by R E Kearney
Another alarm screams from Komfort’s wrist. She activates the screen.
She bolts out of her chair to her feet. “Oh pask! We’ve got to go. Ubica is headed toward Evoil’s room.”
Robert struggles to catch Komfort as she sprints across the plaza, ducking and weaving through the meandering researchers. Within seconds they dash into Butaritari tower. Leaping three and four steps at a time, they hurriedly bound to the sixth floor. Still inexperienced operating his exoskeleton suit, when Robert leaps out of the stairway, he crashes against the opposite wall. With a thud, he collapses into a bruised heap on the floor.
Komfort never slows. She races down the corridor toward Evoil’s room. Sprawled on the floor, Robert watches her disappear around a corner. Fighting pain in his left shoulder, he struggles to his feet and grimacing jogs after her.
Seconds later, he discovers her and Ubica outside Evoil’s room. She has the much larger man pinned against the wall. Ubica strains against Komfort’s grip. But, he has no chance to overwhelm her amplified exoskeleton strength. She is not hurting him, just holding him.
“He must pay for what he did to my people!” Ubica struggles against Komfort.
“He will pay Naucna. He will pay. Trust me. But, it cannot happen here. No harm must come to him here. Not here! Do you understand?”
Ubica searches Komfort’s eyes and then slowly drops his head in sad resignation. “Yes, I understand.”
“I promise you Naucna, I will make him pay. I will. I promise. He will suffer. Abaddon will pay too. But now, it is not yet time and Venus is not the place.” Cautiously, Komfort releases Ubica. “I am letting you go now. But, you must promise to stay away from Evoil. If he is harmed here, Abaddon will destroy Venus.”
Forlorn, Ubica backs away from Robert and Komfort and Evoil’s room. Then he hesitates and points an angry, indignant, shaking finger at Evoil’s door. “He should not be here,” he hisses. “This is our place. He does not belong here. He is evil. He is our enemy.”
“Yes. He is evil. But, today he is our guest so I am honor bound to follow the custom of nanawatai and protect him against his enemies at all costs. Do you understand?”
“Yes, I understand. But, there will be others. The network knows. Others will come,” Ubica turns and disappears down the corridor.
“That is a brave thing you did…to save Evoil,” Robert commends Komfort.
“I didn’t do it to save him. I did it to save Venus and SPEA.” She activates her wrist computer. “We’ll be staying here until we all leave tomorrow. I just ordered us some food and drink and hygiene materials. We’ll use this adjoining room for sleep breaks. I’ll have this end of the corridor emptied, so we’re alone.”
“Do you really expect another of those self-involved, cyber citizens I saw wandering the plaza to attack Evoil?”
“Ubica did. Didn’t he? And he’s as much one of those cyber citizens as any of them,” Komfort drags a chair into the corridor from the room adjoining Evoil’s. “Besides, you’re forgetting about the thousands of exiled US citizens living here. We may not be able to unite and fight an army, but we aren’t all weak wonks, either.”
“And I’m certain that most of these exiled Americans don’t have much regard for Evoil.” Robert studies Komfort for her reaction. “I find it intriguing how those Kroack brother communications appeared now. Seems extremely convenient for anybody opposing Abaddon to me. Effectively demonizes them in front of the whole world. Doesn’t it?”
Komfort perches on the edge of her chair and locks eyes with Robert. “I’m not permitting anybody, even if they have the best of intentions, to endanger SPEA and Venus. And I am not allowing anybody to interfere with my plan.”
“Plan?”
Agitated, she vaults out of her chair and paces across the corridor. “SPEA is my life. My life! And, I believe SPEA and the technologies emerging here on Venus could possibly be what saves the earth’s future.”
“So what is your plan?”
“My plan? I will not allow the US and the Russians to destroy SPEA and Venus like they destroyed Estonia! No! Not again! I will die first. That’s my plan!”
Chapter 14.
Night Sweats
Robert and Komfort enjoy no sleep after Ubica withdraws. They do not have the opportunity. As sedated Evoil’s only protection, their staying vigilant is essential.
Apprehensive, Komfort continues pacing the emptied corridor outside Evoil’s door. “I sincerely hope Ubica is wrong. Having Evoil here places SPEA in an extremely awkward situation, you know. Fact is, he simply shouldn’t be here. He is desecrating everything SPEA represents. I feel like I’m violating my promise to all of the scientists and researchers. I have to protect them by protecting him.”
“Why can’t Venus security help Mugavus? It shouldn’t be your burden alone.”
Komfort snickers, “What security? SPEA doesn’t have any police. Venus never needed police. Never wanted police. Now, thanks to Israeli military skills, Venus is inside a well defended air and sea circle. Air and ground security-bots do patrol our perimeter, but we keep them out there and out of sight. Here in central Venus, you know we believe in brains not brawn.”
“So it’s just us? You and me?”
“That’s right Robert. It’s just us. And that’s all it’s going to be. The less SPEA is directly involved, the less chance SPEA can be impugned and attacked.”
“No chance of security-bots?”
Komfort points at Robert. “You and me Robert. We have to protect Evoil to protect SPEA and Venus. Makes me a little nauseous to say that, but that’s the way it is. Evoil is untouchable here. Later. His time will come later.”
Ubica’s warnings prove accurate. Less than ten minutes pass before hackers control the sixth floor’s climate control and energy systems. The lighting, power-generating floor tiles and air-distributors shut down. Access doors lock shut. The magnetic elevator operates independent of their control. The door to Evoil’s room slides open and locks open.
“Well isn’t this interesting,” Komfort calmly comments, as they wait in the dark.
Moments later, the corridor glows brightly. “If you press your left wrist, your suit will cast rays of light illuminating ten feet in front of you like this,” She instructs.
Robert activates his suit irradiating the empty corridor. It does not stay empty. With a whirring sound, the door at the end of the corridor opens and three flying robodrones and two rolling robodrones pour through.
“Oh, this is not good.” Komfort scrutinizes the five security-bots. “I certainly don’t sense that these security-bots were sent to help us. I believe they’ve been hacked.”
“Vardjas!” She curses in Estonian. “I assumed only SPEA citizens knew about these. We may be fighting one of our own.”
“Get ready Robert.” Komfort points high and low. “The flying security-bots are called WASPs and they carry a nasty laser sting. The ground security-bots are called DOGs and they also pack a potent stun laser.”
“Ok. Yeah, I saw these at the Embassy. So, what should we do?”
“Don’t let them get through to Evoil. Unless they’ve been altered, a stun shot from one of them shouldn’t kill him. But if two or more of them simultaneously hit him at max stun then they will definitely cause him serious pain and possibly death. Or if their capabilities have been altered, and I’ve seen it done recently, then any of them can kill him with a single laser shot.”
“And I ask you again. What shall we do?”
The WASPs and DOGs hover just at the edge of Robert’s light. Komfort bolts into their relief chamber.
“Hey! Don’t leave me.”
Seconds later, she returns with blankets and sheets. She hands a blanket and sheet to Robert. “I’m assuming…actually I’m hoping that whoever guided these up here is not an experienced operator. So, if we move fast we may be able to blind them with these blankets and then disable them. Do you follow?”
&n
bsp; “Do you want to go after them or wait for them to come to us?”
“Let’s wait. Because they’re not advancing, I’m thinking that our presence surprised their operator and they aren’t certain what they want to do now. Attacking two fellow SPEA citizens is much different than laser stinging a hated enemy.”
For several minutes, Robert and Komfort tensely wait and watch. The WASPs and DOGs continue loitering at their light’s edge. With no air circulating, the heat in the corridor quickly reaches the intolerable level.
Sweat blurs and burns Robert’s eyes. “How long can those drones hover? I’m tired of waiting.”
“Forever in sunlight. Only about two hours in here.”
“Do you think their operator knows that?” Robert wipes his face with an edge of his blanket.
“I hope not. My bladder won’t let me wait much longer,” Komfort groans.
“Aha! You’ve cracked the code Mugavus. They’re playing our human weaknesses against us. Rotten robots!” Robert fretfully jokes, as he paces, “I shall follow the wisdom of George Patton when he said that the object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.”
“Of course you will,” Komfort moans. “But, you know this does seem unusual. For somebody to dispatch five security-bots up here and then do nothing makes no sense to me. The operator seems to be awaiting a signal or something.”
The security-bots hold their positions for several more minutes. Komfort whimpers and paces in front of the open door of Evoil’s room. Shattering the corridor’s silence, the alert alarm of her wrist computer sounds. After a quick read, she motions for Robert to move closer and shows him the message.
“The White House has issued its sternest warnings to SPEA over accusations that SPEA is actively engaged in a series of cyber-attacks on US companies and institutions. SPEA is accused of hacking into sensitive internal communications from Kroack Brothers Oil implicating it in initiating the Nordic War for oil profits. In addition, personal email accounts of several high-ranking White House officials have been directly targeted by cyberspies — and some are still actively under attack, according to U.S. intelligence reports. The attack relied on an automated system that rapidly gathered massive amounts of data, unnamed sources said. It is unclear if the attack had been sanctioned by the SPEA leadership. An unnamed SS official said SPEA is the leading suspect in the attack, but cautioned that it would take time for investigators to attribute blame.”
“What’s that mean?” Robert wonders.
“Well in my opinion, the US is issuing false accusations designed to legitimize US cyberattacks against SPEA, or possible military attacks. Or the US could issue additional Economic sanctions against us. We’re already involved in a type of Economic war, as you know.”
Komfort points toward the five security bots. “Now, the arrival of these five security-bots indicates to me that the hackers, whoever they are, definitely know that Evoil is here. Knowing that, I believe they’re attempting to create an international incident where Evoil is either killed or seriously injured here. So the US reacts or overreacts against SPEA, and then the Russians come to our aid against the US. It’s the same political game that’s been played for centuries. And in the end, the natives always end up crushed between the toes of the two fighting elephants.”
Abruptly, their waiting game ends. Like a murder of crows, the WASPs swoop. In seconds, the robodrones are on top of Robert and Komfort. But luckily for the two of them, the secret, security-bot operator appears too inexperienced to capably fight three WASPs simultaneously.
Using her exoskeleton strength, Komfort flips and flings her blanket like a whip. She smacks one WASP into the corridor wall. It shatters a wing and drops to the floor where it hops in a circle. Her attempts to flatten a second WASP shoots it spiraling into Robert’s shoulder knocking him to the floor and the WASP he is fighting, out of his grip.
Momentarily stunned, Robert sprawls upon the floor. At his feet circles the WASP, Komfort disabled. Next to his head, the security-bot she smashed into his shoulder flops out of control. Bouncing and banging, sparks and lasers shoot out of it. Robert ducks and squirms dodging laser shots, but he cannot escape. A painful laser shot to his left hand numbs his left arm and shoulder, crippling him.
“Screw this!” Pushing with his exoskeleton enhanced right shoulder, he thrust himself upright and then stomps his attacker into the floor.
Komfort whirls and twirls her blanket until she splatters a third WASP into the wall. Triumphantly, she crushes pieces of the drones beneath her feet. Still unable to raise his left arm, Robert cannot savor their victory. Instead of rejoicing, he is apprehensively eyeing the DOGs.
“Here come the other ones!” he shouts as the two DOGs stir to life and charge toward them.
Bashing WASPs flown and fought badly is a much easier mission than overpowering DOGs. Both of them promptly realize their blankets and sheets are no weapon against these solid, well-balanced, ground-hugging guard systems. Though poorly fought, the DOGs drive them backwards. They have no tactics to defeat them. Even with their enhanced exoskeleton strength, they are straining just to delay their attack on Evoil.
Robert wrestles his DOG into the corridor wall. For a few seconds, it stalls, before returning to its relentless forward march. He grabs the DOG again, but he cannot halt it. He is attempting to stop a charging bull by pulling its tail. He is only aggravating it. He grabs and grips and grapples, but the DOG marches forward. Dragging him closer and closer to Evoil.
Then, unexpectedly, for no reason, the DOGs die. Shut down. The lights flicker. Cooled air fans their faces. Evoil’s room door slides closed. With a heavy sigh of relief, Robert and Komfort crumple onto the floor; battered, bruised and exhausted.
“I thought we were beat,” Robert declares, as he mops sweat from his face with his right hand. His left arm still hangs lifelessly.
“I see that I may have been of a little help to you two after all,” Ubica shouts from the end of the corridor.
“You did this?” Komfort painfully edges up against the wall facing the advancing Ubica.
“No, I didn’t do this. I ended this.” Ubica reaches down and picks up a WASP wing. He twists it in his hands and then tosses it to the floor.
“I hacked the hacker,” he announces proudly. “The five security-bots passed me, as I left. They didn’t enter the building like I thought they should. So, I started running scans. It took longer than I expected, but I was finally able to override the hacker and knock them offline.”
“So, who is the hacker?” Robert asks as he sits on the floor endeavoring to rub life back into his left arm with his right hand.
“Wish I knew. I was more interested in killing the signal than in tracking it.” Ubica shrugs his shoulders, “If I could have tracked it. Any elementary school hacker would have routed it around the world two or three times before it hit here.”
“What about the Russians?” Komfort asks as she disappears into their relief chamber for some relief.
“Russians? I don’t know anything about Russians.” Thinking, Ubica brushes his fingers across his lips. “But, I suppose the Russians could be the security-bot hackers. They’re famous for their hacking ability.”
Robert lifts his left arm with his right hand and then lets it drop lifelessly onto the floor. “Well, if you’re considering a cyber-attack or some cyber-sabotage retaliation against the Russians, I can only offer you moral support at the moment.”
“Too clumsy. Not the Russian’s style. This entire affair was amateurish.” Komfort interjects as she returns to the corridor. “Of course now we must determine, if the attack was truly too amateurish to succeed or was it supposed to look amateurish with no intention for the attacks to succeed.”
“Are you saying it was a hoax? My left arm certainly doesn’t feel like it was a hoax. I’m bruised and battered and in significant pain. I don’t want to sound like a whiner, but I believe your secu
rity-bots targeted me. Hoax or not.”
“No, I don’t consider it a hoax Robert. Now that I have had time to reflect, I interpret it as a warning. I think somebody or something is demonstrating to us and the Russians and, perhaps, also the Americans, what they are capable of doing. If they choose and when they choose to do it.”
“So, I didn’t out-hack the hackers?” Ubica grouses.
“Oh, I think you’re responsible for shutting down the bots.” Robert’s right hand slaps his left hand attempting to clap, “And I thank you for doing it. Boy, do I thank you. But, that may have been the original hackers plan…or hope…that you or someone would shut them down for them.”
Looking disgusted, Komfort kicks a piece of WASP skittering down the corridor. “It’s like they’re marionette masters and we’re their puppets and right now they are pulling all our strings and manipulating us anyway they want.”
Chapter 15.
Dame Gutefrau
Ubica slowly weaves between the plaza cyber citizens toward the Tarawa building. In step behind him, trails a grumbling and complaining Evoil. Shoulder to shoulder, flanking Evoil patrol Robert and Komfort, preventing Evoil from seeing, as much as being seen. Their three-body protective shield for Evoil crosses the plaza without generating any attention. Just as they hoped. Just as Ubica had suggested.
As they cross, Robert and Komfort search the plaza. Neither of them spy the three, late-night or early-morning, visitors who challenged them after their tussle with the renegade security-bots. Each of the three ventured onto the sixth floor separately. And although, they each arrived with murder on their mind, none of them had any killing in their heart. Considering a crime is much easier than committing a crime. After brief, but intense discussions with Komfort all of them had departed meekly.
“I wonder if last night’s visitors are still asleep.” Robert asks with a yawn, as he massages his bruised arm. “I certainly wish I was.”
