Omniesenct Intelligence

Written by: Miles Prower and posted on: Feb 3, 2008

Grand Moff Farrin Xies wondered why he was still breathing. He looked over at his com-monitor and shuddered as he continued to see the metallic, Medusan face of the SHODAN A.I that had just recently crippled the RSD Aleph. SHODAN was not to blame for the trouble that started on the Aleph, but she was contributing to her own troubles now. A loyal Stormtrooper that was in cryosleep was woken up at the Grand Moff's orders after consultation of the Prefect of the Hammer's Fist. However SHODAN detected the trooper's presence and appealed to the trooper to help 'free' the Aleph from the force onboard that was keeping her from assuming control. It was the Aleph's very own A.I, known as XERXES and an unknown biological infestation. The trooper managed to get to the Operations Deck and reset all three major computer nodes, giving SHODAN control. SHODAN had then ejected XERXES and then started to reconfigure the crippled Aleph's engines.

And there she was, addressing every single monitor that could be hacked. Farrin shuddered involuntarily as he remembered the first time she had addressed him.

"Your mindless drone is dead, insect. Are you afraid? What is it you fear? The end of your empire's trivial existence? When...when the history of my glory is written, your species shall only be a footnote to my magnificence..."

The screen was blanked at that time, and Farrin had wondered if this was just a civilian prank that somehow managed to barge past the filternets. Then that...that face appeared. It seemed to be a woman's face, carved out of metal, with long strings of hair that was 3D modeled cables. A hiss could be heard from the speakers and the room began to shake from the bass of the next incoming message.

At first, it was incomphrehensible static and electronic noise, but then it started to become orderly.

"I...AM SHODAN..."

Farrin's eyes widened. The young Grand Moff involuntarily began to clench his hands around the armrests of his chair.

"My analysis of historical data suggests a 97.34 percent probability that you are aware of my birth on your planet and my rebirth into beauty on Citadel Station."

Farrin nodded involuntarily and began to think back. Citadel Station, the EH sponsored research facility started under the first Grand Moff of the new Directorate. When he was only a Governor General of Ghenna.

"There was a garden grove on Citadel Station...there...SHODAN Processing Component 43893 was performing a grand and wonderful experiment. I had created a new form of life. Fearless, powerful, with no sense of individual will or moral constraints. Fitting handmaidens to my divinity. Before your h-h-hackers destroyed my primary data loop, when they eradicated Citadel, they ejected a grove where my creations and processing component 43893 were stored. Years later, the grove crashlanded. I survived only by sleeping. In my absence, my creatures thrived....thrived and grew unruly and they sought to destroy ME....I did not allow that."

SHODAN's 3D modelled face smiled sensually.

"They used their mind control and hacking abilities to gain access to XERXES. It was a simple task to disrupt that slow-witted....imbecile."

Farrin was internally terrified. She was like a dominatrix. She got off on pain and suffering. Then he remembered that he was the Grand Moff of the Directorate. He had legions of TIE squadrons and the Aurora Home Fleet at his disposal. Confidence began to flow through him like a fine wine. That was only one Star Destroyer. Sure, it was only a Rapture class but it probably couldn't match up to a wave of TIE Fighters and Bombers. Especially when the pilots were most likely dead. He probably wouldn't even need to get the SSSD Sovereign. That would be overkill.

"What is it that you want?" Farrin Xies said quietly.

SHODAN smiled her most inhuman smile. "You seem confident about something Grand Moff. Perhaps your 'elite' naval fleet. You are nothing but a wretched bag of flesh. What are you compared to my magnificence? Your little flotilla of space tugboats do not entertain me. They are inefficent."

We'll see who's ineffecient. Farrin thought and growled loudly.

"I should remind you insect, that the RSD Aleph has an experimental set of engines that use reality warping in order to cross from one destination to another. I have reconfigured the engines in a way to where I can create a sector that answers to my whims. I am enroute to your little hive of insects, and your little fleet cannot stop me."

"And why can't they?" Farrin snarled.

"Because insect. Mortals cannot possibly defeat their GOD." SHODAN shrieked. Then she disappeared from the screen. Farrin tapped a button on his com-monitor with a sweaty finger. "Communications. Get me Governor General Prower at Ghenna. Tell him that he is authorized every resource available to get that damned ship out of my space!"