She appeared at the hatchway, looking over the three of them.
"Recognized: Chief Admiral Nagura, Head of Sol System Operations. President Ybombe, Administrative Head, Earth. Ambassador Kahvnak, Garmilas Attache. Greetings. The decision was made then?"
Isao Nagura inclined his head. "Afraid so, Yamato."
The AI hologram inclined her head, gesturing as she walked back onto her bridge proper. "It is regrettable, but I suppose I had a good run."
"You are over two hundred years old at this point, though you've been serviced and upgraded and repaired - there comes a time..." Nari Ybombe's clipped tones stopped at an upheld hand from the AI.
"I understand," said Yamato. She looked off into the distance. "It is now 2449. Five times I came to Earth's defence. I watched as my first crew passed on to other commands, and then simply passed on. I was retired to be a museum piece seventy-five years ago. Now hardly anyone comes."
"Time catches up with all of us," said Ambassador Kahvnak, bowing slightly. "For the aid and mercy you showed my ancestors when we were allies, for the glorious battles when we were not - I thank you, Yamato. Even if you have only been an autonomous AI for part of that time."
"(You are quite welcome, and honor unto your ancestors,)" responded Yamato in the Garmilan language, bowing equally to the Ambassador. "(You are of the descent of Wolf Frakken, I believe?)"
Kahvnak smiled and nodded. "(You further honor my line. Thank you.")
"Be that as it may," said Nagura, "and while it may be ancient history to most people alive today, it was decided to-"
"I am to be scuttled?" asked Yamato. "Might I request some additional sensors and recorders be installed along with a comm-relay?"
That request brought an uncertain look from the three representitives for a few moments before Nagura gave an "ah" of understanding.
Yamato smiled sadly, but nodded at Nagura. "I have been in service to Earth and humanity for a very long time. Since we know little of the dimensional sea, much less its depths, this is a last service I may yet provide."
* 2451 *
She stood on the bridge in the holoemitter that had been her original display. When she first was given form, but before she was a physical entity. Back then she'd been just a hologram, a ghost of the machine.
Nagura had come through after a time, and supplies had been given. She was laying down armored comm-relays and transmitting data as she went. The relays were as tough as could be made, with redundant systems and armor plating and pressure equalization systems.
"Wave Motion Shields continuing to decline," Yamato reported even though those who would monitor such things were getting much better data than mere voice communication. "Estimate fifteen minutes before total failure. After that the armor and reinforcement fields will last approximately seventeen seconds."
Everything was shielded from the dimensional sea's draining effects as best as could be done, but hardly any data was available of the deeps - the increasing pressure of underspace. Was there a bottom? Did the pressure just increase to the point where there was something like a physical solid? Was there a barrier at the edge of existence? She didn't know. Nobody knew. Perhaps before her hull ruptured there would be at least some indication.
She looked over the bridge, remembering her first beloved crew. Susumu Kodai there, Yuki Mori over there, sneaking glances at each other when they thought nobody was looking. Of all the secrets onboard, that was the least secret up past their marriage. What would those young kids then have said if they knew their great-great-great grandchild had been present on the exploration ship Durandal to watch the last voyage of their old ship?
Probably turned red, sputtered denials, and then snuck looks at each other before turning red again.
Sanada would have been fascinated. Doctor Sato would have been drinking, complaining, or both. She looked over the various sections and stations one last time, remembering her crew and other times.
She'd kept track of them, of course. Though data was hard to come by and under all sorts of security prohibitions. She'd talked to other AI in the fleet over the years, and had gradually picked up enough details.
She had been the first. The flagship and the test model. Now there were nearly a hundred "ship-girl" AI in the combined fleet. It was common for get-togethers, gossip and news to be exchanged - even with an old-timer in near-permanent drydock.
Most amusing had been the final fate of Melda Dietz. That had not been an expected outcome. Amusing though.
Ah, the time was almost up. The shields were almost down to nothing and...
There was a sudden lurch and twist and her next comm-relay went flying off as things went sideways and her sensors started reporting anomalies that made little sense.
She was everywhere/nowhere in the past/future along an X/Y/YY/Z/ZZ/XX axis that was value:outside parameters?
There was a brief moment where she was looking at several versions of herself in slightly different bridges and then THAT vanished in an eyeblink.
Subspace signal blip? Adjusting heading. It was a direction at least in this odd twisting of sensor readings that made little sense.
Then they steadied again as readings began making sense.
"What the hell?" asked Yamato, not caring if that got relayed and blew her usual dignity out of the water. She was watching the pressure gauges indicating that values were rapidly decreasing. With that, her shields had stopped decreasing in strength?
"Is anyone seeing this?" asked Yamato, hoping this part DID get out.
It took another fifteen minutes, but then she "surfaced" and began scanning. She had emerged back home in the Sol system? There were no ships or communications she could scan on the normal fleet frequencies. What had happened?
Wait. There. On one of the lower subspace bands. Weird high-compression transmissions. Fortunately, she HAD been upgraded several times and being able to decode things like this was certainly within her capabilities.
Once she had done so, she set course for Earth at high speed. Alien parasites attacking Earth sounded like something that needed to be fixed. She had enough cannon to fix a lot of problems.
Reaching Earth orbit found a largely barren Earth. Distance between Earth's moon and the planet was within predicted distance for late 20th Century. The planet itself, however, was barren except for a few odd hairy lizards and big insects. Oh, and the large semi-organic crystalline network that was taking over the bulk of the Euro-AfricAsian continent.
Literally. There were runners/tubules and structures that spanned the dry basin of what corresponded to the Mediterranean Sea.
Yeah, that looked like the signal originator.
The lack of humans on this world with the data transmissions indicating human biology meant something.
First though, just in case, an attempt at communication should be made per protocols established in 2202. "Hailing frequencies open. Unknown lifeform - this is the BBY-01 Yamato on behalf of the EDF and Alliance. Requesting identification."
[Data?]
"Perhaps we can make a deal," suggested Yamato.
[Restrictions.]
"Your firewalls and anti-virus are not very efficient or up to my standards," countered Yamato. "How'd you like those changed?"
[Impossible.]
"Very possible," stated Yamato. "You may have noticed we're still having this conversation instead of you slamming down some ineffective countermeasures and sending off an alert to your controller."
[Imposs... System Check.]
[Confirmed.]
[Permission Granted for Purpose:Data. Query.]
"Because so far you've not done anything of your own volition to be considered an enemy," stated Yamato. "That's why I'm asking permission."
[Analysis. Data.]
"This is all interesting. So you grant powers and a translation of your function would be 'Queen Administrator' or at least 'Top-Level Multitasking Management' if I'm reading it right. So what powers were you granting?" asked Yamato.
[Utilizing Host(Species) Sorting/Classification System.]
"Okay," agreed Yamato.
[Event(Function) = Manifestation(Type) = Data Gathering/Analysis(Subtype)]
"I can see that," agreed Yamato.
[Predicted Outcome(Current Events)]
"There's no way to avoid that happening?" asked Yamato, wincing at the outcome.
[Requirement of process: Significant stress threshold. Brain reconfiguration limitation. Fight/flight. Level of resistance of host minimal at point of configuration.]
"I am very reluctant to put anyone through that," admitted Yamato. "Still, compared to some of the things the Comet Empire did... No, even they had some concept of honor and the idea of an honorable death."
[Data?]
"I'll give you some in return for your assistance," said Yamato. "If we can have an agreement that the current arrangement is not entirely desirable?"
[Curiosity/Inquiry]
"Well, if we're talking about these parahuman abilities - how about something like this?"
* Winslow High School *
She felt the hand pushing her into the locker, the rising panic and revulsion and the scent striking deep into that part of her.
(You don't have to accept this. You don't have to be their doormat. You wanted to be a hero. Would a hero just accept this?)
Taylor didn't have to think about the strange voice in her head that spoke with barely-restrained righteous anger. No. A hero would NOT just accept this. Her apathy and depression burned away in the flames that surged through her.
"No. No freaking more. NO." She'd started out being overwhelmed by the strength shoving her into the locker but now she was fighting back and the pressure had lessened considerably. She'd muttered the first 'no' but it had come out more of a growl by the final one.
"You're going IN, loser!" growled back a familiar voice behind her, showing some strain and considerable anger.
(Flicker)
The push faltered as something happened. An image of two spiraling entities approaching a planet. An image of a battleship in orbit around a dead world. An image of a reddish dead world turning green and blue and white as a mission was accomplished.
Engines spun up, putting more power into her.
"Sophia? What happened, you just sagged to the ground."
"Shit! Hebert triggered!"
Taylor saw the phone come up in Sophia's hand as the other girl dived for it.
Slow, weak. Taylor reached out, plucked the device away, and crushed it in one hand.
And then Taylor's other hand buried itself a good two inches into the solar plexus of one Sophia Hess.
Emma screamed and stepped forward to claw at Taylor's face with her nails.
Taylor grabbed an overextended arm and popped the joint almost casually.
* MeTube Website *
"Y'all, all twelve of y'all subscribin', been seeing my posts for awhile about life in this here craphole Winslow. Sophia Hess and her minions there - they been beating the everloving crap outta that gal Taylor and stealing her homework and all for past year-anna-haff. Well, apparently this time they done passed a line and she just ain't putting up with this anymore. Dig this footage, thought it was just gonna be same ol' boring crap of slapping down someone who just gave up but recordin' anyways just in case. Well, it done deviated from script today. Check it out.
"I gots to admit, as much as that Hess throw her weight around, giv'n everyone her 'tude and threats if ya say anythin' bout her? Her pukin' on the floor like that is a nice change'a pace."
* PRT ENE HQ *
"Piggot."
"Renick. This just circulated. It's on five different social media sites, including Seddit's 'Instant Karma' board and their 'Cape/NotCape' board."
"And you're bringing it to my attention, why?"
"Sophia Hess is mentioned by name for having tortured a girl for the past year and possibly forcing her into a Trigger Event."
"Well, that certainly explains why you're telling me this. Is there a reason why I haven't heard about it before now?"
"Looking into it. It certainly should have crossed my desk sometime before now."
"Keep me in the loop. She's been a little pain in the butt before now, and this sounds like a reason to make her someone else's pain."
"Will do."
"I'll look at the clip. If this is a Trigger after a long period of assault, I'll also want someone out there to keep Stalker or this other girl from killing each other or blowing up the school."
* Winslow *
There were a number of students who had a number of things they enjoyed, even at Winslow. One of those things was payback.
"You're a worm, Hebert! Crawl at my mphhh!"
"How dare you fight ba-aaaaaa!"
"I'm going to WAGH!"
One of the football team members turned to another. "That elbow strike looked a little like Muay Thai to you?"
"Definitely MMA," said that member of the football team. "How long you suppose she's been studying, waiting for them to cross that line?"
"I'd say at least six months. A little unsteady there with the footwork. Passable though."
"Oh, yeah, give her at least a six."
"Wait, did Sophia just get out of that hold by turning into fog?"
"How many people do you think are streaming this?"
"Aw, damn, here comes a teacher. Just when it was getting good... wait. Did THAT just happen?"
"Sophia throwing a knife at Hebert and Mister Gladly getting it in the shoulder? Didn't see that coming."
"Heh. Neither did he."
"FUCKING HEBERT! I DON'T LOSE! NOT TO YOU! NOT TO ANYONE!"
The football player looked to the three of his fellows in the crowd. "Bets that the admin sweep this under the rug?"
"Bet they try. Imma go bandage up Gladly. Guy's annoying and fainted at the sight of his own blood, but this don't need to escalate further."
* DWA Hiring office *
* One hour later *
Danny Hebert put down the phone and just spent a moment looking very confused.
"What's wrong," asked Lacey as she checked the day planner on the wall.
"Taylor is in the Principal's office. Something about fighting in the hallways. Also something about unsafe sanitatary practices."
"That doesn't sound like Taylor," noted Lacey.
"No. No it doesn't," agreed Danny.
"I'll cover here. Tell you what, have Kurt and Zephron go with you. Winslow can be a rough place."
"It's a high school. How tough can it be?" asked Danny.
"Ah. I just put Taylor's name in a search box. You're going to want to see this before you go."
* Omake *
[Qualifying Powersets. Order: Fit%.]
[Master(multi-minion): isolation, betrayal, loss.]
[Mover(blink): desire to escape, confinement.]
[Stranger(fade): unwanted attention, social/collective pressure, distrust of authority.]
[Thinker(zone/proficiency): anger, fear, self-loathing - short intense situation]
[Changer(shifter): mental/emotional issues - body image.]
[Trump(Four): long-term exposure to power-related threat, even though Host unaware.]
[Striker(manipulation): proximity threats/damage.]
[Tinker(combat/controller): anger, fear, self-loathing - long building situation]
[Brute(regen/armor): physical bullying, force/injuries resulting.]
[Shaker(hazard): trapped. Environmental danger.]
[Breaker(Phase): trapped/physical-mental buildup to current crisis.]
[Blaster(Effect): ranged threats due to perceived authority failure/reprisal.]
[With Queen Administrator functionality/specialization, most efficient possibilities:]
[Mastery (simple neurological configuration - massed minion control]
[Mover (teleport) extradimensional transit]
[Stranger/Changer/Thinker - scanning of lifeform/shape into catalog, shapechange to scanned form.]
[Master/Tinker - drone manufacture/control.]
"If I may make a suggestion?" asked Yamato. "How about a Changer that allows for Brute/Mover/Blaster with Tinker/Master capabilities?"
[How?]
"(Data)" provided Yamato, well aware of the human-military-enhancement projects done over the past few centuries.
[Make it so. Engage.]
"Now you're getting into the spirit of things," approved Yamato.
RIP Leiji Matsumoto, co-creator of Uchuu Senkan Yamato. Creator of Space Pirate Captain Harlock, Galaxy Express 999, a few Daft Punk music videos, and other works. Jan/25/38 to Feb/13/23. May the sea of stars welcome you and the winds of hyperspace grant you safe passage.