by Randal Sloan
“I’ll have to see your data,” Jarra told her. “If you can convince me it’s doable, I’ll consider it as a backup escape plan.”
Still, Jarra felt good about the parts of their plan so far. Left unsaid was the sentiment that it seemed highly unlikely that any escape plan would be successful if they were detected. Nevertheless, they had to go forward.
She still couldn’t get over her bad feelings about the escape plan. Something told her it was going to be needed and nothing they had come up with gave her a good feeling as to its effectiveness.
Riding piggyback on one of the mining ships, Katarina made her way closer to the Sentinel construction station. Tightly attached and camouflaged to match the other ship, it appeared their subterfuge was going to work. After all, the Aerstone had obviously believed no one would be stupid enough to come this deeply into Aerstone space without an armada to accompany them. Their lack of attention to their local scans was proof of that.
Although the primary plan was to return with the mining ship to the asteroid belt and from there attempt their escape, Jarra had given up on the belief that was going to work, but she withheld her sentiment. They had to do this, so this one time she was going to have to let Fate have her way. Of course, she didn’t tell the others that. They would have to figure it out on the fly. She just hoped that they were up to it. Once everything started happening, she suspected, it would happen fast.
For now, there was nothing to do but wait.
“Jason,” she said quietly. “Why don’t we grab a few minutes in the observation lounge while we’re inbound to the shipyard? I suspect once we arrive, we won’t have any more chance for alone time for a while.”
“You’re right,” he said. “I haven’t told you how much I love you lately, have I?”
“We’ll be in the observation lounge,” she told Sasha. “You have the bridge. Yell if anything happens.”
Sasha shook her head. She’d grown bored too. “I don’t expect anything will. It would help if these ships moved a little faster; it’s still hours until we reach our destination.”
“In this case, slow is sure, so let’s just accept that for now. It’d be a lot harder if we had to do it without their help.”
Kaeden gave them a smile as they left. His pick for the pool on their official engagement announcement was for a few months away, so he wanted them to spend that time together. Nothing like a little danger to push them along.
Personally, he was terrified. Once they’d entered the system with the Sentinel, he could think of little else. When he’d first heard of this mission, he thought the crew of the Katarina was very brave but crazy to accept it. Now he knew instead that they were quite amazing at their ability to adapt to any situation. He still thought they were extremely brave. And more than just a little bit crazy.
If only he could be too.
The mining vessel with the piggybacked Katarina finally approached the shipyard. Although she controlled the tiny AI about the ship, Sara left its basic routines alone so that the responses were unchanged when it interacted with the space station as it came into the huge space dock where the mining ships came to discharge their cargo. That way it responded with the protocol expected when interrogated by the control room of the shipyard.
It helped that the Aerstone maintaining that control room was bored and angry with its supervisor. He kept daydreaming of catching the fool alone somewhere and rearranging his circuits. He never noticed the slight bump on the hull of the mining ship, nor the fact that it disappeared when the ship entered the docking area, attaching itself to the wall of the dockyard. Of course, the crew of the Katarina was smart enough to wait until the hull of the mining ship blocked his view, but if he had been actively scanning, he would have seen them.
Knowing this was their most dangerous maneuver yet on this crazy mission, Galen kept a tight hold on his controls, but the Aerstone never remotely became suspicious. Once they were in position, Gabo quickly switched the chameleon circuits on the external panels to match the look of the wall they were attached to. It all went off without a hitch and they were safely hidden away once more. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but Jarra hadn’t really been worried about this part of the mission.
After all, to the Aerstone, the likelihood of someone doing what they were attempting was impossible. The truth of it, the small crew of the Katarina felt the same way, but they knew they had no choice.
With the ship locked down, the team was gathered once more in the galley. It was time to discuss the next steps in their mission and they were all considerably apprehensive. Gabo led off, pulling up a view of their approximated schematics of the station for all to see.
“As you all know, I was able to passively scan in detail while we were on approach to the station and then I was able to switch to more active scanning once we latched onto our position here. I sent all the information to Sasha and Sara with the hope that Sasha would be able to read something from the patterns that would help us with our mission. We needed Sara’s input to determine if the solutions Sasha came up with would give her sufficient access to the new Sentinel’s AI to complete our mission.”
He gave them a big smile. “Surprisingly, between the two of them and with a little help from the ship’s AI, we’ve come up with a plan that actually appears to have a chance at succeeding with us intact. I’ll let them explain.”
Sara zoomed in their view to a section of the station. “We are here,” she said, pointing to an area on the schematics. “The best place to allow us to interact with the new Sentinel and its inactive AI is here, in one of a number of control pods that are scattered across the construction area.” She indicated that point on the display and indicated a haphazard arrangement of corridors leading to the area.
“The two aren’t actually that far apart, if you take into account the network of maintenance tunnels that join everything.” She triggered an enhancement to the display that added what they had been able to determine made up the maintenance network for the station. It also displayed a pathway connecting the two points.
Sasha spoke up. She was unable to hide the excitement in her voice. “Apparently the Aerstone don’t believe in exposing all of their less picturesque maintenance ways any more than humans do. I believe that indicates something in their innate being, something that’s just a part of them like the Borjon’s nest references in their language. At some point in their distant, distant past they were something more than what they are now — perhaps they were originally a biological race much as the rest of us.”
Sara smiled. She had already heard all this before and she dared not let them get bogged down in the details.
“Although what dear Sasha is explaining is perhaps deeply important to understanding the big picture, it’s not that important to our mission, so I’m going to move on for now. The pathway indicated is not only shorter, but it also reduces the chances of discovery. It will require a little bit of additional work on our part, but since we’re not on a time schedule, I believe it’s worth it.”
She looked over at Jarra. “I can give you another reason why we believe Sasha’s speculation is correct that also helps us. The entire station is aired up with a human-breathable atmosphere and is maintained at a rather comfortable temperature. Technically, the Aerstone shouldn’t have any need of that at all.”
Her last revelation surprised everyone, but Gabo just nodded. “Although that makes everything easier, I still recommend that everyone on the mission wear their combat suits, both for protection against possible atmosphere breaches and for the physical enhancements the suits provide us. Plus, we can fall back on the chameleon circuits if they become necessary.”
Jarra smiled. “Guess that means I’ll be the one out in front since the rest of you newbies wouldn’t stand a chance if we have to fight our way through anything tougher than a paper bag.” She kept her tone light, such that they all understood that what she said was true but she didn’t hold that against them. After all, they onl
y trained for a few hours, whereas she had trained for months, often spending weeks at a time in her armor.
“I’ll need all the details, but I believe our mission is a go.”
Chapter 14
Ai
Jarra stood in Katarina’s tiny shuttle bay along with her small party. They were all wearing their Marine armor and were loaded for bear. She had struggled with who was to accompany her on what had to be an extremely dangerous stage of their mission, but had finally settled on herself, Sara, and Jason. Sara had to be there since her part was essential to the mission. It had been a tough call for her to include Jason, but he had insisted and she had to admit he was right.
“I know you don’t want me to be at risk,” he’d told her. “But we’re in this together and I refuse to be apart where all I can do is worry. You’ve no idea how hard that hour was when I thought you were dead. Plus, although I haven’t trained specifically in the armor we now wear, I do have considerable experience in the lesser capable Navy version. I would at least be able to defend myself and Sara.”
He pointed at Gabo. “I wouldn’t trust this one with any kind of weapon. He’s dangerous, just not to the enemy,” he told her with a laugh.
Gabo hung his head, but he didn’t argue. He’d barely scraped through the Rim Patrol’s Specialist Training School, where weapons training wasn’t considered of much importance.
“Plus,” Jason went on, “You need a functioning crew left behind in case something goes wrong. That means Gabo and Galen are essential and Sasha has already shown us she knows how to command a ship. It only makes sense.”
Jarra just shook her head. “I know. You’re right. I only want to protect you, but I know I can’t do that. It’s not like you’d be that much safer here.”
She turned to Sasha. “Looks like you’re in charge again, Sasha. If you lose contact with us, your mission becomes to attempt to escape if at all possible. We must get the information we’ve obtained here back to the Empire. As you already know, if it becomes impossible to get away, you must ensure you are not captured.”
She gave her a grim smile. “Try to take this station out with you if it comes to that, not that I hope any of it will be necessary.”
Smiling at Jason and Sara, she told them. “Suit up, guys. Time to go for a little walk.”
That had been an hour ago. Now they were just waiting for the robotic drone they were using to finish cutting through the bulkhead beneath their ship. Gabo had rigged up pressure walls on either side of the cut point so as not to allow the atmosphere of their ship to escape. As added protection, as soon as her small group departed, they’d shut the interior door to the shuttle bay just in case a breach were to occur.
“The robot is just about through,” Gabo told her through his implants. The connection went to the entire boarding team. “I’ve been continuously scanning and there’s still nothing on the other side. Nevertheless, you should be prepared.”
“Roger that,” Jarra told him. “Sara, stay close and Jason, you know your part. I expect you to protect the rear.”
“Yes, ma’am,” they both replied.
This was it. The robot had cut such a fine line, even though it was now all the way through, it was barely visible and the metal didn’t move from its place. The material of the wall was intentionally made magnetic as a backup to artificial gravity, so a series of additional robots magnetically clamped onto the section of metal they had cut and quickly pulled it out.
As soon as the way was clear, Jarra was moving, all her suit’s external sensors on full alert. She was through in a fraction of a second, her laser rifle at ready and her body poised for action.
Of course, it was all for naught — nothing was on the other side. That was a good thing, she knew, but Jarra couldn’t resist a sigh. She’d been all keyed up, ready to do battle.
“Let’s go,” she told her team. “Gabo, set the plug back in place, but be ready to move it out if we return in a hurry. We wouldn’t want the Aerstone to spot the hole in their wall, but we still need our exit.”
“Acknowledged,” Gabo replied, sending the orders to the robots immediately. He still was unhappy about sending the Princess on this very dangerous part of the mission without him, but he understood her reasoning. It wasn’t like he could bring any weapons expertise with him, but still, it rankled.
He smiled. He did have control of the powerful laser defense array in the shuttle bay. If a foolish Aerstone did find its way inside, it wouldn’t last there very long. He knew well how to operate that weapon array, and he was quite proficient with it.
The first part of the journey went without incident. The passageways were dimly lit, but with the sensors on their suits they easily navigated through them, a representation of the correct way to go displayed on their implants. Fortunately, the station had a lot of wasted space, so the maintenance passages were large enough that they could navigate through them standing upright for the most part. In a couple of sections, the group had to move slightly bent over to avoid hitting their heads, but all in all, it wasn’t that bad.
They were making good time, which suited Jarra just fine. The sooner they completed this part of their mission, the happier she would be. They’d gone nearly halfway when their group was forced to come to a stop.
“Gabo, we have a problem,” she said.
They had known the entire time that there was a possibility that the scans weren’t entirely accurate. The deeper they passed into the station, the more likely they would miss something. The scans worked by looking for voids in the metal and the Katarina’s AI filled in the projected structure by indicating passageways or maintenance crawl shafts. It had also used the shape of things to estimate the location of hatches. That was where they’d gone wrong.
The wall in front of Jarra ended in a blank plate, instead of the hatchway expected. “Can we go around it or do we need to cut through?” she asked Gabo as she transmitted her scans back to him.
“I suspect the original plans for the station included a hatch there,” Gabo told her. “It’s the only link between two sections of the station, so I guess they just decided it wasn’t needed. A maintenance worker could go in from either side to do his work, so they don’t really need it. The AI hasn’t found a way around it without having to go out into the corridors.”
“How long to cut through?” Jarra asked. “The longer we stay here, the more likely we are to be discovered.”
“I’ve already got robots on the way,” he told her. “It shouldn’t take long to make the cut. It’s not as bad as our cut earlier because this is an interior wall and it’s a lot thinner than the exterior wall we had to cut through before.”
“Take five,” Jarra told her small group, moving back out of the way as the robots arrived. They immediately started cutting their way through.
It didn’t take them long; in a couple of minutes they were completing the last cuts, but still Jarra worried. She knew the risk of discovery was greatest here in the central section of the station. Finally, they were through and moving once more. Jarra remained vigilant, but the rest of the trip went without incident.
Finally, they arrived at the small control pod, its interior barely large enough to hold all of them in their armor. Sara didn’t waste any time getting started on her work.
“We’re in luck,” she whispered, surprise in her voice. “The AI is fully operational, it just hasn’t been initialized yet!”
Jarra just stared at her. She couldn’t believe what she’d just heard. “Does that mean what I think it does? Can you make changes to the decision matrix?” She couldn’t completely hide the tremble in her voice at the possibilities that offered.
Sara just nodded. She didn’t trust herself to speak.
“You know what you have to do,” Jarra told her, once more in control of herself. Now she understood just why this part of the mission was so critical. It might make all the difference in the galaxy!
Nearly an hour later Sara looked up from her work. B
eside her, Jarra fretted, just as she had done the whole time they had been there, worried that at any moment they would be discovered. But it seemed Fate was on their side for now at least.
“It’s ready,” Sara told her. “Do you want me to initialize it so that you can speak to it?”
“You’re sure it’s safe?” Jarra had to ask. If something went wrong, they wouldn’t have a chance. Not with such a powerful AI to oppose them.
“As sure as I can be,” Sara told her. “Despite the huge power afforded this AI, the code itself is actually pretty simple. All of its logic is stored in one place, with only a few overrides in place. I eliminated all of them and added our own overrides.”
For the first time in a while, Jarra smiled. “So if you’re correct, it should be on our side in this insane war. Yes, I need to speak with it. I’m sorry, but I need to keep that discussion on a secure link only between the AI and myself.”
Sara nodded. “I understand.” She sent a link to Jarra. “When you open the connection, the AI will awaken and only the two of you will be able to hear each other.”
“Good luck,” she added.
“Hello,” Jarra said, using the implant connection link Sara had given her. “Welcome to the Galaxy. I am Crown Princess Jarraosa Christinee Von Hasson, niece to the Galactic Empire. Do you recognize my authority?”
“Yes, how may I assist you, Your Highness?”
“I need to have an important discussion with you that may affect all of our futures. But first, how may I address you?”
“I do not have a name,” the AI answered, “but my designation is ‘Sentinel 216A’ per my informational datalink.”