Read The Pattern Ship (The Pattern Universe) for Free Online

contents down his parched throat, slowly at first to wet it. He hummed to test his throat out , it was tender and sore. Had he screamed? He couldn’t remember.
    He resumed his physical check of everything. He still had all of his bits and pieces that he could tell and as he sat there his senses slowly returned leaving him feeling completely exhausted and drained from the episode.
    Staggering to his feet he pulled open the rucksack he had dropped into the room before jumping, and proceeded to fill it with the list of contents he had earmarked.
    After collecting everything he required, he stopped by the till to check out the prepayment cards for internet access. He grabbed a handful and selected half a dozen prepaid month cards out of the pack making sure to leave the top five cards intact. Then selecting intermittent cards to avoid any obvious discovery, he pocketed them. Zeke was keeping a financial tally of everything he took. He would at some stage pay his debt here.
    On an impulse he went through to the small stock room at the back behind the main counter. He selected a smart phone that was at the end of the rack, dusty and unloved; checking that it switched on and getting the NO SIM CARD message, he pocketed it.
    Ensuring he had not forgotten anything he tied the rucksack to the rope and sculled up it back into the duct, then holding onto the top brackets, he entered the duct feet first. He pulled up the rucksack checking the ground below to make sure nothing had dropped or been left behind.
    He replaced everything, having first removed the insulation tape from the PIR with the same attention to avoid setting it off. Then with a feat of strength and agility worthy of an acrobat half his age, he reversed his direction by climbing out onto the duct, then back in again, to enable him to make his way out of the building.
    ***
    Zirkos had monitored Zeke’s recovery. The fact that it had harmed the human caused a nagging concern, but it was transient pain and had been essential to establish important information from the human’s body readings.
    It recorded considerable data about the alien’s physiology while doing so and even more about the transformation effect on the human DNA, not all of which were debilitating. Some aspects were positively improving the genetic structure, physical speed, thinking, reaction times, and control. Perhaps others too.
    All of these were being modified, but not at a level of awarenesses where the human could actually utilise them consciously. This, Zirkos thought, would take time to settle and become a part of the humans overall body reactions. It set the A.I. to continue monitoring the mutation in case anything developed before they were ready to act.
    Checking the A.I.'s progress, it found that, out of the four hundred and eighty nine components, the A.I. had managed to source, mine and refine over four hundred of them. Impressive performance, Zirkos thought.
    While Zirkos had been monitoring the internet and the human amongst other interests that might require their intervention, the A.I had been busy. Working efficiently de-materialising materials around the globe, or using cloaked tractor beams, it gathered all the raw materials into one place.
    The shelf on the Island was now loaded to almost overflowing.
    ***
    Whilst transporting the raw materials to the Island the Pod A.I. had repeatedly experimented with the Dematz thrust and found it to be incredibly versatile so long as you worked to very precise coordinates.
    It had been working on developing micro materialisation as a sub routine of its human monitoring project using it successfully twice now in placing and removing nanobots inside organic material without side effects.
    It compiled its notes and research as well as test results, flagged it as a priority for the attention of its Maker. Then resuming its sourcing and recovery activity, earmarked the next twenty four components for the ship build and D-jumped, its new term for