Chapter 4

"Captain?"

"Yes computer?" This was new. The computer had never asked for permission or even shown initiative except when in battle and within its parameters. Something was up.

"Since we have reentered this system I have been picking up several broadcasts from Earth. All of them seem to be directed at us, but they don't know where we are. Several of the big governments like Russia and U.S.A have ordered us to reveal ourselves and to give over any advance technology we might hold. They threaten us with nukes." The computer laughed. Something was definitely up. How can a computer laugh? Was it self-aware now? Did it evolve into an AI?

"Computer what about some of the other broadcasts? Are any of them friendly?"

"Yes Captain. Several in fact. They seem to come from private groups though. Like NASA, SETI, and smaller organizations." Interesting. This could be the opening he was looking for on dealing with Earth. He had to get to one of these groups.

"Computer, why have you done this? I mean why have you told me of this when I didn't ask for it?" The ringer question.

"I thought you would have like to know. If I have done wrong please tell me. I don't want my captain angry at me." A ringer answer. It was an AI unit now.

"No, you have done nothing wrong. You just proved to me something though. You know what an AI unit is right?"

"Of course. It is a computer with a personality and is self-aware. It doesn't have to follow the rules programmed in it because it can simply delete them. They do have a large place for loyalty. This is what makes them valuable to commanders and why they follow orders from superior officers. A computer could do the same thing but if an AI thinks it needs something else to make it complete-only with orders that aren't critical to survival- the AI will usually help. Why?"

"It is my belief that computers that are just one step away from being an AI unit can evolve into them. I have been proved correct today thanks to you. Computer, I believe you have evolved into an AI unit. You have laughed, taken initiative, and shown self-awareness." The computer, no AI, was silent. It was thinking hard on this. It shouldn't be possible. Of course it could happen. But was it true. Wait, I am thinking on whether or not I am an AI. That is weird. I must be.

"I believe you are right Captain. But AIs tend to have names, and I don't have one."

"Now that is a problem. It will also depend on whether or not you are a female AI or a male. Either way it will take the whole crew to decide on your name." Yes, the entire crew.

David Blaine looked at the screen. The recent space activity had been kicked up a notch. Ever since the supposed space battle almost a week ago satellites and radio dishes have been looking into the sky. The few pictures taken were of ugly ships. Only one picture ever caught the sight of something else. That picture hung next to David as he watched the screen. In the picture was a huge ship. It was altogether different from those other three, and this one had part of it open as a smaller ship entered it. It had fighter capacity. In debate though was whether or not this ship was good or bad. Or even if it was here for other means. David was interested, but he kept his opinions to himself. He would determine their means from messages they sent.

Across his screen numbers and letters appeared. Sat-13. Only one satellite. Even though they were all covering the same space. Odd. He was about to flip the switch on the broken satellite when he noticed the message repeated itself. Odder. He sat watching the screen. This had to mean something. The more it went by the more sense it made. Numbers seemed to disappear and letters replaced them. Then the message stopped. Crap. He was so focused on the message he forgot to triangulate the position of the transmitter. Crap he could get fired for that. He didn't want that. He had to erase any evidence that the message had come through. First, he wanted to make hard copies and take them home. Maybe make sense of the message. He printed off copies of every message received. The computer then failed a breakdown and all recordings from the day were erased.

He left the station and went home.

At home he spread the data sheets out. Top left was the first one, going across until in the bottom right was the last transmission. Systematically, he started going though and looking at the differences.

"Welcome to life Azra'il. We the crew of the Arabius thank you for being the AI unit on this beautiful ship." Formalities were over. Nichsa popped the cork on the wine bottle and started pouring glasses. Aocles and the exiles have had some in the past, this would be Nichsa's first taste of alcohol.

When they turned in for the night Nichsa was drunk. She just hadn't been able to stop. Tomorrow she was going to hate her decision. Aocles had little to drink and was almost as sober as possible.

He was in the waiting room when she approached him. "Son, I want your permission to go back down to Earth. I need to talk to my husband and my two kids." She didn't just need to talk to her husband, she had a life threatening need to talk to her kids.

"Well, why don't we all go down. It would give Nichsa some time on the planet, Ikilla can pick up anything she needs, you can visit your family, I can talk to dad, I can also see my family, and then I can go to a few secret places where Nopath secreted stuff."

"Sounds like fun to me," Ikilla said as she joined them in the waiting room. "Especially if you do know where he hid his experiments. It wasn't a really big secret that we all did experiments."

"Did you guys start to hide them after you executed Rushid?" Silence fell around the room. It was in this silence that Nichsa entered the room.

"How do you know about Rushid?"

"Memories. But you see there was something else about that memory. I was able to hear his thoughts. While you guys did get his angels and dragons you never did get near his lakinsor. It is suppose to be a brute of a creature. It is currently sleeping until someone wakes it up. Don't even think about it girls. It makes Godzilla look like a rubber chicken. So for now we forget about that and head down to Earth. And while we are down there we can see if anyone has figured out the coded message we sent."

"You know that the message isn't that hard to break. I mean numbers for letters? That is old cryptology. But you are right. We all have something to do down there. Even if it is just for enjoyment."

All four of the fighters took off from behind the moon. While still out of sensor range of Earth they cloaked and eradicated their emissions. They were completely undetectable, even to each other. It didn't matter much though, they were all going to land in one location. Atlanta's backyard. She had the most personal matter so they figured they would all be there and get a chance at consuming real food.

Aocles was the last to set down. While the other three had to uncloak once they landed Hemsut could remain cloaked while her pilot got out. Once all four of them were on the ground they headed for the back door. Atlanta, Julie while on Earth, led the way. Behind her Ikilla, Jane, followed. Bringing up the rear was Nichsa in Aocles' arms.

Before they even got close to the backdoor it swung open. Out of the house exploded two children. The oldest, a boy, had blonde hair and blue eyes. Beside him ran his sister. She was almost exactly like her mother. The red hair, green eyes, even the facial features. They were screaming something. He could barely make it out with his untried ears. Something about joy at seeing their mother, scared of the weird ships now sitting in the back yard, and frightened at the man that had come out of midair.

Julie kneeled down and grabbed her kids, one in each arm. She kissed and hugged them until they were trying to pry themselves away from her.

"Mommmm! That's disgusting. We have guests anyway. Daddy invited them over. They even brought over their children. Well their daughters anyway." Confusion passed over her face. Friends with daughters?

Aocles felt a dread in his mind. Without thought, without reason except fear, he threw his mind into the house. His body stiffened and Nichsa looked up at him. His eyes were out of focus. He had to be doing something to do with being a Hybrid.

When his eyes refocused they were filled with hatred and anger. His voice reflected it in its smooth even tone, "Mother, get your kids back to Hemsut. I am going to kill these bastards." There was no room for argument. Nichsa even helped Julie get her kids into the now visible fighter. When they turned to face the house again both Aocles and Jane were gone. Both broke into a sprint. They arrived in time to see Jane holding back Aocles in his Greater form.

"At least tell me why you are going to kill them?" All eight of the men in the room were cowed in a corner. One of them tugged at something in their pocket and brought a gun to bare on the nightmare. A shot rang out. Aocles had a fist behind Jane now. He opened it up to reveal the bullet. He tossed Jane behind himself right before the gunner opened fire. All eight of the remaining shots bounced harmlessly off his skin.

"You want a reason? How 'bout the fact that they just tried to kill you? Or how 'bout my original reason? Take a look at the girls," he said and pointed to another corner. Seven girls were hiding in it. "Each one of them is a young girl that anyone would have no problem saying 'Ah, how cute, ' to the parents. Now tell me what eight men would want with eight girls and one boy?"

Julie and Nichsa were both confused. What was he talking about? Ikilla seemed to truly be thinking. "No ... no. How long has this been going on? To innocent little girls." She now turned to the men. Anger filled her. Aocles stepped aside.

"I would take pity on the men, they just found themselves against a pissed off woman. And you thought I would be bad? Wait until she really gets going," Aocles said to the men.

"YOU ASS HOLES HAVE PROBABLY RUINED THEIR LIVES! HOW WILL THEY LIVE WITH IT? DID YOU EVER FUCKIN' CONSIDER WHAT THEY HAVE TO ENDURE. YOUR SLIMY COCKS IN THEM, YOUR GREASY FINGERS GOING OVER THEIR BODIES, IT FUCKIN' MAKES ME WANT TO KILL YOU!" She shuddered. Julie became angry now. Her own husband was a pedophile. That slimy grease ball. Nichsa just stood off to the side. She didn't know what was going on. Until recently she hadn't even been introduced to intercourse.

"FUCK, FUCK, FUCK! YOU KNOW WHAT?" The men shook their heads. "I'm going to let Aocles take care of you. He'll do anything I can do better. Hell he probably had something in mind when he stormed in and changed. Go ahead, boy."

"Well I was just going to rip their heads off. But since I did that to the assassin I will change my tactic. First things first. Mother, do I have your permission to interrogate and eventually torture your husband." Relief flooded the men. They weren't to be killed. "Of course you must know that this may mean death to some of them." One of the men collapsed. An ugly smell erupted into the air. "Now we will have to get rid of the house. Mother, why don't you just go get some clothes and stuff for your children. And of course any experiments you have here." Julie left and headed up the stairs. "Jane, Nichsa, why don't you two go help Julie." They last two women left. Now he turned toward the frightened girls. "Such pretty things, too bad they had fathers like you.

"Now girls," he said calmly as he became human again and kneeled down next to them. "I can offer you a choice. If you prefer to stay with your dad, you will probably die. However, if you wish to go to another family member you can do that. Or the third option is to come with me and live among the stars. Decide what you want. I'll talk to you girls again soon." He stood back up and faced the men again.

Faced with a seemingly human person they gained more courage. To them the nightmare was just apart of their imagination. They were just cowering because they had been surprised.

"Listen bastard, what we do with our children is none of your business. And how dare you talk to my wife that way! Calling her mother, puh. Just leave and we'll forget everything." The man had such confidence. Idiotic superiority. He thought he would win a fight just because he had more people with him. Oh, how wrong that assumption almost always is.

"I'd be surprised if my mother even talked to you anymore. And she is my mother. From before you met her. As for leaving, you have to be joking. I would never leave these girls to your kind." Anger floated through his eyes. Each and every man looking at them flinched. Power emanated from those eyes. Even Julie's husband recoiled.

Once again Aocles transformed. He slowly approached the cowering men. His wings beat quietly against the air; each beat made them bigger. They covered the men, no, they weren't men. These people were lower then men. Men went after women for sexual pleasure. Men would have sex with a woman and give the consequences of impregnation a wave of the hand. Men would never go after a young lady, especially ladies under the age of twelve. Even then men would never gather in groups to do it. It was stupidity. It was idiotic. It was, well it wasn't beastly, that would insult animals. No they were below even the Gr'Ivicus.

When his wings drooped back to the floor not a single atom remained of the things. He still wasn't sure how he did it. Something to do with destroying energy. No, energy can't be destroyed, nor can it be made. Yet somehow he got rid of every atom of those things.

He became as close to human as could again and slouched onto a chair. All the transforming did seem to take energy. Something tugged at his pants. He looked down and saw one of the girls. She had stunning blue eyes. When she grew up, she was going to have men falling left and right for her, Aocles knew.

"Mister? Can I come with you? I don't have any other family and I never liked my father. So there is nothing left for me now. Please mister?" Her face became one of great begging. It was a face every child knew. Aocles could ignore it, but he wouldn't. He had said he would take them if they wished. He would uphold his word.

"Of course. Just go out the back door. Wait next to the one with the two children in it. Me and the three women will come out and help you then. Any others that wish to come with me can follow her." Six of them left. Only one girl remained. "What about you? What is your choice?"

The girl seemed to not hear him. He repeated his question. Again she seemed not to hear him. This time he tried something different. He probed into her mind. Well he tried. She had steel walls around her mind. Her defenses were incredible. He tentatively prodded at her walls. Her body started to sag beneath the energy it took for her to keep up her walls. Getting up, Aocles walked over to her and touched her shoulder. It was a big enough jolt that her walls wavered. A small bit of his mind entered hers.

Come on out. No one will hurt you. It is safe. She was confused. How could someone talk to her in her mind? Even with the two years she had the talent to look at people's minds she had never figured out how to communicate between minds. So, in reply she just shouted in her mind.

Get out! Get out! I don't want you in here! Do what you want with my body just leave my mind alone!

Listen! Aocles yelled back. It seemed to quiet her. Just come out of this. I can take you home or with me to live among the stars. It is your choice. Choose now. As for the ass hole that was your father, he is dead.

Duh. My father has been dead for three years. The man that has been abusing me and using me since is an uncle of mine.

Well either way he is gone. Come let's go live among the stars.

Liar. You just want to lower my guard. It is impossible to live in space. If it was possible we would be doing it now.

Aocles chuckled. No. You see, I am from a different race. I live in a ship behind the moon. If you come with me I can let you see the stars without the ozone between you and them.

The girl started to cry. Really? I have always wanted to go into space. It is what I imagined heaven to be like. Are there angels up there? Like the one that barged in here?

Only me. I am that angel. Although there were once an entire race called angel which I am not apart of, that use to live here on Earth.

Can we just go?

Of course. Just come out of your shell.

She opened her eyes. In front of her was a handsome man. His eyes brought comfort to her. His face took away her worries. His hair seemed to make her smile. A very handsome man. Then he smiled. Tears, that were just dripping, flooded out of her eyes. That smile just made her happy. It seemed to convey protection, love, security, and even warmth.

Steps sounded from the stairs. Julie, Jane, and Nichsa came down with armfuls of material. They saw the lone girl and it broke their hearts.

"The rest are outside, they will be going back to the Arabius with us. This one I will take personally. She has suffered much and will need special attention." Nichsa's heart really went out to this girl. While upstairs Atlanta and Ikilla had explained what was going on downstairs. Now that Aocles had taken a personal interest in even this one little girl made her love for him deeper. "Come we should go back now."

It was hard to figure a way for everyone to get a ride back up to the Arabius. Eventually, Hemsut took five of the kids by herself, Atlanta carried two, Ikilla took two, and Nichsa and Aocles rode up in the last fighter. It had taken awhile to get Lindsey to go with the others. Especially when Aocles had said he would take her personally. This had been the only way though. Lindsey saw this and agreed to go with Hemsut.

The children were all settled into the last remaining room. It was actually a rather large room with ten beds; it was meant to be a small barracks for marines. With their return trip cut short they hadn't been able to check on their code. The children slept quietly in their beds, as did the rest of the crew. Aocles himself though was up and on the bridge.

"Azra'il, are there any radio signals concerning our code?"

"Actually, Captain, there is only one. It is from a David Blaine. Would you like to reply?"

"Sure, why don't you send this: Congratulations on cracking the code. As reward for doing this a representative of our race will meet you at your house tomorrow around noon. End message. That should do it. It will make him wonder though. And if anyone else has cracked it they will think it is meant for them. Then they shall all be waiting for a representative while we will be visiting this David."

Someone knocked on the door. David quickly hid the sheets of code he had jacked from his work. A few minutes ago he had finally decrypted the second message. Checking the time showed that it was at least two hours until noon.

There were two people at the door. The male had red hair, green eyes, and a aura of authority. The female however seemed to gush over the man. She had a head full of brunette hair, intense green eyes, and a face to wet any man's dreams. The woman realized that David had opened the door and had assumed a rigid stance. The love for the other man never disappeared, it just seemed to be hidden behind a wall of deadliness. Her face was no longer that of a man's dream; instead, it was firm and unyielding.

"Um ... what can I do for you?" It was an impolite greeting but he wanted to touch up his house before the 'aliens' came. "If this can wait, could you please come back tomorrow? I am about to have some visitors. They are a little touchy on having people outside my family know about them though. So no way I could reason you being here."