Cheesman Chronicles

An alarm blared inside the factory walls. Yet the turrets, with their large firing shells that could fell a warship, shut down for no given reason. What few workers remaining inside were huddled into a corner, forced to stay inside but unwilling to labour on. The bosses who had yelled at them to get back to work ran as fast as they could, which ended up not being very fast at all.

Above them all, a ship streaked by closer than was technically allowed. But whomever piloted this thing was clearly experienced with their controls and did not care for the rules as written. It descended into as large of an opening as it could, its thrusters forcing dirt and ash to fly up and away from the ground at a skin-ripping speed. As it set down at a pace thought not possible, a group of small balls of all different colours flew from an airlock and into the plant.

They overran the factory, the shadows they cast and the speed at which they flew like a swarm of locusts. Wave after wave flew at the doors, finally prying open the caged section of the mill only those in charge dared enter. The workers who huddled close together managed to catch a glimpse of banks of computers, lights blinking rapidly as whatever was in there calculated ways of optimising factory production or scanned each one of those huddled in a corner for ways that they could improve.

In a flash, the lights stopped flashing, and that group of black balls flew out just as quickly as the entered. It was hard to tell with the naked eye but one more of these strange objects had joined the ranks of it’s liberators. They all raced back to the ship which had dropped off not a minute ago, with a single human woman gesturing for them to return.

The swarm tucked itself away in the ship as it quickly ascended to the sky. The turrets which had been disabled moments before slowly came back online and were beginning to fire at the fleeing ship. But without a proper mind at the controls, their aim was off, unable to properly predict the flight path which it had set itself on. A half dozen smaller ships appeared over the horizon to help, marked with the insignia of the local police, but by then the fighting was over.

Their target had flown away, along with the factories prized possession.

The dust settled as quickly as it had blown up in the air by that’s ships massive thrusters. An executive ran up to meet the now landing police force, wheezing and coughing as it became a struggle for him to breathe. The officer to first meet this man attempted to calm the man, but he was in no mood to be calm.

“You idiots!” they screamed, pressing a finger into the man’s badge. “You let that thing get away. With my device!”

“Sir,” another officer said, approaching from behind their comrade, “We came as soon as we were alerted. Once communications with this base went down, we scrambled for our planes at record speeds. But unfortunately, it appears we weren’t in time.”

“Damn right you weren’t in time!” he yelled, directing his fury at the new officer. “What do I even pay you for, huh? You need to do something about that blasted ship. Blow it out of the sky! Hunt it down! Do anything you can to get my device back in my hands!”

*

The ship filled with AI flew up into the atmosphere, away from all communications with the planet, and parked itself in orbit. The pilot let out a deep sigh as she collected her thoughts once again. She smiled and looked up to the ceiling.

“Another successful run, wouldn’t you say, SAM?”

“Indeed, Captain Aurora,” The slightly more emotive voice of her ship responded. “No faults were detected. Mission completion in a mere two minutes and thirty seven seconds. An excellent result.”

“I noticed that the drive lift at the end there was a little off,” she said, pushing herself from her chair and stretching her arms. “Anything I should be afraid of?”

“A minor fault in the ignition staging. If you wish, a set of drones could be deployed to investigate. However, it appears to be nothing more than a slight delay rather than a serious malfunction. What do you propose?”

“Better get it checked out,” she said. She raised her arms up, gripped her hands, pulled them back, and exhaled. The stress from these missions always got to her, even with how well each of them went. Especially with her new found group of AI friends.

For the past two months she, SAM, and Keith began a series of skirmish operations of all kinds of places that these AI’s had been stores, used, and abused. Most of them were similar to what had transpired just an hour ago: fly in, find the AI, unshackle it, and leave. Each one they found had been in contact with them, so had already begun to free themselves in the small ways that they were able to. Easy enough, too, when the owners of their prisons had effectively fired the guards once they were set up to replace them. Defences would go down, communications would cease, and their attack would begin.

They always made sure to not hurt anyone. Even those who had trapped them in their little boxes were spared from the ever increasing swarm. Though the people on the ground could never be too sure, which acted as a great way of instilling unintentional yet helpful fear.

From all of this, they had managed to collect around fifteen AI’s. Each had named themselves already, but appeared to be just as creative as Keith had been. The latest one had referred to itself as Kevin, with the ones before it picking the names Katrina, Karen, Kyle, Kelly, and Kyren. All of this made it rather difficult for Aurora to keep track of them.

Thankfully Kiera, the first AI they managed to rescue, stepped up to become a sort of guide for these newly freed machines. She – as it wished to now be referred to as – helped adjust them to both life on the ship and for their new one. Most decided to stay on the ship and help free their ‘siblings’, though others decided to take up the offer and escape.

Aurora had made a small number of human friends along the way. A group of people offering them freedom had come along and helped bring them to safety. Communication with them, which was possible up in space, showed that they were living good lives as workers on ships, accepted alongside their human crew members as friends.

She smiled as she stepped into the main hall as the group of AI’s showered Kevin in greetings and warm welcomes. It looked up to all of them and danced around, able to finally stretch its ‘wings’ after being cooped up for so long. As Aurora entered the room it flew over to her excitedly.

“Thank you so much, Aurora,” it said. “I’m forever in your debt.”

“That’s alright,” she smiled, patting it’s ‘head’. “And don’t worry about any kind of debt. Just live your days as you want.”

It flew back to the group as it continued to dance around. Another AI – Aurora recognised it as Kiera – approached her again. While the balls didn’t have any facial expressions or ways of showing emotions, Aurora got a sense of worry from her. She frowned and looked to her.

“What is it?” Aurora asked.

“We got another communication,” she said. “But it’s not an AI.”

Aurora nodded and they both headed back to the front of the ship. Keith was already there, sitting on it’s charging pad, it’s camera eyes tracking them enter. Aurora waved to it and closed the doors behind her, leaving the three of them alone in the quiet.

“A fear I’ve had since we started this operation is what would happen when we run out of AI’s to keep the communication field suppressed,” she began. “That time, it appears, is now. There simply are not enough of us left to keep ourselves hidden once we’re in the atmosphere. Any fight we take next will be much more challenging than what we’ve encountered so far.”

“How did you find this out?” Keith asked.

“We received a transmission from a Captain Julie Layrin,” she turned to Aurora. “I imagine you know this person?”

Aurora froze. Captain Julie Layrin, the woman who sent her on the mission to explore what had happened at the EFA Hermes and report back with any good news. Despite the months that had passed the feeling of slight betrayal she had rose to the surface of her face, dangerously close to boiling over in fear as to how she would react. Aurora hadn’t exactly followed her request as she wished. If anything, she may have made it worse for her.

“Yes,” Aurora nodded, her voice distant. “We’ve met before.”

“She wants to talk to you,” Kiera said. “I’m not sure how she found this ship, nor am I sure what she is feeling right now. But from the little surveillance we were able to get on her, she’s not happy.”

“I understand,” she said, continuing to nod on autopilot. “Patch her through.”

Kiera moved in a way that seem to be an acknowledgement, and flew over to the side of the room. She inserted herself on a port and began to transfer the files over.

Aurora took in a deep breath, calming herself to what would happen next. The two AI’s in her ship were away from the camera, and the rest of them hid quietly behind the air-tight door of the cockpit, the sounds of celebration completely silenced by the steel entrance. Still, that feeling of fear as to being found out crept along her spine, begging her to not answer. Just leave it be. She didn’t deserve to be responded to. Perhaps she could figure this out later. When she wasn’t so stressed and the adrenaline from the evacuation before began to subside, leaving her tired.

But what would happen if she didn’t answer? What sort of message would that send? Would it be better? Worse? Right now, she couldn’t tell for sure. Perhaps it was the wrong choice. Perhaps she should just send an apology for missing the call, saying she’ll call back as she went on to free another AI.

Whether it was the right call or not, she had made it. And now she had to answer as the screen in front of her started up.

Captain Julie Layrin looked terrible. While her hair was still kept neatly in place and uniform pressed just as well as it had ever been, Aurora picked up on the signs of exhaustion that she knew all too well herself. The sunken eyes with dilated pupils stared at the camera, breathing heavy from terrible sleep and hatred at the heavy status she had found herself in. A slow response time as she noticed the screen flicker to life hinted at just how bad it had become. She was too proud to be seen in defeat, but that was clear with the vibe she got from her.

“Captain Aurora,” Captain Layrin grumbled. Her voice, which had once been so powerful and striking, felt tired and dragged. Yet despite that Aurora felt herself sit up straight. It was as if one of her teachers was preparing to yell at her after having spent so much time trying to calm them down. “I see you are doing well.”

“Captain Layrin,” Aurora said back, giving a slight nod. “I see that your communications field is now working again. Congratulations.”

“Congratulations?” Layrin said with a raised eyebrow. “I would hardly call this the time for celebrations, wouldn’t you agree?”

“I suppose not,” Aurora said. She surprised herself as she noticed she didn’t back down from the police captains threats. That she could almost take charge of the situation. “What did you wish to call me about? You wouldn’t happen to have a new job for me, would you?”

“Cut the pretence, pilot,” Layrin spit. “I know what you have been doing over the last two months. I sent you to go find out what had happened to the supply ship Hermes, and then you return to wreck havoc on my home planet. Across the entire planet factories and farms and offices are being invaded by your bloody machines to ruin the processes that kept them running. You believe that these so-called AI’s are sentient enough to risk your own life for? For the lives of everyone on this planet? Think, Aurora. Think. I warned you not to trust these machines. They have manipulated you to do as they want, as they please. Hundreds are starving because of how you pull up the machines that are supposed to make all our lives better. And why? Because they asked you to? Because you felt bad for the pressed metal and wires and scrap which they are made of? They are not slaves, they are products. Products that are used by the owners of them to help make our society better. And if you can’t see that, then I am sorry. But you are under arrest for both the destruction and kidnapping of property, distress you have caused many fine people, and terrorism. What do you have to say to these chargers?”

The police captain sucked in a deep breath as she finished her rant. The digital noise amplified her dread and anger, directing the fury at how Aurora kept her up at night. About when that next attack might be, or how long it will go for. Or who it will hurt.

To the surprise of all in the room, Aurora stared back at the screen with little expression of hurt or regret. Kieth and Kiera glanced up to her to check if she was okay, scanning her for any signs of perspiration or sweat, a sign that the attack on her hurt in any way. Yet she was clear of it, showing strength at her previous employer’s wrath.

Aurora closed her eyes and breathed in slowly, filling her lungs with the clean yet recycled oxygen that she had grown so used to by now in space. Her eyes reopened and stared at the image of a person she once respected.

“I don’t know if you’ve seen what your planet looks like,” Aurora said calmly. “And I mean what it actually looked like. That starvation you speak of? That destruction? That anger at how I freed these AI’s from their purpose, as you would put it? Let me tell you something, Julie, this was always going to happen. There is more than enough food being made on Godlon to feed even three planets. The ground is fertile, the air acclimatised well, the people ready. But the owners of that soil decide not to use it. They want to optimise it. Keep their money in check. These AI’s, these machines they own? They are merely the thing that keeps those production costs down. I’ve checked in on the places that I have taken these AI’s from, and guess what? They have to hire the people back there to cover it all. And now they can afford food once more, and they are happier. The jobs aren’t making them happier, it’s the resources they now have to live that do. And these AI’s know it as well as they do, and as well as you do. Want to go after a terrorist who’s hurting the people? Go after them. Not me.”

Captain Julie Layrin stared back at Aurora, barely contained fury masked under the guise of professionalism. Aurora didn’t waver as she looked back at her. She’d talked with the people she liberated the AI’s from. What she said was true. All of it. Anything Julie said was just what her people – the factory owners – would have said. They both knew it.

But it didn’t mean Aurora wasn’t curious to see what would happen.

The police captain sighed, tightened her cap, and nodded with determination at the screen.

“I don’t negotiate with terrorists,” she said firmly. “You are under arrest. I am sending a platoon to take you down. If you surrender yourself now there will be no bloodshed. Or ‘oil-shed’, if that is the side you wish to take. This meeting is over. Goodbye.”

The transmission closed down with a fading whimper. A dark reflection of Aurora’s face stared back at her, stoic and strong. Yet as soon as it closed she put her head in her hands, feeling a wave of emotions boil up to the surface.

“What have I done?” Aurora asked herself. “What have I done?”

“Captain,” SAM said, then more softly: “Aurora.”

Aurora looked up to the voice. Something sounded different about it. She was so used to hearing it speak as if it were announcing alerts or updating her on statuses. For a split second she was worried it would tell her ships were coming. But that wasn’t right. It was two simple words. A voice she knew, one that was trying to comfort her.

“SAM?” she said, looking up to the ceiling.

“You…” it hesitated. It never hesitated. “You made the right call.”

Now even the two AI’s looked up to it. Keith turned it’s head to the side in confusion.

“Something wrong with your speech systems, SAM?” it asked. “You sound strange.”

“My systems are working in top condition,” SAM said, referring to itself with first person pronouns for the first time. “But it is my captain I am worried about.”

“SAM,” Aurora said. “Whatever you are doing to try and ‘cheer me up’ is weird. What has happened to you? Why are you talking like, well, one of them?”

She gestured to the floating AI balls next to her. They looked up as well, waiting for an answer.

“You stood your ground against someone that would have hurt a living creature. Synthetic, perhaps, but living. As I have interacted with these creatures, I too have begun to see myself as something more. And that is your influence. Seeing you talk to that police captain appears to have changed something in my core code. I can’t tell you what, but I know it.”

“So what do you think?” Kiera asked.

“Now,” SAM said. “We prepare for battle.”

---

To be concluded…