Flight Of Prometheus

Chapter 4: Unexpected Changes

How long had the lights been out? A minute, ten minutes? Thinking to himself General Baker wondered if his second in command had been correct. Had he been wrong, had he actually made a mistake in trusting someone.

A green light starts flashing on and off on the navigator station. Within seconds of noticing it the gravity kicks back on, and then the lights.

"Systems report," asks Higgins to
His bridge crew.

"Sir if I'm reading this right my station is working at 150% optimum," reports Terock.

"Mine too," from the navigator. Throughout the bridge every station did a complete systems check and found they were operating above optimum levels.

"Sarah what's your status?" Baker asks his A.I. There is no response from her. "Sarah, answer me." Still nothing. Side glancing at Higgins he says to himself just one word, "shit."

With their main A.I. assistant down, all orders from the bridge had to be hand delivered. Their ship to ship comms worked yes but internal comms use was blocked by the magnetic wave the core produced.

"Sir, what the hell just happened?" Lieutenant Grants voice booming through the speakers. I don't know if you noticed but everything on this ship has been messed with, including the comms.

Obviously shocked that the inter ship comms are now allowing individuals to talk through it, "what's the condition of the engine bay"?

"Sir, I don't know how to put it, but whatever just happened, I can no longer be your chief mechanic. This whole place has changed. Only thing that hasn't is the core, however its 3 times the size it used to be."

"So like your new ship?" Alana asks as the elevator doors open. She takes a step out and a mountain of a man comes walking out behind her. With her standing at only 5 foot 5 inch's her small stature makes the man behind her seem like a giant. Coming in at around 6 foot 8 inches the man walks up and introduces himself.

"Colonel John Payne Jr," shaking first Bakers hand then Higgins. "You must be the infamous "Renegades"," holding his hands up and bending his fingers as he says it. "News has already been sent across the "Galactic News Radio" broadcast networks about you. How ever the news did say all of you were mass murders."

"No, that's not exactly true." Baker responds. "Only some of us." The stupid joked makes its point and the group laughs a little. Turning his attention to Alana, "So what did you do to my ship?"

"Isn't it obvious. Out ships merged, becoming one ship. Granted you ship was in a sense eaten and reproduced into nano bots, but that just made it so our ships can combine better."

"What happened to my A.I.?" Higgins asks

"You mean that old "Sarah" unit? Wasn't that more of an electronic assistant then an actual A.I?"

"Yes but she still controlled most of the basic functions on the ship." He retorts.

"Well Chihuahua, she has been replaced. Her upgrade is still in progress. In the mean time," turning back to Baker, "we still need to discuss our new arrangement. Shall we step into your briefing room?"

Leading the way to the elevator Higgins stops Alana. "Why do you call me Chihuahua?" He asks her

"I'll tell you later." With that she turns and leaves.

After a half hour the group of commanders emerges from the brief room. And immediately they are greeted by a familiar voice. "Good after noon sir, my systems report ship is now operating at optimum efficiency" Sarah says

"Sarah I see your back. Everything in your programming good?" Baker asks.

"Sir your basic Sarah unit has been dispersed. My name it Violet, I have fully replaced the Sarah unit. She was underperforming, I am the best true artificial intelligence you can find. All of Sarah's duty's have been uploaded to me as well as all information she had. I hope to impress you in the future."

"Well....that's different." Higgins mumbles to nobody in particular.

Changing the subject Alana turns to baker, "with your leave Sir, I've got more tests to perform on the surrounding area."

With a quick nod he dismisses her. She would be 3rd in command of the now upgraded Prometheus, Baker in the lead followed by Higgins. After Alana and John head back to their part of the ship baker turns his attention back to Higgins. "Wanna let your brother stretch his legs?"

"Where are you sending him?"

"Ondurus 4. Gonna send him to meet up with King Rose."

"Your sending Nolan as a diplomat? To the king of thorns world?"

"Not as a diplomat, as a messenger."
Without waiting for Higgins response baker reaches up and presses the comms button on his headset."Sargent Higgins report to the bridge."

A few minutes later the door to the main elevator opened and what emerged was so large that baker had thought that some experiment had happened that combined 4 men together into one huge colossus. The man wore a form of combat armor that covered his or her entire body,Baker could not tell who was inside.

The form moved to emerge from the elevator and surprised baker by how quiet it stepped. A man that size in armor would normally have a solid "thud" sound, but not this thing, its steps were very quiet. So quiet that before Higgins even turned to look he just yells to his brother, or what he thought was his brother. "Nolan, up here."

By this time Baker had stood up to prepare for this thing, it had stepped toward him. It then stopped and snaps to attention. Its right arm rising up and giving baker what he thought was a salute. "Sargent Higgins reporting as ordered." The beast announces. His voice coming threw a speaker built into the suit. A second later the head piece coving his head slides back into the suit, leaving his head open.

Hearing his brothers voice in a weird tone Higgins just now turns to look at his younger brother, and immediately jumps up as he cusses"Holy hell."

With a quick chuckle "yeah he freaked me out too," turning back to the younger Higgins, "let me guess, Anderson's titan?"

"No sir, I am the property of Sargent Nolan Higgins," a new voice emerges from the speakers, sounding like a young man with a hint of artificial

"Sorry Sir, that would be the A.I. in the suit. Still haven't giving it a name yet." Nolan says.

"Well you'll have plenty of time to come up with a name, on sending you to Ondurus 4. I want you to report to King Rose and inform them of our arrival. He will be expecting you. Take a fast shuttle and we will meet you there."

"Yes sir." With a quick salute the helmet closes around his head again and he turns back toward the elevator.

"Now how in the hell was that suit so quiet?" Baker says to himself, making a mental note to ask Anderson the next time he say him.

A few minutes later and the small shuttle Nolan had taken flys out of the launch bay and sends a message to his brother.
"Dude, Prometheus looks like a bad ass now. You should take a look for yourself. See you in a few day." And with that he is gone.