by J. N. Chaney
“Maybe,” she said. “Maybe not. Like I said, we don’t want no problem with the human’d. Not the locals or the Jump’d Force Troopers.”
“Tell me about them, and I’ll give you the rifle,” I said.
“Again, Reaper Cain, I cannot recommend you surrender a fully loaded weapon that they can use and you cannot,” X-37 said.
I acknowledged X-37 with a subtle hand twist, bio-feedback he could read as clearly as words. He shut up.
Saw-say narrowed her gaze, watching and waiting for a second. She might not know I was communicating with my LAI, but she sensed something. That made her dangerous. The others were quiet, which made them dangerous. They watched, adjusted their positions, and tested their weapons in the air.
“There are two survivable’d planets in the Zakion system, Say’d and Oroth. The Jump Force Troopers came from Oroth and drove my people into the galaxy. We came here, and they followed with a vengeance. I know nothing of your’d humans’d. Now give me the rifle,” she said.
I held her gaze and processed the new information. The JFT was just a unit designation. I needed to know more. “Jump Force is from Oroth?”
“The United Sovereignty of Oroth. I don’t know’d what that means,” she said. “Now, the rifle.”
I waggled the barrel, emphasizing how I had it pointed at her face. “Maybe I should test it first.”
She shrugged.
“My analysis suggests she truly does not believe it will fire,” X-37 said.
I slung the weapon over my back and pulled the knife. Saw-say stepped back, raising her spear defensively.
“Unless you came to murder my family and friends, I’ve got no quarrel with you,” I said. “I’ll leave the rifle where you can find it, but not until you stop following me. Understood?”
“Just remember we did you no harm,” she said.
“Fear detected,” X-37 said. “She is hiding it well. The others, less so. One of them may have soiled himself, and you will notice that only the humanoid with the ax has stood fast. The others are gradually retreating.”
“Why is that, X?”
“They are more afraid of you than anyone was afraid of you as a Reaper in your previous life,” X-37 said. “Saw-say must be a formidable warrior and leader among her people. Standing her ground despite her fear is admirable.”
“Sure thing, X.”
“Who are you talking to now, and don’t say your squad. There’d are no snipers,” she said.
“Voices in my head.”
She trembled visibly. Sweat beaded on her forehead.
“Let me ask you one more question, Saw-say. Have you seen me before?”
She glanced at the others for support, then rallied her courage. “I’ve seen you three times, and every time, I’ve lost comrades. But you’re not one of the others. If you were in the armor machines, we would have avoided this conversation.”
“Like Archangel gear?” I asked without thinking the question through.
Saw-say narrowed her gaze. “Are you mocking me? How would I know what the death machines are called?”
“Forget about it,” I said.
“The others didn’t talk so much,” she said.
“They didn’t talk at all,” the axeman growled. “This one must be an outcast. Weak. I say we cut him down. Do the galaxy a favor’d.”
“Tell me everything you can about the other Reapers,” I said, edging forward. This was important. I needed to know what I was dealing with.
Saw-say and the axeman backed up. The others retreated even faster. “No, I don’t think we will. Maybe I don’t want that rifle. Keep it. Just stay away from us.”
“I could make you tell me things,” I said.
“Relax, Reaper Cain. Threats aren’t your style,” X-37 said.
“My fucking head hurts, X. I want some answers.”
Saw-say gave her partner a nod, then glared at me as she walked backward, keeping her spear between me and her squad. “I don’t have the answers you need, Reaper.”
“You don’t know what I am?”
“Neither do you,” she said. “And that’s why you’re the worst of these… Reapers.”
“Let them go, Reaper Cain. Now would be an excellent time to make our escape,” X-37 said.
“Sure, X. Whatever you say.” I watched the Hagg soldiers disappear into the town, wondering what Hagg meant. She had told me a lot, but I didn’t feel enlightened.
Waves crashed on the beach just out of sight. Birds circled above and cried out, shrieking their complaints.
“Let’s go, X. I’m done with this place,” I said, then faced the last place I had seen Saw-say and the others. “Watch out for the clown. He’s a killer.”
“Why would you do that, Reaper Cain?”
“I guess I’m just a dick today.”
“Can confirm, Reaper Cain.”
I ran to the edge of town, stopped long enough to search the beach for more of these humanoid soldiers, and headed for Maglan City at a brisk jog.
10
Running for hours at a time was nothing new. I hadn’t done it without the help of Archangel gear for a long time. In retirement, I’d kept in shape but never loved the long runs. This body was extremely fit, however. I felt like I was twenty years old again.
“I suggest you rest more frequently, Reaper Cain,” X-37 said.
“That’s a first, my LAI cutting me a break.” I eased the pace and watched the Maglan skyline as the sun went down. “The last time I was here they were arguing about a new drone law. Too many unmanned aircraft and shuttles running into each other.”
“I detect no vehicle movement of any kind,” X-37 said.
“My point exactly.” I slid into a ditch, hopped over the meager stream at the bottom, and ascended the other side. “Wish drone accidents were our biggest problem now.”
“I will note your preference in the mission log,” X-37 said.
A flock of birds rose from a building, then wheeled and dived and flowed behind skyscrapers where I lost sight of their progress.
“Lot of birds,” I said.
“Those are most likely scavengers,” X-37 said.
“Nah, X, those are just birds being birds.” I resumed my trek toward the capital of the planet. “Scavengers circle.”
“Not all scavengers circle, Reaper Cain, and not all birds are harmless. Your heart rate is elevated. You have consumed most of your water,” X-37 said. “A less aggressive pace would conserve resources and prevent overexertion.”
“My entire life has been one overexertion after another, X.”
“Of course, but you are heading into the unknown and should conserve your strength.” My LAI displayed a list of scenarios in my HUD as he talked. “You might encounter regular Hagg soldiers, not deserters. You could be ambushed by an HC assassin. Sickness, starvation, exposure to the elements…”
“I get it, X. Find me a ship or a car. At this point, I’d take a bicycle,” I said.
“A starship off this planet would be far superior to any of those options.”
“Find me a starship, then. I’ll fly over to my mother’s estate and pick up anyone still holding down the fort,” I said.
“Reaper Cain, your mother is deceased.”
I stopped, not sure what to say. Words refused to hold meaning. A humming sound filled my head, and for a second, it felt like my LAI would cut his way out of my brain with a laser torch. At the same time, the truth was as real as gravity or sunlight or every memory I had of the good times.
Anger was my go-to solution for every crisis. This was different, more personal, closer to my soul. I knew X wasn’t toying with me, and also that he couldn’t help me experience loss. This was just for me.
“There is nothing for us on Maglan. The sooner we’re gone, the better. Remaining on this planet can only cause you pain, and that is not conducive to the successful completion of your mission,” X-37 said.
“What the hell is my mission if everyone I care about is dead?” I marched forw
ard, afraid that if I didn’t I would sit down, and if I sat down I might never get back up.
“Your predecessor believed that Elise and many others took the fight to the invaders, and now we know that is in the Zakion system on Oroth. Perhaps we can join the fight,” X-37 said. “Find a star ship. Search for survivors. Get some payback, Reaper Cain.”
“When were you ever worried about payback?” I started jogging again, increasing the pace until I was running hard.
“An effective LAI often speaks the host’s language, and we’ve been together for a long time.”
“Stop blowing smoke up my ass.”
“Reaper Cain, let’s agree you are the sum of your prior experiences regardless of which body you inhabited.”
“That’s easy for you to say, X. I’m not an LAI. I’m not supposed to have more than one body. I was never downloaded into a host’s nerve-ware.” I reached the highway and climbed to the upper level. Cars lined the lane leading away from the city. None of them worked. Most were empty, but some held the rotted skeletons of entire families.
“I really hate the Oroth assholes.” I crossed to the less crowded lanes and left the carnage behind. “There were millions of people living in this part of Maglan.”
X-37 ignored the comment. “You need wheels or wings, Reaper Cain, or you will become one of the Maglan tragedies.”
“At least we agree on something.”
“I am making the best suggestions I can, which is central to my mandate as a guardian of your wellbeing.” X-37 displayed maps of roads leading into and out of Maglan City. “You must, of course, make all of the decisions.”
We didn’t talk much for the next hour. Occasionally, X put something on my HUD—general information about the area or a warning. “The amount of data I can raid from active computer networks is extremely limited. Most of the city’s traffic cameras were destroyed in the fighting.”
“We’ll do it the old-fashioned way—scout the area, pay attention, try not to die.” I entered a tall building and searched the lower level for threats. Five seconds into the search, I knew there were no resources to scavenge.
Alone, relatively safe, I stared out the window without moving. Leaves blew down the street. A piece of trash tumbled after them. Loneliness had a sound, and it was wind through the tallest buildings of Maglan City.
I continued toward the municipal spaceport. Not the best option on the planet but definitely the closest. Stray dogs avoided me. Eyes watched me from windows, but they were probably cats.
Green spaces, parks, and public buildings made up the core of the city—libraries, low cost gymnasiums, and dozens of small businesses. A few of the fountains were still running lazily. A deer darted away from one, not bothering to swing its antlers at me. The white and black striped fur looked wild and unkept. The animal had a scar down one flank.
“Never saw a deer before Maglan,” I said, then climbed onto the edge of the fountain. Algae and floating plants covered the surface.
“The municipal spaceport is a few blocks from here,” X-37 said.
“Scan for comms,” I said.
“I have been doing that since we entered the city. Nothing but a recording directing citizens to check nonessential belongings before approaching their designated shuttle,” X-37 said. “The time stamp is nearly ten years old.”
“How does that work when my predecessor just attacked the station and tried to eliminate me?” I asked.
“We sought Elise and the others for years and spent a lot of time fighting to stay alive. I didn’t know that he was going to pull your plug,” X-37 said.
“Dishonesty detected.”
“That’s my line, Reaper Cain.”
I adjusted my pack, stepped into the deserted street, and started to run again. Some topics were better left untouched. The chance of throwing X-37 into a programming conflict was real. He wasn’t supposed to lie to me or seek his own immortality. One mistake, and he would shut down permanently. He especially wasn’t supposed to murder his host, though at the time, he’d been in the original me and I’d been sleeping peacefully in clone pod goo.
“Sorry I brought it up, X. Let’s just get to the spaceport. Preferably, double time”
X answered me instantly. “That’s up to you. And your feet.”
Five men searched the spaceport. I watched them from the shadows of a nearby building. The only ship I saw was missing both engines and had a hole through the fuselage. Others could be concealed in one of the hangers, but I wouldn’t hold my breath for a miracle of that magnitude.
“They don’t look like soldiers,” I said, “but they know how to move. Sneaking up on them would take a lot of work.”
“Agreed, Reaper Cain, and to what purpose. They have crude weapons, and their clothing is tattered. You could interrogate them though the information would be of limited value.”
Two of the group argued until they all stopped. The other three spread out and faced outward, posting watch like they had been attacked before and wanted to avoid the experience now. Each man carried a tall staff or walking stick that doubled as a tool and defensive weapon. They carried two packs per man—one full and the other sagging empty, ready for loot.
“They’re looking to fill those packs,” I said.
“Survival requires resource gathering,” X-37 said. “You are looking at evidence of the planet-wide exodus. The people of Wallach, Xad, and Yansden fled their own worlds long ago. They know how and when to leave a bad situation behind.”
“I had hoped they would learn to settle down and make this planet their home,” I said.
“Hope is not a strategy LAIs understand.”
“It’s more like dessert.”
“I fail to see the analogy, Reaper Cain.”
“It’s not enough all by itself,” I said. “The wanderers kept moving. I want to check these hangars.”
“Good plan,” X-37 said. “Keep your eyes open.”
I closed my eyes and walked a few steps.
“Not funny, Reaper Cain.”
“It was a little funny.”
The first hangar was empty. On my way toward the second, I felt eyes on my back. “What did I miss, X?”
“Unknown. Act natural until you are inside the building. Then we can look out with less chance for our stalker to realize we’re onto him.”
“Or her,” I said.
“Or it.”
“Good one, X. We could be on our way to filling the belly of a monster,” I said.
“Reaper Cain, that would be a serious problem. My recommendation is to not get eaten.”
I stepped inside, quickly checked the large room, and then peeked out a window. The sun was in my eyes. I watched for a silhouette on a rooftop or a shape darting between buildings, and saw nothing.
“Why can’t anything be easy, X?”
“Recommendation, locate and neutralize this new threat,” X-37 said.
“That’s the plan.”
11
Darkness fell like a hammer. The evening breeze died away one city block at a time, releasing trees and neglected landscaping to hang limply. Lupine hunters howled to their packs and ran the streets of a once great metropolis.
“There are no functioning vehicles in this hangar,” X-37 said. “The starport occupies ten city blocks. There is a crashed assault shuttle three hundred meters due north of your current position.”
“Find one that flies.”
“You may need to scavenge parts from several vehicles,” X-37 said. “I will guide you through the repair process.”
“Thanks.” I knew my LAI would take care of me, but I was distracted. He searched any computer still connected to electricity—most of those were household appliances. I watched for the lurker. Instinct warned me this threat was different. “I’m going on the offensive.”
“Very good, Reaper Cain. Entering focus mode. There will be a list of my discoveries waiting when you have dealt with this problem.”
I slipped out a back d
oor, hid in the alleyway until I was sure no one was watching me, then moved along the side of the building. At the corner, I stopped again and waited.
An animal, or maybe a human, cried in the night. “Give me an estimate on the distance, X.”
“The voice is most likely one half to one mile south by southwest of your position. I have marked it on your HUD map of the city but advise against seeking the source of the sound.”
“Agreed, X. Alert me if there is another, and plot the location of human versus animal sounds at night. I want to know who is hunting, who is hiding, and who is dangerous,” I said.
“Added to my task list. I have detected a series of sounds that are much closer. You may have missed them,” X-37 said.
“You have my attention.” A cool breeze touched my skin.
“Directly across the landing field between this building and the next, there was the sound of a window opening. Very subtle. Whoever opened it was attempting to be as silent as possible.”
I searched the large, square building that appeared to be an exact copy of the one I had just cleared. Like many hangars on Maglan, both had windows that were rarely opened—existing to provide natural light and occasionally ventilation. Neither of these uses were the most efficient. I knew the hangars at the Maglan City spaceport handled all the important tasks with modern power, cooling, and lighting systems. The windows were mostly cosmetic but were useful for snipers and birdwatchers. I didn’t see any birds at the moment.
“All right, I give up. Which window?”
“Top level, third from the south end of the building,” X-37 said.
I checked other features of the building. “That is a corner room, possibly a CEO’s office. It’s also close to the roof access. A sniper would command a larger area from that window than any of the middle windows and would have the option to transition to the rooftop to get an eye on the rest of the complex.”
“Those were the conclusions of my analysis as well, Reaper Cain.”
I backed away from my corner, sinking deeper into the night. If my estimation of my opponent’s position was correct, the building should block any chance of him seeing me or detecting me with advanced optics. The moment I was out of view, I ran to the back of my building and searched for a way to outflank my adversary.