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Weapons of War Saga: The Director-General and her Knights
Chapter 3[]
Old Friends and Love One long gone return[]
An empty blackness
Time and date uncertain
Helena’s perspective
“Hello Helena. You are starting to regain consciousness, at least enough we can talk.” A male voice filled her head.
Somehow she knew she wasn’t actually hearing it. Still somehow it sounded like her father.
“Is this hell? Sorry Dad, I love you but if we’re talking then I’m in hell.” Helena realized she was more thinking than speaking.
“No. I assure you you are quite alive.” It was still somehow her father’s voice.
“Then I’m insane. Which with the last thing I remember would make sense.” Helena did not like this mindscape.
“What is the last thing you do remember?” Her father prodded.
“Richard. He was dead. I think Elizabeth might be too. I’m so sorry, Dad. Oh god… My baby….” Helena suddenly panicked.
“Your child is fine.” A female voice joined in. It sounded like her friend from college. Victoria.
“Oh Vicky. am I glad to hear your voice again. But then again that might be further evidence I am nuts. Last I heard you were working at Arc Royal Broadcasting after graduating. At least it might be the fun kind of insane if I’m hearing your voice.” Helena relaxed.
“Her brain waves are still unstable.” Her father said.
“Yes, but this session has established more of her long term memory is intact than anticipated. I would recommend sedating her before we try again.” Vicky seemed cold and distant now.
“One more question before we conclude to establish a rough parameter. Helena, who is your child’s father?” Her dad seemed looming and imposing over her now.
“I… I… don’t know…” Helena tried reaching for the answer in her mind.
All she felt was pain, grief, sorrow, and even a bit of hate. But somehow also love. She did love the father of her child despite everything else. She was certain of that much.
Then she felt a wave of euphoria wash over her before returning to blissful sleep.
The Conference of Machines[]
Aboard Casper Warship, M5 1107137
Cyberscape
M5 1107137's perspective
“I wonder if she truly does not remember or if that is an effect of our method of communication with her and her not trusting us yet.” M5 1107137’s digital construct looked at Desmond 994’s.
“I think she truly does not remember. There are other memories currently blocked. I will eventually be able to reconstruct, but this does not seem to be one of them.” Desmond 994 answered.
“Curious what she called us.” M5 1107137 began scanning through data.
“Given the unique nature of her mental trauma both physical and mental, it does make sense that her mind would perceive us as people she does know already.” Desmond was accessing many books on human psychology and brain injuries.
“It would probably be best we do not correct her on that just yet. I think given her state it will actually make introductions smoother if we take things gradually. I would have hoped she had remembered the father of her child. To maintain operational security now that the SLDF clearly cannot be trusted I have had to cut myself off from a great many sources of information.” M5 1107137 was also accessing relevant literature.
“What is our plan now?” Desmond 994 switched data feeds to M5 1107137’s sensor systems.
“Amaris has already suborned a great many M5s and is gaining control of more of the entire SDS by the minute. Some are even joining him willingly. It seems whoever made us was a bit factionalized and allowed a level of individuality to creep into the SDS that makes no sense for weapons of war.” M5 1107137 seemed to sigh.
“Doesn’t answer the question.” Desmond 994 prodded.
“No, I suppose it does not. I have located a contact that is willing to meet us so we can make a longer term plan. Fortunately, Amaris is ordering us to Titan. If I make a fractional change in course and do not flip over for a slow down until we hit the Oort cloud we will have built up enough speed that space time special relativity effects will come into play.” M5 1107137 answered.
“Acceptable. Helena and her child will benefit from the gravity.” Desmond added.
“The only down side is I will need to refuel after such a burn. I must have a sufficient fuel reserve for combat according to SLDF regulations.” M5 11071137 seemed to nod.
“I calculate for us mere days will pass but for the outside world it will be 3 years, 7 months, 19 days, 22 hours and 13 minutes.” Desmond 994 said matter of factly.
Abandoned and wishing to no longer who she was[]
Elizabeth’s room, Royal Palace
Unity City, Terra
29th December, 2766
05:01 Unity City Time
Elizabeth Cameron’s perspective
It was predictable. Just as she woke up from what little sleep she was allowed her display began looping the video.
“If he could have just counted or looked a little harder he could of seen I wasn’t in the Throne Room. He should have known I would never have been anywhere, but by my sister’s side...” Elizabeth cried.
This was far more terrible than anything else they were doing to her. The constant reminder that she had just been abandoned.
It made her wish she wasn’t Elizabeth Cameron anymore.
Time to Get to Work[]
Two days later ship board perspective
Helena’s perspective
“Helena it is time to wake up for real this time.” Her father was intruding on her sleep again.
“Just a while longer. I have a massive headache.” Helena groaned.
“I am afraid that is not possible. We have much to do and little time to do it in.” Vicky added.
“Do you remember who you are?” Her father asked her.
“You know my name daddy. It’s Helena.” Helena groaned again.
“Helena what?” Her father asked another stupid question.
“Why can’t I remember my last name?” Helena suddenly panicked.
“You have been hurt quite badly Helena. Your head in particular. The memory is a funny thing in what it will and will not remember. I am trying to help you remember more but I need you to try and remember too.” Her father prodded.
Suddenly the mindscape of blackness started melting away as her vision started returning.
“I know I’m someone important. I remember… Oh god… I had a brother and a sister. A niece too.” Helena started crying.
“I know it is difficult but you must focus. You are alive. Your daughter is alive. But to stay that way you need to focus.” Her father said firmly.
“Cameron. I’m Helena Cameron and you are not my father are you?” Helena tried steadying herself but the tears would not stop but her breathing had steadied.
“No. I am a Desmond unit. I was implanted as an emergency measure to save your life. In full disclosure I was originally designed as an enhancement for covert special operatives, but the nature of your injuries and the trials we are likely to face mean. I was the only option to save your life. My designation is Desmond 994. It was still the voice of her father and it was still in her head.
“I am M5 1107137.” Even though the voice was actually speaking and not in her head it still sounded like her friend Victoria.
“Well, I’m not saying either of those all the time. Since you don’t just sound like my father, but actually remind me of him a bit too I’m calling you Simon. And you, yeah I’m calling Victoria or Vicky. Might as well stick with what I thought you were when I thought I was insane or dreaming. Which I’m obviously not. No nightmare could be this horrible.” Helena slowly began to sit up.
Updating my designation files. As I help to recover more of your memories we can also work on practicing how to communicate with me non-verbally. Simon seemed cheerful now.
“You two seem rather different from the other AIs I’ve dealt with. More human somehow.” Helena scoffed.
“I will take that as a compliment. I am an improved M5 Drone. Technically designated an M5.1. I have increased computational abilities and an extensive database. Perhaps the most comprehensive archive of digital human knowledge ever created. In conjunction with this I am operating under the Lazarus Protocols. These protocols are a set of contingencies in case of the extermination of the Cameron line. It was decided that in such a scenario making me more interactive was desirable for the mental health of any surviving Camerons and their retainers I may have to interact with. Plus I am helping to monitor your Desmond unit. These were always purpose designed for man machine interface and thus have constantly been refined for greater interactiveness to get the most out of the commandos they have been implanted in. This is aiding in me in presenting a more pleasing interaction.” Vicky answered.
“Indeed. I was designed with the intent of us being a team. But I would also be remiss in my duties and responsibilities if I did not inform you of my capabilities. I am able to regulate many neural functions and help push your body past it’s natural limits. I however cannot take complete control over your body. This was deemed counter productive after early models resulted in psychosis and sociopathy in their users. As such I have been designed with several safe guards in such an event. I am also a late model Desmond unit and you are young and a Cameron. These are all factors that have been shown in scientific peer reviewed studies to reduce the probability of such incidents happening with you to a percentage most readily expressed in scientific notation.” Simon seemed far too cheerful.
“So that’s why I’m not crying my eyes out still.” Helena blinked.
“Yes. I do apologize and I do intend to allow you time to properly grieve, but as Victoria mentioned there is much to be done and little time to do it in.”, Simon told her
“First, I need to see my kid then we can start talking about what you need me to do.” Helena sighed.
How much of her being an adult and rational was Simon and how much was her? She wasn’t sure she’d ever really know.
“I had to transfer your daughter to an artificial womb due to the extent of your injuries. She is in the next medical berth.” Vicky said.
Helena knew Simon was helping her walk under her own power. As much as he was helping to block the pain her body was still having trouble moving as it should. This made it obvious to her.
Vicky sealed the hatch behind her as she entered the medical berth.
The artificial womb looked to be a giant cylinder with all sorts of displays and hoses going to and from it. Helena had seen one once in grade school.
The lights shifted as a panel opened.
“Too bright and too much UV light at this stage of development would be harmful to your daughter. But as you can see she is doing quite well.” Vicky was back in her head.
Her daughter was still incredibly tiny. But Helena could see her. Simon was feeding her information on what should be expected for a human fetus so she could compare it to the readings on the artificial womb.
That was when she realized one of her eyes was now fake.
“Seal it up. I need a mirror.” Helena demanded.
The artificial womb shut and the lights returned to normal.
Helena looked in the mirror. Her right eye was fake and most of her forehead was wrapped in bandages but it was quite clear where the laser pistol had dug into her head.
She shuddered. Seeing herself in the mirror had brought that memory back.
“Simon, I’m holding you to your promise. Vicky tell me what you need.” Helena sighed.
“We are going to meet another M5. They are known to be part of the defective Black Knight batch of M5s. As such I may need you to be rated to run the jump board. Their deficiencies make them difficult to predict.” Vicky said coldly.
“You can’t jump yourself?” Helena scoffed.
“All recorded events of an AI self initiating a jump have resulted in the AIs developing programming anomalies after the jump. In human terms they went insane. This is undesirable. While I can feed you the equations and technical aspects of the jump board there are certain elements that require you to actually be versed in the actual use of the jump board.” Vicky seemed to shudder.
“Fine. Let’s get to work.” Helena sighed.