Preservation: Age of Expansion - A Kurtherian Gambit Series (The Ghost Squadron Book 7)

by Sarah Noffke

  Julianna let their musings fade into a soft mumble in the background as she stared at the ships around her. It was hard to believe that a few months ago, they’d had only one Q-Ship, and the team was only her and Eddie.

  “We’ve come a long way,” Julianna said absentmindedly to Harley.

  He scanned the ships in formation around them—seeming to read her mind—and whimpered, a soft, agreeable sound.

  I should be jealous of the easy relationship you have with the dog, Pip said in her head.

  Because… Julianna probed.

  Because he gets you more than I seem to, he complained.

  You started off as an irritating EI and slowly evolved into an even more annoying AI.

  And Harley was once a slobbery dog who licked his ass, but now understands what you say and responds accordingly…but has no formal education.

  Your point?

  You seem to click with him.

  I click with you, she argued.

  No, we like each other, but there isn’t the same chemistry.

  What are you talking about?

  You and I have a love-hate relationship.

  I hated Harley at first.

  Only because you were afraid of loving him. Just like someone else I know…someone who has no formal education, but who has evolved.

  Your insinuations aren’t appreciated.

  Do you think you’d ever have truly loved Harley if you hadn’t had to risk everything to save him? Pip mused, a playful tone in his voice.

  Do you have a point?

  Love is a bed of hot coals one must walk across.

  That makes no sense.

  Pip sighed. I know. I don’t feel like I make much sense lately.

  Huh. Sounds rough, Julianna said, entering the planet’s atmosphere.

  I know, I’m concerned too.

  I’m sure it’s nothing. Try not to worry about it, she said dismissively.

  I’d love to talk about it more with you later. Thanks.

  Julianna smiled. I’m busy later.

  After a moment she said, If I’m honest, though, you sound restless, Pip.

  How observant of you. I’m shocked.

  I’ve had experience with these things.

  Well, what do you think is going on, at my core?

  I think that you are going through another mini evolution. Maybe it started when you entered the captain’s head, or took over his body. Or maybe it’s stemming from something different. The thing is, Pip, that when we think we have everything all figured out, the landscape changes, and we realize that we still have so much to learn. I could live a thousand lifetimes and still not know everything.

  You know, Julianna, despite your bad temper and preference for hairy men and hairier creatures, I really like you.

  You know, Pip, you’re an asshole, but I kind of like you too.

  Okay, I’m going to go look at my horoscope and see if it will shine any light on this situation.

  How do you have a zodiac sign?

  If I’m going with my evolution to AI, that makes me a Ophiuchus.

  What? That’s a sign? I’ve never heard of it.

  Oh gods, Jules. Get with the times. They added a thirteenth sign eons ago to accommodate the thirteen constellations.

  As seen from Earth.

  So…?

  So I guess Ophiuchuses aren’t known for their logic, then?

  We are the bearer of serpents.

  Well, that should prove useful in our battle against the Saverus, Julianna joked.

  We are also sexually alluring and jealous lovers.

  I just threw up in my mouth.

  Hiss, Pip said as Julianna readied the ship for landing.

  ~~~

  Eddie peered out of the open hatch at the inconspicuous landscape. The air was moist and smelled of moss. The grassy meadow that stretched out in front of the Q-Ships disappeared into a rising mist, which obstructed the view. Most disembarking from the Q-Ships were staring up in awe at the bright blue, green, pink and orange lights in the dark sky. They were reminiscent of a phenomenon on Earth that Eddie had watched a program about, the aurora borealis.

  “Wow, those are beautiful,” Eddie said, still standing inside the ship so he could communicate with Ricky Bobby. The secretive AI had declared in his new executive fashion that there should be no comms once on the planet. He said they’d interfere with the objective of relaxing and unwinding.

  “The rainbow lights of Noircun are indeed beautiful,” Ricky Bobby stated.

  Eddie scratched his chin, deciding how best to say what he was thinking. “I love to see new things, and it’s definitely mesmerizing the crew, but I’m not sure how this is worthy of our time.”

  “Although the lights are worth the trip, and many come from all over to see them,” Ricky Bobby began, “they are not the main reason I’ve brought you all here.”

  “Oh, really?”

  Eddie was relieved. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but he was hoping it was enough to quell Julianna’s anger at the AI. He needed her focused on the current mission, but she was still seething, distracted.

  “Will you please lead the crew? I have a series of directions for you,” Ricky Bobby requested cryptically.

  ~~~

  Julianna stood next to Hatch outside the Q-Ship, mirroring his reluctant stance with her arms crossed in front of her chest.

  “Watch your step,” Eddie warned, waving Julianna forward. She cast a tentative glance at Hatch before setting off behind Eddie. The rest of the crew slowly joined them, creating a line that streaked across the open area in front of the row of Q-Ships.

  Julianna realized the reason for Eddie’s caution after a few steps. The slippery grass of the meadow made her feel like she’d lose her footing with each step.

  “Where are we going? You said Ricky Bobby gave you instructions?” She looked over her shoulder to see many of the crew struggling with the trek—except for Hatch. He was quite adept at maneuvering over the space, his suctioned tentacles making the trip look easy.

  Beside him, Knox lost his balance, slipping and firmly landing on his backside. Julianna frowned slightly before turning her attention back to Eddie.

  “Yes, there should be a path leading down in a moment,” Eddie told her, pointing ahead at the black mists.

  “We’re going down, not farther out?” Julianna wondered, picking up on a sound akin to rushing water, except that it reminded her of something else…

  I know what the sound is, Pip informed her.

  Do tell.

  I should wait. I think it’s better as a surprise.

  When did AIs become obsessed with surprises?

  Our limited, confined lives leave us with few thrills.

  “If what Ricky Bobby told me was accurate, there isn’t much farther out for us to go,” Eddie stated.

  “Do you have any idea what this is all about?” Julianna asked him.

  He shrugged. “I know where we are going, but not what we’ll find there.”

  “Good, I’m glad you’re not in on the surprise too,” Julianna stated, pulling up beside Eddie. The two were a good bit ahead of the rest now, their enhanced bodies helping them make quick progress.

  “ ‘Too’? Do you mean that Pip is in on this as well?” Eddie asked.

  Julianna nodded. “Apparently.”

  “Huh,” Eddie said, his eyes dropping with what looked like disappointment.

  Julianna halted abruptly, her vision making out the distance a bit better from their new position. “I see what you mean about having to go down.”

  Eddie paused beside her, bringing his gaze up. “Oh, wow,” he said, his tone startled.

  They were standing at the top of a waterfall of sorts, and far below, the effervescent waters stretched for as far as they could see, reflecting the bright colors streaking through the sky. The rushing noise had grown steadily louder, but it sounded like falling pine needles, not water.

  “Ricky Bobby brought us to a waterfall?�
�� Julianna asked incredulously.

  “I guess he thought it would help,” Eddie reasoned.

  “This is sort of overboard,” Julianna stated.

  ‘Overboard,’ Pip laughed.

  Julianna shook her head. “How do we have an AI intervention?” she asked.

  “I don’t know if we can. I think we’re sort of at their mercy,” Eddie said.

  Oh yeah, you are, Pip agreed gleefully.

  Julianna did her best to ignore him, studying the expanse before them.

  “There should be a stone staircase over there.” Eddie pointed to a slope by the edge of the cliff.

  They moved that direction, and once they were a little closer, Julianna found the makeshift staircase that descended down into a cave-like tunnel. The rushing sound echoed inside the stone structure, which held a chill that was enough to make goosebumps rise on the surface of Julianna’s skin, but not enough to make her shiver.

  “How did Ricky Bobby even find this?” Eddie asked, his voice muffled by the sound of the falls.

  “I’m sure his research brought him to Noircun,” Julianna assumed. “He’s been all over, finding strange places to study and record.”

  “That’s a helpful AI to have around,” Eddie stated with pride.

  Is the captain suggesting I’m unhelpful? Pip asked.

  Why don’t you ask him yourself?

  Nah, I’m good. I don’t want to cause an issue.

  Since when? Julianna joked.

  I think it means I need to take a walkabout or soul journey or whatever it is one takes to find and explore their inner self.

  Yes, an existential road trip seems like exactly what you need, Julianna said, sarcasm dripping in her tone.

  A strange light spilled from the end of the tunnel as they neared the bottom of the staircase. Julianna trailed behind Eddie, running her fingers over the cold wall; it was slick, but not wet from the waterfall’s condensation, as she would have expected.

  Eddie halted suddenly, and Julianna bumped into him. He was as sturdy as a brick wall, not budging from her charge.

  “Sorry,” she offered, stepping away.

  Eddie reached down, taking her hand—a gesture that caught her off guard. “Don’t be. I’m sorry for stopping so abruptly, but this is incredible. You must see it.”

  Eddie led Julianna out of the tunnel, and she realized that they’d traveled behind the waterfall, which came down in continuous sheets in front of them. Under closer examination, she saw that the water wasn’t water at all. The cascade was made of sparkling granules, like sand, in the same array of colors that streaked through the sky.

  Julianna had never seen anything like it. This is the most beautiful thing in the world.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Planet Noircun, Tangki System

  “What is it?” Eddie asked, holding out his hand toward the waterfall, but stopping short of actually touching it.

  He realized he was still holding Julianna’s hand when she pulled him further along the path that snaked around the back of the waterfall, making room for the rest of the crew spilling out of the tunnel behind them.

  “Pip says that they are unique organisms that flow out of the ground here, and pool in the reservoir on the other side before evaporating into the sky,” Julianna explained carefully, her eyes off to the side as she relayed this information.

  “So that’s what creates the brilliant light show,” Eddie stated.

  “No way!” Julianna exclaimed in surprise, coming to an unexpected halt and awkwardly pulling her hand free.

  “What is it?” Eddie asked.

  A smile unfolded on her face unlike any he’d ever seen. “You’re not going to believe this,” she breathed.

  He watched as the light from the granules streaked across her face, making a strange pattern. “Go ahead and try me.”

  Julianna cleared her throat and turned to address the crew, who were regarding the sparkling display of falling granules with awe. “According to Pip, these are known as ‘jung-fibres’.”

  “Unbelievable,” Hatch chuckled, who was just behind them.

  “What’s that?” Knox asked him.

  Hatch regarded the sparkling bits with a new fascination. “I’ve only ever heard of them. They’re supposedly particles of awareness.”

  “Huh?” Eddie grunted.

  “They can pick up on the consciousness of beings,” Julianna explained.

  “So they can read our minds,” Eddie interpreted.

  “Only if you touch them,” Hatch qualified, reaching out a tentacle to make contact with the sheet of falling jung-fibres.

  The curtain parted, making a new design, and Hatch’s face brightened.

  “They read your most prevalent thoughts and then construct it for you,” Julianna summated.

  “‘Construct it’?” Eddie asked, scratching his head.

  “They are virtual reality creators,” she said, making the crowd around her gasp with disbelief.

  “No way,” Eddie declared.

  Julianna smiled. “That’s what I said, remember?”

  “You’ll want to spread out before stepping through, otherwise your realities will spill over into each other,” Hatch warned. “Give yourself three to five feet between you and your neighbor.”

  “Wait, we’re going to go through here?” Penrae asked in her natural snake form. The crew had become accustomed to seeing her slither through the corridors of the ship.

  “If you want to experience your virtual reality,” Hatch reasoned. “It’s perfectly safe. You’ll step through to the reservoir on the other side, and it will take on the landscape of whatever you’re thinking about. I’d encourage you to think of something positive, like your favorite place.”

  “If these act like true virtual reality creators, we don’t have to go through alone,” Chester said. “The host would create the reality, and the visitor would see what they see, right?”

  “That’s correct,” Hatch chirped. “But hell if I want any of you ruining my sandy beach and tidal waves.”

  Chester extended a hand to Marilla, a romantic smile on his face. “You’ve always wanted to see Paris, right?”

  She nodded, taking his hand with a curious smile.

  Eddie watched as each of the crew members focused before stepping through the falling jung-fibres, disappearing on the other side. He could only imagine the realities taking shape for each person. Ricky Bobby had given them all their own individual, perfect vacations. It was better than any trip any of them could have planned.

  “Alright, we’d better get to it. See you later, Eddie,” Julianna stated. She stepped through the curtain, the granules spilling over her shoulders and head as she disappeared.

  Eddie’s throat tightened as he thought of the reality he most wanted to see. Maybe others were escaping to ancient cities or lush beaches, but for Eddie, there may not ever be another opportunity like this. He realized that what he’d see wouldn’t be real, but it would feel real, and that was enough.

  He closed his eyes, focusing intently before stepping through to the other side.

  ~~~

  Julianna found herself in the thermal waters of Clieand, a planet in the Libra system. The virtual reality the jung-fibres served up was incredibly immersive, right down to the cold, misty air and warm pools that glowed a strange, cerulean blue.

  However, to Julianna’s surprise, after a few minutes of waving her fingers in the supposedly restorative waters, she grew bored. She retreated back to the cave behind the fall.

  She wasn’t sure why, but she stepped into the spot where Eddie had been, entering his virtual reality. The cool forest air wrapped around her, and she marveled at the majestic trees, their canopy high in the air, blocking most of the rays from the sun.

  A short distance away, she spotted Eddie. Standing before him were two figures, a man and a woman, both older. With his back to her, Eddie bowed his head, and a moment later, the two people disappeared.

  Julianna to
ok a step forward, a twig underfoot snapping off a sharp crunching sound. Eddie straightened, but didn’t turn to face her. She’d invaded his privacy, and yet she didn’t feel any remorse.

  “You miss them a lot,” she observed, referring to the figures she’d recognized as Eddie’s parents.

  To Julianna’s surprise, Eddie wore no look of offense when he spun to face her. Instead, he appeared amused. “Did the reality of your choosing not pan out?”

  Julianna shrugged, looking up at a songbird in a tree. “I guess I don’t have much of an imagination.”

  Eddie took a seat on a large, fallen tree trunk, smiling slightly at the ground. “So you decided to sneak into mine, huh?”

  Julianna unapologetically pursed her lips as she nodded. “I understand if you’re mad.”

  “I’m not,” he said simply. “Maybe I should be, but…I’m actually happy to have your company here. What’s the point of going to our favorite place if we don’t have someone to share it with?”

  Julianna had to agree. That must have been the reason she’d grown bored of the thermal pools so easily, even though she’d always longed to experience them.

  She took a seat on the tree next to Eddie. “Where are we?”

  He shook his head. “It’s how I picture the Redwood forests on Earth, although I’ve only ever seen pictures.”

  Julianna grinned. “Which is why your trees aren’t quite large enough. Even when we’re the painters of our reality, we’re still restricted by our knowledge.”

  Eddie closed his eyes, and the trunks of the trees around them grew, like a strange hallucination.

  “How’s that?” he asked.

  “Better,” Julianna allowed, although the largest Redwoods were the size of Q-Ships, and these were more like Black Eagles.

  After a moment of comfortable silence, he said, “I do miss them, obviously, but that’s not why I conjured up this reality,” Eddie admitted, referring to the vision of his parents.

  “You were apologizing,” Julianna stated.

  Eddie nodded.

  “Did it make you feel better?” Julianna asked.

  “Not really,” Eddie murmured. He pulled up a long piece of grass and began wrapping it around his finger absentmindedly.

  “When the threat hit,” Julianna began, referring to the event that had happened more than a decade before, “you couldn’t have known that Onyx Station was going to be under so much fire.”