OMEGA Destiny

by Stephen Arseneault

  An hour later, bots were standing outside Jack's door. "Human named Jack Carson. Your presence is requested."

  The colonel gave a nod and the switch was flipped. A green light indicated a full boot. Three seconds later the eight bots in the hall slumped to the floor, as did the other eight waiting in the exit doorway.

  The colonel stood. "Let's go see what we got ourselves into."

  We moved through the door and down the hall. The last door at the end opened into a large room where several hundred bots and half a dozen AIs were spread across the floor.

  I was the first to say, "Disable the AIs. Forget about the bots for now."

  Joni was the first to act, picking up one of the lighter bots and smashing it down on a fallen AI.

  After several ineffective swings, Garrett began to laugh. "I don't think you're doing much damage there."

  Joni replied as she smiled. "No, but it sure feels good."

  Five minutes later the AIs were permanently removed from service.

  The colonel gestured toward a back room door. "Shall we see what's back there?"

  I nodded as I stepped up, kicking it hard with my foot. The door didn't budge. I gently set my assuredly bruised foot on the floor.

  Go picked up two of the laser pistols. "Step back."

  Two dozen pulses later, a chair was used to punch through a growing hole in the door that was glowing almost white-hot.

  The colonel held up a hand. "Give it some time. We can reach through once it cools."

  I walked back to the me lab and returned with a tall bottle of liquid nitrogen. "Step back. We'll shatter it."

  A nozzle was opened and the liquefied gas fogged the door as it rolled down over the heated section. I set the bottle down, picked up the chair and again smashed the door. The brittle frozen metal, including the lock, shattered from the impact. The remainder of the door was pushed open.

  Go said, "It's a control room. This must be the operations center for this complex."

  Jack looked over a wall covered with holo-displays. "I don't think we're on Doomlight. This looks like a ship. These views are of a hull."

  Garrett said, "Guys, over here. I think these are the controls for that Baldi technology. I bet if I flip this up, we are once again visible."

  Before the colonel could raise his hand, Garrett flipped the switch.

  The colonel shook his head. "I wish you would ask before doing things like that. If this ship is now visible, who do you think will be the first to see it?"

  Garrett replied, "Good point."

  Jack looked over a console of controls. "Anyone else think this is a comm console?"

  The colonel walked over. "Any chance we can contact the Destiny?"

  Jack smiled. "I do happen to know its comm channel. However, the channels look encrypted, and if we put out a broadcast, everyone will know we're here."

  Go said, "I don't see any nav controls. I think this ship is a floating box. No drives."

  Garrett stood in front of a holo-display. "We have other people on this barge with us. This diagram shows access doors to other sections. Should we let them free?"

  I said, "We might as well. Perhaps someone will know a way off this ship, or will have at least seen something we haven't."

  Garrett reached up, flipping another switch. "All doors are open."

  The colonel turned. "What did I just ask you?"

  Garrett replied, "We can't just leave them locked up."

  The colonel stepped up, watching the holo-display as others began to move throughout the arena hallways. "An orderly release might have been better. We don't know what they've been told and we don't want them fighting each other."

  Garrett took a deep breath. "Another good point. No more switches, I promise."

  I turned to face the others. "Keep this control room secure and see if you can unscramble those comm channels. I'll talk to the people out there. They at least deserve to know the situation."

  Go said, "I'll go with you."

  We exited the control room and moved out into the hallway. Two Igari poked their heads through a doorway.

  I said, "Hold up. We're friendly. The AIs are all down."

  One of the Igari's replied, "Who are you and what's going on?"

  "I'm Knog Beutcher. You are on some sort of arena in space. The AIs plan on having us fighting one another to the death. We're almost as much in the dark as the rest of you."

  A Human female pushed her way past the Igari. "How do we know you aren't part of this game?"

  Go pointed. "That's her! The sword girl!"

  The girl looked on angrily. "I know you. You cheated in the simulator!"

  Go said, "That was a simulator? It was so real. I thought I killed you!"

  The girl scowled. "Best sim I've ever seen. If we were fighting for real, I wouldn't have slipped."

  Go shook his head. "Let's hope we never have to do that."

  The girl asked, "Who are you people and what are we doing here?"

  Go puffed up his chest. "I'm Go. We're fighting the AIs."

  The girl smirked. "Go? That's a stupid name."

  The air went out of Go's chest.

  The girl, realizing her mistake, apologized. "Sorry about that. Things are a bit tense right now. I shouldn't have said that. My name is Diane."

  The girl stepped forward, stretching out her hand. Go took it and shook.

  Diane said, "Wow, firm handshake."

  Go half smiled. "Prosthetics. I lost my limbs due to radiation."

  I added, "He saved us all during a fierce battle. Sacrificed himself."

  Diane offered her own half smile. "Really?"

  The Igari said, "What do we do now?"

  I replied, "Find any AIs on the rest of this ship and destroy them. When finished, do the same to the bots. AIs first though. When that's done, have everyone gather in the arena and we can all discuss our options."

  The Igari nodded and turned back toward the others. Diane walked with Go, interested in his battlefield heroics. I returned to the control room.

  Chapter 14

  * * *

  As Garrett and Jack worked on the comm station, I met with the other captives. "Look, all we know is we are trapped here. We don't know how to leave and we don't know when the AI ships will be showing up. We would have to assume they know something has happened."

  A Paquie raised his hand. "What are we supposed to do? They know who we are. If we run, they will find us if we go back to the colonies."

  I replied, "I wish we had answers. This is all new to us. We're trying to find a way off this arena station. But we don't even know where we are. How many of you were brought aboard through a portal?"

  None of the others raised their hands.

  I said, "You all came in by ship?"

  A dozen heads shook.

  I asked, "Have all the AIs been destroyed?"

  The original Igari said, "And the bots."

  I nodded. "OK, all I can say is, make yourselves at home until we figure something out. Does anyone here have comm or encryption experience?"

  I single hand was raised. "I handled comms for my uncle's fleet of ten small freighters. We ran our own encryption to keep the competitors from listening in."

  I pointed toward the door. "You, come with me. We'll see if you can help."

  As we walked, I asked, "What's your name?"

  "Graziel. I'm a Luddite."

  I said, "Well, Graziel, I'm hoping your comm experience can help us. We want to communicate with a friend, but the comm console is encrypted."

  Graziel smiled. "If it's a standard console, it should have maintenance access. I might be able to bypass the encryption from there."

  "Where would you have learned that?"

  Graziel smirked. "Let's just say my uncle didn't always move legitimate cargoes. He had a bay full of comm consoles that were encrypted, so they were useless to him. I figured out how to bypass that interface and he managed a tidy profit on them. I've just always been fascinate
d by ion comm circuits. Someday I'll build an uncrackable comm and make my millions."

  We entered the control room and Graziel got to work as Jack and Garrett watched. Fifteen minutes later the comm interface lit up. Jack entered the channel and a comm hail was sent.

  Quan answered. "Mr. Carson, glad to see you are still with us."

  Jack replied, "We don't have much time. We're stuck on a station of sorts and we aren't sure where it is."

  Quan said, "One moment... you are in Andromeda, in orbit above Regalia II."

  I asked, "Where's the Destiny? Do they have her?"

  Quan replied, "One moment... the Destiny is no longer under their control. The AIs on this vessel now report to me."

  Garrett said, "Guys, we have AI ships coming in!"

  Jack offered a confused look. "Wait... the AIs there report to you?"

  Quan replied, "Using Garrett's comm inhibitor and code, and the access crack we had previously devised, I modified their operating systems. I've just jumped the Destiny to a new location, half a light year from your current position."

  I said, "We're all in this room. Sweep us out first. If you then have the opportunity to scan this station, sweep all the others out of here as well."

  "One moment... please group together."

  Go pulled Diane close and she asked, "We're getting out of here?"

  A portal window swept over us, closing as the sweep completed. Jack went down on his hands and knees, kissing the deck. Joni hugged a smiling Garrett. Raptor came running from the hallway door, excited to see his people.

  Quan said, "Please remove yourselves from the docking bay. I have another sweep to perform."

  Seconds later, another sixty AMP citizens appeared on the deck behind us.

  I raised my hand and voice to get their attention. "Please be patient, we'll try to get you to a portal gate so you can get home as soon as possible. Until that time, please wait here."

  Quan was standing on the bridge when I walked into the room. "I can't believe we have our ship back."

  The android replied, "I've interrogated the AIs aboard and we now have a method for detecting the AI ships using the Baldi technology. It's being incorporated as we speak."

  Quan continued: "There are eleven hundred fifteen arena pods in orbit around Regalia. I estimate each to have a contingent of sixteen AI units, two hundred bots, and sixty-six hundred AMP citizens. Should we mount a rescue effort?"

  I said, "Can you take control of the AIs aboard those arenas?"

  Quan replied, "I can. However, we are in need of a place to transport those citizens as the Destiny's docking bay is not large enough to accommodate them all."

  The colonel asked, "Quan, do you know where Frig and Kerba are?"

  "They were swept aboard a vessel that was in orbit around Doomlight," said Quan. "The AI memories here do not have information beyond that point."

  I turned to the colonel. "Was a gate installed on Maxell when we pushed the new gates out?"

  The colonel nodded. "I believe so."

  "Quan," I asked, "is the gate on Maxell near the fields Kerba was exploring? And if the gate is still active, could we possibly drop the captives on the surface there for them to travel home?"

  Garrett said, "Uh, isn't that place radioactive?"

  Quan replied, "Short exposure would be harmless. The gate on Maxell tests as being open. Should I begin the process of sending the citizens home?"

  I nodded. "Just keep us on the move as well. We don't need a hundred AI battlecruisers surprising us again. Regalia II, is that planet populated?"

  Quan replied, "Regalia II has no atmosphere. Data shows no signs of life."

  I said, "Good. As you move people off those arenas, have them de-orbit. No sense in leaving those arenas so they can fill them up again."

  Quan replied, "We have the issue of the AI ships that responded to your rebellion. What shall we do with them?"

  I asked, "Can you take control of them as well?"

  Quan nodded. "Consider it done. De-orbit?"

  I smiled. "Have them attack each other on their way down."

  The citizens in the Destiny's docking bay were the first to be sent to Maxell. One arena ship after another was liberated with the captives being swept away. As new AI ships arrived to quell the rebellion, Quan co-opted them into his control group. Our endeavor to end the arena games would take several hours to complete. We were given the time to relax and to plan our next move.

  As we sat around a table, the colonel looked over at Diane. "Who are you?"

  Go eagerly replied, "This is Diane. She's going to hang around with us for a while."

  The colonel said, "We can always use volunteers. What are you offering?"

  Go said, "We're keeping her—I mean … she's staying with us. She's great with a sword."

  The colonel laughed. "OK, well, Miss Diane. Are there any other skills you can bring to the table? What do you do for a living?"

  Diane cleared her throat. "I sword-fight, for exhibitions and events."

  Jack asked, "You can make a living at that?"

  Diane slowly shook her head. "Well, not really. My grandfather owns a manufacturing company. He pays most of my expenses."

  The colonel asked, "I'm sometimes into the genealogy of a person's name. What's your full name?"

  Diane smiled. "Diane Penelope York."

  The colonel's eyebrows lifted. "I knew a Diane York. Heck-uv-a Marine."

  Diane straightened up. "My grandmother was a shipping inspector in our home port. That's about as government as my family gets. Unless you go way back."

  The colonel laughed. "Way back is what I'm talking about. This would have been during the War of Wars’ time frame, two thousand years ago."

  Diane grinned. "You... you are the colonel we saw on the news feeds? That was my direct ancestor! Diane York fought for you in the War of Wars! I'm the forty-second descendant of that Diane York! She's not here with you, is she?"

  The colonel shook his head. "I wish. She passed away a long time ago. Heck-uv-a Marine that one. I always wished I had ten thousand fighters just like her."

  Go sat staring at Diane with a grin on his face.

  Diane turned. "What?"

  Go continued his grin. "Sorry. It's just... you’re beautiful. And you can fight and—"

  Joni said, "Whoa, slow down there, fella. You're going to embarrass yourself."

  Diane looked back at Go and smiled. "It's OK, I kind of like it. He stands up for himself and others. I haven't found much of that back home. Of course, on Redatta we're only about 1 percent Human. So the pickings are kind of slim."

  Garrett shook his head. "Was I ever that goofy?"

  Joni smiled. "You still are."

  The discussions about Diane and about what we would do next continued until the last of the captives had been transferred to the surface of Maxell. Minutes later, the last arena ship burned white hot as it plowed through the Regalia II atmosphere.

  The colonel said, "I say we go get Frig and Kerba. Quan, open a portal scan of the area where Frig was reportedly sent."

  The colonel stood, looking across the table. "Diane York. Hmm."

  We followed the colonel out of the conference room and back to the bridge. Quan was feeding the scan results to the holo-wall.

  Garrett scowled. "Four hundred ships? Great."

  Jack said, "Look at how they're arranged. Last time I saw a formation like that there was ship in the middle. Something of value. The Moddle used to do that with their command ships."

  Go said, "The data isn't showing anything. Quan, does this include the ships with the Baldi tech?"

  "Yes."

  Jack asked, "Could they have copied the active skin from the Destiny? Or our BGS suits they took?"

  Quan replied, "Those technologies can be replicated."

  Garrett said, "Wait a minute. Quan? How'd you stay hidden here on the ship that whole time?"

  Quan replied, "It was relatively easy. I stood in the alcove on de
ck-four, hallway D. This limited my visibility to one or two AIs at a time. As they passed my location, I accessed their memory logs and overwrote the image of the alcove with one that was empty. Had they performed a maintenance scan, each AI that passed would have shown an anomaly. No such scans were run."

  The scan of the area around Doomlight completed. No signs of living beings were found.

  Jack said, "Open a portal in the center of those ships for another scan. They may have their signatures masked. Maybe the Baldi tech works for hiding bios."

  Quan replied, "One moment... I seem to be having trouble with the portal. Initiating … the generator is rejecting the opening of a portal in that location."

  I said, "Open one elsewhere and perform a diagnostic."

  Quan replied, "All systems are functional."

  I asked, "What would cause the generator to reject that point in space?"

  "There are only two known instances of a rejection," said Quan. If an attempt is made to open a portal within a portal, the generator rejects the attempt. The second occurrence of a rejection will happen if an attempt is made to open a portal within the confines of a blinked out ship."

  Jack stood. "I knew it. They have a ship parked there in the middle, and I bet that's where they have Frig and Kerba."

  I asked Quan, "Is there any way to get in there?"

  Quan nodded. "Utilizing the same technique we have seen before—set off an adequate-sized fermium explosion in close proximity to the active skin."

  "That poses several problems," I said.

  Jack asked, "What?"

  "We don't have any fermium bombs, and if we did, we don't know how powerful we'd need it to be."

  Jack replied, "We know where to get fermium, and we have bots aboard who can process it. I say we make a small, medium, and large version and set them off, starting with the small."

  "Quan," I said, "jump us to Odenta. We need fermium."

  The colonel nodded. "I like where this is going."

  I asked, "Quan? Can you give an estimated time for mining?"

  Quan replied, "Approximately six hours to gather the needed ore, followed by two hours of refining. The bots have begun working on a housing."

  Garrett said, "So we set off a fermium bomb—what do we do about the AIs surrounding the ship?"