Connor's Gambit

by Z Gottlieb

  Connor watched the major approach them. The closer she got the more Brad gagged.

  “Get her away, before I throw up. It’s her. She’s the Aneplé spy,” Brad struggled to say as he bent inward, gagging, while the sergeant held onto him more gently.

  The major turned and ran. Connor turned to the Sergeant. “Grab her molars.”

  Leevaal quickly guided the pilot to the floor before he flew after the major. Reaching the major in four steps, he detained her as he shoved his hand into her mouth to stop her from committing suicide. He wasn’t sure how they knew she was a traitor, but as soon as he put his hand in her mouth, he could feel the false teeth and pulled them out. Holding the molars in his closed fist, he annouced, “Got them.” He let the major drop to the floor, thinking how good that felt. It was ironic she turned out to be as bad as he thought she was.

  Brad curled up on the workout mat trying to control the gagging and heard someone calling his name. He didn’t have the strength for any more drama. He just wanted to return to his stateroom to mourn the loss of Shinny. He worried about how Dane would accept the loss of his mother. There had to be a way he could rescue her. But he was having trouble pulling himself together to think what else he could do, if they were not going after her.

  “Johnson, are you all right? They just told me you identified the Aneplé spy that sent the Kisskalu after your mate.”

  Brad looked up and saw Fernando in a black Fleet uniform. Could the day get any worse? The guy was impersonating an officer, and an admiral at that. “Fernando, you can’t go around wearing that. Couldn’t Wesgwidy or Yancurve print a technician uniform to fit you?”

  Fernando looked at everyone’s surprised face from Brad’s comment. “Only he is allowed to address me as Fernando.”

  “Johnson, do you know who Ferklopgresfk Nan Dowelstergak is?” Griken asked.

  “I don’t think he does. We never told him,” Fernando answered for Brad.

  “Admiral Dowelstergak is the Neslin heir,” explained Connor. Turning toward Fernando, “Ferklopgresfk, I didn’t know you were on the ship. How long have you been on the Zuonopy?”

  “I flew in with your son as his second seat on the transfer vehicle that brought the colony to the Zuonopy. Sorry I didn’t say something sooner. I needed to make sure everyone was taken care of first.” He turned to Griken. “Thank you for your crew’s hospitality. Everyone is being fed and quartered and I finally have a uniform that fits after six months of wearing a bag on the Kisskalu,” Fernando responded.

  Brad reached his hand up and let Fernando help him stand up. “You’re an admiral? How did that happen?”

  “The usual way, through hard work,” Fernando answered.

  Fernando’s revelation left Brad bewildered. “No one said anything.”

  “The colony did not want to share my identity with you because we were not sure we could trust you or your mate. Frankly, I thought Wesgwidy had lost her mind inviting you to join the colony.” Fernando turned to Connor. “Just as the colony hid my identity, they hid theirs. It wasn’t until I saw her defend us that I realized who Johnson’s mate was. One day we need to sit down, and I will share the story of how your daughter and son helped a Neslin Colony escape from an Aneplé battle cruiser with just one praser. But for now, I believe you were looking for a third Flag to provide a voice on ‘The Rule of Three.’ We have a rescue we need to plan.”

  Brad glanced at the colonel, who looked uncomfortable with the events unfolding in front of him. The guy was an ass, but Brad owed him an apology before he left. “Colonel T’Lentic, I apologize for presuming you were an Aneplé spy. The Aneplé have been drugging both their crews and Fleet personnel. It may take a while, but if your brother is treated, he should be able to return to your family with his honor intact.” The change in the Colonel’s stance relieved Brad that the rivalry was ending. He sensed he would be able to depend upon Colonel T’Lentic for his support.

  Ferric was uncertain about the fate of his brother, but knew he needed to be a player in retrieving Major N’Klaftin. He had mischaracterized her because of her familial relationship to her father, and worse allowed himself to be swayed by an Aneplé spy. He needed to work toward overcoming that blunder. “Thank you for your apology.” Shifting his views on Connor would take time but he was willing to take the first step. Turning toward Connor and Admiral Griken, “My Battalion will be ready to assist you in retrieving Major N’Klaftin.”

  “Thank you, sir,” Brad nodded a salute.

  Chapter 36

  Shinny’s muscles ached from remaining in a tight fetal position under the double layer of shielding for over a day. Except for her, everything on the platform was either blackened from the soot or washed in ash from the fires that erupted from the super-heated air. She peered through the ash-coated shields at the devastation surrounding her, breathing a sigh of relief for the protection of the second shield. One would definitely have not have been enough and would have left her in no better condition than the Aneplé security forces. A wave of despair washed through her. She never imagined she would be left behind to fend for herself.

  Moving slowly and carefully, maintaining the seals on her shields, she repositioned herself to sit against a supporting structure. Looking up, she noted she would need to move soon. It appeared as if the stanchion she was leaning on had been weakened from the fire and she should not rely on its support for much longer.

  “Major, are you well?” Yeshawliq asked through Shinny’s chip. “I know you didn’t want a VPN connection, but I have no choice. There’s no other option since your tablet is no longer on the Kisskalu.”

  Shinny wasn’t happy with the VPN, but it was a far better alternative than having nothing to communicate with at the moment. “Could you give me a status update?”

  “The transfer vehicle boarded the Zuonopy; four Aneplé Swarm Defenders and three Attack Vipers destroyed; Five Aneplé vehicles abandoned. The Zuonopy had no losses.”

  Shinny was relieved when she heard Brad had made it safely to the Zuonopy. Her time on the Kisskalu would be tolerable knowing Brad would make it back home to retrieve Dane and raise him. Everything else she heard became snippets of background noise, but she became curious about one point. “What do you mean the vehicles were abandoned?”

  “The Aneplé pilots ejected from the vehicles.”

  Shinny wasn’t going to correct Yeshawliq. As long as the Aneplé thought the pilots ejected and did not know the safety routines on the vehicles had been engaged from the CIG flight maneuvers, it would provide the Fleet with a tactical advantage. She smiled thinking how much her husband had brought to the Fleet. “Thank you for the clarification. Is there anything more to report?”

  “The Kisskalu entered the Pertutinn Transit Gate four shifts ago and is attempting to proceed at full speed toward Connor’s Gambit.”

  As long as the Kisskalu remained in mapped space, there remained a small chance she would return home one day. However, if the Kisskalu entered the unexplored dark hole, that small chance would become almost zero. Fewer than 1% of the individuals who entered the dark holes without special equipment showed up decades later; the rest not at all. If the Kisskalu entered the dark hole, it would be foolish on her part to even hope for a possibility she would eventually return to Earth. Even with the equipment, a number of ships pulled into the gravity wells did not return. She would be better off if she could find a way off the ship before it entered the dark hole. “Yeshawliq, when will the Kisskalu reach Connor’s Gambit?”

  “Major, I estimate perhaps one to two shifts. The Kisskalu is currently at full speed, but the speed fluctuates with their ability to compensate for the folded space ridges.”

  Shinny stared through the mess around her toward the Kisskalu’s bow where it appeared there was some activity. She wondered if she would be able to steal another vehicle. No, that probably wouldn’t work. She couldn’t imagine they would allow it to happen again this soon. “Yeshawliq, is there any news on the Zuonopy?�
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  “The Zuonopy has entered the Pertutinn Transit Gate and an estimated two shifts behind.”

  Shinny closed her eyes and focused on what she knew. Was there something she might have missed? “Yeshawliq, I need your help.”

  “Major, it is I who needs your help to leave the Kisskalu. I don’t want to go into the dark hole.”

  This was a mess. It wasn’t good that the AI believed it was as helpless as her, Shinny thought. Where the heck did she come from anyway? “Yeshawliq, how did you become a part of the Kisskalu?”

  “My inception started as a toy dragon given to a bipedal child named Yeshawliq Ofmyneston. I was Yeshawliq’s childhood companion. As Yeshawliq aged, she continued to keep me as her companion, upgrading my hardware components and software programs including my protocols, although my foundational programming remained intact. When Yeshawliq joined CIG’s Fleet, she was commissioned as a custodian officer, allowing her to continue to work on robotic devices. Yeshawliq took me on her assignments and I worked as her assistant. When she reported to the Kisskalu, she attached me to the environmental systems through a hidden port she built in her stateroom. We would work closely together testing devices she created. Yeshawliq had planned to present her work to the Fleet through her chain of command. Unfortunately, her plan was interrupted when the Aneplé boarded the Kisskalu. Yeshawliq barricaded herself in her stateroom. Before the Aneplé broke into her room she downloaded everything on her chip into me. I essentially became Yeshawliq when her organic component was destroyed. Once I had her information from her chip, I understood how important it was to hide her work. The more I worked on doing that, the more we became one.”

  Shinny let a few tears drop thinking how Yeshawliq’s death and rebirth had essentially kept them alive. Yeshawliq’s story also explained a lot. No wonder she opposed anything that would risk killing the Aneplé. It was part of her foundational programming as a child’s toy. On the other hand, the AI also had the human Yeshawliq’s desire to return home and her CIG Fleet training. “Yeshawliq, you mentioned to Brad that at times you can control the Kisskalu. What did you mean?”

  “I had an idea I could navigate the Kisskalu back to CIG territories and have been working on that objective, but it’s been slow. As you can see I haven’t been productive in reaching that goal because navigation requires skills I don’t have. Each time I attempt to affect the navigation, there is a system override and technicians are assigned to review the incident. The risk of discovery is very high. I have been better off focusing on the environmental systems, although, there was too much dust for me to dispose.”

  So much for the CIG training, Shinny thought. “Then what can you do to control the Kisskalu?”

  “I seem to be able to impact the Kisskalu’s speed. Although it was an accident, at one time, I was able to bring it to a complete stop.”

  “Could you slow the Kisskalu or bring it to a full stop again?”

  “It was an accident. I didn’t mean to do it. I don’t know if I should do it again. I may be discovered.”

  Shinny sighed to herself, wishing her conversation with the AI was easier. “Yeshawliq, there is a risk you would be discovered, but if you do not do anything, then more than likely the Kisskalu will enter Connor’s Gambit, neither of us will make it home. If you are able to slow or stop the Kisskalu, then it is more likely the Zuonopy will reach us in time.” Her shields flickered, signaling they were almost completely discharged and would no longer protect her or provide filtered air. “Yeshawliq, is the air safe in this section or should I leave?”

  “The air on this platform is toxic from the fires. I have been able to isolate this platform from the other platforms, however, I would not be able to this clean this platform fast enough to help you. You would not last long in this air. You must leave. When you leave there are Aneplé Security Forces waiting for you at all of the exits.”

  Shinny had anticipated the Aneplé would dispatch their Security Forces. That’s what she would have done, and at least she had confirmation. “Yeshawliq, I’m going to turn myself over to the Aneplé. Don’t send me your stateroom number until I ask for it. It will be safer for you if I don’t know it until I can pick up your main component.”

  “I understand. Will you be safe?”

  “Probably not, but I don’t have many options.”

  Shinny looked at the exits and decided to take the closest one. Holding her breath as she stood up, she walked toward a pile of ashes and dropped her shields and praser into it, and then walked over to the door. Stepping out, she faced about twenty Aneplé security officers pointing prasers at her. She remembered the lieutenant leading the team from her first day on Kisskalu. “Lieutenant Swetinny, this seems like overkill, since I’m unarmed.”

  Swetinny pointed his praser at Shinny. “Hands up and away from your body. Any deviation and all of us will shoot you. After watching the video of you before all the electronics were destroyed, I wonder if even twenty-two guards will be enough to hold you off.”

  Shinny stared at the lieutenant, thinking he probably wouldn’t mind another opportunity to shoot her again. She kept her hands high and away from her body to avoid giving the lieutenant an excuse to shoot her.

  Swetinny waved his praser. “Move away from the door.” He watched her step from the blackened door toward the center of the hallway. “I’m stuck between thanking you and killing you now. I’m not sure how you managed to change the duty roster to allow the Neslins to escape. Then again, I no longer need to worry about Nerunder and the Neslins. Capturing you could lead to a promotion for me ”

  Shinny weighed her options. Perhaps honesty would work toward keeping her alive longer. “We didn’t touch the roster. The ship’s AI changed the roster.”

  “The ship doesn’t have an AI. Keep up the stories and I’ll definitely shoot you. Looking at the damage, I don’t think the captain will care if you’re dead or not.”

  “Shoot me and you may have to explain to your captain why you shot Connor’s daughter.” Shinny knew they were looking at their sensors and hoping they were reading her truthfulness. They were probably wondering why they had not caught it before now.

  The squad looked at their tablets. Swetinny sneered, “Considering how much damage you’ve accomplished, I’m not going to trust our sensors. For now, I’m not going to shoot you, but I am taking you to medical. I have a few friends there who owe me favors. It won’t take us long to extract the information on your chip to get to the truth.” He motioned for her to follow his security team as they headed toward medical.

  Shinny shuddered at his threat. For now, she was better off complying. They might learn about Yeshawliq, but at least they wouldn’t find the AI.

  Chapter 37

  Brad paced nervously in his stateroom waiting for the signal to report to Laco’s transport. Normally, he would fly a Defender with his squadron, but Colonel T’Lentic suggested Shinny would be located faster with Brad’s neural link on his chip and should be assigned to his battalion as a special adviser to the Special Combat Troops. No one believed it, but they all felt they owed him the opportunity to be part of the initial boarding party on the Kisskalu to retrieve Major N’Klaftin. The colonel had promised the admirals Brad would be protected on all sides.

  Even with every detail planned, Brad remained apprehensive. While the three admirals had agreed to pursue the Kisskalu through the transit gate, if the Aneplé took the ship into Connor’s Gambit it would be game over. They would not pursue the Kisskalu any further. Every discussion of the risks associated with the dark holes ended with “More is unknown than known.” He was tired of hearing it and just wanted to catch up to the Kisskalu before it entered the space phenomenon. He had offered to fly a transport to confront the ship as a delaying tactic, but that was unanimously disapproved. So he was left to wait and pace.

  Sperzs watched Brad pacing in their stateroom. “If you don’t stop, you are going to wear a groove into the floor. I can’t relax with you moving incessantly
around like that. If you continue, I’ll send you somewhere else to pace.”

  “I’m not leaving. Laco already kicked me off the transport vehicle.” Brad watched Sperzs moving his stylus in a curious manner. “What are you doing, anyway, to keep calm?”

  “I’m trying to find the coded messages in Pacman. Where did you say this game came from?” Sperzs asked as he steered the piece through the maze.

  Brad rolled his eyes at his roommate’s comment. “There are no coded messages. It’s a game I played with my Three-year-old son. I only used it to distract the Aneplé Security Forces.”

  Out of habit, he looked at his wristwatch. It was useless, as it was from Earth, but nonetheless he felt departure would be soon. He decided to watch the bridge view on the monitor in his room, then a call came in through the room’s speaker.

  “Pilot Johnson, Admiral Griken requests your presence on the bridge.”

  “Message received.” Brad turned to his roommate, who was lounging as if he was on a vacation, wishing he could be as laid back. “Sperzs, do you think there’s bad news?”

  “No, if it was bad news, someone would be requesting entrance to the room, not asking you to report to the bridge.” Sperzs looked up from his tablet. “It looks like the Kisskalu is on this side of Connor’s Gambit for now.”

  Brad furrowed his eyebrows. “What do you mean? I thought you were playing Pacman.”

  “I am. I’m also watching the bridge views.” Sperzs turned his tablet over to show Brad the split screen with the Kisskalu hovering at the top edge of the maze. “You better move it or they will send someone after you, and a disruption like that might affect my score.”

  “Thanks,” Brad said as he rushed out, Sperzs laughing in the background.

  The first and last time Brad had been on the bridge was during orientation. Although it had been a while, he still remembered the way and was grateful he didn’t need to check his tablet, because he couldn’t get there quickly enough. While waiting for the lift to the bridge, he looked up, wondering whether it would be faster for him to climb the ladder. Just then, the lift arrived. Staring at him was Laco. “Old man, have you been called to the bridge, also?” Brad asked Laco as he stepped into the lift.