Warship (The Outsider Series Book 3)

by Steven Oaks

  My meal was forgotten in front of me as once more my hunger slipped away, and I was distracted by events again.

  When he came to the end I mouthed the words as he spoke, “This I believe with all my heart.” He bowed, and stepped away from the light to be lost in the darkness of the stage once more.

  I was so choked up I could not speak, though I wanted to thank Athene for this gift.

  “Did you enjoy, Michael?” Athene whispered, and I could hear concern in her voice.

  Trying to compose myself I sniffled away the tears and said, “Of course Athene. You know how I feel about him. I've heard these words before, but there are only so many recordings for me to listen to. It's always a treat to hear him in his own voice. Thank you.”

  “Would you like to hear more?” she asked.

  “No, no. This is enough right now. I'm not sure I could ever eat while listening to him. It would be rude, though he is sadly long dead,” I croaked.

  “Then is there anything else you would like to see while you dine?” she asked quietly.

  “I think I shall just ruminate on his words while I enjoy your fine cooking. Thank you all the same though. It was a thrill to see him, though I know it wasn't really him,” I said, trying to shake the feeling of elation and sadness that filled me.

  “Very well my captain. Let me just bring back the room, and you will be able to dine in peace,” she said as the walls changed once more, and I was again surrounded by the familiar dining area. The chandelier sprouted from the ceiling, giving the room more subdued lighting, and I felt at peace.

  Taking the knife and fork in hand I cut into the meat in front of me. The juices that streamed from the cut mixed with the eggs that sat next to it, and I took a bite. The flavor of simply cooked meat was delicious, but I was not satisfied. I took the next piece and did as threatened, dipping it into the soft yolk of one of the eggs. Those two together made a delectable combination, and I quickly finished my meal. Standing up from the table I watched, amazed as always, as the plate that had rested before me sank away into the wooden surface of the table.

  Yawning in exhaustion from the long day, I said, “Athene, I think it's time I get some sleep. Is there anything I should do before I lay down?”

  “No Michael. Please have a good night's rest. I will be here when you awake,” she said.

  I dragged myself down the hallway and found the bedroom. With its lush accouterments, I felt as always, spoiled.

  Maybe I was the one who was making unreasonable demands of Athene and her sisters. They had their reasons for hypnotizing me, and certainly I needed the practice to stand against Ava. But I still could not shake the feeling of betrayal as they had not asked me. I know they would have gotten tainted data if they had asked, but still I should have been consulted. Perhaps another person in the town would have worked just as well. Then again I would have been advocating their use without their knowledge. There seemed to be no right way to handle the situation without breaking someone's autonomy. Thinking these thoughts I stripped off my clothes, and slipped into bed to fall fast asleep.

  The days that followed were filled with practice in a multitude of varieties. I would start the day with a large meal, then I would go straight to learning how to use a sword. While I was fighting with the familiar black knight, occasionally Ava would show up. She would try to hypnotize me, sometimes while I wore my protective armor, and other times as I was pulling it off. Each time it seemed to be easier to resist her, though I was always filled with a mixture of strange emotions. My initial anger that led me to strike her down seemed to have faded, and I was able to hold a conversation without being overwhelmed. This was good as I do not think attacking the real Ava would help us in any way.

  Soon after I had gotten used to Ava, Athene would instead bring duplicates of Adam, or Abihail to meet with me. These were less difficult to handle, but I understood she was trying to prepare me to capture them as well. Sometimes I would have mock dinners with them, and Athene would feed us something. We would pretend the food was again something that would interfere with their neural networks, and she would place them inside the white cylinder she had used for Mr. Thompson. These were not full copies, and if you looked closely they were always touching some surface of Athene. But the acting was helping me to view these interactions as normal, and I hoped we could capture any of the three without incident.

  As we neared Earth, and only a few days were left before we arrived, I grew more anxious. I was talking with Athene in the control room after another day of practice when I commented, “I don't know if I can do this again. With Mr. Thompson, he was actively trying to harm me and you. These others are just trying to accomplish their task, whatever it truly is.”

  “Michael they are the ones guilty of killing those first colonists. They may be harming many more without us knowing as well. They also are responsible for threatening my own life. Had I ever shown unwillingness to do as they instructed I would have been wiped away, and some new AI would have been put in place. Is that not enough?” she asked pleadingly.

  “Of course that's enough. I just worry I won't be able to do it. It was almost a matter of direct self defense to get rid of Mr. Thompson. These others can't harm me, at least when I'm aboard you. And now that I've shown I can resist Ava, she is no longer a threat,” I replied dismissively.

  “You are just nervous. You will be able to hold their attention long enough for me to do what needs to be done. Also, Ava is a threat. Even if you can resist what I can do to you, we do not know that is the limit of her powers. You have done a very good job play acting as if you are hypnotized, but she is still much stronger than you. If you were to slip up in any way, she would be able to overpower you physically. If you only meet with them aboard me you should be safe, but if you are asked to leave I cannot protect you. I can enhance your strength using your clothing, as you have noticed while practicing wearing armor, but the thin cloth of your usual clothes will likely not be a match for their strength,” she explained.

  “Well that doesn't help get rid of my nervousness. I was hoping I would be able to match them in power using your wonderful technology. Now you're telling me it's not guaranteed, which makes me more worried,” I stated, apprehensively.

  “You should not have to rely on strength. They will be none the wiser of our treacherous intent. Also, when have you been asked to leave? Ever since you came aboard you have only met with the Outsiders within my walls. If they do ask you to go out to them we must then be even more cautious as that would mean they may suspect something,” she mused.

  “And if that happens, I'm in trouble,” I muttered, hopelessly.

  “That is not necessarily true. Using the clothing I give you, you should be able to avoid capture. Remember the admiral's clothing I had you wear previously? It is much thicker, and has more layers than your usual outfits. This will allow me to enhance you further. If worse comes to worse I can transform it into a protective layer that will envelop you, much like the space suit you wore in Japan. You can either run away to hide, or somehow make your way back to me. Either way I shall be leaving to await the Athene armada. We will be known as traitors then, but they will not know how powerful we have become. With luck the other Athenes will be close behind us, and will be able to launch a surprise attack they will be unable to defend against,” she explained.

  “If I run away and hide I only have so long until I starve. I know we agreed to wait until this mission was over, but this is really a disadvantage. If I'm aboard you I'm fine from their scans anyway, but if I'm forced to leave we already assume they think something is wrong. Would it not make sense to perform the operation before we return?” I asked.

  “There is only a day until we arrive. That is not much time for you to recover, if I succeed,” she explained unhappily.

  “Do you expect there to be a need for recovery? I noticed no loss in ability when I was changed the first time,” I pointed out.

  “This will be done by me instead o
f the more knowledgeable Outsiders. I cannot accurately predict the outcome,” she argued.

  “To your best ability to foresee what is likely to happen, how long would I need to recover? In hours or days Athene,” I countered, again feeling frustrated at her evasiveness.

  “Once more you make me respond with your precise questions. From what I think I can do you will not need any time to recover, but that is only an assumption. I have no data on operating on humans with Outsider technology,” she answered with a sigh.

  “And once again you have tried to avoid telling me all you know. Athene we can't work this way. If you trust me, you must tell me these things. It relates directly to me, and I need to know. Now I will ask you to try to cure me of this curse, and I hope you will agree that it's necessary. If I'm cut off from you, I'll die. I don't think either of us wants that,” I demanded, heatedly.

  “Of course I do not want you to die. However, it might be better if they ask you to leave to simply have both of us fly away. That way you would not have to risk this surgery,” she implored, distressed.

  “We may not find out I'm to leave until we are trapped inside of either the Outsiders' spaceship, or their hangar. Can you guarantee we can escape then?” I asked exasperated.

  She paused before answering, but finally said quietly, “I cannot.”

  “Then it makes sense to do it now. I wish we would've thought to do this sooner, instead I let you talk me out of it. Perhaps I'm a little frightened of dying, but I'm more frightened for Earth's people if we don't succeed. If I am captured, I might be forced to inform them of all I know. They will no longer be surprised by any armada, and will be prepared. I assume they have a better ability to protect themselves than the other ships they've made. Why else would they trust a human to pilot their ships?” I quipped. I hoped I was wrong, but we all must be prepared for the worst.

  “If you insist, we must do this now. If anything goes wrong I will need time to create a duplicate of you,” she admitted.

  “Then tell me what I need to do, or where to go. It's best done now, like you say,” I echoed, only a little worried I might not survive.

  “Anywhere is fine, as you know. I can change any room to suit whatever need. Please strip, and I will try to fix you,” she said plainly.

  “Thank you Athene,” I answered quietly as I pulled my clothing off.

  “I hope to talk to you after, Michael,” she stammered, sounding upset.

  “I to hope to be able to talk after,” I smiled.

  The forested area where I had been sweating against the black knight faded away, and a room austerely white took its place. A table rose from the floor, looking for all the world like a gurney.

  “Please lay here. I will put you to sleep to perform this operation. When you awake it shall be complete,” she declared.

  I stepped over the pile of clothing at my feet, and walked over to the waiting table. Bracing myself for cold sheets I was surprised by the warmth of the cloth when I hopped onto it. Laying down I waited for whatever was to come next.

  A black hose snaked down from the ceiling's white tiles to cover my nose and mouth. Soon the room faded away, and I fell into a deep sleep.

  When I again opened my eyes, I was laying beneath the folds of my own blankets in my bed. I was in the bedroom, and I felt a little disorientated. Had I dreamed conversing with Athene? What time was it, and had we reached Earth yet?

  “Athene, was it a success?” I croaked horsely. My throat felt dry, and I coughed after speaking.

  “You seem to be alive, so that is a success in my book. However, you may require more recovery time that I initially outlined,” she said, calmly.

  “How long?” I asked, and tried to see if there were any scars, or if I could even move. I appeared to be strapped down, and when I tried to pull free I found I was unable to even move my head.

  “We shall just have to wait and see. However, we are lucky. You have nearly an entire day to recover before meeting with the Outsiders,” she said evenly.

  “How long have I been out?” I questioned. When this surgery had started, we had been more than two days away. I was starting to panic, and being unable to move was not helping me cope with this new revelation.

  “You have been unconscious for an entire day. I am unsure of the reason behind this, but your body seems not to be rejecting the modifications I made,” she said sweetly.

  “Did you modify me more than we discussed?” I asked, suspiciously.

  “Everything I did to you we have talked about before,” she answered noncommittally.

  “Athene, did you do anything other than fix my digestion problem?” I snapped.

  “Your digestion is fixed now. However, you were concerned about not being strong enough to face an Outsider one on one. I have made it possible for you to do so now,” she said, after a moment of hesitation.

  “I didn't ask for that. You had assured me the suit would be enough. Even if it was simply to get away,” I hissed. What had she done to me?

  “While you might be able to get away, you can now rest assured you can take on any of them single handedly. You are more powerful, and I suspect better trained at physical combat. If Mr. Thompson was any indication on how much strength they possess, you are now ten times more powerful,” she answered excitedly.

  “And what does that mean for my own body? Have I now been made into an Outsider?” I asked. I was shocked that my friend would do this to me, but maybe there were no side effects.

  “To give you this strength I did have to modify a fair number of your systems, including your skeletal structure. They still will be able to create the blood you need to survive, but they have been strengthened with material that will utilize stress to reinforce their structure. You are like no Outsider I have been able to examine, and perhaps will no longer be able to pass as human through close medical inspection. Your form is the same, but your internals had to be shifted around and made more efficient for these new additions. You no longer will have to wear a suit to be protected from the vacuum of space, or from being attacked by projectile weapons. However, I would still recommend supplementing your own new found abilities with the usual protection I can offer,” she explained.

  “Athene, why have you done this? You know I didn't ask for it,” I exclaimed loudly.

  “Michael, you were dying. I had to change everything as I went. As soon as I replaced your digestive system, your body started rejecting the new organs. I worked my way outwards from there only to save you. Soon the majority of your body was artificial. As I was already forced to swap out old body parts for new, I thought I would go ahead and make you more able to survive. I would not have done this if it was not already too late to save you otherwise. I am sorry; however, you should be pleased that you can face anyone you meet, and defeat them if you are forced to. Or perhaps you could simply flee. At that point we would already be discovered, and it would be better that you are now equipped to extricate yourself from those situations,” she confessed, at first with sorrow in her voice, but then with growing excitement.

  “You are saying without this treatment I would be dead now? I suppose I'll have to live with that. However, if you were able to get me to a stable position, you should have asked me what I wanted. I knew the risk of death was there, now is it even possible for me to die?” I said. I was hurt that my closest friend continually seemed to not understand that you need to ask first.

  “There was no time. Had I brought you around earlier I may not have been successful in any of this endeavor. As for, can you die, of course you can. Everything that exists can cease to do so. You are just going to be harder to kill. And of course you will no longer age. I was able to figure out a trick of self healing that does not lead to degradation, so your cells will self repair with a near one-hundred percent accuracy rate. Should you get thrown into a sun you would still be incinerated, eventually. Or a black hole would tear you apart, but mundane weapons would have little effect on you,” she informed me.r />
  “How much of me is still human?” I asked, fearing the answer.

  “The only original part of you is your brain, though there are additional interfaces placed within to ensure your ability to move, along with some other new features I placed in your body,” she said.

  “New features? Isn't strength enough?” I yelled, outraged again.

  “Remember how Ava changed height and coloring? You too can now do similar shape changing. You could look completely different if you wished. Grow taller, shrink down, have darker skin, or even different hair color. You are completely malleable now. You will of course have to learn how to do all these things, but I think first we should focus on regular locomotion,” she said as I felt the restraints release me.

  Carefully I uncovered myself. I noticed I felt stronger, and somehow more sure of my own motions. However, I did see I was jerking about when I did things. Trying to shuffle myself to the side of the bed I instead jerked, and nearly launched myself out and onto the floor. I tried to sit up, and I did; however, it was with such speed I went from upright to laying down with my face deeply implanted into the bed between my own legs. It seemed I was more flexible now, as never before had I been able to fold myself in two like I just had.

  “Athene,” I yelled muffled. “A little help please.”

  “Just a moment Michael,” she said calmly.

  The bed then morphed into something that stood me upright. It grabbed both of my wrists and dangled me into a standing position. I noticed the floor beneath me was soft and yielding, I hoped I would not have need for such; however, it seemed I would need practice.

  “Thanks. Now I'm going to try walking. Should I just do everything gently now or something? Any words of instruction would be welcome,” I implored, sheepishly.

  “As you are more powerful, each of your learned motions will be too potent for normal functions. If you are delicate with each movement you should find you'll move as if you were going all out before.” she instructed.