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Chapter 3

A New Challenge

“AI, do you have the location of the planet that the captain and crew went to?” Roy asked.

“Yes, Captain.”

“Set a course for that planet. We need to see if there are any survivors or descendants of them still alive that need to be rescued.”

“Yes, Captain.”

“Wait a minute, what is the travel time to this planet? I don’t want it to be a two-hundred-plus-years trip. I want to be alive when we get there.”

“The travel time is nineteen days, three hours.”

“If the time is only nineteen days, why did it take you seven hundred years to get back here?”

“The Star Drive was damaged by the asteroid. The ship only had steering and docking thrusters to move through space. Without the Star Drive, it was time consuming to generate power to explore for the needed raw materials and for the Artificial Intelligence Mechanical Units to manufacture and install the damaged system. During the exterior repairs, I was unable to maneuver or protect the ship from a small group of meteors, and four AIMUs were dislodged from the outside hull. Additional AIMUs required training prior to completing the exterior repairs.”

“The Artificial Intelligence Mechanical Units. Oh, you mean the little robot guys. They can do all that?”

“Yes, sir. They can build or rebuild any part on the ship and also perform all required maintenance to the ship.”

“How many of these little robots are there?”

“There are forty AIMUs aboard at this time. There were forty-five assigned, but four were lost doing external repairs, and one accompanied the captain and crew as pilot of the transport ship.”

“Wow, and they all have jobs to do?”

“Twenty-five have assigned duties, ten are replacements in case of failure or damage, three are for AIMU repair, five are for interior and exterior upkeep, and two are pilots.”

“Ten for replacements of damaged robots. Is their work that dangerous?”

“Most are damaged by collision with crew members in the hallways. It has also been noted that several crew members took pleasure in measuring the distance the AIMUs could be kicked.”

“That ain’t gonna happen anymore as long as I am captain. Those little guys do a lot of work and deserve some respect.”

“I will convey that information to them.”

“What happened to the ones that were lost? Did you go back and try to find them?”

“My mission program did not allow for recovery.”

Roy decided it was time for him to explore the ship, “his” ship for as long as it lasted. After all, he was going in search of the original captain and crew. As he walked the hallways, he saw the robots hurriedly moving about. Some were small, and others were quite large. As he rounded a corner, one of the smaller robots ran into his foot and spun around. Roy saw that one of its articulated legs was bent and picked it up. As he did so, he heard a high-pitched sound come from the robot. Then he heard the AI voice. “Is everything all right, Captain. I received a distress call from this AIMU.”

“No, it’s not. I accidentally ran into this little guy and damaged his leg. Where do I take him to be repaired? If you can communicate with them, tell him I’m sorry and will try to better avoid him next time.”

“I will convey your message. AIMU repair is on Deck 7.”

Roy carried the damaged unit to the repair station. As he entered the room, he saw several robots going about their tasks. Then all of them suddenly, upon seeing Roy, scurried backward and up against the wall.

They are afraid of me, he thought to himself. “AI, did you receive the distress call when I collided with the A-I-M-U or when I picked it up?” Roy asked?

“When you picked it up, Captain?” was the reply. Roy walked over to the repair area and gently set the robot down, then turned and walked out of the room without getting close to the other units. This action by the AIMUs concerned him. It showed fear, and fear was an emotion. Computers don’t have emotions, he thought to himself. The other logic was that the prior crew had abused them so much that this was a “self-preservation” mode that they go into. Whatever the reason, he had to find a way to undo this fear and gain their trust. He thought for a while and concluded that the hallways had the largest chance for collision.

“AI, is there any paint on the ship?”

“Yes, Captain, I can manufacture paint at your request.”

“And there are robot units aboard this ship that can paint?”

“Yes, Captain.”

“Good, this ship is depressing. I want all of the walls in the hallway and Bridge painted white. Then…I want a narrow red stripe down the center of all the halls used by the AIMUs. On the right side of those hallways, I want the words ‘crew only’ painted on the floor about every thirty feet and ‘aimu only’ painted on the other side of the line on the floor.”

“Yes, Captain.”

“After that is completed, tell the AIMUs that they have their own side of the halls, and the crew will be told to stay on their own side.”

“Yes, Captain…Captain, you are the only crew aboard.”

“I know that. This is my way of showing the little guys that I care and that I am taking steps to try and ensure their safety.”

“Yes, Captain, I will convey your message.”

“I might regret this later, but I’m hungry. I guess I’d better try some of your cooking. Where do I go for some food?” Roy asked.

“To the forward Officers’ Louege section of Deck 5” was the reply.

Roy entered the lift and was taken to Deck 5. He followed the AI’s instructions until he entered a fairly large dingy gray room, with chairs and tables in the center and soft-looking chairs and couches near the wall. On the other wall, he noted several doors that he guessed were the food prep or kitchen area. He walked to the middle of the room and sat down at one of the tables. After several minutes, he realized that no waitress was going to come and take his order. “How do I get some food?” he asked.

“Please state your request.”

“Steak, medium rare, mashed potatoes with gravy and corn,” he replied, hoping he wasn’t pushing his luck. After several minutes, an AIMU came to his table carrying a plate with what was a close resemblance to what he had ordered. He cautiously took a bite of each item and sat there for a minute to see if it would stay down. To his surprise, the food tasted very close to the real thing, and it stayed down. He looked at the blank walls and thought, How boring.

“AI, are we in the forward section of the ship?”

“Yes, Captain.”

“Can you project the outside here like you did on the bridge?”

“Yes, Captain.”

“Good, I would like you to create a group of windows along the outside wall and show the outside in real time.”

Within a short period of time, he was looking at what looked to be real windows and the wonders of space as it passed by.

“Outstanding,” he exclaimed. “That adds some life to this room. One more thing. I like to be able to pronounce the names of things. Change the name of this room to ‘Lounge’ instead of Louege, or however you say it.”

“Yes, Captain.”

“And add some paint to these walls. Maybe a soft blue with a white ceiling.”

“Yes, Captain.”

After finishing his meal and admiring the view for a long while, he decided it was time for a little sleep. “AI, where is my cabin? I wish to rest for awhile.”

“The captain’s cabin is on Deck 2.”

When Roy arrived, he was somewhat surprised by the overly lavish appointments of the cabin. Not my style, he thought. The old captain must have had a bigger ego than a marine pilot to want all of this stuff. I’ll thin it out later.

After a nice long sleep, he awoke and took stock of his health. Well, the food didn’t kill me. Then he said aloud “Coffee.” Yep, he needed some coffee.

As he started for the door, he heard, “Hot or cold beverages are available in your room, sir.”

A small panel on the wall opened, and a cup of hot coffee-like substance was there. Not quite the coffee he wanted, but it was good and refreshing. After a well-needed shower, he tried on the previous captain’s clothes. The clothing was the right height but way too large.

“AI, I need some fresh or, at least, clean clothing to wear.”

“Yes, Captain. Please remain standing while I measure you for a proper fit…thank you. I will have new clothing brought to your cabin.”

After a short time, one of the AIMUs appeared at the door carrying several sets of clothing similar to what was in the closet. The fit was perfect. He had never had any custom-fit clothing before, and this was a new experience for him. This must be the uniform of the captain, he thought. I’m going to like this lifestyle as long as it lasts.

After a filling breakfast, he further explored his new ship. He found a large cargo-type bay, with several smaller ships inside, and was told they were “transport” ships. In another area, he located several sleek small ships that were for the defense of the ship if needed. After several hours of wandering in and out of the ship’s many spaces, he headed back to the Bridge. There, he enjoyed another cup of coffee and watched the stars fly past.

Roy passed the time with a routine of an exercise workout in the cargo bay and an hour’s jog through the halls of the ship before each meal. He noticed that as he jogged past the AIMUs, they first would stop and hug the walls. Roy found himself saying “good morning” to them as he ran past. After several days, the AIMUs stopped hugging the walls and continued moving about their jobs on their side of the halls. Occasionally, Roy would hear a beep from several of the AIMUs that he greeted on his runs.

“AI, when will we arrive at the planet?’ Roy asked.

“Twenty-three hours and seven minutes” was the reply.