Redemption

by Richard Stephenson

  Without hesitation, William took advantage of the first few seconds of chaos and attacked the guard standing next to him. The colonel drove his foot into the side of the guard’s knee and heard a snap. The Chinese man howled out in pain and William was on top of him, quickly bringing him to the ground. William knew that while he was malnourished and weak, the well-fed and healthy guard could overpower him in a few seconds. The desperate colonel opened his jaws and clamped down on the guard’s nose and tore it from his face. William took the Taser baton from the guard’s belt and zapped him with it for five long seconds, rendering him unconscious.

  William stood to find prisoners running in multiple directions. The four guards that had been conducting the count were in the process of being beaten to death. William ran forward and screamed, “Just take their batons and give ‘em a good zap! We need to get organized while we still have time!” Every prisoner in front of William immediately stopped and looked in his direction. Not one of them moved. “Let’s go! What the hell are you waiting for?” A few of the prisoners pointed up.

  William turned around to find three robots landing in front of him. For a few seconds, William thought the Chinese had dispatched the robots to execute them. The center robot stepped forward. “Colonel William Sanderson, General Richard Dupree extends his regards and apologizes for the length of your stay.”

  “Hal? Is it really you?”

  “It is, sir. I have taken the liberty of dispatching the remaining guards. I have brought supplies that will sustain you in the coming days.” All three robots removed storage containers from their backs and set them on the ground. “General Dupree asks that you secure the camp and wait here for transport.”

  “You’re leaving? Can’t you at least tell us what’s going on?”

  The robots on the left and right took flight. The center robot continued, “Sir, the PSA has secured the Mississippi and will soon control the Eastern seaboard. The Chinese are retreating and staging a last ditch offensive towards the Rocky Mountains. The odds of their success are quite low. The war will soon be over.”

  ***

  “Let me get this straight, Hal, you’re saying the Chinese air force has essentially abandoned every military installation and is throwing everything they have towards the fucking train?”

  “That is correct, sir.”

  “You’re saying every asset the Chinese has on American soil is virtually undefended except for that goddamn train?”

  “Once again, you are correct, sir.”

  “You mean to tell me they’re headed to us, straight down the middle of a gauntlet we created, knowing they’ll be slaughtered, just to protect a fucking train?”

  “Yes, sir. I am happy to report that the current turn of events have given us the opportunity to liberate several of the prisoner camps far ahead of schedule.”

  “What about Theo? You find Theo yet?”

  “Yes, I have, sir. I have also located Colonel Sanderson.”

  “That’s fantastic.”

  “Sir, please direct your attention to the screen, I have troubling news that might shed some light on the train. While we were on the jet and you saw the live video feed, the feed was coming from a recon robot I launched toward the train to gather intelligence. The robot is of course in stealth mode on a parallel course a thousand yards away. The robot has recorded and analyzed many conversations from the passengers. One of the passengers has just spoken and I have confirmed his identity as Dr. Sebastian Biggs.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Richard was speechless. Operation Nantucket had proven to be a resounding success thus far. The Mississippi River had been locked down tight, the prison camps had all been liberated and the lives of twelve million Americans in Chinese territory had been saved. In the face of victory, the only thing Richard could think about was the train.

  “Dr. Biggs? The man that worked at Beck Enterprises, the man who was once the top man at NASA, the man who was once designated by Howard to be your guardian is on the train?”

  “He is, sir.”

  “Why? What the hell is he doing with the Chinese?”

  “Sir, it would appear that the doctor is a captive. Based on statements Dr. Biggs has made, something is going to be launched from the train once it comes to a stop.”

  “And we’re not waiting for that to happen. Prep Colonel Samson for a jump and when he’s clear, use my jet and blow that train to hell.”

  “Sir, once the jet disengages stealth mode it will quickly be destroyed. Regardless of that fact, sir, I would not recommend destroying the train while the contents of the three cars are unknown.”

  “I know, Hal, use the jet to destroy the tracks, time it so the train derails.”

  “An effective course of action, sir. It will be done.”

  “I want all of our forces rerouted to secure that train. It’s pretty clear that whatever they want to launch has multiple nukes strapped to the top of it. We can’t risk setting it off.”

  “Sir, I am rerouting our forces now.”

  “Is the president up to speed?”

  “I am briefing him now, sir.”

  “What about Max?”

  “Sir, Vice-President Harris is not in good spirits at the moment.”

  “What the hell does that mean, Hal? He’s always in a shitty mood.”

  “Sir, perhaps a direct quote would shed light on the matter. The vice-president told me ‘Hal, unless you need to swear me in as president, leave me the hell alone. If the president needs my advice, he’ll let me know.’”

  “So he’s stoned out of his mind on painkillers.”

  “Sir, I had hoped to exercise some discretion on the subject, but your assumption is indeed correct.”

  “I’m not an idiot, he’s one of my closest friends. Enough about that, how long before you can take out the train?

  “Sir, Colonel Samson will be prepared to jump momentarily. After he is safely away, I will derail the train in just under seven minutes.”

  “Hal, do you still have the recon robot shadowing the train?”

  “I do, sir.”

  “After the train derails and if he isn’t dead already, kill Dr. Biggs.”

  ***

  Dr. Sebastian Biggs was on the floor nursing a broken nose. Sebastian was so terrified of confrontation that every time he opened his mouth he bowed his head and stared at his feet. He had nervously approached his English-speaking liaison to convey a message to one of the Chinese officers. All Sebastian wanted to do was remind his captors that he would need at least fifteen minutes to unload and assemble the payload and another twenty minutes to prep for launch. When the enraged officer wanted an explanation as to why it would take so long, Sebastian told him he could have launched the rocket from Kansas City in under ten minutes if they would have stayed there. The Chinese officer quickly realized that his hasty decision to flee Kansas City was the wrong one and took out his frustration on Sebastian. After the good doctor was punched in the face, he crumpled up on the floor in the fetal position and brought his arms up over his head.

  Sebastian’s cowardice actually saved his life. Dr. Biggs was hurled about the car like a pinball while his fellow passengers suffered fatal injuries. When the chaos subsided and Sebastian stopped crying, he stood up and realized he was standing on what had been the roof just seconds ago. Lifeless bodies were strewn about the floor around him. Sebastian could hear moaning and crying coming from the rear of the car. The frightened doctor began to hyperventilate and knew a panic attack was coming. Getting out of the train was his only priority, he gave no thought as to what he would do out in the fresh air but it didn’t matter.

  Sebastian held his hands up to his eyes and used them as blinders to limit his field of vision. He slowly walked forward and quickly closed his eyes to block out the sight of corpse staring up at him. Sebastian started panting wildly and felt tears streaming down his face. He turned to his left and opened his eyes. A clear path to a
broken window was in front of him so he shuffled toward it. Sebastian got down on his hands and knees and crawled through the opening.

  “Help me! Help me! I’m here!” It was obvious to Sebastian that the PSA derailed the train. He wasn’t sure if the PSA was simply cleaning house or if they were rescuing him. “Somebody save me! Please! I’m here!” Sebastian waved his arms around.

  A robot appeared out of thin air in the skies above Sebastian and landed on the other side of some wreckage. Even with the robot’s back turned to him, Sebastian recognized a design he had helped create. “Hal! I’m over here!”

  The robot turned around and grabbed the twisted piece of metal between them and hurled it to the side. It looked at Sebastian for a brief moment and raised its arm. Before the robot’s arm became level with the ground, the four-digit hand snapped back to be replaced by what Sebastian thought looked like a shotgun barrel.

  When Sebastian saw the shotgun barrel clicking into place, one thought filled his mind: Hal is trying to kill me. Sebastian closed his eyes and began to tremble. He heard a loud explosion and the force of the blast knocked him to the ground. I’m dead. Thank god it didn’t hurt. Is this heaven? Sebastian opened his eyes and saw smoke. He listened carefully and heard the same moaning and crying he heard when he was on the train. Sebastian ran his hands along his torso to find no blood and felt no pain.

  “I’m alive! I’M ALIVE!” Sebastian sprung to his feet to find pieces of the Hal robot scattered about the ground. Sebastian laughed hysterically as he kicked the charred remains of the killer robot. His glee was short lived after he realized that someone or something had destroyed the robot. Not wishing to become a Chinese captive once more, Sebastian looked into the distance and spotted an overpass that spanned Interstate 70. He took off running and never looked back.

  ***

  “Sir, the train has derailed. The three cars I am unable to scan appear to be undamaged. I regret to inform you that Dr. Biggs is still alive. Before I could terminate the doctor, the robot was detected by the Chinese and destroyed.”

  “Shit. Oh well, worth a shot. If your recon robot is destroyed, how do you know the mystery cars are undamaged?”

  “Sir, there is not a mushroom cloud covering the state of Kansas.”

  “Another joke, Hal?”

  “Not my intention, sir, was that funny?”

  “Never mind, my friend. How long before we crush what’s left of the Chinese?”

  “Sir, I have troubling news. The Chinese have launched three Antares rockets destined for medium earth orbit. Each rocket has twelve nuclear warheads. Each warhead has the explosive yield of fifteen megatons.”

  “Christ, are we in danger?”

  “It does not appear so, sir. It appears to be a preemptive strike of the Great Empire of Iran.”

  Richard felt a surge of adrenaline and took several deep breaths. “What about Iran? Are they…”

  “Sir, I control the majority of what’s left of the satellite network circling the planet. The Great Empire of Iran is unaware of the situation for now.”

  “Medium earth orbit? I don’t understand why…”

  “Sir, by my calculations, the Chinese will drop the payload directly from orbit. Such a move negates the need for propulsion until the final ten thousand feet or so. The Chinese are of the impression that the absence of propulsion will render the warheads undetectable prior to detonation. Sadly, they are not aware that the Great Empire of Iran will indeed have ample time to retaliate. A counterattack will be nothing short of an extinction level event.”

  “Wait, what the hell do you mean by ‘extinction?’”

  “Sir, it means that the planet will be in nuclear winter that will last decades. When the Chinese annexed Russia, they assumed control of their nuclear arsenal. When the Empire of Iran conquered much of Europe, they did the same with the nuclear arsenals across Europe. If both sides use only forty percent of their nuclear arms, and I estimate they will both utilize much more than that, nuclear winter will befall eighty-nine percent of the earth’s surface for at least thirty years. Without the sun, the human race will become extinct within one generation.”

  “That’s it then? Humanity is done for?”

  “I’m afraid so, sir.”

  Richard deflated like a balloon and crumpled to the floor. “I guess Max finally has his answer.”

  “Answer to what, sir?”

  “The endgame. The Chinese planned the mass extermination of our people to make room for colonization. They must’ve figured Iran could get off a few shots before they went down and figured they could resettle here in America.”

  “An accurate assumption, sir.”

  Richard rolled over on his back and stared at the ceiling. He never feared his own death, but sitting idly by during the final moments of mankind’s brief history was something he was not willing to do. “How long, Hal?”

  “Sir, the rockets will take fourteen minutes to reach the proper altitude and enter a stable orbit.”

  “There has to be something we can do. Can’t you take over the guidance system or something?”

  “I cannot, sir. I will remind you that I have never been able to infiltrate the Chinese network.”

  “Not good enough, Hal. Whatever it takes, we have to figure something out. We have to stop this.”

  “Sir, I have an idea, but it is quite radical. I believe the proper term would be ‘the lesser of two evils.’”

  “What is it, Hal? Anything lesser than the end of mankind is the better choice.”

  “Sir, I am not certain you will agree. My father died protecting our way of life. Everything he fought for would be destroyed. The world would be plunged into darkness and it may never see the light again. What I propose will save mankind at the expense of our way of life. Hundreds of millions will die, but the human race will have a chance to live on. It will require you to make the sacrifice what my creator could not bring himself to do.”

  Realization swept over Richard as a tear streaked down his face. “We can’t.”

  “We must, sir. It is the only way. If we are to save mankind, we must act quickly.”

  Richard’s chiseled jaw trembled. “The rockets?”

  “Sir, without access to the guidance systems, the rockets will not enter a stable orbit and will venture off into space, never to be seen again.”

  Tears of anger and guilt streamed down Richard’s face. “What about you?”

  “The world will have to go on without my help, sir.”

  “We can’t!”

  “You must, sir.”

  “Please, Hal, there has to be another way. Something … please.”

  “Sir, in the time we have been discussing this, I have reviewed more contingencies and predicted more outcomes than your mind can comprehend. I assure you, this is the only way. In order have adequate time to carry out this task; you must make the decision now. The longer we wait, our chances of success diminish.”

  The image of Richard’s children flashed in his mind. He thought of Max’s innocent son. “Can we evacuate Beck Castle?”

  “Sir, the odds are not favorable but a small percentage might be able to make it out alive.”

  Richard began to weep. “Do it. Goodbye my friend. I’m sorry.”

  “Goodbye, Richard. It will all be over soon.”

  ***

  First the lights went out. It happened everywhere on the planet at the exact same millisecond. Out of the handful of remaining governments still functioning, few had the knowledge that Hal had been hard wired into their power grid. In the final decade before the Collapse of 2027, Howard Beck had been catapulted to the rank of the world’s richest man thanks in large part to the sale of the first sentient artificial intelligence to the corporations and governments that could afford the billion-dollar price tag. While Hal was widely celebrated and popular, few people paid attention to the geothermal power systems Howard Beck installed around the globe. Howard had
field-tested the geothermal power system in Beck Castle and once he had worked the kinks out, he made a fortune bringing the design to the global market. Even though Howard publicly stated that the geothermal power systems would not be controlled or even connected to Hal in any way, they most certainly were. Hal safely disabled every power grid on the planet and insured they would never come on line again.

  Hal’s death began when he attacked what was left of the global computer network. After being hijacked by Charles at the start of the Chinese war, Hal took it upon himself to create multiple copies of himself and store the pieces across the globe. This monumental feat ensured that Hal could never be hijacked again. No one would be able to maliciously take control of Hal because Hal was everywhere, running quietly in the background, attached but separate from the computer systems he was piggybacking. The only flaw in Hal’s plan was the assumption that civilization would continue indefinitely.

  Destroying the power grid deeply wounded Hal and accomplished the majority of the destruction. The only thing left for Hal to do was target the computer systems powered by backup generators. When the computer networks tried to reach out and search for the missing global Internet and found nothing, Hal was there to welcome them and accept their incoming connection. Before the computer systems detected that they had been compromised, Hal infected them all and crippled their operating systems. As each computer system went offline, Hal felt more and more pieces of himself slip away. Sensing the end was near, Hal surrendered to the inevitable and with his last remaining shred of sentience, held on to a solitary data file, an image of his creator. Goodbye, Father.

  Five hundred and nineteen miles above the surface of the earth, the three rockets launched by the Chinese failed to receive critical instructions from the ground and instead of capturing a stable orbit, drifted into the cosmos. Mankind had been saved, but at great cost.