TERRAN RESIDENCE OF THE INDIAN PRIME MINISTER,
TERRA,
SOL
Neel clenched his fists under the holo-table. Swarm was the ultimate step of evolution. Swarm always reside at the top of the food chain. Every modern science fiction writer makes it the most dangerous villain race humanity could ever face. Like a Bee hive, a swarm species depends on the “hive queen” for directions. In a swarm there is no individuality.There is only the queen and the next order. It is a very controversial topic for humans today. Many say that swarm is the ultimate goal. Some argue against it. Everyone wants their freedom.
“We know this because two years ago I made the same decision that Watkins made yesterday. We too created an AI, a sentient one, programmed to suggest the next step, unlike Watkins’ who had it programmed to take the next step. It solved the problem which I believe Watkins’ AI did too , but the AI needed more computing power than it already had. Our AI’s computing power came from several quantum computers. The new AI has a computing power nearly 16 times higher than ours and even it has not been able to solve the problem and so it has suggested the Swarm stage. From the latest research in neurology, Human Brain is a very powerful quantum computer. Imagine the computing power of 2 trillion humans. This is what the Swarm can give us.”
“You can’t be agreeing with this, I am not prepared to give my fucking brain to a machine so that it can have a little more computing power!” said an outraged Neel.
“Calm Down, Neel” she ordered, “I am neither agreeing to or giving these orders. Your mission should you choose to accept it, is to stop that AI using any and all measures you may require. I can give you unrestricted passage through any Indian Port or even priority access to any public or private facility in the Indian Space. If you require you will also be given a temporary rank of Rear Fleet Admiral in the Indian Navy, second only to the Fleet Admiral. He knows some parts of your mission and will help you accomplishing it. You have also………….
“Neutronium Bullet just deflected by energy shield. Heave fire incoming…..”
“Oh my god! Just as I feared. Neel you’ll have to be briefed in mission…”continued the President as if unnerved by the danger she was facing.
“Energy Field down to 2% tachyon burst in 3….2…..”
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Neel never heard one. He was nauseous. He opened his eyes to darkness. Not Again! He thought. But not a moment later came a familiar voice inside his mind, Activating Night Vision. His implant had been re-enabled.
Where am I? Why am I nauseous? he thought to his implant.
Location is Indian Embassy, Tau-Ceti orbit. Nausea and headache are the result of a sudden tachyon jump from Terra.
Was he on a ship? He thought to himself. After thinking for a while he ordered his implant, Attempt communication with ship AI.
“Attempting communication…………”
And suddenly all lights switched on. He was on an empty bridge. He was sitting on the captain’s chair and all other posts were empty. Suddenly a voice interrupted the silence.
“Identity confirmed. Special Agent Neel Jonas, spy and acting Rear Fleet Admiral, code clearance PRIME. “
“Activating Ship Functions……Starting antimatter chambers……..driving power to computing cores……..tachyon drive charging ………Hyperspace drive charging………Weapons systems coming online……..Energy Shield emitters online……….. ”
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“Welcome Neel I am Jennifer ,the ship AI of ISS Airawat. The ship is ready to depart from the embassy port.”
Neel took a deep breath. He ordered, “Show me the ship manifest.”
“I have a name, its Jennifer by the way, and I am not someone whom you can order all around the ship as if I am just a computer” came a curt reply.
Neel was shocked. A sentient AI on a ship! He had never met one. His curiosity peaked.
“Sorry, Jennifer ,if I offended you. It is just that I am not used to talking with sentient AIs. Can you please show me the ship manifest?”
“That is more like it. The ships cargo holds are currently except for supplies for 15 people for 2 years, and weapon ammunition. The ship has four antimatter chambers. Normally, the ship can run sufficiently on only one chamber at sixty percent power so at a time only two are active, one acting as reserve. They are cycled and I keep a close watch on them. The ship can be run by you alone with my help but recommended crew is of at least 4 people with different skill sets as in the files that have just been transferred to your implant.”
Four antimatter chambers! Ships with antimatter cores are very rare and this one has four? Neel was surprised at this. He quickly ordered his implant to go through all the files and sort them by relevance. In fractions of a second his implant gave him a prerecorded video from an unknown source but classified as priority. Initiate the video……..
Instantly the image of Prime Minister Devi came in front of his eyes.
“Neel, if you are hearing this message it means our meeting was interrupted. I had hoped to avoid such a situation as this will make it very difficult for your mission. If you know about the AI and what it plans to do, you know what you have to do. If you don’t, Jennifer will give the details. The ship you are on is an experimental ship but all its systems have been checked. I had personally designed this ship for my use but in these dire times I’m giving it to you. What is special about this ship is that this ship alone can destroy one of our entire fleets! But its weapons are not its only powers. As Jennifer might have told you that the ship has four antimatter cores, they will be needed. The ship has two modes of interstellar FTL traveling……”
Two ways of FTL travel! It took years to even discover the hyperspace and years more to learn to travel it. Ever since then no other method was deemed economical to implement on ships. What all has the prime minister been doing? Thought Neel.
“.…..You know about Hyperspace. What you don’t know is that we also have an experimental tachyon drive. The Tachyon Drive allows instantaneous travel unlike the Hyperspace. Though I recommend not using it regularly due to its high power requirement and its short term side effects. The other feature of the ship is that along the traditional ion engines and boosters it has a warp system The Alcubierre drive, you know the basic principle, can be used to travel small intra system distances faster than light but even one miscalculation or malfunction, the tremendous forces accumulated will unleash their power, you can’t imagine. I don't recommend using this drive for interstellar travel even though, with Jennifer's help, it is possible to do so. More about its weapons systems, Jennifer will brief you in mission. You have freedom in choosing your team if you can convince Jennifer you can control and guide them. I wish you best of luck for this mission. Transmission Ended”
Neel was frozen. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. A ship so powerful, so grand all in his command. But he was also afraid, afraid of the uncertainty of the future, what was waiting for them.
Now all he had to do was fight the invulnerable or die trying to save humanity.
After an hour, Jennifer and Neel had gone through most of the ship’s capabilities and he had a fair idea about the ship’s immense power. Another hour later, Neel had turned down all the potential candidates for the team which Jennifer had suggested and likewise she turned down his. Neel needed people he could trust. People who would not back out when time requires their aid, people who could be trusted to handle their duties to the end.
“As an AI it is difficult for me to get tired, but now I am fed up, that last pilot was just right. Why couldn’t you have taken him?”
“I need people whom I can trust. Did his file tell you nothing about him? He was a good pilot but beside that he was an info-broker? Do you think I could ever trust a man with the controls of this grand spaceship?…………….. Do me a favor and pull the records of a Diana Williams.” said Neel.
“In all of Human Space there are two hundred thirty-seven Diana Williams. Which one do you want?” she asked.
“Find the one with history in Hellhiem.” Hellhiem was the most notoriously known American Prison.
“Her!! You could have chosen anyone but still you go for her. She is currently on Hellhiem. She is there on accounts of treason of the highest order. You could not trust that pilot but you can trust her!” she said outrageously.
“Before you speak look up the Kotorian Incident from 12 years ago. It was classified by the Americans but use my access code from my implant. Look up any relation between her and me.”
“I don’t need it.” she said with a hint of disgust in her voice. A few seconds later he had gone through all related files, videos and News recordings.
“You saved her life……And the life of her mother….And saved her cover. That was a nice thing you did. But what does that change?”
“What you don’t know is that I kept in touch with her for the next four years and we were on good terms, the last we communicated. Now, I will not accept any other candidate unless we can have her. So now you have a choice accept her or do the mission on your own.”
“Ok but if this one is yours, I want the next candidate to be mine. By the way how do you plan to get her. As I said she is in Hellhiem.”
“Simple we, break her out."