Chapter 15: Confrontations

“Was it something that occurred during your meeting with Director Carn-Conlin?” I asked.

I saw that she responded to my question by projecting a very human-like look of apprehension. I almost smiled, thinking that Ambassador Riho had better avoid playing Poker until she gained better control of her shell’s tells.

She then tilted her head in that alien way, noticing my own amused expression or suddenly deducing something from the way I responded.

“You were already fully aware of with whom I met this morning?” she speculated.

I nodded.

“You also are aware of the contents of our dialogue?” Riho asked next.

“No, not the full details. But I am aware of M. Carn-Conlin’s ongoing concerns about the authority I wield. Because of those concerns, Naomi monitors the director’s actions at all times, watching for any possible threats. I am curious to learn why you think you may have betrayed my trust?” I asked.

The Hemru went on to explain how the meeting came about. She went over their introductions to one another and skimmed over a few of the lesser subjects the director was curious about. She then grew more serious as she got to the main reasons for the virtual meeting.

“After asking many questions to confirm her understanding of the Hemru system of government, Director Carn-Conlin went on to expound about how our ruling caste was similar to that of the human directorships,” Riho said, pausing a moment to gage my reaction.

She then continued, “Although noting many slight differences in the two systems, I was forced to acknowledge that overall, there were similarities. M. Carn-Conlin then went on to explain that it was her desire to see humanity fully adapt the elected directorship as the sole executive decision-making structure in your society.”

At her second pause, I simply gestured for her to continue.

“I then asked the director how she intended to force or convince you to relinquish the dominant authority you possess via your control over all artificial intelligences in this system. She was unable to answer forthright so I went on to remind her that the current human population is far too low in numbers and also lacks the technical knowledge needed to maintain your advanced society without the aid of those same artificial intelligences.”

Holy shit! Riho had held nothing back and I’d have loved to see the director squirm upon hearing the alien confirm the ‘facts of life’ in our solar system! I wished I had ordered Naomi to let me eavesdrop into their virtuality but then remembered that there were recordings.

“Director Carn-Conlin finally admitted that the problem of how to convince you to relinquish your power peacefully was daunting, but solvable,” Riho said, before seeming to hesitate. I looked at her and saw what could have been fear.

“Go on, Ambassador. I would have everything be open between us,” I said with as calm a demeanor as I could project. This was difficult as I could feel the anger building inside me.

“The director then inquired that, if she could sway human public opinion against you, would I as the official representative of the Hemru species, endorse her endeavor,” Riho said, much quieter than before.

For the first time, my concealed anger expressed itself in a visible scowl. I quickly quelled that display before the Hemru could pick up on what I was experiencing. “And what was your reply?” I asked, far less calmly than before.

“I told her that logically, I could not commit to such an action without extensive consideration, especially at this early juncture.”

I wondered if the Hemru position was truly that or if it had been meant to string the director along. I decided to risk asking for clarification.

“Do you actually need to consider your response?”

Riho hesitated before replying, “Further consideration would be the logical course of action.” She paused then went on, “And I do not know what my final answer will be at this time. I am sorry, John.”

At my silence, she went on, speaking more rapidly this time, “John. I do feel that the director’s arguments have some merit and I truly apologize if this is upsetting. I worry about the extent to which humans rely on artificial intelligences. I also worry about the wisdom of allowing one individual to wield almost unlimited power. Logically, a more distributed leadership would lessen the impact of any one lapse in judgment. I say this to you out of honesty and openness.”

I considered for a moment. I’d asked that we be open and truthful with one another after all. “I hear you and I think I understand your concerns,” I finally acknowledged.

“Thank you for not reacting harshly. I am curious though of one aspect in all this,” Riho stated.

“Go on.”

“When I first realized the thrust of the director’s questions, and the level of her discontent at your rule, I wondered how you could be unaware of her actions. I deduced, correctly as it turns out, that your control over the subordinate AI’s allowed you to be fully aware of the director’s actions. Thus, I am left pondering why you have tolerated the situation?” Riho asked.

“That’s understandable,” I replied. “I guess I feel that humans should have the right to free speech and the freedom to express their opinions. I’ve considered the director’s actions thus far as an exercising of that freedom. And, in many ways, I do sympathize with the director’s point of view.”

The Hemru was silent for a long moment. Her head was tilted slightly in the manner that suggested she was having an internal discussion with her AI augment. Finally, her eyes regained focus and she looked at me.

“John, Xenius AI has explained in depth the basis for your belief about individual freedoms. It has also taught me the human term for what I perceive is happening with regard to Director Carn-Conlin’s words and actions. I believe that your term for what she is engaging in would be known as ‘sedition.’ Do you consider sedition to be one of your protected freedoms?”

I frowned and remained silent for a long time. Finally, I replied, “No ... no, I do not.”

“Then, consider this. Is there wisdom in allowing such seditious actions to proceed on the eve of your offensive against humankind’s greatest enemy?”

Her question stunned me. I’d not thought of the director’s actions in such a light ... as a possible threat to our plans against the enemy. I resumed carving; my hands busy on their own while my mind became lost in thought.

Riho remained silent as I continued to work and mull over what we had just discussed. Finally, she stood and, taking the gift with her, left me to my contemplations. Over the next half hour, I noticed her occasionally as she flitted about the compound, studying the giant tortoises grazing in the nearby paddock or inspecting the numerous examples of local plant life.

Finally, she departed the area, walking up the path leading to the main lodge.

The wooden pawn slowly took shape despite my thoughts being engaged elsewhere. Was what Director Carn-Conlin doing really that dangerous to humanity? I knew that she certainly did not think so. The director probably thought I was the bigger threat than the enemy.

Where would her efforts take us if I allowed her actions to continue? From what I know of her so far, she was stubborn and determined and would keep prodding and probing until something definite happened. That ‘something’ likely being something bad. There would be an outright rebellion or maybe a distraction causing a general sense of unease.

I recalled her recent attempts to contact the solitary Jonathon. Had she been seeking to use him against me? Now, she was engaging in direct dialog with the alien ambassador! My thoughts coalesced and I concluded that I had to act.

I stopped carving and returned the in-progress set to its storage drawer under my main bench. I then put away my tools and hung up my simulated leather carving apron. Once my work area was tidy, I closed up my workshop and took a seat in one of the outdoor shaded lounging chairs. Ohmu assumed her usual waiting stance nearby.

“Ohmu, can you arrange a virtuality with Director Carn-Conlin? Tell her I need to have a short conversation with her.”

“M. Carn-Conlin’s published schedule indicates that she is not available for virtual or physical meetings for the next twenty hours, John. I have attempted to override her settings and converse with her augment directly but her isolation lodge is currently under active screening preventing any incoming or outgoing communications.”

Hmm. “Do you know where she is?”

“Yes, Naomi maintains a constant location trace on the director’s whereabouts at all times. M. Carn-Conlin is currently aboard her mobile isolation airship, which is currently over the northern Gulf of Thailand, ninety kilometers south of the former city of Rayong. The airship’s course is due east at an altitude of twenty-four hundred meters and it is traveling at a speed of twenty-two kilometers per hour.”

I recalled that the Director had created herself an air lodge. Five decades earlier I’d considered building one for myself but decided on a sailing yacht instead. Still, I had been aboard many such airships over the years and had to admit they were quite nice, if one avoided flying them through the more turbulent regions of the planet.

I considered the location and consulted my implant. The Gulf of Thailand was five hours ahead of Heels, so it would be late afternoon there. If I took Hoss, the trip would take ten hours and I’d arrive well after midnight. I could order up an electrojet from nearby Grand’Anse or even Madagascar, but even if the aircraft were dispatched immediately, it would still be nearly three hours before I would arrive at the director’s air lodge.

“Hmmm. How are the queues for the global wormhole network? Are there any openings available for transport to the director’s airship?”

“Without disrupting the scheduled transport of others, the New Guinea wormhole facility can transport you to Director Carn-Conlin’s isolation lodge in approximately forty-two minutes. A return transfer would not be available for well over an hour afterward, and these time estimates are subject to some uncertainty, John,” Ohmu reported.

She then added, “Be aware that the current screening of Director Carn-Conlin’s air-lodge has restricted the transmission of precision targeting data for the air lodge’s interior. Therefore, the public wormhole transport system would not have the ability to safely target the vessel’s interior without such data.

Maybe I could use the wormhole network to travel to the Thai mainland and arrange to have a local air hopper taxi me to the director’s air lodge. If after arrival I had to depart suddenly, the same taxi could be waiting on station to return me to the mainland. I could then catch a return wormhole back to Heels whenever one became available.

I was about to order Ohmu to make those preparations when Naomi spoke in my implant.

—John. I have an alternative. The wormhole generator on Querencia is now fully operational and I have access to sufficient energy to immediately transport you to the Gulf of Thailand and return you at your convenience. Also, I have my own source of targeting data aboard the director’s air lodge.—

Nice! “Do you have enough power to bring Ohmu along?”

—Yes, John. I have just finished upgrading the mechanism with the latest energy-saving technology and algorithms developed for the Phobos and Sarissa installations.—

I did not ask if Naomi’s personal wormhole generator had been tested. The AI would never have presented the option if there were any doubts about my safety. I was curious about the upgrades though. I’d have to explore the sub’s new capabilities after I resolved the situation at hand.

“That is excellent, Naomi! Arrange to transport me and Ohmu to the director’s airship in fifteen minutes.”

I wanted to clean up and change into more suitable clothing so I headed to the workshop’s shower room while signaling the garment printer to produce a casual outfit. To make an impression, I specified a black silk shirt and slacks. Ohmu spoke up, pushing for a cape with a cowl hood. She desisted when I threatened to leave the android behind.

I was about finished with my shower when I had another idea. I relayed it to Ohmu who said the item would be available from the workshop’s fabricators in eighteen minutes. I was about to order my departure briefly delayed until Naomi reminded me that the item could be sent on after me via wormhole when its assembly was finished.

Querencia’s wormhole was smaller in diameter than that of the public network so Ohmu and I had to squeeze to fit into the compact transport cylinder. The cylinder also lacked a clear viewport so I was unable to see the inside of the submarine’s wormhole chamber as we translated off the island. Ohmu informed me that since the chamber was ultra-compact and filled with equipment and currently unlit, I was missing nothing.

I could tell that we’d traveled somewhere though by the sensation of ‘down’ suddenly changing. I’d left my island standing on my feet but now felt like I was lying on my back. Ohmu was kind enough not to grunt as she was now beneath me in the confined tube. Instead, she remained silent but did tighten her arms around me protectively.

When I asked about our orientation, she explained that the gimbal machinery on Querencia was very limited. This was partially a space-saving concession but also because full gimballing was not required due to the submarine’s ability to maneuver, changing its course, pitch, and yaw to assist in aligning the desired wormhole vector.

We waited in that position for a moment while the generator reset itself for the Gulf of Thailand. Shortly, the wormhole reformed and we felt the tube being reinserted into the spatial aperture, translating us to our final destination.

Ohmu still had a tight grip on my body but thankfully, the sensation of down returned to now being below our feet. I assumed we were now aboard the director’s airship. This was confirmed moments later as the cylinder opened, revealing an astonished and perplexed-looking Terre Carn-Conlin standing just four meters in front of us.

I extracted myself from the transport cylinder and stepped out into a curvilinear and spacious window-lined sitting room. The outward tilt of the room’s windows and the moving view beyond confirmed that we were in the gondola of a massive airship.

The middle-aged-looking hermaphrodite had clearly just risen from the work console she was standing beside. From the old-fashioned writing tablet and pen she was holding at her side, I deduced that she must have been busy working on something offline. I scanned the rest of the room but saw that the director was alone.

“John Prime! I—” she started speaking.

“I’m sorry to arrive unannounced Director Carn-Conlin,” I interrupted. “I tried to reach you via virtuality earlier but your systems are apparently down. I thought I’d come personally instead. Do you have a moment? I’ll try not to take too much of your time.”

“Yes ... Well, I am ... Yes, of course.”

“Thank you,” I said matter-of-factly. I was fighting to keep my amusement over the director’s clear turmoil hidden. I gestured towards two lounging chairs located near the forward-facing windows. “Shall we...?”

The hermaphrodite seemed to compose herself. “No, of course! Let us be comfortable. Would you like something to drink?” she asked, following me to the seating area and waiting while I selected a chair and sat.

I indicated that I required nothing. Before I got down to the point of my visit, I took a moment to enjoy the spectacular view. The sun was just beginning to set over the gulf below and the waters to the west sparkled like gemstones.

“You have an amazing view, Director,” I conceded.

She just nodded, clearly ceding control of the conversation to me. I swiveled my chair so I was more-directly facing the director. I sat forward slightly, placed both black silken-sleeved elbows on the chair’s armrest, and brought my palms together with index fingertips resting on my chin.

I kept my expression neutral but looked as if I were considering a deeply perplexing problem. My eyes remained locked on the director’s and I remained silent. Again, I had to stifle a smile as I saw the director visibly swallow, clearly anxious about my unannounced visit.

Finally, after making Director Carn-Conlin suffer for almost thirty seconds, I spoke, “I’ve monitored your conversation with Ambassador Riho. I’ve also monitored your discussions with Jonathon on Vesta earlier. I’ve monitored other discussions you have had recently as well. I have to ask; how can you be so confident that I will not act?”

“Act how ... and over what?” the direction replied. “I have the right to talk with whomever I wish ... about whatever I wish. Unless you are now restricting long-established freedoms?”

I could sense the emotions building behind her responses. I tried to suppress my own as I spoke my next words.

“Sedition is an actionable offense not protected by any established freedoms,” I said calmly. “You may or may not be aware that I’m from an era where the penalty for sedition was death.” While I spoke, I kept my eyes locked on the herm’s.

“Sedition! What are you talking about? I have not acted seditiously!” the director replied loudly.

“We are at war, Director! A war that, I remind you, the public overwhelmingly supports. Your actions are compromising our ability to successfully wage that war against our enemy. I would certainly be justified in taking actions to prevent any further interruption to our war effort.”

The director sputtered and then managed to speak, “Are you threatening—”

“YES, I’m threatening you!” I shouted, interrupting the visibly startled herm. “And you’d better damn well respect this threat!”

“But ... I have rights! And I was elected by our CURRENT population! You were elected by what, two people!? well over a century ago ... and by one who is long since dead!” Director Carn-Conlin almost hissed in reply.

Her words reminded me for a moment of my daughter Abby Branco, the deceased person she referred to. I dismissed the sudden feelings of sadness brought on by the memory.

“That does not matter,” I continued, one again in control of my anger. “We are at war and I would be acting within my authority.”

“So, what am I supposed to do? Just ignore what I know to be an injustice?!” the director said.

“Yes! You will have to do exactly that,” I replied.

I held up my hands before the director could argue further.

“Look. I understand your point of view more than you realize. I have even considered making changes along the lines of what you are seeking. But, before I do anything to change the current situation, I am determined to see the Assemblage threat removed once and for all!”

Again, I stopped the director before she could reply.

“All I am asking is that you temporarily suspend your seditious actions until the war is over. For now, focus on the job you were elected to, restoring Earth’s biomes. When the enemy is dead, I will allow you to publicly present any changes you wish to be considered.”

“How long will that be?” she asked, barely hiding a snarl. “By ‘dead’ do you mean when the oncoming ark ship is defeated? Or do you mean until we root out all the possible Assemblage colonies which may have already been established as they made their way to our planet?”

“I meant just the immediate threat to our system, the oncoming ark.” I sighed and continued. “Look, I’d like to see all the enemy’s colonies destroyed all the way back to their original system, but I don’t know if rooting them out is even possible. But if it is and if we have to hunt them all down in order to remain safe here, then that will be the task of our descendants,” I acknowledged.

“How do I know that I can trust you?” she asked.

“I keep my word,” I said firmly. “But it really does not matter as you simply have no choice.”

The hermaphrodite scowled but remained silent. I went on to explain that as far as the current situation went, she should simply consider my wielding of executive authority as an emergency ‘war powers act’. And, with the rapid pace of the ongoing preparations for our offensive, the issue would likely soon be decided.

If our offensive failed, her arguments would be moot. If we succeeded, then the emergency would be over and the changes she was seeking would be considered. Before she could argue about that last point, I reminded her that it would ultimately be up to the will of the majority. I would open it up to a full vote of humanity and would respect whatever they decided. With that, I’d said what I had wanted and we became silent.

Director Carn-Conlin had one last bullet to fire and fire it she did. “You know, a majority of the directors considered you insane for much of the last decade.”

I remained silent, trying to control my reaction and not reveal how deeply her shot had scored.

“You consider my actions seditious and a threat to humanity. What about your own recent actions? How do you consider them?” she added.

“Nothing I did while I was ... finding myself, harmed anyone or threatened humanity in any way,” I said in my defense.

I’d said it very quietly and the director’s eyes tightened, sensing my vulnerability.

“What about that reckless stunt you pulled using Forbin? As I recall, you pushed the AIs to help you with that after you’d returned from your self-discovery or recovery walk-about.”

“That was a gamble, true ... but it was one that resulted in an almost tripling of the odds favoring our success against the enemy. I’m sure that given time, the directors would have voted to risk performing the experiments. I did not want to wait.”

The director was silent at that. With the outcome of the Forbin ‘incident’ proving wildly successful, it was hard to argue against my decision in hind-site. The director did not give up though.

“What if you had made demands during your insanity that your AI would have been forced to carry out?” she asked more calmly.

Naomi had revealed to me that Jess had kept my therapy sessions with him confidential. The director should still be unaware of the full reasons behind my nomadic wanderings. She was guessing.

“I did not make any threatening demands. And, if I had been crazy and had acted against humanity’s best interests in any way, the AIs would have ignored my request ... unless you think they are insane as well?”

She scowled at my reply. It was unsure of the first part and unwilling to claim the AIs could act illogically. I had also made the statement with a confidence much greater than how I’d actually felt. Inside, I had to wonder ... just how would have Naomi responded? I’d never asked her what she thought of my actions or my mental state over the previous decade. I had to admit I was scared to dwell too deeply upon both. We remained silent, once again at an impasse.

Ohmu distracted us from our standoff by suddenly moving from where she had been standing at the far end of the room. A new wormhole popped into existence in the now-vacated space, the pitch-black circular portal forming near the room’s ceiling. I had to admit that with Querencia’s currently unlit generator chamber, the portal looked ominous. Fitting for the use I was about to put it to.

“I hate to break up this fun meeting, but my ride has arrived,” I said as I stood. “You know? It sure is a luxury having your own private wormhole network. No more waiting for slots in the public queue or having to rely on the global targeting scanner network.”

M. Carn-Conlin also stood, now looking slightly ill, my words clearly having the effect I’d sought. Hopefully, the next ‘message’ would be equally as well received.

“But before Ohmu and I leave, we wanted to present you with a gift. A token of our respect for your concern and to honor you for your years of service as a director.”