Two

She cried out in her mind, her relief so strong. The noise at the front of the tunnel getting louder as their pursuers stomped through the landscape towards them.

Taking her jacket and shirt off, leaving her in her under T, she cut a blood spot on her finger with her knife and let it drip over the plate then put her arm over it with her ID embedded in the wrist. Everyone had one. It was the only relic her community held on to from the old days and that was because it held so much information that it could save a life. Your name, history, ancestry, location, family, blood group, illnesses and so much more. The pad lit up, seemed to analyse the blood, then scanned the ID chip and the door gave way.

Her relief nearly crushing her, her throat closed as she nodded at Jacqs to go in wiping the plate clean with a good swipe of her shirt. She'd do a better job later.

"I'll be back." She told Jacqs. "Keep the door open, I just need to make sure we've left no tracks." She whispered.

Jacqs grabbed her. "Don't leave me."

"I won't be long. Stay here by the open door." Jacqs reluctantly nodded and she walked back through the image going as far as she dare up the tunnel keeping low and swept the floor back to one of the side tunnels with her shirt moving back and forth quickly over the ground and then walked out making more tracks going off in that direction before back tracking in her own foot prints and swiping at the floor some more. Then back through the projection to Jacqs, closing the door behind them quietly standing in the darkened space. The air was stale, and it silently locked down.

They'd made it….

She could hardly believe it and bent down to Jacqs who was shaking. "Shoosh quiet. There are people in the tunnel, but we are safe here. You did so well finding the door Jacqs. I'm so proud of you. You saved us." She whispered hugging her close before letting go, taking her hand and looking carefully through the door's porthole.

The men from their homestead slowly came into view walking into the tunnel entrance, following their tracks. They stopped where they'd slept, then moved on down still looking for them. She could somehow see them clearly now through that window. They searched but stopped some distance away where their tracks stopped at a side tunnel, looking around.

Walking down the side tunnel a way, they seemed to give up and walk back out again, then back down the main tunnel. She hardly believed that either. Holding back her need to break down and cry, knowing Jacqs needed her. She buried it deep. She needed to be strong. The moment they were gone, she waited a while longer to make sure then turned to Jacqs and smiled. "Ready to explore our new home?"

Jacqs grinned. "We can stay here?"

"Oh yes. This is going to be fab. Come on. Lets see what we can find."

Having spotted a power box, she opened it seeing a pad and a power switch and put her hand on the pad. Throwing her jacket over the port hole, not sure if the light would show through or not. She'd not seen any light coming through the port hole from the other side but then again, the system had been off then. She pulled the switch and lights lit up one after the other from the doorway down the corridor. Then more power came on and a vid screen lit up.

The computer coming online.

It still worked. After all these years…..

They had one that worked in the school and one that ran ID systems and medical from the communications hub in the community. It hadn't had any real purpose other than providing new ID chips for new born's for decades.

"Welcome home Helena Sakos." The computer spoke from the ceiling. "Your ID has been recorded and access granted. Please place your hand on the scanner." She grinned as Jacqs jumped up and down as she did. "Thank you. Do you wish to record another ID?"

"Yes I do."

"Hand on the scanner and name."

She lifted Jacqs who put her hand on the scanner. "Jacqueline Sakos." Jacqs told the computer proudly.

"So recorded. Do you require living mode?"

"Yes we do." She told it.

"Starting living mode programme. Make your way to the central hub for more information. Follow the lights."

"Thank you. Your name computer?" she asked.

"Aquarius."

From the historic records she knew that had been the colony ships name.

"Thank you Aquarius. We're happy to be here." They walked the tunnel following the lights and eventually came to a large room with lots of screens off the corridor, pushing the doors open they found some tables with equipment on them and chairs. Covered and dust everywhere. No one had been here in a very long time. "Computer what is this space?"

"This is the central hub. From here you can monitor the cameras outside, mount a defence and run this living space."

"There were people following us, have they left the tunnel and area?"

"A moment please." They waited. "I have checked the cameras and they are no longer on them."

She nodded. That was good. "Aquarius. We need food and water and rest."

"Please follow the lights, it will take you to the refreshment area and the sleeping quarters, there is also a medical area should you need it."

As they walked down the corridor, it was clear the place needed an army to clean it. Abandoned long ago it looked it. And wondered if the systems had that covered.

"Thank you Aquarius. The place needs cleaning, do you have a cleaning programme of some kind?"

"I do. Autobots are still available and can be activated."

"What are Autobots?"

"Autobots are machines that aid humans in living."

"Machines?" She had no idea what that meant. "Errm. Okay that sounds good. Can you start them to work, and can you clean the air too?"

"Affirmative. Activating both systems."

They moved down the tunnel following the lights. Both stood fascinated as these ‘automated machines' came online, coming out of what she guessed was storage areas, the Autobots starting to clean, the air starting to filter out particles, the air becoming fresher coming in. They both looked at each other and smiled.

It was all a bit magical.

A large open living area opened up from the corridor with lots of seating covered in protective coverings the same as the furniture in the ‘hub'. Filling the space. They kept going walking through it following the lights taking them into a large dining area. The place was big enough to cater for a hundred people. The tables and chairs also covered, so were all the units. Letting go of Jacqs hand she went to what she recognised from school historic images, the banks of replicators and pulled off the covers. She remembered they were meant to be able to produce anything you wanted. It was synthetic food not fresh, but it was food.

"Aquarius these are replicators, right?"

"Affirmative."

"Are the replicators on?"

"I can activate the food providers. Would you like me to bring then online?"

"Yes please. How do they work?"

"Activate by thumb print. Open and give instructions. Please remember to be specific. If you require plates or bowls for food to go in or cutlery, napkins, glasses or cups for each item, you must instruct it. Food and drinks should be described as hot or cold."

She put her thumb on one and it lit up. "Broccoli and chicken pasta hot in a creamy cheese sauce in two bowls for two people. Bread and butter for two people cold on a plate. Strawberry milk shakes cold in glasses for two people. Knife, fork and spoon, napkins for two people."

The replicator took several moments while she carefully took off the cover on a table and two chairs. It pinged. Going back to it, she opened the door and Jacqs squealed in delight. It was full of the goodies she'd asked for, the smell permeating the air. Grabbing a discarded cloth, she shook it wiping what dust had spilled over the table and two chairs then put the food on it. Jacqs sat down excited. And she encouraged her to eat handing her the cutlery and napkins.

"The pasta will taste different to normal, but it will do you good. It's hot so careful."

"This is wonderful Helena. Thank you."

They both picked up their cutlery and started eating. Eating very little for the past several weeks, they were both real happy to have something normal again, the taste not that bad. It was pretty good.

"Slowly Jacqs." She told her as Jacqs nodded stuffing more in her face.

Several bites in she looked around, seeing the Autobots doing their job. Taking the coverings off and recycling them. Then starting to clean the other chairs and tables.

She'd never seen anything like them before. They looked strange. On small wheels with arms and legs, a face, they didn't look like humans, but they were close. Some working on the floor. Shelves and cupboards. She knew Autobots had been part of the original ships systems, she'd read about it in the historic records. They kept the ship clean and did maintenance and any other jobs that were required. And could be programmed to do most things.

Helena shook her head in wonder. It was decades ago, hundreds of years, they were lucky they were still working at all. And suddenly wondered if they were alone in here.

"Aquarius are there any other humans in here?"

"Negative. This system was shut down by the original colonists when it was no longer needed."

Realising how long ago that was, she realised it was pretty amazing that any of it worked.

They both mopped up the meal with the bread and butter, finishing it off with the milkshakes and sat back stuffed.

She was dead on her feet. So was Jacqs, her face already taking on that sleepy look she knew so well.

"Computer, Jacqueline and I need clothing, toiletries, beds and showers."

"Please follow the lights, they will take you to the bedrooms, replicators can provide the toiletries. If you stand in front of the clothing scanners, it will take your images and sizes and produce whatever clothing you wish. You can recycle what you have on in the recyclers. The beds are sealed you only need to break the covers. Blankets and pillows are also sealed on each bed and ready for use."

She felt like crying again. "We don't know what recyclers are Aquarius."

"They are wall units that are lit up in every space. You pull the door down and deposit what you want recycled. Just place your clothing or other items in them. They are designed to break down everything and allow the materials to be used again. Nothing is wasted."

"Thank you Aquarius." Jacqs came off her chair and hugged her. She nodded at her smiling. They were both emotionally worn out. "That looks like a recycler, grab your things and we will see." Picking up all their food items, they went over to the lit up wall unit and she opened the door. "Aquarius is this it? The recycler?"

"Yes it is Helena."

They put all their used things in and she closed the door again. A whirling sound took place. "Okay. Let's go find those showers, we stink."

Jacqs laughter in her ears, hand in hand they did and crashed. Only sleep for her was now elusive.

She found it difficult to let go, her fears still riding her.

Jacqs was out cold the minute her head hit the pillow. Fed, showered and in new Pjs, Jacqs looked so cute wrapped up in her flow blanket sleeping. She'd been watching her for a while making sure she was sleeping ok, no nightmares surfacing, the horrors of her ordeal weighing on her.

She helped save us mom….

Unable to sleep, she lay there for a while longer, then feeling she was wasting time, got up needing more answers. Their world was in turmoil, she couldn't afford to sleep. And went back to the main living area, now spotless, the Autobots having been doing their job for hours.

Going into the kitchen she ordered coffee, hot in a mug from the replicator finding it rather good and took it to the hub taking a seat.

"Aquarius, I do not understand how this all works, give me a rundown please."

For the next four hours, Aquarius talked her through the systems that were automatic. The tunnel systems working from a ground thermal heat source. Unlimited power. Enough water from ground sources for the place to be stocked, recycling and replication all in good working order. Enough supplies to keep the replicators up and running for 87 years or more for 100 people. The lifetime of the contract with Earth Corp if they'd had to live in the tunnels longer and used it but her ancestors hadn't needed much of it at all. Additional nutrients were still in storage. The hydroponics brought back online it would produce fresh food.

It was a lot to take in.

"Show me the cameras please Aquarius and put them up on the vid screens."

"Affirmative." The screens in the room came alive showing different camera angles both immediately outside the main entrance through the projection and some way down the tunnel. The area well covered.

"The projecting wall image in the tunnel, is that on a different power supply?" She asked remembering it didn't look right to her.

"Yes Helena. It is run by the auxiliary power back up. When it gets low, it pulls from the ground heat source. It is the only system that is continually on, protecting the entrance."

She guessed they'd been lucky no one had shut that off too.

"It doesn't look abandoned, it's too clean and makes no sense to just be more wall with no reason why the colonists hadn't carried on. You need a projection that shows damaged rock, fractures, a reason it stopped and debris, dirt, rocks, some old tools laying around abandoned. Maybe some rubbish laying around too to indicate it was left behind when they moved on."

"Affirmative, new projection creation active."

"The port hole in the door, can light be seen through it into the tunnel beyond?"

"Negative, the window has light blocking technology. No one would know that the tunnels are active from outside the main door even if they penetrated the projection. And no access unless they have a chip and blood screen I would recognise."

That was good then. "Can anyone tell the tunnels are being used from outside the tunnel entrance?"

"Negative unless they had footprints to follow." Okay so that wasn't so good.

"So coming and going we'd have to be careful if we wanted to avoid letting anyone know we are here."

"Affirmative."

She realised it was a good job she'd given a false trail. "Is this tunnel under surveillance from outside Aquarius?"

"I have no images to suggest that."

"Do we have more cameras that we can activate?"

"Affirmative. Do you wish to activate the security protocol?"

She sat up. "Do we have one of those?"

"Affirmative."

"I do yes. I'm not sure we are safe. Those men are killers that came after us."

"Activating." A wall creaked and slid forward. She got up and went to it. It revealed a room behind it full of what she knew were weapons from the historic record.

"Oh my, what is this space called?"

"It is the armoury. It holds the community security weapons."

It was filled with things she had no idea what to do with. Things they'd never needed before now. A little stunned she walked in. She needed to know how to use these. In time, Jacqs too. "Aquarius, is there a weapons tutorial?"

"Touch the ID on the weapon you wish to use. The information on its use and how to use it will be activated."

She spent another hour going over all the different kinds of weapons. Aquarius opened another door and a firing range opened up. Taking her time, she used several following the instructions, then decided on two. Taking a belt that would carry them, she loaded both up, keeping the safeties on as she'd been told and put them on. Then went through another tutorial on using them, wanting to make sure she'd not missed anything. The last thing she wanted was to be another risk to Jacqs.

Going back to the chair and desk, they felt strange wearing them, but she felt better armed.

"Aquarius can you show me the last records of using these tunnels?"

"Affirmative." Images started to play with date stamps that were a long time ago. She sat and watched in wonder as her ancestors went about their business in and out of the tunnels as she sat and drank coffee for several hours.

Seeing the different people that had been so courageous in taking the risk to come was awe inspiring. And then she saw the others and frowned.

Groups of large men, talking with the leaders. From what they were carrying, heavy weapons, they looked to be Police of some kind, but they were unlike any Police she'd ever seen before. So much larger than the other males. She sat fascinated as she watched how organised and officious, they looked. The leader extremely confident as she watched him work. He and his men didn't show much emotion. They didn't laugh or join in like the other colonists or react the same to things which was a little strange.

"Helena, Jacqs is waking." Aquarius told her. What she'd seen intrigued her, but she didn't have time to deal with that now.

"Thank you Aquarius. Stop play. I'll go to her now and have breakfast. Please continue to monitor the area and give me real time updates. Please display security images on the vid screens in any location I am in."

"Affirmative."

"Once you are sure it's clear. Could you have the Autobots put cameras to the end of the access tunnel and outside the tunnel entrance itself?"

"Affirmative."

She walked slowly back to the bedroom bunk room.

She'd learnt a lot, there was no doubt of that, she just wasn't sure how that really helped her. They needed to get more of her people here. Have them safe. She was thinking that maybe she could go back, leave Jacqs here and bring others and in her musings found Jacqs sitting up sleepily.

She smiled at her unable not to no matter how dire things were. "Hey baby girl, you need a shower and to clean those teeth then we are having breakfast and we have learning to do."

"School?" Jacqs screwed up her nose. It was so cute and a reminder of how things use to be.

Swallowing those emotions back, she nodded. "Yep. School for both of us. Up and at um."

Jacqs laughed and climbed out the bed rushing into the shower. As Jacqs took off her Pjs and showered, she ordered several sets of day clothes and some more Pjs for her. Marvelling at how resilient kids were.

She huffed. She was still a kid herself…..

Laying them out on one of several spare clean beds, she went to join her in the communal showers, starting as she meant to carry on.

Get back into a routine.

Work all this out.

Grieve later.

Save her people.

Washed, teeth cleaned, dried and out. Fresh clothes on. They breakfasted via the replicator keeping it simple with juice, eggs and toast, then she set Jacqs up with a table near a vid screen. Going to the replicator for a note pad and coloured pens, she asked Aquarius if they had children's educational programmes for a 5-year-old. Jacqs was a smart child, she wanted to encourage that like her parents had for both of them.

They did. Holding in her pain, she told Aquarius to play it. Smiling with a kiss to Jacqs head, she brought her a drink and told her to tell the program to stop if she needed the bathroom. Telling her she'd be back at lunch, she had her own learning to do with Aquarius on their new home.

Her excitement overflowing Jacqs got to work.

Smiling at her, she went back to the hub, coffee in hand and settled in at the main desk. Seeing Jacqs through the glass wall she waved.

Her fears for her hitting her.

"Aquarius, what defences are there in here?" she asked quietly.

"There are no defences in the living tunnels apart from the armoury."

That seemed short sighted to her. Particularly after what had happened to them. "If I wanted to set up an automatic line of defence from the port hole door down each side of the entrance tunnel, could I?"

"Yes. The larger repeating guns, can be placed on stands and can be linked to my systems for defence but it is unlikely anyone would gain access without me allowing it."

"Do it anyway please. And I want cameras in that corridor too from the main door to the living areas and the one's outside the main entrance covering the entry door, I want new ones put in as a priority right up to the tunnel entrance and around it to show who might be standing there if we don't already have that."

"Affirmative. We do. I'll direct the Autobots to work on defence."

"Thank you. As each camera is triggered by movement, I want an alert."

"Affirmative."

"What about a protective shield of some kind. Do we have that?" She remembered seeing that on the colony ship schematic that had brought the colonists here. They'd called it a ‘forcefield' and watched the Autobots start to go passed the hub with the guns.

"We do but if being hidden is your priority, the field would be picked up by anyone monitoring this world."

"Okay we won't use that unless it's a last option. Our priority is to stay hidden."

"May I ask what has prompted your return to the emergency shelter Helena?"

"Raiders. We lived some way from here. Took us weeks to find you on foot. Wasn't sure if I was right or if we'd make it at all. Hiding and running. Jacqs doesn't know but our parents are dead. Our mother helped us get away, told me to remember the emergency living tunnels and go find them. We'd been told the stories over the years, so I knew of them and after we ran, I saw them going for our mother as she tried to block them from seeing our escape, I saw her go down. Our father was shot the second he ran out to try and divert them from us."

Her throat closed. And she took a moment as her hands started to shake. Calming herself closing her eyes.

She couldn't lose it now….

"They took over the homestead so quickly. Our nearest neighbour was a long way off by foot and they had sky vehicles all over. So there was no going there. We hid for a time until the sky vehicles were gone but they knew we'd run and started to track us, like it was some game or something and we had to move. Managing to keep ahead of them, it was close several times and at the end finding the entrance here they were right behind us. If we hadn't been in this entrance tunnel, they would have caught us."

"Have the other colonists been compromised?"

"I don't know. It's possible, likely, there were a lot of raiders, and we had no defences."

"It might be possible for me to access the main community hub. I could see what the situation is if you wish."

Oh she really wanted to see how her friends were, extended family….

Wanting to find them safe and well. "Will they pick up your access?"

"No. The community system is part of mine. My systems were designed to be split up but I can control them all."

"Okay, do it."

"Affirmative."

Suddenly a bank of camera images came up on another vid screen. It was the community. She sat forward horrified. It was like looking at the historic records only this one wasn't so nice. "Do we have access to their system?" she asked breathlessly seeing it all. Her hand clawing at the desk. Seeing people being herded and knocked about.

"Yes."

"And they can't see us?"

"No Helena. You are perfectly safe."

She watched as people she knew were being terrorized by the raiders. And that killed her curiousity. They shot an elderly couple to the screams and devastation of their family. The woman she knew was a community elder.

"Don't let Jacqs see this." She whispered. "We need to help them."

"Affirmative. Does this world have an army now?" Aquarius asked.

"No. Small police force, they probably killed them. We never needed one before now."

"Can you fight?"

"No. Not really."

"You did well to get here Helena."

Tears hit her eyes. "Thank you. You can turn the community cameras off now."

"We have options if you'd like to hear them."

She sat forward. Holding in her pain wiping her eyes.

They had options?....

"I do. Yes."

"The 4D manufacturing printers are still here and connected to me. You can have solar bikes made. Other vehicles. Anything in the database on blueprints is possible. The Autobots can help make that happen. There are training programmes for fitness, health and for fighting. You can use those to learn. And you are not alone, if you chose to go that route."

She frowned. "Not alone?"

"No. The colonists came with a protective detail to secure this world. But after seven decades with no concerns, the colonists decided they were not needed. They were meant to go back on the last transport to Old Earth, but it never came. They are still in stasis."

"Holy shit. We have soldiers here. Where are they?"

"Do you wish to see them?"

"Yes."

"Follow the lights to the storage area."

She ran out following the lights waving to Jacqs with a grin, Jacqs waving back before turning back to her schoolwork while she kept going.

They had soldiers?...... This was huge…. it would make all the difference….

They'd be safe.

Jacqs would be safe.

She was giddy with relief. And then Aquarius's words to her that there were no other humans in the tunnels hit her.

How was that possible if there were people here in stasis?.....

Placing her hand on the scanner at the large door Aquarius indicated, it opened to an enormous, cavernous room with all manner of things stored there. It was staggering the amount of items stacked high. At some point she'd have to go through it all. And then walked on following the floor lights into an even larger space packed with boxes the lights coming on overhead going down the space.

Seeing the lines of long large tubes sitting in open crates, she recognised these too from her school history lessons. Slowly going over to them they were stacked in threes on racks. And looked to be about 70 or more. She nearly cried in relief.

They were real and they were here….

It wasn't a lot, but it was enough to keep Jacqs safe.

That armoury now made more sense to her. Those guns likely belonged to these men.

"Aquarius how do we wake them up?"

"You need to activate the first tube. Go to the first on the lower level and place your hand on the scanner. That is their Commander. It will light up. Tell it to wake."

"Are they safe Aquarius?"

"They were brought here to keep the colonists safe. There were no incidences while active. So that would say yes."

She walked slowly over to the first one and bent over the tube. She couldn't see much through the clear panel on it apart from a faint outline of someone inside, the panel seemed smoked or fogged. Lifting her hand, she placed it on the scanner pad, and it lit up scanning it, then her face. "Commanding officer recognised. Your orders?" The cryo unit asked.

"Wake. Wake them all."

All the tubes lit up one by one clicking on. Stepping back, she took several paces. There were fan noises, popping sounds, hisses and lids started to slowly open. She held her breath. Doubts creeping in.

Had she done the right thing?.....

The tubes now started making whirling sounds.

And then in the one she'd touched the haze cleared and a man slowly sat up. She'd never seen a man look so big and took several more steps back. Her anxiety hitting her. He sat there for a moment staring off in front of him, then his head eerily turned to her in slow motion.

He blinked, his eyes glazing over. Which looked a little weird. Then they cleared. Other lids were opening behind and above him, men were sitting up going through the same process. Which also seemed a little weird. They were all behaving the same.

Going through the same motions.

Her unease growing, watching the others she'd forgotten the first one. Hearing his voice was a surprise, and she jumped a little turning back to him. "Your name Captain?" He asked his voice sounding strange. Strained. Maybe because it had not been used for so long.

"My name is Helena."

"Helena registered. It will take us approximately an hour to be ready." She nodded noticing all the naked chests of the men sitting up now and more joining them. "Eyes on me Helena." He kinda ordered.

She looked back to him her cheeks flaming. She wasn't trying to ogle and couldn't have them walking around half naked.

"Aquarius."

"Yes Helena."

"Do they have clothing?" She was also beginning to worry about them getting cold. It wasn't warm in this warehouse. She could understand that it would be cold if there were perishables here. But these were men, and the space hadn't been used in decades.

"It can be made."

"Do it. Show them where the showers are. Get them everything they need." The first one was looking to stand up. Her eyes wide. She backed away and turned for the door. "I'm err going back to work."

"Affirmative. Do you wish me to open the food freezers?"

She stopped. "Food freezers? We have those?" she asked incredibly looking at the speakers carrying Aquarius's voice.

"Yes. They will need the protein."

She kept walking. "Yes. Open them." From the corner of her eye, she saw the man had stopped moving and was now staring at her as others turned in her direction as she reached the doors.

That was a little eery too. With a weary smile and backward wave, and left them to it. "Aquarius, show me the 4D printers."

"Yes Helena. Follow the lights."