"Ready?" Jason asked.
"We are ready," 707 answered. They crossed the street through the failing light of late evening and jumped the security wall that was at least ten meters tall, Crusher grunting slightly as he pulled himself up and over.
"That door," 722 said as he crossed the open space to a formidable-looking alloy security door. He pried back the cover for the access panel and extended flexible probes from his fingertips into the device. A few seconds later the lock gave a single beep and the door popped open.
"722 is specially equipped to directly interface with other machines and computers similarly to what Kage does," Lucky said quietly to Jason. "There are only two other battlesynths left with this configuration."
"Interesting," Jason said, pulling his main weapon out of the pack and switching his ocular implants over to low-light mode when he saw the corridor behind the door was unlit. "Let's hope he's up to the task when we get in there."
The team filtered in through the door with 707 coming in last, closing it behind him.
"The building's security system has already been deactivated," 722 said. "The access point is two floors down in the sub-basement."
"Proceed," 707 said.
As they proceeded, they deployed battlesynths along the way in ones and twos to act as lookouts and defenders should the building not be as empty as it appeared. After a short run down two flights of stairs they entered another generic-looking corridor, but this one showed signs of a struggle.
The door hung open at an angle, looking like it had been forced off its hinges, and the door itself was bent completely out of shape. There were also a few blast marks here and there along the floor and on the walls as well as the pervading odor of decay that Jason knew likely meant there was a dead body or two lying around.
"These pru have been killed via blunt force trauma," 707 said when they walked into the control room and saw the three bodies that had been tossed into the corner. Two looked like security personnel and one wore civilian clothes. There was also a normal synth that had been torn limb from limb.
"This looks like the handiwork of some of your cousins," Jason said. "Any reason they'd attack this place?"
"It's one of three hub points in Cenk Vale that allows hardline connectivity into the entire defensive grid," 722 answered. "But all of the data lines are encrypted, this is just a routing station … I am not sure what they hoped to accomplish here."
"Begin your task," 707 said. "We will continue to investigate."
"Why would whoever is behind all this send battlesynths to trash a network routing station and then just leave the bodies lying about?" Jason asked Crusher and Lucky.
"It is possible they were after the same access point that we are," Lucky said.
"One of the pru had his hand ripped off," Crusher observed. "Maybe they needed him to unlock part of the network for them, or at least a biometric reading."
"Could be," Jason said as he watched 722 begin working at the main terminal.
"The Lord Archon is correct," the specialized battlesynth said. "One of the deceased pru is Administrator Loval. His credentials were used to unlock several restricted nodes including orbital defenses, orbital surveillance and sensors, and the Kheprian Emergency Defensive System."
"What's that last one?" Jason asked.
"It is the system that would be activated in the event of an attack on Khepri Prime," 707 said. "It handles coordinating between defensive forces, sending alerts to the public, and issuing distress calls to allies."
"It's also an AI system?"
"Correct. It's not the most advanced system, but it is sufficient for its task."
"And it has ties into your entire military data grid?"
"Correct. Why is that important, Captain Burke?"
"722, I would back out of whatever you're doing right now," Jason said.
As soon as the words left his mouth, Combat Unit 722 stiffened, let out a warbling cry, and then fell forward into the terminal, smashing the control interface before he rolled off and hit the floor.
"He is … non-functional," another battlesynth said after checking 722 over.
"What's that mean? Did he get turned off?" Crusher asked.
"Combat Unit 722 is dead," Lucky said. "Non-functional is how we express a unit going offline permanently."
"We need to get out of here, right now!" Jason barked. "Quickly, everyone get the hell out of here before we get overrun!"
"What are you blabbing about?" Crusher demanded even as Jason spun him around and shoved him through the door.
"Split up when we hit the surface and meet at rally point bravo and do not talk about it out loud until we're out of the building," Jason shouted as he ran. "Avoid contact at all costs once we're out!"
To their credit, the members of Lot 700 did not waste time debating the merit of the little human's orders. They quickly retraced their steps, 707 carrying his fallen comrade over his shoulders.
They burst through the heavy security door and into the night, Jason not slowing at all as he leapt over the wall, landing hard and rolling his ankle on the other side. Lucky and Crusher came down beside him and they ran back towards where Tauless was sitting in the rented ground car while the other battlesynths quickly dispersed and disappeared down alleys and side-roads.
"What happened?" Tauless said as they climbed into the vehicle and slammed the door shut.
"Not now!" Jason said. "Get us going, head back to the spaceport. Manually enter the directions, keep off the Nexus as much as possible."
"What the hell is going on?" Crusher asked.
"I'd say I just proved my theory," Jason said as the vehicle pulled onto the road and accelerated away from the building they'd just escaped from. "We were being watched in there. As soon as I warned 722 to back out of the network something killed him just like it tried to do to Kage. It had allowed him access because it was likely trying to analyze him at the same time."
"To what end?"
"Since battlesynth minds aren't something easily sliced into from what I understand, I think it was trying to figure out what a group of battlesynths was doing there and why they weren't being influenced by the inhibitor and recall signals," Jason said.
"So we're heading back to the ship?" Tauless asked.
"No," Jason said. "The rally point we set up near the spaceport. I want to make sure we're all together again before we try and get to the Phoenix."
"Try?" Crusher asked.
"I don't know how extensive its ability to track us is," Jason said. "The Phoenix is vulnerable while she's on the ground, so once we get there I want to be in the air quickly."
"There were four battlesynths in the vehicle that just passed us," Lucky said. "They were heading towards the network hub and they were not members of Lot 700."
"I saw," Jason said. "Hard to miss them since they were all in full combat mode."
Nobody said anything as the implications were clear. Whoever was giving orders to the battlesynths on Khepri was now hunting them.
27
"Only three others are missing," 707 said quietly. They were standing in an empty hangar that serviced small surface to orbit shuttles that sat on the periphery of the spaceport. "I would like to know your thoughts on what happened to 722."
"My crewman suffered a similar attack," Jason said. "But since he's a biological being with a computer interface we were able to stop it in time. When you said that someone had used the attack on that building to gain access to certain parts of the defensive network, I suspected the central banking AI was behind it. Normally those would be systems with no connectivity to each other, but it needs access to the defensive networks to maintain control of the Kheprian military assets.
"It sent battlesynths to a lightly defended access point and used them to provide a route for it to directly access the Emergency Defense System AI. I suspect it was able to overwhelm it and assume control. After that it wasn't too much of a leap to think that it was watching us the whole time
we were in there, trying to figure out why there were thirty-seven battlesynths completely beyond its reach."
"Fascinating," 707 said. "And when you warned 722 to extricate himself, it attacked."
"That was a serious mistake on my part," Jason admitted. "I'm truly sorry about that."
"I do not blame you, Captain Burke," 707 said. "It was an unfortunate loss, but one that can happen to any soldier. What will your next move be?"
"I feel like we have confirmation that our suspicions regarding that AI are well-founded," Jason said. "At least enough to take action."
"Do we need to take action at all?" Crusher asked. "There's no dishonor in strategic retreat in the face of an enemy that holds so many advantages."
"Lucky? 707? Is there any way to hand this back over to the Kheprian authorities at this point?" Jason asked.
"The suspected AI infiltration into the defense network is problematic," 707 said. "If you, an alien and outsider, went to the local authorities you would either be ignored or given a warning for disturbing the peace. If one of us went we would likely be ordered to turn ourselves in to Ministry of Martial Affairs for evaluation.
"The main issue is that there have been no overt moves yet that cannot be explained. The bodies in the network hub station would likely be viewed as an isolated crime and be investigated by local law enforcement. The recall order appears to be legal and in response to a credible threat. If any of us went claiming that what many pru consider to be nothing more than a public utility has become sentient and nefarious I do not think you will get the response you are looking for."
"And if we do nothing?"
"You've already laid that out," Crusher sighed. "I hate the ConFed, but you're right … the amount of suffering that would take place in the void created if they just collapsed would be unacceptable. But you have to realize we can't just attack that hardened facility, we'd be dead before we made it to the door."
"I've been giving that some thought—"
"You have no idea how little that comforts me."
"—and I think there are a few alternatives to trying to fight a couple hundred battlesynths head-on," Jason said. "Tauless, what happens if the inhibitor and recall beacon signals are shut off?"
"The battlesynths that are affected will no longer be coerced into blindly following the orders coming from through the Ministry," Tauless said. "Theoretically their individuality should reassert itself immediately."
"Theoretically?"
"The inhibitor system has never been activated before," Tauless said. "I only know what the technical specifications say as there is no precedence for this. It doesn't turn the battlesynths into automatons … it's more of a suppressive system. They're … encouraged … to follow orders that they otherwise might disagree with and refuse."
"I believe there will be a brief period of disorientation, but they should no longer be a threat," Lucky said. "Is the signal's origin centrally located and accessible?"
"It is a single node," Tauless said slowly. "The signal propagates out through the slip-com system and over local networks to provide blanket coverage over Khepri, but as you would imagine the node is not just lying about unprotected."
"I'm listening," Jason said.
"This system is hundreds of years old, so fortunately that means it's not on one of the Ministry's orbital facilities," Tauless said. "My father made specific notes regarding the inhibitor and its installation. It's on the southern continent in a hardened building on a mostly disused base."
"So it's all military there?" Crusher asked. "Better and better … we could just take the Phoenix and wipe out the facility from high-altitude."
"Except that the Kheprian military would be considered innocent in all this," Jason said. "At least, we assume they are. Let's not even talk about the ramifications of what happens to us no matter if we're right or wrong … a surgical strike is one thing, bombarding a Pillar World from orbit is another."
"You suck all the joy out of everything," Crusher muttered.
"We'll need to—" Jason was cut off as his com unit began chirping. He looked at the incoming address and opened the channel. "Go ahead."
"It's starting," Doc said. "ConFed battlegroups began moving to intercept the Saabror ships, but then the Protectorate called in reinforcements that must have been sitting just outside the system boundary. A few warning shots have been fired, but they're still closing on each other."
"Damn," Jason sighed. "We're out of time. Doc, go ahead and begin calling for uplift clearance, we're on our way to you."
"We're leaving?" Crusher asked.
"Repositioning," Jason corrected. "I want the Phoenix off the ground and it looks like we'll be heading south no matter what. Let's get her out over the water and into a holding pattern to give us some breathing room. Lucky, if you could get your lot-mates ready to move?"
"We overheard the conversation, Captain," 707 said. "We are ready now."
"Let's get to it, then," Jason said. "I want four groups staggered at random intervals no greater than five minutes. We're hauling ass across the parking apron to the Jepsen DL7 you see with the marker lights blinking. First group on me."
"SIXTEEN ESHQUARIAN WARSHIPS are approaching the standoff between the ConFed and the Protectorate, sir," Similan said.
"This is about to go hot," Mok said. "The Empire wouldn't pass up an opportunity to bloody the Protectorate, but the ConFed ships are obligated to step in and defend them."
"Even though the Protectorate ships have taken up a hostile posture towards the ConFed battlegroups?" the captain of Mok's ship asked.
"Welcome to quadrant politics," Mok laughed humorlessly. "The Protectorate might be one of the seventeen Primes, but Khepri is one of the most important Pillar Worlds. On the food chain that means the ConFed would grind the Protectorate's entire holding to dust to keep Khepri safe."
"Do you think this will actually kick off a hot war, sir? Similan asked.
"So far they're trading plasma shots at long range, basically just warning flashes," Mok said. "Once the first missiles fly that will be—"
"Missile launch!" a sensor operator called out. "Two missiles fired at the Saabror formation from a ConFed frigate."
"And there we go," Mok sighed. "Captain, please reposition us to the other side of the system. I do not wish to be caught up in this."
"At once, sir."
"SIR, Saditava Mok's ships are moving to the other side of this system. Sensors have detected three missiles fired at the Saabror Protectorate formation of ships from a ship designated by the database as belonging to the ConFed."
"Let's follow his lead," Captain Swank said. "Helm, backtrack our course and take us around the system along the perimeter. At no point do I want to be closer to this conflict than we are right now."
"Aye aye, sir."
"How much longer do we risk remaining here, sir?"
"Until we feel like the Endurance could be caught up in any side fighting or reinforcements for either side arrive," Swank said to his XO. "I want to at least honor whatever agreement was made with Terranovus in good faith, but I won't risk an Earth ship being identified as having been involved."
"Very good, sir."
While the Endurance pulled smoothly out of orbit and flew out for the system boundary, Swank pulled up a window on the terminal attached to the command chair. He quickly composed a status report, attaching accompanying sensor data, and forwarded it to Communications to be sent immediately to Command via slip-com. The message was partially to cover his own ass in the event the mission wasn't fully sanctioned at the highest levels and partially to give Terranovus the chance to rethink having a single human ship sitting in the middle of what was about to become a warzone between three superpowers.
28
"That's still a tough nut to crack," Jason remarked as Tauless wrapped up his briefing. The Phoenix was in a long, orbital pattern over the Khepri's eastern ocean at an altitude of thirteen thousand meters. They'd filed a flight plan as �
�post maintenance flight” so that gave them some time before any sharp-eyed controller became suspicious. It was better to remain within the atmosphere and deal with flight traffic controllers than to pop back up into orbit and then have to renegotiate getting back down to the surface.
"But doable," Twingo said. "If what we're seeing here is still accurate, there's not an increased amount of defense around the emplacement."
"That we can see," Crusher argued. "But we're only looking at the center structure here that houses the transponder. We won't be able to just drop down right there and walk on it without all the troops along the periphery seeing and swarming us."
"We can help with that," 707 said. He and Lucky were the only battlesynths on the bridge in the planning session simply because of space constraints. 707 insisted it wasn't necessary to have the other thirty-five there and that he'd give them a mission brief after they had decided upon a course of action.
"If we are inserted here"—he pointed at the beach that butted up against tall cliffs on the northern coast—"we can be at the compound within an hour. We can provide the needed distraction to cover your insertion."
"By engaging Kheprian troops at the gate?" Jason frowned.
"Only if necessary," 707 said. "Our first targets will be to take out the gun towers along the barrier wall and then disable or destroy the ground-based sensors and communications.
"Once we do this, however, time will be short. If the rogue AI has indeed been able to supplant the Emergency Defense System computer then it will know what is happening in real-time. What ordnance do you have that can be carried into the installation that is powerful enough to ensure the transponder is destroyed even if not detonated within optimum range?"
Omega Force 09: Revolution Page 22