DISCLAIMER; I DO NOT OWN MASS EFFECT I ONLY OWN MYSELF AND THE PLOT OF THIS FANFIC.
A/n: Ok so this part was originally part of Chapter 12, but I decided to put it in its own chapter. I was not totally satisfied with the whole ordeal of how they met E.D.I.. To me it felt too bland and the atmosphere didn't feel too much like they cared about getting off the sea floor. The ultimate goal was to get off the ocean floor and back up to the surface. But how they get there needed to be fixed. So when I put that last portion into its own separate chapter and as I reread it I was not satisfied with it at all! So I had to totally revamp how they met EDI and how people took to the newly discovered Normandy. And on the plus side this will be a two part chapter.
But anyhow thank you all for reaching this far in the story and to my wonderful beta reader Schazmen Rassir you are the best! And don't forget to review please and remember no BASHINGS, FLAMES OR LORE MONGERS PLEASE thank you.
Mass Effect The Immortal Series part 1: Flight of The Normandy
Chapter 13: E.D.I: The Enhanced Defense Intelligence
Martha had never felt so alive in her life!
She and Hilary had explored every single part of her floor that could be explored. When they got back down to the main room of the ship, they continued their exploration. Both women went through every single area and, to their surprise, found some of the areas they used were not what the ship intended this whole time! One of these examples was the Mess Hall. The Mess Hall they used turned out to be, apparently, the main meeting room where people often socialize.
It was here that the girls had seen people explore the kitchen and the bathroom facilities. The bathrooms, by some miracle, had running water in them! So many people were relieved to be able to finally bathe and clean themselves up. Others just drank till they puked. From the now-clean faces, they could see that people were enjoying their moments.
The Medical bay was another area of great interest to the scientists. The two girls wandered into the room where Dr. Amari and Dr Shenoy could be seen looking around at all the advanced equipment and the beds, respectively. Martha was very interested in the table where delicate medical procedures would have taken place. Taking out her hand, she let the alien device activate. That alone allowed a small holographic screen to appear.
The scientists quickly gathered around as they saw the figure of a human being from the inside. Martha typed in her name and a full-bodied image of Martha could be seen. It quickly showed the injuries that were sustained in the E.Z.C. and her death. It then went on to show how the liquid in her device had brought her back from the dead.
"Alqarf Almuqadas!" said Dr. Amari shocked to see something like this appearing.
"The liquid that brought you back is a sort of cellular jumpstarter!" Dr. Shenoy said to Martha.
"Amazing! It released nanites into your body while pumping that liquid at the same time! This...this revolutionizes medicine. And look here!" he said, pointing to a part of the body that Martha had not noticed. Her thyroid and her throat area were one of the many areas highlighted. It showed red areas and the words that came from it quickly translated to English.
"By Allah! It gave a full detailed analysis of your biological readings and health problems!" Dr. Amari said.
Martha was amazed by the amount of problems that her body sustained over the years. Things as simple as her throat to her ovaries has been highlighted. The system went into full detail of her biological analysis. Then Dr. Amari typed in himself. To his amazement, a new screen appeared and it showed every detail of his body, including his blood pressure levels and other things.
"May Allah have mercy on my soul!" he said in disbelief as he saw how something as simple as a broken bone was easily analyzed.
"The tech here is incredible!" said Martha.
Hilary, who was with her, smiled as she pulled on Martha's arm, "Well come on! We still have more of the ship to explore!" she said as she pulled the other girl out.
MEANWHILE
Dr. Amari was looking at the genetic structure of his own genetic code. It was right there in front of him. He then remembered the flash of light that the computer emitted when Martha activated the ship. It all made sense that the ship was trying to study them.
Martha was right, he thought as he looked at it.
"What are you thinking about my friend?" asked Dr. Shenoy as he walked up to Dr. Amari.
"I was thinking about the ship and how it took a reading into all our genetic material. Look: this is me," he said, showing the hologram of himself and the information that came with it, including the health problems that he had before such as digestive problems due to his poor upbringing. It even showed his ethnicity and genetic structure.
"Now this is you," he said as he put in Dr. Shenoy's name into the computer. A new holographic screen appeared and it showed Dr. Shenoy's body structure's internal and external features.
"Incredible!" he said looking at it. It even showed a 3D image of the planet earth and where the two originally came from. It even showed through the DNA structure what parts of the world those different genetics came from.
"Wow, that is amazing," Dr. Shenoy said as he was reading the parts about his lungs and the black deposits of tar from years of smoking. When he turned he noticed a third person's readouts are right next to his.
"Amari, is this Martha's?" Shenoy asked, looking at the chart of Martha's body structure.
"Yes, she pulled it up herself. But there are several things that stood out to me when I saw the amount of damage done to her. I think this needs some research into what the technology did to repair such irreversible tissue." Dr. Amari said to his companion.
"I agree, and from what I see here, something has changed in her DNA structure." he said, pointing to the diagram of Martha's DNA. Dr. Shenoy was impressed by the detail of the changes happening to her system. And how long it would take before the changes were complete.
"To the Gods above, we need to tell Dr. Alenkov of this!"
NORMANDY BRIDGE
Ichigo was impressed by the bridge, particularly it's size, and his attention was quickly brought to the details.. Where there was once nothing but coral and bedrock, now there was an open chamber with large holographic displays and tubes going in and out of the system. In the middle was the large holographic display of the ship, just like in Martha's drawings. But the thing that impressed him the most was the actual bridge itself, which was much smaller than what is now termed the Combat Center.
The bridge itself was small compared to the rest of the command center. In fact, it was at the very bow of the ship! The large windows that should have been closed to the ocean outside had been opened accidentally by David when they both entered the area. The dark abyss laid beyond the bridge, but the structure remained intact. More than that, the ship itself seemed to be emitting some light into the deep.
"Holy shit," David said as he looked at the seats beside the main one in the center. The two on the side showed a holographic image of planet Earth and the many smaller images of the distant satellites.
"What do you think David, navigation?" Ichigo suggested.
"Naw, I say communications," he said pointing to the many smaller items on screen, "See these? They are the many communication's satellites that are currently orbiting our planet. And this is the moon," he said pointing towards the distant moon.
"What's this?" asked a different voice and they turned to see Lucas looking at the main screen on the side.
"We don't know, from the looks of it, it could be some sort of interface," said Ichigo. He walked up to the flat platform and tried to get it work. So far nothing happened.
"Maybe there is a malfunction?" asked Lucas.
"Or maybe the system that activates it is not working yet. It could be activated when we turn the thing on," said David.
"That maybe true like some sort of diagnostic thing?" Ichicgo asked him.
"Yeah maybe it is, like Morgana? You know, from Halo?" replied Lucas. He was looking at if fondly. The others rolled their eyes at him.
"What do you know, it could be true," Lucas said from where he was to the left of the main seat. Ichigo could not agree more as he explored the systems required for the ship's navigation.
"First off its Cortana not Morgana idiot," said Ichigo shaking his head.
"Sorry," replied Lucas.
"Hey, what's this?" asked David pointing to a diagram of the ship. The others looked at it and whistled.
"Damn those are some big guns!" Lucas said as he looked at the diagram. What used to be the storage area when they first boarded, turns out to be the main batteries for the ship's primary guns. The two huge cannons at the front end of the ship surprised them all. They looked like could blow up an entire city, maybe.
"Damn, I bet Major Lawoski would love to see this!" said Ichigo.
The others had to agree.
ENGINE ROOM
The Engineering deck was even more impressive than what Dr. Alenkov realized.
She was currently standing on a large platform overlooking the main engine. It was a large spherical object in front of her. And, according to her readings, was releasing minuscule amounts of both radiation and heat. But the other meter that she had was also a meter to measure traces of Element Zero. And so far, from what she had seen, this was the main source of Element Zero. The true face of the core itself.
The engine was currently offline, with cracks along many pipes leading away from the main reactor. But from what she had seen so far, the ship's main engine core was still intact.
So this is the source of the Eezo leak in the Pacific Ocean, Alenkov thought to herself as she looked at it in awe. The many circles around it were filled with a faint source of light. But so far, there was no activity. The dark areas that she saw were damages that were sustained over time. As if an explosion happened when it crashed into the ocean.
All this power and the ship still crashed... Why? She asked herself as she looked up at the core. The only thing that greeted her was the silence, but how the ship still continued to remain as it had, was a mystery to her. She could no longer see the many corpses of the dead that once littered the grounds of the E.Z.C. There was nothing. All that was there were the shiny walls of the main room and the several stations that littered the area.
"Doctor, we found the secondary source of power besides the core. It seems as if the ship is using another power source to power the life support functions of the ship," said Dr. Jackson.
"Thank you Dr. Jackson, what else can you tell me about the ship?" she asked.
"Well, we think that the reason why the main power source is offline is because of the damages done to the main core system. The reason why it was so hot in the first place was because the coolants were not functioning. You can see for yourself along the main coolant lines or what we assume is the coolant lines. Dr. Jeffers has found another source of fuel: this one is rather simple to replicate considering, from his analysis, it is made mostly with Helium." he said was they both walked away from the core.
"Helium?" Dr. Alenkov replied.
"Yes, and we can extract it from Saturn as the planet closest to us for the fuel source. Imagine two new sources of energy! The science is so far beyond it, it almost feels impossible!" Dr. Jackson said to her.
"Such things can be dangerous also Dr. Jackson, do be careful," she said to him.
"Don't worry I will, I am not so foolish," he said rubbing his leg.
As she laughed at his joke, one of the junior scientists quickly rushed up to Dr. Alenkov. He was holding his tablet for her to see. "Dr. Alenkov!" he called.
"Yes what is it?" she asked.
The man was clearly out of breath as he handed her the report that came from Dr. Shenoy. As she read, it her eyes grew wide and she quickly rushed out of the room. She hurried towards the elevator that would take her up a floor to the newly discovered Medical Bay. The tunnels they once used to move around the ship were nothing more than maintenance shafts. It was easily accessible for them. But when she discovered the convenience of the elevator, she was more than happy to use that instead.
As the doors opened, she quickly marched directly towards the medical bay. There, both Dr. Amari and Dr. Shenoy were looking over the floating holographic charts of their quarry.
"Tell me I am not imagining this!" said Dr. Alenkov, holding up the tablet. She stormed into the medical bay, surprising the two medical experts and several folks from the engineering department. Both men jumped in surprise at the Russian woman's sudden appearance. She was not amused when she came to them.
They both looked like boys who had just gotten caught stealing from a convenience store. Their eyes were wide and their skins were pale when they heard Dr. Alenkov enter the room in a frenzy.
"Dr. Alenkov, what a surprise!" they said to her.
"Doctors, what is this report I had just gotten about Martha? What is wrong with her?" she asked. Both doctors looked at each other before sighing.
"Dr. Alenkov we need to show you something," said Dr. Shenoy as she looked at the holographic chart. It showed Martha's features from when she was burned to when she was healed. It went into complete detail about the repairs done to her body and….
"Is that her genetic code?" Dr. Alenkov asked, pointing to a moving diagram of a DNA strand.
"Yes, it is," replied Dr. Amari, "We looked through her genetic factors and found that when the blue liquid that was injected into her, it... caused some significant changes to her genetic code. Look here," he pointed to a part of the strand that stood out.
"What is this?" Dr Alenkov asked curiously.
"It is her base genome, the part that tells the cells in her body what she looks like, how she acts, that sort of thing. It controls her appearance, and what she should look like. However, there was an alteration." With that, Dr. Shenoy changed the image to show three diagrams.
"What am I looking at?" Dr. Alenkov asked.
"The top chart is Martha's original genetic code one that was taken when she first came onboard the vessel. It was standard procedure that we take blood and tissue samples beforehand." Dr. Shenoy replied, showing her the complete genetic makeup of Martha's original DNA.
"What is the second one?" Dr. Alenkov asked, pointing to the one that was full of holes.
"This is Martha's DNA after the E.Z.C. explosion. The radiation quickly broke down the chromosomes, leaving her with hardly anything to go by. And by normal scientific and medical standards, she should be dead," Dr. Shenoy replied.
Alenkov looked nervous at the third one and asked with a shaky voice, "And the third?"
"This was taken when she fully recovered in the medical bay. It seems that the blue liquid that was pumped into her by her device did something to her. It altered her genetic code somehow. Still, the changes are subtle and the transformation is gradual. She is still human, by all thoughts and standards, but her genetic code says otherwise." said Dr. Shenoy.
"How long until the transformation is complete?" Dr. Alenkov asked.
"We don't know. Months, years, decades? The genetic structure of her base genome is missing. It has been replaced somehow by something different. The liquid that healed her contained nanites that repaired the damage to her body. But we believe that they were created for aliens not humans. But, somehow the alien genetic code had gotten mixed with Martha's DNA. The genetic factors inside are much different than-" before Dr. Shenoy finished, someone ran from the back of the room. He was panting and was happy at the same time.
"Dr. Alenkov! Dr. Alenkov!" he said.
The Russian woman, now annoyed at the second interruption of the day, turned towards this young man in front of her. She remembered him as the impatient man who interrupted Martha's lecture on the riddle not to long ago.
"Wilson, right?" she asked him her voice clearly showing her annoyance.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, Dr. Alenkov, but Dr. Kimber wanted to see you inside the back room immediately!" he said. The three doctors wasted no time following the man into the back room. All three of them quickly rushed towards the back of the medical room where there was once a door that was sealed shut. The man quickly opened it to reveal Dr. Kimber and one other scientist studying what appeared to be very large boxes pinned to the wall. Each with dark grooves, though some were flashing with faint flickers of light.
"What is the meaning of this?" Dr. Alenkov asked as she rushed in.
"We don't know that is why we called you here Dr. Alenkov. I think we found something phenomenal!" Dr. Kimber said to her as she turned to face the Russian woman.
"What do you mean, phenomenal? What is it?" she asked, looking up and down from where she is standing. Her curiosity over took her as she looked around.
"We think, and this is my theory that this is the central computer. The system that controls the ship and the source of the dreams that the subjects were seeing," Dr. Kimber replied as she ran her scanner across a section of boxes.
"The central computer? Are you sure?" Dr. Alenkov asked.
"Yes, I believe so! I mean, just by looking at it and by the sheer size of it, it must contain millions of years of data. Who knows what we can find on these data banks!" Dr. Kimber said to her. The amazement of this new discovery overshadowed Dr. Alenkov's concern for Martha as she came closer to the large boxes. Her hand ran along the boxes and feeling each groove. The sparsely-lit room filled her eyes as she looked around. There was a platform just to the back of the room that looked strangely like a bed of sorts. To her right, there was a console with several displays there, waiting. All of them were in an alien language to her, symbols dancing across the screen along with diagrams and graphs of some sort.
"The central computer contains the data of the ship as well as the means to which it operates. Perhaps it can tell us about how to repair the main drive." Dr. Alenkov said as she turned to Dr. Kimber.
"Repair the central drive?" asked Dr. Kimber.
"The main drive of the ship, the main engine is damaged. It is the source of the eezo leak. And from what we found just before I got here it received further damage from the explosion not too long ago," she said.
"Oh," Dr. Kimber replied as she looked at the control station. Dr. Alenkov watched as she came closer to the station itself. It was nothing more than a pedestal with several moving charts, each marked in alien writing. But the graphs were familiar enough for her to recognize as power readings going to and from this station. Then, just as quickly as it came, the language changed to Russian. She was surprised by the sudden change in language.
"I thought it was amazing too when I saw it," said Dr. Kimber from behind her.
Just as she said it the language on the chart quickly changed to English.
"What is this?" Dr. Alenkov said.
"I think – and this is a theory – that the ship recognizes what languages we speak. It then translates it to our base language, mine is English and yours is Russian." Dr. Kimber replied.
"Amazing!" Dr. Alenkov said.
When she looked at it she then saw something flashing red on the screen. It said Enhanced Defense Intelligence system deactivated. Dr. Alenkov looked at Dr. Kimber in curiosity, "Dr. Kimber, if I may, what is the Enhanced Defense Intelligence?" she asked the tech expert. Dr. Kimber quickly walked over to the monitor.
"I don't know, it has been reading that for some time now. I thought, by the way the words went, that it was some sort of defensive system meant to deter people from stealing the ship. But we don't know for certain what it does or how it works." Dr. Kimber replied.
"So this Defense system could be the ship's own defensive weaponry?" asked Dr. Alenkov.
"We don't know, we don't know for certain if it's that or something else. All we know is that the ship's technology is even more advanced than we thought. Just like what Dr. Amari and Dr. Shenoy were just showing you with Martha's biological readings." Dr. Kimber said.
"You've heard that?" Dr. Alenkov said.
"No, I saw the charts earlier when Martha was in here with Hilary. It is true, then, that she is no longer human?" Dr. Kimber asked.
"We don't know for certain, Rebecca. All we do know is that she is changing. We need to do more research if we are going to find out more about what is going on with Martha," Dr. Alenkov replied.
Dr. Kimber looks skeptical, "Are you sure about that Doctor? I mean, Martha did so much for us. It is the least we can do to help if she is changing."
"We don't know what she is becoming. For all we know, this is only temporary, or it might be permanent. We need to know the truth before we go further. And even before that, we need to get out of here and back to the surface." Dr. Alenkov replied with a worried look on her face.
"Dr. Alenkov, with all due respect, we have been working hard at trying to figure out how to make this ship fly. Martha has already yielded this much. Any more can surely hurt not only her, but our chances of getting out of here," Dr. Kimber replied.
"I know, and that is why we are not risking her any more than we should have." Dr. Alenkov replied reluctantly.
"Elenna you are worried, we all are, and you are tired. We have been through enough and this ship has given us a second chance. Look, we've been down here for nearly two months. The Ocean Odyssey has been taken from us, so we have no food. We now have water and power, which is awesome, but we still lack the means to get a hold of the surface. We need to find communications somehow and get a hold of our people up there," Dr. Amari said with a stern look on his face.
"We are working on it, Dr. Alenkov, as well as trying to figure this part out," Dr. Kimber replied.
Dr. Alenkov looked down at the tablet in her hand. Sighing, she looked at her reflection and saw the dark circles under her now sagging face.
"I am going to retire. If anything new turns up, let me know," she said before stepping out of the room. Dr. Kimber only gave her a salute as she walked away. She watched as Dr. Alenkov turned to look at the image of Martha once more before hanging her head down to depart.
"Is she going to be ok?" a voice asked behind Dr. Kimber.
She turned to see one of her assistants standing behind her. He had a worried look on his face as he watched Dr. Alenkov exit the room.
Sighing, Dr. Kimber replied: "Dr. Alenkov has a lot to take in with the crew. We are no longer dehydrated, but we are not in the clear yet. We still need food and we still need to get out of this shit hole. But for someone like the director being strong for everyone, it has to take a toll somehow." Dr. Kimber turned towards the room once again.
"We could use a break ourselves, Dr. Kimber. We've been at it for almost three hours." said her assistant.
"Maybe she should see Dr. Zenger," said another assistant.
"Dr. Zenger is busy as it is, we all are," said the first assistant.
"Alright everyone, I could use a rest, how about you all?" Dr. Kimber asked them. The group was more than happy to get out of the small but cramped room, Dr. Kimber included, as they walked out towards the main mess area.
MEANWHILE
"Holy shit!" Martha called out as the two girls looked over what was once a storage room. Instead of the stuff that used to be here, the so-called, 'Storage Room,' now housed two very large items being overlooked by a guard rail and a monitor.
"Those are some BIIIIIIG guns," replied Hilary as they looked at the two shapes.
"I have to agree," said a voice.
The two women turned around to see Major Lawoski standing behind them, along with Major Reynolds. Both men looked as if they were trying to keep the peace. And both of them looked haggard.
"If I had to take a guess, I would have to say that we just discovered the main battery," said Major Reynolds. He walked ahead of Martha and Hilary to look at the guns in curiosity, walking from one end to the other by climbing over the guard rail and inspecting them for himself.
"Bloody hell! This thing could do far more damage than a ballistic missile if fired," he said to Major Lawoski. Lawoski, now curious, walked over to the monitor and saw the readouts on the chart.
"Hey Reynolds, you should check this thing out!" he said to him. Reynolds walked over to the Major. Martha and Hilary both leaned over and saw the cannon on display. The image then shot up in a more holographic fashion, showing them the cannon and where it was located on the ship.
"Fuck me," said Major Lawoski.
"Jesus Christ!" Martha whispered as she looked over the newly translated readouts of the ship.
"What is it?" Hilary asked.
"This thing here, it's the ship's primary weapon. According to this it has enough firepower to wipe out Washington D.C. in a matter of minutes. That is a lot to take in. Also, there are smaller systems on this ship that are also used such as missiles, smaller lasers, even a computer firewall that is so sophisticated that our current computing system can't compare." Martha said.
"You can read all that?" asked Major Lawoski.
"Yeah, I watch enough sci-fi shows and played enough video games to know what this ship is capable of. According to this chart, this is called a Thanix Cannon and it is the ship's primary weapon." Martha replied with a smile on her face. Waving her hand, the image popped up in front of them just like in the medical room. The extended controls of the main cannon showed the ship's features, including other weapons and defensive systems.
"Holy shit! This isn't an exploration ship, it's a fucking warship!" Major Reynolds said out loud.
"Oh my God!" Hilary said as she looked at the readouts. They were incredible to begin with as they explored the weapons systems of the ship to such a higher degree.
"Oh man, ain't the boys back home going to piss their pants when they see what kind of firepower this baby can bring!" said Major Lawoski, his voice growing excited with the sound of his voice.
"Your boys? The Queen would be in an early grave if she saw this!" Major Reynolds replied back to him with excitement.
Martha watched the two soldiers exchange a friendly banter while looking at the readings on the ship, her mind in a whirl of possibilities that could happen while looking at the blueprints of the ship. The weapons systems on the Normandy are incredible, easily more advanced than any known modern technology. This ship's weapon's guidance systems are even more accurate than the United States' Anti Aircraft detection satellites.
She wanted to see more of the ship.
"Hey Hilary?" Martha said, turning around to face her friend.
"Yeah?" Hilary said, her eyes not leaving the monitors. Martha's curiosity was peaked by this expression on her friend's face.
"Are you ok?" she asked her.
That seemed to get the daze out of Hilary's eyes, "Yeah, Yeah I'm fine," she said her eyes returned to their usual brightness. Martha wasn't so sure as she looked at her friend in concern. Hilary however just waved her hand in dismissal before replying.
"I'll, I'll be fine Marty don't worry," though skeptical, Martha wasn't about to let something exciting pass up and figured exploring more of the ship would help.
"Come on lets get out of here and let the boys play with their toys," Martha said, gently taking Hilary's arm and leading her out. She had a gut feeling that something was going on with her friend and she was determined to help.
As they exited the room down the long hallway, Martha looked up at the many stand-up beds in the hallway.
"What do you think those are?" asked Hilary finally noticing them.
"I don't know, stasis pods perhaps?" Martha replied, walking closer to them. Several other people were looking at the beds out of curiosity, wondering what they were used for. Forgetting the feeling she had earlier, Hilary looked at the padded pods around them. Getting bored soon enough, she quickly grabbed Martha's hand and made her way down the long hallway.
"Who cares, maybe we can find out more when we go check out the other stuff, like Dr. Alenkov's office," Hilary said as she dragged Martha away.
LATER
"Whoa!" Martha said as she stared up at the large round object in front of her.
"Amazing isn't it?" Dr. Jackson asked as he walked up to them, his face full of awe as he stared up at the large device in front of him.
"Yeah, I mean, it's huge!" Hilary said, looking at it like a kid in a candy store. The large round object in front of them remained dormant and silent. The trio stared up at it until Martha looked down and noticed the cracks in the cables and on the walls.
"There's some structural damage here," she stated.
"Yeah, Dr. Alenkov noticed it as well and I explained to her that the ship must have sustained them when crashing into the ocean. At such speeds, such an impact would have completely destroyed one of our own ships. But for something as advanced as the Normandy, it is survivable and only some damage was done to her hull and interior. But from the looks of it, this is the source of the Eezo leak throughout the ocean," Dr. Jackson replied.
"Really? This is the source of the leaking eezo?" Hilary asked.
"Yes, from our estimates, this thing here probably arrived millions of years ago in a battle of some sort. We saw structural damage all across the ship. But, then again, that could also be an illusion, just like what we had to deal with the past couple of months." Dr. Jackson said.
Martha didn't listen to a word Dr. Jackson said to Hilary, as they were discussing things that went way past her head. Instead, she focused her sights on the large structure in front of her. It was amazing to see such an object as large as the Normandy's main engine right in front of her. At the moment, it was silent, not making a whisper.
But something inside Martha stirred and she could feel it pulsing through her veins. Slowly, she started to hyperventilate, as if something inside of her was telling her something.
"Martha? Are you alright?" Hilary asked.
As soon as the feeling came it passed, "Yeah, yeah I'm alright it is just...I don't know, it was as if I feel like I'm trapped somehow," Martha replied.
"Maybe you should get checked out by Dr. Amari or Dr. Shenoy?" Hilary said.
"No, no I'll be fine, I just, I just need to lay down for a bit," Martha said, feeling lightheaded.
"Why don't you take her back to her room, Hilary. I think the sight of the engine triggered a memory lapse. PTSD does that to people. Even if they can't picture it, the body reacts to certain things." Dr. Jackson suggested. Nodding her thanks, Hilary guided Martha back to her room.
Once there, the large doors opened once again to allow Martha and Hilary to enter the luxurious room before them. The empty fish tank glowed with a soft light while the ships hung in suspension in their glass case. The computer terminals were just as they were. When they entered Martha nearly collapsed as Hilary held her.
"Are you sure you'll be alright Marty?" asked Hilary.
"Yeah, I'll be fine, I just need to lay down for a bit," Martha said as she neared the bed. Hilary helped her into the bed before going over to the bathroom to get something for Martha. When she returned, she held one of the cups Martha washed to use for drinking.
"Here, drink this, you haven't had anything to drink yet and I bet you're probably dehydrated from all the walking," Hilary said as Martha reached up to take a cup. Taking a good sip, Martha then gulped it down greedily. When she was done, the lightheaded feeling started to go away.
"Thanks," she said.
"You've had a long day, along with the rest of us Marty. It is a lot to take in. Maybe you should turn in for the time being. After all, the work you did for us has finally paid off, so why not just lay in bed for a bit. It might help. Besides, Dr. Jackson and I need to talk about the implications of this new discovery and finding the source of the Element Zero leakage into the Pacific Ocean," Hilary said as she straightened herself again.
Martha watched her as she made her way towards the door. Before she even got up the stairs, she turned towards Martha once again. "Are you sure you will be alright here in this room, Martha?" she asked.
"I'll be fine, I'll call you when I need something," Martha said as a joke.
Hilary raised an eyebrow for the gesture, before finally smiling at her antics and departing. When the door shut, Martha stared up at the ceiling of her room. The window above her bed showed the blackness of the Abyss and the bioluminescence of the creatures outside. It was amazing to see so many things floating past and so many colors. She was surprised such a thing exists right above her head.
Then, something large floated past in the light, it's one single eye looking into the room where Martha was laying on her bed looking back at it. Then, just like that, it disappeared. A soft smile came to Martha's lips when she saw it. It brought a sense of wonder back into her imagination again. As her eyes began to close, she let that image fill her thoughts as it filled her dreams. Erasing the nightmares of the dreams past.
NORMANDY ENGINE ROOM
Dr. Jackson was in the men's room or what was dubbed the men's room by the pictograph on the door. The ship seemed to have adapted to human needs by creating bathrooms for both sexes to use. For the moment, he was looking at himself in the mirror. The haggard face that stared back at him was only a shade of the once hard, chiseled face of the South African. He was a white man born into poverty in Johannesburg. He knew what poverty was like and what starving was like. So, as he stared at himself in the mirror, the reflection of his former self emerged once again. The dark circles under his eyes a testament to the long nights spent awake guarding his home from intruders or worse wild animals. The other thing about his reflection was how it reminded him of a drug addiction, before he managed to get up and do something with his life. Studying alien tech was something of a dream for him. That much, he had noticed, when he looked at himself in the mirror. As he looked into the eyes of his own reflection, Dr. Jackson made a note of the changes the Normandy made to the people here alongside him.
The ship had brought out a lot of things in the people here. That much he could tell through trials and tribulations, and yet… Dr. Jackson thought to himself. It brought them together. It made them closer to each other than ever before. He saw that when Martha fought for him and Dr. Kimber to escape from those monsters. She gave up her life for them and that made him understand that humanity as a whole is not all that different. The ship's engines had taught him that as well.
He looked up after washing his face to stare at his reflection. The heavy bags under his eyes from lack of sleep and the once chiseled face now nothing more then a sack of skin. He lost so much weight from the long-term lack of proper supplies, that he looked positively malnourished.
Did the scientists back in the olden days look like this as well? he thought. Foregoing food and water for the sake of discovery?
Slowly, he pulled his pale face away from the mirror. The once tanned skin almost porcelain white. As he turned from the bathroom and out of the door, the memories of his hometown haunted him as he walked towards the main engine room.
When he entered the room, he saw several people working at their workstations. Their appearance was just as grim as his, but their spirits were just as bright with the new discovery. But the small chatter is what filled him with at least some sort of hope. Small as it could be.
"Dr. Jackson! Dr. Jackson!" a voice called and Dr. Jackson turned to see a man climbing the stairs that lead to the lower part of the engine room, just beneath the main fusion reactor. It was a large staircase that showed more of the piping and inner workings of the ship. It also led to one of the maintenance shafts that lead around the entire vessel.
"Yes," was the only word that came out of his mouth.
"Dr. Jackson, you need to read this," he said and handed Dr. Jackson one of the tablets they charged up. Taking the tablet, he saw the readouts of the ship. As he went over the report, him his eyes widened, "This can't be right, are you sure?" he asked the person in front of him.
"I'm positive, sir, there is no way around it, and if this keeps up we will be back to square one!" he said.
Dr. Jackson quickly rushed over to one of the computer consoles in the main engine room. When he turned it on, he saw for the first time the true cause of panic. Cursing, he got up to head towards Dr. Alenkov's office, but not before stopping at another terminal to message Dr. Kimber about what is going on.
MEANWHILE
A slight beeping noise, was heard just beside a large queen size bed. Slowly, dark blue eyes opened to the world around her. The sounds of the deep sea filled the windows outside the ship. Rolling over on the comfortable bed, Dr. Alenkov slowly rose from her slumber. The sleep felt good, but she nevertheless felt stiff and sore. The long hours spent running the ship and keeping everyone alive had been taking their toll.
The beeping noise grew more annoying, so she got out of bed to see what it was about. She raised her arm to expose the alien device on her own hand. She knew it was not the same as the model that Martha had, but it had so far served its purpose. The device lit up as it showed the message from Dr. Kimber. It was a copy of a message from Dr. Jackson. She barely finished it, before she cursed as she rose from her bed.
Getting dressed and using the facilities, she quickly made her way towards the elevator that would take her down to the engineering deck. Once there, she marched straight towards Dr. Jackson as he was going over some readings of the ship.
"What is this I am seeing here, Doctor, about energy readings?" Dr Alenkov asked as she came to him.
Dr. Jackson slowly turned around. From his appearance he looked like that he hadn't had any rest since coming on board. Concerned Dr. Alenkov looked at him closely, "Dr. Jackson, have you had any sleep since...?" she asked.
"No, not since we first activated. And I was going to get some rest when you came in here. It was just that I wanted to make sure that the readings are correct." he stated.
"So what are you telling me about this?" she asked, holding up her tablet, careful not to show him that she had an alien device on her arm.
"The energy readings we had been getting from the ship are growing weaker as the chart stated, Director. As I did further research, it appears the ship is running on auxiliary power and that is a dangerous thing to have. We only have so much time till-" it was then that he was interrupted by Dr. Alenkov.
"How much time to do we have?" she asked.
"I'd say several days at least. This ship was running on auxiliary power for the last 325 million years, ma'am. That power was used to run the holograms that had hid this ship well. It has not seen maintenance in some time. We don't have the means necessary to fix the problem or to make the fuel needed to fill those reserves. Our only option is to figure out how to repair the main fusion engine and to reactivate it." Dr. Jackson replied.
"Do you know how to repair the engines?" she asked.
"I do but reactivating the drones needed to repair the drive core is complicated." Dr. Jackson replied.
"How complicated?" asked Dr. Alenkov.
"Very complicated," Dr. Jackson explained, his haggard features showing his distress.
"Dr. Jackson, let me make myself clear on this issue: I have the lives of everyone – and I mean everyone – onboard this vessel to think about. And anything, ANYTHING, that could help us get off this vessel and back to the surface can help," she said to him.
Dr. Jackson sighed before answering. "We just discovered them a while ago. Drones, left lifeless without cause or concern. But when we found them, they were nothing more than husks of machinery left to die here at the bottom of the ocean. It was not till recently, with this newly awakened ship that the drones finally are able to serve a purpose. But the only one that can give them that purpose is locked in the room behind the medical ward," he said.
"The Central Computer," Dr. Alenkov replied to him.
"Yes, the central computer only it is able to program the drones to repair the damage done to the main engine," he said.
"Why can't we do it?" asked Dr. Alenkov.
"It's too dangerous, Dr. Alenkov. Element Zero is highly radioactive, and should anyone touch it, they would die. Look at Martha; it was only through the alien device on her arm that she was saved. If not, she would have been still cold as ice. We need that computer on if we want a chance to survive," Dr. Jackson said.
"Get some sleep, Dr. Jackson, you look like shit." With that, Dr. Alenkov turned on her heels and walked out of the room, leaving Dr. Jackson behind to brood on what she just said.
As he watched her leave he could not help but feel for the woman. She worries so much and yet... why hesitate? He then turned towards the volunteers that had heard the conversation, "I'm going to turn in. Alert me if there are any changes," he said before making his way towards the doors that would leave him to the elevator, his mind no longer at ease at the words that came out of Dr. Alenkov's mouth.
As the elevator rose towards the main crew quarters, as the people called it, his mind could not help but wonder about the decisions that the Russian woman would make. But he could see her hesitation in activating the computer. Dr. Kimber told him in a brief message from the tablets about it. As the door opened, Dr. Jackson made his way towards the medical ward. He knew Dr. Kimber was there, at the central computer module.
She looked up from her terminal right when Dr. Jackson came walking in.
"James? What are you doing here?" asked Dr. Kimber as she looked over the readings.
"Has Dr. Alenkov come to talk to you?" he asked her.
"No, she hasn't. Why, is there something wrong? Is it about the power readings?" Dr. Kimber asked.
"I don't know. When I told her about them, she wanted to know what happened, but when I explained the possible solution, she walked away," Dr. Jackson explained.
Dr. Kimber sighed, "Dr. Alenkov has a lot on her mind especially the safety of our people. She only wants what is best for the crew. When I showed her the terminal, it read Enhance Defense Intelligence. Maybe she thinks that it is a sort of defensive computer programmed to kill us all?" Dr. Kimber said.
"But what option do we have, Rebecca? I mean, I know she means well, but we are trying to survive. We have only three days till we are all back in the stone age. If we can just get this thing going again, then maybe... you know what? Why don't we ask Martha to help us? I mean, the girl has helped us with solving the ship's secrets so maybe..." Dr. Jackson said.
"You will leave Martha out of this!" Dr. Kimber said glaring at Dr. Jackson. The man quickly reeled back from the outburst as the woman walked directly in front of him.
She glared at him with as much anger as she could muster. Dr. Jackson was amazed at the change in the woman. And if they were not in such a dire situation, he would have found it attractive. However, the exhaustion he felt was starting to get to him. And he left the computer room to brood in his own bed. Making his way back towards the crew quarters, he walked into the room that held many beds. He went towards the restrooms to shower after getting his things. Once he was fully recovered, he made his way towards his bed. It was the one on the far side of the room. As soon as he put his head down he did not think any more, for his mind had shut off into blackness.
MEANWHILE
Dr. Alenkov returned to her room after her encounter with Dr. Jackson in the engine room. The thought of turning on the computer was hard to think about. She sat there brooding as she looked out into the darkness of the abyss beyond. The thought of reactivating the central computer of the ship was exciting, but at the same time worrying. A fish suddenly swam up to the window, its large eyes staring at the ship as if it was something of a curiosity. This far down into the depths, Dr. Alenkov would usually have wondered what species could survive down here for so long. But, then again, evolution has its miracles and nightmares.
The fish seemed to stare at her for a bit longer before drifting off, its bioluminescence the only sign of its existence into the deep. As it flipped its tail, it slowly drifted away, leaving the woman staring after it in longing.
If only things were this easy, she thought as she looked at the lights around her room. Now that she thought about it, her room was just as luxurious as the rest of the ship. But the weapons this ship has were meant for a military vessel. It was something that both confused and intrigued her. Surely such a ship should not have a need of such firepower?
That was the thought that went through Dr. Alenkov's mind as she thought about what Dr. Jackson said in the engine room. The three days they had left at full power without the proper repairs to the main power source could cripple them. She had her doubts, but at this point, what options did she have? She looked at the walkie-talkie on the desk. It was one of the few things they could use to communicate publicly. The only problem was that the entire ship can hear you because everyone is on the same channel. She then looked down at her own wrist.
The alien device that was on her own wrist glowed as if waiting to respond. Dr. Alenkov knew how to use it to send signals to others, and so she typed in a few keys. It was a more simplified version compared to Martha's more complex one. But still it had its uses.
"This is Dr. Alenkov. I want all department heads to report to my office in two hours. Over," she said as she closed it.
She then looked outside the window to see the fish once again float on by.
MEANWHILE
Martha stared at the ceiling above her head, the many glowing lights shining like stars in the skies.
I wonder if this is what it feels like to fly through space? She thought as she stared into the darkness, her thoughts drifting towards Aaron and of home. A soft smile graced her lips as she thought of him and of finally being able to leave the ship once and for all.
Soon, I will be able to go home, she thought.
As she thought of that, another thought came to her. She thought about the floating items that were moving about in the medical ward just after she woke up. Sitting up on her bed, she looked around her room. She got lucky having one of the larger rooms on the ship. Others had to share the crew quarters but they didn't seem to mind. But people like Dr. Alenkov, and some of the other personnel, had their own rooms mixed with their offices. She even found the ship's bar. Turns out Hilary and Ichigo's room had a built-in bar. But the bottles were empty which makes it hard to think of what they had in there.
She looked up from where she sat on the bed looking towards the many space vessels in the glass case just to the side near the bathroom. The sight of the many vessels there intrigued her. Getting up, she walked over to the case to see them for herself. What shocked her was the sheer detail that was put into the creation of each vessel. The one in the middle was what drew her attention as she leaned in.
It was a full scale model of the Normandy itself. She recognized it from the hologram in the main command center of the ship. It had the same details as the hologram, but not the additional details that the hologram gave of the ship's diagnostics. She now knew how the ship looked like but not how big it is. She looked at each ship and saw their size in the case. But she didn't know of their actual size in reality.
Are they bigger than the Normandy? Or are they smaller? Martha thought as she looked at each and every one of them. Then, as if responding to her, the glass case came to life with a glowing message detailing the size of each of the ships. Even the one that is on her desk showed its size.
Holy shit! If this is correct then some of these are HUGE! Martha thought as she looked at the details of each ship.
She then started to look around the room detailing the other parts, from the drawers to the fish tank. As she looked around she then locked eyes onto the helmet on the desk. It was a derelict thing as she walked closer to it. Picking it up, she flipped it over a few times, seeing the object for the first time. As she looked at it, she could not help but wonder at its human-like appearance. The large disks on the side could be that of ear pieces for communication. No one knew for sure as she looked inside and outside.
Just for jokes she put the helmet on.
And found to her surprise that it fit!
Whoa! She thought as she looked at the inside of the helmet. It was interesting to see the room from inside the helmet. She wondered if there was a HUD interface with the helmet. But there was nothing but silence. Slowly, she took off the helmet and placed it once again on the desk. The deep scratches and the burn marks were a testament to its time in space. She looked around the helmet to see the floating orb on the coffee table in front of the leather couches. Making her way there she sat down in front of it. The round surface looks as liquid as water.
Slowly she reached out to touch it in curiosity. The object then expanded itself briefly before converting back to where it belonged. It rippled like it was made with water. Martha was intrigued as she played with it further. The object in general just stayed in place as she moved it around with her hand.
"Cool!," she said to herself softly. Just as a joke she poked it and watched it ripple in effect.
Leaning back after having her fun, Martha wanted to do something more. Just as she was trying to think about something, the radio on her desk went off.
"This is Dr. Alenkov. I want all department heads to report to my office in two hours. Over!" she heard Dr. Alenkov's voice; she sounded tired and worn out. They all were and Martha herself felt it.
As she was doing so, she had an idea. Since she was not in charge of any departments, she would just sit in her room and read. It has been a while since she read anything. But then again, she wanted to watch a movie. So she looked through her movie list on her computer, until she found the movie she was looking for. In the middle of it, though, she started to feel her eyes drooping as they began to feel tired and heavy.
Then, as soon as it came, it was over and the movie played its course. Martha stood up from where she was enjoying it to stretch. Then, as she was stretching, a thought came to her mind. One that she hadn't really thought about. Turning towards the helmet, she began to focus her energy towards that helmet. She thought of it coming to her. But nothing happened.
"Shit," she thought in frustration as she wanted to throw something into the wall. Then a thought came to her. What if what happened is emotion-based? She then started to think about it again, focusing her mind on the helmet. But once again, nothing happened.
"Fuck!" she grew frustrated and stomped her foot and that sent the helmet towards her at a rapid speed. Eyes widening in shock, Martha had just enough time to duck, before it collided with the wall behind her. Turning towards the helmet, she found that it was intact and hardly any scratches on it. She thought for sure that it would shatter and break.
Guess this thing is made of sterner stuff, she thought. She then looked up at the wall to see that the ship didn't dent either. The drawers that made up the left side of her bed didn't dent, meaning that the ship, too, was made of sterner stuff.
"Holy shit!" Martha said out loud as she looked around.
"I guess I need to practice," she said with a sheepish look to her face at the potential mess she could have caused had she done this anywhere else.
DR. ALENKOV'S OFFICE
The many department heads of the Normandy gathered in Dr. Alenkov's office. The chairs that were provided had proven useful when they group managed to sit down. Dr. Alenkov herself was seated at the head of the room, with Major Lawoski and Major Reynolds to her left and right, respectively. The two security heads were watching the moves of the people in the room and, before long, the many different department heads were in order from first to last.
Also at the head of the table, to the right of Major Reynolds, was Dr. Kimber, and to the left of Major Lawoski, was Dr. Jackson. The man looked a bit better than before, but due to lack of sleep, there were still bags under his eyes. The quiet mutterings of several people were the only sounds that could be heard around the room and, while most of them remained quiet, the atmosphere was indeed tense while they waited for the meeting to begin.
"Thank you all, for coming on such short notice," Dr. Alenkov said to them. That silenced the room as the many heads turned towards her.
"Elenna why are we here?" asked one of the department heads. He was a man dressed in a lab uniform, designated as 'Element Zero Specialist.' Dr. Alenkov looked at him with a glare, telling him to remain silent. Taking a deep breath, she rose from her seated position behind her desk.
"You are all here because I asked you to be here Robert," she said, getting up and looking at him.
"Ok, and why is that?" the man called Robert replied, sounding annoyed and impatient.
"I called you here to tell you, we have a critical problem. Several, in fact, and as you are all aware, we are in a desperate situation that must be resolved sooner rather than later." Dr. Alenkov said to them.
"You mean the lack of proper food and medical care?" said another man one that Dr. Alenkov found rather annoying. He was the same man she remembered yelling at Martha when she was retelling how she solved the riddle that gave them time. Now it was time to pay her back.
"Yes, I am talking about proper medical care and food, for starters. We now have air, water and power, but for how long? Dr. Jackson, here, has recently told me that we are in short supply of the third and if we don't act soon, we would be back where we started," Dr. Alenkov replied. As soon as she said that, there was an outcry of rage from several people. They were not pleased by the outcome that Dr. Alenkov revealed.
"How could you let this happen!" one shouted and that was followed by, "You bitch, you are going to lead us to our deaths!" another shouted. The shouting started, but just as things were about to escalate, Dr. Alenkov raised her hand, urging everyone to silence. That silent gesture went unheard until she put her fingers to her mouth and gave a very loud, shrill, whistle. It seemed to have worked as everyone stared at her in shock.
"Before we degrade to that of children, might I remind you that Dr. Jackson was just about to speak," she said calmly. Though inside, she was enraged by these people. Her hand shook as she plotted revenge. But the lack of food was making her want to kill them anyways, but she stopped herself from trying. There were others onboard this vessel that needed them and now was not the time to become like an animal.
Then, as soon as she thought those things, all eyes turned to Dr. Jackson. The older man was a bit uncomfortable when the attention was drawn to him, but he slowly rose from his seat and cleared his throat. His voice was quivering when he addressed the crowd.
"Um...right...Well, as I stated to Dr. Alenkov, after going over the readings of the ship, it is estimated that we will run out of power in two days' time," he said. As expected, this lead to a major uproar, which was quickly squashed by Major Lawoski cocking his gun in his holster. Once again, it was the man named Robert who addressed the person speaking.
"If we run out of power in two days, then what was the point in activating the ship?" he said and this led to more grumblings. It was then that Dr. Kimber rose from her seat.
"The point to activating this ship was to give us a fighting chance to get back to the surface. Now, mind you, Dr. Jackson does have a point we only have two days of power..." she was then interrupted by Robert once again.
"Only giving us two fucking days till we die!" he shouted, standing up. "You and that bitch have only given us two fucking days! Screw you, Alenkov, I am not about to die here in this hell hole!" Robert shouted at Dr. Alenkov, but to the surprise of everyone else, he was met by the cocking of a gun. Major Lawoski held a pistol towards Robert and the man looked at her in shock.
"Sit down, Dr. Caradine, or else I will put a bullet through your heart and then what are you going to tell your wife?" The gun was pointing at him now, and Robert quickly shrank back into his seat, his fists shaking with rage as he stared at the cold demeanor of Dr. Alenkov. She could hear him muttering, 'Damn Russian bitch,' to himself.
"Is there something else you would like to add, Dr. Caradine?" she asked him.
The man Robert Caradine glared at her, his gray eyes a testament to his angry and stormy demeanor. The hate that radiated off him was clearly shown as he wanted nothing more than to mutiny against the others.
"So you are going to hold us hostage with a gun now is that it?" asked another scientist and Dr. Alenkov sighed before answering.
"No, Ms. Bradshaw, I am not holding you hostage. However, will you please listen to what I have to say before screaming at me?" she asked politely. The others quickly muttered to themselves before quieting.
"Now, before we were interrupted, Dr. Jackson had pointed out that we do have two days of power left because the main fusion reactor is offline," she said to them.
It was at this moment that Dr. Jackson spoke up, "The current power levels we have been using is what this ship would normally operate, had it been on the main fusion line. However, for the past 325 million years, it has been on auxiliary power. And the power cells that run them are a helium-based fuel. We don't have the means to create the exact fuel needed to power up those cells, so unless we can reactivate the fusion reactor, we are screwed," he said.
"Then why haven't we reactivated the fusion reactor yet?" said Dr. Shenoy.
"The problem is not as easy to solve as one would think," Dr. Jackson said, feeling a bit more confident. He now stood in front of everyone else, his balding scalp and facial scars a testament to his time in the E.Z.C.
"And what is the problem?" asked another scientist, this one of African descent. His accent was thick when he asked, and his dark eyes curious as he pierced Dr. Jackson's own.
"The problem is the fusion reactor itself," said Dr. Kimber as she stood up from her seat, allowing Dr. Jackson to sit down once more. She took center stage as the second leading expert on alien technology.
"The fusion reactor is damaged. There are several cracks along its main fusion chamber as well as the conduits that lead to the chamber itself. To activate it now would be a total disaster and everyone onboard would be killed in the process. The only way to reactivate it is to repair it, but to do so would mean putting people at risk of exposure to element zero; something we can't afford," she said.
"So we either die slowly or we die of radiation poisoning?" Dr. Caradine said to her.
"There is, however, a third option we had not considered, but we don't know how it would work, given the amount of time it has been on standby," Dr. Kimber replied, her voice quivering with nervousness.
"And that is?" asked another person in the room.
"We reactivate the central computer," Dr. Kimber replied.
"The Central Computer? Why hasn't it been reactivated yet?" asked another scientist.
"Simply put: the safety of the crew. The Central Computer system, the Enhanced Defense Intelligence, is a computer system that far surpasses any computer system on the planet. If we reactivate it without knowing what we are getting into, then we risk a viral infection that could wipe out all our technology, so to speak. Or, it might be so corrupted with age that it would kill us by taking away the air or flooding the ship with seawater again. We didn't want to risk it without approval from the rest of the heads of staff," Dr. Alenkov replied instead of Dr. Kimber.
"So you want us to decide if we want to reactivate the central computer system? Why can't we ask Martha to do it? She, after all, reactivated the ship's systems as it is already, didn't she?" said Dr. Caradine in argument.
"Martha is only a civilian and has done enough for us as it is. To ask for her help once more would be using her as nothing more than a machine. She is a human being - a single human being - and to force her to do this would make us nothing more than monsters," said Hilary who spoke up from the back of the room. As head of the Marine biology department she was also welcomed to this meeting.
"Dr. Ballard, I didn't ask for your opinion - not that I expect much from a whore," Robert said to her and her eyes glared daggers at him, "What did you say...?"
"Enough!" Dr. Alenkov called out, her voice raised. Both scientists looked chastised by the anger that radiated off her voice.
"Dr. Caradine, Dr. Ballard is right Martha is a human being, not an animal, and you would do well to remember as such. She has done enough for us, it is time we do our part to solve this issue. And we need to do so now, for whatever happens in this room, we all would be responsible for the consequences that would happen, should something go wrong, do I make myself clear?" she said and they all nodded.
"You said that the central computer is the third option for reactivating the fusion reactor, is that correct?" asked one man in the back. When all heads turned towards him, he sat there on his chair with a bit more confidence in asking. But his rounded face showed that he was ready to ask.
"Yes, that is correct, Dr. Yao. That computer, it seems, controls the whole ship. It is the main hub in which the ship operates. To do much without it would not be wise. But then again, we had gotten this far." said Dr. Kimber.
"But for how long? If you don't mind me asking, Dr. Kimber, but do you know what the computer controls on this ship?" asked Dr. Yao.
Dr. Kimber took a deep breath her eyes never leaving Dr. Yao's as she answered, "From what I gathered in the computer hub, the central computer known as the Enhanced Defense Intelligence - or E.D.I. - controls the basic functions of the ship. It also controls the ship's main defense mechanisms and advanced cyberwarfare suites. Meaning, that it has firewalls that are a thousand times more advance than any known firewall on Earth. So, whatever this ship was, it was packing quite a punch. For a ship that has the facilities of a luxury liner, it also has the artillery of an advanced warship. So we don't know exactly what this ship is capable of doing. For all we know, it could have once been a vessel for some high-up dignitary."
Dr. Yao looked at Dr. Kimber with a smile, "Well, to answer your question about what it was my team uncovered - a vast quantum entanglement communications network. Or it would be, it if it was activated. From what we gathered, the main meeting room onboard this vessel has two purposes; to act as a meeting room and as a main communications hub. One of my assistants found it while inspecting the table in the room. The table lowers into the floor and becomes a sort of entanglement device. However, we don't have the means to respond to any communications in that field. That is way too advanced for us to use at this point in time." Dr. Yao replied to Dr. Kimber.
"So what you are saying, is that we could use that as a means to communicating to the surface?" she asked.
"No, we don't have the technology to communicate or receive such a message, should we use it. However, the computer might be able to track where the message comes and goes, if it was activated." Dr. Yao replied.
A light seemed to come on with Dr. Jackson as his face lit up, "You want to use it to somehow track where the Ocean Odyssey went?" he said.
"But that would be impossible; we don't know where it is, because we lost contact with the surface," said Dr. Caradine.
"Perhaps not," a voice said, and all heads turned, surprised, to Major Reynolds who stood to Dr. Alenkov's right. He walked forward when both Dr. Kimber and Dr. Yao took their seats once again.
"Major is there something you want to add?" Dr. Alenkov asked him.
"Yes, when Major Lawoski and I were on the bridge, we saw how the controls operate. The navigation system is so far non-existent to the naked eye, but judging by the rest of this ship, it uses a holographic interface. So that means, that it must have a means to navigate that is way more sophisticated then ours. But then again, this ship is intended for outer space, not the bottom of the ocean," he replied.
Major Lawoski nodded the affirmative. "Reynolds is right. From what we both observed, this vessel has some major punch to it. The guns, for example, in the very front of the ship? Those things pack some serious firepower, and the missiles, torpedoes and laser cannons that Dr. Mayer discovered before he died in the explosion of the E.Z.C.? Well, that shows that this thing, this ship, is no ordinary luxury liner. If that computer that Dr. Kimber talks about has anything to do with it, then that means that it takes some serious computing power to target with that much weaponry onboard."
"The Major is right, the armor plating on this vessel far exceeds that of anything we could have come up with," said another voice, this one coming from a man who clearly would rather keep to himself. Getting up from his chair, his dark complexion was framed by a snow-white beard, the contrast between them emphasizing each other. As he stepped forwards, his gait was nothing but a limp - the only thing holding him up was his crutch.
"Dr. Chidozie, what do have to add to the table?" Dr. Alenkov asked the man as he shakily walked forward towards the center of the room. He looked at everyone before his raspy voice filled it with something born from age.
"I had to mention the shielding and armored plating that my former colleague and I discovered when we first dove down back in 1976. It was made of a material so strong that it could withstand time itself. Now, we didn't know how the seawater had gotten into the ship when we heard the boys had opened it. But we assumed that somewhere on this ship there was a hull breach. That is not the case," he said.
"Explain," asked Dr. Alenkov.
"The computer was active when the ship crashed more then 300 million years ago. So that means, it must have activated the holographic interface to disguise the ship as it sank below the ocean. Now, I am not an expert in computers, but I know armor plating, and the plating for this ship is far stronger than anything we ever can create. At least not on earth anyways." Dr. Chidozie replied.
"What are you saying, doctor?" asked Dr. Kimber.
"What I am saying, is that Normandy - as it calls itself - operates by different rules and different laws of physics. The armor plating you see outside of the ship is made from a metal alloy not found on our planet. In fact, when I look at it carefully, it is created using an Iridium-Diamond-based alloy, something that can't be manufactured here on Earth. For that, one has to forge it in space where it is most commonly found, such as on asteroids," Dr. Chodozie replied.
"Are you saying that whoever built this, built it in space?" asked Dr. Shenoy. The reply was a nod from Dr. Chodozie, the older scientist turning towards the crowds, his eyes locking onto each and every one of them.
"Now, I've been studying this ship longer than most of you and I have seen many people come and go. But I got to tell you one thing: If there was anything wrong with the computer, that would be because of misuse. Nothing personal, but the user determines what the computer can or can't do, at least in human terms," he said before hobbling back to his seat in the back of the room. The others remained quiet as they thought this over, but it was once again Dr. Caradine who replied, "If that were the case, isn't Iridium brittle?" he asked.
"Brittle by itself and in its raw form. That is why it is rare to see it on the surface of the planet. Its density is so heavy that it sinks below the crust of the Earth. But in space, where there is no gravity, it can remain on the surface. So if they made this ship using an alloy based on Iridium and some other form of metal, like say diamond, then that would make it a nearly impenetrable armor plating." Dr. Chodozie replied.
Dr. Caradine was silent afterwards, thinking about the possibilities of the ship and what it can do. But one person stuck to the topic, and that was Dr. Alenkov, who remained leaning against her desk, "So, with that discovery out of the way, I want to hear what you would think if we reactivated the central computer?" she asked.
"If I may ask, Dr. Alenkov, what would that solve?" asked Dr. Caradine once again.
"Aren't you listening, Robert? The computer basically controls the ship! Dr. Jackson found repair drones that can only be activated by the computer. So if we were to turn it on and activate the repair drones we can get the fusion reactor going!" said Dr. Kimber.
"Why would we want it going? Isn't the surface going to help us?" asked Dr. Yao.
"We can't depend on the surface any longer, we had been down here for more than two months now, and we got lucky by rationing our water, but what then? We need to get back up to the surface and we need to do that now! Before we starve to death, or worse, eat each other," Dr. Jackson had a point, and Dr. Alenkov nodded before turning towards the crew.
"All in favor of activating the central computer show hands," Dr. Alenkov stated, and nearly everyone showed hands - only one person was opposed to it, and that was a man who was skeptical about the computer and its uses.
"Alright, in an hour, we will reactivate the Enhanced Defense Intelligence. All parties, please prepare your departments for possible outcomes. Dismissed," Dr. Alenkov said as they stood up. The group then got out of their chairs and headed out towards the main mess area, hoping for some time to think.
"You know Robert is going to cause trouble, right?" said Major Lawoski. Dr. Alenkov sighed as she allowed the stress of the day to get to her, "I know that, Major, but what can I do? Robert has a right to be worried as are the rest of us. But his shit is uncalled for. And I expect further trouble from him in the future if things don't go as planned," Dr. Alenkov said.
"Should we keep an eye on him, then?" asked Major Reynolds as he put away his pistol.
"Yes, as well as the rest of the crew, for I fear if this fails, we are all going to die." With that, the two men left, leaving Dr. Alenkov alone in her office. Her hands began to shake as she tried to calm herself down.
What I wouldn't give for a bottle of vodka right now, she thought. And she knew that things were only just getting started.
TBC
A/n: Ok so this is a bit longer then I anticipated but then again the original was a bit too….bland. After all these people are not so stupid as to touch every single thing and turn it on at a whim. That part I was not satisfied with in the original. So I decided to lengthen the concern that the crew has to E.D.I. and what her purpose is. They don't know that she is an artificial intelligence so they don't know what would happen if they turned her on. Secondly when I realized that this chapter was going to be lengthy I decided to put it into two parts this one is of the debate people have to activating EDI and the second part is actually activating it. The third part of the problem is power because it builds more to the story then originally thought. The inspiration for that one came from Stargate Universe where they had to solve a whole bunch of problems in order to survive.
I kind of wanted to do the same here for a bit it adds to the intensity of the story. Anyhow this was the first part of EDI's reactivation the second part will be coming up shortly of her actual reactivation and repairs to the ship. So until next time….ALOHA!