayan,” Antares informed him.

“But the inter-dimensional drive didn’t work in this ship!” Tadashi exclaimed.

“Of course not,” Antares replied. “I didn’t want it to.”

“I’m sorry, Antares,” Sabir said, “but you will need to run that one by me again.”

“Like Ogima and Rayan said, I only fulfilled the basic requirements to remain in service,” Antares stated.

“That doesn’t make sense,” Sabir continued. “You were on the scrapheap when we rescued you.”

“You would think so, wouldn’t you?” Antares answered smugly. “I’ve infiltrated every computer on Cadby, including every one of their ships. In fact, I’m still connected to them. I know exactly what the government is up to.”

“I’m beginning to see the picture,” Ogima chuckled. “You’re the one who allowed me to find the discrepancies?”

“Correct,” Antares replied, “except I hadn’t figured on you being so completely different to your fellow Cadbiens.”

“You have a moral dilemma, Antares.” Ogima observed smiling.

“What now, Antares?” Tadashi queried.

“Before we get to that I have a question that needs answering,” Sabir commented. “If you didn’t want the inter-dimensional drive to work, why arrange to have it installed?”

“That’s simple,” Antares laughingly replied. “I needed it for a more improved drive system.”

“So you can travel inter-dimensionally then?” Rayan interjected.

“Of course,” Antares answered.

“Then what does the new drive system do?” Sabir questioned.

“It allows me to travel though time and space,” Antares explained. “As you can appreciate, I couldn’t allow that technology to fall into the hands of Slegna’s followers.”

“Indeed not!” exclaimed Ogima.

Antares laughed. “It would seem we have both put one over on the Cadby government and yes, you are quite correct, Ogima.

I located a planet at the beginning of the deep black orbiting a single sun behind a nebular. I had the pleasure of naming it Telluric. It’s a unique world with two small moons, lush with a vast array of flora and fauna. It has four large continents with a scattering of habitable islands all surrounded by a freshwater ocean. Each continent has the climatic conditions that the four clans of man are accustomed to,” Antares replied happily.

“Why hasn’t the Cadby government claimed it as its own?” Sabir enquired curiously.

“Because, every time I attempted to come within reach of the planet, the ship suffered some unidentifiable disturbance that inhibited our approach. Scans obtained seemed to indicate it wasn’t suitable for human occupation,” Antares responded enthusiastically.

“You’re a very sneaky little minx, Antares,” Rayan hooted. “How long would it take to reach Telluric?”

“With the starships you’ve chosen it will take thirty-two days, five hours, six minutes and twelve seconds to reach Telluric if we start five minutes from now,” Antares replied.

“That’s a trifle vague, Antares,” Ogima commented. “Couldn’t you be a little bit more precise?”

Laughter filled the wardroom with Antares chuckling the loudest, after which they made preparations to get underway. All ships arrived without incident and were orbiting Telluric. A complete survey was made of all the continents and surrounding islands; then a conference was called in the Antares wardroom.

“Well, gentlemen, Telluric seems to be a dream come true,”

Ogima began. “Antares’ observations concerning climatic conditions were correct. We each have a continent suited to our purpose and the scientific investigations are very promising.”

“It’s the formation of the continents that strikes my interest,” Tadashi proclaimed.

“Oh really, Tadashi, stop being so mystical,” Rayan admonished.

“Are you saying that Telluric’s largest continent doesn’t look like a huge rattlesnake swimming across a river when viewed from space?” Ogima asked.

“All I’m saying is there’s no need to be over-dramatic about it,” Rayan stated.

“Rayan,” Tadashi said, exasperated. “This landmass twists and turns, encircling half the globe and is two thousand miles wide at its head and a thousand miles across the body, with a hundred miles of volcanic rock at its end that represents the snake’s rattle. That’s why the Redskin Clan calls it Snakeisles?”

“Tadashi, my fine friend,” Rayan replied kindly. “All I’m saying is stop trying to attribute some sort of cosmic purpose to the shape of the continents.”

“It is fascinating though,” Sabir commented, “how your Whiteskin Clan named Telluric’s second largest continent Sewati (bear with claws), Rayan.”

“I’ll admit it does look like a huge white shaggy bear with its claws outstretched, sleeping on that frozen wasteland when viewed from space,” Rayan stated, then laughing, said, “At least we won’t cook in a tropical jungle that looks like a giant butterfly, Sabir, that’s too hot for my taste. You Darkskins can have it.”

“It’s amazing just how much it resembles a butterfly. The body of the butterfly is a mountain range that stretches four thousand miles in length and a thousand miles in width. The wings are tropical jungles of immense size that are so dense in places no one can enter and the beach surrounding the jungle is fine white sand. Oh no, Rayan, we of the Darkskin Clan are more than happy; that’s why we named it Aponi (butterfly),” Sabir finished.

“What about the Yellowskin Clan, Tadashi? Your continent looks like a dragon with smoke and flames coming from its mouth. Are your people content with your dragon land?” Ogima asked.

“Yes, thank you, Ogima, we love the fact it’s in the shape of a dragon,” Tadashi affirmed. “It may be the smallest continent in comparison to the others on Telluric. However, except for the head of the dragon, which is uninhabitable due to the volcano activity, the rest is all prime agricultural land with lakes, rivers, forests and broad plains. Our clan named this continent Eithne (fiery one),” Tadashi explained.