-5-

 

 

 

"Prepare for new programming, Grey," Life Support ordered. "Dress code four. Report to the end of the central corridor in five minutes."

Mystified by the unprecedented instructions, Grey rushed back to the crew's quarters and located his code four uniform in the footlocker under his bunk. The long sleeved jumper he had sewn from scraps of larger outfits was also his best suit, the others having become too small.

The nearly weightless suit felt good. Pieced together with sealers, the uniform had an odd appearance, but Grey didn't care about that. He liked the customized features, such as the extra deep thigh pockets and the handy waste disposal zipper.

He jumped off the floor in high bounces easily reaching the ceiling with his outstretched hand, spun in the air to land gently on one foot, and kicked off the wall for a somersault, landing on the other foot.

Something exciting was happening! He could feel it. What would it be? Only a year before he had been granted free use of the library unit for the first time, and last quarter he began selecting his own study options. Would the new surprise be as good?

Knowing the Medical Computer would send him back if he failed to wash, Grey dashed into the hygiene compartment. He quickly rinsed his face, brushed his hair, and glanced into the mirror above the sink, briefly staring into his own eyes. They were steel gray. Intense. Strange. If not for the Medical Computer's insistence, Grey would never look in mirrors.

"Reporting, Computer," he announced a moment later, arriving at the far end of the central corridor.

"Are you prepared for new programming, Grey?" Life Support asked.

"Affirmative," he responded anxiously.

"Pay attention. McKinsey's notes are brief," Life Support instructed.

Grey tried to remain calm while Computer developed the presentation. He knew McKinsey was the great creator, a powerful systems designer that all the higher function levels revered. He had never talked to the mysterious computer, but had heard many references. Suddenly Grey was surprised to hear a strangely familiar voice coming from the intercom. The McKinsey?

"We live in an era of great responsibilities. Many challenges not of our choosing," the voice said. "Had fate been kind, we could have faced these challenges together."

The pacing was slow, the words tentative. A malfunction? Grey wondered. Without signature patterns to read, he couldn't be sure.

"Unable to protect you without limiting your freedom, I have advised the Medical Computer to confine you in the controlled environment of the Old Section. Here I believe you will survive if health permits. Now you are too old to confine closely. Gradual extensions of your freedom become necessary. Freedom means danger as well."

It occurred to Grey that he might not be listening to a single speech. The sentence structure was disjointed, as if individual phrases had been spliced together.

"I'm sorry," the voice said. "I've left you all I can. It's up to you now. Remember this: learn to use those gifts of imagination the computers can't teach you. Don't be afraid to draw upon your heritage, it can be your greatest asset!"

The voice faded, and somehow Grey knew it would not speak again. He felt sorry for the voice. It sounded sad.

Then, at the end of the hall, a hatch slid open that had never opened before. The space beyond was dimly lit at first, but as he entered, the lighting came up to reveal a long narrow annex with a low ceiling. The angled wall on the right side was filled with monitor screens, perhaps twenty in all, while the left wall was congested with display cases, plaques, and antique instruments.

A whole new room! Grey thought. Some sort of commemoration chamber.

He stood in the doorway almost afraid to disturb anything, but before the full effect of the exciting new discovery could register, another hatch opened at the chamber's far end.

"Great Jupiter," Grey whispered as he spied still another area beyond.

He stepped forward for a better look and noticed the smell of fresh air rushing in. There were bright lights off in the distance, and a railing, and much space. Suddenly Grey realized the new room wasn't a room at all. It was a corridor!

Grey quickly bounced through the commemoration chamber to the outer door and emerged on a narrow balcony.

– End Chapter Five –