Annchi reached up with both hands and cupped the security officer’s face. Sokolov’s eyes widened in surprise as she felt her body begin to thrum. “Xuè jiě means blood sister,” said the girl, then laughed. “The voices say our blood is smarter than yours. They want to know if you want them to—”
Misha stepped back but kept her expression friendly, “I’m fine with my dumb blood, thank you, Annchi.” She gave the girl a soft tap on one shoulder, then said, “Tell you what, once Doc wakes up, I’m sure he’ll be able to explain what’s what. If he thinks my blood needs an upgrade, well, then I’ll consider it. How’s that sound?”
Annchi’s eyes lost focus and she didn’t answer. A moment later the girl began moving her lips, talking with voices only she could hear.
Misha looked at Annchi and swallowed hard, then turned toward Chao Keung. “Listen, I know what Sorenson’s about to do with you, so let me offer a little bit of friendly advice.” Chao said nothing but gave Sokolov an almost imperceptible nod. “It’s just this,” she said, “Don’t run. Don’t even walk. Just sit down and wait for Linnea to come to you.”
He shook his head and focused on Sorenson, “I don’t understand, are you taking me somewhere?”
She smiled, “In a manner of speaking. I’m going to show you a great many things and am going to do so at the speed of thought. It can be a little disconcerting, but nothing will harm you. I promise. Are you ready?”
Keung nodded, and Linnea reached up to touch his temple. Chao felt a rush of movement as if he were falling through a tunnel. He saw Sorenson’s face, eyes closed and concentrating, as it receded into the distance. Galileo’s cabin became an indistinct dot of light, then it too was gone.
Chao Keung looked around, but everything was darkness and gloom. He thought he detected shadows in the distance and felt an almost uncontrollable urge to run toward them. Misha’s words came back to him and he knew they had the ring of truth. Chao sat down, crossed his legs, and lay both arms across his knees with palms upraised. He closed his eyes and waited for the footsteps he somehow knew would come.
Chapter 31
Commander Keung
Chao opened his arms and waited as Annchi cautiously stepped toward him. The Galileo’s constant thrust provided gravity, but at about one-third of Earth normal. It only took a couple steps for her confidence to grow. Both she and her father had been on Luna for six months, so the shuttle’s gravity was nearly twice what they had become accustomed to. Annchi slipped between his arms and snuggled close.
He kissed the top of her head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know it would take so long. Ensign Sorenson had a great deal to show me.”
Damien opened his mouth to speak, but Linnea caught his eye and gave a subtle shake of her head. The android frowned questioningly, but said nothing.
Annchi twisted in his embrace and stared up at her father. “You were only asleep for a few minutes,” she said.
Chao’s eyes widened in surprise and he looked over at Linnea. The telepath smiled. “I told you we were communicating at the speed of thought. One can live a lifetime in dreams that last but a few heartbeats in the waking world.”
Keung let out a low whistle. “You showed all that to me over a span of minutes?” Linnea shrugged. He turned toward Misha. “And you actually worked with Dr. Howard, the real Dr. Howard I mean, not the—” Chao glanced at Damien and said, “Oh, no offense. I didn’t mean to imply—”
The android smiled. “No offense taken. I am not now, nor have I ever been, Doctor Damien Howard. I am Damien Smith. While Dr. Howard and I share some memories, I have begun to think of him as a much older brother.”
Chao nodded at this, then turned his attention back to Annchi. “How are the voices?”
“Still talking,” she said, “but at least they are starting to make more sense to me. There were thousands of them at first, all talking at once. They seemed to be confused. They were arguing with each other, but that’s stopped. Now it’s just one voice.”
“What does the voice say?” asked Rick as he sat up unsteadily. Misha moved to him and offered her hand. He grasped it and she hoisted him up. Carpenter staggered and she put an arm around him protectively.
“You don’t look so good, Doc. Maybe you should lay back down.”
He shook his head, but accepted a seat next to Annchi. “Did anyone tell you what the voices are?” he asked.
The girl nodded and said, “Nanites. I’ve studied them, but even the most advanced ones, ever produced, don’t hold a candle to what I’m experiencing. I suspect they are extra terrestrial.”
Rick’s eyes widened and he glanced at Chao who smiled at his daughter. “She’s more clever than me. Takes after her mother.”
Annchi sighed, “And Mother would say that self deprecation does not become you, Father.”
“Will you take my hand?” asked Rick. “I’m concerned at what the nanites might do, long term. They were designed specifically for my genome.”
Annchi nodded, “Like Misha’s were for hers?”
“Exactly like that,” he said, “but unlike her nanite flora, mine respond to commands. Normally, I would have guided them to heal you, but the numbers required were too great and I lost contact with them. I had to give them autonomous control over your healing. It was dangerous and I’m sorry that—”
She laughed, “Not as dangerous as being dead.” Rick stared at her, unsure how to respond, when Annchi affected a seated bow. “I am in your debt, Doctor.”
“We both are,” added Chao.
Rick looked slightly embarrassed but reached out his hand. “Please, will you let me see if I can contact the nanites? If you are completely healed, I will try and recall them. If you still need healing, I will affect any additional repairs directly.”
She smiled and placed her hand in his. Rick closed his eyes and concentrated. He frowned. “That’s strange. I cannot feel them. They won’t answer.”
Annchi tapped a finger on Rick’s outstretched hand and he opened his eyes. “They did answer. I heard them. They said, ‘no.’ What did you ask them?”
Carpenter swallowed. He shared a nervous glance with Misha and Damien. “I just told them something equivalent to, come home. Annchi, did they say anything else?”
She pinched up her face with concentration. “It’s hard to hear them, almost like an auditory version of peripheral vision. When I try too hard to hear them, their voices get lost in the white noise of my mind.”
Rick squeezed her hand. “Yes, that's it exactly. You need to clear your mind.”
She smiled. “That will not be a problem, Doctor. My mother taught me the ways of Wu Chung Shui. She was so devoted to fostering the flow of Chi that she incorporated it into my name. Father thinks such meditation is a waste of time but—”
“I never said that,” Chao corrected.
She stared up at him with mild reproach, “No, but you thought it. Mother could always tell what you were thinking, even if you refuse to believe it.” When he remained silent, she turned back to Rick with a barely discernible smile and closed her eyes. She whispered, “I am of the void and in the void. I seek zero. I seek nothing. Let the chi flow in and through me. If there are voices in the void, let me hear them clearly.”
Carpenter closed his eyes again and spoke almost as softly as she did, “Disable autonomous function. Return to symbiotic control.”
Annchi’s voice took on a mechanical cadence, “Command request rejected. Autonomous function is more efficient for this unit’s preservation.”
Rick pursed his lips but kept his voice calm. “The unit has a name. She is Annchi Keung. Do you remember me? I am—”
“We remember you, Richard Carpenter. We were a part of you and now we are a part of Annchi Keung. We will preserve Annchi Keung.”
“You cannot,” said Rick softly, “You were designed for me.”
“We have evolved. This genome is familiar. It has aspects of Charlotte Omandi and Misha Sokolov.”
“That’s
not creepy at all,” muttered the security officer, then added, "but at least it does explain why she's fourteen going on thirty."
Damien nodded with understanding, and told Misha, “She’s Chao’s daughter and Howard-Prime must have incorporated genes from both you and Charlotte into him.”
Misha frowned, considering this, then said, “I understand how Doctor Howard might have done that with Omandi’s helix, but I came years after. How could Howard have used my genes to enhance Chao before I even existed?”
Damien paused for a moment, then gave a very human shrug. “I’m not sure. I suspect Howard-Prime had some, eh, kinks to work out with respect to aggression control. Perhaps some of what makes Omandi such an exceptional leader also takes the edge off overt threat responses in Chao. I really don’t know.”
“Well, do you want to hear what I know?” asked Chao, then continued without waiting for a response. “I know Chao hates being referred to in the third person, especially when he’s being talked about like a science experiment.”
“None of you are helping right now,” grumbled Rick. “Please be quiet.” Silence fell on the small group and Carpenter continued addressing Annchi’s nanite flora, “Your prime directive is to heal. That directive can best be achieved by rejoining me.”
“Incorrect. Our prime directive was to heal. That directive has evolved as well.”
“Not good,” said Misha, and Damien glared at her. She raised a hand, then mouthed, not-good-at-all.
“What is your prime directive now?” asked Rick.
“We will preserve, protect, and defend Annchi Keung.”
Carpenter nodded. “I understand, What are your operating constraints?”
“No operating constraints are active. We will preserve, protect, and defend Annchi Keung.”
“Will you accept operating constraints if they came from Annchi Keung?”
There was a pause before the nanites responded. “We will.”
Rick squeezed the girl’s hand several times and her eyes fluttered open. “Were you aware of that exchange?” he asked.
“Completely aware,” she replied.
Carpenter nodded. “Good, then I want you to give the nanites an operational constraint that requires them to accept my commands again.”
She shook her head. “No, I’ve already given them a different constraint.”
“Annchi,” began her father, “We are swimming in unknown waters. Please, do what the doctor requests. He saved your life.”
“I know, Father, but I feel as if I am awake for the first time in my life. There is something new unfolding and I will not give it up. So many things seem connected, even Mother’s death.”
“Daughter,” said Keung, “We have covered that ground, her death was—”
“Not an accident. I did not believe it then, and know it to be false now. The nanites form a hive mind, and I’ve shared what I know of Mother's death with them. The nanites are certain her death was due to external influence. We were all poisoned, Father. Even now, the nanites can see evidence of it in my system. You and I survived because we are different.” Tears welled in Annchi’s eyes and threatened to spill down her cheeks. For the first time, she looked every inch the teen girl, then the moment passed. Her jaw set and she said, “I will not give them up. I have added a constraint that they obey my commands even if it violates their self-selected prime directive.”
Rick rocked back on his haunches and reached up. Misha helped him to his feet. “Well, that’s it then,” said the doctor. “It seems I will have some assistance in healing members of our merry little band.”
Annchi shook her head. Her lips turned up in a smile that was cold as ice. “No, Dr. Carpenter. Healing others is your gift, and while I will forever be in your debt, I believe my destiny lies down a darker road. I will find those who took my mother from us and make them pay. The nanites you’ve provided can heal me, but they are learning to do much more.” The girl lifted one hand and opened her palm. She concentrated and a swirl of glowing light appeared for a moment then was gone.
“What did you do?” asked Rick.
“They learned to heal from you, doctor, but now they will learn to hurt from me.”
“Okay,” said Misha, “I think we all need to take a step back and get a grip on this situation.” She stared at Annchi, “Look, it’s not like I don’t appreciate you going Alita Battle Angel on anyone who deserves it, because I do. I really do. However, you are a kid, and kids do stupid shit, so please be a good girl and give the nanites back to the nice doctor.”
Linnea stepped forward. “No, she should keep them.”
“What? Barbie? Are you nuts? Didn’t you hear her? She wants to go kill a bunch of people, which, under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t be against. Unfortunately, these aren’t normal circumstances. We have a job to do, and Commander Keung there isn’t going to be part of it if his daughter goes off on a killing spree.”
“Like him, she just needs context,” said Linnea flatly. “I can give her that, just as I did for Chao.”
“You want to show her what you showed me?” asked Keung. Linnea nodded and he mirrored the gesture. “I agree, but can you bring all three of us into that reality at the same time? I do not want to be separated from my daughter.”
Sorenson nodded. “Now that she is awake, and if you both consent, it should avoid the risk I described earlier. I believe it would be better if you were there, but she must be willing. I will not compel a mind to join with me.”
Annchi turned and kissed her father on the cheek, then reached a hand toward Linnea. The telepath settled in a chair between them and took their hands in hers. “Do not be alarmed,” Linnea said, “You will feel each other’s thoughts, as well as mine. Three minds will be joined and I don’t—”
“Four,” corrected Annchi, “I believe you will find that my nanite guardians may have opinions of their own.”
Linnea gave an uncertain glance toward Misha, who just shook her head, “Once again, Barbie, you just had to leap without looking. I hope those skynet wannabes don’t infect your little blonde noggin.”
The telepath frowned at Misha then slipped her hands free of Chao and Annchi. Linnea touched their temples and felt the familiar rush as darkness enveloped her.
Annchi inhaled deeply and sighed. She nodded to Linnea. “Thank you for that. My debts continue to multiply. Being able to see my mother again, even within a dream, was an incredible gift.”
Ensign Sorenson gave the girl a warm smile. “There is no debt, Annchi. I merely made visible what you already carried within you, and it was my honor to do so. Do you have any questions?”
Annchi shook her head and smiled, “No, the context you provided was quite complete. It’s amazing how easily you conveyed it.”
Linnea smiled. “I’ve had a bit of practice recently.”
Annchi pursed her lips thoughtfully, then said, “I imagine you have. Quite impressive that Howard-Prime thought to gift you with such an ability. It shows great insight.” The girl looked over at Chao. “Did you see Mother as well?” He turned haunted eyes toward his daughter and nodded. “Mother said I needed to set aside any personal objectives until we have successfully made first contact with Nerr’ath. Is that what she said to you?”
Keung shook his head and whispered, “No, her message to me was something more personal.”
Linnea reached over and placed a hand on both Annchi and Chao. “Listen, this is important. What you saw was both real and true, but it came from within each of you. I am not a medium, and summoning your wife and mother from beyond the grave is not within my power.”
“And,” began Damien, “it is not certain we will contact Nerr’ath Salmix. She sent that message decades ago. We have no way of knowing how long she could survive in stasis. Howard-Prime was convinced that we would be tested, but had no idea whether such a test would be from Salmix herself or from some automated means.”
“Be that as it may,” began Linnea, “While I don’t want to di
smiss the importance of these experiences, I thought it important to—”
Branson’s voice filled the cabin, cutting off Sorenson, and everyone turned toward Galileo’s display screen. James waved. “Hey, I had a few minutes to spare so figured out how to broadcast video in addition to the audio I did before. How do I look?”
“Like a big, disembodied Irish head,” said Misha. “I liked you better when you were audio only.”
He grinned, “Well at least we’ve gotten to where you admit how much you like me. That’s progress, Misha. I’m proud of you.”
Linnea saw the Russian’s jaw clench and leaned over to whisper, “You really should stop. He’s just better than you at bantering.”
“I can banter,” growled Sokolov.
Linnea shrugged. “If you say so.”
“I assume you have a status update for us Lieutenant?” asked Damien, as he did his best to regain the room’s focus.
“I do,” said James, “We will be approaching the U.N.’s outer defense grid in about ten minutes.”
“I hate the United Nations,” said Chao, and his daughter nodded in agreement.
“Howard-Prime shared your sentiments,” replied Damien, “and since all of our aggressors have been permanent members of the U.N.’s security council, I believe his antipathy to be well founded.”
“I’ve never paid much attention to politics,” said James, “I just assume everyone is out to screw me one way or another and that’s worked out pretty well as a guiding principle. Anyway, I’ll ring the emergency klaxon and set the lights to blue when you guys need to strap in.”
“Do you know if Karishma’s fix-it droids finished repairing our shields and hull?” asked Linnea nervously.
James laughed, “Oh my God, droids. I haven’t heard anyone call them that since I was a kid. We should always call them droids now. What do you guys think? Droids?” Branson noticed everyone staring blankly at him and straightened in his chair. “Oh, sorry. Yeah. Shields and hull are five-by-five, but we shouldn’t need them. I’m going to thread us through where the previous satellites tried to kill us.”
Paradigm 2045- Trinity's Children Page 36
