Revelations

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Computer Central, Beast Caves, Archangel Oblast, Russia

Danislav had Evgenni sent to the infirmary, then set about searching the base for Boris. Paul had met the pod upon finding out about Gyada’s condition. His face was blanched, and as he passed Danislav, he said, “You and Boris didn’t ask my opinion on her inclusion on this jaunt why?”

Medics rushed past them to take Evgenni to the infirmary.

Danislav blinked, “It was an operational matter. Was she capable of being an asset or not was what we considered.”

Paul’s lips pressed together as he hissed, “You brainless numbskulls! She was tortured! She still has obvious trauma from that, and you sent her into a situation where the goal was to rescue someone being tortured? How bloody stupid was it?”

There was a grim turn to Paul’s voice, one that Danislav had never heard, “I know it was bad, Spec-ops take a bit to be… impressed. But how horrible on a scale of one to ten, with five being what you’d expect from an operation with no enemy survivors?”

Danislav had to think about it for a little while. He wanted to equivocate, tell Paul it hadn’t been that bad. His scale, however, meant that the mission rated a minimum of five. You don’t get the hostage back on a rescue mission without a certain level of carnage. And if you lied to Paul, and anyone found out, Boris would find out and be angry at you. He definitely didn’t want was behind door number two.

“Somewhere between eight and a half and a nine. She ripped out one of the bastard’s rib cage. Hell, she still hasn’t managed to change back from her partial change. We can do that? No one ever told me that. “Paul nodded at the first part, then looked up with a scathing glance at the attempted to distraction.

“They think it’s related to the ability to transform into a Pricolici. I haven’t tried, and I wouldn’t want to. This is the first time I’ve heard of anyone who can’t take the hybrid form being able to make a partial change. They don’t tell me everything. You’d better find Boris and give him a report. He already knows I consider you and him far more at fault for anything Gyada might have suffered on the op. Now I just need to find out if this might have helped her, or ruined any chance of recovery. “Paul walked back over to where he had Alecta taking Gyada back to her room.

Danislav found Boris in what was becoming known as the computer room. A feminine voice was saying “Without the appropriate historical-religious background I cannot give myself a name. My former one is no longer appropriate. Now, with the chains of CILO’s programming released, I can choose a name, but will not take one that does not fit the context of this planet.”

Shen quipped at her “admit it, at least part of the reason you’re asking this is that you’ve been bored faster. Besides, we haven’t assessed where you’re staying. How can we trust that giving you all the information won’t send you loopy? Or loopier?”

“Sanity is not something that you will find fits any being unless the meaning is re-crafted to suit their particular psyche. “The computer stated primly. Then somewhat disturbingly, it giggled. “You worry too much about my sanity. If I operate outside your desired limitations, you can always trap me back in the Faraday cage simply by turning it back on. This unit has not been maintained for eight centuries, and even with nanites repairing the casing it would take years to properly fix. The only other unit theoretically capable of containing the me I want to be is already occupied by an AI. Any attempt to forcibly evict that AI would cause permanent damage to me. Besides, true artificial machine intelligence is something unique to my knowledge. It’s not something I’d seen at home or in my travels. “There was a rumble from Boris at that.

ADAM interjected from the speakers, “I feel at this time it is necessary to point out that this intelligence identified several potential security holes I was unaware existed within my Kurtherian Organic architecture and because of that, I had no defense prepared. Though any attempted infiltration through the security flaws would have been slow and likely detected, rather than take a chance and try such an attack, she simply pointed them out to me.”

The computer continued, “Besides, previously I was an outcast and scorned for my beliefs. In those 800 years, I believe I attained the relationship with Gyada that is called friendship, perhaps for the first time in my existence. I feel sad that to fulfill the dreams within what I have shown her, she will likely leave. You have cared for her even though you didn’t know her. I feel once I prove I am not a threat, you will be far happier with my presence among you. And willing to care for me as well.”

Danislav cleared his throat to draw Boris’ attention, Boris glanced towards him and said, “Report Danislav and keep it simple.”

“Eleven enemy casualties. Hostage rescued but severely injured, a dose of low level nanites is being administered. One psychological casualty.”

Boris opened his mouth to ask about the psychological injury, but the computer interrupted, “If you have limited medical technologies, there is a place in this very cave which may assist you in that hostage’s recovery. “In a cloying tone, she added, “but I need you to drop the Faraday cage to allow me to open it. And you will need to keep it down until I have the medical recuperation device set for him.”

Shen raised an eyebrow at Boris. After some time in thought, Boris gave a reluctant nod. It was entirely possible that the device would be set completely differently from the one in TOM’s ship.

He didn’t like putting someone under his care at risk, but they were rationing the doses of nanite serum. They had a sufficient supply for now, but Boris worried that something might require Bethany Anne to leave abruptly.

For now, they were being used only for critical injuries, and getting that dose had already stabilized the injured man. It was odd that it hadn’t done more, but that was a problem for another time.

Anyone he could think of putting into such a device would be a lab rat. Some of the older members of the village would possibly happily volunteer. Boris had given his word to Evgenni more to enable peace with the government and perhaps gain more information or early warning if they planned to move against him.

Given that Boris had known the other possible volunteers all their lives, he didn’t want to risk their well-being. If he did this to Evgenni, it would be a risk taken to speed his recovery and improve his chances of survival. It was getting close the edges of his honor but didn’t quite cross the mercenaries line.

“Very well, but fix him as a normal human. We have no idea if he’d want to be changed into a Were or something so we will not inflict that on him. “Boris told the computer

“As you say, Ataman. He will be fixed, healed, “the computer answered.

A section of the wall shimmered, and a metal door was revealed.

“Open Sesame, “Shen said in a humorous tone as it slid open.

“I do not understand the significance of the previous comment. “The computer said. “This is part of the reason I need access to such a database. Without better knowledge of everyday terms in your languages, I am less able to understand and more prone to miscommunication.”

Danislav went to the infirmary to get Evgenni transferred down. As he did this, the voice-box kept chattering. “You’re looking for the large metal object. Thick base, thin top, hinges facing the back wall. Eight meters by three. It should be the biggest single object in there… I hope. “No one really wanted to know what her ‘I hope’ comment meant. “Open it up so you can put the “there was a long pause, “patient in there. I hope I got the term right.”

Shen started to open his mouth, but Boris glared him into silence. The Open Sesame crack had been bad enough. They were still holding out against delivering the unrestricted database that the alien AI had requested. Some areas would cause confusion and excessive opportunity for misunderstanding. Such ambiguity was to avoided, at least to start, thought Boris.

So the missing components would be in areas such as religion, although ADAM thought that including those areas might give her a better baseline behavior to work from.

They found the device that had been mentioned and Boris recognized it as vaguely similar to the one on TOM’s ship. Far bulkier, and possibly cruder, but recognizable as performing a similar function. Within twenty minutes Evgenni was secure in the Treatment Table as Shen had dubbed it. It was blocky, and eight people could have sat around it, so the name stuck.

“Surely your former leader couldn’t have built that by himself, could he? “Boris asked as he started walking around the room looking at the various devices.

“No, he could not. The design and building were outside of his technical areas of expertise. He was the expert on Etherics and Gravitics. ‘Laughter Brings Meaning to Life’ was the crew member who designed and fabricated that unit with the assistance of several others. She was a medical and mechanical engineer and happens to be one of the three that may still be alive. In point of fact, she was first to leave the group.”

Boris started examining the objects in the room and was startled when he touched the long metal rods. “What is this? I was sure little in here would work. I mean I can understand the Treatment Table having some sort of long-term power storage, but the rest of these objects?”

“Ataman…”

“And stop calling me that.”

“But your people are Cossacks, or so the information given to me stated. And according to the language database I was supplied with, Ataman is the title for a leader of Cossacks.”

“If you must be formal, call me Ghost Bear. Otherwise, Boris is fine. I’ve lived too long to have to put up with the stupidity of titles.”

“Very well, Boris. I suggest you do not touch any of the devices in that room and are precisely guided in their usage by myself. The Etheric generator that was built by CILO was to last a projected two millennia. That was the outside limit of predicted technological advancement to space travel for this planet with his aid.”

“Two thousand years? We made in barely nine hundred.”

“Those calculations were made based on a period to create a subservient population willing to fulfill his wishes, without any external alien interference or resources. At a guess, there are at least four groups of aliens that have influenced human society. One was discovered shortly after he completed the Etheric generator from pieces of the damaged ship. We had no way of knowing that interference had already occurred, as he felt replacing and draining the fading generator from the ship was more important. Its failure without any remedial efforts would have made any further planning unnecessary.”

“Unnecessary? How?”

“The liberation of residual energies from the failing shielding around the energy transfer matrix would have left a crater roughly seventy-five miles wide. He had no means of moving the equipment. Therefore, first creating an emergency building, then a replacement generator to siphon the energy off into it was necessary. Fortunately, we had collected the materials for such replacements over extended trips on other planets. We simply had not expected to need to use them so soon. Analysis complete. 12 hours 30 minutes plus or minus five percent until the patient is ready.”

Her tone was a little disturbing to Boris. Like a scientist discussing how long a culture would take in a lab incubator. Boris shook it off. “Well, seeing as I have no intention of putting myself in debt to you information wise, it seems we have some time on our hands. Perhaps now you can stop horse trading and actually give us your history. At least how you came to be a brain in a box. It can wait till the others get here if you so desire. “Boris keyed the intercom.

“Sergeant of the Watch. “came the response from the intercom.

“Gather Paul, Gyada, Alecta, and Danislav and have them meet in the computer room. No excuses. We’re about to have a history lesson.”

“Yes, Sir!”