A.I. Battle Fleet (The A.I. Series Book 5) Page 23

  “I have no idea,” Jon said. “At this point, I’m not worried about that. Look. You came in here with a report. We should go over it.”

  “Yes,” she said, staring into his eyes.

  He kissed her again. She felt so wonderful. Her lips were intoxicating. He knew what was right, but he felt the tug to do what he wanted to do with her right now. Only one thing kept him from taking off her clothes. He feared God would remove His blessing from the expedition. He had to obey God if he expected His help against the AIs.

  “Okay,” Jon said.

  “Okay, what?” Gloria asked.

  He hesitated, kissed her once more, and let her go after that. If he kept this up, he was going to make love to her no matter what he knew about right and wrong. It was time to practice some control, some self-discipline.

  He stepped back from her, sat in his chair and picked up the report.

  She moved to him, brushing the report aside and sitting on his knee again.

  “We’re engaged,” she said.

  “Yeah,” he said, hardly believing what he had just done. He tested himself, and was glad he’d asked her to marry him. She was the woman for him. She helped him in so many areas where he could use a helpmate. He squeezed a knee, let go and put the folder on her knee.

  “Cog Primus is moving,” he said. “Isn’t that what you told me?”

  Gloria gave him a penetrating stare. “What is it, Jon? What’s troubling you? Are you sorry you asked me to marry you?”

  “It’s not that,” he said. “Babe, I’m desperately trying not to rip off your clothes to celebrate. You’re intoxicating. I want to wait until we’re married before we…before we make love.”

  She gave him a funny look again. “Oh, Jon Hawkins,” she said, leaning into him. “You’re the most wonderful man in the universe. There’s an old saying, ‘What he’ll do for you, he’ll do against you.’ If a man will lie for you, he’ll lie to you in time. If a man will show self-control with you, he’ll more likely show self-control when you’re not around. Yes. That is a splendid idea. We will wait to make love until we’re married. In this way, we will prove to each other that we have at least a modicum of self-control over our sexual appetites.”

  “The way you say that sounds so sexy.”

  “I’m a mentalist,” she said, blushing. “I can’t help the way I talk.”

  “I wouldn’t have you any other way,” Jon said, “even if you can take the loveliest thing and make it sound mechanical.”

  Gloria giggled.

  “But about the report,” Jon said.

  “Yes,” she said in a more official tone. “We have to decide if the odds have turned against us. Cog Primus will reach the other groups before we do. If he corrupts them, the anti-AI virus in their brain cores might make them immune to Richard’s anti-AI virus upgrade.”

  Jon thought about that, although he was very much aware of her delicious butt resting on his right knee. “How long until the missile wave reaches the aliens?”

  “I would say ten to twenty hours, depending on whether the alien fleet is going to come out and meet it.”

  “We’ll decide what to do next after the missile wave hits. Let’s see what these aliens can do.”

  -16-

  Three hundred and fifty-two XVT missiles raced at the terrestrial planet from the first arm zone. Three hundred and nineteen XVT missiles raced from the second arm zone, while three hundred and eighty-one missiles came in from the third arm zone.

  Following the missiles were six, five and five asteroids respectively.

  The alien fleet finally responded, splitting into three parts. Thirty-eight triangular-shaped warships accelerated toward the first missile storm. Thirty-two alien warships moved at the second group, while forty-one vessels raced out to intercept the last group.

  That made one hundred and ten alien warships altogether.

  Two hours after the initial acceleration burn, the alien warships launched five-missile salvos, spread out and staggered.

  Some XVT missiles jumped acceleration, while the main packs no longer accelerated.

  The reasons soon became clear. As the first XVT missiles and the first salvos of alien missiles reached ten thousand kilometers from each other, they detonated.

  The AI missiles had matter/anti-matter warheads. The aliens did not. According to analysis, they exploded thermonuclear/cobalt-enhanced warheads. There was another difference. The XVT missiles were six times larger than the alien missiles. The warhead explosions were of corresponding size. In the end, that meant the AI warheads were considerably more powerful, with greater radiation, heat and EMP blasts.

  More AI missiles accelerated from the main packs. Now, the AI warheads waited to explode, coming within two thousand kilometers of the alien missiles before igniting.

  Some of the thermonuclear/cobalt-enhanced blasts destroyed XVT missiles before they could detonate—some, but not all. Those XVT warheads that did ignite took out more approaching alien missiles.

  The process took time, and quickly whittled down each side’s supply of missiles. Finally, one hundred and eleven, ninety-eight and one hundred and three AI missiles reached the general outer vicinity of the accelerating alien fleet.

  Now, the alien warships opened up with their main armament, mass drivers. These were railguns firing hyper-velocity projectiles. The railguns had a much greater range than a laser or even a gravitational beam would have. Laser and gravitational beams dissipated over distance. The mass drivers’ projectiles did not. The hyper-velocity projectiles were much slower than a speed-of-light beam, but the projectile hit with great kinetic force once it arrived.

  The mass drivers’ projectiles ripped into the AI missiles barreling toward the planet. The aliens harvested enemy missiles. However, even at the extended range of the mass drivers, the aliens did not destroy all the enemy missiles in time.

  A few XVT warheads ignited near enough to wash the lead alien vessels with heat, hard radiation and EMPs. Each alien demi-fleet took hits with damaged and destroyed ships.

  The first fleet lost four warships and seven others with damaged hulls in varying degrees. The second fleet took two and eight respectively, while the third fleet lost five warships and had three damaged hulls. Combined, that was eleven scratched warships and eighteen damaged warships.

  The AI strategy now made more sense. The missile wave had whittled down the alien fleet. The question became, how fast could the aliens replace their ships? In the end, though, the AIs had to win—if they could continue to saturate the planet with XVT missiles.

  It turned out that the following asteroids did have gravitational batteries installed just under the surface. Their assault proved anticlimactic.

  The mass drivers used pinpoint targeting to shred the gravitational cannons. Once each asteroid was disarmed, the aliens surged forward in groups. The aliens launched more salvos of thermonuclear/cobalt-enhanced missiles. By repeated detonations, the aliens first splintered the AI asteroids and then altered each of the pieces from a direct-line approach with the planet.

  In time, the various chunks and pieces of debris flew past the terrestrial planet and headed for deep space.

  By that time, the alien warships had decelerated and were accelerating back to the planet.

  The missile-asteroid wave assault was over. The aliens had taken losses, but their dangerous fleet was still intact, if keenly bloodied by the missile saturation assault.

  -17-

  Jon convened another meeting with the same people as before. Although the aliens had done well considering the nature of the wave assault, they were also clearly on the losing side of the equation.

  “Given enough time,” Jon said. “The AIs can whittle down the alien fleet to nothing.”

  “I’ve discovered something else from keen sensor readings regarding the planet,” Gloria said. “I suspect the terrestrial planet is not as dense as the Earth is. For one thing, I haven’t detected as many ferrous ores,”

 
“Ferrous?” June Zen asked.

  “Metallic,” Gloria explained. “Is the planetary core iron? I doubt it. That would mean despite its greater surface area, that the planet might not impart as great a gravity pull as we would think.”

  “What?” June asked.

  “We thought they would be stronger due to higher gravity,” Jon said, “but that seems wrong now. Gloria is suggesting they might not be stronger than we are.”

  “Yes,” Gloria said. “I hadn’t thought of that angle, but I’m not surprised you did, sir. Likely, humans could comfortably live on the planet. That being said, where do the aliens get their metallic ores, or the majority of their ores?”

  “Are you suggesting the aliens mine their ores from the asteroid belt?” Bast asked.

  “I am,” Gloria said. “That would be another reason for the AI strategy.”

  “Clever,” Kling said. “The AIs whittle down the alien fleet, and after a time, the aliens no longer have the base ores to produce more ships.”

  “Given enough time with the present strategy, the aliens are doomed,” Gloria said. “However, Cog Primus is making his next move. If he successfully corrupts the rest of the AI fleet, will he maintain the space siege?”

  “You don’t think he will?” Jon asked.

  “I don’t know,” Gloria said. “That is why I’m posing the question.”

  “We must warn the other AIs about Cog Primus,” Jon said.

  Gloria glanced at him in alarm. “What would keep Cog Primus from telling the AIs about us?”

  “At this point,” Jon said, “nothing. It might throw the two sides into discord, though. That might loosen the siege. If the cyberships depart, we could give the aliens AI technology, thus strengthening their position.”

  “Yes, Jon,” Gloria said, “but it would reveal humanity’s part to the AIs. They might come after the Solar System sooner.”

  “We will have gained an alien ally, though,” Jon said. “That might be worth the cost.”

  “Theoretically we gain an ally,” Bast said. “We know nothing about them. Perhaps these aliens are as xenophobic as the Seiners were.”

  “What else can we do?” Jon asked.

  “It’s not too late to flee,” Gloria suggested.

  “No,” Jon said. “We’re not leaving. The aliens can fight. They have a good weapon with their mass driver. We have the Allamu System factory planet. We have the Solar System and the Lytton System has been destroyed. If we can gain the BD-7 System, we’ll have seriously strengthened our side.”

  The giant Sacerdote folded his thick arms across his chest. “There is another possibility we are not considering.”

  Jon nodded for Bast to continue.

  “Cog Primus is a thorn in the AIs’ side. At present, they do not even know he exists. An AI civil war might work in our favor.”

  Jon mulled that over. He should have already seen that. He hated Cog Primus, though. Still—

  “That’s a good point, Bast,” Jon said.

  “Cog Primus acted as a weapon for us against the Allamu Battle Station,” Bast said. “Perhaps we are forgoing a winning strategy by not helping Cog Primus against the AI Dominion.”

  “The problem with that is that Cog Primus knows about humanity,” Jon said.

  “I realize that,” Bast said. “But maybe letting him live is worth him knowing about us. He has not yet warned the AI Dominion about us, but stole and is attempting to steal more of their cyberships for his own New Order.”

  “I have another point,” Gloria said, looking around the table. “I’ve been studying Richard’s new virus. I suspect Richard knew more about Cog Primus than any of us ever will. He created the new virus to take over Cog Primus. If Cog Primus corrupts the AIs, maybe we can corrupt them out of Cog Primus’ grasp.”

  “There’s a huge risk factor in that,” Jon said.

  “I know,” Gloria said, “because I’ve been the one telling you that all along. But since we’re taking risky moves, why not take the riskiest one of all, as it could give us ultimate victory.”

  “So we do nothing?” Jon asked.

  “We’re already doing something,” she said. “We’re heading in-system fast. Cog Primus will reach the first arm battle group before we do. Those AIs are already communicating with him, demanding an explanation for the third arm battle group behavior. Cog Primus is giving them lame excuses.” She shrugged. “But maybe it will prove enough to mollify the AIs. By that I mean he may have enough time to get close enough to reach maximum takeover range.”

  “Won’t the AIs logically deduce what he’s done with the third arm group?” Bast asked.

  “I find that questionable,” Gloria said. “Their machine arrogance hinders them from considering certain avenues of thought. It has been one of our primary strokes of fortune against them.”

  Jon sat back, considering the alternatives. “If we tell the AIs what we know about Cog Primus, he’ll know it’s us. If we continue our machine replies to various queries, we might be able to work ourselves in near enough to use our virus.”

  “Theoretically, we could use our virus from a much farther range,” Gloria said. “Perhaps we should time beaming our virus. We should launch it so the first arm battle group’s cyberships turn our way just as Cog Primus comes upon them.”

  Jon grinned. “I like it. Let’s see if Richard really was a genius or not. The strategy gives us the added benefit of an out. If the virus doesn’t work, we can still turn in time. I like it, Mentalist. That is acutely calculated.”

  “Thank you, sir,” Gloria said, blushing.

  Several people raised their eyebrows in astonishment at the mentalist’s blush, looking at Jon a moment later.

  The captain cleared his throat, standing. He hadn’t told anyone yet that he was engaged to Gloria. She’d also kept it quiet. They had too much on their minds to tell others.

  “We’ll take a short recess,” Jon said. “We’ll reconvene in a few minutes to decide on our next course of action.”

  Gloria was the first to stand, exiting the chamber in a hurry.

  “Do you know what is troubling her?” Bast asked Jon.

  Jon shrugged, leaving it at that.

  -18-

  The days passed as the various sides repaired back to their planet, sped through the asteroid belt, gathered ores for the cubic XVT missile-makers or continued toward the interior asteroid belt.

  The AIs seemed to accept the strange behavior from the third arm battle group. Which of the third arm demi-groups contained Cog Primus was anyone’s guess. At the moment, the third-arm cyberships remained silent.

  Finally, though, many days after the asteroid pieces sailed past the terrestrial planet, the third-arm cyberships on the Nathan Graham side of the star began braking. The newly constructed XVT missiles floated near the industrial cubes of the first arm battle group. Several new asteroids had been pushed near a chosen dwarf planet. Presumably, the same occurred on the other side of the star with the second arm battle group. That wasn’t certain, though, as those CP cyberships hadn’t accelerated as hard as the ones on this side of the star.

  Jon looked up as Gloria approached the captain’s chair.

  “Cog Primus or his converted cyberships will be in gravitational-beam range of the first arm AI group in approximately four days,” she said.

  “The Richard Virus is ready?” he asked.

  Gloria nodded.

  Several days ago, Gloria had explained to Jon how she and Bast had refined the virus. If it worked as planned, their converted AIs would immediately attack Cog Primus’ smaller group. That smaller group contained four CP cyberships versus the first arm’s seven vessels.

  The strike force was still over a week away from the asteroid belt. The Nathan Graham and the Sergeant Stark had made fantastic time through the star system. Soon, they would have to begin braking procedures so they wouldn’t flash through the asteroid belt.

  Jon’s stomach knotted as he thought about giving the virus laun
ch order. Being this far into the star system had changed his outlook. Could they really do to the cyberships what the cyberships had done to human-run vessels several years ago in the Neptune System? This wouldn’t be a Cog Primus-string assault, which had simply exchanged one AI for another. This would be a clean assault that would give them direct control over the giant vessels. The idea was intoxicating. Would it work or would it backfire in some spectacular way?

  Jon took a calming breath, turning to Gloria.

  “It’s not too late to change your mind about this,” she whispered.

  “It is too late. Launch the virus. It’s time.”

  The blood seemed to drain from her features. She swayed a moment, steadying herself against his armrest.

  “Jon,” she whispered. “Let’s get married today.”

  “What?”

  “Let’s live as man and wife, for a short time anyway.”

  His eyes narrowed as he took one of her hands. “I’m not going to marry you as an act of desperation. I’m not afraid of the future.”

  “I am,” she whispered.

  He squeezed her hand. “Don’t be, love. We’re in the right.”

  “The right?” she asked.

  “Humanity has a right to live. The AIs are evil.”

  “I don’t know about that,” she said.

  “Of course the AIs are evil. They’re anti-life. We are life. We’re God’s creations.”

  Gloria searched his face. “Your strange values…” She squeezed his hand. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe the machines are evil. My mentalist training causes me to view them as something else entirely, their own side. But that side has nothing to offer but the destruction of life. Evil,” she said in a bemused tone, tasting the word.

  Her features stiffened. “That still doesn’t mean we’re going to win.”

  “Maybe not,” Jon said. “But we should win. We’re the good guys. The machines are the bad guys. Because of their genocidal actions, they deserve death.”

  “And that will help us win?” she asked.