A Larger Universe (13 page)

This is an assembly language
, he decided. 
One
step above the code the computer uses and not sophisticated at all.
 
Nothing like the Java language he used for the new programs, but this language
provided the instructions for anything one of these computers was capable of
doing. 
Sophistication is for the human side of the equation, not for the
computer, and for security and reliability.  A mistake would be easy to make
and hard to find in this programming language.
 

He wrote some small programs on paper to amuse himself, but,
since he didn't have a computer to test them, he eventually lost interest and
found a book to read from Valin's computer library.

After watching the results for two weeks, Moder declared the
first tank a success and ordered that the remaining tanks in the section be
filled.  A few days later, all of the tanks contained growing plant life, and
the artisans on the deck gathered to congratulate Tommy and his team. 

With them were three new faces.  They had Moder backed into
a corner.

"He must fix my farm next," said one artisan.

"Why are you asking me to decide?" asked Moder,
"I had nothing to with my farm being first.  I can't decide who will be
second."

"Who then?" asked the second artisan.

"Yes, who?" said the third.  "We all have
broken control devices."

"Don't I have anything to say about this?" asked
Tommy.

All three turned toward him, "No, you don't.  But
someone must decide," said the first artisan.

The door to the elevator next to them opened, and another
artisan stepped out.  The bickering immediately stopped, and Moder and the
three withdrew behind Tommy, leaving him facing the new artisan alone. 

The new artisan stepped up to Tommy.  "Are you the
feral human responsible for reviving this farm?"

No one had called him that for months.  "Others were
involved, but yes, I suppose you could say that."

"Can you do it again?"

"Sure we can.  These three were just arguing over who
would be next."

"That is not in question.  My farm will be next." 
He stared at the other three artisans.  "Do you have objections?"

The three glanced at each other.  Finally, one of them
responded, "No, of course not.  We weren't thinking.  Of course, a farm in
the lords' part of the ship must be repaired first."

The new artisan turned to Tommy.  He pursed his lips. 
"You seem troubled.  Do you have issues with where you will next perform
this miracle?"

All the artisans dressed colorfully, but this one was
extreme.  Tommy jerked his eyes away from the purple tunic with green stripes
and yellow pants.  "No.  I'm just surprised.  I thought no one from down
here went into that part of the ship.  And what's your name, if we're going to
be working together?"

"My name is Tillie.  Who told you such a thing?  Many
work above the Commons.  How else would the ship's functions be performed?  How
else would the ship stay in good repair?

"Enough of that.  When will you start, and how long
will it take?  I was told you took over fifteen weeks here.  Must I expect the
same?"

"No," Tommy said.  "We should be able to get
our part done faster this time.  I can't make the plantings grow faster,
though.  We can start tomorrow, if you want.  Where should we go?"

"I understand you're working with Valin," Tillie
replied.  "He knows where we are.  Have him direct you." And as
abruptly as he had come, Tillie turned into the elevator and was gone.

#   #   #

Tommy found Valin alone in the translation room, going over
the day's work.  The meeting soon went beyond how to find Tillie's deck. 
"Valin, I planned to talk to you about this anyway.  We need to train some
more people."

Valin pushed his chair back from his desk.  "Aren't the
three of you enough?"

Tommy pulled up his own chair and sat down.  "That
depends.  We have four decks of hydroponics with dead computers, or devices, or
whatever they want to call them.  The three of us shouldn't have much trouble
duplicating what we've already done.  If that's the end of it, I guess I'll be
able to retire at age sixteen, and maybe you can put me on the next ship home. 
Is that the end of it?"

"Just a moment," Valin said, and got up to close
the door to the outside corridor.  "I'm not sure closing the door does any
good, but...

"Tommy, many computers on this ship are broken.  Each
year, more fail, and it's been many years since we've had the means to repair
them without using parts from another computer.  When Lord Ull originally
called us to discuss the problem, she was uncharacteristically honest, I
think.  This ship is over two thousand years old and has been home to
generations of lords and humans alike.  She believes the ship will suffer a
critical breakdown unless we find a solution.  If you need more help to
complete your work, I'm certain we can find a way."

Tommy was sure his astonishment was obvious.  "She? 
Lord Ull is a she?"

"Yes, she is," Valin replied.  "All of the
lords we know are.  Why should that matter?"

"It doesn't, except it makes me wonder about the way
you treat your own women."

"What does one have to do with the other?" Valin
said.  "Lord Ull also told us of factions among the lords who refuse to
accept that there is a danger.  We must be careful with these new assistants
that you need.  Those same lords would stop any perceived rise in our knowledge
and abilities.   They like to believe we're dispensable."

He smiled sadly and shook his head.  "And, Tommy, no
one goes home.  This is your home now.  Anything you can do to make the ship
better will help you."

Tommy's expression was stubborn.  "That's not decided,
yet."

Valin put his hand on Tommy's shoulder.  "Your hope
does you no good.  This ship won't return to Earth for many years.  When it
does return, you won't be allowed to go home.  If the lords give you some task
that sends you to Earth, you'll be forced to come back to the ship.  That's the
way it is; that's the way it's always been."

Tommy shrugged off Valin's hand.  "That may be the way
it's always been.  We'll see about how it will be."

"You're just a boy, even if you're bigger than one of
our men," Valin said.  "What can a boy do to influence the lords'
actions?"

"If Earth's computers are used to fix everything, maybe
someone will decide this ship should return to Earth for more, then we'll see
what happens.  Maybe they'll reward me by letting me go," Tommy said.

"The lords will reward you by giving you more work to
do, not by releasing you.  You apparently enjoy the work you're doing.  Let
that be enough.  There's only one release from this ship for us--death."

Tommy didn't answer for a while.  He slumped in his chair
and stared at the floor. 
I have to find a way to make the lords listen to
me
, he thought,
but how?
 
I don't know enough about what's going
on.  I don't even know where in the Universe I am.  I've never even met a lord.
 

One of his dad's favorite sayings was a man always needs
leverage. 
The only leverage I have is the computers I'm installing
. 
Somehow,
that must do.  And I don't have much choice about the man part, either.  I've
been thrown into each job as if I'm already an adult.  I must be one, as best I
can, until I can get home.

Finally, he raised his head.  "I need to go.  It's time
for the evening meal, and then I have to get ready for our first day in
Tillie's farm."

"You seem to have reached a decision," Valin
said.  "I hope the right one.  There's a single reality here, and you
won't be able to change it.  In the meantime, I'll try to get you more
assistants.  One last thing.  Don't stop on other levels on your way to
Tillie's farm.  The decks above the Commons are reserved for lords and warriors
and those the lords have invited."

Valin followed Tommy out.  "I must eat also.  May I
join you?"

After his meal, Tommy found Vent and Sanos in the computer
warehouse, selecting the equipment they would take the next morning.  When they
were done, he went through the stack of boxes and nodded at the two of them. 
"Looks like you've got everything.  I need to add a few things we didn’t
use before, though, and I'll be adding the same things to the computer we
already installed, along with making some changes to the code.  Get started
moving these boxes next to the elevators.  We'll meet there after the morning
meal."

In his original examination of the inventory, Tommy had
found twenty huge rolls of network cable, and enough routers, switches and
wireless equipment to network a large company. 
Maybe that would be enough
to wire together all the computers in a starship if the electricians have access
to the entire central column.  The central column would make a really long
lever.

"What are you laughing at?" Sanos asked.

"Nothing," Tommy replied, "Nothing that
matters.  Not for now anyway." 
But maybe I can make it matter
, he
thought.

While Sanos and Vent loaded boxes onto the two-tiered
wheeled table they used for transport, Tommy arranged for the electricians to
pull computer cable to Tillie's Deck.  Tommy's call on the intercom wasn't
going well until Tommy used Lord Ull's name.

"Can he get away with that?" whispered Vent.

"Only if it's true.  Isn't it?" Sanos whispered
back.

Vent shrugged his shoulders and whispered, "Maybe. 
Maybe not.  I heard something you should know.  I'll tell you after we
leave."

Tommy went to the corner of the warehouse where he had set
up his exercise area.  He was soon straining against weights attached to ropes
and pulleys. 

After they finished moving boxes, Sanos and Vent left to get
some rest for the next day.  Since becoming Tommy's assistants, they had moved
into a barracks close to where Tommy lived alone. 

"He has to be the strangest person I know," Sanos
said, "and I don't just mean the way he looks.  Only a crazy person would
sweat when he doesn't have to."

"He's strange," Vent replied, "and he's
definitely reckless.  I was in the translation room library, and I overheard
him talking with Valin about the job we just did.  Tommy didn't have Lord Ull's
approval."

"So we're in trouble," Sanos said.

"Valin doesn't think so.  At least, it didn't sound
like he thinks so."  Vent stopped walking.  "Sanos, there's more. 
This ship is falling apart."

Sanos looked around.  "The ship is the same as it's
always been.  Maybe a little bit dirtier.  Why do you say that?"

"Because Lord Ull says it is.  That's what Valin said. 
Lord Ull is afraid something critical will fail that we can't repair."

"What has that go to do with Tommy and us?" Sanos
asked.  "What can we do about it, even if it's true?"

"That hydroponics computer is just one of many
computers that need repairing," Vent said.  "Tommy just proved he can
get something working again, and we helped.  That's what it has to do with us.

"Valin said something else.  Some of the lords would
stop what we're doing if they understood what was happening."

"They'll know, eventually," Sanos said. 
"Aren't you worried?"

"Some.  But not for the reason you might think,"
Vent said.  "If Lord Ull is right about the ship, I worry Tommy's
craziness will draw the lords' attention too soon, before they understand the
value of what he's doing.  I worry they'll make him stop before we know enough
to continue his work."

They walked for some time in silence.  "There's no
controlling him, though," Sanos said.

"No, all we can do is learn what we can until
then," Vent agreed.

"If we don't get killed ourselves, first," Sanos
replied.

"Are you sure we have everything?" Sanos asked
Vent as Tommy arrived at the bank of elevators.

"We checked each box as we put it on the cart,"
Vent replied.  "Will you calm down.  We'll survive this."

"You'll survive what?" Tommy asked.

Sanos gave a high pitched shriek and turned toward Tommy. 
"It's you!  I wish you wouldn't sneak up like that!"

Vent looked at Sanos and shook his head.  "Do you know
where we're going?" he asked Tommy.

"Valin gave me deck number 257," Tommy responded. 
"Has either of you been above the commons?"

They looked at each other, and both replied simultaneously,
"I haven't."

"Apprentices aren't allowed in lords' territory,"
Sanos said.  His face turned white.  "I hadn't considered that.  Only
journeymen and masters are allowed above the Commons."

Vent shook his head with bemusement.  "Are we even
apprentices?  I'm not sure what we are since we're working for you."

Tommy frowned.  "Do you want to back out?  I suppose I
could do this alone."

His two helpers looked at each other again, and then Vent
pushed the button that would bring an elevator.  When it came, Sanos shoved in
the cart of equipment.

They rose with a whine and an occasional jerk. 
The computers
on this ship aren't the only thing that needs replacing
, Tommy thought.  He
turned his back to the door and began checking the boxes against the list he
had given his helpers.  When the elevator lurched to a halt, he turned to check
the deck number.  The sight of two huge men sent him stumbling back against the
cart.

As they entered, the men ducked to get through the elevator
door.  Muscular arms hung like slabs from wide shoulders.  Identical green
tunics falling from clavicle to upper calf, covered broad chests and narrow
waists cinched by thick belts.  Tommy's eyes were drawn to the heavy sticks and
flapped pouches attached to the belts, then to the roughly shaven faces above
the massive necks--
--
necks circled by an
inch-wide, close-fitting metal band.  Sandals and green wristbands completed
what must be a uniform. 
Are they police
, Tommy wondered? 
They look
like professional wrestlers on television.
  He had gotten used to being the
biggest person in the group.  No chance of that with these two nearby.  They
towered over him.  He took a deep breath and stood up from where he had fallen
back against the boxes.  If they wanted to snap him in two, he couldn't do
anything to prevent them. 
Maybe if I say something, my knees will stop
shaking
.  "I'll bet those nicks on your faces really hurt.  Forset,
the priest, has some razors from Earth you should try."