‘Theoretically, yes,’ Pagan said. I noticed that Buck had a look of extreme concentration on his face.
‘I don’t think that should happen,’ the degenerate cyberbilly said. In many ways I was impressed with his grasp of the situation.
‘Delivery?’ I asked.
‘Don’t know,’ Pagan said. Gregor just shook his head but he still hadn’t quite mastered human body language.
‘So how do we stop it?’ Morag asked.
‘We?’ Buck asked. ‘Why is this our problem?’
‘You said you’d help,’ I reminded him, but I had to admit it seemed that we were dealing with things beyond our capabilities. With the best will in the world I don’t think we had either the skill set or the resources to deal with something like this. Besides, if they were looking hard enough they were going to find us sooner or later.
‘We don’t need to stop it, we just need someone more benevolent to control it,’ Mudge said.
I looked over at him. Everyone was looking at him. I noticed Balor was smiling but Gregor, Pagan and Morag looked appalled.
‘What?’ Mudge demanded. ‘They are a hostile species and want to destroy humanity. We can’t wipe Them out so taking control of Them seems like a good idea to me – in terms of self-preservation, I mean.’
‘We started the war,’ I pointed out.
‘So? I mean don’t get me wrong. I wish we hadn’t but we did, and now we have to deal with the results of that. If that means in order to survive we have to win, then this strikes me as the nicest way to do it. Regardless of who started this mess, They are a hostile race that wipes out humans wherever They find them. You do remember that, don’t you?’ he asked me.
‘Don’t patronise me, Mudge.’
They’re a sentient race in their own right,’ Rannu said.
‘Agreed, and I’m very sorry about it all. It’s a sad fucking mess but if the choice is my species or Theirs then it’s mine, and if we have any responsibility in this at all then it’s to the human race,’ Mudge said.
‘I don’t,’ Gregor said. Everything went quiet. Gregor and Mudge were staring at each other. Mudge looked away first.
‘I guess we’re seeing your true colours,’ Mudge said quietly, not looking at Gregor.
‘I don’t either,’ Morag said. I turned my head sharply to stare at her. I think it was one of the most chilling things I’d ever heard.
Mudge pointed at her. ‘You are a silly little girl. You think this is all cool and interesting, and I’m sure it’s a big change from servicing the great and good in whatever Dundee shit hole you worked in-’
‘Mudge,’ I said warningly.
‘-but what you’re talking about is us being a Them fifth column. You see betraying your whole race as some fucked up post-pubescent game. They aren’t cute, and they certainly aren’t your fucking friends; what they are is dangerous and, and -’
‘Alien,’ Gregor finished for him. ‘And this one used to be your friend.’
To Morag’s credit she seemed to master her anger. When she spoke it was evenly but through gritted teeth. ‘You think this is a game for me? You think I’m not terrified to have this thing in my head? Do you think I like killing people?’ She glanced at me. What was that? I wondered. Then I remembered my Slaughter high. Shit. ‘But I feel this. I talk to it and I know,’ she said simply.
‘But surely you’ve been used before, darling?’ Mudge said nastily. His face became mock-sympathetic. ‘Never been told a lie, duped by someone you trusted? "Oh, but he seemed so nice and I thought I could trust him." And what happened next? He’s getting paid and you’re running a chain up against the toilet wall?’
‘That’s enough,’ Rannu said.
Mudge was on his feet. ‘No, it fucking isn’t enough. I mean don’t get me wrong. I can see the attraction here, but we keep on listening to this little girl because he worships her,’ he spat, stabbing his finger at an increasingly angry-looking Rannu. ‘And he wants to fuck her,’ he said pointing at me.
‘Mudge…’ I started, but Rannu was on his feet.
‘Sit down,’ Balor snapped.
Rannu paused and then glanced at Morag. She shook her head. What the fuck? Rannu sat down, though he was still glaring at Mudge.
‘So,’ Mudge began, ‘who’s for the humans and who’s for the aliens?’
‘That’s fucking ridiculous, and you are bang out of line,’ I said angrily.
‘He’s right,’ Balor said. ‘He has put me in a position I never thought I’d be in.’
‘What’s that?’ Gibby asked.
‘Being for the humans.’
‘This is all hypothetical anyway; we don’t have access to Crom.’
‘Maybe not, but we need to know who’s for humanity and who’s against it. We may need to settle it here and now,’ Balor said. Even Mudge looked shocked. Rannu shifted, so did Gregor.
‘This can be settled with a conversation,’ I said. Where had the impending violence suddenly come from? ‘Right?’
‘Look, Crom aside, the fact is we’ve just heard Morag say she’s for Them and she wants to release what is effectively an alien virus into the net,’ Balor said.
‘How many times do we have to tell you we want peace?’ Gregor said.
‘See? We? He’s one of Them,’ Buck all but shouted.
‘He’s a lot nicer than the other ones we’ve met,’ I pointed out as sarcastically as I could manage.
‘I’m not sure I’m prepared to take that risk, and I’m not sure we can with humanity at stake,’ Mudge said. I shook my head.
‘The alternative is Demiurge,’ Pagan pointed out.
‘Which at least is controlled by humans,’ Mudge said.
‘Now whose side are you on?’ Gregor demanded.
‘You’d let Rolleston and these fucks get away with it?’ I demanded.
‘Not really liking the alternatives!’ Mudge shouted back.
‘Fine, so why don’t you kill me and Gregor and then see if you can find Rolleston to suck his cock. Afterwards you can tell me how much of a whore I was!’ Morag shouted at him.
‘Because he can’t,’ I heard Gregor growl softly. Presumably meaning that Mudge couldn’t kill him.
‘I can,’ Balor said menacingly.
‘This isn’t helping!’ Pagan shouted with sufficient authority that the rest of us went quiet. ‘Look, while you’re all either slavishly obeying our high priestess or damning those who do, let’s remember that God is not an alien virus; the program architecture is human, as is the majority of the programming. All it has is an operating system made from Ambassador. We have mapped and modelled the results of letting God into the net and, although given enough time I’d like to do more of that, I can tell you that it will not hand over humanity to Them. This is not Morag’s brainchild. God was created by a group of very human hackers, the majority of whom are vets.’ When he had finished we were still quiet, looking at him expectantly. ‘Look,’ he began again, more quietly. ‘I am completely for the human side but I have no reservations about releasing God into the net-’ he glanced over at Morag ‘-when it’s ready.’
‘Now,’ she insisted.
‘What exactly does it do?’ I asked, trying to avoid yet another argument.
‘Ah…’ Pagan said.
‘You don’t know!’ Mudge said incredulously and then started laughing.
‘We haven’t decided yet,’ Pagan said. I think all of us were looking at him in askance. ‘Well what do we want God to do?’ he asked.
‘Typical hacker nerds,’ Mudge muttered. ‘Invent the system but can’t think of what to do with it.’
‘Are you just here to piss everyone off?’ Morag demanded.
‘No,’ Mudge snapped. ‘I’m trying to get some of you to think.’
‘So what would you have God do?’ Rannu asked. Mudge was silent.