“The eyes, of course. But, if it comes to that, you wouldn’t have a chance. In spite of their bulk, they can be surprisingly quick; much quicker than the one you faced. It would be best if you killed it with a weapon as soon as you saw it, because it would certainly do the same if it saw you first.”

  “Yeah, I guess so. In combat, you kill the enemy as quickly as possible, before he does it to you.”

  “Yes Mike, that is basic Sauran martial philosophy. Where combat is concerned, they are killing machines.”

  A robot showed up and began the task of removing the dead Sauran. As the two armed, four wheeled robot hefted the Sauran carcass onto its flat lower casement, Mike suggested, “Let’s not toss him out into space just yet. I don’t know why, but I think we should hold onto him for now. You never know how he might be able to help us.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Just that sometimes a body can come in handy. We’ll see.”

  “I have no idea how that could be. But, I trust the judgment of a combat veteran. I’ll have the Robot put him in stasis.”

  “Good. Now, I want to change some of the names of things, to better suit the human mind, if that’s all right with you.”

  “Certainly. What do you wish to change?”

  “Humans would normally call the Operations Center the bridge. It will have a positive effect on my fellow warriors, if they hear terminology they already understand.”

  “Very well,” Jo replied, “the Operations Center is now the bridge. What else would you like to change.”

  “Jo, even with upgrades, it will be much easier for humans, if we make all references of measurements in human terms. I have no idea how the other races in the Galaxy calculate distance, or size. You seem to have already made an accommodation for me, regarding the length and weight of the ship. And, you have also provided me with a sense of time, by explaining it to me in years. But what about my equivalent time measurement of seconds, minutes and hours?”

  Jo nodded, as he watched the robot carry away the hated Sauran. “I could explain the fundamental methods for time and distance to you, by providing comparisons between common human terms and galactic standard. And yes, there has to be a standard out here. Otherwise, it would be impossible to coordinate movements and communication with other races. However, this is something that you will find easier to grasp, once you have the upgrade.”

  He looked at the human and smiled smugly, or so Mike thought.

  “Jo, you’re not even trying to be subtle now. That’s just insulting.” But he was grinning as well.

  Jo became business like, when he said, “I believe I should show you the quarters I had the robots make for you, while I was gone, in anticipation of your joining our cause.”

  “Our cause? You mean your cause, don’t you?”

  “No, I mean our cause. Whether you decide to join in the fight or someone else takes your place, the cause of survival for both of our races should be the primary concern for both of us.”

  “Boy, you’re really pushing it hard now, Jo. Give it a rest.”

  Mike looked back up at Jo and said, “Tell me about these preparations you’ve made for me.”

  “I’ll take you to your private quarters. Please follow me.”

  Six steps down the passageway, and Jo stopped in front of a doorway. It opened automatically and Jo led them inside.

  “These will be your living quarters now that the Senior Pilot is dead. It is near the bridge, in case the Senior Pilot is called forward for an emergency; although, in space, that usually means you’re already dead.”

  Mike looked around and was amazed at the luxury. It was quite large, when compared to a Human naval ship. The room was at least forty feet long and perhaps thirty feet wide. It had dark gray carpet and a lighter color, thin fabric on the walls and ceiling, which must have been twelve feet high.

  There were two of the large chairs, which would comfortably seat the Thorian; but four more chairs of human size were there, as well as a human style sofa. Even the metal end tables had been sized for human needs.

  Jo explained, “I’ve taken the liberty of setting the computer to perform by your voice commands. If you wish more light, you merely have to say so. Your bedchamber and private hygiene facility are through that door, which will open for you, when you tell it to do so. For the more immediate needs of your guests, there is a hygiene facility through the other door, over there.” Jo pointed to the other side of the room.

  One wall was completely unused, until the alien closed his eyes and it flashed on, like a television screen, showing him thousands of ice bodies, in the Oort cloud.

  “Jo, will the computer obey my commands?”

  “I’ve instructed it to do so. It will not obey your commands to alter the basic mission of the ship, or do anything which would put the ship in danger, but otherwise it will accept your instructions.”

  After weeks together, both of them had begun to recognize the intent of their respective body languages. They even began to copy each other. As a human would do, Jo held up his hands, palm forward, as if to stop Mike and told him, “I’m not trying to assassinate an already deceased equine, but I should point out that you will be able to have the ship perform for you with ease, once you have the upgrade. You will simply think it and it will be done.”

  Mike began laughing and had trouble stopping, before he asked, “Did you deliberately alter that phrase or was it just you being specifically accurate.”

  Jo smiled, obviously pleased with himself and admitted, “I have noticed that you seem to enjoy my failed attempts to use human colloquialisms. I confess that this time it was a deliberate effort on my part to please you, as I subtly provided impetus to guide you in the direction of joining the rebellion.”

  “Oh you’re good.”

  “Thank you, Mike. A Thorian who has survived for more than two hundred years, under the heavy heel of Sauran boots, must learn to say the right thing at the right time, if he is going to remain alive.

  “I’ll leave you for now. I’m sure you would like to clean up and probably experience some sleep. When you are ready to examine more of the ship, just tell the computer and it will summon me.”

  “Where are you going to be?”

  “I tire as you do. I’ve taken the Junior Pilot’s quarters, across the passageway from you. I intend to cleanse and rest, and then eat. By the way, if you are hungry, tell the computer.”

  Mike stood and waved his hands back and forth before his face. “Wait a minute. We’ve got to change a few more names here. Instead of Senior Pilot, let’s call it Captain; and instead of Junior Pilot, we’ll call him the Executive Officer, or XO. And we definitely have to come up with a name for this ship and the computer.”

  Jo looked puzzled. “You wish to name a computer. It isn’t alive. Why would you do that?”

  “I guess because we talk to it, as though it was alive. It obeys our commands, doesn’t it, so it’s like a servant or a…a steward in a human Navy. When we bring others on board, before they receive their upgrades, they will interact with the computer. They will accept the entire process much easier, if they can speak to a named intelligence. Oh, and it should be a woman’s name.”

  Jo suggested, “We could name it after your late wife.”

  “No. That would be too emotionally painful for me. I don’t like the idea of all those guys talking to my wife.”

  “Ah yes, of course. I understand and I apologize.”

  “It’s all right. I know you meant well. Perhaps we should give her a name that they can relate to.”

  Mike began laughing and Jo asked, “What?”

  “Well, for some strange reason, I remembered being in a strip joint in Baltimore. There was this one girl there, with huge boobs, named Bambi. Most guys would get a kick out of that, although the brass would probably object.”

  Jo told him, “I don’t know what a strip joint is, but if you feel that is a good choice for a name, than we will call the computer Bambi. You are the Grand Leader of the rebellion and as such, your decisions must prevail. Once the others arrive, they will not know that she was only recently named. They should accept it, I would think.”

  Mike grinned and said, “Ok then. The computer is now Bambi. I assume you will make the necessary change?”

  “Yes. It’s already done. Bambi, say hello to the Grand Leader.”

  A voice came from nowhere. “Hello, Grand Leader. I hope that my name is pleasing to you.”

  Mike cried out, “OK, next change. We will not be calling anyone Grand Leader. It’s too…North Korean. I’ll explain that later. For now, I guess I’m like the Captain and these are the Captain’s quarters.”

  Jo closed his eyes and Mike knew he was implementing the change.

  Bambi said, “Captain, I’ll have new uniforms ready for you in a few minutes.”

  “Thank you, Bambi.”

  Jo told him, “It’s unusual to thank a computer. Saurans would see that as a sign of weakness.”

  “Nonsense. Being polite is never weakness, although it could be misinterpreted that way. Say, how do I get her to change her voice?”

  “Just talk to her and explain to her the subtleties as best you can. When she is wrong, tell her so and she’ll make adjustments. Eventually she will be speaking as a human, if that is what you wish. Saurans would never allow a computer to speak as a sentient being. It would be an insult to them.”

  Mike got an evil grin on his face and said, “Well, it looks as though humans are going to be shaking things up out here.”

  Jo looked concerned and told him, “Sometimes, you frighten me, Mike. You seem to relish turning things inside out, even though there could be negative results. You must be very cautious about altering the balance of conventional wisdom. Most beings will not appreciate it.”

  Mike reached up and patted the tall alien on the shoulder. I know that, Jo. I just get like that when I’m with someone I trust. And now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to wash and get some sleep.”

  “Yes, of course Captain Hurst. We will speak again after an adequate rest period.”

  Mike knew that Jo was more astute about human terminology than he let on. Jo seemed to enjoy prodding Mike by deliberately using alternative phrases for various functions. Sleep for instance, was rest period. The thing was, Mike felt more comfortable with Jo, because he displayed a sense of humor.

  When he entered his bedroom, he was amazed again at the amount of space devoted to it. And the bed, it was enormous. Jo had not bothered to have it sized for human use. It must have been ten feet square. There were murals on the wall of Saurans chasing odd looking animals. The one over the bed showed one of the evil bastards ripping the throat out of some poor creature, while it was still alive.

  “Bambi, can you change the pictures on the walls please. Just leave them blank for now.”

  “I can do that Captain, but a robot will have to remove then. They are not projections and must have the proper chemicals to eliminate those images. I shall have a robot sent to your quarters immediately.”

  “No, hold off on that. Wait until I get some sleep. Once I’m out of the bedroom, you can send in the robot. By the way, how many robots are there on board?”

  “There are currently one hundred and twelve robots actively working, another five hundred on standby and two thousand three hundred eighty eight robots in storage, for a total of three thousand robots, which is the standard number issued to this design of transport.

  “If you would like, I can give you the complete list of which type robots there are on board, by task assignment, or peculiar specialty.”

  Mike told her, “I’m sure I’ll want to review that, but not now. Remind me later.”

  “Yes sir.”

  “Bambi, also remind me to work with you on your voice inflection. I think it needs some improvement.”

  “Yes sir.”

  He removed his clothes and looked into the bathroom. He saw what looked to be a huge shower stall, but there was no showerhead or spigots to turn on the water.

  With a sigh of exasperation, he said, “Bambi, how do I turn on the shower?”

  “Just ask, Captain.”

  “Do it and don’t make it too hot, about one hundred degrees Fahrenheit should be good.”

  There was a brief pause, and then water began falling from the ceiling of the stall. He looked around for soap, but saw none. This was getting frustrating.

  “Bambi, could you get me some soap.”

  “Sir, the cleansing material is in the liquid. When you are clean, say so and I will change it to pure H2O for you to rinse. Also, as you exit the stall, warm air will remove the excess water and your new clothes will be on your bed.”

  “Thank you Bambi. You are very efficient.”

  “I know, sir. I was designed that way.”

  The computer’s responses seemed to possess boarder line sentient intelligence; although Jo had assured him that she was merely a programmed computer. Still, Mike liked speaking with her. It had a calming effect on him and he knew that would be the general response of the men he intended to recruit.

  He stopped for a moment, because he realized that he was thinking seriously about accepting Jo’s offer. He was considering men he would recruit and how they should be brought on board. He mentally scolded himself, because he was falling prey to Jo’s cleverness. He must be wary, as things progressed, and be aware of anything that might suggest Jo was not what he claimed to be.

  After a long shower and dry off, he walked back into the bedroom to see a platform disappearing into the ceiling, above the bed. A new uniform was waiting for him beneath it, neatly folded in the center of the huge sleeping area.

  He placed the uniform on the far side of the bed. Then, naked, he slipped under the sheet-like material, placed his head on an oversized pillow and thought, ‘Damn pillows were meant for a blasted Sauran. I’ll have Bambi change them later.’ Then he quickly dozed off.

  Chapter 7

  When Mike awoke, he had Bambi send in some food. She asked if he had a preference, but not knowing how to describe the taste, he told her, “Just send something that Jo would like. If I don’t like it, we’ll scratch it off the list and move on to something else.”

  The first two items were quickly removed. Fortunately, the third tasted a little like black beans, which he could live with.

  After eating and dressing, he asked to speak with Jo. One minute later, Bambi announced that the Thorian was seeking entry.

  “Let him in, Bambi.”

  Jo walked into the room and greeted him, “Mike, you look much refreshed, I’m happy to see. Shall we get to work.”

  “I haven’t made my decision yet.”

  “Oh. I wasn’t referring to that. I want to make you aware of the current situation. I have been checking the beacons for evidence of other Sauran ships.”

  Mike’s heartbeat picked up immediately.

  “There have been none.”

  “That’s good news. Tell me about these beacons.”

  “When the first Saurans arrived here, they placed six beacons around your solar system. A beacon can track transmissions of various sorts, most types of radiation that would be produced by a spaceship and large gravity variations, which would indicate the unfolding of a ship.”

  Before Mike could ask what unfolding meant, Jo held up his hands and said, “I mean no offense, but the archaic fossil fuel transports that are used to put satellites in orbit around your planet and other close in celestial bodies, are easily tracked and not worth worrying about.”

  Mike wasn’t thinking of Earth satellites. Jo had misjudged what Mike was going to ask about. He wanted to know what it meant when a ship unfolded. But, he didn’t wish to seem ungrateful for Jo’s concern about other matters. So, he remained silent, as Jo continued, although he intended to bring up the subject of unfolding later.

  “If a Sauran vessel or any other interstellar spacecraft were to appear within a hundred million kilometers of a beacon, it would probably be noticed. The beacons retain all such information, until they have been queried by the Mother Ship. Then they download the information and Bambi analyzes it. If anything of interest were discovered, she would notify the Captain. Because you have not officially accepted the job, I had her report to me. I hope that was acceptable.”

  Mike pandered to Jo for the moment. “No, that’s perfect, Jo. Technically, you are the Senior Pilot and the Executive Officer of the rebellion and as second in command, you need to be privy to the same info that I have. If something happens to the Captain, the XO must be prepared to take over immediately.”

  He could have kicked himself. He kept talking as though it was a foregone conclusion that he would accept Jo’s offer and become the leader of this cluster fuck operation. Why he did so was merely his life long habit of interjecting his thoughts about the best way for a military organization to function.

  He told the tall alien, “Jo, I don’t want you to get the wrong idea. I’m not going to take the job. However, I do want you to be successful, in your fight against the Saurans. You have already given a great deal of thought to what must be done. I’ll help you find someone to guide you; but you are the one to direct this group of warriors you wish to build.”

  Jo twisted his hand, indicating dissatisfaction and disagreement. “I am not a leader like you, Mike. I have never led and have no wish to. As soon as you have your upgrade and select my replacement, I will be greatly relieved.”

  “Jo, have you ever seen a Sauran make a mistake?”

  “Of course, many times.”

  “How did you know it was wrong.”

  “Well, I just knew. The obvious choice was not made properly and when it was not, I was always surprised, because the correct choice was so simple to see. Of course, I should note that the Saurans who staff transports and retrieval ships are not the best of their race. If anything, they are the worst and most foolish. Naturally, I kept my opinions to myself.”

  Mike smiled and told him, “You have learned much, my friend. You know a mistake when you see it. That’s more than some commanders I’ve known.”

 

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