by G J Ogden
Liberty went inside last, entering into a hexagonal room that was roughly the same size as a basketball court. It reminded her of the cockpit inside Morphus’ shuttle, only expanded to a much larger scale.
Morphus moved further inside the room, and then lay Tobin down on the floor. A platform rose up out of the metal deck, lifting Tobin onto it like a mortuary table. Then metal plates that shimmered with the same lustrous glow as Liberty’s augmented skin surrounded the young man’s body. Eventually, the plates covered his wound, and Liberty saw Morphus withdraw its makeshift bandage from Tobin’s chest. It stepped away, then the end of Morphus’ arm transformed back into a human hand. Blood dripped from Morphus’ fingers onto the deck and Liberty looked away. She’d been selfish to want Tobin to come with her. If anything happened to him now, it would be her fault.
“Is he going to be okay?” Liberty wheezed, practically collapsing onto the floor beside the table. She felt like she’d just completed an arduous climb to the summit of a mountain, where the thin air made it difficult to recover her strength.
“His injuries are still life-threatening,” replied Morphus, with all the bedside manner of a rock.
Liberty slumped to the flat of her back and held her aching head. “Just tell me you can save him,” she said. Then before Morphus could reply, she added, “Even if you don’t know that you can; just tell me something to give me hope, Morphus.” She lifted her head a little to look at the entity, though even this small movement required a gargantuan effort. “You do understand hope, don’t you?”
Morphus’ synthetic brow furrowed a little as it worked on the strange bed-like contraption that Tobin had been ensconced in. “The Corporeals that created me programmed me with knowledge of this concept you call hope,” said Morphus. “I did not understand it at that time. I am trying to understand it better now.”
“That’s good,” replied Liberty, encouraged that there was more to Morphus that the detached clinicality of numbers. However, Morphus did not appear to be encouraged by Liberty’s enthusiasm. Instead it appeared sullen and contemplative.
“The Corporeals hoped that Goliath had not become the thing they feared. They hoped they had not made a terrible mistake in creating it. And when it became clear that they had, they hoped that the Revocater fleet could defeat it.” Morphus continued to make some adjustments to the table, then moved over to the side wall. Glancing back at Liberty with its artificial, analytical eyes, it added, “Hope was not enough to save the Corporeals then, and it will not be enough to save us now.”
Managing to muster enough strength for another short burst of movement, Liberty hauled herself up, and sat, cross-legged. “But you did defeat Goliath,” she said. “And if Hudson and I hadn’t found that damn crystal, it would still be lost, somewhere on the other side of the galaxy. Hope may not be a strategy, but it was hope that created you, and it was you alone that defeated Goliath, and saved Earth. Hope can be powerful, Morphus, don’t you see? Hope matters.”
Morphus pressed its hand to the wall, and Liberty watched as it began to glow and morph into the alien metal. Seconds later, lights started to flicker on all around the room. Then, from somewhere deep inside the belly of the ship, there was a rumble. It was as if the titanic vessel was a starving giant waking from a long sleep. When Liberty finally looked back at Morphus, it was standing in front of her. The alien entity crouched low, and met Liberty’s eyes.
“Hope alone will not help the Tobin Rand entity,” it said, with an unusual softness to its synthetic voice. Liberty’s eyes fell to the cold metal deck, but Morphus had not finished speaking. “But I promise you that I will do everything in my power to save his life. It is my purpose, Liberty Devan entity. To protect corporeal life is why I was created. It is the only reason I exist. At the moment, the Tobin Rand entity is stable. He is strong, in body and in mind. And, if it comforts you to know, it is my sincere hope that he will survive. That is all the hope I am capable of offering you right now.”
Liberty met Morphus’ strange alien eyes again, before smiling and managing a tired nod. In many ways she appreciated the alien’s honesty. False hope was no better than a lie, and if Tobin was going to die, she’d rather know it and face it now. Though Morphus had given no assurances that it could save Tobin, its pledge that it would do all it could was enough for Liberty.
In her short life, much of which had been spent on the streets, Liberty had experienced far more of the darker side of humanity than the virtuous. Wa few notable exceptions, little had happened in the recent chaotic and exciting weeks since becoming a relic hunter to change her outlook. However, Morphus had been a rare beacon of light. Liberty doubted that she would meet a more noble being, if she lived to be a hundred.
“Speaking of protecting corporeal life,” groaned Liberty, as she hauled herself to her feet, assisted by Morphus. “I don’t suppose this Revocater has a kitchen, or even just a fridge I could raid? I’m starving!”
Morphus frowned. “My analysis of your body chemistry suggests you are nutrient and energy deficient, but you are far from the point of starvation. And I fail to comprehend how conducting a military operation on a refrigeration unit will abate your hunger?”
Liberty laughed weakly and shook her head, “It’s just a turn of phrase, Morphus. It just means I could really use something to eat right now.”
Morphus nodded, and began walking towards the far end of the hexagonal space, inviting Liberty to follow. “I am afraid that I do not have a kitchen, or a fridge for you to ‘raid’,” it said. Liberty noticed that the end of the room was reconfiguring itself as they approached. “But this planet contains a wide variety of biota. I will collect some as we depart, and use them to synthesize various nutrient-rich chemical compounds that will help to sustain your corporeal form.”
Liberty raised an eyebrow, “Sounds delicious…”
They reached the area at the end of the room, and Liberty realized it had been configured to resemble the flight controls of the Orion. It was similar to the way Morphus had modified its shuttle, except this time, due to the additional space, it had created a rudimentary living area too. It was like a combination of the living space on the Orion, with its semi-circular couch, and the bunk in Liberty’s quarters.
“You may rest here,” said Morphus. “The Revocater will require some time to reach full power, during which time I will conduct repairs to my own physical form. And I also wish to run diagnostics to ensure this vessel is still functioning within norms.”
Liberty practically collapsed onto the recreation of her bunk. It felt like lying on a bed of tire rubber, but she was so exhausted that she didn’t care. “Don’t forget my dinner,” she called out, closing her eyes.
“As a temporary measure, I will deliver some glucose and other nutrients intravenously,” replied Morphus, as a pod rose out of the deck just behind the flight consoles. Liberty’s eyes sprang open and she scowled at Morphus, before the entity quickly added, “With your permission.”
Liberty sighed and relaxed back on the bed again. “The way I feel right now, I’ll take anything you can offer.”
“Very well,” said Morphus. Then, unseen by Liberty, it transformed out of its female form, and flowed into the pod, like molten gold.
A few minutes later, tubes rose out of the makeshift bed and wrapped themselves around Liberty’s wrist. However, Liberty didn’t recoil at their touch, because she had already fallen asleep.
CHAPTER 2
Liberty woke with a start and pushed herself upright on the replica bed that Morphus had created. The sudden movement made her dizzy, and for several seconds she was disoriented. It was dark, like at sunset, and at first, she thought she was in her bunk on the Orion, but something about where she was didn’t make sense. Then a thin tube suddenly unwrapped from around her wrist, and slid off underneath the bed.
“It’s a snake!” she yelped. Liberty jumped off the bed and darted back, before bumping into a solid mass. She yelped again, but then saw that the m
ass was, in fact, Morphus. She noticed that the entity’s entire body was subtly shimmering in the low light.
“Very curious, there should be no elongated, legless, carnivorous reptiles on this planet,” said Morphus, wearing an inquisitive frown. It was peering over to where Liberty had been looking.
The light level then increased and Liberty finally remembered where she was. “You scared the hell out of me,” she said, after managing to wrestle back control of her wits.
“I apologize if I startled you,” replied Morphus, “I trust you are well-rested?”
Liberty stretched her neck muscles and flexed her arms a little, noting that the feeling of stiffness had gone. “Yes, I do feel better, actually, thanks,” she said, before her eyes fell on the strange bed-like contraption that Morphus had placed Tobin inside. There seemed to be even more tubes and wires protruding from both Tobin and the device he was attached to. Liberty’s face fell, and Morphus seemed to sense her concern.
“Do not be alarmed, the Tobin Rand entity is currently stable,” said Morphus, as they both walked up beside the bed. When they got closer, Liberty could see that some of his body was now covered by shimmering metal panels.
“How is he?” asked Liberty, resting a hand on his forehead. His skin felt cool to the touch.
Morphus moved to the opposite side of the bed to where Liberty was standing. She noticed that the alien entity’s own damage appeared to have been repaired. It was in its usual female form, but there were no longer any patches of smooth metal. The illusion of skin, hair and clothes was complete again. If anything, Morphus looked even more human than ever.
“I have placed the Tobin Rand entity in a coma while the injuries are being repaired,” Morphus said. “It has been necessary to partially augment his musculoskeletal structure, where the damage was most extensive.”
Liberty took her hand off Tobin’s head and gently squeezed his hand instead, before glancing up at Morphus. “Can you say yet whether he’ll pull through this?” She almost immediately regretted asking the question. Given the entity’s tendency towards brutal honesty, she almost dreaded the response. However, Morphus’ answer caught her completely off guard.
“I remain… hopeful,” Morphus said, offering what Liberty could only have described as a reassuring smile.
“That’s good enough for me,” Liberty replied, smiling back at the entity. Then there was a dull thud that seemed to echo distantly through the hull. Liberty scowled, “What was that?”
Morphus turned to the end wall, in front of the flight controls it had created previously, and held up its hand. The wall switched to show the surface of the planet.
“Is that where we are?” asked Liberty, and Morphus nodded. “But how can you see this?”
“This image is actually relayed from the Telescope,” Morphus replied. “It sees everything. But this is not what I wanted you to look at.”
The image then zoomed in on what appeared to be dozens of seed ships and seed drones. Liberty moved closer to the screen and watched as some of the seed drones burrowed into the ground. Rock and soil then exploded upwards, and Liberty again felt another distant shudder vibrate through the ship.
“They’re trying to blast their way in here?” asked Liberty, looking back at Morphus.
Morphus nodded, “That is correct.” The image on the wall then zoomed out again, and Liberty could now see other explosions popping off across a wide expanse of land. These were closely followed by more rumbles, echoing through the hull. “The destruction of the surface structures by Goliath, thousands of years ago, buried this complex under millions of tons of rock and soil,” Morphus continued. “But they will soon breach the outer bay doors, and once inside they will resume their attempts to cripple the Revocater.”
Liberty’s pulse had barely had chance to slow, before she felt it rapidly quickening again. “Can we get out, before they reach us?”
“Yes, but I will need your assistance,” said Morphus, indicating towards the pilot’s chair. “I had hoped there would be time to run through some simulations before you began to pilot the Revocater. But I am afraid we are out of time.”
Liberty stepped up to the chair and looked at the panels and instruments. Her own, admittedly limited piloting knowledge, plus the knowledge that Morphus had implanted into her brain, came flooding back. However, she also recognized that there was a world of difference between knowing how to do something, and actually doing it.
Liberty sat in the chair and tentatively took hold of the flight column, which was an exact replica of the one on the Orion. The metal began to give off a subtle luster, like Liberty’s skin. She could actually feel a connection to the ship that went far beyond the mere tactile feel of the controls. It was like the Revocater was somehow an extension of her senses, but it was like nothing she had ever experienced before.
“What do I do?” asked Liberty, glancing back at Morphus with the frightened expression of someone about to take their driving test.
“You will know what to do,” replied Morphus, moving back to the pod just behind the flight controls. “You have a natural affinity for the language of machines and technology. Simply trust your instincts.” Morphus then flowed back into its pod, and Liberty could hear the thrum of the Revocater’s reactors and engines building. It was a sound unlike anything she’d heard before, and was at once both fearsome and electrifying.
“I will now open the bay doors,” came the disembodied voice of Morphus, “then you will take us out, and rise into orbit.”
“That simple, huh?” muttered Liberty, as she tried to force her breathing into a more regular, controlled rhythm.
“Are you ready?” asked Morphus.
Liberty nodded in a rapid, staccato fashion. Though the gesture was more an attempt to gee herself up for the task than it was a response to Morphus’ question.
Liberty looked at the wall in front of her, wishing that she could see more of a panoramic view around the ship. Then, as if responding to her thoughts, the image changed. She could not only see directly ahead – currently just the end wall of the hangar – but above and to the sides too. It was more than just a visual awareness, though, Liberty realized. She also instinctively knew the distances from the hull to the walls surrounding her, like sensing an object touching the hairs on her skin. Then she looked down and wished she hadn’t done. The floor beneath her feet was showing a view directly downwards. It was like her pilot’s chair was floating in mid-air. And while this undoubtedly gave her great visibility, it was also more than a little alarming.
Suddenly light filtered in from above her head, and she looked up to see the complex’s massive bay doors opening. Rock and rubble rained in on the Revocater, like house-sized hailstones, but they just bounced harmlessly off the alien hulk’s hull. Mixed in with the rubble, she could also see seed drones falling inside the hangar. Except now there wasn’t anyone outside to help clean them off.
“Morphus, what about the drones landing on the hull?” Liberty called out, “There’s nothing to stop them cutting through!”
“I will deal with the seed drones,” came the alien entity’s confident reply. “The bay doors are now fully opened. You have control.”
The words cut through her like a hot knife through butter. “I have control… I have control…” she repeated, her voice anxious and breathy. She then tightened her hold on the controls, and peered up. The contrast between the peaceful, clear blue sky and the storm of emotions raging in her body was stark, but it gave her something to reach for.
Sucking in another deep lungful of air, she let it out slowly, then began to raise the mighty Revocater from the berth it had rested in for thousands of years.
Liberty could feel the movement of the ship as if it were her own body. However, the effort needed for her to maintain control was like trying to wade through deep sea water, while strong tides pulled her back and forth under the surface. The Revocater veered to starboard, smashing into the wall and crushing the floors upon flo
ors of balcony walkways. Liberty wrestled the controls to port and the ship responded, but the physical strength required was more than she had anticipated. More rock and wreckage fell onto the ship, as the ground above them was shaken by the powerful collisions. Liberty held tightly onto the controls. Trust yourself… You can do this! she thought, willing herself on. The Revocater responded to her commands and continued to rise.
Liberty sucked in another gasp of air, realizing that she’d been holding the last one since the ascent began. The ship then lurched forward, smashing into the end wall, but it continued to rise, gouging out a huge furrow into the perimeter of the complex. She eased the Revocater back, beginning to get more of a feel for the ship’s size. It was like driving a truck compared to driving a two-seater sports car. The basic mechanics of operation were similar, but the reality was worlds apart.
The Revocater pulled away from the end wall and Liberty finally managed to center its ascent. She was growing in confidence now almost as quickly as the ship was gaining altitude. The recreation cockpit was then bathed in light as the Revocater rose up above the surface of the planet, like a humpback whale leaping out of the water.
The sensation of floating in mid-air suddenly became disorienting, and Liberty’s head began to spin. The momentary distraction caused her to again veer off to starboard, towards what remained of one of the Corporeals' great cities. Groaning with effort, she tried to turn the enormous hulk away, but she was unable to stop the massive ship from smashing through the remains of what were once titanic skyscrapers. The buildings shattered and fell, like they were nothing more than icicles that had been struck with a crowbar. Liberty could even feel the impacts against her skin, like snowflakes landing on her face in a winter storm.
Head pounding and muscles burning, Liberty eventually regained control, and climbed the ship higher and higher. With the immediate threat of crashing behind her, Liberty breathed an audible sigh of relief. However, her thoughts then turned to the seed drones, and the threat they still posed to the ship.