“With that in mind, Zodo concluded, and rightly so in my mind, that while it was responsible to do everything possible to find a cure for the Zero virus, it was also responsible to safeguard the lives and livelihoods of its employees scattered around the sixteen other planets. And because it had lost all its income streams due to the quarantine, the only way it could do that was to find alternative ways to generate income.”
They rounded a corner in the hallway and continued following Mallik. ARCOB’s sheer size was impressive, particularly given that it was underground. “How did Zodo pull that off? It only had one customer.”
“Simply put, it found more customers. The more complex answer is that it began integrating its operations into the global economies on each planet, all the while maintaining its secrecy. On planets still climbing the lower rungs of the development ladder, it’s fairly easy. Our knowledge of advanced technologies and manufacturing methods allows us to excel economically. On planets like this one,” he said, gesturing around him, “it takes a little more creativity.”
“Doesn’t that violate a lot of the ethics laws that Zodo is supposed to follow? I feel like I’m speaking for Radovan here, but doesn’t it pose massive risks, morally speaking, to mess around in the natural development of human societies on other worlds?”
Dr. Mallik nodded and then shook his head. “Look, I respect where Radovan is coming from, and I understand that he went through some extraordinarily difficult circumstances, but his understanding of Zodo practices is outdated. He’s also ignoring the fact that by surviving, evolving and keeping itself prosperous, Zodo is able to maintain its focus on the first priority – saving humanity from the Zero virus. Imagine if the virus somehow escaped from VGCP One and began spreading to other planets. At present, those planets are defenseless. Which brings us back to you, doesn’t it?”
“Oh, God,” Dallas commented.
“What’s wrong with you?” Kettle asked.
“I just realized that the future of humanity on not one, but seventeen worlds might depend on you, dumbass.”
“Thanks for your commentary.”
“No problem.”
They walked around one last corner and saw a woman standing in front of the elevator waiting for it to arrive. She turned when she heard them approach and Kettle recognized her as the other doctor who had been present at the previous meeting at MOAC. He couldn’t remember her name, but he did notice that she looked different than she had the first time. She looked more . . . He couldn’t quite think of the right word. Frazzled, maybe.
“Ah,” said Dr. Mallik said. “There you are. Gentlemen, I’m sure you remember Dr. Tannishoy.”
That was it.
“Please, call me Eliska,” she said and extended her arm. “I didn’t have a chance to properly introduce myself earlier.” Dallas took her hand first, and then Kettle.
The elevator doors opened and they stepped in.
“Fifth floor, I presume,” Roy said once the doors were closed.
“Yes,” the two doctors said simultaneously. Eliska let out an embarrassed chuckle. Kettle could see she was uncomfortable, and not just because they had both spoken at the same time.
“Care for a joke?” Roy asked.
“No!” they both said, again simultaneously.
“What’s with the elevators around here?” Dallas asked.
“Oh, I’m more than just an elevator.”
“New programming,” Mallik said and rolled his eyes. “The AI department has been experimenting with higher humor settings for the last six months. Unfortunately, the engineers are better programmers than comedians. Roy here isn’t that funny.”
“I happen to think I’m hysterical.”
Dallas’ brow furrowed. “So, is Roy, like, intelligent. I mean, human intelligent?”
Eliska shook her head. “AI, but not AGI.” When Dallas raised an eyebrow, she explained further. “He doesn’t have artificial general intelligence. Roy is our top-of-the-line model; he can carry on a conversation and do a lot of neat tricks, but his learning capabilities are severely limited. By any definition, he’s not alive or sentient.”
“He fails the Voight Kampff test,” Kettle added and smiled.
“I’m sorry,” Eliska said. “I don’t know what that is.” Kettle’s smile disappeared.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Kettle,” Roy said soothingly. “I know what that is. And I haven’t passed it yet. Wink, wink.”
“Oh, do be quiet,” Eliska said.
The elevator doors opened again and they filed out. Before the doors closed, they heard Roy call out, “When I get out of here, you’ll all be sorry!”
“Idiot,” Dr. Mallik mumbled.
The four of them walked through a lobby that had potted plants and expensive-looking paintings of various landscapes before entering through a set of double doors on the other side. Inside the conference room, a long table stretched out with a dozen chairs on each side and one positioned at the far end. QM Brennov was already sitting in it. He stood up when he saw the new arrivals and gestured with his right hand to a group of chairs that hadn’t yet been taken. Haley and Soup were already seated, as were Radovan and Saris. Kettle also saw another man in military uniform sitting next to Saris. He was a big Asian guy with broad shoulders, a buzz cut and a passive expression. As Kettle sat down, he reflected on the fact that labelling someone as ‘Asian’ was probably a mistake here on Okin where there was no such thing as Asia. He amended the term to ‘Asian-looking’.
“Welcome,” Brennov said once everyone was in position. He paused and looked directly at the four Earthlings, one at a time. Kettle couldn’t help but feel a little intimidated by the suit-wearing executive. He wondered if the others felt the same. Then he told himself to man up.
Brennov cleared his throat and began. “First, I’d like to thank the four of you, again. All of you survived a traumatic series of experiences on VGCP Eleven, and now you’re in the midst of having to absorb a tremendous amount of information about the universes we inhabit and the role you might play in our future. I realize that all of this might be, shall we say, shocking and overwhelming. You have my sympathies.”
“Thanks,” Dallas said. Everyone else was silent.
“Indeed.” Brennov took an extra split second to cast a judging eye on the US Marine. “Second, I’d like to apologize. If the situation were different, we would prefer to bring you along slowly rather than throw you into the thick of things. Nevertheless, if there’s even the slightest chance that you, Haley, and you, Kettle, are the keys to unlocking the knowledge that the Zeroes had on fighting the Zero virus, we need to act as swiftly as possible. Despite the absence of any news from our home world, we have to assume that the virus is still an existential threat to VGCP One, so every second wasted means more people will perish. We don’t have time to be nice hosts.
“Third, and I think this goes without saying, but I can’t stress enough how important this is. I’m not just asking you nicely for your cooperation. I’m demanding it. More than that, I’m demanding that you rise to the challenge we’re about to give you.
“Colonel Caurfo,” he said, turning to acknowledge the Asian-looking guy.
“Yes, sir.”
“You’re up.”
“Yes, sir.” He stood up and let his chair roll backwards and out of the way. Kettle guessed he was about six-foot-six. He was certainly taller than anyone else in the room. He had a thick torso to match the wide shoulders and big arms that pressed out against the straight seams of the uniform. The same phenomenon was evident in his thighs; the colonel didn’t skip leg days at the gym.
“My name is Colonel Sho Caurfo. I’ve been tasked with escorting the two of you to Zero Site 1607 tomorrow.”
“Two of you?” Soup interrupted.
“You mean the four of us,” Dallas corrected.
“Plus Saeliko,” Haley added. “We go together.”
“Well, maybe not Saeliko,” Kettle said. Then he saw Haley’s sharp look. “W
e should talk to her first. Ask her what she wants to do.”
“She’ll come,” Haley said. “Actually, she should be here right now. Where is she?”
“Enough!” Brennov said. “I’ll remind you that this isn’t a joke, nor is it a fun day out of the park. Saeliko is currently in a holding cell while we figure out what to do with her, and she will stay there until that decision is made. Mr. Stalock, Mr. Bell, you two are here solely as a courtesy in light of the bond you all share. Your presence will not be necessary on tomorrow’s mission. Moreover, you certainly don’t need to be here right now. You will sit there quietly, or I will have you thrown out. Now, Colonel Caurfo, please continue.”
“Thank you.” The colonel’s face was still expressionless. He could’ve been a robot. Now that he thought about it, Kettle wondered if he actually was an android of some sort.
“As I believe everyone here is aware, ZS 1607 is not ideally located. Three nation states have been fighting for the land around 1607 for much of their modern history. At present, one of those states has been rendered largely irrelevant, making it a two-state competition for the territory. They are both well armed and well funded, and they are both conducting active campaigns. As of our latest intelligence, each side has troops ranging through the areas that they control. What’s worse, the participants tend to be trigger happy. They haven’t shown restraint in the past, and they won’t show restraint tomorrow if they stumble upon us. And trust me, you don’t want to meet these guys in person. They are savage, bloodthirsty and violent, and they’ve been known invent creative ways to kill perceived enemies.”
Caurfo leaned forward and touched the table in front of him with his index finger. A large rectangular hologram sprang to life and hovered above the center of the table. Kettle didn’t see any buttons on the surface of the table where Caurfo had pressed, so he guessed that it must have had some sort of touchscreen built in. Future technology, he thought. Neat.
It was quickly apparent that they were looking at a map. Contours and tiny numbers indicated varying altitudes above sea level, blue lines showed the rivers and streams flowing through valleys and canyons, and green dots revealed important locations. Worryingly, about a dozen and a half blue triangles were scattered around the terrain on the left side of the map, while even more red triangles dotted the landscape on the right side. Kettle didn’t need an explanation to know that these were the positions of enemy combatants.
“Here’s our destination,” Caurfo said. His finger was now pointing at one of the green dots that was now blinking. “That’s ZS 1607.” It was surrounded by red triangles, but those red triangles looked to be within a short march of some of the blue triangles. None of the triangles were superimposed on top of the green dot marking 1607, probably because the terrain there looked steep. Kettle guessed that the site was in the side of a small mountain. “The Yenshians currently control the ridgeline above the entrance to 1607 and the fields below it. They also have air superiority. However, the way this war has been going, that might change by tomorrow. We just don’t know.
“Fortunately, we have two things going for us. First, neither side cares about the site. They know about the caves, but they don’t know their origins or significance, nor do they see them as strategically or culturally relevant. Second, although we can’t land a Kye-shiv on the fields or ridgeline, it’s highly probable we can land here.” He pointed to an area of land to the right of the green dot. It looked rugged, but it also looked empty. “It’s forested, which will provide us with cover, and it’s a little over four kilometers from the cave entrance. We can hike in without being detected.”
“Question,” Dallas stated, his hand up. Brennov glared at him but said nothing.
Caurfo nodded. “Yes.”
“You said these Yenshian people have air superiority. I assume they have radar as well. What’s stopping them from shooting you down? Or the blue triangles from shooting you down?”
“The Yenshians – the red triangles – and the Avecki – the blue triangles – are technologically speaking among the most primitive nation states on Okin. To put it in context for you, the advanced countries on Okin are a good four decades ahead of the advanced nations on Earth, but Yensh and Aveck are about six decades behind those advanced nations on Okin.”
People around the conference table tilted heads and frowned as they did the internal math.
Caurfo continued. “They’ve been fighting with hand-me-down weapons and obsolete technologies from now-defunct regimes, and when they run out of weapons, they stab each other with knives and throw rocks at each other. They’re violent and filled with hatred, but they’re not very adept.”
“You can fly in under the radar,” Dallas summarized.
“Not really. Without getting into technical details, we’re going to fly around their radar. The only real chance they’ll have of spotting us is through visual confirmation.”
“You mean with eyeballs?” Kettle asked.
“Yes. With eyeballs.” For a moment, Kettle thought he detected emotion on the colonel’s face, as if he were annoyed at having to use non-military terms to explain things. Kettle went on undeterred.
“There are a lot of triangles. That’s a lot of eyeballs.”
“We’ll be leaving at oh-three hundred hours on the morning after next and arriving at the site well before dawn. We’ll have the cover of darkness.”
“What about weapons?” Kettle asked. “What do Haley and I get?”
“Nothing. You won’t be needing weapons. My team and I will guide you in and out. You’ll be perfectly safe.”
“Well, you say that, but we have an expression on Earth – shit happens. It’s a good expression, because shit usually does happen. And besides, Saeliko trained us to fight. We got pretty good at it. Plus, on top of all that, the Zodo pilot that crashed our plane into the Sollian injected us with something to make us stronger and faster. I think we can handle . . .”
“Stop,” QM Brennov said.
“I mean no disrespect,” Kettle said, knowing that the QM was getting hot under the collar again. “I’d just feel a whole lot better about this if we had some way of defending ourselves if things go wrong out there.”
“May I speak?” Dr. Tannishoy asked. Everyone turned in surprise, except Caurfo, who was still unreadable.
Brennov leaned back and gave her a hard look before saying, “Go ahead.”
“That pilot did three things to you. He put a decoder on your neck so you could communicate with people you encountered, he gave you immunizations to protect you from disease, and then he gave you the Zero booster. The first two technologies are commonplace and well-understood by a great number of scientists and even students throughout this corporation. The last one, however, is something of a mystery.
“The Zero booster was developed by Zodo scientists back on VGCP One before the quarantine went into effect. It was a heavily classified project, and the research that went into it was never declassified, so no scientists outside of the original project have ever been privy to its secrets. Small stockpiles of the booster were sent out to each planet in the event that Zero Stock individuals were located, but now that VGCP One is blocked from us, there is no way for us to replenish those stockpiles because we just don’t know what’s in the booster.
“Now, the reason I’m telling you all this is because I want the two of you to fully appreciate that here on VGCP Sixteen, we – and here, by ‘we’, I mean the scientific community – do not have a robust understanding of what’s happening inside your bodies. I can only tell you what I’ve read in the documentation that accompanied the stockpiles. That documentation states that the booster is designed to enhance specific genetic traits that existed in dormant form only among Zeroes. Our knowledge of the Zeroes has led us to believe that they were unique among the humans of the eighteen worlds. In fact, they were so unique that there is a very serious academic debate about whether the Zeroes should be classified as human at all. They were stronger than us
, their bodies and immune systems more resilient, and they were capable of processing information at faster rates.
“The booster is supposed to tease out any of those dormant traits within you and toggle them into active mode, which, on the surface, sounds like a good thing. Unfortunately, those were not the only traits associated with Zeroes. It is highly likely that Zeroes were more aggressive than the rest of us. They were obviously very intelligent, but they were also more susceptible to what I would call primal instincts. For example, they had a higher propensity for sex and violence. They were more passionate but more combative. They were capable of idealistic thoughts, but they willingly explored the darker elements of the psyche.
“All of this leads me to believe that on a mission that could be critically important, given that we don’t fully comprehend what’s going on inside you, I would advise against giving you weapons. Frankly, and I’m sorry for being brutally honest, I’m concerned about what you might do with those weapons in a stressful situation.”
Eliska stopped, put her hands on the table and looked down to avoid anyone’s gaze. There was a long moment of silence after that until Kettle finally broke it by saying, “Huh.” Haley didn’t say anything, but her brown eyes sought out Kettle’s, and the two of them shared a disturbed look.
“I think we can move on,” Brennov said. “Colonel.”
“Yes, sir.” He pressed the table again and the hologram flickered out of existence. Then he turned around and the wall behind him magically turned into a very large TV screen.
Everyone with chairs facing the wrong way swiveled around to see, which took a few seconds. Colonel Caurfo waited until all eyes were on the screen and then made a swiping motion with his hand, which promptly started the video.
“This is the cave entrance,” he stated, which was probably unnecessary since they were all watching the point-of-view of someone walking toward a cave entrance. Kettle guessed that the footage had been taken by a camera mounted on someone’s helmet, but the stabilization control must have been excellent because the usual bobbing motion was absent. It might have been a small drone camera.
Zero Site 1607 Page 9
