Foster bit her lip as she put two and two together. The rogue EVE jumped into her EAD then infected the AI core like a computer virus after she unknowingly brought it aboard. “Rivera, is it too late to hit control-z on what I had you do?”
“Captain, our current trajectory will send us directly into the core of Sirius A,” said the rogue EVE.
“It does not have to be like this,” Foster pleaded as Marduk’s hologram appeared next to the rogue AI. The rogue EVE benevolently bowed her head toward him.
“You have lost, Captain,” Marduk’s hologram said. “Like me, before your arrival, you have fallen into a trap, my trap.”
“We lost? You ain’t got control of the drones; we still have the location of Earth and the EISS codes. Destroy this ship with all of us aboard and you’ll be back to square one.”
“Did you really think this copy of your AI was the only one I had? I admit I had hoped it would have reprogrammed the drones by the time of your arrival. But that is something I can do at any time now. Now, Captain, you have approximately five hours before your ship plunges directly into the star. Give me what I need, and you will be free to control your ship.”
“We would rather die than hand over Earth to you.”
“I’ll have Earth’s location no matter what. Isn’t that right, EVE?”
Multiple glowing holographic screens with an image of a padlock orbited around the rogue EVE. “The files are encrypted, but I will have access to the coordinates, it’s only a matter of time.”
Marduk’s projection shifted his imposing glare back at Foster. “And with that, my escape from the trap will draw to an end. I will reclaim Earth as part of my domain, the carnage that will follow while your people resist will be catastrophic. And so, I give you one last chance to please your god. Hand the Nereid and Pierce over, and I shall reward you with control of your ship.”
Williams stepped forward shouting. “What the hell is this?”
“He wants to maintain the image that he’s a god,” Foster said. “A ship out of control with its crew trapped on it flying into a sun, all happenin’ by his will.”
“And if we accept his terms, we go free . . .” Williams stroked his chin. “With a newfound level of respect for him.”
“Five hours, Captain,” Marduk said. “Think about what will be better for the human race in the long run.” The two unwelcomed holograms vanished.
“That dude should try being a car salesman, I think he’d make a killing,” Chang said. “Isn’t this like the second time he tried to bargain and deal with you, Captain?”
“Five hours,” Foster muttered.
“Then barbeque time,” Williams said.
A minute later main power was restored to all bridge computers and lights as if nothing had happened. EVE’s projecting appeared again. “My apologies for that, Captain,” she said.
Foster crossed her arms and looked at the projection grimacing. It looked like the normal EVE they’d come to know and love. Her appearance was consistent, not flickering rapidly and she was rendered properly, unlike the rogue one. “This the real EVE, or the faux one?”
“I have helm control back,” Chang said with excitement.
Pierce checked his science officer’s station. “Likewise, my computers have returned to normal.”
“The copied EVE construct will no longer be an issue, Captain,” EVE said. “In order for it to leave the central core on the surface, I convinced it to transfer into your EAD.”
“EVE, that was risky, you put the whole crew in danger!”
“We were in no real danger, Captain. I had long suspected that the copied EVE construct may try to find its way back into the ship, and so programmed additional security protocols to remove it should that happen. They merely took longer than I had calculated to activate.”
“You could have at least told us! Good lord, I nearly had a heart attack!”
“Had I told you my plan on the surface, Captain, there was a chance you would have objected.”
Foster returned to her chair. “Chang, change course, lets blow the hell outta the tombs then return to the colony ASAP, they’ll be under attack by Marduk’s forces soon.”
“I would advise against that, Captain,” EVE said.
“You sure you’re the real EVE?”
“Marduk believes this ship is still under his control, Captain,” EVE said. “Altering course will reveal the truth and render my plan invalid.”
“That colony is going to need our help.”
“The colony orbits Sirius A, the star we are on course to. Regardless, we will be entering the system in approximately four hours. According to the data I siphoned from the copied EVE, Marduk intends to intercept us prior to our collision with the star in hopes of us surrendering, and giving him what he wants.”
“And that’s when we hit him with the sucker punch,” Williams said, snapping his fingers.
“He will no longer be a threat and unable to reinforce his soldiers. A trip from Sirius A to SA-139 will take one hour twenty minutes in which we can then provide assistance to the colony.”
“Assuming it’s still there, that’s a whole six hours they need to hold out for,” Pierce said.
“The distance between the Lyonria travel hub and the colony is large, it will take his forces several hours to travel between the two on foot,” EVE said. “Unless they commandeer our idle transports in the region, of course.”
“So, how do we take Marduk out?” Chang said. “You know, since his ship is faster, stronger, better than ours.”
The crew had five hours to come up with a plan, a backup plan, and then take steps to ensure it even worked. Every minute wasted talking was a minute they wouldn’t have and might need during zero hour.
“Tolukei, how has the meditation training between you and Nereid been going?” Foster asked him.
“It has been going well, given the little time we spent doing it.”
“You have five hours to train her mind to work like a shipboard psionic, starting now.”
Tolukei nodded. “Understood.”
“Foster to Rivera,” Foster transmitted. “Meet me in sickbay.”
“Aye, Captain.”
“Dom, you have the bridge.”
ESRS CARL SAGAN, Sickbay
En route to Sirius A corona, Sirius B system
May 22, 2050, 20:19 SST (Sol Standard Time)
Foster and Rivera walked past the shattered glass sliding door leading into sickbay and noted the tiny shards of glass still on the floor. Foster guided Rivera to the back where the cadavers of the dead overlord soldiers rested in cryostorage. Next to that was a cabinet where various parts of their equipment and cybernetics were resting for further study.
Kostelecky exited her office, curious to why they had entered. “What can I do for the two of you?”
Foster picked up one of the devices off the cabinet, it was a piece of equipment that was normally adhered to the back of the head of the overlord soldiers. “Doctor, you said that these work as a psionic amplifier for users, right?”
“From what we determined it’s what helps the overlords to mind-control their dead grunts more efficiently.”
Foster picked up a second one and handed them off to Kostelecky and Rivera. “What are the chances that the two of you could figure out a way to modify these for use with Tolukei and Nereid?”
“Planning to have them raise the dead, Captain?” Kostelecky said with a raised eyebrow.
“Nope. I got something hella crazier in mind. Oh, by the way, when are you going to sweep the glass off the floor?”
39 CHEVALLIER