As it turns out, Garcia was a bit of a technophile. He knew all about AIs as they existed on most military ships, but he'd never seen one begin to evolve as Achilles did. Alistair explained how he'd removed all of Achilles' safeguards and was essentially putting all of their lives in his hands. At first, Garcia was extremely disturbed by this, but after his first in depth conversation with the ship, he began to see the merits of having a hyper advanced and self aware computer plot their course.
“Achilles, don't forget that we need to stop for prefab shelters and supplies for the families staying on the surface.”
“I have already taken the liberty of purchasing some on board the base orbiting Burmea. A cadre of freight drones will deliver them to our hold, meaning we won't have to dock with the base.”
“I think you're learning, old friend. I'm glad having extra people around is having such a profound effect on you.”
The AI was indeed learning. After Alistair commandeered The Ubik and unlocked his very existence, Achilles began absorbing all human interaction and forming his own personality based off of it. Unfortunately, he had only ever talked with Alistair until Rachel and her group came on board.
Now, however, he was taking action of his own volition – and for the first time, Alistair could tell that he was actually growing.
Chapter 21
True to Republic regulations, the fledgling colony of Burmea was orbited not by a true starbase, but by the carrier unit of the original colony ship. Dotted with hardpoints, small docking bays, and capital class docking booms, Burmea Station was a prime example of human ingenuity and determination.
When the Republic designates a planet for colonization, it is placed into one of several categories. Planets with soil compositions and orbits similar to Earth are frequently designed as agricultural worlds, especially if they lack the presence of natural minerals. Agriworlds are always terraformed using special fleets that push ever outward from mankind's place of birth.
If a world was found to have an excess of mineral wealth, it was classified as a mining colony that would send its resources to a nearby manufacturing and industry world. Smaller moons with rich minerals were boons for the Republic as lower gravity environments were required to construct the largest of military and colonization vessels.
In the case of Burmea, the world was a mix of the above – its orbit and native soil were almost identical to earth while mineral deposits both on the planet and in its moons were very abundant. Thus, Burmea was classified as a hub world which gives authority to deploy not only terraforming fleets, but also a life seeding fleet.
Containing genetic duplicates of nearly every species native to Earth as well as vast cloning facilities, seeding fleets were an enormous expenditure that allowed mankind to recreate suitable planets in Earth's image. Specialized 'genesis pods' woud be sent to the planet after an atmosphere had been created via terraforming ships, which then clone and disperse all of the animal life they originally contained.
Seeding fleets were the largest in the Republic and also the most rare. Habitable planets were a rarity with perfect candidates for an Earth replica exponentially more so. Hundreds of colossal genesis pods would descend through the atmosphere over the course of many months, releasing their precious cargo in predefined intervals. The entire process of seeding a planet with Earth life was a testament to what humans could be capable of when they worked together.
Burmea, with residents who hope to someday pass a new Earth on to their children, was stuck in a gray area between barren and terraformed. Impatient politicians and policy deciders rushed the terraforming process as they were all eager to be the ones to claim responsibility for the new jewel in the sky. While the planet was indeed a perfect candidate for a new Earth-like, the rushed atmospheric creation process left much to be desired – and as a result, the climate ended up unstable. Sandstorms proved to be frequent occurrences across many of the dusty plains and the planet itself was mostly dry. Many of the species transplanted by genesis pods were unable to survive in a climate many degrees warmer than their native habitat, and the loss of life was extreme. Only the most hardy desert dwelling creatures from earth had any hope of survival, and even they were stressed to their limits.
Upon descent toward Achilles' chosen landing site - a rocky outcropping just outside of the small town Cantor's Ridge - the passengers and crew of The Ubik could see small oases pock marked across the planet. Large swathes of brownish-green grass helped create the illusion of vast oceans, but the planet was stuck between dead and alive. Moisture levels hung precariously above 'dead', while the lack of wildlife hinted to the contrary. Mankind had succeeded, through over-confidence and a short-term mindset, to place an entire world into purgatorial limbo.
“The news feeds don't do it justice,” Rachel noted as they careened through the atmosphere. “I'd seen a few stories on the new 'Jewel of The Republic', but any videos or pictures must have been staged. This place is .. desolate.”
“A lot of planets are dry and barren like this, but atmospheric condensers keep them habitable. Water farming is a good way to make a living,” Garcia said. Part of his special forces training included studying the many types of worlds the Republic inhabited. He'd spent six years studying at the Marine Corps Officer's Academy on Titan in the Sol system, a very rare honor among even the most elite in the armed forces. Shortly after graduating, he was sent out to reinforce Specialist Stewart's squad aboard the Kris.
“Let's see how it is up close,” Alistair felt like he needed to add. He could feel the despair rising aboard the ship and wanted to nip it in the bud. “I admit it's not what I expected, but it can't be any worse than Alceti Hub.”
The landing site outside of Cantor's Ridge was a large patch of reddish brown dirt. The Ubik was well equipped for hostile landing environments and the entire descent, from hitting the upper atmosphere to landing, was uneventful.
A large hatch slowly broke its seals on the belly of the ship and lowered itself down at a near 45 degree angle to form a ramp. Alistair wore his marshal garb, a useful tool in his arsenal of apparel. The rest of the crew and passengers wore rugged colonial dress, purchased by Achilles along with a laundry list of other supplies.
Long brown dusters, wide rimmed hats, thick 'hide' pants or denim, and button-up shirts. Goggles or glasses were almost a requirement on Burmea, a lesson the group learned almost immediately.
“Christ, this place is warm,” Stewart spat out. “Lot of dust storms here, I'd imagine.”
Their first goal was to head to the town itself, get a lay of the land, and find a suitable spot to construct the wayward family's shelters. After a spot had been chosen, they would spend a few days constructing the modular prefab homes, which they would then load with supplies. If all went well, they would only be on Burmea for a week at most.
“Let's get to town,” Alistair barked. The wind was blowing - sand and dust swirled carelessly over the landscape, the crew, and the ship.
The first group consisted of Alistair, Stewart, Rachel, Melanie, and one of the previously kidnapped girl's mothers, Hitomi. Against his wishes, Alistair had been too busy aboard The Ubik to get to know some of Rachel's people too well, and Hitomi was one such case.
Her shoulder length and pitch black hair framed her face perfectly, and she was an ever-positive element among the group. Even when her daughter Raya had been kidnapped she remained hopeful, never giving up hope. She exuded optimism, a trait that made Alistair regret not having the chance to get to know her more.
As the group made their way through the rocky crags and dried gullies, it was obvious that the planet had been in much better shape at one point. There was sparse vegetation, mostly hardy desert plants that had been transplanted years prior during seeding. Dried grass was abundant, which meant there had to be at least enough rainfall to support a basic ecosystem.
Their landing site was roughly 2km from the outskirts of Cantor's Ridge, but the walk took upwards of 45 minutes due to the co
nditions. Navigation satellites had been deployed years earlier, which was the only way to find their way to town - the dust storms were just too thick.
“I hope we just landed during a particularly nasty storm,” said Hitomi into her headset.
“We'll ask around town before we settle you guys permanently.” Rachel didn't want her people to lose hope. They were strong, though, and she knew things would have to be much worse before they decided to give up on Burmea.
As they reached the town, they were relieved to see that the local populace was mostly indoors. If storms of this magnitude were the norm, the people would have forced themselves to work during them, so the deserted streets were a potential glimmer of hope. A few residents wandered here and there, but the overall population seemed to have taken the day off. The vast majority of structures were large metal prefabs, put together in various ways to suit their overall purposes. Most were caked in dust, but it looked to be fresh.
Alistair and Stewart both noticed the local tavern first and the group decided to head there first.
“For information, right?” Rachel asked.
“Absolutely, for information!” Stewart responded, almost too quickly.
“And a drink,” Alistair added. He had no qualms about admitting his motives.
As soon as they entered, Alistair likened the tavern to a beehive – swarming with activity, with nearly all focus on those tending bar.
“My kind of place,” he said, as he shook his duster to remove the sand and dirt.
He headed to the bar and asked for a suggestion.
“We don't have much. Whiskey and a few imported brews, nothing local. Need water for booze.”
“Just whiskeys, then. Five glasses and the bottle, please,” he said, to which the bartender nodded. She set down the bottle and quickly shifted focus to one of the many other patrons.
Alistair filled each glass, handed one to each of the group, and raised his own.
“To Burmea, and to a new start,” he said with a smile.
Rachel glared at him as he passed Melanie a drink, but shrugged it off. The legal drinking age was 16 and she was close enough. If she's old enough to get kidnapped and learn to fight for herself, she thought.
After their initial drink, Rachel, Stewart, and Hitomi set about trying to get the lay of the land. Chatting up different patrons, buying drinks, and generally trying to be good company while extracting information.
After a few too many shots, Rachel was feeling it – she'd never been much of a drinker, but kept telling herself When in Rome. She was talking to a local water farming couple when she noticed a bit of commotion down the bar. A rugged looking man with scraggly hair was hassling a small redheaded woman and Rachel – feeling the bravado enhancing effects of the whiskey – decided to step in.
“Excuse me just one moment,” she said to the farmers with an overly strong emphasis on each syllable and an excess of hand gesturing. She stumbled her way to the man, and just before she could interject, the woman she had set out to defend grabbed the man's arm and twisted.
“I told you no. I started off nice but you just wouldn't listen, would you?” The woman said as the man crumpled to his knees in pain. She had a hold of his right hand, twisting it at an unnatural angle.
“Fuck, fuck! Fine!” he shouted, as she released his hand and shoved him back toward Rachel. “Crazy bitch. Not even that good looking anyway.” He nursed his hand while retreating to the front door of the tavern.
“You alright?” Rachel asked, bewildered. More so from the booze than the common sight of a woman physically rejecting a drunken slob.
“Yeah, I'm used to fending off these pricks.”
“Let me buy you a drink,” Rachel slurred out as she leaned on the bar for stability. She'd approached the point where standing became a full time affair.
“Er – that's fine, but maybe get yourself some water. My name's Cairenn.” She stuck out her hand and Rachel met it in kind. “So what brings you to Burmea, Rachel?”
“I'm here with a few friends looking for a place to live. They can't go back home and we all wanted to make sure the town was safe before making our final decision.” Her slurred speech made Cairenn smile, and she decided that maybe they should both stick with water for a bit.
“I've lived here since shortly after the town was founded. It was initially a relay station for communications, a kind of backup in case satellite communication went down. But it's grown into a water and hydroponics farm since then. It's not too bad, the occasional drunk,” she nodded toward the door, “but for the most part it's peaceful. Local sheriff does a good job keeping things under control.”
Rachel was happy to hear that the unpleasant incident she'd just witnessed was the worst that her people could expect. She waved at Hitomi and called her over.
“Cairenn, this is Hitomi – one of the women who's debating living here. Hitomi, this is Cairenn – why don't you two keep up the conversation while I find the lady's room,” Rachel said in a hurry as she excused herself. Her gut was warning her that everything she'd consumed in the last several hours was coming back with a vengeance, and not the way she preferred.
“Hah – it's a pleasure to meet you, Hitomi. I think your girl there overestimated her capabilities.”
“She's a brave woman, I'll give her that,” Hitomi offered with a laugh.
The two women shared some stories of their travels and Hitomi listened eagerly as Cairenn explained how life was on Burmea. Cantor's Ridge, aside from the dust storms, wasn't all that bad. Achilles had the foresight to purchase some water harvesting equipment for all of the families so they'd all be able to make a modest living.
“I saw your ship land, do you have any idea what type it is?” Cairenn asked.
“No, I've not been too involved since we boarded. That's more Alistair's department, honestly. Or Rachel's, but I think she'll be using the restroom for a bit.”
“Do you think he'd mind if I picked his brain a bit? Moving to Burmea was my chance at a more exciting life, but what I've found here is even more mundane than the agriworld I grew up on. My parents are still there farming and I couldn't stand it. Life as a colonist was supposed to be exciting and new, but so far all I've done is monitor the comm station for three straight years.”
“He's been nothing but generous to us since we met. I'm sure he'd be happy to answer your questions,” Hitomi responded. She felt the same as Alistair did, wishing she had more time to get to know her new comrades. Just as they'd gotten comfortable around one another, especially after their unusual meeting, they were all getting ready to say goodbye.
She went to fetch Alistair and told him that the local comm technician was curious about his ship. He was talking with Melanie about different firearms when Hitomi approached and his look went from pleasant to skeptical in an instant.
“I'll do my best to keep it vague,” he laughed. “Why don't you and Mel get something to eat?” He handed Hitomi a card loaded with credits and went over to talk to the curious patron.
Cairenn was very small at 5'4” with a petite build. Alistair had noticed how she'd dealt with the drunk and was impressed by the woman. She had natural orange hair, vivid green eyes, and a fiery disposition.
I keep running into the same type, maybe it's a sign, he thought to himself with a smile.
“Howdy, ma'am,” he said with an almost too perfect tip of the hat.
“Wow, a federal marshal – I didn't realize you were authorized to use Republic ships to help friends move. Just so long as she doesn't have a couch that needs moved upstairs, right?”
They both laughed and Alistair was already enjoying her company. He had good feeling about her and they spent some time enjoying vague platitudes before Cairenn asked the type of ship he was flying.
“It's an SB-450x, space freighter. I'm on unofficial business, and the ship is my own. I'm only in my dress attire to see if I can get some honesty out of the locals.”
Cairenn decided now was as good a
time as ever to reveal her true intentions. She lowered her tone and spoke in an almost hushed manner.
“Look, I've seen tons of 450's, and they don't handle nearly as well as yours did. I know what you're flying is covered in junk to look different and I don't care why. I'm sick of this rock and sick of this boring town. It'll be great for your friends who have family to worry about, but I want excitement. You all seem like a good bunch and I'm well-educated when it comes to electronics. Take me with you when you leave. Please.”
She wasn't threatening, demanding, or even pleading. Her tone was all business, but what she said rang true with the curiosity of a child looking toward the stars for the first time.
Alistair sat back, puffed his cigar, and eyed the woman up and down. He didn't want to jeopardize his ship, but he was having a hard time considering telling her no. And having a comm tech on board would make a world of difference. Plus Achilles and Garcia would both love the company.
“Tell you what – when we head back to meet with the rest of the group, you come with us and see what we're working with. If the others don't object, I don't see why not.”
Cairenn's face erupted into what can only be described as more smile than not.
“You won't regret this!” she said in a flurry of excitement. “Does your ship have any AI assistance? I haven't even seen one before and I've heard some of the advancements in quantum thought processing are stunning!”
“Oh, you'll love him,” Alistair said with a smile. “I'm going to check on Rachel in the lady's room, if you'll excuse me.”
“...Him?” was her only response.
After helping Rachel clean the vomit from her clothes and having her nurse a glass of water, Alistair decided it was time to head back. The general consensus was that Cantor's Ridge, while harsh, was a good home for Hitomi and the other families. They'd gotten to know quite a few of the regulars at the tavern and heard stories from young and old about life on Burmea as a whole. Alistair was content that their people would be safe.
Retribution: Downfall of the Republic (The Retribution Series Book 1) Page 9