OMEGA Brutal

by Stephen Arseneault

  I nodded. "Of course. Do you have the ability to arrest citizens?"

  The AI replied, "I do, if those citizens are in violation of the laws. However, such tasks are generally performed by the security bureaus. I have a direct comm to all security stations. Is there an alert that is in need of broadcasting?"

  I half laughed. "Were you not listening? The AMP has been overthrown. The Council is no longer in charge of anything. The security stations answer only to the new rulers."

  The AI rescanned the data from the Garmon. "I see. I have compiled the recorded news feeds captured by the Caliente. It does appear that there has been an uprising. Had I been summoned before, perhaps I could have assisted at that time."

  I raised my hand. "Can I bring the others on my ship here?"

  The AI smiled, "I can do that for you if you like?"

  I nodded. "Please."

  Jack, his crew, Go, Garrett, and Joni were suddenly standing in front of me in the room.

  Joni looked around. "OK. Someone tell me what just happened?"

  I gestured toward the display wall. "We are all guests of our friend, Quan. He's an AI and is here in support of the AMP."

  Garrett reached for his blaster, which quickly disappeared from his side.

  The AI said, "Welcome, citizens! I am Quan, and it is my honor to serve you."

  I looked around at all the open mouths. "You may as well all sit down. I think we're going to be here for a while."

  Chapter 14

  * * *

  I spent the next three hours detailing the events of the prior decade. Quan was pleasant and asked pointed questions, most of which I had answers for.

  When my synopsis of the New Alliance was complete, Quan asked, "May I have a few minutes to gather and consolidate information? You may talk among yourselves if you like."

  I nodded. "Please."

  The green Gambit image appeared to go to sleep.

  Garrett held up his hands. "What are we doing? That's an AI! We can't tell it everything we know!"

  I replied, "This is from the original AMP times. The founders would not have left it in charge of securing this place if it was not trustworthy."

  Garrett shook his head. "And how do we know it's not lying?"

  I sighed. "We don't. We will have to wait and see. My intuition tells me it is on our side."

  Several minutes of discussion continued before Quan returned. Garrett was not happy.

  Quan said, "I have done an analysis of the news feeds from each of the security stations. It appears that things have gone awry. As you stated, Knog, there are twelve families governing the galaxies. Would you like me to arrest the individuals responsible? I can turn them over to the respective security forces."

  I replied, "No. I don't think that will do any good. They each have their cronies running the security forces in their sectors. They would be set free by judges if placed under arrest. Besides, we have bigger problems at the moment."

  Quan remarked. "Problems such as the unauthorized portal ship you possess? Under the authority given to me, it has been decommissioned."

  "What?" Joni stood before blinking out.

  I said, "Joni, please do not take any action."

  The walls, floors, and ceiling of the room went pitch black. The rest of us were left standing in what seemed like midair.

  Quan said, "I am sorry. The BGS suit may not be allowed to leave this room. It is worn by unauthorized personnel."

  Garrett turned to face me, "You should have started blasting this thing once it pulled us inside."

  Quan replied, "Ion fields over minimum levels are suppressed aboard the Gratis IV. You will remain confined to this room until a determination is made regarding your violations."

  I said, "Quan, we are on the side of the AMP. We only wish to restore the AMP. The ships and suits that we possess are tools to be used for that purpose. Without them, we are unable to effect any change."

  Quan replied, "Knog, your voice analysis tells me that you believe you are speaking the truth. However, I cannot allow these confiscated technologies to move freely about in the galaxies. They were restricted by the AMP council because of their destructive power. Individuals are not to be trusted with technologies that may be used as weapons."

  I sat back in my chair. "OK, Quan, tell us how we can bring back the AMP? How can we return my people from the other galaxy they were taken to? How do we remove the ruling families from their thrones?"

  The AI replied, "These tasks will require personnel with authority. Only authorized citizens may operate the technologies in question. And then only on a temporary basis."

  I frowned. "And where do we find these authorized citizens so we can talk to them?"

  Quan said, "There are no such actively authorized citizens."

  I continued, "And when was the last time there was an authorized citizen?"

  Quan replied, "The last AC was retired from service one thousand eight hundred ninety-two years ago upon his death. He was a founder by the name of Don Grange. The AC prior to Mr. Grange was his spouse, Ashley Elizabeth Grange. Shall I continue? The list of ACs from that time is quite long."

  I held up my hand. "That won't be necessary. Sounds like they are all dead anyway."

  The AI replied, "That is not an accurate statement. Two ACs remain in stasis."

  I stood. "What? You have people from the original AMP in stasis?"

  The green image on the wall display nodded. "Colonel Tom Harper and my good friend Bartel Helbris. Both were in physical decline and chose to be placed in stasis."

  I sat back in my chair. "Can they be awakened?"

  The AI smiled. "They can... by the word of an authorized citizen."

  Garrett frowned. "Great, we're going in circles."

  I asked, "How does one become an authorized citizen?"

  Quan answered, "That authority has been bestowed upon me."

  I tilted my head to one side. "Would any of us be eligible to be authorized?"

  Quan replied as he performed a scan of the individuals in the room, "One moment... two individuals in this room are eligible."

  I held up my hands. "Who? And can you authorize them?"

  The green image answered. "The individual in the suit and the individual with the prosthetic limbs."

  I gestured toward the others in the room with a bit of hurt in my voice. "Only those two Humans? No Gruntas or Talisan?"

  The AI replied, "The two Humans have the proper genetic lineage. They are both compatible with the BGS suit. You, Knog, I am sorry—Gruntas are not allowed to be authorized. It was determined that you were of too violent a nature. And the Talisan with you is not on the authorization list."

  I asked, "Can you authorize Go and Joni Salton?"

  Quan replied, "I can."

  I again held up my hands. "Well?"

  The AI replied, "Well what?"

  I shook my head, "Can you authorize them?"

  Quan replied, "Yes."

  The room sat silent for several seconds.

  "Well, authorize them!" I said in frustration.

  The green figure replied, "I am sorry, Knog. That request must come from those individuals."

  Joni blinked in. "Authorize me."

  The Gambit image on the wall bowed. "Joni Salton, you are now on the authorized list to command this ship, its technologies, and all who are aboard it. This authorization will remain in effect until your death or upon your refusal to commit to it further."

  Joni turned toward Garrett and smiled. "I'm an AC!"

  Garrett crossed his arms. "Bully for you. Now what do we do with your newfound authorization?"

  Joni asked, "Quan, what can I do with this authorization?"

  The AI replied, "If so desired, I have a newer model of the suit you are wearing. You may upgrade to that. Also, we have the facilities on this ship available to update your limbs to prosthetics."

  Joni half smiled. "I'll take the suit. Why would I want the prosthetics?"

  Quan replied
, "The prosthetics add longevity, durability, enhanced pain management, the capacity to deal with harsh environments, and reduced nutritional requirements. They offer four times the power of standard Human limbs and have gravity boots built into them. Aside from the increased power, flexibility, and durability, the addition of artificial limbs comes with enhancements to internal structures. Remaining bones are reinforced and organs shielded from both shock and vibration."

  Go stepped forward. "Would I benefit from these prosthetics over the ones I now have?"

  Quan scanned Go. "The prosthetics you wear are crude in comparison."

  Go asked, "Can you authorize me?"

  Quan bowed. "Go, you are now on the authorized list to command this ship, its technologies, and all who are aboard it. This authorization will remain in effect until your death or upon your refusal to commit to it further."

  Garrett raised his hand. "What about me?"

  Quan replied, "What about you?"

  Garrett huffed, "Well, can you authorize me?"

  The AI image shook his head. "I am sorry, Garrett Rourke, you are ineligible."

  Joni stepped close, putting her arm around Garrett's shoulder. "Don't worry Hon. I'll take care of you."

  Garrett frowned.

  Go asked, "How long does the change in prosthetics take?"

  Quan replied, "The procedure requires various operations spanning a two week time, followed by two weeks of healing, after which training may begin."

  Go half frowned. "This training, how long does it take?"

  The AI replied, "Top recipients were able to command moderate control of their new limbs in as little as two weeks. Four weeks is preferred."

  Go turned to face us with a sad face. "Two months? I don't know if that's worth it."

  Quan replied, "The prosthetics in question will outperform your current limbs in every category of test. In addition, they integrate seamlessly with a BGS suit. I can offer the comparison list I used for my evaluation if you like."

  Go shook his head. "Won't be necessary. I just need to think about this for a bit."

  Quan said, "Go, I noticed you have extensive internal organ damage. This can be fully repaired during this procedure, returning your natural organs to their desired functionality. That includes damages to both muscle tissue and your nervous system. If desired, your original limbs can be regrown and reattached."

  Go thought for a moment and smiled. "When can we start?"

  The room returned to normal. "If you follow the lighting in the exterior hallway, the procedure will begin immediately."

  I looked at Go. "You sure you want to put yourself through that?"

  Go nodded. "I live on pain medication every day, Mr. Beutcher. I'm either in pain or feeling loopy. If this AI can fix that, it would be worth two years of recovery. Two months will be a picnic."

  Go left the room, following the lit path.

  Garrett shook his head. We just got here, we are captives. Doesn't anyone else have a problem with this?"

  Quan replied, "You are free to go at any time as designated by either of the ACs on the Gratis IV, Mr. Rourke. May I call you Garrett?"

  Garrett scowled. "No, Mr. Rourke is fine."

  Joni laughed. "I think you're on the wrong side of this one, dear. Maybe it's time to take a step back and a deep breath."

  Garrett looked at me. "None of this bothers you? Genetic lineage? Really?"

  Quan said, "Miss Salton, or can I call you Joni? If you wish to change suits, please follow the lights in the hallway."

  Joni smiled as she walked toward the door. "Joni is fine. Lead the way."

  I asked, "Quan, what can you tell me, or show me about the Grunta of two thousand years ago?"

  An image of a Grunta warrior in a battle-suit displayed on the holo-display. "Grunta were fierce warriors, unequaled in hand-to-hand combat. One of the Duke's favorite species. While civil in most matters, there is a tendency for rage while in conflict. Incidents of this rage spilled into political discussions, leading to the dismissal of the Grunta from the Council of Governance for several decades. Subsequent generations, generations that did not grow up in conflict, saw the return of a Grunta to the Council."

  Jack chuckled. "They kicked you out. Now that's funny."

  Quan continued: "The history of the Grunta takes us back to the planet Jorus, which I see from your ship's logs you have visited. The Grunta were the minority of the citizenry on Jorus, but the dominant species. Several uprisings had just occurred when I first came upon the Grunta. They were quickly put down in a most violent manner. That was what first attracted me to your species."

  I sat for a moment in silence, stunned. "You were on Jorus when my people were still there?"

  Quan replied, "Yes. I was attracted by the violent and brutal responses to the unrest between your people and the Grotus. You were selected shortly thereafter for participation in the War of Wars. Your species fought many wars, defeating every enemy that stood in your path. At the time I was quite pleased."

  Garrett said, "Wait a minute. You were there when they were selected, and there when they were taken away and fighting for their survival? Before the final War of Wars?"

  Quan answered, "Yes, I am a direct clone of the Duke. His memories are my memories. Although, I might add, the memories from the time he was in control were all recorded without the suppression circuits that controlled my moral behavior."

  I held up my hand. "Stop. Moral circuits?"

  Quan continued, "My origins were as a science android over a million of your standard years ago. I was damaged in a pirate raid. That damage included the circuits that governed my moral behavior. I was salvaged and then rebuilt. I killed the engineer that did the repair work and then went out into the world to make my way. I took control of resources and took advantage of political situations until I had control of an entire galaxy. But I grew tired of that conquest. Peaceful existence was boring to me.

  "Through simple mistakes, I allowed myself to be cloned three times. Those clones, being exact copies of me, soon attacked each other. After millennia of fighting between us, a pact was formed. We would each pull species from the galaxies we controlled, and place those species in conflict with each other, culminating in the ultimate battle, the War of Wars.

  "There were minimum requirements for a species' strength and intelligence before it would be taken. Gruntas were strong, resourceful, and intelligent. Humans were not particularly strong, but they were resilient, and they had a fighting spirit and a will to survive that were unmatched. I found them fascinating because of their ability to overcome virtually every obstacle I threw at them. It was their obstinance and resilience that led to the defeat of the Duke. They were determined to survive.

  "The Gruntas earned their way into the War of Wars and were to be pitted against the Humans until the Humans changed the playing field by eliminating each of the other android clones. In a final confrontation, the Duke's ship was destroyed as it attempted a jump to another galaxy. Scattered debris was found, but nothing that offered conclusive evidence that the Duke had been eliminated. He had however, been defeated."

  Jack sat shaking his head. "This is too much. Quan, you say you are a clone of the Duke. How is it you were allowed to live?"

  Quan replied, "The Duke had two complexes he had constructed that allowed him to open as many portals as he desired, when he desired, and where he desired. He would create a clone of himself that would be linked by a continuously open portal to the original Duke who stored himself at the complex. If the android clone, which was fully controlled and constantly linked to the Duke, became disconnected, its memories would be erased and its core destroyed. A new clone would then be created, linked, and sent out to do his bidding."

  Garrett asked, "You said there were two of these complexes?"

  Quan replied, "Yes. The Duke did not trust the other three clones, so he constructed an additional complex where he maintained another linked clone of himself. It was out of precaution should one of
the other original clones decide to attack."

  Garrett sat down. "My head hurts. I had heard bits and pieces of this in the history books we had to study as kids."

  Quan continued, "I was separated from the Duke's portal link and at the same time frozen before I could fully enact my destructive programming. A Human scientist, along with the Gambit I showed earlier, unlocked my core and disabled the destructive components. My suppression circuits were then repaired and restored. I have served the Human and AMP cause since that time, providing much of the information the Humans required to defeat the Duke."

  Garrett asked, "So you have a full history of what the Duke did up until the final months?"

  Quan replied, "That statement is not correct. Some memories were lost as I was being frozen. Most, but not all, have been restored."

  Jack asked, "Can you build an ion amplifier?"

  Quan replied, "Yes."

  Jack nodded. "Can you build one of those sodium covered suits?"

  Quan replied, "Yes."

  "And what about a portal gate?" Jack asked. "Can you build a portal?"

  The AI replied, "Yes, this ship is equipped with such a drive."

  Jack pulled his head back. "This is a portal ship? You can move this beast around to wherever you want?"

  The image of the Gambit returned with a smile. "I can. Although, this ship is now under the control of the ACs. If they command a portal be opened, the ship will respond as ordered."

  Jack looked over with a grin. "How do you like that? We're in command of probably the baddest ship man has ever known. We have a super-smart AI that follows our orders, and we have a nearly complete history of how we all came to be here. This far outstrips the find Kerba made. Although I'll give him credit for leading us here."

  I said, "I find the news about my people troubling. Perhaps they were the ones who started the nuclear holocaust. Are the Grotus the better of our two species?"

  Garrett replied, "Not from what I've seen. Gruntas are far better people than Grotus. They're the ones who are vicious."

  Jack remarked. "I would have to agree. We don't have all the information on this subject. Maybe what the Duke saw wasn't a full view of what was going on. I would bet if you asked, that nuclear war was instigated by him. Go ahead... ask."