Andromeda's Fall (Legion of the Damned)

by Dietz, William C.

  “Yes,” McKee acknowledged, “2999.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “I’m going to access your hard drive, take what I want, and destroy you.”

  The machine stared at her. “That would be illegal.”

  “I won’t tell if you don’t,” McKee said coldly, “and believe me . . . You won’t.”

  Another series of blips produced a click and a slight movement as one side of Jivv’s face separated from its skull. The expressionless countenance opened like a door to reveal a control interface so small it was necessary to use probes on the color-coded dimple switches. A quick one-two combination produced the same sort of display that McKee had used to reactivate the T-1s after the EMP bomb disabled them.

  Having “borrowed” the nanomesh gloves from a tech sergeant, McKee pulled them on. Then, with a steadily increasing degree of fluidity she began to “talk” to the robot’s onboard processor using quick, precise movements of her fingers.

  Most of Jivv’s memory was taken up by the dozens of programs necessary to make the machine run. None of which were of any interest to McKee—who went straight to the remaining 5 percent. And that was where she came across video in which a man named Hans Simek was giving Jivv its orders. He had the manner of a bureaucrat and talked about murdering Governor Jones with the same matter-of-fact demeanor that one might use while speaking with an exterminator.

  “The governor is more than an annoyance,” Simek said darkly. “He’s dangerous. Because if he were to defy Empress Ophelia and get away with it, other governors might follow suit. So I’m sending you to Orlo II, where you will be attached to Legion forces but free to do as you see fit. The problem will be gaining access to Jones. But once you do, be sure to eliminate his family as well. Understood?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. Because if you fail, I’ll have your ass recycled into something useful. And one more thing . . . There are thousands of targets out there, and you might stumble across one of them. So scan the K list frequently, and who knows? You might get lucky. If you need help, check the A list. Every agent we have is listed there.”

  McKee remembered the look on Marcy’s face as Jivv slashed her throat, and she bit her lower lip to prevent herself from crying. Her fingers danced in the air, brought up the A list Simek had referred to, and scrolled down. There it was. A complete roster of Ophelia’s spies and informers. Such information would be invaluable to a resistance movement if there was such a thing.

  And the K list was of equal value. Because there were the names of McKee’s potential allies. If they were still alive—and if she could find them.

  It was silly, she knew that, but she couldn’t help herself. The data blurred as she scrolled down to number 2999. And there she was: Catherine Carletto.

  A search on the name Avery turned up three individuals having that name. He wasn’t one of them. And that made sense because even though the government had been keeping an eye on his brother, he hadn’t done anything to put himself on the K list prior to meeting her. And once Jivv’s memory was wiped, Avery would be in the clear. McKee felt good about that as she stuck a memory mod into an open slot, sent both lists to the storage device, and removed it.

  She heard the soft slap of footsteps and felt Avery’s beard scratch her cheek as he leaned to kiss her. “Good morning . . . What, may I ask, are you doing?”

  McKee turned her head in order to receive the kiss and give it back. “It’s all here. The names of Ophelia’s agents and the people she plans to kill.”

  Avery sat on the chair next to the desk. “So?”

  “So, we could use the information to take the bitch down.”

  “Or you could marry me,” he said.

  McKee opened her mouth to reply but stopped as he raised a hand. “Hear me out. We could serve out our current enlistments, save our money, and meet on a rim world. They don’t care for Ophelia out there—so we’d be relatively safe. Then we’ll start a business, settle down, and have some kids.”

  McKee smiled as she removed the gloves. “You have the whole thing worked out. And you believe I would accept a proposal from a man wearing boxers and a pair of flip-flops?”

  Avery’s eyes were serious. “I hope so.”

  “But what about the empire? What about all of the people Ophelia plans to kill?”

  “We aren’t responsible for the empire,” Avery countered. “Besides, what could two people do?”

  “I don’t know,” McKee answered honestly. “But I’ve got to try.”

  Avery was silent for a moment. “The odds aren’t good. But let’s say you succeed. Or someone else does. What then?”

  She got up and went to sit crosswise on his lap. “Then, if you still want me, I’m yours.”

  They kissed, one thing led to another, and McKee’s top was lying on the floor by the time he carried her off to the bedroom.

  * * *

  Jivv watched them go. It wanted to follow, it wanted to kill them, but couldn’t. All the robot could do was sit on top of the desk and wait. Subject 2999 returned twenty minutes later. This time she was naked. “Hello, Jivv,” McKee said as she pulled the nanomesh gloves onto her hands. “Say good-bye. I’m going to wipe you.”

  “I want to function.”

  “All of us want to function,” McKee said coldly. “But some things don’t deserve to live.” The world went black.