Henry Gallant Saga 2: Lieutenant Henry Gallant

by H. Peter Alesso

  NEUMANN

  Neumann sat in the captain’s chair on the bridge of the Intrepid—the symbolic seat of power and authority. He leaned to his right side and let his hand flitter over the vast array of virtual controls capable of monitoring and directing every aspect of the ship. A small part of his brain remained focused on the approach of the Titan destroyer while he swiped a screen to display a three dimensional color image of Elysium. The planet was as beautiful as ever, but now it posed a deadly threat.

  Laser lightning bolts were being periodically fired through the atmosphere upward at the orbiting Intrepid.

  Just then, a laser blast struck the ship’s hull causing his chair to shudder. He leaned forward, his hands tightly gripping the chair, his jaw jutting out, speaking softly, but with an intensity that could not be mistaken for anything other than extreme urgency. “Engineering, I want power—now! Bring the fusion reactors critical and begin adding heat, immediately.”

  “Aye, aye, sir,” came the disjointed voice of Ensign Smith who had only recently qualified as the Engineering Officer of the Watch. He was standing in the engineering control room hovering over the reactor operator who was pulling control levers to adjust the fusion plasma containment field. They watched as the compression heat increased and produced increased fusion reactions that heated the plasma thereby adding the necessary thrust to move the Intrepid.

  “Helm, get us away from this laser fire—plot a course from orbit to behind the moon,” said Neumann.

  “Aye, aye, sir,” replied the helmsman. After a few seconds of touching his virtual chart screen he added, “Recommend course 120, azimuth 12, sir.”

  “Very well. Helm, steady course on 120, azimuth 12,” ordered Neumann.

  The Intrepid cut an impressive figure passing high above the planet—powerful and majestic—yet she was thrashing along with her engines straining beyond all design limits trying to reach orbital escape velocity.

  Turing to his Weapons’ Officer, Lieutenant JG Palmer, Neumann said, “Lay down blanket fire to suppress the laser.”

  “Aye, aye, sir.”

  A few seconds later, Palmer said, exasperated, “The laser cannon has been playing a game of hide-and-seek—firing a single shot, and then disappearing into an underground bunker for several minutes before firing again. I’ve got a general location, sir, but it would be pure luck to score a direct hit while it’s above ground.”

  Sure it would, Neumann thought harshly.

  Anger shone in his eyes as he looked across the bridge at his fresh faced weapon’s officer at the controls of the ship’s laser and plasma cannons. The young man would eventually develop into a good weapons officer, but for now, his inexperience would weigh heavily against them.

  Neumann observed the young man’s uncertainty, but rather than finding encouraging words, he said, scornfully, “Then get lucky.”

  “Request permission to open fire, sir?” asked Palmer.

  “Commence firing,” said Neumann.

  “Sir, more flashes from the planet,” reported the radar-tech.

  “On my display,” Neumann snapped, searching the screen for traces of the enemy. Dead silence filled the bridge. He sat tense and still, waiting for the next shot to strike. For just a moment, Neumann's brain refused to accept the visual images.

  “Bridge, engineering—the reactor is critical and adding heat. We can answer ahead, one-third power,” came the report.

  “Helm. Ahead one-third power,” ordered Neumann, grateful to be moving.

  “Aye, aye, sir.”

  Slowly the Intrepid clawed her way out of orbit and toward the safety of the moon. All eyes clung to the screen following their trajectory toward the moon.

  Thoughts of frustration twisted into resentment and flickered into Neumann’s mind, Damn, Gallant. He’s running free on Elysium while I’m sitting here a prisoner of circumstance.

  Years of built-up resentment at Gallant’s success as a Natural bubbled to the surface. It undermined everything that mattered to Neumann as a genetically engineered person. He even begrudged Gallant’s good-natured and natural ease with everyone he met—the crew, the people of Elysium, and most of all, with Kelsey Mitchell. Everyone liked Gallant.

  Neumann had worked tirelessly to instill a disciplined approach to work and relationships, but the crew was nervous and ill-at-ease around him.

  Gallant has Dan Cooper’s geniality.

  The comparison to his dead captain reinforced Neumann’s bitterness.

  “Winners always win.” I should be the winner, not Gallant.

  Yet, if he were asked to specify what he should be winning, he couldn’t articulate it. He only knew Gallant had a unique mental faculty which allowed him to use higher brain functions to interface with AI controls—an ability that far surpassed Neumann’s own considerable talents. Gallant had an intangible something—something special.

  The worst part was Gallant’s obliviousness to his own influence over people. He was unaware to how completely Kelsey had loved and admired him.

  A momentary smile flashed across Neumann’s face as he recalled his satisfaction in sweeping Kelsey off her feet and away from Gallant.

  Gallant might have won her back if he had made a serious effort, but that’s Gallant’s flaw—his failure to understand and nurture his personal relationships.

  Neumann watched the screens around him as the minutes tick by. A bead of sweat formed on his forehead, threatening to roll down his genetically perfect face. He quickly swiped it away.

  After about ten minutes the laser cannon fired again. It missed.

  The Intrepid continued moving toward safety.

  Again after several more minutes the laser popped up and fired striking the Intrepid a glancing blow. It quickly disappeared before Palmer could get a tight fix on the target. He continued to fire the ship’s lasers in a general location to further suppress fire.

  The cat and mouse game continued for nearly an hour. Neumann’s eyes were glued to the screen when another laser blast struck the ship and the virtual screen before him flickered and went blank.

  Jerking his head around, Neumann spoke harshly, “How serious?"

  But he could sense, Bad enough.

  A minute later the Intrepid was hit again with a devastating laser blast that struck the forward midsection of the ship and penetrated all the way into the bridge.

  Metal shrieked and the hull moaned. The fire suppression system flooded the compartment, reducing the high temperatures, and causing the flames from ignited materials to sputter and die. Nevertheless, the newly renovated bridge suffered flash burns and heat damage to a large section of its structure. In particular, serious damage was done to the command and control systems.

  Neumann was thrown from his chair by the blast and suffered severe burns. Panting, trying to suck in air to his seared lungs, his breathing was hampered by the hot stale fumes remaining from the mishmash of extinguished flames and retardant vapors.

  He writhed in pain, but was grateful to hear the weapons officer report, “We’re blanketing the target area. The rate of fire has been reduced.”

  Several nearby technicians were also injured and the ship’s medical response team removed the injured technicians to the medical center.

  Relieved the ship was out of immediate danger, Neumann tried to hide the grimace of discomfort while he refused to be carried from the bridge.

  As obsessed as he was to prove his genetically engineered superiority over Gallant, Neumann was even more desperate to obtain his father’s approval. Even when he won two gold medals at the Solar Olympics, his father’s expression indicated he would have preferred if his son had won a third.

  What would Gerald Neumann, president of NNR Shipping and Mining Co., say about the Intrepid’s new captain becoming incapacitated on the eve of battle?

  Neumann tried to dismiss the question by putting real human dimensions on it. He shook his head, as if the move could shake off his father’s expected disapproval.


  Lieutenant Mendel came to the bridge to care for Neumann there. He cauterized the wounds and recommended immediate surgery to resection the lungs and other damaged internal organs.

  Neumann turned his head away.

  Mendel said, “Captain Neumann.” But whether from his wounds or simple stubbornness, Neumann remained unresponsive.

  “Anton. Listen to me, Anton.”

  Finally Neumann faced his ship’s doctor.

  Mendel said, “You have life-threatening injuries. Your internal organs are severely damaged requiring an immediate operation. Each minute you delay, places your life in grave danger.”

  “I can’t leave my post,” Neumann said with finality. He refused an anesthetic; instead he allowed only a local analgesic in order to remain in command. Mendel did as ordered, but voiced his objections.

  I have to prepare this ship for battle neither Palmer nor Smith are capable of assuming command.

  Gradually picking up speed, the Intrepid continued its desperate flight toward the sanctuary of the Elysium moon.

  As he monitored the approach of the Titan destroyer, Neumann bit back the pain from his wounds. With sweat rolling down his forehead, he ordered, “Get a message to Gallant. Tell him to report on board and assume command, immediately.”

  CHAPTER 32

  BEHIND THE CURTAIN

  Gallant and Alaina marched quickly along the passageway deeper into the ancient AI structure with Cyrus Wolfe trudging behind them.

  The machinery within the chambers and along the corridors, as well as embedded within the wall, became a maze of complexity and sophistication far beyond Gallant’s comprehension. He was amazed to see the building transform into a living body of mechanical organs and pulsating energy.

  At one junction point, they found huge rooms resembling microprocessors with memory banks. The banks of silicon and germanium wafers went on row after row. Some of the exposed panels showed a great deal of equipment and memory capacity that had been fried long ago. They passed several more rooms, as large as, the chamber Wolfe had visited. Still they kept searching for the main control room.

  At the intersection of several passageways, a branch revealed an elevator shaft.

  “I’ve seen these chutes before. They go down kilometers into the planet. The total number of compartments in this structure is enormous,” said Wolfe.

  “This branch looks larger than the rest,” said Gallant. “There isn’t time to explore this maze of passageways to find the central control chamber. We have to pick the right one, immediately.”

  “How do you propose to do that?” asked Wolfe.

  Gallant looked at the intersecting hub where a dozen passages converged. The distances between passages were not considerable. “The machine only uses these passages to transport supplies and replacement parts for the deeper recesses of the machine where the microprocessors are housed—all of which are moved by automated machines. Aristotle’s interaction with people involves allowing them access to surface areas near the entrance. I think the antechamber we just left was a preliminary screening station and these passages are like spokes in a wheel, probably all going outward to other screening stations. The central hub ahead should be the main interaction chamber. We should find the real ancient AI there.”

  They approached the well-lit passageway with a large double door entrance. Standing in front of the doors was a powerful looking eight-foot-tall mechanical being; a robot.

  The huge metallic being was frozen in place—mute. It had humanoid features including arms and legs, but a blank face—no eyes, nose, or mouth. It appeared to be made of a composite of liquid carbon and liquid metal, like mercury. It appeared slightly amorphous in shape, color, and transparency, but it didn’t move or speak.

  Gallant stepped forward. “I’m Lieutenant Gallant of the United Planets. I’m here to talk to Aristotle. Will you open the door and allow us to pass?”

  They waited as seconds turned into minutes. The tension mounted, but the sentry did nothing. It gave the impression of waiting for something, but they couldn’t guess what.

  “It’s a good bet whatever we need to know is through those doors,” said Alaina. “I’m going to look.”

  Before Gallant could grab her, she sprinted right past him—past the metallic robot—and placed both her hands on the double doors.

  The doors slide open silently.

  The robot never twitched.

  All three of them entered the new chamber, which was ten times larger than of the one Wolfe had frequented. Gallant ran adjectives through his mind—imposing, majestic, and formidable, any of which could apply.

  To their surprise, a familiar figure stood in the center of the room enclosed in a blue beam streaming from floor to ceiling, several meters away from the ancient AI avatar.

  The figure remained silent, but appeared to be in deep concentration—locked in a mutual spiritual meditation with Aristotle.

  ***

  Gallant and Alaina stood at the entrance to the central control chamber of the ancient AI machine. Wolfe took several hesitant steps toward Hepburn, a perplexed expression on his face.

  The walls around the chamber were covered with screens and monitors, all brightly lit, giving the impression of a great deal of activity and power being expended.

  Suddenly James Hepburn emerged from the blue beam. The hypnotic expression frozen on his face slowly melted. His face changed from bleached white to beet red within seconds, his fists balled in anger, clearly fighting to control his outrage.

  The Aristotle avatar dematerialized and instantly the rows of glowing displays winked out, dropping the illumination of the room considerably. A significant power source had been turned off.

  Gallant thought, I hope that means the laser cannon is now inactive.

  Alaina repeated, “Grandfather.”

  She took a tentative step toward him, and then stopped. “I don’t understand. How could you?”

  Gallant remained stone faced, not daring to speak lest he further tip Hepburn’s passions.

  The professor looked at the trio. Taking deep breaths, he slowly recovered some of his equanimity.

  Finally he spoke. “It didn’t occur to me you could penetrate my disguise. After twenty years I’ve become convinced of my inscrutability. It is the ultimate lesson of my life. You have triumphed, Gallant. There can be only one outcome now.”

  Alaina said, “Grandfather, I don’t understand.”

  “Alaina, I did it for you—and all the people of Elysium.” He gestured at Alaina and then he swept his arms in a great arc. “A year after we were settled here, I found this chamber and gained access to the knowledge of the ancient AI’s library. I found I was able to activate its force field controls, and I manipulated Cyrus Wolfe into thinking he had turned it on and off through a remote device which I let him find. It merely signaled me. I operated the force field from this chamber. It caused an uncertain time delay after he thought he had activated it. I activated and operated an avatar that appeared before Wolfe and interacted with him, and later with you, Gallant. I pretended to be the ancient AI machine, to miss lead you.”

  “It’s all a lie,” said Wolfe with utter consternation. Then with growing bitterness and venom, he said, “Every word you’ve spoken, every move you’ve made has been nothing but deceit and illusion. You’re not an ancient AI dictating terms and handing out rulings. You’re not a machine. You’re a cheat. You’re a liar. You’re a man playing at god.”

  Gallant and Alaina looked at Wolfe and then back to Hepburn.

  Ignoring Wolfe, Hepburn responded, “I studied these vaults for years learning more and more science and math from the ancient AI. I learned it was created many millions of years ago during an ancient war.”

  “So it wasn’t native to this planet?”

  “Aristotle was an ancient Artificial Intelligence berserker machine, self-aware, ten cubic kilometers in volume, and claimed to be a sentient super-being. The machine was originally housed in a huge spacesh
ip consisting of many segments. When it landed here, it buried its multi-arrayed devices and machines deep below the planet’s surface. It drilled all the way into the planet’s molten core and used the power of its thermal energy. It built and controlled a planetary force field,” said Hepburn.

  He rubbed his eyes before continuing. “After it was well-established, about one million years ago, Aristotle committed genocide when it killed the entire species of intelligent beings inhabiting Elysium, the Ely.”

  Once more he paused, looking back and forth between Gallant and Alaina, as if pleading for understanding. “With their dying breath, the Ely exploded a dark matter bomb. The bomb left Aristotle a defunct contraption buried deep within Elysium.”

  “And the giant robot?” asked Gallant.

  “Aristotle fabricated the robot, Rur, with limited AI capability, but it was never activated. At least, not until, I unwittingly did so. Under my direction, Rur has been working to repair certain pieces of equipment I wanted to use, such as the planetary force field and the laser cannon.”

  “Did you control Rur?”

  “Yes. And I was also able to shoot the laser cannon at the Intrepid.”

  “You’re not in your right mind, Grandfather,” said Alaina softly. She touched his shoulder as she looked into his vacant eyes.

  “I convinced myself I could eventually be a great benefactor to mankind, releasing tidbits of information from time to time to defeat the Titans and expand human sciences. As such I welcomed your arrival, Lieutenant. I activated the Aristotle avatar and pretended I was the ancient AI. I let you conduct a Turing Test on me. I was delighted to provoke and quiz you in your attempt. Instead of quizzing the AI, you were testing me; a great joke.” A hint of a smile flashed briefly and then disappeared.

  Gallant said, “When I made a deal with Wolfe, things changed. Didn’t they?”

  “Of course, they did.” The rage reappeared in Hepburn’s face. “You were arming a dictator to oppress the people of Elysium. I couldn’t allow that.”

  “Who are you to decide what is right for the people of Elysium? I’m the elected leader. I will decide,” interrupted Wolfe.