Code of Vengeance: The Complete Collection, page 18
Although he hated to admit it, meeting Nat was the best thing that had happened to him. Not only did she give him a human model to learn from, she'd repeatedly provided valuable insights into his missions. But was that why he was upset, simply because he found her contributions valuable?
No.
The realization struck him like a thunderclap. There wasn't any rational or logical reason for how he felt. He simply cared for the girl and what happened to her.
Stunned by the new understanding, Br00-S felt a powerful sensation of claustrophobia, like the world itself was collapsing around him. He needed more space. He needed air. After checking on Nat to make sure she was still asleep, he walked up the parking garage until he reached the roof, where he could look out over the city.
As he observed the lights of downtown, he thought back to the day all this started. He had touched the mind of another human, and then violence had roughly taken that mind away. In the beginning, his only motive had been rational. It had been justice.
But as the lights twinkled in the distance, Br00-S traced back all the causes and their effects. Violence had set him on this path, but it was his decisions that led to where he was today. Kleon had been almost random, a circumstance of chance, but to look at the dominoes that had fallen after that first one got knocked over was astounding. As he thought about downtown and the vast number of humans currently occupying such a small space, his processor was overloaded by the chains of cause and effect that bound them all.
He understood the idea of interconnectedness, but this was the first time it really hit him. The actions he took—today, tomorrow, and the day after that—all had echoes. His responsibility was much wider than he once thought.
A new mission solidified in his imagination. Justice wasn’t enough. He needed to protect those who were important to him.
Moving with a new certainty, Br00-S walked back down to the van, opening the door and climbing into the driver’s seat. Nat didn’t stir from her slumber. A quick glance at her vitals confirmed she was physically fine.
Scanning the van, he found the appropriate data jacks he was looking for. Nat wouldn’t build a van she couldn’t work out of, and he didn’t think she’d mind if he helped himself to her connections. There was work to do.
Nat didn’t wake for hours.
Periodically, Br00-S would check behind him and take her vitals. He was certain she was just in shock, but caution was never wasted. In-between, he worked. Clive had given him a lead before he died, and then his lair had been attacked. With Nat safe, that was far from a disaster. Indeed, it gave him another thread to follow.
He worked on both problems simultaneously. Clive’s leads were easy to follow. Now that he had a name, all he had to do was find the records, download them, and let his software chew on the problem. As he did, he saw Bryce’s report on Clive’s death.
Nanobots? That was a particularly nasty way to kill a person.
The assault team was harder to track. Br00-S found little on them directly, but there wasn’t any way they would pull off an attack like that without being certain all evidence of their excursion could be hidden. That meant a digital footprint he could follow.
Like a bloodhound chasing a scent, Br00-S followed the clues wherever they led.
Eventually, Nat came to. Br00-S shuffled around the small space of the van, fixing her some tea. The sounds and the scents of the preparation brought her fully awake. As she sat up, he handed her a cup.
“Thanks,” she said.
Br00-S scanned her again, checking for injuries or signs of trauma. She had been through a lot, but she seemed calm and focused. “How are you?” he asked.
She closed her eyes, as though she was trying to shut out the memories of the terror she’d just lived through. “Not great. But I’ll live.”
He waited for more, but that was all she had to say.
The robot decided he would break the ice. “I want to tell you what I’m doing, and why I’m doing it.”
Her eyes came up quickly at that. “But only if I tell you my story, right?” There was an edge of bitterness to her voice.
Once, Br00-S would have insisted. Today, he just shook his head. “No, I trust you. If you don’t wish to tell me, that’s fine. I just want you to know what I’m after. You deserve to know that much.” He was surprised to find that he meant every word.
Nat nodded silently, sipping her tea.
Br00-S took a few seconds to gather his thoughts. “Five weeks ago, I was purchased by a couple, Alex and Roger Jones. I think they wanted research assistance, housekeeping, and a basic level of personal protection.”
Nat's eyebrow went up. “The reporters?”
“The very same.”
Nat closed her gaping mouth, and Br00-S could see her making the connections on her own. “You were there when it happened, weren’t you?”
“I was.”
“What happened? There was no mention of a robot being involved in the murders.” The curiosity on Nat's face couldn’t be faked.
“I was powered on for the first time a week prior. Life as a young robot is pretty black and white. I helped around the house and did research. Both men were eager to have me as an assistant, but Alex was in particular. He had been modded with direct neural connections, and one of my first tangible memories is of his mind interacting with my AI. The sensation was indescribable, even with my greater emotional vocabulary now. There was something beautiful in the chaos of his human mind. I became very close to Alex in a very short period of time.”
Br00-S stopped speaking, the recollection of his memories causing him to lose touch with the present for a moment.
Nat spoke softly. “I’ve heard of some people trying that. Aren’t you supposed to wait for at least three months?”
“You are. During the first few months after we are powered on, we go through a tremendous set of changes. Alex interfered with the natural order of those changes.”
“Is that why you’re able to do the things you do?”
The idea had occurred to Br00-S before. “Perhaps. I’m not sure.” He paused again before continuing his story. “Regardless, the night in question, Alex and Roger had updated my software. I was having some problems moving about the house, so they updated those nodes with some pretty expensive upgrades. Of course, it meant I was in a low-power mode. I had access to my sensors and parts of my processor, but I couldn’t move. I don’t know if it was a coincidence that the killers visited that night, or if they waited for me to be out of commission.
“I saw everything. I watched the group barge into the house, and I heard them ask their questions. But at the time, I was nothing more than a video camera from the twentieth century. I could record, but the experiences meant nothing to me.
“Both Alex and Roger fought, but neither was a fighter. They were both killed, and I watched the entire thing. Fortunately, none of the assailants realized I had any functionality. It is probably the only reason I'm still here. They left me as I was, and twelve hours later I awoke as a perfectly functioning robot.
“The first thing I saw were the bodies of the only two people I'd ever known. At first I thought it was a visual error, but it was all too real.”
Br00-S paused again and Nat was leaning so far forward that she was almost falling out of her chair. “Well?” she demanded. “What happened next? How does Kleon fit into all of this?”
His answer was short. “Kleon was there. He was the first I was able to identify after the fact.”
It was clear that she wanted more than that from him.
Br00-S went into more detail. “The first thing I did was call the police. My sensors indicated that both Alex and Roger had been dead for a full day, but no one had discovered them yet. As I waited for the police, I came to a realization. I realized that I had no future. I realize that this is odd coming from a robot, and I don’t have an explanation why, but I knew that somehow, justice needed to be served. Perhaps it was because of my brief contact with Alex’s mind. Of the two of them, he seemed to always be the one more driven by the pursuit of equality and justice for all.
“Regardless, I knew if I remained, I would be taken for evidence and eventually wiped. The wiping did not bother me so much as the idea that I wouldn't know whether or not the murderers had ever been caught or punished. So I left before the police arrived. After a few investigations, I figured out that one of the assailants was Kleon. Then you and I met.”
Nat leaned back, clearly lost in thought.
“Do you know why they were killed?”
“I didn't at the time. Thanks to the bits and pieces of what was said, and my own research, I was able to figure out that Alex and Roger had been investigating some type of political conspiracy involving Sapiens and Sapiens First. I don't know what that conspiracy was, but I know Alex and Roger were getting too close to the truth.”
Nat sipped quietly at her tea, a look of indecision on her face. “Thank you for sharing with me, B.”
“After everything you’ve been through, you deserve to know the truth,” he replied.
After Br00-S told his story, there was much to do. Nat started by changing the license plates on the van. They assumed it had probably been made by someone. Then they drove south, finding a quiet parking garage just east of the airport. There were no cameras in the dilapidated building, and they drove all the way to the top. Br00-S followed his leads while Nat climbed on top of the van and watched as the sun peeked over the horizon.
Eventually, Br00-S found the information he was looking for and joined Nat on top of the van. The sky displayed a range of colors as the sun fought against the darkness. Off in the distance, the sounds of jet engines roaring to life echoed over the river valley.
It was beautiful, he decided. His processes slowed, and he drank in the sights and the sounds.
But he couldn’t maintain his composure for long. He turned his head and glanced at Nat, her eyes unfocused, staring at something far off in the distance. “What are you thinking?”
She exhaled out slowly through her nose. “Nothing is really like we expected, is it?”
He didn’t have the slightest clue what she was referencing, so he remained silent.
“All of this…” she tossed her head back in the direction of downtown, “it’s all so much bigger than I ever thought. The technology and resources you’re talking about, that’s not something we compete against and win.” Nat’s voice developed a sudden edge to it. “I mean, Clive had nanobots implanted in his fucking brain! People just don’t do shit like that. Normal people don’t order tactical strikes downtown.”
Br00-S still wasn’t sure what to say. She wasn’t wrong, but these were the opponents he was taking on. There wasn’t much else to say.
“B,” she continued, “I think you’re capable of some amazing shit, but you’re still only one robot. Don’t you think you’re in over your head here?”
The sun finally broke over the horizon. He thought about what she just said. From what he could tell, it was one of the most honest and unguarded statements she’d ever made. His first temptation was to tell her everything would be okay, but she wasn’t a child. She would recognize the lie.
There weren’t any good ways to calculate the odds, but Br00-S assumed they were poor. For all their intelligence and ability, they were up against an organization that apparently had magnitudes more resources. Their mission had a ticking clock, and Br00-S’ only hope was that he finished the fight before he was destroyed.
That train of thought led to another. Was he on the right path? Justice was a noble goal, but hadn’t he just realized he wanted to protect Nat? By continuing, he wasn’t just dooming himself.
“Do you want to leave?” he asked.
She snorted. “How many times have you asked me that?”
“Two. But this time is different. Now we have a much better idea of the enemy we’re up against. If you stay with me, I can’t guarantee my safety, much less yours.”
Her glare softened as she looked out at the sunrise. “If we do this, we’re pretty much fucked, aren’t we?”
“I’m afraid so.”
For a few moments, the two of them watched the sunrise, and a terrible temptation came over Br00-S. They could leave it all behind, start a new life somewhere else. Between the two of them, he had no doubt they could carve out whatever kind of life they chose.
The temptation was strong, potential futures playing in his imagination. They could travel, help those who couldn’t help themselves. With his brains and strength, and Nat’s resourcefulness, they could change people’s lives.
A strong breeze picked up and blew Br00-S’ hood off his head. Just like that, the moment passed. He didn’t want that life, not really. He wanted answers. He wanted to know why someone had taken away the beautiful, chaotic mind that had been Alex Jones. And he wouldn’t stop until that person paid with their own life.
“This is something I need to do, Nat. You don’t have to.”
She was silent, staring off into infinity.
“Yes, I do,” she finally said. “Even if it destroys us both.”
Chapter Seventeen
Br00-S pulled the van into an industrial sector that was as quiet as the grave this early in the morning. The sun was still a few hours away from breaking over the horizon, and anyone with any sense was still in bed.
Nat wasn't sure why she had come along. The truth was, there wasn't very much that she was sure of anymore. Where once she had prided herself on reason and rationality, now it seemed like she was running on instinct and emotion.
She told herself that the reason she remained was because she didn't have the evidence she needed. The closest she’d gotten was some footage of Br00-S fighting five security guards. Even if she had somehow filmed the scene in their lair, it would be easy enough for the robotics industry to defend itself. The robot was simply there to protect a human. She needed proof, indisputable proof that robots could and would harm humans.
Her mind spun in endless loops. One minute. One goddamn minute had changed the course of her life. She swore she told the robot to watch Jack while she flirted with a boy online. She was always so careful.
Even with her headphones on, she had heard the thumps as Jack fell down the stairs. She rushed out of her room, her stomach sinking as she saw the gate wide open. What terrified her about those few seconds from her door to the stairs, though, was how silent it was. If he hurt himself, he’d be crying. She had known before she even laid eyes on him.
She told the housemaid. The memory was crystal clear, but there wasn’t a shred of proof to back up her claims.
Everything went downhill from there. Months later her parents divorced, and she was locked in the foster care system, breaking into every electronic system she could get her hands on, no matter how many kind people tried to show her the error of her ways.
She didn’t think she was guilty, but she still felt the guilt tearing her up inside. She wouldn’t stop. Not until she had the evidence.
But that wasn't everything behind her decision, though. There was more to it, more than Nat wanted to admit. For one, she was curious how Br00-S’ story would end. A week ago, she would have claimed it was impossible for her to be sympathetic to a robot, but being with Br00-S had changed her. He had come back for her.
Knowing why he did what he did wasn’t helping, either. When she had thought of his violence as defective code, it was easy to betray him. Now, she wasn’t so sure. She heard the way his voice dipped when he talked about touching Alex’s mind. That had been his defining moment, and he would never experience it again. She wasn’t the only one who had lost something.
She rubbed her eyes as Br00-S turned another corner, uncomfortable with the direction of her thoughts. Wasn’t vengeance one of the most human of endeavors? It made no logical sense. People didn’t gain from it, and society certainly didn’t.
Plus, she had gotten used to having someone to talk to, someone who would risk himself for her. Her parents certainly hadn’t stood up for her, all those years ago.
Br00-S had come back.
Ultimately, she remained. She couldn’t say why, exactly. But it was the only way forward that made any sense to her.
Br00-S had tracked the hacks back to a building in a section of town Nat had never spent much time in. It was a strange mixed commercial and industrial section of a relatively suburban residential area. The building they pulled up to was nondescript, a two-story brick structure surrounded by a high chain-link fence. Once Br00-S had given her the address, she dug through public records to find blueprints.
They both agreed it was the perfect place to set up a headquarters. If Felix was behind this, he would most likely be there.
She glanced over and saw Br00-S studying the building through the window of the van. “You sure about this?”
The robot didn’t even look at her. “There’s no other way.”
“What’s the plan?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, if you charge right in there, they will take you down. They know what you are, and eventually your luck will run out.”
“What do you suggest?”
“Do your research and plan your entrance. Your AI can handle more information than anyone in there, and your sensors are more advanced. Take advantage of that, and use all the information you have to outthink them. It’s the only way this will work.”
Br00-S considered her ideas. “You are correct. Please share everything you have on the building with me.”
As Br00-S worked out attack strategies, a horrible idea occurred to Nat. “Do you think this is a trap?”
“No. Whoever performed the hack was doing everything they could to hide. They don’t want people here.”
Nat shrugged. Without taking part in the hack, she couldn’t contribute to Br00-S’ analysis. She was surprised to find that she trusted him, though.
