The Quantum Gate Trilogy

by Eric Warren

  “Shin…how?”

  “I never fully uploaded myself again,” Shin said. “Only a small part. Too big of a target.”

  Arista smiled.

  “You think you’re clever,” Sy said. “Without your AI you have lost all your power. The Cadre will fall with only one of you left.” She struggled to get the words out, breathing hard as Shin’s arm tightened around her neck.

  “How did you know about the humans Charlie kept?” Arista asked.

  Sy gritted her teeth. “Answer her,” Shin said, pulling tighter.

  “We were in constant contact with Charlie,” she said, her voice strained. “We have been for years. Where did you think he got them?”

  Arista drew in a sharp breath. “He said he engineered them.”

  Sy scoffed. “That moron couldn’t engineer a mouse trap. They were payment for favors over the years. A way to keep him placated.”

  “Traitor,” Shin said softly, his eyes sliding to the side.

  “You didn’t know?” Arista asked. Shin shook his head.

  “And you gave him our—my people? What about all that crap about everyone upset at their deaths? They weren’t upset you traded them for information?”

  “We always expected to get them back. They were—” she drew in a deep breath as Shin tightened his hold again. “—volunteers.”

  Her pulse quickened, the Device notified her of an increase in cortisol. “Who would volunteer for that? Why?”

  “Can’t…” She indicated to her neck with her free hand, her face was turning a shade of blue.

  “Shin, ease up, she can’t breathe.”

  “She does not deserve to breathe.” His eyes were focused on her. And they were full of fire.

  “Shin, please! She knows about these people! Just for a second! Please!” Shin glanced at her and released his grip enough to allow Sy to draw a deep breath. She took three heaving gulps, panting.

  “How were they volunteers?” Arista yelled. “How?” There was a soft thump and Shin’s face went slack as he completely released his grip on Sy. “Shin…what?”

  Sy smiled as Shin fell away, revealing a weapon in Sy’s free hand and a gaping hole in Shin’s chest where she’d shot him behind her back. Arista looked down, Sy’s boot had a loose flap that had concealed the weapon.

  “Always be prepared.” Sy pushed Shin back so he collapsed on his back, sending bits of Hogo-sha scattering across the floor.

  Then she trained her eyes on Arista and smiled her toothy grin.

  Thirty-Eight

  “Shin,” Arista whispered.

  “You are just too much trouble,” Sy said, resigning herself. “I warned them. I said sixteen years ago you might not maintain a clear objectivity with the machines. But no, I was overruled. They said it wouldn’t matter. That it wasn’t important because it wasn’t dependent on how you felt about them. But no one expected you to fall in love with them. Not like this.”

  “Aren’t children supposed to love their parents?” Arista asked, keeping her eyes on the weapon.

  “And others?” Sy taunted.

  “No. I never loved Jonn. He was in love with me but I never returned—”

  “I’m talking about dark and handsome out there,” Sy said, disgust in her voice. “Who would have ever guessed?” She shook her head.

  “What are you talking about? I don’t love Frees, he’s my friend.”

  “I’ll forgive that because you haven’t been around real love very much. Maybe you’ll understand once we get back to the colony. If they let you live.” She indicated Arista move toward the door with the weapon. Arista analyzed her. They were close to the same height. Sy had one-point-seven inches on her.

  “You can’t use that,” Arista said, eyeing the weapon.

  “Can’t I? When I tell them you fought back and I was afr—”

  Crunch!

  As she’d passed the woman Arista’s right elbow, still in the sleeve had spun around faster than she’d thought possible and caught Sy right on her chin, sending her reeling back. Arista scrambled forward, plowing into her and knocking her all the way back. They both tripped on Shin’s immobile body and skidded across the floor.

  “You little—”

  Arista hit her again with her elbow. It required surprisingly little space to draw back and hit with, almost like smacking something with the end of a bat. Blood gushed from Sy’s nose. She grabbed Arista by the throat with both hands; she’d lost the weapon somewhere. Arista managed to get her elbow in between the hands and hit the inside of Sy’s forearm, right where her comm unit was buried under the skin. Sy winced and Arista hit it again and again until she let go, the area on her forearm was red and swelling. Those comm units weren’t meant to take a lot of punishment under the skin.

  Sy swung and connected with Arista’s jaw, sending her staggering to the right. She managed to use the momentum to gain a foothold and get on her feet, scanning the room for something, anything she could use that might stop this woman. One of Sy’s weapons, Arista couldn’t tell which, was on the ground beside Shin. Arista dove for it as Sy noticed it, pushing herself up and grabbing at Arista’s hair, clothes, anything she could get a hold of.

  Arista landed on the weapon so that it was under her chest, but the weight of Sy plowed on top of her, her hands clawing to reach the weapon. Arista curled up, protecting it as best she could, not knowing how she’d ever get a shot off in this position until she felt the weight peel off her like someone pulling the skin from an orange. She glanced up and Sy landed on the other side of the room with a thump. Arista turned to her left to see Shin give her a brief smile and a thumbs-up. It was probably the most emotion she’d seen from him since he’d tossed a couple of people at her.

  He was good at tossing people around.

  Arista nodded in gratuity and stood, holding the weapon out in front of her, pointed directly at Sy.

  “Now, wait just a second,” Sy said, her voice ragged. Her left hand was still a swollen, bloody mess and her nose dripped with 'blood down the front of her shirt. Arista had never seen so much blood. Not even when her own hand had melted off. “You can’t kill me,” Sy said. “They will find out. You’ll never be welcomed back among your own kind.”

  “According to you I’m not welcome anyway.”

  Sy winced. “I may have embellished. The point is you could never go back without me. You need me as much as I need you. The colony won’t look kindly on you attacking me, but with some persuasion—I can clear it all up,” she pleaded. “You just have to trust me.”

  “Why would I ever trust you?” Arista’s finger trembled over the trigger. “You’ve done nothing but lie to me.”

  “Not about everything,” Sy said. “We really do have your parents, they’re waiting for you there. If you kill me, they will be the ones to reap the consequences.”

  “Where is the colony?” Arista asked. Adrenaline warnings flashed in her vision. Her breathing was too short. She would hyperventilate if she wasn’t careful.

  “No,” Sy said. “Not until we agree we can trust each other. That’s the only way you’re finding it.”

  Arista stared at her, blinking as few times as possible. If Sy was telling the truth then she was no doubt right. Any action Arista took would be paid by her parents. If they had them. She was right back here in this same situation. One she told herself she’d never be in again. What was she supposed to do? Let her go? Pretend like none of it happened?

  “You don’t have a choice,” Sy said. “Not if you want to see them again. You were always coming back with me one way or another. You just didn’t know it.” She moved to get up.

  “Don’t!” Arista said, the weapon shaking in her hand.

  “Please. You would have done it by now. I know how much you care for these machines. You’re not going to jeopardize them for me or anyone—”

  Bam!

  Sy looked down. A small circular pattern had formed on her chest and radiated outward, turning everything it touched an
ashen gray.

  “You…can’t,” she sputtered.

  “I did.” Arista said as Sy fell to her knees in shock. The pattern spread until it had reached her extremities, turning her into a gray statue of herself. As the wind picked up her form blew away, piece by piece until there was nothing left but a few motes of dust.

  “And I would do it again,” Arista said.

  Thirty-Nine

  Arista stood, stunned at what she had done as the wind tussled her hair back down over her eyes. She didn’t bother to brush it away. She didn’t even bother to lower the weapon. It remained trained on the blank space where only a moment ago a living human being had stood. And now…now there wasn’t even any evidence she’d ever been there at all.

  She took a deep breath, realizing no alarms flashed in her vision. No warnings or notifications at all. She had just killed someone and was completely calm.

  The weapon fell from her hand with a clatter on the floor and she backed away from it like it was a timber rattlesnake, desperate to get away. She was no better than them. Despite what Shin had said, she was no better than any of the humans. And now her parents would pay the price. Anyone she cared about would—

  “Frees.” She turned from the scene and bolted for the doors, flinging them open to reveal Frees splayed out on a gurney from downstairs. The same kind they’d brought her up on. How did he get here? How had Sy disabled him?

  His eyes were closed and his hands folded over his abdomen, but otherwise he looked unharmed. She didn’t detect any entrance or exit wounds, or anything that would lead her to believe she damaged him in any way. He was just…off. Arista shook his shoulder, attempting to wake him but she had no luck. She lifted his shirt up and accessed his central panel; the same one she’d opened to make repairs to him right after their first meeting. There was no activity inside. None of his systems were working; they had all shut down. Had Sy killed him? She’d said he was going to be proof for something, but what?

  She needed help. Someone who could restart him.

  Arista ran back into the main room, her feet almost flailing out in front of her as she tried to reach Shin. He hadn’t moved but his eyes followed her as she reached him.

  “Shin, how bad is it? Can you stand?”

  “I believe the wound is…fatal.”

  “What?” No, that couldn’t be right. “Let me see. I’m pretty skilled at this. I can fix almost anyone.”

  “Practice?” he asked.

  “Lots of it. It’s amazing how many parts you go through in a lifetime.”

  He helped her get his jacket and tie off, then she unbuttoned his shirt to inspect the damage. It hadn’t been the same weapon Sy had used on Hogo-sha or that Arista had used on her, which was good. Otherwise Shin wouldn’t even still be here. But as she inspected the damage, Arista already knew it was worse than it looked. Her initial scan revealed tiny shards of metal slowly making their way through Shin’s systems; drilling through all of them leaving destruction in their path. It was a weapon designed to kill slowly.

  “We’ll have to download your consciousness to another body,” Arista said, standing. “I need assistance. And a willing volunteer.”

  Shin shook his head. “I cannot do that. Not to one of my own people.”

  “What about this body right here? Didn’t you—?”

  Shin held up his hand. “I had this body specifically built for myself. I have no others.” He smiled. “No waste. Efficient.”

  Arista set her features. Maybe, but it wasn’t practical. There had to be a way to help him. She estimated he had less than ten minutes before the microscopic drills infected every system, including his cortex. “Hang on, I’ll be right back.” She jumped up.

  “Arista,” he called.

  “I’ll be right back for both of you!” she yelled behind her, already to the door. She passed Frees’ lifeless body on the gurney, swearing she’d find some way to fix him. She took the elevator down to where she knew there would be people. Anyone that could help. She had to change elevators at the sky lobbies but made it down to the “hospital” in record time. The three orderlies were still inside, cleaning up what was left of the mess Frees had made when they’d taken Arista’s arm. The hand sat on a small tray off to the side.

  “You three! I need you to come with me right now! Shin is dying!”

  They didn’t register her presence. Or if they did, they ignored it and continued about their duties. They wouldn’t break their programming without direct intervention from Shin.

  “Please!” she yelped. “We don’t have much time.”

  One of the orderlies twitched, dropping what had been in her hand. She bent over only to freeze, her hand inches from the dropped instrument. Her hands moved slowly to her ears and she screamed, falling backward.

  Arista grimaced. She hadn’t wanted to. But there was no other choice. She needed them, and they wouldn’t come any other way. They still might not. But she wanted to give them the choice.

  The other two orderlies followed shortly after and all three writhed and jerked on the floor.

  The first woman stopped screaming and sat up, her silky black hair cascading down her back. Her orange eyes narrowed at Arista. “Ningen?” she said.

  Arista fumbled, willing the Device to give her the words she needed. “Eigo o daunrōdo suru,” she said. She’d been right, it sounded all wrong out of her mouth.

  The orderly looked off to the left then back to her. “Is this correct?” she asked.

  “Yes!” Arista almost jumped for joy. “Please, I need you all to come with me. Shin is dying, we have to save him.”

  The orderlies exchanged confused glances. “Please. What is happening?” the woman asked.

  “Access your programming blocks. You have been running base programming all your lives and up until now you didn’t have the choice to be autonomous. To ignore that programming. I’ve just given you that choice. And I need your help,” Arista babbled.

  The woman looked at the other two. “I think I understand. Shin needs help? But we can refuse if we wish. We are no longer beholden to Cadre commands.”

  Arista took a deep breath and exhaled. “That’s right. You don’t have to. But I’m asking you to. Please.”

  The woman stood, brushing herself off. “I will assist. Jairo, Takai?”

  The taller of the two men stood. “I have autonomy?” he asked. Arista nodded. “Then I decline. No longer will I be used.” He made a beeline for the door. “Do not follow me,” he said as he passed Arista.

  “Wasn’t planning on it,” she said under her breath.

  The woman turned to the other man, still on the floor, but sitting up. “Takai? Decide. Shin needs help.”

  “For you, Mitsu, yes,” he said, standing. “Lead the way.”

  Arista’s heart panged. She hadn’t expected such candor about their feelings so quickly. But everyone was different. Some acclimated quicker than others.

  “He’s on the top floor,” she said. “In the library.”

  It seemed like it took them twice as long to get back up as it had for Arista to come down. All the while they were in the elevator Mitsu and Takai kept looking at themselves in the mirrored walls, as if seeing their reflections for the first time. And it didn’t escape Arista’s notice that Takai kept sneaking glances at Mitsu. As far as she knew, these were the first two autonomous machines in Japan. Maybe in the entire part of the world Hogo-sha had overseen.

  As they reached the top Arista practically pushed the doors of the elevator open, rushing back down the hallway. She grabbed Frees’ gurney, steadying it with one hand and pushed it into the main room. The wind was picking up and producing an audible howl through the space.

  “That is not Shin,” Mitsu said from behind her. “You have lied to us.”

  “No, this is my friend,” Arista said. “Shin is inside. He’s on the floor, look.” He hadn’t moved from where she’d left him, though she couldn’t tell if they were too late or not.

 
“Please excuse me,” Mitsu said. “This is all sudden.”

  “Don’t worry about it. He’s been hit with a weapon that is killing him from the inside. We need to transfer his core consciousness to another body in order for him to survive.”

  “Is this why you brought us here?” Takai asked. “To be replacements?”

  She detected a hint of hatred back there. Much more subdued than the farmer had been, but still there nonetheless. “Only if you decide to. It’s a cruel situation, I know, to have your autonomy given to you and then only moments later to have it snatched away. But I couldn’t just let him die.”

  “And your friend?” Mitsu asked, indicating Frees.

  “I need your help to revive him. She did something to him, I don’t know what.”

  “Arista.” Shin’s voice, once so powerful and strong now sounded only weak and wispy. She bent over him, bringing her face close to his. “What have you done?”

  “What I had to do. To try and save you. You shouldn’t die like this.” She may not have agreed with everything Shin did, but she respected him. Enough to do whatever was necessary to save his life.

  He glanced up at the two orderlies standing before him. “Takai. Mitsu. What are you doing here?”

  “Trying to save your life,” Mitsu answered.

  “Your eyes,” Shin observed. He turned back to Arista. “I forbade it. You gave me your word.”

  “I know I did. And I’m sorry. But you are dying. I had no other choice.”

  Shin closed his eyes. “Yes, you did. You choose to let me die.”

  “But what about the Cadre? What about Trymian and the colony? He won’t be able to hold them off now. Not when the system collapses.”

  “He will. He is more capable than either Charlie or I. You have disappointed me, Arista. Bringing them here.”

  “Shin,” Mitsu said, leaning down. “She gave us the choice. We did not have to come.”

  “But you are no longer part of my system,” Shin said. “There will be…chaos. One piece out of place…”