Chapter 45

"Hey, Boss. How was the sit-down with Lyza’s big brother? Did you manage to squeak out a 'Please let me marry your sister'?"

Taro stepped back onto the Plum only to be greeted by Alan, who was occupying a rare seat in the Central Control Room. Apparently, Koume and Marl had disappeared into the Engine Room, leaving Alan to play sentry. While BISHOP was accessible from practically any corner of the ship, this room was the only place physically hard-wired into the ship's core. Leaving it empty was a security no-no.

"Lyza’s a knockout, sure, but her temper is a special kind of terrifying—and in a completely different direction than Marl’s..." Taro paused, shrugging his shoulders in a display of mock terror. "Don’t tell her I said that, though."

"Which one?" Alan asked with a smirk.

"Both of them!" Taro laughed.

"Oh, Teiro. You're back." Marl entered the room with Koume in tow. Her face was practically glowing; Taro didn't know what they’d been doing in the bowels of the ship, but it had clearly been a success. "Did that officer throw any impossible demands at you?"

"Nah. Just some reward money and another gag order, same as last time. He didn't even look surprised or flustered. Honestly, I’m starting to think they’ve seen this kind of thing before."

"Other reports? Hmm." Marl tapped her chin. "I’d like to think we’re special, but the possibility is there. But if that's true, why now? Those things weren't exactly built yesterday."

"Probably not," Alan chimed in. "WIND has been around forever. If that thing was one of theirs, the factory pumping them out has to be just as old. They’ve been making a lot of noise lately, though. Something big is brewing."

The three of them nodded in somber agreement until Koume broke the silence.

"In any event, unless you intend to pursue a career as a 'Hero of Justice,' it would be prudent to avoid WIND entirely. Such matters are best left to the heavy lifting of the military."

"She’s right," Marl said, pivoting the conversation. "There’s only so much we can do. By the way, didn't you get a lashing for pulling that little stunt?"

Taro gave a weak, lopsided grin, knowing exactly which "stunt" she meant.

"I got chewed out big time. Honestly, I think I’ve ended up on the military’s permanent watch list."

"What!?" Marl shrieked, her eyes wide. "Are you serious? Are you going to be okay?"

Alan, however, just let out a low, appreciative hum. "I see." He crossed his arms, looking genuinely impressed. "Damn, brother. When did you get so devious? I knew you had the balls to pull it off, but the strategy... that's what surprises me."

Taro flashed a wicked, villainous grin. "Heh."

Alan mirrored the look, turning to the still-panicked Marl. "It means we have no intention of doing anything that would actually get us arrested, lady. And if that’s the case, the military isn't a shadow over our shoulders—they're a high-powered, free security detail."

Marl’s panic evaporated, replaced by a look of dawning realization. "Oh... so you weren't just venting your frustration? I'm actually impressed. If we're technically 'allies,' it’s safer to keep their eyes on us so they can protect us, right? I can't believe you thought of that on the fly."

Taro rubbed the tip of his nose with his thumb, looking like the cat that ate the canary. "Heh, leave it to me. I can be a genius when the situation calls for it."

Koume raised her hand politely. "A quick follow-up, Mr. Teiro. When exactly did you think of that?"

Taro gave her a confident thumbs-up. "Right around the moment Marl said, 'It’s safer to keep their eyes on us!'"

Marl’s face went blank. "...That was ten seconds ago!! That's right now!! Give me back my admiration, you moron!"

Taro bolted for the door with Marl hot on his heels. Alan and Koume watched the chaos unfold, both wearing identical, knowing smiles.

"She’s getting pretty good at that comedy routine..." Alan said, his gaze fixed on the doorway. "So, Koume. How much of that do you think was actually planned?"

Koume turned to him. "It is difficult to say, Mr. Alan. However, considering he had Miss Lyza file a report in advance, it is logical to assume at least a portion of the action was premeditated."

Alan narrowed his eyes. "You really are just an AI, aren't you?"

Koume offered a blindingly bright smile. "Confirming that through mere conversation is a fool's errand, Mr. Alan. Identifying an entity via the Turing Test became an impossibility over two thousand years ago."

"Is that so?" Alan muttered. "I don't know any other AI that can spit out an answer that precise to a question that abstract. Honestly, it creeps me out."

"Yes, I am aware, Mr. Alan."

"Right... Well, it’s not like I’m going to do anything about it. We’re all on the same team, and I’d like to keep it that way. I have enough self-control to keep my personal 'likes' from getting in the way of business."

Alan looked back toward the floor. Taro and Marl were long gone, their shouting echoing faintly down the hall.

"Yes, I am aware of that as well, Mr. Alan. And I am also aware of your... secret objective."

Alan’s eyes snapped wide. His entire frame stiffened for a micro-second before his iron will forced his muscles to relax. He tried to play it cool, but the mechanical precision of Koume’s eyes wasn't so easily fooled. She was looking at him with a face that could only be described as triumphant.

"Dammit... You bluffed me." Alan’s voice was more tired than angry.

Koume turned toward him and performed a deep, graceful bow. "I apologize for the rudeness, Mr. Alan. However, we both have our mysteries. Unfortunately, even I do not understand the mystery of 'Koume.' I often wonder... what exactly am I?"

She straightened up and tilted her head inquisitively.

"An AI having an identity crisis... Great. My head hurts more than it did five minutes ago," Alan grumbled. Despite his words, a ghost of a smile played on his lips as he turned to follow the others. "The fact that I don't know any other AI like you just means you're one of a kind. You’re you. It's a boring answer, but I bet Teiro would say the same thing. Just live with that."

Koume bowed once more to his back as he departed.

"Yahoo! Miss Bella! You still kicking?"

Inside the control room of the Cruiser Plum II, Taro shouted cheerfully into the comms. Bella’s gravelly voice crackled back.

"Don't we talk over email constantly? The Doctor is fine, I'm fine, and the grumpy little brother is fine. How's life in the big city?"

Marl leaned into the frame. "It’s peaceful enough, assuming you ignore the fact that the economy is currently doing backflips. Anyway, Bella, is it time? We’re on a direct encrypted line, so no need to worry about the neighbors listening in."

"And who handled the encryption?" Bella asked.

"Teiro, obviously," Marl replied.

"Hmph. Good enough, then. Listen, it's not like the world is ending or a WIND swarm is knocking on the door. Nothing that urgent. But I figured you lot would want to know."

Bella’s image on the monitor took on a mysterious air. Taro worked the encryption keys as he spoke. "Don't keep us in suspense!"

"Heh, fine. It’s about that planet. The old man—excuse me, the Doctor—finally finished mapping out the coordinates he wants you to poke around in. He said something about 'reflections of ancient observational radiation' or some other nerd-talk. I didn't follow it. You’ll have to ask him yourself."

The three crew members let out a collective "Whoa."

"There is one thing, though," Bella added. "Considering where you're going, we've had to prep some specialized gear. It’s not exactly a vacation spot, so pack your big-boy pants."

The crew of the Plum touched down at the Alpha Station branch shortly after. They spent the next few hours unloading cargo and reviewing local reports. Most of it was just a rehash of the data they’d received while entering the Alpha Star System, but as Bella had hinted, the real meat of the mission required a face-to-face.

"Man, this really makes you appreciate how much of a beast the Old Neural Network was," Taro sighed.

The Old Neural Network had been capable of beaming massive amounts of data across the galaxy instantly. The current New Neural Network was more like the early internet—clunky, limited, and prone to crashing if you tried to send anything too heavy. If Taro tried to send an encrypted file that was millions of times the size of the original data, the local grid would literally catch fire. And then there was the lag.

"Yeah, it's a bit embarrassing when the ship arrives at the destination faster than the 'Hello' email we sent a week ago," Marl joked.

Because the New Neural Network relied on a relay system, information could take weeks to travel. While the data moved at FTL speeds between jump points, it was throttled to light speed while sitting in the data banks of relay ships and stations. In a galaxy this big, light speed was a snail's pace.

"Large-scale restructuring is happening all across the Delta Area, both in government and private sectors," Koume reported. "Some corporations have even begun physically transporting data chips via high-speed couriers. One such company has seen its stock price jump a hundredfold in a single month."

"Yikes. I bet they’re going to rake in a mountain of cash with the next stock offering," Taro muttered. "Maybe we should go public... No, forget that. How are the preparations?"

Marl and Koume nodded. Confirmations flashed in from Bella and Alan. Then, external signals chirped.

"This is DD-01, pre-flight checks complete."

"This is DD-02, we are green across the board."

Two destroyers sat in formation just behind the Plum. With inflation turning credits into colorful confetti, Taro had decided it was better to spend the cash than let it rot, picking up the ships right before leaving Delta Station. He’d staffed them with dozens of company employees and fifty of Bella’s mafia goons from Guns and Rule for "on-the-job training."

"Acknowledged. Everyone, prepare for warp," Marl said, her voice cool and professional. "And for the love of God, nobody be holding a drink this time. Looking at you, Boss."

A chorus of snickers erupted over the comms. Taro buried his face in his hands. "Marl-tan, that was uncalled for!"

The exterior monitors began to bleed into a deep, electric blue. The countdown was starting.

"Alright, let’s move. Let’s bring the Doctor back a souvenir he’ll actually like."

The Stargate—temporarily realigned for their fleet after a very hefty "priority fee"—began to glow with an intense, blinding radiance.

[JUMP DRIVE ACTIVATED]

Arrows of light stretched out into the infinite void.

They were headed for Outer Space—the lawless, untamed frontier far beyond the reach of the Galactic Empire.