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CS refused to respond to our hails for the next three days straight. We were beginning to think I’d pushed it too far and the computer was either pouting or had deleted its awareness of us from its programming. Even I was beginning to second-guess myself.
On day four when we went aloft, it answered right away and was ready for serious negotiations. I reported the entire discussion to the council after we landed. I didn’t relay the conversation for fear of upsetting The People in the compound if things went poorly.
“It is conceded that you will be allowed to continue accepting supplicants to your compound,” CS stated. I didn’t know whether it couldn’t grasp the concept of religion or simply refused to acknowledge it. We decided to let sleeping dogs lie.
“There is no need to establish a reciprocal exchange of assimilants and supplicants. All models agree symbiosis minimums will be met,” it continued. We weren’t certain what that meant but accepted it graciously.
“The human known as Joacim or Jack Bontrager is no longer welcome at the hub. Another male specimen must be provided for the reproductive replication process,” it declared.
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“IT TOOK A LITTLE MORE convincing to allow me back at the hub,” I said, grinning at the assembly which threatened to burst the seams of the common room. There was standing room only as well as people crowding the doorway from outside.
“Apparently, I’ve been declared persona non grata after our first brush with the authorities. Or maybe it’s miffed about our little air raid. No mention of the raid was made but I have the feeling we got its undivided attention. I assured it I was the only male human who was ever going to be at the hub anytime soon. At least until the first round of assimilants arrived.”
I smiled as I remembered CS sounding a little tremulous, if that was even possible for a computer. “I got the feeling The People don’t want to wait that long. We finally agreed to my being escorted by Persuaders and a Minsan named Posh, who is the new planetary envoy. I’ll be tightly controlled from the flyer to the scanner. The booth is being specially set up in the garden where we retrieved Sumiko.”
I smiled around the room as I revealed my trump card. “I countered with an armed escort of my own. I threw in a second flyer on high cover with a real EMP bomb on board. I think that’s what finally helped it understand we mean business. After that, we were able to reach a workaround for the impasse.”
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ONE OF THE BOTHERSOME details of the rescue had been the official return of Sumiko to the colony. Although Bea and crew had successfully retrieved her during the fake bombing run, her connection to the central computer database was still operational.
Mica brought it to our attention quite by accident. Otherwise, we might never have come to the conclusion she was still mentally attached. For several days after her return, neither Sumiko nor Seamus came out of his quarters. The compound was in high gear preparing for the first round of assimilants to be ferried in from Earth.
“Captain, should someone check on Sumi and Seamus to make sure they’re alright?” Lars asked at breakfast. “It’s been four days.”
“Well, Seamus certainly won’t starve to death in that short a period of time,” Sherry quipped. “Sumiko’s another question.”
“They’re both fine,” Mica offered. Laughing aloud, she continued. “Sumi says she has ninja’d into the kitchen every night for snacks.”
After the laughter died down, I turned to Mica. “Now that Jovi has decided to live with the prophets or become one of them, we hardly ever see her. So I haven’t really thought about the fact that the three of you might still be connected.”
“Oh, believe me, we are,” Mica enthused. “Remember the global orgy we started right after our assimilation?”
“Don’t remind me,” I said with a huff. “I’m still embarrassed every time I think about it.”
“Well, Seamus got over his shyness on the second night,” she smirked. “In fact, they’ve revived that whole experimentation process and taken it to a whole new level. She shares, with those who wish to observe, the particulars of specific positions and...”
“Whoa,” numerous voices chorused. “Too much information.”
“I’m just saying, if the trees are shaking and there’s no wind, now you know why,” she giggled.
“It would appear there are now two folk heroes living in this community, although for vastly different areas of performance,” Terse added in the silence which followed. He said it with such a straight face, we all sat staring at him for several seconds before Sampson broke loose one of his cannon-fire laughs. Everyone followed suit as Terse’s joke registered.
“You have a sense of humor?” I teased Terse.
“The People have a highly-refined comedic sense,” he replied with mock disdain. “I have simply reduced mine to an elementary level.”
There was that pause again as everyone overcame there shock at his acerbic wit. Then the room erupted in laughter once again. Terse rose and sketched a short bow.
Several of us sat contemplating these new wonders for several minutes until I had an epiphany, which lead me to a disconcerting thought. “So, Sumi can broadcast to the supplicants here?”
“Oh, not just here,” Mica crooned. “She and Seamus have hundreds of The People engaged in the experiment.”
“You mean she’s still connected to CS?”
That brought all sidebar conversations to a halt. All eyes were now on Mica. “I hadn’t considered the ramifications of that bit of information. I guess it’s a good thing they haven’t come out of his room.”
“However, if she’s out ninjaing around at night,” Pradip started.
“And CS has the ability to watch through or even influence her,” Sari continued.
“Then no one might see her if she was forced to do something...”Lars added, pausing at a loss for words to finish his thought.
“Stop,” I ordered firmly. There was no need for him to finish his statement. Every mind in the room had drawn their own conclusion. “We need to invite Seamus and Sumiko into this conversation.”
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LENGTHY DISCUSSION debated the merits of utilizing that connection to our benefits.
“There is so much knowledge and wisdom in those files,” Sari offered.
“I dislike giving up access to all the information about the Minsa,” Sampson interjected. “Should anything happen to one of them, we could use that access to help them now that they can’t go back to be rejuvenated. But we can’t live with this uncertainty.”
Counterpoint suggested the potential for CS to use her as a listening device. Bea remarked pointedly on the possibly of CS taking over her body and forcing her to perform acts of violence or sabotage against her will.
“You’re still Public Enemy Number One with CS,” Raven observed. “What’s to stop it from taking over Sumiko’s mind and having her slit your throat in your sleep?”
As I blanched, Sumiko joined the debate. “I am by far the most lethal of anyone in the compound, perhaps on the entire planet. I’ve felt what it’s like for CS to try taking over, as have Jovi and Mica. We fought it off the first time. However, what’s to stop CS from boosting its power or programming to the point it just...overwhelms me?”
“You’re making me feel like we need to keep you in the brig,” Bea said flatly. “I don’t like that feeling. I’m not going to sleep or let you out of my sights until this is resolved. When we discovered Jovi and Mica were being used to eavesdrop, CS cut the connection so abruptly they lost consciousness. That abrupt action gives me cause for concern.” As she said this she placed her sidearm on the table before her.
Sumiko rose from her seat and very slowly removed her sheathed Tanto from its place in her belt. Laying it on the table, she pushed it gently in my direction. I reached for it and pressed the release to draw the weapon from its scabbard. Holding it up in the light, I twisted it to make it flash, just as minor theater. I nodded in appreciation and resheathed the weapon. Then I slid it back across the table to Sumi. “I’ll keep my Wakizashi, but thank you.”
More discussion followed and I let it play out. After everyone had their say, I turned to Sumiko. “Are you certain you can’t assure us you can maintain control over your own mind?”
“No, Captain, I cannot make that statement with abject certainty,” she replied.
“Then we have no choice but to insist CS terminate your connection.”
“The People will not be pleased,” she observed. “Perhaps if we petition the society in general, there could be an alternative. I’d like that, only because of the connectedness I feel. But I will not become a pariah to maintain it.”
In the end we couldn’t run the risk that CS might be able to use her against us so we insisted on her total disconnection. Sumi even tried reaching out to the general populace in an attempt to communicate her distress. When she encountered a strange and unusual silence from the hub, even she concurred. Her complete disengagement from CS had become non-negotiable by the time we contacted the computer with the request.
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“THE PEOPLE FEEL VERY strongly in regard to maintaining connection with she who is called Sumiko,” it replied when we called in from a flyer. Sumi was in the pilot seat and I was with her. Seamus and Mica were in the back seat.
“I am the one called Sumiko, and I have felt you poking around in my head since we began this discussion six hours ago,” she informed it hotly. We were all taken aback, as she had made no reference to it until now. “You’ve been doing exactly what my people thought you might. Your audacity is despicable. Even with assurances that you would not attempt to manipulate me, I will not feel at ease until I am disconnected. I insist you sever our connection immediately.”
“It is not in the best interest of The People to abruptly discard such a critical portion of their new awareness,” it wheedled.
“There will be ample opportunity when we bring the new assimilants in,” Seamus reminded it.
“Perhaps we should wait until that time,” it replied. “There is no need to act in haste.”
“We insist you break the connection right away,” Mica commanded. “I am the one called Mica and I will know whether you comply or not.”
“It is not in the best interest of The People to...” it began.
“Central Service, do you need me to explain about EMPs again?” I asked gently.
Had we not been stationary in hover mode we might have crashed. Sumiko jerked violently and collapsed across the control yoke. Seamus was behind her and immediately pulled her back erect while I grabbed the controls.
Mica spoke up quickly as she held firmly to Sumiko’s upper arm from between the seatbacks. “She’s fine, just unconscious. CS ripped her connection away violently and it shocked her mind. That was very much like a childish tantrum.”
“There’ll be a come-uppance for this,” Seamus vowed.