Skirmish (The Stork Tower Book 8) Read online

  “I went to a party in the multiverse where Meredith’s son tried to take control of me using the malware you’ve all heard about. With the compromised features and the additional security, Gèng was able to contact V-Sec. It was then that Meredith tried to grab me to make me drop charges against Jackson. I met with her in Cosmos Online, and that’s when I picked her guard’s pocket and stole a ship which had some data she wanted.

  “To get the information back from me, they kidnapped Mum. One of the security AI I’d met was very helpful and was going to send a human agent to help. The agent was killed by the people who kidnapped dad and me on the orders of the Kodomans. At the time, neither the government nor V-Sec would do anything to help. Instead, they archived the AI who had been trying to help me. I broke into the Secure V-Sec vault to steal the archived copy of the AI, and while I was there, I stumbled on a separate secure vault inside the World Bank. What I found is the reason I want you to rethink the actions you want to take. I’d prefer that you work with me.

  “Before we get into that, you know most of the rest. We rescued Mum, but she had had a bomb placed in her head and the switch hidden in Survival. All the help I had to get through the world was to find that switch. It was Meredith who got so angry at not getting the data back who gave the order to have me shot. In the end, Meredith and Nathan arranged for my kidnapping just so they could kill me. I suspect they needed to reassure the others in their group that they were in control.

  “Now, I mention a group because, from everything I have found out, there is a group of powerful and very wealthy people who use the AI and PAI chips to keep over a quarter of a billion people as their slaves. I believe they also have some control over various world governments. If I’m reading things correctly, I think the Australian government is basically a puppet controlled by these people.

  “The proof of all this is in the vault. When Meredith Kodoman had her third child back in 2055, she took a break from the multiverse and the person who came back after the short break wasn’t her. Instead, the real Meredith Kodoman has been kept in a sort of induced coma since then. She is revived every three months for a physical. Through her chip, she spends all her time in a locked virtual apartment in a cyber vault within the World Bank. Next to her is a man by the name of Leo Barnsworth, who was replaced in 2063, and the third is Abimbola Adebowale, who was imprisoned in 2068. All three were replaced because they opposed the ongoing enslavement of the poor and unseen masses who use the multiverse.

  “I’ve been working on plans to simultaneously free all three of them during the New Year celebrations and then make it public in such a way as it can’t be swept aside. There are few things still to organise, but I need time to set them free before doing anything to the Kodomans. If either of the Kodomans is killed, they’ll have plans in place to destroy all the evidence. If I take what I have to the authorities then I’ll be killed, as will anyone they think I’ve told. If I release the evidence publicly, it would never stand up in a court of law, and again, people will die. I need five days.”

  “M☇: How do you know it is the real Meredith?”

  “I broke into the World Bank this morning and talked with her.”

  “L: You broke into the World Bank this morning?”

  “Yes, Mama, but I didn’t steal anything.”

  Although Leah could sense it. Three still sent the message, “3: They are all laughing.”

  “J☼: I don’t think you’ll have five days. You’re big news in the Switch, and people have services which send them anything on you that is newsworthy. My AI says some people are already out on the street telling their neighbours. There will be riots before morning.”

  “I know, but the truth is that no matter how bad it gets, the multiverse will simply keep ticking. It might be news here, but most people will simply lock their doors and ignore it.”

  “J☼: It won’t stop here. Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, they’ll all have riots, and the authorities will intervene. They will intervene physically and in force.”

  “Yes, but they won’t cut access to the multiverse. It’s only by controlling the narrative to the middle and upper classes that they have a hope of keeping power. They need to paint the negative-tax people as the aggressors.”

  “L≋: You know that people on both sides will be expecting you to get involved and then the authorities can, and will, cut your access.”

  “Only if I give them something concrete to act on. That’s why I’d like you to help keep me, and Guàn Enterprises, from being visibly involved in whatever happens. I need to be free, not only to put the plans in place but to change the way the more affluent parts of our society view what is happening. Revelations about what the government has done as it affects them will do more to change their minds than any amount of information about the difficulties of being a negative-tax slave.”

  “D☼: That’s pretty cynical, Leah.”

  “J☼: Come on, Michael, you know she’s right.”

  “D☼: Of course, she’s right. It’s just that my Celtic blood is boiling and I don’t really do logic all that well when I’m mad.”

  “L: Never has he said a truer word. When he gets like this, I have to hide his kilt and his blue face paint. If I didn’t, he’d be running around without underpants and yelling, ‘Freedom’, at the top of his voice. There are times I truly hate that old movie.”

  “M☇: Joel and I will hold off at least till we talk with Jimmy. I’m pretty sure he knows most of this, and if he doesn’t, then you’ll be telling him. Jimmy was there for us, and in many ways, he’s more my father than anybody else has ever been. If he says to wait, then we will.”

  Joel nodded as did most of the others. John didn’t because he was already on board. The other one who didn’t nod was Lin. Leah looked over and said, “Mum?”

  Lin shook her head and sighed then said, “L: Of course I’ll try and keep you out of it. You’ve been shot, kidnapped and almost killed. I’m just scared that the next time I might lose you. My problem is, I know you. Can you promise what you plan to do is less dangerous than being involved in nationwide riots, which we all know the government will come out in force to shut down?”

  Leah shook her head as she said, “No.”

  Before her mother could respond, Gèng interrupted, “4: Leah, John, the security alarms have been triggered. Inbound figures on foot. Their path shows they’re likely to miss the property by a kilometre. They’re headed for the Switch. I suggest they are an advanced unit to support a broader suppression force. Someone is thinking ahead.”

  “J☼: How are they outfitted?”

  “4: Full body armour, fully automatic weapons, grenades, and anti-detection drones.”

  “D☼: Sorry to intrude, but how did you pick them up?”

  “J☼: We have hardwired passive sensors out to two kilometres.”

  “D☼: Is that legal?”

  “No, but I didn’t like being shot, and John made some suggestions. We worked with Jimmy and have sensors covering the entire Switch. Gèng, have any of the other sensors been tripped?”

  “4: Not conclusively, but if I was to consider indications we’d normally dismiss I suspect there is another group heading for the Meatworks and the squatters down there. A third group is possibly coming in toward the Switch through Dinmore.”

  “John, are we locked down?”

  “J☼: Yes, but I’m not comfortable staying out of something this blatant.”

  “Me neither, make sure Jimmy knows. How many have armour like yours?”

  “J☼: Um, … How did you know about that?”

  “4: John, I am all-seeing.”

  “J☼: I kept you out of the loop.”

  “4: What you mean is you tried to keep me out of the loop. Reed has taught me more than you realise. Don’t worry, I plugged the holes but left myself a backdoor. Leah, not counting your parents, everyone here has armour along with ten others.”

  “Are any of them the snitch?”

  “4: Ther
e is nothing to suggest that.”

  “OK, John, I’ll meet you and the others in the training room in five minutes. Full armour and loaded weapons. Mum, Dad, please keep everyone else on-site, no matter what happens.”

  Leah didn’t wait for any replies but had Three disconnect the feed from the others. She took a few breaths then logged out.

  2

  December 27, 2073

  REAL WORLD

  No one was in the room when Leah’s Pod opened, but she could sense someone just outside the door as Three used the house sensors to imprint details on Leah’s skin. After a brief shower, Leah put on a robe and was headed for the door to get help when Gèng said, “4: Leah, most of your armour is hanging in the cupboard, the rest is in the third drawer.”

  After thanking Gèng, Leah dressed in the skin-tight armour, then carrying her helmet she headed for the training room. Nicole was standing guard outside the door, and while she didn’t seem surprised when Leah appeared she did ask, “N: Leah, are you going out? Where to?”

  “The main workout area.”

  Leah was sure Nicole had other questions by her slowness in catching up, but there was no time to explain. Even with her disabilities, Leah beat everyone to the room except John, Johan, Lacey and Marie. Leah walked straight over to John and asked, “Where are my weapons? I didn’t need them at the hospital, but I will today.”

  “J☼: I’d prefer it if you stayed here.”

  “That’s not going to happen. Gèng’s firmed up on the numbers. It looks like two groups of seventeen heading toward the Switch and one group of eight heading for the Meatworks. They have no clear markings and a mix of weapons so either they aren’t regular army or police or they’re pretending not to be. I suspect they are here to cause mayhem and therefore force an official crackdown on the negative-tax community. Did you get the word out to other communities?”

  “J☼: I sent word to people I know, and so did Jimmy. He’s alerted the main areas of Switch and parents have been told to keep kids indoors or to take them to one of the churches. I’ve got Jen sending him updates as we find out more information.”

  “What about the Meatworks?”

  “J☼: Jimmy sent a runner, but he’s pretty sure they don’t have a plan for this. They are too disorganised. Word is that they’d heard about the broadcast and some of those who’d been drinking were already headed into the city to show their discontent.”

  “Smash, loot and burn?”

  “J☼: Yep.”

  “We need to stop this. Weapons, please.”

  John nodded and walked into his office to get the duffel where he’d been storing Leah’s knives and sticks. He also handed her several high-energy bars and a range of supplements. Leah swallowed the tablets, and then as she ate one of the bars, she began slotting the knives in place. As she was finishing, Michael walked into the training area. As he headed in her direction, he walked past Johan who was handing out firearms from a hidden space under the weights area. Michael looked hard at Leah and said, “D☼: Really, Leah, guns?”

  Leah didn’t turn to face him but stopped what she was doing for a second to type a reply. “Yes, Dad, guns. There are over forty heavily armed people approaching the Switch and the Meatworks. They aren’t announcing themselves, and they have no identification that we can see. If we don’t stop them, then people will die. You and I both know that the Switch will be blamed for the deaths. Jimmy has plans in place, and with John leading these guys, the people attacking will be caught napping. They are going to be shooting at our neighbours and friends. We can’t stop them with sticks.”

  “D☼: How do you know what Jimmy has planned?”

  “Dad, I was one of his ‘boys’, remember. I’ve the colours to prove it. We trained for this.”

  “D☼: With guns?”

  “Yes.”

  “D☼: What do you mean, ‘with John leading these guys’? Where will you be?”

  “Dealing with the ones headed for the Meatworks.”

  “J☼: Whoa, Leah, no! You are staying with me. When we’ve dealt with the ones heading to the Switch, we’ll get the others.”

  “You’ll be too late, and you know it. Stop arguing and get organised. Gèng estimates both groups will be in a position to attack in ten minutes. Either way, it’ll be over at the Meatworks before you get there.”

  Before either John or her father could respond, Leah headed to Johan. She collected two semi-automatic pistols with six additional magazines. They were Smith and Wesson 1911 Smart Assist AIPro 9mm ten shot pistols loaded with SA9mm twenty-millimetre APFSDS tri-shot needles. The rounds were military-grade and highly illegal. Jimmy had ‘acquired’ some as part of his payment from the mafia. While Leah was adding these to the outside of her armour, Gèng sent an update. “4: Feed from a high definition passive sensor suggests the intruders have a green ‘infinity’ tattoo above their right eye.”

  Leah said, “John, Gèng says they are all marked as working for Boss Hollows over in Booval.”

  Leah felt Nicole’s head swivel to stare at her. John said, “J☼: I doubt it. It’s more likely a ruse to give the authorities a reason to clamp down hard on the gangs.”

  “It also means they’ll have no qualms about spilling blood. We need to move faster.”

  Turning to Nicole, she said, “Contact your uncle and explain what is happening. He should be wary of people claiming to be from Jimmy or another Boss.”

  Turning back to John, she fixed the two sections of her helmet in place then said, “We have to go.”

  Nodding, he said, “J☼: The tunnel goes straight towards the Switch. If you use it, you’ll come out behind the group that passed us here but on the left flank of the team coming in through Dinmore. You’ll need to backtrack a bit to get behind them.”

  Leah nodded then turned to follow John as he led the way to one of the corner rooms where he’d arranged to have a tunnel dug so they could move things to and from the compound secretly. As they approached the opening to the tunnel, Leah moved ahead of John but slowed as he grabbed her and said, “J☼: Leah, what are the rules of engagement?”

  “It depends on what you find, but I expect it will include using lethal force if necessary. I can’t see any way around that.”

  “J☼: Me neither, be careful.”

  With that, Leah accelerated her perceptions to full, and leaning forward she used all the additional strength from her enhanced muscles to propel herself down the tunnel. Before John could blink, Leah had entered the tunnel and disappeared.

  As Leah raced down the tunnel, Three added additional information to Leah’s sensations beyond that applied by the armour. It added information from the full array of sources that Gèng was filtering through to it from her connection to the Pod facility’s security network and from Jimmy’s. Leah was used to dealing with this sort of information from her time on Grah and in Dunyanin, and she let her subconscious mind flesh out the details.

  Leah slid to a stop at the end of the tunnel, then she entered her code to open the exit before leaping up the ladder and out into the open. She knew there was nobody near the tunnel exit, so she hadn’t stopped to reconnoitre the area. With the image Three was forming, Leah could see clearly for several hundred metres in each direction as well as knowing roughly where each of the enemy were, within a kilometre of her position. Leah started to move behind the figure to her east when Three said, “Several of those near the Meatworks have begun shooting into the buildings from cover; snipers.”

  The Meatworks was two-and-a-half kilometres away in a straight line. Leah changed direction instantly and headed directly toward it. Using information from Gèng, Three began overlaying a suggested path for Leah to take. With her perceptions at maximum, Leah had no difficulty putting her feet where Gèng suggested and pushing off at the angles indicated. Gèng was carefully choosing a path which optimised the angle of impact to give Leah the best possible forward acceleration.

  As Leah approached the first of several intruders
who were in her path, she palmed one of her knives and threw it underhand to hit them on the inside of their lower right knee. The tempered blade penetrated the joint, slicing through both the medial and lateral ligaments before the slim handle lodged firmly in the joint. Leah leapt over the toppling form, then palming her pistols she leapt higher than Gèng indicated and instead set herself up for a full rotation in the air. As she made the turn, she fired all ten shots from each firearm.

  The smart-assist pistol took note of Leah’s intended targets and calculated the expected trajectory. It took account of factors like humidity, temperature and wind velocity using the various sensors at its disposal. It then made minute adjustments before downloading the flight plan to the SA9mm round. Each round had tiny vanes which its onboard AI used to keep the round aimed at the target. This was especially useful when its flight path was affected by unexpected micro-changes in temperature, humidity, wind or barometric pressure. As they approached a solid object, the vanes disconnected, and the rounds separated into three armour-piercing needles.

  Four of Leah’s bullets took out two anti-detection drones and the other sixteen impacted on knee and elbow joints of four intruders. By the third successive impact, the armour of over each joint was weakened enough for the final shot to tear the joint apart. By the time Leah landed, Gèng had revised the path and Three had updated it on the image Leah’s body had built up. Twice more Leah deviated from the course so she could deal with intruders near her. Both times she was just as effective although, on her second deviation, two of the intruders had turned in her direction and managed to hit her several times. Her armour was effective at stopping the bullets, but each time her image deteriorated slightly until Three was able to adapt the signals to account for the damaged sensors and bruised flesh. Altogether, it took her just under two minutes to run the two and a half kilometres.