Upon Stilted Cities - The Battle for Langeles Read online

“NO!,” 17 shouted. It caused the doctor to jump. “I’ll only speak with Daniels.”

  The memory of the female Runner screwing up and slipping info about the spies hidden in the city was fresh in his mind. Daniels was the only one he could trust. He didn’t like the grumpy prick, but there was no way in hell the cranky bastard would ever betray the city. In that fleeting moment, it occurred to him, that despite everything else, he and Daniels had that much in common. Perhaps Daniels had his own curse, his own debt to pay. The AI had told him he too had a lifelong assignment.

  “Very well, I’ll request Daniels’ presence, but I have to say I doubt he would come down here. He doesn’t like you very much, you know.”

  17 laughed a little, “What, you don’t think I know that? You think I’m stupid? Daniels doesn’t like anyone. Just get him down here, tell him the safety of the city depends on the information I have, and it’s for his ears only.”

  The doctor, standing tall over 17’s medical-grade alcove, eyed him carefully. 17 could tell that he was trying to gauge the seriousness of his request, trying to determine if 17 was playing a game. 17 locked eyes with the man and did not break his gaze. Then he saw the doctor’s face relax, it was only slight, but it was enough. After only a few more moments of hesitation, he went to the other room to send the transmission up to security.

  17 shivered, why had the memory resurfaced now? He had always tried to keep himself from thinking about that awful night with his son, but every once in a while, it crept up on him. The H.A.D. had wiped out an entire section of the city that night, and only a few hundred had survived. It was an echo of the American bombing of Dresden during the Second World War, a repeat of history. There were no nukes used during the Third World War, at least not on Earth, but except for radiation damage, the H.A.D. were just as terrible.

  Jade, his loving wife, had met him when he was in the midst of his wild nightly orgies. He had purchased an alcove with his extensive wealth and used it to lure women up to his large apartment. Their courtship was long, and despite her disgust at the way he had treated women, she befriended him. For months they spoke as friends, all the while eyeing one another, feeling their closeness grow. Then, one night, they found themselves in each other’s arms. 17 had vowed to love her then, and when they found out soon after that she was pregnant, he decided to give up everything and retire from his life to spend his days raising Joseph and trying to put right what he had helped make wrong.

  Then the Third World War began. The Larger cities had prepared. Some even had anti-H.A.D. shielding. The island of Manhatten was already elevated and employed an early form of the EnViro shield to protect it from the massive floods that had taken over most of the coast. 17 had left Manhatten, though he never did sell his apartment, for the suburbs. Time and again he had told himself if he had only stayed in the city with Jade and Joseph, they may have all made it to Migration and 17 may have never become a Runner. But they had chosen to head west, toward one of the smaller towns in upstate New York. They wanted a fresh start. If only he had been able to bring Joseph or Jade to an alcove, but the military had confiscated all of them for use for their soldiers, and only military hospitals had access.

  His injuries from that night were absolute. He didn’t know what the doctors had done to him to keep him alive, but the elevator incident was the first time he had survived death. Since then, he had survived countless close shaves, always managing to survive where others didn’t. But why? It wasn’t just that he was lucky, he seemed to be able to survive wounds most others wouldn’t.

  He reached for the back of his neck and touched the chip for a moment. The AI was in there, and he wished, not for the first time, that he could query it outside of the suit. In truth, the AI was his only consistent companion for the long centuries.

  Something in his memory flashed for a moment; the face of Dr. Solidsworth, the crazy old architect. He was in the hospital in Manhattan when he recovered from the H.A.D. attack. Why was his face standing out all of a sudden? Dozens of doctors had seen him during that time. There was something about a form, about permission, about an experiment. Something about the fact that 17 wasn’t going to make it. They had done something to him, what was it?

  4.

  A gruff voice echoed just outside of the hallway. Daniels and the Doctor entered.

  “What the hell happened to him?” Daniels asked.

  “He was hanging on to the edge of life. Parts of his EnViro suit had melted and fused with his flesh. There was no way to remove the suit without repairing the tissue damage first. Once again, and as I say all too often, Runner 17 is lucky to be alive.”

  Daniel’s expression didn’t change, but his gaze drifted to 17. The alcove was filling with its healing solution. 17 would be under in a few minutes, unless they paused the procedure.

  “I hear you are refusing to talk to anyone but me. What the hell do you want?”

  17 was direct and blunt, “Ask everyone else to leave. We can’t trust anyone here.”

  Daniels considered. What could 17 have to say to him that would require privacy? He recalled Patton’s corpse and the attempt on his life. Perhaps 17 wasn’t full of shit; maybe he had another piece of the puzzle.

  Without turning his head, without breaking his gaze with 17, Daniels said. “You heard him. Get out.”

  The Doctor didn’t argue and left the room quickly, latching a few cupboards on his way out. The door shut behind him with an audible click, indicating the lock was secure.

  “AI, secure privacy in this space.”

  “This room is now secure.”

  “Now what the hell do you want?” Daniels hoped he had something to contribute. Otherwise, he might be tempted to shock his ass for a good long minute.

  17’s voice was a bit hoarse. “It’s about a group that calls themselves the Children of Gaia. They are the ones responsible for Langeles, and they are probably planning an attack now.”

  Daniels ground his jaw. “Where did this information come from?” Daniels found himself a chair and rested his tired body. He’d been on the clock for 29 straight hours. If he didn’t get some rest soon, he’d start making mistakes. A few hours in an alcove would probably do the trick, the body revitalized nearly twice as fast inside one.

  17 told Daniels everything about his outing. He started with the piles of bodies in the ruins of Langeles. He told Daniels of the encounter with ‘Akif of the Rih and how he apparently was on some kind of hit list. He detailed his encounter with the Runner from the Children of Gaia, the bits and pieces he remembered from their adventure on that storm sail and about her claim that the ruins of Langeles were nothing more than a trap. Daniels kept his expression flat the entire time.

  “You’re not lying to me, are you, Runner?” Daniels demanded.

  “What possible motivation do I have to lie?”

  “Spite, bitterness, a general dislike for me and the city, the usual shit.”

  “If that were the case, I wouldn’t tell you shit; I would let it all burn. But Daniels... the children in the ruins,” 17 swallowed hard, and his voice shook. Daniels could see the anguish in the man’s face. “I can’t let that happen to the children in this city. I’ve... it’s... Fuck, they are monsters, Daniels. All those people, just... all those people.”

  Daniels unclenched his jaw, and for the first time, he saw something almost... human, about 17.

  “Listen... I...”

  17’s voice lost all weakness. Rage replaced it. “Let me back out there. Let me track them down. I can do it. I can put a stop to this insanity. Arm me and let me out there. With a combat suit, I promise I will kill that bitch and every other member of those cultists.”

  The anger was wild in 17, and Daniels felt a hint of nervousness. He had seen 17 in combat a few times, he was fierce and powerful, but he wasn’t sure he had ever seen his eyes flare with white-hot rage before. Daniels saw a deep passion in him and recognized that passion in himself. He was certain at that moment that 17 had lost something o
r someone, that the ruins had reminded him of. 17 wanted vengeance, he was sure of it.

  “We both know you need to heal before we can even consider something like that. Besides, sending you out blind into the Barrens is no way to stop these assholes. I... have... some information as well...”

  Daniels looked into 17’s eyes for a moment. He searched for a reason to trust 17. His guts told him that this was a man he could trust, but his years in security and dealing with the Runnercore and 17, in particular, suggested that he revoke that trust. 17 deserved the truth, he deserved to know what was happening. If his information proved correct, 17 might have just saved the entire city from a terrible trap. The real question, of course, was convincing the Senate. For that, they needed more information, and for that, he needed 17. He might even have the Runner testify to the Senate.

  Only two Runners had ever testified before the Senate in the past, and they didn’t believe either. The Senate knew that many Runners were their enemies, and some of them held personal vendettas against either themselves or the government that had sentenced them to a life in a Runnercore. But if there was a trap, if there was a serious danger to the city, and Daniels was convinced there was, then they needed some other evidence.

  Daniels stood, went to the control panel for the alcove and paused 17’s submersion. Then he sat back down.

  “There have been some unusual events around here as well,” said Daniels.

  Daniels told 17 of the murder and the strange ritualistic paraphernalia surrounding the body. He told him of his testimony to the Senate and the heightened state of security. He mentioned that Senator Lightfoot had some knowledge of the Children of Gaia in history and so they did appear to be a real organization.

  When Daniels finished, neither of them spoke for a long few minutes.

  “You see, Daniels, the Children of Gaia are already here. They’re setting the trap. We have to stop them.”

  “We need more intel, the Senate won’t buy any of this based on the word of a Runner, and you know that.”

  “Then let me go get some.”

  “Not yet. Other things are happening. We just received a request for a vid screen meeting with Saud. It’s only a few hours away. After that meeting, I’ll know a lot more.”

  “There’s something else. I forgot to mention it before, but somehow it seems important too. The AI in my suit, it’s... well, it’s sentient,” said 17.

  Daniels shot a glance upward and stared deep into the lines and scars of 17’s face. “Something strange is happening with the city AI as well. None of the engineers have been able to figure out what’s going on.”

  “It’s alive, that’s what’s going on.”

  “It’s a machine; it can’t be alive. I’m sure it’s the Children of Gaia. They are messing with our computers.”

  Daniels ground his jaw again. This wasn’t some science fiction novel about machines; this was the real world. In the real world, AI could have intelligence to a great degree, but being self-aware is something else entirely; centuries of experiments had suggested that self-awareness was not possible in machines.

  “My AI saved my life, it helped me to combat that female Runner. Why in the world would the Children of Gaia want that?”

  “Maybe they want you to go back to the city. Maybe they want you to convince us there is some trap. Maybe they have something else in mind.”

  “You don’t spend much time out there, so you don’t know what it’s like. As much as that damn AI irritates the shit out of me, I respect it. It has saved me countless times. I don’t think this is something the Children of Gaia would want or expect. In so many ways, they are against technology. Their only desire to use it is to find ways to destroy us. Creating a fully aware Artificial Intelligence doesn’t seem in their best interest.”

  “You're assuming that the AI has become truly aware and it’s not some trick.”

  “I don’t know how you fake something like true awareness. Do you?”

  Daniels was silent. He thought back on his recent interactions with the AI. The only thing he knew for sure is that he didn’t trust the damn thing now. He had hated it before, but now there was a tinge of... what? Was it fear? No, it was just a damn machine. It couldn’t hurt anyone, but he knew that was a lie. The AI controlled an enormous portion of the city systems. Sure, people could do a lot manually, but that was assuming there were enough human beings trained in every single little task, and Daniel’s wasn’t sure that was the case anymore.

  Daniels stood and walked to the control panel.

  “I have some people monitoring everything the AI does. For now, we should only be concerned with the Children of Gaia. Look... I’ll come back and let you know what happens with the Senate. For now, get some rest and heal up. I have a feeling we’ll need you soon.”

  Daniels didn’t give 17 the chance to respond. He simply pressed the button to close the medical alcove, and 17’s body submerged in the fluid.

  Chapter 3

  The Door

  “No matter how many times you stare at it, it’s not going to open, you know.”

  Mimi turned and saw Serah standing a few meters down the long corridor. She turned back to the door and kicked it hard. The clash of the boots of her EnViro suit echoed down the old subway tunnel.

  “I don’t think kicking it will help either.”

  “Well, it makes me feel a little better.”

  Mimi reached out, tried to push past the door, tried to find one of the women of Nowhere, the ones who had been abducted by the Recycled.

  “Mimi...” Serah walked up closer, she was in a full combat-grade suit and loomed over Mimi’s much smaller recon-grade suit. “We don’t even know if they’re in there.”

  Mimi turned, “Dammit Serah, you saw the footage. It’s the same as 40 years ago. It’s happening all over again. The Recycled went through this door after attacking us and then back into hiding. We have to get in here. Don’t you understand?”

  “It’s not your fault, Mimi. You saved those women, how were you supposed to know the Recycled would come for them?”

  “Saved them? Saved them? Do you mean to tell me that being abducted by Recycled is saving someone? You know what they are doing to them in there; you know what happens behind these doors.”

  Serah moved closer and put her metallic hand on Mimi’s metallic shoulder. “Mimi, no one knows what goes on in there.”

  “We know what comes out, don’t we?”

  “And what if a whole army of those things come out? What if the door opens and there are hundreds of those things, and here you are, just standing here, by yourself?”

  “It’s a risk I’m willing to take. The answers are behind this door.”

  They had tried to open the door. Noatla had pulled every string she possibly could in the scholar school. She had said that there was something of great personal value behind the door and convinced several engineers and SOs to come and try and wrench it open. In the alleyway nearby, the entire Order had waited in case of an attack.

  When they queried the AI, it had asked: “What door?” As far as the AI was concerned, there was neither a door there, nor anything but an empty passageway beyond. It had only been three days since the women had disappeared, and Mimi was frustrated that even Serah had already given up. Shannon had pledged to stay with her in her EnViro suit, but her time had run up. She had to go back to her alcove for another two weeks or else it would trigger an alert, and it would be back to cold storage.

  “I’ve come down to... bring you back to the library.”

  “I’m not going. Not until this door opens and I know if those women are on the other side.”

  “Noatla has an assignment for you.”

  Mimi turned back to Serah. Her tone was sharper then she wanted. “Unless it has to do with figuring out how to get those women out, I don’t give a shit what Noatla wants.”

  Serah frowned. The low light of the old subway tunnel reflected off the surface of her helmet. “Mimi, we n
eed you. It’s your turn.”

  “For what? To train the princess again?”

  The lines on Serah’s face deepened. “You know this isn’t about Alexa. This is about your duty to us, to your sisters.”

  “But why me? Why do I have to be the one to train her?”

  Serah’s voice was calm, and Mimi noted it; Serah was usually the hot-headed one, usually the one who said what was on her mind. “I just spent four hours with her.”

  Four hours? How in the hell had Alexa gone four hours straight? The longest she had ever done in one session was three, and then she needed several hours of rest before she could even attempt to flex her mental muscles without fatigue.

  “If she just went four hours, how in the hell is she going to train again so soon?”

  “I don’t know, but Noatla says that if she’s up for it, we need to train her as much as possible. She needs to be ready when Miranda comes back. Noatla... she doesn’t think the timing of Saud showing up is an accident.”

  Mimi didn’t think so either. Noatla had told them everything she had heard in the Senate chambers, the murder of the engineer, the fall of Langeles and of course, Saud had arrived. Miranda’s attack of Alexa during her initiation and the abduction of the women of Nowhere couldn’t be a coincidence. Mimi had been around too long to ignore the connections, too long not to know that something big was coming, that maybe all of their lives and the lives of everyone in the city were held in the balance.

  It wasn’t lost on Mimi, or any of the other sisters, that Mex, an entire city, had once come under the control of Miranda. It was certainly possible that Saud was under her control. If it hadn’t been for Runner 17 doing whatever he did to disable Mex, Manhatsten would have been destroyed.

  Serah said, “She can’t possibly go for much longer. An hour, maybe two at most. Even Fatima, who probably has more stamina than any of us, has only ever done five hours of training in one day. After you tucker her out, you can come down here and brood at the door some more.”