Technomancer 33: Shadows of the Mind Part II

Blood. Hunger. Rage. Blood. Hunger. Leron broke free from the group and ran through the darkness, fighting the urge to join the others. The dark world spun around him. It squeezed, expanded and then waved. He fell to his knees. Lightning flickered across in long chains. The feet of the others pattered on the floor behind him.

He struggled to turn and found himself gazing into Agatha's blue eyes. "Your fault. You AI."

"Agatha, stop."

She lunged at him, taking his throat in her jaws and forcing him to the ground. Her mind pressed into his.

With a cry, he sat up gasping for air, hands going to his throat. I'm safe. He fought to slow his breathing, rubbing his hands down his sweat-covered face. But for how long?

Afternoon light filtered in through the dusty bars on the window, catching the dust in the infirmary. Across the white woven blanket, he saw the lump that was the large bandage wrapped around his leg, and the dull ache followed as if prompted by the sudden jog of his memory.

"How long was I asleep this time?" he asked Leron 2.0.

"Approximately 1000 hours."

"And it was the same as last time?"

"Affirmative. Leron non-responsive. Chip malfunction."

The curtain swung open, and a dark-haired medic in a uniform stood in the opening. "I thought I heard something," she observed.

Leron forced a smile, ignoring the readings Leron 2.0 was filtering through his mind. He waited patiently while she checked and re-dressed his wound, answering her questions as needed. But his thoughts were elsewhere, troubled by the nightmares.

She pulled his head towards her, shoving her light into his eyes. "Are you sleeping well?"

"Not exactly."

She frowned, pulling out a chart and scribbling notes.

"Why do you ask?"

"Just. Many of the men are having issues sleeping, and we don't understand why."

"From the Drone Corps?"

"Yes. But they won't tell us why. Will you?"

Leron knew why. They would be labelled mad if they began to describe what was going on within their dreams, and worse if they gave away their ability to speak to each other by thought. It was hard enough to get those without the chip not to treat them as freaks. "No. I can't."

"That's what the others said. Perhaps Sleeping Beauty will have something to say when he wakes up," she complained. She meant Dusty. He fell into a coma before they returned from the field. Sadie refused to go into battle since returning, picking fights with anyone who attempted to drag her away from his bedside.

The nurse disappeared, and he returned to his conversation with Leron 2.0.

"I want to show you something," Leron said, dragging the AI towards Dusty's chip. They hovered outside the barrier that was Dusty's mind. It shimmered like a glass wall. He pressed his hand against it, but it remained solid, instead of rippling and allowing him to pass through. "Is it the same?"

Leron 2.0 touched the wall with its hand. "Affirmative. Programming modification in effect."

Dusty was being altered? Then so was he. Leron shivered.

"We need to stop this. It's only a matter of time before we are all dragged into it."

"Virus."

Leron was about to respond when large hands enclosed his shoulders, shaking him awake. He yelped and opened his eyes to stare up into the grinning faces of Matt and Ben.

"We just got back from another run," Matt said. "The nurse said you're awake. You're coming with us."

"You need fresh air," Ben agreed.

Before Leron could gather his thoughts to protest, they hauled him up onto his feet and dragged him through the door, supporting his weight on their shoulders. His hurt leg dragged on the floor while the other tried to keep up with them.

"You need to get outside," said Matt.

Ben giggled, which sounded strange coming from the rough Texan and leaned toward him. "A couple of the guys are brewing hooch out behind the Major's office. We got some," he whispered through their link.

The two of them dropped him on the bench outside the infirmary. Finally freed, Leron leaned against the hot metal wall and breathed a sigh of relief. He was still struggling to wake up, and the sleepless nights left him tired.

"Here. Chicken soup for the wounded warrior," Ben said, shoving a thermos in his hand. The smirk on his face said it was otherwise.

Leron hesitantly opened the canister and downed the foul brew. He shivered as it slithered down his throat. "What's in this?"

"You don't want to know."

"Have you two been having dreams?" Leron asked.

"Yeah," said Matt.

Ben fell silent, taking the flask and taking a long sip. "I have, too." He handed it back. "Can we talk about something else?"

Taking another sip, Leron stared out across the concrete pad, which had once been open fields belonging to a nearby rancher. Soldiers were out running drills. Matt began making jokes about the soldiers being lazy. Leron listened half heartedly, his hand tightening on the flask. Very few of the regular units had been sent out as support once they knew they were facing robots. Instead, Major Andrews ordered the drone corps to do most of the fighting. Why did he have to watch his comrades die, and they didn't? His bitterness got the better of him. "Why are we out there fighting and dying when they get to stay here and wait for us to take out the ship to clean up the mess?"

Ben frowned. "You'd think after all the trouble they went through to create us, they would want to keep us safe."

The only reason could be that they weren't as indispensable as they thought they were. But why? Leron's eyes drifted to Larry, who was unloading a crate from the back of a truck. His old factory buddy placed it on the ground and was approached by Desmond. When Desmond returned to the cab, Larry began moving the crate across the pavement. He saw Leron and waved, and headed toward them.

Leron waved back and noticed the immediate glare from Desmond. "What did you two do to him?"

Ben snorted. "We left a couple of firecrackers on his seat. You know, pop-its or something like that? We made some with a couple of bullets and some TP."

Matt laughed, taking the thermos and sipping from it. "Blew a hole right through the backside of his pants." He waved, and Desmond glared.

Leron shook his head. If only this war could be over. He would never have to think of explosives, AI, mad people, or robots again. He could return home and see Masa and their child, or at least begin searching for them. He took the flask back and drank. So far, he had avoided killing anyone, but it wouldn't stay that way forever. He thought of his parents' sacrifice and how much he valued life; he wasn't sure he could do it. He just wanted it to be over. "We need to get across that bridge," he muttered.

Larry stopped beside them and grinned, leaning on the pallet jack. "Major Andrews has a plan for that."

Leron looked up, feeling confused. "What's that?"

"We're building an army of robot dogs. They will be able to take out their robots, and the rest of you can rush the bridge - or at least that's what Aldrin says. I don't understand much, but I just thought I'd let ya know."

"How much do you know about the robot dogs?" Leron demanded.

Larry looked around nervously. "I....I shouldn't have said that." He began heading towards the barracks.

Leron took hold of his sleeve, stopping him. Pain exploded in his leg, but he ignored it. "Larry, what is going on? Please, you have to tell me. It's endangering the rest of the drone corps. Something is attacking the chips in our head."

Larry's frown deepened. "Shouldn't you report that to the Major?"

"No, we can't until we know more, but Captain Aldrin and Major Andrews are keeping me out of the loop." Since that first day on base, and his refusal to attend to the Major, he cut Leron out of informational meetings. "Can you tell me?"

Larry glanced towards Captain Aldrin's barracks and sighed. He pursed his lips. "You didn't get this from me. They removed the malfunctioning chips from the rest of the drone corps. You know the ones who went coo coo. And, they are reusing them. I don't understand everything we're doing. I just unload the crates and dismantle the heads of the robots so we can place the chips inside."

"Does Major Andrews know?" Leron asked.

"He authorised it. Those chips are hardwired to kill. They can sense and destroy AI physically and remotely. We're not sure how they are doing it. I... I've said too much. Excuse me."

I know, thought Leron, but he couldn't tell him that.

Larry pulled free and began rushing towards the barracks.

Matt stared at him with anger-filled eyes. "Those bastards. I should kill them."

"Don't. We'll find a way to stop this."

"Why are they hunting us if they are supposed to be hunting robots?" Ben whispered.

"Agatha said I was an AI."

Ben rested his elbows on his knees and leaned forward. "That's dumb."

"It doesn't matter if it is." Leron leaned against the warm metal once more. "If they think we're AI, then that explains why they are trying to consume us or wipe us out. How did they get the chips out?"

"How do you think?" asked Ben, voice tinged with bitterness.

The three of them fell silent. None of them wanted to admit that their own leaders had cut them from the heads of their comrades, but they all knew they had.

"I'm tired," Leron grumbled. "Can you two idiots take me back inside?"

"You need to lighten up," Matt said. "We brought you out here to cheer you up, not make you more miserable."

"Come on, let's get him back," said Ben.

The two of them carried him inside, all but throwing him into the bed. Once they finally left, Leron lay on the mattress staring out through the curtain they left open. Sadie's small form was stretched across Dusty's chest. He could see the tears in her eyes and the wet blanket. He hated seeing her cry for him. The two of them had been so happy; why couldn't they stay that way? Tears escaped his eyes, trickling down his cheeks onto the mattress. Why did everyone's relationship have to end in misery? It was time to end this.

Leron closed his eyes, summoning Leron 2.0, and the AI appeared before him. "I need you to show me how to destroy the chips."

"Killing is wrong."

"It is. But sometimes we kill to protect others."

"Killing is wrong. Affects core programming."

"These programs are attempting to assimilate Leron and the other members of the drone corps. This will also affect core programming. It will wipe Leron 2.0."

Leron 2.0 fell silent while it processed the information.

A rush of data flooded his mind, giving him the answers he was looking for. He studied the AI, wondering at how many aspects of humanity it adopted, but he knew it was unlikely that it truly felt these things.

"Follow."

He chased Leron 2.0 through the technological world, passing through invisible walls. Lines of code drifted by, flying in long lines through the air. After a time, the area around them began to transform into the world from his nightmares. The code destabilised, and the darkness moved about him in long swirls, growing and shrinking. Bolts of lightning erupted around them. Something began to suck him towards it, and he felt the madness. Leron 2.0 took hold of him, holding him in place on the edge of the cliff.

In the distance, he saw the line of code he recognised as Sadie, holding the warped code of Dusty in place.

"Let me go. I have to do this." Leron tried to free himself. "I need to save Dusty and Sadie."

"No. Leron is family. Leron die = Masa angry. Leron 2.0 love Leron, and Masa. Family protects core programming." Leron 2.0 pulled him back from the edge. Leron continued struggling against him, but the AI wouldn't budge. "Alternate chip access point data. Safer."

Leron stopped, eyes narrowed. "There is another way in?"

"Affirmative."

"Show me." He yelped as Leron 2.0 pulled him through the floor. It sizzled as he passed through it. It felt like he was being squeezed and shrunk to fit inside a box. He fell, dropping alongside Leron 2.0 into a tunnel that somehow made him think of wiring.

"This way. Quick." Leron 2.0 warned, dragging him along.

Behind them, the howls returned. The pattering of feet grew closer. Leron picked up his speed.

Down the path, a door shone brightly.

"Access point ahead," warned Leron 2.0. "Go quickly." He disappeared, and Leron glanced behind him.

Leron 2.0's arm stretched towards the dogs, holding a shimmering wall in place.

Turning, Leron focused on the door. As he passed through it, he heard Leron 2.0's warning in his mind, "Assimilation start. End or we will die."

Sunlight drifted down through the canopy of leaves about him. Before him stretched an open field with the San Antonio skyline in the distance, and not far away a playground with a bench. On it sat the woman he recognised as Agatha. Leron sat beside her, watching two young girls playing. He stayed quiet, not wanting to interrupt the beauty of the moment. He was about to tell Agatha that this little piece left of her wasn't real. He built up the courage and said it.

"You know this is not real." The words came out strained, choked by the tears streaming down his face. Sometimes, he returned through his own memories to see those he left behind, like Jedd had done before he died. He wanted his parents and Masa. It was hard not to get trapped by them.

"Does it matter? This is all I have left," she responded in a whisper. "My mind is fragmented into many. This is the last safe place, and soon this will disappear. They push us, they want more bloodlust, less hesitation. The others are disappearing too. They come here sometimes."

"I'm sorry for what I did to you. I tried to save you and the others when I realised what was going on."

"None of it matters."

"What if I can make it stop? Would you want that?"

She turned with tears in her eyes. "I would like that. I want to go before nothing is left."

Leron wanted to be sick. He was going to kill her. It would be so much easier to destroy someone who was completely mad, but here she sat beside him - completely sane. He wrapped his arm around her, drawing the small woman into a hug to comfort her. Part of him hoped that what he read about in the Bible was true. This woman deserved peace and to be reunited with her daughters. He prayed, shaking as fresh tears streamed down his cheeks.

"I forgive you," she whispered, and he responded with a nod, sending the kill program through her and into the others.

The world disappeared, along with the madness.

Leron returned to the dark world that was his own mind. "Leron 2.0?"

He was met with a long silence before a response came. Slowly, the AI materialised before him as if reforming itself. "I am here." It paused. "I am not me....error....I was part of them....I feel anger. Sadness. Rage? Error...."

"I'm sorry." Leron took the AI in his arms, holding him tightly. "Are you going to be fine?"

"Affirmative. Programming repair initiated. I....I want to be alone....?"

Leron nodded and released him. He left the AI and began to wake up. Beneath him, the pillow was soaked with tears.

Across the room, he saw Dusty awake and in Sadie's arms. They both turned to look at him, somewhat aware of what he had done and nodded. They smiled. Sadie climbed onto the bed beside Dusty and snuggled into the gap between his arm and torso.

Leron smiled, watching them. He felt jealous, thinking only of wishing Masa were beside him. You idiot. At least they and all the others are now safe. He lay quietly, letting images of Masa drift through his mind. Sleep finally found him, and he drifted off.

"It was him! I know it!" screamed Captain Aldrin.

Leron opened his eyes and sat up with a gasp. In the opening to the infirmary stood Captain Aldrin with several of his soldiers. His heart sank, and he began to look for a way to escape. Even if he could make it to the window, he would never make it through with his leg in its current condition.

Sadie pulled her knife and blocked their path. "Don't touch him."

"Get out of my way!" yelled Aldrin, knocking her to the floor.

Sadie climbed back up.

Leron needed to end this before she died like Willow. "Sadie. Don't!" he said to her mind.

Sadie glared at him.

"I mean it. You saw what he did to Willow when someone got in his way."

"But...." Sadie stayed low and let Aldrin kick her aside.

Leron sat still, trying not to show how scared he was.

Captain Aldrin caught his shirt and pulled him close. "All of the chips are unresponsive. I don't know what you did, but I know you did it."

Remaining silent, Leron simply smiled.

The captain threw him backwards onto the mattress. "Bring him. Major Andrews will want to hear of this." He turned to his men. "We can use their chips to replace the ones we lost."