A Broken Machine (Part Nine)

What did you mean by ‘100% integration’? Silver asked the empty air.

The Wisp reappeared, sliding from the wall like a ghost, “It means exactly that. You are just talking to voices in your head, I am a conduit for the social parameters you have established. You are a social species and might fall into depression and isolation if you perceived yourself to be alone. This is the remedy your mind has chosen.”

Silver nodded, “Thanks for the pop-psychology, but I meant what does it mean in terms of the ship. Can I change its shape? Can I do what you do and just melt into the walls?”

The Wisp seemed to think about it but in reality, it was combing its old records and forgotten protocols. “Yes. At this level of integration, the ship will mould itself to your designs. We have not used this feature for many thousands of years. Allow me a little time to ensure all elements of the ship are updated before you attempt it. As to melting into the wall, of course. Your subconscious prefers your current shape but you are sufficiently disciplined to overcome that. Are you planning to do so?”

Silver smiled slightly, “I’m planning to have options if something is coming to kill me.”

The Founder's ship was a vast and different thing. It had surrounded itself with a wall of barbed missiles, and its weapons were darkened spikes on a hardened hull. This was a ship that screamed spite and death. The Wisp was but a sphere of awkward metal, a child's toy in the face of a murderous predator. Its Mind laughed out loud when it turned to face him, his eternal chase finally coming to an end. He crushed the voices that whined that he was forbidden from attacking a fellow Founder Ship. He had thought of that centuries ago. According to the rules of engagement, he had a clear path.

He would hang the head of his prey on the bow of his ship and burn down whatever petty world it was trying to defend.

Silver took a crash course in the history of this oncoming storm. All he could find out is that when the original founder had died or given up, the Ship had searched for a new Mind. It had abducted some space-faring pirate, a creature that had begun to warp the ship to its own ideology and greed. It had chased the Wisp and stolen whatever it wanted along the way. It had no interest in growth, no interest in the original mission. It existed only to satisfy its own nature. He reckoned that time had driven the creature mad and that it probably hadn’t been a long walk anyway. Pirate, thief and mass murderer. Charming. And about to try and kill the human race. He needed to make a call.

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The Quorum of Earth didn’t always mean everyone. You could go if you insisted but the concept of ‘Stay in your Lane’ was pretty widespread. If an Admiral wanted to attend the Quorum of Water Resources, sure. Pull up a seat and listen as the experts discussed plankton distribution along the gulf stream. You even get to vote, in a weighed and deliberate manner obviously. Just don’t expect anyone to value your contribution. The weighing was the key since you walked into that room with a number. Your colleagues would value your previous work, your recent contributions and your social skills. If they didn’t know you, if you had no demonstrated expertise then you got a minus score across the board. Still, some people were always happy to meet an Admiral. Even one that was in the wrong room. Humanity had had enough of ignorance and the loudest voice in the room taking them places that no one wanted to go.

That was why it was so surprising when practically every Quorum wanted to attend this briefing. The list of Water, Energy, Sanitation, Agriculture, Education…it just kept going. The Director of the Earth Quorum sat back and looked at his chief of diplomacy. Fred. “Well here comes the shitstorm. I’m going to be taking all these people to war.” He picked up his glass, “and here's the killer. I don’t know if we will win.”

Fred raised his glass, “Boss, only an idiot starts a war they don’t think they can win. Unfortunately, it only takes one idiot and we have never been short of them. Looks like the Xenos are the same. They told us they were coming, they burned a nearly empty colony and we- somehow- took control of their weapons. I think we can afford the blood and treasure for this.” He took a deep drink and put down the glass, “It’s not my blood or treasure though. Spend it carefully, Director of all you Survey. When we both get fired, I’m buying. Go to war and win. I’ll guard your back.” He was about to leave when his comms lit up like a Christmas tree. It was his Envoy. He looked across the desk and grimaced, “Well that ruined my exit. You’re going to want to be in on this. It’s Silver.”

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Silver was sufficiently beyond surprise not to react when his call was answered by the Quorum of Earth Director as well as his boss. His boss's boss…so far up the food chain that they had never met. The two grim faces seemed to be waiting until the Director spoke, “You director speakers highly of you. I’m not sure why, since you have dragged me into two wars but he assures me that was probably accidental. What new disaster are you bringing to me?”

Silver hesitated at that one, “Ehh..two wars? Is someone else out there?”

His boss shook his head, “No. You just announced that you had left a big pile of Earth-shattering tech sitting in space for anyone to take. What does your training, of which I am quite proud, tell you will happen next?”

Silver stopped for a moment and played it out quickly. “Oh. Sorry, I was being turned into a machine at the time, just after being dead and on fire. I missed that one.”

The Director of Earth sniffed, “Well, understandable I suppose. Don’t let it happen again. I’ll squash all the idiots that think this is a race but, frankly, I’m guessing that's not why you called. “

“No. I’m heading to battle against the next threat. I’m sending you the details but…Sirs, this thing is a psychopath with more weapons than Earth itself. It's twice my size and armed to the teeth. I have a plan but you need to stop it if I can’t. This creature will rejoice in our deaths. It cares for nothing but itself. The tech I gave you needs to go to everyone. Teach it to the children, because if I lose they are going to need to run. It's that bad.”

The Director of Earth sighed and looked across the light-years, “Son, it's always that bad. We have plans you wouldn’t believe, capacities you have never heard of. Allies beyond anything you know of. War is hell and we are the demons. Fight for us if you can, and die for us if you must. You are humanity today, a new form, a new transformation that we will carry to a shared future. Be the best that we can be. Tell us what you know…”

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Fred poured out another glass for himself, “Sometimes I forget how you got to be here. Cheers.” This time he saluted, “Go and tell the others something like that, Commander-in-Chief. I’m proud to serve.”

The Director nodded, acknowledging the ancient title that was often forgotten and began the meeting with the assembled Quorums even as his Intel broke down the flood of information that was now coming in from Silver/Wisp.

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“Earth to Silver/Wisp. Earth to Silver Wisp…We have information. Acknowledge. Shit, it’s not picking up. Silver Wisp. Fifty microns. What you sent us. Fifty microns. Fuck I hope you pick this up…”

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Silver ended the call with a new feeling of himself. He was no star-struck teenager but to be recognised as human, to be treated as important by the man about to lead mankind into the war did make a difference. It resolved some nagging fears, and some of the confusion that he had pushed behind strong walls dissipated. He concentrated on figuring out if his plan had a chance when a little whisper, a voice that had crossed light-years to reach him from home gave him a number. A number that might work.

He summoned Wisps Avatar, “I need you to check these calculations. Then I need you to make it happen. If anything doesn’t fit, throw it into space. We might come back for it, but let's worry about that later. I want to go into battle with this ready. And I mean ready, the moment he starts firing those things at us I want to do this. Put it up on screen and talk me through it”

The Avatar paused, “As you wish. Is this necessary? Integration is complete.”

Silver smiled, “I hope so. I just need another set of eyes and another voice right now. You should look up the Rubber-Duck technique. Alright, this is what I think will happen…”

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The Founder ship moved towards its prey. Its Mind was still rejoicing in the strange stupidity of prey that had outrun it for a thousand years turning towards a final desperate confrontation. His ship tried to whisper in his head but he crushed the noise. It had learned to avoid his wrath centuries ago. Now he ordered the missiles sharpened, the targeting perfected and rehearsed. He had followed this hound for millennia and would bring it to heel, perhaps even train it to obey him on the hunt. He shouted at the ship, “Get all weapons prepared. Test them, sharpen them and be ready to use them.”