Revelations

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Moscow, Russia

Ivan had become nervous when he had spotted the former Sergeant Brogonovich in Moscow trailing a Chinese fellow. He decided to keep spying for Janna despite her change of allegiances from the Russian government to this new group that was building the town, New Romanovka up near Archangelsk. He knew exactly how to follow Brogonovich. The man was arrogant in the extreme, with an overconfidence in his abilities to detect a tail.

Ivan believed that Brogonovich had turned traitor. He thought that with Brogonovich’s overconfidence and propensity for cruelty, he would surely have been amongst the NVG casualties, and perhaps an unidentified corpse in the pile of bodies that they buried after the attack.

To say Ivan had been surprised to spot him was an understatement.

When Brogonovich managed to get the attention of the Chinese man, Ivan had moved closer. He was willing to take the risk that his former comrade might recognize him in exchange for a possible windfall of information. The two moved into a bar, and Ivan followed them in to try and overhear the conversation, pulling his collar up against his face for concealment.

“…I know you plan on going after the bastard who wiped out most of the NVG. I’ve managed to gather a fair number of my comrades who escaped the destruction. We would be happy to support you in any attack on his new location. “There was a disturbing fire in both Brogonovich’s eyes and voice at this. He lowered his voice slightly “I know what you are. Konrad had me slated to be changed into your kind, but then the attacks started happening.”

The Chinese man’s eyes narrowed at this comment. Ivan felt rather than saw the man shrug it off. Ivan only had the vaguest idea of what they were talking about. “Gather your men in two months at this point. “He slid a card across to the treacherous Sergeant. “I will inspect them and see if they will be of value to my forces. There is no need to expend them for little purpose.”

Brogonovich’s eyes narrowed at that comment, but he gave the small Chinese man a curt nod. “Two months from today we shall be there. “He ordered two shots of vodka and slid one to his newfound comrade. It was with carefully hidden distaste that the Chinese man drank down the offered shot. Still, he knew enough about Russians to know that it would have been a grave insult to refuse it.

One that could have possibly killed the agreement.

Ivan waited until they had been gone for more than an hour before he left the bar. He had the information he wanted that there is an attack coming against New Romanovka. There had been no need to risk extra exposure and the loss of that information in tailing one or the other of them further. But why on earth did the Chinese have an interest in New Romanovka?

Wrangling Information, Faraday Cage, New Romanovka, Russia.

This time it was Boris that was nervous about entering the Faraday cage. The revelations from TOM had him concerned. After all, who wants to be trapped in a cage with something that can possibly harm them, and could be completely insane?

This was the situation that Boris faced.

To his surprise, Janna was less concerned. She had spent a significant amount of time talking to Gyada. In that time, Gyada had convinced her of the friendliness of whatever personality the machine contained. In some ways, she was potentially a better source of information on the computer’s intelligence than TOM. She had spent eight centuries communicating with it, after all.

So they moved into the cage the next day, with the same setup as previously on Boris’ insistence. In Janna’s mind that alone showed his nerves. That Boris still felt the need for such extreme precautions showed that he was still greatly concerned with the potential threat that the machine posed. Boris had also decided to attack the problem in a confrontational method. He felt that was the best way through the bullshit and reach a quick solution to the problem.

After he and Gyada had entered the Faraday cage, he took some time to sit down and center himself. Gyada was nervous for other reasons. Boris had effectively become a provisional judge for her friend. On top of that, he was in her opinion the most likely of the people judging the computer to be sympathetic to its plight.

She kept all of this to herself. Many months ago she hadn’t truly understood what a computer was. In theory, Gyada understood, but it was hard for someone from the Iron Age to comprehend their appearance or how they functioned. She felt from how people acted around computers that continuing to declare it ‘her friend’ would result in her opinion as being less valued. It may even convince them she was at least a little crazy. People seemed to consider computers tools, with no aspect of personage about them.

Boris started his conversational gambit with I request more information from you. Could you please start with your name?

The machine responded in its cold crystalline voice with

Between my allies and I, we have come to the conclusion that you are an intelligence. We have yet to classify what kind of intelligence you might be. There is some argument as to whether you are dangerous or safe. Sane or crazy. But you left a critical gap in the information provided that led to the unanimous conclusion that you’re hiding something from us. Hiding exactly what you are. If you wish to receive any form of goodwill, I suggest you stop hiding it from us further.

There was silence for some time after that, at least on Boris’ end of the conversation.

The mystery personality was gibbering to Gyada. There was a pause and something like a sob could be heard in Gyada’s mind.