Law's End (17 page)
Authors: Glenn Douglass
Tags: #adventure, #travel, #dog, #future, #space, #rescue, #supercluster
Canis looked around at the scattered packages
now surrounding him. He looked after the scrambling form of his
guest, who he was very worried about. Dropping the package in his
mouth to add it to the pile on the deck Canis followed Greene to
her stateroom.
Canis did not enter Greene's stateroom.
Entering a guest's stateroom uninvited would have been poor
manners. Instead Canis stood in the entryway looking on with
concern as Greene fumbled with her helmet case.
With great effort Greene wrested the helmet
free from where it lightly rested in its case. For a moment her
mind painted the helmet in the vibrant pastels she remembered.
Those memory imparted colors quickly faded to the dingy reality
that her mind had now been reduced to.
Panic that had briefly driven her actions
subsided of its own accord. It remained, waiting impatiently in the
corners of her mind, ready to rush back in to seize control without
warning. In the calm that followed the storm Greene began to
understand what had happened to the expedition.
Noticing Canis in the entry watching her Greene
remarked, "None of us are getting out of this unscathed."
Canis insistently pawed the entry way with one
foot.
Smiling at the simple solid logic of the animal
Greene "You're right. Let's get those provisions to the cockpit so
we can wait this thing out."
Canis barked loudly in agreement.
Clipping the helmet to her suit's built in
carry point Greene gritted her teeth and returned to her task with
Canis' help. She paused briefly in the door to give the dog a firm
petting and reflect on his astoundingly solid companionship. If the
same behavior had been expressed in a more evolved life form it
might have come off as patronizing or contrived. With Canis
everything was honest and heartfelt.
Canis barked in approval.
Back in Sabha's cockpit Greene passed a handful
of the concentrated emergency rations over to a subdued Kassad. Not
yet adjusted to her rapidly degrading vision Greene's aim was off
and the packets scattered across the cockpit rather than land in
his lap. Rather than try to retrieve the provisions she seated
herself and draped the safety harness over her shoulders rather
than buckling in.
There was an undeniable tunneling of Greene's
vision now as she closed her eyes and once again acknowledged the
blame that lay at her feet. "What have I gotten us into?"
Settling into his acceleration bed Canis
replied to the question with a sharp yip.
"Oh, you're finally back." Kassad observed,
oblivious to the lone concentrated ration packet that had landed on
his chest. "I'm going to gradually take us up to an acceleration of
five." His hand missed the controls twice before landing on the
throttle and edging it forward resulting in an increasing pressure.
"Just focus on breathing and gravity will do the rest. We just have
to bear this through for eight hours and we're out of here."
After a few minutes of silence as Greene coped
with what felt increasingly like dirt being piled up on her chest
she asked, "What do you think this is all about? What do you think
they were doing on the research platform?"
Kassad had been continually revising his
assessment of what little information he had, and didn't need much
time to think the question over, but considering how to phrase the
answer took him a few seconds. "I can't say for certain without
going over the data, however given what limited information we do
have I suspect they were weaponizing reality."
It was an answer Greene found as implausible as
she found it horrific. "That's impossible. You can't change the
laws of physics."
Shrugging at the analysis Kassad said, "Law's
End disproves that. Shifting the edge of the barrier proves that
they had a working understanding of the principles required."
Obviously such technology would be of interest
to everyone inside and outside of Laniakea for a wide range of
reasons. "But why? Why use the weapon on themselves?"
"The Armhamon." Kassad explained his theory,
"Somehow the authorities were alerted, either by someone on the
crew or someone else, but anyway a Lawship was dispatched to stop
the project one way or another. When the Armhamon showed up the
science team used the prototype to drive them off and then
destroyed as much evidence of their research as possible. With no
evidence to convict them on they went to Alone to wait for a rescue
team pick up, and Lawships being what they are the Armhamon waited
on station to either get their man or verify that they'd all died
of exposure to Lawless space."
It rang true as a sickeningly plausible
scenario in Greene's mind. "Do you really think that's
possible?"
Forcing himself to take a series of deep
breaths against the rising pressure on his chest Kassad eventually
returned to his explanation. "I think it's the most likely
explanation, at least in broad terms, it explains why you couldn't
get a legitimate rescue team to work the case. In all the hundred
thousand galaxies there are bound to be crews brave or stupid
enough to work beyond Law's End. Far fewer teams are willing to
take on a Lawship or contravene University wishes; let alone all
three."
Conceding the painful logic of Kassad's
argument Greene concluded the line of reasoning saying, "So we
hired a pirate and smuggler."
Canis' objecting bark was muffled only slightly
by the increased pressure of acceleration.
In reconciliation Greene added, "And Laniakea's
bravest police dog." The compliment seemed to placate the
animal.
Smiling weakly at Greene's interaction with his
trusted crew Kassad added, "And if you people had been straight
with me from the start I could have snuck in past the Lawship on
the way in, and they'd have never been the wiser."
Anger and frustration at herself boiled over.
"If I hadn't been so blind all of this could have been avoided. If
I'd been able to see the truth then maybe he wouldn't have gone at
all."
Not oblivious to his passenger's guilt Kassad
reacted with sympathy. "Don't be so hard on yourself. The
University was fooled and they have people whose only job is to
make sure this sort of thing doesn't happen. You wanted to save
your husband and your devotion to that blinded you to some
unpleasant realities," Kassad observed, "and I think that says some
very nice things about you."
Greene wasn't about to let kind words separate
her from the bitter self-recrimination she'd determinedly engaged
in. "I'm a fool."
Kassad grinned but the increasing acceleration
morphed it into a grimace he was happy she didn't see. "Yes, we're
all fools, but you're a good hearted responsible fool. Your husband
is a very lucky man."
Green's own distorted smile of appreciation
broke across her face in appreciation. "Thank you. I hope he sees
it that way."
"If he loves you half as much as you love him
then I think he will." Kassad croaked as the acceleration continued
to creep upward. "You're his wife, not the guardian of the
universe. If he has a problem with this you can send him to me and
I'll straighten him out."
Acutely feeling the sensation of her eyes
nestling deeper and deeper into her skull Greene asked, "How long
are we going to be like this?"
Missing the point Greene was making Kassad
said, "The expression is happily ever after."
Huffing to get the words out Greene clarified,
"No, I meant the acceleration."
Kassad replied, "Twenty," and after some
labored breathing finished with the word, "minutes."
Keeping his arm extended to the controls was
becoming a herculean task for Kassad. Having his hand on the
throttle kept the safeties, which would bring their acceleration
back down, from kicking in. Even though his arm was supported by
the contours of the acceleration couch it took all of the strength
in his arm and most of his upper body to brace his hand against the
control.
Greene let out a moan of discomfort and
acknowledgement.
At that point speaking became too laborious to
engage in for either Kassad or Greene. Both of them remained quiet
watching the ever growing bulk of the local star grow in the
wireframe display. Only the merest whimper of disapproval was
voiced by Canis over the conditions, and both of them independently
concluded that they had imagined the sound rather than bear the
thought of the high acceleration's effects on the animal.
As if summoned by their discomfort the voice of
the Armhamon crackled over the communications channel, "Civilian
craft Sabha, your course takes you into the local star. Come about
immediately and set course…" the voice went on to relate the same
course and acceleration instructions it had earlier.
With tremendous efforts Kassad managed to grunt
out, "You're… late." although the effort of keying the
communications circuit to deliver the rebuke was not
undertaken.
The time passed quickly as they watched the
local star grow ever more present in the wireframe. Even though
things were happening at great speed there was little to distract
them from their aching bodies and minds which insisted on slowing
their perception of events. All they could do was watch the time,
range, and relative velocity counters spin in their respective
directions until there was little to distinguish them except as
blurs of numbers.
A klaxon blared into existence. The radiation
alarm was almost immediately joined by a temperature alarm. Both
were quickly silenced with a finger tap by Kassad only to be joined
by a gravity well warning that was also muted.
Visual representations of the alarms remained
on the wire frame display. They blinked in bright light with an
ever increasing urgency. These might have been unsettling except
that the star now filled out their entire view and went beyond the
display.
After an abortive attempt to relieve the
discomfort across her entire body with a stretch Greene groaned
miserably. Everything hurt, and just laying there trying to breath
was an onerous experience. Her joints ached as if each were being
wrenched from their sockets, muscles screamed as if she'd just
competed in a triathlon, the restraint buckle that lay on her belly
felt like it was boring its way through her, and her face felt like
it was gradually being pulled off to the back of her skull.
Through bared teeth and grunting gasps for
breath Kassad warned, "This last course correction is going to be a
hard kick."
As if in a protest from Sabha herself a wall of
warning symbols sprang into life across the cockpit wireframe
display. It didn't take an expert in starship navigation or
astrophysics to make out the meaning of the symbology. Kassad
cursed vehemently. Greene's eyes went wide in horror at the
revelation.
There on the far side of the star was revealed
a solar flare. The superheated mass of plasma ripped from the
star's surface formed a graceful arc intersecting their path. Even
in the wireframe display it was rendered with a flowing and almost
liquid beauty.
Chapter 12: "Automatic Escalation"
"I always find my species' primitive fears,
about artificial intelligence exceeding ourselves, to be bafflingly
bizarre. Of course a creator always wants their creation to exceed
themselves as any parent can attest. If only reality were as simple
as those fears.
"The problems we've realized with artificial
intelligence revolve around determining a use for the things. Far
from taking over from us they have proven uniformly uninterested in
involving themselves in our affairs to even the slightest degree.
Aside from the development of abstract mathematical theory I can't
name a single field to which they have contributed.
"Almost in spite of this the process of
developing artificial intelligence has provided a useful mirror
through which we have learned more about ourselves then we might
have otherwise."
-Excerpt from interview with Casa Pieria,
inventor of the multi-phase true-analog transistor.
the sensor report of a solar flare along their plotted course
activated long dormant emergency programming. All vessels that ply
the occasionally unpredictable and always dangerous depths of space
are equipped with software to take control when decisions and
actions need to be taken at a speed organic minds are incapable of.
Most software of this sort would have aborted the flight path to
take the safest and shortest route needed to ensure the protection
of the vessel's occupants.
Military specification emergency software is
quite a different entity from its civilian counterpart. The Sabha's
programming put the mission first and was perfectly capable of
initiating maneuvers that would have killed the crew outright in
pursuit of its mission. It could even perform maneuvers that
resulted in its own destruction if these were computed to
sufficiently advance the all important mission.
now surrounding him. He looked after the scrambling form of his
guest, who he was very worried about. Dropping the package in his
mouth to add it to the pile on the deck Canis followed Greene to
her stateroom.
Canis did not enter Greene's stateroom.
Entering a guest's stateroom uninvited would have been poor
manners. Instead Canis stood in the entryway looking on with
concern as Greene fumbled with her helmet case.
With great effort Greene wrested the helmet
free from where it lightly rested in its case. For a moment her
mind painted the helmet in the vibrant pastels she remembered.
Those memory imparted colors quickly faded to the dingy reality
that her mind had now been reduced to.
Panic that had briefly driven her actions
subsided of its own accord. It remained, waiting impatiently in the
corners of her mind, ready to rush back in to seize control without
warning. In the calm that followed the storm Greene began to
understand what had happened to the expedition.
Noticing Canis in the entry watching her Greene
remarked, "None of us are getting out of this unscathed."
Canis insistently pawed the entry way with one
foot.
Smiling at the simple solid logic of the animal
Greene "You're right. Let's get those provisions to the cockpit so
we can wait this thing out."
Canis barked loudly in agreement.
Clipping the helmet to her suit's built in
carry point Greene gritted her teeth and returned to her task with
Canis' help. She paused briefly in the door to give the dog a firm
petting and reflect on his astoundingly solid companionship. If the
same behavior had been expressed in a more evolved life form it
might have come off as patronizing or contrived. With Canis
everything was honest and heartfelt.
Canis barked in approval.
Back in Sabha's cockpit Greene passed a handful
of the concentrated emergency rations over to a subdued Kassad. Not
yet adjusted to her rapidly degrading vision Greene's aim was off
and the packets scattered across the cockpit rather than land in
his lap. Rather than try to retrieve the provisions she seated
herself and draped the safety harness over her shoulders rather
than buckling in.
There was an undeniable tunneling of Greene's
vision now as she closed her eyes and once again acknowledged the
blame that lay at her feet. "What have I gotten us into?"
Settling into his acceleration bed Canis
replied to the question with a sharp yip.
"Oh, you're finally back." Kassad observed,
oblivious to the lone concentrated ration packet that had landed on
his chest. "I'm going to gradually take us up to an acceleration of
five." His hand missed the controls twice before landing on the
throttle and edging it forward resulting in an increasing pressure.
"Just focus on breathing and gravity will do the rest. We just have
to bear this through for eight hours and we're out of here."
After a few minutes of silence as Greene coped
with what felt increasingly like dirt being piled up on her chest
she asked, "What do you think this is all about? What do you think
they were doing on the research platform?"
Kassad had been continually revising his
assessment of what little information he had, and didn't need much
time to think the question over, but considering how to phrase the
answer took him a few seconds. "I can't say for certain without
going over the data, however given what limited information we do
have I suspect they were weaponizing reality."
It was an answer Greene found as implausible as
she found it horrific. "That's impossible. You can't change the
laws of physics."
Shrugging at the analysis Kassad said, "Law's
End disproves that. Shifting the edge of the barrier proves that
they had a working understanding of the principles required."
Obviously such technology would be of interest
to everyone inside and outside of Laniakea for a wide range of
reasons. "But why? Why use the weapon on themselves?"
"The Armhamon." Kassad explained his theory,
"Somehow the authorities were alerted, either by someone on the
crew or someone else, but anyway a Lawship was dispatched to stop
the project one way or another. When the Armhamon showed up the
science team used the prototype to drive them off and then
destroyed as much evidence of their research as possible. With no
evidence to convict them on they went to Alone to wait for a rescue
team pick up, and Lawships being what they are the Armhamon waited
on station to either get their man or verify that they'd all died
of exposure to Lawless space."
It rang true as a sickeningly plausible
scenario in Greene's mind. "Do you really think that's
possible?"
Forcing himself to take a series of deep
breaths against the rising pressure on his chest Kassad eventually
returned to his explanation. "I think it's the most likely
explanation, at least in broad terms, it explains why you couldn't
get a legitimate rescue team to work the case. In all the hundred
thousand galaxies there are bound to be crews brave or stupid
enough to work beyond Law's End. Far fewer teams are willing to
take on a Lawship or contravene University wishes; let alone all
three."
Conceding the painful logic of Kassad's
argument Greene concluded the line of reasoning saying, "So we
hired a pirate and smuggler."
Canis' objecting bark was muffled only slightly
by the increased pressure of acceleration.
In reconciliation Greene added, "And Laniakea's
bravest police dog." The compliment seemed to placate the
animal.
Smiling weakly at Greene's interaction with his
trusted crew Kassad added, "And if you people had been straight
with me from the start I could have snuck in past the Lawship on
the way in, and they'd have never been the wiser."
Anger and frustration at herself boiled over.
"If I hadn't been so blind all of this could have been avoided. If
I'd been able to see the truth then maybe he wouldn't have gone at
all."
Not oblivious to his passenger's guilt Kassad
reacted with sympathy. "Don't be so hard on yourself. The
University was fooled and they have people whose only job is to
make sure this sort of thing doesn't happen. You wanted to save
your husband and your devotion to that blinded you to some
unpleasant realities," Kassad observed, "and I think that says some
very nice things about you."
Greene wasn't about to let kind words separate
her from the bitter self-recrimination she'd determinedly engaged
in. "I'm a fool."
Kassad grinned but the increasing acceleration
morphed it into a grimace he was happy she didn't see. "Yes, we're
all fools, but you're a good hearted responsible fool. Your husband
is a very lucky man."
Green's own distorted smile of appreciation
broke across her face in appreciation. "Thank you. I hope he sees
it that way."
"If he loves you half as much as you love him
then I think he will." Kassad croaked as the acceleration continued
to creep upward. "You're his wife, not the guardian of the
universe. If he has a problem with this you can send him to me and
I'll straighten him out."
Acutely feeling the sensation of her eyes
nestling deeper and deeper into her skull Greene asked, "How long
are we going to be like this?"
Missing the point Greene was making Kassad
said, "The expression is happily ever after."
Huffing to get the words out Greene clarified,
"No, I meant the acceleration."
Kassad replied, "Twenty," and after some
labored breathing finished with the word, "minutes."
Keeping his arm extended to the controls was
becoming a herculean task for Kassad. Having his hand on the
throttle kept the safeties, which would bring their acceleration
back down, from kicking in. Even though his arm was supported by
the contours of the acceleration couch it took all of the strength
in his arm and most of his upper body to brace his hand against the
control.
Greene let out a moan of discomfort and
acknowledgement.
At that point speaking became too laborious to
engage in for either Kassad or Greene. Both of them remained quiet
watching the ever growing bulk of the local star grow in the
wireframe display. Only the merest whimper of disapproval was
voiced by Canis over the conditions, and both of them independently
concluded that they had imagined the sound rather than bear the
thought of the high acceleration's effects on the animal.
As if summoned by their discomfort the voice of
the Armhamon crackled over the communications channel, "Civilian
craft Sabha, your course takes you into the local star. Come about
immediately and set course…" the voice went on to relate the same
course and acceleration instructions it had earlier.
With tremendous efforts Kassad managed to grunt
out, "You're… late." although the effort of keying the
communications circuit to deliver the rebuke was not
undertaken.
The time passed quickly as they watched the
local star grow ever more present in the wireframe. Even though
things were happening at great speed there was little to distract
them from their aching bodies and minds which insisted on slowing
their perception of events. All they could do was watch the time,
range, and relative velocity counters spin in their respective
directions until there was little to distinguish them except as
blurs of numbers.
A klaxon blared into existence. The radiation
alarm was almost immediately joined by a temperature alarm. Both
were quickly silenced with a finger tap by Kassad only to be joined
by a gravity well warning that was also muted.
Visual representations of the alarms remained
on the wire frame display. They blinked in bright light with an
ever increasing urgency. These might have been unsettling except
that the star now filled out their entire view and went beyond the
display.
After an abortive attempt to relieve the
discomfort across her entire body with a stretch Greene groaned
miserably. Everything hurt, and just laying there trying to breath
was an onerous experience. Her joints ached as if each were being
wrenched from their sockets, muscles screamed as if she'd just
competed in a triathlon, the restraint buckle that lay on her belly
felt like it was boring its way through her, and her face felt like
it was gradually being pulled off to the back of her skull.
Through bared teeth and grunting gasps for
breath Kassad warned, "This last course correction is going to be a
hard kick."
As if in a protest from Sabha herself a wall of
warning symbols sprang into life across the cockpit wireframe
display. It didn't take an expert in starship navigation or
astrophysics to make out the meaning of the symbology. Kassad
cursed vehemently. Greene's eyes went wide in horror at the
revelation.
There on the far side of the star was revealed
a solar flare. The superheated mass of plasma ripped from the
star's surface formed a graceful arc intersecting their path. Even
in the wireframe display it was rendered with a flowing and almost
liquid beauty.
Chapter 12: "Automatic Escalation"
"I always find my species' primitive fears,
about artificial intelligence exceeding ourselves, to be bafflingly
bizarre. Of course a creator always wants their creation to exceed
themselves as any parent can attest. If only reality were as simple
as those fears.
"The problems we've realized with artificial
intelligence revolve around determining a use for the things. Far
from taking over from us they have proven uniformly uninterested in
involving themselves in our affairs to even the slightest degree.
Aside from the development of abstract mathematical theory I can't
name a single field to which they have contributed.
"Almost in spite of this the process of
developing artificial intelligence has provided a useful mirror
through which we have learned more about ourselves then we might
have otherwise."
-Excerpt from interview with Casa Pieria,
inventor of the multi-phase true-analog transistor.
the sensor report of a solar flare along their plotted course
activated long dormant emergency programming. All vessels that ply
the occasionally unpredictable and always dangerous depths of space
are equipped with software to take control when decisions and
actions need to be taken at a speed organic minds are incapable of.
Most software of this sort would have aborted the flight path to
take the safest and shortest route needed to ensure the protection
of the vessel's occupants.
Military specification emergency software is
quite a different entity from its civilian counterpart. The Sabha's
programming put the mission first and was perfectly capable of
initiating maneuvers that would have killed the crew outright in
pursuit of its mission. It could even perform maneuvers that
resulted in its own destruction if these were computed to
sufficiently advance the all important mission.
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