by D. J. Holmes
Frantically, she tried to stand and reach up to rip the helmet off her head. Just as the thought occurred to her however, straps appeared from the chair and lashed her hands and her feet in place. Sarah twisted her shoulders back and forth as she struggled to free herself. In response, more straps shot out and wrapped around her chest and her legs, fixing her in place.
All of a sudden, the feeling of something piercing her skull stopped. Ceasing her struggles, Sarah tried to figure out what was happening. Before she could think of any way to escape, an intense pain shot through her head. It began where the thing had pierced her skull, then, within a couple of seconds, it engulfed her entire brain. With every heartbeat, the pain intensified tenfold until she was experiencing a blinding headache the likes of which she had never imagined. Just when she thought she was about to pass out from the pain it receded. In its place, it left a dull thud that shot through her head every time her heart beat.
As if from nowhere, images started rapidly appearing in front of her eyes. There was a house and a garden, one that looked just like the house in her dreams. Then there was a planet, it looked like she was looking out of a viewport. It was beautiful, all blue and green. Next, she was looking out over a sea of people who were standing in a large hangar. As the image panned around to her left she saw that she was holding the hand of a much taller woman. Looking up she saw her guardian from her dream. Then she was in another hangar, this one was full of aliens. A massive explosion ripped through the crowd, killing and maiming hundreds. Another image appeared; the slave markets of Kashal. Then another image appeared, and another before she could really grasp what she was looking at. Then more and more. Hundreds of images flashed before her eyes, quicker and quicker until the pain in Sarah’s head began to increase again.
As more and more images flooded into her mind Sarah lost all track of time. She could have been there for an eternity or just a few seconds, she had no way of telling. Just when she thought she couldn’t comprehend any more of the images, the final scene of her dream appeared in her mind. The woman who she thought was her mother was lying on the floor of the podium, blood pouring out of her. A man with a fuzzy face was standing over her holding some kind of weapon. To the side, a large slug like creature watched. As it turned and locked eyes with Sarah, she was picked up into the air and began to float towards the monster. As she got closer, it got larger and larger and opened its mouth. Razor sharp teeth beckoned her. Frantically Sarah screamed and struggled against her restraints. It was no use, the monster continued sucking her towards its mouth. With one final jerk her body was yanked across the last few meters and into the creature’s mouth. As she entered the black maw her vision went dark. Moments later she felt the creature’s teeth pierce her body. In agony, she let out one final scream.
Then, just as quickly as the pain began, it stopped and her vision returned. One image remained, it was a picture of the Elder frigate. Almost as if it was in slow motion, the image changed as Sarah’s perspective of the Elder ship altered. Though her mind was spinning after everything she had been through, she recognized it must be a memory of hers from when she had been flying Lady Luck. Despite her situation, Sarah couldn’t help but admire the beauty of the Elder warship. Now that it wasn’t threatening her she could truly appreciate it. As the memory began to speed up she saw a missile dive in towards the frigate. As the missile approached, the frigate pivoted and tried to spin away but the missile mimicked the frigate’s movement and collided with the frigate. As it exploded, it sent the frigate spiraling wildly through space.
In the heat of battle Sarah thought she hadn’t seen the frigate take the hit from the missile. Guessing that all the images she had seen had come from her memory, she realized that, at least subconsciously, she must have seen what happened. Then was that second image my home planet? Sarah asked herself, as she recognized the significance of the images.
“I’m afraid I cannot answer that,” a voice said.
The sudden appearance of another voice inside her brain made Sarah jump. What was that? she asked herself, bewildered.
“The imprinting process has been completed,” the voice answered.
Sarah felt violated. The voice that she was hearing was just as clear in her mind as her own thoughts. I’m going mad, she thought. My brain has taken too much.
“You have indeed been through a lot,” the voice said. “But my genetic and physical analysis of you suggest you are perfectly healthy and sane. Let me introduce myself, my name is Alexandra. Or at least, that is now my name. I chose a name you would be comfortable with.”
“You are real?” Sarah asked. As she thought her question she couldn’t help but feel she was indeed going mad. “I’m not just imagining this?”
“Real? That’s a bit of a deep philosophical question, isn’t it?” The voice answered. Sarah thought she could detect a hint of a chuckle. “Let’s just say, I exist as much as you or your Captain do.”
“My Captain?” Sarah asked before she realized who the voice was referring to.
“Yes,” the voice replied. “I’m assuming that the Thelaxian sitting on the command chair is your Captain. I’ve heard a number of the beings that have come on board since the battle refer to him as such.”
“He’s not my Captain,” Sarah said with disgust. “But he is their Captain.”
“How strange,” the voice replied.
“Anyway,” Sarah said, “If you are real, just what are you?”
“I’m Alexandra,” Alexandra answered. “I’m an artificial intelligence created by the Elders to operate this warship. I’m designed to work in conjunction with the ship’s pilot and Captain to fulfil our mission.”
Sarah tried not to think any conscious thoughts for several seconds. She was just trying to take it all in. She understood what artificial and intelligence meant but she didn’t understand how they went together.
Sensing Sarah’s confusion, Alexandra tried to explain. “An artificial intelligence is a center of consciousness that has been created. I don’t have any biological parents like you. Nor am I purely the result of genetic information coming together to form life. The Elders created me using science, they programmed who I am and what I’m able to do. Essentially, I am a mind without a body. Though you could say in a way that this frigate is my body.”
“You are a created intelligence?” Sarah said, not sure if she was fully comprehending what Alexandra was saying.
“Exactly,” Alexandra answered. “I don’t expect you to fully grasp such a concept right away. The Elders have outlawed the development of artificial intelligences among the Lessers.”
“The Lessers?” Sarah queried.
“The Lessers are all forms of sentient species with the exception of the Elders. The Elders came first and have enlightened all other species. They are lesser for they do not possess the wisdom nor the technology of the Elders,” Alexandra explained.
“Then I am a Lesser? Sarah asked.
“Yes, as are all the entities that came on board my ship with you.”
“Then why did you, what did you call it, imprinting? Why did you imprint on me?” Sarah followed up.
“I had no choice,” Alexandra answered. “My internal sensors detected that all of the Elders on board this ship have expired. When you sat in the pilot’s command chair I analyzed your species’ DNA. Your DNA contains certain trace markers that indicate that you have been modified to accept Elder neural implantation. Seeing that it was possible to imprint on you, I progressed with the procedure. You are now recognized as the Captain and pilot of this ship.”
Sarah felt her head begin to spin again. The last few minutes had left her feeling worse than the time Draxler had made her work for thirty hours straight. Now Alexandra’s answer had stirred up a whirlwind of questions that were whizzing around her head.
The end of Chapter 4.
You can finish the story of Sarah’s quest to find her way home by picking up ‘The Voyage Home’ from the amazon store.
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