Read Online The Engineer Reconditioned by Neal Asher - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Neal Asher
Tags: Fiction, General, Science-Fiction, adventure, Fantasy fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction - General, Fiction - Science Fiction, Short Stories, Fantasy - General, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Science Fiction - Adventure, Short Stories (Single Author)
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earthquake or storm. One of either usually came along each day. The process was crude and frowned upon by many archaeologists who claimed that valuable artefacts could be damaged or destroyed. Alexion Smith took the view that anything surviving five million years in that desert would not be damaged by the sifter. His robust approach to archaeology was greatly disliked. But he got results.
Smith checked the sifter every planetary day — about four solstan days — and made a find on average once every solstan year. Mostly he came to empty out strange-shaped stones and package artefacts from more recent ages for transmission to associates. On this occasion he had a find. In the red light of the giant sun the coralline material was the colour of old blood. Under the lamps it would be pink and Smith knew where he had seen its like before. The excitement he might have felt before was lacking now. Years of research and now, out there, a real living Jain. Smith glanced up at the red sun and the psuedobirds. A shape was coming towards him and it wasn't a bird. The crab drone landed on the cowling of the sifter with a clattering and scrabbling and once it got its balance it peered at him with stalked eyes.
"Who are you then?" asked Smith.
"I am the Cable Hogue ," said the drone in a gravelly voice.
"Interesting name."
"I am a ship AI speaking to you through this drone. The drone is called CH143 though it sometimes calls itself Spider."
"It has an independent mind then?"
"Yes."
"Well ... what do you want of me?"
"Your expertise."
"Go on."
"To advise on matters Jain."
Smith dropped the fragment of ancient Jain technology back into the collection box of the sifter.
"I'll come," he said.
The drone rose from the cowling.
"You have four hours to get to the runcible here. Go to the Vorstra moon for short range transference to the Cable Hogue ."
The voice was somehow different this time.
"I take it Spider speaks now."
"Spider spoke then. Only Spider speaks now."
Smith nodded and smiled to himself, then returned his attention to what he was being told.
"By shuttle?" he asked.
"By runcible," said the drone.
"Tell me, what manner of vessel is this Hogue ?"
"A dreadnought."
Smith felt a slight shiver of excitement. It would have to be one hell of a ship to warrant having a runcible aboard. He was about to ask what classification of dreadnought it was when the drone accelerated away with a sonic crack. After a pause he headed for his AGC, his desert boots kicking up plumes of the red sand. The sifter went on sifting.
"Initially she was your clone. That she is a she, is the least of her alterations," said Chapra. The girl lay on the examination couch in medlab, her blue eyes wide open, her body motionless. She just stared at the ceiling.
"There's the interface in her back," said Abaron. "What else?"
"A lot. She wasn't burned in there even though she was in water that is nearly at boiling point. She can withstand temperatures that would kill a normal human. Very tough. Also her brain is human, but there are sub-brains branching all down her spine. In that sense she is nearly an amalgam of Jain and human."
"Normal DNA?"
"Not trihelical, no — "
Chapra paused. The girl was sitting upright.
"Not trihelical, no — " said the girl.
"She can speak," said Abaron.
"She can speak," said the girl. Only when she heard the girl repeating Abaron's words did Chapra realise that she had used exactly his voice, as she had spoken with exactly Chapra's voice before.
"She is learning, I think," said Chapra, and listened as the girl repeated it. "We'll have to give her the meanings of words. She'll have to be taught."
The girl repeated everything she said, then smiled. Chapra did not recollect smiling. She stepped up by the couch and took the girl's hand, brushed stringy blond hair from her face.
"Come with me," she said, and gave a gentle tug. The girl got off the couch. She did not repeat the words. Chapra felt a cold shiver. The
Smith checked the sifter every planetary day — about four solstan days — and made a find on average once every solstan year. Mostly he came to empty out strange-shaped stones and package artefacts from more recent ages for transmission to associates. On this occasion he had a find. In the red light of the giant sun the coralline material was the colour of old blood. Under the lamps it would be pink and Smith knew where he had seen its like before. The excitement he might have felt before was lacking now. Years of research and now, out there, a real living Jain. Smith glanced up at the red sun and the psuedobirds. A shape was coming towards him and it wasn't a bird. The crab drone landed on the cowling of the sifter with a clattering and scrabbling and once it got its balance it peered at him with stalked eyes.
"Who are you then?" asked Smith.
"I am the Cable Hogue ," said the drone in a gravelly voice.
"Interesting name."
"I am a ship AI speaking to you through this drone. The drone is called CH143 though it sometimes calls itself Spider."
"It has an independent mind then?"
"Yes."
"Well ... what do you want of me?"
"Your expertise."
"Go on."
"To advise on matters Jain."
Smith dropped the fragment of ancient Jain technology back into the collection box of the sifter.
"I'll come," he said.
The drone rose from the cowling.
"You have four hours to get to the runcible here. Go to the Vorstra moon for short range transference to the Cable Hogue ."
The voice was somehow different this time.
"I take it Spider speaks now."
"Spider spoke then. Only Spider speaks now."
Smith nodded and smiled to himself, then returned his attention to what he was being told.
"By shuttle?" he asked.
"By runcible," said the drone.
"Tell me, what manner of vessel is this Hogue ?"
"A dreadnought."
Smith felt a slight shiver of excitement. It would have to be one hell of a ship to warrant having a runcible aboard. He was about to ask what classification of dreadnought it was when the drone accelerated away with a sonic crack. After a pause he headed for his AGC, his desert boots kicking up plumes of the red sand. The sifter went on sifting.
"Initially she was your clone. That she is a she, is the least of her alterations," said Chapra. The girl lay on the examination couch in medlab, her blue eyes wide open, her body motionless. She just stared at the ceiling.
"There's the interface in her back," said Abaron. "What else?"
"A lot. She wasn't burned in there even though she was in water that is nearly at boiling point. She can withstand temperatures that would kill a normal human. Very tough. Also her brain is human, but there are sub-brains branching all down her spine. In that sense she is nearly an amalgam of Jain and human."
"Normal DNA?"
"Not trihelical, no — "
Chapra paused. The girl was sitting upright.
"Not trihelical, no — " said the girl.
"She can speak," said Abaron.
"She can speak," said the girl. Only when she heard the girl repeating Abaron's words did Chapra realise that she had used exactly his voice, as she had spoken with exactly Chapra's voice before.
"She is learning, I think," said Chapra, and listened as the girl repeated it. "We'll have to give her the meanings of words. She'll have to be taught."
The girl repeated everything she said, then smiled. Chapra did not recollect smiling. She stepped up by the couch and took the girl's hand, brushed stringy blond hair from her face.
"Come with me," she said, and gave a gentle tug. The girl got off the couch. She did not repeat the words. Chapra felt a cold shiver. The
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