Wandering Engineer 6: Pirates Bane (65 page)

“Sergeant... oh, Jethro,” the human said, blinking. He looked
over to the Admiral's shoulder to Jethro and then shrugged. “Sure. Do you want
me to unpack it or just bring you the crate sir?”

“Unpack it. And secure the fitting room. We'll be in there for a
few hours,” the Admiral said, waving to the room.

“Yes sir,” Riley replied as he nodded and punched up the orders.
“It will be a minute or two. I put it in the back when she started getting
buggy.”

“No problem,” the Admiral said. He turned to Ox. “I'm glad to see
a Tauren on board.”

“Aye sir.”

“Are you...”? Sprite fed him a brief bio. He nodded. “Ah, from
Port a Prince. You have my sympathies Sergeant Ox.”

“Thank you sir.”

“Did anyone tell you I ran into some Taurens on Kiev 221? Some
remained behind in Antigua,” the Admiral said.

“Yes sir, I know. I met Gwen and Riff. Torg was unfortunately
killed when we retook Prime,” Ox said.

The Admiral sighed softly. “I'm sorry again son. War.”

“I know,” Ox rumbled. “By all accounts he died a hero. He gave
his life to save the others,” he said.

“A good man. I remember him briefly. I wish now I'd had the
chance to get to know him better,” the Admiral said. “I'm taking a force to
Antigua, do you wish to return?”

“No sir,” Ox said, indicating Jethro. “My place is here,” he
said.

“Very well,” the Admiral said, nodding as he looked at the
panther. “I see you make good comrades. I'm glad.”

“War brothers sir,” Ox said.

“Indeed.

 <----*----*----*---->

When the armor was up Jethro followed the Admiral into the
fitting compartment. “Shut the hatch Sergeant,” the Admiral ordered as he
studied the suit. It was hanging in pieces from the various robotic arms in the
room. There was a mechanical air of expectancy to the taboo. Also a smell of
grease and hydraulics.

Expert eyes studied the suit. “Recon I thought at first, but you
are correct, it is a Cadre suit. Recon Cadre,” the Admiral said. He touched the
back plate and then traced his fingers over the weld lines. “It looks like
someone took the antimatter power pack out and replaced it with a micro fusion
reactor. Any trouble running it?” he asked.

“Now that you mention it, no sir. I thought that was because
Firefly... excuse me sir, Commander Firefly,” Jethro said, looking up in
apology. Firefly wasn't snippy about being talked about so he didn't respond. “Worked
with private Veber, Ox, and Riley to get it sorted out.”

“A lot of hands went into restoring it?” the Admiral asked,
running his hands over the suit. Jethro felt odd, like data was moving,
swimming around him.

“Some sir. She was in a sorry state I'm afraid to say. My ancestors
tried to use her and she seemingly fried. So they cannibalized her for parts
over the years. She was little more than the reactor, shell, and main
components when we got to her,” he said. He flicked his ears as the data
solidified. He could now see it on his HUD.

“Sir, the data...” he asked.

“I see it too,” Sprite said softly, to him alone.

“No, it's not me. Your suit is reacting to my presence,” the Admiral
replied. He paused with his hand on the breastplate. “It is the AI.”

“AI sir?”

“I think you know it has an AI right?”

“Yes sir. We've established that. A nanite layer embedded in the
armor. It can self repair the armor to a degree. It also linked to me.”

“It brought the suit the rest of the way for you. And it's
running the cloak and reactor. The AI forms the bridge between you and the
suit, interpreting your actions for you. It hasn't spoken to you though?” he
asked, turning his head to look at the panther.

Jethro shook his head no. “Once sir, but most of the time I
get... I don't know, feelings. Emotions that aren't my own. Mood swings
sometimes.”

The Admiral smiled. “Your body isn't quiet your own anymore young
man. I know. It never was, you just never knew.”

“I looked into synthetic biology. I know about the things growing
inside me,” Jethro said. “I know they are computers.”

“Organic computers,” Sprite said. “Fascinating,” she said,
looking at the Admiral.

Irons for his part merely nodded.

“I'm guessing that the AI in the suit is interacting with the
computers in me. When I jack in and suit up. I was getting urges to suit up a
lot. And well,” he shifted uncomfortably. “To retake my ancestors surname,” he
said.

“I see,” the Admiral replied quietly. “Dreams?”

“Sometimes sir. And well,” Jethro related the incident when the
suit went rogue. The Admiral listened impassively.

When the panther stopped he frowned and then sent a ping to the
suit. It responded, but an echo came from the panther. Then he felt data stream
from the suit to him. It was incoherent. But there was an underlying thing he
felt, an emotion. Relief. Interest. Joy. That was dampened by an attentiveness.

“The AI isn't so much in the suit alone. It is also in you. Had
anyone else tried to use your suit it would have killed them or blown up.”

“I... know now sir,” Jethro said.

“The link. It is a symbiotic link between you and it's parts.
When you are together and in synch you are as one. Nearly unstoppable,” the Admiral
said.

“Yes sir.”

“Bast,” the Admiral said softly. “Come on, come out of there,” he
said.

“Bast?” Sprite said, interested. She felt a stirring in the suit
and in Jethro. Then a violent upheaval as the cat's implants kicked her out.

“What the hell?” she said as Jethro sank to his knees clutching
his head and groaning.

“What just happened?” the Admiral asked.

“The AI. It kicked me out,” Sprite said. She sent a ping to
Jethro and to the suit. She felt a response, a cat's hiss and snarl. “Well!”

“What?” the Admiral asked.

“See for yourself Admiral. It's not fully sapient. It's... a cat.
A black cat. A pissed black cat.”

The Admiral sent the ping manually and then frowned at the
response. He could see yellow eyes briefly before it withdrew.

“Sergeant,” he said, placing his hand on the sergeant's shoulder.

“Warning Admiral, nanites detected,” Proteus said, flashing his
HUD red.

Irons frowned and looked down. He could see the tiny things,
almost like ants swarming over the panther. They followed his various systems,
his circulatory and nervous system. They came from the lumps in his back the Admiral
noted.

“I have one hell of a headache sir,” Jethro said.

“Bast,” The Admiral said.

“The AI?”

“Yes,” the Admiral said. "Bast, short for Bastet, goddess of
cats." He turned to see the helmet's eyes glowing yellow. He frowned.
Nanites were swarming in the suit angrily.

“I think someone is pissed,” Sprite said. “A pissed off kitty,”
she said.

“Can it Sprite, this isn't the time,” the Admiral said, frowning.
He studied the suit and then the young man. “When was the last time you
interfaced with the suit?”

“It's been a couple of weeks sir. I've been off the ship for part
of that time. On the prison ship. The liner. We're being assigned there for the
journey back to Pyrax I believe.”

“I see,” the Admiral said. “Are you okay?”

“I've been worse sir,” the panther said, getting to his feet.

“Okay," the Admiral said. “Put the suit on,” he said.

“Sir?”

“Do it Sergeant,” the Admiral said. “We need to reinitialize the
AI. Bastet is there, but she lost some of her memory. Part of that is in you.
She's confused and angry. The longer you two are together the more time she has
to become integrated.”

“So, I have to live in the suit sir?” Jethro asked, sounding
aghast.

Irons chuckled softly. “You'd be surprised. When Cadre first
initialize, they live in their suits almost nonstop for a year or longer. They
never went anywhere without their suits, even on leave. It was a pain in the
ass for the spooks,” he said, mouth twisting in a wry smile. “They hated it.”

“Must have been something to see... and explain.”

“Yes. Sergeant, by now you know part of the AI is inherited in
you. And I'm guessing you are wondering why.”

“Some sir. How is right up there on the list too,” Jethro said.
“I figured part of that out, but not all.”

“The Cadre isn't easy to explain. I'm not sure I can or should
explain it all right now. But we can get Bastet under control. Get her back on
the team. You'll have to suit up daily at least to help her reassemble her
mind.”

“Aye sir,” the young panther said, nodding. He stripped off his
BDU and then put his arms out. “I'm ready.”

The Admiral watched as the panther stepped in the circle and then
initialized the suit up procedure with a signal through his implants. He noted
that signal, but also noted that the arms were swinging into action almost a
tenth of a second before the panther sent the signal. Either the computer had
anticipated the order, or Bast was up to her usual tricks.

The frame was assembled on the panther and then piece-by-piece
the armor bolted on. When he was done he stretched, checking the systems as he
had been trained.

“All set sir. She's not balky,” Jethro said.

“Good. Now, hang in there. This could get rough,” Irons said,
putting his hands on the suit's shoulder pauldrons. He sent the initiate signal
and then opened his cadre files. Programs flashed out and through his link into
the AI.

 <----*----*----*---->

Jethro felt the data briefly before a wave of confusion and then
eagerness flooded his implants. He closed his eyes tightly as pain ripped up
his spine and into his head. Grimly he clenched his teeth, but a slight whimper
escaped as he exhaled.

“Almost there,” Irons said distantly. “Another few minutes and
then reintegration,” he stated.

Jethro felt like he was being crushed, like his mind was being
torn apart. His head pounded, aching like a drum. He tried to nod but couldn't.
He realized he could barely breathe, he couldn't move at all. Panic briefly hit
him, and then he felt something comfort him. A distinctly feminine touch, like
a hesitant lover. It wrapped around him and purred. Fingers gently soothed him,
touching his mind, easing the pain away. He felt the phantom lover caress his
shoulders and then rub cheeks with him. He slowly opened his eyes but no one
was there.

“She's... well, not finished, but better. Still sub sapient
unfortunately,” the Admiral said. He rubbed his own temples. The Cadre suit had
kicked him out when his transmission had finished. It was very animalistic,
primal.

“You've got a long road ahead of you Sergeant,” the Admiral said.
“Recovery may not be fully possible for her. She's lost a lot, and I'm not certain
it will ever be fully restored.”

“Yes sir,” Jethro said feeling strange. There was another mind
inside him now, feline. It stared at him for a moment and then yawned. He had
the distinct impression she was tired and bored and wanted a nap. He agreed, he
badly wanted one now.

“Sir...” he swayed a bit. The AI caught and stopped the motion.

“Rest,” the Admiral said. “Integration will take time. You'll
need to sleep in the armor tonight at least. Take the suit with you and sleep
with it on,” he said.

“Aye sir,” Jethro said, now wondering how he was going to explain
that to the bear.

“I'll let your commanding officer know. And Captain Pendeckle.
They'll need to block out time for you to be in the suit. Fortunately, you can
be in it on duty. That should help. Though you may get some looks about it.”

“I'll ignore it sir.”

“Good for you,” the Admiral said as Sprite wordlessly put up a
request for his time. He sighed. “And unfortunately, I've got to go. I've left
you a document to go over. Once you read it, it should destruct. So read it
carefully,” the Admiral said.

“Aye sir,” Jethro nodded, stubbornly clinging to consciousness
despite his heavy eyelids. A yawn escaped him.

“Rest. I'll let Riley and the others know,” the Admiral said. He
helped ease the cat down to the deck. Jethro's consciousness faded. He felt the
suit move, but it was a distant thing, unimportant now.

 <----*----*----*---->

The Admiral watched the suit curl up in a classic cat circle as
he fought a smile of amusement. The tip of the tail flicked briefly. He turned
and exited the compartment.

Sergeant Riley looked up from behind the counter. The Tauren was
absent. “Sergeant Jethro needs to rest. The suit AI is integrating with him
more. So don't disturb him.”

“Aye sir,” Riley replied, bobbing a nod.

“And let him sleep himself out. I'm leaving orders for him to
wear the suit as much as possible. That will let Bastet form her relationship
with him. Impression they call it,” the Admiral said.