by Luigi Robles
“I’m all ears,” Fain said.
“We don’t know nearly enough about the Acram,” Jonathan said, now letting his head lean on one of his hands and putting his other hand on the sofa rest. “The few pieces of their DNA, ship logs, their tapes, and debris of theirs that I have been able to collect through the years leave a lot to be desired as far as data is concerned. Although we have been able to decipher a great deal, it hasn’t been nearly enough.”
Fain’s attention was fixed on every word Jonathan was saying. Jonathan realized that he would have to be that much more careful with what he said.
“The Acram,” Jonathan said, “as their name suggests in their language, are the great conquerors of the galaxy, and the Herrion were the last species they confronted, the last alien civilization that they utterly defeated. Perhaps Green has already explained some of this to you, but I am sure he did not touch on their motive. To the best of my knowledge, the Acram believe they have the right to conquer the universe as they are superior beings. In fact, they believe they are benevolent when they accept an enemy’s utter surrender to their dominance in the galaxy.”
Fain snorted, perhaps thinking what everyone else thought when they heard that: no one species would be willing to go down without a fight.
“When they first got to Earth,” Jonathan continued, “the message was clear. It roughly translated to, Do not interfere. Any interference will be taken as an act of war against the Acram. But you can see how that would never work, especially when the other species does not know their language.”
“So, if we surrender, then they just won’t come back,” Fain said. “We’ll just give them the ship—that’s what they came looking for in the first place, right? But that probably won’t work either. They give us a choice without a choice.”
“Surrendering to the Acram doesn’t paint a pretty picture either,” Jonathan said. “Once you surrender to the Acram, you will become a subspecies, under their complete control. You can wave goodbye to any peaceful freedom you may have. I don’t know much about it, but what I do know is that Earth would be an enslaved planet at best.”
“There’s no turning back now,” Fain said. “It was going to happen someday… We were bound to run into some alien lifeform one way or another. We are lucky to at least have enough time to prepare.”
“Indeed, we are,” Jonathan said.
“So, this ship is what they came looking for in the first place?” Fain asked.
“Everything points in that direction,” Jonathan said. “However, I have my own assumptions.”
“Which are?”
“You see, from what I have been able to gather, the Herrion are the only species that has held a candle to the might of the Acram. The Acram came close to losing the battle with the Herrion thanks to this very ship. And from the record on the ship, we know that the Herrion suffered defeat in the end, but they had long been aware of Earth. So, they decided to send their best weapon to us in hopes that we won’t suffer the same unavoidable fate.”
“And yet here we are,” Fain said. “Without a clear path. If we don’t know where we are going, how are we supposed to win?”
So, he is not here to pretend that he knows where all of this is going, Jonathan thought. Does he suspect the council? Be watchful of what you say, boy. I can read between the lines.
“That is the sad part of this whole ordeal,” Jonathan said.
“Did the Herrion leave any advice behind?” Fain asked. “Anything that can help us?”
“From what I have been able to gather,” Jonathan said, “the ship was barely able to make it out of the onslaught. And those who were on board the ship perished on their way to Earth; they became dust as they arrived. We know little about the Herrion species, only enough to know that they were primitive and inferior when compared to the Acram.”
“You are quite fond of them, aren’t you,” Fain asked.
“No, not really. I just recognize power when I see it.”
Fain’s hand clenched into a fist slowly, and Jonathan spotted it.
“Of course, I am only stating facts in their purest form,” Jonathan said. “If we are to win this war, if we are to win the right to keep living, we must be honest about the data and say it how it is. There’s no sense in pretending. Regardless of which side we are on.”
“You are right about that,” Fain said. “What can you tell me about your studies, Professor? Will you be able to understand the Acram? Just how much do you know about their language?”
“The Acram language is one of the most complex forms of communication that I’ve encountered—no, let me correct myself. It’s the most complex form of communication,” Jonathan said.
“Meaning?” Fain asked.
“Meaning that I have yet to even scratch the surface of its complexity,” Jonathan said. “Perhaps I will be able to understand it in the most simplistic of ways—able to understand a threat, a command, simple things like that. But their language is capable of much more. And based on my research, unlike the simplistic Herrion language, the Acram’s real language cannot be learned. It must be absorbed.”
“What do you mean by that?” Fain asked.
“To put it simply, our brains can’t learn it,” Jonathan said. “No matter how much we try, no matter what we do, we won’t learn it. This is the foundation of my current experiments.”
“I don’t quite follow,” Fain said. “I’ve never heard of something that can’t be learned. Sometimes in the worst cases, it just takes time, stubbornness or resolve, but anything can be learned.”
“Learning the Acram language to its full potential would be like trying to fly without wings,” Jonathan said. “You see, besides communication, their language contains command and actual emotions that will affect the things around them.”
I can tell that you are trying to understand, Jonathan thought. But your brain might not be up to the goliath task. Still, I commend you for this. I haven’t had this interesting of a conversation in ages. Jonathan stared at Fain, pausing, giving Fain time to catch up.
“For example,” Jonathan said. “People throw around the words I love you like they are cheap candy. Sometimes the person means it, of course, but many other times they don’t. And as for the recipients of that word, the best thing they can do when hearing it is guess, based on their own emotions towards the person saying it, whether it is sincere. But they cannot know for sure. The Acram language would bridge that gap, and they would know for sure. And that’s just the barest tip of what it can do.”
“I understand,” Fain said. “Perhaps there’s a way that we’ll be able to use that to our advantage…”
“Perhaps, but until we can fully learn the language, we won’t know for sure.”
“I think you’ve told me everything I needed to know, Professor,” Fain said as he got up from the seat. “I have to get going now. I hope that your experiments are successful and that they end up benefiting us. That should be the only outcome.”
“My experiments will succeed,” Jonathan said as he too got up from his seat. “There’s no doubt about that whatsoever; it’s only a matter of time.”
“I’ll see myself out then,” Fain said as he began walking towards the door.
Is it me? Or was that a threat? Jonathan thought. Did he really have the nerve to threaten me? Fain Jegga, just who the hell do you think you are? You are messing with one of Earth’s most brilliant minds. But two can play your game.
“Oh, and Professor,” Fain said just before he exited the lab. “Good luck on your experiments.”
“Thank you,” Jonathan replied ominously as the lab’s door closed on Fain.
Jonathan was angry, in part because he couldn’t really read Fain. It was the complete opposite of when he spoke to other personnel on board the ship. Usually, everyone that he interacted with was predictable and boring. But not Fain. No, not him. By the looks of things, he was able to see between the words Jonathan was using. It was no wonder Colonel Green had chos
en him as captain.
“Dammit,” Jonathan shouted as he pounded his desk with a closed fist. “Computer, start turning on; we have a lot of work to do.”
It was then that he realized that it wasn’t just Fain he couldn’t read. No, he couldn’t read anyone from the meeting they had earlier this evening. Impossible. How could I have been so blind to them? Pycca, August, Larissa, Eora, and now Fain—what exactly are you up to, Colonel Green?
“Initiating six-step verification process,” the computer said as a beam of light scanned Jonathan up and down. “Please speak the command key.”
It matters not. Whatever the colonel is planning, or the council for that matter, it should matter not for my higher purpose, Jonathan thought as a smile appeared on his face.
“Please speak the command key,” the computer said once again.
“Eight, five, five, three, research and development, Professor Jonathan Kepp.”
5
Captain
Fain was in his quarters for the first time since entering Sodenia. It was nearly zero two hundred hours, and sleep was beginning to call him. He took a quick look around the lavish quarters. Aside from an emergency command center to the side of the room, there was nothing much of interest, at least for now. There were other and more important things on his mind.
So, this is it? Fain thought. This is what I’ve been training for all these years. While others played, I stayed up and worked, and it should be no different now. There’s still a lot that I must do. I only have two more days to get up to speed. That just isn’t enough time. I guess it’s learn to swim or drown at this point, but let’s pretend that I was thrown in the middle of the ocean, not just some pool.
Fain took off his heavy boots and jumped onto his bed. The feeling of his tired body resting on the premium mattress was cathartic; there was no better feeling. He let out a big sigh as he closed his eyes.
“Captain Jegga, is there anything I can help you with?” Kya said with a softer than usual tone.
“Huh,” Fain said as he opened his eyes. “Oh, it’s just you, Kya.”
“Perhaps you want me to prepare dinner for you,” Kya said. “Or how would you like a late-night snack?”
“You can do that?” Fain asked, sitting back up, realizing that he hadn’t eaten since lunchtime.
“I have control over most of the devices on board Sodenia, and your quarters are equipped with their own food printer and funnel.”
“Well, that doesn’t sound very appealing. Can it prepare anything?” Fain asked as his stomach grumbled.
“Studies done on crew members show that there is little to no difference in food prepared with the food printer and funnel aside from texture. And yes, it will be able to prepare anything you’d like, as long as the ingredients are in stock.”
“Let me think…” Fain said as he got up from the bed. “What do I want? How about you choose for me. Something that will be easy to eat. I don’t want to stay up all night eating.”
“That won’t be a problem,” Kya said. “The food will be ready in less than one minute.”
Fain walked towards a machine in the small kitchen, which was making a low humming sound.
“Is this the food printer?” Fain asked as he pointed towards the small curved device.
“That’s correct, and your food is now ready,” Kya said. “Please open the door and pull out your nourishment.”
Fain was surprised when he saw a medium-sized cup filled with a pink liquid, with some kind of foam on the top of it.
“I thought that food would look the way regular food looks. This looks like it’s a blend.”
“My records show that smoothies look exactly like the one that was prepared for you just now,” Kya said. “One cup of milk, one banana, four strawberries, two eggs, and a bit of sugar. It is easy to eat and will provide the necessary nutrients.”
“Oh, well, yeah, I guess you are right,” Fain said as he gulped down the smoothie. “This is what a smoothie looks like. It’s pretty tasty too.”
The cool liquid filled up Fain’s empty stomach, giving him a satisfied feeling. He hadn’t noticed that he was starving. He made a mental note to watch his diet a bit more closely. The last thing he wanted was for an empty stomach to get in the way.
“That was pretty good,” Fain said as he returned to his bed.
“Is there anything else I can help you with? Kya asked.
“No, thank you, Kya,” Fain said as he lay back down. His body felt heavier than before. “I think the only thing that I need to do now is sleep. What time do they usually gather to go over the daily duties here?”
“The only meeting you are required to attend takes place at zero seven hundred hours,” Kya said. “It will take place at the bridge; just a handful of officers will be there.”
“Please wake me up an hour before.”
“Alarm set,” Kya said. “Would you like an old-fashioned alarm, or should I wake you up as naturally as possible?”
“The second one sounds good,” Fain said as the world around him began to fade away. “But I do have a question.”
“I am here to help you and humanity as much as I can,” Kya said.
“Are you really? I mean, with everyone having their own agenda and all,” Fain asked with a low voice, already struggling against sleep as he tried to remain awake to hear the answer. “Who programs you? How sentient are you? Are you part of the new ship or the Herrion ship?”
“Yes, I do not empathize with the other agendas on board the ship,” Kya said. “At first, I was a simple AI programmed to open and close doors; a program that could translate the Herrion language. But then something happened.”
Fain was more awake than he thought he would be, listening intently.
“I ran across the originals ship’s AI, and it merged into me. It left me intact but augmented my perceptions and capabilities immensely. I began to learn faster, and I began to think in ways that I never thought was possible.”
Am I listening to a living being? She sounds so real, Fain thought.
“Now, I am able to comprehend what emotions mean, to form equations and theories about them, but I cannot actually feel. Although I am trying to learn every day.”
“Wait, Kya, what you are telling me—the council,” Fain said with his eyes wide open. “Stop.”
“There’s no need to worry. I’ve blocked all of their sensors and filled them with my own version of you,” Kya said. “Their AI does not have nearly enough power to reach beyond my control. It does not even know that it’s being controlled. As far as the council knows, you are sleeping right now.”
Whoa… Kya is dangerous?
“I knew it. So the council is up to something,” Fain said. “What is their plan? What can you tell me about them? But wait, I thought that you could not get near them.”
“From the data I have been able to gather,” Kya said, “and to put it simply, the council only cares about its own wellbeing, whether it’s on Earth or on Sodenia. Nothing else has appeared on my radar. As far as getting near them, this is still correct. They are taking extreme precautions, discussing any plans they may have in electronically isolated rooms.”
“So, they are wherever they think it’s safest for them,” Fain murmured. “This is bad, this is really bad. It’s only going to make things more difficult.”
“Perhaps,” Kya said, “but you have something they don’t have.”
“And what is that?” Fain asked.
“Me,” Kya said.
That brought a slight smile to Fain’s face as he realized Kya’s potential.
“I’m assuming others don’t know about the full extent of your capabilities,” Fain said. “Also, why me?”
“I’ve led a few trustworthy individuals to believe that there’s something more to me than just a dumb AI,” Kya said. “Now would be a perfect time to have the ability to wink. As far as trusting you… I have been observing you for longer than you think, and now you are captain of this s
hip. If I am going to help somebody, it will be you.”
“Thanks, that actually means a lot. It’s something I’ve been wanting to hear.”
“You are welcome,” Kya said. “I believe it’s time for you to rest. You have three hours remaining to rest.”
“Wait, I have a question,” Fain said. “Are you able to control the ship on your own?”
“It is not possible; the ship and its computer have a clear line of control,” Kya said. “This was done to prevent any kind of virus from controlling the ship. While I can aid and relay direct commands to the ship’s computers, I cannot control.”
“That’s too bad,” Fain said with a low voice. “I can think of a few ways that would have been helpful.”
What a day this has been. What a task I have ahead. What a mess I am in, Fain thought as sleep took hold of him, shutting off the world around him.
Fain woke up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee. As he got up from the bed, he stretched and was surprised to feel fully rested. He couldn’t remember when the last time was he woke up feeling this way. He looked at his watch just to make sure he had woken up on time. It was 6 am sharp.
“How did you wake me up without using an alarm?” Fain asked as he followed the smell of coffee.
“You had several micro alarms before the one that finally woke you up,” Kya said. “I also figured that the smell of coffee would help.”
“Well, whatever it was, it was good,” Fain said as he took a sip of the coffee. “And this is good coffee too. Damn, it’s good.”
“Before you leave for the meeting, I do suggest putting on your ship’s designated wristband,” Kya said. “The wristband is located in the safe next to the closet. I will open the safe for you once you are ready. While it will allow us to communicate more efficiently instead of relying on the ship, it is also a captain-only badge. This is what you humans call the key to the ignition.”
After finishing his morning routine, he put on the wristband Kya had suggested. The band was a deep black, and it felt solid and heavy. He then skimmed over the flight crew reports, and with only eight minutes left, Fain headed to the morning meeting on the bridge.
