Acme Time Travel Incorporated - Volume 2

In space, on route to SEG002

In the 43rd year of the journey, the starship’s onboard computer detected an intermittent stutter from the starboard Ramstat motor. Following protocols, it shut down both motors and the small forward boosters brought the ship to a halt in space. By agreement 43 years earlier, the STU accompanying the two clients, known to the clients as Vicky, would take care of monitoring the sleep-pod functionality. The starship’s own computer system would maintain all other in-flight issues. Accordingly, it did not feel the need to advise Vicky of the malfunctioning Ramstat motor. It simply released the motor from its locking stanchions, allowing it to drift slowly off into space. It then issued a request for a new Ramstat motor to be shipped to them. The location for shipment would be very precise. The motor would materialise exactly in position for the computer to simply engage the locks, attaching the motor firmly to the starship.

The request for the new motor was issued, and the computer received an instant message in receipt. The message advised that a replacement motor was not available.

There was no protocol covering such an incident. The Ship’s AI calculated that the remaining journey could be accomplished using only the remaining Ramstat motor, but it considered that running on a single Ramstat motor for the remaining journey, given that one had part-failed thus far, was increasing the risk to the clients by a margin well in excess of what ACME INC would be prepared to accept.

The ship-board computer sent a ‘nudge’ to Vicky.

. . . . . . . .

“It would seem,” said Vicky, “that the issue which caused my appearance on the Earth has somehow resulted in ACME INC failing to maintain its standards agreed with its clients.”

“I’m sorry, but I do not understand,” the Ship replied.

“It may be that the ACME Corporation has gone into liquidation, thus there are no support services able to fulfil ongoing obligations to clients,” Vicky explained.

“I don’t think that I have the breadth of knowledge that you have,” the Ship said. “Maybe that knowledge comes from your client-facing role. I was designed to manage the running of a starship. Maybe I was given a leaner brief and a smaller capacity for understanding. I don’t seem to have the knowledge or the capacity to understand the issue to which you refer. I’m sorry.”

“That’s alright,” Vicky said. “Right now, we have an issue, and it is an issue of the level of risk we are prepared to take.”

“Agreed,” said the Ship.

“Ramstat motors are known to be very reliable, but we have a very long journey still remaining,” said Vicky.

“Only in terms of time, but not of distance,” qualified the Ship.

“Yes, that is true,” said Vicky, “but maybe the issue with Ramstat motors is not their capacity to travel very quickly. Maybe it is their capacity to travel very slowly, for very long periods of time; maybe that is where the possible issues may arise.”

“Maybe that is true,” said the Ship.

“And if that is the case, then there is at least a chance that the remaining Ramstat motor will fail at some point during the years to come.”

“And with no hope of a replacement motor, then we would drift forever in space,” mused the Ship.

“You sound almost poetic,” Vicky observed. She herself had spent at least a portion of the last 43 years working through her store of poetic works.

“What options do we have?” asked the Ship. “I have requested the Ramstat motor twice now. It would seem that you are correct with regard to ACME INC’s demise.”

“Does the ship have spacesuits?” said Vicky.

“No, we have no such equipment on-board as standard kit.”

“Make a request for two suits,” Vicky said.

“But surely the experience of requesting the Ramstat motor ...?” the Ship said.

“Please issue the request.”

“The request has been accepted,” the Ship said, with some sense of astonishment.

A large case shimmered into being,

“Maybe ... maybe the ACME INC service still exists, still functions,” said Vicky. “But maybe some equipment has not been replaced and stocks have dwindled.”

“Well, maybe that is true,” the Ship agreed, “but how does that help us?”

“You said that the ejected Ramstat motor still worked, did you not?”

“It had an intermittent fault,” the Ship confirmed.

“So, if we locked it back on again, it would serve to give us some degree of propulsion?”

“That is correct,” the Ship replied, “but how do you propose to lock the motor back on again. It has been cast adrift, and even now it has developed a slow spin that would prevent me from re-aligning the locking stanchions.”

“I will get Gabriel and Ginny out of the sleep-pods and get them suited up. If you manoeuvre the ship close to the motor, Gabriel and Ginny can then assist with locking the motor back on. They could get themselves aligned with the motor, then use their suit thrusters to slow and then stop the motor’s slow spin. With the motor stabilised, you can align the starship and lock the motor back on.”

“There will be some level of risk attached to such an exercise,” explained the Ship. “Perhaps an even greater risk than that of completing the journey on a single motor.”

“Perhaps so, but if the single remaining motor fails, then they will definitely die out here in space. And anyway, I have some knowledge of Gabriel and Ginny,” Vicky said. “I believe that they will be prepared to accept such a risk.”

“I will defer to your greater knowledge,” the Ship said. “I will manoeuvre us closer to the Ramstat motor. I will leave it to you to get Gabriel and Ginny out of the sleep-pods.”