Exiles (The Progenitor Trilogy, Book One)

by Dan Worth

  ‘Shit, how long?’ Rekkid asked

  ‘I estimate about eight and half periods, allowing for the possibility that some of the data may have been corrupted’

  ‘That’s cutting it a bit fine.’

  ‘Indeed, I shall get to work at once.’

  Ormintu leant toward Rekkid and spoke in a low voice. ‘We should leave him to it. Come, I’ll show you the roof garden. It’s time for my break anyway. I can feel myself getting sluggish in this sunless room.’

  Rekkid tried not to groan, the wait would be uncomfortable enough without having to endure the heat throughout. Still, he’d soon be out of here one way or another and it would be rude to refuse his host’s offer. He allowed himself to be steered out of the lab and into a lift which smoothly lifted him and Ormintu to the roof.

  They stepped out of the lift and Rekkid felt himself wilt under the sudden sauna-like blast of heat. He replaced his sunglasses hurriedly to counter the achingly blue-white light of Pleione then surveyed the scene. The roof garden was quite spectacular. A ziggurat of terraces sat atop the building adorned with trailing plant life and the occasional sculpture linked via a maze of winding paths. The music of falling water was provided by the numerous artificial streams that tumbled from pool to pool, and wound beneath arching stone bridges. Small creatures buzzed in the air or rustled the undergrowth and the calls of some could be heard as they sang to one another. The scene was populated by numerous Esacir, who walked the paths, sat on the verdant lawns or reclined on benches deep in thought or intellectual discussion with one another. The city extended below on all sides into the distance where it was met by the descending curve of the dome which arched overhead. Pleione blazed in space beyond.

  Rekkid thought of the deserts of Earth, of standing amid broken ziggurats half submerged in sand and turned to Ormintu. ‘I see you’ve brought me to the Hanging Gardens.’ he commented.

  ‘I’m sorry?’ replied Ormintu

  ‘Ancient human history. An impressive set of gardens like this were built by a king to please his new wife who came from a more temperate mountainous region. It was regarded by humans at the time as one of the wonders of the world.’ explained Rekkid

  ‘Fascinating, and we have it on our roof. Maybe the architect is interested in history like you Rekkid?’

  ‘Perhaps, though I suspect it’s more like a coincidence,’ he changed the subject. ‘I must admit I was rather amazed by what you’ve achieved here. Just how intelligent is Quickchild? I’ve never encountered anything like it. He seems far more advanced than any Arkari AIs I’ve encountered. How does it work?’

  ‘Well, without being too boring or technical, he’s a neural network that operates on quantum level. He can learn and experience just like you or I, and he can make intellectual leaps based on intuition and hunches. His construction is still not as sophisticated as the mind of an average sentient being, hence his size, but he is very intelligent. The mathematics alone represent decades of research by myself and my colleagues, and our predecessors. He’s at least as intelligent as an adult Esacir but he can operate at a far higher speed than a biological brain, and he doesn’t make careless mistakes. The task you have set him will tax him, but he will complete it within the time he promised.’

  ‘He must feel like a son of yours then?’

  ‘Yes, yes he does I think, and I suspect he realises that.’

  ‘Do you not worry about the argument that such entities could pose a threat to the rest of us, that sufficiently advanced AIs could achieve god like levels of intellect and view us all as an irrelevance?’

  ‘Not really, no. I see it as a matter of good parenting and sound programming to prevent them from doing so, and to give them morals and empathy.’

  ‘Our government seems to think otherwise, I hear that’s the official reason for why research into this field was banned some years ago.’

  ‘I trust as a scholar of history you don’t believe everything you read Rekkid,’ said Ormintu coldly. ‘You were quite right about your military you know, how else do you think their ships move and fight with such agility?’

  ‘How do you know this?’

  Ormintu looked at him conspiratorially ‘Let’s say I have friends who-shall-remain-nameless who were involved. There, I know a few of your secrets and now you know one of mine.’

  ‘I thought the Esacir weren’t secretive.’

  ‘We are sometimes, but we keep it a secret,’ said Ormintu and laughed in the Esacir fashion, a high pitched wheezing sound. His expression darkened. ‘I hope that the Arkari Navy don’t catch up with you though Rekkid, if one of those ships goes after you it will hunt you incessantly. What are those sea creatures they have on Earth? Sharks? Like that, only much worse,’ he shuddered. ‘Much worse.’

  Suddenly the serenity of the gardens seemed much less of a comfort to Rekkid; he felt a chill, despite the heat. ‘It was one of our destroyers that turned up when we were on the wreck, the Shining Glory,’ he said. ‘It was an amazing sight and I couldn’t help but think then that it looked like a living thing. I mean all our ships have a fluid look about them, but this thing really moved like it was alive, and it was so bloody huge.’

  ‘But these are your own people Rekkid. You’d never seen one before?’

  ‘Not up close, the armed forces tend to keep to themselves. You know that there are whole systems within our Sphere that totally belong to them, and that no-one else can go there? Sometimes I wonder whether our own government really knows what they get up to, and as long as they keep the peace and protect us I suspect that they don’t care.’

  ‘You think it could be the military that are after you and not your government?’

  ‘You know I had thought about that a great deal. I can’t help but wonder what we stumbled across. Our findings showed that that ship was constructed at a time when, officially, we were still living in trees and killing prey with stone weapons.’

  ‘Time travel experiments?’

  ‘I don’t think so, is that even possible? But it was such a primitive vessel, barely more sophisticated than most human ships. Why would they build such a piece of junk for a top secret experiment? Then there’s also the matter of everything being written in a language that I’ve never even seen before. I bloody well specialise in ancient languages, especially Arkari ones!’

  ‘Well, maybe the log will help answer your questions Rekkid. We’ll just have to wait until Quickchild is finished.’

  ‘I hope he hurries up,’ muttered Rekkid. ‘That cruiser is getting nearer all the time.’

  The wait was agonising for Rekkid, as the Stormfront flew ever closer and Quickchild raced to complete his task in time. As the deadline drew closer, Rekkid went up to the roof garden to see if he could see his pursuers as they arrived. Ormintu had vanished, he knew not where, and the AI seemed no nearer to finishing the translation.

  The ship was now due to dock in few moments. Rekkid shielded his eyes against the glare and squinted. There it was; a winged lenticular shape with a long barbed tail. He saw the multidimensional ripple bend Pleione’s light as it popped into normal space at the end of its jump. His heart sank and he glumly watched the graceful, menacing form of the vessel swoop towards Riianto then turn and reduce its speed as it headed for the docking facilities on the underside of the city. He returned to the lab via the lift and was greeted by an excited Ormintu.

  ‘Rekkid, good news! Quickchild has completed the translation of the log.’

  The AI butted in. ‘I am sorry I took longer than anticipated Rekkid, I encountered severe degradation of the storage medium in a few sectors. It took a while to repair the data. However, I have translated all three thousand journal entries, both text and audio, and a number of visual recordings also. They make for most interesting review.’

  ‘Quickchild I can’t thank you enough, really. I’d like you to keep a copy of the files please and also to transfer them into my computer that I have with me.’

  ‘Already done, and the
pleasure was mine Rekkid, thank you.’

  Ormintu spoke: ‘Rekkid I’m sorry to hurry you but the Stormfront is in the process of docking, I’ve made arrangements to get you out of here. If you’d follow me please? Time is not something that we have on our side.’

  Rekkid bade a hurried farewell to Quickchild and raced out of the building after the plodding Ormintu whilst the Esacir explained his exit strategy.

  ‘We can take under floor travelway to the docks. There’s a small ship belonging to the Institute berthed there that will take you out of the system to wherever you want to go, but we must hurry.’

  ‘My luggage!’ protested Rekkid.

  ‘Is already aboard. Don’t worry; I had one of my assistants collect it from your room.’

  They were outside now. Ormintu led Rekkid to a set of smooth steps that led down into the pavement and into the station of a maglev train system. A carriage sped into the station and they boarded. Ormintu requested a specific dock and its doors hissed shut then it whisked them through the tunnel.

  ‘But how will I avoid the cruiser?’ said Rekkid ‘Won’t it just catch me anyway? Besides, I can’t fly a ship’

  ‘We need to time this correctly, which is why I’m in such a hurry. If you wait until the ship has actually docked before departing Riianto it will take them far too long to undock and pursue you. As for flying the ship, Quickchild has uploaded some programs from himself that will fly the ship on a course that the Arkari vessel will have a great deal of trouble in following. Around the star and through the system’s asteroid fields I gather. This ship should be more manoeuvrable than that great hulking thing anyway.’

  ‘Oh. Great. You know talking to those Navy chaps might not be so bad after all.’

  The carriage came to a halt and the doors opened, disgorging them into a busy dock area, Ormintu guided Rekkid through the thronging people and towards an area designated for personal vessels. Typically for an Esacir installation there was little visible security.

  Hurrying down a number of broad corridors they eventually emerged in a large brightly lit hangar area containing several small vessels of varying design. One wall of the cavernous space was composed entirely from the bay doors, large armoured slabs that met in a perfect seal down the middle.

  Ormintu stomped toward a sleek ovoid craft about eight metres in length which squatted on slim tripod legs. He touched a point on its hull which flowed open to form an oval entrance to the cockpit, then gestured for Rekkid to sit inside.

  The interior of the vessel was comfortably furnished but cramped. As Rekkid sat in the command chair it gradually reshaped itself to accommodate his unfamiliar physiology. He stowed his computer, notes and the log in the side pockets of the chair and fastened the safety straps around himself, which adjusted themselves accordingly. Rekkid looked up at Ormintu who was prepping the craft for flight.

  ‘Are you quite sure about this?’

  ‘Quite sure, you can talk with the Quickchild construct whilst in flight. He knows where to go, but don’t expect the same levels of intelligence from him.’

  ‘When do you want the ship back?’

  ‘Well, there’s no hurry. You can tell it to return here itself if you like.’

  ‘Ormintu, thank you. You’ve been a great help, Sanjay has a good friend in you, you know.’

  ‘Good luck Rekkid, I hope we meet again.’

  ‘Me too, goodbye.’

  Ormintu stepped out of the small craft and the hull sealed quickly shut behind him. Rekkid felt the craft lift on its anti-gravity motors and retract the landing gear. The bay doors ahead opened smoothly and it glided between them. A second closed set were now visible on the other side of the airlock. The first set began to close behind the ship. Rekkid spoke tentatively

  ‘Ahh Quickchild, can you hear me?’

  ‘Yes Rekkid.’

  ‘Can you fly this thing with any degree of skill?’

  ‘I can. Do not worry.’

  ‘I’ll try not to,’ Rekkid replied weakly.

  The second set of doors opened and the vessel propelled itself forward at a leisurely pace and emerged into space. They were just under the overhang of the bubble city, visible through the cockpit view screen as a dark curve against the blue brightness of the star. Free of the docking bay, the ship began to sink downwards relative to the plane of the city and turned lazily to face the direction of its intended trajectory.

  ‘I am attempting to use Riianto to mask us from detection by the Arkari craft Rekkid,’ said Quickchild as the ship slid around the city’s underbelly.

  The craft suddenly accelerated, Rekkid was pressed into his seat despite the compensating fields.

  ‘What the hell?’ he squawked with some alarm.

  ‘They have spotted us, Rekkid. Executing evasive procedures.’

  The small craft ramped its power up further and began to loop towards Pleione. Rekkid glanced at a smaller view screen showing Riianto. The Arkari ship was backing away from the station and turning to pursue them, its tractor beams reaching out into the space ahead of it. The main view screen now showed Pleione, its colours darkened by the ship’s systems to compensate for its blinding light. They were heading straight towards it at high speed.

  ‘The Arkari vessel is attempting to apprehend us, engaging warp drive.’

  ‘Oh fuck! No!’ screamed Rekkid as the ship jumped. He stared incredulously at the view screen, now dark except for a diagrammatical representation of hyper and real space combined. He suddenly realised what Quickchild was attempting as the ship tore toward the hyperspace gravity shadow of Pleione.

  ‘Listen, you fucking idiotic machine. Slingshot manoeuvres in hyperspace are suicide, everyone knows that. The gravity shadow of the body in hyperspace will destroy your warp drive and we’ll tumble into the star!’

  ‘You are basing your assumptions on the performance of biological pilots. I can calculate the correct trajectory around the star. Do not worry. The Arkari vessel will not follow us, either they will not risk this manoeuvre with such a ship or they will presume us dead. I doubt whether their ships are capable of piloting themselves to such a degree.’

  Rekkid whimpered in terror as Quickchild guided the speeding ship toward the invisible hypersphere of the star. So this was what dying felt like. His life was flashing before his eyes. It was experience he’d hoped would be a little longer to say the least. As the tiny craft skimmed around Pleione at insane speed, Rekkid’s look of expectant horror grew ever more intense and he screwed his eyes shut. He moaned again and curled into a ball as best he could under the restraining straps.

  His fears were groundless. The small craft arced perfectly in a slingshot path, dangerously close to Pleione but in a perfect parabolic arc through hyperspace. Accelerated by the star’s gravity the ship swung outward, clearing the inner planetary orbits in a matter of moments before speeding on into deep space. Rekkid tentatively opened his eyes. Pleione was visible as a receding blue dot via the virtual displays.

  ‘Rekkid, I believe the manoeuvre was successful. We are clear of the system. The Arkari vessel is no longer pursuing us. Instead they are studying the star in hyperspace. It seems that they are looking for signs of our demise.’

  Rekkid uncurled from his foetal position.

  ‘It worked! I’m still alive!’ he cried and then asked: ‘How is it that they haven’t noticed us?’

  ‘I took care to position ourselves on the far side of the star from the Stormfront as we exited the system.’

  ‘Oh, thank you, thank you! Quickchild you wonderful machine, that’s two I owe you and your creators today.’

  ‘Where would you like to go now?’

  ‘I have an appointment to keep. Head for Maranos in the Fulan system.’

  ‘Very well Rekkid, we shall arrive there in four standard days.’

  ‘Good. Listen, Does this ship have anywhere for me to change out of my stinking clothes and get some sleep and a wash?’

  ‘There is a small cabin to the
rear of the cockpit. It has full facilities.’

  ‘Thank you.’

  ‘Perhaps you would like to read the documents I translated for you today whilst we travel?’

  ‘Yes, yes I would. Very much so.’

  Following a wash, a rest and change of attire, Rekkid reclined on his bunk with the unfolded leaves of his computer on his lap as the ship sped through hyperspace towards its destination. Quickchild had been right; the documents did make for interesting reading. That, it turned out, was something of an understatement. As Rekkid read he saw an entire period of Arkari history, previously hidden, being brought to light.

  Chapter 4

  It was tranquil in the hotel café by the water’s edge in New Colorado and after a long stressful journey Katherine welcomed the relaxing atmosphere. She’d have to catch the flight for the final leg of her journey tomorrow, but for now she was quite happy to stretch out in the large wicker chairs, listen to the sound of the gently lapping waves and admire the unusual curving view of the interior of the asteroid which was softly lit for evening by the axis mounted plasma tube.

  Katherine was glad to be freed from the confines of the Pegasus. Ever since the break-in she had felt tense and paranoid aboard the luxury liner. That incident had made her acutely aware of her own vulnerability and she mostly avoided her fellow passengers. After bidding goodbye to Ikkikut when the ship docked at Elysium she had made no more friends and she had stayed in her cabin for much of the remainder of the voyage with the door firmly locked.

  Arriving earlier in the day at New Colorado in the Klondike system she had felt she had reached the end of a sentence. Having been trapped in the purgatory of the liner she was now free to mingle in the large populous interior of the asteroid. Her paranoia had lifted somewhat from the change of scenery and she had ventured from her overnight room down to the hotel café where she now found herself.