Chapter 24: Chapter 24 Assassins and Worms
"Hello?" came a voice from the console next to her.
Olivia turned and hit a button. "Hello, Kit."
"What's going on? The nanobots are going crazy, and it has everyone freaking out down here."
"Your father is dealing with some unexpected guests," said Olivia, glancing at Granny.
"Anything I can do?"
"Actually…"
Half an hour later, several small ships were flying back down to the planet with everyone from the ship, except Granny and Olivia. The other Gooblens had hated leaving her, but she insisted they would be safer down on the planet.
"What did you mean by, don't eat anyone or anything important?" asked Olivia, sitting in the captain's seat while Granny sat in the co-pilot seat.
"I meant exactly what I said. My people are being hunted by everyone for a reason."
"You eat people?" asked Olivia, incredulously. She let her watch her baby!
"Only in dire times of need, stress, or anger," she said, matter-of-factly.
"What else is your people known for?" she asked tentatively.
"For disassembling things."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Gooblens have this love for taking things apart, until they are completely disassembled, then putting them back together again."
Olivia was quiet for a moment, thinking that over. "Why is that so bad?"
"Well, we can survive in space, without space suits for longer than most species, other than you Uz'En, so when we find ourselves on a space ship, with other races, they tend to freak."
"Oh," said Olivia, turning back to her console. "Well, any leads on where your people might be?"
"There's only one place that I know to look, and I've avoided it like the plague."
"Where's that?" she asked, glancing over at her.
Granny grimaced. "The planet EEchol. It used to be the home world of the Tik, but they advanced so quickly, inviting other races to live on their highly technical world, that it eventually became overcrowded."
"And why do you think they might be there? I would imagine if it was highly technical, it would be easy to hack their computers to find out."
"You would think so, but most of their tech is illegal. The planet is controlled by a group known to employ one of the best assassin groups in the galaxy."
"Then that should be the last place Gooblens would go, if they are being hunted!"
"While you are correct, it can often be easier hiding on the back of the monster, than out where it might find you."
Olivia looked over at Granny, who was typing the coordinates into the computer.
"Oh! It looks like there were some Uz'En there for Dustin to pick up!" said Granny, surprised.
Olivia shrugged, and said, "Alright, then let's go check it out."
Cloaking before they jumped, Olivia was rather intrigued about this planet. It sounded very interesting.
XxxxX
Dustin sighed as he grew another set of fruit, and tossed them over to the people behind him. He was already having to cycle the air because the power-loss caused the air scrubbers to burn out and short circuit. He didn't want to take the time to try and fix them, as he was having to make tons of mini viruses.
To fight the AI, he decided to create hundreds of tiny viruses, or worms, that don't have very long code, and target specific parts of the AI program. Each worm targeted different parts, so the AI was too busy trying to fight them off to focus on much else. He was hoping to overwhelm it and take it out, since the areas targeted were core programs that the AI couldn't overwrite. Because it couldn't overwrite them, it couldn't rewrite them, once they were damaged by his worms.
It was a long process.
His fingers hurt, and his back was cramping, but he continued on, afraid to stop. Already the AI had tried to send several ships to acquire the ship, since it was damaged and had lost contact with it, but Dustin just used that as an opportunity to throw more worms at it. He knew it wouldn't be long before the AI figure out this ship was the origin of all of the worms and just came to destroy it.
Glancing over at the group of twenty people, he wasn't sure why he was going to so much trouble to keep them alive. Before he met Cybele, he would have just let them all die, since they weren't Uz'En, but now, he was starting to think that maybe he should try and save the entire race. It was a very odd thought.
The one thing he did know, was that he had to get this ship moved, along with all of the survivors, to a new location, and then he needed to find the rest of his people. He was starting to take on too many tasks!
Letting his fingers rest for a moment, he watched as the worms were systematically destroyed, but not until after key parts of the AI program were eaten away by them. While he could see the program, he couldn't get in to change it himself. He wasn't even sure how he could see it, but it was there.
Beginning to type again, Dustin was hit with the idea that maybe the reason he could see the code, was because the AI hadn't bothered to put up a firewall to block anyone on the ship from seeing it. All of those on the ship would have been under its control, and it probably never anticipated someone hijacking the ship.
Growing a couple of extra arms, he stretched and managed to reach another terminal. It was time for him to start making a new program. This terminal wasn't connected anymore, to the mainframe of the ship. Generating power to run it, he began to create a master program that would create the worms for him, randomizing the locations they would target, while he continued to make the worms themselves.
His dual mind was being stretched to the max, and he was starting to get a headache. Dustin could tell that he was never intended to do two things at once. Whatever the consequences, he had to keep going, or risk losing to the AI. This threat had to be dealt with now, not later, because if he stopped, it would throw up so many virus protections, he would never be able to get in again.
And then a warship appeared.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
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Chapter 25: Chapter 25 EEchol
Olivia looked over the rules that were presented to her, when she requested permission to visit the planet, EEchol. They were pretty strict about all electronics being scanned for virus and worm activity. Apparently, being the main supplier throughout the galaxy, of advanced technological equipment, made them overly cautious of those who wanted to profit off of their misfortunes.
"How are you going to get me in?" asked Granny, looking over her shoulder at the rules.
"The nanobots are going to make a suit for you to wear, because the atmosphere is hostile to your race," said Olivia, distractedly. Some of the rules were too difficult for her to understand.
"It looks like, as long as they scan it, and it comes back as not having anything malicious on it, we'll be alright. The nanobots are small enough they can infiltrate the scanners to give a false reading, if we need to."
Granny nodded and stepped back as the nanobots began to swarm around her. She grew taller, almost as tall as Olivia's five foot six inches, and her defining features of a Gooblen disappeared. Her large ears were hidden by a misshapen helmet, that seemed to make an allowance for horns.
"I don't like it, but it's bearable," she grumbled as Olivia accepted the electronic contract that basically stated she wasn't there to cause any trouble or harm to the Tik, or their business.
Once she had received the confirmation, and directions to her landing site, Olivia, guided the ship through the tight security, that scanned the entire ship as she proceeded at a very slow pace. The guidelines they gave her were pretty exact, on how long she was to proceed forward at a certain pace, before turning at just a certain angle, and so forth, so she handed the flying over to the computer.
Getting through the security wasn't as bad as she was worried it would be. It only took them thirty minutes to get the all clear to proceed to their landing site. As the ship was guided by the computer, Olivia and Granny were glued to their screen, watching as the sight of the massive city came into sight.
The outer atmosphere was so thick in pollution, they couldn't see much until they descended through the clouds. The buildings looked like cargo containers stacked on top of each other. There were tiny balconies, but not stairs to be seen anywhere. Flying vehicles picked people up who wanted to go somewhere, and took them to massive transportation centers, where larger flying buses took them to their next destination. Olivia could only imagine how long it must take for people to get anywhere.
As they approached the landing site, a huge structure that took up miles and miles of space, appeared on the horizon. It looked like they had buildings built on top of other buildings, and braced when the lower buildings couldn't handle the weight.
"That must be the factory where they make all of their electronics," said Granny.
"The place looks like a nightmare just waiting to happen," muttered Olivia.
"Where we're going, it will be a nightmare," Granny said turning to sit as they landed on a pad. The pad picked them up, once they were down, and proceeded to take them into a building where the ships were 'parked'.
Judging from the many other ships they passed, it was obvious many came to visit this place.
"I bet there isn't a blade of grass on this entire planet," grumbled Granny, as they were given permission to leave the ship.
Stepping outside their airlock, they saw that the pad had paused at a transport site, and once they gave the go ahead, the alien Tik had the pad take their ship to be 'parked'.
"Welcome to EEchol, the industrial and technological master in all of the galaxy," said another Tik, as they followed the only path available to them to the security check point.
The Tik were an interesting species, with their large friendly eyes, and the beak mouth, that appeared to be smiling, when it was obvious, they had no muscles to control that. The skin was reptilian in texture, with colors ranging from browns to oranges, to greens and reds. They stood a little over six foot in height, so Olivia and Granny were small in comparison.
"Please step into the scanner, so that we can ascertain that you are not dangerous to our citizenry and company. Then, if you are interested in a tour trip, there are a variety of transport vessels available for your convenience."
His words were choppy, but understandable. Olivia wondered if one of the implants, that he had imbedded into his skin, allowed him access to multiple languages. She stepped into the tube, and stood still while they scanned her.
"You are aware you have technology flowing in your veins?" the Tik on the other side asked her.
"Yes, my people have them for our health. They keep us healthy when we visit other worlds, from any diseases we may encounter," she said.
"That is understandable, and allowed. Please exit, so your companion may enter."
Granny stepped into the tube, when it was her turn, and waited.
"We are not familiar with your suit, which intrigues us. May we enquire about it?"
"A friend made it for me, so that I can survive on your world," said Granny. "I'm afraid I can't give you permission to study it, and I can't explain how it works, either."
"That is unfortunate. I find nothing hostile within your suit, so you may exit. Please enjoy your stay on our planet."
Olivia and Granny moved down the path, to the transport depot. Flying buses and taxis were lined up for as far as they eye could see. They had to fight for space among the throng of people who had trickled here from all over.
"Where to?" asked Olivia, looking up at the electronic sign above the crowd, that listed off the destinations and prices for transport.
"We don't really have any money, so we'll have to foot it," said Granny, pointing to a dark corner.
If she hadn't pointed it out, Olivia would have missed the stairs all together. No one else seemed to notice them either as they made their way over. The air became thicker, and harder to breathe, the deeper they went. Olivia was glad she had her PED to alter her as they descended, otherwise she would have needed a suit, and several breaks to rest. She wasn't even sure how deep they had gone, when they finally stepped out onto what may have once been a street. It was so littered with debris that had fallen, or been thrown from above, that no mechanical vehicle could have driven along it.
As they paused for Granny to decide where to go next, several mechanical people approached them, holding various weapons.
"This doesn't look good," remarked Olivia, with a grin.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS
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