Episode 7: Lab Rat

James Ian Pryce was a genius, well, is a genius. Not only did he hack nearly every Government and Military installation on Earth he recalled most of what he learned. Photographic memory helped him hide the paper trail. What nobody knew was that he had hidden the microscopic logic of everything he had learned on a crystal chip within his youthful dog Xander.

Xander led a normal life. Catching sticks thrown by his master or rolling over to get his belly rubbed. However, the term “Fetch” meant more than retrieve. Fetch was the program James Ian had installed onto the chip buried within the dog’s brain. At age 8 he was already Albert Einstein on steroids. At the very least he wasn’t Russian scientist Vladimir Demikhov in giving his dog two heads. Mad but not that mad it seemed. Only his parents did their very best to keep that part a secret. They knew only bad things could come from his intellect being a public knowledge. His mistake happened to be when James Ian ordered parts from the black market without his parents knowing. Parts that could potentially be classified a terrorist act. Even though he meant no harm, he just needed to know he could build what was in his mind. That unfortunately tipped off the bigwigs at REGION. Nobody’s perfect!

REGION was a think tank the U.S. military funded. The United States citizens didn’t even know the facility existed. After all, the wilds of Alaska were pretty desolate, that pesky black pyramid scheme, their home base near Mount Denali. Similar in fact to the landscape they were trapped in presently without the cold weather and snow. That fact alone nagged at James.

He was grateful to have survived and to be with good people. James Ian felt obligated to repay their kindness. Keeping everyone alive and happy made him smile. So, did all of this alien tech. Sneaking out to explore on his own led him blocks away into the deeper scientific quarter of the Ganthorian starship. It was here he located everything his brilliant heart could desire. Maybe he could surprise his new family yet.

For now, he settled on the promises he made. Scrounging for parts using his Ganthorian tablet he forged a pair of dark Obsidian glasses as a replacement for Cameron Scott’s shades. His glasses a temporary solution so that Elle could keep out the rigors of bright UV sunlight. They saw how deadly she could be around a mere bonfire. Absorbing the heat and light the blaze gave off fueled a buildup within her like a solar battery on a very small scale. She had to expel it or face a potential reactor like meltdown, essentially laser beam eyes. Due to the diamonds and Jack’s electrons, they unintentionally designed a weapon of mass destruction. Not even Elle’s healing abilities could mend anybody she obliterated within range of her loss in control. These glasses would keep her and anyone in her path safe.

“One project down. Next step sexy Sophia. She might not want clothing, but everyone feels uneasy seeing her naked. Unlike me! Oooooh, Yea! Can’t touch. Can’t touch this!” He reminds himself dancing to MC Hammer as Xander looks at him as if he were out of his mind. Maybe he was a mad scientist at heart. “What?” James looked down at his pooch. “Not the same without the parachute pants, huh?” Enough silliness!

After consulting the computer banks with his keypad, he discovers something that makes him curious. Following the mapping mode of the large science lab he adopted he finds rolls of fabric. After careful study he risks placing his arm into a thin wrapping of the fabric. He thinks of what he wants it to look like and the cloth constricts and contorts on its own.

“Life fiber! How cool is this. We can make clothing out of this stuff that can keep us cool as well as safe from certain things. He decides to take the risk and remove enough material to cover his entire body. A few feet away his pet Xander whines and tilts his head at his master’s movements. The clothe fluidly encased his body from the neck down. Once covered he molds the material by thought into a fashioned jump suit, then parachute pants for laughs. “It’s Hammer time! No? Tough crowd!” The color went from white to red and created pouches all along the outfit to contain whatever he desired. Too snug at first he merely orders it to loosen up in the areas that counted.

“Tim the Toolman Taylor would love this outfit. I wonder if this fabric would survive on Sophia or die screaming.” He decides to prepare a suitable amount of cloth as a test run, if he could get Sophia to even wear it. It was worth a try he thought. If not he could still admire her from a distance.

His third step looked into the defense perimeter possibilities. Using too much internal power would only drain the ships engine core more than it already was. As long as they used it on a minimal level, they would have enough power to survive most of their lifespans. Somehow, he would need to find a jump starter power source if he intended to sustain a future here. Seated at a table he placed his chin over folded arms and put his brain to the test. There was one option if it worked. “I wonder how much energy Elle could absorb and re-channel. I’ll run the idea by her.” A starting point at best. Bored easily the boy left his chair and sifted through storage spaces for devices that were either usable or had been worked on prior to the Ganthorian’s predicament here in this world that time forgot.

He found something stored away that could be useful for at least protecting the perimeter. At the very least an early warning device. In a closed case he found a cache of softball sized alloy globes. Researching them on the alien tablet he discovered them to be surveillance drones.

“Ten of these bad boys. I can activate them as solar collectors to keep them functioning and position them around the entire ship. They can create a beacon to indicate motion within a programmed radius.”

Delving further into their construction he took the time to reverse engineer one of them. To his surprise they were already gifted as defense mechanisms. Gravity orbs that float and fly at an accelerated rate through an internal guidance system, miniature computers that could calculate and determine threat levels. He would need to scale down what was classified a threat. He didn’t need one or all of them to hurt anyone in his party. That would be a bad robot. A.I. yi yai!

“Neutralizers. Their existing design already absorbs solar energy and channels their activity. Processors that feed off the solar battery. Voice recognition systems help them identify noncombatants. It looks like they can produce miniature force fields that can freeze a threat in place, until someone of authority releases them. Interesting! I might be able to fashion a force field for myself.” He had to chuckle, “That might come in handy if Sophia tries to eat me.” Placing his reconstructed drone back with his brothers he closed the case then he hears Ruby Goddard calling out for him. Gone so long she must have been searching for him all morning. Stepping out of the room he spots her flashlight and whistles in her direction loudly, Xander barking. Moments later her lights beam locates him in the shadowed hall.

“What are you doing way out here? I thought I told you we needed to all stay close together.”

“I had Xander with me. Besides, I can take care of myself. Stop worrying, Mom.”

She groans, “Not that again.” Hearing the term mom was especially raw due to unprotected sex with Jack Ramse. Even if he insisted, he was fixed and could never sire children.

James sensed her troubled confusion, “Are you alright? I was only kidding.”

“I’m fine. We might need to chat about it sometime though.”

“Oh, no! My first birds and the bees talk?”

“Drop it already. You heard us, didn’t you?” Ruby shakes her head frowning once he lowered his gaze with a low whistle as if to change the subject.

“The whole ship heard me and Jack. It won’t happen again.” Kicking the toes of his shoes on the floor Ruby finally noticed something.

“What in the world are you wearing?”

“Oh, yea! Forgot I changed clothes. It’s called Life Fiber. It fits and forms to whatever imagination your fashion ideas are. It’s safe. Skalakian microfibers inlayed with Nanite memory fleas. Feels like silk but can keep you warm or cool as required. It might actually contain body odor.” He sniffs at his armpits then sighs, “Maybe not!”

“I’d rather have a hot bath. Any chance we can figure that one out?”

“I’ll work on it. Our water source is depleted except for chemical bathes. Those I wouldn’t risk. If I can figure out a filtering system that the chemicals won’t melt, I’ll hook you up.”

“Good boy. Can this fiber be used for Sophia?””

“That was what I was thinking. I’m not sure yet. I also made Elle a pair of glasses utilizing polished Obsidian. She should be able to see perfect through the lens and use it to contain and channel her energy build up.”

“You’ve been busy this morning.” Ruby obtains the glasses and looks them over.

“There’s lots I can work with here. Don’t get your hopes up but I might someday be able to power this baby up.”

“Baby?” Ruby cringes.

“The spaceship. It might not fly but I can get us better lighting and a more stable flow of power.”

“Keep at it. For now, let’s go offer these to Elle and discuss where we all go from here. Malcolm and I spotted a distant light last night, but it faded quickly. I think Jack’s going out to take a look now that the sun is up.”

“Light? That could mean other survivors.” He peps up.

“Maybe. Could have been ball lightning.”

“Temperatures not right for that. Are you sure it wasn’t Aurora?”

“No. It didn’t light up the entire sky it was too small. Our minds might just be playing tricks on us. But again, that would mean we were both hallucinating.”

“I’ll work on scanners to detect distant changes in radiation, climate change, you name it. I’ve already found us some defense drones we can spread out once I reprogram them.”

“Damn Boy! Keep this up, I’ll promote you.” At their feet Xander whimpered following with a single bark.

“He needs to go potty.”

“Wide open spaces out there. Let him roam.”

“No. I want him close. I need him. Y’know?”

“Man’s best friend, I get it.” Together they headed back toward familiar territory. “Let’s walk the dog.”

“That’s what Jack said.” James laughed!

A slap on the back of the head he shut up fast. Mom was in a mood!

Jack Ramse had left the spacecraft as soon as the sun rose. He weaponized up with handguns and a single grenade. He felt his short tour alone didn’t require much in defense but still needed that security balance he was trained for. Always think ahead! For now, he was merely scouting around the edges of the downed Ganthorian craft, primarily under the cockpit area which he could only surmise its location due to the colossal size of the miniature city. The windows were too high up and out of view at his angle without distance to find them. Even then, the windows were coated to look as if a solid object.

This morning he was more concerned with the possibility of footprints. Even though what he and only he spotted in the early morning hours had wings, it/she also had legs and feet. Not to mention a glow that could be blinding to most people. His eyes were a tad stronger than most so warding off the effects was no hardship.

The only other thing he brought with him that wasn’t a weapon was a Geiger counter. Luckily, while he was mending his ally Malcolm Brand had gone back for more retrievable items from their downed Hercules aircraft. Namely the counter and whatever else he could determine as useful. Testing the air around the ship he discovered the radiation content to be as normal as ever. He had been briefed by Ruby since healing that they had tested the area for safety. Including inside the ship. Safe all around. Ceasing the crackle of the detector he growled under his breath over what he had seen last night.

“It could be something that escaped the ship before we got here. Some other alien life form. My eyes certainly didn’t betray me.”

Crouching to get a closer look at the soil he found no prints, yet he did notice a minor moisture mixed in with the dryness of the landscape. Fidgeting he shakes it off as morning condensation, even though the ship was bone dry and dusty. Even around it was cracked ground implying dry as a bone. Weird! Dry but damp!

“Not even a bird’s nest in sight. Of course, we haven’t seen any birds outside of that prehistoric hot wing. There has to be more life here somewhere. Question is, how far out does here go? Are we on Earth? Same atmosphere as Earth or we’d all be choking out. There must be more beyond this desert we’re stuck in.”