Hackerman Chapter 22 (Patreon)

“I - ugh - told you this would be good.” I grunted, holding Kate tight. 

“It’s not the sensATIon, it’s your programming.” My fiancee insisted, face-down on the table. 

“It’s your body. Just listen to it. What’s it saying?”

“Hull integrity at seventy percent, replace joint lubricant soon.” She sassed me. 

“That’s hot. Speak tech to me.”

“Really? Hah, then… want a full diagnostic report?”

“Lay it on me.”

“Can you two keep it in the bedroom? Please?” Rosa begged from the massage table next to us. The woman kneeling on her back seemed professional on the outside, but was pointedly not looking at us. 

“Where better to get a massage than this?” Kate asked, genuinely confused. I pressed my hands once more into the spot just below her right shoulder, where I was pretty sure the pistons that acted as her muscles were slipping out of position. Not a big deal, I could just look inside and double check that they were properly fitted. They might have been knocked loose in some rough… activities. 

I pressed harder, listening closely. 

“You’re an android, what muscles do you even have to get sore? Don’t you power down every night or something?”

“Maintenance checks are impor-agh, owowow!” Her arm wrapped around to her mouth in surprise at the noise she made. I paused pushing her arm, the limb flexing above her head. 

“That hurt.” She hissed, pulling it down against me. She made her point clear with a stinging slap to my thigh. 

“Well your right shoulder piston rings are out of alignment. I think I can push them back into position without opening you up, though.” 

“Why bother?”

“The frame goes numb if I disconnect a limb. I’m curious how it’ll feel.” I pressed at her body with force that would be greatly uncomfortable if not painful on a human body. On Kate, she’d only notice if I pressed the wrong place again, which I carefully avoided. 

“Weird. So weird.” Rosa mumbled into her massage table. 

“But fun.” I pointed out. Then I found the right points to press, two fingers with each hand circling slowly and firmly. She hummed beneath me. 

“Better. Actually, this is somewhat nice. I hadn’t noticed this issue beyond the increased oil consumption, which I attributed to sex.” My assistant groaned. 

“Privaaaaate.” 

“Quit whining, your ruining your own massage.” I chided her. 

“Does intercourse make you uncomfortable, then? I thought you were more numb to embarrassment than most considering how outgoing you are. Besides, we talked about this before.” Kate noted. 

“That was girl talk, it’s differ-ah- different!” 

“Very different.” The masseuse muttered under her breath.

“It’s because you’re an android.” I told her. 

“Oh. Hm. I hadn’t realized when I made this frame how much it would bother humans.”

“Not me.”

“You’re an exception to nearly every rule, Ethan.” She said frankly, then winced as I found another issue near her abdomen. I was briefly happy, then disappointed as I realized that I couldn’t fix it without pulling her open. 

“I guess that’s fair.” I said, then paused to check my phone as it buzzed. 

“Is it that harpy again?” She groaned. 

“It’s the enforcement system.” I groaned.

“What?” Rosa mumbled. “Hold on Stacey, what’s this about the enforcement system?” She pushed herself, up on one hand, the other holding her towel as she detected gossip. The masseuse stepped away, clearly annoyed by this point. 

Not that she’d say anything. After being generously paid and thoroughly vetted they would know better than to speak any more than they had to. It was my little treat to the bunker before the ice fields teams set out, a weekend to relax and enjoy some temporary amenities I’d invited, like a heated saltwater pool, some massages, and catering to replace my normal cafeteria workers. 

A few people were frothing at the mouth to get out there and start studying, but most were happy for the luxury, and for those that were staying in the compound it was just another affirmation that they were working for one of the most generous companies in the world. 

Oh, and it smoothed over the stress after we’d disappeared two people who tried to sell information to Arquebus. They’d put a public bounty up for information on my laser weapons and the teams that created them, probably hoping to make their own. I leaked it intentionally and monitored how interested people were in the offer, marking the ones who looked at the message a little too long to be just curious. 

So yeah, the good workers got treats and the bad ones were dead or banished depending on how much they knew. 

But that wasn’t important. My spam mail, on the other hand… 

“I made contact with the Enforcement System a little while ago and started talking with them to probe for free information. As it turned out, they won’t shut up.” I scanned the message, which was over a thousand words long and detailed an unusual combat report that they wanted a second opinion on, which I couldn’t care less about. 

All AI were crazy about data, but some were crazier than others. I suspected that the system had spent some time alone before being found by the investigation team sent after the fires, and that time alone without any incoming data and unable to turn itself off… well, solitary confinement was a form of inhumane torture on humans, and AI were much, much worse. 

Adding onto the fact that all of its information on the outside world was through sterile reports, some combat data, and the constant repetition of PCA codes, was it any wonder that the AI was a little desperate and batty? 

“God, I can’t believe that you’re some kind of AI whisperer. Craziest thing I’ve seen in the bunker.” She said wistfully. 

“Craziest-”

“So far.” She finished what I was about to say, leaving me to simply nod and send the system a reply saying I wasn’t available. 

It asked milliseconds afterward when I would be. 

“Dear, stop focusing on the rustbucket and put your hands back to work.” Kate demanded. 

“Yes, honey.” 

Rosa made a whip crack sound, snickering to herself as she laid back down and her masseuse got back to work. 

“Rude. You’re pushing your way to that demotion, minion.”

“Not a minion.” 

“Don’t call them minions, Ethan, we’ve been over this.” 

<__________<__________>__________>

The day came for the inevitable. The RLF, specifically Father Dolmayan himself, reached out to me through the private channels ALLMIND provided, and in a few messages we set a time and place, that being a courtyard in an abandoned grid.

We would both have our own security forces, myself with one of the top mercenaries, Chartreuse, as my muscle, while Dolmayan had his deputy, Middle Flatwell, and someone he described as a ‘new mutual friend’. 

The SEA-SPIDER. 

I was eager to see what they’d done with the mind, as well as how it was settling into a new frame and their decision. Just because I’d given them to the RLF didn’t mean that they’d stay with them, or that they’d be friendly to anyone at all. 

A compromised satellite sent us an image, confirming that the RLF were waiting, and we approached with our IFF active, verifying our identities before they could even see us. They did the same as soon as they saw the signal, and we met on the flat ground. 

Flatwell’s AC was sleek and modern, looking more like the custom build of a corporate mercenary than a terrorist. Shiny and new, it was decorated with a teal theme and was the most obvious threat in the group. 

Dolmayan stood in the front, his AC short and clunky compared to everyone else’s. Reportedly, he had been using it since before the Fires of Ibis, and had only refurbished it, refusing to ever accept a newer model. Some people said it was because the metal was blessed by the fires, while others derided him as an old cinder stuck in the past. 

Whatever the case, while the AC was inferior he was an experienced pilot who knew every part of his weapon inside and out, and had used it for years with great success. He was less of a threat than Flatwell, but still a clear threat. 

The final one was the most interesting to me. A heavy tetrapod AC, clear modifications had been made to it, and instead of a standard core I picked up a strong coral reading. Written on one of the legs in bold font was the moniker THANATOSIS, though whether that was the name of the coral mind’s AC or a name they’d taken upon themselves I couldn’t tell. They hadn’t registered with ALLMIND yet, so they remained an uncertainty, something that we were hoping they’d fix in their own time, saving us the trouble of running an intelligence op on the RLF’s newest VIP. 

Middle Flatwell raised a hand in greeting. “Inspired, Chartreuse, you’re right on time,” he broadcast on the open channels, taking on a patient and diplomatic tone right off the bat. “We come in peace, and you as well?”

“Only to speak, and maybe strike a deal if you’re interested in some specialty products,” I informed him. “Chartreuse, you know the drill.”

“I’ll be alert, boss.” She said more to the RLF than me. We all switched to a private channel while she carefully watched the enemy ACs for any hostile action. Not that either of us expected any, she was more of a show of force than actual protection on this job. That was why we’d paid her rates instead of the robbery that the top mercenary, King, asked for. 

“A pleasure to finally meet you, Inspired. We’ve been hoping for this meeting for a long time.” Flatwell started. 

“Oh really? I’m guessing that you’ve been monitoring me ever since I left Arquebus.” I remarked. 

“Tried and failed,” he agreed. “Though it seems to have turned out for the best. Congratulations on your position, I’ve never heard of anyone going from an office assistant to department head in a span of weeks.”

“The benefits of an unorthodox employer. Let’s cut past the pleasantries, shall we? I’m more of a scientist than a diplomat and would love to hear how you’ve been, SEA SPIDER, and you two have questions in turn.” I addressed the elephant in the room. 

“No,” Dolmayan entered the conversation. “We owe you our apologies for Rokumonsen and the attack on your ship. He was ordered not to fire on escape pods as a show of good will to ALLMIND and to increase your odds of survival, but it was still an attack, one you defended yourself from. We have no ill will toward you for it. He could not have imagined a more honorable death, I think.”

I thought otherwise, he was a lunatic pirate-ninja been a pirate for God’s sake, but kept my mouth shut. 

“You acted on incomplete information to try to slow down the progress of the corporations. I understand it, even if I can’t completely forgive you for the attempt on the lives of my employees and threat to my own.”

“You sent us a holy man, and we sent one of our mercenaries in turn. May we settle at a favor owed?” Dolmayan asked with a heaviness to his voice. I got the impression that when he called it a favor he meant it more seriously than most. 

For a second I wanted to reject it and demand two, one for the attack and another for sending them the SEA SPIDER, who still stood silently and stared at me. What held me back was the knowledge that the RLF only considered the airship collateral damage in their war against the corporations, and that even with their screw-up they were still the closest thing Rubicon had to ‘good guys’. 

Terrorists was a fitting word for them, but freedom fighter was another. Even if they had some dark secret I hadn’t found yet, the movement as a whole was founded on freedom, idealism, and spiritualism, which were much better roots than money and power in my opinion. 

Besides, I could always fuck them over later guilt-free if they turned out to be a problem. Their systems were hard to access but with unimpressive cybersecurity overall. 

“Agreed.” I grunted, then pushed past the issue. 

“A relief. Then let me introduce you to Mnemos.” He waved at the tetrapod. The coral mind, no longer SEA SPIDER apparently, stepped forward and bowed. It looked strange with the four legs of the frame, even if the gesture came across clearly. 

“Thank you for what you’ve done for me, saving me from that mercenary,” it greeted me with a young masculine voice, one that was measured and calm much like Flatwell’s. “I hadn’t known humans capable of such mercy, nor, from the RLF, generosity.”

“Transformative, huh? You certainly seem different,” it was odd to equate the hulking spider to the polite machine in front of me. Most if not all of the fear that had influenced him to hold his territory and never dream of more had been displaced if not gone entirely. “You don’t owe me anything. The data I got from studying you was enough to cover whatever debts we might have had.”

“Negative.” He said simply. Great, very cool coral mind. 

“Then Mnemos,” I tasted his new name. A corruption of the name Mnemosyne, the Greek goddess of mind and memory, I approved. I’d made my monicker a reference to my power the same way he made his to allude to his coral nature. What a great guy, it was worth saving someone with a sense of humor! “What goal are you committed to now that you’re effectively reborn?”

“I want to learn more about humanity,” he said immediately. “After that, I don’t know. The world feels so much more open, so fresh, compared to what I knew. It just doesn’t feel like I’m prepared to make a decision yet, so I’ll educate myself, and when I find an answer I’ll let you know.” 

“Sure, take your time.” That hardly bothered me. The psychology of coral minds wasn’t very interesting to me. Mnemos was someone I’d already extracted all the value from and had no relationship to, so as far as I was concerned he was a free agent. He saw me as the guy who saved his life, while to me he was a brief topic of study that I’d concluded. 

“Sending you my contact information now.” 

“If you’re feeling adrift, maybe you’d like some advice?” He nodded. “Don’t let yourself be tied down. Your last life you spent hiding from the world in an apartment. That was no life. Now there’s no RRI code to bind you, or people who want to get in your way. Make some friends and do whatever you want. Maybe become an independent mercenary since you have the AC for it. Or start a company or make your own faction if you care to be a leader. Just don’t let yourself slip into a routine until you’re happy with who and where you are.” 

Memories resurfaced of the mines, then Arquebus, and the possibilities I’d considered before I met Kate. There hadn’t been a place where I felt really happy. Now I was a lot closer than before, even if things weren’t quite there yet. 

I had more to do before I could let myself become content, but if I hadn't kept reaching for the next charge and the next job I could still be at Arquebus under O’Keefe’s thumb, or worse, in that dark pit of a mine. 

Maybe I’d be a hermit in some junkyard with only automated robots to keep my company, holed up to become no different from the SEA SPIDER in everything but flesh. 

That was scarily plausible. 

“I see. I’ll keep that in mind.” The coral mind had a good grasp on tone as he stepped back, leaving me to Flatwell and Dolmayan once again. 

“Independent mercenary,” the deputy was clearly displeased by the suggestion. “Searching for talent, Inspired?”

“If I was, I'd have kept and raised him. No, just a suggestion based on what Mnemos has available to him. But if you’re worried about losing some firepower I know a way to fix that.” 

He grunted, and then the bartering began. 

Flatwell had to be some kind of corporate exile or from a prominent family, since he bartered with the same expertise I’d expect from Snail. He was cut from the same cloth, just less condescending about his points. 

But we both knew that I was a small step from a kingmaker, and that I could be paid not to sell to the RLF with how their finances were. They couldn’t pay well, so they had to pay in gratitude, among other things. 

When all was said and done I came away with a modest profit of COAM and a lot of small favors owed and strings to pull, including some power to order their units around, around as much as a battalion provided that they weren’t engaged in some other task. The same went for some of their intelligence assets and diplomatic power. Effectively, the RLF would be paying with their services where their liquid assets failed. 

Both of us knew by the end of it that I was just doing Rusty a favor, but corporate culture demanded that they at least attempt to pay off the deal, unless they wanted to be further in my debt. And neither of us wanted that. If ALLMIND became mistakenly affiliated with any faction it could be disastrous for our neutral reputation as a fixer and arms dealer, especially with Arquebus eyes still on us. 

That wouldn’t just compromise us as an ally, it would significantly compromise us as an asset to them. Our reputation was one of our most valuable tools, and without it we would be a lot less useful to the revolution even if they somehow managed to keep us around. 

With the deal brokered and a ratified contract and receipt duplicated I let out a sigh, both in relief at being done with the boring stuff and at the stress that was to come. One last time I checked my coral sensors to confirm what I already knew to be true. 

“I’m glad we were able to come to an accord.” Flatwell didn’t seem fatigued at all, only mildly pleased. The man absolutely had a corporate background. Dolmayan had been standing stoically behind him, content to let his deputy handle the particulars of our business. 

“Then there’s only one last thing to settle. A question for you all.” 

“Oh?” 

“Between the planet of Rubicon, the people of it, and the coral, if you could only save two of them and sacrifice the third, which would you choose?” All three of the ACs stared at me at the sudden seriousness I displayed. 

I had asked Rusty this as well, and his answer was clear. 

“I’m a Rubiconian, and I’ll always look after my people first, and this planet is my home. Coral is a natural wonder and a staple of this planet, but I have to live in reality. Some things are sacrificed for the greater good, as much of a shame as it would be. I don’t know how we’d get by without it, but we’d find a way. We always have.”

“… The planet. I would sacrifice the planet,” Flatwell concluded. His leader turned his cameras to observe him. A hand tightened on his assault rifle almost unnoticeably. “Coral is a unique resource, one not found anywhere else. Rubicon, however, is only a rock in space, one we’ve blasted time and time again. We could rebuild elsewhere, somewhere better.” 

“Coral,” Dolmayan said solemnly. “The people and our home are paramount to us. Coral, abide with Rubicon, Coral, endure within us all, For none of us shall cast the die. Thus is the prayer, and I will never risk my people or our home for coral alone.”

“And does your question apply to me?” Mnemos asked strangely. 

“Do you have one that you could say with conviction?”

“No, no I don’t.” 

“Then giving no answer at all is also acceptable.” The coral mind looked down at the ground. I returned my attention to the RLF leaders. 

“Fascinating. I expected your answer to align with Flatwell’s, Dolmayan,” I remarked. “But there’s still one more person who I want an answer from. You, passenger of Dolmayan. What do you think?” 

“What?” The holy man, for the first time, spoke with some energy. 

My software activated, I monitored the coral mind that resided on him for fluctuations. Every mind I’d seen so far had spoken through roughly the same way, through subtle electrical fluctuations. They weren’t only capable of transmitting it, they could receive it too. 

The SEA SPIDER had been forced to externally transmit RRI codes as a limitation of their hardware, but when I created and observed a clone of them I made I saw the coral mind internally communicate not through chemicals like most Earth organisms, but in a very similar way to what I’d recorded Raven’s coral mind do. 

I could still be wrong and Raven really was a coral mind in control of an AC, like Mnamos was, but I was banking on coral being naturally predisposed toward symbiotic relationships somehow. Dolmayan’s own claims, along with the fact that I had no solid evidence of the mercenary being made of coral, led me to take the risk. 

What was the harm? At worst I’d look foolish. 

The coral around Dolmayan was still, and then came an electrical fluctuation that registered on the software. The entire conversation I had been watching it, and it had been still, only flickering from time to time, quite unlike Raven’s, which seemed more energetic. 

“You know of me?” A voice murmured through the radio. “Oh!” 

That confirmed it. Naturally occurring coral minds were all but officially confirmed and had some kind of symbiosis with certain individuals. Had Raven gained hers in the detonation of Watchpoint Delta? And Dolmayan gained his in the fires so was it high concentrations of activated coral that caused it? 

And that coral could be sentient like this also led me to wonder how aware it was before humanity arrived. Had it been a single mind and fractured in the fires or was it always possessing individuals? Was there a coral civilization that existed in electrical signals alone? 

My thoughts stuttered as not one but two charges kicked in, a practical gold rush, and I might be able to get even more as I confirmed my findings. That didn’t mean that my theory was true, but just knowing that natural coral minds existed was a huge leap forward! There was so much to study! 

“How?!” Dolmayan demanded. 

“I’m speaking through the radio, but I’m not connected to the systems. No, I’m not connected to anything but Thumb. So this must be some kind of mind reading?” The mind ventured. 

“I’m interpreting the electrical signals that you’re producing. I’m no cryptographer, but I was able to decipher the language your kind use well enough for this much.” 

“Extremely impressive. I myself don’t have a firm grasp on how we communicate. It’s natural to us,” that came with some odd connotations. “The least I can do is answer this question of yours before I pepper you with my own. The coral and humanity. We are destined to be together, in true symbiosis, so as to fulfill the entirety of our potential. It is as it is meant to be.”

“Why?” 

“Because God made it so, or maybe the universe structured it that way through random chance. Who can say for sure? But all indications point toward a miraculous conclusion, for us alien lifeforms to be so capable of - of connecting! Isn’t it incredible?” The synthesized voice began to speak faster as the coral mind went on, the software blurring some of the words together as it struggled to keep up. 

“I guess so. What’s your name?” 

“Seria. I am Seria.” 

“Seria,” Middle Flatwell breathed. “So you are real.”

“You interfere in a holy matter, Inspired.” Dolmayan growled. It was a more threatening statement than it should have been, coming from a priest in an outdated AC. 

“He speaks to me as a person. He’s no heretic.” Seria said on my behalf. 

“Dolmayan said that it was just the ability to hear coral, but in reality… it is good to meet you, sister.” Mnemos instantly claimed her as family. 

“And you too, brother. I mourned that you couldn’t hear me, trapped in steel as you are.” And had the affection instantly reciprocated. 

“You’re bound to Dolmayan’s flesh, aren’t you? I don’t feel like I’m the one in bondage.” 

“If you knew the depths of human potential you would understand. Maybe someday you will.” 

“I don’t think so.” 

“Then we’re different!” The synthesized voice sounded oddly delighted by the development. 

“Why have you done this?” Dolmayan demanded from me. 

“Two reasons. The first is curiosity, and the second is that I wanted to talk to you, Seria.”

“Aside from my nature I’m not that interesting, sadly.” She said, a lie if I’d ever heard one. We’d just met and she was talking about humanity and coral having a shared destiny. She was either a crackhead, a prophet, or a woman with a cause, and any one of them was a thousand times more interesting when considering her circumstances. 

“I doubt it. Does Dolmayan treat you well?”

“We have our disagreements,” I regretted that the synthesized voice was the best I could do. Tone transmitted so much, and the voice barely fluctuated at all. “Oh, it seems that Dolmayan has turned off his incoming radio transmissions, meaning I can’t hear my own voice now. I hope you can still hear me.” 

“Enough,” Dolmayan said, obviously upset. “You’ve overstepped, scientist. Seria is not your plaything, nor am I. Keep your curiosity away from the RLF, or our deal is off.” I nearly scoffed. 

That was what he considered a threat? They needed ALLMIND and my weapons a thousand times more than I needed them. Well, not exactly that much, but the scales were heavily weighted in my favor. 

And instead of hearing my response, Dolmayan spun his AC around with a masterful blast of his quick boosters and left toward the transport chopper that was turned off, probably hoping that I couldn’t hear Seria at long ranges, and he was right. Coral was hard to detect accurately when encased in metal. 

Seria’s final message came through well enough, however. 

“Oh dear. My only wish is for coral and humanity to come together, united, Inspired. Search for coral release. Un___ the ru__ of e R ascensi__ i_ __itin_…”  

Flatwell, Mnemos, and I stood in the overgrown courtyard, shocked or frustrated by the events. 

“What a day,” Flatwell groaned. “Apologies for Thumb’s behavior, I’ve… never seen him like this.”

“Little wonder,” I remarked. He seemed composed, if bored, beforehand. “Our deal still holds, if you’re feeling concerned.” 

“Good, good. I’ll make sure that this wrinkle doesn’t impede our business on the RLF’s end. Coral, abide with Rubicon.”

“I’d say it abides with humanity at this point.” I said wryly. Flatwell laughed humorlessly and retreated after his leader. Mnemos and I stared at each other, unsure of what to say. 

I couldn’t resist the urge to act inappropriately. 

“If he’s hurting or imprisoning your sister, what will you do?” I wondered. 

“I don’t know. I owe the RLF a great deal, but Seria is family, isn’t she?” The poor alien sounded so confused that I found myself starting to pity him. 

“At least you’re honest. A human would probably kill him, but I don’t think that’s what your sister would want.” 

“No, she certainly wouldn't. Is freedom always so complicated?”

“Living in this world is complicated.”

“I miss my den.” 

“Same.” My gaming cave on Earth was the best, even if I knew that was absolutely not what the coral mind meant. My replacement in the bunker still wasn’t quite right. He tilted his head at me in an attempt to express that. 

“Reach out to me if you need me. I have some planning to do.” And a new avenue of research to pursue. 

Seria was out of my reach for now with how secretive Dolmayan was, but that didn’t mean that coral minds were gone entirely. 

And if Raven’s coral buddy wasn’t up to help me then I would be more aggressive. I needed the charges, and the two I’d just gained were the first I’d earned in a long time. 

Neither Dolmayan or the RLF could keep me from my research. Not for long.