by Frank Carey
"Good. Quint, Charlie, with me," Jacob said. "We've got to brief Alex. Tayla, we'll be in the truck if you need us."
"Copy that," she whispered. She brushed a lock of hair from her betrothed forehead as the others quietly left the room.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Joshua opened his eyes and found himself in a familiar room, his room at his Aunt's cabin. The window was open, allowing a warm breeze to billow the floral print curtains. He could smell the pine trees that surrounded the cabin. He listened to the finches singing through the rustle of the trees. He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He was wearing jeans and his favorite light cotton shirt. On the floor was a pair of leather hiking boots, his footwear of choice when at the cabin.
"What the hell?" he said aloud. "Where am I? Where's Tayla?"
There was a knock at the door.
"Come in?"
The door swung open and there stood his Aunt Kylie. "Hey, sleepyhead. Welcome back to the land of the living."
"Shit, did I die again?"
"No, silly. You're just deep asleep. This is a dream, of sorts."
"Are you really my aunt?"
"Yes, I'm your Aunt Kylie, and this is going to take some explaining. Put on your shoes and join me in the kitchen. I've got fresh coffee and pie waiting for you." She turned and headed downstairs.
"And I though building an organic robot was confusing," he muttered while putting on his shoes.
He smelled coffee and cherry pie when he hit the bottom of the stairs. "This is one hell of a dream," he whispered. He found his aunt at the kitchen table sipping from a cup of dark coffee.
He sat down and tried the pie. "Just as I remembered. You made the best pie on Earth."
"Thanks. It’s been a while. So, the Nordicans are approaching Alyson. That can't be good."
He choked. "You know about them?"
She nodded and rubbed the back of one ear. "Yeah, I know all about the Nordicans and the League."
"This day just gets better and better. So, you're not my aunt."
"No, I never said that. I'm Kylie, but I'm not human. I'm what you'd call an Olympian."
"An Olympian," he said with a sideways look at the woman who raised him. "I don't remember a mention of a Kylie in Bullfinch's Mythology."
"I remember how much you loved that book. Of course, you do remember a goddess named Mnemosyne, don't you?"
"The goddess of memory and mother of the muse. You're her?"
Kylie smiled and nodded. "Guess what, you've got nine half-sisters!"
"If you're a goddess, does that mean Dad is a god?"
"First off, both your parents are only children."
"Excuse me."
"I never met your parents. I just led you to believe I did. This body? It's what's called a synth for synthetic body. I can manifest anybody I choose as long as it isn't my real body."
"Huh?"
"Zeus..."
"The Zeus? Aren't you married to him?"
"Ex-husband, and yes, the Zeus. He decreed that we can't take our real form when we deal with corporeal life forms. Sure, we can let our hair down at company parties, but we're prohibited from doing so when in the presence of mortal life forms."
"Why?"
"There was a problem with a volcano which involved a really impressionable species. Think of it as a safety requirement."
"Are all AIs Olympians?"
"Excluding the Alue, yes. We decided that now was a good time to return to interacting with mortals. Baby steps."
"So, you're a goddess. What about Jenna?"
"Jenna is Aite, goddess of mischief, but she seems to have turned over a new leaf. We shouldn't tell her about me or your knowing all this, at least for now."
"OK, so, why me?"
"Ever have one of those days when something crazy felt right? I worked at the jail you were staying at and something about you... I don't know; it just was the right thing to do. Now, finish your pie and coffee. You have a lot of work ahead of you. Oh, before I forget. I just want to tell you how proud I am of you."
He finished his pie and drank the last of his coffee. "Thanks. I miss you Auntie. Will I see you again?"
"Perhaps. Now, wake up."
###
His eyes snapped open. He was back in the computer center. He looked down and saw Tayla sleeping with her head on his chest. Glancing at the terminal, he saw he had been asleep for eight hours. "Hey, sleepy head."
She opened her eyes. She was so beautiful. "Hey, you. Feel better?"
"Yeah, a lot better. Sorry about the meltdown. I guess I forgot to sleep."
"Are you sure you’re OK?"
"Do Sokuhl dream?"
"Of course, silly, all sapients dream."
"Well, I had the mother of all dreams."
"Can you be more specific?"
He told her his dream, but leaving out the part about Kylie and Jenna being Olympian immortals.
"Wow. I guess it could be possible..."
"It is," Kylie said from where she stood a few feet away.
Before Joshua could twitch, Tayla was standing between him and his aunt with her gun drawn and set to full power.
"Damn, Tex, you got the draw on me," Kylie said as she raised her hands. "Relax, you've just drawn down on a hologram."
"Aunt Kylie? You mean that wasn't a dream?"
"No, I used the nanorobots in your brain to connect to your subconscious. It's a crude but effective means of communication."
"So, you're like Jenna?" Tayla asked.
"Yeah, just like her, and it's been a while since I last talked to Jenna. Is she around?"
"She's with the others. Do you know Bob? He's the first AI to reveal himself to the League."
"Bob? Bob's still around? That guy owes me money!" She stopped and smiled. "All kidding aside, I'm glad to hear my kind is getting past their loner tendencies. I bet you're wondering why I'm suddenly appearing."
"Yeah, a little. Then there's the fact that you're speaking Standard."
"Tayla, she's my aunt, so don't blast her," Josh said, putting his hand gently on her gun wrist.
"Feisty! I like feisty. You Sokuhl are usually so boring. Look, I've been here since Joshie... Died. I needed some space to deal with that. As for knowing Standard, yes, I hacked into your systems and downloaded your database."
"What about Josh? Was it a coincidence that..."
"No one in this galaxy was more surprised than me when the Computer announced that a BORIS unit was inbound. Then I find out it contained his consciousness... For two hundred years, I mourned his death only to watch him crash into the city. It was too much to hope for."
Tayla lowered her weapon. "I believe you. Sorry about the weapon, but we've all gotten a little attached to the good doctor."
Kylie squinted at the young Sokuhl. "I see, all of you..."
"Auntie!"
"Sorry. So, Tayla, what do you and your people plan to do with the depot? May I suggest you blow the scuttling charges, sending it to a fiery death while ridding the universe of a menace."
"What are you talking about? What pit? What charges?" Tayla demanded
"You didn't tell her?" Kylie asked Joshua.
"Well, if you must know, when Quint, Charlie, and I got back, I had a small breakdown when I heard my old pals, the Nordicans, were coming to visit. I guess Charlie and Quint thought I would take care of it."
Tayla put her foot down hard. "Take care of what!"
"I like her."
"Sorry. I got to thinking that a place storing so much nasty shit would have a way of containing it. I did some digging and found that the entire depot is perched above an active, though quiescent, volcano. There are scuttling charges placed strategically under the floor."
"Oh my God," Tayla said. "We have to tell the others."
He then told her about the sabotage they found.
"Okay, that's it. Everyone's upstairs in the truck talking to Alex and the other colony governors. I need to tell them this.
" She leaned over and kissed him. "Damn, you're sexy when you go out discovering things."
"Why thank you, pretty lady. You're kinda easy on the eyes yourself."
She headed out, leaving Josh alone with Kylie. "Wo, when is the wedding? You know, I adore grandkids."
"Kylie!"
###
Tayla walked out of the building and found Quint patrolling outside the truck, her eyes scanning the area while her ears checked for stray sounds."
"Worried?" Tayla asked.
"Yeah. I've got that tingly feeling along the back of my neck."
"Scanners pick up anything?"
"Nope. I just have that feeling is all."
Quint and Charlie were the oldest mercs Tayla had ever met. She trusted their "feelings" implicitly. "Let us know if the tingling gets worse."
"Roger that."
She walked into the truck and found Jacob, Jenna, Charlie, and Bryntana waiting for her. "I'm going to go help Quinty. You all have fun," he said as he walked outside.
"How's Joshua?" Jenna asked.
"He's fine. He went almost a week without sleep and it caught up with him. Um, he found a few things before his episode."
"What kind of things?" Bryntana asked.
She explained about the caldera and the scuttling charges. They all stared at her as if there were wombats growing from her forehead. Finally, Jacob shook himself out of his shock. "I need to call Alex. Bryntana, with me." They both headed to front of the truck, leaving Jenna and Tayla alone. "Ah, Jenna, there's something else."
"What?"
"Ever hear of an AI called Kylie?"
Jenna froze. "She's here?"
"Yes. She's sharing the computer system with something she calls 'Computer.' I get the feeling she's accessing the whole city."
"Did she say anything else?"
Tayla nodded. "She's Josh's aunt from two hundred years ago."
"That arrogant... She raised a child? Does she know what kind of damage she could have done..."
"She saved him from a life of prison, then she saved him from dying when the Boris made planet-fall. It isn't a stretch to see that she and you helped save our lives."
"Ohhhh!"
"Look, you and Felicity are tight. Why don't you shoot back to town, talk to her and brief Alex while you're at it?"
Jenna put her fists on her hips and said, "Well! Aren't you just the fountain of wisdom."
Tayla returned the gesture. "Why yes I am!" she replied with a foot stomp for good measure. They both broke down in laughter. Finally, stopping, Jenna headed out the door, gently patting her friend on the shoulder. "Thanks."
"Where are you going?"
"I’ve informed my primary of the problem, and she's talking to Felicity and Alex. Meanwhile, I'm sending this mobile down to talk to Kylie. Multitasking is a great thing when used for good."
"Cool. I think I'll go find Jacob and Bryntana and see what they're up to."
In moments, the truck was empty, with only the instruments to keep each other company.
###
Joshua's face went dark the moment the door closed.
"Honey, what's wrong?" she asked.
"Don't 'Honey' me. Will you survive if we blow the depot to hell?"
"Because I'm in the computer system? No, silly. Me and Computer can transfer instantly to the City's main computer system. There's also the small fact that I'm immortal."
"You really are the goddess Mnemosyne. Damn, I am going to have a helluva time wrapping my head around that." He got up and walked over to the Boris unit. "Is this functional?"
"Sure, we're just short an operator."
"Why did you build it?"
"Truth be told, I didn't. Computer was programmed to copy any promising tech that comes into the depot. Right, Computer?"
"Yes, mistress. The BORIS unit would fetch a good profit on the market, especially with the modifications I made to the design."
"Modifications?" Josh asked.
"Yes, though capable of carrying your consciousness, the unit's brain was too primitive. Instead of offering a discount, I calculated a sizable profit could be had if a modern 'brain' was installed."
"Really. What kind of brain is installed?" he asked, knowing full well that he probably wouldn't understand a word of the explanation.
"A standard, metalorganic positronic brain with class 2 FTL enhancement."
Yep, not one word, he thought. "Thanks."
"You are welcome, sir."
"The power supply was wonky, so I assume it was replaced at some point?"
"Computer?"
"A search of the Valera's records show the original power supply was replaced by an Elven Industries, Ltd. universal power unit."
"That's how I know Standard. You hacked the colonist's computer system and uploaded the language into my brain."
"Guilty as charged," Kylie replied. "I was surprised at how easy it was for me to get into Valera's systems."
"Jenna is very pissed."
"I'll talk to her, I promise. Oh, and thanks for not letting the 'immortal god' cat out of the bag."
"Computer, can I assume the scuttle charges are the best way to dispose of the weapons in this depot?"
"Yes, sir. A dozen of Jarria's finest engineers designed the system. Simulations show that the entire depot, including its contents, will be destroyed within ten minutes of the scuttle charges being detonated, all without any damage to the city proper."
"Computer," Josh asked, "do I detect a hint of pride in your voice?"
"Yes, sir. I was part of the design team."
"So, what do we do?" Josh asked. "Any ideas, Aunt Kylie?"
"Maybe. This is a weapons depot, after all. Computer, using the explosive cubes as a reference, are there any weapons we could use in place of the scuttle system, preferably something that can be remotely detonated?"
"Explosives vault 32B contains radio-controlled shaped antipersonnel charges. Perfect for taking out a squad, platoon, or even a section of depot floor. They're on special, today only," Computer replied.
"Always with the up-sell. I just programmed directions to the vault into your datapad. Why don't you go and check it out while I run some errands. The computer can be accessed from anywhere in the depot or the city. Call if you need anything"
"Good idea. I need a walk." He grabbed his gear and headed out into the depot.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The rest of the colony worked on planting crops while Alex and Felicity dealt with the approaching Nordican fleet. After consulting the other town leaders, it was left up to Alex and his people to be the vanguard, so he ordered Jacob to activate the Valera's beacon.
"Felicity, any word, yet, on our friends?"
"They're still making their way here. At last check, they were still inbound having passed the fifth planet. There's been no response to our hails. We have a couple probebots shadowing them."
"Did we pull the Area 51 files we have on them?"
"Yes, sir."
"Any idea where they are technologically?"
"Some of our neoscientists..."
"Neoscientists?"
"Colonists who became scientists while in cryostasis."
"Ah, yes. That would include me since I seem to now have a bunch of physics theorems running around my head."
"Yes, sir. Anyway, some of our neoscientists and neoengineers are of the opinion that the Nordicans were where we are now technologically. Sensor data from the probes would suggest they have stagnated or possibly regressed slightly. Valera is at least a generation more advanced than any of their ships."
"Do they know they're being scanned?"
"I doubt it. I also doubt they even know they're being shadowed. We did pick up an anomaly, though."
"Show me."
She brought up a view of the fleet from probebot two. The lead ship had a flashing dot on its dorsal surface.
"What am I looking at?"
"We ran a spread-spectrum frequency scan and picked up a beaco
n transmission in a high band. It isn't League, nor is it anything similar to the other ship-to-ship transmissions we've been picking up."
"What do you think it is?"
"A tracker, the smuggler's biggest fear. OffSec spent an inordinate amount of time identifying smuggler ships for the purpose of tagging them."
"Why?"
"To find customers and suppliers."
"Dammit. Are we in range for real-time control of the probes?"
"Yes, sir."
"Drop probe two's stealth field, then bring it directly in front of the lead ship's bridge."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Leave probe one where it is."
"Aye, sir. Probe two is now in full view... She's in front of the bridge."
"On screen."
The viewer shifted to the probe feed. They could see people pointing at the probe through the Bridge windows. "Use the probe's marker lights to send a Morse code message while hailing them on every frequency the probe can transmit."
"What message should I send?"
"Tell them to answer our hail."
Felicity got to work. After some fervent typing, she hit the send button. "We could try to find an open airlock... Sir, incoming message. I have a Fleet Commander Trent on the line."
"Very good, Felicity. Now get Raul up here."
"Raul?"
"Yes, the Valera's human communications officer. I want to see their reaction."
"Yes, sir."
The view changed to the interior of the lead ship's Bridge. Standing around it were several members of the Nordican race.
"This is Fleet Commander Trent aboard the Nordican Cruiser, Neesar. Whom am I speaking to?"
"Governor Alex of the League Colony Valera. You have a tracker on your dorsal surface, port side, just aft of a large cooling fin. Sending data now."
"A tracker?" Trent said as the data came in. His eyes went wide before he started barking orders.
"Allow me," Alex said while nodding to Felicity. She tapped something on her datapad. The Neesar bridge crew flinched as a blaster pulse vaporized the tracker. "Welcome to Alyson space, Fleet Commander."
"What's Alyson?"
"The planet you're approaching. We've established a colony there. I assumed you were coming here."
Trent swallowed. "Yes, we are. Your planet has a naturally occurring material which we had hoped to mine."
