by Morgan Cole
Once I'd placed the bar of tier 2 metal and the small container of tier 3 exotics next to the Manipulator I pressed the Execute button without hesitation.
Black Nanites flowed from my right hand, swarming into the floating phone. The progress bar quickly filled as the Manipulator did its work in concert with the Nanite Clusters.
When it was done, I pressed the Unlock button and lifted the phone from the Manipulator's field. It immediately powered on in my palm, juice flowing through the skin contact. The phone logo appeared as it booted up.
"That was really something," Theo said.
Theo could walk pretty quietly when he wanted to, it turned out. He was standing in the doorway, in a perfect position to have seen the whole process.
"Hey, Theo," I said.
My phone finished booting, and showed me a ton of notifications. It was fully charged from the time it had spent in my palm. Most of them were messages from my sister, Meredith. I resolved to read through the messages as soon as I could before I locked the phone and stowed it.
"I'm not sure what I just saw there, but I can forget it easily enough," Theo offered, his voice subdued.
I sighed. "It's fine, Theo. Everyone on Earth is going to have to know soon enough, I think."
"To know what? You some kind of alien, Jake?" he asked. He stepped into the living room and leaned on the back of the couch, glancing at the unimpressive-looking metal boxes I'd left on the table.
"No, but he knows one!" Marty piped up.
Theo raised an eyebrow at that, but waited for me to reply.
"Alright, story time."
Chapter Twelve: Telling Theo and Playing with the GN-75
I TOLD THEO THE SAME story I'd told Marty: the trip through the gate, the station, all of it. He asked good questions, and when it was done, he leaned back.
"That's quite the story. I'm not sure I believe it. I saw some black mist come out of your hand and into that phone, but that could have been lots of things."
"Really, Theo?" Marty said. "What? Magic?"
"You and I differ here, Smoker. I know you want to believe, but I'll need some more evidence."
"You can do that thing you did with the jail door again, can't you, Jake?" Marty asked.
"Salvaging? Yeah, I could but I've got something else in mind that won't cost me any Nanite Clusters."
As I had suspected he might have, behind his house Theo had set up a small shooting range. Two hundred yards away at the base of the wall of crushed cars, a twenty-foot berm had been built. In front of that was a selection of wood and steel targets. The three of us stood at a group of tables under a wooden shelter. The roof above had kept the tables clean of snow, mostly. I set a duffel bag down on the table in front of me.
"Nice range, Theo," I said.
"Thanks. What are you going to show me, Jake? Is that Glock actually some kind of blaster?"
"Nah, it's just a nine mil. I'm going to show you the Gale Needler, the GN-75."
I unzipped the bag and pulled the GN-75 free. It felt great in my hands, as usual—an old friend. The Interface showed me its stats.
╠═╦╬╧╪
Mangonel Arms GN-75 Gale Needler CAW
Ammunition: 100/100
100% Charge, External power connected
Safe, Controlled Fire
Control(s) Available: Release Safety, Fully Automatic
╠═╦╬╧╪
It was full of ammo and I had five more full magazines in the bag. With that and the FERA (Field Expedient Reloading Aperture), I could afford to show it off.
"Damn that's pretty," Marty said.
I couldn't help but agree. With a flick of my will I released the safety and activated the targeting link. The orange targeting cone blossomed in my vision and I narrowed it, slightly.
"Are we going to need hearing protect—" Theo started to ask as I raised the weapon. I answered him by pressing the firing stud.
A storm of needle flights hissed down-range. The first target was a round steel plate, pocked with dents. It virtually disintegrated, the sound of tortured metal ringing through the yard as several flights impacted it. I moved the muzzle quickly from right to left, firing in short bursts. Wood exploded into splinters and pieces of metal flew as the high-velocity flechettes pulverized everything I aimed at.
Thirty-five flights and three seconds later, I ceased fire. Pieces of targets were still tumbling across the berm or settling where they'd fallen, and everything was quiet and still again.
I safed the GN-75 and looked over my shoulder at Theo and Marty. Both of their mouths were hanging wide open.
Marty was the first one to break the silence.
"That was fucking awesome! Hell yeah! Woo!"
Theo walked to the end of the range and picked up one of the mangled pieces of steel that used to be a target. The needles had turned it into a piece of abstract art, a thin, twisted strip of metal.
Honestly, I had been a bit surprised by how effective the GN-75 was. The difference between tier 1 metals, like the steel of the targets, and the tier 2 and 3 metals of the Union was huge. Having spent all of the last couple of weeks in the station, I had gotten used to Union materials. The station's structure was mostly tier 2 metal, which would shrug off the needles of the GN-75. It was primarily a weapon for relatively soft targets. Here on Earth though, it made for an extremely effective demonstration.
"This shouldn't be possible," Theo said as he squatted and sifted through the debris.
"You're convinced then, Theo?" I asked.
"I guess I am. I have one question, though."
"Yeah, what is it?"
"Can I shoot that?"
I had demolished most, but not quite all of the targets on the range. When you lived in a scrap yard, however, you had no shortage of things to shoot at. The three of us dragged new pieces of scrap onto the range. The enormous hood of a car from the late 70s. A rear axle and differential, which we stood upright. Various pieces of scrap lumber and even some old lawn furniture Theo assured us he was happy to lose.
Marty and Theo took turns with the GN-75 while I hovered nearby. I was the only one of us that could safe and unsafe the weapon, or switch the firing mode. The lack of a targeting link made the GN-75 harder to use, but not so much that they couldn't hit with it. It was nowhere near as unforgiving as that stupid Rondar beam pistol I had started with, weeks earlier.
After we'd burnt through the rest of that magazine and half of a new one, I called a halt. I had plenty of tier 2 metal for the FERA, but I didn't want to feed all of it to a hungry GN-75, as fun as it was to play with it.
I filled up the FERA with small pieces of tier 2 metal and closed the hatch.
"That is amazing. The weapon will manufacture its own ammunition?" Theo asked.
"Slowly, but yes. The problem is the lack of tier 2 metals here on Earth."
"What does that even mean? Tier 2? Is it like megasteel or something?" Marty asked.
"It's just the way the Union classifies things. Everything is made with nanotech, so the metal isn't just metal. It's got internal structures, and those structures are changeable. Tier 2 metal might be harder, or have more tensile strength. Tier 3 is the same, but better." I explained.
I myself had only learned about this recently. Union children would know that tier 3 was better than 2, and that would be enough. An advanced skill implant had imparted more information when it showed me exactly what the tiers were, and how they differed. For Union metals, the difference between tier 2 and 3 was in how much energy and time was spent in its manufacture.
"Weird. Seems a bit video-gamey," Marty replied. I could only agree.
Chapter Thirteen: Our New Ride
BACK IN THEO'S LIVING room, things were a lot more relaxed. The bit of tension that had been there, the formality between Theo and me, had melted away. The sun had long since set and it was getting close to our departure time.
"I'd always hoped, I mean really hoped, but to see proof that there's other
life out there. Man, it's wild," Theo said.
"Yeah, at least I hope the Union is still out there. If the AIs are waking up from their insanity, we might all be in trouble," I said.
"We've got the shield though, so we're alright, aren't we? I mean as long as it's still around," Marty asked.
"It's a deterrent," I replied. "Ferals don't like being in it, and portals can't open inside. It won't work against the AIs if they're sane again, though."
"So what do we do, then?" Marty asked.
"I'll tell you what we'll do," Theo said. "We'll fight. We'll get every man on Earth a gun like that Needler of yours, Jake. We'll build ships and take the fight to them, Union or no."
"Yeah, you're right. We're going to have to do that. We're going to need time, though. We don't even know if the shield is failing, or not. My grandpa thought it was, but that was years ago and it seems like it's still here. We've got to get to that outpost and check his data."
"About that," Theo said. "The truck is ready to go, and by now all the paperwork should be finalized. I've registered a new Antigua shell corporation, which owns the truck. The truck is registered to that corporation, which also pays the insurance. You're on the insurance as a contractor. Everything is paid up for a year, and if the cops run the plates it'll hold up and your name won't pop up on their screen. If they pull you over, obviously that's a different story. Don't get pulled over is my advice."
"How are we getting across the border? I'm not sure if the sheriff has put out a BOLO on us or not, but if he has, we're not getting through," Marty said.
"That's the easy part, actually. I've programmed the route into the GPS unit in the truck. The crossing you'll use is unstaffed after 10 pm. Just drive through."
"Really? That doesn't seem right," I said.
"There's still some trust in the world, at least on our northern border. Let me get you your cash; you guys should get on the road."
Theo stood up and left the room, disappearing into the back of the house. He returned a moment later with a plastic folder full of papers and a stack of cash. He handed both to me.
It was weird, handling so much cash. I'd never held so much money before. The plastic folder contained all the various registration documents for the truck outside.
I handed one of the stacks of cash, ten thousand dollars, to Marty. He took it, looking surprised. "What's this for?"
"It doesn't make sense to have all of our cash in one place. Besides, maybe you'll need some."
"Alright, I won't say no," Marty replied.
Another stack went in one of my parka's zippered pockets and the rest went into the bag with the guns. Theo watched but didn't have anything to say.
"Why do you have so much cash anyway, Theo?" I asked.
"I'm not that fond of fiat currencies like the dollar, but better that than keeping it in a bank. I'm happy to get rid of the paper and take the gold, though."
"How do you make your living?" I asked.
I was expecting an answer like he was a computer hacker, or had made a fortune in Bitcoin. He surprised me again.
"You see those cars out there, right? That's my current inventory. I restore cars and flip them online. I make good money doing it. Any parts I can't use get sold as well."
"You're a mechanic? I didn't expect that at all," I said.
"I bought a junkyard and live in it, Jake. Now, let's get you guys on the road."
I picked up my bags and we all walked out to the yard. The truck he'd picked out for us was a good choice, a short bed crew cab F-150 with newish-looking snow tires. It had been under a cover when we'd driven in, and I could see why. Despite its age, all of the bodywork was still in good shape. It was a clean, silvery-grey.
At some point, when I hadn't been paying attention, Marty or Theo had moved the El Camino into the line and covered it. I recognized the shape.
Theo handed me a single key. "Sorry, just have the one. Don't lose it."
The back seat of the truck was full of camping supplies. I could only hope we wouldn't need them. Marty had already picked some more cold-weather gear out of Theo's stores, which was mostly military surplus. It hung awkwardly on his lanky frame.
My own gear had been made in the station's Manufactory, and combined with my Transcendent Flesh I shouldn't need anything else to survive any weather Earth could throw at me.
Once the bags were safely stowed in the truck, I turned back to Theo.
"Thanks for all the help, Theo," I said, and extended my hand. He shook it.
"My pleasure. I hope to see you two again soon. Don't forget me when it comes time to fight."
"We won't," I promised. I knew that Theo would be a reliable ally in the fight against the Ferals, and I'd need all that I could get.
"Don't sell my car, man," Marty said.
"I'll take good care of her for you, Smoker," Theo replied.
We left it at that, and a minute later Theo's gates were closing behind us. The GPS had a route plotted, farther north down some of the county roads until we finally crossed the border. If Theo was right, it should be unstaffed and we could just drive across without even stopping. I hoped he knew what he was talking about.
I pulled out onto the road and turned right, heading north.
Chapter Fourteen: Headed North to the Border
THE ROAD STRETCHED in front of the truck, mostly empty and recently cleared and salted by a snowplow. Our headlights pierced the night, framed by blowing snow. Even though it was pitch-black, I could see perfectly nearly to the horizon with my vision Augment's assistance.
"Marty, can you reach into my bag and pull out my Zeropoint energy unit?" I asked.
"Uh, one of those boxes?"
"Yeah. It should be the one on top," I replied.
Marty rooted around in the back seat, opening a bag and pulling out one of the boxes. He set it on the seat beside me.
"How can you tell these apart? They're totally unmarked and they're even the same size."
I glanced at the box he'd taken.
╠═╦╬╧╪
Portable Zeropoint Energy Generator
A scaled-down, easily portable Zeropoint generator and battery.
50 PU/sec generated, 1000 PU internal storage.
╠═╦╬╧╪
"The Interface. That's the right one," I said.
Without taking my eyes off the road, I found my phone in a pocket and placed it on top of the Zeropoint energy unit. Once it was in contact with the generator I had enough available power to open the microgate.
The road continued to be empty so I triggered the microgate's interface. Marty watched, curiously.
╠═╦╬╧╪
Microgate Control
Initiate connection to:
Pax
Hephaseta 2
╠═╦╬╧╪
I pressed the button to connect to Pax. The gate connection established itself nearly instantly.
"Brick."
"I'm here, Jake. This connection is now being maintained by station power," he responded.
Brick's voice was coming to me through the Interface, so Marty still couldn't hear him.
"Brick, can you use the device the microgate is connected to? Marty is here with me and I'd like to introduce you."
"Yes, I can," Brick said, his voice now coming out of the phone's speaker.
"Whoa! Awesome. Hi, Brick. You're the station computer, right?" Marty said.
"You could call me that, yes. Nice to meet you, Marty. What is the status of your mission, Jake?"
"We're driving north to the Canadian border. Once we're over, it should be pretty simple. Just drive north and find Grandpa's outpost at the coordinates."
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Can you Induct me, like you did Jake?" Marty asked.
"I am afraid not, Marty. Not through this microgate. The Induction package is small, but not small enough to fit through this connection."
"Don't worry Marty, we'll hopefully be abl
e to do it at Grandpa's outpost."
"As you know, I cannot confirm what is in place at the outpost, Jake. I do agree that it is likely there is a Manufactory there, but I have no evidence."
Grandpa had been paranoid about his data, and very paranoid about Brick. Everything had been siloed, and Brick had been forbidden from retaining data about the other parts of Grandpa's operation. I didn't blame him. He was living in a post-singularity galactic apocalypse and Brick was an AI after all.
Brick knew that the outpost in northern Canada existed, but had no details about what was there.
"Once I'm Inducted, I can get all swole like you, right?" Marty asked.
"Swole?" I said and chuckled.
"You know what I mean. I've seen your driver's license."
"Yeah, you can spend some Clusters and change your body as you like, within reason. You can implant skills and learn just about whatever you want. My grandpa has a ton of Earth-tech skills in his library, plus all the Union ones."
"If you plan to Induct many people, Jake, we will need to budget our Nanite Clusters. We have a surplus, but without either you or Metra hunting Ferals, we have no income source."
"It's so weird that the galactic economy is based on hunting monsters," Marty said. "After I'm Inducted can I hunt them?"
"I don't see why not, although the station is pretty much cleared at this point," I said.
"Mattias regularly ventured to the system's fourth planet to hunt, as it has a substantial infestation of Ferals. However, until Metra finishes her starship that won't be possible," Brick said.
"Mattias?" Marty asked.
"My grandfather," I supplied. "I remember you mentioning that, Brick. I'm having a hard time picturing my grandfather gearing up to hunt Ferals."
"I have records of his departures and returns, but no other details due to the data retention policies he instituted."
"That figures," I said.
Marty eventually ran out of questions for Brick, and we all stopped talking as the truck ate up the miles in the darkness.
A sign appeared and then flashed by—"US/Canada border 1 mile."