Free Escape 1: Escape From Aliens by T. Jackson King

star Sol? And how many days will it be before we arrive there?”
    A low hum sounded. “Those are three questions. But you bioforms are notorious for being less exact than artificial minds like myself.” A pause happened that lasted a second. “The star this ship is heading for is known to Earth as HD 128311. It is an orange star ranked as a K0V or main sequence star, according to your astronomers. Distance to it from Sol is 54.1 light years. This ship will arrive outside its outermost planet in one Earth day, 23 hours, 17 minutes, 43 seconds—”
    “Good enough,” Bill interrupted. “Is there an alternative site where a duplicate of the ship command functions can be carried out?”
    “Nice point,” Jane said as she followed him through a hatchway into another hallway segment. “Sounds like we’ve got two days in which to capture the captain.”
    “There is an alternative command site,” the ship mind said after a short hum. “It is located in the Engine Chamber section of this ship.”
    Which was not far from them. “Can any bioform access this alternate command site?” he probed.
    “No, only bioforms identified as ship crewmembers or Crèche Master Diligent Taskmaster may activate the alternate command function site,” Star Traveler said, its voice tone smooth and patient.
    “Who,” Jane said quickly, “determines which bioform is a crewmember?”
    “Crèche Master Diligent Taskmaster,” the AI said.
    Bill reached the cross hallway leading to the Engine Chamber. He turned right into it after a visual check to be sure Diligent was not waiting for them somewhere along the hall. “But if the Crèche Master becomes ill or incapacitated, and other crewmembers are in danger, is there no method for another bioform to activate the alternate command site? So bioform lives may be saved?”
    “There is such a protocol,” the AI said. “However, all crew and all bioforms aboard this ship are presently alive and in good health. Although the three crewmembers you are transporting are presently unconscious, as is the crewmember now occupying your former quarters. Is there now a Ship Emergency?”
    Jane stopped and signed hurriedly. “ Let me talk! ”
    Bill stopped pulling the sausage Alien and lifted his white tube taser weapon to the ready as he scanned up and down the red-lighted hallway. “ Go ahead, ” he signed back.
    “Star Traveler,” Jane said aloud. “Please define the term Ship Emergency.”
    A low hum echoed through the hallway. “A Ship Emergency is a circumstance whereby the lives of one or more crewmembers, or other bioforms, are in danger of expiration. Alternately, a Ship Emergency also exists whenever any ship function or control station is malfunctioning or may be in danger of doing so.”
    “Thank you,” Jane said. “We are transporting these three crewmembers to alternate living quarters in the Containment Unit Chamber. They were unhappy with their prior quarters. There is no Ship Emergency as you have defined it.”
    “Understood,” the AI said. “Do either of you have further questions? Providing education is a function I enjoy, in addition to administering all ship systems.”
    Bill nodded to Jane to continue as he bent down, grabbed the foreleg of the sausage Alien and continued hauling its lightweight body toward the other long hallway. But he kept the white tube taser aimed forward, just in case Diligent somehow appeared.
    Jane grabbed the other two Aliens and followed him. “Star Traveler, how is it that this ship runs so well with only five crewmembers, if we include Crèche Master Diligent Taskmaster?”
    A low hum sounded. “This ship was engineered to be automatically functioning in many ship subsystems. Bioform assistance is not needed for recycling of air, water, waste, food and similar life support functions. The Alcubierre space-time modulus stardrive operates under my control once it is activated by the Crèche Master. The normal space Magfield spacedrive also