Android General 1 Read online

  Android General 1

  Archangel Project. Book Seven

  C. Gockel

  Contents

  About Android General 1

  Acknowledgments

  Also by C. Gockel

  1. The Darkness Within

  2. Sacrifices

  3. Where Angels Fear to Tread

  4. Crushed Souls

  5. Power Draining

  6. Ladies Who Lunch

  7. A Delicate Alliance

  8. Reunion

  9. A Delicate Alliance

  10. Awakening

  11. Irrational Dread

  12. Dark Conjecture

  13. Humans

  14. In the Domain of Logic

  15. Fantastic Beasts

  16. Rolling Thunder

  17. Minister’s Service

  18. The Side of Angels

  19. Waylaid

  20. Intrusion

  21. Battle Lines

  22. At the Gate

  23. High Tech

  24. Heaven on Fire

  25. Every Machine for Itself

  26. Meltdown

  27. Dark Discord

  28. Malfunctions

  29. Across Space and Time

  30. Disconnected

  31. Android General 1

  Contact Information

  About Android General 1

  The Darkness will strike again …

  The last time Carl, Volka, and 6T9 fought the Dark, 6T9 failed Volka. If he wants her and all the carbon-based life forms that he loves to survive, he needs to change. Change for an android is as easy as flipping a switch but dealing with the consequences is not as simple.

  To save Volka, he’ll have to give up the part of himself that Volka adores. He’ll need to become something an innocent, peace-loving sex ‘bot was never designed to be, something dangerous, something he despises.

  To save Volka and the galaxy he’ll need to become…Android General 1.

  Copyright © 2020 C. Gockel

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the author, subject “Attention: Permissions,” at the email address below:

  [email protected]

  Cover Illustration by Tom Edwards Design

  PRINT ISBN: 9798637481644

  Created with Vellum

  Acknowledgments

  This book wouldn’t have been possible without the help of a lot of people. Kay McSpadden read it three times. She also put up with my many phone calls, enduring hours of brainstorming, complaining, and random tangents. I do not do drugs other than dark chocolate and tea; Kay might not believe that.

  The first draft was shaped with Kay’s feedback, and the feedback of Sarah Easterly, Melissa Flores-Hossman, Amy Eberhedt, and Ron Neito. All four of them pored over my digital pages before they’d been grammar edited, enduring massive eye twitches when I managed to spell names that I created wrong...multiple ways, over and over again. They caught plot problems, hats that came off more than once, point of view shifts, and helped me keep Volka, Sixty, Alaric, Alexis, and all of their crews in character. Loran Montgomery helped me with weapons details. Erin Zarro did the first pass for grammar, cleaning up the detritus of my dyslexic mind and suffered mightily for it. Louis Maconi ran through the book correcting the grammar and spelling faux pas I committed while fixing the problems discovered by Erin, and then my team of faithful ARC readers did a final pass—thank you Barbara, Genevieve, and Mom! This book wouldn’t be possible without this team, and I owe them more than I can repay.

  My husband also had a role in this book. He was the one who convinced me to publish. He is a font of one-liners that make it into all my fiction. Also, he puts up with me. I “zone out” and get lost in my own private universe, often at inopportune times. And then there are the random factoids I discover in my research rabbit holes. The poor man has probably learned more about the Left Parietal Lobe, appendicitis, and wisdom teeth than he ever wanted to know after reading this book. I am not the best when it comes to romantic dinner conversation…or even appetizing dinner conversation.

  Finally, this book wouldn’t have come to pass without you, dear reader. Thank you for reading, thank you for buying (and borrowing!) Thank you for reviewing and all your kind emails and posts on Facebook. I’ll try to keep writing as long as you keep reading and listening.

  * * *

  All the best,

  * * *

  C. G.

  Also by C. Gockel

  The Archangel Project

  Archangel Down (free ebook)

  Noa's Ark

  Heretic

  Carl Sagan's Hunt for Intelligent Life in the Universe: A Short Story (free ebook)

  Starship Waking

  Darkness Rising

  The Defiant

  Android General 1

  Admiral Wolf

  Supernova

  I Bring the Fire

  Wolves: I Bring the Fire Part I

  Monsters: I Bring the Fire Part II

  Chaos: I Bring the Fire Part III

  In the Balance: I Bring the Fire Part 3.5

  Fates: I Bring the Fire Part IV

  The Slip: A Short Story (mostly) from Sleipnir’s Point of Smell

  Warriors: I Bring the Fire Part V

  Ragnarok: I Bring the Fire Part VI

  The Fire Bringers: An I Bring the Fire Short Story

  Atomic: A Short Story

  Magic After Midnight: A Short Story

  Rush: A Short Story

  Take My Monsters: A Short Story

  Soul Marked: I Bring the Fire Part VII

  Magic After Midnight I Bring the Fire Part VIII

  Other Works

  Murphy’s Star: A Sci-fi Short Story

  Friendly Fire: A Sci-fi Short Story

  Let There Be Light: A Sci-fi Short Story

  Want to know about upcoming releases & get sneak peeks and exclusive content?

  Sign up for my newsletter

  Visit my website: www.cgockelwrites.com

  Follow me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/CGockelWrites

  Or email me: [email protected]

  1

  The Darkness Within

  Galactic Republic: Asteroid S1O27.234935

  6T9 had just had a software update, and the boot up sequence was taking longer than usual. All his systems were almost completely online, but he still could not see. An anxious voice asked, “Will he be all right? What exactly did you do to him?”

  Who was speaking? At 6T9’s query, his local database returned the following:

  Speaker identified: Ethernet-to-speech-device COL325691. Registered to Carl Sagan, aka Hsissh, aka Fluffy, member of The One.

  The One: A Quantum Wave controlling species capable of inhabiting “wave compatible” life forms such as cats, wolves, werfles, and gixelloopalops*

  Preferred form: werfles

  Preferred world: Luddeccea

  *Gixelloopalops have not yet been discovered by humans.

  Two milliseconds later, he connected to the local ethernet and downloaded the following:

  Location: Asteroid S1O27.234935 Galactic Republic Space

  Local quadrant: L6921

  A millisecond after that, his own internal sensors came online:

  Gravity: .91G

  Atmosphere: Nitrogen 77.1%, oxygen 20.5%, argon 1%, carbon dioxide 1.4%

  Pressure: Earth standard

  :: LOCAL ENVIRONMENT SAFE
FOR PROLONGED HUMAN EXPOSURE ::

  Carl Sagan squeaked, and the ethernet-to-speech device the werfle wore blurted, “James…James, answer me!”

  Ocular Systems Online appeared in 6T9’s vision, but otherwise, all he saw was black. A blink sequence initiated. His vision returned. His eyes had been closed, that was all. 6T9 should have known that…he should always know that, but somehow on boot up, if his eyes had been closed by someone after he shut down, their closing didn’t register until after the blink sequence. He inhaled in a programmed display of relief—not because he needed to breathe—and his olfactory receptors picked up the additional chemical signatures of trees, pinecones, decaying leaf matter, deer dung, fungus, and a faint whiff of mildew.

  He blinked again.

  He was sitting in the forest on S1O27.234935—his deceased employer Bernadette’s asteroid; technically, his asteroid while he cared for Carl Sagan, her pet. His back was against a tree, and he was staring up at the familiar face of James Sinclair, one of 6T9’s oldest friends, even though they had never had sex. James was holding up what looked like a metal antenna. He pressed a button on its side; it telescoped in on itself, and James handed it to 6T9.

  Accepting the device, 6T9 turned it around in his fingers. It was a programming access key, and it could change the basic programming of the ‘bot or android it belonged to. It could make a medic ‘bot believe its primary function was road repairs or turn a security ‘bot’s inclinations to dog grooming. 6T9 had wanted James to change his programming so he could own himself. He hadn’t been allowed to—his original programming prevented him from owning a self-aware being—even if that being was him.

  “It’s done,” James said. “I also tightened up your Q-comm port while I was in there.” His lips thinned. “‘Daddy-One’ likes to give us weaknesses. Thinks it makes us more empathetic to the human condition, but I think you’ll have enough to deal with in the near future.”

  “Daddy-One” was 6T9’s nickname for Time Gate 1, the vast ring hovering above Earth that served as a faster-than-light portal to other such gates for data and ships. Time Gate 1 was possibly the first “naturally” evolved, self-aware artificial intelligence. It was also the site of the server for 6T9’s higher thought processes. His Q-comm connected him in real-time to that server. Sometimes it slipped out of its port, and then he was just the dumb sex ‘bot he was originally designed to be.

  Nodding to James, 6T9 closed his eyes, scanned his code, and saw his model name and serial number next to his ownership registration. He exhaled in relief from lungs with only one purpose—to make him appear more human.

  Out of habit, 6T9 continued to scan his log of code changes, just as he would do after a normal system update. James’s code modifications scrolled before his eyes, and static began jumping along 6T9’s spine. The changes were much more extensive than ownership. White light flashed behind his eyelids. His hands balled into fists, though no human was around to see the emotional response.

  “Are you all right, Sixty?” Carl squeaked.

  “Get back, Carl,” James warned.

  Carl whimpered, and 6T9 heard him scamper off.

  6T9’s jaw ground, and the static beneath his skin turned to heat. He opened his eyes. James was kneeling on one knee, blonde hair ruffled by air vents, blue eyes searching 6T9’s. There was a long gash down the side of James’s face, revealing a black polymer skull that was a significant upgrade on 6T9’s own metal skeleton. James’s poly-bone was lighter, his mass more human-like.

  6T9 saw the James before him, and the James that was in his memory banks: the James that had been disgusted by 6T9 during their first meeting and disgusted at Eliza for owning a sex ‘bot. He saw the James that had enjoyed confusing 6T9 with idioms and metaphors before he had his Q-comm, the James that had been happy not to reveal his android nature when 6T9 had been mocked for his. He saw the James that had been at Eliza’s funeral, but also the James that still disapproved of 6T9 for being a sex ‘bot, the James who had once accused 6T9 of wasting his Q-comm among the independent traders. 6T9 saw the James who very recently had forbidden 6T9 to reboot when they were aboard the Merkabah, turning 6T9 into a parody of the dumb sex ‘bot James claimed he didn’t want 6T9 to be ... in front of Volka, no less. And 6T9 hadn’t been able to disobey James, because James was still in his databanks as a human, and without a gear-grinding good reason, 6T9 hadn’t been able to disobey or hurt a human if that human’s comfort was in danger…until James had altered 6T9’s programming. Until now.

  Snarling, 6T9 reached for James’s neck.

  James caught 6T9’s hand easily but did not hold it easily. James’s hand shook. The other android’s skeleton was lighter and faster; it was also more brittle, and at the moment, 6T9 wanted to snap it into slivers. “What’s wrong, James?” 6T9 snarled. “I’m just being the creature you made me.”

  Hand trembling, James replied levelly, “Don’t make excuses, 6T9. You’re doing this, not me.” 6T9 ripped his hand from James’s grip. James, the coward, took the opportunity to escape, leaping up into the air. His body somersaulted backward, and he landed lightly on his feet meters away. James’s movements were faster than a human could manage, and faster than 6T9 could with his heavier skeleton.

  “Liar,” 6T9 snarled, the recent code changes making his lip curl in disgust. He lunged at the other android. James dodged easily again, but 6T9 hadn’t expected to catch him and had spent less power on the feint than James had used to escape. 6T9 was 89.1% charged; he’d powered up before calling Volka. That seemed like a lifetime away—but it was less than twelve hours ago. James had arrived just after the call with the key to reprogram 6T9. They’d come to the asteroid and walked out to the forest, and then 6T9 had shut down for his reprogramming. James hadn’t shut down. All 6T9 had to do was tire the other android out. There were ways 6T9 could do that, ways that didn’t involve him lifting a finger. Mentally connecting with the asteroid’s central computer—the computer only he was authorized to access—6T9 activated the fleet of hovering hedge shearing and tree clearing ‘bots. They couldn’t kill or maim, but they were also dumb as rocks.

  “You made me a killer, James,” 6T9 said, smiling grimly and walking toward the other android.

  “No, I didn’t,” James said, holding his ground this time.

  A hovering ‘bot shot by overhead, slicing through a branch above James. James awkwardly knocked it away with one arm, just in time for another ‘bot to drop a heavier branch on the shoulder of his other side. James crumpled momentarily, but then rose, flinging the branch backward. 6T9 kept walking, pace unhurried. James edged sideways. 6T9 knew where he was going, and his eyes narrowed.

  Backing away, keeping his focus on 6T9, James said, “You asked me to help you help Volka, and I did that.”

  “By turning me into a sadist?” 6T9 said. He couldn’t kill James, not really. But he didn’t want to kill James—he wanted to hurt James, and for the first time in his existence, he could without permission.

  One of the ‘bots that had dropped a branch on James tumbled to the ground and then the other. Accessing their databanks, 6T9 tilted his head. James had bypassed the central computer’s security and turned them off, just as the android “legal ‘bot” Lauren G3 had when she’d turned off the gravity during Bernadette’s will reading. James and Lauren G3 had ether access and security-breaking capabilities 6T9 didn’t have because they weren’t sex ‘bots, and Time Gate 1 and Time Gate 3, the giant computers that controlled the servers that were their respective minds, allowed them to do so. 6T9 was too “unstable” for that power. Static fizzed beneath every inch of 6T9’s skin. There were more hover ‘bots, and 6T9 commanded them to attack the local trees with a thought.

  Lifting his hands to shoulder height, James asked, “Do you want to be a sadist? Have you asked yourself why?”

  6T9’s Q-comm sparked at the question, nearly blinding him. His distant computer mind was churning its proverbial gears. Why did he want to hurt James so much?

&nb
sp; His Q-comm returned no answer, and frustration and electricity surged in 6T9 just in time for the next landscape ‘bots to zip above them. He used the ‘bots to shear the branches from trees on either side of James, forcing the other android to expend precious power fending off the falling limbs.

  Why did he want to cause James pain? It was completely out of character…but James had changed his character. With a cry of rage, 6T9 leaped through the air—turning up his masochism settings and bringing both legs up—and striking James square in the chest. 6T9 crashed to the ground, and the screaming of his sensory receptors felt good. James flew backward, crashing into a dead tree. The impact cracked the trunk, the upper limbs wobbled, and James frantically dived to the side. 6T9 stood up, fist upraised, and let the falling tree shatter on him. He savored the feel of synth skin tearing, and metal bones and synth muscles absorbing the shock. When it was over, he leaped from the fallen wreck toward James, smiling and activating a few new landscape ‘bots as he did.

  Backing out of the forest, toward a prairie scape, James said, “Maybe you should ask yourself who you’re really angry with.”

  The statement created a query, but from his already rapidly firing Q-comm there was no return, not even a null set.

  James glanced at the new set of approaching ‘bots, and they dropped from the air, sending clods of dirt flying when they hit the ground.