"There are too many of them!" He had to shout to be heard over the sound of the troop carrier. "The others are holed up not far from here, and the big ship is on its way."
"What weapons do they have?"
"A handful of rifles. I've tried to pass on the ones I've come across, but ... " He shrugged. "It hasn't been easy, and the charges on the ones they have won't last forever."
Roche imagined Cane flitting through the dust like a demon, reaching out of the gloom to snatch rifles from the hands of the Enforcers, then vanishing again. His major problem, as had been Roche's, was locating the others. It was all very well to have found weapons, but no use at all if he couldn't distribute them.
"Okay," she said, intending to ask him to lead the way, but getting no farther than that.
The vision through her left eye suddenly shifted, becoming clear. She blinked furiously, then realised that the Box was feeding her an external image taken from above the storm, or from a clear space within it. It showed the city not far below, moving slowly past. Armoured Enforcers darted from building to building through the streets, converging on an area just inside the clear space.
With a jolt of surprise, she realised that the view was taken from one of the turret guns on the troop carrier itself.
An auxiliary view showed the airspace above the city. To her shock she saw not one flyer but five, circling the area like birds of prey, waiting for an opportunity to move in.
Furious sparks of light reached upward out of the clouds toward the troop carrier from a low building at the edge of a small courtyard. This, she assumed, was the work of the rebels. As she watched, her aerial view swivelled to focus on the building, and zoomed in to aim.
"The others are in trouble," she said, blinking the view aside for a moment to focus on the world around her. "The troop carrier's arrived. We have to hurry."
Cane nodded and moved off. "Follow me."
Roche lumbered after him, grateful for the power-assist enabling her to keep up. Maii sprinted behind, barely maintaining the pace.
The dust swirled around them, and the omnipresent rumble of the troop carrier reached a mind-numbing peak. Suddenly, and without warning, the three of them burst into clear air. Two Enforcers stood between them and the building, firing burst after burst at the roof where the others were hidden. Roche tackled one from behind while Cane tipped the other off balance. A third appeared from around the corner of a building, but Maii was quick to act and kept the Enforcer frozen until Cane could bring his weapon to bear.
Gasping, Roche looked around and up. The troop carrier had descended to a point not ten metres above the building. Turrets pumped powerful bolts of energy into the stone walls, sending short-lived blossoms of rock into the air. Sporadic fire lashed up at it from windows and smashed walls, as the rebels tried to fight back — but the superior weaponry of the troop carrier forced the defenders back under cover an instant later.
Behind her, two flyers swooped low over the city to lend the troop carrier support. They too concentrated their fire on the building.
Roche took one step forward, not certain what she was going to do but knowing she had to try something. Before she could fire a single shot, the Box suddenly whispered in triumph:
Seconds later the troop carrier stopped firing and banked to the left, turning away from the building. Its turrets swivelled wildly, searching the earth below and the sky above. Lances of energy speared the air, striking a handful of locations in the city. Two higher bolts connected with the nearest of the two flyers, sending it spinning out of control. The high-tech arrowhead dipped low, bucked for control, then clipped an ancient building. With a shriek of engines, it crashed out of sight and exploded in a crimson and yellow fireball.
Roche watched, stunned.
The battle below halted for a moment at the sudden reversal. Soon, though, the rebels took advantage of what must have been to them a mysterious turn of events. Firing at the Enforcers below, they began to clear the area for their escape. Likewise the underbelly turrets of the troop carrier picked out individual Enforcers, striking them from above.
Within moments, the Enforcers retaliated. The four remaining flyers swooped low to blast the treacherous troop carrier, while individual Enforcers fired from shelter underneath. The carrier was too bulky to successfully dodge the concentrated fire; only its heavy armour prevented it from being destroyed immediately. First one and then another of its underbelly turrets exploded, but not before a second flyer had been downed and perhaps ten more Enforcers shot from above.
With a bone-wrenching lurch, it ducked away, and the storm rushed into the area once more.
Roche looked around.
Under heavy fire from the remaining flyers, the troop carrier spun in a lazy arc above the town. Its starboard flank was ablaze, and deep craters pitted its armoured surface. Two of its gun turrets still functioned, however, and with these it managed to down another flyer. The heavy crunch of impact and subsequent explosion were nearly enough to make Roche stumble. The two remaining flyers darted away, then returned a moment later. Furious bolts lashed at the troop carrier's damaged flank, making it shudder. The steady rumble of its engines began to waver.
"It's going to blow!" Roche watched breathlessly as the troop carrier banked sharply to starboard, its injured side seeming to drag it down from the sky. Its remaining firepower surged at the most distant flyer, damaging it. The last one darted closer, preying on the hulk's damaged state. The rumble of the field-effect became a whine, and the troop carrier began to slow. Drifting in a sluggish circle, it passed over the area where the rebels were fleeing. The distinct dots of the dozen remaining Enforcers appeared out of the dust, doggedly pursuing the rebels. At that moment, Roche guessed what the Box was going to do and dragged the others to cover.
The last flyer dipped dangerously close to the troop carrier, strafing its bulk with concentrated fire. Suddenly the carrier banked again, this time swinging sharply around its centre of gravity to bring its nose in line with the flyer's trajectory. With a flash of flame, the two collided, and the rumble of engines ceased altogether. Roche's view through the carrier began to fade, but not before she glimpsed the milling Enforcers rising up at her, slowly at first, but with increasing speed.
"Down!" She leapt for an open doorway, dragging Maii after her. Cane was a step ahead of them, rolling for safety within the stone walls.
With an earthshaking bellow of tortured metal, the crippled troop carrier crashed nose-first into the town. Its stricken power plant instantly exploded, enveloping everything around it in a ball of fiery heat. The shock wave flattened buildings, killed the Enforcers nearby despite their combat armour, and expanded at the speed of sound through the streets toward the building where Roche and the others had taken shelter.
The wall collapsed, and would have crushed Roche's legs but for her stolen suit. Fragments of molten metal and glowing stone rained down on the rubble. For an instant, everything was white, even through her closed eyelids. Then
something else, an uncomfortable mix of panic and grief, washed through her, causing her to shudder.
Roche wanted to bury her head in her hands as the cries intensified, but her position in the armour didn't allow her any movement. All she could do was lie there, pinned to the ground, screaming as Maii's hysterical anger burned ferociously, relentlessly, in her mind.
Part Three
Port Parvati
10
DBMP Ana Vereine
'954.10.31 EN
1810
In the wake of the transmission from Port Parvati, a deathly silence fell.
On the main screen, a satellite view of the mountain range known as Behzad's Wall replayed the explosion of the troop carrier in slow motion. The brilliant flash of light was followed by a billowing bubble of dust and superheated air, rising upward and obscuring the town. When it had passed, the storm once again enfolded the region. Like a blanket cast from the sky, the dust smothered the fires and enveloped the damage as though nothing had ever changed the eternal stillness of the doomed city.
"Summarise the report," Kajic said to Atalia Makaev, when the video had finished. His hologram did not turn to face her.
"It would appear that — "
"In as few words as possible, if you please." He kept his tone carefully controlled and even.
Makaev swallowed. "They have escaped, sir."
"Succinctly put, Atalia." Kajic killed the main screen and faced his second in command. "I can only be grateful that your analysis of the situation is not correct."
Makaev frowned. "Sir, the warden's report is quite clear." She paused, obviously conscious that her remarks bordered on the insubordinate. "Evidence recovered from the wreckage of the lander has established that there were at least four people on board — two Pristines, an Eckandi, and possibly one Surin — yet the search team has found no traces of their bodies. The battle we have just witnessed, along with the disappearance of the recon team, strongly suggests that surface intransigents — "
"Nevertheless" — Kajic's voice washed smoothly over hers — "the fugitives have not escaped."
"Sir?"
"They remain on Sciacca's World, do they not?" The question did not require a response, nor did Kajic wait for one. "Commander Roche is obviously aware that the wardens are unsympathetic to her cause, or else she would have surrendered herself to the port upon planetfall. She must therefore know that she is unable to leave the planet by official means, and has thus allied herself with the local underground in order to escape." Kajic smiled. "All we have to do is ensure that she cannot."
"Naturally, but — "
"To that end," he continued, "you will place the Ana Vereine in a geosynchronous orbit directly above Port Parvati. Any craft attempting to reach orbit from the landing field will be boarded and searched." He hesitated before adding, "Or destroyed in transit."
"But sir, this directly contravenes the — "
"Regardless." Kajic's image wavered slightly.
priority gold-one
"Nothing will leave Sciacca's World without our permission until the AI and the commander are in our hands. Is this clear, Atalia?" Again there was no expectation of a response, and again Makaev did not offer one. The straightening of her posture alone conveyed her understanding. "You will arrange this with Warden Delcasalle," Kajic said, "within the hour."
"The cost will be enormous," she protested.
Kajic's smile widened. "Cost is meaningless when the stakes are this high," he said. "Make sure the warden is aware of this. Let him know that I am prepared to raze the surface of Sciacca's World to slag and sift through the ruins to find that AI." He shrugged. "It is practically indestructible, after all. And this method would certainly save us a good deal of time and effort — not to mention money." Kajic's image froze momentarily, the only movement being the flicker of its light. Then: "When you have convinced him, dispatch one of our own teams to assist his incompetents in their search."
"Yes, sir. I shall lead it myself."
"No. Send Major Gyori. I prefer you here, where I can keep an eye on you."
Makaev winced slightly — which gave him some gratification — but she kept her eyes fixed upon Kajic. "As you wish, sir."
"Good. See to it immediately, then join me in the command module. I wish to speak with you privately."
Kajic let his hologram dissipate and his mind retreat from the bridge with a feeling of immense relief. The energy required to maintain a semblance of confident control had been enormous. His thoughts were in turmoil, his confidence was only an act — and these were facts he wished to keep carefully to himself, not parade in front of the bridge crew. But anyone with access to the back door in his mainframe could browse through his most intimate details at will.
With half a mind he followed the activities of his senior officers as they prepared the ship for reorientation and thrust. His virtual senses reported the firing of attitude jets and the priming of the reaction drive. The slowly changing orientation of the stars kept him occupied for several seconds. The sight was peaceful, and reminded him of his true purpose.
Where had he failed? His ship ran well; not one major system had been compromised on this, the Ana Vereine's maiden voyage. And with the superior ability he possessed to study crew as well as ship, he had suffered none of the minor dissensions many new captains endured on their first command. Ship, crew, and captain were all in perfect working order, a unified system operating under his command.
Yet, to his dismay, there was evidence that he had failed, and it was mounting steadily ...
Priority C (stealth) had already been broken, and now, after the day's events, priority B had followed. Despite his denial, Roche had escaped from the ambush and was roaming free somewhere on the planet. She was the only person within easy reach who might be able to explain the operation and purpose of the AI, but the chances of her being captured alive were diminishing by the second, and his desperation to meet the last priority increased proportionately. If he failed at this mission, regardless how he had performed every other aspect of his mission, his command, and therefore his life, would be terminated. He had no doubts about that. To the Ethnarch's Military Presidium, there was only success or failure; there was nothing in between.
Priority A was all he had left to hope for now.
capture the AI
Destroying the planet to find it wasn't really an option, as far as he was concerned. Even his mission wasn't worth risking all-out war with the COE Armada, which would retaliate regardless of Port Parvati's inherent corruption. But he had no choice: whatever he did, it would work. He would achieve his goal and satisfy the orders written into his mind, branded onto his thoughts. What other choice did he have?
His priorities were like steel bars enclosing his free will: contemplating even the slightest deviation caused him severe mental pain. He could not disobey his superiors in the Military Presidium even to save his own life. And, to make matters worse, he would not want to. No matter how he might rationalise the alternatives, he would sacrifice his own life to meet his orders, if the situation demanded it. Where might once have been written 'Do what thou wilt', now it read 'Obey ... '
Some minutes passed before Makaev came to meet him. When she did, he projected his image into an armchair and assumed a relaxed disposition.
"I received your message," he said without preamble. The memo had arrived just moments before the data from the warden of Port Parvati, leaving him little time to ponder it. The timing had seemed a little too unlucky, which only made him all the more anxious. "A full report, please."
"Yes, sir." Makaev remained at attention, standing with her arms at her sides in the centre of the room. If what he suspected was true, she hid it well. "During your last rest period, as you instructed, I ordered a technician to examine your life support."
"And?"
She leaned over the desk to key a wall-screen. Complex schematics appeared, an endless
series of lines and junctures scrolling from top to bottom. "The system matches the diagnostics in the Ana Vereine's mainframe exactly, with only one exception. At the base of your brain-stem interface, there is this." The display zoomed in on one particular point, where a knot of biocircuits converged; highlighted in bold red was a denser clump, not unlike the network of fibres surrounding a dreibon root.
"The back door?" Kajic prompted.
"No, sir," said Makaev. "At least the technician doesn't believe so. The device is quite ingenious. It will lie dormant and not interfere with the overall system until it receives a coded command from an outside source." Makaev paused, her eyes suddenly restless. "Upon receiving that command, it will immediately sever all communication between your brain stem and the ship's mainframe."
"A kill-switch?" said Kajic.
"That appears to be its purpose," said Makaev. "Yes, sir."
"But who would dare sabotage a warship in such a way?" His ship — his very being — had been compromised!
"With respect, sir," Makaev said, "it is not sabotage. Although the device does not appear on the circuit diagrams we have access to, it is not an afterthought." Again she paused. "It's an integral aspect of the life support's design."
"Integral? What are you saying? That it cannot be removed without damaging the system?"
"No, sir. I'm saying that it's supposed to be there."
Kajic used every sense at his disposal to assure himself that she was being honest. All the data concurred: she was telling the truth. A truth that he feared, that brought his mind to a halt.
"Why?" he finally managed.
"I can hazard a guess, sir," said his second in command, then waited for him to indicate that she should continue. He did so irritably. "It makes sense, sir, if you examine the 'how' of it first. The plans for your life support were approved by the Presidium itself. If such a device was deliberately included, then the decision to do so could have come from nowhere else. As to the 'why', well, we must remember that you are a prototype, one that has never been field-tested in genuine combat before. Who could anticipate what might happen, or how you would respond to the pressures of battle? The kill-switch must be a safeguard against command instability. Were you to become unstable at a critical moment — and I am not suggesting that you have, or will — your actions could cripple the ship. The kill-switch could then come into play, freeing the command systems for another officer to employ."
Evergence: The Prodigal Sun Page 17