Crimson Rain

by Tex Leiko

  Max had to think, but it did. “You are one of the hackers that developed the interface!”

  “Ah, so you aren’t so dumb.”

  Max was reaching for a plasma blade. He focused and pulled his hands back to his sides. He couldn’t get too distracted or else he would die here.

  How is he—it?—doing this to me? He questioned himself. He could feel that it was clearly happening, but he was perplexed as to how.

  “So what is this all about? This big computer, you being a…really huge brain in a jar… I can honestly say I hadn’t planned for this.”

  “The terminal behind you houses the heart of the interface that billions connect to on a daily basis. I outlived my mortal shell. There was no way for me to continue other than this. I had my friend place me in this state. He was a good man. Then I made him take his own life. I couldn’t risk the competition or the secret being leaked.

  “Every day anyone who connected to the interface was being subliminally trained to follow my commands. The Psyker Scream army was merely the first stage of my plan. You have managed to set things back a bit. However, with your death, I shall proceed as planned. Because let’s face it, Max, I know what you have planned after death. It will only suit my purposes. Do you believe you could make for yourself something like that and it would be out of my reach? Oh, you handed me more than I ever desired. Would you still have pursued this so much if you had known your every invention and idea had been guided by me?

  “That can’t be possible, you disgusting monster!”

  “It is, Max. Let’s face reality here. Yes, you are a genius. Yes, you are talented in your own right. However, you are my child. How many Synaptix modifications did your parents have done to you as a baby? Later in your adolescence? You were crafted from my designs. Everything you have done in life has been to suit my purposes. You’ve been nothing more than a mere puppet. Alas, free will is more powerful than I could ever imagine. Without taking direct control of you, you managed to disrupt my plans. However, this idea of yours… Well, as I already said, it is more than I could have ever imagined. I know your death won’t end you, but it will suit me quite nicely.”

  “That isn’t true! I know I have modifications, but there is no way—”

  “Max, really, think about it. The bots you created were one thing, but all of the other advancements you were able to make, your arms, your eye…everything. You think you created that all on your own?

  “The hacking for blueprints and designs that you modified and made better? You think you hacked past governmental firewalls with ease because of your brilliance? You honestly believe I didn’t help you in that?”

  “Why?” Max questioned, despondent.

  “In moments, you will have no use for an answer so I don’t feel like saying. All you need to know is the only reason you are in front of me now is because I desired it. Synaptix will be victorious. I have my hooks into everyone, some deeper than others. Who do you think is really controlling the government? Who do you think is making society progress in the direction it has been? Me, Max. It had always been me, the puppet master pulling the strings behind my iron curtain of invisibility.

  “It really is a shame that you have to die this way, such a brilliant mind. No doubt made more brilliant by my own technologies. I really wish I could convince you to be on my side and allow you to retain your free will. However, as I mentioned, it is too powerful and it is clear you oppose my ideals. Can you just give in to my powers of suggestion already? I would hate for this to get drawn out.”

  “Sorry, Kris, but I’m not ready to die just yet,” Max said as he fought his arms trying to reach up to his own neck to snap it. “Besides, I can still resist you. Sure, I can’t quite figure out how you’re doing this. I can’t fight your will enough to attack you. Looks like we are at a stalemate, so why don’t you answer some more questions?”

  “Like what?”

  “How are you doing this?” he asked with a grin.

  “Ah, still a sense of humor even in the face of death. My, how you have grown. Too bad you did not avail yourself and really become one of my children. I would have given you a spot even above Badger.”

  “How generous of you. Sure it’s too late? I always wanted a big creepy brain as my father.”

  “You will accomplish nothing with your banter. Max, I need no sleep, my nutrients surround me and are pumped in fresh from the floor below. This whole building exists to sustain my life. You are not leaving alive.”

  “Your life? Right! I seem to think mine is more worth it.”

  Kris was responding to Max, but he realized that his own left hand was taking hold of his left cheek. His right was sneaking to the back of his head. Max focused and pulled his right arm back down to his side.

  That’s how, he thought as he dug the thumb of his left hand into his own left eye. He scooped his thumb back to the root of the optic nerve and pinched it between his thumb and pointer finger. It was his only human eye left, and the one with the multiprocessor interface chip embedded in its optic nerve.

  He wrenched in pain as he pulled the eye and nerve from his head. The pain was enough to even scramble visual sensors in his robotic eye. He quickly tossed his left eye across the room, hoping to have removed the chip in the nerve as well. He had done both.

  “Where are your strings now, puppet master?” Max said as he moved freely.

  “Very clever, but at this moment, I alerted all security staff. It looks as if I will have to kill you ineloquently, Max.”

  “Nope, sorry,” Max said, punching the glass that contained Kris.

  The impact of Max’s fist did nothing to the glass; not even a chip came out of it. It was clear that it was no ordinary glass. Footsteps clattered down the spiral staircase as Max ran to the base of the giant computer.

  Max kneeled as he set the timer. He knew there was no way out so he set it for ten seconds. He ran a couple of feet back to the tank.

  8…

  Max pulled the pins from his last three plasma grenades.

  7…

  He quickly plopped them all into the tank containing Kris, whatever he was now.

  6…

  Bodies were swarming from the staircase and blocking the entrance as Max ran for it in a final desperate attempt.

  5…

  His eye locked to the center of the cluster; they were all firing in his direction now.

  4…

  Max fired a miniature missile from his right arm; he had three left.

  3…

  Bodies blew apart in front of the Kelmantrium door as Max continued in his beeline toward it.

  2…

  The plasma grenades blew the brain and the black goo to vapor as Max fired a missile at each of the spiraling staircases. They collapsed and more bodies tumbled to their deaths. Everyone under the control of Kris just stopped. Max had no way to confirm, but he suspected Kris to be dead…mostly anyhow.

  1…

  Max managed to stumble over the remains of the people he had annihilated and get behind the thick Kelmantrium door. He slammed it shut behind himself and heard the explosion.

  0…

  He let out a sigh of relief, knowing he had slain at least one dragon today. The charge was as powerful as he anticipated and it shook the entire building. The walls cracked and the building began to topple. Max ran for the elevator. The floor fell out from under him.

  Max fell into an abyss below, swallowed up by concrete and steel used to craft the structure that would provide his mortal remains final resting place. Like the fingers of death, the inanimate structure wrapped around him and crushed the life from his body as his mortal coil extinguished, reaching its end. Mission accomplished, he thought as the door known as life was slammed shut on top of him.

  Chapter Nineteen

  The Fall of a Phoenix

  Crimson looked out of a window that comprised the entire far wall of her living room. Down below, she saw utter chaos. Members of her cause creating total anarchy i
n the streets. The police were trying to put an end to it, and now the Alexarien military had mobilized.

  Hover tanks were gliding down streets, alleys, and sidewalks. They had no regard for what stood in their way, just the same as Crimson’s army. Everywhere there was conflict and blood filling the streets. Fires raged uncontrollably on every city block.

  Helicopters and fighter jets blew overhead, raining down death upon the rioters. Lines of military personnel were canvassing buildings, sweeping every floor, killing all who resisted them and arresting others. Crimson felt terror as she had never felt before. She saw all of these things from her ivory tower, headed right toward her.

  She tried to log onto the interface to find out how much progress Max had made, but it was no use. The interface was down. When she sat at a terminal and tried to log in, she felt a twinge in her eye and then darkness invaded her mind. There was nothing there, it was the first time in her life she could remember the interface being down.

  She knew her best bet was to get to her secondary safe house. Nobody knew about it and it had been set up so under the radar that nothing could be linked back to her owning it. Only Max, Luther, and she knew of its existence. She went to the armory and prepared for battle.

  She strapped on her battle suit that fit like a glove and equipped herself with a helmet much like the one Max had left with. Her strikingly red hair flowed out from beneath the helmet and would certainly be an identifier of who she was. She then selected two gauss pistols, a large two-handed plasma blade, and several grenades.

  After grabbing her data-pad and entering new commands, she stood by the window and looked up to the sky. In minutes, the sky darkened and a swirling vortex of clouds, rain, and lightning filled the sky above Alexarien.

  The storm was so immense and dark that it blacked out the sun completely. Darkness filled the streets and the few lamps that hadn’t been destroyed by the chaos below stood out from her viewpoint as glimmering beacons of hope. The rain fell heavy enough to make one feel as if he or she was going to drown in it. The rain was washing away the blood of those slaughtered in the streets and rivers of red flowed, signaling an ill omen.

  Several military helicopters spun out of control from the first few gusts of wind and crashed down in the city streets. Others quickly found places to land on top of buildings or in the streets.

  Crimson got onto her elevator and hit the ground floor. It took her down to the street quickly and she stepped into the rain. The water soaked her quickly and her hair stranded together in four long, sopping segments. It was so dark that most people couldn’t see too clearly, but her cheetah DNA had given her enhanced nocturnal vision.

  She ran over to a streetlamp that had been hit by a car in the riot. The light had burned out, but it would still suit her purpose. She grabbed hold of it and waited as she felt the static accumulate around her. A mighty charge of electricity burst forth from the top of the post only to come back down to Crimson as if drawn to her.

  She sucked in the electricity then dispersed it around herself and held it there. She now had a forcefield of one hundred thousand volts. Water hissed and crackled as the rain drops evaporated around her. It was a very powerful barrier encompassing her in what looked like an eight foot in diameter globe of electricity.

  With her defense established, she proceeded toward the safe house. She knew she would be meeting many obstacles along the way.

  * * * *

  “It appears that there has been a mighty blow struck to the military only moments ago, Mr. Cudrow,” stated Reginald.

  “Oh? And what would that be?”

  “It seems as if Kris Asimov has met his demise. This is an unsettling blow to the military. The interface is offline… This will have great consequences. Well, all this means now is that you shall only be reporting to one master from here on out.”

  “Isn’t Asimov the one who created the interface? What did he have to do with the military and the Alexarien government?”

  “Oh poor Thomas, nothing is quite as it seems. Synaptix was no mere corporation. It was a branch serving our purposes. Kris was always such a bear to work with. He felt like he had brought a lot more to the table than he really did. What an ego. Nonetheless, he is dead now and this makes your matter of employment much easier. You will only have one superior to report to. This will all be explained at debriefing back at base.”

  “So Synaptix was part of the government?”

  “So to speak.”

  “Who’s this boss you speak of?”

  “In due time, but let’s just say your recruitment couldn’t have come at a better time… Perhaps you can take Asimov’s place?”

  “I really wish you didn’t speak in riddles.”

  “And I really wish you were a tad bit more intelligent, then I wouldn’t have to spoon feed you information,” Reginald said with a sigh as he laid back and rested his head.

  The hover tank they were in swayed back and forth as it jetted down the streets of Alexarien. Thomas couldn’t be more confused by Reginald and the events that had happened. If Synaptix worked for the government, then why would it offer an alliance with Polyhelix to fight the government? He kept asking this question over and over in his head.

  The rain clattered hard against the metallic frame of the tank and it echoed through the body like a tin can. His mind wandered as lightning and thunder bounded through the city.

  “Why the uncanny weather, Reginald? You’re top secret military whatever. I am sure you have an answer.”

  “Our little rebel friend Crimson, well she seems to have taken control of the Pilvikones. No need to worry, we are dealing with it as we speak.”

  * * * *

  Three tanks fired at Crimson. The shells were stopped mid-flight right in front of her. The electricity doing as she willed stopped the projectiles headed straight forward. Tendrils of electricity melted them away and she retaliated, striking the tanks with enough voltage to fry anyone inside.

  Bullets from a lone, daring, helicopter rained down upon her; all of them were useless. Another gust of wind blew, knocking it into a building and bits of shrapnel came raining down into the alley as it exploded. As she used electricity from her barrier, she continued to recharge and keep herself prepared for the onslaught of attacks. She made her way down a roadway where she was met with a line of military.

  “Crimson Felicia Rose!” she heard from a bullhorn. “We know that is you. Surrender immediately and you will be taken into custody to face trial!”

  She had no intentions of doing any such thing as she stepped toward the brigade. They opened fire; it was useless. She shot a bolt of electricity into the center of them. It arched around and killed everyone, burning them to a crisp.

  She proceeded down the roadway for a bit where she came to a crowd of those bearing her mark. They had overheard that the military was looking for her and recognized who she was upon seeing the giant glowing orb of electricity. They fell to their knees and began praising her, shouting, “All hail Crimson, our savior!”

  She was touched, but disturbed by what she had seen from the high-rise. Those representing her were not doing as she had hoped. They were not seeking out Polyhelix and Synaptix. They were just blindly rampaging at all in their wake, leaving a trail of senseless destruction.

  She felt the urge to eradicate them as she passed by, but decided against it. It was she, after all, who had given them the idea to rebel in the first place. They couldn’t be to blame for the fact that she didn’t provide them with more guidance. She had been a bad parent and her legacy would be these unruly children.

  She passed by them as they continued to chant and shout praises at her. There was more commotion ahead as she continued to run into military and police. Occasionally, she would pass a conflict between her followers and another side. She even passed a few conflicts between her own followers who apparently saw things differently.

  She felt pain in her heart. The pain of seeing those whom she had given an idea to bir
th it and then raise it up to be a mutated mess that not even the mother would recognize. The pain of feeling alone; she had no idea where Max was. The pain of seeing utter chaos, not the revolution she had hoped for.

  She was getting close to the safe house when she began to feel her barrier wane. She looked down at her data-pad. Two Pilvikones had stopped responding. A stealth jet zoomed overhead. It was traveling fast enough that the sonic boom nearly knocked her over.

  They’ve figured it out. They’re bombing the Pilvikone machines. She felt her stomach sink as she realized what this meant. Once her powers dropped, she would be defenseless. She quickly ran into a building and took shelter.

  Once inside, she dropped her barrier. It was proving problematic in a confined space, burning the walls, melting glass, and destroying anything close to her. She entered some new commands into her data-pad and hid inside an apartment on the first floor of the building she had run into.

  Soon, hailstones fell upon the city with tremendous fervor and lightning struck randomly and ferociously all over. Wind blew through the skies hard and fast channeling down corridors of high rise buildings, powerful enough to even knock people down. She hoped that the weather would take down the bombers as well and prevent them from destroying the Pilvikones.

  People were being struck with foot long hailstones and being killed. Others were being burned up by the electricity and soon, everyone that was outside sought shelter indoors. Even buildings were feeling the effects of the intense weather.

  Buildings were cracking as the repeated blows of ice struck them. Glass shattered as the windows were destroyed completely. Crimson locked the door of the apartment behind her. She wasn’t sure if it would work, but she knew she couldn’t let this storm pelt the city forever or else everyone and everything would be destroyed.

  She looked to her data-pad and saw one more Pilvikone had gone offline. She was creating quite the diversion and destroying quite a bit, but they were still knocking down her wall. As each Pilvikone was whittled away, the storm got weaker and weaker. Eventually, the sun shone bright in the sky and the storm had passed.