Homebound Sector, Haven System, Battleship Singularity
The bridge wasn’t far, it took just a minute to walk there, Zarrey smoothing down his hair and buttoning his jacket on the way. Walking in, it seemed the usual staff had been summoned as well, with the notable absence of Lieutenant Gaffigan. They all looked uneasy, filling the semicircular room with a strange tension.
The officer that headed the night watch had a sheen of nervous sweat on his dark skin, “I offered to take the call, sir, but they insisted on your presence, General.” This was clearly more than a miscellaneous public announcement.
“Understood,” the ship commander replied, brushing off the strangeness of having a new, unfamiliar title. “Lieutenant Robinson, put it up.”
“Yes, sir,” she replied, pulling the correct transmission out of the system buffer.
The screen mounted at the front of the room clicked on, an image of Base Oceana’s largest conference room appearing. Four people sat at the long, crystalline table. “I’m glad you could finally join us, General Gives,” General Hommer said, his round face pudgy with impatience.
“Forgive the delay, General. I am still running a ship at the moment.”
“Yes, about that,” Hommer said, laying his massive arms onto the table, “Command has reviewed the inspection report and reached a conclusion. We see no longer fit to continue operations aboard the Singularity. The Constancy-class build has been outdated for many years, though her continuous reliability and history made her a valuable member of the fleet-”
“In short,” the man beside Hommer piped in, “the Battleship Singularity is hereby decommissioned from the UCSC fleet.” A smirk tugged at Reeter’s lips, “We ask that you oversee the ship’s disarmament and minor dismantlement. Her final mission is to dock at Base Oceana at 1200 hours, where she will be turned over to the scrapping crews.”
General Gives noted the panic on the crew’s faces as he carefully controlled his own frustration, “That is unacceptable.” Nobody was scrapping his ship. “I have more command experience than both Generals Hommer and Quentin. That makes me the senior officer, and using that authority, I rescind those orders.”
“I am afraid you no longer have that authority, General.” Reeter smiled, victory gleaming in his emerald eyes. “I am sure you have noticed the unusual composition of this call.” He gestured to the three men beside him, “This would be a tribunal board.” The majority of the Generals, a member of the Admiralty, and a representative of the civilian government in the form of Vince Ramseyer, this board had the power to remove the authority of any officer in the fleet.
“In light of recently acquired information, General, Command has no choice but to court martial you and strip you of your rank, effective immediately. This tribunal board has found sufficient evidence of disorderly conduct, identity fraud, kidnapping, refusal of court-decreed rights and high treason.”
Zarrey’s mouth dropped open, “You’ve got to be kidding.”
Beside him, Admiral Gives gave no reaction, simply contemplating the situation. So this was your plan. The Erans had planned to take his ship and his rank by publicly declaring him a criminal. His appointment to Clarke’s position had meant effectively nothing, so it was no wonder they hadn’t tried to stop it. “I believe I can ask those charges be further specified?”
Reeter nodded, “Of course. To the charge of disorderly conduct: regulations decree one must announce themselves before boarding Base Oceana and seeking audience with a General. It is also highly against standard operating procedure to carry non-refugee civilians aboard an active military ship. You have been guilty in the last forty-eight hours of all those things.” Reeter had only needed to set up half of them. “Additionally, you have kidnapped my wife, Amelia, her son, and two others, who are now being held against their will aboard your ship. By holding Harrison, you deny me my court-granted right to visit my stepson.”
“Your wife?” Zarrey shouted, “This is bullshit, Reeter!” Last time he had checked, the fleet’s propaganda man had been quite proud of his bachelor status.
The outburst was ignored entirely as Reeter continued. “Additionally, it is treason to threaten the safety of the allied worlds, and you did so when you attempted to reveal confidential military secrets. As to that charge of identity, fraud… well, we have reason to believe you are not who you say you are.”
“You know exactly who I am, Admiral,” Gives said coldly, “I will not deny having Amelia, Harrison and two other civilians aboard this ship, but they are not here against their will and I was not informed of any marriage contract between my family and yours.” He hated to think that might be something he would have learned if he had made time to speak with Amelia, but it was too late now. “As to the military secrets, I have threatened none that do not threaten the worlds themselves.” The Scarlet Flu needed a planetary vaccine.
“Nevertheless, you will have to stand trial,” Ramseyer said, straightening his tie. “Put your defense together. The trial will convene at 1200 hours after the Singularity docks at Base Oceana for the last time. And she will dock in four hours, or suffer the consequences.”
“Consequences?” Gives queried, “Will you fire upon the same allied ship again? Surely, we do not resemble an enemy so closely that the same error could be made twice?” He fixed his gaze on the camera, looking to the millions of onlookers would have turned into this public transmission. “I can only wonder at which point the government became so corrupt that it would fire upon an allied ship carrying hundreds of loyal sailors to get at one man who has not yet been fully convicted of any crimes, save serving such a crooked society.”
The transmission was killed, cut from the other side. Zarrey was red in the face, “That was a bunch of trumped-up naddlethworfing shit!” True, the charges of disorderly conduct were with cause, but granted the situation, it should have been overlooked. Amelia, Harrison and the Parkers’ story had made the rounds too, “What the hell was that about Reeter being married?”
The ship commander had no answer. What could he say in light of such charges?
“And that bit about identity fraud? What the hell kind of drugs is he on? And where can I get some?” Those had to be some quality hallucinogens, and the way this day was starting out, Zarrey really wouldn’t mind a hit.
An unusual silence lingered. The Colonel looked over to the man beside him, suddenly uncertain. “Say, you are who you say you are, aren’t you?” There wasn’t any particular reason that the New Era would suddenly level that charge, was there?
Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
“Of course, XO,” he replied stoically, “I am this ship’s commanding officer.” That much was accurate.
“Then why would they level that charge?” It made no sense compared to the others.
“An excuse to subject me to a polygraph test, thereby allowing their AI to take a look inside my head.”
‘And that would be a bad idea,’ the ghost reminded him silently.
‘Yes, I am aware of that.’ He did not need to be reminded of the danger close contact with an AI presented. Such heinous infiltration would probably hurt too, not that it was seemingly relevant.
“So, you have some piece of information the Erans really want to know, huh?” That wasn’t surprising. “Want to share with the class?”
“If I told you, Colonel, you would be in danger.” And probably go insane. “That said, I cannot be truly certain what information the New Era wants.” There was an obvious guess, but no certainty involved.
“Well, you’re pretty smart, sir, I don’t see an AI besting you in your own head.” Zarrey was pretty sure the ship commander’s head was a very scary place. Not even an AI would stay there for long.
“AI are capable of some incredible levels of infiltration, Colonel. The willingness of the victim is not always relevant.” Humans were generally incapable of mounting a defense against AI interference.
Zarrey could feel his skin crawling at the eerie promise in those words. “So, the Erans have a creature that is capable of mind control.”
“It is worse than that, Colonel.” Mind control implied simplicity. There was no simplicity in this. “Mind manipulation would be a more accurate term. If that AI were to infiltrate our systems, it would be able to turn us against ourselves, alter our intentions, loyalties and personalities. It can lay implanted memories and impulses. It would be less like control, and more like sabotage. That AI could infiltrate you totally without your knowledge, alter the electrical patterns of your brain, and lay triggers that will rewrite or destroy your mind in its entirety.”
It was uncommon for AI to do so, in fact, Hydrian AI refused to take such action by result of the Hydrian bylaws, but human AI were human in their creation and thus, human in their action. They were both willing and capable. “The human brain is governed by electrical impulses, to an AI, it is no different from a computer.” All AI were capable of such manipulation, even if some refused to take part in it.
That’s actually terrifying, Zarrey thought to himself. “Why would you tell me something like that?” This was one of those times he was okay with being left in the dark.
“It is important that you understand exactly what type of enemy we are up against, Colonel.” He knew several crew members were listening in eagerly as well. Ignorance would get them killed. They needed to understand the fight they were undertaking.
Zarrey looked around to the crew, seated at their usual stations. They were good people, but they had to feel as overwhelmed as he did. An AI. “How do we fight something like that?” How could they fight a creature that manipulated loyalties?
“Generally, it takes an AI to combat another AI. Unfortunately, not all AI are equal in power or ability. Humanity’s six varied greatly in strength. If the strongest of them challenged any of the others, they would lose and be assimilated.”
Well, that makes problems, Zarrey thought, simultaneously contemplating why the ship commander knew so much about this topic. “What happens if the New Era has joined forces with the strongest AI?”
“Then none of the other six stand a chance,” the Admiral said simply. “They would all be assimilated.”
“Oh great, and we don’t have an AI to start with.” They were totally screwed, but the ship commander didn’t respond. That blank look of his created some doubt, “We don’t have an AI, right?”
That was the question to avoid. It… complicated things. “The thing to remember with AI, Colonel, is that they are in fact intelligent. They decide when and where they want to be, whose side they want to take.”
“I don’t get it,” Zarrey said. That should have been a yes or no question.
“There may be one that wishes to oppose the New Era, but that would be its choice to make.”
The Colonel scratched his head. “So, one might pop up to help us?” That was good.
“Perhaps one already is,” Gives said calmly. “An AI could easily do so without your awareness.” But who needs an AI when we have a ghost? “The truth is that we all live on the whims of entities far more powerful than ourselves. Compared to the powers that humanity created, humanity is the bottom of the food chain, toys to be used and abused.”
Humanity was weak, and that was the blunt truth. “The fate of humanity does not lie in humanity’s hands.” It lay in the hands of digital intelligences and machines. “These days, free will is something of an illusion. Anyone could be an unknowing puppet, Reeter included.” If an AI was involved in the New Era, then it was almost certainly pulling the strings.
“But we’re safe,” Zarrey nodded, trying to relax, “because an AI can’t reach us here.”
“Not in its electrical form of control, no.” The Singularity’s old design prevented that, “But there are many ways for an AI to exert manipulation, including misinformation, subliminal messaging, propaganda…” and standing right next to you, talking.
‘Behave,’ the ghost instructed. Now was not a good time for him to stir up any mischief.
He sighed inwardly, ‘No fun of any kind.’
On the upper tier of the command center, the senior officers’ discussion was audible, but only if one tried to follow along. Keifer Robinson had other concerns. The public news feeds had taken to William Gives’ trial like wildfire. The entire data file of evidence had been publicly released, and there was a mountain of it. The uncensored version had been transmitted directly to the ship from Base Oceana and was printing out beside her controls.
But that wasn’t all. No, the situation was getting even worse. “Sirs,” she called, “external communications are being jammed by Base Oceana and the Olympia.” Their combined efforts were erecting a blockade that the Singularity’s arrays couldn’t pierce. “We are now unable to broadcast on any frequency.” With some effort, she could receive a little, just fragments through the holes and flaws of the signal blockade, but that was it.
Zarrey cursed. “Those bastards aren’t even going to let your publicly defend yourself?” They should be able to get Amelia up here on a public transmission to show she wasn’t here against her will. But with communications jammed, all they could manage was an incriminating silence.
“Forget that,” Jazmine shouted, slamming his hand onto the helm console. He’d been slowly simmering for the last few minutes, building up into a red-eyed rage. “They want us to dismantle our own ship? Cold hearted snakes! The whole lot of them are damn cowards! If they want this ship disarmed and dismantled, then they should have the courage to do it themselves!” He balled up his fist, ready to smack the console again in frustration.
“Lieutenant,” the ship commander said sharply, freezing Jazmine in place, “Damage that console and I will damage you.”
The helmsman gulped. “Yes, sir.” That was as close to a snap as he’d ever heard from his superior, but it was still perfectly, eerily calm.
Zarrey leaned casually up against the metal rim of the console beside him, totally ignoring that exchange. “Well, General…” He frowned, “Admiral? What the hell am I supposed to call you?” Command had stripped him of his rank, but left him temporarily with his ship. Zarrey had no doubts who was in charge, but they had never exactly been on a first-name basis…
“XO, I am still the commanding officer of this ship.” They couldn’t force him from that position, even if they stripped his rank. The Erans had no choice but to leave him at least temporarily with the Singularity. Until he was convicted of his crimes, legally, the ship was still his jurisdiction.
“’Admiral’ it is.” Zarrey was fine with that. It felt more right than any other term of address. “Your orders, sir?”
“Take us to Condition Two, Colonel.” There was nothing safe about sitting in this star system.
“That is a direct violation of Command’s orders, sir.” Maria Galhino turned around in her chair, “We are to begin system shut down and start dismantling.”
“That is a direct delay of Command’s orders, Lieutenant.” It wasn’t a violation yet. “And anyone who dismantles anything on this ship answers directly to me.” Nobody was disarming or dismantling his ship today. “I want a full systems readiness analysis in my hands in sixty minutes, and I want all department heads in the conference room in fifteen.” The coup might be over, but he sure as hell wasn’t finished.