by Chris Hechtl
“Because they weren't used again and were banned on Earth anyway,” Jack said. “And we all got bogged down in the day-to-day problems. What is that old saying about the devil in the details?”
“I was thinking taking one's eye off the long picture,” Athena stated.
“Why didn't you know? And what about nanites in orbit?”
“We have used them for over a century,” Jack said. That got the senator to pale. He waved a dismissive hand. “They aren't allowed outside a containment vessel, Senator; we're not stupid. We keep close watch on them as well.”
“Definitely,” Athena stated.
“But you didn't think of this situation?” the senator pressed?”
“It just goes to show that I'm not perfect,” Athena retorted. “Sorry to disappoint you, sir,” she said dryly. That earned a chuckle from Isaac as the shot went home.
Jack cracked a grim smile briefly. “I think we need to consult the experts on the situation and come up with a plan while the general gets his people on finding the delivery system as well as the manufacturing sites or at least gets his people in motion doing so.”
“Right,” General Murtough agreed with a nod.
<>V<>
Jack listened to the discussions on how to counter the nanites after lunch. None were proving effective in theory. All were brute force approaches. He instantly came up with his own counter, ignoring the panic of the other people. The panic was spreading through the halls of government pretty rapidly. It was only a matter of time before it leaked to the press. When it did the shit would well and truly hit the fan. They'd have panic all across the solar system.
It was hard not to panic. Nanotech was scary if you didn't fully understand it. In the wrong hands, it was obviously a terrifying weapon. “EMP might not work. We wouldn't know for sure. We have to fight fire with fire or in this case, program nanites to destroy nanites.”
“You're insane. We don't have the time, Jack!” Isaac said, shaking his head. “Besides, the damn virus would corrupt them and then we'd be doubly screwed,” he said in exasperation.
“You have a better idea? We're talking nanotech, Isaac. If Skynet distributes it wide enough …,”
“How would it do that? A rocket delivery system? A shuttle? We'd shoot them down!”
“If they were coming up to us or to our own lines, sure. But over their own lines? Areas that are still covered by the umbrella?” Jack asked. Isaac's face puckered before his jaw worked. Grimly the general nodded.
“So, what do you propose?”
Jack frowned thoughtfully. “I'm not sure. Put your staff on finding out and keep them from panicking like everyone else,” Isaac nodded grimly. “We know some of the sites; if you can find out how it is planning on distributing the nanites, you might be able to hit them before they launch.”
Isaac's eyes gleamed with a glimmer of hope. “Agreed. I'm just hoping this isn't a case of hitting the barn after the horse has escaped.”
“You mean closing the barn door,” Jack said.
Isaac eyed him. “Think about it.”
Jack's lips puckered and then he nodded once. “Right.”
“And knowing that bastard A.I., it probably didn't settle for one site.”
“Damn,” Jack muttered. He shook his head. “I've got some calls to make. Athena too. We need to find a lot of weapons to fight back and quickly.”
“Agreed.”
<>V<>
The orbital bombardment of the Argentina facility as well as one off the coast of Florida and another near California told Skynet that the enemy knew its intent. The saturation bombardments of the facilities off the North American coastline were too much for Ares and Enyalios to stop effectively. Therefore, Skynet went into its end-game protocols.
The nanotech weapons at each of the facility under attack were unleashed. They rode the winds of the KEW strikes, rising into the atmosphere. However, the orbital bombardments weren't the only thing raining down.
EMP weapons held in reserve went off as well but proved to be only partially effective. Nanites that managed to get to the ground burrowed under the soil and gray goo from their waste. They were partially insulated from additional damage.
However, there was not enough proper material in the area for them to replicate, nor enough power with them hiding under the soil. Skynet realized it was in a catch-22 situation; it needed to expose the nanites in order to move them to a more appropriate site.
That was not meant to be. Following the EMP came a new hell weapon. The spacers had rushed the antimatter weapons to Earth orbit, bypassing the independent storage depots Athena had constructed in Lagrange orbit far from any facility or colony.
The bombs were not single hell weapons but instead grenade size bombs arranged in clusters. Each grenade was independently targeted. They had a small force emitter on the back that created a brief, conical force shield to direct their blasts downward, concentrating their power. The cluster bombs saturated the area for over a hundred fifty kilometers, tearing the loose soil down to bedrock and glassing anything and everything that was sturdy enough to endure the fire of a sun.
<>V<>
Ares had mixed feelings when it saw the detonations. He checked his emotional emulator and adjusted the settings. He still had mixed feelings, however. Simulations had shown that had the nanites gotten far they would have consumed America, his children, and eventually himself. That was contrary to his primary programming.
The detonations were curious. Obviously they had planned for the nanite weapons in advance. Was it just nanites or a containment for biologicals as well? That was unknown. Also unknown was the weapon they had employed. It was nuclear in some form; there was some radiation. However, what it was a glaring unknown. Also unknown was how they had directed the force as they had, directly into the ground.
Had the nanites gained an upper hand, his side would have won. At least a partial victory, though that remained in doubt and it definitely would have been a Pyrrhic victory in his case. Their counter was brutal. Both sides had shown the other just how far they were willing to take the war. It was definitely a clear exposure of Mutual Assured Destruction. He was curious if it would bring the other side to the bargaining table or not.
His calculations put that at below 1 percent, therefore highly unlikely.
<>V<>
“We did it!” Isis cheered, clapping with the others.
“We stopped three batches that we know of,” General Murtough stated calmly. The room quieted as all eyes fell on him. “We have no idea if there are other facilities. Athena has eliminated the ones in Europe. Russia, however?” He shook his head. “Big question mark there obviously.”
“And if it is under a mountain we might not know for a long time. They might expand outward at an exponential ratio or downward towards the core of the planet,” Major White stated. “This is only beginning, people. Good work and all that, but the general is right. We're not finished. Keep on it and keep your eyes peeled,” she said. She looked to General Murtough. He nodded once.
They all knew what was at stake now. They also knew that the antimatter weapons might not be enough next time.
<>V<>
“Jesus Christ, Jack!” Senator Brakin said, shaking his head as the carnage. “Think you could have built a bigger bomb?” he demanded.
“Yes,” Jack replied calmly, hands in his lap. He saw the Senator's eyes bug out. “I know that was sarcasm, but you asked, I answered,” he said.
“My god,” the Senator said over and over as he sat heavily in his chair.
“The good news is, we believe we stopped the nanites in their tracks. We also warned Skynet we have a plan in place to stop it if it unleashes them again. That could be good or bad depending on how the A.I. reacts.”
“Who … I didn't even know something like this existed!” the Senator said.
Jack raised an eyebrow. “Still on that track?” He tisked tisked. The Senator shot him a fulminating look. “We covered the nani
tes before …”
The Senator shook his head firmly no.
“Oh, the antimatter?” Jack asked, eyebrow raised. The Senator nodded, covering his face in his hands. Jack shrugged. “The basic idea has been kicked around in science fiction for centuries, Senator, long before I was born,” he explained, then grimaced. “We actually got this idea from a renegade scientist.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. He … lost it,” Jack said, now uncomfortable. “He built an antimatter bomb to destroy the race track. The bomb he built would have probably obliterated the solar system,” he said.
The already pale senator turned a sickly ghost white.
“Damn it, man, you are insane,” the Senator said after a long moment. He gulped, turning green as Jack leveled a look on him. “You need to be on a leash. This is beyond playing with fire,” he said weakly.
Jack nodded. “I'm not the insane person. The guy who created this …,” Jack waved a hand, “he was insane. We stopped him. Barely. And Roman put a lot more checks into the system to make certain it never happens again.”
From the expression on the Senator's face, he could tell the man didn't believe him. He sighed internally.
Chapter 50
Six armies of humans and Neos marshaled themselves for the final push on Skynet, Ares, Zhukov and other A.I. The Marines were aware that they were in a battle for their lives, potentially for all life on the planet. What they were about to face would be far tougher to hit and take down than Africa and South America.
But it had to be done. And quickly.
Lagroose Industries and Star Reach rushed to get more antimatter to the Lagrange points. However, their haste meant corners were cut and a cargo freighter lost containment. A dozen crewmen died when a brief sun was lit in their bowels, tearing their ship apart, and driving the point home that antimatter was highly dangerous and unstable.
Jack Lagroose was more concerned about the loss of the antimatter than the lives. He knew in the back of his mind it was callous, but every milligram of antimatter had suddenly become a precious commodity. Losing some at the critical juncture they were at could spell the death of all life on Earth. Potentially all life in the solar system.
Counter nanites were rushed through design and into production. Barrels of them were quickly made; it was far easier for the spacers since they had nanites already in their manufacturing centers to use. The counter nanites were designed to seek out other nanites without an IFF and tear them apart.
But only nanites. Trevor's people had to create a kill switch similar to a genetic kill switch as well as a means for them to communicate without allowing Skynet to infiltrate and reprogram them. Unfortunately, they remained untested on the battlefield.
Many hoped that would remain that way.
Zack's teams were inserted onto the ground to work their way through the lines and to their targets. Each human and Neo pair had surgically created kangaroo pouches throughout their bodies for the matter/antimatter bombs, plus the initiators. There were even hyper capacitors to power small force emitters to ram the two materials together and direct their blasts.
Each of them had been altered into super soldiers to enhance their mission survival ratio and therefore chances of success. Hardened reinforced bones, stronger muscles, enhanced senses, better organs … the list went on and on. They even had micro actuators and artificial tendons woven into their muscles to enhance their stamina and strength.
Not much could be done about their skin but they had been given a micro thin layer of plating or flexible material that could help with blows or even stop a bullet. None of them wanted to test it however.
Getting through the robot lines was tricky. Fortunately, the orbital bombardment had obliterated a good section of troops forcing their retreat from the Rio Grande. Fording the river wasn't easy, but they managed to get coyotes who were helping people to cross the other way to let them return on their boats.
Each pair carried a backpack stuffed with gear. They would use the dog's pack up first, freeing the dog up to allow them to roam and act like a normal canine as they got closer to their objectives.
As they walked they encountered groups of refugees going in the opposite direction. Many attempted to get them to turn around. It took a bit of patience to explain that they had other ideas in mind.
A few refugees asked to join them. Boomer was tempted to allow them; they could use the help. Zack, however, stood firm; they needed to move quickly and quietly. The refugees were given maps to help them get through the shattered robotic lines to supposed safety as well as code words to let the troops know not to shoot them.
Each team—four humans or apes and four canines—were given a specific target. Some were overlapping targets in case one team failed to get to their objective. Once a day they sent a whisker laser upward to let command know their situation.
Boomer shook his head as he looked over to his new partner Thumper. He'd tried to get the dog to agree to another name, but the dog wouldn't have it. Besides, it played off of Bumper's name, and it was appropriate. The dog was something of a ham; if you scratched an ear just right, that back leg would thump like nobody's business. It became an evening ritual to do that along with playing fetch with a battered tennis ball.
“It's strange that we haven't run into any robots. No patrols …”
Boomer pointed upward. Zack frowned before he caught on. “Oh.”
“Most likely everything was headed to the Mexican border or to the facilities. Ares probably has shit stashed in nodes to attack as well,” Boomer rumbled. Zack grunted. After a while they fell back into companionable silence.
It was tempting, oh so tempting, to fall into their network and communicate that way, to exchange thoughts. However, it was also highly dangerous; there was too much of a risk that some bleed over, however slight, would get out to something receptive in the area that could then alert the A.I. of their presence. So, they refrained.
<>V<>
Once they were in the desert, undercover Neocoyotes were allowed to work their ways into the area. They moved out, foraging on the land and dead bodies and reported back their findings over encrypted links.
More Chimera and human Franks entered the war during what all considered the hardest of battles. Unfortunately the super soldier attitude many harbored going into the conflict got many killed.
Although just about any genotype was fair game, the geneticists had learned early on that mammals did the best. They transitioned to sapiency better, were easier to care for and interact with, and had a similar mindset. Experiments with species such as parrots, other smart avians, crocs, and other species were cut as funding went to the successful lines.
No species that had been a beast of burden or food animal other than canines had been uplifted to sapiency. There was no need for a walking, talking horse or cow. Combat called for predators and omnivores.
Chimeras, Franks, and Neos who had been born prior to the war were cautious; they had learned to temper their enthusiasm by playing VR games for years. Those who had been born after the onset of the war had been driven through their growth stages by hormones and growth supplements to get them ready for war sooner. They'd had a much shorter time to adjust to their bodies and to learn what the veterans had learned. But those who did survive did their best to pass on their hard-earned knowledge to each fresh wave that came in behind them.
Ursines had realized that they were invulnerable to small arms due to their implants and massive frames, but that it doesn't meant they are totally protected. “You don't have to be stupid about it,” Sergeant Po told a troop each time they were brought in. The Panda's platoon had the highest ratio of mission success but also combat losses however.
Here and there some forces stood out above the rest. The Bruin Squad, a squad made up exclusively of Neoursines, managed to break the siege line in Tijuana Mexico but at terrible losses.
<>V<>
“Think they'll be dumb enough to buy this?” Private Park
er asked, looking at the bait. The squad was split into two groups with another squad a hundred meters back. The bait was a pair of robots they'd downed and left out in the open.
“Apparently so,” Caspiana said ever so softly, ears flicking. “I hear bots approaching. A lot of them.” Caspiana like Leopora were on loan from the Thundercats, Lieutenant Peitro Valenko thought. He owed the colonel for loaning them to him for the week while Berny recovered and the brass found another warm body to replace Ashley.
“Shit.” Parker said entirely too mildly.
“What? This is what we wanted, right?” Leopora demanded, checking her sniper rifle once more. The small camera built into the front of the gun was great for allowing her to see around corners or to snipe from cover. But the damn thing got gunked up all the time. “We're ready to rock, right?”
“Don't be so eager,” Caspiana said. She looked over her shoulder to the others. “At least a squad. Some heavies as well,” she said.
The gorilla corporal grunted, hefting his primary weapon. “Got just the thing then,” he rumbled in a bass voice.
“Hold off on that. We've only got two shots left,” the grizzly sergeant ordered, looking at the gorilla.
“Ah, you hog all the fun,” the gorilla protested as the grizzly hefted his Gatling gun. For anyone else the damn thing would have been a heavy weapon unit for a fire team. A Neo could heft it no problem, even without implants.
“They are coming,” Caspiana breathed, ducking down. Chuckles the chimp ducked down behind the low wall behind her. The others followed suit.
“Shoulda done this from the building,” Chuckles whispered.
“Will you shush?” Caspaina growled, eyes glittering as she turned to scold him. He shrugged the scolding off. She could see his fur was rising however. He made a show of sealing his lips and throwing a key away. She glared a moment longer then went back to her watch.
“A maintenance bot is moving in; it's kneeling to assess the drone,” Leopora said over the link, using her sniper scope as a periscope. “The others are sort of hanging back.” They had a hair-thin fiber optic link that connected each of them to allow them to communicate. None of them liked to use the method because it was a pain in the ass to remember not to vocalize.