CHAPTER 16
1123 Words
Great. More fatigue.
Since I couldn't communicate, I couldn't ask direct questions on the forums. Although there was one interesting tidbit. They mentioned keeping a diary. If the information stayed on the ship, I could type. The Volardi could recreate matter. A typewriter wouldn't be impossible. Although , I was always better at vocalisation as opposed to typing.
An idea came, and I questioned if it would work.
"Computer, can you look up the specifications for an Earth voice recorder?" A female voice that sounded as it did on y favorite show, spoke. "Affirmative ."
The side face curled into a grin. I think I knew the answer, but spoke anyways. ''Can you make me one? Small so I can hold it in my hand?''
Again, the answer was an affirmative.
This is so cool.
I ran over to the kitchen and waited for the printer to finish. Although the Volardi called it a Matter Re-Arrangement unit. A fancy word, for a fancy machine. It could make anything, provided it wasn't dangerous. Maybe I could create a salellite radio or phone, but I wanted to keep my word. Yes, the situation was troublesome, but what else could I do? I agreed to all this. For good or for bad , I was earth's first pregnant male and the first in a line of new omegas.
I held the tiny black recorder in my hand. Okay, what to say? I wasn't just going to be famous throughout the Volardi empire. Trevah spoke about 'controlling the narrative.' What better way than a save my thought? The Volardi were sympathetic to omegas. That meant they'll listen.
My words would go next: ' We the people,' 'Fourscore and seven years ago, and even the upcoming ' We come in peace.'
I opened my mouth and stood there in silence. For several seconds, I 'willed' history to come but nothing did.
Several more attempts CAME. With some, I was full of myself. Others too weak. None had the right mix of humanity, humbleness and history.
Maybe a different area. Something less... domestic.
I walked out into the common area with its 'grass carpet' and holographic pink-blue sky. More time passed, and nothing came to mind.
Maybe it's stage fright? Sure, I couldn't see who listen, but they were out there in the 'future'. Maybe this is like work and home. I need to separate ?
I winced as I asked the question.
" Computer, I wish to leave and go somewhere else?" I sighed. "Is that permissible? Somewhere ...open or at least different . Lots of nature.'
I now understood their desire to recreate the tunnels and open areas of their home planet. After so much time on a space ship, one needed nature. I wasn't here long and I could feel the 'cabin fever' of my isolation.
"There are worship areas for the All Father in the center of the ship. Meditation for everyone else. The park is open while variable environments exist within the main structure."
''Will I be safe? I think it's best I avoid people."
I blinked and thought about how they found me falling towards oceanic rocks. I wasn't that man anymore - in many ways. If I needed no other reason, it was knowing it wasn't just me anymore. I had another life and the two men around me. I couldn't predict the future , but it was more hopeful now.
The computer had predictive artificial intelligence and could expect requests. Not alive nor sentient, but clever enough to guess your true intent. MUCH like an Internet search could offer suggestions.
A small silver globe flew into the grassy common area, and deposited a glowing purple band in mmy hand. The implant within, gave the answer. It was a proximity meter to alert me if there were other Alphas and Betas in the AREA. It also had artificial intelligence within to let me know where I could go.
The computer's female voice spoke without prompting. "As a point of pride, Alphas will not attack a claimed Omega. Its still advisable to avoid them. Betas can resist your scent unless one is bonded to you. The band will point you away from both."
"Omegas?'' I asked.
"There are only two on this ship. You are here. The other is undergoing a physical.''
The implant filled in the details of the park. If I were already omega, I would have remembered . Knowing things was..tricky. I didn't know everything about the Empire. I had to be aware of not knowing something ,so I could think to ask. It was like having access to a book. You can know what's happening if you read it, but only if you can think to look for it.
I Clutched my voice recorder and smiled at the upcoming speech." Let's do this."
***
A cross between a golf cart and teardrop shaped hovercraft took me into the spaceships center. It took far longer than I expected even if I didn't have a frame of reference. I suspected my roundabout path was to avoid Alphas.
I stopped at the bottom of several tall yellow 'mushroom trees' with roots that connected from up high like a waterfall cascade of branches. Interspersed were high,blue plants that reminded me of Q-tips or a long brush. The grass was Norma and a quick glance to the bracelet told me there were on Alphas about. Staying in the park was an option but not a good one. Even at a distance, on a ship of tall men, I'd stand out.
I walked towards a temple both equal parts advanced grey metal and circuitry embedded within purple-grey stone. The most striking part was the 'T' at the top with green blue lines running up and down.
I walked in and let the band direct me away from any worshipping alphas. Hallways and caverns went in various directions . It was instinct but the cavern 'felt' old. I could have used the implant to figure out the exact age, but I was already bombarded with information . I took steps both at random and from the band direct myself into privacy. A few had Betas. They wouldn't do anything but I needed quiet .
Some rooms were empty although calling them merely rooms was injustice. There were areas when I stepped through a weak force field and into a mild snowstorm. Others were jungle room, or rather world. The implant reminded me the Volardi were from different worlds. This ship had a collection from their empire. They were a race of cave dwellers,but centuries of different planets gave them new identities. Those that missed the desert could see it. Likewise, with the ice dwellers.
So cool.
- Writer
