Founding of the Federation 3: The First AI War (57 page)

“Yeah,” Boomer said, nodding slowly. “Yeah.”

“You are …,” Roger eyed him for a long moment as he cut himself off. “You are,” he said in a defeated tone of voice. He looked at the bow. It was a carbon fiber design with few metal parts. It looked in decent shape. The arrows looked good too though a few could use a little fletcher tweaking.

“It's a weapon. The robots and people who took what they could before forgot that. It's time we reminded them,” Boomer said with a grim smile. “I'll need to practice though,” he said.

“I've got it,” Roger said, taking the bow. “You're liable to hurt yourself, Mister Marine. I've hunted with a bow a few times,” he admitted.

“Get anything?”

“Yeah, a hangover from the beer made worse from the deer piss we'd sprayed all over ourselves,” Roger admitted. He grinned, testing the bow. “My uncle got poison ivy,” he said.

Boomer snorted. “Okay. Let's see if we can scare up a few more. If this works they won't hear it, and we'll get the first shots in.”

“I'm more concerned about
where
,” Roger admitted, flexing the bow. “It isn't like shooting a person. An arrow doesn't do as much damage as a bullet you know,” he warned.

Boomer nodded, enthusiasm slightly deflated. Roger was right; they'd have to think of something.

“Still,” Roger picked up an arrow and checked to make certain it was still straight. “I remember watching a few archer videos when I was really into it. I watched one vid on the net where they had all sorts of trick arrows. Most of it was old vids, even some of the stuff from Marvel,” he said with a nod as he put the arrow down and picked up another.

“Oh?”

“Yeah. Hawkeye? Rambo? Robin Hood 2400? Green Arrow? Not to mention the guys back in the middle ages who fired flaming arrows,” Roger said. “I always wanted to fire an arrow that would explode,” he murmured, sighting down the arrow carefully.

Boomer blinked then chuckled. “Well, since I know explosives, maybe I can help out there,” he said with a grin.

<>V<>

Saul found out the hard way when they left that getting anywhere wasn't going to be as easy as he'd thought or like anyone else who had left before him had thought. They found a trail of bodies in different places so did their best to avoid those areas. If a street seemed too quiet, too perfect, they moved on.

They had to abandon the four-wheel vehicles early on, resorting to the motorcycles Pasha and Charlie had recovered and repaired. The bikes allowed them to pick around the debris and frozen bodies in the streets, though riding on the ice and snow was a bitch.

Saul tried to head west but ended up getting pushed further and further north as obstacles presented themselves to them.

“Boss, the radiation …,” Pasha said nervously, looking to what was left of Brooklyn.

“So? Your
klyuv
will glow in the dark, if it doesn't fall off. We're all dead mean anyway,” Saul muttered, moving them onward through the worst of the devastation, skirting the inferno of the nuclear weapons that had shattered the city.

“The good news is, no one else is here,” Roshenko said when they stopped to refuel. Pasha spat fuel onto the ground as he siphoned from another truck. He waved to big Georgy to move up for his turn to take on fuel. Cans were near to take on any surplus they found.

Saul looked at Roshenko in disgust. “How is that good news?” he demanded. He turned to make sure that both Georgy and Ox were on lookout then back to Roshenko.

Roshenko shrugged. “No opposition?”

“And we don't know what's safe. And we can't steal from anyone,” Saul snarled. Roshenko nodded, face impassive. “Don't eat anything here,” Saul ordered, pitching his voice to the others. They all looked his way. “Don't drink anything. When we get out of this area, everyone is going to get a shower. Some of you need it,” he said. That got a laugh.

He wasn't certain if it would be enough. Probably not, he thought.

“So where are we going?” Roshenko asked.

“North,” Saul said, pulling out an old plastic coated map of the area Charlie had dug up from a fire station weeks ago. He looked it over, drawing a finger over the street lines. “We need to get out of the city. Most of the people headed south where it is warmer. We'll head north. We're Russian. We'll endure what those
kiska
Amerikans
can't. We will survive and thrive while they kill each other or are killed by the robots,” he said. “
Eto khorosho
?” he asked of Roshenko.

“Da. It is good,” Roshenko replied with a reluctant nod.

“It'd better be,” Saul growled.

Chapter 21

Jack nodded to the rather wary Doctor Glass as the Neochimp came into his office. The chimp was wearing a suit and bow tie Jack noted. He nodded to the geneticist.

“I'm glad you have time to meet me, sir,” the chimp said, standing near a chair. Jack indicated a chair. The chimp looked then took a seat. The chair adjusted to his smaller frame.

“Doctor, I know you've been petitioning for more resources. You want to restart your programs, and get back on track. Unfortunately, the recent war has put a sideline to everyone's plans, not just yours,” Jack said.

The chimp's brown eyes narrowed. “Straight to the point I see,” he observed warily.

“I'm a straight shooter, you should know that by now. You play straight with me, and we'll get along fine. I don't have time for games.”

“Okay.”

“Doctor, we've been getting reports from the ground that Neo survivors have reported being largely ignored by the robots. Apes are secondary targets, but other Neos are ignored. From what I've been told, they seem almost insulted by the apparently slight. I'm taking it as a godsend however.”

The chimp's lips puttered and then the chimp shrugged. “It is good to hear my people are okay. Well, not okay, but you know what I mean.” Jack nodded. “If you are asking me why, you are asking the wrong person.” He spread his hands in a shrug.

“No …”

The chimp's eyes narrowed. “Well, if you are asking me to get more Neos to sign up and get themselves killed, the answer is no. A resounding no,” he said coldly.

“I'm not asking you to intercede on my behalf. I'll do my own talking thank you. I've made the initial message loud and clear. I will repeat it as necessary. But it is a voluntary mission. I'm not going to force anyone to do it.”

“That is good to hear.”

“But we have discovered a few things about Earth. The changed environment is making it difficult for people to survive. We're outfitting those who go of course, but a new thought occurred to me. We need people who can handle the climate—who are natural fighters.”

“You're asking me this because you can't get humans to do the dirty work. The Martians …”

Jack held up a forestalling hand. “Are going to be in the fight. A lot of people will be eventually, including my
son
,” he said, emphasizing that point to the chimp. “What I am suggesting, no,” he waved a hand. “Not suggesting as much as asking you to do, is to create a new line of Neos. To improve the canine and feline intelligence levels, bring them up to par to what you are now.”

“I was doing that until you stopped me,” the doctor said with a bit of heat in his tone.

“I understand that. But I'm not finished,” Jack said, tone cooling ever so slightly. “As far as cats, I believe the domestics are too small. We have humans who have changed themselves into Chimera over the years. I'd like you to help in that endeavor while also using what you've learned to create big cats. Neocats,” Jack stated, “using the felines we have as a template.”

Doctor Glass frowned thoughtfully. He always liked a challenge but what Lagroose was proposing was something else. “It isn't as easy as you are making it sound. There are a lot of changes … problems in scaling the body up or taking a base feline and applying our modifiers. There are conflicts to be resolved,” he waved a hand in annoyance.

“But it can be done,” Jack stated.

The doctor nodded reluctantly. “Yes, it can. I'm not comfortable creating a slave race, however. In fact I refuse to do so.”

“Then resign,” Jack said, locking eyes with the chimp. The chimp flinched. “Your choice, Doctor. Resign and I'll find someone else or do it. And I'm not a fan of foot dragging, so don't play that game either. Every day, every minute we waste is time people are dying. Time that Skynet is using to try to find a way past Athena's lockouts to attack us.”

The chimp scowled, but it was clear he wasn't willing to back down.

“For the record though,” Jack said after a long moment to digest the intransigence on each side. “I have no intention of creating a slave race. As I said before, had you been listening, is that I want a volunteer force only. People fight best when they believe in what they are fighting for and have a stake in the outcome.”

“And their stake will be?”

“Freedom of course. Survival for all organics obviously. Pay, eventually,” Jack said.

“You're not asking me to indoctrinate them?” the chimp asked.

Jack shook his head. “No. I refuse to condition someone to do a job. I do like the idea of giving them the information, either through sleep teaching or memory downloads to shorten training periods.”

“But you …”

“There is a difference between teaching someone to fight and the willingness to fight, Doctor,” Jack said in a tone that made it clear that his patience was being sorely tried. “The other companies are on board. They will be perusing their own efforts. I mean for us to be the template. The model for others to follow.”

“I see.” The doctor frowned thoughtfully. “What about the people who refuse to sign on?”

Jack shrugged. “They can find jobs and places to live elsewhere. They can emigrate to Mars or elsewhere.”

“Who will pay for it?”

“I'll give them a free ticket to anywhere in the solar system, Doc, on company transport. Coach,” Jack said. He could just envision seeing a lion sitting next to a family with kids. “What they do on the other end is their problem.”

“You are unleashing them to the solar system without any constraints. No money no …. If they wish to exercise their freedom, Doctor, than they can do it on their own dime. Not mine,” Jack stated flatly. “And once they leave, they are on their own. That includes getting into trouble with the law. I'm not going to bail them out.”

“Which means if they do get into trouble, and many would, that it would reflect poorly on the rest of us,” the chimp said.

Jack shrugged. “It is a concern, but it is up to the Neo community leaders to find a means to deal with it. A loan program for instance? A self-policing method to keep others in line? I will not bother to try to figure out the dominance or other issues involved. I've got enough headaches as it is,” he said, shaking his head.

“There really is no other way?” the chimp finally asked.

Jack heaved a sigh. “There are many ways, Doctor, but there is a saying in war as well as industry. The more people you use, the less you lose. They may get in each other's way, some may be redundant, but if they need help they will have plenty. If there are too few, then the robots can overwhelm them with ease. None of us want that.”

“I … see.”

“They will get the best we can offer them. Medical, food, lodging, and yes, veterans’ benefits after the war. I'm still trying to iron that mess out with the other leaders.”

“I see. And you said the other companies are doing it already.”

“Yes. We need to get this started now. You have the inside track, the tools and material, plus the blueprints. I need you to set the example so they will follow our lead.”

The chimp grunted.

“No prey animals. We don't need goats, cows, horses, and animals like that. Predators and omnivores need only apply. Do I have the right man, Doctor, or not?” he asked, rising.

The doctor looked lost, looking at an image of Aurelia. Finally he grunted and got up. “I'll do what I can. No promises until I've explored it and talked to a few people.”

“We need to hit the ground running with this, Doctor. I'm serious. That's why I'm giving you the lead time now.”

“I can't push things too fast. And you can't force a child to grow up too fast either. It will take years,” he frowned studying Jack. “You really think this war will draw out that long?”

“Let's just say I am taking the long view. I know there are no quick fixes, another thing I am tired of telling people. It's wishful thinking, and we just don't have the time for such sentiment.”

The chimp slowly nodded as Jack extended his hand. “Do I have your attention?” Jack asked. “It'll be a hell of a challenge. Not just the job but working with the people from other companies.”

The chimp grunted. “Quite an incentive. Though I'm not thrilled about showing them our tricks of the trade,” he admitted. Slowly his hand extended and he took Jack's. “Okay. No promises. Get me the resources now if you want this moving forward anytime soon.”