***
After being recognized by the combined marine/engineering guard, Lieutenant Jergens was passed into the quarantined section of the Doc Travis engineering room where the robot he and Harriette had done the MRI on was still ensconced. He was as excited as a kid who'd just got his first toy rocket to launch into the stratosphere by illegally adding extra booster engines. Finally the fighting was over and he had time to explore just what in hell had happened during the MRI. Harriette would be along after he'd set up some new testing apparatus designed to explore the robot CPU. The robot was still there, the undamaged front section facing him as he came inside and closed the hatch behind him. But ...it wasn't in the same spot as he'd left it. Oh-the guards must have moved it for some reason or another even if they weren't supposed to have been in the room. He headed for the nearest workbench with his load of instruments.
With his back turned, one of the bigger robots rolled forward. One of its front appendages raised high in the air while its end portion formed a hardened knob. Jergens suddenly became aware of a moving shadow where no movement should be possible. He opened his mouth to speak to whoever the hell was in the room without permission. No words came out. The knobbed robot arm made a swishing noise as it descended at an incalculable speed. It struck Jergens on the side of his head, crushing it and killing him instantly. He fell to the floor in a lifeless heap.
The master robot still hadn't managed access to Eve's master files even though it was continually trying. It knew that sooner or later the humans would discover what it and its minions were doing. C-77 hoped to have the ship's CPU under control by then. What it did have was a complete schematic diagram of the ship's interior. It decided that if it could not access the ship's CPU through the computer in this room, there would at least be direct inlet ports in the control room.
It waited, though. It could still be possible to gain access from here. When it did have control, regardless of how it was obtained, it already knew it could take over the ship through the simple method of killing all the humans aboard by manipulating the environmental controls. In fact, perhaps it didn't need complete access. It might possibly be done from its present location. No. Not possible. Environment was very heavily safety controlled. And finally, it concluded that the central CPU could not be accessed from this place. It must move, killing any humans in its path.
***
Harriette Juenne had made up her mind that if Fred was loathe to make the first move, then it was up to her. Working with him in the closed room on the robots ought to be the perfect opportunity. There was even a little couch there. She approached the guards with dreamy eyes, thinking much more about Fred's body than the work in front of them. Before she had a chance to even ask them for access the hatch began to open. Their eyes were on her, though. She was a very good looking woman, and guard duty was very boring.
"You must be eager for me to get in there with Lieutenant Jergens if you're opening the door this quickly," she said with a smile.
"What? What door?" The engineer turned quickly as he heard a noise behind him. "Hey!" he shouted, raising his weapon, a short barreled, powerful scattergun thought perfect for subduing a robot.
He was too late. The large robot just inside the opening had a fully charged capacitor. It pointed a tentacle. A blue bolt of electricity shot across the short space, hitting the engineer squarely in the chest. A light smell of ozone filled the room. The other guard grunted as his companion's body brushed into him as it fell. He staggered and turned to see what was happening.
Harriette screamed and ran. She turned the corner of the passageway just in time to avoid another bolt of electricity. Behind her both guards lay crumpled on the deck, as lifeless at the metal they lay on.
***
"Captain, I've been getting some funny readings from Eve and can't seem to pinpoint the cause," an enlisted electronics tech on duty in the control room said.
"Have you tried contacting Lieutenant Jergens?" Keane asked distractedly. He was busy with Lieutenant Lan Nguyen, the environmental officer. He was concerned about apparent hacking attempts into the files governing the ship's air supply.
"Yes, sir, I've tried. His com isn't answering, sir."
That got Keane's attention. "What?!" Not answering a duty-related call was serious business, especially since Jergen's stated destination was Engineering, where he intended to work some more with the captured robots. While Keane was deciding whether to send his enlisted aide to find the Electronics Officer, Harriette came bursting into the control room.
"Captain! Captain Keane! The robots are loose! I think they killed Fred!" Tears were streaming down her face and her whole body was trembling with fright.
"Weapons! Call the marines! Have them send an armed squad to the control room immediately and another to Engineering. Tell them to be on the lookout for escaped robots. They are to shoot to kill! Got it?"
"Got it, sir," June said immediately, already activating her com.
Keane bent to a drawer beneath his console and keyed in the combination from his wrist com. He pulled out the drawer, revealing a half dozen hand weapons. He didn't know how effective they might be against the robots but anything was better than nothing. He began handing them out as he called names. "Mundahan, Eweing, Coha, Wannstead, Shoshana."
Each took one of the handguns. They were specially designed for heavy impact at very short ranges in order to avoid damage to the electronic wizardry in the room. Whether they could hold off the rogue robots if they made it to the control room was questionable but Keane would die before allowing them to get past. Hopefully the marines would arrive first. Already four heavy titanium rods were locking the two-inch thick hardened carbide hatchway. That in itself was a formidable barrier, although not quite as much of one as he would have liked. During fitting at DARPA, it was one factor that had been completely overlooked in terms of upgrading.
***
Major Rambling had been removing his clothes in anticipation of a very welcome nap. He was almost completely undressed when his com tingled and jolted his wrist with a sharp pain. He cursed and answered it.
"You've got be kidding me? A robot escaped! To where?" He sat back on the bed, eyes wide. He listened for a moment then nodded. "I'm on it." He punched his wrist to relay his com to the First Sergeant and began giving instructions while pulling his clothes on.
***
"Duty squad, form up in the ready armory room. On the bounce!" First Sergeant Watkins shouted. The battle station alarm designating Secure Critical Systems and Repel Boarders was blaring over the all-ship speaker, sending marines tumbling from bunks, turning over chairs, scattering cards in the day rooms and hustling to their duty stations.
"Backup duty squad, form up in adjacent armory," Watkins shouted into the mad melee of marines shucking into battle armor and others rushing to the main armory bay.
"Duty Squad, over here, on the bounce!" Martinez ordered. He made a quick scan of the squad members, checking to be sure they had their equipment. "Our assignment is protection of the control room against robots running amok. Let's go! Move, move!"
No sooner had they rushed out than Platoon Sergeant Jeeta Suharto of Second Platoon was there. "Backup Squad, form on me! Assignment is to engage and destroy rogue robots loose on the ship. Last report has them entering passageway B-1, adjacent to the main passageway, A-I. They appear to be heading for the control room. We're to stop them before they get there. Move, move! On the bounce!"
All over the ship naval ratings and officers reported to and secured their sections, operating in a hurried blur of bodies that appeared senseless and random, but their movements had very little waste motion to them. Repeated drills on the way to the Bolt Cluster were paying off now. The crew could practically handle this duty in their sleep.
***
The backup duty squad entered the main passageway, intending to drop down to B-1 and intercept the robots there, but it was too late. Master C-77 had hacked the elevator and politely rode up
to the main passageway without a soul seeing the robots as the marines disdained the elevators for the ladders. Half the squad was already descending when the robots burst out of the elevator, led by the two large ones. Twenty thousand volt electrical charges and energy bolts fired almost simultaneously as the robots met the concentrated fire from a half dozen positioned marines armed with scatterguns.
The privates and corporals on point, leading the charge down the ladder, were out of the fight. The combat was swift and brutal. Most of the surprised marines fell from bolts of electricity searing their bodies while the slugs from scatterguns weren't nearly as effective unless their firepower was combined. The platoon sergeant and team leaders retreated behind a wall. The other marines, trying to reverse course and come back up the ladder, were slaughtered and tumbled back down in heaps. Two robots moved on, leaving one of the larger ones immobile but still capable of fighting. It backed into the open elevator and waited, holding the door open with an appendage.
***
Master C-77 was easily capable of multi-tasking. All the while it was fighting with the other units, albeit from the rear, it kept trying two other courses of action. It hunted through the few files of Eve it had managed to gain control of with amazing speed and understanding, wanting to find a way to control the big AI that managed the ship. It also searched through the schematics of the control room circuitry, hunting for the key to unlock that vital area. Just as it deciphered the lock for the control room hatch another fight with humans ensued. Its remaining subunit, S-945, took the brunt of fire from the organic units arriving to protect the control room, forcing C-77 to add its charged capacitor to the battle as well.
***
"Kill the goddamned metal motherfuckers!" Martinez roared as his squad arrived at the short passage leading directly into the control room. Bolts of energy, jagged surges of electrical energy, and hundreds of scattergun slugs crisscrossed in the packed passageway, felling marines and impacting the robots simultaneously. Screams, shouts and curses were met by the silent lethality of the robots. The largest one began smoking and settled on its treads, out of action or dead, Martinez didn't care. "Get that last one!" he screamed just as he realized he was talking only to himself. His scattergun clocked out. He tossed a grenade that was met in mid-air by a bolt of electricity, dampening its power. It still had enough of a charge to knock him senseless. He crumpled to the floor, unconscious among his fallen comrades. The control room door hatch began opening.
***
"Get ready," Mundahan warned. "Coha, protect the Captain."
"I don't-" Keane began but his voice was overridden by a cacophony of yells and curses and hand weapons firing in the closed space. A single robot entered the room, seemingly immune to impact of hollow point slugs cascading from all points of the control room onto it.
"It's got the backup computer!" shouted an electronics tech who had continued to monitor Eve and her alternates.
" Eve, override backup!" Commander Levy yelled, hoping the AI could understand him over the roar of battle. He immediately fell to the deck from a bolt of electricity hitting him in the chest.
"Shit!" PO3 Coha said when he saw the robot swivel the appendage it had been using to throw the lightning bolts; it was now pointing toward them, or more exactly, toward Captain Keane, whose gun had just emptied. Coha turned, bent into a linesman formation, and put all his strength into a quick body block that knocked his superior completely off his feet. The bolt of electricity passed over them. A couple of scattered charges singed his hair. He rose up to fire back at the robot. Whether by intent or luck he acted too quick to think about it, and his shot hit the robot squarely on the appendage being used as a weapon. It shattered into pieces and popped like a large light bulb. The timing must have been lucky because his shot caused a tremendous electrical short just as the robot fired. It smoked for a second then its top blew off, hitting the control room ceiling and shattering into pieces that fell to the floor. It settled onto its treads, no longer a menace, just a smoking charred wreck.
Keane cursed as he went down, knowing the Petty Officer intended to sacrifice his own life to save his. Fortunately for his self-esteem he left the oath unuttered when he saw what Coha had done to the robot.
"Good going, Coha," he said, getting to his feet. "I now know why the guys call you 'tank'." He patted the Petty Officer on the shoulder and looked around. There was carnage among his people but control of the ship still resided with them. "Form a work party to get that thing out of here. Has anyone called for medical help?"
"I just did, sir," June Mundahan said. She was bent over Commander Levy, giving CPR, hoping to get his heart started again after the shock it took.
Harriette Juenne was wounded and unconscious, but still breathing. Wannstead was unhurt. Two of the ratings were dead from ricocheting debris and scattergun slugs.
"Backup CPU number one has been cut from my system," Eve announced. "Hacking attempts have ceased. Restoring integrity to affected files. Awaiting further orders."
"Be sure you're clean, Eve. How about your second backup?'
"It is secure, Captain."
"Good." He stepped out of the way as the medical team. It arrived just as Levy's heart began to beat again. It had been a close call but Doc Travis and most of her crew still lived. They would fight again.
***
Two days passed before Keane felt sufficiently secure to allow normal ship's routine to resume, but he had allowed a team led by Doctor Henry Sorkalsky to autopsy the two Worms that had gone crazy at the same time the robots got loose. Harriette Juenne had also looked at the robots in an entirely new light, working with a bandaged shoulder. Sorkalsky and she were both in his day cabin now, ready to report.
"Coffee, Professor Juenne? Doctor Sorkalsky?" Keane asked after he'd been seated.
"Thank you, Captain. Please."
CPO Mura poured for them and left the carafe on the low table between them.
"And now, Doctor Sorkalsky, I understand you have some important news for us?"
"I think so, Captain. Up until the event of the berserk robots and Worms, is it correct to state that we thought the Worms were the dominant beings and the robots worked for them?"
Keane grimaced inside at the mention of so many deaths being referred to as an "event" but managed to conceal it, not without considerable difficulty. He saw that Dunaway, who was also present, flushed slightly with anger but suppressed his ire as well. No doubt he thought the doctor didn't know any better, and probably he didn't.
"That's not quite accurate. We had begun to have some doubts about who was really in charge on the two planets where we've fought them, but had reached no conclusions," Keane said.
"Oh," Sorkalsky said. He tugged at his beard, which was completely white. He was the oldest man on the expedition. Had he been in the military he would have been retired. "Well, in any case, I believe the robots have been in charge all along. We paid particular attention to the Worm brains during these autopsies. They had gone 'crazy', I believe is the term used?"
"Yes," Keane said shortly.
"Well, as I said, we gave meticulous attention to the Worm brains during the autopsies. We discovered that both of them were carrying a tiny artificial structure in what for them is the equivalent of our cerebral cortex, the reasoning part of the brain. The structure was encapsulated with what we believe to be the Worm equivalent of scar tissue. The presence of scar tissue indicates it had been in place a long time, probably since shortly after birth." He paused as if his explanation was finished.
"That's fine, Doctor. But what was the structure?"
"Oh. Yes. It took a very powerful microscope to determine its internal architecture. The Worms had a very, very advanced microchip inserted into their brains."
"And how about the previous autopsies that were done, Doctor?" Dunaway asked. "Were those brains imbedded with a chip?"
"Umm." A flush appeared on Sorkalsky's cheeks above his beard. "Yes, uh, Commander Dunaway. After f
inding them in the two Worms we autopsied we went back and looked in the preserved remains of other Worms we'd brought aboard and done autopsies on. I regret that we missed the implants then. In our defense, they are very tiny and we never thought ...well, no one thought of it."
Keane wondered how many lives might have been saved had the microchips, or whatever their Worm analogues were, been found to begin with. Had they known to go after the robots first in combat, both cities might have been more easily conquered. However, he didn't intend to cast blame. He hadn't even conceived of a whole species being enslaved to robots, if indeed that were the case. He turned to the physicist.
"Professor Juenne, you've stated in your report that you now believe the robots are controlling the Worms?"
She nodded. "Yes, Captain, but that's not all. During the MRI exam, we discovered two separate types of signals. After consideration of what happened, I think it's likely the smaller robot was in control of both larger ones. I have no idea how many Worms an individual robot can control yet. I'm still studying what's left of its CPU. Also, and I have no proof of this, but I think it's likely that there is a hierarchy in existence, something higher than the little master robot that might in turn control its class. It was certainly trying to signal to something else besides its subordinate robots."
"That sounds logical, sir," Dunaway said. "I'll have Major Rambling go back over his combat records with that in mind and see how it parses. It would be nice to know exactly what we'll be getting into when we reach Xanadu."
Alien Enigma Page 20
