Burnt Ice (52 page)

Rick, the pilot, flew the lifter
towards the library and hovered against the side, reaching out and grasping the
sheathing with its armoured claws, beside a large opening hatchway. The lifter
then settled downwards, like a giant insect, against the bulk of the library
with its four rear taloned legs biting into the surface. He climbed down
through the lifter, pulled on an AG harness, then flew into the open hatchway.
Landing on the honey-coloured, pearly deck, he looked across as the artificial
walked towards him with a large, discoid, burnt-orange robot attendant hovering
behind her.

‘I am sorry, ambassador. He is
simply not ready. The infusion of music that you gifted him drowned him in its
beauty. One day he will understand what you gave him, but not today. He reacted
too quickly for me to stop him when I was examining your parley gift. He
initiated the contact and you reacted. So I sent him back to his own. He is a
most naive person and will believe everything I told him, so when he reports to
his fellows, no one will suspect a thing.’

‘Beautiful, Emissary Rick. We are
a pair, are we not? Yes, I was surprised by the selection that he sent me. Very
surprised — as it is almost perfect. Almost, but not quite. You did the right
thing. So I presume that we are to await our fate, you and I, the expendables.
The gifts have been exchanged and forwarded, our respective masters will be
happy, and we are left to our own devices. So do we choose death, or shall we
run as another of the Veg and Stephine type? But, of course, to effect that we
would need to become combined. In this form, I find you most attractive. So
shall we shock them all and turn up alive, sometime in the future?’

‘I would prefer that you had a
name.’

She walked up to him, bent down,
whispered into his ear, then kissed him full on the mouth.

~ * ~

Appendix One

Glossary

ACE (Artificially Created Entity)

An
ACE is often a pet or helper. An ACE may have animal or human DNA, in any
combination, and is frequently cybernetically enhanced. They are normally fully
sentient, serve their creator in an indentured capacity for a fixed time
period, then are free to make their own way throughout the Sphere or beyond.

The Administration

The
governmental military forces and bureaucracy of the Sphere of Humankind. Bureaucracy
everywhere, even in the far future, is the same.

The Games Board

The
media group concerned with the procurement and production of reality
audiovisual. The Games Board was created to stage strictly regulated Conflicts
and to promote them through their extensive marketing and broadcast channels,
notice boards and other media. The Games Board controls everything about the
Conflicts, from weapons development to final approval of the Conflict itself.
If the Conflict is sanctioned, the Games Board will provide funding.
Unsanctioned Conflicts are also overviewed by the Games Board, broadcast and
marketed, with the understanding that should they get too big, the combined
forces of the Administration, Gjomvik and Games Board forces will end the
Conflict with overwhelming force. Small controlled Conflicts are encouraged as
they are good for business and keep all humans entertained.

The Gjomvik Corporations

The
business and trade corporations of the Sphere of Humankind. Big business in the
far future is the same as big business today. The Gjomvik Corporations are
controlled by large family groups or appointed individuals. They provide the
main source of funded mercenary groups which participate in the sanctioned
Games Board Conflicts, plus most of the weapons, craft and support.

The Haulers’ Collective

The
long-range carriers of all trade and information. Huge ships capable of
transporting great quantities of trade goods or whatever else is required. They
also actively map the Lagrange points and collect fees from all ships using
those navigation points. They explore far further out from the Sphere and are
humankind’s first line of defence.

The Humans

Unaltered
humans are Type S (Standard), but the heroes of the Conflicts are often
augmented humans (Type A). Some AI (Augmented Intelligence) units are human,
and may look like machines or even like Type A humans. Other types of humans
include:

Type AM — Type A human, military

Type AE — Type A human, explorer

Monitors and Expeditors — Type A
humans augmented to fulfil specific

functions
required by the Games Board.

ICE (Intravenous Combat
Enhancement)

Type
AM and AE humans possess additional bioware and one feature of this is ICE,
drugs which improve strength and speed, but when the crisis is over, the user
must have food and long periods of rest.

Lagrange Points (LPs)

Lagrange
points are spread throughout space as navigational nodes where a ship uses its
wormhole generators function. They are usually plotted and owned by the Haulers’
Collective.

The Octopoids

An
ancient alien race now splintered into diverse groups. The primary group just
wants to be left alone to regress to their original semi-sentient selves. The
secondary group wishes to take back their areas of influence.

Species Type Investigation (STI)

STI
is a complex series of blood tests used to determine whether someone is human
and, if so, what kind of human they are.

The Sphere of Humankind

The
Sphere is the primary area of influence of man (approximately fifty light years
across).

~ * ~

Appendix
Two

Initialisations,
Acronyms and
Abbreviations

ACE
Artificially Created Entity

AG
Antigravity

AI
Augmented Intelligence

AM
Antimatter

AV
Audiovisual

ESF
Earth Solar Flare (day/year zero for all of
humanity; the event which forced humankind’s exodus from Old Earth in the Sol
system)

EV
Extra Vehicular

EVA
Extra Vehicular Activity

GB
Games Board

HUD
Heads Up Display

ICE
Intravenous Combat Enhancement

LP
Lagrange Point

Midi
Transportable stand-alone computer system

MMU
Manned Manoeuvring Unit

R
& R
Rest and Recreation

RV
Rendezvous

SI
Sphere of Influence

SNCO
Senior Non-Commissioned Officer

ST
System Time (equivalent of local time)

STI
Species Type Investigation

Sub-AI
Powerful computer system, just below sentience

~ * ~

Appendix
Three

Games Board

The
Articles and Rules of War

1.
             
Conflicts.

1.1.
         
Conflicts
over 100 combatants.

All
parties engaging in Conflicts involving in excess of 100 combatants must gain
approval for the Conflict and subsequent marketing.

1.2.
         
Conflicts
under 100 combatants.

Parties
engaging in Conflicts involving fewer than 100 combatants may also apply to the
Games Board for approval and certification provided that Conflicts meet the
requirements of the Marketing Interest Index.

1.3.
         
Funding.

Following
approval, funding will be negotiated with each party.

2.
             
Weapons.

All
weapons systems and munitions types must be approved by the Games Board.

2.1.
         
Approved
weapons.

Approved
weapons are listed in Schedule B.

2.2.
         
New
weapons.

Proposals
for new weapon designs must be submitted to the Intersystem Games Board
Weaponry Wing with supporting documents proving their necessity in a Conflict.
Weapon development without a specific known Conflict application does not
require Games Board authorisation until used in a sanctioned Conflict.

2.2.1.
  
Design parameters are listed in
Schedule F.

2.2.2.
  
Following approval, each weapon
must be submitted for field testing and certification by the Weaponry Wing.

2.2.3.
  
The ammunition for the weapon
must be submitted for testing and certification.

2.3.
         
Manufacture.

2.3.1.
  
All weapons are manufactured
under licence to the Weaponry Wing.

2.3.2.
  
All ammunition will be under the
direct control of the Weaponry Wing and through the Weaponry Wing’s agents
issued to the approved sides of any Conflict.

2.3.3.
  
Additional weapons, spare parts
and ammunition will also be administered by the Weaponry Wing’s agents.

3.
             
Ammunition.

All
munitions deployed and used during any Conflict must be ‘fire and forget’
direct line-of-sight weapons. No munitions are allowed to be guided by any form
of self-destructive AI system. All weapons deployed must have a maximum range,
as specified in the Games Board Ammunitions table. All weapons must, at all
times, and in any circumstances, be available for inspection and testing by any
certified Battlefield Inspector, as warranted by the Planetary Director of the
Games Board. Such inspector’s decisions on the suitability of the weapons or
munitions used will be final and binding on all parties involved, immediately
The inspectors will also be able to award any costs incurred to any party
involved, as they see fit.

4.
             
Marketing.

The
Games Board retains all marketing rights to the approved Conflicts and will,
after the Conflict has been judged as concluded, award revenues generated by
the marketing of the Conflict to either side, as seen fit by the Games Board.

5.
             
Tactical
battlefield questioning of any captured opposition combatants is allowed.
However, any form of interrogation that lasts more than one standard hour is
actively discouraged by the Conflict Marketing Unit. No recordings of any
interrogation will be made after the one-hour deadline has passed.

6.
             
Heroic
acts by individuals or units are greatly encouraged by the Conflict Marketing
Unit. There must, however, be a specific objective for such acts; any form of
kamikaze action, unless the participants have already been judged by the
Conflict Marketing Unit as legitimately mortally wounded, is actively
discouraged.