“I am the general’s mother,” Hydra tells them. “Take me to her.”
“Her mother?” A puzzled soldier looks to her captain. “Mother?” She trails off. The Captain just shrugs and waves the troops in to secure the Host with a magnetic harness.
“Bring her to me,” Fran tells her captain, watching the scene unfold. “I’ll meet you in the staging area.”
“Ma’am,” he replies.
______________________________________________________________________
Hydra went peacefully, and as she stands in the general’s staging area, an empty warehouse somewhere in First City, under some twenty metres of concrete, she thinks of her friends and the terrible price they’d paid to get her here. The space is huge, lined with many shelves reaching the high ceilings. Packed with enough provisions to keep one-hundred humans alive for years, she decides. Hydra can not feel the chill in the air, but a shiver overtakes her all the same for all the cold stares she is receiving. The soldiers surrounding her wear imposing scowls. Rifles at the ready. It is an uneasy calm. Next, she thinks of her mission, to confront General August while being reunited with her daughter. She is disturbed by the troubling things such a sweet little girl, as she remembers her, could accomplish against the freedoms of so many. But she is resolute in her mission. She has come a long way, and through great peril to be here.
“Hydra, is it?” General August enters the space and asks.
“You can call me mother, Franny,” the top of her three heads explains.
“Oh, no, I don’t think I’ll be calling you that, Hydra,” she responds coldly. “I know a trick when I see it, and you, like the rest, are all pawns in a bigger plan to wipe out your masters, and deliver our planet to your Allfather.”
Hydra sighs, considering how to approach her daughter. “When you were four you stopped sucking your thumbs because I would put vinegar on them,” Hydra begins. “When you were four you broke your wrist, trying to free a squirrel from a tree knot. When you were -”
“Enough,” Fran cuts her off. “Your revised programming gave you all of those ‘memories’, Hydra. You did not earn them from life experiences. You, like the others, have been played by this Allfather to do his bidding. You forced us into a war, and now you’re trying to backtrack by convincing the populace that you are the returned souls of our relatives. I won’t stand here while you sully the memory of my mother.”
“Then why have you brought me here, if not to learn the truth?”
“Oh, but I am after the truth, Hydra,” Fran assures her. “Not the rebel Host version of it.”
“I offer only truth, Franny,” she explains. “I am your mother, I am here as living proof. I come in peace. I want to know about your life. I want to understand how my little girl could do the things you’ve done. Why do you hate Host so much? What happened to you?”
“This isn’t going to be a conversation about me,” the general tells her. “I’m looking for answers. You claim to be my mother, I disagree. But if you tell me what you know of Allfather, of the rebel plans, of your numbers and locations, I will humour you. You will know everything about me. Why I am the way I am. What made me the woman I am today. What the last forty years have been like without a mother.”
The temptation Hydra feels over learning all of this missing history about her only daughter is difficult to resist. She would love nothing more then to get to know Fran. To be given another chance to love her.
“You would offer me this opportunity at the cost of many lives,” she tells the general.
“I would. I am offering you this, yes. For the chance at a life, with me. To fill in the blanks.” Fran tells her, seated on a simple wooden chair, behind a semi-circle of blast shields. She stands and waves the soldiers back, approaching Hydra against her captain’s judgement. Once beside her, Fran places a hand on Hydra’s shoulder.
“I’m desperate to know, Franny,” Hydra tells her, still locked to the magnetic platform. “But not at the risk of losing this war. Not at the loss of life knowing would bring with it. I’m not that selfish.”
“I know there is no forcing a Host to reveal anything. I know you’ve likely dumped any information which could have helped us from your neural-networks.” She stands and walks to one of the soldiers. “I also know that what you claim to be is false.” She takes the soldiers weapon, nods and a man recording the whole conversation advances. “That’s why I can do this with a clear conscience.” She points the pulse rifle at Hydra’s head.
“Please, Franny, if I could save you and cooperate I would. I am your mother. I love you.” She strains against the magnetic pull of her bonds. “Please, redeem yourself, my sweet girl.”
Hydra watches as Fran turns to the camera and explains the scene. “My mother, citizens of United Earth. Or so she would have me believe.” Turning back to Hydra she aims the rifle at her head and fires. The Lifi blast from the gun blinds Hydra, and immediately she is no more then a C-class AI Host, originally programmed for road work and light construction.
“Who are you?” Fran leans in to ask.
“CERA,” Hydra answers, confused by her surroundings.
Fran turns back to the camera and waves in CERA’s direction. “No soul, no anything but another failed attempt at AI.” She turns back to the Host and fires a round into her head. The lights go out and CERA is no more. “No mystery. Just another rebel drone come to take what’s yours.”
The recording of the entire meeting is uploaded to the World net.
“Ma’am,” an officer rushes in. “We’ve been compromised!” He shouts. “Everyone, clear out!”
______________________________________________________________________
“Fire,” Raymond gives the order and Chopra pushes the button. An enormous amount of energy rushes from the ship’s lance, heading for Hydra’s location. As was planned, the moment Hydra’s vitals disappeared, an attack on her position would be launched. If she had lived, they would have mapped the area regardless, through the tracker they’d installed on all three Hosts. The lance flickers as it burrows a hole into the target.
“We’ve lost all three,” Raymond tells Quinn.
“Yes,” Quinn acknowledges. “Zander was my friend. But he delivered Hydra to her target, and because of their sacrifice, the rebel alliance now knows where the general has been hiding.”
“It will take another minute for the lance to penetrate the bunker,” Ursula offers. “They will have time to flee.”
“I have ordered a full-scale attack on the capital,” Quinn announces. “As per our discussions, Chancellor, Captain.” He nods in Raymond’s direction and then Chopra’s.
“Excellent,” Raymond responds. “The coordinates have been delivered to all available Cells. Chimera are already working on locking down the civilian buildings in an effort to keep unnecessary casualties to a minimum.”
“Civilian casualties will occur nonetheless,” Captain Chopra reminds them.
Raymond’s head lowers at the thought. “Yes. However, this is our best chance at stopping this war and countless, needless deaths more. We will flush the general out.”
“Teams are moving quickly,” Quinn alerts them. “They see the lance and are rushing toward it. Our military allies are in the sky and advancing on the enemy.”
______________________________________________________________________
Tobias watches in amazement as the red planet appears in his view port. “I never thought I’d live to see mars like this,” he tells Ginny. Forge is also at his side in the control module and places a hand on Tobias’ shoulder.
“Thank you for taking us this far,” he says, his tone sincere, eyes wide and staring out the window. “An incredible accomplishment.”
“I’m glad we met, Forge, and that you made the choice to come. Chimera will be stronger for it.” Tobias is awed by the red planet as well, and the orbiting station now coming into view.
“Tobias, we’re being targeted!” Ginny alerts the group.<
br />
“Targeted? Chopra told us there were no armaments on Mars Station,” Tobias replies, angry over her announcement.
“It’s not guns they’ve locked onto us, Tobias,” she corrects herself. “They’ve locked onto our position with a communications satellite.” She turns in her seat. “They know we’re here.”
“Send Wilkes’ message,” he orders, upset with himself for having lashed out at her initial announcement. “If they know we’re here, maybe they’ll accept the hail.”
Ginny sends the pre-loaded communication from Wilkes. “Okay, they have it.”
“I’ll get Wilkes, in case they decide to respond so they can have the real-time conversation I’ve discussed with him.” Tobias runs along the catwalk and down the stairs, longing for his wings. He throws open the door to Nick’s cell without knocking first, partially to scare him up out of his comfortable bed and in part to remind Wilkes who was calling the shots. “It’s time,” he tells him and Nick nods, moving quickly through the door.
“Remember our plan,” Tobias tells him as they walk up the steps and Wilkes is dressed and seated at the command console. “Lie to them. It’s just you. No one else aboard the corvette.”
“Nick?” A voice is heard to ask over the com. “What’s happened?”
“Lieutenant, Trainer,” Nick begins, opening a visual. “It’s a long story, but after Captain Chopra and the others decided to defect, I managed to escape with this corvette from Luna Base.”
“Incredible,” Lieutenant Trainer says. She stands in the command center of Mars Station where several other operators and officers begin to gather. “General August has ordered us not to take any hails from Luna or earth, save her own. We see the feeds from both the general and the chancellor, though, and it seems the Captains have begun orbital lancing.”
“Yes, which is why it is imperative you clear me to dock so I can bring you back with me.”
“Bring us with you? We have orders from the general to build as many destroyers as we can as fast as we can.” Her tone switches from concern to suspect. She runs both hands through her short brown hair and looks about the room.
Nick briefly looks over at Tobias, who – along with the others - stands off to the side, avoiding the lieutenant’s view. “I want to bring you back so you can be useful to the general before there is no United Earth left to fight for. The AI Hosts and Tech bots can complete the work without you, you know that.”
“What could I and the others here accomplish on earth?” Her suspicious nature is beginning to irritate Tobias and he shoots a look at Wilkes, urging him to close the deal.
“I guess I didn’t know what else to do, Lieutenant,” he explains. “I came here thinking I might gain a crew for this ship. You six could be that crew. Release the restraints on the landing pad and let me dock.”
“To fly to earth and then what?” She asks.
“To stop Captain Chopra once and for all, Lynn! Earth defences took out two of the ships. We just need the element of surprise to take out the third.”
“It must be difficult to pilot a corvette on your own.”
She’s beginning to loosen up, Wilkes thinks. “Yes, it’s been a long trip. Would you let me dock at least? You should come aboard and look at the work they’ve put into this ship on Luna.”
“I’m giving you clearance, Nick,” she explains. “Have you received the docking codes to unlock the pad?”
Wilkes looks down at the com and watches the alpha-numeric code appear. “I have it, thank you, Lieutenant.” Wilkes cuts communications and sends the code to the landing pad. The landing pad’s guidance software links with the corvette next, leading them safely to the orbiting platform.
“We need them to board the ship,” Tobias reminds Wilkes of the plan. “We can’t rush the station unnoticed.”
“I think I’ve won her confidence,” he explains. “That she’s letting me dock is huge! I’ll manage to manipulate them into coming aboard, but I might need to enter the station on my own in order to prepare them to leave their work.”
“And if they want to call the general?” Ginny asks him.
“The general trusts me,” he tells them.
“I think what Ginny is saying is; can we trust you?” Forge steps forward, dwarfing Nick Wilkes.
“You know you can,” he peers around Forge, finding Tobias. “You know you can, Tobias.”
“It’s not what I wanted,” Tobias tells him. “We need them to board the ship. Not for you to go in, alone, and say who knows what to them.”
“Then you don’t trust me?”
“Why should I?”
“I want to be like you,” Nick expresses to the group. “I want to be strong. Like you. Like Chimera.”
“So you say,” Tobias recalls. “But I’ve been warned about you, Wilkes. I cannot allow you to leave our sight. Not without heavy precautions.” He nods to Ginny who removes a component from her skull implant. “You’re getting your wish, Wilkes,” he tells him. “You’ll be Chimera. Ginny will perform the surgery now. We will be able to see and hear everything you do on the station. Say anything that seems suspect to us, and we’ll literally blow your brains out. Then lance the station.”
Nick looks more scared then grateful for his inclusion into the ranks of Chimera. A bomb - acting as a camera and mic - implanted in his head, was clearly not his first choice.
“Each of us has one,” Tobias taps at his temple. “We choose when we die, no one else. A precaution built into all Chimera willing to go the distance. Your life however, for the next twelve hours, will be decided by your ability to remain loyal to the rebel cause, resting on my decision as to whether you are or aren’t.”
“Your faith in my word is moving,” Nick says, clearly disappointed he has not yet won Tobias over.
Tobias smiles and barks out a laugh, landing a hand on the small man’s shoulder. “I do hope you don’t disappoint, Wilkes, you have made me laugh many times. I should like to laugh more when this job is done.”
The ship docks with a light jostling as the pad’s clamps close around the corvette. Ginny attaches the camera/bomb to Wilkes’ temple, running a clear tube into his ear canal with a tool, piercing the soft membrane within. Blood trickles out of his ear and Ginny steps away. “It’s done.”
Nick reaches up to the wetness dripping out of his ear. “You cut me,” he says accusingly at Ginny, pulling his hand away and seeing the blood on his fingers.
“You’re wired for sound and video,” she tells him. “Welcome to the wonderful world of Chimera.” She laughs and joins Tobias’ side.
“That sound will be very loud if you betray us,” Tobias explains. “Last sound you’ll ever hear. BOOM!!” The group laughs, all but Nick, of course. He continues to wipe the blood from his ear.
“Alright, I get it, hazing the new guy,” Nick says. “I can take it, I’m still your man. Let’s get me inside so we can get this over with and you install a power-arm on me or something useful.”
He marches to the exit and the door opens. He turns after fitting himself with his helmet to address Tobias’ final warning.
“We’ll be watching, and waiting.”
______________________________________________________________________
Nick moves through the retractable, covered platform where the gravity-well is noticeably less then that of the ship’s, until he is inside the station proper.
Wilkes isn’t a nervous person by nature, he is an accomplished military commander, captain for a day, who’s used wit and cunning, if not actual talent and intellect to climb the ranks of the military. Today, however, he feels edgy. Anxious over the bomb now attached to his head, hidden by his hair, watching his every interaction.
“Commander, Wilkes,” Lieutenant Trainer greets him once he’s through the airlock, helping him off with his helmet. “You’ve been on quite an adventure.”
“Jealous?” He jokes, the word coming out of his mouth almost as a stutter.
“You’ll hav
e to tell us all about it,” she urges as the others swarm the room. “We’re still absolutely stunned that Captain Chopra sided with the rebels.”
“You might not be if you knew why,” Nick strips the suit and walks ahead of the others. “Is there anything to eat? I’m starving.” The rest follow.
“Have you spoken to General August since?” Lynn asks him.
“She doesn’t know that I’ve come back, or that I’ve escaped at all. She ordered me to take command of the fleet and I did. Then Captains’ Mann and Juravinski relieved me of that duty, putting Chopra back in the saddle.”
“All of them backed up Captain Chopra?” She asks thoughtfully.
“Yes, so I fled when I was given the chance. I knew you’d still be loyal to the general. If we want to make this right I need you all now to join me on the corvette and head back to earth.”
The General's War Page 41
