“Where the hell is that elevator?” Tygert said.
The Director inserted his fingertip into the receptacle in the control panel. Moments later he announced, “It is not responding to my instructions. This elevator has been disabled.”
“Damn it!” Tygert said. “We never should’ve left.”
“Is there another way down?” Kane asked.
“Yes.” The Director turned and headed toward the wall to their left. The three men followed. To their surprise, there was another hidden door in the wall paneling. The robot led them through the door, down a short hallway, into a bedroom, and into a walk-in closet. At the back of the closet, he opened a small access panel on the wall and tapped a code onto the touch screen. The closet paneling slid to the left, revealing an elevator compartment. “This was the Professor’s private elevator.”
It was a tight squeeze, but they all managed to fit.
“Are you at war with the Breakers?” Kane asked, as the elevator started to move.
“No. We have had very little contact with them in the thousand years since they left the city. They live in a city complex on the mainland. But we know that they monitor our activity.”
“Do you monitor their activity?”
“No. We lost almost half the Meken population to the Breaker exodus. With our reduced numbers we have not had the resources to monitor them.”
“Have they attacked the city before?”
“No.”
“So why would they attack now?” the doctor asked.
“Us,” Kane said, answering the question.
The elevator jolted as it shifted from a horizontal movement to a vertical descent.
“You may be correct,” the Director said. “Three times we have brought humans to our planet, but, in each instance, we only brought a single pair, a male and female. This is the first time we have brought a large group of humans to Ahlemon, and this time, with a very high probability of waking the Colony. It is logical to conclude that your arrival, and the imminent regeneration of the Colonists, has precipitated the Breaker attack.”
“But why wouldn’t they want to revive the Colony?” the doctor asked.
“Conquer and retain,” Kane said.
“I do not understand your response,” the Director said.
“Powermongers do two things: they conquer and retain. If their power is threatened, they’ll do anything to retain it. I’ve seen it before. If these Breakers have spent the last thousand years developing their own robotic culture, I would bet that someone in the Breaker camp doesn’t like the idea that humans could be restored to power.”
Tygert banged a fist on the elevator wall.
The elevator opened into the back of the toolshed in the far corner of the garden at the base of the tower. Kane took the lead, motioning for everyone to wait and remain quiet. Kneeling to the side of the shed door, he reached for a nearby shovel and used it to slowly push the door open.
Three laser beams silently penetrated the wooden door at chest height and narrowly missed the doctor.
“Hit the ground!” Kane commanded.
All four of them—robot and humans—fell to the floor as laser beams crisscrossed the air above them. As soon as the laser fire stopped, the Director launched himself with surprising speed at the wooden shed door, smashing it to pieces. Kane saw him fire his laser at unseen combatants, then run out of sight. Instinctively, Kane leapt out of the shed with his shovel. Rolling behind a bush, he brought the shovel up for a shield. A laser beam pierced the shovel blade and passed within centimeters of his ear. He dropped flat on the ground.
Before Kane could think about what to do next, the Director called out, “It is safe now. The Breakers are terminated.”
Tygert and Dr. Manassa emerged from the shed and helped Kane to his feet; then they followed the Director to locate the three dead Breakers.
“Ugly fellows,” the doctor said, after seeing the rogue robots.
The Breakers’ silver finish was deeply tarnished, and they bore rough symbols painted in dark colors on their heads, chests, arms, or legs. They also wore an odd assortment of accessories—rough-hewn metallic medallions and fabric sashes. An effort to establish their individualism, Kane thought. Each Breaker had a single hole, surrounded by laser burn, at almost the exact same spot on its chest.
“Nice shootin’,” Tygert said.
“I calculated their positions based on the trajectories of the laser fire in the shed,” the Director responded flatly. “With the element of surprise, I determined that I could strike them before they could develop a coordinated response.” He turned to Kane. “Mr. Kane, while your action was illogical and unnecessary, I can assure you that your distraction mitigated my own vulnerability and allowed me to locate and terminate the third Breaker without coming under his direct fire. Thank you.”
“It was pretty crazy,” Tygert said, giving Kane a curious look.
“Yeah, I know.” Kane looked closely at the hole in his shovel blade. “It just happens with me. I quit apologizing for that kind of thing a long time ago.”
Tygert smiled and shook his head while Kane silently said his prayer of thanks.
As soon as they were out of the garden, they broke into a jog around the base of the tower, the Director and Kane sharing the lead. Approaching the cafeteria, Kane felt his adrenaline spike—broken glass littered the walkway ahead. He motioned for the others to wait, then dropped to a crouch and moved along the wall under the windowsill until he reached the broken glass. He waited, listening for any activity inside. It was eerily quiet. Easing himself up, he peeked into the cafeteria. It was empty.
“Sam! Charly! Anybody!” he called. “Anybody here?” Plates of food were half-eaten, and some were spilled on the floor. A dark, liquid pool spread across the table just inside the broken window. Kane groaned, thinking the worst. He knocked away some glass, climbed onto the sill, and dropped into the cafeteria. He dipped his finger into the liquid and was relieved to find it was a thick, dark oil of some kind. Looking around, he spotted another small, dark pool on the floor between the table and the window. Another line of dark wet spots led out of the cafeteria.
Just then, the others entered through the cafeteria doors. The doctor came and knelt beside Kane.
“There’s blood on the floor here,” he said. “But it appears to be isolated to this spot.” He pointed a few feet away and added, “That trail over there is the oil, I think.”
The Director examined the pool of oil on the table.
“Let’s search the area,” Kane said.
The doctor and the Director went to the kitchen while Kane and Tygert investigated the living quarters. The facility was larger than Kane realized, containing close to a hundred rooms spread over two floors. They checked every one, including the bath facilities and closets. A few of the bed covers were thrown back, but most of them were untouched. Water was still running in a sink in one bathroom. Ten minutes later they gathered back at the cafeteria.
“Nobody in the living quarters,” Kane said. “They didn’t have time to settle in.”
“There’s nothing in the kitchen,” the doctor reported. “And we checked the immediate area outside. The oil trail leads away to the right, around the tower.” He walked to the broken window. “But this is interesting. There are divots in the grass and scratches on the walkway . . . something heavy was thrown out of the cafeteria.”
“A high-intensity Meken laser was fired from outside the cafeteria, striking another Meken and killing him,” the Director said. “The fluid on this table is unique to the core processor of a Meken; he would not have survived the loss of this much core fluid.”
“How do you know he was shot by a laser from outside?” Kane asked.
“If you look at the inside wall of the cafeteria directly opposite the broken window, you will find a precision hole with a reddish burn circle surrounding it. This is from a high-intensity laser that passed directly through the Meken and into the wall. The laser was fi
red from outside the window.”
“But the glass is broken outward,” the doctor said.
“A struggle took place inside the cafeteria involving a human and more than one Meken. There are no human-based laser weapons outside of the armory vault, so a human could not have fired the laser. Thus, we can conclude that a Meken was thrown out the window and that same Meken shot the terminated Meken.”
“Nice deduction,” the doctor said.
“Would a Meken kill another Meken?” Tygert asked.
“No.”
“But a Breaker would,” Kane said. “Do you think they killed the supervisor?”
“I cannot tell from the evidence. Other than myself, he would pose their greatest threat. But, depending on the Breaker’s intentions, the supervisor could also be very valuable to them.”
Tygert was already moving toward the exit. “Let’s see if we can tell which way they went.” The others followed and they spread out to search the lawn for tracks.
“Over here,” the doctor called from the right, moments later.
“And here,” Kane shouted from the left.
Heavy tracks led away in opposite directions. The passengers had been split into two groups.
Tygert was pacing now, running his hands through his hair. Kane knew the captain’s frustration . . . and guilt; it was a terrible feeling to leave your men and then lose them to enemy hands. “Captain, I want you to know that I’ve agreed with every one of your decisions,” he said, trying to offer some reassurance. “The good news, the passengers are still alive.”
Tygert stopped pacing and looked at him with deep concern. “We’re at an extreme disadvantage.”
Kane considered their situation. This was not the first time he had heard such words. But he had been trained to handle extreme disadvantage. A familiar indignation started to burn within him. “Captain, we may be playing on their game board, but think about it: these guys have never actually played against an opponent. And they have just messed with the wrong guys.”
The Director interjected. “I have developed a hypothesis for the Breakers’ intentions. If we can determine where they exited the greenway, I believe that I can draw some probable conclusions.”
They decided to split up and follow the tracks in each direction, committing to return to the cafeteria to report rather than continue an independent pursuit of the Breakers.
Kane and the Director’s trail ended at a dock on a canal.
“They have taken a canal barge,” the Director said. “This is unfortunate.”
“Why?”
“I cannot tell which direction they went.”
Perfectly straight, the canal water ran from the outer ring of the city, through the farmland, and into a large indoor park at the base of the tower. Looking through three stories of glass window, Kane saw several acres of a lush park with trees, gardens, lawns, and walkways.
“The conservatory,” the Director said, identifying the indoor park. “The canal runs through the center of the conservatory. Footbridges connect the two halves.” There was no sign of the Breakers or passengers in any direction.
They returned to the lawn outside the cafeteria and found that Tygert and the doctor were already there.
“We went about a quarter of the way around the tower and the trail entered an apple orchard,” Tygert reported. “We didn’t see anyone.”
“One group is going to the Colony,” the Director announced. “The other is either exiting the city or going to the central computer.”
“How do you know?” Kane asked.
“The surface entry to the suspension chamber and the Colony is in the middle of the apple orchard. The canal leads to the exterior of the city or, alternately, the surface entry to the central computer, which is located behind the conservatory.”
“Critical systems,” Tygert said.
“Perhaps,” the doctor said. “But the Breakers could have destroyed those long ago. Instead, they’ve kidnapped a hundred passengers. I would suggest that their interest is in the humans, and they’re trying to take them out of the city, maybe gathering the colonists on the way.”
“I agree with the doctor’s evaluation,” the Director said.
“What about your defensive resources?” Kane asked. “Weapons, combat robots?”
“They are limited. All Class 2 and higher Mekens have laser capabilities. Sentries and builders have internal lasers they can fire from the palm of their right hand and they are programmed for hand-to-hand combat. A number of the Class 1 Mekens, the maintenance class, have lasers that could be used defensively, provided they are given instruction. Our aircraft and submersibles have laser functionality. And there are laser stations around the perimeter of the city, but they are not operational due to lack of maintenance.”
“OK,” Kane said. “First, we need to keep the Breakers from leaving the city with the passengers. Mobilize your forces outside the city—aircraft, boats, subs, whatever you’ve got. They must keep the Breakers away from the city exits. Use lethal force if necessary.”
“They may resist.”
“Of course they will,” Tygert said.
“I am referring to the Mekens.”
“What? Why?”
“We have never employed offensive force against another Meken.”
Tygert looked appalled. “When the Cowboys don’t play offense, they always lose.”
“Director,” Kane said. “The Breakers are now a direct threat to the survival of the colonists . . . and the passengers; the use of force against the Breakers, even lethal force, should be an acceptable course of action. Will the Mekens accept this?”
The Director did not immediately respond. “Yes,” he finally said. “I have sent the command.”
“Thank you. Now, do you have surveillance cameras in the city?”
“They are no longer functional.”
“Then we need to set a watch at every exit from the city. Can you do that?”
The Director paused and sent a message. Seconds later he said, “It is done.”
Tygert waved his hands, “Wait—can the Breakers access your wireless communications?”
“No. They are blocked from our network.”
“Could they hack in?”
“No. I change the access algorithms daily.”
“What about the supervisor? Could they—”
The sound of quick, heavy footfalls interrupted him. Tygert, Kane, and the doctor spun around just as a company of silver robots appeared around the bend of the tower, running in formation.
“Director?” Tygert’s voice rose in pitch as he spoke the Director’s name.
“They are sentries. I summoned them to join us here.”
Approximately sixty blue-eyed, silver Meken sentries stopped in front of the Director. Three stepped forward, each presenting a bulky handheld weapon.
“Guns?” the doctor asked.
“Portable, handheld laser weapons designed for use by humans,” the Director said. “They will fire five hundred bursts at half power, strong enough to disable a Breaker if struck in a critical area. A sustained, full-power discharge could slowly cut through a Breaker’s skeletal structure, but it would drain the weapon’s power supply much more quickly.”
Dr. Manassa held his gun awkwardly while Kane and Tygert carefully tested their weapons’ weight and feel. The Director gave them a brief lesson in its operation and then he left them to speak with the sentries. The three men moved further out on the lawn and each took practice shots at ears of corn on the nearby stalks. To everyone’s surprise, the doctor was the first to hit his target. Provided their aim was true, the guns were extremely accurate.
After several minutes of target practice, they turned and found the Meken sentries standing in a single line formation, shoulder to shoulder, the Director moving down their line as if doing an inspection. He stopped in front of each one and opened a small panel on its upper left chest. Then he touched the tip of his forefinger to a contact point inside the pan
el. The connection lasted ten seconds and then he moved to the next sentry and repeated the procedure. After moving down most of the line, he returned to a particular sentry and reconnected. This time the sentry convulsed and became rigid. Several minutes later, the sentry relaxed and the Director disconnected.
The Director rejoined Kane, Tygert, and the doctor.
“What was that all about?” Tygert asked.
“I have just created Supervisor 3, to replace Supervisor 1, who was taken by the Breakers.”
“Just like that? No special order? No waiting a couple weeks for delivery?”
“Sentries and builders are identical in construction to a supervisor but do not have the advanced programming. I have upgraded his programming and given him my own experiential files and access authorities. He will accompany a team to the canal, where he can access the central computer if necessary. I will accompany the other team to the suspension chamber.”
“I’m curious,” the doctor said. “You were very specific. Why did you pick that particular sentry?”
“I assessed their empathic program, looking for one that resonated most with my own. I chose him because he is . . . unique.”
“Director, you called this one Supervisor 3—to replace Supervisor 1. So, where is Supervisor 2?” Kane asked.
Tygert and the doctor exchanged glances; they’d missed that nuance in the prior exchange.
“Supervisor 2 is a Breaker.”
“Is he the leader of the Breakers?”
“No. Atticus is their leader.”
“Who is Atticus?”
“Atticus is my twin.”
The three men looked at the Director, stunned. “You’re not the only Director?” the doctor asked.
“No. I am Director 1, the primary of two directors. I have a twin, my secondary; he has taken the name of Atticus. There is also a secondary supervisor. Due to the critical nature of the Meken mission, our creators felt that it was necessary to build this redundancy into their plan.”
“They were your backup,” Tygert said.
“Yes. The secondary units are identical to the primary units with one exception; the secondary was designed to defer to the primary, unless the primary was incapacitated. Both of the secondary units led the Breaker revolt.”
The Last City (The Ahlemon Saga Book 1) Page 7