Kaizen Sanctuary (The Exoskeleton Codex Book 2)

by Sean Kennedy

  He stood at the edge of the porch listening to the water flow through the veranda’s gutter troughs as the rain intensified, as though the clouds had waited for his attempt to cross to release their deluge.

  The food bar stopped the pain in his stomach for now. He stuffed its wrapper in a utility pocket and dropped his visor before stepping into the rain. It felt soothing against his synthetic skin as he bounced down the mismatched steps. As he reached the bottom, he wondered if the race would be indoors.

  Would the track be lit?

  Was it even a track?

  The questions piled up quickly and Jacob shook his head to clear them as he walked. He caught himself peering around the cargo columns looking for Mark, but if he was there, he didn’t reveal himself.

  There is value in the unseen.

  Jacob made his way through the stacks and pulled open the shop door, just as the clouds unleashed a heavier downpour behind him.

  His night vision activated in his HUD as he focused in the darkness. Walking through the storage racks, he emerged under the hanging light vines where a single blue circle pulsed on the Kaizen’s head as it sat on the bench. Jacob thought he saw the ring flicker, and watched for it again as he approached. It did, and it was irregular.

  Ripples betray deep motion.

  The Rainwalker’s hull stood like a great raptor, curved its wings to shelter the strange Kaizen’s work bench and Jacob wondered how much work his uncle had been putting into this ship. He felt a tingle of excitement wondering how the ship’s interface would be with his new helmet, and then looked down to see a boot sticking out from behind the bench

  A wave of panic caught him as Jacob rushed forwards. His power-boks fired, throwing him into a leap over the bench and snapped back as he landed to kneel beside his Uncle, lying collapsed and still on the shop floor.

  “Uncle!”

  Jacob pulled on his shoulder, rolling Vincent onto his side. He lifted his visor and heard his struggling breathe. Jacob dropped the shield and thought open a communication link.

  “Something’s happened to Uncle Vincent in the shop.” Jacob said, and saying it he could feel the terror circling again. His senses strained against the silence, until his HUD showed the spectrum analyzer picking up Mac’s voice as he said, “I’m on my way.”

  Jacob dared a breath.

  Slate’s hand lashed out and caught the chest of Jacob’s suit, pulling him close. His unfocused eyes fluttered as he strained to speak.

  “You... must...” he whispered, Jacob tried to amplify him through the helmets systems.

  “It's okay, Uncle Mac is on his way,” Jacob said, trying to sound confident.

  “Go...” Slate struggled, “to ...Mars!”

  His eyes rolled back, and he collapse, with only a gurgle coming from his throat. Jacob heard a shop door crash open and looked up to see Mac emerge from the storage racks, running with his trauma bag.

  Chapter 18

  The rain beat steady tears against the farmhouse windows as Jacob sat beside his uncle’s bunk. The medical monitor pole was now attached to his last living relative as the old pilot now battled for breath.

  Jacob stayed quiet behind the black visor as Mac’s practiced hands ran over the monitor controls. His uncle’s bedroom was unnaturally clean thanks to the house spiders, with only Vincent’s bunk and eight locked shipping trunks stacked along one wall. The trunks were Space Corps issue, each with a matching lock and ready to throw on the next transport off world.

  “The orientation does that,” Mac said, “kit management was part of the programming.

  “Is he going to be okay?” Jacob said, trying to keep his voice steady.

  Mac sighed, “he’s sick Jacob, he’s been sick a long time. He took on too much when he boosted.”

  “Boosted?”

  “Your uncle boosted himself with some aggressive combat drugs to get an edge at Alcazar, I think it did more than he bargained for,” Mac chuckled, “probably didn’t care. Sometimes the torpedoes can damn you right back. He knew he'd pushed it too hard, and he's the kind of guy that took the samurai cut to heart.”

  “What’s a samurai?” Jacob asked.

  “They were Japanese swordsmen whose convictions were so great that even if you cut their heads off, they would complete their own attack before their bodies collapsed. The Rainwalker is Vincent’s cut Jacob. He’s been pushing to get it completed.”

  “Because of me,” Jacob whispered.

  “Yes, but you should be happy about that,” Mac said. “Once you hit the ground, you gave him meaning again.” Mac looked at the small spaceman standing over the bunk. “I don’t know how much longer either of us would have lasted without you, lad.”

  Mac put his arm around the boy’s shoulders. “He’s the toughest man I’ve ever known. If anyone can pull through this, he will, and when he does you're going to have to order him to take it easy.”

  “If he doesn’t wake up,” Jacob whispered through his helmet's speaker, “you won't have to have me here anymore.”

  “Not at all Jacob,” Mac laughed, “you’ll always have a place here! I’d hate to see what the Kaizen would do if I tried to throw you out. They've become quite fond of you, you know,” Mac squeezed Jacob’s shoulders, “and I have too. Don't worry lad, and don’t worry about him either. I don’t think he’s finished just yet. What he needs now is sleep.” Mac guided Jacob to the door.

  “The combat conditioning runs deep, and it can affect the mind when others are in the room,” Mac said as they stepped out.

  “Maybe that’s why,” Jacob said.

  “Why what?” Mac furrowed his brow, “you’ve had trouble sleeping?”

  “I don’t seem to get tired easy,” Jacob said, and thought again of the locket smooth against his chest. He wanted to say something about it as they walked down the hall, but he didn’t like the lingering feeling of danger. Maybe it was better to take his drone and drop it back out among the ships. If he told Mac or showed it to him, there would be no going back.

  They walked into the kitchen, and Jacob pulled the food wrapper from his pocket and dropped into a bright red garbage can made to look like a fire hydrant.

  “Oh, I saw another house spider.”

  "Did you? That reminds me, Mark is quite taken with that girl you brought over,” Mac said, studying Jacobs posture.

  “Yeah, she’s pretty great.” Jacob looked down, “I should message Teeva, did you need help with anything?”

  “Not at all lad, I should be asking if you need help, no troubles with the helmet I see?”

  “Oh no, it’s amazing!’ Jacob said, “I didn’t know it could be so clear.”

  “Ah,” Mac said, “it’s a little heavier though, do you notice it?”

  “Not really.”

  “And it's not too cramped?”

  “No, it's fine.”

  “Because some people find the helmets can be a little confining after a while. Like the suit, I couldn’t wait to get mine off…”

  “Mine feels great! No problems,” Jacob said.

  “Ah,” Mac said, “maybe down the road we can see if we can find something a bit lighter eh?”

  “I’m okay actually, this suit’s great. I wouldn’t worry about that at all.” Jacob said, feeling a twinge of panic as he turned to see Mac’s calibrating gaze.

  “If you can't put them down, the tools become chains lad,” Mac said softly.

  Jacob opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

  “I’ll be back and forth if you need me, I’m sure you’ve got some things to sort out before race day tomorrow,” Mac said and smiled before turning and walking toward the front doors. A moment later his boots thumped down the rain soaked steps beyond.

  Jacob looked down the hall to his uncle’s closed bedroom and thought he heard heavy breathing over the sound of the rain. He felt like he should cry, he wanted to cry; but something held the tears back.

  Jacob could feel the fear circling again, trying to find a way b
ack in. Uncle Mac will keep it back, he thought, and the Kaizen will chase it from the yard if they catch terror outside. He turned and retreated up the stairs to his attic bedroom.

  He thought a call to Teeva. A beeping tone sounded through his helmet’s link before the line picked up, but there was silence on the other end.

  “Teeva? “Jacob asked in the lingering pause.

  There was a powerful exhale, blowing loud over a microphone.

  “Hey bro! You okay?”

  “Yeah, I think so,” Jacob said as he sat on his bunk.

  “Joni and I were thinking you could rack out here tonight, get an early start an’ all. Think your uncles will be cool with that bro?”

  “I think so,” Jacob said.

  “Joni has been playing around with Mark, so we could head back and grab you...”

  “Actually, I think I’ll just boot it over.”

  “You sure bro? It's rainin’ and all.”

  “Yeah, It’ll be good to clear my head.

  “Gotcha! Anythin’ going on bro?”

  “Yeah, I’ll tell you when I see you.”

  “Wise bro. Peace outside,” Teeva said, signing off. Jacob picked up the drone case and thought open a link to Mac.

  “Yes lad,” Mac’s voice came in.

  “Teeva invited me to stay over at the Dojo tonight so we can do some drills an' get an early start tomorrow...”

  “Great idea,” Mac said.

  “...But only if it's alright with you.”

  “Yes, of course, lad. How are you getting over there?”

  “The power-boks will get me there.”

  “Ah yes. Well, they might get a bit tricky on the slick, especially if you're carrying a drone. Besides, what if you were to slip and hurt yourself before the race? Let me give you a lift.”

  Jacob hadn’t thought of that, and without waiting Mac said. “I was going to ship them over some supplies they might find useful anyways. I'll pull the truck around front.”

  “Okay, thanks!” Jacob had time to say before the link went dead.

  He picked up the Kowazuki case, and feeling a presence turned to a dark corner of the attic’s turret ceiling to see the tiny lenses of a Kaizen spider glimmering.

  Jacob popped up his visor so it could see his face. “Please look after my Uncles,” he said and felt the Kaizen understood. He walked back down the stairs and thought if being watched was any different than being watched over.

  He made his way onto the veranda, wondering if someone could feel watched by cameras, or if someone needed to be looking at the feed to feel it. Maybe that’s why people found the Kaizen so disconcerting over other droids; you can feel their observance.

  From the porch, he heard the crunching tires of Mac’s recovery truck as it pulled around to the cargo stack’s cul-de sac. Jacob bounced down the mismatched steps, splashing across the yard; the hard case slapping against his leg as he ran through the hissing rain.

  The moisture felt good as he put the drone in the truck box next to a bulging navy blue duffle bag. He lifted his visor and jumped into the open door. Mac nodded, waiting for Jacob to settle in his seat.

  “You’ll have to let me know where we’re going,” Mac said as they accelerated away.

  “It’s a ship in a dried lake bed, there’s a trail by a big blue tank.”

  “Ah! Now I think I know where it is,” Mac said as the windshield wipers fought the sheeting rain. After listening to their rhythm for a moment, Jacob asked, “when do you think you should keep secrets Uncle Mac?”

  “Secrets are funny things. Nothing stays secret forever, but sometimes it important to delay the truth getting out. Sometimes the truth can be like a bomb, people can get hurt by it.” Mac glanced over at the small spaceman in the passenger seat, “some secrets can turn septic and kill you, like a wound if you keep it for too long, especially if it’s a poisonous secret.”

  He turned past the giant blue roadside tank onto a the remains of an older road hidden amongst the trash. “There's an old boat launch out here, I think I’ll be able to get out on the lakebed from there,” Mac said and let the hum of the tires motion fill the cab.

  They drove, and Jacob saw the ridge of the old lake bed approaching. The rain seemed heavier than when they started, and when his uncle pulled the truck onto the boat launch ramp, Jacob was glad he didn't try to run here.

  “Thanks for modifying the drone Uncle Mac, and thanks for the helmet and... just…” Jacob trailed off as he saw the lights of the Dojo smearing between the wiper passes.

  “It’s no trouble at all, makes me wonder what I used to fill my time with before you came along.”

  “Uncle Mac?”

  “Yes, lad.”

  “Are you sick too?”

  “Well, yes, but it's a different kind of sick.”

  Jacob was quiet trying to think how to phrase his question, but the longer he waited, the harder it got.

  “What wrong with you?” Jacob blurted out.

  “Oh, I’m crazy,” Mac said and gave Jacob a sly wink, “neural damage.”

  “Why?” Jacob asked.

  Mac shrugged, “maybe the body’s natural resistance to being hooked up to machines. After so many years doing it, it’s like the brain gives up. We can suppress it with drugs, but after a while, the brain always rebels.” He glanced over and saw the horror on Jacob’s face.

  “Oh, don't worry, it won’t be like that for you, the interface your uncle and I used were stone aged compared to today, but that’s why you should be careful how deep you bury yourself in tech; it can become impossible to dig yourself out.”

  I am the weapon.

  “Everything else is just tools,” Mac said finishing the training mantra. “So, you must practice balance in all things, or your perspective will shift and you’ll lose your way.”

  Mac pulled close to the bow of the Dojo.

  “The bag in the back is just some extra’s I had floating around, maybe they can use it,” he said and paused, staring out the windshield. A Kaizen marine loader rolled out from behind the ship, freshly washed white paint showing a re-stenciled logo on its shoulder and its neon yellow seat shining through the rain.

  “Well, I’ll be,” Mac chuckled, “he let her clean him up. That always how it starts, I'd be carefully the big guy doesn't steal your girl lad!”

  “Joni’s not mine.”

  “Oh, my mistake then,” Mac said with a smile.

  “Did you want to meet them? I’m sure they’d love to meet you.” Jacob asked.

  “Another time, maybe when it's not raining so hard.”

  Jacob opened the door and dropped his visor half-mast. His display corrected for the rain’s distorting droplets, and he felt the water beading against his lips and chin.

  “I’ll watch your race from the shop,” Mac said, “but know that no matter what happens tomorrow, I’m proud of you.”

  “Thanks, Uncle Mac,” Jacob tried to smile before shutting the door.

  The navy colored duffle bag in the back was brand new and lighter than it looked. Jacob pulled its strap over his shoulder and grabbed his drone case.

  He waved through the rain sheeting on the back window, and Mac’s blurred form waved back. The vehicle's transmission engaged and the truck sloshed away, making a mud-rut circle that connected with the tracks he’d made coming in. The truck all but vanished into the rain’s cowl leaving only one red tail light still shining through the gray.

  Jacob turned back to find Mark with his articulated forks laid flat like a loading platform above the ground’s growing mud puddles. Jacob stepped up, and no sooner had he crouched than Mark raised up on his long frog legs, extending the loading arms with fluid ease to lift Jacob and his gear up to the Dojo’s deck.

  Teeva was just stumbling out of the ship's doorway with his billowing poncho deflecting the rain as Jacob unloaded. He handed the duffel to Teeva as he approached. “It’s from my Uncle Mac, he thought you guys might be able to use it,” he called over the
wind.

  Teeva grabbed the duffle and flapped back through the ship's door. Jacob followed and then swung the hatch closed with a metal clap; the static of the rain becoming barely audible beyond.

  “I’m glad you got a ride bro!” Teeva said, hanging his dripping poncho on a pole hook, “it’s crazy wet out there.”

  “I’d be okay in my suit, but there’s no way I could carry that duffel.”

  “Yeah, for sure bro, what's in it?”

  “I don’t know, Mac just said it was some extra’s Mac said he had lying around.”

  “We’ll open it downstairs,” Teeva said throwing the long strap over his shoulder and he led Jacob down the passage.

  He saw Teeva pull up his AR mask, and a prompt appeared in his HUD inviting Jacob into augmented reality. He authorized it twice, and the enhanced reality of the ancient Japanese castle materialised and was breathtaking through his new helmet.

  Teeva led him onto the tatami mats where Majka waited with her serene smile. Kage and Butai looked up from their cushion conversation as Joni stared through the ghostly screens floating in front of her.

  “Beware of Ninja’s bearing gifts!” Teeva said, swinging the duffel bag onto the tatami mat. Butai was on his feet first and Kage leaned forwards as Teeva unzipped it.

  “You have a new neural helmet,” Majka said.

  “Yeah and it looks boss!” Teeva said as he spread open the bag.

  “Oh sweet!” Butai said, his eyes bulging.

  Jacob looked down to see the bag filled with food packs and meal bars of every flavor.

  Butai pulled a bar out and inspected the foil wrapper. “These are good for another ten years! They're practically fresh!” He said and raised his hand for a high five; Jacob slapped it out of the air.

  “Your uncle is a generous man, Jacob," Majka said bowing her head.

  Jacob nodded. Mac was generous, and Jacob felt a bond with him not of blood, but of heart; without which the blood is useless.

  “It too bad it's raining so hard,” Jacob said, “I was hoping to get some practice with the drone. I was able to fly a little last night, but I don't know about the rain.”

  Majka floated from the floor, her silken robes flowing around her as she moved forwards, never taking her piercing eyes from Jacob.