Phoenix In Chaos by Robert Stadnik

Author:Robert Stadnik [Stadnik, Robert]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2012-03-04T06:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Two days. It took two days for Drix and the computer and AI departments to study the alien planetary computer and figure out how to hack into it. As they did, John ordered probes launched to survey the planet. They found numerous cities and rural towns throughout the planet’s surface and none showed any signs of damage, no indication that they were ever attacked. They verified the life forms they initially detected, but what was interesting was the life signs seemed to be in concentrated groups in all the major cities.

Once the computer teams got the AI program modified, John and the senior staff assembled in the board room. Waiting for them was the AI entity, displayed on the wall monitor.

“Hello,” said John to the computer as he took his seat. They all noticed that the program’s humanoid grid appearance had been changed to match human proportions. It was something the computer techs elected to do.

“Salutations, John Roberts of the human starship PHOENIX,” said the entity.

“I provided some basic information about us and our mission,” explained Drix.

“Yes,” replied the entity. “Your engineers have communicated your non-hostile intentions through PHOENIX’s data files they uploaded to my system.”

“Good,” said John. “So do you have a name?”

“You may address me as Vish.”

“Vish, Can you tell us what happened to the people on this planet?” asked John, getting right to the point.

“The Senfo are the inhabitants of this world,” said Vish. “Many of your time measured years ago, the planetary atmosphere was sabotaged, rendering it unable to support Senfo life.”

“Who sabotaged the atmosphere?” asked Julie.

“The race you designate as Screen.” Everyone looked at each other nervously. It was disconcerting to hear that the Screen was capable of committing an act on such a massive scale.

“And you know that for a fact?” asked Alex’sis.

“Yes,” replied Vish. “The Screen attempted to negotiate for Senfo gene technology, which was more advanced than the Screen. The Senfo Commonality refused the trade request, and eventually the Screen cut off all ties with the Senfo. Several months later, a single cruiser entered the system and detonated within the planet’s atmosphere. The explosion dispersed a dense particulate that interacted with the electromagnetic charges common to the planet, which created a cascade reaction that modified the atmosphere to a toxic composition.

“The Senfo only had weeks to act. During that period the Screen reemerged and attacked our ships. Although we could repel them, their assaults prevented the Senfo from evacuating the planet. As a fallback, individuals were placed in suspension pods.”

“The millions of life signs we detect on the planet,” said Kevin.

“Yes,” said Vish. “However, those who are in stasis represent only 21.6% of the population that could be saved,” said Vish. “They could not build enough pods to accommodate the entire population.”

John could only imagine such a large loss of life. “How..? How did they choose who went in the pods?”

“The commonality and any individual with vital skills to help rebuild the planet were automatically selected,” said Vish. “The leftover pods were then assigned based on a lottery system.

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