Framandi Alliance- Galaxy Accretion Conflicts

by Rashid Ahmed

  On the way to the wormhole, Áox instructed the outer material covering Átt to reconfigure its shape, to match the accompanying framandi vessels. The Átt was soon indistinguishable from the rest of the framandi fleet.

  Four hours later, the Síast shot through the false wormhole. Without a change in the observable stars or the obvious fresh gravity wells of a new planetary system; it didn’t take Kei long to realise it had been tricked. The rogue AI began deaccelerating while initiating a wide turn.

  Áox calculated trajectories and noted that they’d arrive at the wormhole, at about the same time. This time, Kei would no doubt repopulate Síast’s charts, matching it to historical data. While the two vessels raced for the wormhole, the framandi assembled to form a blockade. Áox left control of Átt to Shun and retired to Norður.

  Eight hours later most of the crew were up, apart from Sven and Crystal. Accelerating at six Gs, Átt and the accompanying vessels began an intricate high yo-yo like loop manoeuvre, which would bring their fleet on a parallel trajectory, matching Síast’s speed. By now, several framandi vessels armed with their freshly minted antimatter traps blockaded the wormhole leading to the solar system.

  Eiji who’d suggested the manoeuvre, had just finished re-calculating the Átt’s angle, adjusting for a slight speed increase by Síast. He said to the rest of the crew while thinking to the framandi, “Another burst of acceleration by the Síast, and we’re going to be left trailing the vessel. Assuming Kei stays focussed on breaching the blockade and entering the wormhole, we’ll be close enough for Áom to connect with the twins.”

  “We still need a plan to extract Jón and Ásta,” Isla stated, reflecting the crew’s thoughts.

  “That’s not going to happen, unless we disable the kilig vessel,” Stefán remarked dourly.

  “Coming into range,” Eiji announced a few minutes later. Áom acknowledged. Lei asked Shun to wake Crystal and Sven before the framandi began their offensive action.

  “I have connected to both siblings,” Áom thought to them all. The framandi continued, “Their thought flow to me is very sluggish, meaning Kei is likely to attempt subjugation procedures soon.”

  Áox thought back, “I’ll alert all vessels. They’re going to initiate a series of explosions against Síast’s hull immediately. Like before, this should cause disruption to Kei. Áom alert the twins.”

  It took the framandi a few minutes to position their antimatter containing gravity traps, in the path of Síast. But this time around the rogue AI had learnt. The Síast made minor path adjustments to avoid the gravity traps, as soon as it detected them.

  Crystal and Sven joined the crew, quickly strapping into their grav-chairs.

  “What’d we miss?” Sven asked Isla while Crystal studied the situational awareness feed.

  Isla replied, “The Síast is avoiding the antimatter gravity traps being directed towards it. They’re adjusting to place multiple traps in the kilig spacecraft’s path, accounting for projected directional changes.”

  The framandi didn’t see any success with their new strategy. Kei was able to outthink their path projections. There weren’t enough gravity traps to account for every variable.

  Crystal, who’d been quietly studying the vessels nearby, exclaimed, “Áox, contact the vessels masking the actual wormhole! They’re the ones equipped to recreate matter at the quantum foam level and should be able to produce the matter needed to react against the antimatter. I think that high-energy gamma radiation combined with a burst of medium-energy particles, produced during the previous explosions, may have momentarily scrambled Kei’s hardware. The particles from the antimatter explosion would have decayed quickly, but much of the medium-energy particles would have been absorbed into the vessel’s matter. The kilig spacecraft uses quantum technologies for much of its operation. High yield antimatter explosions in proximity should temporarily destabilize some of its tech.”

  Áox thought back, “We’ll do it. Meanwhile the twins must be alerted. The disruption may give them an opportunity to sabotage Síast; perhaps escape.”

  Instructions were passed around the framandi fleet while Áom attempted to communicate the idea to Jón and Ásta.

  It took the framandi fleet another half an hour to run the calculations needed, and to reposition their vessels. By this time, the Síast was minutes away from the mouth of the actual wormhole. Áox gave the instruction to execute the hastily cobbled plan.

  Matter was concentrated in portions of the screen masking the wormhole, just ahead of the kilig spacecraft. Gravity traps containing antimatter were maneuvered in behind these. Then, just as Kei approached the masked wormhole, an enormous explosion silently tore through the screen.

  Áom got through to the twins. They were more alert than the last time the framandi was in contact with them. Quickly, instructions were passed back and forth, before a second series of antimatter explosions knocked the siblings’ gaupa connections off.

  Then for the first time, Kei used the antimatter building up in Síast’s primary propulsion system. The rogue AI switched on its antimatter drive, thrusting the kilig vessel through tiny gaps between the framandi fleet. The spacecraft vanished into the wormhole.

  Sven sighed and said calmly, “Brace for acceleration.” Then he gradually brought Átt up to maximum tolerable acceleration, pursuing Kei into the solar system.

  Skirmish

  Main Asteroid Belt, Solar System.

  Max felt like he had been awake for days. Occasionally, he had been. Sitting with Maji in his wardroom on Álfhól space platform, he had the situational awareness feed projected over the conference table. Gogh and Rafael were online with them.

  Over the last twelve days, they’d tried to box the Síast within intercepting concentrated solar light and radiation. They’d been unsuccessful. The range hadn’t allowed effective targeting. Kei, in its kilig vessel had been able to anticipate the team’s every move. On one occasion they’d nearly knocked the Átt out.

  The Átt, now ninety tonnes lighter without Suður SSEV, had followed Síast through the framandi-solar system wormhole. It was accompanied by three framandi vessels of equivalent dimensions. Átt’s crew including the framandi aboard, had undergone sedated acceleration, hitting and holding twenty-five Gs. They’d now all but caught up with the Síast. The rogue AI had been careful while accelerating, to ensure its human captives were alive and functioning; just barely.

  “We don’t know what Kei’s immediate objectives are,” Gogh said. He explained, “Its actions since going rogue, have been to pursue a series of subjugation missions. Following the confrontation with the gigils, it’s now got a taste for human wetware.” Gogh was referring to the capture and subjugation of Jón and Ásta by Kei.

  “Why didn’t Kei go after the gigils?” Maji pondered aloud.

  “Likely a combination of lower wetware capabilities, combined with superior defensive forces,” Rafael surmised.

  “You really think the gigils have lower brain processing capabilities than us?” Maji asked in surprise.

  Rafael replied, “Think about it. While they’ve had ages to evolve, they seem to rely heavily on automation. It’s possible they have highly structured thinking, very similar to the way their automation functions. Over generations, their brains may have become very streamlined. I think Kei may have found easy pickings in the gigils but may have found us to be more versatile.”

  “We’ve got a planet full of versatile people!” Max exclaimed, frowning. He’d been glassy eyed so far. “To get enough of us subjugated, Kei would need force enhancers. Which means, the two salvaged kilig command-ships could be valuable to it.” Drawing a trajectory projection, Max said, “It’s going to swing close to the kilig ships. We could use them as bait, drawing Síast into a kill-box where our concentrated solar beams could do it some damage.”

  “What if Kei decides to just lug the kilig command-ships along?” Gogh asked. He clarified, “Kei has done that before with Suður SSEV. It could carry out
any work needed on the command-ships, on route to Earth.”

  “Rig the salvaged kilig command-ships to blow. Hard,” Maji suggested.

  “Explosive force used by the framandi against Síast haven’t damaged the vessel significantly,” Max observed. He stated, “We could use explosives to slow the vessel down and then direct our concentrated solar beams at it.”

  Gogh advised, “Let’s do it all. Use the salvaged ships as bait, blow them up as soon as Kei is close; then burn the vessel to crisp.”

  “What about Jón and Ásta?” Rafael asked.

  Gogh answered without blinking, “I’m hoping they find a way to escape from Síast. For now, we’re going to assume they’ve been completely subverted by Kei. Our immediate priority is defence of the solar system.”

  Rafael felt a sharp ache in his chest which didn’t ease immediately. He’d always looked up to the twins. But he understood what was needed. “Agreed,” he said, without displaying emotion.

  Max connected to and spoke with the xenotechs aboard the two salvaged kilig command-ships, “There’s a hostile spacecraft headed your way. Evacuate the vessels you’re on and get to Rauður space platform.” Gogh gave Katrín and Gylfi similar instructions. As soon as the two kilig command-ships were clear of personnel, Rafael remotely instructed AMCARs to begin towing the kilig command-ships to a spot just off Síast’s path. Drones prepared high yield, gaupa triggered thermonuclear devices in both the salvaged kilig command-ships.

  “Bait’s ready. The ships will arrive at the kill-box location in a short while.” Rafael announced.

  Max observed, “Our situational awareness feed shows the Síast deaccelerating. The spacecraft is beginning to veer sharply towards the kilig command-ships. Pulling up a sharper visual on Síast now.”

  “Kei’s latched on to the bait ships. Its begun accelerating the two vessels with focussed gravity,” Maji observed, adding, “the AI doesn’t plan on stopping.”

  “Ready yourself Rafael,” Max said urgently, while keying in the appropriate ordinance access codes. The explosives were authenticated by Gogh. As soon as Síast closed in on the kilig vessels, Max directed, “Detonate now.”

  They watched as two large explosive bubbles enveloped Síast, knocking the spacecraft upward and off its path.

  “Rafael, let Kei have it,” Max urged. “Burn Síast!” he exclaimed.

  It took a moment for the system defence satellite network to realign. Four satellites initiated the attack, hitting the Síast with continuous concentrated solar beams. A moment later another two satellites found their mark. The kilig spacecraft began to cook.

  “It’s correcting itself,” Maji warned.

  Max instructed, “Rafael, stay with it. There’s nothing out there, it can’t hide.”

  Then without warning, the satellites cut out. “What happened?” Max asked in surprise. “Get the beams back on it.” he urged.

  “Shun, what’s going on?” Rafael asked. He said, “I’ve lost all satellite control and input feeds.”

  Shun replied, “The network’s been hacked by a friendly authorized gaupa. Records from other connected gaupas show it was Ásta’s compact gaupa which accessed the system last. The hack wasn’t aimed at taking over the satellite network. It was only executed shutdown instructions.”

  “Bar Jón and Ásta’s gaupas from accessing our systems. The ones on their suits and the ones in their escape capsules,” Gogh instructed.

  Maji looked at the situational awareness feed and said, “The Átt has been deaccelerating. It’s closing in on the Síast.”

  “Sven, Crystal, Áox and Áom are taking a shuttle across,” Max informed, pulling up a visual feed showing the shuttle departing the Átt. He added, “Jón connected with the crew through his diadem and asked for assistance. He suggested triggering the explosives still inside the kilig vessel manually.”

  They watched as the shuttle approached the Síast and connected with the universal docking port attached to the kilig vessel. By now, the Átt and its escorts were pacing Síast.

  An incoming connection blinked on the volumetric projection over Max’s conference table. It was Isla calling from Átt. Enabling the connection, Max said, “Please give me some good news.”

  “Anything but good,” a worried looking Isla replied. She said, “Kei’s now accessed Crystal’s brain. Sven and the two framandi are fine. They’re attempting to breach Síast. I’m sending you Sven’s suit video feed.”

  To Max, this was good news. If they were close enough to breach the kilig vessel, they may just get the upper hand.

  Just as Max enlarged Sven’s visual feed, an amazed Maji said, “This spacecraft is virtually indestructible. Its begun accelerating again.”

  The feed showed Sven moving toward the shuttle’s hatch. Crystal had been secured to a grav-chair with Áom seated beside. The framandi wasn’t moving. Max remembered seeing Áom occasionally remain perfectly still, while the framandi was deeply focussed.

  As Max and Maji looked on, they saw Sven open the shuttle’s hatch and attempt to disengage the one on Síast. It wouldn’t budge. Recalling the specifications, Sven carefully slid open a manual operations panel and then pulled on the lock release. Again, nothing happened. Then Áox tapped him on the shoulder. Sven moved aside.

  Raising his right elbow to the exposed panel, a dribble of smart material transferred from Áox’s suit. Concentrating, the framandi froze for a moment.

  Maji said, “Bet he’s trying to disengage the hatch controls from the inside.”

  “Áox doesn’t have a gender. Makes referring to them very difficult,” Max replied absentmindedly; intensely engrossed in what Sven and Áox were up to. He was tired and knew it. But the action on Síast wasn’t going to allow him any sleep.

  The hatch opened a notch. An unfastened process manual went flying past Sven’s visor into the hatch’s widening gap, as the shuttle decompressed. Max instinctively held his breath when a narrow laser beam shot through the gap at Sven, from within Síast. It was recognizable as an AMCAR’s high wattage drilling laser. Breathing out, Max found himself urging Sven to act, saying, “Crouch.”

  Sven had immediately deployed his suit’s larger laser. It took a moment to extricate itself through the framandi smart material covering his suit. Sven had momentarily forgotten about it. He made a mental note to do something about having easier access to tools and weapons, if he survived this. As the laser came online, he located the silhouette of the AMCAR and retaliated. For a moment, there was a flurry of tight beams, bouncing off the AMCAR. Then as Sven’s laser cooled for a moment, the AMCAR targeted Sven’s head. It didn’t cause any damage. The framandi smart material took the brunt of laser fire, quickly replacing affected material. Then abruptly, the AMCAR erupted in sparks and fell aside.

  Max was entranced. He heard Isla explain what happened. He just caught the tail end of her last statement as she said, “Áox directed smart material into the AMCAR from the hatch and took out its power generating unit.”

  Then things got even more interesting. Framandi smart material used on portions of Síast during the quick retrofit, began flooding the surfaces around them; some of it gripping Sven and Áox. The material began moving them backward, towards the hatch they’d just entered.

  Sven thought to Áox, “Can’t you gain access to the smart material?”

  Áox replied, “Its slaved to Síast’s systems. We would need to find its original manufacturer, through which we could gain access to it. No time now, the material is beginning to force the hatch to close.”

  As they struggled to break away from the Síast’s smart material, a drone zipped beside their heads, through the closing hatch. It didn’t completely make it through. The drone’s rear portion was caught between the hatch and the port’s frame.

  Áom thought to them from inside the shuttle, “I’ve rigged the drone with an explosive payload. Its stuck.”

  Sven brought his laser up and fired on the rear of the drone. One of its thrusters broke,
slicing the drone’s right-rear portion clean off. The drone made it through the hatch.

  “I’m directing the drone into Síast’s command cabin,” Áom thought to them adding, “Some of its controls have become slow. Drone contact is now intermittent.”

  Sven thought back with urgency, “Kei must be hacking the drone. Trigger the explosive. Do it now.”

  Neither Sven nor Áox saw anything from the shuttle’s universal docking port, where the smart material had dragged them to; but they felt the explosive shock under their feet.

  Áom transmitted, “I have contact with Jón and Ásta. The explosion must have damaged some of Kei’s hardware. The AI is still functional though. The twins are sluggish but have autonomy. Their capsules were placed in the Síast’s ejection bays. They’re going to attempt triggering emergency capsule ejection.”