Chapter 20
T /// inside a metaphysical data structure
Pyotr collapsed to the ground hard, the thing whatever it was, was reeling. Burn scarred up and around its body, as it tried putting itself out the fire spread. She realized quickly the damn thing wasn't dying, worse while it was backing away and suffering it didn't look like it would back down now. She had an idea and using guest policies partitioned as much sectional data as he could, and got to work.While in the guest account ehr control and access was limited and her partner was down, she had to save him somehow. First step is to get more access to more tools to fight with. Not wasting any time she is linked with Pyotr to access her core data. She started by making dozens of smaller sub sections of this partitioned data before spooling all to maximum effectiveness. She unpacked her half dozen or so programs to analyze data packets, design or use exploit packets, as well as a full complement of malware and viruses of every variety. She readied herself as she looked back out through the camera the creature still reeling back, Pyotr on the ground not moving. Despite being an AI she was Pyotrs partner the only one it seemed, and she would NOT lose him. She refocused on the task at hand.
She had her own war now, as she flung herself full force at the system she was raiding, and smashed against its defensive firewalls with computative force. Streaming the coded and hashed variables into her partitioned space to be deciphered at near instant speed. She hazard a glance back towards the battlefield outside of her domain. Pyotrs life signs had stabilized, but he was unconscious, checking his pursuer a shock rant through her not only was it still alive, but the damn thing was already moving back towards Pyotr. She screamed as her partitioned virtual cpu went into overclock slowing down time even further. Leaping back towards the firewall, she tore at all outgoing data packets throwing them towards her own collective processors.
Her synthetic mind raced against the slowly ticking clock further and further as she had one process running not dedicated to encryption; it was a velocity vectoring chart, calculating at organically impossible speeds exactly her chosen weapon. Her other programs were all reporting back feeding data into her mind as quickly as she was giving it to them, even though the shuttle launch facility had very specific controls, she noticed the inbound payment system didn’t have a character limit.
slowly she was developing her weapon, a small data packet with a RAT installed using the systems own payment method. Knowing this would be the quickest she unzipped her RAT from her directory and prepared the file launch. She began flooding the payment system with billions of digits very quickly, in between the converted binary she slipped her fluent and slimmed concealed weapon. The system fought back, and threw up errors but it was already to late, it couldn't handle the amount of information T was sending it. In organic terms this would be akin to poison someone's food 3 weeks early with a dissolving capsule. The system was trying to desperately fend off T, who was rightly so seen as invader. But her spy was in place, and he unlocked the gate, and handed her the administrator's crown. Making a randomly generated hashed password, she entered her credentials, and the garrisoned defenses stood down.
She now had access to shuttle controls, and so her one off process forwarded. Outside alarms started blaring and purple UV warning lights flared, as the launch ramp prepped. Pneumatic pipes and tubes flared as pressure and heat were transferred with proper fluid dynamics. The thing lumbered forwards some of its explosive power seemingly lost with the burn from the battery pack. Its limbs cracking at uneven and odd angles and places. Its maw expanding well past what would make sense for a face as hair or tentacle-like things moved out from inside, leaching out for Pyotr.
T skipped most of the security formalities forcing her administrator code and authority down the throat of the safety systems. A heavy shell like shuttle was propped onto the launch rail by octopi like control arms. As it landed and the mag locks came back green. The massive beast took a few more steps towards Pyotr now over the tracks T pushed the scheduled flight commands into the shuttle. Its autopilot kicking in attempting to follow the programmed path even before the launch. Then comes the launch, it hits incredible speeds quickly, striking a hard thrust pulling away from the magnetic locks with metal shearing force. The maneuver forced the shuttle to strike the ground port side down, sparks, and the screams of peeling metal letting loose as the cone shaped nose struck into the creature with enough force to punch a hole in a battleship. It flew forward on the track ricocheting off a bay wall and flinging itself into another bay… half a second pass as the rear thrusters push hard into the reinforced wall before KRA KRA BOOM. blueish fire burst forth, burning and scorching the building. Alarms were blaring across the facility, checking the safety warnings T saw the shuttle had managed to breach into the non reinforced sections, which now were also on fire. The fire suppression was already going, but a quick double check had T convinced that it wouldn't be enough.
She had to work quickly, the fire was spreading and it wouldn't be long before someone would come to solve the fire/investigate. Starting with the whole reason she was here she downloaded the itinerary of every shuttle for the past few weeks, she would have taken any surveillance but as it turns out they don't have long term video storage. The download was not obscene but dedicating space to save it all would require a quick partial reformat of a few partitions. As that happened, she recalled a shuttle with over 50% fuel canceling its current scheduled pickup. Redirecting it towards the HQ, she finished the download of the required data, then prepped a system manufactures reboot, in 15 minutes. If the facility was still standing this would make any investigator scratch their heads, while she and Pyotr got out.
Stolen novel; please report.
Checking on Pyotr, the damage to his internals was extensive, he would need actual medical attention not just a day with the doc… fuck. He was still unconscious and waking him or moving him unevenly could kill him, she had to do this carefully. Another loud boom as something else caught fire. Using the same controller arms she lifted Pyotr onto a sheet metal piece and lifted him onto a mag lock, T started the process of transporting just as additional alarms started blaring. It didnt take long to move Pyotrs limp form down the launch track near the opening they had scaled in from, staring through the cameras T precariously loaded Pyotr onto the awaiting shuttle, only a single moment of panic inducing doubt as Pyotrs body hung out over the open gap. T double checked that she had everything, realizing that it might be useful to see any shipments too or from the facility she quickly grabbed that data too. Another Alarm and T realized that the facility was on fire and soon to erupt, T disabled her connection and returned to her socket inside PYotrs head. The automated route she had planned kicked in and the shuttle left, on its way to Earthtown.
She sent a message ahead to the hospital patient inbound, race aberrant, health critical. Once that was done, she began using the diagnostics in the suit as well as the combat stim injectors to try and keep Pyotr alive as long as possible. As the shuttle raced off the sounds of alarms and warning beacons sounded off across the sea born city.
1 hour later
Her processors had been spinning, analyzing and categorizing different data segments putting pieces of an abstract inference puzzle together. Dissecting andtranslating before piecing together the information of the day, slowly she had been developing the narrative as she understood it as well as the next clue. Pyotr still wasn't awake, the Doctors had confirmed that he wasn't in immediate danger, but still wanted to put him through a round of atomic reconstitution. That can be complicated and expensive for aberrants, which was the only reason she hadn't agreed, might be better just to let the nanites do their work. She checked the time 5:14pm LRT, checking her appointments she realized with a start that Pyotr was supposed to be at the rock in a little under 3 hours… shit. She quickly wrote an email to Alex, his brother informing him that she was his AI and he was in the hospital, and if they could reschedule. The response was almost immediate
“The hospital right, I remember the last time he used this excuse. Tell him I hope he enjoys his whores.” fucking bastard, god the two of them were self centered fucks.
She responded of course refuting his prose of “whores”, and summarizing the whole accusation with, just ask the hospital then. No response to that particular email though… she resigned to letting Alex simply stew with the facts for a bit. Checking Pyotrs account she noticed almost a dozen messages from the Sheikh, 3 that seemed to be spam, one from…a restricted account interesting. She started with the Sheikh’s since this could have ramifications for Pyotrs immediate future. To say they went from calm demands for updates and whats happening too panicked needs for updates. She told him most of the relevant details went to the archive checked it out, whoever was there might have left some clue, but Pyotr thought following the transport was the more time appropriate move, went to the taxi service and got ambushed by… jpeg uploaded… that, in the scuffle the damn thing tore the workshop up so bad fuel caught fire and blew up. Pyotr himself is fucked up hes going to need time to heal. She put some garnished words on top to make it seem more amenable, and informed the sheikh that once Pyotr was awake she’ll inform him. She also asked the Shiekh to forward the information packet… upload word document… to the client to see if they could make sense of anything in it. The packet in question was the gathered clues so far that she had been able to discover and several questions about the creature.
So far her packet started with the assassin, a Djikition who kills other Djikitions, a rare breed as far as T could tell. His garb had no signifiers but the armor itself ran a electric current though itself hiding its users presence, this information was pulled based on the particulate cleaning record in the maintenance log of the shuttle, a note was made that a small section of carpet had been stripped clean of any particulates almost like a strong magnet had been run over it. T was guessing but based on this and the fact that no one noticed the assassin until it was far too late, made her make a reasonable conclusion it was probably similar in concept to Pyotrs combat suit he wore ut earlier just cranked up to an eleventh gear. T was curious if the government in question would have any ideas about the suit, but their incompetence to this point has been… staggering.
The second piece of the packet was the ID that was used to gain entry, all T could do is request an update on the investigation on that front.
Finally the docks the shuttle dropped its passenger off at, this lead will be the one Pyotr would find and follow, so details were sparse but she did note that the docks in question had (private) labeled next to them, she was curious if this would be important but still forwarded to the Sheikh anyways rather than keep this to themselves. With the packet and email sent she was sure she would get a response soon, but today seemed to have stretched the bounds of what was reasonable and she as an AI was glad for the slowing rhythm of this singular quiet moment.
Pyotrs mind flashed for a single moment, consciousness returning, T knew it would be a few hours before he was back enough to actually talk, but just the fact he was recovering made her feel secure, more than any firewall or encryption ever could, he was her partner after all.