The Sixth Extinction

by Bob Blink

  I am hoping this works, he thought to himself.

  The code that opened the locked doors was supposed to be the same one that opened the locks back at the Facility and which he'd entered at each step of the way out. He'd been told that was the plan all those years ago, and hopefully there had been no reason to change that thinking. If something had caused a different approach to be used, then he was not going to be getting inside.

  Holding a figurative breath, he punched in the twelve number sequence, and relaxed when he felt something move inside the door. An indicator showed that the door was unlocked, and he pushed it inwards, stepping inside as a few faint lights came on as the door opened. Even though it wasn't supposed to matter, he left the door slightly ajar as he ventured deeper into the opening. Unlike the Facility, there was only the single door, and he could see some of the vast array of equipment that had been left for the survivors of the human race to use one day.

  Chapter 42

  The Storage Cavern

  Raobot was surprised by a couple of things. First was the presence of power. He'd wondered about that before starting out and considered how he would be able to find what he wanted inside the cavern should he get this far. He'd assumed that some provision had been made, but he hadn't expected operational lighting. What method could be in place to have a functional power system unmaintained for this long? He doubted he'd ever learn. There was no time for such things, and certainly there was no documentation he would be able to bring back. He turned off his own flashlight to conserve its power.

  The second thing was the vast array of vehicles and machines that were spread out before him. The last time he'd been here, this vast area was an open space where machines and people could work. But as he looked at the equipment he realized that most of it was that which had been used in the construction and supplying of the Facility. They had simply parked the equipment here, hoping it might in some way be useful in the distant future.

  Moving past the entrance and deeper into the cave, he found other gear, much more carefully packaged. There were vehicles here too, but these were independently sealed behind thick plastic, probably in an inert atmosphere and prepped to have the greatest chance against falling apart due to age. Thought would have been given for these items, choosing designs that would last. He came across a hover-car with a large cargo capacity. His hopes rose. He had been wondering how he was going to lug the items on his list all the way back to the Facility. Even attempting multiple trips, the way was often blocked with thick ice across the road, and it was difficult to walk through let alone attempt to carry much of a load. If he could get one of these vehicles running, he had his answer.

  He found where the opening to the plastic seal was located, and hesitated when he saw the list of instructions. Interestingly, there were a list of names and ident numbers at the bottom of the instructions. Then he realized something. He thought that he might understand some of the planning behind the Cyborgs and the Memory Mapping machines. There were key people who knew how this equipment operated and could be maintained, and all of it would be useful beyond words for the rebuilding effort. Those individuals whose names were noted here, could be extracted and loaded into the army of Cyborgs which could endure the harsh conditions while they got the units functional once again. During that time their bodies could be growing, and once ready, their minds, fully aware of the current conditions learned by their time in the mechanical bodies, mapped and transferred into human form once again.

  Well, as useful as that would be for the rebuilding effort, he wasn't going to have the luxury of their help. If he couldn't get the vehicle operational, he would be forced to consider an alternate approach. With only a momentary hesitation, he broke open the seal, hearing the hiss as the air inside mixed with the atmosphere of the cave. He felt as if he were violating something sacred.

  Pulling the plastic aside, he took the list of instructions and read through what was required. If everything worked as indicated, the process had deliberately been made simple. There was a pair of connectors he was to plug into a slot on the floor. Somehow that would activate the power system after a couple of hours being connected. He couldn't guess what the power system was. Certainly not a battery. Any battery he'd ever heard of would have self destructed long ago. Nevertheless, he did as directed, pressed a control on the dash, and was pleased to see a panel light up indicating some kind of self check was in progress. The sheet told him that would take over an hour, so he set the sheet aside and decided to go exploring, seeing what he could find on his mental list of items. He figured he had twenty-four hours to be back at the Facility airlocks. That gave him margin against difficulties. He couldn't afford to be late. He'd have only one shot at getting this done right.

  An hour later when he returned to check on the vehicle, he knew that he wouldn't have time to examine all that was stored in this amazing cache of materials. He had found a couple items of interest. He found some small communicators that looked very much like the ones everyone carried, but the instructions said these were special secure units that would work inside the Facility using a different frequency band than used for other communications. They might have a means of staying in touch if the units operated as advertised. Sadly they had a limited range outside, as there were no facilities to transmit the signals. He'd also found a small room filled with the Memory Mapping units that they had discussed. The ones in the doctor's office weren't the only one's they had left behind. He'd decide if the vehicle worked, he'd bring one of those along. He'd also found where the weapons were stored. There were a surprising number of varieties, and it was going to take him considerable time to sort through the sealed boxes to find what Ray had asked for. It was a good thing he didn't require sleep.

  Now, however, was the matter of the vehicle. He climbed over the barrier and bent to look at the display screen. Immediately he was aware that the self-check had not gone well. A flashing light showed him that the unit had failed its test. Unfortunately, the unit followed a time honored tradition of not telling the operator anything useful, but printed out a series of codes that apparently identified the nature of the anomaly.

  Rao cursed and looked around. There was a thick manual on the far seat, but what kind of repairs was he going to attempt? He had no tools, no idea where parts might be, and if the truth be known, he was one of those kinds of people that struggled to open the tool box, let alone try to fix anything mechanical. Instead, he walked over to the next unit and stripped away its plastic, and started the self-test on that vehicle. Once again he wandered off to see what he could find.

  Several hours and another three vehicles later, he decided he was back to walking. All had failed in the same manner. He was certain the failure would turn out to be simple, easily fixed if one of those individuals named had been on hand, but such thoughts were of little use. There were other vehicles, some of them tracked, some with wheels, but none were going to make it over the road with its many icy barriers. In the future those would melt, or there would be those who knew how to remove them, but again, he had neither the time nor the knowledge. He could try the last couple of sealed vehicles, but given the universal failure he doubted for any different results, and a part of him didn't relish the thought of hovering in a vehicle that could develop an instant anomaly while en route. It was time for plan B.

  A long walk around the area brought him to an area that had carts, and hauling equipment, including a number of hover sleds. They were designed to carry half a ton, and were meant to be pulled by another vehicle, but Raobot knew he was strong enough to pull one of them, especially if he didn't load it to capacity. But would they work? Following the instructions he set up three of the units for charge and self-test while he went off to see what else might be of use if they didn't work out either.

  By late evening he had two functional sleds, at least according to the test. He tried the hover function and found it was a simple matter to have the sled float roughly a meter over the floor of the cave. He
climbed up on top and found it would support his weight without difficulty. The loop harness was strong enough he could easily pull the unit around the floor. Leaving one unit plugged in against the chance it required additional charging, he went off to find the items he'd ear-marked to bring along. He pulled the second unit along after him to aid his accumulation.

  Two dozen of the communicators, one of the Memory Mappers, boxes of ammunition, and selected weapons were loaded into the hover-sled. He had automatic rifles, shotguns, a few handguns and something not on Ray's list but potentially useful was a crate that held twenty-five kilos of explosive. At first Raobot had decided against carrying the explosive, worrying how the years might have treated it, but then decided if the builders had stored stuff here, they must have had reason to believe it would remain viable and un-degraded by the long years it would sit. An idea had been forming in his mind, but it would require something like the explosive to implement. Of course, unless Ray knew how to use the stuff, and hook up the detonators that he also packed away, it would be useless.

  It wasn't until the early hours of the morning that he had all the items transferred into the sled, and was ready to set off. He didn't want to start until it was light outside, and that gave him more than twice the time it had taken him to hike here to get the sled back. He wished he had one of the hover cars, but the extra hours he'd spent looking at the manual had told him he wasn't going to get them fixed. At first light, he set off.

  Once again Raobot marveled at the advantages of being a machine. He didn't tire, and didn't react adversely to the surroundings, although he noted that his internal power rating was down to about fifty percent. He had lost about thirty percent since leaving the Facility, a higher rate of discharge than he had seen while inside. It was either the adverse conditions sapping some of his power, or the heavy lifting he had done. He was going to have to see about how he was recharged as soon as he was back inside. For now he flagged it as something to watch.

  Much of the walk back was simply boring. There were those spots where he had to find a way around, or to fight his way up over barriers of ice. It was fortunate the sled was a floater, providing the energy for all the up and down movement required, because he never would have made it otherwise. Despite the obstacles, by early evening he was in place outside the airlock, ready to go inside. He was down to twenty-two percent on his power reserves, which was worrisome, but there was nothing to be done about it now. If he could contact Sam he was sure the technician would have the knowledge of how he was to be charged and would have the equipment ready, but that too would have to wait until he was back at the bunker.

  Ray was back from a long day with Mark. They had all but finished checking the empty structures that might be used to hide Rao and his friends, and in the morning would have to meet with Walker to consider the next phase of the search. He'd dropped Mark off, and had stopped by the Security office. He didn't have to turn in the vehicle, as Walker had insisted he have it available full time until the current investigation was complete.

  "You're keeping long hours these days," Tony said as Ray passed by the control room. He'd known Tony would call out to him. The man was always talkative, and liked company.

  Making it look unplanned, Ray turned and walked into the room.

  "Nothing to show for it, unfortunately," he said. Ray also knew that Tony was one of those who saw the Director as the highest authority in the caverns and would follow any orders he released.

  "At least you get out and see things," Tony complained. "I have another month here before I get back on outside duty."

  "Yeah, I always found this hard too," Ray commiserated.

  He sat down, setting his cup on the table. He was now in position for when Raobot hopefully made his return. As the time approached, he considered how he might distract Tony during the moments when the alarms needed to be managed. Just minutes before the designated time, a call came through which Tony had to deal with. Unfortunately, it prevented Ray from engaging the other in conversation, and maneuvering the conversation for the distraction he had prepared. Tony hung up just as the alarm light came on. His peripheral vision must be excellent, because he caught the flash of red.

  "What is that?" he asked, even as Ray's hand was moving to silence the alarm.

  Tony realized what he was doing and looked at him, eyes wide. There was really no choice. Ray shot him with the stunner he'd had concealed in his other hand. Then he reached over and opened the comm line to the speakers in the air locks.

  "Raobot, we've been busted. Don't delay. Go through the locks as fast as possible. I'll meet you below."

  Next he pulled out a syringe of the same stuff they'd given Dr. Ho. He shot up the unconscious Tony, watched as Raobot cycled quickly through the remaining airlocks, and then hurried outside. It looked like he was now one of the fugitives.

  Chapter 43

  Sequoia Facility

  Ray was considering the consequences of his action as he hurried out of the building and climbed into his vehicle. There really had been no choice, and he'd known this kind of outcome was possible from the beginning. That was why he was prepared with some of the knockout juice that Jessica had acquired for Dr. Ho. He knew he only had until Tony recovered and could tell someone what had happened, and then he would be on Walker's list. Maybe six hours, but he'd be wise to assume less. If someone found the unconscious controller they might make a reasonable guess at who had rendered him that way. In that short timeframe he had to haul Raobot back to the bunker with whatever he'd been able to find outside, hopefully something useful given the cost, and then go back to the residential section for Cindy and bring her to the bunker as well. Given their known relationship, she wouldn't be safe from Walker who would assume she knew of his allegiance, and Ray knew he wouldn't hesitate to use her as a bargaining chip in any event. Cindy had indicated some time ago if things went sour, she wanted to join Jessica and the others rather than try hiding like Matti and Sarah were doing. He hated to ditch the car, as it had been very useful, but couldn't see leaving it where it might reveal their hideout. Maybe there was a way to leave it somewhere else, maybe as part of a false trail, but the distinctive Security marking would make it far too recognizable to be seen with it much longer.

  Fortunately the area was as deserted as the hour would suggest. He pulled smoothly out of the parking space, turning north at the roadway. It was only an eighth of a mile to the turn off that led off to the east and the closed off entrance to the tunnel topside. With luck Raobot would have already opened the gate and made it outside the tunnel and would be waiting for him. The speed with which he had negotiated the three airlocks verified he had gotten Ray's panic message over the intercom system. The speed worried Ray somewhat, however. If he had been that quick, how much of what he was sent to find had he actually located? It was very possible the trip had been a complete failure. He didn't want to consider that possibility.

  He didn't have time to stew over the matter. In less than a minute he was pulling up to the fenced off entrance, pleased to see Raobot had been watching and was stepping out to intercept him. The Cyborg was pulling something behind him, which Ray soon identified as some form of floating carrier, piled high with boxes. Obviously, he had found the storage area, and had brought back far more than expected. There was no way the stuff was going to fit in the car, even if he left Raobot behind to make his own way back to the bunker.

  He pulled up just ahead of the Cyborg who waited with the surprising load of items. As he drove past, an ancient memory tickled the back of his mind and he could vaguely recall the carrier as a variation on the air cars of the day, which could carry impressive loads without the roadways wheels and such required. Nothing like that had been available in the facility, and he'd all but forgotten such things existed.

  "You brought a lot of stuff," Ray said as he stepped around toward the back where Raobot waited. "I was envisioning a single small crate or some such."

  "There was much to choose from,
" Raobot's artificial voice responded. "The storage area is nowhere near the size of the caverns here, but it was surprisingly large and well stocked. I decided certain items should not be over-looked while the opportunity was there."

  "The surface?" Ray asked.

  Raobot shivered, a strange motion coming from the mechanical individual. "Forbidding," he replied.

  Forcing a hold on the hundreds of questions he wished to ask, Ray pointed to the stuff Raobot had brought. "That won't fit in the car and we probably won't have a chance to return. How do we select what is most important?"

  "We can bring it all. I am thinking we simply lash this cable to your vehicle, and you can pull it. I was fortunate that the vehicles I had selected to bring the stuff from the storage zone back to the airlock to the caverns all failed. I had not considered beyond the act of relocating the materials, but this sled will allow ease of transport. Without it, I would have been unable to negotiate the airlocks quickly as directed, and would still be hauling items down the tunnel. When we get close to the bunker, I can haul it all overland to the back entryway."

  Ray cursed his stupidity. He hadn't been thinking of what the trailer sled was designed for. Of course they could pull it.

  "Let's go then," he urged. "Once we have you in place, I need to get Cindy. Walker and his men will be anxious to grab her once it becomes known that I am part of the rebellion."

  Together they lashed the sled to the back of the vehicle. The attachment was somewhat makeshift, but secure enough for the couple of miles they had to go. With Raobot crammed into the passenger seat, Ray started the vehicle, completed the wide circle, and headed back toward the main road. He was quite nervous as they drove past the Security Office, but all appeared quiet, which suggested that his handiwork had not yet been detected. With luck it would remain that way for several hours more.