Prosperous: Chutes & Ladders
Chapter 20

HIS OPENED HIS EYES WHEN A VOICE SAID OVER THE INTERCOM,“CAPTAIN, report to the bridge. There’s a Merchant Raitor ship responding tothe distress beacon.”

The message shattered the sanctuary of Amidien’s warm cocoonand the pleasant dream he was having about his beautiful wife. It brought himback to the cruel reality: soon he’d be ordering another ship of innocent livesto death.

Amidien turned, his hand dragging through the viscous substancethat coated the inside of the cocoon. The air in the cocoon was thick withmethane, like his home world’s atmosphere, and after hours of breathing only acarbon-nitrogen mixture of air, it made him feel light-headed. His speciesneeded the gas to mix in their blood and keep their bodies from aging orbecoming susceptible to illness.

Amidien climbed through the opening at the top, steppinginto his cramped quarters. He was the only crewman with his own quarters. Therest of the crew slept in the hive decks below his.

Amidien stepped into a small booth and tapped the control.Steam released from the vents around him and the viscous substance rolled offhis body. He left the steam bath and dressed.

As he finished buttoning the top of his uniform jacket Amidienquietly ordered, “Computer, transport me to the bridge.”

In a flash of light, Amidien disappeared from his room andreappeared on the bridge.

“On screen,” Amidien ordered. He skillfully hid how sick tohis stomach he was, or how deep his regret ran.

There had been six names he knew on the last roster. Two ofnames were humans that had invited him and his family to spend a holiday theycelebrated at the end of each year. He didn’t remember the name of theoccasion, but he remembered the camaraderie and watching his children play withthe human children. On Earth, the sex of a being didn’t matter, they wereequal, and the males and females played games that made them laugh and squeal.His youngest son still talked about the snow, something Tetra didn’t have.Would he replace more names he knew on this ship’s roster? He prayed to the HolyOnes he wouldn’t.

“They’re coming out of hyper jump, sir,” a crewman told him.

Amidien looked at the screen, watching the ship streak intoview. He tilted his head to the side, his eyes narrowing. The ship’s designwasn’t the long Merchant Raitor cargo ships or the wide, flat cruise liners.The middle of the ship was a swollen octagon. The vents weren’t along the side,possibly hidden under the long octagon tubes that ran on either side. The hullwas strangely colored: gold with a soft purple hue that flowed as light driftedacross it. Amidien’s mind tried to place where he’d seen metal that color, butthe memory wasn’t coming to him. What concerned him was he wasn’t sure this waseven a Merchant Raitor ship.

“Can you identify that ship, Commander Jali?”

Jali scanned the database. He shook his head, looking up atAmidien. “No, sir. It’s not in any known databases. It could be a MerchantRaitor prototype.”

“Verify it’s transmitting a Merchant Raitor identification,”Amidien ordered. “Tell Captain Carej to hold position.”

“It doesn’t matter if it’s a Merchant Raitor ship or not,”the communication officer remarked. “It responded to the distress beacon.”

Amidien turned a cold glare on the Terallian. “We are underorders to only attack Merchant Raitor ships. Unless you would like to explainto Admiral Riliq why we attacked a ship that wasn’t Merchant Raitor, I suggestyou do as you’ve been ordered.”

The officer quickly obeyed his order. “The identificationtag indicates it’s a P-class Merchant Raitor cargo ship.”

Amidien dreaded even more the thought of attacking thisship. A P-class ship belonged to the captain. These ships were often passedgeneration to generation. The captains that owned them had invested theirentire income into keeping the ships functional, so they often skimped onfirepower.

“They’re starting a scan of the damaged ships,” CommanderJali informed him.

“Tell Captain Carej to proceed, but with caution.” If Carejwere too cautious, maybe this captain would have time to jump and get away, andsave his precious ship.

Amidien sat back in his chair, staring at his hands. Hecouldn’t watch another attack. If the Holy Ones were as merciful as the textsand monks claimed, they would stop this insanity.

Streaking light behind it, Prosperous came out of hyper jump into an area that resembled aship junkyard. Aris slowed the ship to a halt, glancing at Tru rose to hisfeet.

“Which ship is the distress signal coming from, Jackie?”

“It don’t know, but it’s Avinion.”

“Avinion?” Tru asked. “We’re nowhere near Avinion territory.Aris, check the shipping lane schedule. See if there were any routs scheduled nearhere.”

Jackie suddenly stood and walked over to another terminal,pushing the other crewman out of her way. Tru held his hand up when the crewmanstarted to say something.

“No Avinion for the next six months,” Aris told Tru, “andit’s a privately owned luxury vessel.”

“Sir, I’m detecting an approaching ship,” his TAC officer, LieutenantRueben Sanchez, reported.

Jackie turned, her eyes narrowed. “We just fell into thesame trap these other ships did, Tru. There’s a cloaked buoy nearby and it’s transmitting the distress signal.”

Tru looked at her. The thought crossed his mind to reprimandher for using his name, but the gravity of what she just said was moreimportant. “Where is it?”

“On the edge of the system. I suggest we get the hell out ofhere now, sir.”

“Are we clear of the gravity pull of the planets? Can wejump Aris?”

“No. We’re in a negative position, sir.”

“How close is that ship, Rueben?”

“They’re coming around the sun and will be within firingrange in two minutes, sir.”

“We won’t get out of the system in time. Shields up. Bringweapons online. Jackie, see if you can jam the beacon and do not send adistress signal.”

“Sir, we need help,” Rueben urged.

“We aren’t going to risk others falling into this trap.”

Reuben suddenly stopped moving, staring at the terminalsbefore him. “Sir, Gracie has everything up and has taken over weapons. She’stracking the ship and has a lock on the buoy already. Did you send me thecoordinates, Jackie?”

“No.”

“Gracie, stop it,” Tru snapped.

But, Tru—

“Gracie!”

“I have control back,” Reuben reported.

“Gracie’s identified the ship as a…” Aris trailed off. “APaskian war craft?” She looked up at Tru. “What is a Paskian war ship doing outhere?”

Tru stared at the screen, his mind whirling. Why couldn’t hehave had a premonition about this? “Idon’t know. Jackie, hail them.”

“Because you just knowthey’re going to reply,” Jackie muttered.

“The war craft is opening fire,” Reuben reported.

Tru sat down in his chair seconds before the ship rockedfrom the attack.

“Evasive maneuvers. Any response, Jackie?”

“They’re shooting at us!” Jackie snapped back. “Do you needthem to tell us how dead they wantus?”

“Jackie!”

“No!” She hesitated. “No response, sir!”

Prosperous bankedright. Stars streaked across the view as Aris swung Prosperous around to face the attacking ship. Tru’s stomach frozeas one of the planets passed by. He hadseen this in a premonition. He’d seen the cannon exploding, had seen a shippassing them and firing. He had seen this very ship change from a Paskian warship to a Terallian attack raider. Whatdid it mean? Tru kicked himself for not having taken the time to study it more,but by fixing the cannon he had assumed the future was altered. He couldn’thave been more wrong!

“Sir, Gracie is trying to take over helm,” Aris reported.

“Damnit, Gracie—”

Evasive tactics are inadequate. I willbe destroyed if an attack is not initiated, Gracie informed him, and this entire crew will die.

“They’re Paskian!” Aris bellowed. “Don’t you dare attackthem you piece of shit computer!”

“I will decidewhen we attack, Gracie,” Tru told the computer.

Tru looked up when Amanda stumbled into the XO chair on hisright. Ag was right behind her. He pushed the crewman out of the chair at theengineering station and began making adjustments.

“Situation?” Amanda asked.

“We’re being attacked by a Paskian war craft,” Tru answered.

“Paskian?” Amanda asked, looking at him.

“Breeches on decks G and F, Captain,” Ag reported.

“Clear the halls and seal off the area.”

Captain, I cannot allow this damage tocontinue, Gracie stated.

“You can and you will!”

“Computers aren’t supposed to argue like this, CaptainBarnet!” Aris snarled, her face morphing into that of a dog.

“Are you having any luck getting a response, Jackie?”

“No, sir. They aren’t responding.”

“Reuben, open fire on them. Try to keep out of their weaponsrange.”

“Captain!” Jali cried.

Amidien looked down at him. He was staring at his screen,bug-eyed.

“What?”

“Look!” he turned, pointing at the dome.

Amidien looked up. The Merchant Raitor ship was movingfaster than any ship he’d ever seen, proving to be a difficult target despitethe speed of the Paskian war craft. Amidien rose to his feet, his eyes glued onthe screen.

‘Holy Ones, please letthis be the end. Please let this ship destroy the Paskian ship and end thisinsanity.’

“Sir, they have stronger fire power than we do. We have todo something else,” Rueben urged.

“Target their engines,” Tru ordered. “Let’s shut them down.”

“Crewmen quarters are located around the engines on Paskianwar ships,” Aris told him. “You’ll kill anyone in them if you hit the engine.”

“I know, but we have to stop this, Aris, before we end up dead.”

Your plan will not be effective,Gracie argued.

“I am one complaint away from disabling your control,Gracie,” Tru threatened.

The occupants of that ship are notregistering as Paskian, Gracie reported.

Tru turned to the Drasken at the science station,Equ’Haglef. “Is that correct?”

“Initial scans suggest there aren’t any Paskians aboard, buttheir shields are preventing a full scan.”

“Shielding down to seventy percent, Captain,” Reuben toldhim.

A torpedo hit above the bridge, setting off a cascade ofelectrical sparks and blowing out several terminals. Smoke began filling thebridge and burning Tru’s eyes and lungs.

That’s it! Graciesnarled. Ihave had it with these assholes! This stops now!

Tru jumped up and ran to engineering. He reached out to tapa screen as it went black. Prosperousbanked left and the Paskian ship came into view.

“She’s taken over weapons,” Reuben told him, “and locked meout.” Rueben looked up at Tru.

“Gracie, stop!” Tru shouted.

NO!

Tru leaned on the controls, closing his eyes. “Hold on,everyone!”

Prosperous bankedsharply to starboard, shooting at the war craft. Before it moved out of range,Gracie fired two torpedoes at the bridge. Seconds before they exploded againstthe shielding she shot a disrupter pulse, targeting an area at the back of theship. Gracie steered Prosperous infront of the ship and flew straight at it, firing a barrage at the Paskian warship. The disrupter pulse had weakened the shielding, allowing the lasercannons to cut through the hull.

In two quick moves, the Holy Ones answered Amidien’sprayers. A disrupter pulse hit the ship’s shields generator, destabilizing it.Explosions ignited across the ship. The captain of the strange ship had won.

The Paskian ship’s hull ruptured as explosions ripped itfrom the inside.

“No,” Aris whispered.

“The ship has been disabled,” Reuben quietly said. “Multiplebreaches, and I’m detecting environmental controls are off line. All handsassumed lost, Captain.”

Gracie slowed Prosperousto a stop, keeping the destroyed ship on the view screen. Tru stood, staring atthe ship. Black smoke vented into space, only partially masking geysers offire. Lacking oxygen to feed them, the fires would be out in seconds.

Should I deploy security droids tocheck for survivors, Tru? Gracie asked.

Tru’s eyes snapped away from the screen to the closest videonode. “You haven’t listened to any of my other orders,” he snarled, “why asknow?”

I had to protect us! thecomputer argued.

“You defied a directorder and you killed an entire Paskiancrew!” Tru yelled back. He returned to his chair and sat down. Tru put his facein his hands and for several minutes the bridge was silent. Tru sat back andcalmer he continued, “Grace, I told you that things had to happen differentlyif you were going to be a cargo ship for the Merchant Raitor Union becausethere would be regulations and policies even you had to honor. Do you remember that conversation? I told you wehad to wait to tell the crew until I felt they would be comfortable knowingabout you. But ever since we’ve left spaceport you have been defiant andbelligerent, and then this—” Tru motioned at the screen. “This, Gracie!” Tru shook his head. He looked back at the videonode. “You know what, Gracie? I’ve had it with you. I’m going to send a messageto Admiral Larson and request you to be decommissioned as a Merchant Raitorship, because you clearly are not cut out for this type of work. You justkilled an entire crew and you don’t even show remorse!”

The ship shuddered and it startled everyone but Tru.

I didn’t want to kill them! The Terallians wouldn’t stopattacking us!

“They are Paskians!” Tru shouted.

THEY’RE TERALLIANS! The other ships here told me that they’dattacked them too.

“So you’ve been handling communications behind our backs,too?”

I had to! You weren't listening to me!

“No. You had toobey orders.”

Quietly Gracie told him, Before wejoined Merchant Raitor, you always listened to me. You haven’t listened to me aboutanything since we left spaceport. I was trying to save our lives, Truman.

Tru closed his eyes. He softly sighed.

“That’s because you don’t want to do things to regulation,Gracie.” Tru looked back at the video node.

I am sorry for not listening, but I amnot sorry for saving my boy’s life, my life, or this crew. If you think thatdeserves me being decommissioned, fine, do it. But if I had to make this choiceagain, Truman, I would do it again. The computer paused and whenit spoke again, it sounded like it was crying. I need thiscrew, I need you, and I cannot let anyone die aboard me. I can’t.Softer it told him, Your father would have understood.

Tru sighed. He couldn’t argue with that, and he couldn’t bemad at Gracie for wanting to protect them and herself.

“If this ever happens again—” Tru began.

I swear I won’t let it happen again. Not unless—

“There is no ‘not unless’, Gracie.”

Not unless the crew is incapacitated.

Tru thought about that for a moment. He nodded once.“Agreed.”

Should I deploy droids now?

“Yes.”

Tru turned to Jackie to issue an order and found the bridgecrew staring at him. All of them looked utterly terrified, and it he knew itwasn’t the battle that scared them. It was the conversation he’d just had witha ship’s computer – one he knew they had never witnessed between a captain andhis ship before.

The time to explain Gracie had unexpectedly come.

“Two years after Prosperous was commissioned, my dad andscientists were investigating alien ruins of an abandoned and very advancedalien city. The equipment and computers began behaving strange and when theycame back, the ship’s computer began behaving the same way. His I.T. thought itwas a virus and when they attempted to remove it, it fought back. It was aboutto shut off life support when my father realized that whatever was in thecomputer, whatever they’d brought back, was a sentient being. So he startedtalking to it. The being lived in the cybernetics of computers and it had beenliving alone for nearly five thousand years. When it found a way off theplanet, it took it, and took up residence in the computer systems ofProsperous. My dad agreed to let it live in the computer as long as it didn’tinterfere with regular ship routines, and he named it Gracie.”

Tru crossed his arms, shifting his weight from one foot toanother. “Since then she has expanded into the space between the inner andouter hull, and fused into the metal. She is integrated into every system onthis ship. She sees and hears through the communication system, smells throughthe ventilation, and she is very protective of Prosperous and its crew.”

Equ’Haglef quietly said, “There’s rumors she eats crewmen.”

Tru shook his head. “She’s a vegetarian, and even then she’spicky about what she eats.”

“Does she have feelings, like we do?” Aris asked.

“Yes. She is capable of thinking on her own and reacting tosituations. She is a sentient, organic being like we all are. It is both herstrength and weakness.”

Jackie asked, “Does she hear everything?”

Yes, I do Jackie Joan. Tru, the droids have landed. EnsignRhoades should be receiving images within the next twenty seconds.

“Link up with the droids has been established,” Jackie said.

“We had one casualty, sir,” Equ’Haglef reported.

Tru looked at him. “Who?”

“Your Lead COM officer, sir. She was on G deck when itbreeched.”

‘I guess that solveswhat I’m going to do about her.’ Tru shook his head at the loss of life.“Ask Q’al to take care of it.”

Tru glanced at Amanda when she walked into the back of theBridge.

“I’m receiving video,” Jackie reported, “Routing the feed tomain screen.”

Tru turned his attention to the view screen.

A video from one of the droids appeared. It moved through adark corridor, the light on its head gliding over corpses, cutting a sharpslice through the darkness.

“Gracie, get a lit shot of one of the bodies,” Tru ordered.

The droid stopped and turned to a body. A light came on,momentarily over-lighting the image. It faded, revealing the hall was full ofTerallians. Tru walked up to helm.

“Capture that image and then tell it to keep searching forany Paskians.”

The image didn’t move, but they could hear the droid’smovement over the bridge speakers.

“They are all Terallians,” Aris said.

“Why would Terallians try shooting us out of the sky?”Reuben asked. “They’re our allies.”

Tru wondered that himself.

“Wrigley,” Tru said, turning to where he’d last seen herstanding.

She wasn’t on the bridge. Tru turned back to the screen.“Gracie, send probes to the other ships. Jackie, try to link to as many shipcomputers as you can.”

“Aye, sir,” the two replied.

“Alert me as soon as either of you replace anything.” Truwalked to the transport at the back of the bridge. Quietly he ordered, “Gracie,transport me to Wrigley.”