Conner drew the P90 out of his leg holster and chambered a round. He started toward the three cells, studying his surroundings to make sure no one was around.
“I’ve got some open cells down here. There are three of them and we’re not talking just empty cells here. The doors have been left wide open,” Conner said, “You may want to have a weapon ready.”
“This is just great,” Lentz said sarcastically, “I thought we were safe.”
“So did I,” Conner said, approaching the open doors.
He peered into the first “coffin” and noted that it was indeed empty and the two cables that attached to the alien’s skull were lying limp at the sides. He lifted one of the cables and saw a half-inch metal plug that jutted out of the end which must have literally inserted into the creature’s brain. He shivered at such a thought.
“What’s going on down there?” McKenzie asked, “I don’t like this one bit.”
“These cables actually plug into their heads,” Conner said, dropping the cable, “That’s disgusting.”
“Any evidence on how long ago they woke up?” McKenzie asked, “Are we talking minutes? Hours? Days?”
Conner noticed something unusual in that moment about the cable he had been holding. Hidden behind a small piece of fabric that matched the black tone of the coffin walls was what appeared to be one of those digital stopwatches that his track coach in high school used to carry. This object was yellow and it was wired to the cable in a very amateur way, using tape and what appeared to be some hasty soldering.
He dropped the item and looked into the next cell. It too had a yellow “stopwatch” dangling from the cable on the right, covered by a sliver of black fabric.
He rushed down a few cells and pressed his face against the glass of one of the occupied cells. The cables had nothing dangling from them, not even a piece of black fabric. He checked the next cell and then the next. The only cells that had the yellow devices were the ones that were now empty.
“Hello, Steele,” McKenzie said, “We need an update before Lentz starts shooting at shadows up here.”
“I think the three who used these cells had added some kind of override switch. There are objects added to the brain cables on these three cells,” Conner said, “And no, I can’t tell how long they’ve been empty.”
“Well, then we’re going on with the assumption that there are three aliens loose on this ship right now,” McKenzie stated, “I want you two to return immediately.”
“I can’t!” Roberts said, “I’ve already filtered this to the point where I’m getting some heavy alien code. There’s a lot of video going through these cables, but I can’t decode any of it.”
“Record it and review it later, Roberts,” McKenzie stated firmly, “I’m not comfortable with being split up anymore.”
“Don’t you get it, Doc?” Roberts said, “We don’t have any aliens on the loose. They probably died centuries ago.”
“No, I don’t get it,” McKenzie said, “I’m giving both of you an order.”
Conner yanked one of the yellow devices off one of the brain cables and shoved it into his pocket.
“We hear you, McKenzie,” Conner replied, “I’ll get Roberts and we’ll be heading your way. You’ve got about thirty seconds to download what you can, Roberts.”
Roberts’ reply came only as an exasperated groan.
Twelve
“He’s dead,” Crossway said after she checked the vitals of the scaly creature, “I didn’t really expect though that an alien could be easily revived from cryostasis simply by busting the glass of his cell.”
“Well, if you need any tissue or blood samples from this creature, you’d better take them now. I doubt we’ll be sticking around much longer,” McKenzie said.
“Hold on there, Mac. We can’t just pick up and run. We need to verify if these cryochambers are going to start randomly opening up or if those three chambers down below were just a coincidence,” Lentz said, “We can’t scrap the mission yet until we have assessed the threat.”
“There is no threat,” Roberts stated in their earpieces, still making his way up the stairs.
Conner and Roberts had already climbed almost twenty flights of stairs. They found it to be a much slower process than when they headed down.
“I’m glad you’re so confident with your assessment, Roberts, but as I recall, you’re the IT guy for the mission,” Lentz said.
“And it was my IT skills that verified that we are not faced with any kind of threat, Doctor Lentz,” Roberts stated, “These people are in a slowed down form of cryostatis – slowed, Doctor, but not stopped. They’re not frozen solid. Their brains are still active and their hearts are still beating, albeit at a much slower rate than normal. These brains of theirs are being fed some significant stuff from those computers down there. I saw the files pouring through and almost even decoded some of the video feed. Whatever this place is, I’d have to guess it’s something along the lines of the Matrix.”
“The Matrix?” Conner laughed, “That’s what you got from all this?”
“I know what I saw down there, Steele. These aliens all around us are living out some form of digitally enhanced lives while they wait for their interstellar journey to end. The computers are transferring impossible amounts of data at speeds I’ve never even imagined possible,” Roberts stated.
“And how does this assessment of yours prove that there’s no threat,” Lentz asked.
Conner and Roberts finally arrived on their level. They started toward the others who were situated in front of the cell they had shattered.
“As Steele pointed out, someone sabotaged the main computer’s access to these aliens in the cargo hold. The last thing our AI pilot friend informed us he did after arriving in our orbit was that he transmitted the accomplish code to the cargo hold – a transmittal that was never received,” Roberts said, “Otherwise, I’m sure all the cells would have began their automated revival process and we’d be faced with an alien invasion unlike anything in all the horror movies we’ve ever seen.”
“That’s a pretty nice theory, but what about the three who were already revived down below?” Conner asked.
“You said yourself that they had some kind of hacker unit installed in their cells. I’d guess they probably woke shortly after this ship left the home planet and they were most likely the ones who sabotaged the mission. And don’t ask me why. Ask yourselves why our own planet is home to terrorists of all types and races?” Roberts asked, “The ‘why’ probably doesn’t even matter because we usually don’t even get an answer on Earth.”
Crossway packed her vials and other small containers back into her bag. McKenzie then helped her to her feet.
“My mission was not accomplished,” the AI’s voice echoed, “You need to fix the sabotage, otherwise my mission is a failure.”
“We can’t help you,” Roberts stated, “We won’t allow you to unleash this race of beings onto our planet.”
“My mission is currently a failure. You must fix the damage,” it replied.
“We won’t fix the damage!” Roberts shouted.
“You cannot leave unless you fix the damage,” it replied, “I cannot fail in my mission. You cannot leave this ship. I forbid it.”
“You sure seem to be mastering our language, AI,” McKenzie said.
“I’ve monitored your communications and your local satellites,” it replied, “You cannot leave until the damage is fixed.”
McKenzie looked at Conner, then gestured toward his bag.
“Do you have enough explosives left in case we run into a few more doors than before?” McKenzie asked.
“No explosives. You must stay and repair the damage so I can complete my mission,” it said, “I will withdraw the artificial gravity if I must.”
“Everyone, grab a handrail,” Lentz said.
They all took a hold of the handrails, making sure to retrieve their nearby bags and supplies. The gravity however never fluctuated.
“Colonel Santini, please prepare to receive us. We may be coming in something of a rush,” McKenzie said.
He nodded to the others, then started toward the door while maintaining his hold on the handrail.
“I must complete my mission, but my mission was sabotaged. The cargo will not survive if I do not complete my mission. You must help me,” it insisted as more of a plea.
“Our planet is already inhabited. It’s not right for a race of beings to believe they can come and steal our home from us,” McKenzie stated, “Why can’t you grasp this concept? We can’t help you.”
“Surely you have a contingency program in place should you have found our planet to be inhospitable,” Roberts said, following the crew as they headed toward the door.
“This planet has all the required attributes to support life,” the AI replied.
“We know, but I’m asking what you would have done if it didn’t have those attributes,” he replied.
“But it does,” it stated.
Roberts growled, then continued, “Do you have a secondary destination in place? Check your programming and tell me if there are other star systems you were given to explore for a suitable planet.”
There was no response for a moment while they continued along the catwalk toward the door.
“This planet was the secondary destination. The primary destination was not suitable,” it replied, “The atmosphere was too thin and the oxygen ratio too low.”
Roberts groaned, “Do you have a tertiary destination in your programming? Surely every contingency was put in place to ensure the survival of this species.”
“Yes, I have access to a list of a hundred and seventeen planets that have shown potential for habitability,” it replied.
“Thank you,” Roberts growled impatiently, “This is what I was trying to explain. Although you found a planet suitable for your needs, this planet is already inhabited by a sentient race of intelligent beings. You cannot offload your cargo here.”
“But I can. Nothing in my mission suggests that I cannot. If the planet meets all twenty-two conditions, I can and must complete my mission,” it replied.
Roberts could feel his frustration bubbling up and he gritted his teeth in anger.
“Your programmers forgot to include a morality clause in your programming. I’m here to tell you that it should exist. You need to leave and take your cargo to the tertiary destination,” Roberts stated.
There was no reply from the alien intercom. Conner led the group into the passageway where they no longer had the convenience of a handrail. If the artificial gravity was cut off however, the ceiling was much closer and there would be no danger of plummeting thirty stories if it were reactivated at the wrong time.
“We’ve situated the shuttle as close as possible and your lifelines are still attached to the ventilation grill,” Santini offered.
“Thank you, Colonel,” McKenzie said.
They continued down the corridor in the same single-file formation as when they arrived.
“If I reactivate the piloting commands and reinstate the mission to seek out a life-supporting planet, I am still unable to communicate with the cargo hold,” it stated, “I will still be unable to complete my mission due to the sabotage.”
“We can fix that if you intend to leave orbit as we’ve suggested,” Lentz added.
“No!” McKenzie added a little more abrupt than he intended, “No we can’t.”
“No?” the AI asked, “I must complete the mission. I have only that duty.”
“And you can complete your mission… on another planet entirely,” Roberts said.
McKenzie reached out to stop Conner’s progress down the corridor. Conner turned to him and noticed the huddle that was forming in the passage.
“Look, we are not repairing those cables down there,” McKenzie said in a hushed tone, “All the AI needs to do is to revive those snake-beasts back there and we’ll find ourselves faced with the biggest enemy army imaginable. Who knows what kind of weapons they have on this spacecraft and it only makes sense that there must be a shuttle bay in order to offload these creatures. What’s to say that those shuttles aren’t armed with weapons unimaginable?”
“I hate to play devil’s advocate, but it sounds to me like the AI is reconsidering its mission. If it’s willing to leave, who are we to deny the survival of this race? For all we know, this is the last of their species,” Conner stated, setting his bag down on the floor.
“I agree with Steele. What if they are a gentle race whose planet was destroyed by a comet or simple overpopulation?” Crossway asked, “They have a right to life the same as anyone else. The only difference is that we just can’t allow them to stay here.”
“And what makes you think the ship would leave if we repaired those cables?” McKenzie asked, “I know I probably wouldn’t if I were in control of this ship.”
“I would leave the orbit of this planet as you’ve requested,” the AI interjected, “I would take the cargo to the nearby tertiary destination. It’s not far considering the distance I’ve already traveled. You must fix the damage.”
McKenzie continued to shake his head. Conner understood his reluctance, as they had no reason whatsoever to trust an alien computer that had only recently learned their language and maintained access to all their data. Fixing the cables for the AI could result in an immediate change of attitude.
The silence only served to show that no one could come up with a simple solution to the problem. Roberts stepped back from the huddle and was now pacing impatiently. Lentz and McKenzie appeared to be involved in a stare down.
Conner lifted his arm and checked his oxygen readout. He verified approximately forty-seven minutes remaining in his oxygen tank. It changed to forty-six as he looked at it. He glanced over at Crossway who was watching him curiously. He felt his own shoulders sag as though the weight of the world was now settling upon them.
He released a long and audible sigh as he became aware of what he must do. His next action could very well be regarded as an ignorant attempt at suicide, but he saw no other option available. He reached up to the red latches on both sides of his helmet and unsnapped them just as Crossway screamed.
Thirteen
McKenzie rushed toward Conner, but he wasn’t quick enough to stop him from removing his helmet. With the helmet above his head, Conner released the breath he had been holding in. With great trepidation, he inhaled.
The air smelled stale and musty, almost like the inside of an attic in the middle of summer. He breathed out, then took another cautious breath.
“What the heck are you doing, Steele?” Roberts shouted.
“Seriously!” McKenzie added, “What the-”
“I can breathe,” Conner stated matter of fact.
Crossway just gaped at him as tears welled up in her eyes. It appeared as though she had already accepted his death sentence before he took that first breath.
“You have no idea what kind of alien pathogens are floating around inside this place,” Lentz stated, “There could be a million germs here for which you’ve never had a chance to build up any immunity. How could you, a Special Forces soldier who’s been trained to survive, be so stupid?”
“It wasn’t stupidity,” Crossway defended, shaking her head as she looked at Conner, “Was it?”
“I’ll repair the cables,” Conner stated, “Once the AI takes this ship to another star system.”
“Conner Steele will repair the sabotage,” the AI echoed, “And I will succeed in my mission. We will leave this planet immediately.”
“No!” Conner hollered, “Let the others return to the shuttle first. I’m going to be the only one staying.”
“If the others return to their shuttle the same way they entered this ship, all atmosphere will be lost,” it replied, “I am unable to seal the door to the starboard lube storage.”
“That’s true,” McKenzie stated, “And you’re not staying here anyway, Steele. You will put y
our helmet back on and leave with us. Your actions are unacceptable.”
“And you can bet you’re going to be kept in quarantine for months once we get back to Earth, you imbecile,” Roberts said, “You’re now a danger to all of us.”
“I’m staying and I’m going to repair this ship’s ability to revive its crew,” Conner said, “And assuming that there’s no food or water to sustain me up here, I’ll hold off until I’m on the brink of death before I do the repairs.”
“There is more food and water than is necessary for a crew of one,” the AI replied, “There is enough stored sustenance for the whole cargo bay to survive until they are settled and crops have been started.”
“There you have it,” Conner stated, “My staying here is no longer up for discussion. As Roberts just stated, I would put all of you in danger anyway if I shared the trip back with you.”
“We are all going to be in quarantine anyway because our suits aren’t sterilized on the outside,” Lentz stated, “And what makes you think you can even consume alien food?”
“As I said - my staying here is not up for discussion,” Conner stated, retrieving the alien “stopwatch” device from his pocket and offering it to Roberts, “I grabbed this for you from the bottom level. Maybe you can tap into it somehow and see if your theory is correct.”
Roberts took the yellow object and examined it. He only offered a nod, then shoved it into his pocket.
“Oh, and could you take these back with you?” Conner asked, reaching into the Velcro pocket on his upper sleeve, “You can claim the finder’s fee.”
He held out the three blue diamonds for McKenzie to take.
“And if you’re thinking of keeping them for yourselves, you need to remember that this is all being recorded,” Conner joked, “Those diamonds belong to the royal family.”
McKenzie took the diamonds and tucked them away in his pocket.
“There is a shuttle bay on the bottom level with an airlock that would permit the safe departure of the others,” the AI interrupted, “I am currently bringing the engines online.”
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