Star Child Read Online Free Page B

Generator. On first glance, she became more confident walking through the habitat. “Should not have a problem resurrecting the energy source,” she thought while noticing how everything was stowed properly for long-term recovery. After reaching the lowest level, she broke open a large storage crate, and pealed apart the thick shrink-wrap; the generator was in pristine condition.
    Lexis then attached several pipes to the generator, and opened their flow valves. Several other couplers were tightened at attachment points. The control module was rewired in minutes, and the simply designed machine was nearly ready to fire up. A power source was needed to start the large machine but it too was missing. That was no real problem because she could use one of the extra power-nodes from the Chameleon to create the spark needed to drive the large shaft deep into the ground.
    However, the real dilemma was that a very specific piece of equipment was missing; a simple connecting robot that rode the end of the drive shaft, and connected to the core pipe deep into the ground. Without the connection, there would be no energy. Lexis thought it might be stowed away, and began methodically searching the five-story facility.
    Down in the lowest level, including the core generator, all utility services were located, such as water purification and waste reclamation. Room after room, she looked. There was no sign of the robot. Feverishly, she worked her way up through the entire complex until reaching the security office, overlooking the front entrance.
    From inside the security office, a hint of defeatism rose within Lexis as she peered out the thick glass. She thought, “I am going to have to travel to one of the other archaeological sites in search for the critical machine.” Defeat turned to enthusiasm when Lexis scanned the large vestibule to her front. For some reason she had almost missed the seam splitting the bulkhead to the right. “I hope this last room pays out,” she thought.
    With a push of a button, the door would have automatically opened if the facility had power. However, designed with a manual backup, Lexis would have to physically open the last door.
    The crank handle turned the internal sprocket with grumbling clicks and thwacks, until the mechanical teeth lurched to a stop, opening the large door revealing a huge anti-room. Surprised, Lexis smiled at how the previous occupants left behind a small army of companion robots. Most had seen better days but Lexis knew they would all serve her purpose. Outside of a few domestic robots, there were diggers, haulers, builders, sample cultivators, engineers, operators, and many Centurion Robots. Lastly, she found the two donut shaped robots that had one specified function; couple the drive shaft with the imbedded core pipe deep within the Martian surface. The facility would have energy this day.
    After establishing power to her new domain, Lexis ran a slave cable out to the Chameleon; this would save the ship’s fuel cells from over working. Next, rebooting and tethering the vault’s computer system with her self was completed; she now had full control of the entire site.
    Over the next few days, Lexis marshaled the companion robots to operational conditions, and unleashed them to do their designed functions. Engineer Robots ran and maintained all the inner-functions. Eight of the ten salvageable Centurion Robots were more than adequate for security. Lexis altered two of the Centurion’s programing by upgrading their circuitry with greater reasoning, giving them more offensive encoding. Just in case she stumbled into another Clan of Humanoids again, she wanted personal bodyguards for her and the unborn child. Finally, the domestic workers were put to work, creating a fully functional colony of Robots, ruled only by Her.
    Lexis now decided to tour the tunnel network and surrounding area. She boarded the Chameleon along with the two sentinel robots. They did not get far; a partial