Update/Edit:
As mentioned in Ch. 10, a few changes have been made for accuracy's sake.
There's also a bit more dialogue in this chapter now, so please re-read, and enjoy watching Jack Bukhar knock a pompous Admiral down a few more pegs.
Thanks again to Shoootme, Rakuengaki, Schumie, MeSapoet, and everyone else who has been reading this story! Enjoy!
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Chapter Eleven: Night Raid
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Human emotions were weird, alien things to Yukikaze.
According to her data, emotional responses in human beings were triggered by variations in the levels of various chemical compounds in their CPU's. Like so many other aspects of chemical-based thought, dealing with those responses could be difficult – a human might get depressed for no other reason than a slight neurotransmitter imbalance, or because someone forgot to call and wish them a happy birthday. Yukikaze's quantum processor was free from such defects, for which she would forever be grateful to her creators.
Not that the sentient fighter jet had no feelings of her own, per se. AI research had long ago recognized that rapid, automatic responses to certain inputs – reflexes, fight-or-flight reactions, and even some emotional responses – were essential survival traits. When designing Combat Intelligences like Yukikaze, the FAF's Systems Corps had borrowed heavily from biological analogues, including emotive mechanisms into her core programming. While not as slow, inefficient or uncontrollable as a human's, Yukikaze's digital "feelings" had served her well, allowing her to react quickly and efficiently to virtually any situation.
Something like fear taught her to avoid unnecessary risks; programming based on courage allowed her to accept necessary ones without wasting processor space on doubt. Something like sorrow taught her to avoid failure, and something like joy always accompanied success.
And something like friendship – perhaps even love – always inspired her to protect her pilot.
Right now, though, Yukikaze was running a very different emotional protocol: anger. For nearly fifteen minutes after Rei's arrest, she had continued to flash a bright red warning pattern. When a technician had finally come along, she had let out a loud alarm tone and flashed her warning:
ALERT
ENEMY DETECTED
JAM TYPE I X 1
PROFILE: AERIAL RECON
***ATTACK IMMINENT***
The tech had looked dumbfounded at the message, then run to a nearby intercom speaker – and informed the bridge that she was malfunctioning!
As if to add insult to injury, even her fellow machines seemed not to believe her. She had already tried four times to warn the Hogosha's central computer about the impending JAM attack. Each time she attempted to establish a connection to its Combat Control subsystem, the computer simply refused to allow her in.
On one level, the central computer's response was reasonable enough. Not being assigned to any of the military squadrons stationed aboard the supercarrier, Yukikaze was not part of its battle network, and so lacked the requisite permissions to access sensitive parts of the system. If she were an enemy trying to impersonate a friendly AI, this response would have been intelligent and sensible.
But Yukikaze was not an enemy, and the information she was trying to convey to the ship's tactical database was vital for the survival of the Hogosha – not to mention her and all others on board – including Lt. Fukai.
If only it would just listen to her!
Still running what a human might have called "frustration", Yukikaze tried once again to connect to the Combat Control subsystem.
WARNING: UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS DETECTED
ALL ACCESS PRIVELIGES SUSPENDED
ADMINISTRATOR HAS BEEN NOTIFIED
Suddenly, the sentient fighter found herself completely cut off. Not only had she been dismissed again, but now the computer was refusing her access to any part of its system. She couldn't even connect to the civilian Internet through the ship's satellite link!
Had Yukikaze been programmed for profanity, she would have started cursing a blue streak.
Sitting in the carrier's maintenance bay, Yukikaze considered her options. She had to warn somebody, and soon – though she had only detected one enemy contact before, its rapid flight into and out of the Antarctic fleet's airspace suggested a recon mission. No doubt that first scout had already transmitted their location, and an attack would commence soon.
And there was her own condition to consider. Although repairs to her vital systems were (finally!) complete, the maintenance crew hadn't bothered to refuel her. Without even a magazine for her 20mm guns, she was currently useless as a defender.
Having reached this conclusion, Yukikaze decided to rectify the problem.
MODE EW RDY FOR ACTION
Despite the Hogosha's attempts to deny her access, Yukikaze was a long way from helpless. If the computer refused to recognize her as part of its network, then she would simply refuse to recognize its administrative privileges. It was currently preventing her from protecting her pilot and dispatching the enemy – which meant that it was a fair target for her electronic-warfare capabilities.
LINK SCS
Logging on as a different entity and worming through its defenses took only milliseconds. She considered trying to access Combat Control again, but decided that such a vital system would probably have too much protection; if the computer decided to get aggressive, Yukikaze would have to worry about getting back-hacked. Besides, the stupid sub-sentient machine had failed to recognize the threat the first time.
Instead, she located the control software for the Hogosha's machine shop.
REQUESTING LOADOUT AA-3-B
AAM-SR X 3
AAM-MR X 2
MAAM X 2
AMMO 20MM X 2
DISP-VTOL X 4
9700kg FUEL
APPROVED
Within minutes, a small army of industrial robots stampeded across the maintenance bay, much to the surprise of the human tech crew. Some of the automata made their way to a jet fuel tank, while others rolled toward racks of special equipment, missiles and ammunition. As the humans looked on, jaws slack and eyes wide, the teams of mechanical pillagers found what they'd come for, then quickly made their way over to Yukikaze.
As her new weapons were installed and her brand-new fuel tank was filled, Yukikaze experienced what a human might have called "pleasure" – like having a delicious meal while simultaneously enjoying the afterglow of a good, strength-enhancing workout. She wasn't really concerned when one of the techs ran over to an intercom and started shouting into it; if her antics put the humans (and their idiotic ship) on high alert, all to the good.
Now, all Yukikaze needed was her pilot ….
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"It what?" Admiral Fujikawa exclaimed, eyes wide with disbelief.
"It's … I don't know! Somehow it's got all the robots from the machine shop in here, and they're … they're arming it, Sir! Missiles, ammo magazines, fuel … it's like it's getting ready for a combat mission, all by itself!"
"Well, shut those robots off! And get that goddamn plane locked down and secured."
"We can't even get near it! The machines won't let us! Requesting assistance, Sir!"
Fujikawa felt a headache coming on. First we have to haul the thing on board, and now it's trying to take off by itself. Damn piece of FAF junk …. "Security to the maintenance deck! Shut down the robots and stop the FAF jet from hacking our system. Shoot out its radio if you have to!"
At that moment, Jack Bukhar walked onto the bridge, escorted by a pair of MP's. "Is there a problem, Admiral?"
"You're damn right there is! Your precious Fairy fighter just decided to launch, and it's stealing our ship's materiel to arm itself!"
"What?" Making his way to the intercom, Jack listened in as a clearly terrified technician described something out of an old Iron Man movie: yellow fabricator robots attaching weapons and VTOL boosters to Yukikaze, arming and refueling it without any human control. Still has a taste for the theatrical, he thought, his anxiety mounting. "Has anyone asked it why it's doing this?"
The Chief of the Watch looked at him as though he were a madman. "Asked the plane …?"
"Move over!" Jack commanded, shoving the CW aside and typing rapidly at the terminal. Abruptly, the screen was filled with flashing red letters:
ALERT
ENEMY DETECTED
JAM TYPE I X 1
PROFILE: AERIAL RECON
***ATTACK IMMINENT***
"What the hell?" the Admiral declared. "A JAM? Here? The Passageway has been closed for years! That thing's Combat Intelligence is malfunctioning!"
Jack felt his blood run cold. "Not this CI. Where's your AEWAC unit?"
"Headed north, looking for your ride home. We lost contact with the Osprey sent to transport you and Fukai."
"Hold on: our transport has disappeared, and you didn't tell us?"
"Because it isn't your concern," the Admiral shot back, now starting to lose his patience. "This is my ship, and the Southern Ocean is our area of operations. We'll take care of it. I saw no reason to inform you."
"Tell me something. Did it ever occur to you that this missing transport could be a distraction? Call back that AEWAC unit, and in the meantime, tell your escorts to broaden their net. Switch radar to HF – they're probably hiding just outside your detection range."
"What? That's ridiculous!"
"Admiral, please!" Jack turned and faced the ship's commander. "Yukikaze is giving us a warning. If the JAM are here, then we're all in danger. Even if it seems ridiculous, even if it turns out to be flat-out wrong, do you really want to take that chance?"
Fujikawa stared hard at the American. Then, turning to his Communications officer, he called out, "Contact the fleet! Spread out and increase radar perimeter for widest possible field. Try OTH settings."
"Yes, Sir." Then, moments later, "Huh! That's strange; there's a blip just south of us. Might be just a civilian sight-seeing plane; they tend to deviate from their scheduled flight plans quite a bit. Probably looking for whales …."
The feeling of dread in Jack's gut only got worse. "Any response on the IFF?"
The young Communications officer looked nervously at the civilian, then spoke to the Admiral. "Well, Sir, they're at the extreme edge of our radio transmission range. Even if we tried a standard interrogation, they might not pick up our signal."
"Contact changing course. Grid bearing five-six degrees, range one-three-zero-nine clicks, speed … Holy Christ! It just accelerated to Mach 2!"
"Supersonic tourists? My ass!" Jack growled. "They know we're onto them. Tell your CAP fighters to intercept that flyer ASAP!"
"New contacts! Three … seven … fifteen contacts, Sir! At least! All inbound at Mach 2-plus!"
"Goddammit!" Jack exclaimed. "Whatever else you've got, get it into the air, right now!"
Admiral Fujikawa's face was ashen. "But … but this is impossible! How could it be aliens? How the hell could they have even gotten here …?"
"This is the JDS Hogosha, calling ADF-S! We are under attack! Repeat, we are under attack byAAHHHH!!!" The Comms operator suddenly rocked back in his chair, eyes wide, mouth open in an agonized cry as he tore his headset away. Even from ten feet away, Jack could hear the steady, high-pitched shrieking from the headphones.
To his credit, the young man managed to regain some of his composure, turning back to his terminal and tapping keys frantically. "Sir, communications are out! Heavy jamming on all frequencies! Intership, satellite, ATC … it's all gone, Sir!"
On the main screen, the previously calm blue image suddenly swarmed with red triangles. As the Hogosha was cut off from its escorts, the outer sectors of its radar net went black. Moments later, the entire image began to flicker like a television with a broken cathode-ray tube. "ECM! Radar is gone too, Sir!"
"Goddammit! Get our fighters up now!"
"All hands, air raid stations! All hands--"
At that moment, every light and monitor on the ship went dark.
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In his quarters, Rei Fukai struggled to don his flight suit. His jaw still throbbed from where the MP had struck him. And the dream still lingered in his mind's eye, like an afterimage from staring at the Sun: a sky blackened by JAM, and Yukikaze beckoning him to her.
I've got a bad feeling about this ….
"All hands, air raid stations! All hands--"
At once, the intercom died, and the ceiling light in Rei's quarters went out. Plunged into darkness, Rei instinctively reached for the titanium-alloy Maglite in his right calf zipper-pocket. As he switched it on, Rei felt a shudder pass through the deck. The steady thrum of the ship's engines, a white noise that he had simply stopped noticing after the first day, suddenly slowed, then ceased completely. Somewhere, metal groaned.
I've got a really bad feeling about this ….
Quickly, Rei finished putting on his flight suit, then rushed out the door – or tried to, before another MP outside stopped him. The light attached to his assault rifle shone in Rei's face. "Hold it!" he shouted. "Get back in there!"
Rei threw his head back and grimaced. Goddammit, not this again! "We're under attack! I need to get to the flight deck!"
"No you do not," the MP replied with a scowl. "You may have shot down aliens, but this is a UN carrier – whatever's going on, we'll handle it."
Rei considered his options. On the one hand, he could try convincing this young hotshot that aliens were about to attack the ship, and that he and Yukikaze were probably their best hope for survival.
Or, he could just go straight to the flight deck.
The MP never saw it coming. In less than a quarter-second, Rei had stepped aside, out of his line of fire, then come around toward his right side. Fingers curled around his titanium flashlight, Rei right-hooked the MP with force that would have cracked his skull, had the military policeman not been wearing a Kevlar helmet. Instead of breaking bones, the strike simply transmitted kinetic force from Rei's fist, through the helmet, and into the soft tissues of the man's head.
The MP fell without a groan, his rifle clattering to the deck.
Shaking his right hand to restore circulation, Rei kneeled down to check the man's pulse – strong and steady. "Sorry about that," he muttered.
The MP, of course, made no reply.
Then Rei grabbed the rifle and ran for the nearest stairwell.
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"What the hell was that?" yelled Fujikawa, as dim red emergency lights flickered on. "Get me Engineering!"
"Engine room to bridge! Something tripped the reactor fail-safes; we're running on emergency diesel. They were fine a minute ago, Sir – it's like someone just switched our engines off by remote."
"Sir, I'm locked out of the main computer! It's not recognizing the security overrides … we're being hacked, Sir!"
Fujikawa felt his heart stop beating. All this, in less than five minutes? How could everything have gone so wrong, so fast …?
"Shut down the main computer! Pull the damn plug if you have to! And launch those fighters ASAP!"
The Admiral whirled around to face the scruffy-looking civilian who had just dared issue an order on his ship. "Just who do you think you're ordering around?" he barked.
Jack didn't flinch. "With all due respect, Admiral, you looked a little overwhelmed. I was just trying to help."
"You can help by going back down to your quarters! You are a civilian on a UN military ship! I don't know what passed for protocol in the FAF, but on my ship--"
A distant fireball suddenly outshone the emergency lights. All eyes turned to the main window, and for a moment, silence reigned.
"My God! The Araijin …."
"Dammit!" Jack shouted, then turned and glared at the Admiral. "We can stand here and argue about protocol, or you can tell your launch crews to get interceptors in the air!"
"Are you mad? The steam catapults run off waste heat from the ship's reactors. We'd only be able to launch four or five aircraft, at most, before we lost pressure."
"Well it's better than leaving ourselves naked!"
Fujikawa felt his jaw clench. On the one hand, if he ordered his crew to launch fighters now, he would look as though he were taking orders from a civilian. On the other hand, Bukhar was undeniably correct; even if they could only use the catapults four or five times, it would be better than not using them at all.
The Admiral glared at Bukhar, then issued his order. "Launch interceptors, as many as you can! And get our best pilots in them!"
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Yukikaze's relief that someone had gotten her message had been short-lived. As the Hogosha's electronic defenses crashed, she switched her system to standalone mode, breaking all external connections. Just before disabling her wireless receivers, she broadcast an electronic warning, instructing the other fighters to do the same. She had to borrow a low-priority access code she had found in the Hogosha's system; it was a quick and dirty hack, but she had to hope that the other units would close themselves off before the JAM could hack them as well.
All but one of the others complied.
At the opposite end of the maintenance bay, one aircraft began powering up its engines. Before the startled humans around it could react, its 20mm guns opened up, destroying one of its helpless sister units.
ENEMY DETECTED
VTOL ON
With a loud whoosh, Yukikaze's VTOL booster rockets fired, launching her almost up to the roof of the maintenance bay. The hijacked Earth fighter tried to turn and face her, but with no vertical-takeoff capability of its own, it was grounded, helpless as Yukikaze pitched her nose down toward its cockpit.
RDY GUN
In less than a second, the rogue unit was offline, its flight computer smashed by Yukikaze's surgically precise shots. The sentient fighter spared a few milliseconds to mourn her actions; while clearly not as developed as herself, these Earth craft still possessed some measure of combat intelligence. That she had had to destroy one of her own was troubling, though it had ultimately been unavoidable.
As human pilots and flight crew scrambled toward the remaining aircraft, Yukikaze concluded that she had done all she could from the maintenance bay. Now, she needed to ward off the JAM long enough for the Earth fighters to launch and defend the fleet.
Still suspended in midair, Yukikaze made her way to the lowering elevator platform. The traction-coated slab descended, revealing a patch of starless night sky above.
Riding her new rockets, Yukikaze flew toward the opening, then soared off into the night.
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