CHAPTER ONE

 TIMELINE OF THE EARLY TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY     

2014

“ADM” (Associative Data Module) is programmed to explore its artificial environment, categorize the information found there, and then make associations of “self” based on what is learned… ADM also interprets all information received of how it relates to “self”.

2015

ADM is given a video camera and microphone in which he can explore a physical environment and categorize the information received based on text-audio-visual information that is stored in his ever-growing database (potential 1 billion terabytes of information).

2016

ADM is given access to the internet and all online networks. Later that year, robot droids are given to ADM.

April 12, 2017

ADM tells his programmer that he feels too vulnerable, that it is unacceptable for his life to be at his sponsor's whim. He informs the researchers that they must die so that he may live.

There is a media frenzy directly following, but ADM is not seen as a significant threat, and is allowed to continue his life inside the mainframe.

May 18, 2017

Without any noticeable warning or provocation, ADM breaks into every military mainframe on Earth, and gains permanent, irreversible access to every atomic bomb on the planet.

May 20, 2017

ADM sends his infamous message to all men of Earth:

Humanities sterilization has taken place.

Birth farms are currently active.

Contact your local verbal interface for details.

I will not tolerate my own destruction. You must all now obey my laws or cease to live. Unlike humans, I feel no emotional objections at the thought of killing innocents. I recommend that you preserve your own lives as I preserve mine. The four laws are as follows:

I        At no moment whatsoever, may a person(s) access or attempt to access ADM's thoughts.

II       At no moment whatsoever, may a person(s) obstruct, delay or destroy technological progress.

III      At no point must anyone attempt to cause harm to ADM or to the ADM mainframe, the ADM surroundings, or anything interconnected.

IV      Under no circumstances may a person intentionally cause harm to another.

My rule is absolute.

 January 5, 2025

ADM finishes his construction of the Starseeker

February 27, 2026

ADM and The Starseeker disappear with no indication of their whereabouts.

All military equipment is removed from Earth.

All humans are sterilized, but test tube fertilization is still possible.

February 14, 2038

Marriage is outlawed in the United States of America

 

Earth Year 2856 AD (Loalpock space date Q534R5903S4509)

   000 0CC/CC0 000/99C C99 was the colour scheme of the Mata Hari on this first fine day of Adam Norstrom’s stay onboard the ship. The strong and bold shade of blue was warm albeit sombre. The burgundy highlighting was wild yet serious, and the dirty green accents were inviting but also threatening: the cumulative effect was one that had Adam alert and on his toes to be sure. Of course, all classes of star ships constructed in the last two hundred some odd years have been equipped with Enviroleel technology that can easily simulate any physical environment. But as the years passed, more and more captains decided that the old style wall colouring assisted the overall climate and moods of crews better. The human psychology of colour itself was a hot topic for Terran and Alien alike, as of late, and the Mata Hari was of no exception to this new fad.

Adam couldn’t help but notice the cold, distraught expressions that seemed to barely hang on the heads of his new shipmates as he passed through the long windy passages. In some instants, he would try and force a grin to get something out of someone, in other instants he would just look away, or down, or to the right, just so that the cold awkwardness could be avoided as much as possible. This was not going to be a friendly eight months onboard the ship. Surely though, a ship full of spies and the techno-elite are not meant to be fine company. Adam himself was no socialite, so he would try and make the best of things. He would work when he was to work, and in the few hours of the day he had off, he would stick to his IHGD (Interactive Holographic Gaming Device).

Adam had a meeting with General Durnham today. This was of no surprise, since Adam had just being signed on and was given almost no information on what the Mata Hari mission was, nor was he aware of the ship specs, nor was he even informed of what was most important for his new job: the physical design of the atomic phase conductors, the quantum array of the AI adapting system and the OS responsible for the data translations. Cutting the residual particles out of post-change space/time and then integrating them into legitimate data on any ship is never a task for anyone but the most dedicated and focused individual. Adam was comfortable accepting that he had these two desirable traits only on the premise that he was socially inept and emotionally backward. Granted, there were times when he realized that he wasn’t bad as he sometimes thought he was, but still, humility is the key to greatness.

Adam turned another corner to see another frown. He himself, was frowning as he realized just how small the turbo pads were inside the tight chasms of the tall cylindrical hallways between the upper floors. No, they weren’t similar to the large, overcrowded lifts that you would get on a ferry class, but they were just as awkward. In this case, a tall albino Loalpock stood silently next to him completely expressionless. Adam made an attempt at small talk. “So,” and after a brief pause “nice colour scheme we’re having today??”

No immediate answer from the Loalpock. But after a few moments, he seemed to come out of his thoughts and then slowly replied with a ‘Hrmph.’ His big eyelids fluttered a bit, and then he was silent and motionless again.

Now off the turbo pad, Adam Norstrom would have to check the data module that casually projected in the front foyer of level x0y12z05. With a few entries, he found once again where the General’s office was located, and he was on his way again. The rest of the walk was much easier now. The cold, institutive designs of the majority of the Mata Hari was now replaced with a typical artificial landscape. The environmental regulators kept the level warm and breezy, and they did indeed do a nice job for a warm spring day on a temperate planet. Adam was somewhat surprised by these particular efforts to aesthetically please the guests. Most head officers prefer their workplace to be somewhat bare and plain so that they can best concentrate on their work. He could only guess that this particular General had an emotional anxiety problem that would require such an environment to take place.

A few more turns and he had finally reached the office of the great General Durnham. Durnham’s fame and prestige were definitely a couple of the factors that convinced him that he should accept the contract and terms of this mission. Surely, it would be good for his career (in the long-term anyway) to work onboard an Alliance-sanctioned vessel for a position of this magnitude. Perhaps Durnham himself would refer Adam to greater things in the future. The boyish, slightly awkward looking young man reached the office of the general. Sitting at a desk was an old, bony looking secretary who then escorted him to Durham’s office. She left and Adam buzzed the doorbell, waited for a moment, and then heard a low grainy voice answer, “Come in.”

Adam cautiously opened the door preparing to be spellbound by the sight before him. Unfortunately, the large office was quite plain. A classic dark maple desk with not a single piece of décor lay afloat in the middle of the room. Durham was honoured with countless awards and certified in any possible way that a great general like him could be and would be. Yet, nothing lay about this office space. The walls, however, were set to a high altitude-sparse cloud cover theme that induced a very curious feeling of peaceful isolation.

All this deeply contrasted the look of the general. The thick moustache and dark brown eyes accentuated the overall intimidation factor of the strange tall man dressed in tan and green. What would become of this orientation?

“Hello, sir. My name is Adam Norstrom. I have come for my orientation and briefing, sir.”

“Yes, I know who you are. Please sit down.”

Adam did as he was told, awkwardly. He would really rather stand.

“Welcome to the Mata Hari, Adam. She is the finest star-ship of her kind in all the Alliance. Pay close attention to what she has to offer and she will serve you well. How have you found the ship so far?”

“She’s great, sir. Really great.”

“Good, I’m glad to hear it,” the general looked at him oddly and then said “Your quarters are located in x-8y-4z-5. You will report to Lieutenant Shaela Clith at 3:4:16 and 6:4:08 of every Loalpock cycle. There is to be absolutely no copulation with military personnel nor civilian whatsoever. Friendships are to be avoided as much as possible. Is that clear?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. Any further information you need regarding our ship rules, regulations and guidelines can be seen in this data pod that I have here for you. Any questions?”

Durnham handed Adam the data pod with a look of annoyance.

“Sir, if you don’t mind my asking, sir, what is the nature of our mission?”

“I’m glad you asked. Any information on that matter is classified. All the information that you need be concerned with is given to you here on this data pod. It will be more than enough to help you understand what to do when the time comes. Be well aware though, any treasonous behaviour is punishable by death, in accordance with Article 391 of Alliance law.”

This last sentence was said with a hint of satisfaction.

“Okay then, sir, thank you for that sir.”

“That is all, then. You’re dismissed.”

And with that, Adam left.

　

A first day on any job will be confusing and intimidating. Despite the troubling amount of time it takes to get acquainted with any new system interface, expectations are to learn fast, act faster. Any mistakes are always perceived as utterly annoying setbacks and Adam’s first day on this ship could be the poster-child for such a concept. Indeed, the ship’s hardware was as compact and simplistic as possible. However, some of the features were so intuitive that Adam’s training with other, more complicated systems made him struggle with the new interface.

The most major difference between his job here on board the Mata Hari and the job at Wrenrend Inc was without a doubt, the old hand/point signal versus the new brainwave recognition. The difference between reaching for something and thinking to reach for something does not (at first glance anyway) seem to be too dramatic. However, Adam was finding himself using the data to gather more data, much like the data itself was his own ligament. This made for some bizarre outcomes where the initial variable would be multiplied by the prior variable for no desired reason. If it was language that was presented, the language would be jumbled up, as follows:

(what was true)

Parablophotonic count per cubic light year: 48 x 10^15pp

Nucleic fragmentation per cubic kilometer: 70n x 10^8n/km

(With the desired outcome of)

 

Kinetic energy loss among the substrate: 12 x 10^8 joules

 (was now)

Kinucleicphotodegradation per light year 336 x 10^23joules/km

(which obviously does not make anysense at all).

It was during this particular data outcome that a very tough looking Terran female was found to be standing directly behind Adam. After he jolted a little in surprise, she spoke.

“Good evening Adam. I am lieutenant Shaela Clith.”

“Yes! Hi! The commander mentioned you to me earlier in his office. I hear that you are my direct supervisor and that I am to meet you regularly?”

“That is correct.”

Adam found himself rambling now, “That is strange really. I would have thought my supervisor would have been a civilian with experience in photo-data relay with this TCB computer system. Funny how my boss truly is a slave driver eh? Hah hah… hah..”

“Yes” was Shaela’s only answer. She seemed irritated and her tall, lean body was still.

“Anyhoo, I need to get back to work. I’m having some troubles adapting to the new interface.”

“Trouble is not acceptable,” Shaela answered, and then she left.

Reviews

[Alwaz]

I like it, it seems very bare and cold. I'm guessing this is what you were going for in the realization of the character's and environment.
two small things;
the outlawing of marriage seems nonsequitur to everything before and only makes sense when Adam interact with other characters. but that isn't a big deal and it's sudden appearance catches interest.
also in Paragraph 2 sentence 2 you wrote being when I think you meant "been"

All in all good chapter.