by Paul Kidd
They moved out over fake plastic lawns, beneath the shadow of the gigantic house trees. Once again, illusory birds and butterflies looped through the branches high above. But the birds were silent, and no breeze stirred through the leaves.
Snapper’s senses prickled. The shark looked carefully about, all too aware that she had only a few shots left in her carbine. Behind her, Beau nervously fingered his pistols. There was something oddly awry – something watchful and unpleasant about the woods and their strange, stiff plastic leaves.
The massive trees nearby were all apparently luxury villas, hotels and apartments. Here and there the lights were on, but everything was quiet, with no inhabitants, no motion of any living thing. The group rode slowly beneath the boughs of one of the tree hotels – over and through a flowing stream of hologramatic water – and quietly passed a dozen weird little open cars all parked neatly in a row.
Throckmorton drifted slightly ahead, looking carefully in several directions all at once. The plant passed a line of fences and ancient garbage bins, then came suddenly to a halt. He circled slowly, and Snapper instantly cocked her carbine.
The plant remained hovering in place, looking down at the ground beyond.
Beau and Snapper rode up, then sat frozen faced, staring at the scene.
A wide area of paved ground had been badly scorched many, many decades ago. There were solid concrete walls here – all of them scored and pitted by plasma blasts at about chest height. The centre of the paved ground was heaped with scorched old bones.
Hundreds of human skulls. These bones had all been people.
Gunned down – then burned?
Kenda rode up and looked the scene over. He stared for a moment, then gazed narrowly off amongst the walls and bushes nearby.
Kitterpokkie’s voice called from over at the base of one of the titanic trees.
“Chaps? Look here.”
The broad entry doors to the giant tree hotel lay smashed and burned. The great, wide lobby beyond had been utterly wrecked – the artificial plants seared and melted. Holograms stuttered here and there, their eerie light flickering on the walls. A voice from the ceiling was caught in a distorted, stuttering loop.
“Quarantine state five has been enacted. Ac-ac-active systems… Active systems have been deployed….”
There were more bones there in the lobby – many of them packed into doors as if slaughtered while trying to escape. Kitterpokkie turned her budgerigar slowly about, and looked at some of the huge branches of the hotel.
“Quarantine state five. Ac-ac-active systems! Active systems have been deployed.”
The mantis pointed. Her voice was quiet.
“Up there – there’s some sort of walkway. I think I see more bones…”
“Yeah.” Snapper sent Onan backing away from the old slaughter sites. “Let’s get to that security storage zone.”
They moved onward. Kitterpokkie rode forward to confer quietly with Snapper.
“There seems to have been GeneStorm infection here after all.”
“Yeah – something sure went kill crazy.” Snapper’s eyes kept searching nearby nooks and shadows. “I didn’t see any mutations in those skulls.”
“The quarantine enforcers may have decided to wipe out anything that might even possibly have become infected.” The mantis turned her head a hundred and eighty degrees to check behind herself. “Keep your bombs handy.”
“I hear you.”
They came out into open ground. A hundred metres beyond there was a sturdy, low building; an armoured bunker surrounded by neat artificial shrubs. A substantial garage stood a few dozen metres behind it, discretely hidden amongst the bushes.
An open field nearby was dotted with green hemispherical tents that had fallen and turned flaccid long ago. There were many many rows of crates beside them. A pair of long, low vehicles – some sort of cargo transports – had been parked beside a speckled green shed. Snapper rode cautiously forward, moving past a stand of artificial tree ferns, then suddenly jerked her head down.
“Shit!”
Snapper signalled Onan. The bird flattened himself in cover with Snapper sliding out of the saddle to lie beside him in one fluid move. The shark held out a hand for finger talk, signalling the others to take cover.
The group dismounted. Kitterpokkie swarmed forward on all sixes, able to move with surprising speed. She crept up into the ferns beside Snapper, and peered at the ground beyond.
A recess held a dozen hefty, armoured robots festooned with weapons – all squatting down with arms folded, as if ready to spring to life. There was a similar group at the far side of the compound. The robots were perfectly still, showing no signs of life. Kitt lifted up a mirror on a stick and stealthily peered at the robots, then withdrew carefully away, towing Snapper and Onan in her wake.
The group collected nearby, swapping silent finger talk. Kitt pointed to the security hut just beyond.
“They can’t see up out of the pit, unless we get too close. If we’re silent, we should be safe.”
Beau blinked. “Perhaps I could use the key, tell them I’m the chairman, and tell them to deactivate?”
“If they’re looking for mutants, they might shoot you first, and then obey.”
Snapper risked a look at the open field. She could see no more surprises.
“Throckmorton – stay low.” She signalled everyone to move slowly back and off towards the security building. “Move out. No noise.”
They moved carefully onwards, keeping a cautious distance away from the robots in their pits – walking as though the ground were broken glass. But the robots seemed dormant. They failed to react when hologram birds flickered overhead, or recorded forest sounds echoed through the air. But a hundred metres of distance from them was a great relief for the minds of one and all.
The security building seemed intact – a squat, armoured building with a hefty set of doors. As they approached, a hologram flickered into life, and a ghostly young man in a neat uniform held up a hand.
“Greetings, citizens! We regret that the security office is currently unattended. This office is closed.”
Beau reached for his pendant and clutched it. The pendant glowed. “I am the honoured chairman!”
“Authorisation confirmed, honoured chairman. Do you wish to log in as site officer?”
“Yes – yes indeed. Logging in.” Beau struck a pose. “Now then! Please open the door.”
“Registering voice pattern – chairman. Access authorised.” The door slid open. “Please note that a second authorisation will be required for any security overrides.”
“Excellent, thank you.” Beau looked back at the others, feeling wonderfully pleased. “I always knew that I was born to greatness!”
Snapper walked up and pointed at a garage that stood off to one side. “Come on, that way, O Great One. Let’s get the critters out of sight!”
“Yes ma’am!”
A wide old garage held two electric bicycles and a great many tools. The pack beasts and riding animals were quietly installed inside. Pendleton and Onan were left in charge. The door was carefully slid down into place and left unlocked. With all hopefully well, the explorers moved back to the armoured bunker, and Beau grandly opened up the door.
The security building had a front office and bench, a coffee room, sleeping quarters and kitchens. The team shrugged off their backpacks and satchels, ready to fill them with finds.
With practiced efficiency, Snapper looked into a small infirmary and came out carrying a box and a large first aid case. The little box had several arms, cameras and weird limbs all contracted inside itself. It seemed to need batteries, but apart from that, it appeared in perfect condition. “Hey Kitt. Is this an autodoc?”
“Seems likely.” The mantis was peering into a cupboard. “Have the chairman initialise it. Take a battery.” The mantis tossed over a battery. “Catch!”
“Excellent. Beau? Do that thing.”
Kenda had opened a locke
r. Clearly it had once been an armoury of some kind, but now is sat empty except for a dark blue helmet, a breastplate and a box containing two small, hefty black spheres. Beau peered inside as Kenda took one of the spheres in hand, and gave a frown.
“I had hoped there might be more weapons here.”
Kenda waved a hand towards computer equipment set into the desk.
“Ask.”
Beau brightened. He strutted forward and rapped upon the desk with one elegant claw.
“I say there! Mister Computer. Are you there?”
The hologram flickered into existence – a very small figure that stood at one corner of the desk. “I hear you, honoured chairman.”
“I am interested in our stocks of security weapons. How many are currently in storage here?”
“All forty one security personnel currently have their issued stun pistols and shock batons. None have been returned to storage. Patrol cars one through five are equipped with stun rifles.”
“Right, so, are those all the weapons on board?”
“No, honoured chairman.” The little hologram was joined by a map. “The auxiliary security compound currently holds reserve weapon stores. They are located beside the auxiliary security barracks.” The map showed a blinking light at the middle of the odd little gathering of tents. “Five hundred Straker P 17 plasma assault rifles, twenty four Mateba model 9 plasma pistols. One thousand and forty eight spare power cartridges.”
Snapper moved closer. “Oh my god! That’s it! That’s the prize.”
Kitt had her hands against her heart, utterly thrilled. “Ask it if they’re new! They might still have a virus!”
Beau nodded. “Computer – are these weapons new? Have they ever been used?”
“Weapons have been received in factory fresh condition. No activation.” A string of numbers and dates flashed up in mid air. “Packing crates opened for inspection on arrival. Contents verified and re-sealed per order of board of directors.”
Snapper swayed, almost boneless with relief.
“We did it.” She turned to Kitterpokkie, almost dazed with joy. “These are battle winners. We did it!”
“Yes.”
Snapper turned at the voice, to see Kenda with his huge rifle levelled at her heart.
“We thank you.”
Kenda shot Snapper in the chest.
The impact threw her back, crashing into a wall. Dazed, she heard Kitt screaming, saw Beau snatching for his pistols, and then a black ball thudded to the floor. A brilliant flash and screaming blast of noise filled the room.
Beau fired blindly in the direction of the door. He hit Kenda a stinging graze along the arm. Kenda fell back, dodging aside as a bullet almost took his head off. Beau crouched in cover, trying to blink painful lights out of his eyes.
“Kenda!”
A rifle bullet slashed just above Beau’s head. A dozen metres away, Kenda was nothing but a blur to Beau’s damaged eyes.
“Mutant scum!” Kenda reloaded his breechloader. “Disgusting mutant filth, laying claim to a world!” The man fired again and again at the doorway, bullets crashing into the walls behind. “Now you will see how pure human blood deals with usurpers!”
Kenda stood.
“The Screamers are coming. And this time, they will be followed by a crusading army! We will scour the world clean – the great work is begun.”
Beau ignited a bomb and hurtled it blindly through the door. It fell hissing and spitting, then detonated with a thunderous bang.
Stumbling forward, Beau crashed against furniture and battled out into the open, firing his last rounds. Through half blinded eyes he saw Kenda fifty metres away, racing towards the robot pits.
As he approached the pit, a huge armoured robot arose. Kenda ran forward and slapped his bloody hand against a plate in the machine’s chest.
“Pure human! Unsullied.”
The robot rose to loom over Kenda, weapons deploying – power humming and thundering inside its chest. It focussed upon Kenda, then a deep voice boomed from the robot’s head.
“Confirmed. Uncontaminated human.”
Kenda pointed back towards the security hut.
“Contaminated mutants have breached the city.”
The robot suddenly seemed to crouch – alert and deadly. It moved up and out of the pit. “Quarantine level five. Search and destroy all mutants.”
“Yes!” There was a triumphant edge to Kenda’s voice. “Search and destroy!”
Combat robots emerged from the pits, weapons swinging down to lock in position. Ignoring Kenda, they fanned out to scan the compound. Kenda moved off towards weapon crates, laying a possessive hand upon the cargo vehicles.
Beau staggered back into the security building and closed the door. He heard the others moving, heard Snapper coughing. The hologram again shimmered into life beside them.
“Quarantine level five protocol. Active systems now deployed.” The glowing image shivered in the lingering smoke.
“Remain still and seated. All mutants will be identified and exterminated.”
Chapter 16
“Snapper!”
Kitterpokkie blundered, blinded, reaching to seize hold of Snapper. She felt for a pulse even while her head span with shock. “Snapper? Jemima! Jemima?”
The shark coughed. She opened up her eyes, wincing.
“D-don’t call me Jemima.”
“Oh my god!” Kitterpokkie ran her hands over Snapper’s new breastplate. Kenda’s bullet had struck the breastplate, left a score of molten led across the black surface – and had bounced clean off. “It didn’t penetrate.”
“Bastard! I’ll take his head off.” Snapper groaned and put a hand against her breastplate. “What the hell was he firing? Felt like getting kicked by a frog-mule.”
“Can you stand?”
“I’m fine, I’m fine.” Snapper struggled to her feet. “Cowardly arsehole! Guess he never wanted to risk going blade-to-blade….”
The door was bolted shut. Beau had found a manual lock and somehow shoved it home. A moment later, there was a crash against the entrance like a steel drum being smashed by a falling anvil. It was immediately followed by a plasma blast slamming against the outer door. Beau leapt back as electrical charge arced and cracked across the metal.
Another blast came, then another. Snapper leaned on a bench with Throckmorton anxiously fetching her fallen helmet. She looked at the door.
“What the hell is that?”
“Robots. Lots and lots of robots.” The fox-pheasant was finally regaining some of his sight. “Kenda summoned them. He’s pure human!”
“Shit.” Snapper blinked, trying to clear her eyes. “He’s out there?”
“I tagged him.” Beau checked his pistol chambers. They were all empty. “He’s after the plasma guns!”
“What for?”
“For an army.”
The door crashed and rang. It sounded like three or four robots were firing at the door now. Snapper hoped that the animals were alright in the rear garage.
“He’s pure human? You’re sure?”
“The robots scanned his blood. Pure human – no admix at all.” Beau fumbled his pistols back into their holsters. “Absolutely pure.”
“Completely?” Kitterpokkie was amazed. There were weird-landers who looked human, but their genes had definitely taken on a hidden shift or two. “But he’s green! Green as grass!”
“Could be dye. They must have an enclave.”
“East – in the desert.” Kitterpokkie handed Snapper her carbine. “It has to be east. Not north. He didn’t know it was possible to cross the cliff barrier.”
The savage pounding against the security door took on a steady rhythm, and the entire inner surface was now red hot. Snapper looked at the metal in alarm.
“How long can the door take that?”
“It has to melt through eventually.” Kitt could already see the inner surface discolouring from the heat. “A few minutes – no more.”
&
nbsp; Something crashed against the wall a few metres from the door. Something else was on the roof, blasting down at the ceiling. The robots were clearly in a killing frenzy. Kitterpokkie looked about and found the hologram waiting patiently over in a corner.
“Computer! Are there security cameras outside?”
“I am sorry. Access is limited to registered security personnel. A member of the family of the board of directors is currently on duty. You should speak to them in this regard.”
Snapper called across to Beau.
“Hey – family of the board of directors! Ask about cameras!”
“Yes.” Beau backed away from the door. The room was becoming hot. “Um – computer? Hi! Honoured chairman here!”
The hologram fluttered. “Yes, honoured chairman.”
“Can we please have access to the security cameras?”
A large map of the city appeared in mid air, flickering and shimmering. An array of menus flashed up beside it.
“Please indicate areas of interest. Active cameras will be highlighted. Feeds and camera tracking commands can be accessed via the screen.”
Beau ran up to the map and reached out to touch the general area of the security buildings. The map zoomed in, and he managed to manipulate it with his hands. A camera location blinked, and Beau touched the icon. A second window opened in mid air, and a picture flickered into life.
The new window showed the security bunker with robots blasting plasma weapons straight at the doors. Four fired at the doors – two more at the walls. Another was on the roof, trying to blast though. Yet more robots seemed to be out in the compound. Beau looked utterly dismayed.
“Oh dear.”
Snapper was alive with alarm. “Are the animals OK?”
“Aaah… Yes!” Beau managed to track a camera around to face towards the garage. The door was still down, although it appeared that Pendleton was peeking an eye out to watch the mayhem at the security building. “They’re alright for now.”
“How many robots have we got out there?”
Beau found a camera with a high viewpoint – apparently up in one of the artificial trees. It showed the security building under siege, and a new file of robots rising up out of a hatchway that led beneath the decks.
