Rogue Messiah: Fleetfoot Interstellar Series, Book 2

by P. Joseph Cherubino

  The Ambassador continued, “It is the duplicity of the Reptilians that caused this crisis. Until you came to me with this troubling news, we had no idea that our trade was being diverted to the cause of this sinful war. The Trade Union itself sets the rules for controlled technology and its use. It is the Trade Union that enforces those rules. We comply rigorously with all regulations. The Union approved all of our transactions. Why do you not pursue the matter through the Regulatory Council?”

  Dhohal had the Ambassador right where he wanted him, scrambling to deflect the blame leveled against his Government. Those were the terms Dhohal sought to establish. Key members of the Union Council, of course, did not believe the Caliphates were to blame. The Saudis were the victims of fraud. That did not matter. What mattered was the advanced technology that only the Caliphate worlds could supply.

  The hook was set and baited with the very principles that governed the Saudi Ambassador’s worlds. If the Government was convinced or coerced into admitting wrong, it would be honor-bound to make amends for any transgression. That meant turning their industry over to the Union. Individual elements would balk at the prospect, but Dhohal had already courted other factions to counter those objections.

  “Your government will have to work this out with the rest of the Trade Union, including the Regulatory Council. That is if they survive the next few months. There may not be a Trade Union for your government to argue with. In that case, the Caliphate Worlds can continue to supply the Reptiles as before.

  “My mission here is to deliver this message to your government. The Caliphates can either supply technology and material support to fight the Reptiles, or it can fall to them. Now that I have delivered this message, I will leave you.”

  Dhohal strode from the room using his three-jointed arms as well as his stubby legs to hasten his pace. He could not bring himself to look at the face of his old friend.

  When Dhohal’s children were born, Ambassador Al-Khwarizmi sent his family barrels of honey and rosewater. The human knew all Dhohal’s children by name and remembered their birthdays every year. Dhohal was present for the marriage of Al-Khwarizmi’s daughter to both of her husbands. When Al-Khwarizmi’s last wife died, Dhohal rushed to be with him, and the two lived and worked together for a year while the human mourned.

  Now, his old friend was a pawn, reduced to another tool of war. The worst part of it all was that Dhohal did not question his actions at all. He knew the pain he caused his friend, and he caused that pain without question. It was simply the next necessary thing to do. Without the Caliphate worlds, there was no war effort. With the Trade Lanes gone, the only viable sources of war materiel were the BJP Empire planets of Kerala 2 and Chennai 5, and the Caliphate worlds of Medina 3 and Mecca 2.

  The escort back to his personal transport changed three times, but Dhohal hardly noticed. His limbs felt weak as he climbed the long ramp into the open airlock. He made it as far as the common room, then collapsed on a hard bench and draped his massive arm across the table. He didn’t notice Margaret until he felt her warmth inches from his rib cage. She sat beside him on the bench and studied him.

  They sat in silence for a long while as the random sounds of the ship’s routine clattered around them. Forest Child crew members filtered through the common room on their way to duty shifts. Abhay and his mother passed, casting concerned looks in their direction. Finally, Margaret took a deep breath.

  “I’ve been waiting for the right time to speak. I figured out there is no right time, so I’ll just say it. I only met you a few weeks ago, but I met someone tonight who taught me something about friendship I didn’t know before. I don’t know what happened to you tonight, but I can tell it’s bad.”

  Dhohal avoided Margaret’s eyes and replied, “I am not sure friendship matters in these cold times.”

  He was not certain if he should be offended when Margaret laughed and replied, “I can see why your kind and mine get along so well. You sound so very human right now. That is nothing but sadness talking. It is nonsense. Of course, friendship matters. I seem to remember you counseling and comforting me just a few weeks ago like a true friend. You hardly knew me then, but you set me straight.”

  “And I remember you attacking me for it,” Dhohal said in sulky tones.

  “Wow, you Forest Children are so sensitive,” Margaret said, roping her arm as far around his massive shoulders as she could. Her fingertips only reached to the center of his shoulder blade where they stroked his short, coarse, black fur. She felt the thick muscles beneath his skin relax. “I’ll let you in on a little secret,” Margaret whispered. “I am what other humans call ‘brassy.’ That means I appear hard and cold, but I’m not. Don’t know why. It’s just how I am. The harsher words I use with you, the more I like you.”

  “Humans are confusing,” Dhohal said. “It’s my job to relate to them, but I still find you confusing.”

  “I know, dear,” Margaret replied. “We confuse ourselves as well. It’s a struggle for us to understand each other. Maybe that’s why we spent so many centuries murdering one another.”

  “And dark,” Dhohal replied. “Humans can be dark with their humor.”

  Margaret sighed. “Yes, but we care about our friends, same as you. Your fur is starting to turn gray. You should eat something.” Margaret moved to get up but, Dhohal motioned her to stay with one of his four, thick fingers.

  “But what I like most about humans is their capacity for kindness at just the right times,” Dhohal said. The two sat quietly in the common room and let the life of the ship move around them.

  7

  Alpha Leader Sslolg paced the line of captured Merchant Astronauts. They were a motley assemblage of races the Alpha Leader considered inferior. Several belonged to the pacifist race that called themselves the Forest Children.

  Sslolg found the Forest Children most disgusting of all. He did not understand how creatures of such mass, in possession of physical strength many times greater than his own, did not use those attributes to fight and conquer. Instead of taking the opportunity to kill the Reptiles who attacked them, the Forest children chose instead to use their sturdy bodies as shields in the vain attempt to protect the weaker species aboard the captured freighter called Jubilee. Several of their charred corpses lay in a heap behind the line of prisoners to serve as an example.

  The Alpha stopped pacing before a frog-like alien who was the former captain of the Jubilee. It bore a close resemblance to a species from his own planet. Sslolg curled a clawed finger and lifted the Captain’s chin.

  “Your obedience is a fine example to your crew. Because of your cooperation, we were able to repair the damage to this new Reptilian ship,” Sslolg said and pushed the Captain away.

  A few of the Simian crew members stirred, puffing their chests in signs of agitation. Some of them made grunting sounds. These were aliens he could respect a bit more than the others. During the brief action that brought the ship under Sslolg’s control, some of these Simians attempted to fight using improvised weapons. As much as he respected that, signs of aggression from subjects could not be tolerated. Those who resisted were dispatched quickly. It appeared there were still a few more troublemakers to deal with.

  Sslolg moved to the closest Simian and grabbed her by the throat. He hurled the small body across the cargo bay, snapping her neck in the process. The body slammed against the far bulkhead and slid down, leaving a smear of brown blood. Her mate wailed with a piercing shriek and tried to attack Sslolg, who simply stepped to the side, and cuffed him on the back of the head with an open hand. The Simian fell, and Sslolg pressed him to the deck with his foot claw. Captain Aahloh faced forward and used every ounce of his will to remain perfectly still.

  Some of the guards moved in with rail rifles aimed at the hapless Simian, but Sslolg stayed them with his outstretched arm.

  “No, Soldiers,” Sslolg said. “Let this one live for now. Take it to food storage. I will save it for a special meal.”

  S
slolg turned to the crew and addressed them in Tradespeak. “Now you may understand what it means to defy us. You will learn your place just like the others, and just like your former Captain. You will serve the Reptilian Empire. Obey, and your time will pass with a minimum of pain. You will now move to your new work assignments.” Sslolg waved his arm at the soldiers, who herded the crew away. They took the little simian off in the opposite direction.

  “Alpha Leader,” First Officer Gholss called from the captured bridge. “I request your presence.” Sslolg brought a finger to his ear hole to activate the communication device fastened below it.

  “Why?” Sslolg asked. “Is there a problem?”

  Gholss paused, a sign that Sslolg understood as an affirmative answer.

  “I will explain when you get here,” Gholss said.

  When Sslolg arrived on the bridge, he found a team of four engineers with their heads buried in the disemboweled workings of a control panel. The large hull breaches caused by the attack were patched, and the bridge held atmosphere once again.

  “What are they doing in there?” Sslolg asked with open dismay.

  “It is the ship AI, Alpha Leader,” Gholss replied. “It attempted to lock us out of command functions.”

  “And where is the crew member who instructed it to do this? I want it punished severely for all the others to see.”

  “The AI did this on its own, Alpha Leader.”

  Sslolg took a moment to process the statement. “Surely this cannot be true,” he replied.

  “I confirmed it myself, Alpha. We know that some of the humanoids build their computing systems with certain autonomous functions, but our engineers are not aware of behavior like this. The attempted lockout happened well after the crew was secure.”

  “Might the command have been set with a time delay?” Sslolg asked.

  “After the lockout was defeated, the engineer discovered there was no command issued at all. He took the precaution of disconnecting all AI interfaces throughout the ship, then shutting down the AI. The computer is trying to re-enable itself. The engineers here are trying to stop it even now. The machine resists us.”

  “Very well then,” Sslolg said. “Fix the problem. I will be on the Lead Ship tending to wider matters.”

  Gholss affirmed his Leader’s order and watched him breeze out of the captured bridge. To the First Officer, the space of the open doorway represented failure. Gholss failed to impress upon his captain what a strange and dangerous situation they were in with a machine that could apparently make independent decisions and seemed to be fighting for its life.

  “If need be,” Gholss announced to his engineering crew, “I want you to destroy the computing core and replace it with one of our own.” The engineers froze as if engulfed in a stun field. Gholss restrained his anger and said, “I take it from your shocked silence that this is not something you believe can be done.”

  The lead engineer replied defensively, “It can be done, Second Alpha. The system is Trade Union Standard, after all. We can replace the core with a spare from one of our own merchant vessels. The computing interfaces are the same, but the computers themselves operate on entirely different principles. This is a human-built quantum unit that is photon-based, while our computers are ―”

  “Enough!” Gholss barked, releasing the tether that held his temper. “You will do as you are ordered without lecturing your superiors!” The engineers jerked back into motion at double-speed as Gholss stormed from the bridge. “I want reports every quarter-cycle,” the First Officer called over his shoulder as he followed the path of his Alpha.

  While Gholss had enjoyed a collegial relationship with his Alpha these past few months, he felt the connection strain as the battle plan progressed and unforeseen events taxed them both. Gholss tried to restrain his fear as he made his way through the alien ship to the docking port to the lead ship. He did not want Sslolg to taste the fear, or he might suffer another bite like the one that cost him his right hand.

  The hand had since grown back, but the lesson would remain with Gholss always. His Alpha was a great Reptile from the finest Warrior Clan of the Reptilian Homeworld. Serving an Alpha such as Sslolg had been a dream of his since Gholss was a young cadet, barely liberated from his mother’s creche.

  But now he had the terrible, terrifying and equally intoxicating responsibility of being a strong second voice to the great leader. Just a few weeks ago, a span of time that felt like yesterday, the Alpha invited Gholss to stand at his shoulder. In addition to being his Alpha, Sslolg became a friend. Somehow, this made Gholss take his responsibility with an even greater measure of gravity. His task now was to make Sslolg understand that the strange behavior from the computer deserved much more attention.

  Gholss found his Alpha in the small office tucked in the rear section of his personal quarters. Holographic displays extended in columns of light from floor to ceiling. Sslolg stood surrounded by information. The Alpha froze and turned slowly toward Gholss.

  “Why do you come to me with such fear, trusted soldier?” Sslolg asked. His mouth closed and his forked tongue flicked out past the small hole at the tip of his snout. “I can taste it thick as blood,” he said, as his tongue searched the air unbidden like a wild animal.

  Gholss took great care to keep his posture strong, but not defiant or aggressive. The chemicals wafting from his skin had the potential to draw an attack from the Alpha. Gholss needed his leader lucid.

  “Forgive me, Alpha,” Gholss began, grateful that his voice carried the confidence he intended. “We need to address the situation with the enemy computer system.”

  “It would be easier to forgive you, Gholss, if you calmed yourself and spoke freely. I thought our friendship had progressed past this type of fear.”

  Gholss opened his mouth to ask for forgiveness again but thought better of it. Years of training to submit to aggression proved exceedingly difficult to change. Sslolg turned his back on his first officer to show trust.

  “Talk to me, First Officer. Tell me what troubles you, while my restraint still holds,” Sslolg said, studying the graphical displays of ship positions across the Trade Lanes.

  “It is the computer, Alpha. The fact that it actively defies us concerns me.”

  “Go on,” Sslolg said, obviously avoiding eye contact as not to offer any hint of aggression.

  “I went over reports from the rest of the battle fleet. Many other raiding parties report unexpected behavior from merchant ship computers similar to the behavior we encountered. It seems to be isolated to ships of a certain age, manufacture and homeworld origin.”

  Sslolg turned away from his displays and made his way to a command chair. He sat slowly behind a console where he deactivated the displays. When he fixed both eyes on his first officer, he communicated trust and not challenge. Sslolg’s flashing tongue no longer tasted fear in the air.

  “Maybe you should sit to explain this to me, as it is obvious I have once again missed an important detail.”

  Gholss pulled over another heavy command chair that scraped across the floor with a metallic shriek. Sslolg shivered at the noise. “I’m grateful that you serve my command far better than you serve my floor,” the Alpha said, leaning over the console to survey the long scratches Gholss created on the polished black surface.

  Gholss knew that the Alpha liked to keep all parts of his ship tidy. It was one of his many sources of pride. “I’ll have that taken care of, Alpha.”

  “Trivial damage,” Gholss said, leaning back in his seat. “Tell your tale.”

  “It is a pattern, Alpha. You taught me to be wary of patterns. The machine behavior is not an anomaly. It is too frequent.”

  “I take your point,” Gholss said thoughtfully, “But what does it mean? You say it is significant, so of course, I believe you, but what are we to do about it? This is why I walked away from your initial report and left the matter to you. I wonder why you bring this to me now. At first, I thought it was lack of confidence.”
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  “Frustration Alpha Leader. I cannot sink my claw into it. It is what the humans call ‘intuition.’ Something is very wrong with this pattern.”

  Gholss sat motionless with his eyes focused somewhere beyond his First Officer. He had a decision to make that was one among hundreds. He said, “You do not give me much to go on. It was your idea to capture these ships and use them against the Trade Union while we are waiting for the bulk of our battle fleet. We could be destroying these ships. The machines cannot behave strangely if they are destroyed.”

  “This did occur to me, Alpha. I still estimate that the benefit of the intelligence we gain outweighs the risk. This is in addition to the valuable raiding experience for our soldiers.”

  “The risk of what? You have not defined a problem yet,” Sslolg challenged.

  Gholss did not know what to say. He sat contemplating.

  Sslolg hurried things along. “You discovered something that you think might harm us. This is good. You do not have all the information yet, so assign resources to it. Assign your best engineer to monitor the situation. In fact, put a team on it. Have them report to you any further anomaly. You just need more information on which to act. Information is the remedy for worry.”

  “Thank you, Alpha, for your indulgence,” Gholss said.

  “Of course, First. It is my pleasure. You are young still and have much to learn. Keep me appraised of the situation. I am interested to know how you work through this problem. If it is as significant as you suspect, we may be able to turn it to our advantage.”

  Gholss stood with crisp motion at the obvious dismissal. “Thank you, Alpha Leader.”

  “Dismissed,” Sslolg said and clicked his foreclaw on the control console to reactivate his holo display columns.

  Gholss left his Alpha as he found him, engrossed in every aspect of the Reptilian invasion.

  8

  Like any other ship of the merchant class, the corridors of Fleetfoot I were designed to accommodate the body plan of any member species of the Trade Union. That meant wide passages and portals, and deck surfaces that were free of gaps that might ensnare a claw, or pinch the flesh of those species who dragged behind tails or other body parts.