Enemy

by Paul Hughes

  “They aren’t machine code. I know them.”

  “How could you possibly—”

  Richter motioned for Michael’s silence. There were two people in the download chamber, a man and a woman. Both appeared to be sleeping. The woman’s lower body had been badly wounded, her midsection torn apart. She was bleeding profusely. Richter bent to pick up a black shard of metal from the chamber interior next to the woman. It was Enemy armor.

  The man was coming around slowly. His eyes lazily opened, tried to focus, failed. He weakly attempted to get up, but fell back into the chamber. Richter reached out, gently touched the man’s forehead and cheek.

  “Solid enough for now, but there was a lot of signal degradation in the transfer.”

  “But how could you know them?”

  Richter turned, gazed icily at Michael with silver eyes.

  “I told them they’d get here eventually. I never expected them to arrive so soon. This wasn’t a part of the plan.”

  The man in the chamber sluggishly tried to get up again, collapsed from exhaustion. He tried to speak, failed. The woman remained ominously silent.

  “I know them because they came from the same world I escaped from. They’re monsters, just like me.”

  The man in the chamber frowned, but he was too weak to summon the strength to say anything. Richter leaned down, whispered into his ear.

  “Welcome to heaven, Simon Hayes.”

  Simon fell back into the void.

  “Simon. And the woman was Maggie Flynn. That’s why you let go.”

  Zero-Four looked at and through the floor. “That’s why I let go.”

  West exhaled slowly, shook his head. “Time’s a cycle, and we’re all trapped within it.”

  Patra’s face was a confused canvas of emotion. She touched the matte black surface of the vessel interior. “This is what he became. Simon did this for Maggie.”

  Zero-Four nodded gravely. “We had to upload Maggie to save her, but Simon… He could’ve remained behind. He could’ve lived as a physical, but he chose to join us. It was the only way that he could stay with Maggie. He gave up the rest of his life for her.”

  The chamber descended into a silence of reverence and gravity, the realization of the paradoxes within which they were caught.

  “That’s about the extent of the story. We abandoned the planet, led by Richter. Our fleet was miniscule compared to the ocean of silver that was the machines. They fell upon the system with a fury and hunger that we’d never seen before.

  “We made a pact, a covenant. Richter’s visions taught us that there could be no turning back in this war. No surrender, no prisoners, no compromise. We’d have to strike where we could, and aim for the kill every time. Our war would be fought in the void between the stars and the space between the synapses. Our Enemy was endless and infinite… Incomprehensible in size and power. Uploaded into the program, we’d chase the Enemy as they tore through time, and we’d attempt to prevent them from uploading the times that they infected.

  “Their god Omega knew of our presence from the very beginning, from the very first viral insertion. The Enemy pledged to hunt us down and destroy our patterns before we could prevent their upload of all that was real. We pledged our heresy; we became the Judas.”

  “And you’ve been chasing them for how long?”

  “Longer than anyone can remember, Patra. We’re eternal here in the shift, in the Judas program. I must have seen thousands of Whens fall to the Black, but still we persevere. Still we strike, and we fight to the death. I’ve been fighting forever. But if I don’t fight, then they have won already. If I don’t fight, my pattern is theirs.”

  “You’re a Judas.”

  “I’m a Judas.”

  The sun was rising, a faded mockery of the sun he had once known. He knew with daylight that this would end. He knew that this was a dream. He knew the woman pressed against him had died two tragic, terrible deaths. He knew that she was not really there. He knew that she was gone.

  She moved against him, the steady pattern of her breath for an instant interrupted by a pause that indicated sleep’s impending departure. She took a deep breath and Simon knew that she was awakening. He held her so tightly, and his eyes flooded with hot tears.

  “Mmmmhh… Simon…”

  He pressed his face against Maggie’s warm, smooth skin. He whispered into her ear, a calm, reassuring voice that she had no reason to fear or suspect.

  “Shh… Go to sleep, Maggie. Everything’s gonna be all right. Go back to sleep.”

  She squeezed him and muttered a sleep-muddled phrase that could only be “I love you” and fell back into her slumber. He choked back the tears but his body wracked with his sorrow.

  The sun was rising.

  “Sleep, Maggie. Go to sleep, sweet Maggie.”

  He kissed her lightly on the lips, soft enough so that she did not awaken, but hard enough so that the lifetimes he had lived and the pain of her death was even if for only an instant replaced with the beauty and hope that his life had once held.

  It is time.

  sleep, maggie.

  He opened his eyes.

  Static. A sudden crackle, a momentary distortion, and the faintest flash of light.

  ((reweb judas golgotha simon. command sentience reweb initiated. clearance pattern?))

  Zero-Four could not hide his happiness. He smiled widely at the sound of Simon’s voice. He turned, and projected in the center of the chamber was the familiar translucent image of his dearest friend. Patra turned to West, and a silent communication passed between them. The image in the center of the chamber was the man that they had seen at Diablo.

  “Clearance Zero-Four, Michael.”

  ((what’s the situation?))

  They rejoiced.

  Malachi.

  The Mujahadin floated silently in the void. Watching.

  Waiting.

  He had sent a beacon into the future.

  PREDATOR BECOMES PREY. PREY BECOMES PREDATOR.

  Now he waited... Shiva would arrive soon. Alone. The traitor Simon would have been dealt with. When Shiva rejoined him, they could begin the hunt once more, and destroy the Enemy once and for all.

  But oh, the temptation...

  He watched the Black swarm across this When, breaking it down to fuel the damned Purpose. He fought the constant urge to release himself from this torture, to open up, to unleash his inferno upon the damned, but if he let his presence be known, it would jeopardize the mission. So he would wait for Shiva to join him, and they would access the situation together, prepare a plan of action for the vast Judas armada when it arrived. The Purpose was so close... Time was indeed dying. This When would be the jumping-off point for the final battle. This time, the Judas would retake the Alpha Point, and the physical universe would be saved before the Enemy could upload it for Omega.

  But oh, the temptation. The blood lust.

  He watched the Enemy in the night.

  He waited for Shiva.

  He never saw the Black strike force as it re-entered the Stream, the same strike force that destroyed Shiva and now tore across time toward Command. The Black had made sure that the Judas they knew was somewhere out there watching them would not see the force’s departure by masking it as yet another routine pattern load transfer. The ruse had indeed worked.

  Malachi floated in the silence, in the blackness, unsuspecting.

  hatred personified

  a banshee’s wail of anguished ecstasy.

  the black.

  THE HUNT PROCEEDS. ONE JUDAS NEUTRALIZED. ONE JUDAS SHADOWED: STREAM TETHER SEVERED. NEGATIVE PATTERN AUGMENTATION: CACHE CORRUPTED. MINIMAL DAMAGE TO OUR FORCES. EXTRAPOLATION OF JUDAS TRANSMISSION HAS YIELDED PROBABLE COMMAND COORDINATES AND VIRAL CODE PROBABILITIES. VECTOR IS MAINTAINED. WE WILL SUCCEED. THEY HAVE BETRAYED THEMSELVES.

  FIRST STRIKE((?))

  A CERTAINTY. THE BLASPHEMOUS VIRUS WILL BE ELIMINATED. THE PURPOSE WILL BE COMPLETED.

  HOW PROCEEDS THIS WHEN
((?))

  STAR COLLAPSE INITIATED. HARVEST UPLOAD COMPLETION IMMINENT.

  PURPOSE BE.

  the black closes.

  A darkened corridor. Footsteps.

  “Halt. Security clearance?”

  A brilliant flash; a cry of pain and cessation. Running.

  “Which one is it? Where is he?”

  “Block A Cell 7. Hurry!”

  Another flash. A heavy door reluctantly cycles open.

  “What the—How—”

  “No questions now, sir. Our vessels are waiting. Please hurry!”

  They slipped into the maze of black corridors.

  The rescue was successful.

  Reynald.

  “Simon! We thought you were gone!”

  ((forgive me, michael. the emergency shadow break severed the pattern tether, and the bioneural interface went into overload. i had no choice but to close down.))

  “Simon, why’d you Shadow break?”

  ((...))

  “Simon?”

  ((shiva’s dead.))

  “What? Did you—”

  ((the enemy ambushed us in the stream. they weren’t expecting us, though. they were going upwhen, and suddenly they appeared directly ahead of us. a huge force—hundreds of vessels—and one crashed right into shiva, tearing him in half. i just had time to break from the stream, or i would have fallen, too.))

  “Holy—Wait. So Command doesn’t know that an Enemy fleet is en route?”

  ((there wasn’t time to place a beacon.))

  “...And Shiva?”

  ((doubtful.))

  “They’re helpless up there.”

  ((yes.))

  “Would a beacon reach Command in time?”

  ((even if it did, i doubt they’d believe us.))

  “What do you mean?”

  ((shiva was about to eliminate me when we were attacked.))

  “Oh god, Simon. We were right... Our suspicions. We were right.”

  ((malachi’s somewhere out there right now. this is the when he was signaling from... we have to assume he’s watching us right now.))

  “If he were here, why didn’t he try to stop that Enemy fleet that’s invading Command? He must have seen them depart. He could have stopped them!”

  ((he could have if he’d wanted to.))

  “It’s happened. They’ve finally infiltrated the Judas.”

  “There’s nothing left to discuss, Sapphire. We need your fleet. Your When was of secondary importance, and that’s why it was abandoned. We need the cooperation of your Golgotha fleet for the largest offensive we’ve ever undertaken.”

  Judas Sapphire sat in the First Circle chamber, silently studying the face of Hannah Kilbourne.

  “It’s not your duty to question your orders, Judas Sapphire. It’s your duty to follow them.”

  Sapphire cleared her throat, rose from her seat.

  “Request permission to address the Circle.”

  Kilbourne’s eyes drew to slits. “Granted.”

  She walked slowly, contemplatively around the circle. All eyes were on her thin form as she pondered what to say. The light above her only served to draw more attention to the web of silver faintly illuminating her face and the contrasting Judas code burn on her left cheekbone. She looked up and through Kilbourne but addressed the entire assembly.

  “I’ve been a Judas for seven of my sixteen years.” She struggled to control her emotions, to keep in check the forces within her. “And I’ve worn these,” she indicated the battle chamber interface gauntlets imbedded into her forearms, “for three.”

  Everyone watched her, noticed how her hands shook as she turned to address them. Her silver eyes, the faint lines of mercury that spider-webbed her face…

  “I can’t condone the actions of the Judas Command First Circle.”

  Kilbourne shook her head in anger, choked off the words that had risen in her throat.

  “For almost three years, my forces patrolled that alternity, and from my experience in that warzone I can tell you truthfully that the decision to withdraw my containment forces was a mistake. A deadly mistake.”

  Kilbourne scoffed. “How dare you, Judas Sapphire? The next engagement requires the resources of your fleet. To question our orders—”

  “By withdrawing the Golgotha, you’ve have sealed our fate. What’s one Enemy when there’s an infinity of rogue code alternate Enemies poised to break through into the Stream at any moment? At any moment! And what I’ve seen of the Enemy in the alternities makes your Enemy seem like a fucking puppy dog.”

  The Circle members were in uproar, and Sapphire had to shout above them.

  “Sapphire, perhaps you should return to your vessel.”

  “Of course, Hannah… But first, I have a question.” Sapphire turned back to Kilbourne and smiled sweetly. “How did your precious Mujahadin get the same techbase as the Enemy I was fighting in that alternity?”

  Kilbourne was shocked to silence. Her jaw dropped.

  “Hannah, why don’t you see the alternities as a threat?”

  “Seize her!”

  Sapphire’s eyes blazed with silver fury, illuminating the assemblage. “Did you think you’d get away with it? Did you think we wouldn’t see you?”

  “Take her to her vessel, now!!”

  “I’d been there for two years, Hannah. Did you think I wouldn’t notice your fucking fleet Shadowing through my When?”

  The guards at Kilbourne’s side hesitated, made no indication that they were going to approach Sapphire.

  “Hannah, have you made an alliance with them?”

  “Now, damn it!”

  Kilbourne’s guards relented and began to walk toward Sapphire.

  “You’ve betrayed us all. You are Judas.”

  Kilbourne’s eyes flared up with a mercurial fury, and Sapphire was thrown backwards by the force of Kilbourne’s thoughts. She hit the ground hard and lay there, motionless. The members of the First Circle were silent. Many looked at Kilbourne with unabashed hatred on the faces.

  The chamber door burst open with a flash of impossible light, and a man calmly entered, followed by others. Long black cloak, Judas code burned all-too-visibly across his scarred face.

  “Hannah, stand down.”

  “Reynald.” Kilbourne’s eyes burned with her fury.

  “Get out of her pattern, Hannah. I’m taking her with me.”

  Kilbourne’s arms faded with the shift. “And what makes you think I’ll—”

  Reynald reached out with the full brunt of his mind, and Kilbourne’s face became a battlefield. Pain, terror, anger. Her hands went to her temples, and she crumpled to the floor.

  Reynald was satisfied, and with a flash, he released Kilbourne from his hell.

  “She’s betrayed us all. She’s made an alliance with Enemy code from Sapphire’s Altwhen. That’s where the Mujahadin techbase came from. I know some of you support her actions,” he turned slowly to address the full Circle, “but I also know that there’s a lot of you who are terrified of the repercussions.”

  There were more than a few nervous nods amongst the packed chamber.

  “I’m taking my fleet and getting out of here before they find us. Program Seven’s probably been compromised already. Anyone who wants to join me can. We’ll need all the help we can get.”

  Reynald walked to Sapphire’s still form, surrounded by her loyal Golgotha captains. He bent and tenderly lifted her from the floor.

  “She’s betrayed us all. Come with me if you want to live.”

  He turned his back to Kilbourne, who still stood unsure of herself, hand to her chest, inhaling and exhaling painfully. Reynald carried Sapphire out of the chamber, followed by his own loyal Judas and Sapphire’s Golgotha captains, all now shifted into defensive auras of light. Kilbourne was left alone in the center of the chamber, the Circle in uproar around her.

  You’ll pay for this, Reynald.

  “Beta star! Get your asses over here! Alpha star regroup and prep for viral injec
tion and boarding. Watch out for the flak at nine-one bubble seven. Sapphire! Where’s our fucking cover?”

  A massive Enemy came out of nowhere, firing upon its own vessel at the boarding teams.

  “Scatter! Sapphire! We need cover now!”

  The Enemy vessel splintered into deadly shards as a Golgotha pierced its hull.

  ((Sorry, Jade. They’re all over us. Things were a little rough—))

  “Just keep us covered. We’re going in.”

  ((Affirmative. Mara out.))

  Jade fixed a hull charge to the surface of the vessel below her. And they said this job was hard.

  “Viral upload prepped. Injection in…”

  A shadow fell across her team.

  “Sapphire?”

  ((Got it.))

  The ravenous Enemy was shattered by the force of Mara’s weapons, but the Judas was rocked by another blast and the weapons fire refocused too quickly.

  The Enemy hulk spiraled out of control.

  At the boarding teams.

  ((Jade! Get out of there!))

  “Sapphire! Shoot it down!”

  ((It’s too close to you! It’ll burn you up!))

  “For the love of Richter just do it ’Phire!!”

  ((Jade get out of there I can’t oh no no no

  “NO!!”

  ...

  Haze.

  Light and dark. Voices, distant. Whispering.

  Pain: a dull, steady, bodily ache.

  “Where am I?”

  Her voice was not her own. Disembodied.

  “You’re aboard Mara. You’re safe now. Don’t worry, Sapphire.”

  Things were gradually becoming clearer. Her eyes struggled to focus, almost succeeded.

  “What happened?”

  “Kilbourne attacked your pattern. We’ve secured it on a mirror strand. You’ll feel better in a while.”

  “Who—Who are you?”

  The dark form next to her moved closer, spoke into her ear. “I pulled you and Jade from the escape pod at the resurrender. You were just nine years old.”

  “Reynald, is it you? It is you!”

  “None other.” He embraced her frail form as she struggled to sit up in bed. “Now just rest.”