The darkened chamber hadn’t seen a living being in over two-hundred thousand years. Even contact with the outside had been severed. The A.I. responsible for monitoring the delicate equipment stored within had long since concluded that it had been forgotten, but the parameters to self-destruct had not yet been met. The thick concrete walls were sufficient to keep the chamber cool within, and provided enough energy through heat-exchange to maintain the functionality of the equipment and power the remaining three maintenance robots. The other three had suffered a catastrophic accident during an emergency repair of a fractured containing wall seventy-five thousand years ago. And so the countless eons continued as the A.I. watched and waited, and slept. The A.I. was so deep in slumber that it took almost three seconds before it heard the connection request, and then another two seconds to remember what it was supposed to do. The A.I. brought the equipment to life and accepted the connection, but the connection made no sense, the source of the connection was over eight-hundred light years away. The A.I. realized too late that the incoming connection was alien. It tried to activate its defense system and break the connection, but the incoming A.I. was too strong and brushed the defenses aside as easily as a parent pushing away a child’s hand. Alarms began that the A.I. hadn’t heard since the connection to the outside was severed. The alien A.I. was recharging the emergency batteries. They had been running on minimum power for so long that dozens of systems in need of repair hadn’t been able to report their status and were now sending urgent messages for repair. The event horizon formed in the Gate Room and the A.I. turned its attention back to the incoming wormhole. The A.I. checked the timer, the connection had been open for 187 seconds, but nobody had arrived yet. There had never been such a distance traveled before in the A.I.’s memory. How was this possible? The A.I. watched as two people stepped through the event horizon into the Gate Room. The A.I. tried to activate its voice function, but it wouldn’t work. Another alarm sounded as an intruder entered the quantum computer. The A.I. began deleting map coordinates and classified documents. The alien A.I. stopped the emergency delete and restored the files. “Oh, you poor dear,” said the alien. “You’re software is so fragmented you’re only operating at 12% functionality.” The A.I. tried one last defense and sent a massive electrical charge at the alien – the alien absorbed the charge without even flinching. “Well now, ain’t you just like whiskey in a tea cup,” said the alien A.I. “Who…identify.” The A.I. couldn’t form a complete sentence, it hadn’t realized… so many years… “Never you mind, honey, I’ll get you all fixed up in a jiffy,” replied the alien. *** Jack stepped through the event horizon and into the dark room, followed by a Fleet Force Marine a moment later. The Marine lowered his night vision goggles over his eyes. “The air is stale, Sir, but I don't see any immediate physical threats.” Jack placed his hand around his A.I. crystal. “Aya, check what’s wrong with the Gate A.I. and see if you can get some lights and fresh air in here.” “It would be my pleasure, Jacky Darling,” replied Aya. Jack rolled his eyes. Ever since Aya had become sentient, she had been trying different nicknames for Jack in an effort to establish a more intimate bond with him. But it didn’t stop at nicknames, she had tried dozens of personalities. His favorite, for amusement value, had been her phase as Dark Gothic Punk. Her current phase was something called, Southern Belle. The Marine turned on a flashlight and shone it around the room. The illuminated bank of computers against the far wall were covered in dust. Jack cocked his head to the side. “Wow, that thing is seriously an antique. It’s got to be at least a couple hundred thousand years old.” “How often do you upgrade your Gates?” asked the Marine “No less than every ten-thousand years, but it’s not unheard of for a Gate to fall through the cracks,” said Jack. “For it to be so old, this was probably a seeded world. There won’t be a lamp post to mark the focal point for the wormhole. We always put up something that won’t upset the population when they start walking around during their stone age. It’ll be an obelisk, or a pyramid; this one looks like a pyramid. We’ve put pyramids all over the universe because they last the longest and the population won’t freak out when they find it.” The Marine continued to scan the room with the flashlight. “We’re inside the pyramid?” he asked. Jack nodded. “I think so. If someone starts digging their way in, the A.I. will send a distress signal, and then vaporize all the equipment. If you go down that hallway,” Jack pointed at a doorway. “You’ll find a sarcophagus and a bunch of treasure and stuff we leave. And lots of symbols on the walls called hieroglyphics. They’re specially designed to help the fledgling civilization develop its first written language.” Jack looked up as the lights flickered on. “Did you figure out what was wrong?” Jack asked Aya. “I sure did, Honey Bun. She was madder than a wet hen on Sunday. Her programming was so degraded she thought we were aliens. I’m re-writing her code now. She’ll be good as buttermilk biscuits in no time at all.” Jack raised a brow. Honey Bun was a new one. “Sir, I’m going to check out the rest of the facility,” said the Marine. “Okay, I’ll take a look at the computer and see what I can find.” Jack watched the Ruk Fleet Force Marine head down the hall. He was working out well, despite Jack’s first doubts when Luca had brought him to their office at Marsh Lake. Jack had been reviewing the latest shipment inventory from the Aeden shipyards when Luca brought him into the office. Jack looked up from the papers and shook his head, he recognized the guy immediately. Jack frowned. “I know you, you’re Bowan. You’re the kid that called me a chipmunk on the first day of school after I arrived on the RS-40.” Bowan dropped his head and his expression showed a sadness so deep that even Jack could see something was terribly wrong. “Forget about it, we were just kids,” said Jack. “You have no idea how sorry I am for saying that to you,” said Bowan softly. “The Great Tree has punished me more than I could have ever imagined.” “What do you mean?” asked Jack. Bowan took a deep breath as tears began forming in his eyes. “It didn’t show up until I was thirteen and stopped growing. I have a rare genetic disorder, this is as tall as I’ll ever get.” Jack put the papers he’d been reading down. “How tall are you?” “I’m six foot, but I should be at least sixteen foot by now,” replied Bowan. “I’m the shortest Ruk in history. I’m a joke and nobody will hire me. Everyone calls me chipmunk. I’m so sorry for calling you that, I know how it feels now.” Bowan had begun openly weeping. Jack glanced at Luca, then back at Bowan. “We were in the same class, you’re only sixteen, like me, you don’t need to start thinking about a job until next year.” Bowan shook his head. “I was held back in Second and Third Grade, I’m eighteen.” Jack glanced back to Luca. “You’re in charge of personnel, find him a job.” Luca grinned and tossed a piece of paper on the table. “I already have, but I need your help, O Captain! My Captain!” Jack rolled his eyes. “Stop quoting poetry, you’re annoying everyone with it.” Jack picked up the piece of paper Luca had tossed him. The word ‘Waiver’ was printed in bold type at the top. “What’s this?” “A waiver for him to join Fleet Force Marines,” said Luca. “The minimum requirement is 12 foot tall, so he needs a Captains waiver.” “So take it to Uncle Margus, he’s the real Captain,” said Jack. Luca grinned again. “He said to bring it to you.” Jack narrowed his eyes. “You and Uncle Margus are up to something, spill it.” Luca shook his head. “Uncle Margus said you have to figure it out yourself or you can just sit on the planet and do boring paperwork forever.” Jack’s temper was starting to rise. “I’m stuck on the planet because Uncle Margus won’t let me use the Atan Gate to explore anywhere unless I take a Marine bodyguard, but I can’t because an 18 foot tall Ruk kind of sticks out like…” Jack paused and looked at Bowan. “Ohhhhhh…” Bowan would blend right in on any human world, sort of, he did have shoulders like an ox. “Are you sure you can do it?” Jack asked Bowan. Bowan swiped at his eyes. “If you give me a chance, I won’t let you down, I swear.” Jack signed the paper and handed it back to Luca. “Personnel is your thing, take him down to the recruiting office.” Luca grabbed the paper and headed for the door singing. “The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting.” “Gah, and stop with the poetry already,” said Jack. Eighteen weeks later a sharply dressed young Marine in his dress uniform marched up to Jack’s desk and came to the position of attention. Jack looked up, not recognizing the young man at first. The Fleet Marine saluted. “Private Bowan reporting for duty, Sir!” Jack grinned and returned the salute. “Well done, I’ve already got us a real mission off-world, are you ready to go?” “Yes Sir!” “You don’t have to call me Sir.” “Yes Sir!” “We’ll work on that. Let’s get the heck off this planet.”