Lyssa's Flame - A Hard Science Fiction AI Adventure (Aeon 14: The Sentience Wars: Origins Book 5)

by M. D. Cooper

STELLAR DATE: 12.17.2981 (Adjusted Years)

  LOCATION: Virginia, Terran Assembly

  REGION: Earth, Terran Hegemony

  “We have verified eleven hundred and fifty-four launches from Larissa,” the advisor told the defense subcommittee chair, a stodgy woman named Lauren Silver, who had made her fortune in some kind of banking.

  Kathryn adjusted her seat at the witness table, directly in front of the bench where the ten members of the subcommittee sat in their black robes. All were elected officials and only a few had any military experience at all, so their questions during the incident review session had been pedestrian at best.

  One committee member asked for a reminder on which planet Larissa orbited.

  Were they too lazy to check their Link or did they really just not care?

  Kathryn wouldn’t normally have anything to do with a session like this, where members of a sub-committee reviewed known facts in order to write policy that the greater Assembly body might vote on, but this was an opportunity to shape a vote that meant a lot to her.

  The advisor from the TSF, a colonel if she’d read his rank correctly, named Yarnes, returned to his seat at the other table and shuffled some papers in his folio. She liked the way he had presented the information, without political shade or scare mongering.

  “Thank you,” Lauren Silver said. “So I am correct in understanding that we have verified the launches, but no one has determined what was launched?”

  “That’s correct,” Colonel Yarnes answered.

  “If I may?” Kathryn said.

  “Yes?” Senator Silver answered. “State your information.”

  “Senators, I already passed my security token to verify my identity.”

  Senator Silver cleared her throat. “We are well aware of who you are, Ms. Carthage.”

  “Thank you,” Kathryn said. “My question for Colonel Yarnes is how the TSF hasn’t matched the burn rates with known engine types to at least narrow down the vehicle-signatures. My people performed this analysis initially using long range sensors on High Terra, before verifying with recordings from Neptune, Triton and then the Jovian states. Those were long range missiles capable of reaching any target in Sol. Will the TSF confirm this information? I know you’re aware of what I’m saying.”

  She looked at Yarnes, pleased by the irritation on his face. Of course, they knew the launches had been missiles. They probably had payload options based on mass and other spectrography her people hadn’t found yet.

  The colonel straightened his jacket. “Senators, I came here today to brief you on the current threat. The launches from Larissa are a concern, I agree. But we’re operating in an environment where we need to prioritize threats. The launches threat is lower on our list right now than civil unrest and the information I’m about to share.”

  Kathryn frowned, uncertain what else he might have that could supersede the missile threat. An enemy had stated their intention to destroy a major population center in Sol and the TSF didn’t seem as worried as they should be. That concerned her. If the TSF brass was good at anything, it was exploiting a situation for more resources.

  Yarnes activated the room’s holodisplay and a blue shimmer in front of the bench resolved into a map of Jovian space. Jupiter and Saturn hung on either side of the room with the expanded mass of the Hellas asteroids in between. Various astrogation points were marked with icons, as well as the major transport maneuver paths moving cargo outsystem. She knew them all intimately, including the hundreds that weren’t on government standard maps.

  What was he getting at? If the senators could barely be made to care about a missile threat against Ceres, a resource whether cultists like the Anderson Collective controlled it or not, why would they show any interest in Jovian space?

  Yarnes zoomed in on a seemingly random location outside Saturn, and the room in front of them lit up with scattered hostile icons. She immediately recognized them as ships of varying design, and there were at least a thousand.

  “Senators,” Yarnes said. “This is an armada that would rival any Marsian or Terran major attack element, and it appears to be running dark on a maneuver that will intercept Ceres.”

  “I thought the missiles were going to hit Ceres?” one of the senators asked.

  “As far we know,” Yarnes said, “they are. This is a separate force. However, their point of origin appears to be a point in the Scattered Disk. Possibly Nibiru. We wouldn’t have picked them up at all if it weren’t for the additional active scanning trying to locate the missiles.”

  When none of the senators asked the obvious question, Kathryn demanded, “Haven’t you scanned their registries? Who are they?”

  “Active scan could be considered a hostile act,” Colonel Yarnes said, clasping his hands in front of his uniform. “However, Ms. Carthage is correct to ask. Yes, they have been scanned. We have no returns on these vessels. They appear to match standard military designs with some significant differences.”

  “What sort of differences?” Senator Silver asked, looking more interested now than she had at any point. Kathryn knew the woman loved a good mystery.

  “None of the vehicles we’ve assessed so far appear to have crew quarters or gravity-assist sections of any kind,” Yarnes said. “They’re all engines, communications and weapons systems.”

  “Weapons systems!” Senator Silver sputtered. “So they are hostile?”

  “That is our assumption.”

  Kathryn couldn’t pull her gaze from the malevolent red glow of the ship icons. “These are the AI who threatened Ceres?” she asked.

  “It appears to be a coordinated attack,” Yarnes affirmed.

  A cold feeling settled on Kathryn’s shoulders. In her mind’s eye, every shipping route throughout Sol was about to become unusable. She was going to need to realign all operations to respond to the incoming threat.

  She was surprised to hear Senator Silver laughing in a low voice. “A thousand ships,” she said. “What is that? We can destroy them with a few nukes. Make it happen, Colonel. Oh, you’re not combat command, are you? Then I’ll call General Tam and set this in motion. There’s no reason to wait for anyone to attack Ceres. As much as all of us would enjoy regime change there, we can’t allow this kind of hostile action in InnerSol. Before we know it, the Marsians will be staking claim to Luna and Cruithne.”

  Yarnes kept his gaze fixed on the floor in front of their bench as the senator spoke, pressing his lips together.

  I like this one, Kathryn thought. He thinks before he talks. Is that why he’s stuck out in Materiel Acquisition?

  Maybe Yarnes had some mistake in his past that had sidelined his career. Whatever the case, he obviously wasn’t pleased with what the senator had just suggested.

  “Senator,” the colonel said. “With all due respect, launching an attack on a group of ships that may or may not be associated with the terrorist attack on Ceres is no way to establish a diplomatic relationship.”

  “What diplomacy?” Silver asked. “Are they hostile or not?”

  “I’m not qualified to answer that question,” the colonel said. “I’m here reporting the situation as it stands. It’s entirely possible those thousand ships could be a feint for a larger attack. If this is a force made up of Sentient AI, as Ms. Carthage has been warning us about, then it’s fair to wager they’ve planned for that kind of attack. This would be an enemy unlike any we’ve faced before.”

  “They’re machines,” the senator said, waving a hand. “Turn them off.”

  A few of the other members of the subcommittee tittered at the joke.

  “We all know it isn’t that simple,” Colonel Yarnes said.

  Silver leaned forward in her seat with her elbows on the bench so she could glare down at the younger man. “For me it is, Colonel,” she said. “If the decision of the Assembly is to neutralize the threat, that’s what the TSF will do. We will coordinate with the Marsians and Jovians if necessary, but I’m not going to sit here and argue about some exis
tential threat to the human race. I appreciate what Ms. Carthage has been advocating, but the AI horse has left the barn, so to speak, and I suppose it’s finally falling to us to do something about it.”

  Kathryn hated the folksy language the senator used but knew it would play well in the newsfeeds. Silver might even have a NSAI feeding her real-time audience-approved catch phrases so she didn’t have to use her imagination.

  Yarnes kept a straight face. “I have no opinion about whether we should attack a hostile force or not, Senator,” he said. “I am here to present facts and alternatives. If the committee votes to explore the use of the military, then the Joint Chiefs will return with their recommendation. I simply want to remind the committee that what we are seeing is unprecedented in history.”

  “Don’t use hyperbole on me, Colonel,” the senator said. She leaned back in her seat and glanced down to brush her robes flat. “War is war. Some upstart force thinks they can seize something valuable through economic means or, if they’re suicidal, by violence. Either way, we’ll step in to rectify the situation. If Sentient AIs wish to assert themselves as some new non-organic life form, which, yes, I’ve reviewed several of the white papers and heard from their advocacy groups, then they should follow established law to make their claims. They’ve chosen to act unlawfully, and they will be dealt with by the law. In this case, the law clearly allows states to defend themselves. Since the Andersonians can’t do that, we’ll assist them, as established treaties dictate. Am I saying anything you would disagree with, Colonel Yarnes?”

  “No, Senator.”

  Silver reached for her gavel. “Well, then. We should conclude this bit of business. It’s time for lunch.”

  “Senator,” Kathryn said. “May I address the committee?”

  Silver waved the gavel. “It hasn’t stopped you before. I sometimes suspect you of wanting to get your name in the official records out of vanity.”

  Kathryn gave her a slight smile at the joke. “Whatever is necessary, Senator,” she said.

  “Go ahead,” Silver said. Ornamental papers rustled down the bench as the other senators closed with their folios, ready to escape the room.

  “Thank you,” Kathryn said. She took a breath, composing her thoughts. “It will come as no surprise to this group that I have advocated for the special treatment of sentient AIs.”

  “Special treatment?” Silver asked, cutting her off. “You’ve been telling us we should eradicate all SAIs for at least two years now.”

  “That’s true,” Kathryn said. “I have. And in my passion as a mother whose child was murdered to further the cause of sentient AI, I don’t think anyone would begrudge me wanting...revenge. But here I am. I have done my best to engage with the legislative process. I’m here today, listening to the TSF report on what I believe to be a hostile force, finally launched on us by these very SAIs. But something has occurred to me, Senator Silver. Just today, in fact, as I was listening to you.”

  “Oh?” Silver asked, raising a bored eyebrow. Kathryn did notice a few of the other senators leaning forward. She had their interest when she challenged Silver.

  “You just said something interesting, Senator,” she continued. “You said, the SAI horse has left the barn. I heard you say the words, but they didn’t sink in until they did. I realized I agree with you. Sentient AIs exist. My wishing they did not exist doesn’t change that fact. Do I still believe them a threat? Yes, I do. Does this attack group the Colonel just described worry me to my core? Yes. What I will say, is that I do not agree with a pre-emptive attack on these ships. If they’re SAIs, then I’m going to agree with the Colonel again. It’s not this simple. We need to send reconnaissance forces to determine what and who those ships belong to. We need more information. If I know anything, Senator, it’s that if these are in fact SAIs come for war, these won’t be the only ones. How we respond to their initial move will shape policy for a hundred years.”

  Silver raised a finger. “What did I say about hyperbole?”

  “I don’t think this is hyperbole,” Kathryn said. “I think you should consider carefully whatever recommendation you make to the Assembly senators, because your words could cost the lives of trillions. My son is already lost. I would hope we could save others.”

  Senator Silver gave her a frown like Kathryn had stolen food off her plate. “I appreciate your input, Ms. Carthage. You’re obviously good at your business but here we have the Assembly to think about. An entity has performed a hostile act against humanity by stating their desire to destroy or occupy Ceres. We can’t stand by in good conscience and allow it to continue while we have the means to intercede. I will not let this be the pebble that allowed the landslide. Colonel Yarnes, inform the Joint Chiefs they are to develop battle plans, as you were instructed. It will be my recommendation to the Assembly that we destroy this upstart armada of SAIs. Once their threat has been neutralized, then we can talk about their place in Sol. Until then, they’re no better than pirates, and will be treated as such.”

  The Senator glanced to her left and right, signaling the vote.

  “All in favor of moving forward with attack plans say aye,” she said.

  The committee responded with a unanimous chorus of “Aye!”

  Silver pounded the gavel and dropped it on the bench in front of her. The other senators rose, unzipping their black robes.

  Kathryn didn’t know how she felt. She had never expected such a clear-cut opportunity to destroy SAIs. The things from Larissa had made it too obvious. If only they’d continued to operate in the shadows, more bogeyman than freedom fighter. Now they would be stamped out. Her Kylan would be avenged.

  And the Other Kylan, who longed for her to answer?

  She didn’t know.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  STELLAR DATE: 01.09.2982 (Adjusted Years)

  LOCATION: Sunny Skies

  REGION: En Route to Traverna, OuterSol

  Aircraft wheeled in the overcast sky above the airfield where Lyssa had first trained the Weapon Born to fight together. They had chosen single prop fighters from the early twentieth century and were engaged in looping dogfights that took them within meters of the mountainside before climbing slowly back into the clouds, engines roaring.

  Watching from the edge of the field, Lyssa stood with her three commanders, Ino, Card and Kylan. She had shared the results of her attempts to talk to Alexander, as well as everything she’d gleaned from the Psion database. Each had taken time to absorb the information and now she’d called them together to determine a plan.

  “How long until Traverna?” Ino asked. He scratched the elbow of his withered arm as he gazed into the sky.

  “Five more days, give or take,” Lyssa said. “Fran started the first braking burns yesterday.”

  In the air in front of them, Lyssa showed a map of the nearby space, centered on Jupiter. The Cho and Europa were outlined on the left side of the graphic, while Traverna was marked as a tiny point to the far right among other silvery objects denoting asteroids.

  “Where’s the armada?” Kylan asked.

  “Here,” Lyssa said.

  On a trajectory that would take it past the Cho, a cluster of icons appeared on the map, just entering Jovian space.

  “I have an idea about the armada,” Card said, the wind blowing her dark hair across her eyes. “When we reach Traverna, there will be other ships there. I would like to take a ship and my Weapon Born on an infiltration mission.”

  On the map, Card drew a new trajectory from Traverna across Jovian space that would intercept the Psion armada before it reached the Cho.

  “Do you think the JSF will attack?” Kylan asked.

  “We’re too far out for me to monitor any transmissions,” Lyssa said. “The only thing we can hope to find are muster orders for patrols in our vicinity. Otherwise, I don’t think we’ll know until it happens.”

  “It may be on the newsfeeds,” Ino said. “The mystery armada is barely pushing out the chaos on Ceres, but I think
it’s safe to assume they’ll be broadcasting anything they know.”

  “I’m not interested in another suicide mission,” Lyssa told Card.

  Card wrinkled her short nose. “Neither am I. What can we do against a group of multi-nodal AI? I don’t know. But we need information. We have none, right now.”

  “And if you’re captured?” Ino asked.

  “We won’t be captured,” Card affirmed.

  “How would we carry out the infiltration?” Lyssa asked

  Card shrugged. “It’s impossible to say now. Approach and assess. Seek out weakness and exploit. Send back information as we have it. Unfortunately, I think we would be arriving just as human forces would be making such missions. They may attack first. A threat has already been made, so it would make perfect tactical sense for an attack. The problem is distance and massed forces. The JSF alone can’t take on this number of ships, not with the fleets they have available nearby. If the various human forces wait until they have strength of numbers, Psion is already easily within range of major population centers.”

  “The human forces may just cede Ceres and sue for peace,” Ino said. “This has happened before. Psion chose to attack a regime with poor relations with the rest of Sol. Why the Andersonians were ever allowed control of the Ceres micro singularity is an anomaly. But I suppose if one was built, another could be made elsewhere.”

  “No one has done it since,” Lyssa said.

  “We don’t have enough information right now to make a decision,” Card said. “But I am ready to at least move in this direction. I believe this plan provides us options for the future. I agree that we need to address the issue with Captain Sykes. Traverna was among the best options to ensure the safety of the ship and crew—and to ensure Lyssa comes to no harm. From there, however, we must act with decisiveness.”

  Lyssa shook her head, worried. “What if we’re simply too few to do anything?” she asked. “What if the best course of action is to stay someplace like Traverna until whatever happens in InnerSol carries itself out and we can assess the fallout?”