by CJ Williams
Carrie opened the meeting. “Your Majesty, I’ve informed everyone here of recent developments: your pursuit into Grey territory after Queen Annabelle, the creative way you built an army, and her rescue. What can we do to help?”
“Thank you all,” Luke replied. “I appreciate all the good wishes. First, let me say if I had to do this all over again, I wouldn’t change anything. The steps I took were my only options at the time. Having said that, I’m afraid I created a dangerous situation. Specifically, I developed a new equivalent to the Bakkui. We are now facing an intelligent android who has the entire range of Nobility resources at his disposal.”
That got everyone’s attention.
Luke continued. “The silver lining is the entity leading that force is an exact copy of me. I’m not an immoral person. But I admit—in fact, I’ve already proven—that I will stop at nothing to protect my family. The android we are facing, whom I named Barrett, feels the same way. Or at least he did at the beginning. Shortly after his creation, he tried to have me murdered. I understand his feelings, but if I get him in my sights, he’s one dead robot.”
Grant Jefferies, sitting at the end of the table, spoke up. “All that’s understood, Luke. What do we do now?”
“I hate to say it, but we wait. Until we are sure where he is going, or where he might already be for that matter, there’s not a lot we can do.”
“So we just sit around?” Grant asked.
“Not at all. Waiting doesn’t mean doing nothing. There are several tasks we should work on.”
“For example?” Elaine asked.
“The day will come when we have to extract Annie from Barrett, in all probability by force. And we have to rescue Rosa at the same time. I’ve been asking myself what I would do in Barrett’s situation. For one thing, I would keep her away from any of our main planets. Until he sorts out his authority, which is nil on any Nobility planet, he’ll want to have Annie close at hand and heavily guarded. So the question is, how do we safely get her away from the android? I’d like our best tacticians to work on that.”
“Got it,” Elaine said. “I’ll take that one.”
Luke continued. “We need to develop a confrontation strategy. First of all, he thinks I’m dead. The fact that I am alive should be considered close hold information. Have you done that?” he asked looking at Carrie.
“No one ever thought you were dead,” she explained. “Everyone believed you went off on your own on a heroic quest to save your queen. I did suppress the news that you are back. The galaxy thinks the Warlord is alive and well, out there protecting us all. I suggest we leave it that way. That puts the onus on Barrett to say otherwise. What else do you need?”
Luke grew pensive. “This is slightly off topic, but it’s important for the Alliance in general. I’m interested in Freddi, the ship that brought me back. She’s a very unusual AI. Not only did I convince her to do things that are expressly prohibited, she exhibited a rare ingenuity in doing so.”
“That’s not really all that surprising,” Grant said. “You’re the king. You make the rules.”
“That’s not what I mean,” Luke said. “Yes, even Nobility AI protocols that go back thousands of years can be changed. But I’m talking about her creativity. For example, take a look at the ship I arrived on. Have you actually checked it out?”
“I was wondering about that,” Elaine said. “It has features I’ve never seen before. Its stealth capability is better than anything we’ve ever had. It was literally invisible until it touched down. I couldn’t imagine how you came up with that.”
“That’s my point,” Luke said. “I didn’t come up with it. I had no part in the design process at all. The only thing I told Freddi was that I wanted a ship that was fast. From the planet in Grey space to here, took forty days.”
That bit of news surprised everyone at the table.
“If I understand the navigation,” Elaine said. “That’s about a third less than our newest Phantoms can do and four days faster than a Starfighter.”
“Exactly,” Luke said. “Freddi came up with that capability on her own. Did she develop new technology or just make improvements on our existing capability? I’d like to know the answer.”
Carrie nodded. “I can handle that one. I’ll ask Sadie to examine Freddi and brief us.”
“Don’t interfere with her AI mind. I don’t see it as a negative. If Freddi has somehow cracked the secret to being creative, that could be great for the galaxy in a lot of different ways. In fact, once you’re done with her, have someone take her back to Riley Stevens. I bet the two of them would make an awesome scientific combination.”
“Okay,” Carrie said. “I’ll make sure Sadie is non-invasive and I’ll find a crew to transport her to Moonbase One. What else?”
Luke leaned back in his seat to collect his thoughts. “This last topic might be a little controversial for some of you. As I said, from the Nobility’s perspective, I countermanded most of the commonly accepted AI protocols that I just mentioned. I created humanoid robots, lots of them, and in Barrett’s case, I gave it the authority to rule over his army without human intervention. I made him a fully functional android, capable of developing his own motivations.”
Carrie looked uncomfortable. “I understand why you did all that, but it is a scary scenario. Fortunately, you reinstated normal protocols, not that it changes the situation we face now. We still have Barrett to deal with.”
Luke shrugged. “I’m going to do it again. The last result was less than ideal, I agree. But our challenge today is to meet these new threats…three of them by the way; the Bakkui, the Greys and Barrett. To have any chance at success, we’re going to need a droid military of our own.”
That news elicited cries of dismay from around the table.
“You can’t do that, Luke,” Carrie protested. “Look what your so-called creativity got us into this time.”
“Just relax,” Luke said. “I don’t intend to go as far as I did with Barrett. But as I just said; we’re facing a triple threat right now. Think about it. How many ships are we going to need to face all of these at once? And what is our limiting factor right this minute?”
Luke examined the glum faces around the table. No one wanted to answer. He nodded at Elaine. “Well? What’s your biggest problem in getting mission ready?”
“People,” she admitted, reluctantly. “We never have enough trained people.”
“Exactly!” Luke said. “We need them now more than ever. We’ve exhausted all the easy sources. And not too many of our current crop of newbies have combat experience. So why should we turn our back on a solution when the threat is multiplying?”
“I don’t like it,” Carrie persisted.
“I understand, but I’m not asking for permission. We are going to do this. I want a simulation lab more extensive than I had on the troop carrier; I’m talking football stadium size. Large enough to wage virtual space battles. The situation tank you built here is great, the holographic displays are top notch. But it’s only for presentation; there’s no intelligence in the vessels it displays. I need a facility that can simulate thousands of individual AI warships operating as Bakkui destroyers and Grey dreadnoughts. We have to develop new tactics and the only way to do that is against a smart simulator that can independently wage a real-time battle against us. I plan to fight back with a newly developed force of smart, standalone fighters. I’ll take your input, but this is going to happen.”
“When do you want to start on this, Commander,” Elaine asked.
“Right away. I’m going to guess, and it is just a guess, that Barrett will make his first stop in system N93. It’s out of the way, sparsely populated, and the population there will remember he was the guy who saved them.” He looked at Elaine. “Did you leave someone there to take charge?”
“Yes sir,” she replied. “Colonel Tanner Hogan volunteered to stay as governor of the planet. The locals call it Mauga. We set him up with a planetary AI and a few troops. S
ince then we’ve had regular reports. The locals accepted him without any problems. They were just glad to get out from under the Greys.”
“How did that go by the way?” Luke asked. “When I left, you were in a battle with an incoming fleet?”
Elaine grimaced at the question. “Our chaff missiles eliminated their offensive capability. It took them completely by surprise. It was intense for a few minutes, but we destroyed their entire fleet. Commander, I’m so sorry that I didn’t come to your aid when you called.”
Luke waved off the apology. He could get angry about it if he wanted to, but it was water under the bridge. “What happened next?” he asked.
“After the space battle, the Greys on the planet folded. We rounded up a few thousand POWs but the same thing happened as last time. They freaked out and turned on each other. A week or two ago, Hogan reported that his last few captives died.”
“Good riddance,” Luke said. “Anyway, I predict Barrett will stop there first. With Annie vouching for him, he can settle down and dig in. He needs time and a place to rebuild.”
“To what purpose?” Carrie asked. “You think he’s going to set off on some kind of interstellar conquest?”
“I have no idea. But it’s what I would do. In a universe where he doesn’t fit in, and in a galaxy filled with real and potential enemies, he’ll want a massive force around him. And thanks to my mistakes, he has the technology to put one together. If he builds a manufacturing facility with a thousand replicators, he’ll be hard to stop.”
Grant protested. “Then waiting doesn’t seem like a good idea. Why not move against him now?”
“For all the reasons I just pointed out. We don’t have proof that he’s there, and I will not put Annie in danger by attacking him head on. We need a rescue strategy. So, let’s get started on what I’ve outlined.”
“Understood, Commander.” Carrie said. “But how long should we wait? What if he went to Japurnam Five or back to Earth?”
“Good question,” Luke said. “Prepare an eyes-only message for senior Alliance leadership; people like Roth, Bradley and Governor Robertson. Brief them on what happened. My suggestion is if Barrett shows up, they should welcome him, make him feel comfortable. Just remember, he’s a stick of dynamite. Let us know and above all, don’t spill the beans that I’m still around.”
Grant offered a dour outlook. “The galaxy is a big place to run a covert operation.”
Luke responded with a tired voice. “Thanks, Grant. I knew I could count on you for the downside to any suggestion.”
Grant’s face grew red. “I’m just saying…”
Luke throttled back on his attitude and tried to force a smile. “I know. Believe me, I don’t mind having a naysayer in our midst. I told you once before that when we’re sitting around a table, I welcome all inputs. But when it comes to Annie, it might help if you made a positive contribution now and then.”
Carrie closed the meeting before tempers started to flare. “All right people. We have our marching orders. Thanks for coming.” She remained seated as her officers and ministers left the room. She nodded at Luke to remain behind.
When everyone had departed, she leaned on the table and glared at Luke. “I don’t like your strategy. First, you’re playing with fire. I’ve seen inside the mind of the Bakkui and you haven’t. I know what an obscene thing it is. And second, I don’t like the idea of people getting used to having robots running all over the place.”
Luke dismissed her concerns with a flick of his hand. “Quit exaggerating. It’s not like I’m creating mall cops or a barbershop quartet. More like drones, but with extra smarts. I’d like your support, Carrie. This is about Annie.”
“I know. That’s why I am supporting you, even though I don’t like it. I’ll do everything I can to help Annie. I’ll even stand by your side during the simulations; partly because I want you to get it right this time.”
*.*.*.*
“Satisfied?” Luke asked.
Carrie shrugged. They had just completed yet another space battle simulation. The new warcraft Freddi had designed were smaller than Starfighters, but much faster. Carrie named them Cylon Raiders to remind Luke of the dangerous game he was playing. But the unmanned fighter could turn tighter and accelerate more quickly than anything in the Alliance fleet. It also carried an inordinate amount of firepower in its surprisingly small footprint.
Most of the square footage in current Alliance spacecraft was just empty space. The people who flew in them liked plenty of room to move around. The Raiders however, were jam packed with generators, replicator sludge and weapons. Each one had eighty missile launchers that could intermingle missile types in the same salvo. The engines were pylon mounted, like the Sadie-class yacht, but much bigger and there were four of them. It was a mean looking machine.
“I guess it’s okay,” Carrie said of the simulation. “In the end, all you’ve done is given it the auto-hammer function but without a crew on board.”
“Exactly,” Luke agreed. “These Raiders only take orders from a human squadron commander. That person can either hang back and direct the battle or use them to support his own engagement with the enemy.”
“I’m satisfied,” Carrie said approvingly. “I’m happy for you to go into production, but I still don’t like your ground troops. I don’t see you changed anything from the ones you used on the Greys.”
“You know that’s not true,” Luke said. “The new soldiers will only accept commands from a real person with a First Family implant.”
“Yeah, but that’s anyone in the Alliance. How many people do we have now? Hundreds of thousands? Over a million?
“Probably. But very few are here on Haiyanas Seven. And I’m sorry if you’re not happy, but I started production of the fighters and combat soldiers yesterday. Time is running out.”
“It’s only been a little over a week,” Carrie complained. “I think you need to slow down. Besides, I’ve been building replicators for months. You could put together an entire fleet in a day or two.”
“I wish. The thing I worry about most is something will happen sooner rather than later. We need to be prepared. And we still don’t have a plan to extract Annie.”
*.*.*.*
Luke stood on the spaceport’s tarmac staring at an empty section of the ramp about twenty yards away. He was suited up in combat gear.
“Okay,” he said into his helmet mic. “I’m ready to start the test. Bring it on down.” He waited for a couple of minutes but got no response. “You there? Anybody?”
In the exact spot he was looking at, a hatchway opened in thin air. Inside the ship’s cargo bay, Grant stood grinning. “Will this work for you?”
Luke smiled. “That’s pretty good. When did you land?”
“A minute ago. Any shadows while we were coming down?”
“Not that I saw. This is great, but I think you need a bigger opening. We move a lot of stuff in and out of these ships.”
Grant leaned out and pointed to his left. Five feet down, a standard cargo bay door opened wide. “You mean like that?” He was standing inside the newly designed Mustang spacecraft. Sized half-way between a Starfighter and a Phantom, it was Luke’s new standard for building the Nobility space force.
“That should do it,” Luke said approvingly. “So how is this part of the extraction plan?”
Grant walked out of the Mustang carrying a mannequin under one arm. He looked a bit embarrassed by his companion and set the model on its feet next to Luke. “You’ll have to balance it so it won’t fall over. Ready?” Grant backed away, putting ten yards between himself and Luke.
“I guess so,” Luke replied, holding the arm of the life-sized doll to keep it upright.
“Luke!” Carrie called behind him.
He turned in the direction of her voice. “Hang on!” he shouted. “We’re testing the…” There was a whoosh of air and the mannequin was ripped away. He jerked back and caught a glimpse of a flying figure, carrying the mannequin,
swoop into the Mustang’s cargo door. The elapsed time, from when he heard Carrie’s call to when the mannequin disappeared inside the spacecraft was only seconds.
“That worked,” Grant observed. “Mostly.” He took the mannequin’s arm from Luke’s grasp.
“Yeah,” Luke admitted. “But I wasn’t looking. Let’s do it again.”
*.*.*.*
Luke studied the status boards in the palace situation tank as Captain Elaine Cain finished her briefing. “Any questions, Commander?”
“Not really,” Luke replied. “If the word came today, I’m comfortable that we’ve amassed enough spacecraft and soldiers for any normal confrontation. My fear is that Barrett will have more. I’m sure he’s building his force as fast as we are.”
“Ours are smarter,” Elaine responded. “I can’t believe they’ll be a match for us.”
“Don’t think that way,” Grant urged. “The unexpected can’t be accounted for. No matter how much planning we do, nothing is guaranteed.”
“You’re right,” Elaine admitted. “It’s just that we’ve turned out over five thousand combat vessels in such a short amount of time. How did Princess Carrie know to build so many replicators? I used to be amazed that a single planet would have a shipyard with a dozen.”
“You need to study recent history,” Luke said. “The princess has been around the block a little more than you might imagine.” A noise in the doorway drew his attention. “Well, speak of the devil. What brings you here?”
Carrie’s expression was full of concern. “You were right,” she announced without preamble. “Barrett is on Mauga. We just received notification from the tracker.”
Luke stood up. “This is it. All hands start prepping for departure. If Colonel Hogan does his job, we should get a message drone from him within the next twenty-four hours. I don’t want to move out until then.”
“I thought you’d blast off right this second,” Grant said.
“No,” Luke replied, shaking his head. “From here on, execution is the important thing. We need to hear what Hogan has to say before we go scorching in. Everything now depends on convincing Barrett that he’s safe so he will continue to protect Annie.”