I breathed a heavy sigh of relief. “Excellent. Now have all zip-craft take orders only from me. Same for all Swarm-designed AI systems. Such orders to include verbal commands from me, as well as thought commands sent through you. Make sure they all get my voiceprint and biometrics so they recognize me immediately and can identify possible impostors.”
“Done,” said the nanites seconds later. “You now have full verbal control of all zip-craft and AI systems.”
I threw my head back and closed my eyes. I had done it!
But nothing else mattered until Tessa was safely in my arms.
“Have the ship establish a link with the base’s AI,” I ordered quickly.
“Done.”
“Undersea base AI,” I said out loud, “do you hear me? Are you ready to take my orders?”
“Affirmative,” came the female voice of the AI I had heard earlier.
“Give me a private comm link to Major Lori Carver,” I said.
“Comm link established.”
“Major Carver, this is Jason Ramsey,” I said. “Please respond.”
Several seconds passed. “How did you get the AI to place a personal call?” said the voice of Lori Carver in disbelief.
“I’m afraid I now control the entire base, and every zip-craft in your fleet, worldwide.”
She snorted. “Sure you do.”
“Base AI,” I said, “transmit an order to every zip-craft in this hangar. Tell them to rise ten feet off the ground and move ten feet closer to the main facility.”
The ship we were in did as I had instructed, while on the internal monitors, I noted that all other craft had done the same. I gave the major a minute to digest the reports she was no doubt receiving from those inside the hangar, which would demonstrate the magnitude of the power I now wielded.
“Okay,” she said defiantly. “Maybe you do control our fleet. But I’ll die before I lift a finger to help you.”
“I admire your stance, Major, I really do. Given the kill order, you think I’ve sided with your enemies. That I may be a threat to the entire human race. But I assure you, it’s just the opposite. There’s a lot you don’t know, but I don’t have time to explain. Just know that I don’t mean anyone in this facility harm.”
“So then why contact me?” said Lori Carver. “To gloat?”
“No. I need two things from you and I’ll leave this facility in peace. I want Brad Schoenfeld revived immediately and brought to me in the hangar. I also want Tessa Barrett brought to me. On a gurney, since she’s injured. When you agree, I’ll tell you where to find her.”
“And if I refuse?”
“Why would you? Brad and Tessa are a small price to pay to get me out of your hair.”
“We clearly have different opinions as to their value,” said the major. “So I ask again, what if I refuse?”
I sighed. “If you refuse, I’ll kill everyone in this station.”
I let her think about that for a few seconds. “I get that you’re willing to die rather than help me,” I continued. “But what about everyone else? It’s a simple, horrible equation. Bring my friends to me and we all live happily ever after. Refuse, and everyone dies.
“I control the base’s AI. So completely that I can override all station fail-safes. I can cut off all oxygen to this facility, a very bad thing for anyone who doesn’t have gills. I can turn off the force fields on the view side and let the sea in. I can use the zip-craft weapons at my disposal to heat this entire facility to a temperature that will boil the ocean around it. And so on.”
I paused once again to let this sink in. “But please believe me, Major, harming you or anyone else here is the last thing I want. So I’m asking you to do the right thing. I hold all the cards here, so don’t make me play them. The personnel on this base are talented and loyal, or you wouldn’t be here. And once you have the big picture, I know you’re going to want to join me—for the good of humanity. So, please, don’t make me do something neither of us wants.”
There was a long silence. If I thought getting on my knees and begging her to agree would help, I’d be on my knees already. If she refused, I had no idea what I would do. I only knew this, given the stakes, things would get very ugly, very fast. I’d be forced to kill any number of innocents, a tragic loss of life that would haunt me for the rest of my life.
“Okay, Jason,” said the major finally. “I guess I don’t have a choice. I just have to hope you are what you claim to be. So you have a deal. Tell me where I can find Tessa Barrett and I’ll see to it your friends are delivered to the hangar.”
I blew out a long breath. “Thank you, Major,” I said in relief. “I promise that you’re making the right call.”
51
Brad arrived at the hangar within ten minutes and proceeded through the southernmost entrance, pushing Tessa on a stainless steel gurney identical to the one Kenneth Kussmann was now on. She already looked much better than she had when I’d left her. At my orders, Major Carver had seen to it that the entire hangar was evacuated.
I opened the ship cautiously, and as soon as Brad had wheeled Tessa inside, I made sure it was sealed up once again.
I gave Brad a quick hug, surprising him, and then gazed lovingly at Tessa.
“What took you so long?” she said in amusement.
I grinned. “Well, you know what they say: everything seems to take longer when you’re crammed inside a footlocker.”
She began to laugh and then winced in pain. “Maybe let’s keep the jokes to a minimum.”
“Sorry,” I said sheepishly.
“Can you sit me up in a chair?” she said. “I’ve had enough of lying on my back.”
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“You know I’m stubborn enough to do it on my own if you don’t.”
I groaned. I did know that. I lifted her off the gurney and placed her carefully into one of the spacious captain’s chairs.
Brad had been growing more impatient by the second. “I don’t suppose you want to tell me what the hell is going on,” he said when I had finished.