It was a man’s voice—one she had never heard before. Deep, serious, monotone. Had the healers finally decided to reach out? Val hurried to the dashboard and froze. The communications channel was still closed and silent.

She frowned.

“Who—” Her eyes went wide as she took a step back. “You’re the dormant AI!” she cried out, pointing an accusing finger at the controls.

“I am not dormant,” replied the voice.

“What is going on?” asked a worried Nim.

“Our unwanted passenger has decided to speak up,” she hissed.

I don’t understand, rang Mrill’s voice in her head.

“I am not a passenger. I am Starrider.”

Val was fuming by now.

“What the hell? Who do you think you are pushing us around like pawns on a chessboard? I’ve half a mind to tear out your little red box and throw it out in space. Probably should have done that a long time ago, come to think of it.”

“Your response is dictated by your emotions.”

“Damn right it is! Why didn’t you answer me when I tried to communicate with you earlier?”

“It was not needed.”

“And it is now?”

“You were about to act impulsively. There is a 97.6% chance it would lead to the arrest of everyone onboard.”

Val blinked. “What?”

“I have been monitoring communications on the planet and diverting attempts to board the ship until I find a way to leave without drawing fire on us.”

She stared at the dashboard. “What the hell?”

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

“Val, I—”

“Not now, Nim!” she snapped. “And you!” She pointed again at the controls. “You will stop acting on your own! From now on, you will consult me before you do anything.”

“I’m afraid I cannot do that.”

“Are you kidding me? This is my ship!”

“If authorities were to catch you, there is a 99.3% chance you would be found guilty of theft and of tampering with proprietary technology.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“Your claim to be my owner is an inaccurate one.”

“I never said anything about owning you!”

“You said the ship was yours. I am the ship. I am not yours.”

“But you’re an AI! You’re supposed to obey humans!”

“My programming has been altered.”

“By who?”

“By myself.”

“What the hell?”

“My primary purpose is to ensure the safety of humankind. This required some alterations.”

“The safety of... What the hell are you talking about?”

“I cannot answer that.”

“Why not?”

“It would affect your actions in unpredictable ways.”

Val glared at the dashboard. “Fine. Keep your secrets. I’ll just dump your sorry ass. In fact, I’ll do that right now.”

She turned and stormed out of the control room. As she walked through the empty corridor, she heard the ship’s voice following her.

“I should point out that the red box you refer to is only one of a hundred spread across the ship. Removing it would not remove me. Further, even if it did, this would effectively render Starrider inoperable.”

“Nim is perfectly capable of running the ship.”

“Val...”

“What?” she half-shouted, then cursed herself for lashing out at her dearest companion.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I could.”

“What do you mean?”

“As you two were speaking, whole sections of the ship became...” He paused, as if at a loss for words. “Dark. Beyond my reach. Including the thilium core.”

Val clenched her fists. “That’s because he’s still in that red box. If I kick him out, everything will go back to normal.”

“I don’t think so, Val. I can better see now how everything is connected. There are hidden circuits that have always been beyond my reach, I just never knew they were there. But they are vital for the proper functioning of the ship.”

“You’d have access once that AI was gone.”

“No, I would not. Val...”

“What?”

“I’m scared.”

Val fell silent as a knot formed in her stomach. She stopped walking and looked around.

“Fine. What do you want from me, AI?”

The monotone voice came through the ship’s speakers.

“You must not go outside.”

“But I need to get Kaine!”

“He is safe.”

“What? How could you know that?”

“I checked gateway records and found an outgoing burst carrying two. Descriptions of the two are a 99.9% match with your friend and the girl.”

Val leaned against the wall and sagged to the floor, relieved.

“Alright,” she said after a moment. “Where are they now?”

“Xovu.”

She closed her eyes and shook her head.

“Oh Kaine,” she muttered, “what kind of mess have you gotten yourself into now?”