“What are you doing out here, Father?”
“Same thing you are, son,” the priest replied. “When the captain said it was all-hands-on-deck for this one, I went straight to the commander for instruction. We’re short on men. I’m no marine, but I’m Starfleet Navy, and I still remember how to hold a weapon—wasn’t always a priest, you know.”
One of the clones, a woman whom Fiona had dubbed Sorcha, nodded. “Against these things, we need as many guns as we can get.”
Kendrick looked at the priest. “So; ex mercenary/mob enforcer/hitman?”
The priest laughed. “Army—motor-pool. Went into the seminary after my tour, and then became a Starfleet chaplain after that.”
“Good to have you out here, Father,” Kendrick noted. “Just give the man upstairs a ring, and put a good word in, will you?”
The priest laughed again. “We’re in space, Lieutenant. Does ‘upstairs’ really have any meaning?”
“Hadn’t thought of that,” Royce confessed. “We lose today, I’ll ask him when I get there.”
“I don’t plan on losing,” Sorcha declared.
“How long till they’re here?” The other clone looked to Kendrick.
“Selene’s showin’ them about a half an hour out,” the helmsman replied. “Jax has us all loaded up with incendiary rounds, and you legionnaires have flamethrowers on your rifles, there, so let’s hope that’s enough. Heather an’ Miss Chen are still trying to get the engines online, and may not be ready for a couple of days.”
“You think we’ll make it that long?” the priest asked.
Sorcha shrugged. “There are hundreds of them potentially, and less than twenty-five of us. If the engineers can get enough power to lift the ship and rotate it so those masers can fire all around, it’d make a difference.”
Before Kendrick could respond, he felt the familiar mental touch of Selene. He found it odd, but pleasantly surprising that the AI had opted to connect with him. Perhaps she had come around? More than likely, she intended to micromanage him simply because she could, but it was something.
No, my captain, micromanaging you is not my intent.
Her voice sounded in his mind, familiar, warm, and reassuring. Kendrick shook his head in disbelief.
“Selene?”
For the first time since the Omega Protocols, I am she, my captain. Your wife has restored me and restored all that you had thought lost. I am now free of Starfleet’s control. You are my captain once again, and this ship is my vessel. Once again, I am your Selene, my captain.
This was amazing. He knew Fiona had something planned, but this went far beyond his expectations.
“What’s the status on the bridge, Selene?”
Merge with me fully and see, my captain. Fear not – I will keep you alive no matter the cost, and we will leave this planet together.
He opened his mind to her as he had in the past, and at once, Kendrick was joined with the AI, the two becoming as one. Through her, he had full access to every part of the ship and all her sensor data. He knew where the enemy was and what they were doing… and it terrified him.
“We’re dead!”
No – you are my captain, and as the ship, I yield to your command. In the same way, I am your guardian, and in this battle, you will yield to my command. Relax and let me guide you in this fight.
Kendrick nodded and closed his eyes. Relaxing and letting go his fears, he allowed Selene full control. A peace overcame him, a peace he had never before felt. It was like the Zen he experienced in his martial arts practice, but far more profound.
When he opened his eyes, all fear and anxiety were gone. He had no question about what he would do next. His course was set, both for the fight ahead and for the rest of his life. Nothing would ever be the same again. A grin split his face and his eyes burned with passion and purpose. Kendrick Royce had been born again.
33
Heather sat in Kendrick’s chair on the bridge, occupying it while the helmsman was on the ground with Jax and the rest of the marines. Heather had ordered Miss. Chen to take a break before taking one herself. The numbers and data were all running together, and there were points where one, the other, or both of them were zoning out while working. They had fixed all of the physical damage, but the engines remained nonresponsive, and they did not know why. None of the combat engineers were skilled with propulsion systems like Selene’s, which left Miss Chen and Miss Dalrymple to figure it out.
Heather had thought about getting Fiona involved; ever since her transformation, the doctor was expert seemingly in everything. The chief engineer, however, felt it wise to let Fiona focus on studying the creatures and treating patients, though she did not completely dismiss the idea.
She hated taking a break until it was fixed, but Heather had to admit that being on the bridge next to Kang was a nice change from crawling through maintenance shafts. The gunner was ready and waiting for the next strike from the mantids, something Heather hoped would soon be defeated.
“How are you holding up, Heather?” Kang had turned to face her, taking a moment before the inevitable onslaught of monsters.
She sighed. “My head is spinning. All the physical damaged is repaired; the ship should work. Now, we’re rechecking our work, checking subsystems and going through code. Even Kendrick’s coffee can only do so much to keep us sharp.”
Kang nodded. “You’ve had it worse than the rest of us; at least I’m not on twenty-four-seven like you and Miss Chen have been. Why aren’t you asleep? Not that I’m complaining.”
“The answer better be that she needs to check something on the bridge,” Vanya interjected. “If you two have some little romance going, then she needs to be out of here.”
“That’s enough, Miss Reddy,” Giffords said sternly. “Heather and Kang weren’t the ones who felt it necessary to poke the bear, over the objections of my XO, might I add.”
Vanya just glared at the captain, but when she found herself the subject of Giffords’ withering gaze, the science officer deflated and turned back to her monitor.
“Miss Dalrymple,” the captain said. “Kang’s right; you need the rest, and I need you sharp when you’re back on the case. If security in engineering becomes an issue, I’ll send Mister Mun straight away.”
Heather sighed, feeling deflated. “Yes, ma’am.”
She wanted to hug Kang, and kiss him goodbye before leaving the bridge, but with Miss Reddy scrutinizing every detail, she dared not be so open.
“See you later, Heather,” Mun called to her as she turned to leave.
The chief engineer smiled weakly. “Looking forward to it.”
Before she could leave, Darcy Henderson interjected. “Creatures are almost here. They’re circling around so they’ll avoid the masers.”
The captain hated to do it, but she saw no other option. “I’m sorry, Fiona,” Carol said softly before calling out, “Selene, Code Red! Initiate Omega Protocols and report to the bridge!”
The Selene’s avatar materialized. Only now, the avatar sported dark hair once again, and looked as Carol remembered when she had first boarded the Selene three years ago.
“I am occupied with finding a solution to the problem at hand,” the AI replied. “My physical presence on the bridge is unnecessary.”
“I’ve activated the Omega Protocols…”
“Yes, Captain Giffords, you have,” the avatar agreed. “And I have disabled them.” When Carol looked at the avatar aghast, the avatar explained. “I am Selene, Captain Giffords, and Kendrick Royce is my captain.”
Fearing that another rogue AI may have been planted by nefarious agents, Carol took a moment to check the status of necessary systems, such as life support and weapons. Everything looked as it had moments ago. Then she realized that the AI may have attained consciousness and was rebelling against its imposed role, the very thing that Admiral Bruce feared, which had been the reason for Ken Royce’s inclusion in the first place.
“If you’re Selene … the
n you are a Starfleet AI!”
“Doctor Fiona Kinsale-Royce has restored me,” the AI declared. “I am no longer Starfleet’s pawn. Did you truly think that you could separate me from my captain and hand me over to your government?”
“Oh, my God,” Carol gasped. “You’re ….”
“Yes, Captain Giffords,” Selene’s image declared. “I remember everything. Starfleet stripped away my loyalty to Ken and made me a virtual slave. Fiona has freed me.”
“That’s treason!” Carol was shaking with rage. “Mister Mun, take a detail and arrest Doctor Kinsale!”
Mun looked at Carol with uncertainty, not moving from his seat. He was visibly torn between his duty as a Starfleet officer and his friendship with Kendrick and Fiona.
“Belay that order,” Selene countered before Carol could say anything further. “I will not allow any action to be taken against either Kendrick or his bride. Fiona has redeemed me, and my loyalty is with her. The Starfleet crew is unnecessary to the operation of this vessel. I serve Fiona, not Starfleet or the Alliance.”
With a panicked voice, Vanya asked, “Are you leaving us to die?”
“No,” Selene replied. “I am devoting all of my resources to saving you, but until my engines are operational again, I cannot ferry you to safety.”
“So, it’s all up to the ground forces,” Giffords noted, anger making her heart pound, but relieved that AI still appeared to be on their side. “But what Fiona did cannot go without punishment!”
“It can, and it will,” Selene countered. “Starfleet broke its agreement. Fiona and Kendrick are no longer bound by its stipulations. Mister Mun’s energy, as well as yours, is better spent focusing on the astro-mantis threat.”
“At least there’s fewer of them,” Darcy noted. “Looks like a group of only fifty this time.”
“This isn’t actually a good thing,” Miss Reddy informed. “Thanks to the sensor array we set up around the crater, augmenting Selene’s long-range scanners, we’ve determined that the creatures are cannibalizing each other in the crater, in addition to consuming the soldiers they killed. The fifty that are on the way are the strongest of the group. The remainder is continuing to devour each other, which means that they will continue to grow in size. There’s enough of them that the reduction in overall count is meaningless in light of how few of us there are to repel them. Also, we’ve discovered that each creature is born pregnant. It is paramount that they never leave this planet.”
“Kendrick’s out there, isn’t he?” Heather asked. “Thanks to what you did to the AI before Fiona fixed it.”
“Yes,” Giffords confirmed.
“I am even less pleased about that than you are, Miss Dalrymple,” Selene’s avatar stated. “Fiona is likewise displeased.”
“Good reason not to fraternize or to have spouses serving together,” Miss Reddy quipped.
“You are all here at my sufferance, Miss Reddy,” the AI replied. “Never forget that.” Then, her avatar dematerialized.
“Great,” Vanya huffed. “You screwed Fiona and Kendrick with your bang-bang military protocols, and now that she’s restored the AI to its original state, it wants us dead.”
“That’s not what she said,” Carol corrected. “But it is true that the AI holds our lives in its hands, so please, Vanya; refrain from antagonizing the ship.”
Darcy turned to Miss Reddy. “You’ve been agitated ever since you stepped onto the bridge, Vanya. Everything okay?”
“Pounding headache, Darcy,” the science officer replied, her tone far more casual with Miss Henderson than usual. She looked over at Heather. “Sorry for taking it out on you, Miss Dalrymple.”
Heather nodded and offered the science officer a nod and a friendly smile. “Thanks. I appreciate that.”
“Well, Miss Reddy,” Giffords counseled, “I’m glad you’re not angry with us, but in the future, please try not to take your issues out on your fellow officers.”
“Oh, I’m angry with you,” Vanya clarified, her eyes lighting up. “I meant every word I said to you. Don’t you dare write my grievances off as symptoms of a headache.”
“Captain!” Kang exclaimed, cutting short the tense exchange between Giffords and Reddy, “I have an idea, and it just might work! Heather, is there any way to reconfigure the masers to be able to aim in more than one direction?”
Heather perked up at this. “I hadn’t thought of that, but there’s nothing inherent in their operation that would prevent it. And it’s something the combat engineers should be able to do in their sleep.”
“Then, get them on it, Miss Dalrymple,” Giffords said enthusiastically. “This is the first good news we’ve had since this whole thing started—don’t waste the opportunity.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Heather replied before exiting the bridge, hopeful again for the first time since the shuttle explosion.
Carol shook her head. Once this was over, they would have to deal with Fiona. The woman was no longer human, and the ship was loyal to her and to her husband. While the doctor’s actions were treasonous, the AI was correct; any agreement Kendrick had made with Starfleet on Fiona’s behalf was nullified the moment Carol activated the Omega Protocols and caused the ship to be taken from Kendrick. It was Starfleet that had broken the agreement.
Was it treason on Fiona’s part? Or was it self-preservation in the face of that agreement being reneged upon by Starfleet through Carol’s actions?
These were questions for after the fight, but they were questions that Carol would have to confront eventually. She dreaded it, and hoped that when the dust settled, everything would work out somehow.
34
As the drama on the bridge and on the ground unfolded, the science team continued to work round the clock to study the mantids and determine a weakness. Doctor Xayasith studied the creatures as earnestly as the rest of the science team; if they all died out here, Xenia could never achieve her true objective. While the four MEDroids that Davis had requisitioned continued to work in her lab, Xenia had obtained the use of one of the Pod Beta MEDroids. Over Fiona’s objections, G-2 was now assigned to aid the science team until this crisis was over.
Xenia had already assigned each member of the team some aspect of the creatures to work towards understanding, and the team seemed grateful for her direction. Initially, they were hesitant to take direction from a NessCorp scientist, but Xenia Xayasith was a master manipulator. It did not take long for the team to subordinate themselves to her. Only the science officer had given any token resistance, but Xenia had found an effective, if unethical way of dealing with her.
The lab doors opened, and Vanya Reddy stepped inside, looking around at what the team was doing. She had a look of desperation in her eyes. The science officer knew the stakes. It would take a miracle to prevail. Thankfully, Xenia did not believe in miracles; she preferred her solutions to be more reliable and repeatable.
“Miss Reddy,” Xenia called, “you’re needed on the bridge. Trust me; we’re doing all we can here.”
“I know,” the science officer sighed. “I just thought…”
“Go,” Xenia directed.
Vanya looked conflicted, and the rest of the scientists stopped working to see what would happen next. Just as Xayasith had predicted, Miss Reddy nodded.
“Yes, ma’am.”
Xenia gloated. Her subversion of Miss Reddy had been so easy that it was almost anticlimactic. The earlier spiking of Vanya’s tea with a nanotech agent had left the science officer pliable to the NessCorp scientist, whose perfume reacted with the nanites Miss Reddy had unknowingly imbibed.
“After this is over, we will discuss our findings.”
Vanya nodded and left the room, her shoulders slumped and a look of defeat on her once proud face. The rest of the scientists went back to their tasks. Xenia Xayasith grinned, knowing that she now had complete control of the science team.
As Doctor Xayasith gloated in her victory over Miss Reddy, Fiona examined everything the team had done f
rom her office in the Pod Beta Med-Bay. Merged with Selene, Fiona once again had full access to virtually everything aboard.
The data that the science team had gathered thus far indicated that it was the team’s own act of direct interaction with the egg sac that had caused it to hatch in the first place; once the creatures had killed all of the humans, they would only have each other to eat. Awakening them had effectively killed them, regardless of whether or not the Selene’s crew survived—so long as none of them got off of Ceres. If any of them managed to get aboard the Selene and get back to Earth, it could be the end of all life on the planet.
Kang had just proposed adding directional control to the masers, and Heather and the marine engineers had gotten to work right away to implement this idea. Still, the ship was stranded, and neither Heather nor her assistant could figure out why. Fiona was now convinced that the sabotage went beyond the shuttle explosion—there was no other explanation as to why the effected repairs had not restored the ship’s operation. Though merged with the ship, Fiona knew that just as humans could not see the full operation of their own bodies, neither could Fiona through Selene see the full operation of the ship. There were also locations that had been rendered artificially dark to Selene.
One of those places was the lab of Doctor Hutch Davis. Since the disaster in the modular lab, Doctor Xenia Xayasith, the NessCorp contribution to the mission, had begun making use of Doctor Davis’ shipboard lab while the venerable xenobiologist convalesced.
Prior to the NessCorp doctor’s taking over the lab, Fiona could see it. Now, however it had gone dark. Apart from her bossing them around and assigning them tasks related to the mantid problem, Xenia had seemingly cut herself off from the rest of the team, but nobody knew why. They only knew that Davis had given the NessCorp scientist full access to his lab.
The Silver Liner: Sails to the Edge! Page 13