Light Of The Darkness

A familiar voice penetrated the haze I was in. 'Attention, star craft detected at eight-seven mark one twelve, distance at thirty-two meg.'

"What? Who?" My voice was a dry rasp.

'You do not need to speak aloud; I can hear your thoughts. You have been in cryo-sleep for twelve-thousand-five-hundred-forty-two years, Dane. Memory loss is common for that amount of time in suspended animation. Your memories should come back in time as your brain begins to function at peak capacity once again.'

'Dane? My name is Dane?' I thought to the voice.

'Yes. Your name is Dane Becker, age sixteen, rank captain, Legion Youth Combat Assault Regiment, eighth division, second battalion,' the voice confirmed. 'I will explain more momentarily. As this is the first ship to come closer than thirty light-days since you went into cryo, I would suggest making ourselves known so we can get you out of the mech.'

'Are they friendly?' I asked as I carefully flexed my long-unused muscles, feeling my body push against the armor surrounding me. It fit rather tightly, leaving me feeling somewhat claustrophobic, but the sensation only lasted for a moment as training from over twelve millennia in the past kicked in. A little more force caused the suit to move, allowing my limbs to stretch somewhat, but the familiar motion was more difficult than my body remembered it being.

'Unknown,' responded the voice, which seemed to be in my head rather than heard. 'The design has not been previously encountered by our forces.'

'Who are you?'

'I am the artificial intelligence for your combat mech. You may call me Seecam or Cam .'

'Where am I?' I asked, uncertain that I wanted to know the answer.

'May I signal our presence to the starship, Captain?'

'Yes.'

'Please relax and allow your limbs to move with the mech. I will move it slowly in order to minimize stress on your body.'

When Cam finished speaking, I felt my arm gently extend to point down and to the right. A second later a blazing ball of white-hot energy launched itself from my position into space. Thirty seconds later it exploded brilliantly into a fiery sphere.

'The discharge should draw the ship's attention. Depending on their technology level, they could be here momentarily or it may take some time. To answer your question, you are adrift in interstellar space. We were engaged with a hostile force that launched a micro-singularity weapon, impacting our ship. The detonation of the singularity caused an explosion, resulting in our being ejected from our ship at such an angle that the weapon's gravity well catapulted us out of the system at a great velocity. I engaged the cryo-system immediately upon ejection as is standard procedure when the star craft we are embarked upon is destroyed.'

'So I'm in some kind of combat armor?'

An image flashed before my eyes. To the left was a picture of a bulky robot standing three meters tall and roughly humanoid in shape. To the right was a man dressed in what appeared to be a black suit of an indeterminate material with a helmet of some kind.

'You are the assigned pilot of the Standard Infantry Combat Assault Mech, serial number sam-yoke-four-charlie-five-five-nine-zero-nine. It consists of two primary parts: the exo unit, shown here, and an endo unit, shown to the right. As you can see, the exo and endo units exist in a nested configuration, leaving a small gap between the inner surface of the exo and outer surface of the endo. This gap provides a space for the kinetic suspension system to keep your body in a safe condition regardless of any external impacts or accelerations. The endo unit contains all the data systems, life support systems and sensor arrays, and when coupled with the exo unit, also provides the capacity for cryosleep, or suspended animation, among other things.'

'Life support?' I inquired mentally. 'Air and food and water?'

'The mech is powered by a zero point energy module continuously charged by extracting vacuum energy through various means,' Cam explained. 'The exo power module provides the endo module sufficient energy to convert waste into useable materials to sustain life for an indefinite period of time.'

I queried, 'So you're saying that it creates oxygen for me to breathe?'

'It reclaims it from your exhalations,' Cam informed me. 'The system is quite efficient. Additionally, if a deficit of oxygen is registered, then the life support system can use energy-to-matter conversion to infuse more oxygen into the mixture while removing waste gasses. It is roughly an even exchange.'

'What about food and water?'

'Again, it is an exchange of matter-to-energy and energy-to-matter conversions,' Cam said patiently. 'Wastes are removed and replaced with nutrients. They are delivered directly to the body by forming the nutrients where they are needed. The kinetic suspension system maintains the core of your body in a constant relative position to the emitters. This makes it simple to replicate the required substances and place them in your digestive tract or lungs.'

"Why am I not hungry or thirsty?" I wondered aloud, my voice scratchy and throat parched.

'The life support system also controls the hormone levels in your body, including those that govern hunger and satiation, stress, sleep, as well as sexual response.' Before I could comment on that, Cam continued, 'The starship has altered its velocity to place it on an intercept course. They are sending an audio signal on a subspace channel.'

'Let me hear it.'

"This is the Federation science vessel Lister responding to what appeared to be a distress beacon. We have you on our sensors. Please respond if you are able." The signal repeated in several different languages before returning to basic.

'Federation?' I asked.

'The markings on the vessel are not familiar to me,' Cam remarked after a second.

'Recommendations?'

'Responding would not worsen our situation,' advised Cam. 'At worst they could either attempt to vaporize us or leave us adrift.'

'What should I say?'

'Hello?'

A silent moment passed.

'Cam, are you programmed with a sense of humor?'

'Unfortunately, at least according to the engineers who created my series, such things tend to creep in over time due to association with our pilots. In other words, it's your fault.' I could see a mental grin in my mind.

'Um, how are we communicating?'

'The starship is using a subspace frequency.'

'No,' I qualified, 'you and me.'

'There is an implanted cerebral and cortical interface in your brain that the helmet of the endo unit connects to. I am speaking to you through that interface, not audibly. Likewise, the audio and visual input I give you comes through that interface directly to your brain, not through external senses. However, interaction with the starship will require you to speak aloud. Be aware that you may have trouble speaking and you may feel short of breath. It is an aftereffect how the maintenance systems functioned to keep you alive while in cryosleep.'

'Okay,' I thought back at him. 'Let's talk to them.'

'Transmitting.'

The sound from my throat was a whispery rasp, barely worthy of the title of voice. "Lister, I read you. I am in need of assistance."

'They are attempting to communicate with audio and visual.'

'Let me see it,' I directed Cam.

A man in uniform stood in the center of what appeared to be the bridge of the ship. He seemed to be in the later part of his prime, but projected an air of authority.

"I am Captain Hollister of the Federation Science Ship Lister. How can we assist you?"

"Captain," I rasped, "my AI tells me that I have been adrift and in cryo…" A cough interrupted me and it took a moment to die down. "Excuse me, Captain. I’ve been asleep for several thousand years. I was brought out of it when your ship was detected. I am uncertain as to the condition of my systems, and I appear to have lost my memory. I am unsure if that is a permanent condition."

"I see. Our sensors indicate that your… craft, for lack of a better phrase, is essentially a weapon. Is that accurate?"

"Yes. The exosuit I am wearing was designed for combat, or at least that is what I can gather. As I said, I don’t remember much and I was just revived."

"I see," the man said pensively. "Do we have your word that you will not energize your weapons once you are aboard?"

"To what purpose?" I asked rhetorically. "I have been adrift for thousands of years and yours is the only vessel in all that time to come close enough for me to be revived. I don’t want to go back into deep freeze. Yes, I give you my word."

"Very well. We will maneuver and pull you into the ship using a tractor beam. Do you need any special atmosphere? Our sensors can not penetrate your craft."

'Their atmosphere is sufficient for you,' Cam stated. 'Slightly lower on oxygen than nominal, but well within your tolerance.'

"Your atmosphere will serve. I breathe nitrogen/oxygen. "

The man nodded sharply. "We’ll see you aboard shortly. Hollister out."

'Cam, is there anything I should know before I get on board that ship?' I questioned.

'There is a detachable inductive transceiver that fits over your right ear located inside the helmet,' Cam said. 'As long as you wear it we will be able to communicate. The endosuit is bonded to your body by a bioadhesive. Removing it will prove to be difficult… and painful. The only parts that are typically removed are the helmet and gloves. It is common among pilots to keep the endosuit attached, only removing it when the likelihood of SICAM use is non-existent or retiring from SICAM service. The endosuit itself is flexible and pliable under normal conditions, and it transmits sensations as though it were another layer of skin.'

'I’m naked under it?' I asked, anticipating the embarrassment of climbing out of the mech and exposing myself. I didn’t have much modesty, but to be bare in front of these people was unappealing to say the least.

'The endo suit itself is made up of sheets that are attached to your skin. You wear a pressure suit over it while in the mech, or a jumpsuit in most other circumstances. It would not do to have your penis or testicles get caught somewhere it could get hurt when in the mech, now would it?' I could hear levity in Cam ’s tone.

'Yeah, I wouldn’t want those cut off.'

'No, I gathered not,' Cam laughed. 'You were quite fond of them before this mission and memory loss or no, I doubt that has changed. While on board this ship, I would recommend ordering me to seal the mech once you are out of it. It will prevent others from prying into things they know nothing about, and at worst provide you with another way off this ship should something happen.'

'Um, you are so ordered?'

'Acknowledged, Captain. Remember that your body has been essentially frozen for a very long time. It will take you some time to recover from that. Don’t over exert yourself. Expect yourself to be weak, very hungry, and emotional. Your hormones are out of balance due to the extended cryo period and I have not had enough time to normalize the levels for desuited activity.'

'Twelve thousand years?' I asked as the enormity of the number struck home. Everything I knew, everyone I knew… they’re all dead.

'I’m sorry, Dane.'

The urge to cry was overwhelming, but I could not afford the time to grieve. I was about to make contact with my rescuers and needed to be alert and focused. I would mourn the passing of the few people in the universe I considered my family later. I felt a jolt and jerked in surprise.

'Tractor beam has locked on. We will be inside their vessel in five… four… three… two… one…. Atmosphere is well within tolerances, gravity is twelve percent below nominal,' Cam informed me. 'Take it slowly when you get out. Do you remember how to use the endosuit systems?'

'I think so. I’ll be keeping you with me, so as long as I don’t accidentally trigger a weapon, we should be okay.'

'I will lock out the weapons for the moment,' Cam stated. 'I don’t think we’ll need them, and if we do… well, I don’t think you’re in much of a condition to fight right now. Are you ready?'

'As ready as I will be,' I replied. 'Keep an eye on me. Don’t let me fuck up.'

'You’ll do fine, Dane,' Cam replied confidently. 'You always do. We are sitting on the deck now. I'm shutting down the kinetic suspension field, so you will feel a very short, sharp drop as ship's gravity asserts itself.'

The short fall, even though I had been warned, still startled me. I felt my body being pulled down into the sparsely cushioned cradle that was the interior of the exosuit. My limbs, even at rest, felt inordinately heavy in what Cam had reported as significantly less gravity than I was used to. I quickly came to the conclusion that it was a result of the extended stasis period.

'I am going to open the seal on the exo suit now,' Cam advised. 'I recommend closing your eyes and keeping them closed until they become used to the light. Even with the visor down, it will be quite bright for you after your time in cryo.'

"Captain," came a voice from outside relayed through a channel that I recognized as being reserved for external sound, "we have your... you safely in our shuttle bay now. You can come out."

'Here goes nothing,' I thought at Cam as an audible hiss began.

'Pressure equalized, hatch opening,' Cam informed me in a subdued volume, while simultaneously saying, 'Remember, you're going to be physically weak and may need help getting out.'

'Thanks.'

A hint of light formed at the seams of what was the chest plate of the exosuit. The hint quickly became a flare, and I closed my eyes against the painful brilliance of the first light my eyes had actually seen in over twelve thousand years.

'Darken visor ninety-five percent.' The thought came from somewhere deep in my brain, a place I still did not have conscious access of.

'Complete,' came Cam's quiet answer over what I remembered as the functions channel.

'Cam, it seems like I can differentiate different types of communications from you,' I commented to him. 'Outside noises feel different than when I'm just talking to you, and your response to the visor command felt different again.'

'I'm glad to hear you say that,' Cam replied with obvious relief. 'That tells me that your brain likely survived without serious damage. The different reports are sent to different parts of your brain, and thus have different characteristics when you receive them. It makes it easier to keep you informed as to what is happening in the system, as well as allow you to focus on important communications when needed. With practice, you will once again be able to receive and process more than one message at a time.'

'Hatch fully deployed,' Cam said over a status channel while commenting, 'I'm going to disable all auxiliary channel input now. I'll be monitoring this channel should you need anything. Keep the link with you, and we'll be able to speak any time. Be careful when you get out.'

I opened my eyes a tiny bit and sighed as I found what little light passed through the faceplate of my helmet bearable. It was enough that I could make out the shape of several people surrounding my mech, waiting for me to climb out. Taking a deep breath, I attempted to stand upright and promptly collapsed backward into the cradle.

Remembering my naval protocol, I rasped, "Permission to come aboard?" My voice was barely audible to my own ears.

'Take off the helmet, Dane. They can't hear you.'

'Tell me something I don't know,' I shot back to Cam, somewhat irritated at myself for my weakness. 'Sorry, Cam.'

'I understand, Dane. Just take off your helmet and ask for help. Don't forget the link.'

'Detach helmet,' I ordered on the functions channel.

'Stand by,' came the answer. Several clicks and a hiss occurred in rapid succession, followed quickly by, 'Helmet system detached.'

I reached up and lifted the suddenly heavy helmet off my head and allowed it fall into my lap. A low mutter came from a few of the people around me. Turning the helmet over, my fingers easily found the link and pulled it out, placing it over my ear as Cam had told me. It pulled itself into place as though guided by a magnet, and then stuck securely to my skin. It would take a small amount of effort to remove it again, I noted.

'Got me, Cam?'

'Yes, Dane. Now please ask for help.'

'Is there something wrong with me?' I asked, alarmed at Cam's insistence.

'You need to be examined by their medical personnel. Now that the exosuit is open and you are disengaged, I can no longer effect the changes needed to maintain your systems. It could be a matter of minutes or at the most hours before a reaction to the sudden changes in body chemistry hit you.'

'What?' I asked, incredulous. 'You think you should have told me about that before you cracked the hatch?'

'Captain,' said Cam with an edge of entreaty, 'we can continue this pleasant argument as they help you to their medical facility. In the mean time, ask them for help!'

'I’ll get you for this, Cam.'

'You’ll try, Dane, now quit stalling.'

"Permission to come aboard?" I asked again, my voice a grating whisper.

"Granted, sir," said a voice from one of the people observing me. "I am Lieutenant Commander Davis. Can we assist you?"

"Thank you, commander. I would appreciate it if you would help me. I apparently lack the strength to climb out."

The man who spoke ordered two others to help. I heard them advance and they lifted me out of the exosuit by my arms, and then supported me by placing my arms around their necks.

"Who do we have the pleasure of rescuing from the vacuum of interstellar space?" Asked Davis.

Keeping my eyes closed, I replied, "I'm sorry, Commander," I said in a wispy voice. "I am Dane Becker. I'm uncertain if my civilization even exists anymore, so who and what I am is really superfluous at the moment."

The commander paused and his tone indicated curiosity. "How old are you, Mr. Becker? Biologically."

"I am just into my sixteenth year by our calendar, but I have no idea what it would be against your time reckoning."

'Dane...'

'Okay, mommy.'

"Commander, I'd hate to be rude, but the artificial intelligence of my mech informed me that he is not able to regulate my body chemistry once I am out of my exosuit, and he advises me that the extended period of stasis has put my body out of balance. He is afraid that an emergent situation could result. I would request medical assistance at this time."

"Of course," said the man in a kindly tone. "Can you walk with help, or should we transport you?"

"Transport?"

"Yes, transport. Matter to energy conversion, and reintegration at the destination."

"I'd rather walk if you don't mind," I answered. "I know it's an inconvenience, but I feel the need to stretch my legs, and frankly, until I understand your technology better, I'd rather keep my molecules intact."

The officer replied, "No trouble at all and it's only a short way in any case." We began moving forward, and I allowed my tenders to direct me, my eyes still closed against the brilliance. They also supported the bulk of my weight, I observed ruefully.

"Is there a problem with your eyes?" Asked Mr. Davis.

"They are extremely sensitive to light at the moment, commander," I explained. "It is painful to open them right now."

"I understand. If you can not see, how then did you operate your craft to signal us?"

"It is the intensity of the light that is bothering me right now. I expect it will get better as time goes on. To answer your question, the mech AI did the signaling. I just gave the order."

"Is your mech, as you call it, sentient?"

'Are you?' I queried silently.

'By most measures of such things, yes, Cam replied. However, my sole purpose is your preservation followed by the preservation of my unit, so in that respect, I would be considered limited.'

"My SICAM unit has an artificial intelligence who claims to be limited," I replied, "but I doubt it understands itself all that well."

'HEY!' Came Cam's unmistakably miffed response.

"Ah. Limited in what ways?"

"Cam claims that his directives limit his sentience," I explained. "I'm no expert in artificial intelligence, but I think that is a fine distinction to make."

"You call your AI, 'Cam'?"

"The mech is a Standard Infantry Combat Assault Mech, or S-I-C-A-M. I call it Cam for short. I seem to recall typically referring to it as he as well."

"What kind of weaponry does it have?" Asked the commander.

I did not need Cam's caution to put the question off. "I'd rather not answer any specifics until I know more about you and your Federation. I thank you for picking me up, but until I know I can trust you with that information, I must decline to answer."

"Understood," answered Mr. Davis. "I assure you I asked out of professional curiosity, nothing more. I am the chief of security and weapons officer aboard Lister. Starfleet's mandate is to explore and meet new space-faring races in peace. I hope that you will come to know us in that way."

I hazarded a glance at the man and in the instant I had my eyes open, saw the sincerity of the man's statement. Once my eyes had closed again, I realized that my eyes could bear the light with limited pain, and I opened them slightly.

I was led through a sliding door that had opened at our approach. Inside were a half-dozen unoccupied beds with strange monitors arrayed around and above them. Several people moved about the room carrying data devices of some kind from station to station, industriously performing their tasks under the watchful gaze of a man with green-tinged skin, bushy gray hair and pointed ears.

"Commander Velmak, this is Captain Becker," said my escort by way of introduction. "He is the pilot of the craft that signaled us."

"Acknowledged, Commander. Welcome aboard the Lister. My observations inform me that you are in a weakened condition. Would you accept our medical aid?"

"With gratitude, Commander Velmak," I agreed. "I believe my body chemistry is in need of balancing, and with the way my head feels, I'm not sure how long that can wait."

"Understood. Please assist the captain onto the biobed," requested the doctor to my handlers.

The biobed came to life. Various monitors displayed flashing red warnings almost immediately.

"Fascinating," the doctor mused aloud while studying the readings on his instruments. "Your body’s configuration is virtually identical to humans descended from Terra."

"Virtually?"

"There are a few minor variations, but if I had not been told differently, I would have taken you as originating from Earth."

I peered at the doctor more closely. "Forgive me, sir, but I do not believe I have met one of your species before. What are you called?"

"My race and planet are named Vulcan, Captain Becker. We differ from humans in several significant ways, but now is not the time for such a discussion; there will be time for that later. At present, we must concentrate on restoring your body. Please excuse me to this task."

"Of course, and you have my thanks."

Taking the hint from my olive-skinned physician, I shut my mouth and allowed them to do their work. While my mouth was closed, however, conversation with Cam was still possible.

'Cam, do you have any records of Vulcan or the Vulcan people?' I asked.

'Not in my working files. Now that I no longer have to maintain your body in suspension, I can dedicate some of that power to other things. I will search the archives I have on board for anything that may help. In the mean time, concentrate on getting your physiology intact.' There was a pause, and then Cam continued, 'There are some things that are different in you than the humans I have scanned on this ship. Please relate the following to Doctor Velmak.'

Cam fed into my brain a long list of things about my body, such as an increased blood volume, denser muscles and bones, and a hyper metabolism. He also had me tell the doctor about the hormone balances that made these changes possible, and the nutritional requirements to avoid my body crashing. The pointy-eared Vulcan listened to the dissertation impassively, but his assistants' gasps of astonishment and mutters of disbelief and even anger were clear to me. They appeared to be of the opinion that something was wrong with me, and that Cam was somehow abusing me. I filed this away for later rumination and refocused. The doctor was speaking to a computer, apparently detailing the nutrients that should be present in my food. A short time later, I was handed a large cup of a sweet smelling, creamy liquid.

"Please drink this, Captain. It will help to restore your body's electrolytic balance and relieve some of your hunger. It will take some time to complete our analysis of the data you have given us in order to determine what foods we either have available, or can replicate, that may meet your requirements. Your hormones are something altogether different. We don't currently have anything short of injections that can duplicate the complicated balance that your mech seems to be able to achieve, and injections are not as exact as would be required due to your body’s specific absorption rate. It is, for now, desirable for you to return to your mech periodically for adjustments until we can create a method to accomplish this, assuming that your mech can continue to perform this function."

After a silent query to Cam, I replied with some dismay, "Cam said that he can maintain my hormonal balance, but it will require me to armor up four times a day for two hours each time due to my metabolic rate and the half-life of the hormones in question. He is willing to work with you to work on a more practical solution."

"Excellent. Perhaps our ship's engineer would be able to create an interface for information exchange between your mech..."

"Cam, please," I insisted. "He is sentient, after all."

"... very well, Cam, and our ship's computer. It would speed our development efforts and hopefully reduce your dependence on being physically inside your armor."

"Understood, commander. One moment, please."

'What do you think?' I projected to my mech.

'If they can help you, then that is a good thing. I can't see you living the rest of your life being dependent on my assistance, nor spending a third of your life suited up to maintain your health.' There was a definite pause before Cam continued. 'I have analyzed the data recorded at the time of our transport's destruction, as well as the data I recorded when I first reactivated to signal the Lister of our presence. I have come to a disturbing conclusion.'

'Don't hold it back, Cam. Just give me the bad news,' I requested, not wishing to be kept in suspense.

'Based on the data I mentioned, it is clear that we are no longer within known space. What's more, we travelled instantaneously from known space to our current location when the singularity that destroyed our ship manifested. The positions of the stars and galaxies around us changed over a time frame of approximately two seconds before the current star field began to drift due to our velocity. Based on this, I have concluded that we passed through some sort of spatial rift caused by the weapons fire used against us. It had been theorized that gravity weapons could open such rifts, but it has never been proven, or rather, it had not been proven until now. I'm afraid that even had we not activated the cryo system and put you into stasis, it would be - and is, to the best of my knowledge- impossible for us to go home, Dane. I'm sorry, but if our world exists in this universe, we have no way to find it. We are alone.'