Steel Rising

Chapter 20: Human or AI?

Dumped into special cells onboard the Lonestar, Sarah, Tina, and Tellius found themselves isolated from each other and soon to be interrogated.

Meanwhile, Ethen stood beside the High Marshal, trying to convince the man that they shouldn't be arrested.

"But High Marshal Givens, sir!..." Ethen insisted as the two men walked from the cells all the way up to the ship's bridge. "... I deputized these people! Why did you order their arrest?"

"Do you know for certain that they are even human? How do you know that they're not controlled by a competing AI program that sought the destruction of the Devil?..." the High Marshal asked back, his voice barely containing the anger he was feeling for being questioned. "... Furthermore, as is stated in Article 6: 'You shall in a time of need deputize men to aid in your investigation.' It said men, not AI or robots, but men. In case their actions are caused by zeros and ones, you have been lied to, and we have a case of false identity. And you very well know what that means, Marshal!"

"Yes, sir!" Ethen replied, knowing that the High Marshal knew of his wife's previous condition of being AI-possessed but was ignoring that fact for his sake.

"Good, and now get out of my sight, Marshal!" Givens ordered and entered the highly secured bridge head, leaving a sick-looking Marshal Ryan behind.

Seeing the corporate battlestar-class spaceship still in orbit around the moon, the High Marshal questioned his bridge crew. "Why the hell is that ship still here? Didn't I order it to leave? Are those guys still here?"

"Sir, the Ares Corp. demands reparations and that we hand the Devil over to them!" answered a female officer.

"Like hell we will!..." Cursed Givens angrily. "... By the way, did we finally get an answer from the Sector Attorney General?"

"No, sir! Apparently, he's at a corporate conference on Paradise IV..." Answered a male officer from behind a monitor. "... So, we shouldn't expect a quick reply."

"Damned! Back in the old days before the Corporate War, we would have charged politicians with corruption for stuff like this!..." cursed the High Marshal as he lamented the reform enacted following the war from 10 years ago. "... Damned! All we can do is wait for them to leave or for the SAG to answer us."

Meanwhile, after having split from the High Marshal, Ethen had found his way to his ship's cabin where his wife was eagerly waiting for him.

Sitting on the bed, his legs crossed, Yelena asked him as soon as he entered. "What's going on? Why did you arrest our saviors like common criminals?"

"It's complicated..." Replied Ethen, exhausted as he sat down beside his wife, his right hand on her left thigh. "... Apparently, it isn't proven without a doubt that they are human and not some AI."

"But Tina is most definitely human!..." Noted Yelena before she offered. "... I can vouch for that."

"Yeah, about that..." Ethen stated, a bit embarrassed. "... I wouldn't do that if I were you!"

"Why?" Yelena asked, confused.

Rubbing his neck, Ethen revealed. "It appears that High Marshal Givens knows about your previous condition."

"So, he knows about-... Ow..." Yelena exclaimed in shock, just as her husband got a message.

"Damned!..." Ethen cursed before he had to go. "... I've gotta go... Orders..."

"That's okay, go!"

...

Simultaneously, Sarah found herself to be the first to be interrogated as she was thrust into a dimly lit room littered with cameras. Stripped down to just her bra and panties, she was chained via magnetic shock bracelets to a simple, yet cold, metal chair.