Part 32 (2/2)

The lieutenant gave him an odd look. Bren realized it must be because his link was still off. He pointed at his head and flicked his finger away.

No link.

”There's no way out,” the lieutenant whispered. ”The Chinese have the entrance. Only our laser turret and a couple of marines are keeping them out for the moment.”

Bren felt a cold fear rise from his bowels and crush his heart. He'd thought of what it would be like in real combat a thousand times, but now it was real. A deadly killing machine, capable of defeating a.s.sAIL units, hunted him like a mouse in a maze. He couldn't leave the Vigilant to escape without being captured or shot by the Chinese.

What can I do?

He was trapped. And the big picture was equally grim. An AI out there had been running for way too long fighting powerful aliens and the Chinese, who threatened to seize a stars.h.i.+p that could tip the balance of world power in their favor, and now a deadly cyborg was hunting him down in the Vigilant.

Yet, Bren saw a solution.

The super-potent force of those nukes resting in Vigilant's spine could stop the AI, the Chinese, and the aliens.

”Do you know where the admiral is?” Bren asked quietly.

”He's dead. I'm sure of it. The Red came in and went straight for him. I don't know how it knew where to go, but it did.”

Bren nodded. Not surprising for a spinner, he thought. They'd had time to study human computer systems, and they possessed a superior technology.

”Cut your link and come with me,” Bren said with a renewed sense of certainty.

”Where?”

”The only person who can help us now is Lieutenant Jackson,” Bren said.

”Why?”

Bren knew better than to outline his suicidal plan. ”Trust me. Jackson would have been on the bridge. There's an armory there for the officers.”

The lieutenant frowned. ”Slicer went through the bridge. Everyone there is dead.”

Bren nodded. He thought Jackson might have had the presence of mind to grab some weapons and armor before retreating.

”He might have escaped to the ECM equipment room,” Bren suggested. ”He likes to tinker with the hardware from time to time.”

The lieutenant nodded. Bren led the way. They moved quickly but quietly down a short corridor and then through a marine prep room. Bren felt even more helpless, more fearful, without his link.

He hoped he could remember the way without consulting the map services.

Only two more corridors. But if Slicer catches us in the open, we'll be dead in seconds. Or less.

Bren opened another door with his hand. The manual mechanism felt awkward. He glanced out into the corridor. Two human bodies lay sprawled on the deck.

One was female.

Bren froze. Was it Nicole? For some reason his mind had raced to the conclusion that it was her. He studied the p.r.o.ne form. It wasn't her hair. The body shape wasn't quite right. He felt immense relief.

Such an irrational fear, considering what you're planning.

Bren steeled himself and moved quickly down the corridor. The soft footsteps of the lieutenant padded along behind him. Bren slowed to peek to his left and right at the first intersection. Nothing. He turned left and snuck another twenty meters.

”This is it,” Bren whispered. He glimpsed behind him.

No one was there.

A scream ripped out from somewhere nearby. Less than fifty meters away, Bren thought.

”Frick! Jesus!” he said, immediately regretting his outburst. Bren pushed down an animal panic let loose by the unexpected disappearance of the junior officer and the scream.

You've got lousy survival instincts.

Bren thought of his goal again. He leaned against the heavy access door. He'd have to either pop the manual access plate or turn his link on to open it.

He activated his link, opened the door, and slipped into the room. Tall banks of electromagnetic effectors sat in rows like the skysc.r.a.pers of an orderly city. Bren ran past a couple rows and then dodged in trying to find cover.

His heart sank when he saw a p.r.o.ne man. He rushed up to the body, eyes wide, waiting to see if it was Jackson.

The blood lay thick on the deck. Jackson looked up at Bren, a look of bewilderment and pain on his face.

”s.h.i.+t. Jackson. You're alive,” Bren stuttered.

Jackson opened his mouth. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

”It ... cut me,” he said. ”I don't know how. Didn't even ... touch me.”

”I know. The molecular cutters. Same thing they use on the a.s.sAIL armor before they hit it with a projectile.”

”d.a.m.n.” Jackson coughed up more blood. His whole body shook.

He's not going to live long.

”Jackson, this is important. Tell me the codes,” Bren demanded.

Jackson breathed heavily and erratically.

”What?”

”The codes. I'm blowing us all to kingdom come. Tell me the codes!”

”Ah ...” Jackson burst out as if in pain. Then he closed his eyes.

”No! No you can't die yet!” Bren urged.

Bren received a pointer in his link.

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