I'm sorry, this one is very short.
It will get better, given some time.
But it's at least getting, somewhere?
ahem.
==
.
What suit had found redefined their priorities totally.
Using his mining equipment suit sent down a sonde, somewhat like their probes but of an older and not so sophisticated type, straight through the floor of their cabin.
As Royal expressed it. “What’s the use of telling the whole world what we’re doing?”
And Jeff agreed. His sleep had become erratic the last weeks. It felt as if he was constantly assaulted by bad dreams. And they all seemed to involve that shapeless guy? Then there was something more, the urge to leave that town had grown stronger for every dream. It was becoming just as real as when awake, and that was starting to take its toll. He felt constantly tired, and also afraid of sleeping, as that only seemed to place him in that same dream. And that urge he had to leave, he was afraid of that one too. Because he had this weird feeling that maybe, just maybe, he wouldn’t wake up at all if he did?
He had tried to ask about it but Royal didn’t seem to have the time, and when he tried to discuss with suit it acted all dismissive, as if dreams was nothing to be worried about.
“That’s the problem with you organics.” It said. “You take everything so seriously.”
Maybe he did, but wasn’t Janelle taken by a dream too? Even if it was genes it still seemed to him as if he had good reason to worry. Royal's examination of his gene base had showed that he had the same genes implanted as her, but in a dormant position. Royal was comparing blood and cell samples from him to Janelle’s, frenetically trying to work out why hers would be dominant whilst his was not. So far he had found no explanation though.
==
What the sonde showed only made the suits argue, even harder than they had before. The crust stretched only a few hundred meters, and after that, there was only space. And that ‘space’ was behaving real strange. There were no light sources, and any radiation they sent just seemed to disappear? They tried to ‘ping’ the other side of the shell, having no success.
“This planet is a strange place. Worthy of several Emperors attention.” As Royal, somewhat pompously, put it.
In the mean time their negations were at a stand still. Planet was not used to that, it was more used to things flowing smoothly. Its inhabitants might have their little quirks, but something as stubborn as those suits it hadn’t met in a very long time. Patience wasn’t the right word, a planet don’t use those definitions. But if it had used it, we might say that its patience fast was running out.
They sat huddled before the fireplace discussing.
“We can’t reach the fields, and our food is running out, the same goes for water. We can try to fight our way to the woods, or split our forces.” The Royal said.
That meant that at least he and Janelle would be free, but free to go where? That name less shape they were fighting seemed to have the whole planet in its grip?
“Fight our way out? Against those?”
“Yes, we have the fire power, although we will only have it for a limited time, then we will need to regenerate.” Answered his suit. “I still think we should try to negotiate Royal.”
But Royal had this feeling, I know, suits (or robots, as they were called before) shouldn’t have feelings, should they? Let’s just say he had a good eye for probabilities then, and, according to those they were in dire need for a prolonged climate change. As they sat there in front of the fireplace discussing Jeff could feel himself getting sleepy again. Trying to do it as inconspicuous as he could he got out one of his peps, swallowing it dry.
But trying to hide anything in the vicinity of suits isn’t really an option. The Royal and suit was in constant sub-mode conversation, blindingly fast. The slow verbal conversation they had, involving Jeff, was mostly for his sake, and for him to learn from the masters, at least as Royal saw it. And as they noticed, they instantly recognized it for what it was.
“Give me a update on what you and him have discussed.” Royal ordered.
As suit gave it verbatim Royal remembered Jeff’s tries to communicate his unrest before. And Royal did take it serious, it was just that he had been fully occupied at that time, Janelle being his protocols top priority.
“So, he might be under attack too.” It concluded. “Bad news indeed.”
“Couldn’t we try to sneak out instead.” Jeff asked into the sudden silence that had appeared. “A tunnel maybe?”
The suits started to communicate.
“I’m sorry Royal, a puppy still.” suit tried to excuse his friend.
“No, the idea has some merit. But not a tunnel. How‘s your gyro, any glitches?”
“I’ve been doing what I can, maybe if we tethered I could take off, but the probability of it working for a sustained time period is low.”
“No problem, we'll let gravity take care of that.” The Royal decisively sub-vocalized before it, once more, turned back to Jeff.
“A good idea Jeff. But not a tunnel, we’ll open a way to the space inside instead. I doubt they will be able to get any information out from there.” And it was a good idea, it would make them invisible, and so buy them time. And who knew what they would meet inside that space.
There had to be an explanation to all of this and, as it looked now, maybe the planets innards was where they would find it?
Comments
A rock and hard place
I would hesitant to jump in the void, but their options are limited. I'm curious too. Unlike Eric I didn't think of Varley but there are similarities. Both are real good about manipulating life forms, and they each like getting their ways. I'm eagerly waiting for more.
hugs
Grover
Since the Planet's Genes...
...in Jeff are still dormant, we can surmise that it's the circlet that has decided Jeff needs to escape. (You'd think it would have left some indication of its existence that Royal and Suit could read in Jeff's vitals, but apparently not.)
Anyway, that's something of a concern; it'd seem to me to indicate that the circlet considers Jeff's present situation hopeless even apart from the food question.
I don't think we know whether it retains any loyalty to Janelle or if it's only interested in its own survival and (therefore) that of its host. Even making Jeff and Janelle fall in love could be viewed as a survival strategy. I'd sure like to know what to make of that first dream's impression that the circlet was negotiating with Planet (or with something) on its own.
No matter, though, since Royal apparently knows of a way to do what it, Jeff and Suit all agree is the best strategy: getting out and determining what's inside the planet. I'd have thought that they must have a way to tunnel down if the sonde could do it, especially if they've decided that it's their only hope and thus they don't need to keep the tunnel open to return to the surface afterward, or could open things up in front of them on the way back if necessary.
I'm not sure that the Royal really thinks they should die trying, though. However loyally it has been programmed, I'd expect the Royal to decide that the survival of the four of them in assimilated form would be preferable to the death of the organics -- not that there'd be much chance of them (or their progeny) getting rescued, but there'd be even less chance of their getting resurrected after they're dead. Death over slavery might well be a decision that humans would make, but a machine ought to be more pragmatic.
(That'd be a last resort, of course, if the Royal has decided that Janelle can't survive any other way. Would it decide to take the Planet's offer, become Janelle's organic consort and let Jeff die? Is that what the ringlet's afraid of?)
Probably wouldn't help the story, but Royal ought to realize that taking Jeff with them (and certainly taking Janelle) makes it probable that Planet will know where they are and where they're going, since Planet's genes are inside the pair and they know it has been able to control the location of its other life forms. So much for the "invisibility" he's claiming. What Planet could do about it once it knows (a magma attack? a change in density?) is another question, assuming that there aren't any significant life forms deep in the crust and that it's incapable of creating any on short notice. Best case scenario for our heroes is that Planet will at least know they're no longer within the siege zone.
Eric
Well they definitly have
Well they definitly have some problems.
I can't wait to see what adventures will happen too them under the crust.
Thank youb for writing,
Beyogi
Thnx
Interesting thoughts, I do have expectations for them, and some little idea what they will meet inside. As for tunneling we will have to assume that suit will know its way there? I'm thinking that there been some weird developments from what we consider tunneling, since those space lanes were opened, but I'll come back to that, can't assure you that you will find it making sense though, but it's a SF hybrid :) If I would write it as a book I probably would bring in a lot of your ideas Eric, in one form or another, they are that good. And yeah Groover, Beyogi :) I'm waiting on it too, to see what daredevil stunts they might try, just as eagerly. And thanks for the support all.
This is what makes writing fun.