A mountain surrounded by green and brown terrain came online.
“This satellite footage of Mount Kilimanjaro is two hundred fifty-eight years old,” Les said. “So a lot will have changed in that time, but for now it’s all we’ve got.”
Pedro walked over to the map, studying it. He turned and said something to Timothy in his native tongue, then pointed to an area on the map and circled it with his finger.
“Pedro said the history handed down through the generations told of the great battle that occurred somewhere around the base of this mountain,” Timothy said.
“What does ‘great battle’ mean?” Sofia asked. “Like ground troops, or was this a battle in the sky, or both, or what?”
Timothy asked Pedro, who shook his head, unsure.
“From what I know about the blackout, there probably wasn’t much left of the world’s militaries to launch this final offensive,” Les said. “I doubt anyone had much of an air force left. It was just the airships that survived the EMP bursts and the computer virus.”
The rumbling deck beneath his boots reminded Michael of the irony. They were on the last known airship in the world, and they were going to use it to destroy the machines.
Pedro spoke again, and Timothy interpreted.
“He says the allied forces were trying to get inside the base, where they could shut down the machines by destroying their mainframe. This was around two hundred fifty years ago. Time enough for them to build more mainframes or move them.”
“Not necessarily,” Les said. He nodded to the AI. “Timothy, share your plan.”
Timothy turned off the map of the target and replaced it with a technical rendering of a DEF-Nine unit. The 3D image showed the machine’s multilayered anatomy. An orange visor glowed on a titanium-alloy skull with humanoid features.
“The endoskeleton is a lab-created hyperalloy,” Timothy said. “Very strong and almost impervious to bullets. The DEF-Nine units have a supercomputer the size of a microchip, encased inside the skull. To bring one down, you need to destroy either the supercomputer or the battery unit in the chest.”
“But there is another way to bring them all down,” Les said. “According to Pedro, their mainframe acts as a heart to machines across the world, and Timothy has a plan to destroy it.”
Les pulled out two metal devices that looked like old-world computer flash drives. He held them up for everyone to see.
“A virus,” he said. “The same way they destroyed us during the blackout.”
Michael was the only other person in the room besides Samson who knew of the plan. He had shared it only with Layla, before leaving. It was part of the reason she believed this wasn’t a suicide mission after all.
“There are two ways to end the AI threat,” Timothy said. “Either by destroying the mainframe with a nuclear blast or by uploading this computer virus, which will do essentially the same thing by sending a signal worldwide to every DEF-Nine unit.”
“You mean a Hell Diver delivering the virus, right?” Lena asked.
“Correct.”
“How does this virus work?” Edgar asked.
“Quite simply, really,” Timothy said. He gave a half smile. “The computer virus changes one key component of the machine’s programming: to kill humans.”
“So it doesn’t destroy them?” Sofia asked.
“No,” Timothy said. “I designed this virus by uploading a crucial part of my own programming: never to harm a human.”
“It’s genius if it works,” Samson said.
Les walked back to the screen to look at the technical rendering of the machine. “It will work,” he said after a pause. “And while I would prefer to destroy them, our duty is to protect humanity in any way possible.”
He switched the screen back to the map.
“Mount Kilimanjaro is huge,” Timothy said. “At five thousand, eight hundred ninety-five meters above sea level, it’s the world’s twentieth-highest summit. A hard slog, but not a technical ascent, so you won’t need climbing gear.”
“Still, we don’t know exactly what the terrain is like,” Les cut in. “So we’ll approach cautiously and come up with a plan once we’re closer. Commander Everhart will explain.”
Michael stepped in front and said, “I’ve been given the duty and honor of helping plan this mission. After much deliberation, Captain Mitchells and I have agreed we will hover at forty thousand feet, about ten miles from the target. Here.”
Timothy marked the spot on the digital map, not far from the area Pedro had pointed out: an area of low hills around the base of the mountain where the decisive battle had occurred.
“From there, we will send in Cricket to access the machines’ defenses,” Michael continued. “If we determine we can get close enough to send a missile down their throats, we’ll launch one of the nukes.”
“We expect the base to be buried and heavily defended,” Samson said. “If I were the machines, I would protect the mainframe with every resource available.”
“And if we can’t launch the nukes?” Arlo asked.
“Then we go with plan B,” Michael said. “Send in the Hell Divers, with Les and me leading two teams to deliver the virus that will produce the same effect.”
“I’ll take Team Phoenix with Lena, Ted, and Edgar,” Les said.
“And I’ve got Team Raptor,” Michael said. “Arlo, Sofia, and Hector are with me.”
“If that happens, Eevi and Timothy will man the ship with Alfred and his skeleton crew,” Les said. “The rest of us will locate the main facility, infiltrate it, and upload the virus.”
Several of the divers exchanged worried glances.
Michael discreetly scrutinized them one by one. Ted was nervously running his fingers through his hair. Arlo doodled on his notepad, making stick figures of what had to be machines. Hector had his arms folded over his muscular chest, showing no emotion.
Others sought comfort in one another. Michael noticed Edgar brush his finger up next to Lena’s hand under the table. She didn’t seem to mind.
“I know what you’re all thinking,” Michael said.
“I doubt that,” Arlo said. “Unless it’s that eight of us are launching an offensive against the machines, when a worldwide effort failed two hundred and sixty years ago.”
“You have something they did not,” Timothy said.
The AI had been uncharacteristically quiet for most of the journey, and Michael was glad to see him speaking up.
“What’s that? You?” Ted asked.
“No. You,” Timothy said.
“Hell Divers,” Michael said.
“And a captain hell-bent on destroying the machines,” Les said. “All I need is for you to show up when the time comes, and fight by my side. I’ll do the rest.”
Michael subtly glanced at the tall man. The iron resolve in his features was the same that he often saw in X.
“Any questions?” Les asked.
When no one spoke, Michael said, “All right, get some shut-eye. We’re all going to need it.”
The divers got up and slogged out of the room with the technicians.
“They think it’s a suicide mission,” Eevi said.
Samson frowned. “The chances of success are thin.”
“Thanks for keeping that to yourself earlier,” Les said.
Timothy cupped his hands behind his back but said nothing even though he surely knew the numerical odds for success. Michael didn’t want to hear the number, either.
Les shut off the digital map. “Let’s get back to the bridge,” he said.
Timothy’s hologram was already there.
“What’s our current location?” Les asked.
Eevi took a seat at her station and scanned the weather conditions. “We’re just passing over the West African coastline,” Timothy replied. “A place that was called Liberia.”
“And the skies?” Les asked.