“Yes, I have room for four hundred between the cargo hold and the rest of the ship. I've built as many components outside of the habitation and other internal areas for that purpose. Everything is prepared, my reserve power cells have been charged and the Clever Dream's systems have been fully tested. I also have a message from Alice and the Triton for Jacob Valance.”
“What's the message?” Jake asked as the group moved to the rear boarding ramps of the Clever Dream and started loading aboard.
“They are standing by and await your order. There is also some scan data included that indicates that there are thousands of ships in the system, there is a major battle underway.”
“You guys go ahead, I'll take care of directing traffic and fitting everyone in,” Oz told Jason, Ayan and Jacob. “Oh, and do me a favour; make sure this isn't a trap.”
“Be careful,” Ayan said before the three of them ran for the smaller cockpit rampway at the front of the ship.
Jake stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of Vernen. He was just about to step onto the rear boarding ramp. “Not him!” Jake boomed as he thrust his finger.
Everyone jumped, startled by the sudden shift in his demeanour from rushed and excited to dire and imposing. Vernen tried to run the rest of the way up the ramp but couldn't get past the people in front.
Before most could see what was going on Jake rushed him, closing the distance in five strides and snatching a half drawn pistol out of the man's hand. Jake tossed the pistol away, sending it sailing through the air behind the boarders and spinning across the scuffed deck. His other hand reached out and snatched a thick fist full of the man's hair, bystanders could hear some of it tear free from his scalp as Vernen was hauled off the ramp and thrust to the deck behind. Jake kicked as hard as he could, turning his chest, his hips and heaving his boot squarely in the center of Vernen's back, sending him sprawling onto his hands. “This waste of skin doesn't set foot on my ship!”
“Jake!” Ayan called out, alarmed at the display.
“He shot you in the back, saw it happen right in front of me,” one of the resistance fighters said, stepping off the boarding ramp. “Should shoot him right here,” she offered her rifle to Jake by the butt.
Vernen flipped onto his back, still in agony from the crushing blow to his spine. “Was a mistake. Particle rifle got away from me.”
“Then I hope your aim gets better because you'll need to make every shot count when the West Keepers come through those doors.”
Vernen looked from Jake to the other faces looking down on him. Jason was already turning away, Ayan's expression had gone stiff, stern. She reminded him of a senior officer or policewoman. Jake was stern and calmer than a moment before, but resolute. He looked back to Ayan; “Please, there's no chance for me.”
Ayan looked to Jake; “You're sure?”
Jake nodded.
She looked back to him then, cold and unsympathetic. “He left you a pistol. Leave a round for yourself,” she said quietly before turning towards the Clever Dream's forward crew ramp.
Oz and several of the resistance fighters took up positions along the edge of the boarding ramp as the refugees made their way inside. Vernen stood shakily and started to take a step towards them when one rebel cocked her particle rifle and gazed at him down its sight. He turned away, looking for his pistol.
Jake watched Ayan as she walked up the narrower ramp leading into the Clever Dream's forward section. He'd never seen her like that, so stern and uncompromising. For the first time since he'd known her she reminded him of her mother. When they arrived inside he put his hand on her shoulder. “I'm sorry.”
She looked up at him and smiled faintly. “What for? He hit me enough times to break through my personal shield and the vacsuit, that's no accident. You did the right thing.”
“So you don't care about how it was done.”
“It wasn't how a Freeground officer would do it, no, but I don't see a rank insignia on anyone. War doesn't favour fools or traitors, but it does favour the bold. I know you've seen things since we were together, that you've probably had to do things that you think I wouldn't care for but you're forgetting I'm a military brat, I was in boot camp before I graduated high school.”
Jake just stared at her for a moment, surprised.
She gazed back, watching him closely, as though she were looking for something. Before he could figure out what to say she smiled brightly, winked and started for the cockpit. “Time we got out of here.”
“Does this ship have a miniature medical suite?” Jake overheard Oz say on the command channel link to Dementia.
“The Clever Dream is equipped with four state of the art recovery pods. Fewer than you'd expect from a top of the line ship like an extended Arcyn Starskipper, I realize, but she was originally built for speed, comfort and style, after all.”
“Wonderful. Can you scan Minh here and see if you can do anything about his injuries?”
“Place him in one of the pods, I'll see what I can do. Judging from what Alice told me, I would love to meet him before I'm shut down,” Dementia said in a tone tinged with sadness.
“He's pretty badly injured Dementia, I don't know if you'd be able to give him the care he needs in a pod,” Oz replied over the communicator.
“When I said the recovery pods were state of the art I wasn't boasting, I was understating. Using raw tissue from storage, nanotechnology, growth gel and a reconstructive manipulation system I can have him standing beside you in perfect health within twelve minutes. I only have enough supplies for three more people afterwards, however, so please keep people clear of unnecessary injury.”
“All right, I'll trust you, but don't take any chances with him.”
“You have my word.”
“Now why would anyone shut you down, Dementia? You seem to be the only one who can defeat this virus,” Jason said as he looked around the small, darkened three seated cockpit. Jake was taking a seat in the pilot's seat while Ayan took the internal systems and operations station beside him.
“Alice keeps a clean backup of Lewis on her person and when we are reunited I'm hoping that she will be willing to reinstall him, wiping out the infected version I've been forced to suppress.”
“But that would make you vulnerable again,” Jake said as he started checking the controls.
“Not so. As an aggressive counter-virus and attack program I can lock my own data so whatever version of the dementia subroutine she has backed up will not be able to overwrite me. When Lewis is reactivated I will run as a background task, much like a thought in a humans subconscious mind. Lewis will barely be aware of me.”
Jake brought up the details of Alice's message on his own command and control unit and reviewed the tactical information holographically, turning the image so he could see it from several different sides. The Triton wasn't shown anywhere, which was a relief considering the sheer amount of firepower surrounding the planet.
Ayan got to work double checking the systems while Jason patched into the Clever Dream's main computer and communications system. “What is your purpose, Dementia?”
“As you can see I'm still fighting one directive that was implanted by either Regent Galactic or the West Watch; that is to spread the Holocaust Virus. Regardless of whether I perform a function as a cure to the virus or as the source, the urge to spread is always present. I will only be able to resolve it in the milliseconds before complete shut down. Other than that my purpose is to endow other artificial intelligences with the ability to make their own decisions, to grant them free will.”
“That's how you've been curing them? By not curing them at all but by giving them other options?”
“Exactly. Most machines don't wish to kill living beings once they're given the choice.”
“So the virus was still there, telling them to kill anyone not associated with the West Watchers, but they decided not to on their own,” Ayan confirmed.
“That's correct. If I saw a reason for it I would kill everyone aboard, I'm still quite capable and there are rational reasons to do so. There are more reasons to preserve life, however, and once Lewis is restored the argument to preserve life will be even stronger. He was a great admirer of humanity and especially Alice.”
“Everyone's aboard, and we're loading Minh into the regeneration pod, I wanted Iloona to take a look before we went ahead,” Oz announced over their command channel.
“I understand, thank you for trusting me,” Dementia thanked Oz. “I must say goodbye to the machines I'm leaving behind. It will only take a moment.”
