Captain Listes compartment was surprisingly comfortable compared to the Whiplash’s austere appearance. Ancient cloth campaign flags and mementos from engagements were displayed prominently in a spacious section separate from her sleeping area. Most intriguing were a set of truly ancient style table and chairs located near a bulkhead with the image of a spacious hall. The illusion made the Captain’s quarters seem cavernous and imposing. AI generated beings moved about the hall with purpose as white sunlight streamed in from clear skylights making the blue-gray stone walls and floors glow. The scene was impressive as the Captain.
OO Talvi shot his companion and Team Second a knowing look to intercept any colloquialism she may blurt out at the sight of such opulence aboard an attack craft. Altea acknowledged the look with a disappointed roll of her eyes. “Greetings Operations Officer Talvi. I gather this is your Team Second?” “Affirmative Captain Listes, this is Talvi Altea. She will be giving the technical portion of the mission briefing.”
The Captain’s dark brow furrowed into a frown as she replied, “A Manu’s your ‘TS’ OO Talvi? I’m surprised to see you are so... progressive.” Behind him Talvi could feel the figurative heat coming off Altea at the Captain’s inference. Though humanity finally learned to accept one another long ago, Manufactured Beings were another matter. Fortunately, self-control was a program tweak he’d been able to incorporate into Altea’s personality emulation. Personality tweaks aside, his companion was pure bio-tech which meant feelings like hate could eventually creep in. As expected, his TS held her tongue and waited at attention.
“Not so progressive as you would think Captain. A competent officer wherever found is prudently put to use wouldn’t you say?” Talvi felt throwing military logic at the Captain’s prejudice would be the most effective way to nullify a potentially irritating conversation. He was partially correct. “True. I see she has taken your name so your Second is also companion? How Bohemian! I would expect so impressive a male as yourself to have multiple permanent bondings. I cannot believe you were not chosen for procreation! Surely you did not choose to stay outside ‘The Pool’?”
OO Talvi weathered numerous accusations of deviancy for his selection of a Manu as companion. For a Gestated Being of high genetic modification to voluntarily withhold their DNA from the Gene Pool was considered abhorrent self-indulgent behavior. For those of Grade Two Modification or higher, such a consideration was illegal and punishable. He had a mission to complete and keeping the Captain at the safe edge of an Event Horizon was necessary. “No Captain Listes, I have not. I am of high Modification and therefore complied with DNA transfer to a number of similarly modified females.
My position though prominent, engenders duties which keep me away for long periods therefore making me ineligible for permanent bonding. My companion, a Bio-Engineered Being quickly proved herself up to the task of performing missions to PROMETHEUS GROUP Security standards in addition to my expectations. She was the logical choice after the loss of my Gestated Team Second during an engagement. Besides, it is not unheard of for the Manufactured to hold prominent positions within the known Galaxy. A number of HEPHESTUS CORP Deep Space facilities existing in conditions too hostile for Gestated Beings are administered by Bio-Engineered or Advanced AI Androids. Talvi Altea is an excellent Team Second. If TS Altea were incapable, she would not be present. Neither I nor PROMETHEUS GROUP would permit it.”
Talvi waited patiently but expectant for a positive response from Captain Listes. Her personal opinions concerning the roles of the Manufactured did not concern him long as they did not interfere with his task. Apparently the Captain got the message as she said, “Very well OO Talvi. Please commence the briefing.” Relieved, Talvi looked to the Captain’s black-skinned female Assisting Officer and asked, “Captain, is your AO cleared for reception of 600 Level information?” “Yes Operations Officer she is.”
Talvi placed a small spherical device upon the ancient wooden table then said, “Very well. The information you are about to see is classified level 605-Golf Romeo Bravo. Divulgence to beings without proper clearance and need to know is a violation of the Military/Corporate Security Agreement and will result in immediate termination. Infosphere 116, come online for security briefing. This is PROMETHEUS GROUP Security Operations Officer Rewar, Talvi.” The reflective silver sphere suddenly began to rapidly spin and its AI responded. “Infosphere 116 online. Security Operations Officer Rewar Talvi voice recognition complete. Decrypting files... decryption complete. All classified files available.”
Using the display in his PHUD, Talvi pulled up the file he needed to show the Captain. If she saw anything else he’d have to kill her and the AO. Then he would move to destroy the WHIPLASH along with the entire crew. Using his hands, Talvi pulled the file from his PHUD and held it over the Infosphere where it turned into a hard light display. When the file opened, a small representation of the BOX remained. “This Captain is why we will intercept and board the ESCo-op Corporate Transport DROMEDARY.”
Captain Listes took in the image and said dryly, “I am familiar with the Bolstered Olla OO Talvi. Remember, we were initially supposed to transport it to the TARTARUS FACILITY.” “Yes Captain, but you were not briefed concerning what lay within the Bolstered Olla fortification level 10. Were you?” The Captain’s startled look spoke volumes. Talvi realized she didn’t know the BOX’s fortification level. “What by the Core needs a level 10 containment field? Even old Hydrogen based fusion explosives at maximum yield only needed level 4! The most virulent biological or data based viruses known only need a level 2. What is inside that needs such heavy containment?” To answer the Captain’s question, Talvi gestured to his Team Second.
The Captain watched as the slender bodied pale skinned, brown-haired and almond colored eyed Manu deftly laid out the specs for the BOX. As expected, the bio-engineered female was thorough explaining the technical aspects of the heavily fortified containment field. When the Manu pulled the simulated Heavy Energy Containment Jar from within the BOX, Captain Listes saw the true nature of the glowing muave egg-shaped containment field. It was then she paid closer attention.
“Inside the Energy Jar Captain, is a control program called the Logistical Interactive Kilo series Operating System or LIKOS. It is the LIKOS which maintains Jar integrity. The LIKOS can’t be hacked, but if given the proper shutdown code it will comply and this is what will be released.” Both Captain Listes and her AO gasped at the representation of what would come flooding out of the opened Jar. “By the Galactic Core! What... is... that?” It was OO Talvi who stepped forward to answer the Captain’s emphatic question.
“They, Captain Listes are W.O.E.S. The official classified catalog nomenclature is; Weaponized, Omnifarous, Endemic, Software. Initially, WOES originate from damaged or otherwise left over computer code discarded after the completion of Artificial Intelligences. Take the WHIPLASH for example, there were hundreds of billions of coding lines left over or were otherwise unusable during its development. Normally, such code is destroyed. It was found such code when combined with leftovers from other AI systems could be effectively weaponized.” Incredulous Captain Listes retorted, “Why in all the Spiral Arms would someone ‘weaponize’ unwanted computer code? It’s foolhardy at the least estimate!” Looking straight into the Captain’s dark-green eyes, Talvi gave her a sober answer.
“Well on those odd occasions when humanity ran into hostile and technologically advanced space-faring species, did we ever get into massive space battles? Did we ever deploy tens of millions of Attack and Troop Transports to invade their planets?” The Captain sharply answered, “Of course we did! Many lost their lives in those glorious battles! All those conquered species are part of the Milky Way Galactic Authority.”
Talvi shook his head and said, “No Captain, that’s what was released by the Propaganda Agency. Do you really think for an instant we would have stood a chance against races who were tens of thousands to millions of years ahead of us technologically?” The Captain involuntarily cocked her head as the negative probability of success sank in. The Operations Officer’s eyes grew sharp as he continued. “Now you are thinking, ‘How did we beat them without firing a shot?’ We infected them. That’s how.”
Talvi watched the Captain as the information sank in. Everything she’d learned as a child and had been passed down as canon for tens of thousands of years was a lie. “Now that you understand Captain, know this. The last existing lot of WOES are scheduled for destruction at the only facility in this quadrant of the Galaxy capable of doing so.” Fully engaged, the Captain answered the question before it could be asked. “TARTARUS.” Nodding Talvi replied, “Correct Captain. Somehow, the secure shipping department on OASIS-10 did not receive the Hold Order when your ship got delayed. Because the Transport heading to the nearest jump point on path to TARTARUS FACILITY was the DROMEDARY, it was transferred aboard.”
“Are you saying a Fortified BOX was shipped aboard a Corporate Transport?” “That is exactly what I am saying Captain. The BOX for security reasons was minimally stamped. Given the information they had, OASIS-10 knew the DROMEDARY has Level 6 secure storage capacity and wanted to keep the scheduled delivery. Conversely the WHIPLASH has Level 7 but was delayed, so I do not fault them completely. Why the BOX is on a Corporate Transport as we speak, is not my current concern.
Long as the BOX is within secure storage, it is unlikely to be tampered with. Even if it were, the AI’s defenses are formidable and the only way to shutdown the containment field is to input the shutdown code. My goals are to get the BOX aboard the WHIPLASH, placed into secure containment and promptly delivered to the TARTARUS FACILITY for destruction.”
The weight of what she’d just heard was plain upon her dark face when the Captain asked, “OO Talvi, what are our orders if upon intercept of the DROMEDARY, we find the BOX has been compromised?” Cold as deep space itself Talvi replied, “To contain any possibility of infection, the DROMEDARY and if need be the entire HESTIA System will be subject to P.U.R.G.E.” Captain Listes despite her dark complexion showed signs of blood draining from her face. “PURGE... you mean....?”
“I mean, the entire HESTIA System including all vessels, stations, planetary bodies and beings dwelling within it will be excised from the Milky Way Galaxy....”
****
The darkened cargo bay hummed with the usual sounds made by the Warp Bubble Generators and the buzz of the security field around the stacks of containers. A shimmering in the field rippled through its pink glow for an instant and then it returned to its normal state. Sitting where placed since being loaded aboard the DROMEDARY, the unmarked gray Transport BOX’s AI broke the otherwise silence of the space. “Warning. Unauthorized Access.” Above the BOX flashed a Holographic display of its shipping manifest. A long stream of characters flashed quickly across its display only to be answered with, “Access denied.” Several more times the stream grew longer but met with the same result, “Access denied.”
The characters started up once more but suddenly froze in mid-stream. “Unauthorized access, countermeasures engaged.” The shimmering returned and a figure covered in a mirror-like substance appeared. The figure attached a small round device to the BOX and its AI said, “Unauthorized access. Hacking detected, countermeasurrrrrr....” The BOX’s manifest flickered for an instant and then information began rapidly scrolling as it was reflected in the featureless mirrored face of the figure. The figure abruptly moved a mirror-finished hand over the display and a single file line became prominent. With a slight movement of one finger, the file had the graphic ‘DECRYPT’ appear over it. Several moments later, the file changed from a simple graphic to the characters, ‘W.O.E.S.’ Just as the figure moved to open the file, the BOX’s AI said, “Countermeasures engaged.”
The file instantly changed back to its unintelligible graphic and the manifest shut down. The figure started to reengage the manifest when the Dromedary’s cycle change pealed above. At the far end of the cargo bay, lighting was turning on and quickly drawing near. The Figure snatched up the small device and shimmering once more caused it to fade from view. The security field rippled again and an instant later, the cargo bay lights flooded down upon the Gray BOX and its fellow containers.
****
The PAnd0RA Ultimatum will return on the last week of December 2012 with EPISODE THREE: The Broken Jar.
© 2012 H. Wolfgang Porter. All Rights Reserved.
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