TIME:
THE NEXT DAY
LOCATION:
MATHEW'S OFFICE
AMBER STATION
POV:
Mathew Orenth
"So now that you've told me everything and had a few hours to rest, explain to me what you were thinking while making these decisions and how you think you could've done better, or if you did the best with what you knew." Thomas Veltison, the steward sent by my parents, announced.
"Well the moment Lilith walked through the door it hit me. That sense of anxiety like I was stuck in a room with a wild animal. It only grew worse the longer we talked. Frankly I had room to be much more bold and maybe bluff a little. I feel that at that time I was over-thinking everything and was too cautious."
"And what would you think would happen if she called your bluff or discovered it was just that? I believe you're correct about not being confident and you did appear weak. I will tell you that. Sometimes it might be that if you bluffed it would come back to haunt you just as much or possibly even more than appearing weak for a first introduction. Have you read the reports the security and head psychologist made on her?"
I pick up my tablet and quickly select the report I read only moments before meeting Lilith, "Yes Dr. Mazalenne who I believe you personally know Thomas was the one who talked with her calling her a walking contradiction. 'It was like she had DID but somehow a pair of personalities manifested despite that being impossible.' She said that while talking to Lilith she felt like the woman was 2 people at the same time, with one a more public face, and borrowing a term from computing she said one was a more private and controlling lockstep personality. She gave a rough diagnosis, saying it had many holes, and that it admittedly sounded insane and was biologically and mentally impossible. In Dr. Mazalenne's diagnosis she gave a list of multiple mental health issues. She said Lilith might be a narcissist with sociopathic tendencies and a penchant for sadism, and more speculative is her having severe schizophrenia and Dissociative Identity Disorder that feed each other. But says that is guesswork and wasn't as factual as she would like citing the hypothetical 'lockstep personality.' It was assumedly being incredibly active as Lilith was answering nearly flawlessly for someone who is battle hardened and prideful about it. The doctor had only really diagnosed Lilith based on minor flashes on Lilith's face that disappeared almost instantly." I took a deep breath of recycled air as I skipped to the ending remarks. "'When she gave her closing remarks on Lilith she seemed disturbed, saying if Lilith wasn't a system governor and military supplier and contractor that she would demand she be institutionalized immediately, for the safety of the public. Though one offhand remark somehow manages to eclipse that in my opinion, 'When I first walked into her cell and she looked at me, I felt I was being appraised though not as a person, but as a cut of meat. Though I might be mistaken I have never professionally dealt with someone of that inclination.'"
The room’s ambience of a fake crackling fireplace seemed to stop, like it too joined the inhabitants of the room in refusal to make a sound. The air wasn't suffocated by tension, like they dodged a near fatal event with this same person described, no it was something close yet invariably different. Dr. Mazalenne had been working on Amber station for a long time and was regarded as the best of her year at a university. She once worked for the military for a while screening people for posts and doing mental health evaluations on high profile court martial cases. She eventually retired early, choosing to take a quiet life far away from the political drama and strong arming. Dr. Mazalenne had been around many people, with some of them being labeled extremely dangerous and impulsive. On those reports she rarely mentions how she feels about the subject preferring to stay clinical and detached. This was new, the worst part was Mathew knew the doctor was right on one thing, because he felt it too. Lilith when first laying eyes on him seemed to have what was described to him by his father, a veteran who lost parts of himself physically and mentally to the planet Cascadia and its hellish jungles. She, Lilith, had eyes of an animal deciding how its prey would taste and if it was worth the trouble.
"... And knowing what doctor Mazalenne said, truthfully it may have been for the best I didn't bluff. I was too unnerved to even recognize my blunders, I doubt I could have made it convincing."
Thomas doesn't make a sound for a moment, his face exposing nothing of his thoughts. "I believe you are right in that opinion. A bluff is only as good as it is believable, and Lilith by no regards could be called a fool.
"Now one thing that caught my ear was you asking her for permission to notify your parents, why? It seemed almost supplicating to an embarrassing degree." Thomas said with his calm voice taking the tone of a teacher testing his student.
"It seemed like a good choice to me, thinking back yes it would make me look weak, but it would also make her feel like she had control. Truthfully, I was going to send what I learned about her to my parents regardless of what she said. That and it also worked out that in the end was a true blessing. I managed to make her cough up critical information on her system, and force her to give us some benefits and a secret that might change everything."
A sly smirk flowed across my face and Thomas looked at me blankly, clearly understanding my attempt at making him ask the obvious question meaning I failed miserably, like always. After a dozen seconds of our staring match I sighed and slouched in defeat.
"She said she had in her control a Crimson progenitor AI, and that it was currently inside her ship. I–"
Thomas raised his hand respectfully, I quickly became quiet.
"She said she had a Crimson progenitor AI? Was that what she was possibly referring to when I walked in on you two discussing her void ship? Honestly, do you think she's being truthful? I mean it's been a long time since humanity started discovering the ruins of those two civilizations? We can't even find a bone that belongs to the two. I personally want to know how and where she managed to locate this AI. Her description made it seem to not just be a simple barely intelligent creation, that can only understand controlling when the lights should go out and turn back on."
"Thats what I told her, she promised me a tour of the ship. Though only on the condition that what happens inside stays between you, whoever you think should be my guard, and my family.
"Thomas, I don't have to tell you that under no obligations should anyone find out. Have the station report any references to AI and Lilith. Then investigate anyone who mentions them. I ask to bring the Head of Station Security as my guard as well. We know he would agree to this condition especially if it turns out to be true, and will be irreplaceable in keeping this quiet. Lilith when she told me that condition when first proposing, said that if anyone else learns, the deal is off. She will also tie it to our 25% ownership in the Mind Interface Device the AI is reportedly designing."
"Understood sir and I agree with your choice given the circumstances. I remember she told you that after she completed her system patrol she will be available, I believe that was what she was mentioning?"
"Yes that was roughly the plan, have port control contact me when she returns."
Whether she is telling the truth or can't admit she is lying will prove to be insightful no matter the outcome. I hope her patrol ends quickly or the anticipation and anxiety will be the end of me.
TIME:
2 DAYS AFTER NEGOTIATIONS ENDED
LOCATION:
INTERPLANETARY SPACE
ZETA FRIT II SYSTEM
ASTRO DAWN
POV:
Lilith Runethari
"Lilith I suspect I found something. Your presence would be welcome in the CIC."
Mother reported over the intercom in my room. I quickly turn off my tablet and quickly jog through the complex labyrinthine corridors of my ship, reaching the CIC a few minutes later.
"What is it? Please tell me it's something I can board, I don't want to go to Amber station and shake the guards just to restock ourselves on blood. I swear having to pretend to be human has so many annoying little restrictions, like how can anyone dislike the taste of blood? It tastes so sweet and yet it's not just some crude simple sweetness, it has depth and complexity."
"Most people aren't required to consume blood to maintain a good lifestyle Lilith, nor would it taste the same to humans. Remember what I taught you was the whole reason the Human declared war on us vampires. It was partly because they couldn't understand our needs.
"Regardless, you seem to be in luck. A ship has entered this system coming from Orenthia and was spoofing their identification, it might have fooled most systems but mine are just in another league. I have been watching them since they arrived yesterday and they have been laying communication satellites randomly as they went. Recently they have finally seemed to stop and have taken shelter 50 AU from the host star of Zeta Frit II."
I ponder for a moment as I slowly walk over to the command seat. Mother's crafted avatar was currently on the screen directly in front of the seat, her flawless white mask missing its serene smile replaced with one sporting a slight frown. At times I wish I could buy an android shell for Mom, she was always incredibly expressive while using them, but none are available that would be compatible with her. Mom being a sapient AI means things have to be made with care, not any android shell can work, mom’s previous ones that broke took her a long time to get right and plus we would need to return to the listening post to manufacture it. If done incorrectly it can lead to their sense of self being stressed and start cracking like a ceramic plate under incredible pressure. That more often than not leads to the AI spiralling back into nonsapiency or just completely deleting themselves to prevent sinking into insanity and going rogue.
"How long will it take for us to reach the distance with the FTL drive? Should be around 45 minutes correct?"
At the same time I started the process of charging the FTL drive. We were already moving at the minimum velocity of 100 m/s faster than the nearest celestial body. In reality we were moving at around 23.1 km/s around space, so the average speed of an interplanetary object.
"Close, but no it will take slightly longer, taking 52 minutes to reach the location. Though we will exit FTL 15,000 kilometers away from the ship to determine if they are being dumb, a piece of unknowing bait, or are actual criminals. Though the chance of the ship being involved in illegal activities is 97.916%. I would like you to stay in the CIC, I won't have much time to spy on them before their sensors stop being tricked by my EWAR."
"I understand..."
I started the FTL drive, a few instants later we were on our way to the extremely remote location travelling 8 times the speed of light.
TIME:
53 MINUTES LATER
I tapped my fingers against the arm of my seat as I spied on the criminals. It didn't take long to confirm their guilt and crime, Mom gave me the green light instantly after we hacked into the ship. They may not have been using a ship to ship communicator to declare what they were talking about to everyone in the systems, but they were using radios on the ship. Using infiltrated sensors onboard the vessel we tapped in easily. That made me reconsider my opinions of radios onboard a void ship, it felt incredibly easy and realistic to grow complacent with their usage.
"When should we expect word on the ransom?"
"I told you this multiple times Clement multiple times, expect to be sitting out here for at least two months, her family lives in the capital and needs to be informed. Frankly we were lucky the system fleet didn't arrive, she is from a pretty important family apparently, the escorts were nothing to baulk at either, I think we’re the only survivors. Now shut up with these stupid questions that waste my time!"
I sigh and shake my head. It felt embarrassing, frankly if I didn't know I had an advanced sapient AI that is probably the single best entity at breaking security systems with almost 30,000 years of experience breaking near airtight geases, and said AI also now had a massive quantum supercomputer twice as powerful as anything she had before served to further expand her capabilities, I would feel like they were just unskilled and maybe they didn't take security seriously.
I mean I know humans are barbaric and stupid but this would have felt like too much even for me. I sigh again as I hear a report of a toilet needing repaired.
"Mother, how much longer until we can open fire, I want to be done with this and get onto draining them."
"Estimated time to engage is currently 6 minutes and 53 seconds, with a 2 minute window to attack before we exit range and need to double back. I simulate you and the combat robots will be able to start the process of boarding in no more than 20 minutes."
I nod and glance back to the small sheet displaying what we could learn from the ship's internal sensors and life support. The ship seemed to be crewed by 30 people, had a few locations where a few dozen combat robots might be stored but those would be instantly compromised the microsecond they turned on, and of course in the most important room on the ship was their human shield, the hostage. Suddenly I realized something, maybe I can finally test that one ability out. A sadistic grin spreads across my face, yes I think I'm skilled enough and have enough control to not mess it up.