by Terry Mixon
“Then let’s get this over with. I’m tired of being your prisoner and I’m certain my people would like to confirm their loyalty and get out of that cabin as well.”
Zia stepped into the new annex beside the computer center aboard the small ship. It looked to have once been several compartments that had been made into one. The bulkheads seemed to have been reinforced, too.
It was filled with computer hardware in solid-looking racks. Those were shielded, too. Someone had taken steps to protect their new resource.
“Can we give the new AI complete control of this ship like we did on Invincible?” she asked Carl.
He shook his head. “No. The computer on Persephone is wired into every system and it has encoded directives to direct and protect the ship that a normal computer doesn’t have. While it might be possible to merge the two systems, I’d have to give that a lot of thought first.
“As far as bringing it online, it looks as though it’s ready to load and boot right now. Call it fifteen minutes. I have to stream the base code over from Audacious.”
Zia rubbed her nose as she considered what Carl had said. “In the end, what happens on this ship is Princess Kelsey’s call, not mine. Load the software.”
Carl moved over to the main console and began working rapidly, shifting from screen to screen and doing things that Zia wasn’t certain she could ever really understand. His attention was immediately focused on his task and he seemed to forget everyone else around him.
“He’s pretty intense,” Commander Giguere said from beside her. “I can kind of see what Major Ellis sees in him.”
“More power to them,” Zia agreed.
Finally, the young scientist turned toward the trio. “The software is loaded and I’m ready to boot on your command.”
“Do it,” Zia ordered.
Carl touched a control and lights began coming on across the equipment as the system booted up. The screen on the wall went through a test pattern and then shifted to a view of what appeared to be a tall woman with dark skin dressed in a Fleet uniform with no insignia.
The image of the woman—who had to be the AI—smiled, her white teeth contrasting sharply with the ebony shade of her skin. “I have you in my database, Commodore Anderson. My name is Fiona. How may I assist you?”
Carl turned to Zia. “The baseline software has all the information that Marcus and Harrison have put together for new AIs. Except for our current mission, she should be up-to-date. She can scan everything we’ve collected thus far in just a few seconds.”
“Play catch-up if you would, Fiona,” Zia ordered. “You need to know everything we’ve encountered so that you’ll be ready to help us figure a way out of the mess we’ve gotten ourselves into.”
She turned her attention to Veronica Giguere. “And in just a moment you’ll be able to pledge your loyalty to the New Terran Empire. Are you ready?”
The other woman took in a deep breath. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Zia thought she heard a note of uncertainty, but the other woman seemed determined enough. In just a minute they’d find out if the woman was being honest and then the real fun started.
10
While the commodore spoke with Veronica Giguere, Talbot pulled Carl aside. That didn’t amount to much in the already cramped compartment, but it would have to do.
“You said these two computers might be merged.” Talbot said in a low voice. “How would something like that work? The Marine Raider computer is aggressively protective of access to the ship’s critical systems.”
Carl shrugged slightly. “Both the AI and Persephone’s computer are designed to run standalone. Neither can work directly with the other system in a merger. What I’m envisioning would have to be more a matter of working hand-in-hand rather than being some kind of mixture of the two.”
Talbot scratched his chin. “That really doesn’t sound all that helpful.”
“It might not be and perhaps we shouldn’t even try. This ship wasn’t designed to operate in conjunction with a sentient AI. It was made to operate solo under the command of a human Marine Raider.
“The AIs were never designed to command ships, either. Marcus is doing a fine job, but that wasn’t what his creators envisioned. Based on the initial code, they were intended to work hand-in-hand with humans on things like research projects and helping to control complex systems like orbitals or manufacturing centers.
“Perhaps even to do tasks for Fleet like wargaming various scenarios or managing logistics. At this point, we may never know the full scope of what the designers intended.”
Carl clapped his hand onto Talbot’s shoulder. “What I’m saying is you shouldn’t be thinking so narrowly. Let Persephone control itself while Fiona helps us with more important tasks. She can pull data together in ways we can’t begin to imagine.”
Talbot nodded and thought as Carl moved forward to the main console again. The young scientist was going to be occupied explaining things to either Zia, Fiona, or Commander Giguere for the next few minutes. That gave him an opportunity to consider what the best options were going forward.
In the end, this wasn’t going to be his decision. Either Kelsey or Zia would be the one deciding how best to use the AI. That didn’t mean that he couldn’t game out the potential options so that he could argue for the ones he thought best served their interests.
As powerful as Audacious was, until she was fixed, she was a liability. She couldn’t go anywhere and she could only defend herself. If the Clans came calling, they’d undoubtedly wear down the massive warship and destroy her.
That was the reason he’d placed the AI on the Marine Raider strike ship. Mobility was going to be the key to their overall success. Even if his wife didn’t want to hear that.
While it was possible the crashed battlecruiser held the key to repairing the carrier’s flip drive, that seemed like a long shot. The fact that Zia hadn’t even mentioned anything about it only told him that the mission to Dauntless had failed.
No, if there was to be any hope of repairing Audacious, it was going to come from outside the system. Probably from a place that manufactured flip drives. To his mind, that meant Archibald.
Marine Raider strike ships were exceptionally stealthy. While he wouldn’t want to try and slip Persephone into orbit around Archibald, the small ship could certainly get into the Rebel Empire system without being detected. Once in place, she could begin scouting.
Such a task would be dangerous and his wife would insist on leading the way. And to be fair, her participation would increase the chances of success significantly.
He sighed. Why did all the smart choices end up putting Kelsey into danger?
At least, if Veronica Giguere were being honest with them, they would have someone at hand that could provide keen insight into the Rebel Empire. The same was true for all her officers.
Talbot doubted that any of them had ever been to Archibald, but they’d traveled through their section of the Rebel Empire and knew how society worked there. That kind of insider knowledge would be key to the success of their mission.
His people also had access to technology that the Rebel Empire couldn’t match or anticipate. FTL communication, teleportation through the transport rings, and the help of a sentient AI who could process data far more quickly than anything other than another sentient AI.
Speaking of which, Archibald was large enough of a system to have one. Somewhere on the other side of that flip point resided a Rebel Empire AI just as powerful as Fiona. Only with hardwired instructions to enslave humanity and destroy any threat to the rule of its kind.
Based on what they’d found at Harrison’s World, there might also be a hidden station at one of the gas giants with four battlecruisers that the thing could use if it wanted to. Possibly even orbital bombardment platforms, too.
They couldn’t allow the AI to realize they were there. If it mobilized the resources in the Archibald system to find them, it would. Their only chance at success
was staying off its scanners.
Sadly, Kelsey was not well known for laying low. In life, there was the easy way, the hard way, and Kelsey’s way. Which normally involve blowing things up and killing bad guys.
He hadn’t heard anything from her since she’d left on her mission to meet with the king of Raden, so he hoped that meant things were going well. She’d insisted on going alone so as to keep things quiet. A rare exception to her unspoken rule.
He really should ask her for an update. Assuming that everything was going well just because she was quiet wasn’t the safest option. As his Lieutenant Timothy Reese, his former commander, had discovered the hard way, Kelsey was obstinate. She’d occasionally keep doing things that were counterproductive simply because she didn’t feel like giving in to outside pressure.
Talbot connected to Persephone’s com system. There was a drone flying over the city below that would act as an intermediary between Kelsey and the ship. It wasn’t always in direct communication with his wife, but if it wasn’t, he could instruct it to move closer.
The drone connected immediately and moments later she accepted the com request.
I’m a little busy right now, she said through her implants. Can this wait?
I just wanted to make sure you’re okay. Is everything going smoothly down there?
As they were married, he often had deeper insight with his wife when connected by implants. He could sense emotions and physical sensations. It worked much better when the two were together, but it didn’t go away just because they were separated by greater distances.
He felt a mixture of amusement, irony, and a dash of worry. Not exactly reassuring.
It’s going about like I expected. I’m on my way to meet the king right now. I had to stop off and explain my presence to some representatives from Clan Dauntless. There was a little bit of hostility there, but nothing I couldn’t handle. Now, seriously, I really need to focus on what I’m doing.
Talbot parsed her words for hidden meanings. Honestly, she could mean exactly what she’d said or she could’ve gotten into a gunfight with somebody. It was really hard to tell.
He’d just have to hope she’d yell for help if she needed it. There was a squad of marines in a pinnace not too far away. She could call them in for immediate support if things spun out of control, if she’d just do it.
Keep safe, he said. There have been some developments up here that might make things easier over the next few days, but I can explain them when you come back up. Love you.
I love you, too. See you in a while.
Somewhat reassured, he headed over toward the others. It was time to see if Veronica Giguere was being honest with them or not.
Kelsey put the conversation she’d just had with her husband out of her mind as the guards escorted her into a squat building that looked more like a fortress than a palace. It was built from large blocks of rough stone that had been closely fitted together, leaving no gaps of significance.
She didn’t know that much about masonry, but it seemed as if that meant someone had gone to a lot of trouble to fit them all together. Raymond Orison, the king of Pentagar, had learned the work when he was a young man. She’s have to remember to ask him when next they met.
The guards let her up to a massive pair of doors that were easily twice the size of those protecting Clan Dauntless’s hall. These were coated with metal plates and guarded by armed and armored Pandorans.
The interior of the keep—that’s what she’d decided to call it—was put together much the same as the clan chapterhouse. If she had to guess, the Clan had designed their building to be consistent with how the Pandorans did things. She wondered how far into the human society that sort of thinking carried.
After a few minutes of navigating large halls and even larger chambers, the group finally came to an interior set of doors similar to the ones at the front of the building. These were already open and her escort walked through without pause.
The layout of the massive chamber was one she immediately recognized. This was an audience hall, the place where a ruler sat before his people to hear grievances and make judgments. A formal sort of thing at the best of times, so not that promising.
The hall stretched about seventy meters in front of her and was about forty across. The only place to sit in the entire room was on the raised dais at the other end. It held what could only be called a throne made of some type of bluish stone carved into fantastical shapes.
A number of guards stood along the perimeter of the room and all watched her closely. Another pair stood behind the throne.
Kelsey doubted these men were limited to medieval weapons. Surely some of the weapons salvaged from the crashed battlecruiser would be brought to bear on her if she proved to be threatening to their monarch.
Her escort spread out and cleared the way for Kelsey to go forward. The unnamed escort leader stayed at her side as she walked forward until she was twenty meters in front of the ruler. He stopped her there.
A door to the side of the room opened and Derek entered the audience chamber. He smiled at Kelsey as he walked to stand beside his father.
“Kelsey Bandar,” Derek said gravely. “You stand in the presence of my father, King Estevan of Raden. Father, allow me to present Chief Kelsey Bandar of Clan Persephone.”
The older Pandoran considered Kelsey for a few seconds. She was no expert at reading Pandoran expressions, but the man didn’t seem entirely pleased. When he finally spoke, his voice was deeper than she expected and somewhat gravelly. It held a lot of gravitas.
“I’m uncertain what type of welcome to give you, Chief Bandar,” the man said. “My father told me of the time after Dauntless crashed. Many humans were like wild animals and had to be put down for the safety of those around them. Violent doesn’t begin to describe the most severe cases of xenophobia.”
She was surprised to hear a word like that come from his mouth. Then she was ashamed of the thought. The king was obviously well educated and she’d best keep that firmly in mind. Low tech didn’t mean ignorant.
“I’m not the one that gave me the title of chief nor is Clan Persephone an actual thing,” she said. “My people do not come from the Clans. We don’t have that kind of negative reaction to those unlike ourselves.
“As I told your son, my title is actually crown princess. My father rules the New Terran Empire, a grouping of dozens of worlds like this one. We survived the Fall of the original Terran Empire by fleeing much like the Clans, but the similarities end there.”
King Estevan considered Kelsey and slowly nodded. “I’m willing to accept the possibility for the purposes of this discussion. The name Persephone belongs to the ship you came in. Is that correct?”
“It’s one of three ships,” she agreed. “Not the strongest nor the weakest. I command her, but I also have political authority over all of my people. It’s complicated.
“My intent was to announce myself to you quietly. I understand that my people aren’t covered by the treaty you have with Clan Dauntless, but we would like to forge a way forward in friendship.”
“And if I’m not willing to grant you leave to stay on my world?”
“We don’t have to land on your world, but I understand there are other political entities that might welcome us. I’ve already met your people, so I can be confident of the kind of relationship we might have. Others are less certain. In the end, the final decision is yours.”
The king gestured for his son to bend forward and whispered in his ear. They held a brief conversation back and forth before the ruler nodded.
“My son counsels me that I should have a longer discussion with you and learn more about you before I make a final decision. I’m willing to grant you leave to stay in my kingdom—at least some of you—while we hold those talks.”
Kelsey relaxed just the slightest bit. “I know we can help one another once you’re more certain of what kind of people we are. Unlike the people of Clan Dauntless, we have fully functioning ship
s and understand the technology completely. We’re willing to share that information with you in exchange for your assistance.”
The Pandoran ruler nodded. “Such knowledge could be quite useful, considering the tense relations between my kingdom and the Empire of Kalor. Anything that can bring that conflict to an end without further bloodshed is worth discussing.”
She was about to open her mouth to respond when one of the guards behind the dais moved. His hand slipped inside his tunic and pulled out a flechette pistol. It was a subtle movement, and even the man standing five meters to his left failed to notice it. His eyes told Kelsey that his target was the king of Raden.
Kelsey couldn’t possibly reach the man before he fired and there was no way the king could get out of the field of fire in time. The smart thing for her to do would be to dive for cover until the shooting stopped.
So, being her, she shouted a warning and leapt toward the assassin.
Unarmed and too far from the assassin to stop him from opening fire, Kelsey hurled herself toward the monarch and his son. She was in a race to move them out of harm’s way before the assassin launched a deadly hail of flechettes into their backs.
Of course, now that she was committed to the act, she realized her own chances of survival weren’t terrific. It was her own fault. She shouldn’t have turned over every weapon she’d had, even when they demanded she do so. One more thing for Talbot to yell at her about if she survived.
Even as she started moving, she was dumping Panther into her system. Her perception sped up, slowing the world around her as she raced forward. Derek and his father were just beginning to react to her sudden movement, but she’d surprised them as much as the assassin had surprised her.
The younger Pandoran wasn’t an idiot, it seemed. Rather than treating her as a threat, he was already turning to face the rear wall, his hand dipping inside his tunic for a weapon, she was sure. He wouldn’t get it out in time to do any good.
