by J. N. Chaney
Lucia smacked her opponent’s stick with more force than before, sending it far to the side, although he kept a loose grip on it. She shuffled forward, getting inside his range of defense, and slammed the end of her staff hard into his abdomen.
I heard the ribs crack from twelve meters away.
The two injured men were on their knees, gasping for air when I approached. Lucia turned around to look at me, a serious expression scrawled on her face. She stared at me for a second before looking at the other students. “Take these two to the med pods. Observe their recovery and return in exactly one hour.”
The students scattered, quickly gathering their injured peers and heading to the exit, almost like a bunch of school children, afraid of their mother.
Originally, this section of the ship had been used for storage purposes, but with the help of the new colonists, we were able to clear most of the equipment and supplies out. All to make room for more training.
It seems like that’s all we do anymore, I thought. Train and prepare.
But there was purpose to that, I knew, and it couldn’t be ignored. The Union would send its best after us, and quickly, which meant we had no other choice. People were likely to die. All I could do was minimize the death count.
“Not bad,” I said, once the students were sufficiently out of earshot. “For a hag, anyway.”
She peered up at me with wrinkled, blue eyes. “I have time for a lesson if you’re willing, boy.”
“No time today,” I said, fanning my hand at her. “Got too much shit to do.”
“If you’re so busy, why are you wasting time here?” she asked.
“I came to see how the training was going, but I guess I got my answer.”
“Did you?” she asked. “And what did you surmise. Do tell me, Captain.”
“That these fools need work,” I said, nodding in the direction the students had fled.
She chuckled. “You treat them unfairly. Those are fresher than the soldiers you met back home. They were crafters, growers, and engineers. None of them are like us.”
I knew that, of course. The real soldiers were already being trained by Alphonse to pilot the strike ships. Still, I expected better progress from a group of people who had spent their whole lives fighting and living in fear of monsters. “They should be better than this by now,” I told the old woman.
“They’re better than they appear. You forget that against me, everyone looks the fool.” She gave me a wink.
I smirked. “Fair enough.”
“To answer your question, most of them are making fast progress. I expect to send my best students to Alphonse within a week’s time.”
“That long?” I asked.
She raised her brow at the question. “Is it not soon enough for you?”
“I was expecting a new batch of recruits sooner than that. We need more ships in the air.”
“As talented as I might be, Captain, I can only do so much,” said Lucia.
I knew she was right, so I didn’t bother insisting. Proper training took time and I wasn’t about to rush these people through the process. “It’s fine. You decide when they’re ready. Just don’t overthink it.”
She nodded. “Of course, Captain.”
I turned to leave, but paused. “And try not to kill the poor kids, would ya? It’s not their fault their teacher is a sadist.”
She chuckled. “I make no assurances.”
Four
The dining hall was packed, full of our new colonist friends. They bustled and chattered, laughing and eating. I should’ve been angry at all the noise, but I wasn’t. Even when one of the albino infants began to cry, the noise seemed to blend together with everything else.
The child’s mother calmed him quickly, stroking his cheeks and whispering to him. She smiled and began to sing, and the child returned the expression, pure joy strewn across his chubby face. I wondered what that boy would think if he knew how lucky he was to be alive—how fortunate he was to be on this ship with the rest of us.
But that was true of everyone, I supposed. We’d gone through hell and back to get here, it was a wonder any of us were still alive.
“Mr. Jace!” came a voice from behind me.
I turned to see Lex smiling at me. Hitchens and Camilla were with her, each of them holding a tray of food. “Hey, kid,” I said, nodding at the girl.
Lex came closer and sat down at the table. “What’re you doing, Mr. Jace?”
“Eating,” I said, glancing down at the half-finished beef sandwich. “Tastes like shit, though. I think something’s wrong with it.”
Lex extended her tray, full of beans, soggy greens, and mixed fruit. “You want some of mine?”
I smiled, but shook my head, standing up from my seat and patting the girl’s shoulder. “Nah, you go ahead, kid. I’m good for now.”
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“I gotta check on a few things. Nothing important.”
“Lex!” called a little boy from across the dining hall, diverting her attention. He was with a group of five other children. “Look, everyone!”
The crowd approached our table quickly, gathering around Lex, smiles on all of their faces. She was laughing at them, totally lost to their attention.
I stepped back to give them room to sit. They began talking amongst themselves, with Lex at the center. Looking at her now, it was easy to see how well she blended with the others. If I hadn’t known her, I might have had a hard time picking her out of this crowd. She seemed to fit with them so naturally, and it made me smile a little to see.
“Ah, Captain Hughes,” said Hitchens, who’d apparently decided to sneak up on me.
“Hey, Professor,” I said, glancing over my shoulder at him. “Looks like you’re staying busy.”
He laughed. “It seems like the same could be said of you, Captain.”
“Seems like it,” I said.
“I hear we might arrive soon at a space station,” said the doctor. “Tell me, is there any truth to it? Are we really—” He bent in closer, lowering his voice. “—nearly there? To Earth, I mean.”
I fanned him away. “I know what you mean, Prof, and I don’t know. Maybe. You should ask Athena.”
“But it’s true, isn’t it? There’s a station?”
“That’s what she tells me, sure,” I said. “We’ll have to manually board it and perform some kind of handshake.”
He paused, like he was processing the information. “I see. I suppose it makes sense, given what we know about the defense network.”
“You already heard about that, huh?”
“Oh yes,” he said, happily. “I’ve been trying to stay informed as best I can, although it’s been hectic lately, what with the children and all.”
“Well, that’s good,” I told him. “We may need some of that expertise of yours when the time comes. This is all uncharted territory and you’re the closest thing to an expert we have on old Earth tech.”
“I’m afraid you give me too much credit, Captain. Everything we’ve found since we left the Deadlands is, to put it frankly, beyond me. I spent decades researching Earth, digging up old artifacts, all with the hope of uncovering a sliver of information. Now, look at us. We’re on Titan, surrounded by things I could scarcely have imagined.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “No, I’m no expert. Not anymore. Not remotely.”
“If that’s true, why are you staying up to date with Athena?” I asked.
“Ah,” he said, tapping his chin. “I suppose I would like to cure my ignorance. Does that make sense? I want to understand what I don’t understand.”
I nodded. “Sure.”
“Nonetheless, Captain, I do hope you’ll involve me when the time comes. I would still like to be useful.”
“Useful?” I asked. “You don’t think you’re useful?”
“Not as much as I’d like,” he admitted.
I glanced back at Lex and the other kids. “I think they’d disagree with you.”
>
He smiled, a hint of red in his cheeks. “Perhaps. You know, I should have the school fully established in a few weeks. It may bring some much-needed regularity to the children’s lives, don’t you think?”
“Regularity might be just the thing they need,” I said.
Hitchens smiled. “Once again, the same could be said of you, Captain.”
* * *
Alphonse called me again on my way to the bridge, probably to ask about my progress with finding a training supervisor. I still didn’t have an answer, but I’d have to give him something soon.
Athena was on the bridge when I arrived, an image on the screen behind her, showing what appeared to be a star system. There were several planets of varying types, but it was hard to see the details.
“Got something for me, Athena?” I asked, letting the door shut behind me.
“Indeed, I do, Captain,” said the Cognitive. She fanned her hand and the image changed, expanding outward to show our current route through the slip tunnel. It was leading us near the star system I’d just been looking at, but it didn’t intersect.
“I have found an ideal location for our next stop. Should you agree, we can be there within the next two hours.”
“That star system you just had up? Is that why you asked me to come all the way up here?” I had to admit, it was a little strange. Athena usually sent me a message about this kind of thing. She knew how busy I was, and she knew I trusted her to figure this out on her own.
“There’s something about this particular location that I felt inclined to explore,” she admitted. “Specifically, a short-range distress signal.”
“A distress signal?” I echoed, curiously. “Aren’t we too far from any Union or Sarkonian worlds or colonies for that?”
“Yes, but the signal isn’t from either of those two groups,” she explained.
“Then, where?” I asked.
“Earth, if the data is to be believed,” she said.
I paused, looking at the screen. There didn’t seem to be any stations or points of interest. “A ship from Earth? Is that what you mean?”
“Precisely so,” she said. “It matches that of a drone, but I cannot confirm this. Whatever it is, I believe I can use it to establish contact with Abaddon Station.”
So that was it. Athena had mentioned a few times that she’d had no luck contacting the station, which would be a necessity, once we arrived. Since she had no information on what was waiting for us, I could see the need to explore other options. “So, you think if you have this thing, you can get us inside that station?”
“There are several other benefits to locating this vessel, but yes. I believe I can integrate the drone’s communication software into my own, updating my access and allowing me to contact Abaddon and, potentially, the defense network’s Cognitive, Hephaestus.” She paused, adding, “If he is still active, of course.”
Sigmond’s voice interrupted us. “Sir, you have another call from Alphonse Malloy. Shall I put him through?” asked the A.I.
“No, I know what he wants,” I said. “Tell him I’ll be down there in a few.”
“Understood, sir,” said Siggy.
“Is there a problem?” asked Athena.
I shrugged. “Alphonse needs a trainer for his team. Someone to show them how to fly, run them through drills, but I can’t spare anyone.” I sighed. “It’s fine. I’ll figure it out.”
“You require an experienced pilot to teach them?” she asked.
I nodded. “The only people I know who can do that are all on my team. Alphonse is the only exception and he’s already busy enough teaching the entry level stuff to all the new recruits.”
“Is it possible to replace Mr. Malloy with someone less experienced, but still qualified enough to do what is required of the position?” she asked.
I considered that for a second. “Huh,” I muttered, surprised I hadn’t thought of it before. “I guess all we need is someone there to show them basic flight controls.”
She smiled. “Yes, which isn’t necessarily difficult. In fact, I believe an artificial intelligence could sufficiently perform the necessary lessons, should you fail to locate a human counterpart.”
“What do you mean?” I asked. “You think I should use an A.I. to teach them how to use the strike ships?”
“If you will recall, I taught you and Alphonse how to operate the controls. The task is rather simple, once the user understands how the systems operate. Given the colonists’ history with Earth-based technology, it stands to reason they will adapt even faster.”
“Are you volunteering to take over training?” I asked.
“I am a Cognitive, not an artificial intelligence. My attention is required elsewhere,” she explained. “However, it stands to reason that Sigmond could perform the task with little trouble, though his programming may need to be expanded upon, in order to integrate with the ships.”
“You want to use Siggy?” I asked, surprised by the suggestion. “I guess it’s not a bad idea.”
She smiled. “I thought you might like it.”
I tried to imagine Siggy giving flying lessons to a bunch of new trainees. “You said he’d need to be expanded. What did you mean?”
“Do you recall the shell we acquired from Janus?”
I nodded. “Hard to forget that.”
“There are certain extensions build into the shell that allow for integration into Earth technology, including the strike ships on Titan. If we incorporate some of these extensions into Sigmond, he should be able to integrate with the ships,” Athena told me. “Additionally, his functionality and overall processing capabilities would greatly expand, increasing his overall efficiency.”
“So, he’d be a better A.I.”
“Effectively, yes,” she said. “We would only need to incorporate part of Janus’ shell. A simple task, I assure you.”
“How long would that take?” I asked.
“A few hours,” she said. “This is only a partial rewrite, after all.”
I wasn’t sure how I felt about loaning Siggy out to a bunch of trainees, but it wasn’t like he was accomplishing much where I had him. His whole purpose was to safeguard The Star, but since I was spending so much time in my strike ship, training with the team, the poor A.I. had become nothing more than a glorified babysitter.
Given the stakes of our situation and the increased need for defensive action, it only made sense to give Siggy more responsibilities, especially since he wasn’t contributing much, aside from fixing my coffee and directing my calls. He’d been a vital asset before we stuck The Star in Titan’s landing bay. If we could make him useful again, then why not give it a try?
I inhaled, letting the thought settle in the air. “Okay. If you think Siggy can handle it, give him the upgrade.”
She nodded. “I’ll get started right away.”
“Just don’t do anything else to him,” I told her. “Nothing extra, besides what we talked about. I don’t want him going crazy on me.”
“I assure you, Sigmond will remain as he is, with no unnecessary changes to his program outside of what is required.”
“Good,” I said. “I like that little bastard just the way he is.”
* * *
The landing bay bustled with activity. Alphonse was in the second section, lecturing his trainees with safety protocols when I entered. I wasn’t sure how he found the patience for it. I would’ve been bored to tears.
“Morning, Al,” I said, approaching from the nearby hall.
He turned and smiled, standing with his back straight and his chin up. “Captain.”
“Just here to let you know I found someone to help you with training.”
His eyes widened. “Ah, I had no idea. I tried to reach you earlier, but Sigmond mentioned you were indisposed.”
“Funny you should say Siggy’s name,” I mused. “I talked with Athena about it and she recommended we let him handle the recruits. She can give him direct access to the ships and have hi
m ready to work in just a few hours.”
“Sigmond?” he asked, blinking. “Your A.I.?”
“That’s the one,” I said.
“Are you certain he can handle the job?”
“Athena seems to think so,” I said.
“But—”
“Give it a chance and see how it goes. If Siggy can’t pull it off, we’ll find someone else,” I told him.
He hesitated, but finally nodded. “All right, Captain. I’ll follow your lead.”
“That’s the spirit,” I said, turning to the other side of the landing bay where my squad was lining up for practice. “And try not to worry so much, Al. You’re scaring the recruits.”
Straight ahead, Abigail and the others had gathered together near their designated strike ships, standing in the main section of the bay.
Bolin spotted me first, sending me a happy wave. “Good morning, Captain!”
“Morning, Bo,” I said, nodding as I approached. “Everyone got their gear? We ready to start?”
“All set,” said Octavia, thumbing her harness.
I glanced at the nearest wall. “Athena, are you listening?”
The Cognitive materialized in front of us, glimmering in the light for a brief moment as the photons settled into place, solidifying her shape. “Good day, everyone.”
“Are you set to drop out of slipspace?” I asked.
She nodded, slightly. “We should be arriving at our destination shortly. Less than two minutes, actually.”
“Right on time,” said Abby.
After Athena informed me that Titan needed to drop out of slipspace periodically to create a new slip tunnel, I decided we could use that time to get some decent training in.
Only a few hours, of course, because we couldn’t stay still for too long—not if we wanted to outrun the Union.
Part of me wanted to avoid these training sessions altogether. After all, less time sitting still was more time running, but Alphonse had made a good point about being prepared. Without the right training, we’d only find ourselves at a disadvantage. Our showdown with Brigham was inevitable, whether I wanted to admit or not. Every tunnel we opened—every path we took—was one that he and his people could follow.