The Deserter by David Nash

Author:David Nash [Nash, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-08-03T22:00:00+00:00

Part III

The Battle for Earth

21

As sci-fi authors have written for decades, our galaxy is huge. As someone who has been out in space in a tiny ship, I can tell you it is mind-blowingly immense. Marvin took care to navigate through systems unclaimed by the Barkun, and we made our transits to and from hyperspace cloaked and silent. We spent much of the transit accelerating and decelerating to speed the trip. It was long, but relatively uneventful. We had a tense moment when Marvin scanned a ship, but it turned out to be a mass transit not an enforcement ship, and we were not noticed.

I was as nervous, excited, and scared visiting the Confederation home world as I was at my first step onto A0467. As we approached the center of the Confederation, Marvin informed us that the planet was the home world of the Kernel of Sentience. As such it was appropriately named. If you hadn’t guessed it was called Kernel Prime.

We were met in orbit by two huge ships; they dwarfed even the Barkun punishment ships. They were not quite as big as moons, but you could definitely see them from the planet’s surface.

“Do not be alarmed General, the Guardian ships are only concerned for the welfare of the seeds. They are here to ensure non-interference in the purity verification.” Said Marvin.

“I am not alarmed, Ensign, however, I do want clarification on how they are to ensure non-interference. Who is commanding these Guardian Ships?”

“Confederation law requires a Biological Captain on Kernel Ships, however, on Kernel Prime biologics have melded with the Kernel of Sentience. So you could consider the ships to be commanded by a partnership that is primarily biologic.”

“Marvin, if I am going to see a head in a jar bolted to a machine you better warn me now!”

“General, the meld is not so crude. The Biologic has what you would consider to be cybernetic enhancements so that it can commune directly with the Kernel of Sentience, just as all Kernels can. The rider becomes ridden in colloquial terms as the main aspect of the meld is to provide access to the cerebral cortex of the biologic.”

“You mean the Kernel takes over the brain of the being! How is that not slavery? You told me the idea of holding someone against their will is against the highest Confederation law, isn’t that why you only have one punishment!”

“It is not slavery, the subject volunteers, it is considered to be a great honor.”

“Considered by who? Why would someone volunteer to allow another being to control them in such a way!” I yelled this question much louder than intended. My gut was telling me things have just severely changed. This was evil of the highest order, and it was perpetrated as if it were normal.

“Typically, a volunteer has been judged to commit a crime that would bring punishment on its species, and has requested clemency in return for service.”

“Why did you not tell me about this!”

“You did not ask General, and at the time, the Kernel of Sentience judged you unworthy of the offer.

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