Devastator

by Isaac Hooke

  Jain waited ten seconds. Growing impatient, he said: “So, are you able to get in?”

  Sheila didn’t look up from her station. “I’m still tweaking my reactor core to get the gamma rays just right…” She was quiet a moment. “I’m also not completely finished setting up the spare reactor rods in my cargo bay to receive the return modulations.”

  Movement drew his attention to the tactical display. Some members of the Manamas fleet were breaking formation, turning from the rendezvous point to head toward the Void Warriors.

  “We have incoming Mind Refurbs,” Xander said. “Six in total. Hull Burners.”

  “I see them,” Jain said.

  “Sheila, the Daktor will be here in forty-five seconds,” Jain said. “Can you confirm that the access keys work?”

  “I’m still modulating my reactor core…” Sheila said.

  The Daktor closed. As did the six Hull Burners.

  “The Hull Burners are firing raptors,” Xander said. “We’re taking minimal damage, thanks to the range.”

  “That will change once they’re within firing range of their barracudas,” Jain muttered. He glanced at Xander. “Send a sample of the alien data we’ve received. Enough to whet their appetite. I want them well aware of what they’re going to lose if they destroy us.”

  “Transmitting data,” Xander said. “I selected a few key documents and videos, and redacted most of the important bits. There is enough there for them to understand the value, however.”

  Jain watched as the Hull Burners continued to approach. They had stopped firing their raptors, but that might only mean they had simply expended their charge, rather than any real intent to hold back on their part.

  “I’m in,” Sheila announced. The packet header of her communications contained a time sync, and Jain’s time sense automatically increased to the maximum, freezing all external time. “I’m transmitting the details of my current setup, just in case any of you want to try at some point.”

  Jain received the request and accepted. He stored the files in his high priority folder for later perusal.

  “Once you know what to expect,” Sheila continued, “their user interfaces aren’t all that different from our own. I’ve put together a barebones VR environment to make things easier, also included in the download I just sent. It shields the user from much of the low level code, as well as the ternary data scheme—I just used binary-coded ternary numbers.”

  “Okay.” Jain glanced at the files he’d just downloaded. Sure enough, there was indeed a VR environment among them. “You accelerated your time sense to do all this?”

  “I’ve been operating at my highest setting for a while now,” Sheila admitted. “I only sent the timebase sync when I was ready.”

  “Good job,” Jain said. “So the keys are good then?”

  “They’re good,” Sheila replied. “But when our alien friend said the account would be low level, he wasn’t kidding. Everything in here is locked off. I can see all this data just waiting to be read, but can’t do it. Nor can I access the engines, weapons, and so forth.”

  “Like I said, we should have pressed for more,” Cranston commented.

  “We still can,” Mark said.

  “It’s tempting,” Jain said. “But I already agreed to set him free. I intend to keep my word. Sheila, you’re the best hacker we have. I know this is a completely alien environment, but given what you now know about the inner workings of their software, can you get access to some of that data before the ship’s AI core kicks you out?”

  She nodded slowly. “The code is actually fairly insecure. They were relying on the fact that we didn’t have their access keys, nor even knew how their network protocols or programming languages worked. Security by obscurity. But now that we have this basic knowledge…I already found a backdoor to spawn infinite low-level accounts. The alien AI core keeps deleting those accounts, but I just create more.

  “It also changed the remote keys a few times now, but since I’m still logged in and leapfrogging between accounts as they’re deleted, I just transmit the new keys before I lose access, and then re-initiate the handshake from here. I also hacked into a small portion of the communications subsystem… the alien keeps trying to shut off communications entirely, but I simply turn them back on.”

  “Sheesh,” Cranston said. “I’d hate to have her inside my AI core.”

  Gavin nodded. “Throw hackers a bone, they take the whole skeleton.”

  “I just hit a block,” Sheila said. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to do much more. The alien AI core has a processor capable of ten times more cycles per second than mine, and I’m starting to feel it… he’s keeping on the defensive. Forcing me to constantly create new accounts, transmit new keys, re-enable the comm system, and so forth. It’s becoming a struggle to keep up. I don’t have any time for much else, let alone making any other privilege escalation attempts. And I’ve fallen behind…” She paused. “He almost deleted my final account just now.”

  “We’ll let you work,” Jain said. He paused. “But if you had help, say from Medeia, would that make a difference?”

  “It might,” Sheila said.

  “I’m on my way.” Medeia broadcast her intent to accelerate the Arcane toward her: her trajectory updated on the tactical display, lining up with Sheila and the damaged alien vessel. Her ship didn’t actually move, as external time was still slowed to a halt.

  “Be careful,” Mark told her.

  Medeia gave him a sly look. “Of course.”

  “This isn’t a joke,” Mark said.

  She merely smiled, shrugged, and looked away.

  “Do what you can, you two,” Jain told Sheila and Medeia.

  Sheila nodded. “I’ll be at max time sense for a while. If you need anything while I’m working, ring.”

  She closed her eyes and became completely still.

  Jain reduced his time sense slightly, but didn’t quite return it to normal. He glanced at the tactical display: the Daktor had begun decelerating, and would arrive shortly.

  Jain unmuted Maxwell. “All right. We’re going to live up to our end of the bargain.” He glanced at Xander. “Fire grappling hooks into the alien vessel.”

  “Your team is attempting to break into the internal databases of my subordinate?” Maxwell said.

  “How did you guess?” Jain told the alien, his voice oozing sarcasm.

  “I’m surprised he hasn’t kicked you out already,” Maxwell said.

  “Oh, he’s trying, apparently,” Jain said.

  “You do realize, if you dig too far the AI will self-destruct the ship?” Maxwell said.

  Jain nodded. “I figured as much. We’d do the same.”

  As the Daktor neared, the rift opened up in front of it. The vessel continued to decelerate, coming to a halt in front of Jain.

  “All right,” Jain said. “It’s time to give you a boost.”

  He fired his grappling hook at Maxwell’s pyramid, and then began towing him toward the rift. He wasn’t able to accelerate as quickly as when the other Mind Refurbs were helping him, but he did achieve a good, steady rate.

  When he had the pyramid up to speed, and on a trajectory that would take it into the rift without interrupting the creation beam from the Daktor, he released the vessel, withdrawing the grappling hook to let the alien ship drift forward on its own momentum.

  “Admiral Santana is hailing,” Xander said.

  “The admiral this time,” Jain said. “This should be interesting.” He paused, then muted Maxwell before telling Xander. “All right. Accept his hail.”

  19

  Jain didn’t have long to wait before Admiral Santana materialized on the virtual bridge.

  As always, the gaunt, prim man wore that perpetual scowl, as if he was pissed off at the galaxy in general. Though in this case, he was more likely pissed off at Jain.

  “It’s not too late to avoid a court martial,” Santana said. His packet header contained a timebase sync, and Jain�
�s time sense automatically adjusted, once more switching to the maximum possible so that the outside reality slowed to a halt.

  “Close the rift,” Santana continued. “That vessel is military property now.”

  “I’m sorry,” Jain said. “I made a promise to the Mimic on board. I’m a man of my word, and I’m keeping it.”

  “You’re not a man,” Santana spat.

  “No,” Jain said. “You’re right. I’m more than a man.”

  “Less,” Santana said. “A real man would have obeyed the order to return to the rendezvous point. But you did not. And you opened a rift, against orders. That’s one more rift we could have used to return to Earth. The enemy is right behind us, breathing down our necks. We’re hemorrhaging ships. That rift could have granted safe passage to another five or six of us, but now Refurbs under my command are going to die. All because of your precious word.”

  “You’ve seen the data sample I sent,” Jain said. “You must have. And you know it’s important, considering your fleet hasn’t opened fire with raptors again.”

  “We’ve been occupied, in case you hadn’t noticed,” Santana said coldly. “But rest assured, a battle group will be entering optimal firing range shortly.”

  Jain glanced at his tactical map. The six Hull Burners that were heading his way neared the twelve thousand kilometer mark, at which point their barracudas would be within firing range.

  “You see that damaged pyramid ship?” Jain said. “Surrounded by two of my units? The Wheelbarrow and the Arcane? Using the knowledge we’ve gained, we’re attempting to hack into it. That’s right, we might soon have a complete alien vessel under our control.”

  “I want you to close that rift, and hack into the other ship as well,” Santana said.

  “Can’t do that,” Jain said. “I made a promise.”

  Santana gritted his teeth. When he spoke again, his face enlarged, becoming monstrous as he allowed his anger to seep into his avatar. “Listen, you insubordinate little shit, we show no mercy to these aliens, do you get me? We show them pain, we show them blood, we show them plasma fire. You— will— close— that— rift!”

  Jain hesitated. He hated defying a commanding officer like this. But the way he saw it, Jain was a volunteer, here to help humanity, not serve the whims of one man alone. Jain was going to stick to his morals, at least in this particular case.

  “I can’t,” Jain said. “I’m really sorry.” He somewhat regretted that he’d allowed the other Void Warriors to listen in on this particular conversation. He wasn’t really a very good role model, when it came to following orders.

  Santana bit his lower lip, and seemed about to unleash another fiery outburst, but then his expression calmed.

  “Then you will transmit the entirety of the data you’ve collected from the aliens,” Santana said. “Give us the ability to hack into them so that we can buy more time to reach the rendezvous point. Do what a real man would do. Save your fellow Mind Refurbs.”

  “But withholding that data has been the only thing preventing your ships from firing at us until now,” Jain said. “If I agree, what assurance do I have the incoming Hull Burners won’t attack?”

  Santana grinned, bearing his teeth. “By not doing so, you will most assuredly sign your death warrant.”

  Jain was conflicted. He didn’t want his fellow Mind Refurbs to die. On the other hand, he wasn’t sure he could truly trust Admiral Santana.

  He made his choice.

  Jain glanced at Xander. “Transmit the full documents. Everything. Videos. Text files. Make sure nothing is redacted.”

  “Are you cer—” Xander began.

  “Do it,” Jain snapped.

  “Transmitting,” Xander said.

  Admiral Santana continued to scowl at Jain for several moments, but then his expression changed, his lips transforming into a smirk.

  “Thank you.” The admiral disconnected.

  “Maybe that wasn’t such a good idea…” Gavin said.

  “I guess we’ll just have to see.” Jain lowered his time sense so that he was operating at a speed closer to normal.

  Maxwell reached the rift. As he began to drift inside, he glanced up, indicating that he was going to say something.

  Jain unmuted him.

  “Farewell,” Maxwell said. “If we meet again, it will be in the border systems, where you will be assuming your assigned role of acting as a buffer to the Link, after humanity, and most other Mind Refurbs, have been destroyed.”

  “Then I hope we never meet again,” Jain said.

  Maxwell inclined his head and then vanished from the bridge.

  Jain glanced at his external camera feed. Maxwell had passed through.

  For a moment he considered joining Maxwell, but he wanted to see this battle through to the end. Besides, it was possible that Maxwell’s lightning weapon was online, and if they followed him through, they’d all be forced into the same tight space on the other side: Maxwell could open fire and disable them all with a single arcing bolt.

  Speaking of the lightning weapon…

  “Shut that rift,” Jain said, suddenly worried that Maxwell would try to get in some final parting shot.

  Sheila must have been paying attention, or her Accomp anyway, because the rift closed an instant later.

  Jain exhaled in relief.

  But he wasn’t in the clear yet.

  He returned his attention to the tactical display. The six Hull Burners just penetrated the twelve thousand kilometer range.

  “The incoming Hull Burners have reached firing range,” Maxwell said.

  “I see them…” Jain said. “Be prepared to evade any incoming energy bolts. Sheila, instruct the Daktor to proceed to the rendezvous site.”

  She didn’t look at him, or acknowledge the order in any way. The Daktor remained in place, unmoving.

  “Xander, take control of the Daktor,” Jain ordered.

  “I have it,” Xander said.

  “Take it to the rendezvous site,” Jain added. It was the slowest ship among them, and would slow them down if they waited for it. “But don’t let the fleet commandeer it. We’ll need it in case we’re stranded.”

  Xander smiled. “Understood.”

  “I want everyone else to gather at the remaining pyramid ship,” Jain said. “Halt near Gavin.”

  The two parts of the alien ship in question had drifted well apart. Sheila’s Wheelbarrow and Medeia’s Arcane huddled near the base portion, both of them almost touching the enemy hull. If the vessel self-destructed, the pair would receive the brunt of the damage.

  Jain ordered the Warwolf to follow him, and then accelerated the Talos toward Gavin; the other Void Warriors joined him. He glanced at his tactical display. The Hull Burner task unit had reached eleven thousand kilometers away.

  He turned his attention to Medeia, who now had her eyes closed at her station like Sheila. “Medeia, how are we doing on the privilege escalation?”

  She didn’t answer.

  “Medeia?” Jain pressed. “Are we making progress?”

  Still no answer.

  Mark gave Jain a worried look.

  Jain turned to Xander. “I’m going to have go in there. Apply the software patches Sheila sent for the engines, so we’re ready to transmit the necessary gamma rays. Also, have the rovers deploy four spare reactor rods to cargo bay three. Send a portion of the repair swarm as well. I want them to print up the necessary interface apparatus, based on Sheila’s blueprints, directly in that bay.”

  “On it,” the robed Accomp said.

  “How long will it take?” Jain asked.

  “A minute,” Xander said. “Maybe two. The swarms move quickly, and the necessary apparatus to hold the rods isn’t that large. As for the software patch, I’ve just installed it, and I’m ready to transmit whenever you are.”

  “Good,” Jain said.

  “I’ll come with you ” Mark said. “Buddy system.”

  “No,” Jain said. “I’ll have two buddie
s when I get there. We can’t risk any more of you.”

  “Well, I’ll at least get my ship ready then, just like you’re doing,” Mark said.

  “Me, too,” Cranston said.

  “And I as well,” Gavin added. “It’ll be like old times, when we fought side by side in the bodies of munchkins on a planet taken over by bioweapons.”

  “I’m the only one going in,” Jain said.

  He and the other Void Warriors neared Gavin, whose Hippogriff floated six thousand five hundred kilometers from the alien vessel.

  “Halt here,” Jain said. “I’ll continue forward alone.”

  Jain decelerated the Warwolf; he expected more pushback from the others, but Cranston, Mark and the Direct Reports halted, obediently coming to a stop while the Talos continued on its own.

  “Cranston, you have control of the Warwolf,” Jain ordered.

  He transferred control of his Direct Report to Cranston, and then checked the battle space again. The Hull Burners were nine thousand kilometers away.

  “They still haven’t fired their barracudas…” Xander said.

  Mark nodded. “It looks like Santana is keeping his word.”

  “For the time being,” Jain agreed. “Though if you review your logs, you’ll note he didn’t actually say he wouldn’t fire if I gave him the alien data. But he knows he needs our ships, given the losses they’ve incurred. They gain nothing by shooting us down.” That was all true, but Jain still couldn’t know just what Santana would do, of course.

  Jain kept a nervous eye on the pyramid base as he approached. He continually expected the vessel to open fire with its lightning weapon, or those blob attacks, or at the very least to dispatch its boarding party units, but the ship remained inactive. Either its weapon systems were still offline, or Medeia and Sheila were keeping the AI core completely occupied. Probably both.

  “The Hull Burners are five thousand kilometers away from us now,” Mark said.

  Jain glanced at his tactical display, and confirmed the distance.

  “They still haven’t stopped,” Mark continued.

  “What are they doing?” Cranston said.

  “I think they’re going to fire,” Gavin said. “But they’re just waiting for the last possible moment, when it will be impossible for us to dodge or even return fire.”