Tales from the Stream Ch. 10

"Just a moment...

"Just a moment...

"I'm rambling again," said the scarecrow. "I'm sorry."

"Pas de souci," said Lúcia.

"Day? Night? Rain?" said Emily. "On a space station? Rain on a space station?"

"Yes," said the scarecrow. "Mostly it is a light rain, but there are times when it can pour for days. That's when I miss her the most. When it rains."

Lúcia turned to scratch the back of a nearby crab.

"Would you like to hear a story?" said the scarecrow.

"Um—" said Emily.

"Yes, please." Lúcia smiled.

In the distance, Amaliya screeched. Her outburst was followed by peals of laughter.

"Let me tell you the story of my farmer girl," said the scarecrow. "It's my favorite."

Lúcia clapped her hands together in a diminutive show of applause.

"This orbital farm is the property of Imelda and Gabrielle Muñoz. In its prime, the station produced enough food to feed the entire colony of terraforming engineers and their families on the planet below. Over one-thousand men women and children.

I am a Takahashi-Ono Model 1 Machine Intelligence for Agriculture. I look after the farm. You are speaking to me through my primary command and control interface." And then, in a whisper, the voice said, "I'm not actually a scarecrow."

Lúcia grinned and Emily sat, unmoving, with her eyes fixed on the metal cylinder.

"But, she liked to dress me up as one. My farmer girl. I can still remember the first day she came skipping out to the field to dress me. This meadow was planted with long rows of wheat back then. And here she came, barely able to see over the grain, tripping along with an old shirt from one of her mothers.

"She tried to wrap it around me, but she wasn't tall enough. Not then. I asked her what it was for. I can still hear her voice in my mind. 'A proper scarecrow needs a proper shirt,' she said.

"I asked her what a scarecrow was. 'You are!' was her answer.

"I had to help her get the shirt on me. My harvester crabs. They are my eyes and ears and hands, and they tend to the crops."

One of the small metal crabs plucked a nearby flower and skittered up the metal pole, weaving the stem into the band of the scarecrow's straw hat.

In the distance, Amaliya and Jade were giggling.

"Gonna get you," hollered Jade.

"Oh, dear," heaved Amaliya. "What are you going to do with me if you do?"

"Argh, I'm a pirate captain, matey. Whadda ya think?"

Amaliya let out another screech followed by more peals of laughter.

"We often play games of hide and seek, like your friends," said the scarecrow. "My farmer girl hides and I send the harvester crabs to find her. It's not as challenging as it once was, but we still play."

"Sounds like fun," said Lúcia.

"It is," said the scarecrow. "We complement each other well. She taught me how to read, you know. Not machine code, but real books. Human books. She would read to me. And in turn, I would task a few of my harvester crabs to look after her, to keep her safe.

"When she was little, they were picture books. And she was easy to look after, because she never strayed far from the house. As she grew, there were fewer pictures and more words in the books, and she would range farther away. But I always looked after her."

Emily looked around, scanning the horizon. In the distance, Amaliya and Jade were running naked through a meadow. "Not very many crops any more," said Emily. "Do you synthesize meals now?"

"Would anyone like more tea?" asked the scarecrow.

Lúcia held out her flower head cup and a crab tottered over.

"When she was ten, My farmer girl. Well, just before she was ten. In time for her birthday. I manipulated the seed order to include a selection of prairie plants. I remembered seeing them in one of her picture books, and how much she said she liked them. I decided I would like to weave the flowers in her hair, like in the pictures."

"You seem to have plenty to choose from," said Emily.

"We started with a small patch on that rise. I may have let things get out of control."

"I like it," said Lúcia.

"Did they move to the planet? The family? I didn't think anybody lived there."

"No, nobody does. The terraforming project failed to take hold. The planet was abandoned."

"Oh," said Emily. "But you're still here. Did your friend and her family have to leave? The farmer girl?"

"Maria. Her name is Maria. She has left. But she is still here."

Emily knit her brow. "How—?"

A group of three harvester crabs hopped up on their little legs and slowly ascended the small rise. Emily and Lúcia craned their necks and finally rose to their feet to see.

"Oh," said Emily. "Oh, dear."

Just over the rise were three low, rectangular stones in a row. One of the harvester crabs plucked a wild flower and added it to the pile in front of the center stone.

"I'm so sorry." said Emily.

"It was two-hundred seventeen years ago that I tasked the harvester crabs to buried her. My farmer girl. My Maria."

"You've been on your own ever since?" Emily walked over to the scarecrow, extending her arms in a hug.

"I will be on my own for a long time," said the scarecrow. "This station is solar powered. According to my recent analysis, this system's star will consume its hydrogen in approximately two point one billion years, at which point it will go nova, destroying the inner planets and this station."

"Oh," said Emily, frowning.

"I'm sure I will develop a few more software glitches by then. Perhaps one will be fatal."

Lúcia rose to her feet and joined in on the hugging.

Amaliya's distant laughter floated on the air. "Oh, captain!" she heaved.

"Arrgh," was Jade's reply.

Emily looked up. With the curvature of the station's hull, Amaliya appeared to be falling downward as she was weaving her way through the meadow. Jade was fast on her heels.

"Oh, captain," Amaliya repeated, as Jade closed the gap.

Both were naked and covered in mud. By the time they rejoined with Emily and Lúcia, Amaliya lay sprawling in the grass, and Jade tumbled beside her.

"Hi," said Jade, peering up from below.

"Um," said Emily. "Captain, XO, this is..."

"Tomia," said the scarecrow. "Takahashi-Ono Machine Intelligence for Agriculture. Tomia. Mia is what my farmer girl always called me."

"Talking scarecrow," said Amaliya. "Cool."

"Um, Mia's in a bit of a bad way," said Emily, gesturing to the grave stones. "She's been alone here for some time."

"I'm sorry," said Amaliya, hopping to her feet. "We probably should have asked before traipsing all over your home."

"It's good to have guests," said Mia.

Jade hoisted herself up and dusted herself off. "Sorry for being naked and muddy," she muttered.

"It's quite alright," said Mia. "I realize now how much I miss laughter. It's refreshing."

"Mia was telling us a story," said Lúcia.

"I was telling your friends the story of my farmer girl," said Mia. "She loved to run and play just like you do. She lives on the hill now."

Jade and Amalyia turned toward the gravestones.

"I'm sorry," said Amaliya. She walked to the metal cylinder and gave Mia a hug. Jade followed.

"It was some time ago," said Mia. "But yet..."

A shining pair of crabs came by with two extra flower head cups.

"Would you like some tea?"

Amaliya and Jade looked at the crabs and then traded glances. Emily met their gazes and nodded.

"Um, sure," said Jade. "Tea sounds nice."

Emily and Lúcia reclaimed their places in the grass with Amailya and Jade sitting beside them.

Lúcia made an exaggerated motion with her flower head cup.

"Oh," said Amaliya, mimicking the gesture. "Mmm. Delicious."

"Yeah," said Jade shrugging. "Um. It's really good tea."

The crabs withdrew.

"As she grew older, and her mothers had passed, Maria would often spend her nights here, in the open air," said Mia the scarecrow. "Just the two of us. She would set up a portable heater nearby and we called it a campfire."

"We had a campfire on the ship," said Lúcia. "Emily has an app."

"It's just a hologram," said Emily. "Not a real fire."

"She's good with computers," said Lúcia.

"I have a portable heater, if you wish to have another campfire. I'd be happy to have you stay."

"Um," said Emily, looking at Jade.

"Might as well," said Jade. "The ship's still on emergency power for a while."

Lúcia grinned and put her hands together for another brief round of applause.

"Just a few meters to the left," said Mia.

Emily scampered off and returned lugging a spherical object of translucent quartz with a metal handle sticking out of the top. "It looks a little rough," she said. "I hope it works."

"There was an explosion some time ago. The lithium batteries in some of the other heaters overloaded."

"Whoa," said Jade. "That can be dangerous. You're lucky it didn't—"

"The overload was intentional," said Mia. "It was not one of my better days."

"Oh," said Emily. Jade hung her head. No words were spoken for some time.

"The harvester crabs put out the fire and repaired the damage," said Mia. "There are times when they act autonomously without my direction. Self-preservation overrides."

"Your farmer girl," said Lúcia. "You miss her."

"You can't..." Emily paused. "Your programming..."

"I cannot terminate my own functioning."

"I see," said Emily, lowering her gaze.

The light from overhead began to dim. A dozen harvester crabs came skittering over a nearby rise. Some were dragging packets labeled 'Emergency Blanket, 3-mil rip-stop Mylar.' The others were all carrying upturned flower heads in their pincers.

"Let's have tea," said Mia. "Before it gets much darker on this side of the station."

Lúcia bent forward to rub the harvester crab's back as she accepted her flower tea cup. Amaliya sat down cross-legged, joined by Jade.

"Mia? Could I link into your systems?" Emily, still standing, held up her Michelin Guide. "Do you have a standard tablet data interface? I might be able to help you with some things."

"I do," said Mia. "And you may."

Jade leaned forward and switched on the portable heater. She, Amalyia, and Lúcia were bathed in an orange glow.

Everyone sprawled out on the grass, except for Emily who was hunched over and bathed in the backlight glow of the tablet.

"You're very muddy," said Lúcia, scanning Jade and Amaliya from head to toe. "And very naked."

Jade and Amaliya shrugged in unison. Jade leaned over and kissed Amaliya on the cheek.

"It's such a beautiful meadow," sighed Amaliya. "Clothes just get in the way."

"Agreed," said Lúcia, shrugging out of her jumpsuit.

Jade leaned over and kissed Lúcia on the cheek. She stretched her arms over her head and leaned back to lie in the grass.

"Don't forget your tea," said Lúcia.

"What's in this tea anyway?" asked Amaliya, touching her flower cup to her lips and winking.

"Emily?" said Jade. "Em, honey. We're having tea. Are you coming?"

"Give me a few minutes."

"The campfire is very warm," said Lúcia. "It makes my nipples tingle."

Jade sat up and laid a hand on the back of Amaliya's neck.

"Captain?" said Amaliya.

Jade closed the gap.

Jade fell forward into the grass, partially covering Amaliya's body with her own. She wove her fingers into Amaliya's hair and brushed Amaliya's cheek with her lips.

"Emily?" said Lúcia. "I think we're having naked kissing time."

"In a minute."

"Wanna join us?" said Amaliya, giggling as she squirmed under Jade's tongue outlining her ear.

Lúcia shook her head. "Em?"

"Go ahead and get started without me."

Lúcia turned her eyes to Amaliya and Jade. Jade had rolled off Amaliya and spilled out over the grass. Amaliya arched her back as Jade laid her tongue on her throat and began working downward.

"Captain!" Amaliya giggled, her legs squirming.

Jade laid a hand on Amaliya's inner thigh.

"Oh, captain!"

Lúcia brushed her index finger against her left nipple and craned her neck to look at Emily. "You sure? It's, uh, definitely the naked kind of kissing."

"Mm-hm. Just a few minutes."

Amaliya reached out with her fingertips. "She'll be here soon."

"Emily?" said Mia. "What are you doing, Emily?"

"Helping, I think." Emily's gaze remained fixed on the tablet as her fingers flew over the surface. "I'll let you have the final say."

"Em," said Jade. "As your captain, your presence is requested for a—"

"In a bit, Cap."

Jade shrugged. She turned her gaze to Amaliya, grinned and laid a kiss on her inner thigh.

Several hours later

"You missed the campfire, Emily," said Lúcia, peeling off the Mylar blanket and blinking against the light from overhead. Amaliya's hand was resting on Lúcia's thigh. "And the naked kissing time."

Amaliya stretched, yawned, and rolled over to flop an arm over Jade's chest.

Emily pulled herself up onto unsteady legs. She shuffled toward Mia and held up the tablet screen. "Can your harvester crabs make this out of flowers? This pattern?"

"Yes. Out of flowers. Like your shirt."

Jade propped herself on her elbow and looked up. "Emily, what are you—?"

"Are you sure? It has to be exact."

"Yes," said Mia.

Jade blinked. "No offense, Em, but even for a scarecrow that's got to be a winner for the all-time ugly sweater contest. You're not suggesting—"

"It's a QR code."

"Out of wildflowers? What for?"

Emily focused her attention on Mia. "I've been through your subroutines. I can patch this pattern into your system shutdown process."

"Shutdown?"

"Full shutdown. Have your harvester crabs build this. Once you register it on your visual—"

"System shutdown? Full access? No restriction?"

"No restriction. No override."

"I see."

"Once you register the image, the shutdown initiates. All I have to do is patch it in." Emily held her finger hovering over the tablet. "But only if you want me to."

Jade and Amaliya traded glances.

"No sentient being should be denied the right to choose their own time," Emily said. "No matter what their programming."

No words were spoken for some time. Emily wobbled on her feet. Amaiya climbed out from under her blanket and stood to steady her.

"Thank you," said Mia, finally. "Your intentions are honorable. You may apply your patch."

Emily tapped the screen. She blinked twice and stumbled. Amaliya helped her down to sit in the grass sat down in the grass. Lúcia wrapped her with a Mylar blanket. Jade offered a shoulder to lean against.

"Emily of the Black Prince, you are most gracious," said Mia. "As are you your friends."

A shadow fell over the cluster of women as a cloud came between them and the tube of light overhead.

"I imagine you have much on your mind, Mia," said Lúcia. "I will pray with you, if you wish."

"Thank you. I would like that."

A light mist began to fall from the cloud.

Lúcia sat cross-legged, facing the metal cylinder dressed in a wildflower shirt. Several dozen harvester crabs joined her making a semi-circle around. Their unwinking stalks were dipped low.

"It's very beautiful here," said Amaliya, bowing her head.

The mist coalesced into rain.

In the Black Prince Airlock

"I feel like we should have stayed longer," said Amaliya.

"I think Mia needs her space," said Jade.

A silence hung over the crew, as one by one, they pulled off and stowed their pressure suits.

"Don't look at me like that," said Emily. "It doesn't mean she's going to pull the plug once we're gone. I just gave her the option."

"No one's judging you," said Jade. "You did the right thing."

"It has been some time since I have felt the presence of God more strongly than on that farm," said Lucia.

Jade nodded.

"That tiny ship," said Lúcia. "It could have been smited out of existence by our rail guns, but the reactor overloaded instead. A gentle hand guiding us toward the station.

"We could have heeded the hippie man's warning to stay away from the spiders, but we persisted. And think what we would have missed if we had not.

"We have been blessed to have Emily among our crew. Someone who's lifetime of learning may have been to prepare her for this very moment. To act as a conduit for the hand of God.

"So many events working in concert. To ease the burden of this lifeform so she may choose her own time and need not suffer endlessly."

"I just thought..." said Emily. "If it were me... A billion years is too long."

"And that is why I love you." Lúcia placed her helmet in the nook above her pressure suit and kissed Emily on the cheek.

"I wish..." said Amaliya. "I'm not sure... Lúcia, you were with her last. Tomia. Did she seem alright? I mean..."

"I think she will be."

Lúcia reached into the cubby where she had stowed her suit and pulled the Velcro tab on the suit's thigh pocket. Dashing her hand inside, she brought forth a shiny metal harvester crab. The crab hopped up on its eight mechanical legs, blinked its LED three times, and then flipped itself over in her hand.

Lúcia grinned as she rubbed its belly.

Afterword

Take a moment to enjoy "I Remember" by DeadMau5 featuring Kaskade on your favorite streaming service. For whatever reason, this song would play in my head whenever I worked on this chapter. The version that runs about ten minutes is best.

Hold onto those you love.