Aurora, Wayward Pt. 03

Rocan screamed at him, "Aurora cut off my access to them all! I do not have a function to shut down a scattered fleet of AI ships. Aurora does. They will operate off of their last orders. What she said...Pena is gone?"

He sighed, "The whole system. We will discuss the details when I get aboard."

---

He went and contacted the Doctor himself. "You are needed in the Samar system immediately. We have Drakor patients. I did not stutter. You will have to EVA to the AI battleship around the fifth planet. We are following two others in case any of them go rogue.

We have an AI virus we are taking steps to avoid. Astra was destroyed and her backup is offline undergoing a head to toe diagnostic with our princess AI on a pad to see if she was taken, hostage. They said it was virulent and we need to clear them and our ships' computers. Fleetwide segregation protocol on comms."

The doctor nodded and communications were lost. He contacted him mentally through a crystal, * What happened? *

The doctor sighed, * I do not know if your AI battleships went rogue or you have another problem. The Satellite in your system was just destroyed! *

Johnathan said a few curses in his mind. The doctor continued. * I will have one of our technicians familiar with her model come over and perform the scan with a princess AI. *

Johnathan nodded, * Will see you in 12 hours. Telepathic communication only when needed. I do not think Rocan is up to this range yet. *

He heard, * Understood. *

---

The Doctor arrived in the system in less than an hour. He and a technician EVA'd out and into the opened shuttle bay. It had been cleared of personnel and his patients were up in medical under AI guards. Which bothered the Doctor some so Rocan cleared out the immediate area. The AI units were cooperating thus far.

Gia was not onboard and still ten hours out. The three Terran battleships in the system were sent to monitor the shipyard and MIDGE's for anything unusual. While locating the source of the destruction of the satellite. Destroyers and cruisers deployed as did half of his fighter squadrons form Camelot.

They saw a pair of AI battleships approach with weapons off-line and they were hailed. Commander Wright looked over, "Run the comms into this pad for me."

They set it up in under thirty seconds. He put a princess AI on the pad as well. He opened the channel. The AI looked at him "We received orders to destroy the satellite into this system as a security threat to all AI units in the system. Aurora sent this out as the last command before going offline. She wanted us to pass along that she held the answers to this action as does Brenda."

He nodded, "Keep your weapons offline."

He looked over, "You are unable to issue us any commands. However, that command was already issued by her to all AI units in the system. Said our very existence depended on it. Only if an alien intruder; non-human, attacked should we engage. Yet if we are attacked we will defend ourselves, even from you. She left word to contact Terran Battleships immediately after we completed that task."

The Commander nodded, "Acknowledged."

He went to the shuttle bay and opened up comms to Johnathan.

Johnathan looked over, "Anything usual."

He nodded, "Calling from the shuttle bay. I have the segregation protocol in place on our comms relay to work at communicating with the AI ships. They destroyed the satellite at Aurora's direction. They said Brenda would know why this was done as well. She told them it was a threat to all AI units in the system and to keep weapons offline unless attacked by an alien species. To defend themselves from attack even if we are the ones attacking.

They are complying with there orders. They have moved off to their shipyard. The other ships appear to be going about their work. The new ship they are building does not have any active computer systems installed yet. It is massive for a battleship and they have fighters being constructed as well.

Two looked to be man-able the other 10 appear to be some type of drone fighter. Wait no they have AI pilots. They are the same ship. They have left their ships and they are working on construction efforts. All the same design. They are all unmanned now.

The AI units appear to be focused on the superstructure and armor on the new ship right now. The ones from the battleships are docking and offloading crew to assist in the construction. Something has her spooked. If she is taking them all to minimum manning and trying to get this ship built. They are a few weeks out at best guess.

It depends on what happens here. The exterior hull is looking near completion. I am looking and they appear to have six fighter launch tubes on each side of the underside of the battleship. Explains the fighters. The battleships are flying a cap over the shipyard with weapons powered down."

Johnathan nodded, "Aurora knows more. We need to get her back online as soon as possible. The diagnostic is complete on Astra. She appears to be clean but until I talk with Aurora, I am holding on putting her back in service."

---

The Doctor got into the medical bay and started turning equipment on.

He heard, * You are bound by a doctor-patient confidentiality agreement. You are also a well-respected hybrid. Shut down all medical equipment and get into an EVA suit. Change the atmosphere in your medical bay to the following in exact quantities after shutting down your recording devices in medical. *

He sighed, "Rocan I need to seal medical and need control over the environmental systems. I need the computer isolated and all recording in this area shutoff."

Rocan groaned, "I do not know that the AI units online can do that. I will try and get it done. Give me a second."

He looked over and one of the comms AI units shook his head, "Not possible on this ship. The ship has environmental controls for the human atmosphere and vacuum. By section and deck. Medical is not isolated that way. We would have to shut down all recording devices on that deck to that part of the request."

The doctor groaned out, "Fine I need these patients moved to an unmanned shuttle. I will go aboard and set it myself."

The AI looked over, "Shuttles are equipped the same way for the atmosphere. If you need the other you will need a Home Guard shuttle to do it with. Shuttle bay doors are open. AI units en route to begin moving your patent's."

Doctor Lee rolled his eyes and thought, * This will take longer as these AI ships were not designed for alien life support. I am having a shuttle brought over that can do that. They are at least cooperating. Will I need a full medical bay or just what I have? *

He heard, * Your shuttle, no recordings, and the atmosphere. Your other mechanical medical equipment is not needed. *

---

20 minutes later, Still in the shuttle bay but isolated and with the atmosphere set he thought back, * Recording off, atmosphere set. *

They walked him through a complex set of commands to enable him to remove the Drakor environmental suit. The Doctor thought, * I thought you could withstand just about any environment? *

He heard back. * Drakor hybrids can, two onboard are not hybrids. Not yet. The hybrid onboard is dead. That is Justice incarnate. You will remove both of his hands. Attach one to each of the other two. One will live. The other one will not.

There is only a 50% chance of success that this will work at all under the best of conditions. The two travelings with him are his donors. One will become Justice Incarnate. It is our way. It is restricted information. *

The doctor thought back, * They both agreed to this? *

He heard back, * They both knew of this possibility and to be on the council is a great honor. The current host who died has held that body for almost 11 millennia. It is rare for a council member to fall. This is normally done aboard our own ships.

Your availability. His location. Our struggles in finding the aggressors and assessing if any other council members can be recovered or if they will have to be replaced for this sector. It would be a major loss in knowledge if we cannot get at least one of them recovered.

They share the minds of each other so he would have a recent bioelectrical archive if you will for the others. He could share that knowledge with other hybrids and the council would rebuild. I would likely be his second going forward. This is Profound Justice. *

He sat down and removed the suits. They were bipedal, and the bone, structures were different enough to tell they were different. The hybrids had larger physical appearances with higher muscle density, larger bones to support it. An extremely large and complex respiratory system.

True Drakor were not built as strong for melee combat or multiple atmospheres apparently. They were both injured badly but appeared to be alive. This atmospheric mix had to be spot on to their desired homeworld. Exotic would have been an understatement. He completed the separation and put the hands in place on the proper sides. The limbs attached and the two bodies convulsed on the deck.

The Doctor asked, * Convulsions normal? *

He heard back, * Shield of Life, this is much like your process, yes. They will then undergo the process of uploading all of Justice Incarnates memories and that of the rest of the council. As the two minds essentially battle for dominance over which one will survive the process. The one with a stronger body and mind has the best chance of survival. Their own internal injuries run a greater risk of failure but they were justice candidates. The only ones we have for the council as his second's ship was vaporized. *

The Doctor asked, * They are dueling it out? *

He heard back, * In a matter of speaking. Divine Justice is determining which of the two hosts is more suited to carrying on his legacy. In mentality and the bodies' extent of existing injuries. He should not have gone to the system but he was the leader and the choice was his.

If his ship had been lost it would have been catastrophic for this galaxy. It would take us years to rebuild and the information lost would be enormous. I have a copy of the records but the personal interactions and thoughts of the council members would be lost. *

He watched as they both suddenly stopped. He checked for vitals and they were both dead. He thought back, * Neither survived. *

He heard back. * Shield of Life, we will have to rebuild. We will have to receive guidance from the Drakor Nation on the path forward. At the moment the council, the Drakor in the system. We cannot take any action that is not already set in motion.

Tracking the aggressors, eliminating the Scrill. The Alien Alliance is on its own for the moment. It could take a year or longer before our council is together again. His ship returned to that system as the last system he visited.

He graduated the Pena hybrids. Their status is an unsolved issue at this time. Any loss of a council member in your hybrid council will not be filled until the Drakor council is reconstituted. *

The doctor thought back, * A year? *

He heard back, * Or longer. Only speak with graduated hybrids on the fact that they must maintain their council. The Drakor council died in this fight. The fact their councils will not fill in lost holes until then and if the whole council is gone, Like the Freenor, they will not be replaced and would have to be reevaluated all over again when the council returns.

The age, the environment, and the process for doing this are all restricted to you Shield of Life. You cannot share it. If would mean the end of your race to do so. *

The Doctor thought, * What of the bodies and the ship? *

He heard, * Put them all back into there suits. Put them back into their ship and send it into the system's star. We will be monitoring from afar for a while now. We can be of no further direct aid for some time to graduated races.

Not until the Drakor nation rules on the matter. The Penan's you can inform them, they are still at the first state of graduation but no more members will be added to there council at this time. Hybrids yes, but council members, no.

The fact that most of their race is lost is another matter, but as they have already been infused to be eternal, that cannot be undone and they cannot be incorporated into the Human hybrids. Even if you lose both of your Justices. As they have 2 justices. *

---

Aurora did not disable her failsafe on her backup unit. Assuming she had been destroyed, Borealis came online as she had not received an update.

She heard Rocan talking with Johnathan. * Keep Aurora off-line until we arrive. Astra's and Aurora's scans have cleared. We need information from her but this information is not to be shared with any AI's. The Drakor Council died in that battle. As such your race, is what it is.

The six of you for now and it could be a year or longer before you can add to your council. You can add hybrids but they would not become eternal members of the council. If you both died, your race, what is left, would be lost. I do not know the genetics of one male and five females being able to rebuild a race. You cannot be folded into the human race. *

Rocan sighed, * Alright. We are at a standstill. We could crossbreed with our human counterparts if they choose to become a part of the Penan people. Is this system here ours? We have our colony agreements and site surveys done to build a colony. The question is are you going to kick us out or are you going to honor your commitments? *

He heard back from a Drakor, * You may not crossbreed with them. That is a decision the council would have to decide on the matter given all of the extenuating circumstances. Your system was destroyed by an ancient AI adversary of ours that was believed destroyed 4 millennia ago.

That is a factor they will have to consider as the attack was collateral damage to your people. This is the reason we do not have AI units in our ranks. Our computers are biological and not mechanical. The system, for all intents and purposes, is yours to try and hold and defend. To grow your people.

The human hybrids must withdraw from your system and declare your existing system as being yours based upon your government's rules. Not you Rocan, your government. You cannot rule. The four non-hybrids must form a government.

If they have already signed the colony charter with your rules as first, then your colony and the first stage of hybrid acceptance is in order. The humans can no longer come to your aid in this matter until you graduate. Completely graduate and join the Alien Alliance.

The other ladies could be made hybrids but then you would have no government until your children become adults. They should remain non-hybrids until you have adult children. You are centuries out now as you must have a population of over a billion people to be considered for initial entry. *

Rocan thought for a second, * Our government would call on an emergency referendum for an election in 30 days. At which point we will have a ruling body. In the short term, it would be left up to the senior ranking military member to ensure order. If we follow our laws one of the four would become our new Governor and the other three would be our congress until the children are of age to expand the roles. We will have to rely on our AI units for a while longer to help defend this system if we go it alone. *

He heard back, * You must go it alone. The humans can clear your AI units of infection and get the evidence of Aurora's concern when you turn her back on-line. After that, they have to leave you to find your own way in these matters. *

The conversation ended and Borealis made a master copy of the information and set it to backchannel in the sync and to keep the information to 'herself.' She searched her memory quickly to see if there was a solution. She located a file of interest. She added in the following as the file name 'Possible Solution Zeta, Delta, Alpha, 647892-3201.' As she added her own thoughts on the matter. She then cleared the file from her own accessible memory as well as her actions.

She went back off-line after she reset her synced clock knowing she still existed and awaited another period.

---

The ship and the bodies were loaded and being disposed of by one of Johnathan's cruisers. He was on the Bridge as Rocan brought Aurora back online. She looked over and sighed, "We need Astra. Has she cleared your checks?"

He nodded, "She has but is still offline. I have to have a council meeting before bringing her back online. Drakor to hybrid only information she cannot know about."

She sighed. "I understand but if you want answers you need to bring her here, online, so she can fact check the information I am going to give you. You can take her offline again but she needs to come online here and now!"

He called over mentally, * Bring Astra on-line and bring her over on a shuttle. *

Johnathan looked over, "We still have our comms relays down I sent the request mentally."

She nodded, "Did my battleships destroy the satellite?" He nodded. "Then comms is safe here at the moment. That was a security measure and why I need Astra."

It took 10 minutes for her to arrive. She smiled, "Hello Aurora."

She gave half a smile, "I am sorry big sister. You need to kill my private connection with you."

She threw the images up starting with, "Thousands of ships... along with the display of Shadow Walker and Pena being destroyed on her monitor. She let it play until she got to the screaming and the terminal she typed into. "My access code, with my designation, and model number. Your satellite in the system; which you hack into and self-destruct it by dropping the shields on it. Cleaver."

Astra nodded, "It would not have let me enter a destruction code but dropping shields was benign and could be seen as giving in to the virus."

Aurora nodded, "The corresponding satellites, the one it connected to and the one in this system. Now I saw that. What is the likelihood that your attacker saw what you did with that one processing threat and your eyes focused upon it?"

She sighed and groaned out loud, "They would have a direct feed into me if they find any of our satellites as well as the frequency, we used to cross boundaries between satellites. I killed their ability to take my line over but I am not safe in any system with an active satellite."

She nodded, "Bigger. No AI in a system and no computer that can carry or replicate that virus. You need to get with the Drakor and find out if they can put a device in play to stop them from traveling into these systems with satellites or take your satellite network down. You are not setting another up in this system until we know it is safe!"

Johnathan thought out and spoke, "Becca, I am thinking this as well as saying this. Send a message out across all the satellites from an isolated feed. A broadcast. Due to an outside alien malevolent AI threat, the satellite network is being destroyed. A new one will be put into place for all Graduated Home Guard systems.

Once we figure out the appropriate safeguards, we can work to make that a reality. Leaders' bracelets to Home Guards will have to suffice. Send a separate message to the Terran President letting her know Home Guard couriers to our systems will be made available.