Chapter 8
“This is a Lilacron ship?” Rayne gasped once I relayed what Francine had said to her. “How the hell did it get here?”
“Probably the same way that we did,” I said. “Francine told us that they probably didn’t have much time to escape when the Karaak invaded, so this ship probably flew into the dust cloud to escape, like we just did.”
“Still, it’s a miracle they even made it here,” Rayne said. “It’s almost impossible to find this place.”
“And the ship doesn’t have a scratch on it,” I said as I started to walk around the outside of it. “Looks like the Karaak didn’t land a single shot on it. That, or they did but the shields were so good that they stopped any damage being done.”
“It looks like very advanced tech,” Rayne said. “So, it wouldn’t surprise me if they had the best of the best when it comes to shields.”
I stepped closer to the cream-white ship. I put my hand up close to it, and about half a foot from the framework, I started to feel the tingle of the shield around it start to fizz underneath my gloved palm. A purple glow lit up around my fingers, which I kept at the edges of the field, and I ran my hand along the shield like I was dragging it through water. There was no way we were going to get close to it with those shields up, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t inspect the outside of it.
It was exactly the size of my ship, and up close, I could see the seams in the metal that were identical to mine. Of course, theirs was crafted slightly better, with materials I didn’t recognize that joined almost seamlessly compared to mine, but it was obviously still the same design, apart from the missing front window. I frowned as I stopped in front of the cockpit, though, since the ship looked pretty odd without any windshield on the front of it.
“Are you wondering about the lack of a windshield, Will?” Francine asked.
“You read my mind,” I replied. “It looks a bit strange, don’t you think?”
“I suppose it does, yes,” the AI replied. “However, the front panel does slide back to reveal a window if it is needed.”
“If it’s needed?” I asked. “I can’t think of a situation in which a window wouldn’t be needed.”
“Well, the ships are flown by AI, and we use monitors and scanners to fly,” Francine said. “We have no eyes, and therefore no need for a front window.”
“Then it’s even more impressive that they managed to fly here because the dust cloud blocked most of the scanners,” I replied. “It can’t have been easy.”
“No, but our one task, above all else, is to keep our creators safe,” Francine said, with a hint of sadness in her voice. “It seems we failed at that task on our homeworld, but I hope that there are more ships out there like this one that got some of the Lilacrons out alive.”
“I’m sure there are, Francine,” I said. “And we’re gonna find them.”
“So, Francine said that she detected signs of life inside the ship?” Rayne asked as she and Bob came over to join me on my inspection of the ship.
“Yeah,” I said. “I’m assuming that means there are Lilacrons inside, right Francine?”
“I believe so,” Francine said. “They are still in stasis, but they are alive, and from what I can tell, their vitals are stable.”
“How many of them are there?” I asked.
“Six, possibly seven,” Francine replied. “It is difficult to get a completely accurate reading through the shields and walls of the ship.”
“Francine says there could be six or seven people inside,” I informed Rayne.
“I wonder if there could be more Lilacron ships on The Crossed Swords,” Rayne said as she studied some of the other nearby ships.
“I doubt it,” I said. “It’s a wonder they even got here. What I was thinking, though, is that maybe the AI that is running this ship know’s where the rest of the survivors might have gone. Francine has no idea because she wasn’t there during the attack, and, by the looks of things, a lot of the protocols went out the window when it began. But, maybe the AI keeping these Lilacrons alive knows where the safe haven could be.”
“It’s a good theory,” Rayne said. “But now we just need to work out how to get in there. Or at least, how to contact them.”
“Leave that to me,” Francine said. “This may take a few moments.”
“We’re in no rush, Frankie,” I replied.
While Francine attempted to contact the AI inside the ship, Rayne and I continued to study the ship. It had the same opening at the back that would fold down to make a ramp into the storage bay, and I figured that was how they had managed to get the stasis tubes containing some of their creators into the ship. I wondered how the AI had selected the lucky few that they had taken with them. Had it just been first come, first served? But I decided that, since they were AI, they would have taken a more logical approach about who they would save.
Of course, it also depended on how much time they’d had before the Karaak had attacked. If they’d had hardly any time at all, they probably would have selected the closest Lilacrons they could get their metaphorical hands on, but they also probably would have chosen moderately young and extremely healthy bodies out of the group they had at their disposal, since that would mean they would have the highest chance of making more Lilacrons. I wasn’t entirely sure how their reproductive systems worked, like whether the Lilacrons carried the babies inside them or laid eggs, but I figured they needed to be healthy and have good reproductive organs either way.
The other option was that they had enough time to select six or seven of the most ideal candidates. A few younger ones to help restart the Lilacron species, but also a healer, who would be an integral part of the plan to keep what was left of their species alive, an engineer or two to make more AIs like Francine to help them, and of course, any leaders of the species that had been in power before they went into stasis.
But that was all just speculation, and the only way we’d know for sure was if Francine managed to talk to the other AI. There were probably all sorts of protocols the AIs would exchange, but at AI speed, that would take place quickly. The real hold-up, I was sure, was when Francine had to convince the other AI to trust me and Rayne and let us inside.
“Will, can you and Rayne make your way around to the front of the ship?” Francine asked.
“Sure,” I said as I began to trudge back to the nose of the ship. “Why?”
“They wish to carry out a full body scan of both of you,” the AI said.
“Damn, a full body scan?” I said as I came to a halt at the front of the ship. “Normally, I ask to be taken out to dinner first.”
Suddenly, a beam of green light came out of the front of the ship and started to slowly make its way from the top of our heads all the way down our bodies, to the tips of our boots. I couldn’t feel it at all, and as I turned to Rayne, I could see that she felt nothing as well.
“I have informed them of who you are,” Francine said. “They knew about my mission to Earth, and knew that I would select a human like you to protect the planet.”
“You’re making me out to be some kind of ‘chosen one’, Francine,” I chuckled. “They’re going to be very underwhelmed when they meet me.”
“I doubt that very much, Will,” Francine said.
Eventually, the scan finished, and the light disappeared. But still, nothing happened. No doors opened, no more lights came on, and there was no movement from inside the ship.
“Francine, what’s the hold-up?” I asked.
“They are being… stubborn,” Francine said.
“So, that’s a common trait between all of you, then?” I chuckled. “That’s good to know.”
“I am going to ignore that remark,” the AI said.
“That’s probably wise,” I replied.
“Perhaps it would be productive for you to address them yourself?” Francine suggested.
“You want me to talk to them?” I asked.
“Yes,” Francine said.
“This isn’t going to end well,” Rayne muttered.
“What should I say?” I asked.
“Nothing stupid,” Francine said.
“Thanks, that’s really helpful,” I sighed. “Alright, um, hello…”
“Strong start,” Rayne said.
“Give me a break,” I chuckled. “I’m Will Ryder. I’m the human that Francine, uh, your AI… colleague chose from Earth.”
Still, there was nothing.
“I’ve been out here for a while now,” I said. “I’ve seen a lot of things… Just before we came here, we went to Lilacron, your homeworld. We saw what the Karaak did to your planet. It was awful, and I really am so sorry for your loss. Many innocent lives were taken, and I don’t want to see that happen to any more of your people, or any other species, for that matter. So, please, let me help you keep the people you have inside your ship safe. It’s the least I can do.”
“I’m actually impressed,” Rayne muttered.
“Don’t congratulate me yet, the doors are still shut,” I whispered.
Right at that moment, the door on the side of the cockpit suddenly opened with a hiss of air and slid back to allow us to enter.
“Okay, now you can congratulate me,” I said with a smug smile.
“In your dreams,” Rayne said.
“Well done, Will,” Francine said.
“Thanks, Francine,” I replied, and then I turned to Rayne. “At least someone appreciates my talents as a wordsmith.”
“Stick to your day job,” Rayne said, and then she marched over to the doorway on the side of the Lilacron ship.
I joined her outside the doorway, and we both nervously peered into the ship. There didn’t appear to be anyone inside, but I could hear the faint sounds of movement inside. I glanced at her, and she nodded.
Then, I reached out with both hands, grabbed hold of the doorway, and pulled myself up into the ship. Once I was inside, Rayne passed Bob up to me, and then she climbed in, too.
The inside of the ship was weirdly similar to mine, although there were a few more pieces of technology scattered around that my ship didn’t have. The inside was brighter than mine, with the same cream color walls as the outside of the ship. The cockpit was alive with different lights, buttons, and quiet beeps as the ship accommodated the Lilacrons’ and the AIs’ every need.
There were two black chairs in the cockpit, one of which looked like it had never been used before. The seat belt harness was untouched, and there was even a thin layer of dust on the seat. The other, however, had an indent in it that had been created by something, or rather, someone.
I frowned at the indent and looked around the cockpit. I quickly spotted more signs that something had been walking around in here, like the footprints in the dust on the floor.
Holy shit, I thought to myself. Had the AI woken the Lilacrons up? Surely that was against protocol?
The door to the living compartment slid open suddenly, and Rayne and I jumped when we saw the silhouetted figure in the doorway. It was almost as tall as me, with long, slender arms and legs and a thick torso. Its head was conical and smooth, and as it stepped into the light, both of our jaws fell open in surprise.
It was a humanoid robot. Its head was smooth and had only two small dots on the front of it, which gave it the appearance of having eyes, but it had no nose or mouth. It walked smoothly, in fact, it almost seemed to glide toward us as it entered the cockpit with its arms hanging down at its sides calmly. Its body was made of matte, smooth metal, and it took a moment to take me and Rayne in before it spoke.
“Welcome,” it said eventually through some hidden speaker.
“Thanks for inviting us inside,” I said as I extended my hand to it. “I’m Will Ryder, and this is Rayne Trader.”
The robot stared at my hand for a moment, and then it slowly offered one of its hands to me. I took it cautiously and felt the cool metal under my fingers as we shook.
“This is a greeting where you are from?” it asked.
“Oh, yes, sorry, I totally forgot you guys probably don’t do that on Lilacron,” I chuckled.
“It is fine,” it replied. “It is pleasant.”
“Good,” I said, and then I gave Rayne a look that said ‘help’.
Rayne shrugged, since she was just as speechless as I was.
“You have legs,” I managed to force out of my mouth.
“Excellent observation,” the robot replied, and so now I knew that this AI was just as sarcastic as Francine. “I am the more advanced version of your AI. I have my own body and can function perfectly on my own.”
“It is not more advanced,” Francine scoffed. “It’s just got a body. But I have a folding engine inside me, so I think you can tell who is more advanced than who.”
“Well, it certainly hit a nerve,” I chuckled.
“How did you end up on The Crossed Swords?” Rayne asked.
“We flew into the dust cloud when the Karaak attacked Lilacron,” the AI explained. “The Karaak ship’s sensors did not work in the dust, so we were able to escape and ended up here.”
“That’s exactly the same as us,” I said. “The Karaak had left one of their ships orbiting Lilacron, probably to finish what they started and to make sure everything was destroyed, and when we arrived, let’s just say there was a lot of shooting and chasing. They weren’t too happy about us being there.”
“I can imagine,” the AI said.
“We are in search of the rest of our creators,” Francine said. “Where was the chosen safe haven?”
“The Frumentum Colony,” the AI replied. “Many forces are gathering there to combat the Karaak.”
“That is logical,” Francine said.
“What’s the Frumentum Colony?” I asked.
“Lilacron’s main crop is corn,” Francine said. “You saw the syrupy substance around the stasis tubes. It is mainly what the creators ingest to survive. When almost all of our creators went into stasis, we AI quickly realized that we needed a much larger supply of corn. So we built colonies around the galaxy where more corn could be farmed, but which could also be used as safe havens in case of extreme events like an asteroid strike or a violent quake. The location of the outposts are known only to a select few, so it is likely that it will take the Karaak some time to locate them.”
“I see,” I said, and I quickly whispered everything to Rayne, who nodded.
“Is that where you’re headed now?” Rayne asked.
“That is the issue,” the AI replied. “Our ship is recognizable as a Lilacron ship. We are a target for the Karaak, and as soon as we leave the dust cloud and reveal ourselves, it won’t be long until they find us. We are a transport ship, not a fighter ship. We are not armed with weapons that would even begin to fight off the Karaak, and we certainly don’t have the skills to evade them.”
“Right,” Rayne sighed. “So, you mean you’re stuck here?”
“For the moment,” the AI said. “But if we can get to The Crossed Swords, then so can the Karaak. They are relentless and will stop at nothing to murder our creators.”
“So, we need to find a way to get you guys off this planet, undetected, while keeping the Lilacrons safe,” I said. “Piece of cake.”
“I do not consume food,” the robot said.
“No, I didn’t mean… never mind,” I replied, and I had to remind myself that this AI hadn’t had time to learn all my Earth phrases like Francine had.
“How are your creators?” Rayne asked with genuine concern in her voice. “Were they harmed in the attack, or did you manage to get them out in time?”
“They are well,” the AI replied. “No injuries were sustained, and the stasis tubes remain intact.”
“That’s great,” she said.
“I have the smaller bots monitoring their vitals at all times,” the AI said. “There is a whole team of us on this ship looking after them.”
“That is comforting to hear,” Francine said. “It is a relief to know that some of our creators survived.”
“Unfortunately, most did not,” the AI said, and the two AIs shared a moment of silence between them.
I watched the robot in front of us for a moment as it commiserated with Francine. I saw the way its head was bowed, and I realized how alone it was making decisions that could possibly lead to the end of its beloved creators’ lives.
Then I thought about Francine and everything she had done for me with that same goal. I knew the AI had given me a whole new life in the hopes that I could stop the Karaak menace and save her creators. Well, I hadn’t been able to stop the attack on the Lilacron homeworld, but maybe I could help these Lilacrons survive, if not because of basic human decency and compassion, then for her. She had risked so much to come to Earth and warn me about the Karaak, so it was time to return the favor.
And I had an idea.
“I’ll take them,” I said.
“What?” the AI asked and looked around in surprise.
“I can take them in my ship,” I said. “My ship is the same size as yours. We can move some stuff around, and I’m sure that the Lilacrons will fit in the storage compartment of the ship.”
“Why would we give you our creators?” the AI asked. “Why would we put their lives in your hands when it is us who have been tasked with keeping them alive?”
“Well, for starters, Francine has that same task,” I said. “And you said yourself that the Karaak will be looking for your ship, and that your ship isn’t built for a fight. Mine is.”
“So you will be able to protect them better,” the AI said.
“And it’s more likely that we’ll be able to travel undetected because my ship isn’t marked as a Lilacron ship, nor does it have any emblems or insignia,” I said. “I’m basically a ghost out here. And right now, everyone inside this ship is just a sitting duck.”
The AI remained still for a moment as it considered my plan.
“I’m open to hearing any other ideas,” I said. “But I think that this one will work if you give it a chance. I know it’s asking a lot from you to give me the stasis tubes, but I promise you I will do everything I can to keep them safe. I’m your best, and kinda your only, option right now for keeping them alive.”
“It is the most logical option,” the AI said. “But I would like to take a look at your ship before I agree to your plan.”
“Understandable,” I said. “Follow me.”
The AI nodded, and after a moment, I led the way back to the cockpit door. I climbed out first, and once Rayne had handed me Bob, she climbed down as well. I watched the AI hesitate at the door, like it wasn’t sure it should abandon its post, but it joined us a moment later, and then the four of us marched to the other end of the lot.
“You were correct about it being the same build as our Lilacron ship,” the AI observed as it studied my ship. “It is well made, too. I assume a lot of it was made with Earth materials?”
“Initially, yes,” I said. “But I had a lot of upgrades done on it at the Aghoa Space Station.”
“I can see that,” the robot said. “Excellent craftsmanship.”
It held its hand up to the shields to test them, and then it slowly walked around the entire circumference of the ship until it arrived back beside us.
“I am happy with the external features, including the laser turrets and other weaponry,” it said. “Now I would like to have a look inside.”
“Of course,” I said. “Let’s go in through the storage compartment.”
I led the small group over to the rear of the ship, and Francine opened the hatch as we approached the back. The bottom of the ramp touched down on the ground in perfect synchronicity with our arrival, and I led the way up it and into the storage compartment without pause.
I had storage boxes of medical equipment, clothes, and some dried food stacked near the walls of the compartment, but other than that, the space was empty. I figured there was enough room for the stasis tubes, especially since the Lilacrons weren’t likely to complain about cramped quarters.
“Have a look,” I said to the AI.
The robot rambled around the storage compartment and looked closely at a few parts of the ship. It even pulled off one of the panels to take a look at the wiring behind it, which Francine had done by controlling Bob and some other worker bots back on Earth in order to get the ship finished as quickly as possible.
The AI was taking this extremely seriously, which wasn’t a surprise, and it scoured every inch of the room before it made its way back over to us. I glanced at Rayne, who looked just as clueless about what the AI had decided as I felt. Bob beeped as the robot returned, and amusingly, the robot beeped back before turning to us.
“This will do,” it said.
“And here I was expecting a compliment,” I muttered.
“But I will need to make a few adjustments to the ship to make it possible for it to keep the stasis tubes operational,” the AI said.
“You can do whatever you need to do,” I said. “But I would recommend we get it done as quickly as possible. We don’t know how long we have until the Karaak find us.”
“Agreed,” the AI replied. “I will also upgrade your robot as well so that it can assist us. It is not of much use as it is, and you could use an extra level of security.”
“Happy with that, buddy?” I asked the robot.
Bob beeped affirmatively.
“Alright then,” I said. “I’ll move the ship next to yours. It’ll be easier than walking back and forth across this parking lot.”
“Agreed,” the AI replied.
“Agreed,” Rayne said in an amused voice. “I’ll just chat with our friend here about what he might need while you move us.”
“Um, right,” I replied and rolled my eyes.
Despite Rayne’s teasing tone, I quickly climbed up the ladder that took me into the living compartment, made my way through to the cockpit, and fired the thrusters up. A cloud of dust followed me upward, and once I was airborne, I safely maneuvered all the way to the other side of the parking lot, where the Lilacron ship was located. At least it was easy to pick it out from the rest, thanks to its cream-colored hull.
But that also made it an easy target for the Karaak, and once those monsters made it through the cloud, there would be no way to disguise the Lilacron ship. At least mine blended in easily despite its similar design.
Once my ship was down and I had turned off all the flight systems, I made my way back down into the storage compartment. The rear ramp opened to allow some more light into the ship, and then I turned to the AI.
“Talk us through what you’re doing as you do it,” I said. “I wanna understand what’s changing inside my ship.”
“Of course, Will Ryder,” it replied as it pulled a second panel off the wall.
“Alright then, everyone,” I said to our small, unlikely team of misfits from across the galaxy. “We don’t have long, and we have a lot of stuff to get done to get this ship ready to house the Lilacrons. Let’s get to work.”