Tethered Worlds: Star in Bankruptcy

by Gregory Faccone

  Alarms sounded as small explosions dotted the Jetty's decks. The station schematic erupted with systemic malfunctions as Arh-Tahl energized his own path. The Iron Commander directed the last few stragglers to any kind of evacuation.

  “Emergency escape pods authorized,” he said. “Set for immediate planetary reentry. The fighters have been recalled, but we don't know if it will last. You on decks twelve and thirteen, take the pods on deck ten. Solothurn, your reboot sequence is still behind. Bypass anything but primary systems.”

  Soon it would only be the galleon crews awaiting their fate.

  In the virtual world, lines pushed out again and again before the rider, finally connecting with the next wall. The energy cut another arch and the rider passed through. This continued as he made his way toward the heart of the maze. The Jetty was becoming a casualty of a great thresh. Benziger hoped the first Sojourner he ever met would not also be a casualty. The strain of the impossible was showing on the man.

  The rider finally reached the heart of the maze, directly below the core. He lowered his hand as the glow faded, and fell off the horse. At the same time Arh-Tahl fell to one knee, the color drained from his face.

  Torious moved to the man with the glowing blue apparatus, but a held up hand barred him.

  “Not yet,” Arh-Tahl said.

  The bot did not seem pleased. “Where's Judicum when you need him?”

  “Is that all you've got?” their opponent taunted. “You must be a very old Sojourner, because I expected more.”

  “Sir,” Barrister said, “these primitive scientum systems require too much effort to bridge.” The waves of enemies were relentless on Barrister's second fire wall. It was cracking. “Please reconsider.” The AI's voice warbled in distortion.

  That must have been a rare occurrence, for Arh-Tahl's brows rose and then he did as well.

  “Transfer everything you can, Barrister,” the Sojourner said. “Do not leave them anything to destroy.” The bridge station lit by the AI oscillated with new activity. “There is little good you can do out here, now. Just keep the connection open for me.”

  “You've slagged the distribution nodes across the Jetty to get this far,” their tormentor said. “but they were due for replacement—about a century ago. Much like you I gather. And now there's nothing left for you to connect.”

  Benziger thought of him as an evil little man, overly thrilled with his own wit. Too talented for his own good, and unfortunate enough to have never met his match for a humbling.

  Until now.

  The captain smiled at his own hope. He still had it after all.

  Arh-Tahl's eyes blazed in different shades as he got to his feet. Now mirror silver and purple. The rider stood and pulled a similarly colored orb of light from his chest. The rays cut across the field, destroying every bit of corruption they touched. He swung his arm back at the fort and blasted hundreds of enemies in one fell swoop. Then a layer of energy bricks of the same color built before Barrister's wall.

  “Taking secondaries offline,” Barrister said. “Pulling back to the sanctum. Good luck, sir.”

  The rider mounted and looked up, then swept his hand and a long ramp of energy stonework formed. It was shallow enough for a horse to traverse. At its far end another built back in his direction, making a switchback. The rider cantered upward.

  Arh-Tahl grunted with effort as the horse reached the end of the second ramp. The rider swept out again and a new pair of ramps forming another rising switchback built upon the first.

  “Please, Arh-Tahl,” the nurse said.

  Even the Iron Commander looked down with concern.

  “Impossible,” the voice said. “Impossible!” His mocking tone was finally beaten into submission. “There's nothing for you to manipulate.” The energy bricks guarding Barrister cracked under a fresh onslaught of enemies. “How do you like that?”

  The bricks shattered. Enemies hurled everything they had at the fort's wood walls, crushing them into bits of light. The horde flooded into the hedges before the fort's central building, Barrister's mansion.

  “Hurry, sir,” the AI said. Benziger had never heard such a tone from an AI. “Reach the core... I will send the antidote code.”

  The AI was battling against a mighty amalgamation of processing power. The more Benziger understood, the more impossible this battle sounded. Yet somehow Arh-Tahl was bridging empty space with something the AI could use as a medium.

  The rider made another switchback, finally rising to the level of the core. The ramps crumbled away leaving only a pillar of energy stone. A gap yawed between them. The core suddenly went into overdrive, moving almost frenetically.

  “You drakking Sojourner!” the voice screamed. “How... How dare you! I'll crush you!”

  Barrister's mansion was surrounded, and every enemy was expending itself on all four sides to bring it down. It wasn't a fair fight. The odds were stacked against the Sojourner and his AI. The mansion was failing. Benziger suddenly thought of the Sojourners' Crusade. Realization of its odds dawned on him.

  The rider built his last bridge. Brick by brick an arched trestle spanned from pillar to enemy core. A half-dozen slabs of black dropped onto it from above, and then an equal number dropped again to fill the spaces between.

  Arh-Tahl pulled his lips back in strain. The rider started across the bridge, holding forth its orb of light. As the rider picked up speed the orb changed. Its brightness elongated. Rider and horse galloped forth against giant barriers with only an extended, energetic saber of ancient design. The point of it touched the first black slab and shattered it. The rider continued, though Arh-Tahl flinched as each was similarly defeated.

  Finally only the core remained, and the rider did not slow.

  “Stop,” the voice said. “Stop!”

  His long cry was still echoing when the saber penetrated the core. The scene froze as a sphere of light expanded out from the point of contact. Every bit of corruption dissolved at its touch. It moved over the maze and the remaining enemies, wiping them away. Barrister's fort rebuilt. The wave continued outward, cleansing the environment of corruption, although it remained scarred, reflecting the true state of the Jetty. The sun shone again across the computer landscape before the thresh VADs indicated success and closed.

  Arh-Tahl dropped to his knees and looked up at the flag station.

  “Ha, old friend. We have done it again. You take it from here, will you?”

  “Count on it, Arh-Tahl,” the life-like simulcrum said.

  The Sojourner fell forward, bracing with one arm. “Torious.” Then he rolled over onto his back.

  The nurse bot sprang into action, affixing the glowing blue apparatus and performing a myriad of other tasks. The man became eerily motionless, but his bag moved, and a little metallic bird took flight. It flitted protectively. His eyes opened and he raised a hand. The bird alighted upon it.

  “It is the way of things now, Peri,” Arh-Tahl said. “Do not be downtrodden.”

  “Nurse!” Barrister exclaimed.

  “I'm trying,” Torious said. “You want a crack at it?”

  Priority VADs lit before the captain as the bridge came alive with light and active stations.

  “Galleons in bays one, two, four, five and six online!” the captain said.

  “Galleon three,” the Iron Commander said, “you will be left behind if you're not online in two minutes. All ships clear gantries for launch.”

  “Gantry slow to retract,” the captain said. “Nearby systems took a beating during that thresh. It just went offline. Release systems have failed. We're stuck!”

  “All galleons to battle stations!” the Iron Commander ordered.

  “But we're still docked.”

  “You heard me. We'll shoot our way out if we must.”

  Arh-Tahl smiled, as if he could still hear but not move. Then he winced. The nurse made a metallic sound of disapproval and the blue pulses of the apparatus changed oscillation.

  The Sojo
urner pulled the bird closer. “Sorry Peri. I do not have a treat for you...” Then he closed his eyes.

  Chapter Thirty Seven

  Priority VADs flashed green at the First Cruiser's command station.

  “Jetty galleons reading online,” the ship AI said, not understanding the weight of the words.

  “What the drak!” Janus blurted. “That fool failed me. The arrogant, pompous link-head! Captain!”

  Gimmelstau's face appeared, eyes scanning. “They're trying to initialize launch systems. It looks pretty slagged up over there.”

  Janus pushed aside the captain's VAD and another opened showing the bitsmith's face, more colorless than usual.

  “I can explain!” he said. “It was a Sojourner.”

  “You had the power of the First Cruiser and half the Jetty at your disposal and you were still beaten by a single Sojourner?”

  “And a mystic AI...”

  Janus sneered, revulsion rushing to the surface. “Welcome to the war, dolt. My family's been contending with them for centuries.”

  Why won't they just die?

  Dysig shook his head quickly. “I can still salvage this!”

  “Send the signal,” Janus said.

  “Wait. If I reformat the—”

  Janus grew icy. “I said, send the signal. I no longer have time for subtlety. I'm contending with Sojourners in the real world.”

  “But I can beat him! I know he's drained. I'll cobble together a violator AI.”

  The once mighty bitsmith, now so unsure and struggling. It turned Janus's stomach more than the previous conceit. He needed to end this comm before he too caught loseritis.

  “Just send. The. Signal,” he ordered. “You're done.”

  He punched that VAD closed and checked the range to the Jetty. He looked over to his adjutant's chair, but Leisal was absent.

  Moron.

  He didn't have the time or will to track her down.

  The Jetty's shields were nothing like what they could be. He could do it.

  “Tighten the formation captain, and bring the Aegis in close. Charge the Artemis to one hundred percent.”

  The captain's eyebrows rose. “One hundred percent? It'll leave us vulnerable.” He scanned his own VADs. “What's the target?”

  “Isn't it obvious even to you at this point? The Jetty you dolt.”

  “I thought we were trying to not destroy the Jetty.” Janus just stared the man down with ice. “Okay, okay. But one hundred will take time.” Gimmelstau glanced off again. “What about the, uh, X-factor that hit the Svals?”

  “I've learned a thing or two about Sojourners. It'll be like a moth to flame. But in this case the flame will punch out.”

  ▪ ▫ ▪

  Dysig knew he wasn't good with defeat, but could you blame him? It hardly ever happened. He had so little practice. He pulled out a stimgar ring and took a hit.

  He scrambled around the cabin, throwing a few odds and ends in a bag. The code of his match with the Sojourner was downloading into his compy ring. No one at Hexadecimal or Chryson Genos would believe him otherwise. But the more he thought about it, the more he was sure his first destination would be Chryson Genos. He was too advanced to be limited by any so-called moral constraints.

  His intellect was limitless. But perhaps a stop at Hexadecimal for one of their brain-stim booster implants was in order later on. The cabin hatch opened to Leisal.

  “Good, at least your recall feature is still working. I cracked some maintenance bots and had them bring your recondition unit. I need you to incorporate some new code, so get in. When you wake up, it'll be a whole new world for us.”

  “I will have greater purpose,” the android said, “if I remain with the Prime Orator.”

  “You're getting a little flutzed, but I can fix that.”

  “I am his desire.”

  “No, Vittora is his desire.” Dysig bobbed his head for emphasis. “You are an imitation, although a pretty good one if I do say so. Besides, Janus's truest desire is for himself alone. Look, let's get out of here.”

  “What about the signal the Prime Orator ordered sent?”

  “Yes, yes. That last transmission is set to send shortly. A scarlet letter on my record needing to be expunged.” He scrunched his mouth in distaste.

  “My present form is not pleasing to the Prime Orator, but my programming insists I must remain in it publicly. It does not fulfill me. Can you help me, Dysig?”

  “Leisal, you have to follow your programming. You're my greatest creation... well, so far. Your foundation will propel me. Someday soon my creations will rival mystic AIs from legendary Taal!” Leisal's eyes began flickering between dull gray and red-brown. She turned to the chamber and stopped, started, and stopped again. “Leisal, hurry. I'll fix you later. Creator command override.”

  The android turned to him, eyes still wildly fluctuating. “I no longer recognize the authority of that command.”

  “What? Are you looking to be wiped and get me imprisoned?” He reached out to her and put his hands on her shoulders. “Don't you want to go to Chryson Genos with me? Together?”

  She reached up and put her hands on his cheeks. She had never been outwardly affectionate to him without orders.

  “I am his desire.”

  The room spun and he felt a short, intense pain. Then the anguishing realization that she had just broken his neck.

  Nooo! What a waste!

  As the darkness closed around the circumference of his vision, he saw his programming VADs appear before him. She had sat him at his station. But it frustratingly raced away before he could determine where he had gone wrong, leaving only darkness.

  ▪ ▫ ▪

  “We are the Shadow Board,” the amalgam of voices said. The comm showed the same mysterious silhouettes around a table. “We have tried to reason with the current Governing Board, but they're too steeped in the blindness of their own greed. So we've taken their precious galleons and will use them to root out the traitors in our government. We urge the rest of Aventicia Security to join us.”

  Jordahk watched the transmission with growing trepidation from Aurora's muted bridge. The Hesperus was still sidelined, and the command deck remained at low power.

  “Well, that takes the biscuit,” he said.

  “What does it mean?” Solia asked. “Is another faction throwing punches in this crazy battle?”

  “No, worse I think.” Kord had inculcated strategy and tactics into him for too long to miss this maneuver. He was suddenly thankful. “It means Janus has generated his excuse.”

  “For what?”

  “To destroy the Jetty.”

  Light came back up to standard, and the bridge hummed to life. The viewport added another level of information.

  “Systems online,” Aurora said.

  The bridge hatch opened to Gasket. “Everything's not in the best shape, but she'll do phase one manifestation mode. Because that's what you're probably considering.”

  “Best speed to the First Cruiser,” Jordahk ordered.

  “We'll never get through its protection,” Max said.

  “It's true, Jorh-Dahk,” Aurora said. “Level one doesn't afford that kind of protection.”

  “Especially in our current condition,” Gasket added.

  “Okay, okay,” Jordahk conceded. “Get us between the Jetty and the First Cruiser.” The ship lurched off in a rush. “Keep us in the fight as long as you can, Gasket.”

  “That's what I do. What about... the man below?”

  “Leave him. He's going to do what he's going to do. No one can force him, and no one can stop him.”

  “That sounds defeatist,” Solia said.

  “Not if he thinks we're worth helping. He liked you.”

  “I'm not going near him.”

  The Aurora blazed through space at speeds few ships could match, closing the gap to her rendezvous with a Goliath.

  “I'm no expert,” Max said, “but I don't think we can block an Artemis.” />
  “We can't,” Wixom said. “Your foolish attempt will only lead to your destruction.”

  “You mean our destruction,” Jordahk said.

  “No, your destruction. I may survive.”

  “Oh, that would be a joy...” Max cracked.

  “Why are you putting us out there?” Solia asked.

  “Maybe we can get him to swat at us instead.”

  “I'm reading the galleons online,” Aurora said.

  “Hmph,” Max said. “They just might launch after all.”

  “We just need to buy them some time. Any comm yet from the interior?” Jordahk asked.

  “Nothing,” Aurora answered.

  “Ship-breaker configuration.” Jordahk let the mystic control stalks rise into his palms. Then he started working through the runes on the gold panel at the manifestation controls.

  “It won't be enough,” Wixom said.

  “That's your problem, Wixom. Your vision, your faith, it can't extend beyond your master's.”

  “What are you saying?” Solia asked.

  “I don't know... I just can't believe the guy below decks won't do something if he really is who he says.”

  “He may do nothing because of who he is.”

  “Max, what's the status of my father?”

  “Alpha and Beta took losses. They've reformed into one squadron. Kord's Thunar is pretty beat up.”

  Jordahk stopped manipulating VADs and locked eyes with Solia in the officer's station.

  “My father may hurl himself at that juggernaut. Pops is on the Jetty. Can I do any less?” Jordahk could see she understood. “You don't have to stay. You didn't sign up for this.”

  Solia stood. “I didn't say I wanted to leave, just that I don't want to commit suicide.”

  Jordahk didn't know how to articulate his thoughts on that legitimate concern. The silence lingered.

  “I... believe.”

  Solia exhaled. “I hope it's enough for the rest of us.” She sat down and brought up VADs in businesslike fashion. “Reactordyne idling. Cross-keel functions showing ready.” She turned back to him. “How's that?”