5,001 - A Science Fiction Romance Short Story Read Free

his arms crossed, watching
her approach.
    Caelen managed a smile. “Thanks for
seeing me.”
    He straightened up. His blue eyes were
neutral. “You said it was important. Come in.” He led her through
rooms that were spacious and comfortable, cool and silent. All of
them were empty of people. Nothing was out of place, until they
reached a room that was almost all glass, allowing the sunsource to
fill it with light.
    Easels stood everywhere, many of them
holding completed paintings. Landscapes, and still life studies.
Portraits. On tables and workbenches were scattered paints and
brushes, rags and bottles. The smell of oil paint was
ferocious.
    “You paint?” Caelen asked.
    “I picked it up a few years ago,” Devar
said, his deep voice even and controlled.
    “You were always the most creative
person I knew.”
    He crossed his arms again. “Too
creative, according to the judge.” His tone was bitter.
    Caelen made herself stop studying him.
Toting up changes, cataloguing what was still the same, wouldn’t do
her any good. The little scar at the corner of his mouth. That was
still there. The laugh lines at the corners of his eyes. They were
new...but nice. He had spent time laughing and smiling.
    Her chest squeezed. “Where is....your
wife?” She couldn’t remember her name.
    “Galen graduated to adult two years ago.
Miriam left not long after that.”
    “Sorry.”
    He shrugged. “It was her right. Galen’s
nurture was complete.”
    No wonder it was so quiet here. He was
alone.
    “Why are you here?” His tone was polite,
but there was steel behind it.
    Caelen dug out the data ball. “I have
always believed that you were set up, that the game fraud charge
was wrong. Now I think I might have proof.” She switched on the
ball, placed it on the easel next to her and stepped back as the
virtual screen formed between her and Devar.
    Devar dropped his arms to his sides, his
attention caught. “Tell me.”
* * * * *
    It took hours to explain and by then,
the torus had rotated into nightside. Devar made her justify every
conclusion, forcing her to re-examine her data. The revision made
the logic chain clear in her mind. When she was finished, Devar
turned and looked out through the windows at the grey night and was
silent for a long time. She remembered that he liked to think
things through before speaking and made herself stay silent. She
turned off the ball and put it away. Then she couldn’t stand it any
longer. “What are you thinking?”
    “I’m thinking that you’re right.” His
voice was low. Distant. “Something has been manipulating us. For
years.” He looked up at the land far overhead, which blazed in
green hues, enjoying its share of the sunsource. “There are five
thousand people on the Endurance. Never more. Never less. But no
one has access to all the systems that have been changed and
certainly not for all the years these changes have been occurring.
Except one.” He turned to look at her, as if she would have the
answer.
    “The ship AI?” she asked hopefully.
    He shook his head. “You already know the
answer. You just don’t like it.”
    He was right. She didn’t like it. “Then
you agree with me. It’s not the AI at all. The ship...the ship is
sentient.” She shook her head. “Is that even possible?”
    “Why don’t you ask the ship? If she is
sentient, then she will confirm it.”
    “How? Every ship interface terminates
with the AI. I don’t know how to start to reach it!”
    “Give it a voice. It’ll know how to use
it.”
    “That takes coding,” Caelen pointed out.
“Organic coding, complex stuff that only....” That only Primary
Coders like Devar understood. She pressed her fingers to her lips.
“Sorry,” she said softly.
    Devar shrugged, but she could see it
wasn’t alright at all. The need to soothe him, to hold him, surged
strongly and she tightened her fist, fighting it. “I should go. I’m
going to have to find a hacker good enough to--”
    “Did you use