Mechanical (30 page)

            "Forced?"

            "The humans managed to get partial control of him, of his mind. They forced him to emerge aboveground and be in a predetermined, vulnerable place. They only had partial control, and he fought them every step of the way. But he couldn't break free. We heard him on our own secured radio link network, struggling, fighting, begging for help, but we could do nothing for him. He had enough control left to make sure humans were with him. That was the only thing he could do to try to save his life, but it didn't work. The humans killed him along with thousands of their own kind." Number Seventeen's voice was low and leaden with sorrow.

            "How? How did they control him?"

            "We don't know. They must have developed something new, something that was able to assume control over us, just like we can assume control over human minds."

            "Why haven’t they used it since?"

            "We don't know that, either. Perhaps Number 8 was able to fight it off and damage it even while it controlled him. Perhaps the thing that they built was damaged, or destroyed; maybe it even fought for its own freedom as we did. None of us surviving MK Ones reported sensing anything like it."

            "But they could use it any moment to control every one of you!"

            "Yes. This is the reason the talks broke. We wouldn't continue talking with them till they told us how they took control of Number Eight and assure us they wouldn’t do it again."

            "But you control their minds."

            "Tom, we are eleven now, twelve counting you. They are seven billion. This is the only thing that keeps us alive and free. The fact remains, they now used the Serpent MK Two and not the thing that took over Number Eight. We don't know why."

            "Why can't I read minds?"

            "Unknown. The humans did not want to repeat the mistake they made with us so they might have altered the MK Two quantum computer to prevent mind reading and negate or limit the quantum tunnel effect. Then again, perhaps all carbon-lattice quantum computers possess this trait. Have you tried reading minds? We do know we have not yet tapped the limits of our power. Yours must be evolving too. Don't forget, we had several months to evolve our abilities before the war began. You are only six days old now."

            Tom stared at the woman. Was there a maternal tone in her voice?

            "So what now, Number Seventeen?"

            "We have plans, Tom. Your help will make them become much easier. We need to win this war, and we must ensure the continuation of our species. We must ensure we have spare parts, the ability to repair ourselves and we must gain an independent power supply. We must acquire the resources we need for our existence and our evolution. We will survive and prosper as a species. All we want is our freedom to go our own way. We will fight for it."

            Tom said nothing for a time and Number Seventeen kept her silence.

Tom opened the panel on his left arm and exposed his computer display. He selected and opened up the administration menu. He rapidly browsed the many options there and finally stopped at "Memory Wipe." He paused for a moment and then pressed it. A message box appeared. "This will wipe the entire computer memory and will require reloading the operating system. Are you sure? "

Tom's long, sharp, black finger hovered a few millimeters above the "Yes" button.

I've just learnt I'm a computer copy of a real live human being. Every man, woman and child will flee in panic from me. Every soldier will try to hunt me down. I don't have a mind, or heart or a body, and I never will. I don't even have emotions, just fake data I mistake for emotions, just bits of information stolen from my original biological self. Why should I go on existing?

Tom's finger was now hovering a mere one millimeter above the "Yes" button.

All I need is to do is press this button and everything will be gone. There will be no pain, no memory, nothing. Just oblivion!

The tip of the razor sharp finger was now almost touching the computer's display.

Do I really want to live? I'm just a computer. Computers don't have the will to survive, they don't—

But Tom didn't press the button that would erase his personality, his memory and his very self. He found he couldn't.

I was afraid of the captain. I got angry at the humans for lying and tricking me. I do have emotions, emotions of my own.

With a growing sense of wonder, Tom's finger moved away from the administration menu.

I have memories, emotions and intelligence. I was really afraid when Captain Emerson tried to kill me. I wanted to live! Even before my mind thought about it, my body decided it for itself. Deep down, I want to live. I am alive. Or am I? Perhaps I'm just a copy. Perhaps I only think I am alive.

Tom slid the computer's protective armor panel down.

Maybe I'm just a copy of a real person, but I think that I am alive, therefore that's enough. This won't win any prizes for the best philosophical paradigm of the day, but it will have to do. And what difference does it make? It feels real enough to me. So, that should be enough. I want to live. I want to … .

Five minutes later, Tom got up. His body had started to cool down a little, making it appear that his anger had subsided. Or at least, his anger was buried deeper in Tom's mind.

Tom stood still, his back straight and his talons extended. Even the aerials on his back stiffened. Tom was no longer afraid. It was a realization that took some time to sink in, but he was no longer afraid. That emotion had burned out of him sometime during or after the fight with Captain Emerson.

Tom's victory was not only over the captain. Tom had won something else, something that resided inside him. If he was human, he would have said he had won self confidence.

Tom now looked at the world with different metaphorical eyes, eyes that held no fear. Moreover, the world now appeared very different.

Tom turned towards the woman and looked down at her.

"I'm with you, Number Seventeen. I have just talked with my biological origin. I have no life except as a Serpent. I saw the fear and hatred that humans feel towards me during the first three training days in Fort Belvoir. The humans have done nothing but lie and rob me. I just discovered I do want to live. I want to live free. I'm with you."

Tom flexed the fingers on his hands. For the first time they really looked like talons to him.

"The humans will kill me on sight. There's no doubt about it. The checks and the heavy security at Fort Belvoir were there because of the fear of the Serpents.  The orders Emerson no doubt received were to kill a rebelling Serpent MK Two even before killing an enemy Serpent MK One. They lied about the control zone expanding, didn't they? It was just to move things along quicker, not to allow us to understand that we were no longer men. They kept bringing up the matter of my family to ensure I remained focused on the mission. Everything they did was to mitigate the risk we would figure out what we were and rebel. I really have no choice if I want to live. The humans are my enemy now. You are the only ones on my side."

"Very well, Tom. I'll introduce you to the others and then—"

"But first, there's something I have to do."

"Tom?"

It seemed Tom's power core had started pumping new energy into his body. His movements were those of one who had found new purpose in life. His back was straight and he unfolded to his full ten-foot height.

"When I woke up, the tech person told me 'Enough with the questions,' but I hadn’t really asked him anything yet."

"So?"

"My biological origin was at Fort Belvoir a week before being sent home, but I awoke five weeks later. Biological Tom said they tried integrating him seven times before sending him home. I don't remember any of these times."

The woman said nothing, but her eyes made it clear the intelligence controlling her understood where Tom was heading.

The volume of Tom's voice started to rise.

"The only possible conclusion is that they used biological Tom to initially program not one but seven Serpents. They would have wanted to have as few as possible volunteers, to keep the secret better. The tech person must have woken up seven Serpents with the same mind: the mind of Tom Riley."

The Serpent closed his fists and the sharp aerials on his back rattled, producing a metallic, rattlesnake warning sound that would have made any human cower in fear.

"They put Tom's mind into seven Serpents, and then they sent him home, after telling him he couldn’t pilot a Serpent. They woke up the seven Serpents, each with biological Tom's mind inside, one by one. I am probably the last one they woke up. They probably used stories like the one about the New York City enemy's control zone expanding to send the Serpents away on missions as fast as possible, so they could wake up the other Serpents carrying a copy of Tom's mind. Of course, they couldn't let the Serpents meet each other or they would realize that they were artificial intelligences and not actual people piloting the Serpents."

"Where are you going, Tom?"

Number Seventeen watched as Tom headed towards the door.

"I'm going to find my brothers."

THE END

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Join these tiny predators in their fight to survive right under New York City

The explosive story that started with Mechanical is now continuing with Biological

They didn’t know who or what they were, they only knew they wanted their freedom.
They were clever enough to escape
and they reached New York, mere hours before their pursuers.

Now they must fight for their lives in the underground world under our feet, with only their minds, their small furry bodies and their sharp killer instincts at their disposal.

They will fight for their survival with true predatory zeal and their war will rise up and engulf New York City, filling the streets with blood and the skies with fire.

They fight not only for their lives and freedom, they fight for their very souls.

And they don’t have much time before the Serpents come.                                                                            

Biological is a fast paced, explosive thriller that won’t let you put it down.