Lucent

Giving Up

It didn't take long for Adria to fall asleep. I took the emptied bag, pocketed the matches, and went back into the command center where I left another bed sheet, a can of cooking oil and a large hunting knife in its sheath. The easiest exit for me was also the longest way out, with several doors blocking its path. The tunnel widened and dead ended in two double-wide metal doors. A series of codes opened them and I found myself inside a small, natural cave far from the cottage. This was where much of the supplies for the bunker were dropped off and wheeled inside.

Outside the cave, the sun had set and the moon was just rising. The night was clear and calm. Satellites showed a great deal of activity being set up just a few meters away from the washroom Adria complained about. There were three large trucks parked next to the stores and twice as many smaller vehicles around them. None of vehicles were automated. The trucks were lined with a material designed to block and reflect the satellites from scanning its cargo. The sixty-three individuals milling excitedly around the area had ditched their PICS and any other devices they normally carried. Many of them held small, old-fashioned paper notebooks and pens, and, occasionally, I saw one open to a page and scribble in it. Old guns replaced stunners on their holsters.

After a few moments of observation I realized about half of the group were not ISC agents at all. They were part of Sec9, an international elite commando group with a deep seeded fear of machines. Sec9 was formed three centuries ago as a reaction to the world-wide reliance on computers, machines, and robots. The fear was that if anyone took control of military networks, there would be no way to fight back. A worldwide tax on civilian robots funded the program. Sec9 soldiers were trained to wage war the old-fashioned way, neutralizing the threat of machines and robots. Rarely deployed or seen, no one really knew how extensive or good Sec9 was.

I guess I'll soon find out.

Twelve Sec9 soldiers, sporting full body armor and armed with machine guns, were pacing the perimeter of the base. There was no doubt that Sec9 was now in control, seeking to show the ISC that technology was no longer an advantage. Without access to their PICS, I was too far away to listen in on them. But no doubt they were trying to figure out how to enter the woods and search for us without getting ambushed.

For the moment I ignored them, as they seemed to be mainly concerned with establishing a base from which to work. As a distraction, I started running in a chaotic pattern, sometimes tracking and overlapping the path Adria and I had taken earlier to the bunker. It was essential to camouflage our earlier path and direct the search away from the bunker. Running at my maximum speed, I chose four of the closest towns to use as decoys, making sure that a muddy footprint or two landed in a dark alley or a busy sidewalk.

The first two towns were the furthest away and were tiny, housing just a few hundred residents. These old hamlets with dirt lanes had no business centers to speak of. The streets were quiet on the warm evening and, if it weren't for the soft light coming from the windows and the rising moon, both would be pitch black. The third town, Beckmann, was much larger, full of shops and businesses. It was the hub of this small region, providing deliveries to smaller towns. A small women's shop caught my attention. The lights were off for the evening. I went in anyway and found a number of things for Adria.

When I left the store, the entire four-man police force was out patrolling the sidewalks. They worked in pairs, stopping a few diners and shoppers and checking their faces against a paper photo.

"Sir," one of them called out to me. "A moment, please"

I stopped and faced them. "Yes. Good evening"

The constable nearest to me suddenly flashed a bright light in my eyes. I grimaced, shielding my face from the light.

"Sorry, didn't mean to have it on so high," he lied and then dimmed the light significantly. "Is that better? Please stand still."