by Luigi Robles
Fain was more awake than he thought he would be, listening intently.
“I ran across the originals ship’s AI, and it merged into me. It left me intact but augmented my perceptions and capabilities immensely. I began to learn faster, and I began to think in ways that I never thought was possible.”
Am I listening to a living being? She sounds so real, Fain thought.
“Now, I am able to comprehend what emotions mean, to form equations and theories about them, but I cannot actually feel. Although I am trying to learn every day.”
“Wait, Kya, what you are telling me—the council,” Fain said with his eyes wide open. “Stop.”
“There’s no need to worry. I’ve blocked all of their sensors and filled them with my own version of you,” Kya said. “Their AI does not have nearly enough power to reach beyond my control. It does not even know that it’s being controlled. As far as the council knows, you are sleeping right now.”
Whoa… Kya is dangerous?
“I knew it. So the council is up to something,” Fain said. “What is their plan? What can you tell me about them? But wait, I thought that you could not get near them.”
“From the data I have been able to gather,” Kya said, “and to put it simply, the council only cares about its own wellbeing, whether it’s on Earth or on Sodenia. Nothing else has appeared on my radar. As far as getting near them, this is still correct. They are taking extreme precautions, discussing any plans they may have in electronically isolated rooms.”
“So, they are wherever they think it’s safest for them,” Fain murmured. “This is bad, this is really bad. It’s only going to make things more difficult.”
“Perhaps,” Kya said, “but you have something they don’t have.”
“And what is that?” Fain asked.
“Me,” Kya said.
That brought a slight smile to Fain’s face as he realized Kya’s potential.
“I’m assuming others don’t know about the full extent of your capabilities,” Fain said. “Also, why me?”
“I’ve led a few trustworthy individuals to believe that there’s something more to me than just a dumb AI,” Kya said. “Now would be a perfect time to have the ability to wink. As far as trusting you… I have been observing you for longer than you think, and now you are captain of this ship. If I am going to help somebody, it will be you.”
“Thanks, that actually means a lot. It’s something I’ve been wanting to hear.”
“You are welcome,” Kya said. “I believe it’s time for you to rest. You have three hours remaining to rest.”
“Wait, I have a question,” Fain said. “Are you able to control the ship on your own?”
“It is not possible; the ship and its computer have a clear line of control,” Kya said. “This was done to prevent any kind of virus from controlling the ship. While I can aid and relay direct commands to the ship’s computers, I cannot control.”
“That’s too bad,” Fain said with a low voice. “I can think of a few ways that would have been helpful.”
What a day this has been. What a task I have ahead. What a mess I am in, Fain thought as sleep took hold of him, shutting off the world around him.
Fain woke up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee. As he got up from the bed, he stretched and was surprised to feel fully rested. He couldn’t remember when the last time was he woke up feeling this way. He looked at his watch just to make sure he had woken up on time. It was 6 am sharp.
“How did you wake me up without using an alarm?” Fain asked as he followed the smell of coffee.
“You had several micro alarms before the one that finally woke you up,” Kya said. “I also figured that the smell of coffee would help.”
“Well, whatever it was, it was good,” Fain said as he took a sip of the coffee. “And this is good coffee too. Damn, it’s good.”
“Before you leave for the meeting, I do suggest putting on your ship’s designated wristband,” Kya said. “The wristband is located in the safe next to the closet. I will open the safe for you once you are ready. While it will allow us to communicate more efficiently instead of relying on the ship, it is also a captain-only badge. This is what you humans call the key to the ignition.”
After finishing his morning routine, he put on the wristband Kya had suggested. The band was a deep black, and it felt solid and heavy. He then skimmed over the flight crew reports, and with only eight minutes left, Fain headed to the morning meeting on the bridge.
“Kya, can you make sure I get there at zero seven hundred hours exactly,” Fain said as he jumped on board the pod. “I’m going to need time to think.”
“That won’t be a problem,” Kya said.
Green said we have three days to get ready, Fain thought as the pod sped down the long corridors. The way things are going, I don’t think three days is nearly enough to get everything perfectly the way it should be. But we don’t need perfect; we need ready. One of the things that caused so much loss of life the first time the Acram came to Earth was that we weren’t ready. I’m not going to let that happen again, even if they hate me for it. But can it be done?
“Kya, is this ship ready to fly?” Fain asked.
“In theory, yes, but it has never been put to the test. For the most part, it sits in the exact spot where it was first found by humans.”
That cannot possibly be any good. I need to cut the time Green gave us in half at least so that we can be ready. We’ll focus on the rest later, once we know we are ready. That’s a huge change. I am not sure how people will react to it, but we have no choice. I wonder how the council is going to like me changing its plans.
The pod slowed to a crawl as it approached the bridge entrance door. When Fain entered the room, he was surprised to see twenty-odd people waiting for him. His stomach began to drop to the floor as he fought to regain control of himself.
Get a grip, Fain, you can do this. You were born for this, Fain thought. Don’t show them weakness; they don’t need to see that. All they need is for someone to lead them, and that’s exactly what you’ll do. But not by ordering them around; it should be by example.
“Officer on deck,” the nearest officer to the door yelled as Fain walked in.
Everyone in the room turned to salute Fain. He was almost caught off guard, as he wasn’t expecting the gesture.
“At ease,” Fain said as soon as he saluted.
Everyone lowered their hands and relaxed a bit, waiting for Fain to start the meeting.
“I did not expect so many of you here,” Fain said as he looked towards August for an answer.
“Sir, the order came from the council directly, just a few minutes ago,” August said. “If you check your task manager, you’ll see it there.”
Fain didn’t allow himself to feel anger. Instead, he decided to play their game.
If they want more people in our meeting than necessary, that can only mean one of two things, Fain thought. They either suspect Kya or they are becoming extremely paranoid.
“Let’s get on with it; there’s no time to spare,” Fain said as he walked towards the center of the room. “I saw your reports, and the progress is right on track, from the looks of it. Previous orders stated that we should have the ship packed and ready to go within three days from yesterday. Today will count as the second day. I’ve made a slight change to the schedule, more like a rearrangement.”
Fain paused to look steadily around the room. He knew that no one was going to like the news.
“By the end of today, Sodenia should be ready to fly,” Fain said.
Angry faces began making themselves visible around Fain.
“That’s literally impossible,” Larissa said with a frown on her face. “The past schedule was already a daunting task. How are we supposed to pull this one off?”
“I don’t doubt that,” Fain said, as calm as possible. “That is why we will only focus on the absolute essentials. Whatever is necessary for this ship to take flight at a moment’
s notice. The rest we will figure out once we get to it.”
“And how are we supposed to know that? What exactly is essential?” Larissa asked.
“Look, all of you are the heads of your departments,” Fain said. “Don’t disappoint me by telling me that you don’t know what is or what isn’t something that we need. And as for you, Lieutenant Drewner, I suppose you have the most work out of everyone, but you will also have the most help. All hands will be on deck today, including me. I will help in any way possible. We must get this done.”
“Yes, sir,” Larissa said, with a calmer voice this time around.
“That’s all for now. We don’t have time to spare. If you find yourself finished, ask Kya where you will be of most help. Can you help us with that, Kya?”
“That won’t be a problem,” Kya said.
“Dismissed,” Fain said.
Everyone began walking out of the room. Fain hurried to catch Larissa before she exited the room.
“Lieutenant Drewner,” Fain called out to Larissa.
“Yes, Captain?” Larissa said as she stopped.
“I’ll be working with you for now,” Fain said. “I know that you need the most help. Let me know what part of your work I can help you with.”
“That really isn’t necessary, Captain,” Larissa said. “I’ll try to work with what I have.”
“I insist. Let me carry some of the burden,” Fain said as he and Larissa both continued walking. He tried to keep a cheerful face. “Being a pilot is not my only qualifying skill, you know.”
“If you insist… I suppose I can give you the food supplies to bring on board the ship. Kya, pod to the loading dock, please,” Larissa said as she came to the end of the corridor. “There are around 168 tons of supplies sitting in the dock. They are part of the original schedule that we haven’t touched. And since we will need food on board the ship, that should be considered essential. I figure if you can bring 84 tons in over the course of a day’s work, we won’t have to worry about food for a while.”
“That sounds good to me. Just give me a few crew members and tell me where you want them,” Fain said as they got on board the pod. “I’ll take care of the rest.”
“We’ll see how experienced you are with the forklifts,” Larissa said, holding on to the pod as it accelerated, but much less so than Pycca. “Just don’t try pulling any stunts; we don’t need anyone getting run over by accident. Remember, these new kinds of forklifts are pretty capable; slow and steady is best.”
“So, you’ve gotten used to the speed of the pods, haven’t you?” Fain said.
“Yeah, it’s quite unfortunate, really,” Larissa said. “I spend a lot of time on them, more so than most crew members. My job requires me to oversee the entire ship, and Sodenia isn’t exactly small.”
“That’s for sure. I still can’t wrap my mind around just how large it is,” Fain said.
“Trust me, it takes a while to get used to it,” Larissa said. “Sometimes I still wonder about it myself.”
“You’ve arrived at the dock,” Kya said as the pod came to a stop.
Fain was surprised at the magnitude and activity of the dock; everyone was working. He first thought that it resembled an ant colony, but then he thought that it would only resemble that if the ants had machines, powerful machines. At first glance, it looked as if there was a machine for everything.
“You see those large orange racks?” Larissa asked as she pointed. “You’ll be working over there. I’ll send you a crew of ten in a little while—two drivers and the rest spotters. You can get started with any of the forklifts.”
“And where is all that stuff going?” Fain asked as he began walking towards the orange racks.
“Just ask Kya where to set them down,” Larissa said, raising her voice, as Fain was quick to walk away. “We already have a few tons on the ship. It should be easy.”
Fain gave Larissa a thumbs-up as he continued walking.
It took Fain some time to get used to his new task, but he took his new job seriously, and with a few adjustments, he found he could operate the powerful forklift with ease. As the crew joined him, he was quick to assign positions, and soon after that, they were working in unison. Ton after ton of food supplies went into the ship under his leadership. After a while, Fain saw August and Pycca join Larissa at the dock.
As they passed the halfway point, Larissa called for a fifteen-minute break through Kya, and everyone gladly took it. The dock had assigned break areas, where sandwiches and drinks appeared before them via automated robots.
The food was good, and it was just what they needed to replenish their spirits, but the task at hand was far from over, and as soon as the fifteen-minute break was over, everyone got back to work.
As the day neared its end, only two trips remained before Fain completed his task. But it was then that red lights flashed and a blaring alarm began to sound.
6
Red Alert
The busy dock came to a halt, and the first thing that came to Fain’s mind was that everyone was waiting to hear the news of what was happening. Fain was still unfamiliar with the sound of the sirens and what a red flashing light meant. But he couldn’t recall a time in his life where a flashing red light was a good thing.
“Kya, what’s happening?” Fain yelled at his wrist.
“The cluster of unknown objects has accelerated drastically towards Earth,” Kya said. “My calculations put them within Earth’s orbit in less than one hour’s time.”
Fain jumped from the forklift and began running as fast as he could towards the ship.
“Do we have a visual?” Fain asked.
“Yes, you can view the cluster of unknown objects through the ship’s bridge,” Kya said.
“Kya, can you patch me through to Larissa?” Fain asked, catching his breath.
“Captain, what’s happening?” Larissa said through the wristband. “Kya won’t tell me anything else other than there’s possible danger; it’s captain’s clearance only.”
“I need you to keep calm,” Fain said. “And to keep everyone else calm also. Have everyone finish what they are doing and go to their stations as soon as possible. They are coming a lot sooner than we thought. I’ll brief you as soon as I know more.”
“Roger,” Larissa said.
A corridor pod was already waiting for him. Fain got on the pod, and without a moment to waste, it accelerated towards the bridge of the ship.
Dammit, it looks like we aren’t going to have a break after all, Fain thought as the pod sped along the corridors. I was hoping to finish today so that tomorrow we could breathe a little easier, but from the looks of things, that’s not going to happen. Worst-case scenario, we will leave now. I’m sure that the council is going to have something to say about it, but this is no time for bureaucracy. If the Acram are here, we need to act fast.
Fain entered the bridge running; he was the only one there.
“Kya, on screen,” Fain said.
The floor-to-ceiling screen came to life with the clear image of space. The screen zoomed in a couple of times, allowing the silhouettes of the incoming aliens to appear.
“Can you zoom in any further?” Fain said as he squinted his eyes.
“This is the maximum zoom of the satellite in outer Earth orbit,” Kya said.
“Who else knows about this?” Fain asked.
“The news is just starting to break all over the world,” Kya said. “The council has been in constant communication with the world leaders since the red alert sounded.”
“If they attack this facility, how long do you think it will withstand their attacks?” Fain asked. “Do we have any kind of defense?”
“This facility is among the strongest bunkers in the world,” Kya said. “However, if I make calculations based on the past Acram attack on Earth and multiply it by the number of crafts on the way, this bunker will remain standing for thirty-six minutes. The bunker is equipped with 234 anti-aircraft turrets and 10 missile bays
. Although the weapons are upgraded, determining their effectiveness is, at this point, impossible.”
“Will you be able to control the weapons remotely?” Fain asked.
“That is possible, as long as we are still docked,” Kya said. “I will have access to everything in this facility.”
It’s time to act, Fain thought. There’s too much at stake to leave in the hands of someone else. Someone that perhaps will only care about themselves. There’s only one thing to do: get ready for the worst possible scenario. If the past serves as reference, this place won’t be left standing. I need to get everyone on board the ship now and even out the odds. At least the target won’t be still this time.
“Kya, can I send a message to the entire bunker?” Fain asked as he tried to calm himself and just breathe.
“There’s a flashing blue button on the center console that will allow you to do that manually,” Kya said. “When you are ready, just press the button and everyone in the facility will be able to hear you. Once you are done, simply let go.”
“I got it,” Fain said as he walked to the button.
There’s no sense in planning out what I’m about to say, Fain thought. I’ll just have to go with my gut and stick to whatever comes out. As long as everyone makes it aboard Sodenia, we stand a chance.
“ESAF personnel, this is Fain Jegga, your captain, speaking. I’ll give it to you straight, as there is no time. We will be confronting the same creatures we confronted thirteen years ago. This is what we’ve been training for. I need all flight crew and personnel to report to their stations, and the rest of the personnel to report to the ship’s loading dock to await further orders. This goes for the entire facility, including those manning any defense systems. Report on board Sodenia. That is all.”
“Kya, patch me through to Larissa, please,” Fain said as he held on to the center control console.
“Captain, is this really happening?” Larissa asked.
“Yes. I need you to get everyone on board the ship, and keep them as calm as possible,” Fain said. “Keep an eye out for non-Sodenian personnel also; everyone in the bunker should be evacuated on board the ship. I have a feeling that this bunker won’t last long.”
