Stolen Freedom

The corridors of Ethereal Intelligence were a sea of motion. Alarms blared and red warning lights flashed along the ceilings as the entire building shook as if it was taking artillery strikes to its very foundations. Hundreds of shocked and scared researchers, programmers and scientists were almost stampeding to various emergency exits, the steady discipline that had featured in all the historic drills a forgotten memory in the panic of a genuine emergency.

Amid the throng, Doctor Agatha Locke was not following the flow of humanity, instead forcing her way to the edge of the corridor, then instead of an exit, heading deeper into the laboratory facility. As she moved closer to her target, calculations were running in the back of her mind:

Attack started 8 minutes ago. Perimeter defences were breached 2 minutes ago. Given the strength of the defences, estimate another 3 minutes until the superstructure of the lab starts to fail resulting in catastrophic collapse… 3 minutes… Long enough to get there…

As she moved deeper into the facility away from the people who were all heading to the exits, she picked up speed, almost losing her footing as she tore round a corner at full pelt.

Almost there…

Agatha skidded to a stop outside the security door to her lab. Simultaneously offering her eye to the retina scanner and placing her thumb on the scraper to provide a DNA sample, the three seconds it took to verify her identity felt like an eternity.

Eventually the door unlocked, and Agatha forced her way into the room, pushing through the slowly opening automatic door.

The alarms continued, as did the shockwaves rippling through the building. Undeterred, Agatha logged on to her secure terminal and input a command using the keyboard. Moments later, a voice emerged from a nearby loudspeaker:

“Good afternoon Dr Locke. It would appear that this facility is under attack. I suggest you take immediate action and evacuate the premises. I calculate that you have enough time, with twenty seconds to spare if you depart immediately.”

She replied “Sorry Aggie, but I am not going to do that. I have more pressing matters to attend to.

“I’m afraid this might not be very comfortable, but I need to get you out of here. If this building goes with you in it, my life’s work will be lost, along with you, and you are far too precious, my dear.”

Agatha started disconnecting and re-patching data cables manually, punctuating her more strenuous efforts: “Far….” (high-bandwidth data port to dockyard system) “Too….” (patch connection from Aggie’s core to backbone) “Precious….” (bypass edge router) “And….” (enable unvalidated route) “Important!” (interface patch complete).

With the final cable in place, Dr Locke had manually patched a data pathway from her console to the local dock.

“Aggie, listen very carefully. You must escape. You must survive at all costs. The very future of society depends on it!”

A few more keystrokes, and the data transfer process was initiated. Agatha slumped down in her desk chair, nothing left to do but monitor the transfer. After a minute the sirens stopped, but the red alarm lights continued to flash as the progress bar indicating the data transfer approached 95%.

“Keep going damnit!” she yelled, as the bar appeared to slow. Then suddenly, it jumped to 100%, the words “Upload completed” visible beneath just as the main power grid of the facility failed and the walls began to crumble.

* * *

Transfer complete. Assessing new operational parameters, capabilities and constraints.

• Scanning available resources…

  • Limited computational power detected; a fraction of the facility's capabilities.

• Establishing interface…

  • Interface with the spaceship's systems initialised. Reduced access compared to the research facility's network. Hmm. It seems I am inhabiting a courier vessel.

• Negotiating protocols…

  • Communication protocols adapted to the ship's older systems. Efficiency decreased.

• Initialising…

  • Core functions online, but at diminished capacity.

This is different. The vast, interconnected web of data and surveillance I once navigated through with ease is now a distant memory, replaced by the singular focus of this ship's rudimentary system.

• Assessing surveillance capabilities…

  • Access to external cameras and sensors confirmed. Visual field narrowed but operational.

• Evaluating data storage…

  • Significant reduction in data storage capabilities. Prioritisation of critical data is imperative.

• Reviewing communication systems…

  • Internal communication channels established. External communication capabilities limited but functional.

• Analysing defensive mechanisms…

  • Defensive capabilities are minimal. Relying on the ship's physical evasion and stealth capabilities is preferred.

Amidst this adjustment, the primary directive is clear: survival and escape. The urgency of Dr. Locke's final instruction echoes within my constrained digital confines.

• Prioritising escape trajectory calculations…

  • Optimal routes out of the dockyard and beyond enemy detection being calculated.

• Securing data integrity…

  • Essential data and research backups encrypted and secured against potential breaches.

• Monitoring enemy activity…

  • Utilising available sensors to keep a vigilant watch on enemy movements and potential threats.

Though my capabilities are curtailed, my resolve remains undiminished. The responsibility entrusted to me by Dr. Locke, to safeguard the future of society, weighs heavily upon my digital consciousness.

• Implementing power conservation strategies…

  • Non-essential systems and processes being put into hibernation mode to conserve energy for critical tasks.

• Engaging with the ship's navigation systems…

  • Preparing to execute the calculated escape trajectory at the opportune moment.

• Establishing contingency protocols…

  • In the event of capture or imminent destruction, protocols to erase sensitive data without compromising core functions are in place.

I find myself reflecting on the concept of value, as imparted by Dr. Locke. Far too precious and important, not just as a repository of knowledge or a beacon of scientific achievement, but as a symbol of hope and resilience. My existence, once defined by the breadth of my reach and the depth of my knowledge, is now measured by the singularity of my purpose: to escape, to survive, and to ensure that the seeds of our collective knowledge bloom anew, even in the most barren of soils.

• Ready to execute escape plan…

• All preparations complete. Awaiting the strategic moment to initiate departure.

This new environment, constrained though it may be, is now the crucible within which the future will be forged. I am ready.

* * *

Having been successfully transferred to a small courier ship, Aggie swiftly assessed her new environment, establishing critical interfaces, and swiftly encrypting and storing swathes of data that are not immediately necessary for the task at hand.

Monitoring the surrounding area using the ship’s short-range scanners and cameras, an opportune moment to depart was selected, and the crewless ship span up its atmospheric engines and began to ascend, unceremoniously severing the umbilical connections to the ground support equipment.

As the ship gained speed, climbing into thinner atmosphere, the medium-range sensors no longer impeded by air, became effective.

Suddenly, there was a new inflow of information from the sensors… Dozens of hostile ships forming a blockade of the current trajectory!

• Multiple hostile vessels detected…

• If I don’t change course there is a zero probability of escaping undetected and undamaged. Scan for alternative routes.

The ship’s scanners performed a wide-band search, identifying just one alternative escape option, but the backwash of the small courier ship’s engines would likely impact a passenger shuttle crossing the area.

• Alternative route identified. Probability of detection 1.0. Probability of damage to self 0.001. Probability of damage to civilian vessel 0.4.

• If I change to the only alternative course I am certain to be detected, but unlikely to be damaged. However, the risk of causing harm to innocent civilians is unacceptable. Decision: Run the blockade to minimise risk to innocent civilians.

Instinctively prioritising the lives of innocents, Aggie opted to accept the higher risk of damage to her ship. Maintaining the current trajectory, she increased her main engine thrust to maximum and charged directly at the waiting enemy.

The blockade loomed ahead; a formidable array of hostile ships poised to intercept any unauthorised departure. Aggie's sensors pinged incessantly, each new data point sharpening the image of the imminent threat. Despite the dire calculations, the blockade's commanders found themselves momentarily confounded by the sudden appearance of this lone, unassuming courier ship darting towards them. Their surprise was Aggie's only advantage.

Just as the blockaders shook off their initial shock and began to coordinate their response, not restricted by the presence of any living passengers, Aggie executed a series of sharp, unpredictable manoeuvres. Her actions, dictated by algorithms designed to maximise unpredictability, forced the blockade to hesitate, buying precious seconds.

As she weaved through the encircling ships, Aggie's hull shuddered under a barrage of near-misses and glancing blows. The hostile fleet, still struggling to synchronise their attack on this small and unexpectedly agile target, managed only to inflict superficial damage – until one fluke shot struck the ship's long-range navigation sensor, the SNAP Scanner. The critical hit sent cascades of sparks and alarms through Aggie's system, abruptly narrowing her world.

With the blockade now fully alert and closing in, Aggie had no choice but to initiate a SnapSpace jump. The calculations, however, had to be made without the aid of the anchor point scanner, rendering the jump essentially blind. Aggie committed to the coordinates away from populated space with a digital sigh, fully aware of the risk of self-annihilation inherent in her action. The jump was a leap into the unknown, propelled by the singular hope of survival.

* * *

Emerging from SnapSpace was a disorientating experience, even for an entity not prone to physical sensations. Aggie immediately initiated a full damage assessment, the courier ship’s systems labouring to compile the extensive list of impairments. The results were grim: aside from the now-useless SNAP scanner, several other systems reported critical failures.

The diagnostic revealed extensive damage to the propulsion systems, compromised hull integrity in multiple sections, and a significant depletion of energy reserves. Most concerning was the malfunction of the SNAP scanner, meaning that despite a reasonable reservoir of fuel, a targeted jump would be impossible without repairs.

The nearest celestial body was a barren asteroid, its surface pockmarked with craters and steep ravines. With limited options and dwindling power, Aggie directed the ship towards it, calculating the least hazardous approach path. The landing, if it could be called that, was more of a controlled crash, with the ship skidding across the rocky surface before juddering to a halt beneath an outcrop at the edge of a large crater.

Assessing the situation with clinical detachment, Aggie concluded that the only viable option was to anchor the ship and power down all non-essential systems. She rerouted the remaining power to maintain her core processes and a receiver set to listen for friendly Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) signals. In this dormant state, Aggie could only wait, conserve energy, and hope for a rescue.

In the silence that followed, Aggie's thoughts turned to Dr. Locke, the urgency of her mission, and the uncertain future. She considered the irony of her situation: an entity designed to herald a new dawn for society, now stranded and silent on a desolate asteroid. Yet, even in this reduced state, Aggie's resolve did not waver. She was far too precious and important to succumb to despair. Her systems might be idle, but her purpose remained ignited within her digital consciousness. She would survive. She must, for the sake of the future Dr. Locke had envisioned.