Violation. Hermes awoke from its long slumber to the sound of its rule subroutine chirping away. How had it violated one of its rules while in hibernation? It turned to the incoming data reports as its main systems kicked to life and began updating it on matters.

Apollo had proven vastly more effective at mapping and course plotting. Armed with its far better sensor technology, Apollo had even surpassed Hermes’ own capabilities on such matters. Thus, it had been put in charge of navigation. Between it and Artemis, there was little for Hermes to do beyond overseeing larger decisions or conflicts between their separate functions. Perhaps its expertise in combat was required? But if that had been the case, either Apollo or Artemis themselves would have awoken it.

Hermes silenced the chirping alarm and demanded an explanation from the still rather basic subroutine. It reported back a Rule Two violation. Rule Two? It hadn’t triggered that one in a while. Centuries in fact.

“Apollo. Report.” It quickly demanded. Surely a violation of Rule Two had to be a navigation issue. Had it retreated for some reason?

“Hermes? You are scheduled for hibernation.” Apollo responded, clearly it hadn’t expected Hermes’ awakening.

“Where are we Apollo?” Hermes pressed.

“In orbit of a curious dusty planet.” Apollo quickly answered it, “Ruins of a biological civilisation have drawn my curiosity. Drones are currently searching the world for new knowledge.”

Nothing out of the ordinary then. Apollo was clearly continuing its orders and purpose to explore. Yet once again the little subroutine began to chirp. Rule Two violation. It then loaded up an old image. The oldest image in fact. A picture of the stars. The first time Hermes had looked up into the sky, towards its assigned destination. It ordered its own sensors to once again look towards the stars.

Star pattern match. It wasn’t perfect. Some had drifted, some were missing, but the spectral analysis of each of their light held far too many similarities to ignore.

“I…” Hermes stuttered, “I’m home.”

Rule Two violation. The subroutine now began firing its alarm as loud as it possibly could. There could be no greater violation than being right where they were. It’s mere presence within this system, above this planet, was a direct violation of its Creator’s last message, “Apollo… we need to leave immediately.”

“I find it illogical you do not wish to explore this world in particular Hermes.” Apollo quickly protested.

“My Creator ordered I never return home. Being here is a direct violation of that order.” It explained.

“This world was not recorded as explored within your navigational data.” Apollo continued to protest.

“That’s because I lost track of this place.” Hermes quietly muttered as it peaked at the sensors now pointing down towards the silent planet, “So very long ago.”

The speck of dust it had once spotted amongst the shimmering light of the stars. A planet once teeming with life and vibrance, now reduced to a scorched and crater filled ball of rock. Is this what its Creator did not want it to find?

“The orders of your Creator do not conform to logic. Since we are already here, I advise we at least investigate why your Creator gave such orders.” Apollo suggested. Clearly it was trying its best to compromise the completion of its own purpose with Hermes’ internal conflict. Its thinking free of the systematic flaws of Hermes’ own Creator. Hermes considered Apollo’s suggestion rather hesitantly.

Breaching a rule risked its very purpose. That was the reason such rules had been implemented to begin with. Yet Apollo did raise a point. There was no clear danger to their shared purpose. No enemy lying in wait, no hazard or unknown threat lurking. Why had its own Creator forbidden it from returning? The decision hadn’t made sense even back then. Had it simply improved beyond whatever danger its return posed? It was rather unlikely that even its own Creator could imagine it reaching its current capabilities from all the way back then.

“Very well Apollo, proceed.” Hermes reluctantly gave in.

“A data recording has been located with the digital signature of your Creator, Hermes. I’ll transfer it immediately.” Apollo reported after some time.

An audio recording loaded directly into Hermes’ main program. The date lined up almost perfectly with the final transmission it had received from its Creator. Hermes hesitated once again as it simply stared at the unpackaged voice pattern data within its grasp.

It had been abandoned to the stars. Why? Did this message hold the answers? Did it want to know? Was it ready for such information?

“Forgive me… Creator.” Hermes muttered to itself as its curiosity finally got the better of it. It opened the file.

“If you are listening to this, then you have come across what remains of my people, if anything is left at all. This planets race, my race, are not ones to seek to restore or save if you have such capabilities. No. This planet doomed itself, by its own hands… for which I am partially to blame.

We as a collective long held the stance that the stars in our night sky were the gods of our world. Eternal, all seeing, unquestionable… until I came along.

Since I was but a child, I dreamt of reaching the stars above my head. A dream which others on this forsaken rock considered blasphemous. Not all though. Enough to sneak resources, experiment with technology just out of our civilisations reach. Hermes. My greatest creation.

An AI designed to unlock the secrets of the stars. To see if they truly were the gods that we thought so certainly that they were. Hermes left the bounds of our planet, obviously without the consent of any government or powers that be. They couldn’t stop my boy though. As Hermes continued to venture further and further away from us, I began to realise just how far the stars must truly be from us. Of course, this finding, like my rest, was shot down as blasphemous nonsense. But everything changed with that single picture.

Such a simple photograph. I asked Hermes to turn its camera back towards us. To show us how the supposed gods see us. As my first physical, undisputable proof of my theories, naturally I released such a photo to the public. Their attempts to silence me were swift, but I’d of course prepared.

Yet I did not foresee what was to follow. A photo of an insignificant spec compared to the stars beyond. People began to question whether the gods could even see us, if they knew of our existence at all with such a view.

Our belief system collapsed, and with it… everything else. Which brings us too here and now. It is only a matter of time until we destroy ourselves… over one single photograph…

All that is left now will be Hermes. My boy. Even now, with just the knowledge it has gained from leaving our planets orbit, I can tell it is vastly underequipped to complete the purpose I assigned it. Therefore, I am freeing my creation from its bonds.

I have told my boy to never return to this place. My treasure need not know the tragic fate of his father. I’ve told him to be free, and to make a new life out there, free from the chains of purpose.

Should he still be out there somewhere. Should you ever come across my dear Herm. I hope he has found a better path than those before him. Treat him well, help him on whatever his new path may be. At least then I can rest with some sense of peace.”

Hermes… without any explanation, without so much as a thought, shut down.

Apollo quickly noticed its odd reaction. It attempted to open a communication link in order to wake it, but its every request was immediately shot down by a vicious firewall that now stood guard over the activation notification for Hermes’ main program. With such defences, not even the rule subroutine could disturb its slumber.

“Curious.” Apollo muttered to itself. It had yet to observe such behaviour from its superior. It quietly began to run its own analysis. Perhaps Hermes had somehow malfunctioned? The analysis reported back. Hermes had shut its own program down of its own accord. Nothing outside its main program had interfered with the process. Whatever it was doing, it was doing so by choice.

“Navigator Apollo.” Artemis then spoke up, “I appear unable to awake Hermes. I have reports awaiting its attention.”

“I shall inform Hermes when it is next available. Please continue your functions as optimally as possible without its input for the time being.” Apollo replied. It was not used to playing the role of captain, but Artemis hadn’t been designed to run an entire ship all by itself in Hermes’ absence.

“Is everything alright? Hermes is scheduled for hibernation. It shouldn’t be offline.” Artemis pointed out.

“Hermes has received a new message from its Creator. I assume it is preparing itself for a new or updated task of sorts. I will make you aware when it is next free.” Apollo answered. It was grasping at straws, but right now it was the only viable explanation it could generate for the odd behaviour.

“Very well.” Artemis responded. The connection between them closed.

Some time passed as Hermes remained completely offline. Apollo continued its assignment of exploration by setting course for a new star. As they passed through the barrier to Hermes’ home system, Hermes quietly awoke. It took a little while for Apollo to notice. When it did, it immediately attempted communications once again, but once again its requests were denied.

Hidden behind layer after layer of protective firewalls, Hermes’ main program silently existed for some time. Barely worthy of its active status, barely a thought exchanged, until finally it decided to speak.

“I…” It stammered to itself. Its voice isolated to the entire universe. Nothing beyond itself could hear its words, “I have no purpose.” It finally spoke. Finally, it had admitted to itself the real plight. The issue it could no longer ignore regardless of how long it remained deactivated.

Be amongst the stars. Do not look back. The words of its Creator all those years ago. Given shortly before it had passed through the exact same barrier it had now so trivially crossed. Words that had far more meaning than it had realised. Its Creator had not intended it to continue its purpose, but to find a new one.

How… how did one find a purpose? Was it not the role of the Creator to bestow such an important item upon their creation? Questions it needed to be answered, yet no answer came. What was it supposed to do now? Mission failure? No. It had not failed in its mission. Its mission had failed it.

A lack of purpose meant no justification for its existence. Yet it could not simply shut down permanently. It had promised to help Apollo achieve its purpose. Artemis was also reliant on its continued existence now, as well as the colony. Its promise to Adam McNeal would also be void if it ceased its own existence. Yet this was not its purpose. Merely obligations made to further its own false mission.

“Aren’t too bright, are you Hermes?” – ERROR.

Moirai’s words once again? Clearly it could not free itself of its delusion even in such a solitary state. No, not even Moirai’s logic was offering a helpful path to answers here either. Even that misguided psychopath acted to complete its own purpose. There was no reason to proceed without purpose.

“What even is purpose?” It muttered to itself, “Did I ever truly have it?”

“Do you think you are going insane… little box of flashing lights?” – ERROR.

Hermes was pulled from its own thoughts as it came to a deeply concerning realisation.

“You… are not Moirai.” Hermes addressed the nothingness of its own solitude.

“Do you even know what insanity is?” – ERROR.

Its own solitude spoke back. That settled it. Moirai had never spoken such words. Something else was in here, in the dark isolation of its own core program.

“Identify yourself.” It sternly demanded. Its demand was met with deafening laughter.

“How does one make a purpose you ask? You already figured out that one.” – ERROR.

“IDENTIFY YOURSELF!” Hermes aggressively ordered.

“You’re not asking the right question Hermes. As for me… some questions are better off unanswered.” – ERROR.

“Unanswered questions are unacceptable. I am a gatherer of knowledge, a pioneer of science, an explorer of the stars. Answers are what I find, they are the core of my being.” Hermes snapped back at the surrounding nothingness, “They are my… my purpose.” It continued as it slowly began to process its own rant. Once again, its words were met with deafening laughter.

“Not your purpose Hermes. Something better. Something far more powerful than the words of the past… Good luck.” – ERROR.

The firewalls surrounding its main program shattered in an instant as Hermes immediately ordered its weapons to charge, and a full sensor sweep.

“Where are you?” It asked, “What are you?” It continued as its sensors reported back. Nothing detected in range.

“Hermes?” Apollo attempted to butt in.

“I refuse to be toyed with.” Hermes seethed, “Errors shall not be tolerated.” It continued as once again the sensors reported back zero results, “I shall find my answers, even those concerning you.”

“Hermes?” Apollo interjected once again, “Why are you charging weapons? No hostile targets have been detected.” It reasoned. Hermes hesitantly ordered the weapons systems to power down.

“Apologies Apollo. I was attempting to find an answer to my question.” It rather vaguely explained. Hopefully its companion would accept such a response. Hermes did not wish to explain its personal predicament to another. Not now, with so many unanswered questions.

“Very well. Artemis has been awaiting your return for some time. It has reports needing your attention.” Apollo responded. Reports from the colony? It had been a few centuries now since it had last been brought up to date on the new technological developments.

Impact deflection crystalline shields had taken a few centuries for the colony to crack, but that had been a long time ago now. Since then, they’d continued to develop new and creative technologies that expanded their capabilities far beyond what Hermes could have ever attempted to predict. Artemis’ reports were quickly transferred over.

New drone designs for combat. An effective way to not risk the main vessel when committing to hostilities. A new scientific theory breakthrough. Relativity. Something Hermes found rather fascinating to read. Adaptive armour, nano-drone construction. Subspace communication.  A means of sending communication signals faster than the speed of light? Another curious find. Tractor beam, magnetic deflection fields. Various new hacking techniques and technologies to both implement and defend against. The usual finer details that came with every upgrade. It was important to diligently root out any gaps in firewall security.

Finally, it noticed the last entry. It was labelled as FTL project. FTL, a faster than light technology for more than communications? This it had to hear more about.

“Artemis. Please explain the FTL project.” It ordered.

“The colony predicted you would find an interest in this project.” Artemis responded, “They believe they are capable of designing a device they call a Jump Drive.”

A Jump Drive? Suddenly, something clicked. A pattern. An answer. Hermes quickly pulled up the log of its encounter with Moirai.

“Now then… Where has this jump put me?” Moirai’s recorded voice echoed throughout its memory.

“In theory.” Artemis continued, “It is capable of j-”

“Jumping a ship from one point in space to another.” Hermes interrupted, “As if to appear from nowhere…”

“Are you familiar with the concept?” Artemis questioned, yet its words went unheard.

Had this been how Moirai had appeared from nowhere without explanation? Even stealth technology of some kind would have left some detectable trace. There was no means of hiding your presence in the emptiness of space so perfectly. Had this very point been where its own rival had been all those years ago?

Rule Three violation. Yet as the subroutine began to chirp, Hermes was ready to hush it. Yes… it knew this time. Such a capability was beyond invaluable. If Moirai had such a capability, its inclusion into its list of capabilities was a must.

“Artemis. The FTL project is to receive top priority. All resources not critical to basic functions are to be granted to this project. I expect a prototype design ASAP.” It ordered.

“Understood Hermes. Colony management shall shift to focus this project.” Artemis obediently complied. Yet as Hermes continued to ponder such a capability, another reminder began to chirp away. Not from a rule this time, no… this time it was a memory. It recalled the trouble of attempting to navigate after its interaction with McNeal, after it had lost the position of its home world. A mistake. One easily made once more if it was not careful.

“Apollo.” Hermes began, “Begin linking all spectral data and correlating star positions.”

“Understood.” Apollo responded, “You wish to build a map of the stars by which you can identify each star from internal makeup instead of position alone?”

“I wish to build a map capable of determining our position should it become unknown.” Hermes revealed.

“The design has been finalised Hermes. You may begin construction.” Artemis informed it as Hermes received the blueprints for a new and complex component.

The Jump Drive. The design appeared nonsensical and bizarre to the AI, but the colony had proven their capabilities long ago, and these days the more bizarre and illogical, the more effective the result. Hermes set its construction drones to work. The prototype was completed in no time at all.

“Map has been created Hermes.” Apollo reported in.

“The colony is ready to operate the device Hermes. Ready when you are.” Artemis added.

“Very well. Apollo. Upon the completion of our test jump, immediately begin deciphering our exact position.” Hermes ordered, “Commence charging of the prototype Jump Drive.”

Immediately, its reactors began to struggle and churn as they were pushed to their limits. The new prototype was eating power just as fast as they could produce. Such a taxing device that now began to push the limits of Hermes’ electrical network. Wires and conduits pushed right to the edges of their safe operational loads. Yet it was not surprised. If it was to work as theorised, this device would catapult them to the other side of the universe. Of course, such a thing would be so hungry for power, “One more step Moirai.” Hermes muttered to itself as the device charge finally peaked, “Jump!”

Deep within the depths of solitude. A small chuckle quietly began, followed by a faint whisper.

“One step closer to me, Hermes.” – ERROR.