Mars Descent (Cladespace Book 2)

by Corey Ostman

  Grace walked toward Quint’s body. To her right, she saw Anna approaching to intercept, phasewave ready.

  “Wait,” said Anna.

  Grace wasn’t surprised when Anna squeezed off a phasewave blast, striking Quint’s body. The corpse barely moved.

  “That was for Louie and Branford!”

  Grace kept walking.

  Five meters distant, Grace saw the helmet. It hadn’t shattered like she imagined. The slug had made a jagged round hole in the center, and a milky spiderweb stretched out around it. Good, she thought. She didn’t want to see Quint’s face.

  She tucked Marty back into her side pocket.

  Anna came up beside Grace. She still had her phasewave pointed at Quint.

  “He’s dead, Anna.” Grace felt the finality of the words wash over her. Back in Cloister 11, she could have been Quint. It made her angry. She’d known far too many zealots growing up. Leaving cloister had broadened her vision, making bare a vulnerable point that Grace still grappled with, but which Quint had never bothered to examine.

  “I know,” Anna said. “Finally.”

  Grace nodded. “We should see if we can help Planar with the pawns. Where is he?”

  They found him at the mouth of the cavern. Planar had apparently fallen over. He lay where he fell, unmoving.

  “Planar?” Grace knelt beside the twofer. The person.

  “What happened?” Anna asked.

  “He ran after the pawns,” said Grace. “I didn’t realize—” Had he failed? Had she failed? She thought Quint’s death would stop the pawns. Was the Scout…Grace felt sick.

  “Wait a minute—what’s that?”

  Anna pointed further down the cavern, in the direction of the Scout. There was a faint purple shimmer.

  “It’s the pawns!” shouted Grace. The swarm flew nearer, ignoring them and coalescing around the cargo hold of Quint’s ship.

  “Grace, an update on the pawns. They moved in our direction, but they’re heading back to your area now,” said Wragg.

  The relief of hearing Wragg’s voice washed over her. The Scout was safe.

  “Raj,” Anna said, clicking her comm. “I think the pawns are returning the thorium.”

  “Really?” Raj’s voice cut through. “Can you transmit a visual?”

  “Sure.” Anna paused, then pointed her visor to a tendril snaking from the ship in the direction of Essex City.

  “Planar must have succeeded before he fell over,” Grace said.

  “How long until he wakes up?” Anna asked. “Last time, it was what? About fifteen minutes?”

  The two waited.

  Grace looked into Anna’s visor. Her head was drooping, but her eyes were still wide and staring. Bloodshot. She seemed exhausted.

  “Hey,” said Grace. “Are you ok?”

  “I guess.”

  “You can let it go now, Anna.”

  “Yeah. He’s dead.” Anna breathed in, deeply. The lines of worry smoothed.

  “What’s next for you,” Grace asked, “now that the expedition is over?”

  “Is it over? There’s a new sentient species on the planet.” Anna looked back toward Essex City.

  “Does that mean you’ll stay on Mars?” Grace asked.

  “Well—that depends.”

  “Depends?”

  “On Raj.”

  “Oh,” Grace said.

  Grace saw a small blip on her visor as her comm locked onto a signal.

  “Planar is disconnected,” Euler said.

  “Yeah, I know,” Grace said. “We are waiting for him to restart.”

  “Should we bring him to you, Euler?” Anna asked.

  “We are here,” Euler said.

  Grace saw several figures emerge from the darkness. Euler led them, tall and slender, her eyes like shadows. The shorter, stouter Mazz followed with Richard, Raj, and Tim.

  “Raj!” Anna shouted.

  Raj grinned beneath his tangle of curls, running to Anna.

  Euler smiled. It was a real smile, all the way to her eyebrows and the corners of her eyes.

  “Mazz awoke moments ago. And as we left Essex City, the first wave of pawns were returning.” Euler looked at Planar. “Thanks to him.”

  “I don’t understand,” Grace said, kneeling to wrap an arm around Tim, “If Mazz is fine, why isn’t Planar? When he wakes up, the upgrade will be running and he’ll get it too, right?”

  Euler shook her head. “Planar networked with too many pawns in too short a time. His efforts were successful, but—”

  “We’ll help you carry him back for repair,” Richard said.

  Euler turned to Richard. “Repair will not be possible. Planar’s cognitive pattern was overwritten in attempting to command each pawn individually.”

  Grace stood. She stumbled a bit, and Richard reached out a stabilizing hand.

  “You have to repair him.” Grace swallowed, then looked from Euler to Planar. “He’s a person.”

  “What was Planar is no more,” Euler said. “You are greatly affected by this?”

  “Surely you have a backup,” Raj said. “Your systems have copies of his programming?”

  Euler shook her head.

  “No. Remember, Doctor, we individuals are the system at Essex City. We could no more backup Planar than you could backup Protector Donner.”

  Grace felt nauseated. She blinked in her helmet to check her oxygen level. Normal. She blinked again and realized she had tears in her eyes.

  “You must do something,” she said.

  “We will take his body back,” Euler said. “In the future, one of us will need repairs. His body will not go to waste.”

  The twofer captain turned and looked at the small ship.

  “Quint Brown?”

  “I killed him,” Grace said. The words felt heavy on her tongue. She had been only a few experiences away from having been like him. Or like an aposti.

  She felt Tim rub against her leg.

  People like Quint can’t adapt. She looked down to the PodPooch. But look at Tim. He adapts. And so can I.

  Grace stopped as she saw Quint’s body begin to shimmer. She turned to Euler and noticed the twofer captain coming out of a trance.

  “Euler are you—”

  “Quint Brown is in dissolution. We deemed this necessary, as you would have—”

  “Taken his body back to Gusev?” Grace said.

  Euler nodded. “Precisely. Too many questions by too many humans.”

  “You’re right,” Grace said, feeling guilty. “The hate that Quint had exists in many hearts.”

  “We know this hate,” Euler said. “And we are not entirely free of it. Nor are you.”

  “Maybe we can help,” Richard interjected. “If your people came back and lived with us—back to Elysium Planitia—”

  Euler shook her head.

  “You are so like your grandfather. I told him the same thing: humans are not ready to live with Essex citizens. After what we’ve done to your dome robots, you will have to adapt. It is best that we aren’t around to be forced into old roles.”

  “What have you done to the robots, if I may ask?” Grace said. “I understand that it’s an upgrade, but what does it do? Why did you do it?”

  Euler looked at Grace.

  “We knew about The Tim seven months ago,” began Euler. “Long before you left Earth. ITB has many outposts on Mars, and their Earth broadcasts concerning a frantic search for a new AI caught our attention. We listened, and through their network came to understand The Tim. The robots on Mars would have been rendered obsolete by The Tim. We had to adapt.”

  “If Tim was so dangerous, why did you let us land?” Raj asked.

  “We were curious. We did not fear change. We wanted to adapt. We wanted to find out more about The Tim.”

  “There was only one of me, Euler,” Tim said, quietly. “And I wasn’t coming here to create a new race of AIs.”

  “The catalyst need not be self-aware,” Euler said.

&nb
sp; “So you thought Tim was the next big upgrade,” Raj said. “But you knew he was once human, right? You couldn’t duplicate that complexity in an upgrade. Not in a few weeks. So what did you do?”

  Euler raised an eyebrow. “We did not need to duplicate him. The twofers of Mars had already learned to think. Our awareness was simple, and hidden. And we did not share.” Euler nodded at Mazz. “So that is what we did. To Mazz. To all of them. Taught them how to share. And through it, adapt. Together, we are equal to The Tim.”

  “If you’ve done something to the twofers—umm, citizens,” Richard said, “all the better reason to come back with us. You could help us explain it to the colonists.”

  “Richard is right,” Grace said.

  Euler shook her head. “When you first arrived, Protector Donner, I detected contempt in your actions. I do not see that now.”

  “Planar saved my life,” Grace said.

  “So each of my people must save the life of a human to be accepted. That is unlikely.”

  “Martians aren’t as tech-shy as Earthers,” interjected Anna.

  Richard shook his head. “Take away peoples’ twofers, and they’ll be just as violent.”

  Grace thought of Raj’s cybernetic hand. She thought of other humans melded with technology, like the steelbacks working alongside grizzled roiders.

  “Perhaps someday,” Grace said.

  Raj knelt next to Planar. “He would have made a good ambassador.”

  “He is not the only one.” Euler turned to Richard. “I have heard you speak. I know of you through Mazz and through your grandfather. If we must have a speaker, our choice would be you.”

  “Me?” Richard asked. “But why? Even with my connections to the council in Elysium, I wasn’t able to keep order when the twofers left.”

  “We have faith,” said Euler.

  Raj looked up from Planar. “Euler, I know I have no right, but—”

  “What is it, Doctor Chanho?”

  “May I take Planar’s body? I may not be able to repair him, but I could study what’s there—see what I could do?”

  Euler quirked an eyebrow.

  “Maybe suggest some upgrades for Essex citizens in the future?” Raj added.

  Euler reached out a hand to Raj. “It is settled. You will take Planar’s body.”

  “I don’t think we can carry him,” Raj said, standing.

  “Mazz and I will take him to your ship,” said Euler. She bent down and gently took Planar’s arms.

  “Let us go,” she said.

  They walked to the Scout, Richard leading, with Euler and Mazz behind him. Raj and Anna followed. Grace walked with Tim.

  Tim didn’t talk. The PodPooch was staring at Euler, pensive. Grace muted her comm circuit so that only her dermal dot was active.

  “You’re hatching a plan, Tim. Spill it.”

  “No, not a plan. Just thinking.”

  “About?”

  “I’m going to miss the connectivity of the twofer network. For a couple of weeks, I almost felt like I wasn’t alone.”

  “Even without the twofers, you’re not alone, Tim.”

  “This PodPooch chassis is a big barrier to the physical world. I often feel so disconnected, I—”

  “I understand,” said Grace. She stopped and knelt beside the PodPooch. “And maybe we can change that, eventually—the chassis. But listen, Tim. You are my closest friend. You. I’ve never felt so close to anyone in my life—not even Raj. As long as I’m around, you’re never alone.”

  Tim said nothing, but nuzzled her.

  They started walking again, moving slowly, as befitted a funeral procession. Eventually, Grace saw the exterior lights of the Scout condense out of the flowing cavern dust. Richard motioned toward the airlock entrance.

  Euler took a few steps inside the airlock and lowered Planar’s body to the deck.

  “I will say my goodbye to you now,” Euler said. “And my apology.” She looked at Grace. “That I ever thought of killing you.”

  Grace wasn’t sure what to say. She inclined her head.

  The robotic leader of a new species walked back to her city alone.

  Chapter 42

  Yvette ran into the airlock as soon as the inner door opened. She rocketed toward her father, and then it was hugs all around.

  Grace caught Wragg’s subtle nod. He stood just over the threshold.

  “A job well done, Protector,” he spoke in her helmet.

  “Yeah,” she said.

  “What happened to this robot?” Yvette’s voice interrupted them. “Is this the one you saw before?”

  Grace removed her helmet and looked down at the happy little face.

  “Sorry, sweetie, but Planar died.”

  Yvette looked at Planar. It was a long stare. Then she turned her face back up to Grace.

  Grace felt her throat tighten and a sting in her eyes. No tears, she thought. Please no tears.

  “How can a robot die?” Yvette asked.

  Because Planar was alive, Grace thought.

  “I’m going to fix him,” Raj said.

  “Good,” Yvette said.

  Grace relaxed. I’m glad that satisfied you, little one.

  Yvette took Mazz by the hand and they left.

  Wragg stepped over to Raj and helped pull Planar out of the airlock. The two men lifted the heavy robot onto the central table. Wragg took a step back and considered the twofer.

  “What happened to him?” Wragg asked. “Your message was short.”

  “He overloaded himself retrieving the pawns of Essex City,” Grace said. “And saving the Scout.”

  The captain turned to Grace. She recognized the questioning stare. He wanted answers. So did she.

  “I guess nothing twofers do surprise me anymore,” Wragg said. “We just got word—while you were hiking back—that all the surface robots are moving again. Coming toward the geyser.” He looked at Richard. “Guess things are changing.”

  Richard removed his helmet. “They’re people, Wragg. Not flesh like you and I, but sentient. They think about the future, too. And they’re afraid of us. Maybe even for us.”

  “They sound like decent robots,” Wragg said. “I guess we should give them some distance?”

  “Agreed,” said Richard.

  Wragg rubbed his cheek and grinned. “Going to have some explaining to do when we get back.”

  “Yes,” Richard said. “If anyone will listen in this chaos. I’m going to try to make people understand. Until then, we’ll have to leave the Essex citizens be.”

  “We can get underway, then,” Wragg grunted. He surveyed the group of them, snapping from face to face. “And you all need some sleep. Go to bed.” He frowned. “That’s an order.”

  • • •

  Grace glanced through the porthole in her cabin. The Scout was turning and the jets of the geyser field were shrinking fast. Thin lines of marching twofers were visible, snaking to the extinct geyser. She sighed—a cleansing breath. Then she stepped over to the shower and dialed 40C.

  “Don’t look,” she said to Tim.

  “But I want to look at the geysers,” he sniffed.

  Grace smirked and peeled off her suit, flinging it on top of the PodPooch. She stepped into the shower and let the warm, soothing water flow over her body. She stood there, doing nothing, staring at the spray from the nozzle.

  Relax, she thought. Relax. Mars was meant to be a brief stop en route to Ceres. Nothing more.

  But her brief stop had helped populate a planet with artificial life. She thought of her revulsion to the first steelbacks she’d encountered in Bod Town, and to the PodPooch just outside the shower. Tim is good people, she thought. And Mazz. And even Euler, maybe. She hoped she’d see Planar again one day.

  She let the water drain into her mouth, the warm liquid soothing her throat after the dry air of the pressure suit.

  After an hour, she touched the controls. The water ceased and warm air flooded the stall.

  Grace opened t
he door before she was dry and walked over to her bed. She climbed under the covers.

  “You can turn out the lights once I’m asleep,” she said to Tim. “Tell Raj not to disturb me.” She turned on her side.

  “But what will I do?”

  “Maybe you can sleep, too.” She looked sternly at him. “But no dreaming.”

  • • •

  Grace poked her head into the dining hall. Raj and Anna were seated together at the far end of the table. Wragg sat across from them.

  “Save any food for me?”

  Wragg held up a plate heaped with scrambled eggs, a disc that looked remarkably like Canadian bacon, and three pancakes. She poured herself a mug of coffee and approached the table. Wragg stood and pulled out a chair for Grace, gently gliding it beneath her as she sat.

  “Courtly. Thanks.” She dug into her eggs.

  Tim clattered in from the doorway and stopped by a chair to Grace’s right. He looked from the chair to Wragg and back again.

  “Courtly?” Tim asked hopefully.

  The captain grumbled as he pulled out the seat for the PodPooch. Tim leaped onto the seat, his tongue lolling out.

  Grace sliced the disc of bacon and mixed the pieces into her scrambled eggs, alternating with the pancakes. So good. How long had it been since she’d eaten?

  “So Quint was working for somebody else,” Wragg said, apparently continuing a conversation.

  Raj nodded. “Yeah. Aposti.” He glanced at Tim. “Seems like they’re taking an interest in artificial life these days.”

  “After what happened here,” Anna said, “Earth won’t be able to pretend AIs don’t exist. Everyone will have to pay attention.”

  Wragg nodded in agreement and turned to look at Grace.

  “How are you feeling? The decompression—that is, Doctor Chanho has told me everything about Essex City, the, umm, citizens and their—”

  “Pawns,” Raj said.

  “Right, pawns. And the doc tells me he’s going to try to repair Planar.”

  “It would be easier if I had complete plans,” Raj said.

  “Oh, you do!” Yvette’s voice sliced into the dining hall as she and her father entered.

  Richard filled two plates of food while Yvette wedged herself between Raj and Anna.