Shadow Strike: A Cyberpunk LitRPG (Marionette Task Force Book 2), page 23
It was Ilona.
His vision cleared up by the time his implant finished rebooting. Ilona’s projection sat at the edge of the medical bed he awoke in, her hands folded over her skirt’s lap.
She tilted her head to his and smiled. “You’re awake.” Ilona held her left hand to her partially unbuttoned top. “I’m so happy.”
Her projection stood up and walked to the side of the bed, extending one hand to touch Kai’s forehead and another to hold his hand. At least, it kind of looked like she was touching him. Ilona’s illusionary hands clipped through Kai and the sheets.
“Ugh . . . fuck,” Kai moaned slowly. “How long was I out for?”
She shut her eyes, her smile straining. “You don’t want to know.”
“Oh boy . . .”
“Don’t worry, it wasn’t that long. You got really lucky, Commander.”
“Clean shots, huh?”
“Not quite. The doctors had to yank a few slugs out of you. Your armor’s durability was too low to stop the rounds.”
“What about the others?”
Ilona’s face twisted into a frown, and she quickly withdrew her hands from him. She put her hands to her mouth instead, trying to hold back an emotional outcry. The heart monitor’s beeps increase. His body was responding to Ilona’s reaction to his question. Something bad happened. He braced himself for the terrible news.
“Amber’s hurt as well,” Ilona revealed. “But since she’s a cyborg, it wasn’t anything major.”
Okay, that wasn’t so bad. “Cerise? Yukina?”
“Gone.”
Kai turned his head the best he could without causing too much pain to look at Ilona, but all he saw was the back of her white lab coat.
“What do you mean?” he asked, but she said nothing in reply. “Ilona . . .”
Amber entered suddenly, drawing their attention to her arrival. Kai saw a ray of sunlight shine through the cloth opening that Amber had pulled aside. As it turned out, Kai was inside a tent the whole time. Below, he could see pavement marked with traffic lines. His best guess was that Eden established a makeshift Forward Operating Base (FOB) on the city’s roads.
“We pulled you up and left them,” Amber said, folding her arms over her uniform.
“You left them?” Kai sat up, directing his attention to Amber and Ilona standing at his medical bed. “You left Cerise and Yukina behind?!”
“Wasn’t my call,” Amber said. “Cerise and Yukina were marionettes, and you are human. We couldn’t let you bleed out and die. We took off once we recovered your body. The enemy was packing too much heat for us.”
“You left them . . .”
Amber’s gaze shifted toward Ilona. “She refused to leave your side and stayed here watching you.”
Kai sank back to the bed, hands on his head. “Cerise . . . Yukina . . . I’m sorry.” He lowered his hands and glared at Amber. She faced away to the side, wincing. He wasn’t sure if that was guilt on her face or sorrow for seeing Kai in his wounded state. “So about those POWs? What’s the official word on them?”
“All fakes,” Amber said. “It looks like they died a long time ago, and the Coalition grafted their skin to their marionette lookalikes.”
“What about the Army POWs we found at the AA guns?” he asked.
“They were legit.”
“I guess that’s why the Coalition wanted their capture kept secret,” Ilona said, touching her chin and narrowing her eyes. “Their intention was to transform the Eden Marines into infiltration units.”
“And the clinic . . .” Kai said, his rattled mind putting things together. “I suppose there were medical tools inside that the Coalition needed to make the swap and do some touch-up work. I mean, they grafted the faces of the dead Marines onto those machines. Why didn’t those Army rangers get the same treatment?”
“Witnesses, my guess is,” Amber said. “Those rangers saw the marionette clones of the Marines. They thought those men were still alive. The Coalition probably wanted the Army rangers to be rescued, hoping they’d talk about the Marines that they thought were real and still in danger.”
“Kopac . . .” Kai groaned. “I bet this was his backup plan in case we gave him the slip. He knew we’d eventually find and rescue the Army soldiers. Maybe he ordered those captured soldiers to the AA guns at the last second. He was hoping we’d attack it and discover the POWs.”
“That’s a pretty complex backup plan if you ask me,” Amber said. “I mean, we killed a lot of Coalition troopers to get that far. And they lost a bunch of AA guns in the process.”
“Not really,” Kai said. “Kopac was probably hoping we’d rescue the soldiers first, learn about the Marines, then hurry to extract them. Remember, the enemy forced those rangers below the AA guns.”
“Right, blowing them up would have killed the rangers.”
“I don’t think Kopac was banking on us getting the Army rangers out and blowing up the AA guns.”
Amber grinned. “That goes to show how much of an effective team we are.”
“Yeah, and Kopac’s men will be better prepared going forward,” Kai said.
Ilona sighed. “Now what?”
Amber put her hands on her hips and walked over to him. “Kai should lie down, recover, and be thankful that he’s still alive.”
“No.” He sat up straight and glared at her. “We need to find Yukina and Cerise.”
“Kai . . .” Amber murmured.
“You don’t know what they’ll do to their bodies. I do, and it isn’t pretty.”
“You’re getting too worked up over AIs.”
“They’re more than that, Amber. Can’t you see it?”
“Not really.”
“I can.” Ilona faced the tent’s ceiling, appearing lost in thought. “There’s something in their programming that’s different. It must be the software package that came from me.”
“You think so?” Amber asked, one eyebrow raised at her.
“Dr. Rhinehart aspired to change AIs for the better . . .” Ilona said. “Both Cerise and Yukina have a piece of me in them, a piece of my creator’s work. The more I studied Cerise’s malfunctions, the more I saw signs of this hidden black box programming at work. Kai’s right. We have to find them. This is what Rhinehart would have wanted.”
“I don’t call the shots.” Amber shrugged. “I’m just a lowly lance corporal.”
“Then let’s talk to General Thorpe,” Kai said.
Amber angled her gaze at him. “Thorpe will ask what the doctor thinks, who will insist you recover. A doctor’s order overrules everything, even a general’s order.”
A few days passed. Kai wasn’t sure how many. He spent most of his recovery inside the tent. He got his phone back and some of his belongings during those days. There was a text message waiting for him. His heart raced. Was it the girls sending him a message stating that they were okay? God, he hoped it was.
Ruby:
Sure! I’d love to go out with you! Where do you want to meet? I know a good bar near Kylie Street and Broadway.
We just need to leave before the evening. The Coalition takes it over for their soldiers.
Ruby sent the text messages shortly before he got shot. He wasn’t sure how to feel. It was great that Ruby replied, but it wasn’t great to see that neither Cerise nor Yukina texted him at all. Kai made a mental note to reach out to Ruby later and explain that he wasn’t ghosting her. When he was in the mood to do so. Right now, he was plain depressed and in need of more painkillers.
When he was well enough to walk again, Kai meandered about the FOB Eden had established. It was a small base not far from Jardin’s edge and not far from the Umbra District and the AA guns Kai’s team had taken down days earlier. According to Amber, Eden’s armed forces had flown in reinforcements, tanks, dozens of dropships, and a few starfighters on standby. What Kai’s team did wasn’t in vain at least. They gave Eden’s forces a fighting chance to liberate Jardin from its Coalition occupiers. He wondered if they were all playing into Kopac’s plan. Did allowing Eden to get a foothold in Jardin set the stage for his former classmate from high school to score another victory in the name of the Coalition?
Kai considered speaking up and voicing his concerns, but what was the point? He wasn’t an enlisted member of Eden’s military, an intelligence officer, or a high-ranking officer. He was just a hired gun, the commander of a mercenary team that did a job, got paid, and waited for the next one.
Amber and Ilona kept Kai company as the days and nights went by, Ilona more so than Amber. Amber still had to report to duty and repair battle-scarred tanks, jeeps, and whatnot. And sometimes fight the enemy who tried to attack the FOB.
During a meal break, Kai sat and overheard the chatter of two soldiers who had returned from the front lines. He listened in closely.
“The enemy is getting aggressive again. That’s why we pulled back here.”
“I see. I wonder what gives? They were pushovers when you got here, but now . . .”
“I guess they were busy regrouping and licking their wounds, and now they want us gone.” The Eden soldier shifted his gaze, studying the city’s buildings and traffic lights. “I wonder how much longer this camp’s gonna last.”
Kai grunted to himself and finished his bowl of soup. Of course the enemy was pushing back. Their plan to capture him and Ilona didn’t work in the end. Eden was going to lose their foothold if he and Ilona remained there. Maybe that was where the camp played into Kopac’s plan. Kopac probably knew Kai would stay there for protection if all else failed. It was a location in the city that didn’t move. A location that, when the time was right, the Coalition could take in a surprise attack while Kai and Ilona rested. Kai had to return to the Starslayer, and fast.
Later that evening, Kai made an urgent request to Eden, asking that they refuel the Starslayer.
They rejected it.
“Hey,” Kai whispered after he convinced Amber to leave her tent. “Can I borrow your LLT?”
She handed it to him. “Here you go.”
He contacted General Thorpe, way up in high Eden orbit. “Thorpe.”
“Commander Novak, what can I do for you?”
“I did what you asked of me and paid a heavy price.”
“So I’ve been informed. We’ll compensate you for your losses.”
“Good. Tell the head of this base to refuel the Starslayer. Hook us up with some batteries and supplies while they’re at it.”
“They need that to—”
“Continue to defend this one base you got in the city.” Kai sighed. “Yeah, I get that, but I need to leave unless you have another job for me.”
“There might be more work for you. You’ve undoubtedly heard that the enemy has been slowly pushing us back.”
“Here’s the thing. I’m not much use to you without Yukina and Cerise. All I got is Amber and Ilona, and I’m sure you want Amber supporting your troops here.”
“She’s a talented mechanic, so yes.”
“So that leaves me with Ilona. As awesome as she is at hacking damn near anything, she has all those juicy files the Coalition wants, and, well . . .”
“I see your point.”
“Let me go. I’m no good to you right now. Honestly, with Ilona and me staying here, we’ll just put the base at risk. With us gone, the enemy will divide their forces up. One half will search for us, while the other focuses on your troops.”
“I’ll talk to the base’s commander.”
“Thank you.”
“Thorpe out.”
The LLT’s link died when the two ended the call. With a bright smile, Kai handed the handheld device back to Amber. “Always good to have friends in high places.”
The sun rose the next day. Kai and Amber stormed into the tent where the base’s commander was, drawing his attention. Previously, Eden hesitated to share fuel and spare batteries with the Starslayer. The base commander changed his tone after chatting with General Thorpe. They agreed to refuel and resupply the Starslayer. In the afternoon, Kai witnessed a group of combat vehicles head to the launchpad where the Starslayer was waiting.
Mitchell, the base’s commander, approached Kai afterward. He was a haggard-looking military officer who’d been without sleep for at least two days. “Once we’ve confirmed the path is clear of enemy forces and your ship is refueled and stocked, you’ll be free to leave, Novak.”
“Thanks.”
“Be ready to depart when that time comes,” Mitchell added. “I’m sure word is spreading about this battlegroup to the enemy by now.”
“Will do,” Ilona said while she floated above Kai’s shoulder. “We appreciate the help you’ve provided.”
Mitchell put his hands behind his back and glared at Ilona. “Oh. And leave the drone.”
Kai grimaced. “What?”
“We can’t let it fall into enemy hands if you’re captured.”
“Ilona stays with me.”
“Ilona may be the key to ending this,” Mitchell said. “She needs to be under our protection, not a contractor like you.”
Kai folded his arms. “Then I’m not going anywhere.”
“I guess we won’t need to resupply and fuel your ship after all . . . for free.” The base commander crossed his arms just like Kai. “Let’s see how long you last without energy, supplies, and fuel. Don’t make this more difficult than it has to be. Hand Ilona over to us. We’ll protect and decrypt that drone’s secrets.”
“I can’t even fly the fucking ship,” Kai said. “I need Ilona to do that.”
“In that case, consider staying with us,” Mitchell replied. “We could use a hand on the front lines.”
Grunt work. Eden wanted Kai to work as cannon fodder. Something to make the enemy focus less on the Eden soldiers, as he had a giant target on his back, and he’d be out of the base too. It was a win-win for Eden. The Marionette Task Force was nothing without its marionette team members. Eden couldn’t care less about him and the team now, apart from Ilona. They wanted to defend Ilona because they wanted access to Dr. Rhinehart’s work.
“This isn’t what I agreed to with the general,” Kai said.
“As I recall, you agreed to leave, provided we refuel your ship,” Mitchell said.
Kai shook his head. “No, not just me . . .”
“Thorpe’s orders were quite clear, Novak. Speak to him if you don’t believe me.”
“I will. So that’s it? Kicking me out and taking Ilona away from me?”
“Your AIs are gone,” Mitchell said. “What more can you do for us apart from lending us a hand fighting the enemy? Again, the general brought this up, and you told him, ‘Let me go.’ Do you want to be useful again? Then go get your team back or assemble a new one.”
“Get the team back?” Kai asked him.
“The two marionettes of your team,” Mitchell said. “Their bodies aren’t at the evac point we rescued you from. Someone else took them.”
“Hey, Kai.” Ilona’s drone gently nudged his back. She rotated around to face the base’s commander. “A moment alone, please?”
Mitchell stepped away. “Of course.”
With Mitchell out of hearing range, Ilona spun to Kai as her hologram appeared before him. “This could mean that Kopac knows about the black box program inside Yukina and Cerise. Perhaps he plans to extract their code rather than torching their bodies like his men did to other female marionettes.”
“So Kopac doesn’t need you?”
“Oh, he does because I have other goodies inside me. The programming inside Yukina and Cerise is one of several encrypted packages I have.”
“Where could they have taken them?”
“Probably to another Vivid robotics factory,” Ilona said. “They’ll have all the tools available to do what they need to do.”
“Where’s the nearest factory since the one here was destroyed?”
“Standby.” Ilona snapped her fingers and forged a three-dimensional map in his virtual vision. “This is the data I had pulled from the dropship we captured.”
“Right, the one that led us to the AA guns.”
“It has other points of interest to the enemy, like this place here.”
He studied the spot on the map she had pointed out. It looked like a robotics factory owned by the Vivid Corporation in a neighboring city that fell to Coalition rule.
“The Coalition might have brought them to this factory here. It’s been days since we lost them, so—”
“What are you looking at?”
That was Amber calling out to Kai and Ilona. She joined them as they faced her.
“Here, I’ll share it with you,” Ilona said, transmitting the data she shared with Kai to Amber.
Amber stood there for quite some time, lost in contemplation.
“Something caught your eye?” Kai asked Amber.
“That’s the same highway the enemy has been using to move supplies in and out of Jardin and to Theta Grove.”
The revelation left Kai very intrigued. “Oh, really?”
“Yeah, but the enemy protects those convoys with mobile AA gun trucks and other stuff you really don’t want to fuck with without a plan. We can’t hit them from the sky. Though, since we have this foothold now, we were considering launching an attack on them. There’s a small convoy getting ready to leave for Theta Grove.”
“That’s why you were studying this map so closely,” Ilona said.
Amber nodded. “Yeah, I was about to ask how y’all knew.”
“We didn’t exactly,” Kai said. “We just saw that the highway was one of the quickest routes from here to a Vivid factory in Theta Grove.”
“I think the Coalition took or is planning to take Cerise and Yukina to the factory in Theta Grove for memory extraction,” Ilona said. “It’s likely that the enemy plans to rip their memory cores from their bodies using the factory’s robotic equipment and then use its sophisticated computers to analyze them.”
“And we’re going after them,” Kai said. He looked at Ilona afterward, noticing the slight blush that crept across her cheeks. Nobody was taking her away from him.
