by Mel Odom
Rath dialed up the audio as a trio of hoppers lifted from the rooftop hopper pads.
“I’ve just heard from a source inside that some of the colonial governors are trying to leave the Khondi Tower,” the nosie said on the vidcast. “They’ve released a message that indicates they believe the rioters will disperse if they realize no government agents remain within the building. They’re going to meet again on a date to be announced later.”
Rath adjusted his comm mike and spoke quickly. “Take them down.”
In response, a dozen rockets rose from the surrounding buildings and targeted the three hoppers. Explosions rang out like a string of fireworks. The detonations sounded first on the vidcast, then followed a second later as thunder rolled down the air and elevator shafts.
Burning debris tumbled down from the sky and left black smudges of smoke hanging in the still air.
Mara stared at the vidcast in tired horror and I sensed Simon’s frenzy to be at her side within me. Whatever she had been through at Rath’s hands had left her jaded and numb.
On the screen, four gold cargo hoppers shot down out of the sky, tearing through the smoky clouds. For a moment, the rioters and the sec teams stood frozen in awe, and then they realized the lethal fallout from the destroyed hoppers was claiming victims. They took shelter where they could.
The gold cargo hoppers stopped their descent about four meters above street level. The doors slid open and figures clad in armored gold suits began dropping down, some of them crashing on top of the rioters, driving those victims into the street under their crushing weight. All of the newcomers carried rifles, and they moved like components in a well-oiled machine.
They opened fire without warning and large-caliber bullets chopped into the crowd, taking off limbs and leaving corpses in their wake. The brutal attack drove the rioters away instantly. More people died trying to help their wounded fellows. Even rioters who tried to surrender were shot down mercilessly.
The inhuman speed and lack of fear told me who was in the armored suits. Nothing flesh and blood could move like that—nothing human, nothing cloned. They showed machine precision and hive mind behavior, all moving toward a single directive.
“Drake,” Shelly said beside me, “you know what they are.”
Rath stood and watched the screen, and then spoke over his comm. “Light one of them up. Let’s let the worlds see what they’re dealing with. Time to lift the curtain and have a look at the wizard.”
A rocket streaked across the screen and slammed into one of the armored gold figures, driving it back into its fellows. Sections of the armor flew off, including the helmet.
“Do you see what that is?” one of the nosies bellowed over the channel. “Somebody get a vid on that thing!”
The vid zoomed in to magnify the downed armored figure. The immobile metallic surface beneath the helmet had no face.
“That’s a bioroid!” one of the nosies shouted in disbelief.
“Bioroids can’t kill!” another yelled. “That’s against the Three Directives!”
“Tell that to those people they just murdered!”
As the other armored figures continued to march around the fallen one, the downed bioroid forced itself back to its feet. It reached down for its rifle, picked it up, and opened fire again. Methodically, it reloaded its weapon and rejoined its fellows.
Mara stared at Rath. “You did this.”
Rath grinned and nodded. “I did.”
“How?”
“I installed specialized code into Haas-Bioroid’s warroids program.”
“The warroids initiative was supposed to be kept separate from the work I was doing.”
“You seriously thought Haas-Bioroid was going to develop a secondary neural channeling system for their warroid unit?” Rath snorted. “You’re a fool. Maybe you made a fortune from Haas-Bioroid, but they used your software for a lot more than you agreed on. Those warroids are based on one of the best soldiers Mars has ever seen, but it took your software design to implement it.” He leaned forward and smiled in open appreciation. “They’re the best urban killing machines ever designed. Fast. Ruthless. Precise. Everything a world leader could want in a private army.”
The vidcast flickered briefly before centering on a new shot of Bradbury colony governor Albert Bloomfield. He was in his sixties, immaculate and virile, black eyebrows juxtaposed beneath silver hair.
“Are you ready?” he asked in his baritone voice.
“Yes,” someone off-screen replied.
Bloomfield looked into the vid, addressing the viewers. “Citizens of Bradbury, remain calm. Those units you’re seeing in the streets in front of the Khondi Tower are under colonial government control. They’re here to deal with the civil unrest.”
Rath touched a control and the projection split. One side continued showing Bloomfield while the other picked up the bloody action in front of the Khondi Tower.
“As we have seen over the last few days, negotiations have broken down within the colonies,” Bloomfield said. “The colonies cannot exist if split into factions. We have to remain whole to remain strong. We learned that in the Colony Wars. Therefore, the other colonial governors and I have chosen to take drastic measures to ensure our continued survival on Mars. We will have one government.”
The sec guards stepped back as the warroids marched toward them. Several of the sec people continued holding their weapons on the bioroids, but they didn’t open fire and I could see the fear in them. Some of the officers moved among the soldiers, frantically waving at the guards to stand down.
“This new class of bioroid is not limited by the Three Directives,” Bloomfield continued. “These units are capable of taking human life. You have seen that. But responsible colonial citizens have no reason to fear them. These bioroids are here to protect the recognized Martian Colonial Authority. Over the next few days they will be incorporated into the colonies to help stabilize governments and provide safer environments for our citizens.”
Like ants, the warroids filed inside the Khondi Tower.
“You’ve seen today the lawlessness that lies in wait within our megapolis. Those officials in the hoppers that were just shot down were elected by you to represent your needs.” Bloomfield clenched a fist and looked determined. “I swear to you that their deaths will be avenged. The murderers that committed this heinous act will be located and punished. No longer will innocents live in a divided Mars. Today we start becoming one world.”
“Quite the speech, but he’s in for a surprise.” Rath punched a button on the console in front of him and the screen blanked. He picked up his assault rifle and glanced around at his troops. “Tallin, pick three and stay here to guard the woman and the golem.”
Tallin nodded and called out three names. Two men and one woman stepped forward to join him. “I can understand keeping the woman alive, Colonel, but we don’t need the golem.”
“No,” Rath said, “we don’t.” He looked at me and flashed a grin. “However, I do. Drake is going to be a sacrificial lamb for the cause. He’ll take the rap for a few murders back on Earth and the Moon that could become complications.” He paused. “And I’m curious about him. I want to know how much of him reflects the original model he’s based on.”
“Yes, sir.”
Rath stepped forward, heading for the door. “All right. Move out. I’ve got a world to save from Earth dominion.”
Leigh and the other mercs followed him, leaving Mara and me alone with our captors.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Mara,” I called.
She looked at me in confusion.
“Are you all right?” I asked.
“I’m alive and unharmed.” Mara looked more closely at me. “Are you really Drake?”
“Yes.”
“You came for me?”
“As you instructed, yes.”
Tallin walked over to the console and turned the screen back on. He split it into thirds, keeping the views on the street carna
ge, Bloomfield, and picking up another view that trailed Rath. The mercenary colonel jogged down an underground access tunnel. Although the direction was not indicated, I knew he was heading for the Khondi Tower. John Rath had come looking for a fight. More than that, he wanted a showdown, and he had set everything up to emerge victorious. That was what he did.
“I thought you would find me sooner,” Mara said.
“I apologize for not finding you more quickly,” I said, “but the trail was difficult.”
“It’s not your fault.” Mara’s mouth worked and she had a hard time speaking. “When I created you, when I wrote that sub-program, I never thought it would be used. I just…wanted something to remember him by. To know that somewhere out there, he was still around.”
“You’re talking about Simon.”
“Yes.” She nodded.
“Something has been happening to me,” I told her. “I have been…remembering.”
Interest flickered in her eyes and I remembered how she had always been driven so much toward science. Even though her captors still remained with us, her mind automatically pried at the mystery I presented.
“What have you been remembering?”
“How we met. How I came to work for you. How we fell in love. How I was killed.”
“You mean, how Simon was killed.” Her eyes rounded fearfully. “You’re not Simon. He was killed eight years ago.”
As soon as Mara uttered those words, another memory dragged me out of there.
* * *
I sat in the hopper, letting the autopilot do its job. I was on my way back to MirrorMorph, Inc., already thinking about having dinner with Mara.
Then my PAD chirped for my attention. I answered.
“Hello, Simon.”
I recognized Rath’s voice immediately even though it had been months since we had last spoken on the observation deck of the Beanstalk. “Hello, John.” I waited, knowing the situation was his to play out.
“I’m not going to keep you long,” Rath said. “I know you’re busy. Gotta get back to that wife of yours.” His tone was mocking.
I remained silent.
“I just called to say goodbye. I wanted to at least give you that, and to let you know it was coming. Or rather, I should say, you were going.” Rath paused. “My voice was the first one you ever heard. I figured it should be the last one you ever hear. See you around, Simon.”
Too late, I noticed the ruby laser sight on my chest. I reached for the hopper’s controls, but at the same instant, a hammer struck me in the chest and knocked me backward. Consciousness already fading, I struggled to hold on, but it was a slippery slope and I couldn’t stay there. Then another bullet struck me and everything went black.
* * *
“Your situation must be very confusing,” Mara was saying.
“I’ve learned to cope.”
“I have to say, your memory of a past life was not anything I had envisioned.” Mara smiled slightly. “I only wanted you equipped to operate independently of the NAPD if you had to.”
“It became necessary, but things also became very complicated.” I gazed around the room.
“How much of Simon is in there?”
“I don’t know. The line between Simon and me has gotten blurred. I remain Drake 3GI2RC.”
“I left as much of Simon’s personality intact as I could, but I buried it within you. That’s never been done before. I wasn’t sure if a true human mind could withstand coming online inside a bioroid body.”
“Simon has not rejected the idea. We have been focused on finding you. I think that has helped. And my personality remains in control.”
Tallin and the other mercs had their attention glued onto the screen. Rath had already commandeered an elevator and slaved it to his PAD.
“Did you kill Jonas?” Mara asked.
I was surprised she could think I could do something like that. Then again, in some ways she knew more about me than I did. “I didn’t kill Jonas. I found him. He told me that the Chimeras were connected to your disappearance. That’s why I came here looking for you. Someone framed me for his murder.”
“I’m sorry.” Tears glimmered in her eyes.
“For what?”
“For whatever John Rath is going to put you through. And I’m sorry for Simon. He shouldn’t be forced to die twice.”
I ignored that because speculating on that was a closed loop and I had no intention of allowing that to happen. I was determined to live in spite of the circumstances. “Rath killed Simon.”
The sudden pained expression on Mara’s thin face told me she hadn’t known. “I’d had my suspicions, but Simon never confirmed that. I was there when he died. Did he know?”
“Yes.”
Mara opened her mouth, then closed it, then finally asked, “Why didn’t he tell me?”
“Perhaps he wanted to spare you.” I found another link in the chain and pinched. The plasteel separated and I felt the sudden slack in the chain. I reached for the next and prepared myself. All four guards Rath had left in the room were intently watching the vidcast. Reactions—pro and con—to the presence of the warroids crawled across the bottom of the screen.
“He should have told me.”
“If you had known for certain, what would you have done?”
Her grimace told me what she didn’t put in words.
“If you had gone up against Rath, he might have killed you.”
“Not then. Back then I was too important to him. And to Haas-Bioroid.”
“Simon didn’t want to take the chance. I don’t think he believed Rath would kill you.” I looked at the screen where the warroids were now stepping into the chambers where the remaining colonial governors were. “I’m afraid that will change after today.”
Mara didn’t say anything.
The final chain link snapped and I prepared myself, moving as stealthily as possible. I gathered the ends of the chain in my right hand, shifting them slowly so they wouldn’t make any noise as I stood. I knew the mercs in the room didn’t hear me. The aud from the vidcast made more noise than I did.
But Tallin saw my reflection in the screen. He stood at the right angle to notice my movement.
“Look out!” he warned as he drew his weapon and spun to face me.
Moving more quickly than he could ever hope to, I stepped forward and whipped the chains in a glinting arc that wrapped them around his rifle. I yanked and Tallin stumbled toward me, unwilling to relinquish his grip.
The others moved to bring their weapons up.
I held Tallin against me, preventing him from employing the rifle. His sour breath clouded my face and he grinned up at me. “You can’t do anything more, can you? The Three Directives, remember? You’re bound by them.” He let go of the rifle and reached for the pistol belted at his waist.
“Drake!” Shelly screamed in my ear.
“Break him!” Simon yelled. “You can’t let them kill Mara!”
Time slowed and whirred, clicking through my mind. I shed some of my Drake persona and reached for the part of me that remembered being Simon Blake. I was no longer simply a bioroid. I was no longer simply Drake 3GI2RC. I remembered how Shelly had been killed because I hadn’t been able to act, and Simon and I didn’t want that to happen to Mara. Too many people had died to get me here, and there were too many lives at stake if John Rath’s plan worked.
With one hand, I drove the rifle butt into Tallin’s skull, feeling the bone break and seeing blood spray. With my other hand, I stripped the Gortaub pistol from his hand. The Drake part of me teetered on shutting down, but the Simon part of me relished the kill. I was no longer who I had been. I was no longer stifled as Drake, and I was a more skilled warrior than Simon Blake had ever hoped to be.
I flipped the pistol in my hand, grabbing it by the butt and sliding my finger over the trigger. My other hand caught the rifle as I dropped the chains and brought it around to bear.
One of the mercs got off two rounds that hit me
dead center in the chest, but the extra plating over my brain kept them from penetrating, though I was dented. I pointed the pistol at him and put two rounds into his face.
I side-stepped as the dead man fell and brought up the rifle, flipping it to auto-fire. I squeezed the trigger as my targeting programs integrated with the rifle’s smart-link and cut a swath through the other two mercs, dropping them where they stood as their bullets cut through the space where I had been.
Frozen for a moment, I looked down at what I had done.
“Drake,” Shelly said.
“Simon,” Mara called.
I turned toward them, finding Shelly standing behind Mara.
“You’ve got to get her out of here,” Shelly said. “And you’ve got to stop Rath from doing whatever he has planned.”
“Shake it off, buddy,” Simon whispered into my ear. “We can do this. We’re the wild card even Rath couldn’t see coming.”
I freed Mara from her restraints and removed the damper from the back of my head. I felt the surge as I returned online and then centered myself. The Simon parts of me kept pulling at my thoughts, struggling to take over. I didn’t let that happen. I wasn’t willing to let go of myself. Simon had had his day. I still had my life, whatever it would be, ahead of me.
Mara took my face in her hands and looked up at me, her eyes searching. “Simon?” Her voice was strained.
“He’s here,” I said, “but I am not Simon. I am Drake.”
Slowly, she nodded and released my face. “Haas-Bioroid borrowed the neural channeling I was doing, but I dipped into their programming as well.” She smiled tentatively and coldly. “I knew about their warroid project—Project Ares. I couldn’t stop it, couldn’t even prove it was there because Director Haas took care to hide it. But her son knew.”
“Thomas.” I remembered how Thomas Haas had waited on me in my home in New Angeles.
“Yes. Thomas. He and I had an agreement. He has no love for his mother and he has his own desires. He was my second fail-safe. Thomas found you?”