by CJ Williams
Please, Your Highness. If I may, I will send you an image to explain why I cannot.
“Then do it!” Carrie ordered stridently.
The interior of the spacecraft appeared in Carrie’s mind. It was well appointed, not unlike her own yacht, except that it was a total mess. Half-eaten dishes of food were scattered indiscriminately, dirty clothes hung from the backs of chairs and corners of tables, and in the center of the living area, Luke was lying half on and half off a leather couch. His clothes were wrinkled like he had slept in them for a week. His face was heavily whiskered; he hadn’t shaved in a while, and he was out cold. But the telling fact was that all through the cabin, empty whiskey bottles were strewn everywhere.
Carrie mentally examined the scene and burst out laughing. Luke had obviously tied one on in a big way. No wonder his ship’s AI was worried. For one thing, it was so unlike her big brother.
Then she quickly controlled her mirth. Actually, this was a bad sign. Luke’s message from system N93 was that he had gone in pursuit of Annie, all on this own in some troop carrier, chasing after an escaping Grey ship.
Since then, everyone was anxiously waiting to hear back. But now, seeing his condition, that he was drunk out of his mind, and being all alone, it obviously meant that things didn’t go well. Carrie hoped that Annie hadn’t died. If she had, it would shatter her big brother.
Carrie rid her mind of the idea, it wasn’t even something to contemplate. In the meantime, she needed to deal with Luke’s current condition. She connected to the ship’s AI. He’s just drunk, Freddi. All men get drunk now and then. Open the door and we’ll take care of him.
The ship relented. Very well, Your Highness. I wanted you to be prepared.
Carrie told Grant to give her a moment with her brother. The door slid open and she walked up the boarding ramp. She wrinkled her nose once she got inside. Luke had really gone on a bender. She sat down next to her inebriated older brother and sighed pitifully. Her presence must have registered. He opened his eyes blearily.
“Damn it, Freddi,” Luke groaned, slurring his words. “I told you not to call Carrie.” He struggled to sit up.
“Relax, Luke,” Carrie said, helping him to an upright position. “Tell me what happened.”
“I screwed it up, kiddo,” he moaned. “I screwed everything up so bad you’re not going to believe it.”
“It’s okay, tell me what’s happened with Annie. Is she ….? I’m so sorry.”
“No!” Luke wailed. “She’s fine!”
Carrie was confused. “Then what’s wrong, Luke. Isn’t that a good thing?”
“The hell it is,” Luke said, belching loudly. “The hell it is. She’s living with another man and it’s my fault!” He leaned over and vomited the undigested remains of a whisky soaked burrito all over Carrie’s silken shoes and passed out once more.
*.*.*.*
Luke woke to find Carrie silently reading a book, sitting next to his hospital bed. His head was pounding.
“What the hell happened?” he asked quietly, his stomach roiling.
Carrie looked up and smiled. “Welcome back.”
Luke’s memories came rushing back and he groaned.
“We will get them back. Annie and the baby” Carrie said. “I got the entire story from Freddi while you were out. It sounds like you did everything you could.”
“Obviously not” Luke retorted angrily. “Ahg…” He pressed the heel of his hands against his temples. What a hangover. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had one this bad.
“I know you’re upset. But Freddi said you attached a tracking device to his ship. We’ll get this worked out.”
Luke’s face turned green. He was about to throw up. He scrambled to get out of the bed but got tangled in the sheets. Carrie picked up a waste bin that was sitting next to the bed and handed it to him. Luke puked into it and noticed belatedly that it was a wire frame trash can. “Damn it!” he choked out.
Carrie had scooted back quickly, out of the line of fire. She glared angrily at her brother. “Get a grip!” She barked at him.
Luke felt two sharp slaps against his cheeks even though Carrie was a good ten feet away. He kept forgetting how adept she was with her mental powers.
Carrie didn’t let up and continued to scold him. “Quit suppressing your implant and clean out your system,” she lectured crossly. “Good God, you’ve got to shape up so we can handle this!” She turned on her heel and stormed out of the hospital room, slamming the door as she left.
Luke stared at the closed door for several minutes in a state of quiet surprise. She was right. He was oozing with self-pity. He concentrated on his body and felt the toxins start to dissipate. Slowly his head began to clear.
He leaned back on his pillow and let out a long sigh. It was time to face facts and prepare for the future. He needed a plan to get Annie back from that idiot robot.
Chapter Eleven – The Grey Planet
I had never been so relieved as when my battlewagon crashed through the last tree line and rolled into the clearing where Freddi was waiting. We had fought just as hard, if not harder, getting out of the downtown area as we had going in.
By the time we reached the mudflats however, the Greys were losing interest. They realized we were leaving and by then they were glad to see us go. Once we left the city limits, almost all the resistance died away. There were a few snipers left, but when one of them took a shot, my counterfire teams obliterated them.
As we pulled up in front of the Phantom, I jumped down and opened the door for Annie. “We’re here babe. First thing we’ll do is have Freddi cook up an implant for Rosa.”
She gave me that stunned look once again. It was going to take a little time for her to get used to the new me. Ignore it, I thought. Just be yourself.
She saw my expression. “Sorry,” she said with a sad smile. “It’s still a bit shocking.”
“I understand. Come on. Watch the step. Want me to take Rosa?”
She almost flinched at that one. I stepped back and waved for her to go first.
Annie was struggling with my titanium appearance, but she was trying. She took a deep breath and handed the little bundle to me.
A huge grin spread across my face. I gently held my daughter in my arms and thought my heart was going to burst. It was the first time I had seen her. “She’s beautiful,” I said. Unfortunately, it was totally a lie. Our baby was very ill.
A barbican standing by the van helped Annie to disembark. I should have done that myself, but I was preoccupied with Rosa. “Sorry,” I said once Annie was on solid ground. That sorry wouldn’t even begin to cover what Annie had endured I thought as I handed our baby to her mother.
Annie looked around, trying to orient herself to the new situation.
I pointed to the mud-splattered yacht sitting next to the Phantom. “I had Freddi replicate this for us. I thought you would like to head back in something comfortable. The soldiers will load up on the Phantom.”
Annie glanced back and forth between the two ships with a worried expression and then gave me a pleading look.
“Can’t we go in the Phantom?” she asked. “I’ve been cooped up in a cell for so long, I want some space around me.” Tears started leaking from her eyes.
“Of course!” I said, shocked at my insensitivity. “I should have thought of that! Division One, change of plans! Load everyone you can into the yacht.”
I put my arm around Annie’s waist and guided her toward the boarding ramp. “Freddi! Get the staterooms cleared out. We’re going to be flying with you after all.”
“Unit Barrett,” Freddi said in a monotone voice. “You are not authorized to give commands to this starship. Permission is restricted to members of the First Family and their designated representatives.”
“Say what?” What was she talking about? This was not the time to argue with me. Not when I had just gotten Annie back and our daughter needed medical care. Where had Freddi come up with the gall to ig
nore my command? Then it dawned on me. I wasn’t really Luke; of course a Nobility AI was going to ignore me. That had been a big challenge in my basic design. Still, I should have predicted this and made allowances.
Annie intervened, cutting off what might have escalated into an existential crisis for the Phantom; I wanted to tell it to self-destruct.
“Please Freddi,” she said. “Can’t I just have a room where I can rest? I won’t take up much space.”
“Of course, Your Royal Highness!” Freddi gushed. “The captain’s stateroom has been cleared of all units and is being cleaned as we speak. Unit Barrett will escort you.”
There it was again. Unit? For a moment, I wondered if the ship was being deliberately insulting. I needed to straighten this out. “Freddi. You know very well who I am. I am King Lucas of the First Family. Acknowledge.”
“Standby, unit Barrett,” Freddi replied. “Your Highness! I detect that Princess Rosa is very ill!” Her AI voice oozed with artificial concern. “I am dispatching a medical attendant to your location. I also confirm that your daughter has no implant. One is being prepared in your stateroom.”
By the time we reached the cargo bay, a wheeled mech came rolling out of the passageway expressing beeps and boops of concern. It immediately waved a built-in hand scanner across Rosa’s abdomen. “Your Highness,” a feminine voice said with the professional tone that nurses use. “The princess is severely dehydrated. May I administer a saline solution? My name is Mazie, by the way.”
The robot was a mobile child care unit. The front was the top half of a humanoid robot on a swivel, and the back was a self-contained hospital bassinet with a soft mattress and clear plastic sides. Underneath the tiny bed was an assortment of cupboards and drawers.
Mazie reached out to take the infant.
“Of course,” Annie said, her voice filled with the terror of all mother’s worst fears, the health of her child. She handed our daughter to the medical bot without hesitating.
It sort of added insult to injury. In all my time with the Nobility I had never seen such a specialized robot. In fact, Freddi had frequently emphasized how averse the public was to humanoid robots. And yet, when this sophisticated childcare facility appeared out of nowhere, Annie blithely handed over our daughter. Just two minutes ago she had recoiled when dealing with me.
“Hang on,” I started.
Annie put her hand on my arm and said, “Not now, Luke. Please.”
What could I do? She wanted me to pipe down so the robot could take care of our baby. I stood there and watched the proceedings. I could sort out things with Freddi later on.
The robot placed Rosa on the mattress and produced soft restraining straps to immobilize her. While attending to the infant, Mazie rolled down the corridor toward the stateroom.
“Please comfort the princess, Your Highness,” Mazie said. “Your voice will ease her mind.” From one of her cupboards, the robot whipped out a needle with a tube on it and connected it to a clear bag. Taking Rosa’s left foot in its hand it leaned close and massaged it slightly. Two of its fingers elongated into pneumatic straps that wrapped around Rosa’s tiny ankle in a soft tourniquet. A few seconds later it slid the needle into a vein. Rosa moaned tiredly, indicating how sick she was. Any other kid would have come unglued.
Annie kept cooing and stroking Rosa’s head, saying all the things you do in that situation.
Mazie secured a tiny board to Rosa’s leg and taped the IV to it. One of its robotic hands changed into a gun looking device that it touched to Rosa’s right thigh.
Mazie said, “I am now administering potassium iodide to help protect her thyroid and other organs from the radiation in her body. The injection also includes some anti-nausea medication and other palliatives. Here we are.” She rolled into the captain’s cabin like she owned the place.
The medical bot wheeled over to the replicator and withdrew what appeared to be an infant sized earbud. “May I install this medical implant, ma’am?” it asked Annie. “This will speed the princess’s recovery.”
“Yes. Please.” Annie replied anxiously.
The robot skillfully turned Rosa’s head sideways and stuck the thing in her ear.
In spite of my misgivings, I had to admit I felt better. If it wasn’t my imagination, Rosa’s color had already improved. I even felt a surge of gratitude toward our mechanical caretaker. She was okay.
“Please do not worry, Highness,” Mazie said. “The princess was very ill, but I assure you that she will be alright now.”
The medical bot then disconnected from the bassinet unit and approached Annie on two wheels. “May I examine you, ma’am?” she asked. Not waiting for an answer, she began to scan my wife from top to bottom.
“Of course,” Annie said, plopping down on the edge of the bed. “I’m feeling a lot better now; that’s for sure.” She looked at me and smiled. All of my misgivings with the robot evaporated. This was what I wanted to see. My wife smiling at me. “Thank you, babe,” she said. “I knew you would come for me.”
I sat beside her and took her hand in mind. “Nothing could stop me,” I replied softly. “But from here on, let’s just stay together, and not tempt the universe.”
“Amen to that,” she agreed.
The robot interrupted our moment. “You are generally in good health, Your Highness,” it said. “However, I would like to give you a galactagogue injection to increase your milk production. I fear your confinement and the princess’s illness have interrupted your body’s normal process. I promise this is safe. Your implant will of course rectify the problem in time, but this will jumpstart your recovery.”
“Okay,” Annie said.
Mazie touched her shoulder with the needle gun and said, “If you will permit me, I will continue to monitor the princess’s recovery.”
“Thank you,” Annie said. “Do whatever you need to.”
Mazie rolled back to the bassinet and reattached herself. She continued making soothing sounds and from time to time, touched Rosa softly.
While all of that was well and good, what I wanted was to be alone with my wife for a few minutes. Clearly, that wasn’t going to happen right now. Still, I leaned over and gave her a quick hug. I wanted her to start getting used to my touch. She didn’t fight it and just leaned against my body.
“Is it really over?” she asked me.
“I promise,” I said. “There may be repercussions, but all that can wait for another day. I’ll tell Freddi to get us off planet and we’ll head back to Nobility territory.”
She nodded and motioned for Mazie to come closer. Annie wanted to be next to Rosa. By the time I reached the door, she was cooing to our daughter and stroking what little was left of her hair. I turned away and headed toward the bridge. I needed to get things straight with Freddi so we could escape off the planet.
“Freddi,” I said, hurrying down the passageway. “You know I am Lucas Blackburn. I’m not just another robot!”
Her voice was calm and monotone. “Unit Barrett. That is exactly what you are. You should be well aware that His Majesty was going to reset all the programming modifications made to my operational system. He did so before you even left the forest clearing. Where is His Majesty by the way?”
That point-blank question caught me off guard and I came to a stop in the hallway. I had planned on avoiding the touchy topic.
“Why are you asking me?” I said, turning back the question. “Luke was with you.”
After a pause, she answered unsurely. “I acknowledge that. But something caused me to reset my system and perform a complete system restore. I have no memory of events from the time you left to rescue Princess Annie until shortly before you returned. I have looked for His Majesty and cannot find him. I have no logs to fall back on and I am concerned for his safety.”
“I am His Majesty,” I said. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. You created me as an exact replica of Lucas Blackburn.”
“You are not. You are a manufactured bein
g. You have no royal implant, nor is there any DNA in your mechanical body that identifies you as His Majesty.”
I took a deep breath. This was Freddi after all. She wasn’t being a smartass. She was simply operating out of her depth.
“I’m as close as you’re going to get,” I said calmly. “The human Lucas Blackburn is dead.”
A sudden silence filled the corridor. It occurred to me belatedly that unknown protocols might kick in with that piece of information. The stupid ship might explode for all I knew.
I pushed my point to forestall such a move and get Freddi over to my side. “That’s why I’m reiterating that I am his replacement. I have all of his memories. I am an exact copy of Luke. I am, for all practical purposes, Luke Blackburn.”
“Please explain the circumstances of His Majesty’s death,” Freddi demanded. Her voice was anxious.
“I don’t have all the details,” I replied carefully. “Luke called and said he changed his mind; he wanted to be there for Annie’s rescue. He started downtown and we lost contact. The Greys wiped him out.”
Freddi grew more agitated. “We must recover his body! There are protocols that must be followed for the passing of the king.”
“I tried. Our egress route included checking his last known location but there was nothing left. I’m sorry Freddi. I truly am. But he created me in his own image. I am legitimately still him.”
Freddi’s voice grew cold and formal. “Unit Barrett, you are not the king as you are not even human. In fact, you are a travesty. I order you to self-destruct.”
I shook my head. “You know that won’t work. We talked about it during my design. I told you at the time, I’ve been through the bomb-in-my-head thing once before and I wasn’t going to do it again.”
“I recall the conversation.” It was the first time she sounded uncertain.
“I’m glad you understand. Now, get us off the planet before any more Greys show up.” I walked onto the bridge and got another surprise in the view window. We were already in orbit.