Chapter 7

"What the..."

The figure moved back through the outer door to the service panel in the access way and moved the large main power lever down and then back up.

"Blast this piece of mother-loving junk!" The figure moved back into the inner airlock doorway and removed its helmet. A tremendous mop of long red hair fell out of the helmet and cascaded down her shoulders. The flashlight built into the right forearm came on and a lighted fist scanned the room.

"All right. I know there's somebody in here." Her voice was deep and imposing with a tough raspy edge to it, "I saw the lights on before I docked. And the bus parked on my dock was a dead giveaway. So you might as well come out now."

Her beam continued to search the room finally finding Garth's face. He squinted and then shielded his eyes as the bright xenon lamp blinded him.

"This is just a wild guess, but you must be Red."

"You're dang right I am! Red Fargo, an' this is my property. An' since I know you also saw my sign tellin' you to keep away... Why the heck are ya still here?"

"We saw your dumb sign!" Tasha came out from behind Garth's protection.

Everyone joined in with a resounding, "Tasha!"

Alex pulled her back in.

Red's flashlight instantly zeroed in on their faces. "Kids? You brought kids onto my station?"

"Listen, we broke down and this was the first place we could find. Global space regs state that any vehicle in distress has the right to dock on any available platform providing safe sanctuary, regardless of ownership and..."

"Don't you quote blasted regulations to me!" Red interrupted, "just tell me what you did to the blasted power and then turn it back on! In fact, don't tell me, just turn it on."

"Yeah, just get the power back on." Jody huddled into himself and shivered slightly.

Alex looked over at him, his face visible in the light that seeped in from the access way. He moved to Jody, putting his arm around him. "It's okay Jodes, we'll be okay in a minute."

Garth extracted himself from the group.

"Everyone stay here. Don't worry about her. We're gonna be fine." He walked to where Red was standing in the doorway. "Excuse me, will you?"

"Excuse you for what? Trespassin' on my property?" Red was half a head taller than Garth, an imposing figure to say the least.

"No." replied Garth, "Excuse me so that I can get by and reset the power lever."

She moved to the side slightly so that Garth could just slip by her. "I just tried that Mr..."

"Garth. Garth Holloway." He moved the main power lever to the down position and then prang, it slid back into the up position.

"Well, Mr. Garth Holloway, like I told you, I just tried that. It was in the 'on' position already."

"Then I guess it's up to Rosie."

"Rosie? What's a Rosie? Is that one of their mother's?" Red poked Garth in the chest. "Are these your little brats? The only thing rosy here is the air freshener in the john. I know this mother-loving piece of junk isn't rosy. I've owned it for years and never could get the power on. I should have scrapped it eons ago, but I was hopin' I could fix it up an' live here. So, whatever you and these little snivelers did... do it again!"

"Snivler?... What's a snivler?" asked Yavi.

"It means snot-nosed brat," said Tasha.

"You should know, Tasha."

"It takes one to know one, Alex."

"Enough! You two." Garth held his hand up.

"Can you keep these brats quiet?" asked Red.

"Hey Red, there's no need to call anyone names. Listen, we're not here by personal choice. We'll fix the bus and then vacate your station. Okay?" Garth moved back into the room and over to the children.

"Fine!" replied Red, "Fix my station and then you can fix your bus."

Garth rubbed his neck, "I wish both problems were as simple as that. Let us use the COM on your ship to call out for help. Since you took the transmission antenna and transmission units from here we couldn't call out."

"And you won't be calling out from my ship either." replied Red, "All's I got are local bands. So you can forget that."

"What about calling the K-P? If we could get a message to them..."

"You can just forget that too, I don't go anywhere near those clowns."

Jody put his hands over his ears and started pacing. His thoughts went back to his home. Laying in his darkened bedroom, listening to his Mom and Dad argue.

"They're as bad as my parents." He chewed on his nails.

Mavis bravely took a couple of steps toward Red, "Have you ever thought that the problem with the station might be you?"

"What's that supposed to mean? The station doesn't like me? It's a piece of junk in a zone with a lot of other junk. It doesn't like or dislike, it's just a hunk of metal and plastic."

"What she's saying Red, is that Rosie thinks for herself," said Garth

"Rosie again? Who is this Rosie?"

"Yeah, she may not like you," said Ethan.

"Why are the lights off, Alex? Everything's worse with the lights off." Jody was getting panicky-afraid in the darkness.

"Just hang in there, Jodes." He turned to Garth and Red. "Can you two... all of you, just stop it, please?" Alex looked up, "Rosie, if you can hear me, please turn the lights on."

With that, the lights and power suddenly came back on, but the monitor stayed blank.

"All right. That's better." Red flicked off her flashlight. "I don't know who did that, but that's more like it."

With the station illuminated, Red Fargo's features revealed a large Amazon of a woman with strikingly bright red hair. Her face held a tough beauty, hardened by years as a Scrapper wandering through space. Her red space suit with thick black stripes down the arms and legs were the kind all Scrappers and vacuum workers used; nearly skin tight and pressurized, they were very comfortable. The tightness of her suit accentuated the lean chiseled muscles in her arms and legs. A small, compact life support pack clung to her back containing several slim tubes that provided air, water and liquid food for long durations in space. A control panel on her right forearm housed all the suit controls and indicators as well a short band radio that allowed her to communicate with her ship while performing remote functions.

"I did it," Rosie's image winked on. "I didn't want the children to be scared." She looked down at them and smiled, "I'm sorry if I scared you, my children."

Alex spoke up, "It's okay, Rosie, we're all right."

"That's Rosie? You've got to be kidding." Red waved her finger at the group. "Whoever's the computer nerd, get your brainy butt in gear, pull your little program out an' haul yourselves on the bus. Not that thanks aren't in order... but I'm not much of a hostess an' I got better things to do than run a child care center for broken down buses."

Rosie's emotion circuits started to kick in as her image started to transform, mutating into a fierce bloated head monstrosity with bulging eyes and strange distorted features, but still wearing the dress and apron. The lights in the station dimmed slightly as her holo-drivers started. The beast on the monitor was now in the room standing four feet over Red, its head just touching the peak of the module. Red stood her ground, unafraid of the loathsome monster towering over her.

Farhad and Yavi ran over to the computer console.

Mavis started to back away and grabbed Ethan who stood frozen.

Alex and Jody ducked under the table.

Garth slowly backed off with Tasha glued to his side.

"Listen Red! These are my kids. This is my station and if anyone's gonna get their butt outa' here, it's gonna be you!"

The holo-beast image disappeared and Rosie's sweet matronly default-self reappeared on the screen, her hands folded demurely in front of her. "Okay?" she said.

Farhad and Yavi looked at the power settings on the panel. "Rosie, take it easy right now..." Farhad began.

"... That's a big drain on your power reserve," finished Yavi.

Red looked unimpressed at Rosie's stunt and continued without missing a beat.

"All right, that's really cute. A nice bit of fancy programming, but enough already. Who's the genius?"

Everyone looked at Farhad and Yavi, who shrugged their shoulders.

"We did nothing but fix her," said Farhad.

"We swear," added Yavi.

Red started to walk toward the console, "Okay then, if you won't do anything about it, I'll just delete it myself."

Zzzap!

Just as she began to reach out to the keyboard, an electrical charge sparked from the console, striking her hands and forcing her back.

"For the love of... !"

"Keep your Scrapper paws to yourself! Next time I won't be so gentle." Rosie never changed her demeanor.

Garth walked over to the terminal and turned to face Red,

"Have you ever thought of a more subtle approach?"

"Subtle? With a machine?" She gestured with her hands around the room, "This place is scrap metal, or at best if the life support keeps working..."

Rosie interrupted, "My life support will continue working indefinitely."

"Like I was saying, then maybe it might make a barely adequate condo."

"You don't understand," said Alex, "she's much more than just a machine."

"She cares," said Jody.

"Can't you see that?" added Mavis.

"And I'm sure with a little time, she could be a skizmoid cook," exclaimed Ethan.

"Alex, Mavis, all of you. Thank you for realizing." Rosie smiled at them.

"Aw come on! Enough already!" Red started pushing the group toward the open airlock door. "This is my station. I bought and paid for it and have the papers to prove it. I didn't listen to my own mother. I'm certainly not gonna listen to some crazy skitzed out mother of a computer named Rosie. Out, everybody out!"

Rosie got a quizzical look on her face and closed her eyes. The lights on her indicator panel began to flick as her memory searched.

"Now just hold on a second, Red." Garth started to try and stop her. "No one's trying to take the station away. We only need a few..."

Just as they reached the airlock, the inner door slammed closed with a rush of air and then the outer door.

"Blast you, dumb computer! Open that door, now!" Red fumed.

On Rosie's screen, a rush of information began to download: pictures of Red as a young girl, pictures of her parents, 3-D spinning graphics of Red's face and head, vital statistics, and a rotating graphic of her small salvage ship.

Red turned and saw the information on her life flashing across Rosie's screen. She started to rush at the terminal. "Uh, uh, uh. I'd be careful Red, I have sufficient resources to bring a much more powerful electric charge to bear."

Red stopped in her tracks.

"Stop downloading that now! You have no right to..."

Rosie cut her off.

"Redeara Gael Fargo, born on Sorel Station in twenty seventy-five. Your parents moved there in twenty sixty-five while your father still served in the Population Transport Corps. They were divorced in twenty seventy-six and your father moved you and your younger sister, Meliora, to Kolibri Station where he raised the two of you by himself. You rejected any attempts from your Mother to contact you."

Jody's ears perked up and he raised his eyebrows on hearing Rosie's divulgence.

"All right, now you've gone too far! You got no business reading that file."

"You never spoke to your Mother again?" Jody took a few steps toward her.

Red was distracted by Jody's question and turned away from Rosie.

"Listen kid, she never did anything to make me want her around. Besides, she died eight years after we moved. An' I turned out just fine."

Rosie continued, "That doesn't mean she ever stopped loving you."

"What could a bunch of diodes and micro-chips know about love?"

"You know, Red, I would've thought the same thing before I met Rosie. Now, I'm not so sure," said Garth.

Red's face seemed to soften slightly as if some of the things were sinking in.

"I know that Garth's Grandfather put a great deal of love and care into creating me, but then had to abandon me when the station was shut down. It tore him apart that he never got to completely finish my holo-driver."

"Is that why you can't do it for very long?" asked Farhad

"Yes, it is," Rosie went on. "But he left me with enough power still on and the program I needed to absorb and grow. Most of all he left me with the knowledge of faith. To know I would be loved again... and now, my family has come back." She looked lovingly at Garth.

"Thank you, Rosie," said Garth, "I guess to a certain extent," he felt the need to placate her, "I consider you family as well. Even though it'll take a little getting used to having a computer as family."

"Redeara. Is that why they call you Red?" said Mavis.

"Well, you didn't think it was because of my hair, did you?" She turned to Rosie. "Hey, Rosie. Why don't you open the door and let Garth go finish fixing his bus?"

The airlock door opened.

Garth shook his head, "Thanks Rosie, Red, but that Yellow beast is staying put unless someone has a new transducer coil somewhere."

"See Yavi, I told you it was the transducer coil," Farhad lightly shoved Yavi's shoulder.

"I'm afraid your bus was built before my time Garth."

"Yeah and besides Rosie, I took whatever spares you had and salvaged them." Red turned to Garth, "Transducer coil, huh? That's a tough one. I don't keep spares that big. I'm not even sure where to get one."

Yavi spoke up, "Rosie, your perimeter sensors can map out entire junk zone. Right?"

"I suppose so. Yes, of course," answered Rosie.

"Then Red could find the part that way. Great idea, Yavi." said Farhad.

Red scratched her head. "Yeah, I think that might work."

"Farhad, Yavi, I'm going to need you to boost the power gain a little."

"Okay, Rosie. Come on Yavi."

Yavi and Farhad crawled under the panel while Red walked over to Rosie's terminal to define the search parameters. She started to touch the keyboard, but jerked back her fingers.

"Rosie, I'm just gonna type in some search parameters. So don't zap me, okay?"

Rosie look offended. "Why Red, I would never do such a thing."

Red started typing, "Oh great, just what I need, a computer with a sense of humor."

Yavi and Farhad stood up and together checked Yavi's Pocket Pal. Two wires ran out from the small computer into Rosie's circuitry.

"It is looking good here." Yavi looked up at Rosie. "Rosie, how does that feel?"

"I think you've done it my children. I can feel a definite increase in the reserves as well as a higher Holo-dimensional power cache."

"We de-bugged you a bit more too."

"Yes, I can feel a definite improvement in that area as well."

The lights on her indicator panel began to flicker as Rosie closed her eyes and concentrated.

In the middle of the room a translucent 3-D image of the Junk Zone appeared dotted with graphic detail of the hundreds of thousands of pieces of junk bound by the Gravity Lassos which pulsated in yellow.

"That is so skizmoid!"

"Ethan, have you thought about using a different expression? That one's getting a little old." Tasha commented.

"Is that the whole Junk Zone?" asked Jody.

"I believe it is. One hundred and forty two intra solar units..." Yavi began.

"... By five hundred and sixty point two-three," ended Farhad.

"I Believe it is point three two," corrected Rosie.

Yavi punched some keys on her Pocket Pal, "She is correct."

"Of course I am. According to Redeara's search parameters..."

Red winced at hearing her whole first name, but said nothing.

"I think you will find what you are looking for here." A small detailed graphic showing the location of Alpha Station highlighted itself with a flashing bright green outline. Another large green box framed the entire image and then shrunk to pinpoint the exact location within the Junk Zone where they would find the part. A bright yellow line automatically drew itself from the located part to the station.

"Rosie, are you one hundred percent sure that we can find the part here?" asked Garth.

"Allowing for minimal gravitational drift, I am ninety nine point seven eight percent certain as long as the search parameters I was given are correct."

"They're correct all right. You sure all your diodes are screwed in and your chips are tight, eh, Rosie?" Red smiled at herself and then began to closely inspect the Holo that Rosie was projecting. "I wonder." she muttered to herself, "If she can find a part that easy... Hey, Rosie. Do you know where the Fletcher is?"

"The Fletcher?" Garth shuddered. "After the debacle he caused and the disaster, I didn't think anything survived much less still be around."

Red typed on Rosie's keyboard, "Well, it's been rumored for years that parts of the ship survived and that old Hans the Barbarian hid them very carefully, most likely in the restricted area. Rosie, using the search parameters I just fed you, see if you can find anything relating to The Fletcher."

"I'll do my best." she replied.

"Garth, what exactly was the deal with The Fletcher?" asked Alex. "We know all about the Bio-Mechs and the ship. Mizz Braidon taught us that stuff."

"I always heard that he caused the Bio-Wars." Jody said looking up from his Pocket Pal.

"That's not entirely true..." Garth began,

"But it is mostly true," Red interjected.

"Ellsworth Fletcher," Garth continued, "as the story goes, was an engineer working for our government. He developed the first Bio-Mechanisms by combining certain plant and animal DNAs that enabled the land to regenerate itself. Deserts turned into gardens, dustbowls changed back to useful cropland, things like that. Old Hans the Barbarian Kohlner got his mitts into Fletcher about then. Like Fletcher, Hans was smart, he built robot ships to go to Mars and start making the planet livable for colonists using the Bio-Mechs. History's a little sketchy about what happened then, but things started to go downhill fast. That was about twenty seventy. The Orbit Stations were well under way by then. Fletcher started building this amazing ship that was going to finish building up Mars for humans to live on until the Earth was habitable again."

"Yeah, except the people chosen to be on the ship were a bunch of elitist snobs." Red stuck her nose in the air.

Everyone turned and glared at Red.

Red looked around at all the angry faces. "What? I say something wrong?"

"Garth's brother died on the Fletcher, Red," said Alex.

"And he was no elitist," added Garth.

Red got defensive. "Listen, I didn't mean it like that. But everyone knew that Fletcher chose all those people for their intelligence and status is society. They weren't the best, they were the richest."

Garth bristled when he heard this. "That's a lie. My brother and me were chosen because he was a genius in his field and I was an engineer, not because we had money. I should know."

"All right, all right, just calm down." Red realized the battle she'd begun to fight and retreated. "Don't get your thrusters all in a bunch."

"But it never happened, right? The ship never made it," said Ethan.

"Of course, right. That's what happens when things blow up. Everyone knows that Mars is a useless rusty rock," said Tasha.

"But that's not what Fletcher believed. He was going to make Mars into his own personal utopia." Garth went on, "Anyway, some of the governments the Bio-Mechanisms were sold to figured out how to reverse the process. They used them against their enemies and we all know what happened then."

"Yeah, boomo, the Bio-Wars and we were all forced off Earth. So, Garth, why is Hans Kohlner called Hans the Barbarian?" said Ethan.

"Well, Ethan, Hans was the one who negotiated the sale of the Bio-Mechs to those less-than-favorable governments. People blamed him, not Fletcher, for the start of the Bio-wars."

"Ms. Braidon says that Fletcher was like Hitler from the last century," Jody stated.

"Well, that's a bit overstated Jody," said Garth. "He was only interested in getting rich. It was really Old Hans' fault. He didn't care what anybody did with the Bio-Mechanisms once he negotiated the sale, but it was Fletcher's invention that caused the Bio-Wars."