It was getting cold. Dylan had expected that much. The bridge was darker now. Yet, the silence was the worst of it. Dylan saw a piece of equipment lying on Harper's console. He picked it up and examined it for a brief moment, contemplating.
It was his fault. He could have done something to save them. They all died, right before his eyes, and even with all his training he froze. He didn't do anything in their moment of need, and now he was alone. Even Rommie was gone now, erased because he allowed the virus to infect her system.
He threw Harper's unfinished device across the room in frustration. He shook his head, mentally berating himself for his failure. He sat in the slipstream chair and rested his head in his hands. There was nothing to do now except wait until the isolation drove him mad, or he died of exposure as valuable heat slowly seeped away from the ship. Alone and cut off from the slipstream, he would spend the last moments of his life knowing that he had been the cause of it all.
It wasn't long before he heard a familiar sound. He had tried to mentally prepare himself for this. His anguish was making him think that he could hear his crew again, but no training could have readied him for that sound. It was a woman weeping; a woman he had been very close to.
The sound was haunting. It was a distant, mournful, morose crying. It was as if the ship was mourning him, but he reminded himself that it was impossible. He had given the order to erase the AI. He had killed her.
There was a slight break in the eerie crying, and he heard his name. Distant, yet clear.
A tear slid down Dylan's cheek, and he whispered his response, "Rommie."
Then, it stopped. The bridge was silent again for a moment, and he heard her voice again, but it was different this time. She was calling out to him, but she sounded so far away, "Dylan… can you hear me?"
Dylan stood up immediately. There was a flash of hope. It seemed impossible, and yet he had to try, "Rommie, I can hear you."
"Dylan, wake up!" She called.
"Wake up?" Dylan asked, "Rommie, where are you?"
"Someone used nanobots to control your mind. They've got you in some kind of trance. You have to wake up or we'll be destroyed."
"How?"
"I don't know," Rommie responded, her voice filled with fear and worry, "I'm trying to reprogram nanobots to destroy the invaders, but it isn't working."
"Why are we going to be destroyed if I don't wake up?" Dylan asked, trying to come to grips with the situation.
"They forced you to lock out most of my control systems. I can't operate anything except software functions, navigation, and environmental control. You were incapacitated, so I made the decision to ram the other vessel to keep them from escaping with the technology that let them do this."
"You made the right choice," Dylan assured her. He crossed his arms over his chest and tried to think of a plan. At that moment, he realised that there was still a way to save the ship, even if he couldn't move.
***
The hologram kneeled over the form of her fallen captain. He was able to communicate, barely. There wasn't much time left. In moments, the organic pilot of the other vessel would have to leave slipstream, and Andromeda could come out right on top of them. When that happened, it would be all over.
"You made the… right choice," Captain Hunt murmmered. There was a long pause, and he began to speak softly again, "Andromeda… release command systems. Authorization… Captain Dylan Hunt. Lexic Dark 22578… break 1 alpha."
Suddenly, lights on the bridge returned to normal, and sirens began to blare. The AI now had full command of the ship.
The hologram turned to face a nearby screen, "Status?"
The screen persona took on a pleased expression, "Aside from a few of my androids, all systems are functioning normally."
The hologram turned back to the captain, "Don't worry. I can handle the rest."
"I…trust you," He whispered. The hologram smiled briefly before vanishing and reappearing near the center of the bridge.
Soon, the Perseid frigate made the transition to normal space so that their pilot could rest for a moment. Andromeda dropped in close behind them, and fired a missle at the enemy.
The ship sent out a broadcast, "This is the High Guard starship Andromeda Ascendant. As you must have noticed, my command capabilities have been fully restored. If you wish to surrender, shut off your engines immediately. Any other action on your part will be considered hostile, and I will be forced to take extreme measures. Andromeda out."
The frigate responded by attempting to engage its slipstream drive. Andromeda opened fire with all missle batteries and AP Cannons. The smaller ship exploded in a brilliant flash of light and heat.
The main AI looked at the holographic persona, "After everything he's put us through, I'm not entirely unhappy that he chose not to surrender."
"There's only one problem," The hologram responded, "How am I going to cure my crew?"
"When he downloaded the logs from the nanobots, I was able to trace the signal. It is only a matter of time before I've identified the invaders and destroyed them. I should be able to create a recognition file that will prevent this from happening again."
"In that case, I'll probably be getting a medal for this," The hologram stated, wryly.
The screen AI smiled devilishly for a moment, "In my dreams."
The hologram half-smiled in response, and dissappeared from the bridge.
It was his fault. He could have done something to save them. They all died, right before his eyes, and even with all his training he froze. He didn't do anything in their moment of need, and now he was alone. Even Rommie was gone now, erased because he allowed the virus to infect her system.
He threw Harper's unfinished device across the room in frustration. He shook his head, mentally berating himself for his failure. He sat in the slipstream chair and rested his head in his hands. There was nothing to do now except wait until the isolation drove him mad, or he died of exposure as valuable heat slowly seeped away from the ship. Alone and cut off from the slipstream, he would spend the last moments of his life knowing that he had been the cause of it all.
It wasn't long before he heard a familiar sound. He had tried to mentally prepare himself for this. His anguish was making him think that he could hear his crew again, but no training could have readied him for that sound. It was a woman weeping; a woman he had been very close to.
The sound was haunting. It was a distant, mournful, morose crying. It was as if the ship was mourning him, but he reminded himself that it was impossible. He had given the order to erase the AI. He had killed her.
There was a slight break in the eerie crying, and he heard his name. Distant, yet clear.
A tear slid down Dylan's cheek, and he whispered his response, "Rommie."
Then, it stopped. The bridge was silent again for a moment, and he heard her voice again, but it was different this time. She was calling out to him, but she sounded so far away, "Dylan… can you hear me?"
Dylan stood up immediately. There was a flash of hope. It seemed impossible, and yet he had to try, "Rommie, I can hear you."
"Dylan, wake up!" She called.
"Wake up?" Dylan asked, "Rommie, where are you?"
"Someone used nanobots to control your mind. They've got you in some kind of trance. You have to wake up or we'll be destroyed."
"How?"
"I don't know," Rommie responded, her voice filled with fear and worry, "I'm trying to reprogram nanobots to destroy the invaders, but it isn't working."
"Why are we going to be destroyed if I don't wake up?" Dylan asked, trying to come to grips with the situation.
"They forced you to lock out most of my control systems. I can't operate anything except software functions, navigation, and environmental control. You were incapacitated, so I made the decision to ram the other vessel to keep them from escaping with the technology that let them do this."
"You made the right choice," Dylan assured her. He crossed his arms over his chest and tried to think of a plan. At that moment, he realised that there was still a way to save the ship, even if he couldn't move.
***
The hologram kneeled over the form of her fallen captain. He was able to communicate, barely. There wasn't much time left. In moments, the organic pilot of the other vessel would have to leave slipstream, and Andromeda could come out right on top of them. When that happened, it would be all over.
"You made the… right choice," Captain Hunt murmmered. There was a long pause, and he began to speak softly again, "Andromeda… release command systems. Authorization… Captain Dylan Hunt. Lexic Dark 22578… break 1 alpha."
Suddenly, lights on the bridge returned to normal, and sirens began to blare. The AI now had full command of the ship.
The hologram turned to face a nearby screen, "Status?"
The screen persona took on a pleased expression, "Aside from a few of my androids, all systems are functioning normally."
The hologram turned back to the captain, "Don't worry. I can handle the rest."
"I…trust you," He whispered. The hologram smiled briefly before vanishing and reappearing near the center of the bridge.
Soon, the Perseid frigate made the transition to normal space so that their pilot could rest for a moment. Andromeda dropped in close behind them, and fired a missle at the enemy.
The ship sent out a broadcast, "This is the High Guard starship Andromeda Ascendant. As you must have noticed, my command capabilities have been fully restored. If you wish to surrender, shut off your engines immediately. Any other action on your part will be considered hostile, and I will be forced to take extreme measures. Andromeda out."
The frigate responded by attempting to engage its slipstream drive. Andromeda opened fire with all missle batteries and AP Cannons. The smaller ship exploded in a brilliant flash of light and heat.
The main AI looked at the holographic persona, "After everything he's put us through, I'm not entirely unhappy that he chose not to surrender."
"There's only one problem," The hologram responded, "How am I going to cure my crew?"
"When he downloaded the logs from the nanobots, I was able to trace the signal. It is only a matter of time before I've identified the invaders and destroyed them. I should be able to create a recognition file that will prevent this from happening again."
"In that case, I'll probably be getting a medal for this," The hologram stated, wryly.
The screen AI smiled devilishly for a moment, "In my dreams."
The hologram half-smiled in response, and dissappeared from the bridge.
