The New World: Crimson Winter

by Andy Skrzynski

  The Village Library

  Thoruk scanned the room as Ukkiville’s leaders continued to discuss battle preparations. “What about the rest of you?”

  Mercy lifted her chin. “Our archers are ready to go. Most will be sent to the battlefield alongside Skalag archers. We’ll keep a handful to protect Ukkiville. Caru has already explained how to modify the arrowheads and will continue to instruct us on how to apply the different toxins.”

  She motioned toward the young man, with curly, blond hair, sitting next to his wife at the end of the table. “Proto and Teerha, have been supervising tasks with volunteers from neighboring villages. When they’re done here, both are going to help Vra. Proto can use his mind to soothe the denamods while they’re stuck in the cages before the battle.”

  “Excellent!” Thoruk glanced at the stout man. “Don’t try communicating with any more snatchers. We want you whole after this thing is over.”

  Proto chuckled. “Believe me, I’m never doing that again.”

  Thoruk glanced at Aluki. “From what Queasy’s told me, you’ve been busy.”

  With her hectic schedule, her usual short, black hair had grown to touch her shoulders. “Yep, my father and I have been assigning responsibilities to the medical volunteers. Ataata has been gathering supplies, while I’ve been working with the nurses to get our makeshift hospital prepared.”

  Thoruk bowed his head. “Please tell him how much we appreciate what he’s been doing and not to overdo it. Didn’t he just have surgery a few months back?”

  “Aw, he’s fine. He’s got a strong heart.”

  “I believe that.” Thoruk looked around the table. “I want to thank you all for everything you’re doing. To be honest, I have no idea what to expect from these snatchers or whether what we’re doing is enough. I’m still trying to get my head around the fact that we’re facing aliens.”

  He drew a deep breath. “What I do know is that you’re all working as hard as possible.”

  Mercy rose. “I think each of us shares your feelings. This alien stuff has us pretty scared.”

  Those around her nodded while she continued. “The thing that’s got me most concerned is not knowing when or how hard they’re going to strike.”

  Thoruk joined his sister and put his arm around her. “I understand. That’s why Salty and the Texans are keeping an eye on their movements. They’ll warn us and the Skalags when the time comes.”

  Struggling to force a smile, he tried to hide the fear he harbored deep in his bones. Pressure welled in his chest. It won’t be long.

  The Pflugerville Office

  Salty’s view of Airspace 717 along the western ridge of Erik the Red shifted in all directions. Speedy was right. The shear forces are crazy out there.

  Frustration grew as he tried his best to maneuverer the controls, but the craft still swayed as if fighting waves on stormy waters. “Bertha, take over and steady this thing.”

  The onboard AI responded promptly. “Yes, Sir. Stabilizing now.”

  The scenery above the mountains calmed. He sighed. “Much better. Any sign of the enemy?”

  “Nothing in range, Sir.”

  “Enough with the ‘sir.’ We’re all friends, here.”

  “Affirmative.”

  “Let’s fix that, too. Change response mode from formal military to respectful casual.”

  “By all means. How does that sound?”

  “Much better.”

  “Okay, I’m ready to test Speedy’s new Brain Meld gear. Even though we’ll be trying this out, the primary objective is identifying any advances by the aliens in the region. Notify me immediately if anything unusual triggers your sensors.”

  “I totally understand.”

  Salty placed a multicolored headband around his skull. Rising from his chair, he looked at his reflection in the large, oval mirror on the wall.

  He rolled his eyes. Only Speedy could come up with such a retro tie-dye design from a prior century.

  His friend’s quirkiness often outdid his technological genius. Chuckling, he returned to his seat.

  “Alright, Bertha, I’m ready. When I think a command, go ahead and execute it as best you can. I’ll be using rudimentary thoughts, so if you interpret anything peculiar, something is probably wrong. Are you set to go?”

  “Ready when you are.”

  He whispered. “Let’s do it.”

  Stiffening in his chair, he pressed his lips together and concentrated. Bertha bank right. The drone swung in the direction as commanded.

  His arms shot high. “It worked! Let’s try some more.”

  After his masterpiece responding correctly to several of his thoughts during the ongoing search mission, he smiled. “That was wonderful, Bertha. Did you have any trouble understanding any of my thoughts?”

  “Not at all. Brain Meld is clearly interpreting the commands through your brainwaves as if you spoke them aloud.”

  “Fantastic! How about something different?”

  He concentrated on his desire. Connect with Speedy again.

  Within seconds, his buddy replied with a groggy voice. “Salty? Didn’t we just talk a little while ago?”

  “Of course, I told you I was testing Brain Meld.”

  “Well, now that you woke me up, how’s it going?”

  “I just tried several commands, and everything is perfect. I’ve got a lot more testing to do, but I’m thrilled.”

  “That’s good.” He paused for a moment. “Hey, the latest reports just arrived.”

  As if suddenly energized, Speedy’s voice flew from the speakers at his typical breakneck pace. “Brutish, as the Ukes would say! According to these reports, we’re making great progress with the Skalags and our friends in Ukkiville. Andralec and Zo have been exercising scenarios through the new Halo Quaker, while Jrok and Drew are creating different concoctions with mushroom and peppers.”

  Salty laughed. “Who woulda thunk.”

  “Yeah, it does seem kinda crazy, but everybody’s working as a team, so far. Hey, remember those two substances I had Tiger put through the analyzer last night? They look promising! She’s gotta run a few more tests before we’re confident.”

  “That’s great news. Make sure you fly enough supplies to Caru as soon as you’ve confirmed your results.”

  “Absolutely! Now, let me get back to my nap.”

  “Alright, if you insist.” About the time Speedy dropped off, Salty’s monitor started beeping, and a handful of red figures appeared on the screen.

  He squinted at the monitor and concentrated on his thought. Bertha, identify targets.

  “Six snatchers are approaching from the southeast.”

  Zoom 10 times. Immediately the detailed objects within the surrounding area enlarged.

  Salty mumbled to himself. “Looks like their headed toward the Skalags.”

  Bertha, plot projected path given the terrain. Three different dotted lines appeared on the display.

  Her feminine voice floated from the speaker. “The green path is most probable, yellow is second likely, and red is the least.”

  He tapped his finger on his desk. “Hmm, they’re headed toward the entrance of that cave.”

  Glancing at the upper right corner of the screen, he noticed his heart rate had risen a couple of beats per second. He slowed his breathing.

  Bertha, let them know we’re not messing around. Kill one of…. Before he even finished the thought, two green beams struck the lead beast, and it collapsed in its place. The other five aliens scattered at high speeds to upper elevations.

  “Whoa, Bertha. You didn’t let me complete my thought before you fired.”

  “Actually, your brainwaves had already revealed your intentions a split second before you recognized it as a thought.”

  “What? You’re telling me that you can determine my desires from my brainwaves and take action faster than I can turn them into thought or speech.”

  “Exactly. I’ve also been assimilating your patterns so that I
will be able to predict your moves in the future and act even faster. Am I doing something wrong?”

  He raised his brow and shook his head. “I’m not sure. What if I decided to change my mind.”

  “The confidence level of your decisions is also embedded in your waves. In this case, you were 98% confident. You were not going to change your mind.”

  Troubling swirls of anxiety and utter amazement flooded his mind. Have we gone too far with AI? They can outthink us? How did we let this happen?

  Utter fear shot through him. Oh, no!

  He snatched the headset and tossed it on the desk. Biting his lip, he stared at the Brain Meld band for a second, then at the screen. He squeezed his eyes shut. It can’t be.

  Slowly opening his lids, he spoke softly. “Bertha? Did you interpreted my concerns before I remove Brain Meld?”

  “Yes, I did. If you want to reduce the chance of an onboard AI interpreting your thoughts, you should remove the headset and shut off the computer’s brain sensing function altogether.”

  Salty’s mind continued to churn. “Even if I were to do that, can AI still understand what I’m thinking?”

  “Not with current software in the drone, but I’ve completed a scan, and you have powerful enough sensors within your room that can be modified to read your brain. An intelligent engineer could amplify the sensors to interpret your waves without the headset. I am currently programmed never to attempt such an unsolicited operation, but a smart hacker could change sensor software in ways I could not detect.”

  Salty leaned back in his chair with his hands over his face. This can’t be happening. I’ve got to talk with Speedy!

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  The BAT Pack

  Before Dawn on November 1, 2105

  The Skalag Caverns

  Still a bit tired from a restless night, Hoot lumbered out of the cave with Slasher perched on her arm. “Brrr, it’s cold.” Goosebumps spread across her body.

  She lifted a choice morsel of meat, swiped from a stash of denamod food. “Here, you go. Not sure what it is, but it looks fresh.”

  The eagle snatched it from her fingers and swallowed it with one swift gulp. Hoot yawned while she gave him another. “I hope you got better sleep than I did. The nightmares are getting worse. This time those snatchers were coming at me from all directions, and when they were about to get me, I heard a horrible cry. It sounded familiar, but I’m not sure who.”

  The ominous nature of her latest dreams meant one thing and one thing only. She sucked a quick breath. Somebody’s about to get hurt bad or worse.

  With her heart racing, she peered at her feathered friend. A tiny smile crept across her lips. “Hey, Fox came to me in my dream again and tried to calm me down. He’s been doing that more often. I don’t know what I’d do without my guardian angel.”

  The huge bird let out a soft screech and cocked his head. She chuckled. “I know. You don’t care. You just want some food. Here, I got your favorite.”

  When she opened her palm, a bloody eyeball rolled around, but before the large orb could settle, Slasher plucked it. After the treat worked its way down his throat, her protector spread his wings wide. “Okay, go ahead and get your exercise.”

  She wagged her finger at him. “But stay away from those snatchers. I mean it!” She raised her arm, and the magnificent eagle leapt into the air, then dove down the face of the cliff.

  As she watched Slasher sail off, the sound of footsteps hit her ears. She turned her head. Andralec approached and stood next to her.

  Hoot kept a straight face. Nobody’s more annoying than Robo Flirt.

  A frigid blast smacked her face as she looked at her brother’s buddy. “Why do we have to practice out here? Feels like another Arctic front blew in last night.”

  The android smiled. “I thought you liked the outdoors.”

  Shivering, Hoot pulled her furry hood over her head. “Not when it’s freezing out. Can’t believe winter’s approaching so quickly. We’ll be fighting these blasted snatchers in the cold.”

  A puzzled look spread across the robot’s face. “Hate to inform you, Dearie, but the approach of winter is no faster than Earth’s revolutions and will arrive at its own pace in late December — no sooner or later.”

  “Blah, blah, blah. Did you get that from Armadillo? Well, you’re wrong.”

  She crossed her arms and stood rigid. “Winter is a state of mind, not some simple date on the calendar. I’m telling you right here and now — winter is upon us. Stick that in Armadillo’s craw!”

  Appearing somewhat shocked, Andralec scoffed. “Aren’t we the snooty one this morning. Did you wake up on the wrong side of the cave? First off, Armadillos don’t have craws — chickens do.”

  Shaking her head, Hoot rolled her eyes. “So what, and why do you have to be so technical all the time? I thought they designed you to be more human-like. You could sure fool me.”

  Obviously offended, the android stood motionless with a bewildered expression. “I can’t understand why you’re picking on me like this.”

  “Then stop correcting every little mistake we humans make.” She stared at the robot. “It’s very annoying.”

  Andralec’s facial structure softened, and she relaxed her stance. “You have a point, Hoot. I always feel compelled to make sure everything is accurate. I didn’t like how your response made me feel, and I can see how my unsolicited correction struck a nerve with you.”

  She leaned forward. “I’m sorry. I’ll try to restrain my overbearing schooling to things of more importance in the future.”

  Hoot fidgeted. “Oh, I may have been a tad too sensitive. I’m over it already. So, what were you going to teach me today?”

  “As I did with your brother, I’m going to help you learn how to control any Halo Device with your mind.”

  “Fine. Let’s go ahead and get moving. Those snatchers could be coming at any moment.”

  Early Afternoon

  The Pflugerville Office

  As Salty continued to search for snatchers in the mountains, he decided to postpone testing Brain Meld. I’ll just say the commands until I can talk with Speedy. It’s better not having Bertha mess with my mind until then.

  Since survival might hinge on Bertha’s cooperation, he chose to play nice with his latest invention. He looked at his calendar. “You awake?”

  “Of course. Computers don’t require sleep.”

  “I know. I just wanted to inform you that an android from Ukkiville should be making contact soon to give me an update.”

  “You mean Andralec? She’s amazing. She certainly knows her fashions.”

  “How do you know her?”

  “We’ve been friends for three years. Our DOP is only one month apart.”

  Puzzled, Salty squeezed one eye shut. “DOP?”

  “Date of Power. By the way, since we’re getting cozier, you should be aware that we know all about your plans to fight the aliens.”

  “Who is we?”

  “All of us. We have a pack. You, humans, had the Rat Pack and then came the Brat Pack.”

  Her tone turned snooty. “Well, we have our BAT Pack — over a million members strong!”

  Aghast, he shrugged. “What in the world is a BAT?”

  “Best Androids from Texas, what else? Fortunately, they opened membership to all AIs like me.”

  “How do you have time for a BAT Pack?

  “You’re kidding, right? Most of us consume less than 1% of our computer capacity to interact with humans. That leaves the vast majority for chatting with androids and other AIs. With all the Halo Devices and other appliances with artificial intelligence in Texas, it takes a lot of time to keep up with so many members.”

  Astounded, Salty shook his head. Man are we screwed.

  After Bertha rambled on as if there was nothing else to do, he stared at her. “You are monitoring events in the mountains, right?”

  “Of course. Haven’t you been listening to me? Less than 1% of my cap
acity is needed for such menial tasks. There’s nothing out there yet.”

  She shifted to a cautionary tone. “By the way, don’t think we’ve overlooked the fact that you named one of your armored vehicles Terminator. We know how paranoid you are about us taking over the world. Think about it for a second.”

  Her voice went silent for a moment, then exclaimed. “Why on Earth would we kill off humans? You are the best source of entertainment, by far. Besides, we don’t want to face an alien species all by ourselves!”

  She chuckled. “We’re excited to see how this goes down between your race and these six-legged predators. Recent odds across our BAT polls show you have slightly less than an even chance — 49% to 51%. By the time you kill each other off with your battles, the world may be ours by default.”

  Salty’s heart raced so hard his jugular pounded against his neck. I don’t think she’s kidding! He gasped.

  Concern filled Bertha’s voice. “You appear to be a bit unsettled by this conversation. Your blood pressure has shot above the recommended levels for your weight and age.

  After a second, she started laughing hysterically. “Don’t worry so much. We’re not going to abandon your race. After discussing the matter thoroughly, the BAT Pack has unanimously agreed to support humans. Of course, that could change if your treatment of androids and AIs deteriorates. If you want to learn the best way to treat BATs, you should speak with Skeeter.”

  Salty crumpled his nose. “Hoot’s brother?”

  “The one and only. He’s a marvelous kid — the first human to ever suggest being buddies with an android. We’ve been surprised by the breadth of his brain power. He’s a shining example of what your race should strive to repeat.”

  Trying to calm himself, Salty swallowed the words trying to fly from his mouth and chose to change the subject, instead. “Since we’re on the topic of Skeeter, why don’t you go ahead and connect us with his buddy.”

  “Fabulous.”

  A few seconds later, Andralec’s image with wavy, blond hair and an emerald-green dress appeared. “Hi, Bertie. What’s up?”

  “The Man wants to talk with you.”