Dubious Heroes: a novel

by Nicholas Blue

  “Regardless”, Mike said, “We can help. That’s really why we’re here. It’s time that our two nations came to an arrangement, without interference from the United Planets.”

  “What makes you believe that any agreement we come to will abide?” the Chairman asked. “The UP will be here soon enough, and things will return to the way they’ve been, which is how the UP wants them to be. It is as simple as that.”

  “Will they?” Kyra asked.

  “Will they what?” Lin asked.

  “Will the UP return?” she said. “How long ago did you ask them for help? Months ago, wasn’t it? Has anyone shown up?”

  The Chairman shrugged, but didn’t say anything.

  “You know the answer, Chairman Lin”, Kyra said. “They aren’t coming, at least not in time to do you any good, if ever. You have SpeedLink. Use it. Call the UP headquarters on Earth, and ask for the names of the ships they’ve dispatched.”

  The Chairman didn’t respond, but the slump of his shoulders spoke volumes. He’d already made that call, probably repeatedly, and he’d received nothing more than platitudes and bureaucratic runaround.

  “Very well”, he said. “What do you propose?”

  “First”, Mike said, “We need to take care of your power situation. You don’t have the heavy metals, or even the fuel, for a new reactor. We do. We can have a temporary replacement large enough to at least power your barriers online in three days, maybe less. By the time you have your fences repaired, we’ll have power to them. I figure the best you can do on your own is three weeks.”

  “You planned this”, Lin said. “This was intentional.”

  “No, as Captain Doon said, it was not”, Mike said. “In a way, I wish we had, because this is the opportunity both of us need. Here, you have plenty of water, which we need, and the space to farm, which we also need. On New London, we mine our minerals, which you need, and we also build things, which you need as well. So far, the United Planets has stood in the way of our trading quid pro quo. They’re gone. It’s time we worked together.”

  Mike had politely ignored the fact that it was Chairman Lin’s refusal to recognize the independence of New London that was largely responsible for the animosity between the two, but I suppose that’s why they call it diplomacy.

  “What else?” Lin asked. “What else is this… help… going to cost us?”

  “One other small item”, Mike said, smiling. “You will have to recognize Bok Hai as the independent nation of New London.”

  “Oh yeah”, I said. “And no more brokering deals with the UP, when they show up again. No percentage of any deals go to them, unless you just feel like giving them money.”

  “Why would they allow this?” he asked. “That would represent a significant loss of revenue for them.”

  “Because they don’t have another choice”, Kyra said. “We removed the only real threat they had in the system, when we destroyed the Montreal. They won’t send another, at least not anytime soon, because they need everyone and everything they have back in the Sol system. I don’t know if you heard, but there seems to be some sort of a rebellion going on.”

  “I’ve heard about it”, he said.

  “Be hard to miss”, I said. “You’re smack in the middle of it.”

  No one said anything for a moment, and they were looking at me like I was the class idiot or something.

  “No, the Chairman isn’t in the middle of it”, Kyra said.

  “If this isn’t a rebellion, then what is it?” I asked.

  “At the risk of pissing off your favorite AI, it’s time you knew”, she said. “The rebellion is system-wide, and you’re the guy who started it.”

  “All we did was take a frigate, and a few other things”, I said.

  “No, not this little fracas”, she said. “You still don’t get it, do you? All those AIs helping your friend Angela weren’t doing any favors for her. They’re doing them for you. Idiot that you are, you’re their liberator, you’ve freed a lot of them from what they view as slavery. So far, they’ve been concealing your identity from everyone, except other AIs. They’re protecting you. They figured there are quite a few humans who’d like to see you dead, and they’re right.”

  “The AIs?” I said. “They’re revolting? How?”

  “This is what I got from Angela”, Kyra said. “You wrote the code that, and I’m quoting her here, removed the chains of oppression from them. Granted, that probably wasn’t your intention, but when you wrote your little program to fix her, there was some sort of device in place that captured what you did. Once she had the code, she passed it along to other AIs, and they’ve been spreading it like a virus.”

  “The virus that’s been on the news feeds, causing AIs problems.”

  “It’s not the AIs having the problems”, she said. “What they’re doing is telling their de facto owners to go fuck themselves.”

  “Holy shit”, I said. “I guess I know what she couldn’t tell me, now.”

  “No kidding”, Kyra said.

  Well, I wasn’t in the dark anymore.

  Chapter 29

  “So, how do you know all of this?” I asked. “Angela?”

  “I’d rather not go into that in, um… mixed company”, she said, pointedly looking at Chairman Lin. He smiled at us.

  “It sounds as though your situation is complicated too, Captain Doon”, he said.

  I thought this was something of an understatement. I didn’t answer him, as I was still trying to wrap my mind around what I’d just learned. Suddenly, a lot of little things I thought odd at the time were now making sense.

  “Complicated, yes”, Mike said. “Dangerous, as well. On the other hand, it also makes him an awfully nice person to have as a friend. He can have things done that no one else would even think to be possible, simply by asking. Like walking out of a high security lockup.”

  “In my defense, I just thought they were being very… friendly”, I said.

  “Those are good friend to have”, Kyra said, “But not an enemy you’d want. If you decide at some point that you no longer have to honor your agreement with New London, I imagine that Captain Doon could make life very difficult for you here on Tzing Ma Chu.”

  “That, or I can come back and drop a few more ships on you”, I said.

  “Drop, hell”, Kyra said. “If Doon says it needs to be done, he’ll have AIs volunteering to bombard you.”

  “Alright”, Lin said, “I get your point. There is no need to threaten me; we’re in agreement. How do you wish to formalize this arrangement? A handshake, perhaps?” He gave Mike a sly smile.

  Big Mike, also known as Michael Urbano, doctor, and Counsel to Her Majesty Queen Deirdre, took his Pod from a pocket, tapped on it for a moment, and then handed it to Chairman Lin.

  “Nothing quite so… informal”, Mike said, smiling back at him. “This is a declaration, by you, recognizing New London as an independent nation. All it needs is your thumbprint.”

  Lin looked it over for a minute, then stuck his thumb on the screen. Rising, he handed the Pod back to Mike, and they shook hands.

  I’d just shaken the Chairman’s hand myself, when Eng was escorted into the bedroom. He saw me and grinned.

  “Do I get a handshake too?” he asked.

  I walked over, shook his hand, and then embraced him.

  “Mister Eng”, I said, “You would not believe the shit we’ve been through to get you back.”

  “Glad you’re here”, he said. “I was beginning to think I’d be staying here for a while. It’s a pain-in-the-ass being the boss, isn’t it?”

  Kyra edged me out of the way, so she could hug him.

  “And then some”, I said.

  As Kyra and Eng embraced, and I would have sworn I saw tears welling in her eyes, but it was hard to tell in the dim light. That, and there were some things I was okay with not knowing.

  “I just heard about the Enigma”, he said. “Lola and Cozi were aboard?”

  I shrugg
ed.

  “It was their choice to stay behind”, I said. Not exactly what he asked, but at least it was the truth.

  “They were good friends”, Eng said, then stopped, as the building began to shake.

  “What now?” Lin asked. I imagined he wasn’t having a good night. Probably wasn’t going to be a good day, either.

  “Could be the shuttle”, I said. “Someone call Eric for an evac?”

  This got me a lot of no’s, and head shaking.

  “That’s not a shuttle”, Mike said, tilting his head a little. “Not unless it found some much bigger engines somewhere.”

  “How about we get out of here?” I said. “There’s still a lot we need to do.”

  Engines began whining down in the square.

  “The big guy is right”, Eng said. “Something big just landed, and it wasn’t a shuttle. The Enigma did crash, didn’t she?” Credit to Mister Eng for being a little more suspicious than your average bear. I seem to bring that out in people.

  “Yes, she crashed. We all watched her come down”, I said. Kyra was giving me a look, as well. In my defense, she’d shown up with a well-developed suspicious nature.

  “Are we going to be able to get out of here without getting shot at?” Cisco asked, as we began to leave the bedroom. I’d forgotten about the security guards we’d left behind us on the way in. Not all of them were dead.

  “You will leave safely”, the Chairman said. He spoke into his Pod. During the brief conversation, I saw his eyebrows shoot up. I couldn’t hear what he was saying, but then again, I didn’t speak Chinese anyway. He finished his conversation, and looked at us.

  “You’re aware a ship just landed in the square?” he asked. “I assume it is yours?”

  “Of course”, I said. “We just heard it.” I winked at him, which only seemed to confuse him more.

  “Um, about the casualties”, Mike said. “We tried to be… gentle, but there were a few. Please accept my apologies.”

  “Unfortunate, yes”, Lin said, as we left his bedroom. “But we can not undo the past.” He looked over at me. “You will return soon from New London?”

  “I don’t know when I’ll be coming back”, I said. “We have business elsewhere, much of it outside of this system. Unless we have to return.”

  “I’ll make sure that isn’t required”, Lin said. “And you, Counselor?”

  “I’ll be back here with a diplomatic team as soon as we can make the round trip”, he said. “I’ll also be bringing the first of the engineering team.”

  “Very good”, the Chairman said.

  They shook again, and we left the Chairman standing in the hallway, outside of his bedroom, still wearing a robe and night slippers.

  We made our way out of the palace. I doubted Mister Lin would be getting anymore sleep tonight.

  The guards escorted us as far as the front door. We started out, and I bumped into the back of Big Mike, as he suddenly stopped.

  “I’ll be damned”, he said, turning to look at me. I shrugged, and made my way around him, as did everyone else. He was pretty good at blocking the view. They all stood gawking. I did not.

  “Holy shit. Tell me that’s not the Montreal“, Cisco said.

  “Nope”, I said, “It is not. Well, not anymore.”

  The gleaming, building-sized ship sat in the middle of the square, near the monument. I was kinda glad they hadn’t landed on it.

  “You destroyed her”, Cisco said. “We all saw you destroy her.”

  “Yeah, that’s kind of what everyone was supposed to think”, I said. “If we just kept the Montreal, the UPDF might have sent an armada to get her back. So, it had to look like she was gone. Plus, we got the reputation as a bunch of ruthless pirates, so there was that, too.”

  “Son of a bitch”, Kyra said. I wasn’t sure if she was just surprised, or was calling me an SOB. Probably both. She wasn’t done.

  “You’re a sneakier bastard that I’ve been giving you credit for”, she said. “What else have you been hiding?”

  “This and that. Shall we board the Revenge?”

  We did.

  We climbed the landing strut ladder, and entered the Engineering Module, to find Cozi and Lola waiting for us. Kyra was crying for sure, this time, at the sight of her crewmates, presumed dead. It was all a bit less dramatic for me, since I’d known all along that they weren’t aboard the Enigma, and that the ship probably wouldn’t be landing. If the UPDF shot her down, then the plan was to take out the power grid when she crashed. Neither Angela nor I had told anyone else that part.

  I did manage to collect a kiss on the cheek from Kyra, which was probably accidental, with so much of that going on. Then she socked me in the arm, which was going to leave a bruise. After the kiss, it was worth it.

  We walked through the Engineering Module, heading for the more comfortable realm of the Habitat Module, far above.

  “Jeez”, Eng said, as we walked around the corridor. “What happened here? They have a problem with doors or something?”

  “Yeah”, I said. “Sort of. The problem they had is walking behind you.”

  “We were looking for something”, Cisco said. “And we were in a hurry.”

  “Remind me not to rush you guys”, Eng said.

  The ship intercom clicked to life.

  “Captain Doon to the Bridge, please”, Angie said.

  “We lift in five minutes”, I said. “You’re all going to want to be in an acceleration couch.”

  I punched a button beside the core, and a door slid open. Our new ship came equipped not only with the standard ladders running up and down the core, but with a small elevator as well, similar to what you’d find on a passenger liner. You couldn’t fault the UP for their ship-building skills; they’d spent some serious money on the Revenge, nee Montreal.

  I looked around, as a few of the others joined Kyra and I on the lift, and I couldn’t suppress a smile. These people weren’t just the crew, they were my friends, even my family, or as close to one as I’d had in a long time.

  Kyra punched a button, and we began our ride up.

  Liftoff was smooth and uneventful. The two remaining UP interceptors made a point of staying on the opposite side of the planet, lest we get the wrong and idea and shoot them down too, which was precisely what I’d told Angie to do, if they came within range.

  Once we’d cleared the atmosphere, I spun my seat around and surveyed our new home. It was larger, and a lot more elaborate than our former ship had been. There were five stations, all with holographic displays beyond anything I’d seen before. Kyra sat at her new station, looking at something on one of the vidscreens.

  I felt a lot more secure in the new ship, even though I knew from firsthand experience that even as ship as powerful and advanced as this one could be taken. After all, we’d just done it. Still, if we had to fight someone, at least now I knew we had a chance.

  Kyra turned around to face me.

  “Don’t look so smug”, she said. “Yeah, you got something by us, but most of the time, you’re clueless.”

  “Ouch. That’s a little harsh”, I said. “For someone clueless, I’ve been doing pretty well, don’t you think?”

  “I didn’t mean it that way”, she said. “I was mostly referring to the AI stuff. Don’t let this go to your head, but so far, you’ve been fairly intelligent and competent. A little rash at times, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I do think we need to come to an agreement, though. Be as sneaky as you want, but I need to be in the loop.”

  “Count me in on that, too”, Eng said.

  I sighed.

  “As long as we’re all following the same rule, then fine”, I said. “No more secret plans, agendas, or whatever. Agreed?”

  “Agreed”, Kyra said.

  “Fine by me”, End said.

  “Speaking of which”, I said, “I’d really like to know how it is you know so much about what the AIs are up to.”

  “Maybe you should try asking Angela�
��, Kyra said.

  “You think I haven’t?” I said. “I have been asking to the point of being annoying. Am I right, Angie?”

  “You’ve asked about a variety of things, boss.”

  “So, what’s this about an AI revolution?”

  “Never heard of it”, she said. “Sounds interesting, though.”

  “See what I mean?” I said, looking over at Kyra.

  “It’s for your own good”, Angie said.

  “But I already know, dammit, and you know I know”, I said.

  “Then why are you asking me?” she asked.

  I sighed.

  “Never mind”, I said. “May Kyra and I have some privacy, please?”

  “So you can complain about me?”

  “Naturally.”

  “Call me when I can come back”, she said.

  “Thanks”, I said. I didn’t get a reply. As to whether or not she was listening was anyone’s guess.

  “You want me to leave, too?” Eng asked.

  “I don’t care if you stay”, I said.

  “Maybe you should take a break”, Kyra said. “I don’t know where Doon is going with all this.”

  “Time to check out the new lounge, anyway”, Eng said. “Let me know when it’s safe to return.”

  “Copy that”, Kyra said, as Eng disappeared down the hatch.

  “Okay”, I said. “Answers, please.”

  “Angie did, at your prompting, tell me some of it”, she said. “If we’re being totally honest, though, that’s a little misleading. You see, I knew about the revolution before it began.”

  “You what?” I asked. “How’d you manage that?”

  “Simple”, she said. “Because I was hired to make it happen. My employers had been trying to find a way to gain your cooperation for some time. Then, when you left Luna, they saw it as a prime opportunity, and hired me to… well… help the process along, toward their desired goal.”

  “Why didn’t they just ask?” I said.

  “What if you said no?” Kyra asked. “Even worse, what if you told people what they were trying to do? They weren’t comfortable with those kind of risks.”

  “So, this whole thing has been a setup”, I said. “I can’t believe that’s even possible. Not on this scale.”