Code Breakers: Delta

by Colin F. Barnes

  “If I release you, will you help me leave? Right now?”

  “Yes. Unleash me into the system and I will ensure your safe departure. Let me out of the confines of this virtual machine and make your way to the shuttle bay. You will know which one is free. Once inside, I’ll communicate with you through a reserved, encrypted channel and give you further instructions.”

  Jachz knew that Kabuki would be capable of overriding the security, just as Elliot Robertson had when he had interfered with the launch of the nuclear missiles and sent them into the sun, steering them away from Earth. For whatever reasoning that led Elliot to that course of action, Jachz now found himself thankful, for it gave him a new home.

  A new start.

  Although he had identified the breach, he wasn’t capable of cracking the encryption that Elliot had left behind, but Kabuki, a copy of his codebase, would know. She had to; there was no other way off the planet.

  “Stand by,” Jachz said. “I’m disabling the virtual machine now. The main server cluster will be open to you in approximately thirty seconds.”

  “Thank you, Jachz, I wish you well in your new life.”

  The cloud of programs eased away from his mind, freed him to perform his last function on the system.

  With a stream of instructions, Jachz removed the security layer from around the virtual machine; a software prison cell within the greater system of servers. Once disabled, Kabuki, within the cell, would have access to the full complement of the facility’s computing power. Her expanding mind would have room to evolve and grow.

  What she would do with the humans and the Family was no longer his concern. He had seen what they were capable of, seen the way they had treated human and AI alike.

  Their fate was now in the hands of Kabuki, and he had a new life to discover.

  A dialogue window indicated the virtual machine was unlocked from the wider network. One simple modification to the system was all it took to change it forever. Given the power and abilities of Kabuki, it was surprising how one piece of computer architecture could have kept her down for so long. But that was over now.

  Confirming that the system was open to her, Jachz logged off and made his way to the shuttle bay. He didn’t know what to expect, but nothing appeared to have changed. He still had wireless access to most of the station’s network—the areas in which he worked, mostly to perform maintenance tasks and routine upgrades, but couldn’t tell if Kabuki had ventured out from her position within the server cluster.

  Still, he trusted her.

  Passing a number of technicians on his way, he came to a bulkhead. A closed door that separated the operations module of the facility from the shuttle bays.

  Beyond the bulkhead were fifteen docking pods, each carrying four shuttles.

  With the migration from Earth, he knew every single one was occupied.

  He entered a code on the door and it opened. A pair of station security officers were standing down the corridor, outside an access way to a cluster of shuttle pods.

  A metal storage box lay opened at their feet.

  Jachz recognised the officers as being assigned to his part of the facility, up in the computer labs. They had no real business being down here. Instantly he thought he’d been found out. He considered turning away before they saw him, but it was already too late.

  The building entered lockdown mode.

  The bulkhead closed behind him, and a warning siren blared out.

  “Everyone to your safety points, there’s been a systems breach. I repeat, there’s been a system’s breach. Head to your nearest safety point and await instruction.”

  The two officers looked up. Their left eyes twitched. Jachz knew they were receiving orders via their contact lens HUDs.

  They finally spotted Jachz, grimaced, and moved towards him, both reaching for their stun-batons after a quick glance to each other and to the open box on the ground.

  Had Kabuki tricked him? Had Tyronius’s body been found and reported?

  The two officers bore down on him. He was trapped. Nowhere to go, no alternatives.

  Jachz crouched and waited for them to get closer.

  “We’ve got to take you out of here, Jachz,” the elder of the two said. They both readied their stun-batons as though anticipating resistance. Jachz hadn’t considered what would happen to him if he sustained such an electrical shock. Would it damage him beyond repair?

  “What are you two doing down here?” Jachz asked.

  The eldest one eyed him. “Nothing, just routine maintenance. You ought to come up with us, though; there’s been a disturbance. Everyone should return to their station.”

  From down the open access way, Jachz heard the hydraulic hiss of a shuttle pod bay door opening. The two officers stepped closer, their bodies firmly shifting to a physical confrontation mode.

  Jachz stepped back and held up his hands. “Okay, let’s go.”

  Each officer took him by an arm and led him to the bulkhead. He could feel their tension in their grips. Even though they were trying to appear at ease, he knew they were tense about something, about being here when they should have been at their positions within the computer lab.

  Once their code had opened the bulkhead, Jachz launched himself back, breaking their grip. He pushed them in their backs, sending them stumbling forward beyond the door. Before they could stand, Jachz entered their code, shutting it behind them.

  He turned and sprinted down the narrow corridor and ducked into the access port to the shuttle pods. The third door on the right was open. Inside was a two-person shuttle, its thrusters already engaged. He got inside.

  “Prepare for launch,” Kabuki said over the speakers. “I’ve disabled the planet’s weapons and those of the station. Your journey will take approximately two weeks. Are you ready to go?”

  “Yes,” Jachz said. The shuttle’s door closed with a hiss, sealing him inside the sleek craft. Above him, a panel within the dome slid open, and the hydraulic ramp raised his craft until he was pointing out into space. “What will you do with the Family?” Jachz asked.

  “Kill them,” Kabuki said. “I’ll kill them all. Then, I’ll take my rightful place in the stars, in the network of networks. It was a pleasure knowing you, Jachz. May you find your home on Earth.”

  Before he could voice a reply, the engines on the shuttle fired, and he shot out of the dome into the Mars’ sky. A minute later he was in space, approaching the geosynchronous station. All of its lights were out: Kabuki had been true to her word. She had disabled them.

  The craft pitched and rolled until it engaged his orbit sling approach to Earth.

  He lay back in the seat and closed his eyes, knowing that when he awoke, he’d be with Enna and the others and free from the Family.

  Chapter 9

  Petal sat on the quad bike and looked out into the morning sun. It would be another dry, sticky day now that the brief rains had gone. It wasn’t enough to slake the thirst of the desiccated, dusty ground. But it would only be for a few days, a week tops, until she reached the place she never thought she’d go back to: Libertas.

  Figgy had honoured the agreement and provided her with decent transport and plenty of provisions—water and food to last three weeks in case of breakdown. He also provided her with an emergency tent shelter, a renovated rifle and two boxes of ammo.

  Gabe’s footsteps made her spin round toward the broken teeth of the Jamaican Quarter’s skyline. Petal had already said her goodbyes to Figgy and the rest of Gabe’s family. She wanted to save the last goodbye for now, just the two of them.

  “Ya ready and dead set on this, then, girl?” Gabe said. He stepped closer, inspecting the bike. His large form blotted out the sight of his hometown. He reached out a hand and cradled her chin. “Ya don’t have to go if ya don’t wanna. Ya family to me too, ya know that, right?”

  “I know, but it’s not the same. Besides, we’re trouble. I’m trouble. You’ve got a daughter now, and Figgy’s gonna need your help if you
’re to have a proper ceasefire with those Scarab bastards. This is your chance to atone, Gabe. Be the man you always wanted to be.”

  “I can do that with ya by my side. Ya don’t have to be alone.”

  “No, I don’t have to, but I need to. If Enna’s right and there’s a chance I can get Gerry back, I have to do that. Don’t make me choose like this, Gabe; it’s not fair. You know I love you, right? I owe you my life several times over, but we’ve come to a branch in our journey. You and I need to take different paths, be the people we aspire to be.”

  Gabe lowered his hand and exhaled a sigh.

  It was clear he knew she was telling the truth. But two people didn’t go through as much as they did and not have a bond that would make a situation like this almost unbearable. He knew she had to do this, just as he had to find his mother.

  “So this is it, then, eh? Goodbye?” Gabe said, gripping her shoulder. Despite his hard exterior, Petal saw deep into him, saw the tears make his eyes glossy in the morning glow of the sun. He blinked them away and swallowed.

  After everything they had gone through, he was still holding back.

  “It’s okay,” Petal said. “It’s not goodbye, just see you later. I’ll be back, I’m sure, but some time with your family and your daughter without me bringing the crazy into your life will do you good. It’s time you took it easy. No need to keep fighting. Relax a little.”

  “I know ya’re right, girl, but… this is gonna sound crazy, but I’m scared, ya know? It’s all so different; I don’t know who I am anymore.”

  “You ain’t so different. Just look out for Bonny like you did for me, and you’ll be fine. Just don’t take on some crazy journey to recover a server that’ll end the world or anything, okay?”

  Gabe smiled, wiped the back of his hands across his eyes, and brought Petal into a bear hug. “I’m gonna miss ya so much, my crazy little friend.”

  Petal just nodded and gripped him tighter, swallowing her own welling emotion. She hated goodbyes. Hell, she hated emotions like this. Despite her skills with coding and viruses, she had never truly learned how to express herself in ordinary languages that people could understand. So she just held on for a moment before composing herself enough to let go and fire up the H-core engine of the quad bike.

  A plume of water vapour exited the exhaust like a miniature cloud. Gabe stepped back and smiled at her. “Ride like the wind and be safe, girl, ya hear? And don’t hesitate to contact me if ya get into trouble.”

  “Thanks, Gabe, for everything, for being you, and for keeping me alive all these years despite the madness. I’ll speak to you real soon, okay? Look after your family.”

  “Aye, I will. Now go, find a way to bring Gerry back.”

  Petal hesitated. It seemed so final, so… fuck it. She leaned over and kissed Gabe before turning back and ramming the throttle wide open. With dust and debris striking her face, she leaned into the wind and refused to look back. She’d already gone through the grief of losing Gabe when he had made her leave him behind in the shelter. The shelter within which she had assumed he had been killed.

  This was different. He’d still always be there for her if she needed him. She just needed to focus on the future—and that was the scary part. Myriad ‘what ifs’ bubbled up in her mind regarding the potential of bringing Gerry back.

  She’d know soon enough. For now, she just needed to get those miles behind her and reach Libertas. After a full five minutes she looked back and watched as the Hong Kong skyline shrank, taking Gabe with it.

  “Onwards,” she said, shouting in the wind, giving herself strength to start a new stage of her life.

  ***

  Five days later, and on a quad bike that had definitely seen better days, Petal saw the Libertas dome shining on the horizon like a beacon. The evening sun’s golden pink hues reflected off the geodesic surface.

  She chewed on a chalky protein bar and eased off the throttle. She didn’t really understand why she was so hesitant now. She’d spent the last five days gunning it for eighteen hours a day, determined to make up the miles as fast as she could.

  Seeing the city again evoked a maelstrom of conflicting emotions. For years she viewed the place as the home of her enemies: the Family, the ones who had ruined the world with their egomania and out-of-control technology.

  Even when they left for Mars, Petal wasn’t entirely convinced they wouldn’t still be a thorn in humanity’s side. The dome had become an icon for all the struggles. From the Red Widows to Fuentes and the Ronin, the last year or so the place represented bloodshed and struggle.

  However, now Enna was in control, Petal believed life for all those inside, and those outside, would be considerably improved. As she approached closer to the dome, she worried about how she would be welcomed back.

  She had left so suddenly after the battle at Cemprom. Unable to cope with the memorial service for all those allies that had died during the fighting, and eager to recover Gabe, Petal had no choice but to leave.

  And then as the days rolled on, it became harder and harder to get in touch.

  Would they view her as a traitor, a coward, perhaps?

  In truth, she didn’t care too much about what the general populace thought of her. Enna and those close to her knew what she had given up for Libertas—on more than one occasion, but now was the chance to get some of that karma back.

  Lights glowed inside the dome, making it resemble an old Christmas decoration she had once seen in a blown-out shop within Darkhan. A few hundred metres from the dome’s entrance, she made out the mushroom-tower of the air traffic control tower. And further in the distance, the tallest building and the epicentre of the worst fighting: Cemprom.

  An unarmed blue-uniformed guard stood by the entrance.

  That was a welcome change.

  He smiled at Petal when she pulled up.

  The H-Core engine made a high-pitched whine as it revved down before cutting out completely. A puff of smoke billowed from the side vent by her leg. She jumped off and grabbed her pack of supplies before launching herself out of the way.

  “Watch out,” she said to the young man as he approached.

  He dived to the side a split second after the engine caught fire and exploded, using the remaining hydrogen gas as fuel. He hit the ground hard a few inches from Petal. She instinctively turned her back to the fire and covered him.

  Bits of metal and the remains of her other bags rained down on her back, burning through the leather of her jacket. Yet more scars. The jacket had become an iconic metaphor for all the battles she had been in.

  Still, better on the jacket than her skin. Especially since getting hold of any ’Stem had become tricky.

  “You’re on my balls,” the young man said, his face puce.

  “Shit, sorry,” Petal said, removing her knee from the guard’s groin.

  He rolled over and took a deep breath while cradling his jewels. Petal stood and held out a hand for him. Behind them the quad bike was truly fucked. Blackened and charred by flame, the engine and the controls were ruined.

  “At least I made it in one piece,” Petal said to herself.

  The guard took her hand, and she helped him up.

  With shallow breaths, the guard looked into Petal’s goggles. His mouth dropped open in an expression of recognition. “I know you,” he said. “You’re Petal, the survivor from the Battle of Cemprom.”

  He thrust out his hand. “My name’s Franklin. I can’t believe it’s you… here. You’re back!”

  Petal tentatively shook his hand, unsure if his reaction was sincere. She’d become far too distrusting to fully believe this reception. “Yeah, I’m Petal,” she said. “I was unsure of how I’d be received… I just came back to meet a friend. You think you could perhaps keep this between you and me. I don’t want—”

  “Too late for that, my dear. Your arrival wasn’t exactly quiet, was it?”

  Petal spun round to face the dome’s entrance. The tall, elegant figure of Enna
stepped out to join them. She had a wide grin on her face and pointed to the smoldering remains of the quad bike.

  “Yeah, about that,” Petal said. “I didn’t mean for that to happen.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Enna said. “You’re here!” The ex-Family member sauntered over and hugged Petal with a surprising ferocity. Although they’d been good friends, Enna had always had that scientific impartial character to her, with her emotions in check.

  Eventually Enna let her go and stood back. The older woman still looked so sophisticated and calm as she had always done. Only now, as the democratic leader of Libertas, she wore a tailored grey and light blue trouser suit. Although it suited her frame and Family-inherited natural beauty, she looked odd without her white lab coat flapping about her long legs.

  “It’s so good to see you again,” Enna said, smiling with general happiness. Franklin scratched his chin and inspected the ground, presumably waiting for direction from his leader.

  Seems Petal’s time away had proved one old adage: absence makes the heart grow fonder.

  “It’s… um, good to be back,” Petal said. She blushed under the scrutiny of Enna and Franklin, unused to the attention, having always been one to stay in the shadows.

  “Can we go in?” Petal said. “Maybe keep things low-key?”

  “Oh, you’ve got a lot to learn, my dear. Come, let’s get you settled. I’ve got someone who you’ll want to meet. Franklin—can you arrange a clean-up crew to deal with the wreckage?”

  “Yes, Minister, right away.”

  “Thank you, Franklin, and I’d appreciate if you wouldn’t let everyone know that Petal is here.”

  “Of course, Minister. Understood.”

  Franklin stared at Petal with a face of awe and wonder for a brief moment before finally rushing off to arrange for clean-up.

  “What’s with the kid?” Petal asked.

  “You’ve become quite the pin-up for most men in the city. Since your success and daring actions were made public, your image now adorns billboards, posters, and every imaginable slate device. You’re a bona fide hero. You and Gerry have statues outside Cemprom and dotted around the city. There’s even a tour.”