“We have another problem,” Chloe said. “My former people are coming, and they want what we have. They also want blood.”
“Coming from where, and how many?” Andi asked.
“The south, and I don’t know. Rowan is gathering squads from his patrol loop. They’ll be heavily armed, sneaky as fuck, and willing to die for what’s inside this place,” I said.
Andi flicked her fingers in dismissal. “Easy fix.”
“Easy? Andi, we’re talking about dozens of armed raiders, with long guns and anything else they can carry,” I said, stunned at her casual nature. I knew she was confident, I didn’t know she was stupid.
She wasn’t. “This facility isn’t without protection. I can activate passive and active defense positions, and I can operate them from anywhere in the facility.”
“Wait. There’s a defense net?” I asked, incredulous. I’d seen nothing of it outside, and I had been looking hard.
“Two of them. One is static, the other, airborne,” Andi said.
“We didn’t see anything overhead,” Mira said. “Trust me, we looked.”
“Not overhead now. Armed drones called Kestrels. They work in pairs, launched from the granary silos. Those towers aren’t for decoration. They’re launch platforms, as well as stable shooting positions,” Andi said.
Everyone was silent while we considered the news. Not just tech, but military technology beyond anything I’d ever seen. It was unthinkable. It was also 2000 years old.
I spoke into the quiet. “Andi, it’s—”
“Two thousand years old, I know. But the system isn’t mechanical. It’s a hybrid organo-nanobot design that we finished less than three months before I went under. The drones are smaller than a hawk, lethal at three hundred meters, and capable of a full day of flight without losing operational efficiency. They were the bleeding edge even for this place, and they can take out a light company without breaking cover.”
“Cover? They’re stealthed?” I asked.
“Their skin is pure ‘bot magic. Shifting spectrum, adjustable density. Everything we had in defensive coating went into those birds, and they pack a fuckload of punch for their size,” Andi said.
“What’s the ordinance?” I asked, burning with curiosity about the lost wonders of my own nation.
“Neural darts fired by a small magnetic ring. Each dart weighs ten grains, and the little bastards break Mach five in clear air. They don’t just kill the enemy; they can shear through the toughest reactive armor ever designed by humanity. For these clowns, the question isn’t if we can kill them, the question is how fast,” Andi finished.
I whistled low, thinking of how air cover could change our defensive abilities. “How high can they fly?”
“Two models. One flies at four hundred meters and under; it’s too light for high level winds. But the Condor model—we’ve got them here, too—well, they should have no problem at the edge of pulse range. Call it a thousand meters, give or take,” Andi said.
“How high is that?” Chloe asked, her eyes narrowed in thought.
“Remember that hill we climbed to the cave? Put five of them on top of each other, and you’re getting close,” I said.
“Can you see what these, um, machines see?” Chloe asked.
“Sure. Part of the system is a vid feed to a flex screen that takes up half the wall on level four. We’ll know every living thing in a radius of ten klicks, and beyond on a clear day. The Condors and Kestrels have infrared vision for nighttime. Nothing gets past them,” Andi said. The triumph in her tone was clear. She was an engineer through and through.
“Then our decision is simple. We get the defensive system up first to hold off Rowan and kill everyone in his party without leaving here. I don’t give a shit about a fair fight. I want to win, and I want it without exposing any of us to risk. The more we protect, the better we are during what’s next,” I said.
“Which is?” Silk asked, though she knew the answer.
“Building the world, of course,” I answered.
“Sounds good to me. I’m not going anywhere,” Andi said.
“Me either. I kinda like the idea of freedom. A bed and shelter wouldn’t be bad, either,” Chloe said.
“You can have all of that and more. Andi is the first break we’ve gotten since the storm, and we’re not going to waste her knowledge. Will you work with us?” I asked her.
“Of course. Thought it was obvious,” she said.
“It was, but I wanted to hear it from you. There’s a long road ahead, and you’re free to go at any time. My hope is that you’ll stay,” I said. There was no mistaking the gratitude in my voice, even to my own ears.
“I will. This is nothing. I survived Chicago public schools and three brothers. I can handle some dirty fucksticks with delusions of grandeur,” Andi said, and my smile was impossible to stop. She was made of steel, wrapped in velvet.
“Then we start with the silos. Show me these guns you’re talking about,” I said.
“Right this way. I think you’ll love what we’ve done with our pew-pew since you took your nap,” Andi said.
“Rate of fire went up?” I asked, eyebrows lifting.
“Honey, we don’t just shoot things,” Andi said, her smile a wicked bow. “We cut them in two.”
12
The Empty spread before us as dusk settled in, a rusty panorama broken only by light clouds to the east, running away as fast as the lofty winds could carry them. We were on top of the tallest silo, its height just enough to give us a clear view of the surrounding growth and landscape. It was rougher than I imagined, with folded gullies and washouts held together with an array of growth that rivaled the Free Oasis, but uncultured and wild.
Andi held a remote tablet, the face of it glowing softly in the dying light. “We knew—and by we I mean me, because everyone else was worried about flooding—that more than one ring of defense was critical. We have five gunnery positions at natural chokepoints about a klick out.” She marked them on the tablet, each touch of her finger leaving a bright blue triangle.
“Are there robotic weapons in place?” I asked, knowing that if there were, the chances of them surviving were almost nil.
“No, but there are hidden emplacements, as well as shooting platforms. We have weapons here, but we’ll need to install them. The first order of business should be getting a bird up to find out where this Rowan is, and how much time we’ve got,” Andi said.
“Agreed. What weapons? Are they mobile?” I asked.
“Larger versions of what the drones use. Thirty thousand rounds, self-cooling, and small enough that one person can carry them in. It’s a cartridge unit, weighs about forty kilos. They’re absolute hell on wheels for anything under the size of an APC, and even then, they can shred tires and blow an engine block. For tanks, it would have to be a lucky shot. For everything else, it’s lights out,” Andi said.
“APC?” Mira asked.
“Armored personnel carrier. Think of a heavy truck with armor and attitude,” Andi said.
“Where are they?” I asked. “The dart throwers? You guide, I’ll carry. We go as a team, but I want them up in the hour, if the sites are close enough and clear of debris.”
“Then I have good news for you. The armory is at the end of level 1, and the sites are recessed so debris isn’t an issue. I can send the command from here for them to elevate. Should I do it now?” Andi asked.
“Do it. I have decent night vision. Do you, by the way?” I asked.
“I do too. Close to full daylight, if a bit shifted in spectrum. My ‘bots are three generations or more past yours, so I’ve got a few tweaks you could use. I’m not combat-centric, though. I have augmentations, but not the systemic improvements you do. My specialty is elsewhere,” Andi said, her fingers flying over the tablet.
“Tech is your field, not killing?” I asked.
“Oh, I can kill. I’m just better at killing with tech,” Andi answered, smiling broadly in the last of the day�
�s light.
“Fair enough. I still don’t know what my body can do, but it hasn’t really been tested yet. I’m sure that drought of experience ends soon. Rowan and his crew have ‘bots, however primitive, and their delivery vector sucks compared to mine. And yours. But as far as numbers go, even a horde of mice can take down a super soldier, given enough of an advantage and a willingness to die in the fight,” I said.
“Or rats, if they’re big enough,” Silk added.
“Or rats,” I agreed.
“Let’s get inside. I assume the lights will only hold the creatures at bay for so long, and they have access to the open by that hunting tunnel?” Andi asked.
“They do. We’ll have to move fast and quiet, but those dart stations are our friends. Once they’re up, can they be trained on anything?” I asked.
“Sure. You mean thin the rats and scorps before Rowan comes?” Andi asked, her feet ringing on the metal steps. We were descending in single file, guns at the ready in case the predators showed up for dinner ahead of schedule.
“Exactly that,” I said.
“I’m fine with you killing every last one of the fuckers,” Mira said. I couldn’t disagree but knew that ammunition would be at an absolute premium.
“We can face two guns out, and two in. they have about 120 degrees as their field of fire, so overlapping is out of the question. There are two platforms that would be safe to use as inward facing stations.” Andi pointed to the east and south, indicating locations outside the facility.
“That works. Quiet, now. We don’t want to ring the dinner bell early,” I cautioned. We stalked down into level 1, and in the distance, I heard the first stirrings of rats. A low churring sound echoed off the stairwell, far too deep to be any rodent I’d ever heard before. Andi nodded, and Chloe clutched her gun with white-knuckled fury. Silk was calm as ever, strolling along with a look that was alert but steady.
We arrived at the armory double doors, where Andi passed her thumb over a small security panel. After a pained moment of waiting, the internal mechanism clicked, and the door slid open a fraction as lights flickered into brilliance beyond.
I pushed the door open and whistled. “Is anyone else as turned on as I am right now?”
“I have a ladyboner every time I walk in here,” Andi said.
Chloe gasped, Mira groaned in pleasure, and even Silk drew in a sharp breath at the expanse of weapons and gear.
“It’s like Christmas and my birthday and the fucking fourth of July all in one,” I said as my hungry gaze roamed over the immense arsenal.
“I don’t know what those are, but I feel the same way,” Mira said. “Other than the birthday, of course.”
“Glad to know not everything was lost,” I said, referring to both birthdays and guns.
The entire room smelled of cosmoline and a chemical I couldn’t identify. “If we have to clean these guns, we’re going to run out of time.”
“We won’t. The cosmo isn’t on the robotics, just the spare pistols. We put some vintage arms in here due to the uncertainty of what might be left over when the shit dropped in the pot. We picked what we had that was stable, packed enough ammo and reloads for years, and then went to work on the ready system,” Andi said.
“Ready system? Solvents?” I asked. I didn’t see anything like that around the enormous room, but then there wasn’t a clear viewpoint. Shelve went floor to ceiling, and the walls were festooned with hanging weapons of types I couldn’t identify. They were blocky, gray, and sealed in thick material that shimmered under the lights. “The robotics?” I asked.
“The very same. Grab two, we’ll get three. We can take five for now. The ammo is in a sealed unit. It’s a click and forget, but we’ll retrieve them for reload,” Andi said.
“We can reload robotic weapons? How?” I asked, hefting two units down from their brackets. They were less than forty kilos, and small enough that I could hang them over my shoulders with a strap. As a weapon, they resembled an angry box, with two snub barrels emerging from the uninspiring core. A small dome on top was the only deviation in the smooth exterior, other than the barrels and a bracket with a cable hookup.
“We have power. All we need is material to make the darts. Do you have access to a forge?” Andi asked.
“Funny you mention it, we do now,” I said, thankful yet again for Derin and Scoot. Their skills were beyond critical for our reclamation of the world.
“Then we save the cartridges and pray for the best until your metal workers can produce ingots. That’s the beauty of ‘bots. They don’t rest, and they can convert anything into anything, given enough power and materials,” Andi said.
“What else for now?” Silk asked, looking around the room with awed interest. Her calm demeanor faded when she saw the enormous punch of our new armory. Silk understood the use of force, and knew that Andi’s addition would give us a chance at things we’d never thought possible. Like real safety.
“You good on handguns? There’s a rack of modded .40 cals over there. Depleted rounds, heluva punch,” Andi said.
“Cosmoline on them?” I asked.
“Right. Not time. Okay, work with what we have, and come back if we have time after the exterior ring is set up,” Andi said.
“We all go outside now. You’ve sent the command to the sites?” I asked, a new wrinkle forming in my plan.
“They’re all up,” Andi confirmed.
“Then we go to the closest one. Mira, look at the tablet and memorize the locations. After Andi shows me how to ready the first position, I want Silk and Chloe with her, back inside. You two act as lookouts while she readies the bird. We need eyes up, and Mira can cover me while I lock and load on these robotics,” I said.
“Sounds good. Up and out to the left. First position is a stopgap measure, close to the ground but with a killing field that should buy us time in the event any number of Rowan’s people get too close,” Andi said.
Moments later, we stood in the night breeze, stars winking overhead as the Milky Way began its march across the sky.
“Right here,” Andi said after only a few steps. The position was a black panel, rimed with dirt but elevated some three meters from the ground on a thick column of waffled concrete. Without saying a word, I jumped up to the platform with the gun on my back, landing lightly and looking back down at the women’s faces, illuminated by my augmented sight.
“Help me up. Bit high for me,” Andi said, extending a hand. “Look at this while I’m up here. Blue triangles are your go points.” She handed the tablet to Mira, who began scanning it with the practiced ease of someone who knew map reading as a matter of life or death.
I pulled Andi up, letting her settle for a second before pulling my knife to cut at the protective covering over the gun. “Tough stuff,” I said. The knife was razor sharp, but the material didn’t part without a fight.
“Monofilament sheeting extruded by ‘bots. Can be used for everything from parachutes to fishnets. Damned good stuff. Okay, watch this.” Andi levered up a flat panel with her own knife, exposing an indented square the size of a sheet of paper. Inside was an odd USB port, a power hookup, and three small circular access points that glowed a soft blue. “Power, data, gas cooling. There’s a reactive tank in the column; it pulls air through the waffled surface and forces it up through the gun. Better than water jacketed systems by a long shot because it separates helium and rare gases as it goes.”
“Fancy. I like it,” I said. “Just push and click?”
“That’s it. Like I said, these were made for maximum ease of operation. No one cares about fancy fucking tech if it can’t be changed out under fire,” Andi said.
“No shit,” Chloe muttered, looking at her own gun with a jaundiced eye. She cleaned it constantly, but like any weapon in The Empty, it was susceptible to sand and grit causing jams.
I depressed the cartridge until I felt it connect. A low hum filled my ears as blue light winked into life on the dome above the barrels. “Good?”
“Good. That’s it. Unit is live,” Andi said. She eased off the platform to land with a grunt, taking the tablet from Mira and moving her fingers across the surface again. The gun moved back and forth, nudging me to the edge of the platform. “Come on down. I won’t arm the system for auto until we’re all back inside. Then nothing except blind luck can stop someone from being cut apart. The system isn’t very forgiving, I’m afraid.”
“I’m glad. Fuck Rowan,” Chloe growled.
I smiled at her fierce tone. Of the party, she had the most reason to hate him, and his coming death would be met without a single tear.
“Can you lock the others?” Andi asked.
“If Mira takes me to the sites, yes. We’re good to go,” I said, raising a questioning brow.
“I have the locations. Thirty minutes and we have all four up and running,” Mira answered.
“Okay. Be careful in there,” I told Andi, Silk, and Chloe. “If anything goes to shit, run hard and fast for this platform. It’s facing out, so you get to this side of it and scream to the stars. We’ll be here in seconds, no matter what.”
“Got it,” Chloe said. Silk merely touched my arm, but Andi stopped in front of me, her face drawn with concern. “If we get taken out, find my thumb. You understand? You need it for the security. We’ll override the system later and add all of you to it, but for now, even if you have to gut every predator in this place, do it. You need access to survive, Jack.”
“I will,” I told her, giving her shoulder a light squeeze. It was hard with ‘bot driven muscle. She would succeed, just as I would. There was no other choice, regardless of what wanted to turn us into dinner.
13
Mira waved to the south. “That’s the next one.”
“The elevated point?” I asked, my feet already moving. I carried three of the five guns without a great strain, thanking my ‘bots for their limitless work. I felt the strength binding what I had been with what I was, and the mixture worked.
Future Reborn Box Set Page 34