Exploration (Galactic Neighborhood Book 3)

by Alexander Elliott

  Lovett approached his guest slowly, looking him directly in the eye.

  “I understand you have asked to see me. My name is Commander Jack Lovett, the senior officer here. This is my first officer, Commander Logan Osborne and our chief medical officer, Dr. Adrian Vance.”

  The Silestri looked at each man as they were introduced and nodded slightly. With his eyes set resolutely on Lovett, he spoke.

  “I am Birmew. This place is Hathor?”

  His speech was curiously accented with growling r’s and hissing s’s, but was understandable. Lovett was shocked he could speak English at all.

  “If you are referring to this planet, we were not informed of its name when your people marooned us here. It seems only to be used for hunting, so we assumed your kind must live elsewhere. Why were you brought here?”

  Birmew only nodded with a grimace, and then lifted his hands slightly.

  “Will you unbind? I would drink again.”

  Lovett considered Birmew’s requests for a moment and then nodded at Osborne. The guards readied their spears and moved in closer as Osborne untied the strong vines which bound Birmew’s hands. The Silestri gave a sigh of relief and sat up slowly, massaging and flexing his wrists carefully. Osborne handed over a bowl of clean water which Birmew drank, and then asked for more. After three refills, he returned the bowl and lay back down stiffly and growling in pain. Once his breathing returned to normal, he opened his eyes and answered Lovett’s question.

  “I displease Sub’ords. They believe me weak, and punish. After beating, I am not aware. No human males on Bastet. This be Hathor.”

  Lovett glanced over at Osborne with a small smile. Already, they sailed past the communications barrier and were gaining information.

  “I assume Bastet is the name of your home planet?”

  Birmew nodded.

  “You said there were no human males on Bastet. Are there any human females on your world?”

  Again, Birmew nodded.

  “What did you do to provoke the Sub’ords to injure you so badly and leave you here to die?”

  Birmew looked uncomfortable, eyes glancing furtively from face to face without focusing on anyone in particular.

  “You...not like answer. Kill me.”

  Lovett moved closer to the injured Silestri and got down on one knee so Birmew didn’t have to strain his neck to look at him.

  “You will not be killed for an honest answer, Birmew, only if you attack or try to escape.”

  Birmew looked into Lovett’s eyes for a moment and nodded once more.

  “Only you. Not others.”

  Lovett thought the risk worth taking, though it was clear the other men did not. He sent them out of the room, but not before taking a heavy spear from one of the guards. The transfer of the weapon could not be missed, and Birmew chuffed in amusement while the others shuffled out. When they were alone, Lovett remained silent, waiting for the Silestri to continue.

  The story he told chilled Jack Lovett to the bone, fury clawing at his self control. If he understood correctly, the women were taken to the Silestri home world of Bastet and made slaves. Most were given household tasks or other unpleasant chores to do in and around Prime Yarmews’ official residence. Yarmew was apparently the ruler of Bastet, something like their queen. The remainder of the women were sequestered in a separate building by the Sub’ords, who were privileged male Silestri holding positions of power and influence in society.

  These Sub’ords formed a harem for their own amusement, raping the human captives at will. The first few human women to be abused by them were ripped to shreds and died quickly. It seems a well endowed Silestri male, at the height of passion, releases rows of pointed barbs along the length of his penis. Silestri females are not harmed during mating, but the human women had no defense and died in gory agony. Instead of giving up their amusing pastime, the Sub’ords simply changed tactics slightly, pulling out before the barbs extended. If the timing was off, as frequently happened, the injured female was patched up and returned to be abused again.

  Birmew’s job was to guard the harem and see to their needs. Over time they taught him how to speak English and told him stories of their former life aboard ship and on Earth. He became sympathetic to their condition and did whatever he could to make their lives more comfortable. When one of the crueler Sub’ords demanded the use of his favorite slave, Birmew attempted to protect her by claiming she was still healing from their last coupling. When his deception was discovered, the Sub’ord forced him to watch as he raped her to death. Birmew was then beaten, castrated, and banished to Hathor.

  Lovett was trembling with emotion by the time Birmew finished the tale. The thought of his female crewmates being abused and killed this way turned his stomach. Somehow, he was going to make those sadistic bastards pay for what they did. As he forced himself to calm down and think clearly, he realized now why Birmew did not want anyone else to hear his story. He believed the human males would want retribution, and he was the only Silestri available to take the penalty his people deserved.

  “No, Birmew. I will be the only one to know the full story. You did nothing to deserve punishment, and I want to thank you for your kindness to our women. We didn’t know what happened to them, of course, and hoped they were not dead or suffering. Perhaps with your help, we can find a way off Hathor and rescue them. We have much to discuss while you heal.”

  ####

  Within days, the resilient Silestri made a remarkable recovery. He was given the small cave as his quarters, and was encouraged to join the men for meals. As the crew began to trust him and get used to his presence, Birmew was welcomed into their community. After touring their home in the cliffs, he marveled at what the humans accomplished. He was especially fond of the bathtub and spent many hours floating peacefully on the water.

  It wasn’t anything like the comfortable city life he was used to, but he found ways to improve their lot and become a valuable member of the group. With his natural stalking ability, Birmew brought home all manner of game on a regular basis. Dragging a makeshift sled, he used his superior strength to bring much needed wood back to the caves. Just as important, though, was what he knew about life on Bastet, and he spent much of his time answering questions and sharing stories.

  Unfortunately, Birmew knew little about military operations, the capture of Exploration, or what was happening with the ark. The men were more than pleased to know the women were alive, and Birmew shared what he could recall about the ones he guarded. True to his word, Lovett did not reveal the true horrors of Birmew’s story, only enough to show he tried to help the women under his care. The men seemed to hold no grudge against Birmew, though if their positions were reversed, a human would never have been allowed to live among Silestri. Simply put, they were enemies and would probably always remain so, but for the here and now, Hathor’s castaways found a way to be at peace.

  Chapter 4

  The planet Khrusallis enjoyed a perfect combination of lower gravity, warm temperatures and soft breezes, which was why the insectoid Vingah selected it for their new home when their original planet became unlivable. Their technological contributions, combined with human scientific discoveries, gave all Alliance members tremendous advantages, leading to secure and prosperous populations.

  The close working and personal relationships which existed between them and Pacifica meant the Pacifican embassy was a busy place, hosting a constant stream of human politicians, military officers, Academy instructors, and various other visitors. Recently, it became the home away from home for two young and talented students, sent there to complete their graduation requirements. Unfortunately for them, it was all work and no play.

  ####

  Baxter Young had never been so happy, or exhausted, in his life. The last six weeks were something of a blur in his tired mind, but he and Cole made tremendous progress. The EMR project was not only on track, it also garnered the attention and backing of the PSF and the Vingah scientific communit
y. True to his word, General Moreland wasted no time at all vetting their project and rounding up some highly placed support.

  With the blessings of Admiral Perry and the Dean of the Academy, Bax and Cole were given permission to work off planet with Vingah experts for as long as necessary. Arrangements were quickly made for them to stay at Pacifica’s embassy, and to work directly with science counselor Thataar and his team. Thataar’s stellar credentials and lifelong experience would give the project an excellent chance of success, and, incidentally, fulfill Bax’s dream of working with the greatest living expert on AI theory.

  Cole was located in the same building, but with a different team, focused on the nuts and bolts of the EMR unit itself. Bax brought his own ideas into the programming of the AI, and he found the Vingah to be enthusiastic and supportive. The students were ultimately responsible for their own work, and were not simply handed convenient solutions or answers. Their efforts were carefully checked on a daily basis, and if they reached a roadblock, were gently nudged in the right direction.

  Thataar spent many hours guiding the young man, examining his work, and suggesting alternate ways of thinking to solve some of the most critical problems. It was to his credit Thataar agreed to help him at all. The Vingah were a non-violent species, and would never have suggested using their AI technology for this purpose. However, when he understood Cole’s determination to include redundant safeguards, and his overall objective of protecting life, he gladly lent his expertise to craft the most advantageous outcome possible.

  The first main hurdle was to ensure the EMR’s AI could continue to learn without growing beyond its programming to a self-aware state. The second hurdle was to make certain it could never go rogue. The machine must remain a machine, committed only to the mission it was given and nothing more. It could never be allowed to dream or hope or become something other than what it was – a tool. At the same time, it needed deeply ingrained governors to prevent cruelty or wanton destruction, and must be able to emulate emotional responses without actually experiencing emotional states.

  Bax proposed a ‘two-brain’ solution which actually gave each AI two separate processing centers. The larger of the two contained all the knowledge it would need to perform its job. The second had only one purpose – to keep an eye on the main processor; watching for dangerous anomalies and carrying out the actions necessary to neutralize them. Since the main processor would have no knowledge of the secondary unit’s existence, it could have no effect upon it.

  If an EMR began to exhibit anomalous behavior or thinking patterns, it could be ‘reset’ to an earlier time before such patterns began to form. If this was unsuccessful, the unit would essentially self-lobotomize, leaving only the most basic functions. A self destruct feature was included to ensure a damaged or captured EMR could not be turned against its maker or be reverse engineered by the enemy. If initiated, a fast acting nanite purge would reduce the unit to dust in seconds.

  It was out of his hands now, as Bax waited patiently for Thataar to complete his review of the latest round of changes. If his mentor was satisfied, he and Cole would be allowed to activate the first prototype and begin the testing phase. Instead of sitting around with too much time to think, he asked Cole to join him for lunch back at the Embassy.

  The beautiful building and grounds were a gift to Pacifica from the Vingah people, and contained everything humans might need, all in Earth standard gravity. Crossing over the threshold always created an odd sensation after getting used to the lighter gravity of Khrusallis. Bax stumbled slightly, as the ‘extra weight’ confused his equilibrium. Fortunately, he was able to compensate before anyone saw him, knowing Cole, especially, would tease him mercilessly.

  He found his friend at one of the dining hall tables, unloading a large tray filled with steaming plates of food.

  “What’s the rush, Hearst? I could have helped you know.”

  Cole looked up and smiled.

  “Hi, Bax. I’m glad you called when you did, cause I’m starving. Why don’t you grab us some drinks while I get this laid out?”

  By the time Bax returned to the table, Cole was waiting impatiently for his friend to sit down so he could dig in. The food was delicious as usual, and they spent the first few minutes catching up on events of the morning. Cole and his team finished their detailed review of the ‘shell’, the EMR’s physical housing, just before Bax asked to meet him for lunch.

  “I still can’t believe the shell is so compact. There were so many systems to cram into it, and I was sure we would have to use every available inch. When the Vingah designed the Sentinels and buoys, they really didn’t have any size constraints to worry about. In fact, if you were to open them up, you would find a lot of unused space.”

  “I was uncertain, at first, if they would be able to help me cram in everything we needed. Once we got started, they got really excited by the new challenge. I’m sure they got tired of waiting for me to figure it out for myself. The processes they taught me resulted in a final design which is 34% smaller than what we started with! I can’t wait for you to see it.”

  Halfway through a dessert of Shoosta blossom ice cream, Bax’s comm pinged with an incoming message. The smile on Bax’s face stopped Cole in mid scoop.

  “We did it, Cole! Thataar has cleared the AI for primary testing. He wants us to meet him in the labs in one hour.”

  Having promised to keep General Moreland informed, Bax sent him a quick summary of events. After dessert, they decided to spend the rest of the hour updating their project notes. Bax’s comm pinged once more, however, and when he read the message he looked up at Cole with a curious expression.

  “What is it, Bax? What’s wrong?”

  Bax seemed momentarily tongue tied, so he held up the comm unit for Cole to see for himself. He read it out loud.

  “Admiral Perry and I will be arriving within the hour to observe. Congratulations.”

  ####

  Cole was looking forward to the primary testing this afternoon until he got the news both General Moreland and Admiral Perry would be there in person to watch. It would be just his luck to have something monumental go wrong an embarrass him in front of, well...God and everybody! The butterflies in his stomach were reproducing at an alarming rate, and he was almost fit to be tied.

  Bax, on the other hand, was disgustingly calm and wearing a smug grin. As far as Cole was concerned, this was more nerve wracking than the thought of presenting the final project to the committee. The two men waited just outside the edge of the arrivals platform, which was only a short walk from the Embassy. Cole reached up to wipe away another coat of perspiration from his forehead, only to find Bax staring at him.

  “Cole? What are you so nervous about? You know they both fully support our project, and they wouldn’t be here if they thought it was a waste of time.”

  Cole shook his head.

  “I know, Bax, but we haven’t even worked all the bugs out yet. It will be so embarrassing if something goes haywire in front of the two most important people in the universe.”

  Bax reached out to give his friend a quick sideways hug.

  “Calm down, my friend. They aren’t coming here to criticize. Besides, everyone expects things to go wrong during primary testing. We’ve both done our best work, and you have every reason to be proud of yourself. Thataar told me it took him years to get the original programming right, and he almost gave up several times. This is our chance to show the world what Young and Hearst can do.”

  Bax earned himself a smile and a slug to the shoulder in response.

  “That’s Hearst and Young, you idiot!”

  Their repartee was interrupted by the warning chime of an imminent arrival.

  With a flash of golden light, two familiar figures appeared on the platform and were met by their welcoming party. General Moreland greeted them like old friends, and then introduced each man to Admiral Perry. They knew who he was, of course, and had heard him speak many times. Somehow, he wasn’t
as unnerving in person as Cole assumed, and he quietly heaved a sigh of relief. Perry spoke up as they enjoyed the brief walk to the laboratory building.

  “General Moreland has kept me appraised of your progress, gentlemen, and I must admit I am impressed by the scope and depth of your project. I am eager to see what you have accomplished, but let me assure you our presence here today is to demonstrate our support. Primary testing is akin to the shake down of a new vessel, so we are not expecting to see a finished product.”

  Cole was relieved to hear the last bit, and glanced over at Bax to see him grinning. The ‘I told you so’ on his face was as clear as if he shouted it out loud. Someday his overly optimistic friend was going to be proven wrong in a spectacular fashion, and Cole only hoped he was present to witness it. They soon arrived at the secured lab set aside for the EMR project. Thataar greeted Perry and Moreland, and then introduced them to both teams. It was decided to explain the project hardware first, and Cole became the center of attention. After an encouraging nod from Bax, he took a deep breath and faced the mixed crowd waiting for him to begin.