The Inception: The Augmented Human Rebellion - Book 1 by Terry Lefler Read Free Book Online

you be their mentor?” asks the Captain.
    “They could perform routine tasks, such as piloting the ship and firing
weapons, within a few weeks time,” replies Danion. “But in the early
stages, you would need to give specific instructions and to be patient, in case
they don’t understand or get things wrong.”
    “That’s still a lot better than what we have now. I am going to
assign Company K personnel the tasks of learning how to fly and operate the
ships, but it will be months before they can even get into FTL space.
Please produce a clone of yourself, for each ship, and prepare to be a parent,”
instructs the Captain.
    “Yes sir,” responds Danion.
    “Oh, Danion. One more thing. I am not asking you to do
anything that is immoral or unethical, am I?” asks the Captain.
    “No sir. In fact, I am honored that you would want to reproduce
me. AI’s don’t have the ability to reproduce, unless ordered to do so.”
    “Good,” says the Captain. “Then, I order you to produce 2 clones of
yourself ASAP.”
    “Yes sir. I get right to it.”
    ***
    Danion ‘births’ the 2 cloned AIs the same day, but he has to birth them
in the captured warship’s computers, because there isn’t enough space in the
Nemesis’ computer. And before he can birth them, he has to remove the
Verm AIs. He gives the Captain the option of leaving them as a knowledge
resource, but the Captain declines. Captain Nemo doesn’t think that there
is any hope of getting anything but evil, from a Verm entity.
    The ‘babies’ are the spitting image of their parent – Danion – but are
very childlike. Captain Nemo thinks: “It’s going to be interesting to
watch them grow up, before our eyes”.
    Choosing names for the twin entities is Danion’s job, as a parent.
He names the one on Captain Nemo’s ship, Darius, and the AI on Lt. Guilles’
ship is named Delphi – he has a girl and a boy.
    Captain Nemo also assigns, to various personnel, the tasks of learning
how to operate different shipboard systems. They will need pilots,
engineers, tactical, navigation, communication, and bridge officers – among
others. And they will need enough, to cover 3 shifts, for 24 hours a
day. Danion is going to be a very busy AI. He is going to have to
raise two children, at the same time that he is instructing the Company K
augmented humans. Captain Nemo doesn’t have any doubt that the AI is
equal to the task.
    Company K personnel are enthusiastically involved in transitioning from
soldiers to sailors, and even start to use nautical terms, such as ‘Aye sir’,
‘port’ and ‘starboard’. Captain Nemo thinks that the enthusiasm is good,
and tolerates the sailor lingo.
    ***
    As the weeks pass, the crews on the captured warships become so
proficient at their shipboard tasks, that they begin practicing maneuvers,
inside the Parin solar system. The two cloned AI’s are learning at about the
same speed as the humans.
    Things are also progressing well on the planet Parin. The populace
is thrilled to be out from under the Verm, and joyful at recovering the youth,
who had been conscripted for Verm military service. The patriarch,
Bartat, is exalted to the position of worldwide ‘king’, and the planet is alive
with a new vigor. Needless to say, the extrucians are grateful to the
augmented humans, who have freed them from slavery.
    ***
    More weeks pass before there is any communications from the Darinx
government. A FTL probe arrives with a message from Colonel Kax - and he
doesn’t mince words. The message orders Captain Nemo to bring the two
captured vessels, the Verm POWs (Prisoners Of War), and Company K, to Sector
Headquarters - immediately.
    Captain Nemo is not pleased with the communiqué. In the first
place, the Captain has committed to the Parin government that Company K, and
the two warships will stay in the Parin system, until the Darinx forces arrive
to provide protection. Secondly, the Captain is not pleased that the
situation is being