Revelations

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Etheric Empire Battleship Archangel.

TOM had rushed a pod down to pick up the new data. Both he and ADAM were curious as to what it contained. Boris had warned them that it was likely to include a history slanted to show the group in a favorable light. At least that was his experience in any report he’d ever seen written. Except for those few reports that had been used against the Nazis at the Nuremberg trial. It was something that just wasn’t done.

After uncoupling a couple of EIs from other duties, ADAM put them to work going through the sheer volume of data. There were tens of terabytes of data that had been provided. Only a tiny fraction of that was what TOM and ADAM were looking for to analyze and formulate a report to Boris and Bethany Anne. They needed to know the basics of what had occurred, not the detail of the individual reactions to the experimentation performed.

ADAM considered the information may well be useful later, but it was not something that was in the realm of what Bethany Anne liked or required. The brief summary that the computer at the crash site had provided was completely useless for their purposes.

<>

‘Chaos is in Limited Options,’ ‘Improvement is Personal, not Societal’… No, none of these follow the naming conventions I previously described to you. They seem to be based on philosophical concepts or beliefs. They also show a general disrespect for the original Shepherd beliefs.

It would seem that, given the timeline provided, there were dissidents well before the history I was taught, which acknowledged the split of the twelve.

What amazes me is that they managed to steal and flee in a newly refurbished ship four and a half thousand years ago. The Shepherd vessels were closely guarded and secured then to prevent amateurs irretrievably corrupting societal matrices. Also, much of the technology they used was archaic by the standards on which my ship was deployed. For example, we stopped commonly using cryogenics only five hundred or so years later, about four thousand years ago. It was utilized for some few purposes. Most people willing to travel or be transported by space were really going on trips too short to require it with current technology or had enough ability with Etheric to make it unnecessary.

<>

Tom stopped and thought about it. Even once they cut out all the experimental data, travel conditions and other extraneous status information that the computer’s programming had felt was included in the question, there was still at least half a terabyte of data to wade through. Four and a half thousand years of history could not be compressed to a small size unless you just touched on the high points. A lot of it was quite boring day-to-day matters, but still…

“So, do you guys feel that you have a summary that just hits the high points? “Bethany Anne asked TOM and ADAM as they linked across a conference call. Many people were listening in. To avoid too much confusion, only six had permission to pose questions during the conference call. Bethany Ann, TOM, ADAM, Janna, Boris, and Gyada were the selected few.

“Yes, Bethany Anne,” TOM began, “I’ll open with a brief summary. It seems that the history of the ship involves a group of dissidents that were around four and a half thousand of your solar years before the present day. They believed strongly that the Shepherd project was doomed to fail. To prove their radical theories, they stole a ship to enact their experiments. Of the original crew of twenty-three, the records confirm all but three are definitively deceased. The last was killed by Gyada eight hundred years ago. The remaining three are not present on Earth, and because the means by which they describe the planets those three chose to stay behind on, I have no definitive location for the remaining three potential survivors.”

“So on top of the various Kurtherian factions you already told us about, these twelve clans, we also have three rogue Kurtherians that we know of? “Bethany Anne scowled as she spoke

TOM answered, “To put it simply, yes. It is also interesting to note, that based on their names, there was some disagreement amongst the dissidents as to whether personal or physical perfection was preferable. An interesting side note is that out of the twenty-nine planets they visited, their leader considered Humans to have the most flexible societal make-ups. He had started considering that societal make-up may be a factor in the development of any species. Humans also adapted and invented new technologies at a faster rate than the vast majority of species previously encountered by the dissidents. They were also well behind all other species at the time of contact.”

There was a pause before TOM continued, “He put this down to a late evolutionary development of sentients on Earth.”

“So we’re fast, but late? “she asked.

ADAM interrupted at this point, “That is an imponderable at this time. Twenty-nine data points are not enough to reach a conclusion, and the contact records in TOM’s database only adds another ten or twenty. He was not given a full database of past contacts. Only records of particularly successful Shepherd project contacts.”

There was silence in the room, then TOM picked up again. “This information is to give a baseline of what this group was working from. They started with viral insertion genetic technology, which was considered well outdated in my time. So much so that their records on how to achieve it far surpass my own. Nanite manipulation is far safer and more stable. A viral genetic manipulation can go rogue on you.”

Bethany Anne rolled her eyes, “Stop digressing you two. Please get on with the relevant history of these cockspittles.”

TOM continued, “The background is important, but I will continue through as fast as I can. This group was made up of possibly the most intelligent segment of their generation. When they encountered a new technology, they adapted it to their purposes. Often taking less than a year to analyze and recreate said technology. The three that remained behind on various planets did so because they found something fascinating or unique about the inhabitants of those planets. Something that appealed to their personal goals, but not the goals of the group as a whole. More than half of these dissidents did not even achieve the level of mastery the Etheric that I did, however. Without extensive use of the cryogenic pods, now destroyed, they could not have achieved the breadth of lifespan they did. They died when the power source of the ship failed suddenly.”

There was a slight pause as everyone considered the death that came to those around the ship, and what they might have done in that situation. TOM spoke into the quiet, “Their leader was not an experienced engineer, and it took him some time to cobble together the crude Etheric generator that is found in the caves today. Eventually, he started exploring his surroundings, and the team had already developed a neural destabilization weapon that could render most species unconscious or incapacitated. It would also cause some considerable pain.”

“Using this device, he collected samples for study. Two of his early collections were werewolves. Being somewhat more experienced at modifying existing technology, and having early examples that the group had already modified to their purposes, he was quickly able to adapt these nanites into the persistent and aggressive form found in Boris, Gyada, and others of that line. From his notes, it seemed to be his hope that the bearers of these nanites would eventually become the dominant subspecies on the planet. He also had plans to adapt non-mammalian forms somehow into the change, although this never occurred. Apparently his group had never considered giving sentients a non-sentient form to change into until he encountered it on Earth. It causes me to wonder how widespread the transformation ability has been imposed on other species. It is possible that Earth was a testing ground for the concept.”

“The remaining Kurtherian had resigned himself to building up Earth’s technology base. He wanted to ensure a loyal base of ‘followers’ to work from. That was his goal when he captured Gyada and found her particularly suited to his new nanites. He underestimated the maternal instinct and drive that she possessed, however, which led to his downfall,”

“There are unfortunately at least two significant holes in the data that has been provided. There is no record of an experimental computer in the initial ship’s listing, nor is there a history or time period during which one may have been created. This is concerning to me. Given the over completeness of all other records I have come to a disturbing conclusion.”

“Only a very select few know Kurtherian organic computers are Kurtherian brain matter. They are often gifted to society by Kurtherians who no longer wish to live. All data contained is therefore purged. It’s considered a great crime to allow the personality of someone who wished to be no longer a part of the world to continue to be trapped inside a computer like that. So all possible measures are taken to prevent it. There is some evidence that when there was a personality to be stuck in a computer after formerly having a body, it would go insane rather quickly.”

“The fact that this information is completely missing from the records has led me to the conclusion that there is a Kurtherian personality in the computer. It’s not an AI, EI or KI. It’s a pre-existing personality running the quantum computer. That makes it anathema.”

Gyada was quickly parsing this information as TOM spoke “NO! Over my dead body will you suggest we harm her! She was wise, kind and patient with me while I was trapped in that cave, you ghost! After all, why is it we never see you? Could I come to the conclusion that you are a similar being? I’ve never seen your physical form.”

There was an uncomfortable silence for just a moment before Bethany Anne spoke, “Great, ok, apparently we need to discuss this in a smaller group. Thank you all for listening in. “Bethany Anne said as she restricted the conference link solely to the six people critical to the situation.

Bethany Anne went quiet for a moment as she held this conversation mentally.

TOM, Why didn’t you at least warn me that you are going to bring this up? I could have told you it would be a bad idea.

Bethany Anne, the situations with me being inside you and this computer are not similar. I still have a physical form. I simply happen to be sharing it with you. Although incredibly difficult, I can be extracted into another physical body. If I’m right, this personality is stuck in a box after having lived in a body. Completely different situation. I also admitted at the time that what I did was wrong and it was an accident. There was mild reproach in his tone as he spoke

That’s just semantics TOM. One of the greatest strengths of the group we’ve created is our tolerance for differences. What you said could start breaking that down. I needed to stomp on that immediately.

Bethany Anne, if that is what it is, then it IS an anathema! It can’t be allowed to continue for the sake of itself.

Your predeterminations are showing TOM.

There was muted but charged question from ADAM. <>

No ADAM. Of course not. You were never in a body in the first place. He was almost dismissive of ADAM’s concern.

TOM, is this simply a societal belief, or is there any evidence to back it up?

There was a telling silence from Tom when she asked this question. He was clearly considering his answer carefully. It simply wasn’t done in my lifetime. The records clearly stated that bad things happened when it was attempted.

Do you know when that was? Also, consider they may have found a different method to achieve the same effect. One without those consequences.

TOM was silent again, considering. The stories had been so bad that it was ingrained as a terrible idea within his people. He’d reacted with that knowledge. Reluctantly he answered No, we are taught fairly consistently that it is always bad. I hadn’t considered alternative techniques with different outcomes. I should have. The Entarians do it occasionally.

Gyada was fuming silently with Boris raising a hand to her every time she went to speak into the silence. Janna whispered in her ear “Bethany Anne won’t put up with that sort of intolerant-sounding behavior. Let her talk it out with TOM.”

Finally, Bethany Anne spoke up “TOM and I been discussing his Gott Verdammt surprise revelation. Apparently, it is based on some bad experiences the Kurtherians had in their past. It seems to have become something of a taboo subject and action. As we have no idea exactly how her personality was kept intact inside the computer, we’ll take it one step at a time. We need to find out why she selectively redacted that information.”

“It makes it certain that she is a true intelligence of one form or another, though, “ADAM said over the link thoughtfully. “To selectively redact information like that is something that an EI would not consider. It may be the sheer volume of data she supplied was a countermeasure to hide the redaction too. If we didn’t have EIs to assist, it would have taken even me a week to fully sort out the data. Especially with everything else I’m doing.”

Gyada said, unequivocally, “She’s not bad. She wouldn’t intentionally cause harm unless ordered to. The only reason she caused me pain when I was in there was that she desperately felt a need for context. “Boris glanced at her.

Evidently, she had been hiding some things, but it was more out of concern for what might happen to a friend than anything else. That was something he could respect.

You needed to protect your friends and family in this world.

Bethany Anne let loose a deep sigh, “Well, Boris, you need to go back in and find out why she hid this from us. It is still possible, no offense intended Gyada, that she might mean harm to us. Be careful. But find out her personal history.”