Outpost Omega

by Dan Davis

Ram glanced at the Hex speed setting on his screen.

  It said 62%.

  “Yeah, almost full speed, Henry. Tell you what, why don’t we call it there for this session and you can get some lunch, alright?”

  “Sorry, Ram, I’m really sorry.”

  “Hey, don’t you apologize, Henry. You’ve had a great session, we’ve learned a lot, we’ve got tons of data, and you’ve got so much more experience. And that’s what this is all about, right? You’re doing great, Henry, just great. Okay?”

  “Okay, sure. Thanks, Ram. You coming for lunch?”

  “Ah, you go ahead. Just a few things to go through here.”

  “Alright.”

  Ram clicked off and sat down, leaning back in his chair. His head ached and his foot throbbed. Rubbing his belly, he felt how much weight he had lost. Despite that, he did not have an appetite. The genetic damage to his cells was started to accelerate and his symptoms, though still manageable, were continuing to progress.

  “He ain’t got it, sir,” Stirling muttered.

  Ram breathed in through his nose and blew slowly out of his mouth. “What’s he not got, Sergeant?”

  “You know, sir. You know. It. A killer instinct. Some lads have it, some don’t. Our boy don’t.”

  “He’ll get there in the end.”

  “It ain’t something you can get, sir. It’s innate.”

  “I don’t accept that we can’t do anything. What even is a killer instinct, really?”

  “Well, it’s a… it’s wanting to kill. It’s needing to kill your enemy when you get the chance. It’s barely controlled brutality. It’s directed rage. And our boy ain’t got none of it.”

  Ram turned to Red. “Does your species have a killer instinct, Red?”

  “My species evolved to be predatory, yes indeed. I am the product of thousands of years of selective breeding by the overlord species UNOP designate the warlock. They have a killer instinct like no other.”

  “Yeah, so you’re genetically engineered, in part, right?”

  “That is essentially correct.”

  “And did they tweak your killer instinct up or down or what?”

  “Our aggression levels are correlated with our social and military roles. The engineered champions that you and your predecessors fought in the arena were highly aggressive by design whereas I and my colleagues were not so much.”

  “So it’s just about aggression,” Ram said.

  “Woah, woah, woah,” Stirling said, holding a hand up. “Someone can be aggressive but not have a killer instinct, okay? It’s not just aggression, Red, alright? It’s the desire to fucking murder your enemy. It’s the rage you need to smash a guy’s face into pulp, twist off his head and chew his brains out of his skull. It’s not aggression.”

  “So, what is it, then? I mean what is it on a biological level?”

  Stirling shrugged. “I dunno.”

  “Is it definable? Is it measurable? Can it be framed and then enhanced?”

  “I dunno.”

  “Me either.” Ram drummed his fingers on the arms of his chair. “Let’s ask the experts.”

  ***

  “So, my question is, doctors. How do you increase a person’s level of homicidal aggression?”

  Ram looked at them. Stirling shifted in his seat beside Ram. “Killer instinct.”

  “We’ll just say aggression for the moment, Sergeant.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Dr Monash scoffed. “Henry’s aggression has been carefully tailored to be the perfect balance between—”

  “Testosterone,” R1 said, glancing at Dr Monash. “Testosterone is one of the many factors that influence aggression and even that is not a simple matter. For example, the testosterone derivative estradiol, which is a form of estrogen, plays a large role in male aggression. But adjusting testosterone levels in combination with other factors facilitates aggression by modulating vasopressin receptors in the hypothalamus. It’s a very effective tool for a whole range of behavior modification but it does require constant adjustment.”

  Ram rubbed his eyes. The doctor and R1 sat across the meeting room table from him and neither of them were happy. Doctor Monash still resented Ram’s usurpation of his authority and R1… she rarely seemed contented. In many ways, she seemed more human than she did an Artificial Person and yet she retained the closed-off, unemotional engagement of an AP.

  He needed them. They were experts, they were Henry’s friends and colleagues, and they were committed. And so he forced himself to be polite and he tried his best to understand what they were saying.

  “You mean we could implement some kind of constant adjustment of testosterone like what they did with me, with a driver to modulate my endocrine system?” Ram said. “I don’t want to go down that road with Henry.”

  “Good, because you can’t.” Monash crossed his arms after he spoke, looking up at the ceiling.

  Ram opened his arms wide. “… because?”

  R1 answered for him. “None of us can respond quickly enough during combat for that to be effective. Henry is operating at an entirely different subjective perceptual temporal experience to us and no driver could regulate his hormones and neurotransmitters quickly enough for that externally controlled intervention to make sense. But we can increase his exogenous testosterone with regular injections or we can implant him with devices to release it at intervals or on command. Or we could—”

  Ram waved his hands. “I don’t need to know the details, that’s up to you. You just come up with a way to increase his aggression incrementally and controllably and let me know when you’re ready.”

  “It’s not that simple!” Dr Monash said, slapping the table. “He’s not like you, don’t you understand? You and your lines were essentially humans that were made bigger, stronger, faster but Henry is the most unique human ever created. He has mutations and gene cluster combinations never before seen. What works for humans, for APs, for your generation of clone subjects, won’t necessarily work for Henry. And you know that, R1, you know that better than anybody.”

  “Even so,” R1 said, staring at Dr Monash, “we will find a way.”

  “Ah,” he scoffed. “You and your relentless optimism, woman. Where has that ever gotten you, eh? Exactly, my dear, exactly.”

  R1 lifted her chin and pointedly ignored him.

  “We can find a way to increase his aggression but I do not know how we could instill this idea of a killer instinct. I would argue that the distinction is in fact merely a perceptual one and in fact once aggression is significantly high, in the right context, this will result in the directed homicidal physicality that you are looking for.”

  “Fine, so get to work on options with regard to aggression at least and let me know when you have something that will work. In the meantime, I’m going to work on Henry’s attitude. I’ve arranged daily sessions with him to bring his natural aggression out of him. It must be in there somewhere.”

  Doctor Monash leaned forward and pointed at Ram across the table. “You cannot do that, he’s a very precisely tuned instrument and you are not a psychologist or anything like one. You’ll do more harm than good.”

  “I’m sorry you feel that way but that is what’s happening.”

  Monash was outraged. “I’ll tell Henry you’re not to be trusted. That you’re a liar. That you’re incompetent. How well will your little sessions work then? He trusts me.”

  “Please, Doctor Monash, I don’t want to have to keep you separated from Henry because it’s clear he loves you and trusts you and needs your support. But if you attempt to undermine me in this or anything else then I’ll make sure you are cut off. I can’t have you doing more harm than good, I just can’t.”

  He gaped at Ram. “You’re nothing. You were made, not born, you know that? You were crafted by scientists using my work, by engineers using methods I developed. You would not even exist if not for me. And you certainly have no business being in charge here, you do not have the—”

 
“That ship has sailed, Doctor.” Ram stared at him and held his gaze. “We’ll cancel our morning meetings until you have something to report with the work on increasing Henry’s aggression. Thank you for your time.”

  Monash began to argue but R1 took his elbow, stood him up and led him out while muttering platitudes in his ear. She glanced at Ram before she left and he nodded a thank you to her.

  As they walked away, Stirling pursed his lips. “I’m impressed, sir. Looks like you’re a natural administrator.”

  “Shut up, Sergeant.

  “Yes, sir. Can I ask a question, sir?”

  “Of course.”

  “What’s up with R1? She’s an interesting one, don’t you think?”

  “Is that your question?”

  “There’s something going on there, it’s obvious.”

  “I get the feeling you have a hypothesis that you would like to advance?”

  Stirling shifted forward in his seat and lowered his voice. “I don’t think she’s an AP at all.”

  “What?”

  “Come on, it’s obvious! She’s nothing like an AP at all.”

  “She doesn’t seem quite human to me.”

  “No, that’s right, exactly, she’s really weird but she’s a scientist, that’s what they’re like. They’re all solitary, uptight, and neurotic.”

  “No they’re not, that’s ridiculous. And she’s not even a scientist, she’s a lab assistant, designed to assist humans with tedious work in labs, running boring tests that take hours and days and weeks. But let me tell you what I think. I think she’s an AP who had her controls removed in order to create a more effective worker. And she’s been alive beyond an ordinary AP lifespan. Probably Monash extended her life when all the humans died. He didn’t want to be alone.”

  “Well, that makes sense, I guess but answer me this, then.” Stirling opened his arms. “Why is she so pretty?”

  Ram shook his head. “What do you mean?”

  “There’s a reason they don’t make APs physically attractive, right? I mean, yeah, there’s the black market ones and everything but I’m not talking about them. Legal ones are made to be unattractive so that people don’t, you know, get weird about them.”

  “Exploit and abuse them.”

  “Yeah. People find it easier to remember that APs aren’t human when they’re not sexy.” Stirling jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “And R1 is hot.”

  “Well, I don’t know about that.”

  Stirling placed his fingers on his temples in mimicry of profound incredulity. “Come on, sir. Come on.”

  “She’s not human, Sergeant. I’ve seen her file!”

  “Right, and records can’t be falsified.”

  “What would be the point?”

  Stirling leaned back and sighed. “I dunno. All I’m saying is, maybe you should ask her out for dinner.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous.”

  Ram stood up, wincing and rubbing his empty stomach. His head swam and he swallowed down the rising sickness.

  “Let’s go make a start with Henry.”

  “Oh, man. Do we have to?”

  “It’s for the greater good.”

  “Oh, well, in that case, let’s get on with it.”

  They left the meeting room and limped like two old men through the corridor to the entrance of the training rooms. Opening the doors and stepping back into that hot, wet air immediately sapped Ram’s will. It was like living in an artificial rain forest.

  They made their way past the small mess hall and stopped by the meeting room.

  Stirling stooped to peer in the window at the top of the door. “He’s here already.”

  “You ready to be the bad guy, Sergeant?”

  “I really don’t want to do this.”

  “You’re supposed to be a big scary sergeant.”

  “And this is going to be like kicking a puppy.”

  “Get a hold of yourself, for God’s sake. We have to break him. Really break him. Remember what’s at stake here.”

  Stirling hardened his face. “I know.”

  “Alright, then.” Ram opened the door and ducked inside. Henry jumped up from his seat in a flash. “Hi Henry, no need to get up, have a seat. You must be exhausted after this morning anyway.”

  He grinned as he folded himself back into his huge seat. “Hi, no, I’m fine, it’s not a problem I’m not tired at all.”

  Stirling scoffed and crossed his arms, leaning on the wall as Ram sat across from Henry. Glancing at Stirling with confusion, Henry turned back to Ram, his strange face open and welcoming.

  “I’m glad to hear that, Henry. Listen, I’m going to be honest with you, okay, and then I’m going to ask for your help.”

  “Okay.” Henry sounded uncertain.

  “You’re failing.”

  Henry nodded. “I am, that’s true, I wouldn’t deny that I am but I know I’ll get there, I just know it.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because I’ll work hard, I mean I am working hard but I’ll work even harder.”

  Ram frowned. “So you’re not giving it your all now?”

  Henry stared back, eyes wide. “No, I mean I am giving it my all now but I just need more time to reach the success parameters. I know I’m getting closer.”

  “You’re not, Henry. You’re not getting closer. You’ve stagnated and that’s why I’ve taken over.”

  “Yes, I know that but I mean you’re going to help me get better, you have already helped me with your training methods and that will continue.”

  Stirling scoffed again and Henry again glanced up, this time with a trace of irritation on his face.

  Ram sighed and made a show of looking at the ceiling. “It’s good to know you’re feeling positive but positive thinking alone isn’t going to cut it. If it did, you would be there by now. You’re very conscientious.”

  “Thank you.”

  Stirling laughed aloud with a single scornful bark and this time Henry’s irritation was immediate and undisguised.

  “It’s not a compliment, you bloody idiot,” Stirling growled.

  “What are you talking about?” Henry asked, now frowning.

  “You are conscientious to a fault, Henry,” Ram said.

  “Meaning what? I care too much?”

  “Basically, yeah.”

  Henry was confused. “This is the most important thing in the world, though. How could it be even theoretically possible to care too much?”

  “Is it, though?” Ram said, as if he wasn’t sure. “Is this really the most important thing in the world? I mean, think about it. There’s at least one more ship on its way to the orb right now.” It was a lie. They didn’t know any other ship was on its way, that was just the intention and the other ship, if it existed, was only a backup if their own failed. “We know at least one more ship is coming. Now, we don’t know what’s on that ship because of the need to know principle, right? And we don’t need to know. What if we get captured by the Hex and are forced to divulge our backup plans? But the point is, there are backup plans in place, Henry. It’s not all on you, right?”

  “Right but we’re the first choice. I’m the Plan A. I’m the primary.”

  Ram shrugged. “So we’re told. But how would we know? Would the captain of this ship tell us the truth if she knew different? I doubt it.”

  Stirling growled in the corner. “Definitely not. Fucking arsehole fleet bitches. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve been lied to. They don’t even see it as wrong, it’s standard operating procedure for those motherfuckers.”

  “I don’t understand,” Henry said.

  “Maybe she doesn’t know the truth.” Ram shrugged. “What if there’s ten ships all heading to the orb right now and we’re number ten on the list? What if you’re tenth choice?”

  “But that’s not…”

  “Not what?” Stirling said, sneering and pointing through the wall. “Not what your little scientist keepers told you? What the fuck do they
know? They never knew anything, they were given orders to build you and the others like you and that’s what they did. They know what they were told, nothing more.”

  “I hate to admit it but the sergeant’s right. We just don’t know what the real situation is. We don’t have the big picture.”

  Henry was thoroughly confused. “So? What is it that you’re saying?”

  “I’m saying that maybe it doesn’t matter so much if we’re not a hundred percent. Maybe there’s someone else on the way who is. And anyway, even if there isn’t, we’ll get another chance in nine years. The situation on Earth is relatively stable and the population isn’t falling that fast anymore. It won’t be billions that die if you lose. Millions, certainly, hundreds of millions, perhaps. And that’s not your fault. It’s everyone who failed before you. It’s the last guy who fought the hex champion. It’s the UNOP fleet that couldn’t match the hex ships, it’s our leaders who decided to retreat rather than contest the Earth. It’s Doctor Monash and the others in Outpost Omega who didn’t get things exactly right with you. This isn’t your fault.”

  Henry’s face was now a hideous scowl. “What didn’t they get exactly right? Doctor Monash always said I was perfect.”

  “Ha!” Stirling shook his head. “Man, you poor bastard.”

  “Hey.” Henry said. “What’s your problem?”

  “You! You’re my problem.” Stirling stalked forward and jabbed a finger at Henry’s face. “The Lieutenant’s being kind because he’s a giant softy like you. He’s saying you don’t cut it, Henry, you just don’t cut it and you don’t seem to care about it at all. You’ll do better? You’ll try harder? Give me a break, you sound like a little boy. Which you are. And there’s no other ships on the way, come on, there’s no way that’s true. No way. And so it’s not okay for you to fail because the fate of the human race depends on you and you alone and you don’t give a shit, do you?”

  Henry got to his feet in an instant and towered over Stirling. “You be quiet.”

  “Oh, what are you going to do, big boy? You wouldn’t dare—”

  Henry balled his massive fists and shook all over.

  Ram jumped to his feet and pushed Stirling away. “That’s enough, Sergeant. That’s enough.”