by HD Smith
“Keep at it,” I said. “Since I’m supposed to be Tor-Vargas right now, I can’t exactly notify them that I’m safe. Where do they think Liam Anderson is located?”
“As per our usual plan when you go to Old Earth as Tor-Vargas, I made arrangements for Liam Anderson to be on Lux. Unfortunately, the hotel’s system has been updated, and I can’t access it to check you in. And now that your name is circulating around the WLA, it’s going to be tricky to get past immigration once you leave Old Earth.”
“Let’s worry about that later. Our focus right now is getting into the Zar compound and proving Gen’s lineage.”
“I’ve loaded the necessary coordinates, Liam,” Susan9 said.
I opened the app on my smartphone and shared the display on the center console.
“We’re headed to the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River near the town of Sandouping. The Zar compound is three miles from the dam. It will take about an hour to get there. Everyone, buckle up.”
The travel to Sandouping was uneventful. Zar owned all the surrounding area, including the dam, which was still operating.
I launched one of the rotorcraft after doing a few flyovers. The entire area appeared deserted, but I wasn’t taking any chances. According to the specs Susan9 had found for the sparse-looking complex, the genetics labs were all underground. The above-ground facility, an unimpressive three buildings of varying heights, could explain why it had never been targeted.
With the rotorcraft, I spotted a field of solar panels a quarter mile from the tallest of the three buildings. Did that mean the underground lab stretched that far, or was that a separate installation?
The area around the above-ground buildings was lit from security-style streetlights, the power coming from either the solar field or the dam. Regardless of the power source, I expected the underground labs to have maintained their integrity, which meant this location was the best chance we had to prove Gen’s identity.
“Dexter, have you gotten connected to the compound yet?” I asked.
“I’ve found two signals,” he said. “Both are resisting my normal attempts to break them.”
“I cracked the code,” Susan9 said. “I have building access.”
“And you’re just now telling me?” Dexter said. “Why didn’t you say something earlier? I’ve been trying to crack that thing since we got in range.”
“I did not wish to make you feel bad for failing,” Susan9 said.
Gen snorted, and I kept my mouth shut.
“Luckily for you,” Dexter said. “I have a stronger constitution than most.”
“Also, Liam,” Susan9 said, getting up to stand in front of me. “Your skills are lacking as well. I wish to drive the rotorcraft and launch the tinies.”
Dexter laughed. “Harsh.”
I decided not to be offended. Gen mouthed, “Sorry.”
I released the controls and stood, letting Susan9 sit in the captain’s chair.
“It’s all yours, Susan9,” I said, then realized she might take that literally. “While I’m away; not permanently.”
“Of course, Liam,” Susan9 said.
I messaged Dexter on a secure comm.
[ENCRYPTED COMM - LIAM: Keep a watch on her, but let her do the work]
[ENCRYPTED COMM - DEXTER: 10-4, boss]
“I’ve launched the drones,” Susan9 said.
“How many?” I asked.
“All of them.”
Gen looked at me. “Were there no specs on the rooms in the underground facility?”
Dexter answered. “We still have to get access to the private stream; until then, we know the floors exist and where the plumbing, electrical, and stairs are located, but not where the specific rooms are within the complex.”
“I am in,” Susan9 said. “I am activating—wait, the power is already on.”
“I thought we knew that,” I said. “The streetlights are on.”
“I assumed those were security-level lighting,” Susan9 said. “However, it appears that is what counts as full lighting on the Old Earth. I had expected the interior to be shut down. It is not. The building has been operational since the exodus.”
“Does that help us?” Gen asked.
“Maybe,” Dexter said. “If this building uses protocols similar to the Sun Blossom, then we should be able to figure out what areas in the building are the most important.”
“How?” Gen asked.
“The cleaning bots will clean those areas first,” Dexter said. “After hundreds of years, there may be one or two bots still operational, but most will have broken by now. If there’s at least one operational cleaning bot in that building, it will be cleaning the most important lab.”
“Genius,” Gen said.
Susan9 navigated the ship to the landing pad of the shortest of the three buildings. At four floors, it was the closest to the sublevel, which was where we needed to be. The tallest of the three buildings had a bigger landing pad, made for larger ships. At twenty-five floors, it towered over the twelve-floor middle building that had no landing pad at all.
The roof of the small building was lit with minimal security lights. As Susan9 started the descent, lighting came on, illuminating the dock and the surrounding area on top of the facility.
“Is there any way to turn those off?” I asked.
“No. They are motion-activated,” Susan9 said. “I will monitor the area around the Zar compound with the rotorcraft and shoot down anything that approaches. We also have cloaking ability.”
“How about we only shoot down things shooting at us?” Gen suggested.
“Susan9,” I said, “if anything approaches, assume it is hostile.”
Gen looked at me, her brow furrowed.
“Nothing should be here—not even us, so if we get company, they will not be our friends.”
She nodded, conceding. “I understand.”
Susan9 docked the ship effortlessly. We exited with our gear, leaving Susan9 behind to watch the ship and help direct us through the building. I didn’t expect that anyone would find us out here, but I refused to take chances.
“Susan9, are you there?” I said, testing my ear clips.
“Yes,” she said.
“Dexter, Gen, can everyone hear me?”
“Yes,” they both said in unison.
“I have linked the route to your smartphones,” Susan9 said. “Drone seven will accompany you.
One of the smallest drones in my collection was hovering over our heads. It would be the eyes and ears for Dexter and Susan9 as we made our way through the building.
“We’re going in,” I said.
The door from the roof into the building slid open. This was where the drones had entered and where we would start our trek.
“Should we go to the lobby,” Gen asked, “to see if there’s a directory?”
I shook my head. “The lobby would contain the public details, not the underground labs.”
“I’ve breached the maintenance system,” Dexter said. “I’m transferring details to Susan9 now.”
“I’ll send the drones ahead to scout out the areas still being cleaned,” Susan9 said. “I should have visual confirmation for our destination shortly.”
“We’ll follow the app,” I said.
Susan9 unlocked doors as we reached them. The building we landed on was the shortest of the three buildings. There were four floors above ground. Below ground there were five lettered floors, A-F. A was the first floor below ground level, and F was the one farthest away.
“We’re at level A now. Do we proceed down or enter the floor?” I asked.
“Proceed down to Floor C,” Susan9 said. “The genetics lab is on that level.”
“I’ve broken the encryption on the requisition system,” Dexter said, “which includes a way to request genetic samples from the research division.”
“Accessing now,” Susan9 said.
“Are we still going to Floor C?” I asked.
“No. I have new
coordinates for you,” Susan9 said. “Please check your smartphone.”
I looked at the device and saw that we were now headed down one more level to Floor D.
“I have requested the genetic samples for Head of House Gideon Zar,” Susan9 said. “Floor D contains the medical facility used by the elites. The emergency provisions for all executives and royals for House Zar and Nyx Corp should be there.”
“Do we need both?” Gen asked.
“No,” Susan9 said, “but the only way to retrieve the samples from the lab is via the requisition service. If it fails to extract or deliver the samples, or if the samples are compromised, the emergency kit will be our only option.”
We exited the stairwell onto Floor D. Overhead lights activated as we entered the corridor.
The interior of the complex was pristine, but the air was stale. I heard the air conditioning system activate, but the air circulating didn’t immediately improve the quality.
“This place is creepy,” Gen said.
I chuckled. “It would be creepier in the dark.”
We traveled down the corridor until it intersected with a circular rotunda, which, according to the app, linked the three underground buildings into one giant structure. We followed the path to the right, lighting our way as we went. After winding through several long hallways, then a few shorter hallways, we found ourselves standing in front of the darkened medical facility.
“Susan9,” I said.
“Yes, Liam?”
“Any idea how we’ll get past the metal barricade blocking us from entering the office suite?”
“Not at this time,” she said.
The medical bay consisted of a waiting room with chairs and a receptionist desks, a glass-walled room I assumed was a lab, and two other doors that were too much in shadow to make out their labels.
The metal security gate, which reached from floor to ceiling, blocked us from entering the waiting area.
I rattled the bars.
“Dexter, any ideas?” I asked.
“I’m still trying to access security. Do you see a mechanical way to open the gate?” Dexter asked.
“The room is too dark,” I said.
Gen stepped over to a small, round cleaning bot that had been stopped outside the barricade and picked it up. She opened up the bottom hatch, flipped a switch, closed the hatch, and shoved it through the slot created by the metal slats.
The bot fell to the ground on the other side, made a trilling sound, and then started cleaning.
“Care to explain why you did that?” I asked.
A second later, the lights came on.
“We needed the lights on,” she said, “and Mason Murdoch was always rebooting bots to help in his detective work.”
I chuckled. She was right. I’d forgotten that trick.
Now that I could see into the waiting area, I noticed a quick release button on the wall.
“Dexter, do you think the drone could fly through the slats and push the button to open the door?”
The drone flew closer to the metal bars, presumably to give Susan9 and Dexter a better look.
“Yes,” Susan9 said.
Without hesitation, the drone darted toward the barricade, and I heard the barest ding as it shot through the slats. Flying over to the button, it extended a metal probe, then pushed forward. The button depressed, and the barrier started to open.
Before the gate had fully risen, alarms started blaring.
“What’s wrong?” Gen asked.
“Shit.” I grabbed Gen by the hand and ducked us under the gate, which had started to close again. “Dexter, talk to us.”
“Something tripped an alarm in the main building. The security system has recognized it as a breach,” Dexter said. “The building is going into lockdown. We may lose comms.”
“Okay, what are our options?”
Susan9 spoke up. “You need to get access to the lab. The emergency kit, if it still exists, is in there. Also, the samples will be delivered to the chute in that room. ETA 10 minutes.”
I scanned the area. There were chairs and a potted plant. Mason Murdoch would throw one of them through the window.
Before I had a chance to try that option, Gen placed her hand on the access panel beside the door, and it clicked to green.
“Thank you, Lady Zar,” I said.
Our resident Zar descendant could use her biometrics and open the door.
The alarm shut off.
“Thank Lucy. How did you get them to turn off?” I asked.
“It wasn’t us,” Dexter said. “The other team cracked the security code and shut off the alarms. I suspect that means they have access to the building surveillance as well.”
“Can we take control?” I asked.
“How? We don’t have the access codes,” Dexter asked.
“But we have a Zar descendant who just opened the biometric lock on the door to the lab. Can she take over? Or give you access?”
“Maybe,” Dexter said. “Look around the lab—see if you see anything that might be a control panel.”
The drone followed us into the lab, allowing Dexter and Susan9 the ability to search for anything that might work to give them control.
Gen started opening drawers and cabinets, searching for the emergency kit.
“What does this thing look like?” Gen asked.
“According to the documentation,” Susan9 said, “the case is 60 centimeters by 30 centimeters, solid titanium, and locked with a sixteen-digit code or genetic-osmosis.”
“Okay,” Gen said, “a big, silver-looking case.”
After pulling open several more drawers and cabinets. Gen turned to face the room.
“It isn’t going to be in one of these cabinets,” Gen said. “It would have to be in a secure location. Locked behind a door or something, right?”
I pointed to the door we entered through. “That door was locked,” I said. “This is the medical suite for this facility. It wouldn’t be impossible for it to be here.”
“Does it need to be refrigerated?” Gen asked.
“Checking,” Susan9 said. “The unit is self-contained; however, it is recommended that it be stored in a climate-controlled space.”
“Look over there,” Dexter said, shining a tiny laser light from the drone.
He was pointing at a blank wall.
“What am I missing?” I asked.
“The drones don’t have a lot of features, but they can determine density. This wall isn’t as dense as the rest. Check to see if there’s an access panel. That may be a door.”
“A door to where?” Gen asked.
“I don’t know, but whoever breached the building is going to make it to your location soon. You may need another way out.”
The drone moved away, and I studied the area. The walls in the lab appeared to be made of a synthetic glass, similar to standard myst-infused glass in the Known Worlds. The walls in the lab were an opaque white, consisting of five-foot-wide panels, which allowed cabinets and counters to seamlessly integrate with each wall space. Other sections had been constructed with fixed panels or cutouts for windows. The wall between the waiting area and the lab contained several large windows, making it easy to see into the enclosed space.
I found nothing obvious, but as I made a careful inspection of the intersection of two panels, I heard the whirl of a motor as something on the other side of the wall clicked on.
“Gen,” I said. “Press your hands along this panel. At chest height, or whatever might be comfortable to release a latch.”
Gen stepped over to the wall and started placing her hand on different sections.
“Try the center, maybe,” I said.
She placed her hand flat on the panel in the center of the open wall, and the opaque glass-like polymer went semi-translucent and lit up to form a control panel.
“What are we looking at?” I asked.
The drone had moved back over to get a better look.
“Try this cod
e on the panel,” Dexter said. “4B272-1DA2.”
Gen typed in the sequence, and the light on the console went from white to blue.
“I’m in,” Dexter said.
"In to what?” I asked.
“The entire security system. Give me a minute to sync with our devices.”
“I will search for the kit,” Susan9 said, “and verify the genetic sample is still on its way.”
Gen closed her eyes. Before I could ask her what she was doing, she opened them and typed in a new sequence.
The lab activated. The lights and air conditioning had been on before, but now the equipment was on, and several of the previously blank walls were lit up with control panels and other switches.
“Genevieve,” Susan9 said. “The third panel on the wall perpendicular to the door has a secure bolt hole under the desk. Place your hand on the center to initiate the unlock sequence.”
Gen moved a rolling chair from the desk and leaned under to do as Susan9 instructed. A moment later a click sounded, and a pressurized door popped open. At the same time, the hidden panel slid open, and a loud crash sounded from the gate outside.
I rushed to the large window to see what was happening.
“The guys with guns are here,” Dexter said.
“Yeah, it’s kind of obvious,” I answered back.
“Are we fighting them to hold the position?” Dexter asked.
“No,” I said. “What are our other options?”
“I’ve got the kit,” Gen said.
I looked back to see Gen holding the emergency kit.
“But it’s locked, and I have no clue how to open it,” she said.
Another crash sounded from outside.
“What about the genetic sample from the research lab?” I asked.
“ETA three minutes,” Susan9 said.
“We can’t wait,” I said, looking through the glass at the exceptionally well-dressed renegades using a metal contraption to wrench the gate open.