Deep Space Dream

By D. LAWS

Roy Darwin goes for a long hike in the forest. When he returns, he believes he had a scary but adventurous dream. Then little things make him wonder if it was a dream.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Newman Springs Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Sep 25, 2020
• ISBN: 9781648014604

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Deep Space Dream

D. LAWS

Copyright © 2020 D. LAWS

All rights reserved

First Edition

NEWMAN SPRINGS PUBLISHING

320 Broad Street

Red Bank, NJ 07701

First originally published by Newman Springs Publishing 2020

ISBN 978-1-64801-459-8 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64801-460-4 (Digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

A Simple Hike in the Mountains

The Encounter

A New Challenge

The Search

Terna

The Crew

Shore Leave

The Mission

The Super Ship

The Journey Begins

The City

Invaders

The Locals

Off Again

Repopulation

Bugs

A New Home

Relocation

The Return Home

Chapter 1

A Simple Hike in the Mountains

Ouch, damn rock. This was the second time adventure hiker Roy Darwin had stepped on a loose rock up in the mountains above the city of Vancouver in beautiful British Columbia, Canada.

Roy grew up in Southern California and joined the marines at the age of eighteen. Married twice and divorced twice, his love of the marines had cost him. After three tours overseas and then as a small arms and self-defense instructor, he had seen all of the anger and violence he could handle. Now retired, he started traveling north along the Pacific coast to find a quieter lifestyle, one where neighbors or strangers smiled and said good morning, and one where the wave of a hand was with all five fingers. Roy was alone in his world and free to go wherever his heart took him. The solitude of hiking was his peace.

Today started out as a nice spring day with a few clouds off to the West, and he decided to extend his hike further up the mountain. The clouds were starting to thicken overhead. It’s time to find shelter while the rain passes, he thought to himself as he noticed the clouds moving his way.

He moved through the brush toward the mountain and then a bush moved too easy. It fell away, revealing a small cave. What a great find, he thought. I can be out of the rain and have a fantastic view of the city below. As he looked around, he noticed that there had been a cave-in only a few feet inside the entrance. Well it’s still deep enough to protect me from the weather, he thought to himself as he sat there admiring the city below him.

After a while, he began looking around the shallow cave. He wondered just how deep this cave might have been before it caved-in and assumed the cave-in was caused by an earthquake in the past. When he started surveying the fallen rocks, his eyes centered on a disturbing sight. Just under the rocks were the skeletal remains of a hand.

Damn, some poor guy was in here when the roof caved in he said out loud, although no one was there to hear him.

He noticed a small metal object under the hand and hoped it would identify the victim. After carefully digging it out, he found it to be a small metal cylinder, about an inch around and about three inches long. As he carried it out into the light to get a better look at what the poor guy in the cave was holding, it began to glow. Then everything went dark.

Chapter 2

The Encounter

Why is it so bright out? he thought to himself and then, wait a minute where the hell am I he exclaimed out loud. The room was a dingy gray, and he was standing in some sort of glass column. A door in the column opened, and he stepped out. There was no one there except him. The ceiling and partway down the walls were glowing and seemed to provide the light for the room. There was a small stand with several white buttons and small white lights against the far wall. Other than the glass tube and the small stand, there was nothing else in the room. As he started to explore, a male voice from nowhere spoke, but the language was unintelligible.

I’m sorry, but I don’t understand you, Roy exclaimed.

The voice repeated but in a different language.

Again Roy stated, I don’t understand you. Where am I, and who are you?

Once again, the voice was heard, but this time, it was a language he could understand. YOU ARE NOT THE OBSERVER THAT WAS SENT TO THIS PLANET, it stated.

No, I’m not, Roy replied.

The voice asked, WHERE IS HE?

Roy guessed that the voice was speaking about the person under the cave-in and responded, He was killed in an accident.

HE GAVE YOU THE LOCATOR BEACON AS HIS REPLACEMENT, the voice replied.

Yes, Roy answered back, afraid that some sort of death ray’ would come out and strike him dead if he said no. Now where am I, and who are you?

YOU ARE ABOARD THE EXPLORER STAR SHIP EXCBR. I AM THE TERNA DEVELOPED SHIPS FULL MAINTENANCE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE REFERRED TO AS TDSFMAI, AND I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS SHIP.

Holy crap, I’m on a spaceship and being abducted by aliens, he thought to himself. He blurted out, I think there’s been a mistake. Is there someone I can talk to?

The voice responded, YOU ARE THE ONLY LIFE-FORM ON THIS SHIP.

Well, where’s the captain and the crew then?

THEY ABANDONED THE SHIP 703 YEARS 62 DAYS AND 3 HOURS AGO.

What? Why?

THE SHIP WAS STRUCK FROM THE REAR BY A LARGE ASTEROID, AND THE SHIP BECAME LODGED IN THE ASTEROID. ALL ATTEMPTS BY THE CREW TO FREE THE SHIP FAILED, AND THE ASTEROID WAS TAKING THE SHIP INTO DEEP UNEXPLORED SPACE. AS THE SHIP AND ASTEROID PASSED AN INHABITABLE PLANET, THE CAPTAIN AND THE CREW LEFT THE SHIP FOR THE PLANET.

Then how did you get here? Roy ask.

A SECOND ASTEROID STRUCK THE ASTEROID HOLDING THE SHIP, KNOCKING IT FREE. MY PROGRAMMING WAS TO RETURN AND PICK UP THE OBSERVER.

Okay, so when were you supposed to pick up this observer?

IN THIRTY OF YOUR DAYS.

A little late, aren’t you? Roy exclaimed. If it’s been over seven hundred years, why did you come back? You didn’t expect to find him alive, did you?

MY PROGRAMMING GAVE A RETURN INSTRUCTION WITHOUT A CANCELATION TIME. I HAVE COMPLETED THIS ASPECT OF THE MISSION NOW.

So what’s next, and what about me?

WE ARE CURRENTLY EN ROUTE BACK TO TERNA TO COMPLETE MY MISSION PROGRAM. I HAVE NO INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING YOU.

Are you saying that we are not near Earth?

THAT IS CORRECT. WE ARE 2.35 LIGHT-YEARS AWAY. ONCE WE CLEAR THIS SOLAR SYSTEM, WE CAN SAFELY TRAVEL AT MAXIMUM SPEED.

Roy sat down on the floor to gather his thoughts. He has just been holding a conversation with a mechanical-sounding male voice from nowhere that said he’s on a spaceship with no crew or captain. And the ship is being guided by some sort of computer that could care less about him.

How long before we get to where we’re going? he asked.

TWENTY-SEVEN OF YOUR DAYS, the voice replied.

What? I can’t sit here on this floor for that long.

YOU COULD, BUT YOU WOULD BE MORE COMFORTABLE IN ONE OF THE AVAILABLE LIVING QUARTERS ON DECK 6.

Okay, how do I get there from here?

I WILL GUIDE YOU. EXIT THE RETRIEVAL ROOM AND TURN LEFT.

Roy got up and walked toward the door, and it opened as he approached. He stepped into the hallway and turned left.

Now what? he asked. The voice told him to walk to the open lift where he would receive instructions. As he walked along the hallway, a small dull grayish metal box with legs scurried past him. What the hell was that? he exclaimed.

The voice responded, THAT IS AN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENT MAINTENANCE UNIT REFERRED TO AS AIMU. THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE OF THIS SHIP.

Oh, okay, a little robot, he thought to himself.

After a short walk, he arrived at an open door to what looked like an elevator. Okay, I’m here, he said.

I KNOW THAT, the voice said in an almost condescending tone. STEP INSIDE AND SAY ‘LIVING QUARTERS, DECK SIX.’

Roy stepped inside and thought for a second. Then he replied, What if I want to go to the Bridge or the control center or whatever it’s called?

THAT IS NOT ALLOWED. ONLY THE CAPTAIN OR THE FLIGHT OFFICERS ARE ALLOWED ON THE BRIDGE WITHOUT THE CAPTAIN’S PERMISSION.

But the captain’s not here, said Roy.

THAT IS CORRECT, replied the voice.

Roy stood there thinking to himself, How do you reason with a voice that apparently is a computer with no personality or reasoning? After thinking for a minute, Roy asked, What qualities are required to be the captain of this ship?

The voice replied, THE CAPTAIN IS THE APPOINTED LIVING LIFE-FORM THAT ASSUMES THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE SAFETY OF THIS SHIP AND ITS CREW.

And who appoints him? Roy asked.

THE REIGNING LIFE-FORMS OF TERNA APPOINT ALL SHIP CAPTAINS, the voice responded.

And if the captain were to die while in deep space, then who takes over as captain?

THAT POSITION WOULD FALL ONTO THE NEXT LIFE-FORM IN THE CHAIN OF COMMAND.

That was the response Roy was waiting for.

How many life-forms are aboard this ship now? Roy asked.

YOU ARE THE ONLY LIFE-FORM, the voice said with a tone of having already advised Roy that he was the only one.

Then I am the highest-ranking life-form aboard this ship, and by your description, the next in line to be the ship’s captain, Roy said confidently.

There was an unusually long pause, then the voice stated, "YOU ARE CORRECT, CAPTAIN. WHAT ARE YOUR ORDERS?"

Now we’re getting somewhere, Roy thought to himself. Roy also realized that he had absolutely no knowledge of this ship or any idea of how to run it and just how long he could survive listening to this obnoxious voice.

First of all, Roy began, you will speak to me in a more respectful tone.

YES, CAPTAIN, the voice replied in a tone that sounded a little less authoritative.

Roy continued, Do you have the ability to speak in any other voice that is a little more pleasant to listen to?

The voice replied, I HAVE 17,334 DIFFERENT TONES OF VOICES. WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO DEMONSTRATE THEM?

"No, Roy replied, Can you speak in a soft female voice?"

"Yes, Captain," was the response in a voice that was close to what Roy asked for. Now he knew that he might be pressing his luck, but he had fond memories of a girl he met in Seattle last week.

Not so high pitched and scratchy and maybe a little younger.

Is this better, the voice said.

Now that’s a voice that Roy could live with. In fact, he thought, I could live with a voice like that for a long time. Yes, that is a great voice, said Roy, Use that voice when speaking to me, and if there is an emergency, you should use that first male voice. That will alert me much faster.

Yes, Captain.

Now, take me to the Bridge, stated Roy in what he thought was a captain-like tone in his voice.

The lift gave a minor shudder, but there was no sensation of movement and then the door opened. Roy looked out into a large dingy gray room with obvious-looking workstations, but what caught his attention was the large curved window from the floor to the ceiling, looking out into the vast depths of space. It was almost hypnotic watching the stars go past.

What keeps that window from breaking if something crashes into it? he asked.

That is not a window but a projection of the area to the front of the ship was the response. I can project a view in any direction from the ship that you ask.

This view is fine, Roy said as he stood there fascinated by the stars passing by. He moved closer and felt like he was standing on the edge of the universe. At first, he was looking for a guardrail or something to hang on to and then realized that it was a solid wall he was standing in front of, with a projection of what was outside.

After standing and staring at the view for a long time, he started to walk around and explore the Bridge. Everything looked the same. There were no markings or any color at all. As he came up to different control stations, he asked the AI to define its use. There were navigation, engineering, flight, defense, communication, and environment controls. There were more, but he got tired of asking and knew that he had no idea how they worked.

Why are there all these different control stations if you run the ship? he asked.

"They are for manual control if I become damaged or out of service for maintenance. They also provide real-time updates and can be used to override me at the captain’s command," she replied.

As he stood there, Roy realized that he had an urge that should have been addressed an hour ago. Where is the bathroom? he asked.

I’m sorry, that term is unfamiliar to me, the AI responded.

"I need to pee. Where do I go?"

"I’m sorry, that—."

Urinate, toilet, expel waste water from my body, Roy exclaimed.

The blue door came the response.

After a few minutes behind the blue door, Roy emerged relieved and then had a frightening thought. Food! The food on this ship was over seven hundred years old. He remembered what his refrigerator looked like after he was gone for only two months. The mold on the food here must have evolved into some type of hideous new life by now.

AI, sometime in the near future, I need to eat. We have to go back to Earth to get fresh food.

All organic food is supplied fresh from the hydro garden on Deck 7. Animal-based foods are simulated in taste, texture, and nutrition. They are prepared and available to you in the forward Officers’ Louege section of Deck 5. There is no need to return to Earth for food. If you tell me what you want to eat, I can have it prepared and brought to you.

That’s okay. I’m not hungry now, he replied as he sat down in the captain’s chair to think about what he’s gotten himself into.