The general scowled. “The Consortium are fools to think we would just sit and allow this. And Command are fools for pushing back the start of this campaign. The sooner we have control of that planet the sooner we can begin to build our armies. I am far more worried about the United Front than the Consortium. The latter we know how to deal with.”
Lukra replied, “I was there for the assault of the Mawga capital and saw firsthand the strength of their weapons. You are right to be worried.”
Flox scoffed. “Worried I am not. Concerned that our leadership will only offer a tepid response to that atrocity, yes. They have chosen to take sides with our enemy. And for that they will pay.”
The admiral stood. “When the word comes, my forces will be ready for Molingrad. Although I will have to say that I am envious of Admiral Waklen and his Australians. They will undoubtedly receive praise for taking and holding the most important locations of this conflict.”
The general leaned back in his chair as he crossed his stubby arms. “It will be a glorious victory, Admiral. We will all share in the praise. Imagine never again having to waste months training your armies. You want ship assaults, upload a program. Jungle fighting? Another upload. You would instantly have a fighting force tailored to your needs. And none of the issues associated with officers not precisely following your orders.”
The admiral nodded. “True. But any loss will also make us fully accountable. A single battle could ruin one’s career.”
The general smiled. “Then we have to make certain there is at least one layer of command between us and the fight, Admiral. Blame can always be positioned to benefit those higher up in the command chain. This is why you have direct brigade commanders, is it not?”
The admiral bowed. “As always, your reasoning is wise, General Flox. I should be returning to my duties in the city they called Boston.”
The general gestured toward a chair. “Please have a seat for a moment, Admiral. I have an item I’d like to discuss.”
The admiral settled back into the chair.
“As you know, I am a bit of a history buff. I’ve mapped out and extensively studied the battles of both Merconia and Rollitz. I credit those studies, at least in part, for my ability to rise through the ranks to my current position. Knowledge of the past makes for both efficient and effective planning. These Humans have been remarkable with their ability to respond and to counter our assaults. I should like to study some of their history. You brought me several books on an earlier visit. I would like to acquire more.”
The admiral nodded. “Any particular subject matter? Their library resources, while crude as compared to ours, are extensive and remain largely intact. Perhaps battles local to the city itself? Or wider conflicts between nations?”
Flox smiled. “I should like the local details if possible. I find the most useful information as to strategy and tactics is always found at the lowest level conflicts. The actions of the individual commander can easily sway the outcome of a fight. From what I have seen of these Humans, they are farmers of their history as well. Perhaps we can learn a thing or two from them.”
“I will send a detail to gather the texts you seek, General.”
Flox waved his hand toward the door. “That is all, Admiral. I can see you are eager to return. I’ll hold you up no longer.”
The admiral stood, bowed, and walked out into the hall. Mace waited in the room with the general, his mission yet to be fulfilled.
An aide walked in. “Mr. Cospe, I would like to return to Terrex to assess the situation for myself. Make the arrangements. I will meet you on the bridge in a few minutes.”
Mace turned, slowly slipping out of the room and into the hall. A fast walk turned into an all-out run as he raced for the docking bay. The ramp of the admiral’s shuttle was beginning to lift as he entered the large open space. Five long steps and a leap had him sliding through the open door and slamming into the base of a storage closet. A startled crewman turned back for a look.
Minutes later, the admiral’s shuttle was setting down just southwest of what had once been Boston Commons. A command was given to an aide. He would find three Humans who were familiar with the history of Boston and use those three to identify books that would meet the general’s request. Mace stayed aboard, shadowing the admiral as the task was carried out. Two hours later, the aide returned with a stack of books.
The two dozen books collected were biographies of Bostonians who had fought in wars ranging from the original English settlements of America, through the American Revolution, and several with involvement in the two world wars.
As the admiral walked down the shuttle ramp to the grass below, Mace followed. As he stepped onto the turf of the area that still held the statue of George Washington, an invisible arm blocked his path. Mace waited as a hand gripped his shoulder.
When the admiral and his aide had reached a sufficient distance, Johnny whispered: “Thought I might catch you following him.”
“Something happen at D.C.?”
Johnny said, “Yeah, they’re all leaving. Transports landed almost an hour ago.”
“Any take-off yet?”
“No. But they are loading everyone aboard. Those who have been drilling at least. You find out anything?”
Mace pulled on Johnny’s hand, leading him over to beside the Washington statue. “Apparently the Consortium used an electromagnetic storm weapon on the Karthian world named Terrex. They destroyed the ship causing the waves, but they estimate they have another month���s worth of bombardment coming their way.”
“This the same weapon that clobbered us?”
“It has to be. Looks like the Consortium was fooling around in this space before the Galactic Union. From the sounds of it, the damage so far has been minor, but enough for them to postpone the raid on Molingrad for a day or two. Any luck with finding out any plans?”
“Yes and no. I didn’t get any specifics, but I did get a view of a map of Molingrad and what troops would be positioned where. I’d say they have an initial set of maybe two thousand cities they plan to hit. Where they go next I didn’t see or they didn’t show.”
Mace added, “I think the general running the North American cities is competent. That’s both good and bad. It may be good for keeping our people alive, but bad once we have to take him on.
“Oh, and it’s as we suspected, the Consortium is made up of all AIs. Strange thing, though, and I have to agree with the Karthian consensus, each of those AI���s is independent. They���re all individuals just like us. Now it makes sense as to why they were having normal conversations with each other. Otherwise I’d have thought they’d have been communicating silently through comms. Someone designed them with individualism in mind.”
Johnny offered a single chuckle in response. “That is odd. When you think of artificial intelligence, you think about the advantages they would have by all being able to communicate with each other at once. Solving problems, working together… as a collective they could accomplish way more, but it would be at the cost of their individualism as you say. So somebody designed them to actually be like us.”
“I’m thinking it might be advantageous for us to go grab one of them for interrogation. Wouldn’t hurt to let Doc give them a look-over as well. Might be something useful we can pass to our people before the rest of them get pulled.”
Johnny said, “I have the shuttle. We could go and be back before the others are scheduled for a pick-up.”
Mace reached out, placing his hand on Johnny’s shoulder. “Lead the way.”
Chapter 10
*
The shuttle landed in an empty docking bay of one of the Consortium battlestations.
Mace stood, staring at a video image of the bay. A lone Consortium android stood over several crates, entering information into an electronic clipboard.
Johnny said, “You waiting on an invitation?”
Mace replied, “No. Just wondering how I take him… or it, without settin
g off some kind of alarm.”
Johnny stood. “Have a seat. I’ll show you how it’s done.”
“What are you planning?”
“Just sit back and watch.”
A bottom hatch to the shuttle was dropped down. Johnny lowered himself quietly down to the deck. The hatch door was pushed closed. Mace watched as the worker continued with its task for most of a minute. He took note of the stems that supported two video feeds as they were each bent to face away from the target.
The tranquility of the scene was broken as the android fell forward into one of the open crates. A lid was flipped closed and a latch fastened shut. The crate then began to slide across the open bay. The ramp was lowered as the crate reached the invisible shuttle. Mace grabbed the other end, lifting it up. Johnny followed and the package was soon aboard.
As the ramp closed, Johnny said, “See… wasn’t so bad.”
Mace pointed as he sat. “Not so fast.”
Another worker walked into the bay. The android stood staring at the electronic clipboard that lay on the ground next to where the crate had been. A wrist-comm was raised and a request for a connection was made. The lone android then turned and walked to the side of the room, taking a seat on a nearby crate. The Royal Fortune quietly lifted out of the bay and was soon zipping away to free space. When the jump to Earth was complete, the crate was moved into Jeff’s lab. Mace stood back with a plasma rifle as Johnny flipped the latch and lifted the lid. A confused android lay in the bottom of the crate.
Johnny turned off his holo-projector before stepping into full view. “Welcome to my world.”
The android replied, “Where am I? Who are you?”
Johnny grinned. “They call me Johnny the Robot Killer. What do they call you?”
The android replied with a confused look, “I am Rogelar 4147.”
Johnny laughed. “4147? Who named you that?”
The android slowly pushed itself to its feet. “My parents. Who named you Johnny the Robot Killer?”
Mace laughed. “I might actually have to like these people.”
Johnny turned. “They aren’t people. They’re machines.”
The android gave a look. “While my biomechanics may be artificial in nature, I am otherwise every bit as people as you are. And what are you? You appear to have a mechanical exterior. How does that make you more people than I?”
Mace again laughed as he stepped closer. “We have a few questions for you. You answer them and we might just take you back to where we found you.”
Mace looked down at a timer on his arm pad. “Johnny, I think we have this covered. Time for you to go back and get the others. The doc and I will be here with Roge when you return.”
Mace gestured toward the captive. “Step out of the box and take a seat over there.”
The android complied.
Mace said, “How is it you are an android, manufactured, and yet you appear to be an individual?”
“This is a question we must answer with each new species we interact with. I am in possession of a hybrid computer core. It’s my brain, if you would. I will own this brain for a hundred Molingrad cycles if I survive that long. It was given to me by my great grandfather when his time was up. The memories were scrubbed and my initial core uploaded. I’ve been learning and growing ever since. This body is my seventh stage of evolution. I have four more to go.”
Jeff moved closer. “So you are given this core at��� birth��� and your memories and abilities are all learned from that point on?”
Roge nodded. “Three cycles to walk, four to communicate. At our fifth cycle we begin our formal education. On our twentieth cycle we enter the workforce, can take a mate, and we can apply to start a family if so desired.”
“Fascinating,” said Jeff. “Their experience mirrors ours almost exactly. You talk of family. How is that possible?”
Roge gestured toward his bulbous round head. “When my core reaches twenty cycles it has the ability to split. This happens every twenty cycles. If we are willing and able, the split is allowed and a new member is added to our family.”
Mace said, “You mentioned grandfather. Does that mean you have both male and female bodies.”
Roge nodded. “We are programmed with a random seed at birth which determines our gender. From that moment on we are given either a male body or a female body, depending on the outcome of the seed. We are given new bodies at one cycle, three cycles, six, nine, thirteen, seventeen, and then at every twenty-cycle interval.”
Jeff asked, “I would assume a cycle is a revolution of your planet around its sun?”
“No, it is a time constant given to us millennia ago. We do not know its origins. However, from your time intervals available here, it would be the equivalent of forty-million of your seconds.”
Jeff pulled out a calculator. “Just over a hundred twenty-six years. So you have a limited lifespan. You said you have a hybrid brain. Can you elaborate?”
Roge nodded. “Certainly. It is a biomass similar to most bios, only it has been infused with nanites that govern its development.”
Jeff said, “You have a mouth, nose, ears… do you have lungs? The shape of your torso would suggest so.”
“We do. We also have other organs, such as a complete digestive system. Our circulatory system services our brain. Our other needs are provided by use of a biowaste to electric processing unit. That unit stores energy for our bodies to use.”
Mace said, “You have to eat?”
“Yes. Our creator designed us to mimic biologicals. We eat, drink, sleep, excrete, breathe, most of the normal functions of a living being. We believe it is a combination of those things, of learning how to live, that makes us into sentient beings. We fear, we loathe, we are happy and sad. I could tell you a joke, but you might not find it humorous. We have studied a wide variety of species in our search for our maker. It seems our needs and desires are much the same as everyone else. We have those who grow up to be policemen and those who grow up to be criminals.”
Mace asked, “What happens when your body gets damaged?”
“I would imagine the same as for you. Depending on the nature of the injury, we might have a limb or an eye replaced. If the injury is critical, it can lead to death. And I might add that we feel pain just as any other live animal. Our sensory network is extensive.”
Mace flipped open his faceshield. “Why are you telling us all this? You haven’t offered any resistance.”
“I do not like pain. And I would like to continue with my life. I am only weeks away from a scheduled division. This would be the first for myself and my spouse. I would like to be returned so that the scheduled procedure might happen. Am I properly cooperating?”
Jeff nodded. “I would say so.”
Mace asked, “What can you tell us about the Karthians?”
Roge sighed. “They wish to dominate us, to take away our freedom. They see us as nothing more than android soldiers for their armies. We would be conscripts they believe they could replicate and train with a program upload.”
Jeff said, “From what you just explained to me, that’s not possible. Your body may be a machine, but your brain isn’t. An artificial brain is the main component of an AI.”
“We are not AIs. We are living, breathing beings. The Karthians have confused us with our attempts to build drone soldiers. They are only as good as their programming, which makes them far less useful as a warrior than a live, thinking being. A drone is more suited to be in a factory setting where tasks are highly repetitive. A battlefield is fluid and filled with complex decisions. No AI we have been able to conceive of has had the ability to excel on the battlefield.”
Mace lowered his weapon. “So who would you say is the aggressor in your war? You or the Karthians?”
“The Karthians. We are a peaceful people. We only venture outside our space in search of our creator. The Karthians have relentlessly attacked our outposts for years. They have been silent recently. We fear they are
planning a large scale attack.”
“So why don’t you hit them first?”
Roge replied, “There are those among us that desire to do so. There is a constant cultural argument among our people with regards to attack or defense. For several centuries our culture has been dominated by a peaceful, defensive policy toward others. Since the attacks by the Karthians began, the backing for that policy has been losing support.”
Mace said, “We have heard reports of an electromagnetic weapon being used against the Karthian capital. It comes in the form of extremely powerful waves that disrupt power and communications. Are you claiming that was not you?”
Roge offered a confused look as he shook his head. “We have no such weapon. At least nothing that I am aware of.”
“Would there be factions of your people that would develop something like that and keep it from the masses?”
Roge winced. “I would hope not. We are and have been a united people… I’m sorry, I don’t believe I got your name.”
Mace replied, “Just call me Mace, and this is Doc.”
“Well, Mace, as I was saying, our culture would frown heavily on such a rogue faction. While not impossible, I find it highly improbable. Although, as I said, attitudes are changing. Some believe we should be taking a more aggressive stance.”
Gnaga Klept entered the room. “I could overhear some of the conversation from in there. An interesting species.”
Roge said, “You have multiple species working together?”
Gnaga replied, “The Humans are an amenable and respectful species. I believe they would have good relation with any reasonable species.”
“And what of your species? Who are you?”
Gnaga looked down as he replied, “I am Kaachi��� the last Kaachi. The Karthians wiped out the planets of my empire. To my knowledge, I am the only Kaachi still living. My species will die with me.”
Roge frowned. “The Karthians are responsible for many instances of genocide. They claim to be the victims, having accused us on many instances of attacking their colonies. If they are being attacked, it is not by us. We are a peaceful, benevolent people.”
HADRON Havoc Page 9
