The Voyage of the Joyous Venture

Part 8

Mainly Microbots

The very, very private diary of Dr Robert Mbutu, Part 2. November 29^th

I think Dr Jones is psychic or something. I mean I wasn't doing anything suspicious but she forced me to admit that I'd got a sample off the Cortez. Fortunately she didn't seem to mind too much. After all it might have been a clue. I still think this may be evidence of the sort of advanced ceramic cybertechnology that Felix Holsten reported. Anyway she did let Ms Moran and myself back onto the Cortez to have another look around.

 
It was much more exciting knowing there were probably millions of microbots teeming throughout the ship but I think Ms Moran was a bit nervous. We found plenty of evidence of activity. The main CPU core was full of some sort of ceramic string. I thought it looked like a collection of eggs but Ms Moran thought that it might be some sort of invasive hardware device to access the computer. Whatever, it seemed to be fairly inert.
 
We went back to the remaining viable life pod to see if we could do anything to help whoever was inside. Once we pulled it out of the alcove we got a shock. It certainly wasn't inert! We found what could only be described as a 'nest' around the PSU. It was full of several distinct types of ceramic microbot. They were very reminiscent of colonies of social insects. This might explain their apparent intelligence since each simple unit could handle a portion of any cognitive task. If they really evolved rather than being built it is an amazing example of convergence. I wonder how far the similarities extend. Wouldn't it be really exciting if there was a queen somewhere? Certainly some of the microbots were noticeably bigger than the others - soldiers perhaps? I managed to get a sample although I had to cut it in half with a laser scalpel. It's not going anywhere. There was something that looked very much like a big egg sack too but we didn't cut it open to have a look.
 
Everyone got very worked up about the microbots. I was in favour of trying to get the pod into vacuum to see if that would decontaminate it, but no one else was prepared to trust that it would be 100% successful. We couldn't resuscitate its occupant in the Cortez since there was no power - or air or heat - so reluctantly we were forced to leave it in situ. We've plotted the course of the ship but I doubt we'll be back here in time to help. I suppose it would be risky but I can't get over the feeling that I would hate to be left to die in conditions like this. Perhaps we should tell someone?
 
Once we got back to the ship we checked over the vac suits. We didn't seem to have any unexpected passengers. I've only got the one specimen, the chewed ceramic, and the imager recording. Not enough for proof, but as Antonio says maybe it's just the result of some Corporate weapons division and nothing to do with the Ancients at all.
 
Time to jump into hyperspace. Dr Takamura is looking green already.