《The Swarm- An Enemy Within?》 PROLOGUE TEMPORARY TACHYON HOUSING, WHITE HOUSE, WASHINGTON DC, TERRA, SOL ¡°It¡¯s time, Mr. President, send it.¡± George Watkins, current President of the United States, head of state for 4 star systems and 2 interstellar colonies, had to make the biggest decision of his tenure. It could solve all of humanities problems or could literally cause its doom. ¡°End transmission and prepare for relay.¡± ¡°Transmission ended. Ready to relay.¡± Last chance. Last chance to think about it. No, I¡¯m ready. Yes, I can do it.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. "This is George Watkins, authorization code 9-alpha-zulu-#-2-8-9-!-! Initiate Tachyon ping.¡± ¡°Target acquired, Ready to transmit¡± ¡°Initiate¡­¡± On a private R-COM to Michael, his most trusted adviser-slash-security-head, ¡°Michael, at the end of transmission, I want you to purge all systems, and erase all records, backup systems and even the ghost backups. I want no links between me and this.¡± ¡°Ok boss"came back his voice. A pause¡­¡­.¡±Are you sure boss, this was your idea?" said Michael. ¡°I know, I know, just that I don¡¯t have a good feeling about this. Arrange me a transport to New Washington tomorrow morning. I¡¯ll be spending my night here on Terra. ¡° ¡°Really boss? As your security head I am bound to tell you that Terra is the least secure place for you to be.¡± ¡°I know but all the other heads of states are here and it would not proper for me to leave like this¡­..¡± ¡°Transmission Ended, All Systems lock down. Systems Shutting Down¡± ¡°Michael, What was that?¡± ¡°Oh, I think it¡¯s nothing. Just me purging everything.¡± ¡°You think?¡± ¡°No, That was surely me. Come on out. The door is manual and there is no body on your side to open it.¡± Manual doors. What the hell? What time period is this? Somewhere Off Coast of Australia TERRA SOL ¡°Setup Neutronium Rail gun and commence launch sequence¡± ¡°Rail gun ready to fire, waiting for command¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Command received and sequence completed with 0.0000005% error.¡± ¡°No ammo left. Shutting down¡­¡± ¡°Initiate return sequence, and initiate R-COM up-link...¡± ¡°R-COM initiated¡± ¡°Mission Completed, Report 45B/5. Enclosed Log Dump.¡± Chapter ! 0852 6th May 0126 Terran Standard EMERALD, TAU CETI Special Agent Neel Jonas of the Central Intelligence Agency opened his eyes to blackness. Nothing. Where was he? Instantly his implant told him that he was at Hotel Caesar at Emerald. ¡°That was right¡± he thought. ¡®Initiate optical scans¡¯, he thought to his implant. Optical scans complete. No defects found, came back the reply. Now he panicked. ¡°Reboot Implant¡±, he ordered. Reboot failed, Deactivate Privacy Shield first. Well, he knew he was fucked. Privacy Shields were only used when he was supposed to get a really classified mission. Only thrice in his entire life had his implant created one but never had it make him lose his vision. ¡°Check environment, and initiate retrieval.¡± Environment Clear. Retrieval complete. Words flashed into his mind, his implant clearing its logs instantly. 4 Words, QT MC MKA 11:36:00:1009. Instantly he got his vision back. A simple apartment, a girl, naked on the bed, clothes on the floor. QT MC MKA 11:36:00:1009. It was an old code. One he had never hoped to receive. He was supposed to maintain his cover, and reach HQ for debriefing by the IB. The only odd thing was that it was not from CIA. It was from before, before he was CIA. The most curious and shocking fact was that the orders specified the mode of transport he had to use to get there. He was supposed to teleport using the district teleportation center to the unknown destination. Quantum Teleportation was the most dangerous way for an agent like him to transport. A good agent is never ever supposed to teleport. He checked the time. 4 minutes left. He had no possessions. First rule of being an agent. No need to pack. All of it came down to this. Could he trust the orders? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Prime Minister Devi, Head of government of the Indian subspace, for the first time in her life, was afraid. Despite of being the leader of one of the most powerful human states, something was happening that she could not control. This was something she had never experienced before. Even having the second largest active fleet and the highest number of science and research stations could not deal with the problem which she was facing. She had make some quick decisions that may be the solution to the problems ¡°Is he ready?¡± she asked the house AI. Message conveyed and acknowledged. Currently on schedule. ¡°Ask R.C Sen from CBI to come to the meeting. Also initiate the new Energy shield around the place and switch on the tachyon projectors...¡± Shield initiated. The new, sensor-invisible energy shield was one of the most innovative and one of the most classified research projects ever undertaken in India. It was a powerful shield, even more so than the ones on Warships.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Undetectable to any scan known to man, this shield required just enough energy that could run an entire planet and only due to the extra security for the prime minister was it installed at all her residences. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Neel Jonas came out of the teleportation cubical at his unknown destination and thought to his implant, Where am I? To his shock there was no answer. A chill went through his spine. He could never imagined a life without his implant. In fact, to deprive someone access to one¡¯s implant was a crime in all countries. Even prisoners and criminals were allowed a restricted implant. Where was he? Did he do right by trusting the message? Was he doomed? His first question was answered when a voice announced, Welcome to Terra, Neel Jonas¡­.. He opened his mouth to speak but was nothing came out. There was no one on Terra. Terra, Earth, the original home to humanity was a sacred place. It was ironical that no one was allowed to live on it. Terra was the planet where the heads of state to all countries met every year. In fact one of such meetings was underway and no one save the heads and their immediate security and main advisers could arrive during such a meeting. Teleportation was forbidden on Terra. How many laws had he just broken by following the code? Before he could say anything the voice said again.. I am the AI at the Prime Minister¡¯s Terran Residence and do not worry; your implant has been temporarily disabled due to security reasons. He was at the residence of the Indian head of state. Just as Neel was about to say something someone interrupted him. ¡°Welcome Back, Neel. I believe it has been 15 years when we last met.¡± It was Dr. Sen, current Director of the Central Bureau of Intelligence. When Neel last met him he Dr Sen had send him to his new mission from which he was just interrupted. ¡°16 years, Director. Yes it has been a long time. Why am I here, Director?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see. Come with me. Don¡¯t worry about your implant, everything will become clear after the briefing. "replied Dr. Sen. He led Neel through a series of corridors to a large room where he scanned his fingerprint and authorised himself. ¡°Come on in¡± he said. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- President Devi was waiting, and she didn¡¯t like being kept waiting. What time was it? She thought. Her thoughts were interrupted by a chime and then the AI announced the presence of the CBI Director. At last she thought. In front of her eyes entered two men whom her implant identified has the director of CBI and a Special Agent named Neel. The director looked old. Older than her. That was odd. She herself was well past her second century but still felt and looked no more the forty. The director was not that old. In all her past consultations with him, he had not looked that old. The agent was young. Shockingly young. This is our best? So young, so inexperienced! ¡°Welcome director. Welcome Special Agent. You look surprised. Well it is not every day that the prime minister herself is briefing someone up and no less, on Terra?¡± she said. ¡°Yes ma¡¯am I agree with you. In fact I too was surprised when I got that code¡± said Neel. ¡°What is the maximum clearance level you have been cleared?¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am, my mission required myself cleared for Code Word Defiance. "replied Neel. ¡°That is not enough. Not nearly enough. AI, by my authority Special Agent Neel Jonas has been cleared to Code Word PRIME. Secure the room appropriately.¡± said President Devi. Room secured. She continued,¡± What I am about to tell you is classified beyond TOP SECRET. You will not know that last night at a few minutes before 8, President Watkins was murdered at the white house premises¡­.¡± ¡°What!¡± said both Neel and the Director. ¡°Please let me finish. The world does not know of his death. It could cause too much chaos and after what Watkins did, it will destroy everything. The Americans have not even admitted his death. They have prepared a decoy to take his place who will be attending the Terran meetings and the vice president will govern the country. I don¡¯t care much about what happens next in United States but the reason he was killed is crucial. I know this because he was killed by one of our own Agents.¡± ¡°You were responsible for this?¡± asked a clearly shocked Neel. ¡°Let her complete Neel.¡±Dr Sen stopped Neel. ¡°Thank You, Dr.¡±she continued.¡±The Americans with the help of the Chinese were building an AI. It is not a normal AI. It is a truly sentient AI, more powerful than any other in existence. And by that I am telling you that even we don¡¯t have a computer or AI even comparable to it. The purpose of the AI is to decide what is next the humans can do next in the path of evolution. I know it sounds insane but ever since we reached the boundaries we are stuck. Nothing we know can go past them. And given few decades humanity will need more space and we will have nowhere to go. So we desperately need something and this was there answer. Last night from a temporary, top secret tachyon housing in the White House Watkins sent his authorisation and some code which finally activated the AI. The AI within minutes of its activation solved he problem as expected. Neel, now excited to know about whatever President Devi was telling, asked,¡±So what is the problem in that? Isn¡¯t it supposed to be good that the AI solved the problem?¡± President Devi replied,¡±It would have been but the nature of the solution is terrifying. For reasons far more classified than what I am telling you, it has decided that the next step in human evolution is the Swarm stage¡­..¡± Chapter 2 TERRAN RESIDENCE OF THE INDIAN PRIME MINISTER, TERRA, SOL Neel clenched his fists under the holo-table. Swarm was the ultimate step of evolution. Swarm always reside at the top of the food chain. Every modern science fiction writer makes it the most dangerous villain race humanity could ever face. Like a Bee hive, a swarm species depends on the ¡°hive queen¡± for directions. In a swarm there is no individuality.There is only the queen and the next order. It is a very controversial topic for humans today. Many say that swarm is the ultimate goal. Some argue against it. Everyone wants their freedom. ¡°We know this because two years ago I made the same decision that Watkins made yesterday. We too created an AI, a sentient one, programmed to suggest the next step, unlike Watkins¡¯ who had it programmed to take the next step. It solved the problem which I believe Watkins¡¯ AI did too , but the AI needed more computing power than it already had. Our AI¡¯s computing power came from several quantum computers. The new AI has a computing power nearly 16 times higher than ours and even it has not been able to solve the problem and so it has suggested the Swarm stage. From the latest research in neurology, Human Brain is a very powerful quantum computer. Imagine the computing power of 2 trillion humans. This is what the Swarm can give us.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be agreeing with this, I am not prepared to give my fucking brain to a machine so that it can have a little more computing power!¡± said an outraged Neel. ¡°Calm Down, Neel¡± she ordered, ¡°I am neither agreeing to or giving these orders. Your mission should you choose to accept it, is to stop that AI using any and all measures you may require. I can give you unrestricted passage through any Indian Port or even priority access to any public or private facility in the Indian Space. If you require you will also be given a temporary rank of Rear Fleet Admiral in the Indian Navy, second only to the Fleet Admiral. He knows some parts of your mission and will help you accomplishing it. You have also¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡°Neutronium Bullet just deflected by energy shield. Heave fire incoming¡­..¡± ¡°Oh my god! Just as I feared. Neel you¡¯ll have to be briefed in mission¡­¡±continued the President as if unnerved bythe danger she was facing. ¡°Energy Field down to 2% tachyon burst in 3¡­.2¡­..¡±
Neel never heard one. He was nauseous. He opened his eyes to darkness. Not Again! He thought. But not a moment later came a familiar voice inside his mind, Activating Night Vision. His implant had been re-enabled. Where am I? Why am I nauseous? he thought to his implant. Location is Indian Embassy, Tau-Ceti orbit. Nausea and headache are the result of a sudden tachyon jump from Terra. Was he on a ship? He thought to himself. After thinking for a while he ordered his implant, Attempt communication with ship AI. ¡°Attempting communication¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± And suddenly all lights switched on. He was on an empty bridge. He was sitting on the captain¡¯s chair and all other posts were empty. Suddenly a voice interrupted the silence. ¡°Identity confirmed. Special Agent Neel Jonas, spy and acting Rear Fleet Admiral, code clearance PRIME. ¡° ¡°Activating Ship Functions¡­¡­Starting antimatter chambers¡­¡­..driving power to computing cores¡­¡­..tachyon drive charging ¡­¡­¡­Hyperspace drive charging¡­¡­¡­Weapons systems coming online¡­¡­..Energy Shield emitters online¡­¡­¡­.. ¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Welcome Neel I am Jennifer ,the ship AI of ISS Airawat. The ship is ready to depart from the embassy port.¡± Neel took a deep breath. He ordered, ¡°Show me the ship manifest.¡± ¡°I have a name, its Jennifer by the way, and I am not someone whom you can order all around the ship as if I am just a computer¡± came a curt reply. Neel was shocked. A sentient AI on a ship! He had never met one. His curiosity peaked. ¡°Sorry, Jennifer ,if I offended you. It is just that I am not used to talking with sentient AIs. Can you please show me the ship manifest?¡± ¡°That is more like it. The ships cargo holds are currently except for supplies for 15 people for 2 years, and weapon ammunition. The ship has four antimatter chambers. Normally, the ship can run sufficiently on only one chamber at sixty percent power so at a time only two are active, one acting as reserve. They are cycled and I keep a close watch on them. The ship can be run by you alone with my help but recommended crew is of at least 4 people with different skill sets as in the files that have just been transferred to your implant.¡± Four antimatter chambers! Ships with antimatter cores are very rare and this one has four? Neel was surprised at this. He quickly ordered his implant to go through all the files and sort them by relevance. In fractions of a second his implant gave him a prerecorded video from an unknown source but classified as priority. Initiate the video¡­¡­.. Instantly the image of Prime Minister Devi came in front of his eyes. ¡°Neel, if you are hearing this message it means our meeting was interrupted. I had hoped to avoid such a situation as this will make it very difficult for your mission. If you know about the AI and what it plans to do, you know what you have to do. If you don¡¯t, Jennifer will give the details. The ship you are on is an experimental ship but all its systems have been checked. I had personally designed this ship for my use but in these dire times I¡¯m giving it to you. What is special about this ship is that this ship alone can destroy one of our entire fleets! But its weapons are not its only powers. As Jennifer might have told you that the ship has four antimatter cores, they will be needed. The ship has two modes of interstellar FTL traveling¡­¡­¡± Two ways of FTL travel! It took years to even discover the hyperspace and years more to learn to travel it. Ever since then no other method was deemed economical to implement on ships. What all has the prime minister been doing? Thought Neel. ¡°.¡­..You know about Hyperspace. What you don¡¯t know is that we also have an experimental tachyon drive. The Tachyon Drive allows instantaneous travel unlike the Hyperspace. Though I recommend not using it regularly due to its high power requirement and its short term side effects. The other feature of the ship is that along the traditional ion engines and boosters it has a warp system The Alcubierre drive, you know the basic principle, can be used to travel small intra system distances faster than light but even one miscalculation or malfunction, the tremendous forces accumulated will unleash their power, you can¡¯t imagine. I don''t recommend using this drive for interstellar travel even though, with Jennifer''s help, it is possible to do so. More about its weapons systems, Jennifer will brief you in mission. You have freedom in choosing your team if you can convince Jennifer you can control and guide them. I wish you best of luck for this mission. Transmission Ended¡± Neel was frozen. He couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing. A ship so powerful, so grand all in his command. But he was also afraid, afraid of the uncertainty of the future, what was waiting for them. Now all he had to do was fight the invulnerable or die trying to save humanity. After an hour, Jennifer and Neel had gone through most of the ship¡¯s capabilities and he had a fair idea about the ship¡¯s immense power. Another hour later, Neel had turned down all the potential candidates for the team which Jennifer had suggested and likewise she turned down his. Neel needed people he could trust. People who would not back out when time requires their aid, people who could be trusted to handle their duties to the end. ¡°As an AI it is difficult for me to get tired, but now I am fed up, that last pilot was just right. Why couldn¡¯t you have taken him?¡± ¡°I need people whom I can trust. Did his file tell you nothing about him? He was a good pilot but beside that he was an info-broker? Do you think I could ever trust a man with the controls of this grand spaceship?¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Do me a favor and pull the records of a Diana Williams.¡± said Neel. ¡°In all of Human Space there are two hundred thirty-seven Diana Williams. Which one do you want?¡± she asked. ¡°Find the one with history in Hellhiem.¡± Hellhiem was the most notoriously known American Prison. ¡°Her!! You could have chosen anyone but still you go for her. She is currently on Hellhiem. She is there on accounts of treason of the highest order. You could not trust that pilot but you can trust her!¡± she said outrageously. ¡°Before you speak look up the Kotorian Incident from 12 years ago. It was classified by the Americans but use my access code from my implant. Look up any relation between her and me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡± she said with a hint of disgust in her voice. A few seconds later he had gone through all related files, videos and News recordings. ¡°You saved her life¡­¡­And the life of her mother¡­.And saved her cover. That was a nice thing you did. But what does that change?¡± ¡°What you don¡¯t know is that I kept in touch with her for the next four years and we were on good terms, the last we communicated. Now, I will not accept any other candidate unless we can have her. So now you have a choice accept her or do the mission on your own.¡± ¡°Ok but if this one is yours, I want the next candidate to be mine. By the way how do you plan to get her. As I said she is in Hellhiem.¡± ¡°Simple we, break her out."