GROUND / CH. 9:FINAL PREPARATIONS

SPACEFOLDING RESEARCH LAB.

After the second re-showing of the footage of the battle, and the fourth of the 'first aid', Maggie had left Rachel in charge and gone to fetch their last two crew members. Now she was back.

“Hello Rodger, long time no see,” Barbara said.

“What did you think you were doing, feeding sharks like that?” he said, moving to check her dressings, and apart from being surprised at her age, he ignored the other person on board.

“I'd been having a nice swim, before the dumb thing decided to eat me. It attacked from behind, as you can probably tell.”

“Got a good mouthful of you, too.”

“Yes, and the pain-killers are wearing off, I think. But God is good.”

“How can you say that?”

“I'd no idea that you'd be on the crew, and I'd just been praying that I'd get a chance to talk to you again. It looks like we've got weeks of talking time.”

“Doctor,” Maggie said, “sorry to interrupt, but we've got to do some in-space maneuvering to get ready to depart, that'll mean some acceleration — a tenth of an Earth gravity — for about half an hour. When we engage the bubble drive there'll be a bit of a lurch, and then we'll be in an absolute zero gravity environment. As far as I'm concerned, we can start any time, but I don't want to interfere with the treatment.”

“How strong a lurch?”

“Grandma?”

“You think I remember after all these years? I don't know. Not vastly different to normal, I guess. Nothing broke or fell over as far as I know.”

“So, expect a brief moment when it feels like you're falling.”

“Unlike now, when it feels like I'm falling.”

“Yes, exactly. It feels more like falling than this.”

“You could just turn on the artificial gravity, Maggie.” Heather said.

“The what?”

“You don't think we spent years and years in zero G do you?”

“But... how?”

“Oh dear, oh dear.” Heather said. “You're saying no one's thought to turn it on?”

“I didn't think it was possible!”

“Hmph. It's a bit tricky to get right, but we tweaked Boris's equations to get it working. We must have written it up, surely?”

“I studied interstellar navigation and exo-biology, Gran, remember?”

“Yes. Good job someone on board has some idea how this ship works. Doctor, would say... one Mars gravity be a good thing?”

“Certainly! Once I've got Barbara to the ward, anyway. Ten minutes?”

“No problem. We'll turn it up slowly, anyway, so no-one gets hurt. Let's go down to the control room, Maggie.”

“Down? The bridge is up, isn't it?”

“I obviously need to give you a more thorough tour of your ship, captain,” Heather chortled. “Thanks for inviting me! Did they tell you only had one meter per second acceleration too?”

“Yes.”

“Oh silly silly people! Oh, it's not your fault, Maggie, don't worry. That low acceleration is all you can get from the original Boris drive, and the original bridge is up in the council chamber, and we left those controls in place. There just wasn't room for the extra cables in the conduit. That's why we made the second control room.”

“I've been all over the plans, Gran. I didn't see anything about a second control room.”

“I expect they need updating,” Heather said, with a shrug.

“Can we get Rachel too?”

“Of course. Hmm, she's that way too. There's not much else there, so maybe someone's asking her why the children's play area has a locked door and a big notice on it saying 'not the play area any more.' At least, we can hope it does.”

“You put the second control room in the children's play area?”

“It was big enough, in the right place, and it makes much better sense to be in the middle of the ship if there's a radiation field round the lab.”

“And the children's play area?”

“Used to be the radiation shelter. Someone pointed out that it made lots of sense have the adults join the kids, rather than freaking the kids out by snatching them from playing.”

They reached the general area of the so-called children's play area, and found a knot of six confused parents, puzzling over the maps of the ship and the sign on the door, and three kids who were happily bouncing off the walls and ceiling. “Ladies and Gentlemen,” Maggie called, “I've just been told that the maps need updating, and the play area is now the room on your maps called 'Radiation shelter.'”

“That's full of what looks like racks of spare parts,” someone said.

“Hmm,” Maggie said. “Can I get through have a look at this room, then?”

“If you can get in. There's a security lock on it.”

“Well, that bit sounds right.” Heather said, puzzled.

“Oh,” Maggie said, “allow me to introduce our final crew member, Queen Heather, queen mother of the Restored Kingdom, inventor of the warp drive, my grandmother, and also the last captain of this ship, so hopefully she remembers what's happened to the children's play area.”

The adults tried to bow or curtsey, which didn't work very well in freefall. “Oh stop that, and just call me Heather, please. As for what's happened to the play area, well, it's been a long time, but let me have a look too. This room ought to be the new bridge. Gangway please, young people. Grandmother coming through!” Heather said, kicking off and aiming right through the middle of the flying children. Her othersight-enhanced timing was perfect, earning her a number of amazed looks from the parents, who'd been sure she'd end up in a tangle of small bodies and limbs.

“Free-fall almost makes me feel young again,” Heather grinned. “Come on, Maggie, what are you waiting for?”

“Your amazing sense of timing, grandma.”

“Hmm, tricky one that. Kids, can you let my granddaughter though? She's the captain, and hopefully she knows how to open this door.”

“Hopefully that door recognises my I.D. I was assured they'd programmed the bridge systems to it.”

“Ah, right.” Heather said.

“You sound doubtful, Grandma.”

“Did you, by any chance get a pile of papers in an envelope with 'Keep absolutely everything that's in here, they're really important.' on it?”

“That was in my cabin.”

“Oh good,” Heather said. “Try the I.D. first dear, it might work.”

It did. “Well, that's a pleasant surprise!” Heather said. The room lights came on. “But that is not.” There was a layer of dust in the room, and the computer screens looked dead. “I think, Maggie, that the re-commissioning team didn't come in here, or didn't know what this room was.”

“So, before we get gravity, we need some cleaning supplies and to find the switch panel?”

“Yes. Well, the switch panel is no problem, it's just here.”

“I see a lot of switches, Gran.”

“Yes. And you probably need to turn them on in the right order. Or delegate.”

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“Do you happen to know what the right order is?”

“Try that one at the end, for now,” Heather said.

“Communications? OK.”

“Right. Wrist units ought to be working now. Can you call Rachel and find out where she is, you never know, she might have found the missing play area, and then get someone to get your electronics engineer here, and your envelope full of really important data.”

“Don't bother calling,” Rachel said from the doorway. “I've found the Children's play area, and the radiation-shelter, they're in the same place, and to get there, you just need to zig-zag past the racks of spare parts.”

“Oh, great!” and “Thank you!” several parents said, and launched themselves and their children in the right direction.

“What's this room?” Rachel asked. “It sort of looks like a much bigger version of upstairs, with more interesting controls.”

“Well spotted,” Maggie said. “Apparently the 'main control room' got demoted, but the plans didn't get updated. Hi, James? Can you please go to my cabin and get an old envelope which says something like 'Really important paperwork about lab, don't throw away, all of this is really important'?”

“Urm, OK. And your cabin will let me in?”

“It ought to. I told it you could go in and so could Rachel.”

Heather had been looking at the familiar but half-forgotten controls, “Thank you for bringing me back here, Maggie. I never thought I'd be back.”

“Old memories?”

“Lots, like your father jumping up and down in the corner there, trying to get out of the play-pen. He only managed a couple of times, when the gravity was low, which was good for his nose.”

“His nose?”

“He landed on it pretty regularly.”

Eventually James arrived, and with him Ernest, the electronics engineer.

“I hear there's a problem?”

“Not yet,” Heather said, “but the recommissioning team forgot to check in here. This being the main control-room.”

“Ah.”

Maggie said, “Option one is we just play flip the switch, option two is we call them back, option three is we see if there's anything in the paperwork, is that right, Gran?”

“Sounds about right. I seem to remember there was something important about the sequencing, but you're relying on ageing grey-matter there.”

“So let's not go for option one, please.” Rachel said.

“I whole-heartedly agree. It'd be a bit sad to turn on the bubble drive power and find the computer needs to be fully operational first, or something.”

Maggie slid the papers out of the folder. Enclosing the bundle was a sheet which read 'Documentation for bubble-space lab. Don't power up without reading.' “I hope the recommissioning team read this.”

“Probably.” Heather said.

“OK...” Maggie said, “We've got information on turning on the bubble drive, about using the Boris drive, about using the bubble drive units to be a Boris drive. You can do that?”

“Of course, it's how your probe ship works,” Heather replied.

“And here's one that talks about powering up the main bridge, and another which talks about the secondary bridge, and a note stuck on which expresses confusion because they can't find a secondary bridge, and the instructions for the main bridge don't seem to apply.”

“And no one thought to ask anyone?”

“I guess not. Oh, I've got another note dated a few days later saying they've set up the secondary bridge, and presume the main bridge is this room, but can't get in, the passcode included in the attached document doesn't work.”

“Hmph.” Heather said. “It used to. Good job we're in.”

“Can I see that block diagram?” Ernest the engineer asked.

“Certainly.” Maggie passed him the diagram.

“That's odd. Was this room made first or second?”

“Second.”

“Oh. That makes more sense. So... the secondary bridge functions can be controlled from here, but the secondary bridge has the access controls. I guess they broke the access code without realising it. Can I see the repair log?”

“Here.”

He hummed and hahed for a while and then said “Oh, the idiots. There was a problem with one of number pads and they decided they needed to swap the access control system at the same time because the new pads aren't compatible with the old system. There's a pile of spare pads in the parts store I've just been inventorying. Why didn't they look?”

“Is it a problem?” Maggie asked.

“Not if everything works. According to this diagram, it might not, and if it doesn't then we'll need to be going back to the old panel and resetting IDs.”

“And everyone gets locked out of their bedrooms?”

“Yes. And you get locked out of the navigation controls, Captain.”

“Lovely. Let's hope it works, then.”

“OK, think I've seen enough,” Ernest said. “Does anyone have a problem with me following this procedure to the letter?”

“Well, we've already turned on the communications unit, to get a wrist unit signal,” Maggie said, “but otherwise, go ahead.”

“Hmm. I'll turn that back off. Just to be safe. There's probably a reason that's in the middle of the procedure. Here, just after 'wait at least ten minutes until screen says self-calibration tests completed'.”

A look of horror appeared on Heathers face. “Thank you for your wise words, young man. There is a reason, I remember. In fact I remember being very very annoyed with the man when he explained it to me.”

“Would you like to tell us, Gran?”

“There's a presumption that communications is down while the self-calibration is done. The calibration hardware indicates that self-calibration is finished, but there's no interlock to stop it from happening if communications is turned on.”

“And it's bad if it is?” James asked.

“It turns off the B.A.D to check the bad problem detector is working. If communications was on, then it would have engaged the bubble generators before doing that, because the B.A.D only works when it thinks they're on.”

“Eeek.” Maggie said quietly, going pale.

“Can someone tell me what a B.A.D. is?” James asked.

“Blackhole Avoidence Device. A bad problem means the B.A.D is not functioning correctly, and we risk triggering a black hole and simply dying or alternatively losing our connection to the universe.” Maggie said, “the bad problem detector triggers a crowbar circuit on the bubble generators.”

“Which means — if there's communication link to the bubble generators — one almighty bang, fried electronics, terrified crew if they're not too near the exploding circuitry to survive, and no bubble generators any more.” Heather added, “but at least the stars should still be shining outside the dome and some people have a hope of being rescued alive. I was absolutely livid when I understood what they'd done, but the calibration hardware is permanently embedded in the crystal of the floor, and apparently it's exactly the same hardware they used in the initial scouts, so they just thought it was perfectly normal, and they didn't want to tamper with the design. I insisted they did for the second generation scout ships.”

“But the calibration hardware only gets used once?” James asked.

“No, it checks things on a regular basis at other times too. But it only checks the B.A.D at turn-on.”

“There is a warning on the switch for it,” Ernest said, looking at the switch panel, “But it's a bit faded. Captain, would it be OK if I got Sathie to work out if she an make some kind of mechanical interlock that would fit over this panel and turn off communications when you turn on the calibrator?”

“Certainly, Ernest. Or you can re-design the panel if you like, once we're on-planet, to enforce any other critical turn-on sequence things.”

“Hmm. I'll need to talk to her about that option too,” Ernest said, smiling.

“Do I get the feeling you enjoy talking to her, Ernest?” Heather asked.

“Gran, stop stirring.”

“Why can't I stir? Young Ernest here has just saved us from terrifying the crew and maybe killing some of them, and I'm more than happy to praise him in front of the lady if she needs a prod in the right direction.”

“I wouldn't presume to say I'm the right direction, maam,” Ernest said, humbly, blushing even more.

“Maggie, do you want to call Sathzakara down here so we can get this sorted out?” Heather asked.

“The switch panel or Ernest's romantic hopes?” Maggie asked.

“I meant the switch panel, dear,” Heather said, “but thinking romance is much nicer than thinking of dropping ourselves in a black hole.”

“I'll start the turn-on process,” Ernest said, blushing furiously.

By the time Sathzakara arrived he'd reached the 'wait ten minutes' bit.

Ernest had recovered from his embarrassment and described the problem to her. She blanched at the thought of no interlocks, and agreed they ought to do something, and stood close to Ernest to look at the checklist; closer to him than was strictly necessary.

“Why are you all looking at Ernest and me with grins on your faces?” Sathie asked, after a while.

“Nothing you need any help with, young one,” Heather said, “But I'll just point out that while we're not exactly close to Atlantis, we're closer than we'll be for a long time. If you're as certain as it looks to me, I'll add that I can follow that checklist as well as Ernest can, and since Maggie and Rachel don't really both need to be here, one of them could zip you two off to Earth so you can spend half an hour meeting one another' parents while we start up the systems here. We've got another two hours to go, looking at that list.”

“Gran, you are shocking!” Maggie said, grinning. “Rach, do you want to play taxi-driver this time or shall I?”

“We're neighbours.” Ernest said, bright red again, “we've met each others parents lots of times.”

“Oh, OK.” Heather said, “You obviously just need time to talk, then.”

“I don't know what you're talking about, Maam,” Sathzakara said, primly.

Heather switched from English to Mer, “Didn't your grandmother ever tell you not to try lying to a seer, Sathzakara Shipbuilder? I know what I see.”

“What have you said, Ernest?” Sathie rounded on him, angry. “You know I am not free to walk with you.” Turning back to Heather she asked “Did you not see that? That my heart is torn in two?”

“Yet again, I spoke too soon, jumping to conclusions based on part-knowledge.” Heather said, “I am sorry, Sathzakara, for the pain I have awakened. I did not look deeply, but saw the barrier and thought it was merely shyness, or convention. I see now it is deeper.”

“Far deeper,” Sathzakara said. “For I made a promise, full of hope, and joy and happiness.”

“And now your joy is pain and you happiness, mourning, and where there was hope, it has weakened and you are not certain, yet here is this friend who has known you your whole life, and loves you, yet is not sure if he loves you as a brother loves a sister or if it is a different love.”

“You called me Shipbuilder. It is not a name I wear with pride anymore.”

“Will you tell me why not? My grandson's ship was well made.”

“You... you are Queen Heather?”

“Maggie, didn't you tell anyone I was coming?”

“No, Gran. It was supposed to be a surprise.”

“My ship failed your grandson, your majesty,” Sathzakara said.

“Rubbish. The only thing that failed my grandson was the idea of him going out alone. We'll have to ask him exactly what happened when we find him.”

“You... you are certain, your majesty?”

“If no one told you that, then I am very very sorry, Sathzakara. It is Mick you mourn?”

Sathie nodded.

“Far too often I blurt out things I shouldn't, and sometimes I worry about things. I keep thinking that I've beaten the blurting, and then I do it again, but I can see the difference between written truth and falsehood. Let me show you four images of things I've written, to stop me worrying.”

Heather offered her hand.

Sathzakara took it and saw the first image of a page. 'The ship failed Mick.'

“See the black of it?” Heather asked, “That's a lie.”

The second image 'Mick would be home if he'd not been alone.' “Truth, see the gold?”

Sathie nodded.

The third image; 'I will see Mick alive,' also glowed gold as did the fourth:

'Mick will be at Maggie's wedding.'

“Then... why couldn't he be contacted?” Sathie asked.

“God's purposes are not ours, blessed be the name of the Lord,” Heather said, and looked at Ernest. “Ernest, I am guessing here, not speaking with any supernatural knowledge, but I think you would be wise to think of Sathie as a sister-friend, and look elsewhere for romance.”

“Urm, any advice?” he asked.

Heather laughed kindly, “I'd have thought you'd have seen enough of me in action to know better than risk that, young man.”