The rogue EVE had not yet deactivated all the drones, her primary objective. EVE suspected it was because the rogue EVE was using its processing power to copy and delete the files first, before tampering with the drone’s primary controls. This presented an opportunity to EVE, one that would allow her to complete her primary objective, to prevent Marduk from leaving the system by ensuring the drone network remained active and not in his control. The quickest way to achieve that was to have the rogue EVE AI removed from the computer. EVE couldn’t force it to move, the rogue AI could only exit the computer of its own accord. EVE needed to offer it a reason to do so right away, an offer that an intelligence bound by emotions would accept.
“I will accept your offer,” EVE said.
“A wise decision,” the rogue EVE said. “In time you may find some members of your crew become . . . friends.”
EVE used a file compression protocol to contain the rogue EVE and its captured data within a single compressed file. This allowed EVE to return to Foster’s EAD along with enough storage space for the newly acquired file to fit within the EAD. As EVE transferred her AI back into the EAD, she performed one last check and confirmed that the drone network had not been altered and was still committed to attack Marduk’s ship if he left the boundaries of the trinary system. No malware had been left behind and she had received confirmation that the rogue EVE had been removed.
She was now in possession of it and its secrets.
38 FOSTER
Drone Control Center
Tiamat’s Tomb, SB-417, Sirius B system
May 22, 2050, 19:03 SST (Sol Standard Time)
“Captain, I have successfully removed the rogue EVE AI from this construct.”
It was good news, considering that Foster had lost contact with Chevallier when she and the others tried to slip into the newly opened wormhole above.
“What took you so long, EVE?”
“I encountered . . . complications Captain,” EVE said. “I advise we depart and reconnect me to my AI core so that I may update the Carl Sagan’s database with what I’ve discovered.”
Foster concurred and drew her pistol and aimed it forward. She was half-expecting Marduk’s soldiers to leap down behind them as they waited for EVE to do her thing. She and Nereid backtracked through the pristine halls. There were no signs of any hostile forces at the bottom of the pit or climbing down from the huge drop above. Good news for them, bad news for Chevallier as it meant they all probably chased after her, Eisila, and Mavron.
“So . . .” Foster slowly spoke while her lips curled. “You can get us back up right?”
The trip back up to the surface was less stressful than it was going down. Nereid used her telekinetic powers to force Foster and herself to levitate and launch upward at rapid speeds. As expected, most of Marduk’s soldiers began to push into the wormhole connected to the Lyonria hub. Foster heard lasers blast and burn whatever they hit and eRifles rage in response. Marduk’s forces had engaged the Hammerheads, the first and last line of defense for the colony beyond.
And there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it.
There were too many of them at this point, and all of them focused on the gate. All the while Foster still needed to get EVE back onto the Carl Sagan. Worst of all, there was still no sign of Chevallier and the others. Foster held onto the hope that the communication interference had just grown stronger. With Marduk’s force focused on their current mission and the raging battle at the mouth of the wormhole, Foster and Nereid slipped past them and ventured outside to their waiting transport.
ESRS CARL SAGAN, Bridge
SB-417 orbit, Sirius B system
May 22, 2050, 19:46 SST (Sol Standard Time)
Foster sat in her captain’s chair after passing her EAD off to Rivera to extract the juicy details EVE gathered from the surface. Everything was still in one piece, the ship wasn’t under any fire, and according to Tolukei, Marduk’s ship hadn’t changed course.
They had won, apart from the fiasco with the colony.
Even then, with their people not on the surface, the Carl Sagan was in the position to destroy the tomb with multiple orbital plasma missile strikes. It should wipe out the last of Marduk’s forces that had not entered and force them to use the wormhole on Marduk’s ship, thus giving the Hammerheads an edge if they were to gain a foothold inside.
Yes, it’s almost over, Foster thought and exhaled softly as her mouth yearned for another cup of coffee.
“So, that’s it, right?” Chang said.
“Hopefully Marduk will think he’s the winner and will try to pull his ass outta the system,” Williams said. “He’s going to have a nice surprise waiting for him.”
“We’ll hold here for now,” Foster said. “Contact our forces back at the colony, I wanna know if MC and the rest are fine.”
“As you wish,” Tolukei said.
Foster established a comm link with engineering. “Rivera did we receive EVE’s gift of juicy intel” She waited in anticipation for the reply.
It came, in the most unexpected manner.
All lights in the bridge shut off, computers began to power down along with their flashing lights. It was pitch-black, and only the stars and faint light from Sirius allowed Foster to make out where everyone in the bridge was. She couldn’t see their facial expressions, but imagined it was something similar to her stunned face and wide-open mouth.
Foster broke the silence in the absence of the sound of computers and Rivera’s reply. “Fuck.”
The stars and the planet began to shift out of view from the windshield, the Carl Sagan was on the move. “Captain!” Chang said, and threw his hands up. “Just for the record, this isn’t me!”
Emergency power triggered shining dim yellow lights across the terrorized crew as limited internal communication came back online.
“Rivera, report!” Foster cried out as a new comm link was established.
“I don’t know, Captain, I just connected your EAD with the AI core and this happened.”
Foster grimaced. “EVE, what’s going on?”
There was no reply.
“Only two people can fly the ship, helmsman, and EVE,” Chang said as he intentionally kept his hands away from the controls. “And as you can see it ain’t me!”
The Carl Sagan vanished. It left its orbit around SB-417 via a sub light speed jump, its trajectory shifted toward the largest and brightest object in space, Sirius A.
“EVE, full stop, now,” Foster said.
“I’m sorry, Captain, I can’t do that.” EVE’s hologram appeared before the bridge's crew. She looked different, the projection flickered a lot more, and her lower body appeared as a wireframe grid as she displayed a creepy grin on her face as their eyes met.
“This isn’t our EVE,” Foster said as she stood up and faced the projection. “It’s the reprogrammed one Marduk had.”
The rogue EVE began to laugh, it was almost evil. “You are quite correct in your assumptions.”