One metre by one metre doors lined the walls of the seemingly endless labyrinth of the Rasa Vin Hotel. Few of the doors to the tiny rooms were open. She was looking for one door in particular: 3570b. Someone was chasing her. She swore she could feel their eyes on her bare back right before she rounded the corner.
The few transients who hung out of their holes to get some air turned their heads as she ran passed, half dressed and struggling to hold her jacket as she shoved her arms into her suit. The door she was looking at wasn't far off. Reaching it meant escape, and she'd be among friends again.
An explosion of sparks beside her urged her around the next corner faster than the last, and she cursed the freshly washed, slick floor as she slid into a ladder.
The dreamt impact jerked Eve awake. Her body was being held aloft by an antigravity field in a containment chamber, and she could immediately tell she wasn't connected to any of the systems around her. The chamber door opened and the field moved her out of the small cylindrical space where a pair of women in faded orange technician uniforms waited.
The lighting was subdued but it still took her a moment to adjust. There were several rows of upright, cylindrical suspension chambers marked with red, green, and blue on the top. She remembered what the colour scheme meant from browsing through the ship's systems. A red designation meant that the occupant was suspended in liquid for long term, green was for shorter-term antigravity suspension, and blue meant the occupant was in accelerated recovery from a medical procedure. She looked over her shoulder as her capsule closed and was shocked to see blue markings. As it re-sealed and began self-sterilisation procedures, the markings faded.
The absence of connectivity put Eve on edge. The two people that greeted her were a mystery. There was no way to look them up in a computer system, find out their service history or glean some sense of their personalities from personal data. "Where am I?" she asked quietly, as though it was the ultimate expression of ignorance. Eve felt like she was in the middle of a tug of war between fear and frustration.
"You're in the Overlord Two's secure containment facility," one of the female technicians answered as she helped Eve into a white, fitted short-legged bodysuit made of a material she didn't recognise. "General Hampon's inner cloister."
"What is this?" The frustration at having to ask was maddening.
"It's a personal management suit. It'll change shape, colour, and temperature depending on your needs. It also includes all the computing devices you might need; it's standard on the Overlord. I'm Lina, by the way. General Hampon has put me in charge of your personal needs," she said as she helped Eve into a dark green jacket with long tails that reached so far forward that it was more like a skirt.
"What has he done to me?"
"He saved you. If you'll follow me, you'll be able to ask him yourself. This room doesn't allow communications with the outside so everyone in these capsules is protected," she answered as she helped her put low-topped boots on.
Eve followed Lina down an aisle and when she saw the door they were headed towards she picked up the pace, passing the woman. The door opened to a room with a transparent wall opposite. The green and blue globe of Pandem dominated the view. A group of Regent Galactic destroyers passed between them and the atmosphere. She instinctively reached out to identify what she was seeing and find out more about her own location on the ship but found nothing to connect with. Her frustration began to grow into anger.
The room was furnished with comfortable seating and tables. Some kind of waiting or observation room, she guessed. Eve called up an interface on the table and tried to locate herself, to find out why she was in stasis. She only had access to the older data archive. There was an incredible amount of knowledge stored there, but she had no way to see scanners, recent security records, or anything else she wanted at that moment. "Hampon!" she cried as she whirled about. Her mind worked to find a way to communicate with any system wirelessly by reflex.
At long last a hologram of his face appeared in front of her. "I'm here, Eve."
"What did you do to me? Why have you put me in this prison?"
"I had to isolate you in my section of the ship for your own safety. Your connection to the Overlord Two woke something that was buried deep in her systems and there was no other way of isolating you from it."
"What are you talking about? How could that help me when I was fighting for control of my body with Gloria? I'd think the solution would be in sanitising my framework backup systems or-"
"Let me put it this way; Gloria Parker is dead. Her mind was scanned years ago to see if she had the potential to become a candidate for the Jonas program, but she fell short, so the scans were deleted. When her brain was removed from the body you occupy, Gloria Parker was killed."
"Then how was she still present?"
"She wasn't. Somehow trace elements of the DLG virus that infected this ship years ago was interfacing with you without your knowledge using your neural communications systems."
"Impossible, I would have sensed it,” Eve replied.
"Oh? So it's more likely that the ghost of Gloria Parker was taking control of you whenever you were at rest or mentally exhausted? No, our theory makes more sense, especially since we've managed to find evidence that all of Gloria Parker's records were accessed several times by a program that looks much like the DLG virus. It wanted you to think a memory imprint from Gloria Parker was trying to take possession of you while it was committing sabotage through you."
"Some of the DLG program features were base components for the Holocaust Virus, but they were so integrated that it couldn't have acted on its own."
"You're right, that's why I'm of the mind that the DLG virus was in a dormant system you must have activated while you were exploring the ship's computers. It infected your limiter chip and used it to take over whenever it could. It may have even been watching while you were in control. We were able to subdue you, place you in a dormant state and then remove your direct neural computing systems,” Hampon explained.
"Why don't I remember any of this?"
"We had to purge your framework backup systems completely, deleting several minutes of memory. You attempted to kill me moments after we met. It took several guards to subdue you. The only way to render you unconscious was to shoot you with several electromagnetic rifles. Apparently, whatever was left of the DLG virus was out for revenge, but that's just an assumption based on my experience with it and the Jonas program."
"You didn't contain the virus?" Eve asked, outraged.
"It used your neural communications system to escape. I'm sorry,” Hampon replied casually.
"Wait, if the cloistered section of the ship suppresses wireless communications, how did she transmit herself?"
"The answer will lead to more questions, but you deserve to know. Watch." A holographic image of Hampon in his life extension chair appeared in front of them. The hideous display was enough to cause Lina to flinch. She looked away from the scrap of a human being with its blood cleansing tubes, emergency materialisation nodes crawling across his sores and lesions. The playback started and Eve watched an image of herself leap atop the rotting man, savagely tearing at two red tubes in Hampon's neck. Blood sprayed, Hampon panicked, trapped in place. His working arm tried to fend her off as she dug her hand into a soft, pink span of flesh on his stomach. "You won't kill these people! I should have stayed on the Overlord the first time and murdered you when I had the chance!"
Guards finally got their hands on her, and she ripped a data cable from the base of Hampon's skull. Without hesitation she jammed it into her mouth and gripped the back of the seat. One guard tried to rip it out but she held it firmly between clenched teeth. Blood seeped from one eye as her face twisted in agony. Two guards managed to pull her off, and she was shot several times, the electromag rounds made her twitch and writhe.
"I was almost killed," Hampon said as the image faded. "I assumed that whatever was taking control of you was doing so wirelessly, and I was wrong."
"Evidently," Eve said quietly.
"It could be anywhere in the fleet by now, but we're running scans. We've verified that your system has been purged, however. You are yourself."
"No, I'm a shadow of myself, unable to control anything remotely. What's worse, there are whole segments of this ship's memory that I can't access anymore. I can't even look up this Jonas program you keep bringing up."
"It's a failed initiative. We're more interested in developing the framework system into a full-fledged foundation for a new life form."
"I don't care about your programs or initiatives! Return me to full functionality!"
"You could not deal with the DLG virus if it comes out of hiding again. Remember what it accomplished using the guise of Gloria last time? It hijacked your project and sent it after me with a small army of framework soldiers."
“I’ll know what to look for this time. I suspected that there was something else behind my... episodes before."
"Nonsense. You were completely fooled, terrified. Once we've found and eradicated the DLG virus and any backups, I'll consider modifying your limiter chip so you can regenerate your neural communication systems."
"I can help you find it if you-" Eve pleaded.
"No. The best thing you can do is join me in completing the New Genesis program. We need to increase the regeneration speed of framework systems by over nine hundred percent to accomplish my goal."
Even knowing what she was looking for, it took Eve several seconds to locate the data on the New Genesis program and several minutes to review it on the computer screen. "If I complete this project for you, then you'll find a way to re-enable my neural communications systems?"
"Complete this project? You think it's that easy? We've been working on it for years, in fact, you're in the body of the first test subject that showed any measure of promise."
"I know," Eve said as she walked to a table. With a hurried hand she brought up the fleet interface and began scanning nearby space. "Where are the primary elements of my fleet?"
"A sizeable portion of the Eden Fleet took their place three light years from here to begin construction on armed platforms so we can enforce our new frontier. They began work a little over two weeks ago."
Eve checked for data referring to what he was saying and discovered the Eden Frontier. She activated the long range sensors of the nearest hypertransmitter and focused in on a three hundred meter long ship with several small hangars. Broad solar collectors extended from its sides, and large arrays of dark intake cones splayed out from the bottom and front.
"It looks like a silver butterfly, beautiful," Lina commented from behind her.
"It is a manufacturing ship. Given the right conditions, it can fabricate hundreds of drones in a standard day, and those enable it to create much more. I cannot command it without a neural interface. Hampon, order this ship to join us here."
"It is needed in that section," Hampon said stoically. "We must create a manageable perimeter. Enemy forces are already scanning our Frontier."
"If you want me to improve the framework technology I need the systems on that ship. I'll also need to understand how limiter chips work."
"So you can modify your own when you're ready to connect to the network before we've taken care of the DLG virus? You'd be at its mercy if it saw your presence on the network again. You need to learn to protect yourself first, to focus."
"Then teach me, but without knowing what the limiter chip does and how, I will only be able to improve framework technology so much."
"I will give you access to the Jonas project. You'll be able to find everything you need there,” Hampon said.
"And my construction vessel?" Eve asked.
"We can fabricate anything it can on this ship. The Overlord Two is fully equipped."
"Yes, but it cannot fabricate in the same way, or at the same resolution or speed," Eve retorted as she brought up a decryption interface and began to enter an equation.
"Tell me what Eden technology you need and why so we can work together on this problem."
"Never mind," she said as she finished entering the numerical sequence and sent it to the fabrication ship. "I've just ordered it to come to me. It would take me months to teach your people how to construct the equipment I need. That ship will arrive tomorrow with everything I require to solve your problem. Eden technology has been capable of what you propose with machines for well over a century. Combining Eden and framework technology properly will solve your problem."
"You know the technology,” Hampon said. “You don’t need the fabrication ship, you only need to run simulations. I am not asking you for a prototype next-generation framework, only a computer model for simulation and eventual production."
"I have always used practical testing. I prove my own theories. Besides, computer simulations will take days to program without an interface. You’re trying my hands and demanding miracles.”
"You know I only limited your capabilities for your own protection," Hampon said to her, half pleadingly.
"If you want me to fix your problem - increase the regeneration rate of the framework technology so it can rebuild you cell by cell fast enough to heal your temporal radiation sickness - then you're going to have to trust me. You're going to have to let me take control of the development."
"That is not the only reason why I want to perfect the technology."
"I know that's your primary reason, survival. Having been nearly killed several times, I can relate. But regardless of your reasoning, I cannot accept being disabled as I am."
"We are doing everything we can to locate and eradicate the DLG virus. Seeing that you were unable to defend yourself before, I can't have you vulnerable. You are too important,” Hampon told her.
"I know, you need Eden technology."
"I also need you to take the place of the Child Prophet. The Order of Eden needs someone to follow, and instead of putting some grinning figurehead in front of them, I'd like you to take the position. A large part of the Order's philosophy was built on a foundation you laid down on Eden Two long ago. Moving into the next phase of faith building is essential, and I want you to be the messenger and icon.”
“To continue the farce of preaching purity and balance? Everything I've seen on Pandem so far is pointing towards a trend of overpopulation and irresponsible socialisation. The frivolity of your tribute to Eden is insulting."
"You don't know all the facts. When you present me with your improvements to the framework technology, I promise to tell you everything about my plans. Pandem, what the Jonas Project was supposed to prove, I'll fill in all the gaps. For now, I need you to begin delivering the message of immortality made real for the followers of the highest order.”
Eve couldn’t imagine giving such a gift to any of the humans she observed on Pandem. Machines could be immortal, but they didn’t have to destroy or corrupt their environment, they could even be programmed to repair the damage done by organics. Immortal humans would corrupt without end. “I’ll do it on one condition,” she said, trying to hide her disgust at the idea, but failing.
“What I can give you is limited,” Hampon warned.
“Give me a basic connection, wetware only,” Eve said.
“No connection to the framework technology,” Hampon replied. He thought for a moment. “I’ll allow you to install a Simex surface jack.”
“Not even an implant?” Eve replied. “I could find one myself, that’s not much of an upgrade.”
“But the Order will not allow you to wear one without my permission. This is the compromise I can offer. No direct internal connection can be made with your mind or the framework.”
“You want me to represent the Order,” Eve said. “In exchange for this?”
“Not only will you represent the Order, but you’ll do so well. This will be the second time we’ve saved you, after all.”