Chapter 22 as it appeared
Part 3: Evolution Bites
Authors: Gabby, PCat
Acknowledgment: Based on an idea by Ian, Extra input from BD, Kulko and Tarrok
Chapter 22: Undesirable Elements
Malton +93
Bryn hung in the mech cradle in the darkness of the warehouse. The technicians had tried to separate her from the machine. She had been dimly aware of them scrambling around the superstructure but she gathered that flesh and metal were too entwined. Sooner or later they would cut her out at whatever risk to herself, but not just yet, right now they felt they had too much still to learn.
Bryn practiced control. She'd been practicing control for weeks and before that... well she had a dim memory of BD in the media booth above the stadium, reasoning with her while control instructions urged her to pull a trigger. She could do this. Her first victory had been to trigger the alarm signal, implanted within one of her teeth. She had bitten down and crushed it. Help was on its way. Now she worked to move this machine she had become a part of. Lift the hand, twitch the finger, direct some of the external sensors, anything! She wasn't having much success.
Then the warehouse doors blew in. If she could have smiled she would have done. What BD may have lacked in tact, he more than made up for in determination.
"Lover!" The word surprised her. It blared out of external speakers.
"Bryn!" BD was standing in front of her. Without thinking she reached out to him and watched amazed as the robotic arms moved forwards and lifted him off the ground.
"Sweatheart! Not quite so tight!" he shouted.
Bryn stood up. His voice was over-riding whatever limiters they had programmed in. She needed to get out. Get out and get away somewhere safe. Schematics and routes popped unbidden into her mind. She walked.
"The wall Bryn! The wall!"
Wall? She looked behind her and realised she had simply walked out of the warehouse which now lay half-collapsed behind her. She lifted BD up high, to keep him with her, to keep his presence fixed in her mind and she set off for safety. Somewhere car horns were blaring and people were screaming. She had a vague impression of large structures impeding her route, but she brushed them aside.
Alarms screeched behind her, and she thought she recognised the voice of one of her handlers. Spotlights turned to focus on her as she approached the edge of the compound. When she had been brought in, she remembered feeling dwarfed by the colossal watch towers that dotted the reinforced concrete walls. Now, she peered in at the guard standing on the parapet, an automatic rifle in his hand.
"We can't hurt her! Get the American!"
The man crumpled, half of his torso torn away by a hail of bullets.
"You're packin' heat, babe!" BD yelled. Bryn nodded weakly and laid a hand on top of the wall. Bullets were now pinging against her armour, and alarms were pinging in her ears. Along with the helicopter beams being blasted into her eyes, she was struggling to gather the concentration to lift herself over the perimeter wall.
"Smash it!"
"Too thick!"
"No more so than the rest of the compound!"
Bryn drew back a fist and pounded on the wall, expecting to bounce away ineffectually, but actually punching through, and sending fissures snaking through the rest of it. As the rest of the wall collapsed, Bryn cradled Bulldog against her, and then shoulder-barged into the shaky pile of rubble. She was vaguely aware of a helicopter spiralling to the ground in flames, shattered by a flying hunk of masonry, but she didn't care. She needed to get far away from here. Breaking into what was, for her, a light jog, and to Bulldog, a breakneck charge through the city, she made her way to the residential districts, where maybe she could hide.
"Where we going, darlin'?"
"To hide." Bryn still hadn't quite mastered speech.
"Good luck with that."
She kept BD safe and continued on her way, following the faint siren song that pulled her along.
Malton +94
"So does anyone know anything?"
Cat watched Gabby wearily as he stomped up and down the room. It was six months and there was no news. BD and Bryn's kids weren't handling it well and she was exhausted just trying to hold the family together. Add in Gabby and it was like having five kids on her hands not four.
There was a hand on her shoulder and she looked up, surprised to see Ant smiling sympathetically down at her. He passed her a glass of wine. "Do you know anything Gabby?" Ant asked. "Quit shouting at us all."
Gabby simmered. "Ian! Ian! Why the fuck haven't you found something out. It was a bloody goverment facility they disappeared into. BD identified it in his last radio call. We know where they are. Why can't you get them out?"
"I don't have the influence I once did, Gabe," said Ian wearily.
"The fuck you don't."
"Gabby, shut up!" said Joe. "Everybody's doing everything they can. Shouting at us doesn't help."
"Why are we even having a meeting if no one knows any fucking more than they did last month? Or the fucking month before that?"
There was silence in the room. Then Cat decided she'd had enough. "What else is there to do?" she asked. She plonked the wine glass down on table forcefully enough that it clattered and rattled. Then she stood up and left the room, banging the door shut behind her.
They were back in London. They'd spent two months in Japan arguing with red tape and bureaucracy until they were forcibly deported as undesirable elements, placed on a cargo plane and flown to the US. A month in the US and then another two months on a sailing boat, trying to cross the Atlantic. All the time, pulling strings, searching for information, keeping in touch via satellite link-ups. Cat was bone-weary and they had nothing to show for the search. It wasn't even a search really. They knew exactly where BD and Bryn were. They knew exactly who had them. Just somehow they couldn't get them out.
There was a soft tread behind her and she felt Gabby's arms around her waist. "It'll be OK, Cat. We'll rescue them."
"Yeah, Gabs, we will."
"You're really going to build this crazy spaceship of Gabby's?"
"You don't think it will work?"
Cat shrugged, embarrassed. "Oh, it'll work, no doubt about it. I'm just sort of surprised anyone is taking him seriously."
"You could be more supportive."
Cat snorted. "Lay off Ian. Don't lecture me on relationships. Gabby gets all the support he needs, but you know half the DHPD think he's a joke and as for the rest of the world..."
"The two of you should hire a better publicist. The ever-young playboy image was old even before you became a couple and if you get married, well..."
"We won't be getting married."
"Cat! I'm just saying. If you think it will work, why are you surprised I do."
Cat ran her hands through her hair and sighed. "It's just... is it really that bad Ian. Is the only solution really going to be running away?"
"I don't honestly know. But there's going to be a bad patch, no doubt about it. The stone-walling I'm getting over BD and Bryn is just the tip of the iceberg. I like the thought that some of us at least will be away from the hysteria."
"Some of us?"
"Technically the plans Thom and Gabby have drawn up can carry about 50% of the known population of immortals."
"All immortals? what about former RRF and MoB and goodness knows who else?"
"All immortals. But I doubt even 50% will want to get on board and I certainly don't see many RRF trusting us. Most are planning to weather the storm."
"We are immortal."
"Not that immortal. Japan's instigated internment camps for immortals and it's in a broad alliance with China and Africa. "
"Internment camps? Why hasn't anyone heard about this?"
"They've called them scientific monitoring stations. They're feeding on the mutation hysteria and are calling it a public safety measure. That footage of Bryn growing tentacles and killing Simon works nicely for them. It's why I can't get BD and Bryn out. Technically they've forfeited their rights by remaining in the country unregistered. I'm not even sure where they're being held."
"Japan, China, Africa... and the American right wing? They threw you out of the party and it had nothing to do with your actual politics."
"And the American right wing but I can deal with them. They like the idea of the space ship."
"I bet they do."
"Which gives us a source of funding and a safe place to build. They get rid of the immortal problem and might get some useful exploration data at the same time."
"And those who stay behind? The spaceship will make it worse for them won't it?"
"Yes it will, but everyone will have a choice."
"What about BD and Bryn?"
"I don't know. That's why I'm warning you it's on the cards Cat. If we can't get them out then you are going to have to decide whether their children come on the ship or remain behind here."
Malton +96
"How's it going Thom?"
"Networking, networking, looking safe and innocuous, more networking. Can't you and Gabby do these fundraisers?"
"Find me a billionaire CEO with nothing to lose and I'll let you off," Ian said wearily, running a hand through his hair.
"Not quite."
"But?"
"Well, I wanted to talk to you. Have you ever heard of AstroBlast?"
"Yes, they were one of the companies that contacted us when the project was announced."
"Well I've been talking to their CEO"
"We rejected the weapons technology on principle. Too risky from a PR angle."
"Yes, peaceful vessel, yadda yadda. However, the route will take us past Jupiter."
"So."
"And we plan to get through the Asteroid belt how?"
"Thick armour plating... you and Gabby drew up the specs."
"Astroblast can help. They have a prototype ammunition-less energy beam which they're calling the rock sweeper, lots of innocuous packaging, perfect for our purposes. If it works they get lots of free publicity and proof of concept. They'll add in half-funding for installing it."
"Thom, I don't know, it'll look bad, it's still a gun - "
Gabby had been lurking nearby, pretending to listen to some earnest fan of his while eavesdropping on Ian's conversation.
"Fuck the government, Ian. Seriously, fuck 'em. I want a big laser gun on this ship."
"Gabe... how..." Ian sighed. "How do you propose we pay for it? They're only offering to pay for half."
Gabby rummaged in his pocket, and pulled out a sheet of paper.
"You're adding extra dates to your tour? But it was already some sort of record, no?"
Raising his eyebrows, Gabby nodded.
"I do pay attention to you, old friend. I know it doesn't always seem like it."
"Me and Cat are bringing on about two hundred kids. Well, teenagers by the time we actually finish building it." Gabby frowned, counting on his fingers. "Actually teenagers already. Anyway, I know you've had to kid-proof that thing especially for our hordes. I figured I needed to pay a bit more for tickets. Besides, I believe in this project."
"You really have grown up, Gabe."
"I don't hear that very often."
"Hello? Hate to interrupt the tender moment. Are you interested, or not?" Thom said sharply.
Cat was already scrabbling for the phone as Gabby said, "Doesn't that look at bit like those Mech blueprints you had?"
She stared at the massive machine on the media screen. The scrolling text underneath said: Government Unveils new Infrastructure Support Vehicle.
"Yes." She carried on looking for the phone.
"Infrastructure support vehicle? Who are they kidding? It's a giant fighting robot!"
At that moment the phone rang. Cat fished it out from under a cushion. It was Ian. "Ian! I've looking at the news! It's Bryn."
"Calm down Cat!" said Ian. "We don't know that."
"Did you know about this?"
"No, I didn't."
"Then it's Bryn, otherwise they'd have warned you."
"Cat, according to the Press Release which I've just downloaded its externally controlled. There is no pilot as such."
"Bollocks!"
"That's not the way I'd have put it."
"It's Bryn though, isn't it. The world government has had her and BD all this time. We've been chasing the Japanese but they were just cover."
"It does rather look like it, yes."
Malton +97
"Wait, World Government property?"
"Yes, Gabby. Did that not occur to you when we planned this?" Sam said dryly.
"Well... no." Gabby looked up at the barbed-wire on the walls, suddenly feeling very small. Vicky put an arm around his shoulders.
"It'll be just like old times, Gabs," she said confidently. Sam raised an eyebrow.
"Not too similar though, eh?"
"Pah. My brother-in-law is married to some crazy robot tentacle-monster. I don't even look at other women anymore."
"Guys, can we cut the chatter?" Joe said tersely. He had heard the stories of these three blowing up government installments in the `glory days of the resistance'. Now he was working with them, he was surprised they had ever gotten out of the hotel. Gabby was no surprise, he was used to his attitude. But it looked like Sam and Vicky were no better - too busy being couply or joining in with Gabby. Hopefully, when things got heavy, they'd be more use.
"OK. Joe, you breach the wall, then you keep that thing in your pants, OK?"
"It's not -"
"I know, but you have to let me have my fun," Gabby said dryly.
"Why can't we just tentacle the fuck out of them all?"
"Because immortals are the only ones with tentacles. If they see tentacles, they'll think immortals are revolting, and that's... that's definitely bad."
"I can make it into a claw, if you want?"
"Just... shoot people. Everyone got their masks?"
"Gabby, you know they have digital tag recognition? Christ you're a relic," Sam sighed. A voice spoke into their ears.
"Not anymore they don't. I've just taken it out - you've probably got about fifteen minutes before they get it back online. I recommend hurrying up, or cutting the power."
"Well, that's no good, the schematics are on the computer."
"Then I suggest moving."
"Good to have you back, Hali."
"Just like old times. Don't get too used to it, it's just this once."
"OK. Bio, smash - try and make it explody."
Joe rolled his eyes and concentrated on the wall, just thinking about punching a hole with it. He raised his fist, but before he had even brought it down on the wall, something dark had shot out and torn through the wall, shattering the bricks and collapsing a whole section of it. With difficulty, Bio brought the arm back under control. He realised alarms were ringing and the others were inside, yelling at him to move. He ducked through the dust and smoke, and hurried after the group.
"Bio!"
He hadn't meant to. The guard had had a rifle pointed at Vicky's head, and no-one would have been able to react in time - lethal force had been authorised a few minutes back. No amount of self-control could have stopped the claw lashing out and removing the guard's head.
"Who the fuck are these guys?"
"Dunno, they don't seem - "
Sam shot the men before they could continue the conversation.
"Jesus, Sam!"
"These fuckers have Bryn and BD."
"Technically - "
"Shut it, Gabby. Let's move."
"Seven minutes till they get it back online, guys. Get to some sort of data portal and let me into it, I'll find your schematics!" Hali urged.
"There?"
"That'll do."
"So, what do we got?"
"Lots of news reports, guys. No mention of the mutations, or suggestion of immortals. They're blaming it on separatists."
"What about the data?"
"Found the schematics," Sam announced
"Great - let's get it back to the eggheads."
"Oi! Sam protested.
"Hey, I'm dating one of them."
"Then I'm telling," Vicky said with a smirk. Joe rolled his eyes, then returned to looking at his arm - the shirt was ripped where the tentacles had burst out. It had happened three times without his bidding. He made a mental note to call Sy. This was bad.
Malton +98
Cat was making supper in the a small temporary cabin, laughingly known as their quarters, when the alarms went off. Ignoring protocol, she immediately ran out into the grounds where the children had said they were going to play, correction hang out.
Almost immediately she bumped into Robert, leading the others back towards her.
"Any idea who it is?" she shouted.
"Big crowd at the gates," said Robert. "Shouting stuff."
In the distance there was a sound of gunfire. Rosie began to cry. "Why do they hate us?"
"They're scared," said Cat shortly as they reached the nearest bunker.
"But we're going!" protested Jim.
Robert looked grim. "Maybe," he said.
"Why couldn't we stay in London?" asked Dawn. "We were safe there."
"No we weren't," said Robert shortly as they staggered into the shelter.
Cat caught his eye and shook her head. Now was not the time to mention the riots in London, or the burning shell of the apartment block Gabby had once owned, bombed out even though they no longer lived there. Robert pulled the bunker door shut behind them.
"What if they damage the ship?" asked Dawn.
"We'll build another," said Cat confidently, but she was far from convinced they'd get a second chance.
Malton +100
Cat rolled over so she lay on Gabby's chest. "This is goodbye isn't it?"
"Hmmm?" he murmured sleepily. He opened his eyes. "You've got grass in your hair." He began to pick it out.
"I said this is goodbye, isn't it?"
He frowned. "I don't follow."
"To, you know, the Earth. The ship is almost done, from now on everything is going to be rushing around and trying to get out before the government closes us down. This was our last opportunity to just, I don't know, enjoy the fresh air. It's a hundred years in a tin can, and then goodness knows what afterwards."
"Well I hadn't thought of it quite like that but, yeah, I guess. It was meant to be a birthday picnic but I suppose, yeah, I thought it was the last chance we'd get."
Cat kissed him. "Thank you. It was a lovely birthday."
"We've done all right haven't we? We made it work, you and me. We can make a hundred years in a tin can work."
Cat smiled at him. "Yeah, we made it work. We'll make the tin can work too."
They kissed again and a dull thump shook the ground. Instinctively they both froze.
"What was that?" whispered Gabby.
Cautiously Cat raised her head above the long grasses blowing in the wind. They were about a mile from the space ship site, on rough prairie land that Ian owned. Not a hundred yards from them was the World Government's Infrastructure Support Mech. Tanks and foot soldiers swarmed around it.
"Shit!" muttered Cat quietly. "We're going to have to crawl back to the compound."
"Wait a minute. We should check that thing out."
"What!" Cat hissed. They were almost directly in front of the Mech, crawling through the grass. Luckily the army were camped out behind it. It was obviously being made to stand in the front and look impressive.
"We should check it out. They don't know we're out here. They're going to be watching the compound like hawks. This might be our only chance."
"Gabs, we're both half drunk on champagne and what will happen to the children if we get caught?"
Gabby kissed her. Cat knew she had a tendency to over-analyse and worry. It hadn't always been that way but according to several therapists the domestic violence had left its scars. Gabby was good at short-circuiting that but still.
"None of them are kids any more and we'll never get another chance as good as this," he whispered.
"We've got no guns, no equipment," she protested.
He kissed her again. Gabby also made her feel safe and confident. The therapists had theories about that too. Sometimes she thought they made a good balance, since Gabby took not analysing things and not worrying excitingly off in the other direcition.
"I can't decide whether I hate you or love you," she whispered.
"That's what keeps you interested." He smirked one of his old smirks at her. "We going to check out that Mech then?"
"We leave when I say so."
"Sounds like a plan."
"How do we get into this thing?" whispered Gabby when they reached the foot.
"The control area is in the chest. There should be climbing holds up the leg, according to those schematics you stole anyway."
"Found them."
Gabby began to climb up the machine. Cat followed in his wake. She glanced anxiously over at the army. Hopefully they were too far away to see them.
"There should be a hatchway just above you," Cat said when Gabby reached the torso.
Gabby nodded and then hauled something open. "Fucking shit!" he said.
"What?" Cat began scrambling upwards.
"No Cat, don't come up."
"Let me see!" She scrambled up beside him and then stopped horrified.
BD's face was just visible inside the hatchway but it was impossible to see where he began and the surrounding technology ended. His face seemed spread out and stretched somehow while filaments of metal and glass were embedded in his face.
"Hello Sis" he whispered.