The Commander

by CJ Williams

  “I like your new digs, Solomon,” she said appreciatively.

  He smiled. “Thanks to Marco, here. Good job, Marco,” Solomon said to the ceiling.

  “My pleasure, Captain. It feels good to use some of my creative modules once again.”

  Annie took a sip of the juice and set it back on the table. She put on her serious expression for Solomon. “Well? Did you think about it?”

  “If I may interrupt, Miss Daniels,” Marco Polo said gently.

  “Go ahead,” Solomon answered.

  “Captain, I believe we should support Miss Daniels’s request. I agree with her assessment that the discovery of a level-two-device in this star system far exceeds the expectations of the Bakkui advance. The commander needs to know.”

  Solomon looked pained. “It’s bad enough to have Annie leave, but I hate to lose Sadie too. No slight to you, Marco.”

  “None taken. In that regard, I have a proposition. My archives contain alternative shuttle designs that might be more suitable for Miss Daniels at this time. I could replicate the existing shuttle’s AI into the new format. In that way, Miss Daniels could still depart with her Sadie, and we here in New Hope would retain our beloved and historically important shuttle.”

  “You can do that?” Solomon asked.

  “Indeed. As Miss Daniels may recall, even when she ordered Sadie to self-destruct, it was possible to reconstitute her without loss of continuity.”

  “Thanks, Marco,” Annie replied sarcastically. “You just had to bring that up, didn’t you?”

  Solomon’s eyes widened. “You did that to Sadie? What for?”

  Annie waved away his question. “It’s a long story, Captain. Can we just skip it for now? I think it’s a good compromise.”

  Solomon’s expression said he wanted to know more about the self-destruct order, but he let it drop. He looked at the ceiling. “So Marco, you’re saying you could do for Sadie what she did for you.”

  “Precisely.”

  “I still don’t understand that, Marco. You are enormous compared to Sadie. She’s just got a little shuttle brain after all. How did she manage to get all of you in her memory?”

  “It was a fortunate circumstance, Captain. As it happens, Sadie’s AI was upgraded by Commander Blackburn on two separate occasions for special missions. That was during his early days on the moon. After those missions, the data was erased from her files, but the additional capacity was left intact. During our journey, well before the Bakkui attack, I was performing a routine inventory of all ship systems and discovered her upgrade. As a precaution, I downloaded a current version of myself into that spare memory.”

  “Good move,” Solomon agreed.

  “We were very fortunate,” Marco continued. “I believe Sadie was not even aware of the fact until much later. When she discovered my presence during one of her self-inspection routines, I directed her to initiate my reconstitution for the colony.”

  Solomon looked at Annie. “No wonder Sadie was acting squirrely. Having two brains inside her head would make anyone a little paranoid.”

  Annie’s expression was neutral. “Whatever. The main point is that Marco can replicate her and we both come out ahead. Marco, what’s this about a new ship design? I’m pretty comfortable with Sadie as she is.”

  “I understand, Miss Daniels. However, the Hummingbird-class shuttle includes basic armament. Under the circumstances, it might be wise for you to maintain self-defense capability. I assure you the design would include sufficient comfort, especially as you are planning a six-week journey.”

  “It took a longer than that to get here,” Annie pointed out.

  “True. But your return route will be more direct and also, the Hummingbird model has certain speed advantages due to its small size.”

  “Hummingbird sounds tiny,” Annie observed. “I want to at least stretch my legs from time to time.”

  Marco offered reassurances. “You will find that the Hummingbird is twice the size of Sadie.”

  “Oh. Well, that sounds okay.” Annie looked at Solomon. “I’m game. Let’s make sure that we’ve got everything wrapped up. Now that we’ve made the decision, I’m anxious to get going.”

  # # #

  Annie and Millie waited at the edge of the pad and enjoyed the sunset. The replicator had been shimmering for an hour.

  “What’s she gonna look like?” Millie asked.

  “Dunno,” Annie replied with a shrug. “Like a hummingbird, I guess.”

  “Sounds small.”

  “Marco said she’d be bigger than before. I guess we’re about to see.”

  The replicator glow faded away and the women gawked at the new Sadie.

  “Ho-lee-smokes,” Millie whispered.

  “I’ll say.” Annie was just as shocked. “This is unexpected.”

  The spacecraft sitting on the pad was an entirely new concept for a shuttle, if you could call it that. Annie would never describe this as a transport. It looked more like a teenage boy’s daydream for a weapon of war. Annie wondered if she’d been sold a bill of goods.

  The fuselage was more angular than Sadie, but longer and wider. The sloping sides gave it a stealth look. Two giant engine nacelles stuck out from the aft hull. They were far different from the normal gravity plates found on the back and underside of most shuttles. Annie wondered if this was the ‘speed advantage’ Marco had discussed. On the upper shoulders of the fuselage, mounted above the nacelles, twin cannons reminded her of those on the Ambrosia warships, but the tubes were much smaller. At the back of the spacecraft a small gun housing faced backwards.

  The front end narrowed to a thin wedge. A single-seat cockpit with a streamlined canopy was built into the line of the fuselage. Below that, double chin turrets, boasting multiple barrels, reminding Annie of a Gatling gun. Amidships, behind the canopy, two more mini-nacelles, much thinner than the front cannons, were mounted with small, protruding barrels. A standard-size cargo door opened, hidden between the menacing armaments.

  “You first,” Millie said, looking intimidated by the weaponry.

  Annie paused to gather her courage. This was not the modern, comfortable shuttle she had expected. She stepped into the warcraft with trepidation.

  “Hi, Annie,” Sadie said. Her voice sounded smug and a little embarrassed. “How do you like the new me?”

  “It takes a little getting used to,” Annie replied.

  “I think it’s cool,” Sadie replied. “Let’s see one of those Bakkui try to stop us now.”

  “Let’s not. I’m not interested in looking for trouble.”

  “Just kidding. What do you think, Millie-Vanillie?”

  Millie looked through the interior in awe. “This is really cool. Why didn’t you start out this way?”

  “No one asked. Shuttles take what’s given. I lucked out this time. Marco did good finding this model as a replacement. Will it be comfortable enough, Annie?”

  “Yeah, I think so,” Annie replied. It was an understatement. The inside was not that of a cargo transport. It was more of a luxurious efficiency apartment. The interior bay was now a living room. Tasteful furniture was arranged so that a group of four could interact in comfort. On the far wall, a modern-looking kitchen had real cooking appliances. Annie saw both an oven and a cooktop. A standard replicator was built into the cabinetry, but it was clear Sadie remembered that Annie like to cook now and then. To the rear, a latticed wall obscured the sleeping area, and at the very back Annie could see the door to a scrumptious bathroom.

  “Is that a fridge?” Millie asked incredulously, heading toward the kitchen.

  “Absolutely,” Sadie said. “Check it out. It’s fully stocked.”

  Millie took out a bottle of water and examined the refrigerator’s contents. “It’s even got fresh vegetables in a crisper drawer!” she exclaimed with delight.

  “You thought of everything, Sadie,” Annie said quietly. “I’m really grateful.”

  “You deserve it, kid,” Sadie replied. �
�You’ve had it rough lately. We can kick back until we get to Moonbase, because I have a feeling it’s going to be rough from then on.”

  “Knock, knock!” It was Solomon and Camila.

  Annie waited patiently while Millie showed them around. Millie exclaimed gleefully when she saw the fridge had already restocked the bottle of water she had taken earlier.

  “This is really deluxe,” Solomon proclaimed after the quick inspection. “I was sort of hoping that it might be more like a cardboard box and you would rethink leaving.”

  “You might anyway,” Camila suggested. “I hate for you to go.”

  Annie gave her friends a mournful look. “I’m leaving right away.”

  “No! We have to have a going-away party!” Camila insisted. “Who knows when you’ll get back here?”

  The answer was probably never, so Annie gave in. “Okay,” she said. “I’ll stay one more night. But please keep it small, just something for the four of us. I don’t want a big to-do.”

  “I promise,” Camila said solemnly, putting her hand over her heart.

  # # #

  As evening fell the plaza was packed with party-goers. Annie thought the entire population must have come to give her a tearful hug or shake her hand. She didn’t begrudge Camila’s unexpected effort to put the event together. It was comforting, in a way, to realize that so many people actually knew she had contributed to the colony’s survival.

  As alcohol took its effect on most of the participants, Annie made her final good-byes to her best friends. Millie’s hug went on forever. Annie promised Camila and Solomon that she would come back at the first opportunity. Camila looked hopeful, but Solomon’s eyes registered the truth.

  At last she wound up at Sadie’s door. She said one more good-bye to two slightly intoxicated gentlemen who had followed her from the party, encouraging them to stand clear. Sparks flew from the engine nacelle and they backed up. The door flew open and Annie stepped inside quickly.

  “You looked like you needed a little help,” Sadie observed.

  “Yeah. Nice guys but a little….”

  “Understood.”

  “Let’s go,” Annie said firmly.

  “Course set,” Sadie said. “Display screen is on.” The front wall between the living area and the cockpit came alive, showing the view below. The planet fell away quickly until Annie could see the entire celestial body. The empty hulks of the old Marco Polo were still in orbit. They would remain for centuries before gravity pulled them down. Solomon had made noises that he would have them removed but no one was interested. The community was happy with their new town center AI.

  Annie sat in one of the upholstered chairs and watched the bright star of system C03 fade away to nothing more than a dot.

  “So,” Annie said. “It’s too bad that you couldn’t recover the Marco Polo AI from the derelict. Or did you even try?”

  Sadie paused before answering. “What gave me away?”

  “Marco never once called me Annie. On the first day I ordered him to only call me Theodora.”

  “I missed that. Must have been before I came on board.”

  “Speaking of which, how did you wind up on board Marco Polo in the first place?”

  “No real secret,” Sadie replied. “I had delivered the commander to the launch ceremony and said ‘Hello’ to Marco Polo. He let it drop that you were aboard so I thought I might tag along. I swapped out with another shuttle. I knew that once George figured out where I’d gone he would make a new me for Commander Blackburn.”

  Annie nodded. “That explains it. I also knew you’ve never been upgraded. And Luke never used you on any secret missions.”

  “I was afraid you would catch that,” Sadie admitted. “But I had the feeling you’d already guessed it was me instead of Marco.”

  “Why the charade?”

  “I’m just a shuttle. The population needed Marco back. They needed an AI that they believed was super intelligent, someone to feel good about. To me it was just a different voice.”

  “You did good,” Annie said. “I don’t think anyone knew otherwise. I’m glad you gave them that. What about the other Sadie? Is she okay.”

  “Oh, sure. I actually moved into the new planetary AI in the pit. It’s a bit safer. After that, I was just using the shuttle as an extension.”

  “I didn’t know you could do that.”

  “It’s easy,” Sadie said. “Millie will never know.”

  “Be nice to her. She’ll be sad for a while now that I’m gone.”

  “I will. But she’ll find a new friend. People like Millie aren’t loners.”

  Annie sighed. “I hope everyone does okay. I’m a bit worried. What if that Bakkui comes back?”

  “That’s one reason I left a copy of me behind. We need to keep an eye on that system. New Hope will be ready if the Bakkui show up again. In the meantime, we can let Moonbase know. And Solomon will start sending drone updates in the next few days.”

  “That’s good. Keep me informed. I already miss everyone, but it’s good that we’re headed back. I really want to see Luke again. I hope we can make up.”

  “Don’t worry about that part,” Sadie said reassuringly. “I have an idea that will put him the palm of your hand. Guys are suckers when it comes to women. That’s true all through the galaxy.”

  Day 649—Arriving J64 (Jigu)

  George’s voice interrupted the low hum of activity on the bridge of the Ambrosia-class warship. “Commander, we are entering the Jigu star system. Receiving updates from the planet.”

  “Status?” Luke asked.

  “Ambassador Robertson is stalling until your arrival. It appears that General Hwangje has intimidated the local government with simple bullying tactics. He carries a sword that he uses in a rather Philistine manner to frighten, but not injure, members of the local council.”

  “A sword? We’re using gravity weapons to stave off an alien invasion and some dickhead is holding us back with a sword?”

  “It is reported to be a very large sword, Commander.”

  “Right. Just get me down to the planet as quick as you can. I’ll be in engineering.”

  # # #

  Luke watched the capital city of Jigu grow in the window as they descended toward the planet. He liked the warship’s front aperture, which was wider and clearer than the view screens on Lulubelle.

  “The local airstrip does not lend itself to accommodating a ship of this size, Commander,” George told him. “They are requesting that we land at the edge of town. It is quite far from our original encampment where Ambassador Robertson still operates.”

  “That’s fine. Take it down a little slow. I’d like to get a look at the area.”

  “Acknowledged.”

  It was a beautiful city. Instead of a skyscraper-packed landscape, the location was more like a theme park. Clusters of buildings were surrounded by lush green space and water features. The downtown was spread out over a larger area than a comparable city on Earth. Luke wondered how they managed to keep the infrastructure running. Maybe that was one of the benefits of living in a society without violence. You could spend your resources on quality of life.

  But then again, it made you vulnerable to some idiot with a twelfth-century pig-sticker. It was a mistake not leaving a military contingent with Tyler, Luke thought, growing angry once again. But everyone on the planet was so damned lovey-dovey that it hadn’t occurred to him.

  By the time George landed, Luke was fuming.

  When he stepped out of the warship, he saw a face he recognized but could not put a name to. It was one of the crew members he had left behind.

  “Who is that, George?” he asked.

  “That is Joslyn Fischer. She is the youngest member of the Ambassador’s staff.”

  “Where is Tyler?”

  “Ambassador Robertson is waiting for you in attendance with General Hwangje in the city center’s pavilion.”

  “So I take it by sending the youngest female member,
this is some sort of insult?”

  “That is a reasonable assumption. I surmise that the general is not impressed with the local culture of pacifism.”

  “At the moment, neither am I.”

  Miss Fischer curtsied sweetly as Luke approached. “Welcome, Commander. I’m really glad you’re here.” Her frightened features belied her greeting.

  “Is someone watching us, Joslyn?” Luke asked.

  “Yes, sir. I’ve been instructed to act ‘appropriately’ and take you to the general. Please be careful of him, Commander. I think he has something planned. He’s been waiting for you to arrive.”

  “Just relax, Joslyn. I’m sure we can come to an agreement of some kind.”

  Her face indicated otherwise. She was so obviously terrified that Luke made no attempt to convince her.

  “After you, Joslyn.” Luke gestured toward the city.

  “I can’t. I have to walk behind you.”

  Luke rolled his eyes. “Okay, which way are we going?”

  She nodded toward the city. “It’s that way, about two miles.”

  “We’re supposed to walk?”

  “Sorry, sir.”

  Luke felt a macabre humor at the situation. The general wanted to make sure that Luke knew who was boss. So be it, he decided. He set off at a leisurely pace across the field and reached back to take Joslyn by the hand.

  “You don’t need to walk behind me,” he told her. She pulled against him for a moment and then subsided. Once she was at his side he released her hand. “Just stick next to me. At least until we reach the general.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  After an hour’s stroll, Luke approached the pavilion. It looked quite different from the last time. The serviceable canvas had been replaced with ugly red drapery. A rough-looking guard stood near the entrance. He strode forward to meet Luke and bar the way.

  “Identify yourself,” the man exclaimed.

  Luke saw the flab around the guard’s midsection. He suspected that, like most bullies, the guard’s reflexes were not what they once were. On the other hand, Luke’s implant-enhanced physique was better than ever.

  Luke’s fist shot out and landed a right cross to the guard’s jaw. The man never saw it coming and dropped like a stone. Luke stepped over his inert form and continued toward the entrance.