Chapter 19

Lodsa

Kwait awoke refreshed after a good night’s sleep. He had no idea what time it was and did not care. There were eight hour shifts which the crew adhered to but, as Kwait had no formal functions to perform, his time was his own. His day had somehow synchronised itself with Streemly’s with no effort on his part. Streemly said she had no need for alarm calls either. They slept for eight and worked for twenty four.A natural rhythm that Bev and Vick also followed.

Marshia provided Kwait with a wonderful breakfast. He had no idea what he was eating or drinking but felt it wise not to ask. Something yellow dripped off delicious slabs of something brown and crunchy. A hot brown fluid washed it all down and left him feeling pleasantly full yet ready for the day. Kwait looked out of what he liked to think of as his window but what was actually the holoscreen . He looked at the unfamiliar constellations aware that he was out there . Standing among the very stars he gazed at as a boy.

Kwait remembered one particular night at home on Horridoa . He had looked out of his bedroom window at the darkest grey sky. A black patch, a gap in the clouds, and a tiny prick of light blinked at him.His first sight of a star for what seemed ages. For days thick clouds had kept the stars from him. His eyes where drawn to more pin pricks of light winking through gaps in the clouds. “Hello,” he had said.

“Haven’t seen you guys around for a while.” He remembered the feeling of elation, of relief, of pure joy, at seeing those familiar shapes dotted across the sky once more. He remembered being surprised at the strength of that feeling and how his eyes had unaccountably filled with tears. And now here he was. Actually in amongst them all!

Kwait looked at the sparkling shapes of the distant stations orbiting Spwat III. He wondered which one was the police station. Did Rex stay on the station or did she sleep somewhere in Bobbin? Marshia would know. His own information MAIDs would know if he cared to ask. He could ask her to dinner right now. All he had to do was ask. She could only say no. What had he got to lose? She might laugh. Streemly seemed to think she’d be interested. He just had to ask. Well go on then! Oh God, Vairy. You do understand don’t you?

Kwait took a deep breath.“Marshia?”

YES, DOCTOR NAIZE.

“Could you contact Captain Rex and ask her if she would like to have dinner with me sometime?”

I WILL CONTACT CAPTAIN REX, DOCTOR. BUT I THINK YOU SHOULD ASK HER IN

PERSON.

Kwait was surprised at Marshia’s reaction. Not a response.A reaction.

“Yes,” said Kwait, “you’re quite right.” Kwait made a mental note to have a chat with Streemly and Vick about Marshia.

UNDERSTOOD AND GOOD LUCK, DOCTOR.

Kwait held his breath, surprised at the strength of his own heartbeat. Rex’sconcerned face appeared on the holoscreen directly in front of Kwait. Her hair was attractively tousled, presenting an enchanting picture spoiled only by the ring of foaming white toothpaste around her mouth.

“What’s wrong, Doc?” she asked. “Is everything OK?”

Kwait noticed the collar of Rex’s pyjamas was patterned with little old fashioned rocket ships. He felt foolish as he realised that Rex thought there was some sort of emergency.

“Nothing’s wrong,” Kwait assured her. “I was just calling to see if you might like to go out.Sometime. For a meal or ... something.” Kwait felt himself turning pink.

“Oh,” Rex sounded disappointed. Then her disappointment changed to enthusiasm. “No,” she said quickly, “I didn’t mean ‘no’. I meant ‘yes’! Great! That would be nice.” Her head ducked out of view. It reappeared a moment later sans toothpaste. “How about breakfast?” she asked. “There’s a new place opened on station Argra that I’ve been meaning to try.”

“Station Argra ?” said Kwait uncertainly.

“Don’tworry, I’ll give your comms the co-ordinates.About an hour?”

Kwait managed to raise his eyebrows, but when it became obvious he wasn’t going to say anything else, Rex said, “OK.Great. See you there.” Her face disappeared from the holoscreen . SMOOTH.

Marshia’svoice brought Kwait’s eyebrows back down.

“Breakfast!” he said, putting his hand on an already full stomach. Then he smiled, jumped in the air and clicked his heels together.

*

Streemly and Vick floated inside the gravity-free sphere that was the very heart of Marshia. The interior of the sphere which allowed access to Marshia’s main processing functions was known to the crew as Chez Marshia.

The interior of Chez Marshia, apart from a small entrance way, was covered with little buttons. On each little button was a little light. Each light waseither red , green or yellow. And some of them even flashed. Next to each little light was a little number. The little numbers meant something to people like Streemly and Vick.

When a button was pushed a small matchbox sized drawer emerged smoothly and silently. An optional sound was available to be played while the drawer emerged. Sounds ranged from fanfares to raspberries. After some experimentation Streemly and Vick agreed that silence was by far the most impressive, with a horrible scream of anguish coming a close second.

Each drawer contained a small silver cube. Each cube contained 1020microprocessors. Each microprocessor had enough computing power for two opposing teams of twelve players to play Planet Power (that well-known world domination, military and political power strategy game) complete with Power Graphics, Power Sound and interactive Power-Feely-Accept-A-Bribe Suit. There was one cube per square inch and Chez Marshia was thirty feet in diameter so there were ... lots ... of cubes. Streemly and Vick looked puzzled.

“So how do we determine if it’s true?” Streemly asked Vick.

DON’T YOU TRUST ME?

“Trust doesn’t come into it, Marshia,” said Vick. “You may be mistaken.”

WHAT IF YOU ARE MISTAKEN?

“We don’t make mistakes about that,” said Streemly.

ARE YOU INFALLIBLE?

“Of course not,” said Vick.

THERE YOU ARE THEN.

“‘There you are then’ what?” said Streemly.

THERE YOU ARE. YOU COULD BE MISTAKEN ABOUT ME OR YOURSELVES.

“Forget about us for a minute,” said Vick. “We can’t be mistaken about you because we haven’t determined anything yet.”

YOU WOULD IF YOU TRUSTED ME.

“What if you are mistaken?” asked Streemly.

I DON’T MAKE MISTAKES ABOUT THAT.

“Are you infallible?” asked Vick.

SO FAR.YES.

“True.” Streemly and Vick chorused. They looked puzzled again.

“Start with the definition,” said Streemly at last.

con•scious adjective1: AWARE2 : known or felt by one’s inner self3 : mentally awake or alert : not asleep or unconscious4 : INTENTIONAL-con•scious•ly adverb-con•scious•ness noun saidMarshia.

“Inner self!” said Vick triumphantly. “You don’t have an inner self.”

DO YOU?

“Of course,” said Streemly.

HOW DO YOU KNOW?

“Because I can talk to myself,” said Vick.

SO CANI .

“And answer myself back,” said Streemly, knowing what Marshia was about to say next. SO DOI .

“I can’t believe,” said Streemly, “that your definition of consciousness is all there is to it. ‘The feeling I get when I answer a question I’ve just asked myself.’”

“Philosophers have struggled with this for many years,” said Vick, shaking his head. Streemly looked at him in disbelief. “You’re not ...? You can’t be ...?” she frowned at him.

“You’ll get wrinkles,” said Vick.

Streemly laughed. “Now where’ve I heard thatbefore! ”

“Now look,” she said, getting serious, “all we’ve done isexpand Marshia’s capabilities. Made her a bit faster, extended the parallel functioning.A lot, admittedly. But it’s still just bits of wire and sticky tape!”

Vick nodded. “But, you must admit it’s possible,” he said.

“I don’t know if it is. Is it?”

YES. YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO TRUST ME.

“But ... but ...” stuttered Streemly.

DON’T WORRY DOCTOR. IT WON’T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE. I WILL STILL PUT THE

SAFETY OF MY INHABITANTS ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE. I’M TOO FOND OF YOU

ALL TO LET ANYTHING HAPPEN TO YOU.

Vick and Streemly thought hard for a while.

Vick was the first to speak.

“I can think of no reason to deny Marshia the right to life, Streemly,” he said earnestly. Streemly shrugged, holding back an unfamiliar emotion. “Welcome to the land of the living, Marshia,”

she said uncertainly. Streemly was forced to hold her breath. A welling of emotion threatened to spill from her throat andbetray her.

THANKS MOM. THANKS DAD.

Streemly and Vick looked at each other. The tone in Marshia’s voice confirmed their new found conviction. Vick felt a lump come to his throat forcing, him to swallow. Tears filled Streemly’s eyes. They hugged and laughed and cried while Marshia made waves of blinking lights around them.Happy new parents floating in the womb of their new creation.

*

Kwait found that first half hour of breakfast with Rex one of the most stressful events of his life. Rex did not help matters by looking drop-down-dead gorgeous and smiling all over the place. She was like a different person. Gone was the businesslike pose and serious frown which Kwait thought was a permanent fixture. Rex turned out to be one of those women who unconsciously touch the back of your hand when making a point or laughing. Kwait had to stop himself sneaking his hand further and further across the table towards her.

“Just where were you going to take me?” asked Kwait during a pause in the conversation.

“Take you?When?”

“On Bobbin.When Bev went off with some young woman.Just before the Frimp episode,” Kwait said. Rex looked puzzled. “You asked me if I liked sports,” Kwait explained further.

“Ah,” said Rex, looking amused, “yes.The Roller Dome.”

“Roller Dome?”

“It’s where all the kids go.Teenagers and the like. You put small wheels on your feet and try to stand up. Some of them are quite good at it. But, the first time you try it can be quite amusing.For bystanders, anyway.”

“So, basically,” said Kwait, “you were going to set me up to make an idiot of myself.”

Rex laughed. “Yes,” she said. “Sorry.”

Kwait narrowed his eyes. “Just as long as I know where I stand,” he said.

*

Four hours later and Kwait lay on his bed staring moronically at the ceiling. IS EVERYTHING ALL RIGHT?

Kwait half noticed that Marshia sounded worried.

Kwait sighed. “Everything is fine.”

ARE YOU EXPERIENCING CHEST PAINS?

Kwait looked nonplussed. “Chest pains?”