the Runner

CHAPTER 9

  Crystal Renewal

  The android was standing stiffly in a corner of the command room when he heard the skooter approaching. He twisted his head slowly, moved his arms back and forth as though to limber them, then walked to the console and punched several comtabs. The monitor immediately displayed the area about the landing pad and he saw Kevn, Sal, Gry and Runr leave the skooter - with some difficulty. In a minute they entered the command room. Gry was complaining. "Sal, why don't you get a supreme ? That skooter of yours can ... uh, barely squeeze in four people."

  "Welcome, master Kevn," said TOM. "Your return is unexpected. I have not had time to modify the ship environment. Why do you wear that head covering?"

  "Head covering? Oh, the bandage; a new fashion in the Dome. TOM, we've come to fix LIZ." The android's eyes glowed. Kevn continued. "Oh, before you establish the ship environment, put in a comlink to DOC. We'll need his help - and yours."

  Kevn and Sal headed for the shiplab. TOM stood before the console and began to establish a computer link with DOC.

  Gry headed for the galley with Runr in hand. Once in the galley Gry opened his pack, removed a can of greenstew and placed it unopened into the small cooker.

  "Is that good to eat, master Gry?" asked the boy.

  "Greenstew? Good to eat? Kid, this is the greatest. Just wait till you taste it."

  The cooker buzzed, Gry removed the can, twisted off the top and poured the steaming green contents into a bowl. He paused, looked at Runr, then poured some into a second bowl which he placed in front of the boy. "Try it! You'll like it."

  The boy sniffed and dipped his finger into the stew and winced. It was very hot. The boy carefully licked his finger and screwed up his face. "Nothing like antelope," he said. Gry grunted.

  In the shiplab Sal was amazed. "You've got everything here! Look at that crystal scanner! I thought the PRL had the only one in existence - and a TC crystalizer! I can see why you didn't miss the Lab when you were away. You've got it all right here!"

  Kevn grinned. "Well, at least we'll be able to grow the alpha crystals and 130 generation/replications. That should be enough. I think LIZ's most sophisticated circuits only have a little over 100 generation/replications."

  "Assuming we find the right alpha state," said Sal.

  "Yes. I wonder if TOM has contacted DOC."

  Kevn sat at the console and poked a comtab. DOC responded on the monitor:

  WE ARE AT YOUR SERVICE

  Kevn smiled. At the keyboard below the comtab plane, Kevn typed in an explanation of what they intended to do: fix LIZ. The monitor flickered. The previous message was erased. The new message read:

  WE ARE AT YOUR SERVICE

  Sal smiled. "Okay, let's go," he said.

  Kevn placed his hands above the keyboard, hovering, then he frowned and scratched his head. "Where? Go where? Where do we start? DOC can't scan LIZ's circuits to find the defective crystals. He can help us define alpha states to regrow them, but he can't -"

  "Runr!" cried Sal. "Get Runr. He can walk through and find the broken crystals."

  Kevn punched a comtab and heard the music in the galley. "Gry? Is that raucous music I hear?".

  The music stopped and Gry answered. "What's up DOC?"

  "Gry. We need Runr. Bring him to the shiplab, will you?"

  In a few minutes both Gry and Runr walked in, followed by the android who immediately stood in a corner.

  "Runr," said Kevn, "I'd like you to walk through LIZ. I'd like you to find her broken crystals. Can you do that?"

  "Yes - but - but -"

  "It's okay Runr," said Gry. "LIZ won't mind. If you bring her back she'll be ... uh, very grateful. Believe me. I wouldn't lie to you."

  The boy walked to the console and placed his hands on the comtab surface. There was a very faint flicker of light. The monitor message changed:

  THE BOY IS LOST. HE WANDERS AIMLESSLY.

  Then, after a time :

  HE REPORTS A DEFECT. ONE OF MANY.

  IT IS LOCATED IN THE DELTA-CORTEX

  AT THE INTERSECTION OF THE OMEGA- AND OMICRON- CHANNELS.

  TOM was delighted. "We can grow a new delta-cortex," he said, but the message changed again.

  THE BOY IS MODIFYING THE DELTA-CORTEX.

  THE CENTRAL CRYSTAL IS REFORMING.

  THE NEAREST NEIGHBORS ARE REFORMING.

  CRYSTAL RENEWAL TAKES PLACE.

  Then, after a pause:

  WE ARE AMAZED

  Gry pulled his rings. "Atta boy Runr. Go to it," he said. Kevn and Sal stared at the boy. His eyes were closed and he was moaning softly. His hands on the console shook. The lights increased in intensity and began to flicker with a cool blue glow. Suddenly the boy collapsed by the console and Gry rushed to his side.

  THE BOY HAS FINISHED.

  WE NOW WAIT FOR COMPLETE CRYSTAL RENEWAL.

  THIS WILL TAKE NINETEEN HOURS AND SEVENTEEN MINUTES.

  They all seemed relieved, especially Gry who held the exhausted boy in one hand and, with his other hand, began rapidly parting his hair and pulling his rings, parting and pulling. TOM walked to the console and removed a cable from beneath his tunic and plugged one end into a receptacle. He stood there, mesmerized, but only for a moment. The monitor flashed:

  ANDROID!! DISCONNECT!!

  TOM quickly pulled the cable from the console and backed away. "I only wanted to monitor her progress," he explained to Kevn.

  INTERFERENCE PROLONGS THE RENEWAL.

  IT WILL NOW TAKE NINETEEN HOURS AND TWENTY-ONE MINUTES

  "Gry, take Runr to the galley," said Kevn. "I think this calls for a celebration."

  They all left the shiplab and filed down the corridor to the galley, Gry with the fragile body of the boy, TOM with dark and sombre eyes.

  ______________________________________________________

  It was early the next morning when Gry first heard the sounds. Runr was asleep on the floor and all the others were in their cabins, sleeping. Gry slipped out of his cot and walked to the command room without bothering to dress. TOM was leaning over the console. The console seemed to be whistling and humming. The android quickly spun around, stared at Gry and looked embarrassed.

  "Good morning, master Gry."

  Gry walked to the console and gazed at the monitor which read:

  RENEWAL COMPLETION

  "Master Gry. You are not dressed," said TOM.

  "What's happening TOM," said Gry. "Is LIZ operational - or what?"

  "You are not dressed," repeated TOM.

  Gry looked down at himself. "Yup, you're right. Is that important TOM?"

  "LIZ is awakening," answered the android. "I think you should dress."

  The humming increased at the console and lights began flashing erratically. Kevn and Sal entered the room. "What's up TOM?" asked Kevn.

  TOM looked at Kevn and Sal who had obviously hurried, in response to the humming. "Sirs, you are not dressed."

  "I think that TOM wants us to be presentable," said Gry. "It looks like LIZ is ... uh, comin' around."

  "Master Kevn Kevn ..." said LIZ.

  SHIPCOMP SEMI-OPERATIONAL typed DOC on the monitor.

  "What does DOC mean, semi-operational?" asked Gry.

  "Looks like there's some fine tuning to do," said Kevn. He walked to the console and poked several tabs. DOC responded:

  WE WILL BE PLEASED TO DO SO

  WE WILL BEGIN IMMEDIATELY

  TOM winced. "I think I can perform the necessary fine tuning, master Kevn. There is no need to engage the services of the Dome Computer. I am intimately familiar ... very familiar, with shipcomp requirements and feel confident that I -"

  "TOM," said Kevn, "DOC and I rebuilt LIZ years ago, so DOC knows her very well." TOM winced again. "You are most welcome to stay in touch, monitor the progress, provide any assistance ... but please let DOC handle this."

  With that they left, leaving TOM staring after them. The me
ssage on the monitor changed:

  ANDROID!! DO NOT INTERFERE!!

  In the galley, Sal put his mug carefully on the table. "Kevn," he said slowly, "why did you go down that conduit under the mall? Why didn't you ask Jan to contact the techstaff. That's their job; repair the comlinks, mechanical repairs on levitators and so on. Why you?"

  "I'm not sure why Jan asked me. You know we haven't spoken to each other in months. But she seemed frightened - and the mall was near my room."

  "... and, of course, you're such a gentleman," grunted Gry, then added "Groshhiin de wiszer," in Grik. He seemed pleased with himself. The others ignored the comment.

  "I think Jan hangs around with Kriss," said Sal. "At least they always seem to be talking in the corridors by the Lab. Once I saw her go into his room; it was late in the evening." Sal paused. "You must know that Kriss is very upset about losing the position of Chief of Research. I suspect he would dearly love to get rid of you, Kevn."

  "That's it," said Gry absentmindedly, between gulps of black coffee. "Kriss arranges for Kevn to go into the vaults. Kriss fixes the levitator - or unfixes it."

  "Yes, of course," said Kevn with a smile. "He even unfixes K-47 and we go racing toward a sun ..."

  The smile vanished from Kevn's face and Sal leaned forward. There were several seconds of silence before Sal spoke. "Kevn, that's not so far-fetched. Kriss is a scientist; he could easily fix the console in the conduit so it wouldn't respond to your comtab directives. He could unfix the levitator -"

  "And LIZ," said Gry, suddenly taking a great interest in the conversation. "He could have unfixed LIZ -"

  "Look ... be fair," said Kevn. "Kriss is no nice guy but he's not a criminal. You know what the consequences are - banishment from the Dome. Who would want to live in the Dolom Mountains? Kriss is no fool."

  "If we had crashed into a star, who would know?" said Gry. "The evidence would ... uh, go up in a puff of smoke. Am I right?"

  "Everyone would blame it on phonarite decay," said Sal. "You know what they'd say -"

  "Poor LIZ suffered from phonarite decay," recited Gry, "she took her crew with her into the sun."

  "The levitator and the defective console in the vault; also the result of phonarite decay. Nobody would know ... nobody would suspect," said Sal. "It would be blamed on those damn defective computers. Maybe Kriss would even become a hero. He would cry out for a change to some new technology."

  "Down with phonarite!" cried Gry. "Down with the First Citizen! Down -"

  There was a loud humming from the command room. They looked at each other for only a moment then quickly rushed out of the galley. All except Runr. The boy was sound asleep, curled in a corner of the galley, his curls hanging limply over his face.

  When they reached the command room the humming was deafening. TOM was standing stiffly by the monitor which was changing continually. The text was quickly scrolling off the screen. The last lines were:

  DELTA-CHANNEL RENEWAL 0.70

  OMICRON-CHANNEL RENEWAL 0.71

  SHIPCOMP FUNCTIONALITY SEVENTY PERCENT

  "TOM," cried Kevn. "What's the noise about?"

  The android turned slowly to face the trio who stood just inside the portal. TOM was clearly very disturbed. "LIZ is being renewed but I fear that she will not be the same shipcomp. The Dome computer says she is 70% functional. Blue flashes indicating exchange of energy between crystal states should be visible at 8% functionality - yet there is no visible light. Rational verbal communication becomes operational at 19% functionality. Yet she cannot communicate rationally. I am not pleased with what transpires. Had I been placed in charge of the renewal then I am confident that - "

  Kevn rushed to the console and was about to type a query to DOC when the humming stopped and LIZ spoke.

  "Master Kevn ... welcome to the command console. Is there anything we can do for you?"

  Tom stepped back from the console. "We? You say 'we'? Have I taught you nothing of the language?"

  "TOM, of course, I have forgotten," said the shipcomp. "I am sorry. I feel as though I have forgotten a great deal."

  TOM stepped up to the console and turned off the monitor, disconnecting communication with DOC.

  "I am quite willing to teach you, again, LIZ," said TOM quietly, running his hand slowly, gently over the console comtabs.

  Kevn slid into a chair. Sal and Gry sat on the floor. No one spoke for a long while. They all seemed somehow exhausted. It was the shipcomp who spoke next.

  "Master Kevn," she said, "did you give Professor Kriss permission to reroute the comlinks with the command substation? Did he have your permission to experiment with pulsed radiation on my cortex?"

  Kevn straightened in his chair. Gry jumped up.

  "That's it! We were right!" cried Gry. "Now we've got Kriss where we want him. To the Dolom Mountains with the evil old bastard!"

  "And guess who will testify at his trial?" asked Sal with a wide grin. "LIZ!"