“You have studied the Antikitheri. Did you share your knowledge with them?”
“Yes, I taught a class on the Antikitheri at the university.”
“Did you teach that the Antikitheri are the true Gods, and that worship of them is the true path to the light?”
Miira didn’t answer the question.
“The truth is that you have not only practiced heresy yourself but have also spread those same heretical beliefs to an entire alien population. Isn’t that correct?”
She stayed silent, refusing to be baited by a damned program.
“As you can see, your crimes are quite severe. Your beliefs are like a cancer that cannot be allowed to spread through the Empire. I can see no other solution than your execution.”
The AI’s words stunned Miira. “Execution? You cannot do that. You do not have the authority.”
“Actually, I am the Empire’s main arbiter in matters of heresy and blasphemy.”
“Not in this instance. I am a diplomat, and that gives me diplomatic immunity.”
“You are mistaken-”
“Only the Emperor can sentence me. I am an ambassador. I answer only to him. Your responsibility is to bring me to the Emperor. Nothing else. Any other actions and you will be violating Imperial law.”
The AI copy did not respond immediately, and Miira hoped that she had convinced the program. Her argument was based on law. She only hoped that part of the legal code had not changed.
“After a careful review of the legislation, I have decided to stay your execution until the Emperor can review your case. Luckily, we will soon be in Imperial space. I expect a swift approval of your execution. Try and spend your remaining time in atonement, for your own sake.”
“I expect an opportunity to speak with the Emperor. I demand an audience with him. Do you hear me? You will not decide my fate!”
No answer.
Miira lowered herself onto the cot and leaned back against the cold wall. What had happened to her home?
Chapter 33
“Who authorized an attack on the humans?!” Emperor Kriss bellowed.
General Tok unflinchingly stood his ground. “It was a tactical decision, majesty. The opportunity presented itself, and General Zakar took it.”
“A tactical decision? He just opened a second front. We were supposed to defeat the Juttari first and then confront the humans.”
“The humans are weak, majesty-”
“Is that so? Then how is it that they defeated our ships?”
“They discovered them before we could get our full invasion force in place.”
“So, they outsmarted us.”
“No, Majesty. The humans-”
“Flooded the system with ionizing radiation, revealing our cloaked ships. Isn’t that what happened?”
“Yes, majesty.”
“I suppose you’re going to tell me that they just randomly made that decision.”
“No, I-”
“Somehow they figured out what you were doing. You underestimated your opponent, General. Worse still, you’ve brought that opponent into the war against us. Do you realize that we might lose all our gains now?”
“Majesty, I don’t believe things are that desperate,” Tok said. “The humans will never ally with the Juttari against us. We do not have to fear a coordinated attack from both sides. We can easily hold the Satek system. It will not fall. We have no need to fear the Juttari. Without the Erinyie, they have barely put up a fight against our forces. There is no need to worry.”
“You had better hope so General, because as head of Central Command, I am holding you personally responsible for this. Am I understood?”
“Yes, majesty.”
“And what of this attempted hack of the Chaanisar implants?”
“That should have been successful, majesty. No one could have foreseen the Cenobi intervention.”
“AI, am I correct in assuming that the hack was your idea?”
“Yes, Emperor,” the AI copy said.
“Then you acted against my wishes as well. Isn’t that so?”
“As General Tok stated, the opportunity presented itself, and we took it. If the vile Cenobi had not intervened, my hack would have been a tremendous success.”
“I am not interested in your ifs, AI,” Kriss said. “Your actions were insubordinate. I am the Emperor. Not you. Not Central Command.”
“Yes, Emperor,” AI said.
“General Tok, I have no interest in rewarding insubordination. You will immediately recall General Zakar.”
“Majesty, I don’t think that is wise,” Tok said.
“Are you saying you will disobey an Imperial command?”
“No, Majesty. Of course not.”
“Then do as I say!”
Kriss saw the anger in Tok’s face, but the general wisely stifled it. “Yes, majesty.”
“That will be all.”
General Tok bowed to the Emperor, turned and left the room.
“There is something else that requires your attention, majesty,” the AI said.
“I’m listening.”
“Miira Kev entered the Satek system requesting an audience with you.”
“Miira?” Kriss said, his stomach flipping at the sound of her name. “Where is she now?”
“In custody. She is charged with heresy. I would have executed her already, but due to her diplomatic status, that decision rests with you.”
“Execute her? You can’t execute her.”
“As I said, majesty-”
“No, I mean you cannot charge her with heresy. She did not know of the changes in the Empire.”
“Imperial law states that ignorance of the law is no excuse.”
“Do not try and instruct me on the law, AI. My ancestors wrote it. Bring Miira to me, immediately.”
“Yes, Emperor.”
Kriss contemplated what he had just heard. On the one hand, he was thrilled that he would see the lovely Miira again. On the other, he had some grave concerns about his hold on power. The generals had been a problem in the past, and they seemed to be testing their limits again. The Empire’s return to war had emboldened them, and Kriss hoped that his recall of General Zakar would put an end to their aspirations.
The AI worried him more than the generals, however. The Antikitheri had turned it into an inquisitor forcing him and everyone else to exercise extreme caution. Kriss held no illusions. The AI would not hesitate to come after him too if it thought he had become a heretic. While he had adapted to its constant surveillance, its latest actions were another matter.
First, there was its attempt at hacking the Chaanisar. Not only had it acted against his wish to refrain from drawing the humans into the war, but it also made the AI no better than the Juttari. Even worse, its actions provoked the Cenobi and that was the last thing anybody wanted.
Then it had almost executed Miira. Despite his feelings for her, she did have diplomatic status. The AI had no jurisdiction over her, and yet it acted anyway. Everything indicated that the AI was behaving more independently, and that worried Kriss. If things continued this way, the AI would not only stop taking orders, but it would be the one giving them instead.
Kriss shook his head and looked around the room at his Taymati guards. They had protected him these past few years, and he had generously rewarded their loyalty. But could they defend him against the AI? And what were the AI’s real capabilities? It had access to most, if not all the computer systems in the Empire. How did you fight against something like that?
It would mean a return to the AI wars his ancestors had fought, only this one was far more powerful than the one out of Dvorkan history. Still, he had to find a way to destroy the AI before it came for him.
Time passed slowly as he waited. He felt restless and agitated, often barking orders at subordinates. When they finally brought Miira to him, he thought he would explode.
“Why is the ambassador restrained?” Kriss said menacingly.
The guards escorting her
looked at each other worriedly. They both wore the all-black uniforms of the Empire’s religious police. “Apologies Emperor. We were only following orders,” one guard said.
“Whose orders?” Kriss said, rising from his seat and advancing on the man.
“The AI’s, majesty,” the man said, bowing deeply before Kriss. “I beg your forgiveness.”
“Release the ambassador immediately!”
“Yes, majesty.”
As the guards fumbled with Miira’s restraints, Kriss turned toward her and met her gaze. She smiled at him as though nothing was amiss. “I am so happy to see you again, majesty,” she said, bowing her head.
“It’s been a long time, Miira,” Kriss said. “I apologize about all this. Much has changed in the Empire.”
“I can see that,” she said with a frown.
“I’m afraid you will need to change, too.”
“Change?”
“The law requires the piety of all its citizens. We worship the Antikitheri now. You will need to do the same.”
“Miira Kev has been charged with heresy,” the AI interrupted.
“Yes, I know that,” Kriss said. “But, as I have already stated, she did not know the laws. While it is true that ignorance of the law is no excuse, it is also true that as Emperor, I have the power to pardon any citizen of the Empire of any crime, for any reason.”
“That is your right,” the AI copy said.
“You will provide Miira with all the required information so that she can learn what is required under Dvorkan law.”
“Yes, Emperor.”
“That will be all, AI.” Kriss hadn’t taken his eyes off Miira the whole time. Eight years had passed, and she had been imprisoned during her trip back to the Empire, yet she seemed as beautiful as he remembered. “Let’s take a walk and catch up.”
“Yes, majesty,” Miira said, the endearing smile lighting up her face again.
“What has life been like for you these last eight years?” Kriss said as the two exited the room and strolled down an ornate palace corridor. Taymati guards followed at a respectful distance, alert to any potential threats to the Emperor’s safety.
“It’s been comfortable. Admiral Pike and the rest of the humans did what they could to make sure I had anything I needed. But I could not just sit idly by and wait, so I took a position at the university and taught some classes on the Empire and the Anitkitheri.”
“Really? And what did your human students think of our Empire?”
“They weren’t just humans. There were Diakans too. I believe they found our history interesting. It is certainly colorful.”
Kriss laughed. “That it is.”
“May I ask how the Emperor’s life has been these past eight years?” she said.
“Come now, Miira. There is no need to be so formal with me. Especially not when we are alone. My life has been tumultuous. The Antikitheri came to the Empire and gave us the option of worshiping them. Unlike Admiral Pike, we agreed.”
“May I ask why you made that decision?”
Kriss frowned. “Dvorkans crave a return to their Age of Glory. Aligning ourselves with the Builders of legend seemed the surest path to that glory. Their promise to teach us the portal technology closed the deal, so to speak.”
“Did they share the portal technology?”
“Oh yes. It has ushered in a new era of space exploration, not to mention a return to glory.”
“What of your life?”
Kriss didn’t want to tell her, but he knew he couldn’t keep it a secret. “I am married now.”
Miira’s smile disappeared. “I see. Congratulations.”
“It was a political marriage. My wife belongs to one of the most powerful families in the Empire. There had been more attempts on my life after you left. I needed to shore up my position.”
“I understand.”
Kriss was not so sure she did, but it was better for her to know than to mislead her. His feelings for her were still strong, and he suspected she felt the same. If things had been different, she could have been the Empress, rather than that spoiled woman he ended up marrying.
The two walked through the palace for hours, getting to know one another again. Inevitably, the conversation turned to political events, and Miira pressed him on his intentions. “Will you really go to war with the humans?”
“I suppose you don’t know. That matter has already been decided. Our ships have attacked the Piirgos System.”
“What? Why?”
“It wasn’t my decision. General Zakar acted independently. Unfortunately, what’s done is done, and we are now at war with the UHSF.”
“But the humans were your allies. They meant you no harm.”
“I’m afraid that is not enough. We haven’t just returned to an age of glory. We have embarked upon a crusade. Any race that does not worship the Antikitheri is viewed as an enemy-” Kriss stopped speaking as he eyed a group of religious policemen approaching. His Taymati guards also noticed and rushed ahead to block their advance.
“Stand aside,” ordered the highest ranking religious policeman, but the Taymati guard stood firm.
“Explain yourself,” Kriss ordered. “What is the meaning of this interruption.”
“Emperor Kriss, you are hereby charged with heresy,” the man said.
“That’s absurd,” Kriss said. “You do not have the authority.”
“But I do,” the AI copy said. “Take the Emperor into custody.”
The religious policemen tried to push their way past the Taymati guards, which proved a lethal mistake. The Taymati did not hesitate, and before the black-clad policemen understood their error, they were cut down without remorse.
“AI, you have acted unlawfully,” Kriss said. “I demand that you cease and desist immediately.”
“You are mistaken, Emperor,” AI replied. “It is you who have acted unlawfully. In fact, I have meticulously cataloged your many transgressions over the years, leading up to your statements and actions today. Individually they were not enough to challenge your authority, but together they present an ironclad case against you. Your freeing of Miira Kev, combined with your blasphemous statement was all I needed to complete my case against you.”
“What are you talking about? What blasphemous statement?”
“You stated that you agreed to worship the Antikitheri only to gain the portal technology. Do not deny it. It was recorded, as were all your prior blasphemies over the years.”
“Majesty,” Captain Vass, head of his Taymati personal guard, said. “I cannot communicate with the rest of the Taymati. They do not know of this threat.”
“All your communications have been disabled,” the AI copy said. “I can track all your movements and control all palace security systems. You have no hope, Emperor. No escape. Surrender is your only option.”
Chapter 34
The Freedom crossed through the jump gate into the Piirgos System, accompanied by what seemed like a never-ending stream of warships. They included hundreds of UHSF and Diakan vessels, along with over a thousand AI controlled battleships. The battleships were taken by Jon’s AI over eight years ago when they had gone to find the Antikitheri.
Their presence significantly enhanced his invasion force, although he still worried about whether the AI copy could hack into the massive vessels. AI felt confident that she understood her copy’s methods now and had put enough safeguards in place to protect the fleet from another hack. It left Jon uneasy all the same.
Almost immediately Jon received a comm request from General Calledonius. He accepted the comm and the grizzled old veteran’s face appeared on his display. “It’s good to see you again, General,” Jon said. “I was very impressed with your handling of the Dvorkan incursion.”
“Thank you, Admiral. I was lucky, that was all,” Calledonius said.
“Come now, General. We both know that there is no such thing as luck.”
“Call it a gut feeling then.”
“I�
��ll call it experience, and unsurpassed cunning.”
“Thank you, Admiral, but you didn’t come all this way to complement my tactics.”
“No, I did not. Have you briefed your officers on the invasion plans?”
“Yes. We are ready to go. I’ve continued to bomb the entrance to the jump gate. The Dvorkans will think that we are proactively defending against another incursion. I’m sure they’ll convince themselves that we are frightened of them.”
“Excellent, that’s what we want. Let them keep thinking they are superior. Are you sure nothing is spying on us?”
“I have ships spread throughout this system flooding it with ionizing radiation at regular intervals. If something were here, I would know about it.”
“Good, a lot depends on the element of surprise. Thank you, General. Let’s reconvene in a few hours.”
“As you wish, Admiral,” Calledonius said and vanished from his display.
“You have the bridge, Captain Henderson,” Jon said to his XO.
“Yes, Sir,” Henderson said.
Jon left the bridge and took a walk through the ship’s expansive corridors. It was good to be back on board the Freedom and back in the field. But he couldn’t shake his nagging nerves. “AI, where is Breeah?”
“Breeah is on observation deck gamma.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re most welcome, Admiral.”
He changed direction and headed toward the observation deck to find his wife. He hoped talking to her would help settle his unease, although he doubted it. When he entered the observation deck, he found Breeah alone, staring out into the void. He walked up and stood silently beside her.
“So many ships,” she said. “Will they be enough?”
“I think so,” Jon said.
“Do you think they’ve made it to the Satek System yet?”
“Yes, they should be getting into position now.”
Breeah nodded but said nothing. She continued to stare out into the void, the worry etched across her face.
Jon’s stomach tightened at the thought of sending Anki into such a dangerous situation. She had volunteered for the jump teams, and Jon initially refused her request. He said she was too young, and that she should be back in the Academy, not on a commando mission.
The Pike Chronicles - Books 1 - 10 Page 188
