by Peter Wood
‘Escorts? That’s new for Thom. Does that mean you’re expecting the Cadre ships to do something?’
‘They already have, with very aggressive attempts to penetrate Freedom’s electronic security. The Comet will put an end to that, and more importantly may be able to discover any instructions from K74. There is also a possibility, quite low, of physical intimidation.’
Many thoughts raced through Wirrin’s mind. K74 would be crazy to start anything after the previous reactions, but of course that hadn’t stopped them then.
‘Intimidate a whole habitat? Why? That would be a step beyond anything they’ve done before.’
‘Very much so, but we know they look on Freedom as the only way of accessing some of the knowledge and technologies they’re seeking, and with the habitat only days away from our protection this would be their last and only chance to gain that access. It’s a step the Cadre might consider taking.’
‘The Comets definitely should be there.’
‘Yes, and they won’t take long. They’ll quickly defuse the situation.’
Wirrin thought of Thom eagerly blasting the Comet at its maximum acceleration. No. He couldn’t. The other Comet would hold him back. Maybe he’d rush ahead anyway?
‘There has also been another change of embassy staff and we’ll have a look at the background of the new appointees before we recheck the diagnostic module data. We’ll also have a look at a location on K74 that is apparently going to be a new blocked area and then I’d like you to do an analysis of all new constructions throughout the habitat as well.’
Pirramar paused, as if calculating what else to add to the day’s efforts and Wirrin almost laughed. They’d never get through all that. Not if they were going to do it properly.
‘Have they really changed their embassy staff again? They never stop.’
‘This is the biggest change yet and some of the new people need a close look.’
That piqued Wirrin’s interest. It sounded as if Pirramar already knew something and wanted to find out more.
‘Well, we haven’t been blocked from their administration systems yet so let’s start there. I think we should—’
Wirrin stopped abruptly because Pirramar was holding a hand up as if he needed his attention elsewhere.
‘Move quickly to your TransCom portal. Communication with Freedom has just been cut off and we’d like you on the Comet for input with the InfoSystem.’
Wirrin disengaged from his home system then, seeing the urgency in Pirramar’s expression, started running. The portal was only seconds away, as it had been installed especially for people coming to see Sonic or other dolphins in the guest area, and when the door closed Wirrin was surprised to see Pirramar still with him. Oh, he was now working through his personal equipment.
‘TRANSCOM PRIORITY ONE!’
Wirrin gawked at the flashing red speed indicator. How fast were they going?
‘TransCom is giving you emergency access to the closest available facility for transfer to the Comet. All our efforts to communicate with Freedom in the last twenty seconds have been blocked and it is now imperative to get the Comet there as soon as possible. Thom is waiting and ready to leave the moment you arrive.’
Wirrin rushed through the docking tube and into the Comet in just over three minutes, a trip which usually took between twenty and thirty minutes, and by the time he reached the control centre, Warrakan, if he’d taken the time to look, was a speck in space behind them. After a quick wave to Thom that received a preoccupied nod in response, Wirrin dived for his InfoSystem and linked in. He’d learn more and faster that way. Comet-Turaku appeared and an analysis window opened on the display.
‘This is all we can detect. It’s a powerful localised jamming signal, which is completely blocking any transmissions into or out of Freedom. We need to be close to penetrate, and that won’t happen for another four hours.’
Four hours was very different to the five days Freedom would take to cover the same distance. Thom must have the Comet stretched to its maximum acceleration – 21.6G.
What? That was beyond the maximum.
‘What can we do, Turaku?’
‘At this stage nothing, Wirrin, except gather information. We have contacted other vessels in the vicinity but there are very few while Freedom is in transit. Three have approached at our request but have been smothered by the jamming fog before getting close enough to scan anything.’
‘Did we know the Cadre ships could block transmissions like that?’
‘Yes, it’s a straightforward process and standard equipment for aggressive vessels. Applying it to a habitat is unprecedented.’
The next three and a half hours was pure frustration for Wirrin as all he could do was keep a watch while nothing changed. The jamming signal had been closely examined and it would be penetrated in another quarter hour purely and simply by proximity and stronger equipment on the Comet.
Thom similarly had little to do except monitor the Comet’s performance and they talked about possibilities without having any supporting information.
Akama made contact briefly, with information passing at light speed between the Comet and the habitats.
Wirrin wondered if the jamming would have any effect on the Comet but quickly discovered that their picofactory had built and installed counter devices. Why hadn’t Freedom done the same? They had the knowledge.
‘Thom, we’ll break through that jamming in five minutes. I want you to lock on to Freedom and check its navigation fundamentals. The overall jamming area is showing a deviation from the habitat’s planned course.’
That was either very good or very bad. If the jamming area was diverging from Freedom, it could mean the Cadre ships were leaving. If not, the habitat itself was changing course and that implied some sort of control by the Cadre ships. Thom nodded his understanding, but Turaku hadn’t finished.
‘Approach recommendations have come through from Pirramar as well, and he advises full implementation of stealth mode while we make an assessment of the situation. He also warns there is a significant likelihood of interference to AIs and suggests all actions should be initiated with a degree of isolation through the InfoSystem.’
‘We let the jamming continue?’
‘Yes, Thom. Providing it doesn’t interfere with your stealth procedures. Unless we have no other choice it’s important we understand exactly what’s happening before we act.’
Wirrin went into overdrive, as his InfoSystem was now the controlling focus for any actions Turaku or the security AI wanted to take. He knew what he was doing though. He’d been through this a number of times already, first on Thom’s stealth exercise, and several times since with Pirramar to build his readiness.
‘Full stealth mode activated.’
Thom’s voice, clear and determined, sounded through the control centre and Wirrin launched his own stealthed signal. In this first stage it should allow the Comet’s scanners penetration, and then, with decreasing distance, a breakthrough to communication with Freedom. Yes, the large mass of Freedom was now registering and, not quite so clearly, the lesser masses of the four Cadre ships.
‘Freedom shows a definite course variation.’
Thom was relaying the information Turaku asked for but Wirrin was paying far more attention to the four Cadre ships, now clearly resolved. What were they doing? All gathered near the habitat drive engines?
‘Freedom’s acceleration level is .06G. Precisely one quarter of capability. Three engines may be off-line.’
Wirrin heard Thom’s call, briefly thought that it tied in with the positions of the Cadre ships, then fixed on his own information, which was producing greater detail with every passing moment.
‘Turaku, I think they’re dismantling one of the engines.’
Turaku could see for himself and would be reviewing every bit of data at AI speed, but Wirrin couldn’t help making his call.
‘Not dismantling, Wirrin, but they do appear to be making a rapid analysis. Thr
ee engines are not functioning and the remaining one is turning Freedom in the direction of K74. Contact with Freedom is imminent and soon after we will be close enough to take control of all K74 electronics.
‘Thom, maintain stealth at all costs.
‘Wirrin, you have the communication codes for Freedom AIs. Initiate contact on my mark but keep all incoming data in quarantine.’
According to the InfoSystem, contact was already available. Why was Turaku waiting? Oh, he’d just tested the strength of the quarantine system. He must be worried about rogue traps.
‘Wirrin, three … two … one … mark.’
Wirrin transmitted the codes and watched for the response, which should arrive within seconds. Yes, there it was.
Busy!
Busy!
Busy! … Oh no!
‘Turaku, they’re in a priority trap. I’m linked but they’re not responding.’
‘Are you linked well enough to apply any analysis?’
‘Yes, I’ve already started. Can we contact the people instead?’
There was a momentary hesitation from Turaku.
‘Not possible. All communication was integrated with AI processors after the first Freedom hack. I have relayed the details of this mistake on our part to Pirramar so we can allow for independent procedures on Attunga and Warrakan in the event of a similar emergency.’
Wombats! AIs making a mistake? That was a first for Wirrin.
A bank of tell-tales turned green. The Comet was now close enough to take control of any or all of the Cadre ships.
‘Turaku, we now have one hundred per cent scanner access but I’m going to look at those ships before we take control. Thom, how close can we move without losing our stealth?’
‘With four ships I can manage at 10 kilometres, and that will be in another … six and a half minutes.’
Wirrin was expecting 15 kilometres. Thom had learnt from the stealth exercise.
‘Hold at 12 kilometres please. I’m placing a priority one on the gathering of information before we take any action.’
Thom’s eyes jerked momentarily from his controls.
‘The Kadaitcha man?’
It was Wirrin’s turn to give a terse nod. He had so much to do.
First he set his InfoSystem to scanning the Cadre ships in the finest possible detail, physical structure, management systems, electronics, full radiation spectrum, everything. Next he examined the area around the drive engines and relayed the resulting information to Turaku and the security AI who would gather meaning from it much faster than he could. His focus shifted momentarily to a blue success signal flashing from the program watching the Freedom communications, then abruptly back to a red warning about the Cadre ships.
Structural anomalies? What did that mean?
A closer look at one showed an unaccounted volume of space close to the vessel’s control centre.
A blocked area? This was suspiciously similar to the dead areas on K74. Rogue work. Wirrin almost smiled. When they reached the 12 kilometre point he’d soon penetrate that. What was its purpose though, so close to the control centre and clearly meant to be secret?
‘Freedom is almost on course to K74. Another half hour of the current engine thrust will align it exactly.’
Thom’s call startled Wirrin. They were taking Freedom to K74? While information poured in Wirrin checked another blue success signal.
The method of trapping the Freedom AIs had been identified and an inoculation program could be sent to release them at any time. That couldn’t be right? It was too simple a version, not much advanced on the ones used at Monkey Mia against the Australian AIs.
‘Turaku, the Freedom AIs wouldn’t have been cut off so completely with this type of trap. They shouldn’t even have been caught by it. There’s something wrong.’
‘I concur. Maintain priority one and concentrate on the anomalies. The probability of danger to the Comet has just increased from insignificant to medium level, and on Pirramar’s advice we have brought our multi-spectrum energy defences to the ready state. Early visual scanning shows devices of some type installed against all four drive engines.’
Wirrin wanted to check all that, but his priority now was the blocked areas and what they meant. Another two minutes and they’d be stationary and the Comet’s advanced radar, infra-red, x-ray and resonance scans would come into play.
Another blue signal from the AI communications task? What had it found this time?
Very quickly Wirrin checked. No wonder Freedom’s AIs were locked. This was a second trap, far more sophisticated than the obvious first one, and capable of affecting even the Comet’s AIs.
Not now though; he had its measure and would be able to assemble a cure and counter for its effects.
‘Distance to Freedom 12 kilometres. Relative velocity is zero and I can maintain one hundred per cent stealth indefinitely. Multi-spectrum beams are operational but not targeted.’
Wirrin called up a holographic representation of the blocked area on the nearest Cadre ship and watched as blurry shapes and outlines steadily resolved into the form and detail of a single room with three people sitting at consoles.
‘Is there enough information to work out what they’re doing, Turaku?’ Wirrin asked.
‘Tracing the wiring and electronics … two people monitoring everything taking place in the main Cadre ship’s command centre. The third person has a console that is connected to a powerful transmission device of some kind. We need direct access to understand its purpose but there is no way past that firewall even if we do control the rest of the ship.’
Transmission device? Wirrin’s thoughts went into a spin. Adrenaline flooded his system as he added factor after factor to the idea screaming in his mind.
It all fitted together.
‘PRIORITY ONE! PRIORITY ONE!
‘Turaku. Isolate every AI function from access to our scanning systems and put yourself behind the strongest quarantine you can build. The same for the security AI. On no account accept any external signal unless it’s okayed through my InfoSystem. Cut all contact with Warrakan and Attunga.’
‘Priority One actions completed.’
Wirrin’s momentary sense of relief dissipated. There was still too much to do. ‘Turaku, I need to apply Pirramar’s health program to make sure you haven’t been compromised in any way by a rogue trap. This whole event is nothing to do with Freedom. It’s an attempt to capture the Comet.’
Thom swore.
‘Thom, this is also priority one for you. Those four Cadre ships are waiting for us and must be scanning with everything they have available. If I understand this correctly they have traps waiting for our AIs when they link into the Cadre systems, so we mustn’t be detected.’
‘We could blow them away with our multi-spectrum beams.’
‘No we couldn’t. They’ve got Freedom as a hostage with those radiation devices.’
‘I know. I know. I just feel like it. They won’t detect us while we’re stationary and you’re right about them looking for us. There are sixteen surveillance drones out there, mostly concentrated along the direct approach from Warrakan, but they’re no problem … What are we going to do?’
That was the big question and Wirrin was working on it. Somehow he had to get at the information in the blockout area, analyse it, and build a protection program without any help from the AIs. Until that was done there was no way to help Freedom without putting the Comet at risk.
‘Thom, if we have to, can you use the multi-spectrum beams to get rid of the radiation devices?’
After a pause Thom replied, ‘I can, but not against four locations at the same time. There would be a time lapse while I re-targeted, but I also don’t have the fine control the AIs use and there would be damage to the engine housings. There are people there as well and they would be vaporised. It would also instantly give away our position, and without our security AI we can’t defend ourselves properly against four aggressive Cadre ships.’
Wirrin felt like screaming. They couldn’t neutralise the radiation devices without making the Comet vulnerable. He needed the AIs to get access to the blocked area but if they tried that the AIs might succumb to some new trap of the rogue’s devising.
Think! Think! Think! How to get into that blocked area without AI help, without tripping alarms, without being seen by the people there, find the necessary information and return it safely to the Comet? It would need an incredible superspy. What a pity Thom couldn’t apply his stealth skills to a person.
Invisible superspy? They had one. Maybe. Just maybe.
‘Turaku. A stealth diagnostic drone can approach a Cadre ship without being detected. Could you give one the ability to gain entry as well and move about unseen?’
‘With the purpose of retrieving data from the blocked area I presume. Not with the current model, but with major design modifications it might be possible. Yes, a preliminary design gives a success probability of fifteen per cent and with time this will improve markedly.’
‘How much time, Turaku?’
Thom matched a ferocious grin with a thumbs up sign.
‘Seventeen per cent – approximately seventeen minutes, but then improvement will slow exponentially … twenty-one per cent.’
Time passed as they watched Turaku’s steadily rising probability count and discussed possible actions till Thom suddenly yelled, ‘Turaku, can we build space versions of the guardian drones we used at Shark Bay? They could protect us from a missile attack.’
‘We considered that, Thom, but to counter the combined aggressive resources of four Cadre ships we’d need several thousand guardians, and given our optimum construction rate of seventy-nine seconds per unit we discarded the idea as impractical.’
‘Could we build enough to disable the Cadre engines?’
‘Of course, but that would disclose our presence.’
‘Not if we make them appear to come from Freedom.’
‘No good, Thom. That would make them retaliate against Freedom.’
‘I can’t believe this. We’re better at everything than they are, but we can’t do a thing, and what happens if you can’t work out a way to protect all the AIs? We can’t just sit here and watch while they do whatever they want.’