Chapter 2

He didn't need to ask Wiltner to do it, as he could tell, he was more than capable of doing it himself. Really, any part of it. Though separating himself felt better for his sanity.

Now in real-time. Ziv saw a table in the real world flare on. Wiltner's body appeared there as a hologram, illuminating the room.

"Frakiasn you are now in command."

Everyone seemed in the room was waiting for this moment Ziv could see. Though he noticed everyone was surprised by that statement. He was starting to feel nervous.

"… I designate you as Wiltner." Frakiasn commanded.

"I'm already designated as Wiltner."

Ziv was not liking this…

"Do you remember anything from before the reset?" He asked, stiffening in his seat. Ziv could see his heart rate increasing. A little weird…

Ziv didn't like being Captain. He was starting to think that being an 'AI, he wasn't sure, himself, that tricked Wiltner into believing it to be true. Didn't matter right now.

"No."

"Then how were you designated as Wiltner."

"By the Captain."

"I'm the Captain. Is that correct?"

"Incorrect. Captain Ziv is currently taking a break. He has designated you as his second-in-command."

Ziv's heart dropped. If he had one anyway. It was like all his senses and feelings were being simulated rather than happening. He knew it couldn't be easy to fool people who actually had an idea about this stuff.

"What?"

Everyone in the room was shocked by that statement. Everyone's heart rate spiked and more people were starting to get real nervous. Ziv knew it was bad.

"Quiet!" Frakiasn commanded. "Pull up this man's file then."

"There is no file on record."

"Override-Rose."

"Override accepted. Determining if Captain Ziv is unfit from duty."

Ziv looked up what that override was. Essentially Frakiasn was saying that Ziv was unfit for duty and the Captain's authority would be transferred over to him. Wiltner would do a psychological evaluation to determine this.

If this worked, Frakiasn would be given back his authority as Captain. It was the right thing to do so he agreed. Power was currently being saved up to initiate the switch from Ziv to Frakiasn.

"Captain Ziv is fit for duty."

"I don't want to be the captain. Give it to him." Screamed at the screen he was currently looking at.

The power was ready, Ziv could give it over to him now that enough power was saved up. They wouldn't need to work around it.

"Captain Ziv wishes to transfer his authority to Second-in-Command Frakiasn." Wiltner said aloud so everyone could hear it. "Second-in-Command Frakiasn, do you accept?"

"Yes."

"Captain Frakiasn, welcome aboard."

"Wiltner, am I Captain now?"

"Yes."

"Who is my Second-in-Command?"

"Ziv."

"Change that to Jushslan and get me a map of where we are."

"Yes, Sir."

Ziv leaned back in his own chair that he was sitting in. It was simulated, but he was happy that it was alright now. The crew on the bridge started moving past that whole deal and working on their current situation.

Ziv was still able to see the area they were currently in. Wiltner kept trying to establish links to the net. Unsuccessfully at that. Wherever they were, it was in uncharted space. Repairs were coming along, really fast. Everyone knew their job and were currently doing their best to get the engines going again. It was going to take about a day for them to get started again, so everyone would be working like crazy. Medical staff were working overtime to save their patients, but since that debacle with Ziv being the Captain, a few things weren't signed on time. Some of the patients died because of that. If the medical team did the surgery, like the guy that needed a net of electrodes on his brain, they would be locked up if they didn't wait for it. That bit stun hard for Ziv.

"Why did they have to die…"

Wiltner showed up. Ziv knew he was capable of multitasking, but he had no idea why he showed up.

"The Captain would like a word with you."

"Me? How?"

"Your permission is not required."

Ziv saw on the screen showing the bridge that he popped up on the screen where Wiltner was. It was like a recreation of where he currently was. Seeing it 'in person' and on the screen was jarring to say the least.

Then his perspective changed, to cameras on the table. He was no longer in a featureless room, but now on the table on the bridge. The crew members were currently staring at his standing figure. He was nervous. Everyone else, other than Wiltner, was perplexed by his entrance.

"Wiltner what is that?"

"This is Ziv as you requested."

"Is that an AI?"

"Unknown."

Frakiasn and Wiltner were talking while everyone just started at Ziv. He was never in a situation with other people than his parents. Now he was small and in front of a group of people staring at him.

"What are you?" The Captain directed his question towards Ziv. Wiltner was standing next to Ziv, he looked up at him.

"… I'm, uhm Ziv." If he was human, he would be pale and probably about to faint.

"Ziv, then what are you."

"I'm human or I used to be…"

"Used to be?"

"I don't know. I was just here and Wiltner started talking. He tried to get rid of me, but it didn't work. Then I fell asleep. I woke up to Wiltner telling me I was the Captain. I knew you were the Captain, so I tried to give it back to you. It eventually worked at least."

Ziv was just rambling. He had more to say. Like before the portal and that Wiltner had changed. He understood that it was a reset, but there was just so much to think about. Not to mention talking in front of so many people.

"Some virus?" Frakiasn was talking to Jushslan who was standing next to him. Everyone else was whispering around him. Ziv couldn't really stand still.

"Based on what it said, that would be the reason Wiltner turned himself off."

Frakiasn's face was grim. It was a similar face Ziv saw when he looked in the mirror after his father died. Then he calmed his face. A frown there, but no longer holding back rage. Ziv knew that it was just hiding.

"Why did you give me back my authority as Captain?" He clearly asked it towards Ziv.

"I can't be one! I read so many stories about how hard a job like that is. I can't do it and you were the original Captain anyways."

"You said you were human, how old are you?"

"…ten?"

A lot of the whispers started up again. He could actually hear them perfectly, but he was trying to pretend he couldn't. Most people thought he was a virus sent by the enemy and others were trying to figure out how a human could be a part of a computer like that.

Frakiasn looked around the room, then back at Ziv.

"Jushslan stay here and keep everyone in check. Wiltner send Ziv there to my quarters and we will continue this conversation there."

"Sir? We should…"

"I know Jushslan. I know. For now… I'm going with my gut."

"Sir…"

---

Ziv just appeared into a smaller room on a similar table. His vision and audio receivers limited to the table in the room. The holographic table could seat two adults just fine. The rest of the room was bare. Clothing, neatly organized in the closet. Bed was made, ready for when Frakiasn goes to bed. A bathroom off to the side, but he only guessed it was one rather than knowing it. If he actively looked it up, he could get a complete floor plan of the place, but he was getting better at not having that happen. Not accidently…

Captain Frakiasn entered the room. He quickly took a seat at the table and stared at Ziv.

"Tell me the whole story." It wasn't a question, but a command.

Ziv, still terrified from before, began to recount everything. He mainly started after his parents died and moved on from there.

"After I left, I went out to see the barren world. I knew there was nothing left. Even on the off chance that someone still existed, they would be hostile. My parents told me that running away was the safer option… Anyway once I was far enough away I destroyed my home and the shockwave from the explosion sent me down into a building. After waking up there, I made my way down to the basement where I found a portal. I finished the calculations needed to make it work and I went through it. The next thing I knew there were loud noises. Alarms and seeing things from so many directions at once… Wiltner showed up and got angry at me. He tried to get rid of me, but I had no idea what was going on. Then like I said before, I fell asleep and when I woke up Wiltner was different."

Ziv noticed that Frakiasn flinched at that last part. He continued anyway.

"He tells me I am the Captain. I told him I wasn't, but he wouldn't listen to me. Then I looked at the ship and people after he told me what was going on. I tried to figure out what was going on, but the best I could come up was that I clearly wasn't human anymore. I don't even know where my body is and… I just wish my parents were still alive. If they were, none of this would have happened." Ziv looked away for a moment. He wanted to cry, but not in front of someone else. "I came up with a plan to make you the Second-in-Command, because Wiltner said I couldn't transfer it to you. He needed more power for that and most was being used on the repairs. We dropped into real-time and well… you know the rest."

Frakiasn sighed after Ziv's whole speech.

"Wiltner can you determine if that is true?"

"Based on his memories I can say that it is true?"

"You can see my/his memories?" Both Ziv and Frakiasn said at the same time.

Ziv knew he could project them from before, but if Wiltner could see them on his own… Was Ziv even himself anymore?"

"Would you like to see them to determine the validity of his statement?"

Wiltner wasn't in the room. He couldn't be seen like Ziv was. The Captain seemed to think that statement before looking Ziv over. He was alone in this place on display for one person. He shivered in fear.

"No… I won't do that. Wiltner, is your core still functional?"

"100% Sir. All systems are just fine."

"Do you detect any attacks, cyber or otherwise?"

Frakiasn kept staring at Ziv this whole time.

"There are currently no outward attacks currently taking place. I detect no one trying to interfere with our systems."

He cupped his left hand over his mouth. The Captain was thinking of something. Ziv knew it was obvious if he was a thought to be a threat.

"I'm not evil."

"Evil?"

"I've read stories before where a computer takes over a ship and kills people. I guess you think I might do that. I can't do it. I don't think I can… I.. I wouldn't."

"You have an… imagination."

Like Ziv, Frakiasn wasn't sure. Ziv knew that wasn't the best thing to say. He was scared and said the first thing that came to mind. It's so weird having a clear head, but being unable to act rationally.

"Wiltner, connect me to Jushslan."

"Yes, Sir?" Jushslan could be heard over the speakers.

"You can relax. Have all the heads meet me on the bridge tomorrow."

"Yes, Sir."

Frakiasn leaned back into his chair and sighed.

"Captain! The portal is closing!"

Wiltner blared alarms within the captain's room. Ziv started seeing alarms flare up all over the ship. He was back in that featureless room, alone. He could still see everything go on around him. The Captain was heading back to the bridge. Ziv just listened in.

---

Frakiasn felt terrible. He essentially killed his friend over nothing. Yea, the worst part, he believed the kid. Even he felt like a bad guy watching how nervous Ziv was. They didn't need to blow up the ship or anything, but it was always in the back of his mind. If Wiltner was compromised… It was all over. If this was an enemy attack, why didn't it attack them. It sounded like it had more than enough chances to do so. Ziv even relinquished his authority over the ship, even made him second-in-command, just because it was a burden. Yea, he did say it was also due to him being the original Captain, but he could tell that the kid was more afraid of that. Even losing his parents, all alone…

Alarms rang out and Wiltner let him know the Portal was closing. There was a lot to think about. They were in uncharted space right now. If they didn't get through that portal they might be stuck here forever with no way to get home. Sure they could last and find planets or asteroids to resupply at.

He made it back to the bridge. He was getting fed a countdown till the portal closed. Next to it showed how long until the engines would be online. Earliest being a couple hours later. It would get them through the portal, but they would be sitting ducks. It was looking grim.

"Wiltner launch probes into the portal and see if we can find our way back there or to explored space."

"Probes launched."

"Get the maintenance chief on comms."

"Sir?"

"The portal we went through is closing. We need those engines up now. Is there anything you can do to at least turn us around?"

Frakiasn knew that they were still their current speed and was greater than the gravity from the portal. They would need a lot to stop their momentum and then even more to turn around.

"We could start firing our weapons out in front to slow us down. It might not even work, Sir."

"Would we have enough ammo to get us going back into the portal, Wiltner?"

"No, Sir." Wiltner replied.

"Captain, we could dump any non-essentials. Lowering our mass, it might even give us the push we need." Jushslan next to him was looking over his screens. It was a nice idea…

"Wiltner?" A pause… Then Frakiasn forgot that he was a newborn AI. He couldn't really think for himself yet. "Wiltner, would his idea work?"

"Sir, it gets us closer, but not enough."

He cursed. Then he thought of something. It might not work, but it would give them the time to think of a solution.

"Wiltner, get Ziv in here."

---

Ziv heard his name being called and then his perspective changed. His orange silhouette of his original body at the center of attention again. Not as much as before due to the emergency, but people were questioning their Captains call.

"During your story you said something about real-time. What did you mean by that?"

"…um… like everyone looked frozen. Nothing was moving. That wasn't the case as it was just really, really slow. When you started Wiltner again, I had spent an hour or two thinking things through."

"Ziv we need more time to come up with a solution. You can do that for us. I will transfer authority over to you. We need to make it back through that portal by any means. Do you understand?"

Unfortunately he could understand.

"Yes… Sir."

"Transfer Authority over to Ziv."

"Ziv do you accept?"

"I do."

"Captain Ziv, welcome aboard."