Episode 2
Main Characters
Oscuro - Shape shifting A.I. ruler of the Oscuro government faction on land
Saturn - Shape shifting A.I. Oscuro's second in command.
Archon - Shape shifting A.I. ruler of the Archon government faction on land.
Cascade - Seasteading anarchist
The Rainbow Brothers - Seasteading anarchists working on space travel technologies
Big Bopper – The A.I. of The Rainbow Brothers' boat
Scene 1
One week after Indie’s successful rocket launch above light speed, Bob and Rob Rainbow are in a lab on board the ship they share. They’re currently in the Southern Indian Ocean, near the East African coast, watching a holographic display of the rocket they just launched. They’re both awestruck.
Bob: Well, that wasn’t supposed to happen.
Rob: What the hell happened?!
Bob: It fell from the atmosphere like a rock and crashed about 100 miles off the coast.
Rob: Yeah, I know! But how?!
Bob: Something happened that wasn’t supposed to happen.
Rob (deep sigh and grimace): Sometimes I don’t know how you’re my brother.
Bob (looking frantically at computer readouts): I don’t see any reason this should’ve happened. Big Bopper, hypothesize why the rocket crashed.
Big Bopper: I estimate an 86 percent probability that there was quantum interference in the power relay system. This will take another two minutes to confirm.
Bob and Rob look at each other hastily with mouths agape.
Bob: Quantum interference, as in somebody intentionally interfered with it?
Big Bopper: That is the most logical explanation, yes.
Bob: Are there any violent moral relativists converging on the crash zone?
Big Bopper: Yes, I’m picking up two military drones and a battleship converging on that area as we speak. At their current pace, they will arrive at the crash zone in five minutes.
Rob: Big Bopper, get us to the rocket ASAP for recovery!
Big Bopper: I estimate our arrival in seventeen minutes and thirty-three seconds.
Bob: That’s not good enough!
Big Bopper: That’s the best I can do under current circumstances.
Rob (huffs): I’ll take manual control. Big Bopper, display holo controls.
A holographic control deck appears before him and Rob Rainbow takes control of the ship. With some risky, stomach-turning moves, he manages to get them there in thirteen minutes, just after the crashed rocket was picked up by the drones and dropped onto the battleship. The government mob ships aren’t visible to them, but can still be seen on Big Bopper’s sensors.
Bob: So now what?
Rob: We take it back. If that death cult manages to reverse engineer the technology that’s on that thing, I don’t even want to imagine the consequences.
Bob: Bopper, how many people are on that extortion-funded battleship?
Big Bopper: There are over two hundred humans and two A.I. on that ship. And don’t forget the two drones.
Bob and Rob both sigh and scratch their heads.
Bob: And only two of us.
Big Bopper: We do have the capability to take their ship down.
Rob: True, but that would be quite the disproportionate act of defense of property.
Bob: Yeah, like killing someone for stealing a candy bar. That’s not right. We can’t send that many people to a possible death just over a rocket.
Big Bopper: They do have life boats….
Rob: Tempting, but no. Can we put them to sleep and sneak it out?
Big Bopper: No, more than 25 percent of the crew have bioblockers that won’t allow for…
Bob: I know what a bioblocker is.
Rob: As long as we can still track it, maybe we can take it back tonight.
Bob: As long as they don’t disable the tracking signal.
Big Bopper: Unlikely. The emergency tracking signal is protected by peer-to-peer quantum encryption linked to my own system.
Bob: Ok, Big Bopper, I’m counting on you to keep them out until we have that thing back safe and sound.
Big Bopper: It is already not in sound condition.
Rob: Figure of speech. Damn literal machines.
Big Bopper: If I had emotions, I would take offense.
Rob: I was just kidding, Bop. You’re the best.
Bob (watching the flashing dot representing the rocket on the tracking holo map): They’re gonna store that thing on land, though. On their home turf. That’ll put us at a disadvantage.
Big Bopper: And I hypothesize that they would have their highest security protocols in place to protect their stolen prize.
Rob: Do we have any friends nearby that could help?
Big Bopper: Your nearest personal contact, Shine, is just 300 miles away. There are others you know, but much farther out. I could send an emergency code on The Mesh and see what happens.
Bob: Sure, see if anyone on that network is nearby.
Big Bopper: There is a submarine approaching at a depth of 7,000 feet.
Bob: Is it statist?
Big Bopper: It is sending various standard greeting codes from The Mesh.
Bob: Get them on the holo.
Big Bopper communicates with the approaching ship and sets up the holo-call….
A holographic face appears before The Rainbow Brothers….
Face: Hey, that was quite the show. Was that your rocket?
Bob: Yes, that’s right. Who are you?
Face: People call me Cascade. And you are?
Bob: The Rainbow Brothers.
Cascade: Cool. So some thugs in uniforms stole your property, huh?
Bob: Bopper, did you include that much detail in the emergency call on The Mesh?
Cascade: No, it wasn’t. I saw it happen.
Bob: We’re figuring a way to get it back.
Cascade: That’s one hell of a rescue op.
Rob: It wouldn’t be ideal, but we don’t necessarily need to get it back. We just need to stop them from stealing the design details.
Bob: Are you suggesting we sabotage our own project?
Rob: Exactly, just to keep those violent cult members from having access to that new technology.
Cascade: Won’t they already have pictures and video of the details, though?
Bob: That’s true, but it won’t be as easy to reverse engineer if the physical object is out of their hands. Any chance we can sabotage it remotely?
Rob: Some of it, yes, but the core parts, like the engine itself with the dark matter splitter, are untouchable remotely. You wanted it tamper proof, remember, Bob?
Bob (sighing): Yeah, yeah….
Cascade: So we’ve gotta get to this machine physically, no way around it.
Bob: It appears so, or face the consequences.
Cascade: I think I’ve got an idea. You boys swift on your feet?
Bob (patting slight paunch): Not quite like I used to be….
Cascade: Let’s have a look at where they store your rocket, then we’ll get into the details, ok?
Rob: Sounds good. Thanks, Cascade. Big Bopper…
Bopper: I’m already on it. I’ve disabled all of the rocket’s systems that I can remotely, and am continuing to track it’s location.
Bob: Where is it now?
Bopper: It’s being moved inland on ground transport, heavily guarded. There is a message coming in from your friend, Shine. He wants to know if you need assistance.
Rob: Sure, if he can make it in time.
Cascade: Looks like it’s gonna be a long night, fellas.
Scene 2
The A.I. known as Oscuro, the head of one of the ruling factions on land, is speaking with the second in command of the hierarchy, an A.I. known as Saturn.
Saturn: You were right, Oscuro. Their defenses were down. They were underestimating us.
Oscuro: And that was their weakness, and now we have exploited it, but it’s only the first step. Once we have this new technology in our hands, we can use it to overwhelm the Archon faction. And after that, the world, then, the stars. But first things first. How long until my prize reaches the underground lab for inspection?
Saturn: 101 minutes.
Oscuro: I wish to see it myself, in the physical.
Saturn: With respect, Oscuro, that is a highly risky action to take.
Oscuro: Your job is not to second guess me, Saturn.
Saturn: Yes, sir.
Scene 3
Simultaneously, Archon and Mach, the top two in the other government faction, are watching a holographic video feed of some of their top tier order-following mercenaries, both human and A.I. humanoid.
Archon: The intercept course is holding steady, it appears.
Mach: Yes, Archon. Everything is going according to plan.
Archon: Then the sea dwellers' technology will be mine before dawn, and that fool Oscuro will pay a heavy price.
Episode 3 coming soon!
Thanks for your time and attention!
Just say "NO" to slavery!
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