Extensis Vitae: Empire of Dust

by Gregory Mattix

  “Let’s head for the residential wing,” Marcus said. “That’s where Thorne must have gone. Rin, are your men able to secure his aircraft and the motor pool?”

  Rin conferred briefly with the Shiru troops over her Datalink. “Yes, we are on the verge of controlling the motor pool. Shiru forces have secured Thorne’s aircraft and taken up positions outside the residential wing. They won’t enter unless we give them the go-ahead.”

  “We’d better get to Thorne before those troops overrun the place.” Reznik gestured to the screens where the reinforcements were falling into formation.

  “This way.” Marcus walked to the door on the opposite side of the command center. “There’s a flight of stairs outside—we go up, across the main atrium overhead, and down the last hallway on the right to the residential wing.”

  The corridor outside the command center was empty, as was the staircase. The small group quietly made their way up the stairs and into the grand atrium standing at the center of Thorne Industries headquarters.

  The domed ceiling soared a hundred feet overhead, painted with Renaissance-style frescoes. Six twelve-foot-diameter marble columns lined the pale-tiled atrium. A fountain burbled cheerily across the way. Except for the fountain, the space was silent and empty. Something’s not right… it’s too quiet all of a sudden.

  Marcus’s group spread out around him protectively as they cautiously advanced toward the corridor to the residential wing at the opposite end of the atrium.

  “Marcus, you’ve been a very bad boy.” Bethany stepped out from behind a column twenty feet away.

  As one, the group reacted and instantly trained their guns on her. Bethany was unarmed, but she looked as if a grenade had blown up in her face. Her uniform was charred and shredded in places. One eyebrow and a good portion of the hair on the right side of her head had been burned away. The skin looked raw and tender. Marcus wanted to say something to her but was at a loss for words.

  As if appearing by magic, thirty or so CorpSec troops suddenly swarmed into the atrium, surrounding the group. Reznik, Rin, and the Yakuza men scanned their enemies warily, eyes narrowed as though calculating their chances. Marcus knew they’d never be able to fight their way through so many CorpSec troops.

  “Just wait,” he told them quietly.

  The atrium was dead silent as the seconds stretched out. Bethany’s face was unreadable as she briefly looked over the group before returning her gaze to Marcus. The CorpSec skins could have been statues—they simply stood rigid, weapons pointed at the small group.

  Marcus tried to think of a way to defuse the situation. If my plan didn’t work, we’re screwed.

  The sound of applause rang out loudly, shattering the stillness. Alistair Thorne strode into the atrium from the far end, surrounded by several of his bodyguards. “Young Marcus, you’ve proven quite resourceful.”

  Thorne walked up and stood near Bethany. His eyes were cold and face hard as he glared at them. “As for the rest, you and your ragtag forces outside are not welcome here. Within minutes, my reinforcements will destroy all enemy combatants. Rest assured, I will send my armies to the ends of the continent to exact my revenge on Shiru International and any remaining rebels. I am rarely surprised anymore, but this has been truly unanticipated. Marcus, your traitor father is dead, and you will be joining him shortly.” Thorne sneered. “Bethany tells me he blew himself up like a coward rather than face justice.”

  Marcus’s breath caught. His eyes met Bethany’s, and he could see the truth of his father’s death reflected there. Surprisingly, despite the history those two had, she didn’t seem happy about it. She just looked troubled and unhappy.

  “Don’t let him provoke you, Marcus,” Reznik hissed. “He’s trying to make you lose your cool and make a dumb move.”

  “Oh, Mr. Mason’s moves have been nothing but foolish ones since he decided to betray me. Now that you’ve had a moment to reflect on everything you’ve lost—your father, your career, your friends—now you’ll pay with your own life, all for a losing cause.” Thorne held his eyes a moment before glancing over at Bethany. “Finish them,” he ordered. “This little revolution ends here.”

  “Stand down.” Marcus surprised even himself as the words came out. He stepped past Reznik and toward Thorne and Bethany. Reznik called him, but Marcus ignored it. He addressed the wall of soldiers surrounding them. “Hold your fire.”

  “What?” Thorne asked incredulously. “You have no command here, boy.” His pale eyes blazed with anger. “Kill him. Kill all of them,” he snapped at the soldiers.

  Bethany stepped forward. “Come on, Marcus. I don’t want to have to hurt you. Just surrender.”

  “I can’t do that, Bethany. Not when we’ve come this far.” He held his ground, praying the update had worked. He could tell his confidence was making Thorne and Bethany uneasy. Thus far, the troops hadn’t made a move, which was a good sign.

  “You are a fool. There’s a squadron of my troops with weapons aimed at you, and you think you have the power here?” Thorne barked exasperated laughter.

  “You’re mistaken. You are the one that no longer holds power here—I do.”

  “Nonsense. I tire of this—kill him now, Bethany.” Thorne’s face was tight with fury. He was a man that wasn’t used to having his power challenged.

  “No, Bethany. Stand down. Arrest Mr. Thorne,” Marcus ordered the CorpSec troops.

  A pair of tanks from Thorne’s own protection detail stepped forward and secured Thorne, clamping huge paws on his upper arms.

  “What? How is this possible?” Thorne shrieked, his voice rising an octave. “They are loyal to me and no one else.”

  Bethany looked as baffled as Thorne. She had reached for her sidearm yet had frozen before she could draw it.

  “I would see this end peacefully. Orders have changed. I control Thorne Industries now. Every skin is now loyal to me alone,” Marcus said. “Remember when you gave me access to the systems?” he asked Bethany.

  She nodded slowly, her face pale. “What have you done? You’ve betrayed us all.”

  “A traitor just like his father,” Thorne snarled.

  “Nothing of the sort. I merely made some changes to the corporate directives. Alistair Thorne and the members of the board no longer control Thorne Industries. I had a contingency in place to push an over-the-air update when the hostilities started. It went off without a hitch, apparently, since none of you noticed the difference.” Marcus smiled. “Please take Mr. Thorne away to the detention center. I want Alicia Salinger and the rest of the board members arrested as well. Make sure to cut off their net access.”

  One of the tanks withdrew a scrambler from a pocket to ensure Thorne’s Datalink implant was neutralized. He reached to place it around Thorne’s ear when the CEO suddenly broke free. He tossed the two tanks away as if they were children.

  “Stop him!” Marcus shouted. “Use force if you have to.”

  Chaos erupted as the squadron of troops opened fire although fully half of the troops responded by suddenly attacking their squadmates and Marcus’s allies.

  The two tanks that had seized Thorne opened fire on Marcus, Reznik, and Rin. Marcus, not having the advantage of an advanced skin, felt as if he was stuck stationary in a holovid playing at quadruple speed around him.

  Bethany suddenly was in Marcus’s face, wrapping him in her arms and shielding him with her body as pulse rifle blasts crackled around them. She forced Marcus behind the nearest pillar, shuddering as energy bolts slammed into her.

  The battle progressed faster than Marcus could process. He realized Thorne was using his nanites to control the soldiers and overrule their new directives. Reznik moved and fired incredibly quickly, choosing his targets and hitting with unerring accuracy. Rin was a blur of gray and black as her lethal katana lashed out around her. Yakuza and CorpSec grunts alike exchanged fire with the Thorne-controlled skins. Marcus had no idea who was who in the whirlwind of chaos.

  “Help me,” he
told Bethany. “We need to stop your great-grandfather and this needless slaughter.”

  Bethany’s face was pained from the damage she had taken. “I hope you know what you are doing.” She held his eyes for a moment before releasing him and then darted away into the fray.

  Marcus peered out from behind the pillar to see Bethany fighting Thorne. It seemed an even match: the CEO didn’t have Bethany’s combat skills, but she had been damaged already, and Thorne apparently had a stronger, more advanced skin.

  Thorne pummeled Bethany, but she caught his arm, turning and tossing Thorne over her hip to the ground. She drove her knee into Thorne’s elbow, and his arm flopped the wrong direction, limp as a wet noodle.

  Thorne kicked her feet out from under her and rolled atop her, punching her hard in the chest. The crushing blow caused Bethany’s feet to drum on the marble tiles. As Thorne drew his hand back, Marcus saw a long stream of blood arc out of her chest.

  “Bethany!” he cried. Before he knew what he was doing, he was racing forward. “Stop, you bastard!”

  Thorne climbed back to his feet, and a trio of his guards surrounded him. He retreated down the hallway in a long, loping stride, obviously wounded, his arm hanging uselessly at his side. Reznik and Rin moved in and attacked the three bodyguards before they could fire at Marcus. He turned his attention to Bethany.

  She lay unmoving on the ground. Marcus knelt over her and inspected the damage. A ragged hole was torn in her chest where Thorne had driven his stiff fingers through her heart like a knife, puncturing her aorta.

  “No, damn it. Don’t die on me.” Marcus futilely tried to apply pressure to the wound, but he knew that would be fruitless. A shocking amount of blood already covered her and was pooling on the floor. This complicated woman, who was at times both a friend and villain, had been reduced to a frail, crumpled form with her blood leaking out of her.

  “Stop, Marcus. It’s too late for me,” Bethany said in a near whisper. She feebly tried to wave off his attempts at first aid. She coughed up a thick gout of blood. Her breath rattled in her lungs, and her eyes lost focus. Marcus thought she was gone, but then she stirred again.

  “Thorne has a floating data center about thirty miles off the coast—it’s where his redundant backup is. You have to destroy it in order to end him permanently.” Her eyelids flickered, and she relaxed as if accepting the inevitable. After a moment, she focused on Marcus, and her hand tightened almost painfully on his upper arm as she pulled him closer.

  “You and your father were right about me. You were right all along… it just took your cleverness to change everything.” She breathed out heavily in what seemed like a sigh. “I ruined his and your lives, which I regret… hopefully, I will be remembered for my actions here at the end instead of the lifetime of wicked things I did.” Her amber eyes held his with a powerful intensity. “You have to promise me one thing—don’t let them bring me back, okay? Don’t revive me.”

  Marcus fought back tears despite himself, but he nodded. “As you wish.”

  Bethany coughed up more blood and sagged back weakly. Her eyes focused on someone else, and Marcus saw Reznik watching quietly a respectful distance away. “Please keep him safe for me.”

  “I will do my best,” Reznik said simply.

  Bethany’s gaze turned back to Marcus, and she smiled. “You have a good heart, Marcus. Follow it. Don’t let anyone tell you differently.” Her breath caught, and her eyes glassed over.

  Bethany was dead, and this would be the final time. Marcus gently closed her eyelids and wiped the tears from his eyes.

  He stood up and looked around. Only a handful of CorpSec skins remained standing. Dozens of dead and wounded covered the ground. Takeo Yamashita was the only remaining Yakuza to have survived, though he was injured. Reznik and Rin looked a little worse for wear, but he was relieved to see they were still on their feet.

  “I’ll be fine. Go take care of Thorne. You heard what Bethany said about the data center?” When Reznik nodded, Marcus continued, “I’ll try to organize a force to get this facility secured, to prevent any more civilian casualties. I put a hold order on all automatic reskins, so we won’t be fighting the same individuals all over again.”

  Reznik and Rin swiftly took off in pursuit of Thorne.

  ***

  They found him in his private chambers. Reznik fired a blast from the railgun, and the lock disintegrated. The weapon beeped as the magazine ran dry of ammo. Reznik set it aside and drew his .45 revolver.

  Rin kicked the doors open, and the two of them cautiously entered the room.

  Alistair Thorne stood inside, twenty yards across a vast, sumptuous parlor, seemingly unafraid. He made no attempt to flee but watched them with a look of disdain, apparently realizing there would be no escape. “Well, if it isn’t the trusty attack dogs. Mr. Reznik and Ms. Takahashi, I gather.”

  Reznik and Rin approached the CEO warily. They spread apart and stopped about ten feet away. “Surrender now!” Reznik demanded, pistol pointed at Thorne. Rin had her katana held in a defensive position. “Your forces are in disarray, and there’s no escape. It’s time to face the music for everything you’ve done.”

  “You have no right to be here!” Thorne thundered. “I am the only one who has proven fit to rule this new world.”

  “Well, your reign ends now, your highness,” Reznik said sarcastically.

  Thorne ignored him. “This planet was dying—humanity was killing it like a cancer. Climate change, overpopulation… there were over seventeen billion people devouring food, water, and resources, and that number was only projected to keep climbing. That is the curse of our advanced biotech and breakthroughs in medicine and life expectancy—there is no end to population growth. When the opportunity arose twenty years ago for a reset, it was I who had the foresight to see the opportunity and seize it. Did you ever ask yourselves why the missions to divert the asteroid all failed?”

  Thorne backed slowly toward the wall, his eyes darting from Reznik to Rin as if calculating which one of them would be more likely to see reason. His broken left arm hung limply at his side, and he was covered with cuts and scrapes, yet he held himself with dignity. “They failed because I commanded it so—I ordered the deliberate engineering of parts to fail, whether it was a rocket booster or a nuclear warhead. Earth desperately needed a reset, and now look—population levels are sustainable once again, the technology and ingenuity of my company provides security, biotech, and industrial services for millions around the world. The planet has cooled dramatically as a result of impact winter reversing the effects of climate change, seas are teeming with life once again, crime and corruption are nearly stamped out.”

  “You’re a madman,” Reznik finally replied, having overcome his shock at Thorne’s rambling confession and attempt to provide justification. “You caused the death of billions of people! All so you could forge yourself an empire? Is that it?”

  “The people of this new world order should be looking to me as their savior. Instead, the ungrateful scum want to rebel and send hired thugs to try to murder me and the faithful servants that provide for them and keep them safe in their beds at night.” Thorne shook his head as if unable to grasp the truth of the situation. He focused his attention on Reznik as if deciding he was the more reasonable of the two. Rin just watched silently with a stony glare. “Name your price, then. How much will it take to send you on your way? You want all the worldly wealth you could ever have? Perhaps it’s power you prefer: how would you like a seat at the table with the players that are calling the shots now? Call off your pack of dogs, and with a word I will make it happen.”

  Rin spat on the ground. Her eyes blazed as she addressed Thorne. “You apparently don’t realize that my friend is a man of honor—your pathetic attempts at bribery will get you nowhere. Neither will they work with me. Your sole legacy is that you will be remembered as nothing more than another oligarch tyrant that climbed to power atop the corpses of the innocent. Your new world order com
es to an end right here and now,” Rin vowed. “You can watch as your empire turns to dust.”

  “I think not so easily.” All attempts at civility had left Thorne’s tone—his lips pressed into a thin line of cruelty, his pale eyes chips of ice. “I look forward to seeing the end of you two.”

  In that instant, Reznik’s HUD flared with alarms as he watched a digital rendering of a shadowy form streaming out of Thorne’s outstretched hand. Bizarrely, he thought of a cartoon depiction of a swarm of bees—an angry buzzing formation that zeroed in and surrounded him. “Nanobots detected,” the alert warned even as Reznik’s .45 was in his hand, its barking report brazenly loud in the room. He put three rounds into Thorne’s chest and stomach before his vision blurred from the cloud of nanites washing over him.

  Rin sprang forward and slashed at Thorne just as he moved. His forward motion carried him into her attack: he caught her sword against his forearm, the blade sinking deeply into the flesh, but his momentum caused the two of them to tangle up. Rin pulled her katana free and tried to disengage, but Thorne managed to seize Rin by her arm. He turned and, one-handed, threw her against the stone wall with bone-jarring force. Her katana skittered across the tiled floor, and she fell to one knee.

  Thorne made no move to follow up the attack. He glanced dismissively at the deep wound in his arm and the blood slowly dribbling onto the floor. His gunshot wounds weeped blood but obviously weren’t disabling.

  “Now, Mr. Reznik, it would please me greatly if you killed your companion here.” Thorne stepped aside and watched. “After that, you can put a bullet in your own head.”

  Reznik suddenly felt his limbs moving of their own volition. His HUD pixelated and disappeared in a burst of static like an old television channel. He lurched forward as if a puppet master was pulling on his strings.

  ***

  Rin winced from the crushing slam against the wall. Her HUD flashed furiously as it indicated a cracked rib and a minor concussion added to the laundry list of wounds she had sustained. Merely bumps and bruises so far. I have to get my katana and put an end to this lunatic. She struggled to regain her feet.