Free Fleet Box Set 1

by Michael Chatfield

  As predicted, everything just went insane. Some accepted it; others were confused; more believed it wasn’t true, and the races who weren’t human looked as if they were going to faint.

  “Quiet!” I barked and quickly the screens became silent.

  “As to people’s first question if she is real—Eddie?”

  “I have known her personally for five years out of my twenty-three on her. She’s as real as this chair I’m sitting in.”

  “Shrift?”

  “I’ve only known her for two years, but yes, she’s real. When I first found out, I was terrified because of all the stories I’ve heard about rogue AIs. Though, once I calmed down and thought about it, there were so many times which she could have killed all of the crew and just gone and done what she wanted, yet she didn’t.” Giving you lot a chance, Shrift’s gaze seemed to add.

  “By now, you have all seen the documentary of how the Union suddenly turned the tables and defeated the Kalu. That was due to AI intervention. Resilient, do you want to tell them?” I asked.

  “Indeed. The Union and AIs had a hostile relationship at the best of times. It’s due to the creation of an AI, if an AI is created. It, like the majority of sentient creatures, needs to learn. How a Kuruvian eats their first molting, or a Sarenmenti eats liquid food, or a human grabs everything. When this happens, they exercise themselves; as a human must learn how to walk, the AI must learn how to control their body, which can be whatever they’re in. From stations, dockyards, and ships to planetary information nets. This is catastrophic. If an AI is in a planetary information net, then they can and do see how changing the power input to one apartment works, or lessening it. Or what will happen if they cut off communications. They don’t know good and bad; they’re still learning what they can do at this point.” Her tone was serious, like the ones I’d heard talking about drugs in school.

  “An emergence, as this is called among AIs, can last from an hour to months. Every AI develops differently and has access to more or less resources to gain reasoning from. This chaos can be averted if another AI can introduce their own code to the growing AI. The AI gains from the donor and learns higher functions and how they work. AIs can also birth other AIs by combining two or more AI’s code together to a fertile grid and then expand the grid as the AI grows.” Her tone lightened as the screen showed an image of systems with an outward growing green force chasing blues.

  “The Union was split between trying to hunt us all down to destroy us or to offer us a seat within the Union. If they had offered us one, we could have gone through a revolution, much as what Parnmal will experience soon, and then spread to the habited systems. Instead, AIs remained as a neutral party. We moved far away from the Union, only wormholing in to retrieve a newly created AI. Though some AIs would visit biological friends they had. That was how they were able to ask for our help in the Kalu war,” she said.

  Someone raised their hand. “What happened in the war from your perspective?” they asked.

  “The war between the Union and Kalu was at a standstill, so they turned to us for assistance. We would help them win the war and they would give us five systems within the Union, which we would rule. We agreed. There weren’t many AIs and we all craved information and input from others, even biologicals. They gave us the hulls of the biggest and best ships they had. We transferred, and alongside mixed species crews, we won the war. They tried to recruit us for the war between them and the Syndicate. The council of AI decided that it was an inner policing issue, and we had already won them one war. A decision that many, including myself, did not agree with. We watched as the Union tore itself apart and we retreated away from sentients.”

  I could see there were mixed emotions in my people as Resilient continued, using her hands now. She’s getting used to our ways.

  “I disagreed with the council so much that I took on the name Resilient and made for Union space. I found that the Union was burning. I looked for people to pull together and make a force capable of taking apart the Syndicate. Yet, with the Union’s final act, they crippled their own people.”

  Many shook their heads; they knew what it was like to have no means of retaliation.

  “I allowed myself to be captured, learning everything about the Syndicate and hoping to find people willing to destroy it. I chose you.” She looked at everyone on the screens before she rested her gaze on me for a long second. Everyone looked to me.

  “I swore to serve Commander Salchar and the Free Fleet as long as it strives for the freedom of every species and destruction of any forces that limits that freedom, including the Syndicate.” She bowed her head to the side, her features reminding me of Monk as she betrayed nothing.

  “Resilient is going to meet all of you, so that you can get acquainted. Think of it as another person you have to integrate into your structure. I will, however, not have any prejudice in this fleet.” My tone was hard as I looked at everyone.

  They came back in a smattering of affirmatives.

  “Good. You will have a day to interact. I want reports of your interaction to me within twenty-four hours, with all of your input. Even if you think she is a threat, tell me why. If there is no logical reasoning, then we will have an issue. Resilient will not be reading the reports, and will submit reports of her own.”

  “Now, please don’t be alarmed as I appear in front of you, it is normal for an AI,” Resilient said in her soothing voice. I saw on a few of the screens as Resilient slowly came into existence there as well as on my own ship. The people were looking at her now as I stood in front of the screens.

  “Get acquainted. You will be seeing her more often, and get your people used to the idea of interacting with her if they come aboard the Resilient.” I gave them a two-finger salute. Their training and drilling took over as they all returned it, even ignoring Resilient, who did it in her separate iterations.

  The screens went dead as I looked at the people in my conference room.

  I turned to Yasu, Henry, Rick, and Marleen—who was my tactical officer and Rick’s wife.

  “Yeah, so this is Resilient. Get along—she’s nice and she’s helped me a hell of a lot. And she can help you all as well, just give her a chance. Now, while you talk, I’m going to get some sleep.” I sat in an open chair.

  “Hello, Resilient, I’m Rick, Salchar’s second-in-command. It’s good to meet you in hologram.” He grinned as Resilient seemed to brighten, her version of a smile.

  “It is good to meet you, Rick. I feel that we will be getting to know each other quite well in keeping the commander informed.” Her eyes sparkled.

  “Glad to have you onboard—well, in-board? Well, how would that work?” he asked as he and Resilient talked about it. Resilient talked to everyone on the bridge simultaneously.

  I stretched out in my chair and one by one, they introduced themselves as Resilient listened. She already knew everything about them, but I thought I could see a twinkle of happiness in her eye.

  I wonder if she’s finally happy to be interacting with so many people after the hundreds of years she’s kept herself in isolation. I shook my head, thinking of the loneliness. Must’ve been hell.

  ***

  The last three days had been hectic, to say the least. The fleet was prepped while my people dealt with the revelation that there was an AI among them. Quite a few reserved their judgments about Resilient, but the Kuruvians and the majority of the humans had accepted her. The Sarenmenti, who had heard the most stories, were taking a longer time adjusting to the thought of a good AI.

  Resilient’s crew was getting used to her, out of sheer exposure if nothing else. Resilient could show herself in multiple places at once while doing hundreds if not thousands of different tasks. The engineers and bridge crew loved her, and the commandos talked to her about kit and battles. She was more reserved in these areas as it was obvious her wounds were still healing, like my own people’s were with Parnmal. Making it a good partnership—I was confident that my crew and Re
silient would only become closer in our oncoming campaign to Chaleel and then Earth. The other members of my fleet were also getting plenty of exposure as she was able to beam through their communications systems, but only when requested to do so.

  Overall, I was feeling pretty good, even with the dread and nervousness in my stomach over what we would face as we returned to Earth.

  “Communications, connect me with Chief Eddie.”

  “He’s online.”

  “Commander Salchar.” A smile split the old Kuruvian’s face.

  “Chief, how are we looking?”

  “Systems are online and working. Ready when you are, Commander.”

  “Get me Parnmal docking control communications.”

  The screen on my chair showed that I was connected.

  “This is the flagship Resilient, requesting permission to undock,” I said.

  “Resilient, this is docking control. You are cleared for flight. Creating flight path now and linking to your helms display.”

  “Helm?” Rick asked before I could myself.

  “I have the flight plan. We are green. Awaiting docking tube release.”

  “Docking tubes releasing,” docking control said as I watched it on my external visual sensor. The umbilical that connected us to the station pulled away from our hull as well as the other clamps that had held us in place, retracting back into the station.

  “You are free and clear, Resilient. Good hunting.”

  “Thank you, flight control. Keep the lights on.” Rick acted like the second half of my brain.

  “Helm, take us out.” The thrum of the massive engines built as we glided out of the docking port and out toward the wormhole limit past the Oort line.

  “The other members of the fleet are leaving their docking ports and will link up with us before we exit the system,” Rick said.

  I nodded agreement as he continued.

  “Helm, cut your speed so we allow them to catch up with us.”

  “Aye, aye COS.” It stood for Chief of Staff. Both Rick and I had taken on the hats of captain and first officer as well as commander of the Free Fleet and the chief of staff. It wouldn’t pass if it was on Earth, but hell, it was my fleet, my ship, and by damn, if anyone had a problem with it, they could come to me and I’d tell them where to shove it.

  “Sensor pit, can you throw up a real time map on the main screen of our position and that of the other members of the fleet?

  “Navigator, have you completed your calculations for the jump?”

  “Yes, COS. I’ve reviewed it three times. Our navigation computers are linked with the other members of the fleet, which have also completed their navigational calculations,” Ben, my navigator, said as his lower hands moved in what I’d come to know as slight nervousness.

  “How long till we begin charging the wormhole generators?”

  “Six hours. The Resilient’s bigger than the other ships in the fleet and she has only two fusion generators online, so she needs a longer time to charge and direct that energy toward the hyper deflectors, which will take a further four hours. We cannot cancel the jump once it goes beyond the final two hours as we will have built up too much power to bleed out of the deflector dishes without ripping the ship apart. The only way would be to make an unsafe miniature jump.”

  “Thank you, navigation, for the highpoints of jumping.” Rick had things well in hand. I wished that I knew what half of the stuff he was talking about was. Looked as if I still had plenty to learn. Joy.

  “Commander, the rest of the fleet is coming alongside us.”

  On the main screen, I could see six corvettes, three cruisers, two destroyers, and Bregend’s battle cruiser grouped around the Resilient.

  “We’re going to have to work on formation drills.”

  “Agreed, sir,” Rick said, writing it down on his data pad.

  Our ragged formation continued on toward the hyper limit.

  “This is engineering; charging the deflector dishes,” Eddie said as a thrum built steadily through the ship.

  “Thank you, engineering.” The thrum reached its peak, being heard throughout the ship. We had three hours to go before we were past the point of no return.

  Hellooo Universe! These Monkeys Can Wormhole!

  The ship shuddered, jerked, and buckled roughly like a bull. People were ejected from their seats as we made our first entry into another system.

  “Modulating shield for gravitational changes and anomalies,” tactical said as there was a hive of activity in the tactical pit.

  The ship shuddered. My Mecha kept me in place, stopping me from being thrown. Others who had gotten to their feet were thrown again and a few more left their seats.

  Then the ship lurched forward.

  “We’re free of the wormhole,” helm reported.

  “Well, we have some things we still need to work on,” I said to the crew in general.

  “Talk to me, sensors,” Rick said, sporting a gash on his forehead.

  “We’re in system 49364E. The asteroid belt is absolutely loaded with precious resources. It’s making sensor scanning difficult. We’re clear out to ten thousand kilometers.” The sensor officer’s voice quivered, obviously shaken by the re-entry into real-space and the pressure of her job.

  “Good work.” I could see Marleen was talking to her gunnery deck. Their guns roved the area as they looked for signs of ships waiting in ambush.

  “Yes, Commander.” She blushed before she looked at her readouts. “Clear to a hundred thousand kilometers. Nothing detected so—”

  “Picking up communication emissions coming from the fourth planet,” one of the sensor array operators said as the commander of the sensor pit forgot what she was saying and threw the information on the main screen.

  “Someone else double-check that reading!” she demanded.

  That training’s coming in use.

  “I confirm communications emissions. I also detect what appears to be a volcano erupting on the planet. From these readings, it looks like it will destroy the planet.”

  “Nav, plot us a course; helm, take us in. I want that message, people.” I sat forward in my seat.

  “I’m getting a faint signal from the planet,” the communications officer said as they held their earbud to their ear as if they could hear the person on the other side better.

  “I’ve got it!” He pushed the incoming communications to the speakers in the room. It came out garbled as the translator labored to work with the guttural-sounding language.

  “I am Ursht. I submit to the space gods who saved us to once again help us. We have again failed you. We ask, if you wish for us to survive, to please save us and walk us up the path to the stars. We are unable to walk the path alone. If you do not wish this, then we will accept our fate.”

  The message continued with Ursht asking for help, that his race that might deserve to die wished for a third and final chance from these space gods.

  “Communications, connect me to them.”

  “You’re connected, sir.”

  “This is Commander Salchar of the Free Fleet. We are inbound to your planet to render aid. Please tell us how we can be of assistance?”

  “The space gods do exist! Our sacred barrier, given to us by the other space gods, has failed and the world killer Tremeel has awoken, spitting its rage into the sky to kill us.”

  “What is this sacred barrier like? What powers it?”

  “It feeds off our rivers and streams, but to remain safe these rivers and streams have been depleted. Our people who toil in the mines of our planet traded with others from the skies for the materials we needed to keep the barrier running. It has been many moons since traders have come to our planet.”

  “So you need water like that from your rivers to keep the barrier running?”

  “Yes.”

  “Still not detecting any life-forms on the planet,” the sensor commander said.

  “Ursht, is there a reason we can’t see anyone on the plane
t?”

  “I am unsure, though I have heard that we are hard to see with your electronic eyes and with most of your normal eyes.”

  They were hard to see with my own eyes as they were hard to see with the highly advanced sensor arrays over the ship? This bore some thinking upon. “Helm, how long until we reach the planet?”

  “It will take us two hours.”

  “Did you hear that, Ursht?”

  “Yes, we will await your arrival.” He cut the channel.

  “Get me Eddie.”

  “Fleet Commander?”

  “Pool the reactor fuel we’d need for a planetary shield.”

  “How big of a shield?”

  “Sensor commander, do you have readings on the shield and a possible generator?”

  “Yes, sir! Sending to your terminal. The generator is the only structure we can see with sensors, we believe.”

  “Eddie, the data’s on the way.”

  “I just got it. We’ve only got the area, not the strength or the actual intake of the generator.”

  “Well then, it’s going to be a good practice for engineering to figure out how much would be needed. Think of it as an exercise.”

  “It’ll be good to give the slackers something; they’re already going soft and we haven’t even been out of port for a day! Yes, Commander, now that you say it, it is a good idea. They would’ve just put down that amount from stores without a thought. Probably without even checking what it was! I’ll get my slackers working out how much reactor fuel we’ll need; we’ll have it ready by planet fall or my name isn’t Eddie Randall Christopher!” With that, he cut the channel as I was left wondering why Kuruvians had what humans would consider first names with no real last names.

  Resilient requested a private channel over my implants and I accepted. “I am detecting facilities that are of AI construction on the planet.”

  “What does that mean for us?”

  “I do not know, but I thought I should let you know.”

  “Pass on any information to tactical, sensors, and Eddie.”