by Rashid Ahmed
Áox replied, “We removed them from both our systems. We salvaged everything we could locate in our effort to enlighten ourselves, to study, to learn and to clean our planetary systems. We will readily share all the information you are prepared to understand, just like we make information available amongst ourselves. Now, whatever comes next will affect us both.” Pausing, the framandi said, “We need your help.”
Before any further questions could be posed about the last thought passed, Áox thought to them, “While we have learnt a lot, modified ourselves to become knowledgeable, and evolved the ability to retain and process a lot of information; we have lost the aptitude to take intuitive leaps. We have lost the capacity to be surprising. We can think and plan capably, but not radically differently. We think alike, using similar information sets. We recognize this as a failing. Also, we are not aggressive enough. We need your help.”
Kei interjected. The AI spoke to the crew over their earpieces, “There’s little over two days until the first fleet from a wormhole near here, arrives into this system.”
Jón thought to the framandi, “If your system becomes compromised, ours could too. Perhaps in a very short time. Especially if, like you indicated, the gigils don’t like other technologically developed species.” Sven continued the train of thought, “The rest of us, and involved observers from Earth agree. We need to contain any outside forces here. In fact, we need to take the initiative and act pre-emptively, within the systems they’re occupying.”
Áox thought back appreciatively, “We are glad. What are your thoughts? How do we take the initiative?”
Responding in a pattern that was like the framandi’s, Jón thought back, “We would need to know what resources you have, which we can utilise. We require in-depth situational awareness.” Áox replied, “We will give you the information needed. I will join you aboard your vessel. Áom as well.”
The two framandi entered Átt through the airlock, with the twins. As the universal docking port closed, the material covering Átt, formed up, enclosing the vessel. Only Sven and Crystal met them as they entered. The remainder of the crew were kept away, in separate SSEVs. Until it was known that sharing the same environment was safe, they’d remain isolated.
The framandi were the first to remove their suits. They seemed confident. Áom was tall. An inch taller than Jón who was 6’2”. Áox was shorter by half a foot. The crew present in the operations area, felt themselves holding their breath while the two framandi’s body-hugging suits unfolded around them. Incredibly, they did not look radically alien-like. Nothing like what the people of Earth had come to think extra-terrestrials would look like. Both looked near human. Very nearly. Áox reminded Crystal of figures right out of Mayan art. Sven thought that Áom looked like an Easter Island statue. They logged these thoughts with the rest of the crew.
The framandi had prominent cheek bones, wide foreheads, slightly long heads, large almond eyes with baggy eyelids, mouths with well-formed thick lips, large ears and prominent noses which were flat at the tips. What set them apart, were long limbs and compact slim torsos. Their musculature was visible through their innerwear. They looked strong.
Áom raised one hand and thought to the crew, “We are glad to be here.” The crew was now able to identify Áom, by the framandi’s thought patterns.
The first thing Crystal thought back was, “Where are your diadems?” Crystal pictured the crown like ring referring to the machine-brain interface she wore on her head, to communicate with the framandi.
Áom thought back to them, “We do not require them. The diadems. We grow these when we are born. It forms a part of our cranium. The information to grow a diadem is written into our genetic code.”
The participants from Earth, their faces projected against the wall, all had questions. Little blinking lights appeared next to each of their images. Turning to the wall, Sven addressed them, “We’ll hang on to questions for later. Our immediate concern is the looming threat of two separate hostile gigil forces entering this system. The feed from this vessel will be continuously available to all observers. Thank you all.” With that, he turned off the projection.
Ásta approached the framandi thinking to them, “Come with us to the central operations area of this SSEV. We’ll set up there.” The imagery of what she meant was transmitted.
The central operation area on Suður was transformed. Equipped with the additional data and processing units provided by the framandi, the amount of information the crew had available, was tremendous. Crystal, Eiji and Kei quickly developed a menu system the crew could use to project information visualization, sync data with navigation and organize information that they could understand. But they all still relied on their diadems to transact with the framandi processing units to work fluidly and efficiently.
Four hours later, Stefán had declared that interaction between the species was safe. The remainder of the crew met the framandi. Áom and Áox had been assigned shifts. Together, they developed a plan with assistance from the AI, and their colleagues in the solar system. Still recovering from the recent DNA modification, the crew packed in as much rest as they could, little as it was.
The framandi had not developed weapons of aggression. Their strategy was to lay low, spread their species, preferably across planetary systems, and then secure themselves. What they lacked in military might, they made up with numbers. They had over a million asteroid like vessels of all shapes and sizes, which had been manufactured to cart a third of their civilization off. While some of these had personnel, most were automated and run by the framandi AI.
Without armaments, their plan was to tow actual asteroids, using the automated vessels, and enter the two separate foreign systems, one after the other. The plan involved packing the asteroids with explosives, converting them into skyscraper sized fragmentation devices. The towing vessels were to crack the asteroids using focussed gravity, separating each one, into three or more pieces, depending on size. The large explosive armed asteroid chunks were to be lobbed at the opposing force in an expanding funnel shape. The funnel was expected to trap the opposing force within it. The asteroid pieces would then explode when close to an opposition vessel, if they got near enough.
However, all this was to be a distraction, while dealing some damage to the gigil fleet. The asteroid towing vessels were to then catapult well aimed globs of their exterior material, at the opposing forces. The material was to remain inert until close to impact. On impact, they were to stick onto the gigil ships’ hulls. Then, simultaneously, the material was to find ingress points and take the vessels apart. If all went well, the used smart material might even be recoverable.
There was also the question of the armed observation drone already in the framandi system. The one which had nearly intercepted Átt, before the framandi disguised them. If the drone observed the framandi mobilizing, it would forewarn its operators.
Max came up with the solution to this problem, while he was preparing to be sent into space. He suggested that a framandi vessel take on the shape of the first drone, which had been initially destroyed while attempting to enter the wormhole, leading to the solar system. He had suggested that the decoy ‘damaged’ drone appear from behind debris and become visible to the drone presently in the framandi system.
If previously recorded behaviour held true, the active drone would investigate the damaged one. Once close enough, the explosive laden trojan drone, would activate gravity, rapidly pulling the active drone to itself. It would then detonate, taking out both. Max’s plan was accepted and the framandi began executing it. At the same time, millions of smaller explosive devices were being manufactured by the framandi across their system, within their automated vessels.
Two hours later, they were ready to take out the active drone. Átt had left the relative safety of the framandi vessel which had hidden it earlier. Observing the trojan vessel, Isla said and thought, “It needs to appear from behind line of sight, from behind a dense asteroid heading in the dir
ection of the active drone.” Áox seated next to her gazed at her expecting more information. She thought to Áox, “We’ll have to do this on the fly, there isn’t time to make a detailed set of instructions.” She then passed on what she had in her mind to the framandi. Áox communicated to the trojan vessel, building in the appropriate instructions.
For once, things went according to plan. Exactly so. The trojan took shape just prior to revealing itself. It had barely entered line of sight, when the active drone swerved towards it. The trojan drone didn’t even have to activate gravity. The active drone latched onto the trojan and began to extend various appendages toward its seemingly damaged counterpart. The trojan exploded. First, a razor-sharp directed charge split the active drone down the center. Then a wider explosion tore through the two halves. Even zoomed in, the imagery looked like silent distant fireworks. The signal went out throughout the framandi fleet to mobilize according to the well scripted plan.
Sven had received inputs from his crew, and from observers in the solar system. The framandi resources were put into play according to the plan drafted. Sven directed, “Begin moving your vessels towards the two wormholes.”
He thought to the framandi, “We’ve named the first planetary system’s star, from which the gigils are expected, as ‘Lofi’ meaning ‘praise’. The other one ‘Vilji’ or ‘will’. The systems will be called lofi and vilji systems respectively.”
Isla and Crystal had observed the star formations around the wormholes and drawn them out. They’d then taken these to Ásta, who enjoyed naming everything, usually in Icelandic. The systems at the other ends of the wormholes were named similarly, with the word ‘system’ appended.
“Our first priority is the lofi system,” Sven went on. Thinking to Áox he pointed out, “According to the information provided by your observation craft in the lofi system, there are three battle groups, comprising a mix of nine types of ships.” Áox thought back, “Correct,” providing the appropriate data references to qualify his thought.
Smiling, Sven thought to himself that it would be virtually impossible for any framandi to ever lie, since they always provided ‘commonly available’ data, directly or with references. He also wondered if the data was updated. His main concern was how the information remained uncorrupted. So, he enquired, “How is the information updated and qualified? How do you ensure information is correct?”
Áox explained, “All information added to our vastly distributed knowledge base, is required to be verified by at least three ‘Enlightened’ individuals.” Áox was referring to the group amongst them, who were responsible for gathering and building the entire civilization’s knowledge base. The framandi expanded, “Information once verified becomes available to anyone seeking it. Verification tasking is automated and undertaken by our information processing ecosystem. This is like your AI programming and processing. If verification is not completed within a specific period, it is passed on to other Enlightened.” The framandi provided imagery and concepts, clubbing it all with referenced data.
Áox waited while Sven absorbed this information. Then the framandi continued, “Priority for verification is increased with each hop. The enlightened are granted what you refer to as points. When there is no new information available, decaying information is re-queued for reverification. Depending on an Enlightened’s point grade, each one undertakes practical reverification research. Very often as a group. If new information is uncovered, additional points are granted. This is how continuous learning is promoted.”
Sven sought a clarification, “What if the verifiers get it wrong?”
“Then points are removed. The Enlightened one’s standing diminishes,” Áox responded. The framandi added, “Each one of ‘us’ from any group, is authorised to seek dismissal of information, if there is verified cause. Also, every one of us must achieve certain ‘enlightenment points’, to be able to move to other groups or to take on new tasks and responsibilities. Enlightened individuals are tasked with information assessment, according to their point standing. Assignment could also be based on information the individual has previously verified, or information known to have been absorbed and stored within their selves.”
The entire process while elaborate and seemingly secure worried Sven. He asked for a final clarification, “In our situation, wouldn’t it cause delays in important updated information becoming available?” Áox clarified, “A priority is assigned at the time of verification assignment, based on the number of individuals seeking the information, or related data.”
Satisfied, Sven continued the build-up to strategy execution. He said and thought, “The three groups coming in from the lofi system are larger by a third, than the group coming in from the vilji system. Concentration of framandi vessels, are to match the ratio strength of the opposing fleet. Weightage can be assigned to the class of gigil ships. This should ensure that an adequate number of armed asteroids are deployed against each ship.”
Sven pulled up visuals of each class of vessel in the opposing fleet. They had named each to correspond with their known functions. The largest ones in the current group were designated as ‘command-ships’, massive battle capable vessels which controlled all other classes of spacecraft.
There were carrier-ships, which housed or provided docking for several frontline vessels. Armed factory-ships and freighter-ships provided close range support. Projectile-ships launched a barrage of heavy, high-velocity golf-ball sized pellets. Attack-drones joined battle once forces were intermixed, point-drones broke through defences while recon-drones surrounded battle zones and provided intelligence. Finally, there were small network drones capable of passing along information within and outside the theatre of operations.
“We’re going up against formidable and advanced technology. The other side has had the same amount of development time as you have had, without having to worry about civilization recovery,” Sven said aloud and thought to Áox.
It was time. The framandi vessels near the lofi wormhole were massed with their asteroids, ready to enter. Vessels kept joining the framandi armada and would continue to do so. Each needed to travel across the planetary system, find appropriately sized asteroids, arm them and prepare themselves for attack. Vessels from the far side of the framandi system would continue to join the fleet, streaming through the wormhole, long after any confrontation began. The appropriate signal was given from Átt, which was positioned just behind the leading front. The framandi armada began entering the lofi system.
Wormhole transit didn’t take much time. “That was quick,” commented Ásta who was at the central operations area on Suður with Áom. The framandi thought to her, “Reference to?” She immediately thought to him, “Apologies.” Ásta added references to their journey from the solar system into the framandi system. Áom immediately understood the reference and responded with a deluge of referenced information on the distances between interstellar gravity wells, the amount of dark matter between them and the linear line-up of quantum foam; all of which dictated the length of navigable wormholes. Ásta put it aside for later.
The fleet began to enter the lofi system. What they saw truly stunned them. The framandi remote observation vessels present in the system were old and tiny. While being accurate, they didn’t do justice to the actual scale of the fleet facing them. The gigil force was formed like a large parabolic dish with three equidistant antennas. The formation’s largest vessels were located at the base, where the antennas would have joined the dish.
Aboard Átt, Sven came online announcing, “All right everyone. Get to your grav-chairs, strap in and activate your plans.”
Ásta was in-charge of directing framandi vessel deployment. She began thinking out the commands required to initiate her portions of the strategy. Her commands were picked up by her diadem and passed on to the framandi information processing module onboard the SSEV she was on. These were distributed to assigned gaupas across Átt and transmitted to lead framandi vessels. The lead vessels cascad
ed the instructions out to individual vessels in the groups. As complicated as the system was, information was exchanged rapidly.
Noticing the opposing formation begin to rotate clockwise, she instructed, “Framandi formation, rotate in sync with the opposing force. Begin picking up individual targets. Calculate anticipated location of your targets and keep updating these across the fleet, until all asteroids have been released.”
Jón was next to her. He instructed their armada, “Once twenty-five percent of our fleet has entered the system, begin opening out like the six-petal flower formation we’ve planned. None of the opposition fleet vessels should be left untargeted. We will begin releasing asteroids once our funnel has reached a point just past the outer edge of the opposition parabola.” He was in-charge of release.
Seeing the opposing formation, Sven suggested, “We could modify our formation to include a mass of vessels and asteroids directly in the path of the capital vessels, forming three internal flowers. The mass of their formation, may begin thinning out our outer petals.” Áom issued the appropriate instructions
The crew on Átt was beginning to get nervous by now. From their history, the framandi had seen and recorded the opposing forces to be proactive and ready to attack. Something was amiss.