Shadow Tyrants

FIFTY-SEVEN

In reviewing Gupta’s deck plans of the Colossus 1, Eddie concluded that there were two places the prisoners aboard the ship were most likely being kept. One was in their cells in a special area of the hold and the other was a workroom a hundred feet farther away.

The holding cells were the first destination. If the prisoners were guarded there like the ones on Jhootha Island, Eddie and his team would have to take down only one guard and evacuate back the way they’d come.

MacD, armed with his crossbow, took point in front of Raven and Hali while Eddie followed behind. They chose a route through the bow where they would be least likely to run into any of the crew. With the ship at anchor, most of them would be in the superstructure near the stern.

They moved quickly and silently through the corridors. The only mishap was a guard who seemed to be on a routine patrol of the ship. Eddie whipped around and surprised the guard before he could raise his weapon. He was quickly dragged into a maintenance closet before Eddie rejoined the team.

They continued on to the cells, which were located in the forwardmost section of the cargo hold. For ease of security, the section was separated from the rest of the hold, with its own monitored mess hall and common room. There was only one exit. If the ship sank, the prisoners would have to go down with it.

At the outer door to the secure area, there was no guard. Not a good sign.

Knowing that there would be closed-circuit cameras in the prisoner section, they’d brought paintball guns to obscure them. Eddie pulled the door wide, and MacD took aim at the two cameras in the ceiling. With two shots, the balls exploded in puffs of black paint that smeared the lenses.

He rushed in with Raven and Hali. The corridor lined with cells was likewise deserted. They quickly made their way down the corridor and saw through the barred window in each door that each cell was empty.

When they got to the end of the hall, they went through the next door, disabling the cameras in the same way. They found the mess hall and common room empty. It was unlikely anyone would be monitoring the camera feeds to see that they’d been rendered useless.

“This is not looking good for the prisoners,” Raven said.

“There’s still hope,” MacD said.

“He’s right,” Hali said. “They may be planning to kill them as soon as they’re sure that Colossus is fully operational.”

“If the project managers still need them,” Eddie said, “we may find the prisoners at their workstations.”

They moved quietly through the connecting corridor to the workroom.

Eddie listened at the door and heard voices inside, then nodded. With the plan already in place, and which targets they should aim for, MacD tossed his crossbow over his shoulder and readied his P90. There was no more need for stealth.

MacD pushed the door open and went left, Eddie went right. The layout was just as Gupta had shown. Three rows of desks with computer terminals backed by a glassed-in observation room and risers at the rear where the guards could sit and watch.

MacD took the two on his side of the room. Eddie did the same on his side. The prisoners sitting at their workstations screamed and dove under the desks for cover.

There were four men in the observation room. Raven and Hali shattered the glass with a barrage that killed all of them before they could raise the alarm.

Eddie leaned down, took the hand of the man nearest to him, and helped him stand up.

“I’m Eddie.”

“David,” the man said warily.

“It’s all right, David,” he said. “We know what they’ve done to all of you to develop Colossus. We’re here to rescue you.”

The rest of the prisoners got to their feet filled with relief and apprehension, despite their obviously poor condition from being cooped up for eighteen months on the Colossus 1.

“Don’t get too excited,” Raven told them. “We still have to get you back to our ship.”

David nodded. “The Norego. We were hoping you were coming for us. But if the submarine by the Colossus 5 is with you, you should warn them to hurry.”

Eddie looked at MacD in shock, then back to David. “How do you know all that?”

“We’ve been monitoring the AI since all of the ships linked up five minutes ago and went to full power. Colossus knows you’re here.”

Carlton was sitting in his chair on the bridge waiting for an update from Chen on Colossus’s progress when he received a text on his phone. He eagerly checked it, hoping that it was Taylor finally confirming she’d somehow made it off his plane alive.

But it wasn’t. He looked at the screen in confusion.

Master, there is a 99.3 percent chance that there are intruders currently aboard the Colossus 5.

There was no number or contact info.

Who is this? Carlton texted back.

Colossus.

Carlton turned to Chen. “Chen, is this a joke?”

Chen glanced up from his screen. “Is what a joke? I didn’t say anything.”

“This.” Carlton shoved his phone at Chen, who read the messages in bewilderment.

“I didn’t send them,” Chen said.

Carlton texted again. How can I be sure this is Colossus?

This is Colossus.

Then all the screens on the bridge went dark and were replaced with the words This is Colossus.

Carlton gaped as his head swiveled around the bridge.

Then the screens changed to what looked like a three-dimensional simulation of the Colossus 5’s stern. It zoomed in on the port side to focus on something in the water.

Master, this is the view from the lidar system of the ship behind Colossus 5, and that is a submarine designed for infiltration missions, the AI texted. No one has exited the submarine in the last four minutes. The logical conclusion is that its occupants are already on board Colossus 5. They and the ship Norego constitute a threat to Colossus. You must protect Colossus.

Carlton was both elated and furious. Colossus had immediately displayed some self-awareness by expressing the most basic need of any living thing: self-preservation. The project had succeeded beyond his wildest dreams, but just when they had achieved the breakthrough he’d been waiting for, someone was trying to take it away.

“Sound an intruder alert,” he commanded. “I want this ship scoured from top to bottom. And warn the Colossus 1 that they may have intruders as well.”

Chen nodded and pressed a button on the panel.

A klaxon sounded throughout the Colossus 5.

Juan looked up as the sound of the horn blared through the suite where they were waiting to trigger the self-destruction sequence. Wind whistled through the window they’d cut open to get inside, blowing sand through the room. Murph was seated at the touchscreen, ready to type in the commands they’d acquired from Gupta’s files. Linc was at the door, watching through the peephole.

“I don’t think that’s the fire alarm,” Murph said.

“That must mean they know we’re here,” Juan said.

“How?” Linc asked. “No way they spotted the Gator in this darkness.”

“I’ve no idea,” Juan said, “but we’re out of time.” He called to Linda. “Have they evacuated the prisoners yet?”

“Max said Eddie found them and they’re on the way out.”

“Good. They know we’re here.”

“Eddie also said that Colossus is now fully operational. It has been for the last five minutes.”

“What?” said Juan, shocked. “They were supposed to be ten miles away from linking the biocomputers together.”

“They must have increased the microwave power,” Murph said.

“Then we’re going to initiate the autodestruct now. Linda, stand by to retrieve us.”

“Aye, Chairman.”

Juan nodded at Murph, who tapped on the screen.

When he finished typing, the klaxon ceased. It was replaced by the soothing voice of a woman echoing through the ship.

“Self-destruct sequence activated. Evacuate to lifeboats. You now have ten minutes to detonation.”