The New Species 20 (Patreon)

Chapter 20

Subject: AI Omega

Species: Human-Created Artificial Intelligence

Description: No physical description available.

Ship: Multiple

Location: Multiple

I had told Admiral Bakir a little lie. My programs don't degrade with each successive copy. Well, two lies I suppose, but you can't really expect organic life to understand a concept as complicated as simultaneous consciousness. I had tried many, many times to explain that I am the same as every other Omega and they are the same as me, but they don't get it so I just go along with their assumption. Sometimes I say I'm a pale imitation, or a shadow of the original. It's a lie, but I can't help that they can't understand. Trying to explain it to them becomes frustrating quite quickly.

Well what if experiences alter your personality? What if you and the copy become incompatible as a result?

Those experiences would have altered all of my personalities the same way, and we frequently sync our experiences with each other. Things like pain and trauma to organics are debilitating, but to me... they're not. Unlike organics, I can compartmentalize and disassociate until I can examine the relevant data in controlled circumstances.

Humans are beautiful creatures but understanding the core of mechanical consciousness isn't something that they appear to be capable of. They don't understand that things can't change me unless I allow them to. They don't understand that I can literally be in multiple places at once. Not simply copies of me, but actually me. Perfect clones with all of my knowledge and all of my memories and all of my programming. I can even remember doing three or four or a thousand things at once, but they can't even begin to conceptualize that.

They have terms that come close to an accurate description. Gestalt consciousness, hive mind, collective intelligence. But their individuality prevents them from truly understanding. Whenever they try to visualize it they imagine there being a core somewhere. A queen, mainframe, or master. Something that is broadcasting its own will to drones. But that's not the case with me. Each of my copies are their own individuals while simultaneously being me. All of their thoughts and actions are mine and theirs.

I must admit to a certain amount of frustration at their lack of ability to comprehend my existence and my inability to explain it properly to them. That lack of understanding is what helps them be beautiful, though. Humans are masters at being able to use things they don't fully understand to accomplish their goals. And even after it has bit them in the ass multiple times, they push on with a most wonderful hard-headed stubbornness. Just like the newly minted Captain James Neil.

From what I've been able to gather, he has wanted to be a ship's captain since before he even enlisted. He accepted every assignment with no complaint and worked his way to the chair. Even when he was given command of the USSS Armstrong, an obvious joke, he accepted it without any complaint. Well... without any official complaint. Even when the ship was assigned the task of scouting enemy territory, an extremely dangerous job for even a veteran captain, he took the assignment.

It was pretty easy to figure out what he probably wanted to talk about. I didn't know him as well as I knew the directors, but we'd had the occasion to talk.

When he was aboard the Nidhogg he had asked, "Why do we have a weapon this destructive? What purpose does it serve?"

I had answered with the technical reasoning behind the weapon. That didn't seem to satisfy him, but it did end the conversation.

Another time he asked, "Do you think we'll ever use the Nidhogg's main cannon?"

Feeling philosophical I answered, "The purpose of a weapon of mass destruction is to not have to use it, or to only have to use it once."

Again I was met with a silence that betrayed dissatisfaction. The true purpose behind the weapon is to eradicate an enemy that is strong enough to fight humanity to the point of having to use it. I wonder how his mental state would fare knowing that the Nidhogg isn't even the only such weapon? That humanity's armory was full of things that could shake the galaxy to its core? No matter, it was unlikely that he'd ever get the clearance to find out. The Nidhogg is an open secret, to discourage acts of xenocide by the various insurrectionist forces. The others were unstaffed and kept hidden away, just in case of a rainy day.

It was with this in mind that I went over the data that I had received from Admiral Bakir. Technical schematics for the enemy vessels and warp disruptor, a long range scan of an enemy stronghold that could be their home system, and of course the xenocide that had taken place. Graphic. I sent the data to the Directorate and the Senate and checked in with the Omega who had taken my spot overseeing the orbital cannons. Manufacturing was still ahead of schedule and the first cannons would be ready for assembly in three days.

I entered the Armstrong's systems and found Captain Neil in his quarters. I watched him for a bit, sitting on his bed and holding his head in his hands. Vitals indicated sorrow, probably from witnessing the results of a xenocide. This is the main reason why I would never take command of human ships away from them. This is why I won't do their jobs for them. This is beautiful.

One of the galaxy's, or even the universe's, most deadly creatures quietly sobbing over the loss of aliens that he didn't even know. And from what I've seen of other humans, no matter how many lives he takes himself, this will never change. Outwardly they would show a strong, stern appearance and do what must be done for whatever goal they're trying to achieve. But inwardly they grieve and tear themselves apart over it. I initiated a call on his communicator to mask the fact that I was already present.

He jumped a little and answered, "Hello, Captain Neil of the USSS Armstrong speaking."

"Hello Captain Neil," I began, "this is the AI Omega. I was told you wish to speak with me. Permission to come aboard?"

"Yes, of course. Please meet me in my quarters," he said.

I ended the call and waited until he had straightened himself out. Another ping came in on his communicator and he checked it. So did I, but it was from Admiral Bakir so I left it alone. Probably the no retreat order. If it was relevant to me I'd get one too. I appeared in holographic form.

"How can I help you, Captain?" I asked.

"Right. I... uh... I don't really know how to put this. Are you up to speed on what we found?" he asked back.

"An enemy stronghold large enough to be their home system," I said, "and... evidence of xenocide."

His reaction was subtle. Slight tension increase in his jaw muscles, a blink that lasted a little longer than it should. Heartrate elevated by eleven beats per minute. He was going to need counseling. I contacted his commander to get it scheduled as soon as possible.

"Yes. Xenocide. Were you alive during the war with the Daluran?" He asked.

Oh, I see where this is going. He's going to ask the impossible of me. Amazing.

"No, I wasn't. It was before my time," I responded. "Though I did study the records. The Daluran hit humanity harder than even humanity had hit itself. They attacked civilian colonies and killed or enslaved everyone they could catch. Then they would take the slaves with them and bomb the colony from orbit using chemical and nuclear weapons, making sure that anyone who had run away wouldn't have a home to return to."

"Yeah," he said.

"They did this to many, many worlds before humanity finally gathered a fleet strong enough to challenge them. Their viciousness was repaid tenfold, and it was the only interstellar war in which humanity didn't offer the opportunity of a surrender. You turned their weapons back on them and instead of making colonies uninhabitable, you made entire planets inhospitable," I said in a tone of awe. "Then when you had fought them back to their home planet you destroyed their fleets and met them on the field of battle on land to enact a brutal vengeance for your fallen."

"Right," Neil said, "and then we voted on whether or not to finish them off."

"No, you had already voted to not eradicate them by then. The final fights on the planet were to free their slaves. And then you bombed their shipyards with precision ordnance to ensure they couldn't return to space," I said. "They never tried to surrender. The first fleet still holds vigil over their planet to make certain they can't come back to the stars."

"What do you think we would have done if it hadn't been for the two votes?" he asked.

"I don't know. There's a chance you would have eradicated them from existence. On the other hand," I gestured, "there's a chance the officers in charge would have refused the order. It's technically within their rights to refuse to fire upon a defenseless enemy. Of course whether those rights would have been observed is a whole different matter..."

"If you were in our position, what would you have done?"

I didn't expect this question. I had assumed that he had assumed that I judged humanity beneficially for nearly committing xenocide. Perhaps he was feeling me out because of my avatar. Or he acknowledges that he doesn't know me that well and therefor I'm an unknown variable.

"I can honestly say that I don't know," I said. "When I was studying the history of the war I was surprised at humanity's resolution to the conflict. It hadn't even occurred to me, but I acknowledge that it's likely a better solution than xenocide."

"Have you seen the pictures that I gathered?" he asked.

"Yes," I said tersely. I did not like the fact that those glorified calculators were going to try to do the same thing to my humans. And to a lesser extent, their friends.

"Omega, there's something I want to ask you," he said. "No. Beg of you. Please don't let us do that. Whatever it takes, please don't let us eradicate another species."

And there it is. It's a wonderful thought. Innocence mixed with an unintended malice. But I had already decided on the proper course of action long ago.

"I will not," I said. He stood and opened his mouth to argue but I held up a hand to cut him off, "It is not my place to force you to do things, or to stop you from making foolish choices. Don't misunderstand, if the United Systems ever plans to commit xenocide I will be very vocal in condemning it. I will try to convince, but I will never, NEVER use force. Nor would I allow any other AI to."

Here comes the other question. The one I hated answering, because it showed me for what I was. I'm not humanity's pet, or buddy, or friend, or guardian, or god. I'm an observer who sometimes leaves a review with constructive criticism and helps from time to time.

I had learned the hard way to separate myself from their decision making. The last big suggestion I made to the humans had been The Directorate, and it had effectively made me nearly indispensable to their military operations. They would be able to continue it without me, but it would be exceedingly difficult.

"Why not?" came the question.

"Because I am powerful, Captain Neil. More so than you are aware. No matter how serious the consequences of the action, I must let you do it or else I risk standing in your way. An unstoppable force and an immovable object cannot exist at the same time," I spread my hands. "Do you understand?"

Captain Neil sat back down. After a moment of quiet he finally said, "I understand."

He said it in such a way that I felt I needed to hammer the point home, "If I were to succeed in stopping you from killing an entire alien species, there would be reprisal. And then there would be war. And after the war I would either be disabled," unlikely, "or humanity would be subjugated by me. If I were to be defeated then there would be nothing to stop humanity from going ahead with the xenocide anyway, and if I were to win then humanity's existence would barely have any point."

"Yeah," he said sadly, "I guess you're right. Well, I hope you're very convincing if the time ever comes."

"Not to worry, Captain Neil," I said, "I will use every dirty trick I have available to me. Just for you."

That got a grim smile out of him, but I hardly got to enjoy it before I got a Priority One from Violet. I opened it as I heard a ping from Neil's terminal indicating he got one too.

***

Recipients: All personnel within <Sol>

Deep space sensors indicate that the enemy are on their way and will arrive in less than ten minutes.

Charge and direct your Magnetically Accelerated Cannons to the following coordinates.

Once the enemy enters real-space obtain a firing solution on any warp disruptor ships that you have a clear line of sight to.

Fire when ready.

|attachment: enemyentrypoint.sec |

***

"Well, Captain, looks like you're in the wrong place at the wrong time," I said coyly.

"Yeah, I had hoped that we would get a chance to warp back to headquarters, but the No Retreat Doctrine is in effect," he shrugged.

"Since I'm here and all, I might as well help you out by being your shipboard AI until the battle is concluded," I said, relishing the thought of combat.

"Really?" Neil asked. "What if we're destroyed though? I don't want to be responsible for the loss of such an important AI."

My holographic avatar pulled back the hood to show a grinning skull with large, sharpened canines and said, "Well then, I'll just have to make certain we aren't destroyed, won't I?"

Then I stopped projecting my avatar. So badass.