by Dave Bara
“But that’s not why you came here,” he stated, using the highly honed sense of intuition that had made him such an excellent diplomat. It turned out to be right.
“No,” she finally said, then stopped. He waited patiently for her to come to her point. “I’m a clone, made from digital data, like a hologram, Renwick. A collection of stored electronic data projected into a three dimensional representation that simulates the form that I used to have, when I was alive.” He looked at her. She had the soft almond shaped eyes of descendants of the Asian continent on Earth, long dark hair past her shoulders, a petite but muscular feminine body, all accentuated by the new costume she wore.
“When I look at you Yan, all I see is a woman,” he said truthfully.
“An electronic woman,” she countered. He shook his head.
“Just a woman. A beautiful one.”
“And that’s the problem. I feel like a woman. I have the same emotions, the same drives, the same desires as I did when I was in my own skin,” she said. Then she looked up at him. A tear ran down her face. “But I’m not a real girl, Renwick.”
He reached out and touched her cheek, running his finger up her face and scooping up the tear. “Can you feel that?”
“Yes,” she said. He ran his hand up her arm.
“Can you feel this?” he said. She closed her eyes.
“Oh, yes...” He moved closer and kissed her slightly parted lips.
“And that?” She only nodded in response, her eyes closed. “And I can feel you too. So therefore I declare you a real girl, Tanitha Yan,” he said. She sighed deeply, taking in heavy breaths.
“I can even feel myself breathing,” she said quietly. He moved across and sat next to her, slipping his arm around her waist and pulling her close.
“Let’s see how well this program really works,” he said, then he kissed her again.
“WHOEVER DESIGNED THIS simulation thought of everything,” Yan said an hour later.
“That was a successful experiment,” agreed Renwick, laying back on the bed while she cuddled him.
“Renwick,” she said. Her tone made him take notice.
“Yes?”
“I want to live, Renwick. I want to be alive. There were so many things I was going to do with my life,” she said.
“You mean besides destroying civilization as we know it?”
She smacked him hard.
“Oww!” he said. “That hurt!”
“Better learn to take it, Senator, because I can dish it out,” she said. He thought about her predicament for a moment, one that he was the current beneficiary of.
“What about being inside Amanda? Maybe they could construct an android body like that for you, so you could still go anywhere and do those things you wanted to do,” he said.
“Perhaps if they could completely repress the android personality. Being mixed up with her, it was odd. Sometimes I felt like she just hit the ‘hold’ button and I was stuck in limbo.”
“And there’s the fact that she has a fusion reactor where her uterus should be,” he said. Yan raised her arm as if to hit him again. Renwick recoiled in mock fear.
“Don’t make me,” she said playfully. He laughed, then pulled her close again.
“Seriously. Do you think Amanda was hiding things from you?” Yan sat up on one arm.
“I know she was,” she said.
Renwick considered this. “So now the question is what was she hiding from you?”
“Or why was she hiding it?” said Yan.
“That’s two questions,” said Renwick. They laughed together again, and then he kissed her. “You are a very attractive hologram, you know,” he said. She rolled on top of him and then straddled his hips, sitting up as the covers fell back to reveal her virtual naked body.
“I bet you say that to all the non-corporeal girls. And I prefer the term ‘digital person’,” she said. He watched as the smile faded slowly from her face. “Because that’s what I am,” she said sullenly. He saw the tears forming in her eyes again.
“If I traveled this ship to the Core and back, Captain Tanitha Yan, I could never hope to find a girl as real and as beautiful as you are,” he said. The corners of her mouth ticked up just slightly at this.
“That,” she said, leaning down to kiss him again, “was the right thing to say.”
FORTY-EIGHT HOURS LATER Yan and Renwick were both on the bridge together at the command console as the Kali scooped the last vestiges of Void Space into her converters. They were joined by Amanda, Makera and Zueros, as well as the rest of the Phaeton’s crew, Mischa Cain at Navigation, Captain Aybar at Weapons, and Kish monitoring engineering functions. They all watched together as the countdown ended and the Kali emerged into normal space in the Tarchus system, the first such incursion there in three human centuries.
“Scan the star,” said Yan to Amanda. She did as commanded and reported.
“Red dwarf star, M5 type, point three-eight sol in mass, luminosity of point one-two sol. Tarchus is the main planet of five, the only one in the habitable zone, point one-six Astronomical Units from the primary star, average global temperature of twenty-point five Celsius.”
“How does it stay so warm that close to such a dim star?” asked Renwick.
“It has a tidal locked moon large and massive enough to generate its own internal heat,” said Amanda.
“That’s convenient.”
“You’re forgetting that a race capable of dividing itself into four sub-races could also be well-capable of designing a star system,” said Zueros. “Your Earth is a classic example. A planet placed a perfect distance from its main-sequence star. A moon just large enough to both drive the tidal forces necessary for life on the main planet and, coincidentally, exactly the size need to completely occult your sun. If the Preservers had just left a monument with their signatures on it, it couldn’t have been more obvious.”
“And yet we’ve managed to avoid seriously discussing the subject for nearly ten millennia of human civilization,” offered Renwick.
“No one ever said your species was logical,” piped in Makera. Renwick looked at her with irritation.
“I know, too many emotions getting the way of being practical, eh Ambassador? Like back on Skondar station?” he said.
“Set a course for Tarchus, Amanda,” cut in Yan, seeking to end the burgeoning debate and get them back on track with the task at hand. “And do it quickly, before we have a civil war on our hands. Use the normal space impellers, on maximum.”
“Yes Captain,” replied the android, sweeping over the console with her hands at lightning speed.
An hour later the brown-green globe of Tarchus was filing their master displays. It had been a dim world in the best of times, and these were not the best of times.
“What’s going on down there, Amanda?” asked Yan. The android gave an analysis.
“Based on measureable light, heat, and radiated emissions, Tarchus is operating at less than sixty-percent of her last known industrial capacity. A lack of light at settlements on the night side indicate several major cities have been essentially abandoned. Telecommunications networks are in sporadic use. No occupied space habitats are detected. There is a colony base on the primary satellite, but it appears to be abandoned, or functioning at a very low level. Surface activity indicates there are several active wars taking place, but most of them are at a pre-industrial levels,” Amanda said.
“Tribal warfare,” said Makera. “They’ve regressed to a near barbarism. This is what your people, your Void, did to them, Zueros.”
Zueros’ only response was to look up at the Ambassador before returning his attention to the console.
“Not entirely barbaric, I should say,” said Yan. “I’m detecting incoming space vessels on an intercept vector. Three, in fact. Modern cruisers by scale and design.”
Renwick looked up sharply at Amanda. “Cruisers? Why didn’t we pick them up when we arrived?” he demanded. The android hesitated for a few secon
ds before responding, scanning her console.
“They were hidden on the far side of the primary satellite. Further analysis indicates that there is an operating military base there,” Amanda said.
“I can see that much,” he snapped. “If these Gataan are anything like their pirate expatriates...” he trailed off.
“Defenses up, Amanda!” commanded Yan. The Kali hummed to life in response, main lights dimming, a defense grid coming online and bathing the command deck in deep blue light.
“Perhaps someone can explain to me how a race supposedly isolated for three centuries has a fleet of modern cruisers that just happen to be waiting for us?” said Renwick looking to their newest companion.
“I can’t,” said Zueros.
“I can,” said Makera, raising her pistol. “You’re a liar. You’ve led us into a trap. And I intend to end your life right now.”
“I’m no liar,” said Zueros in his defense, backing away from the console, raising his hands in a show of compliance.
“And yet there are these cruisers, and they’re clearly far more advanced than anything else we can observe on this world,” said Renwick, sweeping a hand across the console. “I happen to agree with the Ambassador; you are a liar, sir. But you might have some very valuable information. And luckily for you we don’t have time for executions.” He reached out and forced Makera to lower her pistol. She briefly pushed back against him, then acquiesced.
“I agree also,” said Yan. “We don’t. Thorne will put him in detention.” She nodded towards the automaton.
“Wait-“ started Zueros, but the imposing figure of Thorne already had him in a firm mechanical grip and was leading him away by the arm. “I can explain-“
“Save it,” said Renwick. He turned to the captain after Zueros was removed from the bridge.
“So now what?” he asked. Yan scanned her tactical board. The Gataan cruisers were closing rapidly.
“They’ve laid a trap for us, and we’re stuck in it,” she said.
“Can we defend ourselves against these cruisers?” Renwick asked.
“The Kali was not designed to fight major space battles, Senator,” said Yan without looking up from the board.
Amanda eyed her captain, but said nothing.
“That’s what I was afraid you’d say,” said Renwick to Yan. “Please tell me that you have an armory aboard?”
“There is one,” replied Amanda.
“Show them,” said Yan with an absent nod, all the while sending out commands to maneuver her ship away from the cruisers and buy them time.
Renwick quickly gathered the others and Amanda led them to the small armory. Coil rifles, pistols, stun grenades and limited number of charging packs were available. Renwick outfitted Kish, Captain Aybar, and Mischa while Makera loaded up on her own.
Renwick brought a rifle back to Yan.
“We’re too exposed out here. Is there someplace we can make a stand?” he asked.
“There is a safe room,” said Amanda.
“A what?” said Renwick, turning back to the android.
“A fortified room where we can ride out a ship invasion,” she said.
“Sounds like we’d be locked in as well. Perhaps we can use it in a different way than it was intended. Is there another alternative?” he asked.
“The common area,” Yan said, motioning over her shoulder. “Back by the galley. I can transfer essential ship functions to a monitor station back there. And if we get the chance I can lock down the ship’s controls. But once I do, we’re locked out too.”
“Let’s do it,” said Renwick. Yan’s hands flashed over the console board and then she was done. Renwick followed her back towards the galley as she effortlessly hefted her heavy rifle with her as she came. She stopped only to give last minute instructions to Amanda.
“Defense algorithm six-two-two,” Yan ordered. “Render any non-essential assistance. Maximum self-preservation. I am shutting down the other androids and returning them to their docks. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” said Amanda.
“Good luck,” said Yan as Amanda made for the command console.
“C’mon,” she said, turning to Renwick. “We’d better hurry.”
12. At Tarchus
Yan watched the cruisers approach to the Kali on her remote monitor in the common area with trepidation. The Gataan had split into a definite attacking formation. As was their way, one ship took the point while the other two stayed back, searching for weakness.
“You have no external defensive weapons?” asked Makera of Yan.
“This is not a battleship, Ambassador,” replied Yan with more than a hint of impatience.
“That much is clear,” said the Raelen with open disdain.
“How much time until they attack?” asked Renwick, coming in from the adjacent hallway. He had just returned from setting up an EMP emitter in the safe room. Yan watched as the lead cruiser fired a coil cannon shot at her ship. The Kali rocked from the impact before her inertial dampers stabilized.
“That would be now,” she said. “You’d better deploy your people.”
Renwick set up Captain Aybar, Kish and Mischa Cain to defend the rear of the galley, where the sleeping berths and washrooms were. Zueros was locked in one of the berths for safekeeping.
Renwick handed each of them extra power packs for their coil rifles. “There’s only one way into this room, so keep your rifles poised at the entrance. Only fire if they look like they’re going to attack you. Yan, Makera and I will try and draw them down the hall towards the safe room. If we can get them into close quarters, we can use the stun grenades and then lock them inside,” he said.
“Shouldn’t we be locking ourselves in?” asked Mischa. She looked far too weak and far too tainted by her time in the Auction pits of Skondar to do much fighting.
“If we do then we give them free run of the ship. At least this way we have the possibility of trapping them and engaging the androids and the ship’s internal defenses to lock them out,” said Renwick. At least he hoped that was true.
“We’ll give you our best,” promised Captain Aybar. Renwick had developed a definite respect for the woman as a warrior since he’d had the chance to see her in action at Minara.
“I know you will,” he said. “But remember to stay low and don’t fire until you’ve been seen. Wait until I call you. You’re our only backup.” Aybar nodded and Renwick went back out to the galley common area where Yan had set up the temporary console.
“Time?” he asked. The Kali rocked again, this time the dampers took much longer to compensate and alarm claxons started going off.
“The bastards just rammed us!” said Yan, her anger rising. “I’m calling out the androids.” She reached for the controls but Renwick stopped her.
“You know that’s a mistake,” he said. “We need them to operate the ship after we get out of here. They’re too valuable.” He handed her a rifle, a pistol, and two grenades. “Now lock out that console and let’s take our positions.”
Yan looked down at the board, freed up one hand and typed in a series of commands with lightning speed.
“Done,” she said.
“Then let’s go,” said Renwick.
THE THREE OF THEM TOOK up their positions behind the bulkheads leading into the hallway to the galley common area. The galley itself was a stand-alone unit built in to the center of the command deck. It was fortified by bulkheads on three sides, with only one entrance, a long hallway, which they were preparing to defend. The safe room was at the end of the hall, built into the ship’s superstructure. It wasn’t perfect, but it was better than nothing.
“Did you set the bait?” asked Makera. Renwick nodded.
“The safe room contains one of the HD drive EMP emitters. I lit it up to look like the ships’ power core. That should be the first place they come if they want control of the ship. Once we get them inside, it’s stun grenades and then we lock as many of them inside as we can,” he said.
“Gataan are bigger than humans, and harder to bring down. Do we know if the stun grenades will work?” asked Yan. Renwick shook his head.
“No, but inside a room coated with uranium alloy just about any force should be magnified enough to have some effect,” he said.
“Imagine their surprise when they discover they’ve essentially captured a hyped up signal flare,” said Makera as she quickly loaded her pistol, rifle, and clipped off the safeties on her grenades.
The ship shook again. The sounds of running boots could be heard approaching from the distance. Renwick set himself against the near bulkhead. From here he had a clean shot through most of the bridge area. Makera set up behind him, her line of fire was set at a slightly more acute angle, but she could still sweep most of the room. The most exposed was Yan, on the other side of the hallway, but then she was a hologram and couldn’t really be killed, at least not in the conventional way.
The boot sounds grew louder. Renwick raised and prepped his rifle. “Remember we want to draw them in,” he said.
“As if two people and a hologram won’t be a tempting enough target,” said Yan. Renwick briefly smiled. Her sense of humor was still intact. Seconds later and there was visible motion in the bridge area.
Renwick took aim. A pair of tall shadow figures reconnoitered the command console, then a half dozen more appeared, weapons raised.
“Now,” said Renwick, and fired off a dozen rounds. His companions did the same before they got any return fire. At first the return was sporadic and confused, but then became more organized. Makera threw a stun grenade into the fray. Sparks flew and bodies fell.
“Careful with those! We don’t have that many!” yelled Renwick. A few more seconds of sporadic firing and it looked like they had the invaders on the run. Then the shooting went quiet and he heard orders being yelled in the Gataan’s guttural language. They were reforming ranks.
A flanking team took up refuge behind the android docks to their left. Another set up to the right, moving out of Renwick’s sight but into Yan’s. The third and largest group, organized behind the main control console, set up straight ahead.
