Frontline

by Z H Brown

  “Explain yourself.”

  Solemn chuckled and the air thrummed with the sound. “Gladly, my dear.”

  Slog shifted uncomfortably, his weapon still raised, while Critter clung nervously to his hood from atop his shoulder. Alvara shivered at the momentary pause, feeling the voice’s gaze upon them from every direction.

  “As I said,” the voice finally continued, “my dream has been the transformation of myself from matter to consciousness. I have dedicated my life to this endeavor, studying alien technology and the biology of numerous telepathic species. I spent years travelling, researching, experimenting, never once wavering in my resolution, until finally I was able to design a device that would expand my consciousness to the point where it could sustain itself indefinitely, free of its mortal shell.

  “Once I knew how to build it, the next step was procuring a means of getting it built. It would require large amounts of funds and materials, and I was nowhere near wealthy or connected enough to afford it myself. I racked my brain, but the solution eluded me. Eventually, I was asked by a former pupil of mine, Keen, to visit him in his lab here on Myrthal. This lab, in fact. During my stay, I confided in him my ambition, and he immediately became fascinated by the prospect. It was he who came up with a plan to get us what we needed.

  The voice continued. “Keen had friends in the former governor’s office that could provide evidence- for a price- that the governor was skimming funds off the top of Myrthal’s tribute to the Empire. Keen’s friends also happened to have… compromising information about the local Imperial Administrators, whom of course are trusted by the Emperor to appoint new governors with his approval. After everything was ready, Keen notified Xenlong. The system fleet promptly arrived and arrested the governor for extradition back to Xenlong. The Administrator naturally nominated Keen as new governor and I as his lieutenant-governor. The Emperor, quite busy in his conquest, saw no reason to object and approved the appointment.

  “The whole affair brought the Empire’s attention to our sector, and soon it was announced that the system fleet would be redeployed to….some war somewhere. Naturally, we weren’t going to turn down this boon to our plans; one less pack of noses to poke into our work. After assuring the Emperor we had things in hand, Keen and I became the most powerful people on the planet, and set to work. We had to order parts from across the Empire to build my device. Once we had everything we needed, including an adequate amount of backups and reserves, we decided it was time to prepare for the next phase. We announced to the populous that the planet had been selected for use in an Imperial-sanctioned experiment in conjunction with the governor’s office. Given the nature of the experiment, it would require planetary isolation for the duration of the experiment. Therefore, all means of long-distance communication was disconnected and dismantled, except for the transmitter in this facility. We also impounded and disabled the few long range ships that were on-world at the time. Lastly, we issued strict orders on how to handle approaching ships. Once we had our sterile environment, we proceeded to phase three: testing.”

  Ansaria’s stomach tightened. She had a bad feeling she knew what was coming next. “Your apprehension is understandable but unnecessary, Sergeant. All of our test subjects were willing volunteers. We encouraged citizens to help in order to speed up the experiment to end the planetary isolation. Unfortunately, we were dealing with unimagined new science, and many of our volunteers did not survive, including Keen. He insisted on using himself in an experiment, and when it went wrong, the mantle of leadership passed to me.”

  “So you still killed them. You experimented on them and they died because of it,” said Ansaria.

  “All the volunteers were warned that death was a possible result of their participation, and their families were well compensated for their loss. Nevertheless, after successfully testing our theories, I was able to begin phase four: application. I hooked myself into the pod and began the slow process of freeing my consciousness. Over these long months, I have managed to free ninety-nine percent of my mind from my body; it is the remaining one percent that is the problem. You see, the final component that I required was still in the testing phase when my experiment began, and as such, I was unable to procure one until it was finished. Now that it is finished… there is a problem.

  “You see, the facility that was producing the item I need is on a nearby world: Brakka. Twenty-one days ago, I was contacted by the scientist there that the work was complete. Three days later, I was informed that the device would be flown to me within two days. And that was the last I heard from them. For the last eighteen days, I have been unable to contact Brakka and therefore have been unable to fulfill my dream. While I admit I was extremely upset at this development, I was not prepared to give up. Surely, this blackout was only temporary, and I would simply need to be patient until a solution presented itself. And, to my great fortune, you have arrived: a squad of trained Imperial soldiers in need of a ship and I with the only Z-engine equipped ship on the planet, but doomed to a purgatory of my own making with my life’s work unfinished. The universe has a sense of humor, does it not?”

  “Let me get this straight, you want us to go to another planet, pick up some gadget and deliver it to you, so you can become a being of pure thought?”

  “Correct, sergeant.”

  “This day just gets weirder and weirder. All right, Solemn, we’ll bite. How do we get there?”

  “I have a ship at my disposal that will get you to Brakka and back.” Ansaria mulled this over.

  “No offense, but what’s to stop us from taking the ship and leaving?”

  “This ship is a real-space capable only ship; if I understand correctly, that was the reason you were forced to land here to begin with, was it not?”

  “OK, then, the obvious question: what’s to stop us just tearing this place apart, taking the other ship, and leaving?”

  Solemn was silent for a few moments before answering.

  “You may have noticed that I am speaking to you with a speaker system. That is because I have found that forcing my consciousness upon others is… an uncomfortable experience. However, I will not be opposed to overlooking my distaste for it if you force me too.”

  Now Ansaria was silent. The whole situation was screwy, no doubt about it, but for now it looked like the only way out of this was to accept Solemn’s deal. She sighed.

  “All right, we’ll do it. When do we leave?”

  The room thrummed again.

  “Excellent, I’m glad you see reason, Sergeant. You should all rejoice! Thanks to your assistance, we shall all bear witness to the beginning of a new chapter of history!”

  Ansaria waved aside his narrow focus.

  “Yeah, yeah, ‘triumph of science’ and all that, when do we leave?” “Very well, we shall depart after I am ready.”

  “Whoa, you’re coming with us? I thought you were still tethered to your body. Deal or not, I am not carting that coffin around with us.”

  The room began to thrum and vibrate, the blue light pulsating in time with the reverberations.

  “Patience, sergeant.”

  The thrumming grew louder until it filled Ansaria’s ears and made her jaw itch. She tried to shout over the sound and address Solemn, but the thrumming was all that could be heard. Suddenly, the tip of the electronic cone descending from the ceiling glowed with the blue intensity before it leapt out into one of the white containers. The light covered the box before it seeped into it and the thrumming began to subside.

  Everything was still for a moment before the container opened and out stepped a simple, white android, only slightly more advanced than one of the models Critter would use back on Oasis. The blue glow suffused the portions of the machine that wasn’t covered in white material. Its face was blank except for a pair of glowing blue eyes.

  “As a matter of trust, sergeant, I shall be accompanying you on this mission, to ensure the safe arrival of my package. I have separated a portion of my consciousness t
hat is able to travel outside my current range. These simple bots are a perfect receptacle to house and protect the still-vulnerable fragment of myself.”

  “This isn’t going to cause any problems, is it? You’re not suddenly gonna lose your connection and develop a murderous split personality, are you?” questioned Ansaria, certainly not in the mood for yet another rampaging robot.

  “Do not worry sergeant, I have tested this method before and all my calculations agree that my clarity will only degrade with every three squared parsecs. Thankfully, our destination is well within range, and there should not be any means of disrupting my connection.”

  “Hold on,” said Alvara. “If you can deploy these bots over more than a parsec, why do you need us?”

  “These bots are not indestructible, soldier, nor am I trained to handle combat situations. I do not know what is awaiting us on Brakka, and I did not want to send a portion of my mind into a potentially dangerous situation. Now that I have you all to accompany me, though, I am confident we shall succeed.”

  A thought nagged at Ansaria, but she wasn’t sure what it was. “Shall we depart, sergeant?” questioned Solemn.

  “Yes, lead the wa-, oh!” She had just figured what was bothering her. “That thing doesn’t have a remote network uplink, does it?”

  The question set the squad on edge. They stared at Solemn, who seemed more confused by the question than anything.

  “No, I didn’t see why the android would need it, since it would merely serve as a vessel for me. Why, will I need one for the task ahead?”

  “No, no, you won’t. Just- let me know if you start to feel funny or anything?”

  “Very well, sergeant. Now, let us leave- my destiny awaits!”

  Chapter VIII

  Aboard the Throneship Part II

  In all of the worlds encountered by the Empire, only three have been comprised purely of synthetic beings: Replanoids, who have developed a custom of upgrading their outer bodies every few decades or so: Metaltrons, who are renowned weapon builders and warriors: and Cyrians, who can best be described as…erratic. The vast majority of robots and androids that the average Imperial citizen encounters are not independent A.I.’s like those of the listed civilizations, and are therefore considered no more than mechanical property.

  --Excerpt from The Newcomer’s Guide to the Empire

  “Officer Diamond? Officer Diamond, sir, are you alright?”

  The question jolted Diamond out of his introspective thoughts, and he was surprised to see a ship’s guard blocking the door out of the lift.

  ~Forgive me, is this my level?~

  “I’m not sure, sir. All I know is that this is the third time you’ve been in this lift when it’s stopped on this level.”

  The news surprised Diamond. He hadn’t noticed he’d been riding the lift back and forth, nor had he noticed anyone else when they had been in the lift with him. The thoughts swirling through his mind were too distracting.

  ~I…forgot to get off on my stop. I’ve had much on my mind.~

  “Forgive me sir, but if you haven’t noticed you’ve been on a fifteen minute lift ride throughout the ship, then perhaps you should speak with someone about how much you’ve got on your mind.”

  The thought hadn’t occurred to Diamond, but perhaps the soldier was right. Maybe someone could help him figure out whatever it was that was buzzing in his head.

  ~Perhaps you are right, corporal. Thank you for the advice, I shall proceed to my destination.~

  The guard nodded and stepped out of the lift entrance, the doors closing as soon as he moved. Diamond selected the correct level and watched the floor numbers overhead diligently until the lift stopped and he proceeded to his cabin. The Chief Communications Officer decided that he would wait until the next day to visit the ship’s consultant. He hoped that a good night’s rest would help him solve his perplexing problem.

  However, as Diamond hovered into his alcove that would recharge his shell while checking and backing up his systems, the nagging thought that something serious was amiss persisted. No matter how much Diamond tried to ignore it and sleep, he found he could not shake his uneasy feeling.

  Sleep had finally come to Diamond, but the strange internal buzzing was the first thing he focused on as he awoke. He checked the time and found he had awakened on schedule, a few hours before his shift. He exited his cabin and entered the lift for another journey through the ship.

  Diamond arrived in the medical section of the Throneship, the nagging thought in his head persistently calling his mind away from what he was doing, but he was determined to stay focused on his task. He checked the directory and located the Prizmid counselor.

  Diamond made his way down the hall, and when he reached the office of one Dr. Plateau the door slid open to admit him. The counselor was about the same age as himself, as Prizmid reckon it. His outer shell was a simple geometric shape, this one a trapezoidal prism colored a dark blue. The office was sparse, equipped only with a recharging station and a small device that contained nutrient gels. The doctor himself floated on one side of the room and patiently waited for Diamond to join him.

  ~Greetings, Officer Diamond; walk-ins are always welcome. What brings you here today?~

  Diamond almost began explaining, before stopping himself. What was he supposed to say, exactly? That he had a thought that was bugging him that he couldn’t quite figure out? Or that his dreams had started to become repetitive: a voice giving him instructions that he could never remember when he awoke?

  ~I have noticed some…changes in myself, lately. I have become increasingly distracted by unusual thoughts that take up all of my attention, to the point where I am unaware of where I am going on the ship.~

  ~I see, and what is it that is consuming your thoughts and attention?~

  ~That is the problem; I have been unable to decipher what exactly is troubling me. This thought exists in the back of my mind- incomprehensible, but ever present.~

  ~You are not sure what the problem is, only that you have one?~

  Diamond considered this.

  ~I suppose that is the truth of it.~

  ~How long has this been going on?~

  Diamond carefully thought about his distractions and inattentiveness.

  ~Since we left Angolis and departed for the front.~

  ~I see. Most likely, Comm. Officer Diamond, you are dealing with nerves about the impending battles with the Imperium. It is understandable to be anxious on the eve of battling the Golden Emperor himself.~

  Diamond mulled this over for a moment before speaking.

  ~Would that…would such nerves also cause bad dreams?~

  ~Absolutely. Your mind is consumed with the thought of coming conflict both awake and asleep.~

  The doctor activated his onboard A-TIG and Diamond’s own device pinged.

  ~I am prescribing a mild sedative, and also requesting that you are given your next shift off. I advise you to get as much rest as you can, Diamond, and see if that does not help your mindset.~

  Diamond sensed the visit was at an end and began moving towards the exit.

  ~Thank you, Doctor Plateau. I hope your treatment helps.~

  ~You are welcome, Officer Diamond. My door is always open if you need to speak with me again.~

  With that, Diamond exited the office and began making his way to pick up his prescription, a little more at ease after his visit but all the while, the inescapable thoughts continued to prickle the back of his mind.

  Chapter IX

  Ancient History

  The Golden Imperium of Infinite Starlite, known by most as simply the Golden Imperium, the Starlite Imperium or ‘those Goldie bastards’, is the former dominant power in the known part of our galaxy. Ever since their attack on Imperial space nearly forty years ago, the Imperium has steadily been shrinking under the might of the Xenlongian Empire. It is Emperor Xandarius’ dream to one day free the Imperium worlds from the tyranny of their self-proclaimed ‘Golden Emperor’ and bring them
into the one, true Empire.

  --Excerpt from The Newcomer’s Guide to the Empire

  The ship that Solemn had provided was a spacious little Starhopper, built for traveling to nearby systems while providing decent accommodations for its passengers during the trip. Tread had offered to take first watch with the governor as they flew through space, and the rest of the squad had been too tired to argue.

  Ansaria awoke, groggy and sore but nonetheless recharged. She exited her cabin and proceeded to the cockpit, where she was surprised to see Tread alone piloting.

  “Greetings, sergeant. I hope you are rested?”

  “I’m feeling better, thanks, Tread. Where’s Solemn?”

  “He apologized, but said he must excuse himself a few minutes ago. He has yet to return.”

  “I take it bots don’t need to stretch their legs, do they?”

  “Only if they have been programmed to.”

  Ansaria honestly couldn’t tell if Tread was kidding.

  “Well I’m going to go find him. How are we doing, time-wise?”

  “We are making excellent time, sergeant, and should arrive in a few hours as expected. However, I will need to recharge before then.”

  “I’ll get Slog to cover for you.”

  “I am sure he will be thrilled.”

  With that, Ansaria exited the cockpit and set out for Solemn. She didn’t have to look long. The bot (she didn’t really know what to call an independent consciousness that was inhabiting a robot body), was standing at the starboard viewing window, staring off into space.

  “Admiring the view?” she asked.

  Solemn jerked in surprise at her appearance, and Ansaria was momentarily stunned to see that he could be surprised before she reminded herself that he was indeed (or at least he had been) an organic being . He turned back to the window before answering her.

  “Sergeant, forgive me. I was…distracted.”

  She moved to stand next to him. “By your impending transformation into a blob of cosmic-mind-energy?”