Scavenger: A.I.: (Sand Divers, Book Two)

by Timothy C. Ward

  Rush looked back at Nedzad and the doctor. He pointed at the stool. “Have a seat.”

  55 - Rush (7:03 am)

  Nedzad let go. The doctor reached to his throat with his gloved hand, stopped midway, and switched to his left hand to rub the soreness free.

  Two bright sources of intel flashed in Rush’s mind. First, he had to find Jeff, but second… “You’re really a doctor?”

  The overweight man in the white cloak nodded and sat. “I am.” His accent reminded Rush of his old friend, Sabi, who was the best skinball player in Springston.

  Rush’s gaze fell to the man’s gloved hand. Dive view. Vibrant green M-MANs crawled inside his palm and along veins leading down his arm. “And you’re infected.”

  Of course.

  Doctor Hannu sighed. “I am.”

  Rush walked up to him. “Lift your hand.”

  The doctor followed his eyes to his gloved hand and lifted it in sync with Rush lifting his.

  Rush holstered his DL, inhaled as he built a charge of EM in his chest, and let his hand hover less than an inch from touching palm to palm with the doctor. He focused on the M-MAN in his palm and the traces floating throughout his blood. Singer had a cleanse ability but he didn’t see why his power and suit couldn’t cleanse this small infection. It was worth a try. One more inhale. Mid-exhale he touched his palm to the doctor’s and shot a jolt of EM. Their hands locked together like magnets. Their arms shook. Nedzad leaned in to keep the doctor on the chair. Rush let go. His hand hot and vibrating. The doctor shouted, then slouched, and Nedzad caught him. Rush faltered back, head swaying, hand numb. He shook it off and looked at the doctor’s hand. No trace of M-MANs. He zoomed closer, walking forward. “Hold him still.” Nedzad did. No M-MANs in his hand and none in his blood that Rush could tell. He let out a nervous laugh. “It worked. I think it worked.”

  Rush blinked to dock view. The hand had divots and deep rivers melded skin. Rush clenched. Why did it do that?

  Doctor Hannu’s eyes watered as he watched, too, and gently took off his glove. He flexed his fingers into a fist and back straight. “Wow.” He bit his lip, barely holding back his tears.

  Rush turned to Cool. He didn’t have to say Cool was next. He didn’t want to. He has no choice.

  Cool’s attention left Rush to stare back at the doctor’s deformed hand. He swallowed, lifted a pointed finger. “Is that going to happen to my tongue?” Terror locked his eyes on Rush. “What if I lose my teeth? My voice?”

  Rush advanced a slow step toward Cool. “It’s not that deep. You’ll be fine. To be honest, we don’t have any other options at this point.” Another step.

  Cool backed against the wall. “No.”

  Rush shook his head. He didn’t want to, either. “Cool, every second we let those things grow inside you the stronger the jolt I’ll need to deliver. The more you might lose.”

  Cool looked to the doctor for support. “Is there another way? Can’t you find one?”

  “The principle is sound,” Doctor Hannu said. “The nanobots are machines transferring energy. The voltage released from his hands is enough to short them out. I don’t have time to figure out anything else, not before it could cause worse damage. I’m sorry.”

  Rush lowered to his knees in front of Cool, palms open in a shape that could cup the young man’s jaw. In dive view, he watched M-MAN fragments drifting in Cool’s bloodstreams. “This will be over in less than a breath. Then we can go save Jeff and your mom.”

  Tears drained over Cool’s cheeks. His lips trembled. He swallowed, wiped his sleeve over his tears. Composed, he looked Rush back in the eye. “Will it be too late for them?”

  Rush shrugged his honest fear. “They’d want you better first. As soon as you’re well, we’ll go for them.”

  Cool exhaled. “Okay.”

  “Good boy.” Rush inched up, his hands slowly closing on Cool’s jaw. “I wish they could see your strength.”

  Cool shook with sobs.

  Rush wiped the new tears with his thumbs. “Close your eyes.” When he did, Rush started the charge. Beetle legs dug down his arms into his fingers. “Inhale.” Rush did as well. “Breathe out.”

  Breath passed through the young man’s nose. Rush focused on the nanos coating Cool’s tongue, gums and into his neck. He grabbed the boy’s jaw and released his EM. Energy popped. He let go. Cool gasped an “ow” that was more shock than volume. The M-MANs in Cool’s face disintegrated in a kind of reverse replication. The traces of extra vibrant green flowing through Cool’s blood darkened to non-nano levels.

  Rush blinked to dock view and the wide-eyed anticipation on Cool’s face. Vibrant heartbeats shook his chest. He blew air through his lips. He stuck his tongue out. It barely passed his teeth. And was half as thick. Scars traced rivulets down its pink length. His eyes widened in vulnerable fear, tears straining against losing it before his savior. “How does—” his lisp made him smack his hand over his mouth.

  No. It can’t be, read through the terror in Cool’s eyes.

  “Cool.” Rush set a gentle hand on the boy’s wrist. “It worked. I’m sorry, but it worked. And that’s what matters.”

  Doctor Hannu knelt beside Rush and lifted a small flashlight over Cool’s covered mouth. “Mighty strong, young man. Can I see?”

  Cool squinted sad resistance, then removed his hand. The doctor’s light revealed the groves and fragmentation of the muscle and gums. The teeth were ragged, sharp at places and flatter. Poor boy had it far worse than the doctor’s hand. Rush felt bad for him.

  Doctor Hannu laid a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “You’re going to live. In time, that will become something you’re thankful for.”

  Rush’s smile faltered for half a beat before he forced it back for Cool’s sake. To be their leader, he had to believe trusting him would be their best path, but even without trying, he could think of a dozen ways in which he’d failed…in the last day alone. Had this blend of M-MANs infected Star and their baby, or was she immune like him? Was he?

  Cool’s bloodshot eyes released more tears but still he nodded. Even smiled. “Thank you, D.M. Stenson.”

  “You’re welcome.” Rush leaned in and kissed the boy on the cheek, like he would a son. “I’m so proud of you.”

  Cool’s sobs continued, and Rush pulled him in to hug him tightly.

  As he did, Rush glanced over his shoulder at Nedzad and Avery with their backs rested on the wall on either side of the desk. His war was far from over. This was the crew Rush would need to save his wife, kill a tyrant, and destroy an intelligence able to replicate in steel as easily as blood.

  “Looks like you all could use a nap. You up for moving?”

  Nedzad straightened off the wall. “I’m good.”

  Rush kissed Cool’s head, placing his hand on the opposite side to enforce the strength of it, and grunted through his exhaustion as he pushed himself off the floor to stand. He looked Cool in the eye and smiled. “He says he’s good. Nedzad how many times have you been shot today?”

  “Including by you?” Nedzad asked, laughing.

  “Yeah.”

  “A few. Look, we’re all tired, but our job’s not done yet. Sentries can sleep when Fort Pope and its contents are no longer a threat.”

  “Right, but you’re old, so why don’t you close your eyes while I go see what I can find. I’ll come back before you realize you’ve fallen asleep.”

  Nedzad chewed down his smile. Avery watched Rush with a thinly veiled grin, but red veined eyes that said he too near to passing out.

  “Av, you look like you could drop where you stand. I won’t give you much time, but some has to be better than none considering the rest of what we have to do. Star.” My baby. “W. The Gov. Containing the M-MANs…”

  “Now that you put it that way,” Avery said, “I’m sure we’ll sleep easy.”

  Rush smirked at Avery and walked for the door. “Keep it up and I’ll wake you with my foot.”

  At the door to leave, Rush r
ealized they had no comms. His visor dashboard showed no channel icons like it had in Fort Pope.

  “Something wrong, Poke?”

  Shrubs appeared on his dashboard and faded to an S. Wow. Rush checked Nedzad, who raised an eyebrow back. “Rush?”

  No receiver located, appeared on his dashboard. “I’m connecting to your—” he shifted to look at Avery “—comms. Apparently I only have to look at you and think about it.” Rush pointed at his visor. “Has you in as Shrubs.”

  Avery snorted. “For the kid’s sake, I won’t say what mine says about you.”

  “I think I—” Cool swallowed at the sound of his voice, but pushed through, “can stop being called a kid after what he did to my mouth. I’d like to see you go through that.”

  “Fair enough, Mr. Cool.”

  Rush pointed at Nedzad. “Yours says ‘no receiver located.’ Something wrong with your visor?”

  Nedzad pulled it off the head wrap of his suit and examined the lens from the inside view, then the side. “I don’t know. I mean I guess, but I don’t know what.” He looked up at Rush. “Star pulse kicked me in the head. I know, she was not herself. Then, not long after that, she dealt a god’s blow on W. I don’t know if the kick or the supercharge did it. When I was thrown out of the base, I saw you swim to her, but I couldn’t find your ID’s on my comms tree. Then I saw Avery, or heard him rather. Guy has one girly scream if pressed to it.”

  “Every particle of my body was on fire,” Avery said. “Like to see you roll naked through a fire ant hive and not scream like a girl.”

  Cool laughed. Covered his mouth, looking up at Rush with a somber suppression of his humor.

  Avery smiled at Cool. “Sure, laugh. Or thank Rush you only had a little in your mouth when he cleansed you.”

  “Something’s happened between Fort Pope and here to make the cleansing erase skin,” Rush said. “Avery would be dead with how much was in him.”

  Avery’s look suggested the thought had occurred to him, too.

  “Any ideas, doc?” Rush asked.

  The doctor shrugged. “Not yet.”

  “Did Cool infect you here?”

  “Just outside there.” Doctor Hannu pointed behind Rush’s left. “Spotted him trailing a group of…seven. Two were The Gov’s boys and were walking as prisoners in the lead.”

  “Do you know where they were going?” Rush asked.

  “The guy pointing the pistol mentioned blowing the tunnel. So I’m assuming they’re going to the Plaza Building. That’s where we came down. Built a tunnel of dive suits down to the fifty-sixth floor of the Plaza Building.”

  “Which, if Jeff brought the infection from Fort Pope,” Rush said, “would be a likely place for W to spread. His new castle. Could be he’s implemented new measures to prevent what Star did to wipe him out of Fort Pope.”

  Doctor Hannu shrugged. “If I’m to help, I’ll need more background on what you’ve seen.”

  Rush sighed. He wanted to get moving. “Yeah.” He looked over at Cool. “When did Jeff infect you? Was it intentional?”

  Cool paused for a breath. “Since it’s in my mouth…” Poor kid sounded awful. And his teeth… “I took a drink of his canteen before we climbed into the room with all the sheets.”

  “Did you ask for it, or did it, could it have been his idea to give you a drink?” Rush asked.

  “He…he was being nice.” Cool shook his head and lowered his gaze to the floor. “He was just being nice.”

  Time passed to suggest that was all Cool would admit to. “Okay,” Rush said. “It’s okay. If it was intentional, it would have been W acting, not your brother. He loves you.”

  Cool glanced up with tired, teary eyes. Then his face tightened in anger. “Get him out of my brother. Please. I’ll help. Whatever I have to do.”

  Rush held his hand out to placate foolish action. “I will. You stay here, for now.” He turned to Nedzad. “Anything else your visor can’t do?”

  Nedzad shook his head, still examining the piece of Old World hardware. “It’s dive view sight works fine. Expands and focuses like before.”

  Doctor Hannu held up a finger to interject.

  “Yes?” Rush asked him.

  “I have something.” Doctor Hannu turned to walk toward some packs stowed on the floor along the wide wall.

  He pulled a visor just like Nedzad’s, minus a bit of the polish as some diver had taken a few dives and came up with some scratches for testament. He walked it over to Nedzad. “My friend Jules gave this to me.”

  Nedzad’s head dipped slightly in obvious shock.

  Doctor Hannu smiled and offered the visor.

  Nedzad reached out with a trembling hand. The sight struck Rush with how the strong man could so quickly be transformed into a twig in the wind.

  “Jules,” was all Nedzad could say.

  56 - Rush (7:21 am)

  “Jules,” Nedzad repeated. The exertion it took to speak her name looked like it cost a kick to the gut by a mountain goat.

  “Who’s that?” Rush asked, “Was she…?” he read Nedzad’s difficulty in the moment, and didn’t go on.

  “You knew her?” Doctor Hannu asked.

  “I loved her.” Nedzad turned to Rush. “She’s the sentry that died inside Fort Pope. It was her sunbolt that I used to save you.”

  “So she knew you.” Rush pointed to Doctor Hannu. “But you two didn’t know each other?”

  They both shook their heads.

  “Where’d you come from?” Rush asked Doctor Hannu.

  The doctor sighed. “I am one of The Gov’s doctors at Mercy West in Iowa.”

  “Iowa?” Nedzad couldn’t believe it. “She—”

  “We didn’t meet in Iowa,” Doctor Hannu said. “We met in Austin about nine years ago, but met up for this mission in the camps above Denver. I came with The Gov’s first wave. I made up a fake identity that got her in as a sentry The Gov hired. But they found out and turned on her, on both of us. She saved my life so I could escape.” He looked down. When he came up, brokenness and regret pointed his gaze at Nedzad. “I’m so sorry she didn’t make it. She didn’t say much about herself. I’m glad she had someone who loved her. She was special.” He shook his head and looked away. “Sorry. I’m not helping.”

  He opened his laptop and plugged a cord connected to the computer’s side with a hole in the Nedzad’s visor’s side. A box appeared on the computer screen with an image of a city with the outline of a visor seeing it in dive view. Ligure was stenciled in sharp silver over the orange blend of buildings inside the visor view.

  “What was she planning?” Rush asked.

  “Said something about mechanical wasps,” Doctor Hannu said.

  Nedzad produced a handful of metal objects that looked like they could be wasps. “These. With a sample of someone’s blood, they can hunt and burrow the victim to death,” Nedzad said.

  He peeled back a stinger on one of the wasps, exposing its underbelly and a tiny button. “Touch blood to the stinger. Press that, and off it goes.”

  “Why would they make something like that?” Rush asked. “If you can get close enough to draw blood, why not just try a little harder and kill them?”

  Nedzad stuck his hand out for Rush’s chest slow enough for him to block. Nedzad smiled. Lesson taught. “If your opponent doesn’t know losing a single drop of blood would be lethal, he’ll allow the loss of a little in favor of preserving the whole. If you knew that this blade,” he said, indicating his striking hand, “touching your wrist would be the end of your life, you would have reacted differently. The Gov doesn’t know we have this, and while the designers of this weapon didn’t have exactly the same intentions, we can utilize one of them to lure an enemy into the fight he doesn’t know of by offering one he thinks he can win.”

  “So what’s the fight he thinks he can win?” Rush asked, tense in case Nedzad was going to try a faster strike.

  Nedzad shrugged. “I haven’t seen battlefield specifics, but it will be
one where he thinks we’ve risked so much that we’re willing to lose a little blood. He will, too, and then we’ll have him.”

  Rush thought of how great it would feel to cut the man who nearly killed his wife. I need to get back. I have a doctor. “Doctor Hannu.” The doctor paused from typing, but didn’t look up from his work. “Doctor Hannu. I need to ask for a favor.”

  He regarded Rush with weariness in his face. “Yes?”

  “My wife is pregnant.”

  He smiled. “Okay…that’s good,” he said, not tracking on Rush’s line of thought. “How far along?”

  “A day.”

  “A day?” Doctor Hannu raised his brows.

  “It isn’t exactly your average pregnancy.”

  “Oh. Yes.” By which he meant, Go on.

  “I suppose I should start with my dead son…”

  “How about my soon to be dead brother?” Cool asked.

  “Sorry, Cool,” Rush said. “I think this will help to teach the doctor what we’ve seen these nanos do.”

  Nedzad and Avery slumped to seats against the wall, resting their eyes while Rush quickly summarized meeting Warren in the Honey Hole, how he later learned that his beer that morning had been spiked with a nanopak that didn’t begin showing effects until their sail west, first with his seeing blue flares in Star’s eyes, then with the dream of blue-eyed killers, The Gov’s blue eyes in the phone… He paused. “I don’t think I showed any more effects until Warren entered Fort Pope and I was all of a sudden watching him walk into the lobby with the dead Springstonites seen from his own eyes. When we encountered him in the hall, his voice… he commanded me to shoot Nedzad and I could not disobey.”

  Nedzad unzipped his dive suit to show the bruise on his ribs, wincing as he twisted. “Still owe you for that. Don’t forget.” He winked. “When we get out of this and we can have a true spar, I’ll welcome you into the sentry ranks proper.”

  “Can’t wait,” Rush said, then to Doctor Hannu, “I should add that Star had reacted to The Gov’s voice not long prior. I guess I noticed when he first spoke over the computer in the lobby that she seemed in a daze, but then when he called out for her, she split. We found her not an hour later wandering from a computer she says The Gov took her to, but which she didn’t remember what for.”