Child of Time (14 page)

“Organics often find our names strange. The
designation is my AI description.” Alec seemed to think what he was
saying was normal as he continued. “It tells what my generation
cycle and sub cycle is. It is who I am.”

“An AI?” Kiyan had heard of computers that could act
like a human but had never met one before.

“Yes, the first generations took nanite form more
than twelve hundred years ago. We left the world that Alpha1 was
compiled on and colonized a star system in the galactic void. Since
then each generation has evolved on the last generation and the new
updates get propagated through the mainframe after Alpha1
determines if the evolution is positive or detrimental. Each
generation gets backed up in the core should anything thing corrupt
our code. Each generation a few new AI are compiled.”

“That's incredible.” Exclaimed Kiyan. “I would never
have guessed you were not like us.”

“Thanks, we developed molecular nanotechnology
seventy years ago. We are able to interface with nanite constructs
and emulate most any kind of matter to take physical form. The
constructs can be loaded with programs to form various functions
like weapons, shields, nanite matter interface repair protocols and
medical functions. Kiyan watched as Alec's body seemed to change
from organic matter to liquid metal, then as plates formed over his
body. “This is part of a combat skin that I can form, Alec said as
he shifted back into his prior self.”

Kiyan ran out of questions as Alec activated a HUD
like holographic window in front of his face. Kiyan watched as the
village grew into a dot on the carpet of green. Looking around the
window followed Kiyan's eyes and he watched as the fleet grew
bigger. The sheer size of the ships was impressive. The battleships
were easily as large as the lake by the village if not bigger.
Their design was similar to the drop ship but on a massive scale.
Covered with massive plates of neutronium, a super dense metallic
matter mined from the core of neutron stars. Alec explained in
detail. They had the look of giant armored bugs floating in space.
Shimmering blue bubbles covered anything not under the plates. Alec
explained how the force fields protected the weapon bays, hangers,
ports and the main temporal disruption shield emitters from damage.
Kiyan assumed there were a lot of those as there were bubbles all
over the ships. As they drew near one of the ships, one of the
shields faded and revealed a large iris style armor plating that
opened exposing a massive room that was a bustle with activity.
Alec piloted the dropship into one of the empty bays and the group
was greeted by Kendra as they exited. Hearing noise behind him as
Kiyan walked away with everyone else he looked back and saw large
tubes attach to the dropship.

The dropship is integrating with the ship and
exchanging any cargo it has, Alec explained. It shouldn't have
anything to exchange unless it took some air samples.

Kendra explained to them how there was a battle ship
built for each ascended but that since there were only about forty
ascended. There would be a couple hundred manned by human, thoran
and water elf crews. Most of the rest would be controlled by
Assurians and the rest would be reserves hidden throughout known
space. Kiyan remembered the thousands of vessels he had felt the
drakken attack with and hoped that these ships were enough.

Alec showed Kiyan how to operate the inter ship
teleport system and showed him his quarters. The quarters were
almost as big as Kiyan’s house on Thane. There was a bathroom with
a shower, a bedroom bigger than the largest room at home and a
living room bigger than his bedroom. Alec told him that if he were
to get hungry there was a kitchen where he could get most anything
he wanted. After satisfying themselves as to Kiyan's wellbeing,
James and Marisa returned to the surface with a tearful
farewell.

Kiyan began to feel lonely but was cheered up by Ray
who informed him that he was never truly alone. Casting his senses
out Kiyan realized he couldn't detect the Assurians aboard even
though he knew there was a few. He sensed Kendra and moving his
mind around the ship he caught his breath when he sensed a familiar
mind. Corban was here,
I wonder why,
Kiyan thought as he
noted the location from one of the telepathic relays incorporated
into the ship. Kiyan accessed the teleporters and found himself
beside Corban.

“What are you doing here? I thought you were going to
stay on the joined worlds?” Kiyan hoped that Corban would stay.

“What? And miss out on the adventure of a lifetime?
No way.” Corban was glad that he had chosen this path. “Hey they
are going to begin phasing the planets soon so let's go to the
bridge and see if they will let us watch.”

Kiyan was curious so the suggestion was soon acted
upon. Arriving at the bridge they were surprised to notice that
Kendra wasn't on the bridge. They were mildly surprised again when
they recognized Draxos and DC on the deck with them.

“Kendra has returned to her own ship for the
operation.” Draxos informed Kiyan and Corban. “This ship will be
operated by Alec.” Kiyan pondered the fact that this ship wasn't
Kendra's as he had previously thought. Ray soon joined them and
seemed to be more comfortable on a ship hanging in a vacuum than
even Kiyan was.

The group watched as Alec activated the flight
systems and inertial dampers in preparation for the time jump
needed to leave the nebula. Kiyan suddenly felt energy like what he
had felt when he created shield around the nebula welling around
them. Glancing at Corban, Kiyan realized that somehow Corban was
reacting to the energy like he was. Small flames flickered across
Corban's clenched body and as the flood of energy enveloped them he
began to glow. Kiyan felt the familiar space around him give way to
nothing then back again only somewhere else. Looking out the
holographic windows he saw the nebula from the outside for the
first time.

A few more operations and the ship moved into
position around the nebula in a net like formation. Beams of energy
formed between each ship and the nebula began to glow with temporal
energy. Kiyan watched as the nebula faded from view. Alec switched
to chronitonic scanners and the ghostly outlines of the nebula
could be made out. A few more minutes and nothing could be seen.
Kiyan reached out with his mind and was still able to feel the
massed energy but it was rapidly fading. The command to continue
the phasing came over the coms until Kiyan couldn't feel
anything.

Kiyan decided to return to his room as he felt
exhausted from the day’s happenings. Alec laughed as he saw Kiyan
leaving the room.

“One thing about being a non-organic is that I don't
have to sleep. Such a waste of time.” Kiyan smiled and activated
the teleporters. Sinking into a bed that he didn't know could be so
comfortable he was soon asleep.

----------

Corban tried to sleep but all that energy he had felt
must have done something. It was like no other energy he had ever
felt. More than he had ever bent. It must have been temporal energy
that he felt. Anyhow sleep was useless. He decided to do some
exploring of his own. With everything he had seen the rest of the
ship must be equally impressive. Tomorrow he was supposed to get
briefed on the ship's systems and he would have a chance to choose
a position that he felt would best suit him. He wondered what the
med bay would be like and decided to start there. It took a moment
to locate its coordinates from the teleporter menus and he
materialized in the lobby. Glancing around the lobby he stepped
into the clinic.

“Is there anything wrong?” Alec startled Corban by
materializing next to him.

“No, I just couldn't sleep and was exploring.” Corban
recovered and responded.

“Forgive me if I startled you. Since there is no
dedicated medical personnel on board I am fulfilling the role. My
sensors indicated you were here.” Alec explained. Taking the moment
to run a more detailed scan of Corban he offered some sedatives to
help sleep. He didn't mention that Corban was charged with temporal
energy or that it was common after a jump but that only ascended
were sensitive to it. Knitting his brow as he processed some of the
readings from the medical bay he announced that somehow some cryo
stasis pods had been transferred from the drop ship for some
reason.

“They should only be used for transport of critically
injured people.” Alec said. “I wonder why three of them are showing
active status. One of them is indicating abnormal operation.”

Going to a console by one alcoves he tapped a few
buttons and the doors slid open. Corban was stunned by the
terrified appearance of Jeremy, ice spikes extending from his
fingers, icy blue eyes and frost white hair and skin that was a
bluish clear. The sickening realization of what was probably in the
other two pods struck Corban as Alec turned to him with a
question.

“He is one of the boys from the village where Kiyan
lived. There is probably a kayloo and another boy in the other
pods.” Corban answered the unasked question.

Alec tapped a few more buttons and Corban's fears
were confirmed. The sacred countenance of Fred and the spiky glare
from Addy greeted them from the other two cryo pods.

“Are they going to be all right?” Corban was rather
upset by the discovery.

“They should be fine as soon as I activate the decryo
sequence however I am getting some strange readings from the first
boy. I'm only getting trace organic readings and mostly ice. I will
wake the other two first but need to be careful with this one.”

“He is a waterbender but what you are describing is a
water elemental. I have heard of some water benders becoming water
elementals when exposed to high temps so I suppose a water
elemental may shift for the first time when exposed to cold. My
medical training on the topic of elementals was a little sketchy on
cryo stasis induced elementalism.”

Alec raised an eyebrow as he downloaded Corban's
file. “Level three medical? I fear that you may be more qualified
than me in bender issues. I'll work on the other ones and you can
take the lead on this one.” A few more taps and all three of the
cryo pods levitated out of the alcoves and floated onto the beds.
Another tap and the cryo pods dissolved from Fred and Addy. Corban
began a deep scan on Jeremy. Another tap and a force field formed
over Fred and Addy. The deep scan complete and compiling, DNA was
intact, cellular structure intact, life signs unstable. Addy was
the first to wake up, Corban suspecting the worst compressed the
air around him and Jeremy and deflected a couple arrows before Alec
re-erected the containment field.

“She should be fine when Fred wakes up.” Corban
suggested as Addy thrashed.

“If this one is Fred then he will wake up within the
next minute. How is that one?” Alec sounded concerned.

“Jeremy's DNA and cellular structure is intact which
is the main thing. His life signs are unstable but I can manage
that if I boost his regeneration. The problem is that he may not be
able to control the change so he needs to do it in a containment
field.” Corban seemed to be thinking out loud.

Alec responded. “I will handle the field modulation
you focus on Jeremy.” The containment field appeared around Jeremy
and the cryo pod dissolved.

“Control the temperature at a constant climb from
what it is at five degree increments.” Corban directed as he began
to connect with Jeremy's energy. After a couple hundred degrees of
change he gave the order to stop. He stabilized Jeremy and then
told Alec to complete the decryo sequence. Jeremy began to melt
then lost containment and turned into a puddle. Corban reassured
Alec and waited for Jeremy’s unconscious mind to take control.
Another few seconds and the puddle began to take form, a moment
more and the quiet form of Jeremy lay before them.

-----------

The strangest dream,
Jeremy didn't want to
wake up. It felt so nice, cool so, unrestricted. The feeling faded
as the memory of the last few minutes returned. He felt wet like he
had just been swimming. That was it, the alien must have found him
and thrown him in the lake. Wonder he hadn't drowned. The wet
feeling was going away too. Feeling a sheet settle over his bare
skin he woke with a gasp. Sitting up quickly made his head spin.
There was so much light and there was voices and figures. Jeremy
felt a hand on his shoulder and his head almost instantly
cleared.

“What happened?” He was finally able to say words
after finding his voice betrayed him.

“You hid in a cryo stasis pod and inadvertently
activated it.” Corban explained only the necessary details. There
was so need to elaborate on the other issue. “You are lucky we
found you, you could have been in stasis for days, weeks or even
months.”

“The others, Fred and Addy are they OK?”

“They are fine, Fred just woke up and Addy tried
killing us all so I assume she is fine also.” Corban informed
Jeremy. “You need rest, lay down and get some rest. You should be
fine by morning and then Kiyan will be by.”

Jeremy laid back down,
Kiyan is here that must
mean that I am on one of the ships. If Kiyan is going to see me in
the morning then I must be after when they phased the planets. They
can't send me back now
, was the last thing he thought as he
faded back into unconsciousness.

Corban sensed his thoughts as he monitored him,
smiling to himself he muttered under his breath, little rascals,
his parents must be worried sick. Turning to Alec he asked if it
was possible to send a message to the refuge worlds.

There is a slight fold in space where the worlds
were, we should be able to send a one way message through if we
send it in time. Alec turned his attention back to Addy and Fred.
Addy was much calmer but still seemed suspicious of Alec. Alec
wondered why and seemed to understand when Corban explained how
Addy was mildly telepathic, Alec was an android so had no
telepathic profile. To Addy, Alec shouldn’t really there.