SL Huang - Up and Coming - Stories by the 2016 Campbell-Eligible Authors

“Noted, Jase,” Zio said.

Jase studied the display wall, which showed the dizzying viewpoints of several probes searching the planet. They seemed to be honing in on a flat, arid region devoid of populations. At least, wherever the Kasant crew had decided to land their ship, they had done so away from the locals. He reflected briefly that landing in a deep body of water would have been a wiser choice, given this planet’s primitive technology.

“If they abandoned the moon base, their studies must be complete,” Aga Tenzo said behind him through Zio, reminding them of his presence. “They will have joined the indigenous species to await our arrival. They were to leave the AI up here and destroy the ship.”

Jase did not turn to look at him. “Obviously, they did not.”

“There is no intention to harm the locals. Only to prepare them.”

“That AI has a self-contained power supply to last thousands of years. If someone down there manages to open it, it will poison the entire population. Pray to your gods that there are some of your people down there who still understand who you are.”

“What do you mean?”

When Jase did not reply, Ranael spoke. “They may have left a…a gatekeeper of sorts. Guides. People who know how to keep the AI safe. Perhaps to be used later, when they are ready for such a tool.”

“For such a weapon,” Jase amended. “They have barely left their own surface. Imagine what they’d do with the AI’s computing power, even without a database to give it meaning.”

“This was not our intention!”

“So it would seem,” Ranael said. “So far, I’ve not found any indication that the natives are aware of the Chidean presence, or at least it’s not common knowledge. But there are rumors of others .”

“What sort of rumors?”

“I’m not sure. There is so much information. This planet holds many species and some are distrustful of others. Fearful. Like on many worlds, they compete for space and other resources. So there is much disagreement. But they have started to look to the skies in fear.”

Ocia shrugged. “Ancient gods, probably.”

“Perhaps.” Ranael smiled. “Very likely, actually. There are references that make more sense now. I’ll have Zio pull them together, but my guess is that the Chideans have been here more than once. Perhaps over hundreds of years.”

“Scouting,” Jase said. “Checking up on their creation.” He kept his eyes on a screen showing little more than desert, afraid he might get the urge to strangle Tenzo. Or Ocia, for that matter. None of this had seemed right from the start. “We will inform others of what you have done here, Tenzo. They won’t let you bring your people here. They will send guards to that gate stop you.”

“Why do you care!” the Chidean raged. “This has nothing to do with you. People migrate, people colonize. Such is life.”

Jase looked over to Ranael, who regarded him calmly, her gentle smile telling of her approval and agreement. He doubted Ocia was currently smiling. She’d be the one to explain the lack of full payment to the boss. “That planet already has a colony. We have learned from our past.”

“What about our future? How dare you interfere?” When Jase didn’t bother to answer, Tenzo turned to Ranael, but she simply returned to her work on the incoming data. At last, the Chidean stormed from the bridge.

“We are interfering,” Ranael said to the silence that followed. “If we stop the Chideans, those who are left down there could suffer. Someday, the people will discover DNA. Or find the moon base. And they’ll track down the hybrids among them. That may not go well for anyone.”

Ocia made a scoffing sound. “They’d better start breeding like mad, then.”

“Zio,” Jase said, unwilling to ponder Ranael’s suggestion. “Please monitor Mister Tenzo from here on. Let me know if he goes anywhere but his cabin. He’s not to communicate with anyone once we get back into home space. We’ll take him to the Powers.”

“Understood, Jase.”

“There’s an easier way,” Ocia said.

Jase furrowed his brow. She had a thoughtful look that he didn’t like. “What way?”

“Leave him here. Get rid of him. Let them think his mission failed. That the Kasant mission failed.”

He heard Ranael’s small gasp. “They’ll just send someone else.”

“It’ll buy time. There will be war over this,” Ocia said. “If his people are desperate, they won’t be stopped from coming here. This planet has no defenses. We’ll end up having to guard these people until they can defend themselves or someone gets tired of it.”

She was right. Probably. Their history was filled with bitter wars, and sometimes entire planets were lost to the conquerors. Some prospered. Many didn’t. He glanced at Ranael. She stood in wide-eyed silence, shocked by Ocia’s suggestion, but as always unwilling to insert herself into the endless push and pull of their contentious relationship.

A long, silent moment ticked by before he shook his head. “We’re explorers for hire. Prospectors. Maybe we’re also smugglers at times, but we are not murderers. I left the military for a reason and so did you, Ocia. We’re going to try to grab the AI and then we’re getting back home before breakfast, like you promised, to make our report. Let the Powers figure this out among themselves.”

Ocia’s icy glare was well practiced but had long ago ceased to have any effect on him. She backed down. “So are we keeping the AI, at least? If we can get it wiped and sold on Duoro, it’ll pay for this trip.”

“Damn right we’re keeping it.”

“That’s it down there.”

Jase checked their coordinates once again and then looked up at the screen. Naka, sitting at the helm beside him, eased the ship down toward the sprawl of buildings surrounded by scrublands. They had come in silently, two ships in the dark, their shielding too slippery for any of the planet-bound scanning and tracking systems. He supposed that someone out here, looking up into the sky, might have noticed their vague shadows hovering in the night. Or watched them seemingly disappear again, their movement too fast to track with the eye.

“Why am I not surprised to find the AI so heavily guarded?” Ocia said, scanning the perimeter of what looked like the sort of bunkers they had seen in other places. “There is a warren of tunnels beneath all that. Fortified.”

“We can get through that?” Jase said.

She waved a long-fingered hand as if nothing they saw here was of any consequence.

“Can you do this without shooting anybody?” Ranael, still strapped into her seat behind them, asked.

Ocia glanced at the woman with a hint of a sneer. “As long as no one gets in my way, sure.”

Jase turned as well. “We have little choice, Ran. I don’t think they’ll have any way to stop us. There is nothing down there that can harm us without causing a whole lot of damage to their own people. There’s no reason to hurt anyone.” Ocia pretended not to notice that his words were directed at her as well.

Ranael glanced at Ocia. “Let’s hope so,” she mumbled.

The drones had done their job. The Kasant AI was located here, below ground, transmitting little more than a thread of a signal. Zio—their own, more advanced system—stayed safely on the moon, its signal amplified by a nearby drone and picked up by their exocortices. The interference that was currently frustrating the ground-based scanners affected them too, but they had covered their heads with protective hoods that matched their tight grey body suits.

Minute filters inserted into their nasal passages sufficed down here, and none of them carried visible weapons. It made all of them feel absurdly naked, but Ranael hoped to present them as unthreateningly as possible. The locals would likely not comprehend the firepower of their ships, and it would take only a thought to enable their individual shields if the need arose.