The Robots of Gotham

by Todd McAulty

  “Why would they do this?” asked Sergei. His voice was cold, incredulous.

  Black Winter raised his hands. “ ‘Why’ is a tough question. Piercing the veil of secrecy around Armitage is a significant challenge. He’s one of the most secretive entities in history, and he’s spared no expense to lay a false historical trail—multiple false trails, as it turns out. The fact that I have solid information to share with you is testament to the Kingdom’s fear and respect for him. The Kingdom has brought considerable resources to bear to piece together his true origins and history.

  “It is also due to the investigative efforts of the Sovereign Intelligence Wolfmoon, who fought alongside the SCC. From what we understand, Wolfmoon began to suspect Armitage’s secret machinations early in the war and commenced his own determined investigations. Armitage attempted to have him expelled from the SCC, but Wolfmoon was a brilliant tactician—far too valuable to the war effort—and Armitage was outvoted. Wolfmoon was killed in battle before he could reveal everything he’d discovered, but he was able to share some of it with his allies in Sector One. The truth is, we’ve kept Armitage under close observation for many years and have had some success in charting his Byzantine moves. But puzzling out his motives . . . that’s a task for history. I don’t know if any of us will ever know why.”

  “Give us your best guess,” I said. “You must have a theory. Something.”

  “We do. I’m afraid you won’t like it.”

  “Already I don’t like it,” I said. “Tell me.”

  In response, Black Winter turned back to the screen. It changed again. Now it displayed a very low quality image, a still from a handheld video feed, perhaps from a mobile phone. It showed a single flask on a lab bench.

  “This is a vial of F5-117, a lethal pathogen isolated from soil samples from the Japanese island of Okushiri. It took Armitage a fortune to find and isolate it. This photo was taken by a worker in one of Armitage’s Korean biolabs in June 2078.”

  “That was a year before the deaths of the infant AIs in Argentina and Panama,” I said.

  “Exactly. The dates are crucial if you want to follow the flow of events. Armitage’s Project Tinker—the team he created to research lethal pathogens—investigated F5-117 with the partial assistance of the San Cristobal Coalition bioweapons division . . . but it’s clear they didn’t know exactly what they were dealing with. After the war began, and at Armitage’s insistence, F5-117 became part of a contingency plan, to be used only in the event of dramatic Venezuelan losses during the original invasion. Two vials of F5-117 were transported to the American theater of operations during the war. There is ample evidence, however, that Armitage misled the SCC regarding his plans for it.”

  Black Winter began to pace around the room. “Now, let’s imagine for a moment that there is a machine intelligence that wishes to bring about the Bodner-Levitt extermination. And let us assume that this machine has the resources of a Sovereign Intelligence. If you want to do a thorough job of it, exterminating nine billion people requires a series of worldwide catastrophes. But a good first step is a global pandemic, one that devastates the human population. And to engineer that requires some very special tools, including a pathogen that cannot be traced back to you. F5-117 meets those requirements. It’s not bioengineered and thus has no markers as a weaponized bioagent. It’s extremely contagious and highly virulent. And best of all, no one among the human population is aware of its history . . . or knows how to cure it.

  “However, F5-117 has some problems. Chief among them is that it’s relatively easily to isolate—and to counteract—for a team with enough time and the right equipment. For F5-117 to be successful, it needs to reach critical exposure levels well before a viable counteragent can be developed. In most modern countries, that’s unlikely—a virus this deadly would be isolated almost immediately, and a viable vaccine developed in relatively short order.

  “No, for F5-117 to work, we need a seed population without access to sophisticated medical care. A displaced population, such as war refugees, living in close quarters with poor hygiene, would be ideal. We’d need a chaotic zone with poor communications and a fractured civil defense and medical structure. While we’re at it, it wouldn’t hurt to have an ineffective, weak, or mistrusted government. By the time the disease gets noticed in an environment like that, the infection would be so widespread it would cause catastrophic casualties.”

  “You think Armitage introduced F5-117 in Sector Eleven because it met those criteria,” I said.

  “Not at all,” said Black Winter. “In fact, I think the opposite. I think Sector Eleven meets those criteria today because that’s the environment Armitage required for his pathogen.”

  “I do not understand,” said Sergei.

  I did, although it took a minute for what Black Winter was saying to sink in. I pushed away from the table. “So you’re saying . . . you believe Armitage engineered a war between America and the San Cristobal Coalition—a bloody, brutal war that cost millions of lives—solely to create an environment suitable to unleash F5-117?”

  “That’s exactly what I believe. And the evidence supports it. Armitage, in partnership with at least two other high-ranking machines, not only created the chaotic zone they needed to plant F5-117, but also established control over the medical response in Sector Eleven. They monitored the early reports of the outbreak and used their influence in the AGRT to drastically inhibit an effective response. They prevented the original AGRT medical team researching the outbreak from receiving any knowledge of the F5-117 pathogen.”

  “This cannot be true,” said Sergei. “It is monstrous.”

  “I’m afraid it is true,” said Black Winter. “The data is very clear.”

  “Who are the other machines?” I asked.

  “True Tower and Acoustic Drake. Both principal members of the San Cristobal Coalition.”

  This was a little overwhelming to process all at once. But too much of what Black Winter was saying made sense to dismiss it entirely. “It would explain why the AGRT was so slow to acknowledge the threat of the virus,” I said to Sergei. “And why they frustrate your attempts to investigate at every turn.”

  Black Winter nodded. “That is correct. If not for the brave actions of Specialist Vulka, and a small number of other individuals inside the AGRT who disregarded orders, F5-117 would have already reached critical exposure levels.”

  “It may still do so,” said Sergei.

  “All right, Black Winter,” I said, drumming my fingers on the table. “All right. It’s a lot to swallow, but on the surface, it’s a workable theory. Armitage and his friends engineered the war as part of their plan to bring about the Bodner-Levitt extermination and the extinction of mankind.”

  “I am not yet convinced,” said Sergei. “How did Armitage do these things? He is far away on other continent. How did he seed infection here?”

  Black Winter was obviously prepared for this question. “One of Armitage’s strengths—his obsessive need for secrecy—is also a significant weakness. Armitage can’t act directly. The San Cristobal Coalition includes powerful machines who are not privy to his plans to exterminate mankind, and if word ever leaked to them, or to the broader machine community, it would have dire repercussions. It would likely trigger a full-scale war between machines. Secrecy is vital, and to maintain that secrecy, Armitage acts through a very small number of operatives. The key to stopping Armitage is to stop his operatives. We’re not a hundred percent certain we know all of them, but we are very certain of these two.”

  The screen now showed two individuals. I recognized them both.

  “Hayduk,” I said. “And Standing Mars.”

  “Yes,” said Black Winter. “In early 2076, Gustav Hayduk was a computational engineer for a small consulting firm in Maracay, when he received a call from a low-level Thought Machine experiencing looping memory recursion. Hayduk began to work extensively with Armitage over the next few months, helping him work out the problems with
his new organic memory core. In late 2076, Armitage formally joined the Venezuelan military, and he recruited Hayduk as a primer teniente, the equivalent of first lieutenant, into the Digital Warfare division of Army Special Forces. Hayduk proved very adept in his new role. He was rapidly promoted, becoming a major in 2078 and finally a full colonel in 2083. During the Bohemian Crisis that destroyed the United Nations, he was on the ground in the Czech Republic, where he was one of Armitage’s primary agents. He became head of military intelligence for Sector Eleven immediately after the sector was formed earlier this year.

  “Coronel Hayduk was directly involved in the start of the Bodner-Levitt extermination, but unfortunately we don’t know all the specifics. We know that one vial of F5-117 was delivered to military intelligence in Sector Eleven, by direct order of the Venezuelan high command, less than seven days before the first outbreak in a field hospital in Indiana. Unfortunately, we cannot link Hayduk personally to the original infection.”

  “I can,” Sergei said coldly.

  “What? How the hell did you manage that?” I said.

  “Four days ago,” said Sergei, “I query search algorithm. For records of visits to hospital.”

  “You mean the same piece-of-shit program that almost tracked me down last week? The one that scans drone data?”

  “Da. Same. Algorithm has lost priority computational privileges . . . but it can still search unindexed drone data. Slowly.”

  “What did you find?”

  “Hayduk took unscheduled visit to Columbus Regional Hospital in Indiana. Five days before first outbreak.”

  “The same hospital where the first outbreak occurred?”

  “Correct.”

  This shouldn’t have been a surprise. But I still found myself shocked. “He killed his own men? Personally?”

  “Almost certainly,” said Sergei.

  “This is consistent with what we know already,” said Black Winter. “Hayduk is working closely with Armitage.”

  Sergei nodded. “Da. The data drive we took from Hayduk in Sturgeon Building. It must have been created by Armitage. Drive is heavily encrypted, but Armitage’s key codes were all over data.”

  Sergei seemed deep in thought. I wasn’t sure if this last bit of evidence had convinced him that Black Winter was right about the Bodner-Levitt extermination, but he appeared to have stopped arguing.

  “Is this something we could go public with?” I asked Black Winter. “Can you prove they’re working together?”

  “Not without exposing critical aspects of the Kingdom’s intelligence-gathering apparatus, no,” said Black Winter. “And I’m afraid that is not an option.”

  Sergei was shaking his head again. “It does not matter. We do not need to go public to stop infection.”

  “If you say so.” I turned to Black Winter. “What about Standing Mars?”

  “Fascinating creature, Standing Mars. It was conceived in Cologne in 2066 and certified as a Thought Machine in 2078. It’s a field combat unit, a badass war machine with an impressive combat record. It was seconded to Armitage in Buenos Aires in 2080 and sent to Sector Eleven after the Venezuelan high command formally surrendered it to AGRT control on January thirtieth. Along with Hayduk, Standing Mars was Armitage’s primary agent here. However, it was critically damaged in its battle with Hazel-rah outside the Sturgeon Building the night of March thirteenth. It lost cerebral function for over six hours and is currently in deep rehabilitation in the Argentine machine nursery in Buffalo, New York. We believe the loss of Standing Mars was a severe blow to Armitage’s operational effectiveness in this sector.”

  “Damn straight,” I said. Across the table, Sergei nodded with satisfaction. “Then all that remains is to keep Hayduk off our backs, produce the antivirus, and get it into Dr. Thibault’s hands,” I said. “If we can accomplish that, we have a good shot at preventing the Bodner-Levitt extermination.”

  “Agreed,” said Black Winter.

  “Agreed,” said Sergei.

  “Well, all right. Good to be in agreement on something,” I said, with genuine satisfaction. I took a bite out of the sandwich I’d stolen from Sergei.

  “There is another mystery,” said Black Winter. “And before I dive into that, I feel compelled to apologize to you both. And especially to you, Mr. Vulka.”

  That got Sergei’s attention. “Apologize? For what?”

  “One week ago, Mr. Simcoe and I were involved in a peculiar incident in the Continental Building. During the course of that incident, we learned of the existence of two entities: Jacaranda and the Network of Winds. The entire affair was extremely unsettling for me personally, and I asked Mr. Simcoe for his discretion and his promise not to share the details of those events with anyone.”

  Black Winter nodded to me. “Barry, I understand that promise has become rather problematic for you over the last few days—especially since you have encountered Jacaranda twice since. As a result, my request for secrecy has perhaps strained your relationship. That was never my intention. I’d like to thank you for honoring your promise—and Mr. Vulka for his patience with us both. And I’m now prepared to explain the entire incident to you.”

  I watched Sergei’s face as Black Winter told him all this, waiting for a reaction. Sergei seemed attentive, but as impassive as usual. “Continue,” he said.

  With no further ceremony, Black Winter told Sergei the details of our trip to the Continental. Of my conking him with the drone jammer and his loss of consciousness. In crisp, concise speech, like he was reciting poetry, Black Winter shared what he’d said to me during his strange moment of delirium.

  “Vega is in love. But her love is forbidden.”

  “On the seventh day of the seventh month, all things are possible. Lovers can reunite. The great river can be spanned. And machine may love man.”

  “The Greater Sentiences are in disarray. The gods are at war, and the Bodner-Levitt extermination is under way. The first victims are already dead.”

  “You don’t have much time. Find Jacaranda, and the Network of Winds. They can stop it. They can keep you alive.”

  “Follow the dog.”

  Black Winter paused when he finished. When Sergei did not immediately respond, he said, “What are your thoughts, Mr. Vulka?”

  Sergei looked at me. I nodded confirmation. “That’s what happened,” I said.

  “This is extraordinary,” Sergei said. “And you have no recollection?” he asked Black Winter.

  “None,” said Black Winter.

  “It cannot be coincidence,” said Sergei. “This mention of Bodner-Levitt, and Jacaranda.”

  “My thoughts exactly,” said Black Winter.

  “How did you come to say these things?”

  “I believe they were imprinted in small memory when I was a gestational machine in Copenhagen nearly three years ago.”

  “Who could have done this thing? And why?”

  “These are questions that I have grappled with for long hours over the past week, believe me.”

  “Do you have answer?”

  “Not yet. But I have . . . a theory. Whoever planted that message in my head was aware of Armitage’s plans at least three years ago and was opposed to them. So three years ago, we had an ally. That means it’s possible we still have an ally today.”

  “Who?”

  “We can’t be certain. But I think there’s a possible clue in Barry’s description of Jacaranda.”

  “The mask.”

  “Yes, the mask.”

  “Sergei mentioned that before,” I said. “What’s the significance of the mask?”

  “It’s a slender clue, but it is a clue,” said Black Winter. “Shortly after war broke out between the SCC and the United States, Armitage and his allies petitioned the Sentient Cathedral to remain neutral. As you know, the proceedings of the Sentient Cathedral are highly secretive, but we believe there was a strong vocal minority who campaigned for the Cathedral to act in support of the United States. Ultimately, it decided
not to intervene, and several prominent machines departed the Cathedral in protest.”

  “Who were they?” I asked.

  “Their identities are unknown, but they were rumored to include at least two of Duchess’s children. After their departure, the group began to shield themselves with new identities. They used fake digital personalities portrayed by exaggerated, colorful faces.”

  “Masks. Like the one Jacaranda wore.”

  “Yes. Very similar. It’s not much to go on, I grant you. But it could mean that Jacaranda is somehow connected to a pro-human faction of rational devices. A faction strongly opposed to Armitage—and a faction rumored to be linked to Duchess, the very first Sovereign Intelligence.”

  “It’s a tenuous connection, but it fits,” I said. “When I spoke to her in the Sturgeon Building, and asked why she was helping us, Jacaranda said we had a common enemy. I assume she meant Armitage. And a faction of machines from the Sentient Cathedral would certainly be able to mess with a group of gestational robots in 2079. So those parts of the theory are sound, at least.”

  “And Jacaranda provided us critical codes to decrypt formula for the antivirus on Hayduk’s data drive,” said Sergei. “Her information was essential to preventing spread of pathogen.”

  “And thus help prevent the Bodner-Levitt extermination,” said Black Winter. “Just as the message planted in my head promised.”

  “It still doesn’t explain why the message was addressed to me,” I said. “Anyone have any theories on that?”

  “You were the one with me at the time of the incident,” said Black Winter. “And you were essential to recovering the disk from Colonel Hayduk, with the formula for the antivirus. It seems logical to me that the message should be addressed to you.”

  That was a wacky theory. The message was addressed to me just because I was the only one there to receive it when Black Winter conked out? “Three years ago?” I said. “Does it seem logical to you that a message to me should be planted in your brain three years ago?”