Марта Уэллс - Network Effect

I could see the others on ART’s cameras, digesting the information with increasingly concerned expressions. Overse said, “So the memory Perihelion had of firing on a corporate transport never actually took place?”

ART didn’t answer. I think it was upset. I was also upset, but somebody had to be the adult here. (I was used to ART being the adult.) I said, “From the navigation, sensor, and status data I reviewed, weapons were not fired until ART encountered our facility in Preservation space. And there is no archival video or interior sensor data of the docking with the B-E explorer, or of the arrival and docking of the shuttle Eletra and Ras said they were aboard.” I didn’t like to say it aloud, but I had to. “ART was compromised not long after the first contact with the explorer and its shuttle. Something first removed and then significantly altered sections of its personal memory.”

The humans were quiet, taking that in. Then Ratthi said, “Poor ART. Excuse me, poor Perihelion .”

Arada grimaced in agreement. “It’s disturbing. The B-E explorer must have arrived in the system first and was attacked. Taken over? By our friends the Targets. But if the supply transport actually exists, where is it now?”

Overse frowned. “It might have been destroyed. We have to assume Perihelion ’s crew are being held prisoner on the explorer.”

“Is the explorer armed?” Ratthi asked worriedly. “I hate being shot at.”

Again, ART didn’t answer. I said, “Probably.” For a reclamation project in a technically uninhabited system, it would be easier for Barish-Estranza to afford a license and bond for an armed ship.

Thiago paced in front of the med platform, his arms folded. “ Perihelion and I have translated the speech that SecUnit recorded and it was… confusing at best. The Targets—and we are going to have to come up with something else to call them—spoke of a need to complete their mission, but never said what the mission was.”

Ratthi added, “And they all have implants like Eletra’s.”

The other humans looked like they didn’t know what to think about that. I didn’t know what to think about it, either.

Arada said, “But could you tell if there was alien remnant exposure?”

“The scan isn’t showing anything that matches the list of known strange synthetics or organic alien remnants.” Ratthi glanced at Thiago for confirmation. “But that doesn’t eliminate the possibility.”

Thiago said, “Statistics suggest there are many undiscovered alien remnant sites, and many others that no one has been able to get close enough to to analyze their component materials. And the scan is turning up traces of unidentifiable elements in their bodies. We can’t tell if they’re naturally occurring elements or strange synthetics until we have planetary survey data to compare them to.”

Ratthi gestured and sent some scan results into the feed for the others to look at. “And those suits they’re wearing do have a factory code stamped on them. I can’t read it and Perihelion ’s database can’t identify it, though that might be because of the reinitialization or the memory archive issues. But I suspect they came in the supplies for one of the two colonies, either the original one or the corporate colony seeded by Adamantine.”

Thiago said, “What we do know for certain is that the Targets were altered to look as they do. We don’t know if they did it to themselves or if it was an accidental exposure to a dangerous alien remnant. If they weren’t all dead, we could ask them.”

Yeah, that was aimed at me.

“If they weren’t all dead, they’d be trying to kill us, or stick implants in us,” Amena grumbled, still off-feed and crunching vegetable matter.

Overse spread her hands. “Where does this leave Eletra? Were SecUnit and Amena meant to rescue her and her friend? Were they meant to be… spies, possibly?”

“I think that’s too far-fetched.” Arada’s forehead scrunched in thought. “The Targets couldn’t have any idea SecUnit would be capable of seizing control of the ship when they brought it aboard. They thought they were looking for a weapon, not a person, so why set an elaborate trap with spies?”

Overse slumped in her chair, frustrated. “Right, that’s true.” She looked tired. I suspected it was a bad idea to have a meeting when all the humans were running out of brain capacity.

Ratthi added, “I think Eletra is telling the truth, that her memories were altered, just like Perihelion ’s were.”

“You just want to believe the best about everyone,” Overse said, still a little skeptical.

Ratthi snorted. “No, that’s Thiago. I’m optimistic but a realist.”

Thiago looked mildly insulted.

“No, that’s me,” Arada corrected, and smiled at Overse. “I’m an optimist.”

“We know, honey.” Overse squeezed her shoulder.

Thiago said, “Amena, are you back on the feed? What is your opinion of Eletra? Do you think she told you the truth, that she didn’t remember what happened?”

Amena seemed surprised to be asked for an opinion, but she swallowed what she was eating and said on the general feed, At first I thought so. They were both so worried about proprietary information and getting in trouble, that seemed real to me. Now… I don’t think she’s afraid enough . She was frustrated, trying to think how to explain. I think she’s either lying, or something has messed with her mind so much that she doesn’t know what happened, and now she’s afraid to admit it.

Arada looked up at the ceiling. “ Perihelion, can you tell us anything else? What do you think happened?”

ART hadn’t said anything, and that was beginning to worry me. ART likes to give its opinion and I’m not even sure “likes” is the right word there, but basically, ART gives its opinion whether you like it or not. It was beginning to feel strange that it hadn’t weighed in yet to tell the humans they were missing something obvious or weren’t approaching the problem the right way or whatever.

When it still didn’t respond, I said, “ART is trying to reassemble its log data right now. It’ll be out of contact for a short time.”

Amena squinted suspiciously at me. “Is that true?” she whispered.

I made a gesture I was hoping she would interpret as “Please don’t tell them I’m lying.”

Arada said, “Thank you, SecUnit.” She scratched her fingers through her short hair, like she was trying to get her thoughts together. This was definitely a problem; the humans needed to recharge or sleep or whatever or their decision-making abilities would be even worse than usual. She continued, “So, right, none of this fundamentally changes our objectives. We still need to find Perihelion ’s crew, but at least now we know our first step is to track down the explorer.”

I was hoping ART would comment, even if it was going to say something like “or else,” but there was nothing.

Thiago had been looking thoughtful, which I tried not to see as a bad sign. He said, “Arada, I’d like to get Eletra back into Medical for a thorough neurological scan. Also, that will give me a chance to speak to her myself. I’ll review Amena’s full report and then see if I can get us any more information.”

Arada told Thiago, “Good idea. Optimism aside, we need to know if she’s lying and plotting something or if she genuinely thinks she’s telling the truth. Let’s try to get as much information as we can before… before anything else happens.”

I established a private connection to Arada’s feed and told her, You all need a rest period .

Arada hesitated, then she winced and rubbed her temple. You’re probably right about that. I’ll talk to the others.