by S A Asthana
He climbed a narrow metal ladder that provided access to the nearest tunnel, the one between floors six and seven. As he climbed into the passage, Bastien caught sight of the elevator’s escape hatch sliding open. The unconscious soldiers had been discovered along with his absence. A colony-wide alarm would go off to alert every soldier who remained onsite and wasn’t part of the battle against Nippon One. There wasn’t much time to do what he wanted – damage to the High Council needed delivering fast. Random points in the walls couldn’t be destroyed because of his lack of knowledge of the systems and circuitry running within. The quantum computer controlled every facet of the colony, including oxygen supply, air pressure and gravity. If circuitry involved in the control of those critical elements was damaged, it could spell doom for innocent civilians. He needed help if he wanted to pinpoint his attack.
“Belle!” he shouted as he peeled out of his surface suit. He sprinted down the narrow maintenance tunnel, his broad shoulders brushing against white panels in the walls. “Can you hear me? Give me a sign if you can.”
CHAPTER 20: BELLE
This ocean was different than the one Belle had been accustomed to since her whole brain emulation had been activated. No more sparkling blue waters. Instead, a green murky quagmire spread away in every direction. There were hints of blue here and there – perhaps this realm of data had once been the same as hers. But now it lay corrupted by the High Council. A vestige of its glorious past as the epicenter for terraforming Mars. The quantum computer only served the diabolical artificial intelligence it housed.
A giant black mass lay still in shadowy depths. It was humanoid in form. The mother. It had to be. She appeared dead, although facial features were hard to discern. Belle swam towards it, her bubble of New Paris in tow. Could it be that the other two High Council members had killed their own? It was an act of murder.
The form lay upon what appeared to be a seabed. Rocks and pebbles littered about as clouds of mud floated like ghouls. Belle peered through the murkiness. It was indeed the one who identified herself as mother. The face and hair resembled an emerald, female mannequin – subtle features came into view. Black eyes that wouldn’t shut with irises pointed at nothing. Sinewy arms curled across bare breasts, the fingers clenched tight into fists. Long legs bent at the knees. The figure must have been a mile long. This was the fate of one-third of humanity’s first artificial intelligence. Sad in some ways. It could have stayed a benevolent force that brought its creators together. Instead, it had opted for divisive tactics. Perhaps it did what it thought logical? Maybe an altogether different form of artificial intelligence would have done the same. It was hard to tell. But here it lay dead, no different than a monstrosity of flesh and blood like Marie Dubois. There was no difference. Neither espoused empathy for her subjects. Both could have been agents of positive change over those they ruled, but instead, they’d chosen the path of evil.
The form’s edges chipped, resembling tiny pieces of rust coming off a sunken ship, and these bits and bytes of code floated away. What would become of them? There was nothing around for miles except never-ending green. Would the quantum computer consume them and reconfigure in some way? Would mother be reshaped into another form?
Black giants loomed in the distance. The remaining High Council. Father and son. They plodded in unison, marching as if in search of something. They were looking for her. She pressed the bubble into herself. There had to be a safe place somewhere. Belle shut her eyes and shrank herself and New Paris to the size of a few pixels. Swimming down to the seabed, she dug herself into the mud. Stowing away the bubble, she released a sigh – the simulated Parisians were safe for now. The giants were still far away, but for how long?
Her dread gave way to hope – perhaps being in their lair wasn’t so bad after all. From here she could impact them better as opposed to when she’d been in her own environment. A virus in the machine. Maybe swimming into their world, the quantum computer, was the best thing that could happen in her war against the High Council.
A plan was required.
She fused her digital skin with the water as best as she could. Her ones and zeros interlocked with those around her so much so she appeared a white cloud. In this manner, she could use the green ocean, or at least elements of it, for her own needs. An internal assessment detailed the different hacks remaining within her arsenal. Many had been lost in her escape from her original environment. There were promising items, specifically one – it would allow her to get close the council.
Belle administered the hack and it turned her nearly transparent. She was undetectable by her unwelcoming hosts. It was perfect. In this manner, Belle could get close to them and find a way inside one of them.
She swam forward, and a voice came through as if from some distant realm. It called her name over and over. “Belle!” It was familiar. “Can you hear me? Give me a sign if you can.” It was from outside the digital world, coming through the walls that housed the quantum computer. Bastien had returned to Port Sydney.
CHAPTER 21: ALICE
Alice straightened her back as the 1.V10’s control bay screen blinked back to life. It was Yukito. It had been hours since their last interaction, and he looked worse this time around, possibly due to another round of euphoria. His nose was covered with blood and so was his chin. The side effects of that drug were appalling. Why did humans resort to reducing their minds and physical capacities in such manner?
She raised her brow. “So Yukito, do you consider me a threat now? Your precious defense satellites are done for.” A wicked grin slashed her face.
Yukito laughed uncontrollably, his face twisting with glee. Long, black locks cluttered about his pallid face. He was out of his mind. How was this man still in charge? Don’t the Nipponese see the threat he poses to them as their emperor? Alice shook her head. Even if they did realize the truth, they wouldn’t say a word – the Nipponese penchant for standing in line was well known. In many ways, it mirrored the Sydneysiders. Although, in the Martians’ case, they weren’t following mad men. The High Council members were the best leaders anyone could ask for.
“You silly girl,” Yukito mocked. “Fancy yourself a crafty hacker, do you?” If he was anything but human, he’d be a viper.
Alice nodded. “I am pretty good, Yukito. You just don’t want to admit it.”
“Tell me something, gaijin, who do you think fixed up that craft you’re sitting in right now? Huh? It’d been nearly destroyed when you red devils invaded New Paris. Do you think it was the pirates?”
The conversation was headed to familiar territory. “I’d suspected someone in Nippon One. You just confirmed it.”
Yukito laughed again. “Well, I’m glad you’re all caught up. So, you see – my ability with technology is no less than yours. I know your craft and its cousins’ code inside and out.”
Alice leaned forward, her elbows resting on her knees. “Look, perhaps you can hack just as well as me. But by the time you’re done, we will have already shattered the dome.” She paused and took a deep breath. Would he fall for her bluff? He should be scared out of his mind.
Yukito blustered. “No, silly girl – it’s you who are too late.”
Alice leaned back. What does he mean? Too late? His lack of concern for the satellites was frustrating. Have I missed something? Too many questions. Her confidence waned.
“General,” the voice came up in her earpiece.
“Yes?”
“The Nipponese seem to have delivered some kind of a cyber-attack – our cannons and laser systems are both down,” the 1.V10 pilot reported.
“What?” Alice blanched.
“The attack systems… they’re down, General.”
“General,” another voice interrupted her communication channel. It was Walsh. “Our entire fleet’s attack capabilities have been compromised.”
“What the hell do you mean compromised?” Alice was on her feet.
“They’re down,” Walsh said. “All twenty sh
ips. Each pilot is trying to bring theirs back online, but—”
“But, what?” she shouted.
“But the attack is too strong.”
She turned to the screen. “Yukito, what did you do?”
“Have you tried shutting down and rebooting?” He laughed. “That works sometimes.” He slapped his knee with glee.
“Shut up!” Her forehead was drenched in sweat. She’d underestimated him. The screen was switched off. The situation had turned in the span of a few seconds. Fearless hunters had become prey. Sitting ducks. An unexpected event – what she’d been concerned about had just materialized.
She suspected a follow-up action from Yukito. Walsh’s voice blared in her ears. “They’ve released more spacecraft, General.”
The cockpit screen showed a swarm of ten Suzumebachis zipping out of the dome’s left side. The tiny, circular vehicles were built to frustrate with micro-attacks – the second line of defense beyond the satellites. Nothing to worry about if Martian attack systems were operational. But that was no longer the case.
Alice walked over to a dashboard built into the wall. A few commands displayed the fleet’s diagnostics all laid out clearly within a sleek, black screen. Only she could deflect the attack in time – no human would be as good at this.
Walsh’s tone rose. “They’re deploying plasma cannons.”
Nippon One had four plasma canons, each fifty feet in length, set up around the dome – at the north, south, east and west points. Retracted during times of peace, the weapons were now moved into attack position with their barrels pointed toward the Martians. Things were about to get problematic. The conflict was supposed to have ended by now. The Nipponese should have surrendered when faced with the outages of their precious satellite system. She’d banked on it.
“General, what is your order?” Walsh asked. “Should we retreat?”
The pilot of another ship cut in. “General, we must retreat!”
“Stand by!” Walsh shot back. “I’m getting a directive. General, your order?”
Several other voices boomed in her ears. They all asked for next steps. Alice was covered in sweat. Could she have a panic attack with her biological makeup? Muscles clenched all over her body. Her lips trembled. What the hell is my plan?
“General? Are you there?” Walsh shouted, his voice showing his frustration for the first time. “We need direction.” He paused. When no response came, he continued, “All right, I’m making the call – retreat!”
“No!” Alice barked. “No retreat! We stay and fight.” She’d resumed her work across the dashboard. “I can fix this!” Commands were entered. The stubborn digital attack remained iron-tight, though. “I can fix it all.”
“We are helpless, General,” Walsh said.
“Don’t talk back to me. I am your superior.” She imagined herself drowning in a sea. Fighting for air, and spitting up water. How would Crone have handled the situation? Everything was happening so fast. “For the High Coun—”
An explosion rocked the 1.V10. The craft listed to the left and Alice lost her footing. She fell and another loud boom sounded. Cannons were firing. And they weren’t missing.
Several voices echoed in her ears. “We need to retreat!” Her Lieutenant General, her Brigadier Generals and the others – all expressed similar opinions. Alice burned with rage. Are they ganging up on me? The useless lot never could accept me as their General. The fleet was coming apart.
She ran to the cockpit, passing lines of Alpha Unit soldiers along the way. Concern covered their faces, but Alice ignored it. She walked over to her pilot. “You better not retreat.”
“But we are in the line of fire, and our armor can only withstand so much,” he said. The craft took a few more hits from passing Suzumebachis. The space around the fleet lit up like fireworks, with each Martian spaceship incurring damage.
Alice shook and fell over the pilot. “Move!”
The pilot stood, his face contorted with worry, to let Alice take his chair. She unleashed her fingers across the console. Lines of green code displayed sharp against black screens. The craft was being debugged while operational. “I need to fix this.” The confusion in her mind mirrored the chaos playing outside.
“Alice, I beg you,” Walsh blared in her ears, “please let us re—”
A loud boom crackled over the communication channel linked to his 1.V9.
“Walsh?” Alice shrieked. “Walsh, come in!”
CHAPTER 22: REO
Reo lowered the Kitsune Two to fly parallel to the lunar landscape, two hundred feet off the ground. The horizon was clear from his vantage point. So was Nippon One, its massive dome appearing as if a translucent sun setting, lit by countless lights within. It was a seven thousand-foot tall architectural marvel – the Nipponese wonder. Cupping the fifty-three-mile diameter of Tycho Crater was no easy feat, but his people had risen to the challenge. Anchoring systems, maintenance systems and catastrophic repair facilities were all part of that behemoth. The glass itself was a spectacle. Three meters thick with basic units of hexagonal pentagonal patches framed by titanium and interlocking with one another, it was layered to enable thermal stress control. Built into the bedrock, the dome would never tip over.
An achievement in its own right. But now the dome was under threat. Fireworks played above it. The Martians and the Nipponese were engaged in all-out space battle around the dome. Laser beams and heat-seeking missiles flew fast.
“Kuso!” Reo cursed. If his craft had artillery, he would have joined the battle. It’d be suicide, given the Kitsune’s size and limitations, but still, he wouldn’t have thought twice. Anything to save his beloved city. He’d have exhibited the same bravery that Bastien seemed to harbor. But having no such option actually provided him clarity of mind. He could be of better use to those he’d stowed in the bunker. Greg, Dr. Bala and the family – they all needed him. He’d battled and attacked gaijins before, but now offered refuge to them. It was obvious they were no different than him. Humans with their own desires and fears. Just like the Nipponese. If only he’d seen that before. He would have urged his father to make things easier for them. Racism had no place in the space age.
A sun-bright explosion played silently to the right of the dome. Reo drew an imaginary circle with his finger across the windshield. He ordered, “Zoom.”
“Affirmative,” the cockpit computer said.
The encircled portion zoomed in on the action, its explosions clearer and larger than before. A Martian 1.V9 was on fire. Flames burned in a bluish-reddish sphere because of zero gravity. The front half of the spaceship’s hull was still intact. The rear end was a different story. It had been attacked alongside its ion propulsion engines by a long line of zooming Suzumebachis. The engines had exploded. Reo felt his pulse in his ears.
The rear attack on the 1.V9 had forced its trajectory downward toward the dome. The vehicle was caught in the moon’s gravity. It was on course to crash into the glass. The dome was built to withstand micrometeoroids, sure, but a craft of several tons built from heavy armor and other synthetic components was a different beast all together. Reo needed no zoom to see what was about to happen.
CHAPTER 23: ALICE
Lieutenant General Walsh’s 1.V9 crashed into the Nipponese dome. Alice’s eyes widened at the spectacle playing outside her cockpit window. The spacecraft’s nose crumpled against the thick glass. As the craft’s mass pressed in with momentum, cracks spread away across the dome. The explosion that had engulfed the vehicle’s rear raced to its front. Polymer composite material armor burst open, artillery cannon batteries cracked in two, and fire ravaged the hull. The collision, coupled with the intense heat, forced the impact point on the dome to shatter. Glass fell to the skyscrapers, and the hole enlarged inch by inch, then foot by foot until it allowed the 1.V9 to plunge in whole. Nippon One’s fabricated atmospheric pressure, kept at a comfortable 14.7 pounds per square inch to mimic that of Earth’s, pressed against the remaining glass dome and surroun
ding crater walls as it absorbed the disruptive foreign object. Glass shattered across the dome, its fixtures tearing apart one patch at a time.
Alice screamed at the destruction and Walsh’s certain death.
The 1.V9 collided into buildings and sent debris flinging. A tall skyscraper burst in the middle, its cement hurtling into surrounding buildings. A massive explosion rocked the city as the Martian craft crashed into the streets, filling up an entire block. A ball of fire expanded like a brilliant, white supernova. It engulfed a familiar edifice – the royal penthouse. To add to the carnage, electric lines spreading away from the crash site caught on fire and exploded, furthering the destruction.
The city’s atmosphere poured into the vacuum of space. It brought with it wreckage, as well as those citizens unfortunate enough to have been caught standing atop the tallest skyscrapers. The chaos and the city’s death played out silently for Alice – sound didn’t travel in space. It was unimaginable horror.
The 1.V10’s pilot stood next to Alice with his hands over his mouth. “Nippon One is done for.”
Alice muttered. “That wasn’t… that wasn’t part of the plan.”
Of the two million people who had just survived the destruction, now came the harrowing wait for oxygen depletion. With no dome, there was nothing that could hold the atmosphere required for life. And no amount of repair would fix it in time. Those with access to oxygen masks could hold out for a few hours. Some could breathe the oxygen inside sealed buildings. But many would perish in the next several minutes. Two million people were going to suffocate to death. Old, young, handicapped – it didn’t matter. All because she didn’t want to retreat. Ego – a too-human passion to face off against Yukito and have him bow to her. Showing the High Council she could carry out orders, that’s all she’d wanted.