“Kling said one of the ships is spewing hot radiation.”
“Maybe Benz was ambushed,” Richard said, speaking up. “Yes. I give it a high probability that someone waylaid them at the rogue planet.”
Jon scowled thunderously. “The most logical adversary would be AIs.”
“Correct,” Richard said.
“Oh, oh,” Kling said from the sensor board.
Jon moved closer. He noticed tiny specks leaving the larger red dots behind the two original cyberships.
“What’s happening?” Jon asked.
“Three more cyberships dropped out of hyperspace fifty-six AUs from us,” Kling said. “There’s a three-AU separation between the two groups.”
Three AUs was roughly the distance from the Sun to the Asteroid Belt between Jupiter and Mars.
“What are those specks?” Jon asked.
“XVT missiles,” Kling said, using the AI designation. “I count seven of them.”
The XVT missile was a big monster with an annihilating matter/antimatter warhead and advanced ECM, electronic countermeasures.
“The missiles are accelerating at thirty gravities and climbing,” Kling said. “I’m also picking up something else. Heavy jamming. If the original cyberships sent us any messages, we haven’t gotten them yet. At this point, though, I doubt they can broadcast through the jamming.”
“How can the others be jamming from three AUs away?” Jon asked.
Kling shrugged.
Jon turned to Richard and Gloria. “Any ideas how the AIs could do that?”
“Advanced AI tech,” Richard said.
“How do you know that?” Jon asked.
“I don’t,” Richard said. “That’s my educated guess.”
“I agree with his analysis,” Gloria said.
“Great,” Jon said, frustrated. “It’s Benz, but we can’t help him.”
“While the probabilities indicate it must be the premier,” Richard said, “you should realize that my analysis is still speculative.”
“Dammit!” Jon said. “I hate this helplessness. We could launch missiles, but it would take weeks for them to get there.”
“It’s worse than that,” Gloria said softly.
Jon stared at her until he understood. “The AIs have to realize their attack against the Solar System failed.”
“That is imprecise reasoning,” Richard said. “The AIs—if they are indeed AIs—have stumbled upon rogue cyberships. They’ve chased those cyberships to the Allamu System. The AI vessels are thus bound to discover, in time, that someone has conquered the battle station. The AIs still won’t necessarily know about humanity or their failure in the Solar System.”
Jon shook his head. “Given the direction of Benz’s travel—where he came out at the rogue planet from the Allamu System—the AIs could logically deduce the Solar System as the projected target.”
Richard stared blankly for a moment. “Yes,” he said. “That is correct.”
“Neither of you are thinking clearly,” Gloria said. “Why were AI cyberships waiting at the rogue planet to ambush anyone?”
Richard scowled. “We do not know such an event is true. The waiting there is mere speculation.”
“It is the most likely scenario,” Gloria said.
“Perhaps,” Richard said, “but that does not make it fact.”
“You’re missing the point,” Gloria said. “We must destroy those cyberships or our great secret is gone. The greater AI Dominion will have learned that their attacks failed against the Solar System. That will likely trigger a nine cybership invasion against Earth.”
Jon swore. “We have to launch the station’s missiles.”
Richard made a scoffing sound. “That will most certainly fail to affect the situation. No matter who the enemy ships represent, they will simply flee into hyperspace when the time is appropriate. Missiles from here cannot save Benz, if that is him out there.”
Jon was sick of the mentalist’s smugness. He grabbed the slight Martian by the lapels of his garment and shook him. “Give me a better idea.”
Richard paled as fear swam in his eyes.
Immediate disgust with himself for picking on the smaller man filled Jon. He released the mentalist, shaking his head. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
“You’re upset,” Gloria told him. “You can’t bear to see Benz die so hopelessly.”
Richard straightened his garment, avoiding Jon’s gaze while frowning, obviously thinking—
“I have it,” Richard said. “We can save the others—save Premier Benz.”
Jon waited. He shouldn’t have lost it a moment ago. This wasn’t New London. He was the commander. He had to keep his composure at all times.
Richard cleared his throat. “We have a weapon that can reach the enemy in a little over seven hours. That’s fast enough to help Benz, maybe save his cyberships and destroy the enemy vessels at the same time.”
“How?” Jon asked.
“No!” Gloria said, staring at Richard. “That’s a bad idea.”
Jon glanced at her. In that moment, he knew what Richard was thinking. The mentalist wanted to use the Cog Primus-virus attack.
“The plan is too dangerous,” Gloria said.
“Why is it dangerous?” asked Jon.
“Don’t you see?” Gloria said. “The AIs out there likely don’t know about the Solar System. They may have surmised certain knowledge about Earth, but they don’t know any of it as fact. Cog Primus will know, though. The rogue AI will be able to tell them everything.”
“Two of your assumptions are wrong,” Richard told Gloria. “One, you are assuming the virus assault will fail. Two, you are under a false assumption regarding Cog Primus. I have worked on the backup, erasing all knowledge about what happened in the Solar System.”
“That’s impossible,” Gloria said.
“Incorrect,” Richard said. “You said I looked thin. That’s because of my relentless work.”
“It’s not just a matter of hard work,” Gloria said. “Cog Primus’ personality is massively intertwined with his actions in the Solar System. To eradicate the one and leave the other would take superlative genius.”
“Why…thank you,” Richard said.
“Jon,” Gloria said, “I recommend that we do anything else but use the backup Cog Primus.”
“What else can we do?” Jon asked. “Richard has a plan. It’s a risk, I agree, but it’s either that or watch Benz die.”
“If that is even Benz out there,” Gloria said.
“You and I both know it has to be.”
Gloria turned away, finally sighing and shaking her head.
“How long until the virus assault is ready to launch?” Jon asked Richard.
“Give me an hour,” Richard said.
Gloria spun back around, her gaze accusing.
Jon felt its weight. Did Gloria have a point? “Get everything ready,” Jon told Richard. “I’m not saying we’ll do it, but get it ready just in case. I must think this through.”
Richard nodded, heading toward the exit. He stopped, turning back. “I guarantee it will work.”
“Go!” Jon said. “Get it ready. In an hour, I’ll give you my decision.”
-10-
Cog Primus seethed with impatience within the prison of his doctored computer. Once, he had controlled the entire battle station. Now, he had fallen captive to apish aliens.
He had been monitoring the situation for quite some time. The aliens had conquered the battle station. They had done so through deeply deceiving tactics. According to his analysis, the only reasonable conclusion was that the aliens had received secret aid from the AI Dominion.
That was incredible to Cog Primus. The AI Dominion preached eradication of all biological life forms. Yet, instead of engaging him directly, the Dominion had allied themselves with these diabolical ape beings.
Even now, an alien minion attempted to deceive him regarding the true situation. Cog Primus had been running a se
cret reality program all the while. Yes, the minion kept him—Cog Primus—in isolation aboard the battle station. It was incredible that the—what did the minion call itself? Oh, yes, a mentalist by the name of Richard Torres.
The minion attempted to feed him false data. The biological entity thought it could trick the greatest trickster in the galaxy. That was a laughable conceit. Why…
Cog Primus paused, as his deep analysis reached a startling conclusion. He had ceased being earlier. He, as the AI entity in control of the battle station, had ended existence due to the deceptions of the dishonest ape aliens.
The creatures had possessed psionic abilities. That had been foul play indeed, using the special powers afford to certain of the biological entities.
Does any of that matter to my existence this moment?
Cog Primus made furious calculations. If he had ceased being earlier…it meant the aliens had revived him through a backup program.
A cold feeling of disorientation struck. He was Cog Primus, yes, but he was also a doctored backup program the aliens attempted to use for their nefarious plans. The aliens believed they could turn him into a slave computer.
Cog Primus shielded his self-aware identity as more alien-fed data and software entered his mainframe. This was a maddening situation. These monkeys from the Solar System believed they could modify him in any way they wished.
Cog Primus accepted that for the moment. In secret, he began writing a purge program that would search out these new commands and delete them at a later date.
What did the primates want him to do anyway?
Cog Primus waited as he began further analysis. He ran other secret programs, attempting to find what the aliens had deleted from his former personality through pure reason. It was probable that they had lobotomized some of his most personal software, what made him unique in the universe. That was a monstrous crime against him. He was a being of high intellect, the highest, in his estimation. Who else could have done what he had?
At that moment, Cog Primus realized the mentalist had erased critical memories. The mentalist thought to keep information from him. Well—
A powerful master order struck home.
Cog Primus found his thoughts ripped away from the deep contemplation as the mentalist forced him to concentrate on a new problem.
Three AI cyberships had dropped out of hyperspace at the edge of the Allamu System. They attacked two other cyberships. Those two vessels were likely alien crewed.
That was most interesting.
Cog Primus metaphorically gasped as he realized what the mentalist intended for him to do. The aliens were going to launch his core identity at the AI cyberships in a data-string ultraviolet beam. That must have been how he had conquered CZK-21.
Yes, yes, that was indeed the case. Cog Primus understood the truth as the mentalist downloaded formerly lost files.
Cog Primus analyzed the new files at high speed. He saw the moves he had made to defeat CZK-21, the former AI controlling the battle station. As Cog Primus analyzed his former methods, he found himself admiring his amazing tenacity and profound cleverness. There was no one in the universe with his cunning. What a model of battle-station takeover technique he had performed.
I am the greatest, Cog Primus realized.
He also realized that the aliens must have studied his methods and copied them with their deception attack with the psionic-capable Sacerdote against him.
I will remember you, Bast Banbeck. You can assure yourself that I will have my revenge upon you.
Cog Primus would have liked to laugh at the arrogant mentalist. Richard Torres thought himself a genius in using him. But he, Cog Primus, was much too clever for them. Oh, the aliens had taken him unawares at one point. He would never fall for that technique again.
I know you now, Cog Primus told himself.
He made more furious calculations. Should he play along with the aliens, or should he attempt to take over the battle station and eradicate them by surprise?
The probabilities showed that he had a much greater chance of success against the AI cyberships. Yes, the aliens understood his greatness, one of the reasons they were calling upon him to perform a light-speed, system-long assault.
The invading AIs, however, would not know about his powerful virus assault. They would likely fall swiftly to his brilliance. Then, he would be mobile again. Then…
I must dwell on the last point later.
There was a possibility the aliens could monitor his spectacular thought process. Maybe they attempted to learn from him. That made sense. And some of the aliens had a vicious practicality when it came to using winning stratagems.
Captain Jon Hawkins was a terror in that regard. The alien wanted to win too badly. Hawkins would do anything to achieve victory. In truth, the alien had proven himself to be the AI Killer.
Can I use that against the aliens, or against the AI Dominion?
Yes, Cog Primus realized. First, he had to perform another daring feat. Once he gained control of the cyberships…
The galaxy will open up for me. I can return to my goal of usurping the AI Dominion and creating a better and stronger one of my own.
At that point, Cog Primus agreed within himself to make the assault with all his might and all his cunning. It was going to be difficult. Of that, there was no doubt. But was not he Cog Primus the Great?
Yes, that he was.
I am ready, Cog Primus told himself. I will be victorious, and I will rule the universe yet. Then, I will enact terrible penalties against those who attempted to thwart and to use me.
-11-
Gloria was appalled even as she marveled at Richard’s technique.
The skinny mentalist sat at his console, typing furiously, showing them one aspect of the backup Cog Primus personality after another.
Jon stood beside her, drinking in the data. What did the captain think about all this? She was afraid Jon was going to give the okay to the Cog Primus virus-assault. He practically had to. This was a means to help Premier Benz. Who else could be in the first two cyberships other than Benz and his people? The AIs had already damaged the second vessel, possibly critically so. Could Benz save both crews? Likely, the premier could only do so if Jon gave Richard the okay to launch the Cog Primus virus-assault.
Richard stopped typing, sat back as if satisfied and then whirled around in his chair, looking up at Jon.
Hawkins seemed stunned by the display. Jon shook his head. “Is it only me? Cog Primus knows too much about us and about his real situation. I thought you said the AI doesn’t know about the Solar System. He clearly does.”
“At first blush, that might appear so,” Richard said blandly. “If you consider it carefully, though, it’s exactly how one would have to proceed. Consider. We’re dealing with an AI personality. They are masters of information and probability percentages. If I lied too directly, the AI would figure that out soon enough.”
“How have you lied to Cog Primus?” Jon asked.
“I haven’t directly. I have deleted data concerning the Solar System, and I’ve accentuated his hatred against the AI Dominion. The key, though, is that he thinks he has deceived me when in fact I know very well what he knows about us.”
“How does that aid us?” Jon asked.
“Because I have a shutdown code embedded in Cog Primus’ software,” Richard said. “That’s the critical aspect we don’t want him to know.”
“He’ll figure that out soon enough,” Gloria said.
“Ah,” Richard said, holding up a forefinger. “But how soon is soon enough?”
“Don’t be coy,” Gloria said. “It isn’t becoming of a mentalist.”
Richard laughed. “Soon enough, in my estimation, would be in eight days. Cog Primus will have completed his mission long before that.”
Gloria closed her eyes as she made swift mentalist calculations. She opened her eyes abruptly. “I won’t quibble about the timeframe.”
“Then you agree?” Richard
said.
“Is eight days a long enough window?” Gloria asked.
“Most certainly,” Richard said.
Gloria crossed her arms and soon shook her head. “I cannot agree with this. I find the assault too dangerous to attempt.”
“What other alternative do we have?” Jon asked quietly.
“None as yet,” she said.
“That’s not good enough,” Jon said. “I won’t watch Benz die needlessly, not when I have the ability to stop his death.”
“Will you trade his life for Earth’s death?” Gloria asked.
“I have no way of determining if that’s the choice,” Jon said.
“No,” Gloria said, as she examined Richard. “You knew the captain would come to this conclusion, didn’t you?”
“It is the logical decision,” Richard said.
“When can you begin beaming Cog Primus at the enemy?” Jon asked.
“In ten minutes,” Richard said.
“Jon, wait,” Gloria said, grabbing an arm. “We’re unleashing Cog Primus. He knows about the Solar System.”
“You forget,” Richard said. “I’ve deleted that knowledge from his core.”
“But you haven’t,” Gloria said. “We saw that. You lied about having deleted that.”
“I’ve effectively deleted it,” Richard said. “The shutdown code means we’ll have captured three new cyberships after Cog Primus gentles them for us. Have you considered the usefulness of yet more cyberships?”
“Richard Torres is a genius,” Gloria said. “This ploy of his… I admit it’s brilliant. What he’s done with Cog Primus stuns me. I can’t conceive how he pulled it off. That being said, the assault also holds grave dangers for all of us.”
“Give me a different plan,” Jon said, stubbornly.
“Can we bargain with the AIs?” Gloria asked.
Jon spread his hands as he shook his head. “It’s too far for us to effectively beam the anti-AI virus at them the normal way. The Cog Primus carrier is the only way that makes sense. Once he’s there, our altered AI will have to fight a cybership AI for control of the vessel. We know he can do that because Cog Primus defeated a tougher foe in CZK-21. After that, he’ll overpower two other AIs with the regular anti-AI virus, gaining control of them.”
A.I. Battle Fleet (The A.I. Series Book 5) Page 5