Re-Coil - J.T. Nicholas Page 0,70

The assassin smiled and even Chan snorted out a half-laugh. The AI had gotten away from them once. None of us—even the assassin it seemed—thought that it couldn’t happen again.

“But consider, Ms. Chan. If we were to do as Mr. Langston has suggested and simply destroy the vessel, how will we know we destroyed the swarm? It is made up of nanites, after all. Individually, they are microscopic. Even our best weaponry cannot simply sublimate every molecule of a passenger liner.”

“And, more to the point,” I said, “do you know if all of the swarm is aboard this vessel? It’s had months to propagate. Months to spread.”

“Yes,” the assassin said. “You begin to see the problems. To understand why a missile is not the best solution.”

“Okay,” I said, my frustration creeping into my voice. The Gauss pistol was getting heavier by the second, a product of equal parts holding the chunk of metal and plastic at arm’s length and my own crumbling resolve to resist whatever it was that Genetechnic wanted from us. “So you can’t destroy the vessel. I still don’t see where we come in. I suppose you’re going to board it? I’m sure Genetechnic security is better suited to that than we are.”

“Do not sell yourself so short, Mr. Langston. The Persephone, despite being a small operation, has…” He paused. Smiled. “Excuse me. Had a sterling reputation.” The Gauss gun felt a little lighter at those words, but I ignored the dig. “And yes, Genetechnic does have security, and they will be bearing the brunt of the mission. But the AI continues to learn. It has taken measures to make boarding it quite challenging.”

“What kind of measures?” I asked, already suspecting the answer. There was only one kind of difficulty that an EVA specialist like me would be needed for.

“The vessel in question has been put into a multi-axis spin. It’s yawing, pitching, and rolling at impressive speeds. You are quite right that Genetechnic has personnel capable of dealing with the situation they might find aboard, but your field, like mine, is rather specialized. Genetechnic needs someone to board the vessel, make their way to the bridge, and regain control of the basic navigation functions to facilitate a boarding.”

“And what am I? Chopped liver?” Chan asked. Her eyes had narrowed and a faint flush suffused her face. I had to smile. Literal gun to her head, and she seemed more concerned about not being seen as vital to the mission.

“You will also be useful,” the assassin allowed. “Genetechnic has skilled hackers, of course, but they’re more used to working within the confines of a protected office environment. But your inclusion is mostly to ensure that Mr. Langston doesn’t do anything stupid.”

“Fuck you,” Chan replied. I agreed with the sentiment, but I knew the assassin was right. Maybe I could have figured out a way to turn them down—taking the shot if nothing else. Maybe I could have found a way to betray Genetechnic. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to at this point—the nanite swarm was a threat to… well, everyone. I may not have approved of Genetechnic’s methods, particularly when it came to perma-death for my friends, but the assassin made some compelling points, and it seemed unlikely that anyone else was going to be able to do anything about the problem.

“Easy, Chan,” I said. “He’s an asshole, but this may be our only chance to get out from under Genetechnic. And get our backups safe again.” I looked the assassin in the eye. “I assume that is part of the deal, right?”

“Of course, Mr. Langston. Genetechnic’s lawyers have drawn up the official documents, but the layman’s version is that your backups will be left alone and, as an added incentive, if we are successful in our endeavors, new coils matching whatever specifications you wish will be provided.” He paused. Smiled that unctuous smile of his. “To all three of you.”

“Three?” I asked.

“No sudden movements, Ms. Chan. We don’t have that new coil lined up for you quite yet.” With those words, the assassin released his hold on Shay’s neck, though he kept the microwave emitter’s barrel screwed firmly into her ear. He eased a hand into a pocket of his suit pants, and withdrew a small, gleaming cube. I recognized it at once—a core.

“I caught up with Zr. Harper some time ago,” the assassin said. “They proved less difficult to deal with than the pair of you. But Genetechnic has kept them safe. And Zr.