Visisonor's blog

Chapter 9

I was walking down an empty street, shivering from morning chill despite being wrapped in a cloak with lowered hood. The cloak was only good for one thing - concealing me, my compact assault rifle, and other gear.

It was a long walk, but there were no complications. Transition between human space and “no man’s land” was gradual, there was no border with barbed wire and block posts. Neither side had the combination of desire and resources to guard an entire perimeter, and positions shifted every now and then anyway. I might have attracted attention of a patrol, even though I could pass for a civilian. But I’ve met no patrols.

Had Tess come all the way here, it would almost definitely have triggered some sensor. That’s why she parked our vehicle some distance away and remained there, communicating with me over radio

- Found it, - I whispered as if talking to myself, but bone conduction earpiece relayed everything I said to Tess.

I circled the building at some distance. There were no guards anywhere around: they would have drawn attention, pretty much singling it out as something important. There were two entrances - I’ve identified one of them as the back door and checked its lock. Consistent with security via obscurity theme, it was a standard deadbolt. It wasn’t hard to pick - in a few minutes I was inside.

I ended up in a long corridor: half-height glass wall with a door separated this corridor from a light-filled room featuring several tables with microscopes, test tubes and computers.

- It looks like a chemical lab, - I noted in a soft voice, peeking through the glass.
The corridor itself ended with another door leading to the main entrance, and there were two pillars which suggested at previous layout, when this building was a warehouse. Before one pillar there was now a stairway, and the other one provided a good place for me to hide. I had to stay there for almost an hour.

- There is some activity on the street, - Tess reported eventually. - Our target seems to have arrived.

From my vantage point behind the pillar I could see him enter the corridor through the main door. A tall middle-aged man in a black suit with a green tie. He immediately went into the lab room, where a younger man greeted him.

They talked for a while but I couldn’t hear a word. Never before had I regretted not being able to read lips, but who would have thought I’d need to, during a war with machines?

Then the younger man handed his guest a briefcase. It was at this point that I’ve noticed visitor’s gloves.

- It doesn’t seem like he is going to login to any terminal, - I vocalized quietly. - And he is wearing gloves, so fingerprints are out of question.
- Can you show him to me? - responded Tess.

I took a look at the guy through the scope. This wasn’t a standard scope, it had a built-in image sensor, and after a temporary blackout the image was sent straight to Tess.

- Recognize him?
- Yes, - she said after a short delay. - He is a member of command. His death would throw the command into turmoil.
- Are you suggesting that I kill him?
- I understand you might not be willing to approve such change of plan.
- There is a grain of truth in that statement, - I sighed, mimicking her verbosity.
- My next suggestion is to withdraw.
- There is also certain sense in eliminating him, - I admitted.
- And not much time to decide - she reminded.

I leaned against the wall and slid on the floor, thinking it through. It was true that I didn’t sign up for an assassination, but it was also true that we were at war. This was the enemy, and while I had no way to evaluate his individual impact, I knew that command as a group would not hesitate with killing me if it had a chance.

So when he went out into the corridor, I sprang to my feet and aimed at him.

He noticed me and froze in his tracks. But he neither gasped in fear nor tried to flee. Instead, he said something I did not expect to hear:

- Oh, white hair as a side effect? It doesn’t make you any less beautiful. Arguably more.
- What? - now was my turn to freeze in my tracks. - Are you trying to flirt with me?
- I’m just admiring the masterwork of my predecessors, - he glanced at the barrel of my rifle and, as the gunshot didn’t follow, continued, - Killing me won’t stop us from improving it. Someone else will pick it up.
- What exactly are you trying to improve? - I asked, feeling conflicted.
I could kill him, and it was quite obvious that he was playing for time. And yet what he said wasn’t a total nonsense. There was some meaning in it, and I couldn’t help but crave to know more.

- Incoming! - shouted Tess, bringing me back to more pressing matters.
Such as the door behind me cracking open. I turned around and saw a bulky shape in the doorframe.

I shot at this shape

and ran towards the other end of the corridor, the suit guy already disappeared there. He slammed the door shut just in front of me, but I didn’t actually intend to follow him - his bodyguards were surely waiting beyond. - Both exits are blocked, - Tess’ voice in my ear confirmed this suspicion.

That left me with the only option: the stairway.

A burst of bullets hit the wall dangerously close to where I stood just a moment ago, but I was already running up the stairs…