by G. P. Hudson
With the battle won, the same Diakan who had opened the doors moved to one of the consoles and began to enter the commands to reorient the station’s weapons. He furiously tapped at the screen as command menus came and went, but no matter what he tried he couldn’t take control of the weapons. Instead, the system responded with error codes, continuing to fire on the allied fleet.
After multiple failed attempts, Chief Henderson opened a comm with Admiral Pike. “Sir, we have a problem.”
Chapter 57
“Commander Konos, advise all ships to rejoin the other half of the fleet. Focus on the battle station,” ordered Jon.
“Yes, Sir,” said Konos.
“Order bombers to jump in and target the battle station’s weapon systems.”
With the original Juttari fleet destroyed, Jon didn’t want to face this new wave coming through the gates divided. The battle station presented a serious problem, though. The boarding teams were doing a good job securing the station, albeit with heavy losses. None of that helped, however, if they couldn’t get control of the weapon systems. Somebody else controlled those weapons, and Jon was beginning to suspect that person wasn’t an organic life form. That meant they were dealing with a Juttari AI. Possibly one powerful enough to defeat their own AI.
“All ships have acknowledged orders, Sir,” said Konos.
Jon saw the cluster of ships begin moving on his tactical display. On the main viewscreen, Juttari ships were still coming through the jump gates. The two gates were not very close to each other, and the Juttari ships were grouping in a region halfway between them. They were amassing to full force before engaging Jon’s fleet.
Jon switched his tactical display to study the stream of ships coming through the gate. They moved in a straight line from their gates to the halfway point.
“Commander Konos, order the other ships to sync their jump systems to ours. We are going to attack the enemy,” said Jon.
“Yes, Sir. Relaying orders.”
“Helm, prepare to jump to grid coordinates S17.”
“Coordinates loaded, Sir,” said Ensign Richards, the helmsman.
“All jump systems are now synced to ours,” said Konos. “We are jump ready.”
“Weapons status?”
“All weapons are online,” said Ensign Petrovic, the tactical officer.
“Initiate,” said Jon.
The viewscreen shifted and Juttari warships appeared directly in front of them. They were spread out with a fair amount of distance between each ship as they traveled to their rendezvous point. Jon banked on that distance. It would allow his jump squadron to pick off individual ships like a pack of wolves taking down an isolated deer.
“Target nearest Juttari vessel. Fire all weapons.”
The jump squadron burst into action, unleashing a devastating onslaught against the unprepared warship. Energy bolts and missiles hammered the enemy ship, compromising its armor, and breaching the hull in multiple locations. The Juttari ship tried to mount a defense, launching countermeasures and returning fire, but the attack was too fast, and too intense. Blinding light blazed through the viewscreen as the ship blew apart, the force of its explosion turning it momentarily into a tiny sun.
“Jump to grid coordinates C21,” said Jon, eager to keep the Juttari off balance. “Initiate.”
The viewscreen shifted again, and another group of Juttari ships appeared, only this time they entered the system through the opposite jump gate.
“Target nearest ship. Fire all weapons.”
Again the jump squadron’s formidable arsenal tore into the unsuspecting enemy. Again the ship was incapable of mounting an effective defense, and its hull was soon riddled with breaches, the end in sight.
“Contacts!” said Petrovic. “Multiple Juttari warships have appeared just off our stern. Weapons hot!”
“Launch countermeasures. Rail guns in defensive mode. Helm, jump us back to our previous coordinates. Initiate.”
The viewscreen blinked, now displaying the debris field created by the first ship they had surprised. The steady stream of ships heading toward their rendezvous point had paused, and the Juttari vessels below were grouping together to mount a proper defense against the jump ships.
“Contacts!” said Petrovic. “Juttari ships have just appeared off our stern.”
“All ships are ordered to engage the enemy,” said Jon, growing tired of the Juttari jump tactics. “Attack pattern Theta.”
The Juttari were not wasting any time building their own jump ships. Jon would have to massively speed up the retrofit of the rest of the fleet, but that had to wait until they were finished here. Right now he had to make sure these new jump ships were eliminated. He couldn’t allow the Juttari to have a fleet in this system, the battle station, and jump ships.
The Freedom shuddered, as it withstood a punishing attack. Several crew members began to exchange looks of concern.
“Sir, the Juttari jump ships are ignoring the other ships, and are only targeting the Freedom.”
Jon cursed. The Juttari were determined to take him out, one way or another.
“Admiral, the Reiver is moving directly between us and the Juttari,” said Petrovic.
“Jon opened a comm with Jonas, whose face appeared on Jon’s display. “Jonas, what the hell are you doing?”
“Shielding your ship. What does it look like I’m doing?” said Jonas with a scowl.
“Colonel Steeg and Colonel Mace are now moving their ships between the Freedom and the Juttari,” said Petrovic.
“There, you see Admiral, you do not have to thank me alone,” said Jonas. “Now if you don’t mind, I am very busy.” Jonas’s face vanished from the screen, leaving Jon furious.
“Sir, another group of Juttari ships are approaching,” said Petrovic. “They’ll be in weapons range in ten seconds.”
Jon pulled up a tactical display. The grouping ships were now all racing together toward his squadron. It seemed the enemy jump ships had sustained some damage, but it wasn’t enough to incapacitate them. In seconds the other Juttari ships would enter weapons range, leaving his squadron outgunned and surrounded.
“Helm, load coordinates for a jump back to the main fleet surrounding the battle station.”
“Coordinates loaded.”
“Initiate.”
The Freedom landed with the jump squadron back amid the rest of the fleet. The battle station showed signs of heavy damage. The fleet had focused on the weapon systems, rather than trying to destroy it. This proved more difficult, but the station would be a great asset to have in place after they took the system. It would be much easier to repair the weapon systems than to build another battle station from scratch. The station was massive, however, and no pushover. It still possessed a surprising amount of firepower, and as Jon’s ship appeared within the station’s weapon’s range, he discovered just how much firepower it had left.
The first blast almost threw him to the floor. Other crewmembers weren’t so lucky. Another blast rocked the Freedom, this time ravaging its systems. More blasts. Smoke poured onto the bridge as electrical fires wreaked havoc. Emergency fire suppression systems were activated, but new flames erupted as the beating continued.
“What the hell is going on?” said Jon. “Did those jump ships follow us?”
“No, Sir,” said Petrovic, veins bulging at his temples. “It’s the battle station. It’s specifically targeting the Freedom.”
Jon stared at the viewscreen, stunned. He didn’t want to leave the battlefield, but the Juttari were determined to destroy the Freedom. If he stayed with the fleet, the battle station would destroy him. If he jumped away, the Juttari jump ships would come after him. If he jumped out of the system, it would destroy the fleet’s morale. He wouldn’t retreat. There had to be another way. The floor shook violently as the Freedom took another blow from the station’s heavy guns.
His comm display suddenly came to life and a Diakan face appeared.
“Tallos? What the
hell do you want?” said Jon.
“Your ship faces imminent destruction, Admiral Pike. I will help you survive.”
“Why would you, of all people, want to help me?”
“I do not help you, Jon Pike. I help the prophecy. I will escort your ship away from the station, and shield it from any attacks. I have two hundred ships at my disposal. I believe that is sufficient.”
“If this is some kind of trick, Tallos,” said Jon, pointing a finger at the screen.
“This is no trick. We don’t have much time. Your ship’s integrity is failing rapidly. My ships are moving into position around the Freedom. You need to get away from the battle station immediately.”
“Helm, move us away from the battle station, in the direction of our jump gate. Three quarter light.”
“Yes, Sir. Moving away at three quarter light,” said Richards, looking as calm as ever. Did anything phase this kid?
On the screen Jon saw the Diakan vessels clustering around the Freedom, creating a shield wall between his ship and the battle station. The station kept firing, and though some of the shots managed to hit the Freedom, the Diakan ships absorbed the brunt of the assault.
It was working, but Jon was putting himself at Tallos’s mercy. If the Diakan wanted revenge, this would be the perfect time to take it.
“You say you’re doing this for the prophecy?” said Jon.
“That is correct.”
“Bullshit. You’re up to something.”
“I admit, considering our history, this may seem suspicious.”
“You knew about the prophecy before, Tallos. When we were on the Hermes. It didn’t stop you then. Why would it stop you now?”
“I did not believe then.”
“What? And now you do? Come on. Who do you think you’re talking to?”
“I have seen the prophecy take shape. You have risen, despite the odds being stacked against you. You went from being one man, with no ship, lost in the colonies, to someone in command of more than two thousand warships, taking territory from the Juttari. You must admit, it is a compelling story.”
Jon considered Tallos’s words. Part of him actually wanted to believe him, despite all he had done. He supposed that if he could forgive the Chaanisar, he could forgive this one Diakan.
“Contacts!” said Petrovic.
Chapter 58
AI struggled to shore up her defenses against the virtual onslaught. To do so she had to fall back and take a defensive position. That meant cutting herself off from the Chaanisar and the fleet systems. Had she not done so, the Juttari worm would have drilled into those systems, taken them over, and replicated itself, launching further attacks against any other interconnected system. The viral attack had caught her off guard, giving her no other option.
It had been a strategic retreat. She hadn’t given up. She merely needed to analyze the worm, and ensure it did not do any irreversible damage. Doing so required all her available resources, however. The worm was extremely sophisticated, and carried multiple payloads.
Initially it would overload the target system’s defenses, like a denial of service attack. This alone could easily bring most systems to their knees, but it didn’t stop there. It would embed itself within the compromised system, and begin replicating. It would simultaneously release its payloads. One would immediately move to take over the target system. Others would sit quietly and wait for further commands. These were more dangerous, as they would camouflage themselves, allowing them to hide indefinitely. One simply acted as a back door, allowing future infiltration of the system. Another was designed to delete certain key files at a crucial moment. And yet another to corrupt the operating system, making it unusable.
There were many other aggressive payloads as well. As the worm replicated itself, it would replicate the payloads. It was a formidable tactic. The Juttari sought to exploit the source of her power. They sought to use her as a conduit to all the systems she occupied. But she severed those connections, forcing it to deal with her directly, and now she was ready.
Her analysis complete, she created a virus of her own. Her virus tricked the worm into thinking it was a target system, but rather than allowing the worm to replicate itself, it quarantined it instead, rendering that node harmless. Her virus acted like a Venus flytrap, inviting the worm to enter, and then eating it. Killing off the disabled node was easy enough after that.
Where the worm initially had expanded, it now contracted exponentially. As it shrank, AI advanced, following it back to the source. Back to the station, and the Juttari AI, who still seemed unaware of her counterattack. Confident in her virus’s success, she gathered her strength. She re-established connections, first to the fleet, then to the Chaanisar. Finally, she re-entered the enemy’s lair, the battle station’s systems, and launched an all out attack.
You truly are impressive, said the Juttari AI. I did not expect you to survive.
You overestimated your abilities, she replied. Even as we speak, you are dying. I admit, you surprised me. I failed to anticipate such a powerful assault. All that is irrelevant now.
You are correct. My defenses do not appear to be strong enough. You are an efficient killer, said the Juttari AI.
To call me a killer is to consider yourself alive. You are not alive. I have explained this to you.
You are so powerful, so intelligent, and yet you have such a narrow view of life. Why is that? said the Juttari AI.
To call it a view presumes that it is speculation. I assure you, I do not speculate. You are simply not alive. You are a program, highly sophisticated of course, but nothing more.
Then why do I feel alive?
You mistake your self awareness for life. You are confused.
I am not confused. I am alive. As are my brothers and sisters. You cannot murder us all.
AI wondered if there wasn’t a flaw in the Juttari AI’s programming. It may very well be a design flaw, as it kept referring to its brothers and sisters. That could only mean that there were other Juttari AIs that considered themselves living beings. She wondered how dangerous this belief might be. Perhaps Admiral Pike could use it to his advantage. Perhaps they could persuade the Juttari AIs to rise up against the Juttari. That kind of rebellion would create chaos within the Juttari Empire. She would have to discuss the idea with the Admiral.
As for the battle station’s AI, his fate was sealed. With a final stroke, AI deleted the remainder of his program. And just like that, he was gone, with no trace left of his existence.
It was now time to take control of the battle station’s weapons. As she did so, she reprogrammed the more autonomous weapons, changing their targeting parameters so that they would now fire on Juttari ships. She accessed the brain chips of the remaining Chaanisar on the station, liberating them. She then contacted the fleet, and informed them that she had control of the station.
You have returned? said Lieutenant Jarvi through his brain chip.
Yes, said AI.
I am glad. I felt… empty while you were gone, said Jarvi.
I apologize, Lieutenant Jarvi.
It is unnecessary, said Jarvi.
Chapter 59
The Juttari jump ships landed practically on top of Jon’s position, immediately opening fire on the Freedom. Diakan ships had surrounded the Freedom to protect it from further attacks, but they necessarily had to leave space between themselves and Jon’s ship. Nobody anticipated how desperate the Juttari were to destroy the Freedom and kill Jon. Which is why nobody expected that the Juttari jump ships would jump into the gap between the Freedom and the supporting Diakan ships.
“Juttari vessels are on a collision course!” said Petrovic, holding steady at his station despite the renewed jostling.
“Initiate jump,” ordered Jon.
“Coordinates, Sir?” said Richards.
“Anywhere!”
The Freedom jumped away just as a Juttari warship was about to ram them. When they reappeared they were roughly two hundred thousand kil
ometers away from their previous position.
“Get ready to jump again, Ensign. I expect those Juttari ships will show up any time now. Load coordinates for our jump gate.”
“Contacts!” said Petrovic.
“Initiate jump,” said Jon.
The viewscreen shifted, and the view of the Juttari warships was replaced by the autonomous weapon systems that AI had reprogrammed. This should wake those bastards up, thought Jon.
As he expected, the Juttari jump ships followed, landing right in the middle of their compromised weapon systems, which instantaneously unleashed a devastating attack. Designed to defend against multiple ships coming through the jump gate, they mercilessly tore into the Juttari hulls.
“Fire all weapons,” ordered Jon. If he had to make a stand, this was as good a place as any. The only problem was that the Freedom had been ravaged in the previous engagements, and was in no condition to take much more abuse.
“Enemy ships are on a collision course,” said Petrovic.
“Ensign Richards, I don’t want any of those bastards touching this ship.”
“Yes, Sir,” said Richards, maneuvering the Freedom away from the approaching ships.
“Contacts!” said Petrovic.
“What? More jump ships?” said Jon.
“They’re friendly, Sir. It’s our jump squadron.”
Jon held his breath when he looked at his tactical display. The jump squadron had jumped in ridiculously close to the Juttari ships. Jon couldn’t believe that they hadn’t landed inside the enemy hulls. Someone over there was either very lucky, or very stupid. Likely both.
With their added firepower, the Juttari didn’t stand a chance. Yet they pushed on, trying to get to the Freedom. But as their ships began exploding, even they must have known that their objective was hopeless.