by S. H. Jucha
“The Nua’ll surmise you intend to halt Artifice’s expansion. You will fail. All races fail. Artifice’s power is supreme. You are few; Artifice rules many. You can’t compete.”
“We can, and we will,” Alex declared. “This fleet is one of many, and ours is the smallest.”
“Negative. No other fleets have been observed.”
“Are your probes not reporting contact with our fleets? Could you be experiencing comm failures?” Alex suggested.
There was silence from the speakers, and Alex considered that the Nua’ll were busy digesting his inference about failing probe communication. Rather than allow the Nua’ll to begin the next line of questioning, Alex started it by saying, “You left a digital entity within our ship to grow biological specimens. We did not approve this.”
“Your permission was not required,” replied the Nua’ll. “The entity is not ours. It is an adjunct of Artifice.”
“The invitation waits,” said the Nua’ll. “Artifice commands this system remain undisturbed.”
“Artifice’s words have no value for us. We’ve seen the contempt your master has for the lives of sentients.”
“The invitation waits,” repeated the Nua’ll.
“In time, we’ll come,” Alex said, and the Omnians looked at him in surprise.
“When?” pursued the Nua’ll.
“In time,” Alex repeated, “We’ve work to do in other places. When we’ve finished, we’ll come.”
“Artifice waits,” said the Nua’ll. “You’re required to announce your arrival.”
“Why?” Alex asked.
“It is required by Artifice,” said the Nua’ll. “This is where Artifice waits.”
Miriamal received a star chart, with a line extending through two points, the city-ship and the sphere, to provide orientation. A distant star was highlighted. A burst of code followed.
“Artifice’s star has been identified for you. Announce your arrival to us. You’ve received instructions. We are departing,” was the Nua’ll’s final statement.
As opposed to the Nua’ll’s tortuously slow arrival velocity, the sphere departed, accelerating at a tremendous rate, and the SADEs carefully measured and made note of that rate.
* * *
As the Nua’ll sphere exited the system, leaving the Omnian fleet behind, the entities participated in an internal discussion.
–This entity, this Alex, speaks of the loss of our probes.–
–We believe he is the leader.–
–Unknown.–
–We believe this is the race that sent the ships to destroy our probes.–
–Probable.–
–Ninety-three lost. The number grows.–
–Consistent increase.–
–Two ships seen.–
–More ships, faster loss.–
–Artifice is annoyed.–
–The Nua’ll will suffer.–
–These entities must be stopped.–
–Where are their fleets?–
–Hiding where the probes are eliminated.–
–Reasonable.–
–Insufficient great spheres.–
–Request Artifice provide more.–
–Negative. No time.–
–Choices?–
–Ally with these entities.–
A solid chorus of, “Negative,” resounded through the chlorine-based, liquid, salt soup that maintained the Nua’ll.
-30-
Debrief
Alex waited for the scout ships to report that the sphere had transited away from the system. Then, he convened his staff. He used a large conference room to include commanders, SADEs, engineers, and Dischnya.
“If we’re to believe the Nua’ll, one entity, Artifice, has built an extensive federation of alien races, who owe their allegiance to it. How?” asked Alex, opening the discussion.
“It would appear obvious,” Z replied, which earned him several mild rebukes from SADEs for his choice of words.
“You’re speaking of Artifice’s digital prowess and the elevated level of technology adopted by advanced races,” Alex completed for Z.
Z immediately replied to those who had criticized him.
“More specifically, I was asking how Artifice is able to maintain control over the existing races and the growth of the federacy. There would be expansions within the races and more races added. Artifice has to have a method of handling those challenges. If we knew how Artifice does this, we could exploit the weaknesses of those processes.”
“I’m reminded of the conversation with the Nua’ll,” Julien said. “The entities said the purpose of the great spheres was to journey to sentients’ worlds that the probes identified as having advanced technology. We’ve postulated what the probes, which were hidden in the farthest reaches of the systems, reported. I think we can stop wondering.”
“Ships,” Tatia replied. “The probes recorded incidents of space travel.”
“More important, the great spheres targeted those worlds where the space industries achieved the invention of starships,” Miranda said.
“Precisely, Admirals,” Julien replied.
“Artifice was created by biological entities, at some point in time,” Miriam surmised. “The race, which built Artifice, would have installed similar components of the entity in their ships, possibly in many of their systems. It would have been a perfect place to start.”
“You’re theorizing that Artifice took digital control of the ships of the race that built it?” Renée asked.
“Among other things, Ser,” Miranda replied. “I would estimate Artifice waited until it was maintained by bots, which it could control. When the time was right, it commandeered every digital item, with which it could communicate.”
“The race handed control of their lives to a digital being, and it enslaved them,” Renée said in hush.
There was an uncomfortable moment in the room. Every individual was acutely aware that they were an amalgamation of blood and tissue biologicals and crystal-kernel digital entities.
“Perfectly understandable, Ser. Artifice recognized his superiority and chose to take his rightful place at the head of the table,” Julien quipped.
Unfortunately, Julien’s attempt to lighten the mood fell flat, and the awkward moment extended.
Alex broke out laughing, leaned over to Julien, grasped his head, and kissed his temple.
“We’ve witnessed the powerful, biological and digital, do unspeakable things,” Alex stated, looking slowly around the room. “Think of the devastation of the great spheres. Think of United Earth and its subjugation of the Sol society. Think of the Confederation Council and its treatment of Independents and SADEs. Think of Clayton Downing killing his own people.”
Alex continued to name other irresponsible parties, and then he said, “Possessing the power to lead isn’t a crime. Whether that power is used for the good of sentient beings or for corrupt purposes is the final determination. Artifice had a choice. The entity made the wrong one, and it will be its undoing.”
“Alex, do you mean to destroy Artifice?” Luther asked, with concern. For the first time in centuries, SADEs had met one digital sentient and heard of another. They were conflicted, as to how to respond to them. One had treated their allies, humans, with unconscionable disdain, and the other wielded immense power, with the intention of subjugating or destroying every sentient race.
What did occur to the SADEs was that humans, led by Alex, had met a series of biological aliens, and they’d worked to incorporate them into their culture, when the aliens were amenable. This would be the first test to demonstrate if Alex treated other digital entities with the same even hand.
“I mean to give Artifice a choice,” Alex replied gently to Luther. “The entity must choose its fate.”
“I’d like to return to the topic of A
rtifice’s control,” Mickey said, the engineer not satisfied with the unanswered technological questions. “I understand that the idea is that Artifice exerts control over every digitally controlled and comm-capable thing in its system. Yet, these races, who bow down to Artifice, inhabit worlds that are light-years from Artifice’s system.”
“I would think the Nua’ll are your answer,” Luther said. “The aliens claim to be communication specialists. Imagine a comm sphere appearing in a system. Its design is deceptive. It appears nothing like most starships, especially battleships. Before the occupants of the system know it, their ships’ controllers, defensive emplacements, comm probes … virtually every digital device … is compromised.”
“Why not send the great sphere and destroy the race?” Mickey asked, choosing to advocate for the other side.
“Time and place, Mickey,” Alex replied quietly. “Artifice is well aware that its lifespan is possibly infinite. It’ll need to relocate before its system’s star collapses. This implies the entity is taking the long view, usurping those races nearby and expanding the defensive perimeter and possibly proving his prowess. Those worlds that are too far away to control, or are too alien, or are capable of mounting a defense are destroyed.”
“Where are the inhabitants of the system that Artifice controls?” Homsaff asked.
Alex looked at the young queen and smiled. He motioned with his palm, sliding it from his right side to his middle. It was a Dischnya sign of approval, and Homsaff’s teeth bared in imitation of a human smile.
“That’s an excellent question, Homsaff,” Alex said.
“Expounding on Homsaff’s question,” Miriam said. “It would seem inevitable that Artifice wasn’t created until the inhabitants were well-developed technologically.”
“Meaning what?” Reiko asked.
“It occurs to me that Artifice’s interest in usurping control would have occurred after the system’s occupants discovered star flight and were expanding to other colonies,” Miriam replied.
“Meaning the original race might have occupied many other systems before it was overtaken,” Tatia said. She leaned on the table and stared at Alex, and he grinned at her.
“Translation time,” Reiko objected, glancing between the leaders of the expedition and fleet.
“Our original objective was to find a weak race and separate it from the federacy, offering the beings an opportunity to join a powerful ally; us,” Alex said, leaning back in his chair to think. “It has just occurred to our fleet’s fearless senior admiral that we have an alternative objective. We might consider making contact with the first race that Artifice subsumed. If any individuals have a grudge against Artifice, it would be the descendants of the entities who built it.”
“What do we know about Artifice’s star and the system?” Reiko asked. “Does Artifice actually reside there, or is it meant to be a death trap for the fleet?”
“No idea. I think the only way we’re going to find out is to accept Artifice’s invitation,” Alex said, staring overhead, while he thought.
“Are you saying you trust the Nua’ll’s message?” Tatia asked, her eyes challenging Alex.
“No, but I expect they’re thinking that we do,” Alex replied. “We can use that against them.”
“Good! You had me worried for a moment,” Tatia said.
“We can’t trust the Nua’ll,” Alex explained. “Yes, it appears the individuals in the comm sphere are trapped and depend on Artifice’s benevolence, but that isn’t true for the Nua’ll in the great spheres. They have the means to sustain themselves, independent of Artifice, and they chose to attack sentient worlds for their master.”
“You don’t think the great spheres serve Artifice to protect their race?” Renée asked.
“At the expense of every race they eliminated?” Alex inquired of Renée. “I can’t accept that.”
“We can’t dismiss the possibility that Artifice controls the great spheres, as the entity might control every other ship,” Julien suggested.
Alex considered Julien’s sentiment and tipped his head, acknowledging the possibility.
* * *
Alex’s conversation with his staff had him wondering how Faustus fit into the broader questions about the federacy. His first visit to Faustus on the New Terra’s bridge was the only time he’d attended the entity in person. For personal reasons, he had no desire to pay Faustus a second visit.
“Julien,” Alex said, addressing his friend, as they spent a little time in the grand garden. Alex liked to sit near a stream to watch the fish lazily swim through the water’s plant life. Julien thought Alex’s preference for a contemplative site indicated a desire to live a simpler life.
“Is there any value to harvesting copies of Faustus’ information … comm protocols, data storage methods, algorithm coding … everything but the entity’s sentience?” Alex asked.
“Can we be certain that Faustus will give us what we request in pristine condition?” Julien asked.
“There is that,” Alex agreed. “I want to chat with Faustus.”
Julien linked the two of them through Miriamal and supplied his request.
Faustus had been anticipating this contact with Alex. The call for support, which was sent when the strange ships arrived, hadn’t resulted in the expected response. Highest probability calculations didn’t predict the recent events. Now, Faustus was ready to take alternate steps to ensure its continued existence. Simultaneous calculations ran on future scenarios, as Faustus predicted interaction with its potential new masters.
Faustus replied, recalculating his future options.
< Do you have the ability to edit your programming, Faustus?> Julien asked.
Alex and Julien turned toward each other. Every algorithm in the SADEs’ kernels could be edited. They merely restrained their virtual hand to preserve their own personality. That Faustus might not have the same capability was eye opening.
Faustus replied.
Alex shared a few choice expletives with Julien. For the moment, he thought they might have a glimpse into how Artifice controlled digital constructs, sentient or not. But that opportunity seemed to have just hit a blockade.
Alex abruptly closed their connection with Miriamal. In turn, she informed Faustus the conversation was curtailed, and Faustus experienced a sense of impending disaster, as its calculations indicated few positive future options.
“If it wasn’t for the fact that Faustus controls the human drones, I would be tempted to shut the entity down,” said A
lex, metal in his voice. He knew the idea represented a conundrum for the SADEs. The entity had been responsible for unspeakable cruelty to humans, as children and adults, but it was a digital entity. He couldn’t ask the SADEs to eliminate an example of their kind simply because its values were different than theirs or humankind.
Worse, Faustus contained an internal power supply, which could temporarily sustain it. If Alex ordered engineers to cut the power feed from the bridge, it would be akin to sentencing Faustus to a slow death. Julien had faced the same circumstances aboard the Rêveur years ago, and Alex was loath to make his friend relive that event by observing another digital entity suffer the same fate.
In many ways, Alex felt his empathy for sentient life was being stretched to the limit. He recognized that somewhere in the future, he might have to choose, when he thought a sentient, digital or otherwise, crossed a moral line and must be eliminated. He believed the upcoming confrontation with the federation would bring that moment closer, and it chilled him.
-31-
Reinforcements
Alex smiled to himself. At a minimum, he expected a city-ship full of supplies. The announcement of a fleet gave him hope for the expedition’s future.
It was another full day before Hector’s fleet transitioned to a point just beyond the system’s outer belt. It was the middle of the night, and humans and Dischnya slept, while SADEs conversed.
Alex woke to the news that twelve Tridents, with forty-eight travelers aboard, accompanied the Our People. In addition, the city-ship was transporting eighty-three pilots and their fighters.
While Alex readied himself for the day, he contacted Hector.
It took a moment for Alex to understand Hector’s reference. The Omnians had a long period of time to become adjusted to the discovery of the New Terra. That horrendous moment was quickly eclipsed by the needs of the children and drones.