A.I. Battle Station (The A.I. Series Book 4)

by Vaughn Heppner

  IU-76 realized this was an elementary tactic and should have little chance of success, as its probability analyzer had told it as much. Yet, given the time-lapse between its landing on the hull and the humans attempting to locate the obvious, gave the probability for ultimate achievement a new triple improvement score. That probability was still low, but a triple score was simply amazing. It indicated human sloth or stupidity, or possibly both.

  As IU-76 waited, it observed the humans in action. They used drone devices to fly over the hull in precise flight patterns. That was rational, as far as it went. But the drones used inferior sensors. IU-76 began to doubt the humans had the capability of discovering the lure unit…

  Thirty-seven minutes later, IU-76 reevaluated its doubt as a drone paused in mid-flight. The drone switched on advanced sensing gear. A few minutes later, a searchlight popped on, focusing on the lure unit. The drone had found it…finally.

  The lure unit and IU-76 had both eased onto the pirated cybership hull months ago during the Asteroid Belt Operation. So far, this part of the insertion mission was proceeding flawlessly.

  A bigger drone now moved into position, advancing on the lure unit. The new drone possessed outer laser drills and arm-clappers. It attempted to detach the lure unit from the hull. Of course, the remote-controlled drone failed in its task. The lure unit’s key purpose was in being a frustrating object.

  Would the humans react as predicted?

  One hundred and four minutes later, a group of space-suited humans arrived in a small space vehicle.

  IU-76 recorded everything, watching and analyzing their habits. They were slow creatures and acted oddly. That combined with their vile life-nature and proved yet again a primary reason for their needed expulsion from the universe.

  As its probability numbers spiked, IU-76 detached from its location. Soundlessly and more importantly, invisibly, it maneuvered onto the underside of the small human space-transport.

  After an hour of further hard work, the space-suited humans finally detached the lure unit from the hull. Wisely, on their part, the humans did not load the lure unit onto their space vehicle.

  Instead, more drones appeared. They used grapples, lifting the lure unit and heading away with it. No doubt, the humans would use extreme caution as they studied the lure unit.

  It didn’t matter.

  The space-suited humans climbed aboard their small space vehicle and headed back for whatever hangar bay or space-locker they had originated from.

  All the while, IU-76 waited for its opportunity to insert.

  ***

  Two hundred and thirty-seven minutes later, an invisible rounded object attached to the underside of a grounded space vehicle opened like a flower. IU-76 cautiously emerged from it. The unit was as black as sin and looked like a large mechanical spider. The main component was as big as a man’s head. IU-76 had passive sensors of incredible complexity and power.

  The unit lowered itself onto the hangar-bay deck.

  With startling quickness, IU-76 scuttled with a tap-tap sound on the tips of its multi-jointed legs. It moved into a cubby, climbing the bulkhead so it could wait in darkness on the ceiling.

  This was the most dangerous time of its mission and could expose it to destruction.

  That did not happen, though. Instead, two humans in oil-stained coveralls appeared. They chattered in their monkey tongue and began to inspect the nearby space vehicle.

  They opened compartments and sections, using tools to first scan and then repair certain features.

  IU-76 grew apprehensive. Could those two find the invisible carrying unit on the vehicle’s underside?

  One of the mechanics readied himself to slide under the space vehicle.

  IU-76 might have grown agitated if it had been a life-unit. Instead, proving the superiority of cool rationality, it made a logical decision without the fanfare of emotions.

  The spidery robot device dropped from the ceiling, landing soundlessly on the deck. With deliberate speed, it used its metallic legs to skitter across the floor at the other man.

  The first mechanic slid under the space vehicle as the other stood by a diagnostic machine. Something must have given away IU-76. The man at the diagnostic machine turned, and his eyes widened in horror.

  IU-76 followed emergency procedures. It leaped, sailing into the air in a perfect trajectory. The life-unit watched in panicked horror, staying frozen just long enough.

  IU-76 landed on the man’s face. The man screamed, and tried to push the robotic device from him. The man lacked the strength for such an impossible task, of course.

  With remorseless strength, IU-76 maneuvered around the man’s head. Like an Earth spider, the bulk lowered close to the man’s head and seemed to bite. IU-76 did not bite the man as such. Instead, using a precise laser, it quickly drilled through the skull. A noisome stench of burnt bone permeated the local area. IU-76 ignored the smell as it inserted more than just a normal conversion stick into the gray brain mass. IU-76 literally inserted itself into the man’s mushy brain matter after ejecting from the metal carrying unit.

  Fine metallic hairs sprouted from the insertion unit into the brain mass, taking over neural control of the man’s functions in record time. That almost didn’t prove quickly enough, however.

  As the process took place, the targeted man fell onto the deck and began to thrash. In that time, the mechanic who had slid under the space vehicle reappeared.

  The mechanic bellowed in outrage and shock. He jumped up, grabbed a heavy tool and charged.

  IU-76 barely gained control of the human subject in time. Although the AI device did not yet know the human’s name, it used the man’s legs to kick out hard and fast.

  The mechanic stumbled, dropping the heavy tool and barely catching himself before slamming his face against the deck.

  They both hurried to their feet. The outer spider casing that had originally carried IU-76 still clung to the target’s head. The newly converted human picked up the heavy tool, hefting it.

  “Sam!” the mechanic shouted. “It’s me! I’m trying to save you from that thing covering your face.”

  At IU-76’s neural order, the converted human swung the heavy tool, connecting solidly with the mechanic’s head. The mechanic dropped. The converted man knelt by the stunned and fallen mechanic and beat the head until the skull cracked and fluids ran out. The victim jerked for a time before finally subsiding into stillness.

  A dead human was a good human.

  IU-76’s converted human panted and sweated from the effort.

  That was fine for the moment. IU-76 knew that a chance encounter could still ruin everything. It had to merge quickly with the target and clean up this mess before anyone else came to investigate.

  With its metallic appendages, the outer spider casing sprayed a healing goop over the skull wound. After that hardened, the outer device would implant regrow. It would give the converted human new hair. First, though, IU-76 needed to gain full control of the man and reroute the personality, making the target into something that IU-76 could use for the glory of the AI Dominion.

  -15-

  The hours passed as IU-76 assessed the space mechanic Samuel Latterly who originated from the Neptune System.

  Unfortunately for IU-76, there was a systematic core failure as it attempted to submerge the target’s personality. The target’s mind fought back. Sam Latterly was a stubborn man, going berserk when he understood what IU-76 was trying to do.

  Sam actually made a run for it, yelling at the top of his voice.

  IU-76 made a quick and possibly fatal decision. The insertion unit core burned out the target’s memory with savage electric shocks. The insertion unit erased Sam Latterly’s memories. In doing so, IU-76 miscalculated and went too far, burning out the man’s personality with the memories. IU-76 did even more than that, erasing some of the man’s earliest and most needed life lessons.

  Because of that, the man forgot how to walk. After cleaning up the mess, I
U-76 forced the body to drag itself across the floor, eventually finding a place to hide. The problem proved perplexing and frustrating. Fortunately, IU-76 was not burdened with emotions and thus did not worry about the passage of time.

  The body of Sam Latterly soon knew fierce hunger pangs. IU-76 ignored that for now. The insertion unit would cause the body to feed later. First, IU-76 had to reteach the body how to walk, run and even talk.

  It was a painfully slow process.

  After much time had passed, the body of Sam Latterly reemerged from hiding. The body looked gaunt and glassy-eyed, and his clothes were rumpled, smelly and even torn in places. The body moved with a strange lurching step and jerked his head every time he looked around.

  Still, it was a fantastic example of AI computing power for a lower order insertion unit. But it would not have fooled anyone who chanced to come upon the body of Sam Latterly. Luckily, the body moved during a nighttime period. The unit IU-76 had not done this out of cunning, but through pure good luck.

  IU-76 made it to Sam Latterly’s quarters without anyone spotting the body. The body went inside and rummaged until it found excess food packets and water bottles.

  There, the body ate in a controlled manner despite the growling stomach. Afterward, the body turned on a vid unit and watched programs.

  Through Sam’s eyes, IU-76 studied the actors and their movements. For many hours, the body of Sam Latterly practiced walking, sitting and getting up. The improvement proved extraordinary.

  Still, without the man’s memories and enforced help in overcoming defects and flaws, IU-76 believed the body had a high probability of getting caught sooner rather than later. Thus, the body lay on the cabin’s cot with the eyes open as IU-76 ran through various options. Perhaps the body could open a large hangar-bay door and kill hundreds and possibly thousands of humans through vacuum. Perhaps the better idea would be in regaining the carrying unit and inserting it into the spider case to covert a better target.

  Sam Latterly was a mere hangar mechanic. If IU-76 could insert into the Sacerdote for instance…

  Yes, Bast Banbeck could surely maneuver near Jon Hawkins, killing the hated interloper. Still, what if the Nathan Graham entered at an outpost system? Maybe IU-76 could rig a pulse message to a ruling AI there. That would be the best result.

  How long could Sam Latterly remain hidden before the entire ship began searching for him? IU-76 did not have enough data to make a reasoned decision.

  In time, the decaying body of Sam Latterly sat up. In a jerky fashion, the body rose and went to a computer console. IU-76 hesitated. It did not know enough. It needed Sam’s memories. It needed a way to threaten the man in order to make him a willing accomplice. But that part of the brain was dead.

  This was no good.

  With a quick motion, the body turned on the computer. With carefully thought out steps, IU-76 began to study more data.

  Soon, it discovered that the pirated cybership had entered hyperspace. They traveled to another star system. IU-76 did not know the destination.

  Would it better to remain hidden or was this the moment to strike? The humans would believe themselves safe while in hyperspace.

  IU-76 ran an intense analysis. It lacked enough data to make a fully reasoned choice. Therefore, the most logical choice was to attack while the body still possessed freedom.

  With a lurch, the impaired body of Sam Latterly stood. It rummaged through the quarters until IU-76 found a long flick-knife. If IU-76 could insert this into one of Jon Hawkins’ major organs, that might be enough to kill the hated one.

  Suiting computation to action, the unwashed but freshly dressed body of Sam Latterly headed for the hatch.

  -16-

  Lieutenant Walleye ate by himself in a large cafeteria aboard the Nathan Graham.

  Walleye was short with a big head, coarse hair and an odd face that made it difficult for most people to tell where exactly he was staring. He also had stubby limbs with short fingers.

  Walleye was a mutant from the dwarf planet of Makemake, a former assassin. He didn’t look dangerous in his buff coat, but he was exceptionally cunning, with a knack for doing the right thing at the right time to come out alive.

  Walleye was the commander of the Destroyer Daisy Chain 4. The spaceship was presently in a hangar bay. His navigator was June Zen—

  Walleye sipped from his cup of coffee as the long-legged beauty entered the cafeteria. Men stirred at the other tables, noticing her. They always did. June wore tight-fitting silver pants that showed off her exceptional rear. She knew how to walk, too. Like him, she’d been born on Makemake. They were the only two survivors of an AI infiltration attack on Makemake some time ago. They’d been in orbit around Senda during the last AI conflict in the Solar System.

  June picked a few items to eat and brought her tray to Walleye’s table, sitting beside him.

  “Morning,” she said.

  “Luscious,” he replied.

  “You look preoccupied,” she said.

  He shrugged.

  “I have a conference meeting with Hawkins later. He’s going to discuss various options for exploring the star system once we get there.”

  “Just you and him?” asked June.

  Walleye shook his head. “There will be a bunch of us captains at the meeting. We have to have over twenty frigate or destroyer-class vessels aboard.”

  “Is that why I’m seeing so many new faces?”

  “That’s one of the reasons.”

  Walleye wasn’t sure he agreed with Hawkins’ decision to take so many new people aboard the cybership. Sure, the vessel was massive. One hundred kilometers in all directions provided a lot of deck space. This thing could and did carry a lot of extra spaceships in its guts. That meant more crew, more security personnel and a greater chance of the wrong kind of person getting aboard. Hawkins hadn’t asked his opinion about the measure, though.

  Walleye approved of Hawkins’ known tendency to only listen to his inner core of people. That was the right way to do it. According to what Walleye knew, those advisors were the Martian mentalist, the Old Man—the Intelligence Chief—and a tough old killer called the Centurion.

  The Old Man and the Centurion used to be sergeants in the Black Anvil Regiment.

  This time out, the Nathan Graham was closer to its maximum efficiency in terms of number of crew and space marines. Before this voyage, the captured cybership had felt like a ghost vessel, it hardly had any people aboard compared to its mass. If any of the extra people should prove disloyal, though…

  The Social Dynamists of the Solar League had tried infiltration tactics before this.

  Walleye finished his coffee, wiping his lips with a sleeve. He set the cup in the saucer and made to rise.

  “Aren’t you going to wait for me to finish?” June asked.

  “Not today, Luscious. I have a few chores before the meeting. I’ll see you later this evening.”

  June pouted.

  Walleye patted her nearest hand. “Is there trouble?”

  “Nothing I can’t handle,” she said after a moment.

  Walleye eyed her, gauging the likely problem. Not only did she have a fantastic butt, but her short jacket did little to hide her other charms. Walleye noted several men watching her from other tables.

  “Are some of these space jockeys hitting on you too hard?” he asked.

  “Not when you’re around. At least they’re smart enough to wait until you’re gone. I get tired of the attention, though. It’s too much.”

  “It’s also the price for being beautiful.”

  Her pout grew and she leaned toward him. “Do you see that lieutenant over there?”

  Walleye saw a muscular man stroking his neat dark mustache. The lieutenant nodded at Walleye and winked at June.

  “He’s not even waiting until you’re gone,” June complained. “Can’t you talk to him about that?”

  “You want me to knife him?”

  “Would you?” she asked.
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br />   Walleye pushed his chair back and stood up.

  “No!” June said, grabbing one of his stubby hands. “Don’t do it, Walleye. I was only kidding.”

  “Oh…” Walleye said, who had known that. He was ugly and short, but he knew his girl. He knew women, in fact, and he knew that June liked the extra attention. That was normal. Would she cheat on him? He seriously doubted it.

  “Catch you this evening, Luscious.” Walleye turned to go.

  “Aren’t you going to give me a kiss first?” she asked.

  “Of course,” he said, coming over and kissing her.

  “I’ll slap the lieutenant across the face if he gets too fresh,” she told him.

  “That sounds fun. If you need help…”

  “No,” she said. “Really. I’m okay.”

  Walleye adjusted his buff coat, ran his fingers through his coarse hair and headed for the hatch. He noticed the slick lieutenant watching him. Likely, the man was trying to gauge him, wondering how an ugly little mutant had a doll of a girlfriend like June Zen.

  It wasn’t by worrying about it. If June wanted a hotshot like the slick lieutenant, she could have him. June wanted safety more than anything else, though. Walleye doubted there was anyone aboard the Nathan Graham that could keep her safer than him, and she knew it.

  June Zen was a smart girl.

  -17-

  There was one new rule aboard ship that Walleye didn’t like. They were not allowed any personal weapons. Ship’s security went about armed, and the marines had weapons-lockers they could open during an emergency, but as an individual practice, none of the crewmembers was supposed to carry a gun or even a knife.

  Walleye had always gone armed, even in childhood. Weapons had been his equalizer.

  “I’m sorry, sir,” an armed sentry told him. “You’ll have to wait while the Intelligence operative frisks you.”

  Walleye stood before a hatch into a restricted area of the ship. Several other ship commanders had already preceded him. Others lined up behind him.

  The sentry was a big-chested man with a big pistol strapped to his hip. The man looked like he knew how to use it.