“You don’t look too concerned,” Amos noted as Erika tapped her foot on the elevator ride up.
She glanced at him. “We’re playing a game of probability now. There’s nothing we can do but hope the odds play in our favor.”
“I was talking about the meeting with the Captain.”
Erika stared straightforward to the door. “He gave us his word. I know he’s not going to be any trouble.”
The doors slid open, revealing Captain Singh as expected. Accompanying him were two marines, although Erika wasn’t concerned about that either. This was merely courtesy on part of the Captain rather than a provocative show of force. Even though he had escaped their previous encounter, she knew that the man had been rattled. He wouldn’t try anything until they were out of danger.
“Commander,” Samir addressed her.
“Samir.” She gave a curt response.
The Captain eyed the elevator. “You told me more would be at this meeting.”
“They’ll call in,” she answered him. “Not everyone needs to be here.”
She watched Amos out of the corner of her eye. In truth, no one needed to be at this meeting. There was no reason that she couldn’t handle this over the comm—at least not for what Samir supposed. She had called this meeting to gauge just how far Amos’ loyalties had waned. That required a face-to-face encounter.
“I’m sure you already know the way.” The Captain raised his arm with just the slightest spite in his voice.
The two led from the front as the rest of the men followed behind. Samir Singh kept pace with her as they entered the briefing room. There were a couple scientists from Samir’s side who were already seated, but the two men were dwarfed by the nearly twenty empty seats at the table.
Samir naturally took his position at the head of the table, and Erika didn’t contest it. Such bickering was pointless at this stage. She assumed her former seat as second-in-command and Amos took Klyker’s seat next to her. The two marines stood at guard just outside the room, ready to intervene at a moment’s notice.
Amos raised a holographic generator in his hand and connected the device to the table. Immediately, several holographic projections appeared in the seating of the table. Without the recon room, movement was restricted and the image resolution was a little more than blurry. However, it served the purpose well enough.
Erika had only included a few key engineers and scientists to the meeting, those who absolutely needed to be there. Klyker was absent, and while Erika wouldn’t have had him anyway, he was too busy with organizing their men on the derelict.
“Here’s what we have,” Samir said, pulling up the image of the map above the table. “You’ve seen it yourself, there are a total of twenty-eight ships waiting on our doorstep. However, my men have decoded some of the flight path.” He tapped a button on the table and an overlay appeared on the map.
Erika had seen the overlay before from Amos. They too had been able to compute what path the derelict would take to reassume its original course. Once they reactivated the FTL drive, the ship would make one stop on the map before making a series of long jumps circling the edge of the galaxy and eventually leaving altogether.
Erika stared at the path. Theoretically, they only needed to make it past that one hurdle. The next jump would be over two hundred light years away, and she doubted that the entities had enough ships to cover all the possible routes. The net enclosing them could only be stretched so far before there were holes.
Unfortunately for them, that particular star system was one of the more heavily guarded ones. It was a Class B-1 system which meant that the star was a blue giant approximately thirty times larger than Earth’s sun. The star had a total of four ships stationed near it. However, there was no telling if more had arrived by now. Erika wondered if the entities had distributed their forces by guessing the derelict’s previous flight plan. While it was an interesting theory, there was no way of telling what the entities knew.
Amos cleared his voice. “Some of my men are still going through data from the derelict. From what we’ve deciphered of the flight plan, it seems that the FTL drive needs time to cooldown in between jumps. While the time seems to vary by star and the length of the jump, we did have enough data to come up with an estimate. Once we jump to the blue giant, the drive will need approximately one hour before it can make another jump.”
Samir nodded although Erika was sure he knew that as well. It was frustrating being split into two separate groups, neither side was sharing information anymore. They had to doublecheck everything to coordinate.
“We’ll have to assume that they’ll detect us as soon as we enter the star system. Without knowing how the entities’ sensors work, there’s no way we can attempt stealth.” One of Samir’s men leaned forward on the table. “There’s no way we can win in a fight. Even if we try to remain here and repair the derelict’s systems, there’s no telling when the entities will advance.”
“We stay long enough to get FTL and basic shields running,” Erika said. “After that, the likelihood of our success dramatically goes down. We simply don’t know enough to know how Andromedan warfare works. It’s clear some attacks can penetrate the shields, but we don’t know how yet. We can’t fight them, at least not offensively.”
“Tactically, I estimate we would last three minutes after we make the jump. Do you have any idea how we can stretch that into an hour?” Samir stared at her.
Erika glanced around the table. She shifted up in her chair, and she addressed them. “I was able to spend quite some time with the entity we captured. Although not as much as I would’ve liked.” She shot an annoyed glance to the Captain. “But enough that I understand them—at least on a basic level.”
She took her hand and zoomed on the blue giant. The system only had three planets—all of them rocky wastes with unbreathable atmospheres. The star was so huge that the planets were not even motes of dust on the screen, but Erika didn’t pay attention to their icons. The four ships sat clustered near the equator of the blue giant.
“The entities govern themselves through a direct democracy. They are a collective, but each individual has an equal vote in relation to the whole. While I can’t guess at their numbers, they use technology to get around the traditional problems posed by this governmental model. Each decision can be carried out and weighed in less than the blink of an eye.”
“And how can this help us?” Samir stroked his beard.
Erika turned to him. “Because with any good democracy, you have factions.”
She clicked a few buttons on the table and the man zoomed out as the numerous red icons on the map changed. While the ones at the blue giant remained red, all the other clusters of ships turned different colors. The once twenty-eight red ships now became an assortment of colors: blue, yellow, green, and so on.
“What we’re seeing here is not just a tactical distribution—it’s also a political one,” Erika explained. “Direct democracies have the highest tendency to fragment and splinter. While it’s possible that any of the ship clusters could have close relations with another, it’s unlikely. Each force on this map should be counted as its own political subunit in relation to the whole. Those with less power among the group are forced to guard less likely routes, while those with more power have more ships and are stationed at routes we’d likely take.”
“An interesting speculation, but how does this help us?” Samir asked.
Erika raised her hand to zoom back into the star system. “It means that what we’re seeing is not a united force. This is a loose alliance among many factions for a single purpose. They are united so long as it benefits them, and as soon as it doesn’t—“ She closed her hand, and the map winked out of existence. “They will collapse into infighting.”
“And how do you know that your science applies to these entities? I thought they were supposed to be transhuman,” Samir argued.
“They are unpredictable to me because I don’t know much about them—not necessarily because they are elevated beyond my comprehension. Components of them are very different to us, I grant you that. But we’re talking about simple group dynamics, problems at a fundamental level of reality. When power is broken down in a system from one individual to many, then the inevitable conclusion is the creation of factions. This is as close to mathematical certainty as one can get outside physics.”
Samir didn’t take his eyes off her. “And you learned all that about the entities in just the few hours that you spent with them?”
“I learned all that in the first few minutes.”
The Captain took a deep breath. “I remember our conversation with the entity,” Samir spoke. “They sounded as if they wanted to possess derelict—not to destroy it. Assuming that is what their loose alliance is founded on, what can we do?”
So you caught on to that. Erika thought. She had a slightly longer interaction with them that he did, but the evidence still favored that conclusion.
“What if,” she began, “one of the factions possessed the derelict? All the rest would fall in like wolves to devour them.”
She was quite familiar with the principle. It was the same one the Free Exchange used to control the protectorates. As soon as a protectorate grew too powerful or developed some technology that was outlawed, then the rest were allowed to descend and consume it whole. All the Exchange needed to do was some cleaning work in the background.
Samir nodded, his eyes finally understanding. “We send a transmission of surrender. Broadcast it so that every faction on the map hears it. They’ll have no choice but to fight each other for the ship.”
Erika pointed a finger at him. “Better. The entity communicated with us, but the translation goes both ways. I can send a signal in their own language. Something to the effect of ‘we have cooperated with your demands. Please advise our next action.’ It’ll make them appear that they were conspiring against the rest of the group.”
The mood of the room seemed to suddenly brighten. Some of the men were excitedly chatting in the background, even between Samir’s and Erika’s men. It was the feeling of life again as they all realized that they might have a chance.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
It reminded Erika of the day when they first set out. One crew actually working together. While she wouldn’t confess to have anything close to sentimentality, it was still a happier time. Even she had to admit, that deep down, she missed those days.
“While this is all well and good,” Amos interrupted, “what’s the probability that they won’t just fire on us? How badly do they want this ship to go so far as to fire on their allies?”
Erika held back a sigh as she heard him speak. It was a sensible question, but it was an annoying one. A question which drew attention to another unanswered problem that she desperately wanted to brush over.
“What exactly do the entities want with the derelict?” Amos asked it for her.
“It’s likely unknowable,” she quickly answered him. “As I said, there are components of them that function different from us. It’s a valid risk, but we don’t have any other options.”
“I agree,” Samir spoke, “it’s useless speculation.”
Erika almost wanted to thank the man.
“Well, my men have been able to secure one of the transmitters.” Amos glanced at her. “We’ll be able to configure it to send out an enhanced transmission. Although, the Andromedan’s use a different method than our gravity distortion.”
“I suggest we send the signal thirty minutes before we initiate the FTL drive. That’ll give it plenty of time to spread before we make the jump.” Samir came up with the plan. “We’ll have to lower shields for the appearances, but they wouldn’t have helped us long anyway. If we can draw them into conflict with each other, then maybe we have a chance.”
“There’s also some work I can do in the sphere room,” Amos spoke up. “Dr. Lukov has decoded more of the programs. He says some of them might help us.”
And there it is. Erika crossed her arms. It was by all appearances an unintentional slip. Samir may or may not have known that they took the sphere room; they had managed to capture the two marines sent to secure it before they could reach their comms. However, that little remark completely gave it away now.
The gap between them was widening, at least enough for him to compromise information. What happened next with the man was just a matter of probability. She went through the equations in her head. The overwhelming likelihood was that he had simply lost faith in her ability to deliver upon her promises to him. After all, they were now fleeing further into deep space. It was natural for a man to turn somewhat mercenary.
However… She tapped her lip with her finger, pretending to stare in space. There was a possibility that something more was going on, but at least now she knew. Erika would disarm the threat before it was posed.
“There is one more thing.” Samir rubbed his hands. “What are the odds that they see through the deception? That we’re lying?”
Erika broke out of her musing and looked back at him with a pleasant smile. “They might suspect, but that’s a chance they can’t take. After all, they’re in the same position we are. Comrades in name only.”
“You don’t think they would trust their allies?”
She chuckled. “Do you trust me?”
Two hours later, there were nearly thirty people left on the Hyperion. Most had been shuttled over to the derelict while the remainder were still loading supplies. Although the ship still held its comforting hallways and warm interior, the silence was almost deafening. It was a ghost ship now.
As Erika walked through engineering, she couldn’t help but feel strange. The once busy section was now almost completely deserted save for a straggling few. All the monitors and computers were turned off. The lights were dimmed to conserve the little power that remained. And still, the shattered hulk of the gravity core remained an imposing ghastly presence on the room. No one had found the time to clean the broken glass on the floor.
She ducked into a small space adjacent to the main area. Inside were a few tables and blackened monitors. It was used as a maintenance room where diagnostics could be regularly run on ship systems. Now, it had become a cell.
Father Soren sat with his hands bound. Although the door was not locked, he knew there was no point in trying to escape—especially in his aged body. The ancient man sat there stoically, barely lifting his eyes as Erika entered.
“I trust you’ve been made comfortable?” she asked as she took a seat opposite him.
A part of his cassock had been ripped off where it was needed to address the wound. His shoulder had finally been properly bandaged and given a healthy dose of numbing agent. An arm lay in a tourniquet.
“You’ve come to gloat?” The priest held a holographic generator in his good hand.
She had given him the device so that he could listen in on the meeting. It was important that he heard what was going to happen.
“I’m going hide my broadcast under the planned transmission. It’ll just be a moment’s blip. No one will detect it. Captain Singh will never know he lost the battle—the real battle anyway.”
“Do what you must,” the man spoke in resignation, “but spare me your words. I have done all that I can. I will rest easy with my conscience. Do not try to make me feel guilty for what I failed to do.”
“I couldn’t care less about your conscience.” Erika leaned forward, looking him in the eye. “This about the billions back in the Milky Way.”
Father Soren turned his head. “What are you talking about?”
“A last chance,” Erika answered. “A final argument to change my mind.”
The priest looked at her puzzled. “Why? You already won. What would be the point?”
Erika stiffened and she glanced to the side. “I don’t… think of myself as a tyrant. Everything I’ve done… is to help. With the galaxy at stake, I won’t do this without someone advocating for the other side.”
A small grin tugged at the priest’s lips. “So, there is one line you hesitate to cross.”
Erika sharply turned to him and held the data card in her hand. The small silicate card looked like it could be snapped in half with a finger. “I pause on the threshold out of courtesy. Not because I entertain doubts.”
“Courtesy? To whom?” The priest placed the holographic generator on the table. “You have no love for mankind, no morals to agonize over, no God to be concerned with.”
“To you,” Erika answered him. “To a man who has genuine belief.”
She said those words truthfully. While Samir was also a candidate, she wasn’t about to expose her plan to a man who could still take action. Father Soren destroying the entity was a blessing in that regard. She wouldn’t have bothered to have taken him prisoner otherwise.
“Belief alone doesn’t make you good or bad. It’s what you believe in.” Father Soren squinted his eyes in suspicion.
“And yet most people can’t even manage that. What did your God say? I would prefer you hot or cold; I spit out the lukewarm. Even if you’re wrong—which you are—that’s still so much better than anyone else I’ve ever met.” Erika held the data card in the air between them. “I’ll warn you, stop wasting your time on my reasons. You have a little under ten minutes.”
The priest crossed his legs and threw his shoulders back against the chair. “Convince you? No, I think you have it backwards. Convince me.”
A smile tugged at her lips. “Excuse me?”
Father Soren waved his arm. “You feel so right and certain in your beliefs. I want you to outline them to me—fully this time. Why do you think the world would be so much better if you had your way?”
Erika glanced down for a second to compose herself. She had to hold back from chuckling. This was not what she had expected. “Humanity suffers—“
“Yes, yes. Everyone since the dawn of time has known that. What makes you think that paradise awaits you down this path?”
“I told you before I don’t. No one can know what’s on the other side of the Matrioshka Divide until we’re there.”
The priest raised an eyebrow. “And what about the entities? I say they look like a species that’s seen the other side of your Divide.”
Erika shrugged. “I would call them more a half-step.”
“Whatever you want. Are they closer to your utopia? Yes or no?”
“In some ways. They’ve radically erased the inequality that plagues human societies. Their consciousness is freed from the constraints of the human form. I would call that a decent step.”
Father Soren suddenly stood up from his chair and paced. “And what about freedom? You spoke of self-determination in that speech you gave me.”
“They have the ability to change their self-perception—“
“No,” Father Soren cut her off, “I’m talking about freedom. Real freedom. Not something so trite as your own self-perception. I’m talking about the ability to make a real choice, to go against the collective vote.”
Erika stared at him in silence.
“Ah.” Father Soren stopped. “I think you’ve already seen the problem. Nothing can impede the collective vote. You can’t go against the tide, to do so would jeopardize the entire system. These ‘people’ as you call them—they don’t have a vote—they have a hundredth of a vote. They can’t opt out of the system. They’re forced to pick between factions, to compromise their beliefs just to get some of what they want. In many ways, we’re freer than them. At least I can be a martyr if I so choose.”
“So, that’s your argument.” Erika snorted. “You’re angling for the Lockner Paradox. Self-determination, suffering, and equality are mutually exclusive. As soon as you increase one, you have to make a trade-off from the other two.”
Father Soren gripped his chair with his good hand as he leaned forward. “You’re smart enough to see it. If people are free to make their own choices, then those choices create inequality. And if they have freedom, they can also make bad choices too.”
Erika closed her eyes and she rubbed her head, laughing a little at the ridiculousness of it. “That’s why human nature needs to change. So we can have all three.” She tried to make the point clearer.
“Oh no.” Father Soren shook his head. “That’s your mistake. You think those things are human nature? They aren’t. Those are basic facts, fundamental problems of reality. That’s the real Matrioshka Divide. Eventually, you’re going to have to start tearing down the rules of the universe.”
The rules of the universe are arbitrary. She wanted to shake her head at the man. Reality was nothing more than mathematical formulas which determined their existence. While that dictated a certain level of restriction, there was still much room for iteration.
“Why not?” She furiously shot back. “The entities solved some of their problems with digital technology. We could simulate an entire new universe if we wanted. Don’t you see? Everything is on the table. There’s no other choice! Humanity has tried everything else and has failed! I have to take that chance, even its one in a billion!”
She wished Father Soren could see the problem the way she did. Existence stood before her and demanded an impossible answer. On her shoulders was the life of every human who would ever exist. Erika had to choose between letting them live in suffering or experimenting a new path forward. Even though she knew that path might have consequences, there was no other way.
“And we finally come to the real point.” Father Soren sat back down in his chair. “It’s not that you really believe this path is good for humanity. You just think everyone else’s ideas are worse.”
Erika snorted. “What kind of argument is that?”
“The kind a scientist should listen to.” Father Soren crossed his legs. “Just because you think you know what’s wrong doesn’t mean you know what’s right. A false hypothesis doesn’t make your worldview correct. What gives you permission to risk humanity on a small chance that you yourself just admitted? A scientist believes what’s true—you don’t make an assumption just because you think everything is false.”
She had to smile at that. Father Soren was clever sophist for a priest. “I didn’t come to my conclusion lightly. Believe me, I did examine every religion. Every belief. Every ideology. Nothing brought humanity to a better outcome. This is purely mathematical. One in a billion is better than zero.”
“Religion isn’t mathematical.” The priest leaned forward, resting his elbows on legs. “Of course it doesn’t fit your criteria of making humanity better. Nothing can. We can only really make one individual better in our lifetimes—ourselves.”
Erika nearly forgot she was still holding the data card out. She set it down on the table and gave a deep sigh. “What are you saying?”
Father Soren leaned forward, his eyes staring into Erika’s. “Your question is wrong. If you can’t make yourself better, then what makes you think you can make the rest of humanity better? Before you go and make your utopia, why don’t make yourself perfect? The problem is not your perfect society. It’s who can bring us there.”
She understood enough of what the man was saying even though he might’ve said it better. It was an old—although admittedly sturdy argument. If she was imperfect, then there was no reason to believe that she could make anything more perfect. The flaws that she intrinsically carried—many of which she could not possibly calculate even with her science—would be transmitted to whatever creation she made.
The question at hand was not the creation of utopia. It was rather the creation of the perfect individual. The scope of the argument was all wrong. If one could somehow create the best person, then the rest of the pieces would all fall into place, and utopia would come easily enough.
The Matrioshka Divide was not some arbitrary technological barrier. There was no combination of factors: cultural or sociological or anything else otherwise. It was what made a single person better than what they were. That was all that mattered in the end.
And are you better? She couldn’t help but think to herself. Erika Terese, the woman who could bring down empires, was also so easily played by the slimiest of bureaucrats. Glen Tannis took advantage of her. If circumstances had turned out even slightly differently, she knew that he would’ve won. If anything in the universe could make her humble, then that should. She picked up the data card again and held it in front of her eye.
“Prove to me that something better is out there. Tell me the right answer.”
Father Soren shrugged his shoulders. “You know you wouldn’t listen to my answer. After all, we’re all only human.”
Erika smiled. “You leave me with a difficult choice. Gamble that my admittedly imperfect solution is right or seek another solution altogether.”
“Just don’t forget the billions you were prepared to condemn on your so-called imperfect solution.” Father Soren tiredly sank his head. His eyes never left her. “That, I leave up to you, Captain Terese.”