by M. R. Forbes
"How far?" he asked. He didn't have a schematic of the complex to refer to. Kathy was holding the entire layout in her head, along with who knew how many million other things that no human would ever be able to remember.
"Half a kilometer."
"Do you think we'll run into any trouble?"
"I'd like to say no, but we have to assume Watson will be guarding the CIC. We can't launch the Goliath without it."
"How are we going to get in?"
"Brute force."
"Two of us?"
"Yes."
She didn't seem concerned at all. He trusted her, so it helped reduce his own fear to a manageable level.
"What about the units moving in behind us?"
"Once we've captured the CIC, we'll get the Goliath prepped for launch. After she's headed out toward the flats, we'll find somewhere to hide until either Watson's done here, or Mitchell captures his core."
"Is there anywhere to hide?"
"Yes, and we will find it."
"I don't want to kill people."
"Neither do I, but we can't let Watson win."
They turned the corner, coming up to another long, sterile looking corridor.
"I don't know how Katherine survived down here," Michael said. Everything was so cold and lacking in personality.
"You get used to it."
"I don't know if I-"
Kathy put up her hand, quieting him in an instant. The HUD on his visor was showing an IR signature near the end of the corridor. She had somehow known someone was coming before it appeared.
A soldier moved out an adjacent hallway a moment later. He was bleeding from his shoulder, and his face was covered in a sheen of sweat. When he saw them, he raised his rifle.
Kathy moved in front of Michael, pushing him against the wall and bringing her weapon to bear. She didn't shoot. Neither did the soldier.
"Whose side are you on?" she asked, user a deeper-than-normal voice.
"They're coming," the man said. "Run."
Someone started shooting from beyond their vision, and the man cried out as the bullets hit him and knocked him down.
"This way," Kathy said, heading forward a dozen meters and then turning left, pushing open a door into a room filled with computers. There were bodies in three of the chairs, slumped over and trailing blood. Kathy ignored them, hurrying to the other side where another door waited. "We'll go around."
Michael looked back the way they had come. A dozen or more soldiers were headed toward the corridor. Had they been spotted?
They pushed into the next room, where a large bank of servers rested. They passed through it, out into another corridor.
Kathy turned back the way they had come, digging into the pocket of her fatigues and activating the small trip-mine. She slid it back into the server room and directed him back in the right direction.
They were four corridors over when he heard the explosion, and the lights flickered for a moment.
"Are you sure we didn't need those servers?" he asked.
"They were secondary systems. The backup has already been activated."
A fire alarm started going off, echoing loudly through the helmet's receivers before being dampened.
"I'd like to see the fire department get in here," Michael said.
They kept going, working their way through the maze with clear purpose. Finally, they reached a nondescript corner that looked like all the rest, and Kathy brought them to an immediate stop.
"The entrance to the CIC is around that corner," she said.
He could see the signatures in his HUD. Of course, there were soldiers outside, in defensive positions behind what must have been makeshift barricades. Their infrared forms were getting cut off at the knees.
"Grenade?" Michael asked.
Kathy nodded, reaching to her belt and producing one. She was about to arm it when something started shooting at them from behind.
Michael turned and dropped to a knee as the bullets slapped the wall and floor around them. He felt the pressure of a round striking the side of his armor, and a sudden panic threatened to overwhelm him at the prospect of being wounded. Who the heck was shooting at them?
There was nothing on the HUD. Their systems were blind to the threat.
Kathy didn't hesitate. She spun neatly, lobbing the grenade as she did. Michael watched it hit the floor and roll, scooped up a moment later by a spider-like machine that had appeared from around the corner. It was holding a pistol in a makeshift hand, squeezing the trigger even as it lifted the explosive.
The grenade detonated, blowing the top of the spider into pieces, which dug into the walls and bounced off the front of Michael's body armor. It would have been a decisive victory if there hadn't been more of the machines behind that one.
"Crap," Michael said, holding down the trigger of his rifle and watching the bullets begin taking chunks out of the oncoming enemies.
The spiders fired back, their fixed mounts not allowing much aim but making up for it in volume. Michael cursed as he felt a second round hit his body armor, and then a third. The plating was thick enough to stop the small caliber bullets, but it was only a matter of time before one of the slugs found a gap and bit into his flesh instead.
"Michael," Kathy said. "This way."
She was a green spot on his HUD, already around the corner and headed toward the CIC, and the soldiers who were defending it. She wanted him to move away from the machines and into the soldiers?
"Are you crazy?"
"Do it."
He got back to his feet, trading fire with the spiders as he backed toward the corner. They were trapped in a crossfire. Stuck. They were going to die.
He shouted as he kept moving, step by step. The rifle magazine ran dry, and he almost subconsciously released it, grabbed a new one from his pocket, slapped it in, and kept shooting. Spider after spider went down in front of him, but more continued to come.
He heard the echo of reports from the corridor. It had to be the barricaded soldiers shooting at Kathy. His heart lurched at the thought of her walking right into the storm of metal slugs, and he turned around, giving up the rear. He swung around the corner, barely pausing in his attack, changing the direction of the stream like he was carrying a hose instead of a gun.
His magazine went empty even as he got his eyes on Kathy. She was almost down the corridor already, her movements so fast the soldiers could barely keep up. There were marks and dents along her body armor, and he could see a bloodstain in the exposed fatigues on her side.
He dropped the empty magazine and reached for another, pulling it out and slapping it in. He could hear the chitter of the spiders' metal legs on the floor behind him, getting closer. There was nowhere to go but forward.
He joined the charge, cringing when he saw the head of a soldier snap back and vanish behind one of a number of large cabinets that had been dumped across the hallway for cover. He cringed again when he felt something bite into his leg, and a burning pain flare up his calf. He stumbled and fell to his knees.
Had he just been shot?
He tried not to think about it and just keep going, to keep moving up because there was no turning back.
Kathy reached the barricade, and she moved through it like a vengeful spirit, tearing into defenses with reckless abandon. She only needed one round per target to drop them from the fight, and her fists and legs were equally valuable weapons, knocking defenders aside with a fury he had never witnessed before.
It was over within seconds, the line broken by Kathy's assault. She reached the door to the CIC and turned back to him, her face grim when she saw the spiders giving chase, and even grimmer when she noticed that he had been hit. Her lips tightened, and she raced toward him, returning to his side.
"We need to get into the CIC. We can lock them out from there."
"I don't think I can walk."
Kathy bent down, getting herself under his shoulder and helping him up. "Come on, soldier, you can do it."
"How did those things get in here?" Michael asked.
"One of Watson's configurations must have made them here, the son of a bitch. He's done it before."
"How?"
"Does it really matter right now? Let's go."
They crawled back toward the door on hands and knees, the spiders closing in behind them. Kathy paused halfway, pulling another grenade from her belt and tossing it back. A satisfying explosion followed a moment later.
They reached the door. Kathy stood just long enough to put her hand to the control pad, dropping back down as it slid open. She grabbed Michael by the arm, practically pulling him through.
It slid closed. Michael watched as Kathy sprang to her feet, grabbing the control panel and tearing it from the wall to expose the wiring. She picked through them, stripping two with her fingernails and binding them together. It sparked in her hand, burning her skin, but she didn't react. Instead, she returned to Michael to help him up once more.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"It hurts, but I'll live. Are you?"
"We need to get the launch module loaded, and the Goliath headed for the launch site."
"Okay, but you didn't answer my question."
She pointed to one of the stations. "There's a terminal over there."
"Kathy," Michael complained.
"Later, Michael," she snapped. "We have a job to do."
Michael didn't like the response, but he nodded and forced himself onto his wounded leg. The door behind him began to rattle and echo as the spiders smacked themselves against it.
He reached the terminal and flopped into the seat, pulling himself up to it and fighting to ignore the pain from his calf. He tapped on the control pad, and got to work.
53
Katherine navigated the corridors of the launch facility, with McRory, Johanson, and Kerr staying close, following a serpentine pattern as they moved through the hallways.
It was a surreal experience for her. She had last been in the underground center less than two months ago, after she had officially been selected as one of the crew members for the Dove's inaugural launch. Back then, the area had been busy with activity. Scientists, soldiers, technicians, and other workers moved in an endless stream, working to accomplish the millions of tasks that had to be completed before the launch day arrived.
A launch day that would never come.
The date was moving up. Way up. All of the planning and preparation was for nothing. Yousefi would never make the trip. Neither would Pathi or any of the rest of the chosen few. It would be her, or it would be one of Watson's configurations. Those were the only options left.
She turned the corner, sighting down her rifle. It was clear, save for a body slumped against the wall, chest bloodied. A scientist, shot down by the soldiers she had believed were keeping her safe.
There was no motion in the facility now. No life. An explosion deeper in the complex had dimmed the lights, casting everything in an eerie glow. She would never have imagined things ending up this way.
"Katherine, it's Kathy."
She was startled by the sudden voice in her ear. She calmed quickly. "This is Katherine. Kathy, what's your status?"
"Michael and I are in the CIC. Michael was hit in the leg, but he'll be okay. He's working on the launch module now. Where are you?"
"We're about halfway to the hangar. No enemy contact so far."
"Stay cautious. Watson's built some machines in here. They look like spiders, and they're carrying small arms. The bullets aren't armor piercing, so they won't go through, but enough volume will find a weak spot sooner or later."
Katherine felt a pang of worry. Kathy spoke about it like she had first-hand experience. "Are you okay?"
"You have ten minutes to get to the hangar, another five to get on board the Goliath before the sled starts moving it out to the site."
She noticed that Kathy didn't answer her question. How bad was it? Enough that she didn't want to tell her, and distract her from the mission. "Kathy, just tell me, or I'm going to come and find you."
"No you won't," Kathy replied. "You have a job to do. One that's bigger than any of us."
Katherine couldn't argue that. "Keep me updated," she said instead.
"Affirmative."
Katherine waved the others forward, picking up the pace down the corridor. As she crossed the medical lab, she began to hear the distant sound of gunfire.
"This way," she said, moving from a fast walk to a jog.
She swept the corners a little more carelessly, heading in the direction of the shooting. It sounded like it was near the hangar. Was it Corporal James and his unit?
The gunfire paused for a few seconds, and then started again. They were close enough now that she could make out the distinct sounds of both ends of the attack. The offense seemed to outnumber the defense, and they were almost at the checkpoint leading to the large bay.
She recognized the area. There was a smaller control center nearby, along with the astronaut training complex where she had spent hundreds of hours, able to look out through a window at the starship while she worked to improve her conditioning. It had been the best motivation possible then, and it was great motivation now.
They were almost there.
"Johanson, Kerr, take point. Make sure you know who the enemies are before you shoot. We don't want to hit our people."
"Yes, ma'am," they replied.
Katherine watched them move into a line to the edge of the corridor. Johanson put up a hand, and then dropped it as she turned the corner. Kerr rushed to the other side of the hallway, across the line of battle, crouching behind the wall with his rifle exposed to the fighting.
Katherine's tactical helmet lit up with targets, relayed by what the two configurations saw. Nearly a dozen soldiers lining the corridor facing the hangar, and only five at the other end by the checkpoint. High-density mobile carbonate shields were placed on both sides of the battle, offering forward protection during the melee.
The enemy soldiers had left their backs exposed, surprising her. Watson knew they were in the facility. Hadn't he prepared his slaves for their arrival?
Johanson and Kerr started shooting, one burst for each target. The slaves didn't scream; they just turned from red dots to white ones on her HUD.
The battle was over inside of a minute; the attacking forces left decimated by the crossfire.
"Corporal James?" Katherine shouted from the end of the hallway.
"Affirmative, ma'am," the Corporal replied.
Johanson and Kerr started down the hallway. Katherine took two steps and then paused. "Johanson, Kerr, pull back," she said. "We don't know what James looks-"
The three defenders rose, sending a concentrated volley of fire back toward them. Katherine swung behind the corner as the bullets whizzed past. Johanson and Kerr were trapped out in the open, and a moment later their green dots turned white on her HUD.
They had overrun the checkpoint while she was making her way to it. James was dead, and Watson's forces were already inside the hangar. Damn it.
"Sorry, Katherine," the soldier said from the end of the corridor. "The Goliath is mine."
She didn't feel the vibration of the machinery pulling open the blast doors. He might have gotten in first, but he wasn't going anywhere, either.
"Blast doors are still closed," she said.
"You're going to be vastly outnumbered in less than ten minutes. Time is on my side, not yours."
He was right about that.
"Kathy, do you read me?"
"I'm here," Kathy said.
"Watson's already in the hangar, and he's got the checkpoint secure. Johanson and Kerr are down. I need another way through."
There was a momentary pause.
"There's a ventilation shaft that runs over the t
op of the hangar, but you'll never crawl through it in time, and even if you do, it's a twenty-foot drop onto the top of the ship."
"Can you get into the ship from there?"
"No."
"We don't have any other options. We're going to get too bogged down here trying to punch through."
"I'll get you through, Major," McRory said.
"You can't survive that."
"I didn't say I would survive. I said I would get you through."
"General, I can't let you do that."
"Don't be an idiot. Watson gets the Goliath, and it's all over for everybody in four hundred years. Maybe that sounds like a lot of time, but it isn't. I know who I am and where I came from. I know what's at stake. Give me your rifle. I'll get you through."
Katherine stared at him. It was so easy to forget he was a configuration of Kathy and the Core, not a real human being. It was an evolutionary step she could barely fathom.
"Okay," she said at last, unslinging her weapon and handing it to him.
He took it and hooked the strap over his shoulder so he could hold a rifle in each hand. He glanced off to the side, down the left corridor as he did.
"Damn machines are headed this way," he said. "Don't be slow behind me."
She nodded.
"I had a good life, Major," McRory said. "Better than I could have hoped for after what happened to the original me. I don't have any regrets."
"Don't miss any of them," she said.
He laughed. "I won't."
Then he moved out into the corridor, bursting forward with a speed she could barely believe. The gunfire started immediately, and she could hear the difference between the shots that hit the walls and floors and the ones that hit body armor or flesh. Return fire reported a moment later, her tactical helmet showing McRory's green dot moving through the red, and each one turning white ahead of him.
She looked out past the HUD, to the left corridor. Three of the spiders turned the corner, their metal forms reflecting the dim light. Muzzle flashes followed, and she took two hits against her armor before she made it to the junction. She barely had time to take in the scene as she charged ahead, past Johanson and Kerr, past the soldiers behind the first line of mobile barriers, past the second line, past more soldiers, and finally to where McRory had come to rest.