AMPED

by Douglas E. Richards

  “Of course he should,” she said flippantly. “I’m the evil Kira Miller.”

  “You’re also brilliant and know if you try anything, you risk giving me a lead.”

  “And you’re a lot less intelligent than I once thought,” she said scornfully. “I could have killed him in the Rockies if I wanted him dead,” she pointed out. She gazed at the screen with contempt. “So what do you want? You have to be desperate to come to me for help. And crazy if you think I’ll help you after the Rockies.”

  “I am desperate,” he admitted. “Have you heard about a microbe that’s contaminated some Petri dishes here and there?”

  Kira shook her head. “No. I’ve been busy,” she said pointedly. “Can’t pay attention to everything.”

  “Well, within twenty-four hours, everyone will be paying attention to this. More attention even than they paid to the alien craft.”

  Kira’s face wrinkled in apprehension. “Bioterror?”

  “Half bio, half not. But terror, definitely. Enough to get me to call you. They’re nanites. Alien nanites.”

  Kira and Griffin exchanged stunned glances. “I thought the alien ship was pronounced totally clean before it was brought down.”

  “It was,” said Jake. “It must have rained them down on us when it first got here. The nanites weren’t just random stowaways on the alien ship that survived decontamination. Infecting us was the entire purpose of the visit.”

  Jake went on to give Kira—and without knowing it, Griffin—as complete a briefing as he had been given. “We obviously need to know what these things are up to,” explained Jake when he was finished. “So far they’re harmless. Maybe they’ll stay that way. Or maybe they’re about to become the most destructive force we’ve ever seen.” He paused. “We need your intelligence enhancement therapy.”

  “You can’t have it.”

  “I didn’t say that right. We need someone from your group who has experience being under the influence of your pills.”

  “Who would you want, and what would you want them to do?”

  “We want your top computer expert. Nanites are tiny machines. Machines that require programming. We need to figure out what that programming is. We both know any human with an IQ in the hundreds rather than in the thousands isn’t going to have a chance figuring this out. I doubt even an enhanced expert programmer could, but at least we’ll have a chance.”

  Kira eyed Matt for several long seconds. Finally, he nodded decisively.

  “And his role?” asked Kira.

  “He’d head up the American team that’s been assembled to study this. No one would know about enhancement. We’d just pawn him off as an off-the-charts talent; a singular genius who was previously undiscovered. Like that Indian mathematician who went to Cambridge.” Jake paused. “He’d have immunity of course.”

  “So you’re proposing a truce. A cease fire. We work together until this threat is resolved.”

  “Exactly. If your man isn’t successful, I’m guessing there’s a good chance we’re all dead anyway. If he is, we let him blend back into the woodwork.”

  “And then continue trying to hunt us down like vermin.”

  “Unless you can prove to me that you’re innocent with as much tight evidence as I have that you’re a monster.”

  “But once you’ve seen and worked with our computer expert, he isn’t anonymous anymore. What if he’s the type who stands out? That’ll make your job easier once he’s helped you, won’t it?”

  “It can’t be helped. We both have to choose the lesser of two evils. You don’t want to expose yourself to me and give up your top man. I don’t want to have to work with someone I’m dedicated to bringing down. And you know how I feel about what your treatment does to people. I still worry the cure might be worse than the disease.”

  Griffin got Kira’s attention and mouthed, I’m going to jump in. Kira nodded.

  “Hello, Colonel,” began Griffin. “I’m the local computer expert. I just happened to be listening in on the entire conversation.”

  Surprise registered on Jake’s face, but only for a moment. “Glad to hear it,” he said smoothly. “We don’t have any time to waste, and this saves me from having to repeat myself.” He paused. “What should I call you?”

  “Matt’s as good a name as any,” replied Griffin.

  “So will you help us?” asked Jake eagerly.

  “Can I assume the Copernicus is mounting an international effort to study these bugs?”

  “That’s right.”

  “Then I’ll help you,” said Griffin. “But only if I can head up the international effort.”

  Jake looked confused. “Why?” he asked. “The American effort will provide unlimited resources to you and your team. Given that finding nanites to study isn’t exactly difficult, each country is fielding their own teams. And they’re each putting their best people on their national efforts. The scientists being sent to Copernicus, although still brilliant, are the reserves. That’s just the way countries think. Selfishly.”

  “Well it’s not the way I think. If I make a discovery, I don’t want it bottled up. I want it shared with the world.”

  “I can promise you that anything you learn will be shared with the world. What reason could we possibly have not to?”

  “Who knows?” replied Griffin. “Reason and government rarely go hand in hand. But let me be clear: this is non-negotiable. I have to be a part of Copernicus. And not just because I’ve never been on a luxury cruise ship before,” he added with a half smile. “I have to be certain my findings will be shared. And being on a U.N. ship will make me feel more comfortable that you’ll keep your promise.”

  “I’ll keep it,” insisted Jake.

  “Can you vouch for the people you work with?” asked Griffin.

  “Right now, I’m the only one who even knows I’m contacting you. If you agree, only my boss and my second in command will know anything about it.”

  “I stand by my demand. Copernicus or bust.”

  A deep frown came over Jake’s face. “Impossible,” he said firmly. “I can make you head of the American effort. I don’t have the authority or power to make you head of the international effort.”

  “Come on, Colonel. I’m sure America still has plenty enough influence to make this happen. Eight of the twenty-one Nobelists are American. So is Madison Russo, who discovered the alien probe. So are a disproportionate number of scientists on that ship.”

  “True, but I still can’t just demand that you be put in charge. You’re a complete unknown.”

  “I’ve seen the news reports,” said Griffin. “Everyone keeps bragging about how Copernicus is a perfect meritocracy. No politics, just great minds working together. Well, use your influence with the Nobelists and others to run a worldwide contest to determine who leads the team. Two competitors from each country, chosen by their governments. Each devises software challenges for the others: puzzles and traps and mazes. The one who solves the most in an hour becomes the leader.”

  Jake paused for a long moment and then a smile slowly came over his face. “I’ll say this for you, Kira, your people are impressive, even without your treatment. It’s a good idea. I could get this to happen. Who could argue it isn’t the fair way to choose the best for something this important? And when Matt runs rings around them all, he’ll instantly earn the credibility he’ll need for them to follow him. Far more so than if I had the ability to make him head of the project by decree, which I don’t.”

  “Then I’m in,” said Griffin.

  “Thank you,” replied Jake, visibly relieved. “How fast can you get to Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs?”

  Griffin glanced at Kira. Any geographic information he revealed would aid Jake later on, but there might not be a later on if they didn’t get a handle on the alien bugs. She nodded. “Wright-Patterson in Dayton would be closer,” he said.

  “Fine. I’ll have a jet waiting to fly you to Saldanha, South Africa the second you ar
rive. I’ll try to have the software competition scheduled for soon after you land, so no time is wasted. And we’ll be fueled up and ready to land you on Copernicus the minute you finish.”

  Kira frowned. “I want David Desh to be allowed on board as well. Same deal. He walks when this is over.”

  Griffin brightened immediately, obviously delighted by the idea.

  “Why?” said Jake.

  “Because I believe this is as important as you do. And I’d feel better if he was there. To help Matt and to keep you honest.”

  Jake considered for several long seconds. “Okay,” he said finally. “Can Desh make it to Wright-Patt with Matt?”

  “I’m afraid not,” said Kira, checking her watch. Where was he? He should have checked in an hour ago. “Have a jet ready to go at Camp Pendleton in San Diego, and I’ll send him to the guard gate. Make sure he gets VIP treatment.”

  Jake nodded.

  “And call back in exactly thirty minutes. I’ll have a few more questions, and we can discuss logistics.”

  “Fine. Anything else?”

  “Yeah,” said Griffin. “Think about by how much you want me to win the competition.”

  “Are you kidding?” said Jake. “Blow them all away. This is no time to be shy. Shock and Awe is what we’re going for.”

  “Shock and Awe,” repeated Griffin with a wry smile. “Good. That happens to be my specialty.”

  48

  As the Codon raced out of sight, saltwater bit at David Desh’s wound, and the blood rushing from his body created a red bloom around him; a clarion call to any shark within miles of his location.

  Struggling to keep his head above water, Desh had no way to staunch the flow. He concentrated on maintaining a dead man’s float, but wounded as he was, even this was difficult, and he feared it wouldn’t be long until he’d be sinking to the bottom like a brick. A swell hit him in the face and he inhaled water, coughing as he did so, sending a paroxysm of pain throughout his upper body.

  Both helicopters rushed to his location, and in less than a minute a small raft had been pushed from one, self-inflating as rapidly as a car airbag as it fell. Several of the mercs dropped from one of the low flying craft into the ocean, pulling Desh to the raft. When he was successfully on board, they turned him on his back. One of the men in the other helo dropped a medical kit down, which was caught by one of the mercs, and they immediately went to work dressing and bandaging Desh’s wound.

  Desh gritted his teeth and tried to ignore the pain. He forced himself to think. Why hadn’t Frey killed him? He could have easily put a bullet in Desh’s head. For some reason Frey wanted him wounded, but alive.

  Of course, thought Desh. Frey wanted a diversion. A head start.

  If the mercs killed Frey they’d get a massive bonus. But doing so and keeping Desh alive at the same time was even more rewarding. So both helos had stuck around to be certain he’d pull through. Which must have been exactly what Frey had wanted. The mercs would have no fear that Frey would get away while they were rescuing Desh. Where would he go? It was open ocean for miles and miles and there was no hiding a beauty like the Codon.

  “Go after him. Now,” croaked Desh as loudly as he could, but it came out as little more than a whisper, and couldn’t be heard over the noise of the helos and the Pacific. He began to shiver as the men wrapped jackets around him and secured him in a gurney that had been lowered from one of the helicopters.

  As soon as Desh was lifted into the aircraft he motioned feebly for a set of headphones.

  “What time is it?” he said into the microphone when the headphones had been placed over his head.

  The mercs looked confused by this question, but one of the men told him.

  Desh nodded. Frey had now been enhanced for almost twenty-five minutes. “Go after him,” he whispered. “But keep your distance. Just keep him in sight. Exactly forty minutes from now, board the ship and take him out.”

  “Why wait?” asked one of the mercs. “Let’s end this asshole.”

  Trying to board the Codon while Frey was still enhanced would be suicide, regardless of the number of men or their skills. But once Frey snapped back to normal he’d be unable to take another gellcap for at least a few hours. The brain had a remarkable plasticity, but making it toggle from amped to normal to amped again in rapid succession was too much to ask of it.

  “Forty minutes,” insisted Desh as forcefully as he could manage. “Not a minute less. Cheat on this and he’ll kill us all. Guaranteed.” And with that, Desh’s eyes slid shut and he drifted into a troubled unconsciousness.

  ***

  Desh awoke five hours later with an IV in his arm and the hole in his side stitched closed. One of the mercenaries had kept watch over him while he was out, an Israeli named Ari Regev, who had been a member of the Mossad.

  Desh turned his head toward the Israeli. “What happened?” he asked, feeling much better than he had expected.

  “After you passed out,” said Regev, his Israeli accent unmistakable, “I flew you directly here. To a medic friend of mine who doesn’t ask questions. We figured one helo could easily do the job.”

  “And the target?”

  The olive-skinned mercenary frowned. “While I was bringing you here, the team boarded his boat, which was still traveling at full speed. They waited forty minutes like you asked.” He shook his head. “They went through every inch, but didn’t find anything alive, not even a jook.” He waved his hand, searching for the English equivalent. “Um . . . cockroach.”

  “Impossible. He was too far out to swim it. Not this guy.”

  “I agree. From the air, he looked like he’d have trouble making it across a swimming pool. But the chopper executed a search pattern and didn’t spot any swimmers.”

  “So how? I disabled his jet ski. Could he have met up with another boat?”

  Regev shook his head. “No, nothing around for miles. He scubad out.”

  “Impossible. No scuba gear in his boat.”

  “When the team couldn’t find a swimmer, they tore the ship apart. Literally. That bonus you offered had everyone very motivated. They found a hidden compartment, with molded containers in the shape of two oxygen tanks, fins, and two powered propulsion units. One set was still there—the other gone.”

  “Shit!” said Desh, picturing Frey in scuba gear, calmly holding on to a propulsion unit as it pulled him rapidly toward shore, at a depth that would make him invisible from the air. “Now that bastard will go to ground. He wanted me to find him this time. Next time won’t be so easy.”

  “Look on the bright side,” suggested Regev.

  “The bright side?” repeated Desh, raising his eyebrows.

  “Yes. You should be dead. The path of that bullet was just right. You took a very clean hit that missed anything vital. We pumped some blood back in, sealed you up, and you’ll be good as new in no time. You’re a very lucky man, my friend.”

  “It wasn’t luck. He needed me alive and flailing on the waves. If I was clearly dead, you’d have bombed the shit out of him before he could don his scuba gear.”

  The Israeli shook his head. “I saw how quickly he fired. Without aiming. It was a random shot. It was just dumb luck that he missed anything vital.”

  “If you say so,” whispered Desh wearily.

  49

  Desh had Regev assure the rest of the team they would get their full bonuses for a job well done, despite the outcome. He had made the mistakes, not them. Besides, he wanted to use this group again, and if you had unlimited funds, overpaying was a good way to ensure loyalty.

  After Regev left, he put in a call to Kira, using a secure Skype function on his specially-made phone, which hadn’t been affected at all by its immersion in the Pacific. He quickly described his encounter with Eric Frey. She listened with great interest and then filled Desh in on her conversation with Jake, letting her husband know that Matt Griffin was in a military supplied jet en route to South Africa.

  “After the initi
al conversation,” said Kira, “I told Jake to call me back in a half hour. Then I took a gellcap and locked myself in the enhancement room so I could be a lie detector. The colonel was telling the truth about everything. He didn’t exaggerate the nanite threat at all.”

  “Too bad,” said Desh. “Because that is some scary shit.”

  “Tell me about it. I thought it might have been a ruse, but no such luck. And he’s telling the truth about the truce as well. He’ll honor it. And he’ll let Matt go his merry way when he’s done.” She paused. “I gave Matt more gellcaps than he could ever use. Given how ugly he gets, that’s a big risk. But Jake is right. Desperate circumstances call for desperate measures. We have to know what these nanites are doing here. And even enhanced Matt will realize it’s in his best interest to figure it out.”

  “How many people aboard Copernicus will know about Matt and the gellcaps?”

  “Jake and two others.”

  “You vetted Jake when he couldn’t lie to you. But what about these other two? You sure they’ll be able to withstand the temptation of knowing there’s a supply of gellcaps within easy reach?”

  “I let Jake know the pills will be in a specially made stainless steel bottle that will only open for Matt. Only his thumbprint on the top of the canister, and his fingerprints around the side, at an exact pressure unique to Matt, will do the trick. Anyone else tries to open it and the pills will be destroyed. And if Matt is coerced, the canister will detect an increase in his pulse and destroy the contents as well.”

  Desh whistled. “That’s quite the upgrade from the single-pill key ring container. When did you have the time to design that?”

  “I didn’t,” replied Kira with a wide grin, her blue eyes sparkling with an incandescent radiance that only she could generate. “It’s a total bluff. You can save a lot of time that way.”