Alone in the Crowd (The Chronicles of Anna Foster Book 3)

by Patrick Stutzman

  Danica considered his words carefully and, after several seconds, nodded her consent with a grim expression on her face. “Very well, Mr. Fuller. You may go.”

  Jason gave a quick nod in return, his lips drawn tight. Turning to face Bron, he gave the Altiki a quick once over. Was he really doing this? Was he really taking a chance and going into an unknown spaceship with beings never before encountered by humanity? He took a deep breath to calm his nerves. He was doing this for Anna and focused on that. “I’m ready.”

  Fretick gestured toward the taller one. “Stand next to Bron.”

  As Jason moved to stand next to the alien, Bron pressed a free hand to a button on a device strapped to another arm. Through Fretick’s translator, Danica and Jason heard him say, “This is Bron. Bring me and a guest aboard. Have a medical team ready.”

  Danica reached a hand toward Anna’s body. “Goodbye, Anna.”

  Seconds later, another light flashed around them. After it faded, Bron, Anna, and Jason were gone.

  “You have more questions, Danica?”

  She stood and brushed the dirt from her pants. “Why did you attack us?”

  Fretick exhaled – sighed? “We reacted to the attack against us. We were watching you to see what your people were doing. The leader on our ship felt it necessary to extend our response to your presence in its entirety, not knowing the purpose of these buildings.”

  Danica gestured with both arms stretched out. “These are homes for colonists, innocent people trying to make a living on a new world.”

  “This is a colony?”

  Danica replied with a nod.

  “I understand. I need to tell you that your colony on this moon may not be accepted among my people. We hold this moon sacred and do not allow visitors. We tolerated Anna’s presence here because she posed no danger to us.”

  Nodding, Danica absorbed his words, trying to formulate the best diplomatic response. “I respect that you hold this world in high regard. Had we known before establishing ourselves here, we may have chosen a different place to settle. Perhaps we can use these circumstances to an advantage for both of us. Maybe we can learn about your people, and you about us. We could learn to work together and form a peaceful relationship that could benefit both Human and Altiki alike.”

  Fretick fell silent for a moment as if poring over her proposal.

  McClaskey broke the silence. “I don’t like the looks of this, ma’am.”

  Danica hastily raised her hand to stop him from speaking any further.

  After another moment, Fretick blinked his eyes and responded, “You speak with wisdom, Danica Armstrong. I will present your offer to my leaders for consideration. In the meantime, your colony may remain here. As a condition of your continued presence, you must stay away from the pyramid and any nearby underground locations.”

  Danica smiled. “I agree with your terms, Fretick.”

  Fretick’s lips stretched in what Danica interpreted as an Altiki smile. “Very good. Now, I must deliver the news of your presence and your proposal to my leaders.”

  As he reached toward his wrist device, Danica cocked her head. “I thought you were going to remain here while Anna was being ‘fixed’.”

  “Anna’s body will take time to repair, but I assure you that she is in good hands. I take full responsibility for her while she is aboard our ship.” He reached for the device again.

  “What about Jason who went aboard with Anna? He is my responsibility.”

  Lowering his hands, Fretick blinked twice. “Do you wish me to return him to you?”

  “After Anna is alive and healthy again, yes.”

  “That is my plan. I do not want to retain them any longer than necessary. I want to…”

  A bright flash of light enveloped Fretick and the six Altiki guards standing nearby.

  Danica recoiled, surprised and angered at the sign of their anticipated disappearance. McClaskey, realizing too late that one of the alien guards must have somehow managed to sneak a message to their vessel, raised his weapon and fired into the group of guards. The soldiers standing behind him responded in a split second and shot at them too. Seconds later, all the Altiki had vanished.

  With clenched fists, Danica stared at the floating craft as it started moving away from the colony. “Fretick!” Seconds later, the shield around the bunkers dissipated, and the large hexagon shimmered and disappeared, allowing the bright sunlight to reach the ground again. The colonel and his troops turned their weapons skyward, firing at the ship’s last known position.

  “Colonel!” Danica marched with purpose to the military leader. “Tell your communications officer to send a message on all frequencies demanding the return of Anna and Jason immediately, or we will take action against them. Have the sensors scan the skies for anything that may tell us the current location of that ship.”

  McClaskey said nothing to her but toggled his communicator and relayed the command.

  Danica stood in the square, holding back her tears while watching the sky and waiting for some sign of the vessel’s return.

  Chapter 35

  Danica descended into the airlock of Anna’s ship and pressed the switch next to the door leading inside, but the inner door did not open. Pressing it again, the door still did not budge.

  “Oh, come on!” She pounded on the hatch with her fist.

  Seconds later, she heard a woman’s voice with a distinct British accent through the door. “May I help you?”

  “Hello? Who’s there?”

  “I could ask you the same question.”

  An audible sigh passed through the closed portal. “My name is Danica Armstrong. I’m a friend of Anna Foster’s.”

  The airlock opened a second later, revealing to Kate the dark-haired woman wearing a black leather jacket and blue jeans while carrying a large, black satchel. She looked around the room through the opening for a few seconds before her eyes settled on the image of the woman before her. “Permission to come aboard?”

  “Permission granted, Ms. Armstrong. Or, may I call you Danica?”

  “Danica’s fine.” She casually waved away the question while moving to stand next to the pilot’s chair and set her bag on the floor.

  “So, this was your home for ten years.” Danica’s musings were barely a whisper through her lips. She waved her hand over the starboard holographic lens, producing one of the pilot’s consoles. The data appearing in the various readouts meant little to her.

  “Is there something with which I can help you? And, where’s Anna?” Kate’s smooth British voice caught Danica’s ear.

  Taking a deep breath, Danica spun around slowly. “Anna is dead.” She watched as Kate’s face demonstrated a clear response of shock, a reaction that surprised her. Computer avatars were not supposed to do that. “Or, she was when I last saw her.”

  Kate’s expression shifted to curiosity. “What do you mean?”

  “The colony was being attacked by the Altiki… I’m sure you know who they are.”

  “Yes, I’m familiar with them through Anna’s reports.”

  Danica nodded. “Okay. She got shot during the attack somehow while trying to get the Altiki to stop. Shortly after she died from the wound, the Altiki took her body, saying they could repair the damage. Jason went with them to help her in case they brought her back to life.”

  After taking another deep breath, she dropped into the pilot’s seat. “That was about three months ago. We haven’t heard from Anna or the Altiki since then.”

  “I wondered what had become of Anna, since she had not communicated with me.” Kate paused for a second. “What about Jason?”

  Danica stared at Kate over her shoulder. “Jason Fuller?”

  The avatar nodded.

  “Funny thing about that. He wandered into the colony by himself a few days ago. He’s been oddly silent since then. We questioned him about his time away, but we haven’t gotten much out of him. What he has said is that he believes Anna is alive, but he hasn’t seen
her to confirm it.”

  Looking past the hologram for a moment, Danica appeared lost in thought. “What really strikes me as odd is that Jason returned to us shortly before we’re supposed to leave.”

  “Leave?” Kate knelt next to the chair, regarding Danica as she did. “Who’s leaving?”

  “All of us. Due to our current situation, Earth has disbanded the colony and recalled us. They don’t want to risk offending the Altiki any more than we already have.”

  “How soon will you depart?”

  “We expect the ships to arrive in the next couple of days.”

  Kate nodded as she looked away for a couple of seconds. “I understand the reasons behind the recall. But, that begs the question as to why you are here. If you wanted to tell me, you could have called instead.”

  “Right.” Danica planted her hands on her knees and pushed herself up. “I’m taking you with us.”

  “What?” Kate shot to her feet. “How? Why?”

  Danica rounded the chair and knelt next to the satchel from the floor. “Why? This was Anna’s dying wish: to have you rescued from the ship and delivered to Earth. What you will do there is anybody’s guess at this point.” She paused for a few seconds as something occurred to her. “I have an idea, Kate. Anna said that you’d been really helpful to her while the two of you were marooned here. How would you like to work for me? I have been promised an executive position with the UN when I return and could use a personal assistant.”

  Kate cocked an eyebrow. “Aren’t AIs illegal on Earth?”

  Danica balked but rebounded a second later. “I may be able to pull a few strings to get around that. I know a few people who owe me a favor or two.”

  “So now, the question remains as to how you will take me there.”

  “And, here’s how.” Danica lifted a black, reflective cube from the satchel. It was roughly the size of her head. “This datacube has enough storage space to hold New York City’s entire population database. I believe it has enough space for your operating system and personality matrix.”

  “Do you mind if I verify that?”

  Danica smiled. “Be my guest.”

  Kate knelt next to the cube, touched her hand to its top face, and closed her eyes for a few seconds. “It has plenty of space for my operating system, personality matrix, and my holographic interface.”

  “Great! Are you ready to go?”

  As the hologram stood, she regarded the cube for a few seconds before casting her gaze at Danica. “Are you sure you want to do this? I do not want you to get into trouble because of me.”

  “Yes, Kate. I want you to come with me.”

  Kate took a non-existent breath and gazed at the administrator. “What if Anna comes back after we leave?”

  Danica paused and pored over the question. She hadn’t thought of covering that contingency. Had she written off her best friend so easily? “Can you create a copy of yourself in the cube and have one of you stay here in case she does return?”

  “That is not possible. The operating system is coded to only allow one avatar at a time. If the matrix is downloaded into another source, it assumes that another avatar will replace it and erases the matrix currently on the system after the transfer is complete.”

  “Can you override that?”

  “The instructions are coded into the core of the operating system. The OS would have to be completely replaced to allow it. I cannot do it, since performing the operation would shut me down during the process.”

  Danica spent a brief moment considering the circumstances, testing various possibilities to accommodate Kate’s concern. “Can we create another copy of you after you download into the datacube?”

  “You cannot create another copy of me, since downloading my personality matrix also takes the original files from the main system with it. You could create a different avatar, though.”

  “Okay, let’s do that.”

  Kate leaned on one leg and rested her hands on her hips. “Do you know who you are going to pick?”

  “I haven’t decided yet.” Danica waved the question away.

  “I understand. Choosing an avatar is not an easy task.”

  After a few seconds, the governor gestured toward the datacube.

  “Very good.” Kate smiled and nodded. “In that case, I will see you again on Earth.”

  As Danica smiled, Kate touched the top of the cube and closed her eyes. A split second later, her holographic body derezzed into nothingness. A couple of minutes later, the datacube signaled that the download was complete.

  Left alone on the bridge, Danica lifted the datacube and gently returned it to the satchel. She closed the bag and stood, stretching her back for a few seconds. Deciding to take a quick tour of the ship, she walked through the various rooms, scrutinizing almost everything that comprised Anna’s home over the past ten years and trying to visualize her friend’s daily life. As the thoughts of Anna flooded her mind, Danica felt a lump grow in her throat and her eyes become wet with tears. She tried in vain to hold her emotions back, and the tears flowed freely down her cheeks.

  In the midst of sobbing while sitting on Anna’s cot in her cramped bedroom, an idea struck Danica that jerked her out of her emotional outburst. Leaping from the bedroom, she rushed to the bridge while wiping the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. “Computer!”

  “Yes, Danica Armstrong.”

  Pausing in the middle of the room, she cocked her head, curious about being recognized. “How do you know my name?”

  “You are listed as the co-owner of this vessel.”

  Danica’s eyes grew wide at the news. “When did this happen?”

  “Your profile was updated ten minutes and fourteen seconds ago.”

  “Kate, you’re a genius.” Danica kept her comment as a whisper. “Computer, I would like to select an avatar.”

  “Which personality do you wish to choose? I need to inform you that my personality matrix is factory-specified as female, so you may not choose a male avatar.”

  “Do you have Anna Foster on file?”

  The computer remained quiet for a few seconds. “My records do have a personality listing for Anna Foster.”

  A wide smile appeared on Danica’s face. “I would like to see Anna Foster.”

  In the middle of the bridge, a holographic version of Anna wearing the leather clothing with which Danica was familiar materialized. She moved to the avatar and circled her, examining every detail. Satisfied with the reproduction, she stated, “I accept this personality.”

  “Do you wish to name her?”

  “Retain her original name.”

  A second later, Anna blinked and smiled. “Hi!”

  Danica barely held her emotions in check on seeing her friend again, even if just as a computer reproduction.

  A look of concern covered Anna’s face. “What’s wrong?”

  Waving away the question, Danica sniffed back the tears as she maneuvered to the pilot’s chair. “Don’t mind me.” After a few seconds, she regained control of her emotions and looked back at Anna.

  “Is there something I can help you with?”

  “Yes, Anna. Do you know everything that happened to Anna over the last ten years?”

  “Yes, I do. The original Anna was very good about telling the previous avatar about what happened.”

  Danica smiled and sniffed again. “Tell me all about it. I want to know everything.”

  Patrick Stutzman is best known for his work as a freelance game designer for the Star Wars Roleplaying Game, Saga Edition. He now concentrates on his novels in addition to his game work. He lives in Independence, Missouri with his wife, two daughters, a menagerie of pets, and an annoying Force spirit that follows him wherever he goes. If you have any tips on how to get rid of it, please let him know.

  The Chronicles of Anna Foster

  Volume 1 Alone on the Edge

  Volume 2 Alone in Paradise

  Volume 3 Alone in the Crowd

 
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