The Evolutionary Void (52 page)

The descent took barely a minute. Whatever gravity distortion was
gripping her, it began to flip her around so that she wound up rising to the
far end of the chute. It was covered by a murky barrier identical to the one at
the other end of the chute. Her skin tingled as she passed through.

Emergence location: plaza.

Active> Grade three integral force field

Active> Level two biononic field scan. Scan summation:
plaza one hundred seventy-eight point three meters major diameter. Three main
access roads, five secondary streets. Immediate population eighty-seven adult
humans, subdivision fifty-three Higher; nineteen children under twelve. No
alien life-forms. Surrounding buildings average height twenty-five meters,
facade composition high-purity iron. Domestic power supply one hundred twenty
volts; high rate communication net. Visible transport: bicycles. Gravatonic
fluctuation indicates seven ingrav drive units operational within three
kilometers.

Preliminary assessment: secure environment. No threat to
subject alpha. Subject alpha restrained by physical grip; maintain restraint
condition.

Primary mission commencement: Determine location of Oswald
Fernandez Isaacs.

Four options.

Initiate option one: ask.

“You.”

Octoron citizen one: male, height one point seven two
centimeters; biononic functionality moderate: “Yes?”

“Where is Oswald Fernandez Isaacs?”

Octoron citizen one: “Who? Hey, aren’t you Inigo?”

Subject alpha: “Yeah, ’fraid so.”

Octoron citizen one: “You bastard. You stupid selfish bastard.
What are you doing here?”

Subject alpha: “Look, I’m sorry. This is complicated. Please
answer his question. We need to find Ozzie.”

Octoron citizen one: “Hey, why can’t I sense your thoughts?”

“Irrelevant. Do you know where Isaacs is?”

Octoron citizen one: “You’re with Inigo? Go screw yourself.”

Scan> Octoron citizen one altering biononic field
functions. Skin temperature rising, heart rate increasing, muscle contraction,
elevated adrenaline. Analysis: possible aggression.

Threat.

Response.

Activate> Biononic weapons field.

Armed> Disrupter pulse. Target: midsection Octoron citizen
one. Fire.

External sound level increasing. Human screaming.

Subject beta: “Oh, great Lady! You killed him.”

“I neutralized the threat.”

“Threat? What fucking threat, you monster?”

Primary mission: option one failure. Go to option two.

“You.”

Octoron citizen two: female, one point five eight centimeters,
zero biononics, full Advancer macrocellular sequence. Running.

Capture.

“You.”

Octoron citizen two: “What? I haven’t done anything. Let me
go. Help! Help!”

Subject beta: “Put her down, you bastard.”

“Is Oswald Fernandez Isaacs resident in the Spike?”

Octoron citizen two, no response.

Option two, second level.

Octoron citizen two: incoherent scream.

“Is Oswald Fernandez Isaacs resident in the Spike?”

Octoron citizen two: “Yes, yes, he’s here. Oh, shit, that
hurts. Stop it, please. Please.”

Subject beta: “Let her go.”

Subject alpha: “Stop this now.”

Scan summation: twenty-three Higher humans activating
high-level biononic fields.

Approaching. Interperson data exchanges increasing.

Threat imminent.

Response grade one to hostile enclosure situation.

“Halt now or I will kill her.”

Subject beta: “Stay back. Back. The maniac means it. Please,
stay back.”

“Where is Oswald Fernandez Isaacs?”

Octoron citizen two: “I don’t know. Please.”

“Who knows where Isaacs is?”

Three Octoron citizens, simultaneously: “Let her go.”

Scan reception> Eight target sensors locking on.

“I will kill her unless he is brought to me.”

Subject alpha: “Stop this. Let me talk to them.”

“No.”

Enclosure threat elevated to grade five.

Response. Random target selection twelve citizens, three
buildings.

Armed> Disrupter pulse. Sequential fire pattern.

Armed> Ion beam. Sequential fire pattern.

Scan> Level five> Successful penetration of debris cloud
and atmospheric ionization.

Zero immediate threat.

Surrounding sound level high.

Humans in plaza retreating. Casualties fifteen. Fatalities
five.

Octoron citizen two struggling. Uncooperative.

Primary mission: option two failure. Go to option three.

U-shadow download general broadcast into local communication
net.

“This is an open message for Oswald Fernandez Isaacs. I mean
you no harm. It is imperative that you contact me. I have Inigo with me.
Together you can resolve the Void catastrophe.”

Subject beta: “Oh, that should do it, you moron dickhead. I’d
be rushing to call you if it was me.” Voice level raised/condition hysterical.

“Be silent.”

Subject alpha: “Aaron, this has to stop. Do you understand?
You are wrecking your own mission.”

Analysis.

Claim refuted.

“I know what I have to do. Don’t interfere.”

Subject alpha: “You don’t know. You’re dealing with humans;
you need an emotional component in your reasoning. And you don’t have that
anymore.”

“This environment is hostile to my emotion-based routines; it
corrodes my rationality. They cannot be permitted.”

Subject beta: “Oh, shit. Shit, what do we do?”

Subject alpha: “I don’t know.”

Alert> T-sphere establishing across Octoron. Emergence of
eleven objects—distance fifty meters. Scan> Level eight> Intruders
identified: adult tri-stage Chikoya encased in armor. Multiple weapon hardware
attached. Force fields active.

Surrounding sound level increasing—human screaming.

Subject beta: “Great Lady, what are they?”

Chikoya one: “You are the human messiah.”

Analyze: How did they know that and locate subject alpha so
quickly? Time elapsed since landing seventeen minutes.

Subject alpha: “I am Inigo, yes.”

Situation analysis. Chikoya engaging deployment maneuver. High
tactical advantage in successful encirclement.

Probability of protecting subjects alpha and beta from
synchronized Chikoya weapons fire: minimal. Option one: discard subject beta.

Chikoya one: “You have initiated a devourment phase in the
Void.”

Subject alpha: “I haven’t been in contact with Edeard for over
a century and a half.”

Chikoya one: “You initiated contact. You are responsible. You
must stop it.”

“All Void activity will be ended. We will see to it. Now leave
Octoron.”

Chikoya one: “Messiah, you will come with us. Your threat to
the galaxy must be ended. Come now.”

“Not permissible. Remove yourself and your kind from this
place.”

Chikoya one: “Your messiah comes with us.”

“Inigo, raise your integral force field to its highest
setting.”

Subject alpha: “What about Corrie-Lyn? Damn you, she’s naked
out here.”

Subject beta: “What’s happening? Inigo, don’t go with those
things, please. Aaron, you have to—”

Alert> Chikoya weapons activation.

Multiple target acquisition.

Armed> Disrupter pulse. Sequential fire.

Armed> Neutron lasers. Sequential fire.

Electronic countermeasures. Engaged. Full power.

Armed> Microkinetics. Smart acquisition. Free fire
authority.

Cease fire.

Scan> Active Chikoya immediate area withdrawal.
Redeployment. > Tracking.

Current tactical situation poor. Move. Subject alpha to
accompany.

Subject alpha holding subject beta, force field extended to
protect her.

“Let go of her.”

Subject alpha: “Fuck you.”

Scan.

Move into Building A. Utilize the cover it provides.

“Come with me.”

Moving. Subject alpha, subject beta, accompanying.

Alert> Multiple target acquisition.

Greatest tactical location: stand in Building A doorway.

Armed> Disrupter pulse. Sequential fire.

Armed> Neutron lasers. Sequential fire.

Armed> Ion beams. Sequential fire.

Armed> Microkinetics. Smart acquisition. Free fire
authority.

Armed> Ariel smartseeker stealth mines. Chikoya profile
loaded. Dispense.

Alert> Teleport emergence, eighteen armored Chikoya.

“We can’t get away. They know you’re here.”

Cease fire.

Subject alpha (shouting): “Tell me something I don’t know.”

Exit doorway. Weapons fire impact weakening Building A
structure.

“This way.”

Enact exit strategy.

Scan> mapping Building A layout. Exit route confirmed. U-shadow
established in local communications net, infiltrating adjacent transport
capsules.

Alert> Chikoya access of Building A.

Targeting Building B structural load points.

Armed> Disrupter pulse. Fire.

Integral force field strengthened to resist partial Building A
collapse. Fire outbreak. Scan through smoke. Three Chikoya disabled.

Subject alpha: “Where do we go?”

“We must leave the immediate area. Switch off your force
field.”

Subject alpha: “What? In the Lady’s name, you’ve got to be
joking.”