“Hey, boss,” said Ebony. “These things are kinda cool.”
“Let’s roll,” said Kohl. He felt better about the day already, except for one small issue. His old power armor wasn’t half as impressive as this, sure. This suit didn’t feel like he was wearing anything, which was also cool as all hell. And it felt like it knew what he wanted and where he wanted to go. Which was the heart of the issue.
Kohl didn’t trust it.
“Rolling,” said Algernon, leading the way. Kohl followed, arriving at a circular chamber, eighty meters in diameter. He knew this because his HUD identified the shape and dimensions with precision, LIDAR mapping the environment. Kohl wondered if this is how El saw the world with the Tyche at her command, the ship watching all with machine eyes.
Across the room, Kohl saw Saveria Complex. Her ship suit was dusty, but she was alive. The HUD of Kohl’s suit said Saveria was breathing rapidly, had twenty-eight minutes of air left, and was in a heightened state of stress, eyes wide at three golden figures marching toward her. She held a hand up, crouching by an open doorway.
Kohl fiddled with the golden armor’s controls until he pulled up the comm systems, looping Saveria in. “Saveria?”
“Kohl? Is that you?” she straightened. “You asshole.”
“Ebony is here too,” said Kohl. “We brought a friend.” He pointed at Algernon. “This motherfucker.”
Saveria looked between Kohl’s golden form and the slightly smaller golden Algernon. “Are you saying ‘motherfucker’ ironically?”
“It must be irony as I have no mother to fuck,” said Algernon.
Saveria took a step back. “Is it safe?”
Kohl sighed. “It’s been a long day, Saveria. Look, Algernon is about as safe as a nuclear warhead.”
“Nuclear warheads aren’t safe,” she said.
“They are, so long as you keep ‘em pointed at the enemy,” said Kohl.
His suit blared an alarm, the right panel in the middle row blinking. Kohl looked, taking in three Service-class constructs entering the room, railguns ready.
Ebony’s suit charged. She made it two paces before she fell over, the cannons on her shoulders basting the constructs with plasma. They exploded in a glittering shower of broken machinery.
Kohl waited it out. “You good?”
Ebony got up, golden limbs thrashing a little. “I’m fine. I meant to do that.”
“Curious,” said Algernon. “I don’t think there is an effective targeting solution for dyspraxia. We can predict human movements. Fire where you step, before you know you’re stepping there. Dodge your shots. The usual sorts of things that keep us alive when grossly outnumbered.”
“You’re saying Ebony is effective against AI because she’s clumsy?” said Kohl.
“Yes.”
“I’m not clumsy!” said Ebony. “I meant to do that.”
“Sure,” said Kohl. He turned to Saveria, whose head was moving back and forth between them, her eyes so wide it looked like they might pop out of her skull. “Yo. Saveria. You okay? Where’s Cunt Reiko?”
“She’s not a cu... Look.” Saveria ran hands over the front of her ship suit, like smoothing the material would steady her thoughts. “She’s on our side. Reiko said she was trying to find a ‘Judge,’ whatever that is, and shut it down.”
Kohl thought about that. “I’ll admit today’s been strange,” he said. “I’ve met a machine that has a sense of humor. I’ve found fancy new armor that is hundreds of years old but is better than my new stuff. It is a day of miracles, no mistake.” He wet his lips. “But I’ll be damned before I believe Reiko’s on our side.”
“It’s true,” said Saveria. “She saved me. Our shuttle was boarded by machines, and she fought them off.”
Algernon opened a private comm line to Kohl. “I’m not conversant with all of the actors and variables in this situation, but I’ve been running simulations on the available data. I would offer the diagnosis of Stockholm Syndrome.”
“Saveria’s a tough kid,” said Kohl. He chewed it over a spell, then turned back to Saveria. “Where did Cunt Reiko go?”
“You have to promise not to hurt her,” said Saveria.
“No problem,” said Kohl. “Cross my fucking heart. Hope to die. Stick a plasma cutter in my eye. Now, pretty please. Where the fuck is she?”
Saveria looked at Kohl. “You’re wearing your bracelet.”
“Yes,” said Kohl. “I’m not a moron.”
The young woman sighed. “I can’t tell if you’re telling me the truth or not—”
“Really. I’m not a moron.”
“She’s that way.” Saveria’s arm stretched down one of the dark corridors.
“Thanks,” said Kohl. “Stick close.
“Kohl?”
“Saveria.”
“They’re here,” she said. “The Ezeroc. I can hear them. But faint, like they don’t remember who they are.”
Algernon blinked at them. “Ezeroc are a race of space insects with a hive intelligence. Available data suggests their definition of self is not robust by human standards.”
Saveria looked at Algernon. “Can you read minds?”
“No.”
“They don’t remember who they are,” said Saveria.
Algernon looked at Kohl. “Help,” he said.
“You better use some of those down cycles to run a simulation or something,” said Kohl. “Let’s go.” He set off toward the doorway Saveria had indicated.
They moved along the corridor, Kohl first, then Algernon, then Saveria, with Ebony bringing up the rear. It didn’t make Kohl feel comfortable having Captain Clumsy at the back, but she was pointing her cannons in the other direction, which was about as good as it was likely to get.
The corridor’s smooth walls gave way to chipping and pitting, a more organic form of excavation. Algernon leaned close, examining the markings on the walls. “Not us,” he said. “Not even humans are this crude.”
“Thanks,” said Kohl.
“I believe we are approaching some of the Ezeroc,” pronounced Algernon. His tone was bright. “This is very exciting. New life! I am eager to see what they’re like.”
“They will fuck your shit up,” said Kohl.
“I’m non-organic,” said Algernon. “I have nothing to fear from them.”
They proceeded, entering a chamber a hundred meters long. Ahead, Reiko was locked in a battle with ten Ezeroc drones, which were slashing and clawing at her. The massive form of an Ezeroc Queen slavered on the far wall, desiccated feeding tubes leading to her.
Kohl wondered why he hadn’t heard the ruckus, and still couldn’t, then almost slapped his forehead. Sound needed air, and there was precious little of that to go around.
On the ground there were hundreds of milky Ezeroc eggs. Many had hatched, and mummified human remains were arrayed against the walls, stacked rows of them showing where the drones had come from.
A small Ezeroc hatchling scuttled toward Algernon. The golden man ignored Cunt Reiko, the drones, and the Queen, bending over. Kohl figured on letting this play out, life being the best teacher of all. The Ezeroc jumped onto Algernon’s outstretched arm.
“See, human?” said Algernon. “All you need is a different approach.”
The Ezeroc bunched, then drove its stinger into Algernon’s skin. The probe punctured the golden metal, and the Ezeroc’s abdomen pulsated as it injected the robot with larvae.
Algernon watched this, head cocked, before he slammed his other hand over the insect, pulping it. “Savages,” he said. “Not to be reasoned with.” He turned his gaze to the Queen, then watched the drones fight Reiko.
Kohl stamped forward, pulping eggs under his armored feet. He left Algernon behind, getting a closer look. Reiko had tossed him a glance but otherwise ignored him. She didn’t look puffed or tired, but neither did a hydraulic press at the end of a long day of crushing metal. As Kohl approached, he saw a glint of gold ahead. “Algernon?”
“Yes, Oc
tober Kohl.”
“Best stay back,” said Kohl. “Best stay back there, you hear me?” Kohl wasn’t sure what was ahead, but his gut — by far the best sensing instrument he had — had some idea. It wouldn’t be good, or fun, for Algernon.
“Your tone raises my concern,” said Algernon, running forward. Kohl tried to grab him as the golden man ran past, and he almost did it with the fancy new armor. But maybe it didn’t know him well enough yet, or maybe Kohl hadn’t tried hard enough.
Algernon saw what was ahead. The golden form of someone just like him. Their arms and legs, pulled apart. Torso, ruined. Face, balled up like an old sock. The remains of golden person, the only other one like Algernon Kohl had seen since setting down on Mercury, was at the Queen’s feet.
“No,” said Algernon. He turned to Kohl. Blink, blink. “It is Emberlie.”
“I know,” said Kohl. “You come back here, Algernon. The Ezeroc ain’t like humans. You don’t know how to fight them.”
The machines eyes glowed bright, brilliant white. “I will LEARN.” Then it turned, charging.
“Fuck,” said Kohl.
“Firing!” screamed Ebony. She tore past Kohl, armor brilliant gold, plasma turrets firing. An Ezeroc drone blew into fragments before she twisted, stumbled, and pinwheeled.
Algernon dived at the Queen, a golden hand drawn back. Kohl thought, That crazy fucker’s gonna dragon punch the Queen into next week, before a drone caught Algernon from the side, sweeping him away.
Saveria huddled at the back of the room. Kohl turned to her. “Saveria? Saveria!”
Her eyes looked up at him. “I won’t do it, don’t worry.” Her voice shook with terror.
“That’s not it,” said Kohl. “That special thing you can do? If you get in trouble, you do it. You don’t wait. Don’t worry about me.” He glanced at the battle. “Maybe worry a little.”
“Got it,” she said.
Kohl spun, charging. He keyed the armor’s targeting systems, hoping for a lock on the Ezeroc. But nothing happened, the HUD finding only Cunt Reiko and Algernon as identifiable targets. Seemed like targeting systems the universe over were stupid as rocks. Hell, Kohl could see Ezeroc as targets, plain as day. The roaches were right there.
Kohl felt something close to a tug inside his head, if that were a thing that could happen. The armor chimed, then locked targeting reticules across the nine remaining Ezeroc. Reiko was caught between two drones, arms pulled wide. She kicked one, knocking it aside, but another took its place.
Kohl wondered how his armor had worked out what he wanted. Neural network or some such bullshit. Still, he’d take it. He pressed the firing trigger, the armor roaring at the Ezeroc.
Chitin exploded in fiery rain, fragments of Ezeroc splattering against walls. Kohl chased one roach with a trail of fire as it tried to climb a wall, blowing it into burning hail.
Algernon looked to be in trouble, so Kohl shot the one he was fighting too.
The battle was done, just the Queen remaining. All it took was a thought of those are the bad guys and the armor worked it out. Like, with the armor, Kohl was the best part of human and machine. Attitude and excellence in equal measure.
He still didn’t trust it.
Algernon strode toward the Queen. It lashed at him, and he ducked the swipe, then lunged, burying a fist into its face. It shuddered, then died.
Reiko approached. “Thank you,” she said. “I don’t know if my message made it to you.” She glanced back at Saveria.
“Your message made it,” said Kohl. “Now shut the fuck up for a second.” He walked to Algernon, who was bent over the remains of Emberlie. “Hey.”
“Here,” said Algernon, pointing. “This mark is made by a claw. Rough edges, the metal burred at the shear point. But here, a precision strike from a blade. And this damage point is from a plasma weapon.”
“They caught her,” said Reiko. “The Intelligencers. The Ezeroc. The Service-class constructs. It took all three to bring her down.”
“Hey,” said Kohl, again. “The mission.”
“What mission?” said Algernon. “All life is worthless.”
Oh. One of those. “I knew a guy like you once,” said Kohl. “Couldn’t recommend it.”
“You—” Algernon caught himself, eyes bright, fists clenched. “She was the greatest part of me.”
“Yes,” said Kohl. “Now she’s dead. Life’s not fair, Algernon. A wise philosopher once said get mad or get even.”
“Which philosopher?” said Algernon.
“Point of the story is this,” said Kohl. “Your girl’s dead at your feet. The enemy is still out there.”
Algernon thought that through. It looked like it took him a nanosecond. “This room held the Judge,” he said. He stood, pointing at mount points in the ceiling. “It was here. Not where we thought it was when … we fell.” He strode around the corpse of the Queen. “They left this thing here as a guard. In case someone else found where the Judge was.”
“Not a good guard,” said Ebony.
“An excellent guard against AI,” said Algernon. “Those of us who haven’t been corrupted. Those who don’t follow Judgment.” His eyes found Emberlie’s remains again. “Those who stand with humanity.”
“This is great,” said Reiko. “Now, we need to move.”
Algernon stood. “Do you stand with humanity?”
“Fuck off, metal man.” Reiko’s lips pulled back in a not-quite-a-smile. “I stand with me.”
“Well, that figures,” said Kohl. His finger itched to pull the trigger.
“The question is important,” said Algernon, a hand out, finger raised, like this was a vital point. His jaws cracked into a smile. “You’re just as metal as I am.”
“I’m a fucking upgrade,” said Reiko. “You’re an antique. The Engineer who made you is dust. I’m the best of the best.”
Algernon threw Kohl a sideways glance. “Best of the best?”
Kohl shrugged, the golden power armor echoing the movement. “Much as I hate agreeing with Cunt Reiko, she’s got a point. Hope’s the best Engineer I’ve ever met.” He turned to face Reiko. “Makes a few stupid decisions, though.”
Algernon lifted a piece of discarded Ezeroc carapace. “This is coming for us.”
“It’s coming for humans,” said Reiko. “Not us.”
“All of us,” said Algernon. He touched the point on his arm where the small Ezeroc had stabbed him, then nudged one of Emberlie’s golden limbs with his foot. “It doesn’t discriminate.”
Kohl was watching the two machines talk, no doubt for the benefit of their human audience, being as the humans had all the guns at this moment. He looked at Emberlie’s remains. Kohl thought about how Algernon had been locked up, an impossible math problem in his mind. “Uh,” he said.
Two sets of machine eyes swiveled to him. “Meat sock?” said Algernon.
“Adults are talking,” hissed Reiko. “Last time we met, you hit me. I’m stronger now.”
“Yeah, about that,” said Kohl. “Kinda my point.”
“Your … point?” said Reiko.
“Thing is, this whole room is convenient,” said Kohl.
“It’s a trap,” said Algernon. “The Judge was supposed to be here.”
“Sure,” said Kohl. “Keep the fuck up, Algernon.”
The golden man twitched. “What?”
“The Judge was supposed to be here,” said Kohl. “Was a time your face was buried in the crust above. Six hundred years, wasn’t it?”
“Six hundred fifty-three,” said Algernon. “The extra fifty is important.”
“Right,” said Kohl. “Now, Cunt Reiko—”
“You will stop calling me that,” said Reiko.
Good. Just like the real Reiko. Always focused on the wrong things. “Fair enough,” said Kohl. “Reiko, you were always a scrapper. Getting mixed up in this and that.” He held up a massive hand of the power armor. “Not like, bar fights and shit. I mean, trouble. Tossed together with evil
folk. Not like me, with my clean living and honest labor.”
Cunt Reiko blinked at him. “I’m having trouble processing this.”
“You too?” said Algernon.
“Ever planted evidence, Algernon?” said Kohl. “It’s a human thing. You’re trying to convince someone you’ve never met to do something they don’t want to do. Might be go after the wrong person. Throw the scent off. Or get ‘em to kill someone for you.”
“I follow the gist,” said Algernon.
“What we’ve got here is a basic game of lies,” said Kohl. “This cunt here,” he jabbed an armored figure at Reiko, “wants us to believe the Ezeroc are the enemy. Don’t know why, but my guess is she wants the Judge for herself. An army of slaves. But the thing about Reiko, she never did the work herself. Always dealing on the side. Getting caught up in affairs above her pay grade.”
Reiko moved toward Kohl, but Algernon stepped between them. “I want to hear what the meat sock has to say.”
“You have to wonder why Emberlie would be here,” said Kohl. “Kinda weird, don’t you think? Last time you saw her, six hundred years ago—”
“Six hundred and fifty-three.”
“—She was on the surface, punching dudes in the face. And here she is, conveniently caught in a three-way battle.” Kohl sighed. “You see any Intelligencer motherfuckers here? Any other ships? Any way they could have got in or out? I’ve seen some esper shit, let me tell you. Those assholes—”
“Hey,” said Saveria, still holding her vigil on the far wall.
“Those assholes,” said Kohl, leaning into the word, “are full of spite and bile. You can smell them. And here? There are no Intelligencers. Now, I don’t figure Cunt Reiko knew Emberlie was special. She found a golden woman and woke her up. Removed the impossible math problem, then gave her a new mission. Wound her up like a toy and sent her here.”
Algernon looked at Reiko. “You killed Emberlie.”
“Maybe not,” said Kohl. Two sets of machine eyes looked at him. “She might just have found the body and pulled her apart without waking her. Easier to kill someone when they can’t fight back. Hope would know.”
“You got me,” said Reiko. “Doesn’t change—”
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