"The beast might have holed up and is watching me. It’s best to walk in an open terrain. I wonder what such a huge beast feeds on. And why didn’t it attack me in the town? It was the right place for that. And how come it does not attack at all?” she was thinking.
She abandoned her first aid set as no longer useful to free her hands. She took out a pistol, pensively weighted it up in her arms, but her face noticeably darkened as she envisaged the beast’s size corresponding to the trace. She looked at the communicators’ display. The "Personal Physician" suggested injecting an ultra-antibiotic to clear out her blood from infection. The living indicators were slightly below normal. But that was not too bad in her position.
"The rebel base. Direction,” she ordered to the communicator in a calm voice. The latter switched into the “Guide” mode. A pulsating spot on the display located the destination point in some three kilometers to the north-east.
The terrain was predominantly flat with small hills. The once fertile lands were increasingly turning into a desert, and the dull landscape evoked despair. Still it was the beast that she was concerned with.
“The beastie should be smart. I think it’s unlikely to go at me in the open. Looks like, it’s up to attack after sunset. I will have surely found an entrance to the base biological unit by that time. But what if there is no longer any entrance left, as well as the base itself?” she was reflecting.
As a matter of fact, the whole territory of the Wastelands was under constant radar scanning by the Coalition military forces, and surveillance drones were occasionally seen in the sky. Therefore, any radio broadcast, the use of pulsed weapon, or any electromagnetic surge were instantly traced down, with a combat drone being sent to the identified coordinates to annihilate anything that moved. Drones were sent either by a human being’s or the Artificial Intelligence’s command.
Abandoned bases long left by their dwellers presented the biggest threat. In such places, the AI took charge and continued to keep watch off-line. It searched for and identified new targets on its own, sending drones and surface-mobile intelligence modules. In accordance with the program, the AI arranged assemblage, repair and dispatch of drones on combat missions. There was no one to cancel the program, and only complete defeat could stop it. Multi-purpose factory-bases managed either by the AI or human beings were normally located in heavily-protected bunkers. It was exactly such mission that she had been sent on together with her flight and where she had been knocked down before reaching the turnaround point.
“How I am supposed to fire at the beastie, if I will be instantly spotted by the shot impulse and then a drone-hunter will come for me in just a couple of minutes? Judging by the trace, this is not an ordinary cat. I wish I had a bullet gun on hand with more firepower!” She started thinking out loud, which usually had a calming effect on her.
The operators might have seen a thermal wake from the turbines, the missile-target encounter point and the aircraft crash spot from the satellite. The flight team will also report all details. But the base is unlikely to send out a rescue flight, because the crash area is heavily scanned and teeming with drones. And as long as she does not switch on any radiation source, drones will be taking her for a poor little marauder dragging his gain towards a bunker. Any biological object drifting along the Wastelands that did not emit any electromagnetic impulses was overlooked by drones. Therefore it would be suicide to enable a radio beacon.
The “Guide” sent a vibration signal and the display screen featured the pulsating destination point, which meant that it was nearby. She watchfully looked around the terrain: piles of sand-covered construction blocks and iron structures sticking out of the ground; dune tops producing dust under the wind, rusty iron structures and remains of obsolete machinery.
There were no signs of motion. But still she could not let go of the feeling that she was being watched and that someone’s intense eyes were following her every move. Her inner voice suggested that the observer was now very close. She was well-aware of the fact that invisible suits were able to entirely conceal an enemy, tough they were not perfect. At a closer look, one could discern a light abnormity. That’s why she started peering around in search for unusual light effects.
All of a sudden, just a short distance away, near a shapeless bunch of stone blocks, some twenty feet from her, a huge body moved and began growing darker, turning from sand-colored into reddish brown. The light spot was gradually shifting its shape and assuming a form of an enormous animal, lying in the sphinx position. Soon the girl distinguished a huge animal that looked like a wolf or dog at least ten feet long from nose to tail.
Its watchful yellow eyes were placidly gazing at her. Having studied her face, it shifted its glance to her personal bar code on the suit and then again fixed its eyes on her face. Suddenly she felt his presence in her head as a clear impartial voice uttered as though reflecting:
"Chief Lieutenant Alexandra. Nickname: Bjorg*. "Red Wolves" squadron. The Free People. I am an AI standalone unit designed for information compilation, processing and storage. Nickname: Wolf Abel. Division: "Athena". The Free People,” he reported as required by the Statute and accompanied his thought form with a nod.
*Bjorg – Scandinavian: Defender.
Chapter 2
“Sometimes it’s worthwhile talking to a stranger”
He looked like a large wolf of at least ten feet long and no less than five feet high at the withers with flexible upright pointing ears. His hair, as Alex guessed, consisted of nano-fibers and could change its color for disguise purposes. At the moment her new acquaintance assumed reddish brown color. Only one thing distinguished him from a dog – his hind legs were more muscled and hint feet themselves were heftier.
"He might be able to walk on his hind feet or move in big leaps. It was his traces that I saw on the sand,” Alex though.
She was stunned by his extraordinary proportions. Normally such creatures were produced by scientists; their bodies were made on the Printer based on specific objectives, while the appearance was chosen at will. That could be a huge bird resembling an ancient pterodactyl, eagle, dolphin or shark. Cybernetic beings in the forms of cats, dogs or even spiders ware frequently utilized for purposes of invisible enemy monitoring. In interacting with human beings, artificial intelligence used either verbal communication or thought forms transfer through nano-chips implanted in brains of humans authorized to exercise control over cybernetic organisms or cooperate with them.
Many people chose to have a so-called "cyber friend". Nano-chips were easily implanted in human brains, which allowed them to conduct voiceless communication and even to project fragments of their memories recordings.
Like all others, Alex had such implant, but in addition, she had one more designed to expand her memory and to facilitate foreign languages study or skills acquisition by means of downloading special programs.
The Wolf slowly lowered and raised his eyelids, moved his ears and sent her a thought form:
"Alexandra, what mode of communication would you like to use to exchange information? Shall I refer to you with the informal “you” or by rank?"
Alex nodded and gave an encouraging smile to the Wolf to recognize his good manners. She repeated the sweeping motion of his eyes and sent him a response thought form with a barely restrained joy:
"We can communicate like combat friends and please address to me with the informal “you” without any curtseys (someone once showed Alex what curtseys and bobs were like).
“Are there people at the base?”
"There used to be a division consisting of five humans and one AI in charge of information compilation. We conducted air and ground intelligence in this region, designed drones and new bodies for AI. By the way, this cyber-body was developed here,” Wolf Abel said proudly.
Alex was aware that their though forms exchange in fact took a short period of time, which was an advantage of this communication mode. Her instinct told her that they should leave open area at once.
“Abel,” she referred to the wolf, “we’d better get out of here. Is there an accommodation module at the base? Can I hide in you place till morning? Before dawn I will be off to the north-east to join my people. All data related to you and the base will be blocked and deleted to prevent their scanning from my chip in case of my being taken captive.”
Alex knew she had no right to give orders in another operating unit and it was AI Abel who was in charge there. She took a liking to the Wolf – there was something appealing in the way he held himself. She instantly heard Wolf Abel’s response thought form in her head. The tone of his voice suggested he was also glad to have met her.
“Well,” he said drawlingly “Of course, the information we’ve compiled is somewhat unique, and I should keep our location in secret. The enemy believes us to be completely eliminated. But, taking into account that you are wounded and lots of other factors, I seem to be obliged to extend you a welcome. But we’d rather get into the biological unit or else we may come in sight of drones. Are you coming?"
With these words, the Wolf came up to a big concrete piece of wall and made a slight move with his face. Instantly, a rectangular passage appeared in the block, and a heavy door smoothly opened inward. Alex saw a stairway leading downwards. The Wolf gave a quick look at Alex and disappeared in the aperture. Alex saw his broad back, low hanging tail and heard his claws making a scratching sound.
Without a moment’s hesitation, she followed him. Her eyes were becoming to get used to the greenish light filling the long stairway.
"It’s a good thing he is among my friends,” Alex thought, looking at the handsome, well-muscled body of the cyber animal. The Wolf’s hair was now light-grey with black scorch marks. As they were silently descending, Alex remarked a good quality of the indoor air. The bending wide stairway went deep downwards. The walls radiated soft greenish light. Alex was familiar with facilities of that kind. As a rule, such bases were well equipped so that one could stay there for years without the need to come up to the surface.
Soon their descent was over, and they found themselves in a tiny hall. A few heavy doors led to corridors of different blocks, each featuring a specific pictogram in accordance with the room purpose. The facility was perfectly clean.
For the first time Alex felt safe. But she was overwhelmed with fatigue. The wound began to sting with an unpleasant dull pain.
Having come a bit ahead, Abel turned sharp round and set down beside her. Then he looked her closely in the eye. Alex guessed that he was scanning her biological state.
"It’s the logical thing to do now," remarked Abel prudently in a soft low voice. And his honey-yellow eyes again stared at her face. “Go to the medical module, where you’ll get your wound properly mended. By the way, don’t forget to thank the doctor. She can do unique operations. When you are done there, pick up a uniform and a complete set at the warehouse. Then we’ll meet in the bunk room, where you’ll get something to eat, I will tell you our story and listen to yours. Then we’ll outline a logical course of your actions,” he said, wiggling his ears. All along, the Wolf was blatantly gazing at her right in the face. But strangely enough, the girl was not annoyed at that. “And while you are busy doing all this stuff, I will go and get my hair decontaminated and cleaned,” with these words he came up to the door with a pictogram, again made an elusive gesture with his face, and then the door noiselessly creped aside. The Wolf unhurriedly walked away down the hallway.
Alex headed to the medical block. Not to waste her time, she started unclasping her suit on the way. Before medical examination she had to undergo decontamination and cleaning procedure.
The hallway ended up by hinged doors. She found at once all the things required: shower, warehouse, arsenal, equipment. Having taken a shower and popped her shirt and underwear into a utilizer, Alex decided to leave her suit and boots at the warehouse in case she would need them again. She put her pistol and holster on an empty table next to the exit, threw a bathrobe on shoulders and went to the room with a pictogram indicating a medical station. Upon entering the room she underwent one more decontamination procedure. Now she was prepared to see the doctor.
“Hello! Please come in,” said an agreeable female voice. “I see you are injured in the stomach area. It was a good idea to use a nano-gel. Lie down on the surgical table with your back down and hands over the body. Breathe smoothly. I will do an examination. Close your eyes.”
Alex nodded politely in response and, as directed by the doctor, stretched herself on the surgical table. Biological scanner rays were slowly crawling along her body. The doctor’s AI could operate all equipment in the room by shifting to any appliance. In fact, AI was part of the base’s command processor.
Alex felt the touch of arm manipulators and realized that the doctor started her job.
“Something serious?” she asked.
“Not at all, officer,” replied the doctor in a soft voice. “Only you’ll have to endure a slight discomfort for a couple of days. No meds are required. I’ll make all necessary injections.”
“I see you still use your biological body. I should notice that it’s in good shape,” the doctor tried to distract Alex from unpleasant feelings, “There were times when the scientists in our base, all of whom were advanced researches and gifted individuals, used to design and develop artificial bodies on their own and to successfully rewrite anyone’s conscience wishing to change their body for a mechanical or biomechanical one. Oh! What awesome bodies our guys produced! Just take Abel or Arwid for example.”
“Arwid?” Alex asked.
“Oh yes. Translated from an ancient language this word means “eagle on a tree”. He is a most interesting person yet a bit short-spoken. You are sure to like him.”
“What happened to the people?” Alex asked.
“Aren’t you aware of that?” the doctor inquired in surprise. The Coalition had spread a nano-virus. We were not prepared for that. It began to quickly infect physical bodies and brains of our natural biological organisms. Of course, bodies affected were instantly becoming unfit for use. Fortunately, we managed to rewrite ourselves into the main processor. I hate to remember those bad days.
Nevertheless, we managed to preserve our staff, although in a slightly different form. At least now we can unite into a single controlling component. This is a unique case, as you can see. However it came as a shock for me to have to abandon my physical body to wake up inside a machine. Can you imagine that? You see through monitors your biological body being disposed while you are still alive! And what is even more complicated is that you have your mind transferred from your natural body into an artificial one or the processor. Feels like your brains are being scrubbed with a brush.
Also we had difficulties adapting to the new living conditions. Just imagine, you still have all human qualities being deprived of your physical body. While something was lost forever, new qualities were acquired, and the perception of the world itself was altered. For instance, the whole visual and auditory wave range remains available. One has only to limit perception so as to perceive the world as a human being living in a unique biological body.