"Leo, whatever hit this tablet is way ahead of the methods the Council uses, and I can't even figure out a good way to describe it! This tablet is fourth-gen Council tech! Nothing in known existence can do something like this! Even second-gen Council nano-tech is impervious to nano-viruses. Whatever hit this, it ate through the memory like a physical infection... It didn't delete or corrupt the memory chip; it ate through it and spread within it, like cancer... Just like I said!"
Leo tried to remain calm. "So, if the Council did this, they used technology that's even more advanced than what they would give to an operative?"
Randell chuckled and shook his head again. "This is generations ahead of the Council's most advanced tech!This isn't a virus that some geek came up with for a few laughs or to make a few credits. This thing, on a large enough scale, could end life as we know it!If you controlled this... Whatever it is... You could hit Council tech right at its core, like the banking or biometric cloud frame. You could delete everything, or replace everything with new data, and there's nothing the Council could do. It's scaring me a little, to be honest. This tech is far beyond anything I've ever encountered, and I've seen most of what the Council has at their fingertips... If I can figure out how this thing works, I'll be a trillionaire!"
Leo clenched his fists as the reality of what had happened sunk into him. Randell had given him his answer. The tech that had caused his tablet to malfunction was more advanced than the Council possessed. That meant that only one person could be behind it. There was only one person who could create techn ology more advanced than the Council's...
"Exony," Leo growled as cold rage began to simmer gently within him. "It was Exony..."
"Who the hell is Exony?" Randell demanded.
"She did this..." Leo growled back.
Leo felt as if he was in a trance. He stared past the room, past Randell, Annabelle, Alice, and himself. He saw only nothingness as the Void began to call him. Its sweet silent melody was far away, but Leo could feel it. It was out there, begging him to let it in.
Then, Alice's voice broke his trance. "I agree. Based on what you learned, this has Exony written all over it... This is bad, Leo. Really, really bad..."
With an emotional snap, Leo brought himself back into his body. He turned and looked at Alice as she sank to her knees and buried her face in her hands. He turned to Annabelle and saw her chew her lip anxiously, her eyes filled with fear.
Leo felt fear pushing into his mind too, but it didn't matter. He now knew what he had to do.
"Compile and restore what you can from the tablet, then copy it for me," Leo ordered. "We're going to need weapons. All analog, no nano-tech, no electrical. Preferably not magnetic, either. Alice and I will need some enhancements as well. Chemical agents should be hard for Exony to manipulate, so we'll need some old-school stims. Absolutely no Council design derivatives, because those would be a cakewalk for her to sabotage. Maybe old quantum-cerebral chips, if you have any of the schematics. Those things never worked well enough for anyone even to need to learn how to sabotage them, but if we could interface with them like tactical implants, that would give us something, at least. Anything else that could stand up to the 'nano-cancer' you found in my tablet would be worth looking at as well. We need it all. Now!"
Randell hurriedly typed away on his console as he recorded Leo's requests. Then, he glanced up at Leo.
"The stims are cheap and easy. The weapons, well, you know I can do that, but quantum chips? Are you completely insane? Nobody in their right mind would use a quantum chip! Well, you did bring a council operative here, so I guess maybe you're not in your right mind. I guess that would make sense..."
Randell shook his head with disbelief as he typed away. Then, a spark lit in his eyes as he continued.
"Actually, maybe you're not nutso... Modern nano-machines have a hard time operating outside of a binary framework, so quantum chips might be immune, or at least partially resistant to a nano-tech cancer. If the cancer runs on binary, they wouldn't be vulnerable. That might actually work, if they don't kill you first..."
Leo gave Randell a confident nod. "I've used quantum chips before. They worked fine for me until they degraded and almost killed me, but that's fine. We don't need 'em to work forever, just for a few weeks at the most."
"Okay, okay..." Randell sighed. "I'll download some schematics and build a few that might work. But, you have to know, you're asking me to work miracles. It would help if I knew more about what you're planning."
Leo crossed his arms and shook his head. "I'll tell you exactly what you need to know; no more, and no less. I don't want to expose you to unnecessary danger."
Randell nodded tiredly. "Yeah, thanks for that, Leo... Stims, weapons, quantum implants... Anything else, chief?"
"Yeah," Leo answered as he turned to see Alice finally walk over and join him next to the console. A look of extreme concern was written on her face, and Leo knew the findings from the tablet had deeply disturbed her. "A bottle of the merlot we had earlier, and anything Alice or Annabelle might want. Oh, and Alice is paying for all this, in case you were wondering."
Randell raised his eyebrows skeptically at Alice, who nodded weakly in return.
"The infinitely deep pockets of the Council are open to you, Randell. Thank you for your help," Alice whispered as she extended her left hand.
Randell reached his left hand towards Alice's and nodded. "Okay, I'll open up the weapons locker, and you can take your pick. Nothing I carry is cheap, but I guess that doesn't matter, now does it? Infinitely deep pockets and all... The implants will take me several hours at least. You can have them later tonight if you pay me double..."
Leo nodded, but had one more important question. "Randell, how long will it take you to recover the data from my file? I'd like to have it as soon as possible. There's a lot of things I'd like to know in there..."
Randell shook his head. "It's a big job. At least a couple of days..."
Leo gritted his teeth in frustration. "Fine... Work on the implants first. Now, open the weapons locker!"
Chapter 32
Alice turned her attention away from the hologram menu and looked over to the entrance of the large restaurant. She needed to be hyper-vigilant for any threats that might emerge while Randell was constructing their implants.
They now had weapons to fight Exony with, if the crude analog pistols and blades they had purchased even qualified as such. However, they were still operating without much in the way of threat detection and prevention. Luckily, it was supposed to only take Randell a few hours to build their new implants. It was getting late, however, and if he had any setbacks she would have to command Leo and Annabelle to return to the Epiphany.
The Epiphany, though, she thought grimly. Even at that moment, Exony's nano-cancer could be growing within it. It would be no safe haven for them if it was compromised by Exony's technology.
Alice tried to relax. The restaurant seemed safe enough, at least, and there was little reason for her to suspect that they might be in danger. After all, no one should know they were even there. In spite of that, she still didn't feel at ease. Exony could be tracking them...
No, Alice reassured herself. It was possible that Exony could track the Epiphany, but they had no technology in their direct possession that she could track. Her I.D. implant was brand new, and other than that, she and Leo were operating raw.
Alice became distracted when she saw a trio of well-dressed patrons enter the restaurant. They laughed and chatted happily as they made their way to the bar area, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
Alice tried to direct her mind to more positive developments. Her ship might be compromised, but Leo had agreed to help her, and that was cause for celebration.
That was the reason they were at the little restaurant called 'Figg.' She wanted to celebrate her alliance with Leo and build a cooperative dynamic between her newly assembled team.
Alice turned her attention back to Leo and Annabelle. They w
ere in the midst of a lively conversation as they leaned over the table across from one another.
"So, what time is it, really?" Annabelle playfully inquired.
Leo smirked back at her. "It's complicated. Oberon is tidally locked, so the days here don't operate on a simple day-night scale. Normally, on a moon, you would judge solar days and planetary days, but on Oberon, it's different. The south always faces away from Uranus, so it's freezing there, except when that side faces the sun, then it gets very hot. On this side of the planet, you get the light of the sun, and the light reflected off of Uranus, but you go into an eclipse period every fourteen standard days. And, if Uranus is facing away from the sun at the same time, you get no light except starlight."
Annabelle's eyes glazed over as Leo tried to explain the complex stellar movements of Oberon.
"Leo?" Annabelle sighed when he took a breath. "You're not an astrophysicist, and it shows..."
Alice couldn't help but giggle as she watched Leo. He clammed up momentarily, then gave a big goofy smile and let out a hearty laugh as he took a swig of his beer. Alice guessed that if she had made that jibe toward Leo, he might have responded very differently.
Annabelle smiled back at him and sipped her red wine, then turned to Alice. "You decide what you want, Alice?"
Alice turned her attention back to the menu but couldn't focus enough to make a selection. There were too many other things on her mind. Plus, she probably shouldn't be drinking. Dulled senses were not conducive to successful missions.
"I dunno..." Alice groaned as she read the menu.
Surely one drink couldn't hurt, she thought. As long she didn't drain an entire bottle, she shouldn't be too ineffective. There was also another element at play. She needed to build a rapport with her team, and alcohol, for all its faults, might help with that.
"Okay, fine. I'll take the Johnny Walker Purple, on the rocks."
"Yes, ma'am!" Annabelle replied, as if accepting a grave order from her captain. "Y'know, I don't mind taking orders and all, but you can operate the menu, too..."
"Sorry," Alice abashedly replied. "I didn't mean to order you around. I'm just distracted, I guess."
"Well, you have good reason," Leo chimed in. "We all do, but this might be our last chance to have a good time for a while, so I think we should live in the moment and enjoy it."
"Cheers to that!" Annabelle agreed as she raised her glass.
"Did you order food? I am pretty hungry," Alice asked, ignoring the toast.
"All over it..." Annabelle replied. "Got a bunch of stuff coming. Nachos, sliders, fish tacos, some side salads..."
"Good."
The three of them fell into an awkward silence, and none of them seemed willing to break it. Leo and Annabelle sipped their drinks in silence, and Alice was grateful when hers arrived so she could follow suit.
After a server robot deposited a glass of amber liquid on the table, Alice grabbed it and pulled it towards her nose. The aroma of the whiskey was pleasant. Oak. Vanilla. A hint of smoke... As she took a tentative sip, she realized that it tasted as good as it smelled. It reminded her of...
NO! She had no time for memories. She needed to think about things that could help her in the future, not things that would pull her back into the past.
"How's the whiskey?" Leo asked, apparently trying to make friendly conversation.
"Good."
Annabelle smiled weakly at Leo's effort, and he returned the smile to her.
There was definitely something going on between the two of them, Alice thought. The way they looked at each other and the way they joked with one another painted a picture clear as day. It wouldn't bother Alice if they did become intimate, but it could impact the mission. If they were falling for each other, would they be able to focus on what needed to be done, or would it distract them and cause them to act recklessly?
Alice supposed that it might be a good thing. Annabelle seemed to think rather highly of her. If that admiration rubbed off on Leo, it might allow him to trust her more. Perhaps it already had, and maybe having a woman he loved at his side would give Leo the motivation he needed when the time came...
They still hadn't had many discussions regarding his gift, and they needed to if he was going to be able to use it to help with the mission. Alice just needed to figure out a way to bring it up without making Leo clam up...
"Food's here!" Annabelle exclaimed as a wheeled service robot zipped over to their table and deposited seven massive, fully loaded plates. "You bought our stuff at Randell's, so this is on me!"
"Thanks," Leo grunted as he pulled the seven plates to his side of the table. "Here's my food, now where is yours?"
"You disgusting pig!" Annabelle shrieked. She was unable to hold her offended demeanor for long, however, and quickly burst out laughing. With exaggerated ferocity, she then snatched a couple of plates back to her side, then grabbed two more and slid them in front of Alice.
Alice watched Leo and Annabelle longingly and tried to hide her envy. She couldn't deny that it made her envious to see them together, but it also made her happy. Maybe, in some small way, their mission had already been a success. If it helped two people learn to care for one another, then at least it meant something...
"Fish tacos," Alice noted, looking down at the food that had been thrust in front of her. "One of my favorites, thank you."
The three eagerly tucked into the mass of food on their table. Alice struggled to handle a loaded fish taco as she gathered it up in her hands and brought it to her mouth. Drips of sauce ran down her hands as she bit into it. A satisfying crunch of freshness lit up her mouth, and she tasted fresh flavors of cabbage and cilantro that yielded to the fatty wholesomeness of lightly salted, fried fish. On top of the layers of flavor was the slightly sweet acidity of freshly prepared pineapple salsa and real sour cream. The sublime combination of flavors surprised Alice, and she moaned with pleasure as she swallowed her first bite.
"The food is pretty good, huh?" Leo asked, looking over at her slyly. "You certainly sound like you're enjoying it..."
Alice looked up at him and coughed as a strong hint of spiciness caught in the back of her throat.
"Didn't realize how hungry I was," Alice explained as she wiped her mouth and tried to clear her throat of the spice.
Leo nodded and took a bite of his massive cheeseburger, then chewed it appreciatively. "Mmmff! The Origin Council may have developed the most advanced synthetic food preparation technology in human history, but it can't hold a candle to a couple of Oberonians with a grill."
"Technology isn't everything, I guess," Alice agreed. Then, she dove back into her delicious meal.
"Speaking of which..." Annabelle piped up as she slid her already finished plate of nachos away from her and leaned back to pat her belly. "We better hope technology isn't everything if we're gonna take out Exony. What's with the weapons we got from old Mr. Clark? They look like antiques."
Leo gave her a serious look as he set his burger down. "Yes, but they work, and they aren't hackable. Anything with a chip in it is probably right in Exony's wheelhouse. It's going to be way harder for her to defend herself against analog weapons then it would be if we used anything else."
Annabelle shrugged. "Well, okay, if you say so... What about me, though? I have tons of implants. Is she going to be able to hack me?"
"Probably," Alice interjected, "but it'll be okay. When we find her base, we'll have a better idea of what we're going up against, and whether it will be necessary for you to stay on the ship or not. We could always remove your implants... If you want to, that is..."
"Shit! Hell of a choice that is..." Annabelle replied. "I guess, if I have to, I'll just stay on the ship then. Maybe I'll be able to get some much-needed light reading done while you two are out saving humanity."
Alice smirked. Annabelle was young, idealistic, and a little ignorant, but she had a strong spirit. Alice knew she was more capable than she looked, as well. Her actions on Osiris had demonstr
ated that.
"Annabelle, I know we already talked about this, but it still blows my mind..." Leo interjected with evident admiration. "You're always so upbeat. If I were you and I was told I might have to stay on the ship while my friends went off on a dangerous mission; I would be pissed, to say the least."
Annabelle crossed her arms stubbornly and glared at Leo. "I will be pissed, but I'm not gonna let that get me down. The last thing you need is to worry about upsetting me... What we're doing is so much more important than my feelings, so I guess I'm just willing to do whatever I need to do, even if that means sucking it up when I don't get what I want. I hope you can do that when the time comes..."
Alice and Leo fell silent as they continued to pick at the food remaining on their table, but Annabelle still had more to say.
"It is weird, though, isn't it? I haven't always been like this. I used to get depressed all the time... I wonder if it has something to do with the acid... The neurological effects... Maybe the acid fried the part of my brain that would make me sad, or maybe it's some side effect of Idi's treatment..."
"Or maybe, you're falling in love..." Alice whispered.
Leo didn't seem to notice her comment; he was focused on Annabelle. She had fallen silent, and a blank look slid onto her face as she stared blankly past Alice, her eyes unfocused.
"You okay?" Leo asked, reaching across the table to touch Annabelle's hand.
"Oh... Yeah..." Annabelle replied in a monotone voice, snapping out of her odd trance when their hands touched. "Lost my train of thought..."
The trio picked at what remained of their food and sipped their drinks for a half-minute, but none of them seemed inclined to break the silence.
Finally, Leo took the initiative and quietly asked a grave question. "Alice. Ganymede. What happened?"
Alice had been waiting for the question, but there was no way to be ready for it. Even the name Ganymede shook her to her core. Still, if Leo was going to trust her, she owed him the truth.
"What do you want to know? Why I pushed the button? I've asked myself that same goddamned question for the last eight years, and I don't have an answer. There is no possible answer that will justify what happened, so why should I disgrace the people I killed by even trying to offer one?"
The Ganymede Legacy Page 28