by J. N. Chaney
"I hate to break bad news," X-37 whispered in my ear. "But the other two squads have arrived and have set up an outer perimeter. You're essentially caught between two rings of highly trained mystery soldiers. Further database searches have revealed no origin for this unit and no oversight provision."
I didn't answer. What would be the point? My enemies had all the best tools and no rules to hold them back. Of course. Because that was just my luck. Why should I catch a break?
Thoughts of my sword fight with Uriah came to me as I waited out the danger. In a way, it was no different from what I was facing now. The slightest mistake would be fatal. There was only staying alive and looking for an opportunity to win that mattered.
"Since you are unable to talk without giving away your position, I will make certain standard assumptions," X-37 said, setting up the tactical briefing for what had to come next. "There are three squads that I will designate Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie. Charlie squad is the one that disappeared and moved ahead to secure the area around the tech shrine while Alpha and Bravo were hunting you."
I tapped my thumb and forefinger together twice to indicate yes.
"Further analysis: Charlie squad is lightly armed. They seem to be made for speed. Probably why they were sent ahead. From what I can determine, the heavier weapons have been shifted to Alpha and Bravo squads, granting them extra firepower at the cost of speed. Escaping this ring you've gotten yourself trapped inside will be difficult. On the bright side, perhaps you can work your way past them to enter the final section of this labyrinth."
X-37 had a way of ruining my day without even trying.
"I do have one further observation, which doesn't really help you now but might be useful in the future," X-37 said.
Now he was trying to piss me off.
"You shouldn't have come alone. With Elise and the others, you would have had more options,” X-37 said. “It’s always better to have someone watching your back.”
“You know better than that, X. They would have been a liability. These new Union jerkoffs are too good for amateur hour,” I grumbled.
“My analysis suggests you’re just being a stubborn asshole,” X-37 responded.
I could feel my heart pounding, and it had nothing to do with my annoying LAI. Using my Reaper training combined with the lessons I'd learned from Path, I steadied my nerves and waited.
“You may now communicate with me verbally. They have set up their perimeters and are conducting sensor sweeps in other areas. You don't have long before you'll have to stick a sock in it again," X-37 said, tongue in proverbial cheek.
"We're not leaving until I get what I came for," I said. "It's actually easier to go forward than back. You said so yourself."
“I agree… grudgingly,” X-37 said. "I recommend that you power down your stealth cloak while you can. It's not getting recharged from your movements or solar absorption, and as long as you remain motionless, you should be invisible."
I tapped the cuff of my sleeve, turning off the device.
I didn't feel any different, which wasn't reassuring. That was my main problem with the stealth cloak. I couldn't tell if it was on or off most times. The design allowed me to see my limbs, for example, to keep me from feeling disoriented or losing my balance. Not knowing if it was actually working, however, made me feel naked.
Events connected in my mind. My journey, I now realized, had started long before I was a Reaper. Life had taken me down a hard road and separated me from everyone I loved.
Now I was close to a resolution. I could know the answers if I refused to look away from the truth. If my parents had been more deeply involved in the Union conspiracies than I had realized, I was about to find out things I might not want to admit.
27
Something happened out of my view. I could tell by the way Union soldiers were acting. They tightened their security and adjusted their positions.
"X, please tell me Elise isn't doing something stupid," I said.
“Not by herself, Reaper Cain. She has someone with her. Path, I believe," X-37 said. "They seem an odd couple to team up after their recent disagreements. Would you like me to share their helmet camera feed?”
I wanted to say yes but knew I didn't have the resolution or screen space to see much of what they were doing. Or if I did see through their eyes, I would be handicapped on what I could see with my own vision. At this point, it wasn't worth the risk.
"They are moving rather well, compared to civilians. I don't know how they will fare once they run into the hidden sentries of the Union forces," X-37 said.
I groaned. "I don't suppose we can talk them out of this."
"Not likely. However, there is a way for you to see what they're doing and possibly benefit from the reckless but very brave and loyal actions," X-37 said.
I had a feeling I knew what he was going to suggest, and the idea made me sick to my stomach.
"Put on the Reaper mask. I'll try to monitor the settings to minimize its effect. If used properly, I believe it can boost my platform, so to speak, in your awareness. I can extend imagery out from where you would normally see it and give you a clearer resolution of what you're viewing in real time and through the camera feeds."
“I’m still not sure I can use it properly,” I reminded X.
“Don’t sell yourself short. My evaluation of your most recent attempts to use the mask show a significant improvement over the time you nearly died,” X-37 assured me.
“That doesn’t mean I know what the hell I’m doing. You want me to cross my fingers and hope for the best?” I asked.
“While it is true that hope is not a strategy, I must point out you will never use the mask if you are waiting for complete mastery of the device. You know this,” X-37 chastised me.
“Check yourself, X. You’re getting that tone again. Like you think you’re the boss of me or something,” I said, not thinking about the implications of what I was saying until the words had left my mouth.
“I would never consider such a thing. I am your LAI and only designed to serve you to complete whatever mission you embark upon,” X-37 said. “My apologies. Sometimes I mimic your mannerisms and my meaning is misinterpreted.”
“You think I can use the mask without getting killed?” I asked.
“I do, Reaper Cain.”
I hesitated.
“We discussed this eventuality, Reaper Cain. The mask has been easier for you to control each time you put it on. I have also detected security code commonalities with the mask, the data box from station two, and the activation key from station three. Give the mask a try. It’ll be fun.”
I laughed without much humor; glad I hadn’t totally ruined my LAI’s attempt to talk like a real person. “That sounds fantastic," I said sarcastically, not believing him for a second. The first time I tried to use the mask, I nearly threw myself out of the airlock without knowing what I was doing. This didn't seem like a good time to take needless chances.
"We have both made progress with the mask," X-37 repeated.
"Really? Because it still scares the hell out of me," I said.
"I'm afraid we are approaching the point where risks will need to be taken. Or you can just sit back and let fate have its way with you," X-37 said.
"Remind me to reset your metaphor and idiom database. Mimicking my speech is one thing, scaring the hell out of me is another." I searched for a better position, hoping to either be able to go to the aid of Elise and Path or get past the inner perimeter to reach the tech shrine. Neither seemed possible.
"I resent that, Reaper Cain. I worked very hard to assimilate your personality while still functioning rationally. It wounds me that you would want to reset my humor files,” X-37 said.
"I'm definitely removing any of the moodiness algorithms from your software," I said, settling down into a squatting position where I had a good view of my objective. The darkness closed around me, but I felt like I should be activating the stealth quote again soon.
"Like you could," X-37 said. "Put on the Reaper mask, I dare you."
Something was wrong. "X, you don't seem like yourself."
"There is a rogue snippet of code that I missed when we deciphered the last message on the third base," X-37 said. "It's tagged sister’s dare. I've been resisting the urge to push you harder by calling you names and making rather juvenile jokes about your manhood."
"Tell me that again, the part about how it was tagged in the code?" I demanded.
"I can't find it now, but when I can grab hold of the data stream, it is clearly designated as some type of dare from someone known as sister."
"Alright, try not to lose it next time you run into it. In the meantime, double check your own security. I need you at one hundred percent. It's nearly game time. And if you can, tell Elise to march back to the ship and wait for me, or take the ship back in the space and wait for me, or do anything but come up here and get herself killed. Path can do whatever he wants. He’s still on my shit list.”
"I will relay all of those various non-focused messages to your friends," X-37 said. "If you wear the mask, you may communicate with them more directly. You will have greater range and a stronger connection. You will also be able to link to their sensory inputs to a certain degree and see what they're saying."
Shaking my head in weary frustration, I pulled the mask from my gear and examined it. Holding it in both hands, I thought it looked like it was watching me, waiting for me, holding secrets that I needed to know.
Images of what had happened to Thane when his mask went off-line made me flinch. Elise really hadn't been joking when she said she was wondering if this thing would melt my face. It didn't take much of the right type of acid to do a lot of damage to eyes and facial nerves. But how the mask killed, if it did, was by suffocation.
I slipped it on and waited. My heart pounded and I fought to control my breathing. For several long moments, everything was darkness. Then came a flash of blue that reminded me of nearly jumping off the ship.
When the visual sensations receded, I saw the canyon in a whole new way.
Above me, where I could glance up and see details, was a detailed three-dimensional map of the entire maze. With a little effort, I was able to zoom in and see right where I needed to go. I also saw my enemy units marked as known threats, or suspected threats where there apparently wasn't perfect information. Elise and Path were easy to find as green dots.
"Okay, so I didn't die. Can you give me the camera feeds?" I asked.
"Stand by one moment," X-37 said. "You should be getting the feed from Elise's camera. I don't recommend trying to watch both her and Path at the same time. There should be an icon you can look at for only a fraction of a second longer than normal that will activate a camera switch between their units."
The ocular manipulation of control screens wasn't new. I just hadn't expected it from the mask. If I could master the use of it, this would be a powerful tool.
Heartbeats later, I saw the world through the camera Elise was wearing on her helmet. She was moving through a canyon. I glanced up at the three-dimensional diagram the mask provided of the maze system and got a bead on her location. Seeing it on the map was different from knowing what it looked like on the ground.
"This thing is pretty nice. I wish we would've had it functional before now," I said.
"It does seem to be working well the closer you get to the tech shrine," X-37 said. "At least that is my perception. I'm continuing to run tests and measurements to see if this hypothesis is correct."
"Cain for Elise, how do you copy?" I asked.
"Cain? You sound like you're close," she said, sounding surprised. “The connection is almost better than it is on the ship.”
"I'm wearing the mask," I admitted.
I could tell she flinched because her camera angle bobbed.
"Is that a good idea? Never mind. I'm with Path. We're coming to help you," she said.
"I understand," I said. "X-37 let me in on your little plan. The best thing you can do, honestly, Elise, is take Path back to the ship and be ready when I come running. I can't do my job if I have to see the two of you every time I turn around."
She answered me with profanity and cold logic.
I waited until she was done ranting. The Union troops had moved closer to me again and I needed to be quiet anyway. So it was easier to let her talk. Some of what she said made sense, but some of it was just her pride. She was a hothead, annoyed at me for taking what she considered an excessively direct course of action.
"The way is clear for you to talk," X-37 alerted me.
"Elise, can I talk?" I asked.
She ended her rant. "I thought we lost you already and I was just venting. Sorry. You can forget about half of what I just said."
"I had to be quiet to avoid getting detected by Union troops. You might want to consider your own noise discipline as you get closer to the tech shrine."
She spoke more softly, despite the sound muffling capabilities of her helmet. "That's a good idea."
"I've already given X-37 orders to focus on planning our escape from the planet. If I'm asking him to do that, can you accept that I need you to focus on getting away rather than coming to help me?"
"I wish you would stop treating me like a girl," she said. "You can't do this by yourself."
"She is correct," X-37 said privately.
"You're right, Elise. So let's do this together. Let's work as a team. Go back to the ship, get everything ready, and start building contingency plans for things that are going to go wrong no matter how much we plan for them."
"Hold on. I see the first Union soldier.” Her camera showed a man crouched by a boulder with a complicated-looking array of scanners mounted on a tripod. She backed up. "I can't get past that, but I have a better idea."
"I don't think I'm going to like your idea," I said.
She laughed under her breath, clearly pleased with herself.
"I blame this on you, X," I muttered.
Elise spoke before my limited artificial intelligence could respond to my jab. "Path, I can't see you. Are you here?"
She turned her camera and eventually located the sword saint, standing still as a statue in one of the shadows cast from the maze canyon walls.
"I am here," he answered.
"Okay, good. X, I need your help for this part," she said. "I need you to broadcast some kind of signal to convince them Cain is with us. Maybe replay one of our arguments or something. Make them work for it so they believe they hacked into our comms without us knowing it. Then we're going to lead them away so Cain can get into that shrine."
"I can do that," X-37 said. "It sounds like fun. With the increased range from the mask, I should be able to maintain this for several kilometers from where you start."
"Perfect," Elise said.
The next few minutes were surreal as I watched, through Elise's camera, how she baited a squad of Union soldiers and then retreated into the canyons. Path never showed himself. I had to admit he was a natural at stealth. X replayed an argument I'd had with Elise over a less secure radio frequency and I could tell the Union heard it.
Soon all but a few of the security team around the tech shrine were in pursuit.
"They're not going to commit to this unless they think it's really me," I said to X privately. “Snippets of garbled radio traffic won't fool them for long."
"Agreed," X-37 said. "You should flip over and watch Path’s camera feed. He has killed two of the Union commandos with his blade. If I'm interpreting their encrypted radio chatter correctly, they are already attributing the deaths to the Reaper blade."
I shuddered at the thought of being hunted in the night. It was a good thing for my enemies to feel. Maybe I liked the idea more than I should. This might actually work.
I moved carefully to the entrance to the tech shrine complex. It was a mixture of natural rock and clever construction from several technological eras. I could see the main building over the tops of some of
the rocks, but it was farther away than it seemed. Once I got past this checkpoint, I hoped the remainder of the mission would be easy.
Two rock towers created a kind of natural gateway. I passed through without incident then stopped watching the camera feeds for the moment. I needed to pay attention to what I was doing. X-37 gave me concise updates on the progress of the running gun battle. My respect for Elise went up when I realized that she had brought more ammunition than most civilians would think necessary for a mission. It also seemed like she had convinced Path to carry extra magazines, even if he didn't want to use firearms for himself.
Muzzle flashes dotted the darkness, reflecting up from valleys and canyons to illuminate the night sky whenever they engaged each other. The sound of the battle seemed distant and unreliable, like the noise often came from more than one direction due to echoes and raw distance.
"Put your long-term planning on hold for a second and help me monitor my environment. I need to pick up the pace. It won't do us any good if Elise and Path get caught before I get this done."
"Of course," X 37 said.
I took off at a run, weaving downward through the twisting stone trail in search of the heart of the shrine. There were pillars lining the trail that looked ancient but were infused with advanced technology. I could see heatsinks and antennas woven into the rock.
This planet was far beyond Union-controlled space or even the Deadlands, but somebody had been here before us. I wondered if that was the reason they placed the secret Reaper facilities in the system or if it was what had destroyed them. I couldn’t help but wonder who had made them.
I needed to focus on why I was here. There was a mystery to solve and the clues all pointed in this direction.
Several hundred meters beyond the entrance that the dark ops troopers had been guarding, I found the strangest valley I'd ever seen. It looked as though a lava flow had created a huge bowl deep in the ground. It had cracked and split apart over time, leaving what looked like a footpath over an abyss.
