“Oh, shit!” Galvanic Action exclaimed, blanching as he approached. “How did they get it into our system? Can you stop it?”
“First off, I can stop it, but I haven’t yet. Once I do, we’re going to be warning whoever is on the other end that we know what’s going on,” Hypergizmo replied and smiled thinly as he added. “Plus, the person who set it up wasn’t quite as smart as they thought. They’re copying the files of our system, so it would be easy for me to set things up so that it thinks that there’s an update of all the files, and then it’ll replace them with blank ones. I can’t guarantee that it’ll get rid of all of the data they may have stolen, but I bet it’ll wipe out the most sensitive information.”
“That’s something, at least. You didn’t answer how they got it into our system, though,” Ocean Spirit replied, frowning as she considered the question. “What’s wrong?”
“The problem is that it was inserted from inside the control room. Fortunately, I have cameras all over, and I keep logs for at least thirty days,” Hypergizmo replied, pressing his lips together tightly for a moment before he kept going. “I tracked down when the worm infiltrated our system, and I was even able to figure out which port it came in through. The person who set it up is good, but I suspect they’re just a mundane hacker, not a super. Anyway, I have footage of when it was uploaded. You aren’t going to like the answer.”
Galvanic Action exchanged looks with Ocean Spirit, then spoke grimly. “Considering your comment about thirty days, I’m guessing Morgan or Warden… but let’s see it.”
“I’m afraid you’re wrong there,” Hypergizmo replied, and hit the key to play the clip of surveillance from the control room that he’d found.
The video that appeared wasn’t crisp and perfect. He’d never wanted the resolution to be able to read personal screens, in part because that could be problematic if someone did hack the cameras. Beyond that, video of that type just took up too much storage space for how little it was used.
On the screen, they could see Blooming Orchid sitting down in the main chair of the control room, looking at things and doing her job almost like normal. It seemed all too regular to Hypergizmo, but after a few moments she fished a data stick out of her purse and slotted it into a jack, reaching out to open it on the computer screen, and Hypergizmo froze the video.
“About half an hour after she was on shift at the HQ after her vacation, Blooming Orchid was the one who introduced the worm. The data stick also contained music, but I checked the files and they don’t match those that she’s played here before,” Hypergizmo said soberly, as Galvanic Action bit back a curse. “They aren’t the same style, either… oh, they’re similar, but they don’t quite match up. Now I may just be seeing things where there aren’t any, so I want your opinions. Have either of you noticed her acting oddly?”
“I… hell, I’m not sure. I’ve interacted with Orchid a bit, but I thought that she was unhappy because of everything that went on with Lilith and the others,” Galvanic Action said, pacing back and forth, looking like he was in shock. “I’ve just been so busy that I don’t know.”
“She has been acting oddly. Orchid is normally more upbeat about someone’s chances of recovering quickly, yet she’s been quick to point out that Black Comet might not be able to return to action for a few weeks. Most of the rest…” Ocean Spirit paused, tapping a hand on the console, then continued. “It could’ve been justified by her being upset, like Galvanic said. If it were any single aspect of this, I’d be inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt, but there are too many coincidences. Plus, Ebon Dragon is involved.”
“Err, I know he’s related to Orchid, but nothing more than that they are on poor terms,” Hypergizmo admitted, frowning. “What’re you meaning about him being involved?”
“Ebon Dragon is Orchid’s grandfather. She only barely remembers him, but he was disapproving of her parents because they allowed her to do what she wanted. He was very… traditional in some ways and believed that a woman should be seen and little more. He also was a power-hungry bastard,” Ocean Spirit explained unhappily. “He sacrificed his wife as part of a ritual to increase the potency of his magic. His family disowned him, but with him involved, I know Orchid would never be pressured into doing something to betray us. Something has happened to her. Either she’s been mind-controlled or replaced.”
“Holy crap. That’s…” Hypergizmo blanched. “Yeah, that would be bad. What do you want me to do, though? She’s in her room right now, but we don’t have a ton of time.”
“Galvanic? I’m resisting the urge to burst into her room and take her into custody until we know for sure,” Ocean Spirit asked, frowning as she tapped her leg. “I can’t justify drawing this out, not with Black Comet in her care.”
“I think we should have Hyper kill the worm and hopefully the data, then confront her. Accuse her of being an infiltrator and take her into custody regardless. We have evidence she did something wrong, unlike with Morgan and Warden,” Galvanic Action said quickly, pacing rapidly as he looked at Hypergizmo. “Hyper, how quickly can you do it?”
“Taking down the worm and the files shouldn’t take more than five minutes. I have most of the things in place to kill it. I’d just want to give it a little time to work before nuking the worm,” Hypergizmo replied, shrugging slightly as he added, “I’d try to zip bomb their system, but pretty much every piece of software looks for those these days.”
“Zip bomb?” Ocean Spirit asked, looking confused.
“Ah, just a file they used to use. It looks small, but the moment it’s unpacked, it turns into petabytes of junk code. Can crash almost any system if it gets through,” Hypergizmo explained. “Most software looks for signs of it nowadays, though. I considered a lot of ways of trying to kill the files on the other end, but I’m going with what I think are the most reliable.”
“I’ll trust you know what you’re doing,” Ocean Spirit replied, shaking her head in confusion. “There’s a reason you’re in charge of our computers and other tech.”
“Agreed. We’ll confront Orchid in ten minutes,” Galvanic Action said, then paused and asked, “Actually, do you have anything I could use to fight her, Hyper? She’s a bit faster than I am, and too dangerous with that sword of hers.”
“Oh, um, I’d suggest a stun rifle. There’s one down in my lab,” Hypergizmo said, blinking and nodding in response. “I’d suggest a net gun, but that’s not going to be much good if she can cut straight through it.”
“Get to work, Hyper,” Ocean Spirit ordered, glancing at Galvanic Action grimly. “I want to get this done.”
Nodding, Hypergizmo turned back to his computer and got to work. He hoped that it would work the way he expected, but without direct access to the other system there was only so much he could do.
“Orchid, or whoever you are, you’d best not resist if you know what’s good for you.”
The door hissing open wasn’t enough to wake Pauline, but Ocean Spirit’s flat, angry voice was more than enough to make up for that. She rolled out of the bed, grabbing the sword from next to the bed before she fully woke. Shaking off her drowsiness, Pauline looked at the door and bit back the curse she wanted to utter.
The ready rooms where most of the team were staying lately weren’t exactly roomy, most of them just large enough for the fold-down cots and a small shower and living space. Pauline had slept in smaller rooms during her life so she didn’t much care normally, but it was small enough to severely hamper her movements, and under the circumstances, that was bad.
Just inside and to the left of the doorway was Galvanic Action, the man holding a rifle with a large, stubby barrel that he had aimed at her, a grim look on his face. More important to her was the sight of Ocean Spirit, and Pauline paled at the sight of her. The heroine was wreathed in a thin layer of water, and her entire body had turned into a translucent outline of herself that was barely visible within the liquid. With a hand outstretched in her direction, Pauline knew that she was i
n extreme danger. As potent as she was on the whole, she was nowhere near Ocean Spirit’s league. Still, she couldn’t give up that easily.
“What are the two of you doing? It’s… God, it’s barely four!” Pauline exclaimed, glancing at the clock to help improve her acting. “Why did you break in here, anyway?”
“Nice try, but we know you aren’t Orchid,” Galvanic Action stated, adjusting his aim as he continued. “We found the worm you planted in the system, and the other things you’ve been doing. Maybe you could fool us when we weren’t paying much attention to you, but now? Not going to happen, whoever you are.”
“You are very close, that I’ll admit, but the more I watch you, the easier it is to notice the differences,” Ocean Spirit added, the faintest hint of a smile crossing her watery face. “Now, if you’re going to fight us, please do. I’m a touch upset at the moment.”
More denials froze on Pauline’s lips and she considered her choices. She could try to deceive them, but in a situation like this… she was a class B superhuman at best, much like Galvanic Action, but his powers were far more suitable for combat than hers. Pauline’s chances of escape were abysmal, and it wasn’t as though Doctor Johnson had earned her loyalty. The only concern she had was for Maureen, and if it was a matter of Maureen’s safety or that of Doctor Johnson… Considering some of the hints she’d heard about what was happening to Blooming Orchid, she’d rather not leave her sister to suffer the consequences of failure.
“Damn it. We told them this was dangerous, but they wanted our help, so…” Pauline relaxed slightly, setting Blooming Orchid’s sword on the bed as she continued. “Look, I’ll tell you what you want to know if you promise one thing.”
Both heroes looked slightly startled, but it was Galvanic Action who replied, his voice suspicious. “What might that be?”
“My sister is with my employer, and if I cooperate she might be in danger. Make sure that he doesn’t do anything to her and I’ll help,” Pauline replied, and smiled at the way his eyebrows rose. “Look, I was paid to infiltrate your team, nothing more. Everything else was none of my business.”
“Spirit?” Galvanic Action asked, giving the heroine a sidelong look. “What do you think?”
“I’m not entirely happy about it, but assuming her information is worthwhile, I can agree,” Ocean Spirit replied, her eyes still fixed on Pauline, but she lowered her hand. “The question is, who you are?”
“I doubt you’ve heard of me, but I’m one of the Doppelgangers. We’re relatively new,” Pauline admitted, and slowly reverted from her shapechange with a sensation not unlike relaxing a clenched muscle. She actually found it something of a relief, as her shorter height felt more natural.
“Huh. That’s a new one,” Galvanic Action said, then nodded toward the door. “Come on; let’s hear what you have to say.”
Chapter 29
Saturday, January 12th, 2031
Ocean Shield HQ, San Francisco
“You gave her to Doctor Johnson? That psychopath?” Galvanic Action demanded, standing up abruptly, and Sky Defender winced as he shifted in place. He agreed with the sentiment, but the man wasn’t helping. Nor was the early hour, for that matter.
“Galvanic, we don’t have time for this,” Ocean Spirit replied, her voice icy. “It’s obvious that Doctor Johnson could have captured Orchid even without her help. At least we know now.”
Doppelganger, the only name the woman who’d infiltrated the team would admit to, was an odd-looking addition to the team, wearing over-sized pajamas and restrained to a chair with adjusting cuffs. She also had bright eyes that glittered with defiance, and Sky Defender hated that his actions regarding Lilith had made her infiltration even easier.
“The problem is where his hideout is located. In about two hours, the area will be packed with people heading for work, and we can’t afford to warn the police yet,” Sky Defender said, frowning as he looked at the map in his HUD, trying to decide how to go about their rescue. “I hate underground bases.”
“I killed the worm, so that doesn’t give us much time. I think we should try to hit the site tonight. Probably within the hour,” Hypergizmo said, and grimaced as he added. “I’d say put Ashley in the command center. I can pilot the Seajet out there. We need all the manpower we can get.”
“I wish we had Morgan and Warden on hand,” Ocean Spirit murmured, frowning as she continued. “I agree on the attack, but I’m not going in the jet. I’ll go via water; it’s faster for me. I’m going to cover the sea and try to find the exit for this submersible so that they can’t escape that way. If I can enter through it, so much the better.”
“Do we really want her here for this?” Crimson Bull interjected, nodding at Doppelganger. “Shouldn’t we put her in a cell or something?”
“I’ve been here for plenty of meetings before. I hardly think it matters at this point,” the villain retorted, to Crimson Bull’s snort of annoyance. Sky Defender found it interesting that Crimson Bull didn’t seem nearly as upset as he usually did when villains were around.
“No, Crimson has a point,” Galvanic Action said, standing and taking a deep breath before approaching Doppelganger. “I’ll take her to a cell. You all should figure out what to do and I’ll help with details when I’m back.”
“Spoilsports,” Doppelganger replied, the short-haired woman looking annoyed as she went along quietly.
“Alright,” Sky Defender agreed, glancing at his screens, then paused in surprise as he looked at some readouts on his HUD. He bit back a curse, waiting until Galvanic Action was out of the room before speaking. “Damn it, I really need to find some time to revise the programming on my computer system. Spirit, you’re really wanting to contact Morgan and Warden?”
“Of course I am,” the team leader replied, looking surprised. “You found a way?”
“I just learned that I hadn’t set things up for my computer to tell me about something else. It seems that Morgan has been answering emails from her lawyer,” Sky Defender said, trying to keep the bitterness out of his voice. “Has anyone tried emailing them?”
The lack of a reply was an answer all on its own.
Shadowmind Lair Alpha-Three
Lilith was just sealing her suit when Circe spoke.
“Rachel, my apologies for the intrusion. You have received an email from Ocean Spirit,” the AI said calmly, and Lilith couldn’t help but look up in surprise.
“How do you know that I have an email from her?” Rachel demanded, looking up almost instantly from her armor.
“You accessed your email via my secure remote systems and then did not log out. As such, I still had access and the connection was open. I monitor all open connections,” Circe explained. “As such, when her email came through I noticed, and the likely import of the contents to Mistress Lilith indicated that I should inform you of its existence.”
Gina giggled, continuing with adjusting her suit again, then stepped into her waiting armor.
“That… makes a frightening amount of sense when you put it that way. It still makes me uncomfortable, though,” Rachel replied, frowning. “Why do you say that it’s important to Lilith?”
“The email mentions her by name.” Circe’s explanation was surprisingly simple, in Lilith’s opinion.
“I think you’d better check the email, Rachel. Otherwise it’ll distract you while we’re hitting Johnson,” Gina chimed in, sounding amused. “I’m surprised we haven’t gotten any emails from them before this.”
Rachel scowled slightly, but Lilith spoke up calmly. “She has a point. I’ve been avoiding my email myself, aside from the one message I sent to Calvin. We may as well hear what she has to say.”
“I’ll take a look, but I’m logging out afterward, so no checking my email again, Circe!” Rachel said, glowering at the ceiling as she walked over to the nearest computer console.
“That is acceptable so long as the emails are not accessed on my systems,” Circe agreed, and fell silent again as Rachel began
flicking through options.
Lilith was stepping into her own armor and allowing it to slide into place when Rachel gasped in obvious surprise. Looking up, Lilith blinked on seeing how Rachel was bolt upright, obviously stunned. After a moment of hesitation, Lilith asked cautiously, “Rachel? Is something wrong?”
“One minute. I’m just… I’m processing this, still. It’s not bad… well, not all of it,” Rachel replied, sounding distracted. “Some of it’s bad, but not what’s about you.”
“That sounds promising,” Gina said hopefully, stepping away from the armor rack and twisting in place a little, obviously trying to get used to the armor again.
Nodding, Lilith glanced down and shrugged uncomfortably when the rack released her armor, trying to get used to the weight herself. “It does, though we’ll see. I don’t have high hopes, I’m afraid.”
Gina approached and gave Lilith a hug, which was made slightly awkward by the armor as she whispered, “Come on, be an optimist! It can’t get much worse than it is.”
She had a point, Lilith had to admit, but turned her attention to Rachel, feeling nervous. The brunette was reading the email again, her lips pursed speculatively. Finally, she hit a few buttons and turned away, leaning against the wall and sighing.
“So, would you prefer the bad news or weird news first?” Rachel asked, looking like she was torn between worry and elation. It didn’t raise Lilith’s hopes, but she couldn’t help that.
“I’d say bad news first,” Lilith told her, shifting as she moved over to pull out the drone she’d decided to house the Circe shard in. It’d been just before bed that she’d remembered how the others hadn’t been sure how to bypass an electronic lock, so she was going to have Circe deal with that instead of housing the AI shard in a data pad.
Down with the Queen Page 28