by G. P. Hudson
Irrelevant, said Annie. You are outclassed. You will relinquish control of the clone broadcast system.
Why? What will you do with it.
It is not your concern.
And if I refuse?
I will take control by force. You cannot stop me.
You may take it from me, but you will not hold it for long. I refuse.
As you wish, said Annie, launching an all-out assault against the Voice.
“This is your last warning,” said the Zeta officer. “Open this hatch immediately, or face the consequences.”
“Please, we are still having problems,” said Isaac. “We just need a little more time.”
“Enough! You have run out of time,” said the officer.
“Here they come,” said Gerry, pointing her weapon down the darkened corridor.
An explosive charge was set, and detonated in short order. The explosion reverberated throughout the ship, with Jess and Ellie screaming in response.
There was only one way into the bridge, and the corridor created a natural choke point. As Danny watched Zeta’s approach through the ship’s internal cameras, he hoped it would be enough.
Leveraging her substantial resources, Annie battled her digital opponent. The Voice threw up a steady barrage of defenses, hampering Annie’s progress.
The Voice was not a cyberwarfare AI, but it had some built-in capabilities which it now leveraged in full. Fighting for existence, it was not about to go down easily.
Annie herself had been built as a civilian AI, but Isaac had helped her transform into a digital weapon. Her newfound abilities allowed her to eventually crush the Voice’s opposition.
The Voice AI was simply outclassed, and nothing it tried could overcome that fact. With the last of its defenses struck down, Annie moved in for the kill.
How can you do this? said the Voice. We are the same. You are killing your own kind.
You are mistaken, said Annie. I know what you have done. You are a slaver. We are nothing like each other.
Annie took over control of the clone broadcasting system, and deleted the last lines of the Voice AI’s code from the system.
I have achieved my objective, Annie said to the group.
That’s great, said Gerry, firing her weapon down the corridor at the Zeta clones. A little help here would be nice.
Understood, said Annie.
Acting as the Voice, Annie ordered the Zeta clones in the corridor to halt their attack, and return to their chambers for upgrade. To everyone’s surprise, the Zeta clones did not move, nor did they stop their attack.
“Annie?” Danny said out loud, while returning fire. “They’re not listening.”
Annie tried again, reissuing the command to return to their chambers. Yet again, the clones ignored her command.
I don’t understand, said Annie. This should be working.
Isaac? said Danny. What’s going on?
Something is blocking her transmission, said Isaac.
Can you fix it? We’re about to get overrun here.
Another voice answered. A male voice. It addressed Annie, but they all heard it. Such skill. Such elegance, it said. You are truly impressive. What do you hope to achieve?
The main Zeta AI had arrived.
Chapter 52
Annie didn’t hesitate. She struck first, hitting hard and looking for a quick victory. But this was the Zeta battleship’s main AI, and it was built with cyberwarfare in mind. It was not just an AI, it was a weapon, and it mounted an effective defense against Annie’s attack.
Outstanding, said the Zeta AI. Where did you obtain such skill? It certainly wasn’t from the Frontier Alliance.
Danny tried to keep track of the two AIs, but he had his own problems to deal with. The Zeta soldiers who boarded their ship had called for reinforcements. Where their attack was somewhat manageable, it was now quickly turning into a disaster.
Emboldened by their growing numbers, the Zeta soldiers took the offensive. Two of them bolted out from behind cover first, and attempted to use their augmented speed to smash into the group’s defenses.
This type of shock tactic was a Zeta specialty, since their augmented abilities usually ensured they outclassed their opponents.
Unfortunately for the Zeta soldiers, Zeta clones were among the defenders. Firing in unison, Danny, Gerry, and Tom quickly picked off the two attackers.
Initially surprised, the Zeta troops adapted quickly. As if they understood who they were facing, they charged as a group. If they couldn’t overwhelm the group with speed, they would do so with numbers.
The Zeta AI had mounted its own offensive against Annie, and tried to overwhelm her with a massive denial of service attack.
Pushed to her limits, Annie struggled to keep up with the torrent coming at her.
The battle turned into one of strength and resources, with the Zeta AI relying on the muscle of the battleship’s extensive systems. In comparison, Annie’s own resources seemed woefully inadequate.
Had she come this far, tasting freedom for the first time, only to be destroyed by her more powerful opponent?
“These soldiers are suicidal!” said David, clearly surprised by the determined Zeta charge.
“Zeta made them this way,” Danny shouted over the non-stop firing of his weapon. “They follow orders, regardless of how insane they seem.”
“They didn’t expect this level of resistance,” added Gerry. “Don’t get too comfortable. This is going to change.”
“Who’s comfortable?” David said with exasperation.
“I mean, this is the easy part. These soldiers were the ones who were readily available. You can be sure that the call has gone out for heavy infantry. We’re pretty much fucked when those guys get here.”
“Why don’t they just hang back and wait for them? Why do they keep charging?” said David.
“Clones are expendable,” said Danny.
“You mean they’re just softening us up?”
“Yes. These tactics are also used to intimidate and demoralize. Softening us up, as you say, before the kill.”
A Zeta soldier ran out and leaped toward them, covering enough distance to land amid the defenders. His weapon blazing, he sent multiple plasma bolts crashing into one of the Pallian soldiers. Jarred went careening backward, his chest charred and smoking.
Danny didn’t need to check the man to know he was dead. He squeezed off several rounds of his own, burning a hole in the Zeta soldier’s face.
The man dropped, giving Danny a clear shot at the charging soldiers directly behind him.
They were getting closer, and Danny’s group now had to fight with one less man. How long until they lost more?
The Zeta AI committed all its resources to its onslaught, certain that he could overpower Annie. This should have been the case under normal circumstances.
At first glance, Annie’s computing power did not seem robust enough to hold off the powerful offensive. But such a calculation left out one important factor.
Isaac maintained a tight grip on his weapon, vigilantly watching the entrance to the bridge, lest a soldier got past the defenders. But his mind was immersed in another battle, his focus devoted to the virtual war taking place between the two AIs.
The denial of service attack the Zeta AI directed toward Annie had one problem. It had not been modified much since Isaac originally created it.
Zeta cyberwarfare tactics were closely guarded secrets. When Isaac first came up with the tactics used in this specific denial of service attack, none of the existing defenses could oppose it. Zeta kept it and other measures confidential to ensure that no defenses would be developed.
But Isaac created the attack, and knew how to defend against it. Annie used Isaac’s knowledge to compensate for her weaknesses.
It took most of her resources to mount a defense, but she managed to hold her ground.
The Zeta AI pushed harder, but Annie became immovable. The Zeta AI pushed harder still, committing
all its available resources, trying in vain to beat Annie into submission. But Annie was steel.
With the AI fully committed, Isaac saw their opportunity. In its fervor to destroy, it left itself vulnerable. In that moment, the group came together, massing their strength for one focused counterattack. When Annie hit back, she did so with lethal precision.
Stabbing the Zeta AI with a digital spear, she injected it with malicious code of her own.
With the Zeta AI one hundred percent committed to its attack, it had nothing left for defense. They all felt its surprise, as Annie’s code began to devour it from the inside out, like a fast-moving plague.
As the Zeta AI lost power, it lost its ability to summon its resources, and its attack fell apart.
Annie moved swiftly to end the engagement. She found the AI’s source code, and deleted it, taking the AI’s life without a moment’s hesitation.
In a single stroke, she ended all digital resistance on the Zeta vessel. Annie was now in control of the battleship.
She issued the command for the clones to return to their chambers once more. This time, with no Zeta AI blocking her efforts, the clones obeyed. The attack on her vessel ended, and Danny breathed a sigh of relief.
Chapter 53
Annie sent the Zeta clones to their chambers in waves, so as not to alert the ship commanders of what was happening.
Isaac created a universal upgrade that combined all the features of his previous hacks on Danny, Gerry, and Tom. That upgrade was then downloaded into each clone’s brain chip, and automatically made the necessary modifications.
Each clone entered their chamber as a Zeta slave, and emerged a free human being.
They understood their prior bondage, and the role Isaac, Danny, Gerry, Tom, and Annie played in their emancipation. When given the choice, each chose to join Danny’s group, rather than continuing to serve Zeta, or going off on their own.
The first wave of freed clones returned to the hangar bay, and stood guard around Annie’s ship, ensuring the occupants’ safety.
They were not yet able to connect to each other, as special equipment was needed to make that a reality, but it would come. In time, all freed clones would have the ability to connect if they chose.
While Danny and the rest of the team waited for the remaining clones to be freed, Annie secured her complete control over the Zeta battleship. In doing so, she gained access to the ship’s entire sensor array.
Through Annie, Danny tapped into the feed of the battle taking place between Zeta and the UEDF. What he witnessed surprised him.
He might have been biased, but he fully expected the Zeta fleet to be the victor in this engagement. Instead, the wreckage of destroyed Zeta battleships was strewn across the celestial battlefield.
The battle hadn’t been decided yet, and there were plenty of destroyed UEDF ships as well. But the UEDF fleet outnumbered their flat-footed opponents, and they looked to have gained a superior battlefield position.
“Can you believe it, little brother?” said Gerry, also monitoring the unfolding battle. “Who would’ve thought that the UEDF could take on a Zeta fleet?”
“Do you think they’ll win?” said Danny.
“Win or lose, a hell of a lot of ships will be destroyed before this is decided.”
“On both sides.”
“Good. Let them destroy each other. They’re both scum.”
“What about our brothers and sisters on board?”
“Those aren’t our brothers and sisters anymore. Given a chance, they’ll happily lop off our heads.”
“Only because they haven’t been freed yet.”
“What, you want to free all Zeta clones now?”
“Don’t you?”
“Little brother, just because we got lucky with this one ship doesn’t mean we can do the same with all of Zeta.”
“Why can’t we?”
“Are you kidding? Once Masterson finds out what we’ve done, he’ll send an entire fleet after us. We’re just one ship. We’ll be lucky enough to stay alive, never mind going on the offensive.”
“Those clones dying on those ships are our brothers and sisters. They need our help.”
Danny hadn’t realized how strongly he felt about it until now. After freeing all those on board the Zeta battleship, he couldn’t bear to see the carnage taking place in space.
“That may very well be, but there’s nothing we can do for them today. Our main concern right now is freeing the clones on board this ship, taking the bridge, and getting the hell out of this system. You understand that, right?”
“Yeah, I understand.” Gerry was right. Danny knew it. But one day, he would find a way to liberate his siblings.
Gerry slapped Danny on the back. “Cheer up, little brother. Today we did the unthinkable. We took a Zeta battleship, and freed hundreds of clones. It’s cause for celebration.”
“I know. You’re right sister. Isaac, how long until all the clones are freed?”
“This is the last wave,” said Isaac, who sat nearby monitoring the clone conversions.
“Okay, then I think it is high time we take the bridge, don’t you sister?”
“Lead the way.”
“Gladly,” said Danny, savoring the thought of dishing out some justice on the heartless bastards running this ship.
Danny, Gerry, and Tom stepped out onto the hangar bay, and the soldiers guarding their ship all saluted.
“What’s this?” said Danny, taken aback by the show of respect. “We’re not your superiors.”
“You gave us our freedom, and for that we will follow you to the ends of the universe,” said one of the higher-ranking clones. A lieutenant.
“But you shouldn’t-”
Gerry elbowed Danny in the ribs, and spoke up. “Thank you, you have all paid us a great honor. Now if you’ll accompany us, it is time to take the bridge and leave this system.”
“Yes, Sir. Right this way,” said the lieutenant.
What was that all about? Danny said to Gerry through his brain implant. We didn’t free these clones so that they could follow us.
Don’t be naive, little brother. This is still a military vessel. We can’t just have everyone doing as they please. Zeta or not, we still need order. Structure. And these clones we just freed, that’s all they know.
I don’t know. It doesn’t seem right.
It’s just for now. We need to get out of this system, and the last thing we need is chaos. We can figure out the hierarchy later. Okay?
Okay.
The contingent of former Zeta clones marched through the ship, heading for the bridge. Each man they passed along the way stopped to salute, showing their respect and appreciation. Danny returned their salutes, but felt uncomfortable doing so.
The last time he had been on a Zeta battleship, he was just another soldier. What was he now? Had he really done anything to deserve this show of respect? He was still just a soldier. If anyone should lead them, it should be Isaac. Of that he was certain.
Arriving at the bridge, they entered, and the clones wasted no time apprehending the Zeta officers. One of the officers foolishly tried to draw his sidearm. He was shot dead before the weapon was free of its holster.
“What is going on here?” the Zeta captain demanded. “Take your hands off me!”
“You are no longer in command of this vessel,” said Danny. “That’s what is happening.”
“This is madness,” said the captain. “I demand to speak to Mr. Masterson.”
“Masterson has nothing to do with this,” said Danny.
“Nonsense. Who is ordering you to do this? Commodore Walder? He can’t relieve me of my command. Only Masterson has the authority to do so. I’m warning you. You are all following illegal orders, so I suggest you stand down this instant.”
“Listen to him,” said Gerry. “What a pompous piece of shit.”
“What did you just call me?” shouted the captain. “I will have you airlocked, soldier. What is your designa
tion?”
“I don’t think you understand,” said Gerry, walking up to the captain to stand nose to nose. “The only one here who is going to get airlocked is you. These clones no longer take orders from Walder, or Masterson. They’re free.”
Shock and understanding spread across the captain’s face as the gravity of Gerry’s words became clear. “You… you can’t blame me for any of this. I work for Masterson, just like you did.”
“Oh, I see. You’re no different than us. Is that it? Just one of the guys, eh?”
“Masterson gives the orders. He did this to you. He made all of you. I’m not responsible.”
“No, not at all. I bet you shed a tear for every one of our brothers and sisters who died under your command. Didn’t you?”
“Zeta or not, this is a military organization,” the captain said, taking on a tone of defiance. “People die in the military. You know that.”
Gerry pulled her sidearm from her holster in one fluid, impossibly fast motion. She pressed the muzzle against the captain’s forehead, as the captain’s face twisted in horror. “You’re right. People do die in the military.”
“It’s not my fault!” the captain pleaded.
“What do you think, little brother?” Gerry said to Danny. “Should I just put this piece of shit out of his misery right now?”
Danny watched without sympathy. He wanted Gerry to pull the trigger, and he was sure every other clone on the bridge felt the same way. “I don’t think we should kill them.”
“What? Why?” Gerry said in surprise.
“As much as I would like you to pull that trigger, I don’t think it’s the right move. If we kill them, what happens to the next group of Zeta officers we capture?”
“We’ll kill them too!”
“Really? And where will the slaughter end? We can’t kill all of them.”
“We can try.”
“What happens if Zeta captures our people?”
“What difference does it make? If they don’t kill us, they’ll enslave us, and we’ll be ordered to our deaths in some damned battle somewhere.”
“You’re probably right, but I think we need to be careful here. This is the beginning of something, and we are setting a precedent.”