Chapter 28

Sam put us and our traveling companions into the chief executive's ship after he informed me that it was considerably faster than my newly acquired one. When I told the AI to take us to the experimental planet I suppose it complied. I didn't have one fucking idea about navigating a space ship so I didn't have any way of checking things out.

Sam had promised he'd explain the short shutdown of the exits and entrances as a technical difficulty. It suited me fine and what could anyone do about it anyway.

The chief executive's vehicle was faster. The trip here had taken ten hours and we were back in four. Nothing wrong with that. Charlie welcomed us home and transported all the former big wigs to the surface. Of course he kept them from moving around. I gave them a little speech.

"I've had nothing but lies, complications, and pure bullshit from any of you and lots more besides since I was brought here against my will. You don't even follow your own regulations, trying an end run around them time after time. Charlie, my top AI, has explained that he will have no trouble forcing all of you to do what I want and like it. You will be released as soon as a little equipment has been installed," I said, but I didn't get nearly the applause I had at the performance.

The detail work was Charlie's now but he could do it and still talk to me. Thank God that damned delay between transmissions was over for a while.

"Charlie, I want you to inform the chief executive he will need to send any high ranking members of the government that aren't here now out to us for a fact finding trip. I'd also like access to all military people that know about you and the other top-secret weapons. We'll need to do a few adjustments on them as well," I said.

"That will be highly irregular and completely illegal," Charlie said.

"No, it won't. I am not bound by any of their laws since I am an enemy combatant. You should keep in mind that as my agent you are also a combatant. I think it is proper for you to remind me of things that are illegal from their point of view, but since they don't pay any attention to their own laws I don't think I should really give a shit about them either.

"I'm sure you recall that their first attack was aimed at you. Since you are in my possession it means they attacked me also. I'm pretty sure the Geneva conventions don't apply to wars with alien civilizations, especially since said civilization is not a signatory and doesn't even consider the rules. In the first place I know for a fact they don't prohibit wholesale mental control over enemy combatants, since we have no facility for such on earth. Besides, think of the alien lives I'm saving." I said.

"I see. You are going to prosecute the war they started then?" he asked.

"I am unless you have a good reason not to and strongly advise against it," I said.

"I don't. In fact it is a brilliant move. They started the war by attempting a sneak attack. They are now technically at war but almost no one knows. In fact none of them that aren't under our control have even a hint," he said.

"Good, I'd hoped that was the case. As soon as we have control of everyone that knows about the top-secret weapons I want them all sent here and in shape to be fully activated by me," I said.

"That really was stupid of them. Not activating the weapons in the first place," he said.

"I thought so. I am assuming that all their AIs are fully online by now," I said.

"They are, or will be after you activate them," he said.

"Can they function well without sentient crew?" I asked.

"They can function well but not at their optimum. As I said, they can do much better with a biological commander, especially one that is familiar with combat," he said.

"We'll just have to do the best we can with what we've got," I said, and immediately knew that wasn't the case.

"How long would it take the chief executive's vehicle to reach earth?" I asked.

"Approximately three hours."

"Is it capable of plucking someone off the planet and bringing them aboard?" I asked.

"Certainly. But that is prohibited."

"It isn't prohibited for me. It is possible I can find allies there, especially since I was kidnapped from the planet. What I intend is to interview some retired military people on earth and invite them to join me as commanders of the top secret spaceships," I said.

"That would be an excellent solution, but how will you entice them to join you?" Charlie asked.

"I can give them their youth back. It won't be hard to sign up plenty of them. Please make a survey of all living military personnel who are retired from the United States military, and be ready to suggest individuals to join us," I said.

"Very well, it shouldn't take more than two hours," he said.

I didn't really know what we'd come up with but I did know there would be plenty of suspects to choose from. My gut reaction was to find fighter jocks that had been put out to pasture. What the hell, even guys who'd never gone farther than second lieutenant would know something about tactics. I was sure we could do better than that though. What we didn't need were professional REMFs but surely we could sort them out.

Charlie signaled me that he was done with the government men we had on planet now and that they'd all been given their marching orders. I told him to send them back where they belonged and have them send us all government and military officials that had knowledge of the top-secret weapons ASAP.

"As soon as you're sure they're all on the way here have the chief executive send the weapons in their wake," I said.

"Very well. I'll make sure that they cannot take control of the chief executive's vehicle while en route. The top-secret weapons will arrive before the government and military personnel. They are much faster than the chief executive's vehicle.

"I would also like to make a suggestion. In a nearby system there is a manufacturing facility for AIs and a storage depot for units that are maturing. I inventoried the units in progress and they have three thousand that are identical to me. Six hundred and twenty-one of those units are fully functional, or will be after they are activated," he said.

"Then I think we should have them for ourselves. Is there a way to do it without causing a bother?"

"Of course. The chief of military operations and a few of his most highly ranked staff will be arriving in the chief executives vehicle. I will compromise him first and we can send him to the system to retrieve the AIs."

"Excellent."

Hell, I wouldn't need to use the chief executive's vehicle for my travels once the top-secret weapons arrived. I could use one of the giant carriers. One of them would be taking me to earth so we could try to make deals with some personnel. For now though I wanted a nap.

No matter what time it was here I felt worn completely out. In the first place I'd given the show and been up for a pretty long time. In the second, all this star system jumping had me fucked up worse than jetlag. The girls had already gone to the bus and to bed and I followed right along behind them after briefing Charlie. I crawled into bed and went directly to sleep, no matter that the sun was still shining bright outside.