
Leviathan (Mona’s Mothership) and home of Levie. Levie, a female persona by design, is a near sentient quantum computer and sister to Moonbeam (an older computer first fabricated on the Moon by Captain Mona Ann Lisa’s parents (Doctors Ben and Peggy Lisa). Levie, is newer than her sister, and is installed and fully integrated into the World Alliance Mothership the WAMS Leviathan. Levie is the main force in the operation of the enormous two-mile-long asteroid mining vessel. She only answers to Mona. When connected to Captain Mona Lisa through cybernetic connections, Levie is fully operational. This connection allows real-time, instantaneous communication and dual consciousness, a unique and first-time accomplishment.
Mona received an encrypted voice and image file of the proceedings of the war council. The first message received since the ion thrust had been shut down. Her first thoughts were about her parents. She knew without asking that they would be the last two humans on the moon from the World Alliance. The two thick-headed, stubborn, addlepated old farts that they were … she loved them all the more.
Mona started a dialogue with Levie. “Levie, status report please?”
Levie responded with quick and detailed accuracy, as always. “M … all readings normal. Proceeding at 77,564.02344 miles per hour toward Mars to accomplish Mars vicinity approach.”
Since there still were a few weeks before the need to alter Leviathan’s alignment with Mars (for the slingshot maneuver to Ceres), Mona had some time to think and reminisce. She knew her beloved wilderness near SpaceJump City might soon become only a memory.
Mona continued. “Levie, after updating the most recent data from the alliance, do you have any change in our success probabilities?”
“Only a marginal change, M,” Mona replied.
“That’s what I thought, but I just needed to ask anyway, Levie.”
Mona thought, I wonder what Sue and Jim are thinking. Their world is soon to crash into a black hole, and no one knows if they will come out the other end. Humankind is on the very edge of changes they cannot comprehend.
Mars had been stripped of most of its atmosphere two hundred thousand years before Leviathan made its approach. However, the alliance had been experimenting with terraforming the planet with plant species genetically capable of withstanding the extremes in temperature and UV radiation. They had met with some success.
Mona talking to Levie on bridge of Leviathan