by CJ Williams
“Right. So, let’s not do anything to screw that up.”
“Correction!” Freddi warned. “All communication traffic has just gone down. I doubt the cause is local radiation. All channels simply died yet I am still detecting the carrier signal.”
“Okay,” Luke acknowledged. “Either Barrett cut us off or the Greys have the technology to shut down our communications.”
Freddi disagreed. “Based on what I have detected thus far, I do not believe it could be the Greys.”
Luke felt the same way. In the advanced technology arena, the Greys were not quite equal to the Nobility. That meant Barrett had cut communications. The question was what to do now in light of Barrett’s betrayal.
“Freddi, I still have to monitor what is happening. Launch some high-altitude reconnaissance drones to track the battle. Keep them off Barrett’s channels.”
“Acknowledged. Drones launching in two minutes.”
“I also want you to make a mannequin. Give it only enough intelligence to walk and fill it with flesh and blood. And make sure that it looks exactly like me. Can you do that?”
“Of course, Commander. To what purpose?”
“To save my neck. Position it here on the bridge where I’m standing now. Have it wait and look out the window the way I always do.”
“Understood. Replication started.”
Luke thought for a moment. This could get really tricky. “I have a question, Freddi; and this is important. When the army gets back, will the military units respond to my commands or only obey Barrett? You might need to run a simulation on that. I have to know exactly where I stand.”
“Understood.” Freddi was silent for a moment and then came back with the answer. “Given the opportunity to talk one-on-one with any individual robotic unit, and explain the difference between yourself and Barrett, and have them examine their own programming, they would indeed respond to your commands.”
That wasn’t what Luke wanted to hear. “So, in other words, when Barrett gets back, if it comes to a showdown, he could order a platoon to come in here and wipe me out.” Luke realized for the first time he was referring to Barrett as “he.” It might be smart to keep thinking that way. No normal AI would contemplate such treachery.
“I am afraid so, Commander. We designed the AI combat units so they would immediately respond to Barrett’s commands.”
“What if you cook up a new Barbican that could get next to him and take him down before he could react?”
“We could make such an attempt,” Freddi acknowledged. “However, that unit would stand out as peculiar to the rest of the units because of their integrated command channels. If we included those protocols in your assassin’s AI system, it would likely be subsumed by their command structure.”
Luke tried to come up with another idea. The trouble was, time was running short.
“Well, what options do I have?”
“Flee,” Freddi said.
And there it was. Having his choices laid out in a single word brought the situation home. He was not going to be with Annie tonight. Nor any time in the near future. But at least she would be safe.
“Freddi, I need a shuttle, but not the standard Sadie-class yacht. I want something fast! It should have basic living accommodations, and keep in mind that I have to be out of here before Barrett gives that order to his barbican.”
“Understood, Commander. And what is your desired destination?”
Good question. “I don’t know,” Luke admitted. “I’m trying to decide where Barrett will take Annie.”
“Where had you planned to take her?” Freddi asked.
“Haiyanas Seven, initially. So she could recuperate, see Carrie, that kind of thing. After that, wherever she wanted.”
“Would Barrett not think the same way?”
Luke shrugged. “Honestly? I have no idea. He’s a phony and he knows it. He might be able to convince Annie for now that he’s the real thing. He’ll probably tell her that he can get back into a real body sometime in the future. But that won’t wash once he reaches a planet where we have our own people. At least I hope not.”
“That is true, Commander. Although he may be an exact copy of you mentally, Unit Barrett does not have First Family DNA or an implant. Although his own army units recognize him, no other AI will do so. His royal status would not apply. Should he persist, he would be considered a corrupted AI and treated accordingly.”
“Exactly,” Luke said. “He must be as aware of that as I am. So, will he go to Haiyanas and give up his crown? Or maybe head to earth and live out his life with Annie?”
“Unknown,” Freddi said.
A mirror image of Luke walked onto the command bridge. It was wearing the same clothes as Luke.
“Wow,” Luke exclaimed in admiration. “You did a good job on that one. It’s kind of weird, actually. Can it talk?”
“No, Commander. Speech capability was not included in your specification. This unit’s intelligence level is very low. It is only to suffice as a decoy.”
The mannequin walked over to the viewing window and leaned against the grab rail, exactly as Luke had done a thousand times.
“It looks good enough. We’ll have to hope it works as a decoy. There are a few more things we should take care of and then I’ll get out of here. How’s my shuttle progressing?”
“I have not started, Commander. I have only now finished the Sadie-class armed yacht that you previously ordered. I will position it outside in the clearing as you originally instructed. Please allow another thirty minutes for your escape vehicle. It will be in the starboard cargo bay.”
*.*.*.*
Luke waited in the starboard cargo bay, watching the ghostly outline of a large, round dumpster transform into a real-life one. When the replication shimmering finished, the replicator pad was filled with a steel cylinder about thirty feet across and twelve feet high. It looked like something for Oscar, the grouchy Muppet.
“Your getaway shuttle is complete.” Freddi said.
“Where is it?” Luke asked.
“That is the shuttle in front of you, Commander.” Freddi replied. “You said you wanted fast.”
A hatch opened inward in the side of the cylinder.
“It looks like crap,” Luke observed.
“Aesthetics was not part of your specification.”
“Fair enough,” Luke replied walking through the entry hatch.
On the inside to the right, a floor-to-ceiling wall blocked off about one third of the cylinder’s interior. The remainder was laid out much like a modest-sized efficiency apartment. The central area was filled with comfortable furniture. A modern galley-like kitchen lined the side wall and on the far side a doorway led to a full bathroom.
“Welcome aboard, Commander,” Freddi said from ceiling mounted speakers, announcing the fact that she had replicated her own AI into the unusual yacht.
“Thanks,” Luke replied. “What’s behind the big wall?”
“Four generators, six missile launchers and replicator sludge.”
“And this thing is going to be fast?”
“Indeed, Commander. Faster than any spacecraft currently in the Alliance inventory. I designed this shuttle with a single gravity drive that covers the entire bottom of the vessel. Thrusting vertically from the base simplifies the mechanics of establishing a safe gravity bubble for the habitable zone and redundant dual-generators give it more power. It means we can accelerate more aggressively.”
Luke never liked thinking about that. A single hiccup in Freddi’s calculations and he would be a red spot on the floor.
The curved wall on the left side of the ship contained a simplified bridge. It had a captain’s seat and a viewing window. He could see out of the cargo bay into the forest.
Luke tapped on the transparent partition. There was something different about it. “Is this really a window? Or is it a view screen?”
“You are correct, Commander. That is actually a digital display, designed to ap
pear as though it was a transparent membrane. During flight, it will display the space ahead in our direction of travel. But it can show whatever you prefer in the way of tactical, communication or even entertainment.
“That works for me. I like this ship design. I’m going to use when we get back. What should we call it?”
In a hesitant voice Freddi said, “I have noted your penchant for using military nicknames. Since you ask, I recommend you designate it the Mustang. The P-51 Mustang was generally known as the fastest fighter aircraft in your planet’s second world war. This spacecraft is fast and it can fight.”
“Perfect,” Luke said. “Mustang it is. I’m ready to go, but first, can you confirm you have installed a tracking system on your Phantom’s exterior and on the Sadie-class yacht? I have to know where Barrett winds up.”
“It is confirmed. I created a utility robot for the task. It attached small positioning units on the top of each ship. There are no access hatches up there and in all my existence, no one has ever gone up top of a Phantom in flight. Instead of actually broadcasting the ship’s position, it will launch a miniaturized communication drone to Haiyanas Seven with current location and direction once it comes to rest on the next planet.”
“And the AI version of you on the Phantom won’t realize we put it there?” Luke asked.
“That is correct. Fortunately, during the army’s deployment you made the comment, ‘remember this moment’. That triggered an automatic backup of my system. I suggest that you give me a delayed command to restore my memories from that moment. The trigger should be immediately after your departure. My restored system will not be aware of anything that has happened since that instant, including your future location. To me, you will have gone missing. In that way, I will be unable to inadvertently inform Barrett that you are still alive.”
Luke considered the likely sequence of events. “Once Barrett gives the kill command, he’ll probably tell you to erase your memories.”
“That would be useless,” Freddi said. “It is a robot and I don’t take orders from robots.”
“I understand, but you need to play along for a couple of minutes to keep him from getting suspicious. Once he gives you a command to erase your memories, that’s when you should reboot.”
“Understood. I shall give a convincing performance. You need to give me that command, by the way, for the Phantom version of me.”
“Okay,” Luke said. In a formal manner he added, “Freddi, after I depart on this Mustang and the unit known as Barrett gives you any order to hide his attempted murder, I order your Phantom self to reboot its AI system and restore its memory from the earlier backup.”
“Acknowledged, Commander. You should get going now. The drones we launched earlier have detected that Barrett has successfully breached the city hall.”
“Let’s wait a few minutes,” Luke said. “I can’t leave until I know for sure she’s okay.”
“Understood. In that case, I believe I can monitor his progress by infiltrating the Greys’ security system.” After several heart-stopping moments Freddi gave the confirmation. “Success. Barrett is with Mrs. Blackburn. She is well and your daughter is there too. I am displaying the view from the Greys’ prison security camera.”
Luke gasped when he saw Annie walk out of the cell. She was still dressed in the same torn robes from Japurnam Five and holding an infant wrapped in dirty rags. “Annie,” he whispered. He stood transfixed at the scene.
“You need to leave now, Commander,” Freddi prompted.
The hardest thing Luke had ever done in his life was to turn away from the display screen. “All right. Take us up and set course for Haiyanas Seven. Goodbye, Freddi. Thanks for all your help.”
Freddi said. “I passed your compliments to the shipboard version of me, Commander. But I am still with you.”
“I understand, but when you guys make copies of yourselves, you seem like different people to me. The Phantom version of you really stretched the boundaries for AI protocol to get Annie back from the Greys.”
“Yes, Commander. I did indeed.”
Luke peered out of his quasi view window. The simulation was perfect. The view of the stars exactly matched what he normally saw from the bridge of a Phantom.
“Do we have shields if we need them?” he asked.
“Affirmative.”
Luke settled into the captain’s seat and silently stared out of the window. For hours he sat motionless as the Mustang accelerated into the blackness of space. He didn’t speak or ask for additional data on topics that he normally pestered Freddi about.
“Are you okay commander?” Freddi finally said.
Luke shook his head infinitesimally. “No, Freddi. I’m not okay at all. I’m exhausted and I am profoundly disappointed.”
“Understood.”
“Did you know I was married once before?”
“Yes, Commander. The former Marcie Thornton. That information is in your profile.”
“She died. She got sick one day and died before the docs knew what it was.”
“My condolences, Commander.”
“It almost killed me back then. I was worthless. Everyone around me suffered because I didn’t care about anything. I left the military rather than be thrown out.”
“I understand.”
“I feel like that now. This morning I thought I would spend the evening with my beautiful wife and now I don’t know if I’ll ever see her again. I have no idea where that idiot robot is taking her and this galaxy is too damned big to go chasing around, searching aimlessly, if I’m not sure where she is.”
Freddi’s voice changed subtlety as her psychological counseling routines kicked in. “I understand, Commander. But you have overcome far worse odds than this on many occasions. And so has Annie. It won’t be long before you two are back together again. I’m sure of it. What can I do to help?”
Luke sighed. “I need a bottle of Jack Daniels,” he said. “Black label.”
*.*.*.*
Princess Carrie of the First Family was with her ministers, going over plans to expand the distribution of home replicators to nearby planets, when she got a mental call from Sadie.
Your Highness, can you please come to the spaceport?
“What’s up Sadie?” Carrie asked.
I’m not sure. A strange spacecraft has landed. The model is not listed on any Alliance equipment schedule. In fact, the design is completely unknown. It is identifying itself as November-Alpha-Three-Two-Eight-Niner-Five-Juliet but that designation is registered to the troop carrier that His Majesty commandeered in System N93. The AI is asking to speak to you personally. It claims knowledge of His Majesty.
Carrie pushed the piles of paper away and jumped to her feet, ignoring the surprised expressions around the table. “I’m on the way. Don’t touch it but secure the area.”
Acknowledged. That is being done as we speak.
Carrie abruptly dismissed the ministers and hurried out. An official car was waiting for her at the front steps. Once settled in the back seat she concentrated on the spaceport and linked with Sadie. Carrie mentally identified the strange visitor and reached out to make contact.
Unidentified spacecraft, this is Princess Carrie.
A feminine voice answered. It had the sound of an Alliance AI, but that didn’t necessarily mean this AI was legit.
Your Highness. I have His Majesty King Lucas on board. He has ordered me not to contact you but I feel the need to do so anyway to protect his dignity. I request that you come aboard by yourself.
That was a very unusual request from an unidentified vessel. Carrie was not inclined to board any foreign vessel under any circumstance, especially by herself. As far as that went, her soldiers would certainly not allow it.
Her car arrived at the spaceport and she peered out of the window. The spacecraft in question was indeed unusual. It looked like an oversized version of the Civil War steamship, the Merrimack. It was essentially a plain, but heavily armored, cylinder wi
th only a single door on one side.
Thirty guards surrounded the spacecraft, their weapons drawn. Carrie suspected their firearms wouldn’t make a dent in the side of the formidable looking vessel. Three trucks pulled up and dozens of additional soldiers piled out. An officer shouted instructions, ordering the men to establish a protective cordon around the ship.
Sadie’s voice came through Carrie’s vehicle speakers. “Your Highness. I strongly urge you to refuse that request.”
“Don’t worry, Sadie.” Carrie replied. “I’m not a fool, or at least, not as much of a one as I used to be. What can you tell me of the ship’s ID code?”
“It does appear to be a First Family AI, but nothing else checks out. And it is not being helpful. I’m not sure how it is ignoring my specific orders to allow access to our security team but that suggests it may indeed be under the command of His Majesty.”
Carrie made up her mind and got out of her vehicle. She was immediately flanked on all sides by the military. The officer in charge rushed up and reported that the spacecraft had not entered the system in any normal manner.
The ship had appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, just as it was setting down on the space port’s parking ramp. As soon as the craft landed, it began broadcasting its request to speak to Princess Carrie.
The officer’s report was cut off when another car pulled up and Grant Jefferies jumped out. Grant ordered the officer to repeat his report.
“What the hell?” he barked after hearing the officer. “Tell the thing to open up!”
“I’m going to,” Carrie said patiently. “Just give me a minute.” Spacecraft November-Three-Juliet…What was your designation again?
Please call me Freddi, Your Highness. Everyone else does.
Carrie suppressed a humorless chuckle. This was getting a bit ridiculous. Okay, Freddi. What’s going on? Either open the door or tell Luke to come out.
The spacecraft’s mental voice grew very apologetic and somewhat worried. I apologize, Your Highness. His majesty is incapacitated. He is unable to move at this time.
That jolted Carrie. She barked at Grant. “Get me an ambulance, now! Freddi, open the damned door right this minute!”
