“Fabulous. What did you guys get before they all went off the air? And where are you seeing this?”
“What we got was people freaking out because the ship flung them down and around, mostly, with no sign of you or Jeff. And I’m in the Original Situation Room and I’m very alone right now. But I’m able to watch every news channel worldwide at once, and they’re all saying the same things, none of them positive.”
“Wow, you’re not in the Large Situation Room?”
“It’s literally just me in here, Kitty. At least until your mother and uncle and the others arrive, and even then we’re not going to need the LSR. However, I’m also the Acting President. I’m going to have to go on TV sooner rather than later, Kitty. What do you want me to say?”
“That we’ll handle it and that there will be no war with anyone over this, especially not the aliens who have relocated to the Solaris system or anyone who came here seeking asylum. We expect to be back sooner as opposed to later.”
“I need to talk to Jeff. This needs to be a Presidential order. I mean, I agree with you, but still, I’m going to need to be able to say I spoke with Jeff and that he was fine and all those things.” She took a deep breath. “I’ll handle it, Kitty, I promise. But I know that I have to be able to not be lying in any way.”
“I know you can do it, Marcia. Hang on and I’ll get him on the line.” The music changed to Eric Clapton’s “Running on Faith,” which I figured we all were.
Had no idea how to link Jeff in. Shared mentally that I really wanted to link Jeff into this call. “Hello?” he said. “Kitty, did you just pull me into your call?”
“It worked, so yes, yes I did. Marcia needs to hear the plan directly from the top horse’s mouth.”
“Huh?”
“Just tell her what she needs to do, Jeff.”
Jeff repeated what I’d said, Marcia asked some questions, they confirmed more things, and my mother and Uncle Mort arrived and also got to confirm things with Jeff. Recordings were being made so that there was proof that the President was alive and all that jazz. Noted that the music muted as soon as Jeff and Marcia started talking. Good for the recordings, not great for me—I was still stressed.
Listened to all the governmental goings-on with half an ear. The other one and a half ears were trying to focus on figuring out who was on the ship and where they were. Was pretty sure we had a lot more people than any of us would have thought on board, meaning we had to find a lot of people who might not be known to be on board. I’d have never guessed that Tito, Rahmi, or Rhee would be here, for example. So I had to find who was where, and I had to find everyone fast. And finding personnel seemed like it should be a Communications function.
There had to be a way for the ship to determine who was where—Drax’s tech was excellent, and that was a feature I was pretty certain he’d put into this ship.
Drax himself was, hopefully, on board. But no one other than Tito had come to the command deck. That could mean they were still working their way up, because they might not trust the elevators right now—I wouldn’t, and most of the people I’d expect to be here were humans. However, it might mean that everyone else was hurt or trapped or worse.
Focused on seeing where everyone was. Nada. Tried to get the ship to talk to me. Less than nada. Tried not to worry. Again, failed utterly.
Figured out how to disconnect from Jeff’s call, however, while still keeping communications between him and Earth going. Scored that one firmly in the win column.
The music came back on, this time playing “Mothers Talk” by Tears for Fears. Contemplated what this meant, since I was sure Algar was at the musical controls somehow.
Said what I’d say to another mother. “My children are lost in the ship.”
“I guard all personnel,” the robotic voice replied to me. “All are my children. And none are lost.”
“Um, Kitty,” Tim whispered, “do you think we’ve scored a self-aware AI somehow?”
“I put nothing past Drax, or anyone or anything else, really. Um, are you self-aware, Ship?”
“That is not my name,” the robotic voice replied.
“Distant Voyager?” I tried.
“That is the name of the ship. I am not the ship. I control the ship but I am not it.”
“What’s your name, then?”
“It is not ‘ship’ nor ‘Distant Voyager.’” She sounded annoyed.
Which might mean we were supposed to keep on guessing. Or it could mean that she wanted a name but didn’t have one yet and didn’t want to ask for one either, possibly out of fear, embarrassment, or programming.
Whether she was self-aware or not, though, naming was a big deal. However, as I’d told Ixtha in my dream, I was Shealla the Giver of Names. Took a wild one. “Would you like to be called Mother?”
No response for a few moments. Tito and Tim were both giving me WTH looks. Shrugged. In times like this, the only thing that ever consistently worked was going with the crazy, and that’s what I’d done.
“I find that acceptable,” the robotic voice finally replied. “You may call me Mother.” Tim and Tito both relaxed. Nice to know they had no faith in me. Or possibly it was the situation. Had no bet either way.
“Great. Mother, I realize that you’re aware where everyone is within the ship, but I’m not the person who was trained on how to interface properly with you, so I can’t tell where anyone is, other than the few in this area with me. Some could be hurt, and some could be trapped, and my daughter and my ward are among those that could be hurt or trapped. Is there a way for you to tell me or show me who is where in the ship?”
“Yes.”
Waited. That appeared to be it. “Um, will you show me who is where in the ship?”
“No, I will not.”
CHAPTER 12
LET THAT SIT ON the air for more than a couple of seconds while we all looked at each other with shocked and worried expressions. Jeff was done with his call and so had given this his full attention, too.
“Um, why not?” I asked finally.
“I am not capable of moving about the ship in the manner needed to show you anything,” Mother replied, nicely, all things considered.
What was going on dawned on me. “Oh, my God. Semantics. He programmed in semantics? Where is Drax? So I can hurt him.”
“Gustav Drax is in Engineering,” Mother said. “I can tell you where everyone is, but I cannot show you.”
“Got it. I’d asked an ‘or’ question, which is why you said yes to it, and then I requested the thing you couldn’t do so you said no.”
“Correct.”
“Super-duper. Hang on just a mo, there, Mother. I have to say really nasty things about your creator and I don’t want you to take any of them personally.”
“I am not programmed to become offended,” Mother replied.
“Good to know and one small favor.”
“If she tells you that she can’t do something again, though, Kitty,” Tim said, “we need to panic.”
“Oh, I’m sure we aren’t dealing with a HAL.” Looked at Jeff’s confused expression. “From an old movie.”