Code of Vengeance: The Complete Collection, page 45
After quickly running a towel through her dark hair, she threw on a simple black shirt and dark jeans, pleased with the way they fit. Nat had never been vain, but she also wasn’t going to deny the rewards of the effort she’d been putting in. She didn’t think she’d be able to fight off an army of thugs, but her confidence had grown and she was stronger than she’d ever been.
After a quick goodbye to Jake, she left the gym. Rush hour was in full swing, so she didn’t even bother trying to call for a car. It would be much faster to walk. Her watch read just a few minutes after nine in the morning, but it was already unbearable outside.
The heat was only half the problem. Humidity was the real killer because it made Nat feel like a chicken in an oven. Despite her light clothing, she was sweating within minutes of stepping out Jake’s door.
Her stride was quick, another benefit of all the training. Her breath was deep and regular, and her eyes took in her surroundings. She had lived in this city her entire life, but according to Jake, situational awareness was a key component of self-defense. Her homework, such as it was, often involved studying her surroundings and reporting her findings to him while they warmed up. She was always surprised by how much more there was to discover, even on streets she thought she’d memorized.
The city felt as though it was as hot as the summer was shaping up to be. Perhaps it was the heat. Perhaps it was more. People were angry and scared. No one looked each other in the eye anymore, everyone running from one air-conditioned building to the next. Nat observed the graffiti scrawled across the alleys on almost every block. More and more she saw the stick figures that had become the calling card of the Sapiens First movement.
There was a time when businesspeople and residents had tried to repaint the graffiti, but that time had come and gone. The symbols were ever-present, a sort of low-tech big brother, staring out at her wherever she walked.
The rise of the Sapiens First group was disturbing, and for every piece of graffiti she saw, Nat unconsciously picked up her pace one more notch. Just like everyone else, rushing to their destinations.
Diamond Carter’s campaign office was an old industrial space that had been renovated several times. The ancient brick contrasted starkly with the glass walls that were all the rage in architectural circles. By the time Nat arrived, the office was already crowded, but Diamond wasn’t one to miss the entrance of any employee.
“Hey, Nat! Did training with Jake run a little long today?” The grin on her face was contagious and Nat saw several of the young staff giving her knowing smiles.
Nat smiled back and raised her middle finger high at her boss. For weeks now, Diamond had been tormenting Nat about Jake. She claimed, loudly enough for everyone to hear, that her sessions with Jake had never gone longer than the scheduled time.
Even though Nat was sure it was true, she had a hard time believing it. Diamond was gorgeous, and Nat was always surprised she hadn’t pursued modeling instead of politics. Her dark skin, long curly hair, and brilliant smile had no doubt melted the heart of many a suitor. Nat wasn’t as pale as she once was, and she didn’t think she was unattractive, but compared to Diamond, it was hard not to feel a little ugly.
Most of the staffers surrounding Diamond gave a good-natured laugh, and smiles and nods were exchanged all around. Nat shook her head, still surprised she wasn’t more upset about Diamond’s teasing. In a previous life, she would have tackled Diamond and wrecked that pretty face with her fists. Today, the exchange barely registered as an annoyance.
Her desk was her little oasis of peace, separated by a few feet from the rest of the open office pit. Diamond had offered multiple times to move the desk, but the truth was, Nat liked it in the corner. Despite her acceptance into this new life, it still felt good to have a bit of space, and she had little doubt she accomplished twice as much as most of her coworkers.
Nat logged on to her computer, did a brief security check, then tossed her backpack under the desk and returned to the small circle of people surrounding Diamond. They were just starting their daily morning briefing.
One young blonde girl, Kelli, was reading off the latest poll numbers conducted on social media. “According to this, we’re currently up in the polls, but the margin is razor thin, and this recent crime spree seems to be sending more support towards Adair.”
Diamond nodded. “We’re still five months out from the election, so I’m not concerned that we don’t have a bigger lead yet. I want to understand better why this rise in crime is helping Adair and not us. What message are we not getting across that’s leading to this?”
Bryan Adair was a lawyer who was running against Diamond as one of Sapiens’ official political candidates. He was the other frontrunner in the race for governor, and one of the reasons Nat dedicated her time to helping Diamond win the election. Although the link had yet to be proven, Nat believed Adair had received assistance from Sapiens First, the more violent half of the Sapiens movement.
Ted, a young man who looked like he’d stepped out of a modeling catalog, pushed his glasses higher up on his nose. They were an affectation, of course. No one needed glasses anymore.
“The obvious answer is that voters think Adair is tougher on crime.”
Diamond fixed the staffer with an inquisitive stare. “I understand that. But I want to know why. Why do voters think that about him? Is it because of his background, policy issues, or something else that we aren’t seeing?”
The circle went silent.
Diamond gave a short laugh to cut some of the tension in the room. She was a demanding boss who didn’t let others give less than their best, but she also didn’t take herself too seriously. It was a rare combination that Nat hadn’t encountered before. For Diamond, the combination worked. Nat felt she was more productive than most, but she did feel like everyone else was doing all they could. The candidate continued, “If we don’t know the answer now, let’s do some research and find out. Easiest approach first. Nat, do you think you can mine our data and see if there are any promising indicators?”
Nat made a note on her phone. “I’ll look into it today.”
Data analysis wasn’t her specialty, but she knew more than the other staffers, and even as they’d gotten more funding, Diamond kept her on the task. Nat wasn’t sure if it was some sort of loyalty or if her work was good enough. She never asked, for fear it would ruin a good thing.
There were a few other notes, but the meeting disbanded quickly. Diamond believed that the team coming together every morning was vital, but it never lasted longer than it needed to. Nat had often thought that if Diamond managed the state half as well as she managed her team, they would be in a good place.
With a glance, Diamond halted Nat.
“Any security concerns about tomorrow?”
Beyond the data analysis, security had been a point of contention between the two of them. Nat had set up the physical security for their building, a task she felt comfortable doing thanks to her previous life. But ever since that man from Sapiens First had assaulted Diamond, and Nat stopped him, Diamond had started to view the hacker as being in charge of all security. Nat was proud of her boss’ confidence, but couldn’t help but feel like the trust was misplaced. They had argued more than once. Nat didn’t want the responsibility for Diamond’s safety.
Diamond wouldn’t hear any of it. She said she believed in Nat, and she didn’t have the funds to hire a higher-profile security team. All the money was going towards the campaign. They were frontrunners, but that was based on the strength of their ideas and the grassroots passion behind their movement. Adair was outspending them three to one.
Nat set her shoulders and pulled up her notes regarding the next day’s rally. “There’s been a lot of hate online, and a number of vague threats, but nothing concrete or out of the ordinary.”
That was another aspect of the position Nat hated. She had always tried to isolate herself from the echo chamber that was most of the internet. As head of security, though, she often had to dive right into the worst of it to see what people were saying and decide if anyone constituted a credible threat. Nat had never had the highest opinion of her fellow citizens, but she didn’t think it could get much lower anymore.
If the city streets felt tense, the online gathering places were on fire. Adair advocated for the strict control of AIs. In several speeches, he had even dropped hints that he would be comfortable banning AI completely from their state. Nat wasn’t sure if that was even possible, but his position was clear.
Diamond, on the other hand, wanted to find a new way forward, a new relationship between AI and humans.
It was, without a doubt, the pivotal issue of the election, and people’s feelings were intense, overwhelming rationality. From the people who had lost their livelihoods to the advance of AI to those who thought AI was humanity’s salvation, everyone had an opinion. Online, those opinions were always voiced loudly, and often violently.
Diamond seemed satisfied. “All the usual precautions are in place?”
Nat nodded. The usual precautions weren’t much. A bulletproof screen in front of the podium, a car on hand in case they needed to escape quickly. Far less than what Nat would have ordered. Had she the budget and the permission, she’d have an entire company of National Guard surrounding Diamond at all times.
The two of them went back to their respective desks, Diamond reminding Nat she was doing great work.
Nat appreciated the comment, but dread kept knotting her stomach. What if something happened to Diamond and she couldn’t stop it?
The next day was hot and humid, but that surprised no one except the meteorologists. It had felt that way for weeks now. Solar panels were launched years ago to start blocking some of the sun’s radiation and give the Earth a chance to cool down, but some days it seemed as though the intervention had come several years too late.
Nat rolled out of her bed and did some light yoga and calisthenics to start the day. When she finished, she wasn’t breathing hard, but sweat poured from her skin. She could have turned on the van and run the air conditioner for a while, but she really didn’t want to waste the power.
A quick, cold shower finished waking her up, and Nat was soon ready for the day. Even though it was warm, she dressed in a light jacket that concealed the two weapons she now always carried. Sometimes she left them in her backpack, but on days like today they were carried where she could reach them quickly.
Her first weapon was a standard Taser, modified to be able to shoot its prongs. It was nonlethal, so she wouldn’t hesitate to use it. She had before, and although she hoped never to again, she felt it was far better to be safe than sorry.
The other weapon she’d used twice now. It was an illegal weapon, a high-powered stun weapon that was designed with enough power to incapacitate robots. Every time she fingered the grip of the weapon, she thought of the two times she’d used it. Neither had been particularly pleasant.
Memories of Br00-S swam to the surface, and as she did every day, she wondered if she had made the right decision by refusing to plant his seed AI in a new body. He had trusted her with his life and she had denied him a second chance. Maybe it was time.
She shook her head, breaking the cycle of thoughts she often found herself trapped in. She had made her decision months ago, and nothing of importance had changed since then. Her reasoning had been sound. It still was. The sooner she could move on, the better off she’d be.
Taking a quick glance in the mirror, Nat decided she looked good enough. The jacket, cool as it was, would make her sweat, but that was far preferable to a dozen bloggers arguing about why one of Diamond’s staffers walked around in public squares armed with two weapons.
With a final hand through her hair, Nat left the van and walked toward campaign headquarters a few blocks away. Today, she was one of the first staff to arrive. Nat waited and watched as the others came in and were given their marching orders for the day.
Diamond planned a rally today. By itself, the rally wasn’t that unusual, but with all of the vitriol of this race, Diamond had slowed the pace of her public appearances. As such, each one grew in importance. Although Diamond had excellent control of her expression, Nat had spent enough time with her now to see that she was nervous to go onstage.
The rally began at ten in the morning. With a half hour to go, the car pulled up in front of the headquarters. Diamond gave a few final directions and then stood up.
Nat joined her, along with a few other key staffers who never seemed to leave Diamond’s side. They piled into the car. Nat took the driver’s seat. Diamond and two blonde staffers squeezed into the back seat, and Hiro, a taller staffer, sat in the other front seat. Once, he had insisted that Diamond take the other, more comfortable front seat, but it wasn’t Diamond’s way. Hiro was four inches taller, and she argued he could use the extra space better than she could.
Nat told the car where to go, and it pulled away smoothly into traffic, the acceleration so gentle that Nat almost didn’t notice it.
As they drove, Nat reviewed everything she had researched for the day. Preparation was more than half the fight, and she had lost track of the hours she spent preparing for each and every rally.
There were a lot of hateful posts being thrown up on social media, but horrible as they were, nothing met her standards for concern. There were a handful of police at the rally site, and nothing out of the ordinary had been reported. Every so often she’d look up from her phone and the vile insults of “bitch” and “machine whore” to recalibrate her senses. Looking at the businesspeople on the street, she wondered if any of them were so vocal on social media, dressed in their suits and ties and looking like consummate professionals. Nat immediately thought the worst of them.
The scene they pulled up to fifteen minutes later didn’t look terribly peaceful to Nat. There weren’t any fights, but it appeared as though Diamond’s supporters and opponents had turned out in almost equal numbers.
Nat thought of traditional weddings, where one side of the church was given to one partner’s guests, while the other side was for the other partner’s. Two sets of family and friends coming together, at least in theory. In the traditional weddings she’d been to, most of one side of the gathering hated the other, silently or not-so-silently judging the in-laws. Today’s rally seemed much the same.
In this case, Diamond’s supporters appeared to be on the west side of the plaza, and her detractors were huddled on the east side. A gap stood between them, patrolled regularly by a few police officers, but the shouts and jeers of both sides could be heard even through the car’s thick glass.
Nat glanced back at Diamond. She could see the nervousness as Diamond bit her lip and looked at the crowd. But she also saw that winning grin slowly get fixed. Her eyes burned with intensity as she shrugged her shoulders straight and tall. Diamond wouldn’t let them down. With a nod, she gestured for others to get out of the car.
The path to the podium was packed with people who wanted to get closer to Diamond. She shook hands and said a few kind words, relying on temporary barriers and a few stern-looking officers to keep her from getting mobbed.
Nat tensed up as they walked the path. Her eyes darted over the crowd, trying to sense anything that might pose a danger to Diamond. The problem was, she wasn’t entirely sure what she was looking for. She wasn’t trained as a security specialist.
Behind them, the car sat and waited. They had booked it for the entire morning, and when Nat looked back, she thought it looked like an oasis in a storm.
Nat turned her attention back to the crowd. If she had her way, she would have pushed Diamond directly to the podium and forced her behind the bulletproof screens. They weren’t much, but they were something, at least.
When the gun came out of the crowd, Nat was stunned. At first, she thought it was a joke someone was playing. It was less than a yard away from her, and her immediate response was to freeze. For a second, it appeared as though the gun was floating in space, until a man pushed himself to the front of the line of supporters.
Time slowed down for Nat. The man appeared directly between two officers, and somehow in the chaos neither of them saw what was about to occur. She saw the man bring his finger from outside the trigger guard to inside, twisting his arm to get a clear shot at Diamond. He was only feet away from her, and at this distance, there was no way he could miss. She saw the man’s eyes, and in her mind, they were filled with fire. All around the man, people started to scream. It sounded like their shrieks were filtered through a thick pair of headphones.
Her training took over. She focused on her breath and she moved.
She stepped forward, closing the last three feet between her and the man with two quick steps. He never saw her coming, his eyes focused only on Diamond. She saw him tense up in preparation for the shot, closing his eyes as he began to pull the trigger.
Nat swung her arm up, sweeping the man’s wrist just as the gun went off. Lost in the moment, the gunshot barely registered in her mind.
Her actions had brought the man’s attention to her. The gun started coming down again, this time towards her.
Nat didn’t even think. She and Jake had practiced these situations hundreds of times. Her body knew what to do. Nat blocked the weapon from coming down and gained control. She twisted and tore the gun from the gunman’s hand and drove the palm of her free hand toward his face.
The hit was far from perfect, but she could feel the crunch of his nose under her palm.
The man dropped to the ground, screaming silent curses she couldn’t hear.
Run!
The idea, drilled into her time and time again, seized her. As the police converged on the scene, Nat physically pulled a shocked Diamond back toward the car. The woman was so surprised that she didn’t even resist. Nat shoved her into the back seat and tumbled in with her, yelling at the car to take them back to headquarters as she clutched the door handle and slammed it shut.
Chapter Two
