Living in Syn (10 page)

Before
they could leave, Mission reminded General Snowden that several issues still
required attention.  The General acted immediately and secured agreement from
Chandler Hunt that Pierce would remain at Paradox with Paul Baker to comb
through the records to find out who leased the combat syns and where they were now
located.  He also scheduled another meeting in one week to discuss findings and
follow up recommendations.

An hour
later, Mission and Susan dragged themselves into his apartment.  Susan sat down
and exclaimed, "Ouch!"

Mission
asked, "Bruised?"

Susan
nodded and he said, "Me too, all over.  You know, I'm a real idiot."

Susan
said, "Yes, that occurs to me quite often.  But what makes you say
it?"

"Well,
I made this promise to never leave my arsenal at home, right?  So I bring my
battery pack and my Glock and leave our little gadget which puts synthetics to
sleep, so a killer syn can drag me through fifty feet of office space before I
can fry her.  Now is that stupid or is it only moronic?"

"It's
a mistake, Mission.  I myself hardly ever carry an command implanter to a
business meeting." 

She
looked at Mission for several seconds and finally said, "Thank you. You
offered your life in trade for mine….why did you….why?"

Mission
looked across the room silently.  Then he slowly turned toward her and
shrugged. “That wasn’t what I was thinking…I would’ve been in a better position
to neutralize her if we traded places."

He
turned and hobbled toward the kitchen, effectively telling Susan that the
conversation was over. And that, as much as anything, told her she was getting
nowhere near the entire story. She saw that even the act of explaining would bother
him, and she hadn't noticed this side of him before.  It showed a paternal sort
of
sacrifice oneself for the others
philosophy.  She shook her head and
wondered if she would ever figure him out.  Certainly not today.

They
tended to their aches and then reflected quietly as one tends to do after life
threatening situations.  After almost two hours, Susan said, "So ... do
you think it's safe for me to go back to my place?"

Mission
looked up at Susan rather sharply and said, "How do you mean? To get some
things or to move back in?”

The
question caught Susan off guard and as she hesitated, Mission continued.
“Because if you need things from your place, I’ll ask Carson if he would tag
along. I would feel better about protecting you with me and another pro."

Susan
looked at Mission, trying to comprehend. “I don’t get it. Tanya is gone. And
the secret being guarded is out in the open. We know about the chips for the
combat models. Why should anyone hurt me now?”

“That’s
what bothers me Susan, I don’t know. But consider this, this scheme requires
deep pockets, and people who are willing to murder to protect their secrets. If
I’m in their camp, the thing that worries me most is Dr. Susan St. Jean,
devoting her full attention to figuring out what the hell is going on.”

Mission
shook his head.  "We’ve solved far and away the easiest piece of the
puzzle.  We still have a mystery
teacher
leading who knows how many
renegade syns in the Free Zone.  We have an unnamed corporation assembling a
syn army and I worry about the point man on that.  And if they front for a
foreign power, the country's point man is a threat.  So no, I don't think you’re
safe."

Susan
shook her head.  "Mission, Mission, Mission.  Must you sugar-coat
everything?” She nodded her head. “What you say makes sense." And that
conversation was effectively ended.

Eventually,
they ordered Chinese, and for the most part, ate in silence. And then Mission
started to dig into his pockets. “That reminds me."  He pulled out several
scraps of paper and examined them.  "Here it is.  My good friend, Jeff
Taylor comes home on rotation soon.  He's just finishing an eighteen month
mining stint on Io, and his kid sister Julie is throwing a party to welcome him
back.  It's a week from today.” He looked at her quizzically as he tilted his
head to the side. “Would you like to go?"

Susan
looked at the floor. Very slowly she started, “Mission, I…"

He
interrupted, “If you don’t want to, I can arrange for your protection. I just
need to know that you’ll be safe.”

Susan
was thoughtful. “A party?”

Mission
smiled. “Yeah. A party.”

Mission
looked around the conference room.  The table showed no sign of last week's
battle, nor did any part of the room.  The cast remained the same with the
exception of Tanya Ricci.  The Acting Vice President of Sales/Marketing, Nita
Harmon sat in her place.  Susan told Mission that Nita had actually been the
favorite for the position last time around, and the choice of Tanya sent some
shock through the office.  Nita never said a word.  In fact she delivered many
of the sales increases that made Tanya look so good.  Now she enjoyed the
rewards for her accomplishments and her loyalty.  Her fair skin and very red
hair combined with a pleasant expression to yield an agreeable and hardworking
image.  But her eyes conveyed an intensity that said she could be tough.

Again,
Chandler Hunt reached the table last.  He looked rushed, and papers stuck out
of his notebook at several odd angles.

"I'm
sorry I'm late.  General, did you want to make some remarks?"

"No,
I'm not much on ceremony.  What if we start with a report from Major Pierce on
his findings to date?"

Pierce
stood and said, "Paul Baker here, worked with me through each and every
step in combing through this data.  This worked well as we provided a sanity
check for each other.  Paul, please speak up if you don't agree with any of the
findings I present."

Paul
nodded and Pierce continued.  "First of all, there is no doubt that
Pioneer Inc. is the lessor of these systems.  We had to trace the lease
arrangement and the monies through several holding companies and wholly owned
subsidiaries, but we eventually reached Pioneer."

"But
I have to tell you that this trail proved so circuitous, that I would not be
willing to name the company on the basis of the financial trail alone.  But we
also traced the physical movements of the synthetics and they led us through
the shuttle to Space Station #8, to the New Angeles mining settlement on
Triton."

Snowden
looked around the room, frustrated.  "Alright Major.  Where is
Triton?"

"Triton
is the only moon of Neptune large enough to support a settlement.  Now, we ran
searches through the Paradox database to determine the total number by models
of the synthetics at New Angeles.  If you want to see a breakdown of the searches,
and the financial and physical trails we followed, we can provide that.  But
for simplicity's sake, I'll show you the summary page."

New Angeles Synthetic Inventory

Model MM995      210        Mining

Model MF995               204        Mining

Model PM594        38
       Protector

Model PF594         22         Protector

Model FM995               117        Factory (Mass
production)

Model FF995        174        Factory (Mass
production)

Model AM995               16         Accounting/Administrative

Model AF995        20         Accounting/Administrative

Model CM995               71         Construction

Model CF995        62         Construction

Total                      934

A
collective gasp circled the table as they comprehended the tally sheet.  Almost
a thousand synthetics with state of the art intelligence and agility.  Mission
looked over at Pierce and he said, "I know what's on your mind Mission.  In
some instances, we found records of the bogus ROK chips, indicating they were
modified, so we’re assuming first strike ability.  Others were warehoused for
long periods, and that could indicate in-house modifications took place."

Pierce
looked at the group and said, "These are our significant findings.  Our
report contains several miscellaneous items.  You may want to look at them
later.  General?"

The
General looked over at Hunt and said, "Well, Chandler, what do you intend
to do about this?"

He
shocked Chandler.  "Me?  You're asking me?  What do
you
intend to
do about this?"

The
General shook his head.  "This isn't a political or military situation. 
Yet.  This appears to me to be a business situation.  I would think Paradox
would want to handle this thing before your company and your product are
sullied."

The
shock froze Chandler solid.  "But how can you ...?  What can you possibly
...?  I ... I ... I just ... "

General
Snowden was growing impatient.  "Snap out of it, Hunt!  What do you think
the Army could possibly do?"

"Why,
go in there.  In the settlement.  And seize those killer synthetics."

"I
see.  You have to understand something, Chandler.  When the Army lands some
place and secures property with weapons, people have this crazy habit of
labeling those actions a war.  Everyone gets upset.  Congress wants to know why
the decision to use military resources wasn't debated on the floor.  People who
immigrated from the invaded country give every politician they can name, an
earful of shit.  Pacifists stage a sit-in at the nearest Army base and sing
Give
Peace a Chance
. Now can you give me one piece of evidence that would
support an Army invasion?"

Hunt
still couldn't believe this was happening.  "Well, you could show the
records for a non-existent chip."

The
General nodded.  "I could.  But that supports seizing the Paradox
factories, not an innocent customer like Pioneer."

"You
know they are guilty!  You know it!"

"Let's
understand one another.  We are not talking about what I know.  We are talking
about what I can prove ... or hell, even plausibly support to the President and
ten or twelve different oversight committees.  Now what should I tell
them?"

Chandler
looked as if he might faint.  "Tell them that they've accumulated a
thousand synthetics with far too much intelligence and agility for mining
work."

"If
I were Pioneer, I'd say,
We plan to use our synthetics for scientific
experimentation, in an effort to develop new products from our settlement.  The
answer is as simple as that.
  Now doesn't that seem logical?  I don't have
a reason in the world to set foot in New Angeles."

At this
point, Hunt only wanted the General to leave.  He rapidly approached the point
where he would say or do anything to get him to walk out the Paradox double
doors.  "Obviously, you have some ideas General.  What do you
recommend?"

The
General looked at the Major and said, "Carson.  What did the database show
in terms of maintenance on these synthetics?"

"More
than 400 are past due for one year diagnostics, and another 400 come due in the
next three months."

The
General smiled.  "You see?  There's your answer.  Your contract requires
that you perform diagnostics.  You should send a team to New Angeles.  And if
they should discover that the synthetics don’t have appropriate processors, you
can require Pioneer to relinquish their synthetics or to compensate you for
undoing the changes.  If they fail to allow corrective action, you could call
in the Army because you fear for your safety."

Hunt
shook his head.  "It's too dangerous.  I won't knowingly send an employee
into that situation."

The
General pointed with his chin.  "You could hire Mission.  His profession assumes
a high degree of risk."

Hunt
seemed to be shrinking.  His head sunk into his shoulders.  "But Mission
can't administer the diagnostics."

The
General shifted gears and now talked like a father giving advice.  "Look
Chandler.  There will be risks.  But we’ll work with you to minimize them.  And
I would recommend that Major Pierce accompany the team.  Dr. St. Jean has been
invaluable, and we think her presence is a real plus.  I think a team like I'm
describing can be successful."

Mission
snapped to attention.  "No!  Not Susan…not Dr. St. Jean. She’s too
valuable to this effort, too big a target for any opposition.”

Hell broke
loose as everyone talked at once. Snowden taunted Mission with intimations that
he was sweet on Susan. This locked him and Mission into a little boy’s insult
and stare down session. Chandler came out on Mission’s side. He wasn’t about to
risk the creator of the synthetic brain on some security detail. But it was
finally Susan’s calm but focused voice that took control.

“Excuse
me. EXCUSE ME!” She stared menacingly at everyone at the table. “I WILL make my
own decisions about my own life.”

“Now. I
am frightened. No one in their right mind could have lived through the scene in
this room last week, and not be frightened. There were thousands of
collaborators, but I led the development of the synthetic brain, and I have
been more than happy to accept the rewards of that work. Money, professional
success, I took it all and was certain I deserved it.”

She
looked up and down the room to make eye contact with every single person. “And
now that things have gone wrong, now that my work is being used to kill, I will
not walk away and let someone else take the risk of cleaning up my mess. I will
be on that team, and the team needs me to be successful.”

Hell
broke loose again and this time Mission dominated. “No, it’s simply not safe.
You can’t!”

Susan
grew very calm yet incredibly forceful. “This is not up for debate. I am
going.”

Mission’s
mind raced. If he accepted that Susan was going, and it appeared he had no
choice, then he had to change the equation. “Wait! We need a synthetic on our
side.  A synthetic with a primary assignment to protect Susan.  Carson and I
accept the risks.  But Susan must have a bodyguard."

Mission looked
at Susan and she shrugged her shoulders.  It was her okay.  The General grinned
and poked Chandler's arm.  "See?  Mission has already made things safer. 
This operation will run like pantyhose."

Chandler
seemed to regain his grip on the day.  "Alright, I'm giving conditional
approval pending my review of the plans for this trip.  What follow-up items do
we have and who's responsible for delivering them?"

The
General pointed at Hunt and said, "You and I need to make a call to
Pioneer to schedule this trip."

Susan
said, "No!  Chandler wouldn't do that.  The Pioneer account manager at
Paradox would contact them.  We don't want to tip our hand, do we?"

Chandler
finally smiled.  "You're right.  Nita?"

"We'll
have them on the com before the General reaches his aircar."

Pierce
said, "The response to the call will drive our timeline for the trip.  Who
will make that plan?"

Susan
volunteered.  "I'll use a standard plan for a diagnostics trip outside the
earth, and tailor it around our needs."

Mission
chimed in with, "And Carson and I will handle preparations for those areas
outside the normal diagnostics trip."

Carson
nodded and Chandler asked, "What areas?"

Mission
smiled and said, "Oh ... weapons, precautions in terms of tactics,
security, and at least two others."

He looked
around the room and said,  "We need to specify requirements for our
synthetic, and we need to capture a combat model, without damaging the brain. 
Without a specimen to study, we can only guess at what we will face."