Skirmish (The Stork Tower Book 8) Read online

As she approached the Meatworks, she detected two of the intruders further back from the others. These two were using sniper rifles to keep people bottled in the buildings as the rest of their team advanced. Leah could see bodies lying around the edge of the buildings—some were too small to be adults. Her aim shifted slightly, and she sent three rounds into the back of the neck of the sniper closest her, just below the edge of their helmet.

  Pushing off her right foot, she changed directions and headed for the second sniper who was just turning to look toward the person she’d already shot. As she leapt towards them, Leah fired eight shots, two for each of the drones within range. As she landed, Leah threw one of her knives and letting her legs slide out from under her, she slid under the sniper’s swinging rifle and left a knife embedded in their neck.

  Coming to her feet, she moved to her left following Gèng’s path. Leah could sense that each of the intruders was now focussed on the area near where the second sniper had been. Gèng had anticipated this and her path took Leah west of the invader’s positions before angling back to the northeast toward the centre of the three intruders on this side of the Meatworks.

  Fifteen seconds later and all three were disabled. Two had both their knees shot out, and the third had been rendered unconscious by several blows on the helmet from Leah’s fighting sticks. As Leah stepped toward the final three Gèng said, “4: They are retreating.”

  Leah slowed fractionally and said, “They need to disappear. Ask John to collect everything. I don’t want the authorities to be able to find anything.”

  “4: They’ll have satellite imagery.”

  “Yes, but I doubt they’ll release that.”

  As she approached the three retreating intruders, Leah was hit several times and then sensed one of them throw something in her direction. Leah pushed off hard from her next step, throwing herself ten metres into the air. Almost directly beneath her, and less than a metre off the ground, a grenade exploded, and Leah felt the image provided by her suit disappear from her chest down.

  As Leah hurtled toward the ground, she was glad for the partial data provided by Three; otherwise, she wouldn’t have known where the ground was. As her feet touched the ground, she let her legs absorb the impact then raced after the intruders. As she did Gèng said, “4: That was an EMP grenade. The armour will protect your chip, but the AI in the pistols and the outer layer of sensors below the waist aren’t functioning.”

  Not answering, Leah was almost at the three intruders as one of them turned and raised their weapon. Leah fired four shots at their shoulders before knocking them out with one of her sticks. The remaining two had also turned to fire at her, but she was too close, and even though they got off several shots, none hit her. In return, one had his knee blown out from a thrown knife, and the other suffered a broken arm and concussion from Leah’s fighting sticks.

  Leah used her stick to knock out the one with the blown knee and then lifting one on each shoulder she carried them back to the one whose shoulder she’d destroyed. Once there, she left all three in a pile and said, “Three, do the others need any help?”

  “3: No, almost all the intruders are accounted for. John has started collecting them and looking for evidence. He wants you to head back to the Pod compound. Kevin and the other healers are making their way to the Meatworks.”

  “OK, I’ll head back towards the tunnel.”

  “3: Gèng contacted Dr Ellis and said you may be late. Dr Ellis said to come when you are free. Gèng suggested you hurry as it may help give a partial alibi.”

  Leah increased her pace to maximum and was soon climbing out of the tunnel and into the training area. She was surprised to see her mother there with someone. Before Leah could respond, her mother held out a robe and said, “L: Leah, change! I checked with Aker, Priya here will be able to wear your armour. She’s going to head back out and be seen while you get in the Pod. John is sending Lacey back to look after her. Your armour is slightly different from the others, and it may be singled out.”

  Leah needed help to get out of the armour and then was waved away as Lin helped Priya wriggle into the armour. Priya was one of the girls from the Switch who helped in the kitchen. As Leah tightened the robe, she started toward her Pod, directed by sensations from Three. She stepped into the shower briefly, then got into the Pod.

  3

  December 27, 2073

  ACADEMIA - EDUCATIONAL PORTAL WORLD

  As soon as Leah arrived in the Tower, she realised she was in the portal area with access to Academia. Without waiting, she stepped through into Dr Ellis’ laboratory. Dr Ellis was waiting next to a large board and working on several equations. When he saw Leah, he put down the stylus he was writing with and came toward her. As he approached, he slowed and said, “T: I am so sorry for what happened to you.”

  Leah smiled and said, “Thank you. I’m sorry for being late.”

  “T: That’s fine. Gèng said you were busy.”

  “Yes, armed people were passing by the building in which I live. It looked like gang members heading towards the Switch. There was sporadic fighting, but once it died down, I decided it was safe enough to leave the small bunker in the building and to come here. I’m sure I’ll get a briefing when I return. What have I missed?”

  “T: You didn’t miss much, really. It took Ellen and me most of the week to work through even the basic implications of what you wrote on the board and then it was Christmas. Since this morning, I’ve been working on a physical setup to test the theory.”

  “What would you like me to do?”

  “T: Well, unless you have something else to add, you can work on how to place the emitters to form the fields that we need for one of the bound aether dimensions.”

  Thomas felt, more than saw, the slight hesitation then said, “T: You’ve had another insight. Is it something Ellen might appreciate?”

  Leah nodded, and Thomas said, “T: Hold that thought. Ellen asked me to let her know if we were moving into new areas.”

  As Thomas messaged Ellen, Leah ran through the new insights she’d had when considering the Sceptre she’d constructed. It wasn’t long before Ellen arrived. She walked straight up to Leah and took her by the shoulders, then stared into her face. After a moment, she brought Leah in for a hug then said, “E: If you need anything, you let me know.”

  Leah hugged her back briefly, then said, “I will. How is Ahyoka’s thesis going?”

  “E: She’s had to rework most of it, but it will be outstanding. Have you had a chance to work through the material?”

  “Most of it. It’s not as easy when I have to read it in braille. I was scared for a bit that the damage to my brain may have caused problems with my memories, but they seem intact for now. I did have another thought, though. It was something I’d been thinking about when considering the quaternary braids. Although it is outside the scope of my studies, I was examining the spaces between various tertiary cords. While the quaternary equations explain most of the current dissonance between tertiary theories, it seemed that they didn’t explain sufficiently the necessary cohesion between the tertiary cords. This led to the possibility of either a second level of quaternary equations or a deeper quinary level braid.

  “I’d already given thought to creating bounded aether dimensions in the infinite number of spaces between the tertiary cords located within our space-time continuum. I suspect dimensions in those space will be possible pathways for FTL movement between two distinct locations in this universe. I’d considered using hyper-cylinders, then Dr Ellis and I noted the possible chirality of aether dimensions. My hypothesis is that a long-term stable aether-dimension will always be in flux and created in the form of a five-dimensional Klein bottle.”

  Neither Ellen nor Thomas seemed to move, so Leah continued. “What I need to do is develop a better theoretical model of the interplay between chirality and spatial location so I can predict with greater accuracy the form the dimension takes. What I think is …”

  Leah stoppe
d as Ellen had reached out a hand and placed it on Leah’s hand that was typing her words. After staring at Leah for a few seconds, Ellen said, “E: Not here, not now. We need to get a much stronger NDA in place for your studies. This is well beyond the terms of your research, and you need to consider your options. Do you have lawyers you trust? Someone who could arrange a patent lawyer for you?”

  Leah took a step back and said, “I know a good lawyer, and I have a patent lawyer who was vetted by people I trust.”

  “E: Good. Then, as your supervisor, I want to caution you that your discussion is beyond the scope of studies here at MIT, either in quantum packaging or aether dimensions. For the sake of a clear understanding of intellectual property ownership, I suggest we arrange for a more detailed non-disclosure contract between you and the university. One that gives clear guidance on proprietary rights.”

  Thomas was nodding, and he said, “T: I fully support Dr Whitfield’s suggestions. In addition, I refer to her previous suggestion concerning your thesis. Your practical contribution to aether dimensions has exceeded my expectations. I would like you to write up the various suggestions you have had so far and provide supporting evidence. I note you missed the start of the Experimental Design and Implementation course due to illness. I will make a submission from your work with me that full credit should be given for the course.”

  Leah moved her head to face each of them, then said, “I can’t see you properly to see what’s in your eyes, but I don’t want to lose your input.”

  Ellen stepped forward and placing her hands on Leah’s shoulders, said, “E: You won’t. As colleagues, we can discuss anything we want to and help each other even more. What we want is for you to have the appropriate recognition. Both of us learned early in our careers that if we wanted to control how we did research, then we needed to control our own narrative. We want you to have the same options, and we no longer trust academia or government to make full use of each new advancement. What you were discussing is earth-shattering and a game-changer. I had some idea of where we were heading but never in my dreams thought you would advance so quickly. Don’t think this is just for you. Thomas and I have had a part to play, and we don’t want to be shut out either.”

  For the next twenty minutes, the three discussed Leah’s theses and what should be included. Both Ellen and Thomas also sent Leah the contact information for their personal lawyers. Still stunned by the discussion, Leah left Academia for the Tower.

  STORK TOWER

  Leah had just sat down in her favourite chair when Three said, “3: Leah, John wanted a few minutes of your time before you did anything else.”

  “OK, please have him come up here.”

  While she waited, Leah began sorting through her messages. One was from Stephen confirming he’d reached an agreement with Danika Dufault. Leah read the final contract and signed it before sending it back to Stephen. She’d also received a message from Danika suggesting Leah have another lesson as soon as possible. Leah replied saying she had a meeting, and then she would come.

  Leah was keen to begin working on her thesis, but knew she needed a time when she would not be interrupted. Instead, she spent some time reading and responding to the various reports from Leon, Peter, and Marianne. As she felt John approach, she received a message from Captain Mary Hobbert asking for Leah to meet with her and her commanding officer. Leah quickly sent a note to Three to arrange a time in consultation with Gianna.

  John sat and said, “J☼: The Switch had no casualties. Johan was wounded, as were Keith and Bekkah. At the Meatworks, eight were killed and four wounded. Of the thirty-four headed for the Switch, you took out nine, all of them will live. Twelve of the others were killed and the rest captured. Of the eight heading for the Meatworks, there were two dead, and six captured alive. We hardly had time to clean up before the cops arrived with over two hundred heavily armed riot police.

  “Believe it or not, but Father Andrew met the police and asked why they were there. They said they’d heard that rival gangs had been fighting and shots had been fired. Father Andrew told them he’d not heard a single shot fired that evening by any gangs. I’m glad you killed the snipers at the Meatworks; otherwise, we would have had a riot on our hands. Three of those who were killed were kids who were shot along with their mothers. One of them had a sibling who’s still alive, and your mother is arranging something for her.

  “Kevin is operating on one of the other survivors as we speak. The attackers were all ex-military and part of a mercenary group doing odd jobs for the government. Usually, they wear state-of-the-art equipment which would have made things more difficult, but they’d been briefed that we were unarmed and they needed it to look gang-related. The police are still on the road to the Switch and are looking around for clues. I wasn’t sure exactly what you wanted, but Jimmy has taken all the captives, and I agreed. He’s been in discussions with Kieran over in Booval, and they’ve agreed to help house and question them. Nicole obviously shared your words with her uncle, and he’s acting like he’s your new number one fan.”

  “How did Priya do?”

  “J☼: She’s got a serious crush on you and being asked to be your double was the highlight of her life. The armour was built for you and no one who knew you were there noticed it wasn’t you. In fact, everyone who saw Priya still thinks it was you. They can’t imagine anyone else using a closed in and armoured helmet. Just as well the top two feet were still working though. Aker had to do some on the spot programming so Priya could see out of the helmet. What happened?”

  “EMP grenade.”

  “J☼: Aker thought it was something like that and she’s already ordered more of the sensor dots.”

  “I may not need as many. Three can help with providing an image.”

  “J☼: Are the dots better?”

  “Yes.”

  “J☼: Then we’ll get some more. I told Jimmy to be very careful not to agree in any way that you were there. Priya isn’t going to say anything and neither will any of those on the team. Regardless of that, there is already a rumour that you stopped the attack on the Meatworks.”

  “Speaking of rumours, how do we find the snitch?”

  “J☼: Jimmy and I are hunting as we speak. You need to let it go and deal with your plans. Do you want to discuss what happened?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “J☼: You know what I mean. You killed those two when you could have disabled them.”

  “I know. I could sense the dead lying outside the buildings. Eventually, you, or Jimmy, would have wanted to know what I thought their fate should be. If I’m going to decide something like that, then I need to be prepared to do my own dirty work. They killed kids, John. There is no excuse for that.”

  “J☼: Do you need to talk with someone?”

  “Probably, I’m still a bit numb, but I know it will hit me when I have a break. I’ll have a chat with mum. If she thinks I need it, I’ll talk with the pastor.”

  “J☼: Good. We are all back in the compound, and everything is locked down. I’ve had the tunnel filled in.”

  “How?”

  “J☼: Expanding foam. It has a reflective coefficient pretty close to the soil and works better than the reflective shield I had been using. The best thing is, there is a solvent I can use to remove it quickly if we need to. Several of the police approached the front gate several times but stopped each time. I imagine they are waiting for permission.”

  “Can you deal with it?”

  “J☼: No worries. While the attack gave us time to slow the reaction against what Meredith said, it has lit a fuse I doubt we can put out. I know rumours of what happened are already spreading through the negative-tax areas. This, added to Meredith’s words, have people well and truly riled up.”

  “Has it hit the news?”

  “J☼: Not yet, although there have been a few opinion pieces condemning Meredith for her words.”

  “I’ll talk with Sharon and see what I can do to calm things
down.”

  John nodded and stood before logging out of the Tower. Leah then sent a message to Sharon asking what she could do to help. While she waited for an answer, Leah sat considering her actions of the morning and wondering how things might have been done better. Instead of a message, Sharon asked to come to the Tower. When she arrived, Leah shared most of what she’d told the others and together they arranged a statement asking people to ignore Meredith’s unfounded accusations and scandalous innuendos.

  Once this was done, Sharon left, and Leah headed for the Torque portal.

  4

  December 27, 2073

  TORQUE

  Danika and Courtney were waiting outside the workshop and beside them was a race car. It was sleek, and Leah could make out the colour which changed from a solid light-absorbing black on one side to a brilliant, almost phosphorescent, white on the other. Leah had Three focus in on the detail, and she could see a feathered or scaled motif across the paintwork. There was a central racing stripe made from five colours in a tightly woven braid.

  Danika stepped forward and said, “N: This is the 2029 Aston Martin Vanguard. It was one of the last true street-ready race cars made by Aston Martin before the emission regulations transformed racing with the move to fully electric in 2033. It’s one of the only cars used in the lower tier races which is available all the way through to Tier One.

  “Your friend Paige introduced me to another friend named Wisp. The Seraph System in Cosmos Online is now a part-owner of the team and have paid to have naming rights. Aston Martin has agreed to allow its winged logo to be incorporated into the design and are sponsoring all your races. The colouring matches the wings you have in Dunyanin, as does the racing stripe. We are still in negotiations to use a distinct number or glyph in the lower tiers and Wisp has designed a stylised ‘A’. Paige has designed a racing suit for you. It’s similar to the armour you wore for the Seraph interview but redone in black and white.