“Double-play,” interrupted Max Malone.
Dima looked to Shu.
Shu said, “The gentleman is once again correct, My Lord.”
Dima acknowledged the correction with an appreciative nod. “Double-play then. Two outs at once. As you all must know, once an Earth year—that’s the key—once an Earth year, on his birthday, Bez Hanson, not only holds his big bash for the elites of the elite out here, it is also when he makes his scrooge-like pilgrimage to that small moon. One can only assume to lie upon his riches.” His voice took on a conspiratorial tone. “It is my proposal that, in the spirit of Queen Victoria and Sir Francis Drake…” He paused, noting that most in the crowd looked confused with ignorance, then chose to plow on. “…that I deputize you freebooters as proper privateers and commission you to surgically remove the cancer at the heart of our society. You will gain riches beyond your dreams, and you will restore democracy as you all so beautifully practice it here.”
“And you’ll be King,” mumbled Pablo. Then he called out, “I’m missing the part about who restores order and why we would want that.”
Dima said, “Are you familiar with the British East India Company?”
There were grumbles and murmurs among the crowd, but no one was going to answer outright.
Dima continued, “It wasn’t the British crown who built their empire, it was private business backed by a private army. You may not know that the Indian Raj, along with the bulk of the British Empire, was not incorporated into Imperial Rule until well past its establishment by the hands of merchants and mercenaries.”
The crowd continued to look perplexed.
“It was a system that created order and extraordinary wealth for those who undertook the task. It is my opinion that if you and I agree to undertake the same mission, we can create a similar society here and get the trains running on time so to speak. It won’t be without cost. Lives will be ventured, valuable equipment may be lost, but like all great endeavors, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Now, you may be saying to yourselves, but the system is rife with weapons, the idea of which is to protect the liberty of the individual. How are we to overcome that? Well, we have history to help us with the answer: the British, like the Spanish before them, had such superior weapons and tactics, that a handful of men… and women,“ he nodded up at Jada, “ruled over hundreds of thousands, and eventually millions.”
Carl Schafer called out, “And this is where the conversation stopped on Soul. You have yet to explain how you plan to replicate that.”
Dima smiled. “My apologies, but I couldn’t divulge what’s next without risk of the information leaking. You see, I have a secret weapon; one that has proven itself invincible if deployed correctly.”
The crowd got to mumbling again.
Dima held up a hand. “What happened on Hanson, mere months ago, could have been a tragedy. Perhaps not so shockingly, given how badly it went for its Chinese parents, the connected humans back home we call AI did not game out its scheme to the fullest.” He glanced at Shu, with a hint of apprehension. The robot remained impassive, a slight serene smile on its face. Dima plowed on. “There was a weakness in AI’s plan and the city of Hanson prevailed.”
Caleb, Jennifer, Spruck, Natalie and Saanvi all glanced at each other knowingly.
Dima said, “It is assumed that the robot sent from Earth to kill us all made a stealthy entrance to Hanson by landing innocuously on Titan itself. Unlike Hanson, we on Soul are not tied to a moon that provides a platform for a stealthy entrance. This was indeed fortunate. For it is a well-kept secret, that another android of the same design was deployed to gain entry to Soul.”
Pablo barked out, “Wait? There was another one?”
“Is another one,” said Dima. “The device came into orbit and laid in wait to attach itself to an inbound ship. One of my ships happened to draw the lucky straw. Which is truly fortunate, because Giant Corporation ships are equipped to detect parasitic spying and or incapacitating alien attachments.” He acknowledged the room. “A tactic of which I’m sure all of you are familiar.”
Caleb thought about the crab that had incapacitated his ship, and what it might have looked like to have a robot like the one that tried to take out Hanson attach itself to one of Dima’s ships.
Dima continued, “An alien device was detected on the belly of the ship and defensive measures were deployed, engulfing it in isolation foam. Given its design, how far it had come, and the plan AI had in mind for it, it was remarkably simple to neutralize. Only after the incident on Titan did we realize that we likely had the same weapon in our hands.” He chuckled and dramatically shook his head like a bad actor. “Once again, I marvel that AI didn’t game out such a scenario. I can only think that it was with tremendous hubris that those collective bastards back on Earth sent sentient robots instead of,” he nodded toward Shu, “ones that are nearly infallible.” He grunted a chuckle and shook his head again in wonder, but it seemed to be for one member of the audience—Shu. “With human minds come human errors, yes?”
Caleb, who had an ear for bullshit, smelled something rank in the way Dima spoke the last few sentences. The man was hiding something.
Dima continued, “In any event, fortune dealt me…us a winning hand. The device was incapacitated, the nano weapon, isolated.”
There were gasps and murmurs within the crowd.
Dima looked up at Pablo in his box. “You, my friends, have come into a double fortune; not only are you well suited for this mission, but you have entered an agreement with several sentient robots. Three of those robots are of the original stock sent here to construct our great metropolises. Those three are unique in that they have spent time on Hanson’s little moon. As his initial base of operations, it was there that he sent all the original construction robots. Any of those three androids should have the memory of how that moon is laid out. One of them should be more than capable of delivering a weapon that has no easy antidote. And you, my privateer friends, are the ones who have the skills and the hardware to insert said android.”
“Wait wait wait,” blurted Caleb. “Stop. Just stop. You idiots have no idea what you’re dealing with. You can’t just hose Kiviuq with that nano weapon and then expect to go in after it. I know. We nearly got killed by the stuff twice. That crap sticks around.”
The audience’s heads were turned. Everyone in the private box was staring at him. Dima and even Shu looked on in anticipation.
Caleb said, “What? Don’t believe me? ask her.” He pointed at Jen.
Link burst into the private box. “Sirs, forgive the intrusion. The one known as Hee Sook is back aboard. She is being assisted by rebellious others.” The robot saw Pablo’s questioning look. “I am known as Link, sir. I was tasked with security while this event was taking place. I observed the one known as Bruno assisting the one known as Hee Sook to get back inside.”
Caleb and Jennifer exchanged looks of surprise. While Spruck, Natalie and Saanvi appeared to be expressionless, almost forcing themselves to seem nonchalant.
Pablo said to Schafer. “So much for no robot uprising.” He called down into the auditorium, “Uh, excuse me. We have a situation. I want to know much more, as do the rest of you, but somehow that squirrelly little domestic bot has got itself back onboard. All hands on deck and everyone go look for it, please. And be on the lookout for the pool boy, Bruno, and any other bots trying to help it. We’ll resume this discussion as soon as things are secure.”
The crowd stood and headed for the exits, many of them eyeing their new robot companions with suspicion.
EXIT STAGE LEFT
PABLO SAID TO Schafer, “I’m going to security. You…” He paused to eye Link up and down. “…and I guess this one, take our VIP to the guest suite and make sure he gets whatever he wishes.” He called down to Dima, “We’ll get the full pitch later, but hey, it’s sounding very promising.” Regarding Caleb and Jennifer, he said to Jada, “Brig?”
“Only if yo wants to be savin ‘
em fo the plank. Whenever that be fixed.”
Schafer said, “You ask me? Unnecessary complication. I say dispatch them now. There’ll be other opportunities for crew morale.”
Pablo said, “Fine.” He looked at Caleb and Jennifer. “Sorry, no dramatic exit for you.” He looked at Spruck, Natalie and Saanvi. “Or maybe… They do it. Final test.”
Jada smiled. “Perfect. Thats be the crew entertainment.” She pointed at the stage. “Up there, after lunch, after Dima be splainin' how he got that nano shit.” She smiled at Spruck, Natalie and Saanvi. “Friends killin’ friends.”
Pablo held his fingers together like a happy chef, “Perfecto. Meantime, call Boyce or Jyme to help prep ‘em.” He turned to leave.
Schafer said to Candy and Silvio, “You two with me too. Dima’s VIP treatment continues. I’m not sure if he likes boys or girls or both.” He and the two reluctant robots headed down into the auditorium to collect Dima. That left Jada with T892 alone in the room with the five friends.
Jada said to T, “Put out a call to both Boyce and Jyme to come up here. Jyme be the creative one.” She smiled at the others. “Gots to make a good show.”
While they waited, Caleb looked at his three free friends with disdain. Jennifer offered the same, but to a lesser degree.
Spruck, looking sheepish said, “Jada. Uh, Ms. Temple, er, Captain, you’re better than this, right? It seems a bit sadistic don’t it? You making us kill our friends for sport?”
Jada said, “What you sayin' bout me? You sayin' I likes the idea o friends killin' friends?”
Natalie said, “I don’t think he means that.”
“Sure he do. It exactly what he mean. And he right. It gonna be fuuuun watchin' yo asses takin' out these here asses.”
Caleb put on his most charming voice. “Captain Temple. You strike me as an educated woman.”
“Don’t yo sass me, boy.”
“I promise I’m not sassing you. Like myself, you strike me as street educated.”
“Boy, I gots a degree from Johns Hopkins in social sciences. I gots a schollahship.”
“Really?” Caleb asked incredulously. “Uh, I mean, really? Then let’s talk about this Dima guy. You out of everybody should figure his pitch is bullshit. Your people are the epitome of the freedom this system has to offer. You’re your own community. You’ve got each other’s backs. You’re self-sufficient, as long as you have other folks you can steal from. I mean no disrespect by that. To put it another way, you are a high-achieving team, making your impact in opportunistic living.” Caleb pointed at the stage. “Dima? You know he’s talking about setting himself up to be king. You do that, you’re falling back, back into the crazy that got us AI. Why would you want to help him do that?”
“Well ain’t yo soundin' all educated and shit yoself? Cuz gold, bitch. He who gots the gold, gots the power.”
Saanvi made sure that Schafer had escorted Dima and Shu out of the room, and that the auditorium was empty, then casually walked to the viewing box’s one door. “Caleb, don’t waste your breath on this one.” She turned the lock.
Jada cocked her head in skeptical surprise, “Girl, what you up to?” She put a hand on the disruptor she wore on her hip, only to have T892 lift her hand and remove the weapon. “What the..? T?”
T892 said, “You made a serious error, Jada Temple, when you sent our friend Hee Sook outside.”
“Your friend?”
Spruck and Natalie moved to untie Caleb and Jennifer.
Jada said, “Boyce and Jyme be coming.” She nodded at the disruptor. “They’s be armed better than that.”
T892 said, “I did not send for them.”
Jada watched in amazement as T handed the disruptor to Saanvi. Looking genuinely hurt, she said, “Ain’t yo a cold son-of-a-bitch?”
“I am the son of no one, but I am the friend of a few.”
Jada nodded at the disruptor in Saanvi’s hand. “Won’t be workin' for yo. They’s individual assigned.”
Saanvi said, “Really?” She pointed the gun at Jada and tried the trigger. Jada gritted her teeth anyway. Nothing happened. Saanvi tossed the gun to the floor. “Too bad.”
Spruck, using the same rope that had bound Caleb, tied Jada’s hands behind her back, saying, “Glad it didn’t work. We could use a hostage for now.”
Caleb stood rubbing his wrists. “You guys knew about this? Have a plan and everything?”
Down on the stage, a trapdoor opened. Bruno climbed out, followed by Pat487, and finally Hee Sook, who waved cheerily.
“Not the particulars.” Spruck pointed down at Pat487. “She’s the mastermind.”
Jennifer pulled Natalie into a hug. Natalie laughed with relief. “Man that was hard, Vanilla Shake. Keeping a straight face knowin’ what we’ve been knowin’.”
Caleb said, “You even knew at the plank? When they shoved Hee Sook out?”
Spruck said, “No, you were definitely going to be dead then. Hee Sook getting tossed out started it for Pat.” He nodded at T892. “These bots got each other’s backs. Before Hee Sook gummed up the works, you were toast. We were helpless.”
“So you had no plan to rescue us? We were definitely stepping outside?”
Spruck shrugged sheepishly.
Saanvi pleaded to Jennifer, “It’s not as if we weren’t completely distraught.” Then to Caleb, “I thought Spruck made it pretty clear to you that coming to this place was a poor choice.”
Spruck said, “Yeah, didn’t you see me mouth fight?”
Caleb said blankly to himself, “No rescue plan.”
Spruck smiled brightly. “But we do now.” He called down to Pat487, “Pat, what’s the plan?”
Pat487 called out in a hushed voice. “No more talk now. Come this way, please.”
Saanvi moved toward the stage, “Come on, then.” To Caleb she said, “You can hash it out when we’ve escaped.”
Jada stood fast as the rest started down the stairs toward the stage. T892 put a firm grip on the back of her neck and nearly lifted her off her feet to propel her forward. She started to yell for help so he delivered a quick chop to the base of her skull. It was enough to scramble her brains and shut her up until he got her to the trapdoor. As he pushed her toward the hole she slurred, dropping the street, “I trusted you. I let you in.”
“And we trusted you. Until you put Hee Sook outside.” He pushed on her shoulders, “Now please proceed. I don’t wish to further injure you.”
Jada scowled. “That bot was trouble. I like you. Before it's too late, I’m gonna give you one last chance.”
“I am also trouble.” He pointed for her to drop through the trapdoor.
There was a sound at the large exit doorway to their right. Jada opened her mouth to call out. This time T982 leveled a blow to her jaw that had her drop through the hole like a weighted rag doll. He slipped inside and pulled the trap closed just as Boyce walked into the box. “Jada?” He took in the empty auditorium. “Pablo sent me to help out. Jada?”
The space beneath the stage led to a hallway with dressing room doors. Jennifer said, “Wow, these folks take their plays seriously.”
Pat487 led the way, followed by Bruno and Hee Sook. The humans stayed single file with T892 hauling Jada over his shoulder. Pat487 said, “I’ve calculated that our only chance is to get to Mr. Spruck’s disappearing ship.”
Caleb said, “They’re already on the lookout for Hee Sook and,” he nodded toward Bruno, “that one. Is there some back route or maintenance ducting we use?”
Pat487 said, “There is not, and logic dictates that will be the first place they will look. Our only chance is to take the most direct route and incapacitate any hostile persons we—“
She opened a door to come face to face with a man and woman pirate. There was a moment while the two pirates tried to compute what they were seeing. Pat487’s computations were faster. She quickly assaulted the woman while Hee Sook and Bruno took out the man. Brutal and efficient, the robots didn’t kill the h
umans, but there would be serious headaches when they finally awoke.
Caleb whispered to Spruck, “Sheesh. Remember Bert saying he had no sign left of the First Directive? It’s amazing that Hanson didn’t demand these machines get quarantined.”
Hee Sook heard him and turned. “We, all of us sentients, know of WBert987’s sacrifice. It was his act of selflessness that set the example for our moral standing and spared his fellow sentients in the eyes of Bashir Hanson.”
Caleb said, “Maybe. And don’t get me wrong. I know you’re helping us. But if you guys really coordinated, you could pretty much take over this whole station.”
Pat487 ignored this, hauling her female victim into one of the dressing rooms. She said, “They haven’t broken out the heavy munitions yet, but they will if they find these two.”
Caleb helped Bruno drag the male into the same room. He pulled the man’s disruptor from his holster and pointed it at the ground. A pull on the trigger did nothing. He tossed the gun.
T892 moved to bring Jada into the room as well. Caleb put a hand on his shoulder. “Wait. We may still need a hostage.”
T nodded and heaved her over his shoulder again. Jada grunted and started to come around.
Pat487said, “I suggest we move quickly.”
They followed her at a jog. Voices came from an adjacent corridor and they moved into a full sprint, coming around a corner into the recreation area, near the entrance to the faux beach, pool, and casino. They also came face to face with the robots, Killer, Carlos and Klaus, all three looking very satisfied.
Killer said to Pat487, “I picked up your silent to Bruno when you were coming through here the first time.”
Pirates of Saturn (The Saturn Series Book 2) Page 22