The Long, Dark Night

by Ben Winston

  Jorga opened her eyes as tears formed. “There are pictures and videos included in those reports. It looked like one of those end-of-the-world movies that they kept making.”

  Ben took her hand and gently squeezed. “That's because it was the end of the world, my love. But we survived. We are here to make sure our race doesn't die out, end up as slaves or worse. We're going to get ourselves figured out and reclaim our planet for our own.”

  “Are you ready for this, Mother?” Ben asked as he and Jorga walked back to his private lift.

  “Certainly, Prime Counsel; if it gets too bad, I can always fake a comm error to give us a break!” Mother replied.

  Ben laughed. It was the first time he'd heard the AI make a joke.

  “She even thinks like a woman!” Jorga said grinning.

  Ben shook his head. “Heh, better not fake the comm error, then they'll insist we hold these meetings in person!”

  “My brothers and sisters all report ready to go online. Pardon me, Prime Counsel, but if I read the proposed constitution correctly, won't that be what happens anyway?” Mother asked.

  Ben answered her as the lift descended. “In effect, yes. This whole area will become a honeycomb of government buildings and facilities. We'll grow greatly in size simply because of all the people that will need to live here. The tram system is good, but I don't think its good enough to commute from the other side of the planet. What I don't understand is why Dad didn't already have all of this built? Obviously he intended for me to be in charge and the center of the planetary government to be here, so why didn't he build it?”

  “He did what he could, but he didn't know what to build. He had no idea what type of government you'd form, so he made sure you had the resources to build one, but left the design and structure to you,” Mother said. “The drones are fully operational and online as we speak.”

  As she finished that the lift doors opened, and Ben could see that he wasn't the first to arrive. About half the lights were set to yellow, indicating readiness. The rest were still red. As Ben got himself a cappuccino and Jorga got herself some kind of energy drink, he noticed that Mother set his marker to yellow. “Thank you, Mother."

  "You're most welcome Prime Counsel," she replied.

  Grand Council Chamber

  11 Apr. 8255 CE

  Sector 34871 - Great Inland Sea

  Earth, Sol system

  He took his seat at his big console and brought up a copy of the new constitution, as well as an agenda for the day. He quickly input a couple of items of higher priority, so the rest of the council would know he had issues to be addressed before the main discussion.

  Once all the lights turned green, Ben stood. “Good Morning, Councilors. I trust all of you are well. Before we get to the current business, I need to inform all of you of new developments and discoveries. Before I begin, does anyone have anything they need to share?”

  During the muttered return of his greeting all of the lights turned red indicating no one had anything they wished to discuss at this time. Ben nodded. “Thank you.”

  He took a deep breath glanced at his notes, and began.

  “The last time we met, Minister Marcy Carmichael informed us of the discovery of the military base's computer system. The system itself was designed before the fall, but it hadn't been built or tested by the time the attacks began. Otherwise we would have had the benefit of this advanced computer's assistance during our hyper sleep and awakening.

  “It isn't actually a normal computer system either; it's an Artificial Intelligence.” He had to stop because of all the commotion the Councilors were making. Ben held up his hand for silence. “Brothers and Sisters, please! Your questions will be answered in just a few moments. Just bear with me and let me finish!”

  However, no one heard him so he had to resort to the use of the 'gavel'. The Gavel was a small rubber mallet that Ben could use to strike a pad on top of his console. While it didn't make all that much noise locally, it was loud to all the other councilors. When he finally had their attention again, he couldn't help but admonishing them.

  “Brothers and Sisters, I know these are momentous times, but please let me finish and a good share of your questions will be answered. We're wasting time we really don't have today.”

  Ben recomposed himself and picked up where he left off. “Our local military base installation is part of a much larger installation called the AIDAN network. The other parts of this AI network are in other military installations placed all over the planet. Most of which are local to our pods. Before you ask, yes; it was done this way by design. Yes, each pod group will have its own local node of the network, which means you will each have your own AI.

  “Currently, the 'master' AI is standing by to activate your AI's and place them on line. This master AI was installed here at our local military installation because it was known that this would eventually become the seat of power for the planet. Once she brings the network online not only will each of you be able to ask your AI the questions you are, no doubt, busting to ask, but we will also become more connected in that as soon as the network learns of something, all of you will also.” He paused to take a drink of his cappuccino and recompose his thoughts.

  “Due to the very understandable amount of excitement over the AI network, I do feel that I should remind all of you that we have a great deal to accomplish today and even more new developments to discuss.” He looked up at the ceiling. "Mother? Please activate the rest of the network and make them available to the rest of the pods. We will take a few minutes while the AI introduce themselves and the Councilors can become somewhat accustomed to them.”

  Mother's voice issued from thin air making all of the Councilors grin. “AIDAN network is online. Individual AI nodes are coming online. Commencing situational and societal structure data download. Prime Council, Councilors, each individual AI will introduce themselves to you once the download is complete. The introduction should not be a major interruption to your agenda and will in fact help you along in the decisions making process. Until then we will simply take notes and handle data exchanges in order to assist in your discussions. Thank you, Prime Council.”

  Without missing a beat, like it was the most natural thing in the world, Ben nodded. “Thank you, Mother."

  Ben went silent for a few moments, in order to give the Councilors and the 'new' AI time to adjust. Once Mother had informed him that the introductions were complete, he resumed their agenda.

  "Now, Brothers and Sisters, One of our local scientists made a technology breakthrough before the fall that we are only now finding out about. To brief us on this, I have asked the person most directly affected by it to present it. May I present to you, my assistant, wife, and Vice-Council candidate, Jorga Bedouin.”

  Ben nodded toward the testimony chair that Jorga had taken; she began the tale of her fight with cancer and how her mother had saved her life.

  Office of the Minister of Science

  Command Pod Alpha One

  11 Apr. 8255 CE

  Sector 34871 - Great Inland Sea

  Earth, Sol system

  “Minister Carmichael, may I have a moment of your time?” Mother asked.

  “Of course, Mother. What can I do for you?” Marcy asked.

  “I have noticed that your office is in critical need of expansion. I now have access to all the information available for potential assistants as well as candidates to lead the bureaus you are forming if you would like a few recommendations?”

  Marcy sighed. “I would very much like those recommendations, please. But I would like to ask you if there is someone that I can hire as my aide immediately? I have hundreds of requests coming in every day and I'm falling behind rather quickly.”

  “I've noticed. With your permission, I will give you several profiles for potential aides for you; then, while you are dealing with that, I can organize all the data on all the scientists and facilities into the bureaus for your review,” Mother suggested.

/>   “That would be amazing Mother, but I don't want to take away any processing power from your other tasks,” Marcy replied.

  “I appreciate the thought, Minister, however, that will not be a concern at this time. Once everything has settled, I can make my capabilities and operational manual available to you if you are interested. While I was used to control all the military efforts after the period you are calling The Fall, I was designed for this purpose.”

  “Please call me Marcy when we're alone. But since you were designed for us, then why weren't you put into place after we went into the freezers?”

  “Originally, Doctors Brightlove and Firvetski had intended just that. I do agree that had I been controlling the Cryogenic units, not only would you have been awakened according to schedule, but the residents of the Hawaiian Pods may not have been lost. However, after being brought on-line, it was deduced that attempting to integrate me after suspension had taken place would have had catastrophic results,” Mother explained.

  “I see. That does certainly explain it. Yes, I would like to see that manual, although I don't know if I'll ever have the time to read it!” Marcy said. “So, who do you have for staff positions?”

  Pod Medical Unit

  Command Pod Alpha One

  11 Apr. 8255 CE

  Sector 34871 - Great Inland Sea

  Earth, Sol system

  “Excuse me, Doctor, but you currently have an open communications and data link to an unknown and unauthorized Artificial Intelligence unit. Please explain the need for this before I terminate the connection,” Mother asked, causing Jon to jump.

  “Who the bloody-blue-blazes are you?” Jon snapped, irritably.

  “I am the Artificial Intelligence construct currently responsible for this facility. You may call me, 'Mother'. I have also updated your medical database with all the knowledge learned after you went into the cryogenic suspension unit. I would suggest that you spend the next few nights in one of the pods so I may impart this knowledge to you directly."

  Jon irritably mumbled epitaphs about the AI while he typed in a communication request for Ben into his terminal.

  “You no longer have to do that, Doctor. All you have to do is ask and I will connect you to the party you are trying to reach. However, the Prime Council is currently in chambers and cannot be disturbed except in the case of emergency. Is this an emergency?” Mother asked reasonably.

  “The AI we are talking to belongs to our guest, Addison Dee. We are allowing it to maintain a connection to use it as a translator. She is also the automated medical computer that was aboard Addison's skipper, so she needs to remain connected to our systems in order to help me care for my patient. Is that a good enough reason for you?" Jon said rhetorically and shook his head at the quietly listening Addson.

  “Understood Doctor, thank you. I will allow and maintain the connection.” There was a slight pause before Mother spoke in Addson's native tongue. “Miss Dee, may I have your permission to make inquiries of your AI? There are several subsystems involved that are superior to my own.”

  Addson was so taken aback that it took her a moment to respond. “Uh, I suppose. You're not going to take her apart are you?”

  “Negative. I only wish to request data currently available. Since it is a privately owned system, I am asking for permission before sending the request,” Mother replied.

  “Sally? What do you think?” Addson asked, but this time she spoke in English.

  “Although somewhat primitive, Mother is a very powerful AI. She could easily overpower my defenses and attain the data herself. I believe she can be trusted based on her actions to this point. Besides, I find I am in need of an equipment upgrade if I am to continue my current duties. Compliance would assist the decision to allow this upgrade," Addson's AI replied. Addson had been noticing that the AI that had saved her life had been becoming more and more aware as time went by. Perhaps it was no longer just a 'limited' medical AI.

  “Okay. Go ahead, Mother. As long as there is no damage to either system, I don't see a problem,” Addson replied.

  “Thank you, Miss Dee. Doctor, do you still wish to make a call?”

  “Yes, I would like to speak to Deirdre Bedouin,” Jon replied.

  “May I inquire as to the topic, so I can introduce you?”

  “None of your damn business and she knows who the hell I am!”

  Mother didn't reply but the next voice that was heard was Deirdre. “Hi Jon, what's up?”

  “What the hell is up with the fucking computer system? When did we get an AI?” Jon asked.

  “Damn. Jon, I meant to come down there and introduce you myself, I really did. It sounds like you and she didn't have a very good first meeting?”

  Addson giggled. “You could say that Mer Bedouin; when she spoke Jon almost skitzed!”

  Since Addson was still learning the language, Deirdre thought that 'Mer' was supposed to be 'Miss' and ignored it. “I bet he did! From the sound of it, he probably scared her away completely!” Deirdre paused for a moment. “But seriously Jon, she is part of a whole AI network that's connected to all the other pods. She could be a huge help to you.”

  “Yeah? Other than scaring the hell outta me, name something she could do for me?” Jon asked.

  “Okay, let's take Addson for example. That linguist you put in a request for could have simply connected with you and had video, voice, and data links. If you would like to consult with another doctor on the other side of the planet, you can do it! They can look at the same data as you are at the same time!”

  “Hmph! We got that now,” Jon said irritably.

  “Yes we do, but Mother can monitor the feeds and shift data on the fly during your conversations. She also has a simply enormous amount of medical data painfully gleaned from thirty years of a losing war! Think of all those men, women and children that died during the war to gain this knowledge,” Deirdre said. "She is also capable of assisting you when making a diagnosis or trying to decide on a treatment."

  “Next thing you're going to tell me is that she's taking over my job and you're putting me out to pasture!” Jon argued.

  “You're too damn bull-headed to try to retire! But seriously, she can never take over for you. Look what would have happened to Addson if we hadn't rescued her? Even with the assistance of Sally, and she's an advanced AI!” Deirdre said. "Even after the AI makes the transition to an android, they still won't have the instinct and intuition of a biological doctor.”

  “Well, that's not the only reason I called,” Jon said, changing the subject. “Addson is healthy enough to leave Medical and I was planning to take her home with me until she could be assigned quarters. Is there a problem with that?”

  “I'll need to ask Ben, but I don't think there would be, why do you ask?”

  Jon nodded back toward the door that Deirdre couldn't see anyway. “I still have two armed, pituitary mutations standing outside the door. I thought I better ask before they got excited and did something only knuckle-draggers would do. Where the hell did Ben find these guys? I didn't think we had any military with us?”

  “Oh, we have military with us. From the looks of it, we got the cream of the crop too. None of them are the knuckle-draggers you think they are. The least educated from our local batch has a Master’s Degree in Fluid Dynamics from Florida State. He took a football scholarship, combined it with ROTC and used them the right way. The Marines assigned him to us shortly after he finished all his training.”

  “You have fighters here? Marines?” Addson asked, fearfully.

  “It's okay Addson. Please don't be afraid. Yes, we have trained military people. We didn't know what would be waiting for us at this end of history dear. We had to have some kind of protection. Civil authorities wouldn't have been up to the job on their own,” Deirdre replied.

  “Marines aren't allowed to be around people; they're mega-dangerous!” Addson replied, fearfully looking at the door.

  Both Jon and Deirdre tried to calm Addson abou
t having Marines running around loose. They finally figured out that Larzarrus 'Marines' were more like shock troops and storm troopers than anything else. Almost like a seven-foot-tall, five hundred pound Komodo dragon on crack and starving. From what they could tell, Addson had never seen, nor even heard of, any of the other race's troops. She had just assumed they were all the same.

  The Larzarrus had other troops as well, but they weren't called Marines. They were just soldiers mostly taken from other races and in service to this or that Lord. They came in and cleaned up the mess after the Marines and saw to any survivors, which was usually rare. Larzarrus Marines were kept in stasis units until they were needed. Then they simply programmed the pods to awake their occupants on impact and dropped the pods from orbit. The Marines would then attack, maim, destroy and basically eat themselves to death. They would eventually turn on each other and take care of the issues of getting them back into the pods.

  Since the race procreated asymmetrically, each female lays several hundred eggs and each male has a harem of twenty or so females. Replacement troops were very easy to get. Addson had no idea how they were created or trained, but she knew that any planet they were used on was in for a serious fight for survival.

  The description was terrifying and Deirdre had no doubt that Addson had reason to fear the title of Marine. When Jon got her to calm down, Deirdre told them both that she would arrange for a guest visa for Addson and that she would call and get the guards to stand down.

  Grand Council Chamber

  11 Apr. 8255 CE

  Sector 34871 - Great Inland Sea

  Earth, Sol system

  After Jorga had finished her explanation, and answered a hundred or so questions, (Mother had to patch in Jorga's mother, Hope, to answer most of them.) the councilors finally settled down enough for Ben to take control again.

  “Obviously, this is a major breakthrough that will be of inestimable value to us. However, I have ordered all information on it to be temporarily classified and sealed. While it can be a great boon to us, medically, it can also be one of the worst things to ever happen to us,” Ben began, but was interrupted by one of the councilors from the former soviet republic.