Shards of Eternity (Stars in Shadow Book 2)

by John Triptych

  “That is the news the Union public was given,” Zytll said. “What wasn’t reported is even more important. Apparently, this mining outpost uncovered one of the Shards of Eternity.”

  Gizzt tilted his spout-like head up slightly, indicating surprise. “A shard, you say? Did the pirates take it?”

  “No confirmation yet, but we believe so.”

  “I see,” Gizzt said. “This is getting interesting.”

  “My own counter-intelligence network were the ones who uncovered it,” Zytll said. “You are the first prime I have told of this.”

  Gizzt stared at him. “Why did you decide to call upon me first?”

  “Your own reputation as an eminent strategist and one of the foremost experts of that particular artifact, my prime,” Zytll said. “It was natural to come to you with this information first.”

  The edges of Gizzt’s star-shaped mouth clicked together, for he was clearly chuckling. “You are such a flatterer. I was warned by your father about this.”

  Zytll was taken aback. “My father spoke to you about me?”

  “He mentions you a lot,” Gizzt said. “You are the only survivor of your brood to reach adulthood; all your other brothers never made it out of our beloved homeworld alive. He has high hopes for you.”

  “It is not an important feat,” Zytll said. “Every living adult of our species has earned it the same way.”

  “Not so. There have been … rumors about more prominent primes taking their fertilized egg clusters from the homeworld and raising them in secret so as to have as many offspring as possible,” Gizzt said.

  “Disgraceful acts,” Zytll said. “If a hatchling doesn’t fight to survive when it is born, it must be instantly killed by its mother, or else our gene pool will be polluted with inferiors.”

  “I feel the same way,” Gizzt said. “But there is a growing … movement amongst our more … decadent primes who consider it as the best means to multiply our species and spread them out across the galaxy. Less attrition, they say.”

  Zytll scoffed. “Heresy. The old ways should abide.”

  “I agree—as does your father. I am glad to be in the company of traditionalists,” Gizzt said. “These others though, they have started to gain much influence in our government. I fear the consequences should they gain more power.”

  “Do you know what they’re planning?”

  “Drastically increasing our population would only mean one thing,” Gizzt said. “They seek to conquer more territory.”

  “Our forces are formidable,” Zytll said. “Adding more numbers would surely create a reserve to match anything the Union has.”

  “Do not underestimate the Union and their accursed machine allies,” Gizzt said. “We took a lot of casualties during the time of the Singularity Wars.”

  “Yet it was our forces alone who stopped the unrelenting machine offensives and drove them back,” Zytll said. “The other races rallied around our cause, and we ultimately won.”

  “We fought the machines to a stalemate, and both the Union and the Concordance were born not long after,” Gizzt said, correcting him. “Many of our younger generations do not know this, but our forces were close to the breaking point, and it is why we agreed peacefully to the Great Schism.”

  Zytll looked down in disappointment. “I see. So you do not wish another war to finish off the intelligent machines once and for all?”

  “It is the destiny of our species to rule the galaxy, just like our ancestors did all those eons ago,” Gizzt said. “But we must gain a clear advantage first, and I do not believe it will be via our numbers.”

  “Is this why you have a keen interest in artifacts?”

  “Correct,” Gizzt said. “I try to study these lost technologies so that we may find something that will tip the balance of power and give us the might to become supreme rulers of the galaxy once again.”

  “I understand your motives now, Prime,” Zytll said. “And it simply confirms that I have given the news of this finding to the right member of our species.”

  Gizzt made eye contact with him. “And now I understand you as well. You came to me to gain some knowledge, since you have plans for this uncovered artifact, am I right?”

  “Correct,” Zytll said. “I have heard many stories about the Shards of Eternity and what they can do once all the pieces have been assembled. This is why I came to you.”

  Gizzt finally grasped the younger xtid’s intentions. “I can see clearly now. You are the one who forwarded the information of this artifact find over to the pirates, yes?”

  “I did indeed,” Zytll said. “I knew of a particular raider who had a keen interest in it, and I merely prodded him in the right direction by passing along the location of the discovery to him.”

  “The known possessor of another shard is the archon of Scythia,” Gizzt said. “I heard his family rules that system with a fair and traditional hand. One of the few rulers who isn’t a host to the symbiotes, yet he seems quite loyal to the Concordance.”

  “And there is a growing rebellious element within his territory,” Zytll said. “This pirate I have been using has his own designs, for he is very ambitious.”

  “As are you,” Gizzt said. “You seem to have inherited your father’s hunger for advancement. Tell me, are you seeking to bring the Scythia system under xtid control?”

  “I hope to bring it under my control first,” Zytll said. “After that, we shall see.”

  “I can sense your thirst for power even though I am standing well away from you,” Gizzt said. “If this scheme of yours succeeds, perhaps you may be well on your way to becoming a prime.”

  Zytll made a slight bow. “I am doing everything in my power to make sure it does work, but I am in need of your knowledge and support. Do you know how many shards are needed to put the artifact back together?”

  “Some stories say there are six shards, others say five,” Gizzt said. “There may be another shard somewhere in Scythia, according to some rumors.”

  “Then it makes for three when the pirate reaches Scythia and enacts his plans,” Zytll said. “I would like to ask about what happens when these shards are put back together, for I have heard many differing tales about it.”

  “Yes, you are right,” Gizzt said. “One story says that once the Shards of Eternity have been reassembled, it will grant the bearer immortality, though another story tells of something very different.”

  “I’ve heard the one about bestowing immortality,” Zytll said. “What’s the other tale?”

  “The other account claims the restored relic grants command over countless minds, much like how our symbiote allies control their hosts,” Gizzt said. “Only in this instance, the artifact’s power would control an entire world by one’s cerebrations alone.”

  “A truly fantastical tale,” Zytll said.

  “They both are.”

  “But which one to believe?”

  “That is the question,” Gizzt said. “My guess is we won’t know until the shards have been brought together and skillfully reassembled.”

  Zytll brought his four hands together. “It may very well happen, and sooner than others may think.”

  Gizzt tilted his head up in surprise once more. “You know where the remaining shards are?”

  “Somewhat,” Zytll said. “There are two other shards that were uncovered, but they are in the possession of our galactic rivals.”

  Gizzt was surprised. “Inside Union territory?”

  “Heavily guarded, yes,” Zytll said. “I learned of this information just recently as well.”

  “You have impressed me greatly,” Gizzt said. “Perhaps you may even be better than your father.”

  “You have my thanks, Prime,” Zytll said, “yet I have not just come here to seek out your utmost knowledge but also to ask for your support.”

  Gizzt spread his hands, indicating acceptance. “What kind of support?”

  “I am in need of a warship,” Zytll said. “Two would be ev
en better.”

  “You shall have the services of one,” Gizzt said. “With my best crew. Take care of them, for if they are lost then you will be found in my disfavor.”

  Zytll leaned forward and bowed deeply in subservience. With two ships I would have no chance of failure, but I’ll take the one being offered anyway. “You have my undying thanks, Prime.”

  “Make sure you succeed in this,” Gizzt said. “For if you do then your rewards will be great.”

  “I will, my prime.”

  Gizzt turned away. There was no need to tell him the price of failure, for it was obvious to any member of their species. “Leave me.”

  5 Judgment

  Right after he activated his remaining eye, Zeno Ninety-nine realized all that was left of him was his head. He could see the edge of the table, like a solid horizon of metal-hued plastic, whenever he gazed downwards. They had placed him inside one of the conference rooms in the Nepenthe’s gravity section. Facing him were four of the ship’s most senior officers, including two he had previously attempted to kill.

  Dangard sat towards the back, his face partly covered in shadow. Zeno could tell the captain didn’t want the others to read his emotions.

  Creull stood upright while facing him. “Can you hear us?”

  Zeno wanted to nod, but he obviously couldn’t. “Yes. I can hear you.”

  Chief Engineer Viniimn had insisted they hold the meeting closer to the ship’s spine, to keep the room’s gravity as low as possible. The captain accommodated his wishes by ordering a reduced spin on the habitat wheel, which pleased him. “I’ve placed an air tube beneath your neck so you can talk freely,” the nytini said.

  Zeno blinked twice, indicating acknowledgement. “Thank you.”

  “We’re in the midst of preparing for a job, so we don’t have much time to talk about your situation,” Creull said. “You have been charged with killing your fellow crewmembers and conspiring with the enemy. The fake distress call you bounced to this ship nearly succeeded in destroying us all. How do you plead?”

  “It’s all true,” Zeno said. “I cannot deny what happened.”

  Viniimn wagged his stubby tail while using his harness as a pedestal. “Even though you did attempt to kill me, we all realize you were infected by an enemy AI. Can you tell us anything about it?”

  “When you cleared it from my system, some aspects remained,” Zeno said. “I have deduced its name—Kierkegaard One. This AI must have been present at the space station when I downloaded the files on the artifact, and he infected my control components without my knowledge.”

  “Why didn’t your own antiviral systems discover the intruder and deal with him?” Creull asked.

  “This Kierkegaard remained undetectable to me until I began transferring the station archives into my core memory,” Zeno said. “By then it was too late. Kierkegaard had taken full control of my motor functions and began locking me out of my other systems.”

  Garrett Strand sat at the other end of the room with his arms crossed. “You told me before there were two types of true AI: networks and synthetics. Of what type is he or she, for that matter?”

  “It seems ‘he’ is both,” Zeno said. “Kierkegaard identifies himself as a male, but he apparently commands many physical copies and even injects himself onto simple AI systems like bots and data archives to take control over them.”

  “Sappho was nearly overwhelmed too,” Viniimn said wistfully. “We were able to compartmentalize the infection and cleansed her core processors in the nick of time.”

  Creull made a low growl. “That goes against the peace treaties all you AIs agreed to.”

  “Correct,” Zeno said. “It seems this Kierkegaard has no regard for these agreements whatsoever.”

  “But didn’t every single true AI sign on to that treaty?” Viniimn asked to no one in particular.

  “Yes,” Zeno said. “The virtual document implicitly stated we may only have one copy of ourselves at any one time. The name Kierkegaard isn’t on the list of signees.”

  “I thought you were all accounted for at the end of the last Singularity War, were you not?” Viniimn asked.

  “We were,” Zeno said.

  “There were rumors of rogue AI networks never revealing themselves and going into hiding,” Creull said. “Could this Kierkegaard One be one of those?”

  “It’s a possibility, but I’m not sure,” Zeno said. “Many of his background information and memory files seem to have self deleted from my system the moment I was overpowered in attempting to murder you. He had a failsafe to cover his tracks.”

  Dangard leaned forward on his chair. “So you’re not sure who sent him?”

  “I’m afraid not,” Zeno said. “Sorry about that.”

  Strand frowned. “How do we know you’re the real Zeno?”

  “Individual synthetics like me have unique memories due to personal experience, and I’ve also placed a registry code in my core memory,” Zeno said. “You can have Sappho run a match with the central AI database on Mars to confirm my identity.”

  “Sappho did that already,” Dangard said. “You checked out. She couldn’t detect another AI in your system either.”

  “Is she listening in? I would like to thank her,” Zeno said.

  “No,” Creull said. “Sappho excused herself from this meeting.”

  “I understand,” Zeno said. “She doesn’t want to be seen as having any biases by the crew. Were I in her shoes, I would have done the same.”

  Creull turned to look at the captain. “Identity of perpetrator has been confirmed and guilt is accepted.”

  Viniimn was given the unenviable task of having to defend this synthetic individual, even though he had nearly been killed by him. “I can only say that Zeno has always been loyal to the crew, and his actions leading to the battle between this ship and the Star Force were initiated by a rogue AI taking over his core systems. He cannot be blamed for it.”

  “The crew thinks otherwise,” Creull said. “They still believe Zeno is capable of betraying them again once the opportunity arises. This whole community of ours depends on trust, and Zeno has broken it. The crew can never believe in him again.”

  “With all due respect, most of the crew aren’t very knowledgeable with regards to how AIs work,” Viniimn said. “Zeno is nothing more than a machine who was infected by a malicious AI; now he is back to normal again.”

  “The crew views Zeno as a person,” Creull said. “This individual killed a highly regarded spacer and almost destroyed the whole ship, and the crew is not completely certain he is back to ‘normal.’ They may refuse to serve if he is on the Nepenthe. We have to take crew morale into consideration here, because it’s everything.”

  “Individual synthetics like Zeno regard themselves as unique,” Viniimn said. “If he is deleted, another Zeno can take his place, but all his memories and personality will be gone, and he will be a wholly different person.”

  Dangard tapped his fingers on the side of the chair. “Why don’t we ask him? Zeno, are you willing to undergo a reset as a new individual?”

  “I cannot,” Zeno said. “Everything that I believe in will be lost. If given the choice of either a hard reset or deletion, I’d prefer the latter.”

  “The spacers already voted,” Strand said softly. “They want either full deletion or exile.”

  Zeno’s demeanor remained unchanged. “I understand. Trust was lost, and they can certainly see I had a part in what occurred. Tell me, how did we all survive?”

  Everyone else turned to look at the captain, to see if he was willing to let Zeno know what had transpired after Creull tore the synthetic man’s head from his body.

  “We were saved by … the artifact we were looking for,” Dangard said. “And by two kids.”

  “I see,” Zeno said. “If you speak to the two children again, tell them I too am grateful.”

  “Do you have anything else to say?” Creull asked.

  “I take the responsibility for
what happened and will accept any punishment,” Zeno said. “I hope that I will be given the chance to redress the wrongs I have done. Thank you.”

  Dangard nodded and shifted his eyes towards Viniimn. The chief engineer moved closer to Zeno and used his exoskeleton’s controller to deactivate the synthetic. Zeno closed his eyes and his mouth stopped moving.

  Creull turned her attention to Dangard. “The crew says it’s up to you, Captain.”

  Dangard kept his poker-face. “Even though we nearly met our end, I cannot wholly blame Zeno over something he had no control over. Nevertheless, I must take the crew’s wellbeing into consideration. Since they refuse to serve with him, it will be exile.”

  6 Pirate’s Haven

  Myrios was known by the general public as an uninhabited system within the neutral boundaries of the League of Independent Governments, but every insider had another name for it: Pirate’s Haven. A unique characteristic of the system was its lone dark matter field, stretching across a tiny area of less than two hundred thousand klicks in diameter. Since faster than light travel was only possible within the confines of these shadow zones, there was only one way into the system, and it could therefore be defended with just a token force.

  Per the age-old custom, the Nepenthe drifted just ahead of the clouds of gaseous dark matter right after she had jumped into the system. With Myrios’s lethal defense grid keeping watch on the half dozen other ships in front of it, a select crew from the Nepenthe boarded their shuttle craft and proceeded to head directly towards the nearby asteroid field.

  The largest planetoid was named Elysium, and its interior had been hollowed out and spun to create light centrifugal gravity. Much of its citizenry was composed of raiders too old to fight, and it was their expertise and experience in such matters that kept a semblance of order throughout the place. Every pirate and criminal considered the entire system as neutral ground, and a prime area for clandestine meetings and the passing of information.