Artificial Intelligence

by Rena Marks

  Arian smiled at Jax. “Yes. And with so many AI active, I imagine it won’t take long to calculate how stable this one is.”

  There was silence for several minutes while eyes flashed back and forth. Then Jax spoke. “We have determined that we can stabilize the outgoing mouth of the wormhole by adjusting our radiation output by a gelometer. It will take us less time to get to the end of your plotted course this route. Good choice, Arian.”

  “Arian,” Tess said. “One of the ships seems to know we have cloaking capabilities beyond theirs. They have sent out probes.”

  Probes were physical drones sent into space to investigate breaks in space that could not be seen.

  “Notify me if one gets close enough to detect us,” Arian instructed.

  “What will you do if it does?” Serepto asked.

  “Blast an asteroid at it.”

  He looked confused. “We have left the Sirian galaxy—and therefore the asteroids—behind.”

  “Tess?” Arian said. “Please respond to that statement.”

  “Per masters Orion and Tian, Arian has been instructed to keep an asteroid in a holding tank at all times for this purpose. The probe will be blasted by it, while the other ships will find rock and rubble in space as proof.”

  “How would they know probes would be sent out?” Serepto asked.

  “Tian and Orion are Zetan. They know how they think, and they are determined to stay one step ahead of Zetan intelligence.”

  “By my calculations, three probes are headed toward our direction,” Echo said.

  “Tess? How long before they reach us?” Arian asked.

  “Two of the probes will get caught in the magnetic pull of the wormhole and will veer slightly off course, missing us entirely. The third may reach us in approximately twenty minutes.”

  “How close are we to the worm hole?”

  “Thirty minutes.”

  “If we send the asteroid now, will it reach the probe? Will it get caught in the path of the other two? Or, will it get caught in the magnetic pull of the hole?”

  “If there are no other unpredicted components in the path, it will reach the probe. All of the Zetan ships will head in that direction, while we continue to drop south to reach the wormhole. We can turn off our engines to save power and allow the magnetic pull to draw us in.”

  “Do it,” Arian said.

  Immediately the ship went dark and silent. There was a slight bump as the gravitational pull grabbed them.

  “Emergency lights, please,” Arian said. The ship was filled with a soft, yellow glow.

  “We will be in this state for another ten minutes,” Tess said.

  Eventually, the pull grew stronger and stronger until it felt like they were in a vacuum. They watched on the video screen as they approached closer to the mouth of the hole. And suddenly, they were in.

  The inside of the wormhole was eerily still, yet lights flashed continuously from other stars that had been previously swallowed. They flashed by at the speed of light, too quickly to see any details but color.

  “Are they moving by quickly?” Arian asked.

  Jax shook his head. “There’s no time in here. So we can only perceive something with a flash. We pass through it in an instant that no longer exists the moment we reach it.”

  “It’s so very confusing. With everything changing, how can we predict where we’ll come out when we’ll reach the end?”

  “Our estimations were based on the ends of the wormhole in our third dimensional timeframe,” Serepto said. “I imagine that can change.”

  “Let’s hope not,” Arian said.

  “That’s what makes wormholes unpredictable and unstable.”

  “It was the better option over facing a fleet of Zetans,” she countered.

  His left eyebrow lifted, as if surprised that she was a bit defensive. “Agreed.”

  “We’re nearing the exit,” Tess said. “Brace yourselves. I’ll adjust the engines to compensate, but we’re going to come flying out of there.”

  As soon as they left the stilled wormhole, the ship tumbled out into vast space. The engines revved as gravity stopped, enabling the occupants to float in space. Then compensated for the gravity inside, slowing the ship from the freefall it had been taking.

  “Gravity adjusting gradually,” Tess’s voice said.

  Bodies settled slowly to the ground as the levels bottomed with a hiss. Arian felt uncomfortably heavy, and by the looks on the faces of the men around her, they felt it, too.

  “Normalize gravity, Tess.”

  Within seconds, everyone cautiously stepped, testing their strength.

  “That was…awkward,” Jax said.

  Arian leaned back in her chair, her lungs fighting to take in oxygen. Still, she managed to grin. “I told you gravity release wasn’t fun. But we’re alive and away.”

  “And closer to where we need to be.”

  “Tess? Release our cloak and plot a course toward home.”

  “Done. And congratulations on a well thought-out plan, Arian.”

  Serepto’s lips didn’t tighten at the compliment. He seemed as pleased as everyone else. Of course, they were all weary from the gravity release.

  One of the newer revivals—Jete—spoke up. “Will Zetans always search for you?”

  “Until they think I’m dead, probably. It helps that they believe your species has my ship. But right now they don’t know if it’s because you’re helping me or because you did find my deserted vessel. They are wondering what has happened to the rest of the crew I escaped with.”

  “Why are they so intent on capturing you?” he asked.

  “I escaped with their slaves. My children chose to leave with me, instead of holding their loyalty to Zeta. I’m considered dangerous, a poison that can convert the logical minds of the supremely intelligent half-breeds. Plus, with my tattoos, I’m considered powerful. No other slaves were tattooed as royalty, but I belonged to the leader. He wanted me marked so I would not share my offspring with any other. He planned on breeding his own specialized army with me.”

  “Is that possible?”

  She nodded. “We’d been with Zetans long enough that they knew how to extract our eggs for in vitro fertilization. There were artificial wombs to grow youngsters. But the leader wanted as many natural childbirths as possible. In the right environment, I would be capable of twenty-five to thirty offspring. The rest could be cloned.” She paused a moment. “He knew multiple births were in my genetic pool.”

  “The slavery of other species has not stopped.” Jete sounded sad.

  “Apparently not,” Jax said.

  “We can relate to your people. Many of us were slaves also. Different, of course. We were slaves for sex. Slaves for war. Slaves for intelligence. But still slaves, nonetheless.”

  She nodded. “That is why I’m hoping our peoples can come together. But it may take time. While several of our males were slave labor, the females were the most tortured. They’re still wary, and we protect their every wish, hoping against hope to make the rest of their life dignified after what they’ve endured.”

  “We will approach slowly. Our slavery was long ago. We weren’t just released, like your people. So we can still relate.”

  “I appreciate that.”

  Jax called out to Tess. “How long until we reach our destination?”

  “Approximately twenty-six hours.”

  “I think we need a skeleton crew while everyone else rests. We should have our new bodies at optimum health when we arrive.”

  There were several nods.

  “Let’s get dinner replicated then.” Arian made a move to rise, but she was stopped by Serepto’s hand on her shoulder.

  “Please sit. I will handle it.”

  She tried not to let the surprise show on her face. Especially as there were carefully neutral expressions on many of the AI.

  Several of the men helped Serepto, while Jax pulled her seat around to face him. “There is something you and I
need to discuss, sweetness. Our future.”

  Her mouth dropped open. Was this really a conversation they needed to have now, of all times? And in front of everyone.

  “We need to discuss it,” Jax reiterated.

  Quickly, she glanced around the room to see who noticed.

  “You forget, we are connected,” Jax said. “While the AI pretend to give us privacy, they are just as curious as I am to see what your opinion is. We are trying to adjust to third dimensional life, but it will take us a while to get used to not being one mind.”

  Someone brought them both a plate of steaming food, and Arian murmured thanks before setting it on the small tray of her chair.

  “What do you need to know?” she asked, somewhat resigned.

  “We are having sex.”

  She winced, and felt her cheeks heat. A swift glance beneath her lashes proved the AI still weren’t paying much attention.

  “We are.” She agreed.

  “Do you love me?”

  Four little words that held so much power.

  He continued on. “I have shared with you that I love you. I wish to remain with you.”

  “That cannot be,” Serepto snarled. “You are one of the council, Jax.”

  Jax held up a hand, silencing him. “My place with you comes first.”

  “He’s right,” Arian whispered. “Your vote is needed to balance the council. Your race is brand new, fresh again. You can’t desert them.”

  “There is no need to desert my people. I would like for my brothers to consider staying on your planet. We can send out a band of people to look for another ship, or we can travel with you when you search for supplies. The possibilities are endless. But in the meantime, I need to know how you feel about me. Do you love me?”

  The entire room of AI stopped, turning their heads toward her as one to wait for the answer.

  She reached out to trace his strong jaw. “You are the bravest man I know. To sacrifice yourself to go first when none of you knew if these bodies would take root. To embody your consciousness into the first created unit, inserting yourself without knowing if that first one was healthy. Not knowing if I would agree to help you. Not even knowing if I would poison you, or kill you before you roused. Then to guide your brothers, and to help me. You are magnificent, Jax. I wish I could love you. But with my people, that is an emotion we have gone too long without. I’m sorry. You’re better off not waiting for me.”

  Malaya studied her. “She lies. Her heart is racing and she licked her lips. Why?”

  Jax smiled, unperturbed. “You are learning emotions and the signs quickly, my brother. Arian decided that I would give up my pursuing of her if I thought she was incapable of love.” He leaned in closer to her. “In which case, you need to know if you do not love me, I will still be here waiting until you do.”

  “It is impossible not to love Jax,” Serepto said, highly insulted on behalf of his friend. “Jax has given so much of himself. He is handsome in this body, as much so as he was before. He has suffered and has landed on his feet. He has adapted his feelings more quickly than any of us. Do you know what he has endured for us? He was the first, and the most abused, of the sexual slaves.”

  “More than that,” Echo said, with a wink. “He’s the only one of us with that cool haircut. The Mohawk.”

  “He’s strong and tall,” Dieroc said, looking at Serepto.

  “Beyond his looks and physical attributes,” Serepto said, horror in his voice. “He’s intelligent. Well versed.”

  “Plus being a sex slave means he’s good in bed,” Rune winked. “Experienced.”

  “What is wrong with you all?” Serepto said. “Of course he’s good in bed. We all are.”

  “How do you know?” Echo asked.

  “I mean, we all know.”

  “Were you eavesdropping when he and Arian were alone?”

  “No! I would never. I mean, look at him. Of course he would be good in bed.”

  “What’s wrong with us? We’ve all known and accepted, since day one, where Jax was headed concerning his feelings toward Arian. You are the only one who is suspicious.”

  There was silence that tore at her heart.

  “You’re right, Serepto,” Arian said softly. “It is impossible not to love Jax.” She turned to Jax again. “I’ve loved you since the first moment you woke. You intrigued me, you protected your brothers above yourself, and you’ve taken care of me at the same time. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier, but yes, Jax. I love you.”

  His mouth crushed hers in a bruising kiss that slowly gentled. When they broke apart, the entire room full of men stared with huge grins on their faces.

  “You owe me kitchen duty,” Echo whispered to Dieroc.

  “Bite me. Serepto owes us all kitchen duty. He’s a slow wit.”

  Jax kissed Arian again, ignoring Serepto’s growl.

  Chapter Ten

  Twenty four hours went by in a flash, especially as Arian was so eager to get home. As the ship slowly descended, the crew in the main hull watched the display on the viewing screen. Images of the natives attacking the wall with renewed viciousness were clear. The creatures were tiny, three to four feet tall, but mouths gnashed, full of huge, triangular-shaped teeth. They were shaped humanoid, but covered in a soft downy fur that blended with the ground, and each had a tail with a tuft of fur on the end.

  The ship fired a few warning shots, and the small creatures scattered. Then Arian steered the ship into an area within the confines of the walls to land.

  “Each night they attack,” Arian explained to the men gathered around the screen. “They’re carnivorous and eat everything in sight. They also have an enormous amount of strength for their small size. Every day we must repair the damage. It’s exhausting and slower work during the cold season. That’s why it was so necessary for me to get the mestascia here. They would not be able to damage the walls with mestascia added in.”

  The tiny, growling creatures fled upon the sight of the ship descending, scurrying into the darkness of their own forests.

  “It makes more sense to extend the walls to these locations. You gain more internal room, including a fresh water source. There is one directly underground. Plus it cuts off the natives from traveling around you from the west.” Four voices spoke in unity. The small group of engineers spoke at once without thought. It was still a bit strange for Arian to hear. She wondered how the rest of her people would react.

  She nodded. “We thought of that, but saved the plan for later. Our resources are limited.”

  “Not any longer,” Jax said, as the ship touched down. “You now have manpower and mestascia.”

  The engineers stayed silent, but their eyes continued to flash, indicating they were still going over the issues. One spoke again. “You have a mineral underground that is invaluable when mixed with mestascia. You used it in your walls already. By adding the mestascia, it will convert the mixture into a solar panel. The walls will become an energy source. We can even adapt them to expel an electrical shock, which should protect you from the natives. It will train them to stay away.”

  Arian could hardly contain her happiness. “You’re kidding me.”

  He shook his head. “I am not. It was a lucky break for your people.”

  He was too new to understand emotions, taking her sarcasm literally. “Come, everyone. I’ll introduce you all to the men of our tribe. Their primary job is to care for the others. While you discuss options, I’ll escort our weaker females aboard the ship so they may have the warmth and luxury of the pleasure cruiser. I’m sure they’ve been suffering during the cold winter.”

  Serepto looked at her. “You care more for the weak?”

  She nodded. “Of course. These are the females we discussed. They’ve been through so much. It’s up to us to protect them. In fact, we call them the Protected. I’d like to make the rest of their lives as comfortable as possible.”

  The attached hoods were brought up over their faces, and everyon
e put on their gloves, covering all exposed skin. They descended from the ship. The planet was harsh and cold, with bitter winds whistling through the trees. Arian led the way, with Jax close at her side.

  The men had been busy. Arian was surprised at all they’d accomplished in the couple months since she’d left them. The housing units were huddled together, as far as possible from the wall. She approached the largest one, and the door was flung open by her son, Orion.

  “Greetings, mother.” He swung her into his arms, spinning her round and round. As she squeezed him tightly, she was barely aware of the AI filing in, one by one. The smell of roasting meat was strong. The AI lined up against the walls of the hut, some sitting. Doors connecting the huts were opened so everyone could walk through freely throughout the compound.

  After Orion, she greeted Tian. Her younger son plastered wet kisses all over her face until she laughingly pushed him away. The AI watched curiously. She imagined they were studying the emotions that would follow them soon enough.

  “Jax,” she said. “These are my sons. Orion is the eldest, Tian is my baby.”

  Tian wrinkled his nose. “I know, her baby looks as old as she does. The Zetan species matures faster, so the half breeds are all at full maturity. Whereas you poor Terrans stay children for years and years.” He tweaked his mother’s nose.

  “How old are you?” Jax asked.

  “In Terran years, which is based on a four-season, three hundred and sixty-five day cycle, I would be fifteen. Orion is twenty.”

  “Yes, a full Terran would look much different than my babies do. I thought both were living dolls when they were first given to me.” She cupped Orion’s face, and he turned his face to kiss her palm. Her older son tended to act more responsibly than Tian, and his show of affection showed how much he missed her.

  “Do you know the biological women who birthed them?”

  “Both have passed. It was a difficult job, birthing children non-stop. Even more so fifteen years ago. Up until then, the babies nested inside their mothers until birth. When the Zetans realized how difficult it was to obtain other females to replace them, they decided to remove the newly fertilized embryos from the women from that point forward. Babies were grown in artificial wombs. We believe that is why the offspring—such as Captain Silak—attained more negative emotions instead of a balance of emotions, more like the Terrans. In the meantime, the original breeders began to pass, their bodies worn out, their spirits broken from countless children being wrenched from their arms. I swore to rescue as many as I could.”