by Richard Sosa
“Bummer.”
“Just bummer. Ra, this is more serious than not being able to get one of your stupid backups to work.”
“Speak for yourself.”
“O.K. decision time. I am sharing your hacked military information all over on the collaboration commons net. Everyone will see this.”
“Mine? Don't put that on me, I didn't hack DARP. I am just an innocent by-stander tricked to participate in your crimes. I am innocent,” he chopped his words for emphasis as he tapped keystrokes to secure the data and encrypt it, “I can’t believe there’s data piracy going on in this place, I am just shocked.”
“You took the data from my unit. It has your signature all over it.”
“No, you’re wrong, girly. I have this program that buries things.”
“I am commissioned and now I have some privileges again. You better change plans about your pickup. Your stuff is in a secure mailbox at the research tower because the locker space here is occupied.”
Rabid was silent again. Iris challenged. “What’s wrong, Trabak got your tongue?”
“Just watch yourself, that’s all I am saying. When your data was sent out, I changed your address and dispersed the data source through ghost programs. No one will know it came through you. But if someone is determined they can break this code. I am reading some stuff about mister space man’s brother; some think he was captured earlier secretly or worse. Look we have to find that cube he lost before anyone else does. I don’t know what it is supposed to do but from the visuals online he was really upset he lost it.”
Iris pondered. “Yeah, I know. Hey, confirm that about his brother if you can. Our next step is to mount a search for him so I can unite them. You’re a true friend. I love you.”
Ra typed some other items into his computer. “Wait. I have a very creditable source from Rapuru-jec that some evidence indicates that Rik can reduce our gravitonic wave grid. He may have the ability to control our weapons as well.”
“Do you trust your source?”
“With my life. Well maybe that’s a bit dramatic but he’s a good guy.”
“Well, damn it. That’s not good news. Are you sure?”
Rik stirred and awoke then sat up instinctively stretching out his arms as if trapped in a box but bumped his head anyway waking himself up fully. “Who are you talking to? I have keen advanced humanoid hearing and you're keeping me awake.”
Iris moved Rik's laptop to his knapsack and recorder to the side where he left it. “I am sharing what you told me. Everyone sees my notes and they can conduct further analysis individually. It's time to share.” She’s energized with a new mission and said, “Yes, that’s what I am doing, no turning back. Just to let you know I am sharing your sorry ass story to millions,” she continued to type and said, “Ra, sign off.”
Rabid on the monitor smiled and winked, “Oh yeah, boyfriend, I get it, bye.” Iris gave him a mean pretend glare before the monitor blinked off.
Purple light shined through the round windows and Rik yawned, stretched and peered with interest at the commons net on Iris’ monitor. “What time is it? You've been at this all night?”
“Just for eight Trems and…” she looked at her wrist unit, “twenty gaml-ites. Lots of evidence has formed about you and there’s a lot to digest. You have the verifiers working double time. That doesn’t happen too often.”
Rik peeked out the window moving the curtain slightly. “Verifiers? The view is different from this window compared to yesterday. Is the building moving? Is it morning already? Do you know what's going to happen to me once this is out? Will they shoot at us again? Do you think they’ll take me to a bunker the same way they treated my brother? Even so, it will be nice to see him,” he mused looking out the windows, “does this building move?”
“You have a lot of questions,” Iris stretched as the morning light streamed into the unit, “I am sure there are a lot of people wanting to talk to you. Do the math, we spent point four credits for a two-day supply.”
Rik watched her and then looked over at the wall, he pointed at her face and shoulder, “Your skin, it’s slightly purple. It’s purple. I thought it was the reflection of the suns on everything.” Iris inspected her arms and hands, “no they’re not.”
“Credits?” Rik caught up with the conversation, “no, you do the math. Remember I am not good with math this early in the morning.”
“We were monitored and you're on the net watch and you haven’t moved,” Iris said, “it takes one cycle to process location permissions so about one point eight cycles time.”
Rik was confused and worried again. “Monitored? Cycles of time? I need to find my brother and get moving, we have a saying in my ranks, ‘move to live’.”
Iris held up her hand to calm him. “Don’t worry, please don’t worry, we shared your story with everyone so now you're safe again. Many people have an interest in this outcome, and no one will be able to harm you.”
“Safe again? I was in danger. Now, who’s evading?” Rik said disbelieving her, but his tone was friendly.
She shrugged. “Now you’re under my official protection but I don’ think you need it.”
“Your protection? Right,” Rik pointed at the broken door with glass and splintered wood on the terrace and observed her console and then noticed the technology around her small flat unit, “shared with everyone?”
“It's time to share. Information belongs to all. Not just those who say they are the authoritative source in a rotting data drive or public or government archive,” Iris said while typing.
“Do you guys have books?”
“We have the Calp-Rath-Jec Book of Chapters.” She turned to Rik and before he responded she said, “it’s a holy book we’ve enshrined in our historical archive. It was the basis for division and war. It was supposed to be the word of god but in the end, it was mythology and a hateful dogmatic text for those who believed in absolute truth. Written at the time when division and hatred were commonplace.”
“I’ve seen those texts before, A-Ragnos, The Agnor, The Holy ‘Radail’, The Speaker of Gathnor and the best one, the Chronicle of Gramstat,” Rik thought and spoke cautiously, “the religious fanatics always claim science will dehumanize people and they say a non-theocratic society will be immoral. It’s part of the seed propagation engineered in them because the many times when people have been turned into numbers was when religion and ideology used dogma as a weapon while believing they had absolute knowledge or truth. On Agtag-158, scientists were tortured and killed because they offered a hypothesis conflicting with the spiritual text about the center of the universe. I don’t understand how that could happen when humans can research and test the evidence,” Rik closed eye and turned his head waiting to be slapped.
Iris nodded agreement. “The ancestors of new Aoife developed a protocol called Mangin-Ragnor which was a form of objective observational testing and rigor method that supports Rathsam’s Process.”
“How long has this society used Rathsam’s?”
“For five Gram-sls at least.”
He listened to his inner ear translator and repeated the result, “five hundred years, five gramgat-tones, five gamut slices. That’s a long time in societal developmental terms. This world is much more advanced than the others, so I am confused about the prospects for this place.”
“Don’t be, we’re going to be fine. You said unkind comments last night that some think was more low blood sugar. We rely on our science and its process of discovery and we’re not afraid of the unknown. We resist easy answers in myth and dogma, but I can see why they are attractive especially at a time like this. The first rule is don’t fool yourself and the second rule is, it’s easy to fool yourself.”
“I’ve heard something like that before on other planets much less advanced than this one. Why does your world resist easy answers?”
“They’re comfortable and portend to answer without the rigor of thought. Thankfully, everyone is developing concrete solut
ions as we speak.”
“I didn’t mean to be a jerk last night. Your invasion appointment doesn’t make sense given the rate of advancement currently evidenced. Something isn’t right.”
“It’s fine to be wrong with your conclusion. That’s how to move forward at the edge of error because that’s how we learn. That’s what humanity is all about.”
“I am not afraid of my conclusion,” he smiled at her, “your statement gives me great comfort for this world. I hope all this works out. I want this world to live,” he surprised himself by the comment.” He was lost in thought.
“Wake up?” Iris said as she examined his face.
“I think you still don’t understand me,” Rik said.
Iris regarded him for another moment and smiled at him.
Rik snapped his fingers together surprising her. “Insight. What if I tell you how to try to survive and everyone could see the information at the same time?” He pulled his chair closer to her.
“That’s what’s already happening. Keep up. But they need time to test your statements and share them around. You said it was hopeless what happened? A little sleep in the locker space and now you have a different outlook?”
Rik crunched his head side to side. “A little sleep is the operative phase. I don’t know maybe its hopeless but I am here and I am going to stay as promised and…well,” he stared at Iris, her red hair captured the morning suns in its shine, her pale skin was a smooth palette and her face had a determined but kind expression, “I promised. I made a promise to stay. If it kills me, I am going to keep this promise and yeah it’s going to kill me.”
“No need to be dramatic.”
Rik spoke in a serious tone, “We can dig. We can find deep wells or natural places underground to accommodate large populations. Store seeds, soil, water, and food. There may be natural places on the planet that will fit the purpose, salt caves are ideal. If I draw it on our computers can you have it conveyed to others to be replicated? Can you have it copied? Or if I say something, have it repeated exactly as stated to all these people you say are listening? Especially to the tech people types.”
Iris was engaged caught up in the way he stared at her. She admired his new stronger voice. “My tech friends are all over the commons net,” she peered at her terminal, “Ra can organize this for you.”
“I have to do something, right?” Rik said, “I don’t have the luxury of sitting on my butt. This is my calling to go down fighting. Whether we win or lose it doesn’t matter.”
“Now that’s what I like to hear. My friends can get this done for you,” Iris stood up like she was going to cheer but walked to the kitchen for a cup of tea.
Rik looked around the flat. “No matter where I go in the universes you hackers are all the same. Tell the truth sometimes you only leave this messy tech cave because you run out of food? Maybe, just maybe there's hope for Ae... whatever.”
“Aoife.”
“Yeah, that. This could work. It’s a long shot but there are no other options. I'll need smart people, like…” Rik tapped his chin, “well, we’ll have to settle on you, I guess. We need to create the specific information and share it in a defensible manner, don’t get caught and not have us get shut down or the information taken from us and altered.”
“Easy. Then we get to fight?”
“No, we need to develop teachers, a plan and build shelters. I need to be recorded on this sequencing recorder for the benefit of other Lares and we must find a way to gather seeds and food to plant in soil that has no nutrient value. I also need help to develop a protocol to establish our society again and we will have to create a system to abort and kill the seeds they leave behind. They will destroy us.” He reached into his knapsack and handed Iris a small recorder, “this one’s mine, I’ll use my brothers until we find him,” he demonstrated the operation, “push here and it records in 360 degrees and view here. Hold it vertical and it records you as well at the same time, so it puts you in the event. You can playback the images by pressing here. It records the exact date using multiple multiverse data points. This is a tool so other Lares can locate each other and if they are close enough can download the images and activate the ‘finding’ tools. Record my statements when you want and make a log. In case I am caught or killed continue to record. Share it. I'll make a log of you too so other planets can benefit from you…I mean, your world’s superior intellect.” Rik started the palm-size recorder while pointing it at Iris and she stuck her tongue out at him and began to dance then laughed. “Perfect,” Rik said, “some ass-backward ape-monkey planet facing annihilation will enjoy this. At least you're cute.”
Iris embraced the selfie moment and continued to dance and said, “I should give them a proper show,” and she continued to dance with arms flailing and laughing.
Rik noticed he was laughing and then said while waving his hands in a calming motion, “O.K. that’s enough you dance terribly. Now it’s getting scary,” but Rik smiled, “Iris, I’ve forgotten what it feels like to laugh like this.” He put the recorder on his lap and watched the image.
She continued swaying. “What does scary mean?”
“You’re very cute.”
She flipped her hair back dramatically.
“Stop that, it’s driving me crazy,” Rik said jokingly.
She stopped immediately. “Sorry, I don’t want to drive you crazy, its already difficult enough understanding you with the mental capacity you have now.”
“My brother could figure out how to take you with us. He could figure out your word problems without guessing. He’s good at math.”
Iris caught up to Rik’s statement, “At Least? At least I am cute? Watch it, buddy. Don’t call me that. Remember, you’re not leaving. You promised. Why leave now when the good part is getting started?” Something caught Iris’ attention on her IARI. She showed it to Rik, “look, It's Stu Oman,” she adjusted her console for voice, “hi handsome, what are you doing? You started talking too early wait for the audio connection, you dummy.” A motley looking Flalinx Pilot with blonde hair, a days’ worth of unshaved face, and brown cargo pants like Iris’, walked around his Flyer already speaking. Iris pointed to the screen, “that’s Stu Oman, he’s a fighter pilot but don’t let his looks fool you, he’s a major F-up like you but, he can fly those things like no one else and blow stuff up.”
Chapter Twelve
Stu Oman talked at the camera and looked around expecting to be interrupted at any moment. “This thing stops and reverses almost instantly because there are engines on both sides four in all and redundant gravity dampeners. Yeah man, dampeners that are like gravitational shock absorbers so if these go out then your ass is dead. It's a small machine but it has an ass-kicking complement of weapons,” he pointed, “first, there are cannons on the bottom and a rail of lasers on the top here on the sides and under the Flyer as well,” he climbed under the machine and pointed at the weapons and then looked over at the hangar door, he continued, “your controls and monitors can be programmed to fire in any direction. It also has a navigation net system so all the Flyers can see each other. The best part, a four transom multi-hydrogen converter and so this thing is really fast.” He stepped back and admired the machine like a proud father. He said directly at the monitor, “Rik, you’ll need to hold your balls, or they might end up your ass when you accelerate to break gravity or if you do a steep dive or—"
“Stu, just explain,” Iris interrupted, “you’re on record no need to be so colorful.”
Stu pointed to the machine not missing a beat. “The small size makes it a hard target. It has a back cannon and multiple rockets back here so anyone who wants to go up your backside will have to go through a lot of hardened ceramic shot.” He stopped and glared at a Tech who grabbed some tools and walked away. Stu watched him leave and said, “the Vimanas Flalinx design accommodates our logermatic guide which can link to the surface and other space platforms, so its communication ability is redundant and maximized for deep space
. We use our major gas giant planets and the suns as triangulation points for navigation and speed calculations. A lot of pilots only have experience with these in simulations, but we have combat pilots working with them in small groups. The ones with only simulation training are called ‘weenies’ but we are having less and less of those because we’re taking them in the air and shooting at them. I love scaring the pants off them. Think this will do the job? You get this Mr. Rik spaceman F-up?”
Iris quickly said. “Stu, F-up isn’t part of his real name, I made that up myself show a little respect, he struggles with multiple concepts in a conversation,” then she noticed Rik who was engrossed in the fighter, “yeah, he gets it. He's tracking now.”
Stu Oman smirked and slapped his gloves on his pants, “O.K. My work is done here then. Don’t tell anyone I’ve done this I might get in trouble or something. I am heading to the pub you guys can join me at ‘Tonies-Lamma Mama’s’ on Blackford.”
“Get in trouble?” Iris responded, “You? When was the last time you were in trouble young man, you’re a saint? Oh, I forget, yesterday. I read you were fighting in the commissary. Is that true?”
Stu was angry. “Not my fault, Ragma is a jackass and I got tired of his shit. Look, all I did was punch him in the face one time, well O.K. four times maybe six or ten times.”
Iris stared him down through the monitor. “Look, soldier, Rik will need you, so you damn well better be ready. You’ll be worthless to this operation if you’re in the brig, got that? I mean it. Get your head straight, that’s an order.” Stu gave her a pretend salute. Iris shook her head then saluted back crisply and Stu walked out of the monitor’s camera.
Rik didn’t notice when Stu left, and the screen blinked for a second as it looped a copy. He was absorbed in the images and spoke silently to himself. “What the hell? How can that be? A machine—”
“Yeah, a machine,” Iris finished his word, “an ass-kicking machine with dual space thrusters, lasers, cannon, rockets, navigation, and neutron lasers. Not everyone is willing to sit around and wait to be destroyed. Citizens might be afraid but they're not stupid. We leave that part to our politicians.”
