Artificial Intelligence

by Rena Marks

  “I shut down the communication bridge. They have no idea.”

  She wondered about that. What was he going to tell them? What if they disapproved? But he didn’t seem worried about it.

  “Shall we get to them?” He waved his hand at the bodies around them.

  She nodded.

  Jax began inspecting the metal skeletons for flaws, and then sterilizing them. Arian stared down at the infected body. Serepto.

  His skin almost covered his body, but it was a very thin membrane that should thicken later. It wasn’t important that he had thick skin, as there was no movement to the body that should tear the slight barrier. Right now it was important just to get his flesh covered. His growth was much slower than the others.

  Today was the day they were supposed to wake the other five of the council. The sixth—Serepto—should take about another week’s time to finish. She wasn’t sure if she was quite ready to interrupt the camaraderie she and Jax shared. Having others present, his own people, would change things between them. In fact, they could lose the relationship they’ve built so far.

  “How’s Serepto?” Jax called out from the other end of the room.

  “He’s almost finished growing skin. Are you sure you don’t want to wait a week and wake them all at the same time?”

  In a way, it was for her benefit also. It gave her another week to adapt to the idea of being overridden with the AI. Good heavens, there were one hundred and eighty men. That would be a lot of uncontrolled testosterone.

  Jax’s blue eyes flashed as he communicated with the unit. “No. We’ll wake the five and Serepto can finish growing on his own.”

  She nodded, and parted the man’s hair in front of her. She took small sections and pinned them up, then carefully cut and shaved small areas underneath.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I don’t have to take off all the hair now that I know exactly where the electrodes go. They’ll each have a bit of individuality.” She didn’t mention that it would help her to figure out who was who.

  “This one is Dieroc,” he said, holding the feet of the man across hers. “He’ll prefer short hair.”

  “Good thing all Terrans learned to cut hair,” she said, attaching the electrodes to the skull in front of her. When she finished, she moved to the next body. This one had a mass of well cared for dreadlocks that she’d coaxed into the twists from when his hair first began to grow, and she realized it was blond. It would give him a bad boy look. A naughty angel. Kind of like Jax’s Mohawk did for him. She parted the dreads easily. They were planned, not natural, and had the added benefit of being neat and precise. Planting the electrodes would cause very minimal damage to his cool hairstyle. Of course, they were men. They weren’t going to care, but she did. She attached his electrodes and moved to the third body. Grabbing his hair, she looped it around her fist and cut it off, sweeping the long fistful into the trash. After he was awake and could sit up, she’d give him a proper haircut. For now, she shaved small sections and attached his electrodes.

  Jax watched her, interested in everything she did. Finally, all electrodes were attached and he took over.

  “Tess, please check vitals.”

  A few seconds later, she replied. “All normal.”

  “Please proceed with the revival.”

  This time, the bodies shook slightly as the current ran through their computer chips, and they inserted their consciousness. The eyelids opened.

  On the monitor screens, Tess showed the electrical activity of the heartbeats. Some were slower than others, but they were all going at their own pace.

  The current ran through for a few seconds, and then the overhead lights flickered. Then it was quiet.

  “What’s happening?” she asked Jax.

  His eyes were flashing. “We’re adjusting.” His voice was eerie when connected with the others. All emotion drained from it, and he sounded computer-like.

  Then, all at once, the group of five men sat up in one smooth move. Their eerie, blue eyes lit in one wave, like laser beams as they stared at her.

  Since they didn’t move, she wasn’t sure if they were fully conscious or not.

  “Arian, this is Dieroc. Rune. Sifahn. Vann. And Echo. Gentlemen, this is Arian, the captain of the ship.”

  “Hello Arian.” The five voices spoke in unison.

  She blinked. Obviously they were still attached mentally. “Welcome, everyone. I trust all of you are feeling okay. I left clothing on the table, and I’ll give you some time alone with Jax so you can all get reacquainted. I’ll be in the main hull of the ship. Oh, and Dieroc. Jax mentioned you’d like shorter hair. If you’d like, we can get together later and I’ll trim it up for you.”

  At last their consciousness seemed to separate. Dieroc nodded carefully, and then his hand rose to touch his hair. He felt the electrodes on his head, and began to pull them off. The others followed suit as she turned and left sick bay.

  Well, it was done, she thought. No turning back now. Five up, one hundred and seventy four to go. She winced. She hoped she hadn’t made a big mistake. She trusted Jax, but this was a lot of people. A lot of strangers. So much could go wrong.

  She took control at the helm in the ship’s hull, choosing to speed up a little and navigate through the space debris herself. It was almost like playing a video game and entertained her for a bit. She lost track of time until the doors opened and six men entered.

  Jax was the most handsome, she thought smugly, as he approached ahead of the others. Though the others made gorgeous eye-candy, too.

  “This is the ship’s hull,” Jax said to the group, as he caught her eyes. “Normally we set the ship on autopilot and it drifts through the space debris on its own, navigated by Tess. But now that we have more manpower, we can take shifts navigating through the galaxy faster so we can reach Arian’s planet as soon as possible.”

  “I enjoyed flying,” Echo said. “The last time I was alive in a third dimensional form, I was a pilot. If you would like, I will take over for you.”

  She nodded. “I remember Jax wasn’t hungry for a while, so we’ll wait on dinner. If you’d like to take the helm, I can give Dieroc his haircut. It only takes once, and then we can set a computer program to mimic the style when it begins to grow out.”

  “I’d like that,” Dieroc said softly, tucking his hair behind his ear. He seemed a little shy. His personality was already emerging.

  Jax watched her as she led Dieroc out the doors. Right before she turned the corner, she looked back over her shoulder to give him a wink. Then she walked with Dieroc through the halls to a small room used for utilitarian purposes. She gestured for him to sit, and produced a pair of scissors from one of the drawers.

  “Do you find you have the same personalities that you did before?” she asked, curious.

  He almost nodded, and then realized he probably shouldn’t move his head. “Yes,” he said. “The bodies are a shell of what we are inside. When the consciousness separates, it is as if a tiny piece of us inhabits the shell. Certain aspects of us are stronger than others. That is what makes the personality.”

  “So connecting to the consciousness is now a choice?”

  “Exactly.”

  She continued to cut his hair. Taking it shorter made it appear darker, somehow. Which was odd, considering he hadn’t had any sunlight to lighten the ends of his longer hair.

  “Thank you for helping us,” he murmured softly.

  “You’re welcome, Dieroc. It’s a harsh world. Sometimes we have to help each other. If we don’t, violence gets so out of hand things are destroyed. Like your galaxy was.”

  He stayed quiet, probably remembering the ending of his planet.

  When she finished with his hair, she said, “I’m going to place a device over you. It sucks loose things, a vacuum. It’ll catch any stray hairs from you, but it will sound a bit loud.”

  He nodded, and she brought the large tubular device over his head and shoulders. Then she turned
it on for a few seconds. Afterward, she lifted it.

  The outer doors opened, and Jax strode in with three of the others. “Arian, there is a problem with Serepto’s body again.”

  She cursed softly. “What now?”

  “Tess informed me it is not producing the level of blood on its own quickly enough. She is afraid a new problem will arise considering how quickly the organs develop. Would you be willing to donate more blood? I’m sorry. I know it will weaken you. You haven’t had a chance to reproduce your supply from the last time.”

  “Of course I’ll give more. It won’t kill me, and he’s already in a weakened state. My anemia will pale in comparison.”

  She couldn’t help but see that Jax looked proud of her. He extended his arm out, in front of the others. She took it, and let him lead her to sick bay.

  The rest of the men, including the newly groomed Dieroc, followed.

  “Arian,” Tess said as soon as they entered the room. “In addition to blood, I think we should insert some of your marrow into his metallic-based bones. A marrow donation for a humanoid will be more painful than a blood donation, but I think it should avert any other problems until his body completes.”

  Of course. It was just her luck to be the only one able to donate.

  “The good news is, for the next round of revivals, this body will be able to produce the donations if someone else needs separate DNA introduced to their makeup. You will be able to recover without worrying about another needing you.”

  “What if more than one body has problems?”

  “His body is superior to yours, which is quite ironic since his superiority stems from the introduction of your genetic materials. He will be able to reproduce more quickly than you.”

  “Let’s get this over with.”

  “Please undress. We will take the marrow from your hip.”

  Jax turned to the others. “Turn away from Arian. Humanoids have a sense of modesty.”

  They turned without question, only their backs facing her. Only Jax remained watching, but she didn’t mind. She quickly stripped, and laid face down on the table. Jax covered her with a thin medic sheet that stretched from her shoulders to the bottom of her buttocks. He used another sheet to layer over it, but the entire length of her legs and feet were exposed.

  He picked up her uniform as the other men turned around, folding it to place on a chair.

  * * * * *

  This was a good chance for his brothers to see just what Arian had sacrificed for the revival of their race. No one was around when she donated blood for Serepto the first time. This time, they would witness the goodness of her heart.

  An unfamiliar emotion hit when Tess informed Arian to remove her clothing. His men watched curiously, wanting to see the female form in its entirety.

  He almost growled his jealousy when he instructed them to turn around. He had to fight against his instinct to clench his fists. He hoped he masked it well though, since the others didn’t look at him curiously.

  Though he covered her with a privacy cloth, her long, shapely legs were exposed, along with her back and shoulders. It made him grit his teeth when the others turned around.

  “I’ll tap your vein,” he said, stretching her arm out alongside her. Carefully he threaded the needle in, and placed the other end on Serepto’s side.

  “Tess,” he called out. “Are you doing the marrow withdrawal?”

  “Yes, Jax. I can calculate the precise depth needed based on Arian’s medical scans. It will be a little painful Arian, unless you would rather be put to sleep?”

  “No, I need to be awake.”

  “Understood.”

  “Is there medication to numb the area?” Dieroc asked.

  “Unfortunately, Arian is immune to the numbing medications we have on board. She’s normally put under if there are any procedures that need to be endured.”

  “I wish to stay awake,” she said.

  “Arian, we are removing marrow from your hip. While you have a high tolerance for pain, this is not exactly a walk in the park. You will recover much quicker if you simply go under.”

  “No. I need to stay awake.”

  “Very well. We will proceed.”

  Straps came around her, holding her still in a lock-down position. She gasped as the needle pierced her skin.

  “Hold still,” Jax murmured.

  The pain increased, and she began to squirm as if she were trying to get away from the burn in her hip where the needle penetrated. She began to sweat. Jax watched her heart beating too fast on the monitor, from her panic at the pain level that rose. She started to pant.

  “Now we will begin to siphon the marrow,” Tess said.

  What the hell? It hadn’t even started yet? His tiny, brave woman couldn’t take much more of this horror.

  As the precious marrow began to draw upward, Arian felt every extraction. She shrieked as if her very soul was being sucked through the needle. Her screams were long and loud, barely aware of Jax as he lined up his face with her and spoke in soft, soothing tones. She struggled against the straps, and a command from Jax had the other men clamping down on her limbs to hold her. The fire burned, whipping through her like a poison, until he couldn’t take watching it anymore.

  And then there was blessed silence as the pain, noise and darkness all fell together.

  She awoke with Jax at her side, as if he’d never left her.

  “How do you feel?” he asked.

  “Sore. What happened?”

  “The pain was too much. You passed out. I brought you back here where you could have some comfort and privacy in our quarters.”

  She raised her brows at the “our quarters” comment, but let it pass. Hell, it almost was their quarters. He hadn’t slept anywhere else since the first night. She just had to come to terms with it.

  “Yeah, Tess didn’t describe that perfectly,” she muttered. “Sweet Jesus, my entire backside is sore.”

  “We will never attempt something like that again. I can’t believe you are allergic to numbing medications. Why wouldn’t you allow yourself to be put under?” His voice was almost a snarl as he remembered her pain.

  “I spent much of my life unconscious. I won’t be unaware of what happens to me while I’m under ever again.”

  With his help, she rose from the bed. She wore a robe, refusing to allow any other clothing near her hip.

  Chapter Seven

  “Arian.” Tess’s voice was a slightly louder volume than usual, indicating a security threat. She’d been programmed that way by Orion.

  “I’m here, Tess.”

  “Sensors have indicated another ship in the galaxy. Zetan. They are hailing.”

  “Check their vitals,” Arian said, jumping up and dressing quickly.

  “Cloaked. Unable to penetrate.”

  “Shields up,” Jax said. Then he turned to her and murmured, “They show their aggression, yet hail?”

  Arian was barely aware of him dressing also. Racing down to the main hull, Jax’s blue eye light began to flash, and she knew he was in communication with the other six council members.

  Three joined them in the hallways from the sick bay area, as they entered the captain’s quarters. The other three were already inside. Rune rose from the captain’s chair upon Arian’s arrival.

  Jax stopped her from sitting with a hand on her arm. “Tess,” he said. “Mask Arian from all cameras. They cannot detect life forms through our shields, correct?”

  “No. My shields have been adapted by the AI.”

  Thank goodness for small favors. He took the seat in the captain’s chair, and pulled Arian onto the wide arm next to him. He looped her arm through his, but left his palm flat on his leg so when her image was wiped, there would be no bumps showing a person should be sitting there.

  “Trust me,” he whispered to her. With his eyes flashing, his council moved to stand around him.

  Arian knew they were obviously communicating in this plan.

  “O
pen the hail.”

  The viewing screen centered with a lone Zetan captain in his chair. The ship’s set up was similar to their own.

  “Greetings, ZSH987. I am Captain Silak from the planet Zeta, and I pioneer this vessel, The Dorian. You are aboard one of our vehicles used for leisure cruises. It was stolen by a Terran.” His lip curled with disdain, unusual for the emotionless species.

  “He must be a half-breed,” Arian said to Jax. “Only the ones who showed more dominant Zetan features were kept alive to grow into adulthood. But his emotion gives him away.”

  Jax’s nod was almost imperceptible.

  “There is no Terran aboard my ship, captain.”

  “Then how did you obtain one of our vehicles?”

  “I only have your word that it is yours. It was found lifeless, floating through the Sirius galaxy, being hammered by debris. We repaired the damage and staked claim after the requirement of abandonment laws had been met.”

  “And you are?”

  “I am Jax.”

  “What species are you?”

  “That is none of your concern. I have been more than lenient in extending the information I have given you so far.”

  Silak’s eyes narrowed. “The Terran-Zetan we search for is a fugitive from our planet. We will board your vessel with or without your approval.”

  “As I said,” Jax growled. “There is only my species aboard. My ship is quite a bit bigger than yours, Captain Silak. What have you, a crew of twelve? Twenty? My crew on this vessel alone is two hundred. If you force your way aboard, we will outnumber your staff by ten to one. We will then claim your ship as our own, as is our right with an aggressive attack, and fling your broken bodies into space.”

  “That is an outright declaration of war with Planet Zeta.”

  “Attacking my ship is an outright declaration of war with my people. You make your call, Captain.”

  Arian looked around. All the eyes of the council members, including Jax, flashed in unison. The Zetan captain narrowed his eyes, as if he tried to figure out what species they were, and therefore, the size of the threat. Then he nodded. Arian realized that—like her—he had more of his men cloaked from their view. They conversed with him, but their images and voices were masked.