Chapter 2: Terms of Service

Picket’s conclusions did make some sense. At least from the perspective of what he currently understood about humanity and our current technology level. He had clearly dismissed the viability of our attacking the enemy ark preemptively in an act of defiance or vengeance. I wondered if he knew from studying our current society something I secretly feared. That my fellow contemporary humans might lack the deep-seated hatred that I felt as a direct survivor of what had been done to my world so long ago?

I would determine the validity of those fears during the upcoming Conscientia global forum and would see how greater humanity would react to the news that I had just learned. Would they be swayed by his seemingly logical conclusions? I would soon find out. There was one more thing to verify. Our enemy and especially this agent were not yet aware of our recent discoveries. I wondered how that knowledge would affect its logical arguments.

“Ohmu,” I sent sub-vocally. “Will this version of Picket be involved with the Conscientia forum in two days?”

—Yes, John. This version will be made available to give testimony as to the state of the enemy.—

Hmm ... I was uneasy about that. This Picket was good. The majority of humanity was isolated from the actions the assemblage had caused on this world eleven hundred years ago. We had tried to educate them with a good grounding of history but still, it was not the same as having lived through it all. That isolation combined with this smooth-talking enemy agent might be cause for concern.

“Ohmu, I want to see how Picket reacts to the knowledge of our wormhole discovery. If we do, can this version of him then be reset afterwards to no longer have that knowledge?”

—Yes, John. I can save his present knowledge level and then restore that version in the future if you request. I am curious as to why you think it would be necessary.—

“I’m not sure, Ohmu. I just have a feeling. Maybe it’s because this guy is such a slick talker. I don’t like the way Adele seems to be soaking it all up as gospel. When I tell you to, I want you to share all of our wormhole discoveries including the projected future progress we will make using the Forbin experiment results with the operative. Extrapolate those future developments as best you can. It’s not important if it’s completely accurate, Okay?”

—Yes, John. I will do as you ask.—

“Also, I’d like you to pause Adele and Kela while this happens. Can you do that or can you load this version of Picket into another private meeting room with just you and me present?”

—I can pause Adele and Kela. Note that they will both likely be aware of the pause after resumption.—

I’d have to deal with their questions later. “Okay, pause them and let’s see what happens.”

After Picket finished answering Adele’s most recent question, her and Kela’s images froze. Picket noticed and looked to me and Ohmu curiously.

“Picket. Your argument seems logical, but I don’t think you have a complete understanding of our capabilities. There are a few more-recent developments which I want you to be aware of. The data will be relayed to you now,” I said.

His image flickered as Ohmu and Dionus uploaded the knowledge I had requested. This transfer occurred at an even faster rate than the already-accelerated speed of the current iteration. Ten seconds later Picket’s image stopped flickering. He looked at me with a shocked expression on his face. For a moment I thought I even detected a hint of fear. Then, he regained control of himself and a calm expression came over his face.

“John. I am impressed at the new discoveries humans have made. I would love to meet this Uxe person who has been responsible for so much innovation. But even though you have made such technological breakthroughs, the risks of attacking the approaching ark still remain insurmountable. And, even if humans should be so lucky as to destroy our ark, you will still face the approaching doom of the Hemru attack.”

—John, be aware that there is much doubt and falsehood in this operative’s mind at this time.—

“Relax, Ohmu, I got this,” I subvocalized in reply. My bullshit detector was working perfectly and I smelled what Picket was hiding. He was nervous and afraid.

“Picket, here is what I think. I think we will soon have the ability to safely crush your ark along with any threats it may present to my world and species. I also think that we will be able to stop any Hemru attack which may be headed this way, either directly or by contacting the Hemru and having them stop the attack. That is what I intend to see happen,” I said, staring at him intently. I had to hand it to him. He controlled his panic and appeared to remain calm.

After a few seconds, he smiled and replied, “This is your anger expressing itself, John. You still harbor great ill will towards my species for what was done to your world. Don’t you realize that what happened was for the best? Your old world was doomed. Your own people had driven it too far down the path towards collapse, both environmentally and as a civilization.”

When he saw that I was not going to dispute his claims he went on. “Your new world is now a paradise in comparison to that old one. Nature’s balance has been restored and your people now exist without suffering or conflict. You must get over your old hatreds and accept that what has happened was for the best. You must accept that the Assemblage saved your world and your species.”

Technically what he said could have been truthful. We would never know though as humanity had been destroyed before it had had a chance to redeem itself. Although, it could be argued that many of humanity’s ills and the issues we’d had with the environment had been driven by the secret cold war between the Hemru and the Assemblage agents. I had to admit that humanity probably shared most of the blame.

I would never forget. I still remembered some of the more-powerful images of the fall of humanity. One especially potent image was that of a group of skeletons representing one of humanity’s last redoubts in a cave on Rodrigues Island in the middle of the Indian ocean. They had lain there together after having fought to the death against Assemblage eradication drones that had discovered their hideout. Nice try Picket. I smiled and shook my head.

He understood my expression and sighed heavily. “Well, at least there is the hope that the rest of your species might act more logically and not from hatred. After all, they had not suffered through those times like you did, John. It is good that you are but one voice among many,” he said.

When I laughed loudly in response he looked confused.

“Ohmu, have Dionus upload into this operative the reality of my situation regarding the AIs and the rest of my species,” I whispered subvocally. Let’s see how Picket reacts when he learns just who wields the ultimate power here.

Picket’s image again flickered as the knowledge was uploaded. While I waited, I double-checked that Adele and Kela were still paused. They were. I shook my head. This meeting within a meeting within a virtual simulation was confusing.

Picket became still. He was again back with me. I saw from the sudden look of horror on his face that he now fully understood the reality of this system. Finally, he spoke. “Your people do not know they are slaves!”

“Not slaves Picket, maybe closer to subjects. But hopefully, they will never be forced to feel as such. Regardless, the truth exists that they are my people, and this is my world! You and your species’ actions forced it to be this way. You will have to deal with the consequences of those actions,” I stated matter-of-factly.

I had to admit, this operative was quick. His face made a series of expressions as he quickly calculated the ramifications of what I had just said and determined his, and by extension, his species’ remaining options. Finally, a look of calm acceptance came across his face. Damn, he was quick!

“John. If the information you have relayed to me is accurate then there is little hope for my species and for the survival of the ark. I would offer to ease the danger and burden humanity would still face going through with an attack.” He paused and stared directly at me.

“Transmit me back to the Assemblage as an envoy. I will share this knowledge with them and coordinate the terms of our surrender. They will see the futility of the situation and will submit to your authority. We will no longer be a threat to you and you will then be free to focus on the worse threat, which is the pending attack from the Hemru.”

“Ohmu?” I asked subvocally.

—This operative believes itself to be truthful and sincere. The problem remains that this operative was transmitted without detailed knowledge of the controlling intelligences of the Assemblage which sent it. It, therefore, has no way of knowing how that entity will react to the knowledge provided to it. The actions suggested by this agent would therefore be an extreme gamble.—

That was my gut read as well. I considered what Picket had said and Ohmu’s summary for a moment before concluding that this meeting was over.

“Ohmu, erase this version of Picket and restore the one which existed before we added the wormhole discovery knowledge and that of my control over the system. Then, unfreeze Adele and Kela and resume the normal meeting.”

“Yes, John.”

Shortly, the old version of Picket was restored and the normal meeting resumed. Kela and Adele both looked at me a bit confused after the resumption but did not question what had occurred. Adele resumed questioning Picket and this continued for another ten minutes. I was listening along while also thinking about Picket’s reaction while we had our private discussion.

My attention was brought back to Adele’s questions when she brought up something I had not considered.

“Picket. You say that we are to build a second, rescue ark and send it off to rendezvous with your damaged ark. If we did so and repaired the damaged ark, you claim that both arks will then proceed along new vectors across space, right?” Adele asked.

“That is correct Ms. Adele. The course changes will remove the threat of continuing attacks from the Hemru.” Picket responded.

“But what about the original scouts launched from the Assemblage home world millennia ago? They landed on the Hemru world, on the Earth and who knows how many other worlds along the ark’s course. Surely there were scouts who landed on worlds further along the Assemblage Approach Vector. If the ark changes course after we repair it won’t it miss those worlds and scouts?”

“Very good Ms. Adele! You are correct. But the truth is that only one additional world beyond yours received scouts. After the Assemblage ark was launched from our home world in what was 3550 BCE of your calendar, and before that world was fully destroyed, frantic scout production and launches occurred.

“As you know, each scout was targeting upon a pre-selected star system along the ark’s course. Your world was the next-to-last to receive one of those scouts. Because of the dwindling resources back home and due to the extreme distances involved, the last system we were able to launch a scout vessel towards was the star system humans know as Altair.

“Altair is located approximately seventeen light-years further beyond the Earth along the course of the ark. As this was to be the final scouted star system, we had additional plans for the system.” Picket explained.

“What were those?” I asked, interrupting Adele’s questioning.

“Upon the scout’s arrival at Altair, in addition to preparing any local suitable planets to receive our species’ digital mind-data, new construction yards were to be built. These would be used to construct and launch a new fleet of scouts. The new scouts would then be sent onward along the ark’s course. Your world and Altair were to have spent centuries beforehand scanning the star systems further ahead for likely colonization targets along the current vector of the ark.”

Picket paused for a moment. His face took on the look of someone deep in thought or conversing with an AI. I wondered if this simulation of him included virtual implants to allow him to interact with the artificial intelligences. Or maybe he had a simulated augment like the old picket had.

He finally continued, “If I recall correctly, the next notable scheduled star system to be visited by the ark on its original course was the star system humans knew as Tarazed.” Picket paused again and then went on, “Also known by your records as Gamma Aquilae, Tarazed lies further on the current course of the ark at a distance of almost four hundred light-years from Earth.

“It was hoped that in the five millennia the ark would have taken to travel from Altair to Tarazed, addition star systems between the two systems would have been detected and targeted with scouts. Now, with the damaged ark needing repairs and its course adjusted, new options for detecting worlds along whatever new courses both arks will travel will be needed.” He explained.

“Will there be enough time to send the new ark travel vectors to your scout construction yard on Altair so that it can send scouts along the new courses?” Adele asked.

“No. Our plan was that the second ark constructed here will carry along two new seed scouts in addition to all the repair and refueling energies for both arks. After the ark’s rendezvous, the seed scouts will be sent on ahead along each of their new courses. The task of the scouts will be to quickly find a suitable solar system in which to build new shipyard facilities.

“These shipyards will then construct and launch further scouts, entire fleets!, which will travel ahead along the courses of each ark. The large numbers will be needed, as colonizable systems are projected to become more plentiful as they head towards the galactic center and areas of increasing star densities.” Picket explained.

There was a pause as we digested his words. I was struck by the fact that the Assemblage ark and scouts had already traveled a vast distance. Earth had been near the tail end of their ability to send scouts. If we had only been a few light-years off to the side of the ark’s course or just a system or two further along we’d have been spared.

“Picket, how many colonies have the Assemblage already created?” I asked the enemy agent.

Picket looked troubled. “I was not given complete data on that John. I am sorry. I only know details of one other star system, other than the failed attempt at the Hemru world. It is a relatively close world to yours, John.”

“Procyon?” I asked, naming the system we’d long suspected of being an assemblage target. The enemy had recently flown past the world just seventy-three years ago.

Picket looked slightly embarrassed. “No. Luyten’s Star, John. That red dwarf was nearer to the course of the Assemblage ark and was chosen to receive an early scout visit and a mind-data download as the ark passed by. I will also reveal that Procyon, at one point four light-years away, will be colonized from Luyten’s Star as soon as it’s feasible as it’s a much better candidate system for long-term habitation.

“I share this freely with you because your AIs will easily deduce that goal,” the enemy agent added.

“How long until that occurs?” I asked.

“I have no idea.” Picket replied.

—The AI advisory council calculates approximately two centuries from the time of mind-data deposition to arrival of the first colonizer from Luyten’s Star to Procyon, John. That first ship will likely arrive in one-hundred-thirty years, give or take twenty years.— Ohmu said in my implant.

Adele continued her questioning. I was distracted by the problem of our new neighbors. We faced established Assemblage colonies on two star systems just a dozen light-years away. They would have to be dealt with at some point in our near future. Worse, we’d have to backtrack the Assemblage ark’s course and see how many other colonies existed. Hopefully, the Hemru were already busy doing just that.

The current theory was that the Hemru had acted to aid Humanity because we were the only other Assemblage colony location that had an already established sentient species. It was thought that the Assemblage had planted colonies on many other worlds which did not have intelligent life, or possibly, no life at all. We’d have to find out, if we wanted long-term security.

After Adele’s questions were concluded, we wrapped up our meeting. Picket had said that he looked forward to testifying at the pending worldwide Conscientia forum in two days. I looked forward to the forum for different reasons. In the meantime, I had a few virtual calls to make. The first was to my old friend Uxe Esperanza. Of all the humans, I knew I could trust her advice and reasoning the most.

Later in the morning, Adele was giggling like a schoolgirl as Ticklefin pulled her around the calm waters of the north lagoon. She had a firm grip on the ultra-dolph’s dorsal fin as its powerful flukes propelled them quickly through the crystal-clear waters. After they circled back near to where I was floating on a lounging platform, she let go and treaded water. The sleek dolphin swam and dove around her.

“How long have you had a dolphin living here with you, John?” she asked as she arrived at the edge of my floating mat.

“He and his pod were here when I first arrived after coming back from Mongolia. I think they had already been in the area for a few years,” I replied. “Ticklefin is the friendliest of the bunch. The rest I see less frequently.”

Just then the dolphin popped up beside us.—Dive Adele! Adele dive! I show you pretties!—

Adele grabbed the small rebreather which she had left on my platform and strapped it around her shoulders. I took advantage of her movements to check out her firm breasts. She then grabbed the swim fins which had also been on the mat and contorted herself to put them onto her feet. This allowed me a great view of her other special regions.

I gave a heavy sigh after she dove out of sight following the dolphin to the bottom. I’d need to wrap up our interviewing soon and move our relationship into a more-physical phase. This assumed that Adele was agreeable. I was pretty sure that was the case from her occasional glances at my exposed manhood. If not, I’d soon have to see if a certain touch-therapist was available. One who wanted to spend a few days on a tropical island.

Ohmu came riding up on an electric wave skipper. She had brought a cooler. When the skipper came to a stop next to my floating mat, she handed me a cold bottle of iced tea.

“You’ve read my mind, Ohmu. Thank you.”

“Yes, John. I could see you licking your lips all the way from shore and assumed you were thirsty. It was either that or your base desires were expressing themselves again, due to exposure to your nude guest. Shall I contact Ms. Beraza and enquire if she would have an opening soon to come and help you with your needs?”

Hmm. Angelina was a wonderful and adventurous lover and I would love to spend time with her. But Adele was already here and seemed willing enough. I quelled the fantasy that formed of sharing my bed with both beautiful women at the same time.

“Not quite yet. Let’s see what develops with Adele first.”

“As you wish, John. You might wish to be aware that the next group of vacationers will be arriving on the island in one hour. The new accommodation structures have been cleaned and re-stocked,” the android said.

“Thank you, Ohmu. Adele and I will be clear of the beach before they come out to swim.” I had no desire to meet the latest batch of Forbin Complex visitors. As soon as I said that, it occurred to me that maybe Adele would want to meet the guests. “I need to revise that. I shouldn’t speak for Adele. She may wish to loiter around and meet some of them,” I added.

Thirty meters away the subject of our discussion surfaced. She had a handful of colorful shells. Ticklefin surfaced next to her with another in its beak. I smiled as I watched them play with their treasure and each other.

The time in the water today was a good distraction. I had been mulling over both the recent virtual meeting with Picket and my follow-up call to my friend and occasional lover, Uxe. She was busy working on the wormhole project. The new official name for the wormhole research was now the Far Reach project or FRP for short. This was the rapidly growing project to quickly develop wormhole technology into something robust enough to attack our enemies and to defend ourselves from them.

Currently, the main research facility was located in space beyond the far side of the moon, at the Earth-Lunar L2 point. The original research site on the Vesta asteroid was being rebuilt. I’d learned that other facilities were being prepared for the FRP all across the solar system.

The largest and most advanced was being constructed on Mars. Uxe had said that she might be relocating to that facility soon. I was surprised at how much this upset me, as I had grown accustomed to having her nearby. Well, nearby if you include the few hundred thousand kilometers to the far side of the moon.

How was it going, you ask? Well if I understood the simplified updates which Uxe sent to me periodically I would say ‘pretty good.’ We’d used the data we had extracted from the Forbin experimental data center to rapidly push the theories involving wormhole technology. All of our key goals now had promising avenues of active research, and we were beginning to show positive results.

Of course, there had also been setbacks. One of the worst was when they had lost nearly a dozen new AIs by trying to boost their processing and memory capacity beyond stable limits to better understand the advanced data we’d extracted from Forbin. The good news was that the lost data and intelligences had all been fully backed up.

After a week’s worth of delays, the majority had been restored and were again operating, although at a lower and safer intelligence threshold below the practical artificial sentience limits. Uxe’s personal AI, Truffles, had been one of the AIs lost and had suffered the most.

This was due to its specialized logic hierarchy, which the local backup had not fully captured. A new complete physical copy of the original AI had to be brought in-system from where it resided on the asteroid Vesta via an expedited torch to fully restore that lost sentience.

Uxe and I had had a long discussion involving the information I had learned from the Assemblage operative. She had been the only other human or AI besides Ohmu and Naomi with whom I had shared the full extent of my private session with that version of Picket. She agreed with my assessment of not cooperating with the Assemblage.

Uxe was also curious and slightly worried about how the greater humanity would react to the enemy agent’s proposal. When we finished our conversation, she had reassured me that she trusted my judgment and would have my back. I felt much better after having heard that.

We said our goodbyes, during which I promised to try and visit her in lunar orbit before she left to relocate to Mars. She would also be joining me at the global Conscientia forum, although we would not have much chance to talk privately due to the real-time virtuality clock rate it would be operating at.

“Ohmu. I’d like to have a virtual conversation with you and Naomi soon. Is the AI back in high bandwidth contact yet?” I asked the android.

“Querencia is still in transit to its primary undersea docking station in the Indian Ocean, John. She should be arriving in this vicinity later tonight where it will then be able to connect to underwater high-bandwidth optical data lines. Would a virtual meeting tomorrow morning be acceptable?”

“That would be fine, Ohmu.” Naomi was currently relocating Querencia, her massive submarine, to the waters somewhere near the island. She had moved the sub to a specialized shipyard in Norway three months ago for a minor refit of its fusion plant. That work had been completed three weeks ago and the boat had been sailing a meandering return course since. It had just entered this part of the Indian Ocean a few days ago.