Code Breakers: Beta (26 page)

Jess sat cross-legged, the slate discarded to the side. She stared at Petal, her eyes wide and tears coursing down her cheeks.

Petal looked up at Robertson. “You lied to me. You goddamned lied! The name Leautia rings a bell, huh? Why didn’t you tell me?”

He didn’t even try to deny it. Just stood there, his lips moving with the ghosts of words long dead. Sentiments haunting him like tired spirits. Petal stood, approached the red-flushed doctor, and stared at him, waiting for a response when she felt a slight tug on her jacket. Petal turned. Jess sat beside her, reached out to hold her hand.

“It’s okay,” Jess said. “I want to go if you want Gerry back.”

Chapter 35

S
asha sprinted a hundred yards to help reinforce Cheska’s position. The transcendent had Malik, Bran, and five security personnel with her, but with her section of NearlyMen lying dead in a heap they were threatened of being overrun by a group of about fifty fanatics. The ‘droids were still some way off, but the tell-tale signs of the dust on the horizon told Sasha they wouldn’t be long.

The UAVs were doing a good job of keeping the Jaguars and the ground vehicles away from the defence line, but a couple managed to get through, taking out thirty NearlyMen. Just another twenty or so remained. Up close and personal, they were holding their own against the Red Widow fighters with their great bulk and lack of fear. They were automatons for the most part, programmed to fight to the death, and they were doing it with considerable effort.

Sasha dodged a particle bolt as it crashed into the ground, sending up a choking plume of gas and sand. Cheska’s hand grabbed her by the wrist, pulled her into the tight group. They were firing in short, controlled bursts and keeping the enemy at distance. Red Widow’s shotguns had limited range, but they remained back, waiting for their time to strike.

Joining the ranks of security, Sasha shouted to Malik, “How’s everyone doing?”

“We lost fifteen but the morale is holding. We can’t hold for too much longer. Ammo’s running low, and the Jaguars are focussing on the UAVs. There’s only eight left.”

To illustrate the point, two more drones fell from the sky, crashed into the earth. It was little comfort that they took out a handful of fanatics.

While the others kept up their controlled defence, Sasha surveyed the battlefield.

Beyond the line of NearlyMen there were approximately three distinct squads of Red Widow infantry. It was interesting to see that they had swollen their ranks with the stragglers from Darkhan; no doubt they were promised food and shelter in return for putting their lives on the line. Behind them, creating a great dust cloud in its wake was an armoured division of ten trucks, probably carrying the ‘droids, and fifteen ATV gun platforms.

Five Jaguar VTOL copters flew ahead and above them.

The UAVs tried their best to slow their progress, but the numbers were overwhelming now and they’d be at the front lines soon. Sasha estimated they had about five minutes before they were overwhelmed and slaughtered. She opened her comm channel back to the others in the transporter.

— You guys listening?

— Go ahead,
Enna said
. What’s the situation?

Sasha ducked below a laser shot and closed her eyes as it smashed into the Dome behind her.
Damn it!
The armoured gun platforms were getting in range.

—
It’s dire to be honest. We’re overwhelmed and the heavy artillery is nearly in range. We’ve got to fall back into the City. But I don’t know what then. Hide? Go underground?

—
Okay, fall back, bring back as many as you can. We’ll figure out the next move.

Sasha yelled to Malik and the others over the comms channel,

—
We’re pulling back! We can’t stand up to this. Everyone back into the City. Now!

She heard a few grumbles from some with war-fever, misplaced optimism, and in some instances, stupidity. The way she saw it, the vehicles would have to negotiate through a damaged Dome and even then, they’d have to negotiate around a fairly tight metropolis. It wasn’t designed for vehicles beyond the citywide tram system.

“I said now!” Sasha screamed, grabbed the shoulder of the nearest security person: a young woman with wide staring eyes, fear plastered on her face like rigor mortis. Sasha shook her, dragged her way. Cheska shouted to those next to her and the ones standing up behind her, as she remained kneeling. Malik and his brother were next to Cheska.

She looked back to Sasha, “You take them back. We’ll cover and follow you in.”

“Don’t you dare be a hero, you hear? We need to fall back right this minute.”

“I hear ya,” Cheska said. “Now go, we’re right behind ya.”

It didn’t require a lot of encouragement to get the rest of the security squad back into the Dome. A young woman collapsed to the ground as soon as she passed through the door, opened by a person on the other side.

She curled into a ball and cried, while she smashed her fists to the ground. Two of her colleagues lifted her to her feet, dragged her across the neat lawns of the City’s park. Sasha turned, expecting to see the others right behind her, but they remained in place on the battlefield.

Over the comm she called out for them.

—
What are you doing? Fall back!

At first she thought they hadn’t heard her then, one by one, Bran, Malik and then Cheska finally turned, sprinted for the door. The fanatics moved quickly, chased them down, shotgun and laser rifle blasts flying by them, crashing into the Dome and the ground.

They were a few feet away from the door when Bran, the lead person took a shot to the leg and collapsed to the ground. Malik instantly stopped, tried to drag his brother away when a second shot caught him in the neck, killing him instantly.

Cheska screamed, turned, and rushed the fanatics.

“No!” Sasha yelled. “What are you doing?”

It was too late. She’d cracked. Cheska took the swords from her back sheaths and swung wildly as she approached the on-rushing enemy. It was useless though. They gunned her down in a split second, making her body twitch and buck with each hit.

The enemy focused their aim on Sasha. She dove to the side and mashed the buttons to close the door. Before it closed fully, a volley of laser shots rushed through, nearly taking out of one of the men holding up Susanna. The rest of the blasts crashed into the closed door.

Sasha ordered the others to head for the transporter. The man guarding the door followed orders and sprinted off. Sasha was about to join them when she heard a pounding on the other side. “Let me in!”

It was Bran, somehow still alive. She wanted to open the doors, let him in, but through the semi-translucent Plexiglas of the Dome she saw the shadow of the enemy descend upon him. His screams were the last thing she heard before switching off the comm channel for good.

They focused their fire on the Dome either side of the door. Each shot making it vibrate and whine with a strange, unnatural sound, almost as if the Dome itself felt pain.

Not wasting any more time, she sprinted across the grass and caught up with the others. There was little hope left now with so few of them.

By the time they got back to the transporter, Sasha could feel the tense atmosphere.

Petal and Jimmy were staring at each other while the others looked on nervously.

“Well?” Gabe said. “What do you wanna do? We can’t sacrifice the entire planet. Can we?”

***

Petal helped Sasha and the survivors up the ramp. She had heard over the comm channel what had happened to Bran, Malik, and Cheska. She felt nothing. Too overwhelmed by the entire situation to be able to process all the grief, the loss.

Everyone around, including Sasha, looked the same: tired and distressed. Defeated even. None of them had had much sleep over the last couple of days and it showed by the shadows around everyone’s eyes, the men’s stubble, and the women’s wild, unkempt hair.

The sun passed overhead, the Dome’s projectors beamed a facsimile of it through the open rear of the transporter. It lit up the side of Sasha’s face. Petal stared at her, wondered what the truth would do to her. But really in the grand scheme of things, that was the least of her worries.

Robertson finally spoke.

“I admit it. Everything Elliot said was true.” He dropped his chin and exhaled. “But right now that’s not important. We have less than a minute to decide. I have zero doubt he’s capable of what he’s suggesting. I suggest we all vote.”

Sasha dropped her rifle at the foot of the ramp and joined the authors.

“What’s the vote for?” she said.

“Whether or not we sacrifice Gerry for access to The Family’s systems and control of the ‘droids, or whether we get Gerry back and face certain doom.” Petal said.

“Oh,” Sasha said. “Well, personally, I’m sure Gerry’s a great guy, but certain doom ain’t my choice.”

The words stung, but Petal knew she was being honest. And when one weighed it up objectively, it seemed crazy to save one person and potentially lose everything—despite what Petal felt for him.

“We can forget about a vote,” Petal said. “I can’t expect anyone else to make this choice. So I’ll do it.”

Gabe grabbed her hand, “Wait a minute—”

“We don’t have a minute,” Petal said. She let go of Jess’s hand, sat back down at the server, and taking the slate from the floor reconnected.

As soon as her internal chip confirmed the connection with the servers she felt the grip on her mind again. A billion threads of code attached themselves to her consciousness. And then the voice returned.

—
You’ve made your decision. What is it to be?

— You can keep Gerry.
The words tore her soul to pieces, but she knew it was the only option. If she agreed to exchange Gerry for the girl and The Family nuked the planet, she couldn’t even comprehend how to deal with that kind of guilt. But before he could respond she added,

—
But I want something else.

— This better be interesting.

— I want you to keep your end of the bargain, give us proof that you’ve disabled The Family’s capability.

— I can do that.

He transferred log files of his access to The Family’s station computer system, and the frantic traffic from their programmers as they tried to get around Elliot Robertson’s disabling code. She quickly analysed them, traced their origins, and knew they were legit.

—
Okay. There’s one more thing,
Petal said.

— You’re pushing your luck. You’re in no position to demand anything.

— I know, but I’m hoping it’ll appeal to your curiosity.

— Go on.

Petal took a deep breath, thought about Gabe, Enna, Sasha, and the others thought about all her struggles and fights and the fine line between death and survival that she had traversed over the years. She thought about all the things she’d be leaving behind. But despite all that, she had the chance of a legacy.

—
I want you to upload me. Take my mind and let it be with Gerry. You said that he would complete me. Wouldn’t the pair of us, joined, be of more interest to you than Gerry alone?

— Now that is interesting! You realise it could destroy you completely? Remember: you’re nothing but a fragment of my daughter’s failed upload.

— But that was because of James! Are you not the pioneering god-like being that you think you are? Surely if anyone could do this, it’s you?

— I accept your offer. Prepare yourself.

***

The scream made Sasha jump. Jess had leapt away from Petal’s prone body before it started to spasm. Her arms and legs flailed and jerked. Her face contorted as if she were being electrocuted.

Enna and Gabe were the first to dash to her. They tried to hold her still to no avail. Petal’s left foot connected with Enna’s chest, sending her crashing into the seats on the opposite side to the servers.

Gabe dodged Petal’s clawed hand as it swiped centimetres from his face.

As if paralysed, Sasha couldn’t move, didn’t know what to do. Couldn’t comprehend what was happening. All the while, Jess’s screams grew ever more shrill and painful as she clasped her hands around her ears.

Breaking from her stupor, Sasha ran to the girl, put her hand over her mouth to stop that awful sound. When she finally calmed down, Sasha said. “What happened? What did you hear?”

Robertson picked up the slate amid the chaos. Sasha turned her gaze from him to the girl and back again, waiting for some kind of answer. Almost at the same time, both the Doc and the girl said. “He’s taken her.”

“Who has?” Sasha asked.

Robertson ran a hand over his face and through his hair. He turned away, choked back his sobbing.

“Jess! Tell me, what’s happening to Petal?”

Before the girl could ask, Petal’s thrashing stopped. Her limbs fell to the floor of the plane with a thud. Her head fell to the side, limp. Her face relaxed. All tension in her muscles washed away on a sea of calm.

“She’s with him,” Jess said. “She’s with Gerry.”

“What do you mean?” Sasha said. Panic and confusion bubbled under her veneer of control. A sickly feeling threatened to overwhelm her, and the silence from the others, especially Robertson as he still stared at the slate’s display in a sense of shock and regret, didn’t help.

Gabe slowly stood, his head bowed. He looked round at the others before fixing his gaze on Robertson. “She’s gone, ain’t she?”

Without speaking, Robertson nodded.

Sasha grabbed the slate from his shaking hands, inspected the display. It was showing the activity of the servers. A huge data spike came from Petal’s node and transferred to some remote location via Alpha and Omega. On that remote location, unnamed in the display, were a series of distinct processes: two relative sized ones, and one giant one.

The latter was eating up huge amounts of data and resources across the network. In turn, Alpha and Omega’s data storage appeared almost empty apart from their operating system. And yet, a lot of network traffic jumped from the servers to the remote location.

“When you say ‘she’s gone’, Gabe,” Sasha said, keeping her tone of voice calm, “what exactly do you mean?”

“He means,” Robertson interrupted, “that Petal’s consciousness is no longer in her body or brain. She’s been uploaded. Like Jess said, she’s with Gerry now, somewhere.”

Sasha collapsed into one of the transporter’s seats. All strength in her legs dissipated. Any adrenaline she may have had left from escaping the battlefield was now long gone, just like her sister. “How could this happen?” She asked no one in particular. “How could any of you have let this happen?”