Reckoning of Delta Prime (Cyber Teen Project Book 3)

by D. B. Goodin

  Nigel was speechless. Both said nothing for a long moment.

  “I’ve got to go,” Blanka said.

  Nigel stood there for a long time.

  I’m going to find you, Jet, I promise.

  Nigel put the cell phone behind the laptop where he could retrieve it easily, then continued his reconnaissance. He performed a search of wireless cameras in the immediate area of Sakura Park using an online scanning tool called ShowALLD. He was able to log in to many of these cameras using the default credentials he got from another surface web information site.

  It never ceases to amaze me how many people keep their devices unsecured. They buy them, connect them to Wi-Fi, then stop any attempts at security.

  He viewed the live camera footage with views into Sakura Park. He pulled up an online map and made several correlations. He scribbled on some notecards he found in the desk drawer.

  Time to get some archival footage.

  He couldn’t find any archival footage cache attached to any of the cameras, since they were consumer-based models. He accessed the metadata on a few random cameras and, after following the directions on the manufacturers’ websites, he was able to log in to the archived video footage using the serial number on the cameras and a password supplied by the owner. After a few more web searches Nigel discovered that when someone bought one of these cameras and created a login, the archived video footage could be accessed from that login—or the camera’s serial number—using the same password.

  I don’t have the time to crack any passwords. I bet I could guess these, though. I’ll try a few before using my cracking program.

  Nigel tried a few passwords based on Broadway plays and sports teams. At first he was unsuccessful, but he found a camera that faced an area where kids played baseball and tried a few sports passwords. He was in on the third attempt.

  Who uses a password of metswon2015, anyway?

  Nigel was mildly curious if the sports team had a major win that year, but decided he didn’t care enough about it, and accessed the footage. He found that the camera had an excellent zoomed-in view of the park. The angle covered the main play area of the park, he could clearly see anyone walking by. He scrubbed the video footage until he found someone resembling Nozomi’s appearance. She had been walking and looking at one person. He couldn’t see who it was, but he was able to see which direction she went. He used a similar process to access other web cameras in the area. He caught additional glimpses of the person that looked like Nozomi. The best shot came from a camera placed in front of a parrot’s cage with a view of the street.

  I guess someone wanted to look at their bird while they were at work!

  Nigel scrubbed the video footage until he got to the approximate time when Nozomi had taken her stroll. He stopped the footage when he made an identification. Nigel continued this process for what seemed like hours until he had an approximate map of where Nozomi seemed to go. He hit a snag when Nozomi appeared to walk into an alleyway. He pulled an aerial satellite view of the neighborhood and could determine the alley was a dead end.

  Two hours later

  Nigel awoke to a buzzing noise.

  Did I fall asleep at the computer? The buzzing is coming from the direction of the computer.

  His shoulder was on fire. He tried to get a pill out of the bottle, but the remaining ones spilled on the floor. Nigel finally swallowed a pill. The buzzing noise resumed.

  Nigel retrieved the phone that rested on the computer and answered.

  “Nige,” Rick said, “I’m at Sakura Park. Can you lead me to the area where Nozomi might be?”

  Nigel rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

  “Yeah, give me a sec. What time is it, anyway?”

  “It’s 4:38 a.m.”

  Nigel examined his hand-drawn maps and led his father to the dead-end alleyway.

  “Are you sure this is where she went?” Rick asked.

  “I’m positive. She must have entered a door or something.”

  “I’m not finding any exit from the alley—wait—it can’t be?”

  “What are you talking about?” Nigel asked.

  “I see a utility hole cover, but that’s it. I can’t see how she could have opened it.”

  “She’s a cyborg and has the strength of at least two or three men. She backhanded me and flung me into the wall, and I was out cold for a while. Opening a utility hole should be easy.”

  “Let me look for a crowbar. I’ll get back to you once I’ve checked it out. It leads to the sewers or something.”

  “Don’t let the alligators bite.”

  “What?” Rick asked in a confused voice.

  “Nothing, it was a poor joke. I’m going back to sleep.”

  “Thanks, Nige. I know Nozomi isn’t your favorite person, but she’s important to me.”

  Is my dad falling for a cyborg?

  Nigel shuddered at the thought.

  Nigel was awakened again, this time to a booming sound.

  What the hell was that?

  Nigel moved as quickly as his injury would let him. Upon opening the curtain, the scene unfolding before him gave him pause. Several people seemed to be rioting outside the Bank of Newport. It was difficult to make out what they were saying with the window closed, but Nigel thought he could hear the words “give” and “money” clear enough. Moments later, the house phone rang with a tone that seemed louder than necessary. Nigel picked up the phone.

  “We need you downstairs for lunch in ten minutes,” a woman’s voice said.

  Is that Dahlia? She sounds annoyed.

  Nigel got dressed the best he could with his one good hand.

  I wish Blanka were here to help me.

  Nigel was getting accustomed to having her help him. He was missing her. Moments later, he shuffled into the conference room. All members of the Cabal were present.

  “Good afternoon, Nigel, how is the arm?” Mr. Chen said.

  “It hurts, and I’m almost out of meds,” Nigel snapped.

  Blanka and Vedrana helped him into one of the oversized chairs. Nigel noticed another teenager about his age glaring at him.

  What’s his problem?

  “Before we have lunch, we need to go over the plan,” Chen said.

  “What plan?” Nigel said.

  “The plan to raid the Ohio Valley Nuclear Reactor, of course!” Mr. Tage said.

  “What? Why are you doing that?”

  “Will someone please bring Mr. Watson up to date,” Mr. Chen said.

  What the hell is going on here?

  Mr. Tage and Dr. Ash gave Nigel an overview of the overall plan, and why it was crucial to get the nuclear material.

  “We need this material to create the new cyborgs, right? What about the existing cyborgs, like Delta or Nozomi?” Nigel asked.

  “Nozomi is part of the Echo series of experiments, which are more advanced than Delta. She has an expected lifespan of sixty years.”

  “And the Delta series?”

  “The Delta series was expected to have a similar lifespan. However, I examined a recent blood sample from Nozomi, and the breakdown of her genetic material has already begun,” Dr. Ash explained.

  “How long does she have?”

  “I estimate she has less than a year remaining, perhaps less. I’m so sorry,” Dr. Ash said.

  “Now that is settled, here are the assignments. Vedrana, Eva, and Blanka will take point on the mission with Mr. Watson and Freeman providing support. Dahlia will be the commander in charge,” Chen said.

  “We need a hacker in the field in case there are remote connectivity issues,” Dahlia said.

  “I will volunteer to go with the onsite team,” Freeman said.

  Good, because I’m not. Ohio seems like a long way off.

  “Out of the question,” Dahlia said to Freeman. “We need someone with field experience. I’ve seen Nigel Watson in action—he will provide the onsite support.”

  Nigel thought he saw a slight smile on Blanka’s face.
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  “When is this mission taking place?” Nigel asked.

  “In less than ten hours,” Chen said.

  “What? No way I’m going until I know Jet is okay. Are you going back on our deal, Chen?” Nigel said.

  The room fell silent. No one said anything for a long time.

  “I will honor our arrangement, but if you could help us one last time, you will be a rich man.”

  “I don’t want your money!”

  “Nigel, this mission is necessary to help April. She is dying. Her organs are failing. The nuclear material will preserve her life. I think Jet would have wanted that.”

  Nigel swallowed hard. He was speechless.

  “Josephine is safe and resting at the home of a dear friend of mine in a safe location. I will take you there after the mission is complete,” Dahlia said.

  Nigel’s eyes blurred. He wiped away some tears. He hated showing any emotion in front of these vipers. He only trusted one person in this room. After a long moment of reflection, he agreed.

  As if on cue, Ezekiel entered. “Lunch is now served.”

  Blanka and Vedrana assisted Nigel to the banquet hall.

  “Vedrana, do you want to dine with me?” Freeman asked.

  “No, I’m dining with my sisters and Nigel,” she replied. “We need to prepare.”

  Freeman looked like he had been punched in the stomach. He gave Nigel a contemptuous stare. Nigel shrugged, then followed his lovely companions to their table.

  Lunch was delicious. Nigel had duck and several side dishes. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d eaten. The assault on the tower seemed like a long time ago. To his surprise, Melissa entered the dining hall. She was alone and sat well away from everyone in the room.

  “Melissa!” Nigel yelled, waving his good arm.

  The sudden movement caused the pain to resurface. She ran over to him.

  “You’re hurt,” she said.

  “I was shot yesterday. It hurts like hell, but it’s not the first time someone has taken potshots at me.”

  Vedrana and Blanka gave each other a look.

  “Join us,” Blanka said as she made room for Melissa.

  “What are you doing here?” Nigel asked.

  Melissa gave Nigel a sad look.

  “I just sold my stake in the island to Mr. Chen’s company.”

  I’ll make Chen pay for this.

  Nigel and his female companions shared their experiences from the past several days. A strong bond was forming with the unlikely group. He didn’t know Vedrana and Eva as well, but he thought he could trust them.

  “Dahlia is going to take us to see Jet once this nightmare is over. You should come,” Nigel said.

  “I would like that,” Melissa said.

  A ringing sound emanated from the back of the room. Nigel looked over to see Chen standing and tapping on an expensive-looking glass with a butter knife.

  “Your attention, please. Mr. Chen would like to say a few words,” Ezekiel said.

  “The mission you are about to embark on is not only important to our bottom line, but will allow us to save dear friends and loved ones from extinction,” Mr. Chen said. “As Dr. Ash has already informed us, the cyborg known as Delta requires an isotope from the nuclear reactor to survive. Join me in wishing the onsite and remote teams luck.”

  Melissa looked alarmed.

  “Is it true?” she asked Nigel.

  “I just found out, Mel—this mission is the only thing keeping me away from Jet,” Nigel said.

  “Nigel, are you ready?” Dahlia asked.

  “We are leaving now?”

  “Yes. Get everything you need for the mission and meet in the hotel lobby in thirty minutes. We will travel by train.”

  Two hours later, Nigel was riding in a luxury coach, heading west toward the Ohio Valley. The train’s Wi-Fi was better than he expected. Nigel pulled up the specifications for the reactor. Dr. Ash had provided him with a control module for the cyborgs, and he was to use it only if the cyborgs couldn’t function. He checked the signal of the cellular access point that would provide him internet access in the field. The plan was for Freeman to monitor the mission and provide help if Nigel lost signal or couldn’t maintain a stable connection to the reactor.

  The door to his private sleeper room opened. It was Blanka.

  “You look worried,” she said. “Are you ready for the mission?”

  “I think we have all the contingencies in place, but I’m a little concerned.”

  “You got this, Nigel.”

  “It’s Freeman. He is my age, but he seems a little immature. He acts like a child sometimes. I’m not sure if he’s ready.”

  Blanka considered this for a moment.

  “Do you have the ability to take control of the cyborgs?”

  “Yes, I can take ownership if I need to, but it’s a last resort, and I may not be able to give control back. It’s a risk because mobile connections are unreliable.”

  “Madam Dahlia will make the right choice. If she senses incompetence or any hesitation of Freeman’s part, she will take over. We have you for backup, if nothing else.”

  “I suppose you’re right. I’m so tired.”

  “Get some rest, Nigel. I’ll be in the room next to this one if you need me. Remember, we have the entire carriage, and Vedrana and Eva are watching in shifts. So you can rest easy.”

  Nigel gave Blanka a smile and watched her leave.

  He checked the code one last time before closing his laptop.

  Chapter 25

  Twelve hours later

  Freeman and several members of the Cabal crowded into the conference room. Video feeds from body cams on each cyborg were sectioned into squares and displayed on the gigantic screen that took one long wall of the conference room.

  “I have modified the code we got off of ProgHub,” Freeman said. “All you need to do is tap this button, and the reactor’s cooling system will shut down. It should create enough of a diversion to get the materials we need and get out of there.”

  “Perfect, we will be ready,” Dahlia said.

  “You won’t have much time before the reactor goes into meltdown. We have less than thirty minutes before the rods will overheat. It is crucial the cooling system gets put back online before that happens,” Dr. Ash said.

  “I’ll take that into consideration. It is crucial we get this material,” Dahlia said.

  “Our agents are in place,” Dr. Ash said.

  “You’re early! Remain on standby, I will call you just before we go in,” Dahlia said.

  “Nigel, are you ready?”

  “Yes, we are in an open field with a direct line of sight to the reactor. I’m prepared to engage manual control if needed,” Nigel replied.

  “Do that only if necessary. The cyborgs have access to the computational power of my AI. They will lose access if you take control,” Dr. Ash said.

  “Acknowledged,” Nigel said.

  “I hope your bots are ready for action, because the guards are on the move,” Dahlia said.

  “Not to worry, I have everything under control. The agents know what to get from the reactor,” Dr. Ash said.

  Dahlia examined the camera feed, the cyborgs appeared without any special gear or any other protection from the radiation. “Why don’t the cyborgs have protection?”

  “My agents—my hunters—are resistant to radiation. I designed the latest generation of the Echo project to thrive in hostile environments. Nuclear energy is not hostile to the hunters—they will use the excess energy as fuel,” Dr. Ash said.

  “Won’t their skin melt off?” Dahlia asked.

  “They do not need skin. My hunters will survive. They are in position, shall we proceed?” Dr. Ash said.

  “Yes,” Dahlia replied as she tapped the red “STOP” button.

  A timer superimposed the tablet interface and started counting down from ten minutes.

  “Your hunters have less than ten minutes, tell them to move—now.”
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  “Plenty of time, dear,” Dr. Ash said in a patient tone.

  Dahlia watched as the cyborgs ran toward the guards. They moved so fast that the camera only picked up a blur. Dahlia switched to another camera from the perspective of the closest entrance. She switched just in time to see a cyborg yank a man’s arm out of its socket. The man grasped at his damaged arm and attempted to flee, but the cyborg moved in to finish the job. Dahlia couldn’t hear anything, but it looked like he was screaming. The cyborg took the guard’s gun then shot several times at the elbow, yanked again, and the arm was ripped off. Similar visions of carnage could be seen from different camera angles.

  “Look,” the Sultan said, pointing to a monitor.

  Several armed guards were taking positions outside one of the reactor’s side entrances. An object about the size of a tennis ball was thrown into view from off camera. The men tried to scatter—and then the monitor turned to static.

  “Why are the cyborgs attacking? We have little time!” Dahlia yelled into the radio.

  “I can hear you, dear, you don’t have to shout,” Dr. Ash, said as if she were talking to a child.

  Dahlia switched camera angles. She could see a small group of men huddled around a workstation. They appeared to be trying to figure out what happened. She was about to turn away when a female cyborg with black hair strode into the control room with a samurai sword. She began hacking away at the engineers. Blood sprayed on the walls, and body parts flew like confetti in the wind.

  “This carnage is unnecessary and barbaric,” Kurtzen said.

  “Dr. Ash, the bots are killing everyone in their path, and we need these men to get the reactor back online,” Dahlia said.

  “My children are at play,” Dr. Ash said, smiling.

  “I wanted to keep this on the down low,” Dahlia said.

  “Remember that Ukrainian nuclear meltdown a week ago? History is repeating itself in the Ohio Valley.”

  “Why are you doing this?”

  “I’d thought the answer would be obvious. We have replicated the hack, and once the IT geeks piece everything together, the Red Falcon hacking group will be in jail, and we will be long gone with enough power to bring hundreds of cyborgs online, ushering in the Gamma phase. Not only will the cyborgs be resistant to most environments, they will also live hundreds of years,” Dr. Ash said.