The Clockwork Chimera Series Books 1-3 Box Set

by Scott Baron

  I would have thought that a sense of humor was against his programming.

  “But as you’ve recently learned, AIs can be quite surprising, right Mom?”

  “Stop calling me that,” Daisy accidentally grumbled out loud.

  “Yes, Daisy? Did you have something to add?” Sid asked.

  “Uh, no, I mean, I guess, why don’t we just find a new planet? I know you all keep saying it would be near impossible, or the Chithiid would find it, but there’s a dozen people here. I get that you need to have a goal to build morale and whatnot, but this whole ‘reclaim Earth’ thing seems like a lost cause.”

  “It’s not a lost cause,” Vince said, rising to his feet with an angry flush to his face. “It’s our home, and we are going to do whatever is necessary to take it back.”

  “Come on, Vince. You know it’s not really our home. Never was. Not for any of us. We were all grown in fucking test tubes and fed a lie. And on top of that, you’re not even a real boy, no matter what the AI Geppetto in your head tells you.”

  Vince’s face turned an even deeper shade of red, but he somehow calmed himself and sat quietly back down. His glare at Daisy spoke louder than any yelling he might have been tempted to do.

  “What in the actual fuck, Daisy? That was not cool.”

  He needs to face reality.

  “Maybe so, but that doesn’t give you carte blanche to launch personal attacks at the guy. He had your back for the better part of a year. No matter what. Even after what you did to him. I’m sorry, but that was fucked up.”

  Your opinion has been noted, Sarah.

  Fatima quietly watched the entire exchange with a steady gaze.

  “Sid, may I?”

  “Please, Fatima. It would be my pleasure.”

  She rose to her feet and spoke to the whole assembled group.

  “We all know the reality of the situation on Earth, and thanks to the hard work of the AIs who brought our very species back from the brink of extinction, we have a chance to make a difference. Before you, Daisy,” she said, fixing her gaze on her troubling pupil, “we were operating on only the tiniest sliver of hope. But now we know at least one of the major cities is still alive. The defenses are not just automated and mindless. You gave us real proof, Daisy. A reason to hope, and that is something we hadn’t had in a long, long time.”

  “One city?” Daisy replied. “That’s your big hope? One city? You didn’t see those things. What they could do. They have four arms and are far stronger than we are. You all keep telling me they track inorganics on the surface, so really, what hope could you possibly have had?”

  “Are you done, Swarthmore?” Captain Harkaway growled.

  She nodded.

  “Good. Now shut up and listen. Sid and Mal have gone over the transmission Donovan brought back earlier today. The signal was genuine—an outdated radio wave-based technology that was linked to the oldest of emergency systems. We never would have thought to look for it, let alone have been able to hear it if not for some fresh and radical thinking. The receiver? It was based off of your ideas, Daisy. We wouldn’t have even had this confirmation without you, whether you like the idea or not.”

  “What we hope to accomplish,” Commander Mrazich added, “is to access the underground pressurized tube system. Even if it isn’t functional, from what we observed during our retrieval op, the Chithiid scans don’t penetrate subterranean, so any personnel mods will not be detected from the surface.”

  “Just one problem. Apart from me, everyone is sporting inorganic mods, and they’d almost certainly be sensed and picked off long before they could even make it underground.”

  “You’re absolutely right, Daisy,” Reggie said. “Fortunately, thanks to you yet again, we have a way around that.”

  He reached into a crate pulled up near his table and removed a heavily modified version of Daisy’s Faraday suit, originally designed to protect the wearer in the confines of the unprotected Narrows of the Váli’s crawlspaces. The amount of shielding on it had been increased, and Daisy realized there was actually a real possibility it would block any scans and make the wearer nearly invisible to the Chithiid.

  “My suit. You modified the design.”

  “Yep. Me and Gus and Chu got together and spent a few weeks working on taking your design up a notch. What do you think?” Reggie asked.

  “I have to admit, it may be ugly, but it looks like a quality build,” she reluctantly agreed. “It won’t withstand a direct scan up close. I hope you know that. But for your purposes, it could work.”

  “And we also made this,” Chu said, swinging a small, but heavy, ruggedized comms unit onto the table. “Again, based off of your design. I even set up a small pingback array of salvaged satellites to bounce the signal from far beyond the moon––with the delay to further mask our locations, as you suggested. I had Bob place them days ago.”

  Mrazich looked at Daisy. “So, you see, Swarthmore, all we need to do now is get this unit hooked up to the AI that’s hiding in Los Angeles, and we’ll have first contact between Dark Side and Earth since the original attack.”

  “Yes, and for once, we’ll have direct intel from the surface itself. We’ll no longer be flying blind,” Shelly added. “Once we know their weaknesses—Bam! Payback.”

  “Payback?” Daisy said sarcastically. “With what weapons? Anything you carry will show up on scans, and those suits don’t look like they’re roomy enough to store your extra gear inside.”

  “Perhaps you’ll find these interesting,” Fatima said, laying a long case on the table. “Mal and I have been working on multiple design concepts since she landed here. Her fabrication facilities are second to none, and she managed to produce these,” she said, opening the case.

  A small selection of bladed weapons occupied one end, while the far end held two pair of ceramic pistols.

  “The machetes and knives are ceramic based and should not show on scans. The pistols have a composite return spring but are otherwise entirely ceramic as well. While they are not combat hardened for lengthy use, they will provide a brief element of surprise and firepower,” Fatima said.

  “But the ammunition?”

  “Ceramic bullets, as well as casing. The inorganic explosive used for combustion is the one thing that might show on scans. However, until a round is fired, I’m fairly confident these will evade detection, at least from a distance.”

  Finn looked at the knives longingly.

  “Go on, Finn,” Fatima laughed. “You can pick them up.”

  Grinning like a schoolboy, he did just that, feeling the balance of the knives in his hands as he passed them rapidly from left to right and back again.

  “I’ll hand it to you, Fatima, these are elegantly designed,” Daisy conceded.

  “Thank you, Daisy. From one with an eye for detail such as yours, that’s a real compliment.” She pulled a sheathed pair of long knives from a pouch. “These I made especially for you. They have a harness based on your measurements. The blades ride on your lower back, but with harness support so they aren’t waistband or belt-supported, allowing you to move freely when you––”

  “Whoa, whoa. Hang on a minute. Just because you have some cool new toys doesn’t mean I’m suddenly jumping on board with your plan. You need an alternate idea.”

  “We had one,” Harkaway said. “Until she was shot out into space without the comfort of a space suit.”

  “Leave Sarah out of this,” Daisy snarled.

  “Daisy, Sarah was always a backup plan. A second option. Not as good as you, but promising.”

  “Watch it, that’s my sister you’re talking about.”

  “I meant no offense, Swarthmore, but it was a simple fact. Sarah didn’t progress as quickly as you did. Despite that, we’d have been happy to have her run this op instead, but that’s just not an option anymore.”

  Daisy glared at the captain and others staring at her.

  They all think I’m going to give in and do their stupid mission a
nd save the day.

  “You all are living a pipe dream. Fuck this, I’m out of here.” Daisy got to her feet and stormed out the door.

  Vince and the others let her go.

  Chapter Eighteen

  It was late that night, and Vince didn’t join Daisy in her room for the rest of Blade Runner, though she really didn’t expect him to. Nevertheless, the slightest pang of guilt hit her as she finished the film on her own. Maybe it was because of the Decker/Rachel dynamic, or the human/replicant scenario. Whatever it was, she drifted off into a restless sleep and dreamed of electronic sheep.

  The following morning Daisy dragged herself out of bed a half hour later than usual. She’d tossed and turned all night, and as a result felt like a truck had run over her. That would really be something, though. Trucks hadn’t existed for hundreds of years.

  She somehow managed to put her clothes on right-side out and found her way to the mess hall.

  On her second cup of coffee, she noticed Vince wasn’t partaking of his morning smoothie, for a change. He had attempted to get her to try them, but Daisy was an eggs and oatmeal kind of girl. Protein and carbs minus the blender, she always said. Fortunately, her ramped-up metabolism let her eat pretty much whatever she pleased, though nine times out of ten it was something pretty healthy, anyway.

  She finished up the last of her hot liquid-consciousness and headed off to her morning sparring session with Tamara.

  “What’s with you, Daisy? You’re slower than your usual weak-ass self today,” Tamara teased her, landing a kick to the thigh, dropping her to the ground.

  “Nothing. I’m fine,” Daisy answered, momentarily achieving a burst of energy and launching a flurry of punches that drove Tamara backwards.

  “Better,” the steel-armed woman grunted, “but not good enough!” She then unleashed a few combinations of her own, catching Daisy off guard and again knocking her to the ground. “Come on, Daisy, I know you’re better than this.”

  Daisy slowly climbed to her feet. “I don’t know what’s up with me today. I just feel sluggish.”

  Tamara started unwrapping her hands.

  “Hey, what are you doing? We still have forty-five minutes left.”

  “Nope. Sparring when you’re sore, sparring a bit tired, all of that is fine. But when your head’s not in the game? That’s when you get hurt. Get your thoughts straight and we’ll try again this afternoon.”

  Daisy was secretly relieved, though she’d never admit it.

  “All right. Thanks, Tamara. I’ll see you later,” she said as she walked out of the room and headed down the long corridor past the bio and comms labs.

  I’ve got a little bit of time to kill before my pre-lunch training session with Fatima. Maybe I can squeak in a quick visit to—

  The commotion buzzing in the comms center caught her attention as she passed the open door.

  That’s not normal, she realized as soon as she heard the panicked tone in Chu’s voice.

  “I repeat, Odysseus, this is Ithaca, do you copy?”

  A long silence hung in the air, heavy like the foreboding mist over the morning sea.

  “Nothing, sir,” he finally said to the others anxiously standing by.

  “What’s going on, Daze?” Sarah asked, concern in her voice.

  Beats the hell out of me.

  Daisy altered her course and strode into the room. “Hey, guys, what’s up?”

  All eyes turned to her.

  “Wow, they look kind of uncomfortable,” Sarah commented. “Shelly looks kinda pissed, actually,” she added.

  Captain Harkaway walked around the main comms console and stood before her. “Daisy, I…” He hesitated.

  Harkaway uneasy? Not a good sign.

  “Look,” he continued, “he didn’t want anyone to tell you, but––”

  “Tell me what?” Daisy interrupted. Oh, God, he’s talking about Vince. “What didn’t he want you to tell me?”

  The rest of the assembled team watched uneasily.

  “After you, Vince is the least mechanically-enhanced among us. The least likely to show up on scans.”

  Daisy felt her stomach drop. “Tell me you didn’t send him down there.”

  “I didn’t send him, Daisy. Last night, out of the blue, Vince came to me and volunteered.”

  She felt her legs wobble slightly. Shit.

  “I was going to set up another recon drift first, but he said we’d wasted enough time talking. It was time to either do it or not. I couldn’t help but agree with him, so late last night he took one of the rebuilt drop ships and set down in Los Angeles under cover of darkness.”

  “His comms were working,” Chu added. “He confirmed touchdown and was out running recon when we lost contact. He was supposed to return to the ship and check in almost five hours ago, but he’s still overdue.”

  Daisy pushed Omar and Reggie aside to get a better look at the landing chart on the screen. “Is that where he touched down? Punch in closer. What part of the––”

  The city layout filled the screen, Vince’s location overlaid on top of it.

  Oh no.

  “Daisy, that’s not where the mission was supposed to land. That’s headed right toward the Chithiid scrapping operation.”

  “Who sent him there? This isn’t what was discussed. This isn’t where I heard the AI.”

  “He lost thrust and was forced to alter his approach vector. It was land there or burn up in a fireball. I think this was the better choice,” Harkaway said.

  If the Chithiid found him, it might not have been, she quietly lamented.

  The afternoon’s meditation didn’t make a dent in her aching psyche.

  I drove him to this. I made him leave.

  The massive guilt washing over her was almost incapacitating. Daisy had said some mean things in the past, but never had she expected him to take it so personally. To go on what she considered essentially a suicide mission.

  Stupid, Daisy. Why did you treat him like that? she chided herself.

  “Stop beating yourself up over it. What’s done is done.”

  Not done. It’s still going on, and it could get far worse.

  Fatima watched Daisy working through her inner conflict, then launched another beanbag at her as she balanced atop a narrow beam on one foot. Daisy caught it with one hand, not even paying attention.

  But why would he react like that? I mean it’s not how he is.

  “He feels that the Earth is his home, whether he’s lived there or not,” Sarah replied.

  Two more beanbags flew at her at speed. Daisy turned and kicked one aside, while swatting the other one down effortlessly, as if it were no more than a fly.

  Okay, he’s a grown man and can do what he wants. I can’t let that bother me.

  “But it does.”

  Yeah, it does, she replied in her head. If Vince dies, it’s my fault.

  Three beanbags flew and were snatched from the air. Fatima then threw something else.

  “Daisy, are you okay?” she asked.

  Daisy regained her focus and stepped down from her perch.

  “Yeah, why?”

  “Look at your hands.”

  She looked, and only then realized that she had been in the zone, so preoccupied with Vince that she simply moved on instinct. A half dozen beanbags were nestled in her grip, along with one wicked-sharp ceramic blade. Fatima had made a judgment call and launched it at her pupil, and Daisy had not disappointed, snatching it from the air like it was nothing.

  “Soft is strong, Daisy. Are you starting to believe?” Fatima asked with a knowing smile.

  Her training session with Tamara followed, and while she was somewhat shocked at her reflexes during Fatima’s session, she chalked it up to mostly luck rather than skill.

  The first kick caught her in the side of the head.

  “Pay attention!”

  Daisy threw a spinning round kick, which Tamara easily blocked, but that was merely a fake for her real attack—a simple ye
t powerful straight to the body followed by a low leg kick, a hook, and a flying knee—all of which made contact to some degree, knocking Tamara to the floor.

  What if they captured him and that’s why he isn’t replying, Sarah? Or what if Habby and his cyborgs ventured to that part of town and dragged him back to their lair?

  “Lair? Now that’s a little melodramatic, even for you.”

  Fine, not lair, but something more ominous than ‘clothing store.’

  Tamara rushed her, throwing powerful elbow strikes and Muay Thai kicks. Daisy blocked them easily, shifting her balance and redirecting her aggressive opponent right into a nearby crate.

  “So you do still care.”

  I don’t want him dead, Sarah. So yeah, I guess I do still care in a way.

  “Then what are you going to do about it?”

  A flash of metal whizzed past her head as Tamara threw a blindingly fast sucker punch. Daisy casually evaded it, catching the arm as it passed and twisting, accessing its control panel and entering the attachment swap protocol.

  Tamara’s hand dropped off, clunking to the floor as the arm waited in standby mode for the new attachment to lock into place. Daisy, however, didn’t wait, shifting her center of gravity, moving low and sliding her hip into Tamara’s waist, then throwing her to the ground, spinning above her, locking her good arm in a firm arm-bar and wrist-lock.

  Tamara struggled from the ground a few seconds before realizing she couldn’t break free.

  “I yield,” she said reluctantly.

  Daisy released her grip and let Tamara retrieve her hand, which she did, quickly locking it back into place.

  “How did you know the override? I reprogrammed the whole system when we got here. You shouldn’t have been able to do that. No one should.”

  Daisy ignored her, staring into space.

  “Daisy, you hear me? Daisy? Are you okay? What’s going on in there? What are you doing, Daisy?”

  Finally, Daisy moved, turning to look her in the eye.

  “I’m going after him.”

  Chapter Nineteen