by Scott Baron
“Copy that. Let’s go,” she called to her support team, then took off at a jog down the path of deactivated machinery.
“Sarge, are you okay?” Daisy asked the cyborgs’ leader.
“I’ll be fine.”
“You don’t look fine.”
He fixed his robotic gaze on her and cracked his best grin.
“Damn, Daisy. If I’d known you were trying to take down the entire city with those things, I’d have had my men stay twice as far back. We’ll be fine, don’t you worry about us. We’ve had a few hundred years of boredom kicking around inside a mountain. Trust me, we’ve zapped ourselves with plenty of things just to change things up.”
“You’re one weird cyborg, you know that?”
“Hey, we can’t get drunk. This is the next best thing,” he joked.
A flash of what could best be described as pain flashed across his face. Forcing himself to ignore it, George Franklin stood tall and adjusted his pack.
“Okay, you clowns, nap time is over. Move out, and this time, let’s keep an additional ten meters back.”
Daisy and Tamara leapfrogged taking point as they quickly plowed through the city’s defenses. Vehicles and cyborgs alike were left twitching in their EM aftermath, the brutal blast of the grenades shutting down and forcing a hard reset of the units that were far enough from the pulse center to not be destroyed entirely.
Franklin and his men, wisely, stayed well clear.
The only system they had trouble with, however, were the automated defense cannons. They simply couldn’t get close enough for a direct blast to fully take them out. All they managed was to cause a soft reboot.
The first attempt, they didn’t move fast enough, and the system regained functionality before they even stepped out from cover.
“We’re going to have maybe five seconds before it tracks us again. Sarge, can you get clear in time from all the way back there?”
“Give a countdown and we’ll be moving at full speed when it detonates. If we time it right, we’ll not only avoid the pulse, but will probably even make it across the boulevard before you do.”
“Confident. I like it,” Sarah said, appreciatively.
Can-do seems to be our buddy George’s middle name, Daisy agreed. Whatever. As long as he remains intact, it works for me.
Indeed, the metal men timed it correctly on the next attempt. Daisy and Tamara both threw their grenades as hard and as far as possible. Fortune smiled upon them, and the electromagnetic pulses knocked the cannons out of commission for nearly eight seconds.
And every other electronic device in the area.
“You know that’s gonna draw some attention, right?”
Yeah, but what else can we do? Expediting our return––and not getting shot to pieces in the process––outweighs the possibility of the Ra’az noticing something unusual.
“So long as they don’t get here before we’re long gone.”
Exactly.
It was only twenty minutes later that a Ra’az heavy cruiser made a high-altitude pass over the area.
“Everyone, get under cover, now!” Sergeant Franklin yelled to the team.
With great haste, they all scrambled under whatever they could, hoping to avoid scrutiny from above.
“You think they saw us?” Tamara asked.
“We’ll know real soon if they did,” Daisy replied. “Fortunately, the city’s cannons have already come back online. If they drop back in for a low fly-by, they’ll be in for a rude welcome.”
“Guess we actually got lucky the EM grenades didn’t take them out entirely.”
“At long last, something goes our way,” Daisy agreed.
The Ra’az ship circled several times while the team hid out under cover. The cannons did engage them a few times when they circled too close, but the ship quickly darted clear of the weapons fire. Eventually, it dropped low over the areas rendered silent by the EM grenades.
“Looks like they’re dropping ground units,” Franklin noted.
“But look where,” Daisy replied. “I think they’re sending out scrapper teams to the areas we left undefended.”
“I am no fan of stark raving mad AIs, but I do feel somewhat bad about leaving parts of its city undefended against the invaders.”
“Nothing we can do now but get to the transit system ASAP. They’ve landed a little ways away, but that could change any moment, and I’d rather not be blocked in this homicidal city by equally homicidal aliens.”
“We’re roughly one and a half miles from the loop tube terminus entrance,” Franklin said. “If we move quickly and efficiently, we should be able to make it undetected. We will not, however, be able to use any more of your EM grenades, lest we draw further attention to ourselves.”
Sergeant Franklin was right. They’d have to make a run for it without the benefit of her new toys. Fortunately, she was pretty sure the city would be quite occupied with its newest uninvited guests.
Pulse rifle fire peppered the wall to Daisy’s left, sending razor-sharp bits of stone shrapnel flying every which way.
“Ow! Sonofa––” Tamara cursed as another new gash opened in her cheek. Soon she’d have yet another scar to add to her collection. That is, if they stayed alive long enough for her to grow it.
How many did you count, Sarah? Daisy asked her mental sidekick.
“I saw five of them spaced between two and four o’clock. Only three had pulse rifles, though. The other two are trying to flank you on the left. I lost track of them after nine o’clock, but I think only one of them is armed.”
“Tamara, two are trying to get around our left flank. Cover our six.”
“You sure? How’d you manage to catch that?”
“Just trust me. I’m sure.”
The fight raged on, and their team was ultimately victorious, but the sounds of other carnage drew nearer as the city engaged the invading force as best it could in its damaged state.
“Okay, decoys, listen up. You two need to run fast, and do not engage. Just leave enough of a trace to draw them off, then get down into the tube network, understood? You ready?” Daisy asked the pair of volunteers from the young support team as they shed their heavy packs.
“Ready,” they replied, bouncing on their toes, their adrenaline surging in anticipation.
“Okay, then. Good luck, and get moving. We’ll see you in Colorado Springs.”
The duo took off at a run. Their path was laid out to avoid the most active areas of the city’s mad machinery, while also getting them close to loop tube access.
Fifteen minutes later, a Chithiid ship could be heard approaching at low altitude. They quickly surveyed the carnage below, then spun and took off after the dusty trail of the team racing on foot for the subterranean access shaft.
The area clear, Daisy and the remaining team crawled from cover.
“Looks like they’re following the bait,” Tamara noted.
“I hope those kids are okay,” Daisy worried.
“They had a big head start. I think the two of them will be just fine,” Tamara replied. “We should get moving, just in case they catch on and circle back.”
“Agreed. Let’s move while they’re otherwise occupied,” Daisy said. “It looks like this crazy AI is now the least of our concerns.”
The team quickly got underway, moving fast and quietly.
The Ra’az, while glad for an opportunity to deploy their Chithiid workers to gain a foothold in what had been such a troublesome city, nevertheless sensed something was wrong. So many machines that had formerly stymied their many attempts now lay dormant, the traces of some unknown conflict the only hint of what might have occurred.
The Chithiid loyalists maintaining a perimeter also noted something unusual. A discarded backpack, seemingly recently used.
“Inform the Ra’az we have found trace of the possible cause of this disturbance. It may be humans, judging by what was left behind.”
“They will be informed at once,” the
communications operator replied, quickly opening a channel to the tactical leaders aboard the ship. He transmitted, then listened attentively to his communicator.
Moments later a reply came through.
“They have received the report and want you to stay here with your evidence,” he relayed. A moment later a look of mild horror flashed across his face. “They are also sending a Graizenhund.”
The loyalist blanched at the words but managed to maintain as much of a stoic appearance as he could.
“Excellent. I eagerly await it.”
The ship hovered above and lowered a large container to the ground a few minutes later, remotely opening it upon touchdown. From its confines, a six-foot long creature with long and deadly teeth and a tough hide padded out into the open air. The Graizenhund resembled a massive dog, but one dreamt up by a horrified child in their worst nightmares.
With a low growl, it slowly walked to the rigid Chithiid.
The alien held out the backpack, the tremor in his hands betraying his fear. The beast sniffed the pack, then cocked its head to one side, perplexed. With no warning, it snatched the pack from the alien’s hands and began tearing it apart, snorting deeply as it did, learning the scent of its prey.
As abruptly as it had started, it stopped, nostrils flaring in the gentle breeze. Then, in a flash, it was gone.
The team had covered over a mile in good time, the city AI being preoccupied with the Ra’az ship spewing its Chithiid workers into its environs. Aside from a few cyborgs and one rather perturbed waste-disposal vehicle, they had remained unmolested as they dashed for the loop tube tunnels.
“Something’s up, Daze. You hear that?”
Yeah, but I don’t know what it is, and don’t have time to find out.
“Let’s move! We’re nearly there,” she called to her squad, urging them on to a quick-time pace.
Following the scent now locked into the olfactory region of its brain, the Graizenhund raced down the streets, easily avoiding the larger vehicles and equipment in its path. No time to waste with those, though it did take a few moments to dismember a pair of cyborgs that ill-advisedly attempted to block its progress.
Their metal limbs came free easily in its powerful jaws. The head took a bit more effort.
Effort it enjoyed expending.
“There it is!” Daisy called out as the beckoning doors to the subterranean loop tube system came into view. “Hustle, everyone!” she urged as the hairs on the back of her neck tingled.
Daisy turned and scanned the road behind them as they came. Nothing was in sight.
Anything?
“Not seeing anything, but I’ve got a bad feeling.”
Ditto. We need to get underground, and fast.
Daisy turned and followed her team as they raced the remaining way to the loop system.
The Graizenhund, satisfied having destroyed a pair of metal men, was fast on its feet, silently closing in on its prey. The scent was no longer faint––it was just ahead. Its steel-cable-tough muscles tensed mid-stride, then it leapt, soaring quietly through the air, directly at its unsuspecting prey.
The mountain lion had pounced and rolled on the sweat-soaked shirt and backpack it had snatched off its human prey. Little did it know, that scent now made it prey more than predator.
Evolution is a funny thing, and somewhere in the thousands of years it took to become what it was today, the massive feline had developed a survival sense, warning of impending danger. That sense was now flaring at full-alarm.
The big cat spun, claws springing from its paws as the huge hound closed in for the kill. The two grappled, bit, and growled at one another as they tumbled to the ground in a whirring ball of teeth and claws.
“You hear that?” Tamara asked as they stepped through the doors to the loop tube terminus.
“Yeah,” Daisy replied. “Whatever’s going down, I don’t want to stick around to find out what it is.”
“Let’s get the hell out of here.”
“Don’t have to tell me twice,” Daisy agreed, then shut the door behind her.
Deep below the city, they fired up the secured comms unit and informed Joshua they had reached Billings successfully and were coming home. Five minutes later, safe in the silent cocoon of the speeding loop tube pod, Daisy finally let herself slip into a much-needed sleep.
The Graizenhund had put up a valiant fight, the massive Ra’az noted as it strode across the killing field. Its foe had been a large feline, the likes of which he had seen a few times in the past, but never under such circumstances.
The native beast lay in a broken heap, finally done in by the ferocity of the Graizenhund, which also lay on the ground, exhausted from the battle.
The Ra’az nudged the animal with its booted foot. The hound whimpered and tried to stand, but fell back to the ground. Its injuries were rather severe. Likely not fatal, but the beast, though a useful tracker, would be out of commission for a long time, if not permanently.
Another whimper escaped the injured animal’s mouth as it looked up expectantly at its master. It was a good boy. It had done good. Master would be pleased.
Emotionless, the Ra’az took a step forward and pressed its boot into the animal’s neck, crushing the life out of it, discarding the damaged tool like it had so many others over the years. The enormous alien then turned and strode back into its waiting ship.
Chapter Nine
“Get cleaned up, then head to the repair bay and have that leg given the once-over,” Sergeant Franklin said as the dirt-caked and weary team finally strode into the safety of Joshua’s underground lair.
“Will do, Sarge. Gotta say, though, Daisy did a really good job. It feels fine.”
“Maybe so, but I want you to get a full eval from our maintenance and repair system.”
“Copy that,” the damaged cyborg said, then turned and headed for the repair bay.
Daisy, after grabbing an ice-cold electrolyte packet, caught up with Sergeant Franklin on his way to Joshua’s primary command center.
“All of that work for one little code key,” she marveled.
“To be fair, it is one massively encrypted, EM and environmentally hardened code key that grants targeting control of a whole slew of hypersonic missiles.”
“Potato, potahto,” Daisy said with a light laugh.
“You’re certainly in excellent spirits,” Sarah noted.
No one is trying to kill us for a change, I got to use a functional toilet not coated with bits of dead guy, and the AC in this place is divine.
The dusty cyborg and his human counterpart arrived a minute later at the heavily shielded room that housed Joshua’s most sensitive equipment.
“You ready for us, Joshua?” Daisy asked the ever-listening air.
“Yes, Daisy. Just place the card in the reader located on the far right-hand console. It has a protective cover, but you will find it is unlocked.”
“Will do,” she replied as Franklin dug the card key from its protective case in his hip pack. “Hey, Joshua, I wanted to ask you. What’s going on around here?” she queried, noting the unusually quiet corridors. “Where is everyone else?”
“While you and your team were making the run to Montana, I thought it would be prudent to get things moving on this end to reconnect global communications as quickly as possible.”
“So the others are where, exactly?”
“Like I said, they’ve joined your associates from Los Angeles, who were already linking in uncorrupted AIs. Some have, anyway. Most are working within the service tunnels running from here to the external networking hubs. Those were physically cut during the invasion, but once they’re reconnected with new deadman switches, I should have most of my communication and data transfer capabilities restored.”
“And the others?”
“Those few small teams have departed via the loop tube in the non-damaged direction to fan out and help reconnect other cities into our communications network.”
“So, it�
��s a skeleton crew here.”
“More or less. There’s a small squad in my walls. The rest of the men are out helping with repairs. Sergeant Franklin was correct in his acceptance of my assessment that his men could be of more use to me outside than merely sitting around protecting my facilities from the inside.”
“Respectfully, sir, during that conversation I was speaking in regards to the Montana mission, specifically. And you will recall, it was actually your idea to send me,” Franklin noted.
“Good thing too. I don’t think we’d have made it without you, George,” Daisy said. “We’re a bit out of the loop, Joshua. How are the other teams coming with their work?”
“Quite well, actually. I mean, of course they’ve run into a few bumps in the road. You know, rogue AIs and whatnot, but they’ve successfully patched in over a dozen higher-tier AIs since you’ve been gone. With peripheral cities back online, we’ve confirmed the international loop tubes are in fact intact and functional. The first teams headed abroad yesterday.”
“The undersea tubes are sound, then?”
“Yes. At least one team should be in Europe by now.”
Daisy was excited by the possibilities. Global reconnection would greatly help their cause. But she was also wary, and rightly so. She’d seen firsthand the damage rogue AIs could do. Much as she trusted their drive and abilities, she nevertheless was worried about her friends.
On top of that, Vince was still in Los Angeles, his infected AI in his head wiped, his body fighting it for survival. Her stomach did a little flip as thoughts of her ex flashed through her head.
“We’ll be back in LA soon, Daze. He’ll be okay.”
You don’t know that.
“Not for a fact, no. But I do know he is strong, and after Cal wiped the virus from his onboard AI, he at least has a fighting chance.”
Daisy could only wonder if she was right.
Far across the globe, Finnegan and his team had made good time on the trip to Rome, the subterranean loop tubes making the run in just under four hours. When they emerged to the surface of that great metropolis, the first sight that greeted them was that of a ruined city.
