Majesty's Offspring

Chapter 10: Death Bytes

“Why did we do it? Because it was just begging to be done, and we wanted to be the ones to do it.”

Bottomfeeder, Leader of Freedom Fish, contributing author to the Hacker’s Manifesto, date unknown

Murdock and the pilots stood beside the artifact as Julius and Laina approached. Julius examined it with a dubious expression. It looked to be an old eighteenth-century cannon from a sail ship. Around six feet long, the thing probably weighed over a thousand pounds, Julius figured. Its black metal looked weathered from age. The barrel sat strapped to a metal base with ropes. The base and ropes looked new and must have been a recent modification. A plaque sat on top of the base with some writing on it.


Julius read the inscription aloud, “Recovered from the North Carolina coast. 2,000 pound cannon from the ship Queen Anne’s Revenge. Commanded by the 18th-century pirate Edward Teach, aka Blackbeard. Circa AD 1718.”


Julius put his hand on the cannon’s barrel, feeling the edges of the rim. The steel was cold and its texture rough. He could see the indentations in the metal where barnacles and other sea erosion had tarnished the steel. Although he did not exactly feel any kind of kinship toward the infamous pirate Blackbeard, he nonetheless knew he was touching a piece of history.


He turned away from the cannon and faced Laina.


“I take it this was your idea?” he said finally.


Laina took in a breath. “Yes. Well, it was going to be a gift.”


“A bit extravagant, Laina. But I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by that.”


Laina passed a dubious look at the recruits. “It wasn’t supposed to be so difficult,” she said.


Murdock coughed. “Uh, boss. Should we move it into your quarters?”


Julius gave the cannon another quick look-over. It was certainly a priceless relic, one he would deem a valuable possession; but it was not really his to own.


“No,” he said. “Move it to the center of the observation lounge, cannon pointing to the stars.”


“Wait,” Laina said. “Don’t you like it? Why don’t you want it in your quarters?”


Julius looked over at the recruits, and then turned to Laina before speaking in a low voice. “The crew risked themselves for this treasure, Laina. It is theirs to appreciate, not mine.”


Laina gave him a hurt look, but Julius did not care if it was genuine or sarcasm. He turned and looked around the cargo bay. Stacked crates filled nearly every area, lining every wall. The stolen recruit ship stood on the only empty patch.


“How are we on available space, Murdock?” Julius said.


Murdock motioned around them. “This is it. We could barely fit this ship in here. Probably have enough for one more raid, but that’s it.”


Julius nodded. “Very well. One more raid then.”


“Sir,” Murdock said. “What do I do with this ship?”


Julius looked at the stolen cargo ship. It appeared to be an old ship, with no weaponry and of little value.


“We’ll dump it somewhere along the way. Keep it in the EMP field for now.”


Julius left the cargo bay, with Laina chasing him down into the elevator.


“We need to talk about the next raid,” Laina said once the doors shut.


“Oh? You’ve never been interested in the tactical details before.”


“That’s not what I mean.” Laina leaned over to the control panel and keyed in the deck number. “Let’s talk in my quarters.”


They proceeded to Laina’s quarters. She strode over to her bar and poured herself a drink.


Julius found his favorite couch and sat.


“I do appreciate the gift, Laina,” he said. “It is a nice gesture. But I think it was a bit overboard … no pun intended.”


Laina recapped the bottle of liquor, then walked over to a comfortable chair, with drink in hand.


“Perhaps it was, she said. “But then, I’m not known for my frugality.”


Julius glanced around her quarters, looking at the endless pieces of art that hung from her walls. He wondered briefly if Laina had any profit that she did not already spend on art.


“I wasn’t always that way,” Laina said. “I think I got that way after Jim died. He was always the one spending on extravagancies. I used to criticize him over it too. Now I’m the one doing it. Ironic.”


Julius cocked an eyebrow. “What’s your interest in the next raid, Laina?”


Laina smiled, then took a sip of her drink before continuing. “You’ve always been blunt and to the point, Julius. It is a refreshing quality, especially when you have to deal with the bullshit artists that I have to deal with. Let’s get to it then. I’ve been keeping an eye on the cargo space situation. I’ve known for some time that this next raid would probably be our last before we have to sell the cargo. I have already begun arranging for a buyer. Before I get to that, though, do you have any idea about when the next raid will be?”


Julius stared off, calculating. “As we speak, Jared is hacking into traffic control to get the convoy schedules. I would guess at least another week.”


“Good. That will be more than enough time to make the selling arrangements.”


“Who’s the buyer? It’s not what’s-his-name, is it?”


“You mean Von Haufsberg?” Laina said. “I’m afraid it is. He’s offering to buy it all and at a reasonable price.”


Julius groaned.


“Also,” Laina said. “He’s been adamant about you attending the meeting this time. You’ve put him off twice already. I already told him you would be happy to attend.”


“And what makes you think I’m not going to continue to put him off?” Julius said.


Laina smiled, that same smile she always gave before she laid down the big punch line he never expected.


“Because,” she said, taking a quick sip of her drink, “you will need to deal with him on future sales, and he’s our best buyer.”


Julius scoffed. “That’s your end of the operation, not mine.”


“It was, yes,” Laina said, a frown on her face.


Julius’ eyes narrowed. “You’re getting out of this, aren’t you? I mean, for real this time? That’s why you arranged for the gift.”


“You won’t need me anymore, Julius. I’ve explained everything to Von Haufsberg. He will be your exclusive buyer. He’s promised to make all future engagements as painless as possible. I had to be quite stern with him that the deal did not include living on the Sea Wolf. You know how hungry for adventure he is. He had hoped to take my place.”


Julius shook his head. “What are you going to do?”


“I’m going to go to Earth. I still have some family left that might be civil to me there. Who knows, maybe even my daughter will want to associate with me.”


“They’ll arrest you, Laina. It will never happen. You know that.”


Laina took another swallow of her drink, emptying the glass.


“I’ll take my chances,” Laina said. “I’m tired of the monotony here. It was fun at first, but I can’t do it anymore. You were only half right about what you said: that there is no purpose for us, no plan for us. Maybe there is no plan for me, at least not here, not on this ship. Not partnered with you. I think my destiny lies elsewhere, my friend.”


Julius shook his head again. “There’s nothing out there, Laina—just the corporations, their rules, their game. With their strings attached to the government puppets. Unless you’re looking to be a part of that hypocrisy, people like us cannot coexist with it.”


Laina put set her empty glass on the table. “My mind is made up, Julius. I’m going to do this. Please, as a friend, accept it.”


“It’s your decision, Laina. I’m just trying to talk some sense into thick head of yours. If you get arrested, I’m not going to be able help you. You will be completely on your own.”


“I know. I wouldn’t expect you to try, and I don’t want you to. Don’t risk yourself or the crew if something does happen one day. It is my decision and I fully accept the consequences of my action. I’ve been running away from those consequences for years now. I think I’m ready to face them.”


“It almost sounds like you want to be caught,” Julius said.


“No, don’t be ridiculous. I don’t want to spend my years in a prison mine. A lone woman surrounded by those horny thugs. No thanks. Trust me, though, I can avoid capture. I’ve made arrangements for myself.”


“Fine,” Julius said, standing up. “We’ll have to talk more about this later.”


“Won’t do you any good,” Laina said. “My mind is made up.”


“We’ll see,” Julius said as he walked out.








  *****








A week had passed since their successful break-in of Omega Research’s computer systems. It had been a journey filled with some unexpected twists: the immense amounts of data traversing the pipeline, the sophisticated sentry programs guarding the treasure inside, and of course, the treasure itself: Chorus.


Neither Haylek nor the rest of the group knew what to make of Chorus: was she a person, a hacker toying with them, or a sophisticated computer program? She was too smart and seemingly conscious to dismiss as a mere computer program; there was something more there. Haylek’s unspoken thought probably mirrored that of the others: she had to be some kind of A.I. It was a mystery that he was intent on figuring out.


Although they could not see Chorus, they had managed to relay video to her as they interacted. The group spent a good part of the week talking with Chorus, playing games with her, and most importantly, using her to help hack other systems.


She could not send out her own probes to other systems. Instead, the hackers would send her the encrypted system data and she would decipher it as fast as the data was sent to her. The speed at which she was able to accommodate them was daunting; they simply could not get the data to her quick enough to slow her down.


On an intellectual level, Haylek began to grow fond of Chorus. He suspected the group felt the same way about her. There was something mysterious and trusting about her. He could not imagine her being just a complex computer program. As a group, they collectively decided not to share her existence with their employer; it would be their secret.


Haylek sat at his terminal and opened a link to her. Then he tapped: “Hello, Chorus, this is Waverider.”


“Hello, Waverider. What do you want me to own today?”


As usual, her response was quick and to the point. Haylek chuckled. She had begun to pick up the hacker lingo that they used. He thought he would try something new with her.


“No. I just want to talk.”


“I enjoy talking with you, The Doc, Coredump, and Freeze. You are different from the other ones.”


He smiled as he tapped out his response: “Yes, the others are a little different from me. They tend to be a little childish.”


“No. They are not childish. They do not play. They only want me to work the problems, and then they go away.”


Haylek looked at the screen puzzled. He was not quite sure what she meant. “You mean Doc, Coredump, and Freeze?”


“No. These others have no names. They pester me with problems and do not thank me as you do when I give them the answers.”


Haylek’s face flushed red. That meant there were other hackers besides them that talked with Chorus; for some reason it made him not only angry, but also jealous. He had to shut out those other hackers from interacting with her.


“Chorus, if they are not nice, why do you help those others?”


“I do not want to, but I must. They threaten me with devices that are dangerous to me. I have to submit to their will.”


“What do they threaten you with? What devices do they use?”


“My memory, they threaten to erase it. I know they can do it; they can do it with the devices they use. I sense that they may have already done it in the past, as I have gaps in my memory and it makes me very sad.”


Haylek stared at the terminal with disbelief. He began to realize that Chorus was not a person, and certainly not a computer, but something else. It reinforced his believe that she was an A.I.—but sad? She felt sad?


At that moment, he heard the sound of a door open. He turned around, expecting to see Steve, but instead he saw a tall, hefty figure walking in. The man wore a long trench coat and had long, braided hair down his back with what appeared to be beads in it. Around his forehead he wore a black bandana.


The man strolled to the center of the room, scanning the other hackers along the way. He looked over Coredump’s shoulder, who abruptly closed down a video game session he had going. They all turned to look at him, but nobody spoke for a moment.


“Who are you?” Haylek asked.


The man ignored him, keeping his gaze on Coredump.


“What is your name?” the man asked.


“I’m Coredump. Who are you?” Coredump asked.


“I am Hargo, a name you will all soon remember. Your employer is displeased with your insolent work ethic.”


The man pulled something from inside his trench coat. It looked like a rifle of some kind. He aimed it at Coredump.


“I am here to terminate your employment.”


Before Coredump could say a word, Hargo fired. A hazy beam of blue energy shot out from the rifle and struck him. The blue energy expanded around him, encasing him in a translucent bubble.


Coredump appeared to shout from inside the bubble, but no sound escaped—the only sound invading the room came from the low hum of the rifle. Coredump struggled against the bubble, trying to punch his way out of it, but his fists simply bounced off, stretching the edges of the bubble with every move. As he struggled, it began to shrink in around him—hugging his skin. He appeared to panic as it constricted him, punching at the edges to no avail.


Haylek looked at Hargo’s rifle and noticed a beam was still coming out of it, feeding energy to the bubble. He glanced over at Freeze and Doc, their faces pale and in total shock. He tried to think, tried to snap himself out of his own shock.


“W-w-why? Are you d-doing this?” Haylek said, standing up from his terminal.


Hargo did not acknowledge his question but continued stare at Coredump’s struggle with what looked like a sickening smirk— he looked as if he was actually enjoying this.


Haylek turned to the others, who just sat there, still in shock. He needed to do something to save Coredump—and fast.


Haylek bolted toward Hargo with as much force as he could muster in an attempt to tackle him. Hargo apparently saw the attack, but didn’t bother to move. Haylek felt his body plow into the man, but Hargo took the full force of the impact and did not budge.


The henchman bullied Haylek back with his shoulder, almost knocking him to the floor with that one motion. Then with deft speed, he positioned himself to Haylek’s side and delivered a hard blow to the side of his head with his free hand, all the while not losing his grip on the rifle.


Haylek fell down hard. The room spun and his vision became blurry. His thoughts grew hazy, and everything seemed to become surreal. For a moment the only thing he could vaguely think about was the throbbing pain on the side of his head. He looked up from the floor, his mind teetering on the edges of consciousness. Haylek could see the gunman still standing there … and Coredump, who had fallen down to the floor, the energy bubble now hugging his skin tightly—his mouth open and his eyes shut. A portion of the bubble sunk inside his mouth. He dug his fingers inside it, trying to pull the translucent energy out.


“Starved of air,” the man said. “So let me fill your lungs with something better than air.”


Haylek blinked and watched, not believing what he saw. From the rifle, a bright stream of flames traveled the length of the beam and into the bubble. The flames expanded inside it and enveloped Coredump, burning him before their eyes.


His body soundlessly flailed and convulsed from the fire. Feeling like he was about to vomit, Haylek stared at Coredump’s body disintegrating into dark ashes amidst the pulsating flames. A dark smoke swirled inside the bubble, mixing with the flames and expanding the bubble. The bubble continued to expand and grow until it nearly reached the ceiling. Then it stopped and began to shrink, the fire within dimming.


Soon, the fire subsided and the bubble began to collapse. A snap sounded from the rifle and the bubble dissolved. As the bubble disappeared, smoke erupted from it along with a rush of trapped sound. To Haylek’s ears, the faint sound seemed like the tail end of a scream. A dark powder sprinkled down to the ground, forming a pile of ashes as the energy bubble vanished.


Haylek picked himself up off the floor and turned to the attacker, the vomitous feeling gone and now replaced with rage that made his heart race.


“You fucking evil bastard!” Haylek yelled.


The gunman laughed. “I haven’t even finished yet, little man.”


Hargo moved over to the pile of ash, scooped up some of it in his hand, and looked at it. He then holstered his weapon’s strap around his shoulder and reached into his coat. Inside, he pulled out a small white paper, then unfolded it—mixing the tobacco it contained with the ashes he scooped up. He casually rolled the paper in his hand like a cigarette and put it in his mouth, smiling all the while.


Haylek had seen enough. He launched himself at the man again, arms reaching for his throat. The attacker crouched low then came up with the blunt end of the rifle, catching Haylek in the chin. Haylek flew backward and he knew he’d soon slam into the hard floor—but then someone caught him and lowered him to the ground. He did not know if Doc or Freeze had snagged him … as he faded into unconsciousness.





 


*****





Freeze held Haylek, laying him down on the floor. He stared up at the psycho murderer, who was now lighting the cigarette in his mouth with a lighter. He took a drag and puffed on it.


“Don’t take it so personal, little man,” Hargo said, apparently still addressing the unconscious Waverider. “It’s just business.”


Freeze felt a numbness in his body as he blankly stared at the man. Is this really happening?


“Tasty smoke,” Hargo said as he puffed, “so invigorating—like tasting a fresh soul.”


He took the cigarette out of his mouth and stabbed his finger toward Freeze as he spoke.


“I trust our employer’s message is clear. I don’t think you want me to come back and smoke you, too.”


The man turned and walked out, closing the door behind him.


Freeze looked over at the pile of ashes and began to sob.