Shards [Book Three]

by Peter W Prellwitz

  Doctor Ressler was there, blocking my way. How he got behind me without hearing, I don't know. But there he was. I jumped back and reached for my boot knife. Too late, I realized I was in my short shoes and was unarmed. I whirled around. Jody would be the greater threat.

  But she hadn't moved. She was just standing there, her arms behind her.

  “Okay, what's going on?” I asked.

  “Good question, Abigail,” Doctor Ressler spoke. “I'm sorry Sergeant Eyer had to do this. But we needed to find out how far you were willing to go. I can't tell you how relieved I am that you stopped where you did."

  “What are you talking about, Doctor? Were you listening to us?"

  “I sure hope so,” Jody said. “Otherwise I'd be in deep trouble for trying to incite a mutiny. Abigail Wyeth, let me introduce you to Doctor Scott Ressler. Major Scott Ressler, TAU Intelligence Arm."

  He bowed at the waist. “Pleased to make your acquaintance."

  “All right,” I said tiredly. “Give me some proof."

  He snapped up from his bow. Jody stepped closer.

  “What did you say, Abigail?” she asked.

  “I asked Doctor Ressler to show me some proof of his identity. What did you expect me to say, Jody?"

  “I don't know exactly. But I expected more of a reaction from you.” Suspicion crept into her voice. “I know I certainly reacted when he told me his identity four months ago. And I consider myself a normal person.” Which implied I wasn't normal. I wasn't offended; I wasn't normal. Ressler stayed quiet, allowing Jody to do the questioning.

  “So what do you want me to do? Run in circles? Faint? Slap my cheeks and shout, ‘Oh, no! This can't be!'? Get real, Jody. I used to do this kind of intrigue six centuries before either of you were born. If Ressler wants my cooperation, he has to prove his credentials.” I glanced at him. “Were you expecting something else, Doctor?"

  “Well, yes, I was. I imagined that someone of your training and discipline would accept my word. It's a little surprising—"

  “Stop treating me like a rookie, Doctor. You're not surprised, or shouldn't be. You revealed yourself to me because you think I'll be useful to your mission. That must mean you have researched my background or have a high opinion of my intellect. Either way, you must have expected this.” Jody looked like she'd been sandbagged.

  “Very well, Private. Yes, I anticipated this. Let's go to the infirmary. I'll not only give you proof, I'll let you find it yourself."

  “What do you mean, Major?” Jody was way out of her league. To be honest, that made me feel much better. Jody as a faithful and competent non-com was far better than Jody as a conspirator, regardless of the motives. She just didn't strike me as a cloak and dagger type.

  “What he means, Jody, is that he's going to give me puterverse access at what he thinks is my full level."

  He smiled. “What I know is your full level, Abigail. I know you won't accept this as proof, but let me say two words: UTC and Mike."

  Both words hit home and very nearly convinced me that moment.

  “It looks like you are from TAU, Doctor. Or is it Major?"

  “It's both. But I really am a physician, so I prefer doctor."

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Jody was waving her arms. “This is getting out of hand. What are you two talking about? Who's Mike? What's UTC? I thought I was the primary stooge in all this. Now I feel like baggage."

  “Believe me, Jody, you're not,” I assured her. “I don't know what you two are doing with the 179th, but what the doctor is referring to concerns me and NATech. He's right, those two words have a huge impact on me. But he's also right that I don't accept it as proof of who he is. Now he's offering me the chance to verify it.” I glanced at him. “More importantly, for him, he's making sure I'm who I say I am. Isn't that right, Doctor?"

  He smiled but said nothing and instead waved his hand toward the hanger entrance.

  * * * *

  “All right, the sickbay is fully secured. I've used my own codes to lock access, and the perimeter alarms have been set. You may access at any time, Private.” Ressler sat near me and Jody behind us. I looked at him.

  “In a moment, Doctor. Before we do, I'd like the two of you to prepare for a rough ride. I'll be able to shield most of the effects of my access, but not all. Also, it will take me a moment to enable shielding, so the first few seconds will be the worst."

  “Come on, Abigail. You told me you accessed at level twelve. I've never been that high, but I'm in pretty good shape. Let's get on with it."

  “Listen to her, Sergeant. We know for a fact that Private Wyeth has a current access of Level thirty-five. I once went to level twenty-eight for ten seconds and it's like nothing you've ever experienced.” He turned toward me. “I've been using level twenty-one for several years now, so don't worry about me."

  Oh, how I loved being a teenager! It was for moments like these that all the angst and frustrations and uncertainties were worthwhile. As an adult, I could never enjoy a moment like this. I laughed.

  “Level thirty-five, huh?” I laughed again and saw a flash of worry cross Ressler's face. I still considered him a friend, but it was nice to see I could make him cautious. It made his TAU connection more bearable. “If you're only prepared for Level thirty-five, Doctor, then I recommend you don't move around until the shielding is in place.” I grinned and kept looking at him.

  “Total access."

  Mike must have been on a constant, aggressive watch, because he responded immediately and with flair. Instead of the room fading away into the puterverse, it exploded. A white ball of flame leaped from my middle and melted everything in sight. What few slivers of reality remained were ground into bits of yellow data and left as glowing embers on the clear floor. Overhead the sky was a brilliant emerald green, with gold and orange spires shooting up toward them. In the distance I could make out the banks of the Quantum river. I felt the exhilaration of the puterverse hit me like a meteor and fill me with its energy. I raised my arms over my head, twirling and laughing.

  Halfway through my spin, I saw Jody and Ressler on the ground. Blood was pouring freely from their ears, nose and mouth, quickly choking them. Abigail, you idiot!

  “Mike! I need a couple of boxes for my guests. Hurry!"

  “You got it, Abby!” There was a crackling of whips along with a tinkling sound and I saw flat planes of sparkles surround them then begin forming around each one. They were safe now, although it would take a couple more minutes to recover.

  “Man o man! Am I glad to see you, Abby!"

  “Yeah, well that's nice. I notice your manners aren't improved, though. Get your butt down here and let me hug you!"

  The emerald sky changed to black as the color collapsed into a ball of green flame, which in turn plummeted toward us. It exploded over my head and washed through me, lingering. I felt a moment of panic, remembering my recent experiences in Glendale. But I pushed it down. I wasn't going to let past abuses control me.

  “You jerk!” I shouted, only half-angry. “I'm not some kind of easy hussy. Hands off!” I tightened my body and threw him clear. He laughed and formed himself in front of me, his bright green eyes playful and happy.

  “Well, how long do expect me to go without copping a feel?"

  “I expect you to go your entire life without copping a feel, you pervert. Got it?"

  “Yeah, yeah. I know you like it.” He went over to Ressler and bent over, putting his hands on his knees. “So who are your friends? Not too tough, are they?"

  Ressler was slowly getting to his feet. Jody needed help, so I touched her and charged the field a little extra. She moaned and looked around.

  “Where are we?” She coughed and wiped some blood away. “Is this level thirty-five?"

  Mike laughed his nasty laugh. “Level thirty-five? What's that supposed to mean? Look, lady..."

  “Who are you? Why do you look like that?"

  “Careful, Jody. You don't want to get Mike upset,” I offered helpfull
y. “Here, let me help you up. If you start getting sick or woozy, just reach out and touch me. You too, Doctor. My aura will perk you up some. Don't go to the well too often, though,” I cautioned. “My signature is pure UTC, so you'll pay for it when we leave the puterverse. Which gives me a thought.” I changed my tone. “Mike, I'd like you to give Sergeant Jody Eyer, 179th Regiment, the day off tomorrow. While you're at it, verify the credentials of our other guest. He claims to be Major Scott Ressler with the TAU Intelligence Arm."

  Mike bowed at the waist. “Yours to command, milady. Hold still, Major."

  “Why? What do you ... aaahhh!” Ressler jumped back as Mike passed through him, sparks flying as he penetrated the shielding. Ressler started scratching himself furiously, then stopped as the ground beneath him turned emerald green and began bubbling. Mike erupted from the roiling surface and came over to me.

  “Okay, that's the first part. Next, playtime with TAU's systems. I really hope,” he added wistfully, “that they've fixed some of their holes. It's no fun breaking in anymore. Back in a jiffy.” His legs exploded into a jet and he shot up into the sky, disappearing almost instantly.

  “Wait!” Doctor Ressler called after him, still scratching his arms and neck. He looked stunned and lost. I liked him better this way.

  “Yes, Doctor?"

  “Don't I need to go with him to provide my access codes and serial numbers?"

  “Why?"

  “If he doesn't have them, he won't be able to enter TAU security, let alone verify..."

  “I don't think that will be a problem. Mike doesn't have a whole lot of respect for security systems.” I liked the implied offer, though. It made me a little more trusting of Doctor Ressler. “TAU has one of the best, second only to NATech. All that means for Mike is that it's just that much more fun, but not challenging. Come on. While we're waiting we may as well head over to the Quantum. I'm sure our conversation's going to take us there anyway.” I opened my arms up and out.

  “Abigail!” Jody spoke sharply, causing me to stumble.

  “What? Is something wrong? Is the shielding a little weak? I could—"

  “No, the shielding's fine. It's you.” She was staring at me. “Look at you! That's not the figure you have in the real world,” she said accusingly.

  “Umm.” I felt myself flush, causing my yellowish light to tinge gold. I'd forgotten about that. Shortly after coming into my own in the puterverse, I'd started adopting a more womanly figure. Okay, I was vain. But it reflected how I felt about myself when I was in here. Still, it was a little embarrassing. More so, now that I noticed Doctor Ressler staring at me. Well, not staring. It was a good long look though.

  “I—I—I kinda like this form, Jody. I suppose it's part of me wanting to grow up. Some of it's because I feel older in here, more in control of myself."

  “It probably is closer to what you were like in your first body, too.” Ressler offered, feeling my discomfort.

  “Yes, that, too. I was thirty-one when I was first riped."

  “I'd also guess a small part of it is to fluster Mike,” Jody said with a smirk. “I know I'd like to get his goat."

  I laughed. “You know, Jody, I'd never thought of that. But you're right. My figure does ruffle Mike's ego a bit. He has true feelings, you know.” At their surprise, I smiled. “We'll talk about that at the river. Come on."

  I opened my arms and let my wings appear. They erupted along my arms, feathered and shimmering. They tapered off toward my ankles. I bounced up on my toes, and the electron breeze snatched my wings, lifting me. About ten meters up, I looked back down. Jody and Ressler were staring up at me.

  “Come on. The river's this way.” I started gliding slowly along, letting my two grounded friends keep up. Jody called up to me.

  “So what level is this really, Abigail?"

  “Ask the good doctor, Jody. Maybe he knows.” I laughed at his sour look.

  “Okay, Abigail, I admit it. We had no idea you were this high up,” he said honestly. “Frankly, I haven't a clue what level we're on. The theoretical limit is sixty-four. So this is, what—forty-five? Fifty?"

  “I'm glad Mike isn't around to hear that, Doctor. He'd really get ticked off. I don't operate at any level. Neither does Mike. I have unrestricted access to absolutely everything in puterverse. By the way, the real limit for non UTC is sixty-seven, not sixty-four."

  A frown came on his face. “That can't be right. Why sixty-seven, Abigail?"

  “Because sixty-seven is a prime number, silly.” I smiled at his confused look, but not too much. I'd been pretty muddy about the unique and powerful characteristics of prime numbers too, until I understood trinary code. Then it was easy.

  “Who is Mike, Abigail?” Jody asked. She was jogging easily along, leading Ressler, who seemed to be struggling a little more. He still had energy enough to answer, though.

  “As far as we know, Jody, Mike is a program written in Unbound Trinary Code by Abigail.” He turned his face back up to me. “No level at all, Abigail?"

  “None, Doctor. As the writer said, ‘This is my world and welcome to it.’”

  “Unbound Trinary Code? There's no such thing.” Jody's face was a little flush. The UTC boost lasted for awhile, then wore off quickly. I swooped down and brushed her with my wings. Her pace picked up immediately and she began to breathe easier.

  “Sure there is, Jody,” I answered, climbing a little higher. “It's just that no one knows how to visualize it yet."

  “No one except you, Abigail,” Ressler countered.

  “Almost true. Mike knows how to use it, too.” And Kiki, only I didn't say so. Thinking of Kiki, I had a notion. I looked up ahead of us. “I see we're almost to the river. I'm going to go up first and wait for Mike. ‘Bye."

  I accelerated quickly. Mike was faster and flashier, but I was no slouch. I arrived at the river in two seconds and landed in three at the base of an orange spire that sat next to the riverbank. Jody and Ressler were about a kilometer behind me. I threw up a doppelganger of me waiting for them and jumped back up into the air, using a cloak. I aimed for the peak of the spire about two kilometers up. At the top was a small platform, which I landed on. Far below me I could see two little spots working their way toward our meeting place. They were going a little too fast. I thought about it a moment and softened the ground while warping their path. They slowed down and began weaving back and forth. From their viewpoint, nothing had changed. I now had about five minutes, which was plenty. And all I wanted to take. Staying up this high from interface surface kept me from prying eyes and ears, but the energy drain took a toll.

  “Kiki!” I called out.

  From the middle of the small landing a crystal flower poked up. The leaves, a clear light green, opened and the blossom appeared. The petals opened and Kiki was inside. Instead of jumping to her feet, though, she stayed on her knees, her whole body quivering.

  “What's wrong, little sister?” I said with a worried voice.

  “Abby, I'm so sorry! Please forgive me! I should have been more careful! I didn't mean to—"

  “Slow down, Kiki. The microsats, right?” She didn't say anything but kept sobbing. “It's not your fault, Kiki. Understand?"

  “But I killed them, Abigail!” She began wailing. I stooped down and picked her up, cupping her tiny form in my hands. Her blue glow flowed in with my yellow, turning my arm an emerald green, the same shade as Mike.

  “No, you didn't, sweetie, they were already dead. NATech killed them. You punished NATech, under my orders.” I would never tell her that had I not been knocked unconscious and taken, I might have called off the attack. “The responsibility was mine. Remember, that's my world, not yours. Out there, you have to trust me, right?"

  She sniffed and nodded.

  “All right then, trust me on this. It wasn't your fault. You did exactly as I told you. I wish it could have been different.” I felt a tugging at my heart, but still didn't cry. “Susie told me once that I did stupid and reckless and dang
erous things. She also said that one day it would be necessary that I do one of those stupid and reckless and dangerous things.” I stroked my finger down her back, then used the tip to lift her chin. “When I called for that microsat attack, that day had come. Please don't blame yourself for something I did."

  She felt better after that and I was glad I'd taken the time to visit. I didn't know when I'd see her again, so I needed to resolve this now. She smiled at me and her blue gleam brightened and lightened. I smiled back at her.

  “That's my Kiki! Sorry to put this on you so fast, sister, but my guests are almost at our meeting place and I have to get back down there. I don't know when I'll have access again, so I need you to do a few things for me.” I told her what I wanted and she became very happy. Kiki's emotions were not as stable as Mike's. Not because my code was flawed but because I wanted someone I could talk to about how I felt. Emotionally, Kiki and I were twins.

  “Wow! This'll take me a least a week, Abby! Thanks for the challenge.” She jumped lightly from my hand and floated to her petal. As her foot touched, a small terminal sprouted from the blossom and activated. I saw her touch her face and when she turned back to me, I laughed out loud, then coughed in the thin electron air.

  “Why in the world are you wearing those?” She had on a pair of round, black spectacles. I could even see the sheen of the lenses.

  “Do you like them?” she asked eagerly. “I discovered them while browsing through twentieth century archives. I think they make me look very sophisticated. Do you think Mike will like them?"

  “I'm sure he'll be speechless when he sees them. For Mike, that's a good thing. I like them.” I looked back down. Jody and Ressler were almost at my doppelganger. “Look, I gotta go. When you finish up your projects, send me a message through Jody's access. She'll pass it along.” I jumped off the landing. “Take care, Kiki!"