System Seven

by Parks, Michael

  “Research was slow. The Comannda hunted us. Scatterings interrupted progress.”

  “Scatterings?”

  “Druid hunts. It requires changing one’s psychic imprint to break the family’s links in case someone is captured. Homes abandoned, identities changed. Regathering occurs over time, though some never rejoin. In the early 1900’s, we experienced no less than five family scatterings. By the time Macy grew old, we’d made progress with droichid. A suicidal woman was found, about to kill her newborn and herself. We intervened.”

  “The seed in Pons’ dream, 1942. You bumped the child for its body?”

  “I know, playing God. In this case it was for prophecy. Without Clare, it cannot be fulfilled. She was raised in an orphanage outside the Runa Korda for her safety. A perfect child, as you may imagine. Loved her new body and family and made everyone around her happy.”

  “Of course. A second chance at life, knowing what she knew before.”

  “All the while monitored closely. In her twenties, Clare grew close to one of her monitors, Steffan, the one who had transplanted her into her new body.”

  “So Steffan fathered Anki?”

  “Yes. No one knew he’d been targeted for investigation by the Comannda. A high ranked G1 agent had enough to bring Steffan offline for interrogation. Instead she kept the findings to herself.”

  Johan sat on the arm of a couch. “She? Why?”

  “In favor of developing a relationship with him. She’d become emotionally and physically obsessed, both bad marks for one of her standing. Steffan was aware of her obsession but not of her affiliation; he thought her a harmless Natural and a sensual one at that.”

  “He failed to scan her then. He didn’t go deep enough.”

  “A mistake he keenly regrets. In his defense, it was his first encounter with a G1 level agent. He’d kept a proper psychic distance due any Natural, but she was more than that. Once the G1 learned of Clare and their new baby, her response was to try to knock Clare to Gwynvyd and take over her body. A devious and not uncommon act for lesser Comannda. Steffan caught the attempt and a struggle ensued.

  “The G1 knocked Clare free and took over her body. Steffan managed to tether Clare’s core while he fought off the intruder’s attack. He tried not to harm the body and sent a call for help. Unfortunately, his wounds were severe. When he thought he might not make it, he force-bonded Clare’s core to Anki, a move the G1 didn’t recognize.

  “Good lord. So Anki’s mother is still within her?”

  “Yes.”

  “Does she know this?”

  “Until recently she did not.”

  “Hell. What a head trip. You asked her not to tell me?”

  “I did. She is our most important link to a future we need.”

  “So where did the agent go? And what happened to Steffan?”

  “The G1 escaped in Clare’s body and took Anki with her. Steffan was near death. He’d been ravaged and bled out from knife wounds. We were able to preserve him, you might say.” He described the technology used in the tanks at Cullstone. “The G1 was in dire straits. She had already broken enough rules to earn death if discovered so her next step was puzzling. She discarded Clare’s body and struck a deal with a prisoner, a woman. She gave her a new life with the baby.”

  “Why not just destroy both? I mean, they were the evidence.”

  “I don’t believe she had intended to kill Steffan. We shielded him upon finding him, so perhaps she thought he’d died. Protecting his daughter was the only gesture left. Or maybe she realized he’d been saved and wanted to use her as leverage. Knowing her motivations for hiding Anki is important.”

  “Because she might have a soft spot.”

  Cathbad nodded. “And not a small one.”

  Johan paced the room. “What happened later to Margaret, the surrogate mother? Why was she killed?”

  “I don’t know. It’s possible she had second thoughts about their deal. Or maybe it was the agent’s way of setting Anki completely free. After Margaret’s death, Steffan managed to re-establish linkage with Clare and Anki. She had been left to the system as an orphan, all ties to the Comannda severed.”

  “If you love something, set it free?”

  “Perhaps. We’ve been guarding them over the years, right up to the morning you knocked on her door. We agreed early on for Clare to remain hidden from Anki until the Words proved true. That time is now. Soon Steffan will help her emerge.”

  “What will that mean for Anki?”

  “She’ll work alongside her mother, at least for a time. We’ll work on separation when it becomes appropriate.”

  “And her kidnapper? Where is she now?”

  “Names used then mean nothing now. She was a G1 agent, of the inner sanctum, and still exists corporeally. All indications are that she was promoted into the Council. I’m betting she was, anyway.”

  • • •

  A kilometer under the sands of the Saudi Arabian desert, a bullet train arrived at Ring One via the Jeddah line. It emerged from one of four tunnels and slowed to a crawl as robotics scanned and sprayed the exterior of the train. Troops boarded at the head and tail of the train and swept towards the center.

  Bastion sat, hands folded in his lap, and waited with his guards as the gate troops processed them with their scanners. The twenty minute ride from the western port city of Jeddah had allowed him time to rebalance his energies and feed on a dish of local Kabsa. The loss of the ATG was more unsettling than anything he’d experienced. The effort to achieve equipoise proved considerable but infinitely necessary. The Council was due to meet to decide on the events unfolding. For that he needed to be as in control as possible.

  The troops finished their sweep and disembarked. The iris doors for the next segment opened and the train accelerated towards the Core.

  He keyed his comm. “Update.”

  “AGT craft have been unable to locate unit three. A fifth American helicopter with scanning gear had to be removed as it neared Ichigaya’s tower. Command chain analysis is underway. We expect control and recall of all aerial scanners shortly.”

  He took the news of Ichigaya carefully, resisting the instinct to rage. Someone on the inside was aiding the Korda – it was time to find out who.

  The druids’ uprising would be quelled with Ichigaya’s detonation. Certainly no more than two strikes would be needed as long as Cathbad still had to answer to all the families.

  Eleven heads swiveled towards the sliding doors.

  A severe Bastion strode in wearing a traditional Saudi robe, brown and flowing. He briefly surveyed the seated group before stopping at the curved window wall that overlooked the control rooms. Screens below showed imagery of the various targets being sought.

  “Is it possible that someone is helping the Korda?” he asked.

  The question landed in the room like a bomb, its implications like shrapnel. No one wanted to field an answer for fear of receiving attention or suspicion.

  “Come now, really. It’s a fair question, isn’t it?” He turned to face the Executives. “How else would Austin have gained entry to the ship? Or bypassed biometrics to activate flight mode? How else would he have known how to fly our ship? Or to disable flight telemetry?”

  He scanned them all, a rough and disturbing rifling meant to uncover any treasonous elements. The group endured it without comment. Such scans had become more common.

  Maria spoke after he had finished, in a voice that conveyed reason. “Our pilots and engineers are well kept, Bastion, but that is not to say they are impervious to shadowing. They are allowed leave topside.”

  He sighed. “Shadowing? Then perhaps our rangers aren’t doing their job.”

  Maria turned to Nora. The Eastern Executive reported all flight operations teams had been subjected to a level one scan.

  “The results are in. They are all clear.”

  “Trainees? Retirees?”

  “Also scanned and cleared.”

  “Conduct an a
udit then. Cormac, see to it.”

  “Of course.”

  Full audits disrupted downtime, rattled nerves, and usually uncovered unpleasantries, but it was the only way to touch everyone.

  “Now Tokyo. Ichigaya is close to exposure. What happened and what are we doing about it?”

  “The sortie was authorized by a captain new to the unit,” Ganzai said. “PostOps determined he’d been managed by the Korda and knew nothing of the plan. The beam operators conspired with two of the helicopter pilots. All four are dead and gone. We’re working to insure ministry officials prevent investigation of the tower.”

  “Conspirators are dead and gone, eh?” Bastion turned to Maria. “It appears the Runa Korda are experiencing many convenient leverages during the start of their Conflict.”

  She gave no sign of entertaining his jab.

  “The question now becomes, what to do?” He began to pace. “They know of the nuclear threat. Prolonged effort at keeping it hidden is ridiculous and risky at this point. Either we topple the tower and retrieve the device or we use it to shut down the Korda. It seems to me that now is the perfect time for the latter. Does anyone disagree?”

  An awkward silence followed. Unspoken was the disregard some had for the elimination of so many people using J86. Others approved but remained passive, knowing the minority would need to be dealt with. Behind the silence, the expectation that Maria would speak grew.

  And so she did.

  “An extraordinarily wasteful choice. Arrange for the tower to fall and recover the device. An errant aircraft crashing into it would suffice to–”

  “It is past time to shut them down, Maria.” His tone carried finality. He addressed the others. “You recall the simulations. J86 was designed for this. Yes, we opted for less destructive methods, but the situation warrants it. The plans are valid. We can make them return the ship. System Seven can be advanced.”

  In the silence that followed, Maria gathered herself.

  “Bastion,” she started, trying a reconciliatory tone. “Executing J86 in Tokyo exceeds the parameters for System Seven and complicates everything tremendously. The vision is not post-apocalyptic, or wasn’t supposed to be.” She turned to the group. “Do not forget that citizens are well-trained. They are as docile as they are going to be given the environment. Controls are in place. Any attempt at information breakout will be dealt with by Overseer and G3. The AGT will be dealt with. We’ll turn our technology to the task and it will be located. This bender and Gerrit are the biggest concerns, but we have recourse there, still. The Volgograd teams are close to combining. They will insure capture. Think of what we could learn.” She looked to Bastion. “You always say, ‘know your enemy’. Losing Tokyo will only make them more desperate. Let the threat to Tokyo and other cities stand. Activate the first elements of System Seven. Move up the schedule. Give the priests something real to think about. Let us use the control we’ve worked so hard to achieve.”

  Bastion appeared to digest Maria’s logic. He turned to the screens. “Oscar, show us the J86 map.”

  A spread of the earth appeared on a screen, spotted with red indicators. Maria sighed.

  “I propose a test. Cathbad and the families are too invested in what they have built to allow it destroyed. The bulk of the families will not allow for nuclear holocaust in a city,” he gestured to the map, “much less all of these. I propose we utilize J86 incrementally. Destroy one city and then issue an ultimatum. The families will be required to turn over their bender and the ship and abandon their prophecy.”

  Ganzai agreed. “The Korda need to be checked hard.”

  It appeared the only compromise Bastion would likely make. In a silent vote, most of the group agreed to the test.

  “Oscar, issue activation of all sites to the ready state.”

  “Bastion–!”

  “Maria?” His glance froze her mid-sentence. “We will be prepared. Once we confirm the existence of the nuclear grid, they will go looking. If found, we lose those options and gain irreparable visibility. We must be ready to exercise J86 to its full capacity or our position weakens irrecoverably.”

  Overseer responded. “Authorization for global activation of J86 sites requires eight executives in concordance. Eleven are present. Vocalize approval now.”

  “I approve.” Bastion said immediately, as did Ganzai and Cormac. He eyed the others. “Well?”

  The leap from one site to the activation of all sites unsettled some in the group. Still, one by one Executives offered verbal approval.

  Moments later, Overseer confirmed activation of all twenty-three sites to a ready state.

  • • •

  The smoke from Soldado’s cigarette filled the darkened sixth-floor room of the Luxze Hitotsuba Hotel. The glass balcony door, cracked open for Noriko’s benefit, let in the evening breeze from the coast. A game show played on the TV. High energy host, attractive players, lively audience, lame contest, low budget. The show was a hit. To her credit, Noriko didn’t appear interested in it.

  The hacker ashed in the styrofoam cup and tried not to look too engrossed in what was on his laptop screen. The teams had located another access juncture based on his recommended analysis of dark-fiber ownership and subleases in the metropolitan area. They had just installed a remote proxy in the offices of a major video production firm. From the coast of Kyushu, five hundred miles from Tokyo, he ran a hack deep into enemy territory looking for information on the nukes. What was turning up had his heart skipping beats.

  “You aren’t going anywhere you shouldn’t, right?” she asked from her chair. The prostitute façade annoyed him with its cheapening effect though it served well for cover. His bodyguard was exceedingly attractive and intelligent otherwise. Intuitive as hell, too, though supposedly not gifted in the meta arts.

  “Right.”

  She crossed the room and took up position next to him on the edge of the bed. Musky perfume, pheromone enhanced. He felt it coming, tried not to tense...

  “That’s Booty!” She back-slapped his shoulder. “Damn Sam, why lie to me like that? You’re supposed to be hiding, not dangling your dick in the wind.”

  “Easy now, missy. I’m not anywhere I shouldn’t be.”

  “Bullshit! “ She kicked off her heels. “Shut it off.”

  Fuck. The idea of getting his ass kicked by a chick for doing the most important work on the planet was so ludicrous it blew his mind. “Look Noriko, I’m only skimming, not touching. Read-only shit, okay? And I’m five-deep remote, get it? Five fucking hops, safeguarded, crisscrossing three continents. Plenty of protection.” She looked ready to stuff the laptop up his ass. “Noriko. Someone’s got to do this.”

  “Not you. Turn it off.” She balled both fists and shifted to a Kenpo stance.

  “Christ, girl, see here?” he turned the laptop. “These are conversations between a central core and systems across the planet. See this purple set of rectangles? Those are copies of command sets that just went out. I’m about to find out what they mean. I’m finally in where I need to be!”

  “Not my job, Sam. You’re on the net playing hero. Constance gave me orders. Kill it or I will. Now!” She was fit to kick his ass.

  “Okay, okay, Christ. Fucking relax, I’ll back out,” he said, daring to stall, “but I have to do it carefully, get it?” He turned the screen back. “The worst fucking thing I could do right now is cut this off wide open like it is. There, I’m closing up the far end synch pattern. Another second... okay, good, it’s closed.”

  Lying, biding for time, he saw the first command sequence come up as translated. “Okay, closing the farthest corridor. Good.” He clicked for the results.

  Ready-state activation.

  “Shit...”

  “What? Turn it off!”

  “No, no.” He held up his hands. “It’s fine now, it almost didn’t close, that’s all. Fourth corridor’s synch pattern is ending now. Relax, relax, it’s closing out safely.” He pulled up another sequence, hoping
she wouldn’t try to study the screen. “Uh huh, okay. Clear of the fourth. Starting on the third... give it a damn second.”

  The next sequence matched the first, another activation, though neither contained anything resembling coordinate information. His gut said things were about to go to shit – completely to shit – all around the world.

  He looked up at Noriko. “Get Constance on the phone, quickly. I need to talk to her right away.”

  “What, Sam? You fucked up, didn’t you?”

  He stood and dropped the laptop on the bed, advancing on her. “Dozens of nuclear bombs are being armed around the world right this second,” he hissed through clenched teeth. “Get Constance on the phone now right fucking now.”

  She paled but went for her purse, intuition winning over orders.

  • • •

  For the second time in three hours, Austin watched the sun dip towards the western edge of the world. Hovering off the coast of Somalia, he’d just finished a brief but intense resonance session with the entity he’d named Geo. If his new friend was to be trusted, the Mu weren’t the benign, hands-off semi-benefactors Cathbad thought they were. Though he wasn’t given specifics, the impression was unmistakable: mankind was an easy target, universally speaking.

  Johan hovered just out of sense, waiting for the okay to commune. Surprisingly, he seemed to have honored the request to stay clear and let Austin make his own discoveries with whatever he was connecting with.

  A twist of the dial brought the lights of Somalia’s coastline into view, shimmering in the distance. He stared at the monitors in between bites of a protein bar from the pilot’s bag. So much had happened in the last four hours. So much to think about. Tired didn’t describe the feeling.

  Johan nudged.

  “Yeah, alright.”

  He was instantly present. So let’s have it.

  “Did you really not eavesdrop?”

  A hesitation, then, I can’t sense it directly.

  “You what? What do you mean you can’t sense it?”

  When you are connected to it, you go gray. It takes you away.

  It was clear he didn’t like it.