Stephen Berry - The AI War

"Too easy an answer, Commodore," said the AI.

Suddenly they were all standing in gunnery control, snow puddling at their feet, K'Lana and T'Ral gaping at them.

I won't trouble you for my gun, Harrison, said a voice in the Terran's head. John looked down as his side arm vanished.

Stephen Ames Berry

The AI War

"Here it comes," said R'Gal. He sat back, staring at the symbols threading across the complink.

"You're running a bleed-back," said N'Trol. He stood in the small circle that clustered around the gunnery console.

Entering gunnery control, R'Gal had gone to the dead console, sat and typed rapidly into the complink. D'Trelna had grunted as the complink came on, a small light amid the otherwise dark controls.

"What's a bleed-back?" asked John. He'd found over the past few years that though the technical details of a starship's systems were beyond him, what those systems did and why was usually clear.

"Bleed-back's a way of making the executing program display an algorithm," said N'Trol, intent on the complink screen. "You need Imperial machine code to do it, though-we have only the overlay code Fleet used."

"That's it," said R'Gal, tapping the screen as the readout finished.

"It's not even half a line long!" exclaimed the Terran. "And it's immobilized this huge ship?"

"E equals M C squared takes up even less space," said K'Raoda.

"There was a philosopher once," said R'Gal, busy at the keyboard again, "who maintained that all knowledge could be reduced to three bars." He whistled the three bars as he finished. "Ready, Commodore," he said, looking at D'Trelna.

"What now?" asked D'Trelna uneasily. He knew their mission lay in alien hands-knew it, and hated it.

"I've changed one variable," said R'Gal. "It should purge the system and restore computer. "But"-he held up a finger-"it may not restore the overlay-certainly the overlay will be permeable. It's going to need work."

"We can get along without the overlay," said L'Wrona. "Anything else?"

R'Gal nodded. "Ship'll be dead for a while-no power."

"Define 'a while,' " said N'Trol. "It gets very cold, very fast out here."

"A few moments only-long enough for Alpha Prime to wipe you."

They all glanced at the mindslaver, holding station at the other end of the Egg's weird shield.

"And the corsair?" said the commodore.

"Once we're operational, I can send them the algorithm," said R'Gal. "Providing their communications are still up. Otherwise, I'll take it over and enter it personally."

"Fine," said D'Trelna. "Do it."

R'Gal pressed Go.

Nothing happened for a moment, then the complink winked off. Outside, the shield disappeared-as did Alpha Prime.

K'Raoda broke the silence. "She jumped," he said, staring through the armorglass. "Why didn't she blast us?"

"Perhaps she was already jump-plotted," said N'Trol.

"He's right," said R'Gal. "You flatter yourselves to think you're the R'Actolians' lead priority. Wouldn't it be nice to know where she's going in such a rush?" he added.

A faint chirp, then lights and instruments came back on. A gentle rush of warm air filled the room as life systems returned to normal. Outside, restored to its usual configuration, the faint haze of the shield enfolded Implacable.

"Excuse me," said N'Trol, replacing R'Gal at the complink. Calling up ship's status, he watched as the readout scrolled by, L'Wrona hanging over his shoulder. When it had finished, captain and engineer exchanged glances.

"She'll do," said N'Trol. "Hangar deck's a mess, some of the electronics are crisped, and the computer's going to have some glitches, no doubt. But she'll do."

It was a moment D'Trelna never forgot-N'Trol smiling. He'd never seen it before, and would see it only a few more times.

"You can reoccupy the bridge, Captain," continued the engineer, rising. "I'll be updating damage control reports. Which I can best do from engineering." He started from the room, but turned as the door hissed open. "Thank you," he said to R'Gal.

The AI nodded. "You're welcome, Engineer."

The door closed.

The room was noticeably warmer. "Commander K'Raoda," said John easily, unfastening his survival jacket, "what've you done with my wife?"

There was an awkward silence, broken by D'Trelna's, "Well, what did you do with her, T'Lei?"

"I was the last to see her, Harrison," said R'Gal. "We were searching the lifepods, S'Cotar hunting. Guan-Sharick- we assume-launched her in a lifepod."

"We tried to recall it, John," said K'Raoda, a hand to the Terran's shoulder. "But its onboard systems had been tampered with-no response."

John carefully removed the K'Ronarin's hand from his shoulder. "Track it," he said icily.

"Impossible, once it's jumped," said K'Raoda.

"It couldn't have jumped that fast, K'Raoda," said John. "There must have been something you could do- other than freeze."

K'Raoda's face reddened. "The ship was disintegrating, Harrison. My first responsibility-"

"Stop!" D'Trelna stepped between the two, forcing each back a step. "Harrison, L'Wrona, R'Gal, my office-now. Commander K'Raoda, get this ship back to normal. Advise the corsair that K'Tran is dead and A'Tir is a prisoner. Further advise them that we have the algorithm, but will not transmit it until they turn Victory Day over to a prize crew and are locked in their own brig. Commander T'Ral to command the prize crew. And transfer A'Tir there once Victory Day's secured."

"Yes, sir," said K'Raoda, heading for the bridge.

"Let's go," said the commodore, leading the two humans and the AI from gunnery.

Alone in the room, K'Lana quickly secured the tactical commweb, leaving for the bridge as the gunnery control crew returned.

"What are you, R'Gal?" asked D'Trelna, pouring brandy into the four glasses on his desk.

"A loyal citizen of the Confederation," said the AI, accepting a glass. "It must have been very cold in here," he added, looking at the slivers of ice floating in the bell-mouthed goblet.

They satin D'Trelna's office, the Terran and the captain in armchairs to D'Trelna's right, R'Gal alone in the center of the sofa.

"'We're lucky to be alive and drinking it," said the commodore, sipping. "Surely a robot can't enjoy a drink?"

R'Gal sighed. "I resemble your concept of a robot, Commodore, about as much as you do an arboreal primate." He sipped carefully, avoiding the ice.

"What are you going to do about Zahava?" demanded John. His drink sat untouched on the edge of D'Trelna's desk.

"What I can," said D'Trelna. "Which right now is nothing."

He turned back to the AI. "Loyalty," he prompted.

"I'll tell you what I told K'Raoda," said R'Gal. Setting his drink down on the long, low table, he leaned back in the sofa. "About a million years ago, we, the AIs as you inaccurately call us, invaded this reality-this very quadrant, in fact. We'd conquered our own island galaxy, subjugated the other primary species there. We realized that to become a static civilization was to become extinct. So, we invented a reality linkage, a device that accentuated certain weaknesses at a certain point in the fabric of space-time. We came pouring through the Rift we'd created, right out there," he nodded toward the armorglass and Blue Nine. "Our finest fleets, our best commanders. Almost immediately, we met the Trel." He smiled ruefully. ''They handed us our ass, as the Terrans say. Retreating through the Rift, certain of our units seeded this space with a plague bacillus. The Trel sealed the portal behind us, and died."

"Nice," said the commodore. "So, you exterminated the Trel."

R'Gal picked up his drink. He examined the amber liqueur, swirling it gently. "Yes," he said, looking up. "We've never been very good losers." He drained the glass and set it back on the traq-wood table.