Quest for the Conestoga (Colony Ship Conestoga Book 1) Read Online Free PDF

intelligence named Rachel Carson responded with a mechanical voice, “Yes John how may I assist you?”
     
    “Rachel Carson please search the archives and display a video of one of the old Earth’s oceans while it was intact,” John instructed.
     
    “Most of that information is only available in limited two-dimensional format. Will that be acceptable? I could extrapolate and make a three-dimensional presentation, however, that will not be precisely what was recorded in those ancient times,” the AI Rachel Carson stated.
     
    “You are so lucky to have a personal artificial intelligence system,” one of the students muttered.  There were nods and comments of agreement from the other children.
     
    “Yes, I am fortunate, not everyone has a personal AI. The Committee, senior-level staff, and all the adventurers have personal artificial intelligence systems.  You have ready access to the public education AIs as well as the archives, Dome 17 news, and all historical records, and the data sticks.”
     
    “That is not the same,” grumbled the student, and a few others made similar comments. 
     
    “You are correct.  It is not the same, but shall I have the view of the ocean shown so we can know it is not a fairytale?”  John winked at the inquisitive student and then looked over the class.  The bright and eager eyes of the ten-year-olds were on him and the student who had claimed all that water was a fairytale was now grinning from ear to ear. John then said, “Rachel Carson, the two dimensional original format will be fine. Please use the front wall of the classroom for that demonstration.”
     
    The front wall of the classroom, which was made from permalloy, shifted in color and a wide vista of an ocean view was displayed. The ocean was a turquoise blue color with light wave action.  The sky was a vibrant blue color with white clouds.  There were birds that were flying past and over the beautiful, sandy, white-colored beach.
     
    The students were quiet for a moment as they watched an ecological scene they would never see in their own world. Their eyes took in the scene in wonderment.
     
    Then the same student who had called the water a fairytale asked, “How do we know this recording or whatever this is, is…. well… genuine?  Is it real or some prevarication? The world before the Great Event had lots of fairy tales and made up stories, right?”
     
    John smiled at the young man. “You are absolutely correct. Literary fiction was quite popular then.  Fabricated entertainment was a very common thing for those masses of people.  There were also groups that did something called propaganda which was telling lies to large groups of people to try to achieve an agenda. So you are wise to question any information from that era. Our archives do meticulous work sorting out what is real from what was equivocation, fabrication or imaginary.  That enables you all to trust what the public record shows.  You may also note on any disputed issues, and there are many, there will be a disclaimer stating, ‘The records are inconsistent on this issue, and scholars are divided on this topic’ so you can know what we do not know.”
     
    “So this idea of vast amounts of water, all lumped in one place, is real?” The student asked.  “So it did not boil away?  Or get all soaked up in dust?”
     
    “The biosphere was so very different then.  Everything was in balance, sort of a perfect recycling.  Yes, just like shown in the records. A vast gathering of water was called an ocean.  Places where there were flows of water into that ocean were called rivers, streams, and creeks. There were also lakes, which were smaller than oceans but still held vast amounts of water.” John eagerly watched the student’s faces as he spoke about the water.
     
    “And there were things in the water?” The student asked incredulously. “How did they keep the toxins and radiation out of the water? Water here goes through