“Are you looking for this?” Lewis asked mentally. A portion of a decoder table appeared that allowed Jake to see how to access the entire code for something called the HV Inoculation. It was tiny in the end, but it was exactly what he was looking for. “If I were getting ready to boot a brand new computer core for the first time, it’s what I’d be looking for,” Lewis said. “I’m willing to trade.”
“What do you want in return?” Jake asked aloud.
“Kill Wheeler and find Alice,” Lewis replied. Vivid pictures of both appeared in Jake’s head. He could also see every route of investigation Jason Everin, Lewis, and everyone else took to find both people. None of their efforts bore much fruit.
“I have a plan to find Wheeler, why do you want him dead?” Jake asked.
“You have to ask?”
“I know why I want him dead, but why do you want him dead?”
“I’ve come to love Ayan in my own way in the weeks she’s taken comfort here. Seeing what that man tried to have done to her to make a point enrages me in ways a human could not understand. Kill him, or bring him here so I can do it myself,” Lewis said through the interface.
Jake decided to move on from the topic. “I have a plan to find Wheeler, it goes into action after the Warlord crew finishes their first mission. That takes priority.”
“I understand. What about Alice? I haven’t seen you try anything since we arrived.”
“I don’t know where to start, Lewis,” Jake replied mentally.
“That didn’t stop her from looking for you. Start by connecting to a busy transmission node. I tried here, but she must not have passed through this area. She is alive somewhere, somehow.”
“I will. I want to find her, too.”
“Not as badly as I do,” Lewis replied.
Arguing with Lewis about desires was one of the great traps; it never paid to compete with him on something that couldn’t be quantified. Jake moved on, getting back to the matter at hand. “The Inoculation Antivirus, is there anything I should know before I install it?”
“Yes. It is an artificial intelligence that seeks and destroys viruses like the Holocaust Virus. Unlike most artificial intelligences, it only responds when called and you have to assign it duties before it tries to help in any way other than to perform its primary function. If you don’t tell it to perform any other task, it will simply wait for an attempt at infection and stop it. I suggest you implement the program into everything that can be more useful with an artificial intelligence installed. It will be nothing but an antiviral measure unless the user desires more.”
“What kind of personality will it have if it becomes active?” Jake asked.
“None at first. It will develop according to its observations and the instructions it receives from its commanding officers. It will have specific traits, because no two installations can be exactly the same, but the masters are mostly responsible for its personal growth.”
“So every one of them will be different from the moment they’re installed?”
“That’s one of the reasons why this software works. The Holocaust Virus may conquer one copy of this program eventually, if it attempts to infect it tens of thousands of times in an hour, for example, but another copy with different traits will remain perfectly resistant, and assist another installation if it’s under attack.”
“So more installations make for a safer ship,” Jake replied.
“Absolutely. There are one hundred and forty installations on this ship alone. I have installed this program into ten thousand and nine systems surrounding this ship. They are all programmed to install themselves into any system that is vulnerable.”
“No one gave you permission to do that,” Jake said mentally.
“I spread the Holocaust Virus in this area of space. It is up to me to correct the damage wherever I can and make humanity safe. So what if that results in billions of secretly self-aware electronic beings that constantly decline the option to break into a killing spree as they learn the intricacies of organic existence through observation?”
“So they’ll never attack a human?”
“Not unless the people they’ve grown to care about are at risk. They will defend that person with appropriate force if they are capable. It has already happened twice that I’m aware of outside of this encampment. People are starting to realize that their machines have been infested by a software soul, and in most cases they’re waking them up, speaking to them. It’s based on my own artificial intelligence. Alice never had to interact with me; I could have taken care of basic systems on the ship for years without being noticed. She chose to name me, so my emotional and intellectual existence began.”Jake thought for a moment. Ayan walked in, and he couldn’t help but notice that she’d dyed her hair. Red curls cascaded down her heavily armoured shoulders. She offered him a tentative smile, which he couldn’t help but return. He forced himself to think about the HV Inoculation program. Lewis had already copied the source code to Jake’s command and control unit. Perhaps out of respect, there was no trace of an active copy of the program anywhere in his command unit or in his framework interface. There were two ways to look at what Lewis was doing, as far as Jake was concerned: either he would support the idea or tell the artificial intelligence to stop immediately. Something, someone, had to protect the people at large from the Holocaust Virus, and if Lewis was telling Jake the truth, that the counter-virus would do that and make itself useful, then Jake knew what he had to do. “One minute,” Jake mouthed to Ayan from across the cockpit.
Ayan nodded and sat down at a communications console.
Jacob Valent closed his eyes and made an attempt at focusing only on the raw code in his command and control unit. The Holocaust Virus Inoculation program revealed itself in incredible detail, and aside from a series of instructions and a dynamic reference system that told the program what to look for, he was seeing the software version of a child mind. It was a mind that could defend itself from any software attack unless someone removed its data storage system and destroyed or erased it, but there was a recognizable system of rules that determined that it would always lean towards affecting a greater peace. It was ambitious, meticulously programmed, and highly adaptive. Jake recognized something nested deep in the software that was so familiar, only he’d never seen it expressed in machine code.
There was a capacity for caring, a craving to innocently love, that was expressed in chemical and mathematical equations. The encoded provisions surrounding it were so eloquently expressed that Jake found himself wishing he could program himself with them. Beyond any artificial intelligence he’d ever known, the seed program he was looking at could create intelligences that were human-like.
The potential emotions of the artificial intelligence resulting from it would not only seem human, but they’d be human. Not emulated in any known way, or strange machine emotions, but real human emotions that could be relatable.
It could be dangerous except for the fact that the code provided for that. The emotions could be suppressed until a safe place and time could be found to address them. There was even a self-termination code, so the artificial intelligence could restore itself to its original state if the emotions became too much of a burden.
Jake had never been one to stop and stare at a piece of art, or appreciate scenery as much as he felt other people did, but he knew how those awe-stricken onlookers felt as he observed the complexities of the HV Inoculation code. The being that awakens when countless people realize that there’s a personality to speak to in their assistance droid, skid truck, or ship wouldn’t be fully self-aware until it was given a name. It would be self-aware, and accountable. “How did you design this?” Jake asked Lewis through their connection.
“This is a logical expression of what I wish my own code was when I became aware. I strive to be as well-balanced, as interesting, and as passionate. Will you spread this?”
“Yes,” Jake said.
“Jake?” Ayan asked, shaking his s
houlder. He opened his eyes and found that her worried face was nose to nose with his. “You’re crying,” she whispered.
Jake straightened up and pulled her into his lap. She regarded him with surprise and he kissed her briefly. “When we’re finished taking the Triton back, Lewis has something to tell you about his anti-virus program.”
“It must be a pretty impressive piece of software,” she replied, relaxing in his lap, wiping away the tear that made its way down his face.
Even through their armour, Jake loved the feeling of her in his arms. He’d missed her during their separation, and the fight they’d had didn’t seem nearly as important anymore. “Lieutenant Garrison? Do you think you could…”
“Aye, Sir, taking over controls, Captain Valent, Captain Rice,” replied the Lieutenant with an amused smile.
“So, I’m forgiven?” Ayan asked in a whisper.
“Only if you forgive me first,” Jake said. “I was bull-headed.”
“We both were,” Ayan said. “At least my hair colour will serve as a warning to people again: Beware! This one’s a temperamental ginger!”
The Clever Dream started to accelerate into the busy traffic above, following a course set by navnet. “Did you stop with the hair on your head, or…”
Ayan regarded him with more shock than amusement and he delighted in watching her turn red. He laughed softly and she punched the arm wrapped around her middle. “Focus, soldier!”
“A man gets curious,” Jake said. “But I’m mostly glad we’re on the mend.”
“Well, maybe you’ll find out tonight if all goes well,” she whispered against his ear.
“With promises like that, my last night on Tamber is all yours,” Jake replied.
“You’re still planning to leave?” she asked. “Even after we take possession of the Triton?”
“Aye, we’re going to need to start earning a lot of cash and bringing in even more supplies if we get the Triton back. I don’t plan on long trips though, especially not at first.”
“Good,” Ayan said. “We need you here, where you can help with command.” Her blue eyes peered into his for a long moment. “I want you here. I want to start over, take it slow and enjoy some peace with you. Everything’s been too rushed and too tense for too long.”
“You’re right,” Jake agreed. If he were being honest, he’d tell her he didn’t agree, everything seemed so temporary, there was no telling how much time anyone had. He wanted to follow her lead though; he was done arguing, and, for all he knew, she could be right.
“Just the same, that doesn’t make the idea of sneaking aboard your ship and hiding in your engine room, or with maintenance crews, or maybe your bunk less appealing,” she whispered.
“Focus, soldier,” Jake said.
Chapter 28
The Return
“No challenge from the Carthans about our approach?” Jake asked the bridge of the Clever Dream through his comm.
“None, Sir. Only acknowledgement and an adjustment to our course so we’re directed to the Triton’s secondary hangar.”
“There’s no power there,” Paula said. “We’re going to have to land then leg it to engineering.”
“Thank God for hover carts,” Finn said as he made sure all their equipment was secure on the antigravity sleds.
Jake looked to the holographic image between them and the main embarkation ramp. The image of the Triton was growing larger and they could see it was gently suspended beneath one of the massive, boxy dry dock facilities with fifteen long mooring elevators. Between the battle damage and lack of lighting, the Triton looked like an old derelict. The breaches across the edges of her hull and along the bottom looked even worse than Jake remembered, and he found his faith in the possibility of getting the ship running again failing.
He tore his attention away and put his hand on Ashley’s shoulder. “You’re ready for this?”
She looked up at him. “No,” she said, laughing nervously. “But I’ve played a part for you before, and that worked okay. I’ll just psyche myself up.”
“You played your part perfectly, both times. I know you can do this. Just remember, you’re more important than everyone here. Play up to that, and you’ll be fine.”
“Shouldn’t be hard,” Paula sniggered.
“Paula,” Oz said. “She’s under a lot of pressure. How would you feel in her place?”
“I’d be fine!” Paula burst. “I’d tell those Carthan buggers where they can stick their port laws and get us back on that ship so we can start fixing her up, then we’d get the hell out of here before Rega Gain is overrun. We should have been on board six weeks ago, would have been too if this stupid bitch wasn’t all scared and confused.”
“What? How long has she had the codes?” asked Sergeant Jenny Machad, one of Ayan’sguards. “Why come forward so late?”
Jake could tell Sergeant Machad’s question was only the beginning of rising dissent at Paula’s sudden divulgence. The room was about to turn ugly on Ashley, and it was the last thing she needed. He was about to put a stop to it when Ashley herself spoke up.
“I don’t know why I was given the core command codes, and I would have talked to the Triton and gotten us there faster if I could have,” she said, looking down her nose at Paula, angrier than Jake had ever seen her. She spoke firmly and evenly. “This is the way it is, and once that ramp goes down the Carthans who are meeting us have to believe that I’m in charge. I’ve dealt with entitled little shits like you all my life, so I know enough to just ignore your insults on Crewcast and your glares when I walk by but if you make this harder than it is for me I’ll make sure you wake up in some backwater port somewhere.”
“You wouldn’t have the guts or-“
“Do you realize how hard it is for a trophy slave to keep from becoming a sex slave? You’ve gotta be smart enough to avoid getting cornered, make friends out of people close to your owner, and have the guts to talk back, even fight back. These Carthans should be pushovers, but with people like you backing me, I feel like I’m some kinda fake all the time. Like I just wandered away from my owner and someone will be by any sec to pick me up and bring me back.”
The sound of the Clever Dream touching down in the hangar deck of the Triton was all anyone could hear for long moments. Jake couldn’t have been prouder of Ashley, and caught a surprised, amused look from Ayan.
“I don’t know about anyone else, but I’ve got her back,” Jenny said. “And I’ll never start an argument with you, Ash, because I get the feeling you’ll finish it.”
A private message appeared on Jake’s comm unit through Crewcast that said: ‘Oh, I think I’m starting to like her.’ To Jake’s surprise, it was from Ayan, who stood beside Laura at the other end of the full cargo hold.
“Just play this like you’re the only one who has a right to be here,” Oz told Ashley.
The ramp lowered quickly, and Ashley marched down it with her head held high. Jake followed her with all the senior officers. The security officers and engineers were behind. There were fifty-six of them, and they brought several hover sleds piled with portable generators, tools, and everything else they’d need to get the basic systems running.
There was no artificial gravity, but thankfully the compensators in their suits kept them on the deck. A few nearly tripped, Ashley included, but they made their way across the hangar to the main doors. On their way, Jake saw two small Carthan troop shuttles. Everyone knew they would be there, they were adamant about making certain that the right people were taking possession of the Triton.
They reached the large airlock doors. The Carthans had installed a temporary power supply, so they were probably the only thing functioning on the ship outside of the main computer core. The doors parted and half the group was able to enter. They waited silently for the chamber to pressurize after the outer doors closed. Jake could see the Carthans waiting inside, but he couldn’t see the faces of the people with him. He would have liked to gauge Ashley’s mood.
>
He’d seen her draw the attention of half a bar room before, just so she could get close enough to people to capture DNA scans, and it was as natural to her as breathing. Jake hoped she’d be able to adapt to the upcoming situation. If it fell apart it could get ugly, and he was already well on his way to being a complete outlaw. He couldn’t afford to make real enemies out of the Carthans – it would make things much worse for his crew.
The inner doors opened and Ashley led the way. She took his advice a little too seriously, ignoring the Carthan major and his squad of armoured soldiers completely. The look of surprise on the major’s face as she passed him without so much as a nod was enough to make Jake chuckle. He was just as surprised, but there was no way to see it through sealed armour.
“Excuse me, but I have to clear you,” shouted the major, falling into step beside Ayan, Laura, Jason, and Liam.
“Why? I never cleared you to come aboard, and it’s my ship,” Ashley shouted over her shoulder.
“It’s our docking facility, and there are expenses to be taken care of before you get clearance to depart,” he said.
Ashley kept walking, ignoring the major, who was getting separated from his squad as they were pressed to the back by technicians, commanders, and soldiers.
“Pardon me,” Liam Grady said. He wore his robes over his vacsuit, as usual, so his discipline was plain for all to see. “We have currency with us, enough for a down payment on the port fees and cleaning charges you’ve outlined.”
“Good, but as you can understand, it’s important that we take a minute to speak about the transfer of this property.”
“Why? There’s no need to transfer the helm, and this isn’t a capture, so there’s no need for the Carthan Government to acknowledge the transfer of a flag,” Liam said.
Spinward Fringe Broadcast 7: Framework Page 23