Talosian Chronicles 3: Talosian Alliance (20 page)

Both Goya and Pan frowned and looked at Ian. “Don’t know that word, seren...dipit... oos,” Goya asked. “What is it?”

“Uh, ‘fortuitous’, ‘An event or occurrence that is more than expected.'” Ian replied.

The light came on for the men, and they nodded in understanding.

“But she is an AI, right? So how could something like that be fortuitous? Are you not designed for that sort of thing?” Pan asked.

“To a degree we are, Admiral. But in Maia that ability has been greatly expanded. For example, both she and I ran an analysis on a proposed ship design to be built at the station. I found nothing wrong with it and approved it.

“She found two major design flaws, and has offered designers eighteen alterations that could improve functionality. She is still working on the concept of human comfort, and as such, admittedly relies on the humans to design those areas,” Star explained.

“Basically, she found something I did not on the first pass. When I looked at her results and saw the two flaws, I agreed with her. But the fact is, she found them, where I did not.”

“Could it be simply that she was designed more for that function than you were?” Pan asked, not trying to be argumentative.

“No Admiral. She was not designed any differently than I am. Her specialized programming is slightly different to reflect her different duties, but her core programming is the same as mine,” Star answered. “The specialized programming is canted more towards station administration than mine is. That is what is meant by her ability being fortuitous.” Star paused a moment, and had a confused look on her face. She turned to Ian. “Sir, Maia has made a report that I believe you should hear. Do you have time?”

Ian nodded, and the voice of a young girl could be heard over the room speakers.

“...It’s strange, Mom, none of the crew are acting like anything strange is going on.”

“Maia, this is Commander Williams. Could you please tell me what you just told your mother?” Ian asked, making the two admirals raise an eyebrow.

“Yes Sir! Once I gained control of the sensors, I found a few things that are unusual. Most troubling is that there is an explosive device attached to the wall of my vault. If detonated, it would most likely destroy me. I’ve already sent a drone to remove it. The strange thing about it is that it is in such a place that a drone would have had to be used in order to place it to begin with. A human simply cannot get to that place anymore.

“Since then, I have located several more such devices in places that would disable the station, but the damage would be easily reparable. However, it would disable all station defenses and control computers,” Maia reported. “Sir, I’ve been sabotaged, and it appears to have been done by my own drones.”

“That may not be the case, Maia. The Adonis has drones too,” Ian replied. “Since both you and your mother are online, I want to make sure that none of the ship’s drones are allowed to leave it while it’s docked. Can you patch in Major Petrie?” Ian asked.

“Security, Petrie here. What can I do for you Commander?” the former U.S. Marine colonel asked.

“Major, we have a touchy situation here. I need you to discretely increase security on the station. You are to treat the Adonis and her crew as a ‘hostile' friendly. Maia has located several explosive devices that had to have been placed by drone. Don’t think this is a failing on your part, it isn’t. How do you tell the drones apart?" Ian explained. “We just want to make sure you know what’s going on over there.”

“I understand, Sir. I get the feeling this goes way deeper than just the station though,” Petrie asked.

“It goes very deep, Major,” Ian replied. “I think you might want to know we’ve uncovered a plot to overthrow the Talosian Ruling Council and High Command, and the Adonis is in on it. We are a pawn in this conflict, and I don’t want to be. However, we are helping the current leaders as much as we can. I’ve asked Star and Maia to handle the explosive removal and to keep a closer eye on the drones.”

“Major Petrie, this is Admiral Goya, head of the Talosian Defense Forces High Command. I am hereby authorizing you, on behalf of High Command, to take any action you feel you need to, up to and including locking down the ship. Do what you need to, Major, I’ll back you on it," Goya said.

“I appreciate that, Sir. Has diplomatic courtesy been revoked?” Petrie asked.

“In a way, Major. Use their airlock as the new dividing line. If it’s on this side, it’s in your sandbox,” Ian replied.

“I understand the situation, Commander. I’ll take care of it, and thank you for letting me know. Is the planet in danger?” Petrie asked.

“It shouldn’t be, Major. When they docked, the crew was restricted to the station,” Ian said.

“Okay, I’ll take care of it, Sir,” Petrie replied. “I can tell you that I am looking forward to telling that inflated blowhard of an Admiral to blow it out a plasma vent!”

“What do you mean, Major?” Goya asked.

“I get a daily protest from him over the ‘travel’ restrictions placed on his crew. He wants to be allowed to let his people got to Sol Sector if they want to," Petrie said. “Every day, it’s the same thing. He isn’t nice about it either."

“Do you have a list of the people that he wants to send, Major?” Pan asked.

“Yes I do. There are about twenty of them. He claims that most of them are civilians simply wanting to study our culture, but they look like Marines dressed in civilian clothes to me,” Petrie explained. “Even if I could allow them travel passes, I don’t think I would.”

“Ian, I have an idea,” Goya said smiling. “Give them permission, and put them on a shuttle with a crew of your own Marines. Once they are away from the station, arrest them, bring them here and maybe we can get some more information out of them.”

“Can I send this Admiral along?” Petrie asked.

“I wish you could, Major,” Goya said. “But I can’t order the arrest of a field grade officer on my own. I need Council approval, and that simply won’t happen.”

“I understand, Sirs. “Let me go tell the Admiral the ‘good’ news. I’m sure he’ll be overjoyed!” Petrie replied.

“I know you probably would anyway, but be sure to screen them for weapons!” Pan replied.

“Sir, by the time they leave here, I’ll know what color their pubic hair would be if they had any!” Petrie replied. “Security out.”

“Sir, there are currently twelve foreign drones operating on the station,” Maia reported. “Two of them are working their way into the engineering sections."

“Can you take them over, Maia?” Ian asked.

“Yes Sir, but the Adonis computer will know I’ve done it, and I’m sure it would report such,” Maia said. “Mother, could you or one of the others invade the Adonis and take it over?”

“Maia, you should know better than to even ask such a question!” Star replied. “Perhaps I need to go over your core programming again."

“Ah, uh, Mother, I thought you knew; the Adonis doesn’t have an active AI. Only an advanced computer system,” Maia replied. “If it was another AI I wouldn’t have suggested it.”

“What? You say the Adonis doesn’t have an active AI? It must, I used it on the way out here!” Goya replied.

“With respect Sir, it does have an interface that closely mimics an AI, but that part is only an interface. According to the information coming from the ship, the AI is dormant pending a software upgrade,” Maia explained.

Goya paled. “He has complete control over the gravimetric warheads! Maia, can you, as the Station AI, take over and lock down the entire ship?”

“I am sorry Sir, but no, I cannot. I’m not fully active and not ready to assume my duties as station controller. It is the primary reason we could not perform repairs to the Adonis even if the offer had been accepted,” Maia replied.

“Do you know if Admiral Belirus knows you are not active and in control of the station?” Goya asked.

“I’m sure he does, Sir. His own system would have alerted him if there had been an AI connection when they docked,” Maia explained.

“Ian, we have to lock down the entire ship. I had no idea they had done that. Belirus can independently launch a gravimetric missile! There are no safeties in place to prevent it!” Goya replied. “Ian, you have to take that ship away from him!”

Ian sighed, and shook his head. “Major, please alert Major Petrie, inform him of the situation, and ask him to prepare for a large number of prisoners as well as fighting on the station. He is too immediately, and as quietly as possible, arrest all Adonis personnel on the station. Detain them until we can get this mess sorted out. Maia, please alert your medical sections to prepare for wounded.” Ian called Mel. “I need to speak to Colonel Anders, and please get me Commander Serena on the Prometheus - It’s urgent.”

After explaining the situation to Commander Serena, and with Admiral Goya’s full approval, Serena moved the Prometheus into a position where she could cover the Adonis if it tried to break from the station. Ty had two more teams almost ready for prime time, since all three of the active teams had already left the system. The Raptors Io and Titan were dispatched with orders to secure the Adonis.

Ian led the men into the CinC where Chloe was already in motion coordinating efforts and making sure things happened so that later stages would work.

“Sector Defense, please update admittance protocols to allow the Talosian ships Pegasus and Zephyr into the system. All other non-Terran ships are to be considered hostile and immediately fired on. Serena, what’s your status?”

“I’ve given notice to the station that I am moving to a position to stage fighter drills. We are two minutes from that position, and I am about to order all fighters into a full combat launch. My Marines are armored up, and ready to stage a full boarding assault in case your teams call for them,” Serena replied.

“Sir,” Maia said. “I’ve gotten all the explosive charges disarmed and removed. They are standard issue Talosian boarding charges. The drones that were heading for Engineering had orders to place more charges near the plasma intermix chambers. All foreign drones have been deactivated in such a way that the Adonis command should think we are working on the command and control systems for our own drones. The engineers are supporting that explanation.”

“Very good, Maia. Thank you.” Ian replied.

“Sir, once we get control of the ship, we should be able to figure out everything that’s been done to the AI and get him back online. Once he is, Admiral Goya will be able to issue direct commands to him again.” Star replied.

“Is there nothing you can do before the attack?” Ian asked.

“No Sir, we are simply too far away. Prometheus is close enough, but not capable of it,” Star explained.

“Why not?” Goya asked.

“One of the core functions of the original Talosian programming for AI is the proscription against attacking another AI. I’ve never actually understood that, considering the distrust Talosians have of AI,” Star explained.

“If one AI goes rogue, we didn’t want that AI to have the ability to attack and infect other AI.” Pan explained. “It’s a double edged knife. The best weapon to use against a rogue AI is another AI, but it also carries the most risk.”

“Control, Raptors have deployed, they are yours. Be advised, both teams are plus two for this mission,” Ty’s voice was heard in the room. 'Plus two’ meant that each team had eight members instead of the normal six that made up a Raptor team. The extra two were most likely trainees that had not been assigned to a team yet.

Chloe replied to him. “Understood Ghost Castle, thank you. Raptors Io and Titan, target is unaware, but suspicious. Proceed with caution."

“This is Io, understood.”

“Titan understands.” 

“Prometheus Marines are standing by to assist if you need them. Station security is expecting casualties and prisoners. Station Control can provide limited assistance,” Chloe said. "Contact AI Maia on the station.”

“Understood, Control. Her drones would be useful for transporting wounded as well as prisoners. Will coordinate with station AI,” Titan replied.

“Titan and Io, this is Maia. If you set a marker with number and status, I will send in drones to deal with them.”

“Raptors, this is Guardian. Titan, your primary objective is to secure weapons control and the armory. Io, you’re objective is to secure Command and Control. Try to use non-lethal force, if you can, but priority goes to securing the ship. Talosian High Command has authorized this action. You are green to proceed,” Ian finished.

“Titan and Io understand, Guardian. Proceeding on mission. ETA zero two minutes. Prometheus please stand-by to secure engineering."

“Prometheus operations, understood. Launching assault shuttles Theran and Horane. Insertion point ETA is one minute," the Prometheus controller replied.

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“W
hat’s your plan, Reaper?” Major Scott ‘Scotty’ McCandless asked his counterpart on the Io.

“We’re gonna drop Paul and Jean at Engineering to link up with the Marines for the assault on Engineering. Paul will enter through the starboard maintenance hatch. Jean and her team will go through the port side. They will isolate and seal off engineering access before taking the engineering control section. Standard Talosian Doctrine has Marines stationed at the main entrance, the control room, and the reactor access hatch, a total of six armed hostiles. After securing the engineering control room, they will enter the override codes to lock out bridge control.

“Raptor Io and the remainder of the team will proceed to the starboard side command access lock. Upon entry the bridge guards will be neutralized, and then we will stage a full assault on the main bridge. We are expecting light resistance. The Guards will have pulse rifles, but after they are down, we shouldn’t be facing anything worse than side arms from the bridge crew,” Major Jene ‘Reaper’ Grimm explained.