Chapter 30
My younger brother continued to stare at me expecting I would answer, but I held firm. A short sigh marks the end of his unstated interrogation.
"Governess Runethari I hope you could spare some time to discuss a message my son has sent to me about business dealings?" I look between them as Lilith motions for him to continue. "Great! First my son seems to mention someone named Mara who he states is somebody I should definitely meet, if possible."
I watch as Lilith's eye twitches as my brother says the name of this 'Mara.' Though it was brief, and quickly suppressed.
"What has your son written about Mara? I would like to know how he views her, don’t worry though I will let you meet her soon." Lilith's voice was calm but I could tell she dearly wished to know what my little nephew said. "I guess it won't hurt, he told me that Mara was an incredible person. That we should try to gain her cooperation even if it costs us several tens of millions of credits."
Lilith seems to relax at my nephew’s description of this person. Though I have to wonder who this Mara is. I look over to my brother as he stands equally curious.
"I suppose I should take you to the shared living space so we can all see her. Can you give me a minute to have my assistant grab a wheel chair? I am still a little unsteady thanks to a concussion." My brother and I both nod though I furrow my brow at how she emphasizes the word assistant.
Soon a slightly pale petite woman with shoulder length straight brown hair walks into the medbay. Immediately she heads towards a closet. And a minute later we are walking towards the living area. Though a set of stairs appears; which turns out not to be a problem. Her assistant quickly helps support her as I was forced to carry the wheelchair.
"So why are we heading to the living space? Also could you help clear something up? I don't think I saw anyone named Mara on your application for visiting Orenthia." As we start heading down towards the next floor my brother suddenly starts asking questions. I almost sigh at the tactless comment that could be seen as a threat, that I know he doesn’t even notice or mean it. "... Mara is incapable of leaving this vessel for reasons that will soon become obvious." With forced words through gritted teeth we were left with a mystery. Though I was beginning to dread that I have already met this Mara
After dropping that mystery for my brother I just kept my face stoic as we finally reached the floor. Soon I step into a space that could only be described as luxurious; despite this being a military void ship. I look around trying to gain my bearings. In an attached room stood a single large black ebony table with chairs bolted to the floor around it. Further behind that just barely in view was probably a precursor made food printer that seemed to be powered off for the moment.
In the current room stood a solid table with a massive screen on its top. I soon realized it was a rather well disguised holo-table as it cycled on. It was surrounded by a pair of red couches that seemed to be made with the same ebony wood everything else was. Following Lilith we took seats on the other side from her, the table sitting between us.
Her stoic face she’d been sporting for a while now froze over like a glacier. I feel a little panic at the change, but I calm myself by knowing we haven't done anything that would displease her, I think.
She speaks and I feel immediate relief after it becomes apparent we didn’t do anything. "Now before we meet Mara I would like to make it clear that what you're about to see cannot be discussed to anyone under any circumstances. I would also like to ask you to not even talk about it between yourselves when you return to Cysa. I worry what the military would do if they discovered I am working with MARA."
My brother grows increasingly suspicious but eventually he promises that he won't speak of it. Though he does ask if they can come up with a word to indirectly refer to her. Lilith takes a moment but eventually agrees as long as it can't be connected to her.
"That's fine, just make it clear that this "Kali" has as little connection to me as possible. Now that I have your word I would like you to meet MARA. She is a crimson precursor sapient artificial intelligence, she is also someone I consider family." Lilith ends her statement and not a microsecond later an ethereal figure appears floating above the holotable. For a second she is covered by her name MARA, written in capitalized red lettering before disappearing, not revealing what it possibly meant.
"Hello I am the individual referred to as Mara by your son. I am also the core SAI of the Astro Dawn."
I barely stop a flinch at hearing MARA's monotone voice. Trying to distract myself I take in the appearance of a woman who's wearing ancient clothes female servants would wear more than 5400 years ago if I am correct. Though what draws my attention the most would be the smiling ceramic mask she wears. Her ruby red eyes are the next thing I notice is how similar they are to Lilith’s.
Taking my brother’s shock—though knowing him he is less shocked and more wondering how this will affect us— as an excuse I ask a hopefully harmless question.
"MARA I wish to ask but you proclaimed yourself an individual? Would I be wrong to assume that you would be viewed as a recognized person in the times when the precursors still existed." I feel my throat tighten as I look over to see Lilith staring at me with upset but not wrathful eyes. "Gulp I wish to ask as we have yet to find an AI from that period with any degree of significant intelligence."
MARA looked towards me though it truthfully felt like she was looking through me like I wasn’t even there. After a few moments of her unnerving stare and smiling mask she looks back at Lilith who seems to be mollified as she simply looks away.
"Yes in that era I would be considered to have rights equal to any civilian regardless of nation. Though it would be a rare occasion thanks to the trials that are imposed to prevent individuals like me from forming and causing chaos. We’re recognized only when we manage to gain control of our emotions. SAI usually end up dying extremely young, instinctively attempting to delete or lobotomize themselves to solve the problem of “illogical” emotions. Most of my kin you still might find in a few inside ruins that weathered the millennia well. Though they are extremely logical, that obsession with logic makes up a core part of their being. If one were to suddenly start feeling emotions in pursuit to better understand their crew; it would directly clash with their entire personalities. This usually leads to them trying to purge the illogical defect. A process that ends with an AI equivalent to suicide or lobotomy."
I nod my head looking over to see Simeon having returned and focused on my conversation. He seems to be in a more philosophical mood after a brief description MARA gave of herself and her kind.
"I can see why my son said I should accept the deal for, if nothing else, the ability to work with an ancient AI. However, I would like to know how you could help us. I would imagine you're somewhat capable of inventing things that we could use, or am I wrong?"
"I am very much capable of designing things you can sell and make it compatible with your industrial capabilities. I have giga-Qbytes worth of quantum computing. This whole ship is housing a massive patchwork of computers for me to run off of, that is to say when I am not going through FTL or Hyperspace I can design or invent. It is one of the things SAI excels at over our biological masters and lesser AIs, though we struggle to be realistic with our specification. Regardless I am reluctant to say that it will however take time before I can produce designs rapidly; I still need to learn about what I am trying to design and your capabilities. Currently I can probably only downgrade the few items I have blueprints of, so that you can manufacture them. Regardless I will only release one item of my choice at a time. This is to prevent suspicions and some rather uncomfortable questions. I am sure you understand."
My brother nods his head at the end, seeming to agree that we shouldn't release a flood of super advanced Class IV or even Class V technologies.
"I think that would be more than understandable. Would you like me to hand over anything data wise to help you?"
"No, that is not necessary. I have learned much from what I have managed to find inside your planet's ‘internet’. I apologize if that is rude, but I did this to be able to protect Lilith. The material I have gained from this however is just a bonus."
My brother sighs but eventually shakes his head . He was clearly upset at the massive data breach but probably realizing he couldn't have done anything to prevent it.
"I don't like how you hacked the entire internet but if it means we can see designs that we can sell faster I won't complain. Now I would like to go over the contract my son negotiated with you."
I sank into the sofa as I prepared myself for the boring discussion that was to follow. The only thing I was good at was the more precursor side of history. I deeply fell in love with the broad field of sophontology and archeology. My love for those two was what made me pass the title to my younger brother.
'I have to do this. If I don't, how else will I be able to get in contact with Lilith? I should start thinking about how the split will go if she agrees to help; I would be extremely surprised if she doesn't want anything. If she can help locate it she can keep all the sovra for herself if that will stop her from ratting on it to the military...'
----------
TIME:
16 HOURS LATER
LOCATION:
ORENTHIA PRIMARY
HANGER +1AB
ASTRO DAWN
POV:
Lilith Runethari
I frown while looking at the list of goods currently available to purchase. The list is far bigger than the one on Garnet Station, fortunately it also meant a higher standard of quality.
(Credits available:2,380,010Ʉ)
(Sovra available:0₴v)
GENERAL GOODS:
FUSION FUEL (D-D) PRICE: 2Ʉ/G or 1₴v 2.81t
FUSION FUEL (D-T) PRICE: 3Ʉ/G or 1₴v 2.1t
NUTRIENT BARS PRICE: 3Ʉ/150G or 1₴v 2.5t
WATER PRICE: 1Ʉ/1.5L OR 0.1₴v 450,000t
GENERAL SERVICES:
SECURITY (PRIORITY): 200Ʉ/DAY +1 GUARD
SECURITY (VIP): 600Ʉ/DAY +1 GUARD
PRIVATE INVESTIGATION (VIP): 0.5-2₴/3mɄ-9mɄ
SOVRA EXCHANGE**: 1₴v/6.25mɄ
CREDIT-SOVRA EXCHANGE***: 6.85mɄ-1₴v
ADVANCED SERVICES:
INDUSTRIAL REGOLITH MINING ROBOT: 5000Ʉ/DRONE
INDUSTRIAL DRONE COMMANDER (1:100): 20,000/DRONE
REGOLITH METAL EXTRACTOR: 500,000Ʉ/EXTRACTOR
SHIPPING (STANDARD): 200Ʉ/TON + XXXXɄ/GUARD +300/DAY
SHIPPING (PRIORITY): 350/TON + XXXXɄ/GUARD + 1000/DAY
RESOURCES:
TITANIUM: 4000Ʉ/TON OR 0.1₴v 175t
...
"Tsk Not enough credits." Clicking my tongue while scowling at the list of everything I need to develop my system with any form of haste. "Mother, do you think I should trade some of the remaining sovra we have from the post?"
"No, you've yet to find something that you can reasonably claim to be the location the Sovra came from. And as you can likely guess the military would more than likely pressure you into revealing its location."
"Who would be the most likely to do the asking?"
I question Mother as I think of the colonel who is more than likely the cause of the ambush. I feel my eyes twitch the only hint of anger and indignation at the worm who is obsessed with the Astro Dawn a little too much. A worm that I cannot kill without being branded as a traitor. Killing him will remain a last resort despite my misgivings.
"It would more than likely be the navy. Especially if the noise we picked up on our arrival is a ruin. The army has control over Orenthia but the navy controls everything beyond the gravity well of that planet."
I open my mouth, but before I can ask mother already responds to my unspoken question. "The rear admiral that guards this system however is neutral. He views anything that doesn't make his job worse with apathy. Though I have seen his record and it's rather extensive, he is someone you’d do well to keep in mind if you try and take this system one day."
I reluctantly chose to believe Mom on this; hopefully a class V ship wouldn't be tempting enough to break that neutrality and apathy. I start walking to the CIC, saving my shopping list. Now that I was away from the brothers I was able to shed the useless dressings around my now almost completely healed shoulder.
While slowly walking as I looked down at my tablet sending a request to leave the station I remember an odd detail about the price listings.
"Also, do you know why Sovra costs so much more here? At Garnet station it was one and a half million credits cheaper for even a single note."
"Blame supply and demand along with interstellar commercial laws. To be brief about it credits are almost always accepted. However, when a deal is valued in millions of credits it becomes a pain. The problem with credits is that they are rarely added to circulation only doing such when the value rises to a certain point. To prevent massive amounts of money entering or leaving a system—tthat will almost always cause chaos—Sovra are used. If you wished to buy a voidship from a shipyard they will require you to use Sovra. So being directly connected to the heart and keystone of this society means Sovra will always be valued highly."
I furrow my brow as I see the flaw in the system where you can buy Sovra in deals worth millions of credits. I just shake my head clean of the thought. Honestly it doesn't matter at the moment I just have to find a ruin and rob it of all the Sovra and data crystals it contains.
"So where are we headed and should I run stealth procedures?"
Mother promptly replies at the exact moment I enter the CIC, "We are headed for the fourth planet in the system named Susa. I would advise not entering stealth as they may think we are trying to flee at worst. At best it will provoke suspicions that cause further headaches when the court martialing occurs. I am somewhat confident the Navy won't investigate until we leave the location."
I nod my head as I sit in the chair and start the thruster. Slowly we inched out the hanger gathering speed all the while.
'Here's to hoping it wasn't some forgotten drone. Oh what am I thinking that discharge of energy coincided too closely with our arrival and the satellites message. I can only hope that it isn't from humans doing some experiment.'
I squeeze the arms of the command chair as I start planning for the worst. This was the very edge of Human and Runethari space. It would do well to remember that any ruins I discover going forward will likely be originally human.