Ep.#10 - Retaliation (The Frontiers Saga - Part 2: Rogue Castes)

by Ryk Brown

  “We’ve got you,” an unfamiliar, female voice assured him over comms.

  “Thanks,” Aiden replied as a wave of relief washed over him.

  “Our pleasure, Ensign,” the woman replied. “Welcome aboard the Manamu.”

  “Manamu has jumped away!” Kasma reported from Striker One’s sensor station.

  “YES!” Robert exclaimed. “Striker One to all ships! Recovery complete! Evasive to the rally point!”

  Robert was beaming from ear to ear as he prepared to jump clear.

  “Congratulations, Robert,” his copilot said. “I seriously did not think it was going to work.”

  Robert chuckled and then looked at his copilot. “Honestly, neither did I.”

  * * *

  Nathan sat in his dimly lit quarters, staring at the blank view screen on the living room wall. His entire day had been one crisis after another. Every minute had demanded his attention. He, himself, had faced no danger, yet he felt more emotionally drained than after any battle in recent memory.

  Now, when he finally had some time to himself, all he could do was sit and worry about the men and women whose lives were still on the line, deep in Dusahn-controlled space. Had it been a wise choice to risk so many for so few? He had made the decision instinctively, without any analysis whatsoever. That fact, alone, made him question himself.

  But the decision had been made, and the wheels had been put into motion. Regardless of the outcome, some would agree with his decision, and some would not. But no one would question it, and that, too, was troubling. So many were willing to follow him, blindly, into danger. It was a source of both incredible pressure and incredible strength.

  The door buzzer sounded. At first, he didn’t respond. But when the buzzer sounded again, he picked up the remote and opened the door.

  Cameron stood in the doorway, squinting to see into the darkened room. “Have you heard of lights?”

  Nathan pressed another button on the remote, causing the lighting in the room to increase. “This thing is damned handy.”

  “Just thought you’d like to know that the rescue was successful.”

  “How many did we lose?” Nathan asked.

  “None,” she replied, sitting down on the chair next to the sofa. “Recovered all six of Striker Three’s crew without injury, and no losses, despite the fact that it was a hot rescue.”

  “Really?” Nathan replied, surprised.

  “Octos, gunships, even a cruiser.”

  “Jesus,” Nathan exclaimed. “And no losses.”

  “Nope.”

  “I can’t wait to read that after-action report.”

  “Me, too,” Cameron agreed. “But, I’m not really surprised,” she added, leaning back and settling into the chair to get comfortable. “We’ve got good people, not just on the Aurora but, on every ship.”

  “Good leadership, too,” Nathan added.

  Cameron looked at him, surprised by his modesty.

  “I was referring to your suggestion to send the Gunyoki, as well,” Nathan explained. “I’m sure that made the difference.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I’m actually a bit embarrassed that I didn’t think of it,” Nathan admitted.

  “You’re still out of practice,” Cameron told him. “You’ve only been in command for a couple months.”

  “Two months and twenty-three days,” Nathan corrected. “My math skills seemed to have improved, as well.”

  “As well?” Cameron wondered. “What else has improved?”

  “I didn’t tell you?”

  “No, you didn’t,” Cameron replied. “Jessica told me you can read really fast now and that your memory has improved, but that’s all.”

  “That’s just the start,” Nathan sighed. “It’s like my mind is running at hyper-speed. I’m analyzing things so quickly that sometimes I don’t even remember doing so. I feel like my consciousness can’t keep up with my mind, if that makes any sense. I think that’s why I didn’t anticipate the ambush that nearly destroyed this ship. Take this rescue, for example, I’m sure I analyzed the situation before making my decision, but I don’t remember doing so. I don’t remember doing the math. I just said, ‘do X, Y, and Z.’”

  Cameron thought for a moment, unsure of how to respond. “Maybe you just need to improve the connection between your conscious and your subconscious.”

  “And how do I do that?” Nathan wondered.

  “I don’t have the answer to that,” Cameron admitted.

  “Great.”

  “You could try just trusting yourself,” Cameron suggested. “You had the same problem when you took command the first time. You’ve always had good instincts, even when you had no experience. Now that you have that experience, your instincts should be even better.”

  “My instincts got us ambushed, remember?”

  “Did they?” she wondered. “Or was it your desire to ambush them. Emotion often clouds judgment.”

  “Are you suggesting that emotion should be left out of the decision-making process?”

  “Not at all,” Cameron insisted. “Without emotion, we wouldn’t be human. You might as well put an AI in command. The trick is to recognize when your emotions are influencing your decision.”

  “And then do the opposite?”

  “Not necessarily,” Cameron replied. “Just because your emotions are influencing your decision doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad decision. Just know that the emotion is influencing you, and make sure it’s not causing you to make the wrong decision.”

  “Sounds like it’s easier said than done,” Nathan decided.

  “Probably.”

  “Is that what you do?”

  “Of course not,” Cameron replied, smiling. “I’m a cold, heartless bitch who overanalyzes everything, remember?”

  “Thank God,” Nathan joked.

  Cameron rose from her seat to depart. “When are you and Jess leaving?”

  “As soon as everyone returns,” Nathan replied.

  “I don’t suppose I can talk you out of this crazy plan of yours.”

  “Not a chance,” Nathan replied, also smiling. “And emotion is not influencing my decision.”

  “Good to know,” she replied, heading for the door.

  “Thanks for stopping by, Cam.”

  “Get a few hours of sleep, Captain,” she replied. “I’ll take the watch.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  “This is an affront to all of Rakuen!” Mister Yasui exclaimed. “The first Orochi to return to service must be flown by a Rakuen!”

  “Show me a Rakuen pilot who can fly it, and they will be welcomed with open arms,” Mister Yokimah replied.

  “Rakuen has hundreds of pilots!” Mister Yasui argued.

  “Most of whom are flying Gunyoki or ships in support of the Gunyoki,” Mister Yokimah replied. “None of whom can be spared, and all of whom have little to no experience piloting ships other than what they are currently flying. These two gentlemen are the most qualified pilots available for this task.”

  Danno Yasui looked at the two men sitting at the helm of the first Orochi to be returned to operation. His entire adult life had been spent maintaining the Orochi fleet, keeping it ready. Their return to service was the fulfillment of his lifelong dream and now, the glory of that moment was being taken away from him. He looked at Ito Yokimah with pleading eyes. “Mister Yokimah, please…”

  “We will have the ceremony that the Orochis’ return to service deserves and that our people need,” Ito promised, placing a reassuring hand on Danno’s shoulder. “And it will be with a Rakuen pilot at the controls, along with a Neramesean copilot.”

  “But…”

  “But…” Ito interrupted, “we cannot afford for that first flight to have any problems. Our people already fear for our safety, especially with the Aurora so badly damaged. They must not have any reason to doubt the reliability of the Orochi.”

  “I swear to you, this ship will fly without failure,” Danno promised.<
br />
  “You and I have no doubt that the Rakuen systems in this ship will function perfectly,” Ito agreed, “but can you say the same about the foreign technologies that have been integrated into this vessel?”

  Danno looked down, sighing. He looked back up at Ito, shaking his head. “I do not even understand many of their technologies,” he admitted.

  “There is no shame in that, my friend,” Ito assured him. “We will let these people test their additions since the result will be Orochi that are far more powerful than we ever imagined. The entire Rogen system will have the space force it needs and deserves, and it will be thanks to you, Danno Yasui.”

  Danno sighed again. “Of course,” he agreed begrudgingly.

  “Then, you will assist these men in testing this ship?” Ito asked. “For Rakuen?”

  “For Rakuen.”

  Ito smiled, turning Danno to face forward and walking him to the helm. “Gentlemen, I’d like to introduce Danno Yasui. He is the director of the Orochi fleet and is directly responsible for its resurrection. There is no one who knows more about the Orochi. Mister Yasui, may I present two of the best pilots in the Karuzari Alliance: Joshua Hayes and Loki Sheehan.”

  “An honor,” Danno said, bowing his head slightly in the typical Rakuen manner.

  Although Josh only briefly acknowledged the introduction before turning back to his console, Loki stood, a broad smile on his face.

  “The honor is all mine, Mister Yasui,” Loki insisted, bowing in similar fashion. “I have read all of your articles on the Orochi and have found each of them fascinating.”

  “Thank you, Mister Sheehan.”

  “Never in a million years did I ever dare to dream that I might someday pilot one of these incredible ships,” Loki continued.

  Ito smiled, noticing that Loki’s enthusiasm was having a positive effect on Danno.

  “In the original Rakuen?”

  “Of course,” Loki replied.

  Danno nodded, his reluctance to trust these two young men fading fast. “Then, you are confident you can safely pilot this ship?”

  “I would not have agreed to do so, were I not.”

  “And you?” Danno wondered, his question directed at Josh. “Mister Hayes, is it? You have read them, as well?”

  “Only the operations manuals,” Josh replied, his attention still on the console as he conducted his preflight systems checks. “The Angla versions.”

  “Are you confident that you can safely pilot this vessel, as well?”

  “If it flies, I can pilot it,” Josh replied confidently. “Safely? Now that’s another matter altogether.”

  Danno immediately became concerned.

  “He is kidding, Danno,” Ito assured him. “The enthusiasm of youth.”

  “Mister Hayes is actually the best pilot I have ever seen,” Loki added, hoping to quell Mister Yasui’s fears. “Trust me, sir, the honor of the Orochi could not be in better hands.”

  Danno deliberated for a moment as he watched Josh go through his pre-start sequence as if he had done it a thousand times before. “Very well, I will leave you both to your duties.”

  “You are welcome to come with us,” Loki offered.

  “Thank you, no. My place is on the ground, monitoring your telemetry. I have many more Orochi yet to bring to life, and the data from your flights will be of great use.”

  “I am honored to be a part of this effort,” Loki replied, bowing respectfully.

  “Come, Danno, let us leave these skilled, young men to their tasks,” Ito suggested, gesturing toward the hatch.

  “Seyeten de kyosina umiyu,” Mister Yasui said to Loki before departing.

  Loki bowed respectfully once again, waiting until Mister Yasui and Mister Yokimah had left the cockpit before returning to his seat.

  “What was that?” Josh wondered.

  “He was wishing us clear skies and fair seas,” Loki explained as he took his seat.

  “I get the clear skies part, but why fair seas?”

  “Until we’re airborne, we’re still a boat,” Loki reminded him as he prepared for liftoff.

  “I hate boats,” Josh muttered.

  “Really? Why?”

  “If you must know, I get seasick.”

  “You?” Loki teased.

  “Yes, me,” Josh replied, “the best pilot you’ve ever seen.”

  “Don’t let it go to your head,” Loki insisted. “I was just trying to put Mister Yasui at ease.”

  “Josh Hayes…the greatest pilot in all the universe,” Josh boasted.

  “Oh, jeez.”

  * * *

  “Commander?” Deliza called from the doorway to Vladimir’s office, deep within the Aurora’s engineering department. “Do you have a moment?”

  “For you, always,” Vladimir replied, setting down his data pad. “I didn’t even know you were aboard.”

  “Actually, I’ve been here since yesterday,” she admitted, sitting down across the desk from him.

  “Are you staying in a guest suite?”

  “I haven’t slept yet.”

  “Why not? What are you working on?”

  “This,” she said, handing her data pad over to Vladimir.

  Vladimir looked over the code displayed on her data pad. “What program is this,” he wondered, his eyes narrowing. “It is very…” He paused a moment, his eyebrows shooting up. “Is this what I think it is?”

  “Yes, it’s an AI,” she confirmed.

  “From the Sugali fighter?”

  “Yes.”

  “I heard about this from Nathan,” Vladimir said. “I was planning to look at it myself when I had the time.”

  “You should make the time, Commander,” Deliza urged. “Trust me.”

  “Is it that good?”

  “They have somehow managed to strike a balance unlike any other attempted AI’s I have ever heard of. It does not try to mimic the human mind. Instead, it embraces the fact that it is not limited by the human mental architecture.”

  “But it speaks to you and can carry on a conversation, can it not?”

  “It can and does so quite well. In fact, it is very meticulous about not forming opinions, but rather just states facts or current popular theoretical understandings.”

  “You have tested it?”

  “I have been speaking with it as I explore its coding,” Deliza explained. “In fact, it has helped me to understand its own coding.”

  “It can analyze its own code?”

  “Yes.

  “Can it change its own code?” Vladimir wondered, a look of concern coming over his face.

  “It has the ability but doing so is against its primary directives and would cause it to shut down.”

  “And it knows this?”

  “It does,” Deliza replied.

  “Interesting.”

  “Its code is by far the most efficient I have ever seen. It is elegant, yet simple. I have yet to find any terminal loops, recursions, or any other bugs that might make it unstable.”

  “How is that possible?” Vladimir wondered. “Anything programmed by humans is bound to have bugs.”

  “Humans didn’t write the code,” Deliza replied. “They wrote the base kernel and its primary directives, but the AI wrote its own code. It’s like the humans who created it gave it a drawing and asked the drawing to color itself. The AI is constantly analyzing its own code, looking for flaws, but it does not change it on its own without a human first authorizing the change.”

  “Why are you telling me about it?” Vladimir wondered.

  “I believe we should try to integrate it into the Aurora’s systems.”

  “Which ones?” Vladimir wondered, one eyebrow raised.

  “All of them.”

  * * *

  Marcus opened the door, finding Nathan standing on the other side. “Cap’n, what are you doing here? I didn’t even know you were on Sanctuary.”

  “We arrived a little over an hour ago,” Nathan said as he walked inside. “I wen
t to check on Miri first.”

  “Then I guess you already saw the kids.”

  “Yes. They seem quite happy, all things considered. I suspect that is in large part due to you and Neli.”

  “They’re good kids,” Marcus insisted. “Strong as hell. Must run in the family.”

  “Probably,” Nathan agreed. “Is Neli around?”

  “She’s out doing the weekly shopping,” Marcus replied. “She should be back in an hour, or so.” Marcus noticed the solemn look on Nathan’s face. “Something wrong?”

  “Maybe we should sit down,” Nathan suggested, gesturing toward the living area.

  Marcus didn’t move. “Is Josh okay?”

  “Josh is fine,” Nathan insisted. “When we left, he and Loki were test-flying an Orochi.”

  “What the hell is that?” Marcus wondered, obviously relieved.

  “Part carrier, part gunship, part boat…interesting vessel, really. The Rakuen are bringing a dozen or so out of retirement.”

  “So, who died then?” Marcus asked, plopping down in the chair across from Nathan.

  “How did you know?” Nathan wondered.

  “I can see it on your face.” Something suddenly dawned on him. “Where’s your bodyguard? Oh, jeez, it wasn’t Jessica, was it?”

  “No, she’s fine. She’s still at the med center, talking to Lieutenant Rezhik.” Nathan took a breath, sighing. “It’s Dalen.”

  Marcus also sighed, closing his eyes. “Son of a bitch.” He sighed again, then opened his eyes and looked at Nathan. “How?”

  “The Dusahn started to spread out, seizing control of all the systems in the PC. The Seiiki was on a mission on Volon when the Dusahn attacked. They rescued Naralena but took heavy damage on departure. Dalen was on the rear-deck gun at the time. He took a direct plasma blast…he died instantly.”

  Marcus sighed yet again, shaking his head. “This is gonna kill Neli. He was like a brother to her.” Marcus took a moment, fighting back his own sorrow. “How bad was the ship damaged?”

  “The Seiiki is gone,” Nathan said, nearly under his breath. He suddenly felt guilty that the loss of his ship could compare with the loss of Dalen’s life.

  Marcus nearly lost it. “God damned that kid!”