or metal. It looked and felt like
some kind of composite, even the front.
" Does
this thing have a screen?" She spoke.
"Of course," The Irishman replied
immediately.
The forward wall suddenly resolved into a
view so clear it took her breath away. How did that happen? It just looked
like wall a moment ago. The detail was almost too much, the content rich.
Looking out she could see they were still on the ground and although still
light, darkness wasn't far away. Regan checked her watch, six seventeen p.m.
Do or die! She thought. . .
"I have questions."
"Fire away."
She paused at the reply . . . "Your
language is distinctly . . . colloquial."
"Is that a problem?"
"No . . . just . . . not what I would
have expected."
"How so?"
Regan smiled wryly at the response and
chose to ignore it. "Why the German?"
"German?" The voice replied.
"You know, when you first called, you
spoke in German and something else."
"Ahh . . . Your name, Stein; it has
German and Norwegian roots."
"Hmm, how did you know my name?"
"The SatPhone registration."
"That was quick work." Regan sped
through the process steps; scanning, picking up the signal, checking the
number, then registration, identification, deciding on the approach, composing
the words, making the call to her, all before she herself had time to dial. It
was more than impressive, it was impossible! They are NOT from anywhere
around here!
She drew in a big breath. "Where are
you from?"
"Regan, you're going to think you're
being suckered here, but you're not. These are important questions and there
will be time to answer them later. But the Pod will need to move soon and Marin
needs hydration. Look up, there's water behind the panel you can see there. The
tube will extend to him. Please attend to his needs then retake your seat, and
Regan . . . thank you."
The small courtesy took her by surprise and
for a moment she considered something to say. She decided no, it could wait and
reached instead for the panel above. It ratcheted down like a shelf and she
could see packets, sealed tubes like toothpaste and yes, a long thin tube with
a tap end similar to that on her Camelbak. Turning to Marin she saw the blue
goo had disappeared. Stretching the tube to his lips she released the tap and
trickled liquid to his mouth. To her surprise his lips closed on the end and he
began to suck and his eyes opened. He froze, and then made some unintelligible
sounds. Were they words? His eyes were wide, startled, and then they
glazed over as he lapsed back into unconsciousness. Disturbed she took a moment
to calm herself then tentatively reached out and stroked his forehead, using a
sleeve to wipe his chin. She then rearranged his jacket pillow and stood.
"For a moment there he came around, it
was a bit of a shock for him to see me I think."
"You're not that hard to look at."
She laughed spontaneously, a surprise even
to her. "You're way too quick. I'm talking to a computer aren't I?"
"Hmmm, beautiful and quick, you're
living up to your reputation."
A thrill passed through her so quickly it
made her shudder. She hugged herself in delighted shock. This was a dream,
something that had proved so elusive. Oh sure, she could use voice commands . .
. even have basic conversations with her own system, but nothing like this. True
artificial intelligence . . .? Steph, Kutch, they won't believe it!
"How do you know about me?" and suddenly
this felt like a game, a computer game, it was comfortable ground.
"Three days, plenty of time to access
information from your web. Data update is why we come here. Unfortunately . . .
Marin tends to depart from strict mission protocols."
"Uh . . . huh, so where are you now?"
"Here, there, the ship, in orbit."
"But can't you be seen?"
"Normally the ship comes and goes
quickly, but Marin . . . ."
"Say no more," she interrupted, "Men
and children." She continued, "So, have you been detected yet?"
"Certainly, but what can they do?
Those who know we're here hold off
some kind of composite, even the front.
" Does
this thing have a screen?" She spoke.
"Of course," The Irishman replied
immediately.
The forward wall suddenly resolved into a
view so clear it took her breath away. How did that happen? It just looked
like wall a moment ago. The detail was almost too much, the content rich.
Looking out she could see they were still on the ground and although still
light, darkness wasn't far away. Regan checked her watch, six seventeen p.m.
Do or die! She thought. . .
"I have questions."
"Fire away."
She paused at the reply . . . "Your
language is distinctly . . . colloquial."
"Is that a problem?"
"No . . . just . . . not what I would
have expected."
"How so?"
Regan smiled wryly at the response and
chose to ignore it. "Why the German?"
"German?" The voice replied.
"You know, when you first called, you
spoke in German and something else."
"Ahh . . . Your name, Stein; it has
German and Norwegian roots."
"Hmm, how did you know my name?"
"The SatPhone registration."
"That was quick work." Regan sped
through the process steps; scanning, picking up the signal, checking the
number, then registration, identification, deciding on the approach, composing
the words, making the call to her, all before she herself had time to dial. It
was more than impressive, it was impossible! They are NOT from anywhere
around here!
She drew in a big breath. "Where are
you from?"
"Regan, you're going to think you're
being suckered here, but you're not. These are important questions and there
will be time to answer them later. But the Pod will need to move soon and Marin
needs hydration. Look up, there's water behind the panel you can see there. The
tube will extend to him. Please attend to his needs then retake your seat, and
Regan . . . thank you."
The small courtesy took her by surprise and
for a moment she considered something to say. She decided no, it could wait and
reached instead for the panel above. It ratcheted down like a shelf and she
could see packets, sealed tubes like toothpaste and yes, a long thin tube with
a tap end similar to that on her Camelbak. Turning to Marin she saw the blue
goo had disappeared. Stretching the tube to his lips she released the tap and
trickled liquid to his mouth. To her surprise his lips closed on the end and he
began to suck and his eyes opened. He froze, and then made some unintelligible
sounds. Were they words? His eyes were wide, startled, and then they
glazed over as he lapsed back into unconsciousness. Disturbed she took a moment
to calm herself then tentatively reached out and stroked his forehead, using a
sleeve to wipe his chin. She then rearranged his jacket pillow and stood.
"For a moment there he came around, it
was a bit of a shock for him to see me I think."
"You're not that hard to look at."
She laughed spontaneously, a surprise even
to her. "You're way too quick. I'm talking to a computer aren't I?"
"Hmmm, beautiful and quick, you're
living up to your reputation."
A thrill passed through her so quickly it
made her shudder. She hugged herself in delighted shock. This was a dream,
something that had proved so elusive. Oh sure, she could use voice commands . .
. even have basic conversations with her own system, but nothing like this. True
artificial intelligence . . .? Steph, Kutch, they won't believe it!
"How do you know about me?" and suddenly
this felt like a game, a computer game, it was comfortable ground.
"Three days, plenty of time to access
information from your web. Data update is why we come here. Unfortunately . . .
Marin tends to depart from strict mission protocols."
"Uh . . . huh, so where are you now?"
"Here, there, the ship, in orbit."
"But can't you be seen?"
"Normally the ship comes and goes
quickly, but Marin . . . ."
"Say no more," she interrupted, "Men
and children." She continued, "So, have you been detected yet?"
"Certainly, but what can they do?
Those who know we're here hold off
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