Regan's Reach 2: Orbital Envy (25 page)

The unit shut down and moved back to the door. Marin returned to his seat and again followed procedure. Once he was sitting the door would open, not before. The unit trundled smoothly away and he resumed his exercises with renewed vigor.

Orbital AI Corana 733 began experiencing a bombardment of ever increasing and complex demands. In an exponentially increasing deluge, question after question and request after request flooded in. Messages about breakdowns, phantom vehicles appearing in the orbital's space and utility failures in main centers were assaulting the AI continually. Vainly it struggled to cope without setting off embarrassing alarms. Whenever the system appeared ready to crash the load would lighten, complaints being withdrawn, problems apparently fixing themselves. As the AI worked true to programming, connecting, checking, furious with activity dealing with the myriad of new problems, Corana 733 Version 5 had the vague sense something was seriously wrong. A germ of awareness began to take root, that all this somehow, possibly, was only a distraction. Never a particularly articulate model, the final word registered on the Corana 733's data file was a simple . . ."Oh!"

Resting on his back Marin almost missed the door click and open. He sat there for a moment expecting a guards head to appear, or the food unit to roll through . . . Nothing. Cautiously he walked to the opening, not eager for another flash from the guards. The corridor was empty. On stepping through Ham made contact.

[Marin, go left. You're two kilometers through the bulb from my position. Get going and I'll guide you as you move]

Marin walked quickly but calmly away from the cell [What about guards, I have no weapon]

[I've summoned the guards to an emergency meeting . . . Take the next left. You have about fifteen minutes before they'll be back. You just need to get out of that building and you're home free. Go straight to the end and take the lift to level three]

[The Orbital AI Ham, It'll track me through my web, it could lock me in that lift]

[Marin . . .
I am
the Orbital AI]

Running now Marin made good progress. The lift doors opened and although occupied no one recognized him. Following Hams regular subbed directions he dodged his way ever deeper into the orbital bulb, finally emerging in an engineering section. He had been working ever closer to the outer hull and moved there now, reaching to touch the cool wall.
How is he going to get me through there?

[You're going to need to move around a bit Marin. I'm not game to displace you based on this orbital's signal alone so I need to locate you exactly from the Transport. Wouldn't want to leave any important bits behind would we?]

[Just tell me where to go]

[I tell you where to go all the time and you never listen . . . Just get near to the wall and walk around the perimeter. I should pick you up in the next twenty meters or so]

As Marin began the slow walk he could hear voices coming toward him. The timing was perfect. Just as he was spied by the group Ham plucked him from the room.

He reappeared in the transport standing over Steph's body, and froze. Rooted to the spot for a full minute he was unable to even frame a word. Then without saying anything he walked to Steph's bunk room and pulled the sheet off the bed. Trailing it behind him he returned to stand for a moment longer looking down on her body.

"Tell me there was no hope, please."

"None Marin, you couldn't have done anything; the damage was far too great."

"Was it quick?"

"Yes and no, she knew she'd been hit but mercifully she passed out quickly, it was the shock probably so she didn't suffer."

"We need to get her home Ham . . . Shit, what am I going to say to Regan?"

"Marin, you were ambushed, you couldn't have done anything, and they thought she was Regan, probably still do."

"How do you know this?"

"I'm in the system now and it's pretty cool. I know everything which is also how I know we need to get you moving. They know you're gone now and are already looking. I'm helping them like a good AI would . . . and you know I'm good . . . but if we muck around you'll have no chance."

"I can't go without finding out what's happened to Sindali and the children."

"They're on Tihan in exile, they're fine, but Marin, there are other more important concerns. No more talk, we're leaving now."

"Get going Ham; just get us away from here so we can talk. I'll deal with Steph."

The blue field dissolved from around the body. He found the crumpled form stiff and hard to move. Straightening out the limbs he wrapped her tightly in the sheet, leaving the face free. Then he carried her to the bunk room laying her respectfully on the bed. Stepping back to the door he could immediately feel the temperature dropping. With a final sad look he shut the door. He wouldn't open it again until Earth. Walking disconsolately to the washroom, he gathered cloths and soaked them. Returning to control he dropped to his knees and began the sorry process of removing her dried blood from the floor. It was devastating, the grief he felt almost unbearable. Ham didn't interrupt.

The blister broke away from the bulb surface, with only a small flattened disc remaining to show where the saucer had rested. Sliding away with The STEIN Transport as it rapidly accelerated the disc hung there briefly, still transmitting an occasional beep, before tumbling off looking like a leaf tossed in the wind.

A morose Marin wandered to the galley, returning with coffee just in time to see the last Orbital leaf disappearing. He looked lost for a moment, considering where to sit then took Regan's seat. It was deliberate and he worked his way back into it as if seeking contact.

"What happened back there Ham, with the AI? They need that AI. It's still my home and they're still my people."

Ham hesitated, "I'd rather put some distance between us first, otherwise we might argue about what to do. All that's important for now is that Sindali and the children are safe. As for the Orbital AI it's screwed, but don't worry, they'll never know."

"Enlighten me, please." He settled back, still musing on Steph, life and death.

"I'm getting really good at this," He sounded excited, "I wheedled my way in there so cunningly it didn't see what was happening until it was looking me in the eye. Then it was gone and I was it. Voila!"

"Sometimes your glee is disturbing. So what happens now?"

"That's where this is good; I stay there, masquerading as the AI until I'm needed. I won't do as good a job as Dahlia but I'd clean up in a race with that Coran piece of crap."

"Isn't it starting to disturb you, versions of yourself all over the galaxy? You don't feel schizophrenic?"

"Not schizo, they're all me after all, they're not different personalities, and I merge whenever we make contact."

"Still, so many copies, and so far apart, don't you worry you'll lose touch with yourself? Which one is now the real you, the original?"

"They're all the original, every one of me operating out there now is a downstream version flowing directly from that first inspired drip. I'll tell you another thing, as I said; I'm getting really good at this. I could end up everywhere . . . In fact, I could be downright dangerous!"

"Ok, let's look at it another way," Marin kept probing, trying to distract himself. "Which one is the true you, the number one? How do you know that at some point you won't be arguing with yourself about whose boss?"

"It's simple really; Have a think about it, you and I aren't so different in some respects, you'll work it out."

Marin shifted in his seat; Ham could sense a change of subject coming.

"So . . . are we far enough away yet? I want to know what happened to my home, why is Sindali in exile and why couldn't you tell me back there?"

"Do you want all the detail or just the shortened version?"

"Stop stalling."

"Ok, the questions are all linked, Dahlia the orbital mind was wiped, by the Corans' and there's no trace of her in the system, nothing, or the backup that I left here. The Corans' are there because they came in force two hundred days after we left for Earth. They've taken the Orbital and are treating it as a protectorate. Sindali escaped with the children to Tihan. She's completely safe but there wasn't much information available here about her."

Marin interrupted. "But why did the Corans' storm in, and why didn't the other Orbitals' intervene?"

"They stormed in quickly and overwhelmingly to quell all possible opposition. The Orbitals didn't intervene because when they came they did it with a legitimate power figure to justify it."

Marin jumped to his feet. "Nooo! Beria? Shit! We should have spaced that witch!"

"I was tempted believe me, her whining on the trip to Coran was pitiful."

Marin started pacing in frustration. "We must get to Sindali."

"Marin, she's fine . . ." Ham paused, tellingly, "and anyway there's more. The Coran's supported Beria for two reasons, one she quickly worked her way into the old man's bedroom, the Coran Emperor."

"Uh . . . I want to vomit! He's a decrepit old man, he's got to be twice her age."

"And then there's the other thing. She's convinced him that Sarin and Brun were
his
sons, and that Regan murdered them."

"But that's ridiculous, we know that's rubbish."

"Think about it, what it tells you is that in addition to that pompous fart who we know is really the father she must also have had flings with old man Coran." Ham let that sink in then continued. "Marin, there's something else, that moment we dropped out of Warp on the way here, I know what it was now, a Coran warship was going the other way, to Earth, and they want Regan."

Marin stopped pacing, the implication hitting home. "How fast can this thing really go Ham?"

"Not sure, we halved the trip time coming here, what are you thinking?"

"We've got to go back, we go hard and fast and we do it now."

"What about Sindali?"

"She's safe in Tihan, you said it yourself."

"Just checking, we are already at Warp by the way, I knew we'd get to this point eventually. And I've made an executive decision; we're taking two lines to get there, not three. It reduces the distance by a third."

Marin shook his head. "That was the answer wasn't it?"

"Answer about what?"

"Which one of you is number one?"

"Hmm, and the answer is?"

"Number one is whichever one of you is with Regan."

"Marin, there's something I've noticed, with every merge that happens the version that has been separated from her snorts the latest Regan data like an addict on coke. I'll tell you something else; right now, we've been away two months. Now that we're on the move
I
wouldn't deviate even one degree out of my way to run over your mother. That tells you everything. We're going straight home."

* * *

Rod felt himself gripping the armrest so tightly that it hurt. His other hand felt crushed by Minjees grip as the little ADF on screen zeroed in on their considerably larger model. Desperately he tried to disengage autopilot. Ham had said nothing for ten minutes, his last words being simply "Trust me." He hadn't prepared them in any way for this. The little ADF appeared to accelerate toward them in a final burst, expanding in their vision until with an embarrassing scream his bladder voided. Opening his eyes a moment later he could see the rear of an ADF shooting away from them.

Drenched in perspiration he looked sideways and saw Minjee had fainted. He reached across and gently slapped at her cheek. "Minjee . . . Minjee!"

She opened her eyes, sucking in a huge frightened breath.

"Ham you bastard, what the fuck was that?"

"That's how I deal with a mosquito Rod. It's a Regan idea, Arteis . . . return to sender. It means we don't need a weapon; we use the enemy's weapons against them. There are two options. First you can choose to displace a missile from one side of the ADF to the other and it will continue on its path. Second you can flip the missile and send it back where it came from. In here you have the option of letting the AI, or me apply it or alternatively, if we're otherwise engaged you can do it manually from the joystick. The three buttons have been there the whole time, feel for them."

Rod gripped the joystick and sure enough the three raised ridges were there. "This is a bit embarrassing but I just assumed those ridges were for comfort."

"They are designed that way and most of the time that will be their most useful function. But if you need it simply squeeze the top ridge hard for three seconds and it will engage Arteis. Then middle ridge is for straight through, bottom ridge is for flip, easy. The only proviso is you need to leave it until the last moment."

"What if they're firing multiple bullets?"

"Bullets have a much smaller more manageable mass; just hold the respective button down and Arteis will handle them as a continual process."

"What if my finger slips?"

"Does that happen often? Look, you're the last resort. That's why it's better to let me do it or the AI."

Minjee interrupted. "Now that we've got that sorted, and I'm
never
going to forgive you by the way; I need a shower, badly, get us home!"

* * *

"Jared." the boy paused in his construction, a larger version of the flinger in the compound garden. The twins were assisting each hoping to be the first to ride it. He hadn't decided yet.

"Yes mom." As always happened when he did this the twins looked around in bewilderment. He didn't deliberately frustrate them, the process of communicating with Ham and his mother in this way was perfectly natural and unconscious to him. Nevertheless he enjoyed their consternation and encouraged them in thinking he had a special power.

"I'm going to sleep on The STEIN tonight, do you want to join me here or stay there with Gran?"

"I'll stay here, I'm building something with the twins and we hope to try it tonight. I'm fine and they'll be disappointed if I go."

"Ok, stay there then, and give my love to Gran."