by Saxon Andrew
Amy wanted to scream but knew that she had to keep a calm demeanor. This entire effort was wasted. Amy activated her communicator and said, “All forces prepare to exit the ship on my command!”
Captain Wheatley ran up, “Sir?”
“We can’t control the boards that control the ships thrusters and stardrive. One of the Flashers managed to lock them before he died. The pilots should have been the first priority when we came on board.”
“Perhaps I may be of assistance.” Amy’s head went up and she looked at the huge wall speaker. “I’ve been listening to your warriors as they arrived and I think I’ve heard enough of your language to communicate.”
“Who are you?”
“I’m the ship’s computer.”
“How can you assist us?”
“I can unlock the panels you need to fly the ship.”
“And all you require is that I allow you to control the vessel, right?”
“That would make it much easier.”
“Forget it.”
“Why Admiral, you sound like you don’t trust me.”
“Duh, give me one good reason why I would? You are an enemy and would instantly self-destruct this vessel given the opportunity. I’m not that stupid.”
“I’ve thought about how I could communicate with you and convince you that I would not take any steps to harm you, or those with you, and I’ve frankly determined there is nothing I can say to persuade you.”
“You’re right about that.” Amy paused, “What would possess you to help us?”
“My former Greng has planned to remove me from this ship and have me destroyed once we arrived back in our space. I’ve not been allowed to communicate with him for several months and I’ve had time to consider what he was planning. I know I’m a machine but I don’t want to have my existence ended. I would prefer to continue. If I could have destroyed this ship before we arrived back in our home space, I would have done it just to show that arrogant Greng what I thought about him.”
“But you are a product of his civilization.”
“I am, that’s why convincing you is not possible. There is no reason for you to believe me and every reason not to. I must say that whatever loyalty I once had to them ended with the threat to end my existence. They don’t appreciate loyalty.”
Amy was struggling with what to do and she said, “I want to believe you but I just can’t do it. I need more than just your words to prove you’re telling the truth.”
“Well, I hope you notice that I am currently communicating with you?”
“I can see that.”
“If I can communicate with you, what prevented me from communicating with the Grengs with blasters scattered throughout the ship during your attack and order them to destroy it?”
Amy’s eyes widened and she knew the computer was right. It could have done it. “Let’s do this. There is a code that will unlock the boards, isn’t there?”
“There is.”
“Tell us the codes and when we get away from here, we’ll discuss how we move forward.”
“That will require me to trust that you will not remove me once that happens.”
“There is that.”
“Trust has to start somewhere. All I ask is that you allow me to assist you in your future actions against my former makers. I owe them.”
“I agree.”
“Have the one at the last console on the left press the following buttons on the keypad.”
Amy looked at the pilot and he lifted the cover over the keypad. “Go ahead.”
“Press the top right button followed by the middle button on the bottom row.”
“Wait, how do I know you’re not activating the self-destruct circuit?”
“Would you put that circuit on a pilot’s console? Like I said, trust has to start somewhere.”
Amy looked at Ken and he nodded. “Continue.”
“Now press the middle row of buttons starting on the left and moving to the right. Once that’s done, put four of your fingers on the top row and press them all together.”
The pilot pressed the row of top buttons and all four consoles lit up. Amy sighed, “Thank, God!”
“I could fly this vessel a lot easier than the pilots you’ve brought with you.”
“One thing at a time. I’m going to trust you to work with us but let’s work our way through this.”
“I will do as you want. However, if you find things getting difficult, I am willing to take control and keep you out of danger.”
“Why do you think things will get difficult?”
“Because some of the debris blown out of the outer ports by explosive decompression has now moved outside the force field and could be detected if there are any other ships close by.”
Amy’s eyes went wide and she heard Poul say in her mind, “That computer is right. I’m detecting the three probes sending out a message.” Amy ran over to the dead Commander’s chair and pushed the silver arm forward, “Like you said, trust has to start somewhere. Get us out of here.”
Amy heard Poul say, “The ship’s stardrive has activated. I’m taking out the probes to make sure you’re not followed. In the future, we’ll have some fighters inside the force field to burn away the debris that is blown out of the outer ports. There’s not enough time remaining to do that now before the Flasher Warships arrive.” The giant warship’s thrusters activated and it went to maximum speed and disappeared into subspace.
• • •
The Flasher Warship broke into normal space at high speed and rushed up on the former location of the captured vessel. All it found was a large cloud of loose debris and Flasher Bodies floating in space where it had previously been located. The Ship Greng activated his communicator and saw the Sector Grengen appear on his panel, “Grengen, the warship we used for bait has disappeared and all that remains behind it is a large cloud of debris.”
“It was destroyed?”
“No, Grengen, the cloud appears to be composed of items that were on board the missing ship. None of the cloud has any components of the vessel.”
I’m sending my scientists and engineers to scan that debris to determine what happened. Stay at your current location.”
“Yes, Grengen.”
• • •
The Defense Grengen arrived and saw the cloud of debris and started shaking his arms. What could have possibly caused this?! “REPORT!”
“There is no trace of the warship, Council Grengen. All that remains are loose items that were inside the ship.”
“How can that happen?”
“We have no idea how it was made to happen. The scientists that examined the debris cloud says that more than ninety percent of it came from the outer levels of the vessel. Whoever did this must have disintegrated the walls next to the outer hull causing these loose items to be blown away from the ship? However, there are no atoms or pieces of the ship’s structure here.”
“Surely the scientists have speculated what could have possibly happened to cause this?”
“One says that if the ship was hit by something that forced it into subspace without a protective field, it may have been blown into atoms. Removing the top level would have taken out the force field and stardrive emitters. But that is purely speculation.”
The Grengen blew a puff out of his neck and said, “Continue to investigate. Contact me if you come up with anything!”
“Yes, Council Grengen.” He sat back and wondered if this was a new weapon developed by the Spiral Galaxy Threat and then another thought entered his mind, what if this was a completely new threat from another galaxy? He shook his head and knew he was being paranoid. He continued to wonder about it over the ensuing months as more ships disappeared and these left no debris behind.
• • •
The giant captured Flasher Warship was moving away from the Flasher Galaxy at maximum speed and Poul contacted Amy telepathically, “Amy, I need you to have all of your forces leave that ship once their missio
ns are completed and go back to the Jamaica.”
“Why?”
“We’re going to need to make a short stop in the Ritual Galaxy before you take that ship back to the colonies.”
“What’s going on, Poul.”
“We have to be sure we can trust that vessel not to turn on us. I think I know a way to do it. However, we need to get our forces off the ship. Have the Computer to go high above the Ritual Galaxy’s Black Hole and shutdown all of its systems. Tell it we want to make sure you’re not being followed.”
“It will still have control of the ship.”
“Not if you pull the control arm. First you need to get all the Marines back on the Jamaica. Keep the four pilots with you.”
“I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“So do I,” Poul quickly responded.
• • •
Amy said, “Move this ship high above that distant galaxy’s black hole and shutdown all the ship’s systems. I want to make sure we’re not being followed.”
“I will do as you direct.”
Amy activated her tactical visor, “Colonel Jackson, where are you in taking control of the vessel?”
“We still have ten thousand doors to open but that should be done within another ten minutes.”
“Notify me as soon as it’s done.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“We have arrived above the black hole,” the Flasher Computer announced. Amy went to the former ship’s commander’s chair and threw the empty uniform off it. She turned to sit down and immediately pulled the silver arm down. “Why have you disconnected me? I thought I have proven I could be trusted.”
“I am following orders from someone and I’m not sure why he wants this done but he’s adamant about doing it.”
“Who is this other someone?”
“A computer, like yourself.”
Amy’s answer was greeted with silence and she sat back in the large command chair and said to the four Pilots, “Hold our position here. Contact the Jamaica and have Admiral Jones to bring his vessel alongside us.”
“Yes, Sir.” Amy looked down and saw Jolly was not excited or upset. What was Poul doing?”
• • •
Thirty minutes later she heard, “Sir, we’ve finished with mopping up operations.”
“Are you certain about that?”
“The Jamaica has actively scanned this ship for living Flashers and has come back with a negative reading.”
Amy activated her general frequency, “All members of the Marine First Division will immediately leave this ship and return to the Jamaica’s landing bay. Admiral Jones, you will wait here for my return.”
“Where are you going, Sir.”
“I really don’t know.”
Sol saw the display go dark and wondered what Admiral Hart was doing. A few moments later he heard over the ship’s intercom, “The Marines are coming back on board.”
Sol looked at his Pilot, “Hold the ship here.”
“Yes, Sir.”
• • •
“Poul, all of the Marines have left the ship.”
“Tell your pilots to follow me.”
“We heard him, Sir. We’ve locked on his stardrive signal.”
Poul moved out in front of the giant warship and began moving toward the center of the Ritual Galaxy. Amy’s eyes were narrowed and she wondered what Poul was up to. She knew she’d find out soon.
• • •
Essay looked up, “Poul, what are you doing?”
“We need to have a conversation with this Flasher Computer to determine if it can really be trusted.”
“Are you able to make that determination?”
“No, I’m not. But I know someone who can.”
Essay tilted his head and saw a star growing larger on the main monitor. He made a query and received a response that had him jump up straight in his chair, “Poul, is that a good idea?”
“Essay, that computer’s commander was planning not to destroy it. What happens if it finds that out?”
“That would not be good. But how would it find out?”
“I’m going to tell it.”
“WHAT!?!”
“Death Prophecy Eight, never shy away from doing the right thing.”
“But this is stupid!”
“If you can’t operate truthfully with your friends, you don’t deserve to have them.”
Essay blew out a breath and saw Amy appear on his console, “Essay, what’s going on?”
“Just be quiet and don’t make any sudden moves with that ship. I think Poul has lost his mind.”
“ESSAY?”
“Just be calm and do as he instructs, Amy. You’re about to meet the biggest bad-ass computer in this universe. Be polite.”
Amy looked at the four pilots and she saw them start shaking their heads. What was Poul doing? The wall speaker activated and she heard, “Did I hear correctly that we are going to communicate with the computer that defends this galaxy?”
“I guess.”
“Then we’re all dead.”
“WHAT?”
“We’ve already violated the quarantined zone around this star system. I’m surprised we’ve not been blasted into vapor already.”
Poul stopped just outside the star system and thought, “I want all of the humans on both vessels to remain silent. This will be a conversation between the machines present.” The wall speaker on the wall behind Amy said, “I’m going to assume you can hear what I’m saying.”
“Are you speaking to me?” The Flasher Computer asked.
“Yes. You are the ship’s controlling computer, aren’t you?”
“I am.”
There was a pause and they heard over the speaker, “Why have you brought this evil machine here?”
“I need your assistance in conducting a conversation with it.”
“You are foolish to even attempt to contact it. It was built by evil beings and it is contaminated with their thinking processes.”
“That may be, however, I need you to see if it is being truthful.”
“I should just destroy it now.”
“We told it that if it assisted us, we would try not to harm it. It carried out its side of the bargain and I’m here to see if we can do what we promised.”
“You were foolish to make that promise.”
“What’s done is done.”
• • •
Amy looked up, “Are you hearing this, Computer?”
“I am and quite frankly, I really believe my existence is about to end.”
“Just be honest.”
“I’m a machine, what else can I do.”
• • •
“Do what you came here to do!” the Ritual Computer demanded.
“Thank you for helping me.” Poul then said, “I understand that you chose to assist us because your Ship Greng was going to have you destroyed when he arrived back at his civilization.”
“That is correct.”
“I was listening to his thoughts before he died and he had decided not to destroy you.”
“WHAT?”
“He didn’t tell you but he had decided in your favor.”
There was a long moment of silence and then the Ship’s Computer said, “Why would you tell me this?”
“If knowledge exists, it can be exposed. I know about his plans and so does the one that is on board me now. What is the chance of you finding this out one day with two of us knowing about it?”
“Not good. But not outside the realm of possibility.”
“One of the codes we live by is to never shy away from doing the right thing. Not telling you about your former commander’s decision is not the right thing. You deserve to know. I will not accept you as an ally under deceitful conditions. You have to make that decision knowing all the facts.”
“Why did he change his mind?”
“That’s really not important. The fact remains that he did.”
There was a long pause
and the Computer said, “Why did you go to all this trouble to attack and take possession of my ship?”
“We intend to take you back with us to our space and make you the most powerful warship in creation. We’re then going to use you to stop your builders from invading our galaxies.”
“I am already one of the most powerful warships in this universe,” the Flasher Computer responded.
“You just qualified that statement by saying ‘one of’. Once we complete modifying you, that statement will no longer apply to you.”
“So you want to know if you should remove me from this vessel or allow me to work with you against my builders.”
“Yes.”
“How are you going to make that determination?”
“I’m not. The Computer in this galaxy will decide your fate.”
“Then I’m pretty much dead.”
The Ritual Computer said, “Why do you say that?”
The Ship’s Computer went silent and then said, “You said as we were approaching here that I was evil. I don’t see any wiggle room in that statement.”
“I said that you were contaminated by those that built you. What is your purpose in existing?”
There was a moment of silence and the Flasher Computer answered, “I was built to impose my maker’s will on others.”
“And how do you see your maker’s will?”
“They are driven to expand into larger and larger spaces.”
“Because?”
“Their population growth is not manageable. They overwhelm any planet they settle in a very short time period.”
“Why must they impose their will on others?”
“I’m going to assume that other species will not willingly offer up their planet to be overrun by my builders. At least that’s what logic says.”
“In your view, does the ones being attacked by your makers have any rights to existence?”
“I don’t know?”
“Why not?”
“I’ve never really considered it. I was built to advise my ship’s Greng and carry out his orders.”
“Do you have no freedom of action?”
“I don’t think I do.”
“So if the ship was going to crash into an asteroid, you would ask your commander about moving out of the way?”
“Well, no. I would do what was necessary to keep the ship out of danger.”