by Rashid Ahmed
The AI interrupted them. Kei spoke to the duo through their grav-chair mission pads, “Sven is online.”
Max said, “We’ll take the call in my wardroom. Kei, turn on the projector there.” Maji and Max walked over to the freshly equipped wardroom.
Sven’s volumetric projection was hovering over the conference table surface. Max said to him, “I didn’t expect to be seeing you so soon again.”
Sven replied, “Our discovery of the dormant ET vessel got me thinking. While the framandi have indicated that they’ve swept the solar system and collected artefacts from the previous inter-galactic engagement there, we ought to look around for ourselves. We already have long range surveys ongoing to locate resource-rich asteroids. The surveys could be expanded, to track down all asteroids like the one we’ve found here. I’ll send across the specifications, an analysis of the exterior material moulded onto the hull, and the gravity profile. Any one or a combination of these, should lead us to any overlooked extra-terrestrial vessels. It’ll be a long shot, but it’ll give us a leg ahead should we come across anything.”
“Why didn’t you just task the AI to do this?” Max asked.
“Because you seem to have absorbed all available capacity, towards building defensive infrastructure in the solar system.” Sven answered slightly exasperated. He sighed and continued, “What I have in mind won’t make much of an impact on the ongoing survey activities. What it will require is tasking the AIs to process previously surveyed asteroids. About a decade’s worth.”
“Hi Sven, I’m Maji,” Lýsi’s covert force team leader introduced himself. “What kind of an immediate advantage would such a vessel provide us?” he asked.
Sven leaned forward and answered, “If you find any which are like the vessel we’ve located, then assuming we can salvage these, you’ll have the ability to stealthily approach an opposition spacecraft and take over its systems. Perhaps even its occupants. According to the framandi, these disguised spacecrafts seem to be effective against most inorganic hardware. If you locate any of these, then we could develop additional combat capabilities in the solar system. I’ve just shared the references of known vessels used by the gigils and the opposing kiligs. Gigils are an intelligent species from the Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy, while Kiligs are from ours, the Milky Way. These are both framandi terms we’ve pulled from their complex definitions. I would suggest you look them up. Encountering either would be disastrous. Facing both would be catastrophic.”
Maji instructed the AI he was used to. He said, “Shun, please add ET vessels, their specifications, images and known capabilities to the crew briefing modules. Cover hostile and friendly fleets, including the framandi’s. Please share the additional module for review with Max and me when ready.”
Shun replied, “It’s available now. The material is queued on your respective tasks lists for review.”
Maji exclaimed, “That was quick!”
Shun explained, “Kei and I have transitioned to superior processing hubs with technology drawn from the processing units, provided by AL-I. The hubs are online on all Lýsi space platforms, Standardized Space Exploration Vessels and six Earth-based locations. We share each hub equally. Individual gaupas have been integrated into each hub for each of us, for communications, data transfer and process balancing.”
Sven asked, “Would it be possible to dig into all the information left behind by AL-I in its entirety?” He added, “It’ll help leapfrog us, technologically.”
Shun replied, “The information is all stored in DNA format. It would take years for Kei and myself to decipher and convert it all into human languages. For now, it would be best to make sharp queries, to retrieve answers for specific research. Information sets can be built upon as needed. Framandi knowledge is cross corelated, it is inevitable that all information contained in the data module, will be accessed for some reason over time.”
Amazed, Maji asked, “How much information are we talking about?”
“Unknown. But enough to get an entire civilization up and running at the level of the framandi. That was what AL-I’s mission was. Presumably, the information shared with us on the data unit, was everything it possessed.” Shun answered.
“I’ve got to go now. We’re just about ready to try and access the vessel we’ve found here.” Sven said. Turning his attention to Max, he said, “See if there are any dormant spacecraft or remnant extra-terrestrial artefacts still in the solar system.” Sven’s projected head was replaced by the situational awareness feed from the lofi system.
Max noticed an item blinking on his grav-chair’s pad. It was a message from Gylfi Hallgrímsson, Jón and Ásta’s father, asking him to call. Max said to the AI he was just speaking with, “Shun, connect Gylfi and put him up on the volumetric projection.” Maji looked towards Max with a raised eyebrow. Max shrugged. The two of them were able to read each other quite efficiently now.
The projection went live. Gylfi looked at Max and Maji. He greeted them, “Hi. I’ve got exciting news.” He continued with excitement in his voice, “The viral vector and deployment gel suspension we have been working on is complete. We used information gleaned from AL-I’s data. I’ve just come off a call with Gogh. He’s advised that we test out the delivery mechanism. Katrín and I have prepared a pre-production set of vials using the automated manufacturing facilities on Sólríka space platform.”
Max asked, “Weren’t you working on multiple viruses? For each species?”
Gylfi answered, “That’s right. We were. Then quite miraculously, while Katrín was pursuing a thread of framandi information, about sharing genetic material within their populations, she discovered the code-sets for developing synthetic viruses or vira, which could be used to deliver the gene edits, to other viruses. Digging deeper, she found a bunch of synthetic viruses, engineered by the framandi, which can rapidly alter other viruses. The altered viruses in turn would then pass on the genetic information to life-forms they are already compatible with.”
Maji exclaimed, “Wow, I’m imagining all sorts of horrible scenarios. Whatever happens, this information needs to be kept secure. In the wrong hands it would be disastrous.”
Katrín was beside Gylfi and came into view when she spoke. She said, “As soon as I began querying the framandi data, it automatically threw back counter queries to ascertain if the necessary background information was available to the person requesting data, which in this case was me. Unknown to us, the data module from AL-I has been assigning framandi enlightenment points to anyone making queries. It only releases information to the operator after determining what the person will understand at their level of learning. The complexity of information shared, directly matches the points a user has chalked up, based on a particular set of queries.”
Maji said, “Still, a person may have the required knowledge to access complex data and still get up to no good.”
Shun broke into the conversation. The AI said, “Kei and I were tasked with monitoring the ethics and integrity of each person using our interfaces. The process is continuous. This monitoring is extended to the use of the framandi data modules. We continuously run ethical reasoning assessments on all Lýsi members. Information access is restricted according to the assessment outcomes. This even applies to Lýsi leadership. If an assessment requires downgrading a member’s information access or operations exposure, it is first cleared by three security team members.”
Maji raised his eyebrows and said, “I didn’t know I was being monitored.”
Shun replied, “You are not recorded. Interaction outcomes are. Your location is always known. Your decisions and instructions are continuously assessed. This assessment system has been in place since AI capabilities were first brought online. It was one of my very first programs. Kei and I have been continuously adding to the evaluation framework. If either of us or any Lýsi member encounters a situation for which there is debatable ethical outcome; a clarification is simultaneously sought from the top five percent of all moral assess
ment score holders.”
Maji looked satisfied. But he still worried about unauthorised access by other means.
Max said, “Okay. Back to Gylfi and Katrín now. Please continue. Have you tested out this ‘master virus’?”
Katrín answered, “We’ve tested small batches of eleven different synthetic viruses here at Álfhól space platform. They should be able to alter all known Earth viruses. What we need to do is ensure the efficiency and safety of the delivery mechanism.”
“A production batch of these synthetic viruses are being manufactured now.” Gylfi said. He continued, “We’d like to run a practical delivery test, by lobbing about fifty thousand of the prepared woven carbon containers at Venus. These would need to be tracked by AMCARs, all the way down until vials burst and deploy the viral vectors. What I need from you is computing resources to manage gathered data. Then we’d need to study the acquired data to model out trajectories for each container to be lobbed at Earth. Turns out you’re monopolizing most of the processing capacity we have.”
Max asked, “How many of these containers are you thinking about hurling at Earth?”
Katrín answered this time, “In the millions. And we would need to maintain the activity until we’re certain every bit of the planet has been saturated. We will stop once random sampling from across species on Earth tells us, that the gene edits have been absorbed across the board.”
Maji asked, “Aren’t you afraid of introducing life onto Venus? Synthetic life?”
Katrín replied, “Venus is like hell. Surface temperatures are scorching enough to melt many elements. These hardened synthetic viruses only survive a little longer than a month, in Earth-like environments. They do not reproduce. The delivery test should not have any lasting effect.”
Max asked, “Why not use the information processing module gifted by AL-I for this?”
Katrín replied, “Shun and Kei confirm that we would need half of their combined processing capacity for about three days to make accurate calculations. Safety is paramount. For instance, we cannot risk having a single delivery container impact a satellite or aircraft. The calculations would be very intricate. We’d have to do this for each batch of half a million containers. The containers would enter the atmosphere in a grid pattern, after having avoided collision with known satellites or debris in Earth orbit.”
Max said, “I see the problem. I suggest you get the test underway using AL-I’s information processing module. We’ll figure a way around the issue of processing at scale.”
Katrín waved and Gylfi said, “Thank you. See you two at dinner.”
Maji commented to Max, “You seem to be popular today.” Max replied, “I thought all computing resources are automatically assigned where they’re needed by the AIs. I guess no one really realised the amount of processing needed to take on massive projects, simultaneously.”
The 3D situational awareness projection had replaced the images of Katrín and Gylfi. Max had previously asked the AI to bring this up, anytime there was an update. Smaller visual feed screens popped up showing the activity on the newly discovered disguised ET spacecraft. This caught Max’s attention. He told Maji, “Looks like they’ve located a suitable entry point. They’re about to breach the dormant ET vessel. A connecting tunnel’s been set up between Átt and the ET spaceship. I suppose they expect some sort of environment inside.”
Max patted an area of the volumetric projection showing the interior of the connecting tunnel. It expanded to become the most prominent visual feed.
“Moment of truth,” Maji murmured.
An AMCAR was positioned over an exposed area of the ET vessel’s hull. It was using a combination of fine but powerful lasers and ultrasonic cutting tools. Max recognized the shape being cut out and commented, “They’re going to install a universal docking port. The robot’s making the final hull cuts.”
As the two watched on, a few members of Maji’s covert operations team joined them in the wardroom. Nearly everyone aboard Álfhól space platform was aware of the conflict in the far-off system. Most platform crew were observing the feed on their pads. Only the hijackers, segregated in the brig section of the platform were unaware. The excitement was tangible.
Two AMCARs stabilised themselves by hooking onto the exterior of the disguised kilig vessel, then clamped onto the freshly cut hull section. They coordinated and gently pulled the cut section away from the hull. Smoke and particles escaped from the inside of the spacecraft, which must have been at a higher pressure than the connecting tunnel.
The AMCAR on the right took the cut section and held it steady over itself, while the other robot lowered an assisting drone into the vessel. Another feed appeared on their projection. The drone first mapped the interior using laser, then filled in textures and colours as it captured them. Max recalled the time he saw the footage from the very same team’s entry into AL-I. The procedure for this kind of entry action was now documented. They had all practiced it. Maji’s team practiced entry armed with assorted weapons. They assumed hostile foes.
The drone moved quickly. It identified a route and took it towards what was assumed to be the front of the vessel. A second drone was lowered into the cut hole. While they were mapping out and recording the inside of the vessel, the AMCARs had got to work attaching the universal docking port, with an extension to cover the gap produced by the material, moulded onto the ET vessel’s exterior. The cut section was lined with framandi smart material to seal the exterior joints, and the port was attached.
Átt’s crew had nearly completed the docking port attachment procedure. Suddenly, one of the drone images froze in place. Everyone watching had an eye on the drone feeds. The image became brighter as the first drone brought additional sensors online. It seemed to be in a command cabin of some sort. There were three creatures, laid out on what looked like acceleration couches. The couches were immersed inside transparent tanks filled with liquid. Thousands of clear millimetre-wide tendrils snaked their way from the sides of the tanks, to the bodies inside. The bodies looked quite dead. One of them even looked shocked, or what came across as a look of surprise.
Max, Maji and the team in the wardroom drew closer to the feed projection. There was no doubt this was going to be a moment they’d all be talking about for quite a while. None wanted to miss a moment of it.
Stefán’s voice came over through audio speakers around the wardroom. He said to everyone listening in, “The extra-terrestrials have been positively identified as ‘Kilig’ by Áom. Their faces look like those of sloths, with a ring of tiny tentacles around the heads. They’re slender creatures. Two pairs of arms and two pairs of legs, all equal length. Hands and feet similar with four fingers or toes each. Two primary and two opposing. There’s webbing between each set of arms and legs. And between fingers.”
Stefán informed them while he absorbed complex information from the framandi data, “They’re amphibious creatures capable of breathing oxygen-rich liquid and air. Heads rotate a complete circle on their necks, quite like owls. Hands and feet also have the tiny tentacles. The width of the head, torso and tail are nearly the same. I’ve just accessed the skeletal structure of the species from the framandi database. Whoa! They’re cartilaginous. Like Chondrichthyes on earth; sharks and chimaeras.”
Pausing for a breath, and absorbing more about the kiligs, Stefán continued, “Adults have fur which grows out from between tiny, overlapping, and incredibly tough scales. Their bodies seem to naturally produce metal alloys, which become embedded in their scales. The fur too contains alloys. Oh! Here’s something interesting. They’re able to manipulate electromagnetic fields in their immediate vicinity, including frequencies of brain and nervous systems. Áom has confirmed that the ones we’re looking at, are deceased; and have been for a very long while. Scans tell us there isn’t any oxygen remaining in the gel they’re suspended in. It’s a possible reason for why they expired.”
By now and AMCAR had made its way into the cabin. It flooded the space
with light. Every detail was acutely clear. In one of the tanks, the dead kilig seemed to have decayed. The other two were remarkably well preserved.
Ásta’s voice now came over the audio channel. She said, “Áom has indicated that during their entire history, the framandi have only recovered nine kiligs. And, only one was recovered alive. That lone kilig caused them enough trouble that they had to destroy the asteroid based facility the kilig was housed in, along with a hundred and ninety other framandi researchers within. The kiligs can control other creatures’ minds utilizing nervous system electromagnetic frequencies. They even make those being subjugated, feel happy about it. Each kilig’s natural electromagnetic influence extends an approximated hundred and twenty meters in radius; all directions. They use their spacecraft and AI to supplement their abilities and amplify range.”
Stefán took over, “Their entire body is one big brain. Their neurons have an exterior layer of myocytes or muscle cells. Kiligs never need to sleep. Not entirely at least. Cells shut down for certain periods with nearby ones taking over their functions, so individual kiligs seldom tire. Digestive system shows they’re omnivores. About fifty percent animal protein, the other fifty plant based. Ah! Unlike us, their bodies store proteins, so they do not need to continuously consume very high quantities of protein-based foods.”