ALICE Explorer: Book 6 of the AL:ICE series, page 5
“I will pass the word,” the commander said before Linda cut the link.
“Alice…” she started.
“My sisters and I will go over the testimony of everyone on board and see if we can’t reconstruct the events of the incident and create a timeline. It would be better if we could gain access to the ship’s logs,” she added.
“I will see what we can do,” Linda confirmed.
----*----
Phantom, Earth’s Solar System
Over the next several days, until Phantom made Earth’s orbit, Jake fielded a continuous stream of calls, all looking to address some issue deferred by Sara in his absence. He didn’t blame her for not wanting to deal with most of them as they were a constant stream of jurisdictional issues.
The politics of Earth on the ground were becoming more complicated as they expanded the number of communities under their support. Regionalism still ran strong for communities that had been struggling for decades just to survive. Regardless of the relief provided, getting smaller groups to reach out in support of others was a hit or miss proposition.
It was one such situation Jake was reviewing when the call from Sara’s office came in.
“Hi, dad!” Came the chorus of voices as Jade, Amber, Tracy, and Julie all greeted their father in the display.
“To what do I owe the honor of all four of you!” He replied with a laugh.
The girls had become a bit of a click as far as his children went, the four of them almost always together in one of the many ALICE facilities. With the additional unique abilities each possessed, the telepathic commonality tended to keep them separate from the other children. More than once, their telepathic abilities had been a bone of contention among their peers.
Oldest of all his genetic offspring, Julie was almost 16 and the unofficial leader of the little girl gang. Tim, who was away studying on Kola as a midshipman, was a few months her junior. Next came Tracy at 13 and then a 12-year-old Ryan, whom Jake felt certain guilt over as he seemed to constantly be the odd man out. Living with his mom in Alaska, Jessie was Seven’s, human commander. He seemed to be an out-of-sight, out-of-mind circumstance that Jake struggled to resolve.
Jake felt it was about time he stepped up to find something for Ryan beyond the trips Jake made north. He had tried to get Jessie to come to Nevada and join the group there, but she had no interest in abandoning Seven or her position there. He could hardly blame her, so he was still without a solution.
Older but adopted, 18-year-old Padma had fully graduated from the scout/sniper school, and Jon, at 16, was looking to follow in her footsteps, something Sandy strenuously opposed.
“Mom says to tell you we are all going on vacation as soon as you get home. The whole family is going to be there. She figured if we plan it, you won’t dare say no,” Amber declared defiantly.
“She did, huh? Well, what have you planned?” Jake asked in good humor.
“Aunt Becky says someplace warm with lots of water, but we want fun stuff to do too,” Tracy added.
“So, Hawaii?” Jake surmised, knowing all the ALICE facilities had extensive family entertainment options, unlike the more rustic island R&R locations off California, south Florida, or Australia.
“Aunt Patti is bringing Sophia,” Jade said excitedly.
And the click is growing, Jake thought to himself.
“Can’t wait, bye girls,” Jake said with a smile as they cut the line.
“They have you so totally whipped,” Sam said smugly.
“As only the father of girls can be,” he replied without an argument.
----*----
Lanai ALICE Facility
“Okay, Jacob, let’s see what you‘ve got,” Jake announced to the small gathering that had been growing as word got out about the topic.
Soon after returning home, Jake had barely gotten settled when all were invited to Lanai for the family vacation the girls had promised. After his extended absence in tracking down the wayward saucer crew so soon after driving the invaders off the planet, Sara had thought an informal reunion might be a nice change for everyone. As it was, everyone was excited about the opportunity to enjoy the Hawaiian water and weather outside a facility, no matter what the reason.
Jake had immediately detected a certain unease in his descendant as soon as he arrived. It wasn’t until Gemma proposed a demonstration on something Jacob had been working on that it all came together for him. Sitting in one of the large lounging areas specifically configured for informal discussions, Jake knew it had everything one needed to do a full product briefing.
“I’ve been thinking about our recent events, unexpected visitors, and what’s out there beyond Beta,” Jacob began.
As he began speaking, the rest of the group, teens included, began to find a place to settle in and listen if, for no other reason, they enjoyed a good show.
“It occurred to me that we might consider taking on the mission of expanding our own knowledge of the space beyond our solar system rather than waiting for the NeHaw or some other race to deliver us the information,” he explained.
“We’ve launched some probes to do just that,” his sister Patti announced.
“While unmanned probes are a great start, it’s the human element that is so important in deciding what is relevant. Sure, our analysts evaluated the data, but not until the probe has returned well after leaving the source of the data. Without the communications grid laid out by the NeHaw to attach to, the best our probes can do is record events as they occurred for evaluation much later after they return. Some don’t return, and we have no idea why.”
“And you propose?” Jake asked speculatively.
“A crewed ship, one specifically designed to explore unknown space,” Jacob replied with confidence as the hologram appeared in the open space above everyone’s head.
“This is the Earth ship Magellan, an exploration vessel of my own design. I have collected all the successes and failures of the other races and combined them into a single ship,” he started.
Jake studied the hologram as Jacob spoke. The black ship was unlike anything in the current Earth or NeHaw inventory, and the size and shape made it less military looking but not at all like a general transport.
“The ship is one hundred and two feet long, about half the length of a Destroyer and smaller even than Phantom by about twenty percent. Intended to be capable of a planetary landing, it has a tripod landing gear configuration, one skid up front and two at the rear.”
Flipping the image so everyone could see it from the top of the ship, Jacob moved some controls that stripped the skin away and exposed the inside.
“The bridge is in the nose of the craft, like the NeHaw explorer ship, but is stacked, Pilot and Copilot positioned above Navigator console and Sensor/Weapons station, all with unobstructed views forward and to the sides, on two levels. The configuration limits the headroom of those standing but optimizes the area behind the cockpit for the additional engineering and science stations any exploration ship requires. Behind those stations is a circular airlock that provides access outside on either side of the ship via these circular doors.”
While speaking, Jacob exercised the image to allow the people watching to see the hatches open and close, with internal bulkhead doors making the space airtight.
“When the doors are open to space, you effectively cut the ship in half, removing access to the bridge,” Jake observed.
“There is an access corridor below the airlock that permits movement front to rear on the ship while the airlock is sealed. Slightly taller than a crawl space, it is not ideal, to be sure, but it is very manageable,” Jacob explained.
There were nods of understanding as Jacob activated an animation that displayed the repositioning of the floor grates into steps, front and rear of the airlock, and the movement of a shadowy figure through the exposed tunnel.
“Behind the airlock is a large open space that is for general crew use, including the galley. It can work as anything from crew lounge to emergency medical services and is adaptable and easily reconfigured. There is another airlock hatch in the floor here that I will explain later,” he added cryptically.
“The ship can be crewed by as few as four on a standard mission or will hold as many as twelve with less concern about personal space and a little hot bunking. Eight is the optimal number. Everything is positioned for maximum use of space, the rear of the ship split into two decks, the crew’s personal space is above the workshop, cargo hold and spares storage,” Jacob explained as he manipulated the image.
“Four is kind of light for extended voyages, isn’t it?” Patti asked of her brother.
“We have a few items coming up that will explain that better,” was all he would reply.
“As I said, behind the common area, we split again. The upper deck is some private crew space and extended medical infirmary should that become necessary. You will note there are visibility ports all around the ship to allow for crew observations. Right below this deck is a cargo bay with an airtight lockout and a rear exit hatch for loading and unloading of large cargo. This space is also configured as a fabrication shop, allowing for the crew to create just about anything they need, not previously provided,” he said with some pride.
Jake was starting to see a lot of work had gone into this computer model, more than just for show.
“The ship’s drives, both the repulser and the FTL, are mounted symmetrically left to right outside the last quarter of the hull. Both sets are covered with shielding, in part, to mask their signatures from other sensors, but also to protect them from attack with additional plating.”
The statement was the first Jake heard referring to the possibility of hostile activities. It made Jake aware that Jacob had yet to unveil any weapons or other offensive capabilities. Rather than interrupting, he held the question for later.
“There is a small craft mounted to the underside, accessed through an airlock in the floor of the main ship common area I mentioned earlier. It’s designed as a single operator with the capability of holding others, both behind the cockpit and in a container mounted behind the operator’s small cabin. The module it carries can be dropped and retrieved as needed, in places where Magellan best not land herself,” Jacob explained.
“Dropping from high orbit, it can land, separate the module, and act independently as an exploration ship. The Wasp can then act as a shuttle between orbit and the landing party.”
“Wasp?” Jake asked aloud.
“Yes, my name for it, the alien’s name is unpronounceable. I freely acknowledge I didn’t design this ship. The Wawobash shipyard already has it in inventory as a small cargo short-run planetary transport with interstellar capabilities. In this case, it fits perfectly underneath Magellan, between the rear landing gear.”
With the image enlarged and separated from Magellan, Jake could see the insect appearance, the ship looking like a long wasp with its wings folded tightly to its back.
“Are those both repulser and FTL drives?” Sara asked in surprise.
“Excellent, yes,” Jacob said in delight.
“Not only can the vessel work as a shuttle, but it also acts as a backup to the Magellan should the mother ship suffer catastrophic failures. The Wasp’s engines will drive the Magellan back home with it mounted in its dock beneath the main hull. It can also act as a rescue pod, carrying the crew home should Magellan suffer a total loss. It might be tight, but it’s possible,” he finished.
“Can Wasp completely power Magellan?” Jake asked.
“No, only limited Magellan systems like life support and the drives aboard Wasp. The ship combination of Magellan and Wasp has triple power redundancy, but only the main power supply on Magellan can power everything,” he answered.
“You said triple redundancy. I only count two,” Jake asked.
“What is that square void above the Wasp docking space,” another asked at the exact moment.
“To reply to both questions, that is the third power supply. It’s where ALICE lives, rather, an ALICE,” Jacob explained.
With the statement, the room went silent for several seconds before Jake finally spoke.
“Explain.”
“Lanai and I have done extensive research on what computing systems constitute an ALICE, body, and soul, so to speak, with extraneous items removed,” Jacob began.
“When you take away all the extras that allow her to operate a facility or manage a spaceship such as Kola or ALICE-3, we found that she could be contained in a cube, two meters square by three meters tall. This includes a Nuclear Reduction Power Converter resized for more appropriate circumstances and a stasis shield generator package that protects her, independent of the ship’s abilities to do so.”
“The ALICE wouldn’t be tied to the ship permanently. She could be moved to another vessel or relocated to a planetary facility?” Sara asked in astonishment.
“That’s the idea,” Jacob replied.
“This has been confirmed?” Jake persisted.
“My sisters and I have reviewed the work of Lanai and Jacob and can find no omissions or errors in their assumptions,” ALICE interjected for the first time.
“And as I mentioned before, her position in the ship above the Wasp allows for her extraction should an escape be required. The cube mounts to the back of the Wasp and is returned with the crew. The location itself is central to the vessel and is the most protected spot on the ship,” Jacob explained proudly.
“We can send humans and an ALICE into the unknown together,” Patti said in astonishment.
“What about weapons?” Jake finally asked.
“There are a few hardpoints specifically intended for a limited number of external energy weapons. Things like rail guns that require stasis shielding are limited to a few weapons pods stored in shielded bays around the ship’s exterior. Also, the Wasp carries a few guns of her own that can be fired while still mounted to Magellan and smaller Gatling guns added there as necessary.”
“ALICE, what is your take on all of this?” Jake asked, as if unsure of his own opinion.
The thought of creating more ALICE life forms to be assigned to such small vessels was unsettling. However, the new form factor meant they could be relocated at any time to either a Capital ship or a ground-based facility with little or no risk.
“Collectively, we are a mixture of emotions, as well. There is a great amount of excitement concerning the ability to explore the unknown, but the risk of such a small ship has not gone undebated. There is also the impact the new packaging has on existing circumstances,” ALICE added cryptically.
“When can we have a prototype ship for testing?” Jake asked with a tinge of sarcasm, positive he already knew the answer.
“I have several Wasps in storage on Earth already, as I see other uses for them beyond this. The Wawobash have been provided everything they need to complete Magellan in three months’ time. I took the liberty of placing the order while you were gone,” he said with a guilty look.
“Can’t wait, now let’s go party,” was all Jake said in reply as he waved to the gathered family.
Chapter 5
London Underground Facility
“Colonel, a moment if I may?” Daniel asked as he caught Colonel Edwin Banks on his way to the Officer’s mess.
“Major, I was just going for tea. Why don’t you join me,” Edwin replied as he greeted the Major with a smile.
“Thank you, Sir,” he replied as he followed the Colonel into the Officer’s mess.
Unlike the American dining halls, the London facility still held to some traditional aspects of English society. Instead of a stark white dining hall with lines of metal tables, this was a more casual and elegant setting with wooden tables and tablecloths. The chairs were padded, and the tea service was of silver, with various baked products spread about for casual consumption. Another noticeable difference was the human attendants rather than robotics.
Waiting until both had poured their cups and gained seating at one of the many small tables throughout, Daniel watched as Edwin took the first sip.
“So, what can I do for you, Daniel?”
“I am working with the Germans to get them integrated into our way of doing things. As a result, I am finding them to be very myopic as far as their understanding of responsibility,” Daniel replied.
“Not interested in things beyond their doorstep?” Banks replied knowingly.
“Precisely. I thought it might be time to restore the exchange programs, you know, for training purposes,” Daniel said a bit tongue in cheek.
In the beginning, after initial contact with the Americans, they had instituted comprehensive training programs intended to both educate the personnel involved but also bridge the “us versus them” attitude gap that was natural when two dissimilar parties join forces. By shipping the Brits and Russians to America and the Americans everywhere else, they helped tear down the biases of those involved. The Chinese had participated to a lesser extent, but only with small units and never long term.
“You want to send them to America then?” Banks asked.
“No, sir, I thought China might be a better alternative,” Daniel said with a bit of a smile.
“That would require cooperation from our Chinese counterparts. Have you floated the idea past them?”
“It was Colonel Bo that first reached out to me. Seems he is having a similar issue with some of his district leadership, a China first kind of thing. He had proposed an SAS participation,” Daniel explained.
“Too bad sending them into space is not an option, but I tend to agree with your father-in-law on that issue. Only stable military units should be sent off-planet for training. The experience is humbling, but the ability to decimate your comrades with a little personal negligence is far too great,” Banks said.
Long ago, the top leadership had agreed the human population had too little experience in space to allow just anyone not extensively trained and conditioned for the rigors of day-to-day living in such a hostile environment. Simple errors in judgment or distractions could have disastrous effects on the individual and those around him or her.
