“That's fine,” he said shrugging. “I'll pay it.” He said turning back to the bartender. It was a small price to pay for what he had in mind anyway. If he was right some of what he said would be making the rounds here and in other bars shortly.
She tallied it up, padded the bill a bit and then presented it to him. He snorted and dug into his pockets to pull out his improvised purse. He paid his bar tab with a sliver of gold and then walking out of the bar into the crisp air. It was getting close to evening, another... he checked his HUD.. Another half hour to sunset, and then another half hour after that the fireworks should start.
“You did plan that!” Sprite laughingly accused.
“You're not the only one who can handle PR Commander. I know it's not quite ethical, but I told the truth and sometimes that's even more powerful than a good lie.”
“I'll say. Wow! I wonder if you'll have ticker tape parades and fireworks when you enter other towns down the road?”
“Hopefully not, I don't want to be here too much longer. Let's go see the fireworks and then see what other mischief I can get into shall we?”
“As you wish Admiral,” Sprite replied with a hint of mischief in her voice. “Though I wish we were in a decent city with a computer network. One that's not.... Gah! This is terrible! One meg per second of access speed? And there's nothing on the net!”
“Sorry Sprite., maybe the next time we come things will look better.”
“Only if you do something about it,” she said darkly.
He only smiled and kept walking.
...*...*...*...*...
A thought occurred to Irons. He paused, slowing and then making his way to the side out of the way of the general traffic and hopefully out of earshot. “Sprite that was a bar.”
“Perceptive as ever admiral,” Sprite commented with a chuckle.
“I thought this was a dry county?”
“It is admiral. But on special occasions the bars are open to the public. The speak easy's are known to the law of course. How else can they avoid them?”
“Um...”
“By now admiral you should know that the commissioner has a hand in just about everything. He controls everything in Hazard.”
“Okay....”
“So why the dry county is your next question?” Sprite asked, still sounding amused. “It's simple. By making something illegal he therefore makes it more profitable. Things that are illegal are of course more profitable.”
“Okay...”
“So, he gets a rake off from the speak easy's and his sheriff's lay in to the drunks if they aren't careful, and he gets a cut of the fines there as well. Plus from what I've overheard most of the illegal moonshiners work for Hodges, like everything else in this county.”
He noted a billboard with Hodges heaven donuts on the left. On the right was the Hodges bank and trust. “Lovely. I think I want to find another county,” he said dryly.
“They're all like that admiral. They each scratch each other's back if they don't stick a knife in it.”
“Great. Nice planet,” he said nodding to a pair of people walking by.
“By the way, of the forty sticks you've handed out a whopping ten have been hooked up to visual devices. Dewey is rather engrossed in his.”
“I thought he would be,” the admiral replied with a chuckle. He passed a couple necking and then looked around. “Suggestions on watching the fireworks?” he asked. The man stopped kissing and pointed away. The woman pointed in the opposite direction. He snorted.
“I suggest you watch from the rooftops Admiral. Preferably from the rooftop of your hotel, that would help with security,” Sprite said. Defender lit a green light on his HUD. Irons grunted and changed course for the hotel.
...*...*...*...*...
On the rooftop balcony he ran into more people making out in shady corners or closets. He snorted and went over to the group of people who had set up lawn chairs near the edge of the building. He stood, leaning against the leg of the water tower and settled down. He didn't have long to wait.
People started to murmur and then quieted down. One softly counted down with a pocket watch. The admiral smiled when the man hit zero and expectantly looked up to the sky. He felt and saw the telltale sign of a rocket going up into the atmosphere. He smiled, watching the fireworks, the perfect end for the long day and evening.
ACT II Outbreak
Chapter 9
The admiral paused near a statue and turned, surveying the area around him. He'd considered going to Sin City, but instead decided to check out Crater City. He'd nodded in passing to the Neo Alsatian Bullet in passing when he had arrived and then moved on to the center of the city.
There he'd found a park. For some reason Sprite seemed amused by the statue at the center of the park. It was a fully painted figure, not a bronze or stone statue. It's only flaw was the bird droppings on the head, shoulders, and around the pedestal. He turned, reading the brass plaque. “It is with pride that Crater City do hereby dedicate this statue and park to our hero, Sheriff Banniere for his tireless service in bringing law to the lawless after the fall of civilization. It is by his tireless efforts that we are where we are today,” he read out loud quietly.
“Amusing isn't it?” Sprite asked, virtual head shaking.
“What is?” Irons asked, noting that a NeoBear had signed the statue. He looked up at it. There was a broad shouldered man there with red artificial arms. He had muttonchops, a broad face with handlebar mustache, jutting chin, and was dressed for war. He had canisters of tear gas strapped on one side of his chest, a pistol in his left artificial hand, and another on his right hip. Ammo bags were on his belt. His artificial arms were covered in scratches and yellow markings and warning labels. He had a decent pair of blue trousers on, with steel toed boots to finish him off. “Quite the fellow,” Irons remarked, admiring the sculpt. Whoever had done it had been a true artist. “Wish I could have met him,” Irons replied.
Sprite laughed. He turned, eyes narrowed. “Something I'm missing Commander?” he asked. “Care to enlighten me?” he asked when she didn't answer right away and just kept laughing.
“Well, it's just... you didn't recognize him either and it's hilarious. You organics!”
“Sprite?” he asked, eyebrow raised. “Want to let me in on the joke?”
“He's a video game character Admiral! From our time!” Sprite finally said, coming clean.
“He's a what?” he asked, turning to look at the statue again and then noticed people looking at him strangely. He turned away from a woman pushing a baby carriage. He held up his right hand palm up so she could project her image. “Care to explain?”
“He's a virtual construct created for a video game. A popular game series from before the war actually,” Sprite informed him.
“Really,” he said, looking at another plaque. This one detailed the sheriff's biography, how he'd lost his arms in the Xeno war, but had kept fighting, earning the top medals of the Federation before settling on Epsilon Triangula to help clean it up. “Seems legit,” he said.
Sprite showed him a scan of the character, and then of the statue. He blinked. They were a match, even the pose was identical. Which made him wonder why.
“I think... and this is a hypothesis, I believe either a company had this set up prior to the war, or a fan did. As to the legend... that I'm not so sure about. How could people believe in someone and talk about them as if they are a real person if they didn't exist?” she asked.
He grunted as the bio and all the deeds of this mythological person ran through his head. How he affected stability and law and order... how the mere mention of his name had bandits running for the hills. He turned and found a park bench under a tree and sat. “Ever hear of my namesake?” he asked.
“You mean John Henry?”
“Correct. How about Paul Bunyan? Or oh, Johnny Appleseed?”
“They were mythological figures from the early eighteenth and nineteenth century America I believe. C
reated by settlers correct?” Sprite seemed to freeze, and then her expression changed to a thoughtful look as she cocked her head and thought about what he was implying. “The comparisons you draw... are you saying something to that effect happened here?”
“I'm thinking it's a likely possibility,” the admiral murmured, rubbing his chin with his left hand. “Think about the statement there, how bandits ran for the hills when word of his approach reached them. I wonder how often that really happened? If someone actively worked to promote the myth, they'd be looking for the legend not a sidekick.”
“A rumor campaign,” Sprite replied.
“True.”
“Okay, another analogy, Santa Claus,” Sprite said, sounding amused by the whole idea.
The admiral nodded. “Now you are catching on. Think about it, you have a legend, someone to inspire people. People need a goal, a figure to look up to.”
“You are also drawing a comparison to the Robin Hood myth? Or organized religion?”
“You yourself pointed out Santa,” Irons replied. He smiled. He himself still believed in the spirit of old saint nick.
“True. But that was with the better behave line of reasoning you provoked. The Robin Hood...”
“Robin Hood effected change in his time as well.”
“You speak as if he really was real.”
“I don't know Sprite, I wasn't there. You have the database. I believe if I remember my memes class right, that the example of Robin led people to believe in themselves, and how they could affect social and political change. How to stand up to tyranny. To believe in the basis of justice, and that sometimes one had to step outside the law to get justice.”
“That's... interesting,” Sprite replied, making a note of his argument. She would have to meditate over it later.
“There are many examples here Sprite. The point is, it was a dark time, hope was lost, people needed a leader, someone to look up to. When no one stepped forward they invented one. One that could be perfect. One that they could have anywhere, at any time. Did you note the lack of a death date?”
The AI avatar turned to look at the statue. “Or a birth date. Or any date at all actually,” Sprite replied. Irons nodded.
“Exactly. It's an ongoing myth. Subconsciously the populace knows it, but the myth lives on and grows because it sets an example for others to follow. I wonder how many children grew up wanting to be just like him?”
“And how many learned the truth?” Sprite asked.
“I don't know.”
“Should we tell them?” Sprite asked. “You know how people are about their heroes and finding that they have flaws.”
“True. Which is why, no, it's none of our concern. He's effecting positive change so I say, leave it be.”
“And so the legend continues,” Sprite mused, clearly amused. “Do you think they will make statues of you someday?” Sprite asked, lips puckering in a teasing half smile.
“Spirit of Space I hope not,” the admiral groaned, slapping his thigh as he got up. The wind picked up. It was supposed to rain soon, he could feel the barometric pressure changing. “I'd be mortified,” he said honestly.
“Sure.”
“You on the other hand....” he teased.
The AI preened. “I'd like it,” she said, posing.
He snorted. “Come on, time to get out of here. I'm in no mood to play lightening rod,” he said. Other people were looking to the darkening western sky. They were holding their hats as the winds picked up. One woman pushed her dress down, squealing in indignation when the winds lifted the light cloth up.
“Yeah, lightening rod is not a good occupation for you admiral.”
“Cute.”
...*...*...*...*...
The admiral stretched as he came out of the hallway bathroom. He nodded politely to a gentleman as he passed him on the way back to his room. He turned to see the gent take his top hat off as he entered the bathroom and shut the door. He snorted and went into his room.
It was a simple affair, a four meter square room with a chipped brass bed against one wall. A simple shelf served as a dresser. An aged mirror that was chipped and loosing it's silver was on top of the shelving unit. A sign between the mirror and the door had a list of rules. He ignored it as he closed the door behind him.
“Any word on the fuel?” Irons asked.
“No,” Sprite replied, sounding annoyed.
“I'm getting the feeling we're getting stiffed. Or he wants a bribe,” Irons replied, sitting on the edge of the bed to pull his boots off.
Sprite analyzed the situation for a moment. She was forced to agree with her admiral though. “I'm not sure a bribe is worth the effort. A word to Hodges might help.”
“Hodges wants to get rid of me. You'd think he'd be smart enough not to pull this sort of thing,” Irons replied.
“No one ever said he wasn't greedy Admiral. Sometimes greed overtakes common sense. Especially in you organics,” she teased.
“True.” He pulled his other boot off and then pulled the sheets down. He yanked off the blankets, he wouldn't need them. He was planning on heading out in the morning. Crater City was nice if you liked a western town, but he was too civilized for this sort of atmosphere. Charming but no, he actually liked electricity and access to running water. He grimaced at the oil lamp hanging on the wall. The wick flickered.
“They go all out to keep things simple around these parts don't they?” Sprite asked, hamming a line he'd heard all day as he went around town. He'd spent some time sightseeing, like at the park, but more time trying to help out, fix things. He couldn't help not wanting to help them, help fix their myriad of various mechanical and electrical woes.
He'd given up after someone tried to charge him for the privilege of fixing their water filtration system. Enough was enough. He didn't need the sleep but that had made him not only annoyed, but excessively wearied.
“Do you have a schedule for tomorrow?”
“Head back to civilization after breakfast,” the admiral grunted. Sprite snorted. “I take it you are all for that?” he asked.
“You could say that again. Talk about being alone with your thoughts,” Sprite answered. It was his turn to snort. “I need a net, a database, something. You handed out two dozen microcomputers and all but one are sitting somewhere unused. The one that is used is being used as an entertainment system by the child of the sheriff.”
“So much for the idea of having a database for his police force to use,” the admiral said with a sigh.
“True. He never did use it all day. Just gave it to his brat... who is trying to find porn on the thing. I am guessing he is a sub adult.”
“Great,” Irons replied with a grunt of annoyance. He got up and blew the oil lamp out and then climbed into the bed. The aging springs creaked under his weight, making him concerned about it carrying the load all night long. When he settled onto his side he sighed. It wasn't comfortable, there was a spring digging into his hip slightly, but it was probably better than sleeping on the lightly sanded floor. “Night Sprite,” he said.
“Good night Admiral,” Sprite replied.
Sprite waited for ten minutes as the admiral's respiration and heart rate slowed to an even rhythm. He wasn't quite asleep yet, but he was relaxed. Ten minutes was practically an eternity to one such as her, but she was patient.
The admiral needed two to four hours of sleep every twenty four or so hours. He could go for longer periods without sleep, he'd done so before many times over the years, but his organic body parts needed that rest. His brain certainly did, his efficiency degraded in parallel to the length of time he was awake.
But not all the sleep was just for him. For instance, now that the admiral was no longer actively using the nanites, Proteus was now using stored materials to replace those lost during the day's activities, as well as doing nightly chores of upkeep and maintenance to the admiral's implants.
Unfortunately there was no electrical power so they couldn't recharge
, but the AI needed the downtime themselves. Defender was ever present, watchful of the admiral's surroundings in case of a night time attack. Sprite being the 'smart' AI used the time to get some downtime herself to catalog and index her various datum’s of the day. Given enough new input and her own ruminations and she would 'evolve' to a higher class of smart AI. There were pros and cons in doing so.
She ran through the list of topics from the day, but then paused when she got to the discussion about the statue. It was odd, it was something... there was something there, something she hadn't thought of then, but now the implied connection fairly leapt to her consciousness. She ran cross check with the Encyclopedia files, bookmarking some of the discussed figures and then drew them together and ran a comparison. As links were drawn between past and present she started to see another link, one to her own. One she hadn't quite seen before, she was surprised to see the observed the results.
Take for instance Santa Claus, mythological figure of giving, harmony, and peace. Also an inducement to give to others, and for children to behave in order to receive worldly goods. Fascinating, using and promoting natural greed to promote good behavior the contradictions in giving and receiving there... she set the in-depth analysis aside for now.
Then there was Robin Hood. A fallen lord who takes the cause of justice and fight against tyranny by becoming a thief and occasional murderer.
Then there was Paul Bunyan, the legendary figurehead of the timber cutters. He promoted hard work, discipline, and getting the job done. Follow that by Johnny Appleseed, a man who was ever kind to animals and went across the North American continent sowing apples and preaching religion.
Another was the admiral's namesake, John Henry, the steel driver. A hard working man who promoted unions and the rights of laborers.
Plague Planet (The Wandering Engineer) Page 21