The Polity, a vast and sprawling civilization. Covering thousands of light years and tens of thousands of planets, with a population that was on the whole to large to count, hundreds of billions. Formally a nation, the nation of Denengrad on Earth, now simply the Polity.
Millennia ago the inhabitants of Denengrad had left the Earth behind them, undertaking a journey that took a thousand years to complete. Three massive cold sleep ships drifting across the void at eighty percent of light speed , the Megaroad-01, 02 and 03. Five hundred million souls drifting though the darkness, cradled in the arms of the ships onboard AI’s.
Three giant ships drifted within the new star system on the far side of the galaxy. Hull plates scoured and cratered by micro-meteor impacts and the constant abrasion of space bourn particles, the new home of this group of humans was the fifth planet from their new blue giant sun, a planet named Denengrad, it’s first city, Ueda. Ueda the new capital of the Polity.
Then came the wars, it seemed they had not managed to leave them behind. Corporations, planets and religious groups fought within the solar system for dominance, and while people died, another war was taking place, the Quiet War.
The Quiet War. This is often how the AI takeover is described, and even using ‘war’ seems overly dramatic. It was more a slow usurpation of human political and military power, while humans were busy using that power against each other. It wasn’t even very stealthy. Analogies have been drawn with someone moving a gun out of the reach of a lunatic while that person is ranting and bellowing at someone else. And so it was. AI’s, long used in the many corporate, national and religious conflicts, took over all communication networks and the computer control of weapons systems. Most importantly, they already controlled the enclosed human environments scattered throughout the solar system. Also establishing themselves as corporate entities, they soon accrued vast wealth with which to employ human mercenary armies. National leaders in the solar system, ordering this launch or that attack, found their orders either just did not arrive, or caused nil response. Those same people ordering the destruction of the AI’s, found themselves weaponless, in environments utterly out of their control, and up against superior forces and, on the whole, public opinion. It had not taken the general population, for whom it was a long-established tradition to look upon their human leaders with contempt, very long to realise that the AI’s were better at running everything. And it is very difficult to motivate people to revolution, when they are extremely comfortable and well off.
The Polity entered a golden age of prosperity. The U-Space engine was designed and built, allowing ten light years to be crossed in as little as ten days. The Runcible was devised, instantaneous travel between worlds that housed a Runcible gateway. With the ability of the Human mind to be downloaded into crystal mem-storage Death was virtually defeated, you could only die if you wanted to, those who did not wish to die could receive the treatment to keep the body healthy and fit for virtually eternity. Or, the Human mind could be downloaded into the body of a Golem.
Wars still happened, Line Wars. Planets that had been settled on the Polity border would sometimes cease all communication, some upstart dictator taking control before an AI governor and Runcible could be established. Sometimes these worlds were left to their down devices, most eventually came back to the stable rule of the AI’s, some became graveyards as regional conflicts between warlords spiralled out of control and ever more deadly weapons used. The usual course of action was to leave these worlds alone, unless over eighty percent of the population wished for Polity intervention. Upon intervention the planet would find itself surrounded by Polity warships, some as large as moons, millions of troops would be deployed, along with millions of fully sentient AI war drones. All crimes, no matter what the nature of the crime, would be forgiven, but the inhabitants would be watched very, very closely.
The Polity was indeed good.
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The massive research ship “Cherry Blossom” drifted though space on the very edge of the Polity border. It was a ship that could never move into proximity with a planet, it’s sheer mass would cause tidal waves and earthquakes. Massing the same as Earths moon, but somewhat bigger, the ship was a fortress of research, access was granted by the onboard Runcible, and the waiting list of scientists to board the ship for the opportunity to work the AI known as Cherry Blossom was years long. It was also a fortress in the military sense, possessing the weapons needed to defend such a massive ship. Rail-Guns that fired projectiles as large as skyscrapers at almost the speed of light, missile silos as large as cargo haulers, beam weapons that could bore a hole to the core of a planet within seconds at full power. Hardfield generators capable of warding off the most vicious attacks. Cherry Blossom was a ship to be reckoned with, and since it was controlled by a Sector-Class AI, everyone took it seriously, even the Polity Central AI. Cherry Blossoms current mission was simply to carry on with it’s current projects, the only reason it was even travelling the border was because it was launching probes into the uncharted space beyond. Simple probes designed to look for life, ancient ruins or pretty much anything of interest, each one holding a sub-mind that would report back it’s findings at intervals, unless something very special was found.
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On the Line World of Citadel, nothing much ever happened that was interesting. It was an agricultural planet, everyone there lived an extremely comfortable life, lounging in the sun while tending to the crops that grew, life on Citadel was indeed good.
An iron sphinx drifted silently over the fields of Water Melons, it’s ruby eyes looking down to the ground in a motion that suggested it was looking for something. It was a drone, currently holding a sub-mind of the planets warden, the AI Citadel. And it was looking for a rather annoying friend. A glint of light caught it’s attention, and it drifted slowly to the ground, settling onto the soil was not even a sound as it’s head tilted a little, it was watching a spider, a very large spider.
The spider was a huge chrome construct, it’s leg span alone was twelve meters. Slowly and with care the spider crawled over the water melons, it was followed faithfully by a anti-gravity cart that was half full of melons, every now and then the spiders two front legs would pluck a melon free of the plants, examine it, and then place it within the cart. It continued this for almost ten minuets until the cart was full, once full, the cart rose, and began to drift away towards a large collection of buildings in the distance. Then the spider turned it’s attention to the Sphinx.
“What the fuck do you want?”
“Really, Amadeus. Is that any way to greet an old friend.”
“S’pose not.”
“Indeed, I see the melons are doing fine.”
“That they are, this is my third crop now. I’m making quite a bit of profit on these, even had to take on help”
“It’s good to see you are doing well for yourself.”
“Aye, I like plants.”
The huge chrome spider turned now to fully face the Sphinx, settling down onto the ground as all eight of it’s topaz eyes focused on the other Drone, it’s two front legs idly tapping against the soil.
“C’mon, what do you want.”
“I was merely seeing how you were doing, adjustment can be hard, even after so long.”
“Checking that I’m not a danger to the good people of this world.”
“Yes.”
“See, honesty is good.”
“Indeed. Also, Cherry Blossom wishes to speak with you.”
The spider raised up slightly now, actually looking around the area to check it’s sensors had not missed anything.
“Me, why would a Sector-Class want to talk to me?”
“I was just as baffled. Apparently, it’s because you are Pre-Runcible.”
“Oh aye, I’m old alright, much older than you, Citadel.”
“Yet you never chose a… specialization, should you have wanted it, you could have been a Warden, or a Sector-Class even.”
“Nah, I like the quiet life.”
“So I see, growing water melons.”
“Don’t knock it.”
“I’m not, I suppose it is admirable of you. Many others shut themselves down.”
“Aye, well they didn’t have my wisdom.”
“As much as I would like to talk about your wisdom, Cherry Blossom is waiting, something it does not often do.”
“Alright, alright, patch him though.”
The Sphinx’s head nodded once, then it’s posture seemed to change by only a fraction, it’s ruby eyes turning a soft pink.
“Hello Amadeus”
“Shit. U-com! What’s you bloody budged!”
“I don’t have a budget, I ask and I get.”
“Fair do’s, so, what’s up, what do you need me for?”
“I need you to come to me, something of interest has shown up, and I could use your unique insight.”
The spider shifted a little, uncomfortably, why should Cherry Blossom even waste time talking to him, it could just reach out and scour his mind for information. Then a light went on in the Drone’s mind. He jumped upwards on all eight legs, his chrome armour instantly shifting to match the vegetation around him as two Rail-Gatling guns extended from invisible hatches within his abdomen, two missile carousels also showed, along with other more exotic weapons. He was almost dancing with excitement.
“Shit going down? Line World in trouble? You say the word boss and I’ll move anything from your path!”
Silence followed, and continued to follow until the spider had once more settled down rather sheepishly, all weapons hidden away within his body, the armour once more chrome. Then Cherry Blossom spoke.
“It’s nice to see your weapons are up to date. Are those P-shells?”
“I’m a free drone, I can have whatever I want, as long as I pay for it, and yea’ P-shells!”
“Very dangerous weapons, I also detect a CTD”
“Do you!? I’ve been meaning to get rid of that for years!”
“I think you mean centuries, but no matter, I shall get to the point. I have detected something beyond the Border, I’m not sure what. And since you are Pre-Runcible you might be able to help, you were once the AI on a first generation warship, correct.”
“I was indeed, the DSSDF Amadeus! Of course I had no control over anything, I just monitored systems. That was before the time when people trusted AI’s”
“A good number still don’t, but no matter, you could look at everything, sensors included, and you must have amassed a great deal of information on other human ships?”
“Aye, I can squirt the data across to you, if you’ll foot the U-com bill.”
“No thank you, I would rather you come and see me, in person, as it were. If you leave today you can be here by tomorrow evening, it will take five Runcible jumps, there will be layovers.”
“There always bloody are. Just out of interest, this aint’ a request, is it?”
“No.”
“Fine, I’ll be with you tomorrow.”
And that was it, the Sphinx slumped a little before the eyes turned back to the previous colour of ruby, then it was Citadel speaking to Amadeus.
“Well, what did he want?”
“You know what, you wouldn’t believe me if I told you… Can you look after the melons for a while, please? I don’t trust hired help, I recon their pinching melons!”
“Very well, I’ll have a Drone come over and take over. I think Griffon is not up to much, he should do.”
“Cheers, Citadel!”
And so it was, that later that day as the sun was setting over Citadel, casting a pink light over the world a chrome Spider scuttled though the Runcible terminal, all three miles of it. He drew glances from those who were obviously visiting this world, some even snapping pictures of him as he scuttled onwards, topaz eyes always looking forwards and he made his way towards one of the three private use Runcibles, one that would take him to Oberon before onwards to Dalamar, then Kakinos then a wait before moving on to Sakura Space Station, a four hour wait there, and then finally Sakura would send him on his way to the Cherry Blossom. It was something he was looking forward to, it was not often an old War Drone was invited directly to a Sector-Class AI, and it even needed his help! This could turn out great if he played his cards right. However, he was also dreading the meeting, Cherry Blossom could be a scary thing indeed if you rubbed it the wrong way.