Beyond the Gates of Antares, page 9
“Fine, so what can it do?”
“MyShard, how are things going?”
“I have been processing your previous requests. I have links to surveillance spores in which the Raya is involved. I have historical information on the SITAI and their Janissaries.”
“Give it to me. No, wait. What’s happening with the Raya?” An image slowly formed on his lens implant: the Raya sat in a small conference room facing Defender and Second. Two warrior drones hovered in the background.
“Can you get sound, MyShard? Or sharpen up the image?”
“What are you doing?” asked Baray.
“Hush, I’m trying to listen in on the Raya. He’s negotiating something.” The image solidified and the sound faded in from his binaural implants.
The Raya was speaking, his voice still cracked with age but now much more firm that it had been earlier. “...relatively common practice amongst some houses. It only makes sense. The ferals are primitive, need restraining.”
“You possess enlightened thought processes. We have few Janissaries, have had to transport them many light-years. Not all survive the journey in hibernation. They not only need replenishment but also greater genetic diversity. How many can you supply?”
“As many as you need. Millions. They are only biological-substrate dependent organics, after all. I have some similar on my ship.”
“Those will be useful. What about access through the gate?”
“I can give you keys to systems that have no advanced organic life but which you can make your own.” The Raya smiled emptily. “You are already capable of building the shielding to withstand the photosphere of Antares.”
“And in return?”
“I use your technology to transcend my meld-partner and I.”
“Two minds in symbiosis? Our experience shows such a situation to be highly unstable.”
“Two advanced minds in a symbiotic, technological meld. NuHu are highly advanced, as dissimilar to humans as you are.”
Defender interrupted. “We must test our governance implants on your cattle before negotiations can continue.”
“You can use some of my Tamalair and the two you have captured.”
Batu gasped. “What is it?” asked Baray.
“He’s betraying us. Wait.”
“...the captured pair superior specimens? One claimed to be of high status.”
“He is a human, of no consequence. A renegade. She is a soldier, a good test for advanced Janissary functioning.”
“Very well.” Defender backed away, leaving Second to finish the conversation.
“We shall put it to the Consensuality. However, expect agreement.” It bobbed and a Janissary entered with the Raya’s stave. “I have decided to return your property as a gesture of goodwill.” The NuHu snatched his stave from the Janissary’s hands.
The doors closed behind the drones and the Raya were left on their own.
The image faded and Batu slumped down on a bunk. He rested his head against the wall and rubbed his face. “We are in deep, deep trouble.”
“Don’t keep me in the dark, Batu.” Baray’s expression turned grim as he explained what he had heard and seen. She waited until he had finished before speaking. “Never trust a renegade NuHu,” she growled. “Batu, what else can you influence?”
“I can’t access their military layers, yet. They’re too secure.”
“So you can’t get us out, yet?”
“MyShard, anything key about their technology? Summary, please, major points.”
“They do not have stasis nor transmat technology. Their nanosphere is an open medium, the first planet in the system already mined to produce the components. Their own planet is being replanted with food for the Janissaries but is mostly abandoned. Most of their life is on orbitals like this.”
“No transmat or stasis.”
“Of course not. What use would AIs have for either technology? They can transmit themselves across systems at light speed and stasis would give no advantage over storage matrices.” She thought for a moment. “But why do they need Janissaries at all? They transcend, become SITAI, but promptly bring back humans – us organics – when they encounter them in another star system. At sub-light speeds, too. What aren’t we seeing?”
“What’s wrong with humans?”
“We’re resource-heavy. Think of this orbital: without humans, the SITAI could turn it into a huge research or recreational space, get rid of most of the life support and use hot and cold, shadow and sunlight differentials better. Instead they induce simulated gravity and turn it into a home for their slaves. It’s a long-term investment, incredibly costly. There must be something more.”
“Where is the money?” murmured Batu.
“They don’t need it, I guess. They don’t yet deal with anyone from Antarean space.”
“I meant, where is the advantage? Is it trade, politics, reputation, resources?”
Baray snapped her fingers. “Long-term. Of course. These guys knew about the gate, just couldn’t get through it. I mean, they must be almost immortal – unless something happens to their backups, they’re like millions of individual IMTels – they last forever.” She paced up and down the cell. “They knew someone would come through sooner or later.”
“Yes.” Batu was confused. “But what’s that got to do with the Janissaries? These guys can do anything – pure IMTel, you’ve just said.”
Baray smiled. “What’s the worst thing you can do to C3 forces?”
“Everyone knows that. Subverter attacks. Ruins the...” Batu stopped and sighed. “Of course.”
“Yeah. Totally befuddles the drones. So they need support that’s immune to subverters.”
“Hence the Janissaries.” Batu whistled softly. “Once through the gates, though, they’ll be unstoppable. They’re resource-constrained at the moment – hardware and organic. They’ve already had to take apart a couple of planets and they must be worrying about disrupting the system balance. With more resources, there is nothing to stop them copying themselves into millions more drone bodies.”
“And with the ferals and Tamalair the Raya’s promised them...” Baray fell silent.
Batu nodded and tried to sound brighter than he felt. “All the support they need. Yeah, that’s the money.”
* * *
Batu was dozing when Baray shook him awake. “The Raya is nearby!” she whispered. “Find out where.”
Batu sat up. “How do you know?”
Baray tapped her head. “I’ve picked up his attempts to communicate with the ship. He’s as isolated as I am. The local nanosphere doesn’t respond to him.”
Batu rubbed his eyes. “They don’t trust him yet, then.” He switched modes. “MyShard, find out, will you?”
“How do you...?” began Baray. She caught herself. “Right. If they did they’d have allowed him access.”
“Whilst I cannot open the doors due to military grade protocols, I can access the surveillance grid. He is accompanied by the two Tamalair from the shuttle. Unfortunately, he also has some Janissaries and a SITAI drone. One of the Janissaries is For-Defender.”
A door morphed into existence. For-Defender stepped into the cell. “Please, come with us. We have been asked to perform some... contamination tests on your physiology.” Over the Janissary’s shoulder, Batu was sure he could see a smirk from the Raya.
“That’s nice, isn’t it, Baray? And after the tests you’ll let us go?”
“Then you will be released from detention, yes.”
Crafty little snikes, thought Batu. “Come along, then.” He swept out with Baray in tow, gratified to see that the combat drone and the Raya’s escort had to catch up with him. “This way?” He headed down a corridor toward a grav-shaft MyShard highlighted on his enhanced reality. Along the corridor sat the blue and orange Defender with a pair of gun drones as escort.
Batu increased his pace and waved. “Defender! Good to see you. We’re being released – after some infectious body tests, I believe.” He fixed his expression into a smile. “MyShard, I hope you have called us a space in the grav-shaft.”
“I am at full, anticipatory functioning, Batu. The doors will open in moments to a large gap in the traffic.”
“You should probably have done such tests when we first landed,” said Baray.
“What are those doors?” said Batu. He turned toward Baray and inclined his head toward the grav-shaft access.
Baray frowned briefly, but then caught on. “I have no idea.” She turned to the Tamalair. “Do you know?” she asked in Tamalair, then Batu caught a slight defocus in her eyes as she transmitted a private message.
The Raya opened his mouth; Baray kicked the stave from his hands, caught it before it hit the floor, and whirled, knocking the Raya and the two guards to the floor. The doors opened. Batu grabbed the startled Tamalair by the shoulders and threw himself into the grav-shaft, pulling them with him by sheer momentum. Baray jumped in behind as flechettes hammered into the closing doors.
They floated up the shaft. Above and below them were startled Janissaries and taciturn drones. Any shots would cause considerable damage. Except. “We’ll have to get out as soon as possible. They’ll open the doors and shoot.”
Baray looked grim. “I know. They can just restore their own kind and they don’t care about the Janissaries.”
“Quite.”… “MyShard?”
An exit became rimmed in pseudo-color. “These doors lead into a Janissary warren which eventually exits onto the landing dock.”
“What’s happening?” stammered a Tamalair, breaking free of Batu’s hold.
“We’re saving your life,” said Baray. “They were going to replace your Delhren interfaces with their own governance implants – you’d become zombies.”
“We did not give such permission,” said the Tamalair. “That is dishonorable. And you?”
“Us too,” said Baray. She put her hand on Batu’s shoulder. “I hope you have a plan, sire.”
“MyShard does.” The doors opened. Gravity shifted and they were ejected smoothly from the shaft into a corridor that noticeably curved up to either side. He felt lighter. “We must be close to the spine,” said Batu. “This way.”
He led the way, following the twisting track MyShard displayed on his enhanced reality. “Batu, I have calculated a path that should expose us to minimum lines of fire.”
“Thanks. I’ll take your word for it, MyShard.” He glanced at Baray who jogged beside him, the Raya’s bizarre stave still in her hand: the stasis shielding had become transparent to reveal the shrunken head. It swiveled and, though its mummified eyelids were closed, it seemed to be taking in the corridors as they passed.
“It’s still alive,” he gasped, then had to back track a couple of steps as MyShard flashed up a translucent wall before him. “Oops. Back this way.”
Baray followed his gaze, gasped, and almost dropped the stave. Her eyes defocused a moment. “I can’t communicate with it, but there is something there, in the stave.” She frowned at the globe in puzzlement. “It’s just not responding.”
“We’re probably too primitive,” said Batu. He turned down a narrow corridor.
Janissaries stepped out from doors ahead of them and looked surprised to see the four of them. Batu pushed through, closely followed by the others. “Excuse us.” The Janissaries offered no resistance as they passed. They rushed on, turned a corner.
“All initiative’s been taken from them,” said Baray. They heard shouting from behind them. “That sounds like orders being given. I think they know where we’re going,” she said. Running footsteps could be heard from around the corner.
“MyShard?”
“I have readied a landing area alignment bay.”
“Prep two. We don’t want them to guess where we’re going.”
“Very well.”
“Close whatever doors and bulkheads you can behind us.” Even as he gave the order, he heard clangs and crashes from behind, yelps of pain. He slowed; despite his exercise regime, he felt out of breath from the constant running.
“Comms indicate armed squads are heading toward the loading bay. Mostly drones, not Janissaries.”
“They’re anticipating a blow-out,” gasped Batu to Baray. The arrow abruptly changed direction and the Tamalair crashed into him. “Other way.”
“Beware,” cautioned MyShard. A wall blew out ahead of them and the lights turned out in the corridor. A squad of Janissaries charged through, shooting randomly. Batu dived into a side corridor and rolled back to his feet. He could see nothing in the dark, and his ears were ringing. Unable to see or hear the others, he had to trust MyShard’s projected directions.
“This way!” he called and scrambled forward. A door became highlighted in green and opened into a large lift. He turned as the doors closed: Baray and the Tamalair were nowhere to be seen.
“Artificial gravity,” warned MyShard and the floor lurched.
The opposite door opened to show his shuttle; the ramp was still lowered. Batu poked his head out warily: the hangar was empty. “I have sealed all entrances,” said MyShard. Batu trotted across to the shuttle, his footsteps echoing around the empty bay. Once in, he hit the manual seal on the lock and leant back against a bulkhead to gather his breath.
“Where’s Baray?”
“She is stuck in a firefight. She and the Tamalair disarmed the Janissaries and now have their weapons.”
“Why is no one here?”
MyShard picked up his meaning. “I have hidden your presence from the surveillance circuits, set up numerous subroutines to muddy nanosphere transmission around you.”
“You can do that?”
“In a relatively unsecured nanosphere anyone can. IMTel and the C3 Special Forces do it all the time.”
“Good man... er, thing, MyShard.”
“Thank you. I suggest you go to the bridge. My priority is now to get you off this orbital.”
“Without Baray and the others?”
“Correct. Your safety overrides all my other functions. I am a Doma shard interface, after all.”
“Baray won’t like it.”
“She will understand.”
“What about the transmat?”
“I still have no access to the Raya’s nanosphere and he has locked out even manual operation.”
Great. Batu made his way forward and strapped himself into the pilot’s chair. “Okay, MyShard, launch. Or is this manual, too?”
“Manual only.”
“Do you know how long it’s been since pilot school?” Batu flicked the manual override and projected controls appeared above the console. They were archaic, unfamiliar to him. He fumbled his way through the activation sequence – power, engines, shielding, life support.
An explosion and a booming clang erupted from the exterior microphones.
“What was that?” He scooted over to the sensor console and tried to operate the unfamiliar interface. Instead, an image formed on his ER overlay: Baray, the Tamalair, and a frightened Janissary in front of a fire-blackened launch bay door. Shots ricocheted off the walls to either side. Baray and the Tamalair whirled and shot back down the corridor with SITAI weapons.
“They’re here, MyShard?”
“Outside, yes.”
“I think we’d better let them in.”
“There is a risk the SITAI...”
“Not half as bad a risk if Baray found out I was going without her. Open it a crack.”
“Very well.” The second bay door slid open a body’s width. Shouts came from outside and a Janissary was pushed through. Then came the Tamalair, one with the Raya’s stave, and finally Baray. The heavy door boomed shut.
Baray glared at Batu through the cockpit’s transparency. He could sense her accusation but shook his head and reactivated the ramp. They four of them ran on board, the Tamalair threw the Raya’s stave to the deck.
Baray thrust their captive into a couch. “Strap him in, securely.” The Tamalair obeyed and Baray swung into the co-pilot’s station. “You weren’t going without us, were you?”
“No,” said Batu, innocently. “I was just warming it up. I can’t remotely fly this thing.”
Baray was unconvinced. “Still no connection to the Death?” He shook his head. “Give me control.” He swiped the controls over to her console.
The console projection morphed into a pair of NuHu standing beside each other. Each resembled younger versions of the Raya and were surrounded by a halo of sparkling particles streaming from IMTel staves.
“Are you doing that, sir?”
“No.” Batu glanced at the Raya’s stave. The stasis field was a swirling, multicolored pool, hiding the disembodied head within. The image above the console altered, faded to a single Raya, this one aged, the one they knew. The image shifted again, this time to a stave, then back to the Raya.
“MyShard, is our ‘sphere breached?”
“Not yet.”
“It’s not the SITAI,” said Batu. “It’s internal.”
Baray stared at the images as they cycled through again. She released the seat constraints, picked up the stave. “I think it’s this.”
“But it’s not making sense.”
“It wants the Raya.”
“We can’t pick him up. Without a lock for the transmat we’d need to go after him physically.” Batu pushed back in his seat as the images over the console abruptly changed: a transmat ring, the stave, the Raya, then the original three images.
“It’s just displaying things we mention,” said Batu.
Baray watched the cycle through one more time. “It’s picking the images up from my interface. Wait.” She dashed back through to the hold.
“Where are you going?” Batu glanced outside. The door to the bay was red-hot, air shimmering before it. “We can’t hang around,” he called. “They’ll be through any moment.” There was no answer. He cursed, undid his belt, and barked an order at the closest Tamalair. “Sit here, for goodness sake.” He ran through after Baray.
The stave was on the transmat console, a physical cable winding from its manual interface port to the transmat controls. “I think it knows where the Raya is. There’s a homing link between them.”
