Sue's breath was shallow and she still didn't respond to Sam's attempts to rouse her. He cursed himself for the hundredth time for having wasted his last nano-med packet getting Nelly's carcass out of the way. The longer it took to get her some nano-meds, the more likely that there would be permanent brain damage from the lack of oxygen. There wasn't enough nano-morphic material in his ultralight flight rig to both enlarge the rigs capacity to handle two people, and provide a secure harness to hold an unconscious passenger. So Sam cut his clothes into strips, along with what was left of Sue's and tied her body to his. In order to have the stability in flight he needed to prevent Sue's form from sagging to one side, so he tied her legs to his. He tied their waists together and he even tied her arms to his.
He spent half his power packs remaining charge just getting off the ground but once in the air, there were plenty of thermals, allowing him to conserve power as he flew towards the only man on the planet, that he believed might have even the slightest chance of being able to help Sue.
***
When Cindy stepped out of the VR booth she was somewhat dizzy. She couldn't believe how much information Sandra had packed into her brain.
“Don't worry, the disorientation won't last long,” Sandra began to tell her. “I monitored your session closely. The scans told me your brain absorbed the data correctly.”
Cindy shook her head and walked over to the desk. When she was sitting down Sandra continued.
“I'm sorry I had to pack quite so much in this one session Cindy,” Sandra explained. “But if your serious about getting strong enough to avoid being a liability to Jake. I needed to ensure that you knew enough about what I'm going to suggest to make an informed decision. It's time you decided if your willing to let me implant part of your nano-control interface. I still can't make you quite Jake's equal. But with a direct data connection with your brain I can make you into something a lot closer to it. Closer than any of your new enemies will be prepared for.”
Cindy began to draw upon her new knowledge.
“But isn't that how the Spacers of the old guild were transformed into cybernoids?” She asked with a shudder.
“Yes!” admitted Sandra. “But that was because the old corrupt central committee deliberately left out any safeguards that could have prevented them from remotely overriding the will of the spacers. Who they wanted to transform into an army of obedient super solders. The nanosymbionce that developed into what we now call questors developed from a cleverly designed system that couldn't do that. Even though at first, it had to appear to remote monitoring that such overrides were in place.
My design doesn't even have to pretend to let a central computer override your brain. Which made it somewhat easier to specifically design it to prevent any such thing. Also since your brain would be able to disconnect at will from anything external, I've been able work out a way to make the external support circuitry extensionable and replaceable. What's more, as a bonus you'd be able use it to interface with almost any computer system.”
Cindy noticed that as Sandra spoke, she discovered relevant supporting information within the data stored in her brain. The whole thing was risky and time consuming. Though since she needed time to absorb the implanted data after each VR session. Along with the fact that she still needed about 3 more sessions. There could be enough time for it.
“Alright Sandra, you've almost convinced me.” Cindy said. “But I warn you, if I let you do this and then Steve makes you undo it after I get used to it, I'm going to be hell to live with.”
“Me too!” said Sandra. “But even if he does, I'm pretty sure it would only be the integrated command functions. And maybe the semi-continuous auto-insertion of a micro-stream of custom programmed nano-boosters.” Cindy was surprised to realize that she knew exactly which functions Sandra was referring to.
“Yes, the very functions I'm afraid I'll get addicted to Sandra,” Cindy explained her remaining hesitance. “But frankly I'm surprised you think the autoboosting is a good idea. If I've got the concept right, it would provide a targeted boosting of whatever functional deficiency the system detected a shortfall of. And if the detection system and enough of the nano-boost is built into the implanted part, it could provide that boost so quickly that I might become too strong for my own good. I mean I could develop a delusional, god like self image.”
“You got the concept alright Cindy,” Sandra said with a smile. “And correctly jumped to the right conclusion of the primary risk, aside from the potential damage that could be caused by prolonged over stimulation of the synapses in your brain.” Sandra paused but before Cindy thought of anything to say, she continued. “Not to worry, the solution for both problems is to build in some limiting factors. The mechanisms for constructing and storing those highly specialized programmable nano-boosters are both designed to be somewhat limited. It will take about 15 hours for the system to replenish enough of the custom nano-boost nanites to supply you with just one hour of auto-boost mode. The maximum storage capacity of the whole system, including the emergency reserves would be just barely enough for 90 minutes of auto-boost. In addition to which, I've built in a few internal unpleasant simulated sensations into the active auto-boost mode that should make it easier to reserve it for true emergencies.”
“Let me guess,” Cindy joked. “It'll feel like I've got a terrible belly ache, while being forced to listen to some heavy metal artist ripping his larynx out.” Sandra looked surprised.
“Almost Cindy,” she admitted. “Actually I went with a sensation of pseudo-nausea, coupled with a dull pain in the back of the skull that gradually intensifies while you remain in auto-boost mode until it's worse than a migraine. And incidentally, I thought of something far more vile than heavy metal, I hard coded an extract from the ultra-bland music my bank plays on their telephone hold circuits. Except of course that it won't actually interfere with your ability to hear real sounds because the sound would actually just be simulated inside your brain. Which of course means that you won't be able to drown it out with other sounds.”
“Now that is vile!” Cindy replied. Then she paused for a second to think about it. “Maybe even vile enough to keep me from using this auto-boost enough for it to become a problem. But that nausea part worries me a bit. I mean how effective would I be in an emergency if I'm busy hurling my guts out?”
“I did say pseudo-nausea,” Sandra explained. “You'd be pretty much able to count on not actually regurgitating from it or anything else while in auto-boost mode. Though you might find yourself wishing you could.
Actually though Cindy, I went with a slightly less aggressive version of the concept that won't be quite as unpleasant. At least not for very short term use. That is for the first 5 minutes of the auto-boost mode, by which I mean while the system still has at least another 85 minutes worth in reserve, the pseudo-nausea will start as a slightly unsettled feeling and only gradually work up to the full sensation.
Likewise that annoying background music will start out with a somewhat muted effect. Like what you might still hear from a pair of headphones if they weren't quite positioned over your ears. But like the pseudo-nausea the simulated music will gradually work up to the inescapable sensation such as you might expect from a surgically implanted sound system.
Each time you toggle the auto-boost mode offline for at least 15 seconds, during that first 5 minutes of operation, the intensity of the unpleasant sensations will reset to the beginning. Though even if you learn to use it in very short bursts, if you don't wait the full 15 seconds between each use, the next one will start where the last one left off. Of course if you use it enough for the available supply of auto-boost nanites to dwindle down to less than 85 minutes worth of operation, all unpleasant sensations would suddenly be maximized.
So you see Cindy, you would only be able to avoid some of the unpleasant sensations, if you learn to use the auto-boost mode very sparingly. Which is actually another way to discourage overuse of the system.”
&
nbsp; After a little reflection, Cindy made up her mind.
“Alright Sandra, I guess I'm ready to give this a try,” Cindy said. “But how do we do it?”
Sandra pulled something resembling one of her nano-med packets out of a desk draw.
“It'll take four of these, one every 12 hours or so,” Sandra explained. “If your ready, I'll program the first one now.”
Chapter 30 Counter Attack
“Well, that's all we can do with this until David's ready to feed it some power.” Arnold said when they completed the last of the unpowered circuit tests, on the modifications they'd made to the power intake system of Arnold's shuttlecraft. “But speaking of power sources, I've been thinking about that “microfusion” power plant. Which you said was the power source for your defense shield. And frankly it doesn't add up. I mean even if your guild technology can build such a powerful dynamo that small, There's no way it could have held enough hydrogen to keep such a powerful shield dome over the island for so long.”
Jake looked at Arnold thoughtfully for a moment before he explained.
“True enough Arnold,” he finally admitted. “But the microfusion reactor component itself is even smaller than I let on. In truth it's not quite a guild design. Though much of it is based on guild technology. You see it's design was conceived by the mind of the most innovative questor there has ever been. And he designed in a feature or two that the guild itself never thought of. One such feature of the power plant I described includes a system that diverted a small fraction of the output to power a hydrogen replenishment device. Which in turn extracted a continuous stream of hydrogen from the moisture in the air.”
“I still find it hard to believe,” Arnold replied. “But I suppose that with all the steam in the air from where the river was starting to boil, I guess it's possible. Anyway I think it's time we get started on the weapon control circuits so that Luna command can't remotely disable them.”
“I still think I should go with you!” Jess said.
Jake shook his head.
“I'm sorry Jess,” Jake explained. “But there's a slight chance that Arnold can get the shuttle inside a docking bay, before they realize how badly they want to blast it. And I think it's something he really needs to do. Besides, I need somebody to be here for Sam when he gets back...”
Jess made an inarticulate sound.
“Why did you let him fly off like that anyway Jake?” Jess wanted to know. “He was in no condition to fly, never mind face what he'll find out there.”
“Because it was something he had to do Jess,” Jake explained. “If I had stopped him, it would have done him more harm than good. Now it's almost time to find out if this thing's going to fly. So I'm afraid I've gotta go get aboard the shuttle.”
Jess made another inarticulate sound, but he stepped aside. Jake knew that there wouldn't be enough power to spare for a test run. They would have to hope everything worked the first time.
“Are you ready boys?” David's voice sounded from the shuttle's auxiliary communications circuit. “Last chance to back out.”
Arnold looked back at Jake, who just nodded.
“Just heat it up David,” Arnold said. “We're as ready as we're ever going to be.”
“Very well then,” David's voice said. “Initializing power transfer. Now!”
Suddenly the power gauges lit up. There were a few flashing warning lights. Then the shuttles computer complained about nonstandard power frequencies and hazardous power fluctuations. Next it warned them that the safety override circuit had failed and that it was unable to abort the power transfer.
“It's a good thing we hard wired the manual overrides!” Arnold exclaimed as he engaged the buoyancy envelope generation circuit.
Which used most of the general repulsor units mounted on the hull to push the surrounding air away from the shuttle. The resulting ‘envelope’ of near vacuum increased the shuttles effective volume, without increasing it's weight. Which in turn produced buoyancy and like a weather balloon, they began to rise rapidly into the sky. This took considerably less power than pushing directly against Slowlane's gravitational field.
When they reached sufficient altitude for the rarefied atmosphere to fail to provide enough lift, Arnold transferred most of the power to the long range repulsors which were now pointed at Slowlane. Though he reserved some power for the magnetic field manipulators, with which he used Slowlane's natural magnetic field to fine tune their trajectory into a rapid Luna transfer orbit.
“Attention incoming shuttle, this is Luna base,” an unfriendly voice sounded from the main communications circuit. “We are under a lockdown quarantine. Veer off or you will be fired upon.”
“Luna base, this is Luna shuttle alpha538,” Arnold replied. “Security team leader prime Arnold Hunter commanding. I'm simply returning to base, check my transponder circuit for ID verification.”
“Your identity is confirmed team leader,” another voice said. “However we are still under lockdown quarantine. I must insist that you veer off. You are hereby instructed to assume a category 3 parking orbit, and await further instructions.”
“Luna base, I'm afraid a parking orbit won't do” Arnold explained. “I declare this an omega class priority flight. I've got a hazardous prisoner aboard. I need to get him to a maximum security confinement bay before the power fails on the sleeper restraints.”
“Team leader Hunter, this is commander Smith,” an authoritative voice said. “What prisoner is that?”
“I caught the bastard who blew up the Scuttlebutt sir,” Arnold said. “He tried to deny it but the fact that he survived the blast that killed my wife, is proof enough. So I pretended to believe him until he foolishly let his guard down.”
“And just who might that be team leader?” commander Smith's voice inquired.
“Why that outworlder slime Jake Peterson of course sir,” Arnold responded.
“In that case team leader, your prisoner is far too dangerous to permit him to regain consciousness,” commander Smith's voice instructed. “As ‘Supreme Luna Commander’, I hereby command you to terminate the prisoner immediately. Then there will be no reason for you to fail to assume a category 3 orbit before we are forced to fire upon you.”
Arnold switched off his voice input and muttered, “Good luck with that sir!” Suddenly an alarm sounded from the computer console.
“We've got an incoming missile Jake,” Arnold said.
“I'm on it,” Jake replied.
Jake quickly manipulated the focus settings of the ships x-ray laser from the weapons console. He fired a minimal burst that used less than 10% of their reserve power to prematurely detonate the missile.
“I've located the attacking vessel,” Jake said. “It appears to be using some kind of chemically powered rocket engine for thrust. The bad news is they have at least 10 more of those missiles.”
“It's a type two interceptor ship,” Arnold's voice was strained as he replied. “They keep a few of those antiques around for training purposes and because they don't depend on remote power. As soon as they realize that we still have enough power to run the laser, they will try to launch all their missiles simultaneously. Then even the power David's still sending us won't be enough. I'm afraid your going to have to take them out.”
Jake had already begun targeting the fuel tanks of the other ship.
“Sorry Arnold,” Jake said as he fired a slightly longer burst from the x-ray laser. “Power reserves down to 70%. I suggest you take an evasive action before they manage to target us from the surface.”
“Way ahead of you Jake,” Arnold replied as he suddenly altered course.
It was almost too late.
A high energy particle beam sliced through the spot they would have been if he hadn't just changed course. It was so close that the electromagnetic effects of it's passage nearly fried them. The computer switched on the defense screen which deflected most of the electrical energy before it burned out. There was an electrical fire somew
here that was quickly filling the shuttles cockpit with smoke.
“We've lost the defense screen,” Jake said. “The computer is also down. And I'm afraid were no longer getting David's power signal. Worse, still the power reserves are down to 40%. Which may be enough to make a soft landing. But if we spend any more power on evasive maneuvers we're going to hit hard. And if we don't...”
Arnold cut him off.
“We have just one option left,” he said, once again in a flat emotionless voice. “And it depends on just how much internal impact your nanites can protect you from. I'm going to use every scrap of power we have left in a very unconventional maneuver. I'm going to try to bullseye a freight pod cannon. If I hit the trajectory just right and if they don't think to turn off it's safety override circuits, you will find yourself suddenly motionless in a freight bay.” Then as he punched in the activation sequence for the course he had just manually plotted, Arnold added, “Tell Mary I love her!”
Since they were already rapidly approaching one of the massive freight pod launchers in a fast near surface trajectory. It didn't take long for the shuttles magnetic field manipulators to lock on to the residual magnetic field in the launch cannons pod guidance system.
Jake barely had time to toss a containment field pellet into Arnold's lap and command his nanites to generate a momentary protective containment field bubble around himself before they passed through the launch aperture of the pod cannon.
When his protective containment field faded, Jake tore a hole in the side of the Shuttle. By the time the hole was big enough, the containment field around Arnold's body had run out of power and collapsed. He grabbed Arnold by the waist and jumped. The shuttle was suspended some fifty feet above the floor by the magnetic grapples. It took every bit of the enhanced strength Jake had to keep from dropping Arnold's inert form when he landed on his feet.
He didn't wait for for anyone to respond to the alarms that echoed in the freight bay. Jake also didn't bother with any of the obvious doorways but instead launched himself at the ventilation system as he sent hundreds of nano-pods on reconnaissance and system infiltration missions. As well as some on a medical mission into Arnold's body. He didn't stay in the ventilation system long. By the time he exited it however, his nano-pods had gained enough control over the security sensors as to make his movements invisible to Luna security. A few minutes later, he deposited Arnold's inert form on a toilet in a woman's restroom. He checked the status of the nano-pods he had assigned to restore Arnold's body. It had been a close thing but the containment field had limited the damage to within that which his nanites could repair in time.
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