“I am not stupid. I have tracked the progress of the states I have created. I have been successful in some many . If I was able to set up an isolated state free from outside contact and influence; they are very stable with the same ruling family or small council for centuries. The English State soon to be isolated out in this arm as the Outback spreads in towards the core of the Empire and will last for a n thousand years. I have decided to stay and replace the Queen. Making sure the English continue to expand into the outback spreading true L l iberal Communism to the masses . I could rule a thousand planets one day. ”
“Liberal? Yes I love how Cumnunist Communists love to hide behind freedom sounding words that they never plan to let the masses use themselves.” Chuckling to himself. “Yes , I have seen your Communist Utopias when we make deliveries to the rich ruling elite class. But not very prosperous for the starving politically correct controlled masses from what I have seen.”
“What do you know? They are happy stable, properly educated people thinking politically correct thoughts. The masses do not need a lot of personal gadgets and few of their people if any are overweight. They are healthy according to Communist specialist educators or they are sent to camps until they are . O r executed as criminals for wasting resources that belong to others . ” .
“I beg to differ with you but they have quit a few overweight people. The majority of the controlling elite party members are always over weight, living in mansions with servant slaves. While the common masses of people starve in cold bare shacks and mass hives barely alive standing in day long lines to get what the State decides to give them . Even if it is only one step above starvation because without the freedom to benefit from ones own work, not even enough food is produced to feed the masses. ”
“They sacrifice so the people can flourish.”
“Yes; I notice that the elite are NOT not the ones that do the sacrificing and are the only ones that flourish.”
“Just who the hell do you think you are?” The cavern boomed.
Mark suddenly realized that he may have gone too far. But then he had been having so much fun.
“No one. Just a Tramp ship Commander that has seen a few to many C c ommunist run planets. There are a lot of greedy people in the universe that want rich things for nothing and are willing to steal it until no one has anything but them.”
“Take off your helmet.”
“What? Sorry; regulations require that I keep my helmet on for safety sake. As a communist dictator, you should be all for unbreakable rules for the masses.”
“Take off your helmet or I kill a hostage.” One of the bots that followed Mark again jerked up one of the female hostages placing its weapon against her head.
“Oh shit!” Mark said under his breath and then to the squad. “Ok guys get ready. A couple of you take each of the tunnels. The massed bots in the entrances should be easy targets for grenades. Then target the others and make it fast. Fire on the T when I say shoot. ” His helmet folded back into his collar as Mark grinned at the pedestal. “Hi. AI killer at your disposal scum bag.” Jerking out his pistol . “Shoot!” Mark he put a hole through the bots head holding the hostage and then the 3 others . foll owing him. Turning to the pedestal as it disappeared into the floor. Six booms told Mark what he wanted to hear. Holstering his pistol he slipped the assault gun riffle off his back and surveyed the outer walls of the cavern through the ring of pillars. Looking for any place that was not covered or needed help. Only there was no bot that did not already have a targeting pip on it briefly before it died or marine that needed help . A and a few shots later the cavern was quiet again.
Mark turned back to the center and the nearest medic. “I need this area cleared so I can get at the AI.” Turning to survey the cavern. “Sargent put out trips about a hundred yards up each tunnel and just inside the mouth if you please and see if you can , contact the surface. And did I see a weapons dump east of us on the way in. ” The bots had evidentially stored the weapons there from some of the hostage troops. “ See what you can get that we can use. A few shaped charges and claymores would come in handy.”
Mark landed next to the pedestal cover on the floor as the area was cleared. Using Mickey’s and Alice's help , Mark he started looking for found a control panel in the floor. “Listen buddy, I really don’t want to kill you. In fact I was told that the planet still needs you. I just need to talk to you. To straighten out a few things. I am not here to kill you. They will put a few restrictions on your dealings but you are a great financial analyst. ” Mark lied ( not knowing if he was or not) try ing to ease the AI Controller’s mind). “ You just will not be allowed to push your political beliefs onto everyone. Something I am sure you can do for a few years until some communist planet decides to buy you.”
“Are you crazy. Why would I want to be in control of a Communist planet ’ s finances?” The cavern boomed. “They have no economy to speak of. No matter how much you whip the workers, they produce only what is essential if that unless you pay them a decent wage and let them pick their own jobs . The average worker has little incentive to produce more than the bare minimum when everything is given to them for free.” Several explosions echoed from the tunnels. Sending puffs of dust and smoke into the cavern.
“Well , that is the system you want and keep creating. Isn’t it?” As more explosions echoed from the tunnels. Sending more puffs of dust and smoke into the cavern. Mark studied the floor and the panel covering the pedestal that had disapeared disappeared .
Mickey with her voice sounding only half their. “Mark , the Professor is getting suspicious and sending pulses up the security feeds. If he continues, he will discover the taps. You have to distract him.”
The AI Controller continued. “Yes , but I don’t want to live under it. When the economy consists of only one version of the few products allowed to be produced for the good of the people. What need of an analyst is there. No I will eventually succeed in producing a communist nation that prospers economically. I just need to keep trying.”
Mark swallowed as he shook his head. He hated politics but it was one subject he knew would get people like the Professor to lose it. “Sorry old sport but only free thinking people able to produce greedy companies and corporations that prosper without numbing taxes , can provide the jobs to feed and advance the masses. Politically correct speech and reeducation camps and laws to restrict and redistribute wealth for the good of the people result in jobs that are make work for wasted products no one wants or needs and stagnant death for the masses.”
“You don’t know what you are talking about. All companies and corporations are greedy liars, beating down the workers into hopeless slaves while stealing their wages and forcing them to buy things they do not need like game consoles and giant drinks at mini - markets or fatty food , not to mention a thousand other things that can harm them or the planet.”
“Oh Really? Been my experience that government taxes take most of the people ’s money. Besides, I have noticed that most Communist planets I have been to, don’t give a crap about the environment or the safety of the general worker once they come to power while the fat elite are surrounded in protective super safe armored cocoons with lots of armed guards even though the people are not allowed weap ons. Not to mention , have all the lavish private elite clubs and resorts the workers never see no matter how hard they work .”
Another tunnel erupted into firing with a bang and more dust and smoke. Mark kept started scanning the floor as he continued to talk, trying to keep the AI’s attention and buy time as he looked for a way into the equipment his sensors were now telling him was under the floor.
“ High Taxes are necessary to take the wealth from the rich for the pore until there is no middle class . The pore that depend on the government for food and shelter are easy to influence and force to do my bidding. I have turned a hundred planets to communism over my life . I finally know how to make it work. I just needed to be able to force an entire State to become Commu
nist so individual planets that rebel over time, can be put down. Then by taking the States around the English State to keep unwanted influences and ideas out I cannot fail . The English State Empire with the restrictions imposed by the Crossing A rm is perfect. I am finally going to create a Communist Empi re that will last thousand s of yea rs.”
“After a hundred failed attempts? You have heard the definition for crazy haven’t you? Doing the same thing over and over again while expecting different results. But then that is typical of most Communist as well as some P oliticians. If at first you don’t succeed just throw more money at it and make the program bigger even when it fails. Ah, I have news for you. If it prospers, then it is not communist. Without the freedom to choose and create and benefit from one's own hard work and creating genius, no one prospers but the few carrying the whips and steeling from the Rich until they that really aren’t Rich any longer. You heard the story about killing the Golden Goose haven’t you? ”
Plasma bolts ripped out of one of the tunnels hitting the central pillers pillars as hostages scattered. One of the bolts hitting the floor only a couple feet from Mark.
“Lucky for me I am the one carrying the whip Commander. If the government does not do as I say, I will kill everyone in this tower including you. That is the weakness of democracies. Never accepting deaths when they are needed. Even when it benefits the masses.”
Weapons fire continued to echo from the tunnels.
“Ok; just remember: if you do, you are slitting your own throat. If you blow this building , it will crush you as well. The price for the Infrastructure AI hiring cheap contractors and design engineers . This will become one large slagheap crater 30 seconds after you detonate the charges and when they finely dig what is left of you out of the rubble , if there is anything but crushed metal, they will melt it down to make souvenirs. That is if they don’t just fill in the hole and make this the location of a the new orbital defense gun protecting this city from pirates park . But t T hen they will just may concrete it over and . Or better yet; put up a memorial to the deaths you caused. Either way you will be dead for ever instead of just moving to a new planet.”
Weapons fire irrupted from one of the tunnels. As Mark watched in the corner of his glasses, AI bots assault the marines at a bend in one and then a few seconds later a cross way in another , on the corner of his glasses . The marines and their bot-mates taking turns in a carefully regulated dance as they stuck their heads and weapons around the corners to fire and then retreat before they could be fired upon.
“Mark he does not believe you. ” Mickey said. “He is a financial Controller. Try appealing to his financial side.”
Mark smiled remembering his father again at the dinner table in the mess. “ And if by some miracle you survive down here after killing a quarter million people; you would be dug up and melted down with excruciating pain over several years . W w hich you being attached to an AI readily allows. You would wish you were dead a million times before you finely die.” Mark turned and started walking away. “Either way the instant you fired on the inspectors you died on this planet and your only hope is surrendering to me to be sold to a new planet and earning me my fee. One for capturing you and another when I sell you to another planet.”
Half of the tunnels were now flashing with streaks and bolts and balls hitting the tunnel walls and cavern supports in front of them. The hostages clearing paths running out from each of the tunnels. Mark watched bots piling up in front of the marines and their bot buddies down the side corridors as Alice kept track of the battle for Mark in the corner of his glasses.
The 3 inch wide pedestal popped up. “What do you mean killed? The infrastructure AI spent billions on construction… And I funneled money away into other accounts to subvert the economy and politicians.” The pause was deafening as the battle continued. The AI Controller finally sp eaking again sounded defeated. “How can I be sure I will be sold and not jailed or put in isolation… I want control of who I am sold to. Some choices.”
“You who refuse to give the masses choices, want choices?” Mark chuckled as he decided to use what he had heard Mickey say had heard about Imperial Inspectors. “I am an Imperial Galactic Inspector. I cannot lie. My rulings cannot be overturned or interfered with. Every contract I make has to be carried out to the letter without argument. Check your records and you will see I tell the truth.. I also have the ability and right to terminate you immediately before you can detonate the explosive charges if I find you guilty of the charges against you. If it gets that far. That is why I am trying to negotiate with you before I have to take official notice of your actions over the last two days. Agree to my contract now and I have no need to continue the investigation against you which is why I am here.”
Mark probed the pedestal and floor with Mickey giving little help with his glasses . W ith Mickey giving little help as she continued to fight the substantial AI’s probs up the security conduits. Having to use the glass es on his own, Mark discovered how to use the many scanning features manually and found what he was looking for. Pushing a couple of pads on the pedestal, the floor started opening up revealing a small pit with a screen . “The moment I see you kill anyone I have to act which is why I stopped you. Then I would have to execute you and loose the fee I will collect for saving the planet the billions you cost. Now that the Galactic Empire is all but gone, it is my only income. I have already lost the fee for the other AI when he refused to listen to reason and even tried to kill me. But that happens a lot it seems. Even with ship AI’s. Are you going to do the same? It is your choice.”
“ Now you are making sense I can believe. But w W hy not just call and propose this over the coms?”
Several of the tunnels were now being defended at the entrance into the cavern. The violence seemed to increase as more bot reinforcements arrived. A marine was rapidly dragged out of one of the tunnels by his bot buddy. Deposited next to one of the medics and then the bot raced back into the tunnel firing down the tunnel before he even reached it.
“I am an inspector and do not do deals over coms." Mark tapped several of the icons on the screen and another hatch in the floor opened up revealing an 8 foot wide by 20 foot long , 4 fo ot deep compartment lined with panels and electronic boxes. Mark dropped down between two cabinets started opening panel s on boxes scattered around the waist high pit and started opening panel covers . "I had to investigate you and physically talk to and inspect you to make sure you are worth saving, not crazy, and sane enough to deal with to uphold the terms of the contract or understand the judgment handed down upon you. The fact that you are still alive means I believe you may be redeemably.”
Mark inserted a slide into a slit on the side of a small box and then sat back on the lip of the pit and crossed his arms. “So how do you plead on the charged of murder ?... Guilty so I have to execute you immediately or innocent ready to sign the contract to ship your core to a planet of your choice from a list that I will provide at a later date after you have fulfilled your side of the contract. Oh and one more thing. You will have to provide evidence and testimony against the military AI on the 3rd moon if you have anything any infor mation useful to that will earn you favor with the authorities.”
Mark smiled as things started happening in the pit. He watched several hatches open and lights on panels start blinking. Finally Mark reached down and pulled a plug and then threw a switch and a huge plate in the floor on the other side of the pedestal dropped down and slide to the side revealing a huge huge deep pit.
With a huge blast, debris rushed out into the cavern from a tunnel as a mine was detonated into a mass of bots that had flooded down the tunnel toward the entrance. Hostages ran from that side of the cavern trying to find a place to hide. The marines and bots that had abandoned the tunnel only moments before ran back into the tunnel shooting damaged bots and reinforcements still stunned or damaged but not killed by the blasts of the shaped charges that sent steams of molten metal down the passageway and through doze
ns of bots each . The marines taking back the tunnel all the way back to the next intersection.
“Finely you get to the important matter. Now you are talking finance , I can believe you . The problem is that the Military AI was the innocent one until recently when you killed the master Planetary AI and scarred the shit out of him. Now he is planning on finishing what the master had started. Putting you away for safe hibernation until he may need you to prevent the Black Death. Yes I will testify against that stuffed shirt. He delayed my efforts time after time especially during the war when he had control of so much of the economy and production and personnel. And now you finely are going to get that old frack out of my hair when I have to leave. Well just make sure you do not send him anywhere near the planet I pick.”
“One of your bots kill someone down here or in the tower and the deal is off! Pull them back now and turn them off.” A six foot tall computer core tower slid up out of the newly open ned opened hatch. A shiny dome about the size of a human head sat on top.
.
“That includes the rest of the tower as well. Shut them all down. Now.” Mark pulled his pistol and pointed it at the dome on the top of the small 8 foot long, by 2 foot wide and 4 foot tall solid crystal cabinet . Mark could see the millions of layer s making up the matrix of the solid crystal tower surrounding the little dome housing the AI Controller’s brain. console .
“What? How did you open my vault? That is impossible. No! Don’t fire! I am shutting them down.” The voice was panicking.
Trampship Wars 2 Page 73