Arthur Clarke - Rama Revealed

“I will accompany you through the observation deck, as far as the entrance to the human ray,” Dr. Blue said. “Then you will be on your own. Luckily your quarters are not far from the ray entrance.”

The Eagle remained in the shuttle while Nicole and Dr. Blue disembarked. The alien birdman waved good-bye to them as they entered the air lock. When, a few minutes later, they moved into a large dressing room on the other side of the air lock, Nicole and Dr. Blue were greeted by the robot known as Big Block.

“Welcome, Nicole des Jardins Wakefield,” the giant robot said. “We are glad that you have finally arrived. Please put your space suit on the bench to your right.”

Big Block, who was just under three meters tall, almost two meters wide, and constructed of rectangular blocks similar to those played with by human children, looked exactly like the robot that had supervised the engineering tests Nicole and her family had undergone at the Node near Sirius years earlier, before their return to the solar system. The robot hovered over Nicole and the smaller octospider.

“Although I am certain,” Big Block said in his mechanical voice, “that you will not cause any problems, I want to remind you that all commands given by me or one of the similar, smaller robots are to be followed without hesitation. It is our purpose to keep order in this spaceship. Now follow me, please.”

Big Block turned around, pivoting on the joints in its midsection, and rolled forward on its single cylindrical foot. “This large room is called the observation deck,” the robot said. “Ordinarily it is the most popular of our common rooms. We have emptied it temporarily tonight to make it easier for you to reach your living quarters.”

Dr. Blue and Nicole stopped for a minute in front of the huge window facing the Node. The view was indeed spectacular, but Nicole could not focus her attention on the beauty and order of the superb extraterrestrial architecture. She was anxious to see her family and friends.

Big Block remained on the observation deck while Nicole and her octospider companion walked along the wide hallway that encircled the spacecraft. Dr. Blue explained to Nicole how to locate and identify the places where the small trams stopped. The octospider also informed Nicole that the humans were in the third ray, moving in either direction from the shuttle station, with the octospiders in the two rays immediately clockwise from the station. ‘The fourth and fifth rays,” Dr. Blue said in color, “are designed differently. All the other creatures live there, as well as those humans and octospiders who have been placed under guard.”

“Is Galileo, then, in some kind of prison?” Nicole asked.

“Not exactly,” Dr. Blue replied. “There are just many more of the smaller block robots in that part of the starfish.”

They stepped off the tram together after traveling halfway around the starfish. When they reached the entrance to the human ray, Dr. Blue held the monitoring device in front of Nicole and read the output colors on the screen. Based on the initial data that she saw, the octospider used the cilia underneath one of her tentacles to request more information.

“Is something wrong?” Nicole asked.

“Your heart has undergone a few palpitations in the last hour,” Dr. Blue said. “I just wanted to check the amplitude and frequency of the irregularities.”

“I’m very excited,” Nicole said. “It’s normal in humans for excitement to cause—”

“I know,” Dr. Blue said, “but the Eagle instructed me to be very careful.” There were no colors on the octospider’s head for several seconds while Dr. Blue studied the data on her screen. “I guess it’s all right,” she said finally, “but if you experience the slightest chest pain or surprising shortness of breath, do not hesitate to push the emergency button in your room.”

Nicole gave Dr. Blue a hug. “Thank you very much,” she said. “You have been wonderful.”

“It has been my pleasure,” Dr. Blue said. “I hope everything goes all right. Your room is number forty-one, down that hallway, about the twentieth door on the left. The tram stops every five rooms.”

Nicole took a deep breath and turned around. The smaller tram was waiting for her. She shuffled toward it, sliding her feet on the floor, and boarded after a farewell wave to Dr. Blue. A minute or two later Nicole was standing in front of an ordinary door with the number forty-one painted on it.

She knocked. The door opened immediately and five smiling faces greeted her. “Welcome to the Grand Hotel,” said Max, with a wide grin and his arms open wide. “Come in and give an Arkansas farm boy a hug.”

Nicole felt a hand on hers as soon as she stepped into the room. “Hello, Mother,” Ellie said. Nicole turned and looked at her youngest daughter. Ellie was graying at the temples, but her eyes were as clear and sparkling as ever.

“Hello, Ellie,” Nicole said, breaking into tears. They would not be the last tears she would shed during the several hours of the reunion.

Their room was a square, approximately seven meters on a side. Along the back wall was an enclosed bathroom, with a washbasin, a shower, and a toilet. Next to the bathroom was a large open closet that contained all their clothes and other belongings. At bedtime the sleeping mats, which were rolled up each day, were removed from the closet and placed upon the floor.

The first night Nicole slept between Ellie and Nikki, with Max, Eponine, and Marius on the other side of the room beside the table and six chairs that were the only furniture in their living quarters. Nicole had been so exhausted that she had fallen asleep even before the lights had been switched off and everyone else had finished preparing for bed. After sleeping for about five hours, Nicole had awakened abruptly, temporarily uncertain where she was.

As she lay in the dark and the silence, Nicole thought about the events of the previous evening. During the reunion she had been so overwhelmed by her emotions that she had not really had time to sort out her reactions to what she was seeing and hearing. Immediately after Nicole had entered the room, Nikki had gone next door for the others. For the next two hours there had been eleven people in the crowded room, at least three or four of them talking all the time. Nicole had had brief conversations with each person individually during those two hours, but it had been impossible for her to discuss anything in depth.

The four young people — Kepler, Marius, Nikki, and Maria — had all been very shy. Maria, whose stunning blue eyes stood out in contrast to her copper skin and long black hair, had dutifully thanked Nicole for rescuing her. She had also politely acknowledged that she had no memories of any kind from the time period before she went to sleep. Nikki had been nervous and diffident in her brief tκte-ΰ-tκte with her grandmother. Nicole thought she had detected some fear in Nikki’s eyes; however, Ellie told Nicole later that what she had seen had probably been awe, that so many stories had been told about Nicole that Nikki felt she was meeting a legend.

The two young men had been polite, but not forthcoming. Once during the evening Nicole had seen Kepler staring at her from across the room with great intensity. Nicole reminded herself that she was the first really old human the boys had ever seen. Young men in particular, Nicole thought, have difficulty with women who are old and phthisic. It shatters their fantasies about members of the opposite sex.

Benjy had welcomed Nicole with an uninhibited embrace. He had lifted her off the floor with his strong arms and yelled with joy. “Mama, Mama,” he had said, turning around in circles with Nicole’s head above his. Benjy had seemed quite well. Nicole had been startled to discover that his hairline had receded and that he now looked decidedly avuncular. Later she had told herself that Benjy’s appearance was really not that surprising, since he was about forty years old.