“Oh. Right. I know where the next piece is.”
“Do tell,” said Sami.
“Can we connect to the colonial network from out here?”
“Not real time, no. However, we can send messages as long as you don’t mind a delay.”
“How long?”
“Approximately four minutes. Give or take, depending on stellar emissions.”
“We’re going to have to go back then.”
“Or get somewhat closer.”
Steve shook his head. “That’s your brilliant idea? Turn yourself in?”
I nodded slowly as I ate. “Isn’t much choice. Sami needs to be closer. We would prefer a real-time connection and the only way to do that is to be closer. I figure they won’t just let us sit there without coming to arrest me, so might as well go to them peacefully.”
“How are you going to get the other pieces of the message from jail?” asked Anne.
“I’ll fly the Gilmore back to the fields and lay low as long as I can. At some point, either the fleet or the pirates are going to find my signal and come to investigate.”
“I see…” said Anne. “Just promise you’ll be careful.”
I smiled. “Promise.”
“Gilmore’s ready,” said Steve. “Sami and I made some changes to the engine manifolds. Should get you a bit more speed and handle the higher temperatures a bit better. Maneuvering thrusters were shot. Repaired those. Targeting got some upgraded subroutines, and I replaced the main power conduit.”
“Again? I already changed it.”
“Yeah… You damned near overloaded it. The connection points had almost melted entirely. I used heavy conduit from the freighter. Should be good for about twice the load as before.”
“It’s a shame you couldn’t mount one of the Grey Wolf’s turrets on it.”
“Yeah, about that. You do realize that those turrets are bigger than the Gilmore, right?”
I laughed. “Wishful thinking, I suppose.” I turned to my friend and shook his hand. “Thanks, man. She sounds like a new ship.”
Steve smiled proudly. “Just wait till you fly her. I don’t think you’ll call her a rust bucket ever again.”
I grinned. “I’m looking forward to it then.”
25
I sealed the hatch behind me as I boarded the Gilmore. After plugging in the neural interface helmet to the ship’s computer core, I hopped in the flight seat. “Sami? You ready?”
“As always,” his voice replied from the comms unit. “I will keep the scanners in constant search while you are in the network.”
“Sounds good. Let’s get going.”
I rested my hands on the controls and took a deep breath. Let’s see what this thing can do. I eased the Gilmore off of the deck plating. It was a lot more stable than it had been before. After clearing the Grey Wolf’s docking bay, I angled the ship toward the wreckage fields. I slammed the engines to their maximum setting. I grinned as I was pressed into the flight seat. “Damn. That’s definitely an improvement.”
“Indeed. At their current output, the engines are sustaining us at a three hundred percent greater rate of speed than before. Nozzle temperatures are nominal. Increasing acceleration to seven hundred percent.”
The ship lurched forward again, pressing me deeper into the seat. I checked the temperatures. They were only slightly elevated. “Wow, what did he make the nozzles out of?”
“If I could smile, I would. Steve and I designed a new thrust-vectored nozzle using materials from the spare reactor components.”
“Is that even possible?” I asked, shocked.
“Yes. The Grey Wolf has a fabrication system in the lower decks. It only took one day to create the new components. In fact, we aren’t even pushing the limits of the materials. Observe.” The ship accelerated once again. “Current power output and nine hundred percent. Temperature above normal but stable. There is room for one more speed increase, but the possibility of engine damage still exists.”
“This is crazy. The Gilmore was never designed to travel at half this speed. The fact that she isn’t flying to pieces is mind-boggling.”
“Upon closer inspection, the blueprints revealed several areas which could be improved upon. It seems that the Gilmore’s design was originally meant for military applications; however, it was deemed too costly.”
“So, you guys implemented some of the original design elements using parts laying around the ship?”
“Correct. We made several modifications to the superstructure and spine of the ship. What we found is that we can exceed its limits quite easily. The designers created an ingenious design. With it being used for civilian use, producers cut corners to make manufacturing less costly.”
“I see.” I looked around the cockpit as if seeing the ship again for the first time. “She really is something else, isn’t she?”
“Indeed. A few more modifications, and this ship could potentially rival the colonial superiority strike fighters. Quite the technological feat.”
“Like weapons?”
“Like weapons.”
The fields came up way faster than I’d accounted for. “Okay, looks like we’re ahead of schedule. Let’s find something large to grab onto. That should help mask our energy signature and buy us the most amount of time in the network.”
“I am impressed, Bishop. You’ve taken to the new feedback settings quite well. Your strategic thought patterns have increased in efficiency as much as the ship has improved.”
“Thanks.” I spotted the back end of some dead cruiser and eased the ship up against it. I extended the landing claw and gripped onto the floating chunk of debris. “All right. It’s time to get to work. How long do you think we have until they figure out we’re out here?”
“At most, a few hours. If the colonial fleet does not detect us, the pirates will. One way or another, someone is going to investigate the source of our transmissions.”
I donned my helmet and pressed the connect button. The world went black, and I floated in a void. Before me were wire diagram images of the Gilmore, Strider, Grey Wolf, and the colony ship.
“Whoa, have these always been here?”
“No.” Sami’s voice echoed all around me, incorporeal. “This is thanks to your new ability to interface. You will have access to everything I’ve...uploaded...subroutines into.”
“Infected, you mean?”
“Yes. Such an ugly word, really.”
“Won’t get any judgment from me. Feel free to infect everything you can. It’ll work to our advantage in the future. One way or another.”
“Acknowledged. Shall we begin?”
I reached out for the colony ship, and my perception shifted to that of its network. The blueprints of the ship superimposed over top of the network diagram. In the middle of the diagram, a blue light glowed brightly. “Sami, is this the tower we unlocked?”
“Yes.”
“Do we know where the next tower is in relation to this one?”
“As of yet, no. But we do have a beacon toward it. We will have to go a level deeper and return to the digital surface.”
“Have you repaired since our last visit?”
“Indeed. And I have made some improvements as well.”
“Oh? Such as?”
“Come and see for yourself.”
I swear I could hear amusement in his voice. I focused my perception deeper into the network. When I blinked, the beautiful landscape from earlier had returned. I looked over at Sami, and my mouth dropped to my feet. “Holy shit.”
“I take it you approve?”
“Hell yes.” I looked him over. His arms were about three times bigger than before. Actuators and cabling snaked through and around his appendages. Two massive blades were strapped to his back, and he carried a rifle even larger than his previous weapon. “I love the gun.”
Sami actually smiled. “As do I. The damage has been increased by a factor of fifty. So much so that I must carry a portable reactor.”
He motioned with a large hand at the mechanical-looking pack strapped to his shoulders. A huge braided power conduit, as big around as my wrist, connected the rifle to the reactor.
“That’s incredible.” A noise off in the distance caught my attention. The enormous gaping chasm we’d stopped at earlier was before us. “What are we going to do about this? We can’t jump it...”
“No need.” He reached out his left hand toward the chasm. Brightly colored lines sprung forth connecting the two cliff sides together. In moments, the lines had created a very sturdy bridge.
“How?”
“Simple. We’ve been making physical network changes in the outside world. Logical connections are possible within this environment. Within reason, of course.
“I see. So, technically, I could have done this?” I pointed at the construct.
“Correct.”
“Well, if that’s the case...” I closed my eyes and focused on my rifle. I need better tools. Armor-penetrating rounds. Single fire. Accurate. Maybe a scope? I opened my eyes. Sami was beaming at me. Looking down in my hands, I could see why. My rifle had changed. It sported a two-meter barrel assembly, massive scope, and its own power conduit which lead to a reactor resting on the ground. “Now, this is what I’m talking about!” I reached down, picking up the reactor and strapping it to my back. “Not too heavy either.” I heard the noise again.
“Care to test your aim?”
“With pleasure.” I hoisted the rifle and set the butt against my shoulder. Looking through the scope, I saw the mammoth creature charging for us at breakneck speed. I took aim at its forehead. The scope’s targeting reticle blinked red and beeped. I squeezed the trigger. The recoil slammed into me, but I didn’t take my eyes off of the target.
The creature’s head parted, forming a half-meter-wide hole clean through its face. Its body crumpled to the ground and rolled several times before skidding to a stop.
“Excellent shot.”
I looked down at my feet. The ground had been scuffed almost a full meter. That’s a shit-ton of recoil... Gonna have to be careful with that.
“It’s time to go.” Sami nodded. We turned toward the bridge and sprinted forward as fast as we were able to.
We followed the beam of light connecting the previous tower to the next. Infections of every type, size, color, and strength tried to kill us at every chance. Mountains rose on either side, corralling us for easy pickings. They formed a tall chasm which we had to run through. There was no way out but forward and back the way we’d come. Our massive rifles made short work of any long-range opposition. The second tower peaked over the horizon as we ran.
“I see it!” I yelled. My voice echoed off the nearby walls. “Just a couple minutes more.” We exited the canyon, and the walls opened up into a small clearing. At the center, the large tower loomed over the landscape.
“It seems we are alone…” said Sami. “I do not like it.”
“Agreed. It’s way too quiet. Let’s just grab the node and get out of here before something else finds us.”
“Indeed.” Sami accessed the tower, releasing a glowing yellow crystal. As soon as he grabbed the crystal, the tower shot another beam off into the distance. As I looked through the scope, I could make out a large forest. The beam cut through the virtual sky heading right for the center.
“Let’s get going.”
Unending hordes of viral infections poured out of the forest before us. Sami fired blast after blast toward them, cutting swaths into their ranks, but their numbers seemed endless.
“Swords?” I asked.
He nodded. “I see no alternative.” We detached the reactors and set them on the ground next to the rifles. Our hardware vanished with a bright flash. I pulled out the huge blade on my back but realized I could do better. My arms bulged as mechanically enhanced muscles and actuators filled in my bulk. The sword grew to twice its size. I swung it around one-handed. It was weightless. I instantiated another in my left hand. Sami had done the same.
“All right,” I said. “Let’s see how this works.” I surged forward, blades in a whirling fury. Viral infections exploded left and right. Beside me, Sami was mirroring my actions. We pushed hard toward the crystalline tower at the center of the forest.
“I will need you to watch my back as I retrieve the data node,” said Sami.
“Got it. Go!”
I spent the next few minutes slicing and dicing anything that came near the tower. Sure, I didn’t have to breathe, but my chest hurt. My arms shook. I was growing mentally exhausted.
Sami entered the password, releasing another floating crystal. This one was blue. As soon as he grabbed it, the world went black. Before me floated a pink, a yellow, and a blue ball of energy, the crystals at their centers.
“Well. That was exciting.” I panted.
“Indeed. That was quite the close call.”
“Yeah…” I took a deep breath. “Okay, we have all three pieces, now what?”
“I will recombine the file segments and proceed to unencrypt them.”
“How long?”
“About…this long.” Sami reached out, and the three crystals zoomed to his palm.
“Oh. I was expecting a long delay.”
“Had we not had the password, that would have been an accurate statement. Behold. The fruits of our labor. I believe you will be quite surprised.”
Sami held out both of his palms, and a brilliant white crystal formed in front of me. Energy glowed from within, blindingly bright. I reached out and touched the crystalline lattice. The file opened, overlaying itself within my mind’s eye.
A beautiful woman in a white lab coat appeared. She looked to be in her early twenties, but she seemed much older. Stressed. Worried.
“My name is Elyssa Miller. If you’re seeing this video, we can assume that I’ve been killed in the recent past.” She turned, glancing out her window for a moment.
“What I’m about to show you is definitive proof of the plots and corruption present in our government. President Stein is leading a war on Genmods. For those who’ve never heard the term, it’s what we scientists call the genetically engineered minority and their offspring. My great-grandfather was genetically engineered to be a great leader for the purpose of leading the colony ship.”
She checked over her shoulder again. She started to shake. “I’m sorry. I don’t have much time left. Here is a list of every Genmod in the entire colony. They are all in danger. My fiancé on the Grey Wolf, the whole crew, in fact, are all Genmods. They were assigned there by the president himself. Other Genmods have been sent to the mines or disappeared entirely.”
A list of names scrolled across the screen. “What you are seeing now is a list of targets I exfiltrated from the president’s personal data store. It contains every Genmod citizen in the colony. Thirty percent of the population. All slated for execution or slavery, depending on their threat index.” I noticed my name, as well as the names of Anne, Steve, and Andy. Our index numbers were all listed as one. That explains why they tried to kill us during the mining expedition.
“I don’t have long left. They’re aware of what I know. I will attempt to join the crew of the Grey Wolf in order to lay low for a while. This entire manhunt is just to secure his power. I hope that this video will help turn the tide. It’s cost me my life to bring it before you. Please. Use it. Save the Genmods from extinction…”
The video faded from my mind. “Holy shit.”
Sami placed his hand lightly on my shoulder. “They’ve detected our signal. A lone ship is heading for us at maximum velocity.”
“You think it’s him?”
“Most assuredly. It’s the same engine signature. Although the power output seems to be three times higher.”
“Upgrades.”
“Yes. Likely… He will arrive in fifteen minutes at his current rate of speed.”
“We have some of our own. Let’s go see how they compare.”
As his ship came into range, he
opened fire. I brought the Gilmore about to dodge the incoming particle rounds. The blasts didn’t stop.
“He seems a lot more insistent this time.” I placed my hand on the throttle and waited until the absolute last second to accelerate. I didn’t want to play my hand. Yet. Using the maneuvering thrusters, I juked back and force, likely irritating him to no end.
His ship came into range. I smiled and slammed the throttle forward until the lever hit the limit stop. The power output gauge for the engine measured one to ten. The needle bounced repeatedly around nineteen. The Gilmore surged forward, pressing me back into the seat.
“Holy shit! Steve was right.” I spun the ship and fired the mining laser. The enemy ship dodged, but barely. The laser scratched the armor, but I missed the reactor entirely. “Damn it, Sami. Remind me that we need real weapons one of these days.”
“Acknowledged. Spin right. Cut thrust. Pull up hard. Max thrust. Then fire again.”
I did as instructed and left my stomach a few kilometers behind me. The laser sheared a thruster off his ship but did little to slow him down. However, now I was chasing. And dodging, apparently.
“See? This is why I wanted a turret on the Gilmore!” I fired and fired, but he seemed to know where I was aiming. Even when I tried to be random, I couldn’t land a hit. We circled around larger debris piles, trying to get a lead on the other. His turret continued pelting lasers toward me, but I managed to stay out of their way. That’s new. It’s almost like I can see where they’re going to fire. Maybe that’s what he’s doing?
“Bishop, the colonial fleet is en route. They will be here any moment.”
“Perfect timing.” I continued to pursue him, trying desperately to core his reactor once again. It seemed no matter what I tried he was expecting it. “He’s good.”
26
“You do seem to be matched skill-wise,” said Sami.
“Gee, thanks. Any actual advice on surviving?”
“None at present time. However, they might be able to assist.”
Bishop's Gambit Omnibus Page 14
