Shakedowners by Justin Woolley

Author:Justin Woolley [Woolley, Justin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lonely Robot Books
Published: 2021-06-13T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

“Captain,” Commander Mul said as Iridius and April stepped onto the bridge.

Both Iridius and April simultaneously said, “What’s going on?”

Iridius turned to look at her. “Sorry,” he said, gesturing for her to continue. “Old habits.”

She smiled the same consolatory smile, which now seemed a little too pitying for Iridius’s liking, and made her way to the captain’s chair, which Commander Mul vacated without any hesitation. “Status?”

“There’s been a launch from Lunar Base Armstrong,” Commander Mul said. “Unmanned probe, no known design or signature.”

“Is it coming for us?”

“No, captain.”

Red Alert. Red Alert.

“Switch that off,” April said, and Commander Mul obliged, silencing the alarm and returning the lights around the bridge to their normal soothing hue. “What’s its trajectory?”

“It’s on a heading away from Earth, captain. Bearing two seven three attitude seventeen relative.”

“You said everyone on the lunar bases was dead,” April said, turning to where Iridius stood at the back of the bridge.

“They are.”

“Who launched that then?”

“Captain, if I may?” Quinn asked.

Iridius said, “Go ahead” at precisely the same moment April said, “Yes?” April shot him a quick look.

“Well, to be fair, that was my XO this time,” Iridius said.

“What are you thinking, Quinn?” April said.

“I’m thinking it’s the Aegix,” Quinn said. “It managed to shut off all the life support systems on the lunar base remotely, and it managed to access the Gallaway’s system remotely. It can likely activate a launch, too.”

“Except the Aegix has been blown into teeny tiny pieces,” Iridius said. “Besides, where did the probe come from if they’re unrecognised?”

“Printers,” Commander Mul interjected. “Armstrong has a large manufacturing facility. They probably built a probe.”

“Ah shit,” Iridius said. “It’s an escape pod, isn’t it?”

Quinn nodded. “That would be my hypothesis too. The Aegix doesn’t seem to be a true swarm intelligence. It refers to its location and seems to need a central node that contains the equivalent of its consciousness. But it does seem able to transfer that central consciousness, just as it transferred itself onto the My PupPups the Diesel Coast brought back from Iota Persei and then to the systems of Gargarin Station and now, presumably, into that probe.”

“I’m sorry,” April said, “did you say the Diesel Coast brought this thing back? Just so I’m clear here, the artificial intelligence that destroyed Earth hitched a ride on your ship, Iridius?”

Iridius grimaced. “I was going to bring that up.” He looked at Quinn. “I just thought we’d deal with the situation at hand first.”

“This is your fault?” April stared at him, incredulous.

“Not really. It just happened to be my ship that was delivering artificially intelligent toy dogs to Iota Persei E – toy dogs the Aegix used to piggyback a ride to Earth.”

“And they must have used the Diesel Coast to get up to Gargarin, too,” Ensign Rangi said. “That’s why it was docked there.”

“Yes, thank you, ensign,” Iridius said. “As quick on the uptake as ever.”

“Another probe launched from Armstrong base,” Commander Mul said. “And another, and another.”

“I thought you said it needs a central consciousness,” Iridius said.

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