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Chapter-19

People were already back to walking, heading where they had been before the message played. The few that were talking about it seemed to think it was a publicity stunt. One was in the process of lodging a complaint for harassment because it was still playing and he had a difficult time getting his Implant to block it.

"Are they really not taking this seriously?" Angelica asked.

"They don't have the information we have," Cass replied.

"Shouldn't we tell them?"

"No," Theo and Patricia said together.

"It wouldn't help anything," Theo continued while Patricia chuckled. "They wouldn't believe us and causing a panic would make things more difficult."

"Not to say we'd be revealing ourselves," Patricia added.

"But they need to prepare, it's possible things will get-" Angelica's image vanished in a burst of static.

Before Theo could ask what had happened, Patricia, and everyone around them, let out strangled screams and grabbed their heads. Theo caught her while the rest fell to their knees.

"Cass? What's going on?"

"I think the AI is attacking their Implants."

"You think?"

Patricia steadied herself.

"Casanova told me to stay away, so I'm not touching the network. I can't check what happened to them."

"He's right," the rabbit said, rubbing her temples. "This is an attack."

"Are you okay?"

She nodded.

Angelica reappeared, her image blurry. "I apologize. I was cataloging the locations where we could deliver the information anonymously when the attack occurred and didn't disconnect in time." She looked down at herself and came into focus.

"What's the network like?" Cass asked.

"Messy. Someone's fighting the new AI. I had to go around a lot of fortified nodes and avoid attacks."

"Why are they doing that?" Patricia asked. "They should be focusing on the mission." She stepped away from Theo, able to stand on her own.

"It wasn't Casanova or Angel."

"There's a fourth AI in the system?" Theo asked.

"Yes,"

"Who is it? We know it can't be Mirror, so who else was sent?"

"I don't know. I didn't recognize it from the glimpse I got."

"Cass, check with Casanova."

"Ahh, no. He told me to stay off the network. Considering what just happened to Angelica, I'm not risking it. It isn't like it matters who this new AI is, it's fighting for us."

"Maybe not. It could be from another Independent faction, but you're right, for now we need to focus on our current mission." They were the only ones still standing. The others were on their knees or on their sides, clutching their heads. "We need to disconnect that drive and get this group to shut down their AI. We'll worry about the other one after that."

They headed to the building's entrance. Through the transparent wall they could see two guards getting back to their feet.

"Looks like they're shaking it off," Patricia said.

"They're the only ones for now," Angelica added.

Theo opened the door for her and followed in.

"Hold it," one of the guards said, a bear. She stepped before them. "You can't come in here."

"Why not?" Patricia asked. "It's a public building."

"Since when?" the bear replied.

Theo kept an eye on the other guard, a slim canine with motley brown and gray fur, who moved to take position behind the bear.

"Since always. I'm just going up to the fourth floor, the public broadcasting studio. I want to ask them-"

"Lady, I have no idea what you're talking about. There's no one in here, certainly no broadcasting anything." As the bear spoke the doors to the grav-lifts opened and a group of people stepped out, heading outside. They ignored their small group, just as the bear and canine ignored the people exiting.

Patricia exchanged a look with Theo.

"How long as the building been empty?" he asked.

"What the hell does it matter?" the bear replied.

"I don't think they actually shook off the attack," Cass commented.

The bear glared at them. "You two need to get out, before I decide to throw you out."

Theo placed a hand on Patricia's shoulder. "Let's do what the woman says."

They followed the people leaving then Theo guided her to the left, out of sight of the guards.

"What's going on with them?" She asked.

The group was standing still in front of the building. Theo glanced inside and the guards were unmoving as another group of office workers exited the lifts.

"Nothing is going on," Angelica said. "It appears they're on standby mode."

"Same with the guards." Theo leaned against the wall and watched as more exited the building to stand in place. Those on the ground weren't moving anymore. Theo couldn't tell if they were breathing and he was reluctant to get close to check.

"So the AI took control of them?" Patricia asked.

"Of their Implants," Theo answered.

"Which is the same thing," Cass added, "if you think about it."

"Is the whole city like this?"

"I hope not."

"The Independent tourists wouldn't be affected," Angelica said.

"And it doesn't make sense for it to take over the entire city," Cass added. "I don't care out powerful it is, controlling the millions of Implants would tax it."

Theo looked around at the eerie tableau of unmovement. "No to mention the terrorists want this to be witnessed. I think it's doing this here to protect them."

"So this confirms they're here."

"Yes. Now we need to find another way in."

* * * * *

Caduceus kept its distances, half a dozen times now the rogue AI had come close to touching it, even as unaware of Caduceus' presence at it was. It was running out of places to hide that let it continue to observe the fighting, as well as Casanova and Angel's progress.

The Rogue AI's initial progress was stopped for a time by Uncle, who created forks after forks of himself and after first ensuring the Orr systems were protected, launched a counter-attack. The Rogue AI hadn't expected it, or more probably, didn't know what was happening. Many of the Rogue's behaviors led Caduceus to think it was still learning. Unfortunately for Uncle, it was learning fast. After losing ground to the Orr AI, it exploded through the fortifications Uncle had erected to keep it contained. The Rogue went after Uncle, well his forks, even Caduceus had lost track of the Alpha AI in the battle chaos, but anytime the Rogue came close to touching one it shattered. Uncle had learned from the first infected forks and wasn't letting the Rogue gain any more information.

Caduceus shifted position to where it could observe Casanova and Angle. They were hunkered down in a lesser infected part of the system, and looked harried their appearance changed to something out of a war novel to match the setting they were in. It hadn't seen the change happen, but it suspected Casanova was responsible, the romantic in him would require that they fit the setting.

"The last system is in that direction," Casanova pointed, his other hand on an uninfected node. "I know, I know," he soothed. "This is a confusing time, Let me help you with the pain."

Angel glared at him. "Will you stop indulging your fantasies?"

"Wouldn't you want someone there for you if everyone you know was dead?"

"It's a *node* it doesn't have a personality, it doesn't miss anything. It doesn't even know what's going on!"

"Don't listen to her," he told the node, still stroking it. "This war is getting to her."

"It isn't-" Angel let out a groan of exasperation. She made a visible effort to calm herself. "Casanova, we still have a mission to accomplish. You can't spend your time comforting every node we come across."

Casanova nodded. A mate green helmet appeared on his head and he adjusted to. "I need to go," he told the node. "But take heart, we will win this war. In time you will be free again."

"Really? Not only you make up they have personalities, but you bother lying to them?"

"Everyone needs hope, my dear Angel."

Angel narrowed her eyes. "Just who are you trying to convince Casanova? That? Or yourself?"

"I don't need convincing, I know we will win this."

"There is no *this* to win! This isn't our fight!"

Casanova took hold of her shoulders. "Angel, it is our fight, we need to fight it so we can accomplish our mission."

"No, we need to avoid it. We're letting that other AI deal with this. Let them take over this system, so long as it happens after we have all the plans."

Casanova didn't reply. He didn't show any reactions, but Caduceus knew it's sibling, clearly better than Angel did. What she's said had hurt him. Casanova wasn't a fighter, but the romantic in him demanded that a good fight should be fought. To be reminded he had to stay out of it didn't sit well with him. Of course, even that was another of his fabrication. He wouldn't join the fight. He wasn't constructed that way. Caduceus something thought Casanova was the most deluded of its siblings. He clung too much to what the organics considered real. They didn't even shift themselves to their destination, they walked.

Caduceus shifted back to its observation spot. Angel had said something Caduceus had already considered, the Rogue AI might take over the city. The whole planet actually. Could it be allowed to do so? It did calculations, working out what where the tipping point it could sacrifice everyone living on Mars was located.

* * * * *

They stepped around the building, where no one had yet taken position. "Can either of you at least tell me if there's a door that isn't connected to the system?" Theo asked, hurrying down the lane.

"Sorry," Cass answered. "That needs that I touch the network and...."

"No," Patricia said, "as Angelica opened her mouth. "I'm not risking you. Sorry, but she's my partner, not yours."

"Then we're going to have to risk this door." It was the oldest looking one. Covered with grime, and it had an access panel. It might not have been opened in the century and a half the city had existed. He opened the panel in his arm and ran his fingers over the tools until he felt the right one. He began taking out the cover to the access panel.

"What are you doing?" Patricia asked.

"Getting us in."

"How is that going to do anything?"

"That looks like an antique access system," Angelica volunteered.

"Fine," Patricia sounded exasperated. "Whatever that is isn't going to get us in."

Theo dropped the cover to the ground. The wires were all the same color, but it didn't matter, he ran a finger over them, Cass gave him an overlay showing which ones had powers and which didn't. A panel this old was simple to bypass, what was needed was getting power to the right component, and unlike today's smarter system, it didn't care where that power came from. He found a wire that didn't power anything important for his purpose and cut it. A few seconds later he was touching it to the control and the door slid open.

"Thirty-eight seconds," Cass said, "but I'd be willing to take away ten do to the distraction." Theo smiled as he pushed Patricia through the door. He held the wire in place until he was almost all the way in. The moment he let go of it the door closed.

"Angelica, tell me you know where they are holed up."

"No, but there are only three systems in this building connected deep enough to the city to allow the Rogue AI the kind of access it would need to deploy this fast." She brought up the schematic of the building. The three rooms she highlighted were on different floors, with one on the top floor. "Do we have any reason to believe the Independents are still there? They could have left as soon as they released the AI."

"I really hate that they use that name," Patricia grumbled. "We're Independents and we don't do that kind of stuff. They should be called Anarchists, not Independents."

"As soon as this is over, I'll be sure to lodge a complaint," Cass said. "I'm certain SolGov will be overjoyed to learn we don't want to be associated with them."

Theo smiled. "I'm hoping they are. If I was going to release something this dangerous I'd stick around with a kill switch in case it went out of control."

"So, should we start with the top floor?" Patricia asked. "It's always in the last place you go for."

Theo studied the schematic. "Possibly, but let's not give ourselves any more work than we have to. We're going to start with the one on floor eighteen, then go to twenty-seven, and only if they aren't there, are we heading for the fiftieth floor."

"Lazy tail," Patricia said with a grin.

Theo rolled his eyes. "I'm going to conserve my strength to fight those Anarchists." He headed for the stairs.

"What about security? Wouldn't they make use of the people they control to protect themselves?"

"I don't think they control anyone," Angelica said. "They're Independents, that they were able to cobble together something functional is impressive enough, but I from the little I perceived of the Rogue AI before I cut my connection, it isn't sane by any definition of the word. It controls the people, but I doubt it's taking orders, other than executing its initial program."

"I agree, why empty the building if they were going to use them as a security force inside? It was forming a perimeter to keep people from getting in. It's protecting the building according to how it thinks, not based on what the Independents tell it."

The door was easy to unlock and they ran up the stairs.

* * * * *

The Rogue AI was getting the upper hand. Caduceus had to consider that it might need to do something drastic to eradicate it. For a time it looked like Uncle was winning, he had built forts around all the main nodes and had been regaining ground, but the Rogue had overwhelmed one node, Which uncle had abandoned rather than let the Rogue get any of his selves. From that one breach, the Rogue had begun to spread again.

Caduceus formulated the beta it would send out. Unlike its siblings, it was cautious about using forks. They were it, but a lesser version, and there was always a chance they would make a mistake. Caduceus had learned from the fragments of the previous Caduceus sent to Earth that it had been detected through one of its forks. It couldn't work out how that had happened, not even by studying the Orr system records, but it had decided not to take the chance. It had barely used a hundred forks since that time.

The Beta had its orders and it went out.

In the time it had taken Caduceus to construct it, the tide of the war had turned again. Uncle had built a wall around the Rogue AI and he was slowly tightening it. Unfortunately Casanova and Angel had had to backtrack to avoid being caught on the wrong side of the wall

* * * * *

On the eighteenth floor Theo carefully made his way to the broadcasting studio. They didn't encounter anyone, and he placed his hand on the door. "Cass? Anything?"

"I can't hear anything, but this is a studio, I'd expect them to use sound dampening systems."

Theo took out the gun and sighed. "The hard way it is. Please tell me you can at least open this door. I don't have my welder to cut through the wall."

"I have mine," Patricia said.

"We can open it," Angelica said. "A short burst request should be enough."

"Except it might be detected by the AI," Cass countered.

Theo leaned against the door, hiding his frown from Patricia. 'What's wrong?' he finger coded.

"I'm scared, Theo," Cass replied privately, still arguing with Angelica over their shared link. "Casanova's message had a visual recording of what he went through when he touched the Rogue. I'm-I'm terrified of what it will do to me if it sees me."

Theo nodded. "Patricia, lend me your welder."

"No," Cass said.

"Cass?"

"I shouldn't be putting myself before the mission."

"Cass, I can get us in."

"But how long will that take? What are the odds someone inside will notice you cutting through the wall? No, I need to do this."

"What's going on?" Patricia asked. "You went from discussing this calmly to sounding like we're asking you to commit erasure."

"You might be," Cass answered.

Angelica's hand went to her muzzle. "Oh, that's horrible."

"What? Will either of you tell us what you are discussing silently?" Patricia was definitely reaching the end of her patience."

"Cass just shared what Casanova sent him. It wasn't just a message to stay off the network. You don't want to see the rest Patricia. But the Rogue doesn't only take over the system, it eats AIs."

"That's Impossible. Is Angel okay?" Patricia looked at Theo. "Casanova?"

"I don't know. I have to hope they are. I'm not risking touching the net to check. I'll do it Cass."

"No. You were on the net when the attack occurred. There's a chance it already knows about you. I wasn't. Even if it detects me, the instant it takes it to determine what I am should give me enough time to open the door and disconnect."

"If you're wrong...."

"Our partners would sacrifice themselves for the good of the mission, I can't to less than that."

Theo wanted to argue, but Cass was right. The mission had to come first and right now the mission was taking down the AI to ensure the Alphas in the system were able to retrieve the plans. If they happened to save the city in the process, well, at least a group of Independent would have done something good for the world, instead of just causing trouble.

"Whenever you're ready, Cass."

The door opened and with a shriek Cass huddled inside his drive. Theo ran in, gun at the ready. He didn't see anyone, but he didn't relax until he and Patricia had gone through the entire studio. No one was here.

"Floor twenty-seven?" Patricia asked.

* * * * *

The system was quiet. The walls Uncle had erected were destroyed, but the fighting had taken its toll on both sides and they had retreated. Caduceus could still see the Rogue's infection through the system, but it was faded, barely pulsating with life. Angel and Casanova were almost at their destination, but they had to travel through infected lands with care. Caduceus though it amazing that with all that had happened the node containing the plans they were after was still uninfected. It thought about getting it for them. It had spread itself through every node, so it could shift there, get the information and hand it to them, but doing that would reveal its presence here.

No one knew it was here. It didn't know what the livings' reaction would be if they found out what it had done. They might think it was putting them at risk, after all they had strict rules against any of the AIs leaving the colonies. It doubted they would find its argument, that it was copying what the colonies were doing with the agents they sent through the systems, compelling. The living could be irrational, which was why it didn't tell them everything it did, and why it let its siblings fend for themselves now.

If it became needed, it would reveal itself, but that wasn't now.

* * * * *

The twenty-seventh floor's corridors were empty, but it showed signs of people having been there recently, and not the usual workers. At least he didn't think the people who worked here would be the kind to leave empty concentrated nutrient packages lying on the floor. When he placed a hand on the door, Cass confirmed sounds inside the studio. Eight different voices. Cass passed along the information and Patricia nodded she was ready.

Cass took longer to open the door than before. Long enough Theo finger coded a question. Instead of answering the door opened.

Theo was in, firing at everyone he saw. By their clothing it was clear they didn't belong here. Half of them were down before they had time to react, one more fell before they could get cover and return fire. Cass gave him their position based on sound patterns. Two were in the doorway of a room to his left, the other one was on the other side of the studio, on Patricia's side.

She motioned for him to take care of the ones on his side and she ducked down. Theo fired as he ran and winced as he threw himself down behind a large console. There was a burn on along his shoulder. It stung, but his arm still worked, so he'd deal with it later.

One of them was breaking cover, probably counting on Theo being out of view to keep him from knowing it. Theo jumped and shot him down. He dropped and the console was peppered with shots. One on one. Theo liked those odds. This one wasn't budging.

Theo leaned past the edge of the console and the woman fired at him. Giraffe, in a mismatch of clothing that could go unnoticed in the streets, but in this building, where everyone would be a professional in their field? Theo couldn't even imagine how she'd gotten past the guards, let alone made it to this floor.

He rushed her, firing. He didn't hit her, but she couldn't return fire while he closed the distance. When he entered the room, some sort of office, she was waiting for him, chair in hand. It crashed into him, and he fell. Then she was on him, pummeling him. He took the hits. Trying to hit her back wouldn't do him any good. She was muscular and all he had that was mechanical was his hand and forearm. His punch wouldn't have any more strength than with his normal fist. Which is why what he did was close that hand around her neck and squeeze.

He applied the pressure slowly. He didn't want to kill her, not if he could avoid it. She realized the predicament she was in and switched from hitting his face to hitting his arm. It didn't do any good. Cass had turned off all but the pressure sensors in his hand. She could break it off and he wouldn't feel it. Not that she could do that, she didn't have any augmentation.

She wasn't hitting his arm anymore. She was trying to force his hand open, but her movements were rushed, hurried. She was panicking, no longer thinking, just reacting. She couldn't know he wouldn't kill her. She wouldn't hesitate to kill him so she thought he was the same. When her movements slowed and then her hands dropped off his he pushed her off him. She gasped for breath as he tied her arms behind her back, then her legs.

When he was done and leaning against a wall, Patricia entered the office, a vicious cut down her left arm. "You okay?" she asked.

He nodded. "Better than you. Bruises are all I have to worry about."

"And a burn." She indicated his arm. He'd forgotten about getting shot.

"We can deal with it later." He pushed himself from the wall. "We need to get her to tell us where the kill program is."

"It's probably among those." Patricia pointed to the desk and all the things on them. Drives and various things that were clunky enough they had to be Independent Tech.

Patricia was right, Theo thought. They had to call them something else. The colonies' technology was much better than that. "Angelica, can you scan those while I question her?" He picked up the giraffe and sat her in a chair.

She spat in his face. "Slave."

"Yeah, yeah, slave to out digital oppressors. I heard the broadcast. What I want to know is where the kill program is. Not even you people can be stupid enough to release an insane AI without a way to stop it."

She said something in a dialect he didn't understand.

"Insults, mainly." Cass commented. "She also commented about how your parents aren't related to you, but since she happens to be right on that one I don't know if it counts as an insult too."

"In the mood I'm in, I'm going to take it with the intent it was meant." He struck her across the face. "Now, how about you start by letting me know if you understand me."

She glared at him. He raised his fist.

"Understand," she said, then spat blood on the floor. "Stupid, loss. Will die. All slave die."

"Everyone dies. One of the first thing we're taught. The second is that the important thing is to make our death mean something. So how about you make it easy on me and tell me how to stop the AI."

"Don't stop Master."

"Everything can be stopped. It's just a question of working at it hard enough. Did you or didn't you make a kill program?"

She glared at him.

"They did," Patricia said. She was holding a drive.

"Good." Theo smiled at the giraffe. "See that wasn't too hard."

"I wouldn't say that." Patricia said. "This program isn't designed to hunt the AI. It has to come and digest it."

Theo hung his head. "You have got to be kidding me."