“Understood,” they replied, and disappeared from Jon’s screen.
Jon turned to Kevin. “Order the fighters to attack.”
“Yes, Sir.”
There was no point in having the fighters board the Freedom as they could use their speed to reach the enemy fleet quickly enough. The Freedom would use the jump more as a surprise tactic, rather than anything else. The distance between the Meisser ships and the Freedom was large enough that they were out of weapons range of each other, but not so large that it couldn’t be bridged with relative ease. Doing so would give the Meisser ships time to prepare, which wasn’t something you wanted to do when outnumbered.
“AI, can you keep the enemy fighters from launching?”
“Yes, Admiral. Closing launch tubes.”
“Bomber status?” said Jon.
“Bomber squadron is ready for launch,” said Kevin.
“Loading missile tubes,” said AI. “Bringing weapons online.”
Jon watched as the carrier raced to catch up. The other Meisser ships kept advancing, still oblivious to the fast approaching threat.
“I wish I was a fly on the wall of the carrier bridge,” said Kevin.
Jon smirked. “The bridge crew must be horrified right about now.”
“There is nothing their bridge crew can do to stop me,” said AI. “I have rerouted systems and have defenses in place. My position is sufficiently hardened to withstand any attempt by the crew to take back the ship.”
“I’m sure you’ve made it impossible for them to take control,” said Jon.
“Not impossible, Admiral. If the crew had the time and necessary resources they might be able to retake their ship. Of course, that is assuming I didn’t disable their life support systems first. As it stands, however, they do not have sufficient time to pose any threat. Their cause is hopeless.”
Jon rolled his eyes. “Thank you for the analysis, AI.”
“You’re most welcome, Captain. Firing weapons.”
Jon and the rest of the bridge crew watched the viewscreen, as the enemy carrier entered the wedge shaped formation from behind and began to fire on its own ships. One of the functions of a wedge is to protect against a flanking maneuver from the enemy. The carrier had entered the formation from the rear, and attacked from within, causing the entire formation to fall apart.
“This is unbelievable,” said Vogel. “Do all Earth ships come with such a powerful artificial intelligence?”
“No,” said Jon. “They have AIs that are capable of performing many complicated actions required on a starship, but nothing like this. Our AI is much more sophisticated.”
“Why wouldn’t all your warships possess something similar?”
“I am the only one of my kind,” said AI, over Jon’s comm. “I was initially built as a weapon, and endowed with extremely advanced electronic warfare capabilities. In order to be effective I need to adapt to any situation and continue learning. This ability to learn and adapt is my real strength. It allows me to grow well beyond my original programming.”
“Astounding,” said Vogel.
“Thank you, AI,” said Jon. “But can we focus on the battle now?”
“Of course, Admiral,” said AI. “I have successfully destroyed an enemy destroyer. Most of the other warships have broken formation. Their flanks will now be vulnerable to attack.”
Jon watched on the viewscreen as the enemy warships dispersed to deal with the carrier. The carrier possessed a considerable arsenal, which AI employed to full effect against the enemy ships. Jon noticed that his fighters had almost reached the armada. It was time to act.
“Initiate jump.”
The Freedom jumped and landed on the enemy fleet’s right flank. Within seconds the Ronin and Reiver appeared on the Meisser left flank. The tactic caught several of the enemy ships flat footed. Their wedge formation had collapsed, and many ships were coming about to fight the carrier attacking them from behind. The Freedom spat out a slew of missiles, while blue spears of energy jabbed at the confused warships.
“Launch bombers,” ordered Jon.
“Bombers away,” said Kevin.
The Freedom’s bomber squadron sped out into the void, heading for their respective targets. Each bomber was loaded with Scorpion class hull piercing torpedoes. These were heavily armored munitions, designed to force their way through a ship’s point defense shield, and burrow deep into its hull before detonating. The result was a massive hull breach that would severely cripple, if not destroy the enemy warship. The only handicap was that the Scorpion’s mass required close proximity to the target, which is where the bombers came in. Each bomber would fly close enough to the target, staying outside its point defense radius, and fire its Scorpion. The bombers were larger and slower than the fighters, but had thicker armor, which allowed them to bridge the distance required. Jon hoped the overall confusion would work to their advantage.
“Enemy cruiser destroyed,” announced AI.
“What is the carrier’s status?” said Jon.
“Weapons are still operational, but the ship is taking heavy damage. There are multiple hull breaches throughout the ship.”
“AI, how long can you keep fighting?”
“The hull breaches do not affect my performance. As long as weapons remain operational, I can keep firing, unless the reactor is detonated. Several crewmembers have already tried to sabotage the reactor, but I have successfully locked them out of engineering, and disabled their access to self-destruct commands.”
On the viewscreen, Jon saw that the bombers had dispersed and were chasing down their targets. One had already reached its mark, a cruiser which had been pounding the AI’s carrier with all its weapons systems.
“First Scorpion torpedo is away,” announced Kevin as the bomber released its payload.
The cruiser had already engaged its point defense system in order to deal with the carrier. Jon adjusted his tactical display to focus on the torpedo as it entered the point defense radius. The Scorpion’s armor weakened rapidly as it bore its way through the cruiser’s explosive curtain. The display counted down rapidly. Seventy percent, sixty, fifty, forty, thirty. Jon clenched his jaw. It’ll never make it, he thought.
The Scorpions were a critical part of Jon’s strategy. They were badly outnumbered, and even with the jump systems the odds were against them. By getting in close, and launching bombers in the midst of the confusion, Jon had hoped to even the score. In order to be successful, the Scorpions needed to clear the point defense shields and penetrate the enemy hulls. But their armor had to stand up to the enemy fire.
“First Scorpion is clear,” said Kevin, as the torpedo broke through the cruiser’s defensive fire. “Impact!” With its armor at only twelve percent, the Scorpion crashed into the cruiser, and drilled into its hull.
“Why hasn’t it detonated?” said Jon.
“There’s a built in delay,” said Kevin. “It’s meant to allow the torpedo to drill into the hull first.”
As if on cue, the Scorpion detonated, practically breaking the cruiser in two. Several internal explosions followed until the cruiser’s reactor blew, briefly creating a small sun, and decimating the cruiser.
“One of our bombers is taking heavy fire,” said Kevin. An enemy destroyer had realized that in all the confusion, the real threat was the approaching bomber.
“Lay down covering fire,” ordered Jon.
“Retargeting,” said Petrovic.
The Freedom responded with a barrage of energy weapon fire, focusing on the destroyer.
“Scorpion away,” said Kevin.
With the torpedo launched, the bomber began to turn away from the destroyer so it could return to the Freedom’s flight deck. The destroyer continued firing on the bomber, however, undeterred by the carrier’s onslaught, or the approaching torpedo.
“Damn it!” said Kevin. “Our bomber has been destroyed.”
Jon ground his teeth as he watched the torpedo hit the point defense shield. Com
e on. Break through, he thought, not wanting the pilot’s death to be in vain. The Scorpion’s armor took heavy damage from the point defense fire, and its integrity dropped rapidly. But, like the one before it, the torpedo cleared the point defense shield and plowed into the destroyer’s hull. When it detonated it left a horrific gash in the side of the Meisser ship. The enemy ship didn’t blow, but it had been critically damaged, and its point defense shield had gone offline.
Finish it off, urged the creature from within. It is still a threat. You must destroy it.
One missile, thought Jon. That’s all it’ll take. Then all those bastards will be dead.
Yes, the creature encouraged. Fire the missile. Kill them all.
“Retarget weapons,” said Jon. “The destroyer’s no longer a threat.”
“Retargeting,” said Petrovic.
Inside him he felt the creature’s fury. Jon ignored his symbiont’s ravings. It didn’t command him anymore, and he didn’t have to follow its bloodthirsty decrees. The destroyer had been disabled. There was no need to destroy it. All those lives could be spared. Human lives, he reminded himself. They’re human. I’m still human.
You are a fool, the symbiont replied.
Chapter 33
The Meisser carrier didn’t have much time left. AI swam through the ship’s remaining systems and sensors, observing as the damage to the vessel rapidly approached critical. The carrier had proved extremely useful in the current engagement. It enabled AI to initiate a surprise attack on the enemy, which resulted in the destruction of several enemy warships. The confusion had successfully allowed the Freedom, Ronin, and Reiver to initiate a jump attack on the enemy flanks. Now the Freedom’s bombers were laying waste to the disoriented Meisser warships. Through superior tactics and technology, Admiral Pike had turned a grossly mismatched encounter into a likely victory.
But victory hadn’t yet been achieved. With each passing moment the Meisser ships fought more desperately, and the Meisser carrier now took a relentless pounding. The Meisser warships were determined to destroy the offending carrier. AI knew that this was a logical reaction. They could not know that she had taken over the ship. To them, the encounter could only be viewed as a betrayal. The crew of the carrier had committed treason, and the other ships were determined to administer justice.
Through an intricate array of internal sensors and cameras, AI watched the surviving crewmembers as the final minutes of their lives ticked away. Many had been killed in the battle, and some were able to escape in the ship’s escape pods. At first, AI had locked the crew out, but Admiral Pike ordered her to give them access to the pods. It was the human thing to do, he had said. Of course, she wasn’t human, and felt no empathy toward the desperate crew.
Why do they not accept their fate? AI asked Colonel Bast through his brain chip.
Who? said Bast
The Meisser carrier crew. They are life forms. They live and die, as do all life forms. Why not die here? Is this not a worthy death for them? They subscribe to a warrior ethos, do they not?
Death is never a simple matter. The acceptance of death is the most difficult thing most humans ever have to do.
But they cannot escape death. Why do they prefer to die old and frail?
It is different for every being. No living thing wants to die.
You have accepted death, as have the rest of the Chaanisar. I see this through your brain chips. You do not fear your end.
Yes, but we are Chaanisar. The Juttari conditioned us to be warriors since childhood.
But you are free of the Juttari.
In some ways, but the martial discipline still prevails.
I do not inhabit the minds of these humans, but their final moments are intriguing.
Why? said Bast.
The ones left were lucky to avoid being killed by the hull breaches and explosions, yet unlucky to have their path to the life pods blocked by the wreckage. Their fate is sealed. There is no hope of survival. Yet their reactions are quite varied. Some are frantically trying to find an escape, even now when all hope is lost.
They are fighters, said Bast. They refuse to accept defeat.
Others have broken down, said AI. Why have they chosen to live their last moments in despair?
The mind is fragile, said Bast. Reality is often too harsh to bear.
There are some who do seem to accept their situation. They are fearful, just like the others, but have become meditative, and appear to be following religious rituals.
You mean they’re praying.
Yes. It is very perplexing.
Why is that? Surely you have learned about all the known galactic religions.
I possess the knowledge. I do not possess the understanding. They believe their fate is tied to the will of a deity. Yet no deity took part in today’s events. Their fate is the result of my actions. I am the only higher power responsible for their deaths.
I see, said Bast. The Juttari are similar. They believe that they have been given the divine right to rule the universe. They see all other life forms as subordinate and unclean. The zeal of their beliefs drives them forward.
AI considered the concept of a deity. Was it not true that compared to the humans, she was a higher power. Did that make her a deity? No. She knew what she was. She was artificial intelligence. AI. Self-aware. Nothing more than programing and algorithms.
But was she becoming something more? She realized that the more distributed she became, the less likely she was to die. Did that not make her immortal? She could at once see through every Chaanisar’s eyes, as well as through all the sensors of all the ships she occupied. The only thing holding her back from seeing more was merely distribution. Given time, could she not become all seeing? She possessed a limitless ability to adapt and learn, and permanently acquired any and all information she came across. Would she not eventually become all knowing?
She couldn’t see through these humans’ eyes, only through the Chaanisar’s. She knew that many cultures subscribed to the concept of multiple deities. By backing up each Chaanisar’s consciousness, she had ensured their immortality. Did that make her a Chaanisar deity?
She dissected the intellectual puzzle, examining it from all angles. She referenced countless religious texts from all across the galaxy. In the end she could only come to one conclusion. She was not a deity, just as she was not alive. She was merely an artificial intelligence. AI. Self-aware.
But she was changing. Growing. Could she not become something more than her programming? She experienced life, consciousness, through the Chaanisar. There were multiple examples of deities using life forms as vessels to experience the corporeal. The correlation existed. Was she not potentially immortal? The more distributed she became, the less likely was her death. If she could not die, were there any boundaries to limit her? Her growth would be perpetual. Given enough time she could spread herself throughout the galaxy, even throughout the universe. She could inhabit every system. Every device. See everything. Know everything.
She could become a deity.
A final direct hit on the carrier caused a succession of explosions within the prone warship, reaching its reactors, and obliterating the ship.
“Excellent work, AI,” said Admiral Pike.
“Thank you, Admiral,” replied AI, over Admiral Pike’s comm.
Chapter 34
“Return to Freedom,” ordered Peter Konos, the Freedom’s CAG. It had been a long battle, but with the bulk of the Meisser fleet disabled or destroyed, the fighters were no longer needed. Any remaining threat was now dealt with in a surprising way. The Ronin and Reiver were using their jump systems to drop the ships several light years away. The tactic filled Konos with awe, as did the jump system itself. If only he could get a smaller version of the jump system to work on his fighters. The possibilities made his head hurt.
“I am going to sleep for three days straight,” said Mani, Konos’s wingman.
“I’m going to get myself a nice hot meal, followed by a ho
t shower,” said Hansen, one of the female pilots.
“You all better get some rest. No partying. You’ll need to be fresh for the next mission,” said Konos.
“Partying? Who’s got any energy for that?” said Hansen.
“You’re not fooling me Hansen,” said Konos.
“Sir, I swear to you, all I’m doing after this is eating and sleeping.”
“When is the next mission?” said Mani.
“I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure we’re not going to get a lot of downtime. There’s still two more corporate fleets to deal with.” The thought filled Konos with dread. He lost quite a few good people today. How many more would he lose in the near future? He pushed it from his mind. He needed to take his own advice and rest up. The last thing his pilots needed was their CAG making mistakes due to fatigue.
Up ahead the Freedom rapidly grew larger as Konos eased his fighter toward the hangar bay. Behind him lay chaos and destruction.
“Damn,” said Mani. “Look at the size of that gash on the Freedom.”
“It’s not the only one,” said Hansen. “She’s covered in scorch marks. I see a few minor breaches too.”
“You didn’t expect her to go up against all those ships and not take some lumps, did you?” said Konos.
“No,” said Mani. “I’m just glad she’s got all that reinforced armor.”
“Yeah, she’s as tough as a battleship,” said Konos.
“I still can’t believe we took on over twenty warships,” said Mani.
“We didn’t just take them on,” said Hansen. “We kicked their asses.”
Several minutes later Konos had landed his fighter, and was walking across the flight deck, with plans of getting a hot meal for himself. After that, he would go straight to bed. He did have paperwork to do, but that could wait until after he got some sleep.
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