drawn to. “What do you think the problem was?” The short one asked. He wasn't just stout, he had the appearance of a boy not yet in his teen years.
“Who knows? We performed perfectly. The code was sent but Wheeler never acknowledged it. Were there any reports from our agents aboard?” Meunez, the taller of the pair, asked before taking a sip of his drink. The ice rattled in the bottom of the glass as he brought it up to his chapped lips. He wore a blue Freeground style vacsuit and a flight jacket that made him look even thinner and more sickly than he was.
“None, and there was no evidence of jamming on the bands we'd expect them to use. It is a waste to have to send the termination code though, that's what bothers me most,” Lister Hampon said, he looked truly remorseful.
“Perhaps he was injured?”
“Maybe, it's just as well. His chances of success weren't very high. It's that ship, we weren't allowed to give him the crew he needed. It wasn't in the budget. Too bad too, research and development had a field day with it before we gave it to him.”
“Do you think he realized that the compound we built into him is an explosive?”
The younger of the two shrugged, causing the shoulder pads built into his suit to touch his ears. “How could he? It's part of his body chemistry, built right in at the bottom of his major femurs. All we did was signal his nervous system to start the intermix process, in an hour or two he'll be seventy five kilos of high explosives. We told him it was lethal though, so he had every incentive to reply to our signals.”
“Will it explode right away?”
“It's random, any time after it goes active. Could be an hour, could be a couple minutes.”
“Ah, those research and development boys love their games. What are the symptoms?” Meunez asked, clearing scraggly hair out of his face.
“He'll have a fever, it'll get worse until he's sweating profusely, then his blood will stop coagulating. His orifices will start to leak as it thins out and his heart starts to pump faster to finish the intermix, then he'll die. The healthier he is the faster it works, that's one certainty.”
“Nasty. Remind me to file my T-74's on time next week,” he chuckled.
“Oh, they don't use this stuff on us. They'd just disavow our involvement and put an unbelievable bounty on our heads. We'd be fugitives everywhere.”
“I could imagine.”
The younger of the pair stood and ran his hand through his sandy blonde hair. “Well, Jake Valance is still out there, we have to send something out to try and get control of him so I released the last of our subjects captured from Starfree Port and activated the last copy of Wheeler. He's been working as a miner for a year or so, out of the way.”
“Should we tell the new one about what happened to his predecessor?” Asked Gabriel as his eyes flicked and focused to something else for a moment before focusing on Hampon again.
“Why not? I'm sure going after his ship will be a good incentive. Wheeler's profile also suggests he's a big believer in revenge. Too bad he's the last one.”
“Speaking of duplicates, how is the new body working out?”
“Great. I just wish my old one held out a few more years. Taking advantage of the more attractive Saved ones is nigh on impossible with this appearance. Still, I can't complain. I have almost half my memories and another lifetime ahead.”
Meunez's face twitched and his eyes squeezed shut for a moment.
“What is it that you're doing that has you so distracted?”
His face relaxed and he sighed. “Interfacing with the Holocaust Virus. We are teaching each other wonderful things.”
Lister's eyes went wide. “That's not wise, you're far too close to your micro-core for that to be even remotely safe. The Virus could actually access your human brains' input output systems.”
“Yes, that's the point. To create a new virus that no machine can predict. The changes it affects in me are equally impressive. I've finally felt the emotions of a machine first hand.”
“You gave the Holocaust Virus emotions? It's not supposed to be a true AI!” Hampon whispered urgently.
Gabriel nodded slowly, grinning. “No one's seen anything like this and the more time I interface with it the more it becomes its own being. Version two will be ready when the galaxy learns how to defeat version one.”
“What about the list of Saved and West Watchers?”
“They will be safe. Your recruitment drive won't have been wasted. If a cult of the rich and useless is what you want, then that's what you'll have.”
Hampon couldn't help but smile, conceding the point. “It's true, most of them are only good for their possessions and positions. A few are shaping up well though, the West Watch are growing in number and power. We even have a flourishing militia formed out of military deserters. Most of them even believe that if they are killed they will go to the East in the afterlife, to Eden itself. Are you on schedule to meet with Collins?”
“Yes, I hope I get to see the Holocaust in action for the first time.”
“I hope it puts the virus he developed to control the Eden Fleet to shame.”
“It will, oh it will,” Meunez said with a twitch and a sigh. “Even Alice would be impressed with this new life.”
The hologram of Meunez faded away and Lister Hampon left the lounge to board his private cruiser. It would take him to the first site of the Holocaust Virus mass infection, where he and many of his followers would witness the event that would validate his Cash Messiah Cult.
Duality Plus One
Angelo and Paula stood in hangar deck two looking at the Clever Dream. The ship's engines were cooling, sending wisps of steam out from the rear of the vessel, a light contrast to its glossy dark hull.
The sleek black lines and low profile were a sight to see, it was in perfect condition. Several soldiers flanked the Deck Chief and his assistant. “That's one nice ship.” Angelo said before letting out a whistle. “They only built fifteen hundred of that model.”
“Sticks out like a sore thumb. Probably have ship thieves coming at them every time they set down,” Paula commented.
Their team and the qualified recruits from the starliner who had signed on to his crew with the approval of Stephanie, Cynthia or Captain Valance had finished clearing debris and other serious obstructions from hangar two. They were working on setting the Samson up on gravity lifts so they could move it to long term storage. The sounds of Angelo's team leaders shouting directions was a constant in the background.
“Whose coming to meet them?” Paula asked.
“Captain and his First I think.”
The main gangway lowered and extended from the middle of the Clever Dream, it was a long, two meter wide ramp. A young woman with curly brown hair wearing a beaten up black leather flight jacket over a light green vacsuit came into sight first. She was joined by a man who looked almost exactly like Captain Valance in a black vacsuit and long coat that looked a little lighter than the one he had seen hanging off the back of the Captain's ready room chair.
Paula cocked her head for a moment. “Huh,” was all she said before walking off to help with the Samson.
“Captain?” Angelo asked tentatively at the fellow coming down the ramp. His attitude seemed so much lighter, he was even smiling brightly. “I wasn't aware you'd gone off ship.”
“I'm his twin brother, Jonas,” he said, extending his hand and eyeing the soldiers.
Angelo shook it and then shook the young woman's hand. “Good to meet you, Chief Vercelli at your service. What's the condition of the Clever Dream?”
“Good, low on fuel, so if you have any Xetima on board I'd appreciate a drop. I'm Alice, by the way.”
“Nice to meet you. I'll see what I can do about your fuel situation, but I can't guarantee anything other than
