by G. P. Hudson
“But that ship was connected to the Hermes,” said Jon, curious about the tactic.
“Before we found you we encountered a besieged freighter. It had been attacked by pirates and had lost use of its engines. I remembered your tactic and consulted your engineer about it.”
“Singh?”
“Yes. A brilliant man, albeit very unstable. He explained that the jump system created a field around the ship. Anything within that field would jump along with the ship. Unfortunately the freighter was too large for the tactic to work.”
“Interesting. So the swarm were within the jump field.”
“Yes. The mines had limited our maneuverability, so we couldn’t get any distance between us and the swarm. By jumping away we obtained more freedom of movement and were able to break free. We jumped back to engage the warship, and left the drones behind.”
“Impressive,” said Jon, the compliment sincere. Colonel Bast continued to surprise him.
“Thank you, Captain. I am honored.”
“So what’s next?” said Jon. “Seiben keeps asking me when we’re going to go to New Byzantium. It’s been several weeks now. I don’t blame him for being impatient.”
“Yes, I have been thinking about this issue,” said Bast, his face turning stoic again. “After analyzing the star charts from DLC station, it seems that New Byzantium’s location intersects with one of the trajectories we’ve plotted for the escape pods.”
“So we can drop off the Seiben family while searching for one of the pods?” said Jon.
“Yes, Captain.”
“Good. So I take it we’ll be heading there next?”
“If you are in agreement,” said Bast.
“It works for me,” said Jon. He wondered why Bast kept looking for his approval on decisions like this. It was his ship. Jon and his crew were guests at best. He didn’t need Jon’s approval for anything. It would seem to weaken him as a leader in front of the Chaanisar crew. How would someone like Lieutenant Jarvi see the gesture? Could he really just be extending an olive branch?
Jon felt the creature’s objections. It had a different view of things. The creature seemed to feel Bast was trying to get Jon to drop his guard. He needed Jon to get to Doctor Ellerbeck. Once the brain chips were removed Bast would turn on Jon and his crew. Of that the creature was convinced.
Jon considered the creature’s analysis, and didn’t disagree. They would only search for the Hermes crew until they found the doctor. It was the only reason the Chaanisar even tolerated them being on board. The brain chips were an incredible threat to their new found freedom. Any encounter with the Juttari would see them enslaved again. Removing the brain chips was of paramount concern.
All this talk about uniting the crews was nothing more than a smokescreen. If Bast could get Jon on his side, he could convince the doctor to help. With the brain chips gone the Hermes crew would be seen as a liability and a threat. Bast would show his true colors. The purge would come.
The symbiont was right. He would not allow Bast and the Chaanisar to lull him into a false sense of security. He needed to prepare. If the Chaanisar were going to attack, he would be ready.
Chapter 8
“Daddy, when is Anki going to be here?” asked Alina, Captain Seiben’s youngest daughter.
“Soon, sweetheart,” said Seiben, sitting at a table in their assigned quarters, across from his wife.
“It’s taking so looong,” said Alina, curling her lower lip.
“I know. It’ll just be a little bit longer. Why don’t you go play with your toys?”
Alina sighed, gripped her doll tighter and walked away.
“She’s not the only impatient one,” said Darla. The look on her face told Seiben he was not going to like the direction this conversation was heading. Unfortunately he couldn’t think of any reason to leave the table. Not without making things worse. He would have to sit still and take his medicine.
“What do you mean, darling?” he asked, trying to soften the coming assault.
“What do I mean? How can you ask me that?” said Darla, her face turning red. “I’ve been staring at these terrible symbols for weeks now. How long are we supposed to endure life on board this horrible ship?”
“I’m sure it won’t be for much longer,” he said, trying his best to sound conciliatory.
“That’s what you said last week,” said Darla, raising her voice. “And the week before that. I am about to lose my mind in here. Can you understand that?” Of course he could understand. She was practically screaming at him.
“I’m not happy about it either, darling,” he said, keeping his tone calm and apologetic. “But what can I do about it? It’s not like I can take over the ship and fly it wherever I damn well please.” He heard the frustration creep into his voice and cringed. That was a mistake.
“Oh you would like that, wouldn’t you? I know you’d rather be back on one of your long hauls again, far away from your family.”
“You know that’s not true. I merely meant that I’m not the one making the decisions here.”
“No, but you can persuade Jon to push harder. He has influence with the Colonel. He can make them take us there.”
“I bring it up every time I see him. I’m doing what I can.”
“You’re not trying hard enough.”
“Of course I am.”
“No, you’re not. You know what I think? You’re hoping we don’t ever make it to New Byzantium. You’d rather be on a spaceship. Even if it is as awful as this.”
“That’s not true and you know it.”
“All I know is we’re suffering and you don’t care.”
An alert sounded. Jon, Breeah and Anki were at the door, saving Captain Seiben for the moment from Darla’s wrath. He knew it would resume later, but for now there would be safety in numbers. He jumped out of his chair and headed for the door. It slid open and he welcomed his three guests.
“Anki,” yelled Alina, waving for the little girl to come and play with her. Anki’s face lit up as she rushed towards Alina and her toys. In seconds the two were happily chattering away, inventing some new game to play.
Jon smiled and shook Seiben’s hand, his grip controlled, but still powerful enough to make Seiben wince.
“I have good news for you,” said Jon, still smiling.
“Great. I could use some right now,” said Seiben.
“We’re heading for New Byzantium.”
“What? Really?”
Jon nodded, grinning like a boy.
He felt like hugging the overgrown bastard. “That’s great,” he said, excitedly. He turned to Darla, who still sat at the table with a sour look on her face, “Did you hear that, honey? We’re going to New Byzantium.”
Darla’s face brightened instantly. She got up from her chair and practically ran over. “Are you serious?” she asked, her face betraying a hint of apprehension.
“Yes, said Jon. New Byzantium is our next destination.”
Darla leapt at Jon, throwing her arms around his thick neck and screamed. Jon laughed, placing a hand to his ear, a hopeless attempt at protecting his eardrum from Darla’s high pitch.
“Come, let’s sit down while Jon can still hear,” said Seiben, comfortable in teasing Darla now that the matter was resolved. The group walked to the table and sat down. He liked it much better to have his wife smiling beside him. He rested his hand on her knee and she left it there, glancing his way to let him know the argument was over.
“So, what are your plans for New Byzantium?” said Jon.
Darla answered. “We’ll find some temporary lodging and then look for something more permanent. After the years at the station I can’t wait to have a house and a yard again.”
“That sounds nice,” said Jon. “I’m sure you’ll be very happy there.”
“What about you?” said Darla, a mischievous look in her eye.
“What do you mean?”
She looked at Breeah and said, “You should think of joinin
g us. Settling down. New Byzantium is a free world. A democracy. The corporations don’t govern there.”
“That does sound lovely,” said Breeah, looking at Jon, who seemed a bit uncomfortable now.
“I don’t know. We’re still looking for the Hermes crew,” said Jon.
“And then?” said Breeah. “What happens after you find your crew?”
I… I’m not sure,” said Jon.
Breeah shook her head. “We could do it, you know. We could settle down and make a life there.”
Seiben chuckled, enjoying the show. He preferred Jon to himself on the hot seat. He figured he might as well earn some extra points with Darla while they were at it. “It’s nice on New Byzantium,” he said. “There are lots of good schools. Anki would love it.”
Jon shot Seiben a threatening glance, and Seiben had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. The reality was that while he may be having some fun at Jon’s expense, he did think it was the best option for him. He could see that Jon was happy with Breeah and Anki. Why not make a life together? He could put all the fighting and killing behind him. He could start fresh.
“Why don’t we have a look around when we get there and then decide?” said Jon, waving the white flag.
Breeah smiled, nodding her head, the look on her face seemed to say, ‘I’ll believe it when I see it.’
Chapter 9
Jon lay awake in bed, Breeah soundly asleep beside him. He thought about his situation, considering New Byzantium and whether or not the Seibens were right. Should he put everything behind him and start a new life with Breeah and Anki? He believed that was what he wanted, to have a family again. But could he live life as a civilian? He had spent his whole life fighting. He knew nothing else. Perhaps he could secure a position with their military, or their police force. It was a possibility.
What about his crew? They were out here because of him. They were relying on him. How could he just abandon them? They deserved something better than living aboard a Chaanisar ship. What if they had the option of settling down on New Byzantium as well? Would they take it? They might. After all, they couldn’t stay on board this ship. Or could they?
The Chaanisar ship did have a jump system. He felt the symbiont inside him jump on his train of thought. It pushed the thought further, and Jon suddenly became aware of its intention. The symbiont wanted him to seize the ship. The thought stunned him. Seize the ship? He hadn’t even considered it. The thought was crazy. Even if he wanted to, and he wasn’t entirely sure he did, it had a full crew of Chaanisar soldiers on board. Each one of them augmented with Juttari technology. He didn’t have enough Marines to try something like that. It would be a suicide mission. So why would the symbiont even suggest it?
I thought you were some kind of master strategist, thought Jon. All I see is a crazy alien.
The creature responded with the same thought. Seize the ship.
How? We’re outnumbered, and outgunned. It’s impossible.
A realization struck him, and he wasn’t sure if it was his own, or the symbiont’s. He quietly got out of bed, careful not to wake Breeah, and walked to the adjacent room. Once there he accessed a network console. When they boarded the Chaanisar vessel he had allowed the AI access to the Chaanisar systems, but ensured it only used the access Bast had given him, and refrained from attempting to access anything more. The Juttari systems were sophisticated and he didn’t want the AI to call attention to itself, or trigger any alarms. In reality, the AI was military grade, and had been created with digital warfare in mind. That meant it could hold its own against the average Juttari defenses. It was also capable of learning, adapting, and evolving, which was part of the reason Jon allowed it to access the ship’s network in the first place. Even without attacking the ship’s defenses, it could still study them. It could analyze network traffic and learn. If Jon needed it to mount an attack in the future, it would be better equipped to execute. Right now, however, he just needed some questions answered.
“AI, what is your impression of the Chaanisar network and its defenses?” said Jon.
“The network is hardened and robust, Captain,” said the AI.
“Assess your probability of success if you attempted a network takeover.”
“The front line defenses would be easily overwhelmed. I could tunnel deep into their systems before being detected.”
“But you would be detected?”
“Most definitely, Captain.”
“What are the chances of success after detection?”
“By that time, I would be firmly entrenched within their network. The Chaanisar would launch counter-measures and attempt to remove my presence. I do not believe they would be successful, however the tactic would slow my advance deeper into their systems.”
“The Chaanisar would be alerted to the attack and move against us.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“Have you been analyzing the network traffic?”
“Yes, Captain.”
“How are the Chaanisar accessing the network?” He didn’t know why he asked this question, but he felt it was somehow important.
“They often interface directly with the ship’s systems.”
“Interface directly? What does that mean?”
“They are using their brain chips, Captain. They are effectively making themselves nodes on the network.”
Jon felt the symbiont’s prodding. Its message suddenly became clear. The symbiont had been maneuvering him towards this realization. It was a clever little monster.
“AI, what if you didn’t attempt to takeover the ship’s systems, but attacked the Chaanisar brain chips instead?”
“This tactic would have a high probability of success. I would need to attain the proper security level, which wouldn’t pose much of a challenge. It would be relatively easy to infect them.”
“Infect them?”
“Yes, Captain. I would behave like a virus. I would replicate myself onto the Chanisaar’s brain chip, then continue to the next one. In this way, I would still exist on each brain chip after they disconnected from the network.”
“I see. And once you infect their chips, would you be able to control their actions?”
“Yes, Captain. I could lie dormant for as long as required, then activate myself and take control. All infected Chaanisar could then be controlled remotely.”
“How would you control them if they weren’t on the network?”
“A back door would be created that could be activated through any signal. If they are capable of receiving a transmission, they can be commanded.”
Jon felt the symbiont’s excitement. It urged him to command the AI to initiate the takeover. He wasn’t ready, though. He would be enslaving the Chaanisar in the same way as the Juttari had. Wouldn’t that make him the monster? These Chaanisar rescued him and his crew. What if they were sincere? What if they truly just wanted their freedom? Their humanity?
Lies, the creature whispered. The Chaanisar were a threat, just like they’d always been. This was an opportunity to strike first. To gain the upper hand while he still had a chance. He had the element of surprise. He could take over the ship without firing a shot. How many atrocities had this crew committed? Who was he to absolve them of these crimes? They were not worthy of his compassion.
Perhaps not, thought Jon. But I am not a slaver. I am not Juttari, nor Kemmar. Whatever the Chaanisar are, they were once human. I will give them a chance to be human again.
He felt the creature growl its displeasure. No longer able to enforce its will through torture, it had to accept its role as a mere adviser.
Most of all, thought Jon. I am not like you. I’m still human.
Chapter 10
Jon stooped and stumbled as he walked through the muddy street, feigning drunkenness. His hood hung over his forehead, the darkness obscuring his face. His hands remained under his cloak, hidden from view. The evening was wet and cold. He looked no different than anyone else in town. The guards had noticed him
, but did not seem overly concerned. The ruse worked so far. As he neared he performed again. This time he pretended to lose his balance, taking several steps toward the men and then falling face down at their feet.
“What the hell is your problem?” said one of the guards. “Take your sorry ass away from here before you get hurt.”
Jon took his time moving, lying in the mud, waiting for the inevitable reaction. He didn’t have to wait long. One of the guards stepped into him with a kick to the side. A powerful blow, Jon took most of it on the arm, careful to protect his ribs. He moaned in pain to satisfy the guard, in reality happy the guard had not chosen his face.
“Are you stupid or something?” said the guard, towering over him. “Get up and get out of here while you still can.”
“Ok, I’m getting up,” said Jon. “Please don’t hit me again.” The guards laughed as he slowly rose.
Anger coupled with hate inside him, the fury raging like a tempest. He despised these men. These traitors. Collaborators who would sell out their own kind for personal gain. Worse than the Juttari, death was too merciful a verdict for them. Unfortunately, tonight death would have to do.
Jon’s hands moved imperceptibly under his cloak. He felt the hard wooden handles and wrapped his fingers around their familiar length, freeing the twin knives strapped to his belt. Rising to his feet he slowly turned to face the two men. Raising his head he took a look at their faces, hoping to find some clue to explain why a man would side against his own kind. Of course there was material gain in working with the Juttari. One received many privileges and luxuries. All while the rest of humanity suffered. Was that all it took? Money? Status? He couldn’t accept it. There had to be something more. Something deeper he hadn’t understood. Yet as he gazed at their faces he saw nothing but greed and a lust for power.
“Go on! Get out-”
Jon’s cloak flew around him as he spun, one blade slicing through the first man’s throat in a clean, fluid motion, while the point of the other knife slid deep into the windpipe of the second. Both guards’ eyes went wide as they fell to their knees. The first tried to call for help, but could only manage gurgling sounds as the blood streamed from his wounds. The second gripped his throat, trying in vain to stop the hemorrhaging. They both collapsed onto the mud.
