Chapter 7

It was two days later. Jason was asleep on a bench at University lab with Terisa’s head resting on his lap. Jacob and his other step-daughter, Talina, sat, bleary-eyed, staring at the three-dimensional display provided by University’s Praetor.

“So...”Talina yawned, barely able to keep her eyes open, “that’s where Mom is, huh? God, that’s like, two hundred light years from here.”

“Well,” Jacob replied, sounding almost as weary as Talina looked, “that’s the best we can do with the technology we have available. The Praetor is doing its best to decipher the circuits and code. The whole thing is hard-wired – circuits with a singular purpose grown together in this nearly-impossible morass of...”

“Molasses,” Talina grinned wearily. “A morass of molasses. On undercooked pancakes.” She grinned, then added, “And smooshed down and smeared with a fork.”

‘Your visual image regarding the insides of this device is not too inaccurate, ‘ the Praetor replied. ‘As the intent and purpose of this machine changed and evolved, it grew new circuitry to accomplish its purposes.’

“Are you telling me that this thing is intelligent?” Jacob asked, shocked out of his debilitating weariness.

‘This device can evidently receive an intent from someone who attempts to use it, ‘ the Praetor explained. ‘Likely, it followed the Seeker’s desire to transport her and her daughters home, then retrieved her at a later time. There is recent growth inside the machine to indicate its purpose has been changed.’

You’re telling me that all we have to do is decide what we want this machine to do,” Jacob asked, incredulous, “and it’ll do it?”

‘The machine seems to operate on a certain set of Quantum Mechanics, ‘ the Praetor replied. ‘If the purpose and intent of the user is possible according to the rules and restrictions of its original programming, this machine will attempt to comply.’

That’s...” Talina grumbled, “the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. That’s like saying this machine... grants wishes!”

‘That seems to be precisely what it does, ‘ the Praetor replied.

“Okay,” Talina replied, obviously disbelieving the whole conversation. “Machine, send me to my mother!” She clicked her heels together three times... and vanished.

“Whoa!” echoed a voice from nearby. Terisa sat up, staring at the empty space where her twin had been only a few seconds earlier. “Where the fuck did she go?”

“Who?” Jason asked, sitting up abruptly. “What?”

“Talina just jumped a hundred light years,” Jacob replied, his voice sounded unreasonably calm.

‘Two hundred, ‘ the Praetor corrected him.

“Ooo-kay...” Jason replied, struggling with what his dad just told him. “So ... how do we get her back?”

“Good question,” Jacob acknowledged. “Lemme ask: Machine, how do we get Talina back?”

Silence.

“Maybe its growing a circuit to accomplish that,” Jacob mused, walking around and staring at the various surfaces. “Who knows how long it took to grow the circuit to send her away, once it realized what she wanted?”

“What we want,” Terisa corrected her step-dad, “is to Bring Mom Back Here!” She got up to stomp over and slam her hands down on the cool metal surface. “Work on that, you stupid machine!”

“Be reasonable!” Jacob demanded, feeling himself getting angry. “There are incredible physical limitations involved. Plus a great distance. Think of the power requirements to accomplish what you’re asking, as well as the precision required. This machine may not be able to determine how to do what you want.”

‘The power used to teleport Talina came from the Southern Sun, ‘ the Praetor informed the three of them. ‘I’ve just received information regarding a lessening of Southern’s energy output lasting two point six seven seconds. The power drain occurred the instant Talina vanished.’

“Um ... Question, please?” Terisa asked, looking confused. “You said, “Teleport? So this thing didn’t create a wormhole and swoosh her away? She was teleported, directly?”

‘There is no evidence of a wormhole being opened, ‘ the Praetor patiently told her.

“But, when we came back from that, whatever or wherever we were,” Terisa argued, starting to sound frantic, “the grass was burnt from the energy expended to travel that far!”

“That only means that this machine can create wormholes, or teleport,” Jason quipped. “Either one.”

“What are the power limitations?” Jacob asked, beginning to see possible applications for such an miraculous devise.

‘This machine has already accessed the giant crystals used to heat and light this world, ‘ the Praetor told them. ‘With New Eden as a power source, it can perhaps accomplish much more than it was previously capable of.’

“You think it could move this whole world to another sun?” Terisa asked, sounding excited now. “That’s been Mom’s dream for, like, ages! She wants to get away before old Sol goes nova!”

‘There is no reason for this device to decide to move New Eden to another location, ‘ the Praetor patiently told them, ‘unless its operator desired it.’

“It’s operator, huh?” Jason said, thinking hard. “So why did it obey Talina? She’s not its operator.”

“But she addressed the machine itself ... telling it what she wanted,” Jacob frowned. “And it did exactly what she told it to.”

‘At least, I hope so!’

“Of course!” Jason erupted as the parts of the puzzle clicked together in his mind. “And since it knew the co-ordinates and already had the circuits grown for teleportation...” He faded off, unable to come to grips with his next thought.

“But ... does it know how to bring her back?” Father and son looked at each other, then at Terisa. No one knew.

“Maybe,” Terisa muttered, trying to get her tired, sluggish mind to work, “Maybe it’s growing new circuits to accomplish what we want it to do.”

“Praetor?” Jacob asked, expecting the Praetor to understand the unasked question.

‘I do not detect any movement or energy usage inside this machine at this time, ‘ the Praetor informed them. ‘It is unlikely that anything you have stated has caused a change in its functions.’

“But Talina made it work,” Terisa whined, “and so did Mom! Why won’t it listen to us?”

‘It is obvious, child, that it does not recognize you as its operator, ‘ the Praetor explained.

“So, what did Elaine and Talina do,” Jacob mused, “that we didn’t – or haven’t, so far?” They all stood, staring at the machine with its plastic-looking top and the strange controls aligned along one side.

“I was thinking,” Jacob mused, “that Elaine and Talina were inside the machine for some time, but then ... so were you, Terisa. Did you notice anything they did? Some special activity or ... anything?”