by M. D. Cooper
“Those rumors of ‘Trigger-happy Joe’ I spread about must be doing their work.” Tanis grinned around her mouthful of food.
“Ugh…were you raised in a barn?”
“Sewer, actually.”
“Really?” Evans’ expression was a cross between shock and curiosity.
Tanis nearly choked as she laughed. “Now that was a funny look…of course not,” she said when she was finally able to breathe.
Evans grinned sheepishly. “You have an amazing poker face. Remind me never to bet against you.”
“You’re in luck, Commander; I’m not a betting woman.”
“You’ve been here over a month, eventually you could just call me Joseph.”
Tanis’s face grew more steely—not from the flowmetal, that had been removed and her natural features were back in place. “Now, Commander. I don’t think that would be appropriate. It’s imperative that we keep our relationship strictly professional.”
“I…er…I didn’t mean that, sir,” Evans said.
Tanis gave him a dead serious look for a long moment before breaking into a wide grin.
“Damn!” Evans shouted. “That’s just cruel…. You took a decade off my life.”
Tanis chuckled. “Don’t worry, Joseph, you can get it back in regen.”
“There, theatrics aside that wasn’t so hard was it…Tanis.”
“You’re mighty forward for being so jumpy.” Tanis smiled.
“I must have a split personality,” Joseph replied. “But keep that on the QT, I don’t want to lose my pilot’s credentials.”
“No fear of that; you’ve got things in such good shape I’d let it slide even if it were true. Your wings are top notch.”
“Well, with the number of people applying for this colony we’ve got top people in pretty much every profession on tap.”
“It certainly is handy.”
“So… Anything of interest happening on the dock side of things? Bombs, kidnappings, rumors of dire plots?”
“Unfortunately it’s been quiet as a mouse.”
“How’s that unfortunate?” Joseph asked.
“See, that’s why you’ll never be a real intel officer. With what those guys were willing to do up to this point, you can bet they haven’t given up yet.”
“Or maybe I’m smart enough to know that if I make everyone think I don’t have an eye for this stuff I’ll still get to fly a fighter from time to time.”
Tanis pondered that. “You could have a valid argument.”
“Hah! I knew you secretly wanted to be a pilot.” Joseph grinned.
“That’s where you’re wrong; I’m actually certified to fly R1 through R17 spacecraft.”
Joseph’s face showed his appreciation. “Is there anything you can’t do?”
“Stand-up comedy. I tried once and totally bombed.” She was once again expressionless.
He chuckled. “I don’t know about that, you have pretty decent timing.”
“Yeah, but if you think I’m totally infallible you’ll expect perfection all the time.” She took another long draught of her coffee—good strong stuff. “On a slightly more serious note, I do have to meet with the captain and admiral. The MOS stationmaster is making noise and filing some annoying requests with the courts. We’ve got to head him off at the pass before he undoes all of our security enhancements.”
Joseph gestured magnanimously. “Go ye forth and meet with your betters.”
Tanis stuck her tongue out at him as she rose and left the room.
The bridge wasn’t far from the mess, only a half kilometer up the length of the ship plus three decks. A tube and a maglev train had her debarking at the command deck’s main hall. Walking past the corridors leading to various offices, and the desks of the flunkies who jealously guarded access to those offices, she entered the bridge’s foyer. What she saw startled her quite a bit.
Where a couple of couches and chairs used to be was now a tall white woman surrounded by an array of holo interfaces. Taking a second look, Tanis realized this woman seemed to be merged with the ship somehow. Her hands were racing over the interfaces and thick strands of what couldn’t possibly be hair waved slowly around her head as she concentrated on the displays around her.
As she approached, the woman looked up and Tanis found herself staring at shockingly brilliant blue eyes, a stark contrast to the sea of white that was the woman and her instruments.
“Major Tanis Richards. So glad to finally meet you; I’m Amanda.” The woman extended a hand which Tanis shook—the other still racing over the holo interfaces.
“I’m…pleased to meet you,” Tanis said, regaining her composure and accessing security logs, trying to determine how a person such as this could make it onto the ship without her knowing about it. “Though I must say I am unsure of who you are.”
“What? Other than Amanda?” Her laugh was cheerful and light; something that Tanis found difficult to harmonize with her clearly cybernetic exterior.
“Sorry, I mean what you’re doing…what your job is. Wait…Amanda. Isn’t that what the ship’s AI has been calling itself lately?”
“Major, that hasn’t been the ship’s AI—that has been me.”
“But I’ve been contacting the ship, how is it that I am getting you?”
“It’s something the Reddings had been working at for a while. The Intrepid is too vast an AI to easily communicate with humans. I’m effectively the ship’s avatar.”
“So you’re partially the ship?” Tanis asked.
“Yes,” Amanda said. “That is rather accurate.”
“So you’re just going to be…installed here for the whole trip?” Tanis asked.
“Oh, of course not.” The silvery laugh sounded again. “That would be fairly taxing. No, there is another woman like me being prepared—Priscilla. I met her the other day. We’ll be doing a ninety-day on/off rotation. The Reddings are concerned that without the time off it will be hard for our minds to remain…well…normal.”
“This must be quite the unique situation. I can’t say I’ve ever heard of anything like it before.” Tanis felt like her eyebrows were in her hairline.
“That’s because there hasn’t been anything like it before,” Amanda responded. “Bob is an incredibly advanced intelligence…”
“Bob?” Tanis interjected.
“That’s what I call the Intrepid’s AI—mainly because I couldn’t refer to him by such a bland and rather asexual term. He’s most certainly male, and Bob fits him nicely.”
“Never thought of him as a ‘Bob’.” Tanis said.
“So I guess we’ll be talking a lot. I talk to, or thought I was talking to, the ship a lot.” Something about Amanda was making her a bit uneasy…not surprising really, the idea of someone being melded with the ship in this way was rather surreal.
Amanda nodded. “Pretty much everything going to the Intrepid from the human side goes through me. Even a lot of AI use me, since Bob is far more advanced than any of them. Not that he’s a snob, but they’re really quite beneath him.”
“He’s really that high grade?” Tanis asked. “I mean the AI that run Mars 1, or the Callisto rings for that matter, must be far more advanced.”
“The plural is the key there,” Amanda said. “Hundreds of AI run those rings. Bob is just one guy, keeping an eye on the whole show. It was partly out of need that the Reddings made him so advanced, and partly—I’m convinced—that they simply couldn’t stop themselves from doing so once they realized it could be done. It would be like if you realized you could raise all children so they could read at six weeks. Wouldn’t you do it? Wouldn’t it be a crime not to?”
Ta
nis absorbed that. “Well, I can’t speak for the children part of things since I’ve never thought of having any, but I suppose I can relate to the desire to improve.”
“You really should be going, by the way,” Amanda said.
“Damn, you’re right; they’ll be waiting for me by now.”
“Good luck.” Amanda flashed a winning, if rather plastic-looking, smile. “For what it’s worth, I think Sanderson likes you.”
Tanis shook her head as she walked away. He’d never given her any reason to think that.
TARGET
STELLAR DATE: 3227212 / 09.16.4123 (Adjusted Gregorian)
LOCATION: Mars Outer Shipyards (MOS)
REGION: Mars Protectorate, Sol Space Federation
Tanis stepped off the maglev train and into the main transfer terminal outside of the MOS administration block. In the middle of the station, a series of holo kiosks featuring various figures from Marsian history were directing visitors and answering questions. Tanis skirted them and walked down the main corridor and up a short flight of stairs to the offices of the stationmaster.
While the block was far from rundown, it was apparent that the MOS was past its prime. Its near thousand-year history showed in mixed architecture and designs, as well as scuffed moldings and worn surfaces.
When the Mars Outer Shipyards were built nearly a thousand years earlier, much of the advanced technology that went into assembling interstellar ships still came from Earth. However, over the years industry and commerce shifted to the point where Mars was the technological center of InnerSol. Because the need to dock larger cargo ships diminished and more equipment was manufactured on Mars 1, it became more economical to build ships closer to the ring at the Mars Inner Shipyards.
Over recent centuries, another shift had occurred. Callisto had risen to become the most prominent and advanced human habitat, and much of the latest tech was once again being shipped in. While the Mars Inner Shipyards were still the busier of the two shipyards, the MOS’s capability of docking hundreds of vessels made it ideal to handle many of the shipments that would be lowered via the elevator system to Mars 1 or the MIS. The change was evolving the MOS from a shipyard into a commercial hub.
"All that pesky progress…" Tanis muttered to herself.
Ahead, in a lavish outer office that was definitely much newer than the rest of the administration section, sat Stationmaster Stevens’ assistant. He didn’t look up as Tanis approached, but spoke as soon as she was in earshot.
“Major, Mr. Stevens is running late. He’ll be here any moment; please have a seat.”
Tanis shrugged and took a seat, ignoring the flickering plasines beside her. They were all packed with election coverage from the Marsian surface. It was horribly boring stuff, what with the race being between only two candidates, neither of them striking Tanis as being all that notable.
With one eye on her surroundings, Tanis worked through some of the streams of issues that needed her attention. Token on a dangerous shipment clearing security needing follow-up, review the inbound Force Recon Marine platoon coming to the Intrepid, and approve the transfer of a few security checkpoint violators to MSF. The usual. For all the potential excitement of running security on the largest colony ship ever, very little had been in evidence lately. Something she was certain that Stationmaster Stevens was going to emphasize heavily.
After several minutes of administrative catch-up, she noticed the assistant quirk his left eyebrow, his tell that he was getting a message. Sure enough, Stevens was ready for her and, with an imperious air, the assistant waved her through.
Stevens’ office definitely displayed the fruits of the shipping upswing on MOS. Over half of the furniture was made of wood, the most common excess of mid-level administrators. By the visibility of a few nicks and dings, Tanis gauged the wood to be soft, perhaps poplar or pine, though it was covered in a dark stain. Various third classical era sculptures decorated most of the flat surfaces. The effect was really more of a confused antique shop than an administrator’s office.
Stevens was sitting behind his desk and rose to shake Tanis’s hand. He was a lanky man, moving into his second century according to the records. It especially showed in the thinness of his skin—something which heralded the need for another regen.
“Hello, Stationmaster, what warrants the need for a personal visit?” Tanis asked.
“Major.” Stevens inclined his head as he shook her hand. “I felt that a personal meeting would allow me to better communicate my concerns to you.” He indicated she should take a seat and Tanis did so as he eased back into his large chair.
He appeared to be gathering his thoughts and Tanis suppressed both a wry look and a sarcastic remark about Stevens’ general ability to communicate. “I wasn’t aware of any pressing security concerns; is there something I’m not aware of?”
Stevens quirked an eyebrow. “I strongly doubt there is anything occurring on the MOS that you are not aware of, Major. However, I challenge you to list any one thing that is a notable security issue.”
Tanis couldn’t help grinning. “What about that genetic contraband that came through TrenCorp’s warehouse yesterday?”
“Sorry.” Stevens didn’t look amused. “I meant security issues that are remotely your concern.”
“Can we not get into this discussion again?” asked Tanis. “I make comments about the Intrepid’s history and the breaches that have affected it, you say that those issues are resolved; I say they were resolved by me and my measures. If that’s all I came down here for, then I’ll be going.” Tanis made to rise.
“Sit,” Stevens said wearily. Tanis lowered back into the chair. “No, I do not wish to rehash those conversations. This morning the Marsian Security Council passed a resolution stating that the TSF has overstepped its bounds by seizing the broad levels of control they have here on MOS. The resolution states that only dock A9 and C3 at which the Intrepid is berthed may be under their control, and all access to MOS security networks level C1 and higher will be restricted.”
Tanis leaned back and took a deep breath. “I heard about that.” She paused, watching a slow smile spread across Stevens’ face. “I wish you’d mentioned that was what this was about; we could have done this remotely.”
“What do you mean?” Stevens looked like his moment of triumph was being stolen from him.
“I already knew about the MSC’s decision, is all,” Tanis said simply.
Stevens’ shoulders slumped. “I take it you’ve already circumvented it…”
“No, even I can’t work that fast.” Tanis couldn’t help but grin. “However, I did get an injunction placed against it pending a Federal SolCourt appeal. The appeal is scheduled for seven weeks from now. I’ve forwarded you the date and location.”
Stevens sighed. “I can see why they brought you on.”
“It’s what they pay me for.” Tanis rose. “If there’s nothing else?”
He had nothing else and she left Stevens’ office with a small smile on her lips.
Tanis thought perhaps she was, but wasn’t going to admit it.
Ahead, Tanis saw a problem at the maglev station. It appeared a superconductor had failed and the train had skewed off the track. People were moving through the side passageways, checking their Links for the best way to get where they needed to go. Tanis did the same and saw that most of the displaced traffic was going up two levels to an alternative line that ran laterally through the station. However, the car frequency was lower and it would be back
ed up in no time.
She found a lift running down thirty-six levels to a large lateral maglev almost directly below this one. It would get her back to the Intrepid without too much delay.
The lift was only several hundred yards inward, down a lightly traveled hall through which she strode with minimal attention to her surroundings. She monitored the MOS Sec net as she walked, checking to see if Stevens was putting out any notices to his staff. From there, the lift took her down to level S20A in less than half a minute and Tanis stepped out, still focused on monitoring the MOS security chatter.
Almost immediately, rough hands seized her and pulled her off her feet. By instinct, Tanis slowed her perception and took stock of her surroundings. More than two hands grasped her—a pair of attackers—each holding a shoulder and a wrist. Angela deployed nano and Tanis used the data to map out a series of attacks.
She wrenched her right shoulder forward, pulling it from the grip it was caught in. The motion hurt her wrist, but that didn’t stop her from delivering a reverse kick to the solar plexus of the man to her right. The pain in her wrist subsided as he let go, gasping for breath. Her right side free, Tanis swung her arm around to strike at the other man’s neck. With quick reflexes, he blocked it. However, the movement allowed her to slip from his grip as well.
Tanis completed the spin and saw the first man gasping for breath out of the corner of her eye as she drew her sidearm and aimed it at the second man’s head.
He was just as quick on the draw and they found themselves staring down the barrels of each other’s weapons.
“I’m going to ask you only once to lower your weapon,” Tanis said.
“Not likely,” the man replied. “There’s a hefty price on your head and we intend to collect.”
Tanis turned her body to the side, presenting a smaller target, and shot the man in between his eyes before he could react. “I said I’d only tell you once.” She turned to the first attacker, who had finally managed to catch his breath. “I’d bet good money you have a weapon or two on you. Hand them over slowly, or I’ll spray you all over the bulkhead.”
