88 - Medical Over-ride Module

The booming, and clattering, things rattling down outside all around the sand-flea had gone on for hours, perhaps days, he’d wound his watch three times.  It had chimed, as usual, for winding but without outside input, it didn’t feel like twelve hours.

The unconscious boys were all right, held almost in stasis, and he’d have to wake the one still ‘unloyalized’ and convince him that they were getting out, but the catastrophe that Gerald had started must have been truly epic in its scope.  There was still the occasional, though smaller, muffled explosion from above, sending dust and bits and pebbles showering down on the flea, rattling.  The electricity in the space was shut off so there were no vacuums or scrubbers to clear the film and debris away.

Full bathroom facilities are available in each couch, in case of emergency evacuation mode being engaged.  For longer term cleansing, and in water-poor areas, the Mark VIII has a cleansing booth, with one-button function.  PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE THE BOOTH UNTIL THE GREEN LIGHT COMES ON.  Should the cleansing nano-machines be released into the main cabin, the Mark VIII is designed to lock down the main cabin until all safety protocols are concluded and the cleaners are shut down.

All passengers are advised to stay in the crash-cushioned couches while the machine is in motion. Also, passengers are advised not to raise their heads out of the form-molded head rest. RAMTUFF will not be held responsible for whiplash and concussive injuries should passengers ignore safety warnings and protocols.

Should the driver be injured, incapacitated or be a new driver unfamiliar to the machine, the Medical Over-ride Module will engage to assist.

Terry lay back in the chair, the cushioning already conformed to his head, the book on his chest, snoring slightly, his hat tilted down askew across his face.  It was the silence that woke him.  Things had stopped happening for long enough above, that there were no more massive explosions and things quit pinging off the hide of the Mark VIII.

He grunted awake as a click heralded something new happening and was blinking stupidly at the console when his brother’s voice came on. “Heya, Terry, new info.  You’re leaving early.  Prime’s going to be all over the lab the instant the flames die down enough to let them close.  The firefighters are all out, the perimeter is being hosed down and I am wringing my hands in abject horror that my little brother was apparently hoping to raise his tech level by doing research in MY laboratory facilities.  There are extremely damaged security videos showing you entering the library approximately two hours before the failure of the power plant.  I fear I shall discover that my innocent little brother was caught in a horrible accident.  Boo hoo.”

“You bastard!”

“Don’t try and interrupt me, Ter, I cannot hear you.  I will, however, leave pauses for you to appropriately curse me.  This channel is only one way. I’m cheating dreadfully, I know.  So sorry. Once this channel closes, a tunnel will be opened that will bypass the perimeter and all material will cheerfully be used to backfill the hole you are currently sitting in, even with striations in the material that will echo the rock strata, even should Prime suspect and send nanosensors down.  There will be no hole, no sign there ever was a hole or a tunnel or any such thing.”

“Drive your conveyance out the tunnel, it is smart enough to engage the appropriate mode if you push the forward button on the controller.  I’m assuming you’ve already unhooked the controller and had it conform to your hands.  Okay… I’ll wait…”

“Oh, sod you, big brother.  I already have it.”  Terry snarled at the console.  The controller in question was the one Gerald had thrust into his hand right at the start.

“So now that you’ve cursed me out… you’ve got the steering toggle set up for your thumb.  Good luck, and… Terence… I’m so glad that there is a place for you to get out to.  I am just as happy not to have packed the family away and headed out blindly into the sand.  I was on the verge of it, but now that I know there’s a ‘somewhere else’ I’ll send you out and I do expect you to get in touch with me once you find it.  I’m certain that if things continue to go sour here, we’ll want to follow you.  Bon chance, bro.”

As the voice channel clicked to shut down, the screen showed the wall in front of the sand-flea beginning to glow around the edges.

Terence tried to sit up abruptly but was restrained by his couch. “Please relax,” the machine’s voice said.  “New driver detected. M.O.M engaged.  Please wait as egress tunnel is complete.  We will be travelling shortly.  If you press the forward toggle too soon, I shall wait until the way is clear, do not be alarmed that I do not begin to move immediately.”