Leviathan

March 23

"Nature (the art whereby God hath made and governs the world) is by the art of man, as in many other things, so in this also imitated, that it can make an artificial animal. For seeing life is but a motion of limbs, the beginning whereof is in some principal part within, why may we not say that all automata (engines that move themselves by springs and wheels as doth a watch) have an artificial life? For what is the heart, but a spring; and the nerves, but so many strings; and the joints, but so many wheels, giving motion to the whole body, such as was intended by the Artificer?" - Thomas Hobbes, 1651

-----

There was a message waiting from a trusted source: Major, just heard something odd on Hale's Moon. Was chatting with Lily a bit. She said something about Ardra and skin. Then she said "hands is paws and skin is skin, those who alter the flesh will pay." Made me a little unsettled. Thought you may want to know.

It was unsettling.

It made me wonder what the long term consequence might be to Lily the longer she carried the Ardra AI within her. On the other hand, her apparent unstable nature might give her the resilience she needed to survive the ordeal.

Still, it was unsettling.

And given where we were about to go, it was also ironic.

-----

March 23 - Splintered Rock

Evening was falling over Splintered Rock. The sky was clear. And while the temperature was slowly dropping, the oppressive heat of the day stored in the stones and the tarmac would last well into the night.

Spacecraft of different shapes and sizes squatted about the landing pad. A small group of residents gathered at one end near the control tower. The sound of their laughter drifted across to where I waited.

I was dressed in the battle armour of the Zenobian Division. It was designed for operations in harsh, airless environments. My face was obscured by my breather mask. My hair hidden beneath my helmet.

Trooper Macarthur approached and saluted smartly. "Ma'am."

"Trooper," I acknowledged and returned the salute. "This way..."

I lead the way to our transport. Dubbed the "Shark" for its rounded bow, it had seats for a small squad and plenty of room for cargo. Good for a search and seizure operation. Dual ramps made it ideal for rapid disembarking.

We entered our vehicle and began a final systems check.

I checked the monitor. "Co-ordinates 128, 10, 4055," I called out.

"Way up there, Ma'am." responded the trooper.

Macarthur had worked with me before. He was my team's medic and our electronics man. Good in a fire fight. Enthusiastic. Bright.

The third member of our team arrived.

"Trooper Outlander reporting for duty, Major," he boarded the craft and reported in.

"Thank you Trooper..." I acknowledged.

Outlander was new to my squad, but I had no doubt though that he would perform well under pressure. His record was impeccable. He carried the weapon of a sharpshooter.

Team assembled and craft ready I gave the briefing.

"This one is pretty simple.." I began.

"That's how they usually start out, Ma'am," remarked Trooper Outlander.

Trooper Macarthur agreed with a nod.

I continued unabated, "Insertion, find the systems, locate an item that belongs to the Zenobian people, retrieve and pull out."

"Rules of engagement, Major?" asked Outlander.

"Respond to any fire, but don't initiate." Standard practice in my unit.

"Yes, Ma'am," he acknowledged.

We were ready. "Let's roll," I said.

The Shark lifted off the landing pad and raced out over the desert as we began our ascent. The distance was far and the journey took time. We travelled in silence.

In due course, we arrived at the Heighliner mooring. Its size was no less impressive than the first time I saw it.

"Above us," I indicated as I steered our ship under the monstrous craft.

"Above us," echoed Macarthur. "Holy...." He pointed upwards.

Trooper Outlander nodded wordlessly.

As we approached amidships, the underbelly of the Heighliner rotated open to admit us. We disappeared inside the vast interior. For all intents and purposes, we were swallowed by the beast.

I piloted our craft deep into the first and lowest chamber we came to. I have seen smaller hangers.

As we flew, the light from the markings on the Heighliner walls flooded our cabin giving everything an eerie green luminosity.

I gently set our ship down near the wall far from the rotating sections on the tube.

"Orders, Major?" asked Outlander as we disembarked.

"Let's find command."

Trooper Macarthur responded with a nod.

We spread out and began a sweep of the area.

-----

"Walls are smooth," reported Macarthur.

"No hatches or gangways at all, Major," stated Trooper Outlander.

"Okay," I replied, "we will use jet packs."

"There's something above, Ma'am," Trooper Macarthur indicated, "Cylindrical."

I recognized it from the Splintered Rock security feed. In any other setting it would be considered huge.

"That's the shuttle."

-----

Using personal propulsion equipment, we arrived one by one on the next level upwards. Something was interfering with our communication.

"Say again?" I asked over the static.

"Upper deck has equipment, some kind of large figure," repeated Trooper Outlander.

Far off in the distance, I could see what he was referring to. It was the figure of a large man. Black streaked with green. Hands on hips.

"Be cautious," I warned.

"Humanoid shape, some sort of statue maybe," said Outlander, "Investigating."

Meanwhile Macarthur explored the equipment that sat close to the shuttle. A hexagon shaped control panel with a central shaft.

"Major," he called, "there's a container with Umbrella mark on it."

I joined him at the crate sitting close to the control panel.

"Is this what you were looking for ma'am?"

It was the right size.

"It is marked..." I began.

Holographic text floated about the box: Special Delivery for Major Pepper Siamendes...

"We were expected it seems," I mused.

"Yes," remarked the trooper, "But by whom?"

I knew. By Ardra, of course. And why was she using an Umbrella Corporation shipping container?


-----

The men were talking amongst themselves when I joined them before the large figure. It was some sort of replicant I was sure. It must have been 12 to 15 meters tall.

Trooper Macarthur turned to me, "Is this Ardra?"

"No," I replied, "it serves Ardra."

"Okay," answered Macarthur.

The giant spoke.

"Assistbot Mark 2," it said.

"Hello," responded Macarthur a bit suddenly.

Outlander backed up a bit.

"Yes," Macarthur gathered himself "What is your designation?"

"My designation is Assistbot Mark 2," replied the giant.

"Is this place some kind of funhouse?" asked Outlander.

"This is a Guild Heighliner," replied the Assistbot Mark 2, "Do you have your cargo ready for pickup?"

"May we use AM2 to call you?" asked Macarthur.

"I will record that designation and respond to it," responded the giant.

Trooper Macarthur looked over at me for any orders.

I answered the Assistbot's question. "We will retrieve it now."

"Major Pepper Siamendes, UAP SIU?" asked Assistbot Mark 2.

I had read the old fairy tales. The ones with the knights and the princesses, the dragons and the trolls. When a twelve meter giant calls your name, you do not say 'Yes'.

So I ignored his question and asked, "Where is Aurotharius?"

"Please specify which Aurotharius," it requested politely.

"Let's start with Ardra," I said.

Assistbot Mark 2 replied, "Adra Aurotharius is offworld at the moment in the Extropian Sectors."

"And Wylder Aurotharius?" I asked.

"Wylder Aurotharius' whereabouts are unknown. We have a standing order to compensate for any information leading to his location."

"And Arudra Aurotharius?" I probed.

"There are a few Arudra Drones deployed currently," it explained, "New Zion and Hale's Moon."

I nodded and looked at the troopers.

Before either of them could comment, Assistbot Mark 2 spoke, "These are simple inquiries that can be answers by Assistbot Mark 1. Follow me please."

The giant moved.

We all moved well away from the large drone to keep from being stepped on. It lead us back to the console.

"Make your inquiries here," instructed AM2.

"Hello?" I asked but received no reply. I pressed a button. A navigation screen appeared. Another switch and a stasis tube arose beside the console,

"Cryostasis unit ..." I identified it.

Macarthur picked up on this immediately, "AM2, what is the Cryostasis unit for?"

"For wounded or infected organics."

"Infected?" he asked.

Suddenly a red beam of light focused on me. I looked up to discover the source of the beam, a floating green head.

"I am being scanned it seems," I remarked.

"That doesn't sound good," answered Macarthur.

The giant addressed the floating head. "We have a delivery pending for Major Pepper Siamendes, UAP SIU."

The head responded immediately,"The United Alliance of Planets is the official government of the 34 Tauri System. A parliamentary system based on the planet Londinium .... Major Pepper Siamendes, a United Alliance of Planets (UAP) Special Investigations Unit (SIU) Officer."

I began with my own inquiry.

"Ardra," I said plainly.

"Ardra Aurotharius," replied Assistbot Mark 1, "is a Second Stage Guild Navigator, reported to have agented for Blue Sun and for Umbrella."

That could explain the shipping crate.

"Wylder," I said.

Assistbot Mark 1 responded helpfully, "Wylder Aurotharius is the founder of Project Aurotharius. Seeking the singularity. Closed the project after the death of his daughter."

"Project Aurotharius," I said.

There was silence.

"Who was his daughter?" asked Trooper Macarthur.

"Audrey," I answered.

Assistbot Mark 1 picked up on the name and responded, "Audrey Aurotharius is the deceased daughter of Wylder Aurotharius."

The Trooper nodded, "How did she die?"

The giant filled in the details, "Audrey Aurotharius is deceased, since 2505."

Assistbot Mark 1 spoke, "Someone just activated something."

"Was that one of you?" I called, my hand instinctively drifting to my sidearm.

Assistbot Mark 2 continued uninterrupted, "Complications from treatment for Leukemia and Amyloidosis at the Angels of Mercy Medical Research Center."

Trooper Macarthur looked around to make sure he wasn't leaning or touching anything.

Assistbot Mark 1 responded to the trooper's movements. "That was very funny."

I considered the giant's information. The Angels of Mercy? That was a weapons development facility...

"On Zenobia?" I asked.

Assistbot Mark 1 repeated itself, "Someone just activated something."

"Zenobia," I restated.

Assistbot Mark 1 began, "Albion is a civilized planet in the Core of the 34 Tauri System. Zenobia is the name of the ruling family and the planet is often called Zenobia. It has an inhabited moon named Avalon."

"Albion," echoed AM2.

I understood the process now. "When we say something close to a key word it acknowledges activation," I explained. "Keep probing ...I will look at the box."

A quick examination showed no easy means of opening the container. This confirmed my fears.

"It is code worded." I sighed.

I returned to Assistbot Mark 1 hoping to prompt some clue.

"Zenobius," I said.

Nothing.

"Relics?" suggested Macarthur.

"Relics," I agreed.

No reply.

AM2 was still talking about Audrey, "I do not have information regarding her medical records. They are sealed by request of the United Alliance of Planets."

"Artifacts," Macarthur made an attempt.

I returned to the chest and examined it closely. In the background AM2 was still explaining the mysteries of the Heighliner.

"The beam is a mere proximity sensor recording your presence near the console for security purposes."

There. I found it. A small inscription around the lid of the container. It read: Ardra memento mori.

It was my first message to Ardra when I made contact months ago. A reminder to her that one day she would die. A challenge, if you will, of her transhumanist views.

Her reply at that time was the name of a jellyfish that could revert to an earlier stage of development after reaching maturity and therefore might in fact be biologically immortal. Fortunately other creatures find them quite tasty which is why we are not up to our necks in jellyfish.

Ardra was making me eat my words by repeating her own. It was part of our dance it seemed.

"Turritopsis nutricula," I said and the container opened.

"We have a spectator." It was Trooper Outlander's voice.

I turned quickly to look. Far down the chamber was the figure of a man. He did not approach us. He was wearing a pressure suit. A passenger? A worker? A spy?

"I have a clear shot if you give the word," the trooper reported.

"Do not initiate fire," I ordered.

"Roger that, Major," he replied.

I turned back to the box.

Macarthur joined me while Outlander continued to sweep the perimeter and keep an eye on our guest.

I manipulated the inner lid and the ornate casket rose from within the shipping container.


Macarthur looked the object over carefully then looks at me.

"Is that from Earth that was?" he asked.

"This is it." The bones of St. Zenobius. The ruling family of my planet claimed to be direct descendants of this saint and through him to Queen Zenobia of Palmyra, the warrior queen who would defy the might of Rome. As these relics were used for DNA verification of political claims, their value was immeasurable.

Macarthur looked the object over to get a possible idea of how heavy it is.

"Careful it is old..." I cautioned.

Macarthur nodded then carefully tried to lift it to figure it's weight.

"Best to have two for the lift," he judged.

"It is a marble casket, about 800 kg," warned the giant.

"800kg?" cried Outlander.

"Heavy!" added Macarthur.

I stopped to think. "We can use grapplers. We need to get this to the ship..."

"Can we dock the shuttle up here nearby?" Macarthur suggested.

"Good idea," I acknowledged.

I stopped and looked at the giant.

Macarthur and I were thinking along the same line. "Can we ask AM2 to assist us with the moving of the object"? he asked.

"AM2 can you please carefully... lift this?" I requested.

"Please stand by," it replied politely.

"I'll call up the ship," I said and using the panel on my wrist summoned the craft by autopilot.

Trooper Macarthur nodded keeping watch on the bot.


-----

While the relics were being transferred into the craft, I busied myself at the computer.

Our mysterious spectator had since departed. Assistbot Mark 2 stood by quietly.

Macarthur approached. "We set to extract?" he asked.

"Just downloading files," I explained.

"I have extra data discs if you need them."

"Thank you Trooper."

Macarthur reached into one of his hip pockets and handed me two.

I worked rapidly, extracting a total of five sealed files from the database. This would give me some bedtime reading.

"Okay... let us depart. We have what we came for."

"Yes, Ma'am," both men replied.

My team boarded our transport. I moved to follow then. Almost as an afterthought, I turned and faced the giant replicant.

"Thank you AM2," I said.

It replied, "Thank you for using the Spacing Navigators Guild for your shipping needs."

-----

"Are we strapped in?" I called as the engines of our transport powered up.

"Roger that, Major. Good to go," reported Outlander.

"We're a go." echoed Macarthur.

The Shark glided along towards the rotating sections of the Heighliner

Our mission was a success.

We had our prize.

What would be the consequence?

-----

"May those who curse days..."

"...curse that day..."

"...those who are ready to rouse Leviathan." Job 3:8