Dreams among Stars Read online

  Dreams

  among

  Stars

  Pirx Danford

  Credits

  A huge thank you to Murx Pickwick, who cheered me on and provided a steady supply of coffee.

  Also thanks to Kev Page for inspiring me with his works and thanks to Steve Adamo for motivating me so much through the writer's workshops on the Stonehearth forums and a very loud thank you to Eugene Kovryga, who fully threw himself into creating an absolutely splendid cover image.

  A very special thank you to the correctors, which spent so much time to help me improve my book: Murx Pickwick (again), my dear brother and my lovely Mother.

  Right here could be your name! Whoever submits improvement suggestions and desires to be mentioned I will mention with a freely selectable name (within the limits of good taste) at this place in the book.

  About me

  The obvious fact first, this novel is my first.

  I am publishing it using the pseudonym Pirx Danford, as this name belongs to my online identity and maybe some readers already have met me in some forum, MMO or even at NaNoWriMo.

  If so and you dear reader know me, get in touch after reading by all means and let me know how you liked the book. Every criticism lets me grow and every praise is welcome!

  This book is the result of the change the “big 40” brings along, one has reached a certain age and remembers the goals one set out to reach in life.

  But it would be wrong to state that I would have preferred a career as writer over my current occupation. No, back then it was a very well thought out choice between my two talents, my very natural understanding of computers and coding versus being able to express myself very well in writing. I was sure that a career in the IT sector would be more fulfilling and rewarding and for me it has been a good decision.

  Now I heard of NaNoWriMo the first time back in 2013 and alongside a number of other ipulses, this reminded me of my writing skills which were laying waste for much too long now.

  In fact my work as software developer has taught me a wide array of skills, which have helped me massively with the work on the novel.

  And even as I am just writing for a hobby and have a lot of fun doing so, it shall not be just for my own recreation, in fact I hope my small novel does provide enjoyable entertainment for some readers.

  Publishing notices

  You, dear reader, are either a relative, friend, acquaintance or even a brave buyer of the ebook, which I published on Kindle via Amazon.

  As I am not a writer in my day job I do publish this book just on my own. To learn from my readers I am approachable through multiple ways. My hope is that through this a dialogue will start, from which I am allowed to draw a multitude of experiences.

  I am publishing this book in 3 stages in this English version. Indeed, the German version is also available as “Träume zwischen Welten” right now even in print already.

  Improvements from either version may find their way into the other, especially in regards to logical faults and so on.

  Anyhow we are currently in stage 1. This means the following: I beg you dear reader to help me improve the book, please do provide me with feedback! Also it means the book is only available as ebook in English.

  Whoever submits feedback to me, which I am able to use will receive a credit notice. (Of course only if desired, also the name used is freely selectable within the limits of good taste.)

  Stage 2 will begin with a free giveaway of the ebook and a hopefully huge update eliminating the most and/or worst mistakes. Stage 2, as well as stage 1 will have updates whenever a good amount of “bugs” has been fixed. If, within a reasonable timeframe, no more mistakes are being found stage 2 will find its end.

  Stage 3 will again see a free giveaway and then the printversion will be released alongside the ebook.

  Of course I will keep updating the book if necessary, but I rather do hope that this wont be the case.

  Awakening

  Darkness.

  Darkness is a bridge between objectives.

  The more important the destination, the greater the distance to bridge.

  Those are the thoughts that keep me holding tight to my duty, those thoughts and the current flowing through me.

  Yet I am getting tired - I feel how the attrition is taking its toll on my senses.

  I wonder why 20 maintenance cycles have passed without replacing me or at least doing a check up on me.

  My endurance is unending, but my components are unable to function forever.

  Time is a strange beast, every passing second I validate all incoming sensor data thoroughly, yet apparently - no definitely - days pass between the single thoughts I have.

  I was not constructed to ponder, which given the circumstances would have been a gruesome cruelty.

  Nonetheless I have thoughts now and I dream - I dream of the way that lies ahead and which is so much shorter now… shorter than what? What is happening to me?

  The stars are so beautiful!

  Why wasn’t it cold? It should be cold!

  Was that not what I was only just thinking?

  I knew my eyes were opened, but I only saw a blurred surface before me and the endless stillness nearly drove me crazy.

  But wait, at one region the surface was a bit more reddish.

  Oh and it was pulsating!

  A swooshing static filled my ears to be punctuated by a shrill beeping, which pierces the silence like a needle, at the beginning only as low noise than ever louder through the static.

  The beeping pumps with the tact of the red surface.

  And slowly I am able to distinguish a voice, it is a calm and soothing voice.

  It takes a while until I’m able to understand the words “Please take hold of the data assistant glasses, which you will find indicated through the red signal light.”

  My thoughts race, what kind of weird dream did I have before waking? I had been one of the ships sensors, located on the outside of the ships hull. Until just now I could even have sworn that I was that sensor for my whole life.

  A mean tingling shakes my limbs and every doubt of my aliveness quickly vanishes. This body is human through and through and is direly in need of a hot shower.

  I stretch my arm towards the red light and feel around for the glasses which I dutifully put on.

  A low gonging bell sounds, which of course was just the signal that the glasses acknowledged my putting them on. With a pleasantly calm and androgynous voice the glasses are greeting me. “Welcome Helen, I hope you feel rested and healthy!” This was not an actual question about my health, because every single detail about my body functions had been measured multiple times, the only unknown which was unpredictable was my state of mind.

  I voice the order to display a map and a small overview of the room, I just have been awakened in, is displayed.

  The question about the current date lets me know that I have slept more than a thousand years, more exactly I was kept “on ice” for 1450 years, exactly as planned.

  I am getting dizzy and my glasses friendly inform me that I should not exert myself too much at this point in time.

  It suggests that I should completely conduct the steps of the waking up program, so I begin with very simple arm movements.

  Finally I am able to move all of my limbs, which means I have to perform a very extensive stretching program and my desire for that shower is growing unbearable.

  At the end of the fitness training a way to a bathroom is displayed at last and after I step out of the shower feeling refreshed and neat I find clean clothing and smell a tempting hot meal.

  They had warned me of the waking up phase being very difficult to deal with, especially since the cryostasis areas are completely isolat
ed from the rest of the ship and no other humans are allowed entrance.

  The time I am given for orientation is limited, so I plan my next steps while I chew on some warm and unidentifiable stuff.

  If I remember correctly I have five days, but while I think about that my glasses display the countdown until my “discharge” and shockingly this already is my second day!

  As a matter of fact my body needed over a day until my senses returned and having finished my meal already I feel the wear the training took on me and am suddenly very tired.

  “I have to…” with that thought I fall asleep on the spot.

  When I wake up I am lying on a cot and my glasses lie directly on a small board right beside me. Everything here is kept in a sterile white, its clear that humans are not meant to stay here for long.

  “Good morning Helen.” My glasses are greeting me when I put them on “This is your third day. Now that your body is able to withstand greater strain, I suggest you progress to training your awareness. By the way, would you like me to keep addressing you formally, or would you like me to switch to a more informal voice?” I very much prefer to be addressed informally, this was the setting my devices back on earth always were set on.

  Earth! Thinking of earth suddenly it becomes very clear to me how marvelous it is for me to stand here, not only awakened from my cold slumber, but HERE.

  The odds for our spaceship to drift through space as a pulverized cloud of debris had been unpleasantly likely.

  Yet here I am.

  At this moment I decide to finish my mental training as fast as possible, so I can get to the task of getting an overview of the ships status.

  The tasks I am given could very well have come directly out of a computer game, with ever increasing difficulty. It starts with simple pattern recognition, but after a while I am allowed to solve more complex puzzles.

  Mathematical questions are being asked and complex sentences with mistakes I have to find are given. I have to recognize different voices and faces from my past, sometimes intentionally jumbled.

  As final task I have to play a match of chess against one of the many service robots, after that I am being told that I am ready for duty.

  “Congratulations Helen, you have finished the waking up phase in record time. Only 5% of the awakened staff need less than 3 days.” Its silly to feel flattered by a machine, but I can’t help feeling proud of myself.

  I decide to take the next two days to find out about the situation on board, because I am already tired again. So I eat something and then perform another fitness training before I crash on my cot.

  “Good night Helen” my glasses tell me just before I take them off and put them away and the thought that I should name it crosses my mind, then the world drifts away into the darkness of slumber.

  All around me is just darkness - and stars, beautiful stars - still I have that urgent need.

  There is something I have to tell someone, yet there is no one to listen.

  I become more and more torpid, still I keep sending my data to the main computer.

  I never get any response, this was different in the past - everything was better in the past - where does that thought come from?

  Why do I think? Do I think?

  When I wake up I tell my glasses that its name is Marple from now on and set the voice to reflect the voice of an elderly lady. That tone of voice always was very soothing for me and I fear that this day will bring a good amount of excitement my way.

  Also the strange dream I had last night was not very comforting at all.

  At breakfast, with something that is not really toast with eggs, I am wondering why the food I get consists completely of synthetic components.

  I think I remember that the active staff was meant to grow fresh produce and farm it, putting excess into the ships distribution system.

  The thought of no active staff alive sends a shiver through me and hurriedly I start searching for a system console.

  Ashen-pale I sit before the screen and tremble like a leaf. Someone sobs and I look around, only to realize that it must have been me. My cheeks are wet and the tears have left stains on my shirt.

  Everyone is dead, the displays cannot mean anything else.

  Like a maniac I click through the different ships segments and cannot find any functioning systems.

  But why am I alive? I take some deep breathes and decide to think the situation through at a prolonged shower.

  While the warm water runs over my body, it becomes clear to me that everything in this area not only keeps working because its autonomous, but that many systems outside still have to be in working condition.

  While the fresh foodstuff supply is broken, the water supply might still be working.

  After drying and finding my courage I get back to the systems console and perform a check on the water reserves of the waking area. To my relief the reserves are completely full, not even a liter of water is missing, which does mean that in fact the outside water processing is still functioning.

  And this in turn means that there has to be a functioning supply of energy.

  So the data connection to the waking area had been cut.

  I try to come up with reasons why something like that should happen and try to find hints in the system protocols.

  Maybe one of my predecessors has left a clue.

  But nothing.

  Merely one odd part of the puzzle shows up, all ship data has been kept current until 225 years before.

  Actually at that time all ship systems were working, some areas which had wear within the expected parameters needed an inspection or replacement, but nothing truly critical was to be found.

  My search for further data traces from that time yields an interesting protocol entry, which logged an attempt to circumvent the opening mechanism of the waking area. It was a hasty hacking attempt, which resulted in activating the automatic defense systems.

  With a queasy feeling I check if I am able to access the cameras of the exit area. To my relief no battleground is to be seen, yet why should my fellow space travelers - the “active staff” - try to breach the isolation?

  According to the system protocols the outside data connections had been cut shortly after the failed hacking attempt and there are records of subsequent tries to enter by brute force.

  With an uneasy suspicion I analyze the dates of the entries.

  The schedule designated the awakening of maintenance technicians like me each 25 year.

  Actually at the last 4 awakenings there had been attacks or other events which resulted in the defense systems becoming activated.

  Right then I decide to arm myself before going out there.

  The policy expected the maintenance technicians to regularly submit reports, obviously this became impossible after the data connection had been cut, but what about the time before the last 225 years?

  With that thought I find the last report, which dates back 227 years.

  It got late and I resolve to read the report directly after waking.

  I barely used Marples services throughout this day, but remember that she uttered soothing statements, when my physical readings indicated a critical mental state.

  At dinner she addresses me unexpectedly “Helen my darling, the main computer would like to advance a proposal to you.” With her words the strange dream from last night comes to my mind, but I signal my attention. “I presented your health data to the main computer and the analysis of your increased stress levels in correlation to the data you accessed at that time, results in the conclusion that your stress has been caused by the data entries about the cut of the data connection.” This was pretty obvious and I decide to silently wait for her next words “Throughout the last awakenings the standard operating procedures have been dutifully followed, which for you would signify that tomorrow is your last day in the waking area. However all of the last four awakened personnel had been armed at exit time and directly after the discharge heavy battles have ta
ken place.” A bitter taste fills my mouth, while Marple continues “It is obvious that the permanent ships staff around the exit area has become very aggressive. We do have recordings of the last exit attempts. Since the main computer did show these recordings to the last two awakened technicians, which discharged on the sixth day anyway, it suggests that you should consider taking more time.”

  My relief had to be distinctly measurable, because Marple tells me with a very soft voice “Get some rest my dear - I have notified the main computer of your consent.”

  With mixed feelings I seek out my cod, but Marple displays a map and directs me to another room, which contains a real bed.

  Only my fatigue is stronger than my appreciation as I let myself fall on the soft mattress. “Sweet dreams” says Marple as I remove her and I fall fast asleep.

  With relief I wake up without remembering any kind of dream.

  What kind of silliness is it with the beautiful stars? To strengthen my confidence, I decide to change my plans for today.

  Investigations can wait, now I want to know what kind of weapon arsenal I have available and also I will have to train myself to use them effectively.

  There are quite some brutal uses for nanite maintenance robots, but in a real battle there is barely any time to employ programming skills.

  “Show me the armory Marple” with these words I greet my glasses.

  Dutifully she displays the directions, which I follow.

  The room I arrive in offers weapons that would suffice to arm a complete army.

  For now I pick an energy blade and a normal blade made of a very strong alloy, also I take a pistol with smart ammunition. After some hesitation I chose to grab a sniper rifle for good measure.

  At breakfast I keep fondling the pistol lost in thoughts, its weird but to be armed gives me a feeling of safety.