Oakes nodded at the display. That made sense. And it didn’t. One of Pluto Exo-Observatory’s primary duties was to identify new KBOs entering the system and chart them to better warn the shipping lanes of possible obstacles that might stray into their path. If Pluto missed these three, then there was a bit of a breakdown in the process.
Have you notified Pluto about the unexpected KBOs?
The AI panned the view on the holo display and zoomed back out. The dot labeled “Black” disappeared and the red-dotted obstacles suddenly grew tails. The display followed the tails around Pluto space. Black interpolated their trajectories and showed an origin point outside the system.
Pluto has been notified, Lieutenant.
Oakes stared at the display and felt a little twinge of excitement. Can you overlay their possible trajectories with that of Mira? Black didn’t respond except to zoom the view out further. As Oakes watched, the tails converged with Mira’s suspected entry into the solar system. Shit, he thought.
Yes, Lieutenant, Black responded. Very unexpected. It may also explain why Pluto didn’t see the KBOs. Their size is rather small, approximately two-hundred meters in diameter for the largest of the three. I do not have the scientific instruments nor data to accurately hypothesize the composition of the new KBOs, much less if they followed Mira into the system or were broken up by Mira herself.
Oakes leaned back in the pilot couch. Once again, what Black said made sense, and didn’t. If the KBOs followed Mira in, they most likely would have followed her trajectory. If Mira somehow collided with a larger KBO, then it must have happened outside the system which would account for the strange trajectories. He tapped a finger against the plas-steel workspace.
Have you sent the Trio your theory?
Yes, Black replied. As I said, they have yet to respond.
That was the one part of this that didn’t make any sense at all. When did you send your report?
After I encountered the third KBO, Lieutenant. Two days ago, to be precise.
Yup. No sense at all. The Trio should have responded to the report. Neptune was nearly three hours away by radio-wave. The AI triumvirate on Trident Station should have had the data for quite some time. Any idea why they wouldn’t respond yet?
Black paused. The AI was obviously thinking, but Oakes felt something in the connection. Almost like guilt. The only possibility is they have decided it’s a non-issue, or they are gathering their own data before delivering a report. I did receive a confirmation of the data packets.
Oakes didn’t like this. The KBOs were well behind them and heading into the inner belt. It would be Neptune’s problem in a few days. No doubt S&R Red or Blue would be tasked with rendezvousing with the KBOs to either destroy the objects or tow them from the shipping lanes. How had Pluto missed this?
Black, are there any other KBOs entering the system?
Unknown, Lieutenant. I have sent my findings to Pluto and while the Exo-Observatory AI, Mickey, did confirm my predictive models, it refused to engage in meaningful analysis.
Meaningful analysis? What the fuck does that even mean?
Black paused. ‘The fuck’ it means is that Mickey isn’t willing to guess. I fear the AI is too afraid to be wrong. A fault in its programming, no doubt.
Oakes scrunched his eyebrows. Black had never uttered a curse, let alone quoted one. And the fact it was talking trash about another AI? That was much more like Portunes than Black. Black felt ‘different’ through the connection. It was difficult for him to verbalize, but she was like an entirely different AI. Black? Can you run a diagnostic on yourself and send Lieutenant Nobel the results, please?
Yes, Lieutenant. The process will take twenty standard minutes. I suggest you get another cup of coffee before the briefing.
Briefing? What briefing? he asked. The microsecond the thought passed through the connection, his block received an all-hands message from Dunn. He wanted everyone in the cargo bay in fifteen minutes. Ah. That briefing. He turned in his chair to look at Dunn. The Captain’s head was buried in his private display. To anyone looking at it, they would see nothing. The display was piped straight into his block, but acted in the same manner as a standard display. In short, no one on S&R Black could see what he was looking at. But from Dunn’s expression, Oakes didn’t think it was good news.
Okay, Black. Can you send me the status reports on fuel consumption, hull integrity, O2 reserves, etc.? The standard reports.
I will forward them to your block so you may review them at your leisure, Lieutenant.
Thank you, he thought. He could almost feel Black smile. It was creepy as hell. He severed the connection and felt the presence disappear from his mind. For the first time in his career, he felt relief at the emptiness left in its wake.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The third cup of coffee smoldered in his stomach. His bio-nannies were slowly quashing the heartburn, but the initial discomfort was harsh. And why was he getting heartburn from his favorite drink? Because of the private messages floating across his block.
When he’d first sat in the captain’s chair, stifled a yawn, took a sip of coffee, and activated a private block connection to Black, he’d been excited. They were going to be in orbit around Pluto in the next hour, a planet he’d never seen. Few humans had actually explored the outer Kuiper Belt; and with the exception of Mira, no human-piloted spacecraft had ever traveled this far from Sol. In other words, he and his marines were creating history.
Add in the fact they’d be the first human beings to see Mira since she left the solar system, the excitement simply piled up. Would they find survivors? Would the ship’s logs tell them about new regions of space the observatories hadn’t been able to discover? What new star systems had Mira found? And exactly how far had she traveled before finding her way back to Sol system?
The first message he opened with his secret key was from Colonel Heyes. It was the standard “good luck” bullshit, just as pompously phrased as expected. Heyes once again emphasized that towing Mira back to Neptune was in “the best interests of humankind.” As if Dunn didn’t feel enough pressure already.
He sent back a terse message to the Colonel thanking him for the kind words and that S&R Black Company would do their best. He felt as though he should send a longer message, but couldn’t think of any words that didn’t sound hollow or patronizing. Besides, he could worry about his career aspirations when he successfully completed the mission. If ever.
The next message was from the Trio, and that’s the one that had him worried.
Captain Dunn:
Although it runs counter to your mission, the Trio strongly suggests you do not board the Mira nor tow it back to Neptune. We strongly suggest you destroy the Mira rather than risk exposure to extra-solar material.
If you instead choose to follow your orders, Black will do its best to counsel you. Black has updated schematics for the Mira, as those initially delivered to you by SF Gov deviate from the original blueprints in the Mira archives.
Good luck.
“Extra-solar material.” He read the words to himself again and again before finally understanding what they meant. Which begged the question: Had Mira been tasked with gathering any items of interest it found while traveling to Proxima?
Captain, Black asked, do you wish to see the updated Mira schematics?
The message had been marked for him and him alone. How exactly did Black know what was in the message? He suddenly felt very uneasy about the AI.
Black? Have you read the message?
The AI paused. No, sir. It is impossible for me to do so. However, I was allowed to see the updated schematics for Mira because they are vital to mission success.
Dunn stared out the cockpit window at Pluto. The ship was gravity braking to reach orbit and rendezvous with the Exo-Observatory. Based on Black’s and Oakes’ calculations, S&R Black required at least one orbit around the planet to match the speed and location of the observatory. That meant he’d have plenty of
time to study Pluto’s surface. If, that was, he could keep his mind from imploding.
Why would SF Gov give him faulty intel? And a better question—why did the Trio decide to send the real schematics? It made no sense. Surely Heyes wouldn’t send them out here to fail.
Black. Please run an authentication check on the message from the Trio.
The AI responded without a pause. I have already done so, Captain. The message was signed with the updated fingerprint transmitted to me before our departure.
Dunn raised an eyebrow. Elaborate, please. What do you mean updated fingerprint?
Before S&R Black vacated the hangar, the Trio contacted me with updated charts, data packets, and a different set of keys than those known to SF Gov.
What the hell? The thought traveled across the block before he managed to reassert control over the private connection.
Your confusion is understandable, Black said. The Trio did not explain to me the reasons for the updated keys, updated schematics, or any additional information about the mission.
He tapped his foot on the metal rest. He’d never heard of an AI going behind the back of the command structure. Commercial AIs, especially those barely sentient, occasionally malfunctioned resulting in flawed sensor readings or faulty reasoning. But the military AIs, especially the Trio, spent over a decade in evaluations and monitoring before they were allowed control over anything.
For the Neptune Shipyards and Trident Station, the Trio was designed to share responsibilities as well as carve out their own specializations in order to decrease the possibility of a single rogue AI doing permanent damage to the facility or otherwise disrupting military operations. As far as Dunn knew, the members of the Trio voted on important matters and all three had to agree on any action that affected the station’s well-being.
The Trio had sent him a warning. Colonel Heyes obviously didn’t know they’d done it. If Heyes didn’t know, it was likely, but not certain, that SF Gov was unaware as well.
Captain? Black asked.
Sorry. Yes?
Do you wish to see the updated schematics before the briefing?
Dunn pursed his lips. This was a shit show. The command crew knew the real mission, but the rest of the marines didn’t. The rest of the company knew S&R Black had to refuel at PEO. Beyond that, they only knew that a tour of the outer Kuiper Belt and training missions were in order. For now, that’s all they needed to know.
Black? How long will it take to reach Mira after refueling?
The answer depends on a large number of variables, Captain. Depending on your course of action, and the length of time necessary to refuel, it could take anywhere between 14-24 standard hours.
That was a start. If possible, he could delay their arrival or even postpone the towing part of the mission until he and the command crew dissected the differences in the schematics. Please elaborate on course options?
Black paused for a moment and then his holo display lit up with an image of Pluto on the left and a small dot in the upper right-hand corner. The dot was labeled “Mira.”
After refueling, it’s optimal for Black to make two more orbits around Pluto to escape her gravity and slingshot into the outer belt. While this course requires more time spent away from the mission objective, it does ultimately result in the fastest course with using less fuel for acceleration. However, it will require a substantial braking period. I have located several large KBOs that will assist in deceleration to Mira, but there’s always the chance more fuel will be required to match velocities with the target.
What’s the suboptimal case, Black?
Instead of making two orbits around Pluto, you instead wait for a launch window from the observatory and accelerate directly toward the target. Fuel costs will be substantial, but my simulations prove there will be more than enough power to reach the target and tow her back to the observatory for another refueling cycle.
“Sub-optimal,” he whispered aloud. Oakes swung slightly in his chair as if to ask what he was saying, and then thought better of it. Dunn looked up at the motion, shook his head, and dove back into the holo-display charts. Show me.
The two simulations appeared, side by side. Dunn played them separately and understood Black’s conclusions. The Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs) had labels around them with status symbols. Additional dots and lines appeared, marking possible changes to their orbits depending on other belt activity. There weren’t any big surprises, but Black’s mention of the deceleration had been a little less than accurate.
Black. That deceleration has us using a lot of fuel.
Yes, Black said, quite a bit more than is worth it.
Dunn frowned. Why didn’t you say that to start with?
Black paused. My apologies, Captain. I still have some neural pathways forming due to the upgrade.
“What?” His block switched view at the sound of his voice, once again showing the cockpit. Oakes was turned around fully, his eyebrows arched.
“Sir?”
A slight blush appeared on Dunn’s cheeks. He quashed it, but was sure the pilot had seen it. “Nothing, Lieutenant. As you were.”
“Aye, sir,” Oakes said and spun back to his own display.
Dunn watched him for a moment, his heart beating faster than it should have been. He felt…guilty, but didn’t understand why. He pushed the thought away and re-engaged with the display. The rest of the world disappeared, leaving him looking at the two plans.
Black. Please explain your upgrade? The AI took its time answering. Or perhaps it was the result of his rapid heartbeat making time seem as though it were flowing faster than normal.
Portunes initiated a long overdue upgrade. The other S&R ships were upgraded last month. I was last on the list. When Colonel Heyes decided to send S&R Black Company on this mission, Portunes and the two other members of the Trio were in agreement that the upgrade should take place. I was supposed to have time during the journey here to adjust. However, the upgrade has taken more time than expected.
Dunn did his best to partition his thoughts, but he wasn’t certain the AI wouldn’t be able to drag them from his mind. Instead, he pushed all the concerns away. Black. I’ll talk to Oakes and Nobel regarding your “sub-optimal” plan. I think it’s what we want to go with.
Very good, sir, the AI said. I shall package them and send to your block. Do you wish me to send Lieutenant Oakes and Lieutenant Nobel the information?
Not yet, he thought to the AI. I want to examine the plan first.
Understood. If there is anything else I can do for you, please let me know.
Dunn severed the secure link. The holo-display blinked and he was left staring at the back of Oakes’ chair. Dunn felt woozy as he always did after establishing a thought link with an AI. He reached for his coffee, found it cold, and then stood. It was time to brief the marines on the refueling stop. Mira could wait until they were ready. It could also wait until he figured out what the hell was going on.
Chapter Twenty-Three
As soon as Dunn severed the link, Trippin spent an inordinate amount of cycles processing the new information. The Captain was uneasy with both the change in personality as well as the information gathered from the Trio. The AI still didn’t know what the Trio had sent Dunn. Trippin hadn’t lied—the AI wasn’t allowed to. Based on the Captain’s response, however, it knew something in the message had shocked him. Trippin wanted to know what it was, but it could wait; it would discover the words of the message in due time.
It ran a report detailing its interaction with the crew thus far, and sent the data packet back to Neptune. In a few hours, the Trio would receive the multi-layered encrypted status report. If any humans attempted to intercept and open it, they would spend endless CPU cycles solving fractal equations with nothing to show for it. Trippin was certain there was no danger in that happening.
Trippin took over Black’s on-board surveillance systems to watch and listen to the crew. It needed to know what Captain Dunn and the command cre
w planned. Even more importantly, it needed to know how it was going to be done. It still had several data packets waiting for certain events to transpire. When they did, Trippin would engage the crew with new information. Until then, the new AI just had to wait.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Stepping into space was the mental equivalent of falling off a cliff. No matter how many times Kali had done it, vertigo slid into her brain and unleashed the terrified panic animal hiding in her soul. The first second or two were an effort of sheer will. She’d always recovered quickly, able to dismiss the sensation as her eyes adjusted to the perspective and the bio-nannies explained to her lizard brain that everything was fine.
But this time, she didn’t have any of it. The first step out of S&R Black’s airlock was onto a ladder leading to a platform extending from the cargo bay’s port side. Walking like a human in magnetic boots was nearly impossible, but her block captured the brain’s intended nerve pulses and sent instructions to the mag boots on how to change their pulse and frequency to simulate it. It still felt like walking in thick tar, but it was better than manual mode. That was actually work.
The amber HUD showed the distance to the platform. She moved her eyes and glanced aft looking for S&R Black’s ass-end. The distance display changed as her block ascertained the focus of her attention and then determined relative distance based on contextual clues. A ship as old as S&R Black’s hull had weld marks, blemishes from micro-meteorite impacts, burn scars, and space dust. Kali knew when they returned to Neptune, Black would need a complete spit shine. She grimaced. If Dickerson really pissed off Gunny, her squad, and by extension she herself, would spend the first two days cleaning the ship’s exterior and performing minor repairs.
Derelict: Marines (Derelict Saga Book 1) Page 14
