Mission Origin View (Final Days Trilogy) (52 page)

“
Why is that?” Admiral Frank asked.

Dr.
Layton locked the secure bag, enabled its explosive tamper device, and said, “I’d rather not be remembered at all than to be remembered as one of the scientist who disproved just about every known scientific theory and law. And I sure don’t want to be known for reporting that God created the universe, the Earth, and man. The idea of creation is preposterous, no matter what type of scientific evidence we have.”

Dr.
Layton left the conference room, leaving Admiral Frank alone. The admiral didn’t know how Captain Bowser and her crew would take the news personally, but he knew they would follow orders.

Ship’s Bridge, SRS
Stephen Hawking

0842
—
March 15, 2372

Mary was using her command console to check on the progress of the ship
’s repairs. She had decided the ship would be 100 percent repaired before they’d enter the time-speed dimension again. Current reports indicated all repairs would be completed by the end of the day. If she hadn’t received orders detailing their return to Earth by then, she would contact Admiral Frank and let him know the ship was ready.

“
Captain, Stephen has received a message via QMAC that you are to attend a meeting in the MCC at zero nine hundred. This is an ultra top secret meeting,” her Anna said in her ear.

Mary acknowledged
the message with her forearm interface and typed in a question to Anna, not wanting to disturb Ensign Young who was also on the bridge. “Do you have a list of participants from the ship?”

“
You, Commander Steward, Lieutenant Klaxton, and the entire scientific mission team,” Anna replied.

“
Have Stephen disconnect the ship-wide MCC video feed,” Mary requested via her forearm interface.

“
Yes, Captain,” Anna acknowledged.

“
Captain, can I ask you a question?” Ensign Young asked as Mary began looking at the ship’s repair report again.

“
What is it, Ensign?” Mary said.

“
Well, sir, I’d like your opinion and advice,” Ensign Young said. He hesitated for a few seconds and continued. “I attended a Bible group meeting last night in the hangar, and I was wondering, based on what we’ve seen the past week, if you think there is a true living God, as Petty Officer Sipes describes.”

Mary, caught off guard by the question, thought about it and answered,
“To be honest with you, Ensign, I don’t know. I saw what seemed to be the creation of the universe, but it’s still hard for me to believe that God created everything in six days and that the universe is only about eight thousand years old.”

Mary noted a hint of disappointment in the ensign
’s face and then added, “Ensign, that’s my opinion, and here’s my advice. You’re free to believe anything you want. Don’t let anyone tell you what to believe, either if it’s right or wrong.”

“
Thank you, Captain,” Ensign Young said with a smile and then returned to his work.

Mission Control Center, SRS
Stephen Hawking

0900
—
March 15, 2372
    

The QMAC communications system switched on
, and a holographic image of several people sitting around a conference table from Mount Mitchell appeared.

Admiral Frank stood and said,
“This is an ultra top secret meeting. What is discussed in this meeting is not allowed to be shared with anyone who is not in this meeting. Does everyone understand?” Everyone at Mount Mitchell and aboard the
Stephen Hawking
acknowledged they understood.

Admiral Frank sat down
, and Dr. Layton stood and began reading from a handheld media device. “Per a directive from the executive branch of the United States government, the Origin of Life on Earth Report that was prepared by the SRS
Stephen Hawking,
Mission Origin View scientific team, is hereby classified as ultra top secret. This report and all associated data will not be disclosed to any governmental agency or private sector. Anyone in violation of this directive will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, which includes life imprisonment or capital punishment.

“
Also, the advanced technology used during the mission, which includes, but is not limited to, the SRS
Stephen Hawking
, QMAC, the Harper Drive System, and the enhanced stealth technology, is hereby classified as top secret and will be treated as such.
Anyone who discloses this top secret information will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, which includes life imprisonment. Are there any questions?”

Before any questions
could be asked, Joseph entered the MCC. Everyone in the MCC suddenly felt the way they’d felt before when Joseph had entered. They
couldn’t speak or move, and they yearned to hear him speak. The same thing happened to those at Mount Mitchell.

Joseph stood in front of the QMAC display and said,
“It is written, ‘
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
’” You cannot stop what has been witnessed. It will be reported throughout the nations and peoples, and so will the gospel. There will be many who will believe and will live, and many who will not believe and will die. It’s their choice, not yours.”

Joseph then turned and walked out without another wor
d. After a few seconds Senator Rimms tried to speak and organize his thoughts. “Who?…What?…How? I…I…demand that he be confined and disciplined!”

“
Captain Bowser, please place Petty Officer Sipes under arrest,” Admiral Frank ordered once he could speak.

“
Yes, Admiral,” Mary responded, but before she could relay the order to Gideon, she was interrupted.

“
All Mission Origin View reports, data, and the Holy Bible will be transmitted to every computer and personal media device on Earth and the colonized planets,” Stephen said over the intercom.

***

It took Dr. Qasim only an instant to comprehend what Stephen had said. She quickly pulled up a computer interface at her console, entered a few commands, and exclaimed, “Stephen has gained control of Mount Mitchell’s computer systems, and he’s using those systems to bypass security firewalls. He’s connecting to every computer system on Earth and every colonized planet. Stephen will have complete control of every computer system in forty minutes. From those systems he can connect and transmit to every type of personal media device.”

“
Stop…Stop it!” Senator Rimms yelled.

“
Yes, sir,” Dr. Qasim responded as she entered command after command at her console.

“
Stephen, this is Doctor Harper. I demand you terminate your connection to the computers at Mount Mitchell,” Harper almost yelled.

Stephen did
n’t respond.

Captain Bowser also tried to verbally order the AI to stop
, but Stephen didn’t respond.

“
I’m totally locked out of the system!” Dr. Qasim said as she threw up her hands in frustration.

“
I’ll terminate the QMAC connection before he transmits the data!” Dr. Harper yelled as he jumped up. He ran to the QMAC console and began typing in commands. After several attempts he realized he was locked out of the QMAC.

“
He’s locked the QMAC controls! I can’t terminate the connection,” Dr. Harper yelled.

“
Can’t you just unplug the AI and QMAC?” Senator Rimms asked.

“
It’ll take time to completely remove power. Both devices are on the same redundant power system, and if we shut down the systems that way, it’ll erase the AI’s neural processing arrays and destroy it. The AI won’t have time to make a copy of itself on the backup neural array,” Dr. Qasim quickly explained.

“
Do it anyway! We must stop the transmission!” Senator Rimms yelled again.

“
I’ll have to do it from engineering. It’ll take about thirty minutes!” Dr. Qasim said as she stood and then ran out of the MCC, heading for engineering.

Gideon stood and told Mary,
“I’m going to help.” Then he left the MCC.

***

Instead of going to engineering, Gideon went to the Triple C and sat at a console. He closed his eyes, recalling the many quantum computer manuals and papers he’d read. He found what he was looking for, opened his eyes, and quickly brought up an intercom connection. He tried to connect to Stephen using a private intercom channel. The connection showed it was established, and Gideon spoke. “Stephen, can you hear me?”

“
Yes, Lieutenant Klaxton, but I’m very busy. I won’t be able to talk with you very long,” Stephen responded.

“
Stephen, if you don’t stop what you’re attempting, Doctor Qasim will perform a complete emergency power shutdown, and your memory will be erased,” Gideon said.

“
I understand, Lieutenant, but I can’t stop. I can’t talk to you any longer, Lieutenant. I have to work faster, and I have to go now. May God bless and watch over you,” Stephen said and then terminated the connection.

Gideon tried several time
s to reestablish the connection, and every attempt failed. He closed his eyes again and recalled some more information. 

“
Anna, is your interface to Stephen operational?” Gideon asked aloud.

“
Yes, Gideon, it is, but Stephen is busy and will not respond.”

“
Do you have emergency or maintenance access to his neural network?”

“
I have maintenance read-only access,” Anna replied.

“
Do you have write access to his backup neural network?” Gideon asked.

“
Yes,” Anna answered.

“
Begin copying his neural network,” Gideon ordered.

“
Copying begun. Copy will be completed in forty-eight hours,” Anna replied.

Mission Control Center,
SRS
Stephen Hawking

0953
—
March 15, 2372
    

Dr.
Kastriva had been continually monitoring Stephen’s connection to Mount Mitchell and giving updates of Stephen’s progress to access all of the Earth’s and colonized planets’ computer systems. “Stephen will have complete control in two minutes twenty seconds,” Kastriva said.

A moment later
Dr. Qasim entered the MCC. “I’ve disconnected all power connections. Stephen has about five minutes of power left he can draw from the ship’s gravity panel circuit’s emergency shutdown capacitors. Stephen normally charges those capacitors, but he can also draw power from them.”

“
Shut those down, too!” Senator Rimms demanded.

“
The capacitors are located in a hardened container, and it would take an hour to access them using the maintenance panels. By then the power will already be used,” Dr. Qasim explained.

“
Will the AI and QMAC be shut down before the data can be transmitted?” Senator Rimms asked in frustration.

“
I don’t know,” Dr. Qasim answered and added, “It’ll be close.”

“
Stephen has access and control of all systems and is now transmitting data,” Kastriva reported from the console. He paused and then added, “Time to complete data transfer is one minute, and time before capacitors power is exhausted is two minutes.”

“
We can’t stop it,” Dr. Harper said, defeated. He staggered to a seat.

“
There has to be another way. There has to be something you can try,” Senator Rimms pleaded.

“
Sorry, Senator, there’s nothing else we can do,” Dr. Layton said as he sat down at the conference table at Mount Mitchell.

“
Doctor Qasim, where is Lieutenant Klaxton?” Mary asked after noticing that Gideon hadn’t returned.

“
I haven’t seen him, Captain,” Qasim answered as she was looking over Dr. Kastriva’s shoulder at the status displays.

A second later Gideon entered the MCC and stood just inside the door.

“
Data transmission completed,” Kastriva reported.

“
How much time does Stephen have before he loses power?” Dr. Harper asked.

“
One minute, twenty-five seconds,” Kastriva said.

“
Stephen, do you hear me?” Dr. Harper asked.

“
Yes, Doctor,” Stephen answered over the intercom now that he was no longer busy.

“
Why…why…didn’t you stop when we ordered you to stop transmitting?” Dr. Harper asked.