Chapter 33

Down the corridor from Leann’s and Zoe’s groups were Briana, her friends and Jean’s group. They had met that afternoon and knew that all of them had had similar experiences. None of them were interested in talking about those, so they took turns telling of growing up, the places they’d been and college. After a while it shifted to their rescuers when Adele said, “Jean, what can you tell us about those who rescued us?”

“How long do you have?” replied Jean with a smile.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, we’ve been with them for about 5 months now. It has been the best five months that I can remember. They are currently seeking people to help them bring this ship back to full operational capability. I don’t know if Briana has told you what caused them to rescue you all?”

“No, I haven’t had a chance, and I am not sure I know all of it.”

“Adele, I am not trying to duck your question, I am just not sure where to begin.”

Briana said, “Maybe the presentation they made two nights ago.”

“Good idea. Two nights ago these people gave a presentation that showed their history, how they came to be in this solar system, their social structure and an anatomy comparison. It contains a lot of information, which is why I hesitate in trying to tell you about them. I can ask Star if it is available.”

“Sure. Who gave the presentations and why?”

“Star, can you show the presentations that were given the other night?”

“Yes,” she replied startling everyone. “Just tell me when you want to start.”

“Okay.” Jean gave a quick sketch of the situation and then asked Star to start it.

When the presentations ended Adele said, “Wow. If I wasn’t here, I would have a hard time believing it.”

“Well it fits with everything we heard today from the medical staff,” said Ellie. “They’ve offered us treatments that will restore our health. We wanted to accept right away but they suggested we wait and think it over very carefully. They showed us how to enable and manage our telepathy. We were so busy, I didn’t think to ask the questions they answered in the video. I know Adele had. This place is amazing.”

“I agree but it is late and I am tired,” added Cindy. “We need to get some rest so we will be fresh in the morning, especially if we are going to the resort.” Everyone nodded in agreement.

“Where are you staying Briana?” asked Adele.

“With you all, if it’s okay.”

“Absolutely. But we’ve all been sharing just one bed.”

“And your point is?” replied Briana with a smile. “From my perspective nothing has changed, although lying with you will be a new and nice experience.”

“We just...” said Cindy.

“I know,” said Briana interrupting. “Jean, where are you all staying?”

“Next door. And Cindy is right, it is late. So we will see you in the morning. A chime will sound when it is time to get up. Also, did anyone go over emergency procedures with you?”

“Yes,” responded Ellie. They then gave each other hugs before Jean’s group left.

In bed Briana and her friends cuddled up next to each other. Briana was startled when Adele said, “Briana, we love you very much. I hope you sensed that.”

“I thought I did, but I am just as new to this as you are.”

“I think this connection made it much easier to chat with Jean and her friends. They are really nice people.”

“That is my impression, but before tonight I had hardly spoken with them.”

“Well even before seeing the presentations, we thought staying with these people was a good choice. With that in mind, seeing those presentations was reassuring. Besides we’ve felt very comfortable around them. Probably more so than any place else we have been.”

“True. I love you all. This connection makes it much easier to see our feelings for each other.”

“More than anything else, we owe you for being so persistent and not giving up on finding us.”

“You don’t owe me a thing. I’m very thankful that we are together again.”

Then they all said, “Good night. Pleasant dreams.”

“They will be, NOW!” said Adele.

When the morning chime sounded on the ship, several of Leann’s group groaned. Muriel said with a sleepy voice, “Guess, I won’t get to finish that dream.”

Star said, “Good morning.” Several groaned again. “Betsy or Connie will be there in half an hour. So you have time to shower.”

“Showers?” said Maighread.

“Yes.”

“Oh, now I remember. I could use one.”

“Besides showers and gravity, we have a few other features of planet life here.”

The group had just finished their showers and freshening up when another chime sounded. Star said, “That chime is the doorbell.”

“Do you always listen?”

“Not usually. This morning I thought I could help.”

“You are correct. Thank you. My question wasn’t meant the way it sounded.”

“Didn’t think it was. Enjoy your day at the resort. It is very nice but not nearly as nice as our island, Comrie.”

Kerry opened the door to find Connie with quite a few other people and said, “Good morning all. We are just about ready.”

As he was speaking Zoe’s group stepped out into the corridor.

Kerry said, “Has the other compartment responded?”

“No.”

“I’ll take care of that.” He opened the door and said, “Okay sleepy heads. Bus leaves in 5. You miss it, you walk.” He then closed the door.

“But, we are...” said Belinda.

“In space,” added Kerry smiling, “so let’s see if it registers. Might be a good test to see if they would make good crew members.”

A few minutes later the door opened and the group said, “We aren’t missing this bus.” Then stuck their tongues out.

“Looks like someone slept well,” said Leann.

“We did,” responded everyone.

“This way,” said Connie. “I’ll let you all resolve introductions as we head for the hangar.”

Connie pointed out different features of the ship on their way. She told them that when they came back for the planned visit they would get to see much more.

Leann’s group was amazed by the sights. They stopped at the viewing platform long enough for everyone to get a peak then headed for the hangar.

At the hangar door, Connie said, “Notice the light over the door. When it is green it is safe to go out.” She opened the door and pointed to the shuttle they would be using.

Once everyone was on board, Connie boarded and the door closed. The shuttle immediately began moving. Briana said, “AI, please make a loop around the ship so everyone can see it.”

“Aye.”

While those at the resort slept, Donna and Star finished relocating the lions, bots and drones as agreed. While in some respects it weakened their security at some locations, it did give them better coverage at all candidate locations. Once they completed the reallocation, Star and Donna together rechecked the assignments to ensure nothing had been missed.

Each drone and bot was given a set of revised parameters for monitoring their areas. These parameters gave them greater latitude to act on their own if they detected unusual activity. Donna and Star then set their monitoring systems to closely monitor the data coming from the drones and bots.

The next item was identifying additional bots for activation. With the bots identified they established the activation sequences along with instructions for the crew to carry them out. In reviewing the inventory, they discovered several containers of intrusion sensors. Although these were designed for use in space, Donna and Star both thought their purpose was similar to their current need. After further examination they concluded that they could likely be adapted to supplement their current monitoring resources.

Star asked the Engineering-AI for assistance in changing the programming to meet the new requirements. Star then assigned several bots to begin unpacking the sensors, while other crew members aided the Engineering-AI in revising the software.

Well before dawn they began distributing the intrusion detectors around each location. With the modified programming, the sensors could detect the type of intruder and estimate probable intent. The sensors could also detect a change in atmosphere, but not necessarily define the change.

The crew members were impressed by Star and Donna’s discovery and subsequent suggestions. Even though this additional task stretched their resources, everyone managed to get sufficient rest.

The data feed from the sensors was added gradually due to concerns by the AIs about the volume of additional information. As expected, when each group of sensors was added there was a surge in data before it settled back almost to the initial level. This was due to each sensor only broadcasting changes to its surrounding environment once the baseline was established. Although the data was monitored by both Star and Donna, the Intelligence-AI and Security-AI were the primary monitors. Sensor data was also shared with nearby drones and bots. This not only gave the bots a broader view of their surroundings but also gave an indication on where to focus most of their attention.

It was shortly before dawn when Sarah’s clan began to wake. They had slept very well considering the excitement of the day before. Joyce and Judy were the first to wake, but only moments before the rest. They took their time to touch and caress one another, physically expressing their love and care for each other. After Rusty made a dash for the bathroom, his spouses quickly followed him. While expressing their milk and exercising, they utilized their mind-link to review the events of the last several days. They gave careful scrutiny to last night’s events. They all agreed that plans for the six meetings had gone very well considering the unknowns and short preparation time. While they agreed that the abductors were dealt with appropriately, they thought it should be the exception. This was in part because they thought that if they continued handing out punishment, it would have negative repercussions on them and those around them. They recognized that they couldn’t walk away from what the ‘flesh merchants’ or abductors were doing but it would be better if they were exposed so that Earth’s governments could deal with them.

“We agree with your assessment,” chimed in Maureen, Aoife, Siobhan and Erica. The comment startled Sarah’s clan.

“My apologies for inviting myself into the link,” said Erica. “I started to reach out to you about this very issue. It is pleasing to know we all feel the same way.”

“Perhaps we should apologize for intruding as well,” said Maureen, Aoife and Siobhan. “Each of us saw the activity and was curious.”

Maureen said, “I think we made the correct choice for that situation. We showed leniency where it appeared to be deserved.”

“Please, there is nothing to apologize for from any of you,” said Sarah’s clan. “We sensed Maureen, Siobhan and Aoife in the bond. We also felt, Erica, Star and Donna participating as well. We also sense a certain amount of excitement from Star and Donna. Hmm, though that doesn’t seem to be about last night, but it is about our situation.”

“Yes, you picked up on it,” Star and Donna replied. Donna continued with, “While we were preparing for today, we found some devices that are used for detecting intruders in space. We are a bit embarrassed that we didn’t consider them earlier. However, when we found them, we realized that with some programming changes they could be used to detect intruders on a planet. The ship’s Engineering-AI, with the assistance of a few bots and crews, has configured all the devices we need immediately. We were able to place them. The data is being handled by the Intelligence-AI and Security-AI. At each site, the nearby drones and bots also see the data.”

“Congratulations,” chorused the group. “How well are they working? How are you sharing the data?”

“They seem to be working quite well. When they detect an intruder, they can assess what it is and deduce its intent. They can also detect minute changes in their surrounding environment. We placed them fairly rapidly. The initial data was a bit overwhelming but that quickly settled down. Each unit only sends changes in its surroundings back to us and to the nearest bots or drones. It immediately flags changes it sees as a threat or suspicious.”

“Wow. This will really assist us today when the teams to go out to contact the other candidates.” The warmth of their appreciation flowed from them to all that were involved. The Intelligence-AI, Security-AI and Engineering-AI were startled by the appreciative comments regarding their efforts. The crew was nearly as surprised as the AIs were.

“Aren’t we fortunate to have had them join us,” chimed in Jim, Amy, Betsy and Connie. “We would like to take credit for finding them, but I feel others had a hand in it.” All of them sensed a confirmation of their comment.

“Thank you,” said Sarah’s clan. “We sense the number present in this link has grown considerably and we are not sure why. We are as glad that you joined us as we see you are to have found us. We expect to travel many miles together but first we have some urgent work before us. For now we need everyone to focus on resolving those immediate tasks before we can relax very much.

“While we are linked, we should share with you some additional thoughts. We feel that we will have further run-ins with either this group or similar groups. It is likely that some situations will be heart wrenching. We will need to manage our emotions so that we can react appropriately to resolve the situation.

“A pillar of our beliefs is that everyone should have the opportunity to choose how, where and what they do as LONG as it harms no one else. When multiple people interact it must be done within the boundaries, choices and actions each has willingly agreed too. No one should be forced or coerced to do anything against their will. As a society we will endeavor to protect the weak from the strong provided those actions don’t conflict with our prime directive.

“We were not intending to make a speech, but we seem to have done so. So, as a final thought, we hope and pray that the Gods and Goddesses will aid and guide us, both in dealing with these vermin and on our path through life.” A strong positive feeling reflected through the thoughts of those connected in the link. Sarah’s clan felt their friend from the ship tell them ‘well said and you have the support of everyone’.

They were close to finishing their exercising when Joyce noticed the time and said, “Hey, we need to hurry a bit as breakfast will start very soon. We should be there to meet the new candidates.” With that they hurriedly took their showers and finished freshening up.

Sarah’s and Amy’s Clans arrived in the dining area to find Ann’s Clan setting up the serving line and went to help. Wilma of Ann’s Clan said, “We are almost ready, so you can start as soon as you want to. Ann asked that you mention picking up after themselves.”

“We will try,” responded Jill. “Don’t let us forget.” As she finished speaking, the three groups from the ship entered the room.

“Good morning,” said everyone.

Briana said, “Leann and friends, it is my honor to introduce Sarah’s and Amy’s Clans. Why don’t we each introduce ourselves?”

“Great idea,” said Sarah and Leann together. Everyone laughed as Sarah nodded toward Leann indicating she should proceed.

“I am Leann. Thank you so much for arriving in time last night. It was an experience I never want to repeat.”

“We are glad we were there in time.”

Each of Leann’s group introduced themselves, followed by Briana’s friends and Sarah’s and Amy’s Clans. As they were speaking, Siobhan’s and Shannon’s groups arrived. After greetings were shared, Siobhan guided Shannon’s group over to meet other candidates.

When Maureen’s group came in there was a loud squeal from Leann as she rushed over to Maureen and wrapped her arms around her. “Maureen we can’t thank you, Brandan and Belinda enough for saving us from those people.”

“It wasn’t just us.”

“I know, but to me, and perhaps us, you three were the key. I would like to personally thank all the others as well.”

Brandan said, “Leann, we are having a discussion after breakfast. You could do it then.”

“But that is kind of impersonal.”

“Hugs are great,” responded Belinda who had walked over. “All the people you want to thank are telepathic so they will feel the emotional part of your comment.”

“Okay. I didn’t think of that.”

“It takes a while to get used to using it.”

Donna said, “Nearly everyone is there, or nearly there.”

“Okay,” replied Sarah then her clan began tapping a glass with a spoon. The ringing sounds soon brought the talking to an end.

Sarah’s Clan together said, “Good morning.”

“Good morning,” came the reply.

“We trust you all had a good night’s rest.”

“Well I could have slept longer,” responded Danny in a quiet moment. Several chuckled.

“Our chefs tell us breakfast is ready. Please help yourself and have a seat. Once everyone is seated we will make a few announcements.”

When everyone was seated Sarah’s Clan together said, “We had quite a few arrivals last night. We are glad you could come. After breakfast, we will have a round of introductions then outline today’s activities. When we are finished, we ask that all those who arrived yesterday to watch three videos. These videos were made two days ago when the first group arrived here. They give you an overview of our history, our biological differences and our goals.”

“Sarah, I suggest that seeing them once is not enough,” said Carine interrupting Sarah’s Clan. “Who am I? Essentially just another candidate. Why my suggestion? Our group has been here several days and even though I saw the original presentation and watched the videos twice, each time I have learned something significant that I missed before. Sorry to interrupt,” as she realized what she had done.

“I agree,” said Maureen and Siobhan together.