Dick chuckled.
“What does it all mean?” Ezra asked, gazing over my shoulder at the financials and reports I had displayed.
“It looks like I was using my finance company to bankrupt the rest of the planet little by little for the purpose of turning Port Montaigne into some kind of utopia. There’s a lot to suggest that the plan was different up until recently, like someone changed everything I was trying to do a month before I lost my memory,” I explained.
“Maybe you weren’t trying to do this at the expense of others, and your original ambition was more altruistic?” Taylor suggested.
“I’d like to think so, but it would take weeks for the best financial analytics team to untie all the knots,” I replied.
“How long would it take you?” Taylor asked.
“Hour or days probably, time we don’t have. Did you look at the file, Ezra?” I asked.
“Yeah. Remember the catalyst they were after before, that we intercepted, and then lost again?” Ezra raised an eyebrow.
“Oh, no,” I said shaking my head.
“Yep. It’s in a CGG lock up at the local security bureau.”
“According to the reports I just read, that place is in repossession lockdown and on emergency power only,” I whispered, realizing why they needed us to break in.
“The only reason Madmar would want that stuff is if he plans on getting his hands on Taylor soon, right?” Ezra asked.
“Not necessarily,” Taylor replied. “It is possible there are other Terrestrial Artificial Intelligences.”
Dick’s eyebrows went up.
“There are also some extremely fun biological weapons that depend on nanoid machines,” Dick added, wringing his hands greedily.
“I think the world is a better place with that stuff all locked up,” Ezra said with a shudder.
“Agreed, but Madmar or whoever is behind this won’t just let this go, and Matthias and I are the only ones that could probably crack that place and get the catalyst out,” I replied turning back to the terminal.
“Wait, why can’t one of your clones and another Mechanic with the same abilities as Matthias crack the place open? There are other Mechanics, right?” Ezra asked.
“Probably, but none as talented or experienced as Matthias. I don’t know if my clones have the same abilities I do. They all seem really messed up and unreliable,” I said glaring at Dick.
“It sounds like you’re going to take me along to find out,” Dick said with a chuckle.
I didn’t want to. I wanted to just shoot him and find a way to turn the lights back on, but I knew that it wouldn’t be something that could simply be undone by sending out a command from a single server farm. What had been done to the world was big and every day that went by the infrastructure would slowly fail by itself without the inevitable scavenging people would do just to survive.
I doubted that even if the switch were right there in my hand, flicking it would put the world back to the way it was even a few weeks after everything went dark. It takes a lot longer to build something of worth than it does to destroy it.
Chapter 13
Silverstein’s Log, Part 6
The chauffeur looked suitably confused when two of me showed up on the platform, but I was willing to bet he’d seen stranger things working for Uroboros Financial. I shoved Dick aboard the transport and stepped inside. Taylor and Ezra climbed in behind me.
“Where are we going?” Dick asked, dropping into a leather chair.
“We’re going to go get the catalyst. Then we’re going to destroy it,” I explained calmly, closing the exterior hatch.
“Tsk, tsk, that would be very naughty. I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he replied shaking his head and waving a finger admonishingly.
“Please, keep talking,” Ezra growled. “I’d really like to run out of reasons for needing you around mid-flight.”
“This place is going to be dangerous. Very dangerous,” Taylor said, flipping through the file.
“Automated security systems and a wing of Chiroptera Metasapients dedicated to defending the place,” Ezra replied somewhat anxiously.
“Do you think the Metasapients are still alive in there, after all these weeks gone by?” Taylor asked.
“You sound more worried about the Metasapients in there than the prospect of having to fight them,” Ezra replied.
“Well, they were basically abandoned in there. No one deserves to have that happen to them,” Taylor said, sticking her tongue out at Ezra.
“They eat bugs. I’m sure they’re fine,” Ezra replied coolly.
“Oh... yuck.”
I sat down beside Taylor and began reading the file over her shoulder. There were essentially three choke points in the security and only a narrow zone where we would probably run into the Metasapients. The automated security, turrets, and things internal to the structure might be more dangerous. Even on emergency power, the AI on site might be able to power enough of them to kill us.
Past the final threshold, the catalyst was being stored in a burn box. If it was tampered with incorrectly it would incinerate anything stored inside. I was mostly fine with that, but the catalyst had been used as a red herring before, and there might be something else useful in the storage area. The schematics and floor plans we’d been provided gave no indication of what else, aside from the catalyst, might be hidden away. I would have to open it, contents unharmed, to find out for myself.
The flight back to the private airfield was uneventful other than watching Dick lick blood from his own hand like a hungry dog. I had to wonder what part he truly played in all this. I had my own selfish reasons for wanting him dead, but I couldn’t help but pity him in a way. Being born with my identity was definitely drawing the proverbial short straw in the big scheme of things.
As we flew over, I was relieved to see the big orange transport was still where we left it, Dragos and Truman standing vigilant just outside the open cargo hold. We exited the lavish transport and I gave the chauffeur instructions to take the rest of the night off. We walked over as quickly as we could to meet up with our other transportation and figure out our next move.
“I see you are beside yourself with joy to see us,” Truman quipped.
“Oh. That was bad, Truman. No more talking,” Dragos groaned.
“Inside,” I ordered, giving Dick a shove with the barrel of my gun.
We all climbed aboard with Truman being the last, hitting the button to close the hatch as he stepped up on the ramp. Once the hold was secure, I handed Dragos the file and motioned for Dick to take a seat on a crate in the corner. Truman joined us and tapped me on the arm.
“I take it this man is not a friend,” he asked gesturing to my double.
“Truman, this is Dick. If Dick tries to mess with the ship, hurt anyone, or steps wrong, shoot him and jettison his corpse,” I replied, meeting his gaze.
“Okie dokie,” Truman said, raising his eyebrows slightly.
Dragos flipped through the file and then let it drop to the cargo bay floor. Tullia joined us, flight helmet still resting atop her head. Matthias followed a step behind her. We all sat down in a circle on whatever we could find, the file sitting on the floor in the midst of us.
“The file indicates that we are going in to find a catalyst of some sort?” Dragos asked.
“The catalyst?” Matthias inquired.
“Allegedly. It’s just text on a page in that file as far as I’m concerned,” Taylor replied.
“Agreed,” Ezra nodded.
“Whoever it is that’s posing as me is keenly interested in getting their hands on whatever is inside the CGG storage at the security bureau. I want to see what it is, and probably destroy it,” I stated, looking down at the floor.
“What sort of incenti
ve would we have otherwise?” Dragos asked.
“Dragos...” Tullia hissed.
“It is fair question. I’m sure there are lots of things of value stored in that lockup besides the target item outlined in the file. On any other day, this could be a lucrative heist,” I said looking up at Tullia.
She pursed her lips together and shook her head at the lot of us.
“I don’t like it. This sounds more like a ploy to get one or more of us in a particular place at a particular time,” Tullia muttered.
Her fears weren’t without merit. We’d been being played like a well-tuned fiddle from almost the beginning and had only just barely averted being pawns in Madmar’s schemes. The idea of going into a CGG security bureau wasn’t to be contemplated under normal circumstances, and the shutdown made it only slightly less dangerous.
“Is there a chance that our mother will be returned safely if we comply?” Dragos asked.
“I can tell you what will happen to her and Ezra’s tribe if you don’t,” Dick chimed in.
“It seems you mentioned something about that back at the office. Care to elaborate?” I said standing up and pressing the barrel of my pistol hard to my double’s forehead.
Dick smiled broadly.
“It’s simple really. The Drones have been guarding something down there for decades, since they were sent there. The idea was to have Ezra bring it to us in exchange for the location of a canister containing a particularly nasty nanomechanical agent. Failure to comply with our demands results in the Ezra’s tribe being annihilated and the gypsy woman being subject to painful experimentation for what we believe is the greater good,” Dick said, as if explaining a normal business transaction.
Ezra stared at the floor and stood very still.
“Besides you, who else is involved in this scheme?” Taylor asked.
“Oh, now that would be telling! Vance Uroboros is the mastermind behind all this, didn’t you get the memo?” Dick replied, matter of fact.
“I really do not like this man. Silverstein is better,” Truman said, frowning at Dick.
“I agree,” Taylor said grabbing my arm.
“Well, there’s no accounting for taste anyway. Look, throttle me all you like, the deal stays the same. Once you’ve got the package, you should know right where to take it,” Dick said, checking his fingernails.
“The concrete factory,” I replied, already knowing the likely answer.
“Give the man a prize,” Dick said clapping his hands.
“Where is this place?” Tullia asked.
“Its downtown where we were ambushed before, where we can’t get air support,” Ezra replied.
“That is no good,” Dragos hissed. “Limits our options in the event of double cross.”
We all stood there for a few moments, trying to discern what we should do. None of us wanted to give whoever was responsible for the whole affair what they wanted. Dragos and Tullia seemed particularly incensed over the matter.
“I’ve an idea,” Matthias said finally.
“We shoot Dick in the legs until he tells us where our mother is?” Truman replied hopeful.
“No, we give them the catalyst and make sure that Taylor is there when we do,” Matthias replied.
“That plan makes some pretty wild assumptions,” Ezra said, looking to Taylor.
“If the catalyst she was injected with before is the same as the package, it could give us an edge,” Matthias replied.
“Okay, I have no idea how Taylor relates to the package. Even if what you say is true, having an edge in no way guarantees the safety of our mother and Ezra’s tribe,” Tullia said pacing back and forth.
“Wow, is that a long story,” Taylor said, just loud enough for me to hear.
Dick looked on, his amusement building the more frustrated we got.
“What about searching out the tunnels around your tribe, Ezra? They would have to have someone close or a relay of some sort to trigger the canister, right?” I asked.
“Too much tunnel, not enough time,” Ezra stated plainly, almost without emotion.
“This is not a hard choice. Let’s get the package, turn it over, and then employ Matthias’ plan if we’re double crossed. It’s the only way to help the people we care about and get closer to the identity of the person or persons pulling the strings from behind the curtain,” Dragos said holding his palms out to the ceiling.
“Okay, let’s get this over with then,” Taylor said walking back into the crew section of the transport.
We each grabbed a seat while Ezra and Truman kept Dick company in the cargo hold. The security bureau was located beneath a three-story office building that was perpetually for lease and empty to act as a front. The access was inside via the elevator and a biometric access panel that Matthias would have to bypass.
We set down a few blocks away in a vacant lot. The entire midtown area was deserted save for a few roadblocks and orange cones indicating that the area was closed for construction. Dragos did his best to look about with viewfinders at the buildings and rooftops along the route to the office building we sought. Everything looked clear.
Truman stayed with Tullia and the transport, while the rest of us made our way toward the empty office building. Dragos picked the lock to the commercial doors outside and we made our way in. The first floor was nothing but empty cubicles and a few papers lying about on the blue carpeted floor. There wasn’t even a video camera hanging from the drop down ceiling.
At the far end was a two-door elevator with powder coated white doors. Matthias held his hand over the keypad beside the door and the panel slid up, revealing a biometric reader shaped like a human hand. Matthias closed his eyes and pressed his hand against the reader willing the doors to open. That’s when he fell.
“Countermeasures...” he said coughing, blood dribbling from one nostril to the carpet.
Ezra caught him as he fell laying him down on the floor.
“Are you alright?” Taylor said kneeling beside him and clasping her hands together.
“Took a lot out of me, but the elevator should take you down to the lower levels. The rest will probably be up to Silverstein anyway,” Matthias said clutching his side like he’d been worked over.
“We can’t just leave him here,” Dragos said shaking his head.
“Help me over behind one of the cubicle walls. I’ll be alright,” Matthias said reaching out for a hand up.
We helped him over behind a wall and laid him down so he could rest. It felt terribly wrong to leave him there, but I was certain I would need Dragos, Taylor, and Ezra to circumvent the remainder of the security countermeasures. Having Dick along was a liability, but I wasn’t letting him out of my sight until this was all over.
We stepped into the waiting elevator reluctantly. I pressed the only button on the inside, one indicating the down direction. The elevator plummeted what felt like several hundred feet into the earth. Taylor grasped my hand as we went down while Ezra and Dragos checked their rifles.
The elevator opened into a narrow passage traveling either to the right or the left. We stepped out into the passage using a screwdriver to jam the elevator doors open. According to the schematics we had to go left, right, and then right again to the area where they locked down contraband. The passages were lined with drywall and had more of the same blue carpeting as above. The overhead lights were off but there was emergency lighting every twenty feet, dim and flickering.
Ezra stepped up to lead and held up a hand gesturing for silence. Lurking across the drop down ceiling ahead we could see what looked like several enormous bats hanging upside down. Each was dressed in a combat harness festooned with several knives, blades, and a handgun. Ezra turned to me and drew very close so he could whisper.
“There another way around?”
<
br /> “No.”
Ezra nodded and told us to stay put while he went ahead. He let his rifle drop to his side and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a can of tuna and a can opener, and began to slowly open it. Several red eyes appeared at the end of the corridor as four Chiroptera Metasapients dropped from the ceiling. They looked pitiful and starved, barely strong enough to wander over to where Ezra stood.
Ezra put the can of tuna on the floor and stepped away from it.
“Friend?” one of the bat creatures said, holding out a strange three fingered hand with a large wing attached.
“Friend,” Ezra said holding up one hand and taking off his hood.
“Help us?” the same Metasapient asked.
“Yes, we’ll get you out,” Ezra said slowly taking out another can of tuna.
“Fork?” it said picking up the can of tuna.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t bring any silverware,” Ezra said handing one of the others the second can of tuna.
They seemed to lament having to eat with their hands, but didn’t complain. The creature that seemed to be the leader tentatively tasted the food, its mouth full of razor sharp teeth salivating heavily. It looked up and noticed the rest of us. It gave out a small screech and then backed away from Ezra, as if afraid.
“They’re my friends. Please, don’t be afraid,” Ezra said.
The creatures tittered amongst themselves for a moment then split the tuna evenly. I could only marvel at how gentle they seemed even if they looked ferocious. In this most dire of situations they hadn’t given in to cannibalism or brutality to survive. They banded together for comfort instead.
“You aren’t supposed to be here,” the Metasapient said at last.
“If I don’t get something from here, humans will hurt my tribe,” Ezra replied calmly.
They seemed genuinely dismayed at Ezra’s predicament. The two Chiroptera who appeared to be female tittered angrily while the other males seemed to despair. They gathered around Ezra and wrapped winged arms around him trying to comfort him. The gesture overwhelmed Ezra, and he wept bitterly out of worry for his friends and family.
Uroboros Saga Book 2 Page 19
