The Long, Dark Night

by Ben Winston

  “I'm not saying what she did was ethical; however, I happen to think it was, but she did what she needed to do to save her daughter's life. If you would have seen me that day, you probably would have begged her to do the same damn thing. I know I did!” Jorga paused to breathe and change mental gears.

  “She saved my life and you're not only holding it against her, you're actively punishing her for it. You punish her every day for her 'mistake' of not letting me die. I love you Daddy, but I just can't respect you anymore because of that. In fact, at the moment, I don't even like you very much.” She saw a wide-eyed Hope set a plate of sandwiches on the table. “Looks like your lunch is ready. Enjoy your meal, Constable.” Jorga turned back around, and smiled sadly at her mother and Hanna before walking out the door.

  Bill stood there looking shell-shocked; no one had ever talked to him like that, and in front of Hanna too? But slowly, what Jorga said began to filter in and he looked down at his hands. Was he really punishing Hope for saving Jorga, or was he pissed because she hadn't discussed it with him first? Was what Jorga said about the Doctor true? Had they given up on her?

  Hanna had been watching Bill's face as these thoughts passed through his mind. When he finally glanced up, she smiled sardonically. “I told you, you were being an ass.”

  “Hanna Lowe! Watch you're language!” Hope chastened her.

  Hanna smiled at her mother. “Normally I'd agree Mother, but in this instance I really had meant Mule or Donkey; in other words, an Ass.”

  “Oh, Okay, I'll let it go this time.”

  “Was what she said about Doc Charles true? Had they given up on her?” Bill asked Hope.

  She nodded. “Her last round of chemo had no affect at all, in fact, the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes. Once there, no amount of treatment would have saved her. The cancer had spread throughout her body. Bill you should have seen her! She died right there in that office when he told her. The light left her eyes and she just wilted into herself. I couldn't stand it!"

  Bill nodded slowly. “Why didn't you call me? I would have liked to have been a part of the decision.”

  “Honestly, I just didn't think of it. I knew she was going to kill herself when we got home, simply by the way she asked me to take her to the pharmacy. I was desperate and very close to panicking, Bill. I knew that the nanos could save her. I also knew she was in no danger from the nanos or the controller. You see we had already submitted our work to the FDA a month prior and were only waiting for approval to begin human trials.

  “Bill, I knew she would be safe, but it was still her decision not mine. I am guilty of giving her the option, but she was the one that chose it," Hope explained.

  “It’s so cool, Daddy! Jorga's like a super-woman that's going to live forever!” Hanna said excitedly.

  Hope shook her head. “No, Sweetheart, she's not. While she's still perfectly healthy, we had to scrap her nanos. Right now, she's no different than any of the rest of us.”

  “Huh? When did that happen?” Hanna asked.

  “During her exam today. We discovered a potential situation that could become detrimental, so I was forced to deactivate her nanos,” Hope replied.

  “So is she going to have those miniature robots floating around her system for the rest of her life? Isn't that a bad thing?” Bill asked.

  Hope felt her spirits rise. He was finally talking to her! “If they were to remain in her body, yes they could become a problem, however, they will be purged from the body as a waste product.”

  “Uh, could a person with these nanos walk through a metal detector without setting it off?” Bill asked.

  “Yes, however, the part of the scanner that detects active electronics will trip. There simply isn't a way to hide that, at least, not yet.” Hope explained. “Besides, Ben, acting as the Prime Councilor, has classified the entire project until more research can be completed. I think the best we will get out of this is a form of medical nanos that will only work while connected up to a special computer that will be confined to the medical section.”

  Bill nodded. “It's good that he sees all the bad things this could become. If it can cure something like cancer then we need it, but the possibilities for covert operations are almost endless.”

  “I agree. However, at first I didn't see that. Marcy made an appointment with me and she helped me to understand the potential dangers. Before she told me that Ben had sealed the project, I asked her to ask him to do it,” Hope replied.

  The discussion would have continued, however, the main household terminal announced an incoming call for Hope.

  After she accepted it, Marcy's smiling face appeared on the monitor. “Good afternoon, Doctor. Sorry for the interruption, but Ben asked if you and Jorga could come to his office?”

  “Marcy, didn't I ask you to call me Hope? I can come over right now, but I'm afraid you missed Jorga; she left a couple of minutes ago,” Hope replied. “Did he happen to mention what this is about? My team is supposed be here at three.”

  “No, I'm sorry, he didn't. I also have no idea how long it’s going to take, but I'm sure he'll try to make it quick. Do you know where Jorga was headed?”

  Hope smiled. Ben was certainly a thoughtful person. He was going to make a great leader as well as son-in-law. “Well, I can't be sure, but I thought she was going to head for that military base you discovered. I think she was looking for you.”

  “Ah, Okay, I'll send them a message just in case she beats me there. Thanks Hope! Have a great day!” Marcy said and signed off.

  Hope returned to her family. “Bill can we talk about this more later? Ben would like to see me.”

  He nodded. “I heard. Yeah, I think I'm over being an idiot. Tell our son-in-law I said 'hi'.”

  “Tell him yourself; we're invited to dinner at their home on Friday night,” Hope replied. “See ya!” She closed the door behind her just as Hanna got an excited look on her face and launched herself at her father.

  Office of the Prime Councilor

  Command Pod Alpha One

  10 Apr. 8255 CE

  Sector 34871 - Great Inland Sea

  Earth, Sol system

  At the quiet rap on his door, Ben called "Enter” and made a mental note that he needed an assistant.

  Dr. Hope Lowe stuck her head in the door. “Marcy said that you wanted to see me?”

  “Yes I did, Doctor, Please come in and make yourself comfortable! Can I get you anything? Coffee? Tea? Soda?” Ben said as he rose from behind his desk to shake the woman's hand. He actually hadn't seen the woman since about two weeks before the attack. "I wanted Jorga to be here too, did Marcy...”

  “Jorga had already left when Marcy called. She said she'd try to catch her at the Base,” she replied. “Oh and can I have some iced tea?"

  “Ah, then I'm sure she'll only be a few moments. Shall we wait?” Ben asked.

  “Okay, but I'd like to be back at my lab by a quarter to three. My research and medical teams are meeting me there to discuss the new data we have for the experiment. I'm going to tell them Jorga's nanos were a failure. I already told Bill and Hanna, but I made sure to remind them that this was a secret and they couldn't talk about it.

  “Hanna knew what I was working on before the fall and she didn't tell anyone, so I'm pretty sure she'll keep the secret. I've already entered the data for the failure on the lab computers, and I'll be sending you that report. However, I'll also send you the real report off of my secure laptop. I'll be able to continue checking Jorga with that," Hope finished.

  Ben handed the woman her tea and sat down with a cold glass of Mt. Dew. He nodded. “Marcy briefed me. How'd Jorga take it?”

  “She laughed. She thought being a national secret was kinda cool,” Hope chuckled.

  Just then there was a quick knock followed by the door opening to admit Jorga. “Hi Sweetheart! Marcy said you wanted to see me? Hi Mom! Did he call you to the Principal's office too?”

  “Yes dear, now be a good girl and sit down,
so we can find out what your husband wanted to see us for,” Hope replied.

  When Jorga just looked at him, Ben just shook his head. Women. “I asked both of you here to introduce you to someone. Now, before you ask, yes pretty much everyone is going to know about her, but because of special circumstances, I wanted to introduce both of you privately.” Ben touched a button on his terminal and spoke, “Mother?”

  “Yes, Prime Councilor?”

  “Mother, I would like you to meet Doctor Hope Lowe and her daughter, Jorga Bedouin, who is my wife. Doctor Lowe is the leader of the team that developed the nanotechnology you discovered and Jorga is the person infected with them.” He turned to the two confused looking women. "Ladies, I would like to make known to you ‘Mother’. She is, among other things, our pod-group's AI.”

  “Doctor Lowe, Mrs. Bedouin, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Mother replied calmly.

  “We have our own AI? How cool!” Jorga exclaimed, but then looked thoughtful. “Uh, what about my ability to interface with computers?"

  “Mrs. Bedouin, you can still interface with me, however, for security reasons I have downgraded your access to read-only outside of your personal area. Please don't be offended. As I said, it's only a security precaution. Also, there are some areas that you will no longer have access to, such as the military parts of the system and secure experimental lab computers not related to the experiment you are currently a part of.”

  Jorga nodded. “I can understand that. I'm not offended. It’s really nice to meet you, Mother. Please, call me Jorga.”

  “Very well, Jorga. Thank you.”

  “So, will you be helping us in the lab then?” Hope asked.

  “Yes. I will be available to assist you upon request. I will not force myself on you or any of the other scientists and researchers. I am simply another tool for you to use. However, I do have advanced analytical capabilities that could be of assistance to you, as well as access to the technological and medical advances made during 'the fall'," Mother replied.

  “How so?” Hope asked.

  “After analyzing the data you have on Jorga, I believe you may have overlooked one detail,” Mother replied.

  “Oh? What did we overlook?”

  “Jorga's reproductive system. As per current programmed instructions, they are preventing her from conceiving a child. The current instruction set has no room for an alteration to allow for this. In order for her to conceive, the current nanobots will need to be fully deactivated.”

  “I thought it was the birth control that Doctor Lyam was giving me!” Jorga replied.

  “No, in point of fact, any medication that you may take will be immediately countered by the nanos,” Mother explained. “The nanobots in your body are maintaining your systems at optimum efficiency; any deviation is immediately countered.”

  Hope looked thoughtful. “I think you're correct, Mother. I had begun to suspect that might be the case, but I wasn't sure. I think that as soon as we finish developing a different version, we might just have to replace her current batch of nanos.”

  Before Hope could get deeper into a discussion with Mother, Ben interrupted them. “Because Mother detected the nanos right after she came online, she isolated them and Jorga, as well as your lab, Doctor. So I wanted to introduce you both to each other, so you might understand everything that was happening. That was the purpose of this meeting. Mother, for the purpose of Doctor Lowe's research, which does involve other doctors and technicians, please allow her to assign access rights and privileges to her team members. Perhaps you could discuss this project with Mother so she knows what to expect in the event she assists you and your team.”

  Hope nodded “I think her assistance will be invaluable. I can't wait for her evaluation of the limited 'AI' we tried to create in the control unit.”

  Ben smiled at the excited scientist. “Well, don't get too engrossed that you forget dinner on Friday!”

  “There is no way we're going to miss that. However, that does remind me...” Hope turned to her daughter. “Bill opened up after you left. We've been talking and I'm pretty sure he isn't mad at me anymore. Will it be okay if he joins us too?”

  Sensing this was something personal between Jorga and her family, Ben wisely kept his mouth shut. Jorga hugged her mother.

  “Mom! That's great! As long as his head is really out of his ass, he's welcome too! But, I need you to call me tomorrow morning and let me know if he really is over the tantrum. If he is then I'll call and apologize for jumping on him. Okay?”

  “You bet I will! I don't know how to thank you for doing that though. You know you might have thought he would have figured it out on his own, but he's so bullheaded, it took someone to knock some sense into him. I love you, Baby!” Hope said.

  Jorga chuckled. “Anytime you need someone to do that again I'm yer girl! I love you too, Mom.”

  With that, Hope stood and nodded to Ben before she left his office. As soon as the door closed, Jorga got up and walked around Ben's desk to sit on his lap. Unfortunately, he really did need to get to work.

  He held her tightly to him. “Sweetheart, as much as I would love to take this further, I really can't; I have a full schedule today and I still haven't found an assistant to handle all the clerical stuff.”

  “I wouldn't mind doing it as long as you don't mind my extra-curricular activities,” Jorga said.

  Ben leaned back to look her in the face. “Are you sure? I thought you hated that stuff? You're way too active for all the sitting and stuff.”

  “Honestly, I don't think there will be a lot of sitting. Think about it. Between my mother and my nanos, I'm a walking, talking, thinking, breathing PDA. I don't think there isn't anything I can't very quickly do that you could ask of me,” Jorga said just as Ben's terminal beeped at him.

  He hit the acknowledge key and Jorga's beautiful face came up on the screen. “Excuse me, Prime Councilor, but your wife is here for your lunch date.”

  “Okay, I give; how did you do that?” Ben asked, puzzled.

  Jorga's grin grew. “I can't believe you just asked me that! Because of the nanos in my body, I basically have a direct mental connection to our terminals. Granted, since I'm not your assistant yet, I had to use my own terminal, but the principle is the same.”

  Ben sighed, but refused to let go of Jorga. “I suppose, but we're going to have to discuss it more later I've got to go visit Addson, then I have to address our pod group to introduce them to Mother. After that, I have to give my revisions to the constitution a final look-over before the meeting tomorrow. I'd like to get to bed early because I know tomorrow is going to be a long day, but I doubt I'll get finished with those revisions before midnight.”

  “Okay, why don't I write your address to the pods while you're down flirting with Addson. That should help a little bit. Then later, if you would like, I can help go over the revisions to make sure they're okay?” Jorga offered.

  “That would be a huge help, Beautiful. But I think I should mention that I do not flirt with Addson; that's Jon's job!” Ben replied.

  “Oh? I wonder what the rest of his family has to say about that?” Jorga asked rhetorically.

  Ben answered anyway. “I think they're okay with it, they spend just as much time down in Medical as Jon does. Of course, Ellie is a nurse so she'd be there anyway, but I think she's been spending a lot of her off duty time there as well.”

  “What about the girls?”

  “Olivia and Persephone are there all the time too. In fact, Jon has had to order them out of medical so that Addson can get some rest,” Ben replied, grinning.

  CHAPTER SIX

  “Things aren't always as they seem”

  - Author Unknown

  Bedouin Residence

  Command Pod Alpha One

  11 Apr. 8255 CE

  Sector 34871 - Great Inland Sea

  Earth, Sol system

  “So, how are you going to break the news about Mother?” Deirdre asked as she took
a bite out of her toast.

  Ben grinned. “I thought I'd just introduce her. After all, they are already primed for information from the activation of the computer system Marcy told them about. I think they'll be far more interested in the fact that most of them will have their own node of the network.”

  “Ha! Don't count on it! Once they find out that we have a working AI here, they won't even hear the rest. You'll have a riot on your hands!” Kait said in reference to the comment that was made about all the discoveries taking place near the command section.

  “Well, I do have to admit they do have a point. All the really exciting stuff is happening around here, at least for now,” Ben said, taking a last sip from his coffee.

  Marcy gently poked Jorga in the ribs. “Are you ready for your first day of work?”

  Jorga jumped a little and gave Marcy a playfully dark look. “Not really. I'm still wondering just what the hell I've gotten myself into. Now that I have access, Mother tends to interface directly with me. It's a little unnerving having someone else's voice in my head other than my own or one of my memories,” She paused to take a sip of juice. “That's another thing; I can access all of our historical data simply by 'remembering' it.”

  Ben looked concerned. “What do you mean?”

  “Ask me something I wouldn't know without looking it up,” Jorga replied.

  “What was listed as the ultimate cause of the Hawaiian disaster?” Marcy asked.

  Jorga closed her eyes, but immediately began speaking. “It looks like there were a lot of things listed as contributing to it, but ultimately the destabilization of the tectonic plates due to the use of particle weapons as well as anti-matter warheads on the coastal cities of the continental United States as well as Eastern Asia. Once the pacific plate began to move, it crushed the lava reservoir under Mauna Loa. Cities as far away as Darwin, Australia were destroyed by the resultant tsunami waves. The whole planet was in pretty bad shape by then, though. Even Yellowstone had begun erupting. The last report mentioning Hawaii was a report by a sea-skimming scout craft of its total destruction. However, the search was short due to heavy enemy activity in that sector.”