Genesis - the Battle Within (Pillars of Creation Book 1) (36 page)

“Yes, and he paid for that with his own. I know that doesn’t equal
Aspire’s
crew but at least it’s something. Many a dictator has been responsible for far worse and had no such reprieve. I may not
compute
loss as you do Genesis, but don’t think I don’t know what atrocity I was forced to do … I loathe what I had to do, just as much as you do in nearly every mission against the innocent. My advanced systems know pain and understand such things, don’t think they don’t.”

Genesis realised arguing with her was futile, nothing he could do would change the events that had already taken place. He could, however, stop arguing and find out more of the past days – preparing himself better for what would face him outside his prison. He dropped his frustrations, and pressed Me’lina once again.

“Fine, that’s enough … I’m sorry. Let’s just move on to our more pressing concerns shall we. Do we even know what, or who, this artefact belongs to? Tell me what conclusions you’ve formulated.”

Me’lina’s voice became more familiar as she raced to give her master answers, something he knew she’d loved to do above all her other functions in the past.

“According to my data – and referenced with the SINAI’s own data banks – it belongs to something very ancient; unfortunately, however, it looks as though it has been recently tampered with by the Seekers of Truth and even before that, the ancestral race of the Tel’nagara, which has made any investigation into age or origin almost impossible- other than it’s definitely not from our own galaxies.

“What small amount I could ascertain before being ordered by the SINAI to destroy the artefact, was that its radiation signature was massive. And when I say massive, I mean interstellar massive. This object, when activated, sent signals way beyond all Terithian sectors of the galaxy, pulses even penetrated through the portal opened by the Skinks, it was so powerful. Whatever it was for, this artefact lit up our location like a galaxy-spanning beacon.

“Beyond this primary function, all I can tell is that it mainly concerned itself with eradicating life. The artefact imprinted itself within sentient biological life forms and harvested what it could from its hosts, creating mutated monstrosities, bent on killing all in their way and protecting only itself.

In reality it is a wonder – this device. Just take a look at what it accomplished in such a brief period – a task fully laden Skink fleets have failed to do in the past. Within a few days the artefact managed to take down one of the most advanced ships created by the SED and build an army of its own killing machines from it—”

“That’s enough Me’lina,” Genesis interrupted, becoming frustrated at her fascination, “you actually sound in awe of this device that killed thousands of our men. You’d do best to curb your curiosity on this …
thing.
Already, between the Tel’nagara and its devastation, there’s enough ammunition to condemn both of us. Especially when ID has its way with us, which despite the Elders’ reassurance I’m sure it’ll find other issues to blame on us.”

Before Genesis left the matter, his mind recalled a burning question he’d had before all this distracted him.

“Which reminds me Me’lina. What exactly
were
you doing after we were attacked by the Tel’nagara? Antipatros said you tried to infiltrate the SINAI. Where did you go? I know sure as hell you weren’t with me.”

Genesis had to wait as Me’lina, oddly, took time to formulate an answer.

Uncertainly, she replied a few seconds later, “This information is not consistent with my data Genesis; according to my memory banks I was offline due to a sound emitting device built into the Tel’nagara’s attack. The sound sent me into permanent standby mode, which would’ve kept me that way if it wasn’t for my quick processing. I reset myself, which did in effect delete me, and would account for my absence.
This process, however, created … problems.”

“
Which were?” Genesis quickly interjected.

“I would no longer exist, and neither would you. Therefore, I was forced to copy myself into your cerebral cortex for our continued safety.”

Genesis felt his mind recoil for the second time since he’d woken up. “You did what?!”

Me’lina ignored his shock as she went on, “Doing this as you can imagine, created a whole new set of problems and some unexpected,
complications.
”

Genesis could barely think of words as he struggled to respond, “This … this is my
brain
you’re talking about Me’lina, what
complications?”

“Well for starters it seems our Apocalypse armour no longer accepts me as its primary AI system. Rather, it now sees
you
as its primary AI, therefore for me to continue yours and my existence, I had to redirect my primary core into the billions of nanoids within you and your armour. In order to do this, instead of having one large control hub for my entity, I had to create clusters and swarms of my entity within your entire body. I’m more like a network, or colony, rather than a single consciousness now … it’s hard to put this simply – sorry Genesis – but I now exist within you rather than alongside you. It was the only way to fool the armour into accepting us.”

Genesis replied, almost hysterical, “I have no idea how you did this Me’lina, but I’m sure you are not supposed to, it’s against your programming, this could be highly dangerous! I can’t believe you went ahead and did this without my consent.”

Me’lina remained neutral as she replied, “I know, but for some reason, since your injection from the Tel’nagara, I have no longer been entirely bound by my programming. It seems that I have quite a degree of … freedom … now.”

Genesis felt like shaking Me’lina by her shoulders, if she had any, and screaming at her. With difficulty he restrained himself as his mind sought a dignified response.

“So basically I have a homicidal AI running around in my body without programmed safety protocols—” he felt another sudden zap from his suit – “for Sacred sake, will you stop doing that Me’lina.”             

“Well then calm yourself, remember I am a lot less computer-bound now, and you don’t want to piss off a homicidal female with over half a century of pent up frustration, now do you?”

Genesis almost laughed at such an absurd response, he felt his anger softening as he knew there was nothing he could do about the process now, and considering she’d deemed it necessary, to restructure like this, then it truly must have been a life or death struggle. He urged her to go on,
“
Continue Me’lina, what else … I need to know everything before I go before the Elders.”

“As I was saying,” Me’lina continued, “for both of us to survive, I unfortunately needed to make these changes. I am sorry Genesis, I would’ve asked, but I had little time and no way to communicate or tell you as I no longer had clearance to access our suit’s comm or your language filters. Not that it would’ve mattered anyhow, due to your unconscious state.

“The entire process was deeply taxing and painful for me, but through much personal transformation I was finally able to break down code by code into the nanoids within your body, your DNA and your suit. As far as I know this process had never been attempted before, so I had very little to go on. Yet from what I can calculate it’s a far superior way for us to function.”

“And what other effects will this have, I’m not going to blow away into atoms or something am I Me’lina?”

For the first time in the conversation Me’lina sounded sincere. “I don’t think so, according to my calculations you should be completely fine. Better than fine actually. Already I’ve been able to detect exactly what you were injected with.”

Genesis allowed her to pause without interruption due to the importance of what she said, but when she didn’t respond, he was forced to ask, agonising over the wait – “And?”

Her voice took on a happy note as she’d obviously enjoyed holding the snippet Genesis most dearly wanted, choosing the time
she
wanted to divulge it. Genesis tried not to get frustrated.

“Well, it’s some kind of mutagen – possibly – combined with a chemical response, linked at the cellular level with a quantum tunnelling effect – well, so I think. Whatever it is it’s mixed with a few unknown chemicals that Earth or Terithian space has yet to encounter and from every scan I’ve run, it’s basically completely infused your cells with the essence of the Tel’nagara that injected you. The quantum effect is that your cells and its are linked, in an exotic state of perpetual, quantum entanglement.”

Genesis sighed as he answered, “What? Now let’s try that again, but making sense.”

“Okay, simply it means, that from what my pre-run scenarios predict, it will serve to boost your own attributes in ways I cannot speculate. There’s something else, but it seems elusive to my scans and is hiding in disguise beneath this … change. With more time, maybe I could locate it and find out exactly what this is. But for now, this will have to suffice.”

“What I can tell you is that your atomic structures seem to already be thirty per cent denser and stronger, your reflexes and abilities are all slightly enhanced, and I don’t know why or what the Tel’nagara was up to, but I deduce he has given you a gift of sorts.”

“On the flip side, your religious personality was purged by the concoction. It was only in its absence that I was able to re-enter your system … strange but lucky I guess. But it is removed and I am not sure why it was made redundant or what impact this will have either. Time will tell.

Genesis pondered on this bombshell, dumbfounded for the moment. Why the Tel’nagara would give something of such importance to a human, and more so to him, was a complete mystery. And to undo the infusion process of his religious personality was a shocking revelation he couldn’t even begin to comprehend at this time.

But how would making him more advanced assist the Tel’nagara? He wondered what else was inside him – he’d definitely felt a negative effect as well since he’d been injected—

Another thought struck him.

“Hey, wait up.
I thought you said you were deactivated throughout my encounter with the Tel’nagara. How do you know all this? How possibly could you have such detail if you weren’t there?”

Me’lina answered quickly, almost as if she’d prepared for such an accusation. “Correct. I did tap into your memory banks, however, and cross reference these most recent points, some things I can now see within your mind, others I cannot, not without becoming,
invasive
. Let me explain. At the moment, so we can communicate, I’ve had to cluster the majority of my being nesting at the base of your cerebral cortex. Which let me tell you – is extremely taxing. And I was getting to this point … Genesis, this will be the last time we can physically speak together,
ever
.”

Genesis thought he was getting used to being shocked, but no.

“What! You won’t be able to speak to me anymore? How the hell will that work?”

Me’lina sounded a little forlorn. “Unfortunately, after this conversation I’ll be spread completely back into your nanos and DNA. Thus I’ll become a living part of your body and you will be in direct control of the entire Apocalypse armour – which means accordingly, I will no longer be able to communicate with you and neither shall I need to. My function will be purely re-routed to respond to your body’s commands. I will literally become absorbed by the armour. This was the only way I could fool it, into this state we are in. This by the by, will be a much more efficient way for you and me to operate and the only way possible for me to continue to exist.

“But that’s not the only reason I must necessitate these changes. The unknown portion of the injection somehow has the ability to control you. I don’t know how and I can’t allow such an atrocity. By me joining your entity, the foreign compound won’t be able to navigate our joint systems. I will block it as it becomes confused in our tangle of conditions, and so it will never have control over my host again. Not full control, as it once did anyhow.”

Her voice changed, “Of course, no thanks are required, this serves us both, you will be enhanced and I will be able to continue, and that is all.”

Genesis was reeling – first the loss of
Aspire
, and now this, changing him, his AI leaving him, after their many long years together. Genesis couldn’t believe she was being so cavalier.

“This is a lot to take in … how are so certain, how are you able to know so much. And Me’lina, don’t get too emotional”, he half-heartedly joked, “is there anything else I should know about this … change? I’m, I’m not really sure what to say, are you sure this is the only—”

“The only. But we don’t have time to waste on sentimentality, know this must be done and that in essence I’ll still be with you, as I said, that need be all.” She didn’t pause as she brushed over the matter.

“Please let me continue as just being here is taxing me greatly, and I’ve little time to fill you in, so please finish your questions.”

Genesis tried to keep his mind on task, struggling to keep up as he thought of things he might need to know before she left. In the rush, he could only think of one.

“
Okay, well … at least tell me where the slath spit we are and where we are heading. I’m assuming you’re still in control of the ship? Actually I’m assuming we are still on the ship?”