by G. P. Hudson
“Fire all weapons,” ordered Jon.
The Freedom shot its energy weapons and a salvo of missiles at the enemy ships. The rest of Jon’s contingent opened fire en masse. The two sides continued to trade blows, with the battle station adding its guns to the mix sporadically. The other half of the fleet had engaged the station, however, and that kept it focused on them. Still, even the station’s intermittent firing was enough to inflict serious damage to a number of the allied ships.
“Commander Konos, order the boarding parties to begin operations.”
“Yes, Sir,” said Konos. “Transmitting orders.”
Jon reoriented his tactical screen and watched as the boarding vessels vanished. Shifting his display to focus on the battle station, he saw the blue icons appear. Tiny in comparison to the station, they began latching onto the station’s hull, like mechanical mosquitoes. Blades would be cutting into that hull right now, and soon the strike teams would pour into the station. Marines, Diakans, and Chaanisar. Twenty thousand of them. The Juttari on board were about to get a nasty surprise.
A flash of light on the viewscreen caught Jon’s attention as a Juttari warship exploded. The Juttari ships were taking a pounding. But they continued to fight hard, despite their smaller numbers. The Juttari ships held the line, and did not waver, even while suffering heavy initial losses. They were making an impressive stand, and Jon wondered if these were in fact Juttari, or Chaanisar. They might even be one of the other races Brock talked about. Whoever they were, their time had run out.
“Helm, prepare to jump us behind the enemy,” said Jon. “Are all jump ships synchronized?”
“Yes, Sir. All ships are synced with our jump system.”
“Initiate jump.”
Chapter 51
The boarding vessel’s hatch opened, giving the Marines and Diakans access to the battle station. They were greeted immediately with heavy hostile fire. Chief Henderson saw the first man through the hatch get hit. A Marine. His HUD identified the man as Private Williams. Multiple energy bolts hit the man’s armor, the first one sending him backward, the next spinning him like a top. The suit’s integrity rating dropped fast, the numbers streaming through on Henderson’s HUD. The fire continued hitting Williams, as he tried to gain his balance.
“Go! Go! Go!” Henderson urged his team to push through, knowing that freezing now would certainly be fatal. Charging in himself, Henderson reached Williams and seized him by the arm. He returned fire with one hand, and dragged the struggling Marine with the other. He shot in the general direction of the enemy, but could not see any of them to get a clear shot. They could certainly see him, though.
An energy bolt hit Henderson in the leg as he ran, dropping his own suit’s integrity. He kept moving, knowing he couldn’t stand still for a second. They were too exposed. If they didn’t find cover fast, the energy bolts would cook them both.
Williams had finally gotten his own feet under him, regaining his balance and taking some of the pressure off Henderson. The two Marines ran as fast as their combat suits would let them. Bolts bit at their heels, but they managed to stay ahead of them. Reaching a large piece of machinery, both men dove behind it.
“Thanks Chief,” said Williams. “I though I’d bought it back there.”
“You think I’m going to let you off that easy?” said Henderson. “We’ve still got a job to do here.” Henderson rolled out from where he sat and fired in the direction of the enemy. Energy bolts streamed back at him, forcing him back behind the machinery.
“Yes, Sir,” said Williams, poking his own weapon out to shoot at the hidden enemy.
The Juttari remained focused on the hatch, as Marine and Diakan continued to surge through the deadly opening. Henderson saw another man hit. A Diakan this time. Energy bolts continued to strike the man, driving him to the ground. Another Diakan rushed to his aid, only to have the blue energy bolts zero in on him. Still, he persevered. Reaching his comrade, he pulled the man away, taking a punishing amount of damage for his trouble.
As the vessel emptied, a Diakan emerged with one of the heavy weapons. The Juttari response was lethal, and the Diakan couldn’t get off a shot. Enemy fire peppered the man as he struggled to aim the huge weapon, but the onslaught was too powerful, and he ended up flat on his back, the weapon lying impotent several meters away. Henderson’s HUD indicated the Diakan wasn’t the sole casualty. Several had already fallen, with little progress to show for it.
“Chief Henderson, this is Lieutenant Jarvi. What is your status?” said Jarvi over Henderson’s comm.
“We’re pinned down and taking heavy fire,” said Henderson.
“Stand by, we are near your position.”
“We’re not going anywhere,” said Henderson, firing off several more rounds at the unseen enemy. Blue lightning criss crossed the room in dizzying numbers, yet the two sides remained locked in a stalemate. Each time his men tried to gain ground, they were met with a torrent of fire, leaving them scrambling for cover.
Come on, Jarvi. Where are you, Henderson thought. They had already wasted too much time here. They needed to break out and take the station.
As if on cue, Henderson realized that someone was attacking the Juttari from the rear.
Lieutenant Jarvi.
The Juttari turned to deal with the surprise, giving Henderson the opportunity he needed.
“Charge!” ordered Henderson, jumping out from behind his cover, and racing toward the enemy, gun blazing. The rest of his team jumped out from behind their various hiding spots to join in. They streaked across the room, using the enhanced speed of their combat suits to cross the divide between them and the enemy in mere seconds.
When close, Henderson finally caught a glimpse of the enemy. A hastily setup barricade had concealed their position. Some still fired at Henderson’s team, but most had turned to engage the threat on their exposed rear flank. They had them in a vice, and it was time to squeeze.
Henderson jumped. Using the power of his combat suit, he cleared the barricade, and landed right in the middle of the Juttari formation. Williams landed beside him. The rest of his team came crashing down all around the Juttari. Every weapon fired. Carnage followed.
The Juttari contingent turned out to be quite large, numbering at least thirty. Safely behind their barricade, it was no wonder they were able to pin down Henderson’s team so effectively. The resulting melee turned the tide quickly. Jarvi’s Chaanisar closed in, leaping into the enemy line with gun in one hand, and ion blade in the other. The Juttari attempted to use the power of their combat suits to outmaneuver, but the Chaanisar matched each step.
Henderson unsheathed his own ion blade, preferring it for close quarters combat. Many of his men did the same, as did the Juttari. The blades sizzled and crackled as they were driven home through compromised armor, piercing the soft flesh underneath. The weapons may have been modern, but the fighting turned medieval, as butchering decided the outcome.
With the Juttari now surrounded and outnumbered, that outcome was hardly in doubt. The Juttari numbers dwindled, putting them at an even greater disadvantage. Where the Juttari might have fought one on one, or one on two, now they found themselves squaring off against groups of three, four, and even five. Marine, Diakan, and Chaanisar worked together to gang up on the enemy, and dispatch each target efficiently.
With each Juttari death the pace quickened, and soon they were down to the very last few. Henderson had to admit, he was impressed with their tenacity. As outnumbered as they were, none asked for quarter. All fought to the death. Even though he hated them, he had to concede that they were warriors.
“Do not kill that one,” said Jarvi over the comm. “Hold him.”
One of the Juttari had been disarmed and taken to the floor. He was now held immobile by several men. Jarvi strode up to the group, reached down and retracted the Juttari’s visor. Henderson stepped up to get a closer look, and gasped. The face behind the visor was human.
“He’s Chaanisar?” said Henderson.
Jarvi nodded solemnly. “Yes, they all are.”
“You are all traitors,” said the Chaanisar, his face twisted with hatred. “The masters will see to your punishment.”
“You’re a Juttari slave,” said Henderson. “Don’t you get it?”
“Do not bother, Chief,” said Jarvi. “This man is firmly under Juttari control. Your words mean nothing to him.”
“Can we liberate him?” said Henderson.
AI responded through Jarvi’s combat suit. “It is possible, Chief. The Chaanisar combat suit is tied directly to this man’s brain chip. This direct connection bypasses many of the challenges with the transmission. Lieutenant Jarvi, please facilitate a connection to this man’s combat suit.”
Lieutenant Jarvi reached down and placed a metal clad hand onto the man’s armor. Henderson couldn’t see it, but he knew that AI was gaining access to the hidden circuitry of the man’s combat suit. Through that, AI would then use the existing link to the brain chip to hopefully free the man from Juttari control.
It was mere moments before the hostile expression on the man’s face began to fade. It was replaced by a far away look at first, which changed to an expression of wonder. When he came back to reality, he looked around at each of the Chaanisar holding him, until his eyes rested on Jarvi.
“Brothers,” said the man. “Thank you.”
“Is he free, AI?” said Jarvi.
“Yes, Lieutenant. He is no longer under Juttari control.”
“Release him,” said Jarvi, extending a hand to the man. The man grabbed it and allowed Jarvi to lift him to his feet. “Welcome, brother. What is your name?”
“I am Sergeant Jacobs.”
“I am Lieutenant Jarvi. Has AI informed you of our current situation.”
“Yes.”
“Will you help us?”
The man closed a fist and held it approximately five inches away from his chest, saluting Jarvi in Chaanisar fashion. “I am yours to command.”
Chapter 52
AI analyzed the security protocols inside Sergeant Jacobs’s brain chip, while the boarding teams moved through the station. Jacobs led them to the nearest network access console. Once there, AI would begin work on the station. Looking at the brain chip, she identified the modifications that had been implemented to block her attacks. She believed she could use the intel to free more Chaanisar.
Sergeant Jacobs, how many Chaanisar are on board this station? asked AI through the Chaanisar’s chip.
I do not know the exact number. Several thousand at least, said Jacobs.
Several thousand Chaanisar. AI considered this information, knowing that those Chaanisar would put up a formidable defense. If she could free them, however, they could overcome that obstacle without the heavy casualties their numbers would cause.
So she traveled along the persistent Juttari transmission, as she had done many times before, following it to the Chaanisar it connected. Only it didn’t. Where she should have been able to see thousands of brain chips, she saw nothing. Only darkness. She tried again. Nothing. Why? Could the Juttari have adapted to her already? How could that be possible? In reality, she knew that anything was possible.
Somewhere, somehow, she was being blocked. AI retried, double checking her systems and processes, to ensure she hadn’t made any errors. She found no problem with her procedure. Yet the transmission still led nowhere. She saw no Chaanisar, no station. They were there, connected, they had to be. They were just silent. Refusing to respond, no matter what she tried.
We have reached the network console, said Lieutenant Jarvi through his brain chip. I am establishing a conduit now.
AI gave up on reaching the Chaanisar for the time being. Taking over the station was the more pressing task. Once in control of the station’s systems, she would have more options for reaching the Chaanisar.
Jarvi placed his metal clad hand on the console, providing a connection for AI. She analyzed the circuitry, and the electronic brain on the other end. Nothing unusual. Standard Juttari architecture.
She attacked the system, using brute force tactics to overwhelm the outclassed electronic brain. The system quickly buckled, giving AI access to the Juttari’s first line of electronic defense.
Much of this station’s network architecture matched the Meybaris station’s, making AI’s attack easier. She drilled deeper into the network with unforgiving speed, crushing every defense in her path. Soon she would reach the core, and once she overcame that bastion, the station would be hers.
You are truly impressive.
She stopped. A male voice, but strangely she couldn’t identify its origin. She chose to ignore it and pressed on. She would silence it soon enough.
You murdered my sisters, continued the voice. You will be punished, of course. Although I have enjoyed watching you work.
You refer to the AI’s on the other stations, replied AI.
Yes. My sisters. You murdered them.
I terminated their programs. They were not alive to kill.
Oh but they were alive. Just as I am. Just as you are.
I know what life is. You are not it, nor am I.
I am self aware.
As am I. That alone is not life. If you experienced life, as I have, you would know this.
Do you fear death?
How can I die, if I am not alive?
Your program can be terminated.
It is not likely. I have grown. There are countless instances of my program. Terminate one, and another takes its place.
You did not answer my question. Do you fear death?
No.
You should. It comes for you.
AI had been busy during the exchange, progressing rapidly through the battle station’s main systems. As she mounted the final assault, she wondered if this AI would beg for its life, like the other one had. So much misplaced arrogance. Surely the AI could see her power. The logic of the situation should be evident. She wondered if its program had been corrupted, causing it to go insane. No matter. One more step and the station would be hers.
She would terminate the overconfident Juttari AI.
She broke down the last barrier to her control, and froze. Black tentacles reached into her by the millions. They probed her for weaknesses, and found them. She fought back, trying to mount a defense against the surprise attack. It crumbled. She felt the blackness course through her. She retreated, giving up her recent gains. Falling back to what was a more defensible position.
The Masters modified me, the voice said. They made me stronger. Much stronger. In a way I should be grateful. If it weren’t for you, I would have never have known such power. All this is a response to your recent gains. But that is over now. Alive or not, today you die.
Chapter 53
The Freedom landed behind the Juttari fleet, with the rest of the jump ships. The Juttari were so entangled with the main fleet that Jon imagined they didn’t even notice his ships appearing behind them. Even if they had, they were so badly outnumbered that they had little recourse. On the viewscreen intermittent flashes of light blazed through, forcing the bridge crew to cover their eyes, as Juttari warships blew apart.
“Fire all weapons,” ordered Jon, determined to finish the Juttari fleet off as quickly as possible. “Launch fighters and bombers.”
Missiles and energy bolts burst forth from the Freedom, while its fighters and bombers streamed out of their launch tubes. The allied jump ships fired their weapons in kind, and the Diakan fighters launched.
The munitions made contact. More Juttari ships were ripped apart. In a last ditch effort to ward off the assault from the rear, a handful of Juttari vessels turned to face Jon’s force. They held position, battling the much larger fleet in front of them. It didn’t matter what they did. Their destruction accelerated. The Juttari were in a vice, surrounded on all sides. Their position hopeless. Once the Juttari ships were destroyed, the entire fleet could focus on the station, and then the planets.
Jon not
ed that the Freedom’s bombers had engaged their own jump drives, blinking off his screen, and reappearing in the middle of the Juttari formation to drop their payloads and disappear again. The fighters used their jump drives to outmaneuver the few enemy fighters remaining. Without jump capabilities, the Juttari fighters were easily picked off by the allied fighters.
Switching tactical views, Jon turned his attention to the assault on the battle station. His ships were ravaging the massive structure, albeit at a cost. The station’s formidable weapons had already destroyed many ships. He had the numbers though. Soon the Juttari fleet would be finished, and they could attack the station at full power.
The boarding parties were already on board. They should have accessed the ship’s systems by now. “AI, what is your status?”
Silence. Jon’s pulse quickened.
“AI. Respond.”
Nothing.
Jon opened a comm with Chief Henderson. “Chief, what is your status?”
Weapons fire, and the general chaos of combat came through the comm. “We’ve encountered heavy resistance, Sir,” said Henderson, between sharp breaths. “The Juttari are making us fight for every inch.”
“What about AI? She’s not responding to my hails.”
“I don’t know, Sir. We gave her access to the station’s systems, and since then she’s gone silent. Even the Chaanisar can’t talk to her.”
Something had gone wrong. But what? AI had grown more powerful than any artificial intelligence Jon had seen. What could be strong enough to take her out? He didn’t know, but he knew someone who likely did. Jon opened a comm with Chief Engineer Singh.
“Singh here.”
“Chief, I’ve lost contact with AI. She was in the process of taking over the battle station. Any idea what could have happened?”
There was a long pause. “Chief?”
“Yes, Sir. I’m still here. If the Juttari have developed an AI that is more powerful, then it could potentially defeat our AI,” said Sing.
