by Zoey Ivers
Alice shivered. "Hopefully it won't come to that. But... there may be days when you'd be better off on the other side. Just in case."
Could I ask Father to take me to work? What good would that do? He wouldn't let me out of his sight. What else is in the Federal Complex? Someplace I can just walk into, and find a d-door that I can fool with. Get those idiot EMP bombs back from Joe and set them off in the T-Rex's territory? Or would I need to do it to the T-Rex himself?
She looked at the computer. "I wonder if Barton Street has an email address? Or I could just pop through the d-door the wrong way, and see if he shows up. I wonder if Joe is doing anything over there this afternoon?"
Lily perked up, but Bambi shook her head.
"You need to behave for a couple of days, get back in your father's good graces. And finish the computer research."
Alice hunched her shoulders and tapped fingernails on the desk. "Yeah. There's got to be a way to skip all the Dimension five stuff. Walk into the Federal Complex and swap to dimension whatever-number-the-oversized-computer-place is. But I need to talk to Barton Street first, see if setting off the stupid bombs would work, there. And making sure he was a safe distance away, and that he was prepared to attack at about the same time." She scowled. "Drat. I think I just talked myself into behaving."
***
Joe spotted the ketchup arrow and flicked on the big torch. "I think I see something down there. But it's black on black, hard to see."
Tommy added the light of the old flashlight. "It almost looks like it ends, like a diving board. Could it jump up 'ere?"
Joe wiggled back and frowned at the lip of the icy path along the edge. "Maybe we could build up an ice wall, make it impossible for it to jump up here."
"But if you do that... " Barton Street broke off as they spun around. "Then how can I get out and attack it?"
Joe took a deep breath. "Guess we'd better start watching behind us. After all, we don't know if the T-Rex is already here."
Tommy eyed the AI. "I doubt you could jump down there. We'll need a climbing rope, or possibly even a ladder. So building up or rounding off the edge won't really matter. For us."
Barton Street nodded. "I see. By choosing a human avatar I have limited myself, in some directions, but improved my chances because of some of the strengths of the humans."
"We have strengths? Relative to the T-Rex?" Joe couldn't keep the dubiousness out of his voice.
"Oh yes. Humans have these odd things called 'friends.' In my case, especially valuable because they can carry things across dimensional shifts. The T-Rex has only semi-autonomous avatars, those smaller dinosaurs. They are programmed a bit better than my stupid bombs, but are not much more able or intelligent. They simply do as they are told." He cast an exasperated glance behind him. "I need to improve my programming. They keep getting lost."
"Oh. I thought we had the only ones that were left."
"No. I loaded the programs and memories of the two expended units into new chips. Now they keep bouncing off, looking for doors to blow open or stags to toss them into the air."
Joe snickered. "Well, I'm glad they can be reloaded. I was feeling just a bit guilty about them. But right now, perhaps I should do a little bit to make this landing slippery. Alice is grounded, er... currently forbidden access. Perhaps we should wait until we can invade in force before we try to hunt the T-Rex on his own territory."
Barton Street nodded. "That is good forward planning. I will authorize complete access for all of you, to all d-doors in the Gym, so Alice will not have that problem... although biological beings have so little electric current I don't understand how she can have a grounding problem."
Joe boggled. Not a human perspective, and no grasp of common usage. "Umm, it's a due to her relative youth and inexperience. She ought to recover quickly." Joe pulled a water bottle out of his pack. He popped the lid and poured a stream along the edge, opposite the T-Rex's springboard. It froze into smooth ice quickly. "Nice. If I can build it up at an angle, maybe he'll slide right off."
Barton eyed it dubiously. "Gravity, density, matters in this dimension. Perhaps that will work."
Tommy stepped back and looked around. "Might not be a bad idea to check for other ways in. 'Ow many AIs are there, anyway?"
"Technically, five hundred twelve. When I was actualized, there were fifty-seven with actual personalities. Now there are only four."
"Is that country-wide or world-wide?" Joe squirted out another layer of water.
Barton looked puzzled. "Those are the one's I have detected. There are small connections to other places, but they cannot carry a personality."
Joe choked. "They are laying out a new grid, the superstrand optical cable, between cities. It hasn't been connected to the city grid yet. If your experience is only in Milwaukee... What's going to happen when we open up a super broadband connection to Chicago? They're talking about melding the connections any day now. As soon as the nano assemblers are done, they'll run the alpha tests, then six months of beta testing before the public can use it."
Barton Street froze for a long moment. "Beta testing. What machines will they use for that? If the T-Rex gets access to double what it has now, it really will be unbeatable."
"My dad works for the government. That's how I hear these things. He said they were ready to connect the big Ten Peta in the Federal Building to it. I... will check more often about the progress and when it's going to happen." He felt his jaw drop. "Oh. My. He said the new software developed a glitch yesterday, the whole system was destabilized, but recovered without going down. Yesterday afternoon. When the T-Rex got a distant glance from your EMP bomb. That was us destabilizing the Ten Peta. The T-Rex is the Federal Complex computer."
Barton nodded. "I had thought it was the City Center computer, but it must have assimilated it, early on."
Joe used up the last of his water. "I think we ought to examine the edges here for other access, then I'll head home and ask some questions about the timing of the beta test."
He and Tommy walked the edges of the Stag's small, chilly domain and found four other possible means of access, three of them through the dark corridors that also led to their own, well, Barton's domain.
"The Stag was aggressively assimilating other AIs as it defeated them. Afterwards, it established proper connections to those areas, as I am beginning to build easier access to this place, and through it, to its earlier conquests. These three must be other machines he was scouting." Barton frowned at the crooked passageways. "I wonder if any of them will speak with me?"
***
On the list of "enrichment" programs was a tour of the City Hall.
"Holy Moly. I wonder if that would be close enough?" Alice bit her lip. The next scheduled school trip was next week. She tapped in her ID number and submitted it. I'll need to get the bomb pictures back from Joe. And I won't be able to take any of the bio-models with me. She shivered. I've always been a good girl. Butting heads with Father is my main transgression. One party. One. And now I'm going to sabotage a computer? I must be insane. A bell dinged; she grabbed her backpack and hustled for class.
History, another "historically accurate vid." She sat down in her assigned seat. Tori Rolack raised her nose. Alice nodded with complete indifference, and sat back to watch the movie. Maybe her subconscious would come up with something.
Then language. The three-d visual helmet, complete with speakers and microphone, made the hour of Mandarin Adventures immersion experience fun.
She ignored the notes being tossed over the dividers.
Phys ed. Ugg. There wasn't enough room to actually play soccer, so they just had dribbling races. The coach promised a few half-small-court team gamelets in another week. Next semester, I'll sign up for karate. Every Secret Agents needs karate, right? And programming. Might as well get trained for the war I'm in.
A detour on the way to lunch, and she spotted Joe, also between classes.
"I iced up the T-Rex landing, might help, and w
e spotted four more access spots. Any chance you can get away?"
"No. But Monday I'm going on the City Hall field trip. Perhaps I should take a couple of the bombs? The City does some of their stuff on the Federal Comp, that I think must be the T-Rex."
The bell dinged. "Right. I'll talk to Barton, about being ready on Monday." He handed her two of the sheets of paper, turned and ran.
Alice turned, and found herself face-to-face with Jenni.
"Why are you interested in that little nerd?"
"He's nice. Smart. Not oversexed like those guys you lot are always drooling over."
Jenni laughed. "You are such a little girl!"
Now if I behaved like that, throwing myself at someone like Richard, and flirting with any available boy in between, I can see my father having fits. I really hope he doesn't think I act like that!
***
Joe shook his head. "Look right here. You needed to carry the... "
"Oh, I see." Tori bent back over her math sheet.
Joe checked his other six students. Tutoring paid well. Tutoring six kids at once was excellent. They, well, their parents, paid him and the school system posted bonuses to his credit, so his stipend from the government rose as well. And it was certainly easy enough work. I think I learned most of this stuff before sixth grade.
Tyrone was looking worried, so Joe walked over and read over his shoulder.
"How many variables do you have? And how many equations? Yeah, you're shy an equation. You need as many equations as you have variables. Look back through the chapter for equations that have the same variables... yep. That one right there, for roll without slip. Now you can solve for all the variables."
One after another, his fellow students finished their homework and drifted off to the arcade. Joe followed the last one, Jenni, of course. All his favorite games were being used, so he headed for the pitcher's mound again. I ought to take a bunch of balls to dimension five. Or maybe something like ball bearings. I wonder how big they'd get? Not that ball bearings could kill a T-Rex, but I'll bet I could really discourage those scout dinos.
Chapter Twelve
The old city hall was cool. It was hard to believe the ornate creation had once been the tallest building in the world.
Unfortunately a lot of the day to day business of the city was run out of the annex. It was the opposite of ornate, especially inside. Whoever had chosen the pale green paint for the hallways must have been a secret Anarchist, trying to subliminally make people sick of government.
Their poor guide had his office in one of those vaguely greenish hallways.
"Any questions?" The representative of the city council was very polite and pleasant. He represented a chunk of the city that included the Barton Street Gym, and probably hoped for a good report to their parents to keep him securely in office.
A nervous shift as everyone looked around to see if anyone was foolish enough to ask something.
Alice tentatively raised her hand.
"Yes, young lady?"
"I've read a lot of news about privatization and automation taking jobs. What effect has that had on the City Payroll?"
"It's mostly been positive, in as much as our budget has stayed flat, and we haven't had to raise taxes for years. But, with privatization, there are actually more policemen on duty than before. Some paid for by the richer communities who raise fees specifically for security, but mostly it's an effect of the automation of traffic problems. Our police can concentrate on criminal investigation and crime prevention, instead of giving out speeding tickets." He looked around. No one else was going to ask anything.
"Thank you all for coming. It's nice for us to know that people pay attention to the government all the time, not just before elections. Now, I think... " He broke off with a frown at a popping sound behind him. He turned and Alice could see smoke billowing around the corner, and men in gas masks, running shouting unintelligibly behind their masks. The fire alarms blasted them with sound, jolted them out of their frozen stasis. Alice turned and followed the stampede, compacted between bodies as the rush abruptly halted. More popping and the nearest alarms died, sparking and smoking. The masked men were carrying guns, bizarrely decorated with cheap plastic bottles over the ends of the muzzles.
Sound suppression.
Alice blinked watering eyes and listened to the nearest man.
"Shut up and behave and you'll all be fine. We're the Displaced Workers Liberation Front, and you're going to be our guests until the city agrees to ditch the automation of maintenance, garbage collection, water treatment and office workers."
More people stumbled around the corner, and were added to their group. Their eyes were watering, a few women were openly crying, and one man had a red soaked hanky covering half his face.
"So. Councilman Finn. Open that door behind you, and lead the way in."
The Councilman looked pale and his hands were shaking. "T, t, t, that's just a closet." He started coughing.
Alice threw a look at it. A d-door. Holy Moly. She grabbed the Councilman's hand and put his wrist against the lock.
"Smart kid."
Alice pulled the left side of the door open, and the milling crowd shifted, hesitated. The masked men raised their guns. There was a mass movement toward the closet, some shoving and pushing. Alice steered the Councilman in, then stepped in last. The door closed.
"Now we're really trapped." Some one in the rear of the fortunately standard sized cubby.
Alice pulled her minicomp out of the side pocket of her backpack, and flipped it on. She looked down at the base of the d-door, yes, there was the glossy spot of the optical data transfer panel. She sat down, aimed her comp and was immediately swamped by hundreds of people all trying to yell over the building's intracomm.
"Good grief. Of course, we can get news, can't we?" The councilman leaned over and looked at her comp. "Request channel nine."
Channel nine had terse cop talk---half numbers and pseudo military letter words. Adam this and Foxtrot that. The Councilman looked as confused as she was.
"They have their own coordinate system, so terrorists won't know where they are. Of course they haven't used it apart from a couple of drills, the last one a bit over a year ago." He sighed. "I hope they know what they are doing."
"Umm, can the terrorists open that door again? Or can you lock it from the inside?" Alice frowned up at the ovals at the side of the d-door. I could get everyone out of here, but I don't know what's on the other side. Wherever it might open.
And I don't want them to see what I can do.
She decided to wait as long as possible, before doing anything. She scooted to the side and let the councilman fool with the minicomp. Her hand fell casually on the lower hinge cover. No, I should get the upper one first, if I can get to it without being seen.
The Councilman clicked at the keyboard, and got a news channel. Right. "... Live coverage from outside City Hall, where the Displaced Workers Liberation Front have captured half the building, and are holding at least forty hostages... "
My parents are going to be throwing fits. Or maybe they aren't watching the news. She winced. Father is probably out there in SWAT gear. Good grief. She saw people checking their phones. No service, apparently.
Alice stood up and looked over the rest of the group. Mrs. Cummings was trying to organize the students, counting heads, stopping to wipe her eyes, recounting. Tori and Jenni were trying to clutch both each other and either Richard or Lupe. Alice rolled her eyes. The two senior guys were about the last people she'd think to rely on in an emergency. They aren't even Jocks, who might at least lend some muscle to the group. Nope, they were both on the "business management" track, and had fake silver streaks in their hair, and dressed all in black. Pretend tough. Most likely they'd end up as lawyers.
They looked torn though. Half fascinated by the situation, craning to hear the news from the minicomp. And half distracted by the pretty girls climbing all over them.
The rest of the
students were quiet, wide-eyed and alarmed.
The second group of hostages that had been herded into the closet was all adults. Business suited, for the most part. They'd obviously gotten even more tear gas than the students, red eyed and still tearing.
A couple of women might have been really crying, as opposed to tearing because of the gas. The guy with the bloody hanky covering his nose was paying attention. But the adrenaline rush was wearing off, and people were starting to sit down. Mrs. Cummings apparently thought that was a good idea, she was waving the students down. Alice eased around the Councilman, and leaned casually against the door, her hand up over the upper oval. As other people crowded in to look at the comp screen, she got her finger nails under it and twisted it loose. Shifted it a few inches and placed it on the frame. She sat down, up against the door.
Alice felt in her pockets, searched her backpack, then gave up---she'd abandoned everything except the papers with two of the stupid bombs imprinted on them, in case of a security check. She didn't have anything that she could use as a weapon. She applied fingers to the lower lock, then released it. She'd leave it where it was, for now. She'd have to judge when it was time to let everyone see the strange way the door was behaving, leave it until the last minute.
She blinked as her eyes stung again. Was there smoke coming through the door. "I thought the doors only let air through."
The councilman wiped at his eyes. "Apparently tear gas qualifies as air."
"That's not good."
The background murmur rose in volume and tone as the gas thickened.
And thinly from the radio, "... those cops to stop with the tear gas attacks, the hostages are in cubbies, and the d-doors let the gas pass through. All you are doing is making them sick, and if the concentration gets too high, you'll kill them. Damn it all, can't you hear me! They're going to kill the hostages if you keep this up!" Alice blinked around. Everyone was teared up as badly as she was... and if it was really possible for it to concentrate to lethal levels...