by Tony Teora
Hank had learned at a young age that how one faces death shows how strongly one has lived. Hank believed that every man and women should fully realize that their days are numbered, for it is one of the bittersweet gifts from the Creator. To truly know that your time is limited should encourage everyone to live their most important dreams each and every day. Hank had heard the ship’s messages and knew the robot was shutting down life support.
Ironically, Hank was one of the few that did not need atmospheric oxygen, as he had his oxygenated food tube. If the crew asphyxiated, he and the robot would be the only ones alive. Hank dreaded that thought, and if it was within his power, he would not let that happen. He saw brain flashes of what the robot was doing and picked up the robot’s ideas of sending a message to its home world. Hank realized he was still connected to the robot via the network link.
Hank was trained in self-hypnosis, as it was part of his daily meditation. He worked on getting into a deep trance, one deeper than he’d ever done before. He knew it was the most important meditation he’d ever done—and his last. From the trance, Hank clearly sensed the desires and plans of the robot. Hank was determined to stop the robot. It was his deathbed wish, so he focused, deeper and deeper and deeper …
***
The Boss robot knew he’d done well. He had access to all the ship’s data via SAI , but was locked out of the ship’s main network, as the cables were cut. He needed a new method to regain access, and it did not take long to find that method. He found a secure wireless connection that he made unsecure. SAI’s identity assisted, since she was a protected ship entity. With his control over her, he was automatically granted access. By controlling SAI, the Boss now had complete ship control.
The first matter of priority was to shut down oxygen and vent air. That would quickly disable the bio units managing the vessel. Oxygen was now down to less than 2 percent. The first phase of the plan was complete.
The Boss focused on Phase Two; getting data out to Kabbalah. First, he would need the ship’s location. As the Boss accessed that data, he received a transmission from biological unit H1, stating that H1 was now free and walking through the hallways. But that was not possible. H1 was only a head! And H1 had been put on the laboratory control system. The data had to be faulty.
Double-checking data … accessing H1 retinal system …
The Boss now saw biological unit H1using his card and key code to go through access doors. Bio unit H1 had now passed all doors except the one that that Boss was behind. He would surely not get access, as the control panel was destroyed. Wait … H1 just walked through the last door like he was vapor!
Systems check, systems must be faulty. Confirmed. All systems okay. Object must be real!
The Boss turned, and still connected to SAI, looked at Hank Kumar face to face.
Systems check again. Systems working within acceptable parameters. Biological unit H1 Kumar presence illogical. Systems check. All systems okay. Analysis? Unknown technology? Analysis inconclusive.
The Boss disconnected from SAI and looked over at Hank Kumar. “You were dismembered! How did you get here, biological unit H1 Kumar? How did you reassemble your body?”
Hank ignored the Boss and pushed him aside like a rag doll, throwing him to the floor.
The Boss estimated that the strength of this biological unit was a hundred times more than a normal biological unit. Hank then moved like a ghost up to SAI’s keyboard console. Hank logged in and then shut down the high-gain antenna and patched into life support. He turned life support back on.
The robot walked over to the keyboard and swung an arm at Hank. It swiped through as if Hank was a ghost.
“How are you doing this, biological unit H1?”
Hank ignored the robot and started to lock down SAI with a lockout code that required the captain’s red code to unlock.
The robot tried to stop Hank, but it was like hitting a ghost sitting at a keyboard. The keyboard would not follow his instructions. The Boss’s attempt at stopping Hank was futile. Then the Boss saw Hank disappear. Hank was gone—but strangely, the Boss was no longer standing, but now sitting at the keyboard. The Boss realized that it was he that had put the oxygen back online and shut down the high-gain antenna! He had also locked himself out of SAI.
Impossible! No!
The Boss checked all systems and realized that biological unit H1 had found a way to get into his neural processing. Somehow, the H1 unit had reversed the network control. This type of mental control had not been seen on the subjects at Kabbalah. The biological units from this world were crafty—but still, the Boss had realized the fault. He remotely shut off the food supply to biological unit H1.
As the Boss tried to find a way to regain access to SAI, the access door was flung open and a few objects were rolled in. The roomed exploded, the blast hitting the Boss in critical circuits. As the robot’s critical systems shut down, he saw an image of bio unit H1, Hank. His biological systems also were shutting down. You are a worthy adversary, said the Boss. He and Hank shut down within seconds of each other.
Tanya, from Ship Security, rushed in and shot the robot in the chest and head. Others entered and checked that all main systems were now under human control.
***
Hank’s plan had worked. He was able to do what the robot did to him—which was to access the robot’s brain with images, albeit false images. He had brought life support back online, and even if no one knew of his noble deed, Hank Kumar was able to gracefully pass on to the next phase of existence knowing that, even in the last few minutes of his life, he’d done something meaningful.
As the oxygenated blood stopped moving into his head, Hank saw himself as a full person again, looking like the ghost image he’d sent to the robot. He walked together with his girlfriend, Susan, a woman he’d created online. Even though she was not real in the physical sense, it didn’t matter to Hank, for he was no longer in the physical world. He drifted with Susan to a heavenly paradise, hoping that the next time around, he’d find her in real life.
***
“What the hell happened? How did life support get turned back on?” asked Commander Levy
“The robot did it. Seems like he got his wiring crossed. I think he received some strange signals from Hank. Seems like the link he had set up somehow got crossed up,” said Brian.
“You don’t think Hank hacked into the tin-man, do you?’
“Well, if anyone can, I bet Hank could. He’s the best we got. And since the robot shut down Hank’s blood pump, I have my suspicions.”
“What a fuckin’ mess.”
***
Ace now knew that his dream with Kiya wasn’t a dream. It had to be true—Tucker and some crazy, alien-infected robot were planning the destruction of the Aurora. And after looking at the situation with Hank Kumar, Ace knew those plans were somehow in place.
Ace heard through the comm how one revived robot was trying to shut down the ship, but while that was going on, Chip Tucker was secretly planning his escape. Ace could sense it and had already called the captain and security, but everyone was focused on the robot. They weren’t anywhere near the shuttle bays.
Ace approached the shuttle bay entrance and saw two guards down, both shot. This was not good. Tucker had to be nearby. Ace pulled his weapon and cautiously walked around a pressure door that connected into the shuttle bay. Tucker had to be working on getting shuttle control. Ace entered the first door and heard it close behind him with a pressurized hiss. He then went to unlock the second door, but his security code didn’t work. That’s strange. It worked on the first door and it’s always supposed to allow access to the second door, unless there is a lockdown.
As Ace turned to go back through the rear door, its security lock initiated. Ace tried his code on the back door, but that was locked down, too. The computers must have locked down because of the security breach. So Ace was now locked between two doors in a pressure-release room. This was bad, as there was only about an hour�
�s worth of oxygen. As long as the comm was up, someone could surely get to him within an hour, but Tucker would be long gone. Ace hit the wall comm. “Engineering, can you send someone down to section S9? I’m locked in compartment P42.”
The response was static. Ace looked at his wrist comm; the signal was too weak or was on comm lockdown.
Shit, I’ll never get Tucker while I’m stuck in here! Ace looked out a small viewscreen into the shuttle bay, but there was no sign of Tucker, so maybe he’d misread the situation. As Ace looked out of the viewscreen, a man walked up. The glaring, black shark eyes stared coldly at Ace. It was Tucker. He spoke into the comm unit.
“Mr. Archer, it’s nice of you to drop by.”
“Fuck you, Tucker, you’ll never get outta here.”
“The being you call ‘Tucker’ is stored away as part of the Do’On memory. His essence has ascended into a new life form, just as your species will eventually ascend.”
“You mean he’s been infected with a deadly virus that steals his soul. Well, whatever you call yourself, you’ll never get out. The ship is on lockdown.”
“I control this area—thanks to the help of a brother from the Do’On species. Someone on your ship murdered him, but he passed system control of this area to me before he died. And in retribution, you will die while I leave.” Tucker clicked a few switches and air started to exit the chamber. Ace pulled at the door, and although he was stronger than ten men, he could not pull open the five-inch tempered steel doors.
Ace looked up at the viewscreen and saw the infected Tucker walk away. The air in the room was getting thin and breathing was difficult.
What the fuck am I gonna do? Who can help? Ace sat down and prayed. He thought of Kiya and what she said about telepathy. Ace relaxed and thought about help coming … he meditated, but in actuality, he prayed for help. He prayed until he passed out. As Ace faded, he saw Kiya, and he said only three words, “Goodbye, my love.”
***
As Ace fell into darkness, he saw Kiya dressed like an angel.
“Ace, it’s okay. Someone is coming to help you,” said the angel.
“I’m sorry, Kiya … I should have listened to you … Tucker is going back to Kabbalah, and there was nothing I could do.”
“Don’t worry … just get up!”
“Kiya … Kiya …” screamed Ace, feeling his life pass.
***
Ivan injected a needle into Ace’s chest. He injected a double dose of OxyZon. The needle shot a fast-acting drug that included adrenaline and a blood-like material that sent a one-time release of oxygen to areas being destroyed by a lack of oxygen, particularly brain tissue. It had a special drug to start one’s breathing muscles. Some soldiers said it would even make dead men breath. Ivan slapped Ace on the face, hoping he’d gotten there in time. “Breath, Ace … cause Ivan do no mouth-to-mouth.”
Ace started to breathe with an oxygen mask that Ivan had pulled from a nearby emergency medical rack. He sucked in oxygen like a racehorse. His mind awoke in a daze, his head aching. His eyes saw a fuzzy picture of an angel. He mumbled, “Thank you. You’re so … beautiful.”
Ivan was sitting on the floor next to Ace and laughed. He looked at a reflection of his face on a shiny part of the metal wall. He rubbed his balding head and admired a six-inch head scar. “You hear that, Yogi? I’m beautiful.”
Ace looked at the angel of Kiya, and in a groggy mind and voice, he said, “You’re so beautiful, Kiya. Thank you … thank you.”
Ace felt like he was entering heaven, and the view of the angelic Kiya relaxed him. He saw the light of her face, but then things abruptly changed. The face started to morph; she slowly lost her hair … it blew in the wind like lost leaves … she went bald, then her face grew, and Ace swore he saw razor stubble. Then there was this ugly smile with a chipped tooth. Kiya was starting to look like a man! An ugly man! It turned into the scarred and war-torn face of Ivan. Actually, it was Ivan.
“Ivan? Is that you?” asked Ace, starting to regain consciousness.
Ivan smiled. “It’s not Ivan, it’s ‘Beautiful Ivan’.”
Ace’s stomach felt nauseous. “Ah, shit … I was a little out of it. I didn’t say anything stupid, did I?”
“Nothing more stupid then you say to girls in clubs.” Ivan assisted Ace up.
“Shit, Ivan, where’s Tucker?”
“He just left. Took a shuttle out. The captain tried to fire, but weapon systems were off- line … because of the loose tin-man.”
“We gotta get back to Kabbalah. Kiya is still alive. I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true.”
“I know, Ace. Yogi feels it, too. We go back.”
“Let’s get outta here. I need to talk to the captain and Manpower.”
Sharks have been swimming the oceans unchallenged for over a million years; chances are, alien species roaming the galaxy will prove equally dangerous.
—Tony Teora
20
_________
Sex is a Drug
In the Captain’s Office …
“Listen, Ace, I got it, but it’s just so … ya know … hard to believe.”
“She’s a remote viewer, sir, so I believe it’s Kiya. She was in my dream, and she warned me about Tucker.”
Captain Karr sat quietly in the captain’s lounge and picked up a picture of his late wife, Suzy, and his only son, Josh, kicking a soccer ball at the beach. Suzy died years back on a business trip to Tokyo—she got there just as the big Tokyo Quake hit, killing five million and devastating the world economy. It took out Asia, then Europe, and finally the financial system of the old United States, creating a civil war and the eventual US Novus Republic states. The old United States, the US Novus, and most of the world succumbed to the New World Order, or more accurately, Earth Command.
The earthquake was just an excuse, as the financial system was a house made out of cards waiting for the wind. It was fitting that the wind came from Japan, which coined the term kamikaze, or “divine wind,”. He and Josh never really got over losing Suzy. Karr knew how losing someone close could mess with a man’s mind. But he also knew Ace was tough as titanium nails and should hear the truth.
“Kiya’s a great remote viewer, but she’s not a strong telepath—she’s not even half as good as Swann in that area, and even he gets things wrong. Her getting into your head from Kabbalah in a dream … a dream you admit was sexual in nature … well, you have to understand how that would sound to someone.”
Ace huffed air into this lungs, trying to relax. “Captain, she said something about one of the aliens helping her. I really think she spoke to me. She told me about Chip Tucker and also about the location of the BOT ship. It’ll be around the larger moon. And if it’s there, then that’s proof that she did talk to me and she’s really alive, sir. I’ve got to get to her to save her. We never leave anyone behind.”
Karr nodded. “I know that, Ace. Earth Command and I trust you. Now, I’m sending you and Ivan down to Kabbalah on our original plans. You and Ivan are going along with Colonel Manpower’s men. I want him to put a nuke under the base in an Operation Clean Sweep.”
“I want to search for one of our own, Captain. Can you please request that Manpower give us just a little time to look for Kiya?”
“The consequences of a major delay or not succeeding to wipe out this compound are unspeakable. It’ll be a tough and dangerous job. That’s why I’m counting on you and Ivan to get the job done. I’ll give you thirty minutes to check things out, but you must make sure you complete this mission with no further delays, no matter what you find or don’t find. Do you understand that, soldier? ”
“Yes I do, sir, loud and clear. On a final note, sir, will you please check the location of that BOT ship behind the moon as soon as you can? I know it’s there.”
Karr stood up from his desk and looked Ace in the eye. “Once you drop, I’ll move the Aurora out to investigate. Please see Hiro before you leave. Get your new equipment, get the job done, and get ba
ck with everyone safe— Godspeed.”
Ace saluted and left the bridge. Walking back to engineering, he received a flash image of Jimbo. He saw Jimbo in his mind, sitting in the radiated control room. Jimbo was standing up. Am I going crazy? Maybe the captain was right! What’s going on? Ace tried to remove that thought and went to pick up Ivan. They had a meeting with Engineering to talk about a robot recon spy.
***
Captain Karr went back to his stateroom. He saw in Ace’s eyes a man who had fallen for a woman. He knew Ace’s predicament, having himself a special woman on board he’d considered dating. She was in a different branch and high enough ranked that he could fraternize, but he kept holding back. The loss of Suzy two years ago was hard to bear, and being the captain required a little self-control.
The war with the EBE-C3s caused one to wonder whether sweating all of the small things in life were really all that important, As a Space Navy captain, Karr had come face to face with the scoundrel of death a few times, and that gave him a little perspective on what was really important in life.
Karr was reminded of the woman as he reviewed Colonel Manpower’s plans for taking on Kabbalah. Actually, the plans were quite simple: find the sick scientists, get them back to the Aurora, and blow up the city with the thermo-nuke. Then get the hell out and back to Earth on the double.
Manpower, concerned that the aliens might try to hack into the communication systems, wanted the ship to change not only its crypto codes but also use an older, but very secure, transmission methodology. Plus, for jamming, intelligence-gathering, and more accurate bombing, he wanted to use a specially DARPA shuttle sitting in the launch bay. Manpower’s second in command, Major Melissa Mahan, was assigned the task of flying this specially designed scout shuttle. She’d get in close to the planet for pin-point bombing and use her plane’s stealth to sneak in to get the job done.