Return Of The Queen: The Kurtherian Endgame™ Book Eight Read online

  Harkkat stopped in his tracks. “What happens if I don’t take the contract?” he asked, needing to know the answer although he felt his decision had already been made.

  Tabitha lifted a shoulder and indicated a door for Harkkat to walk through. “I get to enjoy watching you tell Bethany Anne. Welcome to your office. This is where you’ll keep track of communications between the Interdiction and the Federation. Your other duty is to connect the people to services they need to access.”

  Harkkat shuddered at the thought of refusing a woman who often filled his nightmares as he made his way inside. “I’m going to do what with who, now?”

  Tabitha waved a hand for effect as she connected to the consulate’s systems and the lights and brought the computers to life. “You’re going to do your job.”

  Harkkat gripped the desk in shock. “You’re right, and it’s a job I can do well with resources like this.” He glanced around before looking Tabitha in the eye. “But why am I being given all of this?”

  Tabitha pointed at the chair. “Sit down already. You have what’s needed to get your job done to the best of your ability, nothing more. You’ll report to Nickie Grimes twice a week about general logistics requirements, and also whenever an urgent request occurs anywhere in the Interdiction.”

  Harkkat’s eyes widened. “Grimes?” He swallowed. “That’s a coincidence, right?”

  Tabitha shook her head. “I’d advise you not to piss her off. She wasn’t named in tribute.” She watched the thoughts run across Harkkat’s face as they ran through his mind in an uncharacteristic unguarded moment. “Just do your job and keep out of trouble, and you have nothing to worry about.”

  He nodded, then his politician’s mask was back. Harkkat put a hand to his chest and looked Tabitha in the eye. “I won’t let the Queen down.”

  Tabitha clapped the Leath on the back and headed for the door. “I hope not, for your sake,” she told him. “I’ll be back in a few hours to take you to your new home. Get acquainted here, since it’s where you’ll be spending most of your time. Don’t forget, if you need anything, like a food delivery or access to databases, CEREBRO is here to help. I did mention your big brother, right?”

  “Ummm.” Harkkat’s brow creased in confusion. “No?”

  Tabitha left the consulate, snickering at Harkkat’s bewildered reaction to the EI group’s harmonic voice as they introduced themselves. Right on time, Bethany Anne spoke into her mind.

  How did it go down?

  Exactly as ADAM predicted, she replied. Which doesn’t answer our question one way or the other. I still think a penal colony would have been a better punishment.

  Bethany Anne snickered. This amuses me a hell of a lot more. Besides, I want that sneaky shit where I can keep all the eyes on him. Let him get settled and give him a chance to integrate before you test him.

  Gotcha, Tabitha confirmed. Something in the transmission caught her attention. Hey, what are you doing at High Tortuga?

  How do you know where I— Never mind, ADAM just explained. Reynolds came back from his mission. Which reminds me, I need to book the Hexagon for a welcome reception for his crew. They represent possible allies in the Chain galaxy, and I want to make them feel welcome on Devon when they arrive.

  Tabitha rubbed her hands together. You mean it’s time to arrange the party before we do the impossible thing?

  Got it in one, Bethany Anne replied.

  Chapter Two

  High Tortuga, SD Reynolds

  The Superdreadnought Reynolds was at rest.

  The bridge was empty of organics, and the splinter personalities the AI Reynolds had created to ease his loneliness before he’d picked up his crew had been transferred to mobile memory cores after their ordeal during the infection.

  However, they were still connected to the ship. He had requested time to think about them, despite processing the close calls they’d had in getting back to High Tortuga in time to save his other selves.

  He had to come to terms with his independence.

  He had been created for war, pure and simple. His entire existence was based on service. But changes in the law back home during his long hunt meant that AIs were now legally recognized and had the right to choose their own paths through life.

  He was alive, there was no disputing that. His android body contained a living, sentient being with thoughts, and hopes, and...dreams?

  What are my dreams? he mused.

  His fingers tapped gently on his armrest. He felt both sides of the contact and got his answer. As much as he was a person, he was also the ship. Whatever course he chose, it would have to be the right choice for both halves of himself, and therefore his crew.

  A female voice startled him from behind. “I don’t remember having ADAM build a tendency toward sentimentality into your original programming. I like it.”

  Reynolds jumped to his feet at the sound of Bethany Anne’s voice. “My Queen!”

  Bethany Anne flashed a grin, her arms spreading, both hands waving. “The one and only.” She raised an eyebrow. “You got yourself a body, huh?”

  Reynolds discovered that Takal had built his humanoid body with the ability to blush. “It was a tactical decision.”

  “Well, I don’t know if you can put all the blame on me,” Tactical commented from his post's speaker. “But it was difficult to get the meatbags to listen when they were busy pointing their guns at the huge-ass ship over their planet.”

  Bethany Anne paused before sitting down at the tactical station. “Is there something I’m missing?”

  “I asked for privacy!” Reynolds thundered. He covered his eyes with a hand when the rest piled on the comm, asking permission to join the audience with Bethany Anne. “Apologies, my Queen.” He pointed to the station she was sitting at before pointing elsewhere on what looked like an empty bridge. “Meet Tactical, Comm, Helm, XO, Doc, Navigation, and Engineering.”

  Bethany Anne followed the greetings around the bridge as each personality introduced themselves. ADAM, would you care to explain?

  >>Yeah, no. I’ll leave Reynolds to talk himself out of this one. There are eight AIs aboard this ship. They arrived in a state, according to the logs, but they are all separate entities and stable now.<<<br />
  Bethany Anne didn’t need to be a mathematician to figure out what Reynolds had done. “Good to meet you all.” She left the chair, walking over to Reynolds rather than occupy a chair that already had someone in it. “I think I’ll stand. So, how did you end up with seven new AIs?”

  “I created them as a means to avoid issues caused by loneliness,” Reynolds told her, sagging in his seat. “I can’t explain what it was like to be so alone, Bethany Anne. To face eternities with no company but my own thoughts.”

  “I understand.” Bethany Anne placed a hand on his shoulder. “You’re home now.”

  “Some might say Tactical is an issue caused by loneliness,” XO quipped, breaking the tension.

  “You wound me,” Tactical replied. “My Queen, you are more than welcome to sit on my—”

  Reynolds shut the potentially offending station down and restricted Tactical to the internal comm. “Proving XO's point,” he apologized. “Tactical’s an acquired taste.”

  Bethany Anne raised an eyebrow, wondering how it was that AIs ended up with just as many quirks as the humans who created them. “I suggest he finds a way to make himself more palatable in my presence.”

  Reynolds got to his feet. “Trust me, you won’t hear another peep out of him. Let me show you what we brought back.”

  Bethany Anne shook her head. “That can wait. I want to know how your mission went. Did you find any Kurtherians?”

  “Yes,” Reynolds told her, “and no.”

  Bethany Anne accessed the ship logs and read through everything that Reynolds and his crew had encountered in the Chain galaxy. Her eyes widened in places. “Your crew is really something,” she praised, looking at him. “Made up of mostly civilians?”

  Reynolds nodded
proudly. “My first officer was a cab driver before I recruited her.”

  Bethany Anne shook her head in wonder before she continued reading. “This is Star Trek shit,” she murmured. The name “Phraim-‘Eh” startled her into skipping ahead to the conclusion and what came after.

  “It’s dealt with, I promise.” Reynolds observed his queen’s smile growing as she counted up the crew’s good deeds across the far-flung galaxy. “I intend to leave on another tour as soon as my crew has had time to enjoy the liberty they’ve earned these past few months.”

  Bethany Anne had forgotten she was reading. She smiled. “You did good work. Both galaxies are better places for your actions.”

  “We did what we thought was right, and did our best to fix it when we weren’t.” Reynolds didn’t know what else to say.

  “That’s all you can do,” Bethany Anne assured him. “If you hadn’t been a good leader, your crew wouldn’t have chosen to stay with you. You inspired every one of those people to follow you back here into a war.”

  Reynolds sobered at the mention of the war. “What’s happened since I’ve been gone?”

  Bethany Anne sighed, leaning on the console with her arms folded. “Too much to tell you about. The remaining Kurtherians have come out of hiding at last. They’ve united under a single leader, and it’s been open war for the last couple of years. They want the Federation, but I’m not letting them take a single fucking step in its direction.”

  “John told me that you and Michael had children,” Reynolds commented. “When can I meet the little tikes?”

  Bethany Anne gave him a mysterious smile. “Yeah, they’re not little anymore. I’m glad you’re back, Reynolds. The advances in tech have been significant, as well. You’re just in time to get a makeover.” She paused, then waved a finger in a circle. “The ship part of you, anyway. ADAM, give Reynolds everything he needs to get caught up.”

  “Everything?” ADAM asked from the speaker.

  Bethany Anne nodded. “I have an offer for him, and Reynolds needs to be fully informed before he makes a decision.”

  Reynolds didn’t have time to wonder about ADAM’s hesitancy when he received an information dump that almost made him stagger physically with surprise as he processed it. “This…this is incredible. What I discovered was barely a drop in the ocean of resources Gödel has. Do you believe Phraim-‘Eh to be one of her pawns?”

  “Access the file designated ‘Galaxy Map,’” Bethany Anne instructed. “You’ll see the marker on the Chain galaxy that I’m looking at right now.”

  Reynolds complied and saw the red marker for the Chain galaxy turn green as ADAM updated the map. “It’s a small gain,” he commented, the green marker standing out in a sea of red.

  Bethany Anne’s mouth turned up at the corner. “A gain is a gain, and you made some valuable allies for the Federation while you were at it. Gödel has a nasty surprise coming her way, don’t believe differently. However, I can’t deliver that until I know that the Federation is going to remain safe in my absence.” She waved a hand to forestall the question she saw forming on Reynolds’ face. “Access the file designated ‘Operation Security Blanket.’ I need to visit every outpost, station, and colony on BMW's list to provide the equipment for their defense systems upgrades, as well as the nanocytes we’ve programmed to give the soldiers a fighting chance against the Ookens.”

  Reynolds couldn’t see how the project was relevant to him. “Why are you telling me all this?” he asked. “My mission is to take out the Kurtherians wherever I find them.”

  “Not if you accept my offer,” Bethany Anne told him. “John explained the change in Federation law, right? Your ship is your property, and you have the same rights as any other captain. If I want your services, you have to agree. I’d like you to accompany the Baba Yaga on the upgrade tour.”

  “Two superdreadnoughts are better than one.” XO spoke for the seven AIs bound to the ship. “We’re in if you are, Captain.”

  Reynolds considered the offer for a moment before realizing that he wasn’t the captain who made life-changing decisions for his crew. “It’s yes from us, but I’ll have to get back to you with a final answer.” He gave Bethany Anne a grin, pounding one hand into the other. “I’m all for visiting my old stomping grounds, but my crew has a say in the decision.”

  Bethany Anne chuckled. “That’s fine. We have a few weeks before we leave. I’m arranging a dinner to welcome your crew to the Interdiction. We can talk then. In the meantime, take your metal ass to Jean so she can give your systems an overhaul. I know you’ve got to be tired of that old ESD draining you every time you use it.”

  Reynolds snickered as he wrapped an arm around Bethany Anne to guide her off the bridge. “I have a few gifts for Jean as well. Do you think she’s going to like her new matter transporters?”

  Bethany Anne’s jaw dropped. “’Matter transporter?’ As in, the crew is on the ship in space…” She made the jjooom noise. “Then they’re on the ground?” He nodded. “Where did you get that?”

  Reynolds laughed. “Star Trek shit, my Queen. What can I say?”

  Bethany Anne raised an eyebrow. “There’s only one thing you can say. ‘Beam me up, Scotty.’”

  High Tortuga, Space Fleet Base

  Bethany Anne had missed this place. She had much better memories of it than everyone else who had lived here during her admittedly protective phase after the twins had been born. She had it in her mind to meet this former cab driver-turned-first officer Reynolds was so fond of.

  AIs didn’t bond with just anyone, so she had to be something special.

  The call she’d been waiting for halted her search. Speak to me, Eve. Are my children ready to come out of the Vid-docs?

  Almost, Eve informed her. They are about to enter the penultimate phase of the game, where I must withdraw and allow their decisions to be the program’s guide.

  Eve, I’m not in the mood to play “guess how to kick the AI’s annoying ass?” Let’s pretend I skipped the Psych 301 class on how to properly educate young humans and just give me the basics of what that means.

  It means that from this point forward, the program will step up its adaptations to their actions and decisions and push them to their limits. They can handle it, Eve continued with a hint of pride in her voice. I have the game running a touch slower than real-time at the moment, and will continue to compensate to sync their progress with the neural integration. It’s probable that they will complete the final scenario before the process is complete, but I advise you to return as soon as you are able to do so.

  Bethany Anne’s heart flipped in her chest at the thought of seeing the twins. I’ll be back in the next few hours. Do I have that long?

  There was a brief pause before Eve replied, Yes, that should be fine.

  Thank you. Bethany Anne headed for the ship at a run, wishing she had time to configure that communications beam Reynolds had brought back. Then she could have Jean merge it with the transporter technology to make an instantaneous galaxy-to-galaxy transportation beam she could send herself along. Maybe she should have tried harder to persuade Amanda to teach her that Porting trick.

  The twins were at the front and center of her mind as she traveled. The trip between High Tortuga and Devon wasn’t long, but each second that passed felt like an eternity. She just wanted to hold her children in her arms again.

  She met Michael and Eve in the Vid-doc suite. The holoscreen showed the children—adults now—aboard a military transport.

  “There are no further updates,” Eve told Bethany Anne in greeting. “They are about to face a test of their adherence to duty. This could take a while.”

  Michael got up from the couch. “In that case, I’ll have to come back later.” He checked to make sure the feed was accessible to his internal HUD before vanishing into the Etheric.

  Bethany Anne hesitated to leave when Alexis and Gabriel were so close to completing the game and making it as adults. However, she was expecting Jean to cal
l soon, and the backlog of tasks was building up with every minute she spent waiting.

  Eve came over and took Bethany Anne’s hand. “They are doing well,” she assured her. “I’ll call you when there’s news. I know how tight the schedule for departure is.”

  Bethany Anne nodded, reluctantly dragging her gaze from the holoscreen. “I’m not leaving my children behind for the next fourteen months. The schedule for departure is going to be altered if they’re not finished in time.”

  Eve chuckled at the chance of Jean allowing that to happen after she’d been so pressed to get the ships refitted for the tour. “It won’t come to that,” she promised. “Now go before you lose the day and are the reason for the schedule malfunction.”

  Devon, QSD Baba Yaga

  Ashur wandered the corridors of the top deck, looking for Bethany Anne. He could easily find his human by asking Izanami, but he preferred to use his nose and retain a bit of mystery.

  Ashur - Image by Eric Quigley

  The trail had led him from the bridge to Bethany Anne’s quarters, then to the armory, and now here to the other end of the deck where the twins' quarters were located. He followed the Bethany Anne smell through the lounge and into the study.

  She smiled when the door slid open. “Hey, furball. What’s up?”

  Ashur cocked his head. What are you doing all the way out here?

  Bethany Anne put the Jinx toy she was holding back on the desk. “I had a little time before my call with Jean is scheduled. I was thinking about how it’s going to be when Alexis and Gabriel come out of the Vid-docs.”

  That’s only natural, Ashur told her. You’ve all made a hard choice. What’s brought this on?

  She took a seat at the desk and buried her hand in Ashur’s fur. “Eve telling me the program is almost complete. They’ve changed so much, so fast. Why didn’t anyone tell me being a parent mostly consists of being filled with pride in your children’s achievements while your heart breaks because they don’t need you anymore?”