Resurrection (The Stork Tower Book 7)

by Tony Corden

  “Jimmy: You’ve not left the thieving ways behind just yet, Leah. You’ve simply graduated from the minor league. Just think, you’re planning to break into a secure facility and steal something this very day.”

  Leah tried to chuckle and thought she’d been sort of successful, but it was only a parody of a laugh, and it was good she didn’t see the looks of pity and rage that appeared on everyone’s faces around her.

  After Leah had walked through three times without any difficulty, John said, “John: Let’s stop for breakfast, then have Leah try doing it with the suit. Once she’s done that a few times we’ll move to the upper floor because the exhaust chimney is finally done. We need to leave here at two to get into position by six. We have seven hours.”

  Everyone agreed, and Leah was helped to the side of the building where she was surprised to find her mother. Lin said, “I told you I needed to watch what you are doing. John’s explained what’s happening and I’ve seen you can do it. I also came to help with breakfast. Sit down and let me feed you.”

  Aker had been working on the suit through the night, and after Leah ate, they moved to a small room to get Leah dressed. Once in the suit, Leah was almost overwhelmed with the flood of sensations she felt across her body. She took a few deep breaths and then moved into one of the meditative poses Master Ning had shown her. She let the sensations touch her, but pulled herself back from trying to analyse each individual piece of data. If what she’d been reading on the way the brain worked was true, then it should be able to take what she knew about the data and interpret it in a way that she could readily use. This was what she’d done in cyberspace and what she hoped would happen in whatever reality she and Aker had constructed.

  Leah wasn’t sure how long she stood there, but slowly her brain put together an image of the room. She could see where Aker was standing next to her mother, and she sensed the small increase of heat coming from beneath the door. What surprised her was the additional data her neural system added to the picture, information that she and Aker hadn’t discussed. She could just make out the flow of electricity to the light, and she could also sense where the light switch was.

  Although it didn’t really change anything, Leah had closed her eyes while meditating. She opened them and walked toward the door as she used her left hand to type, “This is amazing Aker, let’s go see what we can do with it.”

  Opening the door, Leah found her brain capable of interpreting the new signals without a discernible time-lag. She walked to the place where the exhaust chimney would lead to. Turning her head so it was orientated toward the body she was sure was John, she typed, “John, are you ready?”

  Surprised at her accuracy in knowing it was him, John said, “I am. Start whenever you’re ready.”

  Without hesitation, Leah moved through the area avoiding the obstacles and making her way directly to the data point John Welford had indicated was the most likely to have direct access to the security system. When she’d finished, John said, “Leah, let’s try that again and then we’ll practice coming down the exhaust fan.”

  As Leah moved back to the bottom of where the exhaust fan would be, she sensed people moving furniture around to put things in her way. They hadn’t done this before, but she recognised Jimmy’s handiwork. Turning to where she suspected Jimmy was, she typed, “You’ll have to do better than that, Jimmy.”

  The figure she thought was him waved arms around, and two shapes placed themselves in the area as if hiding. Leah waited for a moment, then made her way through the first area, weaving around the obstacles Jimmy had placed there. As she came through the first ‘doorway’ Johan stepped forward, carefully swinging his arm toward her. Leah moved fast, and ducking under his arm she tapped him lightly in the solar plexus and then on the side of the head. Leah did the same when Lacey attacked and then with John. Neither of them tried to be careful. After she inserted the data device into the socket, John said, “Well done, Leah. Aker has done an amazing job with the suit. Do you want to try the exhaust fan with or without the suit?”

  “Let’s start without. It’s worked well so far today, and Aker is still receiving shipments of the sensors.”

  “Good, you get changed while we send Brett down first.”

  13

  December 23 2073

  REAL WORLD

  Leah was disorientated when she first took the suit off but swallowed the burst of fear and straightened her shoulders. Her mother carefully reached out and handed the lighter gloves to Leah, then waited while she put them on before saying, “That was amazing Ling. It was almost faster than someone with all their senses working could do.”

  Leah nodded, then said, “I can go faster, but I didn’t want everyone to see, and I didn’t want to hurt anyone. I’m only telling you in here because Aker already has some idea of my new skills.”

  “Aker: No matter how much you think I know, I’m still amazed every time you do something.”

  “Well a lot of that was because of the amazing suit you’ve created. Mum, please help me back outside.”

  Although she needed her mother’s help, Leah realised she was still more aware of the switch, the light and the cables that ran through the walls than she had been. Lin took Leah to John, who then helped Leah up a few flights of stairs. When they reached the top John said, “The actual exhaust chimney runs from the basement where the main incinerator is. The air is continuously sucked from the furnace and after being filtered, runs along the basement roof through several collection points to collect any moisture that condenses in the pipe. The pipe then turns and runs up through the centre of one of the hospital’s main utility towers where any exhaust is cooled further.

  “There is an auxiliary incinerator in the neurology department. It is a micro-furnace which is used to destroy any waste from the chipping procedure as well as other neurosurgery. The exhaust from the micro furnace is also filtered before it joins the larger conduit from the main incinerator. The chimney itself is modular in design. The main channel is fifty centimetres in diameter and is surrounded by a range of other utilities all within the central core of the tower.

  “You need to descend through the main channel and exit into the central part of the tower. You can’t enter neurology directly through the chimney, because the conduit from the neurology incinerator is only twenty-five centimetres in diameter. You can’t descend through the utility tower itself because large high-speed fans surround the central column and are used to cool the hospital. However, there is a sealed access hatch from the incinerator room in neurology to the core of the tower.

  “With the exhaust from the neurology department’s incinerator active, you wouldn’t be able to descend far enough to exit out onto the correct floor, and that’s one of the limiting factors that meant this is the best time to enter. The maintenance program closes the furnace for maintenance and cleaning for a random eight minutes each Saturday evening. In that eight minutes you need to descend eight stories through the fifty centimetre conduit, stop at the correct exit point, break through the wall of the exhaust pipe, and seal it so no alarms sound when the incinerator restarts. You can then exit into the neurology department and let us in.

  “We have only three flights for you to practice on. Jimmy managed to steal five sections of piping similar to that which runs down the chimney. We need to work out how to break through and then how to seal it after you’re through into the open area of the utility tower. The best bet is a handheld laser cutter which we’ll practice with after you’re sure you can descend safely.”

  “Can I use a simple altimeter to measure the drop?”

  “It’s not sensitive enough. They either work on atmospheric pressure or use the GPS data to calculate the exact position. The high speed fans and the density of other signals make this simply not accurate enough. We thought of going old school and use rope or measuring line. We’ll use a high-speed winch to retrieve it.”

  “What’s the conduit wall made of?”

  “Steel out
er layer with heat resistant ceramic inner layer. The problem is knowing where to cut so you miss the sensors embedded in the ceramic. If they fail, then a message is sent to maintenance who will send a repair team immediately.”

  “How do you expect Billy to do that?”

  “We’re still trying to work that out. We’re certain the sensors are distributed according to a uniform or set pattern, and we’re still trying to access that exact information on the model used. Even if we have that, it will be almost impossible to match your orientation after dropping eight floors. The ceramic inner layer can be orientated at least four ways depending on where the fiberoptic connections are best accessed.”

  “Let’s test the descent while I consider how to get through the pipe. Are there sensors on the model we have connected?”

  “No. We’re still waiting on the information. The one working piece we have, we’ll work on last. Once it’s destroyed, we have nothing to practice on. The ones we have in place we made of the same materials and are up to specification except with no sensor connections.”

  “Let me practice the drop and using the laser of the mock modules, and then I’ll examine the real thing. Please have it connected, so the sensors are live.”

  Leah was almost convinced she could feel a sigh of resignation from John when he said, “OK, Leah. I’ll get that organised.”

  Billy went first and fit down the chimney with relative ease. It was tight, but he had enough room to move if he needed to use a cutter of any sort. His range of movement would let him cut out a window in the side of the conduit through which he could squeeze. Leah, on the other hand, either had to pull her shoulders forward and use small breaths, reducing her chest circumference, or she had to raise her arms above her head as if she was diving. These were the only ways she could rapidly descend. Once she reached the correct level, her range of movements was so restricted she doubted she would be able to use the laser cutter unless they found a way to modify it.

  The second time she went down head first with her arms above her head, and while she thought she’d be able to handle the laser cutter, she found the position stretched her still damaged shoulder and arms. Billy found the headfirst descent made using the laser easier. Leah was about to head up to the top for another practice run when John called her over to the authentic module. He said, “Leah, the sensors are on, and I’ve sent Lacey to see what handheld instruments are available that could identify the sensor locations.”

  Leah ran her hand over the outside, then said, “I can pinpoint them for you.”

  “What do you mean, you can pinpoint them?”

  “I can feel the slight current running through the sensor.”

  Although John trusted Leah, he still found this hard to accept until the small scanner Lacey brought verified each of the points and connecting optical wires that Leah pointed to. They then worked on both Billy and Leah cutting through the wall of the conduit. Billy was able to use the scanner to mark the sensor points and then the cutter, but he struggled to locate, cut through the chimney wall and seal it within the eight minutes. Leah struggled with using the laser cutter until Aker suggested making a frame to attach to the suit. Using the frame Leah was able to hold and direct the cutter using simple hand motions.

  By the time they had to leave, both Billy and Leah were both able to cut through the chimney in under five minutes while missing any sensors they identified. With the additional five stories they had to descend they calculated they could do it in seven. Leah removed her helmet then went to sit next to Billy. “Billy, I’m going to do the actual job because the less people who go, the safer it is. I’m impressed by the work you did today and know that if necessary, you would have been able to get me, and the team, into the office. Keep working hard at things and come and talk sometime.”

  Billy looked up and stared at Leah. “Billy: Thanks, Leah, Jimmy says you’re the best, but I didn’t believe him until today. He said it was because you wanted it more. I want to be better, but I don’t really know what I want in the end.”

  “That’s because you are young. I didn’t really have a real firm idea of what I wanted, I just knew I wanted to have a choice. I wanted to make sure there wasn’t anything I could have done to get where I wanted to go that I didn’t do. You need good hand and eye skills, good defensive skills, good technical skills but you also need to use your brain. You need to read books that teach you about life, about the world, about history and finance, just to name a few important things. If school or people give you an opportunity to improve then take it. What you did today was like that. I told Jimmy I wouldn’t let him send you on this mission, it is too dangerous. I wanted you to learn though, it gives you more skills and a chance to be better.”

  “No one tells Jimmy what to do.”

  “Today, I did. This is my operation. If it was Jimmy’s, then he would tell me what to do.”

  “How can you change who’s the boss like that?”

  “It’s easy, really. I respect Jimmy and he respects me. We know each other and have learned to trust each other.”

  Just then, John came over and said, “Leah, it’s time to go.”

  Leah nodded and picked up her helmet. With the suit on, she knew where everything was so she walked over to her mother and said, “Mum, if everything goes well I’ll be back sometime early in the morning. Please tell Dad and Conner that I love them.”

  Lin gave her a gentle hug, then, sensing Aker walking toward her, Leah turned to face her. Aker was holding two pieces of armour. Aker said, “Leah, please take these. I wasn’t sure if it would be ready by now, so I said nothing. They form a modified helmet. I’ve removed all the weak points by removing the frames and cavities that I had formed in the original to provide vision and hearing. When they’re attached, they can easily take the punishment that shattered the last one. There is still increased sensory feedback, but I’ve bundled the connections through several especially armoured conduits. That isn’t necessary for the rest of the suit because of its inherent flexibility, but the regular lattice of minute perforations could have weakened the strength of the helmet.”

  Leah thanked Aker, then followed John to the waiting car. The car had been driven into the building, and John Welford and Jimmy were already inside. John handed Jimmy a large cloth which he draped over John Welford. John said, “Leah, put your helmet on. I’ve got a suit similar to yours but without the sensory upgrade. Aker assures me that if the authorities or others have sensors aimed at this place they should only be able to sense Jimmy. They’ll need to have high-grade military-level sensors to pick us up. No talking in the vehicle as supposedly Jimmy is alone and they could pick up some sound. We can talk through the suit network if you need to communicate. Jimmy and Welford are out of the loop.”

  Looking into the car, John said, ‘Welford, if you say anything or do anything to upset the plans, then your freedom will be revoked permanently.”

  Leah had John help with the new helmet and got inside. Once John was in the doors shut, and the automated car left the compound.

  14

  December 23 2073

  REAL WORLD

  Jimmy was to be the decoy. He was visiting several other bosses. John, Leah and Welford left the car at his third meeting of the afternoon and got in a different vehicle. Altogether they changed vehicles five times, and each time several vehicles left each rendezvous point about the same time. Each of these vehicles went to other venues where they met even more vehicles which dispersed around that same time.

  Jimmy had arranged over three hundred vehicles to move in a dance which extended both in and out of the city and throughout the afternoon. Jimmy was certain the vehicle they left the power station in was followed, and he ‘accidentally’ allowed himself to be seen when he changed cars for the fourth time. If anyone was able to cover all of the thousands of sites with surveillance, then, Leah and John might have been followed. Still, Jimmy was confident they would follow his actions, especially when he rendezvoused with
a known police informant who also supplied illegal weapons. Jimmy made sure to seem interested but was careful not to buy anything or implicate himself.

  John tapped Leah on the shoulder when they arrived at a loading bay behind a small electronics wholesaler located two hundred metres from the hospital. Using the suit network, he said, “Leah, when we leave the car there is a door right in front of you. It belongs to an electrical distributor. Her shop has state of the art security. Once inside we should be OK to talk. We’ll also be able to check if there was any active surveillance aimed at us when we left the car. Lacey is waiting inside.”

  Once everyone was inside, Leah looked around. She could see two people at the far end of the small warehouse. Using the feedback from the suit, she could tell which one was Lacey. Beside her was a slightly taller and older looking woman. Leah was still amazed at how her skin could pick up the slight differences in temperature which Aker, Reed and she had used to give her some sense of depth and colour. This, combined with the subtle shifting of pressure to show distance and using slight vibrational variances to show speed, gave her an almost crystal clear awareness of what was around her.

  In some ways, it was better than when she had her real sight and hearing. She could not only see Lacey and the store owner, but she could also see Welford and John making their way into the store behind her. As she approached Lacey, she typed, “Hey, Lacey.”

  Then, turning to the other woman, she put out her right hand to shake as she typed with her left. “Hello. I want to thank you for your help today. My name is Leah.”