CHAPTER 29
T he sound of squealing rubber and revving engines echoed as two drivers raced out of the National Guard base and into the narrow city streets nearby. Matthew held a modest lead and a definite advantage in Stratus’s Porsche. He hoped to stretch the gap in the tight city spaces and pushed the Porsche harder, drifting and skidding across double yellow lines.
He didn’t know who was after him, but if the assailant had the balls to track down and attempt an attack on a Pentagon operative, he might be in for some trouble if he were to be caught. Reflecting on the plan that Stratus had formed just minutes ago, Matthew cursed under his breath, realizing he had the short end of the stick.
Stratus would get away undetected while he was forced to outrun a mad man or face certain death. Matthew harbored no ill will towards Stratus, but it was clear he had negotiated a pretty good deal for himself. Matthew laughed it off as he continued to separate himself from the driver in the souped-up pickup truck behind him.
Matthew wanted to get rid of him, and fast, so he pushed the car harder, shifting so hard he thought he might break the gear stick off.
. . . .
Unaware he was following the wrong man, Fox One was thrilled to have the cocky SOB in his sights once again. He couldn’t lose him now, no telling how Mr. Sullivan would react to such a disappointment at such a critical time.
The truck wasn’t the best at cornering, and every turn and maneuver the Porsche made in front of him put distance between them. Fox One stayed heavy on the accelerator and let the truck’s body roll and pitch around the tight corners, even still, a few more strategic moves and the Porsche would be able to maneuver out of sight.
This would make him slow even further and guess which direction he was heading, and so far, the Porsche’s pattern was erratic.
He couldn’t allow this to happen. It was still the dead of night, and that favored Fox One for what he was about to do. Drawing police attention at this time was the last thing he needed, but he would just have to handle things if it resulted in unwanted attention.
Fox One rolled down his driver’s window, removed his pistol from his holster, and swapped his gun hand with a perfectly orchestrated move, while keeping the nose of his truck pointed directly at the Porsche.
Fox One could hear the Porsche’s engine rev up. He knew it would drift wide, so now was the time to act. He floor boarded his V8 monster and it roared to life, echoing loudly in the downtown area. He buckled his seatbelt and kept his straight line of pursuit, pointing the gun out window, he began firing in quick succession, aiming at the exposed passenger side tires of the sports car.
Several bullets hit their mark causing the car to skid in an uncontrolled drift, propelling the vehicle sideways, not forward. Fox One wasn’t about to let the Porsche regain its footing. He kept his foot pressed hard on the accelerator and rammed the front of his truck into the side of the vehicle with a crunch.
The truck’s momentum propelled both vehicles across all five lanes of traffic. All four sets of tires belted out like a banshee until they smashed into a downtown storefront with a boom, sending glass exploding out onto the sidewalk and street.
Matthew’s terror had been realized. The maniac had pinned the Porsche. No escape was possible unless the man inside was incapacitated. Matthew’s ears rang loudly, and he saw double until he blinked it away and cleared his mind.
Ironically, his first thought wasn’t of his immediate capture. It was the dread of telling Stratus his Porsche was smashed beyond all recognition. His fear shifted when he saw movement outside his vehicle. The man from the truck had kicked out his own windshield, climbed out onto his hood, and jumped down onto the Porsche.
As Matthew’s vision cleared he saw the man’s bulk through the spider web of cracks in the glass. He had a large burly athletic build, and the man’s disregard of injury terrified him. The man had to have a screw loose, or maybe he was just a mercenary that stopped at nothing to get his target.
The latter was confirmed as flames burst from underneath the Porsche and caught the store front on fire. Instead of backing off, Matthew saw a huge foot heading in his direction. The mad man kicked in the Porsche’s window, the laminated glass folding around his foot like a taco.
Matthew, still in shock at the man’s tenacity, was captivated. He had only managed to free himself from his seatbelt despite the flames kicking up around the car. Before he knew what was happening, the man reached in and dragged him out through the opening and onto the hood, then tossed him onto the pavement.
Matthew’s breath was knocked out of him. The man hopped down and pinned him to the ground. A look of anger and confusion appeared on the man’s face. Matthew was ready to fight, but before he could attempt to wriggle from the man’s grasp, the maniac spoke.
“Who the hell are you?”
“The man that’s gonna kick your ass if you don’t get off me!”
A couple of laughs escaped from Fox One. “Boy please, I’ll snuff you out so fast. Calm yourself and answer me. Who are you and what’s your connection with Stratus?”
“Oh, so you want answers? Stratus warned me enough about you and your kind. I’m not saying a word.”
“My kind—?”
Fox One’s words were ended by a right hook to his face from Matthew’s only free hand. The mad man’s head whipped sideways. He slowly straightened it and looked back at Matthew, who was now attempting to struggle free.
“Stratus didn’t warn you enough about me boy.” Fox One’s fist came down like a ton of bricks on Mathew’s face, sending his already clouded mind into unconsciousness.
Not caring if the man heard him, he spoke to Matthew as his eyes glassed over. “I’ll take you back and let Mr. Sullivan decided what to do with you. If you’re one of Stratus’s friends, I’m afraid he may hold that against you. Hell, I would. If you’re half the ass Stratus is, he may just kill you himself, even if you are a soldier.”
Fox One loaded the man into the pickup and pulled the truck away from the inferno that was erupting. A grinding screeching metal sound was heard until finally the truck’s bumper gave way. Fox One sped away. The entire Porsche, now in flames, followed with a small explosion. With a smile from ear to ear, Fox One stared in his rearview mirror and spoke to barely conscious Matthew.
“I can’t wait to find Stratus, just so I can tell him what happened to his beloved ride.”
CHAPTER 30
I nstead of a guard within the rear cabin, as is standard, it was the two of them and the driver. Stratus knew this was a substantial risk for the President. President Flury must want to tell him something important. The car pulled away and Stratus stared at the guard still glaring in his direction. He had an uneasy feeling he couldn’t quite shake.
“Mr. President, I apologize for—”
“Not yet Stratus, let’s wait until we’re clear of all the listening ears.”
Patience wasn’t Stratus’s strong point, but he relented and held the flood of information he was waiting to unload on the President. They pulled out of the gate and onto the street adjacent to the property. Silence filled the cabin for what seemed like an eternity. Six blocks away he couldn’t hold it back any longer.
“Sir I don’t want to get off on the wrong foot, but I needed to see you right away. I have something you’re going to want to hear. Can I count on you to keep an open mind?”
The President just stared in Stratus’s direction, looking not at him but through him, as if his mind were somewhere else. Stratus waited for a response, but nothing came. Finally, the President raised his hand to his ear then spoke.
“Confirmed. Be aware we are going dark. No coms for the next thirty minutes. Follow our lead. Goodbye,” said the President, turning his attention to Stratus. “Twenty more seconds is all you had to wait, Stratus. Geez. Now what’s so important you require me to have an open mind and empty stomach. You should be in jail son.”
“Sir let me start by saying any reports you’ve seen about my actions last nig
ht are true. Yes, I accompanied Sergeant Davis onto a military installation. Yes, I fired shots at a Staff Sergeant Baxter. Then I stole a Humvee, the same one I parked on your lawn. So let me tell you why I did it. I did it to learn the truth about Sergeant Davis’s suspicions.”
“Don’t tell me you’re involved with that nut case! I’ve seen his report.”
“President Flury, stop speaking and listen for a minute! A couple of weeks ago Sergeant Davis had several people in his squad go AWOL, all within a few days. In all, a total of five persons. Davis did some research, fearing something was off as he didn’t have dissension within his squad, these disappearances were unusual. They were even more unusual when he visited the families to see what may have happened to them. Every family he interviewed had no idea of the whereabouts of their missing spouses. Strange, right? But not strange enough to interrupt the President’s breakfast.”
“Look, I’ve heard Davis’s claim, and no back story is going to change my—.“
“Just shut up and listen! Shortly after his men had disappeared, one showed back up in the papers. Victor Regnique, the first to disappear had no recollection of where he had been the days he was missing. When Sergeant Davis wasn’t satisfied with the results of his evaluation from the medical staff recommending, Victor return to duty, Davis demanded more testing. It was denied. When he got his hands on the evaluation, he realized the performance was off, Victor was now perfect in small arms fire and personality testing put him in the leader category. None of this soldier’s historical data supported these new results. His concerns were once again ignored by the physician and by the time the next missing soldier returned, claiming he had been lost on a hike, Matthew was deep into something he couldn’t believe. I’m sure you’ve read his arrest records and his report to Staff Sergeant Baxter. He claims to have had encounters with an artificially intelligent mechanical being.”
“Right, I have. The man’s insane. Tell me this isn’t why you’ve drug me from the White House, because if it is, this conversation is over.”
“Sir everything in that report is true. I have firsthand knowledge. We sought an audience with Staff Sergeant. Baxter on base to tell him our findings. My finding I should say. The Butcher that nearly killed Davis… I’ve seen him too.”
“Wait a damn minute Stratus! Don’t tell me you’re selling crazy too! What firsthand knowledge? You sound insane!”
“Staff Sergeant Baxter wasn’t Staff Sergeant. Baxter when we arrived. He had been replaced, like all the other AWOL guardsman. President Flury, they have infiltrated that unit and I think they plan to do something bigger.”
The President shook his head and let out a couple of chuckles. “Son, I thought your promotion was a good thing. Now, I’m not so sure. Drop this nonsense and return to the Pentagon to lead your team. A damn robot conspiracy, Jesus Stratus, really?” Several more chuckles aggravated a frustrated Stratus.
“Sir how closely do you follow Pentagon weapon development research spending and clientele?”
“I’m not hands on, but I know of most of its research. Why do you ask?”
“Could you tell me what in hell Mr. Sullivan’s research is for exactly?”
“Who? We don’t have any contractors under that name.”
“Mr. President, I’ve done my research and I’ve seen the class one earmarks from deposits in Mr. Sullivan’s account. They were from government payments, hidden away from prying eyes. He’s a defense contractor, am I right?”
A serious stare came from the president. “Son, I’m afraid I’ve never heard of anyone by that name.”
“Look Mr. President, we both know Mr. Cromwell’s leave of absence was a lie. He was with me on the raid at Mr. Sullivan’s mansion. He’s dead! I’ve given you information about Mr. Sullivan’s involved with the DOD. He’s connected whether you know about it or not. I’ve seen his deadly little animal robot security force. I lost my whole squad to those monsters, then was taken hostage. Their newly emptied out data lab in the countryside is a sign. They’re mobile! They’re making a move! You need to listen to me President Flury!”
The President shook his head and pressed his fingers over his brow in frustration. “No, son, you don’t know what you’re talking about! This Sullivan business, it doesn’t concern you. You have no idea what they are doing there at Halaby.”
“So you admit a connection! Why the need for a coverup? They’re rogue Mr. President!”
“Don’t get so excited Stratus. They work for the Pentagon, nothing more to tell. You don’t know what you saw there.”
“You can’t bury it all. I know its past President Flury. Patrick Krueger’s death? The Leighland Corporation? Mrs. Likvold? And let’s not forget Leonard and his new employer New Wave.”
“Damn that Cromwell! I should have known he’d keep nosing around! He never could keep his mouth shut. You tell a man a few things in confidence, and the next thing you know, the whole world knows. Well hell, now that Cromwell has gone and spilled some of the beans I suppose I owe you some truth to light the subject. Nothing leaves this circle, and before I continue, you have to promise you’ll stop all this robot takeover crap.”
“I’m dying for someone to start telling the truth! I’ll concede the robot issue for now, but you’ll change your mind by the time we’re done talking sir.”
“Patrick’s involvement was key for our project development with the Sullivan’s. Leighland had been involved from the beginning and it was finally decided that the project’s core should reside there below the mansion. It was strategic, an off-the-beaten path location that wouldn’t draw attention nor be a target. No one fully knows how the surge of data showed up on their servers or their origin, but it was contained with the help of Patrick and also in part with a new partner, a Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan. Throughout the years Leighland had been a military contributor that was kept secret for decades, that is until the anomaly of data that caused many concerns and some to ask questions. It drew attention to Leighland and for that, the Pentagon severed all ties with them, as their research shall we say, was experimentally unaccepted at the time. After we convinced Patrick of the project’s importance, we staged his lab’s explosion and with his death died all investigation into the project. Of course, he wasn’t dead. He was very much alive and continuing his work on the project that we were supposed to have shut down. Cloud-based warfare was the future. The cloud’s role would be crucial and at the time, Patrick believed it would create a beneficial threat with little negative impact. Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan were eons ahead of our current technological abilities, so their partnership was crucial, but Patrick soon didn’t see eye to eye with them. In the end, it drove him mad and he committed suicide inside the Leighland lab. His death set the project back decades, and he also left a few road blocks in the way before he passed on.”
“If Patrick was so vital, why were his concerns ignored?”
“They weren’t entirely ignored, we acknowledged his concerns but were willing to take the necessary risks to advance the project. After all, this was the DOD. You sometimes have to take risks to get the upper hand in things. Besides, his theory of harm and impact was taken into account, it was monitored on every step we took, but to be honest it was a very unlikely probability.”
“You still didn’t tell me why he was willing to commit suicide to avoid advancing the program.”
The President looked forward and resituated his sitting position. “Your cell phone Mr. Lattamus, don’t you find it amazing that the technologies that reside within them was inconceivable back when Patrick was contemplating our cloud program? Entire rooms of computers were needed for the most basic of calculations.”
“Ya it’s amazing, I can play Angry Birds, check my emails, and video chat, big deal. So what’s your point? How does this help explain anything? I need answers.”
“Now it is your turn to shut up and listen Stratus.”
“I’ll listen if you’re going to make a point sometime today.”
President Flury shot him a death stare then calmed and spoke. “The answer is Artificial Intelligence Stratus. Patrick believed in the near future with this project in place that artificial intelligence would become intangible, indistinguishable, and incomprehensible for humans. He believed in safeguarding and believed it may already be too late. Patrick’s opinion was that if you’re already considering AI as a possibility or even how to prevent it, it’s already too late. He believed humans were too amazed at the simplicity and entertainment that technology provides in their lives to acknowledge that AI is right in front of them already. Simply acknowledging its possibility was inadvertently creating it within the same breath. We didn’t fully understand Patrick’s worries and concerns, at least we didn’t here in Washington. Patrick worked with Leighland twenty-four hours a day, he resided in their mansion and he was the only one who fully understood the systems he was creating. After his death, it was Mr. Sullivan who convinced me his work was still needed in the DOD. He too was convinced we would face an AI enemy in the future and we needed to do all we could do to be on top when it happened. He was committed to this and is today. As the impact of AI technologies increase, the more limited becomes our ability to understand their impact. Even experts won’t fully understand how they operate. Fortunately, the Sullivan’s had a unique talent, the amazing ability to understand these potential AI systems and destroy or keep them at bay for the Pentagon. The challenge of tomorrow, Mrs. Sullivan always said, was that AI doesn’t need a tangible embodiment any longer. It can manifest itself through a different mediator, a graphical user interface, cloud, or plainly a voice interface. Our dependence on technology has blurred this line, making one’s life actually more complicated without the use of technology and the need to remember anything unnecessary when the answer is available with the click of a button. The word artificial begins to disappear, and you’re just left with intelligence.”
The Second Rising Page 21
