by Tony Batton
His eyes flickered in alarm.
She pulled out the pin, gripping the lever firmly. "A good old-fashioned hand grenade."
"So my choice is what?"
"Take off that suit – I know it's what is giving you the abilities – or I let go."
Bern nodded. "And I'm supposed to believe you're ready to die, Stephanie?"
"I couldn't live with myself if I let you get away again. Something tells me the trouble you've already caused is only the start."
He reached forward and gripped her hands before she had time to move, prising one of her fingers from the lever.
Her eyes went wide. "You said you wouldn't harm me."
"You did this to yourself." He prised another finger away.
She turned and shouted, "Take cover!" But there was none near enough for her.
The soldiers rushed several paces back. There was a shimmer of movement across the deck near Bern and Reems as her hand seemed to fly off the grenade.
Then an explosion ripped across the deck.
One Hundred Thirteen
"I NEED MY NANITES BACK," Tom said. "I need some of your blood."
Alex's eyes flickered. "Will it work?"
"Fundamentally, they're still my nanites. I can tell when you're close. I feel the connection."
She gripped his hand. "I used to be able to feel you. But everything that Bern has done must have changed things."
Marron coughed. "Let's get back to reality. Remember, you have no chip in your head now. The nanites are new to you. They could kill you, like they did all the other test subjects."
"I can control them."
"Can he use a suit, like Bern did?" Alex asked.
Marron shook his head. "There are spare first generation suits on this vessel, but Bern has the only functional suit of that specification."
"I want to do it," Tom said. "I don't care about the risks."
"Get a syringe," Alex said.
Marron gripped her arm. "We'll have to lower the sedation. It might kill him and even if it doesn't, the pain will be indescribable." He looked at Tom. "You may recover some abilities or you may be a chaotic mess."
"If it gives me a chance to save my friends, I'll do it."
Alex leaned forward, pressing her cheek against Tom's, and whispered: "It will give you a chance to be extraordinary again."
"Or die trying," Marron said.
Tom's skin burned where Alex touched him, and yet he did not pull away. "At least this time it's my choice."
Tom felt the needle in the base of his neck, felt the red liquid in the syringe, ready to become one with him. Alex's blood. The nanites. So much potential. So much danger.
"Hold very still," Marron said.
"Could you have chosen somewhere less risky?" Tom asked through gritted teeth.
"Shut up and let me finish."
"Blood for blood, brother," Alex said. "Are you ready for this?"
Tom closed his eyes.
His world exploded. The cabin lights went out and emergency sirens began sounding, but he was only barely aware. His head was hot. His body shook. Electricity started to flow through his nerves. At least that was what it felt like.
He screamed: a scream of pain so pure it was blinding. His mind reached out and he felt the systems around him on the craft at the same time as another urge told him he could break them with but a thought. He edged back from that feeling and let his thoughts extend further. An aircraft carrier floated on the surface above them. Clamped to its hull he sensed the point of impossible energy that was the nano bomb.
He knew where it was. He knew what he had to do.
And then he saw the second point of light. A singularity of a very similar nature. On the deck.
The Accumulator.
And he saw they were different facets of the same thing. And both would destroy everything within reach if he didn't stop them.
It was time to move.
His eyes flew open and he found himself standing, the heavy strapping lying in tatters around his feet. The pain was still there, but something stronger was shutting it out. Marron had an expression he had never seen before. Was he nervous?
Alex looked at Tom, her mouth hanging open, her pupils dilated. "Incredible."
"I have to go now."
Marron nodded. "When you face Bern, don't try and do too much. You don't have a power cell to draw on. You have to fight smart."
"I'll bear that in mind."
"Now I'm going to bring us close to the surface. I'd offer you one of the suits, but, as we know, Bern seems to have master control over those."
Tom's eyes flashed. "I don't need the suit. I am the suit. I am the nanites."
Alex reached forward and embraced him. "I will see you again, Thomas Faraday. I think there are things you can teach me."
Tom stared back at her, his eyes liquid darkness, and she flinched, pulling away.
"Something's changed," she whispered.
"No," he said, "everything has."
One Hundred Fourteen
BERN STOOD ON THE DECK, encased in whispers of flame, but protected by the suit. Reems lay on the deck, groaning...
Wait, he thought. How could she have survived the explosion? It was impossible unless she was shielded.
There was a crackling hiss and the shape of Lentz flickered into view, crouching over Reems. She looked up. "Even for you, that was a new low."
Bern took a step back, confused. "You jumped between us?"
"If I hadn't, she'd be dead. As it is, she's hardly breathing."
"How did you activate translucency and protection at the same time without Tom's nanites?"
"I shorted a few circuits. It wasn't very power efficient."
"I see. Looks like your suit is exhausted now." He raised the rifle, then realised it was useless, twisted out of shape by the grenade. Muttering, he threw it to one side and extended his hand, instructing the suit to channel energy directly from the Accumulator. His hand crackled with electricity.
"My suit may not have power," Lentz said, "but there's one thing you need to remember."
"What?"
"Not to get distracted."
Bern was about to reply when something hit him on the back of the head.
Lentz watched Bern fall to the deck, unconscious. Kate stood behind him, holding the broken handle of an axe.
"I won't pretend I didn't enjoy that," Kate said, "but why didn't his suit protect him?"
"Because he has to tell it to do so. He didn't know about the blow, so it didn't harden to protect him."
"That seems like a significant design flaw."
"Yeah, well maybe I'll fix it in the next version."
From behind them Truman cleared his throat loudly. "Will someone explain just what the hell is going on? Where did you get one of those suits?"
"It wasn't that difficult, given I designed them."
Truman shouted an order and the SEALs raised their weapons, targeting Lentz.
"What are you doing?" Lentz asked, incredulous. "Put those guns down."
"You just admitted to working with Bern."
"He stole the tech from me, you moron. Just like it seems you stole tech from him."
"I never said that--"
Kate banged the axe handle on the deck. "We just saved you. And if we hadn't disabled the invisibility on the carrier, you'd never even have known we were here."
"Of course," Lentz said, "it's no more than I would expect from the idiots who dropped a bomb on that dome. What were you thinking?"
"I..." Truman trailed off.
"That's what I thought. Now can we get a doctor over here to look at Stephanie? And can someone give me a hand to get Bern out of this suit before he wakes up and uses it to kill us all." She frowned. "The words you're looking for are 'right away' and 'thank you'."
Truman shouted an order and one of the SEALs radioed for medical support.
"No!" shouted a man's voice. Lentz turned and saw George Croft running across the d
eck. He reached Lentz, and stared for a moment at Reems. "Oh my God, is she OK?"
"I hope so."
He nodded and turned to the unconscious form of Bern. "What have you done?"
"What we had to," Lentz said.
"Goddammit." Croft lunged forward and slapped Bern on the face. "Where is my daughter's cure?"
"Stop him," Truman said. "We need Bern unharmed for interrogation." Two SEALs moved forward and lifted Croft away none too gently.
"Who gets to interrogate him still needs to be decided. He's not your prisoner," Lentz said. "You have no jurisdiction here. He is a British citizen."
"Let's not be stupid about this. Reems isn't even conscious."
"Because she was trying to force him to surrender. It's thanks to her the situation is under control. Are you really going to take advantage of her injuries?"
"I have my orders."
Kate coughed. "Did anyone feel that? I thought I..." She trailed off.
"He promised me the cure for my daughter," Croft said. "I just need him to tell me where it is."
Lentz turned and saw Bern's eyes flickering. "We need to sedate him. Quickly."
"No," said a new voice, both familiar and strangely different. "You will do no such thing."
One Hundred Fifteen
LENTZ TURNED AND SAW TOM standing, staring at them, his eyes dark and unreadable. His skin had an unhealthy grey pallor.
Kate took a step towards him, then hesitated.
Tom ignored her and looked directly at Truman. "Are all your people wearing comms?"
"Yes. I'm very--"
"Remove yours. Right now." Tom adjusted the backpack he was wearing.
Truman pulled it from his ear. "Why?"
Tom blinked and all the US personnel clutched at their ears, screaming, and fell to the ground.
"What the--" Truman began, shocked.
"Your Interface is working again?" Lentz said, standing up.
"I can't let them take my father."
"I agree. We won't let--"
"I can't let you take him either. I need him."
"What's needed," Lentz said, "is to get that suit off of him before he regains consciousness." She moved towards Bern.
"No," Tom said quietly and held out his hand towards her.
Lentz's suit locked rigid. "What are you doing?"
"I said I need him. Now give me some space." He pointed and she took three steps back.
"Tom, you're not well. Just let me help you."
"I know what I'm doing." He crouched next to Bern, who was beginning to stir. "I'm going to take care of my father."
"Tom, stop it," Kate said. "You're not thinking straight."
He spun to face her. "Stay out of this. I don't want to hurt you."
"Why would you hurt me?" She screwed up her face. "I'm not wearing a suit, so you can't control me."
"I don't need to control you." He nodded in the direction of a deck gun. It spun up and pointed at Truman. "I can instruct the gun to fire at any target I choose. And I can keep doing that until I find someone who will help me."
"Help you do what?" Truman asked.
"I'm going to take Bern away from here. It's safer for everyone."
"What?" Kate hissed. "Why would you do this for him?"
"It's complicated. Just like when I worked with Director Reems last year at CERUS Tower. Isn't that right, Dominique?"
Lentz blinked. "As I recall that was very simple. Tom, you need help."
"You're right. I do. Mr Truman, I need something from you: a helicopter."
Truman frowned. "I suppose at least you asked this time. What if I refuse?"
The deck gun twitched.
Lentz shook her head. "Do what he asks. It's not worth the risk."
"I cannot let them leave this ship. Not with the Accumulator. Not now we've seen what Bern can do with it."
"Surely you can track them anywhere. Nobody needs to die on this deck."
Bern's eyelids flickered, he groaned, then he went quiet again.
"Time's almost up," Tom said. "Do you really want him to stay?"
Kate stared at Tom, then cleared her throat. "Do it, Mr Truman."
Truman gave a glare. "I don't suppose we're going to see our aircraft again."
Tom shrugged. "You'll have bigger things to worry about."
Lentz watched as the helicopter receded, carrying Tom and Bern away, until the tiny speck vanished, heading south. Reems had been flown to the US aircraft carrier for urgent medical attention. She was in a serious but stable condition.
Truman stood next to Lentz, his earpiece plugged back in. "We're tracking them via two satellites, and I have other aircraft moving into position."
"Very thorough of you."
"I really hope this doesn't prove to be the worst career decision I've ever made."
"I think the bar has been set pretty high."
"Director Banetti is en route: he wants to assess the situation first hand."
"How delightful. Perhaps he can comment on Bern's allegations that you stole his tech."
There was a buzzing from Truman's earpiece and he listened intently. "What do you mean we've lost them?" He screwed up his eyes then turned back to Lentz. "Our satellites have been re-tasked."
"Have they?"
Truman stared at her. "You knew this was going to happen."
"I suspected something would."
"But Tom was right," Kate cut in. "There was danger in Bern staying here."
"Well, obviously, while he was in that suit--"
"No, something else. Something more."
Lentz frowned and pulled out a tablet computer. Her fingers danced over the surface. "While I was in the lab downstairs I accessed this vessel's CCTV. If I run a facial and bio-mechanical recognition search for Tom, we should be able to see if he was anywhere specific..." She stopped and tapped on a particular feed. "This is from a hull-mounted camera a few minutes before Tom appeared on deck." She turned the tablet to let Truman and Kate see a figure in scuba gear pulling a metal cube from the hull, then carefully placing it in a backpack.
"What was that object?" Truman leaned closer, re-winding then enlarging the image to peer at the cube. "It looks like the Accumulator."
Lentz zoomed the image in even further and shook her head. "It is CERUS tech, but I thought it was only theoretical."
"What is it?"
"A nano bomb. Significantly more powerful than the thermobaric weapon you dropped on the Dome. The tech is very similar to that used in the Accumulator – the one you deny stealing from CERUS. The bomb is fusion driven."
"So Bern had a bomb on board, like a self-destruct? And Tom was trying to get it off this ship?"
"Perhaps it couldn't be defused," Kate said softly. "And this rather re-frames his actions, wouldn't you say?"
Truman rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Where will they go with it?"
"I don't know," Lentz replied. "And, judging by what Tom did to your satellites, he doesn't want you to know either."
One Hundred Sixteen
TOM FLEW THE HELICOPTER SOUTH for more than three hours. The waters below had warmed considerably; Tom could feel them. He was different than before: the Interface had returned, if not as sophisticated as previously. It was like restoring from an old software backup; his abilities were at the level of sophistication he had passed on to Alex a year ago. But now there was something else: the adaptations in the nanites, put there by Alex and her experiences and, above all, her ability to learn. Yet for him it was manifesting differently.
He looked at Bern in his suit. Still unconscious, but impervious. He looked at the flow of particles on the suit's surface. He saw how it worked. And he sent a spark of electricity through it.
Bern flinched, then jerked upright, his eyes flying open. "What's going on?"
"I'm getting us to safety," Tom replied from his position in the flight seat.
"Someone hit me..." Bern's hands flew to run over his torso, checking to see that he was
wearing his suit. "You have a helicopter?"
"I negotiated."
"How... are you flying?"
"It seems I've regained use of my Interface."
"Why are you doing this? I thought you were in league with Alex."
"It's become clear that I cannot trust her. Or Lentz. Or Reems. And certainly not the CIA. Maybe I can trust you. With the US there, the Phoenix Reborn is lost. We needed to get away and consider our options." Tom pointed out to their right. A small, rocky island had come into view. "I need to take a break."
Tom brought them low and set the helicopter down on a rocky beach. There were no trees, just some scrubby bushes and lots of rocks. They climbed out and stretched their legs.
"Do you ever plan on taking it off?" asked Tom. "The suit?"
Bern smiled. "Who'd want to be normal and vulnerable again?"
"Hopefully we're safe here," Tom said, stepping onto the smooth pebbles. "It's uninhabited."
"I should thank you for saving me back there. You could have let me be captured."
"I didn't think prison was the right place for you. The turf war for whether it would be a British or American prison was already starting."
"I have no doubt." Bern frowned. "Look, Tom, I'm sorry for how things have worked out. I know at times it looks like I've given no regard to your rights or feelings."
"You're a driven man. I understand that. Don't apologise for who you are."
"I never personally meant you harm. I was looking for a--"
"Way to change the world? Yes, I understand that too. And you're never going to stop."
"It's not in my nature."
"I agree. And if the US or British had imprisoned you, I'm sure you'd have found a way to extricate yourself or buy your way out." Tom unshouldered his backpack and placed it on the ground between them. "You're impressively resourceful."
"The world isn't changed by eighty per cent effort."
"Given that they weren't going to deal with you, I had to take on that task." Tom unzipped the backpack and removed the black metal cube. There was a prolonged moment of silence as Tom watched Bern stare at it.