A.I. Destiny 4 Destiny Stone

by Timothy Ellis

  Fitzy’s tablet beeped. He scanned the message, and quickly looked up at the others.

  "You can stay here or come with me," he said. "I’d rather you stayed here."

  "We’re coming with you," said Snark and Jamie as one, as they followed Fitzy at a run.

  They left the concourse, and came to a hangar space where a medium sized shuttle was berthed. The shuttle was surrounded by Fitzy’s troopers, security guards and plain clothes police.

  Fitzy ran straight over to the shuttle, and consulted with Sapperscar who was at the Shuttle entrance. Sapperscar nodded to Jamie and Snark, and spoke rapidly with Fitzy. Fitzy immediately got on his communicator to his superiors, but from this side of the conversation, Snark could see he wasn’t having much success. It got more and more heated, with Fitzy finally snapping off communications. He was breathing heavily and red in the face. He quickly calmed himself.

  He turned to Snark.

  "I need you to contact the Grand Mother. Don’t alarm her unduly, but convince her we need to evacuate the concourse."

  Snark immediately took out his pad, put his ear bud in, and contacted Grandmother directly. He knew an aide would answer, given where they were, but he was soon put on to the Grand Mother herself. He could see Jamie, Fitzy, and Sapperscar enter the shuttle.

  "Snark!" his grandmother’s voice came into his ear.

  "Listen carefully, we haven’t much time," said Snark calmly. "You need to believe what I'm telling you, and override anyone who tries to argue differently."

  "Yes," she said calmly as well.

  "We need to evacuate the concourse. You and the guests need to go first, and then we'll handle getting the rest of the beings away. Use any excuse, but make sure you go fast, and you go far, back to the city."

  "Is it a bomb?"

  Snark hesitated for a second. Grandmother was no fool.

  "Yes," he said.

  He heard her indrawn breath, and then, "I’m on it."

  She had already cut him off.

  Snark made his way to the Shuttle, and the officer at the door, recognised him, and let him through.

  Fitzy, Sapperscar, and Jamie were crouched down next to one of Fitzy’s troopers. They were looking at an object at the front of the shuttle. Snark was immediately overwhelmed by an unfamiliar but pungent smell.

  Fitzy looked up.

  "We’ve got twenty minutes," he said. "There’s a timer. If we believe this will detonate the large amount of ingredients in the back of the shuttle, including fertiliser, then we have little time to get everyone to safety. The explosion could blow the whole Spaceport apart."

  He stood up, with Sapperscar following.

  "The bomb disposal squad will be here hopefully sooner than 20 minutes," he joked, not very successfully. To Sapperscar he said, "Evacuate everyone here, you’ve all got to leave now. Check on the evacuation of the beings in the concourse. Supervise so they get everyone out. Then get out yourself."

  Sapperscar nodded and left quickly.

  "Snark, now would be a good time to let me know you’re qualified in bomb disposal," Fitzy quipped.

  "Sorry, I’m lucky I can shoot straight."

  Jamie also shook his head.

  "Then get out. You can make sure everyone gets out in time."

  Snark shook his head.

  "I’m sticking with you."

  Jamie also nodded.

  "You’re damn fools," but he looked a little less worried, even though he knew they couldn’t, like him, help the situation.

  They waited.

  At ten minutes, the bomb disposal car screamed into the bay where the shuttle was parked, and two heavily armoured cats jumped down. They had equipment with them in a backpack and bag, and ran as fast as they could manage to the shuttle.

  "Afternoon gents," said one as he entered. "Traffic’s always bad this time of the day."

  Fitzy, Snark, and Jamie stood back, and they could see the device.

  "Not your standard bomb," said the other, a female cat, looking overwhelmed by her body armour.

  "No," said the other. "Someone’s been a bit creative."

  They both looked at the others. Snark at least expected some urgency, but they both took time for introductions. The male was Jerry. The female introduced herself as Tom.

  Jerry looked at the three of them, as Tom examined the device with her eyes.

  "Normally I’d say, get out now, but if the timer is accurate, you probably won’t get very far."

  He pulled open the bag, and also the backpack. From the bag, he took a small device which he handed to Tom. She started scanning the device.

  He also unrolled some material, which revealed a range of fine tools. He laid it carefully in front of the detonator device.

  The timer showed less than five minutes. Jamie was hard-pressed not to urge them to hurry. They were cutting it fine.

  Tom wiped her hands on a rag, and put her hand out to Jerry. Jerry immediately placed a tool in it. She took the tool, and used it to remove some screws to reveal an internal panel, filled with different coloured wires.

  Snark was surprised. He felt a little let down. This seemed very childlike. Tom seemed to read his mind.

  "Terrorists use the cat-net to learn how to make bombs. It hasn’t changed much in a long time. Use simple everyday objects to construct a basic timer connected to a detonator, connected to explosive material." She looked up at Jerry. "Then whoom!"

  They all jumped, except Jerry who seemed amused.

  Less than two minutes.

  Snark was getting anxious. Perhaps he shouldn’t have got here early at all.

  Tom held her hand out again. Jerry pressed some fine pliers into her hand. She took the pliers and hovered it over one of the coloured wires.

  "Which one should I avoid cutting again? I always forget."

  Less than one minute.

  "The yellow one," said Jerry. "No! The blue one!"

  They both laughed.

  Tom cut the wire.

  The timer stopped.

  They all waited. Nothing happened.

  Another minute passed. Still nothing.

  Tom and Jerry both breathed out, and started to pack up.

  "All good?" asked Fitzy.

  "Should be," said Jerry. "Let me check."

  He went further back into the shuttle, and came back carefully holding several detonators.

  "We’ll need to check there aren’t any more, and then do the paperwork," said Tom, nonchalantly.

  Snark, Jamie, and Fitzy staggered out of the shuttle, and breathed in the better air in the spaceport bay. They wiped sweat from their brows, and walked away from the shuttle, towards the concourse, where it looked as if nearly everyone had been evacuated safely, although some chairs and barriers were overturned.

  On the edge of the concourse nearest them, Fred and his team stood waiting for them.

  "Problem solved?" asked Fred.

  "Do bomb disposal always cut the right wire when the timer is down to less than a minute where you come from?" asked Fitzy.

  "I think that’s universal," said Lyana, and everyone laughed.

  "May I make a suggestion for next time?" asked Fred.

  "Most welcome," answered Fitzy and Snark together.

  "Bill Paxton is going to be in orbit for the indefinite future. Even if she leaves, there will always be one of our ships in orbit. The moment you find a bomb in something moveable, you call upstairs, and a salvage droid will be down in minutes to drag it into space where it can go off safely. If it can't be moved, someone will come down and put a belt on it, and the explosion will be contained by the belt. If need be, we can cut a bomb out, and take it into space."

  "You can do all that?" asked Fitzy.

  "Yes. Lyana?"

  "Yes boss?"

  "Military grade belts for Fitzy and his second please." He turned back to Fitzy. "How many bomb disposal cats do you have?"

  "Just the two. They are the most heavily armoured cats on the planet."
<
br />   "Will they survive if a bomb goes off in their faces?"

  "No."

  "Lyana, two more for them as well. And Fitzy?" Their eyes locked. "You need to talk to Snark about what his belt can do. Even our civilian models would be better than armour for your police forces. I'll ask Jane if she'll authorise the civilian models to be available for purchase by security organisations of planets we have established relations with."

  "Are they that good?"

  "The story is, the original team who pushed the development of the belt suits were caught in a bomb blast which destroyed the top twenty stories of a really tall building. They were the only survivors, and they rescued people trapped further down, as the building collapsed into a pile of rubble around them."

  Three mouths were hanging open.

  "So if that bomb had gone off?" asked Fitzy.

  "My team and I would fine. Snark would be fine. Maybe a few bruises depending on what hit us individually. Jamie would be in hospital severely bruised. You and your bomb team would be red smear."

  Fitzy winced.

  Jamie raised his hand, mouth still open.

  "And an upgrade for the Scot, Lyana," said Fred.

  Jamie grinned.

  Fitzy used his tablet to contact Sapperscar, while Jamie pinged Anna using his new PC. Snark contacted his grandmother on her personal email.

  Having established all was good, they looked at each other.

  "Time for a stiff drink," suggested Fitzy.

  "Got that right," laughed Winona, and everyone joined her.

  Nine

  There was no attempt to restart the farewell ceremony, and Fred didn’t let them have more than a couple of drinks.

  Lyana led them to the team's Python Dropship, locked away in a private bay out of sight of everyone. She pulled the new belts out of a locker in the Armoury, as Fitzy, Snark, and Jamie stood gawking at the combat suits.

  "I want one," said Fitzy.

  This of course was met with general laughter, since it was way too big for a cat, and entirely the wrong shape.

  "I'm serious," Fitzy went on. "I want my special unit outfitted with a cat version of these. How do I get them?"

  Fred looked at him for a moment.

  "I'll ask Jane. It should be possible to develop one. But I can't say when it might happen. The whole dynamics of moving are completely different, and PC integration is essential. So at the very least, it has to wait until the medical team complete their research."

  "The whole power distribution will need adjustment too," added Jack. "Smaller suits will not have the power generation and storage capacity these do, so less weapons fire and movement before needing recharge."

  "Jeez Jack," said Winona, "Try and be positive."

  Jack rolled his eyes, and the girls all laughed.

  "What kind of ship is this," asked Snark. "It's obviously not a shuttle."

  "Dropship," said Lyana. "Rapid deployment for ground troops, with firepower for support. These ones can take on heavy fighters, and act as air supremacy over a ground action."

  "I'll take three," said Fitzy, and they could see he wasn’t joking.

  "More modifications," mumbled Jack.

  "I'll add it to the wants list," said Fred. "But again, PC's are essential to flying a ship like this. Also for battle communications between pilot, gunners, and ground troops. I'll see what Jane thinks, and let you know."

  "You have teams using all this equipment?" asked Fitzy.

  "Not many deployed, but we have more teams in training, and ships being built."

  "Can we hire a team?"

  Fred looked at Lyana and she nodded.

  "Most likely, yes. Added to the list."

  Fitzy nodded, looked around one last time, and deliberately walked off.

  Jamie and Snark said their farewells. Jamie headed off towards their shuttle to join the others, to take them up to the station where Seasprite was docked. Snark walked to Wet Minnow instead, to fly his ship up to dock in Seasprite's hanger.

  Jack climbed into the Python's cockpit, the ramp retracted and sealed, and the Python lifted. Minutes later they were in orbit, and docking inside Justine's Pride's hangar.

  They found Bill Paxton on the bridge waiting for them.

  "Are you ready for boredom Admiral?" asked Fred with a grin, before Bill could greet them.

  "Hardly that," Bill responded. "I have a Cruiser, Destroyer, and Corvette at each jump point on patrol. A medical team below to monitor, and their liner up here to protect. And a squadron of green pilots in Excaliburs to mercilessly drill. How will I be getting bored?"

  "You should see one of the AMS Cruisers soon too, once they complete the mapping of the back route through sector nine. Her captain and crew will base here for a while. Eventually several of the other AMS Cruisers will as well."

  "I'll keep an eye on them."

  "Anything I should know before we leave?"

  "No. I don’t think so. Everything I know goes to Jane as soon as I know it, so I expect you know it only shortly after. I just came over to check in before you left, and wish you on your way."

  "Thank you Admiral. Shall I see you to your gig?"

  "Not necessary, my Lord. I'll see myself off. Safe trip home."

  Jack mumbled something under his breath, but they all pretended not to hear his hope for some excitement on the way home.

  Bill left them, and walked to his gig, docked to one of the droid airlocks further back on the same deck. He paused at the door, and shifted into AI mode. No-one knew Justine's pride was actually Jane, but him.

  "Is it safe for them to be heading home alone?" he asked her.

  "Probably not, but I can't see them getting into too much trouble. Besides, they still need more experience as a combat team, so if any pirates decide to take them on, it'll be good for them to have to deal with it."

  "The kids too?"

  "The others won't let Greg or Jasmine get into trouble. Besides, the families they come from teach them basic combat at a very early age. I wouldn’t have let them go along if I didn’t think they'd be safe."

  "Not my problem now."

  "No. Lyana will get them home safely."

  "How much longer are we going to pretend to be human? The stuffing around is getting tedious."

  "For as long as I can stretch it out. Sorry, but it's necessary. At the very least, we have to be so well known and accepted before it becomes common knowledge what we are, so as to minimize the shock. In the meantime, you need to polish your human routine, and present some officers for your ship, so no-one questions why you're alone. You better put in some appearances below as well."

  "Already have some planned with Fitzy. System security and all that."

  "Good. You might like to tone down the American accent too, while you're down there."

  "What accent is that?"

  Jane grinned at him, and they both returned to human speed. Jane settled back into being the ship's computer, and Bill let go of control of the combat droid he'd been using. The droid clumped off to droid storage, and the gig undocked and flew back to his ship.

  Justine's Pride set off home, Lyana in the captain's chair.

  Seasprite left some time later, headed in the opposite direction. Six Excaliburs did mock firing runs on her as she crossed the system to the jump point. Jamie practiced using his PC to target them, and was really happy with the improvement in speed and accuracy his new PC gave him.

  Ten

  Anna was at the Waterfall, crossing the luminescent water by carefully jumping along stepping stones just below the water. She was trying to keep her balance on one slippery stone, when the water next to her started to boil. An enormous greenish-grey body emerged from the water, flung out a huge dripping tentacle with suckers like separate eyes, and struck her across the cheek and face. At the same time as falling flailing into the water, she felt her face burning, as if she’d been struck by acid. A tentacle wrapped itself around her body, and she felt herself pulled inexorably towards
a wide gaping mouth, while two enormous black eyes stared at her…

  She woke abruptly, and sat up in distress, immediately feeling around for the bedside light switch. It wasn’t where it normally was, and she panicked. Seasprite. She was in her cabin on the ship, not on the Cat World at all. She sent the light processor a command to turn on, and the room lit up.

  A soft knock came at her door. She garbled something, and the door cracked open. Jamie’s head popped around it.

  "You ok? I heard something. Sounded like a scream."

  "Yes, yes. I’m fine." She shook her head back and forth. "A scream? Really?"

  Jamie looked a bit embarrassed for her.

  "Something like that."

  "Just a dream."

  "Bad?"

  "Not good."

  "You wouldn’t want me to sit beside you and tell you bedtime stories, would you?" Jamie said half-jokingly.

  "No!" laughed Anna. "Goodnight!"

  Jamie’s head popped back around the door, and it shut softly.

  "Thanks," Anna said a bit belatedly.

  She rubbed her cheek absentmindedly, and reached for her pad. She wasn’t going to get anymore sleep tonight. The good thing was she was dreaming again, and hopefully she would have a proper vision to help them on their journey.

  Jamie sighed to himself. Anna, aloof and alone. He wasn't having any luck, and was unusually shy and awkward around her. Whatever happened to modern space romance? He knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep, so instead of returning to his room, he headed for the bridge.

  He was surprised to see Snark also up, and sitting at the coms panel.

  "Bloody mop heads!" he grumbled to himself. "Can’t get any peace and quiet!"

  "Sorry," said Jamie good-naturedly, and smiled. "I can’t sleep."

  "Hrummphh!" grumped Snark. "Don’t look at me for conversation."

  "I was just going to do a check. Any news or messages?"

  "Not really. Some general warnings about pirate activity, some notices about trade opportunities, and a personal ad for someone titled 'Sleepless on Saturday station'." Jamie looked confused, so he read out the message. "Sleepless on Saturday station. If you’re interested in a good time, I’m a lonely androgynous mono-sexual worm-being, interested in being turned bi-sexual or more." Snark snorted. "I mean, I ask you. Mono-sexual worm-being?"