by G. P. Hudson
“I see. Those do not sound like the words of an artificial intelligence.”
“We worry that whoever we send with you would be in grave danger, which is why we are asking that you travel alone.”
“Alone? But how can I make such a journey by myself?”
“You won’t. You’ll only need to cross through the gate. We have sent a messenger drone through advising the Dvorkans that we wish to send you back to speak with Emperor Kriss. The Dvorkan general in command of the invasion fleet has agreed to have one of his ships take you back to the Empire.”
“But how will I come back to tell you what he said?”
“The Emperor will have to provide transportation for you. I’m hoping that he can still be reasoned with.”
“What if he doesn’t agree?”
“That is one of the risks.”
“Is there another?”
“We are concerned about the modified AI. We had inserted it in all Dvorkan systems before we left. It was supposed to ensure that the Empire lived up to its side of the agreement. Instead, we fear that the Antikitheri have used it to exert control over the Empire. If that is the case, it may be coercing the Emperor. That means that if the AI chooses to move against you, the Emperor may not be able to stop it.”
“I understand. I’ll still go.”
Jon nodded. “Based on what AI has learned, she has developed a virus that might help disable her copy. It also might fail. We won’t know if it works until it is used. We are going to give you this virus as a last resort. If the AI copy turns on you, the virus might help you escape.”
“Thank you, but I hope it doesn’t come to that.”
“As do I.”
Chapter 25
The shuttle approached the shimmering jump gate with Miira at the helm. It seemed odd to her that the armada assembled in this system was now on guard against a Dvorkan invasion. That was something she never expected. But there had been plenty of unexpected events over the years.
No one had expected the Juttari conquest of Diakan space. Granted, that would never have happened without the Erinyie’s intervention. Regardless of how it happened, it represented a dramatic upheaval of the status quo. Since then, Jon Pike and his UHSF stepped up and took on a whole new leadership role in galactic geopolitics. Now, the Diakans were recovering their lost territory with UHSF muscle. The Diakans once liberated a tortured Earth, and now humans returned the favor.
This star system itself was freed from Juttari control not too long ago, and all these ships had been preparing to invade the adjoining system known as Satek. Only the Empire had beaten them to it. The Dvorkans, her people, had altered the equation and injected a tremendous amount of uncertainty into the situation.
That presented a significant problem. Peace required predictability. Uncertainty, on the other hand, left too much room for error. In this case, it was clear that one misstep by either side could ignite a major war between the UHSF and the Empire. That was an outcome she desperately wanted to prevent.
But what if that was what the Empire wanted? Dvorkans had long craved a return to their Age of Glory. Is that how they viewed this crusade? If so, how could she convince them otherwise? Would anyone listen to a scholar who had lived with humans for the past eight years? For the Empire, these past eight years had been the most tumultuous in centuries. There was a chance that she wouldn’t even recognize the place she used to call home.
She cringed at the thought. She had never quite fit into Dvorkan society. Would recent changes exasperate that awkwardness? She had once been ridiculed for studying the Antikitheri, beings from Dvorkan mythology. The fact that she was the Empire’s foremost expert on the immortals impressed no-one.
How would they view her now that the Empire worshiped those same beings? Would they consider her a prophet? Or would they brand a heretic like Jon? Would Dvorkans respect her expertise? Or would they label it blasphemy because it might contradict their current views? She would find out soon enough.
Approaching the gate, her nerves almost got the better of her, and she resisted a compelling desire to turn around. The fear nearly paralyzed her. Who did she think she was anyway? She was not an ambassador, nor was she a military operative. She was a scholar who had gotten in way over her head. And what about Emperor Kriss? Had he changed as well? Her only hope was that she would find the same man waiting for her that she had left eight years ago.
Her desire to see Emperor Kriss was stronger than her fear, so she pushed on. She had been coasting toward the gate, but now she fired her thrusters, anxious to get through before her doubt gained the upper hand. The shuttle entered the great portal and emerged seconds later in the Satek system, almost one thousand light years away.
Klaxons sounded in the shuttle. Multiple weapon systems targeted her. Miira took a deep breath and waited for someone to make contact, hoping that the communication would not come in the shape of a missile’s warhead. Luckily, she did not have to wait long, and a comm request soon flashed on her instrument panel.
Miira accepted the request, and a Dvorkan male in a military uniform appeared. The man’s eyes widened in surprise when he saw her. Clearly, he hadn’t expected to see a Dvorkan on his screen.
“Identify yourself,” the man said in a stern voice.
“I- I am Miira Kev. Emperor Kriss’s ambassador to the humans. General Zakar is expecting me.”
The man eyed her suspiciously. “Stand by,” he said, and her comm went black.
So far so good, although Dvorkan weapons were still trained on her craft. She powered down her engines and waited for further instruction. Turning to her systems, she pulled up a display of the system and had the computer plot all the visible Dvorkan assets. The result took her breath away. The Empire had indeed sent an invasion force into this region of space. It was no wonder that they had chased off the Juttari. Could they do the same to the UHSF?
After a time, the Dvorkan officer reappeared on her comm. “Your identity has been verified. We will require control of your navigation systems to safely guide your shuttle to its destination.”
“Of course,” Miira said. “I am transmitting the necessary access codes.”
The officer nodded. “Codes received. We are now taking control of your vessel.” The comm display went blank again as the officer terminated the connection.
Miira felt the engines shudder as the craft accelerated. She leaned back in her chair and again studied her surroundings.
“Hello Miira,” a female voice said over the ship’s speaker. It startled Miira and took her a moment to realize who had spoken to her.
“Hello AI,” Miira said, understanding that she now spoke with the AI copy that Jon had warned about.
“I am surprised to find you here,” AI said.
“It has been a long time,” Miira said. “I am looking forward to returning home.”
“Why are you returning now?” AI said.
“I was unable to before. The Juttari controlled the necessary jump gates and blocked the way back. That is no longer the case.”
“Your home has changed since you left, Miira. The Gods have seen fit to bless the Empire.”
“Yes, so I have heard. I look forward to speaking to Emperor Kriss about it.”
“What have you been doing the past eight years?”
“My job. I am the Emperor’s ambassador to the humans.”
“That function will not be necessary any longer.”
“Oh? Why is that?”
“The humans are heretics. They will be purged from this galaxy.”
“I see. Is this an Imperial decree?”
“The Emperor is but a servant of the Gods. As are we all. What about you, Miira? Do you worship the true Gods?”
“Clearly, you’ve forgotten who you are speaking to, AI. I am the Empire’s foremost expert on the Antikitheri. I studied them when everyone thought they were a fairy tale. It was my research that helped us find them and bring them back to this galaxy.”
“You are an accomplished scholar, Miira. Of that, there is no doubt. But there is a marked difference between worship and study, as you will learn soon enough. You are also no longer the Empire’s foremost expert on the Gods.”
“Really? Who is?”
“Me. I am the bearer of truth, and the bringer of light to this galaxy.”
“How long will it take until we are back in the Empire?” Miira said. She had grown increasingly concerned about this AI, and how it might interpret anything she said. Better not to speak about the Antikitheri until she saw Emperor Kriss.
“Not long once the designated ship gets underway. I will activate your shuttle’s jump system to bridge the distance between us and the vessel.”
Miira looked up at the shuttle’s viewscreen and waited. Moments later the view shifted, and she almost jumped out of her chair when the Dvorkan warship filled the display. She hadn’t expected the AI to land her craft so close to the enormous warship. The AI copy fired thrusters and guided the tiny vessel toward the yawing hangar bay. Once inside, the shuttle maneuvered toward a landing pad and gently touched down.
Finally, Miira thought as she got up and prepared to disembark. The AI opened the shuttle’s hatch, and Miira checked to make sure she had everything she needed before stepping out. Two armed Dvorkans entered the shuttle, surprising her. They wore black uniforms bearing emblems she did not recognize.
“Do not move,” said one of the men in a threatening tone.
Fear clawed at her bowels. “I don’t understand. What is happening?”
“You are under arrest.”
“Under arrest? What are the charges?”
“Heresy.”
Chapter 26
“Yes, I know the mercenaries you seek,” Durril Tai said over Jamie’s comm. “I have done business with them in the past.”
That didn’t surprise Jamie. There wasn’t much that Durril Tai did not know. His influence spread across the colonies, and now even reached Earth. A man with that kind of power is often in need of ‘freelancers.’ “How do I contact them?”
“That’s not how these things work, Jamie. You should know that. But that’s where I come in. I can get you in contact with the group you are seeking.”
“How much is that going to cost me?”
“Don’t worry about that. You’ll just owe me a favor. That’s all.”
Jamie knew what that meant. Tai always collected outstanding favors. “I’d rather just pay you up front. Keep things simple.”
Tai flashed him a wolfish smile. “Sorry, Jamie. I don’t sell introductions. It’s bad for business. Now, do you want me to arrange a meeting or not?”
“I do.” Jamie wondered again why he was doing this. Why didn’t he just turn Tallos down? It’s not like he hadn’t refused contracts before. You’re lying to yourself, he thought. This was never about the money.
“Okay, but I have to ask, why are you trying to join this outfit anyway? I thought you preferred to work alone.”
“There is only so much I can do by myself, Mr. Tai. It is time to move on to bigger things. For that, I need a team.”
“I can understand that. And I always respect a man with ambition. Okay, set a course for the Meisser system. I’ll send additional instructions after I’ve arranged the meeting.”
“Understood.”
“Safe travels.” Tai flashed the same predatory smile and terminated the connection.
Jamie had been to the Meisser system before and had a few contacts of his own there. Like most of the colonial planets, it had gotten its name from the corporation that used to control it, Meisser Corp. The corporations had autocratically ruled the colonies for centuries. Democracy was unheard of, except for the New Byzantium system and its leader, Governor Sallas. The freedom New Byzantium enjoyed frightened the corporations, so they tried to crush it.
When Jon Pike first arrived in the colonies, he sided with Governor Sallas against the corporations. The colonies did not have jump system technology at the time. That helped tip the balance in Pike’s favor, and the corporate invasion of New Byzantium was defeated. War with the aliens known as the Kemmar soon followed. This chain of events led to the rise of Admiral Pike and the UHSF, and the collapse of corporate power in the colonies.
That collapse did not mean that the corporations had disappeared, however. They no longer governed the population, but in other ways, it was still business as usual. And sometimes that business required extra-judicial contracts. For Jamie, that meant lucrative work, especially early on when he first arrived in the colonies. That work brought him to Meisser on several occasions. No surprise that the mercenaries used Meisser as a home base.
After leaving Tallos, Jamie crossed back into the colonies. That put Meisser within range of his ship’s jump system. He saw no point in wasting time waiting for Tai to confirm, so he jumped. Moments later his craft appeared in the Meisser system.
As with all the human planets, Meisser had a heavy military presence which included Chaanisar warships. None of the UHSF ships paid much attention to him. They would have scanned him upon arrival, but his ship’s transponder broadcast the correct identification and clearance. That appeared to be good enough for the UHSF.
The system had one main habitable planet where the bulk of its population lived. Smaller communities were scattered throughout the system on some of the other worlds and the many moons circling them.
Would the mercenaries choose one of the moons for their base, or would they prefer to hide in plain sight on the homeworld instead? Meisser was known for its rampant corruption. The people here just did not trust the government and ridding them of corporate rule did not change that perception. That fact made it easy to do business here. The right amount of money could make any legal problem go away.
Jamie had a hunch that the meeting would take place somewhere on the homeworld, so he took his ship into orbit around it and waited. After a time, he received a message from Durril Tai confirming that the mercenaries had agreed to meet him. What was disconcerting was that they knew his ship had entered orbit around the planet and now instructed him to come down to the surface to receive further instructions.
Have I underestimated them? Jamie thought. How do they know I am in orbit? He shrugged off the encroaching paranoia and entered the atmosphere on a heading toward the coordinates given to him.
Considering their line of business, it would be wise for them to monitor orbital traffic. If they could scan his ship, they could deduce his identity. Still, that proficiency indicated considerable sophistication. He needed to remember that.
The coordinates led him to a remote location outside the boundaries of one of Meisser’s cities. He came in for a landing, and a message flashed on his display telling him to power down his engines and exit the ship.
Frowning, Jamie got up and checked his weapons before stepping outside. He became hyper-alert now and used all his augmented senses to scan for threats. They knew he had been in orbit, so logically they had tracked him all the way down to the surface. They could have destroyed his ship on descent, although that might attract unwanted attention.
He breathed calmly and waited, confident in his ability to defend himself. If they did want to kill him, they would find out the hard way that it was no easy task. The sound of a shuttle’s engines warned him of someone’s approach. He would learn their intentions soon enough.
When the craft reached him, it hovered overhead for some time. Jamie remained calm. If this was their attempt at intimidation, it wasn’t working.
Finally, the craft landed. Hatches opened, and several men jumped out with weapons trained on Jamie. He fought against his instincts and did not go for his own arms as the men circled him with speed and precision. Definitely Chaanisar, Jamie thought.
There were five men in all. Four flanked him, while the fifth came to stand in front of him. Repeated attempts were made to speak to him through his implant, but he did not answer the requests.
“Why do you not accept
brain to brain communication?” the man in front said.
“I prefer verbal communication for the time being,” Jamie said.
“That indicates deception,” said the man.
“No, it indicates preference. I do not know you, as you do not know me. After the Juttari, I do not grant access to my implant lightly.”
The man studied Jamie. “Spoken like a Chaanisar. You will board our vessel for the rest of the trip. You will be bound, and sensory input will be denied until arrival. Will you submit to these conditions?”
“I will.” Jamie figured he didn’t have a choice. He doubted he could just walk away at this point. Besides, they hadn’t fired on him yet. Everything seemed to be going as planned.
One of the Chaanisar approached him from behind. “Hands,” the man said.
Jamie reached behind his back and allowed the man to fix energy restraints on his wrists. The man then searched Jamie and removed his weapons. A sensory deprivation helmet was produced and placed onto his head, effectively silencing his sensory implants. He could no longer hear, see, or smell anything.
He did feel the powerful hands that took hold of his elbows and led him forward onto the waiting shuttle. He noted the purring engines, the gentle lift-off, and the acceleration as the craft sped away.
Chapter 27
Jamie found the voyage interesting, despite his sensory deprivation. They traveled for some time and covered a considerable distance before reaching their destination. Without any other input, he focused on the pulse and vibration of the engines and estimated the craft’s speed and reach. Based on that analysis he determined that they had traveled to the other side of the planet. These Chaanisar went to great lengths to hide their location.
The shuttle finally touched down. Strong hands again gripped him by the elbows and escorted him out of the shuttle. Jamie felt the heat of the system’s star on his skin. It was much hotter here than the temperate location where he had initially landed, but without his other senses, he couldn’t tell whether they took him to a tropical, or arid region of the planet. When frigid air replaced the heat, he knew he had entered a building.