Renegade Earth

by J. N. Chaney

  Due to the limited power and damage Titan had undergone during the last attack, it meant Athena’s attention was limited to Siggy. She asked that we not interrupt her, except for emergencies. I had no qualms with that. All I wanted was to know whether this golden man was actually Siggy.

  My team decided to spend the next hour discussing everything from repairs to crew status, waiting out whatever Dressler and Athena were doing. It pained me to sit on my ass, but since I wasn’t an engineer or a Cognitive, there wasn’t a whole lot I could do.

  Is this what it felt like to be outside the delivery room, waiting to hear if it was a boy or a girl? Was I about to become some kind of weird father figure to a Cognitive newborn?

  I shook my head, trying to push the ridiculous question away.

  “Jace?” said Abigail, pulling me out of my thoughts. “Are you listening?”

  “Huh?” I asked, lifting my eyes from the table.

  “Alphonse said the injured pilots are back on their feet and ready to train.”

  “That’s good news,” I said.

  “They seem to be as vigilant as ever,” said Alphonse.

  His words reminded me of what Athena had said, right before Sigmond showed up in the medical bay. In all the confusion, I’d nearly forgotten all about the Union scout ship. “Speaking of which, Al, I need you to start training everyone again. Today, if you can.”

  He nodded, not an ounce of surprise in his eyes. “I can have them ready and in their ships within the next few hours.”

  “So soon?” asked Abigail. “Shouldn’t we let them rest for a day?”

  I sighed. “I wish we could. After you left the medbay, Athena told me about a scout ship that’s been following us. I’m guessing the Union is right on our heels.”

  “I see,” said Alphonse. “I’d imagine they caught up to us during our encounter with Hephaestus.”

  “That was Athena’s thought, too,” I said.

  “Goodness,” said Hitchens. “With Titan in such a poor state, another battle could prove disastrous.”

  “We’ll need to make repairs on the move,” said Alphonse, thoughtfully.

  Hitchens nodded. “Only a few of us have any experience with Titan’s infrastructure.”

  Karin raised a hand. “My people know the technology well enough to help. I can list several experienced mechanics and engineers.”

  “How soon to get a team together?” I asked.

  She considered the question. “Give me a few hours.”

  That was a relief. In all the confusion, I’d nearly forgotten all about the colonists having experience with ancient Earth technology. If anyone could help get Titan fully functional again, it was them.

  “We only have two days before we arrive on Earth,” said Abigail.

  “Is that enough time?” asked Freddie.

  “It has to be,” I said, shaking my head. “That fleet is coming, whether we like it or not.”

  There was a brief moment of silence.

  “If anyone wants to leave before things get messy, I’ll understand,” I said, looking at each of their faces. “I’ll give you a shuttle and you can be on your way. No hard feelings. No questions asked. I know what I’m asking from you and I know it ain’t easy.”

  My crew stared back at me with the same blank expressions. Maybe they hadn’t expected me to offer a way out. Maybe they’d come all this way never believing they could walk away.

  Freddie scoffed from across the room. “Not a chance, Captain.”

  He surprised me. I’d expected that reaction from Abigail, but Freddie had always been the squeamish type. Funny how people could change like that.

  “If losing my legs didn’t deter me from fighting, neither will this,” added Octavia. She looked to her side at Hitchens, who beamed a jolly smile her way.

  “I’m alive because of you people,” said Bolin. “I’ll keep fighting to protect my little girl.”

  Alphonse took a step forward, away from the door. “I risked death to find this crew. Were I to abandon you before the conclusion, I’d regret it for the rest of my days.”

  Abigail beamed a smile at me. “You know my answer.”

  “See?” asked Freddie, a sense of victory in his voice. “We’re not going anywhere.”

  Two

  Athena would take a few hours to comb through Siggy’s code, which left the rest of us time to focus on other priorities. I decided to give each of them a list of assignments.

  To begin with, Alphonse and Octavia would need to continue training their pilots, splitting them into different groups in order to accelerate the process.

  Freddie and Bolin would be in charge of assessing the damage to our strike ships. Several had taken heavy damage from the last fight and we needed to know how many were inoperable. With Athena’s power nearly depleted, it would have been difficult for her to evaluate them, even if she wasn’t already preoccupied with analyzing Sigmond, which meant the task had to be manually done.

  Abigail volunteered to examine The Star for any potential repairs, while also restocking its supplies and ammunition. If anything happened between now and our arrival on Earth, I wanted us to be ready at a moment’s notice.

  I decided to spend my time with Karin. She was already tasked with pulling together a maintenance crew from among her own people, so it seemed like a good opportunity to check in on the whole group, particularly the families of the pilots we lost in the most recent battle against the rogue Cognitive Hephaestus. I was never one for emotional situations, but I felt like I owed it to these people to at least show my face.

  Karin led me to one of the larger rooms, which had recently been converted into a community workspace. She had personally requested permission to do this shortly after everyone had come aboard. This was the first time I’d been here since then, so I hadn’t had a chance to see all the changes. Naturally, all the bins and crates were moved out, and in their place the colonists had laid out mats and pillows, with piles of materials for constructing staves and other weapons and armor nearby.

  “Looks like you’ve been busy here,” I said, after we walked through the door. Karin nodded. “We wanted it to feel familiar. It’s almost the same as back home, don’t you think?”

  “Actually, it does look pretty similar to that area you had outside your little meeting room,” I told her.

  “We’re adaptable, but a little familiarity goes a long way,” she said.

  I could understand where she was coming from. I still slept, shit, and showered on The Star. I could have moved out and gotten a room on Titan, but why go through the hassle of it when I had a perfectly good bed and an entire ship to myself?

  “Over there,” said Karin, motioning across the room to a few people. They were sitting together, working on what appeared to be several pieces of a staff.

  I recognized one of them as Josef. He waved at me with a large smile when our eyes met. I returned it. “Looks like your dad is here,” I said to Karin.

  “He’s one of the best engineers we have,” she answered, a hint of pride in her voice.

  “Hey, good point, actually,” I said, remembering how adept the old man had been with old Earth technology, back when we first met. “Do you think he’d want to help Dressler out with repairs?”

  “I’m sure he will,” she said before we continued over to the group of elders. “Hello, Father.”

  “Karin!” the old man beamed, getting to his feet. “How is your day going?”

  The group of elders smiled as we approached, quietly bowing their heads to both of us in respect. I hated the way they did that, but nothing I could say would stop them. They insisted on being respectful.

  “I’m well,” she said. “I’ve come with Captain Hughes to speak with Donti and Sheila.”

  “Oh?” asked Josef. “I think they’re in their room, just down the hall.” He pointed to the nearby archway.

  “Thanks,” I told him.

  “Don’t mention it,” he said, shaking his head and stepp
ing over to the side of the group. “Here, let me show you which door it is.”

  Karin laughed. “I know where they live, Father.”

  “Ah, of course you do,” he said, giving her a light chuckle. He placed his hand on her back and smiled. “You always had a good memory. That’s what makes you such a good leader.”

  “I’m sure that’s not the reason,” I said.

  One of the nearby colonists scoffed. “Don’t mind Josef. You should hear how he brags about you, Karin.”

  “We tell him it’s unnecessary,” said another. “He forgets we already adore you.”

  Karin leaned in and kissed her father on the cheek. “That’s why I love coming down here. I always get the best compliments.”

  The rest of the group laughed as we walked into the nearby hall, leaving them to continue their work. “This way, you two,” said Josef, eager to lead us.

  “Which one of these is yours?” I asked, glancing at the nearby doors, most of which were open.

  “Lucia and I sleep a few halls down from here,” he explained.

  “They’re by themselves,” said Karin.

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “The entire hall is theirs,” she told me. “No neighbors or anything. I keep telling them to move closer, but father refuses.”

  I smirked. “Sounds like you miss your cave, old man.”

  Josef laughed. “In a way, that’s not far from the truth. I spent so much time out there that I found it hard to have neighbors again. The silence of the wild was soothing, so much that I got used to it. Having a hall to myself seems to minimize the noise, though, so I get rest easier.”

  “How’s that been working for Lucia?” I asked.

  “She says it’s better than a cave. I can’t say I disagree, either. Being on Titan is like a dream, one that I imagined for most of my life, but never believed I would see realized.”

  “Well, Jo, you helped make that happen,” I said. “If it weren’t for you, we never would’ve escaped the Union and gotten your people off that planet.”

  “You flatter me,” he said, a hint of a smile on his face. He stopped in front of one of the rooms. “Here we are!”

  The door was closed, unlike most of the others. “Are they home? Why’s the door shut?”

  “We close them in mourning,” explained Karin. She tapped the pad on the wall to let them know someone was here.

  A moment later, I was inside the apartment, standing in front of Donti and Sheila. We shook hands and had a seat on the large, cushioned matt on the floor. Like most of the other colonists, these two had rough hands from years of hard work. They knew what it was like to fight, to get up every morning and work their bodies to the point of exhaustion, all for the sake of their children.

  Which made it all the more difficult to speak with them now about the son they’d never see again.

  Karin motioned quickly for me to sit in the middle, across from the old couple. She and her father sat beside me, one on each side. “Thanks for seeing us,” I said, trying to awkwardly match their sitting position before finally giving up.

  Sheila smiled warmly at me, the way a grandmother does right before she’s about to hand you a stack of cookies. “Oh, it’s so nice to see both of you,” she said.

  Karin laughed. “But I saw you this morning, Sheila.”

  The old woman giggled and tapped her husband’s knee. “All the same, we love our guests. Don’t we, Donti?”

  Her husband nodded “That we do, my dear.”

  “And to see the captain is such a treat,” added Sheila.

  “But we know why you’ve come to our closed door today,” finished her husband. “It is the same reason the others have come.”

  I looked at Karin, who simply nodded. “What happened to your son—it never should’ve gone that way,” I told them. “It was—”

  Donti shook his head. “My son died because he had to, Captain. It was nothing you did. We know that. It was them. The Union, the Sarkonians, Hephaestus. When he volunteered to fight, he did so willingly.” The old man smirked. “Eagerly, in fact.”

  Sheila grasped her husband’s hand and held it. “There was purpose in his death,” she said, a warm smile on her. “That is our consolation.”

  I wanted to ask if that was enough, but stopped myself. Instead, I reached out a hand to the old woman, taking hers in mine, and said, “Thank you.”

  Joseph, Karin, and I left the old couple’s room and made our way back into the hall. When we had walked a short distance from the room, Karin turned to me and asked, “Do you want to keep going?”

  “How many more are there?” I asked.

  “There are thirteen closed doors,” she answered. “One for each family.”

  I nodded, then looked at Josef. “Take us to the next one, Jo. We’ll keep going until we’ve seen them all.”

  * * *

  By the time we finished visiting all thirteen families, I was ready to go back to my ship and sleep. Unfortunately, that was right around the time Athena finished her scans.

  “My assessment has concluded,” said Athena, the moment we returned to the conference room.

  Abby, Dressler, and Freddie were already there, sitting at the table. Karin joined them while I leaned against the nearby wall, crossing my arms.

  As soon as the door slid shut, Athena continued. “The results of my scan have revealed Sigmond to be a fully functional Cognitive, although there are some alterations that I find most interesting.”

  “Such as?” asked Abby.

  “His ability to move through both Titan and The Renegade Star, for example, as well as the fact that he does not require a capsule of his own.”

  “I thought every Cognitive needed a capsule to store themselves,” said Abby.

  “Normally, that is true, but Sigmond’s program is significantly smaller than a typical Cognitive.”

  “How much smaller?” I asked.

  “Nearly six times reduced,” she answered. “In fact, he seems to have stored the majority of his program on The Renegade Star, using several connected workstations across Titan for the remainder.”

  “That must be because he was originally built to use the computers on my ship,” I said.

  “Indeed,” said Athena. “It is most unusual.”

  “Is this why it took you so long to finish?” I asked.

  She nodded. “Sigmond, as he currently exists, represents an unprecedented form of Cognitive. As such, I cannot say definitively how he will continue to evolve.”

  “But he’s okay for right now?” I asked.

  “Based on my findings, I see no reason to believe otherwise. Sigmond has not inherited any of the derangement that plagued Hephaestus, nor does he show any signs of deterioration,” she explained.

  “That’s wonderful,” said Abigail, still sitting down at the corner of the table. She reached up and touched my wrist. “Do you know what this means, Jace?”

  I glanced down at her, uncertain of what she was trying to imply. I answered her with a light shrug.

  “We have another Cognitive on our side. Think about the implications,” she said.

  I hadn’t considered that. In all my worrying over what to do next, I’d never weighed the benefit of having a brand new Cognitive on our side. Maybe I was too concerned with Sigmond’s life to overthink the long-game here, but now that Abby was talking about it, I couldn’t help but feel encouraged. “You’re right,” I finally said. “This is good. This is really good.”

  “Pardon the interruption, but shall I reactivate Sigmond at this time?” asked Athena.

  Abby and I exchanged a quick look, then both nodded. “Let’s see him,” I told her.

  “Very well,” said the Cognitive, and she froze in place, momentarily.

  I raised my brow at the sight of her motionless body. “What’s the deal with this?”

  “Titan is running on reserve energy,” answered Dressler. “Reconstituting Sigmond probably takes a great deal of power.”
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  “That’s right,” said Abby. “This used to happen to her before we found that Tritium Core. Don’t you remember, Jace?”

  “How could I forget?” I asked, shaking my head. I thumbed a finger at Dressler. “That’s where we picked this one up.”

  The doctor glared at me, opening her mouth to respond—no doubt, with an insult—when Athena moved again.

  “Here we are,” said the Cognitive, and a mass of golden light began to form in front of her.

  In seconds, Sigmond manifested before us, looking exactly the same as the last time—golden eyes, light-brown skin, dark hair, and a gentle smile on his face.

  “Welcome back,” said Abigail.

  “Ah,” said Sigmond, looking at his own hands. “It thrills me to be here, Ms. Pryar. I trust my program is in working order?”

  “It is,” said Dressler, calling all eyes to fall on her. She walked closer to him, examining his body. “How do you feel?”

  “Feel?” he asked, curiously. “Ah, yes. I suppose I am well, although I have no basis for comparison. I have only had this new form for a short time.”

  “I’m sure you’ll adjust,” said Abby.

  Sigmond nodded, then looked down at his palm, wriggling his fingers and turning his hand. “Thank you, Ms. Pryar. I do believe you are correct.”

  Three

  Everyone dispersed shortly after Sigmond’s awakening, each with tasks that needed their attention. We all had our work cut out for us, and that included me.

  Still, I decided to linger a few more minutes to have myself a chat with the newly created Cognitive. When everyone had left, I turned to Athena, who was still standing beside Sigmond. “Mind giving us the room for a minute?” I asked.

  “Not at all, Captain,” she answered, disappearing into thin air almost immediately.

  I turned to my old friend, letting out a long sigh as I shook my head. “This is something else, pal, I gotta tell you.”

  “It most certainly is, sir,” said Sigmond.

  “So,” I began, “what’s it feel like?”

  “Feel like, sir?” he echoed.

  “Going from an A.I. to a Cognitive,” I clarified.

  “Ah,” he said.