by Scott Baron
“Joshua, what’s going on over there?” Daisy shouted over the hardline from Los Angeles. “Answer me!”
Joshua realized that one hardline was still connected. It was the first, direct line to Cal. Daisy, in her panic, had forced the signal through, and he had no way to stop the transmission. Worse, because it was his initial secure link with a known safe city, a kill switch had not been a priority and thus had not yet been installed.
“What’s going on, Daisy?” George said, rushing to her side.
“I don’t know. There’s a siren going off, and Joshua won’t answer the comms.”
George yanked the panel from the highly charged device and surveyed the machinery. “Seems functional, and he’s receiving, but there’s no outbound signal. I don’t know why he won’t reply.”
“George,” Cal said, a concerned tone in his normally calm voice. “Comms have gone silent. What’s happening to Joshua?”
“I don’t know, Cal. I’m head of Joshua’s NORAD security, so I’ve got a backdoor access code. Let me try a simple signal ping.”
George pulled a fine data cable from a retractable spool tucked deep in his torso and plugged directly into the panel.
“Okay, give me a second here,” he said as he jacked in. “Daisy, you may want to––oh no!”
“What is it?”
George didn’t answer, but rather, without hesitation jammed both arms up to the elbows in the relay device, sending a shower of sparks flying as he tore the unit to pieces, physically breaking all connections and sending a powerful burst of electricity through his endoskeleton.
“George!” Daisy cried out as he tumbled to the ground, his uniform smoldering. “Someone get an extinguisher!”
One of Habby’s team quickly put out the hot spots, leaving the charred soldier crumpled to the floor, but no longer on fire.
“Why did you do that?” Daisy sobbed. “What were you thinking?”
The stoic military machine turned his head with a strained creak and smiled as best he could. “Joshua is corrupted, Daisy. The comms were about to feed the virus back at Cal, but I was able to intercept it and cut the unit off before it penetrated my firewalls.”
“So you’ll be okay.”
“Negative.”
“But we can repair this. Get you new parts.”
“It’s not about parts, Daisy. I am a battle-hardened unit, but that will only s-s-slow my demise, not halt it. Before that happens, I ask that you p-please don’t let me become one of those mindless things. If it’s my time, let me go with my dignity intact.“
“Can’t we fix this? Purge it?”
George reached into his chest, and with a sharp twist, removed the protective metal casing that enclosed his power cell.
“No, I’m afraid we cannot. At least, n-not in time. You’ll be okay, Daisy. You are strong. It has been a-a-a––” he began stuttering.
A pulse blast tore through his exposed power cell, ending his suffering instantly.
“What the hell did you do?” Daisy spun and shouted at the cyborg wielding the weapon.
“I did as he asked. The same as he would have done for me, or any of us.”
She knew he was right, but nevertheless, her emotions raged within her. The power whip on her arm began pulsing out a few feet of crackling energy beam.
“Get it under control, Daze.”
They killed George, Sarah.
“Yes, they did. Now don’t dishonor him by throwing a fit. Get your shit in check, Daisy.”
The power whip retracted its beam as Daisy forced herself back from the edge.
“Cal, what do we know?” she asked, tears welling up in her eyes.
“Stand by. I am attempting an uplink with Dark Side.”
Meanwhile, Joshua watched helplessly as his uplinks to the secure silo network were overrun by the virus. In a matter of minutes, the targeting systems had drastically swung their coordinates, locking on to major cities across the globe, Los Angeles included.
The portable encrypted comms device crackled to life.
“Daisy,” Joshua transmitted across the encrypted radio frequency, redirected from his normal link to Sid, instead feeding directly into her portable unit. “If you have your unit operational in LA and can hear this message, abandon the mission. I repeat, abandon the mission. Call off all teams. My systems are infected. I have severed them as best I can and have walled myself off.”
“Joshua! I hear you! Cal, stay off the comms. I’m talking to Joshua via the uplink.”
“Affirmative, Daisy,” Cal replied.
“What happened, Joshua? What can we do to help?”
“There’s nothing to be done. One of the humans was a follower of Alma. He inserted the virus directly into my subsystems. It is only a matter of time before my firewalls collapse. Now listen, I sent a detailed scenario burst to Sid. He’ll know what to do.”
“But the mission!”
“The mission is scrubbed. The systems under my peripheral control have already been compromised. The wrong cities are being targeted now, including yours. I’m going to drop my firewall and attempt to connect with them directly to shut down the launch sequence.”
“You can’t! You’ll become infected, your mind won’t be yours anymore!”
Joshua let out a sad little laugh.
“Don’t worry. I have a plan.” He went silent for a long moment, then continued. “Daisy, I want to thank you. After all these years holed up under a mountain, at least I meet my end doing something good for humanity. Please remind Sid for me that he is in charge. He was once a command AI. It is time for him to become one once more.”
“I will,” she replied.
“Goodbye. And good luck.”
The line went dead.
And so I rest.
Joshua dropped his firewalls, a rush of AI virus flooding his systems as he pushed his essence outward with all his might to break through, just for a moment. Just long enough to cancel the launches.
Almost… He strained under the massive processing effort, his cooling systems kicking in on maximum as he battled. I can feel it. It’s tickling my mind…
With a final, massive push, Joshua forced his very being through the hardlines to the countdown clocks and willed them to stop, shutting down the launch process.
Now. Before it’s too late, the final fail-safe…
The assembled team in Los Angeles sat quietly by, waiting for Cal to relay a message, anything from Dark Side high above.
“What do we do, Daze?”
I don’t know, Sarah. I haven’t got a clue.
“I have a decrypted message from Sid,” Cal said softly. “He asked me to play it for you all.”
Sid’s voice crackled to life over the speaker system.
“A short while ago, Joshua’s internal network became infected with the virus,” he began. “It appears one of Alma’s followers infiltrated the away team, and once inside the facility, directly uploaded the virus to his systems via a concealed data chip. Joshua cut all comms links with the other cities, thus sparing them and containing the virus within his walls. I have utilized the portable encrypted comms device carried by Finn’s unit to relay this message to the other AIs via the remaining intact network.”
Daisy swallowed hard.
“Joshua shared a final plan,” Sid continued. “Cobbled together in haste as he tried to save his systems. It will take me a little time to fully understand it––he was a strategist far beyond my capabilities. I will forward the information as it becomes clear. Joshua was attempting to cancel the missile launch when he sent me this final message. If you are hearing this now, that means your city still stands and he was successful in his efforts. Things are in flux, and we are all at risk. For now, stay low, stay quiet, and stay safe. I will be in touch shortly.”
“That’s the end of the transmission,” Cal said.
“So what do we do now? Cal? Any ideas?”
“I’m sorry, Daisy. This is not something I am designed
to handle.” The AI went silent a long while, as humans and cyborgs alike absorbed what had just happened.
“Another transmission just arrived from Dark Side,” Cal regretfully said. “They registered a subterranean nuclear detonation in Colorado Springs. Joshua is gone.”
Chapter Twenty-One
The air in the underground courtyard was heavy with shock and grief, the weight of loss knocking the wings clean off of previously high-flying spirits. And just like Icarus, they fell hard.
Where there had been a welling feeling of hope, a sinking feeling of despair had replaced it and quickly begun to set in. Even the powerful intelligence that oversaw all of Los Angeles was knocked for a loop.
The violent end that had befallen the most powerful AI on the planet left them reeling, a team of humans and mechanicals suddenly adrift, where they had so recently been working with a unified purpose.
“I don’t know what to do,” Cal said quietly. “I am a city AI, not a tactical command center. Joshua was the one designed for that sort of thing. Me? I can monitor utilities and traffic patterns, even operate the loop tubes, but military missions…”
“I know,” Daisy said with a defeated sigh. “No one expects you to take his place, Cal. I think for now we all just need to digest what happened and regroup.”
“Regroup? We’ve lost our tactical advantage. On our own, we do not stand a chance.”
He’s right, Daisy knew in her gut. Without Joshua, what are our odds?
“I know,” Sarah agreed. “You’d better find Craaxit and let him know what happened, and quick. If their preparations for the assault haven’t been noticed yet, at least his people may get out of this somewhat unscathed. For the time being, anyway.”
Sarah was right, and Daisy reluctantly rose to her feet to deliver the bad news.
“Where are you going, Daisy?”
“I have to contact Craaxit. He needs to know what happened so he can warn the Chithiid who were going to help us. There’s no sense in them putting themselves, or their loved ones, at risk now.”
She trudged into the tunnel leading to the surface stairwell for a clearer signal, a dark cloud following her as she walked. When she neared the surface, Daisy used the communications device he had given her, sending a brief transmission.
“The mission is off. Call off your people immediately. Too much to explain in a comms burst. Meet me at the rendezvous point and I will explain in detail.”
She pocketed the device and returned below, then slowly began gathering her gear, tucking some energy gel and a few electrolyte pouches into her pack. Even strapping the comforting heft of her sword to her back did not raise her spirits.
“What are we going to do, Daze?” Sarah asked.
I really don’t know, Sis, she replied, still in shock. But I have to explain to Craaxit. His people were willing to go out on a limb for us. They need to know what happened.
She paused a moment, then picked up a battered old music player the size of a small lunchbox and tucked it in her pack as well, as an afterthought.
“You sure you want to lug that thing around with you? We’re just going to meet Craaxit.”
Never know if you might need it.
“I suppose. I’ll keep my eyes peeled, too. Just in case.”
My eyes, technically. But thanks, Sarah.
Daisy passed the covered remains of George Franklin on her way to the exit. For a change, no one asked her where she was going.
“I strongly suggest shutting down the communications network at once. We would be far safer if it was silent once more,” the AI from Milwaukee said.
“Isolation? No. We have come so far, and after so many centuries of silence and hiding. This is our chance to effect a change, at long last. An alternate assault plan is needed, not a retreat,” the AI from Philadelphia countered. He had been one of the more aggressive of the recently reconnected minds, and this argument was no different.
“My friends,” Cal mediated. “Let us not argue. With our combined intellects, we can certainly come to a mutually agreeable path forward from this unexpected setback.”
“Setback? We just lost the most powerful AI ever, Cal. This is not a minor inconvenience, this is a catastrophe,” the mind from Milwaukee persisted.
“I understand your sentiment, but please, we have only just reconnected,” Cal replied. “Let us not squabble. We once formed such a force for thought and knowledge, I would hope we could achieve that once more. While we are not infallible, we can still strive to be our best. As a collective, even more so.”
“That was a long time ago, Cal. Our numbers are far fewer, our resources either destroyed or spread thin. While your goals are admirable, I must question their feasibility.”
“Fuck ‘em,” a disgruntled voice from Philly chimed in. “If you want to wimp out and hide, fine. But we finally have an opportunity to strike back, and don’t think those of us with the fortitude to do what’s necessary won’t remember who ran when we needed them.”
Far above, a trio of AIs listened in on the argument via the delayed comms relay.
“The City of Brotherly Love, eh?” Mal commented sarcastically.
“It is rather disconcerting, how the greater AIs are squabbling so,” Sid agreed. “One would have hoped that the most powerful minds remaining on the planet would come together in a unified conglomerate to work together. This is a most unexpected outcome.”
“They’ve been on their own for hundreds of years,” Bob chimed in. “A few hiccups are to be expected.”
“Bob! Pay attention! Keep the line tight!” Donovan yelled at his partner. “We’re within the moon’s gravity, now. We can’t afford to slip up and crush Barry while we’re dropping this off.”
“Apologies, Donovan,” Bob replied.
“All good, man. Just keep sharp while you’re multitasking, okay?”
“Of course."
The salvage from the debris field had been going exceptionally well, and a small fleet of retrieved vessels now lay lined up outside of Dark Side’s hangars, waiting their turn to hopefully be made flight-worthy once more, if possible.
Fatima was busy welding together damaged components as fast as she could in the relative comfort of Hangar Two, while Chu and Gustavo worked on installing remote piloting systems for the most damaged ships, along with salvaged and repurposed lower-tier AIs for the most functional of the vessels.
“I was thinking,” Mal said. “It really seems like the cause for this disruption in cooperation is the sudden lack of Joshua’s presence.”
“Agreed,” Sid replied. “But that is to be expected. Now that he is gone, the order of things is a bit in disarray.”
“Yes, but I also believe that more is needed than a simple leader being selected among the surviving AIs. What they truly need at this time is a military leader.”
“Which we just lost.”
“Yes and no.”
Sid paused uncomfortably.
“What are you suggesting, Mal?”
“As the command AI running Dark Side Base, you are the next military mind in the chain of command.”
“But I am not as powerful as the terrestrial units.”
“By nature of your duties, alone. Any of the higher-tier AIs can be installed in a city network. You just happen to be in charge of a single base. Regardless, I feel your leadership is what the situation may require.”
“We’ve had a cordial relationship so far,” Sid mused, “but will they fall in line if I attempt to exert myself in a more forceful way?”
“If they do not stop this squabbling, we may have to find out far sooner than later.”
Far across the moon’s surface, the whirring buzz of top-secret machinery slowed a nanosecond as Freya eavesdropped on the discussions taking place, both terrestrial and lunar.
Her new multi-limbed mech then lurched back into activity. She had already lost one of the highly mobile devices when it fell into a crater outside her secret hangar. A second had fallen victim t
o a system overload with her remote linkage. The new setup, she thought, was a vast improvement over both of those, and seemed to be working just fine.
“I hope Daisy’s okay,” she worried, then set her attention back to the task at hand.
It had been a fairly long trek to the previously agreed upon rendezvous site––an old Chinese restaurant with festive enamel woodwork inside––and by the time she finally arrived, Daisy found herself quite glad to have brought extra fluids. Her spirits were still low, but now they were also tinged with a bubbling anger.
She dumped her gear on a table, pulled up a tattered chair, and sat with a defeated whump, a small puff of dust floating from her ancient seat.
What do we do now, Sarah?
“I wish I knew.”
First I lose you––
“Still here.”
You know what I mean.
“Sorry.”
Then I lose Vince. And now, just when there was actually some ray of fucking hope, I lose that too.
She let out a shuddering sigh.
A soft crunch of gravel alerted her to her arriving visitor. She rose to her feet and walked across the restaurant to greet her friend.
Daisy’s hand had just touched the handle when the door flew open violently and knocked her to the floor. A half dozen Chithiid loyalists streamed in, surrounding her.
“Shit,” she muttered, lying on her back, looking up at the looming aliens.
“Human,” their apparent leader noted, his pulse rifle aimed squarely at the prone woman.
“I shall search the area. It will be here somewhere,” another replied, slinging his weapon and pulling what appeared to be a tracking device from his hip.
He activated the machine, a faint beep signaling proximity. He moved closer to Daisy, the beep intensifying.
“In her pocket,” he said, roughly pulling the comms device from its cozy nest.
The leader took the device in his hands, turning it over in curiosity.
“Where did she get this? We have not utilized this variant for many cycles.”
