The Terran Cycle Boxset

by Philip C. Quaintrell

  Roland didn’t take in any more after that. He was convinced something wasn’t right with Kalian and it gnawed at him that he couldn’t figure it out. Judging by the look Li’ara was giving him, she was thinking the same thing.

  At the end of the council meeting, Kalian was among the first to leave, aware that he only had moments before Li’ara or Sef caught up with him.

  “Are you happy now?” he said in hushed tones.

  The thin strand of nanocelium behind his ear gave voice to ALF. “Of course I’m not happy! This plan of yours is reckless, beyond reckless; in fact! Your teleportation technique leaves much to be desired. We both know it’s taking everything you have right now just to stay standing. How are you going to manage a bigger jump without dying, Kalian?”

  “You’re going to give me the juice,” Kalian casually replied. “Your super subconducer can give me the push I need.”

  There was a palpable pause on the AI’s end. “There’s more going on than just you jumping in and out of the harvesting ship. I can supply you with the means to secure integration, but while you’re trying to do that, they will be bombarding Evalan. This plan puts the entire human race on the line.”

  “The human race has been on the line since you seeded the Terran Empire. I’m just drawing a line in the sand. Besides, I finally found you a way into the central AI. I thought you’d be happy.”

  “You and I both know there’s a high chance you won’t survive the integration process, Kalian. That amount of nanocelium is going to require every bit of you to rewrite the base coding.”

  Kalian’s computer-like mind had already run through multiple scenarios, showing him his own death in ten thousand different ways.

  But he had also foreseen one way he could survive.

  “I’m not unique, ALF. The Terran genes will eventually make themselves known in what’s left of humanity. If I have to die to see them flourish, then I will.” Kalian could feel Sef approaching from behind. “And as far as protecting Evalan goes…”

  The big Gomar joined him by the edge of the stairwell, away from the departing councillors and aides. Kalian could also feel Li’ara’s mind, searching for him outside the chamber.

  I will do it, Sef communed. I will allow ALF to remove the Harness.

  Kalian let out a sigh of relief. “Are you sure?”

  Evalan will need protecting if this plan draws them to us. If you are occupied, it falls to the Gomar to protect all that remains of our people as they make for the Boundless.

  That did bring a smile to Kalian’s face. It was the first time he had heard Sef, or any of the Gomar refer to humans as their people. It was the first of many walls he had hoped to bring down between them all.

  “What about the others?” he asked.

  They will do as I do or they won’t. I cannot and will not force them. But, I will make them understand what is at stake.

  Kalian gave a wry half smile and raised his eyebrow. “I thought that’s what I had been doing…”

  “I’m ready on my end,” ALF said in his ear. “Bring them with you.”

  Kalian turned his attention back to Sef. “Let me know when you’re ready to leave. I’ll make sure we have a Starforge ready to go.”

  Sef bowed his head and walked away, revealing a very pissed off redhead behind him in the corridor. Li’ara tried to approach him casually, but Kalian could see the fury in every step.

  “I know what you’re thinking…”

  “What am I thinking, Kalian?” Li’ara shot back. “That the man I love has just suggested the one plan that sounds like he’s probably going to die? Or am I wondering how or when you even came up with this plan since you never mentioned it to me?”

  Kalian held out his hands, hoping to soothe her, but it just seemed to piss her off even more. “Is that ALF in your ear?” she asked, looking around his neck. “Is this his plan? Of course it is,” she continued without waiting for an answer. “Does he ever come up with a plan that doesn’t require sacrifice? You tell that robotic ass—”

  “Li’ara.” Kalian gripped her by the shoulders and smiled at the Brenine aide who slipped past them to walk down the stairs. “This is my plan. If I had come up with it outside of that room I would have consulted you, I promise. I only thought of it in there and it had to be said. Trust me; this is the only path I can see that leads to the majority surviving this war.”

  Li’ara deflated somewhat but he knew he hadn’t won her over completely. “You only thought of that whole plan while you were in the room?” she asked sceptically.

  Kalian offered his boyish grin. “It felt like a long time to me.”

  “You promise this is your plan? Not his?”

  “I promised, didn’t I? This is the only way to beat them, Li’ara. There’s nothing strong enough to destroy them while they still have control of their armada. I have to free the nanocelium.”

  Li’ara shook her head. “What if these new AIs get their freedom and decide the original plan wasn’t so bad after all?”

  Kalian shrugged, thankful that same question hadn’t come up in the meeting. “I didn’t say there wasn’t a degree of hope involved.” He tried disarming her with his smile again.

  Li’ara managed half a smile and cupped his cheek. “If you die, I’ll find a way to bring you back and kill you all over again.”

  Her calm tone convinced Kalian that she wasn’t lying. “Deal,” he replied.

  Li’ara glanced over her shoulder. “What did Sef want?”

  “He’s agreed to have ALF remove his Harness.”

  Li’ara’s eyebrows shot up her forehead. “Really? What about the others?”

  “We’ll have to see. Just having Sef at full power will be a huge help.”

  “I’ll say,” Roland interrupted. “This plan of yours is going to get awfully messy before the end, kid. These guys wipe out whole solar systems for a living.”

  “Then it’s a good thing we have you,” Kalian said. “How many times have you saved the galaxy now?”

  Roland casually shrugged. “A couple of times. It’s no biggie.”

  “Careful, Roland,” Li’ara warned, “I’m not sure that head of yours will make it out of the command tower.”

  Roland found the humour in it, but his expression soon grew serious again. “I’m not going to Evalan,” he said, surprising them both.

  Kalian could see that Li’ara was about to jump down the man’s throat. “Where are you going?” he asked before she could say anything.

  “Shandar. I’ve been to the planet a few times, and even had myself a little look inside the Crucible. You won’t need me on Evalan, not with all your firepower,” he added with a heavy slap to Kalian’s arm.

  “I’m sure the Rackham will be of great use,” Li’ara said, having cooled off a bit.

  Never one to enjoy sentiment, Roland clapped his hands together. “So, the Regis could be a couple of days scouting out the old home world. Who wants to get blind drunk off their tits?”

  19

  The next morning, Kalian stood beside the repurposed Starforge and offered the technicians his most apologetic look. Per his request, they had removed one of the Forges from circulation, effectively shutting down an entire evacuation route. It wouldn’t have been so bad if the Gomar had shown up on time.

  “Any minute now…” he promised.

  Thankfully, the doors swirled open and Sef walked into the warehouse with every one of the Gomar. Kalian couldn’t believe his eyes, though upon closer examination, it appeared a handful of them were not entirely happy to be here. Still, Sef had told him he wouldn’t force any of them to go through with the procedure, so they had come of their volition.

  Sorry we’re late. Some took more convincing than others.

  “You’re here now,” Kalian replied to the big man, “that’s all that matters.” He turned to the technicians and gave them the signal to activate the Forge. “Are you ready for us up there?” He asked ALF.

  “I’m good to go. Openi
ng a wormhole this small is easy.”

  Kalian faced the Gomar. “Helmets and gloves.” As he said it, the nanocelium in his suit enveloped his hands and built a helmet to cover his whole head. “We’ll be stepping into space so make sure you go at a steady speed or I’ll struggle to guide us all into the Starforge.”

  Kalian knew from stepping through the Forges on Evalan and Corvus that a tingling sensation would creep up his fingers and toes and fill his chest with a cold feeling, but the nanocelium suit prevented any such sensation this time. In the blink of an eye, he was floating out into space with the Starforge behind him and the capital planet before him.

  The capital looked no more spectacular than a barren moon, with its two halves fused together. From here, he could just make out the sun reflecting off the C-Sec cruisers, the last of the fleet waiting to be diverted to either Evalan or Shandar. After the meeting yesterday, the Marillion, along with the Rackham, had already been sent on to Shandar, where it awaited the arrival of half the fleet.

  Kalian looked out on the starry field and wondered if he could see Evalan. Cruisers were being diverted, but they had been instructed to wait until the Regis gave word that the human population could travel there safely. Everything had to be done at just the right time to ensure that their enemy knew what was happening.

  The HUD inside his mask alerted him to the Gomar’s arrival behind him. They floated out, some having stepped through with too much force, and Kalian found them all within his telekinetic grip.

  Once inside, Kalian couldn’t say he recognised the Forge’s interior. The station he had been on in the Helteron Cluster had been sleek and bright inside, its stark lights banishing all shadows. Now, almost every surface was coated in bronze nanocelium with low lighting overhead. All control panels and holographic displays were gone, and in their place were just walls of bronze. This Forge wasn’t meant to be controlled by anyone or anything other than AI.

  The control centre was still where he expected it to be, though ALF had guided them with holographic arrows on the floor. The far wall was made of glass, offering a view of the Starforge’s arcing limbs. Everything else was different. The room was that of a dimly lit, leaving the ceiling entirely in darkness. The levelled tiers above them were gone, and the pitted tier in the middle of the large chamber was now home to an upright surgical table. Above it sat the super subconducer, its bulk hanging down like the body of a wasp.

  “Hello!” said a young male voice.

  Kalian joined the others in searching the shadows for the source, but he was pretty sure it came from unseen speakers.

  “My name is Talli!” he said excitedly. “Welcome to our humble abode!”

  “Humble?” Kovak muttered under his breath.

  “Our?” Kalian hadn’t missed that particular word.

  “Yes,” ALF’s voice preceded his tall body as he floated down from the shadows, connected by a plethora of tubes. “I have a roommate.”

  Kalian didn’t know what to say. “Talli?”

  “Hello!” came the young voice again.

  ALF smiled. “Talli was the cube unit who controlled this Forge. He was a sub-AI sent by the Vanguard.”

  “Was a sub-AI?”

  “Yes,” ALF explained. “This wasn’t just slaved nanocelium like their ships which I can absorb and reprogram easily, it was a sub-AI and, as I was rewriting it, its mind bonded with my own. It’s a similar process to what happened with Malekk and Professor Jones, except they couldn’t free the nanocelium before it infected them. Over exposure to my human DNA re-wrote the slave programming, so instead of trying to control me, it was actually... curious. I helped it find an identity, and it named himself Talli.”

  “Hello!”

  “It hasn’t taken a physical form yet,” ALF said, seeing Kalian’s confusion.

  “You mean it hasn’t bonded with another organic life yet?’ Kalian clarified.

  “Nor shall it,” ALF quickly replied. “Talli is aware that it would be a crime in the Conclave to take on a host body.”

  “I have taken all I need from organic life through my brief time bonded with ALF,” Talli chimed in with his happy tone. “Besides, I prefer electrical system to biological systems.”

  For now, Kalian thought. He wasn’t sure what to do with this revelation. On the one hand, it was in the realm of miracles that their DNA could not only free the nanocelium of its shackled coding, but also help it to coalesce into individual nanocelium-based life forms with their own personalities. On the other hand, there were now two artificial life forms instead of one, and ALF alone terrified the Conclave.

  “It’s probably best if we just keep this little development to ourselves,” Kalian suggested.

  “A ‘nice to meet you’ wouldn’t go amiss!” Talli replied jovially.

  Kalian paused, looking back over the Gomar. “Nice to meet you, Talli.”

  “Nice to meet you too, Kalian! So, who wants to have their Harness removed first?” A pair of manacles opened up on the arms of the surgical table.

  The Gomar were already ill at ease, but this new AI was in danger of sending them over the edge. Kalian could see the sweat on some of them, uncomfortable as they were in ALF’s real presence.

  “Talli,” ALF interrupted, clearly hoping to diffuse the situation before it escalated, “why don’t you prepare the adaptor for Kalian to take back to the capital?”

  “Of course,” Talli replied affably.

  ALF shrugged at Kalian’s questioning gaze. “Technically, he’s only a few days old.”

  Kalian turned to the Gomar. “Who’s first?”

  I am.

  Sef stepped forward and ALF escorted him down into the pitted floor and instructed the Gomar rest his back against the upright table. The manacles fastened around his wrists and ankles as the table tilted, though they did not bind him to the table. ALF waved his hand over the big man and the table dropped down into the floor, leaving Sef to float between the super subconducer and the floor. The manacles around his limbs lit up, identifying them as the cause for his weightlessness.

  Addressing them all, ALF said, “Due to the Harness’ position around your nervous systems, I will have to keep you awake for the procedure to better monitor your responses.”

  “You mean so we feel the pain,” Bal sneered.

  ALF paused, his expression pained. “I understand your distrust in me. A long time ago I failed the Terran. I was unaware that part of me still obeyed my masters at that point, and because of it generations of Terran were forced to suffer and die. I alienated you from your own people and caused a rift that could only ever have ended in war. I don’t deserve your forgiveness, so I will not ask for it. But, I do ask that you let me correct the defects I placed in your genes. Let me make you whole again.”

  The Gomar had no response to that, but since they didn’t leave the Forge, Kalian could only assume they had taken it well.

  The super subconducer came to life above Sef and it released a dozen tentacles which slithered down and attached to various places on the big man’s face. A small helmet and visor detached from the body and covered his eyes as robotic arms rose from the floor, each in possession of exotic surgical tools.

  “You won’t feel a thing,’ ALF assured, raising his voice so that the Gomar could hear him. “Your brain functions will operate as if you are awake, but your mind will be occupied by the super subconducer. Inside the machine, you will experience time differently. This will allow you to train with the full potential of a Terran in anticipation of the Harness’s removal. Since time is against us, I believe this to be the most expedient way of teaching you.”

  With that, the robotic arms went to work cutting through the exosuit and removing the bulky armour from Sef’s body. Sparks created fountains in the air and startling blue lasers moved across his body with incredible accuracy. The rest of the Gomar naturally formed a circle around the pitted tier and watched everything that was being done to their brother.

  Kalian made his
way across the chamber and looked out on the stars, aware that ALF would come to meet him.

  “I’m still not convinced of this plan of yours,” the AI announced as he joined him. “I need more time to calculate your chances of survival.”

  Kalian shook his head. “Don't bother. It’s the only weapon we have that works.”

  “You say it, but you mean you,” ALF corrected. “You underestimate your role among the humans. You’re more than just their protector now. They look to you for answers.” The AI paused, shifting his shoulders to better see him. “I know what you’re going through, Kalian.”

  That surprised him. “Enlighten me, ALF.”

  ALF sighed. “I’ve seen this before remember. The beast? Like you, Alai was the first of his people to achieve immortality. I realise that you have progressed somewhat quicker than he did, but your isolation is the same. He felt different. He was different. Living longer than everyone else, he gained experience that other Terran couldn’t imagine. Eventually, he struggled to relate to them and they to him. I talked him out of suicide and exile on multiple occasions.”

  “And that’s what I’m going through, am I?” Kalian kept his eyes on the starfield.

  “I can see the beginnings of it,” ALF replied solemnly. “In your case, I would say it has the potential to be far worse. Thanks to the nanocelium in their blood, humanity will know immortality, but it could be centuries, millennia even, before any of them develop Terran abilities, before Li’ara does…” The AI took a breath, despite his lack of requirement. “I would imagine time moves differently for you. Everyone feels sluggish by your eyes. Their quick decisions take a lifetime by your standards. It can make for a lonely existence.”

  “I’m not committing suicide, ALF. What I am is curious…” Kalian looked up at the AI’s crystal blue eyes. “Back at Evalan you said it was obvious why our DNA has such a profound effect on nanocelium. What am I missing? Or, more accurately, what are you not telling me?”