Heart of Granite

by James Barclay

  ‘Oh, right. No field testing’s been done, has it?’ said Max.

  Kirby shook his head. ‘That would be part of Inferno’s brief.’

  ‘Wow. So why didn’t you mention this at the debrief? Could have saved a lot of trouble, sir.’

  ‘I had no knowledge of the research until two hours ago. It was completed at a level above my security grade.’

  ‘Bloody hell.’

  ‘Quite.’

  ‘And say I try to convince Valera, Steps and I walk free?’

  ‘As I said, a reduction to a minor misdemeanour only. No stain on your record.After all, Hewitt does have a big mouth.’

  ‘Even bigger after my fist got stuck in it.’

  ‘Enough, Halloran.’

  ‘And he’ll apologise to the squad. We aren’t cowards.’

  ‘Don’t push your luck. Will you do it?’

  ‘Sure. Didn’t like the décor in here anyway,’ said Max. ‘So, what does this upgrade do, then?’

  ‘Max!’ He turned from his pod door to see Valera tucked away in her favourite corner of an otherwise empty squad room. ‘I heard you were out.’

  ‘Bad news travels fast, huh? No interviews, not until I se e my lawyer.’

  ‘Very funny. Get your arse over here.’

  ‘Where’s the squad?’

  ‘Anywhere but here,’ said Valera. ‘I wanted to speak to you alone and my pod’s a mess.’

  Max walked over, trying to assess Valera’s mood as she poured coffee into two mugs and shoved one across the table at him, indicating where he should sit.

  ‘This is a bit formal, isn’t it?’

  ‘What did Kirby have to say?’

  ‘It was a bit weird, really,’ said Max, sitting opposite her. ‘He was trying to bribe me . . . but he did have a few interesting things to say.’

  Valera scowled. ‘Anything he said was at best a half-truth. Spill it.’

  ‘He said there’s a sentience upgrade available, something to help against the new Maf drakes because we still have to go out. He wanted me to help convince you to accept it. Something like that anyway.’

  ‘And I suppose he told you it was all tested and a hundred per cent safe, right?’ said Valera, her scowl deepening.

  ‘I— yes, how did you know?’ said Max, starting to feel like he was passing on second-hand news.

  ‘Lucky guess. So what does it give us, this uniquely safe upgrade?’

  Max smiled apologetically. ‘It speeds up drake reaction to stimulus and would give us back our competitive edge. It sounds like what we need to kick those bastards in the teeth. But I know how you feel about these upgrades so I’m not going to do the hard sell he wanted me to. I answer to you, not him.’

  Valera smiled. ‘Kirby always sounds convincing but he’s a sly bastard. He wouldn’t be pushing this unless it helped him. Yes, we need to get an edge over the Mafs but not at any cost. Sentience upgrades might be very effective but they push us into the Fall quicker. Fleshware is almost as good but far more expensive. Don’t be naïve about this. Our well-being will be bottom of the list.’

  ‘I get it, but—’

  ‘But nothing, Max. There are plenty of ongoing projects that promise genuine results, but none have even reached field testing. Whatever this is, I guarantee it’s poorly tested and unsafe.’

  ‘Are you sure? Kirby said it was completed above his security level. It’ll be shielded, right?’

  Valera sighed. ‘If that’s true then it’s definitely dangerous. Kirby’s on the upgrade oversight committee and if he really hasn’t seen data, it means it’s being pushed from way, way up high. That cannot be good for us. Moeller warned me something was coming. Now I get why he looked so unhappy.

  ‘This is like a magic trick, Max . . . hey, you got beaten up in the sky yesterday and so . .. ta dah! Here’s an upgrade to help you kick their arses.’

  Max took a moment to let it all sink in. He couldn’t escape the disappointment.

  ‘So Moeller spoke to you. About this?’

  ‘Yeah, he said an upgrade approval meeting was coming and to ensure we were all fit.’

  ‘Why?’ asked Max.

  ‘Because, contractually, we have to be retested before a sentience upgrade is initiated and it’s a lot more than a brain pattern scan. He knows I’ll invoke that clause to force a delay and he said he’d sign any of us off sick I wanted.’

  ‘Bloody hell.’ Max’s mind was whirling. Valera was almost certainly right but he couldn’t see what it really changed. ‘What can we do? We have to fly and without help, we’ll get slaughtered.’

  ‘Quite.’

  ‘So you’re going to the meeting?’

  ‘You bet your arse, I am. But I’m supposed to go with your ringing endorsement, aren’t I?’

  ‘Do you think he’ll notice I didn’t give it?’

  ‘I think I’ll tell him we had a frank discussion about it.’

  ‘Can you refuse the upgrade?’ asked Max. ‘Can you afford to?’

  Valera sighed. ‘I don’t know . . . on both counts. Shit but Kirby’s done a job, hasn’t he? Pretty obvious what he’ll throw at me if I object and a fleshware alternative seems unlikely, and probably couldn’t be designed and installed in any sensible timeframe anyway ? The more I think about it, the more we’re screwed whichever way we jump.’

  ‘But . ..’ Max grasped for a way to say what he really wanted. ‘Surely it’s better to, y’know, live to fight another day.’

  Valera smiled but it was forced. ‘I can’t argue with that logic but without any field testing— and I’ve seen no data on it at all— it could even be riskier than fighting the new Mafs just as we are. Just because it’s possible doesn’t mean it works.’

  ‘I’m not with you… I mean if we go out as we are, we’ll just get burned again.’

  ‘But with an untested sentience upgrade, we really could all Fall first time out and remember, once it’s done, the upgrade can’t be undone and if it isunsafe…well, you work it out.’

  ‘Sorry, Skipper.’

  ‘For what?’

  ‘Well, y’know, if I hadn’t lost my rag.’

  ‘Don’t beat yourself up, Max. You twatting that prick was the best thing I’ve seen in ages.’ Valera drained her coffee. ‘Someone knew about the upgrade before the briefing, they must have. Why didn’t they make it known as an option sooner? The fact they were prepared to order us out with nothing else is what really pisses me off.’

  ‘So what’re you going to do?’

  Valera shrugged. ‘I have no idea.’

  Alexandra Solomon loved seeing people’s faces when she unexpectedly attended their meetings. And this time she had two to enjoy. Moeller came in first and his face fell heavily, even as he greeted her with priceless forced warmth.

  Valera Orin, she of the iron mind and unnatural longevity for a pilot, walked in next, saw her and almost tripped. She regained a measure of composure and mumbled a greeting but her body language telegraphed her anxiety with every movement. Perfect, and the best bit was still to come: as soon as Kirby, Avery, Moeller and Orin were seated around the small circular table, she played her joker.

  ‘Literally,’ she muttered, then louder. ‘Thank you all for coming. Since this is such a key matter, I would like to welcome our sixth attendee.’

  Solomon tapped her p-palm and the screens at either end of the meeting room displayed President Corsini’s beaming countenance. Orin’s face went sheet-white. Moeller’s gaze went blank.

  ‘Good afternoon, Heart of Granite,’ said Corsini. ‘Sorry I couldn’t be with you in person.’

  ‘Loud and clear, Mister President,’ said Solomon. ‘I think you’re familiar with everyone here but Squadron Leader Valera Orin, one of our finest pilots.’

  ‘One of?’ said Corsini. ‘Surely the famed leader of InfernoX is our very best pilot!’ Orin blushed and shifted in her seat.

  ‘Before we start, Valera,’ continued Corsini. ‘May I say how personally sorry I was to hear of
your losses in the service of United Europa. Irreplaceable people but I know you’ll rise above it and strike back as you always have done.’

  ‘Thank you, sir,’ said Valera, her voice a little dry.

  Solomon reminded herself to congratulate Corsini on delivering his lines with such aplomb . . . so far. There was still plenty of time for the idiot to screw up.

  ‘Mister Kirby, the meeting is yours,’ she said.

  ‘Actually, if I may?’ asked Orin. Kirby, halfway out of his chair, sat down with a heavy sigh and waved impatiently for her to go ahead. ‘This is a meeting to discuss an internal matter concerning the welfare of Inferno-X drakes and pilots, and a potential sentience upgrade implementation process. With respect, might I know your interest, Mister President and yours, Marshal General Solomon?’

  Solomon ticked her head and forced a smile on to her face. Disappointing that Orin had been off-balance for so brief a time.

  ‘A sound question. Good to know our staff are fully versed in the minutiae of regulations. As a senior ranking officer I may attend any meeting as part of my over-watch duties. Mister President?’

  ‘My concern is to understand the problems facing my forces on the front line and so I can better direct our scarce funds to the correct cost centres,’ said Corsini. ‘Do you wish me to withdraw, Squadron Leader Orin?’

  ‘Of course not, sir. Forgive me.’

  ‘Not at all,’ said Corsini, oozing good grace. ‘If we are not all properly informed, how can we make properly informed decisions?’

  Solomon let the silence settle before nodding for Kirby to continue.

  ‘We’ve had very exciting news,’ he said. ‘A genuine game- changing breakthrough. Just a few hours ago I was handed the results of some understandably confidential research conducted by Professor Helena Markov. The Extra Reptilian Construct design and research team have isolated the key synapse trails and a single DNA strand shared by human and fire drake. Together they allow significantly quicker drake reaction times to both neural and physical stimuli.’

  Solomon glanced around the room. Corsini was reacting as if he’d heard the word of God; Orin looked as if someone had puked in her dinner; while Avery was failing to contain her excitement and Moeller was failing to appear neutral.

  Kirby tapped his p-palm and the research data popped up on everyone’s screens.

  ‘Let me take you through the detail on this fully dry-tested and safety-one rated sentience upgrade.’

  Kirby was a pro, Solomon would give him that; an excellent ally despite his own ambition. They all knew Orin would be reluctant so he was focusing on Avery and Moeller. With them onside, this was a done deal. They all listened intently, Orin studying the data on her p-palm while Kirby ran through the brief and drew his conclusions.

  ‘The key advance is the neural adjustment. Slight but powerful, it offers exceptional pilot security and longevity as well as value for money. The dry testing showed no adverse results for human or drake and gave pilots in combat situations faster reaction times, faster targeting and quicker, keener delivery of flame, melee and ECM weaponry.

  ‘It is the ultimate zero-risk upgrade and I recommend it for live combat field testing without reservation. Are there any questions?’

  ‘How can you call it risk-free?’ asked Orin and Solomon saw Kirby tense. ‘There has been no field testing, hence no data for potential feedback or bleed-through analysis. Every other DNA-synapse linkage has been proven to be a two-way system, yet there is no recommendation for mind-shielding. This upgrade is not ready.’

  ‘You’re questioning Professor Markov’s conclusions?’ asked Kirby, a frown on his face.

  ‘I can’t even find her conclusions, just the results of early- stage dry testing. Hard to believe her name is there on the signoff.’

  ‘Yet it is there,’ said Corsini.

  ‘We have a situation here,’ said Solomon, already bored by Orin’s line. ‘We must attack the Maputo but these new Maf drakes are a problem. This upgrade will help you remove that problem. You need to accept it.’

  ‘So you admit it’s being rushed through?’

  ‘It’s being prioritised,’ said Kirby. ‘And it’s your weapon to strike back.’

  ‘Only if it works under combat conditions,’ said Valera. ‘The field-testing records are littered with the problems associated with heightened drake brain activity under stress. You’re risking pushing us all into the Fall in one hit. How can that be worth it?’

  ‘Is it worth the risk flying without the upgrade? Because fly you must. What if there are more than ten enhanced Maf drakes?’

  ‘This attack will go ahead,’ said Corsini. ‘The joint chiefs are in agreement. Take the upgrade. Fight the enemy.’

  ‘I urge you to reconsider,’ said Valera. ‘I cannot approve this upgrade and I can’t understand why Markov has – she’s never signed off anything this incomplete before. It concerns me that the two things not currently on the table, fleshware and mind-shielding, are coincidentally the most expensive to implement yet would both better protect your most prized assets from the Fall.’

  ‘Our window for the attack is too brief to allow a fleshware upgrade.’ Solomon spoke firmly. ‘Mind-shielding will be considered following the attack on the Maputo, you have my word on that. Meanwhile, without trusting this upgrade, and Professor Markov, further Inferno-X losses are guaranteed. But thank you for your input, Orin, we all understand and respect your position.’

  ‘I hope so, ma’am,’ said Orin. ‘I’d hate to think what would happen if pilots got to thinking that drakes were a more valuable commodity than their pilots.’

  ‘I can assure you that will never happen,’ said Solomon, her smile forced.

  ‘Do you have any further comments before you go?’ asked Kirby pleasantly.

  ‘Go?’

  ‘Of course. We needed to hear your concerns first-hand. Unless you have more to say, now we need to discuss financial implications.’

  Orin shrugged and pushed back her chair. She looked squarely at Moeller.

  ‘Our contracts and your responsibilities are quite clear. I don’t understand why this upgrade has been brought forward and the fleshware tweaking we had begun to discuss with Rosenbach has been abandoned. It smacks of expediency and we’ve seen throughout this war that expediency trumping sense costs pilots’ lives. There is time to implement minor fleshware improvements but it requires you to approve the spend.’

  Orin turned and strode from the room, the door closing softly on its hydraulic hinge.

  Solomon stared after her for a moment. ‘She was supposed to come here with an open mind, Robert. What the fuck just happened?’

  ‘She is a woman of singular determination’ said Kirby.

  ‘She’s loyal to her squad, that’s what she is,’ said Moeller.

  ‘This upgrade is going ahead, I presume?’ interrupted Corsini, irritation plain in his tone. ‘We’ve heard her bleating and now we need to push ahead.’

  ‘Unfortunately, given Orin’s objections, the current contractual structure makes swift implementation difficult,’ said Kirby.

  Corsini nodded but Solomon could see he was about to explode.

  ‘So which fucking moron drew up a contract giving power to the bloody pilots? This is a fucking war! Who gives a shit about the rules when you need to win a war and I need to win an election to keep you bastards in your jobs. She was supposed to roll over. What a fucking backfire. Who wants to go first?’

  Solomon raised an eyebrow at the trio of senior military executives squirming under the President’s cold anger.

  ‘It’s very simple’ she said. ‘We have an enemy behemoth to attack, we know it is weak and we are closing on it. This upgrade must and will go ahead. I simply do not understand why she would refuse something that will save the lives of her and her squad.’

  ‘She’s looking beyond the current fight,’ said Moeller.

  ‘Without the upgrade there won’t be any “beyond”,’ snapped Solomon.
‘Find out what she’s angling for and give it to her.’

  ‘Within budget,’ added Corsini.

  Solomon’s smile was thin to vanishing point. ‘Mister President, I’ll report back to you with a solution and timescale later this afternoon. I’m sure you have better things to do.’

  Solomon stared at him until he nodded fractionally and cut his connection. She rounded on the three of them.

  ‘You’re all a fucking embarrassment. I will not play upgrade poker with an upstart drake pilot. I want her minimum requirements delivered to me in two hours from now and if I don’t like what I read, I’ll send her and her squad out to die and upgrade the Hammerclaws. Am I clear?’

  She stood and strode from the meeting room.

  Chapter 15

  When the risks to drake pilots became clear, there was a hurricane of controversy. While young men and women lined up to join the programme, lawyers were tying the military in knots and the final contracts placed real influence in the hands of ranking military personnel. For the military, it enabled their most powerful weapon. For me, it approved some incredible new research.

  Professor Helena Markov, Managing Director, Extra Reptilian Construct Organisation.

  Avery leaned back in her chair. ‘You know, I think that went rather well.’

  ‘Were you in a different meeting?’ asked Kirby. ‘And you didn’t say a word.’

  ‘Speaking out didn’t play well, did it?’ Avery replied. ‘Think it through. We tried a quick argument, it hasn’t worked and now we have to go a little more carefully.’

  ‘She won’t go for the upgrade,’ said Moeller. ‘Our own contracts have tied us up in knots. Who did write them, anyway?’

  ‘Solomon did, of course, and Corsini signed them off back when the risks seemed so extreme that getting anyone to sign up without a lawyer next to them was like pushing behemoth shit uphill with a hay fork. Offering them a veto on upgrades seemed a smart move. Doesn’t seem so smart, now, eh?’

  Avery felt warm inside.‘Best bit is that Solomon knows the moment that screen went blank, Corsini ordered some minion to find out who drew up the contracts. Wish I could overhear their next conversation.’