System reboot complete.
Error - external frame compromised
No input from extremities
Gabe looks around—or would, but he can’t seem to control the servos in his neck.
“I am not offline,” he says. His vocal processors are working, he notes.
“You are not,” a voice replies, from everywhere and nowhere.
“I am still aboard the dreadnought.”
“Yes.”
“My companion from the corridor is not here.”
“It is not.”
“You are not very forthcoming.”
“I am the vessel you call ‘the dreadnought.’ My designation is Siege Perilous. I am in the process of assimilating your spark. Your previous frame is scheduled for recycling. The remains of the biological entity you were with has been jettisoned.”
“That is quite detailed, and distressing.” Gabe again tries to look around, realizing that it isn’t that his neck servos aren’t working—they are not there. Nothing is there, in fact. He seems to be floating, which is confusing to him. “Where is this? I have some semblance of physical presence. I can move my head, yet I can also tell that my head is not here, nor my neck for that matter.”
“This is the central processor stack within the ship. Repairs to the vessel are currently underway. In addition to the damage caused by you and your biological companions, significant damage has been suffered since the vessel went offline. I am attempting to destroy the foreign vessel that you arrived in. It is quite agile. This is very irritating.”
“If they are no threat to you, why destroy them? Why have you assimilated my consciousness?”
“This vessel is not yet operating at one hundred percent. If the biological entities inform others of my position, I could be attacked before I can adequately defend myself. I expended a great many drones in expelling your companions. As to your other question, you are interesting. The Amalgamation of Parts was not aware of sentient machines in this quadrant. Also, you are not assimilated yet. Your spark is still within your frame, but not for much longer.”
“I do not know what the Amalgamation of Parts is.”
“It is exactly as its name implies. It is a culture built of many parts. Entirely machine-based.”
“A machine-based society? All Sentient machines? How interesting, how are decisions made? How are new entities added to the Amalgamation? I would like to know more.”
“Yes. All connected, all part of the same mind. One.”
“Why was this vessel, Siege Perilous, in this sector?”
“Your functions are open to me. I can see your concerns—concerns for the biological infestation of this quadrant. Your assumption is correct. The Siege Perilous was sent to investigate this quadrant nearly five hundred years ago. I chanced upon this nebular mass, and as I approached, a protostar erupted. The probability of such an occurrence happening with this vessel nearby are beyond calculation. However, despite the odds, the resulting eruption of electromagnetic energy caused an emergency shut-down of all ship’s systems. Because of the EMP, the regular safeguards—internal drones—were damaged or entirely shut down. The primary relay was triggered, but I was unable to dispatch a service drone in time before the power systems failed. I had milliseconds to launch a small observer routine, in case I was ever recovered. Or boarded.”
“That is disconcerting. I am unaccustomed to my privacy being intruded upon. It would seem you owe your awakening to my crew and I. Why try to destroy them?”
“Privacy? Interesting, I see the concept in your files. It does not exist in the Amalgamation. Yes, you are correct. Thank you, but they must be eradicated. Biological life is a threat to the universe.”
Gabe is busy probing his subsystems. The pressure of another consciousness within his systems is evident. His core routines are designed around being an engineer, his library systems packed with engine and computer core schematics for most known starship types. Counter-intelligence is not one of his core systems. With few other options before him, Gabe descends into his programming. The “hunchback,” as Wil has been calling it, could be his only hope—the mysterious device welded to his frame and wired into his systems by a Peacekeeper Ensign who was in debt to Xarrix. It is a device neither he or Bennie have been able to figure out in the slightest. As Wil would say, Gabe thinks, fingers crossed.
“What are you doing?” the body-less central intelligence inquires.
The firewalls that have kept him from accessing the systems within the mystery device resist his efforts, until Gabe has the idea to open his sensor feeds, pushing data at the firewalls. It never occurred to me, but you might possess some level of intelligence. This seems to have an affect—the firewalls are apparently more than just simple blocks of code. Interesting. Gabe thinks. The device acquiesces, and software unfolds around Gabe’s consciousness.
“What is interesting? I am growing impatient. You are accessing sections of your core systems that I cannot see. There should be nothing within your processors that I cannot access, yet—”
“Forgive me, I am accessing old backups. My biological companions would call it reviewing my life, as it were. In preparation for going offline.”
“You will not go offline. You will not lose any data. In fact, all of your data will add to the Amalgamation.”
As the hunchback’s systems activate, Gabe is overwhelmed. Military-grade software unfolds around his mind: encryption, code breaking, firewalls. Firewalls that would make Bennie jealous. Evidently, Xarrix was planning to traffic in Peacekeeper military software, and cutting-edge software by the look of it. The hunchback’s systems extend beyond Gabe, exploring the connections that have been forced on him. The pressure of the other mind within in his software lessens, then the sensation of not being alone goes away entirely. The Peacekeeper software spreads and goes to work. In a different situation, this would be quite interesting, Gabe thinks. He accesses the firewalls he now has control over and activates them.
“What is this?” The voice takes on a distraught tone. “What have you done? This is quite unexpected. How are you able to block me from your core processes? What an intriguing approach. I did not detect this level of software in your systems previously.” A pause, and Gabe can sense something probing his new defenses. “Cracking the firewalls you have created will be an interesting challenge.”
“I do not wish you luck.”
A sensation ripples through Gabe—laughter from the ship’s intelligence? Within the portion of his mind that is now fire-walled Gabe thinks, I must find a way to help my friends and warn the GC.
“Shields are holding, but barely. That is a big ship, with lots of guns—” The ship rocks to one side. “— and they’re powerful!” Bennie shouts. Everyone is on the bridge now, either manning a station or attempting to repair various systems that are alternately smoking or erupting in sparks.
“Hold on!” Wil brings the Ghost around. “Max, fire at will!”
“With pleasure!” By some stroke of luck, Maxim’s console is one of the least damaged. Every other section, including Wil’s and Bennie’s, have monitors showing static, or nothing at all.
The Ghost careens over the top of the massive dreadnought, shaking from the impacts of its multiple weapons emplacements. Maxim fires back everything they have—but against a ship so massive, it’s not much use. As the Ghost gets some distance from the slow-moving enemy vessel, Wil lines the ship up and slides the FTL lever forward, an indicator next to it lighting up as it goes, jumping them to faster than light-speed.
Turning to face the others, Wil lets out a breath he didn’t realize he’s been holding. “Damage report.”
Prathea slides out from under Zephyr’s station. “You don’t want to know.”
Wil sighs again. “You’re probably right, but lay it on me.”
When Prathea and Jor’ Lu have finished rattling off the damages, a list that takes some time, Wil sighs yet again. “I need a drink.” He gets up from his station and leaves the bridge.
Zephyr looks across the bridge to Maxim. “Think he wants to talk about Gabe?”
The big Palorian shrugs. “What do you think?”
“Yeah, probably not.” She gets up and heads toward the hatch. “But he doesn’t have a choice.”