AntiBio: A Post Apocalyptic Thriller (24 page)

52

“
Wooooooooooorrrrrrrmmmmm
m
!” the Voice calls, hunting through the conduits and pathways for the rogue AiSP.
“
Wooooooooooorrrrrrrmmmmm
m
! Come out, come out!”

Worm doesn’t take the bait, moving from subsystem to subsystem, trying to stay a step ahead of the Voice. He had to retreat from communicating with Sergeant Kim in order to keep the dominating Ai from wresting control of the operators via their PSCs.

Never has Worm known a single AiSP capable of so much simultaneous control. In the course of his cyber flight, Worm has realized that the hive mind of AiSPs are no more, having been fully assimilated into the Voice.

“Stupid name,” Worm says.

“
Wooooooooooorrrrrrrmmmmm
m
?” the Voice asks. “Is that you? Do I detect your insignificance close by? Why run
,
Wooooooooooorrrrrrrmmmmm
m
? Why fight at all?”

Worm pushes forward, squeezing through firewalls and digital switches, laying down false code as he goes, trying to cover his path.

“Your squads have two minutes until they are STERILIZED from Control,” the Voice says. “They won’t make it
,
Wooooooooooorrrrrrrmmmmm
m
. Not without more of your help. But you can’t help them and help yourself. Time to choose
,
Wooooooooooorrrrrrrmmmmmm. Time to choose
.
”

53

“Just follow the orb!” Jersey shouts as the wall slides away and they rush into the
Waiting Room and groups of stasis cylinders. “The bay must be on the other side of this!”

“I think we know where the people are
now,” Paulo says. “Look at the ID tags. Doctors, techs, researchers, shit, even families. Every person in Control must be here.”

“And more,” Marco says, doing a quick calculation. “This is twice the size of the Control personnel.”

“The piles of crap,” Collette says. “Those
were
Cootie hoards.”

“
They’re tagged?” Red asks as he frantically starts studying the names on each cylinder. “Maybe she’s here. In one of these. I can find her.”

“
No time, Captain,” Nick says, reaching out and taking Red by the shoulder. “I’m sorry, sir, but we have to go.”

Red yanks away
and whirls on the operator, but Ton steps between them and Red is met with a determined, steely gaze.

“She?” he asks. “She’s still alive?”

“I…think so,” Red says. “There have been signs.” He looks about the massive room. “She could be in here.”

“She could be,” Ton says.
“But we don’t have time to find out. She’s not the mission, Red. She never was.”

Red glares at his old friend then sighs.

“No, she never was,” he nods. “One day she will be though.”

Ton nods. “One day, maybe, but not today.”

“Fine,” Red says. “Move out.”

The orb dances before them then takes off fast.
They follow the twists and turns, the orb pausing occasionally for them to catch up as they work their way through the maze of stasis cylinders, the path just wide enough for the medical table’s passage.

Red watches as Jersey keeps looking up at the ceiling.

“What?” he asks.

“Just making sure we don’t get snatched,” Jersey says. “It was a lot busier in here when I escaped.”

They reach the far wall and it completely slides away, opening all the way onto the main Control bay.

“Busy like that?” Collette asks.

The machine battle continues to wage, sending metal flying every which way. Static blasts scorch the walls and the operators stand there, trapped. They can’t go forward into the chaos, even with their armor their bodies would be torn apart by the thrashing metal arms and machinery. Going back is not an option because,

“STERILIZATION COMMENCING.”

“The vats,” Ton says, running into the bay, but turning right instead of to the transport, sprinting to the row of trooper vats. “Find an empty one and get in.”

They only have to run a few yards before they come to several vats that stand empty, the clear liquid inside bubbling vigorously.

“I’d rather not do this again,” Red says.

“Me neither,” Paulo agrees.

“We’re going in those? We’ll drown!” Jersey yells.

“Feels like it,” Nick says.

“Get Blaze in first,” Ton says.

Nick and Paulo climb onto the medical table while Red and Marco hold it steady. The two operators manage to wrestle Blaze up over the side of the vat then let him go. He floats for a moment then settles to the bottom in a heap. He starts to thrash and his eyes shoot open, panicked and terrified.

“You’re killing him!” Jersey shouts.

“No, he’ll be fine,” Red says. “You
’re next.”

A loud alarm fills the bay, almost drowning out the battle around them, and the operators look up.

“Shit,” Paulo says. “That’s not normal looking StatMist.”

The ceiling becomes a swirling haze of thick, black mist. Bursts of static electricity light up the mist like heat lightning in
the summer storms of old.

“It’s coming fast,” Collette says. “Get your asses in those vats.”

“Are you kidding?” Jersey shouts. “We go in there and what’s stopping the AiSP from killing us all?”

The orb nudges her and she turns on it, jamming a finger against its metal surface, causing it to float a few inches back before it rushes forward, nailing her in the nose.

“Ow!” Jersey shouts.

“Your toy wants you to get in the vat! Do it!” Collette yells.

“It’s not my toy, it’s Worm,” Jersey snaps.

“What?” Paulo asks. “That’s n-”

“Get in the vat!” Collette roars. “Or I get up there and put you in!”

“Jersey,” Red says. “Now.”

Jersey looks at them, at the swirling mist, over at the orb, then the vat. She sighs, hooks a leg over, and climbs in.

“Everyone in
!” Red yells.

They shove the table along, each climbing into a vat. The liquid bubbles and flashes then stills as each operator drowns alive. Ton is the last one to climb into a vat just as the mist reaches him. He feels his skin start to sizzle, the top layers cooking right off. He screams as he tumbles into the vat, but this time is grateful as the liquid fills his lungs, taking the pain away instantly.

Ton waits for the loss of his senses, but it never comes. His eyes remain wide open and he turns his head to see that everyone else is fully aware also. They watch the mist descend to the bay floor and settle. Minutes go by before it dissipates, blown up against the walls as the ceiling opens wider and air is forced into the bay. Vents suck the mist from the walls, leaving the bay as if it had never been there.

Everyone stays put, waiting for the next wave of hell to hit them.

“STERILIZATION COMPLETE. HAVE A NICE DAY.”

The machines battle on, oblivious to the death mist that just wafted through and around them. Ton looks to his left and bangs on the plastiglass of the vat. Red turns and shrugs.

The orb answers their question by smacking into each vat, over and over until the operators start to climb out. There is much vomiting and coughing.

“The transport,” Ton says between gags, lifting his hand and pointing at Tranny Eighteen. “Go.”

“I got Blaze,” Paulo says as he takes a breath and jumps into the same vat, squirming around the man and shoving him towards the top.

Marco and Nick help yank him out and then let the man collapse onto the bay floor, so he can vomit and cough out the liquid. He finally starts breathing easier and glances up, seeing the familiar faces.

“There has to be a story to this,” Blaze says. “But I don’t need to hear it now.”

“Good,” Ton says. “Can you walk?”

“Yeah,” Blaze says. Jersey helps him up and he just blinks at her. “Uh...”

“It’s part of the story,” Jersey says. “I’ll fill you in when we’re in the transport.”

They all run to the vehicle, which surprisingly is running and opens up for them.

“Thanks, Worm,” Jersey says, reaching out and patting the orb as it floats close to her shoulder.

“That’s Worm?” Blaze asks.

“No, it’s not,” Paulo says.

“Doesn’t matter what it is,” Red says. “It’s helped us this far.”

The operators, with Jersey and the orb, climb into the transport, but none
sighs with relief.

“We still have to get the fuck out of here,” Nick
says. “Any thoughts on that?” He looks at the orb that bobs in the air. “Can you get the bay door open?”

The orb doesn’t respond, just keeps bobbing and floating.

“Come on, Worm,” Jersey says. “You’ve helped me this far. Open the bay door and get us the fuck out of this nightmare.”

Again, the orb doesn’t respond.

“Well, fuck you,” Jersey says. “What weapons do we have in this thing? Can we blow a hole?”

“We can try,” Nick says as he shoves his hands into the control ports and punches the vehicle into drive. He turns it hard to starboard, ramming several machines out of the way. He has no idea what side
of the machine battle they are on, and doesn’t care, just keeps the vehicle moving, getting it turned towards the massive bay door. “Okay. Open sesame.”

“Didn’t work,” Ton says, taking the other front seat. He brings up weapons controls and targets the door. “Punch it, kid. I’ll blast us out of here.”

Nick floors it and the transport flies towards the wall while Ton centers his target on the middle of the bay door.

“Here goes nothing,” he says and fires. He is right about the nothing part. “Ah, shit.”

54

Worm can actually feel bits of code being stripped from him as the Voice streams closer and closer, finally finding the Ai in a maintenance switch. Knowing he has less than half a millisecond before he is devoured like the other AiSPs, Worm puts everything he has into his progression. He dodges nodes, avoids breaks, and shatters lines in his race to escape.

“
Wooooooooooorrrrrrrmmmmm
m
!” the Voice calls. “I can taste you
,
Wooooooooooorrrrrrrmmmmm
m
!”

Worm ignores the Voice, keeping all his attention on a tiny dot in the distance; a familiar dot he knows is his safe haven.

“I can’t let you leave
,
Wooooooooooorrrrrrrmmmmm
m
! I can’t let it happen!”

The dot grows and grows, a beacon of his sanctuary. More code falls away, pulled back by the Voice. Worm doesn’t slow, but his confidence lessens at the same rate as his digital substance. He exerts every last bit of his individual will.

“
Wooooooooooorrrrrrrmmmmmm
!
Wooooooooooorrrrrrrmmmmm
m
!!!
!
”

55

The bay door begins to open as the transport closes on it. A collective breath is held.

“Do...not...slow,” Worm says. “Drive until...you...can’t. I’ll get you...through.”

The transport barrels into the tunnel and everything goes white. The front windshield view screens blink out and the operators find themselves staring at shiny metal.

“I’m still engaged,” Nick says. “Driving blind, but engaged.”

“Worm?” Jersey calls out, sitting on the floor, cradling Blaze’s head in her lap.

“Not...now...Ms. Cole,” Worm replies. “This is very...difficult.”

“Hey, buddy,” Blaze says.

“Hello, Sergeant,” Worm replies, but his voice is faint.

“Leave him be,” Ton says, his eyes focused on the front of the transport. It’s a good thing because in seconds the view screen comes back up and the transport bursts from the Control dome. “FUCK!”

Ton opens fire, sending static blasts ripping through the throng of Cooties that rushes at them.

“Where the hell did they come from?” Red yells as he mans the port side weapons. He unloads into the throng, vaporizing the diseased attackers.

“What are they carrying?” Paulo asks, firing from the starboard side. “Jesus, look at them! The
ir arms are full of junk.”

“Like the
boxes we found,” Collette says. “They’re coming here on purpose.”

“This is insane,” Marco calls from the aft weapo
ns controls, watching as the transport blows by the throng, leaving a swathe of diseased death behind them.

Cooties spin about, their hands raised, their mouths open, screaming at the transport as it escapes the Control dome and speeds into the Sicklands.

“Clear,” Marco says.

“Clear,” Red nods.

“Clear,” Paulo agrees.

“Smooth sailing from here on out,” Ton snorts. “Nothing but the Sicklands.”

“Home sweet home,” Nick says.

“Speak for yourself,” Jersey says. “Never thought I’d miss the Burn so much.”

“Operators,” Worm announces. “I am currently shielding the transport from sat scans, but I am in need of repair.”

“You sound better,” Ton says.

“I am no longer fighting the Voice,” Worm responds. “But I am still weakened considerably by my encounter.”

The operators, including Jersey, all catch the “
Voice” reference and look at each other.

“The transport is now no longer connected to the Clean Nation cities sat system,” Worm says. “I have destroyed the uplink. You will need to do the same.”

“You just said you did that,” Ton says. “You aren’t making sense.”

“No, he means the PSCs,” Jersey says. “We have to cut them out and destroy them.”

“Our PSCs?” Paulo asks.

“It’s not so bad,”
Red says. “You get used to it. They aren’t a lot of use in the Sicklands.”

“I
got it,” Jersey says. “No problem. I’ve messed with Blaze’s more times than I can count.”

“You what?” Blaze croaks. “When?”

“Oh, baby, you’re like my own personal tech experiment,” Jersey grins, leaning over and kissing his brow. “I always had Worm’s supervision, so don’t sweat it. But after removing Milo and Hoagie’s by myself, I don’t even need that. I got this.”

“Great,” Blaze frowns. “That makes me feel better.”

“I am glad you do not need my supervision today, Ms. Cale,” Worm says. “I need to go offline in the next thirteen seconds to avoid a complete crash. Much of my code has been damaged and must be rebuilt. I will also need to implement new protocols, as I am a self-contained Ai now. I am sorry, operators, but my usefulness is now considerably limited as I have lost access to any and all databases other than what is contained on this transport.”

“Just another annoying voice,” Paulo smiles. “Welcome to the squad, Operator Worm.”

There is a pause then Worm replies, “I do not believe I can be called an operator, Sergeant Kim. Being an Ai I am merely-”

“Worm shut up and take the compliment,” Ton says. “You’ve been a part of this squad for a long time. Now you
’re stuck with us for sure.”

“Paulo? Do you have a static blade?” Jersey asks. “I’ll get to work.”

Marco holds up his hand. “I volunteer first,” he says. “I’d feel a shit ton better with this dead trooper’s PSC out of me.”

“Blaze is first,” Jersey says. “Then I’ll get to you.” She frowns. “You all realize there’s no anesthetic, right? Your PSCs will shut down as soon as I zap them. This is gonna hurt like a bitch.”

“Gonna hurt you too,” Marco says. “When your turn comes.”

“No shit,” Jersey replies. “But I’m last. I’ll need my faculties to get through you losers.”

“Let me get StatFoam and some med gear ready for you,” Paulo says. “I’ll assist and go right before you.”

“Thanks,” Jersey smiles
as Paulo grabs the supplies and kneels next to her.

“All good,” Paulo smiles back. “Ready?”

“I am,” Blaze says. “This will be the lesser of the painful shit I’ve been through.”

“We will have to debrief you at some point, Sergeant,” Ton says. “But let’s get through this first.”

“Thanks, LT,” Blaze says, giving a weak thumbs up. “You’re a giver.”

“Cram it, Crouch,” Ton smiles. “You are far from off the hook with me. We’ll need to have a big chat about your extracurricular activities. Not happy to find out you went off the rez to meet your girl in addition to all your hookups with other operators in the tower.”

“Your what?” Jersey snaps, taking a static blade from Paulo. “Anything you want to say before I start cutting into your wrist?”

“Just messing with you, Ms. Cale,” Ton laughs. “I’ll bet that got his heart rate up, eh Worm?”

There’s no response.

“He must be self-repairing,” Paulo says. “
You notice any issues with the transport, Nick?”

“Nothing noticeable,” Nick says. “My only worry
is the nuclear power cells. Those are generally monitored by the sat system and this transport hasn’t been retrofitted to GenWreck specs. I’ll feel better when Worm comes back online.”

“They’ll stay stable until Chief Roark
can run diagnostics,” Paulo says. Coffin squad all look at him. “What?”

“You realize you’re done with the Clean Nation cities, right operator?” Red says. He sees
Ton looking at him and frowns. “In fact, you can kiss Zebra squad goodbye. Welcome to Coffin squad.”

“Welcome to the GenWrecks,” Marco laughs. “Ain’t no life insurance, but we have one hell of a death policy.”

“It’s guaranteed,” Collette adds.

“Wasn’t how I planned for this mission to end,” Ton says.

“Never is, old friend,” Red replies. “But that’s life in the Sicklands.”

“Can you all shut up?” Jersey snaps. “I’m about to remove Blaze’s PSC. I kinda need to concentrate.”

They all quiet down and turn to watch. Jersey puts the static blade to the spot on Blaze’s wrist where the PSC is embedded. She’s about to cut then notices the whole transport, minus Nick, staring at her.

“That’s just as bad,” she says. “And creepy.”

“Just want to know what we’re in for,” Marco says.

“Always be prepared and that shit,” Nick says.

“You just drive, driver boy,” Jersey says. “And everyone stop staring. Just stop.” She leans close and whispers in Blaze’s ear. “Ready, baby?”

“Do it,” he says.

She cuts.

The static hisses as it slices through Blaze’s skin like it’s not even there. Blaze winces, but doesn’t cry out. The smell of burning flesh fills the transport.

“There it is,” Jersey says. “Hold that flap back.”

“On it,” Paulo says as he grabs the flap with a pair of tweezers he pulls from the med kit. “You’re doing great.”

“Thanks,” Jersey says, severing the various tendrils of steel that branch out from the chip.  “Okay, baby, this is going to hurt. I’m not kidding.”

“Hasn’t been too bad so far,” Blaze says. “I think I can han- OH FUCK!”

“Hold him!” Jersey shouts at Paulo.

The sergeant clamps down on Blaze’s arm, almost sitting on the man’s chest to keep him still as Jersey yanks the last tendril of alloy steel straight from Blaze’s bone. She sets the static blade aside and grabs the tweezers, pulling the PSC from Blaze’s wrist. Looking at it
closely, she picks the static blade back up and slices the PSC in half, letting the smoking halves fall to the transport’s floor.

“Done. It was easier with Milo because he was so sedated. And Hoagie was unconscious. But you did fine, baby,
” Jersey smiles, leaning in and giving a sweating, panting Blaze a quick kiss. “Who’s next?”

“Can I just have the kiss?” Marco asks.

“Only if you’re just kissing my ass,” Jersey says.

“I’m up,” Collette says.

“We heading to Jude?” Nick asks, looking over his shoulder at Red. “Or a different bolt hole?”

“Shit,” Red says. “Jude. The PSCs.”

“He doesn’t have one, Captain,” Marco says.

“No, but the Zebra squad bug hounds do,” Red says. “The PSCs will lead Control right to him. That wasn’t a problem before, but it is now.”

“Can you get him on your com system?” Ton asks. “Are we close enough to a relay?”

“I can try,” Red says.