Luca sat silently staring at the stacks of offers from nearly every division on the RS-40. Tan and Chief Dagas were discussing an offer from the Surgical Division, while Miss Jena from the Computer Technology Division and Mrs. Dagas were talking about the offer from the Command Staff. Kalu was also sitting at the table, reading an offer from the Sunth and the Botany Division. Luca’s eyes flicked around the table at all the people trying to help him decide which apprenticeship program would be best for him. At first he’d thought Miss Jena from the Computer Technology Division was only helping so she could influence him to join her Division, but he’d discarded the idea. She was just a nice lady that wanted to help, and… Luca was pretty sure she liked Tan the way Jack liked Kalu, and was maybe trying to impress Tan by being nice to his son. Still, Luca wasn’t very happy with the attention she was showing to Tan. Luca’s eyes flicked down to the offer he’d carefully moved in front of him without alerting the others that he was actually reading it. Of all the offers, the one he was reading was the most interesting. Luca read the offer again silently to himself. Dear Luca and Mr. Buckles, We understand that the main factor you are considering in choosing an apprenticeship program is to learn how to make the outer shell for Mr. Buckles. We don’t have the ability to teach you that, or any other computer technology, that isn’t our mission. However, we are more than a Division, we are family, but of course we will do whatever we can to help you with your goal. Whatever you decide, we wish you the very best luck in your career. Please see the enclosed brochure for more in depth information on what we do. We are also available if you would like to visit, now or in the future. We do offer classes that you might find useful no matter what career you choose. You do not need an appointment to visit us. Drop by any time you like. Captain Dakari, SAR Teams Leader. Luca re-read the letter several times before suddenly standing. “I’ve decided.” Everyone stopped talking and looked at Luca. “What have you decided, dear?” asked Mrs. Dagas. “I want to be on the Search and Rescue Teams,” declared Luca. Chief Dagas scratched at his chin. “I wouldn’t have thought that was something you’d be interested in.” Tan tossed the brochure he had been discussing with Chief on the table. “I should have known, it makes perfect sense.” “It does?” asked Chief. “They said I can visit any time, can I go now?” asked Luca. Tan slapped his hands on his knees. “You bet.” Tan looked at Chief. “I have no idea where to find Search and Rescue.” “They’re up on the roof for rapid deployment, Deck 204,” replied Chief. “I’m coming too,” said Mrs. Dagas. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” said Miss Jena. “I’m on Team Luca, I’m coming too,” declared Kalu. Chief led the procession down the hall to the elevator, and frowned when he saw the flashing hold light. He retrieved the Comm. device from his belt and spoke into it. “Jack, this is Chief Dagas, you can’t keep holding the elevator like this.” The response was almost immediate. “Woops, I’m sorry, I forgot. Just a second, I’m on top of a stack, I’ll be right down.” “You don’t need to come down,” replied Chief. “I’ll use my master key, but don’t forget again.” “I won’t,” said Jack. Chief retrieved a key from his belt and unlocked the elevator. The elevator beeped its response. Chief glanced at Tan. “You know he’ll forget again,” said Tan. “I know, he’ll do it two more times before I get creative and find a way to improve his memory.” Chief grinned. “I like to give a lad a chance to fix his behavior before I put him to scrubbing bird droppings off the top of the ship, that way they can only blame themselves.” Tan nudged Luca. “Hear that, you better behave or else Chief will get you.” Luca gave Tan a crooked grin. “Jack’s dumb, he could set his A.I. to remind him of things like that, but Jack barely talks to his A.I. He thinks it’s just a place to go read and play games.” Tan raised a brow. “Is that so? Then why did you leave the milk out last night to spoil?” Luca’s eyes widened, then lifted Mr. Buckles up to eye level. “Remind me to put the milk away.” The elevator chimed and the doors opened. Chief put his key into the control panel. “I’m not stopping at every deck.” The ride to the top deck went quick as the elevator accelerated to Deck 204. Tan was always amazed at how fast the elevator could go when there weren’t crowds of people waiting at each deck. The size of the ship was more than anything he’d ever imagined possible. “Were your ships always this big?” asked Tan. Chief glanced at Tan. “No, when we left our home world, the ships were not even a quarter of the size they are now. During The Great Rebuild we were planet-side for five-hundred years building these behemoths.” “I would think after that long on a planet that not everyone would want to leave again,” said Tan. “It’s happens during every planet landing,” replied Chief. “We leave them with a transport and they serve as a rear outpost until we’re out of range.” Tan furrowed a brow, it seemed a little brutal just to leave them behind with nothing but a transport ship. “What happens when you’re out of range?” “I don’t know, it’s never happened before,” said Chief. “After a few months without all the luxuries of the ships, they come running back.” Tan laughed. “Okay, I get it.” The elevator chimed its arrival and the doors opened. Luca was the first off the elevator, and surprised to find that Deck 204 was a mostly open deck bustling with activity. There were rows and rows of fighter jets lined up for as far as the eye could see. Luca looked up to his right at a monorail platform with people waiting. Chief followed off the elevator and put a hand on Luca’s shoulder. “The monorail circles the entire deck. You’ll never have more than an eight minute wait for the next train. Do you see this red line?” Chief pointed at the line on the ground. “Do not ever cross that line. Every ship is attached to a rail under the deck. Once the pilot is in his ship, he pushes the ready button and the central computer takes over. The rails are automatic and move the fighter ships to the launch chutes. We can have all 3,600 fighters launched in 12 minutes from the first alert. If you get in the way, you’ll be cut in half, there are no safety stops. The support ships are launched within another 12 minutes after the last fighter has left the ship.” Tan shook his head and held up a hand. “Okay, we can stop right here. I do not want Luca up here on this deck, this is not safe.” “Give it a chance,” said Chief. “I brought you up here by the wrong route. Green elevator dumps you out in front of the fighter launch deck. We should have stayed down on Deck 27 and taken the speed walkway over to Blue Section, and then up to Search and Rescue.” Tan spread his hands to indicate a compromise. “Alright, let’s go see this Dakari guy. But, I want to ask him why he thought it was a good idea to invite a seven year old to work up here. Luca might have an intellect greater than most of the scientists on this ship, but he still only has the emotional development and awareness of any other seven year old. If you don’t keep an eye on him, he’s just as likely to run in front of a moving train without looking first.” Luca rode at the front of the monorail shouting, look at that, look at that. Tan didn’t think the deck activity looked much different than on the aircraft carrier he’d served in the Navy. There were crews in different colored shirts and similar equipment. Tan smiled when he saw a group of pilots walking out to their fighters, and with the same confident stride that only fighter pilots could pull off. The rows of fighter craft gave way to what Tan was fairly certain were support craft. The whole thing had a very familiar feel. They disembarked the monorail in front of a large fenced military training ground with a sign over the gate that read, Search and Rescue. The entire facility covered several miles of meticulously manicured grass. Tan could see groups of men and woman at various training stations; most of which he recognized as being nearly the same as some of the obstacles he’d used in boot camp.Though, there were several training stations he could see that were being used for advanced training. An old fighter jet was sitting out on the grass with a group of people watching an instructor demonstrate the proper technique to extract a pilot from a crashed jet. Two boys around Jack’s age stood on guard at the front gate. One of the boys abruptly turned as the group neared and entered a guard shack. The boy lifted a hand-mic and a boatswain whistle to his mouth. Tan was surprised they had the same tradition as his navy using a boatswain whistle, but then perhaps the tradition had originated with the Ruks, was adopted by the Aedens, and then spread to the human worlds. The boy blew on the whistle, and then announced into the hand-mic. “Senior Master Chief of the Boat arriving.” The boy’s announcement was echoed from loudspeakers across the facility. “As you were, boys,” said Chief. A formation of boys in matching shirts and shorts running on a gravel road around the inside of the fence were approaching. The leader of the formation called a mark-time march and the formation came to a halt, but still running in place. The leader of the formation started up a cadence call as Chief began across the gravel road. “Everywhere we go.” “Master Chief wants to know.” “Who we are.” “So we tell him.” “We’re not Fleet Force.” “Sleepy Sleepy Fleet Force.” “We are Rescue.” “Searchin’ Searchin’ Rescue.” Chief saluted the boys and looked at Tan. “The boys are kept inside the compound, and blue elevator is directly across from the gate. I apologize for bringing you up green elevator and causing concern.” Tan nodded. “I’m just always so worried they’ll get hurt, but those boys in the formation look healthy and happy. I think this would be a good environment for Luca.” Chief glanced at Luca. “You’re not as fragile as your father thinks, are you? Is this what you want?” Luca nodded. “I want to be here.” The group followed a meticulously swept sidewalk to a white building, the kind of building you might find on any military base, anywhere in the universe. A sign out front read: Headquarters, Search and Rescue. A man was standing on the steps in front of the building waiting. Luca was about to turn off the sidewalk and onto the walkway up to the building when a boy, about Jack’s age, rounded the corner of the building. The boy was running and holding a muddy coil of rope over his head and shouting: “I’ll keep my gear clean, I’ll keep my gear clean.” The boy continued to shout as he ran past the man and across the front walkway, then continued and disappeared around the building. Chief gave Luca a nudge and Luca hesitantly started up the front walk. Luca stopped when he was still twenty feet from the front steps. The boy rounded the corner again and ran between Luca and the man. “I’ll keep my gear clean, I’ll keep my gear clean,” the boy continued to shout. “Luca Aestar and Mr. Buckles, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?” asked the man. “I got a letter from Captain Dakari,” replied Luca. “And?” “I want to join Search and Rescue.” “We can’t offer you all the goodies the other divisions are offering, and you won’t learn how to make a shell for Mr. Buckles here. Why do you want to join Search and Rescue?” The boy ran around the corner again still shouting, “I’ll keep my gear clean, I’ll keep my gear clean.” Luca waited for the boy to pass by before replying. “I… umm….” Luca took a deep breath. “When the Eroden attacked my planet, there were bombs, and shooting, and fires, and people screaming for help, and I couldn’t do anything. But then in the forest fire I was able to help, and that felt good. I want to be able to help people when there’s nobody else to help.” The boy came around the building again. The man held up a hand to silence him, then motioned for the boy to leave. “That’s a very good answer. Luca, I’m Captain Dakari and I’m in charge of Search and Rescue. You won’t get any special treatment here, and you won’t be offered bribes to join. What you will get is a lot of hard work and discipline. So, I’ll ask you one more time. Do you want to join Search and Rescue?” Luca raised his head. “Yes.” “Welcome to Search and Rescue. You will attend a two week mini-boot camp for the seven to nine year olds, then train one weekend every month. On the weekends when you’re not here, unless there’s a school event, you’ll be assisting the lifeguards when the Suth Sea re-opens the beaches. I’ll send you the instructions and packing list to your home. Master Chief, Miss Jena, Mr. Tan, could I see you in my office? Luca, you wait here with your friend and Mrs. Dagas.” Captain Dakari pulled the door shut once all the adults were inside and went to stand next to a closet door. “I’d like to be honest with all of you, Luca’s options with Search and Rescue are limited. He will always be half the size of the Ruks and much of the training will be a daunting task for him. If he’s really going to do this, and be successful, we need to turn his weaknesses into strengths.” Chief walked across the room to where Captain Dakari was standing. There was obviously something in the closet that he wanted them to see. “What do you propose, Sir?” Captain Dakari put his hand on the doorknob of the closet. “Luca is an Aeden, and they are strongest in the water. So, I will have Luca on water rescue most of the time.” “That’s true,” said Tan. “I half expect to wake up one morning and find both boys have traded their legs for fins. I swear those boys are half dolphin.” “But that also means Luca would have nothing to do for many years at a time,” said Chief. “We freeze the Suth Sea for acceleration and deceleration. We can’t have an entire sea sloshing around inside the ship when the thrust engines are active. It takes ten years to freeze the sea, and twice as long to thaw it back out.” “The next problem is Mr. Buckles,” continued Captain Dakari. “Luca can’t rescue anyone if he’s always clutching onto that bear, not to mention the teasing he’s going to take bringing a teddy bear to boot camp.” Chief nodded at the closet. “Are you going to show us what’s in the closet?” Captain Dakari pulled the door open and stepped aside. “Well I’ll be,” said Chief. “Oh my, I didn’t know you still had that,” said Miss Jena. “It was coded out as a research failure, but we paid $60 million for it, and I wasn’t going to just toss it in the trash,” said Captain Dakari. Tan stepped closer and tipped his head in curiosity. “Is that a wolf?” “It’s a Search and Rescue Robotic Wolf,” replied Chief. “It’s the most sophisticated robot we’ve ever built, and the only one of its kind we ever built, except it didn’t work.” “We chose to mimic the wolf for its ability to navigate over any terrain,” added Miss Jena. “And the only reason it didn’t work is because we didn’t have an A.I. advanced enough to operate it.” Chief turned to Tan. “There was a glitch in one of the children’s A.I.’s. The A.I. was unable to distinguish the difference between two boys play fighting or real fighting. The A.I. went into defense mode and killed the other boy. After the incident, every child’s A.I. was destroyed, and all research into A.I. technology ceased. As a result, this project and many others had to be scrapped." Miss Jena knelt and brushed the cobwebs off the robot’s muzzle. “I’ll have to exam Mr. Buckles and see if we can alter the interface to work with the Aeden A.I., but I think it’s possible.” “I’ll have to see if Mr. Buckles would be willing to try,” said Tan. “I am willing,” said a voice. Everyone but Tan startled at the voice. “Did the rest of you hear that?” asked Captain Dakari. “That was Mr. Buckles,” said Tan. “He has a bad habit of jumping into people’s minds, and sometimes he can get rather chatty.” “That’s disturbing,” said Chief. Miss Jena stood. “I think he’s desperate to communicate with people. The Aeden’s have already created one sentient machine; the dragons. It wouldn’t surprise me if their Deep Learning A.I.’s are also nearing sentience. Does Jack’s A.I. do that?” “No, Jack’s A.I. is… like talking to a machine,” said Tan. “But Mr. Buckles, I honestly can’t tell if he’s a machine, or alive.”