by J. N. Chaney
I left Carl and made for the lab to get an update on Athena. On the way, I was stopped no fewer than half a dozen times by different soldiers and personnel from across the three groups that made up the Alliance: Earth, the Union, the Sarkonians. It felt odd that any of them should recognize me so easily, or that the Sarkonians and Union personnel would ever want to work amicably with me. I had, after all, been their enemy far longer than I’d been their friend. Even before becoming the galaxy’s most wanted Renegade, I was still an outlaw and a criminal, actively avoiding both governments in order to keep myself free and alive.
Like any Renegade, I’d dreamed of a fast life, with enough wealth and adventure to keep my ship afloat and the whiskey flowing, but never had I imagined being the leader of a galactic armada intent on protecting the whole of humanity.
Funny how life went sometimes.
Thanks to the recently installed strip lighting that ran throughout the halls and corridors of Tartarus, I finally made it the lab without needing to consult my datapad or Sigmond.
Unfortunately, due to the distractions, it was a solid fifteen minutes later than it should have been. Inside, I found Dr. Dressler, Davon, and Sigmond standing around a lab table.
“What’s all this?” I asked, approaching the group.
Only Sigmond acknowledged my presence as I picked my way around the minefield of machinery and came to a stop beside him. The two scientists were too engrossed in their work to bother. “Hello, Captain.”
The lab itself had become significantly more crowded than the last time I’d seen it. Piles of Celestial tech covered tables and littered the floor. Some still appeared to be whole, but the majority lay open and gutted, components either spilling out or removed entirely. Dressler’s pulse cannon and phasing hardware sat on another cluttered workspace and I shook my head at the woman’s negligence. I’d have to say something about that later.
In the middle of the table sat a portable emitter showing Athena’s miniature form, which stood frozen, her features devoid of any expression.
“Hey, Siggy. Any progress on Athena’s repair?” I nudged my chin in the direction of her hard light construct.
He shook his head. “I’m afraid not in that respect. Her matrix is continuing to break down, though Dr. Dressler and Davon have managed to understand what is happening and slow the process.”
“Oh yeah? And what’s the process?” I turned my gaze from the unnerving sight of Athena stopped mid pose.
“We’re calling it Redundancy,” Davon announced, a little too brightly for the situation. “It’s quite fascinating.”
I turned a hard look on the man. “Not the word I’d use to describe it, Davon.” I didn’t have anything against the Sarkonian scientist. He seemed to have a thirst for learning that was only rivaled by Dressler. From the man’s demeanor, I had the feeling Davon was excited by the prospect of discovering something new. I just wished it didn’t have to come at Athena’s expense.
He gulped. “Oh, I’m so sorry! That was probably—please, pardon my oversight, Captain Hughes. I merely meant that the situation is unique.”
“What do you mean by ‘unique’?” I asked. “I thought the problem had something to do with her files getting corrupted during the copy process.”
“Initially, we assumed the same,” Sigmond chimed in. “Then Dr. Davon noticed that while the rest of Athena’s drives remained unchanged, her personality matrix had begun to break down. The longer her subprocesses ran, the more her matrix destabilized.”
“We’ve deactivated all major processes for the time being,” added Dressler.
That didn’t sound good. I shot a glance at Athena, then back to Sigmond. “Is that why she’s not moving?”
He nodded. “Yes. We isolated the problem but have been unable to remove the error.”
“Every time we think we have a solution, the problem finds a way to come back,” muttered Dressler.
My eyes lingered on Athena. Ever since we’d rescued her from the Celestials in what had turned out to be a trap, she’d been in a state of constant malfunction, barely recognizable as the woman I had known since the day we found Titan. Based on what I was seeing and hearing, her condition had only deteriorated, despite the three geniuses standing around this table.
“So, what exactly seems to be the problem here?” I asked, folding my arms. “Sounds to me like a simple enough fix. Eliminate the virus, save the Cognitive.”
Dressler snorted, finally looking up to toss me an irritated look. “I assure you, Captain, it is anything but simple. Athena is experiencing the artificial equivalent of dementia.”
“Dementia? Isn’t that the disease where people lose their minds when they get older?” I asked.
She nodded. “That is a tremendous oversimplification, but yes. It’s a virus in the brain that eats away at the neural pathways and slowly destroys one’s mind. This begins with the loss of long-term memory, followed by one’s ability to rationalize.”
“Eventually, you lose your sense of place and time,” added Davon. “The world becomes something of a dream.”
Dressler continued. “Those afflicted don’t merely forget what they had for lunch a week ago. They forget how to eat. How to walk. And while modern medicine is aware of the simple problem, we have yet to find a cure.” Dressler’s gaze slid to Athena. “Similarly, we can treat some of the symptoms, but if we don’t find a way to deal with this permanently, Athena may be lost to us forever.”
I shoved a hand through my hair. This wasn’t the news I wanted to hear. “Well, Doc, I’m about to add to the stress.”
Dressler’s eyes narrowed. “Celestials?”
At the mention of our sworn enemies, Davon finally stopped smiling, his lips pursed. Seemed to me he was concerned. As well he should be. The Sarkonian scientist had faced down one of them in a mobile power suit and now knew exactly what we were up against.
“Close enough. Carl believes they’ll be coming here to take back Tartarus. Seems they aren’t too keen on lesser beings having one of their stations.” I couldn’t resist a slight smile. For all their advanced technology and so-called superior genes, we’d managed to wrest not only Tartarus from them, but one of their own people as well.
Not too shabby for a bunch of Transient descendants if you asked me.
“No, I wouldn’t think so,” said Dressler, frowning. “We aren’t ready for another attack. None of the ships in the hangar are done yet.”
A handful of technicians and engineers had been tasked with retrofitting the ships the Celestials had stashed in the hidden hangar. It was becoming a daunting task. None of the ships were built for human use and all would need significant updates before we could pilot them. Added to that, we’d have to update the hardware too.
Davon chimed in next. “Even if the Emperor sends more ships, I don’t believe they will be enough to stand against the caliber of weapons the Celestials have at their disposal.”
I held up a hand. “That’s why we’re not going to fight. Not yet. Carl says Tartarus is travel ready. We’ll be leaving the system soon.”
“How soon?” asked Dressler, quickly turning to look at me. I seemed to have her full attention now.
“That depends,” I continued. “We need to ensure that our fleet is secure, along with Earth and its surrounding systems. The last thing we need right now is an invasion while we’re off investigating.”
Both scientists nodded.
“In the meantime,” I said, looking at Dressler. “Doc, I need you to get a plan together with your team on Earth. If Carl’s wrong about the Celestials coming after our home, I don’t want our people to be caught with their asses in the wind.”
That got a chuckle from Davon, but Dr. Dressler rolled her eyes. “Eloquent as always, Captain Hughes.”
“Let me know when you’re ready, Doc. I’ll be taking the Star to rendezvous at Earth and pick up Alphonse.”
She cleared her throat, a small sound, but it gave her away all the same. “Mr. M
alloy? I thought he was acting as de facto leader in your absence?”
“He was,” I said. “But he’s one of the best pilots we have. Karen and Leif can handle things for a while.”
“Sir.” Sigmond, who’d kept pretty quiet throughout the discussion, turned to me now.
“Yeah, Siggy. What is it?”
“What of Athena during this time?”
I flicked a glance at the still frozen Cognitive and hoped she couldn’t hear what I was about to say. “For now, she’s gonna have to wait. I need you on drone duty.”
“I assume we are going to a system too far for regular communication. I will coordinate with Gaia and begin preparations immediately.”
It was yet another thing I appreciated about the AI. He never needed things spelled out for him. I waved him off and Sigmond dematerialized. “Davon, now would be the time to get any materials you can sent from Sarkon to make more pulse cannons. I have a feeling we’re going to need them. While they’re at it, explain it would be prudent to begin production for themselves as well. I’ll have Rackham do the same with the Union.”
The scientist’s eyes widened, and he bobbed his head in agreement. Given Major Sanchez’s firsthand experience, I am sure he’ll back up the request.”
When he didn’t leave right away, I tried for diplomatic. “Let me know as soon as you have an answer, Doctor.”
Davon finally got the hint. “Right. Of course.” Dipping his chin in farewell to Dressler, he took his leave.
After the door closed behind him, Dressler folded her arms together and stared at me. “Well, Captain? I assume there is a reason you wanted to be alone.”
I nodded. “This Alliance is still in its infancy. Earth’s evacuation protocols don’t get divulged to anyone outside our crew.”
She lifted an eyebrow. “You don’t trust our new comrades?”
“Let’s just say it pays to be cautious. You’ll notice they aren’t exactly offering up the codes to their top secret facilities,” I pointed out.
“Excellent point, Captain. Is that all?”
“One more thing, as a matter of fact.” I grinned. “About accommodations. Will Mr. Malloy need quarters, or is he staying with you?”
“I won’t dignify that crassness with a response, Captain Hughes,” she said, the words coming more quickly than usual. She turned away from me and quickly stalked away to the nearest table, but I thought I caught a brief glimpse of a smile gracing the edge of her lips.
2
“I need you to help Karin get Earth ready in case of a Celestial attack there.” In the medical bay, I stared down at the Eternal lying supine on one of the recovery beds.
Leif Wisand stared back, the corners of his mouth turning down into a scowl. “May I inquire as to why?”
I swept a hand, encompassing the surrounding area filled with medical equipment and a few other Alliance soldiers still on the mend. “No offense, Leif, but you aren’t exactly fit for battle at the moment.”
“With all due respect, Captain Hughes, I disagree.” The Eternal swung his legs over the edge of the infirmary bed and stood. From the way his breath sucked in and his pale face flushed red with effort, I could tell the movement cost him. Leif visibly fought through his discomfort until he stood up straight, his features pinched but resolute. “My injuries are—were—minor, Captain. I assure you I can still fight.”
I had to admire his commitment. The Eternal leader had nearly died when the Celestials ambushed us in the hangar, a fate avoided thanks to the healing pod. He’d taken more hits in the last battle with the mobile armor and needed a second trip. It had taken a toll on his body, and though the healing pod had done its work, Leif wasn’t quite at 100%.
“I don’t doubt it,” I said. That was the truth. Leif and his people had been running from the Celestials their whole lives. It was only logical they’d hold a grudge. I didn’t blame him one bit for not wanting to get taken out of the fight. Hell, I would have reacted the same.
“Then why—hey!” Leif blanched, all the color draining from his already pale face when I gave him a light shove. He gasped and stumbled back, then fell into a sitting position on the bed.
I cocked an eyebrow. “That was gentle. The enemy won’t be.”
He held a hand gingerly over the spot on his chest I’d poked. “Point well made, Captain.”
It might have been a been a heavy handed tactic, but I didn’t have time to waste stroking feelings and cajoling.
“That’s what I want to hear. I’m trusting you and Karin to take care of Earth and our people if something goes wrong.”
Leif nodded, the movement jerky with the effort. “What do you need us to do?” I ran him through what Carl and I had talked about. When I finished, his forehead wrinkled in confusion. “If he’s so sure the Celestials won’t attack Earth, why go to all the trouble?”
I had a feeling Leif already knew the answer but was still hoping for a way out of going back home. “You know better than most how far the Celestials are willing to go. For all we know, they might have sent their people to follow up on both.”
The albino man deflated, just enough to tell me I’d been right.
“Alright, Captain Hughes. I’ll do whatever you need.”
“Get me a list of who’s staying and going. And don’t short yourself,” I said. “Make sure you have adequate defensive forces.”
We talked logistics for a few more minutes, hammering out more details to streamline the upcoming move. By the time I left, Leif didn’t look quite as put out and had regained his usual pale coloring. He’d be healed soon enough, but with Alphonse coming to Novo, I needed someone I could trust to run things on Earth.
Since Sigmond and Carl remained quiet, I figured no Celestial activity had been detected yet. It just needed to stay that way a little longer because I had one more stop to make before we could leave for Earth.
I stared up at the gleaming expanse of Celestial mobile armor with a mixture of intense dislike and respect. Only a few days before, an identical one had stolen a copy of Athena’s drives and escaped using the transportation device. Dressler and Abigail had worried about the enemy trying to return through it, but it hadn’t become an issue.
Whether intentionally or connected to the original malfunction, the device no longer worked. I wasn’t exactly in a rush to fix it either. Not until we could control it, like we were doing with the mobile armor. Or trying to. Alliance resources were stretched thin and engineers worked on projects assigned by importance and skillset. The suits ranked high, but only a handful had any experience with the Celestial tech, and most of them were on hangar duty.
I could have asked for more help from the other two branches, despite their claims of being shorthanded. If Shaw was to be believed—and I did believe him—the Sarkonian Empire was waging a war to fight a threat from within. Same for the Union with their Reaper program. The Celestial war was taking its toll on all of us. Either way, for now, the balance between our three factions was damn near equal. I had no desire to change that, treaty or no.
Just then, an engineer I recognized as one of Dressler’s walked by, and I waved him over. Unlike most of the scientists and techs that claimed Earth as their home, he wasn’t albino. The man had been one of those that came over from Z-28K. And he happened to be a Sarkonian who had deserted, no less.
“Cabbot, right?” I asked.
His face registered annoyance at being interrupted first, then nervous when he recognized me. “Yes sir, Captain Hughes. What can I do for you?”
Definitely not what they referred to as a “true born” Sarkonian. The accent didn’t fit. I jerked a thumb at the armor. “Any chance you’re on the verge of a breakthrough?”
Cabbot flicked a glance up the length of it. “Carl, the AI, helped us bypass the Celestials’ programming. Thanks to that we gained access to their systems. Unfortunately, the tech is far too advanced to be controlled by a data pad. We assume this is why they directly interfaced with the suits. Only Ca
rl has been able to successfully gain control.”
I’d been about to leave, but that caught my attention. “Carl can control them?”
He nodded. “That’s right, sir. Full motor function and weapons access.”
I thought that over for a few seconds. Seemed to me that if a Cognitive could control an army of suits we would have quite the ace up our sleeve. “Can any AI take control of one?” I asked, an idea already forming.
Cabbot’s brow knitted together and he pulled out his pad. The way he tapped on it, his fingers making audible slaps as they hit the screen, reminded me of Dressler. “I can’t say since it hasn’t been tested, but the data suggests it would have to be on the same level as Carl or Sigmond,” he replied, looking up with a thoughtful expression. “With a certain level of sentience.”
“Let’s test it out some, shall we?” I tapped my comm. “Siggy, I need you.”
The Cognitive materialized next to us, making Cabbot startle and fumble his pad. “Still not used to that,” he muttered.
“I apologize for startling you, Mr. Cabbot.” The engineer waved the apology away with a somewhat embarrassed look. “What can I do for you, Captain?” Sigmond asked, his golden hued form turning to me.
In short order, I explained the situation to him. “How about it, Siggy? I figure the only way to know for sure is for you to try and take control of one. You up for a test drive?”
He gave a little bow. “Of course, sir. Give me one moment to confer with Carl on the matter.”
Per usual, his form went still, eyes flickering, then he was back, an apologetic smile on his face. “Sir. This will take longer than my initial estimation. Please stand by.”
“And just how long is that, Siggy?” I asked.
“I cannot say at this time, sir.”
I waved a hand for him to get a move on and he went still again.
“Hell of an idea, Captain.” Cabbot grinned widely. “This will give us quite an advantage.”
“Only if it works,” I said before turning my eye toward him. “Say, Cabbot. What’s your story?”