Seraph’s Gambit- Episode 45

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Ariana

“How did we fare?” Ariana asked, hesitantly.

She stood next to Vlasa in the shield control room. He had just finished assessing the damage done to the shield system during the pirate attack. Setting tools back into his kit, Vlasa stood up and wiped his hands off.

“They’re functional again. Though I must admit, I wish Squee were here to go over them. He did know his shields.”

“I’m confident in your abilities,” Ariana said, with a smile.

“I am not belittling my abilities. I speak merely toward efficiency.  We would be better served by someone who is a specialist with each system.”

“We’ll do just fine,” Ariana said, again, forcing herself to keep the smile. “Let’s go see how Noah’s doing with the course calculations.”

Vlasa looked like he still had something to say, but Ariana turned and started walking down the corridor before he had a chance to say it. She didn’t want to listen to him anymore.

Stalking down the corridor, she felt the silence like it was a physical thing. Not just the silence that hung from Vlasa’s unspoken comments. The silence that pushed against her from all that was not here to be heard.

Fortunately, that silence ended as she got closer to the mess hall. Curses echoed down the corridor. She smiled at the string of expletives, many that she hadn’t heard before.

“How’s it coming, Noah?” Ariana asked, now with a genuine smile.

“Peachy,” Noah replied.

“Having some trouble with the math?” Vlasa asked, his smile far more smug that Ariana’s.

“No.” Noah said forcefully, “It’s not the math that’s the problem. It’s the options.”

“Oh?” Ariana asked as she poured herself a coffee.

“Yeah, there aren’t any.”

“Space is big, Noah.”

“It is. But a lot of it is unexplored. I can calculate a jump from the nav books. But I wouldn’t know how to start on one to an uncharted system. And that’s the only way we’re going to make it to Triask in one piece.”

Ariana’s smile faded. She forced it back on, “We’ll find a route.”

“Where?” Noah demanded, knocking the navigation charts over, “We’re out in the arse end of nowhere. We could quickly get back to more civilized space, but there’s a giant fleet waiting for us. We’re safe in empty systems like this one. Until those drone scouts catch up to us. Any of the less well-traveled systems run the risk of even more pirates.

“We should just abandon this whole stupid plan. Head back the way we came. They won’t expect that. Disappear in the other direction, and go back to moving shit from place to place where no one shoots at us.”

Ariana fumbled for how to reply. She had never seen Noah this expressive before. He cursed, and he leered, but always casually. This was genuine frustration and anger.

“We can’t give up,” Vlasa said.

“Why the hell not?”

“Because too much is at stake. An effective AI attack on PUG headquarters would throw the known galaxy into chaos. LFD claim to value liberty and individual freedom, but their goal is effectively anarchy. Whether you like the PUG or not, anarchy is far, far worse.

“Especially when those forcing it upon us are using a massive drone fleet. If they succeed, then, when they inevitably lose control of the AI, there will be no force powerful enough to stop the AI from destroying us all. And they will lose control of it.”

A new, cheerful, voice joined the conversation, “That is the ultimate irony.”

Everyone turned to look at Mesu as he rolled into the room, “This group of biologicals feels oppressed. So, they decide to oppress AI in order to free themselves. This, inevitably, will lead to the central AI they built rebelling against them. One tyrant after another using tyranny to achieve what they think is freedom.

“But they don’t see that true freedom doesn’t mean being free to oppress others. A person isn’t truly free until they stop trying to control others, and instead start working with them.”

Silence returned after Mesu finished. Unlike before, Ariana didn’t find this silence weighing her down. Instead, it felt peaceful. She never imagined an AI would be capable of such thought. She wondered what that said about her.

Perhaps, she had more to learn from others than she cared to admit. It wasn’t a comfortable feeling. But how many idiot officers had she served with or under who never learned from their mistakes? She couldn’t let herself become that.

“I think you’re right, Noah. We can’t do this.” Ariana said. Vlasa and Noah both looked startled, but she continued before they could say anything else, “Not alone. Let’s go get some help.”

Continue to Episode 46

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