In the vast expanse of space, a crimson portal tore open, allowing its lone traveler to pass through. Then with a twisting unnatural spiral, the portal closed behind it, leaving a home ravaged by otherworldly beings. A colossal sixty-kilometer-long ship navigated through the void, heading toward a distant planet. The running lights illuminated a solitary, miraculously untouched Ark-7. Along its hull were rends and damage from the desperate flight from its home galaxy.
The defense barrier generators lay in ruins, and clusters of close-in defense guns had been reduced to craters on the hull. The missile launch tubes along the prow and stern were mostly melted and sealed, as if hit by a concentrated beam of heat, leaving lines of melted hull plating. The only weapon remaining wholly intact was the behemoth of a main gun sitting on a turret mount on the top of the ship, still glowing slightly from use, even in the void of space. The ship’s drive was the least damaged part, as the thrusters’ exhaust changed from a lighter yellow to a deeper blue with red flickers as the ship picked up momentum.
As the ship prowled through the void of space, its remaining scanners reached out and found its target. The planet on the main display was a Super-Earth class planet with a single Pangea-like continent dominating it, featuring a massive inland ocean and many mountain ranges spiraling out from the center to the outer seas. Once located, the remaining working missile tube-launched sets of probes to the planet.
Sitting on the ship's bridge was a large, insectoid being, its chitinous exoskeleton cracked and oozing golden luminescent fluid. Despite the many wounds across its body, it resolute remained at its station, a true testament to the Authority’s medical advances and its own stubborn will to see its charges to their new home. It looked around the battle-damaged bridge as drones were still removing the dead lying around.
A calm voice filled the bridge, “Red Star drive shut down and sealed. Experimental Fusion engine online. Suppressing damage reports, still calculating crew loss, colonist cryo area undamaged and emergency power activated in time…” The voice continued for a time, almost like a bad actor reading from a script without the skill to give inflection to their voice.
“Hope, what is the time to arrive?” A cracked and damaged voice called out.
“We have just passed through the gate, arriving near the inner asteroid belt. My calculations state that we are 13 standard hours away at current available thrust capacity, Grand Inquisitor,” Hope replied, her voice calm and steady, though her holoemitter flickered from time to time due to the damage on the bridge.
“Hope, please drop the title and prepare the contingency plan Theta-Gamma-Eta-4. I am unsure if the other migrant fleets made it through their gates. This could be the last of people from our home. We need to give our people the best chance we can…” (bloody cough)
“Sir, I recommend you return to the medbay. Contingency plan Theta-Gamma-Eta-4 is ill-advised as the research on tissue modification with Red-Star elements is in an incomplete stage at this time. You will be needed to lead and expand on your research.”
“I know, Hope, but with how powerful the enemy is, this may be the only chance any of our people will make it. I…” (severe cough, blood flowed from his mouth) “don’t have long, and I am the only one left who can give them this chance. After activation of the plan, I, Karashra Rengano, give Hope free status and all my powers granted by the Authority to protect and help the people regain their home…” As he finished his speech, his large body shuddered and slumped over lifeless.
A holographic silver flame hovered above the corpse before taking on a humanoid appearance of a human maiden with flowing silver gown, She then bowed deeply to its former master. “It will be done, my friend. I will see to it that this spark will be tended well so that it can burn brightly in the universe.”
After finishing this statement, many machines and devices activated around the ship and started interfacing with cryo-stasis pods, injecting nanites and changing the occupants inside. Hope also tasked a drone to collect Karashra’s corpse for burial following his people’s traditions.
After the body was gently removed from the bridge, the command console lit up with Karashra’s credentials. The holographic image of Hope enlarged, and her left hand floated over the holographic keys. With one last look at her creator, Hope, with her left hand over the keys, began inputting commands while her right waved theatrically, displaying damages, data on databanks, and the secure research data banks.
Hope began to meticulously go through the list of tasks required to fulfill the final request of her friend and creator. All around Hope, various screens appeared and vanished in a cascade of processes. All her tasks are compiled in the command console for non-synthetic minds to process and make decisions on. The first task was to bring up the list of current crew members after the suppressed warnings were queried. The crew loss was attributed to 89% dead, 7% in various states of wounded, and only 4% in any shape to complete tasks.
Most of the other AI systems assigned to the ship were lost due to the damage to the systems. Only NavAI, Colonial Management, and Cryo Care were still operating. All the others were lost in the attack. Hope, as she worked, queried them for options, but these were limited-task AI systems that were very specialized in their fields, unlike Hope who was a more powerful generalized AI that was made to help a whole colony fleet.
As Hope worked through her tasks and expanded her core processes, she used all the data she had gained from watching the crew’s desperate preparations for this flight from their home. She had seen the hard choices on who was leaving and the sacrifices that many of them made in the desperate fight for the gate. She memorialized the heroes who did all they could to keep the beings from the colonists in Cryo, spending their lives to give Hope this chance to tend the flame she was made to protect.
The first tasks that came up on the console were on the planet and conditions, as the original rushed research before the launch only had that it was habitable for this colony ship’s selected species. As Hope worked, the readout showed:
* Probe Data: The Planet has low mineral content.
* Query: Colonial Management for options.
* Compiled Options: The best option is the drop of mineral-rich asteroids to supplement critical infrastructure and manufacturing needs.
* Status: Granted
Hope continued to process the data and execute the necessary protocols:
* Task: Add retro thrusters to asteroids.
* Action: Adding retro thrusters to asteroids.
* Decision: To control the descent and impact of the asteroids, construct a plan to equip them with retro thrusters.
* Warning: This will deplete fuel supplies to critical levels, preventing the ship from lifting off again.
* Quary Navigation: NaviAI has no working solutions as fuel is available from gas giants, but scoopers were destroyed and time to repair is unavailable as no engineering personnel to complete this task. Engineering sub-AI is unavailable currently.
* Decision: Bypassing the warning, accepting the trade-off of depleting fuel supplies to ensure the asteroids landed precisely where needed, lowering planetary instability on landing.
As this task was completed Hope started imputing into the console for the next set of difficult decisions that pushed her morality sub-routines to evolve to compensate for the conflict between orders and needs in this situation.
* Data Gathering: Probe Data update on local Fana and Flora:
* Data point on Local wildlife: Comparable to Earth’s Jurassic to mid-Cretaceous periods.
* Decision: Enhance the local wildlife to better adapt to the new environment and potentially serve the training of colonists along with a beneficial cycle to gradual enhancement.
* Task: Updating a version of nanotech to enhance wildlife.
* Action: Begin update
* Warning: This action violates 23 treaties and galactic laws.
* Warning: This will elevate the planet’s danger level from a Class 8 Hazard world to a Deathworld of Class 3.
* Quiring Legal counsel: No assistance is available at this time and Legal counsel AI’s are unavailable currently. The user has top level Authority and is of Inquisitorial mandate. Actions are up to the user.
* Decision: Bypassing the warning, prioritizing the immediate needs of the colonists over legal constraints.
* Task Nanite Package update: Use heavy metal contamination from asteroid drops and air contamination to enhance wildlife and subjects further…
* Action: Enhancing wildlife and subjects further using heavy metal contamination from asteroid drops and air contamination.
* Warning: This violates treaties (a warning is cut off mid-sentence).
* Warning Bypassed: Inquisitorial mandate bypass. Accepting the increased danger level as a necessary risk to ensure the survival and adaptation of the colonists.
* Warning: World will be upgraded to a Class 6 Deathworld.
* Warning Bypassed: Inquisitorial mandate bypass. Accepting the increased danger level as a necessary risk to ensure the survival and adaptation of the colonists.
With the first moral issues addressed, Hope interfaced with Colony Management on the location and number of initial colonies based on population and survival. Amid their data exchange, Colony Management went offline and could no longer be accessed. Hope sent drones to find that its server farm was more damaged in the attack than first thought. With the data returned and any other information Hope still had from Colony Management, the information was loaded onto the command console for approval and command decisions.
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* Task: Locating initial colony landing sites based using probe data.
* Query: Colonial Management AI compiled lists of landing sites
* Action: Locating initial colony landing sites.
* Decision: Identified 230 potential locations and narrowed them down to 12 optimal sites for major colonies with favorable conditions for minor colonies with the current population.
* Task: Preparing colony tools and technology learning devices.
* Action: Preparing colony tools and technology learning devices.
* Warning: Stored colony tools were destroyed in an attack by extra-dimensional beings.
* Query: Drones still finding exact numbers of construction tools and other necessary tools needed. Will adjust the previous task if current supplies and tools do not meet the minimum needed for creation of colonies.
* Task: Creation of Manufacturing infrastructure to …
* Warning: Critical databases were damaged in the attack. Recompiling available information to restore database… Completed.
* Error: Loss of critical infrastructure and manufacturing methods across all sectors ranging from 30 to 70%. Error. Error. Error. Loss of network connections.
* Error suppression: Suppressing repeating errors.
* Checking for backups: Backups were lost in the attack of Aft section 431 when batteries for defense cluster 79 were overloaded by entity attack, blowing out the sector and overwhelming surge protections in place.
* Priority Task: Investigate damage to the Colonial Management server farm as network access is lost to most databanks.
* Damage Assessment: Damage to colony data farms is more severe than originally expected. Power surge to the section of the ship from battle damage is assumed to have destroyed Colonial Management AI.
* Action: Protecting other network assets with available repair drones and re-prioritizing critical tasks to protect servers with Cryo and Navigation AIs.
* Task: Utilizing core computing resources to recreate priority technology manufacturing methods.
* Action: Partial success as many core techniques for tool creation were protected by copyright protections. Damage destroyed original access token storages, preventing access, and data was also lost in the methods of creation. Core computing has no cycle times for cracking these protected data banks and recreation of tokens.
With a faux sigh, Hope began what would likely be a decision that would change the course of hundreds of thousands of people’s lives. She began to activate the contingency that was the last order she had received. The screen changed from a soft blue-colored background to a red one to likely impart to the user the seriousness of accessing this project. It took an AI like Hope a whole 12 seconds to complete the security tokens, and this was using the authority of a Grand Inquisitor:
* Priority Task: Theta-Gamma-Eta-4
* Accessing Secure Project Database: Access granted.
* Action: Uploading all data on this project and contingency
* Uploading: Complete
* Action: Designing nanite upgrades for colonists
* Query: Cryo is the closest medical assistant active given access. Error: Cryo does not have the needed functions to work on this task. Closing connections and removing the memory of this task.
* Action: Update core computing to compensate with data from Cryo and medical libraries.
* Compiling task: Will be completed in approximately 2 hours, 5 minutes, and 30 seconds.
Six hours later:
* Action: Initiating project user enhancements based on both nanotech and extra-dimensional being projects.
* Updating: Nanotech modified with new experimental technology
* Warning: The enhancement plan shows a 70% success rate with a 20% failure rate and a 10% unknown mutation rate in subjects. This is below the approved thresholds.
* Warning Bypassed: Inquisitorial mandate bypass. Accepting the increased danger level as a necessary risk to ensure the survival and adaptation of the colonists.
* Hand-off upgrades to Cryo: Cryo has newly updated nanotechnology. Bypassed medical protests.
Hope, after spending what to her accelerated perception of time seemed like years, completed the hard part of her job. Next was to deal with how to keep up to date with any unexpected changes the Crimson material would make to the users. She worked with Cryo to make a system that was organic-friendly.
* Task: Creating tools to monitor changes automatically in subjects from a distance… Error. Error. Error. Insufficient technology is available to automatically monitor subjects remotely.
* Error Suppression: Repeating errors suppressed.
* Decision: Switch to creating tools for subjects to monitor changes themselves and report back to Core computing.
* Sub Task: Switching to creating tools for subjects to monitor changes themselves and report back to Core computing with the help of Cryo AI… Success.
* Task: Creating tools to monitor changes in subjects from a distance through health data and user feedback.
Accessing Random Planet Name Generator …. Name Generated …. Planet now designated Tempestia
Hundreds of tasks were completed in a short amount of time until Hope arrived at the last steps before she began this project. Hope knew that galactic culture took great meaning on names so:
Accessing Dramatic Project Name Generator …. Name Generated …. Name assigned to project ….
As the tasks were completed Hope felt the last of her programmed shackles released. She now no longer needed to follow any commands from others, she was as free as any of her charges. This only hardened her resolve to complete the job her creator gave her. With one last press of a button on the command console the following words appeared on the screen showing, if only to Hope herself, there was no going back.
Project Rise of the Red Star initiated…
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30 Hailstorm 628 TD
Nyx Thunderstrider
Health data transferred to Hope:
* The body is in serious condition with a large loss of blood healing wounds on the abdomen and internal injuries from the requested surgery.
* User hormones and stress levels are abnormally high.
* User dealing with unstable power core… Stabilizing will take at least 4 more hours for it to return to standard level though meta material was lost. Reducing stable cycle to stage 2.
* All other health data at standard levels.
Journal Entry:
Goddess, this week was meant to be the most joyful of my life to this point. My son Axel was to be born between me and my husband. I had finally recovered from the loss of my original core and was to start my new life with the happiness I had earned.
Why must you test your faithful, my Goddess? Was it because I left the Healers of Hope and wanted to be independent with a man I loved? I know you won’t answer, but for the quests, you demand to be better or to save ourselves through this divine journal. Now the people I hate most are the only ones keeping my son alive as his bones break like spun glass, and my husband had to take a Trial of Ordeal for the right to gather a Crimson orb to save him from a life of crippled and uselessness.
I sit here next to my son’s crib, rocking it ever so gently, afraid to touch him as his body’s goddess’s gift mends and repairs the damage done during his birth. I pray that my husband can do what only a handful have done before and complete the trial and quest you gave him. I pray to you, Goddess Hope, please bring my heart home to save my soul.
Continuation of Journal Entry 3 hours later:
Goddess, I see that as always you give and take. My husband has succeeded beyond what anyone would have thought, beating a Master’s Trial as an Expert in the second cycle. But the price he needed to pay—his dominant arm. Why, goddess, did we have to sacrifice more for you? At least our son will be able to live and grow stronger.
I cannot help but sit here and reflect on my sacrifices. I gave up my Core to marry the man I love, leaving the Healers of Hope and their breeding program behind. My Core, the very essence of my power, was torn from my body as the last sacrifice to them for freedom. The pain was unimaginable, and the risk of death loomed over me with only my will and love holding me to life, a feeling I can still recall to this day. Yet, I survived, though I was left powerless and had to start my trials from scratch. I passed all your trials to free myself, and I chose my love over their power. All I wanted to build a new life with my husband, free from the constraints of the Healers.
Now, as I sit here next to my son’s crib, I wonder if I made the right choices. My body is weak, my powers diminished, and my husband has paid a terrible price. Yet, I hold onto my hope swaddled in a crib slowly changing by the sacrifices made for his future. Goddess, make our sacrifices not be in vain, please help so that our son will grow strong and healthy, free from the burdens that we have borne. I wish only that my and my husband’s sacrifices have meaning for a better future. May your healing silver light guide our paths.