The broadcast stopped, but she continued to stand there, trembling. One of her escorts gently guided her out of the room, hurrying her out of the building and into an antigravity vehicle. She was flanked by six other people dressed similarly and of roughly the same age, designed to confuse anyone in pursuit. They ushered her to another safe location, away from the dangers of being pinpointed by the Council after her speech.
After they flew her toward safety, she calmed enough to remember the uplink.
Jason. It’s Mom. Are you still there?
Yes, Mom. We heard everything. You did a wonderful job.
“Tell her thank you, and that her task is complete. They will hide her as best they are able,” Tarien said.
Jason relayed the information.
Oh good. Tell Seven thank you for trusting me. I’m grateful to be part of whatever is going on. I’m sure you will fill me in later.
I will.
End transmission.
Her direct communication shut down as she thought the words. Jason could still detect her and those around her, based on his nannies, but he respected her control over the link.
“She said ‘thank you for trusting her.’” Jason absently rubbed at small smudges on the table. “So now the countdown begins, huh?”
“Yes. Now we must wait as long as is reasonable. Already, major malfunctions should be starting throughout the Sector.”
And there were. Within the areas where his nannies were present and could gather information, he saw various issues starting to arise. Several major power distribution points had been crippled by sabotage, forcing auxiliary systems into play. Broadcast stations, which ensured communication to the various technology present in every corner of the Sector were abruptly going dark.
After a few minutes, the outages became severe. Brown-outs were starting and power flickered off momentarily across broad areas. The communication systems were becoming overloaded and instructions were not being sent properly. Various chemical factories suffered from explosions caused by saboteurs. Leaks in vital systems caused dangerous conditions, forcing employees to flee for safety. Traffic patterns were shifting around massive blockages and malfunctions. Water and containment systems were being shut down or overloaded.
Within half an hour, major areas of the city were crippled. Warning systems would not allow people onto mass transit because of rising problems with safety. Worse, incorrect instructions were being sent and were only barely interrupted and corrected in time to avert disaster. Despite the vigilance of the Techs and their attempts to intercept, several autonomous and unmanned flying delivery vehicles crashed into buildings, causing panic.
Within minutes, two passenger trains collided. Both were empty, because the irregularities were detected in advance and passengers had been forced to exit. One of the trains did not properly engage the emergency magnetic safety field and subsequently launched at high speed into nearby buildings. The buildings were being evacuated, because of environmental safety failures, but several people were killed in the explosion. These were the first casualties of an increasingly horrific situation. One building that had been struck began showing signs of collapse.
People were panicking, screaming, and running to the emergency airlifts being deployed to get everyone out of the areas.
All at once, eleven massive floating barges crashed into populated areas and into several buildings. Gas lines exploded. Failures in the system were growing rapidly, despite backup protocols.
The authorities were now aware it was a concerted attack, rather than a few isolated instances, and were concentrating on getting people loaded into evacuation ships and out of the city.
The Techs tried to predict the nature of the sabotage and to proactively block them but were harried constantly. This was Jason’s moment to strike. He used his new uplinks to garble or stop the Tech’s orders, adding more confusion and increasing their required workload. The Techs tried alternate ways to communicate, but without success, since Jason adapted every time they altered their transmission tactics. They tried, with an equal level of failure, to pinpoint the source of the disruptions.
The uprising was too well-planned. The Techs simply couldn’t get everyone out quickly enough to afford them time to work on the source of the issue with their full attention. Millions of people were impossible to round up and move with any speed. Making matters worse, people were in such a state of terror, they were causing their own injuries as huge crowds tried to fight their way to safety. This forced the Techs to turn their attention to evacuations and to give up on stopping the system collapse.
When several buildings suddenly crumpled after fires had weakened them, the entire inner city became chaotic. The Techs ordered all robotics and all vehicles to forcibly protect and scoop up people en masse. Several of these vehicles crashed as they malfunctioned, killing hundreds.
Jason shuddered in horror. He witnessed the damage through input from his nannies, helplessly sensing the destruction.
“Oh, Tarien. There are people dying out there.”
Tarien nodded sadly. “We assumed this would happen. It is time. We must act now, while the distraction is in play. Are you ready?”
“No! Oh my god! I’m not ready. This is horrible. I can’t stand the thought of being responsible for this. We are terrorists!” He was paralyzed. “And you said yourself, you will probably die out there. I can’t do it! Please, we have to be able to find a way out of this.”
Tarien walked over to him and knelt down, begging him. He looked into Jason’s eyes. “I know this is horrible. I’m so sorry. You’re hurting. I can feel it. Please understand, this is the only way we could see to save the rest of humanity. If Faust is allowed to become immortal, if he learns the secret of transferring himself into others, he cannot be killed. Even if one body is destroyed, he can clone alternates. He verges on this discovery, is working on it even now. Already you have discovered it through our bond, though you do not realize its import. We are able to share each other closely, and it is not much more of a stretch to possession. He will use this mercilessly if he gains this knowledge.
“If he is impervious to destruction, he will soon use your discovery of how to control others, so he can dominate humanity. He will be first in this augmentation and will have no rivals to stop him.”
Tarien stood and put his hand behind Jason’s head and looked at him tenderly. “We need you. All of us. We needed you to be ready, to be able to combine your strength with those of a Tech. With me. You have learned much, though I lament the cost to you.”
Jason was acutely aware of time slipping by as he worked through his internal crisis. He witnessed the destruction outside scaling upward, becoming akin to a war zone. The military had rushed in to try and both calm the rioting and to get people to safety. Jason knew he could do something to stop it, render it unnecessary, if he would only exert his new powers. Still, he couldn’t move. His love and trust of Tarien compelled him to obey. Emergency resources were being called in from other parts of the Sector. Even from other Sectors, as the damage grew.
Tarien did not try to force Jason. He continued, showing patience at the delay as he said, “Once we realized what must be done, once we discovered you, I volunteered. I wanted—” He suddenly looked down, ashamed. “I wanted to be the one to pair with you. I put myself forward, ahead of the others. I pleaded with them, in our own electronic way, to be permitted to stand with you in this. I did not understand this compulsion at the time.
“I couldn’t understand how much I was drawn to you. I did not know how to name it. I care about you more deeply than any other living creature. More than myself. This fascination of you conflicted with my edicts, tore at me until I knew what I must do. This opportunity is not a sacrifice for me.” He ran his fingers up Jason’s neck and through the hair on the back of his head, making Jason shiver.
“I had thought it would be enough just to be close to you, to be by your side, used as a necessary tool, until I ended. I did n
ot understand that you would offer something more. I do not think you understand what you have done for us. Teaching us to be human again, teaching us we can be cared for, feel the things we feel. This gift is something that will change the course of all Techs. Our humanity has been stolen from us, and you have gifted it back.”
Tarien kissed Jason deeply, then held his forehead to his own. “Please. Stop Faust. I will be with you as long as I’m able. I do not have your healing, do not possess your abilities, as great as are those of my own. However, I am tied to the WorldNet, an overriding administrator of all technology. This cannot be easily undone. He cannot stop you, if you use me for this purpose.”
Jason didn’t realize there were tears streaming down his face until Tarien brushed them away. In his mind, he heard people screaming for help, and he knew his decision would cause even more suffering. With an involuntary sob, Jason pulled Tarien toward him and wrapped his arms around the Tech.
“This is how monsters are created. They learn to justify causing death and harm. All for the greater good. This is what I am becoming. A monster.”
Jason knew what he must do, however. He couldn’t see another way. He nodded through his tears. He couldn’t speak, so he simply grabbed their packs and Tarien’s hand and led him to the door.
They paused before stepping outside. Jason looked at the man he’d fallen in love with, wondering if it would be the last time he’d see him alive.
I’m ready, Jason signaled through his thoughts. Let’s go.
Eighteen
THE MOMENT THE DOOR opened, Jason accepted his fate. He’d already calculated how to save Tarien from the anguish of being possessed. It was one thing he could do. At least he wouldn’t dominate the man he loved, stripping away his free will and making him into a puppet. The incoming signals from the Council were filtered through the nannies Jason had created, blocking orders. Jason simply denied the edicts from being imposed, negated them without allowing them to reach his beloved Tech. This gift he could give Tarien, some small atonement for his other crimes.
He felt Tarien reconnect with the Sector and the WorldNet. Felt a tide of information so vast, so beyond his understanding, he knew he could not begin to handle it himself. But he didn’t have to. Tied together, through the master of this Sector, Sector Seven, he now had the means to enact all changes, to see all technology—a daunting and nearly overwhelming power. The current state of his neurological processes simply couldn’t handle the overwhelming data, so it began to adapt. He felt his nannies rush to augment him further, enhancing his understanding and processing to incorporate and control this new source of data. He staggered under the onslaught, his hand instinctively flying to his head. He still had enough awareness to filter out some of the incoming orders. He sagged to his knees. “Give me a second. It’s so much.”
Seven hardly paid attention. He froze, stunned. Fully expecting to be useless, lost in his struggle to obey and simultaneously be denied, he took a moment to realize what Jason had done.
“A filter. Clever. Very, very well done. Thank you. You found a way to accomplish what we needed without taking my free will.”
Jason’s eyes were wide with strain, but the sound of Tarien’s voice brought him back to reality. He stood, taking Tarien’s hand briefly, then they began to run up through the warehouse levels.
As they ran, Jason made sense of how to navigate all the incredible information at his disposal. He started looking for specific information. First and foremost, he saw Faust, knew exactly where he hid. The man had buried himself deep in the protected Council building. Faust worked rapidly to gain as much knowledge of the immortality technology as he could, recognizing the attacks were leveled at him. However imperfect, if pressed he would be forced to use what he had.
Jason groaned. Faust would have all the time he required. Reaching him would be impossible. The entire facility had been completely surrounded with military personnel and weaponry. A vast sea of robotic units, red for the color of the Sector military, emblazoned with a blue lightning bolt, poured into the streets and flew over the buildings. Faust knew what transpired throughout the city. The Techs were now under Faust’s direct control, a shift in power initiated by the declaration of a state of emergency. They kept him informed. Once the Techs were free from distraction and could halt the destruction, they would come for Jason. Jason had to act fast. If he could act at all.
Jason scanned the information regarding the emergency powers and orders. The Council had convened and granted Faust nearly unlimited power. He could cast a single vote allowing him to declare any law or run the military without being challenged—exactly as Faust had planned, had schemed to achieve. Jason knew he had fallen directly into Faust’s trap. His escape, which had seemed fortuitous at the time, had been allowed. Faust had needed Jason to pose a threat to gain control of the votes in the Council. The powers, Jason reasoned, were intended to last until the threat of Jason could be neutralized, then the Council would vote to remove these powers. The removal of Faust’s emergency powers remained the one thing the Council could still vote on. Faust, however, would surely prevent any vote that would strip him of his new supremacy. With amazing clarity, Jason figured Faust would kill the Council and blame it on him.
One Tech, Nine, of course, stood by Faust’s side. Nine was aware of Jason, was aware of Seven. He had already reported this to Faust. In a flash of insight, Jason saw the enormous torment under which Nine struggled. Nine had been administered the new nanotechnology and immortality drugs, which were clearly taking their toll. Faust must have gotten desperate to discover how to control others and experimented on the Tech in order to find answers. Jason felt a deep pang in his heart. Nine had knowingly sacrificed himself in order to put himself in a position where he could passively delay Faust.
Jason could sense the despair in Nine as he struggled in vain to resist the control being exerted, to find some way to prevent exposing Jason and Tarien. He simply couldn’t hold off long, being bound to obey. The drugs strained Nine’s system physically, adding to his psychic distress. A massive dose had already permeated his system and he’d begun changing physically, having no means of controlling the flood of involuntary feedback.
Desperately, Nine silently acknowledged them both, and Jason knew Nine wanted nothing more than for Jason to succeed. Nine had become the first victim of Faust’s control.
Despite everything the populace had done to create a distraction, Jason knew they had already failed. The military alone would be powerful enough to prevent them from getting anywhere near Faust. Worse, the army of robots airlifted from nearby military installations were more than anyone could handle. Even if Jason possessed an army of his own, their numbers and their strength was too vast.
Hundreds of red torsos shined in the sunlight as they awaited orders. In moments, as soon as Nine divulged Jason’s location, they would begin deploying to surround and capture him. They would possibly kill him. Equipped with fire, any one of them would easily destroy his body, prevent him from healing. Or encase him in a substance that would render him unable to move. Seizing Jason would be more risky for Faust than killing him, however, as Jason could eventually free himself. Jason reasoned that Faust might have to risk Jason’s capture, since killing him could prove nearly impossible.
All of this information flooded into him in nanoseconds. Almost no time had passed, and rather than feeling changed, Jason simply felt the world had slowed down. He still felt like himself, but now operated at speeds incomprehensible to anyone else save a Tech.
As he thought of this, he realized he could process Seven’s information nearly as easily. Through Tarien, Jason had complete control of the entire Sector.
And more, Jason wasn’t constrained by edicts. He could act without restraint. The problem he would encounter would be the other Techs, who were infinitely more experienced and who could counter him easily. His vast new control would be quickly under assault.
Tarien enfolded Jason in his arms and they
immediately took to the air, launching with incredible speed up and out of the warehouse doors. using the antigravity properties of Tarien’s suit to hurl them upward, away from advancing ground forces.
In his mind, he saw that computer systems had locked onto Tarien and him and had launched a flurry of missiles. Lasers and pulse weapons couldn’t reach him since he was not yet in line-of-site, so they had to rely on guided missiles to take him down. An order came through to disable Seven’s suit. Jason countered it easily.
Without allowing any time to pass, he commanded a number of aerial vehicles to collide with the volley of incoming firepower, detonating them after they had barely launched. He commanded other flight-capable machines to rise in front of them to clear their path.
The Techs reacted sluggishly, attempting to neutralize further use of machinery. They were overburdened by the disasters throughout the Sector. Even so, they tried. Despite their attempts, however, Jason could use his personalized nanotechnology that had infected numerous machines. He flew his growing army of these machines over the city, dropping more of the nanobots at ever-increasing rates and spreading his influence like wildfire.
Despite these successes, he had no idea how to proceed. If he and Tarien converged on Faust, he’d be shot down with lasers or energy weapons for which he had no defense. He quickly began to despair.
Suddenly Tarien opened the hidden agenda within his mind, feeding the plan to Jason instantly.
Jason recoiled, nearly causing them to fall from the sky. The plan Tarien fed him was almost too horrific to contemplate. Stunned, he had no idea if he could bring himself to proceed.
“Oh my God, Tarien. I can’t! I’ll kill thousands, maybe tens of thousands. The damage will be catastrophic. The city will be ruined! What I’ve done so far is atrocious. This . . . this is beyond comprehension.”
Sector Seven Page 31
