“Mickey, be careful . I don’t like this. What if he manages to slip something by your firewall or virus protection?” Mark verbalized under his breath.
“This guy is very primitive Mark, don’t worry I am running rings around his attempts.” The Controller Bedford’s tower came to full life. One of the other three dark The fifth glass tower s at the end of small towers suddenly looked like an old florescent tube lighting up the entire compartment casting shadows of the other towers on the walls.
“Ya , I bet that was what most these others thought too.” Mark got a sudden visual of the rail car being fired on by a blaster turret and destroyed, killing several of the 6 security officers in it including one of the two he had taken the pistols off of. The surviving officers tried to escape but they were cut down one by one . Mark watching the officer whose gun he had, almost make it back around the corner before he was cut down. Crawling the last few feet as h is body was riddled again and again before he laid still dead as his body kept jumping each time it was hit . T t hen Mark lost the image. “Mickey did you see that?”
Dr. Bedford started a low howl as Mickey answered with a high pitched wine.
“Yes I see the tower light up Mark….. I am very busy…the Doctor’s attack is quiet formidable. I am trying to insert my own virus es into his system.”
“No! The attack in the tunnel. The destruction of the rail car and killing of the security guards.” One of the other towers started to light up into a solid glow with streaks flashing through the last dark other tower s .
“Mark , the Doctors speed has jumped considerably. He is still manageable but it is a concern with the increased number of attacks.” The last Another tower lit completely up.
“Godstar! He has is connect ed ing to the other towers. It must be increasing his speed and abilities.” Mark was start ing to get worried.
“I don’t know if I can hold out much longer Mark. While his speed has only marginally increased though with the last two tower s . The vast number of new attacks is starting to overwhelm me as he brings more of the old towers on line . The Doctor is using the inspector to connect to the other towers using their processors to add to his. Mark you have to disconnect her.”
Figuring enough was enough Mark stepped over to the inspector and jerked the glasses off her face. The Doctor disappeared. Expecting the battle to end he was surprised to see all four towers still brightly lit the three towers not only still lit but another join them . Looking down he found a pair of cables running from the back of the Inspectors head to the suit case. “Damn! Smart of him.” Pulling out the laser pistol he held it against the Inspectors head and started to pull the trigger but couldn’t , even before Tom yelled , taking a step towered Mark to stop him. "Mickey; I take it that the A.I. is not in the glasses since I took them off and nothing stopped. Is the A.I. in the Case then?"
"Yes Mark the A.I. is in the case and the glasses in this model is simply the interface connection and not the A.I."
"Good. Turning his pistol on the case he started to pull the trigger."
"Mark stop." Mickey said. "You will kill the Inspector if you destroy the A.I.. It is what is keeping her alive. You must put the glasses back on her and then cut the cable from the case to her temple and then cut the cable running to the tower."
"No!" The Doctor was suddenly beside Mark. "If you try cutting the cable to me I will kill the inspector with a high voltage spike."
"Oh really Doctor. Won't that kill you too?"
"No it will just cut off my communications with the world for a time. In time you will have to connect me with your A.I. or starve to death. Both of you and your friend. You cannot get out without my AI. As I said , if you cooperate I will release your friend and you can live a long and healthy life helping me run this world. I do not need to put you in a tub to use your A.I.. You will be free to wonder around the complex and pursue your own work and hobbies at your leisure. Any luxury you can dream of, I shall have brought down for you. You can even help me rule the world. Making decisions that affect millions of lives daily."
Mark looked at the Doctor and then at the Inspector laying in the tub and then the inspector bodies lying in the nearby al l the rest of the tubs. "You know Doctor; you are a terrible liar"
Turning the laser on the Doctors Tower he fired on it but nothing happened. The bright tower just seemed to eat it without any effect.
The image of military police officers finding the dead officers and then retreating when they were fired on a s nd several more were killed, ghosted over the tower on Marks glasses for a few seconds before the video cut out. “How are you doing Mickey?” Turning to Mickey’s hologram as it started to flicker.
“I, am, holding, my own,, , Mark.” The flickering Mickey, turned to Mark. “But his attacks, are getting, more sophisticated, by the second. If, he does not find, more reinforcements, I may stand, a chance.” Mickey sounded like she grunted the last few words. "Not having half my core operating is a tremendous handicap Mark. Especially when I have to fight her scarred panic attacks that keep disrupting my programming. Can you try talking to her? Maybe that will settle her down enough to let me operate efficiently with what I have."
“What the hell are you talking about Mickey? What other? Who?”
“The Inspector I was bonding with when the bomb detonated killing her body. It itched her mind into my substrate. I have been repairing the damage for a thousand years slowly erasing the etchings and have reclaim ed half of ing my processors but the part half of her that is left is running amu ck . Her ghost is panicking and preventing me from using most of my processors efficiently. You must talk to her and stop her from panicking before I am overwhelmed.”
Turning around Mark tried to think of something he could say or do to help. "Ok. Does she have a name?" His gaze fell on the inspector’s skeleton in its tub next to the old woman and then the glass suit case next to it. Trying to think of some way to add the other AI to help Mickey but nothing came to mind.
"No Mark. I do not know her name, which was lost long ago. But when I ask her, she leaves me with the impression of overwhelming love for you which is the problem. She is terrified for you. That you will wind up in one of those tubs or dead. She is the one that has been interfering and adding words for me to say at times without me knowing until after I say them. She is the one that froz froze e my programing in the truck so I could not even talk to you let alone help you as she panicked. Try talking to her. Tell her something to ease her fear."
Unaware of the battle going on, Tom wondered around the hall, bored. “Mark!” He yelled from half way around the hall. “This skeleton has a set of glasses like yours and it is missing that stupid big case on a pedestal or trunk all the others have.”
Mark turned to head across the hall. "Ah. You have got to stop interfering with the AI, Mickey. Please. Everything will be just fine. Relax and sit back and enjoy the show if you can’t help her." Mark felt like he was talking to himself and a little ridiculous. "Ah… Can you hear and understand me? Just relax, we will be fine."
As Mark walked up past the central tower, a small voice seamed to talk to him. "I, me, my, entity, self am, is scarred, afraid, horrified, panicked, apprehensive, nervous, anxious, worried, fear full, distressed for, aimed at, on behalf of you Mark."
"Ok. That is a mouth full. And who are you?"
"I, me, entity, self am, exist, doubtful, is not sure, uncertain, unclear but, never the less, however must, requisite, need, commitment be, am Mickey, I think."
"Ok how the… "
"Processor help, assist, aid, enable me, I to, do communicate, talk to you, Mark, love."
"You need to let Mickey work and leave her… Alone while she is working." Mark said in desperation not understanding half of what it or she was saying.
"Mark, that is OK. She has calmed down and is no longer intruding. The little she needs to talk to you is not interfering."
"I, me am, is not, use too, familiar with talking, communicating. Slo
w, inefficient, hard but enjoyable, pleasing, happy, love. I, me not, negative negative, not want, need not lose, fail you, Mark."
The little voice flooded his ears. "Ok slow up there. You are not making any sense. You need to choose your words better, do not use so many of them."
"I… Sorry… try… better.. love."
"Much better." Walking over to Tom, Mark looked at the glasses that where a mirror image of the ones he was wearing except they were much thicker, older looking and with Mickey’s help he could see that they seemed to have manual access buttons on the wider side ear pieces . Studying them for a minute Mark he looked down at the dead skeleton’s head picked it up a s he nd star r ed at it into the lenses . “Listen here old guy. I don’t know if you can hear me but we need your glasses help or this inspector trainee is going to wind up just like you r old inspector . Dead to the world. I need to put your glasses on You have to use my friend Tom as a controller and help Mickey if it is possible . Do you hear me? I have to make your glasses You have to live again so we can live.” Mark gently took the glasses off the skeleton.
The old man appeared again next to Mark. “What are you doing? It is a waste of time boy. I have tried for a thousand years to make those pieces of junk work but I had to do too much damage to them to control their inspector‘s. I am almost through your AI’s last defenses. If you do not want me to do the same to your AI; stop this waste of time and give in to me.”
Mark looked around and could find no Mickey. “Mickey!” He got no response.
“See it is just a matter of time Mark. Very short time. Don’t make me destroy your AI as I had to do to the others. Once I am bonded to your Mickey you and your friend can go. I will have no need for you or reason to keep you.”
“Oh and what about all the military police you have killed out in the tunnel?’ Mark knew he was lying. Not only was the glasses telling him that the Doctor he was lying but he remembered that it was his blood that was powering the glasses. Suddenly the schematics of the old glasses started racing past his eyes eyes making him smile as he realized that these glasses were a little bit more primitive than Mickey was still there and helping him . He could see switches and the codes for getting into the switches to change the programming. To restart the processes of reinitializing the glasses for someone new. Something only Mickey would or could know. "No?"
Mickey spoke in his ears. "Yes Mark, I am giving you have the information it takes to reactivate these old cores, but you need to do it. I could not even if I was not so busy. I can’t touch the manual switches. You must do that in the proper order using the proper co des at the proper times. Make no mistakes as you will not get a second chance. They will self-destruct at the first mistake. "
The old man not hearing Mickey , continued. “Well, I will just have to blame you for all that killing boy. Sorry but at least you will be alive and in prison where I can get you later if I need you. Otherwise I will have to kill your friend here to keep him quiet and not let you leave when befor e the military finally gets here.”
Tom looked at the Doctor having heard what he said. “Mark do what he says will you so we can get out of here.”
Mark grabbed Tom by the arm. “Damn it Tom! Attention! Spaceman! He has no intention of ever letting either of us leave this place alive. Just look at the damn skeletons lining the cavern. I am putting this on you and you will shut up and stay still!” Tom started to say something and Mark interrupted him. “Shut up Tom. Just shut up! Do you hear ? T t hat old man can’t afford to let either of us leave ? We are in deep shit and only minutes before you are dead if you do not shut the fuck up and obey orders for a fucking change! He only needs me alive.”
Mark let go of his arm leaving marks. Put the glasses on Tom and starred into them again placing his nose up against Tom's. He started tapping them in different places on their broad flat ear pieces like a key board. Studying ever smaller details, turning on Nano switches to seat the sensors into Tom’s temples and then sliding into even the programming to activate long forgotten utilities Mickey was replacing, changing the specs to allow the glasses to come alive if they would. Try to down load and force If he could get them to reboot with a clean program uncorrupted by the Doctor.
It seemed like forever but finally he backed out of the glasses and stepped away from Tom. Mark looked around as the Doctor started laughing. “Boy you do take the cake. You really think that is going to help your Mickey against me.” Then he abruptly looked up surprised. Frowned and disappeared.
Mickey reappeared with a smile. “I am integrating the other inspector AI into the Battle and it is making it much easier. I may have a chance.”
“Good. Tell me if there is anything else I can do to help you?” As he stepped up and looked Tom in the eyes again. “How are you doing buddy? You keeping it together?”
“I don’t know Mark. I keep seeing strange things and my head hurt at first but it is ok now I guise.”
“Good. Just don’t take them off ok. Whatever happens don’t take them off for anything got that? That’s an order.” Tom’s glasses started re modeling started remodeling themselves to fit his face, bringing a smile to Mark.
Then Mickey came to Mark’s ears again. “Mark, I need you to rewire the other inspector AI’s AI’s that only use the glasses as an interface, the one s with separated cores. You can reprogram the cores like similar to what you did to Tom’s with my help . I will show you what to do different so I can access them. Most of them do not require the glasses once you thro w ugh the proper switches. You can reprogram the computer block they are attached to .” .”
Mark started following Mickey’s directions working his way around the cavern, having to ignore the ones closest to Mickey’s design as he had no one to put them on but with the processors in separate blocks with their own nuclear power supplies he was quickly able to reactivate them.
“Mickey, can Tom at least do the older ones. Their structure is rather primitive and should not be a problem if he can use his glasses as I use you. He is not a good programmer but he is not terrible either.”
“Yes he can but he is not familiar with their operation and the glasses are still learning how to communicate with Tom while mapping his mind . I will do the best I can to direct the other AI to transition faster for Tom to help .”
“Fuck the mind mapping Mickey . Tom isn’t going to be wearing them that long . They just need to use Tom long enough to help you.”
“Mark! What is going on?” Tom was definitely confused and worried as his glasses started talking to him.
“Tom, the glasses are just like mine and won’t hurt you. They will show you how to fix the other old AI’s to help save our lives. You must listen and do as you are told OK .” Using the tools in Mark's back pack, Tom started working on the biggest and oldest inspector AI housed in a cabinet the size of a car.
Mark watched armored solders passing the knocked out rail car and bodies of the dead patrol officer guards, police only for some to be killed by the turret before a missile took out the turret and the image blacked out. As he worked going from Inspector to Inspector, it made him sick having to take their glasses off the skeletons to deactivate that input before going to the block that made up their external cores. Each time he touched one of the skeletons he expected it to suddenly come alive and grab it‘s glasses back out of his hand to put back on.
A hatch opened with a clang and a skeleton robot walked in and headed for Tom. It’s feet clanking on the deck as it walked.
Mark followed the bot, baffled as it walk over to Tom . A and a s it reached up to take the glasses off Tom. Mark grabbed it by the neck from behind and pulled it around and down onto the deck. Getting up , it started for Tom again before Mark pulled his pistol out and shot it in the chest burning a hole through its processor casing , freezing it in its tracks where it stood for a second before falling over onto its side.
Mark’s shot and t he bot crashing to the ground got Tom’s attention. “What is going on Mark? Why d
id you shoot the tin can that pig just do that ?” “ Tom said after he looked around and , down at the bot.
“I guess our Doctor does not like what we are doing Tom . Mickey, could you have Tom’s AI explain things to him please?”
“Yes Mark , I have established communications with most of the Inspector AI’s you and Tom’s AI have repaired. But the Doctor has just jumped in power again. He has accessed another AI from elsewhere on the planet. The millisecond delay is a handicap but he is using it to batter down the obvious in a frontal attack that is forcing me to waste resources on countering it. He is going after another AI someplace else at the moment. I am attempting to block his attempts.”
Another robot burst into the cavern hall and headed straight for Tom. Mark shot it before it had taken a half dozen steps. More images of cycles speeding down the tunnel taking out turrets flashed into his mind and then the image of dozens of robots speeding down passageways toward the AI cavern hall . “Shit Tom Help me close and lock block the hatches closed ."
“What is wrong Mark?” To m looked up from a suitcase he had opened.
“Bot reinforcements. Looking at several of the entrance hatches Mark ran to one sl amming it shut and throwing the manual lock . Pulling out his torch he started welding the latch. “Throw the manual locks on those hatches “ Watch that hatch Tom and then shoot anything that comes through any of them it .” Mark pointed at another hatch just as it burst open.
Tom dropped the metal skeleton as it stepped through with a shot to its brain case in it’s chest. As he dragged the thing out of the way, Mark closed the hatch and started welding it s latch closed.
“I have gotten two more inspector AI’s helping that you have rebooted but several of the others that Tom have fixed are have been to too slow badly damage to be of much use. Another AI has joined the Doctor. The signal delay puts it on this planets 3rd moon. If you let any of the Inspector AI’s get destroyed we are doomed unless you can replace them.”
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