The Pieces of My Self

61 - Crossfire

HENRI'S AVATAR

The Dome, 22 June 2174, Wednesday

I felt Lillian's growing fear for her children's safety, and her disappointment with me, her protector. I felt rage over Mangalotte's program of tribal hate and division and guilt for having helped him. I felt the need to avenge Knightly's torture. These feelings come all at once, like the discharge of lightning into my soul—my new animal brain kicking in. I struggled to tamp down the feelings and focus on what I must do.

I can fix this. The Upload Center is the key to winning the immediate battle. It will enable me to increase my strength by incorporating Lillian's avatar, and hidden elements of Mangalotte's avatar, but my success will be limited. LESA isolated the Dome's network for security reasons when Mangalotte converted the place into a prison.

Winning the war will require controlling the entire state data network, power grid, and the electromagnetic spectrum using dynamic codes generated in Lillian's ring.

Zeke and the children are safe for the moment, but my options are narrowing. One unit of soldiers has assaulted the main entrance with heavy rail fire. Another squad has entered on the upper floor and is positioning to shoot down into the open courtyard. We will be caught in a crossfire unless...

As I thought about strategy, railgun arrows pierced the steel outer door of the arcade and pockmarked the glass inner shield protecting the courtyard. A concentrated volley punched an eight-inch hole in the steel, broke through the glass, and zinged through the plaza. It missed us and impacted the far wall.

"They'll get through, won't they?" Lillian said.

This was no time to sugar-coat our predicament. "Yes. The doors were built to protect against lightly armed mobs. That was the biggest threat to the facility when they built it."

I tried to calm her, but she jerked away when I touched her cheek. Her panicked eyes watched the makeshift barrier in front of the utility door.

"Is there another way out?" she said. "Can the Sentinels get to the soldiers on the mezzanine? And what about the ones on the promenade? Can't they help us?"

"The Sentinels in the courtyard will defend us. Robots on the outside will help if they are close. The ring on your hand can control them."

As I spoke, a metal claw peeled a hole in the steel door and reached through.

"They are trying to send in a sniper," I said.

I saw Lillian rotate the bezel on the ring. "Protect us!" she said.

The hand clawing through the hole in the outer door froze, then withdrew from the hole.

Lillian turned her body and looked toward the utility tunnel. I was afraid she'd try to make a run for it. That would be a stupid move, so I tried to calm her. "There are now four of us. The Sentinel outside the entrance has been damaged."

She shook her head, as if in denial. "Great. Now what?"

"We must go to the portal two levels down in the Northwest Tower. Then we upload your avatar to the network. It has codes that control all the systems and networks."

Five more rounds punched through the door. Outside, boots and robotic feet beat against concrete.

Shouts of surprise and pain. A robee buzzed to life on the other side. I knew that in a moment, they would be inside.

"Get behind that desk! Run!" I said.

A small, winged machine flew through the hole in the door and painted my chest with a laser spot. I shot a wire from my wrist, cleaving the robee in two.

A smart rod sizzled through the hole, flying ballistically without a guidance beam. It punched a small crater in a far wall with an explosion that showered concrete.

I called to Lillian. "The elevator. Let's go! And stay behind me."

I formed a shield for Lillian as she scrambled to keep up—the Sentinels in front, Usher in the rear in case she fell.

Soldiers on the upper level began firing downward. Two Sentinels flanking Lillian broke away, shot wirelines, and hoisted themselves to the upper level. The humans retreated when we entered from the bridge level with two more Sentinels.

I moved Usher's body, crab-like on the main level, shadowed by the third Sentinel, shielding Lillian as we entered a dead-end corridor. The Sentinel pried the elevator doors, holding them open with its feet.

"Wait!" she yelled. "The elevator isn't on this floor!"

I picked her up in Usher's arms, then fired a wireline toward a fastening point and leaped into the dark shaft.

The doors slammed behind us.