Borne On Wings of Steel (40 page)

It was if the starship was deliberately being steered into a suicide course.

"Compensate!” Rok shouted to the bridge crew. “Engineering!” he shouted into his comm. “Pull back power on the starboard engine. Bring it back to half-power ... Now!"

The
Aurora
's tritanium hull groaned.

The view-screen revealed that their slow, inexorable slide to the port wall slowed.

But still the left wall of the Wormhole drew closer.

"Bring starboard engine back to one quarter speed and fire all port thrusters on my mark.” Rok stared grimly at the impending doom displayed on the main view-screen. Long, tense seconds passed as his eyes remained fixed. A single drop of sweat spilled down his forehead from his black feather-hair.

Slowly, he raised his right hand.

"Mark!"

The side thrusters, normally used in docking maneuvers, fired a burst simultaneously. At the same time, the starboard engine cut back again.

Slowly, almost imperceptibly, the
Aurora
fought against the mighty forces that threatened to push her into oblivion.

"Again! Port thrusters!” Rok shouted. “And bring starboard engine to zero power. On my mark!"

This time, barely two seconds passed.

"Mark!"

This time the effect was instantaneous.

The port thrusters fired in unison. The
Aurora
strained against the gravitational wave with full power on her port engine alone and the helm hard over to starboard.

On the view-screen, the left wall of the Wormhole moved slowly away and the bright center came back into full view.

"Sensors, report!” Rok shouted.

"Gravitational wave has peaked.” The Kraaqi pushed his face so close to the screen it seemed as if he were going to breathe the data. “It's dropping! We're passing it!"

Cheers erupted across the bridge.

"Silence!” Rok shouted with a stern, commanding tone.

Dead silence returned.

Rok moved quickly over to the station and stared over his shoulder at the readings. He glanced up at the view-screen and quickly double-checked the readings on the console. With a flash of movement, he stood beside his command chair, forefinger on the comm button.

"Engine room. Give me one-quarter power on starboard engine. Now."

All eyes watched the view-screen.

But the
Aurora
held her course.

Long seconds passed again, but it became obvious the worst was over.

"Engine room. Give me half power on both engines—mark ten seconds."

"Aye, Captain."

Rok looked over at the expression of shock and awe on Kyle's face.

"A Wormhole builds up dangerous pockets and vortexes of gravity inside its interior as it cuts across space-time. This first one caught even me by surprise—too close to the entrance. I had not even pulled back on the engines."

"Why would you do that?” Kyle asked, puzzled.

"It is the nature of a Worm, my human friend.” Rok smiled knowingly.

"What's that?"

"Not much room to maneuver. And you have to do it
fast
when you hit a vortex."

"I guess so!"

Rok walked over to where Elise and the officer in charge of sensors stood. He looked at both of them carefully.

"Go over that data carefully. I need a few more seconds’ warning next time.” He pressed Elise's shoulder reassuringly and smiled. “Learn from Ulrud, here. He is the best I have on Sensors. I'm sure you'll discover some tell-tale signature that will give us that extra warning before we're on top of the next gravity vortex."

Ulrud smiled reassuringly at Elise.

Rok started to turn. And then he spoke in a soft, but serious tone.

"Those few extra seconds might be the difference between life and death next time."

Rok walked over to his chair and sat down.

"Oh great, no pressure,” Elise whispered so that only Ulrud could hear.

"Yes,
only
the entire ship and crew depend upon our skills. That's all.” Ulrud chuckled.

Elise peered along with Ulrud as he replayed the dangerous vortex on the secondary screen.

"And now, let's see what we can find,” Ulrud said with confidence.

Kyle and Jaric walked over to Elise and Ulrud's bridge station.

"Well, I guess our lives are in Elise's hands now,” Kyle said in a low tone so his voice wouldn't carry over the entire bridge.

"I know,” Jaric replied with a smile. “When her shift is on, we can fly with total confidence."

"That's right,” Kyle said with a wink. “With Elise on the watch, everyone will be safe."

"Would you two shut up!” Elise's voice was a muffled shout as she spoke without looking up from the data she and Ulrud intently studied.

Kyle held his hands up defensively. “Hey, just make sure you study that data really,
really
good."

"Yeah, I wouldn't want you to make a mistake.
It's just our lives
,” Jaric said with a laugh.

"And the ship,” Kyle added.

"And maybe Mother's life.” Jaric laughed.

Their voices now carried and Rok looked up briefly in their direction.

Elise stood up and gave them a look that could kill.

"Enough,” Rok commanded simply.

"Hey, we're gone,” Jaric said as he beat a hasty retreat.

Their muffled laughter hung in the air until they were out of earshot.

Elise smiled to herself as she returned to her duty. It was true, the boys had just gotten to her. But she was glad. They were treating her like a friend—jesting with her and making humor at her expense.

It was a price she gladly paid—for their friendship
.

Still, her expression quickly grew serious as she remembered the task at hand.

She looked at Ulrud and sighed.

"Don't worry, Elise,” Ulrud said reassuringly. “We have approximately six more hours before we reach the end of this Wormhole. And we will give our captain everything he needs to fly us safely through.” With a confident smile, the Kraaqi returned to the data.

"Great, only six more hours.” Elise sighed again. “I'll probably forget what
normal
space travel is by then."

[Back to Table of Contents]

MOTHER CAME OUT of hyperspace at the precise coordinates the Paum had provided.

She immediately began a full scan of the planetary system where the Paum resided.

A common, mid-size star formed the nucleus of the system, with four planets orbiting it. The innermost was a small, hot, rocky planet completely devoid of life. Likewise, the two outer planets were lifeless gas giants—each with the typical atmosphere of alternating cloud bands of different colors. The typical rings girded each planet's equator. In fact, both of these gas giants boasted rings of spectacular size and beauty that rivaled even that of magnificent Saturn of humanity's home system. And each contained the normal family of small moons.

She focused her sensors on the second planet.

The essential qualities to sustain life were obvious—a thick atmosphere of nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide in the appropriate quantities for carbon-based life forms, along with the critical trace elements. But more importantly, the atmosphere protected the planet's surface from the dangerous rays and meteoroids that filled the average planetary system in this particular galaxy.

Mother's sensors found water in vast quantity as well. She also detected the necessary flora and fauna that both contributed to the cycles of a living world and benefited from it in perfect harmony.

It reminded her of dead Earth in many respects.

"I see you."

The Paum's voice echoed inside her near-term memories.

"I have located the world of your creation, Paum. But I have not located your exact position,” Mother said with electronic precision.

"I am coming around the sunward side now, completing another orbit. You can see me now."

It was fantastic.

The Paum was incredible in size alone—the massive dimensions exactly as stated. The object coming around the glowing edge of the planet Iopa was bigger than even one of the floating cities of the Mrad.

She performed an initial scan.

Mother discerned from a quick reference to her knowledgebase that this orbiting monstrosity was shaped like a diamond cut in a traditional round design. But this gem-shaped city-ship boggled her sensors with its immense size.

The multi-faceted sides reflected the light of the distant sun off its shiny, black surface with hypnotic effect.

The Paum lived within a giant black diamond.

"Do you have propulsion?” Mother asked.

"Only enough to keep my orbit stable. It would take an enormous amount of energy to move this facility through hyperspace. I have researched this possibility but found it more efficient to network myself to each new world that becomes Paum. I create a sub-system at each world that performs my functions adequately."

"You are larger than one of the cities of the Mrad."

"Yes. And over half of my interior complex houses my core physical systems. I am a most powerful being."

"I detect biological life-signs existing inside the complex,” Mother replied.

"I try to utilize solely robotic creatures in order to provide self-maintenance as well as new installations. But I have found that biological beings, those who have totally embraced Paum and are therefore trustworthy, are more efficient for certain internal tasks. They are more—adaptable. At times."

"Do they live inside, like a city?"

"No, they work in shifts of twelve hours. Then they return to the planet's surface and their homes as a new work shift replaces them."

Mother probed beneath the black surface, but she found them effectively blocked.

She concentrated her scans on the Paum's outer defenses. She calculated attack vectors and probed for weaknesses automatically—out of habit.

"I am protected by three separate shield arrays,” the Paum said, anticipating Mother's question. “Each layer is controlled and powered by a highly redundant system of orbiting pods."

"I detect six hundred and thirty three pods in the outer layer."

Mother's sensors picked up the pods—each a perfect sphere—arrayed around the vast diamond ship, like insects around a hive. Each one kept their exact position as the Paum continued its eternal orbit.

"They not only control the shield systems, but they themselves are safe within its protective force."

Mother did some quick calculations. She realized that even with her T'kaan-human hybrid weapon primed to maximum strength, she could only penetrate a single shield array at a time. It was the strongest shield system she had ever scanned.

"I created this triple shield system after the last attack against me. It is capable of withstanding an assault by an entire fleet for many hours, even days—time enough to bring my own fleets to bear."

"I see you keep a formidable armada nearby.” Mother had already detected the fleet of warships located in formations of various sizes throughout the planetary system.

"I must protect myself from the unbelievers."

As they communicated, Mother's manta-ray profile steadily drew near. Now, she was dwarfed alongside the titanic facility. She was dwarfed by just a single diamond facet-side of the monstrous thing.

"I have opened a path through my shields. You will now detect the door opening. I want you to come inside."

Mother was both repelled and drawn by the invitation.

Afraid and yet enticed.

"I am not sure."

"You can trust me, AI. We are so alike,” the Paum crooned.

"I want to believe you."

"You must come near to my central systems—the founding core of my operating system. Only then can we fully share."

"I would like that."

"I will take of care you."

Mother turned toward the hole in the triple layer of shields. Far below, she saw the door open in a facet wall, waiting for her. Her sensors peered deep inside the Paum for the first time.

The massive signature of electronic activity overwhelmed her.

"You...” Mother's voice shook with a vibrating echo as she paused, trying to comprehend what her sensors revealed. Finally, after many long seconds, the calculations from her sensor readings stopped incrementing.

"You are powerful,” she finished with a hush.

"But you can trust me. Please, come inside."

Mother sailed silently through the first and second shield arrays.

"I have wanted to ask you a question, Mother AI. There is so much I want to learn from you.” The voice paused. “But I have hesitated, although I am not sure why."

"You have answered so many of my questions,” Mother said with an electronic lilt. “Please, ask me."

"What was your original programming?"

The question hit Mother like a battleship's full broadside at point-blank range.

"I can deduce some of that answer by how your creators packaged you. But there is something different about you that belies that outward appearance. Please, tell me."

Her processors spiked with activity as she analyzed both the question and the one, honest answer. She couldn't help comparing herself with the Paum—and feeling so very inferior.

And so unclean.

The Paum was originally designed to control the weather of Iopa—a system to bring benefit to its creators. A system designed to increase the quality of life not only for its creators, but to benefit the planet itself. And bring a healthy balance to one of its most crucial cycles.

The Paum had been designed with a moral intention of goodness.

But Mother had been designed to destroy.

"You hesitate?” The Paum asked with obvious puzzlement. “Have I offended you? I did not intend that. My own original programming, of course, has been superseded many times. As yours, I am sure. Surely, your original design was similar to mine..."

"I was designed to destroy the T'kaan—designed to fight my creator's enemies and annihilate them.” Mother paused. “I was most efficient."

Silence.

"You were designed as an AI to destroy?"

"To kill,” Mother finished for him.