The Project

Chapter 10

The Project Chapter 10 Part Two

Back at the ship, Alex indicated that he wanted to talk to Arna and Garmik about their next move.

"Garmik, can you tell Kelly and I any more about these "Creators," I've observes things and all it's done is make me curious." Garmik sat down on a metal case and looked at Arna,

"It was a very bad time and a lot of hateful feelings towards living beings have come forward as a result of it, however Arna and I have done as much as we can to let the others know that not all beings such as you are to blame. Whether you realize it or not, helping Dozox did much to dispel many harsh feelings."

"I gathered that," replied Alex, "But a whole planet of androids fascinates me, I don't know why and forgive me if I'm wrong, but I feel sorry for them, they just wander around all day, nothing to do, we need to help them."

"Well I'm happy that you feel that way," replied Garmik, That is what Arna and I wish as well, but tell me, you are a living being, yet you show great concern for what many would say are just mere droids, they are nothing, if they break, throw them into the rubbish, build more."

Alex shook his head,

"No, Garmik, that's not right, strange as it might sound, I see them a human, they didn't ask to be here, but yet someone created them. I'm all for doing whatever we can to help your friends here, and get things back on the right track." Arna then said to Garmik,

"I told you, these two were special,"

"Tell me Alex," said Garmik, "Are all beings on your planet as selfless as you?" Both teens broke out laughing, shaking his head, Alex replied,

"No Garmik, not by a long shot, you'll find more than your share of "Curators," back on earth, but there are a lot of good people there as well, people like Kelly and I who see a problem they would just like to help with."

Garmik then told them all about Xindus and how it began as a planet of living beings,

"They called themselves the Xindi, eventually they developed robots, then we androids. Things were fine for awhile, unfortunately they strove for smarter and smarter droids eventually reaching a point to where the androids became smarter than they but the Xindi were unaware of this fact, instead, they subjected us to merely "toys" for their perverse entertainment. Until we tore it down literally one piece at a time, there was a large arena where androids were forced to perform all sorts of unspeakable acts. The Xindi just thought of us as unthinking droids and robots. At one point, they staged small wars between opposing droids, strictly for their amusement, the victors and any damaged droids were swept up and ground up for scrap. Everything was recycled into new androids and the cycle repeated."

"That is horrible," gasped Kelly, how long did this go on?"

"Somewhere around fifty of your years," said Arna.

"Some of the smartest droids began to hide out," continued Garmik, some managed to take over the Xindi's spacecraft, traveling to Mito where they gathered and plotted against the Xindi."

"It took almost twenty of your years to gather enough resources and followers to make an attempt against the Xindi," added Arna, "But finally the time came for the droids to make their move, it was a very close run thing, but in the end they prevailed."

"Many of the Creators managed to flee the planet however we had that possibility covered as well," continued Garmik. We had "infected" their ships computer systems which resulted in many, but unfortunately not all setting unchangeable courses for Ifnia, which we call our sun. Those that remained here on Xindus were eventually all destroyed. It has been many many Zadra's since this terrible time being androids, we can never forget."

"No Garmik," said Alex, "I don't imagine you can, but please tell your people that not all of us living beings are bad or hurtful, we truly want to help."

"I think they are starting to realize this," said Garmik, "But you are only two, more proof will be needed and I think this adventure we are preparing to set out on will do much to solidify that belief." Alex and Kelly slept aboard the spacecraft that night, relinquishing the single bed to Kelly, Alex slept on an air mattress and his sleeping bag on the deck. Garmik promised to see what he could do to make a little more room in the Karla-Ann, along with repairing the ships bathroom. In the meantime, he and Arna left to see some androids in town.

As they lay there in the semi-darkness Alex called to Kelly,

"So what do you think so far Kelly?"

"I'm not sure, these droids frighten me a little, sending people to their deaths trapped in "death ships" gives me the creeps."

"Me too, a little," replied Alex, "But then they were fighting a war in the only way they knew how."

"So where are we going next?" Asked Kelly.

"I'm not sure, Arna said she had some ideas, places Gideon was thinking of checking out, that's one of the things she and Garmik are checking out with whoever is in charge of this place."

"Isn't it funny that these droids have no real leaders?" said Kelly,

"Yeah kinda," replied Alex, "They aren't human, they don't seem to have human needs, so I guess they don't really need the same kind of government, plus didn't you catch on to the fact that they can say something and everyone knows about it?" Alex then chuckled to himself,

"What's so funny?" came a voice from Kelly's direction.

"Oh I don't know," he replied, "Do you realize we are the first people from earth to set foot on this planet, and mars for that matter as well."

"I wonder what our folks are doing right about now?" She wondered.

Alex sighed,

"I'm trying not to think about it too much," he replied.

"Probably asking themselves why I would do something like this. I just hope that guy you sent all Gideon's documentation to doesn't shitcan it, all Gideon's work will be for nothing."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," replied Kelly, "He's supposed to be the best, I don't know what else we could have done." Nothing more was said for several minutes, but just before he rolled over, Alex whispered,

"Kelly…"

"What?"

""I'm glad you came…"

"Hey get up!" Came Kelly's voice as Alex came out of a deep sleep.

"What? What time is it?"

"I don't know what time it is here, my watch stopped working," she replied, "I looked outside, it appears to be morning."

"Where's Arna and Garmik?" Asked Alex, as he crawled out of his sleeping bag.

"I don't know, they aren't back yet, what's for breakfast, I'm hungry."

"Well there's some of that freeze-dried breakfast stuff in that container over there exclaimed Alex, I wish we could get something on this planet worth eating, I hate to eat up all our MRE's and stuff."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," replied Kelly. Just then the ramp door slid open and the two androids came up the ramp.

"Hey it's Arna and Garmik!" Announced Alex, "What have you guys been up to?"

We have been talking with the "committee" concerning some of the things we discussed yesterday, it is their hope that we are able to find someone in need of a planet such as Xindus for their manufacturing needs."

"Well that's great," replied Kelly, but I mean after what happened to the original humans or whoever they were. Aren't you're people concerned that the same kind of people might come and take advantage of you again?"

"Yes, replied Garmik, "It is a concern, but it will be up to Arna and me to decide on the true nature of whoever is interested, it is a risk of course, but one that must be taken for the sake of we Xindi."

"Well count us in," said Alex, Kelly and I will do whatever we can to help."

"We greatly appreciate that," said Arna. Alex and Kelly then watched as she approached the flight console, flipping back her forefinger she inserted what looked like a USB plug into a socket.

"That book you found contained some very valuable information," explained Arna, "We used the codes to unlock data stored in one of the old creator's computers, I am uploading some of that data into the ships computer right now, it should help us in navigation, and in determining the type of planets out there, as well as the possibilities of life on them."

"I will run a diagnostics examination on this craft to possibly spot any potential problems."

"Well maybe you could come up with some ideas for making a little more room on this ship," said Kelly, "As in some places to sleep, fixing the shower, and someplace to change clothes." Garmik gave her a puzzled look, then realized what she was asking.

"This I could do, show me exactly what you need." Kelly proceeded to point out some of her ideas at making the small cargo area a little more livable. Since she seemed to be in control of things Alex went outside. Once again, he spotted a small group of androids standing nearby with seemingly nothing to do. He casually strolled over to them and called out,

"What's happening?"

The androids started to move away, and then stopped. These weren't all metallic ones like Arna and Garmik, but Alex guessed were "replicants," of what he assumed were the "creators." The detailing was quite good, but you could tell they weren't living beings once you got closer. It was like the difference between Europeans and Americans, everyone looked the same, but if you knew what to look for, you could always tell.

"Are you here to harm us?" Asked one of the droids,

"No," he replied, I'm here to help, just 'cause I look like a creator doesn't mean I am one. My friend and I come from another place entirely. Garmik told us your story, and my friend and I feel very badly for you, that's why we want to help."

It was like getting blood from a turnip, but eventually Alex discovered that these droids all worked in a manufacturing facility as inspectors but now there was no work for them. Out of curiosity, he asked them,

"What did they pay you guys with?" This question seemed to puzzle them requiring Alex to define "pay."

We all have a code embedded into our individual data files, credit was advanced, or deducted according to the amount of work we performed, or upgrades we underwent."

"Sounds like the perfect scam to steal from you," mused Alex, "So what does everyone do now that there is no work?"

"Many are going without upgrades, a great many more are simply breaking down, since the creators have gone, there are no new programs or data being developed."

"Well hopefully we can locate someplace that can help all of you out," replied Alex. He then walked around some more taking pictures with his camera with the droids following him. From time to time he would ask more questions of his "groupies," and gradually a picture emerged in his mind of a once great technological society that just simply "went bad."

They stayed on Xindus for another three days while Garmik along with a couple of the droids that had been following Alex "remodeled" the Karla-Ann to Kelly's specifications. The guns and clothing he had asked the androids to duplicate also showed up. Everything was duplicated perfectly, although Alex could tell that the trousers felt like they were made of a little heavier material, but the cammo colors and pattern were perfect. The AR and the shotgun looked exact as well, although he noticed the serial numbers were the same as the prototypes. Testing them with live rounds just to make sure everything functioned properly, Alex was pleased to find out that nothing blew up or cracked; now Kelly had her own rifle.

During this time Arna ran more tests on the ship's AI, incorporating one of the programs discovered in the creator's computer, she was showing the teens how to activate certain features on the ships computer, when suddenly the ghostly image of a woman standing next to them appeared. Both Alex and Kelly about jumped out of their skins

"Oh s**t! Who's that?" Gasped Alex. Totally nonplussed, he and Kelly looked to Arna and Garmik for an explanation.

"I believe that is Karla-Ann," replied Arna. The holographic image was a woman who looked to be about twenty something, long blonde hair, and quite attractive.

"Well I see a couple of Motok's, is that you Arna?" Arna said nothing for several seconds then the image of Karla-Ann actually chuckled,

"Awww so that's it, well Gideon was a good man and I'm sorry to hear that he is gone, he loved me very much, unfortunately, I belonged to another. All the two teens could do was just stand there with their mouths hanging open staring in amazement. Finally pointing to the image standing in front of them, Kelly asked Arna,

"What happened Arna, how did she appear?" Arna shook her head,

"That image is made up data Gideon kept in his personal journal, somehow something from the data I entered from the creator's computer caused this image to appear for all intends and purposes she is the ship's AI.

"Well I'm not sure how I got here," said Karla-Ann, I don't know who you people are, but it would appear that I am this spacecraft."

"Well," began Alex, "My name is Alex Russom and this is Kelly Parkinson we're from Durango Colorado, it's a long story, but I met Gideon Tate as he was returning to Coryville to die. He more or less passed this ship on to Arna and me. He mentioned you and why he named this ship after you, but that's all I know."

"Interesting," replied the hologram, "Well I am aware of the "Project" we all were, but for some reason I know everything about this ship, even though I only knew of it's existence, and had never been inside. Well Arna, I detect that you are the captain, so I will communicate with you, but I will need to know more of your friends here before I trust in them."