“Our mission is to prevent social disruption, Mr. Director, not cause it.”
Hedrick turned calmly to Morrison. “Yes, but disruption of which society? We’ve progressed so far beyond the outside world, they’re no longer us.”
“And the widespread casualties this will cause?”
“The price of progress. Next time we won’t share as much technology. That was our mistake. We need absolute domination in order to keep humanity on track.” Hedrick contemplated the screens again. “You are with me, I hope, Mr. Morrison?”
Morrison cleared his throat, then nodded. “Yes, Mr. Director. You know I am. What about Alexa and Grady?”
“Disrupting civilization will make it harder for them to harm us.”
“She’s a bigger danger to us than anyone.”
“You’re saying we need to eliminate her.”
“The only reason she’s still alive is because of your feelings for her, but aside from Grady and his knowledge of gravity, I can’t think of a single person on this planet who can do more damage to us. Even if you topple civilization, if she winds up in the hands of BTC Asia or Russia, they could extend their life spans indefinitely from what they learn from her miserable carcass. We could be facing the same lunatics for centuries. Not to mention the inside information she has on every inch of this facility and all the people in it. All our procedures and operations. Every weakness. Every—”
“Enough! Okay…” He took a deep breath. “Kill her on sight.” Hedrick looked deeply pained. “But not the way you killed Davis and McAllen. I want it painless. Instant.”
“Fine. A high-powered microwave from orbit—”
“I don’t want to know. Just let me know when it’s done.”
“There’s someone else you’re forgetting.”
Hedrick turned to him with a questioning look.
“Cotton.”
Hedrick dismissed it with a wave of his hand. “I’m counting on Cotton to help us.”
“How do you figure?”
“Because he’s a survivor. He can read the way the winds are blowing. Once society reaches the tipping point, he’ll reach out to us. And I’m willing to cut a deal with him in exchange for Grady and Alexa.”
“And after that?”
Hedrick shrugged. “We’ll honor our deal. What do I care if he retires in luxury? He’s been useful, and he might prove useful again.”
“He’s a thief and somehow able to lie even to our AIs.”
“Like I said: He’s useful.” Hedrick focused back on the big satellite screens. “Heightened security procedures are in place?”
Morrison nodded. “We’re on a wartime footing.”
“Good. See that we stay that way. How is the outside world dealing with recent events?”
“The government folks are trying to explain the inexplicable as best they can. Some cell phone video sneaked out. The missile explosions over Canada, the power outages in southern Illinois—it’s starting to build into public hysteria.”
“And just think—it’s been less than twelve hours. We’ve barely started, and already the outside world is on the tipping point. You know what to do, Mr. Morrison.”
“Yes, sir.”
CHAPTER 29
Storming the Temple
Richard Cotton sat combing his hair out. Literally. Jon Grady watched perplexed as Cotton held some sort of glowing stylus to his scalp, activating hair growth at an insane metabolic rate. It came out of his head like Play-Doh through a press. Cotton had already half-finished creating eight-inch-long brown locks.
“And that works… anywhere on the body?”
Cotton looked up. “What does?”
Grady pointed.
“Oh. No. Only where there are hair follicles. And even then only up to a certain length before it’ll fall out. Just accelerates a natural process. So… if you’re bald naturally, this isn’t going to solve any problems for you. This manly mane is all me.” He winced. “Makes the scalp hot as hell, though. All the accelerated cellular activity.”
Alexa walked past them carrying a black helmet, which she placed on a nearby workbench. “Why are you even messing around with hair, Cotton? You’re not planning on going anywhere, are you?”
“In the event I have to bolt in a hurry, I’d rather have a convincing disguise than a bad one. You’re not the public face of evil here in the States. I am. So forgive me while I transform into an annoying hipster.”
Grady watched as Cotton passed the stylus over his lip and started growing a long mustache. “I keep calling you Cotton, but that can’t be your real name.”
“All my names are real. I like to think of names as local variables. To you I’m Richard Louis Cotton, and so in this scope shall I always remain. To my online raid clan I’m Leeroy Jenkins, and there, too, shall I always remain.”
“Well, that’s a constant, not a variable.”
Cotton paused. “Quite right, Mr. Grady. I stand corrected.”
Alexa leaned against the workbench. “So you’re sure about your end? About this traitor of yours?”
“I am.”
“Who is it? How do we know we can trust them?”
“You have your traitor. I have mine.”
“How do we know they’re not the same individual?”
“Oh, I’m pretty sure they’re not. Mine is cool, and I’m certain yours is uptight and self-important.”
Alexa turned to Grady. “I don’t trust him. Cotton has no reason to help us.”
Grady placed a hand on her shoulder. “Hedrick tried to kill him. And Cotton’s distrusted them for years. He’s given us plans and preparations we can make use of, Alexa.” He looked around them. “In fact, we already have.”
“And what if this ‘mole’ of his is actually Hedrick or Morrison, and this is all a trap?”
“He could have called them here already. If he’s going to have any sort of life, post BTC, Cotton needs us as much as we need him.”
“Well, if he’s a master thief, why are we the ones breaking in?”
Cotton shrugged. “There was a time when I might have been crazy enough to try to breach their defenses on my own, but they’re on full alert. They’ve activated their perimeter security. No. This is a job for younger hands.”
“I’m twenty years older than you, Cotton.”
He patted her arm. “But you don’t look a day over twenty-five, my dear. And think how much more experience you have than me. Besides, you know their network, their control rooms, and all their procedures.” He raised his eyebrows. “But can you gain access to the network once you’re inside? That’s the question.”
“Don’t worry about that. I’m confident I can get credentials.”
Grady gave her a look. “I hope so. Because without the location of Hibernity, this will all be for nothing.”
Cotton started combing a longer beard into existence. “I’m not sure I agree with you there.”
They both looked at him.
“You were right earlier, Mr. Grady. The Kratos satellite is actually the key. If you have control of that, you’ll have power over the BTC. You’ll be able to dictate terms—it’ll be like a celestial gun to their head. And it’s their main defense against enemies right now. Without it, even the government might feel confident enough to press the attack.”
“Or to liberate the prisoners at Hibernity.”
“Yes, Mr. Grady. They just might.”
Alexa’s eyes lingered on Grady. He could feel it. “What?”
“The more I think about this, the more I realize you shouldn’t be going. I can do this more easily alone. I’m trained in operations.”
He shook his head. “They won’t harm me. I’m too valuable to them. That means I can provide a critical diversion for you. They’ll drop everything and try to grab me the moment they know I’m near. Cotton’s right. You need to use that opening to go for control of the Kratos satellite.”