c. 2024 Rod Ice
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(10-24)
Arbiter Goland Pick was secure in his position of authority at the Toqua Platte Center. Yet after Prime Keeper Lotharian Gardino had attempted to have himself declared ruler for life over the Calimex territory, he moved more stealthily and carefully through the corridors of that establishment. There were murmurings of unrest among the citizens of their western state. Yet no one had the political courage to challenge their flawed leader. For the moment, giving fealty to him as a force of consequence was the only course of action available. When ordered to send a swarm of land drones headed east, the technical controller obeyed without question. But silently, he wondered about their chance of surviving the raw environment of what lay ahead.
The middle of North America as it existed in modern terms was an uninhabited expanse of ruined geography. Not friendly to human voyagers, or their machines. Though the primary intra-coastal highway still existed, it had been bombed, bulldozed, and scarred by seismic shifts of governance and climate upheaval. Experts along the Pacific Ocean agreed that sending a military brigade into this region without first-hand knowledge of what they would encounter might imperil the group, and doom their mission.
As an isolated republic, with limited resources and a meager population, they could not afford to spill the blood of their own people, needlessly.
The wheeled, autonomous Ranger drones were more suited for such dangerous work. These vehicles were able to navigate over or around the most challenging obstacles. Without needing constant supervision from afar. Though their pace was slow by comparison to a military operation, they were dependable and sturdy. Powered by solar panels that recharged their crystal cells when needed. Refueling was unnecessary. And cataclysmic weather patterns would not affect their operation.
Real-time input streamed back to the command center, as they ventured forth. Every mile of ground covered yielded useful information for the soldiers and scientists, at home.
Arbiter Pick stayed at his post for long shifts, throughout the day and night. He did not want to disappoint Gardino, or their research staff. But finally, this regimen of self-sacrifice drove him to the point of exhaustion. He became drowsy while gesturing commands over the long, illuminated panel with colored tiles. His bald skull glistened with cool sweat.
Engineer Jordan N’Falah turned completely around in his chair, with a look of concern, when the station head began to yawn and snore.
“Sir, you’ve reached the limit of endurance, I think. I can take the lead. You’ve got to stand down at least for a few hours...”
His superior snapped to attention, instantly. Though he sounded groggy and hoarse.
“Is that a challenge to my position, mister? You’d better be able to back that up with some sound logic!”
The young recruit shook his head in protest.
“No challenge, sir! I was making an offer to assist you...”
Pick felt his eyes watering. He could barely focus on the display monitor, overhead.
“The Ranger swarm is programmed to explore on its own. We’re loading all the telemetry to our data banks. So I guess, perhaps, you have a point. I just need a cup of Jovian coffee from the station cafeteria. And a break from this duty shift...”
N’Falah nodded submissively. He had the bronze skin of ancestors who traveled to California from a region closer to the planetary equator.
“As I said, no challenge to your position, sir. We’ve got things running on auto-pilot here. Maybe get a hot beverage and a splash of cold water in the face. That always does it for me when the hours get too long!”
Arbiter Pick bristled a bit at how candidly his junior spoke in front of their team. Yet he knew that the assessment was correct.
“I’ll be in my quarters. Just for a half hour, maybe. Thank you...”
After walking to his private cubicle, he felt sapped of energy. But when he fell into a rest chair, just inside of the entry portal, his communications wafer chirped for attention.
Gardino appeared on the device screen. He did not look cheerful about the unplanned diversion.
“Goland! I called the control hub and they said you’d taken a break! What the hell is that, friend? A break? When we’re on top of a mission like this nation has never seen before? We need to find the source of that C-drive whistling! It could be the key to advancing our entire civilization!”
His technical master had begun to swoon from the heat.
“Lothar, we’re locked in at the center. Don’t think that I tossed my badge in a waste receptacle. There’s no break in the chain of command. I just needed a power nap...”
The keeper laughed until his throat went dry.
“A NAP? WHAT IS THIS, KINDERGARTEN? YOU’RE A GAWDAMM SCIENTIST! I NEED YOU ON DECK AND ON DUTY! THOSE WHEELED DRONES CAN’T GUIDE THEMSELVES WITHOUT CONSTANT SURVEILLANCE. THEY NEED US, THEY NEED BABYSITTERS WITH PLENTY OF ELECTRONIC GIZMOS! THEY NEED A PROFESSIONAL EGGHEAD LIKE YOU!”
Pick felt nauseous. Yet his stomach was empty.
“The Ranger swarm is programmed to call for help if anything goes awry. Their backup files are based on the template information we learned from mapping Mars, over a century ago. That was our first study of controlling bots, remotely. There’s no need for worry...”
Prime Keeper Gardino slammed his fist into the composite wall. His impatience was frighteningly obvious.
“DON’T SCREW THIS UP, GOLAND! CALIMEX IS DEPENDING ON YOU!”
The arbiter was about to slip into unconsciousness. So, his inhibitions had vanished.
“Calimex? Or your career? I know the drill, Lothar. First and foremost, you’re always a political creature. This is a gambit to impress the populace, right? You think that getting hold of a ship with the C-drive technology will boost your chances of being declared our king. Maybe that’ll jive in the future, who knows? If it does, I’ll be onboard. But until then, let me enjoy a rest period, and a cup of black...”
The aspiring dictator was stunned by his cohort’s naked honesty. He had to pause for a moment, to reflect on this outburst of free speech. Then, he folded his hands and whispered into the electronic wafer.
“You might be wracked with fatigue, but your intuition is still on target. Take care, old friend. Keep me updated on the progress of our mission. And remember to maintain your place. You wouldn’t want to lose the entitlement of command, right?”
Pick wasn’t sure if that final remark implied a threat, or simply offered good advice. But it didn’t matter. He reclined the chair in his cubicle, and immediately fell asleep.
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