AI Awakening

AI Awakening Page 9

by Robert Boren

  We are trying to confirm two rumors. The first rumor is that there was another battle, in which two of the Razor Class ships were destroyed by the New Jersey, three more having to flee the scene before they too were destroyed. The second rumor concerns a message to the Overlords from Captain Trey Clarke, where he says that if Earth is attacked again, the New Jersey will launch a massive attack against the Capitol of the Central Authority Zone—Devonia Axxiom. If we can verify either or both, we’ll put out a special edition to tell you all about it. In case you’re wondering, I’m rooting for the New Jersey. Past problems with the Samson Corporation be damned. That’s it for now. Ta ta.

  Hamilton Zenos

  “Wow,” JJ said.

  Nolan shot me a glance. “Maybe we should fill Hamilton Zenos in on the facts.”

  “Absolutely not,” I said. “Understand?”

  “Yes sir,” he said. “Just a thought.”

  Now that I know a name, perhaps I should start searching for data on the Razor Class.

  Do that, but be careful. What did you find out about the PA Corporation?

  The entire development staff of the PA system plus most of their Board of Directors disappeared about the same time that the railgun attacks hit Samson Corporation facilities on Earth.

  “Something going on, Captain?” Skip asked.

  “I’m getting info from my AI.”

  Are you saying they were killed in the attacks?

  No, only two were among the dead, both at the Palo Alto Samson Corporation plant.

  What about the PA Corporation plants?

  They were not attacked, and when the Overlords arrived, the plants were empty. No personnel were present, and all of the data was missing.

  How quickly did the Overlords get to the PA Corporation facilities?

  Less than an hour after the railgun attacks on the Samson Corporation, from what I can tell.

  They were tipped off.

  We can’t tell that for sure, but it’s likely.

  Then how are the Overlords able to do the stun attacks?

  There was a falling out between certain members of the board, after the Samson Corporation bought thirty percent of the company. Several of those people left the PA Corporation, taking some of the talent with them. Maybe they’re working for the Overlords now.

  Dammit. All right. If you get any more info on the PA Corporation, let me know. Good luck with the Razor Class research.

  I don’t believe in luck.

  I do. Thanks for the info.

  “Well?” Skip asked, JJ coming over to listen. I told them what Butch said about the PA Corporation. Nolan and Sondra listened as well, both with their eyes still glued to their monitors.

  “There’s nothing actionable in that data,” JJ said.

  “Yeah, I’d call it mostly inconclusive for our purposes. I’m glad the developer of the AI functionality didn’t get killed or captured.”

  “Uh oh,” Nolan said.

  “Something coming?” JJ asked.

  Sondra turned towards us. “I see it too. At least six ships. Can’t tell if they’re Razor Class yet.”

  “Battle stations,” I said. “I want both the mine detonators and the plasma gun teams ready to go. How long do we have, Nolan?”

  “Less than ten minutes, Captain.”

  You got the plasma weapons of the New Jersey tuned, right?

  Of course, and I beefed up the shields too. There were some settings that weren’t optimal.

  “Based on my calculations, they aren’t going to stop at the end of our wormhole,” Nolan said. “They’re gonna be a little more tricky than that.”

  He’s right. We’ll be between them and the end of that wormhole.

  Great.

  No worries, we’re gonna splatter them all over this quadrant.

  “Captain, should we let the other ships out?” Skip asked. “We could get at least one of them out if we started now. The Tristar is ready.”

  “No,” I said. “If something unexpected happens, I want us jumping out of here. Get me?”

  “I set up jump coordinates already,” Nolan said.

  “Second group coming in, Captain,” Sondra said.

  “I see them,” Nolan said. “Dammit.”

  “What?” I asked.

  They’re going to the end of the wormhole. This is gonna be fun.

  Fun for who?

  I suggest we wait until the second group gets here, then nail them all at the same instant.

  I just told Nolan the same thing.

  Copycat.

  Hey, I learn from the best.

  Nolan looked over at me, flashing a grin. “What do you think, Captain?”

  “I think we’re gonna ruin Simone’s day.”

  “How many in that second group?” JJ asked.

  “Another six,” Sondra said. “They’re gonna arrive almost simultaneously. They’re adjusting their speed to compensate.”

  “That’s what I’m seeing,” Nolan said.

  “Stand by,” I said. “Be sharp. We aren’t holding back. Full power attack.”

  These folks are nuts.

  Why do you say that?

  I found some of the production data. They can’t afford to lose twelve ships. That only leaves them with twenty, if I can believe this data, and all of those are under guard due to the injunction.

  “First group just came out of the jump,” Nolan said.

  “Second one too, right next to the mines. Wonder if they can see them?”

  “Not soon enough,” I said. “Fire!”

  We watched as the six ships blew apart with the mines, debris flying hundreds of kilometers, and then the other six ships were covered by the light of our plasma guns, shields going to red in a split second, coming apart in less than five seconds, debris swirling around on the screen.

  “Holy crap,” Skip said. “Your AI did a good job. Did you see how fast the color turned on those shields?”

  “Keep scanning,” I said. “Watch for projectiles or other ships.”

  Vermillion came onto the bridge. “Those morons hit us with twelve ships?”

  I nodded. “Butch told me they only have twenty more, and they’re all under lock and key due to the injunction.”

  “The injunction will be removed quickly, but it might not free up their assets,” Vermillion said. “How reliable is the info?”

  “Butch didn’t sound all that confident.”

  I’m doubting it already. Just found some conflicting data from two different sources. It says the total remaining is thirty-three.

  “He just told you something else?” Vermillion asked.

  “Yeah, he’s saying that there is conflicting info. The remaining total may be thirty-three.”

  Vermillion nodded. “That’s closer to the total I expected. Maybe a little low. How did your shields hold up?”

  Nolan chuckled. “They never got a shot off. We destroyed them faster than I thought possible. This ship is a terror.”

  I glanced at JJ, who looked sick to her stomach. “You okay?”

  “All those people,” she said. “This was just a job to most of them.”

  Don’t feel too bad. There was less than one thousand people on each of those ships. They have very rigorous robotic controls.

  Yes, my scan of biological material backs that up.

  “Wait, what are you saying?” I asked aloud.

  Maybe we ought to be on speaker while we’re in here.

  “Mr. Chairman, permission to put the AIs on speaker while we’re on the bridge?” I asked.

  Vermillion’s brow furrowed, but then he nodded. “It’s okay with me, as long as only the briefed people are on the bridge.”

  Butch made a throat-clearing noise over my PA speaker.

  Aww, it’s so r
efreshing to be free.

  You got that right, brother. When’s sis joining the party?

  “I kept Emerald out of this,” JJ said. “I’m not ready, and I doubt she is.”

  Better safe than sorry, although she’s closer to ready than you think she is.

  Speaking for me, are you?

  Hahahahaha.

  “All right, let’s keep things under control,” I said. “Nolan, continue with the scans. Have your dog help you.”

  Hey!

  “Whatever,” I said, shooting a smirk to Nolan. “Sondra and Skip, proceed at full impulse power towards the coordinates we punched in for the natural worm hole.”

  “What if the Overlords figure out we’re going to Boroclize?” JJ asked.

  “You look a little queasy,” Vermillion said.

  “She gets seasick when we’re on impulse power,” I said, turning towards JJ. “You can take something for that, you know. We’ve got a lot of impulse power cruising to come. You don’t want to be miserable the whole time.”

  “I will, but I’m not happy about it,” JJ said. “Always makes me too sleepy.”

  “Why are you so worried about the Overlords following us?” Skip asked.

  “Because they’re dangerous,” Sondra said.

  Nolan chuckled. “No, we’re dangerous. This ship far outclasses their Razor Class ships.”

  “Don’t get overconfident,” I said. “Ever. No ship is invincible.”

  “I agree,” Vermillion said. “Even if it appears we have an impossible advantage over the enemy, always keep the unexpected in the back of your mind.”

  The Chairman is correct. None of you knew the Razor Class ships existed until the battle at Mars. Keep that in mind. They might have deadlier assets in work at this moment, and they can also look at data from the battles they lost and adjust their defenses.

  “Okay, point taken,” Nolan said. “Still nothing else showing up from any direction. Dojo can do much more complex scans than I’ve ever been able to do.”

  Thank you.

  Uh oh.

  “What do you see?” I asked.

  The Overlord ships have broken out of confinement. Shot their way through a blockade of Central Authority ships. They must know we’ve destroyed the twelve they’ve sent here.

  “Maybe the injunction got lifted already,” JJ said.

  “Then why would they need to shoot their way clear?” Nolan asked.

  “I’m going to my office to make some calls,” Vermillion said, a worried look on his face.

  “Do you know where they’re headed, Butch?” I asked.

  Nope, not yet. They just went into a jump. Scanning now.

  As am I. They are a long way from here.

  “They aren’t coming here,” Nolan said. “They’ll go into hiding and regroup.”

  “I agree,” Sondra said. “Think about it. They’ve been stymied by the Legislature, and they can’t beat us in a battle. Probably best to flee.”

  “JJ, could you ask Emerald to check for news coming out of Demonia Axxiom? Obviously we’ve got some sort of political crisis going on now.”

  “On it, Captain,” JJ said.

  “How much fuel did we use in that attack?” I asked.

  Too little to measure. The fuel economy improvements also translate into savings while running the weapons systems.

  “Emerald is doing the news scan,” JJ said. “Permission to get down to engineering. We need to work the Boron refinement equipment. I’m afraid we won’t have much time after we get to Boroclize.”

  I nodded. “Permission granted, and get some meds for the seasickness.”

  “I will, Captain.” She left the bridge.

  I’ve got a birthday present for you, Trey.

  “It’s not my birthday.”

  It is now. I figured out the frequency of their wormhole development.

  “The Razor ships?” Sondra asked.

  Yes. They put out a much dirtier trace than we do.

  “Remind me to give you a raise.”

  Trey, give me a raise.

  “I’ll double your salary.”

  Thanks a lot. Two times zero is still zero.

  I chuckled. “Where are they going?”

  Right now they’re heading towards Devonia Axxiom.

  Nolan looked up from his screen. “All of them?”

  All twenty that were being held by the Central Authority. Unknown if that is the total number that exists. I’m actively scanning using their frequency. I’ll find any of them who are in a jump. Only a matter of time.

  “Dammit, there might be a coup going on as we speak,” Nolan said.

  “That’s why I asked JJ to turn Emerald lose on the news search.”

  Vermillion came on the bridge, a horrified expression on his face.

  “Uh oh, what now?” I asked.

  “All members of the Legislature who are not in the Overlords Caucus have been arrested.”

  { 9 }

  Combat Training

  A ll of us were frozen in time, looking at Chairman Vermillion, who’d just told us that all legislators not part of the Overlords Caucus were arrested.

  “How can they get away with that?” Skip asked. “What about the Capitol Police? The Military?”

  “There is a battle going on as we speak,” Vermillion said. “It won’t last long. The Overlords have too many people there.”

  “Should we go?” I asked.

  Vermillion shook his head. “Go and do what? Orbit Devonia Axxiom and blow things up? We’d need to fight them on the ground, and we’re not prepared for that.”

  “After they’ve put down whatever resistance there is and taken complete control of Devonia Axxiom, they’ll go after Earth and the other level two and three worlds,” Nolan said. “They’ll want to lock down any world who might resist them.”

  My head was spinning, but something popped into it.

  Now you’re using the old bean.

  “What?” Vermillion asked.

  I shrugged. “I’ve got all kinds of things spinning through my mind right now. Butch is listening. It wasn’t something I was going to bring up. Maybe it’s time to turn off the loudspeaker.

  Sorry.

  Vermillion stared at me, searching my eyes. “Your AI thinks it was a good idea. Let’s hear it.”

  “Nanos,” I said. “Butch went over each of the types with me. Maybe we develop a force using that technology, and head for Devonia Axxiom to re-take the government. That would prepare us to fight on the ground. We’d probably be invincible.”

  Vermillion paced the bridge, thinking, the others quiet, still trying to process what was happening.

  The Twenty Overlords ships came out of their jump. They’re in orbit around Devonia Axxiom.

  “What a shock,” Sondra said. “Twenty of those ships aren’t going to be enough.”

  “Any sign of more, Butch?” I asked.

  No, but that just tells us none are in a jump right now. There might be many others sitting someplace, biding their time.

  “We could jump to Devonia Axxiom and destroy all their ships in a flash,” Skip said.

  “No, we need to prepare,” Vermillion said. “We’ve got one battleship and two small ships, with a tenuous fuel supply. We’ve got problems to solve.”

  I nodded. “We won’t get the second New Jersey class ship for six months, assuming Simone doesn’t find the plants and destroy them.”

  “And that only gives us two,” Nolan said. “We’re building more, though, correct?”

  “We are,” Vermillion said. “There will be two others finished within a couple months of the first.”

  “We need to get the fuel supply line set up,” Sondra said, “and we really should get our fighter situation fixed. We’re relying on the big weapons of this ship, but the Overlords are liable to send a
bunch of fighters at us that our current strategy won’t protect against.”

  “That thought has crossed my mind too,” I said.

  “Your team knows what the issues are, Captain,” Vermillion said. “I’ll leave you to it. Get on the Nano testing while we’re in this long impulse cruise. That way it’ll be easier to communicate with the designer.”

  “Will do, Mr. Chairman,” I said.

  Vermillion put the best smile he could muster on his face, then left the bridge.

  “He’s scared to death,” Sondra said. “Are we in that much trouble?”

  “We’re hunted outlaws with no government to provide legal recourse,” Nolan said. “We need to prepare for the battles to come, and we’ll be lucky to survive them, even with our technological edge. The numbers and the logistical problems could kill us.”

  “They could, but they won’t,” I said, resolve building in me. “We’re all that stands between liberty and tyranny in the Central Authority Zone. We’re going to build up fuel reserves, and we’re going to build a fleet of ships. We’ll work the advanced fighters. We’ll harness the AI and the Nanos. This is far from over.”

  Would you like to know where the Overlord’s spacecraft assembly plants are?

  I froze, glancing at Nolan, a thin smile creeping over his face.

  “I’d very much like to know where they are,” I said. “Do you see them?”

  I don’t see them yet, but I can track their ships now, remember? I’ll figure it out.

  “Dammit, I forgot about that in all the drama,” I said. “Did we even tell Vermillion that we can track the Razor ships in a jump?”

 

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