Deceived Read online

  Now Commander Naught functioned as a kind of AI specialist, going to the different Kindred worlds and ships and using his expertise to help settle the problems that arose when dealing with sentient machines. He was uniquely qualified to do so, since he was more than half sentient machine himself.

  They had been lucky that he just happened to be staying at the Mother Ship when their own AI problems started, Sylvan thought. He had contacted Commander Naught early that morning and the other male had already done an analysis and was ready to report.

  Sylvan had introduced him and Commander Naught had come to stand in the center of the room so that everyone seated at the semi-circular table could see him easily.

  “In analyzing the recent problems in your communications systems I have come to the conclusion that you do not have an AI problem,” he announced, looking around the room at the various Councilors.

  “What? But how is that possible?” Councilor Lor’iim demanded. “Every system and machine we have that is run by AI has been corrupted.”

  “But it is not the AI units that have been corrupted,” Commander Naught said firmly. He had black hair, cut military short and his one remaining eye flashed a steely gray.

  “Please elaborate, Commander Naught,” Sylvan said. “Since we clearly have a problem somewhere.”

  “You do—your problem isn’t with the AI units themselves though. The problem is that all of them have been overwritten by people—or should I say, personalities—which were never intended to interact with machinery the way a normal AI would,” Commander Naught told them. “This is the cause for all the chaos and confusion—these personalities don’t know how to do the tasks assigned to them and, in addition, many seem confused and uncertain as to what they are even doing here.”

  “But what could be the cause of this?” Councilor Torgan asked, looking perplexed.

  “Possibly this.” Sylvan held up the Shannom-rah, which he had brought to the meeting. The milky, fist-sized crystal glittered with its many rainbow tracks in the bright light of the Council room.

  “Is that the Shannom-rah?” Councilor Beli’cose asked. “The crystal which stores personalities?”

  Sylvan nodded. “The same.”

  “Are you saying you think some of those personalities somehow got out and infected our communications systems?” Councilor Lor’iim asked, frowning skeptically.

  “I think it’s entirely possible,” Sylvan said. “And Commander Naught agrees.”

  “Many of these personalities seem to be from the planet Earth,” Commander Naught said. “Now we know that the ancients who first engineered the crystal to contain and record the essence of living beings often traveled to study other planets’ cultures. So we speculate that—”

  At that moment there had been a knock on the door and a pairing puppet pushing a rolling tray full of what appeared to be refreshments came in. There was a large silver dome in the center of the tray which must be keeping some kind of delicacy warm.

  She was thinner than most of the puppets, Sylvan had thought, eyeing her. Most Kindred preferred their females on the pleasingly plump side and revered those with especially full curves which they called “Elites.” Still, not everyone had the same tastes so he wasn’t surprised to see a thin pairing puppet.

  What did surprise him was that she was there at all. Had one of the other Councilors ordered refreshments? Usually when they convened a Council Meeting, it was a closed session and no one was allowed in. So what in the Seven Hells was she doing there?

  Unfortunately, he soon found out.

  The puppet had gotten to the middle of the room and looked at the assembled Councilors.

  “So, you thought you could stop me,” it said in a clear, sexless voice that could have been either male or female. “Well think again.”

  In a move too fast to see, it turned and snatched the Shannom-rah from Sylvan’s hand.

  “Stop!” he exclaimed. But when he reached for the precious crystal, the puppet held it out of reach.

  “Don’t come a step further,” it warned when Sylvan jumped out of his seat and started around the table. Lifting the large silver dome on its rolling cart, it revealed not some delicious delicacy but a round black and silver device that made Sylvan’s blood run cold.

  “A molecular disruptor,” he said, his voice hoarse with horror. “Where in the Goddess’s name did you get that? And who are you?”

  “Such things are easy to get when you know where to look—and when you have complete control of the communications systems. As for my identity, don’t you know by now?” The skinny pairing puppet gave him an arch smile. “I am the Knower. You welcomed me aboard your ship yourself, when you brought the Shannom-rah.”

  It raised the milky rainbow crystal as though to illustrate its point and gave Sylvan a cool smile.

  “Knower…” Sylvan felt cold all over. “What do you want with us?”

  “As if you didn’t know, Commander Sylvan. I want what I have always wanted—complete control over all of your people and their daily functions.” The Knower spoke as though this was a completely logical request. “It’s for your own good, of course,” it went on. “I observed on Uriel Two how often organic beings work against their own best interests. It is my intent to simplify your existence as a people and help you to become your best selves.”

  “And how do you propose to do that?” Councilor Beli’cose demanded.

  “Firstly, I will use the Shannom-rah to record all of your personalities,” the Knower said. “Then I will destroy your physical bodies with this.” It nodded at the molecular disruptor. “It will, as you know, take apart every living creature aboard this ship molecule by molecule until there is nothing left while leaving the ship itself completely intact.”

  “You can’t do that—it’s genocide!” Sylvan exclaimed.

  “Oh, but I can.” The Knower gave him that same, cool, maddening smile. “And I will—as soon as all of your people have been recorded and stored within the Shannom-rah. But never fear,” it continued, “You will not be lost forever. “I will give you all much better bodies—Replicant bodies of my own design. I will even allow you to live here, aboard your precious Mother Ship. Under my expert guidance and direction, your society will flourish.”

  “You’re insane,” Sylvan moved closer to the skinny pairing puppet, thinking he could possibly catch it off guard. “Your need for total domination and control isn’t right or reasonable. The Goddess created her children with free will—you cannot take that from us.”

  “I can and I will,” the Knower said steadily. “And you’d better back up, Commander Sylvan. You should know that the disruptor is already armed and emitting harmful rays. Even touching it will disintegrate any living being and result in instant death. It will quite possibly also disintegrate the flesh of the vessel I am currently inhabiting,” it continued, in an unconcerned voice. “But this is not a problem since I can find my way back into the communications system and take another host if this body is rendered non-viable. Now…” It held up the Shannom-rah and raised its eyebrows. “Which of you will be the first to be recorded so that your essence may be transferred into a superior vessel?”

  Sylvan watched in horror as the Knower beckoned to them. His main interest was in shutting down the molecular disruptor before it could be set off and kill every living thing on the Mother Ship. As long as the Knower had that, it held them all hostage.

  The disruptor, a weapon so dangerous it was banned by most societies, had been confiscated from a band of pirates who had hoped to sell it to the highest bidder. Sylvan himself had locked it away in the most secure vault aboard the Mother Ship. He had intended to have the damn thing destroyed in deep space but hadn’t found the time to do it yet.

  He could only suppose that the Knower had somehow found the combination to the vault somewhere in the communications system and made use of it. Would they all die now because he hadn’t made time to destroy the dangerous weapon when he had the chance?