Jon nodded to try to get Benz to get to the point.
“Your gallant action also shows your good intentions toward me,” Benz said. “Ergo, you must be trustworthy. That wasn’t something I was willing to bet on earlier.”
“You sound as if you’ve come to a decision,” Jon said.
Benz inhaled deeply through his nostrils. “I wish to merge our two factions into something stronger than what we have.”
“An alliance?” asked Jon.
“A confederation,” Benz said. “I suggest we pool our militaries and make common cause against the Solar League.”
“In what way?”
“I think it’s time we besieged the Earth.”
“What about the AIs?” asked Jon.
“While we besiege the Earth, I suggest that you take the Nathan Graham into hyperspace and take a look around.”
Jon thought about that. “Firstly,” he said. “How does one besiege the Earth?”
“We stop all contact between Mercury, Venus and Luna with Earth.”
“And how does that help us?” Jon asked.
“Hopefully, we can induce the Earth Fleet to come out and fight us.”
“And then…?”
“We destroy the Earth Fleet so we can begin to bombard the planet if we need to.”
Jon stared at Benz. “I don’t like it. We need the Earth Fleet intact for when the AIs show up in force again.”
“We need solar unity more.”
“That’s not so easy to make happen,” Jon said. “Think about it. Earth has a greater population than the rest of the planetary systems combined. We’re not going to conquer the planet militarily with ground forces.”
“Certainly not with your blinkered thinking,” Benz said testily.
Jon let that pass. “We have to persuade Earth to join us.”
“I am intimately knowledgeable concerning Earth’s government,” Benz said. “Our chances of persuading the Social Dynamists to join us are zero.”
Jon was inclined to agree with the assessment. Still, he disliked the idea of destroying the Earth Fleet and bombarding the home planet.
“By all means,” Jon said, “let’s occupy the Mercury mines. Maybe we can devise an interception campaign against Venus, capturing all cargo haulers. In this instance, I’d say lopping off the weaker places and isolating the stronger is the better strategy.”
“Are you rejecting my idea of a confederated assault?” Benz asked.
“Not in principle,” Jon said. “As I’ve just told you, I can agree to occupying the mines on Mercury and putting pressure on Venus.”
“That will only solidify Social Dynamism’s hold on Earth.”
“Then we should leave them alone for now,” Jon said. “Let’s merge the Mars Unity with the SFF, or at least draw up ideas on how to do that to both our satisfaction. After I return, we can rehash the military ideas versus the Solar League with greater understanding about what the AIs are going to do next and possibly when.”
Benz looked away as he tapped one of his armrests. He exhaled, looking at Jon carefully.
“Do you really think you can trust me?” Benz asked.
“You mean can I trust you enough to leave the Solar System with the Nathan Graham?”
“Precisely,” Benz said.
“The truthful answer is that I’m not sure.”
“What would make you sure?”
Jon thought about that, finally raising his eyebrows. “Join me on the expedition.”
“With the Gilgamesh?”
“That wasn’t my idea. I was thinking about having you aboard the Nathan Graham as an advisor.”
“I could not possibly do that,” Benz said. “But I can give you my word that I will not attempt to weaken the SFF during your absence. The latest robot attempt here at the asteroid has shown me that they may strike sooner than I expected. We have to hunt them down, of course. I mean here in the Solar System. They must be scattered throughout the system.”
“Why do you think that?”
Benz gave a quick explanation regarding the probabilities of the ambush and how that implied massive numbers of AI sensors.
“I’m beginning to believe the AIs aren’t going to give us enough time to get ready my way,” Benz said. “That means the only other course is finding allies to help us against them.”
“Do you think there are such allies out there?” Jon asked.
“I know there’s only one way we’re going to find out,” Benz said. “I know that I owe you my life, and I now find myself trusting your judgment, particularly your military judgment.”
“Will you allow me time to think about your unifying proposal?”
“Of course,” Benz said, as he tapped an armrest. “Mentalist,” the Premier said, “you can send a shuttle to the Gilgamesh. I’m releasing Hawkins.”
Benz faced him. “Is that good enough?”
“Yeah,” Jon said. “It is.”
-12-
Four months after the meeting at the outer edge of the Asteroid Belt, the Nathan Graham decelerated as it left the scattered disc region of the Solar System.
The pirated cybership was far from the Sun, far from the back edge of the Asteroid Belt where it had parked near the Gilgamesh.
During the past four months, the Nathan Graham had been accelerating. It had passed Neptune and entered the Kuiper Belt, a region of space 30 to 50 AU wide. Three dwarf planets resided in the belt, Pluto, Haumea and Makemake. After leaving the Kuiper Belt, the Nathan Graham traveled through the scattered disc region, passing the dwarf planet Senda 86 AUs from the Sun.
Now, the giant vessel moved into the lonely vastness between the scattered disc region and the Oort cloud that began an incredible 50,000 AUs from the Sun, stretching to 200,000 AUs, marking the outer limit of the Solar System.
The Nathan Graham did not intend to travel to the Oort cloud. Jon Hawkins hoped to go much farther by entering the fabled hyperspace.
Hyperspace would bypass the Oort cloud as the ship entered a different realm of reality. The science team together with Gloria and Bast Banbeck attempted to understand the process that would allow the cybership to go faster than the speed of light. So far, they had several competing theories.
“Sir,” Chief Technician Ghent said. “I have an incoming message from the Gilgamesh.”
Ghent had buckteeth and thus seldom moved his lips enough when he spoke to let anyone see them. He wore a gold cross under his uniform, being a follower of Christ Spaceman and the most rigorous engineer aboard the Nathan Graham.
“Put it on the main screen,” Jon said.
Ghent tapped his console.
Jon sat back, accepting a steaming cup of coffee from an ensign. He sipped as Premier Benz appeared on the main screen.
The man had more color than the last time they’d spoken. He sat behind a desk, making this an official call.
Jon felt a pang of nervousness. Was this Benz trying to pull a fast one? Was the man going to make a stab at the SFF now that the Nathan Graham was way out here?
Jon’s head twitched. No. That didn’t make sense. If that had been Benz’s plan, why not wait a few more days until the cybership went into hyperspace?
“Hello, Captain Hawkins,” Benz said.
The Premier cleared his throat and looked off to his left. Then the man straightened in his seat and tugged at his tie. He seemed uncomfortable. Maybe that was due to his still healing wounds.
“I hope this message reaches you before you enter hyperspace,” Benz said. “We’ve just discovered the whereabouts of a robot listening device. It is in far orbit around Mars. The unit self-destructed as a cutter went to investigate it. That isn’t the interesting point. The composition of the outer hull is what intrigues Vela and me. It’s why we haven’t spotted any of the bastards so far. The destroyed pods and the robot military vessel we faced in the Asteroid Belt had a different type of hull.
“I have taken the liberty of sending this data to your various confed
erates in the SFF. I’m surprised it took us this long to find one of the AI devices in our system. Once a person knows what to look for, it is much easier to discover it. Once you know something can be found you look that much harder for it.
“I have sent you this data for the obvious reason. Once you enter an enemy star system, it is likely the AIs will have such listening posts embedded there. It is possible they will have such listening posts in star systems at war with the AIs. Given the new data, I hope you’re able to pinpoint such listening posts before they discover the cybership is under human control.
“Jon, humanity cannot afford to lose the Nathan Graham out there in the stars. You’re taking a big risk by doing this. If the AIs capture you, they will learn that we know about them. That will mean an almost certain invasion of such size and scope that they will annihilate us. In such a case, it would be better for the rest of us that you never went.”
Benz smiled wryly, shaking his head. “I’m not attempting to plead with you to stay. I think you should go. We desperately need allies and we desperately need to know what our chances are against the AI Empire. I’m simply cautioning you to be extra careful.”
Benz frowned, put his hands on the desk, clasping them together as he leaned forward. “It’s possible that human survival rests almost solely upon what happens out there. You must succeed. You must use all that guile and fighting skill you used to defeat the first cybership in the Neptune System.”
Benz paused. Then he stared intensely at the camera. “Go with God, Captain Hawkins. I pray for your success. Premier Benz out.”
The screen faded back to its normal color.
Jon swiveled around to face Chief Technician Ghent.
“I say amen to that, sir,” Ghent said with a grin. “We’re going to need God’s help to succeed.”
Jon nodded, surprised by the Premier’s final words. He stood abruptly. “Get the data about the listening-post hulls to the scientists. Benz is right. The robots are deceptive above all else. To make this voyage a success, we’re going to have to be even sneakier than they are.”
-13-
Jon met with Gloria and Bast Banbeck on an observation deck.
The green-skinned seven-foot Sacerdote philosopher had features like a Neanderthal and wore an outsized SFF uniform. The big alien sat back in a chair as he guzzled another beer.
There were four empty bottles lined on a table beside Bast. Due to his size and weight, the few beers had an almost negligible effect on his thinking.
“After studying the Nathan Graham’s controls and what the computers have to say on the subject,” Gloria announced, “we believe that we know how to enter hyperspace.”
The mentalist stood before the observation “glass,” as she stared into space. She faced them as she swept a strand of hair from her left eye.
“I can’t say I fully comprehend the hyperspace process,” she said. “Bast says we’ll travel approximately one light-year for every day we’re in hyperspace. He suggests that’s the limit no matter what velocity we use as we enter hyperspace.”
Jon glanced at Bast.
The Sacerdote nodded, saying “Ahhh” as he wiped his wet lips with a forearm and setting the newly emptied beer bottle beside the others.
“It would appear that no one can detect us while we are in hyperspace,” Gloria added. “It also seems from our studies that no two ships in hyperspace can sense each other. That means hyperspace knows true peace.”
“What velocity will we be traveling when we exit hyperspace?” Jon asked.
“We don’t know for sure,” Gloria said. “But we suspect it will be the same velocity that we enter hyperspace.”
“So, the AI cyberships last time entered hyperspace at great velocity?” Jon asked.
“I suspect that is the case,” Gloria answered.
Bast eyed another beer bottle, although he didn’t reach for it just yet.
“That also makes logical sense,” Gloria added. “We also know this. No vessel can enter hyperspace if it is near a large gravitational object.”
“In this case,” Jon said, “what is large?”
“We suspect anything bigger than Jupiter,” Gloria said.
“You said near,” Jon replied. “Jupiter is a long way from us.”
“Near is a relative term,” Gloria said. “I’m speaking in stellar terms. Jupiter is extremely close to us when you consider the vastness of space.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” Jon said.
“Theoretically,” Gloria said, “one could keep traveling in hyperspace for as long as he wanted.”
“Except for…?”
“Large gravitational objects,” Gloria said.
“What happens if a ship nears a large gravitational object while in hyperspace?”
Gloria shook her head.
“One drops out of hyperspace?” asked Jon.
“Maybe,” Gloria said, “or maybe the ship simply implodes in some manner.”
“What?”
“Exactly,” Gloria said. “It appears that we must travel with great caution. We may move in straight lines from one place to the next, always making sure that no large gravitational object is in the way. We should be able to calculate when to drop out given the constant state of hyperspace travel.”
“You hope?” Jon said.
“As the Premier suggested,” Gloria said. “Our voyage is a gamble in more ways than one.”
Jon thought about that. “Maybe that’s one of the things that makes space travel take a longer time. If there are too many grav objects in the way, one has to drop out of hyperspace—”
“And travel to a new location the old way,” Gloria said, “by crawling at sub-light speeds. Only then can the ship reenter hyperspace as it journeys to the new destination.”
“Interesting,” Jon said.
“Why do you find that interesting?”
“It means there are terrain features to interstellar travel,” Jon said. “Terrain features add to the complexity of maneuvering tactics.”
“You find that interesting as a soldier?”
“Yeah,” Jon said.
Bast laughed sadly, finally picking up the next beer bottle, twisting off the cap and beginning to guzzle.
“What’s wrong with you?” Jon asked the Sacerdote.
“Fear, bewilderment and a growing sense of futility,” Bast said in his deep voice.
“Those are exactly the wrong emotions to feel,” Jon told the alien.
Bast raised his bushy eyebrows. “Emotions are neither wrong nor—”
“You should be elated,” Jon said, interrupting.
“Because I am leaving the island of tranquility of the Solar System?” the Sacerdote asked.
“What tranquility?”
“For a short time, I have known peace,” Bast said. “I found it a stimulating process. I could sleep the entire night through. I felt rested again, my mind recharged. Now, we are about to resume the conflict against the impossible champions of death.”
“That’s crap,” Jon said.
“It is feces?” asked Bast. “I do not understand.”
“It’s a saying,” Gloria told him. “It means it is no good.”
“I agree that the AIs are evil,” Bast said. “But I fail to comprehend—”
“When I said your idea was crap,” Jon said, interrupting. “I meant it was wrong.”
“Wrong is a different meaning from no good,” Bast said.
“Yeah, whatever,” Jon said. “I’m not a philosopher.”
“That is true,” Bast said.
“The AIs want to destroy all life,” Jon said. “Well, this is our chance to take the fight to them.”
“How is that a desired object?” Bast asked.
“Because it means we can try to hurt the robots that have hurt us.”
“That does not bring back the dead,” Bast said.
“Who said it did?”
Bast had a quizzical look on his face.
&nb
sp; “The Sacerdote doesn’t understand your bloodthirsty love of hitting back at the group that has hit you,” Gloria said. “He knows his people are gone and—”
Jon stood, waving his hand as if to negate Gloria’s words.
“The AIs are in this to the finish,” Jon said. “Well, so am I.”
“You cannot possibly live that long,” Bast said.
“For as long as I’m alive then, I’m going to kick butt,” Jon said. “We have a purpose, Bast. We’re champions of life. Maybe you and I were born precisely to challenge these machines of death. Maybe that means hardship our entire lives. But at least we’re fighting for something good, for the chance of life to…live to its fullest.”
The huge Sacerdote pursed his thicker-than-normal lips. “Yes,” he said ponderously. “That is a good point. I can readily agree to such a purpose.”
Bast glanced at the beer bottles before studying Jon.
“Purpose,” Bast said. “We have purpose. We must stop the AIs from their genocidal fury. When will we enter hyperspace?”
Gloria looked to Jon.
“I’d like to say right now,” Jon said.
“What is holding you back?” asked Bast.
“Benz’s message,” Jon said. He turned to Gloria. “Is it possible that some AI devices have secretly lodged onto our hull?”
Gloria thought about that until her eyes widened. “Of course,” she whispered. “At the Asteroid Belt. Such devices must have slipped onto our hull. We must check thoroughly.”
Jon nodded. “I’ve already ordered Ghent to begin the process.”
“Tell him to stop,” Gloria said.
Jon looked at her questioningly.
“This is a possible opportunity to learn more about our enemy,” Gloria said.
Jon tapped a comm device, speaking into it. Afterward, he said, “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
Gloria proceeded to do just that.
-14-
Infiltration Unit IU-76 waited patiently on the hull of Cybership Nathan Graham. Far longer than it thought would take, the life-units—the humans—finally began to search for robotic pods hidden on the hull.
A.I. Battle Station (The A.I. Series Book 4) Page 5
